Faces of the Heart

Chapter: 9

Pairing: Robert and Holly

Rating: PG

~St. Timothy's Church~

Grant entered the bridal chamber to find Holly alone. She was sitting at the vanity, still in her wedding dress, the flowers still pinned in her hair. She looked so incredibly beautiful. And both deliriously happy and devastatingly unhappy at the exact same time. He knew that the situation at hand wasn't one that they expected. And that was all a part of life.

"Is this a wedding day to remember or what?" he asked, trying to make light of the situation. "It was certainly an interesting turn of events."

Holly looked up at him through the reflection in the glass. A small falling fleetingly from her dark lips. "You always know just what to say in a difficult situation." she told him. "Even in the midst of this chaos."

He walked over closer to her, placing his hands on her bare shoulders. "When life gives you lemons..."

"Make lemonade." she finished. "I don't know how we got to this point Grant."

"Me either." he admitted. "And this isn't just about Robert. This is about everything that lead up to this moment. Why didn't you tell me you were having second thoughts? Why didn't you tell me that you didn't want to go through with this?"

"The same reasons you didn't want to tell me." she said, turning around to face him. "I think we just got caught up in it all. Life didn't exactly turned out the way we envisioned it and we did our very best to try and control our futures. We let the newness and the excitement of a romance sweep us away and it went much further than it ever should have."

"I think we would have made each other happy." he confessed. "Initially anyway. I think that eventually we would have realized that we married for all the wrong reasons. Lust doesn't equal love. We were much better as friends with benefits than we ever could have been as husband and wife, but that doesn't mean that I don't love you and care about you. I want you to be happy, Holly, that's all I ever wanted."

"I don't regret anything with you, Grant." she said, tears welling up in her dark eyes. "You were there for me when I needed you. You've been a really incredible, even now."

"I know how much you love Robert." he told her. "I was there in the beginning of your relationship, I know how happy the two of you were. And in know that although a lot has happened since then that the two of you can find happiness together again. Maybe even something more wonderful than you had before. Second chances like this don't come along very often and you would be a fool not to take this one. You and Robert will be very happy together. He can give you the life and the love and the happiness that you deserve."

"I want you to be happy too, Grant." she told him, sincerely. "I want you to be happy again the way that you were with Celia in the beginning. You deserve someone who will love and cherish you, not someone who's willing to settle because they know that life is cruel and unfair. You're going to find her to, I know you will."

He reached forward and drew her to her feet. "Don't cry, darling." he said, softly. "We're going to be all right. We're both going to be just fine. We could have made a really big mistake here today, but we didn't and I think that that's something to celebrate."

Holly wiped away her tears. "You're right."

Grant smiled. "I love you." he whispered. "Holly Scorpio."

Holly walked through the front door of the townhouse holding the train of her wedding dress up off the ground, careful not to dirty it. The day hadn't turned out quite like she had expected it to, but then again she was glad that it didn't. It finally seemed like things were coming together. And she wanted to trust the feeling more than anything in the entire world but she couldn't. She was waiting for the other shoe to drop out of the sky.

"What are you going to do with the dress?" Robert asked. "It seems like such a shame to waste a beautiful dress."

Holly smiled. Robert greeting her at the door was like a little piece of heaven. "I've promised it to Robin." she replied. "She helped me pick it out and it's only fair that one of us gets to enjoy it."

"You do look absolutely stunning in it." he said. "You make the most gorgeous, sexiest bride I've ever laid eyes on. I don't know how you could possibly top this dress."

"I have an idea." she said. "I think you'll like it."

"Then you will marry me." he said, reaching out and taking her hands in his. "You will become Mrs. Robert Scorpio all over again?"

"Yes." she exhaled. "I want more than anything in the world to be your wife again."

"You have no idea how happy you've made me." he told her. "And I'm going to make you the happiest woman on the face of the earth."

"I'm going to hold you to that." she promised him.

"Please do." he smiled. "Why don't you go change into something a little more comfortable and we'll head for the airport. I've already booked us on the next flight to Puerto Vallarta."

"You move very quickly Mr. Scorpio." she said. "Stealing another man's bride."

"I didn't steal you." he said. "I've just always had your heart, that's all. We don't have much time before we have to be at the airport so hurry up and gather your things. I want to marry you on the beach at sunset."

"Don't you want to come with us, darling?" Holly asked Robin. "I'd really like you to be there with us when we get married."

"No, I'd rather stay here." Robin replied. "Bobbie said that we're going to throw the biggest and best welcome home party and wedding reception that this town has ever seen."

"Are you sure, Robin?" Robert asked. "This family has been apart for long. I don't want you to feel left out or anything like. We've just been reunited after all."

Robin smiled. "I don't feel left out." she told him. "Knowing that you're alive is enough for me right now. And when you and mom come back from Mexico I know that we're going to be a real family again, just like we were in Australia."

He drew his daughter into his arms. "I love you so much." he exhaled. "You and I have so much catching up to do. You're going to be sick of me within a week."

She laughed. "I'm sure I will be."

"Are you sure you're going to be alright here by yourself?" Holly asked. "I really don't want to leave you behind."

Robin smiled. "The two of you are only going to be gone for a day." she reminded them. "I think I'll be okay here. Besides Bobbie and Tiffany and I are going to throw a party together, remember? They'll make sure that I stay out of trouble."

"I know." Holly smiled. "But that doesn't stop me from worrying about you."

"You'll always worry about me." Robin told her. "It's all part of being a parent."

Holly hugged her tightly. "No guys in the house whilst we're gone." she whispered to her. "I still think I'm a little young to be a parent and I don't want to be a grandparent, not for another twenty years or so, okay?"

Robin laughed. "No guys." she agreed. "I'll be fine, mom, I promise."

Robert wrapped his arms around his daughter and dropped a kiss into her dark hair. "We'll bring you something back." he told her. "A sea shell or something."

Her smile was as bright, so bright. "Okay, dad."

"We almost missed the plane because of that dress." Robert called out. "It better be one hell of a stunning dress."

Holly appeared in the doorway wearing the most perfect, the most beautiful, the most incredible dress that he had ever laid eyes on. Her dress was simple. White flowing silk with a neckline that plunged to places only Robert knew. "What do you think?" she asked, twirling around to show it off to him. "Better than the last dress?"

Robert's heart pounded wildly. "Holly." he exhaled. "You look...amazing."

"I thought you would approve." she smiled. "You don't look so bad either."

He wore a tux, but it wasn't your usual tux. He left the bow undone around his neck and complete skipped the cummerbund. "What do you think?" he asked. "Tie or no tie?"

Umm..." she debated. "No tie. And I think you should undo a few of those buttons on your shirt. This is suppose to be a little casual after all."

"Sometimes simple is more elegant than ribbons and lace."

"Very true." she agreed, stepping closer to him. "I don't know if you've noticed this or not, but you haven't kissed me yet."

"I know." he replied. "I was waiting for the right moment."

"And when will that be?"

"When the justice of the peace says you may kiss the bride." he told her. "And not a moment before."

"I don't think that's very fair." she said, a smile playing on her lips. "I think it's a little cruel in fact. It's a little bit like torture."

"Torture?" he questioned. "Sweet torture maybe. After we're married you and I are coming straight back here and I'm going to make love to you until it's time to board the plane tomorrow evening. We're going to have hot, passionate, insatiable, electrifying sex."

Holly blushed, slightly. "Is that so?"

His fingertips brushed over her pink cheeks. "Very much so." he promised her. "I know that the past few hours have been like a whirlwind, but I love you and I want you to be my wife."

"It's right." she whispered. "It feels right."

tbc...