Robin paced the short length of the upstairs hallway praying for strength. Until now, she had been able to keep him from finding out, but he deserved to know. Before last night, her old friend's body hadn't been released from the Coroner's Office yet. Waiting had been the right thing to do because the pain this was going to cause would be astronomical. She had promised herself that when she took over as his mother, she would spare him this kind of pain; she was supposed to have prevented this from happening a second time.

When she closed her eyes, she could see his stiff body hanging lifelessly from the makeshift noose. Though the guards had gotten her away quickly, the look in his eyes would haunt her forever. Even thinking about it made her cold and sick all over. Sure, she had known from the minute she met him that his lifeline would be short, but that didn't make any of this easier to handle. He had been kind to her at a time when she had felt like an outcast. She had thought for sure that once Stone was in the ground and she received no further correspondence from Sonny their friendship was gone as well. And then Alexis had called her in after Carly's heinous murder and informed her that Sonny wanted to give her custody of her sons. Even now, it was hard to wrap her head around.

For the second time in under a year she was going to send Morgan's life crashing down around him. Losing Carly had rendered him silent. What would Sonny's death do to him? He had been much closer to his father and had probably dreamt of the day when he would come and take him back home. In the back of her mind, she had worried he might do just that. Well the threat's over baby, Robin's inner voice promised. They'll never hand Morgan over to his kidnapper of an aunt and both of his parents are gone. Mike could never even petition a custody order because of his repeated abuse of alcohol. Tears stung the back of her eyelids and she fisted her hands. Why had she turned down Patrick's offer to tell Morgan? She didn't know if she could do this again.

From her spot beside his door, she could hear him playing happily with his new remote-controlled car. It had been a Christmas present but this was the first morning he had asked her to take it out of the box. She wanted so badly not to tell him a thing. He would never have to know what happened to his father. Why put him through such an ordeal when he probably believed his father would be put away for the rest of his life? It was common sense that one day Sonny would die. She didn't want to tell him that he had punched his ticket early.

Fess up you coward, Robin lashed out at herself. He deserves to know. How did you enjoy believing that your father was dead only to find out that he'd been safe and sound for years, hiding out only because he believed it best for you? It wasn't fair to do the same thing to Morgan. He deserved the truth. She wouldn't tell him the details. She didn't want to know herself. There were rumors that it had been an assassination, but none of the people spreading the vicious lies had seen the calm look in Sonny's eyes as she had.

Why hadn't she visited him at all? Sonny had never done well alone. After his first wife's death, she had found him with a cut on his hand the size of his entire palm and had to bandage him up. He was self-loathing and self-destructive. The only difference this time was that there hadn't been anyone around to help him; no one had gotten caught in the crossfire this time, only his son. Only his son would feel the pain and absence of his father. In the barest of terms, Morgan was an orphan. In reality, she knew she was his mother, felt it all the way down to her bones. Sonny's death only solidified the decision to leave Morgan in Robin's care.

"Morgan honey, come here for a second." Robin called out to him her voice surprising her. What was going on? She was nowhere near ready to face him. No, she couldn't do it. She wanted to run.

"I want to play with my car." Morgan told her even as he left his spot on the carpet and met her in the hallway. He didn't seem disturbed by the fact that she had one hand on the stairs.

"I know you do." Robin managed gesturing him forward with a wave of her hand. They would talk downstairs. She needed to sit down anyway.

"What's the matter?" Morgan wondered his dark eyes wide. They had lost the haunting aspect somewhere between the first time she had met him—the day she had delivered this same speech to him—and now.

"Honey, something terrible has happened." Robin said quickly.

"Animaniacs was cancelled?" Morgan looked distraught.

"Your Daddy died. There was nothing the doctors could do." Robin tried to grab his hands, but he pulled them further into his lap.

"You're wrong." Morgan accused angrily.

"No honey. I know." Robin countered with a gulp.

"NO! You're lying! You don't know anything!" Morgan screamed launching himself to his feet.

"The funeral's this afternoon." Robin could feel her heart breaking with each word.

"He's not dead!" Morgan shook his head fervently.

"He is. He is dead." Robin stressed patiently.

"No! He said he would come and get me. He was supposed to come and get me!"

Robin turned her face away from his view. There was a chance he had promised such a thing, but she didn't think so. Sonny never went back on his word. He knew he wouldn't be up for parole ever and there was no way he would tell Morgan such a blatant lie. Maybe Carly, but not Sonny. Morgan was just trying to hurt her. She wanted so badly to hold him, but he swatted her hands away.

"I understand if you need to blame someone." She whispered to him. "And it's not fair for me to spring this on you all of the sudden. It was poor planning and it's mean. I'm sorry."

"Just like every grown-up." He muttered in response.

"Like I said, the funeral is this afternoon, but if you don't want to go--"

"I don't want you to go."

"Tough." Robin said on impulse. "I will be there. I loved your daddy too. He was my friend and I miss him."

"So what?"

"So you don't get to tell me not to go. I'm an adult and I'm going."

"You're mean! You're just like the rest of them!" Morgan shouted, racing for the stairs.

"Morgan!"

"Go away!"

"I will not go away!" Robin declared catching him before he got too far from her. He struggled against her hold, but she was in no mood to be shut out, not figuratively or literally.

Morgan met her eyes fearlessly. "I hate you."

*****

Mac had known this day was coming. Corinthos had shortened his life fifty years by taking over the mob so many years ago. Still, that fact did little to reassure the traumatized eight-year-old at his hip. Alexis had sworn it was her duty as Kristina's mother to attend the funeral and, despite doctor's orders, Mac had snuck her out long enough to do so. Of course, he had returned her as soon as the service was over filling her in on the regret he felt that the funeral hadn't lured Courtney out into the open. He had been counting on it. If he could get Courtney, he could get Logan. It didn't take a genius to know one would spill to save their own ass. If they wanted leniency, they never should have gone after his niece in the first place. Ever since the attack, Mac started to notice that the spark in Robin's eyes was dead, the one that told him that she still believed he could protect her. Over the last few months and a few misplaced conversations between himself and Patrick, he knew the younger man felt the same way.

Kristina stayed silent at his side. Her brilliant brown eyes were filled with tears as she realized her real daddy would never return to her. He had underestimated the devotion she had felt for Corinthos, had missed how desperate she was for his love. No matter how many times he told himself he was a better dad, he was starting to wonder if she would ever allow him to be one to her. She had fought him tooth and nail and that was when her biological father had still been breathing. What happened now?

When Robert and Felicia had dropped off their daughters to be looked after by Mac, they had, in many aspects, told their children that they no longer wanted them. Robin hadn't sat in the window praying for her parents to come home; Mac hadn't let her have any alone time for the first six months she stayed with him. He would drive her, or have one of his officers do so, to every ballet recital, violin lesson, and art class she had ever had. He had been the one to take her to her first cooking class at thirteen and stayed to make sure it was a legitimate class. Robin later admitted to having a crush on the much older teacher.

Felicia was a fickle woman. Seven years after dropping off Maxie and only Maxie, she left Georgie in Robin's care one day after school. Mac had come home to find all three girls in the kitchen making Pizza Rolls. Anna had later returned to claim Robin, believing Robert was dead, but Mac had let Robin make her own decision. At fifteen, she legally had the right anyway, but he didn't want to force her hand only to have her resent him for it later. Agreeing to a four-year trip with her mother, Robin had been whisked off to Milan and Sorrento to complete her high school career.

He had been treading water, he realized, waiting for Kristina to come to him on her own. He wanted her to know that she could, but she was a wary child at best. Her reasons were more than valid. She was such a guarded child, a trait she had picked up from both her parents no doubt, and sometimes he didn't know how to approach her. What was he supposed to say about a man he had loathed upon meeting?

"Mac?" Her voice startled him. "I'm very sad." Her statement caught him by equal surprise.

Mac bent down in front of her. "I know Princess."

"Why did he have to die?" Kristina wanted to know.

"It was his time." Mac said as graciously as possible.

"But he still had me and Morgan and Michael to take care of." Kristina argued. "How could he just leave us?"

"He knew you would be taken care of. You, Morgan, and Michael all have men in your lives who love you." Mac explained.

"I didn't get to say goodbye." Kristina sniffled.

"I know."

"Why?"

"Why?" Mac repeated.

"Why did he leave us in the first place?"

Mac took a breath. "Hasn't your mommy told you?" Obviously not.

"No." Kristina shook her head definitely.

"He was doing a lot of bad things."

"What kinds of things?"

"Just bad things." Mac amended. "And these things were illegal."

"Did he know that?"

"Yes."

"Why'd he do it then?"

"He thought he could get away with it." Mac told her.

"But that's stupid."

Mac forced to keep his expression passive. "And your mommy and I...well you know we couldn't let him do those things."

Tears in her eyes, Kristina asked, "Did you put him in jail?"

"Yes." Mac had never lied to one of his girls and he wasn't going to start now.

"Why?"

"Because that's my job."

"Why?"

"I promised to do it."

"Did you promise Mommy?"

"Yes."

"She didn't like my daddy." Kristina said as if it was news.

"She didn't like what your daddy did for a living." Mac countered.

"No, she didn't like him before that." Kristina challenged. "I heard her say he wouldn't get one finger on me."

"She was trying to protect you."

"From my daddy? He would never hurt me."

"He got Michael and Morgan's mommy shot." Mac informed her. "Your mommy wasn't going to sit around and let it happen to you or Morgan and neither was I."

"Did you like my daddy?" Kristina probed.

"I didn't understand him."

"What do you mean?"

"He had three wonderful children and all he cared about was keeping them in danger. I'll never understand his reasons for doing that."

"He was trying to protect us." Kristina defended.

"I know. He did try."

"It's not his fault we got kidnapped."

"No, that wasn't your daddy's fault."

"Are you sure he's dead?"

"Your dad? Yes."

"Do you know how he died?"

"Yes."

"Did somebody hurt him?"

"Why would you ask that?" Mac lifted an eyebrow at her question.

"Because I think somebody did."

"He did have a lot of enemies." Mac reminded her.

"No, I know who did it." Kristina assured him.

"Kristina—"

"I do! I know!" Kristina snapped.

"Who then? Tell me so I can arrest them." Mac goaded.

"Michael's daddy."

Preview:

"I am still in the room you know." Lucky pointed out. "You could wait to hit on her until I at least leave."

"Well it's your own damn fault for not putting a ring on her finger yet. I bet Lois wouldn't mind." Ned smiled cheekily.

"To know that you're hitting on other women? I'll call her right now."