Chapter 8

King Faisal Hospital, Kigali, Rwanda

Even now when she saw him standing across from her she wasn't sure whether to believe it. Whether her eyes weren't playing tricks on her after all.

"Dad?"

She said it cautiously, as if saying it too loud might make the vision across from her disappear.

"Hi, Robin," he answered. His sky-blue eyes still fixated on her although they were moist now. His voice sounded shaky to her, in an odd contrast to the physical strength he exuded.

The voice was his though. Unmistakeably so. It was the exact same voice she heard back at the market.

It all sunk in now . Sandrine wasn't lying. It was true. Her father was alive and he was here, standing in a hospital room in Africa with her.

That delayed realization set off a whole torrent of emotions. Beginning with a rush of tears that she couldn't stop.

"Dad..."

He moved towards her and he wrapped his familiar arms around her, holding her as though he never wanted to let go.

Robin buried her face in him, not wanting to let go either.

Vancouver, Canada

It was in the third night that the exhaustion hit her.

The realization that she wasn't quite accustomed to being up all night and sleeping a handful of hours during the day.

It was quieter tonight than it had been the last two nights. Normally there were at best a couple of empty seats in the waiting room. Tonight only two of them were occupied. Maybe Sunday was a day of rest here too.

Alex yawned, not sure whether slow would be a good thing. She'd already done the paperwork for the two men sitting in the room waiting to be examined. Sure, there was filing to be done, but it was mind-numbingly boring and she couldn't bring herself to do it. Instead, she walked over to the coffee machine that sat on the counter behind her desk and poured herself a cup of the bitter brew.

She should've spent the afternoon sleeping instead of taking Liam to the train station.

But her son was inexplicably crazy about trains and Alex loved the look on his face each time another rolled into the station. They got lucky this afternoon. The sleek Trans-Canada with its glass dome arrived today after its four-day journey across the country. That one had impressed Liam the most. So much so that he stared at it in uncustomary silence, before grabbing her hand and trying to make a run for it. Wanting to touch it and see it up close.

Alex smiled at the recollection, remembering that she promised him they'd ride it one day.

She was too lost in her thoughts to hear the stranger approach her from behind, until he nearly stood next to her.

"Can I help...?"

Before she had a chance to finish her sentence his arm was around her neck, a large knife blade hovering next to her face.

"Open the cabinet...the one with the drugs," he demanded as he tightened his grip on her. He held her so tight she could barely breathe, never mind speak.

Panic rose up in her throat and Alex heard a gasp from one of the men in the waiting room. The other one ran out of the clinic.

What the hell? Bloody coward.

Ahmad was in one of the exam rooms, and Oliver, the nurse, in the other. Unless Alex managed to make some serious noise, they wouldn't hear her.

"Open the damn cabinet!"

"Can't..." She struggled to form the words under his strangle-hold. "I can't...". The pharmacy counter was closed at night, and save for Ahmad no one else had access to it.

Alex could smell the mix of alcohol, cigarette smoke and sweat on the man's skin. He was dressed in dirty clothes and judging from the look in his eyes and the way his hand shook when he held the knife, probably going through withdrawal.

A junkie in desperate need of a fix. Any fix.

"If you don't open the cabinet, I'll kill you!"

Alex's heart pounded so hard she could hear it ring in her ears. The man was out of his mind. He'd do it, she didn't doubt it for a second. He probably didn't even want to hurt her, but the need for the next fix was greater than any rational thought.

The thought made her knees go weak.

She hadn't come this far, to end like this.

She saw Liam's smiling face at the train station. Andrei riding Tempus, with the subtle gentle, skill of a natural. And Dimitri. Looking at her as though he never tired of it.

Three unforgettable loves.

The thought made her react. Like her mother once taught her to.

Alex's knees buckled and she knocked the intruder off balance as her weight dragged him down. She used his momentary distraction to grab the hand that was holding the knife, smashing it against the wall behind them.

Even though he was bigger and stronger than her, his hand-eye co-ordination was shot and his reaction time was as slow as Alex hoped it would be.

Once both of them were on the ground, her elbow quickly made its way into his solar plexus and he yelped in pain.

He saw the knife on the floor and grabbed it, trying to strike the centre of her body with it. But Alex was too quick and rolled away from him and the knife caught her arm instead. She retaliated with a kick straight to his collar bone that made him yell out a second time.

He grabbed the knife again and instead of striking again, he picked it up and half ran, half stumbled out of the clinic.

It was fair to say that it was all over before it really began.

Alex leaned against the wall, her heart still racing.

The noise had brought Ahmad and Oliver running out of their exam rooms and into the reception area.

Ahmad crouched down next to her. "Alex...what the hell happened?"

"Some punk came in...he grabbed me from behind." Her voice sounded shaky and foreign to her. "He wanted me to open the pharmacy counter."

One of the men in the waiting room ambled up to them, his face pale. "He...he had a knife at her throat."

Alex glared at him. And where the hell were you when he did? You better be hampered by some serious illness, buddy.

"Jesus Christ, Alex..." Ahmad muttered. "Oliver call the police."

Alex's eyes widened. "No...please, don't."

The last thing she wanted, or needed, was that kind of attention.

Ahmad looked at her, not understanding. "Someone came in here and attacked you. He might have killed you. We need to report it to the police."

"It was a junkie who needed a fix," she said slowly, willing herself to calm down. Willing to make him see how utterly useless a police report would be. "He didn't take anything and I didn't...I didn't even get a good look at him."

Oliver eyed her with suspicion. "I'm calling the police..."

Ahmad's eyes met hers, letting her know he didn't agree but would play along. "Oliver...wait. It's up to Alex."

"No, it's not!"

Alex wanted to kick him. Oliver didn't like her and she had no idea why. Are you really still irritated because I left the clinic two nights ago to take a toddler to her grandmother? Really?

"Fine," Ahmad agreed. "I'm telling you to hold off. Alex is right. If she can't give them a description and he didn't take anything, it's pointless."

Alex exhaled, grateful. Oliver turned around and gave her a disgusted look.

Ahmad smiled. "Don't mind him. It's not personal. He doesn't want to be here. He hates his job and it makes him miserable." He smirked, adding softly. "He wants to be a botanist." Ahmad held out his hand. "Let me help you up."

Alex let him, as he pointed to her arm.

"You're hurt."

Alex hadn't noticed the throbbing or the blood-stain on her blouse, until just now, when the adrenaline was starting to wear off. The punk must've managed to get a stab in when he grabbed the knife from the floor.

He helped her up and led her to the exam room. "Let me take a look at it."

Alex winced when she realized where the cut was. The idea of rolling up her sleeve made her cringe.

"Where did you learn to fight like that?" he wanted to know.

"I wasn't fighting. I took a few self-defense classes, that's all."

He raised his brows. "I see."

Alex cringed. Why are you so damn defensive? What's wrong in telling him you know martial arts? Anna has a black belt and she's proud of it.

Except she didn't earn it against her will.

"Why don't you lie down. You're probably feeling light-headed."

"I'd rather sit."

He looked mildly amused. "Fine, then."

He slowly pulled back the sleeve of her blouse. "I won't ask why you don't want to police here...but I hope you are not in more trouble than you can handle."

"I'm not," she promised. "Thank you...for trusting me. Even though you barely know me."

He smiled. "My wife says I'm a sucker." His expression changed when he saw the tattoo. "What the hell..."

Alex felt her cheeks flush. "We all do stupid things when we're young."

She felt his index finger running along the contours of Faison's branding.

"It's not just a tattoo," he observed. "The skin is raised like..."

"It's a branding," she explained before he got a chance to ask.

"What does it mean?" he asked with clinical curiosity. "It looks like letters."

"Nothing. It means nothing."

He turned his gaze away from the tattoo to meet her eyes. A moment of intimate silence between them told him it was all the answer he was going to get. "Must have hurt."

"What hurts is the cut...the one that's bleeding now."

This time Ahmad looked sheepish. "I'm sorry...it's just that..."

"It's jarring, I know," she agreed. "It's why I don't wear short sleeves."

"It's...unexpected," he said. "But it's also none of my business."

Alex winced as he cleaned the cut. He was precise, gentle and efficient to a fault, making Alex think that this was much more than just a profession for him. It was his passion and that fact made her like him even more.

"It's deeper than I thought, I'm going to put in a couple of stitches. Do you want something to numb the pain?" Ahmad asked her.

"I could use a stiff drink..."

The suggestion didn't make him flinch. "Wait a second..."

He left the room and Alex stared after him, baffled.

He came back moments later, with a bottle of brandy in one hand and a coffee mug in the other. "I don't drink...but if that's what you'd like right now..." He shrugged.

Alex raised her brows. "Where in the world did you...?"

"Old Serge is in the waiting room. I'm not that naive to think he doesn't have some with him."

Alex laughed. "You stole a bottle of brandy from one of our patients?"

"No, no..." he corrected her, holding up his hand. "Not stole. He was happy to give it to me. Said you deserve it."

He poured a generous amount into a coffee mug and handed it to her. Not just passionate and skilled, but highly unorthodox. I think I like your modus operandi, Dr. Hussain .

Alex took it gratefully and swallowed a large sip. The last time she drank to numb her pain was at Alexei Estate. The thought made her shiver. She wondered how many more memories of Alexei Estate would be conjured up after what happened tonight.

Please don't let this lead me down that road again. Not now, when I was starting to think I could maybe live a normal life again. One where I don't want to crawl out of my own skin every day.

Ahmad had already started the stitches. "You alright?"

"Yeah..."

"I'm sorry...this will mess up the tattoo."

You couldn't mess up that bloody mess if you tried. "It's okay. Really."

"A tetanus shot and then we're done."

Alex took another generous sip of brandy. "Thanks. For everything."

"Can I call someone who will come pick you up?"

"What?"

"Is there a husband? A family member?"

Alex shook her head suddenly aware of what he meant. Suddenly angry that this punk was going to deprive her of a day's income, on top of everything else. "No...but really I'm fine."

He ignored her protest. "There isn't anyone?"

"No," she repeated. "There isn't and really, let me sit down for ten minutes and I'll be okay..." Besides, it was dead here tonight and it wasn't as though she was performing brain surgery.

"Alex!" He looked at her incredulously. "You're going home."

Alex bit her tongue. She'd seen how resolute he could be and knew better than to argue.

"You'll be paid for the night," he added, mumbling.

It was as if he could read her mind and it made Alex blush a dozen shades of red. "It's not that..."

"Just letting you know," he mumbled.

Alex frowned. Either her emotions were an open book or he was way too adept at reading her. "Let me take the cab home alone, alright?"

He folded his arms. "Fine. Call me when you get home."

The taxi came in a few minutes and Alex walked through the doors of her home shortly afterwards. Her hands had stopped shaking by the time she walked into the living room.

Both Maria and Liam were fast asleep and Alex took care not to make enough noise to wake them.

In spite of her earlier protests, she was glad to be home and away from the clinic. The adrenaline rush had fully worn off, her arm hurt and she was hit by a wall of exhaustion that made her collapse into bed.

She wondered when the night's events would hit her. Whether she'd break into tears. Or panic as a familiar sense of helplessness would all but overwhelm her.

Neither of them happened yet.

She called Ahmad to let him know she was home safe. And then she fell into deep, dreamless and welcome sleep.

Kigali, Rwanda

Robert Scorpio realized that Sandrine was right. As usual.

There was no right moment to face Robin and he certainly wouldn't have thought a hospital room in Kigali was the right place for this reunion, but at the same time this moment felt more perfect than any he could have imagined.

Robin was here, next to him.

He still couldn't quite get that reality into his head. That his arms were wrapped around his beautiful, precious daughter. Around the only person he'd loved the moment he first set eyes on her.

How in the world have I been able to live so long without being near you, luv?

Robin pushed away from him as she wiped away a tear. "I can't believe you're here, Dad..."

He kissed her forehead. "I know...this is a shock. If it's too much too handle. Let me know. Please...I don't want to do anything that could cause you stress."

She smiled a lop-sided smile. "This is pretty good stress...I think I'm okay with it." Her fingers reached out to touch his face, a gesture that made her eyes water again. "It really is you..."

How could I have ever thought that she was better off without me?

Again, she wiped away the tears with the back of her hand, unable to take her eyes off him. She took a deep breath and suddenly looked serious. "Are you going to tell me how this is possible?" she asked softly.

At the question, he also took a deep breath. Of course she'd want to know how. Robert wasn't sure she'd accept his answers. For now, he was still overwhelmed by her reaction. By the joy and tears in her eyes. Two things he hadn't expected. Hadn't dared to ask for. But Robin loved him. For reasons he didn't dare question, she loved him unconditionally, as though he hadn't walked out of her life over ten years ago.

I don't deserve that love. I know I don't.

"It's a long story, luv..."

She laid back down on the pillow, holding on to one of his hands. "I'm not going anywhere..."

"You're tired, sweetheart, and the doctor says you have a fever. Why don't you get some rest and I promise you I'll come back in the morning and answer every question you have."

"Are you kidding me?" Robin looked at him in disbelief and for a moment she reminded him so much of Anna. "Do you really think I'll be able to sleep if all I can think of is how in the world it's possible that you're alive and here...?" She gave him a smile. "You can leave when I fall asleep...but not before then, Dad. No way."

Robert couldn't stop staring at her.

He'd seen photos of her all these years, so he knew very well what she looked like now. Knew that she'd grown into a beautiful young woman. But photos couldn't compare to seeing her as he did now, propped up on a pillow next to him. They couldn't compare to how it felt to look into her eyes and see a part of himself look back. They couldn't compare to how it felt to have her hand grasp his, knowing he was holding on to the most precious thing he'd ever been given.

"Where do you want me to start?"

She squeezed his hand. "At the beginning. When you went after Mom...what really happened on that tanker in Venezuela?"

"How much do you know, from what your mother told you?"

She narrowed her brows, as if a disturbing realization suddenly hit her. "Wait a minute...did you...you know all along that Mom was alive?"

What was worse? The deal I made with the devil, or the fact that I didn't try to reunite you with your mother once I knew she was alive?

"I knew...yes." Honesty was the very least he owed her now.

Her hand slipped out of his and he could see the angry disappointment etched on her face.

"You knew...you knew Mom was alive, and you let me think she was dead for all these years? Dad...I don't understand...I mean, at least, Mom she had an excuse! She had amnesia. She couldn't remember me!"

"It's hard to explain."

"Try me."

"When I made it to that tanker where Faison was keeping your mother, I didn't get a chance to say anything to her. She spotted me and panicked, yelling at me to get off the ship."

"Why?"

"Because she knew it was about to explode."

Robin frowned, not understanding. "How would she know?"

At the question, it was he who suddenly had a realization of his own. Anna might not have remembered that she set the explosion on the tanker. And if Anna didn't remember, it meant Robin didn't know. And if she didn't know, there was absolutely no reason to tell her.

Robert saw her questioning eyes.

You swore you'd be honest with her. Even if the truth hurts.

"She..." The words almost got caught in his throat. "She knew because she was the one who set the explosives."

Robin drew her head back in shock. "No way! Why would she do something like that? Especially knowing she was still on the ship. Or maybe she didn't think she'd still be on the ship when they went off?"

"That's possible," Robert agreed. It wasn't his theory. But he kind of liked this one.

"So...what happened next?"

Good question.

"To be honest, sweetheart, I don't remember exactly what happened next either. There was a huge noise that nearly shattered my eardrums. Flames shot out from everywhere. There were dozens of oil canisters on the deck of the ship. Mind you, it was an old tanker on its way to a ship graveyard, so they were mostly empty. If they weren't I probably wouldn't be sitting here telling you this story. But there was enough oil residue left in them that whatever caught fire started to burn fast. I was on one side of the tanker and your mother was on the other. I tried to get to her, but there were so many flames, some of them taller than me, that there was no way..."

Robin's face was ashen. "But she got off the boat...you both did."

"The last thing I saw was Faison grabbing her, covering her from the flames and leaping off the other side of the tanker." He paused. "I did the same and jumped off the side I was on."

"And then?"

"Then I woke up in a hospital bed."

"But if you were brought to a hospital how come we never knew?"

"I was chained to the bed," Robert told her.

"What?" Robin looked at him in disbelief.

"Faison's men were the ones who found me half conscious on the shore and dragged me to a hospital. It wasn't a public hospital, but a private clinic."

"Faison saved your life?" Robin looked completely perplexed now.

Robert shrugged. "I wouldn't go that far. I probably would have survived on my own, but it was more convenient for him to have me regain consciousness on his terms. Tended to by a physician on his payroll."

"Was he hurt too?"

Robert nodded. "He was a mess. Parts of one of his arms would be scarred for life from the burn injuries. Because he shielded your mother from the flames, he took the brunt of them on himself. He was in a lot of pain when he came to see me."

Robin bit her lip, mesmerized by what he was telling her. "So he knew all along that Mom was alive too..."

"Saving your mother was a reflex action for him...but afterwards he wanted nothing more to do with her. After all, she'd just tried to kill him by blowing up the tanker."

"It doesn't make sense, Dad."

"One thing Faison still knew with certainty...no matter how bitterly disappointed he was, or how much pain and misery he was in at the time, was that I couldn't win."

"I don't understand..."

"He came to see me at the clinic. He told me that your mother also survived the explosion but was hit by a piece of debris in the water. That it caused a head injury that left her with amnesia. He also told me that I had a choice. I could die or I could live and leave you and your mother behind. That if he couldn't have you both, then neither should I."

"But how can he...?"

"He told me if I left you and your mother behind, he would leave you alone. For the rest of your lives."

He didn't add that once he realized Anna was willing to die in order to remove Faison from her life, he thought he owed it to her. Owed it to both her and Robin to have a chance at a life without that psychopath in it. Even if he had to make a deal with the devil to give it to them.

"And you agreed?" Robin looked at him incredulously. "Just like that?"

He smiled a lop-sided smile. "Well...it wasn't quite that simple. You have no idea how much I wanted to see your mother. To know whether or not she was alright and whether Faison had told me the truth about what happened to her. But keep in mind that I was chained to a hospital bed and he threatened to kill me if I didn't. I thought I'd pretend to go along with him initially and then figure out how to thwart him afterward."

Robin frowned. "So I take it you never figured it out..."

She looked utterly exhausted, but even so the sarcasm in her voice was hard to miss. He expected her anger, once the euphoria of seeing him wore off. He'd prepared himself for it, but it still hurt.

He took one of her hands in his, surprised at how warm it was. "I came up with a lot of schemes over the last few years that would have me reunited with the two of you, but every time I considered that there was a chance he'd make good on his threat and kill you, I backed off. At the end of the day, the risk wasn't worth it."

"And Mom and I, we never got a vote on whether it was worth it to us..."

Robert squeezed her hand. "Sweetheart, you really need to rest now. I don't want to lay anything else on you do."

"But there's so much more..."

Robert cut her off. "Tomorrow...I'll be here first thing in the morning, and any and every question you have I'll promise to answer as truthfully as I can."

"You swear?"

He smiled, enjoying her company. Anna used to tell him Robin was his daughter, through and through, in heart and deed. But there was a lot of Anna in her too. Not just in her dark eyes and hair, but in her fighting spirit. "I can put in it writing..."

She conceded a smile. "Funny."

He waited until she fell asleep. It was a short wait, with his hand still holding on to hers.

When he finally did let go, he spent a long, lingering minute staring at her. Awed at how the teenage girl he'd left behind had become an adult now. A strong, beautiful, capable woman, who, through some inexplicable miracle, was back in his life.

He smiled as he left the room, feeling as though he'd dropped the weight of the world from his shoulders.

Author's note: Thought a chapter in time for Christmas was my way of saying thanks to all those still reading and sticking with this fic. Well, that and I was overdue for an update! Big, fat thanks to my two awesome editors and friends, Annie and Kel, who keep me motivated, among other things.