Chapter Three:

Patrick went to the locker room early in the morning and took a shower. He sat outside Robin's room all night, but she wouldn't see him. Anna had been there, too, but Robin refused all visitors. Mac had been called back and he stayed most of the night by her side, being the only one she would see. When he left to get Emma, they took Robin for some tests and she still wouldn't talk to anyone.

He cleaned up and went to his locker, grabbing an extra pair of clothes he had in his bag and put them on. He knew Emma was coming down with Mac this morning and he wanted to be presentable. He didn't know what to tell her because he didn't know what the hell was going on.

The entire last night was a blur. He couldn't believe the turn of events and he knew, without a doubt, that he had some major soul searching to do.

He never really thought he was pursuing Sam out of a need to hurt Robin, but if he truly thought about it, it was a little true. Sam loved Jason and now she was with him. He knew that would have killed Jason.

No, he was wrong.

It would have killed Robin and Patrick knew that.

It looks like it almost did.

He closed his locker and smacked the door, hurting his hand and swearing. He turned and leaned against the bank of lockers and ran his hand through his damp hair.

What the hell was he going to do?

He needed to talk to her. He was terrified that she was really sick and the issue he kept thinking of was why? What had she been through? Where had she been?

He sat down again and felt his tears fall.

He never asked before. He wasted so much time trying not to hurt Sabrina that he let Robin think she wasn't everything to him. When she came home after being rescued he never asked about what happened.

That was something he knew was inexcusable. He made it all about him and Sabrina. He hated himself for that.

Yet she stayed by his side and waited for him.

And he left. The first chance he had to be the man she needed and support her, he told her he wouldn't wait. He divorced her without a reason.

He told himself the reason was that she abandoned them. She loved Jason more and after all the time she spent away, he wanted her to choose him. He wanted to be enough of a reason and he wasn't. Emma wasn't.

That's what he told himself.

But he knew her better than that. He knew there was something wrong and he ignored it. He pursued Sam out of a need to know what happened to Gabriel and then it turned into something more.

Sam made him forget about his pain. She gave him something to focus on and in doing so, he started to smile. He craved the attention and he needed it. He hated being left behind. He had never been enough. He wasn't enough for his dad to stay and he wasn't enough for Robin.

He also knew that was a crock of shit. He loved Robin and her giving nature and need to help those she loved was something he always admired. He knew it wouldn't be the Robin he loved if she let Jason die. What he didn't know was why he couldn't accept that.

His phone buzzed and he saw it was a text from Mac. He and Emma were here and were going to visit Robin. Emma wanted to see him.

He put his phone away after responding and went to wait for his daughter.

XXXXX

Robin woke up and felt a little better after a good night's sleep. She knew Emma would be here soon and she needed to look a little more presentable. She didn't want to scare her.

There was a commotion in the hall and she heard the voice she had been waiting for since her call yesterday. She smiled as Brenda rushed into the room.

"What the hell happened to you?" she asked as she raced to the bed and pulled her into her arms.

Robin hugged her and smiled in relief.

"I'm so glad you're here. I didn't know who else to call. I need your help."

Brenda smoothed Robin's hair back and looked into her eyes.

"You've got it. Now tell me what happened to you. Who do I need to kill?"

Robin smiled and then her tears came. She gave Brenda an abbreviated version of the story, minus the worst of the torture. She did tell her she walked in on Patrick and Sam.

"Where is Patrick?"

Robin wiped her eyes and sighed.

"I can't blame him. He divorced me when I left. He had enough and I can't blame him for that. In the past three years, we've barely been together. It's just that I thought Sam would be with Jason and to see her with Patrick just hit me."

"Excuse me? You haven't been together? You were kidnapped! You were held against your will and tortured and he never lifted a finger to find you. The only thing he lifted was his crotch to impregnate that obnoxious nurse."

Robin chuckled at her description.

"It wasn't exactly like that. Patrick didn't know I was alive. He needed to move on and I don't blame him."

"And when you came back, he made you wait until he decided who he wanted? You should have left his ass right then, Robin. I heard you those nights on the phone. You were so hurt."

"I love him, Bren. Even though he hurt me, I love him. The thought of coming home to him and Emma was all that kept me going during those months when I was being held. I dreamt of coming home and having him pull me into his arms and tell me it was all okay."

Brenda wiped Robin's eyes.

"But he didn't do that, did he?"

Robin shook her head and lay back, exhausted.

Brenda was scared.

"Tell me what's going on with you. You look like shit."

Robin smiled at her and then sighed.

"My viral load is high. They are worried about a secondary infection somewhere. My liver is also struggling."

Brenda knew she was covering the severity of things.

"Secondary infection? That's what happened to Stone," she said and her tears came.

"I know, but I'm not there. I just have to take care of myself and I can fight this. I'll be okay, but I need to stay stress free and away from Patrick and my family. I need you to help me with that. Can you find me a place to stay where I can be alone? I don't have any money available without going through Patrick and I don't want to ask him for my things. Can you see if he will let you pack up some of my clothes? I don't know if he has them or if he gave them away. I'm going to check myself out later today, but I need a place to go. I need your help."

Brenda hugged her and nodded.

"You are not alone anymore. I am here for as long as you need me. You visit with Emma and I will take care of everything else."

Robin felt her tears of relief fall.

"Thank you. Can you help me look a little more presentable for Emma? I don't want her to be scared."

Brenda smiled and put her bag down, pulling out makeup.

"Ask and you shall receive."

XXXXX

Patrick was sitting in the lobby outside Robin's room when Emma ran up with Mac.

"Daddy! Mommy is home! Did you hear that mommy is home!" she jumped into his arms and he had to laugh at her exuberance.

"I did. I heard," he smiled and hugged her.

"Did you find her? I told you she was lost because she didn't call me on Christmas, but you found her, didn't you?"

"I'll go make sure she is awake, okay?" Mac told Patrick, not wanting to listen to this.

"Okay," Emma grinned and danced around. "I can't wait to tell her all about school. I hope she's okay. I don't know why she didn't call me. I know something was wrong, but now she's here and we're going to make her feel better, right?"

Patrick smiled.

"You will make her feel all better, baby."

Mac came out and he was followed by Brenda.

"Aunt Brenda!" Emma screamed and ran into her arms.

"Emma! Look how big you are!" Brenda said and laughed. "You look just like your mom."

"Can I go see her?"

Mac smiled and nodded.

"Come on," he said and left Brenda with Patrick.

Patrick sat and sighed.

"Did she call you?"

"Well she needed someone who she could trust, so yeah," Brenda said. "She needs some of her things. Do you still have her clothes or did you throw them out?"

Patrick glared at her.

"I haven't touched her things."

"Oh, so you just brought other women home to take what they wanted?"

He stood up and crossed his arms.

"I'm not really interested in discussing my marriage with you."

Brenda faced him and smiled.

"Your marriage? You mean the one you ended while your wife was being held against her will? I'm surprised Disney hasn't called to recruit a prince like you."

"She was being held against her will?" he asked quietly.

"Oh please, don't act like you are surprised. From the few things she has told me, it would take someone specifically ignoring the signs to not know she was in trouble. You chose to ignore things and so did her mother."

"You need to back off. You don't know anything about this."

"And you don't know anything about me if you think I'll let this go. Robin is family and to me, that means something."

"And it doesn't to me?"

"No, it doesn't. Where we come from, family means something. If we are in trouble, it doesn't matter how angry we are, we are there. The bond you are so afraid of that Sonny and Jason have with Robin isn't something to be upset about. It means that we are there for each other. Even after the shit that was pulled by Jason when the Michael crap came out, when Robin needed him, he was there for her. You have no idea of the history and I don't mean about Stone. There was a time when I wore a wire to catch Sonny. Doing something like that meant that for him, I was worthless. But we are family, through everything, he would do anything to help me. You are a jealous ass who couldn't handle Robin's heart. You don't deserve her and after everything you've done to her; everything you've brought into her life, I'm glad she is finally through. She is a beautiful and giving woman and she deserved so much more than this."

Patrick sat down and shook his head.

"You don't understand," he said quietly.

"Which part? Tell me where I'm wrong?"

"I saw her and I begged her to come home and she refused. I had to make a decision. I had to let her go," he said.

Brenda sat down next to him.

"When did you file? After that or before?"

He rubbed his eyes.

"Before."

She nodded.

"Can you take me to your house so I can pack some of her things?"

"I don't want to leave," he said.

"She doesn't want to see you, Patrick."

"Yeah, I hear you."

"Well either give me your keys or take me. Either way, she deserves to have her own things."

He had an idea.

"I'll go home and pack her a bag. I'll be back soon for Emma."

Brenda nodded.

"I'll be waiting."

Patrick looked at her.

"I'm glad you're here for her."

Brenda glared at him.

"I'm glad someone is."

XXXXX

Mac had given Robin and Emma some time alone and he went to get some coffee. He was so furious with Anna and Patrick. Everyone who left him out of the loop. He had been Robin's guardian for much of her life and he had never let her down. He would have gone after her. He would have helped her.

Looking at her in the hospital bed, it reminded him of seeing Stone. She just looked defeated and it killed him. Who would blame her? Almost three years of being held away from her family? Away from sunlight and fresh air? Three years away from her daughter?

Mac sat down in the lounge and stewed.

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Thanks so much for reading! I promise- Emma and Robin coming up and more from Anna.