Author's Note: Well first, thank you for the reviews. I'm glad you all were happy with this last chapter. I know some of you really wanted Patrick to beat Johnathon to a pulp, and honestly, that was what I was going to write but once I started the chapter, I changed my mind and you guys all saw what I ended up with… But anyway, thank you guys so much. I can't tell you enough how much I love each and every one of your reviews. :D
Now, as for this chapter… I decided to break this up instead of making it one whole chapter so this is kind of a two-parter and this chapter ends kind of suddenly. Also, I have taken the two of them away from the drama for a couple chapters. I took them out of the normal environment… You'll see what I'm sayin' when you read the chapter. And the next couple of chapters are going to be easy SCRUBS, no Johnathon, but he isn't gone just yet.
So… I think that's it. So here we go. Yall ready?
Summary: There is a new doctor at General Hospital. She seems really shy and keeps to herself a lot, but slowly she is coming out of her shell. As time goes on and as she starts to get to know her colleagues better, they start to notice unexplained injuries and bruises. What happens when her colleagues catch on to what is happening to her? Will her secret be revealed? And how will Patrick Drake, her closest friend at the hospital, react?
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Danger in the Unknown
Chapter Twelve:
"Are you ever going to tell me where we are going?" She smiled as she turned the corner into the kitchen finding him standing in front of the stove, once again fixing her breakfast. They'd been having the same conversation since they both woke about an hour before; she kept asking where he was taking her and he was only giving her a sly smile, saying nothing.
He glanced in her direction long enough to give his dimpled grin before returning his eyes to the job in front of him. "No I'm not going to tell you and trust me, you'll never guess so don't try. But I will tell you that it's a place that is very special to me."
Satisfied with his answer, for the moment, and took a seat at the nearby table as he placed a plate in front of her and took his seat beside her. Surprisingly, there was no tension in the air and the conversation was smooth; not at all awkward after last night.
He leaned forward, his lips capturing hers. But as quickly as it had begun, it ended when he pulled back. "I'm sorry. I don't know what I was thinking…" He stammered and stood, pacing back and forth running a worried hand through his hair.
She watched his nervous movements before she stood and walked to his side, placing her soft hand on his arm. "It's okay, really."
"No it's not. That shouldn't have happened…" He was motioning towards the couch where they had both been sitting a few moments before, his eyes showing the fear that he felt of her reaction. "Honestly, I- I didn't mean to and I know it was stepping over the line and…"
"Patrick, take a breath." She smiled enjoying his fidgeting. It wasn't often that he showed he wasn't in control. He was always the first one to come up with a solution and take control of a situation. He takes risks and more often than not, he comes out on top. "It's fine." The air grew stiff between the two; Patrick still reeling from his slip up and Robin afraid she gave too much away. For a slight second, he let his feelings get the best of him and he kissed her and she was at a loss for words, she waited for the moment for so long, despite everything that had happened.
"So we should get to bed then…" Patrick stated their eyes still connected.
"Yeah…" She agreed. "Goodnight."
"Goodnight."
They stood stalk still, their eyes pouring into the others, their bodies slowly moving forward. "I really am sorry for what happened." Patrick apologized once more as they sat together on the coach.
She said barely above a whisper, "Don't worry about it."
They leaned forward, pulling towards the other, their lips joined once again. It was a soft kiss, filled with emotion and passion; gentle and caring. Both sensed the want of the other but also the need to take things slowly. His hand came up to cup the side of her face gently and she wrapped her tiny fingers around his wrist before pulling away and staring into his soft coffee colored eyes. "I've wanted to do that for a long time." She smiled shyly and blushed slightly.
"I just thought..."
"I'm no where near ready to jump into a relationship with anyone," She interrupted him, "but I care for you and I don't know how to thank you for everything that you have done for me." She paused for a moment, sensing she wasn't saying quite what she wanted to. "I don't know how I will feel two months from now and I don't know if I'll ever be able to risk giving myself to someone again, not after being hurt so badly. But I am going to try because you are a great guy and you have done so much for me and I really do appreciate everything…"
He silenced her with a brief kiss before pulling apart and resting his forehead on hers, looking her in the eye, "We'll take things slow."
"Be sure to eat fast, we have a lot to do today and I would like to be on the road some time within the next hour or so…"
"On the road?" She looked at him skeptically, "We're going on a road trip? How long are we going to be gone, do I need to pack anything?"
He shook his head, taking a bite of his breakfast. "Hopefully we will be home late tonight…" He looked at her for a moment, debating if he should tell her where he was taking her or not. "You might want to bring along an extra change of clothes just to be safe. But just an extra pair of clothes," he smiled, "not an extra pair of shoes and your makeup bag and your curling iron and …"
"Okay, I get it!" She smacked him playfully on the arm. "One change of clothes."
"And no pouting, I promise you will have a good time."
Two hours later and three bags later, they were packed up and on the road. Patrick in the driver's seat looking especially attractive in his brand new sun glasses and Robin sat patiently at his side, watching the scenery passing her by. She couldn't help but think of all the times she'd sat in this very seat, wondering what she would encounter in the new town; would things be different, would they get better?
"Hey…" He looked at her worriedly, "Where did you just go?"
She gave a soft smile and shook her head trying to rid herself of all the negative thoughts. That was the past, done and over with now. "I was just thinking that this could possibly be the only road trip I've ever been on…"
"Really?"
"Well we didn't get much of a chance to go on vacation when I was little and after my mom died and my dad focused on finding the person responsible, family time was pretty much pushed to the back burner. I mean, don't get me wrong, my childhood when my parents were around was the best. But when they weren't in town and they were off on some top secret mission, I pushed off on this aunt and that uncle…" There was a touch of sadness in her voice while she spoke, "I guess I didn't have the most conventional childhood."
He sat silently, not completely sure if he should divulge information about his childhood that to him, was the best it could have possibly have been. "Obviously with my dad working all of the time, we didn't have many chances for road trips either but every summer we all would pile in the car with couple of my aunts and uncles and cousins and head to the beach. It was half the adventure trying to get all of us kids in the car and keeping us content for the drive…" He shook his head smiling, "honestly I don't know how my mom ever did it. But she always did. She was the strongest person that I've ever known." He choked up a bit, tears forming behind their plastic shades but tried to shield his change of demeanor by continuing on, "But even when we spent a night at home in the middle of the week, my mom always thought up crazy things to do to make dinner more exciting. Sometimes we would just sit at the picnic table in our backyard and other times maybe we would go to the park…
"And I always caught my mom and dad dancing in the middle of the kitchen." He smiled, "I remember when I was really little and I'd started going to school, way back when I was terrified of cooties. I came home from school and there they were, dancing; she was fixing my after school snack and he had his arms wrapped around her waist and they were swaying together, oblivious to anyone or anything around them. They both jumped five feet off the ground when I walked in and spoke, telling them how nasty they were… They both laughed so hard…"
Robin noticed the lone tear that slid from the bottom of his sunglasses, "It's nice that you have those memories. I love my parents and I know that they love me; I know that everything that they did, they did to make sure that I was safe. If you could ask my mom if she would die all over again, she would do it if she thought she would be protecting me. I've tried not to be bitter because I don't have those memories… but sometimes, it's hard."
"I've tried not to feel so bitter towards my father. I know how much he adored my mom, she was his world; his life. But I lost her too…" He sat silent for a moment before continuing, "I blamed him for a long time for ruining 'my family,' and not even because he lost her on the table but because he left me alone. I'm not completely over it and I'll certainly never fully forgive him but I can't hold onto the anger any longer. If anything, losing my mother showed that life is short and precious. I've already lost one parent, I don't want to lose the only one I have left and not have told him how I feel…"
They rode in silence both now realizing the serious turn of conversation and both considering the things the other said. There was a lot that they shared but there were also some pretty wide differences… Here was this incredibly gorgeous man, with the kindest heart but yet he was afraid to let people in. He hid behind a faulty charade…
"So…" She gave a sneaky smile, "are we there yet?"
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"No."
"Come on, please?"
"No, we are not listening to that!"
"Patrick…" She looked at him, begging him with her best puppy dog eyes.
"We are not listening to Michael Bolton! This is my car and I'm driving so that is final." He kept a straight face, glaring at her disbelieving.
"Are you really going to force me to do it?" She raised an eyebrow, staring him up and down, smiling. "Alright… here I go…" She took a deep, dramatic breath and glared at him when she heard his snickering, which he stopped immediately under her watchful gaze. "HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO LIVE WITHOUT YOU…"
"Alright, fine! You can listen to one song, ONE song!" He shook his head and focused once again on the road, just happy to see her smiling. However, it was only three seconds into the song when he spoke, "I can't believe you actually like this guy…"
"Oh yeah… I'm full on Bolton Buddie and everything."
"Bolton Buddie?"
She laughed out loud at his bewildered expression, "I like a few of his songs, I'm not dying to marry the man or anything. But you do have to admit, he's a pretty attractive man…"
Patrick rolled his eyes, now choosing to tune out the crappy music and her less than appealing rendition of each song. A few of his songs…yeah right.
--
"Robin, wake up. We're here." He nudged her shoulder and she opened her eyes slowly. She'd been asleep for the last two hours of the drive. Apparently, her own personal Boltonfest had taken quite a bit out of her…
"What time is it?"
"It's a little after four…" He answered as he situated their accumulated trash so they could move and moved to open his door, "come on."
She wiped the sleep from her eyes and opened the door, stepping out into the cool night and wrapping her arms around herself. It only took her a moment to realize where they were. "Uh, Patrick… we're at a park." She glanced around for him when she didn't receive an answer and found him on the nearby swings.
He seemed lost in his thoughts as she walked closer to him and she was surprised when he spoke, "I came to this park all the time when I was a little kid. You see that yellow house right through those trees?" He pointed and her eyes followed, "That was where we lived."
Not another word was spoken between the two as they took in their surroundings; the tall trees and bright colored playground equipment, the freshly cut grass and the monkey bars. It was all too familiar… "Why did you bring me here?" Robin looked out across the street at the yellow house, pushing her hands deeper inside her pockets to free them from the cool autumn air.
A few yards away, a little boy ran around in the open field, a tall auburn haired woman chasing after him. Everyone around heard the cackling of his laughter and all sucked in a breath waiting for his scream when he fell. Patrick watched the scene, tears glimmering in his eyes. He shrugged, "You've opened up to me and told me so much about yourself. I thought it was only right that I finally do the same."
