"So, tell me again," Jessie asked Sophia as she sat in the passenger’s seat of Sophia’s car, "where are we going?"

"New Hampshire."

"And why are we going to New Hampshire?"

"Tattoos."

Jessie looked at her. " Tattoos?"

"Yeah, I didn’t tell you before this because I didn’t want you to spill the beans. Warren doesn’t know about this." She giggled. "I’ve always wanted to do this, and with that Maxim photo shoot coming up next week, I decided I wanted the tattoos beforehand."

"How many, and where?" Jess asked.

"Two. One on the small of my back, one right above the bikini line on my right boob."

"What?"

"You’ll see," Sophia grinned. "The one on my back is cool. I checked this out. These guys we’re going to, they have a good reputation of being able to work well from a drawing. I knew what I wanted, so I had Kate sketch it out for me, and the tattoo guy is going to copy it. It’s going to be great."

"Just so you don’t expect me to get any," Jessie snorted.

"Well, they do piercings, too. I figured we could get your nipples done. With a chain connecting the two, so I can lead you around by your tits."

"Hmmm. Well. Hmmmmm," Jessie said. Both girls cracked up laughing. "Nah, I don’t think so. If I did it, I’d do it after I went back to Wisconsin. I don’t want the recovery time to coincide with the too-few weeks I have here."

"Good point," Sophia laughed.

Jessie giggled, then got serious. "You know how my Mom said she made me an appointment with a psychologist? I kept it. Even though I’m a lot happier, my life has gotten very weird all of a sudden."

"True," Sophia grinned.

"She said a lot of interesting things." Jessie took a deep breath. "I was worried about the lactation thing, you know. She didn’t seem to think it was a big problem. She asked me if I had ever mothered you. And I said, yeah, actually, back when you were going through all of your younger pre-Warren shit."

"You’re right, you did," Sophia agreed.

"So, the shrink thinks that it’s your turn to mother me, and it’s just coming out in a different way. Plus the fact that it turns me on intensifies that. So she’s not worried about that at all."

"Good, because I’m feeling full. We might have to pull into a rest stop," Sophie teased.

"Wouldn’t that be interesting if we were caught!" Jess said, laughing. "Anyhow, then I asked her about this whole threesome thing. I described a lot of stuff to her. And I told her my worry—that I thought I had to try really hard not to monopolize Warren. That I had to remember that I was number two, and not get in between you and he. She thinks I’m worried about the wrong thing." Jessie took a breath. "She thinks that I have to be careful not to monopolize you."

"Me?"

"Yeah. She thinks the bond between Warren and I is strong—but she thinks the bond between you and I is unbelievably strong."

"It always has been," Sophia smiled.

"And that was before we added sex to the equation. Plus—let’s face it—Warren is easygoing. He won’t fight for his rights until it gets really bad."

"Yeah, but I will," Sophia asserted. "I love you Jess—but I love him, too. And I prefer men, sexually. I love having sex with you, but I’m not going to forget Warren, believe me. You’re not that good."

Jessie cracked up laughing. "True. And you’re not as good as he is, either. Except he doesn’t lactate. Anyhow, though, I wasn’t just talking about sex. I almost turned you down on coming with you today, but you were so insistent. I thought you should be taking Warren."

"Oh, we would’ve all gone, except I’m trying to surprise him."

"Yeah, I get that, now."

"Besides which, Jess, our time together is limited. Warren and I will have plenty of time to rejuvenate. And, quite honestly, as long as you are here, I prefer the three of us together anyhow, not pairing up with someone left out." She grinned. "Especially in bed. Opens up so many possibilities."

"True," she grinned. Then she got serious. "Crash called last night."

"What did he say?" Sophia asked.

"I don’t know. I wasn’t there. If you remember, dear, last night I was eating your pussy while Warren fucked me."

"Oh, yeah," Sophia laughed. "He left a message?"

"Yeah. Says he just wants to talk."

"Are you going to return the call?"

"I’m inclined not to, but I’m still deciding," Jess sighed. "I just have a funny feeling it’s going to be a diatribe—against me and Warren."

"Well, call him, and if he launches into a diatribe, hang the phone up."

"Maybe. I still have to think about it."

"I can’t tell you what to do. Anyhow, here we are."

"Sophia Daniels getting tattoos. Never woulda thunk it," Jessie grinned.

Warren was home with Betsy, Dan, Kate, and Kate’s boyfriend Chad.

"Quite honestly, Dan," he was saying, "I expected you to go ballistic over this whole threesome thing. Especially after Kate piped up with how cool and kinky it was."

"Hmm. So you like this idea?" Chad grinned.

"Do not get me in trouble here," Kate laughed.

Dan laughed, too. "You know what, Warren? Sometimes, in life, you either accept what is, when you know you can’t change it, or you just make yourself ill. Nothing I say is going to stop you guys. Nothing I say is going to stop Kate. If she and Chad want to get it on with another woman, nothing I say is going to stop it. Yeah, with Kate, I could put my foot down, threaten to kick her out, yadda yadda yadda. What would that prove? I did it for too long, and I almost ruined my relationship with my only daughter beyond repair. It’s not worth it."

"Well, well, well. When did you get all enlightened?" Kate said.

"You know when? Well, with you, it was when you broke up with Dave."

"Huh?" Kate said.

"I wasn’t taking sides or saying that you should’ve broken up with him, mind you—that was between you and he. But breaking up with him was a mature, thought-out decision. You didn’t get wrapped up in ‘being a girlfriend’, you made the decision you thought best at the time. I was impressed. You ended up alone all summer—lots of girls your age wouldn’t have done that. They would’ve ‘hung on’ just so to not be alone."

"Hmm," Kate said. "Thanks."

"You’re welcome," Dan smiled. "As for you," he said to Warren, "well, I must admit. I treated you and Sophie—especially Sophie—harshly over the years. And I regret that. Because I underestimated you, both of you. And I didn’t really realize it until you brought home that squirmy thing in your arms."

"I’m so impressed by how you’ve handled parenthood, at your young ages. I know, next year is going to be tough, juggling Betsy, skating, and school—and with no Ellen around. I would’ve thought it would be a disaster. I don’t think so anymore. You guys can handle it."

"Sophie’s a fantastic mother. You’re as equally as good a father. That kid’s lucky. Ellen helps, I know—and having an easier schedule helps, too. But you guys did that, too. Taking a year off from school wasn’t an easy decision—but, again, it was a good and mature one. And you two dote on that baby. I’ve been impressed since the day you guys brought her home."

"If you can handle that, then I think you can handle your own sex life. Plus, I might have been worried more if it was some strange girl you guys brought home, but it’s Jessie. She’s been a part of Sophie’s life forever, and a part of your life for almost as long. She’s here all the time anyhow, whenever you’re all in town, so what’s the difference? You’re in bed instead of on the couch? Who cares? If you guys think you can handle it, then it’s your business."

"Thanks, Dan. That means a lot," Warren smiled.

"Where are the terrible twosome, anyway?" Dan asked.

"They wouldn’t tell me," Warren grinned.

"Well, I know, but I’m sworn to secrecy," Kate giggled. "Though, Dad, your estimation of Sophie’s maturity might go down a smidge. I think she’s nuts, but, hey, it’s her decision."

"OK, now you’ve got me worried," Warren said.

"Oh, no, nothing worrisome. I just think it’s stupid. But, then, that’s me."

Just then, Sophia and Jessie walked in the front door. "Hi, folks!" Jessie said, running in the door. "Hi," Sophie said. She was moving a little stiffly—especially when she took her coat off, Jessie had to help her.

"Honey, what’s wrong?" Warren asked.

"Nothing. It’s just a little painful. It’ll go away," Sophia grinned tightly. "I knew it was going to hurt."

"OK. What did you do?" Warren demanded. "Kate wouldn’t tell us what it was, but said she thought it was stupid."

"Well I don’t. I’ve been wanting to do this for a very long time." She started taking off her blouse. "Don’t worry, I’ve got a bikini top on underneath." She got the blouse off, and pointed to her right boob, right above the bikini line. "That’s the small one," she said.

They looked at it. It said " I <heart> W K."

"A tattoo?" Warren grinned. "You got a tattoo? And it’s such a sweet one. I’m touched."

"Well, no, I got two tattoos," she grinned, and turned around. "Kate designed this one, they just copied it." On the small of her back were the five Olympic rings. Dangling from the two bottom rings were a pair of ice skates.

"That’s fantastic!" Warren enthused. "I love it!"

"OK, it really is impressive," Kate agreed.

"Very eye-catching," Dan said. "And very appropriate for you. The good thing is that one’s not one you’re going to be embarrassed about twenty years from now. Because you’ll always be an Olympian."

"And I won’t be embarrassed by the other one, because I’ll always heart W K, too," she giggled.

Warren started singing in a bad country-western parody, "She loved me so much, on her tittie she had it tattooed; but when I tried to kiss it all better she said I was crude."

"You’re a nut, you know that?" Sophie laughed. "You really like them? I was afraid you wouldn’t."

"I really like them," Warren smiled. "You did this now because of the Maxim photo shoot, didn’t you?"

"Yup!" Sophia admitted.

The next week, after the new year, Sophia—with Warren and Betsy in tow—flew down to New York for the Maxim photo shoot.

They met the photographer and the interviewer, and Sophie signed all of the relevant paperwork. The photographer asked her, "What are my limits?"

"Huh?

"How far can I go? With most celebrities, I get ‘don’t show this’."

"Oh. Well, then, no limits," Sophia said. "I know you guys don’t do full nudity, but, even if you did, I wouldn’t care. I’m not shy."

"Great!" the photographer said.

First, they had someone do her makeup and hair. Then, an assistant handed her a bikini. "Go put this on, so we can get an idea of what I have to work with," the photographer said. There was a place for Sophie to change, and she emerged in a very skimpy black bikini.

"Nice tattoo," the photographer laughed.

"I have two," Sophia grinned, and turned around to show him the other one.

"Oh, I like that one!" he said. "We’ll definitely get a shot from the rear. Now. Sit here and we’ll do some bikini shots." He looked at her. "Are you sure you had a baby five months ago?"

Sophia laughed. "She’s right over there, with her Daddy," she said, pointing behind the photographer to a corner of the room. "And I watched her come out, so I know she’s mine. I had to get back in shape in a hurry for skating."

"You did that. Let’s get started."

Sophia was there for a couple hours, taking all sorts of photos. At one point, Betsy cried, so Sophia asked for a few minutes to feed her. The photographer snapped a few of that.

"Somehow, I can’t see Maxim wanting breastfeeding shots," Sophia laughed.

"Probably not, but, you know, I’ll submit them. One of them was quite beautiful."

She enjoyed it, even thought some of them are quite revealing. She took some with no top on at all, her arm covering her breasts. A few taken from the back, with her looking back over her shoulder, were done with her wearing nothing but panties. This was going to be quite a spread, she thought.

The interview was painless. The interviewer asked her about skating, Betsy, Warren, and juggling all those things. She enjoyed it.

The issue would be out in about a month and a half—after Nationals, but just in time for Worlds. Sophie and Warren couldn’t wait to see how the skating world received it.

After they got home, they were lying in bed with Jessie, just talking, when the doorbell rang.

Warren went over to open it, and there stood Crash. "Hey, Warren. Can I come in?"

"I don’t know. Jessie’s here. I don’t know if she would want me to let you in."

"OK. Then I’ll talk to you, at least, right here. I’m sorry I hit you."

"Apology accepted. And I’m sorry I didn’t tell you beforehand that I slept with Jess. It just kind of happened."

"I know." Crash sighed. "I’d like to talk to her. Actually, all of you together would be fine. Will you ask her? I’ll wait right here."

"OK. Hold on." Warren went back into the apartment. "It’s Crash. He’d like to talk to us."

"Is he here to blow his stack?" Jessie asked.

"I don’t think so. He just apologized for hitting me."

"OK," Jessie sighed. "Might as well get it over with." Warren went back out and returned with Crash. They sat around the table.

"Jess, I want another chance," Crash started.

Jessie sighed. "Jason, I don’t think that’s a good idea. I’m sorry, but it’s run its course. We want different things. Even you can see that."

"I want you," Crash replied.

"No, you don’t," Jessie replied sadly. "You want the seventeen-year-old me, not the twenty-year-old me. She’s gone, Jason. I can’t live my life the way I used to."

"Don’t you still love me?" Crash asked.

"God dammit, this isn’t easy," Jessie replied. "No. I’m sorry. I don’t. Well, I’ll always love you, but I’m not in love with you anymore. I need more, Jason. I really am sorry. I probably hung on too long, actually, hoping for a miracle."

"I don’t believe you."

"Jason, I’m trying to keep as calm as I can. A relationship has to grow. Ours didn’t. My needs changed, and you refused to acknowledge that. In fact, you revolted against it. You haven’t treated me well at all for close to a year. You’ve made me feel abandoned and alone. I went a thousand miles away from everyone I love for you, and you didn’t care enough about me to make it work. If you really loved me, you would’ve given me what I needed."

"Jess, you were too demanding."

"Then I was too demanding," Jessie agreed. "You need to find someone that’s not so demanding. That’s not me, not anymore. Don’t you see?"

"I wish we had never done that fucking swap in the cabin," Jason spat out bitterly.

"I know you do. But that’s the point. I’m so glad we did, that I can’t tell you. It opened me up. It made me a better person. It let me know that there was more to life, and love, than what I was settling for. I thought you realized the same things. It took me a while to realize I was wrong."

"It was just sex!" Jason said.

"And that’s the problem. To you, it’s always just been sex. You don’t understand the difference between having sex and making love. I didn’t used to, either. Now I do."

"There is no difference!" Crash maintained.

"This is pointless," Jessie said. "Jason, it’s over. I’m sorry, but there’s no going back."

"I can’t accept that!"

"Crash," Sophia interjected, "can I say something that might piss you off?"

"You might as well," he said with a wry smile.

"You don’t want Jess back. You just don’t want to be alone. You two have grown too far apart. I think, deep down, you know that."

"That’s not true." He looked at Jess. "I do love you, you know. I’m just not capable of showing it in the way you’d like me to. If you think that’s enough reason to break up something that’s been going on for as long as we have, then I guess I can’t fight it."

"Jay, that’s not it," Jessie said. "It’s not that you weren’t capable. It’s that you didn’t try."

"I’m willing to try now."

"It’s too late," Jessie said, sadly. "Goodbye, Jason."

Jason looked around the room. Then he looked sadly at Jessie and said, "Goodbye, Jess. I’m sorry." And then he left.

"You know, I didn’t want to break his heart. I really didn’t," Jessie said, tears starting to roll down her cheeks. "I thought he saw what I saw. He acted like it for a year—that he really didn’t care what happened to us. Why does he have to start caring now? Damn him."

"Isn’t him caring now enough of a reason to give it another try?" Warren asked.

"No. It’s not. Because it took me far too long to work up the courage to end it, because I was still looking at the illusion of three years ago. I can’t put myself through that again. And I don’t think he’s really willing to change. He’ll make a half-hearted effort, and then it will be back to the same old thing." She sniffled. "And, you know what, I wasn’t kidding. What he’s done the past year did kill my love for him. I’m not in love with him anymore, and I don’t see how I could ever get that back. There’s too much baggage." She sniffled again. "But, fuck, I really didn’t want to break his heart! Fuck."

Sophie and Warren held Jessie between them as she cried for a good, long time.

--end of chapter—