Chapter One:

Patrick walked into the hotel room with Sam, his body ready and his heart going along. She was gorgeous and sexy and it had been a long year. It was New Years Eve and that meant it was time for resolutions and new beginnings. It was time to move forward, fully.

"What's wrong? You seem a million miles away," Sam asked as she held his arm.

"No, I'm right here. I'm so glad we're together and you agreed to forgive me," he said and stroked her cheek.

"That's kind of something I wanted to talk to you about," she said as they walked to the couch.

Worried she changed her mind, he followed and loosened his tie.

"What's on your mind?"

Sam sat down and looked at him.

"I need to ask you something."

"Okay, that sounds ominous," he flashed his dimples at her.

"Why didn't Robin come home if Jason is dead?"

He sighed.

"She said her work wasn't done. She said she was close to helping so many more people and she couldn't leave. I don't know that I believed her because she just wanted us out of there. It doesn't matter anyway. She made her choice and I made mine."

Sam hesitated. She had grown to truly rely on Patrick and she considered him a great friend, if not more.

"Has she been in contact with Emma?"

Patrick stood up and crossed his arms.

"Why are you asking me about this?"

She stood up and faced him.

"I want to talk to Robin. I want to know what happened to Jason. I want to know what his last moments were like, if he was in pain, if he was scared. I want to know it all and I think she's the only one who can help answer those questions."

"Okay, so why ask about Emma?"

"Because I've already tried to find Robin and she's effectively disappeared. I was hoping maybe she had spoken to Emma and I could track her that way."

The sick feeling in his stomach that Patrick had been ignoring fro months came back.

"She stopped contacting Emma after she went to Paris."

Sam was confused.

"And you didn't think that was strange?"

"I don't really think our conversation should center around my ex wife," he said, dodging the question.

"Actually, I think it should. Your wife left you to save my husband, which she was unable to do. You are here with me and she is just staying away? After being held against her will and fighting to come home to you and Emma for two years? It has everything to do with our situation. I'm okay with you being over your wife, but you and I both know Robin would never abandon Emma. I think she might be in trouble."

Patrick was angry as he listened to her.

"Fine, great," he said and glared at her. "So what do you want me to do? Should I spend my entire life going after a woman who continues to choose a thug over me?" He immediately regretted his choice of words.

"Sam, I'm sorry. I just think you need to drop this."

"Look, I know how you feel about Jason. I also know that you were hurt when Robin left. What I don't understand, is how you expected her to be okay, knowing he was out there and she might possibly save him. It's not who she is and as much as I may have not liked how devoted to Robin Jason was, I always knew it wasn't romantic. They had a past, but it was just that, a past. What Robin did for Jason and what he did for her is something I admire because it enabled my husband to be the kind of man I adored. He had his moments of being truly amazing and loving and sensitive and much of that was due to how Robin showed him he was worthwhile. He didn't want her romantically and she didn't want him, but they were family in a way, and I respected that. If she had been in trouble, Jason would have moved heaven and earth to help him."

"And I didn't? Once again Jason is perfect and I'm the loser?" he asked angrily.

She was surprised at the passion in his response and realized it was more passion than she had seen from him in the past.

"No, but I wonder why she is suddenly off the map. I just wonder if she is okay," Sam said. "I'm surprised you don't."

He shrugged.

"She skyped with me and Emma and said the divorce papers were on the way and she was going to Paris. She said she messed everything up by leaving and Emma and I were better off without her. That was the last I heard from her. She signed the papers and that's that."

Sam was stunned.

"She was tortured for two years and then told you that you would be better off without her and you don't think that was out of character?"

Patrick sat down.

"What do you want me to say?"

Sam sat down next to him and put her hand on his thigh.

"I just wish you had told me everything."

"Do you want me to leave?"

She smiled.

"No. I asked you to spend the night and I meant it," she smiled and stood up. "I just want you to know that you can talk to me about anything. I want to be someone who you can confide in. I won't judge."

He took a long drink of his beer and sighed.

Robin always challenged him. She fought with him when he was wrong. She didn't just accept things.

"Patrick?" he looked up and stood there in her bra and panties. He forgot everything else and grinned as he stood up and pulled her into his arms.

It had been a long and tiring trip. Robin had very little with her; a bag of clothes and a credit card she took from Helena. She had taken out some money before she left, figuring it would be cancelled as soon as Helena figured out she was gone.

She had hitchhiked most of the way back to Port Charles. She went home, but nobody was there. She had seen a flyer for the New Years Eve party at the Metro Court, so she got on a bus to head over. She needed to see Patrick. She wanted to see Emma. She knew it was dangerous, but she didn't care. It took everything she had to outsmart Helena and escape and she didn't think it really worked like she thought. She was worried there were people right behind her.

It didn't matter. She needed to get home to Emma. She had missed so much of her daughter's life and that wasn't going to be the case anymore. She didn't care about anything else. She wanted to spend as much time as she could with her daughter.

She would fight Patrick for custody if she had to. It was clear to her, that he wasn't the man she thought. She was heartbroken that he divorced in the way he had and for the reasons he had. She also felt incredibly betrayed by her mother. That last skype call to both of them had been a cry for help and they both ignored it. She told them she felt she was better off alone and neither one of them came for her. Helena told her nobody cared and she was right.

Robin was a different person. She had changed, hardened in a way that she was afraid was permanent. She had been so stupid, believing in her cause and helping Jason.

The only bright spot was that Jason was home with his wife and son. At least one thing turned out as she hoped. She was a little worried that he hadn't come back for her after they split up, but maybe he didn't know she was in trouble.

That seemed weird to her, because he was the only one who knew just how much she gave up to help him. Robin told him how much she loved Patrick and how she wanted nothing more than to get home to him and Emma. He must have realized that she never made it home.

Why didn't he come look for her? Why didn't he tell Patrick and then both of them could look.

Her fear was that they did talk, and both decided that she wasn't worth it.

It was the final thought that broke her.

It was fine. She didn't need any of them. She saved herself and she would see her daughter to properly explain things before she couldn't. She was dizzy as she got off the bus and she was glad there was a bench nearby where she sat for a minute.

Her health wasn't good. She hadn't been on her protocol like she should. Helena withheld it as punishment and as much as Robin tried to explain that she wouldn't be helpful if she was sick, it didn't seem to phase Helena. Robin figured Helena didn't care if she lived or died.

Nobody seemed to.

That was fine. Robin was a survivor and that's what she was going to do.

She looked up at the sign for the Metro Court and she felt a little uncomfortable. She was wearing clothes that hung off of her because of her lack of food and care. Her hair was long and stringy and she hadn't had a proper shower in a long time.

It was New Years Eve and she was a mess. She didn't even realize it was New Years. Her tears came as she realized again how much time she had missed. She ran her fingers through her hair and pinched her cheeks, trying to make herself look more alive. She stood up and went into the hotel and up to the check in desk.

"Can I help you?" a worker asked, eyeing her suspiciously.

"My husband and I have a room and I forgot my key when I went to the car. I forgot the room number, but can you tell me which one it was? Please?"

"What's his name?"

"Dr. Patrick Drake."

"What are the last 4 of his social security?"

Robin told him and he smiled.

"Room 812."

"Thank you so much," Robin said and went to the elevators, stopping first in the public bathroom. She looked in the mirror and her tears came again. She looked like death.

She went into a stall and sat down, taking a minute to think. Why did he get a room? Was he with someone? Did she even care?

Of course she cared. She was beyond hurt and angry. She didn't want a confrontation. The divorce papers said it all. Maybe she should have just gone to the penthouse and stayed with Jason and Sam.

She worried that maybe she wasn't welcome there. She didn't know why he didn't come for her. She was sweating and she felt nauseous, but she was almost there. She just needed to know where her daughter was. That was all.

She got on the elevator and got off on the 8th floor, making her way to the room. She took a breath and knocked.

It seemed like forever, but finally the door opened and Sam stood there in a bathrobe.

"Robin? Oh my God," Sam said as she looked at the frail woman.

Robin was stunned.

"Sam? Why are you here? Is Jason here with you?" Robin asked, confused.

"Jason? What do you mean?" Sam asked, stunned.

"Sam, are you ready for round two?" Patrick asked as he walked in with a towel slung loosely around his hips. He froze when he saw them.

Robin looked at her husband and then at Sam.

"Robin?" he said brokenly.

"I'm sorry," Robin stammered. "Oh God," she turned and ran out of the room and toward the stairs. She tore down the darkened hall and opened the door to the stairs, taking them two at a time until she slipped and tumbled down the last few, hitting the floor and blacking out.