Two weeks after Worlds, Sophia and Warren were on tour.

Ellen came with them, to help with Betsy, but could only stay for a couple weeks. She urged them to let her bring Betsy back with her. Sophia and Warren resisted that—because they didn’t want to be separated from Betsy for that long, and because Sophia didn’t want to stop breastfeeding quite yet. With the rehearsals done at the beginning, while Ellen was there, they’d really only have to worry about Betsy for the few minutes they were on the ice every night. That turned out to not be a problem—they had a gaggle of willing babysitters. The skaters took turns watching Betsy while Warren and Sophia skated. Liz Cushman and Olga Bradochkina fought over her half the time!

Right before the tour started, the guy who ran it, Ted Kantor, pulled Sophia and Warren aside. "Listen, guys," he told them, "I’m begging you. Do True Colors. That’s such an amazing program. I wish I could let you do it nude, but I can’t, not in this country. You’d be arrested in half the cities we visit," he laughed. "But I really want you to do it, even if you have to do it clothed."

"Minimal clothing, Ted. We’re not going to cover up entirely, not for that program," Sophia told him.

"Fine. As long as the naughty bits are covered."

They had two spots in the show. The first one, they were doing "Pink". They decided to do "True Colors" for the second one. Sophia got a rainbow-colored bikini, and Warren got rainbow shorts. They did the program every night like that, to rapturous applause.

Shortly after the tour started, Liz came up to them with some dispiriting news.

"There’s a rumor that the USFSA is going to try to have you suspended for a year."

"For what?" Warren said incredulously.

"A very loose interpretation of the ‘morals’ clause in the USFSA bylaws," Liz said.

"Damn. Who’s the athlete’s rep on the USFSA board?" Sophia asked.

"Used to be Jack Garrison until he went pro," Liz said.

"It’s Evan," Warren grinned.

The three of them quickly went to Evan and told him of the rumor. "I just heard that myself," he told them. In his capacity as the athlete’s rep on the USFSA board, he called a meeting of all of the USFSA-eligible American skaters on the tour’s New York stop—which meant all three medallists in all four disciplines, plus Christine Arsenault, who, though she hadn’t competed at Nationals this year, hadn’t technically given up her eligibility yet.

"This is the deal. I’m going to be attending a USFSA board meeting in two weeks," Evan told the group. "There’s a movement afoot to suspend Sophia and Warren for a year, due to the nude dance they did at Worlds. Since I’m you guys rep on the board, I need to know what you think about it."

"It’s ridiculous!" Liz said.

"I agree," Andrea agreed. "And they’re shooting themselves in the foot. Warren and Sophia are choreographing our long program this year, they’ve already started on it in our off time."

"They’re doing mine, again, too," Liz added.

"They’re going to do mine as well, after the tour," Tom Bellamy said.

"That’s what I’d heard," Andrea said. "So those idiots not only want to suspend the only American dance team to ever win a Worlds—but the choreographers for every defending National Champion? It’s insane."

"Hear, hear," Victoria Blanchard, the young US silver medallist in Ladies, agreed. "Plus that program at Worlds rocked. It was beautiful."

"They should be suspended," Courtney Rogers spoke up.

"You would say that, you annoying little snot," the ever-blunt Christine Arsenault spoke up.

"Ladies, ladies," Evan grinned. "Anyhow, this is the deal. I’ve got a petition here. It tells the board that the undersigned do not think that Warren and Sophia should be suspended. If you agree with that, sign it. If you don’t, don’t."

Every single skater in the room signed it except Courtney Rogers, who stormed out of the room. Even Ryan Killen, her partner, signed it after Courtney had left, whispering to Evan and Warren, "Don’t tell Court I signed this, OK?"

A couple weeks after that, the tour stormed into Chicago. Crash had gotten tickets, and had invited Jessie to drive down from Milwaukee and join him. She gladly did so.

They enjoyed the show, then met Warren and Sophia afterwards. Jessie and Sophia went up to Warren and Sophie’s hotel room, while Crash asked Warren to go get a cup of coffee with him.

"Nice program," Crash grinned over the table in the coffee shop, "but I think I liked it better in the nude."

"You would," Warren grinned. "Now, what’s up with you and Jess."

"Nothing, really. We’re friends. We occasionally visit. We’ve had sex a couple of times."

"Scuse me?" Warren almost choked on his coffee.

"It started out, the first time, as a discussion over what broke us up. I knew she was dissatisfied with our sex life, but she never told me during, you know, and I pointed that out to her."

"You mean she never said, do this, or this feels good, and all that," Warren picked up.

"Exactly. So, she decided she wanted to make up for that, because she knew it had affected my confidence some. It just kind of happened."

"Are you guys getting back together?" Warren asked.

"No. No, we’re not, at least not right now. We actually talked about it driving down here. We’re getting along better than we have in more than a year. And every time we think of rekindling the ‘relationship’, we both break out in hives. Honestly. I think we’re just not compatible that way anymore," Crash admitted. "That might change in the future—but, honestly, I doubt it."

"But you’re having sex."

"Neither of us have anyone. I have a couple people at Northwestern that I can sleep with, but nothing serious. We’re both sexual people, you know. And, I admit it, she has made me a lot better, now that she’s not scared of pissing me off by speaking up during sex. Y’see, that’s what I mean. The relationship pressure is off."

"But if you’re fixing things, doesn’t that mean you could have a relationship without the pressure?" Warren asked.

"We’re not fixing things," Crash maintained. "We’re enjoying each other as friends, and we’re enjoying each other sexually, but the reasons she broke up with me still exist." He took a breath. "I hurt her badly, but not intentionally. She still does things that piss me off. I react less because she’s not my girlfriend—again, that whole relationship pressure. But I need someone that’s more independent than Jess. And Jess needs a guy who she can completely depend on. That’s not me. I’m not that, I don’t know what the word, is—available, I guess. Actually, the friendlier we get, the more I agree with her decision to end it. I’ll always love her. Hell, she was my first, and I mean that emotionally and sexually. But she needs something other than me—and I need something other than her."

"I’m glad you guys are friends, in any case," Warren said. "It makes things easier."

"When you all get home, she’s going to be right back in your bed," Crash said. "I already know that. It’s funny," he grinned, "Jessie’s looking to be smothered, basically. You two are the smotheringest people I know. I’m no longer surprised she turned to you two. Though the whole Sophie thing did surprise me," he laughed.

"Oh, you know about that," Warren chuckled. "I’m guessing that they’re up in our room right now and they’re not talking."

"No doubt," Crash grinned. "Look, Warren. I really am sorry I slugged you."

"You had cause. I shouldn’t have gone to bed with Jessie without talking to you."

"It just happened, and Jess pushed it, I know that—she’s told me." He held out his hand. "Still friends?"

Warren took the proffered hand. "Of course. Good. I really didn’t want to have to decide on another best man."

"Not on your life!" Crash grinned.

The USFSA’s board meeting was the next week in Colorado Springs. After all the arguments, pro and con, for suspending Sophia and Warren, Evan got up to speak.

"I’m here representing the athletes, as you all know. I have a petition here calling for Warren and Sophie not to be suspended. It was signed by every medallist from the last National championships except one."

"Who?" Curtis Ingalls asked.

"Courtney Rogers, of course. Ryan Killen, by the way, signed it. We are all vehemently against any sanctions being taken against Warren and Sophia. You people browbeat Sophia over the Maxim thing. I know some people here gave her shit about the pregnancy. You keep pushing at them. Have we forgotten that they’re the most successful American ice dancers in history? Have we forgotten that they choreographed at least one program for all three of the Americans that won World Championships this year? Have we forgotten that the TV ratings for Worlds this year doubled, because of the Maxim thing and the rumors about their nude program?"

"Warren and Sophia are American figure skating, in the eyes of the public! Them and Liz Cushman. Without those three, we’re sunk. Do you know that Warren told me that People Magazine wants to cover their wedding? They’re a gold mine for you guys—and you’re getting caught up in all this puritan bullshit. And, let’s not forget, they’re two of the nicest people in figure skating. Who else could get almost every skater to sign a petition on their behalf? Liz, maybe—that’s about it. Skaters love them. Fans love them. Hell, judges love them."

"You guys want to cut off your nose to spite your face? Fine. Suspend them. By the way, if you do, Shawna and myself will not be at Nationals this year. I can’t speak for anyone else, but Liz Cushman told me to tell you that she won’t either."

After that, the vote was taken—and it was overwhelming against suspending the duo.

--end of chapter—