As Sabrina stood in front of Patrick's office door with her hand poised to knock, she flashed back to their tryst a few nights ago. She hadn't meant for things to go as far as they had, but they did - and she felt guilty as hell for it. Because she had to work the early shift, she ended up sneaking out of her own apartment like a thief the next morning. She'd left Patrick a note to help himself to anything in the kitchen and to lock the door behind him. Unfortunately, their work schedules hadn't really allowed them to connect and discuss what had happened other than through deliberately vague text messages. So, since she was done her shift and she heard from Liz that Patrick was catching up on paperwork in his office, Sabrina decided to bite the bullet.

Patrick couldn't concentrate at all. He decided to spend some time catching up on paperwork, but the effort was proving futile since his mind kept flashing back to making love the other night with Sabrina. None of what happened between them had been planned, but once the match was lit, the fire raged out of control - all night long. They had barely fallen asleep when he felt Sabrina get out of bed to get ready for her shift. She'd left him a note and promised to touch base with him as soon as she could. However, between their staggered work shifts and his responsibilities with Em's, they had only been able to connect through text messages. Patrick didn't know what their night together meant, if anything, but he knew that they couldn't stay in this limbo. He had just picked up his cell phone to call her when he heard a knock on his door.

"Come in," he said absently as he continued to stare at her contact info on his phone.

Sabrina poked her head in. "Hey, Patrick, do you have a minute? I think we need to talk."

"Absolutely. And... I agree."

Sabrina made her way in and closed the door behind her. As she did that, Patrick got up from behind his desk. "Why don't we sit on the couch?" he suggested.

When Sabrina nodded, Patrick walked the long way around his desk and locked the door. At Sabrina's questioning look, he explained, "Not everyone knocks."

"Ah, okay. That makes sense. People, especially Felix, do have a tendency to barge in and ask questions later." They shared a laugh at all the times Felix unintentionally interrupted them during their relationship.

"So," Patrick hedged, "You wanted to talk?"

When Patrick prompted her to talk, Sabrina suddenly couldn't seem to find any words. As her mind raced, all she could say was, "Yeah... About the other night."

"What about it?"

"I never meant for any of that to happen. You have to believe me, Patrick. I would never intentionally make things difficult for you with Robin and your marriage." As Sabrina spoke, her voice got higher and higher and she talked faster and faster.

Patrick gently clasped her upper arms. "Sabrina. Calm down, please." When she took a deep breath, he contined. "I know you well enough to know you didn't plan it. And, I also know that you didn't attack me..."

Sabrina got out a "Patrick" before he shushed her. "Nothing happened that I didn't want. And... I'm not sorry it did."

Sabrina smiled sadly. "Me neither." She made a show of brushing invisible wrinkles from her pants. "Good. Then it's settled. We just pretend it never happened and go back to being friends." When Sabrina went to get up, though, Patrick stopped her.

Patrick was sorry for betraying Robin, but he was not sorry for sleeping with Sabrina. He didn't regret it and he wouldn't allow her to either. However, when she let out a deep breath of relief and suggested pretending the whole thing never happened, something snapped inside him. He wanted her as a friend, always, but being with her had made him happier than he had been since Robin walked out the door back in March. He couldn't just up and act as if their night - and the intimacies they'd shared - never happened. So, when she went to get up, his hand shot out to stop her.

"Patrick?"

"Sabrina, I don't want to pretend the other night never happened."

"Okay, so, it happened. But it doesn't mean anything." When Patrick frowned, Sabrina added, "It can't mean anything. Surely you know that, right?"

"I don't know what I know anymore. Everything I thought I knew got turned upside down over and over in a matter of months. But, what I do know is that this pull between us hasn't gone away. And, I'm not sure I want it to..."

"So, what are you saying?"

Patrick cupped her check with his hand and then brushed a rogue strand of hair behind her ear. He absently twirled it in his hand as he said, "I don't know. But, I don't want this to end."

Sabrina knew all the things she should say, the topmost of which being that she deserves better than to be his mistress. The problem was, however, that there was a large part of her that craved him. The other night had reawakened all the desires she had buried and now she yearned for his touch despite knowing that it was all she could really ever have - because Patrick loved his wife and when Robin came back he would go back to her (just like last time).

Sabrina grabbed Patrick's hand from her hair and entwined hers with it. "What are we going to do, Patrick? I want you so much. I know I shouldn't, but I do."

Patrick's other hand traveled up her body and came to rest behind her neck. Sabrina leaned forward at his subtle urging until she was inches away. She could tell that Patrick was fighting an internal war between doing what was right (remaining faithful to Robin and not hurting Sabrina) and what he wanted (to be with Sabrina and let their attraction play out knowing Sabrina will be hurt - again), so Sabrina took the ball out of his court by leaning in and kissing him with all the passion she'd bottled up inside. Sabrina knew this was going to end badly for her, but the difference was that she KNEW it, so she wouldn't be blindsided when it all came crashing down.

Patrick could tell that Sabrina knew he was fighting an internal battle. If he did what he wanted and kept sleeping with her, it was inevitable that she would get hurt. However, after the wedding, he promised himself he would never ever be responsible causing her that level of pain again. Even if she knew the score going in, which she clearly did from the way she was kissing him, could he live himself later?

When he hesitated to respond to her kiss, Sabrina pulled away from him briefly and said, "Stop fighting this. Whatever happens, happens."

At that, Patrick muttered "What the hell," and gave in and pulled her in for another kiss that made Sabrina's seem chaste.

Soon, their kisses became frantic and were no longer enough. Desperate the feel her against him skin-to-skin, Patrick broke away and pulled her up off the couch. When they were standing, he yanked her shirt off as she unbuttoned his and slid it from his shoulders. When the rest of their clothes were littering the floor, they sank back to the couch and into bliss.