Chapter Five
It was three in the morning. The lamp by the bed gave off the only light in the room. Laura was sitting up, the blanket covering her legs. The book she had been reading was on the nightstand, forgotten.
It had been almost a week since she'd been to Port Charles, but the melancholy was as strong as the first day she'd been back. She told herself it was because she'd only stayed there for a few hours, but she knew it wouldn't have made a difference if she had stayed a day or even a month. The lonely ache had been there for years now; she'd stopped waiting for it to go away.
It was worse in times like these. Port Charles would always be home to her, but she felt so disconnected. As if she were on the outside looking in.
And things had changed here, too. Except nobody was aware of it but her. It made her feel like she was standing in front of an unsteady precipice. But she wasn't the only one that was in danger of falling and shattering.
It was insane, a twisted cosmic joke.
Why did he have to have a name -- *that* name? Ever since she had seen him again, she hadn't been able to look at Lucky without thinking of... everything. It had been easier to pretend when he had just been a stranger, a memory that could be tucked away. But now...
Her eyes started to droop. She didn't know why she was waiting for Luke. He didn't want to talk with her about Robert; it wouldn't help for her to insist. She knew that. And she also knew she didn't want to hear the reproach in his voice over her going to Port Charles. She'd been careful. She hadn't even seen her mother. Laura stopped that train of thought as her stomach tightened. A drop of wetness on her skin made her aware that she was crying. Her head began to throb slightly.
Sleep. She needed sleep. She reached out to turn off the light, then sank into the covers, taking comfort in the darkness. It was only a few seconds before she fell into another restless night.
~*~
Robin looked up at the few stars that were visible that night. In spite of herself, she made a small wish on one of them, the one that shone the brightest through the haze. She was surprised that it made her feel better.
"Not exactly breathtaking, huh?" Mac asked. He was standing beside her, looking up at the same scattered stars.
Robin turned to him and smiled. "They're still beautiful, though."
Mac chuckled. "Remind me to take you to the country in Australia someday."
Robin tensed a little without meaning to. That happened to her when anyone talked about the future. She forced herself to relax. "I'd like that," she said.
Mac placed a hand on her shoulder and gave it a friendly squeeze. "It'll be great."
They stood silently, listening to the sounds of the night. Robin shivered suddenly. It was as though someone were looking at her, making the hairs at the back of her neck stand on end. She squinted her eyes, but she couldn't make out anyone in the shadows.
"Cold?" Mac asked.
"A little," Robin replied. There was no point in worrying him. She knew he had his own ghosts to deal with.
"Let's go inside, I'll make you some hot chocolate."
She followed him into the house, taking one last look outside before she closed the door. She was probably just imagining things.
It was three in the morning. The lamp by the bed gave off the only light in the room. Laura was sitting up, the blanket covering her legs. The book she had been reading was on the nightstand, forgotten.
It had been almost a week since she'd been to Port Charles, but the melancholy was as strong as the first day she'd been back. She told herself it was because she'd only stayed there for a few hours, but she knew it wouldn't have made a difference if she had stayed a day or even a month. The lonely ache had been there for years now; she'd stopped waiting for it to go away.
It was worse in times like these. Port Charles would always be home to her, but she felt so disconnected. As if she were on the outside looking in.
And things had changed here, too. Except nobody was aware of it but her. It made her feel like she was standing in front of an unsteady precipice. But she wasn't the only one that was in danger of falling and shattering.
It was insane, a twisted cosmic joke.
Why did he have to have a name -- *that* name? Ever since she had seen him again, she hadn't been able to look at Lucky without thinking of... everything. It had been easier to pretend when he had just been a stranger, a memory that could be tucked away. But now...
Her eyes started to droop. She didn't know why she was waiting for Luke. He didn't want to talk with her about Robert; it wouldn't help for her to insist. She knew that. And she also knew she didn't want to hear the reproach in his voice over her going to Port Charles. She'd been careful. She hadn't even seen her mother. Laura stopped that train of thought as her stomach tightened. A drop of wetness on her skin made her aware that she was crying. Her head began to throb slightly.
Sleep. She needed sleep. She reached out to turn off the light, then sank into the covers, taking comfort in the darkness. It was only a few seconds before she fell into another restless night.
~*~
Robin looked up at the few stars that were visible that night. In spite of herself, she made a small wish on one of them, the one that shone the brightest through the haze. She was surprised that it made her feel better.
"Not exactly breathtaking, huh?" Mac asked. He was standing beside her, looking up at the same scattered stars.
Robin turned to him and smiled. "They're still beautiful, though."
Mac chuckled. "Remind me to take you to the country in Australia someday."
Robin tensed a little without meaning to. That happened to her when anyone talked about the future. She forced herself to relax. "I'd like that," she said.
Mac placed a hand on her shoulder and gave it a friendly squeeze. "It'll be great."
They stood silently, listening to the sounds of the night. Robin shivered suddenly. It was as though someone were looking at her, making the hairs at the back of her neck stand on end. She squinted her eyes, but she couldn't make out anyone in the shadows.
"Cold?" Mac asked.
"A little," Robin replied. There was no point in worrying him. She knew he had his own ghosts to deal with.
"Let's go inside, I'll make you some hot chocolate."
She followed him into the house, taking one last look outside before she closed the door. She was probably just imagining things.