How To Save A Life [A Robert Downey Jr. Fan-Fic]

Chapter 10: Paris

I decided to leave Liz some space to deal with the whole new situation. She surely needed some time on her own without being haunted by the ghost of her patient's dead wife. Although she was really strong and tough but this was enough to stretch her patience for one day.

Instead, I kept watching over Robert again, protecting him from the darkness and sorrow inside.

He was at home, sitting on the couch. The light was dimmed, a bottle of scotch on the table in front of him, a glass in his hands. I sat down right next to him, regarding him closely as he stared at the bottle in front of him. The flickering flames of the chimney reflected in his caramel eyes.

"Don't, Robert", I mumbled quietly and reached out for his hand, "Just don't."

He swallowed hard and I recognized that he tried to be strong, fighting against the desire of drowning his sorrow with alcohol.

"You have to fight, Robbie", I added, softly stroking his back, "You don't need this."

Then I had an idea. I wasn't sure if it was going to work but lately it seemed as if everything was possible. So I gave it a try. I closed my eyes, trying to project my thoughts onto his mind.

"Thanks", I mumbled and blushed as I sat down at the table across from Robert who couldn't keep his eyes off me, "Um... You're staring at me, Robert."

"I am", he agreed smirkingly and his eyes crinkled, "I can't do anything against it."

Immediately, a young waiter joined our table.

"Bonsoir, Mademoiselle Deveraux. Monsieur", he greeted and smiled at us.

"Bonsoir, Guillaume", I replied politely, "Je prends le plat du jour et pour mon accompagnateur..."

Suddenly, Robert interrupted me.

"Well, apparently they don't teach French in jail but... I'll take the same as the lady." He smirked at the waiter.

"Of course", Guillaume agreed with a French accent and smiled back at us before leaving us alone.

"I gotta admit, you speaking French is probably the hottest thing I've ever heard", he complimented on me.

I giggled like a teenage girl.

"You have absolutely no clue what you've just ordered, right?", I countered jokingly.

"No, not the slightest", he admitted honestly and started to laugh.

The waiter came back and placed our dinner on the table with the flickering candle.

"Bon appetite", he said politely.

"Merci beaucoup", I replied, smiling at him before he left us again.

"I assume you've already been here a few times, Miss Deveraux", Robert mumbled and especially enhanced my name, "I hope not with another guy, boyfriend or- for gods sake- your husband..."

I smirked at him.

"If I was married I'd surely not go on a date with you, Mr. Downey", I countered smirkingly and enhanced his name like he did before.

"Ah, so you agree, this is a date?", he wanted to know curiously.

"Probably", I agreed and couldn't hide the smile on my lips.

"You're really not making this easy for me", he mumbled quietly and started to eat.

"I never intended to", I replied honestly and smirked at him.

I really enjoyed torturing him. He was too self confident and narcissistic, I just couldn't make it easy for him. But that was only half the truth. The other part was that I didn't want to admit my growing feelings towards him. He was an actor. I had a real job. He lived in the US, I lived here in France. There was no way, this would ever work out.

How wrong I was!

Robert gently helped me to put on my coat as we were about to exit the restaurant.

"Mademoiselle Deveraux!", Guillaume suddenly yelled after me and handed me a little bag.

"Oh, j'ai oublié", I apologized and grabbed the bag, "Merci beaucoup, Guillaume."

"What's in there?", Robert asked curiously as we exited the restaurant and walked along the streets of Paris at night.

"Never mind", I replied smirkingly as he gently laid his arm around my waist.

For a second, I simply stared at him, his caramel eyes examining me closely.

"You're a mysterious woman, Kate Deveraux", he mumbled as I got completely lost in his eyes.

"I'm just a person who doesn't trust people easily", I countered apathetically.

"Then, how can I gain your trust, Miss?", he wanted to know and smirked at me.

"Honesty", I answered quietly, "That's all I'm asking for."

"Well, then I gotta tell you that you're looking absolutely stunning tonight", he complimented on me again.

I smiled and couldn't hide I was blushing.

Suddenly, I stopped as I recognized the middle- aged man sitting in front of the huge building like every night.

"Excuse me for a second", I whispered and left Robert behind, walking over to the familiar man.

"Bonsoir, Jean-Pierre", I greeted politely and kneed down in front of him.

"Kate?", he asked, his voice was weak.

I nodded slightly and handed him the bag Guillaume gave me earlier.

"Merci beaucoup", he thanked me quietly and held my hands in his. His skin was cold and rough.

"Bon appetite", I whispered and smiled at him before I got up and went back to Robert who waited for me in the dimmed light of the street lamps.

"You're the Good Samaritan of Paris, aren't you?", he asked as soon as I reached him again.

"This world is already bad enough", I replied quietly, "We don't have to make it worse."

For a while, he simply stared at me. Then he walked away and put off his black coat.

"Here, man", he said and kneed down in front of Jean-Pierre, handing his coat to him.

"Merci, Monsieur", he thanked Robert and grabbed his hands, "Merci beaucoup!"

I crossed my arms and watched him as he came back to me. Maybe he was more than just the one he pretended to be.

Immediately, I had to smile.

"That was the moment I fell in love with you", I explained and softly kissed his cheek.

I recognized his eyes filling with tears before he set aside his glass.

"I'm here for you, Robbie", I whispered and wrapped my arms around him, holding him close to me, "I'll always love you."

He swallowed hard.

"I love you, Kate", he sobbed quietly and closed his eyes, "And if you're able to hear me, I want you to know that I will always do. There'll never be anyone like you. Everything's meaningless when you're not there to experience it with me. You're the only one who has ever known who I really was! I love you and I just wanted you to know..."

"I do, Robbie", I mumbled and wiped away the tears in my eyes, "I do."