How many times could she possibly throw the alarm against the wall before it finally gave up and quit working? It had been going off for what seemed like an eternity. Grumbling all the way, Robin lifted her tired body out of bed and unplugged the clock radio. Then she went to check on Nathan who hadn't been bothered by the noise one bit. They had moved him and Morgan to their own rooms—Patrick's suggestion—and since then, all of them had been sleeping so well. Too well.

Since it was understood that she would be opening the bakery today, Patrick had woken up before her and gotten Morgan off to school with a lunch she had prepared the night before. Nathan was too little to be left with a babysitter and after their troubling start Robin wasn't willing to relinquish him to anyone. She would see how her youngest son handled the customers and they would go from there.

Nestled up next to the edge of the bassinet, Nathan slept with his thumb in his mouth. He looked so much like his daddy when he slept Robin thought lazily as she lifted him into her arms and cradled him against her warmth so that he wouldn't be roused from such a peaceful sleep. She had three bottles waiting in the refrigerator and a new can of formula in the bottom of his diaper bag. As carefully as she could, she crept down the stairs to keep from jostling him and filled the diaper bag with bottles, plush toys, diapers, and wipes. She dropped her car keys into the right side of the diaper bag and grabbed her purse from the side table in the foyer.

"Have I forgotten anything?" she whispered to her sleeping son. "I guess we'll figure it out once we get to work, huh? It's a good thing we have Daddy on speed dial." She got him inside the elevator and to her car before he opened his mouth and let out a scream that could be heard for miles. "What is it, Nathan? What's the matter?" she cooed, checking for obvious signs of discomfort once she had him safely in the car seat. He stuck out his bottom lip and threw his hands into the air in obvious distress. "You aren't wet. Nothing's pinching or poking you. Are you hungry?" She grabbed a fresh bottle from the bag and showed it to him. He swatted it away from her angrily and continued to wail.

Robin rubbed her forehead. "Maybe the drive will relax you. Let's try that." Decision made, Robin got into the front seat and turned the engine over. Stubborn as ever, Nathan screamed the entire way.

Willow Drive was busy this morning. She had to round the block and park directly behind the store. Nathan stuffed his hands in his mouth and puffed out his cheeks. "I am so not impressed." She told her son.

Instead of taking him out of the car seat, she left him in it and spent the next three frustrating minutes untangling it from the seatbelt. She threw the diaper bag over one shoulder and her purse over the other, held the car seat with both hands, and she dug her keys out of the pocket of the diaper bag. "Should have just taken you out of the car seat," she admitted, "but at least you'll have somewhere to sit and watch Mommy."

He blew bubbles at her and she laughed. She unlocked the shop and let them in through the back entrance. Nathan started to whine at the lack of light so she made certain to flip on every single one to soothe him. "Is that better?" she asked once they reached the front counter. She turned him around so that he was facing the front window and could see what she was doing. It was strangely satisfying to turn on the OPEN sign and unlock the front door. "We are officially open for business baby."

*****

"Well it's about time you came back." Edward Quartermaine grumbled as he held the door open for his wife.

"Edward." Lila admonished him quickly with a shake of her head. "Robin, it's wonderful to see you getting back to normal my dear."

"I don't know about normal, but I sure missed seeing my best customers." Robin admitted, glancing over at Nathan. Elizabeth had snuck over a bouncy chair for Nathan sometime during the party and Robin had put him in it.

"Isn't he just adorable?" Lila gushed at the small boy who was bouncing happily along. "He looks just like you."

"Thank you very much. What can I get you this morning?"

"The usual will be fine my dear." Lila smiled. Reaching out to tickle Nathan under his chin, she sighed. "Oh this takes me back to when the children were young. How innocent and beautiful they all were."

"I'll bet. I don't think I've ever seen a less-than-attractive Quartermaine." Robin giggled, filling a small bag with chocolate covered raisins.

"That is the truth. Even AJ showed promise at one point." Edward declared.

"It seems to me he's done quite a good job with Michael." Robin pointed out, adding a bag of powdered donuts to the order.

"I wouldn't go that far."

"Now Edward, you know AJ is living up to his potential. Just not in the way you had planned for him." Lila defended her youngest grandson. "And Robin is correct. Michael is turning into a wonderful young man."

"Maybe if we saw or heard from him more than when he needs money." Edward pointed out.

"I thought he was doing well. When Morgan and I went to visit, he had a whole room dedicated to games and all kinds of things. I didn't think Morgan would ever want to come home." It still hurt to think about that night, about the doubt she had felt at her own mothering abilities.

"Well apparently that girlfriend of his likes to spend money that I earned." Edward explained. "Every time we see him, he needs more money. I have to think she's a part of it."

"AJ's never admitted he has a girlfriend. Edward is a little paranoid."

"It makes the most sense. AJ has always lost all his senses around women." Edward argued.

"I'm sure if he is seeing someone, he's taking it slow. He would want to introduce her to Michael first and see how they got along." Robin threw in, printing out a receipt for them after she took some of Edward's aforementioned money.

"If we could see Michael, I'd ask him that myself."

"Really?" Robin wasn't entirely surprised what with the way his family treated and talked about him whether he was around or not.

"It seems to me as if that girlfriend is keeping Michael away from his family, the very people he needs. I've pointed it out to AJ myself..."

"That is precisely why he won't tell us anything about her." Lila interrupted him gently. "Whoever she is, AJ seems happy with her and has been for months. Why don't we just be happy about that?"

"Months? I didn't realize he was even seeing anyone. Not that we've kept in touch." Robin rambled on.

"From what I can gather it's been months." Lila shrugged. "He's not confided in me just yet, but I am fully confident he will."

"Yes I…I'm sure he will." Robin smiled. "Here you go."

"Thank you Robin. We've really missed this place." Lila smiled as she and Edward made their way to the door.

"Thank you." Robin emphasized with a tiny wave.

"We'll see you tomorrow."

*****

When Alexis walked into the newly remodeled shop, she noticed two things missing: Robin and Nathan. She wasn't immediately worried because she assumed they were in the back for one reason or another. He was a baby after all. He probably needed to be changed or fed. Georgie stepped in behind her and Alexis threw her left arm over her stepdaughter's slumped shoulders. It had been quite a morning and this was just the change of scenery Georgie needed.

Georgie was grateful for Alexis's support. She wasn't sure how she could have gotten through this morning without her. "I think today calls for cookies. Lots and lots of cookies."

"Lots and lots and lots." Alexis nodded with a grin. "Robin?"

"Shh." Robin whispered sliding up behind the counter. "I just got the baby to sleep. We've had quite the morning."

"Same here." Georgie said under her breath. "We are here for cookies. Lots of them and keep them coming."

"What kind?" Robin asked, but it was more of a formality. Georgie loved all kinds and would probably want to try the new flavors she had gotten in. She was thankful she had gotten her son to sleep because, as busy as the morning had been, the afternoon would be worse and he tended to dislike crowds. She would have to break it to him one day that his extended family was made up of a lot of people. One thing at a time.

"All of them." Georgie declared emphatically as she sat at the counter.

"I have some that just came out of the oven. Let's start with those and then I'll make you whatever you want. Fresh is always better." Robin told her younger cousin before she disappeared into the kitchen.

Georgie turned to Alexis who sat down beside her. "I suppose you think I should tell Robin."

Alexis held up her hands. "I didn't say anything."

"You didn't have to. It's been written all over your face since you suggested we come here."

"Well she might be able to help." Alexis stated.

"I know." Georgie sighed. "It's just so strange to think about and saying it out loud..."

"What's going on guys?" Robin interrupted, her hands hidden in two giant pot holders under a tray of cookies. She scooped the macadamia nut and chocolate chip cookies onto a plate and peeled off the pot holders.

Georgie shot a look to Alexis, hoping for guidance. Seeing her stepmother do nothing more than gesture with her hands toward Robin, Georgie let out a sigh. Sure she could make up a story about missing Steven and cookies being the perfect comfort food. Robin might even believe it, especially if Nathan decided to wake up and demand attention, but really it was just delaying the inevitable. She had learned her lesson when it came to waiting for the prefect moment to break life-altering news. "I'm pregnant."

"You are?" Robin looked from Georgie to Alexis and then back to Georgie.

"Just found out this morning."

"Have you told Steven yet?" Robin's smile dimmed when she noticed Georgie glance away.

"No. That's kind of the issue."

"The issue." Robin echoed.

Her stepmother was going to make her explain all this. "I've been putting off telling Steven I can't come to Australia because I didn't get into the program. And I know that when he finds out he's going to quit the film and come home, which is horrible for his job. And when he finds out I'm pregnant, I think he'll do the same thing."

"So that's why you didn't go."

"Yeah. It's a no go without quitting school, which Steven would hate and blame himself for all eternity." Georgie smiled sadly.

"What if you explained to him what an opportunity this was? Both his work and this new baby?"

"Steven was ready to turn down this job to work on a crappy student film before he left." Georgie explained. "He wouldn't hear anything past the part where I told him I am pregnant."

"He has to know, Georgie."

"I know he does. And I want to tell him. I just don't want him ruining something he's worked so hard for in the process."

"Why don't you think you're the best thing that ever happened to him?" Robin wanted to know.

"I hope it is. It's just...it's not...we never even talked about this."

"I don't mean just the baby. I mean you."

"Robin..."

"No," Robin countered, lifting her finger to stop Georgie from getting another word in before she had her say. "I know that Felicia left you and Maxie when you were you were little and that nothing Mac or I did could make up for what that did to you. That said, you are an incredible person and if Steven doesn't see that, maybe you shouldn't tell him about this at all."

"That's not what I was going to say but thanks for the pep talk." Georgie smiled.

"What were you going to say?"

"I was going to say that Steven tells me all the time I'm the best thing that ever happened to him. We've never talked about children and given how his parents reacted to Elizabeth's pregnancy, well I wouldn't blame him if he didn't want to chance that scene repeating itself."

"Do you really think he won't be happy for you?"

"I don't know." Georgie sighed. "When we had the scare in Paris that was more about freaking out since we hadn't known each other that long and shock that Steven proposed. And once we found out it was just a scare, we didn't really talk about children."

Robin came out from behind the corner and draped her arms around Georgie. "No matter what, you've got us."

"I know." Georgie smiled as she hugged her cousin back. "And I love you for it."

"You mean you don't just love me for my cookies?"

"Well that is the first reason."

"How far along are you, by the way? I want to know when I can start rubbing your belly for luck."

"Two months."

"That's so exciting!"

"Tell that to the morning sickness."

"Stock up on Saltines." Robin suggested.

"Are there any that taste like cookies?"

"No, but you've got some to start with." Robin nodded toward the bag she had prepared for Georgie.

"How would we survive without you?"

"Let's not think about unpleasant things."