Chapter 132: Another Nationals

Author's note: Kristy Sargent's a real person, a pairs skater. (Well, she's Kristy Wirtz now.) What I talk about here really happened to her. Perception is everything, of course, though <G>. Some of my readers think that the capriciousness of skating federations to their skaters is made up completely in my own mind. Nope, sorry. Some things in DoaL come from real life.

Warren and Sophia were as relieved as it gets just to get back to Oceanview for Christmas. After their fall semester, and after the Grand Prix Final, the three weeks they'd be home would be very relaxing. Yes, they'd have to prepare for Nationals, but that's all they'd have to do.

Since they no longer had a coach in Wisconsin, they were very glad to see June again.

"You've done well this fall, guys," she told them after their first practice with her. "I know it's been tough on you, what with school and the wedding and competing and Betsy, but you've done well."

"Thanks," Warren told her, "but I think our luck is due to run out sooner or later. We're still waiting for the backlash from what happened last year."

"It's possible, but all you can control is the skating."

"Yeah."

They had an enjoyable Christmas, with everyone-especially the grandparents-getting the traditonal pile of presents for Betsy. With no school to worry about, their sex life got back to normal-meaning two nights out of three! Jessie, also home for Christmas, joined in, but only some of the time. She knew what the last semester had been like for them, and didn't want to wear out her welcome-she knew they needed "alone" time.

A couple of days after New Years, they were happy to get a visit from Warren's sister Kristin. They'd only really seen each other at Christmas.

"How you been holding up?" Kristin asked them. "You looked horrible at Christmas, Warren. You look a little better now."

"I was so damn tired I was lucky I knew what my name was," Warren laughed. "My schedule this semester was particularly brutal."

"How are you two doing?" Kristin asked perceptively.

"Great," Warren told her. "She cuts me a lot of slack."

"I learned my lesson," Sophie said ruefully, "from freshman year. Now that we live together, I can see it for myself, anyway. And I see how hard he's tried to be attentive to me-but I also watched the poor guy studying five, six hours a night."

"Yeah, and with babies screaming and practice interrupting and whatnot," Warren sighed. "Next semester will be much better. I'm back down to 15 credits instead of 18, and I won't be taking embryology or genetics."

"But you have Worlds smack dab in the middle," Kristin reminded him.

"True, but we had two competitions in the middle last semester," Sophie reminded him.

"What are you going to do when it's your first year in med school and it's an Olympic year?" Kristin laughed.

"I'm not," Warren declared. "Do I look insane to you? I'm taking a year off before med school. That year is going to be the last of our skating career, so that's what it's going to be about-skating, and only skating. We're going to do every competition and show we can get away with that we get invited to, and then go knock 'em dead at the Olympics. And then I'll go to med school."

"And we've squirrled a lot of money away," Sophie told her, "and we have a few more endorsement deals coming up after school gets out for the summer. So I'm not going to be working when Warren's in med school. Except we'll probably still choreograph. And that's mostly going to be me if he's in med school."

"And that'll make things a lot easier," Warren said. "Having Sophie home with the kid."

"Well, if I have my way, kids by then," Sophie grinned. "I want him to put another baby in me as soon as the Olympics are over."

"And I won't take much convincing," Warren smiled. "We always said we wanted a houseful of kids. We just started too early. As much as we love Betsy, and we're glad we had her, it's not easy," he sighed. "Kris, try not to get pregnant until college is over, OK? It's easier." Then he grinned. "Of course, why on earth am I telling this to my innocent, naive, virginal sister?"

Kristin blushed bright red, and got a strange look on her face.

"OK, hold on!" Sophie burst out. "I saw that blush! And that sheepish little look!"

"Huh?" Warren said.

"Warren, I think innocent, naïve, and virginal is erroneous," Sophia grinned. Kristin gasped, and blushed deeper. "Well?' Sophie demanded, still grinning.

"Oh, all right," Kristin sighed. Then she smiled softly. "New Years Eve."

"Congratulations!" Sophie said.

"OK, I'm slow on the uptake," Warren said.

"Tom took my virginity on New Year's Eve," Kristin confirmed softly.

"Wow. Color me stunned," Warren laughed. "Was it OK?"

"Yeah," Kristin grinned.

"He didn't push you, I hope," Warren said sternly.

"Tom?" Kris laughed. "Yeah, right. Warren, in the way he treats girls, Tom's like you. I initiated everything."

"Yeah, I remember that," Warren laughed.

"I'll bet you do," Sophie chimed in.

"No, this was my decision," Kris continued.

"Any regrets?" Warren asked.

"Not one," Kris smiled. "Oh, and he's moving, because his coach got a better opportunity. He's moving to Acton."

"That's great!"

"I can't wait to go to nationals!" Kristin enthused.

"Oh, isn't that sweet," Warren teased. "She's all excited to go see her big brother skate. I'm touched, Kris, I really am."

"Whatever you say," Kris laughed.

They arrived at Nationals, which were in Denver this year, January 10^th. Warren celebrated his birthday the next day-his 21^st-by practicing. "Well, at least I will be able to buy the champagne for our one-year anniversary," he joked. On the next day, there was a phone call in their hotel room. Curtis wanted to meet him, to talk. He specifically asked for Warren. Sophie, knowing why, just laughed.

Warren was commonly thought-and obviously by Curtis-to be the reasonable member of the team. Sophie was the loose cannon. Of course, that only works if you don't know, as Curtis didn't, that both the Pink and True Colors exhibitions were Warren's idea. They both knew this existed, and they both found it amusing. Neither of them were afraid to break rules-and Warren was the one whose artistic vision more often strayed "out there". Not that Sophie disagreed with any of this, mind you. But the vision of the team that lots of outsiders had-that of Sophie the extremist twisting Warren's arm to go along with her-was erroneous.

Warren was willing to play his part, however, and met Curtis at the coffee shop in the hotel.

"First question. Any surprises with the exhibitions?" Curtis asked.

"No," Warren laughed. "You've seen I Knew The Bride. If we do two, the other one will be to an REM song called At My Most Beautiful. It's romantic, it's sweet, and it's fully clothed. No worries."

"OK. There has been a hubub within the USFSA at that Sports Illustrated article. Some people were offended by it. But, I have to tell you, some people, well, it made us think of a few things."