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Chapter Three-Hundred-Eighty-Seven



Meanwhile at the Orphanage, after spending an hour in the unfinished apartment reliving memory after memory of her childhood with Scott inside her head, Kori forced herself to pull herself together. She wiped her tears away with the sleeve of her hoodie and sat there until she was positive that she wasn’t going to fall apart again. When she thought she was finally ready and had complete control over herself again she got to her feet and walked out of the apartment and into the hall. She began the short distance to hers and Wiley’s room when suddenly she came across Scott’s door and paused abruptly.


Of course she would come across his door, she would have to in order to get to her own, right? No big deal, Right? Wrong. Kori closed her eyes and silently battled the urge to peer in at him. There is no reason to look in at him Kori, she silently told herself. just walk on by and go to Wiley, you can do it she encouraged herself further. But what about Spencer? She probably should check on him right? To make sure he is asleep? They have a very long day ahead of them after all. Sighing softly in defeat, Kori quietly poked her head in the doorway telling herself that this is simply for Spencer’s sake.


But the moment she looked in it wasn’t her son who she saw. Her eyes instantly fell on the gorgeous shirtless man standing in the middle of the room packing and Kori was suddenly paralyzed and rooted in the very spot she stood. That gorgeous man, who she was and despite how much she hates to admit it, still is very much in love with. She hasn’t seen him without a shirt on in years and she almost forgot how incredibly sexy he is, especially now at twenty years old and she nineteen. The last time she’s seen this man half-naked he was a 15-year-old boy and oh what a difference. Kori felt her mouth water and she squirmed at the very desire to have those arms wrapped around her. To touch that chest, to kiss those lips, to have that body cover hers so she could physically relive the memory of how wonderful it felt to make love to him.


She wonders what its like now that they’re older and more experienced. He’s probably been with other women since her – he has to have been, he wouldn’t be a man if he hasn’t. But no matter how much she tells herself that it still bothers her. It still upsets her to think he’s been with other women. Why though, why should it upset her? He is the man who tore her heart to shreds after all and she is now with someone else. Someone wonderful, someone who doesn’t deserve what she is doing to him right now. But god help her she is still as vulnerable to her first love as she’s ever been. Does he know this? Does he know what he is doing to her right now? To her heart and to her body? Does he know he is seducing her right now? Probably…he wouldn’t be Scott if he didn’t.


Suddenly feeling as though he is being watched, Scott turned his head toward the door and spotted the woman he loves with every fiber of his being standing there looking in at him. Her beautiful brown eyes are flooded with tears and she looks so lost, so hurt, and so confused. Scott fought the urge to go to her and try to comfort her with all his might and just barely won the battle. He hates to see her cry, to see her suffering it’s always been a weakness on his part. He could never stand to see her upset and had always made it his personal goal that she never was. Who would’ve thought that even after all that hard work, he would be the one to put those tears there? God he is such an asshole for letting her go.


“Kori?” he asked gently. “Whats going on?”


“I was just checking on Spencer,” Kori insisted softly.


“He’s fine,” Scott promised reassuringly. “He was sleeping like an angel when I came in. He was so peaceful…you know he kind of looks like his momma when he sleeps,” he told her, not being able to resist. It wasn’t an attempt to win her over; it was just the honest to god truth. Kori nodded quietly and rubbed at her eyes and she bit her tongue to keep from saying that on the contrary, she likes to think their son looks a lot like him and she enjoys watching him sleep sometimes for that very reason. That would be bad, that would just encourage him.


“I’m going to bed now,” She announced.


“Kay,” Scott replied and he watched her and waited for her to walk away but she didn’t, she only continued to stand there gazing in at him. After a long moment she finally disappeared and assuming she was in her room now and wouldn’t hear him he spoke quietly another honest to god truth that could only come from his heart, whether she wants to believe it or not.


“I love you Kori…goodnight.” Kori paused between his doorway and her own and she leaned her head against the wall that separated them as a single tear slipped from her eyes.


“Goodnight Scott,” she whispered the softest of whispers thinking he wouldn’t hear her either but he had. After a moment she rounded the corner to her doorway entering her room where she found Wiley. He looked up at her upon seeing her come in.


“Kori? Where have you been I was just about to come find you? You’ve been gone for over an hour…” he asked worriedly and then suddenly noticed her tears. “What’s the matter?” Kori shook her head.


“Don’t worry about it, it’s not important. Are you done packing already? I’m sorry I wasn’t here to help.”


“Yeah it’s all done and it’s okay. What do you mean its not important? Of course it’s important. What did he do now?” Kori shook her head tearfully and after kicking the door shut and locking it she went on over to him, gently grabbed his face, and she pulled his lips down on hers in the most deepest, meaningful kiss she could muster. Wiley tensed up in surprise for the briefest of moments before sliding his arms around her and just as he hoped he would, he intensified it. When she pulled away she gazed up into his concerned eyes.


“I love you so much Wiley…please make love to me.”


“Kori your—“


“—Please…” she begged before lightly pushing him back onto the bed and crawling on top of him and she captured his lips with her own forcefully. Wiley kissed her back then before rolling over so he was on top instead and he gently cupped her face in his hands never once breaking their kiss.


~*~*~*~*~


“I need to get Bella in bed,” Ashley insisted suddenly after a long while of making out on the wet kitchen floor. Nick groaned at the interruption and gently caressed her cheek as he lay there gazing up at her.


“No, you need to make love to your boyfriend before he goes crazy,” Nick insisted and Ashley giggled amusedly.


“Just let me get her in bed for the night and then I’m all yours to do whatever you want with, kay?”


“Whatever I want with huh? Is that a promise?” Nick asked while smirking slightly, and he pulled her lips down on his in a delicate kiss. When he pulled away a few seconds later she got to her feet, helped him up and she headed into the living room to retrieve her daughter who was talking up a storm. She unbuckled her chair and gently gathered her in her arms and she kissed the top of her head softly as she held her close.


“Will you dry my floor up while I am upstairs Nicky, please?” She asked while eyeing the floor she had mopped earlier in amusement. “Remind me why I mopped it again?”


“Because we made passionate love on it the other day and your protective brother was coming over,” Nick answered and he chuckled.


“Oh right,” She replied as she watched him get a bunch of towels and she carried Bella through the kitchen, through the dining room, and up the stairs where she could get Bella into her pajamas and rock her in the rocking chair until she falls asleep. A few moments later as Nick was cleaning up their mess, Marcus came in through the back door and he raised his eyebrow.


“What happened in here? I thought Ashley mopped that earlier?”


“She did,” Nick chuckled. “And then we had a water war – long story don’t ask.” Marcus shook his head amusedly.


“I find that the less I know about what happens with you two crazy love birds the better.”


“Where have you been all this time?” Nick asked curiously.


“Patrolling the outside of the house and making sure nothing is out of place.”


“Everything okay?”


“Yup, all is good. Should I go sit upstairs and watch the cameras, or are there going to be anymore long stories between you and Ashley that I shouldn’t see?” Marcus asked while wriggling his eyebrows playfully and Nick laughed.


“We’ll go in our room, don’t worry” he insisted while getting started on the few dishes that are left.


“Okay, just making sure. You never know with you two,” Marcus insisted and he helped himself to some coffee and grabbed his stash of cookies in his own special cupboard that Ashley had given him before heading up the stairs where he could keep an eye on both the kids and the cameras. As soon as Ashley had Bella down for the night she went downstairs and changed into a dry oversized guns n roses t-shirt of hers and some underwear. She then quickly did the laundry while Nick did the dishes and then they went into their room to be alone for awhile.



~*~*~*~*~


The next day Nick and Ashley awoke bright and early, did their last minute packing, got themselves and the children ready and provided breakfast for everybody before they all headed off on their big drive to Jersey. Kori, Wiley, Nick, AJ, Ashley, and the kids all went in the van that Wiley had rented, and Detective Stabler followed behind them in his own car with Scott – who Ashley was very surprised but pleased to see on her doorstep in the morning. They drove all day only stopping to go through the Drive Thru to Mc Donalds at lunch until they were more then half way there and decided to stop at the rest stop. As Ashley stood there beside their car with Bella in her arms, she glanced over at her sister who was sitting under a shaded tree hugging her legs to her chest as she waited on everybody. AJ who had stood protectively at Ashley’s side lightly nudged her in the arm and she looked up at him curiously.


“Go talk to your sister.”


“But…”


“…Right now. Nick told me to make sure you pay plenty of attention to Kori on this vacation and I promised him I would. So go.” Ashley scowled.


“I hate it when you two conspire against me.”


“We’re a team that works together to take care of the one thing that we both love very much. And when we see an issue at hand, we quickly intervene and do what’s best for that one important thing.”


“Like I said, you conspire against me” Ashley insisted stubbornly and with that she handed Bella over to him and stomped off like a five-year-old. AJ shook his head and looked down at his niece who was watching her mommy go like a hawk making sure she doesn’t go too far without her in this very strange place. When Ashley reached her sister she sat down beside and her and playfully nudged her in the arm.


“Why the long face sis? This is a vacation not a funeral.”


“Nothing, everything is fine” Kori insisted while forcing a smile for her sister.


“Liar. You’ve been quiet all day…I’ve only heard you speak when spoken to and I know something is wrong because Wiley keeps watching you as if he were afraid you’re going to sprout three eyes or something.” Kori sat there quietly gazing ahead and Ashley waited for her to say something. When she didn’t she wrapped her arms around her and rested her head against her shoulder.


“Come on sis, talk to me. How are we supposed to have a relationship if you can’t even tell me why you are so depressed all of the sudden?”


“I’m a stupid, selfish, horrible girlfriend and Wiley really doesn’t deserve me” Kori confessed after a couple of moments and her eyes filled up with tears.


“That can’t be true,” Ashley insisted while hugging her tighter. “Wiley loves you anybody can see that. What in the world brought this on?”


“That’s exactly the point, he loves me. He loves me so much and if he knew how horrible I am…”


“Kori slow down. Why don’t you tell me what happened?” Ashley asked gently.


“Scott is what happened. We were arguing last night…and he opened up some old feelings that I worked really hard to bury a long time ago. I was feeling vulnerable to him…and on my way back to my room I passed his door and saw him shirtless…and thought things that I shouldn’t have been thinking.” Kori explained and she paused to wait until the urge to cry had passed before going on. “And then I went back to my room and insisted that Wiley and I make love because I needed it. I needed him to remind me of what a really great thing I have…so I started making love to him only to end up making love to Scott instead.” Ashley arched her eyebrow at Kori feeling utterly confused.


“Wait…what?”


“I was making love to Wiley obviously…but all I could see, think, and feel was Scott.” Ashley fell silent then not knowing what to say that would make her sound like a good supportive sister. She wants nothing more then to laugh because…well…the situation is kind of funny but she knows she cant do that because her sister is obviously confused and in pain here. She is also on Team Scott but she can’t express that either because then all hell would break loose, as they know it. So how does she approach this situation like the good and loving sister that she hasn’t had much practice in being in such a long time?


“I’m so horrible Ashley…he doesn’t deserve me,” Kori insisted tearfully. Ashley analyzed the situation quietly for a couple of moments and then finally spoke up.


“You aren’t horrible Kori…” She insisted gently while swinging her arm around her once again and scooting close to her like the good old days and she suddenly found that she’s missed it. “You’re just vulnerable and confused right now…which is understandable but you really need to make a decision and stick to it.”


“You make it sound as though it’s easy.” Ashley sat there gazing at her in silence and she went on. “Everytime I think I’m positive that I love Wiley and want to be with him forever Scott comes around and reminds me of how amazing we were together…and how much I miss it. I love them both Ashley…so much and this whole situation is killing me.”


“I know you love them both…I’m your sister and there are just certain things that you don’t lose even after years of separation,” Ashley insisted. “But I think you are looking at the situation all wrong. Stop trying to pick between the two of them based on love…you aren’t getting anywhere that way because you love them both way too much. Make your decision based on which one you know you can’t live without.”


“What if I can’t go on without having either of them in my life, Ashley?”


“You went four years without Scott in your life,” Ashley insisted pushing her personal feelings aside in order to be supportive of her sister. “How do you know that you won’t be able to go on forever without him if you just simply removed him from it? You are going to move back to Jersey after Sean is caught…so then you can finally move on because he’ll be here,” she suggested and she looked down at the grass and silently picked at it in order to hide the sadness in her own eyes. It doesn’t matter what she wants. Her sister needs to be happy.


“I never actually moved on I just suppressed my feelings for him a long with everything else I was running from,” Kori insisted softly. “And he won’t be out of my life entirely, we share a son together. Now that Spencer knows who his father is there is no keeping them apart and that requires communication between parents.”


“Not necessarily,” Ashley informed her sadly. “If you really truly want him out of your life…there’s always me, your handy dandy messenger.”


“I don’t want to use you to play telephone with that’s not fair to you. You love us both very much which leaves me to question why you are even suggesting all of this?”


“That answer is simple. You are my sister and I just want you to be happy…whoever you choose.”


“That’s very sweet of you,” Kori replied while wrapping both of her arms round her and pulling her into a hug and she kissed her cheek affectionately. “And I love you for being sweet but don’t be so quick to nominate yourself as telephone okay?”


“Why?” Ashley asked curiously.


“Because…nothing is final right now. I obviously have some serious soul searching to do.”


“Don’t take too long okay?” Ashley asked gently. “There are two really great guys here who have their hearts on the line for you…and it’s not fair to make either of them wait.”


“I’ll try to find the answer by the end of this trip,” Kori promised. “Don’t tell anybody about this soul searching of mine all right? I don’t want either of them finding out and trying to pressure me. It has to be all me.”


“Your secret is safe with me,” Ashley promised while pulling her sister into a hug and she couldn’t help but smile a little. The first secret shared between them since they’ve been reunited – the first sisterly secret. The two of them sat there together for a few moments more until Detective Stabler spoke up.


“Kori, Ashley, if we want to get to Jersey sometime today we had better get going.”


“Coming,” the two sisters replied and they both got to their feet. Kori rubbed at her eyes as they walked back to the van and as Ashley approached AJ she gently took Bella from him as she looked up into his knowing eyes. She knows he heard everything, she’d seen him walk by them several times. He leaned down and kissed her cheek softly.


“That was very sweet and unselfish of you” he praised, whispering quietly in her ear and Ashley pulled away from him and crawled into the van before beginning to settle Bella in her carseat that was right next to Laila’s. They ended up giving the babies the entire seat in the middle where they could be easily taken care of if needed.