Chapter 11

Storms

The clouds methought would open, and show riches
Ready to drop upon me; that, when I waked,
I cried to dream again."

...

Two months later, the other shoe dropped. Ava came into Connor's office one morning and slapped a piece of paper on his desk. It was a sonogram.

"I just wanted to let you know that I'm two months pregnant." Ava said. "Since you're making such a good effort of avoiding me, I could have told you sooner."

Connor was dumbstruck. "I…I have no idea what you're getting at Ave…."

"It means since you were the only man I've slept with this past two month, the baby is definitely yours."

"Wait a damn second here! You have got to be kidding me." Connor said incredulously.

"Well, here is the sonogram, Connor. But you're going to believe what you want anyway."

"Damn straight! This is not my baby. You know why, Ava? Because I never slept with you."

"Predictable as always Connor." Ava said, snatching the sonogram off his desk. "Deny deny deny." She opened the door and left.

Connor was in a state of shock the whole day. Walking around like a zombie again. Things had been well at home with Robin even after telling her of what might have happened in New York. She had believed him, taken his side. That was because she had believed that he had not slept with Ava. Now with a baby on the way, that was evidence to the contrary ,wasn't it? He had to admit, since that whole New York thing, he never really had both feet on the ground, afraid of what Ava had brewing this whole time she had been quiet. He had hopped it would be some kind of backmail to tell his wife and was glad he had already told Robin. He wanted to spring that bombshell on Ava, when she came up with blackmail photos or whatever. But this, this was something else. A Baby? His baby with Ava? He did really want to puke at that. Ava had always tried to tie herself to him from long when they were dating, she could have come up with this one then. Well, she had now, and it was a hook and sinker. How was he going to tell Robin about this now? That he had indeed cheated on her, even though he still could not remember it. Ava was manipulative and psychopathic, he would not believe this without a DNA test. And he would have to make sure that she didn't manipulate that too.

"Everything ok?"

It was Dr Charles, found him on the roof again. Connor looked at him and prepared his usual, 'I'm good' speech but it didn't come out this time.

"Uh…not really. Dr Charles, can I have a word?" Connor asked. He thought it was about time his father in law knew what was going on. He had a scandal brewing and he would prefer for him not to hear it in gossip magazines or the news. A love child in the Rhodes family was pretty big news in Chicago.

"Sure." Dr Charles said, surprised at Connor's invite. "My office.?"

"Yeah, that would do."

They walked together to Dr Charles' office. They sat down facing each other, Dr Charles hunched over his desk to give Connor his full attention.

"So, what's been bothering you?" Dr Cahrles asked.

"I…uh…about two months ago, you asked me the same thing, found me on the roof like you did today." Connor snorted a derisive laugh.

"Looked like you were thinking of jumping, pardon me but you were that trouble then. Just as you look now." Dr Charles said with a joke.

"Yeah well, I…I've got something that I think you should know."

"Ok."

"The thing is…when I went to New York that time for the Mayor's surgery. I…uh…Ava claims that we slept together although I swear to you Dr Charles I have no recollection of such a thing." Connor was already defending, seeing the look on Dr Charles' face. "As far as I know, I spent the night video chatting with my wife until I fell asleep. Only when I woke up the next morning, Ava was in my bed."

"Ok." Dr Charles received it calmly. "And all this while Robin…"

"She knows. I told her about it the very next day and she believed me."

"Alright, so if she believes you, what's the problem?"

"The problem is now, Ava is claiming that she is pregnant with my baby." Connor dropped the bombshell. "I just found out from her this morning and…I …"

Dr Charles stood up abruptly from his chair, sighed and went to stand by the window. Yes, he may have tried to go professional shrink on this one, even tried the fatherly figure but this was his daughter they were talking about. Robin was going to get hurt by this and he didn't know how to react to this.

"And Robin doesn't know about this yet?' Dr Charles asked.

"No. Not yet."

"I don't know Connor, you've been doing your thing quietly this whole time, keeping me out of it. Why tell me now?" Dr Charles had an irritated tone.

"Look, Robin and I were good about this. There was no need…"

"Well, what's the need now? Except for the fact that you betrayed Robin…"

"I didn't betray Robin…."

"The evidence says you did."

"There is no such evidence until I get a DNA result." Connor said with is own raised voice. "Look , I love your daughter Dr Charles. And if this is true, it must have happened while I was under some kind of influence or something because I would never willingly hurt Robin like that. I'm gonna get to the bottom of this."

DR Charles came back to sit in his chair with a designated sigh. "Well, you better. But first things first, Robin better not find out about this in some newspaper or something. Be straight with her." He admonished.

"As I have always been." Connor said defensively, but he knew this time, it was easier said than done.

He stood and left Dr Charles office. He was not feeling any better like he had just had a psych consult, but he was glad he had gotten that over with. Dr Charles knew, now Robin was his next stop.

Dr Charles watched him with a worried look as Connor left his office. He slumped back in his chair with despair. The reason he had been so opposed to Connor dating his daughter was not entirely because of Connor's family issues. The real reason was he knew Connor Rhodes, or thought he did. The guy was a Rambo, James Dean type who got any girl he wanted. And he did, it was all rumors about the new guy Conner Rhodes when he first came to Med. He was dating this girl, than that one, then his attending. His strings of girlfriends never seemed to end. It was hard to imagine a guy like that settling down to one woman. Then Connor had his hooks in another girl, but this time it was Dr Charles daughter. He didn't like that one bit! He had tried so hard to keep them apart, but he could see that the more he tried the less of Robin he had. So, he waited to pick up his daughter's pieces when Connor was done with her. But it was Connor's pieces he had to pick up when Robin left him. Connor was so heart broken Dr Charles had to review his initial assessment. He was reviewing his assessment when he saw Connor going steady with Robin, he wasn't that convinced. His review got even better when he saw him dealing with robin's illness. Dr Charles had fought with Connor fiercely over what was best for Robin, to the point where Connor had to bring lawyers to win the war. He didn't appreciate that , but he did appreciate that Connor seemed to genuinely think he was doing what was best for Robin. The Connor he had initially assessed would have up and left the whole situation. But no, Connor stuck around, took care of Robin even after Robin's tumor was removed. The guy was a Cardio Thoracic fellow doing 36hr shifts but he still found time to take care of Robin on her worst days. Connor had saved Dr Charles' life when he got shot, but the most important thing was if he really loved his daughter. He seemed to really do. He was very possessive and very protective of Robin. Dr Charles believed he cared for her a great deal but could it be a love that lasted? He didn't think so, so he helped his daughter board a bus to Minneapolis and convinced Connor to move on. Now he wondered if this whole mess wasn't his fault too. He had finally managed to keep Connor from Robin, convinced him to move on and he had. To a string of girlfriends again until he got to Ava. When Robin came back after almost a year and got kidnapped a few weeks after, Dr Charles witness Connor's love for her then. And it was a kind of love that didn't let you go. He knew about that kind of love, he had had it with Cece and he had been sorry he had helped to keep them apart. He gladly gave his daughter's hand to Connor on their wedding day, now fully convinced that he was the one. And now this. But he still wasn't convinced Connor would throw away what he had with Robin so easily. Connor's love was bigger than that. Maybe it was time to have a friendly chat with Dr Ava Becker, get to know her better.

...

Robin drove home from work thinking she would arrive there first, Connor was going to be in a long surgery today. Probably wont be able to make dinner. But when she drove into the driveway, his car was already parked there. Oh, surgery must have been rescheduled or something. She looked forward to their diners as a family at home, and tonight was going to be one of those. She took her bag and walked inside the house, already looking for him.

She found him in the living room, holding Dillon in his arms. She smiled, two of her favorite men in the room. Three counting her father but he wasn't here.

"Hey babe, didn't think you were gonna beat me home today. I thought you would be in surgery." She said, coming to kiss him and her son on the cheeks.

"Hey sweet heart." Connor said, holding her in his arms too, both his wife and his son, his whole world. He kissed her. "Surgery got rescheduled, for another day."

"I thought it would be something like that." Robin beamed. "I love having dinner with you at home as a family. Its so cozy."

"Yeah," Connor swallowed, "One of my favorite things." He said, nervous.

"I'm gonna go change and come and help Collete with setting the table. I'll be down in a minute." She gave him a smooch and ran up the stairs to their room.

Connor looked on after her, holding his son in his arms, he braced himself for what would come after dinner. But for now he would do one of his favorite things in the world with his favorite people in the world, have dinner in their cozy home. Before he blew it all to smithereens.

They had dinner an hour later, the feeling of home like he had never had before. Tonight, it was all about how Robin's day was and what Dillon had done today. Robin was in her usual upbeat mood, retelling all about the case she had had at wok today. He smiled as he listened to her talk about her colleagues, he knew most of them, they were all good friends. It was amazing, when Robin had decided to trust him and believe him about Ava, she never went back on her word. She believed him and moved on with her life, their lives. But now it was about to rear its head on them again and Conner waited until Dillon was in bed and they were in their own room to drop the bomb.

"Sweet heart i…I have something to tell you."

That look on his face as he said it, it was dejavu. She knew what was coming and she braced herself, sat on their bed and waited.

"Uh…today…uh Ava came to me with a sonogram…"

He heard her intake of breathe and paused for a second before delivering the killer blow.

"She says she's two months pregnant." Connor finished and held his breath.

Robin froze, her heart froze, she forgot to breathe. She didn't know how to think. She had not expected this. She had suspected that Ava was trying to do something, but she expected her to come up with photos and such, to try and break them up. Because that's all she had been trying to do, break Connor and her up so she could have her life. Ava wanted Connor, and had proved she would do anything to have him. Robin had been prepared to fight fire by fire, sanding by her husband and see Ava fail. But this? Now this proved that Connor had really slept with Ava in New York. It wasn't some fabricated story. If she really was pregnant with Connor's baby then…then what? She looked up at him and imagine him in bed with Ava. He stood up.

"Babe, say something." Connor pleaded.

"I…uh…I need to get out of here."

"Robin…" he held onto her hand.

"I'm fine, its fine. I'll just be in the guest room." She said and moved out of their room.

She moved into the guest room and curled herself into a ball on the bed. She could not stop imagining Connor in bed with Ava. She wanted to hold on to her faith in him, but there was evidence now that he really had been unfaithful to her. She wasn't going to cry herself to sleep tonight. She wasn't going to give in to the pain. She was going to hold on because if she let go she will lose herself. She didn't want to think, she wasn't going to think. She put her emotional armor on and went to sleep. No one was going to hurt her tonight!

Connor sat on their bed, watched his wife leave the room. She wasn't coming back tonight. At least she had not left the house, she was still here. It meant she was thinking about it. He sighed and got up to pace. What had he done? Lord how had he managed to get himself into this mess again. Ever since his involvement with Ava, his life has been one shoe away from dropping. First she kidnapped Robin, then killed his father, now this. He had always been good at seeing through people. What really had blinded him to Ava's true character?

He had hurt his wife, he could see it in her eyes and he wasn't sure if they were ever going to get off this edge. When Robin was hurt, she put on an armor of steel. He had always been the one to pry that off of her, to get in the parts of her she tried to protect. Now he wasn't sure if he would be able to get through to her again, since he was the one who had caused the hurt.

He punched the wall.

…