Chapter 193

When I'm lying wrapped up in your arms, the whole world just fades away

Feeling a light touch on his face, Eric slowly opened his eyes. He smiled sleepily as Kristina continued touched his bruises. "What do you think?" he asked, "Is my face getting less scary?"

The young girl nodded. She was dressed and ready for school and as she had done every day since his return from New York, she had climbed onto the bed to check on him. Alexis had told him that both girls had been very upset when they heard he had been in the hospital and he had been doing what he could to help them through it.

"Does it hurt?" she asked, peering carefully at the smattering of bruises covering his cheek.

"Nah," he reassured her lightly. "I'm pretty tough."

Kristina lifted up his arm and snuggled up against him. "Josh yelled at me" she whispered.

"He did? How come?"

"I told him you were in a accident and he got mad. He told me to shut up and he wasn't my friend any more." The hurt in her voice was unmistakable.

Eric pulled himself to a sitting position and dropped a kiss on the top of her head. "Oh Kristina, I'm sorry he yelled at you. I'm sure he didn't mean it"

"Yes he did!" she insisted. "He tole me I was a stupidhead."

Closing his arms around her, he sighed sadly. "Aw, pumpkin, you aren't a stupidhead. And I'm sure he didn't mean it. Sometimes when people are scared - boys especially - they get mad at the people they love."

"Why?"

"Because they know the people who love them will forgive them when they feel better."

She pulled at her bottom lip as she contemplated his answer. "What should I do?" she finally asked.

"Be patient," he recommended.

Alexis pushed over the bedroom door and smiled at her daughter. "Come on Kristina, the bus will be here soon."

Kneeling up, she kissed Eric's cheek before scrambling off the bed. Eric moved to get up as well but stopped when Alexis fixed him with a look. "What?"

"You're still supposed to be resting so get back in bed."

Her tone was sharp and it did not go unnoticed by him. He watched her carefully as she ushered her daughter out of the room before flopping back against the pillows. He wanted to kick himself for how cavalier he had been with their relationship, with her feelings. He had been selfish and self centred and he needed to find a way to reassure her that he would not do it again. As he heard the bus pull away from and the screen door slam shut, he called out for her.

Alexis came in to the room. "Do you need something?"

He nodded. "You."

She exhaled slowly. "I'm going to do some paperwork this morning."

Holding her gaze, he shook his head. "No. You need to spend to spend the morning with me." He extended his hand to her and waited.

Alexis stared at his hand, unsure what to do. Once the adrenaline had worn off, she found that her worry had given way to anger and she was at a loss as to what to do with it. She was at war with herself, understanding why he did what he did but still resenting him for excluding her. She put her hand in his. "I don't have time to spend the morning with you" she told him.

"Yes you do" he countered as he drew her towards him. He gently pulled her on to the bed with him and wrapped her in his arms. "You and I need to spend some time together" he said as he placed several tiny kisses along her jaw. She was rigid in his arms but he would not be dissuaded; he stroked his hands along her back and nuzzled her neck."I'm sorry" he told her. "I'm sorry I hurt you, that I made you think I was running out on you. I love you Alexis and I don't want to be anywhere but with you."

His apology was in some ways as destabilizing as anything else. The men in her life did not have a great track record of apologizing, admitting fault or accepting any kind of responsiblity. She was so used to having it turned around on her that for several moments she said nothing, waiting for him to outline how it was her fault. When it didn't happen she buried her face against his neck, her hot tears landing on his neck.

"I'm sorry" he repeated.

She nodded against his shoulder. "I know and I don't want to be angry with you, it just.....I thought I had lost you."

He tipped her chin up towards him and gently kissed her. "You haven't. I'm here and I'm not going anywhere." She melted against him as his hands burrowed under her blouse and trailed lightly against her soft skin. He placed a series of warm, wet kisses along cheek and down her neck.

"I love you" she told him earnestly.

Eric brushed his lips over hers. "And me, you" he reassured her. "I promise never to make you feel left out again."

As his hands slipped around to the front and he brushed his fingertips over her breasts, Alexis sucked in a breath. "The doctor said you're not to exert yourself for another week."

"I know" he pouted. "But kissing isn't exertion so I think you and I should spend the morning in bed making out."

Alexis chuckled lightly. "I haven't done that since I was a teenager."

"Well, vintage is all the rage."

Smiling, she ran her fingertip along his bottom lip. It was a never ending process to let go of the past and concentrate on what was right in front of you and she was finally, truly believing that she was done paying for past mistakes and deserved good things.

********
Rifling through the pile of papers he had left behind in Robin's study, he was beginning to panic and think they were lost. He wouldn't have time to replace them if everything was going to keep to the schedule he had planned. Alan had been more than accommodating to grant them an extra few days off when Patrick laid out the reasons why they needed them. The Chief of Staff had been practically overcome with happiness when he had told him what he had planned. The hotel was booked, reservations were made and his plan was all thought through down to the smallest detail - he had even run it by Brenda, wondering if it was possible for him to go deaf from her long distance squealing. She had offered some advice and her assistance both of which he took her up on. He was just missing one piece and then they would be set.

He was only going to do this once. This was the only time in his life that he would ask someone to be his wife and he wanted it to be perfect. It didn't matter what the future held, he knew in his heart that he would never feel for another woman what he felt for Robin.

His frustration continued to mount as he went through drawers and still came up empty. He turned his eyes to the filing cabinet and inhaled sharply. If they weren't in here then he didn't know what he was going to do. He could buy new ones but it would throw the timing off of everything and as he told his father, he wasn't willing to wait any longer. As he pulled open the drawer, he laughed, remembering that his girlfriend was as anal as his father and it was likely he would find what he was looking for filed appropriately. His fingers ticked past the alphabetical files until it came to the one he was looking for. Pulling open the file, a broad grin spread across his face as he saw them sitting there. Retreiving them, he pulled his cell phone from his pocket and made the final phone call he needed to make to complete everything.

As Robin came through the door of the apartment, she paused; jazz was floating through the air, the racetrack was set up and as she sniffed the air,the familiar scent of Mr. Chang's wafted.

"Patrick?"

Emerging from the kitchen, he leaned against the doorframe and smiled. "Welcome home."

"What's all this?" she asked as she dropped her purse on the side table before making her way to him. She curled her fingers around his belt loop and standing on her tip toes, kissed him.

"Dinner, music and after dinner games" he replied, stealing another kiss.

"After dinner games?"

"Strip race cars"

"I see. Anything I can do to help?"

He shook his head. "I'm just about to put the food on the table, why don't you wash up?"

"Do you have any idea how hot it makes me when you're all domesticated?" she asked.

"Is there anything that doesn't make you hot these days?" he countered teasingly.

"No. Not really."

She disappeared down the hallway to wash her hands as Patrick laid out dinner. He carefully placed a fortune cookie on her plate before taking his seat and waiting. His hands were suddenly clammy and he ran them along his thighs as he took a deep breath.

Taking her seat, Robin spotted the fortune cookie on her plate and looked up. "Dessert before dinner?"

He nodded. "In order for you to properly enjoy your meal, you need to read your fortune first."

Giving him a curious look, she cracked open the cookie and pulled out the piece of paper. Pack your bags it said on one side; flipping it over, she read the other, we leave for Paris tomorrow

"WHAT?" she squeaked.

Patrick reached into his back pocket and pulled out the plane tickets he had been so frantically searching for earlier, handing one to her. He had bought them back when he was sick and was trying to complete his list. They never got the chance to use them but with a call to the airline he was able to rebook.

"Tomorrow. Long weekend in Paris."

"But...but....I have work...."

He shook his head. "Everything is taken care of. We're off to the City of Lights and when we come back, we'll check off one more item from the list of memories we want to make together."

Exhaling slowly, she looked at the ticket. "What are you up to, Patrick Drake?"

He shrugged. "You're going to show me the city through your eyes and I'm going to show you who you are through mine."