Chapter Seven

Robin was still tight in Patrick's arms when she heard a familiar voice call out to her. "Robin?"

"Daddy?" Robin pulled herself away from her ex-husband and ran into her father's arms. "I knew you'd find me."

Robert hugged his daughter close and unconsciously began rocking her in his arms. "I was so scared I had lost you again."

"Not a chance – you're stuck with me." Everyone laughed at Robin's words. "You saved me." Robin reached behind her back and took Patrick's hand. "All of you did."

"But not until after you saved yourself." Patrick squeezed her hand and looked at her with a mixture of pride and love. "If Jerry had…"

"But he didn't." Mac jumped in before Patrick finished the statement. "Jerry is going away for a long time and I know that there is a little girl who is waiting to see her mom so let's get to the boat and get back to Athens." He looked at his brother. "I assume you have a plane waiting for us?"

"Of course." Robert wrapped his arm around his daughter's right side as Patrick did the same on her left. "Let's get you back to your daughter."


"Did daddy say when he would be here?" Emma was anxiously pacing the living room at the safe house. "Did he say that mommy was with him?"

Felicia smiled at her great-niece. The dark-haired little girl looked up at her with tears in her brown eyes and Felicia had a flash back to Robin at that age - it never failed to amaze her how much like Robin Emma was. "Uncle Mac said that they were on their way here but he didn't say who was coming with him."

"But I want to see mommy." Emma plopped down on the couch and began pouting. Her back was to the door so she didn't notice it opening up behind her. "I made a wish on a falling star last night that I would be able to spend my birthday with her."

"Your wish came true." Robin stood in the doorway smiling at her little girl.

Emma jumped off the couch and ran to her mom. "Mommy! You're back!"

Robin picked up Emma and hugged her close. "Yes baby, I'm home." Robin carried Emma to the couch and sat down with her. "I am home and I am never leaving you again."

"What happened?" Emma was crying but her tears were joyful, just like the ones streaming down Robin's face. "Did you stop loving us?"

Patrick quickly joined his family on the couch. "No baby, mommy never stopped loving us."

"No, a bad man took me and made me stay away from you." Robin wiped away Emma's tears as she spoke.

"Mommy, were you kidnapped again?" Emma remembered all too well her mother's previous disappearance and return from the dead.

"Yes baby but grandpa and grandma arrested him and he is going away to jail where he can't hurt me again." Robin just stared at her daughter's face, grateful that she was able to be with her again. "But I promise you that I never, ever, ever stopped loving you."

"I never stopped loving you either mommy." Emma hugged her mom again as Robin held her tight.

"Emma," Felicia knelt down and smiled at the little girl, "I think we have something in the other room for mommy – do you want to go get it?"

Emma smiled brightly at her aunt and nodded her head. She jumped off of Robin's lap and began to head out of the room but stopped and ran back to her mom. "You promise you will still be here when I get back?"

That little question broke Robin's heart. "I promise baby." She held her tears back until Emma was out of the room and then broke down. "It's not fair – she shouldn't have to worry that I will disappear again."

Patrick pulled Robin into his arms. "It's not your fault Robin – you were torn away from us and we all know that."

"Now – you all know that now but my daughter thought I had abandoned her." She looked at Patrick. "You thought I had abandoned you both."

Guilt filled Patrick. He had been an idiot and he would never forgive himself for being so blinded by his own pain that he missed the hell the love of his life was living in. "Robin I…"

"I've got it!" Emma came running back in with a bunch of papers in her hand. "I drew you all kinds of welcome home pictures mommy." She looked at her mom. "Mommy, are you okay?"

"I'm back with you, of course I'm okay. These are happy tears." Robin pulled Emma onto her lap. "Now show me your pictures."

"This is you and me at my school." Emma moved to the next picture. "This is you and me and grandma at karate class." Another picture. "This is you and me and daddy at home together."

Patrick smiled at the picture his daughter had drawn – it showed him and Robin with Emma in the middle on a couch. "That's great baby."

"Mommy, are you coming home with us?" Emma looked at her mom. "Daddy and Sam were going to get married but they aren't anymore so we can be a family again, can't we?"

Robin sighed. "Sweetie, I'm not sure that it's that simple…"

"But you love me and daddy?" Emma didn't notice the uncomfortable looks that were exchanged between the adults in the room.

Anna stepped in. "Emma, you know I think we need to celebrate mommy's birthday since we missed it earlier this month. I saw a wonderful little shop in town so why don't we go and find her the best birthday present ever and then get the ingredients to make her a wonderful birthday cake."

"You know I haven't had a birthday cake in forever and I would love to have a red velvet cake made by my favorite baker." Robin was grateful to her mom for stepping in.

"You promise you will still be here when we get back?" Emma watched her mother carefully.

Patrick took Robin's hand in his. "We both promise that mommy is not going anywhere. Go with your grandparents and have fun."

"Okay." Emma kissed both of her parents on the cheeks and then ran over to her Grandma Anna. "Let's go."

Patrick watched as Emma left with her grandparents as Mac and Felicia went to the kitchen to work on supper. "She is so happy to have you back."

"Not as happy as I am to be back." Robin bit her lip and looked at Patrick. "I think we need to talk. Emma wants to know if we are going to be a family again. What are we going to tell her?"