Beautiful Disaster

Chapter: 4

Pairing: Robert/Holly

Rating: PG

"I owe you an apology." Robert told her. "I should have never showed up at your apartment that night in April like that."

"You mean completely smashed?" she asked.

"Yes." he answered. "I took advantage of you and your kindness and I'm sorry."

"You didn't take advantage of me." Holly told him. "We both had too much to drink and things spiraled out of control."

"Well, be that as it may, I'm still very sorry." he apologized. "It shouldn't have happened like that."

"Oh." she breathed.

"I hope that you won't hold it against me."

"Of course not." she smiled, gently caressing her growing stomach which, thankfully, was hidden by the table.

"I guess we're all entitled to a drunken mistake now and then."

The word mistake echoed in Holly's ears like ringing bells.

"Holly?" he asked. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah." she answered as she made her way back to reality. "I'm...I...I'm..."

"What is it?" he asked. "Are you sure you're alright?"

"I'm..." she trailed off. Why can't I just say the word? Pregnant, Holly, you're pregnant. Tell him. Tell him you're going to have his baby. "I'm fine." she finally said. "Everything's fine. How was your trip?"

"Successful." he replied.

Successful? Did he say successful? Damn! He's going to chase the ghost of Anna for the rest of his life. Tell him, Holly. Tell him you're pregnant. "Successful." she repeated. "How so?"

"I found some clues that could possibly lead me to Anna and Faison." he told her. "I want to bring Anna home to Robin."

Oh. My. God! He's delusional, he's tricked himself into believing that Anna is still alive. Who the hell could survive a boat explosion? Certain not that crass, abrasive bitch. It was her fault anyway. Flirting with Faison, what was she thinking? "So, you're convinced that Anna's still alive?"

"Absolutely." he replied. "I came back here to check on Robin and then I'm heading back to continue my search."

"And if you don't find her?" she asked.

"I will!" Robert said firmly. "I have to."

"You know, Robert, I know you blame yourself for what happened, but you shouldn't." she told him. "It wasn't your fault."

"But it was, Holly. It was entirely my fault!" he said raising his voice. "Why doesn't anyone see that?"

"Robert." she said softly. "It wasn't your fault. Faison is the one to blame."

"It's my fault!" he said loudly. "And I'm going to search until I find her!"

"You can't search for the rest of your life." she insisted.

"Holly, you don't understand!"

"No!" she said, equally as loud. "I understand. I understand perfectly. You'd rather spend the rest of your life chasing a ghost than to stay here and deal with your life, with your daughter. There are some things in life that you just have to accept, Robert. Anna is dead and it doesn't matter how long you search or how many clues you think you find you're never going to find her!" she got up from the table. "Anna's dead and you need to accept it."

Robert was fuming though he was trying to keep his temper in check, everything that had transpired with Anna and Faison was a strike to his abilities as a trained professional and on top of that his male pride was getting in the way. "I don't have to accept a damn thing."

"You're stubbornness isn't one of your attractive qualities." Holly told him as she turned to leave. "Good luck ghost chasing, Robert."

He watched as she stormed out of the restaurant. He refused to believe anything she said about Anna being dead, she couldn't be dead not when Robin needed her so much. And not when the renowned spy in him could solve any case.

Holly unlocked her front door and slowly made her way inside. Everything was a disaster, a complete and utter disaster. Things with Robert were suppose to go smoothly and instead they were rockier than she could have ever imagined. She threw her purse down on the sofa and made her way into the kitchen.

With one hand in the cookie jar she reached for the phone with the other. She quickly dialed Tiffany's number.

"I take it that things with Robert didn't go very well." Tiffany said.

"How did you know it was me?" Holly questioned, taking a bite of a peanut butter cookie.

"Because I've been waiting for your call." she replied. "What happened?"

"Robert is determined to continue his search for Anna." she informed her. "We got into an argument and I stormed out of Kelly's."

"Holly, you know stress isn't very good for you."

"I know." she agreed. "Robert just said all the wrong things. Starting with his big apology about showing up at my apartment back in April."

"Oh, honey, I'm sorry."

"He called it a mistake." she said as she began to cry. "He said it was a mistake."

"I'm sorry." Tiffany said softly. "How did he respond when you told him about the baby?"

"He didn't get a chance." she replied as she wiped her eyes.

"You mean you told him and then stormed out?"

"No. Holly answered. "I didn't tell him at all."

"Holly, we've been through this, you have to tell him."

"I don't know, Tiffany, I'm not sure it's such a good idea."

tbc...