I Got the Boy and She Got the Man
~c o c~
I got the first kiss and she'll get the last.
She's got the future, I got the past
~c o c~
Gently taking the blue silk dress out of the dry cleaning bag, Robin Scorpio takes a deep breath in as she stares down at the dress in her hands, finding it harder and harder to keep the past from her thoughts as she prepares for the wedding of the year. The Quartermaines have gone all out for this wedding, as they should, given the groom. Its funny how far they've come with their golden child since that fateful tragedy took him from them so many years ago. To think that they've finally gained a balance with each other gives Robin a sense of content as she prepares to stand up for the bride.
Laying the dress down upon her king sized bed, Robin lets her hair down out of the bun it had been in while she was at work that morning, allowing her brown locks to flow down her back freely. So much in her life has changed so drastically and, like many times before, its in the silent times that she reflects back on the girl she used to be. Back to when her life had been just about as opposite to her current life as it could get. To think that there had been a time where she could have been the one walking down the isle at this wedding, my, how life can change so easily. One choice and everything changes.
Peeling away the clothes of the day, she carefully steps away from the pile of clothing and makes her way into her bathroom, needing to get ready and head to the church to meet up with the bride. With a heavy sigh, she turns on an equal amount of hot and cold water to keep the water warm before she steps beneath its pouring caress. Nothing feels better than warm water running down your back after a hard day of work. Its one of the many things she's come to rely on in this stage of her life. As she uses her hands to brace herself, allowing the water to trail down the length of her body, Robin's mind is taken back to the moment it all truly started with them. The moment that changed things between them forever.
"I tell you I'm HIV+ and your first instinct is to kiss me?"
"Maybe its that whacked frontal lobe."
"This isn't funny, Jason."
"Maybe not." he replied so simply. "I just...liked how your mouth look. Kind of trembly, but strong at the same time and I wondered how it would feel to kiss you, so, I did."
It had thrown her when he suggested he'd leave town if she had deemed his presence too much for her. Looking back on it now, a part of her will always be regretful for being too selfish to let him walk away, for being the reason why he had entered into the life he had. If not for her, Jason would have been in some unknown town, far away from Port Charles and far out of Sonny's reach. Till this day, her part in his life still eats at him, uncertain if she'll ever be able to forgive herself for sentencing him to the life. She knew the danger from Stone's role in Sonny's business, but she didn't think on it. Why didn't she convince him to take it to Mac? Had it been some unconscious choice on her part?
"Yeah?" she answers the phone before glancing at the clock on the wall, noting that she was running late. "Oh, hey, Elizabeth."
"Hey." her best friend replies with a loving tone. "I was starting to get worried. You said you'd meet me at the church a half hour ago."
"Right. I'm sorry." she says sincerely. "I'm on my way. Promise. Just running a little late."
"That's okay." Elizabeth waves away her apology. "I just wanted to make sure you were okay."
"Y-Yeah, of course." she laughs softly. "I'm fine. I'll be there soon."
"Great." Elizabeth says brightly. "See you then."
Ending the call, Robin slips into her dress before grabbing her purse from the bedside table, deciding that she will fix her hair and makeup at the church in the bridal quarters. Locking up her apartment, she makes her way down to her car, driving as fast as legally allowed to make it to the church in record speed. Stepping out of the driver's seat, Robin quickly fixes her dress, speed walking the entire way to meet up with Elizabeth, finding her in the bridal quarters with the other women. Accepting the hug from her best friend, Robin greets the others with a warm smile.
"Oh, darling, we were starting to get worried." Anna, her mother, comments as she hugs her in greeting. "Elizabeth almost sent everyone out to look for you."
"I worry." Elizabeth says with a soft chuckle. "Sue me."
"Come on." Robin laughs softly. "Lets get you ready for your wedding."
"Yes, please." Elizabeth says gratefully. "You're the only one I know that can do my hair the way I want it done."
"Not for lack of trying, I'll tell you that." Anna points out, gesturing to the bobby pins laid out on the vanity. "Her hair's just too wild for my skill set."
"Elizabeth has always had wild hair." Bobbie points out. "I always wondered how she kept them under control."
"Its not easy, believe me." Elizabeth laughs. "I've broken quite a few brushes in my day."
"My favorite one fell among them, as well." Robin places one hand over her heart teasingly. "May it forever rest in peace."
"Hey, I replaced it with an entire brush set." Elizabeth counters before shaking her head with a soft laugh. "We better finish getting ready before I end up missing my own wedding."
Standing behind Elizabeth, she gently brushes her hair out, skillfully getting started on pinning up her hair exactly as she had imagined it. While her hands work on the task at hand, her mind takes her back to her relationship with Jason, back to all the wonderfully beautiful moments she had with him. One shining brightly among them all.
"Aw, this is so great." she had said with a huge smile, not expecting the gift at all. "A book of fairy tales."
"Yeah, Brenda said you really have to believe that your wishes can come true." he explained to her. "And I never did until you came back. So, I'm starting to think Brenda was right."
"They live happily ever after, that's how fairy tales end." she replied before giving it more thought. "Well, maybe when you want something with all your heart, maybe you will it to happen. Maybe that's what magic is. Or maybe, I don't know, maybe some people are just destined to be. Fated to be. Maybe you and I had to end up together because it was written in heaven or in the stars. I don't know. All I'm totally sure of is that you are happily ever after to me."
Right after that memory fades back into the distance, a memory from further back makes its way to the forefront of her mind. The night they had officially made love for the first time. It had taken everything in her to take that step, to put herself out there, knowing that it could have easily have gone the other way. She hurt him, she knew that, and it scared her to think that he would turn her away. After they made love completely for the first time, she swore she would never take that for granted. That she would never let him go again. So much for that.
"I wish you would have called." he had said simply. "I would have waited for you."
"Well, I think its better this way." she replied with a slight smile. "I've had two days to think about how presumptuous it was to assume you wanted to be with me."
"I always want to be with you."
Strange how differently they seem to perceive their past relationship. Forcing the memories to retreat back to the recess of her mind, Robin brings herself to a more recent encounter with Jason, a conversation they had merely two days ago as they had spoke of the wedding and their pasts, reminiscing to the days that had seemed so complicated while they were living it and yet so simple as they think back on it. Simpler days, he had called it and she couldn't disagree. Life had definitely been a lot simpler than it in recent years.
"I hope its fondly." she replied when he told her that he thinks back on their relationship from time to time.
"Of course." Jason assured with a soft smile. "You taught me a lot about love. About what it means to be with someone."
"You taught me a lot, too."
"Some nights, I'll be laying with Elizabeth, you know, just watching her sleep and I wonder how fortunate I must be to have a woman like her love me." Jason explained, this light shining through his eyes as he spoke. "And then I think how grateful I am to my past, to you, for helping me learn the meaning of love. I look back on our relationship and I'm thankful because it made me the man that was ready to have true love. To have Elizabeth."
"You deserve it all, Jason."
"So do you." he said with such conviction that left her at awe. "Thank you, Robin."
"Thank you for what?" Robin looked at him confusedly. "I didn't do anything."
"When we broke up, I didn't think we'd ever be able to be friends." Jason admitted. "Thank you for sticking around until I was able to accept you in my life again."
"Then, thank you for accepting me back in your life." Robin replied sincerely. "I'd hate to think where we'd be if you hadn't."
She still couldn't wrap her head around the fact that he saw their relationship as a learning tool, something to look back on and be thankful for that he had learnt what he needed to in order to be ready for Elizabeth to come into his life. In Jason's eyes, Elizabeth is to him what he was to her, she's his happily ever after. To her, their relationship was a milestone in her life, a huge part of her life that she will carry in her heart for always. It stung to hear him tell her that it was a lesson to learn from, but she accepts that its his truth and that she had no say in the matter.
"Is it done?" Elizabeth's voice pulls her out of her thoughts and back to the present.
"Yup." Robin replies with a soft smile, placing her hands gently on her best friend's shoulders. "All done."
"Perfect timing on my part then." Carly Corinthos, Jason's best friend and Robin's number one hater, voices as she walks into the bridal quarters, practically nudging Robin out of the way. "Ready to do your makeup, Muffin?"
"Carly." Elizabeth says with a raised eyebrow. "Don't you want to say hi to everyone first?"
"Fine." Carly grumbles before turning to the other women. "Mom. Anna. Hi. Oh, you too Robin, I guess."
"Hi, Carly." Robin replies plainly, knowing they'll never be on good terms, having learnt to accept that a long time ago.
"Now?" Carly looks at Elizabeth expectantly.
"Yes, now." Elizabeth laughs softly. "Do you think you guys can go check on the church? It'll be a real big help."
"Of course." Robin says softly before hugging Elizabeth. "We'll make sure everything's perfect."
"This is a wedding." Bobbie says to her daughter before kissing her cheek. "Keep it classy, huh?"
"No promises." Carly chuckles when her mother rolls her eyes before smiling. "Classy. Got it."
Walking out of the bridal quarters, Robin makes her way to main part of her church, wanting to make sure that the decorations are still perfect while her mom and Bobbie go off to check on the flower pedals for after the wedding, as well as the set up in the parking lot for when the guests arrive. As she makes her way around the church, Robin can't help it as her mind travels back to Elizabeth and Carly. Its so strange to her that Carly has actually accepted a woman in Jason's life that isn't herself. It seemed as if they had gone from enemies to friends in the blink of an eye and Elizabeth can't even tell her how it happened. All her life, the one thing she had always been certain of is Carly's hatred for anyone romantically entangled with Jason. Lord knows she gave her enough hell when she and Jason were together.
"It really came together, didn't it?" Jason's voice catches her off guard, causing her to nearly trip over to alter. "Sorry, I didn't mean to startle you."
"Its okay." she laughs softly before straightening her dress, breathless at the sight of him in a tuxedo. "I just didn't expect you to be here yet, that's all."
"I had to get out of that room." Jason admits as he makes his way down the aisle to her. "Sonny's going on and on about the secrets of a good marriage. He's even got Mike offering up advice, as well."
"The two most unlikely men giving you advice." Robin laughs at the thought. "That's something."
"Yeah." Jason shakes his head. "Anyway, what do you think of the place? Carly has really outdone herself."
"She sure has." Robin comments, glancing around the room before meeting his eyes. "It must make things easier for you that she and Elizabeth are friends. Compared to how it was when you and I were together."
"Most of the time." Jason agrees. "Unless they're ganging up on me, then, not so much."
"I can imagine." she replies when he chuckles at the mere thought of them ganging up on him.
"They only do it when I'm not thinking rationally, so, I don't mind it as much." Jason shrugs before gesturing for them to sit down a pew. "I've been so caught up with the wedding that I haven't had much time to talk to you. Catch me up. How're you doing?"
"I'm okay." Robin replies simply. "Much of the same really."
"Elizabeth tells me you have a date to the wedding." Jason comments. "Dr. Drake, right?"
"Yeah."
"He treat you okay?" Jason questions seriously.
"He treats me fine." she says with a soft smile. "You don't have to worry about me, Jason. He's not going to hurt me."
"Good." Jason says matter-of-factly. "As long as you both know that he'll have me to answer to if he does."
"What would I ever do without you?" she says with a soft laugh.
"I'm sure you'd do just fine." Jason says in that literal way he does. "I'm glad you're doing good. I worry about you sometimes, you know?"
"Same here." Robin admits. "About you, I mean."
"Guess that's what being friends is about, huh?" Jason smirks before rising to his feet. "Anyway, I should get back and finish getting ready. Would you give Elizabeth something for me?"
"Sure." she says as she rises to her feet. "Of course."
"Here." he says, placing a red circle piece of glass in the palm of her hand. "Tell her it does matter. She'll know what I mean."
"Okay."
Watching him walk out of the church, Robin clutches the piece of glass in her hands before taking a deep breath, doing her best to shove down the emotions bubbling within her, knowing it would all be fine once the wedding was over. Elizabeth's is good for Jason. She brings things out in him that he didn't think was possible and that's all she ever wanted for him. Sure, most of the time, she had thought she would be the one to show him those things, but she accepts that her place as his girlfriend is long since over. They've moved on and they've found a way to being friends. Something neither of them saw coming and she's grateful to have it now.
"You're back." Elizabeth smiles brightly at her as she rises to her feet. "How do I look?"
"Beautiful." Robin assures as she takes Elizabeth in, wedding gown and all. "Absolutely beautiful."
"Told you so, Muffin." Carly says with pride. "You may be the artist with paint and whatnot, but makeup is definitely my forte."
"Well, when you're right, you're right." Elizabeth smiles before taking a deep breath. "Can't believe we still have another hour before the wedding starts."
"People have started arriving, so, it shouldn't be much longer." Robin points out. "Oh, before I forget, Jason said to give you this."
"Oh my gosh." Elizabeth's eyes begin to tear up as she holds the piece of glass in the palm of her hand. "Did he say anything else?"
"Only that it does matter." Robin replies. "He said you'd know what that meant."
"Thank you." Elizabeth whispers as she moves to sit back down. "Really, Robin, thank you for this."
"What is that?" Carly questions curiously, unknowingly voicing Robin's curiosity.
"Its the very first Valentine's gift Jason ever gave me." Elizabeth voices as she stares down at the glass. "He got it in Italy from a glassblower. I thought we lost it during the move."
"What did Jason mean?" Robin finds herself asking as she watches the emotions playing in Elizabeth's eyes, obviously the thing meant a lot to the two of them.
"I thought we lost it in the move." Elizabeth explains, lifting her gaze to look at Robin. "Jason went crazy looking for it that I eventually just told him to forget it. That it didn't matter. I had him and that's all that I cared about."
"Jason being Jason, he didn't let it go." Carly comments. "Right?"
"Right." Elizabeth smiles brightly. "He swore that he would do whatever it took to find it. That the past is just as important as the future we're building. I just...I can't believe he found it on time."
Like she predicted, it didn't take long for the wedding to start, thankful that Patrick didn't need her to be there when he found a place to sit. As the music floated through the air, Robin knew that it would soon be her turn to walk down the isle with Francis Corelli, Jason's best man. Sonny would have been the best man, but he has taken the honor of walking Elizabeth down the aisle, playing the part of the bride's father. Everything about this wedding screams out from her fantasy of what her wedding to Jason would have been like. Silently snapping at herself for thinking it, Robin smiles softly at Sonny and Elizabeth before linking arms with Francis and making her way down the aisle to take her place at the alter.
As the bride's song plays through the air, everyone's eyes divert to the door where Elizabeth's enters with Sonny, but her eyes remain glued on the groom. Staring at him as he stares at his bride, Robin saw what she had always known to be true, but is only truly seeing it for the first time. Jason, the Jason she had been in love with, has grown into the man that now loves Elizabeth with every fiber of his being. In his beautiful blue eyes, she sees the kind of love that she had always thought was the kind of love that they shared, only it wasn't. No. This was a stronger love than what they had. The intensity of his gaze made that abundantly clear and, as she finally turned to look at Elizabeth, she realized that it was a love felt both ways. This is what was meant to be, as hard as it was to admit, and she's thankful that he found her.
Listening to them as they voice their undying love for one another, Robin stands by with a loving smile on her face, knowing that fate has a way of working things out for the best. If this is what's meant to be, she can live with that, knowing that her friends are both happy and in love , even if its with each other. Taking a deep breath once they are pronounced man and wife, Robin makes her way back down the aisle with Francis, knowing that the reception was next before all in attendance bid the happy couple farewell, at which time Jason will cart Elizabeth off to Italy, the country of her dreams.
"You okay?" Patrick asks her as they watch the happily married couple drive off on the back of Jason's Harley.
"Yeah." she says with a soft smile, leaning into his embrace as Jason and Elizabeth disappear from view. "I'm okay."
"Come on, lets get you home."
"Sure, okay." Robin says, slipping her hand into Patrick's before allowing him to guide her to his car. "You know, just because we went to a wedding together, it doesn't mean I'm going to sleep with you, right?"
"Wouldn't expect anything more from you, Dr. Scorpio." Patrick says teasingly as he opens her door for her. "How about a cup of coffee at my place?"
"That I can do." Robin laughs softly. "Thanks again for coming with me, Patrick. It means a lot."
"Not much I wouldn't do for you, Robin." he admits before placing a soft kiss upon her forehead. "Come on, lets get out of here."
Sliding into the front seat of his car, she lets him close her door before making his way over to the driver's seat and taking off through the town. When his hand reaches over to take hold of hers, Robin finds that maybe, just maybe, fate might have something in store for her as well. Patrick may not have been her first choice in lifetime loves, but that may just be the reason why it'll last forever. Staring at his beautiful face as he drives her to his place, Robin finally feels as if she can truly let someone else in. Someone who isn't Jason. Finding that she wasn't entirely as afraid of the thought as she thought she'd be. She will always have her past with Jason, that will never change, but Elizabeth has his future and, maybe, its about time for her to find a future with someone new. A future with Patrick Drake. The man she never saw coming.
~c o c~
I got the first kiss and she'll get the last
We each got something, the other will never have
~c o c~
.End.