Everything Burns
Chapter: 6
Pairing: Robert and Holly
Rating: PG
"Alexander." she said softly. "Calm down."
"Calm down?" he asked. "What the hell is this about, Mum?"
Holly got up from the barstool and walked across the room. "It's just a precaution." she tried to assure him. "I just need to know that you're safe."
"I was safe." he replied. "Why won't you tell me what's going on?"
"I can't." she told him. "Not right now."
"When?" Alexander asked. "When am I going to get to know the truth? Maybe I should ask Uncle Frisco."
"It wouldn't do any good." Holly replied. "He doesn't know the details."
"This isn't fair." he complained.
"I know." she said softly. "I just really need you to do this for me, alright?"
"Alright." Alexander finally agreed. "But as soon as you can I want you to tell me everything."
"I will, darling." she told him. "I promise. I love you."
"I love you, too, Mum." he said. "Bye."
Holly closed her cell phone and slowly walked back over to where Robert was sitting. "Sorry." she apologized.
"Business?" he asked.
She nodded. "You could say that."
"So are you going to tell me what's going on or not?" Robert asked. "Because I know you or at least I knew you and something's wrong."
With the reappearance of Cesar back into her life telling Robert that she was a WSB agent didn't seem like such a big deal. "There is something I need to tell you." she confessed.
"You know that you can tell me anything, Holly." he replied. "I won't judge you."
Instead of coming out and telling him, Holly reached in her purse and pulled out her WSB badge and laid it in front of him. Robert looked down at it for several long seconds before picking it up. "Agent Holly Sutton." he read softly. "How long have you been with the bureau?" he finally asked, turning his attention away from the badge and over to her.
"Fourteen years." she answered.
"So everything that happened back in February..." he trailed off, trying to get a handle on things. "It was all a set-up?"
"Yes." she answered.
"So you were never married to a man that invested in Crylium?" he asked. "That was all part of the scheme too?"
"I was married, but it was invalid." Holly confessed. "However that was before the whole Crylium thing started."
"Well." Robert sighed. "Everything is starting to make sense."
"I wasn't quite so sure you'd understand." she told him. "I was a little afraid to tell you."
Robert smiled. "You have no idea how relieved I am to find out the truth." he replied. " I knew that something with you wasn't right."
"I'd never willing harm innocent people, Robert." she said softly. "I couldn't live with myself if I did. Everything I've done in the past fourteen years was to ensure the safety of innocent people and to put the bad guys exactly where they belong."
"You always wanted to be a detective."
"Yeah." Holly smiled. "I just never imagined I'd end up in the WSB."
"What made you decide to join?" he asked.
Events of Provence flashed in Holly's mind, mingling with the events of earlier in the evening. She closed her eyes trying to block out Cesar but it didn't help. Nothing helped. She could see him coming at her, ripping her dress as he forced her down on the bed. All the horrible memories of came pouring out. She felt herself sinking further and further into the past.
"Holly?" Robert called out. "Holly, what's the matter?" he asked as he attempted yet again to comfort her by placing his hand over hers. Again she flinched away from him as though she had been burnt, leaving Robert confused.
Holly slowly opened her eyes, willing the tears not to fall. She immediately thought of Alexander, hoping to bring some happier memories to the surface, but she failed. Tears began to trickle down her face and she quickly wiped them away. "I'm sorry." she apologized. "I can't do this." she placed a fifty dollar bill down on the bar and quickly took off.
Robert struggled with whether or not to go after her. He finally decided that he would give her some time alone before he went to her. In the mean time he dedicated himself to putting together the clues that she had given him.
Holly's Hotel Room
Wanting to forget about the past and about the present Holly quickly dialed Alexander's number. If anything in the world could calm her down it was the sound of her son's voice. "Alexander." she breathed out as soon as she heard him. "Are you alright?"
"Yes." he answered, noting the shaken sound in his Mother's voice. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing."
"Mum." he said softly. "Please tell me. I hate being left in the dark."
"I know you do."
"Then tell me what's going on." Alexander pleaded. "I know you're upset. Have you spoken with..."
"Your Father?" she interjected. "Yes."
tbc...