Yet another one that sat and sat for almost four weeks and I've rewritten and rewritten... the angstigator nipping at my muse's toes all the time... and then there was this injury in a Nerf sword battle.

Motherhood – remember safety goggles strongly recommend.

Disclaimer: I do not own the Teen Titans. I own the plot.

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Double Take

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Chapter 87

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There were faster ways to Barbara's brownstone, but Dick's building rage scared him and he knew he needed to calm down. He was angry at himself for so many things – not to say that he wasn't mad at Babs, if she had actually done what he thought she had done: somehow diverting and hiding all of Kori's letters to him while she was away on Paradise Island and in Greece - and he felt truly out of control.

It even occurred to him that maybe he should punish himself further, just leave Kori completely and perhaps even give into Babs. It was that kind of self-destructive behavior that he knew would doom him to unhappiness, and it was hardly fair to either of the women in his life...

The bike jarred back from the swerve that happened as a result of that little revelation he had visited before: his acknowledgment that there were were two women in his life... The worse part of it was that he'd gone back on everything he'd promised himself, everything wanted for himself with Kori – a normal, permanent and happy relationship with Kori.

But maybe those were only teenage fantasies of a happily ever after, weren't they? Just a fantasy with an exotic but very innocent girl he knew once only as Star, a lifetime ago...

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Kori wasn't sure if it was the act of pulling her clothes out of her closet and folding them, readying them to pack or all the emotional upheaval that was contributing to her already weakened state, but she was so fatigued after only perhaps fifteen minutes that she was considering laying down for a bit.

She was certain that part of it was the emotional distress of the idea of leaving and the conversation that Richard and she had earlier. She felt she had to leave, her relationship with Richard was so uncertain. Now more than ever she wasn't comfortable with the idea that they were living together; sure she was in a guest room but really, it was 'her room', and worse it was where she merely stored her clothing, she had slept in Richard's bed nearly every night except when she was in Greece or in the hospital...

She messaged her temples as she perched on the edge of the bed and considered her options, feeling stranded and starting to become anxious, wondering if she should just go to bed and pull the covers over her even if it was mid-day.

But her mind wouldn't shut down.

Even though she and Richard had reconciled, it was under false pretenses. But it was so easy slipping back into it, it was what they both wanted, they fit. Maybe she should stay...

No, they needed to rebuild trust, rather she needed to know she could trust him, and she could not at all be objective living there...

So she got up, determined to trudge on and at least pack the necessities so she could go back to the Embassy.

I must face Galfore... that will not be the easy...

Tears began to fall as she fought her fatigue, emotional as well as physical, overwhelmed as her memories continued to return, as she began to truly mourn her relationship with Richard.

It occurred to her that she hadn't eaten properly that day or had much to drink since breakfast and just as he always seemed to, Alfred knocked at the door at the perfect time when and where he was most needed, armed with the perfect solution to one's problems.

"Miss Kori, I was concerned that you may be feeling a bit piqued. I have been remiss in seeing to your nutritional needs and Master Dick will be most displeased with me if I have not looked after you in his absence."

"Thank you Alfred, you are most... kind."

Alfred stifled a gasp when he saw that she did not look at all well and had obviously been crying. "Oh, Miss Kori, this cannot do. And are you packing? I wasn't aware you were planning on going anywhere and packing would be my job-"

"Oh Alfred, it is the o. and the k.-"

"It is not necessarily my business my dear, but please, you must sit and have some tea at least."

"Thank you Alfred, I am a bit hungry, but please, could you join me?"

"Certainly Kori."

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Dick had stopped briefly near Mount Vernon, having ridden far out of his way to be sure to cool off from at least the stand point of his temper. Even though summer was waning, it was humid and hot in the DC area as expected, so he pulled off his leather jacket and pulled a couple of bottles of water out of the saddle bags, and stuffed his jacket in, feeling far too hot to wear it any longer. Taking time to watch the Potomac, he told himself that he had to remember that even though Babs behavior was for the most part inexcusable, her thinking was terribly impaired due to the Percocet as all the literature indicated. Of course if she was on the suboxone, which contained an opiate how much better was she? And he had suspected she was using again at the wedding, not that he had done anything then or since. Well, no matter, he'd try to go easy on her.

Then his thoughts turned back to Kori and the need to do whatever it took to get her back.

Not just woo Kori back Grayson, think wife, best friend, soul mate. Babs has to be out of the picture, perhaps a social friend of both of me and Kori but nothing more. Just get the letters from Babs if she has them and leave, don't make a big deal about it, and go back to Kori and do whatever it takes to make amends. If she needs space, give her space.

Whatever it takes to be together forever.

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"Thank you for lunch Alfred, I do feel much better."

"And thank you Miss Kori, I cannot tell you how much I enjoyed your company. And do consider what I said. Get some rest and if you do still wish to leave for the Embassy later, I shall assist you in getting your things together, but please consider Master Dick's feelings on this matter. I'm certain he will give you all the space you need and remember about security."

"Thank you, Alfred, I had hoped that my being a princess would have been forgotten but since the anthrax outbreak-"

"And about that, please consider that as well."

"True, although Uncle Galfore has been careful. But you are correct about Richard, he has been hurt in this as well. If Barbara has truly hidden my letters to him, well, he never knew my feelings, so he made assumptions about my leaving that were incorrect," Kori teared up, "it is all such a mess."

Alfred patted her arm, "There there Miss Kori, everything will work out. Although I hate to think the worst about Miss Barbara, that she'd do such a thing as intercept your letters but I'm certain that if she does have those letters, she will give them to Master Dick."

"I hope so."

"Why don't you take a rest? I'm sure you'll feel better after that."

"Agreed."

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The beltway was going to be bug-eating central on the bike, so Dick made his way to Georgetown through town, not a great alternative with some traffic and mediocre to poor areas to go through. But Georgetown is gorgeous and when he made it there he weaved around a few extra blocks, gathering up all his willpower to face Barbara in a way where he wouldn't give in to her or yell at her. He had a feeling there was a slight chance he could do either, and that really scared him.

Yes, Barbara needed to be completely out of his life.

He knocked on the door and he heard a tentative, "Who is it?" after about a minute.

"It's me, Dick."

"Oh."

Not her usual enthusiastic greeting. Good.

She opened the door part way. "What is it?"

"May I come in? We need to talk."

She sighed. "I was expecting this. Come in."

She opened the door and Dick stepped through. He noticed a carry-on bag by the door. "Going somewhere?"

"Yes. Daddy's coming in an hour to take me to the airport."

"May I ask where?"

"Inpatient rehab. In Atlanta, I stopped everything, got a new doc, it's been a week or so-"

Dick hugged her before he could stop himself, "Good for you, Babs, I'm so proud of you."

"Well, yeah, like you were there for me-"

Dick pulled back and searched her face. "That's not fair."

"You made a commitment-"

"You took advantage-"

"You were supposed to be there for me!"

"I was! You weren't supposed to tear me and Kori apart!"

"Whose fault is that really?"

Dick clenched his fists and stormed past her, stopping to look at a picture she had of them – Dick and Babs at a charity event from when they were dating years before. "I'm sorry I lead you on," he said softly, picking it up, "but let's not fight. I'm glad you made the decision to go to rehab. But I'm here for another reason."

"Oh, well, I gather it isn't to ask me to marry you," she said with a dark chuckle, "or at least go out with you again."

"No, nothing like that. Look Babs, there isn't much time to chat so I'll get to the point. I know Kori sent me letters from Greece and I know that you were at my house everyday around lunch time. I also know that drugs, especially opiates, mess with peoples' thinking. I would never hold anything against you that happened these past few months-"

"What about that outburst a minute ago?"

"That was more about my own failing, really Babs. Anyway, is there any chance you know what happened to those letters? Any chance you have them? Please Babs, if we meant anything to each other, this is really important."

Babs studied Dick. He had said he'd forgive her given her compromised state. The therapist and the new doctor she had seen the past week that had taken over her case had explained to her that her thinking, that her very moral fiber was altered by the Percocet she was taking. And Dick did just say essentially the same thing...

Dick would forgive her.

Step 8 of Narcotic Anonymous: (Make) a list of all persons we had harmed, and became willing to make amends to them all.

She was ready and willing to make amends with Dick. It was, after all a part of her recovery.

Step 9 of Narcotic Anonymous: (Make) direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others.

This was her chance to make those amends with Dick. She had read the letters and knew they would not harm him, they showed that Kori loved him and had wanted to forgive him.

Babs shut her eyes, still bracing herself just in case. "I have them."

Dick smiled. "Thank you, Babs. Thank you for not destroying them and for telling me the truth."

"Are you angry?"

"Well, let's just say I'll need to keep telling myself that the person I need to be angry at is the person who got you addicted, the one that put you through all this."

Tears filled her eyes and she hugged him. "I love you, Dick. Thank you for understanding."

"Just get better Babs."

"I will." She slipped out of the hug and not looking back, walked across the room and up the stairs. Dick waited as she retrieved the shoebox in the back of her closet where she had stored the letters all these weeks.

Dick was so relieved when he saw her decend the stairs with the box in hand. "Thank you, Babs."

"Sorry."

He simply nodded and took the box and then looked her in the eye, "Good luck, Barbara."

He turned and left without another word or touch, walking over to his motorcycle, carefully securing the treasured cargo in one of the saddlebags.

Dick then fired up the bike and headed back the the manor without looking back.

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To be continued...

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Thank you for reading, and please review...

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For those interested, these are the twelve steps of Narcotics Anonymous (NA) – which are adapted from those of Alcoholics Anonymous (AA):

The 12 Steps of Narcotics Anonymous:

1. We admitted that we were powerless over our addiction, that our lives had become unmanageable.

2. We came to believe that a (Higher) Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity.

3. We made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood Him.

4. We made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves.

5. We admitted to God, to ourselves, and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs.

6. We were entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character.

7 We humbly asked Him to remove our shortcomings.

8. We made a list of all persons we had harmed, and became willing to make amends to them all.

9. We made direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others.

10. We continued to take personal inventory and when we were wrong promptly admitted it.

11. We sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with God as we understood Him, praying only for knowledge of His will for us and the power to carry that out.

12. Having had a spiritual awakening as a result of these steps, we tried to carry this message to addicts, and to practice these principles in all our affairs.

(Although I am a licensed healthcare professional, I include this for background for this story only.)