Everything Burns

Chapter: 23

Pairing: Robert & Holly

Rating: PG

Cesar reached for the syringe in Holly's hand, carefully to avoid sticking himself with the needle. "Holly, I really don't think this is the answer." he told her. "Alexander and Benjamin cannot be replaced."

Holly reached for the syringe back but he moved it out of her reach. If he wouldn't let her take the injection then she wouldn't live to see him die. "Cesar." she said softly. "Please give it back."

"No."

"Please." she pleaded. "I'm not trying to replace our sons, I just want something to ease the pain."

"We're going to work through all of this together." he assured her.

She thought of Robert and her sons and tears immediately sprang forward. "Cesar." she cried. "I really want another child. Please give me the syringe back." she pleaded again. "Please, if I don't have another child I'll go crazy."

He stepped forward and wiped away her tears. Holly inwardly cringed at his touch, but leaned forward into it. Cesar wrapped his arm around her. "I just don't think it's a good idea right now." he told her. "It's too soon."

"My age is working against me." she cried into his shoulder "It might take me a long time to get pregnant. I don't want to take any chances and miss any time that I could be conceiving your heir."

The word heir rang in Cesar's ears like music. She was willing to provide him with another heir. Someone he could raise from an infant. Someone he could teach to become his successor. The idea thrilled him beyond words. "Alright." he agreed.

Holly sighed inwardly. "Thank you."

Cesar backed away from her. "Where does it have to be injected?"

"Into muscle." she replied. "My thigh or abdomen."

"Okay." he sighed. "Sit down." Holly sat down on the vanity chair. "Ready he asked?"

"Yes." she replied. The needle plunged into her thigh quickly, the contents were released and then it was quickly removed. "Damn!" she swore.

"Oh, it wasn't that bad." he sighed.

"It stung!" Holly replied.

"How many times do you have to do this?" Cesar asked.

"Twice a day." she told him. "Once in the morning and once in the evening."

"I'll give you the second one after dinner."

Holly smiled. "Thank you." She honestly didn't know how much longer she could put up with him. His voice made her nauseous. His touch made her want to shed her skin. In fact him being loving and devoted was worse than him being violent and forceful.

"Get dressed." he told her as he left the bathroom. "Breakfast will be ready in twenty minutes."

Faison Compound Dining Room

Once Holly entered the dining room she repeated the exact same thing she had done the night before. Only this time she poisoned the orange juice. She waited patiently for Cesar to join her. After a few moments he entered the dining room. "You look lovely." he complimented her as he sat down across from her.

"Thank you." she replied.

"I was thinking that you and I could go for a walk along the beach later this evening." he told her. "We could take a bottle of champagne and stay out and watch the sun set and rise."

"You and I aren't doing anything remotely romantic." Holly said sternly. "Not until we talk the Anna situation."

Cesar went on to explain himself and how his fascination with destroying all things near and dear to Robert prompted him to seek out Anna whilst he drank the orange juice. Holly was less than understanding toward Cesar at first but then pretended to come around, accepting his explanation and his apology.

Sutton Manor

Robert tried his best to keep himself occupied, but it didn't help. His mind wondered back to Holly. He laid awake all night fighting the urge to go after her. Frisco telling Robert there was nothing he could do only infuriated him more. The need to choke Frisco until he was blue in the face appealed to him the more he thought about his cold response.

Benjamin and Alexander had been distant and silent, almost as though they resented him and his place in their lives now that Holly had vanished. Alexander had known where his Mum had gone right away. He knew that the moment his Father, Cesar, resurfaced that she would end up back in his clutches. Benjamin, however, held his tongue to keep from blaming his brother. If it wasn't for Alexander his Mother wouldn't have felt the need to go back to Cesar Faison.

Robert paced back in forth in the living room as he tried to think the way Holly did before she left. He knew that she had to be planning her move for quite sometime, it was too planned out to be spur of the moment. Why couldn't she have let the WSB handle Cesar Faison? Why couldn't she have let him in on her plan? Why would she set herself up to possible die at Faison's hands.

He felt as though he was going insane. Every moment that passed by was slower than the rest. He ran his the same thought over and over again in his head. Why would Holly set herself up to die at Faison's hands? What could she possible gain from that? It finally hit him.

Holly set herself up to die in order to kill Faison.

tbc...