A/N: She's alive. Next chapter. A choice is made!
After the Bachelorette Party
Rachel stepped out of the limo after it pulled out near her apartment. Kori followed her. "Wait!" Kitten called. "Kori where are you going?" she asked.
"I'm going to crash with Rachel. We haven't had a sleepover in forever. But you go ahead Kat. The limo's already got instructions to bring you and the other girls home."
"Are you sure?" Rachel asked.
"Yeah. I mean Dick is going to be out all night with his buddies anyway."
"Okay." she moved to the apartment as the limo honked and Kori followed.
A Few Minutes Later
"So what's the deal with you and Jason?" Kori was sitting on the edge of Rachel's bathtub watching her clean her teeth. "Are you going to get married or something?" she asked with a goofy smile plastered on her face
"Stop it." Rachel sighed and continued brushing her teeth.
"What? Jason isn't marriage material?" she asked. Rachel looked at her seriously before washing out her mouth. The phone rang and Kori bolted up to answer it. "Who is calling at this ungodly hour?" she whined. Rachel ran to the phone and picked it up before Kori did.
"Hello?"
"Rachel it's me. Please don't hang up." Dick pleaded.
"Who is it?" Kori whispered. Rachel held up one finger.
"I miss you. That's all I wanted to say. Can I come up? Please? I just want to talk about everything." he asked, and even she had to admit, it was adorable when he begged.
"Who is it?" Kori yelled impatiently.
"Roy." Rachel lied.
"Roy?" she asked.
"Roy? No. I- It's Dick. I'm downstairs. Can I come up?" he was confused.
"Wait you're downstairs? No! No, no, no, no."
"He's downstairs?" Kori asked confused trying to figure out what was happening.
"Kori's here so you can't come up." she said quickly.
"And he wants to come up at three in the morning?" her eyes and mouth went wide at once.
"I'm gonna-" Rachel began but was cut off by Kori.
"Oh my god! Ew-" Kori jumped up and down.
"What?" Rachel asked not hearing Kori's previous out loud thoughts.
"Ewwwwwwwww." she shrieked. "You're having a fling with Roy?"
"I've gotta go." she hung up the phone and erased the caller ID.
Kori ran to the window screaming. Dick ran up against a wall and hid so she wouldn't see him.
"HEY ROY! WAY TO GO! I DIDN'T KNOW YOU HAD IT IN YOU, YA LITTLE SHITHEAD!"
Rachel locked the window and followed Kori into the living room. "Kori!" she scolded.
"Why didn't you tell me?"
"Because… It just kind of happened."
"Just happened?"
Later That Night
The two women laid down and talked about lots of things before trying to fall asleep.
"You know people who were friends as kids almost always lose touch. I'm really glad we didn't." Kori nodded as she spoke.
"Me too." Rachel smiled a little bit.
"We never will right?" she asked.
"Nooo." she whispered reassuring her. If they've stuck together that long why wouldn't it go on forever?
"I don't think there's anyone who knows me like you do." she said truthfully. Almost scared. "Not even Dick. Its like you completely accept me."
"Why are you saying all of this Kor?" Rachel looked her in the eyes.
"I don't know. When you're about to get married you just kind of think of all your big moments in life and, you're in all of mine." she said tiredly.
"Kori. I have to tell you something." she continued not breaking eye contact with her, not even when she closed her eyes "It's something I did. Something horrible." she sighed. "It could hurt a lot of people and it could hurt me too."
"Rachel. I would never let anything hurt you. And you wouldn't let something hurt me right?"
"Never." Kori was lulled into sleep before Rachel could say anything else. Rachel tried to follow suit but she was too at war with everything to be successful.
The Next Morning
"Morning." Rachel greeted Kori who was already in the kitchen.
"Do you think I should marry Dick?" she asked in a panic.
"What? Where is this coming from?" Kori was almost in tears.
"I mean it. Do you think this is a good idea? Nobody knows me like you do. And you kind of know Dick too. So you have to tell me, am I about to do something dumb?"
"Kori." she started sympathetically.
"No I mean seriously. You know me. I do dumb shit sometimes. I mean, really dumb shit. I do love him. And I know what he sees in me." she ranted.
"What?" Rachel asked and Kori gave her a look. "You know what I mean."
"He's never met someone like me. I'm just like this free spirit. I don't let anything get to me. I mean I guess its because everything works out for me and I assume it always will." Rachel nodded and made a mental note that Kori, herself had noticed that as well. "And he's so serious and controlled. Like you! You know I make him lighter and he makes me heavier. In a good way. Does that make any sense at all?" Kori asked as she sat down next to her.
"Tons." Rachel nodded. "I think you should marry him." she said simply.
"I love you so much."
"I love you too."
Kori brought her in for a hug. "So then its okay that I cheated a little bit?"
"What?" Rachel yelled. "You-you did what?" she asked.
"I just- a little bit- kind of- YES! Okay? Yes. Once."
"With who?" her eyes even bigger than they usually were.
"A guy. From work. And you know me. It was just sex. And I felt terrible afterwards so that's good right?" she asked, looking for a little reassurance that what she did was okay.
"Sure." she nodded while speaking.
"Besides Dick hasn't had sex with me since before the Fourth of July." she let out a heavy sigh. "I feel so much better now though."
'He hasn't slept with her, since I have!' she thought. 'Yay!' then she looked down. 'But I just told her to marry him. Why me?'
After Lunch With Roy
"Holy crap! That's awesome. When are you going to tell him? Oh wait I'll tell him. Please let me tell him." Roy was getting a kick out of the whole thing.
"I'm not going to tell him. I already told Kori to marry him. I'm out."
"What?" he asked not believing her. "No way. She just told you she cheated on him. If there was any doubt before that you guys should be together its gone now. You have to tell him or I will."
"It's none of your business."
"I know. That's exactly why you should let me do it." she shook her head no. "Why do you always let her win?"
"Wow. Dramatic much?"
"No. No 'wow'. You know if the tables were turned she wouldn't think twice." he said without hesitation.
"Stop it. God, what is it with you two?"
"What do you mean?"
"Why are you always at each other's throats all the time. Why do you hate each other?" she honestly wanted to know.
"I don't hate her. I hate the fact that you always let her beat you."
"Its because she always wins! Okay? Kori. Anders. Always. Wins! She sees things. She wants them. She gets them! Roy she got into Notre Dame. Do you know how hard it is to get into Notre Dame? It! Is! Impossible! But she did it. Because she always, always wins!" she finished ranting.
"You're kidding right?" he asked. "You're not kidding."
"What are you talking about?" she asked.
"Did you see the acceptance letter? Cause I didn't see it. Do you remember when she asked that supermodel, Garth Fisher to the prom? And they sent a form letter saying he couldn't make it? And she showed off to everybody?"
"Of course."
"Then why didn't she show off that acceptance letter? I could recite the other letter, and that was a rejection! If she were accepted to Notre Dame, why didn't I memorize that too?"
"Because-"
"Because she didn't get one. She wasn't accepted." she looked at him realizing it was true. "Look Rachel, you have to do something about Richard, because he's being a coward, and if he breaks your heart, I'm going to take a swing at him, then let him beat me up!"
"I'm going to be late for work." she walked faster.
"Good! Be late. Better yet, quit! At least that would be a decision. Rachel, you're all going to hell anyway, so you might as well do something for yourself." she gave him the finger before stopping at her workplace. "You deserve to be happy."
"You know what would make me happy? If you would just butt out! Please."
"Fine. I'll butt out. For now. Let me know how that goes." he walked off a little bit hurt. And Rachel looked guilty but headed back to work anyway.
Weekend at Jump
Roy sat in the chair watching Kori and Richard against Jason and Rachel playing a game of badminton. Kori served and Rachel missed.
"One to zip! Come on Rachel, I'm killing you here." Dick called.
"Ain't that the truth?" Roy called out and Rachel glared at him.
"Hey instead of making fun of Rachel why don't you help out your Juliet." Kori teased him.
"What are you talking about?" he asked.
"Don't worry, she told me you're little secret lovers."
"Lovers?" Dick asked confused.
"Oh we're sharing secrets now?" Roy asked. "If it's about sharing secrets, I'm in."
"Roy." Rachel told him to sit down but he reached for Jason's racket.
"I've got an idea. How about it's us against you guys and we do a secret for every point." he suggested.
"I love that idea!" Kori said.
"Roy! Stop it!" Rachel looked dead at him.
"I'll serve." Roy served. They went back and forth and Roy lost it.
"Yay! Point for us! I've got a secret. Roy and Rachel are having sex!"
"What?" Roy and Dick asked at the same time. Kitten just sat there hurt and confused.
"I slept at Rachel's a few nights ago and someone showed up for a late night booty-call." Kori explained. Dick realized quickly what really happened.
"I called it! I knew it!" Jason said laughing.
"You told me you were gay!" She threw a glass on the sand breaking it before stomping away.
"That makes a little more sense." Jason tilted his head thinking about it a little bit more.
"You know what? This whole thing is getting a little too competitive." Rachel tried to stop before things got ugly.
"Rachel's right. Lets go and-" Dick started
"No way!" Roy said laughing. "This is way too much fun!" he laughed. Serve it up Dick. Seeing no way out of it, he served and the two men went at it. They both ended it rolling on the ground for hits and moving the girls out of the way until it was just them on the court. Roy jumped up and spiked the birdie into the sand and cheered. "Alright. My turn. Why don't you do this one Rachel? "
"Roy. Shut it!"
"No? You don't want to? I will then. Alright here goes. Rachel- AHHHH!" Rachel landed a blow to his face with the racket. Jason busted out laughing. He stood up slowly and walked to the edge of the water. He ripped off his shirt and dipped it into the cool ocean before covering his nose.
Rachel followed him and shoved his shoulder with one hand. "What the hell?" she yelled at him.
"Me!" he asked. "You broke my nose!"
"I didn't break your nose."
"And what is this about us sleeping together?" he asked still pissed off. "Jesus, Rachel leave me out of your damn soap opera."
"No one asked you to get involved in the first place you jackass!"
"Really? No one asked me? So then why have I been listening to the same bullshit all summer long! Rachel, DO SOMETHING! Because this is just pathetic! You know what? You guys deserve each other, because he's not going to do shit, you're not going to ask to him to and even if you did, lets be honest, Kori would never let you have him." he said spreading the tough love on thick before turning around and walking away.
"You're an asshole!" she cried out.
"Yeah maybe I am. But I'm the only asshole here who gives a shit about you!"
At The Local NightClub
Rachel watched Kori and Dick argue about what happened today. She turned around and saw Kitten standing there.
"He's not really gay. Is he?" she asked sadly.
"No." Rachel told her honestly. "And we weren't ever together." she made sure she squashed the rumor Kori believed to be true.
"He's never going to love me is he?"
Rachel smiled apologetically. "I don't think so."
"Oh well. At least I tried right?" she smiled sadly and took a flower from her hair.
"Yeah." she walked away and Dick walked up next to Rachel.
"You told Roy." he said more than asked.
"No." she assured him. "He guessed."
"Kori keeps asking me what happened out there on the beach today."
"You know what?" Rachel started already irritated, "Go work it out with her." she picked up her purse and walked out into the rain.
"Rachel wait!" he called after her. "What am I supposed to do here?" he followed her.
"Don't do what your supposed to do. Do whatever you want to do. You want to teach? Then teach! Live the way you want to live. And if you don't want to be the guy who lives in a huge house that he hates then don't! Or do! But don't ask me about it. Just decide." She walked fully in the rain getting soaked. He just stood there and watched her. She stopped a few yards up and remembered a similar scenario happening in the past. In fact it was the same night, she introduced Dick and Kori.
"No I'm serious you have a great laugh." Kori complimented Dick and he blushed a little bit.
"Thank you."
"So why did you want to be a lawyer? I mean what kid says 'I want to be a lawyer when I grow up?'"
Before he could answer Rachel walked up to them after coming from the bathroom and hearing them talk.
"I'm sorry, I'm going to take off guys." she picked up her things.
"What? Where are you going?" Kori asked.
"I'm just really tired. This week has been insane with all those finals. You know?"
"I'll take you home." Dick offered.
"No. Its okay. Stay." Rachel declined.
"Are you sure? It's really no trouble."
"Stop it." she sat him down by the shoulders. "Have fun with Kori and I'll see you guys later. Don't let me spoil your fun." she turned to Kori. "I'll call you in the morning." then back to Dick. "You were incredible this week. Thank you so much. I owe you one." she walked out of the restaurant quickly. Tears welled up a little bit and Rachel wanted to hit herself for it.
"Rachel." she heard Dick call her name. She wiped her eyes and pretended not to hear him. He caught up to her and put a hand on her shoulder. "Are you okay?"
"Okay with what?"
"With this." he gestured to the restaurant where Kori was waiting.
"Yeah. I'm okay. Kori's great. You'd like her. You never know, right?" her voice cracked a little bit.
"Yeah." he looked off with a shrug. "Good night Rachel."
"Night." she turned and walked away as the rain fell.
Deciding in that instant not to walk away again she turned back, took off her shoes and ran all the way back to the outside of the club.
"Dick!" she called him and he came outside.
"What's wrong?"
"I shouldn't have left." she told him point blank. "I wasn't okay with it. I never should have left you and Kori alone."
"Rachel I-"
"No, Let me say it. Cancel the wedding. Tell her you can't marry her because Richard, I love you. I've always loved you. I didn't want to say it before. But I love you." He smiled "So much. I'm telling you now before it really is too late." she laid everything on the line. He was still smiling but when he thought about what his father said to him, he couldn't do it.
"I can't. Rachel, I'm so sorry. I can't." he shook his head.
A/N: Awwwww. A decision has been made. Review Responses to all will come next chapter. Sorry I didn't post them, but I've barely got time to type this.
Much Love and Respect
~Poppie~