Sorry guys. I was sidetracked working on this and then haven't been able to upload for a few days now. I finally was able to cut and paste (thanks for the suggestion sparklebluelemon). I was having trouble with this chapter, but I think it pulled together fairly well. As I've said, the end of this story is written, it is just difficult getting there!

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Double Take

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Chapter 47

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Preparty Time

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It was a fairly warm day and fortunately not particularly humid. The weather even in the early parts of June in Washington, DC can be pretty sticky. The weather appeared to be cooperating for Kori's part; it was unclear if the rest of the Universe would be cooperating as well.

Kori was in a very good mood, having had a wonderful evening with Richard the night before. Or rather she was having a wonderful evening with Richard before Babs called him. She had gone back to her room and listened to some music and did some light reading. She almost cried at one point but she told herself she was being silly. They hadn't been home a week yet, and Babs was in the beginning of her treatment and needed support. Babs and Richard had been friends for a number of years and it was a situation where Babs needed her friends. And anyway, Richard had recently chosen Kori over Babs, and he had been extremely clear about it. Plus, if Babs' recover was slowed or unsuccessful, it would be harder on all of them.

Kori fell asleep some time after 1 AM alone and in the guest room.

Babs' conversation with Dick during her call had her dissolving into a crying jag, and at her request, he had gone over to her father's house to speak with her in person. He felt guilty about not telling Kori he was leaving, but after talking on the phone to Babs until after midnight, he figured that Kori would already be asleep, so he decided to slip out. When he returned at about 3 AM, after Babs' was calmed and reassured, he decided to go to Kori's room.

Richard hadn't stopped thinking about being with Kori earlier that evening. After their romantic dinner, they had what was almost the first time they'd had together since coming home from the horse show when they weren't falling into bed exhausted. She had been so happy with the charm bracelet he had given her. He was so relieved that she liked it and that she really appreciated that thought that had gone into it.

He also couldn't stop thinking about how passionate things had been between them after that in his room. He thought about it on the way too and from Barbara's. He was so tired, so stressed, and he wanted to get closer to her. Much closer.

When he told Kori that he wanted 'more' when they first got to his room, or rather when it slipped out, he heard Kori's wary reaction loud and clear. As an explanation, he told her that he wanted to have more time with her when she asked what he meant. That was partially true, but he wanted more physically too. However, he was self aware enough to know that in addition to the attraction and the love between them, what he was really looking for was comfort and an escape, and well, pleasure.

Kori looked so beautiful sleeping in the moonlight when Richard came into her room. His fatigue, emotional as well as physical, along with his overwhelming desire for her, gave him pause. They were waiting, it had been discussed and decided. But in spite of this, he had the thought that making love for the first time would be a wonderful thing to do on her 30th birthday. When that idea and the images that went with it crossed his mind, he almost went back to his own room. He deliberated as he watched her slow, even breathing. After a time, he decided he wanted to stay but couldn't completely trust himself at the moment, so he laid down in bed next to her, fully dressed less his shoes and on top of the covers.

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Kori woke before first light and smiled when she saw Richard. She considered whether or not to wake him and get him undressed and under the covers with her. Sprawled out on his belly making the lightest of snoring noises, Richard appeared to be quite soundly asleep, so she let him stay that way. Kori smiled as she fell back asleep - at least he tried to spend the night with her.

Kori woke again at about 9 o'clock and Richard was still asleep in the same position. She got out of bed and gathered up her clothes for the day and took them with her to the shower. She stopped to admire her new charm bracelet and the fact that Richard had put so much effort into it warmed her to her toes.

Once showered and dressed, Kori took another glance at her sleeping boyfriend. She was fine with letting him sleep. He obviously needed it.

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"Miss Koriand'r, Good morning and happy birthday," Alfred said in his friendly cordial tone. He knew Dick's plan for surprising Kori with breakfast in bed was ruined. He was prepared for Dick to get up earlier to bring it to her, but he never came down and Alfred had gone to switch off Dick's alarm clock in his bedroom. Alfred being Alfred, he was well aware of Dick's whereabouts that morning.

"Good morning, Alfred," Kori replied in her chipper voice. Growing comfortable with Alfred, and certain that everyone knew that Richard and Kori were spending their nights together, she barely blushed when she added, "Richard is sleeping quite soundly in my room. I will wake him in an hour or so so he can take Barbara to her appointment on time."

"What can I get you this morning, Miss Koriand'r?" Alfred offered.

"Just tea for now, thank you Alfred. I'll have breakfast with Richard when he gets up."

"Very well," Alfred motioned to the breakfast trays lined up on the kitchen counter, "Perhaps you can have the breakfast in bed that he had planned for you at that time."

Kori again was warmed by Richard's thoughtfulness. She smiled and said, "That sounds great."

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A short time later, Alfred prepared breakfast for Kori and Richard as she chatted with him about the festivities later in the day. He helped her by carrying one of the trays to her guest room and then Alfred set the tray down and made his leave.

Kori went over the bed and stopped briefly to look at her boyfriend one last time as he slept lying on his stomach before crawling into bed next to him and waking him up, "Time to get up, Richard."

"Too tired," Richard mumbled and he pulled her under him, "you stay."

Kori giggled and kissed him, "You need to get up Richard, you have the appointment with Babs at Noon."

Richard groaned as he was finally getting his bearings, "Oh, Kori, I'm sorry, I was supposed to bring you breakfast... Happy birthday, Star."

"Thank you and I have brought you the breakfast in bed," Kori said as she wriggled out of his grasp and walked across the room and picked up a tray and brought it to him.

"But I was supposed to bring you breakfast in bed."

"It is my birthday, Richard, and I would rather bring it to you."

"Maybe on my birthday, I'll bring you breakfast," he replied.

Kori blushed slightly in response and Dick chuckled at that; she looked so adorable that way.

"Thank you for this, and for letting me sleep. I love you, Star."

"I welcome you," Kori replied, "and I love you too, Robin."

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Even though the party was later that night, Karen had called earlier in the week and insisted that she come over before the party to keep Kori company. So Karen came over to Wayne Manor about noon that Saturday where Kori had now been holed up for nearly a week with Tara and Rachel in tow. It was probably not a coincidence that the girls were coming over when Dick was going to be out with Babs at her group therapy sessions.

"Greetings! Welcome!" Kori said, excited to see her friends, and getting into the spirit of the day.

"Happy Birthday, Girl!" Karen said as she entered the manor, carrying her overnight bag. She gave Kori a quick hug.

"Thank you, please come in everyone!"

"Happy Birthday, Kori!" Tara said, as she hugged Kori as well. "I've really missed you! Work is not the same without you."

"I have missed you as well."

Rachel clasped Kori's hands and gave her a small smile, "Hello, Kori. Nice to see you and happy birthday."

"Thank you, Rachel. Thank you all for coming to spend my day of birth with me!"

"Our pleasure," Karen said, "I have a bathing suit for you, as you requested." Kori hadn't been out as she continued to avoid the press and didn't have a bathing suit. It was a perfect day to be by the pool, relaxing before the party that night, so Karen picked her up one.

"Let's get changed upstairs," Kori said, "and I'll show you to your rooms."

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"Oh, Karen, thank you for picking this up for me, but is it not revealing?" Kori said as she inspected the lavender bikini.

"That's why I got you the matching cover up! Here," Karen handed over the sheer cover up, in a matching color.

"Thank you, alright, this might do..." Kori held the cover up against her, "but Karen, this seems very see through."

"Don't worry, it'll look great and besides, it might be your birthday, but I think Dick deserves a present too."

Kori rolled her eyes and gave a little shrug. She decided she should relax a bit, that Karen was right, and a mischievous smile crossed her face and she was off to change into her new swim clothes.

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The girls sat out by the large swimming pool behind Wayne Manor talking while eating a light lunch.

"So really, Kori, how are you holding up?" Karen was the one who asked, but all three girls had wanted to asked the question.

"I am fine," Kori replied.

"And how about all the time Dick is spending with Babs with her rehab and everything?" Karen then asked.

Kori's eyes flashed in surprise. Who else knew about Babs' problem? She certainly hadn't told anyone and doubted that Richard would have. "You know about that?"

"Yes. Victor told me and I told Rachael and Tara," Karen responded.

Kori knew acutely the pain of personal information becoming public. "I believe it is not public knowledge, please do not tell anyone else."

"Don't worry. Vic just told me because he was worried about you, and I told Rachel and Tara so they could be there for you too."

"Why?" Kori's eyes narrowed a bit. The subtext was not lost on her, however: Dick and Babs were spending time together, the two had a history, and Dick had a wandering eye in the past.

"Just if you need us for anything," Karen explained.

"We're your friends Kori, you can lean on us too," Rachel added.

"Yeah Kori, you are stuck here, as nice as this place is, and Dick is pretty busy with work and Babs. You need people to talk to, you need an outlet," Tara said sincerely.

Kori decided not to get defensive. Her friends were trying to help but obviously were concerned about her and were worried about Dick based on his poor history with women. "Thank you very much, I appreciate your concern but I assure you I am fine and Richard and I are very happy together."

"And how was your week away?" Tara asked and then added, "I mean before the whole paparazzi nightmare."

Kori smiled, she couldn't help it when she thought back on their wonderful week away at the horse show. "Great."

"Is that all you have to say about it?" Tara asked.

"It was wonderful. We got to spend a lot of time together and we have gotten close."

"So you did get close?" Karen asked, the words obviously loaded but Kori wasn't going to go into detail.

"Yes, we became very close. As it turns out, Richard and I actually knew each other when we were much younger, back in Tamaran."

"What?"

"How?"

"You did?"

Kori filled her friends in on how she and Richard had met and why they didn't remember each other until that night in Devon. Her friends were astounded by the news, and were more than happy to agree not to say anything. Kori's royal status was now public knowledge, but that detail about her relationship with Dick Grayson had not been made public and she wanted to keep it that way. Maybe the public attention wouldn't continue too much longer and she could go back to a normal life.

The rest of the afternoon was spent with the girls talking about much lighter topics and Kori found herself really relaxing and enjoying herself. She was finally really looking forward to her party. She had missed all her friends a great deal.

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"Did you have a good afternoon with the girls?" Richard asked when he met Kori in her room. It was after 7 PM and the other guests were due at 8 PM. She was dressed for the party in a white dress with a halter top type neckline. She proudly wore both the amethyst necklace that he had given her while they were away and her new charm bracelet.

"Yes! It was most glorious to spend the day with my friends," she walked toward him and gave him a lingering kiss on the lips.

"I'm glad. Speaking of glorious, you look wonderful this evening."

"Thank you Richard. I really love my bracelet, I cannot thank you enough."

"Kori, you're welcome and I just have a few more things for you for your birthday."

"But Richard," Kori protested, "the bracelet is perfect, I don't need anything else."

"It's just a couple things. Here."

Kori opened the large box to find a fencing uniform including jacket, pants, shoes, chest protector and a mask.

"Oh this is wonderful! You remembered that I fenced in college?"

"Of course I do. We talked about it the first night you were in the ER and I won't forget that night. I already have equipment and I thought we could starting sparring with epees."

"Are you challenging me to a duel, Richard?"

"Absolutely."

"Is there going to be a friendly wager?" she asked playfully.

"I was thinking about a very friendly wager," he replied in a playful tone before his eyes began to smolder and he pulled her in for a searing kiss.

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"Are you ready for this?"

"I was," she replied honestly, "but I guess I'm wondering just how well everyone is going to handle the paparazzi at the gate. But thank you so much for giving me this party, Richard. No one has ever done anything like this for me."

"Well, it is my pleasure and remember, as long as we're together, we'll be okay."

"Yes, as long as we are together, I do believe we will be okay." Kori smiled up at him as she echoed his words, trying her hardest to be positive.

But both left one thing unsaid, if only they were together more.

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To Be Continued...

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Thank you for reading and please review. Up next, Kori's party. Babs and Xavier will be there - will that spell trouble for Richard and Kori?