I guess it turned into one of those Port Charles parties where everyone shows up, after all! And as for the angst…what's the rush!

Eleven

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

"Yes." Patrick frowned at the familiar use of Robin's given name. "Have you…"

"I'm Nikolas Cassadine, this is Ric Lansing." Nikolas leaned past Patrick and shook the doctor's hand. Patrick stepped back before he was knocked over.

Nikolas was tipsy. On beer and Emily's renewed attention. Patrick chuckled at the Mercy doctor's surprised expression at having a dour Cassadine practically knock him down and introduce himself.

"Nice to meet you Mr. Cassadine." Matt's voice was filled with the appropriate reverence for a large donor to General Hospital. Although his full lips curved into a smile at Nikolas' insistence that he call him "Nik." Matt shook his hand and then turned to Ric. "I remember when you were D.A. and now your wife is. It's really nice to meet you. I'm a Harvard man myself." Ric and Matt started a conversation about Harvard and their experiences there.

Patrick's attention wandered from the Ivy League conversation as he looked around for where Robin and Jason had gone. What the hell, he wondered, was the gangster hit man doing at a house warming party? Was there any truth to Ric's statement that now that Sam was out of the picture he was looking to fill the gap?

"Robin must be really busy. What's it like to work with her?" Matt asked Patrick, interrupting his thoughts.

Patrick turned back at the questions. "She's an amazing doctor and definitely a workaholic." Patrick licked his bottom lip and looked at the oncologist curiously. "How exactly…"

"Oh, god! I'm so sorry!" Kelly slammed into Patrick's back sloshing her yellow drink all down the back of his shirt.

Patrick yelped and jumped away, slamming into Ric and Matt and sending them flying into another group of people.

"You really should go change. Did you bring another shirt?" Lainey grabbed Patrick's arm.

"Or maybe another little towel?" Kelly called out as she took the napkins Anna handed her and began to wipe up the mess she had made on the parquet floor.

"What's going on here?" Anna kneeled down facing Kelly and handed her more napkins. "You were aiming for him."

Kelly looked around. "That man." She motioned her head towards Matt who was still talking to Nikolas and Ric and now the other people they had knocked into. "We need to keep him away from Patrick." Anna kept looking at Kelly like she was crazy. "For Robin," Kelly said slowly.

Understanding came over Anna's face. "Consider it done." She stood up and scoped out the room.

"What happened?" Robin exclaimed as Patrick was pushed into and through her room into the ensuite bathroom by Lainey. Robin left Jason standing in the middle of her room and followed. "What is on your back?"

"Your other roommate's drink. What the hell is in that stuff? It feels like it's eating through my shirt!" Patrick hastily unbuttoned his shirt and tossed it into the sink.

Robin looked at Lainey questioningly. Lainey widened her eyes and made motions with her hands. Robin looked at her like she was crazy. Lainey blew out a breath. "Patrick was talking to Ric, Nik and Matt, when Kelly was jostled by the crowd into Patrick's back."

Robin's eyes widened and she cleared her throat. She gave Lainey a thankful look.

"Can I get some help here?" Patrick held up a washcloth and presented his back to Robin.

"Uh, yeah." Robin grabbed the cloth and ran it under the water and put some soap on it before starting to wipe down Patrick's back.

"Is everything all right?" Jason asked from the doorway.

"Everything is fine, Jason. Why don't we get you a drink?" Lainey walked towards Jason, not touching him, but crowding him out. Or trying to, because Jason didn't move, his eyes locked on Robin who was sponging off Patrick's back.

"I'm fine, Jason," Robin reassured him.

Jason nodded and walked away. Lainey gave Robin a look and then followed, closing the door behind him.

"What did the Morgan have to say?" Patrick paused. "Or stare?"

Robin rolled her eyes. "He just wanted to see my new home and he had some questions related to Sam." She dropped the cloth into the sink and toweled off Patrick's back.

"Does his sudden interest have to do with the fact that he's single now?" Patrick turned around and looked down at Robin.

"I highly doubt that," Robin said lightly. "Do you have another shirt? Pants too." Robin grimaced at the big yellow stain on Patrick's ass.

"In my bag. What? I packed extra in case I stayed a while. Or was accosted by your crazy roommates and their lethal drinks," he explained when she raised her eyebrows at him. He pressed a kiss to her head as he passed and went back into the bedroom to retrieve fresh clothes.

Robin closed her eyes and blew out a breath, then followed him. She stood in the doorway and watched him get dressed, her brow furrowed.

"What?" Patrick paused buttoning his shirt and looked at Robin.

Robin cleared her throat and walked a few steps into the bedroom. "There's something I should tell you. I mean I don't have to, because we weren't together and even when we were we really weren't. So maybe you don't need or even want…"

"Robin! You need to get out here!"

Robin and Patrick's heads whipped around to look at Epiphany standing her hand on the doorknob and her face furious.

"Jason Morgan and Ric Lansing are trying to kill each other out there."

Robin frowned and looked back at Patrick.

"Come on. Let's go help Ric."

"Patrick!" Robin exclaimed.

Patrick shrugged and finished buttoning his shirt and then went to follow Robin out of her bedroom into the melee.

TBC