Walking in a Winter Wonderland

Dr. Robin Scorpio walked out of the front doors of General Hospital and pulled her coat tighter around herself to guard against the chilly weather. The winter day was cloudy and cold. The temperatures were already below the norm and still falling. Reaching into her pockets, she retrieved her favorite gloves and covered her freezing hands with them as she turned toward home.

She hadn't even taken two steps when she heard him calling after her. She didn't bother to turn around because all of a sudden Dr. Patrick Drake was walking in step next her. "You know, Dr. Scorpio, I was just going over your notes on the Alexis Malloy case and I happened to notice..."

Robin just shook her head and tuned him out. She knew exactly what he was going to say because he had been saying it for the last two days. He felt the need to operate on the little girl while Robin felt that a new drug treatment would be better for her in the long run. They had been bantering back and forth all day and it was getting them no where...neither of them were going to give in, neither of them were going to back down, and nothing was going to be accomplished. It was an all too familiar dance.

Finally, Robin turned to Patrick and said, "You know what, Dr. Drake? My shift ended 20 minutes ago. Which means I am no longer professionally obligated to be a part of this conversation...again." She put the emphasis on the word again and she was sure she saw him roll his eyes as she continued. "So since I am quite sure you will still be condescending and pig headed about this tomorrow, let's call it a night shall we? It's been a long day and I'm going home now. To soak in a hot tub and...

"Curl up in front of the fire with only your precious research to keep you warm?" He finished, raising a mocking eyebrow at her. "Sounds like quite an evening of fun."

"We can't all keep up with a social life as exciting as yours. Nor do most of us want to." She returned, annoyed that he was taking jabs at her evening plans. But what really annoyed her was how right he was.

Without saying another word, she turned and continued walking. "It's snowing out here, you know!" He called after her retreating form.

"Thanks for the update." She called back.

"You'll freeze to death." He warned, still watching her as she walked away into the night.

"I'll risk it." She said, finally turning back to look at him. In spite of herself, she smiled and said, "I love this weather!"

Patrick thought she looked like a child at that moment, grinning from ear to ear at the thought of walking through a winter wonderland. And for reasons he couldn't quite understand, he decided to join her.

Robin was more than a little surprised when Patrick fell into step again beside her. "It's snowing out here, you know." She said, mocking his earlier statement. "Your precious hands may get frost bitten and then how will the people of this city ever survive?"

"These hands are well insured, so don't you worry about that." He answered, shoving his hands deep into his coat pockets. "Besides my car is in the shop having some detail work done. So since we both seem to be headed in the same direction, I thought we might as well walk together."

Robin grinned and said, "I wouldn't want you to ruin your reputation. You know, by being seen with me outside of the hospital."

"Believe me, my reputation is solid and can't be tarnished by a little troll like you." Patrick smirked down at her as they walked. His teasing about her height always seemed to get a strong reaction out of her, but tonight she let the troll comment slide. So he decided to take a different approach. "Speaking of my reputation, please tell me a little something about those two delicious blonds you were talking to at the nurse's station earlier. I would definitely like to..."

"Oh no you won't." Robin interrupted him quickly. "Those are my cousins, Maxie and Georgie, and they are completely off limits."

"Says who?" He wanted to know.

"Says me." She informed him. "And says their father...the police commissioner."

"I haven't done anything illegal. Yet." Patrick grinned wickedly. "Besides, father's love me."

Robin rolled her eyes. "You don't know my Uncle Mac. Besides, Georgie is still in high school and Maxie is dating a cop. So it looks like you are out of luck."

"She's dating a cop, huh?" Patrick mused. "So that must mean she likes dangerous men. I have quite a dangerous side..."

"Give it a rest." Robin said, cutting him off before she had to hear anymore of it. Then taking a jab of her own, she asked, "So why aren't you consulting with your father on the Malloy case? It sounds like a case that would be right in his field of expertise."

Patrick cast a sidelong look at Robin that told her to once again butt out where his father was concerned. "Now why do you keep doing that?"

"Doing what?" She asked innocently.

"Trying to play peacemaker between me and my father." He muttered.

"Because you don't seem to know what I know."

"So please enlighten me, all knowing one. What do you know about the situation with my father that I don't?"

Robin stopped walking and turned to look him square in the face, causing Patrick to stop too. "I know that I would give anything in this world to have a living father...whether I thought he was a screw up or not. You have one and you're throwing him away."

Whatever Patrick was expecting her to say, that certainly wasn't it. He watched her turn to keep walking and then caught up with her again in just a few strides. They walked in silence for a few moments before Patrick couldn't resist asking, "What happened to your father?"

"He died in an explosion on a boat when I was younger." She said simply and matter of factly. Almost too matter of factly.

"An explosion?" Patrick asked, leaving the obvious question unvoiced.

"It's complicated."

"Everyone's family is complicated." Patrick said and then waited for her answer. When one didn't come, he said, "So, let's see if I've got this right. You can poke your nose into my family's business but I can't ask questions about yours?"

Robin sighed, knowing he had a point yet hating to admit it, and said, "My father, Robert Scorpio, lived a very adventurous life. He was an agent for the World Security Bureau and Australia's answer to James Bond. Whenever danger was afoot, it was a certainty that my dad would be at the center of it. But it varied as to whether he was the cause of the adventure, or the solution to it! One thing was always consistent, though -- whenever Robert was around, it was always exciting!" Robin smiled and shook her head at the memories of her father that floated through her head and thought of all the excitement that had come her way as a child because she was Robert and Anna's daughter. "Because of his work, we spent a lot of time apart, but when we were together he was the greatest. My mom used to say I was the apple of his eye and that I had him wrapped around my little finger. I didn't even meet him until I was 7 and then he moved to Australia, but he always came back when I needed him."

"And then one day he didn't." Patrick finished for her.

"I lost him and my mom on the same day. Or so I thought." Robin said. "My uncle Mac became my guardian, so it wasn't that bad. Mac Scorpio is the original good guy. He's not just there for the people he loves when they love him back, he's there for them for good. Even when we're at odds...which we are all the time...I know in my heart that he's always is in my corner."

"But he's not your dad."

"No. He's not my dad." Robin said quietly, grateful for the understanding she seemed to be finding within him. It was completely unexpected.

They continued walking in silence and Robin took the opportunity to look at the world around her. They were at the edge of the park and the scene was positively beautiful. She gazed around with wonder at the frost-covered trees, and the branches sparkled like diamonds. It was positively beau-

Thwack!

Robin felt the cold, wet snow hit the side of her face and slide down her cheek. When she whirled around to face Patrick, he was laughing like a little kid. "That was uncalled for!" She said, causing him to laugh harder.

His boyish smile continued to lighten his features, and his pale eyes crinkled in mirth. "From my perspective, it was a perfectly reasonable opportunity. Things were getting entirely too serious."

Robin stared at him for a moment, then finally smiled sweetly. It only took him a few seconds to realize that he shouldn't trust that smile. A wicked grin curved at her lips as she bent downward to scoop up a handful of snow. She started to pack it into a ball as he began backing away from her.

"Well, two can play at that game!" she cried, darting after him and hitting him square in the back with her snowball. Robin batted at a couple stray snowflakes, blinking as the cool wind gave them the push they needed to fall in to her eyes. Another gust blew strands of her brown hair into her face, distracting her long enough to realize that Patrick had disappeared into the winter scenery.

Patrick waited a few moments before risking a peep around the edge of the tree he was hiding behind, then frowned as he realised that Robin was nowhere in sight. Then a movement out of the corner of his eye made him whirl around, just in time to catch a large amount of snow right in his face at close range. Spluttering in a most unsophisticated manner as he clawed the snow out of his eyes, he looked up to find Robin standing a few feet away, cackling with laughter.

Blowing a strand of hair out of her face, she decided from the look on his face that she had better make a run for it. She took a deep breath and raced across the open ground towards a tree of her own to hide behind. The barrage of snowballs he sent flying in her direction caused Robin to scream in shock and laughter before diving for the tree.

The snowball fight continued as neither one was going to give in easily. Robin squatted down and began to pack snowballs as fast as she could, not quite sure what Patrick's next move would be. She soon found out as he snuck up behind her, grabbed one of her snowballs and lobbed it at her. It landed on her head and she laughed.

They began to wrestle, both trying to get the upper hand, trying to snatch snow and trying not to be hit at the same time. Patrick ducked back behind the tree to retrieve some more snowballs just as Robin decided to tackle him. He managed to catch her as she tried to jump on his back, but her momentum knocked both of them to the ground. She landed on him, her breath puffing out around his face as it was knocked out of her.

Neither of them moved. The wind and snow seemed to stop. Everything around them was quiet; they couldn't even hear the traffic from the nearby street as they had during their snow war. Robin risked looking into his eyes and that was when the world shifted. The deep flush in his cheeks from the cold, the way his chest moved with his shallow breaths and Robin knew she was lost. Her stomach twisted inside her, and her heart began to play a jumping game.

"Hi!" she said softly after finally getting her breath back.. Robin pushed herself up on her hands, which were on either side of his head, so that she was looking down on him. A loose strand of hair fell forward to tickle his cheek.

"Hi there..." he answered, savoring the sensation of her warmth covering him. In that one moment, Patrick knew that everything had changed. It wasn't about the game anymore. He and Robin were now playing another game where either one didn't want to lose. All he could focus on was the beautiful woman, whose face was inches from his own.

"Patrick?" she breathed the question, not trusting her own voice, as his eyes met hers. Then the connection was made and it jolted both of them together like an electric shock, before pulling them close. Since they had met, they had been avoiding what was about to happen, but it had caught them both unaware this time.

Their faces were barely inches apart, and she could feel his warm breath on her face. Then his soft lips were on hers, stealing away words. Patrick shifted slightly, and the change allowed him to deepen the kiss. Her cold nose pressed into his warm cheek as his mouth moved over hers. One of Patrick's hands suddenly tangled in her hair as he claimed her lips, exploring her mouth with a passion. His other hand slid up her leg to circle her waist and pull her closer. Through her fog-hazed brain, Robin came to the realization that Dr. Patrick Drake was a man of very many talents.

He broke off the kiss, and for a fleeting moment Robin thought he regretted it, but that was brushed aside when he lowered his lips to hers once more. Robin's arms moved up to wrap around Patrick's neck, bringing him closer.

A few, long moments later, they finally broke apart. Their breath mingled together as they tried to calm down.

"Dr. Scorpio..." Patrick began softly.

She looked up at him with large, luminous eyes, laced with a retreating desire. Her lips were swollen from his kisses.

"Shush," she said softly. "Say nothing." After a heartbeat he nodded, but he did brush the back of her cold hand with his thumb. She refused to meet his gaze, as she tried to slow her breathing. Then she pulled away from him and stood up.

Robin knew what had just happened between them had probably been inevitable at some stage. If it hadn't of happened here, it would have happened somewhere else. But one thing she knew - it couldn't happen again. There was too much at stake. But just once, just once, she had wanted to know what it would have been like. To feel his strong arms around her, to taste his lips. It was a moment of weakness that she would carry as a precious memory. An indulgence of a forbidden fruit.

Or so she thought.