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Chapter 25
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Patrick quietly closed the front door to the cottage. Exhausted both physically and emotionally he rubbed his face and scratched his fingers through his already mussed hair as he tried to clear his head before he could take another step. The downstairs of the cottage was eerily quiet so Patrick hesitantly put his hand on the handrail and dragged himself up the stairs. Once at the top he stood outside Robin's slightly ajar bedroom door. He took a deep breath, hoping that she wouldn't awaken and he could just sink quickly into his own oblivion. Finally, he pushed the door open the rest of the way and walked in only to find the room empty and the bed still made. Frowning, he walked out of the room wondering where Robin was when he heard a voice coming from Robin's office further down the hall.

He walked towards the melodic sound of her voice and softly rapped his knuckles on the door before pushing it open to see her sitting with her back to the door and talking on the telephone. At her absent wave he walked further in to stand in the middle of the room, waiting while she wrapped up her conversation, his mind too weary to try and translate her rapid fire French or even decide whether to sit down or leave her alone.

After a couple of minutes she hung up the phone and turned in her chair to face him still standing uncertainly in the middle of the room. She looked, he noticed as his eyes drank in her petite form, as tired as he felt. Dark smudges darkened her already dark eyes and she looked pale in her pink tank top and patterned flannel pajama bottoms. His fog of weariness suddenly abated as worry for her took precedence and he walked forward to put his hand on her forehead.

She tilted her head to look at him, a puzzled expression on her face. Then she took his hand off her forehead and clasped it in her small, strong hands. "What are you doing?" Her voice was husky with lack of sleep.

"You look pale."

"You look worse. Sit down before you fall down."

Instead of pulling up a chair or dragging himself to the couch Patrick sat down right where he was on the floor in front of her chair.

"Bobbie called and said that Noah was out of danger," Robin said quietly, her eyes filled with gentle concern at his uncharacteristic stillness.

Patrick closed his eyes and nodded. He once again rubbed a hand over his face, flinching at the feel of his overgrown stubble. He opened his bleary eyes to study Robin's expression. His eyes narrowed as he looked for the censure or upset that he expected to see. His head jerked as she placed a hand on his head and gently stroked her fingers through his hair.

"Are you okay?" she asked.

"I." Patrick stopped. He had steeled himself through the entire cab ride for a completely different situation; his tired mind was unable to adjust to what was going on. His head felt muzzy and his stomach was churning as he tried to find his footing. "Why aren't you upset?" He held his hands out.

"You need some sleep, Patrick." Robin chuckled. "Come on."

He took her hand off his cheek and stroked it with his thumb, his eyes locked with hers, still trying to understand her reaction. He finally gave up and with a tired groan he let his head drop onto her lap and slid his hands around her waist. He turned his head and stared out into the distance.

Robin stroked his hair and looked down at him lovingly and waited.

"I wanted to make it all go away." His voice was muffled by the flannel of her pajama bottoms. "I blamed you for making me feel. Before you I didn't, I didn't have to deal with my dad, with feelings. I wanted it back. I wanted the nothing back." He was too tired to fight back the tears that slid out of the corners of his closed eyes and dampened Robin's legs.

"Do you need for me to be mad at you for doing what I would have done? Have done?"

"No." Patrick let out a soft laugh and knuckled the tears off his exposed cheek and sniffled.

"I was upset at first because I want to be there for you, Patrick. And because I worry that if keep doing things like this it'll ruin us." Robin took a deep breath and said what she had to say before she lost her nerve. "I don't want to lose you, Patrick. I..I love you." Robin closed her eyes and bit her lip, a part of her was waiting for him to run screaming from her house.

Instead of running, Patrick's breath hitched and his hands tightened around Robin's waist. He took a deep breath. Then another. Finally feeling steady enough, he pushed himself off her lap and looked up at her, his brown eyes sparkling. "I love you, Robin Scorpio." A smile curved Patrick's lips and he let out a chuckle and shook his head.

"What's so funny?" Robin groaned as he slid his fingers underneath the pink tank top she was wearing to caress her bare skin.

"How in the heck did the two of us fall in love?" He chuckled again and the look of amusement in his eyes changed to one of passion.

"Very reluctantly." Robin hissed out a breath as his fingers moved in a distracting rhythm.

"Wanna take a nap with me?"

Robin's nerves skittered at the seductive growl in his voice. She bit her bottom lip and nodded, then let out a squeal when he pulled her by the hips off her chair onto his lap. The desk chair flew backwards and struck the wood desk, neither of them even heard the clatter as his hands slid up her back under her shirt and he pulled her against him as she wrapped her legs around his waist. Their lips met in a slow mating of tongues as all thoughts of sleep fled.