"This was the perfect idea. I had to get out of the house." Elizabeth declared as she and Robin made her way through the park, crunching on the still frozen ground.
"I agree." Robin said just because she didn't know what else she could say. This was the last place she wanted to be. She couldn't glance at a single speck of this park without thinking of Morgan. "Maybe we can bring the kids up here and let them skate." She suggested, nodding toward the now-frozen pond hidden beneath a maze of trees.
"The image of Cameron on ice skates terrifies me for some reason." Elizabeth laughed quietly. She didn't want to mention that just Cameron and Lance on the pond would be an unbearable reminder of who else would be missing. Morgan probably would be barreling right along with his cousins and creating elaborate games for the three of them to play.
"Just something to think about I guess," Robin sighed taking a tattered leaf from a tree as they walked past it. Between them, they were wearing about six layers of clothing but Robin couldn't even begin to feel the cold. If not for the snow around them, if not for the winter wonderland surrounding them, she wouldn't have believed it was winter.
Even though it had Robin's idea to meet up and walk around the park, Elizabeth couldn't help but notice the silence her friend was retreating behind. Sure Robin was going through the motions but something was bothering her right now; it was all in the other woman's brown eyes. She could push Robin to tell her right now but more than likely Robin would tell her before they left the park. Elizabeth would be patient for now, but if Robin didn't start talking in the next few minutes, she would invoke the concerned best friend card. "Yeah. We'll have to do that."
"What?" Robin was ashamed to admit she hadn't been paying any attention. Elizabeth was wrong. This was a terrible idea. She didn't want to be out and about; she wanted to be home. As long as her mind was on this track, she might as well make a list of all the things she wished were different. She wished Morgan was at home safely in his bed. She wished she and Patrick were on speaking terms, but he had run off to think. Where he had gone she still didn't know. His phone was turned off. His car was gone from the parking lot in front of their building so she knew he wasn't hiding out in the apartment. Jake's was all but dead. He could have run off to Manhattan, she thought, but that was just too bleak to even consider. She wished she could find joy in this pregnancy and convince the rest of the world that her baby was a miracle, not a...not a disease...not a means to an end. She wished she could express joy for her friend's pregnancy without feeling incredibly jealous.
Elizabeth stopped in her tracks and placed a hand on Robin's arm. The time to wait for Robin to come to her was done. "Honey. What's going on?"
Robin wanted to tell her so much. Opening her mouth, she hesitated. The words were just too hard. Tears sprung to her eyes and she felt them freeze on her cheeks. "I can't talk about it."
"You obviously want to. Just tell me."
Should she tell her? The last thing Elizabeth needed was more stress. The last thing she needed was to break apart again. What Dr. Lansing and Patrick had seen was just the tip of the iceberg. When she broke, and she knew she would, it would go on and on and on and she would be all alone just like always. Some things weren't meant to change. Unconsciously, she touched her fingertips to her stomach.
Catching the subtle movement, an idea flickered across Elizabeth's mind. Was her friend...she could barely finish the thought. Spying a bench nearby, she nudged Robin with her shoulder. "Come on, we're going to sit down and you're telling me everything."
Robin didn't argue knowing it would have been futile. When her friend got an idea in her mind hell or high water couldn't change her course. Closing her eyes, she thought about how she should start this, wondered if she even could. Elizabeth's reaction would crush her because it would mimic the one she, herself, had had. And then she would have to remind herself why it wasn't happy news, why her pregnancy unlike Bobbie's, unlike Elizabeth's, was nothing to be celebrated.
Brushing the remaining snow off the bench, Elizabeth maneuvered herself down on the bench. "Now. We're here in this big empty park. We can talk with no interruptions. So talk."
Taking in a chilly breath, Robin said the first part very fast, "I'm pregnant but it's a terrible thing because Dr. Lansing tells me that the birth, if not the pregnancy itself, will kill me. No question. If he gives me drugs to keep my body from...to sustain the pregnancy, they'll interfere with my HIV cocktail and then my condition could worsen."
"Whoa. Whoa. Whoa. Slow down." Elizabeth held up her hand in protest as Robin's rapid fire speech zipped past her. Bits and pieces had taken root in her ear and were echoing in her brain. Pregnant. Kill. Worsen. "You're pregnant?" she whispered.
"Eight weeks along. Dr. Lansing told Patrick and me this afternoon." Robin explained.
"Oh my God. Oh my God." Elizabeth breathed out smiling broadly. Robin was pregnant. This was incredible. Unwillingly the rest of what Robin had pushed out began to penetrate her consciousness, "...it's a terrible thing because Dr. Lansing tells me that the birth, if not the pregnancy itself, will kill me. No question. If he gives me drugs to keep my body from...to sustain the pregnancy, they'll interfere with my HIV cocktail and then my condition could worsen." Elizabeth felt her smile fall and tears start to build in her eyes. "Oh sweetie." She managed.
"I don't know...they both want me to terminate, but I can't. I can't do it, Liz. This is my baby." Robin whispered.
The only words Elizabeth could think to form felt hollow and trite. There was no way mere words could offer Robin the sympathy and support she so clearly and desperately needed. So she operated on impulse and she pulled Robin to her hugging her close.
Robin pushed her away. "Please. Please, I just can't." She got slowly to her feet and walked over to the swings.
Elizabeth followed her. "Sweetie I'm on your side in this. You've got to know that."
"What side is that?" Robin wondered lowering herself into a swing once she had brushed away the snow.
"I'm not going to lie to you and tell you the possibility of you dying doesn't scare me. It does. But unless I'm mistaken you've already made up your mind what you want to do."
"Why is this happening?" Robin demanded. "What did I do?"
"Nothing. This isn't a punishment Robin."
"It must be!" Robin screamed. "It must be something I've done. All I want is for Morgan to be home and this baby to be safe. Patrick's not even here. He said he couldn't breathe and ran...he ran away. He doesn't think I realize the risks. My whole life is about risks. I've never played it safe. I've hidden out, but I've never played it safe. Being with Patrick was about the biggest risk I always thought, but God I might have infected him this time." There was no relief in letting it all out because Elizabeth didn't know. She didn't understand, she couldn't relate.
Elizabeth stood directly in front of her friend, taking a deep breath to try to gather strength. "Robin you didn't cause any of this. There is nothing wrong with wanting to have both Morgan and this baby. You didn't ask to be diagnosed and I know you are safe every time you are with Patrick. He runs when he gets scared but he always comes back to you. Morgan will come home and, if you want this baby, then I will help you find a doctor that says you can have this baby. His ego aside, Dr. Lansing is not the only doctor in the entire world. We'll get a second opinion."
"What if we find one and I still die? Am I selfish to leave Patrick with a baby?" Robin wanted to know. It was the question she had asked herself since Patrick stumbled out of the office. "And Morgan without a mother?"
She didn't want to think about Robin dying. It hurt too much which was why she had always shied away from actually dealing with the reality of Robin's HIV status. Well, get used to it Lizzie, she told herself, your best friend needs you right now. "I think they would be thrilled to still have a part of you with them."
Robin cupped her right hand over her mouth to force back the sudden sobs. Mindlessly, she pushed her shoes to the ground and launched the swing into a slow motion. Back and forth. Morgan's principal calling. Back and forth. A woman with Morgan. Back and forth. A little girl in his class seeing them together. Back and forth. Emily telling Patrick that she had cut the brake lines in Robin's car. Suddenly, she drove her shoes into the ground and halted all motion. "Elizabeth." She breathed her eyes wide. "I know who took Morgan."
Startled by the sudden subject change, Elizabeth could do no more than shake her head. "What? Who? Does your uncle know?"
"Emily Quartermaine. She was the one stalking Patrick. When he was visiting Maxie the day Morgan was taken, he mentioned running into her. She admitted to causing my accident." Robin informed her.
"And you think she took Morgan to get to Patrick?"
"No, to get to me. I stole Patrick from her. Do you think she's trying to teach me a lesson?"
"What lesson? To not take something that wasn't hers to begin with?"
"That doesn't explain why Kristina and Cameron were targeted though. I've got to get to the police station. My uncle has to know about this. In all the confusion, I wasn't able to tell him about the brakes."
"Maybe we should call Patrick too." Elizabeth offered.
Robin shook her head. "He's not answering. When he shows back up, we'll tell him."
It seemed too simple for Emily to be the one behind the kidnappings. For one thing, both Maxie and Cruz reported seeing a guy. Why would she have grabbed Kristina first or gone after Cameron at all? Why take Lulu? But Elizabeth recognized Robin's need to feel in control and do something good right now. If there was nothing to it, Mac would be able to clear it in no time she was sure. "Alright. Lead the way."
Cruz could only stare at his tiny daughter while she continued to fight for her life. She was tiny enough to cover half his palm and the nurses insisted that it was best for his daughter if she stayed in the incubator at least until she gained a lot more weight. He had calmly pointed that he understood that she had been early, very early, and he wouldn't be doing anything to hinder her health. "I've thought about breaking you out of here," He whispered conversationally.
"And you said it was my side of the family who was the bad influence." Bobbie's laugh carried from behind his shoulder.
"I stand by that." Cruz declared. Turning back to Majandra, he went on, "We'd be halfway to Canada before they even caught on." He put on the gloves and carefully lifted her into his hands, marveling at how light she was.
"Already a Daddy's girl I see."
"It's incredible to see her, hold her...I would die for her."
"Hopefully you will never have to make good on that feeling." Bobbie remarked lightly. It was still far too close to the shooting for her to make jokes right now. She was going to concentrate on this, the sight of her husband holding their tiny new daughter.
Cruz glanced at her over his left shoulder. "Like I could ever leave my girls."
Resting her head on his shoulder, she pressed a brief kiss on his cheek. "We're going to hold you to that."
Cruz made a goofy face at Majandra when she opened her eyes and yawned at him. He could see past the tubes, past the incubator, but only in this moment. As soon as he laid her back down, the situation would hit him again and he would realize how close he had come to losing his baby girl. "What are you doing, mi hija? Do you see Mommy and Daddy watching you?"
"Of course she does. Cause you're brilliant." Bobbie cooed.
"Your mommy and grandmother have been working on your room. They figured you needed a rock star room and I think you'll like it. That said, I think you should sleep with us the first...eighteen years or so. Give or take." Cruz reasoned.
"You'll get tired of that before the first year." Bobbie predicted.
"Tell Mommy she doesn't know what she's talking about. Can you tell her?" Cruz prompted with a sigh.
"We girls stick together Daddy. Little Majandra there is on my side." She marveled at how well the nickname suited their daughter. Lance had struggled with saying her full name, accidentally shortening it to Majandra. From the second he heard it Cruz loved it and took to calling her only by the nickname at all times.
"I still can't believe..." Cruz brushed his thumb across their baby's dark head of hair. "I can't believe she's ours."
"I think she looks exactly like you."
"I don't know. She's got your eyes." Cruz pointed out.
"Well she certainly has your charm. The nurses swear half the boy babies here love her."
"What?" Cruz sucked in a breath. Setting her down, he glanced around the small nursery. "Little bastards."
"Easy Daddy." Bobbie laughed. "These little guys are the least of your worries."
"She realizes she's not dating until she's twenty-five, right?" Cruz asked nervously.
"Not yet. But she'll probably be ready well before that."
"Are you trying to give me a heart attack?" Cruz accused struggling to breathe.
"Oh sweetheart. This is only the beginning."
"Do you think Elizabeth will home school her?"
"I think she might be a little busy with Cameron and her own baby."
"So what? She owes me a favor."
Bobbie patted him on his shoulder. "Be sure to pitch it to her just like that."
"Your mommy is crazy. I'm not sharing you with some little boy with only one thing on his mind." Cruz promised Majandra. "Right now it's formula. Pretty soon it's drugs and dirty magazines."
"You're hopeless. Absolutely hopeless." Bobbie leaned toward her daughter's head. "Stick with me kid or you'll be picked on by more people than your Uncle Luke."
"Oh, yeah, I was meaning to talk to you about that." Cruz began with a smirk. "I don't want to find my infant on a motorcycle."
Bobbie snorted. "No argument on that one."
Emily Quartermaine glanced suspiciously at her ruby red nails. She had paid far too much for a job that looked like a child could have done it. If she hadn't been in such a hurry, if she hadn't had to cover Logan's ass again, she would have been able to go to her normal manicurist and receive star treatment. She was growing tired of this muck up job. It was almost over at least. Soon she would have what she wanted and all of this would have been for something. Until then, she was going to have to deal with Courtney the Hypocrite and Logan the Moron. It was a risk to be out because she didn't want anyone catching on, but it was an even bigger risk to trust to let her nails go untreated.
Logan was becoming a far greater risk than he had ever been. He was always taking stupid chances, going on his emotions of all things. The man couldn't have possibly been born with instincts, not if his current behavior was anything to go by. He had left DNA at the scene which would, sooner or later, come back to bite them in the ass. The good thing about getting him in was that no one would be able to connect the two of them. He would go down for the kidnappings, but he would never tell what he knew. Even if he did, she'd have the kids moved far away.
Something yanked her backwards by her hair and her body slammed into a nearby bench catching her in the stomach. She cried out and landed on her hands. Rolling over, she brought her knees to her chest, ready to attack, and stopped only at the sight of Robin Scorpio standing over her. "You stupid little bitch!" Emily screamed. Her nails were ruined and she was bleeding through her white winter coat.
"I'm going to give you five seconds to answer my question. And then we're not going to talk anymore." Robin informed her.
"Robin!" Elizabeth couldn't keep the panic out of her voice. They had been on their way to see Mac when Robin had spotted the other woman coming out of the nail salon and taken off in a run. She had tried to stop her but she was too late. "Robin, you have to calm down."
"Where is my son?" Robin demanded in a tormented whisper.
"Did you lose him? What the hell kind of mother are you?" Emily taunted with a smile.
Robin closed the space between them and drove the toe of her heel into Emily's stomach. "Where is my son?" Robin all but yelled.
"Robin, if you keep this up, you're going to be arrested." Elizabeth begged her. "You don't need the extra stress right now."
"Why would I know where Morgan is? You stole him away from his mother. You probably paid someone to get rid of her. You've always been obsessed with Carly." Emily declared.
"Elizabeth, give me my gun." Robin ordered. There was no gun. She and Elizabeth both knew there wasn't a gun. But Emily didn't.
"Robin, arrested is bad. How many times do I have to tell you that?"
"Gun?" Emily shrieked. "You're a witness!" She pointed at Elizabeth.
"I'm her friend first." Elizabeth pointed out. "I have no clue who you are."
"I'm going to give you one chance to go into the police station and turn yourself in." Robin threatened.
"Or what?" Emily baited getting to her feet.
"Do you really want her to answer that?" Elizabeth asked.
"Just tell me where the kids are." Robin insisted.
"I don't know." Emily assured her.
"Then you won't mind standing in a line-up since, in all of your glory, you picked up an eye witness." Robin informed her.
"I wish I could, but I have a busy life. Those of us who aren't jumping from one brother's bed to the other..." Emily smiled broadly when Robin lunged at her.
"Robin!" Elizabeth screamed out. "Please…please stop!"
Robin nodded and pointed her finger at Emily. "Turn yourself in. Prison is nothing compared to what I'm going to do to you."
"Robin!" Mac called running toward them. Emily made herself scarce. "What are you doing?"
"Confronting the kidnapper." Robin explained.
"Robin you don't know that for sure." Elizabeth pointed out.
"I know." Robin promised. "I don't need proof, but I'll get it."
"How by beating it out of her?"
"If that's what it takes." Robin decided.
"I want you to let Stacy take you home and get some rest." Mac nodded toward the aforementioned officer.
"I don't want to go home." Robin protested.
"Robin, you need to go home. You have to rest." Elizabeth stressed, hoping Robin would realize what she was hinting at without her having to say it.
"Alright." Robin gave in. She remembered what Dr. Lansing had said about how one little argument could cause her to miscarry.
The drive to the apartment was quicker than Robin had thought it would be but no less irritating. "Stacy" tried to get her to talk, asked her what she thought of the current weather conditions, talked about how she wished Anna had won the election because she would have done a better job. By the time they reached the parking lot, Robin was grasping for the door handle. "I don't need you to come up with me." Robin assured her. "Just tell my uncle you did." Dismissing her chaperone, Robin proceeded to the elevator and pressed the button with the palm of her hand.
The numbers were a blur as the car climbed and Robin realized she was crying. It was bound to happen, she figured. With all she had been through today, all that had been said, all that hadn't been said, all the hopes, dreams, and otherwise goodwill that was squandered away by a single word: disease. Disease. She placed her hands under her eyes and blinked her tears away.
Darnell appeared to be waiting for her when she climbed off of the elevator. "You startled me." She lied, trying to come up with an excuse for the panic in her expression.
"I'm sorry, Miss Scorpio. That wasn't what I meant to do. This package came for you though and I wanted to deliver it to you personally. I didn't trust my co-workers to get it to you on time."
"On time?" Robin repeated.
"I'm under strict orders to give this to you no later than five minutes ago. If you'll sign…" Darnell thrust the clipboard toward her. She scribbled her name and took the square box from him. It was wrapped in brown parchment paper. "Have a good night."
"You too Darnell." Robin waited for him to disappear from sight before tearing open the parcel. There were only four pieces of tape holding the parchment paper to the box. She easily slid her fingers through it. She dug out her apartment key and let herself into the apartment, thrusting the wrapping to her right. She lifted the white lid off what appeared to be a jewelry box and pressed her back to the door to shut it.
She pushed the cotton away and wrapped her fingers lightly around the small gold locket. Air rushed out of her lungs and she dropped the box, leaving only the piece of jewelry in her palm. Patrick's present to her for her birthday. With her thumb, she depressed the clip and the halves flew apart. Morgan's face smiled at her through a dime-sized smear of fresh blood.
"Mo—oh—or—gan!" Robin screamed slowly hitting her knees. "MORGAN!" The chain slipped from her fingers but she never heard it hit the ground. Who did the blood belong to? It had to be from the kidnappers. This was how they were going to torment her then? Alexis had received a phone call and she was getting a locket covered in blood?
Robin crawled to the couch, but she didn't have enough strength to pull herself up. She brought her fist to her mouth and held it against her lips, willing the emotions back. This was just the sort of thing that could cost her this baby. It was to no avail. The locket lay on its side so that she could clearly see her son's picture. Bringing her knees to her chest, she rocked back and forth. She lowered her head between her knees to try and catch her breath.
Kristina's abduction had surprised them, targeting where they hadn't expected any kidnapper to be stupid enough to strike. The abduction had made them all wary, but not smart. If they had been smart, they wouldn't have allowed their kids to be out of their sight. If she had been smart, she would have been at home with her son instead of at the hospital trying to keep Alexis from falling apart. It had been obligation that brought her there but her own obsessive need to control everything that kept her there.
She should have been home to tuck Morgan in. She should have kissed his forehead. She should have read to him. She should have hugged him and told him that she loved him. She should have had breakfast with him the next morning and told him that she was taking him out of school until his sister was found. If nothing else, she should have warned him about the kidnappers and encouraged him to not go off alone.
It was easy enough to get her son away from the supervision of his teacher by pulling the fire alarm. Uncle Mac had dusted it for prints, but the kidnapper had worn gloves. Hopefully the DNA from Cameron's window led them to at least one of the people involved, but she found herself discouraged. How was she supposed to put any faith in the system when they had failed her and her family over and over again? She wanted to scream until she was hoarse, but what good would that do? It'd be as pointless as wishing her son would come home safe. If she wanted him back, she was going to have to do something herself.
Emily was the bait. Robin knew she was involved if for no other reason than her arrogance when she approached her outside the police station. It made sense that she could have hired any number of goons to do the job for her, but Robin didn't think so. Professionals didn't make mistakes. They were thorough. It was what made them good at their jobs. She wouldn't leave a paper trail between herself and some hired gun. However she was doing it, she wasn't using money as the motivation. That meant personal. "'I want you to know loss.'" Robin said to the empty apartment. "'I want you to know loss.'" She repeated. "Loss. Loss. Loss. I want you to know loss."