CHAPTER 13: Eclipse

Few days later.

Bobby got up early, he had a lot of things to do that day. He left Ann sleeping in the bed and he went in the bathroom to have a warm and regenerating shower, he really needed that. He walked out, wearing his blue bathrobe and he noticed that Ann was awake and she was sat on the bed with her back laid against the headboard. 'Good morning, honey' he said, smiling as he walked over to her.

'Good morning, Bobby' she said, smiling back at him. Bobby reached the bed, gave her a sweet kiss and sat on the edge of the bed, next to her. He held her hand gently. 'You didn't wake me up' she said.

'It's early and you were sleeping so well, I didn't want to wake you up from your dreams. You looked so peaceful, Annie' he said, caressing her hand.

'You are my dream, Bobby. A dream came true' she said, smiling.

He caressed her face. 'I love you, Annie' he said, kissing her, then he put his hand on her belly and whispered 'I love you both'. She smiled and hugged him. Bobby didn't want it to end but he needed to get dressed, it was quite a cold morning. He walked over to the wardrobe, took a black checkered shirt and a pair of black jeans and he started to dress while Ann got out of the bed. He turned to her and lost himself watching her. She was wearing a blue night gown, her hair was uncombed, no makeup, sleep was in her eyes but she was radiant and the fact that she was pregnant made her even more perfect. 'What?' she asked, bringing him back to earth. She noticed that he was staring at her.

'Nothing, I was just watching my beautiful wife' he said, smiling. She walked over to him and gave him a sweet kiss.

'I'll be down in a couple of minutes' she said, starting to walk over to the bathroom.

'I'll wait for you ' he said, finishing dressing. He took his cell phone from the bedside table and he walked downstairs to have some breakfast. He walked in the kitchen and saw his son talking with his nephew, John Ross. He didn't expect him for breakfast, but he was happy to see them in good relations, even after all that had happened between him and his brother, JR. 'Good morning guys' he said and they both turned to him.

'Hey dad'.

'Hi, uncle Bobby. Christopher just told me about the news. Congratulations!' John Ross said.

'Thank you, son' he said, patting his nephew's shoulder.

'Where's Ann? I'd like to congratulate her too' he said.

'She'll be down in a couple of minutes. But now, let's start having breakfast' Bobby said, starting to walk over to the table, followed by them. Sitting at the table with Christopher and John Ross, brought some memories in his mind. He remembered the moments with the family at dinner, the outside breakfasts on the porch and close to the pool. A lot of things changed during those years. *Maybe they will never be like JR and me* he thought.

'Dad, are you sure Ann will come down? It's been a while since you came down' Christopher said, interrupting his thoughts. Christopher was right. *She should be down by now. Where is she?* he wondered.

'Yeah. Well, I'll go upstairs to check her and then I will go to the stables' Bobby said, standing up. 'You should stop by more often, John Ross, it's good to have you here. See you later Christopher' he continued.

'Sure, I will, uncle Bobby' John Ross said to him.

'Bye dad'. Bobby started to walk out of the kitchen to go upstairs to Ann. He was sure that she was fine. *Maybe she just decided to have a shower before having breakfast* he guessed. Walking upstairs, he heard the noise of the water coming from his room. *As I thought* he thought. He walked in the bedroom and he was surprised to see her standing up next to the bed. She was still wearing her night gown and she was looking at her hands, trembling. 'Annie?' he said with a worried tone, starting to walk over to her. She rose her head and he was chilled by her gaze full of pain and terror. 'Annie? What happened?' he rose his voice. She didn't say anything, she just showed him her hands. Blood. The palms of her hands were covered in blood. Bobby couldn't believe what he was seeing. 'Ann, what happened?' he asked her again, without getting a reply from her. He noticed that there were some blood on her legs. The baby. He didn't have time to think the worst because Ann fainted in front of him and he caught her before she could hit the ground. 'Annie!' he screamed, laying her on the ground. Bobby heard the noises of chairs from the kitchen downstairs.

'Dad? What happened?' Christopher screamed. John Ross and his son were running upstairs.

'Christopher call 911. NOW!' he yelled, still holding Ann in his arms.

John Ross ran in the bedroom and stopped in front of them. 'Uncle Bobby, what happened?' he asked, scared.

'I don't know. She has some blood on her hands and on her legs' he responded to him.

Bobby heard Christopher saying into the phone: 'We need an ambulance at Southfork ranch, now'. Everything around Bobby suddenly sounded so quiet, all he could think about was Ann in his arms, laid on the ground, unconscious. 'No, no Annie. Come on, wake up' he said, fighting back the tears and caressing her face. All the worst thoughts came into his mind.

Darkness.

The last thing she could remember was Bobby looking at her hands with blood on them and nothing else.

She wanted to take a fast shower before breakfast. She went into the bathroom and she turned the water on in the shower to get it warmer before she got inside. She walked out the bathroom and went to the wardrobe to pick something to wear. She remained in front of the wardrobe for a few minutes before she chose a blue long-sleeved sweater and a pair of white jeans, she always loved the combination of blue and white. Her cell phone started to vibrate, she picked the clothes, closed the wardrobe and turned to her bedside table. She put the clothes on the bed. Walking over to the bed side table, she had a lacerating twinge in her belly and she almost fell to the ground for the pain but she leaned on the bed. She tried to call Bobby but the pain was too much to speak. She was shocked when she saw that some blood was coming down her legs. *Oh no, the baby* she thought, scared as hell. Something had happened to the baby, she was sure about that.

Ann slowly opened her eyes, a big light was over her, a neon light. She was in a hospital room. She heard some noises in the room and then she saw Bobby walking over to her. He sat at the edge of the bed next to her like he did that morning but something had changed. 'Oh Annie, you're awake' he whispered, caressing her face. He had cried, she could see that in his eyes. She tried to fight back the tears because she already knew what he was about to say. 'Annie, I.. I'm so sorry..' he was trying to talk, shaking his head.

'NO!' she screamed, bursting into tears. 'No, no, no' she kept saying. Bobby held her in his arms trying to calm her down, failing. *It can't be true. Not again* she thought. 'We lost the baby and all because of me' she said, without stopping crying. She felt a pang in her heart saying those words, even if it was the truth.

'What?' Bobby said, moving her so he could see her face. 'Annie, it's not your fault. The doctors said that..'

'You don't understand, Bobby. We lost the baby because of me. I am the problem!' she said, interrupting him. She couldn't believe it, she had lost another baby, Bobby's baby. She wanted to make him happy so badly and she would have done anything to be a mother again.

'Annie, what are you talking about? It wasn't your fault!' Bobby tried to convince her, but deep inside she knew it was her fault. Bobby knew only a small part about her marriage with Harris Ryland and nothing about what had happened to their daughter Emma. She died inside the day she lost her baby at the state fair, but facing the same pain again looked impossible for her. She held onto Bobby and hid her face against his chest, crying. Bobby didn't say anything, he just hugged her. The tears still running out of her eyes.

Bobby was sat on the armchair next to the bed. Ann was trying to take some sleep but he knew she wasn't sleeping. She told him that she needed to get some rest before the curettage and he let her try to get it. Watching her, he couldn't help but think about what she had said before. We lost the baby because of me. I am the problem. *Why did she even think that?* he thought. It's my fault. She didn't do anything stupid to endanger the child's life. Miscarriages happen but he was worried about her reaction. His thoughts were interrupted by Sue Ellen, she was out of the room. 'Annie?' he said. She opened her eyes, without saying anything. 'Sue Ellen is here' he said.

'Tell her that I'm sorry but I don't want to see anyone' she responded to him.

'Honey, it's Sue Ellen' he insisted.

'Please, Bobby' she said and closed her eyes again before he could say nothing else. Bobby kissed her forehead and he started to walk over to his friend. He walked out of the room and closed the door behind him. Sue Ellen hugged him before saying anything.

'Oh Bobby, I'm so sorry for you and Ann' she said with a sad tone.

'Thank you, Sue Ellen' he said, with a sad smile.

'How is she? Can I see her?' she asked.

'Not good, actually. She asked me to tell you that she's sorry but she doesn't want to see anyone' he said, worried.

'Well, it's understandable, Bobby. She just lost a baby' she said, putting her hand on his shoulder.

'I know that Sue Ellen, but I'm afraid of her reaction. She doesn't want to see anybody, she barely talks to the doctors and even less to me. And I can't what she said before off my mind' Bobby replied. Sue Ellen didn't say anything, she watched him and she waited till he was ready to continue. 'She blames herself for it. She said that the miscarriage happened because she is the problem'.

'Bobby, after losing a baby, a lot of women think that about themselves. She just needs some time, don't worry. She'll be fine' she said with a sweet and sincere tone. Bobby smiled at her. 'Has she already done the curettage?' she asked.

'Not yet. The doctors will be here in a couple of minutes but she said that she wants to stay alone during it and after that she can come home' he said.

'What? She doesn't want you with her during the curettage?' she asked, quite shocked. Bobby nodded his head. Something was wrong with her, he just knew that and he couldn't help her.

He had just lost his baby, he couldn't lose Ann too.

Late night.

Ann was laying in her bed and Bobby was next to her, sleeping.

It started to rain when Bobby was driving home from the hospital and it hadn't stopped yet. She hadn't said a word since they left the hospital. Her belly was hurting since the curettage but she was glad that she could spend the night at her home. They arrived at Southfork and went inside from the main door. She wasn't in the right mood to see anyone so she told Bobby that she would go upstairs to get some rest and he just gave her a kiss on her cheek.

A couple of hours before she heard that Bobby was coming upstairs and she pretended to sleep so she didn't have to face him. It was too hard for her watching Bobby's gaze. Before he went in the bed, he went on her side of the bed and gave her a kiss on her forehead. She had to fight back the tears at that kiss, but fortunately she didn't burst into tears. Few hours had passed since Bobby fell asleep and everything she could think about was the baby that she lost. *I can't stay here any longer* she thought. Ann slowly got out of the bed and took her jeans from the bathroom. She walked downstairs, trying to not make any noise. She went in the living room, she wore the jeans and her coat and she walked out of the house. She reached her car under the rain and she jumped in it. She started the engine and she drove out of the parking.

She had no idea of where she was going, she just needed to leave Southfork.

*It's my fault, we lost the baby because of me. I am the problem* she kept thinking.

PS. I'm so sorry but she had to lose the baby. This story is what I imagine it happened before what we see in the show and since they don't have a baby, she couldn't have a baby here. You know how much I love Ann & Bobby together but it was the only way. Please don't hate me.