The lyrics are from "This Year's Love" by David Gray

Patrick's stillness was hell on Robin's nerves. Sitting up, she leaned over the loveseat to collect her clothing, only Patrick's hands on hers stopping her. He handed her his shirt and she slipped it on while he pulled on his pants. When he crouched down in front of her, she stammered, "Patrick, what—?"

This year's love it better last

He drew his thumb across her bottom lip, silencing her. "I have something I want to say and then you can talk." She nodded, the confusion mixing with the worry in her eyes. "I want to apologize for how I left things at the airport."

"You don't have to—"

Heaven knows it's high time

"Shh. Shh. Please. Just let me get this out, alright?" He took a breath and started again. "I was jealous, I guess, that you wanted to see your father more than stay here with me, but I understand why you did it. You needed this pregnancy, at least some spec of it, to be joyful and you couldn't find that here, could you? Not with me constantly picking fights with you. And then asking you to lie to our family about our son, something I had no right to do. I made you feel like having our baby was something bad and I'm so very sorry for that." He blinked back the tears in his eyes, kissing hers away. "I couldn't be more excited about being a daddy." His thumb brushed over her knuckles. "Three months ago, I asked you to pretend to be my fiancé. I thought it would help, but it only made it worse. I talked to Bobbie and I told her, in no uncertain terms, that she had no right to speak to you the way she did." Robin looked like she wanted to interrupt, so Patrick hurried right along. "Tonight, I want to ask you the right way."

"Ask me what?"

"I think there's something I should tell you first."

"Okay." Robin gulped.

"I've been racing." Patrick felt the air in the room thicken and had to force his tattered nerves to slow down or he might suffocate on his own honesty, however belated it might be. "Doug Bellamy, my old crew chief, asked me to sit in for one of his drivers. It's just one race, one time."

"Racing?" Robin hadn't heard much after that.

"I wanted to tell you." As Patrick said this, Robin took a look around the room they were currently in, the one he had planned on turning into his new studio. She had thought he would fix it up while she was gone, but it was completely empty save the loveseat. Not a camera in sight. No computer. No equipment whatsoever.

"How could you make this decision without me?"

"I didn't."

"You did. You've made up your mind. I'm just supposed to go along with it because now you've decided I should know. Now, after you've made all the arrangements." Patrick thought he could hear her heart breaking.

"I've been trying to tell you, but you wouldn't answer the—this is stupid. Let's not fight."

Robin puffed out her cheeks. "You don't get to decide which arguments are worth discussing and which aren't."

"Why do we have to argue about it?"

"This is your life, Patrick. Your life. And you're purposely risking it by throwing yourself into a career that could kill you."

"So could crossing the street." Patrick shot back unfazed.

"Are you so unhappy that you've convinced yourself this is your only option?" Robin demanded.

"Not with you. With my job." Patrick could admit that much out loud. He hadn't looked forward to photography in years. All of the work he had done to accomplish that particular dream had been his way of keeping his mother alive, but it had brought him no joy. Money, a suave reputation, women. But he had always kept his soul out of it.

"How can you sit there and lie to me about this being a one-time thing?"

"It isn't a lie. This is just one time." Patrick stressed out every word.

"Yeah, now. What about next time? Doug Bellamy wouldn't go to this kind of trouble for one time." Robin insisted.

"Why are you so against this?"

"Because I love you! I love you and I can't understand why—"

"You understand more than you think you do." Patrick interrupted swiftly.

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"You save up for five years to run your own bakery and then the moment the doctor tells you you're pregnant you give it up."

"I didn't give anything up. I made a choice."

"And so did I. Eight years ago, I made a choice too."

"Not quite eight years. I know you raced in college."

"How?"

"Logan."

"And I gave it up just like you gave up your little shop. All I'm saying is that I need this."

"You're an adrenaline junkie." Robin accused. "So don't insult me by saying this is just going to happen just this once. Maybe this is the only time I'll know about."

"Why are you acting like I went behind your back?"

"Because you did! You made the deal without even asking me about it. We have to talk about things. What happens to you happens to me."

"I know that."

"Do you? Do you know what this could end up costing?"

"I'm not stupid. I've considered every possible outcome."

"Orphaning your son crossed your mind then?" Robin accused sharply.

"I'm not going to die."

"You don't know that."

"And you don't know I will."

"Patrick, I was there when they brought you in. You had multiple contusions, a broken arm, a ruptured spleen, and you almost lost your left leg. Don't you tell me I don't know!" Her outburst had shocked Patrick to silence. There when he was brought in? He had never seen her. Logan hadn't mentioned she had been there, but then, why would he?

"I'm not that stupid."

"You wouldn't know from where I'm sitting." Robin muttered caustically.

"I don't need your permission to do this."

"No you don't. I just thought you might care enough to include me."

"I do."

"No. You don't. You don't understand what it's like." She gestured toward her stomach and said, "This is the closest I can get to you. You don't trust me."

"That's not true."

"What would you know about truth?"

"That's a cheap shot."

"Yeah? Well maybe I'm not feeling up to being supportive."

"You say that like it's a new thing." Patrick ground through his teeth. He ignored the shattered expression she wore. She got to make her decisions and he never said a word, but when it came to something he wanted, something he had wanted for the better part of his life, oh that was out of the question.

Robin shook her head and then nodded. "That's right. I've never supported you in anything, have I? I guess sitting by your side not once but twice while we waited for your test results doesn't count since I'm the reason you were possibly infected both times." He hadn't brought it up and they were still a few months from knowing, but she couldn't pretend it wasn't eating her up inside.

"No, Robin…"

"Yes. Come to think of it, you didn't trust me enough to let me go with you to pick up your results. Will I get to go this time?"

"Stop it."

"You stop it. Stop acting like I'm not a part of your life, like your decisions don't affect our children. What is it you're trying to prove? Better yet, who are you trying to outrun? Noah maybe?" She gave him a sardonic smile. "Well congratulations baby, you're nothing like your father. You never have been. I knew that from the beginning and I'm sorry you haven't figured it out for yourself, but I can't keep waiting for you to get that yes you're worthy of love, of my love, of our sons' love. Do they factor into your decision at all?"

"Of course they do."

"Then tell me you're not going to do this. Call Doug. Tell him to find someone else."

"I can't do that."

"Yes you can. You're asking me to take a chance on you so I'm asking you to take a chance on your family, the family we've created."

"Is that an ultimatum?"

"No Patrick."

"Because it sure sounds like one."

"Maybe it is. Is that such a bad thing? Choose us." Robin's voice broke off, but her gaze never left Patrick's. "Can you take that big of a risk?"

Previews:

"You fought about us not talking? Robin, really I don't need you to fight all my battles for me."

"We didn't get around to fighting about you. I just thought you should know that I understand."