A/N, BoandNora-ItsOneWord I think you've been waiting for this chapter long enough.
Chapter 35
"So you don't mind if I spend the night at your place?" Robert asked as they were getting their bags ready to go.
"No, we've been all over the place in the last little while. I understand you not wanting to jump on yet another plane. You could stay for a few days if you want."
"Thanks, I just want to relax for a while. Maybe I can even get in a visit with Mac and Felicia."
"I'm sure they would like that."
Robert looked up at her, "Is your bag ready? I'll carry it down for you."
"Yeah it is, thank you."
"Well let's get out of here."
With both their bags in his hand Robert turned to the door and Anna turned to open the door then followed him out of the room. Their car was there waiting to take them to the airport. There were no problems there and before long they were settling into their seats. They didn't talk much until the plane was in the air, then Anna turned to him. "Do you think Dimitri will understand? That he might consider taking her back."
"I think he'll understand why she did what she did. Will he consider taking her back? I don't know. I don't know them well enough to know what he would do. I do think he still loves her and that has to count for something right?"
"Yeah, I hope they can find a way to get back together. I've seen them together, they make each other so happy, they are so good together."
"All you can do now is wait and see what she tells you the next time you hear from her."
"I know," Anna sighed then put her head on his shoulder. "I think I'm going to try and get some sleep."
"Alright," Robert said and kissed the top of her head. When he knew she was asleep he put his head back and let himself drift off to sleep as well.
After they had landed and collected their bags Robert turned to Anna, "Do you want to stop for something to eat on the way back to your place?"
"Only if we're taking it back there with us. I just want to get home."
"Alright, where should we go?"
"Kelly's, I think after all this traveling I just want some good old comfort food."
"Then Kelly's it is," Robert agreed happily.
Anna pulled out her phone and placed their order so it would be ready when they got there. When they got back to Anna's Robert took their bags upstairs while Anna took their dinner over to her dining room then got them both drinks. Anna was struck with the realizations that all of this was done with very little communication. Moving like it was second nature to them, she smiled because in a way it was. When he entered the room, "I thought a beer would go best with your burger."
"That's perfect. Thanks, Luv."
"Robert, thank you so much for helping me with all of this."
"You welcome, but you know there's no need to thank me. I will always help you, I will always be there for you."
Anna smiled, "I know."
Robert gave her a little smile, "Let's eat, then I think we should take advantage of your fireplace and just sit and relax. Unwind a little."
"I like the way you think Scorpio." Anna held up her own beer bottle and tilted it towards him then takes a sip.
They ate in a comfortable silence, only talking a little bit about Robin. When they were done eating Robert cleared the table. Anna went and got a bottle of wine and turned on the gas fireplace. She poured them both a glass of wine then sat down.
When he entered the room Anna was sitting on the couch looking much too serious. Robert thought that she should finally be able to relax. "What are you thinking about?"
Anna exhaled then looked up at him, "Just thinking about what I want to do now."
"What do you mean, do now?" he asked and sat down beside her.
"Well, I know why I ended up with Alex's memories now. I've been so focused on that, then helping her, what do I do now?"
"You get to go back to living your life, the one that is yours without confusing parts added in."
"What does that mean?"
"It means you get to be Anna Devane again. She's badass, sexy, a loving mother and grandmother, the love of my life and so much more. You know her."
Anna smiled, "Yes I do. I guess I'm just not used to feeling like this. I'm not sure what I want to do now. What I should do next? I think I mean personally not professionally."
After all this how can she not see it, how can she not know he wants to be with her? " Anna, you must know at least some of what you want to do now."
"You would think so but I just don't. I know I want to go back out to Berkeley for a visit. I don't feel like there's a big rush to head out there though."
"You aren't looking forward to seeing Finn?"
"No, I haven't really thought about him since I first started working on all of this. Is that bad?" she asked with a little grin. "I had broken up with him so I guess it wasn't like I should have been thinking about him."
"Have you been thinking about anyone?"
"Yeah me, and I still don't know what I want."
"Bloody hell Anna!" She looked at him a little surprised by this. "This all started because of how angry I was about you forgetting a very important shared memory. One you believed wasn't true, has that not been on your mind?"
"Yes I've thought about that, you know I have."
"Not our first time. Us! Have you thought about us?" He didn't wait for a response, he leaned in and kissed her. The intensity surprised her at first then she wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him closer kissing him back passionately. When the need for air ended the kiss Robert looked into her eyes, "So you have thought about us."
"Is there an us? Can we really think that it would be any different now?"
Robert stroked her cheek, "I want to believe we can be happy together. I love you, Anna. I always have."
"I love you too, but is that enough?" She touched his lips then looked into his eyes. "I can't have you back for just a few months then have you ripped away yet again." Tears were starting to pool in her eyes threatening to fall. "I just can't go through that kind of pain again."
"I can't either but we can't think like that. We can't just assume someone will try to break us up again. Anna if it wasn't for outside influences do you think we would have stayed together?"
"Yes, I believe we would have had a wonderful life together. I believe you are my once in a lifetime love and that I have never loved another man the way I love you."
"Anna, that's how I feel. I know I would have spent my life loving you. We would have filled our home with beautiful memories. We would have been there for Robin when she was a teen. We would have gotten into fights, we would have annoyed each other and we would have made up in the most amazing of ways. I want what we should have had all along. I need to know that you want that too."
"Wouldn't we just be fooling ourselves to believe that we can have that now, after all this time?"
Robert's hand slid down to rest on her hip, "Tell me one thing, if it was as simple as do you want to be with me nothing else no history, is it yes or no?"
Anna ran her hand along his cheek then down his neck, "Yes," she answered simply.
"Anna." It was said so softly, just above a whisper with such tenderness in his eyes.
There was such love in his voice, it had been so long since she had heard that when he said her name. Nothing made her believe his love for her more than when he said her name like that. "Robert, kiss me."
He leaned in and kissed her tenderly. Their hands caressing everywhere they touched, it was love they were expressing in every moment. "I want to be with you even if it is just one last time," he said against her neck.
"Take me to bed Robert."
He stood up and took her hand, she smiled up at him and they walked up the stairs together. Once they were in her bedroom Anna turned to him and started unbuttoning his shirt. "Robert, I don't want this to be the only time, the only night we're together."
"I want to make you happy. I want to have you in my life not just a part of it."
"I want that too."
"Then take this leap with me. Believe that this won't be taken away this time." Robert removed her blouse. "You are so beautiful."
"I like that you still sneak peeks. Now you won't have the sneak them," Anna said playfully. The rest of their close were removed and Anna took his hand and led him to the bed. They got under the covers and moved closer to each other.
"I have wanted this for so long," Robert claimed her lips with a hunger that she hadn't felt in a long time. It awake something deep inside that told her she was finally where she belonged again. This was the man she should be with. "Anna I was your first, I want you to be my last."
Anna looked at him lovingly, "Play your cards right Scorpio. You just might just get what you want."
Robert moaned, "Enough talk." Their hands moved over each other's bodies reclaiming every each of each other. Mouths and tongues moving over bare skin. When they moved together and Robert moved into her they both moaned with pleasure. There was nothing that compared with the feeling of truly being together. They both knew that after all this time they were finally back where they belonged.