Sighing impatiently, Elizabeth tapped her foot as she checked her watch once again. He was the one who had been desperate for help, so was it that far of a stretch to expect him to be on time? It wasn't like spending Saturday morning in the mall was high up on her list of things to do. For some reason her students had been unusually active all week. Maybe they had just picked up on her distracted state since Robin's attack but it had been almost impossible to keep them under control. All she had really wanted to do was to pull on her most comfortable track pants, blast the most guitar driven chick rock she could find and then spend the night drinking hot chocolate and brandy with Lucky. Shopping with Patrick had not fit into the plans.

It wasn't that she was against helping him plan a surprise for Robin's birthday. If there was anyone who deserved a good birthday this year, it was Robin. And it wasn't even his tardiness. She had started to pick up on the fact no one in the Spencer family was capable of arriving on time, except maybe Laura. Surprisingly, she found herself continuing to fixate on his accusations of her cheating on Lucky with Cruz. So them catching Bobbie and Cruz like they did was certainly a better punishment than even she and Robin could dream up, but it still hurt. And with all the drama that had occurred between then and now, they had barely been in the same room long enough to talk to each other privately, let alone hash this situation out.

"The things I do for you Robin," she muttered under her breath. "You would just be laughing your ass off at me and goading me into just talking to him right now I bet."

"Someone I know?" Patrick asked in a teasing voice, coming up behind her. Traffic had been horrible on the way over, but he bet she didn't care to hear any of it. Ever since his wrongful accusation of how she spent her spare time, she had made it a point not to be anywhere around him. He wasn't sure if apologizing would make any sort of difference or if keeping quiet was the best course of action to take. She and Robin were so incredibly different he really had no frame of reference when it came to Elizabeth Webber.

Elizabeth ignored his attempt at a greeting, grateful he hadn't attempted to excuse his tardiness. It was one small point in his favor and increased his chances of surviving this unscathed. "So did you have any idea of where to start or should we brave the swarm of teenagers?"

"I thought you were the expert when it came to my girlfriend." Patrick regarded her cautiously. She was sporting the death stare and it was making him uncomfortable.

"I am here purely in the role of advisor."

"I'm not very good at this sort of thing." Patrick admitted bashfully. "I've never had to--"

"No. You don't say." Elizabeth cut in drolly. "I would have never guessed that."

"Okay." He held out his hands and turned them upward. "Let's talk about our issue and then we'll deal with this one."

"You want to do this here?" She gestured to the throngs of families and children walking past them. "This could get ugly and I don't want to scar innocent children"

"Obviously you need to get something off your chest."

"Nice observation Captain Obvious." Elizabeth rolled her eyes. "Come on." She motioned for him to follow her toward the side of the building. There was no entrance on this side, so they would at least be able to discuss this as rational adults without attracting a crowd when the screaming children in them came out.

"Are we going on a field trip, Miss Elizabeth?" He mocked impatiently.

"If you want to go shopping and possibly screw up Robin's birthday on your own? Fine, don't come with me. Plan your own funeral. See if I care." Elizabeth stalked off to her intended destination. Patrick could follow or he could leave. It would mean her working harder for her own plans for Robin's birthday but that was no big deal.

"Wait!" He called after her in resignation. "Do you want your friend to get a Hooter's gift certificate because, if you leave now, that's going to be what she gets?"

She rolled her eyes heavenwards. "Fine. But this is for Robin's sake and only hers."

"Fine." Patrick folded his arms over his chest. "Where do we go first?"

"Let's start with you being convinced I was a cheating whore. How about that?" Her blue eyes flashed at him.

Patrick blinked in confusion. "What?"

She clucked her tongue in mock sympathy. "You don't remember convincing Lucky that I was Cruz's 'mystery girl?' That he didn't know me just because, how did you put it? Oh yes, 'just because we sleep together he doesn't know me?'"

Patrick hadn't been prepared for her bluntness, but he didn't know why it surprised him. She had always been open and honest with him from the moment they had met. "It was stupid. I remembered seeing the two of you together at the wine shop a few weeks back and then I saw you two in the kitchen..."

"And from that you jumped to I was seeing Cruz?" Elizabeth threw her hands up in exasperation. "Where you that desperate to figure that out you were willing to believe any off the wall thought?"

"I was angry. I had just ended things with Robin and I wanted to lash out at someone. Now that I think about it, the timing didn't even add up. It was the only way I knew how to fight back when Lucky brought up the HIV thing..." He ducked his head in embarrassment. Come on ground, he demanded gruffly. Just swallow me up now.

"You have to be related to him. You're both morons when you're mad."

"Exactly." Patrick wasn't entirely sure what he had just agreed to, but he had heard her mention Lucky and that must mean she was starting to see his side. "And I'm sorry for jumping to conclusions. You were just an easy target. It was an asshole thing to do."

Elizabeth cocked an eyebrow in his direction. "Oh you so don't think it will be that easy do you? I know Lucky can't keep quiet to save his life. Don't pretend you don't know what he was put through in Vegas."

"I haven't a clue." Patrick answered honestly. "He refused to talk about it and I was more concerned with cooling Robin's temper..."

"Impressive. He actually did learn something." Elizabeth filed that information away for future use. "Let me put it to you this way. I get that you were being an asshole, but you are not yet out of the doghouse."

"What do I have to do to prove I'm sorry?" Patrick wanted to know. Lucky so owed him.

"I don't know." Elizabeth sighed. "Honestly I didn't realize I was still this mad about that until I had to spend today with you."

Patrick didn't know what to say to that...at least nothing that wouldn't get him into more trouble. "You have more than enough reason to be mad at me." He was getting this sensitive thing down!

"I know you are trying here and I appreciate the fact that you realize you were wrong. It's just..." She paused not sure how much to reveal to him. Her past really wasn't any of his business and going into detail with him would be far too intimate than she suspected either one of them wanted to be. "Look you accidentally hit a very sore point with me. I don't react well to the whole cheating thing."

"Robin told me about Max. Was she not supposed to?" Patrick asked carefully.

"She wasn't sworn to secrecy." She was thrown that Robin had told him about Max. "I'm guessing that would be after you opened your big mouth?"

"Yeah, right after. She put me in my place real fast. I didn't know how to confront you about it so I guess I was just wishing it would go away."

"Little hint? That doesn't work with Robin or me."

"No kidding." Patrick replied gruffly. "Now will you please help me find a present for Robin? Please?" He batted his eyelashes and smiled.

"Fine. But for the record, I'm totally taking credit."

"Like she wouldn't know that." Patrick laughed, following her into what would hopefully be a short list of stores.

Bobbie didn't hear her sister-in-law come up behind her because she was distracted by the tiny mobile hanging over her unborn child's crib. Luke and Lucky had stopped by to surprise her before she got out of the hospital and, boy, had she been thrilled to walk into the nursery and find the crib put together the correct way! She hadn't noticed how quiet this big house was when it was just her, but she figured that had a lot to do with the fact that Cruz had slept over almost from the very beginning. Bobbie felt his absence when she went to sleep, when she woke up, when she went to Kelly's, or just for a walk through the neighborhood. He hadn't left her any messages, but then he would have to call to do that. It had been a week and he had completely avoided her. She felt like such an idiot for actually believing that he would stick around.

"Well I'm glad to see you are feeling better." Laura greeted her. She surveyed the work of her husband and son. "It doesn't look like it will fall apart in two seconds. Someone must have convinced them to read the directions this time."

"Must have." Bobbie answered, releasing her tight hold on the mobile and turning to face Laura. There were few people she wanted to see when her world was crashing around her but Laura had made that list from the moment Luke had introduced them.

Laura noticed the strain in the other woman's eyes immediately. She took in her sister-in-law's appearance in a quick glance. Bobbie was holding herself together by sheer strength of will that much was obvious. The stress was clearly written on her face, and that Laura knew was not good for the baby. "Come on. You want to talk and I have all day to listen. Let's go have a cup of tea."

"That sounds lovely." Bobbie agreed, following her downstairs. She paused in making the tea and thought she heard the purr of Cruz's Ford Expedition as the monstrosity car made its way up the driveway, but immediately dismissed it. This was getting ridiculous. "Do you prefer sugar or lemon?"

"I'll be adventurous and say both." Laura laughed. She wondered just how long Bobbie thought she could avoid this conversation.

"One risk taker coming up." Bobbie laughed, staring into the steaming cup as if it held the answers to all of her problems.

Laura took a sip of the steaming beverage and leveled her gaze at the redhead across from her. "Now do you want to tell me what's been going on since you left the hospital?"

"Believe it or not, I've been following Dr. Lansing's advice and taking it easy." Bobbie replied arrogantly.

"I'm not saying you haven't." Laura replied calmly. Bobbie was much like her brother. Both Spencer siblings immediately went on the defensive when questioned about something they didn't want to talk about. "But something obviously has you upset."

"What do you mean?" Bobbie knew she could never successfully lie to her best friend, but damn it, she could try.

"You've been avoiding everyone, you looked like you were about to cry." Laura paused as she started to edge toward what she suspected might be the real reason for her friend's stress. "Lucas said Cruz hasn't been around here lately."

"I don't want to talk about Cruz." Bobbie held up her hand in protest.

"So it is related to him." Laura smiled in satisfaction.

"The only thing related to Cruz is this child I'm carrying. Who, by the way, won't stop kicking me in the ribs when I try to sleep." Bobbie grumbled, handing Laura her tea and leaning against the counter.

"So the fact that he's been spending more time with Dillon than you has nothing to do with this mood you're in?"

"What mood?" Bobbie was vaguely aware of the stinging tears collecting at the back of her eyes. "I'm not in any kind of mood!"

Laura moved closer and gently placed her hand on Bobbie's shoulder. "Bobbie. Just tell what's been going on."

"What was he thinking? Proposing that way?" Bobbie answered instead, placing her hands over her eyes.

"He proposed?" Laura grabbed the counter to steady herself. Nothing should surprise her about this couple, but they kept coming up with new ways. "You're serious?"

"At least I think that's what he was trying to do. But I couldn't exactly say yes when he felt obligated to do it. He really thought he was going to lose this baby and me." Bobbie explained gravely.

"I'm sure he did. Lucky and Patrick thought the same thing. I can only imagine what Cruz was feeling." Laura met Bobbie's eyes. "But I don't think he would do anything out of obligation."

"What are you talking about?" Bobbie asked angrily. "Of course it was out of obligation."

"What about love?" Laura prodded.

"What about it? What has it given me so far? I'll tell you what I've gotten from love." Bobbie spit out the word in disgust. "Broken promises. Humiliation. Stress. A child that I may not even be healthy enough to carry full-term. A man who runs at the first sign of trouble."

"I take it you didn't accept?" Laura shook her head.

"No." Bobbie glanced down at her red polished nails. Cruz had made a fuss about doing them for her now so that, when she couldn't reach them anymore, at least she'd be able to see her sparkling toes. "I told him I didn't want him to feel like he had to, that I knew he had been given 'The Talk' by my eldest son. I blew it." She added for emphasis.

Laura pinched the bridge of her nose. "Yes you did." Shaking her head she tried not to laugh. "Bobbie I love you but you are being an idiot."

"Thanks." Bobbie remarked dryly. "If you can't count on your friends to kick you when you're down, who can you count on? Isn't that how the boys would put it?"

"Patrick would. But I'm right." Laura sighed and placed her hands flat on the table. "Has it occurred to you that maybe the reason he's been avoiding you is the fact you turned him down?"

"Yes." She bobbed her head up and down. "But there's nothing to be done about it now. He's made his choice to stay away--"

"Tell me one thing. Did you run this obligation theory of yours by him?"

"Yes."

Laura sighed. "So he proposed. You turned him down, saying its out of obligation. And you don't see why maybe he's not been around lately?"

"What am I going to do, Laura?" Bobbie wanted to know.

"You're going to call him up and tell him you love him. Tell him you were just as frightened as he was and you handled things badly."

"I can't have a conversation like that over the phone." Bobbie countered.

"Then I guess you better track down your son-in-law and find out where they've been hanging out."