Beautiful Disaster

Chapter: 24

Pairing: Robert and Holly Scorpio

Rating: PG

Robert paced frantically up and down the hospital corridor as he waited for news on Holly. It felt like she had been in there forever and it was as if time was just slowly dragging by. He wanted to hold off on telling Robin and the others until he knew something one way or the other but he didn't know how much longer he could wait.

Feeling as though his legs were going to fail him, Robert rested his back against the wall. He took long, deep breaths hoping they would calm him down. Carefully he lowered himself down so that he was sitting on the floor.

He tried thinking happy thoughts. He tried imagining Holly holding Xavier in her arms. He tried to imagine their son saying his first word or taking his first step. He tried to imagine them celebrating his first birthday.

Robert's Subconscious

It was January 1st 1994. Xavier's first birthday. Robert found it amazing how much his son had grown and changed over the past year. Xavier was now walking and talking and very much made his presences known in the Scorpio house. He had his own little personality, a little bit of his father and a little bit of his mother and a whole lot of his own. He was most definitely going to be an independent child.

"Robert?" she called out. "Did you find the candle?"

"I'm looking, Luv." he answered.

The house was filled with their family and closest friends. Robert placed the candle in the center of the cake and lit it.

Everyone sang the happy birthday as Robert attempted to show Xavier how to blow out his candle. Finally with a little help the candle went out. Xavier's hands immediately went into the small cake, grabbing as much as he could in his small fists. He brought one hand up to his mouth and started eating it and he offered the opposite hand to Robert, rubbing the cake all over his father's face, giggling the entire time.

"Yummy." Robert replied.

"Ummy." Xavier repeated as his hands delved back into the cake, making more of a mess than anything.

Robert grabbed Holly by the waist with every intention of planting a cake-coated kiss on her. "Robert." she laughed. "Don't you dare!"

"Yes." he said as he cupped her face and placed a very messy kiss on her lips. Holly laughed as she pushed Robert away and licking the sweet confection from her lips. Xavier flung a fist full of cake in his parents direction.

"Uh-oh." Robert sighed. "Are you throwing things at Mummy?"

"Of course he's not." Holly replied. "He's throwing things at Daddy."

"Mama." Xavier said loudly, holding out a handful of cake to her to which Holly graciously accepted. "Thank you, darling." she replied.

"Sure." Robert replied, laughing. "He offers you a bite but smashed mine in my face." he laughed as he wiped off the excess cake from his face. "Aim for Mummy next time."

Robert lifted Xavier up out of his highchair. "We need to get you clean up so you can open your presents." he told his son. "Right Mummy?" he asked as he turned to his left. "Holly?" he called out, looking around "Holly?" She was gone. It was as if she had vanished into thin air. Just as if she had never been there at all.

General Hospital

"Mr. Scorpio?" Dr. Meadows called out. "Mr. Scorpio?"

Robert snapped out of his daze and quickly got to his feet. "Holly?" he asked. "Is she alright?"

"Holly experienced what we call Postpartum Hemorrhaging." she explained. "Luckily we were able to stop the bleeding before any drastic measures had to be taken."

"You didn't have to perform a hysterectomy?" he asked.

"No." she answered. "Holly will be able to have more children in the future if she chooses to do so."

"Thank you." Robert replied. "When can I see her?"

"I'll take you to her now." she told him.

Holly's Hospital Room

Robert cautiously entered and closed the door behind him. Holly looked the same as the last time he had seen her, pale and delicate. He made his way over to her bed and had a seat in the chair beside her. "Holly." he breathed out as he took her hand in his. "I thought I was going to lose you." he confessed. "I don't know what I would have done without you. There's no way I could have raised Xavier and Robin all on my own."

He gently stroked her long, dark hair. "Dr. Meadows said that you're going to wake up soon and that if I talked to you that it would help." he told her. "Xavier's in the nursery and he's the most amazing baby, Holly. He's very healthy, he weighs 7 pounds and 3 ounces. I can't wait until you hold him, it's the most incredible feeling in the entire world to look down at the little face that you helped create and to have him look back up at you."

Robert placed a kiss to the back of her hand. "Holly." he said softly as he closed his eyes. "I love you." Holly gently squeezed his hand causing his eyes to fly open. "Holly."

"Robert." she said groggily as she focused her eyes on him. "What happened? Did you find Anna?"

tbc...