CH 20

"Are you sure you're ok?" Anna asked taking a seat next to her daughter's bed.

"I really wish everyone would stop asking me that. I'm fine." Robin replied.

"I didn't mean physically, Robin. What all did Patrick tell you?"

Robin sighed thinking back over everything her and Patrick had discussed earlier. How he had basically replaced her in his heart. Of course, he didn't use those words, but the look in his eyes as he was speaking of her couldn't be denied. And Patrick didn't bother trying. "Everything, I guess. So is she really as perfect as she sounds." She looked up to her mother with pain in her eyes.

"Oh Robin… I… I don't know how to answer that." Anna said taking her hand. "Listen, it took a long time for Patrick to even want to move on. And even longer for him and Sabrina to find their way to each other."

"Do you like her?" Robin asked.

Anna paused thinking of a way not to hurt Robin any further "Sabrina is a lovely woman. What she did to save Emma, I will never be able to repay her for that. Yes, I have become fond of her over the last year. She's made Patrick and Emma really happy. I'm sorry if that's hard to hear."

"No, it's…. well, yeah it is hard to hear but I get it" She said wiping tears from her eyes. "Doesn't matter now anyway."

"Why do you say that?

"Because I'm home now, Mom. I have been away from my family far too long. I'm not going to miss another moment with my daughter or my husband for that matter. It may take some time, but my family will be put back together. I'll make sure of that."

"Robin, I don't think…."

"You don't think what?" Robin interrupted. "You don't think Patrick would choose me over her? He loves me Mom, I know he does."

"I'm not disputing that. What I was going to say is I don't think it will be as easy as you think. There are a lot of factors here, Robin. They've been through things together that would have broken up a weaker couple. She has been a foundation for Patrick when he felt his earth slipping away. It's not something you can just forget overnight."

"I don't care!" Robin shouted. "This is my family. MINE! And I will get them back. No matter what it takes."

"I cannot believe I let you talk me into this" Felix said dragging suitcases into the apartment he was once again sharing with Sabrina.

"Felix, please…" Sabrina pleaded

"Felix, please my ass Sabrina. This is all wrong and you know it." He snapped

"What the hell was I supposed to do?"

"Fight! You were supposed to fight. You love that man and little girl more than anything. How could you just walk away like that? With no warning or goodbye."

"Because it was the right thing to do." Sabrina replied walking over to the window.

"For whom? Sabrina, did you ever stop to think about how you're doing what you THINK is best for Emma is going to end up hurting her? How do you think she's going to feel when she gets home and you're not there?"

Sabrina stared out of the rain soaked window. The drops pouring down the glass matched the ones now streaming down her face. She didn't want to leave Patrick or Emma or their home. But in her mind she had no choice. It wasn't her home. And Patrick and Emma weren't her family. They belonged to Robin. They belonged with Robin.

"See, you're standing there ignoring me because you know you're wrong. I can't believe this" Felix said moving boxes around to make a path "After everything the two of you have been through. Hell, after everything I'VE been through. Running around town like a manic trying to expose the Britch and the dragon that hatched her, all so my best friend could find love and be happy. And how do you repay me? By taking up space in my bathroom again. This is ridiculous. I should charge your ass double in rent, you know that? Are you even listening to me?"

Felix continued on for a good ten minutes while Sabrina just stood there staring off into space. She felt like she was beginning to lose all of her senses one by one. She couldn't hear a word he was saying over the white noise in her head. She wanted to tell him that she didn't have any fight left in her because that would be the real truth. From the moment she laid eyes on Patrick Drake, Sabrina's life had been one rollercoaster ride after another. One with amazing highs and equally devastating lows. While she would maintain out loud that she was doing what was best for Patrick and Emma, to herself she acknowledged that she was just plain tired. She was tired of fighting all of the outside forces that seemed to want them apart. If it wasn't one thing, it was another. They had been fighting battles since the second Patrick kissed her at the Nurses Ball. And Robin coming back had just ignited a war that Sabrina was not ready for nor equipped to fight. She was emotionally outnumbered.

"Yeah, you've lost your ever loving mind if you think I'm just going to sit by and let you ruin…"

"Felix stop" Sabrina whispered breaking out of her trance and into Felix's rant. She turned to face her best friend with a look that made Felix's heart sink "I just… can't."

Felix ran over to Sabrina and caught her as her legs gave out beneath her and she crumbled to the floor. She buried her head in his arms and broke down in a way she never had before. Everything she ever wanted was gone. All of her hopes and dreams for a future with the love of her life vanished. The pain she was feeling at that moment was like nothing she had ever experienced in her life. It wasn't just emotional, it was physical. Every single bone in her body ached. She felt like she literally couldn't even get air. Sabrina cried in Felix's arms until she couldn't cry anymore. Until she physically could no longer make tears and he eyes began to swell. After what felt like hours, Felix was finally able to peel Sabrina off the floor and onto the couch.

"Listen to me," He said trying to dry her face "I may not agree with this, girl, but you're my best friend in the world and I will support and love you no matter what, ok? We'll get through this together. I promise."

"Thanks Felix. I just need to lay down." Her voice cracked.

"You must be exhausted. Go get some rest. I'm going to go to Kelly's and get something in case you feel like eating when you wake up."

"Ok" Sabrina replied as she walked to the bedroom and collapsed on the bed.

Felix grabbed his keys and phone and noticed he had 8 missed calls and 5 voicemail from Patrick. He clearly had been home and seen the ransack job Sabrina forced him to help her with. He loved Sabrina, but nothing about this felt right to Felix. Not the stealth move they pulled on the Drake residence and damn sure not the end to the relationship Felix was secretly living vicariously through. Against his better judgment, Felix dialed Patrick who picked up on the first ring.

"Felix, thank god! Where is she? Is she ok? " Patrick sounded frantic.

"Meet at Kelly's in 20 minutes" Was all Felix said before hanging up the phone. He was more than willing to except Sabrina's decision but not before hearing Patrick's side first.

Twenty minutes later, Felix walked into Kelly's to find Patrick pacing back and forth by the counter. He must have run every stop light to beat him there since Felix's apartment was closer in proximity.

"Where is she?" Patrick asked skipping the pleasantries.

"She's at the apartment" Felix replied walking over to a table in the corner for privacy.

Patrick followed and sat down. "Why did she do that? Why did she just leave like that?"

"Patrick, I'm not here to talk about why she's doing what she's doing. You're going to have to speak with her about that. I'm here simply to ask you what it is you want."

"What do you mean?" Patrick asked confused.

"Well, you have a girlfriend who loves you, and a wife who loves you. So, who do you want?"

Patrick looked around aimlessly "I… I can't answer that."

"Well, then there's nothing else to say here" Felix went to stand up from the table

"Felix wait a minute. I'm not the bad guy here. My wife has been back from the dead all of two days and you're asking me to choose? It's not that easy."

"Yes, Dr. Drake. That's exactly what I'm asking you to do."

"I… I can't do that" He whispered.

"Well then I can't help you" Felix turned and walk out of Kelly's leaving Patrick with his conflictions. It was a completely unreasonable request. How could Patrick choose? Especially with Sabrina not even talking to him. The way she left like that hurt him deeper than he ever thought possible. He had no idea how he was going to explain any of this to Emma. He wasn't even should how to explain it to himself yet. In a matter of days Patrick's life had gone from dream to nightmare.

Patrick arrived back at Robin's hospital room an hour later looking worse than when he had left.

"I thought you went to get some rest" Robin said sitting up in her bed.

"I um… I tried. I uh…" Patrick stayed by the door and fumbled around with his hands trying to form words.

"Well did you talk to Emma?"

"No. She's going to stay with Anna and Duke tonight. I didn't want her to come home and see…" Patrick's voice trailed off.

"And see what?" Robin asked.

Patrick walked over to his wife's hospital bed, pulled her hand into his and broke down. He collapsed into the chair and buckled over so that his tears were soaking the blanket that lay on top. He cried because there was nothing else he could do. This was the only thing he felt that he could control. Everything else around him was being done without his ok or his consent or his opinion. He never asked for any of this. He never asked for his wife to be taken from him. He never asked to lose his support system in his brother Matt. He never asked to fall in love again. And he damn sure never asked to have it ripped away from him. He felt like his life was happening around him and he had no say in any of it.

"It's ok sweetie. I'm home now. We're going to be a family again. I promise." Robin said stroking Patrick's hair as he cried. This was the emotional response she had been waiting for. The response of a man so relieved to see the woman he loved again that he couldn't contain his feelings. Robin began thinking that maybe getting her family back wouldn't be nearly as difficulty as Anna made it seem. She and Patrick had a bond stronger than anything else and him being so openly vulnerable with her in that moment proved that in her eyes.

The only thing Patrick could feel was pain. Hurt was setting into his veins and he didn't know what else to do but cry. Cry for everything that was and everything that would never be again. He thought again to the request Felix had made earlier and his choice became clear. He knew exactly where he wanted to be and exactly who he wanted to be with. Robin continued to comfort Patrick thinking his tears were for the love he had just regained, not knowing they were really for the love he had just lost.