Awakening

Chapter: 8

Pairing: Robert and Holly

Rating: PG

Robert was standing outside of Holly's door, his back resting against the wall as he waiting for either Basil or Ethan to show up. And then the thought crossed his mind. The one where Basil grabbed Ethan and forced him to go somewhere with him. Another blow of revenge for Robert Scorpio. Once the thought entered he couldn't seem to get it out. And he couldn't let Holly see like that. He couldn't upset her.

He closed his eyes and tried to relax. He took a few deep breaths and tried to think as purely as he possibly could. This was the last chance they had to get it right. They could actually be a family for a little while. A very real and happy family. Second chances in life didn't often appear to him and he wanted to take full advantage of the one he had been offered.

Ethan placed his hand on his father's shoulder. "You alright?" he asked. "You look as though you're about to fall asleep."

Robert was so relieved to hear the sound of his son's voice. "I'm fine." he said, opening his eyes. "What took you so long?"

"I couldn't decide what I wanted." he answered. "And the girl at the counter was absolutely gorgeous."

He smiled at his son. "At least you made it back." he said. "You're mother's awake do you want to see her?"

Ethan froze completely. "Uh...I...don't know...I."

"Just try to relax." Robert instructed him. "She's not going to bite. I promise."

"It's just that I never expected all of this to happen." he said, gripping the deli bag tighter in his hand. "Have you talked to her about me? What does think about all this? Did she believe any of it?"

"She already knew." he told him, taking the brown paper bag from him. "She heard Basil and some others discussing it."

He nodded as he tried to take it all in. "So she's not in shock or anything?" he asked. "She's calm about the situation? I mean to find out that you have a grown son after everything that's she's been through is a little much don't you think? What if she can't handle it?"

"Holly's the strongest woman I know." Robert told him. "And if you get in that door you'll be able to see that for yourself."

"I'm scared." he admitted flat out. "I don't know what to do or what to say..."

"It's going to be alright, Ethan." he tried to assure him. "Everything will fall into place that I promise you. Now let's not keep your mother waiting."

Ethan entered the room slowly and ever so carefully as though he had never entered it before. Every step he took it seemed as though his foot weighed hundreds of pounds and the more steps he took the farther away he got from her. His heart was beating a million miles a minute and his palms were slick with sweat. He had never been so nervous in his entire life.

Holly sat up straighter in the bed, her eyes fixated on Ethan. He was everything she had always wanted. A son with Robert. She was just so sorry that she had missed so much time with him, but she wasn't going to dwell on the past she was going to concentrate on the future. A future with her handsome son.

It was like he couldn't breathe. He was suffocating in his own thoughts. Everything that he had been telling himself not to get his hopes up for was right in front of him and very, very real. He had the chance to have his birth family together and it was something that he had wanted more than anything in the entire world. But he was also scared. So much time had passed between all of them and he wasn't sure that it would ever feel right.

Robert pushed Ethan forward, just slightly, giving him the gentle push that he knew his son needed. Ethan seemed to be frozen just like he had been the night he came across Holly in New York. He didn't want any time wasted like it had been in the past. Over the past few months Robert had learnt how precious life really was and nothing was going to get in the way of what he wanted ever again.

And like a moth to a flame Ethan was drawn into his mothers arms. He wasn't quite sure how he ended up there and what willed him to make the final steps to her but there he was holding her tight and never wanting to let go. He was overwhelmed by emotions, emotions he didn't even know could exist, and knew that nothing would ever be the same.

"They told me that you would never wake up." he cried. "And then they told me that I couldn't see you."

It was amazing how easily maternal instinct took over. How it consumed her so wholly that she couldn't ever remember a time when it wasn't her responsibility to protect this young man before her. She felt an overwhelming urge to do whatever it took to keep her son safe and she immediately knew that what Robert had said earlier was true. The Durban's had to be dealt with accordingly.

"Shh." she whispered, stroking his unruly hair. "I'm going to take care of everything, I promise. The Durban's will never be able to hurt you ever again."

Robert made his way forward toward Holly's bed. "I'll take care of the Durban's." he promised. "It's the very least I could do."

"I'll take care of them." Holly said. "After all they are my family."

Ethan pulled back slightly and looked at his mother. "Don't you think this is a job better suited for the old man?" he asked. "It's going to be a while before you're fully recovered."

"The boy's right, luv." he agreed. "They need to be dealt with right away."

Holly shook her head. "I'm not as weak as they might have led you to believe." she told them. "Give me a week and I'll be more than capable of handling them on my own and in my own way."

Stubbornness was a trait in Holly that always shone through no matter what the situation at hand was and Robert knew that this time wasn't going to be any different. He nodded in somewhat of an agreement. "We'll talk about this more in a week." he said. "Now what do you say we get out of here?"

"I'd like that." she smiled as she looked at Ethan. "Let's go home."

Ethan's smile was enough to light up the room. "Sounds good to me."

"What about your lunch?" she asked, referring to the brown paper bag.

"We'll order in." Robert told her. "Anything you want."

~23 Bennett Street~

Holly carefully made her way through the front door with the help of a trusty cane and the support of her son. Her son. It was as though he had always been there although she had missed out on so much with him. But she didn't want to think about the past, she only wanted to concentrate on the future. She sat down in the oversized chair and tried her best to make herself comfortable. Her muscles were a bit sore and a little weak, but she knew that they would heal with time and a hot, relaxing bath.

Robert carefully looked around the house. The decor was very Holly like, classy and elegant, and very inviting. His eyes immediately found a stash of toys in the corner of the living room. Dolls and teddy bears and what he thought was a little tea pot. He looked at Holly and then over again at the toys. His eyes caught hers and he asked what he was dying to ask without saying a word.

"Those are Rachel's." she told him. "She's Alistair's granddaughter. You do remember my cousin Alistair, don't you?"

"Yes." he smiled. "I remember Alistair very well."

"The panic on your face was a little funny, I must admit." she laughed. "Although why you would think I would have such a young child is beyond me."

"It's feasible." he replied. "I'm going to order in, where are your take out menu's?"

"They're in the kitchen on the side of the refrigerator."

"And the kitchen is where?"

"Go through the dining room, pass through the butler's pantry, and you'll be in the kitchen." she instructed. "They're on the backside."

Ethan was still looking over his surroundings, taking them all in.. "This house is absolutely amazing." he said. "It has such wonderful architecture."

"Thank you." she replied. "I'd give you the grand tour, but at the moment it's a little impossible."

"It's perfectly alright." he said, sitting down beside her. "I think this room is my favorite."

"Why's that?"

"Because your in it." he said and then laughed. "That was incredibly corny."

"It was incredibly sweet." she smiled. "Why don't you give yourself the grand tour."

"Really?"

"Yes." she replied. "What's mine is your's, Ethan. I hope that this can be your home as well."

"I don't know." he said, hesitantly. "This is just so much so fast..."

"I know it is." Holly agreed. "We'll just let things fall into place and not push them, okay?"

Ethan nodded in agreement. "I think that would be best."

"Now go ahead and look around." she told him. "I think you'll find several things that you like here and there and dinner should be ready by the time that you're done."

Just as Ethan disappeared Robert reappeared. "Holly, this house is...."

"Beautiful?"

"Very." he said. "As well as lavish and very, very expensive."

"It was a little gift."

"From who?"

"Bill Eckert." she replied with a smile. "Let's just say that he got exactly what he deserved. And thanks to him I've just been able to float about here and there and not really have to concentrate on earning a living although I own a very lucrative antique shop about fifteen minutes from here."

"So you're not running scams with your family?"

"Not since 1992." she assured him. "I'm on the up and up, I promise."

Robert sat down on the sofa beside her. "I'm glad to hear that you've been behaving yourself." he said. "I've ordered from an Italian restaurant, I hope that's okay."

"Perfectly fine."

"Let's get married." he said, suddenly and out of nowhere. "We could have the ceremony in the garden out back. We could invite a few friends and Ethan could walk you down the aisle."

"Sorry, Robert." she said. "But I'm already married."

tbc...