Beautiful Disaster

Chapter: 19

Pairing: Robert and Holly

Rating: PG

October 15th 1992

Once Robert told Tiffany his plan to surprise Holly with a new wedding band Tiffany had pulled him in and out of every jewelry store in a fifty mile radius looking for the perfect ring. After trying to convince her to take break and grab some lunch for the last four stores they had been in Tiffany finally agreed.

"Has anything jumped out at you today, Robert?" she asked.

"Other than you?" he asked. "No, not really."

"Very funny." she said dryly. "I came to help you remember? Now we know what we're looking for right?"

"You keep asking me that." Robert pointed out as he took a drink of his wine.

"I'm trying to make sure you haven't changed your mind." Tiffany replied. "Again."

"I want something that's elegant, something's that's perfect for Holly."

"And how do you plan on finding the perfect ring?" she asked. "You've baulked at the five hundred rings we've looked at so far."

"I'll know it when I see it." he assured her. "Besides you volunteered for this."

"Yeah, but I didn't know you would be so difficult to shop with."

"Well you're suppose to be the expert." he replied.

"I could shop for days and days on end." she confessed. "Holly could too."

"I know." he sighed. "I've been on the receiving end of credit card bills in the past."

"Hey, after we find the ring why don't we hit a few baby stores?" she suggested. "We passed the cutest little boutique a block or so back and they had the most darling baby clothes in the display window."

"Okay." he agreed. "But you know what we need to find? One of those giant teddy bears."

After Lunch

Robert browsed through the wedding rings as Tiffany looked over the diamond bracelets. She was tempted to buy almost every piece of jewelry she had looked at. "Hey, Tiff." Robert called out, getting her attention. "Come look at this."

Tiffany literally had to drag herself away and over to Robert. "Did you find something?"

"Yes." he replied as he pointed to the ring of is liking. "That one."

"That one?" she questioned. "Are you sure?"

"Positive." he answered.

With the wedding band purchased, Robert and Tiffany headed in search of the baby boutique. It was a few more blocks away than Tiffany had remembered. Six to be exact.

"This would be so much easier if we knew the sex of the baby." Tiffany complained as she browsed through the toys. "Why can't your child cooperate during the sonograms?"

"Don't blame me."

"Must be a boy." she commented. "He's going to be just like his father. Stubborn."

"It's a girl." he corrected her. "And her name is Holiday."

"So I take it Holly has warmed up to that name?" Tiffany asked.

"Not at all." he sighed.

"Robert, there's your giant teddy bear." she said, pointing over in the corner. "I like the light brown one." she said as she walked over to where it was sitting.

Robert followed her. "I like the white one."

"Do you know how dirty a white teddy bear would get with a baby?" she asked. "Get a brown one."

"Bossy." he commented.

Tiffany smiled. "I'm just pointing out the obvious." she replied. "Grab Teddy and we'll head over to the clothes and then the blankets."

Scorpio Residence 6pm

Robert carefully maneuvered his way through the front door, his arms overflowing with bags and Teddy. "Dad?" Robin called. "Do you need some help?"

"Thanks, sweetheart." he replied as she took some of the bags out of his hands.

"Tiffany must have dragged you into every store in Manhattan."

"Believe me, she did."

Robin sat the bags down on the sofa. "That's the biggest teddy bear I've ever seen."

Robert sat Teddy down in the chair. "He's cute isn't he?"

"Yeah."

He looked through the bags that Robin had sat down on the couch. "Here." he said offering her two of the bags. "These are yours."

"Thanks." she said, hugging him. "Tiffany picked these out right?"

"Of course." he replied.

"I'm going to try these on." she said as she made a dash for the stairs.

"Hello, darling." Holly greeted Robert as she walked into the room. "Did you have fun with Tiffany?"

He kissed her cheek and then leaned down to kiss her stomach. "We had a wonderful time."

"Who's your friend?" she asked, referring to the teddy bear.

"Teddy." he answered.

"That's original." she laughed as she picked the giant bear up. "What made you buy him?"

"Well." Robert started. "I seen him and I just had to have him."

She smiled. "I think you've spent way too much time with Tiffany today." she replied. "What else did you buy?"

"Lots and lots of baby things." he said, pushing the bags out of the way. "We'll look at those later though." he told her as he sat down. "Sit down, I have something I want to give you."

Holly sat down on the sofa beside him. Robert reached inside the pocket of his jacket and retrieved a small black box. "Tiffany and I went to about seventy five different jewelry stores today looking for the perfect ring." he started. "As I was looking over the ones with gemstones and the ones with diamonds this one caught my eye." he said as he slowly opened the box. "I wanted to find something that would last forever, just like our love." Robert pulled the ring from the box then sat the box down on the cocktail table. He took her left hand in his and held the solid gold band in the opposite. "I realized that it wasn't the ring that mattered." he said softly. "Just that I gave it to you and that you wore it. A symbol of our love. A never ending circle. Simple yet elegant. Plain yet perfect." Robert slipped the ring down on her finger. "I love you, Holly."

"It's perfect." Holly leaned in and softly kissed his lips. "I love you, Robert."

tbc...