Chapter 18

"How are you feeling this morning?" Anna asked with a smile on her face as Robert came into the kitchen. She and Robin had already finished eating.

"The shower helped, now some coffee, I should be good." He walked over and kissed her on the cheek. "Sean agreed to be my best man last night."

Anna touched his shoulder, "I'm glad you asked him. I know that wasn't easy for you."

"No, it wasn't." He put his hand to his head, it hurt a little this morning because of the night before. "I know why he told us the truth now. It was the right thing to do. We should know the truth. I get all of that." He put his head back slightly and sighed. "None of that makes it any easy to accept what he did to us. At the same time, I know Sean has changed a lot since our time in Paris."

Pulling him into her arms she held him tight, knowing there was nothing that needed to be added to that. "And there are times when you miss your friend," she said knowingly.

"Yeah, that too." He leaned in and kissed her tenderly, "I think Tiffany will be in touch today to make sure the best man knows what to wear."

"Alright," Anna said with a smile. "I'm meeting with her Bobbie and Felicia later today for lunch."

Robert smiled as he put his arms around her. "In just a couple more days you are going to be my wife."

"Yes I am," she said as she put her arms around his neck, "and I couldn't be happier." She leaned in and kissed him lovingly.

When the kiss ended Robert leaned back and grinned at her, "I have to get to the office, do you need me for anything today?"

"If I do, I know how to find you," she said, still in his arms.

"Well alright then." Robert smiled then kissed her nose before turning to get a cup of coffee. Time to get the day started

…

Anna had a very productive day, she was fairly certain that the only thing left to do now was for her and Tiffany to pick up ties for Sean and Robert. Their wedding might not be a big fancy event but she did want their ties to match Felicia's dress. Their wedding pictures will look lovely, well as long as Robert and Sean can make it through a few pictures with smiles on their faces.

She was waiting for Tiffany, not far from her office, down by the waterfront. Tiff was just finishing up a story for the evening news so Anna had said to meet her here whenever she was done. Anna stood looking out at the water, as people went about their day around her. She paid no attention to them as she let herself think about everything she was looking forward to. The wedding will be simple but lovely, their honeymoon, mmm, that is going to be amazing. Then they will get to welcome the son into the world. She had a smile on her facing, as she pictured Robert holding their son. Rocking him at night, letting her relax on the bed after feeding him. Mmmm, she could picture it now, no shirt on as he smiles down at their baby boy. How incredibly handsome, so beautiful, it will also be sexy. Anna blushed a little glancing around, realizing she was getting caught up in her daydream. Robert is undeniably sexy and picturing him with their baby makes it that much better, she thought with a smile. This time he will actually be there. This time she doesn't have to dream about it.

"What's that smile about?"

Anna turned suddenly, putting her hand to her chest, "Duke! Oh, ah, I was just lost in thought." His voice breaking through her daydream had straddled her.

She had looked incredibly happy before he had spoken, it hurt him seeing the disappointment in her eyes now as she looked at him. "Sorry for the interruption but I would like to talk to you," he told her hoping she didn't hear the pain in his voice.

Why is it that he is here now wanting to talk? What had he called about the other day, was this really that important? She wondered. Well, Tiffany wasn't here yet, "Yeah alright, we can talk. I'm meeting Tiffany so it will have to be quick." If she talks to him now maybe he'll get whatever it is off his chest and it will be done with.

Duke glanced around, there were people around but he needed to know and if she wants to talk here then fine. "Anna, I need to ask you something."

"Alright." Anna wasn't really sure what this could be about, she thought she had told him enough about what had happened that he would understand why she left him.

He looked down at her stomach, there was very clearly a pregnant belly starting to show, even if she was wearing a loser blouse today. "I know you're further along than you want people to know. Are you planning on passing my child off as Scorpio's?" Duke asked bluntly. It was out there now, he couldn't take it back and he didn't think he wanted to. He had to know. Ever since hearing Amy talk about how far along she is. Duke couldn't stop himself from thinking about this.

Anna was shocked to hear him even ask her this, then she thought about it and understood why he could believe that. "Duke, I am telling you straight. I am not far enough along for this to be your baby."

"Right, and I'm expected to believe that!" He pointed at her stomach, "You're trying to hide how big you are. Why are you doing that, Anna?"

"If you must know, it's because I want Robert and I to be married before the entire city knows I'm having his child! We know full well that people are going to know that we were having an affair before you and I were separated. I actually thought I might be doing you a favour by not having that come out too soon."

"People already know!" he insisted loudly.

"And if you don't keep your voice down everyone that doesn't will find out about this the same way they did about me leaving you. By you yelling about it!" she said through gritted teeth as she leaned in so she wouldn't be overheard.

"I just want to know if I'm the father!" he insisted.

"No Duke. You are not the father!"

"I am your husband! Was, I was at the time. Now you're just going to stand there and claim that baby is Scorpio's?"

"Well yes, because this is Robert's baby," Anna said then looked around to see who might be there listening. "I cheated on you. Robert and I had unprotected sex and I got pregnant. You and I hadn't had sex for about three and a half weeks when that happened. I am almost five months pregnant, not almost six! I have gone over and over this, even before I told Robert. There is now why you can be the father, Duke."

"You're lying!"

"No, Duke, I am not." She reached for his hand but he pulled it away from her. "When the fighting about you working for Victor Jerome became almost a nightly occurrence we weren't having sex."

"That's not true!" Of course, they were, they might have been angry but they were still drawn to each other, they were still filling that basic need.

"What, yes it is." What is he thinking, Anna wondered. "There were nights you didn't even come home from the club."

Why is she denying this? The fighting, leading to them having amazingly hot sex. "Anna, come on. Why are you saying this?"

Was he really going to act like they were still having sex right up until she told him she wanted a separation? "Duke, I haven't been with you since my night with Robert. I hadn't slept with you for close to a month before that."

"I know for a fact," then his voice caught as his jaw dropped. "Oh, right. Um." Duke was lost for what to say, "Listen I, um," he put his hand to his head. "Oh ah, Tiffany is here. I should," he paused, "I should, um, be going." Then he turned and walked away quickly.

Anna watched him walk away as Tiff approached, glancing in the direction Duke had gone she asked, "What was that about?"

"I'm not entirely sure. He wanted to know if this baby is his." Anna paused glancing in the direction Duke had gone again. "I might be wrong but I think Duke was messing around on me a lot earlier than he might have let on to before," Anna said then turned to Tiffany. "I think he thought this might be his baby because he forgot who he had been sleeping with five months ago," she said putting her hand on her tummy.

"That baby is going to come out with that cocky little grin of Robert's and those amazing blue eyes and put any doubt out of everyone's mind," Tiffany told her confidently.

"Wouldn't that be wonderful, Robert's son, looking so much like him."

"Can this world handle two of them?" Tiffany asked with a laugh.

"There will be just enough Devane in there so he isn't exactly the same as his father," Anna said smiling back. "Come on let's get going. Once we have these ties then I can relax because then everything should be ready for Friday."

"Let's go then," Tiffany said as she took Anna's arm and the two friends walked off talking happily. The run-in with Duke quickly put out of her mind.

…

Laying in bed together Wednesday evening. Anna leaning back against Robert's chest with a pillow between her knees, "Comfy now?" he asked as he made slow circles on the side of her stomach.

Anna adjusted her shoulders a little getting even closer to him, "I am now, yeah," she said with a smile.

"That's good," he said as he nuzzled into her neck. He loved this, Anna says she sleeps best like this at the moment and that meant there was a lot of cuddling. Getting to hold her, getting to feel their baby kick. He'd had no idea how desperately he had wanted this until he had it again. How much he needed Anna in his life. The perfect life he wants, he can only have with her.

"Did I mention I ran into Duke this afternoon?"

"No, how did that go."

"Well, he found out that I'm further along than we are letting on to. That apparently meant he assumed this has to be his baby."

"Oh, was that why he'd called you the other day?"

"I assume so. He asked if I was planning on passing his child off as yours. I told him that he can't be the father because we weren't sleeping together then and he started to argue about it then stopped."

"You told me there is no way Duke can be the father," he said then kissed her shoulder.

"There isn't," she said with a grin. "I think he was having an affair, well maybe it was one night stands, but he got a little insistent that yes we were having sex at that time, then it was like something clicked in his mind and he couldn't get away from me fast enough. He was having angry sex with someone and that person definitely wasn't me."

"Mister possessive didn't have to play by the same rules he put in place for you." Robert had never cared for how Duke treated Anna. Yes, he may have loved her but he also saw her as a possession. As someone that he got to control because he saw her as his, more than an amazing woman he was lucky enough to have in his life.

"I don't know, his reaction seems to suggest that. I don't want to think about him right now. I've been very busy the last few days. Tomorrow I am getting spoiled at the spa with my girlfriends and the day after that I get to marry my perfect man."

"Yes, you do."

"That means tonight we should try to get some sleep," she said even as he kissed her neck.

"Are you sure that's what you want to do?" he asked with a little grin as he kissed his way closer to her ear.

"I am, I get to spend a week alone with you and I want to really enjoy that so it means I should try to get some sleep now."

"You do have a very good point," he said as he pulled her a little closer.

"Yes, I do. And trust me we will be spending a lot of our time doing what you're thinking about doing at the moment."

"We can figure out all your current favourite positions on our honeymoon," he said with a smile and kissed her neck once more.

Anna let out a little laugh. "And not just for sleeping." Anna turned her head and Robert leaned in and kissed her tenderly. "Good night, Darling."

"Good night, Luv."

Anna put her head down and closed her eyes. Nothing felt as wonderful as being here in his arms, she thought as she drifted off to sleep.

…

Thursday afternoon, Guy was waiting for Robert to finish signing off on some reports. "There you are. That was all of them right?"

"Yes, now you just have to hope nothing happens," he looked at his watch, "in the next hour and thirteen minutes," Guy said with a grin.

"Even if it does, that's your problem now," Robert told him smiling back. There was a knock at his door and Robert looked over at it then back to Guy, "I'm not kidding. If this is something major you're the one dealing with it. I am off for the next ten days."

"That doesn't start for another hour and," glancing at his watch, "twelve minutes." Then he opened the door, Sean was standing there so Guy stepped back and let him in. "I'll get out of here, I'm sure this is about something wedding related."

"Thanks, Guy, see you later, right," Sean said as he walked further into the office.

"Yeah, I'll be there." Then he turned and left the two men alone.

Sean was now standing by the chairs in front of the desk, Robert leaned back in his chair. "Have a seat." He didn't know what had brought Sean here but was willing to hear him out. He had taken the first step to putting the past behind them two nights ago.

"Don't mind if I do." Once he was seated he thought for a moment then leaned forwards. "I've been through a lot with the two of you. I've been there, I've seen you go through tremendous pain. Both you and Anna."

"That's true," Robert said with a nod.

"I know I caused a lot of that pain." Sean sat up straighter, "Do you know what this reminds me of?" Sean waited but Robert didn't say anything. "When I believed I had killed you on that tram. I was gutted, Anna was devastated." Sean paused thinking back to that time, Frisco yelling at him, the pain on Anna's face, the guilt he felt. "Then you took off that mask, I was so happy to see you, I didn't care what happened to me, all that mattered was that you were alive. I was so happy that you were alive I didn't care what I was facing."

"I still remember how your voice sounded calling my name," Robert said, remembering their fight and how he had managed to get to safety while Sean thought he had fallen to his death.

"I thought I had just killed my best friend." Sean looked Robert square in the eye, "This feels a lot like it did then. It doesn't matter what happens with me now. All that matters is that you and Anna are finally back together, where you belong. That's what's important."

"That was a very emotional time. My entire life changed over those couple months. Anna came back into my life, I found out about Robin," Robert trailed off, a smile on his face. His life had changed drastically in a matter of months, just like it had over the last few months.

"I was there when Anna believed you fell to your death, she was there waiting for the tram. She was destroyed believing you had died. I was there when you were desperate to find Anna when Putnam had her. I know how much you love each other. You were both married to other people but it was also very clear it was the love of your lives that was in peril."

Robert knew Sean knew them, knew what they feel for each other so, "What are you here to say?"

"All this time, no matter what happened. One thing was very clear, the two of you, that connection that you have, it was always there. You two love each other more than anyone. I am truly sorry for what I did, Robert. I want us to still be friends but I understand that this isn't something you are just going to get over either."

Robert nodded slowly as he thought about Sean's words. "I know when I look at my wedding pictures years from now, I'll be glad it's you there with me," Robert told him with a little grin. Baby steps he thought, they're moving forwards at least.

Sean grinned and nodded, he now felt certain that Robert wasn't angry enough to start anything so he said, "I've already talked to Alan Tony Steve and Tom. Guy's talking to the boys here, we're taking you out for drinks and there's no getting out of it." Sean informed him with a grin. "I'm your best man, did you really think there wouldn't be a bachelor party?"

"Now that's what I'm talking about. I knew you were the man for the job." Robert got up, a smile on his face. Just because they both knew there were still unresolved issues between them, it didn't mean everyone needed to know that. This is the last time he is getting married, might as well enjoy everything that comes with that.