Chapter 3

Robin was still sitting with Emma on the couch when Patrick got off the phone. "Jason is going to see what he can find out. In the meantime, he wants guards put on everyone. Someone wants Nikolas back in Port Charles for a reason and we are not wasting any time waiting to find out what it is."

Robin nodded her head while Patrick spoke. He sat back down on the couch and took her face in his hands. "Do you want to wait? Maybe we can stop the transfer and we don't have to tell her."

Robin took a deep breath and smiled at her husband. "I wish we could but the reality is that we were going to have to tell her sometime. I had just hoped it wouldn't be until she was Emma's age."

Stephanie had only been three when Nikolas had been sent away. Being so young, she didn't remember him, didn't remember what had happened all those years ago. As far as Stephanie and everyone else in town were concerned, she had only one dad – Patrick. Patrick loved her and would die before he let anyone or anything hurt her.

Patrick sighed. "I know you're right I just…"

Robin took his hand. "I know."

Emma watched them, amazed. Her parents didn't need to say the words; they knew what each other was thinking instinctively. "Do you want me to stay here and help, maybe just to hold Steph's hand?"

Robin smiled at her. "I think that would be great. We might as well include all the kids in this conversation."

Patrick nodded in agreement. "They are old enough to hear this." He hugged Robin and then Emma. "Okay, time for a family meeting."

The kids sat down on the couch watching their parents closely. They hadn't had a family meeting in a long time.

"So, what's going on? Is everyone okay?" Their first thought was that someone had died. The last family meeting had been when Uncle Jason's mom, Monica Quartermaine, passed away last year. She had lived a long and happy life but it was still really hard on Robin when it happened.

Robin smiled at Mal's question. "No, everyone is fine."

Stephanie looked at her mom. "Are you pregnant?"

Patrick looked at Robin and smiled but Robin just shook her head. "No." She heard Patrick giggle. "Absolutely not."

Patrick decided to start the conversation. "Steph, Mal, you know that we have talked to you before about the fact that your mom didn't give birth to you, about the surrogates."

Both children nodded. Mal had actually met his surrogate before. Uncle Nathan's sister, Britt, had given birth to him.

Robin smiled at the kids as she tried to figure out the right way to explain it. "Years ago there was someone who thought they were in love with me."

"Before Daddy?" Stephanie just couldn't imagine her mom with anyone else.

"No sweetie. When Emma was little, before you were born, some people took me away from her and your dad for a while. I tried so hard to get back to them, but they made your Dad and Emma think I was gone for good."

Mal looked at them. "Is that when Dad had Gabriel?" The children knew that they had a brother who passed away - they put flowers on his grave every year.

Robin nodded. "Yes Mal. Anyway, after I came back I had to leave again so I could help Uncle Jason. While I was gone, this person who thought they were in love me did some things to your dad and me to keep us apart but we always found our way back to each other."

Mal got a strange look on his face the suddenly smiled. "The princess story!"

Patrick looked at Robin and grinned. Mal was remembering the story Patrick used to tell him and Emma about rescuing Robin from marrying Nikolas. "That's right."

Robin watched Stephanie carefully. "Anyway, this person, his name is Nikolas, decided that he wanted to have a baby with me. He took some things from me to do it and tried twice, using the surrogates. The first time someone stopped him and made sure that your dad was the biological father."

Stephanie was getting tense. The name Nikolas had struck her and she wasn't sure why. "That was Mal, wasn't it?"

Robin just nodded her head. Times like this she wished her children weren't so damn smart.

Stephanie got tears in her eyes. "And the second time, it worked didn't it?"

Patrick and Robin were both crying at this point. Patrick kneeled down before Stephanie and took her hand in his. "It doesn't matter, you are my daughter."

"But this Nikolas is my biological father, isn't he?" Stephanie had always wondered why her parents chose to have her and Mal so close together, now she had her answer. "Where is he? Didn't he want me?"

"Oh, honey, yes he did but his grandmother did something to his brain that made him very sick and he couldn't control himself anymore, let alone take care of you. Your dad and I tried to help him but it was too late and he had to go away." Robin needed to assure Stephanie that what happened to Nikolas wasn't hereditary.

"And I loved you from the moment I met you. You are just as much my child as Emma, Mal and RJ; I never want you to doubt that." Patrick squeezed Stephanie's hand.

"I believe you Dad." She smiled at him. "Why are you telling us this now?"

"Nikolas has been in a hospital out in California but he is being transferred nearby and we want to make sure that you are safe. Like your mom said, he is very sick and may try to get in touch with you or even see you and that may not be safe yet."

Robin watched Stephanie as she tried to process everything. "Steph, do you have any questions?"

"Do I have any other brothers or sisters?"

"Nikolas did have a son, Spencer, but Nikolas hid him away from us before he got sick and we were never able to find him. I am hoping Spencer will return to Port Charles someday so you can get to know him."

Stephanie laughed through her tears. "Another brother, of course."

Mal put his arm around her. He had been always been protective of his little sister and nothing would change that. "Hey, I'm not so bad."

RJ took offense. "I'm not either!" The whole family laughed, the tension in the room broken.

Patrick put his arm around Robin while still holding Stephanie's hand. "This is our family and your mom and I will do everything in our power to protect you."

"What's his last name? I don't want to see him but I at least want to know his name." Stephanie had a feeling that there was a lot more to this story that she was hearing and that her mom and dad were being a lot nicer about her birth father than he deserved. If she had a name, she could find out more about him without further upsetting her parents.

Robin sighed. "Cassadine. Nikolas Cassadine. I have some pictures of him if you want them." Robin had set some aside for Stephanie years ago.

Stephanie nodded. She looked at her dad. "Is that it?"

"Yes, are you okay?"

She smiled at her parents. "Of course I am; I'm a Drake."

Patrick smiled proudly back at her. "Yes you are."