Chapter 21
Robert and Anna were both up eating breakfast. "Are you sure I'm not needed this morning," Robert asked.
"I might get a few updates but nothing I can't fill you in on later. I need you to get our things over to the penthouse I want to spend tonight there." They had gone over there last night all the furniture had been delivered and set up. They had moved around a few things last night and there were still a few things they needed but it was ready for them to move in and they agree they would do that today.
"Then that is what I will do," Robert leaned over and kissed her cheek. "I'm going to call Mac and get him to give me a hand, we can bring our things from his place over as well."
Anna turned to face him, "That will be great," then she put her arms around him. "This is it Scorpio. Finally, after all this time we are back where we should have been all along."
He kissed her, "This is it. I never want us to be apart again Devane."
Smiling she got up to leave, "I love you, see you later."
Once Anna was at her office she started looking over the reports on her desk. They had been watching Burrows for a couple days now. He and Julian did seem very chummy, even if he only visited in the evening, he also seemed to be watching for anyone watching him. Anna was more convinced now that he had been one of Jerome's people. Anna looked up when someone knocked, "What is it, Nathan?"
"I had an idea and ran with it. Here's what I found." Anna waved him in and asked him to sit. "I realized Burrows is fairly tall, 6'4" maybe 6'5", I started cross-checking men that height that worked for the Jerome family. I know there had to be some that never got arrested or weren't connected to the family if they were but I did find two men that might be who Burrows was before."
"Let me see." Anna was now looking at two pictures, one labelled Ronald Jackson the other Douglas Franklin.
"They are both believed to have died, Jackson early in '89 and Franklin in early '90."
"If I remember correctly Jackson was killing in a car crash."
"Yeah, that's what it said in his file."
"It's not him, the car crashed because the man driving had been shot, Jackson spent a week in a coma before finally dying. His back was broken in the accident."
"How do you remember that?"
"Duke. That crash really worried him. We had been gathering information for a little while and he thought he might have been the target, the guy that was shot often drove him around New York."
"Well what about this other guy? Douglas Franklin what do you remember about him?"
Anna studied his picture again. "I don't know, the name isn't even ringing any bells."
"It would be nice if we could ask Duke about this."
"He hasn't been over for a drink lately but there might be a way to run that name by him without anyone knowing about it. I just don't know if I should risk showing my hand."
"If he's working for Corinthos how can you risk telling him anything?"
"Because he's a good man that makes bad choices. I was once married to him and he tried to do the right thing then. His drinking buddy might have to handle this though," Anna said and laughed to herself.
Nathan was watching her not sure what was funny, "You know who his drinking buddies are?"
"I got home last week to find him and Robert there drunk together. Not the first time this has happened but it is the first time since we all came back from the dead."
"I've been reading up on you and Robert, just how many times have people believed you've been dead?"
"It was happening to Robert quiet often there for a while, me not as much but only once did everyone actually believe it was true." Anna looked at the picture that now sat on her desk, the same one Emma had liked so much. "Only once did it destroy everything."
Nathan could tell she was thinking of a painful time in her life. "I don't mean to pry but aren't you and Robert together again."
"We are," Anna picked up the photo and turned it so Nathan could see it, "Those two people had already been torn apart once, it took years to get to that day. That time we had just over six months of wedded bliss before our family was torn apart again." Nathan took the photo and looked at it closely.
"The day he came in here and told you he got that position, you were this happy. You get another chance at happiness."
"We do," she said and smiled, "Robert is getting us moved into our new place today. Our daughter is home with her family, Faison tried to do to her what he did to us but we found her and brought her home."
"One man did all of that to you?"
"One obsessed man, who would stop at nothing to have me. Destroyed both of my marriages to Robert and faked Robin's death so he could poss as my other dead husband and bring her back to me. I have dealt with devious people, but no one else compared to the terror that is Cesar Faison."
"That's why you never seem to get shaken. All that you have to deal with on a daily basis."
Anna smiled and leaned in, "I will tell you a secret, I do get shaken. The secret is don't let people see it. Even if your mind in running a mile a minute don't let on."
"Look calm, even if you're not."
"When you can crack jokes with the executioner in charge of the firing squad you know you're doing it right."
"One time you and Sean faced a firing squad." Anna said looking up and smiled, "We were on the way and we did get you out."
"Because we'd already set the explosives for the distraction," Robert smiled back. "Hi Luv."
Mac walked in with him, "Hi Anna."
"Hi," Anna looked at them with a stern look, "I thought the Scorpio brothers were busy getting me moved today."
Mac looked at Robert, "Gees at least Felicia feeds us."
"I know, I've got the tough one."
"Did you come here hoping I'd take you out for lunch? I am working, you know that job you've both had before," Anna said with a smile.
"Oh hello, Commissioner Scorpio."
"Commissioner Scorpio, good to see you," they turned and shook hands.
Nathan was trying very hard not to laugh at them, "Should I come back to talk about this after?"
"No, they're just being Scorpios. All of you sit, Nathan tell Robert what you found."
After he did Robert and Mac studied the picture of Franklin. "I want in, even if I'm just another set of eyes I can help. Duke's a good guy and deserves another chance, he didn't want to get pulled back in even if that is what happened. He does come into the bar if I talk to him no one is going to think too much of it."
"Mac has a point, and for some reason now that we're moving I don't think Duke will be popping over for drinks."
"That's a shame we had a fine time, still haven't found a horse," Robert said with a smile.
"You never did explain why Duke needed a horse."
"Because he's like the Lone Ranger."
"Yeah, that still doesn't explain it," Anna said with a smile.
"What do you expect? We had drunk a lot of bourbon by the time you got there."
"You were drinking with Duke after he sucker punch you and throw a drink at you, both of which happened in my bar?"
"Yeah, there were rules put in place. No one was going to get hurt."
"Rules, like what don't hit each other?" Mac asked.
"Don't talk about Anna's work, and Duke couldn't start crap because I'm not allowed to hit him. Both of which are very good rules."
Anna realized something, "Wait, you could talk about me but not my work?"
"Yes," then Robert smiled, "Don't worry we both said very nice things." Then Anna throw a pen at him. "You only came up once and he asked me to clarify something." They made eye contact then Robert simple said, "Vegas."
"Oh, right." She knew exactly what Duke had asked about, the lab and what happened there would not be discussed at this moment. "Let's get back to this so you two can get back to work. Mac how often does Duke come into the bar, or how often are you there when he is?"
"I was thinking I could just casually ask him to join me for a drink. He was best man at my wedding I do talk to him."
"Simple, it should work. You only have to tell him a name," Anna agreed.
"Let him know that he can contact us through you if he's worried about Sonny or anyone else finding out. He did approach me before and he knows his life is in danger." Robert looked over at Anna, "He wants to do the right thing. We have to give him a chance to do it without getting himself killed."
"Nathan I want you to look into Douglas Frankin. Find out what he did for Victor, how high up he was in the organization. The more we know about him the better picture we'll have to confront him with if we were right about who Burrows was."
"Right, I'll fill Dante in when he gets back." Then Nathan excused himself.
"Alright you two, why are you here? I told you I want to stay at our penthouse tonight."
"You will, our things are all there. Once they were, we were kicked out," Robert told her.
"Did you put away our clothes before that happened?"
"Yes," Robert stood up and walked toward her. "Everything is put away, your daughter and sister-in-law wanted to do something special for us. When you are all done Mac and I are to take you home."
"Well, you can go bother some of my officers for a while. When I'm done I'll come find the two of you." Anna kissed him lovingly then Robert and Mac walked out of her office.
Once they were in the squad room it didn't take long for people to come over to talk. Not many were there when Robert had been commissioner but the ones that were made sure the young officers knew who he was. They were sitting with four officers when Nathan came over and tapped Robert's shoulder. Robert got up and followed him, they walked into the interrogation room together. "What is it?"
"I'm not sure exactly what I found. What were Julian Jerome and Duke Lavery trying to do? I found this," then handed a report to Robert. "This makes it look like Franklin was targeted because he had supported Julian. Whatever happened after Victor died he was caught up in that and killed by one of Carters people after Victor had ordered them killed."
"That was all happening out of my jurisdiction, but there was a time when the two families were trying to wipe each other off the map. That was after Julian and Duke had tried to bring the two families together to go legit," Robert told him as he looked over the report.
"Could he have faked his own death and escaped to the other side of the country?"
"Anything's possible. When was he killed?"
Nathan looked at the paper he was still holding. "February 18th 1990."
"That was about a month before Julian thought he killed Duke, got injured and taken away by the WSB."
"How do you remember things like that?"
"Somethings are easier to remember. I was planning on getting married the day Julian killed the man he thought was Duke Lavery."
"So if it is him this means he went on the run before Julian was believed to have died."
"Find out how close to Julian he was. Julian also shot his sister in open court before going after who he thought was Duke. Julian might have been planning on bringing him back here after he had taken back power of the family."
"Alright," Nathan picked up the file again. He was about to leave then looked at Robert, "Can I ask you something?"
"Of course you can."
"You all seem to believe Duke is a good man and that he will want to help with this case but he works for Sonny Corinthos. He could run and tell him everything we pass onto him. Why are you all sure he would want to help?"
"He is a good man. Not all good men always make good choices. He didn't pick the life of a mobster it picked him. He tried to get out but couldn't, he even turned states evidence against the Jerome family. I even had to prepare myself to accept that I may never see my daughter again, Anna and Robin were going to go into witness protection with him. There was an explosion and we believed he had been killed, he was taken prison sometime after that and landed himself in a Turkish prison."
"That's where he was all those years right?"
"Yes, somehow Faison found him and came up with yet another plan to destroy our lives with the help of his flunky Dr. Liesl Obrecht."
"What did she have to do with this?"
"Do you know her?" Robert could tell Nathan did just by how he asked the question.
"Ah, yeah I do."
"Well, she helped him kidnap Robin. They made us all believe she had died in a fire. I was really messed up by that, I couldn't even be here for Anna when I should have been. Then when Duke magically returns from the dead it didn't seem right. I was able to prove Faison was passing himself off as Duke, Anna didn't want to listen but I," Robert grinned picturing the Duke mask melting off Faison's face, "proved I was right. Then we found the real Duke, right after that I found Robin strapped down to a bed in the same clinic. Dr. Obrecht was the one holding my daughter prisoner, she was about to kill her, luckily the injection meant for her wasn't quite enough to kill me, but I was in a coma for almost a year because of her and Robin was still believed dead all that time."
"That woman really is capable of almost anything, isn't she? Once this case is over could you maybe help me look into a personal matter?"
"You know I'm only helping out here, I could probably help you out now," Robert offered.
"I think I would like that but right now I should get back to working on this case. Maybe we can meet for a drink soon to talk about that more."
"Yeah let me know when's a good time."
"There you are," Anna peaked in, "I'm ready to get out of here."
"Alright, Luv. Keep up the good work Nathan. Let me know when you want to talk about that other matter." Robert got up and slipped his arm around Anna, "Let's go home." Mac joined them and they all left together.
When they got to their building Anna noticed Mac sent a quick text. "Are you warning them we on our way up?" she asked.
Mac just smiled and put his phone away, "Just checking in."
When they got to their door they both looked at Mac, "Are we allowed to go in?" Robert asked.
"Just open the door," he said with a smile.
Robert grinned at Anna, "Mac you open it." Then he swept her up in his arms, Anna laughed and put her arms around his neck. When the door was opened Robert carried her across the threshold. "Welcome home Anna." He kissed her then put her down.
"This is our home. Robert I never want us to be apart again." She held him tight neither of them seemed aware of the people around them.
"Never." Robert turned slightly, "There is someone little pulling at my arm."
"She pulling on me as well."
Anna turned and Emma took their hands. "Follow me." Robin and Patrick were standing together, Mac had gone over to Felicia and they were standing together, they were all smiling at them. "Do you remember that picture mommy took of you?"
Anna and Robert both nodded, she smiled then pulled them into their home office. When they entered the room they both saw the pictures at the same time. One wall must have had about twenty pictures on it. They were all pictures of them throughout the years, a few Robin were in as well. There was one of them sitting together with Emma, it was taken her first Christmas. Pictures from their time together in Port Charles, both wedding pictures. Some they had posed for, like the one from Robin and Patrick's wedding, some were candid shots, like the one of Anna sitting on Robert's lap in the barber's chair that Robin had taken without them knowing. In the middle was the picture from the day Robert told Anna he was staying in Port Charles. Robert standing behind Anna wrapped his arms around her as they looked at them all.
After a few minutes, Emma asked, "So do you like it? We couldn't find the one I like from your second wedding."
"That's because it's on my desk at work." Robert let Anna go and she hugged Emma. "We love it, this is absolutely perfect. I haven't even seen all of these before."
"I got a few from Felicia and some I have always kept to myself. The last few rolls that had pictures of you both I got developed but never wanted to share with anyone, most of them I kept hidden away in my room," Robin admitted.
"That's where this one must have come from," Anna said with a smile. "Did you often peak in on us?"
"Not if the door was closed," Robin answered quickly. "That day I could hear you both laughing and when I peaked in I just had to take a picture, you were both just so happy."
Robert walked over and hugged her, "Thank you, sweetheart. We love it." Robert and Anna then hugged everyone. They were with their family and that was all that mattered at the moment.
Robin then leads them into the living room, "Supper should be ready soon. We did more than just put up pictures." It felt like a celebration they were all having a great time, the meal Robin had made was amazing and after they had all eaten they went to sit in the living room again. When Emma started getting tired Robin suggested they should all be leaving so her parents could finally have some time alone.
Anna smiled and took Robert's hand when they had all left, "It's time you take me to bed."
"With pleasure," Robert smiled.