Title: How to Get a Player to Commit
Author: Steph
Rating: PG
Pairing: Robin/Patrick
Category: Romance/Humor/Drama
POV: Robin
Disclaimer: I do this out of a love for this couple. No infringement is intended.
Spoilers: Picks up after the cabin, so includes all of that.
Summary: Robin decides she wants a commitment from Patrick and comes up with a set of rules to follow in order to get her man.

Note: Thanks for the feedback! Hope you enjoy Rule # 10 and please let me know what you thought! -Steph

--- How to Get a Player to Commit: Rule # 10 - Make Him Believe He's Lost You ---

I'll admit to a couple of hours of crying and few more of eating ice cream and chocolate. Then a couple more of crying AND eating ice cream and chocolate. I was entitled. After all, it seems I'll never get the chance to be with the man I'm in love with.

I drag myself into work today, before realizing I have the day off. I smack my forehead with the palm of my hand a few times as I walk down the hallway toward the elevator.

"Keep it up and you'll be the one who needs brain surgery, not me," comes a familiar voice.

I backpedal and tilt my head to look into Mrs. Flanders' room. She smiles at me, which is disturbing since she doesn't have her teeth in. She waves her hand at me to come in.

"Get in here and tell me what's wrong. My stories don't start for hours. I need some entertainment."

I slowly walk into her room and sit down in a chair by her side.

"Let's have it."

I have no idea what prompts me to tell a virtual stranger what's happened between Patrick and me, but maybe I just need to tell someone. I spend twenty minutes recounting every last detail. She listens the whole twenty minutes, never saying a word. Finally, I take a deep breath and look at her.

Her eyes widen. "Oh, you're done? Thank God, I was beginning to wish this aneurysm would just burst already and put me out of my misery."

My brow furrows and my lips turn downward. What is wrong with her?

"So, what's Rule # 10?" she asks.

I sigh. "Make him believe he's lost you."

She nods. "Sounds good. So how are you going to do that?"

I shrug my shoulders hopelessly. "I have no idea."

"Maybe you will after listening to my story," she says with a nod of her head.

I sit back in the chair and cross my arms over my chest. Can't hurt, I guess.

"My Bernie and I met and fell in love one summer. We wanted to get married, but his parents disapproved of me. I wasn't pretty enough and my family didn't have enough money. I had no manners and said whatever came to my mind. I wasn't good enough for their son. Now my Bernie was a great man, but strong-willed he was not. He was afraid to go against his parents so he told me we couldn't get married. Lucky for him, I am strong-willed, so I came up with a plan. I went to his place and told him I was going to marry another man. I figured he would come to his senses if he thought he was truly losing me. I waited for him to stop me, but he just congratulated me. I walked out the door and stopped, counting to sixty. Bernie and I had a rule that we would allow ourselves sixty seconds to deal with something. We would allow ourselves sixty seconds of crying, self-pity, pain and anger. Then we would move on." She takes a deep breath and smiles, her gums showing. "Well, it took him forty-three seconds to realize he'd been a fool. He opened up that door and smiled at me, saying, 'That was the worst forty-three seconds of my life.' And the rest is history."

I smile, the story bringing tears to my eyes. She reaches out and pats my hand. "Do whatever it takes to make him realize what he's losing. Don't give up on him."

I nod, as I eye the old woman. I can only hope that things work out half as well for us.

---

I woke up this morning with a new perspective. Mrs. Flanders made me see that I had to stick to Rule #10. I know Patrick has deep feelings for me. After speaking with him the other day, it seems clearer than ever that what he feels for me is love. But he's not going to allow himself to pursue those feelings unless he feels he has no other choice. He's so scared that he won't be enough that he's letting it control him. He needs to see that not being together is the scariest thing of all. But I am not about to wait for something to happen in order for him to take this step. That could take years. I'm going to make it happen.

So, I'm going to do what any other self-respecting woman in love would do. I'm going to tell him I've taken a job at another hospital.

Okay, okay, I know it's wrong. Really, really wrong. It's a completely Carly thing to do. And it's completely unlike me. But, then again, so was following these rules.

Like I said before, when it comes to Patrick Drake, I find that I say and do things that I normally wouldn't. This is 'The Patrick Drake Effect', people. I never said I could help it.

I'm hoping he'll overlook this lie once he realizes what he's getting in return. I'm hoping none of it will matter when he looks into my eyes and lets himself see what's been there for a long time now: love.

The truth is, I know how life can take unexpected turns. I've learned that the hard way. There are things you can't control. It's the things that you have some control over that you need to focus on. And stopping at nothing to have love and happiness is one of those things for me. I won't let him be a regret.

I stand outside his room at the MetroCourt, hand poised to knock. I take a deep breath and then tap lightly. Patrick answers on the third tap, his eyebrows arching in surprise.

"Robin? What are you doing here?"

"We need to talk," I say, as I brush past him.

He closes the door behind me and then comes to stand in front of me, hands on his hips. He waits a few long moments, then shrugs his shoulders. "So, talk."

I decide to just get it over with. I hate lying. I especially hate lying to him, but I've justified it in my mind.

"I'm leaving. I accepted a job at another hospital. They want me to head up a new medical research program. I just finished my last shift at General Hospital."

His eyes widen and I see him swallow hard. He stammers. "When...when did this happen?"

"I applied a while ago. I didn't want to tell you until I knew for sure."

"Considering how things have been between us lately, I'm surprised you told me at all."

"I guess I felt I owed you that much for some reason."

He shakes his head, his voice soft, "You don't owe me anything."

I feel my heart begin to race. I didn't consider that this might not work. What if he doesn't try to stop me? What if he just lets me walk out the door and doesn't even try to come after me? Then what? How do I explain showing up for work tomorrow?

I suddenly realize why the lying and manipulating should be left to Carly. I totally suck at it. What was I thinking? I need to have my head examined!

We stand there in awkward silence for over a minute. I swallow hard and do the only thing I can.

"Well, I guess I'll be going. I just wanted to tell you before you heard it from someone else."

He doesn't say a word, but his eyes never leave my face. I offer him one last look, before turning around. My hand's on the doorknob when his voice stops me.

"You're not going anywhere."

I feel my pulse begin to quicken, as I fear he's figured me out. He knows it's a lie. A stupid, ridiculous lie. He knows I made it all up.

It's not as if he won't learn the truth soon enough. It's just I'm not sure I can handle standing here, looking into his eyes, and having to explain to him why I came up with such a moronic lie.

I slowly turn around to face him. I meet his eyes and before I know what's happening, he wraps his arms around my waist and pulls me to him.

He looks down at me, his voice emerging huskily. "I'm not letting you leave me."

My mouth drops open and he takes advantage of the access, by bringing his lips to mine, his tongue diving in. It takes me a moment to comprehend what's just happened. His comment was not what I thought it was. He did what I had hoped. He stopped me from leaving.

I pull back and look at him. "What does this mean?"

I can only hope that this has forced him to begin to face his fears head-on.

He grins, "This means you better be prepared for disappointments and failings. Don't say I didn't warn you."

I smile and bring my hand to his cheek. "I won't." I pause and then add, "But I want you to know that I want you just the way you are. You're enough. You're all I need."

He shakes his head, his eyes clouding over. "The thought of never seeing you again was more frightening than any other scenario for the future that I could conjure up. The truth is, I know I don't deserve you and I'm not the man I wish I could be for you, but I can't let you go, Robin. I don't know, maybe that's selfish. What I do know is that every time I try to imagine my future without you in it, I can't do it. You're all I see."

Tears sting my eyes. I can hardly believe the words I hear. I'm still processing them, as he kisses me again.

I'm trying to enjoy the fact that we are finally together and fully comprehend the significance of what's just happened, but my mind is plagued by my deception. I pull back abruptly and lower my eyes to the ground.

He eyes me for a long moment. "What's wrong?"

I can't stand having this lie between us. I know I need to tell him.

"I have a confession."

"Okay," he says slowly, his brow creasing in confusion.

My throat is suddenly burning and my lips go dry. "I'm not leaving the hospital. There's no job. I made it up to force you to confront your fear of a relationship. To force you to pursue your feelings for me. I figured if you thought you were losing me for good you wouldn't have a choice."

His tongue darts out and licks at his lips. He takes a step back. "What? How could you do that?"

Okay, so I guess he's not willing to overlook it.

"I'm sorry, Patrick. I just didn't see any other way to get through to you. I'm sick of wasting time. I wanted to take control of my life."

"You mean you wanted to control me. I guess I shouldn't be surprised. You've been playing games ever since we agreed to no strings sex, all to get me to commit, haven't you?"

I slowly nod. "I wanted to be with you, so I came up with some rules to follow in order to get you to commit."

His eyes widen and his brow furrows. "Rules?"

I lower my gaze, suddenly realizing how stupid and immature it sounds. How could I not have realized this before?

"Yes, rules. I would act in a certain way to get a reaction or a result out of you."

He shakes his head and takes another step back. "You are unbelievable. I honestly wouldn't have expected this from you, Robin. Carly, yes. But you? This isn't you."

The Carly comment stings, but it's not like I haven't thought it myself. It just hurts hearing him say it.

"Ever since you walked into my life, I've been doing a lot of things that aren't like me. Almost having sex in a supply closet or showing up at your door in my underwear. You do something to me, Patrick. You always have." I shake my head, "I know this wasn't like me and I'm sorry. I just...God, Patrick, I couldn't stand the thought of not being with you. I mean, really with you."

His jaw clenches. "And that gave you the right to treat me like you did? Do you have any idea what you did to me? It hurt when you said you didn't want to see me outside of work or for anything other than sex. And when you didn't show up when we had plans, I spent all night worrying about you. I was sick to my stomach." He lets out a breath. "Then you do this. You tell me you're leaving. Jesus, Robin, my heart dropped into my stomach when you said those words."

I feel tears begin to sting my eyes. I never expected him to react like this. But, then again, I guess I didn't really consider what kind of effect this would have on him. I was only concerned with the endgame. And now, in an effort to get him, I may have lost him for good.
"I said I was sorry, Patrick. It was a bad idea. The whole thing was, especially this last part. But don't you understand? It made you see what you were losing. It forced you to confront how you really feel about me. It showed you what you could have with me."

He rubs at his face and shakes his head, his voice soft and unsteady, "No, the only thing it showed me is that my father was right. The only guarantee when it comes to love is that you will fail and disappoint the other person. I just never expected that it would come from you, instead of me."

I can't even enjoy the fact that he indirectly admitted he loves me because of the accusation that comes along with it. I've already failed and disappointed him and we aren't even off the ground yet. Now, thanks to me, we probably never will be.

I swallow around the lump in my throat. "I made a mistake, Patrick. Please don't use it as another excuse to push me away."

"I'm not using it as an excuse. This is why I want no part of relationships. They're messy and complicated. I've lived this long without them and I've done just fine. No reason I can't go back to the way things were."

I shake my head sharply. "You can't just go back. You all but admitted you love me."

"That's not what I said."

"That's what you meant. If you didn't love me, then what I did wouldn't matter. It wouldn't hurt. Only someone you love can truly hurt you, Patrick."

A bitter smile pulls at his lips. "You're still trying to convince me to give you another chance, right? Because that may not be your best argument."

"I'm trying to get you to see that your feelings for me aren't just going to go away because you're hurt or angry or you want them to. They're real and they're lasting. Look, being in a relationship is hard. Love is hard. It's messy and people say and do stupid things because of it. I think I've proven that point well. But it's also worth it."

He crosses his arms over his chest and nods. "That's right. You're the relationship expert. I keep forgetting. Now I know I have no first-hand experience being in a relationship, so tell me if I've got this part right. I think I heard somewhere that without trust you have nothing. Tell me, Robin, how do you expect me to trust you after this?"

My mouth drops open and my mind goes blank.

Finally, after several agonizing moments of him staring at me, I manage weakly, "Just give me another chance to prove that I deserve your trust, Patrick. That we deserve a chance."

I take a step forward and try to bring my hand to his cheek, but he moves away from me, shaking his head.

"I think you should go."

I feel my chest tighten and I feel like I can't breathe. I can't believe this. I can't believe I may have ruined my chance with him.

"Patrick."

"Please go," he says softly.

I see the tears shining in his eyes and I know they mirror the ones in mine. I swallow, my throat and chest burning. I tear my eyes from him and slowly move to the door. I offer him one last look before opening the door and leaving. Once outside, I lean up against the door and allow the tears to fall freely.

What have I done?

-----
Up Last: Rule # 11 - Love Doesn't Play By the Rules
Okay, so I know you guys probably hate me right now, but I couldn't tell you that Rule # 10 wasn't the last rule because it would have ruined all of the drama! Done hating me yet? No? Too soon? Okay. -Steph