The Truth Will Out – Part Two

Part Eighteen of the Robyn series.

In foolish and devastating haste he had allowed three words to fall from his lips, words that now hung in the air underneath a torturous silence. Nothing he could say now or ever hope to say could take back those words or give him any hope of denying them. Filled with shame he looked to the person to whom he had let the words slip and bowed his head when her painfully expressive features displayed a contorted mixture of emotions; anger, shame and confusion mingled with regret and venomous accusation. Too frightened to see the same accusation in those equally expressive eyes he kept his head bowed though he knew that more had to be said.

Slowly, as if wound like a clockwork toy, the listener moved towards the speaker, their movements as graceful as a cloud passing through an empty sky. With deliberate gentleness she lifted the speaker's head forcing him to look at her. Fixing her eyes onto his she smiled a smile of unidentifiable emotion. So enthralled by this strange action was the speaker that he was caught completely off guard, before his mind could register what was happening the listener spat in his face. Wiping the spittle from his face and eyes he turned round and saw her moving away.

"Robyn, wait!" Sportacus called after the retreating figure. "Please, we need to talk."

This time Robyn didn't stop. She continued walking desperately hoping that he wouldn't follow, that he would leave her alone. Part of her wanted to return to him to hear what it was he evidently wanted to say but it was only a small part trapped in a whirlwind of emotions spinning ever faster towards total destruction. Through the haze filling her mind and clouding her judgement she heard him run towards her and then past her. Lifting her eyes to see where he had gone she saw him standing ahead of her and knew that she would be able to retreat no further. Refusing to look at him she stopped walking and waited for him to make his next move.

Sportacus clasped Robyn's shoulders gently but firmly in his hands. When she offered no resistance to being stopped he released one of her shoulders and tilted her chin with finger from his free hand. He wasn't surprised to see tears filling her eyes and sliding down he cheeks in silent motion. Keeping a grip on his own emotions he pulled her to him and wrapped his arms around her only for her to push him away.

"Don't touch me," Robyn whispered sharply.

Closing his eyes briefly Sportacus spoke, "Robyn, let me explain."

"What is there to explain? I would have thought that you sleeping with your sister needed very little explanation."

"I had no choice. It was the only way I could get her to leave town, it happened the first time she came here. We had an argument in the airship and she hit me. If I didn't do it she was going to hurt the kids."

"You've done it before haven't you?"

Sportacus turned away. He couldn't deny it. It had happened before, a long time ago but it had happened. Before becoming a hero he had fallen for Lily's tricks and crossed barriers not meant to be crossed. As much as he had wanted to stop it he'd become trapped by Lily's evil and tarnished beyond redemption. If it hadn't been for his witnessing just how low his sister could sink and how low he had sunk by comparison he would never have changed his life. Even though nearly twenty one years had passed he still felt bitterly ashamed of what he had done that day, of undoing all of the progress he had made.

Knowing the answer from Sportacus' actions Robyn lowered her head, "You slept with her, not once but twice. Do you have any idea how dirty that makes me feel?"

"I'm sorry Robyn,"

"Sorry? If you were sorry you would have told me long before now, before I knew who my mother was or even cared. You should have told me seventeen years ago when…when the man I thought was my father died."

"What was I supposed to say, 'Don't worry Robyn, your father isn't dead. He's standing right next to you. Yes, that's right, I'm your father'?"

"It would have done. It would have been better than letting me suffer for those fourteen years he was dead. You know, I think of you and I think of what Grigori did to Kit and I can see myself understanding what Kit was feeling. I can understand why he hit me."

Sportacus whirled round to face Robyn, "I am not like Grigori! I spent fourteen years bringing you up, never once did I abandon you."

"Not as an uncle but as a father and that is the worst kind of betrayal. Out of all the people I know and love in this world I looked up to you the most but now I see that despite your lofty declarations you are just as bad as her."

Shocked to silence by Robyn's words Sportacus did nothing to stop her nor did he call her back when she walked around him and carried on in the direction she had been heading before. What she had said was true and there was no denying it. He knew he had wronged her and wondered if he ever would have told her the truth if it hadn't been revealed that Robbie wasn't her father. Grasping on to one last tenuous hope that he might still salvage something between himself and Robyn he followed her. He had almost reached her when his crystal glowed.

Robyn heard the crystal's beeping and turned around, "Shouldn't you forget about following me and worry about what's going on in town?"

"I can't leave things like this between us."

"You have no choice. There is nothing more to be said between us."

"We have to try and fix things."

"We? I didn't lie to me for nearly twenty one years. I didn't let another man think that he was my father while you played uncle. And I certainly didn't tell you to let me suffer all those years while you sat back and watched. Don't try to turn any of what you did onto me! You lied to me; you pretended to be my uncle for all those years when you should have practiced what you preach and told me the truth. I hate you for that!"

"Robyn, don't do this."

"Drop dead! Go on! It's not like I'd miss you anyway! If you want to fix things between us do that, at least then I wouldn't have to tell anyone that I'm your bastard child." Robyn shouted with utter vehemence.

Deeply wounded by what Robyn had said Sportacus turned away with tears brimming in his eyes and ran towards town. He didn't see the tears rolling down Robyn's cheeks after she had unleashed whatever anger remained in her at him nor did he see her sink to the ground as she was pulled down by the sheer weight of her sorrow.