Wrecked

Dr. Clarkson lowers his head in silence. Lady Dowager looks pleadingly at her son and daughter in law. Robert and Cora stand in silence until Cora breaks down in a sob and runs from the room. He glances to his mother and runs after his wife. The doctor looks sadly at Lady Violet.

"I'm sorry…" he offers before leaving her standing alone in the Library at Downton.

"CORA!" Robert takes the stairs 2 at a time to catch her. "Cora…please!" he begs.

Just before she reaches the door to her bedroom, he connects with her arm and pulls her to him in a fierce embrace. She is sobbing yet pulls him close. She mumbles and wails and pounds her fist into the broadness of his shoulders.

"Shh….oh my darling…." He squeezes his eyes shut and tears stream down his cheeks. He desperately tries to squeeze out the sound of her pain…his pain.

"Please don't turn me away again…I beg of you" He cries into her ear.

"She's gone Robert…my baby is gone forever" she chokes the words out against the coarse tweed of his jacket.

"I know my darling. I know…" They hold each other in the hallway for what seems an eternity.

Finally he gently moves them forward into her bedroom. She will not loosen her grip on him and her cries continue. They stay this way for some time before he pulls her from him just slightly and their red, swollen eyes meet each other's. Robert's chest literally aches with pain. All the failure he has ever experienced, every attempt to make things right, any and all pain he has ever caused is summed up in this very moment. The weight of it all is too much and he must turn from her and sit on the settee. He buries his face in his hands and cries like he has never cried before.

This completely wrecks Cora. She has never seen her bold and stoic husband in such a state of collapse. She stands, looking on, shocked and at a loss for words. The words of Dr. Clarkson ring in her mind, "Sybil would have likely died no matter what…" She finally crosses over to Robert and kneels down, her hands resting on his knees.

"Oh Robert I'm so sorry." The guilt and shame of how she has treated him overwhelms her and she feels sick to her stomach. She realizes she has not given him the opportunity to grieve for his daughter. She closes her eyes and tears stream from under her lids.

"My darling Robert…" Her arms envelope him and he responds.

They hold each other and cry until exhausted. When they part, their eyes meet again and there is an understanding of need that neither has to speak audibly. Blue meets blue, seeking answers, trust….peace. Cora is the first to answer by almost lunging at his lips. Robert is slightly taken aback but reciprocates her assault. With steady tears, they kiss longingly, deeply, passionately, until their lungs betray them. She runs her fingers over his lips between gasps of air, wanting to feel, taste all of him.

"I need you" she whispers in a husky tone. "Please…"

Robert pulls her to her feet while standing himself. He bends slightly and picks her up, taking her to their bed. He doesn't move quickly, he wants to go slow as to savor every second, every part of her, in these next few hours. It's been so long, so very long since they have loved each other like this. The war, the sacrifice of their home for that time, the forgotten needs, desires, the turmoil of their children, their spouses, everything had taken precedence over their loving. For the first time in a long time Robert felt secure. He felt like he was in control and he desperately wanted to make the right decisions. He wanted this to bring Cora back to him in every way. He told himself that this was about her and not him and he would stop at nothing to give her every thing she needed right now.

The heat was there. It was rising quickly as Robert slowly moved beside Cora on the bed. They continued to kiss tenderly, tongues encircled lightly and then fully and then back to light caresses, nipping at the others lips, biting her chin, his lips. He buries his head in her neck and caresses the soft skin there with his mouth. Cora arches her back and moans softly, her belly stirring with desire. She is encumbered by her long dress and reaches to pull it up. She wants him between her, the weight of him, and the length of him. She shivers in anticipation. He feels it but moves gently and slowly to help her with her dress. Soon they have worked it off and she lay there in her slip and corset. He hated corsets for this reason only. He hated them. But soon she is free and the time it takes to free her, the tension builds in his trousers and in her belly. Their respirations are heavier and more ragged now. Robert halts his exploration and gazes at her. Her eyes are so swollen and red. He tilts his head and tears fill his eyes again. He leans down and kisses her again and again with such love that it makes the tears spill from the corners of her eyes again as well. He kisses them away.

"I love you Cora. I've never stopped…I never will…" his eyes search hers.

"Oh Robert, and I you. I've behaved so…"

He arrests her words with his finger on her lips.

"Stop. We will never speak of the last 2 years in terms of our…in terms of…us. We have come through a trial by fire, my love. We have survived an awful storm. I only ask that you forgive me…for everything. I need to know that we will go forward together."

She reaches slightly to kiss his lips with her approval and nods with a smile.

"Please forgive me for shutting you out. I realize now that the only comfort that would ever come to me was by you." She begins to cry again and she squeezes her eyes shut but continues speaking.

"You are the only thing ..the only one on this earth that can calm the storm in me." She chokes out.

"Open your eyes." He commands softly.

She does as she is told and searches his dark blue orbs.

"I need you. I want you. I want to be as close to you as I've ever been. I want you…inside of me…consuming me." The tightening in her stomach sends a spasm to her growing wet center. "Make love to me Robert" she begs.

He crushes his lips down hard onto hers while making quick work of getting her out of her slip. Her skin is soft and supple, and he is immediately aware of the need to relieve himself of his tightening trousers. He stands to remove his clothes quickly. He didn't want to prolong this process now. Cora lies there gazing at her husband's beautiful body. She had always been so turned on by his physique, his build..his manhood. Her chest heaves greatly with desire for him and when he is finally free of his undergarments she lets out an audible gasp. She reaches to her wet center and begins to rub gently while watching him move back to her. She tries to sit up, reaching for him and he pushes her back onto the pillows with ease.

"Robert…" she gulps. "Let me…"

She reaches his somewhat flaccid shaft and begins administrations with firm strokes. He is rock hard in no time. He moves from her grasp, between her soft thighs and begins to kiss her tenderly there, first one thigh then the other until he reaches her soft curls. He is overwhelmed by this moment he has fantasized about for so long. He had only been able to meet his own needs of late, in his dressing room bed, in secret. It had been so long since they had properly made love, much too long to remember it feeling this good. He spread her open with thumb and forefinger and lapped tenderly at her swollen clit. Cora felt certain she would come far more quickly than she wanted. She wanted this feeling to last as long as possible.

"Robert…not so fast honey…let me pleasure you." She begs.

He doesn't speak but lets her take the lead. He nestles into the pillows on his back and Cora now moves between his thighs. His cock bouncing freely as she takes it in her hand, begins to work over and around with her hands and mouth. Robert relaxes and lets go, let's this feeling completely over take his body, soul. He lets out a low guttural moan and caresses her back with his finger tips. Soon he is tugging at her to release her hold on him before it's too late. He too wanted this to last. He pulls her toward him and she crushes atop his chest, her bare breasts. warm and soft. They begin to kiss again, that loving, passionate kissing that has always been a part of their relationship.

Cora remembers the first time they kissed this passionately. It was long months after they had actually married and it was as surprising as anything she had felt. Robert was a lover and there was no doubt about that. He knew how to touch a woman and when he finally fell in love with her, he had a sense about her that was almost unnatural. She let her head fall back against the luxuriousness of the pillows and turns on the movie reel of her mind and thinks about their love making through the years.

She marveled at Robert's uncanny ability to know when she needed him…needed his loving. They could be apart all day, him in London even, and he would come home, refuse dinner and call her to their bedroom. Before she could speak, his mouth would be on hers, he would begin to undress her and she could never refuse him because she was always "in the mood" when he did this. He told her once that his father had told him as a teenage boy that he would know when a woman was ready for love making. And he did.

Before she knew it, she could feel Robert's cock brushing lightly against her inner thigh. She opened her eyes and he was there, between her, ready to take her. She sat up on her elbows and spread her legs wide for him…announcing to him that she was ready. Their sighs of desire were guttural and animalistic. Robert moved closer, hooking the crook of his arms behind her knees and pulled her bottom toward his groin. Cora lay completely supine on the bed now, moaning, rubbing her clit in anticipation of him. It had been a long while since he was inside her and she knew the discomfort would be there initially but she was certainly wet enough to take him in. She relaxed and let the muscles in her pelvis do the same. Soon the head of his shaft was dancing gently at her slick opening and she arched her back, begging him to enter.

"Please….honey…." she begged.

Robert slowly pushed, also knowing the tension would be there. He knew her body, knew the fit quite well and it delighted him to know the height of pleasure they were both about to achieve. He could not remember being this aroused by their love making. It was by far the most sensual encounter they had experienced in a very long time. The tension was taut and Cora cried out softly and shifted her body to accept him. Robert was well endowed and while she was scared the first time they made love, she now loved that his girth was big and it filled her so completely. Robert paused with every wince and leaned to kiss her lovingly.

"My darling, are you okay? Am I hurting you?" he whispered.

"It hurts sweetheart…but it's so good. It feels so good..." her eyes roll back in her head in ecstasy. "Don't stop…I want all of you."

He pushed in against the resistance until the coil of tension snapped and soon her juices flowed so freely that his cock was shimmering with her wetness. That familiar ease that signified comfort and experience came back. They both melded into each other, their foreplay had been so long and intricate that neither of them lasted long. It thrilled Robert to make her orgasm and he usually always stopped to watch her the first time. Today was no different. He grabbed her hips and thrust deep and stayed there watching her body writhe and spasm. Cora had never been a screamer. She could come hard, her body twisted in almost violent positioning, her juices spilling freely, her head buried in his shoulder and barely a sound. Her respirations were always heavy and the jerking of her slender frame would last some time but hardly a sound she made.

He pulled away from her, not yet relieving himself but wanting to give her a moment to recover. She turned over and stayed on her knees, backing into him. She knew how much he loved this position. The pleasure was almost unbearable. She mostly loved it because he usually came a lot more forcefully because of the pressure on his cock. She wanted it to feel as good as ever. Robert smiled knowing and approving, loving her for her consideration. He knew she would rather him finish in the missionary position so he could hold her face to face and they could kiss but making this small exception meant so much to him and his heart swelled with even more love for her, if that was possible.

He took her lead and entered her from behind; found their rhythm quickly. He reached around and fondled her small breasts and pushed hard. She came again and almost as quickly he came, spilling his seed inside her. They collapsed side by side, legs entangled and juices sticky and sweet between their bodies. They would bathe together soon but right now they would sleep in peaceful slumber and let their hearts and body recover.

They kissed again deeply and with understanding. No words were spoken just love, desire…forgiveness and renewal.

*fin