"Are you sure it's only been a week?" Robin asked for the seventeenth time that hour.

"Seven days." Patrick repeated patiently. He would answer the question as many times as she needed it confirmed. He doubted he'd ever tire of hearing her voice, not that he was going to tell her that.

Robin rubbed her thumb over Nathan's fingers. "Are you sure? He's so big." Her voice was awestruck.

"I could double-check, but I don't think I'll ever forget that day for as long as I live." Something in his voice caused her to lift her eyes to his.

"Oh Patrick." She whispered because Morgan was asleep beside her and she didn't want to disturb him. From the heaviness of his little eyes, she assumed he hadn't gotten enough rest lately.

"Let's not think about it." Patrick urged her swiftly. He got up from the chair and rested his arms across her shoulders.

"Okay." Robin caved without any further discussion. "Did I scare Morgan?"

"What? No, of course you didn't scare him."

"Are you sure? He looked startled…no frightened."

"Well give him a little bit of credit. He hasn't seen you since…" His voice broke off.

"Since I was shot. You can say it." She murmured dropping her head in the crook of his shoulder.

"Robin, I'm—"

She pressed her finger to his lips. "You have nothing to be sorry about. I made the decision to go there."

"You had no choice!"

"Patrick, shh."

"He gave you no alternative."

"I should have been watching Morgan. He never would have had the chance…"

"Do you remember the last time Logan came into our lives?"

"How could I forget?"

"I told you how I should have been prevented what happened and you said something that has haunted me ever since."

"What did I say?"

"You said that Logan would have found a way."

They fell into silence then, neither of them wanting to think about such an awful time in such a perfect setting. "He has your hair."

"And your everything else." Patrick shot back with a grin.

"Well not everything." Robin lifted an eyebrow at him.

Patrick laughed. "There is that. Did you notice how he immediately stopped crying when you first held him?"

"It was amazing. I've heard, hell I've experienced the bond between a mother and her children, but I underestimated it. When I woke up and I thought…"

"They're fine." What good would it do to tell her Morgan had stopped speaking for a time? It would serve no good purpose.

"Because of the doctors."

"Robin, how can you say that? You protected our boys the best way you could. I don't want to think about what would have happened if Lucas hadn't been there."

"Why was he there?"

"Mac had him tap the home phone. He heard the conversation with you and Logan." It hurt to think his name, much more to even say it.

"Where is Logan?" Robin's voice was very tiny when she posed the question.

"He's dead honey."

"Dead?"

"Lucas shot him. He had to get you out of there." Patrick looked down and saw that Robin's eyes were closed. He could see tears running down her cheeks.

"And you've been handling everything all by yourself, haven't you?"

"No. The family's helped a lot. They've been wonderful. Much better than I deserved."

"How can you say that? Your brother died."

"My brother was a monster."

"That doesn't matter. For all he's done, he was still your family."

"You are my family."

"I wasn't always. This is me. Please don't shut me out."

"I won't. We'll talk about this. Please, just not right now. Please?" Patrick begged.

"Alright. How about you sleep here beside me? I'm sure Morgan wouldn't mind if you promise not to snore."

"You've been asleep for a week, woman." Patrick teased.

"True." Nathan started to whine. "Do you think he's hungry?"

"I'll get a bottle for him."

"No. Don't leave me."

"Well what are we going to do?"

"Maybe he's not hungry. Try rocking him." Robin looked skeptical, but decided it couldn't hurt. Nathan snuggled into her arms and stuck his thumb in his mouth. Then he settled in for another nap.

"How did you know that?"

"We speak the same language."

"I should have guessed."

*****

"Rise and shine porcupine," Lucky teased his cousin in a sing-song voice, rubbing Patrick's hair with his hand. "Come on rise and shine."

"Five more minutes." Patrick groaned, swatting his hand away.

"Sorry. If we delay girl reunion time by five more minutes we will be the victims of a justifiable homicide."

"You know those remarks work better when we aren't in the room." Elizabeth pointed out, crossing her arms, trying desperately not to laugh.

"You've never tried to wake Patrick up. It's easier to wake a bear in hibernation."

Robin blinked several times. "Liz?"

"Finally. You know how much I hate not being the center of attention." Elizabeth joked as she made her way over to the bed. Sitting down she encircled Robin in her arms. "I told you not to scare me like that again."

"Sorry. And here I am in the hospital again."

"We need to find a new meeting place. What is our objection to Kelly's?"

"No idea." Patrick yawned. "I'm beginning to think we should get a discount by now."

"Agreed. Or at least get medical degrees." Lucky pointed out. "It only takes a few months to get one of those, right?"

"Four years of college I hear." Robin threw in. "But that's only if you want to be a specialist."

"Like I said. A few months. I thought you learned to listen to me Shortstack."

"And why would it start listening to you now?" Robin countered grinning.

"I changed my mind. You can go back to your coma now."

"Thanks a lot." Robin answered wryly. "I hear you've been hanging out with my sons without me. And here I thought you hated to baby-sit."

"Only for Patrick. You're a different story."

"Well that's just fine with me, Lucky Spencer. I have no intention of letting either of them out of my sight again. Elizabeth, have you warmed up to the idea of home schooling yet?"

"Hmmm, six kids under the age of six at one time? I'm not insane."

"Slacker." Robin laughed. "How are the kids?"

"Well since you've been sleeping, Cruz is this close to getting the twins to say Cruz."

"Oh yeah? What about Cameron?"

"Cameron has been patiently waiting for you to get better so we can plan out this wedding he's convinced is a party." Lucky turned toward his cousin and smiled. "He really wants you to play Santa Claus."

"Aren't I little tall?"

"Not according to Cameron."

"I think he'd look good in red don't you Robin?"

"He's got the tummy." Robin pointed out, rubbing his stomach until he growled at her.

"Thanks a lot."

"Anytime."

"Hey he sounds exactly like Nathan when he's hungry!" Elizabeth taunted. "I knew that sounded familiar!"

"What is this, Pick On Patrick Day?"

"Always." Lucky assured him. "Always."

"So what are you two up to today?" Robin wanted to know.

"Does someone have an idea?" Elizabeth asked.

"Have you shopped for your dress yet?"

"Robin you aren't in any shape to go shopping."

"Uh huh."

"Robin," Patrick tried.

"I have been stuck in this bed forever."

"Tough."

"Compromise. You stay here. I'll get a laptop." Lucky offered.

"But it's not the same."

"You can't leave the hospital yet."

Robin folded her arms. "This is so unfair."

"But for your own good. Think of it this way. We'll eliminate the truly ugly early."

"Fine."

"How about Lucky and I go get the laptop and then we'll leave you two to it?"

"Chicken." Elizabeth smiled.

"No. Brilliant." Lucky corrected.

"I thought I saw some silver feathers." Robin teased, smiling at the glare Patrick sent her.

"Oh I forgot to tell you. I was thinking white tuxedos and purple shirts for the guys." Elizabeth chimed right in, grinning widely.

"Lavender or lilac?"

"I was thinking lilac."

"They are kidding right?" Lucky asked Patrick.

"I have a feeling they're not." Patrick purposely raised his voice in fear.

"Well not for you obviously." Elizabeth pointed out to Patrick. "I mean whoever heard of a Santa in a lilac suit? Red velvet and white fur all the way."

"We're going now." Patrick leaned down and kissed Morgan and Nathan's foreheads.

"Like I said chicken." Elizabeth teased as Lucky leaned down to kiss her forehead.

"Just brilliant. And I know way better than to interrupt girl shopping time."

*****

"Here you are." Mac shut the door, closing them into the family room. Alexis was sprawled out on the fold-out couch, a hundred photos covering the mattress. "What are you doing in here all alone?"

"Remembering." Alexis replied and pressed play on the VCR. A grainy video showed up on the screen and Mac could tell it was a much younger Alexis sitting in a hospital bed with a baby in her arms. "Kristina." She explained. "I don't have any videos of Sam."

"You can make some now." Mac pointed out.

"It's not the same." Alexis slapped one of her pictures. "I have a picture of almost every week of Kristina's life. When she lost her first tooth, when she rode her first bike. But of Sam? One picture. One black and white wrinkled photo."

He moved toward the bed at a careful pace not wanting to startle her. "Why are you torturing yourself?"

"I used to sleep with this picture. When I was pregnant with Kristina, I had nightmares that I would miscarry."

"You've got to look at everything you have. Your daughters are happy and healthy."

"But I didn't always know that."

"But you do now."

"Mac, you don't get it."

"Then explain it to me."

"For God's sake Mac, I wasn't there for her when she lost her son!"

"How could you have been? Your psycho of a father told you she was dead."

"But I accepted it. Even though I should have known. I should have felt that she was out there somewhere. Why didn't I feel her Mac? Why didn't I know?" Alexis was crying now, her fingers crumpling the picture even more.

"Listen to me," Mac begged sinking onto the bed and hugging her. "We can't change our past. No matter what we do. I know it goes against your nature, darling, but do you think you could try to look at all you've got instead of worrying that at one time you might have let someone down?"

"Will you show me how?" Alexis whimpered. "Damn it." She swatted at the tears on her face.

"You can cry. I won't tell." Mac promised, rocking her. "I love you."

"God knows why."

"Would you like me to name all of the things I love about you?" Mac offered.

"Sure."

"I love your eyes." He leaned forward to kiss her closed eyelids. "And your button of a nose." He touched her nose and then pressed a kiss there too. "And each of these beautiful cheeks." He could taste her tears on his lips.

"Is it all physical then?" Alexis questioned.

"Give me a break. I'm a guy." He picked up a picture. "Is this you as a little girl?"

"Yes." Alexis tried to grab the picture from him.

"You look cute with freckles."

"Shut up." Alexis grumbled.

"You do." Mac insisted. "Look, you still have a few." He kissed the side of her neck.

"Do I?" Alexis whispered. She glanced over at the doors. Kristina was in school for at least another hour.

"Yes." Mac nodded and slid his thumb down her arm until he located the one on her left elbow. "Here."

"You forgot one." Alexis told him when he moved in to kiss her.

"I haven't forgotten it." Mac assured her, sliding his hand up her thigh. He kissed her then and smirked when her lips instantly parted for his tongue. "I'm going to take the afternoon off more often."

"Well I hate to interfere with your work." Alexis said against his lips. "But I don't mind being selfish."

"It's not selfish when I'm willing." Mac countered.

"Aren't you always?"

"That's why you keep me around."

"Then it's a good thing you made an honest man out of you then isn't it?"

"I wouldn't have minded living in sin with you if that had been my only option."

"I'll bet."

Mac tilted her head back with his hand. "There are so many options for us, so much we've got to do."

"We have time."