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She couldn't believe she was doing this. They had been together since Jr. high. They had become high school and college sweethearts, and soon after got married, and now look at them! They are sitting there staring at each other from opposing sides of the court; each with the same look on his or her face…the look that screamed, "Why am I here?"

Krysti stared at Nick's beautiful blue eyes. Nick stared right back at her. The trial went on, neither of them paying much attention to it at all. When court let out Krysti just sat there and cried. She couldn't believe their long-standing relationship was on its way to being declared officially over. She had loved Nick for so long, and she knew that he loved her. She felt that there was no hope of reconciliation now, either.

A few minutes later she felt a hand on her shoulder. "Excuse me miss?" She turned around, looked up, and gazed into an even prettier pair of blue eyes. For a moment, all thoughts of Nick escaped her head as she concentrated on this new stranger.

"Yeah" she replied in a voice deep from hours of crying.

Startled the man introduced himself. "Um, Mrs. Carter I just wanted to come over and introduce myself and to ask if you are going to be all right. I am Brian."

The sound of her married name sent a slight chill down her spine, but she chose to ignore the feeling. She thought to herself, 'What a perfect name!' "Please just call me Krysti," she stated, not wanting to face the pain of her failed marriage.

~*~*~*~*~ Meanwhile ~*~*~*~*~

Nick stood up and began to walk over to Krysti, but the man standing by her made him stop. His heart was beating hard in his chest and he felt a pang of jealousy. He wanted to go over and talk to her, to see if maybe they were making a huge mistake, but seeing her with Brian made him change his mind. Instead, all he did was tip his hat and say "Goodbye..."

Nick's heart was broken! Instead of bottling the emotion up inside, he redirected the energy and became very angry. He called Krysti a tramp under his breath as he went and secluded himself in a corner. He hoped that no one would hear him, because he knew that he was angry. He didn't really mean what he was saying. After all this was the woman, he had loved for so long! Still, vocalizing his emotions, even if it was a hushed whisper, was helping him to deal with the pain. When he realized what he had been saying about the woman that he loved, he looked at her, ashamed of himself. Then he began to cry.

~*~*~*~*~ Meanwhile ~*~*~*~*~

Brian stared at Krysti. She knew what he was thinking. She longed to be with him, but she knew that her feelings for Brian were nothing more that a mere physical attraction. She and Brian had been talking for a while since Nick had disappeared. They weren't talking about anything in particular just idle chitchat. Brian said something funny and she giggled a bit and started to glance around the room. Then for no reason at all she glanced towards the back of the courtroom. She was shocked to see Nick huddled in a corner, crying! That was the first time she had ever seen Nick cry! She had the overwhelming urge to go and comfort him, but her thoughts restrained her. Krysti was so confused. She wasn't supposed to care about Nick anymore. They were getting divorced, and they had both agreed that it was the best thing to do for both of them. Now, all of the feelings that she had held for Nick for so long came flooding back to her as if the wall she had built up around her heart had finally been broken.

She excused herself from Brian and ran over to Nick. She put a hand on his shoulder. It shook him out of his trance and he looked at her. "What's wrong, Nick?" she asked with all the love and concern that had always been there in one form or another. He looked up at her with his teary eyes. He saw the concern on her face. "You...you and...and Brian...I saw you..." he started to whimper again.

'Oh shit! I knew that was a mistake!' she panicked. She quickly apologized and enveloped him in a hug. She was so sorry. She knew that she truly loved Nick more than anything she loved in life. Nick was so happy. He had thought that he had lost his love forever. He wouldn't be able to carry on in his life without her; he was glad that she had come over to him. He knew that he couldn't lose her, and that he would have to do everything in his power to keep her.

~*~*~*~*~ Elsewhere ~*~*~*~*~

Brian stared at them and thought to him "I will get them apart someway, somehow!" Brian realized what he could do. He had seen it done so many times in the movies. Now he could finally see if it actually worked. He thought of a hideous rumor to spread about Nick. Krysti would be so devastated that she would come crying back to Brian and she would be all his! Nick and Krysti were both crying. Krysti was crying for thinking that she would ever have the heart to divorce Nick, and Nick was crying out pure and utter joy. The joy that they were together was good enough for both of them!

Brian glared at Nick as if he was a bug. A bug that needed to be squashed and quickly! Brian had thought of exactly what he would do. Nick would go off to work like usual. Brian would send dozens upon dozens of roses to Krysti signed from "you know whom." It was the perfect plan Nick would suspect that Krysti was having an affair. Nick would hurt Krysti, she would be left distraught, and Brian would be there to comfort her. He chuckled to himself as he envisioned it happening.

~*~*~*~*~ A Week Later ~*~*~*~*~

It was Tuesday of the next week and Nick was getting ready for work, when Krysti woke up. "Good morning sweetie" she said. He kissed her on the cheek and said good morning back. "Honey sorry but I have to run, I have a meeting at the office this morning" said Nick. "Oh but honey must you? I mean it is our 2 year anniversary!" Nick replied, "Yes honey I must I am so very sorry." He kissed her on the cheek. "Good-bye," she whispered. She had begun to think that he had forgotten to get her an anniversary present.

~*~*~*~*~ Elsewhere ~*~*~*~*~

Brian had it all planned out. Five minutes after Nick left he would send his accomplice dressed like a flower delivery person, to the front door with 600 long stem white and red roses. Those were Krysti's favorites. He knew that she would think they were from Nick and have no problem accepting them.

Five minutes had passed and Brian sent his goon up. Krysti was surprised and she smiled when they got there. As he had planned, she suspected they were from Nick.

Brian had figured that his plan would work. He waited by his telephone all night. Every time his telephone rang, he thought it would be Krysti. It never was.

~*~*~*~*~ Back to Krysti and Nick ~*~*~*~*~

Nick came home, saw all the roses, and was startled. There were so many of them! Krysti gave him a big hug and kiss and said, "Thanks!"

Nick said, "Man! Judy went over board! I asked her to send you a few roses and WOW! How many do you have honey?"

Krysti replied "Oh I'd say about 600!"

The End?

Or is it.....