You've all been so patient and we appreciate it!

Dillon was due for Robin's studio the second they stepped off the plane; it was understood that Lucas would take Lance home and get him ready for school. Even though they had been gone, Lucas let out a sigh of relief upon entering his home. Lance had been insistent that he wanted to drag the bags from the cab so he had given him the lightest of the bags: Dillon's makeup bag. "Happy to be home?"

"I guess. Do I have to go to school tomorrow?" Lance whined. "Can't I stay home tomorrow?"

"Of course you can't stay home." The look he gave his son was one he would bestow upon a creature with two heads. "School is important."

"Uncle Luke says schools destroy creativity."

"Uncle Luke is an old man. He's clearly lost his marbles." Lucas clarified. "Since when do you want to skip school? I thought you'd want to see your friends and Kristina and Morgan."

Lance shrugged his shoulders. "My back hurts. I think I might be sick."

"Your...back?" Lucas had expected a headache or a tummy ache. He didn't know what to do for a backache. Since when did children have back aches? It was a discomfort he associated with aging men and women.

Lance nodded seriously. "I don't think I'll be able to walk tomorrow."

"Is that right?" Lucas cut his son a look. "I don't think the teachers are going to want to carry you."

"No. I better stay home then."

"I'm not convinced. You're going."

"But Daddy..."

Lucas hated when Lance used that tone with him. It was the quickest way to get him to side with his son. He had to stay strong. Dillon couldn't always be the one disciplining their son. "I'm sorry Lance, but school is not an option in this house. Why don't you go upstairs and unpack your bag?"

Sighing as dramatically as he could, Lance stuck out his bottom lip. "Fine."

Lucas let out a staggering breath. "Relax. Calm down. Of course he's mad about having to go, but he'll get over it. You held your ground. You were a grown-up." So why did he feel so bad about it?

*****

"So, the menu is set. You've sent out the invitations. I booked the beyond great entertainment. Location is all set." Dillon checked off each item off the list he had spent a majority of the plane ride back concocting. "Are we missing something? I feel like we are missing something?"

"Nothing I can put my finger on." Robin answered. This was just the distraction she needed. Lord knows, this meeting would probably be cut short. She had thought the idea absolutely crazy, but Patrick had a way of making it sound like the best solution for everyone involved.

"There's just something...I don't know what it is but it just doesn't feel very Port Charlesy to me you know? Isn't there a law somewhere that something truly awesome has to happen at every single party?" Dillon suddenly snapped his fingers. "I know! Think we can talk Lucky into proposing in front of the entire party? It would completely put it over the top."

Robin turned her attention to her copy of the list. Dillon was nothing if not prepared. He had had four drawn up and, wouldn't you know it, two had been destroyed on the plane by a jerk and his cup of coffee. "Tell me more about Lucas beating up that guy on the plane. Did he really give him a black eye?"

"Oh not only did he give him one, but almost gave him two." Dillon settled back to tell the story, not at all missing Robin's sidestepping of his brilliant idea. No matter, he would just discuss this with Lucky himself before the party. "Let me tell you how it started."

"Please do." Robin leaned forward eagerly with her hands on her knees.

But whatever explanation Dillon was about to give was cut short by Elizabeth pushing open the unlocked door to the studio. "Are you trying to send me into early labor?" she demanded as the two looked over at her. Robin and Dillon exchanged looks. "I mean I understand the whole concept of waiting for the right time to share news, but an announcement in the paper is not the way to do it. Just an F.Y.I."

"Liz..." Robin faltered.

"I just don't get it. Why let everyone find out that way?" Elizabeth continued as she sat down on the chair. "Why didn't you tell anyone?"

"I might be a bit jetlagged here, but what are we talking about?" Dillon finally asked. Not that he wasn't enjoying the drama, but it always worked better if he knew what the drama was about. Otherwise he was just watching that soap.

Elizabeth gestured towards Robin. "Apparently she and Patrick are engaged. And they figured the best way to let everyone know was to run an announcement in the paper."

"What?" Dillon turned towards Robin, his eyes wide. "Excuse me? You who nixed my every dramatic idea for this shower are hiding a secret engagement?"

Robin struggled with an explanation. "I didn't have anything to do with that."

"Oh that makes it better." Elizabeth rolled her eyes.

"Liz, please...hear me out." Robin begged her.

"I want to. I really do." Elizabeth sighed. "It just…it just hurt to find out through the paper and not from you."

"It all happened so fast. I didn't even say yes until he showed me the announcement." Robin informed her friends.

"Ok that makes less sense than Emergency Room winning the Emmy this year." Elizabeth shook her head, seeing Dillon nod in agreement. "Start talking missy."

"Okay, you know how guys are always trying to get creative when it comes to proposals? Well, we've been fighting a lot lately, as you well know, and have been trying to come to terms with—things."

"Things?" Dillon ears perked up on that word. "Am I missing out on things?"

"Not now Dillon." Elizabeth dismissed his question. "That is the B story. We're on A right now."

"I was a little offended by his assumption that I would say yes and then he started to go through the reasons why we should get married. You know how stubborn he is when he gets his mind set on something. Anyway, I knew it would end up hurting the family...something he hadn't meant to do of course. He was just trying to be creative or romantic or something. I'm sorry you had to find out this way. There simply wasn't time. Patrick left just as Dillon got here. The rest is history." Robin closed her eyes and clamped her teeth down on her bottom lip, waiting for her friend to explode.

Elizabeth took a deep breath and tried to process the information Robin had just sped by them. "So his solution to stopping your arguments is to propose? And the announcement was the proposal? Did I hear that right?"

"Something like that." Robin nodded. "Pretty crazy, huh? And yet, to him, it was a perfectly rational way to do it."

"Oh I think we left rational at the off ramp." Dillon declared.

Robin tried to get Elizabeth to look at her. "Please don't be mad at me."

"I'm not mad. I'm just trying to figure this all out. It just doesn't make any sense."

Robin fidgeted slightly and said, "He called us a family."

Elizabeth bit her bottom lip. " That's like puppy dog eyes hard to resist."

"John Cusack with a boom box hard." Dillon agreed.

"I couldn't tell him no. I love him."

"But is it what you want Robin?" Elizabeth asked. "Or was it just because you didn't want to hurt him?"

"I want to marry Patrick. I want to come home to him and I want Morgan to have the kind of security I didn't as a child. So, yes." Of course Elizabeth knew the other reason, but they couldn't exactly tell Dillon, now could they?

If Dillon hadn't been sitting right next to her, it was on the tip of Elizabeth's tongue to press Robin to make sure the baby wasn't the real reason for her saying yes. In fact the next time she saw Patrick, if Lucky and Cruz didn't kill him first, she was going to ask him if that was the motivating factor as well. "So when he had this plan, did the fact his family might see this and not react well cross his mind at all?"

"Family? Oh sweet Lord, who else knows?" Dillon questioned. "Who will call demanding answers from Lucas?"

"Lucky, Cruz, and Bobbie." Elizabeth admitted. "They were all there when I saw the announcement and freaked out. Unless I miss my guess, Laura and Luke probably know by now too. I'm sure Bobbie called them."

"Ah shit." Robin groaned.

"Yeah consider me the warm-up act."

"I told him. Damn it, I told him he shouldn't have had the ad run." Robin hid her face behind her hands. "Him and his, 'they'd react the same way no matter how we told them.'" She watched Elizabeth through her fingers. "This is all your fault."

"My fault? Oh this I got to hear."

"After Cameron's announcement at the Christmas party, the family has been wary of surprises. Oh, this is a disaster." For all the fuss she was making, she had predicted this reaction.

"Alright in the first place, the blame for that falls on Lucky. Let's be clear. Cameron inherited that inability to keep quiet. Secondly, this is his solution to that issue? That doesn't help."

"Thirdly, his actions have just guaranteed you Laura is taking over your wedding plans." Dillon pointed out.

"I suppose I should have them all line up and take pot shots at me while Mr. Wonderful is off doing whatever it is he does."

"Oh don't worry about that. Lucky and Cruz are out looking for him right now. And I'm positive everyone will place the blame exactly where it belongs. On Patrick." Elizabeth assured her.

*****

Raising his hand to knock, Lucky wondered briefly how this visit would turn out. In all the years he had known Robin, the last time he had felt this nervous was when he had asked her to step back after Jess's death. It's just Robin, he told himself sternly. Nothing's changed.

Except it had. She was no longer just Robin. She was Patrick's fiancé, a fact in bizarro world if he had ever heard one. Robin was no longer just his friend, but the woman his cousin was going to marry. He knew it didn't make too much sense since she had previously married Logan, but Logan was so successful at keeping the rest of the family away, that marriage had felt more like Robin bringing someone to the family, instead of the other way around.

Knocking lightly, he shook himself. Patrick told you this was what he wanted, he reminded himself, and if Robin is happy you will get over this hang up and be happy for them. Robin deserves the best and although you will never tell it to him, you know Patrick is the best for her.

Robin lightly stroked her best friend's hair as the young woman lay in her lap. "Come in." She said quietly.

Opening the door quietly, Lucky stuck his head in. "Hey. I got your message."

"She's all tuckered out." Robin nodded toward Elizabeth.

Laughing, Lucky walked further into the studio. "What? You spike her drink with something to get her to stop?"

Robin gave him a look and then reached behind her to set the phone on the cradle. After Elizabeth's confrontation, she had received a call from every Spencer that lived in Port Charles.

"Phone been driving you crazy?"

"I finally turned it to silent. It's nothing I don't deserve."

"I won't say deserve. But I will say there was a way better way about going about telling everyone."

"I assume you've talked to Patrick."

"I have." Lucky confirmed. "And I'm aware this was his boneheaded idea. But come on. Couldn't you have hinted for something more normal?"

"Hinted? You think I had something to do with this?"

"Are you or are you not the one who told me that, and I quote, a woman has a way of throwing out hints when she really wants something end quote?"

"I didn't suggest we get married right now." Robin told him.

"But it put an idea in Patrick's head. And we all know where that leads."

"This wasn't the way I wanted to tell everyone. Laura's sworn not to speak to me. She wrote down everything she wanted to tell me and made Luke tell me over the phone." Robin sniffled.

"Ouch. That is definitely a new weapon in the Laura Spencer Guilt Arsenal." Lucky reached over to pat her head. "However I am sure in the next few weeks she'll be all set to show what wedding plans she's already thought of." He paused as a thought struck him. "You haven't set a date yet have you?"

"No. Not yet. Before the baby's born I'm assuming."

"That will help bring Mom around at least. I speak from experience."

"I guess you do know what you're talking about." Robin responded after a while.

Lucky closed his eyes and shook his head. "I shouldn't have brought that up. I forgot you hadn't told anyone about the baby."

"It's fine. Really. By the time I get back—well it'll be pretty obvious."

"Get back? Back from where?"

"Paris. My father invited Morgan and me to come and see him. His letter came in the mail after Morgan's party." Robin clarified.

"Wait. You and Patrick just got engaged and you're leaving the country?" Lucky puzzled. "I thought your dad knew you were dating Patrick."

"He does. He'll probably try to talk me out of it." Robin tried to laugh. "Anyway, by the time I get back, maybe the family won't still be mad."

"They're not mad. They're surprised."

"What about you?" Robin's eyebrows lifted. "You don't have an opinion about all of this?"

"I'm still forming it."

"What does that mean?"

"It means I'm pretty sure I'm still in shock mode. I don't think I ever remotely considered Patrick getting married. And you...well you're Robin."

"We've broken the pact you know." Robin smiled.

"I know. Did we come up with a punishment for that?"

"Let's see...I think you wanted us to cut out our tongues. We were such sick little kids. Of course, then we were terrified of growing up."

"Who isn't? Growing up kinda sucks."

"I know. When did we outgrow blaming our parents for the decisions we make?"

"College?"

"I really am happy." Robin assured him.

"I hope so because if you aren't....look cousin or no cousin, you deserve to be happy. I just don't want you doing something because you're afraid of hurting Patrick's feelings. Beating him with that newspaper if you didn't want to accept would have been completely understandable."

"When I told you I didn't want to get married right now...I didn't mean I didn't want to marry Patrick."

"That's not what I meant. I meant if he pressured you into accepting, I'll beat him up for you."

"He didn't. He was totally rational." Robin lightly patted Elizabeth's right shoulder.

"That scares me. Rational and Patrick should never be in the same sentence."

"What?" Elizabeth's sleep filled drawl caused them both to look down at her. "I feel asleep didn't I?"

"Yes you did." Robin nodded. "But I called Lucky."

"Hey Sleeping Beauty. You ready to go home now?"

"Depends." Elizabeth sat up on the couch and pushed her hair out of her eyes. "What are the odds you'll let me live this one down?"

"With me it's pretty good, but I can't guarantee Shortstack over there." Lucky teased. "But then again, she's so awesome at surprising us; she might just let it go."

"No problem." Robin assured her. "Get home and get some real sleep."

"Are we ok?" Elizabeth asked her eyes serious. "Cause if we aren't, I'm not leaving."

"And that would mean Cameron and I would have to move in and well you can imagine how thrilled Patrick will be about that."

"Well, the spare room isn't a spare room anymore so I guess I have to be okay with it. Really, with the way we let you find out, it's a wonder either of you are still talking to me."

"So now it's we? I thought it was a Patrick move." Lucky asked, clearly confused as he helped Elizabeth stand up from the couch.

"Now it's we." Robin explained.

"As long as it's in the sense of 'we are happy', I guess we can still talk to you." Lucky teased.

"Cool deal." Robin smiled leading them to the door. She watched them leave and slowly made her way to the couch. She was shaking. She wanted desperately to start this day over, or maybe even the last few months. She had no idea when exactly things had gotten so insane and there wasn't a way to erase all the bad without sacrificing a lot of the good. Her friends were far more understanding than the rest of the Spencers. Even Lulu had had something to say on the subject, but after a while, all of the cruelty had started to sound the same. It was almost as if the world had turned over on its axis and she couldn't stand up anymore.

The door opened and she thought for a fleeting second that it was a firing squad. Realizing that Patrick had finally made it back home, she allowed herself to cry. He closed the space between them, not bothering with the door, and pulled her close.

"Hey, it's okay." Patrick rocked her carefully in his arms.

"No it's not." Robin whimpered in protest. "None of this is okay. I hate lying to them."

"It's just for a little while longer." Patrick promised.

Previews:

"Say we're married. Say it again."

"We're married." She smiled as she punctuated her words with a kiss. "We're married."