Yes, it's been forever, but the next few chapters are obviously pivotal, and they have to be right. I promise I've looked at this and worked on this every day. And sure, I know there is a general script for a wedding ceremony, and Vic and Karen's ceremony is the backdrop for the next chapters, but that doesn't mean it made the chapter simple to do.

I hope you like what I have here, the next chapter should be up very soon – it's nearly complete.

Also, for those who haven't seen it, I've posted a new story, Another Man's Treasure, the sequel to One Man's Junk.

Double Take

Chapter 70

"I've got to see her."

Vic look up, his palms also opened skyward for affect, "Finally, the man comes to his senses. I swear, you're more nervous than I am." Clasping Dick on the shoulder, "But be back in twenty minutes, even if you decide to run off and get married, you promised to be the Best Man at my wedding about twenty years ago, and I'm holding you to it."

Dick tried to glare at Vic but one the side of his lip twitched, so Dick just shook his head to chase a way a grin as her turned to go to the bride's room. Run off and get married – no. Mend some fences – yes. Rekindle the romance – he wasn't sure yet; he'd have to test the waters – oh, who was he kidding...

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"I'm sorry Kori, but it still isn't hanging right, let me do up the sides again."

Katie had Karen's dress set and all the other bridesmaids were ready. With the wedding was less than forty-five minutes away, all hair and make up was done and it was now just a bit of waiting for the others. They were also busy taking pictures of each other and chatting and drinking champagne or sparkling water.

Kori took off the dress and handed it to the seamstress and slipped back into her spaghetti-strapped sundress, a bit self-conscious that it was too large as well so she hugged herself tightly. She had drawn back from the crowd; too many questions; too many sympathetic looks; Karen, Tara and Rachael knew here well enough to give her some breathing room. Karen's family were respectful. And at that point it was in the gossip columns: everyone knew that she and Dick were at best estranged.

She looked down at her abandoned bagel, not that it had been even nibbled at, and at her own cup of one of the many herbal teas Katie had brought Karen. Kori knew she should get something in her stomach. She decided she might try some ice water and made it over to the refreshment table and got a small glass.

"You have at least ten minutes. You can pop out with me for a minute in case Dick is there," Tara said quietly, coming up behind her. She had been doing only gentle prodding with Kori. Leaving Kori alone only meant to a certain point to Tara; if Kori was to try to see Richard before the ceremony, there was only a little time left.

"Tara, I know you mean the well, but at this point we must get the dress fitting right and not do the chancing of being late. Also, as I have already told you," she added with a smile, "I am back in the area for the foreseeable future. I will have the chance to discuss things with Richard. It would have been nice to see him before the ceremony, but I think he has been the too busy attending to his duties as the Best Man."

Kori took a sip of her water when there was a knock at the door to the suite. In a most unladylike fashion, she spit the water back out a moment later when Karen's eight-year-old niece shouted out that there was a man looking for Kori.

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Dick had taken a moment to collect himself. On the one hand, he wanted all to be forgiven; on the other, he needed, or at least wanted, an explanation for every little thing and every big thing – like his mother's ring, what had become his promise ring to Kori, being left behind.

The wedding was no place for a confrontation of any sort at one extreme and in the other, it would be too easy to get caught up in the romance and have a false reconciliation. Either way if they could just say hello rather than seeing each other across the church after all these weeks, things would likely be easier later in the day.

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Kori didn't have time to be embarrassed as she handed off her glass to Tara, who whispered "Good luck." The room was quiet as she walked over to door, taking a deep breath to step outside to greet her visitor.

"It's been a while. How are you doing?"

"Oh, Dr. Red. I'm fine."

Kori was surprised and disappointed. Her shoulders slumped before she caught herself as she leaned back against the closed door behind her. She immediately wished she hadn't positioned herself that way. She forgot the way that Red just liked to loom over her.

Xavier tried not to show his irritation in the fact that she was so obviously hoping for someone else, that someone else obviously being Dick. Nothing like showing his new BFF in a good light, right?

"It's Xavier, please... Better than when I last saw you, I trust?"

That was a nice kick in the teeth. "Ye-yes."

Red's voice dropped low. "Kori, I never said a word about that to anyone other than Vic and Karen that night."

Red had seen her when she was at her most vulnerable, when she had dissociated. She was aware she had separated, but would never know exactly what she said or did or saw; Dick and Babs' kiss and intimate moments triggered it. So what happened immediately following and as Red ushered her to Vic's office, those moments were lost to her. What had she seen? What could have been said? And had anyone seen her or her reaction?

"I appreciate that, Dr. Red... I mean Xavier." Kori shook her head as the memory of Dick and Babs' indiscretion flashed in her mind, her already tenuous grip on her emotions and what little of her stomach contents slipping away. "I must return to Karen and the bridesmaids. I am still getting the ready." She paused. "Thank you for doing the checking on me."

"I'm so glad you're doing better and you look wonderful. Europe was good to you." He leaned down and kissed her cheek so quickly she couldn't react, not that she was sure what she could have done given the situation. "Really, wow, just look at you. I'll see you later then, Kori?"

Kori fought to give him a puzzled look, which she could have sworn his looming but borderline lustful gaze turn predatory. I have lost all this weight and I look the wonderful?

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Red didn't even stop Dick as they passed outside the Bride's room.

"Kori's still getting ready," Red informed Dick and kept walking, and if Dick didn't possess superior balance from a childhood as an acrobat and as an equestrian ever since, the toe that he caught in response would have sent him tumbling. But being Dick Grayson, he shrugged it off, and to the casual observer, it would have been just the slightest of missteps. But inside, Dick was more than thrown. Although the two men had become friends while Kori was away, Red never took his eye off the prize: Kori. Just as Babs had never stopped her pursuit of Dick.

Dick continued to walk but calmly made a roundabout. He was sure that Kori wouldn't have remained in contact with Red nor would she have invited him to see her before the ceremony. He knew she might be upset by seeing Red, she didn't like him, but Dick wasn't sure if seeing him would make things worse for her. Dick knew her friends were there for her.

For the first time in a while, Dick was thinking things through. He mulled it over again. No, he didn't want to get upset or get Kori upset right before the service. No, he couldn't imagine that Red and Kori had been in touch but he certainly wouldn't put it past Red to put the moves on Kori. Red asked about her often enough while she was gone. Dick should have known better than to let Xavier weasel his way into his personal life but he pushed off kicking himself about it until later.

By the time he had finished his brief deliberation, he had made it back to where Victor and the other groomsmen were.

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Kori came back in, still flustered by Red's visit. The compliments were ridiculous, no surprise there, but she had a feeling he really meant it. Definitely unsettling.

Sure a nice tan can be flattering, but that had already begun to fade. She had to admit that she might have to keep the strawberry blonde streaks in her hair that framed her face and gave her highlights throughout her mane. However she thought that she looked much worse for the wear upon returning from Europe; due mostly to the inordinate amount of weight over the past few months. With the weeks so stressful before she left, she had lost weight prior to her trip, and although she hadn't lost much on Paradise Island, that last month in Greece she dropped an unhealthy amount far too fast. Her face was drawn, her hips, ribs and collarbone was viable. She was still a beautiful woman, but at the moment, if not anorexic, looked by any reasonable person's standards skinny.

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"Dick man, if you are going to be this nervous at my wedding, what are you going to be at yours?"

That earned Vic a trademark Dick Grayson death glare. How many more was he going to hand out that day? Vic just laughed at him and then using his superior height and mass - although he did not necessarily have superior strength – and also using surprise on his side, he got Dick in a head lock and whispered in his ear, "Well I can reasonably make the assumption that your wife-to-be won't be pregnant on your wedding day."

Dick froze and Vic freed him and Dick gave his friend a hug. "Geez, Dick, don't go all soft on me, Man."

"Wow."

"Yeah, wow."

"Didn't know you were, you know, trying."

"Well, we weren't, funny story really," Vic looked at Dick with a smirk on his face. "I'll tell y'all later. We're thrilled. Makes me feel like a total stud, got her on the first try."

They bumped fists. "Like there was any doubts."

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Babs was having a wonderful day. She looked phenomenal in her bright yellow curve hugging ankle length sleeveless gown with a deep v-neck and high side slits. She wore it with heels and her red hair in a French twist. Her make up was subtle and flawless.

Barbara had realized for some time that she had been pushing it with Dick, and in her last ditch effort to snag him before Kori got back, she knew he nearly snapped. She swung for the fences and struck out. Now it was time for a strategy change again: to just turn on the charm but not push herself on Dick. Back to the 'get more bees with honey than vinegar' approach, and with Kori back, it was Xavier's turn to charm Kori and Babs' job to 'just be there' for Dick. Her role was more passive now. It wouldn't be always easy, but she could do passive.

Babs had a pretty good thing going on another front. Her latest shipment came in from her Internet pharmacy the previous day and had come in with two new medications. She had added Xanax the night before as well to her now 100 mg of Oxycontin a day, and the day for the first time she also had added Adderal that morning. She had found a chat room earlier and was talking with others about the most 'helpful' combinations. She understood her issue to be pain that no one else could manage, the fatigue and anxiety that went along with it, and well, if no one was going to prescribe them for her, she'd manage herself. The Adderal was a stimulant, and a great pick up and she found it got her more focused – well, it was for ADHD after all - and the Xanax was for anxiety and sleep.

She had been still collecting the Suboxone and went to her meetings since she switched herself back, stockpiling the pills behind the loose side panel of the side of the stairs to her attic. There was only six inches between the stairs and the wall as it was, and there was a door right in front of the stairs. She kept all sorts of things there that she was hiding or she'd rather not be found with. She'd put jewelry there when she was away. Kori's letters to Richard were there too.

Barbara even felt comforted in a way that Kori was home. The proverbial other shoe had finally dropped, and she would just wait and stay close to Dick and wait as Xavier worked his magic.

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Kori stood behind the screen and scrutinized herself in the three way mirror, down to just her panties. X'hal, thirty-three pounds. I had no idea. Do some people think I really look better? Kori grimaced. Her muscles were there, but not as large and not covered with almost any flesh. All the tendons and sinews seemed to show. She could easily see her collarbone, her hip bones, she turned to see her vertebra and could have counted them easily. Around her kneecaps she could see the insertion sites of the quads. She studied her face. There was some prominence to her cheeks and sinking about the jaw but she finally felt relief – no temporal wasting – there were no indentations at her temples that would indicate the possibility of unrecoverable weight loss.

Not that it was a possibility... my mind is playing the tricks on me... Did Xavier really think I looked the Hot like this? My breasts are like they are the day old children's party balloons... It is as if I have not eaten in a month... perhaps because I have not...

Kori was broken out of her reverie by a knock on the door

"One last try, it's do or die time." Katie slipped the dress over Kori's head and a completely nonplussed Rachael and Tara looked on. "That'll do fine. You really look lovely, dear."

Katie had worked her magic as much as possible with the dress and Kori felt she looked as good as possible. The ruching added some bulk and covered some of the new angles that had appeared where there was once soft curves. Katie had even taken the time to open the seams of the shoulder straps to subtly cover more of Kori's now quite evident collarbone.

Karen had given direction to Katie and Tara told Kori so; touched by the her friend's thoughtfulness, Kori's eyes welled with tears.

"Don't start the waterworks yet Kor. Wait until the end of the ceremony."

Tara folded the screen back and the Karen, Rachael, Tara, Karen's two cousins who were the other two attendants and her twin nieces the co-flower girls all admired Kori. Other than the obvious weight change, she was still lovely. Her hair was parted on the side instead of the middle and starting with the bangs each side was rolled back, secured in a twist, while the bulk of her hair was set in curls of varying sizes cascaded down her back. Her makeup had also been completed and she was pleased that the silver and aqua shadows were not as garish as she feared; if she'd gone to the plum family that she favors, she would have looked unwell given that she almost looked a bit drawn.

The style showed off the streaks of strawberry-blonde and the extra tan a nice contrast to the aqua color of the dress. The small cap sleeve was wide enough so that Kori felt better covered and that her collarbone was less obvious. She scrutinized her looked for a few more moments and vowed silently to start an exercise, healthy eating and weight gain program the next day.

She pulled Rachael and Tara aside, "I assure you I am not doing the 'fishing' for the compliments, but I do not look the wow now do I? I mean, I have lost too much of the weight weight, yes?"

"Yes." Rachael said immediately.

"Kori, too much too quickly, and too much for your bone structure and body type," Tara added firmly.

"Thank you."

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The seating was well underway when the bridesmaids arrived at the church, but stayed well out of sight of the guests. The string quartet played a traditional assortment of wedding prelude music, but Dick made a mental note to mock Vic about the Hallelujah Chorus as he was seating guests along with the other groomsmen. The song went right into A Time for Us, and Dick was between seating people and actually had to collect himself, the song resonating deeply.

Quickly the seating was complete and one of his last tasks was escort Vic's grandmother up to her seat. His mother had died in a car accident a few years before, he was estranged from his father, but his Grannie was a big part of his life. Dick then came gown the aisle with Gar and rolled out the aisle runner and took their places at the alter with the officiant, Vic and the other Groomsmen: Virgil Hawkins, Vic's cousin who just returned from serving overseas, Wally West and Roy Harper.

Once they were in place the doors opened and the music changed to Edelweiss. Kori was the first bridesmaid to walk. She smiled to her herself that she was to do a slow walk and not a three step waltz given the song. She could hear titters in the crowd, in no doubt at her first public appearance in some time and struggled a bit to keep her composure, but after about seven steps or so she saw Richard, and the world slipped away.

As Kori appeared, Vic nudged Richard, something Richard did not acknowledge. Richard looked up at her, eyes flashing open briefly, caught off guard by how different she looked and then his expression softened with compassion, a lopsided grin coming over his face. Kori smiled, not as brightly as she usually did, but felt the burden she had been carrying on her heart diminish. She was halfway down the aisle when the next bridesmaid, Raven. began her march.

Richard struggled to not react at all at Kori's appearance as they locked eyes. She was so thin. She was beautiful, yes, and she'd never lose that much weight on purpose. She embraced her curves. Did she have a breakdown? Was she ill? He knew he'd get answers soon, but he found himself worried and guilty. He was responsive. It was his fault, he was sure of it. She was in no means a small woman but she must have been down a significant portion of her body weight.

Still, Kori looked at him, smiled at him, and that was a relief. Her smile may not be as bright as it could be, as it once was for him, but there was affection there, no, love on her face. She couldn't hide that. She still couldn't make a scene, and she couldn't stare the entire time. She tore her eyes from him, but Richard kept on watching her. Just as Kori turned to take her spot and her back was to him, he rocked back on his heels and let out the breath he'd been holding.

After Maid of Honor Tara was halfway down the aisle, Karen's six year old nieces came down the aisles in their matching pale yellow dresses with huge crinolines and patent leather shoes. They each had long pigtails with multiple yellow bows, and Dick couldn't help but think they looked like two bees. One looked much like a normal bee as she skipped a bit sprinkling her rose pedals and then darted back for her sister who was more like a bee on a cold day, lethargic, or perhaps scared, as she meticulously laid her white rose petals in place. But soon the little bees were finished with their busy work and took their seats back with Karen's very pregnant sister.

Finally the moment was there, and the music changed again to Ode to Joy, and the entire congregation stood for the bride.

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To Be Continued...

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Please review.

Don't kill me, Richard and Kori are going to actually talk and reunite next chapter; it's just that the chapter was getting upwards of 7,000 words with so much left in now chapters 71 and 72 and trying to reword it was keeping it from being posted. I will update soon, barring unforeseen events!