Lexie walked out of the hotel and hailed a cab. She wanted to be anywhere
else than where she was right now. She was back in New York, back in the
same hotel headed for the same ballroom. Ed Chapman was finally retiring
and Lexie was one of his honored guests at the farewell party. She had
spoken to Jason a few days earlier and he had assured her that Robert would
not be attending. He had too much going on in Chicago to fly out. Lexie had
debated whether she should go or not. She was into her seventh month of the
pregnancy and was more depressed than she could imagine she could be. She
missed him. She felt like a part of her heart had been ripped out and
nothing she did would make her feel better. Max was going through some sort
of phase since they had moved in with her Grandmother. He had become very
attached to John but he was constantly asking for Robert. Robert would call
Max once a week and he always asked her how she was and if she needed
anything but never once did he ask her to come home. She felt the tears
start again and took a deep breath to stop them. She had a happy face to
put on for the party and she couldn't fool anyone if her make up was
running down her face.
Robert stood at the bar sipping a club soda. He had no idea why he was there. Granted Ed Chapman was one of the best teachers he had ever had but this room held too many memories for him. Everywhere he looked reminded him of her. He kept expecting to see her walking down the stairs but she wasn't. She was back in Chicago with Max. Jason had made a special call to him to be sure that he would be there. He had heard from someone that he and Lexie had split up and Robert was sure that Jason couldn't wait to make his move. He knew that Jason had always loved her but Robert wasn't ready to give her up that easy. He had taken the past few weeks to get his life under control. He had stopped drinking, slowed down and made sure that his mother had the best possible care. He planned to beg Lexie to come home when he got back to Chicago. He didn't know if she would take him back but he would do what ever it took. He closed his eyes and his thoughts went back to the night of the Christmas party years ago. She looked so amazing as she made her way down the stairs. He had so many mixed emotions that night. He was too proud to do anything that would hurt his precious career but she had broken through that wall that night. He hadn't cared about anything other than holding her and he smiled at what a sap he had become since then. He opened his eyes as he took another drink of his soda and he caught a flash of nostalgia out of the corner of his eye. He couldn't help but grin. He didn't think it was possible but she looked even more amazing than she had that night. Maybe it was the years of experience or the fact that she was very obviously carrying his child, but he knew that it was because he had missed her. And how he had missed her. He walked over and met her surprised expression at the bottom step.
"You?" She said quietly.
"Me." He said with a nod. He put his hand out. "May I have this dance?"
He saw her stiffen. "I don't know if that would be a good idea."
"Lexie, give me a chance. I have a few things that I have to tell you."
Her pride started to rear its ugly head but she pushed it back. She loved him and if they were ever going to have a chance at a life together she would have to let go of her pride. She accepted his hand and he led her to the dance floor. They danced in silence for a second and then she pulled back slightly.
"What did you want to say?" She asked with a slight amount of ice in her voice. He had expected this and took it in stride.
"First of all, I wanted to tell you that you were right. I was hiding from reality in a scotch bottle. I was so freaked out about being a good husband and father that I forgot to be a good husband and father. And Lexie, I still want the chance to be both. I want to marry you and raise the boys together. I want a life together with you. If I can't make it work with you than I may as well go hide under a rock because you are the love of my life. I can't imagine not waking up next to you everyday." Lexie started to say something and he cut her off. "There is more. I have been seeing Jeff Fitzpatrick. And even though I don't want to admit it, it has helped. I have stopped drinking. I am not saying that I will never have a drink again but I will never have a drink to hide again. And I won't hide from you either."
Lexie smiled at him. "Can I say something now?" He nodded. "I love you." She whispered and kissed him. They both knew that their problems were far from solved but they would have a better chance of working them out if they had the other one to lean on.
He smiled back at her. "So will you and Max please come home now?"
"I thought you would never ask." She said with a grin and he kissed her.
He pulled back at his look turned serious. "There is something else Lex. Something that I didn't want to bother you with." She seemed instantly concerned. "My mother is sick. The doctors don't know how long she has left but they aren't holding out much hope." Her face fell.
"Why didn't you tell me?"
He shook his head. "You didn't need the added stress."
"Robert."
"No Lex, there is nothing that anyone can do. My mom lives in Washington State now and I would just be in the way if I went there."
"I didn't know that you even talked to your mom anymore. You have never mentioned her."
"We aren't what you would call close. We used to be but after my father died we drifted apart. My dad was the one who kept the family together and after he was gone it seemed to be too painful to be together."
"But Robert, this could be your last chance to see her. We need to go. I am not going to take no for an answer either."
Robert smiled at her. He had missed her so much. "Ok, we can fly out tomorrow. I want her to meet Max anyway." Robert paused for a minute. "Where is Max Lexie?"
"I left him with my family. Between the staff and John he stays pretty amused." Robert nodded. "But we can fly back and get him and then go on to Washington."
"Ok, but for tonight I just want to be with you."
Lexie smiled. "That sounds good to me."
They danced for what seemed like hours. Both knew that they still had a rough road ahead but for one night they just wanted to take each other in. Robert looked across the room as they danced and caught sight of Jason. He was smiling at them and Robert looked at Lexie again. "Jason told me that you were not going to be here, what changed your mind?"
Lexie looked at him in amusement. "He told me the same about you." They both smiled at each other.
"Damn it." Robert mumbled and Lexie laughed. "Now I actually owe the kid." Lexie nodded. Jason had played their fairy godmother that night. It was the one way that he knew to show Lexie that he loved her.
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(See, I am not too proud to beg! Come on, I need to self esteem boost BADLY!)
Robert stood at the bar sipping a club soda. He had no idea why he was there. Granted Ed Chapman was one of the best teachers he had ever had but this room held too many memories for him. Everywhere he looked reminded him of her. He kept expecting to see her walking down the stairs but she wasn't. She was back in Chicago with Max. Jason had made a special call to him to be sure that he would be there. He had heard from someone that he and Lexie had split up and Robert was sure that Jason couldn't wait to make his move. He knew that Jason had always loved her but Robert wasn't ready to give her up that easy. He had taken the past few weeks to get his life under control. He had stopped drinking, slowed down and made sure that his mother had the best possible care. He planned to beg Lexie to come home when he got back to Chicago. He didn't know if she would take him back but he would do what ever it took. He closed his eyes and his thoughts went back to the night of the Christmas party years ago. She looked so amazing as she made her way down the stairs. He had so many mixed emotions that night. He was too proud to do anything that would hurt his precious career but she had broken through that wall that night. He hadn't cared about anything other than holding her and he smiled at what a sap he had become since then. He opened his eyes as he took another drink of his soda and he caught a flash of nostalgia out of the corner of his eye. He couldn't help but grin. He didn't think it was possible but she looked even more amazing than she had that night. Maybe it was the years of experience or the fact that she was very obviously carrying his child, but he knew that it was because he had missed her. And how he had missed her. He walked over and met her surprised expression at the bottom step.
"You?" She said quietly.
"Me." He said with a nod. He put his hand out. "May I have this dance?"
He saw her stiffen. "I don't know if that would be a good idea."
"Lexie, give me a chance. I have a few things that I have to tell you."
Her pride started to rear its ugly head but she pushed it back. She loved him and if they were ever going to have a chance at a life together she would have to let go of her pride. She accepted his hand and he led her to the dance floor. They danced in silence for a second and then she pulled back slightly.
"What did you want to say?" She asked with a slight amount of ice in her voice. He had expected this and took it in stride.
"First of all, I wanted to tell you that you were right. I was hiding from reality in a scotch bottle. I was so freaked out about being a good husband and father that I forgot to be a good husband and father. And Lexie, I still want the chance to be both. I want to marry you and raise the boys together. I want a life together with you. If I can't make it work with you than I may as well go hide under a rock because you are the love of my life. I can't imagine not waking up next to you everyday." Lexie started to say something and he cut her off. "There is more. I have been seeing Jeff Fitzpatrick. And even though I don't want to admit it, it has helped. I have stopped drinking. I am not saying that I will never have a drink again but I will never have a drink to hide again. And I won't hide from you either."
Lexie smiled at him. "Can I say something now?" He nodded. "I love you." She whispered and kissed him. They both knew that their problems were far from solved but they would have a better chance of working them out if they had the other one to lean on.
He smiled back at her. "So will you and Max please come home now?"
"I thought you would never ask." She said with a grin and he kissed her.
He pulled back at his look turned serious. "There is something else Lex. Something that I didn't want to bother you with." She seemed instantly concerned. "My mother is sick. The doctors don't know how long she has left but they aren't holding out much hope." Her face fell.
"Why didn't you tell me?"
He shook his head. "You didn't need the added stress."
"Robert."
"No Lex, there is nothing that anyone can do. My mom lives in Washington State now and I would just be in the way if I went there."
"I didn't know that you even talked to your mom anymore. You have never mentioned her."
"We aren't what you would call close. We used to be but after my father died we drifted apart. My dad was the one who kept the family together and after he was gone it seemed to be too painful to be together."
"But Robert, this could be your last chance to see her. We need to go. I am not going to take no for an answer either."
Robert smiled at her. He had missed her so much. "Ok, we can fly out tomorrow. I want her to meet Max anyway." Robert paused for a minute. "Where is Max Lexie?"
"I left him with my family. Between the staff and John he stays pretty amused." Robert nodded. "But we can fly back and get him and then go on to Washington."
"Ok, but for tonight I just want to be with you."
Lexie smiled. "That sounds good to me."
They danced for what seemed like hours. Both knew that they still had a rough road ahead but for one night they just wanted to take each other in. Robert looked across the room as they danced and caught sight of Jason. He was smiling at them and Robert looked at Lexie again. "Jason told me that you were not going to be here, what changed your mind?"
Lexie looked at him in amusement. "He told me the same about you." They both smiled at each other.
"Damn it." Robert mumbled and Lexie laughed. "Now I actually owe the kid." Lexie nodded. Jason had played their fairy godmother that night. It was the one way that he knew to show Lexie that he loved her.
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(See, I am not too proud to beg! Come on, I need to self esteem boost BADLY!)
