Chapter 11

"Happy Birthday, dear Robbie. Happy Birthday to you!"

The crowd at Robbie's 1st birthday party cheered as he sat in his mom's lap giggling. As a family, Robin, Emma and Patrick "helped" Robbie blow out his candle.

Patrick was still smiling as he watched Robin put Robbie in his high chair to attack his little cake. Emma was already getting his presents open, staying close to her mom's side. Since Robin had come home 4 months ago Emma rarely left her side. They just recently had moved the children into their own bedrooms and not without a lot of anxiety and tears from everyone but Robbie. He adjusted quite well to being in his own room. Emma took a little longer to adjust but Patrick and Robin were the worst. Both still lived in fear that Jerry would take the children to get to Robin. Sleep was difficult to come by and they ended up taking turns watching over the children. Their only hope was that someday Jerry would be stopped and they could finally have a normal life.

Robin was returning to work next week. Dr. Obrecht had been let go after it was discovered that she had been working with the Victor Cassadine & Victor had blackmailed certain board members into giving her the Chief of Staff position. Monica Quartermaine was reinstated as Chief of Staff and had assured Robin that there would be a job there for her when she was ready to return. Robin wanted to wait until after Robbie's first birthday so she could spend some time with her children. She had already missed so much thanks to Jerry and his obsession.

Robin was also in therapy for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. She knew she had been lying to herself after she came back from being held by Jerry and Faison, telling herself that she was fine. Part of the reason she agreed to help when Victor asked was because she was scared that they would fake her death again if she said no – something that she didn't tell Patrick. Sure it was framed as a choice but deep inside she knew one way or another Victor would take her. Her "choosing" to leave was another effort to protect Emma and Patrick. After several months of therapy, she finally explained the reason she had left to Patrick. As much as he hated it, he completely understood why she did what she did. She had done it to protect him and Emma and he could never blame her for protecting then.

The one thing Patrick and Robin had fought about was her not having a guard. She wanted one kept on the kids but when she was tired of being under constant watch. At home and when she was with the kids was one thing but she refused to be kept under complete lock and key anymore. Jerry had taken away her freedom for far too long and this was a small way for her to reclaim it. The compromise was that she would not have a guard at the hospital. There was plenty of security there so she should be safe. Patrick wasn't happy about it but reluctantly he agreed.

"What are you thinking about?" Smiling, Robin came up behind Patrick and wrapped her arms around his waist. Patrick was in the kitchen getting the ice cream.

"How lucky I am to have you, Emma and Robbie. You know, I was thinking about the first day I met you. I was in the OR consulting…"

"Excuse me, nailing a nurse." Robin chuckled.

"Anyway, you came in full of fire and demanding my full attention and I was gone. Done for completely. Even so, if you had told me then that we would be here now at our son's first birthday party with our little girl – I would have said you were crazy. You, Emma and Robbie are everything I never knew I wanted." He reached around and pulled his beautiful wife around to his front so she was in his arms facing him. "I was petrified that I would never find you, that he had succeeded in keeping you away from me. I want you to know that no matter what happens, I will do everything in my power to keep you and our children safe. I will not be separated from you again. I love you so much."

Robin hugged Patrick close. "And I love you so much." She looked up at him, "so let's go help our kids eat some cake and ice cream and open presents. And then later, after the kids go to bed, we'll have our own celebration." She smiled and winked at him.

"I think that is the best idea I have heard in a long time." Taking her hand and grabbing the ice cream, they headed back into the dining room.
_

Jerry watched from a safe distance at the party going on. He had thought bringing the children to Robin would be a good idea but had since changed his mind. No, they would be too great a distraction to his plans for her. The best solution to the problem was to leave the children with Patty boy and take Robin with him. But that didn't mean he couldn't use the children to help get to Robin. They were her weakness and he would use them to get her.