Title : Home Is Where the Heart Is

Author : Steph
Rating : PG
Pairing : Robin/Patrick
Category : Romance/Drama/bit of Humor

Disclaimer : I do this out of a love for this couple. No infringement is intended.
Spoilers : Nothing really.
Summary : Robin and Patrick travel to his hometown for his grandmother's funeral.

Note #1 : Thanks for the great feedback on the first part! I am so glad you're enjoying it! It's definitely fun to investigate his background and put Robin and Patrick in a different situation. Well, as many of you probably expected, this has grown in 4 parts. Lots of tinkering. This will probably be the longest, unless I tinker some more. That should be it at 4 parts though.

Note # 2: It was pointed out to me that I made an error and mentioned that Grandma Lee lost her only child, then mentioned she had four children. I was supposed to write she lost her only daughter. She does have four children. Just wanted to clear that up in case anyone was confused. Thanks to karikos on for pointing that out!

Anyway, hope you enjoy it and please let me know what you thought! Thanks! -Steph

---Home Is Where the Heart Is: Part 2/4 ---

"Do you remember how she used to give out tic-tacs for Halloween? I mean, not even the whole container. But individual tic-tacs! And if the kids kept their hands out too long waiting for more, she would take the tic-tac back and call them greedy!" Patrick's cousin, Austin, said.

Robin laughed, joining in with Patrick's family. They were sitting around, eating and sharing stories about Patrick's grandmother. Normally, people sitting around talking and laughing after the loss of someone would make Robin uncomfortable. But this was different. They were celebrating the life this woman had lived, the impact she had on the people she loved. They weren't dwelling on the loss. Robin had a feeling that this was exactly what Grandma Lee would have wanted.

Riley looked at Patrick. "Do you remember when you broke her antique vase?"

Patrick laughed. "How could I forget? I spent four hours gluing that thing back together. Now we all know how skilled I am with my hands, " he said, holding them up and garnering a good-natured roll of her eyes from Robin. "I thought I had done a pretty damn good job."

"You had," Riley agreed.

"Well, she walked in the door, took one look at me, then at the vase on the table in the foyer, then looked at me again, and said, 'What did you do, boy?'" Patrick said, imitating his grandmother's raspy voice.

The room erupted in laughter. It wasn't long before the laughter slowly subsided though and the room grew quiet, as their eyes took on a faraway look.

Patrick's Aunt Kelly, the wife of Grandma Lee's oldest son, Eddie, finally broke it. She looked at Robin. "So, Robin, tell me. What is it you see in my nephew? Because for the life of me I can't figure it out!"

Patrick grinned, "Thanks, Aunt Kelly."

A blush crept into Robin's cheeks. Everyone's eyes were on her, including Patrick's.

"Well, he's certainly not bad looking," she said with a glance in his direction.

"Believe me, he knows exactly how good-looking he is," his cousin, Rachel, said. "Girls have been telling him since preschool. And he's been telling himself every night in the mirror since second grade!"

Patrick covered his face with his hands, as Robin's mouth dropped open. He shook his head, muttering, "Thank you. Thank you very much. That was one time, Rachel."

"One time that you were caught!" she replied.

Aunt Kelly waved a hand in dismissal. "Oh, we all know how handsome Patrick is. He's been making the rest of us feel inferior since the day he was born. I'm guessing Robin sees more in him than just that."

Robin sighed. "Well, he's a brilliant surgeon."

"Just like his father," Patrick's Uncle Danny said, his tone soft.

Robin nodded. "Yes." She then swallowed hard, lowering her eyes. "The rest took me a while to discover. But he's slowly revealed himself to be a compassionate, caring human being."

"We're still talking about Patrick, right?" joked his cousin, Ty.

The group laughed, as Patrick's eyes met Robin's. He offered her a smile.

Uncle George, Grandma Lee's youngest, looked at Patrick and wagged a finger. "Don't you let go of her. She's either completely blinded by love or off her rocker. Either way, you're not going to find another woman who's willing to put up with you!"

Patrick nodded, his eyes scanning Robin's face.

He replied softly, "I have no intention of letting her go."

His gaze was so intense, Robin had to look away.

---

An hour later, the house was empty. Since Patrick was the only out-of-town family member, he and Robin were left alone to stay in the house, rather than a hotel.

They shared an awkward look as they stood in the living room.

Patrick hooked his thumb in the direction of the stairs. "I'm tired. I think I'm going to go up to bed."

Uncharacteristically, he stopped there, not seizing the moment to hit on her or make some sort of sexual innuendo. .

Robin nodded. "Yeah, me too."

He licked at his lips nervously. "Thank you for coming. This is a lot easier with you here."

"You don't have to thank me. Your family's great."

"They certainly seem to like you."

"Well, they have good taste."

He smiled. "Let me know if you need anything."

"Okay. Night."

"Goodnight, Robin."

They exchanged one last look, before he turned on his heel and went upstairs. Robin watched him go until he disappeared from view.

---

Patrick stood outside Robin's door, his hand poised to knock. He then lowered it, shook his head, and ran a hand through his hair. He had turned on his heel to leave, when he heard the door open behind him.

"Oh, Patrick. Hi," Robin said, clearly surprised to find him lurking outside her door. She pulled her robe closed around her, but not before Patrick caught sight of her purple tank top and the cleavage it revealed.

He slowly turned around to face her. "Hi."

Robin's eyes flowed appreciatively over his body, enjoying the tight t-shirt covering his toned upper body and the boxer shorts on his lower.

She moved her eyes to his face, brow furrowed. "Did you want something?"

He lowered his eyes to floor. "No, forget it. It was nothing. It was stupid."

Robin took a step closer to him and touched his arm. "Tell me."

He raised his eyes to hers. "Can I show you something?"

Robin nodded, her curiosity piqued. He turned around and walked downstairs to the living room, as Robin followed him. He pulled a tape from a shelf and popped it into the VCR, then turned the television on. He gestured for Robin to sit down on the couch and then he sat down next to her. A moment later, images filled the screen.

A smile appeared on Robin's lips and she pointed at the screen. "Is that you?"

Patrick nodded with a grin. "Yeah, ignore the haircut. Riley cut it while I was sleeping."

"How old were you?" she asked, as she watched him pick up present after present beneath the Christmas tree and shake it.

"Five."

Patrick's gaze was suddenly transfixed to the screen. He gestured with his head and spoke so softly Robin almost didn't hear him, "There she is."

Robin looked at the woman he was grieving for. She had short, curly gray hair and wore a red velvet top with a black skirt. Her smile was easy and her blue eyes twinkled.

She watched Patrick lovingly, then handed him a huge box. He tore into it quickly, jumping up and down at his new treasure.

Robin looked at Patrick, who was blinking back tears. "She gave you the racecar set."

"Yeah, she did," he whispered, his voice constricted with emotion. "It was the best present I ever received."

Robin eyed him for a long moment, before placing her head on his shoulder and linking her fingers with his, as they continued to watch the past play out in the present.

---

"Oh, aren't they just the sweetest!" Patrick's Great Aunt Lydia nearly squealed, as she and her sister stood in front of their sleeping figures.

Robin's head was still on Patrick's shoulder and his head rested on top of hers. His left arm was wrapped securely around her upper body.

"If I had my camera, I would take a picture," Aunt Geraldine whispered.

"Geraldine! You know he would never forgive you for that!"

"I can't help it. I'm just so happy that he's finally happy. You know that's all Lee wanted for him. Doesn't it make it easier letting her go knowing he's going to be okay?"

Aunt Lydia didn't have a chance to respond because Patrick began to stir. He slowly opened one eye, finding the smiling faces of his aunts staring back at him. The other flew open soon after. He was suddenly self-conscious of their intimate situation. He lifted his head and pulled his arm off of Robin. He ran a hand through his hair and then down his face tiredly.

"Hi. What are you guys doing here? How did you get in?"

"Our sister gave us a key eons ago. You know, in case of an emergency," Aunt Lydia replied.

Patrick tried to blink the sleep out of his eyes. "Is there an emergency I'm unaware of?"

Aunt Geraldine shook her head. "No, but the rest of the family will be here soon. You know, preparing for the wake."

Patrick's eyes widened. "The wake? It's being held here?"

Aunt Lydia nodded. "No one told you? Lee didn't want to have it at a funeral home. She said she didn't want to lay in a coffin for four hours in some impersonal room that a million other people had been in. She wanted her family and friends to come to her home to say their goodbyes. You know, a place she was comfortable in...that meant something. Plus, she said, you never gather people together without having food!"

Patrick rubbed at his eyes. "Sounds like Grandma."

Just then, Robin began to waken. She slowly opened her eyes and lifted her head off Patrick's shoulder. The sight of Patrick's aunts staring at her wiped the remaining sleep right out of her eyes as they popped open wide.

"Oh, hi. Good morning."

They offered her wide smiles and replied in unison. "Good morning."

Then they turned on their heels and headed for the kitchen.

Robin looked up at Patrick, suddenly feeling uncomfortable. She scooted away from him and pulled a blanket around her. "So...that was interesting."

"Sorry. Apparently, my grandmother decided to have her wake here. They came early to prepare."

"So they saw us...like this?"

Patrick offered her a slight grin. "I was hoping to wake to your face, not theirs."

"Oh, this is embarrassing."

"What's embarrassing? They think we're a couple. And it's not like we were doing it on the couch when they came in. We were asleep," he said.

Robin's eyes widened and she quickly clamped a hand over his mouth. "Don't say 'doing it' with your aunts right in the other room!"

Patrick's smiling eyes met hers. He slowly removed her hand from his mouth. He licked at his lips before speaking. "I don't think they heard me."

"You don't know that."

"Relax, Robin. Plus, they're so happy that I'm finally settling down that I don't think they would have minded finding us on the couch 'doing it'."

"You're disgusting," she said, wrapping the blanket more tightly around her and standing up.

Patrick smiled. "Now that's more like it."

Her brow furrowed. "What are you talking about?"

"You hadn't insulted me or called me anything in more than a day. It was starting to feel a little weird."

"Well, that's because you spent the day acting like a normal human being. I guess you've turned back into a pumpkin."

"What?"

She rolled her eyes. "You know, Cinderella? Clock strikes midnight. The pump-..." She sighed. "If I have to explain it, then the reference loses all of its impact."

Patrick reached out and took her hand in his, pulling her down onto the couch. "Look, I'm always going to be a pumpkin. I've always been one. Not every side of a pumpkin looks the same, right? Well, you're just seeing a different side of me, that's all."

Robin bit at her lip. "Well, I like this different side of you. I wouldn't mind seeing it more often."

He smiled. "I'll see what I can do."

---

Patrick sniffed as he entered the kitchen an hour later, followed by Robin. "Wow, something smells great."

He walked over to the stovetop and lifted the lid on a pan where potatoes and onions were frying. He moved his hand in to grab a potato, when Aunt Lydia's darted out and slapped it. He pulled it back, shaking it back and forth.

"Ow!"

"That's for the guests, Patrick!" she scolded.

She then pulled out a fork, put it through a potato, and held it up to Robin. "Would you like to try some?"

"I'd love some," Robin said, taking the fork from her.

Patrick's eyes widened. "Hey, why does she get some?"

"Because she's a guest. Quit your whining," Aunt Lydia replied.

Geraldine smiled from her spot where she was cutting vegetables. "Actually, Lydia, she's practically family."

Robin started coughing, as she nearly choked on her food.

Patrick grinned at her. "You okay?"

"Yeah, just went down the wrong pipe."

Aunt Geraldine looked at Patrick. "So, my dear nephew, when do you plan on making an honest woman out of her?"

Patrick's eyes dropped to the floor. Robin was enjoying his discomfort now. "Yes, Patrick, when do you plan on making an honest woman out of me?"

"Uh, well, we haven't been together very long-..."

Aunt Lydia waved a hand. "I knew your Uncle Jack two days when I decided to marry him. We've been married nearly fifty years. Happiest fifty years of my life. I always say it feels like fifty minutes."

"What does Uncle Jack say?" Patrick muttered.

Aunt Geraldine hit Patrick upside the head, as Robin tried to suppress a laugh. "You watch that smart mouth of yours. It's bound to get you in trouble one of these days."

Robin smiled. "Trust me, it already has. Many, many, many times."

Patrick offered her a glare. "Thank you, that's helpful. Now could I maybe get some ice for my head and my hand?" he asked no one in particular.

"Get it yourself," was the reply from all three women.

Patrick shook his head and moved to the freezer.

---

Patrick paced nervously back and forth. Everyone would be arriving soon. Grandma Lee's sisters, children and grandchildren had already paid their respects. Grandma Lee had insisted that her casket be closed. She said she didn't like people staring at her when she was alive, why would she want them staring at her when she was dead? Patrick thought she had a point.

Robin came up behind him, placing her hands on his shoulders.

"Hey, are you okay?"

He turned around to face her. "I've always hated these things."

"Well, they're not exactly fun for anyone, Patrick."

"No, I just meant...I hate having to stand there and shake all of these people's hands, many of them I don't know. They'll say kind things about my grandmother and tell me how sorry they are. And I'll stand there and I'll nod."

"You don't do it for yourself, Patrick. You do it for her."

"I know, that's the problem. It seems like such a strange way to honor her life. She'd rather we had a barbecue and swapped stories."

"It'll be over soon," she said, taking his hand and leading him into the living room.

---

The wake was nearly over and Patrick didn't think he could take much more. He slipped into the study and found Riley in there, looking at pictures of their family hanging on the wall.

"I see you're hiding out, too," Patrick said, as he came to stand beside him.

"If I had to shake one more hand, nod my head one more time or hear the words 'I'm so sorry for your loss' once more, I think my head was going to explode."

"I know what you're saying."

Riley stared at a picture of their grandmother surrounded by all of her family.

"It's hard to believe she's gone, " he said.

"Yeah, it is," Patrick replied.

"She was really proud of you. You know that, right?" he said, turning to Patrick.

Patrick nodded, as Riley went on. "I mean, she was proud of all of us. But you were different. You lost your mother and you didn't let it stop you from pursuing your dreams. She would sit around during bridge games bragging about her neurosurgeon grandson."

"Did she seem sick?" Patrick asked. "I mean, the last time you saw her."

"I saw her last week. She seemed fine. It was just her time, Patrick."

Patrick had a hard time accepting that. He kept thinking that if he had been there he would have noticed something. If he had spoken to her in the last month, he would have heard something in her voice. There must have been signs. His grandmother was never one to complain about not feeling well, but he could always tell.

"So," Riley began slowly, turning his eyes to Patrick. "When were you going to set me straight about you and Robin?"

Patrick raised his brow. "What do you mean?"

"You can stop pretending with me. I saw the look on her face when I started talking about you guys. And I saw how you found the floor extremely interesting."

Patrick sighed. "You formed your own conclusions about us."

"What was I supposed to think, Patrick?" Riley said, throwing his hands up in the air. "When you talk about women, it's who you flirted with, who you slept with. Never a name in the bunch. Then, all of the sudden, you keep mentioning Robin. How smart she is, how beautiful, how caring. How she challenges you. And then you told me about the physical stuff. Of course I was going to think you were in a relationship with her."

"I didn't realize how much I had mentioned her."

"And you didn't bother correcting me. You knew exactly what I thought. What we all think now." Riley scratched at his forehead. "So answer me this: Why aren't you in a relationship with this woman?"

Patrick shook his head. "Things are complicated between us."

"Patrick, you have this amazing woman, who is willing to come to your grandmother's funeral and spend time with your family. It seems to me she wants a relationship with you. So you must be the one complicating matters."

"I just...I'm just not ready for a serious relationship."

"I know that's a big issue for you. But you have feelings for her. You have deep feelings for her. I don't dare mention the 'L' word for fear you'll shut down and won't hear another word I say, but I can see how you feel about her. I can see it in your eyes."

Patrick lowered his eyes to the ground, but didn't reply.

"Look, I would never tell you what to do. I know you wouldn't listen anyway. But if you don't tell her how you feel soon, you're going to lose her."

"Even if I could, it's not enough to tell her how I feel. She wants a commitment."

"What scares you more? Taking a chance and opening yourself up, with the possibility of getting hurt? Or spending the rest of your life knowing you let her get away? That's what you need to decide."

Patrick swallowed hard. "You sound like Grandma now."

Riley placed a hand on his shoulder. "Well, someone has to knock some sense into you now that she's gone."

With that, Riley turned around and left. Patrick moved his eyes to a picture of him and his grandmother, taken the last Christmas they had spent together.

---------------------------------
Part 3 coming soon...

Thanks for reading! Hope you enjoyed it and please let me know what you thought.