A/N: I think I might be going off the rails in this story. It started as more of an internal exploration and now I realize that lately things have been getting more external. I'm not sure if this is organic (no, I don't mean that word like a certain horrifying ABCD head writer who uses that term to refer to the dung she writes does!) to the story or if I've lost steam. You the reader(s) need to let me know!

There's some cussing in this.

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Meddling – Patrick 11
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"You're making me a cliché, Drake."

"How exactly am I doing that?" It's thirty minutes since I finished my all night surgery and I'm sitting here with my legs up on Robin's desk drinking her good coffee and giving the blond haired, blue eyed goddess sitting in front of me an unconcerned smirk. Dr. Beth Porter could never be a cliché.

"Because now I have to ask who is this woman that's managed to capture The Rake's heart. See, Fabio will be here any moment." I watch in amusement as Porter taps her painted nails on Robin's coffee mug and sneers at me in annoyance.

"Do lesbians even read romance novels?" Amusing factoid I'd never thought about before in my extended contemplations into the activities of lesbians. Activities, sadly, I could never convince Porter to let me watch live while we were in med school together.

"Sure, for the heroine. Look, I'm going to lose patience with the evasions, Drake. I came all the way up here to the boondocks last night for you. I deserve some scoopage."

"I appreciate the effort, but I'm the one losing patience, Porter. You owe me here, remember?"

With one last irritated glare, she finally gets to the point. "All I can tell you is that it's a solid case, as well as an interesting one. We don't need the publicity, but it wouldn't hurt to have her."

"Does that mean you can get her admitted to your facility?" I drop my legs and lean forward. We were finally at the meat of the matter. Dr. Porter was not only a damn good psychiatrist, but she also runs a mental health facility downstate that has credentials impressive enough for Carly's mother and it had strong enough security to hold on to her. Porter had already convinced Dr. Winters to let her consult and I had filled her in on what I knew about Carly's toxic history.

"I do understand you're trying to protect your lady love, but that can't sway my professional opinion. And I can't discuss private medical records with you, you know that."

"If I didn't trust your professionalism, Porter, I wouldn't be sitting here chatting with you when I could be home crawling into bed with said lady love. If the woman is medically off her nut and is still a danger then you're the person I trust to keep her locked up. She shouldn't be roaming free to hurt anyone else." After a measured pause I continue. "Well, her ex-husband and his brain-damaged lackey I don't care much about, but the innocent people." I still can't believe I almost slept with a homicidal maniac, although in my defense I didn't know it at the time.

"That sounded almost heroic. Who are you and what have you done with the real Patrick Drake?" Porter leans forward and pins me with her sky blue gaze for a moment. "You've grown up, Drake. I never bought that I don't care about anyone bullshit anyway."

"Look, I fucked up here. I didn't know what I was getting into and I'm trying to make it right." I don't know why, but something in the words I'm saying makes me quiver inside. I take a sip of coffee to wet my throat and try to get my bearings back. I'm probably just tired.

"Even if she never knows you were involved?" She stands up and leans over the desk to kiss me on the cheek. "Love looks good on you, Drake. Just make sure you invite me to the wedding."

"Shit!" I choke on my coffee and look at her like she's the one out of her mind.

"I'd be worried if you changed all at once. Can't wait to meet the future bride," she said before walking out of the office laughing.

After Porter leaves I sit for another few minutes at Robin's desk. It's already too late to rush home and climb into bed with her and seeing her getting ready for work is only going to drive me insane since my father is still in the next room, so I'm not in a hurry. And truthfully, I'm feeling a bit light headed at the moment and I know it's not just the fact I haven't slept in two days.

With my stomach now going all sorts of directions, I put my coffee aside and prop my elbows on the desk and bury my face in my hands. I am quite aware of how typically male it is of me to freak out at the mention of marriage and weddings, but if I'm going to it's definitely best I do it now while I'm alone. I don't want to hurt Robin for anything, but I'm just coming to terms with being in love. Hell, we haven't had sex yet. How can I be expected to suddenly reconcile to the fact that I'm coming to think that deep down I've always longed for the kind of relationship my parents had when I was growing up and that I think I could actually be good at it?

All of a sudden I sit up and slap my hand on the desk. This is just one of Beth's classic mind-fucks and I fell for it. Damn, I lean back in the chair and look in grudging admiration through the door she was walking through as she delivered her last bombshell. She's good. Shaking it off, I stand up and pull the bag I had hidden earlier out of drawer in Robin's desk. From inside I pull out a white rose and put it down on Robin's chair and finally head home to her.

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As I expected, Robin and my father are in the kitchen having breakfast when I let myself into my apartment. I mentally cringe when I see the Monopoly® game from last night is still set up on the dining room table. I swear, we are not revisiting that debacle tonight. With a chuckle, I continue through to the kitchen. If Porter had seen me last night she would definitely rescind any diagnosis of maturity.

"Good morning, Son." My father is the first to see me. He is, I observe, looking pretty good. Healthier than I've seen him look in years.

"How are you feeling?" I grab a piece of toast off the center of the table and sit down in a seat and run my eyes over Robin's hot body. Maybe I should have surprised her in the shower this morning after all, I muse as I crunch on the dry toast.

"I feel great. Robin's taking me with her to the hospital for my check up."

Really? That gets my attention and I turn to look at my father. "I thought that was tomorrow." As I wait for an answer I see him and Robin share a sly look

"I moved it up." Is all he says.

"Is that a good idea?" This I ask of Robin since she's apparently involved. At her nod I continue. "And does that mean you'll be with Bobbie a night earlier if you get the all clear?"

"Not that you want to get rid of me or anything, but yes," my father says dryly.

"I just couldn't take a rematch in Monopoly is all." I bite my lip as I smile at Robin. Could we actually be so lucky? Could I actually be getting lucky tonight?

"We still have to work tomorrow," Robin says. "You have surgery scheduled."

"Uh uh. That's the one that went critical last night. I don't have anything scheduled." I take the piece of toast Robin put my favorite grape jelly on for me. "What say you?"

"Excuse me. I think all this concern for my well-being is choking me up. I'll meet you downstairs, Robin." Despite his word, my father is clearly amused by my carnal focus and shoots me a smirk that has "that's my boy" written all over it before he leaves the kitchen. Robin, however, is looking exasperated that I could be so callous. I'd forgotten how cute she looks when she's exasperated.

"Come on, Scorpio. You have something up your sleeve. You just couldn't handle two more days of not having me." I point at her, toast and all.

"Yes, that's exactly it. I told your father that I was so horny that he needed to rush his recovery just for me." The fact that she flushes profusely as she says the word "horny" takes away any impact she was probably intending and totally cracks me up.

"You're incorrigible." She throws her hands up and starts gnawing on her toast rather than try to talk to me while I'm doubled over with laughter.

"What's the reason for the early check up then? Don't tell me that my father is the one who's eager to leave and go stay with Bobbie." At her expression I stop laughing and stare hard at her. "Oh my god, he wants to get laid!"

"Patrick!" Robin admonishes and I see her hand jerk as if she almost threw her toast crust at me.

Who knew that a simple breakfast could be so fun? "I love you, Robin."

Touched and irritated, Robin closes her eyes and shakes her head. "You drive me crazy, Patrick. You really do." She opens her eyes and her eyes are now full of tenderness.

"Back at ya." I wink and take another bite of the toast she made me.

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One long hot kiss and one long hot shower later I'm standing in my towel looking at the neatly made bed with one side, my side, turned down that Robin left for me this morning. I can't believe that I missed spending a night with her and missed an entire night of payback. I know she'll find the rose today and think of me, but it's not quite the level of evil that I had threatened. I look around the room to see if I can get any ideas of what I can do….

My thoughts trail off as I see my cell phone on the dresser. With a wicked laugh I pull off my towel and grab the phone and walk back into the bathroom.

I know just how to get her "attention."