Fiery Feelings

Robert had just prepared his daughter a can of Campbell's Chicken and Stars soup when his old friend Sean arrived. Robin was seated at a metal T.V. tray in the living room watching Bugs Bunny cartoons when Robert opened the door for his friend.

Robin looked up from her bowl of steaming soup to see her father hugging his dear friend. "Hi, Robert! It's been too damn long!" Sean said with a dashing smile.

"You're still as ugly as ever!" Robert teased, slapping Sean on the back after he closed the door.

It was just then that Sean had noticed Robin. She looked at him and smiled. As Robert had earlier, Sean noticed her resemblance to someone else.

"Who's the kid?" Sean asked.

"My daughter - Robin," Robert stated.

"You're not serious!"

"I'm DEAD serious," Robert bit out. "That's why I called you here. She just showed up today and announced I am her father. I have to get to the bottom of this... I have to find... her mother."

"Anna was with me yesterday," Sean announced.

Sean could visibly see the relief shining in Robert's blue eyes as he spilled the words. "She asked me to find information on an Oriental fellow. Mr. Wu was his name."

"Well, at least she's alive," Robert muttered under his breath.

Then he asked Sean, "How was Anna?"

Sean couldn't help but smile when he recalled his prior meeting with Anna. "Looking rather good. Very nervous though. She was worried, because this Wu character has been bothering her. I told her to talk to you, but she said she refused."

"Where did she go?"

"She said she was returning to Italy to await his next move."

"Anna was going back to Italy, but yet Robin has no knowledge of her. That doesn't add up."

"She's changed, Robert. Really changed," Sean revealed.

Robert looked almost angry as Sean attempted to explain. "What do you mean, Donnelly?"

"Her appearance is not the same. I nearly didn't recognize her when she showed up at my door. I guess she's even going by another name; some sort of alias."

"I see. That way she's safe from the DVX," Robert surmised.

"She's quite a clever lady."

"Not quite clever enough. She wasn't clever enough to tell me about my child. That is something I find difficult to perceive," Robert quipped.

Sean could hear the bitterness in Robert's voice. His friend's anger and feelings of betrayal were a tangible presence within the room. The conversation had heated up rather fast.

"I'm sure it wasn't easier for her either, Robert," Sean spoke in Anna's defense. "After all, the two of you were divorced."

"That doesn't make a damn bit of difference! She should not have kept me from my daughter! Now Robin may be in bloody danger and it maybe not of gone this far, if I had known!"

"Calm down, Robert, old pal, you're scaring your daughter," Sean reminded.

Robert glanced at Robin to see that she was staring at him with large, frightened eyes. He forced himself to calm down for her sake. Robert went to carefully lift his child out of the chair and into his arms.

"It's alright, love. Daddy will get this all straightened out. I promise it to ya," Robin crooned as he cuddled Robin close.

"Daddy, who is this woman Anna you've been talking about?" Robin questioned innocently.

"Anna's... Anna's your mother," he answered, wincing visibly as his little girl's eyes filled up with tears.

"You hate her, don't you?" the child asked as her lower lip trembled. "She makes you very angry."

"Yes, she makes me furious, but you have no need to worry, Robin. I could never hate her," Robert said as for the first time, he realized that for himself.

"Daddy, it scares me when you yell," Robin spoke, her little voice a tiny shudder.

Robert placed a kiss on her cheek as he tenderly wiped away her warm tears. "I'm sorry if I frightened you, love. I promise I'll try not to scare you again." At that moment, Robert vowed he would not lose control of his temper again as he just did in front of his child.

"Daddy, will you find Anna for me? I really need a mommy," his daughter pleaded, eagerness shining in her lovely brown eyes.

"I'll do what I can, Robin. I promise you... I will do what I can," he sighed as he buried his face in her soft dark hair.