The sharp sound of a zipper closing pulled Robert from dreamland. Robert opened his eyes. He squinted at the late morning sunlight filtered through the curtains of their room. Once he adjusted to the light, he saw Anna immaculately dressed, dewy glow in her cheeks in spite of the little sleep they had gotten.
Passion agreed with her.
Then he realized what she was doing, quickly placing items here and there. There had been a lot of images that provoked Robert throughout his life, but none of them were quite as disheartening as a view of a half-packed leather bag, resting idly on the edge of the bed.
"Rise and shine, Scorpio." Anna looked at him with a wry smile. Robert took one look at her, and he knew what was happening. She had gathered up her feelings and memories from the past week placed them together into a compartment in her heart and had shut the door.
Robert hears what she does not say. He does not answer, merely looking at her. He wasn't surprised by this or hurt. He understood. This is what they do. This is what it takes for a heart to keep beating and to keep on living. The threads that had bound them together on this journey were beginning to unravel as they separated themselves. The frayed ends of their rekindled romance began to tear apart, but nobody grabbed at them, and nobody pulled.
"I packed for you." She handed him a cup of coffee. "Your flight is at noon. You are headed to Frankfurt and then to New York by way of Chicago. Make sure you pick up some souvenirs for Robin and Kate from the airport kiosks. Get a t-shirt for Robin and for Kate...a snow globe. You can tell her you plan on bringing her back one whenever you travel. She's sentimental and will appreciate that."
The fast pace of her speech belied the unsettled state of her nerves. For some reason, Robert found that comforting. Mouth twitching, he watched as she placed the remaining items of clothing in the bag. She then moved towards the vanity to retrieve her cosmetics. Robert's eyes followed her progress with silent fervor of melancholy.
"I leave for Zurich after you. There was a promise I made in the woods, and I have a debt to repay. It cost a pretty penny, but then I think my life was worth the price. My contacts paid off, and I will have all the documents I need waiting for me."
She stopped for a moment and looked intently everywhere but his eyes.
"Once we are back in Port Charles, we should probably...stay apart for a few days…"
Robert could read her thoughts. She was proposing a cooling-off period. That was probably wise and sensible, but he didn't feel like being wise and sensible. The irony of the situation was not lost on him as he once again mulled over the entire decision process.
"Anna, considering it's us, don't you think it would be more suspicious if we stayed apart."
"I need two days. Please, give me two days."
Robert nodded. "Two days."
He watched as she tucked a few more items into the outer pocket of her suitcase, but as the bag filled, his heart sank, some part of him was not ready to part with her, no matter how briefly. Finally, she zipped it closed as well. Despite all his mental efforts, Robert flinched at the sound. There was a finality to it that stung like a nettle.
Robert cast the bed covers aside and stood up, the mattress shifting under his weight. He noticed that Anna averted her eyes from his nakedness for a moment; she really was drawing the curtain closed. He grabbed his suit from the hanger and walked to the bathroom to dress, and when he returned, he was ready for business just as much as she was. His own feelings were safely tucked away.
Anna looked at him. How best to explain the bittersweet pain in her heart, this clouded rainy-day feeling of their morning after. It was like how the sun and moon rarely meet, only to eclipse. As always, he was striking, alluring, and timeless. She committed that perfect image of him to memory. She feels sadness and sweetness and nostalgia for a moment not yet gone. You must remember this, she thinks. They've come to their Casablanca ending, and it's nearly time to pack Robert off into the arms of his destiny. She knew Kate would be there to welcome him with an open heart and open arms.
She decided to indulge in one more moment. She left the bag and stepped closer to him, hand reaching out to stroke his cheek in silent reassurance. His head turns at once, kissing the inside of her palm with ardent affection. She smiled as he cradled her hand and stepped forward to lean her head on his shoulder. They lingered at the moment together before Robert disturbed the stillness with a kiss to her temple.
"Let's go. The car is waiting," he said softly.
The streets of the city were busy with traffic, an endless line of vehicles moving slowly through the city center. The fates were conspiring to make this day torturous as she both wished for their parting to be prolonged and for it to be over quickly. They sat in a polite silence, each acutely aware of the invisible line between then and careful not to cross it. They faced away from each other, staring out opposite windows. Anna to the left. Robert to the right.
Nearly a foot of empty space was between them, and even though nothing but air separated them, she knew better than to try and close the gap, unsure what would happen if the line they had drawn was breached, and what the consequences would be. Regret blossomed somewhere deep in her chest like a bruise forming from an unexpected injury, but she didn't know the exact source of the feeling. She had plenty to be regretful for. She wanted to reach out for him, but she feared not only would he withdraw from her, but the distance would be more than the length of an arm; it would be.
Anna's eyes looked back out at the city. She wanted to be able to conjure the memory of the architecture and lines of the neo-classic building whenever she wanted, so she concentrated on etching it into her mind. Soon memories will be all she has.
He glanced at her, looking as composed and strong as ever. The danger of their caper was behind him, and Robert knew she could look after herself better than he can, but he could not help but remain tense at the thought of leaving her.
Once they arrived at the airport, he walked after her as they looked for the correct gate, he had insisted on carrying her bag, and it rested heavily in his hand, his grip tighter than necessary. When they reached the gates' entrance, and Anna stopped, ready to retrieve her bag and part. Robert's mouth presses into the thinnest of lines while his hold on the bag tightens. Anna's head tilted ever so slightly, the usual tell-tale gesture of deep scrutiny; he expects her to reprimand him for this foolish behavior, but she does not. Instead, she merely reaches her hand and takes the bag from his grip; he does not fight it.
"Steigen Sie jetzt in Flug 736 nach Frankfurt ein. Now boarding Flight 736 for FrankFurt."
The announcement was loud over the P.A. system. Anna could see the check-in desk. This was really happening. He was going one direction, and she was going another.
Robert said something witty, trying to draw a smile from her, but Anna wasn't listening so closely anymore. She stood staring at the check-in desk, at the line of people waiting and then the security screening area beyond. This was the end of the line, the parting of ways that she realized she was dreading, and it was so close now. So close, she could feel raw sadness scratching at her heart.
Robert looked at her and couldn't stop himself from moving a stray strand of hair away from her face. He found himself gripping her shoulders and making sure that he had her full attention.
"Anna, I love you. I need you to know that. I'm so thankful that you are in my life. I need you there. Always." he said fiercely.
"And I love you, Robert Scorpio. I love you!"
Her bag thudded to the floor, and she threw herself into his arms. He caught her and held her tight. His lips found hers, and he kissed her with the same intensity that she gave. They felt the world melt around them. Robert's arms instantly pulled her closer, sealing the sensation of her body against his for the days and years to come. Robert didn't care that they were being stared at, he didn't care that he shouldn't be kissing her, all he cared about was the woman he held in his arms, the woman that he loved with all his heart, that he would love until he drew his last breath. The woman who had suffered so much because of him and who, in the end, taught him to love more than he knew was possible. They gripped each other for a long time, comforted by the familiarity yet so so saddened by the finality. His hand moved to the back of her head to massage the base through her soft hair.
He did not want to let her go, but as she ended the kiss, his arms obediently released her from the embrace. She reached down for her bag, then looked at him with a soft smile on her face.
"It's going to be alright." She said it to reassure herself as much as to comfort him.
"I know it will, luv. I'll see you in two days." Robert winked at her and turned to leave. Their hands lingered until distance broke them apart. She watched as he moved into the crowd. He was really going. Stille Nacht was over. Over. She felt panic rise as he moved from view.
"Wait!" The words escaped her lips before she could stop them. "Robert! Wait!"
Robert stopped dead in his tracks and whipped around to look at her; confusion covered his face. Anna hurried towards him, dodging her way through the throng, brushing past annoyed travelers, and she went until she was standing in front of him again.
"Anna?" The way he said her name washed over her and made butterflies take up residence in her stomach. There was a look in his eyes that she couldn't quite place, curiosity mixed with something unfathomable. She thought maybe it was hope.
"Robert, I…" she stopped as the words caught in her throat. She couldn't speak, so she took his hand in hers and then brought it to her lips and kissed in firmly. Her other hand rested against his cheek, anchoring him to the present, keeping him out of the dark depths of the past, although he wasn't ready to close the door on the beautiful memories that lay there. Robert looked at her with tenderness, and then he felt the blood drain from his face when he realized what was happening; what she was doing.
"You...you forgot...you don't need this anymore." She moved her lips from his knuckles, and her fingers found purchase. She pulled the gold band that still encircled his left ring finger from his hand. Robert flinched and opened his mouth to protest, but the look of pain on her face rendered him speechless.
This was it. The last strand severed.
She held the ring tightly in her fist and pressed it to her heart then she raised her face and pressed one last long kiss firmly to his cheek before she broke away. Her brown eyes burned one last look into his soul before her resolve failed, and the dam that held back, her tears broke. She smiled through her tears at him one last time and quickly turned towards the corridor that would lead to her destination and left.
Robert watched her walk away, rooted to the spot, oblivious to all other people passing around him, his eyes fixed on Anna until she disappeared, the glint of her hair is the last thing he saw, and in an instant, she was gone, lost in the crowd. Robert sighed heavily and set to leave, despite obvious reluctance rendering each of his steps heavier than usual.
Anna practically fled as the feeling of sweat beading on her brow, and the rising anxiety made her wish she was already on the plane, drinking a double of scotch. She quickly crossed over to the ladies' room to splash some cold water on her face. The fresh water was soothing, and as she looked at herself in the mirror, she realized that she was grateful that they had said goodbye. And now they would go home and pretend that nothing had happened. She knew it was time to stop the madness, to bring order to chaos. Anna made the loneliest walk of her life to her terminal and sat facing the wide windows facing the tarmac. She was numb, watching the plane take off and land in a choreographed dance. Tears still fell, but she didn't bother to wipe them away. What would be the point? This pain, would there ever be a cure? Closure, this was supposed to be closure. A good agent must always know when to leave. The trick was to leave him before he decides he must leave her.
Two days. How would she ever face him two days from now?