Chapter 19

I don't own these characters, but it would be nice if I did.

Wait...In this story, I actually created some of them, so I do own them.

Anyways, I do promise to keep them true to themselves.

And as for the ones I did create, who they are is up to me, so...

Seattle, Washington

Immediately, Zack ran over to Maya's side and lifted her head up into his lap. He began trying to awaken her as he constantly said her name over and over. Cody and Bailey could only look on in shock and surprise. For Cody, it was finally dawning on him who the girl was, and for Bailey, it was surprising to see Zack acting so concerned about a girl. Maya finally began fluttering her eyes, and when she finally opened them up, she saw Zack looking down on her in concern.

"Maya? Are you okay?"

She paused and was about to say something when she noticed Cody and Bailey standing behind him. Her eyes went wide again. "There really are two of you!"

Zack smiled. "Yeah...that was kind of what I was going to tell you..."

Maya sighed in relief. "Oh thank goodness. I saw him kissing her, and I began freaking out." She laughed. "You never told me you had a twin brother, Cody..."

Zack paused. "Well, that's half the story. You see...that was Cody kissing her." He paused and glared at Cody. "Which you and I need to talk about when we get the chance!" He turned back to Maya. "You see. I'm not Cody Martin. I'm Zack Martin. That's what I've been trying to tell you for the longest time..."

Maya frowned. "I don't understand."

He nodded. "Why don't we get you up off the floor, and I'll explain everything." Maya nodded too, and they headed over to one of the couches in the lobby. Zack spoke again. "You see, Maya...Until a few weeks ago, neither Cody or I knew that we were twin brothers or that the other even existed. But for some reason, both of us were on our way to the University of Texas..." He continued telling her of how they figured out they were twins, and their plans to switch places with each other to get to know their other parent. "I was going to tell you on two different occasions, but each time I tried, my Mom either showed up or was there, and I couldn't..."

Maya shook her head to try to get everything clear in her mind. "So, for the past week, it was you...Zack...that I was getting to know?"

Zack nodded. "Yeah, it was."

Maya turned to Cody. "And you were in Seattle the whole time?"

Cody nodded. "Yeah, I was here with Dad. I remember seeing you around school, but the person you got to know was Zack..."

Maya nodded too and turned to Bailey. "And who are you?"

Bailey smiled. "I'm Bailey. I'm Cody's...the real Cody's..." She turned to him. "...girlfriend?"

Cody smiled at her. "Yeah, you are."

Zack shook his head in confusion. "Wait a minute! When did that happen? Did she think you were me and finally give in?"

Bailey snorted. "Hardly!"

Cody shook his head. "No, no at all. Bailey's known I'm really Cody since the beginning. She was there the night I called you and told you that Addison had discovered who I was. It was she and Addison who figured out I wasn't you my first night here. As for her and I, well..." He grinned. "...I just couldn't help myself..."

Maya spoke up again. "Wait a minute! Who is Addison?"

Zack laughed. "Addison is like a sister to me..."

Cody cut him off. "To me too."

Zack continued. "...She and I have grown up together. I've known her my whole life." He paused. "Speaking of which, where is she?"

Cody laughed. "That's a funny thing. She met Woody and is off with him..."

Zack frowned. "Woody? Seriously?"

Maya shook her head again. "And is Woody the same guy you were hanging out with you in the park?"

"Yeah, that's him..."

Maya rubbed her eyes. "This all sounds so crazy..."

Zack smiled at her. "Try living it. But I wanted to be honest with you because I really like you, Maya..."

She just looked at him. "But I don't even know who you are!"

"Sure you do. I'm the same person you spent all of last week with..."

"Because I thought you were Cody!"

Cody spoke up. "To be fair, before then, you and I didn't really know each other at all..."

Maya sighed. "Still, it doesn't change the fact that he lied to me from the very beginning!"

Zack's face fell, and Cody and Bailey could tell that her rejection of him was really affecting him in a negative way. Both felt sorry for him, and for the first time, Bailey could actually see that Zack might not be as bad as she originally thought. She spoke up.

"Maybe you should try to get to know the real him then? You know...start over from scratch..."

Zack looked at Bailey in surprise. Was she actually sticking up for him? But Maya continued to look at Bailey. "Answer me this. If you had found out after you began liking the real Cody that he wasn't who had made himself out to be, how would you feel?"

Bailey paused. The real answer was that she would never have given him the time of day if she thought he had been Zack. But she knew she couldn't tell this Maya girl that. "I don't think how I would have handled things matters. I'm not you, and you aren't me. Besides, you have to take into account why they did what they did. If you think about it, they had nothing but the best intentions."

Maya shook her head. "That may be so, but you know what they say about good intentions..."

"Yeah, I do. But I'm glad they did. Otherwise, I might not have ever met Cody. And I'm really glad that I did..."

Maya stood up. "I'm sorry. This is all just too much for me to handle right now. I need to get out of here. I need time to think." And just like that, she ran out of the hotel.

Zack just stood there watching her run out of the hotel, and his heart sank. And to Cody and Bailey, the expression on his face as he watched her leave told them all they needed to know – that Zack really did like this girl. Cody walked over to his brother and wrapped his arm around his shoulder.

"You did the right thing, Bro."

Zack sighed. "I guess so...but why does it hurt so much?"

Cody smiled at him. "Hey, I'm proud of you. I remember how you were with that Marcy girl back at UT. You've come along way since then..."

Zack turned to him. "I thought her name was Mandy..."

Cody sighed. "No, it wasn't..."

Bailey spoke up. "Cody's right. I didn't think you had it in you to like just one girl. I was pretty sure you were a confirmed player. I see I was wrong."

Zack looked at her. "Speaking of which. You could have completely blown me out of the water just then. You didn't. I thought you hated me."

She shook her head. "I never hated you. Disliked, yes, but hated, no. Besides, I saw how you were with her. Its obvious you really like her. Besides, if I want to have Cody in my life, I have to accept that you are his twin brother, and I'll have to deal with you."

Zack nodded. "Thanks." He paused and shook his head. "But you two are now an item? How the heck did that happen? That still boggles my mind..."

Cody grinned. "Quite easy. I've never met anyone like Bailey before in my life. I can just be me with her, and that's okay."

Bailey grinned too. "Same here. Once Addison and I figured out he wasn't you, we checked him out on line. Turns out Cody and I had an awful lot in common. And then we got to know each other."

Cody walked over and took Bailey's hand in his. "We had our first official date last night. Best night of my life."

"Mine too."

Zack just shook his head and sighed. "Looks like I'm going to have to get used to this too. First you two and now Woody and Addison have disappeared off somewhere...We better get up to Mom to make sure she's alright."

Cody nodded. "Yeah, we should. But Zack...call me an optimist or a romantic, but I don't think you've seen the last of Maya. If she didn't really like you, she wouldn't have been as torn up as she was."

"I hope your right..."

Back up on the 23rd Floor

Carey had finished showering and changing clothes, and when she headed back out into the suite, she saw she was alone. The coffee hadn't gotten back yet, so she decided to go looking for it herself. So, she headed out of the suite too and caught an elevator down to the lobby. In the lobby, in the two side by side elevators, just as the doors to the cab Carey was in opened up, the doors to the cab Zack, Cody and Bailey were on closed. Carey headed over to the bar in the lobby, sat down and ordered a cup of coffee. The bartender just looked at her.

"Rough day?"

She sighed. "You have no idea how rough..."

Meanwhile

Kurt and Meredith were walking in the front door of the hotel. And Meredith could tell that Kurt's mind was elsewhere.

"Earth to Kurt!"

He snapped his attention back to her. "Huh?"

"What were you thinking about? You were a million miles away..."

"Oh...Just being here in the Tipton hotel made me think of...something else."

"Well, get your head out of the clouds. Supposedly, this is one of the nicest hotels in Seattle. It would be a great place to get married. The Tipton Hotel chain is known for hosting very nice weddings. I figured we could get here early and look around to see if we liked it."

Kurt smiled. "Good idea." He paused. "Tell you what...why don't you go get yourself a drink while I go make a phone call. There's something I need to take care of first."

Meredith smiled back. "Sounds good to me." She headed off towards the bar, and Kurt pulled his cell phone out of his pocket. He dialed a number and began talking when it was picked up.

"Ari, its me...Kurt Martin..."

"Well, you are my agent..."

"Yes, that Kurt Martin!"

"Don't you dare try to pawn me off on to Lloyd!"

"That's better! Look, I need you to have a prenuptial agreement drawn up for me..."

Back in the Hotel Bar

Carey was still drinking coffee when a younger blonde woman sat down next to her and ordered a cosmopolitan. Carey just focused on the mug of coffee in front of her and trying to clear her head of the cobwebs.

Meredith happened to glance over, and for some reason, the woman sitting next to her looked familiar.

"Excuse me. I don't mean to bother you, but you look familiar to me..."

Carey shrugged. "I don't see how. I live in Boston..."

Meredith's eyes went wide. "That's how I know you! You work at the Boston Tipton, don't you?"

Carey frowned. "Yeah, I do..."

"I was there for a wedding last summer, and you performed at it! You were amazing! You have a beautiful voice!"

Carey smiled. "Well, thank you. I'm Carey..."

Meredith cut her off. "Have you ever thought about cutting your own album?"

Carey paused. "Well, I'd be lying if I said it never crossed my mind, but..."

Meredith reached into her pocket and pulled out her card. "I'm a publicist for a large record company here in Seattle. Give me a call if you decide you are ready to make one..."

"Thanks...I will." She nodded to the bartender. "Can I get an extra large coffee to go?" She turned back to Meredith. "I hope you'll excuse me. I have to go find my boys..."

Back up in Suite 2302

Zack, Cody and Bailey walked into the suite, but noticed that no one was there. Cody turned to Zack.

"Where's Mom?"

Zack shrugged. "I have no idea. When I left to head downstairs, she was in the shower trying to sober up..."

Cody checked his watch. "Okay, its only three. We still have a couple of hours before Meredith and Dad are due to show up." He paused. "And where are Woody and Addison? They should have been back here with the coffee by now..."

At that moment, the door to the suite opened, and in walked Woody and Addison laughing about something.

Zack glared at Woody. "Where have you been? And where is the coffee you went to get?"

Woody paused. "Oops. I forgot all about it."

Cody just looked at him. "But that's where you two were going once you left us in the lobby!"

Addison blushed. "We got to talking and went for a walk. We forgot all about it..." She paused and began laughing. "Oh my gosh..."

"What?"

"Well, I knew you two were twin brothers, but seeing you two there standing right next to each other makes it a reality..."

Zack rolled his eyes. "Fine. We're twins. Now, we have to find Mom!"

Back in the Lobby

Carey took her extra large coffee and headed through the lobby over to the elevators and pushed the button. Once the elevator got there, she stepped inside and pushed the twenty three button. At that exact moment, Kurt was walking across the lobby and happened to glance over at the elevator. Carey saw him, smiled and waved at him. Kurt just stopped dead in his tracks. He blinked his eyes several times, but every time, he saw his ex-wife standing there. His eyes went wide, he paled and his mouth fell open in shock.

To be Continued...