Chapter 8

"Now will you listen to reason?" Patrick inquired, rolling onto his side so that he wasn't crushing Robin underneath him. Pregnant or not, she was still so little compared to him. How had he been able to stay away this long? She was halfway through her fifth month, her stomach small and rounded. He drummed his fingers over her stomach, winning a soft smile from Robin and causing tears to appear in her eyes. Even though he knew that these were tears of joy, he had to drop his gaze from hers. How many times had he made her cry?

They sat up and reached for their clothes. Robin adjusted her blouse so that it didn't look like she'd fallen out of bed, and buttoned up Patrick's shirt, having to laugh when she realized that she had indeed snapped off one of the buttons. She, fully dressed now, crawled around the desk to see if maybe she could find the button. Patrick watched her in amusement, lacing their fingers together and helping her to her feet.

"You mean after mind-blowing sex?" Robin countered, zipping up Patrick's pants when he made no move to do so himself. He nuzzled her neck with his nose, taking in the sweet honey scent that was strictly Robin Scorpio. Her head became too heavy for her neck to support as his kisses drifted lower. His arms latched around her body and hers slid around his neck. It was impossible to steer herself away from him. His kisses were too needed; he felt way too good.

"I've been told that I'm very convincing when I want to be." Patrick responded, retrieving their plastic outfits and helping her into hers when all he wanted to do was strip her down and make love to her until every part of her felt loved. This wasn't the place where he should have allowed himself to have her, not when the dead and the dying surrounded them. It was only a matter of time before the epidemic was airborne and he had put their baby at risk.

"Would you stop worrying?" Robin insisted, pressing a kiss to his lips. She led him out of her office by the hand. They easily slipped into the crowd without being noticed, but there were still a few people Patrick had to shoulder out of their way. When they arrived at the elevator, Patrick tapped the button until it lit up and turned to Robin.

"Do me a favor, will you?" Patrick bent down so that his mouth was next to her ear, certain that only Robin could hear him.

"I don't think I trust that coming from you." Robin mocked, leaning into him.

"Go home and rest." Patrick instructed.

"Boring." Robin answered, but she said it in a light, playful tone.

"I don't care. I can't leave. They're going to quarantine the hospital soon. That's why you have to go now. I want to know that you're safe." Patrick told her, concern heavy in his voice.

"I know." Robin assured him. "I wouldn't do anything to put our baby in harm's way." The second she said it, she wanted to take it back. Patrick stiffened, but only for a second. They hadn't discussed the baby, not really. She still had no idea where he wanted to fit in.

"I have no doubt that your intentions are good," Patrick replied, "However, I know how stubborn you are. I need you to understand that you can't do anything more here. If you want to help, I can bring you some case files, but only after I know you've been resting. And don't try to get Brenda to cover for you. I'll know."

"Am I really that bad?" Robin pouted.

"You're perfectly capable of doing anything, which is how I know that I can trust you to go home and rest. I'll come by and-" Patrick paused, remembering something. "I have no absolutely no idea where you live." He sounded dazed when he said this.

"I live in Courtney's Matthews old loft." Robin stated, smiling at his bafflement.

Patrick found a smile for her and kissed her deeply, not caring who saw or who else might be needing him right now. This was where he wanted to be, he decided. Right here. "If it's too late-"

"Just let yourself in." Robin interrupted, handing him her spare key.

"Wow. A spare key. I feel overwhelmed." Patrick taunted.

"You should feel honored." Robin corrected, pulling him down for another kiss and then stepping into the elevator.

"I love you." Patrick mouthed when he noticed Epiphany heading their way.

"I love you too." Robin mimicked before the doors shut.

While it nearly killed her, Robin refused to discuss that day's happenings with Brenda. It was incredibly hard since the newest nurse, Elizabeth Webber, had called and told Brenda about their exchange in front of the elevator. Robin just shook her head and hopped up to her room. Brenda rolled her eyes at the ridiculousness of it all, but decided to leave her friend in blissful happiness. It had been so long since she had seen her this way and she wasn't going to be the one to ruin it.

*****

Four days passed before Patrick showed up at Robin's door. He must have lost the key, because he insisted on banging his fist against the wood until he finally got Brenda's attention. She stumbled down the stairs, her left hand sliding down the banister to keep from losing her footing. She rubbed her eyes and adjusted the strap of her baby-blue nightgown, squinting at her feet when she noticed that she was wearing white bunny slippers. Yawning and glaring at the door, she yanked it open, not that surprised to see Patrick standing there. It must have been raining outside, because his hair was wet and plastered to his head. His clothes were soaked as well.

"Do you have any idea what time it is?" Brenda snapped at him. It was hard enough to keep Robin in bed as it was; she didn't need Patrick robbing her friend of the sleep she desperately needed. Maybe she was being overly protective, but so what? Other than spotting him at General Hospital one time when she was waiting for Robin, Brenda and Patrick were strangers. She still wasn't sure if she trusted him, had heard plenty of stories from Robin about how unreliable he had been.

"Patrick, what's the matter?" Robin suddenly appeared on the third step of the stairs, her pink cotton robe dangling from her shoulders so that her white tank and bubble gum pajama pants were exposed. Brenda stood in-between them, the look in Patrick's eyes sending chills down her spine. "Brenda, for God's sake, let him in." Robin ordered, rushing to Patrick's side and closing the door behind him. She took her robe off and threw it around him. In any other situation, she might have laughed at the sight of Patrick Drake in her pink robe. Tonight, however, she was worried he might freeze to death if she didn't get him dry.

"He's dead, Robin." Patrick sighed without preamble. Robin's cinnamon eyes clouded at his words and Patrick's bottom lip began to tremble.

"I'll start a fire." Brenda offered, leaving them to their grief.

"What are you talking about?" Robin urged him to continue, rubbing her hands up and down his arms.

"My father. He's dead." His voice was low and dangerous, but Robin recognized it as barely-controlled anguish. He dropped to his knees in front of Robin, touching his face to her stomach and hugging her tightly. She ran her fingers through his slippery hair and felt tears sting the corner of her eyes. He held her to him so tightly that she couldn't breathe, but she'd be damned if she pulled away from him when he was in so much pain.

"How?" Robin whispered, sliding her arms into the robe and looping them around his neck, involuntarily shivering when her fingertips made contact with his chilled skin.

Brenda, having heard their conversation from the living room, left them silently, softly apologizing for Patrick's loss and heading up the stairs. It was clear that her presence wasn't needed. They needed each other. When she was out of sight, Robin helped Patrick to the couch and wordlessly stripped him, taking his dripping clothes to the dryer, turning the dial, and then returning to his side. His chocolate eyes were black and glassy as he watched the fire lick the wood in the fireplace. It was only gas, but it looked real, and it provided the needed warmth.

"We need to get you to a hospital." Robin said, but Patrick shook his head. Of course that was the last place he wanted to be right now. She had to get him warm. She drew her top over her head and stepped out of her pajama bottoms, laying on the rug with carpet and holding him close. He was so much taller than she was so she had to slide up and down his body several times to make sure that no part of him remained frozen.

"It was so sudden. There was barely enough time to respond. We got the cure in this morning, so there was no reason for him to die. He was one of the first to catch the disease, but he didn't tell anyone. It wasn't until he collapsed that anyone paid him any attention. By the time I reached him, he was barely conscious." Patrick explained, silent tears hitting his cheeks. His body jerked. Robin snagged her forest-green throw from the couch and covered their bodies, kissing his tears away.

"Did you get to tell him goodbye?" Robin's heart was in her throat. Noah hadn't been nearly as important to her as he had been to Patrick, but she had loved him. The world around her felt colder without the strong presence of Noah Drake. He had had such an effect on her life; he had given her Patrick. She would never get to thank him now. She had thought she would have more time!

"I did. I showed him a picture of his grandson." Patrick clarified, not missing the surprise look in Robin's eyes. "I requested it from Kelly before he died. He said he hoped to God that he looks like you." He tried to laugh, but it came out too harshly.

"I'm so sorry." Robin murmured against his chest, his fingers ice-cold under hers. "I wish I had been there -"

"No!" Patrick interjected sharply. "The only thing that got me through today was knowing that you were safe. Don't ever say that you wish you had been there." His lips were quivering when he pressed them to her forehead and he shut his eyes. Robin buried her face into his shoulder and quietly sobbed. "Don't go anywhere." Patrick ordered and Robin nodded, her hair tickling his chest as she did so.

"Your temperature is returning to normal." Robin informed him a few minutes later. His fingers danced up and down her bare back, but his eyes remained closed.

"He was the first one infected and the last one helped. Everyone else has been discharged; the quarantine was lifted. I came here, because I doubted that falling into a bottle of Tequila was the way to honor my father's memory. He loved you so much." Patrick rambled.

"He loved you so much more. You have to know that." Robin persisted.

"I know that I lost him without ever telling him how I felt. I'm not making that mistake twice. Robin-" Patrick began to sit up.

"Don't say something you can't back up tomorrow." Robin warned him. "You're grieving. Focus on that. We'll talk about us tomorrow. Tonight, I want to hold you and love you."