Chapter 148: The Comeback

After Nationals, Warren and Sophia returned to school, for their last semester of college. They had classes to worry about, and Betsy, and skating. Warren was still trying to get into shape to skate at Worlds. It wasn't an easy process, and the pain never entirely went away.

However, they believed what they had told June--that missing Worlds this year would be horrible for their career. They had to show up, at the very least.

"Besides which," Warren told Sophie one night, "because of all the brouhaha and the suspensions, this is the one Worlds where the judging is almost guaranteed to be fair. How we gonna pass that up?"

Meanwhile, Jessie was having her own problems-with Ryan. He seemed to be getting more and more distant. All of a sudden, and she didn't understand it. He kept maintaining he wasn't upset that she had gone after Courtney. Courtney had deserved it, Ryan had told Jess, and it was Jess's honor that was being sullied, so he didn't mind at all. But Jess still felt uneasy. Finally, she asked him about it.

"Look, it's just weird. After Worlds, OK? I have to get through Worlds, and I have to do it with Courtney. After that, we'll settle all this once and for all."

Jess wasn't all that comforted by that, because she was sure that Courtney was twisting the screws into Ryan, and hard.

A couple of weeks before Worlds, Warren and Sophie performed their free skate, in front of the observers from the USFSA, to the observers' satisfaction. They'd proved their fitness and would be allowed to go to Worlds.

What the USFSA folks didn't realize, however, is how close a thing it was. That was the first time Warren had been able to get through the whole free skate without collapsing in pain. And he did collapse in pain afterwards, in the locker room.

They got through the program a couple more times, then flew to New Jersey for Worlds. June met them there. After seeing them skate, she said, "Are you sure you guys want to do this?"

"Yeah," Warren said. "We have to give it a try. The problem is, I don't think we can practice."

"That's not going to be good," June told them, though they already knew that. "The judges are going to expect to see you on the practice ice."

"We know," Warren told her, "but I don't want us to blow our load in practice. We have to skate three straight days, two short programs and one long. I don't know if I can do that without resting beforehand."

"I see your point. I guess it's a risk you're going to have to take," June said. Then she grinned. "It's a good thing you two have timing that's almost second nature."

"No lie," Sophie giggled. "Considering how little time we've spent on the ice since October, it's a miracle we're not completely tripping over one another and losing all sense of unison."

"It's that whole telepathy thing," June laughed.

That night, they ate in the hotel dining room, where they were joined by Evan Pogdar.

"Come to watch?" Warren asked Evan.

"Yup. Plus I'm still the athlete's rep on the USFSA board, so I have to be here because of that."

"What are your plans?" Sophie asked him.

"Try to find a new partner, hopefully this summer."

"Shawna's OK with that?"

"Actively encouraging it, actually. She's going to coach. When I find a partner, she's going to be my co-coach, along with Nina." Russian expatriate Nina Zirkovskaya had been Evan and Shawna's long-time coach. "She's come to terms with the end of the skating part of it, and wants me to keep going."

Later on, Warren and Sophie were joined by the Canadian dancers, Renee Damphier and Christian Gaudler. They hadn't competed at an ISU event in two years, but had kept their eligibility, skating in only pro-ams and shows that wouldn't count against them with the ISU. They had decided to attempt a comeback this year, and had won Canadian Nationals.

"Back for another go, eh?" Warren teased them.

"Yeah. After watching those French bumblers win last year--and after all the changes and suspensions--we figured we'd give it one more shot," Renee told them. "And we're in shape, ready to go, and we have dynamite programs. How's the knee?"

"Getting there. We'll see," Warren told them.

They didn't show up for any practices, and it was noticed--but they didn't feel as if they had a choice. They would be skating three straight nights, and it was going to be all Warren could do to get through that.

Wednesday was the first Original Dance, the shuffle. Warren and Sophia broke out Ringo Starr's "You're Sixteen," a fun song that they had worked up a fun program to. There were two problems--they skated fairly early in the order, and they were very rusty. They managed a decent showing, and Warren's knee held up fairly well. When all was said and done, however, they had only placed fourth. Damphier and Gaudler won, with a stunningly difficult shuffle. The Brits, Brenneman and Watts, were second; and the Russians, Kuznetsova and Vasilyevskiy, were third. One thing that did make Warren and Sophie happy was to see that now, with the offending judges of past years weeded out, the French team was way down in eighth. Ryan and Courtney were tenth. Ryan was philosophical, but Courtney was fuming.

The next day, it was time for the rhumba. Sophie and Warren did a steamy interpretation of Sade's "Smooth Operator." A Rhumba was supposed to be sexy, and Sophie and Warren had an advantage. Warren tossed off the pain, and went for it. It was difficult, but they got through it--and the inherent excellence of the program showed through. They won the second OD. The Brits were second again, with the Canadians falling to third after a little stumble.

After the two Original Dances, the Canadians and the Brits were tied for first, but Sophie and Warren were within striking distance.

Sophie and Warren were in their hotel room after the second OD. The Free Dance would be the next evening. Ellen, who was there with them, was watching Betsy in her room.

"So, how's the knee?" Sophie asked.

"It's a little sore. I'll get through it OK, but it does hurt."

"Hmmm, well, it's the night before the free dance. You know what that means."

"Uh-huh," Warren laughed. "I think you'll have to be on top, though."

"Now when I have I ever complained about that?" Sophie giggled. "Besides which, that's been the case most of the time since you hurt that knee. Come here," she said, sitting on the bed. Warren joined her. She started taking off his clothes. When she got them all off, they went to work on hers. Afterwards, naked, they grabbed each other, kissing deeply. Their hands roamed all over one another as their tongues danced. After a while of this, Sophia rolled Warren onto his back. She went to straddle him.