A Flower in War

Chapter Fifty-Five: The Same

"Robby?" Cal says softly into the receiver.
"Flower, I have to ditch this soon. I... I need to run. I'm sorry." Robby explains briefly.
"No, no, Robby if you run it'll only be worse for you. If you turn yourself in you'll have a better chance at a lower charge."
"I can't take that chance flower, and you can't help me or you'll be catching a charge. I just wanted to call you to tell you, I love you. I'm always going to love you but you deserve better than this, better than me. I never deserved you, I know that. But I love you and I wanted to be that for you and I'm so sorry I failed." Tears are shed on both sides of the phone as Robby speaks softly.

"I can't lose you Robby. Please." Cal cries.
"I'm so sorry flower. I'm so sorry."
"Don't apologize, just let me see you, please? Where are you? I'll come pick you up, we can just keep driving until we find a place we like!"
"We can't do that flower, you can't. You are one of the brightest people I know, both in intellect and temperament. You will do great things and you have done great things. So I cannot let you throw your life away for me, I won't let you do that."
"Please... please just let me see you? Just one last time?"
Robby sighs, wiping his face with his hand before nodding, "Okay. Okay. Where we first met, eight o'clock."
"Thank you."
"I love you flower. Always."
"Forever?" Cal asks.
"Forever." Robby nods to himself before he hangs up the phone and turns it off, throwing it in the back of the van.

-

"Cal." Robby smiles, watching her close the car door and rush over to him, enveloping him in a warm hug.
"I'm so sorry." He says softly, laying his forehead on her own.
"It's okay. It's okay."
"Miguel... is he?"
"He's not dead. He's in a coma. It's a waiting game now." Robby nods, kissing her forehead lightly.
"Please... please turn yourself in Robby. I don't want you to be running your whole life."
Robby sighs, hugging her closer, "I have a record Cal. They'll put me in juvie... I may never see you again unless it's behind bars."
"I won't let that happen."

"What if he dies?" Robby tears up, hoping and praying he didn't kill Miguel.
"He won't. He can't."
"I never meant for him to fly over the railing. I was just trying to get him away from me!"
"I know, I know. I was there. I know you didn't mean to." Cal reassures him holding his cheeks in her hands.
"I'm sorry. If you see him, will you tell him?"
"Of course. Of course I will." Cal nods, stroking her thumb over his cheek.

"How long do I get you for?" Robby asks softly.
"As long as you want me. I'm staying in a hotel for a bit. I got suspended for fighting."
"Oh flower, I'm so sorry."
"It's not your fault. We tried to stop Sam and Tory and it didn't work in our favor... You've been expelled."
"I figured." Robby nods, taking her hands from his face, holding them close.

"I brought you some clothes and food and such." Cal explains, taking him over to her car.
"Thank you."
"I know you don't want to take it but you're on the run, you need money." Cal hands him a small wad of bills.
"I can't take your money flower."
"I don't want you getting hurt okay? Just take enough for a skeezy motel room, please?" Robby nods, taking a few bills from the wad.
"I packed up everything in this backpack, it should be easy to carry around if you can't find a car."
"Oh... I uh... I kinda found one."
"Please tell me you didn't Jack it from someone?"
"No! No! It's uh... it's an old van from the auto shop..."
"How old?" Cal questions nervously.
"1993?"
"Okay, that's better than I thought... I'll see if I can get it off the records."

"Are you going to go back? To the LaRussos?"
Cal sighs, moving to sit in the trunk of her car, "I don't know yet. Dr. Kim said she would take me in if I made the drive but... I don't know. I'm going to the social security office and DMV to get my name change revoked."
"What about the dojo?"
"They'll probably contest my ownership now."
"God Cal, I'm sorry."
"I didn't stay away, I fought too. I may not have fought against Sam but I let her fight Tory knowing what she was capable of. She's in the hospital too. Tory got her arm pretty bad."
"I know what she did was wrong... but you forgave me... I think you should forgive her. She was blasted out of her mind, you know she would never want to hurt you like that. She loves you, and I know you love her." Robby puts his hand in Cal's, giving it a soft squeeze.
"I just need to be away for a bit. I need to get my head on straight." Robby nods, sitting down beside her in the trunk, letting her rest her head on his shoulder.

"I don't want to lose you. Please don't make me." Cal requests in a whisper, her voice shaking.
"Hey," Robby takes her head from his neck, tilting her chin up, "you'll never lose me flower. Never."
"Stay with me tonight? Please." Cal asks softly, staring up at him with glassy eyes.
"Okay. Yeah, okay." Robby nods, leaning down to give her a soft kiss.
"Thank you."

They decided to leave the van in case it got found out before he came back and headed to the hotel. Cal and Robby walked hand in hand through the lobby, Robby hiding himself with a hood throughout the entirety of their walk to the hotel room.
"This is me." Cal stops him, getting out her key card and sliding it over the doorknob. A little click sounds before Cal is pushing the door open and pulling him inside the modest hotel room. Cal wipes her eyes again as she closes the door behind them, hiding more tears from Robby.

Robby takes the backpack off, taking Cal's hand in his own and pulling her into him yet again.
"You can't hide from me flower. I know you too well." He whispers, kissing her forehead.
"I lose everyone important to me. My dad, Mr. Miyagi, the LaRussos, and now you!" Cal buries her face in his chest, "Why you? Why you?" She whispers, beginning to cry again.
"None of that loss was your fault. None of it. You've just... you've had a really rough go of things and I'm sorry I made it rougher by losing my cool. I should have stopped, I should have walked away and I didn't, that's on me, never on you. You didn't escalate things, you didn't start this, and you didn't finish it - you did what we all should have done, defend, not attack. I'm sorry, so sorry. I wish I could have done what you did. I'm so sorry. But you're the strongest out of all of us and for that reason I know you will get through this. I know you will do great things, and find great people again. You deserve that. You deserve so much more and I know you'll find it... but you can't find it if you help me, you can't find it if you don't let me go." Robby's voice cracks as he pulls her from his chest, watching the tears stream down her face.

"Don't. I'm already losing you, don't make me lose you quicker than I have to."
"I don't know if I'll have the strength to leave if I stay."
"Then don't leave. Stay with me. Please."
Robby sighs, kissing her forehead lightly, "I'll keep that promise, but come tomorrow... I'll have to go, and you'll have to let me."
"I don't want to." Cal whispers.
"I know. But you have to flower. For your own sake. I... I won't leave California, I promise. And if you go to the All Valley competition, I'll find a way to be there. I just... I can't stay with you. If I did, you and I both know you'd go to juvie for aiding and abetting, and I couldn't live with myself if that happened."
Cal nods, "Okay."
"Hey," Robby tilts her chin up so she's looking into his eyes, "I love you Calanthe. That'll never change. I promise you that."
"I love you too." Cal offers a shaky smile before she stands on her toes and lays a soft kiss on his lips.

"Let's go to bed flower." Robby whispers against her lips. Cal nods, kissing him again before going to her bag and grabbing some pjs.
"I packed you some too." She says, pointing to the backpack, making Robby smile at the thoughtfulness.
"Thank you."

The two changed quickly before getting into bed. Cal laid her head on his bare chest, her ear on his heart to make sure he was really there.
"Nothing will ever be the same, will it?" Cal asks, feeling Robby's hand tracing shapes on her back.
"No, it won't."