I need to know that you will always be
The same old someone that I knew
What will it take till you believe in me
The way that I believe in you

June 29, 2006

Robin’s Apartment: Living Room

Robin rolled her eyes. “Oh, God, this is so textbook. Dad, sit down.”

“Don’t tell me to sit down.” Robert started to pace. “I know all about your Dr. Drake. He’s a womanizer, Robin. I had a background check done on him–”

Robin shot to her feet. “You what?”

“I had a background check done,” Robert repeated calmly. “I couldn’t be here to protect you from Jason Morgan, I’ll be damned if I can’t protect you from some womanizing piece of–”

“Five minutes ago, you seemed okay with the idea of me marrying him,” Robin huffed.

“That’s because I thought you might come to your senses but if you’re pregnant, well obviously that’s not an option.”

“Oh…” Robin took a step towards him. “You don’t know anything about Patrick. He is not a womanizer! Well…” she hesitated. “Not anymore and you know what? So he dated a lot of women, what does that matter? We didn’t know each other. I know that he hasn’t seen anyone since we became serious and that’s all I need to know. You don’t get to dictate my life. I’m marrying Patrick and we’re having our baby and that’s final.”

“Well…” Robert clenched his jaw. “If you’re marrying him for the baby, Robin, that’s a mistake.”

“Even if that were my only reason–which it’s not–” Robin seethed, “I’m sorry if I’d rather my child have parents from the time she’s born instead of finding out when she’s seven years old or hey, God forbid, having her father fake his death and find out that she didn’t matter enough–”

“You were all that mattered!” Robert exploded. “I would have done anything to keep you safe, to keep you alive! Why can’t you understand that you are the only person in my life that I would do that for? Do you think I wanted to be an assassin, Robin? Do you think I wanted to abandon my life in Port Charles? I did it for you, you infuriating brat and I’d do it again if I had to!”

Robin pressed her lips together and shot him a mutinous glare. “We’ve been over this, Dad. There’s nothing you can say that will change the fact that you could have come to me after it was safe and you chose not to. There’s nothing you can say that will change the fact if not for the virus, you never would have told me you were alive. If I hadn’t come to that records room, you might have disappeared from Port Charles and I still wouldn’t have known!”

There was a knock and then the door opened. Brenda stepped in. “So I guess my arrival was somewhat anticlimactic,” she remarked, sizing up Robin’s father for the first time.

“Brenda…” Robin stepped past her father and enveloped her best friend in a tight embrace. “I’m so glad you’re here.”

“Ditto, honey.” Brenda eyed Robert suspiciously. “So, this is the father I never had the chance to meet, eh?”

“We’re in the middle of something,” Robert said rudely.

“No, we’re not,” Robin stated. “Dad, you should go to Uncle Mac’s. Mom’s there and I think she’s been waiting for you.”

Robert cleared his throat. “Ah, Robin, that’s not funny.”

“I’m not trying to be funny. Mom’s been in town for few days and I know she’d love to see you.” Robin folded her arms across her chest and smirked, enjoying her father’s clear discomfort. “So you should go there.”

“We’re not finished here,” Robert replied. “Your little friend can wait–”

“Robin, I can come back later–” Brenda began.

“No, you flew all the way from Rome to be with me and you’re certainly not going to tell me I can’t marry Patrick, so I choose you.” Robin glared at her father.

Brenda bit her lip, remembering the way Patrick had all but kicked Carly Corinthos out of the hospital. “No, I’m definitely not going to tell you not to marry Patrick. In fact, you and I are going to plan the best wedding Port Charles has ever seen,” she boasted.

“I’ll go,” Robert said after a long pause. “Because I have to get this confrontation with Anna out of the way eventually and I’d prefer to get it over with before your wedding.” He coughed and stepped towards Robin to kiss her on the cheek. “For what it’s worth, if he’s going to make you happy then…then I’m glad for you.”

He disappeared out the door and Robin reluctantly shut the door. “I just want one day to go by without some sort of heavy emotional conversation. Just one day.”

Brenda flopped on the couch and decided a change of subject was in order. “So I’m not going to hide it from you. I snooped at the hospital to get an eye for Dr. Sexy and Robin, honey, you did not tell me that man oozes sex appeal like some men ooze body odor.”

Robin laughed and slid on the sofa next to her best friend. “Well, if you’re not expecting it, it makes more of an impact. So, you were snooping, huh?”

“Well, you’ve been so close-mouthed about Dr. Sexy in general, I was just going to scope him out but he caught me–I was trying to be all subtle, but clearly he’s too smart for that.”

Robin eyed Brenda’s black clothes and arched an eyebrow. “Brenda, subtlety is definitely not a concept you understand.”

Brenda snorted. “Anyway, he caught me and we had a few words. Then Carly showed up and was her usual trailer trash self by trying to attack me right in the hospital. Patrick all but kicked her out and, whew, girl–he’s very protective of you.”

Robin bit her lip and looked away, smiling shyly. “I guess so. He’s definitely protective of the baby.”

“Well, anyway, I approve so if this really what you want, then I am going to go out of my way to give you the wedding of your dreams.”

Robin hesitated. “I think we’re going to keep it kind of small. I mean, Patrick doesn’t really know a lot of people in town and I really–I don’t want to make a fuss–”

“A fuss?” Brenda repeated. “Honey, you’re equivalent to Port Charles royalty. There’s like…one person in the whole town that doesn’t like you. Everyone loves you, everyone will want to celebrate your happiness. You owe it to the rest of us.”

Robin laughed. “Oh, okay, I owe to Port Charles to have a huge, elaborate wedding. You’re insane, Brenda.”

“Look, okay–I want you to listen to me for a moment. You’re in love with a gorgeous sexy guy, he’s proposed on bended knee, giving you an absolutely fabulous engagement ring. Now, you have all that. You’re looking forward to an absolutely wonderful future together. Why in the world would you want to keep that low key and understated?”

“Brenda…okay, I do love him and part of me…part of me wants a huge ceremony so I can invite all of my friends and family so they know I’ll be okay. Because I know a lot of people are going to hear that Patrick and I are going to get married and they’re going to have same reaction my father has–that Patrick is a player and I’m only going to get my heart broken.”

“Then do it,” Brenda urged. “If not for yourself, do it for the people who love you. And do it so you can invite all those horrid people at the hospital that spread all those vicious lies about how Patrick got tired of you. So you can shove it in their faces.”

Robin sighed and looked up at the ceiling for a long moment before looking back at Brenda. “So you’re telling me I should have a huge and expensive wedding so I can invite anyone at the hospital Patrick may or may not have flirted with so I can rub their faces in it.”

“Absolutely. And hey, it’s not every day a girl lands a hottie like Dr. Sexy, okay? You need to celebrate!”

“We’re getting married because I’m pregnant,” Robin said. “I don’t know that–”

“Please,” Brenda snorted. “That’s not why you said yes and I’m not at all convinced that’s why he asked you.”

“You’ve met him for all of five seconds!” Robin protested. “And why does everyone keep saying that to me?”

“Because, honey, we’re not trying so hard to avoid getting hurt again. You’ve built these walls and no one blames you, Robin. But they’re there and they’re keeping you from seeing what’s on the other side. Me, Felicia, the rest of us–we don’t have that handicap.” Brenda took Robin’s hand in hers. “Anyone who’s seen his face when he talks about you…you can’t miss it, Robin. He cares about you and maybe its love, I don’t know for sure. But it’s there. And maybe right now, you both want to treat this marriage like it is just for the baby. That’s your prerogative. But maybe…just maybe one day you’re both going to wake up and see what’s right in front of your faces and I can’t think of any better way to start a marriage than celebrating it with the people who love and adore you both.”

Robin hesitated. “You make a good point. There’s no reason to treat this situation like I’m ashamed of it and I think that’s what a tiny ceremony in a judge’s chambers would look like.” She bit her lip to hide her smile. “Okay, let’s do it.”

“Excellent!” Brenda squealed. “I will get Elton on the phone and we will get started on this.” She leaned forward and hugged Robin. “I am so happy for you, little sister. You’re getting the family you dreamed of. It may not be conventional but it’s going to work. I just have this feeling.”

Scorpio-Jones House: Porch

Anna, who had seen the car pull up and watched her former husband walk up to the porch steps was at the door waiting when Robert knocked.

She opened it and plowed her fist into his jaw.

“God damn it!” Robert swore. He cradled his jaw in his hand and glared at Anna. “Just once, I’d like to meet someone who’s glad I’m alive.”

Anna returned his glare with one of her own. “Of course I’m glad you’re alive, you wanker! I can be glad and still want to crack your head open!”

“I see Robert is back,” Mac said dryly from behind Anna. “Hello, there.”

“See, that’s the kind of reaction I’d like to see more often,” Robert muttered.

“I already got my punch in,” Mac took Anna by the elbow and led her into the foyer. “Come on in. Have you been to see Robin yet?”

“Yes,” Robert did a wide step to keep himself out Anna’s range of reach. “I can’t say I’m thrilled by the turn of events but Robin’s a grown woman. There’s little I can do to talk her out of this ridiculous engagement.”

“Ridiculous?” Anna demanded. “Robin’s engaged to man who loves her–”

“Oh really?” Robert interrupted. “And how do you know that? Your excellent intuition?”

“I’ve actually met the boy,” Anna countered hotly.

“I’ll be the living room with Felicia and Maxie,” Mac said, slipping out of the foyer unnoticed by the warring duo.

“So have I!” Robert shot back. “And he’s an arrogant jackass!”

“Takes one to know one!”

“Oh, yeah–that’s really mature,” Robert replied. “Are we really going to do this, Anna? Are we going to spend the rest of Robin’s pregnancy sniping at each other?”

Anna closed her mouth and stepped back. “You’re staying?”

“I’ve missed fifteen years of Robin’s life. It doesn’t matter the reason,” Robert said. “I’m not about to miss this. She’d never forgive me and she hasn’t even forgiven me for the last thing.”

“And you’re not going to argue with her decision?” Anna said skeptically.

“I’m going to tell her clearly that I think she’s making a mistake, I’m going to threaten that boy with all sorts of bodily harm if she cries one tear over him but no, I’m not actually going to argue with her decision,” Robert stated.

“I think Patrick has had enough threats,” Felicia said from the other room. “I think Mac, Anna, most of the hospital staff, strangers on the street and possibly his own father have threatened him with death if Robin gets hurt. I really think we’ve covered that possibility.”

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