Chapter 172

Don't know why things come to me and why they disappear
I only know that living changed when she got here

Lost in reviewing an MRI scan on his light board, Eric did not hear the knock at his door and jumped in his seat as she touched his shoulder.

"Do you have a minute?" Brenda asked.

Looking up in surprise, he did a double take. "Brenda, hi."

"Hey there." Dressed in a dark green wrap dress, she dropped her purse on the desk as she leaned against it and smiled warmly at him.

"What can I do for you?" His curiosity was most definitely peaked.

"Well….you're Patrick's best friend." He nodded. "And I'm Robin's best friend."

"Glad you're talking slowly" he teased, "'cause you've nearly lost me already."

"Smartass" she muttered. "Anyways, I was thinking – as their best friends perhaps we could work together to get them back together. I'm thinking what they really need is to be locked away for a few days and just hash it all out. I was thinking that I could send them to my place in Rome but that requires a flight or two and it just seems far so maybe you know of a place? Remote would be good. Lock 'em up and let 'em have at it."

Eric's blue eyes grew wider and wider as he listened to her ramble almost without breathing.

"They just really need to talk, uninterrupted. Actually I think they need to talk and then…well you know…..maybe a mixture of talking and other stuff. He could apologize, she could apologize. We could make it a romantic getaway for them. So, what do you think?"

He shook his head. "No."

Not used to having her ideas so easily dismissed, she narrowed her eyes. "What do you mean, no?"

Undeterred, he shrugged. "I mean I think it's a bad idea and I'm about as involved in Patrick's relationship as I want to be."

"They belong together."

"I agree"

"Then you also agree if they are both being so stubborn and getting in their way then they need some help getting out of their way."

"No I don't." Seeing her frustration mount, he held up his hand. "Hear me out. Look, I think Pantsy and Robin are made for each other. But they have some real, serious issues that they need to work through and that isn't accomplished by throwing them in a room together. They have to sort this out for themselves."

Standing up, she started to pace. The stiletto heels of her boots clicked rhythmically against the floor as she wore a path from one end of the office to the other. "Do you have any idea how long I've waited for Robin to have what she has? Do you?"

The corners of his mouth twitched upwards into a smile. "Probably about as long as I've been waiting for him to have what he has."

"She deserves her happily ever after."

"They both do" he amended. "But it's going to take some work."

"Your boy really hurt her, you know."

Eric bristled at the comment, sitting up straight in his chair. "I think there's enough hurt on both sides Brenda."

"He left her Eric. .her"

"And she lied to him" he shot back. "This isn't a competition. And this is exactly why I won't get involved. They aren't kids Brenda. If they are going to have a future – if they're going to have forever then they need to solve this on their own. I will support Patrick through all of it but I'm not fixing this for him and I don't think you should either."

Slightly defeated, she sank against the arm of the chair. "She's my best friend. I would do anything for her," she said quietly.

"Sometimes the best thing to do for a person is nothing."

"Am I interrupting?" Alexis asked, standing in the doorway.

Eric's face broke into a broad grin and scrambling to his feet he walked to her, giving her a quick kiss. "Not at all. We were talking about Robin and Patrick."

"I think we should lock them up together until they sort it out" she told Alexis, getting to her feet.

"Or knock their heads together," Alexis offered.

"I'm beginning to think it's genetically impossible for women to leave things alone."

Both women smiled. "Yes, pretty much" Alexis answered. "But that's why you love us."

Smirking, he shook his head. "No, I love you in spite of it."

Brenda picked up her purse and smiled at the young doctor. "Thanks for the chat."

Giving a small nod, he smiled back. "Sorry I couldn't be more help."

"See you later Alexis" she told her as she brushed past.

"Bye!" Turning to her boyfriend, she looped her fingers through the waistband of his pants. "Can I steal you for lunch?"

Dipping his head, he brushed his lips against hers. "No need to steal me, I'm all yours."

***
With a groan, Robin rolled over and looked at the clock. 1:23 a.m. Whoever was banging on her door at this hour had better be in need of medical attention or she was going to make sure the needed it. Kicking back the covers, she pulled on her pyjama pants and reached for the battered grey t-shirt and pulled it over her head. Shuffling down the hallway, she hit the light switch and blearily blinked her eyes into focus as she looked through the peep hole.

With a shake of her head, she unlocked the door and pulled it open. "Patrick?"

His hands gripped the door frame, holding him upright. His shirt was untucked and his eyes slightly unfocused.

"This….thish is all yer fault" he slurred as he crossed the threshold.

The bitter scent of whiskey filled her nostrils and Robin grimaced. "Did you take a bath in Jack Daniels or something?" she asked, closing the door behind him.

He swayed and swirled towards the couch before landing on it with an almighty thud. "It's funny should ashk," he replied, tipping his head on the back of the couch. "It wasn't so much a ba..ba..bath as it was a shower."

"You're really quite drunk" she told him sitting on the arm of the sofa.

"Exshellent observashion skills Doctor Scorpio. I am in fact very drunk. In fact" he punctuated the air with his finger, "I am soooooo drunk I bought a woman a drink and she….she…she just dumped it over my head."

A tiny stab pierced her chest as she contemplated Patrick, sober or drunk, buying a drink for another woman. Technically they weren't together and he was free to buy drinks for whomever he wanted but technicalities really never did much to lessen the pain of anything.

"Why did she dump her drink on your head?" she asked him quietly.

"Because I wouldn't shtop talking about you. She said if I wanted you so mush I should just come and get you." He spread out his arms. "So here I am!"

She bit down hard on her lip to keep from laughing. Sliding off the arm, she got to her feet. Taking hold of his hand, she pulled him to his feet.

"You're kicking me out?" he asked in shock.

With a shy smile, she shook her head. "No. I'm going to make you the strongest coffee you've ever had but first we need to get you out of your shirt. You smell like a distillery."

He blinked several times, trying to focus. "Oh." His hands went to the buttons of his grey shirt but his coordination was off and he fumbled aimlessly for several moments before Robin finally stepped to him and with nimble fingers undid the buttons.

Her breath caught in her throat as his shirt and fell to the floor. What had been hinted at through his clothes over the last several weeks was now completely visible to her. His boxing had reshaped his upper body. His shoulders were strong and sculpted; his arms were lean and defined and his torso had thickened with muscles well delineated. It was all she could do not to touch him.

"You've been boxing a lot" she remarked softly as she bent down to pick up his shirt.

"I'm pretty frush…frush….frushstra…yeah"

With a sympathetic and knowing smile, she balled up his shirt. "Why don't you have a seat? I'm going to throw this in the wash and put some coffee on."

"Okay" he nodded, watching her as she left and feeling a familiar ache in his heart.

Having tossed his shirt into the washing machine, Robin headed to the kitchen and pulled the coffee from the shelf. In the process of carefully measuring out just enough to make his hair stand on end when he drank it, she jumped as she felt his arms circle around her waist and his hands burrow under her shirt.

His fingertips grazed her skin and she flushed from head to toe at his touch. The sensation of his arms around her, the security and stability they provided brought tears to her eyes. She missed him but until that moment, until he was touching her she hadn't realized how much she ached for him.

"You're wearing my sh..shirt" he whispered as his breath warmed her neck. "You don't even like the Rangers."

"No but I like you" she replied softly, closing her eyes as his hands reacquainted themselves with her body.

She swallowed down a gasp as he brushed his fingers over her breasts before taking the weight of them in his hands. His lips found the sweet spot where her neck met her shoulder and his tongue darted from his mouth and made a small, wet circle.

"Patrick" she whispered.

He spun her in his arms and before she could protest, had seized her mouth with his own. His tongue selfishly probed the velvety confines of her mouth as his hands continued to run across her skin.

Robin went limp against him, relying on him completely for support as her body and her heart surrendered to his kiss. He backed her against the counter, their mouths still fused together in a fiery kiss. Before she even realized what was happening, he had tugged the shirt – his shirt – from her body and tossed it to the floor. Her hands swept across his bare chest and the strength she felt underneath them, made her already weak knees tremble.

He dipped his head to her neck, then her shoulder before dragging his tongue down the valley between her breasts. Every nerve ending was on fire and he wanted more. He had dreamt – vivid, real dreams – of tasting her and touching her and in his drunken haze he wasn't sure this was real but he didn't want it to end.

She moaned as he captured a nipple between his lips and laved it with his tongue. Her hands impatiently threaded through his hair. If it was possible to crave another person, she craved him – her heart, her mind, her body – she wanted all of him with all she had.

And then reason woke inside her and warned her this was a bad idea. Her inner voice got louder and louder until she placed her hands against his chest and gently pushed him back.

"Patrick"

His chest heaved, gasping for air and his eyes were dark with desire but he nodded. "I know. I know we can't right now."

Not quite ready for a complete loss of contact, her finger curled around his belt loop. "I'm sorry-"

He shook his head. "No. I shouldn't have…it's just," he sighed and gently cupped her face with his hands. "It's just that you're so beautiful" he told her softly as he gazed intently at her. "And I love you so much."

For the second time, her eyes welled with tears. "I love you too – very much."

They stayed locked like that for several moments, neither wanting to be the first to move. He could see the burn from his stubble spreading across her cheeks and he stroked it with the back of his finger. Then the room began to spin as his night's activities reminded him of their presence.

Seeing his eyes lose focus, Robin smiled kindly. "Why don't you have a seat on the couch and I'll finish making the coffee?"

"Okay" Turning on his heel, he walked unsteadily back in the living room, flopping on the couch.

Bending down, Robin picked up the t-shirt and pulled it back over her head and returned to the coffee.

When she finally emerged from the kitchen with a steaming mug of coffee in hand, she found Patrick passed out on the couch, his face smashed against a pillow and his lips parted as soft ruffles of breath escaped from them.

Smiling to herself, she set the coffee down on the table and carefully removed his shoes and socks. She headed to the hallway, retrieving the extra duvet from the linen closet. She draped it over him and leaning in, pressed her lips to his cheek.

"Sweet dreams Patrick" she whispered. "I love you"