Chapter 17

Having finished their dinner, the women moved to the living room and sat in front of the fire, sipping on mulled wine. They had laughed loudly and often and all three were lighter in spirit for it.

"Okay, I have a question" Lulu announced.

"Does it involve Ethan's tongue?" Robin asked and Nathalie giggled.

"Is there any chance you guys are going to let go of Ethan's tongue?"

"Is there any chance you are?" Nathalie grinned.

Lulu shook her head, smiling. "I'm trying to ask a serious question here."

Robin looked at Nathalie. "Nat - grown up faces - she has a serious question."

Nathalie wiped all traces of laughter from her face. "Right. Okay, Lesley Lu - what's your question?"

Taking a big sip of her wine, she exhaled slowly. "It's about sex."

Robin looked at her thoughtfully. "What about sex, Lu?"

Slightly embarrassed by the frankness of their conversation, Lulu looked at the ground. "How do you....how do you know when you should have it - and how do you know" she looked at Robin "that you won't pass it on?"

"Lulu, have you ever had sex?" Nathalie asked quietly.

Lulu shook her head. "I am the world's oldest virgin."

"18 hardly makes you an old virgin and I hate to sound mommy-like here but there's no rush."

Robin nodded in agreement. "Nathalie's right - this isn't something to rush in to."

Lulu rolled her eyes. "Why because my virginity is precious?"

Both women grinned. "No Lulu - but you are precious and you shouldn't embark on a physical relationship until you're ready" Nathalie continued "Sex can be an absolutely amazing extension of a loving relationship but it won't create a loving relationship where there is none. It can be really, really satisfying and hot but you can still be left feeling pretty empty at the end if there isn't more and you wish there was."

"Is that what happened to you?" she asked. "Oh god, I don't mean...."

Nathalie shook her head. "It's fine. Lulu when I was your age, I was so desperate for someone, anyone to love me that I would fall into bed with anyone who would offer in the hopes that it meant more than it was. I have loved two men in my life and believe me when I tell you, sex with someone you love is different than sex with someone you don't."

Lulu pulled at her bottom lip. "Is my brother one of the two?"

Nathalie turned her head to the side and looked at the ground, willing the tears away. She missed Nikolas terribly and had called him several times but hung up as soon as she heard his voice. "Yes" she said hoarsely.

"Do you still love him?"

"Very much Lulu."

"Then what are you doing?" she asked plaintively. "He loves you Nathalie - he's off in Greece because he thinks somehow it's going to hurt less there but if you love him and he loves you, what are you doing?"

Nathalie shrugged. "I'll only hurt him and that's not fair - he deserves more than that."

"What about what you deserve?" Robin started. "You make him really happy. I've known Nikolas a long time and I've never seen him fall for someone the way he has for you. You guys can get through anything if you trust him enough."

Nathalie blew out her cheeks. "I just.....can we go back to Lulu's sex questions?"

"Sure." Robin said, smiling sympathetically.

"How do you....were you afraid that you'd pass it on?"

Robin nodded. "Yes - I wish it could tell you that you get to a point where you don't worry about it but it will always be in the back of your mind. When I first found out I was pregnant with Rian and it meant that Patrick had been exposed, I was sick about it. Thankfully he's fine but it's a big burden to carry. That being said, if you take the right precautions, with your nearly undetectable viral load, the chances of you infecting someone else are very small. You need to make sure that Ethan is aware of the risks and the protection needed."

"Who said it was Ethan?" she asked, trying to cover.

"Right - no names, we'll just go with your partner." Robin grinned. "It's not the sexiest conversation you can ever have with a partner but it is the most important one. You don't want him being full of regret afterwards or taking that regret out on you."

"Did that happen to you?"

"A few times." Robin's voice was quiet as she reflected on some truly horrendous dates she had been on in Paris. "Even here when Patrick and I broke up and I went out with Bruce - he looked at the protection as a burden and didn't want to talk about it. But Patrick was always open and that made all the difference. Is Ethan pressuring you at all?"

Lulu shook her head quickly. "No - he's not like that at all - I just....he's hot" Nathalie and Robin laughed. "I mean seriously hot and when he kisses me - my knees go to jelly."

"Oh yeah" Robin said.

"I love that feeling" Nathalie added.

"So how will I know when I'm ready?"

"You just will" Robin said. "I know it sounds stupid but it will be clear to you that he is the right person and it's the right time."

xxxxx

Lucky walked into Jake's and saw Patrick leaning against the bar, sipping on a beer. Judging by the group of bottles in front of him it was clear he had a substantial head start. Joining him at the bar, he clapped him on the shoulder. "What's shaking?"

"You don't even want to know" Patrick grumbled, draining his beer.

"Did you have a fight with Robin? Because if you did I've always found a heartfelt apology and some flowers go a lot further than a hangover." He signaled to Coleman who promptly placed a beer in front of him.

"Not Robin" Patrick said, starting on his fourth beer. "And you better start double fisting it so you can catch up." Patrick let out a heavy sigh. "My dad has a girlfriend."

"What?" Lucky asked in surprise. "That's great - isn't that great?"

"It's Brenda" he said flatly.

"Brenda Barette? Wow! Lucky Noah - I'd hit th..." taking in Patrick's murderous expression, he changed tactics. "I mean -ewww - Brenda- she's hideous why would anyone want to date her."

"She's my wife's best friend."

"Yes. And dude, she's hot."

"My wife is hotter."

"Yes" Lucky agreed cautiously. "But she's also taken and so Noah obviously went for the next best thing."

"She was wearing his shirt and talking about frosting and then my dad started talking about his needs." Patrick shook his head. "Honestly Lucky - I may need a standing appointment with Lainey after this."

Lucky polished off his first beer and started on his second. "Is it really so bad?"

Patrick nodded. "How would you feel if your father was dating someone that you would consider as potential if you were single?"

"I would be saying 'go dad!'"

"You're full of shit."

Lucky laughed, nodding. "I really am. Wanna play some pool?"

"My father is having regular sex with a hot woman." Patrick's voice was almost wondrous in tone.

"Would rather he have irregular sex with an ugly woman?"

"I don't want think about him having sex."

"Then don't - let's go over there so I can kick your ass at pool." Patrick followed Lucky to the pool table. "She was wearing his shirt" he mumbled as they arrived at the table. Lucky racked up the balls and broke first as Patrick continued to stare into space. "Earth to Patrick??"

"Huh?" he asked, pulling himself from the fog.

"Your turn - hey - maybe we could play for money?"

"I'm not that stunned Spencer." Patrick was about to take his shot when he noticed a familiar figure walk in the bar. "Hey Lucky"

"Yeah?"

"That guy at the bar - he's dating your sister."

Lucky looked up in surprise. "He is? Lulu's dating? Why is it when I ask her she tells me nothing? Let's go rough him up."

Patrick chuckled. "Now who's overreacting?"

"Dude, he's dating my SISTER."

"He's a good guy." Patrick said seriously. "He found out about her HIV and he was okay about it - really stand up about it."

Lucky leaned against the pool table, his back to the bar. "Can I ask you something?"

"Sure." Patrick stood up and leaned beside him.

"Why...how...why didn't Robin having HIV bother you?"

Patrick exhaled. "I can't quite explain it but part of it is that I'm a doctor and I understand HIV - though I didn't understand it as well as I thought I did when I first met Robin. And I guess I was just hugely attracted to her and her having HIV is only a small part of who she is. The case could be made she was more courageous for taking me on with my fear of commitment than I was for taking her on with HIV."

"Are you ever worried that you'll get it?"

Patrick shook his head. "No" he said simply. "Lucky, I work in a hospital where I'm exposed to all kinds of illness. I have as much chance of contracting something there as I do from Robin."

"I worry about my sister" Lucky said. "Nikolas and I both are worried that she'll get rejected or treated badly. Lulu is special Patrick, she's got my mom's spirit and she can be crushed so easily."

"She's also strong Lucky. She reminds me a lot of Robin. The right guy will find her and will love her because of her spirit and her courage and the HIV will be a detail."

"I hope so" Lucky drained his beer.

Patrick watched him as he lined up his shot. He had never examined his worries or lack thereof where Robin's HIV status was concerned. The only times it ever really concerned him was when she was sick. The epidemic and the car accident shook him terribly and forced him to come face to face with her mortality but beyond that he never worried. He wondered if that made him unusual or short sighted but he couldn't conceive of being without Robin just because she had HIV. His thoughts were interrupted by a scuffle at the bar. Looking up, he saw Ethan being pushed around by three men. Nudging Lucky, they walked towards the bar.

"Something going on here?" Lucky asked breaking them apart. Ethan looked up in surprise when he saw Patrick and another man approach.

"No" George said. "We're just getting something straight with our friend. You guys can be on your way."

Patrick sized up the situation and understood immediately that this was a continuation from the night he found Lulu on the docks. "Ethan - which one is he?" Ethan nodded his head in George's direction. "Hey Lucky?"

"Yeah?"

"That guy whose arm you have a hold of - he talked some shit about Lulu."

Lucky's eyes narrowed. "My sister? You've been saying stuff about my sister?"

"Your sister is plague girl?" George scoffed. "You have it too?" It was the last thing George said as Lucky pounded his fist into George's face. Patrick grabbed hold of George's friend who tried to pull Lucky off. Ethan entered the melee and a full scale brawl was underway. It went on for several minutes with Lucky and Patrick giving as good as they got before Coleman finally succeeded in breaking it up.

Coleman banned George and his friends from his bar threatening them with trespassing if they ever came back. Ducking into the kitchen, he returned with ice packs for the three men and poured them each a beer. "I've called your wives" he said, putting the beers up on the bar.

"What?" Lucky and Patrick exclaimed at the same time.

"Well, as noble as you guys are, you can't get away with wrecking my bar. Besides, I've met your wives, whatever grief they will give you will be so much worse than what I could do."

"Why are you punishing us?" Patrick groused.

"Dude, have you seen my bar?" Coleman swept his arms over the broken glass, the overturned tables and the cracked pool cue.

"Fine" he grumbled, putting the ice pack on his swelling eye. "Lucky - Ethan - Ethan this is Lulu's brother, Lucky."

"Hi" Ethan nodded, his hands wrapped in ice.

Lucky nodded. "I'm a cop, I have a gun, be mean to my sister and I will hurt you. Nice to meet you."

Ethan swallowed hard. "Um yeah. You too - I should go. Bye" he said, leaving the bar as quickly as he could.

Patrick looked at Lucky. "Dude, you were just in a fight with him, you couldn't cut him some slack?"

"He's dating my sister, he needs to fear me."

"Patrick Drake!"

"Oh god, Lucky - I'm drunk so I won't remember saying this but I'm afraid of my wife" he said quickly as Robin approached.

"Me too - I mean, I'm afraid of my wife" Lucky said.

Robin stood in front of both of them, shaking her head. "What are you guys, 18 again? A bar fight? Patrick look at your face - you can't go to work like that!!"

"But I was being noble - Coleman said so."

Robin held out her hand. "Let's go warrior king."

Patrick shrugged. "Thanks for a fun night Lucky." Lucky waved, pressing the ice pack to his jaw.

As they walked into the cool night air Robin shook her head. "A bar fight Patrick?"

"The guy was hassling Lu's boyfriend and turns out he was the jerk who ...you know...."

Robin smiled and kissed his hand. "You really were being noble."

"Does this mean I get a reward?"

"We'll see" she teased. They walked along the pier, teasing and joking, oblivious to the shadowy figure following them. He snapped several photos before disappearing into the night.