Ten

"I can see where Robin got her beauty." Noah Drake bowed over Anna's hand and pressed a soft kiss to the back of it. When he stood up he still held onto her hand and gave her a sparkling smile before slowly releasing it.

"Hands off the wife, Drake," Robert snapped at his old friend.

"Ex-wife." Anna tossed her hair and smiled back at Noah, enjoying both Noah's blatant charm and Robert's annoyance. Feeling spunky, she stepped closer to Noah. "Our son and daughter seem to have made peace with each other," she said in a husky tone, glancing at Robert's glare and smiling smugly.

All three parents turned to look at Robin and Patrick chatting animatedly with a group of friends. To everyone's surprise, Patrick was standing behind Robin, his hand on her bare shoulder as she leaned back against him. Both were holding beers and obviously having a great time. It was as big a statement as their relationship as Patrick could possibly make without words.

"I'd say it's more than peace," Noah commented.

"Looks like the piker finally got out of his own way and wised up,' Robert commented.

"I say we propose a toast to the ungettable get." Tracy Quatermaine, Robert's "date" for the evening walked over and handed Robert a cup of champagne from the bottle she had brought for their private consumption.

" Tracy, I must say I'm surprised to see you here," Anna commented.

"Robin is a darling girl. I watched her grow up without her parents into a lovely young woman." Tracy gave Robert a pointed look, reminding him of the berating she had given him on that score when he first returned to town. "It's nice to see her happy and not with my nephew the thug."

"Cheers to that." Robert dinked his paper with Tracy's at the sentiment.

Anna turned to face Noah who was watching and listening in amusement to the exchange. "How about you and I go find some ginger ale?" Anna slipped her arm into Noah's. Noah winked at her and led her away from her ex-husband and his…whatever.

"This is just so fun. I told you this would be a total party pad!" Kelly yelled over the whir of the blenders. A couple of people had brought blenders as self-interested housewarming gifts and Kelly had declared herself the master of the blender drinks and set them up in the kitchen counter.

"I can't believe all the people who showed up," Lainey yelled back from her perch on a stool across the counter from Kelly. "It's because of Robin."

"We definitely have a popular roommate."

Robin took Patrick's empty beer and slipped away. He was engaged in a deep conversation about hockey with, of all people, Nikolas Cassadine and Ric Lansing. She was touched to see her dear friend and her boyfriend getting along and thought it wise to bow out now before she got teary-eyed and they thought it was over the recent Stanley Cup series.

She walked into the kitchen and put the bottles in the can she set up just for that purpose and went to stand next to Kelly who was mixing strangely bright colored drinks.

"How are you doing?" Kelly asked, handing Robin a bright blue concoction that Robin eyed warily. "Oh, drink it. You'll love it."

Robin shrugged and took a sip. "This is pretty good. What's in it?" she said in surprise.

"Old family recipe," Kelly smiled slyly. "You seemed to have calmed down."

"Maybe he won't come. It's been a couple of hours."

"Actually." Lainey shared a look with Kelly. "Matt called and said he was coming."

"He called? He has our number?" Robin yelled out in agitation then looked around nervously before she realized that no one could hear her over the din of the crowd and the loud music.

"You didn't give it to him?" Lainey recrossed her legs which were on display below the hem of her slinky blue dress, which come to think of it, Robin realized, matched her drink.

Robin shook her head, looking panicked. "Maybe I should tell Patrick now?" She licked some blue slush off her lip.

"You two weren't even together when it happened, it's none of his business," Kelly said. "And even if you two were still involved at the time it was no strings, as he loved to keep pointing out."

"That doesn't mean he won't be upset if he finds out," Lainey said.

"How would he find out? Just keep them apart at the party and it'll be fine," Kelly shrugged.

"I hate lying."

"It's not lying, it's none of his business," Kelly insisted.

"Okay, wow. I thought we had an eclectic bunch already with the entire Quatermaine, Scorpio clans here and the hospital PCPD crowds, but this just about takes that cake," Lainey said, her eyes glued to the door.

Robin walked around the counter to where Lainey was sitting. Her jaw just about dropped at the sight of Jason Morgan walking into a party, especially one at her apartment.

"I didn't know he went to parties," Kelly commented, leaning over the counter and watching as Jason looked around before spotting Robin. The hitman, to her amusement, looked uncomfortable. "Unless it's to work. Don't let him shoot anyone here, Robin!"

Robin put her drink down on the counter next to Lainey and walked up to Jason. "Hello, Jason. I didn't expect to see you here." She looked up at him worriedly. "Is everything all right? Are you okay?"

Jason looked around blankly before answering. "Is this all right? That I came? Emily told me about it."

"Of course. I just never…you know." She was at a loss for words. "Do you want a drink?"

Jason shook his head, his eyes still scanning the crowd.

"Are you looking for someone?" Robin asked, tensing up.

Jason shook his head again.

Robin sighed in relief.

"I just wanted to see your new home. See how you were doing." His flat eyes bored into her.

"Why?" she asked in genuine curiosity as Jason stared at her blankly. She sighed again. Did they used to talk? Did he? "How about I show you around?"

Jason nodded and followed her.

Kelly and Lainey shared a weirded out look and took stiff sips of their drinks. Lainey's was purple and Kelly's was yellow.

"What the hell is he doing here?" Patrick hissed as he caught sight of Robin leading Jason Morgan through the crowd.

"He's single now. Probably looking to recycle through old girlfriends," Ric commented cynically into his beer. "He was sniffing around Elizabeth for a while."

"Well, Robin's not available." Patrick started to walk off, but Nik grabbed his shoulder. "What?" the doctor snapped at the younger man.

"Robin is too smart to go back there and if you go over there acting all macho all your going to do is piss her off," Nik advised.

"Since when are you interested in giving me advice with Robin?" Patrick asked, but stopped resisting Nik's pull.

"Since I saw how happy she looks with you. Just make sure she stays that way."

"Oooh a Cassadine threat." Ric snorted. Nik looked at him in surprise. "Just trying to lighten the mood." Ric shrugged.

"You're Patrick Drake aren't you?" A voice behind Patrick called out.

"Yeah, you're…?" Patrick hadn't noticed the tall, sandy-haired, blue eyed man walk up to him. He vaguely recognized him from his short-time on the sports bar circuit when he first moved to Port Charles. Patrick took the proffered hand and shook it.

"Dr. Matt Rucker. Mercy. Oncology. We met a few times out on the circuit. You must work with Robin?"

TBC