We Fall Down

1/1

Ensemble-ish

PG-13

Anna was waiting impatiently in the main waiting area of the hospital. She had been pacing back and forth for what felt like eternity. Robert was dying. Dying. A super spy couldn't even fight off cancer. Men like Robert weren't suppose to get sick. They were suppose to go on and on until the were struck down in a glorious battle. He was suppose to leave a legacy filled life a true hero, not fighting for his life in some hospital bed.

She could hear the ticking from the nearby clock in her ears. And she knew that time was running out. Time that she couldn't get back for any of them. She wanted to make things right, she really did, but it seemed like her efforts were a lost cause. Time was dwindling, Robert was getting closer to death, and Holly just wasn't going to make it in time.

And then there she was. Standing before her. Obviously jet lagged, but still looking the same as she did over twenty years ago. Only this time there was a toddler clinging to her, but there were more important things to address at the moment. "Where the hell have you been?" Anna asked. "I've been searching for you for days."

"I came as soon as I got the message." she said, softly. "I would have been here sooner had I known."

"Yeah, well, that's partly my fault." she admitted. "I thought he was going to make it."

For the first time in a long time Holly was scared. She couldn't seem to breathe. "Is this really it, Anna?" she asked in a whisper. "Is he really going to die?"

Anna felt the life preserver she had been holding on to starting to lose air. "Yeah." was all she could manage. "Unless you can give him something to fight for. I sure as hell couldn't."

"I don't think I can." she admitted. "I haven't been that person for a very long time now."

"You have to at least try." she said, her eyes filling with tears. "You're the only one left, Holly."

"Okay." she said, taking a deep breath. "Take me to him."

Anna took Holly's hand in hers. "Before we go." she said. "Robert's really weak. He's been fighting for so long and it's taken a toll on his body. He's thin and pale and he doesn't look like the Robert that you remember, that either one of us remember. It's really difficult to take, but I know that you can look past it all."

"Thank you." she said, squeezing Anna's hand. "And thank you for calling me."

Anna nodded. "I just regret that I didn't do it sooner."

"We all have regrets."

They were standing outside of Robert's hospital room. There were so many people. Tiffany, Sean, Luke, Bobbie, Robin, Patrick. So many memories of Port Charles. Of the past. Too much too soon. Holly felt the pace of the breathing quicken.

"Do you want me to take the baby?" Anna said. "Or Tiffany's here, you can leave him with her if you don't feel comfortable..."

Holly handed Anna her son. "He's so sleepy." she told her. "The plane ride was a bit much."

The baby curled into Anna, his little eyes opening briefly to look up at her. She smiled as he tucked his head under her neck. "Why didn't you tell Robert?"

"Because I was being stupid" she replied. "I don't have a valid reason or an excuse other than that. I didn't think it would ever come to this. Silly isn't it? I somehow thought that he was immortal."

"We all thought we had forever, Holly."

"It's still not a good enough excuse."

"No." she agreed. "Why don't you go in and see him?"

Holly made her way into the room and was amazed when the others visiting him parted and made their way out of the room to accommodate her. She wasn't so sure that she deserved it. She hadn't been a part of his life for a very long time.

She stood at the end of his bed looking over the man she had loved with her entire heart and soul. The man she still loved so desperately. Her first reaction was to burst into tears. To weep for all the things she had done wrong. For all the time they had lost. For everything he was going through. She wanted to make it better more than anything in the world.

"Robert." she whispered softly. "Open your eyes, luv."

His eye movement was slow and a bit difficult. "Holly." he breathed out, attempting to smile. "My Holly."

She made his way around the bed. "I got here as soon as I could." she said softly, sitting down on the bed beside him. "I've missed you so much."

His eyes were so focused on her. "You look beautiful." he said, weakly. "Why would you miss an old man like me?"

"We've spent too much time apart." she replied, her hand delicately stroking his cheek. "Too much time."

"And now it's too late." he whispered. "My time is almost gone."

"It's just that..." she said, drawing in a breath, attempting to draw in strength. "I don't think that it is. I think that you're going to pull through this."

"Forever my little optimist."

"Anna had me terrified, and rightfully so." she admitted. "But now that I've seen you I think you're going to be just fine."

"You think so, huh?" he sighed. "And why is that?"

"Because you're my knight in shining armor." she said, through tears. "And because I can't lose you now, not like this."

"I'm afraid my armor is tarnished, luv."

"That's okay." she smiled. "I'll help you shine it up and it'll be as good as new."

"I want that more than anything, Holly." he whispered. "I just don't know if I can."

"I had a baby." she confessed. "A little boy. He's name is Xavier and he's going to be two next month. I thought I brought him here today to say goodbye to his father, but I think this is going to be the first of many days spent together."

"A son?" he said, attempting to smile. "My son?"

"Yes." she replied. "He has your eyes."

Robert fell silent and closed his eyes. Holly took his hand in hers and brought it up to her lips, placing a kiss on the back of his hand. "Please fight, Robert, please." she cried softly. "Fight for Xavier. Don't you want him to have the opportunity to know his father? I know that this is really hard, but I need you to keep going. Please don't give up. Please don't let my son grow up never knowing his father. I've already robbed him of so much time with you."

Holly crawled up into bed with Robert. She rested her head against his shoulder and placed her hand over his heart. "I love you." she whispered. "I never stopped loving you."

He turned his head and placed a kiss against her temple. "I love you."

The hospital door open and Anna came in. She carefully placed Xavier in Holly's arms and then left the room as quickly as she had entered. Robert opened his eyes and looked down at his son. "I definitely think you were worth the wait." he replied. "Your old man is going to be teaching you how to throw a baseball in no time at all."

Holly finally released the breath she had been holding ever since Anna had called her. And it felt good. Damn good. A calmness washed over her. The Scorpio family was finally together as it should be.

"That's more like it." Holly smiled, brushing her fingers through Xavier's curly dark hair. "You gave me the gift of life and now I'm returning the favor."

"It's the best gift I've ever received." Robert smiled. "Far better than anything I could have ever dreamt of."

Finished.