Chapter 21

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...

Meredith continued looking back and forth between Zack and Cody. She might not have been the smartest person in the world, but she could tell that something was definitely amiss with the situation. And both of them just kept grinning at her. Despite the situation she was in, she reminded herself that she was in control. Besides, she vowed to herself that she would not be deterred from her goal by two teenagers. So, she just looked up at Kurt and smiled.

"You must have forgotten to mention that fact..."

Zack laughed. "Don't feel too bad. He never mentioned it to me either. I'm the real Zack, and that's Cody. He's been here in Seattle pretending to be me."

Meredith just looked over at Cody who was still smiling at her. "Well, well. What a...happy coincidence that everyone showed up here...today...of all possible days. Doesn't this just beat all..."

Cody finally spoke up. "And this is our mother, Carey Martin."

Meredith turned to look at Carey. "You're their mother...and let me guess...Kurt's ex-wife?"

Carey laughed. "Guilty."

"This is just so...so...wonderful..." At that moment, her cell phone began ringing. "Excuse me for a moment." She stepped away to take her call.

Kurt turned to Carey. "I guess we really need to sit down and discuss this whole situation, huh?"

Carey nodded. "Yeah, we should. Especially since they know everything now."

Meredith returned over next to them, but she didn't look happy. "That was my boss. He needs me to take care of something pronto tonight. Seems one of my other clients has had sort of a meltdown..."

Kurt nodded. "You should probably go take care of that then. This actually works out for the best. We have a family situation to take care of here. We'll just have to reschedule our big night out. I hope you don't mind..."

Meredith plastered a smile on her face. "No...not at all. I'll just have to see you tomorrow. I'll call you later."

She paused before finally forcing herself to leave. And as soon as she was gone, Cody spoke up again.

"Since we have the night free, how about we have a family dinner...for the first time ever?"

Kurt shrugged. "I don't see why not. Carey?"

She sighed. "Well...I suppose."

Later that night, the four Martins were walking around Seattle, when Carey finally spoke up.

"Where are we going exactly?"

Cody just smiled. "Actually, we're here..."

Kurt and Carey looked up, and they saw they were at the entrance to one of the booze cruise ships. Kurt spoke up.

"Hold up a second. This is for people twenty-one and over. You two have six more years before you two can board."

Zack smiled. "Darn. I guess you two will have to go without us. I mean...the tickets have already been bought. No need to waste them. We'll just see you both later." And with that, Zack and Cody quickly made their exit before Kurt or Carey could say anything.

He turned to her. "Why do I get the feeling that we've just been set up?"

She laughed. "Because we have. I think we're going to have to watch those two if they team up on something. I get the feeling they'll be a potent combination."

Kurt smiled. "Well, we are here. Shall we?"

"Alright."

They boarded the boat, and were shown their table – a private table for two off in a corner. After their orders were taken, Kurt just looked at Carey.

"This brings back some memories, huh?"

She nodded. "Yeah. I mean it should. We first met on a boat like this, and it was on a boat like this that we got...married."

"I remember thinking I was the luckiest man in the world that day. I had everything I could have ever wanted. And then we were blessed with twin boys..."

"Yeah. We were."

Kurt paused. "Then what happened to us, Carey?"

"You know what happened. Your career was more important to you than your family was."

He shook his head. "That's not true at all! I was trying to provide for my family. I was trying to give our boys a stable life so they wouldn't have to struggle like we did early on."

Carey sighed. "A life on the road was far from stable. They needed roots. They needed to be around children their own ages."

"And Zack has been. I made sure of that."

"So has Cody."

"You realize now that they know about each other, we can't keep them separated any longer. Besides, it seems like Cody is quite taken with Bailey."

"I know. He told me she was his girlfriend. While on one hand, I'm relieved, on the other, I'm concerned."

"Maybe I can have them six months a year, and then you can have them the other six months."

Carey smiled. "You know as well as I do that won't work. Just like you having them one year and me the next won't work either. While what we did was pretty stupid, there still aren't any better options."

"There has to be."

"If you can think of one, I'd be all ears..."

"You know, you could always move back to Seattle..."

She laughed. "Why don't you move to Boston?"

"Because this where we're both from. Both of our families are here. And I actually own a house here. You live in a suite that is part of your contract with the hotel."

Carey frowned. "How did you know that?"

Kurt swallowed. "I may have...kept tabs on you over the years."

She shook her head. "You've kept tabs on me, but it was too much effort for you to come after me all those years ago?"

He paused. "I didn't know you wanted me to...or I would have."

Carey just looked at him and sighed. "Well...that was a long time ago. It doesn't matter any more..."

Kurt just looked back at her and sighed too. "I guess not..."

"Lets just put on a good show for the boys. I know they worked hard trying to put this together. They just had no idea that it was impossible."

He just kept looking at her, and his eyes were filled with sadness. "Yeah...impossible."

Back at the Seattle Tipton

Zack and Cody made their way back to the Seattle Tipton. And inside the lobby, Bailey, Addison and Woody were there waiting on them to get back. When the twins walked in, everyone looked up at them as if asking a question, and Zack and Cody just smiled. Bailey ran over to Cody.

"So, it worked?"

He just kept smiling at her. "Like a charm. That was a good idea you had. Making them spend time where they first met and got married was a stroke of genius."

She blushed and smiled back at him. "Well..."

Zack interrupted them. "Yeah, yeah. Just because I'm getting used to the idea of you two doesn't mean I want to watch you two fawn all over each other." He turned and saw Woody and Addison making googly eyes at each other. "And you two? Don't even get me started..."

Addison laughed and turned to the twins. "I have to say...that was pretty smart getting Meredith out of the way tonight. How did you pull that off?"

Zack shrugged. "I didn't do it." He turned to his brother and Bailey. "Was that you two as well?"

Both of them shook their heads. "I thought it was just pure dumb luck..."

"Actually, that was all my doing..."

Everyone turned and saw Maya standing there. Zack's eyes went wide. "Maya! What are you doing here?"

Cody spoke up. "And that was your doing?"

Maya nodded. "Yeah. I told you my grandmother lives out her. Well, so does my uncle. He's this bigwig at a record company. The same one that your Dad's band has a deal with. I called him and asked him for a favor..."

Zack grinned. "Thank you so much. But I didn't think I'd ever see you again..."

She sighed. "I had to get away and do some thinking. You have to admit...all of this is kind of overwhelming."

"True..."

"But the more I thought about it, I asked myself what I would have done in your situation, and I admitted to myself that I probably would have done the exact same thing. And I remember you did tell me twice that you were going to tell me. So, it was clear to me that you were trying to be honest with me..."

Zack smiled. "I really was. I meant it when I said I really liked you."

"Well, I meant it when I said I really don't know who you are. But the fact is I didn't have any idea who Cody was before either. I had a lot of fun with you and began to really like you too. So, what I guess I'm saying is that I want the chance to get to know you...the real you."

Zack kept smiling. "I would really like that..."

"But! And this is a big but! No more switching places with your brother any more!"

Bailey finally spoke up. "Actually, once you spent time around the both of them, they're pretty easy to tell apart."

Addison nodded. "She's right. Within a few hours, it was obvious to Bailey and I that Cody wasn't Zack. They really are polar opposites."

Woody spoke up to. "Its true. Zack is good at basketball. Cody sucks."

Cody sighed. "Thanks, Man..."

Woody shrugged. "Well, its true...You suck at all sports."

"You know I had an astigmatism!"

Bailey rubbed his back. "Its okay. Let it go."

Maya spoke up again. "So, you have your parents together talking and trying to get them to reconnect?"

Zack nodded. "Yeah. Its where they first met and got married. If that doesn't work..."

"What if it doesn't work? What's your back-up plan?"

Zack turned to Cody. "Good question..."

Cody paused. "Ummm...I'm not sure. We're kind of putting all of our eggs in this one basket..."

Maya laughed. "Well, if it doesn't work, then I'm sure your Mom, Cody, and Woody will be on a plane back to Boston tomorrow..."

Everyone looked at each other letting that thought sink in. No one wanted that to happen at all.

Maya continued. "Sounds like we need a plan B then." She smiled. "And I think I have just the thing. We need to go do some shopping..."

Zack smiled. "Okay...And after that, the six of us can all go out for dinner."

Cody spoke up. "Wait a minute. What is this plan B?"

Maya kept smiling. "Its actually quite simple. You see..."

She laid out her idea to everyone, and everyone thought it was actually a really good idea. So, they were off to do some shopping. And once they had, they all went to dinner in the hotel's restaurant. While they did, Maya got the chance to know the real Zack. And to the surprise to some at the table, she actually liked who the real Zack was. Zack was happy about this, and it allowed him to tolerate the looks and touches that his brother and Bailey were giving each other. Of course, he resigned himself to accepting that he didn't think he would ever understand Woody and Addison together.

The next morning, Carey was checking out of the hotel with her bags at her feet. She turned and saw Woody standing there with Addison.

"Where's Cody?"

"Ummm...He'll be down in a minute."

Carey finished checking out and turned to Kurt. "Alright. You'll send Zack to Boston for Christmas, and I'll send Cody out here for spring break."

Kurt just nodded, and the both turned to see Zack and Cody walking right towards them – both wearing the exact same outfit.

Carey sighed. "Cody, where are your bags? We have a plane to catch!"

Cody and Zack just looked back and forth between each other. One of them finally spoke. "Here's the deal, Mom. We've been talking, and we feel like we're totally being screwed in this arrangement you and Dad have come up with. So, here's our proposition. We all head back to Dad's house, pack our things and then we go camping as a family."

"Camping?"

The other twin spoke. "Yes, camping. Every year before school starts, we go on a camping trip. We want to go on it."

Carey shook her head. "Cody, go get your bags so we can go."

"Are you sure you know which one of us is Cody?"

The other nodded. "Yeah, can you be 100% sure which one of us in Zack and which one of us is Cody?"

Kurt shook his head. "Boys...This isn't funny. Your Mom is going to miss her flight back to Boston."

Carey shook her head. "Cody!"

Both grinned and answered. "Yes?"

Kurt knelt down in front of them and began looking back and forth between them. Finally, he grinned and rubbed one of them on top of the head. "This one is Zack. I'm sure of it!"

That twin grinned. "I hope you're right, Dad...You wouldn't want to send the wrong twin all the way back to Boston..."

The other grinned. "Would you?"

Kurt looked back and forth between them again, but this time, he wasn't so sure.

"Here's our proposition again. We go back to Dad's house and the four of us go camping. When we get back, we'll tell you which one of us is Zack and which one of us is Cody..."

Carey shook her head. "Or...I take one of you back to Boston whether your like it or not..."

To be Continued...