Author's Notes: Did you miss us? Did you think that was it for the year? Were you expecting no more? Well FECK EXPECTATIONS! And remember...feedback inspires us to update sooner...since the next chpater IS written and all...
"You pull this stunt on me again and I will kill you Robin Scorpio." Elizabeth stood in the doorway of the hospital room, her arms crossed over her chest and with the sternest expression she could fix on her face. Her high heeled, thigh-high black boots tapped on the ground, echoing in the quietness.
Robin grinned, taking full advantage of the button on the left side of her hospital bed. She might have been strong enough to sit up on her own, but why should she? "It wasn't my idea. Besides, who could have predicted a coma?"
"I thought you were psychic."
"Only in the kitchen." Robin countered. "Can you hand me that Jell-O?" She asked, motioning toward the bedside table.
"'Can you hand me that Jell-O?'" Elizabeth mimicked as she walked over. "First time I see her after she awakes from a coma and she asks if I can hand her the Jell-O."
"A girl's gotta eat." Robin pointed out with a small pout.
"True enough. But first things first." Elizabeth flopped on the bed and hugged Robin hard. "You scared the hell out of us girl."
"I didn't mean to." Robin promised, hugging her back. "You managed to get along without me though."
"Barely. You know I need two people to dress me."
"Speaking of that, how's Lucky?"
"Making me nervous with all these cryptic comments about our date tonight."
"Date?" Robin backed up and her eyes widened. "I have missed a lot."
"So have I apparently." Elizabeth cocked her eyebrow. "Why was Patrick so reluctant to leave your side?"
"Patrick Drake?"
"You didn't know?"
"I kept my mother from shooting him." Robin remembered.
"Yeah. Somehow he's outside blaming Lucky for that one."
Robin swallowed down a giggle. "I haven't the faintest idea why he would stick around."
"Why don't I believe you?"
"We kissed and then Morgan and I ran into him across the street from the ice cream stand. Other than wanting to get into my pants, it doesn't make sense for him to put in this kind of effort."
"Back up. You kissed him? Again?"
"No just the one time."
Elizabeth shook her head. "You kiss Patrick. I make out with Lucky in his truck. What is going on with us?"
"We're seeking excitement in our lives." Robin figured.
"Some of us apparently sought a little too much excitement missy."
"I don't know what happened. I wasn't speeding or anything. Morgan and I were listening to the radio and then he started screaming." Robin explained.
"Have you seen him yet?"
"Morgan? No. Courtney took him home so he could rest. It seems he was here all day."
"Most likely. He didn't really want to leave this place."
"God, he must have been so scared. Elizabeth, how did I get to the hospital? I don't remember anything after hitting that tree." Robin whispered.
"Patrick apparently called 911 and the ambulance brought you and Morgan in. He showed up a little bit later and didn't leave until Lucky and Cruz forced him to."
"Why didn't anyone tell me that? How long have I been here?"
"Almost a week. Your mom and uncle have been trying to pretend he wasn't here. That's probably why you didn't know."
"But he saved me. What reason would they have to keep him away?"
"You have spent a lot of time proclaiming you hate him and his no-good brother." Elizabeth guessed.
Robin took a big bite of her Jell-O, deep in contemplation mode. "Can I go home now?"
"Only if your bodyguard goes with you." Elizabeth smoothed out a crease in her denim skirt.
"Bodyguard?" Robin sputtered, slapping her fork off of her plate. "You're kidding, right?"
Elizabeth gestured towards the door. "You did notice the woman just standing outside your door all day right?"
"I thought maybe she was a fan or something." Robin joked. "You've got to get me out of here."
"I almost cancelled on Lucky once already because of you. I actually do cancel on him and he's liable to send you his therapy bills."
"No way are you using me as an excuse to not get laid." Robin shook her head fiercely.
"Who said anything about getting laid?" Elizabeth glanced back to make sure Lucky was nowhere near the door. "And keep your voice down. He could have heard that."
"Aww, aren't you just adorable!" Robin squealed, lunging toward her friend.
Elizabeth hugged her back. "Speaking of getting laid, what are you planning to do about Patrick?"
"I wish I knew."
Sighing, Elizabeth pushed back a stray hair behind her ear. "What time is it?"
"Around six I think."
"I gotta go. I have no idea what we're doing, but Lucky made me swear we would leave here by six."
"You're leaving me with the mutant bodyguard?"
"I thought you wanted me to get laid?"
"I do. I do. Get out of here." Robin waved her hand dismissively.
"If it helps, I'm not leaving you completely alone with She-Ra Princess of Power."
"No?" Robin quirked an eyebrow.
Laughing as she made her way to the door, Elizabeth paused, ready to make a run for it if the occasion called for one. "No. Patrick's still here." Robin sent her friend an evil glare, but said nothing in response. "Bye." Elizabeth called out in a sing-song voice. "I'll stop by tomorrow."
"I want to know everything."
"A lady never tells."
"You can always give me hints."
"True. But only if you share hints of your own."
"Hints about what? What could I possibly do from a hospital bed?" Robin wanted to know. Patrick chose that moment to let himself into the room. Robin would have flopped backwards if her muscles weren't so damn sore.
"You're a creative person. I'm sure you'll figure something out." Elizabeth winked in Robin's direction. "Bye Robin. Bye Patrick."
Patrick waved and shut the door. He would have locked it if he thought he could get away with it. "How are you feeling?"
"Why do you care?" Robin asked instead.
"I have to make sure my one good deed wasn't for nothing." Patrick responded coolly.
"I'm healing I suppose." Robin sighed.
"I can check you out if you like." Patrick offered.
"I'll bet you think you could." Robin teased. "Come sit here." She motioned toward the chair to her left.
Patrick closed the space in-between them, but regarded the chair with something that resembled disgust. "Scoot over." He told her.
"This is my bed!" Robin argued.
"Hey, I'm willing to share mine with you. It's only fair." Patrick persisted.
"Fine, but if I fall off, my mother will shoot you." Robin reminded him.
"Can we not talk about your family right now?" Patrick requested solemnly.
"Well, we're not going to talk about sex, so what does that leave for us?" Robin challenged.
"Who was talking about sex?" Patrick inquired innocently. "You've already made some pretty big assumptions, Scorpio. I can't pretend I'm not flattered, but let's take this one day at a time."
Robin shook her head at him, smiling. "You're incredible."
"That is not the first time I've heard that."
"I said no sex talk." Robin gritted through her teeth.
"This might come as a surprise to you, but I wasn't referring to sex. I happen to be excellent company."
"You can understand my confusion considering the only time we've spent together we're either yelling or making out."
"You make those sound bad." Patrick pouted.
"What I mean is I have no frame of reference."
"You're in luck. I just happen to have the rest of the night off and I have every intention of spending it with you." Patrick told her.
"You didn't even ask if that was what I wanted." Robin pointed out.
"Babe, trust me. I know what you want." Patrick's eyebrows wiggled playfully.
"You know what I want right now?" Robin asked.
"Right now you want..." Patrick put his fingertips to each side of her head. "Something to eat."
"And to think you could be catching bad guys with that kind of talent." Robin replied dryly.
"That's what the police department is for. They take care of the crooks and I take care of the ladies."
It was that comment that made Robin remember why she had kept her distance from this man in the first place. He had saved her life, but there were a million reasons why he would have done that. She couldn't honestly believe him to be noble. Everything he did, and had done, served a higher purpose. Just from what she had learned about him, he had a very short attention span when it came to female companionship. She didn't want to be another conquest.
"What would you like?" Patrick's voice brought her back to reality.
"Let's not bother with anything too healthy. I could really go for something chocolate-y right now." Robin rubbed her hands together in anticipation.
"I'll take care of it." Patrick reached behind him and hit the call button for the nurse's station.
"You can't do that!" Robin scolded him.
"Why not?" Patrick wanted to know. "This button is for you to use when you want something. Since I'm taking care of what you need by simply laying beside you, they can bring you something real to eat."
"You're afraid they won't let you back in, aren't you?" Robin accused.
"Yeah, and I'm not taking any chances." Patrick assured her, tucking a wispy strand behind her ear.
"Why can't I see where I'm going?" Elizabeth gripped his hand tightly as she fumbled along the sidewalk. "Do you enjoy seeing me make a fool out of myself?"
She had been grumbling since he had put the blindfold on her. He paused to hold the door open for her, ushering her inside. "I told you. I like you clumsy."
"You're crazy." Her smile gave away her pleasure. "Are we almost there?"
"We're exactly five steps from the last time you asked me that. I bet you open all your Christmas presents before it's time, don't you?"
"Not always."
Elizabeth felt his hands gently squeeze her shoulders. She felt his breath tickle her neck as he whispered in her ear. "One more second."
She stood still and strained to pick up any clues as to where she was. It was quiet. She could faintly hear the air conditioner circulating the cool air. Familiar smells she just couldn't place danced past her nose. Elizabeth felt herself stiffen as she felt Lucky's fingers undue the knots holding the green bandana in place.
The knot gave way, but he held the bandana in place for a second longer, checking once again to make sure everything was exactly the way he had wanted it to be. "You ready?"
"No, I like wandering around in the dark." She laughed. "Of course I am!"
"In that case, Miss Elizabeth, welcome to our date."
Elizabeth blinked a few times, adjusting to the light. The walls surrounding her were plastered panels with fading gold paint adorning the trim. Old movie posters hung from them, the faces of Bogart, Bacall, Hepburn, and Tracy coolly staring at her. A sign proudly announced the arrival of the new Wurlitzer organ. A small concession stand stood off to the left, with two attendants preparing an enormous bucket of popcorn.
"Where are we?"
"The State Theater. It's the oldest movie theater in Port Charles." Lucky explained, running his hand through his hair. "Do you like it?"
"It's beautiful." She breathed. It was as if he had transported her directly into one of her favorite movies from the fifties. Simply put it was the most elegant place she had ever been in. Suddenly she felt way underdressed.
"I'm glad. It's one of my favorite spots here in town." Lucky gestured to the concession stand. "You do eat at movies right?"
"Don't you have to?"
"Damn good answer." He fixed the popcorn bucket between two sodas already in the carrier. Taking them from the counter, he cocked his head towards the door of the theater and started walking. "Come on. We don't want to be late."
"Wait. Don't you have to pay?"
"It's on my tab." He replied cryptically.
Elizabeth followed him diligently into the theater and promptly stopped dead in her tracks. The lobby should have given a clue but she was unprepared for the beauty in front of her. The screen was covered with red velvet curtains raised above an actual stage. The 1920s style decor continued with the vaulted ceiling and red plush chairs. The carpet was a red and gold palsy pattern trailing all the way to the front of the stage, where an honest to goodness organ stood. "Wow."
Lucky smiled. She had passed the first test. He tended to divide women into two categories. Those who appreciated the State as much as he did and those who found it too much. He had no use for the latter. "Where do you want to sit?"
Grinning, she walked slowly down the aisle, carefully considering where the best view would be and which seats would be least likely to be blocked by a giant behemoth sitting in front of her. She finally chose two dead center of the theater, racing out before him to sink into the seat.
Lucky laughed as he noticed her shift in the chair to get settled. He offered her one of the sodas as he balanced the bucket of popcorn on the arm rest that separated them. "Comfortable?"
"Very."
"Good." He placed his drink on the floor and raised his arm, giving a thumbs up to the air. "Whenever you're ready Joe!" he yelled out.
"What are you doing?" Elizabeth glanced around, realizing for the first time that they were alone in the theater. The lights began to dim and the curtains rose slowly. "What is going on? Aren't they waiting for the rest of the audience?"
Lucky caught her eye in the dimming light. The blue light of the projector illuminated his smile. "We are the audience."
Her eyes widen as she began to realize what he had done. "You rented out the entire theater?"
"Well they were the only one who would play this movie." He pointed to the screen.
It was a good thing there was no one else there or surely she would have been shushed loudly. She remembered telling him how much she loved this movie on the ride back from Buffalo but in her wildest dreams she had never thought he'd do something like this for her.
"Say Anything? We're watching Say Anything on the big screen?"
"I promised you a date you'd never forget Elizabeth." He leaned closer to her and whispered in her ear. "I aim to always keep my promises."
It only took about two minutes for the nurse to answer the page. In that time, Patrick had managed to take over the entire bed and convince Robin to sit in his lap. She had proclaimed, rather indignantly, that she was not going to be handled like a rag doll. He had cooled her temper by nibbling on her left earlobe.
When the nurse actually entered the room, Robin was certain she was only half conscious because she couldn't remember why she had called the woman to begin with. She reached behind her and squeezed Patrick shoulder, hoping he wouldn't embarrass her anymore than he already was. He slid both of his arms around her waist and pulled her carefully against him, proving to both Robin and the nurse that this was where he belonged.
"I was wondering if you might bring me something to eat." Robin said to the nurse.
"'Something chocolate-y.'" Patrick added, tilting his head so that he could move his mouth to her neck.
"Ignore him. I do." Robin assured the impatient nurse. "I don't mean to be any trouble."
"You were in a coma." Patrick pointed out. "Let someone else take care of you for a change."
Robin had noticed during this entire exchange that Patrick hadn't actually looked up at the nurse, not even when he was addressing her. He was completely engrossed by Robin's skin under his mouth. "Please." She goaded the nurse further. "I won't ask you for another thing."
"All right." The nurse nodded, leaving the room in a hurry.
"That was very rude." She stated, turning around so that she was face-to-face with Patrick.
"I'm not known for my manners." Patrick replied, kissing the tip of her nose.
"So I've noticed." Robin agreed, slapping his hand away when she felt his fingers slip under her hospital gown. "You keep that up and I'm not going to let you even kiss me anymore."
"You might be swayed when your chocolate gets here." Patrick gave her a heated look.
"Speaking of that, what was up with you and my nurse?" Robin wanted to know, grabbing Patrick's chin and holding it between her index finger and thumb.
"What nurse?" Patrick asked, turning his mouth to kiss the inside of her palm.
"Oh, please!" Robin exclaimed. "She was tall, blonde, pretty green eyes. Are you really going to sit there and pretend not to have noticed how attractive she was?"
"I don't know what you're talking about, but you are bringing some awfully intriguing thoughts to mind, Scorpio." Patrick mumbled.
"That's it! We have to call her back in here. Hand me that button."
"Absolutely not." Patrick shook his head, grabbing the switch and holding it above her head.
"Give me that button!" Robin snapped, reaching for it without much success.
"You're cute." Patrick chuckled, using his free hand to pull her closer.
"Admit that you thought she was attractive." Robin ordered.
"Babe, I didn't even see what she looked like. And, anyway, what is this really about?"
"You're lying to me!" Robin accused, wishing she could stomp away but accepting her current situation for what it was.
"Robin, calm down."
"Why should I? How can you expect me to trust you when you can't even admit to thinking a person of the opposite sex is attractive?"
"This really bothers you, doesn't it?" Patrick looked incredibly amused.
"This is not about being insecure. I saw the way she was looking at you."
"So why are you yelling at me? I didn't do anything."
"Get out." Robin pointed toward the door.
"No." Patrick argued.
"You can't say no! I'm recovering from a fucking coma. What I say goes!"
"And I'm here to take care of you. Now lie down, shut up, and let me."
"Just admit that you want to sleep with her."
"I can only admit to something if it's true."
"I wasn't sure what kind of chocolate you wanted," The now bashful blonde interrupted, a candy bar dangling from her hand.
"Thank you." Robin took the candy from her and closed her eyes, praying for the ground to swallow her up.
Patrick barely managed to wait for her to leave before he burst into an uncontrollable fit of giggles. "That was classic!"
Robin's eyes widened in alarm. "Oh...this is bad."