Keeping a careful eye on Daphne as she posed for pictures following her gold record presentation ceremony, Lucky wondered when this was going to end. It wasn't that he wasn't thrilled by Daphne's success—although of course, he had known it would happen. It was more the fact that he had a limited amount of time to complete his shopping expedition and he was going to need Daphne's help. If he was going to get this done, get Daphne back to the hotel before the limo picked her up for her flight, and get back to Port Charles before dinner, they more than likely should have left ten minutes ago.

It had been a calculated risk to ask Daphne for her help, but she was his only safe option. He had been toying with the idea of asking Robin along but with her just getting off bed rest it didn't seem like that smart of an idea. Plus, Lucky wouldn't put it past her to let what they were shopping for slip to Elizabeth before he was ready. His sister was out. Asking her was as good as asking his mother or Aunt Bobbie to come along. Brenda may have come along as a lark, but she didn't know Elizabeth and she had her own wedding drama to deal with. He kept Daphne so busy she barely had time to answer her email with more than a quick "I'm fine," much less would she have time to spill a major secret. No Daphne was his best choice.

"Sugar? Earth to Sugar." Daphne stood in front him, giggling and waving her hands in front of his face. "You with me?"

Shaking his head, Lucky forced himself to focus on the people around him. The photographers were starting to leave; the few remaining reporters were being occupied by Ned and Lois. "Sorry Darling. You know I never mean to leave you."

"Oh sweet talker. Tell it to someone who might believe it." Daphne smacked at his arm, laughing and causing her chocolate curls to bounce. "You know like your girlfriend? Where is Precious today? I was all hoping to see her before the shower."

"She wanted to come, but she thinks she's been taking too much time off lately. She wants to take as long of a maternity leave as possible." Lucky explained. "But actually it's a good thing she's not here. I need your help with something. For her."

"Ohhh. A surprise? I love getting involved in surprises!" Daphne started to jump up and down. "Count me it!"

Her enthusiasm was infectious and attracting attention. Lois was looking at both of them with a questioning look in her eye. He knew that look. That look said clearly "There is something going on and I'm going to find out what it is." If Lois even got the slightest whiff of what he was thinking, it was all over. His mother would know before the taxi would pull away from the L&B office. "Come on. I'll tell you on the way."

As they made their way out towards the lobby, Daphne allowed him to pull her along by her thin wrist. "Sugar this will go much faster if you let go of my hand. I can keep up with you then." she pointed out after a few minutes.

"Sorry." Lucky stopped on the sidewalk to open the door to car he had waiting. Ushering Daphne inside, he quickly followed and nodded to driver. "Tiffany's please. Fifth Avenue."

Her brown eyes opened wide, Daphne turned to look him straight on. "Am I helping with what I think I'm helping with?"

"Yes." He grinned. "You still want to help?"

"Still want to help? Sugar I never pegged you for crazy! Of course I'll help. Starting right now." She leaned forward, tapped the driver on the shoulder. "Honey bun, forget Fifth Avenue. We're going elsewhere. Head towards Lexington Avenue. I'll let you know more when we get closer."

"Excuse me? I asked you along to help, not take over."

"This is helping. Tiffany's is lovely sugar." Daphne drawled, leaning back into the seat. "But it is tabloid bait. You and I go in. You come out with a little blue box. Sugar no one is too stupid to connect those dots. Either the story will come out that you bought me a ring, and you'll have to deal with my Sugar. Or the fact you bought a ring will be whispered about and ruin what I'm guessing you want to be a surprise. No. What you need is something smaller, more intimate. Less publicity friendly. Just trust me Sugar. I won't steer you wrong."

*****

The manila envelope taunted her from the small desk she had dropped it on seconds after the messenger had delivered it to her room. Curious as always she had opened it just the smallest of opens before abandoning it on the desk. All Kate had needed to see was the seal to know what that envelope held. The end of her life as Ric's wife. The final papers. All that was required was for her to sign on the dotted line and her marriage would be over.

Even though it was barely noon, Kate twirled a glass of the hotel's finest red wine between her fingers. If there was ever an occasion for drinking before noon, she figured, getting your final divorce papers was it. Even if she had known this day was coming, had even talked to her lawyer just the other day and knew most of the details had finally been ironed out between the lawyers, Kate realized she was not prepared for this to hit her as hard as it did.

The feelings of guilt for her own actions overwhelmed her. Sorrow coursed through her veins as quickly as she drank her wine to chase them away. And most maddening of all, the love she could feel for Ric, even after all the hurt words, the broken promises and broken trust. Damn him for still getting to her this way. He had been clear for months now he wanted nothing to do with her. Why couldn't she feel the same?

Sinking into the small couch, she pulled her cell phone from the table behind her. Setting her glass down on the table, she dialed the familiar numbers without even looking to make sure they were correct. There was only one person she needed to talk to right now, strange as it would seem to anyone else. Kate smiled slightly when she heard the familiar voice roll through the phone.

Charlotte Eleanor Lansing checked the number and said a silent prayer she wouldn't have to bail her friend out of jail today. Her little brother had warned her ahead of time that this day was coming, the end of his marriage, the end of her good friend's life, and part of her wanted to believe that maybe he still cared about Kate. "Hi Blossom."

"Hi Peanut." The use of the old sorority nicknames usually caused Kate to smile at the happy memories. Now they wanted to make her cry for those same days.

"How many glasses of wine have you had?" Charlotte lightly prodded.

"Just one." Kate paused. "And a half," she added reluctantly.

"You haven't called him, have you?"

"No. I've been good. Doesn't mean I don't want to."

"Don't. He's changed his number and no amount of whining from you is going to get me to give it up. I doubt Daddy even realizes." Charlotte surmised playing with the rim of her own half-full wine glass.

"Well the Colonel would never realize it. He still hasn't acknowledged the fact we're separated has he?"

"No. He hasn't." Charlotte admitted calmly. "But then, the old man has always been a little senile. At least when Mom was alive, she could distract us."

"That is true. She was a saint." Kate smiled warmly remembering the dark haired beauty that had always had a kind smile and hug for anyone who had walked through the door. "You don't sound surprised that I called."

Charlotte knew if she told Kate the truth, her friend would start hoping that Ric might consider reconciliation. After the conversation she had had with her brother, she knew that it had been over for a long time, maybe even before they started having affairs. It wasn't easy being in the middle, but that had been the case since college. Before that, she had lived with her and Ric's Aunt Ursula at boarding school. "I knew it must be happening soon. You forget I've been married and divorced four times, Blossom."

"Ever my voice of experience. Does it always feel like this?"

Charlotte couldn't help but laugh. "I've never been in love with any of my husbands." She figured she was lucky. None of those marriages had sprung any children.

"Then what help are you?" Kate tried to laugh but it caught in her throat. Why had she called Charlotte? Yes she was her friend, but above all she was Ric's sister. "Maybe this wasn't my greatest idea." She admitted slowly.

"No honey. This is no time to doubt yourself. This is the time to find a younger guy and get sexed up all weekend chained to a bedpost." Charlotte explained brazenly.

"How can you doubt yourself when this wasn't your idea in the first place?"

"Aren't there any available men in that scraggly little town?" Charlotte goaded her.

"I haven't actually been around much to find out." Kate admitted.

"Well hell Kate." Charlotte teased. "Get out of your hotel room and go get drunk with one of them."

"I'm here on business."

"I know." There was no use in pointing out the other reason she was in Port Charles. "But don't get so comfortable that you don't come back home. I need to go shopping. Marshall's been naughty lately and he promised me jewelry."

"I just need to wrap a few loose ends here."

"Promise me you'll get out of your hotel room tonight." Charlotte insisted.

"I'm afraid I'll end up someplace you won't approve of."

"Denny's?" Charlotte asked, shocked.

"Worse. Target."

Charlotte rubbed her head. "Oh. Oh God. All that red. Isn't there a bar in that hotel you're staying at?"

"I think so." Kate paused to consider the layout of the lobby she normally just breezed through. "Yes. And it looks like you would approve of the crowd."

"Then what's the problem? They say the best conversation you ever had will be with a stranger."

"The problem is I don't want a stranger."

Charlotte took a long drink and considered what would be the best advice to give. "I'm worried about you."

"It sounds so stupid." Kate paused to wipe a stubborn tear that fell out of the corner of her eye. "I know I screwed up, big time. I know I hurt him. But I don't think I ever really thought he would end things. I just, I don't know. I guess I just thought we could work this out."

Charlotte sighed. "I've never lied to you and I've never sugarcoated anything. It's how we've gotten along for twenty years. Ric has moved on." Tears slid down her cheeks as she let the admission slip past her lips.

Her heart broke a little at the admission. In the back of her mind, she knew it was a possibility but it was one she hadn't wanted to face. Since freshman year it had been Ric and Kate against the world. There wasn't a secret about her that he didn't know. And now after all those secrets, laughs, tears, good times and bad, he was ready to leave them in the dust. Didn't she get a vote in this? Oh that was right, she realized. Her vote was cancelled when she made the decision to cheat on him, even though she regretted it with every fiber of her being.

"He's met someone hasn't he?" she asked. It wasn't that she wanted to torture herself with the knowledge, but she knew Ric. She wasn't naïve enough to believe he hadn't been dating. He was beautiful, smart, funny, and supremely sinuous. Ric was a lethal combination to a woman. Even the small time hicks in this town would have to recognize a supreme catch such as Ric Lansing.

"Yes." Charlotte knew better than to go into details. "I want you to repeat after me." Taking another drink, she continued, "I will throw out any and all sharp objects that the hotel happens to have. I will empty out every pill bottle I own or the hotel offers. I will not be stupid and ruin my life over something as crazy as my first marriage."

"I will throw out any and all sharp objects that the hotel happens to have away. I will empty out every pill bottle I own or the hotel offers. I will not be stupid and ruin my life over something as crazy as my first marriage." Kate repeated diligently. "And I will call Charlotte for sanity if I become tempted to do something crazy such as shop in a discount retail shop or drink a domestic beer."

"Good girl."

"Promise me it gets easier."

"We'll never run out of hot men." Charlotte answered instead.

"You're married. For now anyways."

"I stand by what I said."

"You are the bestest Peanut. Even if I don't deserve it."

"You deserve everything Blossom. Don't get any sleep and get very drunk."

"First round will be in your honor."

*****

Robin sat in the middle of the bed with her knees to her chest and a nail polish applicator brush in her right hand. She smiled down at the shade, wondering how many times she would get to do this over the next six months before her stomach got in the way. Maybe she could talk Patrick into doing it for her. He seemed to enjoy this particular shade, went crazy over it actually, and she reminded herself to pick up some more on her next shopping trip. French Pink. It was far more dramatic than any of the paler pinks and more feminine than Hot Pink.

She had only one toe remaining, her big toe on her right foot, when Patrick came into their bedroom and handed her the phone. Through this entire situation—why was everything always a situation where they were concerned?—they had at least started talking again, even if not always verbally. She knew what he wanted as soon as she met his solemn stare. What she wanted most of all was for this pregnancy to last and for her and Patrick to be able to enjoy it. Maybe that was why she had taken up her father's offer. Maybe it was why she was lying to everyone she and Patrick cared about.

"She needs to know Robin." Patrick emphasized just in case she didn't know what he wanted her to do. For all the pressure that had been put on her, he had gotten very little resistance from either side of their families. Uncle Mac wasn't speaking to her. Laura refused to answer the phone. Bobbie and Cruz hadn't even come by or called to see if they had been replaced by strangers; they simply did not care one way or the other. She knew Patrick had been cornered by both Lucky and Cruz at some point because he had come in looking absolutely distraught and gone to sleep without saying a word to her.

"I know." Robin nodded. "Just let me finish."

"Robin—" Patrick tried.

"You're bringing unnecessary stress into our home." Robin pointed out as she returned to her task.

"I'm not trying to." Patrick sat next to her and patted her ankle.

"I know that too." Robin told him. "I'll tell her. I just don't think I can do it tonight."

"So it's better for her to hear about it from someone else? That worked out so well with my family?" He was positively indignant and she wanted to slap him.

"This wasn't my idea." Robin stressed every word. "So please stop acting like it's something I forced you to do. Okay?"

"I'm sorry."

"Yes. You are. Leave me alone." Robin ordered.

"I'm not one of your employees and I'm not one of your good friends." Patrick reminded her.

"I'm so glad you told me because it's so obvious that pregnancy has made me incompetent and forgetful." Robin snapped unhappily.

"Your words." Patrick shot back. "I understand that you're going through a lot right now—"

Robin lifted the brush from her half finished toe and set it in the bottle to keep it from spilling onto the new sheets. "If you understood even half of what I'm going through, if you had to live with it everyday—I take it back because you couldn't handle that."

"I've handled everything so far, haven't I? And I'm still here." Patrick countered with an eye roll.

"Out of obligation." The words were out of her mouth before she could consider them.

"What is that supposed to mean?" When she didn't answer him, he gave in, "Fine. Don't tell her. Let her find out from someone else." He stood up, turning to leave.

"Oh you're suddenly an expert on how to tell people news? Weren't you the one who said the article in the paper would be the best way to break the news of the engagement—can I even call it that?" She realized.

"Of course you can call it that. That's what it was." Patrick assured her.

"No. It was an answer to a question." Robin correctly him swiftly.

"Then why did you agree? If you're so repulsed by the idea—" Patrick swore.

"I'm not repulsed by the idea!" Robin insisted.

"You have a strange way of showing it." Patrick said with a tired sigh.

"This isn't how I imagined us getting engaged." Robin whispered. "It wasn't supposed to be this hard, and it sure as hell wasn't supposed to hurt the people we love."

"Laura will get over it." Patrick promised with a nod.

"I'm talking about Mac!" Robin screamed at him. "He won't even look at me!"

"We can't call it off now." Patrick gritted through his teeth.

"Oh, trust me. I realize that." Robin agreed. "The damage is done."

"What's better, huh? Logan coming after you again? Is that what you want?" Patrick leaned down so that there were only a few breaths of space between their faces.

"Is that supposed to be some kind of threat?" Robin asked, eyes flaming.

Patrick took a step back, stunned. "No it's not a threat." He said very slowly, very quietly.

"I know you're trying to keep us safe." Robin made a grab for his hand and was surprised when he didn't fight her touch. "But maybe we jumped into this prematurely."

"Tell me how to fix it then Robin. Tell me and I'll do it." Patrick returned to the bed and sat beside her. "I'm honestly out of ideas."

Robin ducked her head. "The idea of us getting married shouldn't be something we're doing to prove to the rest of the world that I'm under your constant protection and out of Logan's line of sight. It should be because we love each other."

"But we do love each other." Patrick pointed out.

"Yes we do, but that's not why we're telling everyone we're engaged." Robin lifted her eyes to his. "But not to worry, I'll keep up the lie until he's caught."

Patrick nudged the phone toward her with his right thigh. "Call her." He kissed her forehead and hastily left the room.

Robin picked up the phone and dialed the familiar number clicking her tongue in discontent. "Hey sweetie!"

"Robin!" Georgie smiled as she put down her English textbook. She was sitting outside a small cafe not far from where Steven was supposed to be working today. Currently the plan was for her to meet him here and go to dinner. However that was all dependent on the director following the shooting schedule for once. "How are you doing?"

"How are all brides-to-be?" Robin inquired.

"What?" Georgie straightened up immediately in her seat. Had Robin somehow discovered what she had really done while studying abroad? Did Linds and Ronnie break their word and let Robin in on their little secret? "All what?"

Robin smiled having been dependent on Georgie's confusion to tell her what was going on. "Patrick and I are engaged." How could she be so happy and so distraught at the same time?

"You and Patrick? You're engaged?" Georgie practically sputtered. She had been so worried her own secret had been compromised the actual news took her a few seconds to process.

"Of course we haven't set a date yet." Robin informed her wiping away tears.

"I hope not. I don't want to miss your wedding." Unlike how I let you miss mine, she thought.

"I'll make sure you're here for it. Don't worry." Robin wondered if there would be an actual ceremony. Would Logan really be at large that long? She, in no way, wanted to get married under false pretenses and there was no truth in their reasoning for getting engaged, save their love for each other.

"Good. So tell me everything. How did Patrick propose? Down on one knee?" Nibbling on her nail, she felt a stabbing pang of guilt. Here Robin had called her to tell her about her engagement and she hadn't even mentioned the fact she had dated someone here, let alone married him three months after meeting him. She could be trading proposal stories right now with her cousin. Oh he forgot the words? Well Steven thought I was pregnant.

"He printed an engagement in the newspaper and showed it to me actually, the arrogant ass." Robin explained.

"Sounds like Patrick." Georgie joked. "Were you able to tell Dad before he saw it and had a stroke?"

"I told him this morning." Robin took a minute before she went on, "He's not speaking to me actually."

"Ouch. But Dad never reacts to us growing up well. He'll come around eventually. Right?" She tried to keep her own nerves from creeping into her voice. On most things her dad had a bark that was way worse than his bite. But on something like this? If he couldn't handle Robin being engaged, how was he gong to deal with her being married?

"How are things with you?" Robin wanted to know.

"Good. Good." She spit out the words in a hurry. If Robin pressed her, the temptation to tell would be too strong. "You know. Broadening my horizons, life changing experiences, all that stuff."

"You are coming home, aren't you?" This was hard enough to deal with. Robin couldn't imagine doing so without her baby cousin along for the moral support. Elizabeth was great, but her hormones and Robin's were bound to clash eventually.

"Yeah six weeks." Six weeks until she destroyed her image as the dependable, goody- goody, stick in the mud for good. Maxie, she mused, might actually think her cool enough to hang around now.

"What are you going to do first? Visit a drive-thru? Order a pizza?" Robin kept her voice light but hopeful.

Figure out where my husband is staying so I can sneak out and meet him. "I was thinking going to Kelly's. Knowing Maxie she'll probably schedule herself to work when I come back and it will be the only chance I have to see her."

"Actually she's been missing a lot of work lately." Robin smirked.

"For legitimate reasons or Maxie reasons?"

"Well, actually, she finally admitted to seeing a doctor at General." A doctor who told me that I wasn't strong enough to be a mother. A man who's about, oh, fourteen years older than Maxie. But she totally didn't mind beyond those two reasons.

"A doctor? Like a real doctor or one of those interns that like to pretend to be doctors?"

"Bobbie's gynecologist." Robin clarified.

"Wha...I....excuse me?"

"Apparently our girl has a thing for older men. She won't tell me where she met him or let any of us spend time with him. I can't entirely blame her."

"No. Me either." And who knew that she and her sister would share of all things a love of older men?

"What about you?"

"What about me?"

"I'm guessing you met Steven Webber."

Georgie laughed to herself. "Yeah we've met a few times." She smirked.

"He's sweet right? I thought so the first time Elizabeth introduced us. That's one of the reasons I gave him that book for you." Robin admitted.

"He's the sweetest."

"Listen, another call is coming in, so we've got to cut this short."

"Alright." Spotting Steven making his way across the street, Georgie realized she had to go as well. There would be no way she would be able to concentrate fully on Robin with him nearby. She might do something like tell Robin the full truth before she had figured out a way to tell her father. "We'll talk soon ok? And Robin?"

"Yeah?"

"Congratulations."

Robin cupped her hand over her mouth and squeezed her eyes shut. "Thanks. Bye." She hung up the phone and collapsed onto the mattress in a fit of trembles.

Previews: It didn't seem real. Not even seeing the "For Sale" sign in the window made it feel like reality.