Robert, Holly and Luke have been in the cabin together for two days waiting out thunder storms that had rolled in soon after their arrival . Mac and the authorities havn't been able to use a helicopter due to the inclement weather nor have they been able to search on the ground due to possible mud slides.

"Robert, I think one of us need to take the ATV down the mountain to the nearest town and find out the latest news and get supplies" Luke said while Holly was in the bedroom of the cabin resting.

"I was thinking of something along those lines myself mate, I could go and be back early tomorrow"

Luke shook his head negatively thinking to himself that Robert and Holly needed to spend some time alone to work out the tension between them "I'm sorry pal but I am the one who needs to go, I can blend into that little hick town and you and your aussie accent would stand out like a sore thumb"

Robert started to protest but looking at the determined look on Lukes face he knew it wouldn't do any good. "OK, you may have a point there buddy but you need to be careful out there, let's talk to Holly and see if she needs anything from town"

Robert and Luke told Holly of their plans as the trio made a list of supplies for Luke to bring back from town and after donning some warmer clothes found in the cabin Luke was off on the ATV heading to the nearby town.

"Robert Luke has been gone for several hours, how long do you think it will take for him to come back?" Holly asked as she paced in front of the wood stove in the main room.

"He may be gone until morning luv, depending on the weather and if he runs into trouble" Robert watched Holly pace and could tell she was extremely agitated because of the situation at hand. Holly was never a very patient person and it seemed to Robert that she was more impatient than ever.

"Why don't you sit down Holly, we can talk if you want" Robert said while trying not to appear to be studying her too closely.

Holly sat down at the table across from Robert and watched as he played out a game of solitaire

"So what did you want to talk about?" Holly asked, feeling as if she would implode if she couldn't at least clear some of the air between herself and Robert.

"Well why don't you start by telling me how you came to be involved with Helena Cassadine? Robert asked pointedly

Holly sighed deeply and looked Robert directly in the eye as she started to speak "I was working at my gallery in Sydney one day when a young man came in asking if I would like to show his work, he had one piece with him and it was very very good and i was anxious to see more so I agreed to meet him at his loft to view more. I arrived early the next day as agreed and he was there with an older woman I had never met before, she was very friendly and sophisticated which did intrigue me a bit because I was under the impression that the young man was merely a starving artist not someone likely to be friendly with a person such as this." Robert seemed very interested in her story as he had been very quiet and listening intently, he nodded his head for her to continue.

"So as I was saying she was very friendly and offered me some tea which I accepted and after a few moments I became a bit light headed and now that I think back on it they seemed to expect that because immediately I was instructed to lie on the sofa"

"They drugged your tea then?" Robert asked

"Yes, yes i do believe so" Holly replied thoughtfully

"After that day my memories are very blurry to say the least but i do remember seeing your news conference on the television and feeling..."

"Feeling what?" asked Robert

"I, I felt overwhelming joy because I honestly thought you were dead and I remember Helena saying things to me such as "HE abandoned you Holly", "He let you grieve him", "He cared very little for you Holly" as Holly related this to Robert he noticed the unshed tears in her eyes and felt a pang of guilt perhaps or perhaps it was mere sadness.

"At the time I left Port Charles Holly I was under the impression that you wanted a divorce, that's why I arranged to have the divorce papers sent to you" Robert said as he hesitantly reached out and touched her hand. Holly flinched as if she had been burned so Robert immediately removed his hand thinking he had overstepped his boundaries.

"So umm what do you remember next?" Robert asked while averting his gaze from her face.

"Your voice on the telephone", "I remember hearing your voice on the other end and it was if I had been transported to another place, of course Helenas doctor was in the room with me at the time and he did something"

"He did something, what did he do?" Robert asked

"It was the music, I think the music triggered something inside at that point it seemed as if I was watching myself from the outside in" Holly rested her head in her hands and started to weep in earnest. Robert felt as if he had been punched in the gut at the sound of her soft crying so he decided to do what came naturally and reached for her hand which she took very hesitantly and let herself be pulled to a standing position. The sobs became louder as Holly realized that he meant to hold her, there had been so many times in the past thirteen years where she would have given anything to feel his arms around her again . She felt Roberts arms wrap around her body and for the first time in longer than she cared to remember she let herself go and cried tears ofhurt, anger, joy, love and most of all regret.

"It's Ok now luv, I won't let anyone else hurt you" Robert crooned and she felt his hot breath on her ear which made her shiver, Robert took this as she was cold and held her tighter to his body and gently kissed her forehead.

Roberts mind and emotions were all jumbled, he didn't want to be this close to Holly but he couldn't remove his arms. It was if they were sealed to her. He really honestly didn't mean to kiss her head or whisper into her ear but the urge to return to habits that were once akin to breathing was impossible to resist. And when his lips brushed over her ears and he smelled that distinct Holly smell he was no longer in control of his senses he had to taste her lips, just once he needed to remember what they tasted like.

Holly was engulfed in a fire that had grown from an ember to a raging inferno so quickly she never had a chance of escaping it, his lips were on hers teasing in a slow torturous kiss, Roberts hands were holding either side of her face as if he were afraid she would try to escape. How odd she thought, escape was the last thing on her mind at this moment.

Robert felt himself being sucked into a vortex of desire that only Holly had ever ignited to this degree. He stopped kissing her and stood motionless nose to nose with with the one woman who had the ability to completelty unman him. After some effort he regained control of his breathing and opened his eyes to find Holly staring at him intently, her lips were swollen and her face was flushed and as she opened her mouth to speak he slowly put his finger to her lips as if to stop the words. Holly reached up and took his hand into hers kissing the knuckles as she did so, she could see the war raging inside Robert and she didn't want him to fight as she had no intentions of fighting so she spoke

"Robert" she said softly and hesitantly "Robert please don't think now, lets just use what time we have together please, I want you like I have never wanted another man so please please make love to me"

The words were like gas to a fire for Robert as he grabbed her shoulders perhaps a bit rougher than he expected and he kissed her with everything that he owned. He was consumed. Holly felt the tears spring to her eyes again but they weren't tears of sadness they were instead tears of joy and tears of love, love for this man to whom she had given her heart once and never taken it back. Dark descended quickly which left the little cabin bathed in candle light as the two lovers slowly and joyously consumated their love for the first time in nineteen years as the radio softly played in the background

"chances are i'll see you somewhere in my dreams tonight

you'll be smiling like the night we met

chances are i'll hold you and i'll offer all I have

you're the only one I can't forget

Baby you're the best i've ever met"

"And i'll be dreaming of the future

and hoping you'll be by my side

And in the morning i'll be longing

for the night, for the night"

And the tune played on as bodies renewed a passion long neglected in two souls starved for what only the other could provide...to be continued