Beautiful Disaster

Chapter: 7

Pairing: Robert/Holly

Rating: PG

"Robin." Holly said softly. "I know you're upset and you're confused and you have every right to be, but please let me explain things to you."

"You're actually going to tell me the truth?" she asked.

"Yes." she answered. "You may not want to hear it but I think you're old enough to know the truth."

Robin nodded. "Alright."

"Back in April, I ran into your father on the pier." Holly started. "We talked for a while and then we both went our separate ways."

"If you both went your separate ways then how did you end up pregnant?"

"I wasn't finished, Robin."

"Sorry." she mumbled.

"As I was saying, we went our separate ways, but Robert showed up at my apartment a few hours later, he had too much scotch and I had too much wine and things got out of hand." she explained. "I just wanted you to know that he was always faithful to your mother."

Robin sat back and took all the information in. "Why didn't Dad tell me?" she asked. "Why did you have to be the one to give me the 'good' news?"

"Robin, I know that you're not thrilled, but we're going to drop the attitude right now." Holly said sternly. "I wanted to tell you before you heard it from someone else."

"I'm sorry." she apologized. "But that still doesn't explain why my Dad didn't tell me."

"I never got a chance to tell your father." she replied.

"That's why you called the other night." she recalled. "You said you had something important to tell him."

"That was it." she confirmed.

"But Dad said that he seen you at Kelly's the day he came back."

"Yes." Holly nodded. "I did see him that day."

"Why didn't you tell him then?"

"I wanted to." she told her. "But we got into an argument and I stormed out."

"You were afraid of what his reaction would be weren't you?" she asked.

"Yes." Holly admitted. "But I wasn't thinking clearly and I know I made a mistake. Hopefully your father will forgive me."

"What if he doesn't?" Robin asked.

Holly smiled sweetly. She saw shades of Anna in Robin. And not pretty shades either. "Robert and I will work things out." she said confidently. "But since we don't know when Robert's coming back, I thought that if you'd like to be involved with the baby you could start from the very beginning."

"You mean like shopping for baby stuff and doctor's appointments?" she asked. "Stuff like that?'

"Yes." she answered. "You can be as involved or as uninvolved as you like. I'm giving you a choice here I'm not going to force you to do anything you don't want to do."

Robin nodded. "I'd like that." she said softly. "I've always wanted a little brother or sister." she confessed. "Even if it's not the way I envisioned it."

"Well then, it's settled." Holly told her. "You're officially going to be a big sister."

"This is a little awkward." she replied. "But I think it's going to be okay. When is the baby due?"

"January 7th." Holly answered.

"So it's just going to be you and me?" she asked.

Holly nodded. "And Tiffany." she replied. "We can't forget Tiffany, she wouldn't dare let us."

"Of course not." Robin laughed, then turned very serious. "Thank you, Holly."

"For what, darling?"

"For including me." she replied. "I know that you didn't have to."

"I wanted to." Holly told her. "Family is very important."

"You still love my father." she stated rather than questioned.

"Very much."

"I think things are going to work out just fine." she told her stepmother. "I think I would like it if we were all a family when my father gets back."

"I'd like that too."

Robin's eyes traveled down to Holly's stomach. "Are you showing yet?" she asked.

"A little." Holly answered as she took Robin's hand and placed it over the small bump in her stomach. "So are we going to be okay?"

"Yeah." Robin smiled.

tbc...