Robert rolled over in his sleep reaching for his wife. Feeling nothing but cold sheets he immediately sat up and called out

"Holly".

Grabbing his robe he stepped out onto the landing and looked into Spencers room and saw her looking so small and frail sitting in the dark watching over her sleeping son.

"Holly?"

she turned to meet his gaze and the sight of her sad tear filled eyes cut him to the core.

"Holly, luv whats wrong sweetheart?" he whispered.

She stood and wrapped her arms around his waist while burying her head in his chest.

"Robert, i am so afraid Luke will try to take our baby from us".

To hear her refer to Spencer as "our baby" just reinforced his conviction that he had done nothing to purposely hurt Luke. Luke had chosen to not return to this wonderful creature and he had lucked out to had been given the opportunity to get a chance to love her.

"Luke doesn't have a chance in hell of ever taking Spencer from us Luv".

"He wants it all or nothing at all so nothing will be what he ends up with".

Holly thought about her husbands words and knowing Luke as she did she knew he would never accept a secondary role in Spencers life.

"Robert, perhaps we can speak to him again tomorow and make some sort of amicable arrangements".

Robert slowly shook his head amazed at his wifes charitable spirit

"We will try Luv, now come on lets go back to bed before we wake up this little bugger".

Wrapping his arm around her waist they walked back to their bedroom and held each other for the rest of the night.

Luke sat at a table at Kellys fidgeting with his coffee cup while awaiting Robert and Holly. He was suprised when Robert had contacted him that morning requesting a meeting. He looked up and saw his best friend and his "woman" walk into the diner holding hands.

"Well well if it isnt the happy couple".

Robert pulled out a chair for Holly and spoke directly to Luke

"Luke, why don't we try to be civil today OK".

Luke glanced over at Holly and replied

"Oh commissioner i inted to play this very cool believe me i have too much to lose to lose my cool".

Rose walked over and noticed the tension at the table and thought to herself hos badly she felt for everyone involved in this mess

"Robert, Holly can i get you guys anything?".

"Just some coffee please Rose" replied Holly.

"Same for me luv" Robert said while making himself comfortable in the chair.

"OK, can i ask why you asked for this little reunion?" Luke said in his snidest voice.

"Luke" Holly hesitated and spoke again

"Luke, Robert and i would like to talk with you about Spencer".

Luke immediately noticed Roberts hand squeezing Hollys.

"Speaking of my offspring where is he now?"

"He is with a sitter" replied Holly.

Robert spoke then

"Look Luke we need to come to some sort of arrangement here,none of us can go on like this, you left our home the other night after making some pretty pointed threates and I for one would like to know what you plan to do"

Luke glared at his former friend.

"I want what's mine Scorpio".

With this Holly looked directly into Lukes eyes and spoke

"What exactly do you consider yours Luke, you left me alone and pregnant. I was about to be deported and i had no one, no one but Robert and he stepped up for you because you weren't here. He took care of me, he trusted me, he loves me unconditionally and I love him"

Luke shifted uncomfortably in his seat not wanting to hear any of this but Holly continued

"Luke, no one here set out to hurt you. Robert and I shared a home, we shared a life and we shared my pregnancy. We shared this miracle, and the more Spencer grew within me the more my love for Robert grew"

.Luke put his head into his hands snd sighed

"It should have been me sharing those things with you English".

Robert and Holly looked at each other intently and Robert spoke

"Look Luke we want you to be part of Spencers life and when he is old enough to understand we will all sit down and explain to him that you are his biological father".

"That's very big of you Robert, offering to allow me to be a small part of my sons life"Luke replied sarcastically.

Holly sat up straight in her chair and spoke very slowly directly to Luke

"You will never be able to take Spencer from us Luke, we can offer him a home a family not to mention stability, what can you give him Luke?".

Luke stood up and walked over to the window Hollys words had been dead on, what did he have to offer a child? no job, no home, no money."Luke?" Roberts voice intruded on his thoughts.

"Luke, please we don't want to make this into a battle, Holly and i have talked a lot about this and we have decided to move to my home in Australia, raise Spencer there and we will write you with updates and send pictures and you can come and visit him as often as you like.We will be leaving as soon as a replacement is found for police commissioner in the meantime why don't you spend some time withSpencer and lets try to make the best out of this thing"

Luke turned and looked at his friend who had tears in his eyes and he knew Robert well enough to know that he was an honorable man and he would make good on all of his promises. Luke reached out to his dear friend for the first time in so long and let himself embrace Robert

"OK pal but you promise me, promise me to always always take care of them, they are both special ya know"

Robert felt himself choke up as he spoke

"Yea i know how special they are and I also know how hard this is for you to let go, I don't think I could ever let either one of them go Luke they are my family and my life"

. "Hey you two is this a private moment or can anyone join?" Holly said while taking each of their hands

"Come on guys lets go see our son"

And the three friends walked out of the diner and down to the docks laughing and joking about old times reaquainting themselves with the part of theirselves that had been absent for too long...