Twenty-Four

"He's having you followed."

"I know that." Anna's arms were crossed and she was refusing to look at Robert Scorpio. If she looked at him, she was going to…

"He followed you to Jake's."

Anna spun around and turned to look at her ex-partner, a look of horror on her face.

"You've put Noah Drake in danger."

"You're the one who filled his head on what a hero he could be." Anna jabbed her finger into Robert's chest.

Robert grabbed her finger. She pulled it out of his grasp. "You put him in danger by starting an affair with him when you're here for a mission. You put him in danger by visiting him in his new abode. All he was doing was gathering information that he was going to pass on to me and I was…"

"You were what?" Anna's eyes narrowed. "Going to hold on to it? Use it for Skye's benefit? Did you tell Noah you were going to pass it along to me?"

"I was going to pass it along to you if I felt that it was relevant information or you weren't going to get sloppy about it. You always get sloppy when you're blinded by sex, Anna."

"That's bullshit!" Anna glared at Robert. "You just always have to win at all costs, even when we're on the same side. You're a lousy spy, Robert."

"You're just pissed because however lousy you want to pretend you think I am I've still gotten one over on you. And so did Lorenzo Alcazar." Robert crossed his arms.

"You're getting in my way, Robert," Anna said warningly.

"Then tell me what you're up to."

"You know I can't do that."

"What I know is that you let Alcazar follow you tonight to Jake's. What I know is that this guy is eying our daughter and her mother. What I know is that you were sent out here without backup. What I know is that you need my help."

"He's eying Robin because you helped his pregnant girlfriend disappear. A woman who is related to two very wealthy families and has some very wealthy friends who could have helped her. You got involved to get at me."

"I got involved to protect my daughter and her mother. I got involved because you came here lying about why you're here while casting stones about my choices involving our daughter." Robert leaned down into her face. "We work better together than apart. I know what he's up to already, what I don't know is what you're orders are. Stop him or help him?"

"Good afternoon, Dr. Drake."

Patrick handed a file off to a nurse and leaned against the counter of the nurse's station and leaned over the cheery greeter. "Good afternoon, Dr. Scorpio. At least I think that's Dr. Scorpio." Patrick looked around and then leaned in closer. "I hardly recognize you with clothes on."

Robin's eyes widened and she began to blush. She grabbed his arm and pulled him over towards the waiting room. "You can't say things like that to me here!" She crossed her arms defensively.

"I think we proved that I can." Patrick bit his bottom lip and grinned unabashedly.

Robin groaned and opened her mouth to retort, before she could speak, however they were interrupted.

"Robin? Dr. Drake?"

"Matt!" Robin looked around Patrick to see the Mercy doctor standing with a lab coat and a file in his hand. "What are you doing here?" Robin knew her voice was high and awkward. She cleared her throat, pretending it was just a frog.

"I'm consulting on D.A. Davis' case," he said somberly. "I saw you over here and I was wondering if you had time for coffee before I head back to Mercy." He looked at both doctors.

"Patrick?" Robin asked, clearing her throat.

"I have a consult in five minutes. You go have fun. Just not too much," he whispered the last part when he pressed a kiss to her cheek before walking back over to the nurse's station to retrieve the file for his next appointment completely unaware of the ironic impact of his words. He opened the file and glanced back over to where Robin and that Dr. Matt Rucker were still chatting. It looked to him like Robin was trying get out of coffee. Maybe he should go and rescue her?

"Well, that's an unexpected sight."

Patrick stifled a groan as Carly insinuated herself into his space. "I have to be somewhere else," he said stiffly.

"And leave your girlfriend alone with him? Wow." Carly attempted a surprised look.

"He's harmless, Carly. Unlike you."

Carly smiled as if she had been complimented. "It's sweet that you trust your girlfriend with him." Carly picked her purse up from the counter and turned away.

"Wait." Patrick shifted uncomfortably and looked back at Robin and the other doctor who were still talking.

Carly turned back around, a victorious smile on her face.

"Stop messing around in mine and Robin's relationship."

"I'm just trying to live up to St. Wobin's standards. You know how she likes to tell her friends things that are none of her business regardless of who it hurts? Like about paternity tests or sexual affairs." She grinned evilly. "If you decide you need company tonight I'll be at Jake's. Bye bye." She waved at Patrick, shot a triumphant smirk at Robin who was watching them from across the lobby and then sauntered out enjoying every nerve she'd manage to leave exposed and twitching behind her.

Patrick's gut roiled at the thought of Jake's and his father and at the look on Robin's face which stopped him from immediately dismissing Carly's words as lying poison.

"Dr. Drake, you're three o'clock is waiting," a nurse informed him.

Out of time, Patrick looked at Robin one last time and walked away.

Robin's eyes narrowed as she wondered what trouble Carly was brewing up.

"There you are. I've been looking for you everywhere," Robin said when she walked into the doctor's lounge and found Patrick changing out of his scrubs.

"Here I am," Patrick said stiffly, not turning around.

Robin frowned. Either Carly had been messing with his head or it was about Noah. Or both. She wouldn't put it past the woman to use Noah to get what she wanted from Patrick, namely revenge on Robin for spoiling her latest baby paternity lie.

"Did you enjoy your coffee with Rucker?"

Robin stiffened and her heart began to pound. "I didn't go to coffee with Matt." She slid her hands into the pockets of her lab coat.

"Why not?" Patrick turned around, he was bare-chested, his dark brown button down shirt still in his hands.

"I didn't have time to stop for coffee." Robin looked him in the eyes.

"Sure." Patrick turned away and put his shirt on.

"Did I do something to upset you?"

Patrick was just grabbing his watch to put it back on and paused. He licked his lips and swallowed. Then he let out a breath. He turned around and shook his head. "No. You didn't do anything. Carly's been saying this stuff and I guess I've just been in the mood to let them get to me." He smiled apologetically.

"Saying stuff about your father?" Robin asked hesitantly.

"In a round about way." Patrick fastened his watch on his wrist. "Mostly it was stuff about you."

"Nothing new about that." Robin rolled her eyes. "What in particular this time?"

Patrick straightened the cuffs on his shirt and shrugged his shoulders. "She's been making insinuations that you're sleeping with someone else. With that Rucker guy, as a matter of fact." Patrick turned back around to close his locker so he missed Robin's shocked reaction.

Robin's hands, still in her pockets, clenched into fists and she looked down at the ground.

"Do you think I can convince you to cook tonight?" Patrick turned back around and the smile slipped from his face when he saw Robin's posture. "Oh no, you're not going to let Carly ruin our evening."

Robin looked up, her dark eyes serious, guilt written all over her face.

"Robin, you'd better say something now, because I'm thinking things right now that don't even make any sense," Patrick bit out.

"We should talk, Patrick. But not here."

"I think right here right now is necessary." He put his hands on his hips. "What the hell is going on with you and that Rucker guy?"

"There's nothing going on. There never really was…"

"Never really was?" Patrick's voice rose on the last word.

Robin looked around and then back at Patrick. "I don't know how Carly found out, but I did sleep with Matt. It was one time when you and I weren't even involved. We weren't even no-strings at the time." Robin spoke quickly and defensively. Her stomach sinking as Patrick just looked at her like he didn't know her. "Patrick, say something."

"I need to go." He walked out of the doctor's lounge, ignoring her pleas to stop.

Robin put her hands on her hips and turned around, her mouth and eyes wide with shock.

TBC