Chapter Twenty-Five: Twisted

Crypt

Conner slides into the crypt, unbenowedstly and creeps behind Robin, his breath on her neck. To finally have her so close to him after all these years, the angry memories came flooding back.

Years worth of hate and memories came so vivid to him. Every slap in the face and twist of the heart. To think he cared about her and all of them once. In the end they all betrayed him.

He remembered waking up in a hospital after a months long coma, his memory failing him. Everything but one name, one memory, all but fled from his mind. He woke up in an army hospital calling her name, Mary, somehow picturing her face in his mind already, though he could remember nothing about her. Yet instead he saw something different than what he expected. Robin, she said her name was. The brunette beauty staring back at him, telling him that he would recover in no time at all. It was that time that he fell in love...or became intensely obsessed.

He thought about her every moment of everyday for a reason beyond him. All until one day it finally struck him, she only cared for someone else. Patrick Drake. He saw the way he looked at her and he hated it. Not long after Robin left for Paris and Patrick for a job opportunity, but not before making one big mistake.

After a harsh fight about how close they were becoming Robin and Patrick were called in to perform surgery on Conner. So wrapped up in there own damn emotions they screwed up and ruined his life. One mistake and the brain damage that Conner had was permanent and would only get worse with time. As Robin told him all this he could barely hear what he was saying or see past his blood red eyes. All he could think was revenge.

Months later he opened The Port Charles Inquirer to see a picture of the girl that had haunted him once and found out that Mary hadn't always been dead as he thought. Yet before he could even realize it Nikolas Cassadines had murdered her. He had killed the woman in his dreams before he had ever gotten to see her one last time.

With a plan for revenge he hired a plastic surgeon to make him look just like Nikolas and before he knew it, he had entangled himself in their lives on the night that he witnessed the Prince kill his grandmother; it wasn't long before he was sent to jail. Nikolas, Emily, Elizabeth and Lucky. He had hated Nikolas for so long and he could never understand why the others would go to such lengths to protect him. Especially Emily.

He loved Emily, and was in someway even more infatuated with her than he ever was Mary and Robin. He couldn't help but become emotionally invested in the fact that she would be his; after all she owed him. But she could never get her mind off of Nikolas. What happened that night wasn't wrong in his mind? Nikolas had his way with his wife and he did with his. And the fact that he knew she loved him made it all the more right.

But then she tried to kill me. It was what brought him to this point; it was what made it that much worth it.

This was the way is distorted mind saw it.

Conner snapped back to reality, shaking his head as a twisted smile appeared on his face. Robin couldn't help but feel sick at the thought of him. He tilted his head to the side and looked between Nikolas and Robin.

"Missed me?"

"This isn't supposed to be happening, you should be dead," Robin says in slight denial, "You weren't supposed to hurt us anymore."

"Did you really think it'd be that easy? Did you think that bitch Emily would shoot me and I'd just be gone? I'll never be out of your lives for long Robin. Never."

Robin paused for a moment looking off into space as she realized the horrible entirety of what Conner had done to them. She wasn't going to sit here and let him get away with it. She lunged into him, as if she would tackle him to the floor but was abruptly stopped as he grabbed her arms, twisting them painfully behind her back.

"Something tells me, this isn't going to work. I think we need a change in arrangements."

Conner grabbed rope out his bag and began to try and tie her up. Only to have Nikolas step in front of her protectively.

"I've been helpless in this hell hole for longer than I can remember, Conner. I'm not going to let you get away with this," Nikolas took the knife out of his pocket that he had found as he escaped from the mausoleum.

"Run, Robin," he whispered and was surprised to see her step right beside him.

"I'm not going anywhere, not until you're out of here too."

Robin had hated Nikolas even more lately, thinking that he had been behind the horror of the past month. And even in light of the fact that he hadn't, there still lay all the problems that had finally ended their relationship, as husband and friends. Still she couldn't leave him here. He was weak, haggard, and wouldn't win in a fight with Conner. So she stepped up, deciding that not only would she refuse to leave it up to him or anyone else to rescue her, she would be right there as they ended this mess that had invaded into their lives.

Conner looked between the defiant two and was soon overcome with laughter, "You two really think you can stop me? You think your brave or something? Huh?" He said, as his voice got louder. "This little stunt is going to cost you." He pulled out a gun and pointed it between the two. Within seconds the knife slipped from Nik's hand. Gun in hand; it wasn't hard for Conner to tie them side-by-side.

Minutes later Conner stood in front of them, waving the gun along the with knife in his hands.

"I bet your wondering why I did this?"

"Because you're a disgusting freak?" Nikolas yelled as he practically spat in Conner's face, making him angry. Conner slapped him in the face with the gun, harshly as Robin was forced to look at his wound and do nothing.

"You really think you're going to win, don't you? You really think you can protect her Nicky boy? You've been in that hole of a cell the whole time. Where were you when I beat up your pregnant girl friend? Weren't you helpless when I almost raped Robin? What makes you think you can help her now?"

Nikolas glanced at Robin thoughtfully and could see her avoidance of what Conner was saying; it must be true.

"It's true isn't it. He did that to all of you?"

"Yes..." She said as she glanced away unavoidably ashamed that she let him hurt her that much.

"That son of a batch's swear to God I'm going to kill you when I get out of here. And I'll enjoy it too." Nikolas continued, beyond anger.

"That's funny, because I could have sworn I still had the gun." He looked over to Robin, "You're quiet for once. Have you finally realized that you deserved all of this?"

"What I've realized is that you're sick, and I still can't understand why you would do all of this. None of us deserved this." Robin said in quiet loathing of the man, if you could really call him that, before her.

"You asked why I've done this. But I ask why the hell can't you understand. All my life I've tried to be loved, I've tried so hard for everything. But it never worked because of people like you. When I woke up in that hospital and I couldn't find Mary I saw your face first. I cared about you, but in your eyes I didn't exist. It wasn't long before you broke my heart, and my brain." He continued.

"Your mistake is the reason that I wake up every morning, the pain in my mind is excruciating. It never stops Robin. It never stops! And the voices just keep getting worse, louder, reminding me everyday of why I had to do this."

"Why is that?"

"Because you all deserved it," He screams punching a wall. "Even Lucky and Liz buried me, throwing me in the dirt without even making sure that I was dead. Like I was some sort of monster.

"Maybe I am. Maybe I'm exactly what you all wanted me to be. But in the end I win. I win!" He begins to laugh bitterly. "You've all suffered because of me and that's not going to end today. Not until I'm digging all your graves."

"You're deluded." She yelled.

"And why the hell do you think that is! I'm not the same man since before you're knife slipped and made me the man I am today." She paused for a moment wondering how wise it would be to get him angry, remembering the last time she was tied up in a room with Emily and Conner. It wasn't hard to recall what had happened then and she was determined to make sure that it wouldn't happen again. But as the ropes began to dig into her tiny wrists, she couldn't help but feel a sick sense from the pit of her stomach of deja vu. Time was running out. She needed to figure out how to get them out of this. She decided to try out a strategy.

"Why'd you do this? What made you hate us enough to try and ruin our lives? Don't lie to me Conner, you've done that long enough. I just really want to know."

He spat at the memories as he began his own twisted version of what brought him to this point. "I have loved three woman in my whole life and you were one of them Robin. But you were all stolen from me one by one by those bastards you called soul mates. Nikolas killed my wife and then from inside a jail cell he still reeled Emily in." His voice began to rise as his pace around the room quickened. "What the hell did he have that I don't Robin? What's so good about him? Even Patrick took you away from me then and now. You were too worried to see anywhere but past me. How could you not expect me to get angry, to get revenge when you all practically begged for it."

"That's not what happened and you know it," Robin said accusingly, "you were obsessed with me and I stayed away, not only because I started to have feelings for Patrick but because I wouldn't be with you if you were the last man on Earth. We couldn't help what happened to your health after the war and I'll admit that we were young then, and we messed up. But it wasn't some big conspiracy, and it sure as hell didn't give you the right to do what you did. You raped Emily years ago and you've been terrorizing us all for the past few months."

"You know-"

"Let me finish," she yelled to the man she harbored more hatred for than she thought was possible, "You left Elizabeth's kids, motherless, Lucky partially disabled. You tried to burn us down in that cabin, kidnap our daughter, and now Emily's son could die because of you. You deserve everything you get Conner, and that means you should be dead right now."

Nikolas saw her anger beginning to rise and whispered in her ear, "I know you hate him but we can't afford to get him mad at this point." He hated Conner more than Robin could even imagine. But he wasn't about to get them both killed because of his anger. It was too big of a risk and he needed Robin to understand that.

That made Robin think of something, and she quickly formulated a plan.

"What are you two whispering about." Silence. "About how much of a psycho, sick freak I am? Don't you think I've heard it all before? And I thought you might understand Robin, that you cared."

Robin swallowed her pride and paused for a long moment, contemplative, before she went on, "Maybe I still do,"

"Don't lie to me? I'm not stupid. I know what you're trying to do." Conner said, frustrated and confused.

"I'm not lying, I'm just saying that maybe you're a different person than I thought."

"What are you saying Robin?" Nikolas couldn't understand this 360 that Robin had done. Yet as she stared at him, he saw something that silenced him

"Shut up Nikolas! I am so sick of you always being here reminding me of how much you hurt me. I know Conner's done a lot of things but he never broke my heart. He actually cared for me, before I screwed everything up. Conner's making me realize that." Robin inwardly prayed for the strength to do this. "I hate you so much, and I can't understand what I saw in you and the rest of our so called friends for that matter. Your all back-stabbers and I'm realizing how wrong I was to ever think that I loved Patrick. How could I be so naive," she ranted, and hoped he wouldn't realize how hard it was for her to say she didn't love Patrick.

"Maybe you're not the person I thought. If you only knew how perfect we'd be together." Conner thought audibly, almost to himself.

Robin stared him in the eye, a seemingly new person.

"What if the cops realize I'm gone. We're not far from the hospital, they'd look around here first. And knowing my uncle he won't stop until he finds me. I wish he'd just leave me alone." Tears sprung from her eyes as her voice faltered, "You know, I never told anyone what my uncle did to me."

"What do you mean?" He asked as he inched closer, almost worried.

"You'd never understand what he put me through for so many years. I'm sure your family loved you a lot more."

Conner laughed bitterly, "My old man, was never even a father to me. My first memory was him telling me I was worthless, pitiful. Hearing that for so many years, you start to believe it. And once I got older he'd just get so mad. I'd try so hard to be good enough but it only got him angrier. He'd hit me more and more with each passing day until one day I couldn't take it. I stole his gun and killed him, leaving town without looking back." He looked at Robin, who seemed like she understood. Nobody had ever understood. "What did your uncle do?"

She wondered if she could really lie about one of the people she cared most about in life but she had to, she knew that. "My father wasn't even a part of the picture. He said he had no choice but I know the truth. He chose to stay away on purpose. My uncle raised me and I grew up thinking he was like a father to me, but dad's don't do that to their little girls. When I was a teenager he raped me," her eyes sprung fake tears as she tried to wipe them on her shoulders unsuccessfully. Conner, wiped her tear. "It was all my fault."

"It wasn't Robin, it was his. I should know because I was the monster that did the same. Hurt others to lessen the pain that I felt. Maybe I was wrong, maybe..." He paused for a long moment and stared at her wondering if she was really being honest. If he was bearing her soul to him he way he always wanted. All the while as she looked back at him, she couldn't help but feel sick.

"...Robin do you forgive me?"

"Yes, you've had a hard life, and we've gone through some of the same things. How could I expect you to not be angry after what people have done to you? I'm starting to understand."

"You really do care about me, even if it's just a little?" Something about her just made her realize this.

"Yes," She should get a Oscar for the lies she was spewing. "Ow," she said randomly as she wriggled a little to try and loosen the ropes.

"It's just my wrist hurt so much from the ropes. Do you think you could loosen them, or even better take them off."

He studies her, looking for the truth, "Why should I believe you?"

"Because I won't leave you like everyone did before. And I don't think you deserve the death sentence that you'll probably get because of this. I promise that I'll help you escape."

"Why should I trust you?"

"Because I'm willing to do whatever it takes. Even if it means getting rid of the problem. I'll kill Nikolas and we'll go."

He pauses for a long moment to think until he finally passes her the gun. "You weren't the girl I thought."

"Robin what are you doing? You can't take his side and kill me. Just put down the gun Robin, we can get through this if you just-"

His ears are blown from a deafening shot and she looks down, expecting to see blood. Expecting to die in this place. He waits for the pain to invade his body and the hurt to coarse through him. Yet there is nothing, and he realizes Robin has shot Conner in the shoulder not him. No, she stood behind him working feverishly at the rope tying him down.

Robin couldn't believe what she had done. She had probably killed a man, someone who deserved it completely yet still, it didn't feel right. To have the blood on her hands... She just had to get them out of here. She was almost done with the ropes when she heard Conner groan from his spot on the floor.

"We need to get out of here," Nikolas said and they rushed through the doors and tore through the woods hoping to get as far as possible from him. They felt him following the whole time but they remained a step ahead. All until Robin stumbled on something, her cellphone. She continues to run alongside Nik as she instinctively calls Patrick the phone barely rings twice before his worried voice sounds through the line.

"Robin?"

"Yeah it's, me Patrick. Listen you have to get Mac. I'm at the cemetery now and Conner's here. I don't now what he might-" The line went dead

"...do next," she silently finished.

"Run!" Nikolas yelled to her seeing Conner right behind them. They tried to get but in seconds he already had the knife to her throat, soon forcing her to give up the gun in her hands

"Not so fast," Conner whispered. "You thought you would kill me get away with this didn't you? Even after all you said." He pauses and realizes something. "The cliff isn't too far from here. It'd be so easy for you to fall down. Wouldn't it? A bullet to the head, or a slice of the throat would be too quick. I want you to feel some pain " He dragged her the few feet to cliff as Nikolas tried to pull him off. But after so long of being stuck in that room, he couldn't do much in his weakened state.

Robin stood at the edge of the cliff as the cold edge of the knife to her throat. If he didn't throw her off, he just might stab her. It wasn't supposed to end like this. She had fought so hard for so long to be happy. And know that he finally reached that point, it could all be over in seconds. Didn't she deserve more time?

It was then when he pushed her and she narrowly missed the edge of the cliff.

She knew that he realized that they would closer in on him soon, and he would try to escape, but not if she let him. With all her might she kicked him behind the knee, sending him tripping in front of her, closer to the edge of the cliff. It didn't take long for him to fall over, something she hadn't fully expected.

She peered over at him to see him slipping, his hands struggling to grasp the damp rock, as his breath labored on. All she could wonder was whether or not she could really let him die. She had taken an oath to protect people, could she really break it know, even with her hate for Conner?

For some reason, that she could scarcely understand, she grabbed his hand, and held on.

"Let him go, Robin. He deserves to die." Nikolas called out.

"Don't you think I know that? He deserves to rot in a jail cell or better yet hell. But I can't become a murderer Nikolas. He can't die because of me."

Conner listened to what she said as he fought for his life. A part of him realizing what he had done and how much he had hurt them. And for what? So he could feel better?. In the end he probably hated himself more than they did. He had made so many mistakes in his life and though he didn't regret most of them, the gratification that he was supposed to feel wasn't there. He was supposed to revel in the revenge but all could he think was one thing. What have I done?

And in that moment, he consciously let go.

Nikolas grabbed Robin, making sure she didn't fall in as they watched Conner sink into the dark abyss that was beyond the edge of the cliff. There was no way he could have survived.

They sat there shocked by everything that happened and in what seemed like hours, yet was probably a matter of minutes they heard the sounds of salvation. Suddenly sirens around them began to blare, a helicopter in the distance

They both turned to see the fury of lights that were the police, media, and an ambulance. As the cops swarmed the scene, the EMT's went to Robin and Nikolas. Placing a blanket over her shoulders and transporting Nikolas to the hospital for dehydration and multiple wound.

As she looked out into the crowd, she looked for one person and when she finally found him, everything else seemed to fall away. Running to each other she jumped into his arms, holding tight as she thanked God that she didn't have to let go today. Patrick cold help but kiss her repeatedly. They sat down for a moment.

"I was so scared Robin. What happened?"

"I went for a walk by myself and ran into Nikolas. I still thought that he was the one behind this and I didn't give him a chance to explain until Conner had finally found us. He tied us up and told us his twisted motive for what he did. I was angry but I played along until he trusted me enough to shoot him. We ran out, but he wasn't dead and he tried to push me of the cliff only to fall because of me. I tried to help him, even though I didn't want to. But it was weird, he just let go."

"How are you holding up now?"

"I'm still here Patrick, we're still okay," she said happy but still shocked as he fervently "But I really didn't know if I would make it."

"You didn't think you would make it?" He tilts her face up to him, "When I told you we had forever, I didn't mean a few months Robin I meant years and years to come of me loving you and being happy together. I'm in it for the long haul Robin, if you are."

"You know I am Patrick and something tells me that life is only going to get better from now on. We can finally be happy without worrying when it's all going to end because it's not. Not for a long time anyway." She couldn't hide her slight smile as she thought of the baby.

"Is there something you're not telling me Robin?" Patrick asked seeing something different in her.

"Maybe," she said with out alluding to the truth.

"And that is...?"

"You'll have to wait and see but trust me, it can't get better than what I have to say."

After all the struggles they had encountered they could finally be happy without waiting for their world to come crumbling down. Though nothing in life was a guarantee, the simple fact of knowing that they could all have their new beginnings been breathtaking and in some ways unexpected. That simple gift meant so much to them, more than they could ever know.

A/N: I really like being back with this story, but I'm guessing it'll end pretty soon. How soon I have no idea, but maybe I'll end with thirty. As always thank you all so much for still reading this story. It means alot. Preview: Patrick finds out about the baby. Nikolas attempts to reunite with Emily but will it be to late?

lorilou783: I dpn't think it'll be much of a problem since they have proof that conner was pretending to be Nikolas (the blood types).

talk2much:I'm glad you liked that I brought Conner in, even though it wasn't for very long.

ILovetoWriteSMP: I hope you liked what happened with Conner. Sorry it was so long. In stories, just like in person, I can be long winded.