Chapter Thirty-Nine:
Robin sat at her desk while her students worked on reading independently for a little while. She stood up to write some questions on the board, but found she had trouble grasping the marker. She dropped it to the floor and then faced the challenge of bending over to pick it up. Her stomach seemed to be in the way of everything. Lila saw her struggle and came over, picking up the marker and putting it on the table. Robin smiled gratefully. "Thanks Li."
"No problem Mrs. Drake." The teen smiled and walked back to her desk. Robin sat down and grasped the marker, realizing her fingers simply weren't working the way she wanted them too. She hated how this disease just crept in whenever it wanted to and hit her in places that were so frustrating. She took a few deep breaths and looked at the students.
"Okay. I want you guys to work in groups of 4 and come up with 3 questions based off the reading. When you are done, pick one person from your group and come to the board and write the questions down," she smiled at them as they started breaking off into groups. She was learning to change on the fly because she never knew how her body would betray her. She bit back her tears and stood up, walking to the students and participating in their discussions. She would distract herself with literature; it was her passion.
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Patrick watched as his students engaged in a debate about US policy. He smiled at how isolated they were in their thinking at times, but it was also what allowed them to come up with fresh viewpoints. He saw a particular student sitting to the side, not participating and he walked over to him. "Jesse, what's up? You okay?"
The 16 year old didn't make eye contact, just shrugged. "I'm fine."
"Okay, so how about participating in a group discussion? I'm sure Jim's group would like to have you join them." Patrick motioned to the group sitting closest to him.
"Whatever," Jesse said and crossed him arms in front of him.
"So does that translate to yes Mr. Drake, I would be happy to participate, or shut up Mr. Drake and let me sulk?" Patrick asked him, sitting his tall frame on the top of the desk next to Jesse.
A tiny smile pricked the corner of the boy's mouth and Patrick smiled. "I don't mind if you want to sit one out, Jesse, but let me know what's going on with you. If you need to talk, I'm here." Patrick said and stood up, walking to other groups and listening to their conversations. The rest of the period went by and the bell rang, signaling the end of the class. Patrick gave them their homework and went back to his desk when Jesse came up to him. He looked at the youngster.
"You said I could talk to you." Jesse said.
Patrick motioned for him to pull up a chair. "What's on your mind?"
Jesse looked uncomfortable. "I have a problem."
"Okay, can you give me anything more than that?" Patrick prompted.
"Never mind, it's nothing." Jesse stood up and went to leave.
"You wouldn't be here if it was nothing." Patrick said. "Try me."
Jesse turned and stood there. "My girlfriend is pregnant and she wants to keep the baby."
Okay, not expecting that one, he thought to himself. "What do you want?"
"She said it doesn't matter. She said it's her body and she can do what she wants," he said and Patrick could see there were tears in his eyes.
"I didn't ask you what she said, I asked you what you wanted."
"For this to go away," he said. "Does that make me an ass?"
Patrick smiled. "Kind of."
Jesse scowled at him.
"Look, you can't just make something like this go away. Even if she chose to end the pregnancy, it wouldn't just go away." Patrick said gently.
"What do you mean?"
"Do you love her?"
"I think so. How do you know?" he asked Patrick.
"Can I be blunt?"
"Sure."
"That's a question you should have asked before you had sex."
Jesse sighed. "I know, but I can't have a kid. My dad is going to kill me."
"If your parents were okay with it, would you still not want it?"
He thought about it. "I think I might be okay with the idea. But it doesn't matter because they will kill me."
Patrick smiled at him. "I think that's important. You were adult enough to create a baby, now you need to be adult enough to face your parents. If they love you, they will listen to you. I have met your parents, Jesse, they seem like they have an open mind and wouldn't want you to be so torn up about this. Maybe you should talk to the school counselor and she can have them come in and you can talk together?"
Jesse smiled. "I think that might be a good idea. They won't kill me if there are witnesses."
Patrick laughed. "Right, and then there's that."
"Thanks Mr. Drake." Jesse said.
"Anytime." Patrick handed him a pass to his next class and closed the door after Jesse left. He smiled to himself and wondered when he became such an adult.
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Robin made her way to Patrick's room after the last class of the day. She was carrying her bag and her purse and she walked into his classroom before plopping everything on a desk. He saw her coming in and jumped to help her.
"I always come get you. Why did you carry everything?" he asked as he pulled up a chair.
She looked up him and raised her eyebrows. "Well hello to you too."
He smiled. "I'm sorry, but when I see my beautiful pregnant wife struggling with the weight of all of those papers, I get all brutish."
She laughed. "You are anything but a brute. You are lucky, however, that you said the weight of the papers and not my huge stomach."
He leaned in and kissed her. "I'm not stupid."
She swatted his shoulder playfully and he grinned a dimpled smile. "Anyway, how was your day?"
He wanted to tell her about Jesse, but he wanted to get her home and take care of her. He knew how exhausted she was at the end of the day. This job was taxing without the added stress of carrying twins. "I have a story to tell you, but I think it can wait until we go home and unwind."
She smiled. "Unwind? What did you have in mind?"
"A beer and maybe watching a hockey game," he teased.
She pouted. "Fine. I will unwind in my own way."
"I'm just teasing you. You know how much I love our after school activities," he said slyly.
"Then let's go home," she said and they left. Patrick filled her in on Jesse's talk while they drove home. She felt badly for Jesse. He was a good kid and he seemed to have parents who were supportive. They walked into the house and she turned to him as he put their bags on the table.
"Who is the girl?" she asked.
"I didn't ask. I didn't think about it," he said sincerely.
"She is probably struggling. We should see if it's a student in our school. Maybe we can reach out to her," she said as she took her shoes off.
He smiled at her. "You are amazing, you know that?"
"Why because being 6 months pregnant made me think about the girl part of the equation?" she laughed.
"I happen to know that the girl part of the equation is the most important part," he said and leaned in to kiss her.
"I like the boy parts much better," she moved to unbutton his shirt as his mouth moved over hers.
He felt his blood travel to all the important parts of his body as he moved to unbutton her blouse. He realized she stopped and he looked at her. "What's wrong?"
"My fingers aren't working the way I want them to today," she smiled. "No biggie, just can't get your shirt open. Should I rip it?"
He sat down and took her hands in his. "Don't do that, not the shirt part, but blow it off like your fears aren't important. How long have they been bothering you?"
"I couldn't grasp the marker this morning, and when I dropped it, Lila had to pick it up for me. They figured it was because I can't bend well with this belly, but I was also not able to pick it up with my fingers," she stood up and walked towards the bedroom.
"Robin, wait," he said.
"No, I don't want this to always be something that interrupts us. The doctor said these sensations and issues would come and go. I can't let it interfere with my life," she said, fighting back her tears.
"We aren't letting it interfere, but I want to know what you're thinking and feeling. I want to help you so you aren't letting anything eat you up inside. I love you, and I am here with you," he said.
She walked to him and hugged him. "I know that and I'm so grateful for you."
He held her and ran his hands through her hair. "You know that the doctor said the more you relax, the better you will feel."
She looked up into his coffee colored eyes. "I know one way to relax."
He grinned and leaned down to cover her mouth with his. He finished unbuttoning his shirt and she pushed it off his shoulders while he moved his tongue down her neck. She moved to the bed and pulled her shirt off while he stepped out of his pants, his erection already obvious. She licked her lips as he leaned down and pulled her pants off, moving up her legs and kissing the inside of her thighs. He could see her panties were already wet and he slipped his fingers under the band and pulled them down and off. She watched him as he looked at her, loving the way he cared for her. He moved up her body and unclasped her bra, moving the material out of the way before leaning down to kiss the swollen flesh.
"Oh God, Patrick," she moaned.
He was so amazed by how her body was moving under his touch and he ran his hands over her breasts, tweaking her nipples and driving her crazy. She looked at him with semi closed eyes. "I need to feel you."
He pulled his underwear off and moved over her, as much as her stomach was growing, she was still petite. He had no trouble maneuvering to her and in a quick motion, he entered her, causing both of them to gasp from the friction. He rested his hands on either side of her head and moved slowly in and out of her, lowing his mouth to cover hers again and pressing his tongue against hers. She moved her hands up and down his body, loving the feel of him against her. Closing her eyes, she squeezed the comforter under her as her first wave of orgasm came over her. He watched her come apart and he continued to drive into her, wanting her to enjoy every last minute of her body contracting with pleasure. She opened her eyes and pulled him to her again, running her hands up and down his back, bending her knees slightly to cause him deeper penetration. He moaned as he drove deeper into her and he buried his head in her neck as he exploded inside of her, burying himself over and over until she had every last bit of him.
"Oh my God, that just gets more amazing every time we do it," she said as she tried to catch her breath.
"I didn't hurt you?" he asked her, running his hand over her stomach.
She stroked his cheek. "No, you could never and have never hurt me. I love the way you love me."
He kissed her again. "I love the way you love me, too. I am the luckiest man in the world."
"I think we are both lucky," she bit her lip. "I am relaxed, but I think maybe one more round would help me totally relax. What do you say?"
He raised his eyebrows. "Who am I to deny you anything?" he captured her mouth with his again and they fell into their passion.
Chapter Forty:
"How is it that we have only been at work for 2 months and I feel like I'm drowning in grading?" Emily asked as the group ate lunch in Robin's room. It was a nice tradition and recently Robin had invited Emily, much to Liz's chagrin.
"I know what you mean. I love teaching English, but it is never ending." Robin said as she took a bite of her sandwich and sucked in her breath. She put her hand on her large stomach.
Patrick walked over to her and rubbed her stomach instinctively, feeling someone's foot poking where it shouldn't be. He knew what made her feel better when one of his babies was being frisky. She relished his involvement and even as pregnant as she was, she loved his hand on her.
"You guys can not be so in tune with each other." Liz said.
Patrick blushed. "Sorry, force of habit."
Robin smiled at her husband. "I love it and I love you."
"Okay, seriously?" Lucky said and they all laughed.
"How much longer are you going to work?" Emily asked Robin as she ate her salad.
"If you ask Patrick, I should have taken all year off, but I feel good and I think I can stay here another few weeks. I have an appointment this afternoon, so we will see what the doctor says." Robin stood up and threw out her garbage.
Patrick watched her, mesmerized by everything about his beautiful wife. He didn't tell her, but he checked into paternity leave so he could be home for a while after the birth. He was waiting to see if it was approved before he told her.
"Who is going to be your sub?" Emily asked.
"I am sure Robin doesn't need to answer a million questions," Liz snapped. She stood up. "I'm sorry, I just had a bad morning. I'm going to go check my messages."
Lucky stood up with her. "I'll walk with you," he turned and shrugged to Patrick, not knowing what was up.
They left and Emily sighed, "I wish I knew why she hates me so much."
Robin sat down and looked at Emily. "I think she just has a lot on her mind. Liz is a really sweet person and I know you and she should be good friends. I'll get to the bottom of this."
Emily smiled. "Thanks, but I can take care of it. She is right when she said you have a lot on your mind. Thanks for having me for lunch," she stood up and they waved goodbye. Patrick walked and closed the door behind her, giving them some privacy.
Robin put her head in her hands and exhaled. Patrick walked over behind her and massaged her neck. She moaned and leaned into him. "God, that feels amazing," she closed her eyes as he moved to her shoulders.
"I have to get back to my room, but we can pick this up later," he leaned down and kissed her.
She pulled him closer for another kiss and touched his lips. "Are you going to be able to make my appointment later?"
He sighed. "I tried to get out of this meeting, but I don't think I can. I will do my best to get there before the ultra sound," he hated missing an appointment, but this meeting was important.
She looked at him. "It's okay, this is routine. I promise to fill you in on everything Max says."
He smiled. "I know, but I don't want to be one of those fathers that misses all of the school plays and baseball games and has to be filled in later."
She raised her eyebrows at him. "I think missing an appointment when the babies are still in the womb doesn't quite qualify," she stood up and hugged him, her stomach definitely making it harder, but she touched his face. "You are the best father and the most amazing husband. Never doubt that."
He leaned in and kissed her again, lingering for a moment. "Okay, seriously, I have to go or there will be a lot of students sitting in my room with no teacher."
She smiled and nodded as he left. She wondered for the millionth time how she got so lucky.
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Patrick looked at his watch and sighed. This meeting was dragging and it was driving him crazy. He knew Robin was probably done with her appointment and headed home, so he would just have to see her there. He ran his hand through his hair and nodded when someone asked a question. He smiled at Lucky who looked as bored as he was. They would just have to wait it out.
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Liz was finishing things up after school and made her way to the chemistry equipment in her room to shut everything off. She had a lot on her mind and she decided that she needed to try and be nicer to Emily. It was weird. She didn't usually react so negatively to people, but something just bothered her about the new teacher. Sitting back at her desk, she went on her computer to search for some answers. She didn't even know what to search for, but she began to dig.
Lucky walked to see Liz after he left the meeting with Patrick. He smiled when he thought to himself that one had to work hard to bore history buffs, but that was the worst meeting. He stopped in the office to pick up their mail and he headed to her room.
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Patrick walked to his room to gather his things to leave and he checked his messages. He smiled when he heard Robin's voice.
"So I'm guessing your meeting is dragging on and you are doing your best not to fall asleep. I am on my way back to the car after my appointment. It appears Jelly and Bean are progressing nicely. Dr. Max estimates they are both over 4 pounds. I don't know how much bigger I can get, but he wants them to gain a little more, which means I need to eat more. I am entering the final stage, so he said not to worry if I start feeling some cramping or contractions, as long as they don't last and my water doesn't break, we should be able to keep these little ones in their oven to cook at least another month. I love you and I can't wait to show you the newest pictures. See you soon."
Patrick smiled as he heard the excitement in her voice. She was remarkable and he was more amazed by her strength and her courage every day. He called her, but it went to voicemail. He figured she was probably taking a nap. He would see her soon.
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Lucky walked into Liz's room and saw she was upset. He made his way to the table and put her mail down. "What's wrong?"
She looked up, startled for a minute. "Oh, hi, I didn't hear you come in."
"Talk to me, Elizabeth, what's going on?" Lucky asked her.
"Don't be mad, but I did some checking on Emily," she said.
"I'm not mad, but I don't know what you expected to find," he looked at her. "What did you find?"
"She said she was married to Nikolas Cassadine, the neurosurgeon who helped Patrick and Robin. When I looked his profile up, it said he was single," she began.
"Okay, but you know they don't always update those sites regularly. It could just be out of date," he said.
"I know, I thought that too, so I dug a little deeper. There is a connection to someone that surprised me," she looked at him. "I found an engagement notice from 5 years ago with Emily and a man named Henry Green."
Lucky was trying to follow, but didn't see the connection. "Who is Henry Green?"
Liz had tears in her eyes as she looked at him. "He is Brad's brother. Brad is my ex husband and the one responsible for going after Patrick and Robin."
Lucky was surprised, to say the least. "Wow, okay, so do we know if they ever got married?"
"I can't find anything about a marriage," she looked at him. "What if Emily is here to hurt someone?"
"I don't know, Elizabeth. It seems like a stretch, but knowing what you have told me about Brad and what I saw with Patrick and Robin, I don't want to take anything for granted. We need to make sure you are safe." Lucky said with concern.
She shook her head. "Brad won't hurt me. Besides, he is in jail," she sighed and turned to look at her mail. She picked up an envelope that had no writing on it and pulled out a piece of paper. She opened it and read the words before her hand started shaking and she turned white.
"Liz, what is it? What's wrong?" Lucky asked her.
"We have to find Robin, now," she stood up and almost knocked everything over.
"Why?" Lucky grabbed his things and followed her out into the hall and smacked right into Patrick.
"Oh, sorry, man." Lucky said.
"No problem, I usually can't wait to get out of here myself." Patrick said and picked up his things that fell during the collision.
Liz grabbed Patrick's arm. "Where is Robin?"
He was alarmed at her demeanor. "At home, why?"
"Did you talk to her?" Liz said, tears in her eyes.
"She left me a message a while ago, but she is probably sleeping, why? What's going on?" he dialed her again while he talked to Liz. It went to voicemail.
"I think I know why Emily is here," she said. "We need to get to Robin, now."
Patrick and Lucky looked at her and they all raced out to their cars.