Chapter 1

Present

The late March air was cold and biting, which suited Robin's mood perfectly. It was dark, the sun having long since set despite the lengthening days, and thick gray clouds hung heavy in the sky. It would probably snow later, the last gasp of winter before everything broke away and spring arrived.

Even Nature seemed to hate the world right now, and Robin found herself in total agreement.

It was partly her own fault that she was so miserable right then, sitting alone on the docks trying desperately to stop crying. After all, if she didn't learn from the past, then why would things turn out any differently than they always did? Robin swore under her breath and wiped furiously at her eyes. She would not, would not let Patrick Drake do this to her! She was no that girl anymore -- and hadn't been for some time, really -- and no man, no matter what he did, would turn her back to tears again.

A breeze picked up suddenly, and Robin shivered into her scarf. She had not anticipated the night turning out this way at all. Things had actually seemed like they would be different with Patrick; he had gotten her to believe they might have something between them. Robin figured that that, too, was partly her own fault, since she hadn't trusted her instincts about him. Her instincts had said to cut and run, that Patrick Drake was nothing but an arrogant, womanizing jerk, and that pursuing anything deeper than professional tolerance would be a Very Bad Idea. If tonight's events were any indication, Robin's instincts were as sharp as ever; it was her trust that was the problem. Robin hated that Patrick Drake had made her doubt herself, had made her believe that she could trust him--

No, that was wrong. Robin did not want to become like her, always blaming everybody else for the problems in her life. Robin was a pragmatist, not to mention a well-educated physician. If there was one thing Robin had over Carly Corinthos, it was that she always maintained a realistic view of herself and her situation. Robin had jumped to a terrible, hasty conclusion, yes, but she had owned up to it and offered an apology, seeking him out so as to clear the air as soon as possible. It was not enough, however, and Patrick had seen it fitting to humiliate her in front of the only woman in Port Charles he knew she couldn't stand. Robin had called him on his immature, vindictive behavior, and walked away with her head held high, determined never to doubt herself again. She would learn from her mistakes, personal and situational, and move on.

Which was why Robin hated that she was crying into her hands, alone on the docks in the dark, cold night. She had only herself to blame for trusting Patrick Drake with her heart because, as he had proven to her tonight with Carly, he didn't have one of his own.

Sam was beginning to wonder if she would spend the rest of her life walking. Every time the world overwhelmed her, she walked around Port Charles until her head cleared. Lately, it felt like all she did was clear her head. Sam was no stranger to hard luck, and at her most self-pitying moments she had even wondered whether she was born under a dark star. Now, in light of her new information, Sam was beginning to think there was some truth to the rumor of a Cassadine family curse. If such a thing existed, then Sam really could blame Alexis for all the bad thing that had happened in her life.

Shaking her head furiously, Sam tried to force the thoughts away. This was precisely the reason she had bolted from the apartment earlier, to escape the trappings of her mind. The walls had begun to seem dangerously close, and the more Sam sat in the living room staring at the Alexis Davidovitch adoption file, the smaller the room began to feel. She was trapped there, brain and body, and Sam had suddenly found it difficult to breathe. Everything seemed focused to a point, and Sam had desperately needed to escape the enclosure. Jason was still dealing with the Sonny and Emily mess, and at that moment, their spacious apartment had felt tinier than a bird cage. So she had stood up, grabbed her coat, and ran as fast as she could away from the chaos of her life.

Sam had lost everything else to Alexis Davis. She'd be damned if she lost her sanity, too.

The sound of footsteps caused Robin to gasp and jerk her head up. The last thing she needed was for anyone to see her like this, least of all someone she knew. Robin tried to remain silent, but the sobbing from just a moment earlier was still wreaking havoc on her body, and Robin was unable to control the need to sniffle.

"Hello?" Sam called out as she walked down the steps to the docks. "Who's...Robin?"

Saw walked closer to the doctor, surprised to see her sitting alone so late at night. Robin wiped at her face, and Sam saw the obvious remnants of tears shining under the streetlamps.

"Robin?" Sam asked, concerned. "What's wrong? Is everything okay?"

Robin forced out a laugh that sounded hollow to them both. "Yeah, it's just...life stuff. Don't worry about it, Sam."

Sam was not deterred, however. While she knew Robin more through reputation than interaction, Sam was fairly certain that she was not the sort of woman who cried alone in deserted parts of town. Taking a breath, Sam sat beside Robin on the steps, worry coloring her face. "Well, I am concerned, actually. I mean, whatever's going on has to be pretty serious for you to be trying to fall apart where no one will see you. What's wrong?"

"It's...it's nothing. I think I just need to get out of my own head for a while," Robin sighed, dropping her head to her chest.

"Ah, well, that I understand perfectly," Sam replied. "It can get way too crowded in there, especially when you let things catch you by surprise."

A real chuckle escaped Robin's lips. "Sounds disturbingly familiar." Robin pulled her head up and looked Sam in the eyes. "Don't get me wrong, I really appreciate the effort. But you don't feel a little...I don't know, weird talking to me?"

Sam shrugged. "Well, I'll admit I don't know you very well, but except for you helping that psychopath Manny get off scott-free," Sam looked pointedly at Robin, "I've heard only good things about you."

"You do know that my opinions on Manny Ruiz were based on the best available medical evidence?" Robin tensed and stood up to leave; she didn't have the strength to defend herself twice in one night.

Holding out her hands in defense, Sam cut Robin off. "Look, I really, really don't want to think about that guy, or anything associated with him, tonight." Sam took a deep breath in and out, and let herself calm down. She wanted to deal with anything other than her own issues. "From what I've seen, you're kind and compassionate." Sam smiled when she saw Robin sit back down; she was passed her anger, and was determined to break the ice between them. "Not exactly someone I'd want to leave to fend for themselves."

Robin felt the crackle of tension between them dissipate. "Well," she said sardonically, "You obviously haven't been asking Carly about me, because she'd tell you about a whole different side of me. One I didn't even know existed."

"Yeah, Carly has a knack for seeing things that nobody else seems to find," Sam laughed.

Robin smiled genuinely at Sam. "I take it you're not her number one fan either, huh?"

"Carly is...someone I deal with for Jason's sake. Not someone I would, say, make eye contact with if passing her on the street." Sam tilted her head to the side, wondering if this was a line of thought worth pursuing. "Is that was tonight was about? Did something happen with Carly?"

A frustrated sigh was Robin's only response. It baffled her, really, how it seemed like every interaction she had in Port Charles now was colored by Carly's presence. "Sort of. Not directly, I mean. Well, she was a part of it, but she's actually only my problem by proxy tonight," Robin finally said.

"Wow, a drama that Carly wasn't at the center of?" Sam grinned. "Break out the champagne." They both laughed at that, and Sam nudged Robin's shoulder with her own. "Seriously, you can talk to me. I'd actually like to focus on something besides my own problems for a while."

Robin debated whether to answer Sam or not. The idea of talking to someone who knew Patrick certainly had its advantages. Calling Brenda was always an option, but she was still too far removed from the situation to be anything more than moral support. And, if Robin was totally honest with herself, she missed having girlfriends in Port Charles; at the very least, she knew Sam wouldn't go blabbing anything she said to Carly.

"I did something really, really stupid tonight," Robin admitted, decision made. "I was supposed to have a date with Patrick--"

"Patrick Drake?" Sam interrupted, eyes wide. "Patrick 'cocky, arrogant, tried-to-impress-you-with-lame-lines' Drake?"

"Yes," Robin groaned. "I thought I saw a different side of him during the epidemic. A side that was actually, you know, human. And I figured, why not? So I kissed him, and I invited him over to my place for dinner."

"Wow," Sam murmured in appreciation. "You are just all kinds of surprising, aren't you?"

Robin grimaced. "And therein lies the problem. See, I kept waiting for the other shoe to drop, and when I overheard him having -- from his end, at least -- a very incriminating phone conversation, I assumed it was about me. And rather than get mad, I thought I'd get even."

"Can I ask what the conversation was about?"

Robin shook her head. "It was pretty bad. I heard him make a bet about getting a woman to 'do it,'" she made little air-quotes with her fingers, "And rather than find out what was really going on, I assumed he had bet he could get the HIV-positive woman into bed."

Sam let out a low whistle. "Damn, that's pretty harsh."

"I know," Robin agreed, steeling herself to continue. "Anyway, I made this big show of seducing him so he could cash in, and then confronted him about how selfish and soulless he was for doing it. He denied it and we fought, and I found out later at the hospital that the bet was about Patrick convincing a mother to let her child have brain surgery. So I tracked Patrick down at Jake's to apologize."

"You did?" Sam asked, impressed. "I don't know if I could have even faced him, let alone just apologized like that. That's pretty great of you."

"Oh, wait. It gets better," Robin sighed. "I found him at Jake's. With Carly."

"No way does that end well."

"No. He made me apologize in front of her, which pleased Carly to no end. I mean, I was wrong to make that assumption, but I guess apologizing wasn't enough for Patrick. I called him on it and left. And came here." Robin waved her arm in front of them. "Thus ends the pathetic tale of Doctor Robin Scorpio." Turning to look at Sam, she asked. "Any insights or wisdom you'd like to share?"

Sam blew out a breath and shook her head. "Well, you know, what you did was pretty bad. I won't deny that. But you were willing to take responsibility for it and make amends, and it sounds like he shoved it back in your face." Sam shrugged. "I mean, you saw what he was like during Jason's surgery. Why'd you think he changed?"

Robin sighed, her face falling as she thought back to the kinder, compassionate side of him she had seen during the outbreak. "I thought I saw something different during the epidemic. I guess I was wrong."

At the mention of that, Sam's face darkened. "Yeah. I guess we all saw different sides of people during that time," she said, thinking of Alexis's behavior.

The change in Sam's attitude did not go unnoticed by Robin. "I didn't mean to bring up bad memories for you," she apologized gently. "And I never got the chance to say how sorry I was about your brother."

Sam's eyes filled with tears, both at her sadness and her respect for Robin. "Thank you. I know you did everything you could do save people."

"Until I got sick," Robin groused, once again thinking back on how different Patrick had become.

"You gave up getting the serum so that more critically-ill patients could have a chance. That was incredibly selfless, and your dose almost went to Danny. So, thank you for that."

"I wish I could have done more."

Sam shook her head furiously. "You did everything you could. You were even willing to risk your own life to save other people. I just wish everyone was as good as you."

Sensing this was the reason Sam was walking alone on the docks that night, Robin peered over to look into the other woman's face. "Does this have anything to do with that DNA test you asked me to run?"

Swallowing hard, Sam nodded. "Yeah. Because Alexis took the serum away from Danny, he started saying his goodbyes, and some of the things he said made me think I was adopted. So, as it turns out, my entire life was a lie."

"I don't know what to say," Robin said quietly. "Have you been trying to figure out what to do with that information?"

"Oh, I ran with it," Sam laughed harshly. "And it took me to the last place I ever wanted to go. A mother who was so selfish that she abandoned me and never looked back."

Robin sighed in commiseration. Sam's words sounded all too familiar. "I completely understand. Parent's are supposed to protect their children, to not abandon them."

"To fight to come back if they're ever forced to leave."

"Until you grow up and find out that everything you ever thought about them was a lie, and learn that they just didn't care enough to fight for you," Robin finished, Sam's story now bringing up the memory of her father's return to life.

Sam and Robin looked at each other in surprise. "I thought that your dad was helping during the epidemic?" Sam asked in confusion.

"He was. He was just doing so after playing dead for fifteen years!" Robin bit out.

"Oh my God," Sam whispered.

"He let me believe he was dead, when really, he was off playing super-spy again. Even when he was out from under the control of his old agency, he chose not to come back for me. He stayed away because it was easier for him."

Sam nodded in understanding. "Oh, I definitely hear you on that. I mean, why seek your kid out if it would complicate your life, right?" Sam knew her words were caustic, but she felt confident Robin would understand they were intended in truth.

"Exactly," Robin agreed. Then, she felt a bubble of laughter rise up inside of her. "God, what a matched set we are, huh?"

Sam had to laugh, too. The last person she had ever expected to bond with was Robin Scorpio. She found, however, that it was not as painful as she had feared. It was even nice to have another woman to talk to; as it was, she only ever really spoke to Alexis and Carly, and neither made for relaxing conversation.

Decision made, Sam stood up and grabbed Robin's arm. "C'mon."

Robin stood as well, but looked warily at Sam. "Where to?"

"Kelly's," Sam replied. "Ice cream sundaes and hot chocolate cure all ills."

Robin laughed. "Ice cream in the winter?" she asked incredulously. "Are you kidding?"

"And hot chocolate!" Sam added, smiling for what felt like the first time in ages. "Seriously. We've thoroughly depressed ourselves. Now we get to reward ourselves."

"For what, complaining about men and deadbeat parents?"

"Yep!"

Robin shook her head, but smiled. She did feel a little better after actually talking to someone, and she had to admit that Sam was a good listener. Besides which, she didn't regard Carly as anything other than an annoyance, which spoke of Sam's good taste. And her sanity. Sighing, Robin followed Sam back up the steps and headed towards Kelly's talking the entire way.

For the first time in a long while, Robin felt like things might get better.