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: Sorry again for tricking you! Glad you didn't hate me too much. This is the LAST rule! I promise! But read my note to you at the end to see what my next story is going to be. Anyway, thanks so much for your feedback throughout this story. It was more of a roller coaster ride than I intended! Hope you enjoy Rule # 11 and please let me know what you thought. -Steph

--- How to Get a Player to Commit: Rule # 11 - Love Doesn't Play By the Rules ---

It's been three weeks since our encounter at Patrick's place. I've only seen him once. He rearranged his entire work schedule so as not to coincide with mine. The only time I saw him was when he was called in for an emergency surgery. Our eyes met for the briefest of moments as we passed each other in the locker room.

To say I've been miserable would be a gross understatement. I can't sleep. I can't eat. I can barely focus at work. I can't believe I lost him without ever really having him. I can't believe I'll never know what it's like to really be with him. To have him love me and to get to love him back.

I'm sitting on my couch, nursing the broken heart that I have only myself to blame for. I've been watching Lifetime movies. Honestly, I know that channel's for women, but it plays the most depressing movies I've ever seen.

I pick up a kernel of popcorn and pop it into my mouth when the doorbell suddenly rings. My eyes widen and my heart begins to race. Maybe it's Patrick. I look down at my plaid flannel pajamas, wondering why it is I always have them on when he shows up at my door unexpectedly. I'm burning them tomorrow.

I almost go to get a robe, but I'm too excited at the thought of seeing him. I jump up, nearly knocking the bowl of popcorn on the floor. I practically run to the door and throw it open.

My face falls at who I find. It's a Drake all right, just not the right one.

Noah smiles, clearly noticing my disappointment, but choosing not to comment on it.

Instead he says, eyeing me, "Good look for you."

A smile pulls at my lips. Boy, are they father and son.

"Come in, Noah," I say, as I move and he enters.

I close the door and turn around to face him. I cross my arms over my chest, suddenly feeling self-conscious.

"So, this is a surprise," I say.

"Sorry I didn't call first. I hope I'm not interrupting anything."

I smile sheepishly and gesture to the television. "Well, actually, now I'll never know why Tori Spelling decides to sleep with danger."

He laughs, but it fades soon enough. He purses his lips. "I came because of Patrick."

I nod, the mere mention of his name making my heart do flip flops.

"Okay," I say slowly.

Noah hesitates, as if considering how to begin. "I noticed how miserable he's been, so I decided to ask him what was bothering him. I knew something had happened between you two. You're the only woman who's ever been able to have any kind of effect on him. Anyway, after much badgering, he finally told me what happened between you two."

I feel my face begin to burn with embarrassment. I can't look him in the eye. "I'm completely humiliated by what I did. It was a mistake and I'm so sorry that I chose to go about it the way I did."

Noah nods and smiles comfortingly, "We often surprise ourselves with what we are willing to do, how far we are willing to go, for love."

I sigh and move to the couch, sinking down into it. He joins me a moment later.

"I ruined any chance we had, Noah."

He shakes his head. "No, you didn't."

I nod my head. "Yes, I did. You didn't see the way he looked at me. You didn't hear the hurt in his voice. He told me he can't trust me anymore."

Noah lowers his eyes, his voice softening. "I hurt my son very badly after his mother died. I was thoughtless and self-absorbed. I would say things to him that I wouldn't remember the next morning. It wasn't until I saw the adult he had grown into that I realized that whatever I had said, the example I had set, shaped who he became. He sees love as something to be feared, feelings as something to be buried. I did that to him, Robin."

I bob my head and pat his hand sympathetically. "I know you didn't mean for any of it to affect him like that."

"But it did. And the worst thing it did was make him not want to trust others. He trusted me more than anyone in this world. He trusted me to save his mother and I failed. He trusted me to be there for him after and I disappointed him. I was all he had left, the only person left in this world that he loved and trusted, and I destroyed that for him. So when he found out what you did, it was like it had happened all over again. He finally opened himself up enough to fall in love and take a chance. And then the first person he allowed himself to love and trust again comes along and hurts him before they even get off the ground."

A lump takes up residence in my throat. I know he's not trying to hurt me. Noah's only stating facts and trying to help me understand what Patrick is going through. But I almost can't bear it.

"I know how much I hurt him," I say softly.

His eyes scan my face. "I'm not saying this to hurt you, Robin. I want you to understand where he's coming from so you can try to get him back."

My eyes widen. "Get him back? Noah, that's impossible. He was scared of relationships and love, and I wasted no time in proving that his fears were well-founded."

Noah pats my hand. "He's in love with you, Robin. Nothing's going to change that. You need to make him see that. What you did hurt him so much because he loves you. And, you're right, that scared him because it made it seem like he had been right to protect himself all of these years. He doesn't know what it's like not to have control over how you feel. To depend on someone else for your happiness. It's all new to him."

"I don't know what I am supposed to do," I say hopelessly.

He smiles. "Well, that's because love doesn't play by the rules, Robin. Throw the rule book out. Tell him exactly how you feel. Make him see that being without you hurts so much more than being with you. There's a reason he didn't let you walk out that door. Make him remember what that reason is. Make him feel it."

With that, he offers me one last smile, then stands up and walks out the door.

I sigh and sink back into the couch. I guess I'm about to find out what happens when you throw the rule book out.

---

The next day, I stand on the rooftop, staring at the dark sky, the stars twinkling before me.

I remember back to the first time Patrick and I came to this rooftop. I was lost in the past of my painful childhood, one filled with instability and violence. I told him I just wanted to feel safe. He pulled me into his arms and, for the first time in a long time, I felt safe. Not physically, but emotionally. I felt like I had finally found the man I could open myself up to.

I sigh and look at my watch. My eyes begin to blur from tears as I read the time. He's two hours late.

I saw him this morning. I went up to him and said, 'Meet me on the roof at eight.' I then turned around and left, not allowing myself to wait for his reaction or reply.

I wipe at the tears now rolling down my face. He's obviously not coming. I let out a breath and realize it would be pointless (not to mention completely pathetic) to continue standing on the roof alone, crying. I look one last time at the beautiful night sky, before turning on my heel. I walk to the door and pull it open, my breath catching in my chest at what I find.

Patrick stands before me. Our eyes meet and he swallows. "Looking for me?"

I nod and take a step back. He crosses the threshold and the door closes behind him.

"I...I didn't think you were coming."

"I got called into an emergency surgery."

I smile. He was always planning on coming.

We stand in awkward silence for a few moments, until he breaks it. "So why did you want to see me?"

I open my mouth, but no words come out. It's then that I realize I never thought about what I was going to say to him, about what I would do.

I take a deep breath and then let it out. That's okay. Planning and thinking is what got me into this trouble. I threw the rule book out. Now it's up to me.

His eyes are on me as I speak, "I stood here for two hours, staring up at the sky, thinking about you. I kept trying to remember what my life was like before you. What I was like. And every time I thought about that time, about the person I was, I realized that I had been searching. I had been searching for someone to make me feel beautiful with just a look. Someone to challenge me. Someone to make me feel alive again when I had been sleepwalking for years. You did that, Patrick. Never in my wildest dreams would I have expected that person to be you. You were the most pleasant surprise I've ever gotten."

I see tears appear in his eyes. He bites at his bottom lip and shakes his head. "Robin."

I go on, "I know I went about this all wrong, but I did it for all the right reasons. I've spent my entire adult life, ever since I was diagnosed with HIV, playing by the rules I felt had been set for me. And what has it gotten me? Lonely nights, that's what. So, I decided to set new rules for myself. Rules that would get me what I wanted. That would give me the happiness that's evaded me for so long. I refused to let you go, Patrick. I refused to let the person I had been searching for and finally found go. I'm sorry for hurting you and I'm sorry for the way I went about it, but I won't apologize for finally going after what I want."

"Robin," he says again, his eyes still meeting mine.

I feel like if I allow him to speak, then my heart will break into a million pieces at what he has to say. So I continue, "I know what I did made it seem like you were right to hide away and protect yourself. I know how hard it is for you to trust someone and I'm glad that you trusted me enough to want to take a chance. I can't promise I won't make more mistakes. I will. We both will. But I trust you with my heart. And if you give me a second chance, I'll spend the rest of my life proving to you that you can trust me with yours, too."

"Robin," he says for the third time.

"I ne-..." I begin, but he cuts me off by clamping his right hand over my mouth. My eyes widen in confusion.

A smile spreads across his lips and reaches his eyes.

He says softly, "You had me at, 'Meet me on the roof at eight'."

His hand slowly falls away and my mouth drops open. What?

"What?"

He takes a few steps forward and looks down at me. "This has been the worst three weeks of my life. I thought that I could go back to denying how I felt about you, just like I had for all of those months. I thought I could pretend I had never fallen in love with you."

I inhale sharply as he says he's in love with me. Those are the sweetest words I've ever heard.

He continues. "But I realized quickly that was impossible. I still can't imagine my future without you, no matter how hard I try. And the thought of not being with you hurt more than anything you could ever say or do. I wanted to go to you so many times, but I couldn't work up the nerve. I'm so glad you did."

This time, the tears falling down my face and my inability to breathe are only due to happiness . He wraps his arms around my waist and pulls me to him. I raise my head and our eyes meet. He slowly lowers his lips to mine, as his hands entangle in my hair. I snake my arms around his neck and pull him deeper into the kiss.

After a few moments, he pulls back and looks at me.

I smile, managing to find my voice. "If you felt that way, why did you just let me go on and on?"

He grins, as he cups my face and his thumbs absentmindedly rub circles on my jawline."Well, I tried to get a word in edgewise, but found that to be impossible. Plus, you're adorably sexy when you ramble."

I shake my head and he goes on, "Now about those rules-..."

I squeze my eyes shut. "Forget the rules. They were stupid and-..."

"We wouldn't be here without them," he states.

"We would have gotten here eventually," I reply.

"What made you come up with the rules?"

"I told you. I refused to let you go and I decided to go after what I wanted."

His eyes scan my face. "You were really that sure about me?"

I nod and smile. "I'm sure you'll be happy to hear that making love to you ruined me for all other men. And I'm not just talking about the physical aspect. I'm talking about the emotional connection we made. You looked at me and I knew."

His hands settle on my waist, as he cocks an eyebrow.

"I really ruined you for all other men?" he asks, his lips curling into a crooked smile.

I roll my eyes playfully. "You've probably just been pretending to be hurt this whole time. It was probably just an act to get me to say something to inflate your already oversize ego."

He waggles his eyebrows, as he offers me a dimpled smile, and pulls me closer to him.

"Maybe it was."

He begins to lower his mouth to mine again when I drop my head. "Do you think you'll be able to trust me again?" I ask softly.

He brings his thumb and forefinger to my chin and raises my head so our eyes meet.

"No more games?"

"No more games."

"No more rules?"

"No more rules."

"No more lies?"

"No more lies."

He tilts his head and shrugs his shoulders, as his eyes twinkle and a grin pulls at his lips. "You may be able to earn my trust back, but you'll have to work very hard at it."

I smile. "How hard?"

"Well, for starters, you'll have to work all night long," he says huskily.

"Lucky for you, I have a great work ethic," I reply, my smile widening.

He laughs into my mouth, as he closes the distance between us.

After a few moments, I pull back and look into his eyes. "You sure about this?"

His smile widens. "Well, I've ruined you for all other men, so I don't really see that I have a choice."

I laugh lightly and hit his arm. "I'm serious."

He brings his lips to my ear, his breath tickling my skin and sending shivers down my spine.

"I love you."

My breath again catches in my chest at his words. I take it back. Those are the sweetest words I've ever heard.

He pulls back and looks into my eyes. "Does that answer your question? Have I persuaded you, Dr. Scorpio?"

I tilt my head to the side. "I don't know, Dr. Drake. I'm still not entirely clear. You may be able to persuade me, but you'll have to work very hard at it."

He nods. "Lucky for you, I'm excellent at persuasion."

I smile and raise my eyes to meet his, as I wrap my arms around his neck. I bring my lips close to his and whisper, "I love you, too," before closing the distance.

He wraps his arms so tightly around my waist that my toes barely touch the ground.

And that is how you get a player to commit.

You throw the rule book out.

------------------------------------------------THE END-------------------------------------------------
Thanks for reading! I decided to do a sequel to this story after Robin made reference to her list of things to do in her life. So, my next story is going to be about Patrick and Robin doing all of the things on her list. It will be fun, romantic, and angst-free! Kind of felt like you guys deserved that after this on!

-Steph