The Island: Dylan-Jackson

Emails 1-8

By AJ and Nelson

Email 1:

Jackson finished replying to an email, then surfed for a while before heading to his Groups link to check out what former Island Cens were chatting about. Many of the regulars were Cens who had gone before his time, but there were plenty of familiar "faces" in the group. He scanned the notes and answered several posts before a name caught his eye: Dylan. Jackson wondered if Dylan was still busy trying to play the part of an Alpha or if he had finally fully accepted who he was. Jackson felt a bit of renewed disdain at the mere reading of the other young man's name. Dylan always thought he ruled the planet, or at least the little part designated as The Island, and in particular, the piece that was called Jamie.

He remembered the day that he and Dylan had a knock-down, drag-out – at Jackson's instigation, Brad quickly and painfully pointed out. Jackson grimaced at the memory of his flaming butt after Brad was finished with him. It was one of the worst spankings he ever got, mostly because he had been in his share of fights, but also because he caused a fairly new Cen to get spanked as well.

His brow knitted in thought right after he deleted Dylan's email without bothering to read it. Why was he still letting Dylan get to him anyway, he wondered with a surly glare at the screen. He might be a good source of information; he was a part of a threesome, too, after all. How different was a threesome with two Cens and one Alpha versus two Alphas and one Cen? Dylan could be a useful ally. Jackson toyed with the idea of talking to Dylan, but considering their history, he was probably the last person Dylan wanted to hear from.

Jackson went to the trash folder and found Dylan's post, re-reading it and hearing the other Cen's voice in his head as he read. He sounded like a reasonable Cen, not the Alpha wanna be that always drove Jackson up the wall. Jackson wondered…maybe they both had changed enough to be civil. He clicked on the email line of the post and Yahoo! opened the mail screen with Dylan's address already entered in the address field.

Jackson clicked in the text box and watched the cursor silently blinking as it waited for Jackson's fingers to send it sailing across the page, leaving a coherent jumble of letters in its wake.

His fingers came to life just as his brain kicked into gear, and he began pecking out a message.

/Dylan,

I'm sorry for not being easier to get along with when we were on The Island. I was an ass, but I think I've changed some. I hope I have, anyway. I matched with two Alphas. Can you believe that? I know, serves me right. LOL Seriously, they're great. So, I'm in a threesome, too, just different than yours. I thought we might have things to talk about if you want. I hope all is well with you, Jamie and Garth. If you decide to delete this, I understand.

Jackson/

*******

Email 2:

"Garth?" Dylan stuck his head around the door of Garth's home office. "Do you have a minute?"

"For you? Always." Garth minimized the project he was working on and turned toward his Cen. "What's up?"

"I got this email today." Satisfied that he wasn't interrupting, Dylan entered the room as he spoke and handed a hard copy of it to Garth. "And I don't know what to do about it."

Garth read the email and then looked back at the dark-haired Cen. "What's the problem, babe? It seems pretty straight-forward."

"But it's from Jackson," Dylan replied, as if that made the problem obvious. "Is this a joke?"

"Who is Jackson and why would it be a joke?" Garth asked. He moved from his chair to the love seat he kept in his office for just this purpose and patted the cushion beside him. "Sit down and tell me about it."

"Jackson was this guy on The Island," Dylan began as he settled down next to Garth, automatically resting his head on the older man's shoulder. "He and a couple other guys were always playing practical jokes and we had nothing in common and he was always getting on my case about stuff and we didn't get along at all. So why would he be writing to me now unless it's some kind of joke?"

"What did you fight about?" Garth probed.

"Everything." Dylan shifted restlessly, wishing he hadn't brought the subject up, almost squirming at the unpleasant memories.

"Dylan."

"Well, it was everything!" Dylan hated it when Garth said his name like that; how could anyone put such a patient 'cut the bullshit' command into one word? "But I was having some trouble with them telling me I'm not an Alpha-- Stop that," he added as Garth's lips quirked at the understatement.

"Stop what?" Garth brushed a kiss against the dark head resting on his shoulder.

"Smirking at me. I know you're doing it even if I can't see it. Anyway, he was always on my case about it and I got mad and punched him one day and we both got in trouble. So why would he want to be friends now?"

"Because he's in a threesome now? Jackson!" Garth exclaimed in sudden revelation. "Jonas and Taggert's Cen. He's pretty high-rated, isn't he?"

"Yeah, he's an 8. Guess that's why it takes two Alphas to handle him."

Garth gently smacked Dylan's knee. "Stop that; and that's probably why he had such a problem with you."

"Huh?"

"I've noticed that the higher the rating, the more Cens like things to be in black and white and to know exactly where everyone stands. Having a Cen who could also function as an Alpha, even temporarily, probably made him feel insecure."

"So he attacked me?" Dylan asked in confusion.

"That's what people do when they're insecure," Garth explained. "So--"

"Garth! Where are you?" Jamie entered the room with his usual bound. "I need to talk to you. It's--"

"Private time for Dylan." Garth pressed the older Cen back down as he started to rise and give his place to Jamie.

"But, Garth, it's important!"

"So is Dylan. What's the rule?"

Jamie flushed. "Unless I'm bleeding, have broken bones or the house is on fire, I can't interrupt you and Dylan when you're having private time."

"And?"

"Close the door on my way out." Jamie gave a heavy sigh and closed the door on his way out, only to pop it open again a moment later. "Are you going to be very long?"

"Jamie!"

The door closed but an irrespressible "Hurry up!" was clearly heard through it.

"So what do you want to do about this?" Garth asked, ignoring the interruption.

"I don't know." Dylan hesitated, attempting to think things through. "I guess I should--"

"No." Garth put his finger on Dylan's lips. "I didn't ask what you should do, I asked what you want to do. Do you want to talk to him? Do you think you could be friends or would you like him to leave you alone?"

"I don't know," Dylan said with a huff of exasperation. If he knew the answers to these questions, he wouldn't be asking Garth for advice! "I guess, if he's serious and not playing some practical joke, I could talk to him. I don't know anything about having two Alphas but I do know about three people in a relationship. Maybe we do have some things in common. But I don't want him making fun of me or calling me a wannabe Alpha."

"Then tell him that," Garth advised. "Do you want me to talk to his Alphas and set up some ground rules?"

"No," Dylan told him firmly, tempting as the idea was. "I don't need you to set up play dates for me."

"Dylan."

"Sorry." Dylan sighed. Same word, different tone, still an entire sentence in one word. How the hell did he do that? "I think I'd rather do it myself, if that's all right."

"Of course it's all right." Garth gave him an affectionate hug. "Let me know if you want me to read the email before you send it."

"Ok. Thanks." Dylan gave him a quick kiss and started to rise.

"Is that it? Anything else you want to talk about while we're here?"

"That's it. I'll go write a note to Jackson while Jamie tells you all about his latest crisis."

"I wish his were as easy to solve as yours," Garth commented with a wry grin.

"I'm glad you're the one who gets to handle them now," Dylan admitted cheerfully.

/Hi, Jackson. I'm glad to hear that you've matched and that it's going well for you. I don't know how much we have in common as far as a DP goes. You're much higher-rated and have two Alphas while I'm lower and have an Alpha and another Cen, so I'm sure the rules and consequences are a lot different.

I've found that living in a threesome is a lot different than being part of a couple and if you want to talk about that, I think we do have a lot in common. I think one of the most important things to remember is that you aren't just one threesome. You're also three different couples and you all need to work on those relationships, too.

I'm sure you've figured that out already but let me know if you want to talk about it more or if you just want to talk.

Dylan/

*******

Email 3:

Jackson read the email for the third time, glowering at the first paragraph's scantily masked barb that cut deep enough to leave him needing stitches.

"Higher-rated," Jackson quoted with a snarl. "He still thinks he's better than me."

Jackson had forgotten he even wrote the quick note to Dylan until he saw the response. Jonas had sidetracked him after he sent it with his "you've met your online limit" routine two days ago. He rolled his eyes at the memory. He still didn't think it was fair, but Taggert had backed up Jonas' decree, and Jackson saw no hope of victory in fighting against two immovable foes.

He started to delete Dylan's response, but re-read the note again. He turned the last line over in his head a couple times. Dylan hadn't slammed the door closed. What did that mean? That he really was open to talking? That's what he said. Jackson sighed and shook his head. He didn't know what to say to the other man.

He walked away from the computer, needing to clear his head, and climbed the stairs to the kitchen. Jonas glanced at him as Jackson entered the room.

"Wow." Jonas paused sweeping the kitchen, and raised his eyebrows. "What's that look all about?"

Jackson smoothed his expression quickly and gave Jonas a manufactured smile. "Nothing. What are you doing?"

"Huh uh. I saw that look before you had a chance to change it," Jonas replied, refusing to accept the cover-up. "What's the matter?"

Jackson's shoulders slumped and leaned his elbows on the kitchen island. "Remember the other threesome from The Island? Garth, Dylan and Jamie?"

Jonas frowned in thought. "I don't think so… oh! Yes, I do remember them. What about them?"

"Well…," Jackson tormented over what to say, and he stared at the countertop. He glanced up at Jonas' patient expression. He'd wait all day for an answer, Jackson was sure of it. "Dylan and I didn't exactly get along."

"Why not?"

"It's a long story, and it's complicated."

Jonas' lip curled up in a half-smile. "Maybe if you go slow, I can keep up."

Jackson laughed softly at the remark, which was so classic Jonas. "I'm sure you can. Especially if I stay away from big words."

"I'd appreciate it."

Not as much as Jackson appreciated Jonas' easy sense of humor. It made sharing easier. "Dylan thought he was an Alpha when he came to The Island, so he thought he was better than all of us pathetic Cens."

"That was your interpretation, or he actually told you that?"

"I guess it was my interpretation," Jackson replied honestly. "But he really bucked when they tried to tell him he was a Cen. He did *not* want to be one of us."

"So he wasn't an Alpha?"

"No, not at all. A lower-rated Cen. Anyway, we never really hit it off, unless you count physically hitting," Jackson snorted a chuckle and shrugged. "Like I said, we didn't really get along."

"I see," Jonas said, leaning on the island to match Jackson's pose. "And what does that matter now?"

"I don't know why, but I decided to send him a note the other day when I was up early on the computer. I saw a couple of his posts on the Cen Island group and thought we might have some things in common now since we're both in threesomes."

"That must have been an awkward email to write."

"Yeah, it was."

"But big of you to reach out after your history together."

"Most of our history was because of me," Jackson confided. "I was an ass. I told him that in the email."

"Did he write back?"

"Yeah."

"And?"

Jackson looked at Jonas through his lashes. "I'm not sure I like what he said."

"What did he say exactly?"

"That I'm 'higher-rated' so he wasn't sure we'd have much to talk about." Jackson huffed. "Some things never change. I must have been out of my mind to bother writing to him."

"Is that all he said?"

"No. He talked a little about threesomes, and said if I wanted to talk, we could."

"That doesn't sound so bad. Do you think he meant the higher-rated comment as a jab or was he just being honest?"

"I have no idea."

"You know, maybe he's not sure of your intentions. Maybe the jab was in case you were up to something, and the invitation to talk was in case you weren't."

Jackson sighed. "I don't know. I'm not even sure why I wrote to him in the first place."

"Are you going to write him back?"

Jackson threw his head back and combed his fingers through his hair. "I guess I have to."

"Would you like some advice?"

Jackson realized that he did. Very much. He had no idea what to say to Dylan. "Sure."

"First, I'm not convinced you have to write him back."

Jackson's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "Really?"

"Well, he started off by pointing out you don't have much in common, then ended by saying you could talk if you wanted to. He left the ball in your court as to whether to talk more or not."

"I guess he did," Jackson said. "I hadn't thought about it that way."

"Now, if you decide to respond, it sounds to me like you have two choices: focus on the jab or the invitation to talk. Option one: write back and say, 'you're right, we have nothing in common' and that's the end of it. Or option two: say, 'we might not have much in common, but I'd like to talk about what it's like to be in a threesome'."

Could it really be that simple? Jonas was so logical. "I think I like option two."

"Then I'd say go with option two, talk about things you can both relate to, and just keep the email light, friendly."

"I think I could manage that. Maybe I'll try to write him back."

"You know, if you're not sure, don't write back today. Sleep on it and see how you feel tomorrow. Sometimes, a night's rest makes things clearer."

"Yeah. What's one more day?"

"Exactly. But if you decide to write today, you can. You didn't use all your time."

"What do you do for fun when you aren't watching the clock?" Jackson asked suspiciously.

"I sweep. While you're mulling over what to do, you can put the trash out for fun." Jonas winked with a smile.

Jackson sighed dramatically and went to gather the trash. "Is that the cost of advice these days?"

"It is in our house," Jonas said as he picked up the broom and started where he had left off.

Jackson tossed the bag into the bin and opened the garage door so he could wheel out the trash. He saw a familiar figure jogging his way as he reached the end of the drive. Jackson hugged himself against the evening cold and waited for Taggert to reach their yard.

"Hey, Taggert. How was your run?"

"Good. Jonas put you up to setting the trash out tonight?"

"Yeah, he put me to work."

"I told you to come with me." Taggert pulled Jackson close, and kissed his temple.

"Too cold to go running," Jackson shuddered against Taggert.

"Nonsense. You're plenty hot after about five minutes." Taggert's eyes bored into Jackson hungrily. "Want to warm up with a shower? You could help wash my back."

Jackson's thoughts of Dylan immediately dissipated. "I'd be happy to help."

~~~~~~~~~~

Jackson swiped the towel over his wet body, while still keeping an appreciative eye on Taggert's glistening chest as he watched him dry off. He loved spending time with Jonas and Taggert, individually or together, and he thought again about how lucky he was to have them. They were both great, but there were special moments that he shared with each of them. Like talking or showering.

His mind drifted back to what Dylan had said about them being three separate couples. Huh. Dylan nailed that one with a sledgehammer.

Taggert gently flicked the tail of his towel against Jackson's bare thigh. "You're a million miles away."

Jackson batted the towel away then reached for his sleep pants. "I was just thinking about something Jonas and I were talking about earlier."

"Is it private or can you share?"

Damn. Apparently, Taggert understood the three couples thing, too. "I can share. Actually, I wonder what advice you would give me."

He went through the story about his and Dylan's history, finishing the tale with the latest email.

"Hmm. That's a tough one," Taggert said, pulling on a long-sleeved sleep shirt. "I guess the first thing that comes to my mind is whether you want to try to be friends or not."

Jackson thought about it for a second. "I think it might be nice."

"If that's the case, I'd say you should give him the benefit of the doubt, and assume innocence. Try to keep the conversation geared to things you can agree on, even if it's to agree with the higher-rated comment."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, you *are* higher-rated. There's nothing wrong with that, just like there's nothing wrong with him being lower-rated, but not an Alpha."

"That's true."

"So, even if he might have said it to get at you, if you acknowledge it, then you've taken the sting out by agreeing, and he'll see that as a friendly gesture."

"It is true. I am higher-rated. Maybe he was just pointing out the obvious."

"If you assume innocence, then you'd have to believe that, and it might be the truth. If anyone else had said it, would it have rubbed you the wrong way?"

Jackson considered the possibility. "Probably not. So your advice is to write back, agree where we can agree, and assume innocence."

"What do you have to lose? The time it takes to write a reply? For what little it will cost, you could end up with a good friend. That's a pretty good return on investment."

Jackson smiled and wrapped his arms around Taggert's waist. It was good advice from both of them. Both a little different, but good points to ponder.

"You're right. Thank you."

"So, are you going to tell me what Jonas said?"

"He said I could either agree that we have nothing in common and cut him off, or stick to the things we do have in common, like being in a threesome."

Taggert cocked his head to one side thoughtfully and shrugged. "Not bad."

"I think I'm ready to reply, and I should go and do that now before I have time to think about it anymore."

"You have internet time left?"

Jackson gave Taggert a flat stare. "It's Jonas' job to monitor my time, remember?"

Taggert's eyebrow quirked up. "I asked if you have internet time left."

"Yes, I do," Jackson said as he pulled away. "I didn't know what to say to Dylan so I kicked off early. Jonas knows."

"Good." Taggert yanked him back and kissed him hard. "Go write your email then," he said as he released his prey.

Jackson reluctantly left Taggert, and settled back in front of the computer. He scrolled through all the group emails, and he pulled up Dylan's response again. He took a deep breath and hit the reply button, while snippets of advice rolled around in his head. "Confirm what we agree on. Talk about threesomes. Keep it light. Assume innocence."

/Hi, Dylan,

You're right. I'm much higher-rated with different rules and consequences, which is why I'm only now getting a chance to write you back. I doubt you have one hour of internet time each day, and live with an Alpha who is obsessed with watching the clock. Long story short, I haven't had time to be on the internet, if you know what I mean.

I hadn't really thought about us being three couples until you said it, but we are exactly that. After I read your email, I thought about how we share things - either all together or as Jonas and me, Taggert and Jonas, or Taggert and me. I doubt most people would understand that until they've lived it like we have./

Jackson read the short email so far. "That's everything we agree on. Now how to end it…"

"Jackson!" Jonas called from the den. "Time's up!"

Jackson sighed, but was grateful for an excuse to end the email. "Coming!"

/Speaking of my Alphas, the White Rabbit is yelling that I'm late. I'd better go before he checks his watch again. It was good to hear from you. I hope it's warmer where you are than it is in Maryland. I'm going to crawl between my partners for a little body heat. Another good thing about being in a threesome :)

Jackson/

*******

Email 4:

Dylan read the email one more time, searching for hidden meanings, and then leaned back in his chair with a sigh. Jackson sure didn't give him much to work with. He started his reply, then decided he needed to talk to Garth before continuing. Closing his laptop, he wandered into the kitchen to see what everyone else was doing.

"Where's Garth?" he asked Jamie, recognizing the pert butt he could see around the refrigerator door.

Jamie backed out of the refrigerator with a chocolate cheesecake in his hand. "He has a client dinner tonight, remember? He left a casserole; I'm supposed to put it in the oven at 5:30."

Dylan glanced at the clock on the stove. "It's 5:30 now."

"I know that, Dylan. That's why I was getting it out of the refrigerator." Jamie explained with exaggerated patience, as if his partner was deliberately missing the obvious.

"That isn't a casserole," Dylan pointed out in much the same tone. "And why are you eating cheesecake if we're having dinner in an hour?"

"God, Dylan, you are such an Alpha sometimes!" Jamie rolled his eyes as he got a fork from the drawer and sat down at the table with his prize. "Don't worry; I'll be good and eat all my dinner. I'm just having dessert first. What did you need Garth for?"

"I just wanted to talk to him about something," Dylan replied vaguely as he got the casserole out and put it in the oven to bake. He wasn't quite ready to share Jackson's emails with Jamie just yet. It wasn't that he was doing anything wrong; he couldn't be since he had Garth's approval. He knew what Jamie's reaction would be, though, and he wasn't ready to deal with it. He got a fork and sat down across the table from the younger Cen. "You have chocolate on your mouth."

Jamie flicked his tongue over his lips provocatively, enjoying Dylan's reaction. He leaned across the table and dabbed a bit of chocolate on Dylan's lower lip. "Your turn," he invited.

"Dinner's in the oven," Dylan objected half-heartedly, even as he ran his tongue over his lips.

Jamie put another bite in his mouth and slowly pulled the fork out, his eyes on Dylan as he sucked the creamy cheesecake from it. "So?"

Dylan's jeans were growing uncomfortable so he unzipped and stepped out of them as he moved around the table to pull Jamie to his feet. "You taste like chocolate," he murmured appreciatively. He untucked Jamie's shirt and ran his hands up and down the smooth, even back and then, as Jamie kicked off his own jeans, slid his hands into the younger man's briefs and cupped the taut, lucious mounds of his butt. God, he loved this man, so much it hurt sometimes.

Jamie's hands were exploring as well and it took some effort for Dylan to consider their options. The floor was too cold and Garth had pitched a fit the time he found out they had used the table. "Bedroom?"

"Couch is closer," Jamie suggested breathlessly.

Dylan shook his head as he tugged Jamie down the hall. "Blinds are open." He didn't even want to think of Garth's reaction to thrilling the neighbors.

Dylan lay on his back, one arm under his head, too sated to move. Jamie, an inveterate cuddler, was sprawled over him and Dylan absentmindedly ran a finger up and down the younger Cen's back as he thought about Jackson and the emails. He felt a little guilty about not telling Jamie about them; it wasn't that he was keeping secrets, he told himself, but Jamie wouldn't understand. Jamie saw everything in black and white, was blindly loyal to Dylan and if, in his opinion, anyone mistreated Dylan he would hold a grudge until Armageddon. There was no way he would understand the possibility of a truce or letting bygones be bygones and he would be very vocal in his opposition.

"That tickles," Jamie informed him lazily.

"Sorry." Dylan paused in his ruminations, wrinkling his nose and sniffing. "I think we're burning dinner."

"S'ok," Jamie replied. "We still have some cheesecake left."

Dylan poked him in the ribs. "Come on. We need to get up and clean up our mess before Garth gets home."

Jamie grumbled and complied only when Dylan threatened to shove him off onto the floor. "You really have to stop hanging around Garth so much," he complained. "I think he's rubbing off on you."

"This pan is ruined," Dylan commented sometime later, scrubbing vainly at the casserole dish. "I think the finish is going to come off before this crusty black stuff does."

"Toss it," Jamie advised airily as he placed their cheesecake plates in the dishwasher.

"Toss what?" Garth entered the kitchen, looked from the two Cens, dressed for bed, to the jeans lying under the table. "Not again! What did I tell you the last time?"

"Not again," Dylan assured him. "We made it to the bedroom this time. We did ruin dinner, though."

"It's all right," Jamie assured him. "We ate cheesecake instead."

Garth sighed. "Can't I leave you two alone for a minute?"

"It took more than a minute," Jamie deliberately misunderstood him. "But we can do it again later if you'd like."

"I'd like," Garth agreed. "But you'd better eat more than cheesecake first. Otherwise you're going to wake me up in the middle of the night when you decide you're hungry again."

After a quick meal of fried egg sandwiches and the last of the cheesecake, Jamie went off to finish his homework and Dylan returned to struggling with his email. After writing and deleting several times, he showed his work to Garth. "Does this sound ok? Not too personal or anything?"

Garth read it. "Sounds fine to me; not too personal at all. I think that's a good question, too. I wonder if he'll discuss it with his Alphas and what he'll reply."

Dylan read it one more time, then hit send.

/Hi, Jackson,

I don't see the White Rabbit very often but Jamie does. He has a very hard time with both the computer and his cell phone. It's a good thing we have unlimited texting or our phone bill would be higher than the national debt.

I spend more time with Mary Poppins than the White Rabbit. Garth said once that the higher-rated Cens are more comfortable having things in black and white. I struggle with all the shades of gray and depend on Garth to guide me through them.

It can lead to problems sometimes, because Garth has to treat us equally, yet meet very different needs. He's stricter with Jamie and gives him black and white rules while I have more (or the illusion of more) autonomy. I get a spoonful of sugar with my medicine. :-)

I wonder if it's easier with two Alphas of different ratings or if they have the same problem making rules for you.

We're in Colorado, which is quite a change from both The Island and Dallas. I think I'd be a permanent icicle if it weren't for shared body heat. :-)

Dylan/

*******

Email 5:

Jackson couldn't help but grin at Dylan's Mary Poppins analogy. He managed not to bristle at the black and white reference about high-rated Cens since Dylan was referencing Jamie. How had he thought of that as an insult before when Dylan's own partner was higher-rated? Surely, he didn't mean to slam Jamie by looking down on high-rated Cens.

Jackson read Dylan's pondering about differently rated Alphas having a problem making rules, and he had to laugh. They had a lot of problems with it, apparently, Jackson thought, remembering his own Alphas stumbling around over his bedtime. They were clearly not on the same page, and it ended up causing an eruption, one which left Jackson having a soaped mouth. Better than a sore butt on any day.

Jackson started typing his response.

/Hi, Dylan,

I definitely haven't seen any sign of Mary Poppins around here. I sure could have used a spoonful of sugar the other night. Does that work on neutralizing the bitterness in soap? LOL

Speaking of which, I have to tell you that Alphas of different ratings have a little trouble with the rules, at least in our house a few nights ago. I'm still new at this, and so are they, so I'm not sure if the trouble came from us feeling our way around, or their different ratings. All I know for sure is that they weren't on the same page, and I was royally pissed off – I know, big shocker. LOL

Aside from the other night, they split responsibilities, so it isn't generally much of a problem. Jonas is the White Rabbit. He's in charge of my schedule and making sure I'm not late for any important dates. Taggert has responsibility for my studies, since I'm still working on my degree. My time is evenly divided between them, where I spend a couple days a week at the art gallery with Jonas, and the other days with Taggert, focused on college.

I could see how having different rules could be a problem. I imagine if I were Jamie, I might get a little jealous or resentful if another Cen partner had liberties that I didn't. At least on The Island, everyone in my cottage was also high-rated, so we had a lot of the same rules. It still made me edgy sometimes. LOL Is that what you mean by it causing problems?

The body heat is definitely great, isn't it? :) I'm really happy with Jonas and Taggert, and I'm seriously trying not to screw this up. It's hard a lot of days. Does it ever get any easier? <sigh>

Take care,

Jackson/

Jackson re-read the email, wondering if he had shared too much. Sharing period was difficult for him, but it somehow seemed to flow unhindered when it was in an email. He started to delete the last part, but was interrupted.

"Hey, Jackson," Taggert said, coming into the office.

Jackson felt his face flush as he had a sudden flash of guilt at emailing about their relationship. Without thinking, he hit send, which whisked away the honest note before he could change his mind.

"Hey." He turned to Taggert and smiled. "What are you doing down here?"

"Did I interrupt something private?"

Crap. Did it show that much? "No, not really," Jackson covered smoothly. "I was just sending a note to Dylan."

Taggert's eyebrows went up. "He wrote again?"

"Yeah, he did. I think he's being sincere," Jackson said, hoping like hell he wasn't wrong after sharing his darkest fear.

"What do you think of that?"

Jackson lifted a shoulder indifferently, belying his heartfelt appreciation. He didn't want to screw up a possible friendship any more than he wanted to screw up his relationship with his partners. "It's good, I guess."

Taggert came up behind him, and hooked an arm around Jackson's neck, kissing him hard against his head. "I think it's great."

"Thanks. Did you need the computer?"

"No. I came with a message from Jonas."

Jackson rolled his eyes, and glanced at the time in the corner of the screen. "My time is *not* up."

"That wasn't the message," Taggert laughed, playfully cuffing Jackson on the back of the head. "He said he isn't cleaning this whole house by himself, and for you and me to get our asses in gear and help him."

Jackson gripped Taggert's hairy forearm with both his hands and kissed it. "He's bossy. Did you tell him that?"

"No. I made him promise to make it worth our while."

Jackson's face lit up, and he twisted his head to see Taggert. "Did he promise?"

"He did. He suggested dinner at Yellow Fin, then dessert at home."

"Is he cooking?" Jackson teased.

"From the look on his face, and the fire in his eyes, he was starting to simmer just thinking about it."

"That's a pretty good bribe." Jackson started to shut down the computer without being told to do it.

They climbed the stairs from the basement, and found Jonas dragging out the vacuum. "I know you have more time left," he said before Jackson could remind him.

"Don't forget later."

"I won't. Who wants to do what?" Jonas asked.

"I'll polish the furniture," Jackson said.

"I'll vacuum." Taggert took the machine from Jonas, and headed for the den.

"Ok, if you'll get the hardwoods first, I'll mop."

"Will do."

Taggert started the vacuuming, and Jonas handed Jackson the furniture polish and a rag. "Anything interesting online?"

Jackson sprayed the coffee table, and started polishing the dark wood. "Not really. Just answering some emails." He thought for a second as Jonas waited impatiently for Taggert to finish so he could start with the mop. "Jonas?"

"Yeah?" he asked distractedly as he watched Taggert vacuum. "Get under the edge of the cabinets," he ordered.

Taggert gave him a look that made Jackson grin. "I'm glad that look was directed at you and not me."

Jonas shook his head, and turned his attention to Jackson. "What did you want, babe?"

"Do you think it's easier to be in a threesome with two Alphas or two Cens?"

Jonas was quiet while he turned the question over in his mind. "I don't know that either one is easy. It's just different dynamics. Any relationship takes work."

"I guess I was wondering if it would be harder to deal with different sets of rules for two Cens, or for two differently rated Alphas to stay on the same page." Jackson desperately wanted to take back the last part of the sentence when he saw the flash of surprise cross Jonas' face. "I mean…"

"You aren't still mad about the other night, are you?"

"No! I didn't mean that. Dylan and I were talking about it, that's all."

"He thinks it's harder on Garth and you think it's harder on Taggert and me?" Jonas surmised.

"No, we didn't get into it like that. We were just wondering is all. Never mind."

"It's ok, Jackson. I don't mind the question, I only wanted to be sure there were no lingering hard feelings." Jonas reached out and grabbed Jackson by the wrist to get his attention. "Ok?"

Jackson nodded, feeling somewhat placated after putting his foot in his mouth. "Ok."

"Now, as for your question, the struggle Taggert and I have is to fully communicate, and assume very little. We assumed too much the other night about what each other was thinking, and neither one of us read minds very well," Jonas pointed out with a half-smile.

"That makes sense."

"For Garth, I imagine it still comes down to communication. His Cens need to understand why the rules are what they are since they might be different on some levels, yet the same on others. For instance, household rules that apply to everyone would be the same, but other things will be specific to each Cen."

"That sounds sort of like what Dylan was talking about, that it's sometimes hard because they have different rules."

"I could see that, but I'm only guessing. For us, we need to be sure we don't send mixed signals. That's our fear, so to overcome that, we have to be very clear in what we're thinking, and keep talking."

The vacuum shut off, and Jonas and Jackson looked toward Taggert whose hand had moved to his hip. "Ok, slackers," he accused.

"I'm coming," Jonas said. "I was waiting for you."

Taggert playfully smacked Jonas' jeaned cheek as he passed by. "Waiting for me," he parroted. "I would hate to keep you from your chores. The hardwoods are all yours."

Jackson's thoughts turned to his partners. He couldn't help but grin at their banter. He loved to watch them together. He especially loved to be in the middle of them when they were together. With a renewed interest, he eagerly rubbed the shine into the end table he was working on, as he looked forward to dessert.

*******

Email 6:

Dylan kicked off his shoes, piled up the pillows and settled back against the headboard of the king-size bed. Settling his laptop on his knees, he opened it and signed into his email, feeling both guilty and relieved that Garth wouldn't allow him to stay in the office.

He hated it when Jamie got into trouble. He hated it even more when it was because Jamie broke rules that Dylan didn't have. He always felt guilty about it, even though Garth had assured him over and over that he shouldn't. Unfortunately, his emotions didn't respond to rules as well as the rest of his mind did.

He read all of his emails and checked the TI list. There wasn't anything there he particularly wanted to answer so he went back to the email from Jackson and read it again. One particular paragraph caught his attention.

/I could see how having different rules could be a problem. I imagine if I were Jamie, I might get a little jealous or resentful if another Cen partner had liberties that I didn't. At least on The Island, everyone in my cottage was also high-rated, so we had a lot of the same rules. It still made me edgy sometimes. LOL Is that what you mean by it causing problems?/

That was definitely one of the problems and, coincidentally, what Dylan was hiding from right now. He hit reply and started typing.

/Jackson,

Unfortunately I can't answer your first question. Mary only gives a spoonful of sugar with medicine. Soap has to be taken straight. :-p

I think the first months are kind of rough, no matter how many Alphas or Cens are in the relationship. Poor Scott must have wondered if he was ever going to be rid of us. LOL

I also talked to Cal a lot. I still do. It isn't because there's anything wrong with me, at least not more than anyone else, but I've found that it helps me to sort things out in my mind. I love Garth and Jamie but sometimes I need someone more objective to be a sounding board. I hope that makes sense./

Dylan read the last sentences over, his finger hovering above the delete key. Then, as he heard the door of the hall bathroom close and the water start running, he quickly began typing again. He hated it when Jamie's mouth got out of control. At least he wasn't going to be spanked this time. That required earbuds and very loud music, and Dylan had left his iPod in the living room.

/As far as the different ratings in one house causing problems, that is what I meant. Normally Jamie is happier with the stricter rules and guidelines but sometimes we do the same thing and he gets in trouble and I don't. We both understand why but it makes him feel resentful and then I feel bad.

For example, Jamie has rules about when and how much he can use his phone for texting. I don't. We both know the reasons for it; he would text 24 hours a day if he could and he'll do anything to avoid studying. I don't have that problem and I would really resent having a rule about it. But if Jamie is texting me when he's supposed to be studying, he loses his phone and I don't.

I do have a rule about letting him use my phone after his has been taken away, though. Garth doesn't approve./

Big time. He got spanked for it, but he sure wasn't telling Jackson that.

He paused to listen. The bathroom was quiet now. Garth and Jamie must have moved back to the office. He started to get up and check but restrained the impulse; he really wasn't in the mood to stand in the corner tonight. Instead, he went back to his email.

/I think having two Alphas who aren't on the same page would be really hard to deal with. Contradictory rules and consequences would be bad enough in a cottage with two TAs. It would be even harder if you're dealing with two Alphas who have equal authority. Which one would you listen to? What would you do if they have a fight about it? It sounds like they're working it out, though.

I used to worry a lot about screwing up and having Garth decide that two Cens are way too much trouble. Now I think it's a lot harder to screw up a DP than a vanilla relationship. If we have a problem, we talk about it and decide how we're going to solve it instead of letting things fester until they're out of control. I know if I'm honest with Garth, he's going to help me fix things, not say it's my problem or I don't deserve his help./

Dylan paused to read what he had written and decide what he was going to say next. Should he tell Jackson about school or his classes? Should he ask Jackson about his?

"Dylan!" Jamie called from the living room. "Where are you? I need you to come watch tv with me!"

/Gotta go. Jamie's bored without his phone. Talk to you later.

Dylan/

*******

Email 7:

Jackson flopped into the desk chair and ran his fingers through his still damp hair as he watched the dark screen burst into light. His legs were already starting to ache from the plyometrics class he just got back from with Jonas and Taggert. Taggert was a brute, no doubt about it. Jackson wasn't exactly unfit - neither was Jonas – but Taggert couldn't get enough sometimes.

He turned toward the door when he heard someone approaching, and saw a slightly damp Jonas coming into the office.

"My legs are still shaky!" Jonas complained as he settled into the armchair. "How about yours?"

"Yeah, they're already beginning to stiffen up. The shower didn't even help."

"We're going to have to start sticking together whenever Taggert tries to convince us that jumping around for an hour is a good idea. Deal?"

"Deal." Jackson couldn't help but smile at Jonas' pained expression while he rubbed the abused muscles of his legs. "You know, we should have known better when he insisted on us participating in some class we had never heard of."

"Plyometrics," Jonas grumbled. "They should call it 'hellishmetrics'."

"It *was* hell," Jackson agreed. "He's going to have a little work to do to make it up to us. Maybe later tonight."

Jonas' eyebrows danced up and down as he grinned seductively at Jackson. "I like that idea."

"It's a plan then. We'll sneak up on him like he did on us with that class."

"Perfect." Jonas blew out a weary breath. "Will I bother you if I read in here while you're on the computer?"

Jackson shrugged. "Not at all. You need something to put your feet up on?"

Jonas wagged his head wearily from side to side. "No way. I couldn't lift my legs to prop them on anything."

"I hope you get your second wind before we jump Taggert."

"I'm sure I will." He moaned as he reached over to the bookshelf for his book. "If I don't kill him first."

"Wait to kill him until after I jump him if you're too tired," Jackson requested as he turned to the computer.

He scanned his email, and a smile broke out over his face when he saw a note from Sam. His smile faded a bit as he realized how much he missed his friend. They had some good times together when they were on The Island. Jackson felt a pang of loss as Sam told him about the latest volleyball game in his neighborhood where his new team won.

He and Sam had some good times being the kings of the volleyball hill, and Jackson missed those times. He had good memories of their victories, one of the best being the day he and Sam beat the pants off Jonas and Taggert. That victory was coupled with being one of the most uncomfortable days of his life, having to meet not one, but two Alphas who were interested in him. He reflected back on that day and wondered at what an idiot he had been in dragging his feet to meet the two men he had since grown to love.

He fired a note back to Sam, congratulating him on his win, then spotted a new reply from Dylan. He read the part about having to take soap straight, and that raised a chuckle from him.

"Something funny?" Jonas asked.

Jackson turned in his chair, and said, "Yeah. Something Dylan wrote."

"You guys are still writing, huh?"

Jackson pondered that for a second. They had swapped several notes, come to think of it. They had spoken more in the last couple weeks via email than they had in the whole time they shared space on The Island. "I guess we are."

"Does that mean you have a budding friendship there?"

That might be a bit optimistic, Jackson realized. "I'm not sure yet. At least we aren't fighting, so that's a plus, especially for us."

"Good for you," Jonas said without taking his eyes off the page of his book.

Jackson stared at him appreciatively, wondering how the hell he had gotten so lucky. Wisps of blond hair had started to fall onto Jonas' forehead as it air-dried from his shower, looking lighter against the strands that were still darkened from being damp. His lips were parted slightly as he was lost in the fantasy of whatever world he was visiting in the latest book from Charlaine Harris. Jackson didn't get the fascination of vampires being sexy. They looked good, but he liked a warm body next to him, not a cold dead one.

He shuddered then turned back to his email. His mouth fell open as he read the part about Cal. No way! Dylan?! He quickly read the rest of the email then started his reply.

/Hi, Dylan,

You made me laugh out loud with that bit about taking soap straight! There isn't much that will help that, is there? I don't know what sadist came up with mouth-soaping for punishment, but it's cruel and unusual… well, I'd rather it be Very unusual, but I've been known to come in contact with it more usually than unusually. ;) /

Jackson paused, wondering how to tell Dylan he was relieved to know that Dylan met with Cal, too. That really took him by surprise, as much that Dylan admitted it as that Dylan went to see Cal. It always made Jackson feel like he must be "broken" or something, which made it difficult for him to admit that he actually enjoyed his sessions with Cal.

Cal. He missed him, too. He stole a glance over his shoulder at Jonas, quietly reading and minding his own business. As much as he missed his friends from The Island, he couldn't imagine life without Jonas and Taggert. Jonas caught his eye, and smiled warmly, tossed him a wink, then went back to his book. Jackson still got butterflies around the two men, and simple exchanges like that silent one did it every time.

/I really miss Cal and Sam and Brad, but I wouldn't trade Jonas and Taggert for the world. Don't take this the wrong way, but I was really glad to hear you used to see Cal, too. I never knew that. I /

Jackson paused, wondering just how much he should share. Should he tell Dylan how it made him feel? He shook his head in answer to his own question before a split second managed to pass. He must be crazy to consider such a thing! Something simple and innocuous fit the bill.

/It's nice to know I wasn't his only client. LOL I know what you mean about him being an objective sounding board. Cal *gets* it, you know? And he doesn't have a stick wedged in his nether region, either.

I can totally relate to Jamie needing rules around certain things. I guess if Jamie is doing without his phone, he got in trouble for something that you wouldn't have. I hope that didn't cause any problems between you this time :( I can imagine how hard that must be, and how it could cause some bad feelings on occasion. I think it would also be hard to be in the house if he's in Trouble, and you aren't. That was hard to hear on The Island, sometimes, and I wasn't partners with those Cens, you know?

I think Jamie and I must have a lot in common, because without the White Rabbit (who is sexily lounging behind me with a book – ignore me while I drool), I would be on the computer for hours, or until I went blind. I might gripe about the rules, but I know what would happen without them. And I know what happens when I break them :p Like Garth, the Alphas do not approve. LOL

As for having two Alphas who are not on the same page, I can tell you I was too ticked off at the time to feel uncomfortable about what they were arguing about, if you can call it arguing. They went into another room, and I didn't hear any yelling or anything. LOL The good thing is they recognized they were off right away, and they dealt with their own issues before talking to me. I think I was more pissed off at the rule than the fact they weren't on the same page. I was hoping the one who was on the page I liked won the argument, but he didn't :p /

Jackson read the last part of Dylan's note a second time. Harder to screw up a vanilla relationship than a DP? Really? Then why was he always worried about screwing up their relationship?! Jackson sighed as he remembered the last batch of lines that were demanded of him by his new Alphas, and he started to type again.

/I hope you're right about it being difficult to screw up a DP. That's on my mind a lot. A LOT. For some reason, Jonas and Taggert take issue with me trying to be perfect. Have you ever heard of anything like that?? What kind of Alphas are they, anyway?! LOL

We just got back from the most evil exercise class I've ever been a part of. Taggert tricked Jonas and me into a plyometrics class. That's French for "class from hell" or as Jonas likes to call it "hellishmetrics". I should have known I wouldn't like it with "metrics" in the name – too close to math. By the way, Jonas talked me into taking an art class. I'm really enjoying it – and hoping I don't screw it up, but don't tell Jonas and Taggert ;)

Talk to you later,

Jackson/

*******

Email 8:

Dylan hit print, closed the homework assignment he had been working on and opened his email. Across the room, Garth sat at his desk, work project open on the computer in front of him while, on the love seat next to him, Jamie muttered over an English assignment.

Who would have believed he was corresponding with Jackson, he wondered as he opened the latest email and began a reply. In a friendly way, even? He still wasn't sure it was a good idea.

He had reread some of the earlier emails and was appalled at what he had shared. No more, he vowed. He wasn't letting his guard down anymore. He could just imagine Jackson luring him in, saving up all his confidences and using them against him later, in one of his infamous practical jokes. From now on, they were going to be nice, shallow notes.

/Dear Jackson,

I'm sorry to hear that you have usual contact with soap. Jamie did a homework assignment about chicken-flavored soap bubbles for dogs; maybe you could find a similar soap for people. Kind of like flavored lube, you know?

I enjoyed talking to Cal because sometimes it seemed like he was the only person not pressuring me about stuff. Did he play Scrabble and work jigsaw puzzles with you? We had a long talk about horror movies once. I'm not sure what that had to do with counseling but he seemed satisified with the session. We still play online games and talk when he has free time./

"Dylan, read this," Jamie requested plaintively. "Does it sound ok?"

Dylan minimized his email and set his laptop to one side in order to take Jamie's. He quickly read Jamie's English paper and then looked at him. "Is this your final draft?" he asked curiously.

"Yes," Jamie admitted. "It needs some serious help, huh?"

"Yeah." And that was a serious understatement, Dylan thought wryly. He didn't know why writing papers was so hard for Jamie. You'd think someone who talked as much as he did could transfer that to writing, especially since he was a communications major. Without thinking, he asked Jamie that question and his younger partner shrugged.

"It's just English papers. I do fine in journalism and marketing. Could you fix it for me?"

"Sure."

"No," came a firm voice from across the room and Dylan winced. He didn't think they had been talking that loud.

"It's just an English paper," Jamie objected. "It isn't like it's for my major."

"I'll make a few suggestions and you can take it from there, ok?" Dylan hurriedly offered, keeping one eye on the back of Garth's desk chair. If that chair swiveled to face them, they were looking at trouble.

Jamie pouted but agreed and, Garth's back safely in view, Dylan went through the paper, marking lines in red and making notes here and there. Then, handing the laptop back to Jamie, he picked up his own and returned to his email. He read Jackson's note again and picked another safe topic.

/It's nice that you get to spend a lot time with both of your Alphas. We're all on different schedules during the day so we only have evenings and weekends together. Garth has his job and Jamie and I are both still in school. I'm an environmental engineering major and Jamie is majoring in communications. All of my college credits transferred so I don't have a lot of classes left to take but they're all hard ones so I stay on campus and study during the day.

Garth doesn't like us to take evening classes, though, and we're all home for dinner every night unless he has to meet a client or there's something special going on. After dinner he reads or works while we study and then we watch tv or something together. I always thought threesomes were supposed to be wild and exciting but we seem to be pretty boring.

You should do great in the art class. I remember some of the drawings you did on TI and they were really good./

Really good, wicked caricatures of people Jackson didn't like, which was why Dylan remembered them. He didn't think he should tell Jackson that part, though. He read through the last note again.

He felt kind of guilty about the way he had talked about Jamie in earlier notes but he wasn't sure how to fix that without getting into deeper territory.

/I don't want you to think that Jamie's a troublemaker or that he's immature or stupid or anything. Needing more rules isn't a sign of weakness, it's a sign of strength. He's willing to admit that he can't do it all on his own, instead of continually screwing up because he's too proud to ask for help. That's one of my weaknesses. I hate to ask for help.

Cal says that's wrong, though. He says Alphas have a deep need to nurture and take care of people. When we try to take care of things on our own we're depriving them of that satisfaction. I guess that means Jamie makes Garth happier than I do and, with two Alphas to satisfy, you have your work cut out for you."/

He read the last paragraph and shook his head. What a stupid thing to say. He was supposed to be keeping it shallow, not giving Jackson more ammunition! He highlighted the last two paragraphs and was about to hit delete when Jamie interrupted.

"Done," he said as the printer whirred to life again. "You want to watch tv or something?"

"Yeah, sure," Dylan replied and then, remembering his email, added, "or maybe the three of us should do something wild and exciting instead."

Jamie's eyes lit up. "I'll get the toy box!"

"Watch the laptop!" Garth ordered as Jamie closed it and heedlessly dumped it to one side. He was already closing down the desktop and following Jamie, though, so neither young man took the grumble seriously. "Coming, Dylan?"

"Not yet!" Jamie protested from the hall. "He can't come yet, he isn't even breathing hard!"

Garth and Dylan both groaned at the old saw and Dylan added, "Yeah, just let me send this." He hit send and closed his laptop without noticing the paragraph still highlighted in the window.