Family Ties

Family Ties
By Candie

Part 2

Updated: 1/12/2000

- The Next Day

Setting: The Dining Room in Wildwind

(Robin tiredly walks into the dining room. She sees Peggy serving Edmund, Alexandra, Gillian, and Eugenia breakfast. She smiles toward them then sits down next to Gillian and across from Alex. Peggy immediately hands Robin a plate full of eggs, bacon, pancakes, and waffles. Edmund laughs at the look on Robin’s face at the sight of the over abundance of food. Alex notices Edmund’s chuckling and looks up from her tea and sees Robin’s shocked eyes. She laughs a bit herself and watches as Peggy walks back into the kitchen.)

Robin (whispers): Is this all for me?

Edmund: You and a small village in South East Asia.

(Robin laughs as she sets the plate down.)

Alex: Just eat what you can and we’ll wrap up the rest.

Edmund: Peggy likes serving our guests the biggest breakfast possible their first morning here.

Gillian: Then, after she gets to know you, it’ll lessen.

Eugenia: That’s true!! Look at my plate, pure scraps.

(Robin laughs as she looks down. Alex sets down her cup of tea and looks at Robin.)

Alex: I heard you had a great time last night at Mateo’s club.

(Robin looks up from her plate and smiles awkwardly.)

Robin: It was a great club.

Edmund: Mateo is my brother in-law. Did you get introduced?

Gillian (smiles): No, she was too busy with Ryan.

(Robin looks at Gillian, as Alex looks at Edmund. He raises his eyebrow as he takes a sip of his coffee.)

Alex: Mr. Lavery?

Robin (bashfully): We just danced.

Gillian: Ryan was ABSOLUTELY mesmerized by her.

Alex: I’m not surprised. She has Anna’s good looks. (Thinks) Ryan Lavery? He’s not related to Duke Lavery, is he?

Robin: I don’t think so. I asked, but he didn’t know. Besides, he didn’t have Duke’s Scottish growl.

(Alex laughs as she sets her cup of tea down.)

Gillian: Ryan doesn’t have much family ...... besides Braden that is.

Edmund: And he’d rather be forgotten.

(Alex and Robin glance at each other. That was something neither of them knew about it and from the tone in Gillian and Edmund’s voice, it was best it stayed that way. Alex clears her throat and looks at Robin.)

Alex: So, what is on your agenda today?

Robin: Not much. I have a appointment with Dr. Joe Martin later.

Alex: Oh!! Do you want some company?

Robin (smiles): I’d like that.

Gillian: Joe is Jake’s father.

Edmund: I think Robin knows that, Gillian.

Gillian (smiles): Sorry.

Robin: It’s okay. Last night, Jake told me that his father would be the best to deal with my protocol.

Edmund: He would be. No one is better than Dr. Joe. He is on top of all the latest medical advances and I am sure that he is on top of all the HIV research.

Robin: Well, then I am sure that I’ll be in good hands.

(Robin goes back to her rather large breakfast as the people around the table watch her. This was the first time HIV entered their lives. Alex always considered herself so aware, but the minute she heard her cousin had the virus, she felt she knew absolutely nothing. Edmund was with Alex when they dug through all the medical journals they could get their hands on. He wanted to help her. Where Dimitri’s death tore them apart, finding out about Robin’s survival brought them back together. Alex had told Gillian and Eugenia about Robin’s condition before she came as she had asked. She didn’t want to hide anything and if they were to live with her, she wanted them to know. Both women were supportive and Gillian immediately asked Scott Chandler to give her all the information possible on the disease. She even found herself volunteering at the Cindy Chandler Foundation when she had free time. Robin probably had no idea how these people turned themselves inside and out to help her. They wanted her in their family. They desperately needed her in their family.)

Chapter Two

Setting: The Waiting Area Outside Dr. Joe Martin’s Office

(Alex is impatiently waiting for Robin to come out of Joe’s office. In reality, she hadn’t been in there long, but it was too long for Alex. It was true. Doctors were the worst patients and even worse when the patients were people they loved. They wanted everything done sooner rather than later. That’s what Alex wanted. She wanted Robin to be healthy and cured sooner rather than later. She had read all the journals and took notes on all the upcoming treatments. She didn’t want treatments for her cousin, she wanted a cure. That darn word - cure!! A cure could have saved Dimitri and now only a cure was standing between Robin and her future. She impatiently stands up and starts pacing the long corridor. With her head down, she bumps into Ryan Lavery. She immediately looks up apologetically.)

Alex: I am so sorry.

Ryan: Don’t be. Are you okay?

Alex: I’m fine. I’m just waiting ....... impatiently, I might add.

Ryan: For Robin?

(Alex looks back at Ryan surprised.)

Ryan: I came with Scott to check on his mother’s foundation and I saw Gillian.

Alex (smiles): Oh. So, you volunteer at the Cindy Chandler foundation too?

Ryan: I try to.

Alex: That’s good. Very admirable.

Ryan: It is a treacherous disease.

(Alex glances at the Joe’s office then back at Ryan.)

Alex: That it is. So, you came here looking for Robin?

Ryan: Actually, I was just passing through.

Alex: Forgive me, then. I do get a bit intrusive at times.

(Just then, Robin walks out of the doctor’s office with Joe Martin. Alex immediately turns around smiling nervously as Ryan shifts his weight. Robin looks at both of them and smiles. Her and Joe walk over to them.)

Joe: Dr. Marick, it’s a pleasure to see you.

(Alex shakes Joe’s hand.)

Alex: You too, Dr. Martin.

Joe (smiles): So many formalities. How are you, Ryan?

Ryan: Good.

(Joe turns toward Robin and supportively touches her shoulder.)

Joe (to Robin): I’ll be seeing you very soon.

Robin: Thank you again for everything.

Joe: It’s been my pleasure. Now, just get your prescription filled downstairs and I’ll see you around the hospital.

Robin (smiles): Okay. I’ll see you tomorrow.

(Joe smiles again at Robin then goes back into his office. Alex walks over to Robin curiously and leans in toward her.)

Alex: Tomorrow? You need more tests?

Robin: No!! Dr. Martin offered me a job in the research lab.

Alex (relieved): Oh!! Sorry.

(Alex runs her hands through her long hair nervously. Sometimes she makes an absolute fool of herself when she cares. Ryan senses her nervousness and steps forward.)

Ryan: Congratulations are in order.

Robin (smiles): Thank you.

(Alex smiles nervously and steps forward again.)

Alex: So, is that your prescription?

Robin: Yeah. Do you think you can show me where to fill it?

Alex: I’ll do even better than that. I’ll fill it myself.

(Alex snatches the prescription and nervously leaves. Robin watches her disappear into the staircase then looks at Ryan.)

Robin (sighs): She doesn’t know how to deal.

Ryan: With what?

(Robin sits down in the waiting area. She holds her head in her hands as Ryan sits down next to her. She pushes her hair back and looks at him.)

Robin: Ryan, I ........ after all these years, it doesn’t get easier to do. (Looks down) I have HIV.

(Ryan jumps back a bit then impulsively grabs her hand. She looks down at it then back at him.)

Ryan: Are you .......... I mean, do you ......

Robin: I don’t have AIDS. I’ve had HIV since 1995. About a year or so later, I went on the HIV protocol.

Ryan: So, your viral load?

Robin: Undetectable. How did you know to ask that?

Ryan: My best friend volunteers at the Cindy Chandler Foundation here at the hospital. He’s Scott Chandler, her son.

Robin: I read about the foundation. It’s responsible for a big chunk of the HIV research done in the United States.

Ryan: You could thank Adam and Stuart Chandler for that. It helps to have millionaires backing the cause.

Robin: You could say that again.

Ryan: So, the research lab you’re working for, is it the Cindy Chandler?

Robin: Yes, it is. You know a lot about this, don’t you?

Ryan: Like I said, Scott Chandler is my best friend ........ and I do volunteer there myself.

Robin (smiles): I knew there was more. So, you volunteer there?

Ryan: I try to. I guess, I’ll be seeing you there then.

Robin (smiles): I guess so.

(Just then, Alex comes back holding a small white paper bag. She smiles at them and shakes the bag in front of Robin.)

Alex: All filled.

Robin (smiles): Thank you.

Ryan: I’ll see you tomorrow at the foundation.

Robin (smiles): See you tomorrow.

(Ryan leaves as Alex sits down next to her. She nervously fidgets with the white paper bag in her hands as Robin watches.)

Robin: It’s okay, you know.

Alex: No, it’s not. I’m a doctor. I’m suppose to know how to deal with these things.

Robin: You’re also a person. A person who cares.

(Alex turns toward Robin with tears in her eyes.)

Alex: I watched my husband die from a disease with no cure. I never felt so helpless.

Robin: You don’t want to do that again.

Alex: I don’t want to watch anybody I love die, Robin. I just want to help you.

Robin: You are. Just being here helps. Just coming with me to my appointments helps. The little things help, Alex.

Alex: Just keep reminding me.

Robin: I will.

(Robin stands up and looks at Alex.)

Robin: So, where can we get a good cheeseburger in this joint?

(Alexandra scrunches her face.)

Alex (laughs): Cheeseburger?? Okay, let me think. I heard through the grapevine that McKays has decent patties.

Robin (laughs): Patties?

Alex: What do you Americans call them? Burgers?

Robin (laughs): Come on.

(Robin pulls Alexandra off the chair and they walk to the elevator laughing.)

Chapter Three

Updated: 1/15/2000

Setting: Luke’s Club

(Luke is behind the bar smoking one of his finest cigars thinking about life. He looks up slightly when he hears the door to his club opening. He turns toward the door and sees Sonny Corinthos walking in. He jumps back a bit at Sonny’s appearance. He looks tired and his eyes looked even more so. Luke instantly goes behind the bar and reaches for a bottle of scotch and two shot glasses. He fills them up quickly and shoves one to the tip of the bar. Sonny absentmindedly stops it from shattering to the ground with his body and sits at the head of the bar.)

Luke (dryly): How was hell?

(Sonny throws his head back gulping the potent liquor hard. It burns down his throat attempting to awaken his senses. Sonny slowly reopens his eyes and looks back at Luke.)

Sonny: What?

Luke: Isn’t that where you came from? At least, that’s where you look like you did.

(Sonny shakes his head and grabs Luke’s other shot glass from his hands. He drinks it quickly shooting his head back again then looking at Luke.)

Sonny: Looks can be deceiving.

Luke: In this case, I don’t think so. (Pouring another glass of scotch) Still living in your own personal hell, Corinthos?

Sonny: Well, if I am, then there are no vacancies.

Luke: Is that your humble way of telling me to butt out?

Sonny: I don’t know. If that is, you may not tell me what I want to know.

Luke (smirks): Oh, you mean what you came here for? (Chuckles) And I thought it was for the free booze. Okay, Corinthos, just spill it. I hate being led on and you hate doing the leading.

(Sonny clears his throat, stares at the bar, then slowly raises his gaze to Lukes.)

Sonny: Felicia was here the other night.

Luke: I know that. You know that. You saw her.

Sonny (nodding his head): Right. She said she needed help.

Luke: Maybe.

(Sonny clenches his hands in two tight fists as they rest on the bar. Luke is giving him the run around - the last thing he needed.)

Sonny (frustrated): Don’t do this, Luke.

Luke: Don’t do what, Man? You’re asking questions and I am listening.

Sonny: Don’t make me ask what I know I shouldn’t.

Luke: Sonny, just ask what you want to know. I may not be able to give you the answer, but you won’t know until you at least ask.

Sonny (cautiously): The letter. (Pauses) The letter Felicia was holding onto for dear life, it was from Robin.

Luke: I didn’t get a good look at the handwriting.

Sonny (angrily): Don’t feed me bull, Luke!! It’s hard enough asking you this without you playing games with me.

Luke (yells): Then, ask what you want to know already!! I don’t have time for this.

Sonny: Fine!! We both know that the other night, Felicia didn’t come here because the Outback couldn’t pass inspection. She came here because she was scared and .......... she was scared for Robin, wasn’t she, Luke?

(Luke pushes away from the bar slowly and looks around at his club. He slowly reaches behind the counter and pulls out one of his cigars, a book of matches, and an ashtray. He quickly lights up his cigar and exhales a large puff of smoke.)

Luke: You shouldn’t be asking these questions.

Sonny: Luke, I care about Robin.

(Luke slams his cigar in the ashtray and looks at Sonny.)

Luke: Your actions didn’t show it.

Sonny: How can you judge me?

Luke: Because nobody else has. (Pauses) Look Man, I am not judging you. I don’t know what to tell you. Is Robin in danger? Not that I know of.

Sonny: Would you tell me if she was? (Looks down) Felicia asked you not to.

Luke: Nobody tells Luke Spencer what to do or what not to do. (Picks up his cigar) Truth be told, there is nothing to tell you, Sonny.

Sonny: But, you will tell me if there is?

Luke: Honestly, probably not.

(Sonny shakes his head angrily and steps off the bar stool.)

Sonny: Can you at least tell me if Robin is still in Paris?

Luke: Instead of taking away the air in the room with these questions, why don’t you ask yourself why you wouldn’t know if she was or wasn’t?

(Sonny throws his hands in the air defeated then angrily leaves. Luke watches him slam the door to his club shut. He shakes off the feeling guilt then goes back to his cigar. He did the right thing. Sonny had no right to know what was going on with Robin. Felicia had explicitly asked him to not tell Sonny or Jason about her concerns about Robin. He saw where she was coming from and even supported that decision. If Robin was indeed starting over, the last thing she needed was those two barging in her new life. Luke thought that Felicia was a little over the top with her concerns but did respect them. In fact, he already started doing research on this Alexandra Devane Marick. Granted, his resources are limited and Sonny could open up a whole world of new ones, but for now his rusty connections would have to do. Subconsciously, he knows that if he needed, Sonny would do a background check with no questions and if he wanted even less questions, he could find Jason down the line ........ but that was WAY down the line. Right now, all Luke could do was wait for his resources to come in. An impatient man could never be patient.)

Chapter Four

Setting: McKay’s Diner

(Robin and Alex are enjoying their “American” lunch consisting of cheeseburgers, oodles of french fries, and ketchup. Alex commented on the amounts of grease being saturated in their bodies with each bite, but Robin knew that deep down, she was LOVING it!! She watched as Alex absently sprinkled on more salt to her fries and poured even more ketchup on her burger. Robin was showing Alex a new side of life. A funnier side. They were good for each other. Robin laughs as she watches Alex attempt to shake more of the restaurant styled thick ketchup on her plate next to her diminishing pile of fries.)

Robin: Are you okay over there?

Alex: Is this always SO thick?

Robin (laughs): In restaurants, I’m afraid so.

(Alex looks up at Robin perplexed.)

Alex: What do you do in these situations?

Robin: Well, my mother being the dignified Brit that she was taught me a very refined way of dealing with this particular mishap.

Alex (skeptical): Refined and ketchup?

Robin (seriously): Very refined.

(A skeptical Alex hands Robin the bottle. Robin smiles slightly then carefully looks at the bottle one more time. She glances up at Alex and sees her eyes glued on Robin’s hands. Robin with a great shove hits the bottom of the bottle hard. Alex jumps back a bit then watches as Robin nonchalantly grabs the butter knife off of her napkin. Like a surgeon, she slowly inserts the knife into the ketchup bottle. Alex watches as the ketchup slowly escapes the bottle and lands on her fries. She watches smirking then shakes her hands when Robin poured on enough. When finished, Robin shakes some more out for herself then closes the bottle. Alex looks up at her.)

Alex: That was the refined version?

Robin (smirks): My mother used more umph, of course.

Alex: Of course.

(Robin and Alex both burst out laughing of the absurdity of this conversation.)

Robin: You really never ate food like this?

Alex: I mean, sure at times. Once maybe twice. Not often, Robin.

Robin: Not even in Med School? I thought Med students lived off of fast food.

Alex: Well, others did. (Throws her head into her hands) I am such an awful bore, aren’t I??

(Robin smiles tenderly and watches as Alex’s face slowly reappears from her hands.)

Robin: You are wonderful. I love that you aren’t like the rest of the world. You’re unique, Alex.

Alex: Uniqueness is not knowing how to pour restaurant style ketchup?

Robin (smiles): No. Uniqueness is calling burgers patties.

(Alex laughs then sighs.)

Alex: This is fun, isn’t it?

Robin: It is.

Alex: I am so glad you are spending your Summer here.

Robin (smiles): Me too. Now, pass the ketchup!!

(Alex laughs then hands the bottle of ketchup over to Robin.)

Chapter Five

Setting: The Sun Room in the Pine Valley Hospital

(Gillian walks down the corridors in her candy striper uniform pushing a cart of magazines and books. She’s about to pass by the Sun room but stops when she sees Ryan Lavery and Scott Chandler having lunch. She quickly backs up and walks in.)

Gillian: Hey guys.

Scott: Hey Gillian. Did Robin get settled in okay?

Gillian: Yeah, she’s great. She had her appointment with Dr. Martin this morning.

Scott: Good. I still haven’t had the chance to sit down and talk to her yet.

Ryan: I guess you will tomorrow at the Foundation.

(Scott looks at Ryan curiously.)

Scott (taken back): I guess so. How did you know that she was working at the Foundation?

Gillian (smiling): Ryan didn’t tell you? Robin and him are GREAT pals!!

(Scott raises an eyebrow as Ryan laughs.)

Ryan: No, Princess, Robin and I just met. (Looks at Scott) Gillian introduced us at SOS the other night.

Scott: I take it that you two clicked?

Ryan: Yeah, we meshed. She’s a great girl.

Scott: I know. When Gillian told me that she was coming to Pine Valley, I was psyched. A few years ago, she was doing a media tour talking about living with HIV. I went to see her with my Dad. She left a lasting impression.

Ryan: She must have if you remembered her name.

Scott (quietly): I couldn’t forget. She had such pained eyes that night. (Clears his throat) Anyway, after that I read about this event called the Nurses’ Ball that is held annually in some upstate New York town. She was an active participant in that too.

Ryan: Sounds like she can be a great asset to the foundation.

Scott: I hope so.

(Scott looks down somberly which both Gillian and Ryan both notice. She eagerly claps her hands together to get his attention.)

Gillian: Maybe we can all go out one night. We could go dancing or something. Scott, you could bring Becca.

Scott (laughs): Thanks for the stamp of approval, Gillian.

Gillian (ambivalent): Anytime.

(Ryan stands up slowly and throws out the remainder of his lunch.)

Ryan: You know, I love you guys, but I got to get to WRCW.

Scott: Me too. Wait up.

(Scott stands up and looks at Gillian.)

Scott: Call me with the plans and we could all definitely get together. See you later.

(Gillian watches Ryan and Scott leave then starts back on her route of delivering magazines. She was finally feeling like Pine Valley was her home.)

Chapter Six

Updated: 1/19/2000

Setting: Wildwind Mansion

(Alex and Robin walk into the Mansion laughing. They throw their shopping bags down in the corner of the room. Alex showed Robin the shopping scene after their lunch at McKays. Robin found a few dresses at Myrtle’s boutique and fell in love with some blouses. Pine Valley was really growing on her. She sits down on the couch and like a little girl goes through her bag of new goodies smiling from ear to ear. Alex glances over at Robin and smiles as she checks the phone messages on the desk.)

Robin: We truly did find some good sales today.

Alex: Myrtle’s is always a bargain.

(Alex throws the messages back down next to the phone then skims through the mail. She separates her mail from the others systematically but pauses when her eyes land on a formal looking invitation. She curiously opens the card then lets out a rather large laugh. Robin looks up curiously from her new lavender dress.)

Robin: Something funny?

Alex: Depends on how you look at it. Phoebe Wallingford wants to honor me at her yearly society brunch.

Robin: What’s so funny about that?

(Alex tilts her head to the side and smiles at Robin.)

Alex: Robin, do I look like a society dame?

(Robin refolds her dress and places back in her bag.)

Robin: Why not?

(Alex plops down on the couch next to her.)

Alex: I can’t be honored. That would mean I’d have to attend the brunch and I couldn’t do that!!

Robin: Why?

Alex: I wouldn’t even know how to act.

Robin: This coming from the lady who just ate her first full hamburger!! You are as societal as they come!!

Alex (laughing): Bite your tongue!!

(Robin turns toward Alex and smiles.)

Robin: Seriously, this may be a good opportunity for you. It could help Dimitri’s foundation. It could get you in the know.

Alex: In the know? What if I make a fool of myself?

Robin: You couldn’t. Alex, you are one of the most charming, beautiful, and intelligent women I know. I think you would knock the socks off of them.

Alex: Robin, I’m not good at public speaking. I spoke at a handful of medical conventions, but that was different. That was talking about medicine and disease. That was just the facts. It was impersonal, but this ...... this would be personal. They don’t want to hear about cures and funding. They want to hear about Dimitri and his legacy.

Robin: You’re afraid of letting him down?

Alex: Every morning I wake up, I’m afraid of letting him down.

(Robin sadly nods her head and takes her cousin’s hand.)

Robin: I understand ........ better than you know. After Stone died, everything I did was for him. Every breath, every sentence, word, thought. But, there comes a time when you start doing these things for yourself. You have to. If you don’t, then you won’t do them. I know that you don’t want to let Dimitri down, but if he loved you as much as I think he did, then you can’t. Just be true to yourself and he’ll be happy.

Alex (tearfully): Do you think Stone is?

Robin (tearfully smiles): Happy with my choices? I’d like to think so. Stone always wanted me to be true to myself. I think because he knew that trueness brought happiness. He knew so much. It still amazes me at times.

Alex: I believe what some people lack in years, they gain in wisdom.

Robin (smiles): I agree. There’ll be times when I’m sleeping and all of a sudden, something Stone said will come back to me. He was so right. (Looks down) There was a time when I wasn’t happy and that was because I wasn’t being true to myself. (Looks up at Alex) I guess, what I am trying to say is that if this brunch doesn’t seem right for you, then don’t do it. Dimitri would understand.

Alex: But would I? (Looks at the invitation) I have awhile to think about it. It would be great for the cause and I could discuss that.

Robin: Then, do that and JUST that. You don’t have to talk about Dimitri if you don’t want to. He was your husband and your memories are yours - not theirs.

Alex: How do you do it? You talk about Stone so freely. Don’t you feel greedy? I know I do. Dimitri belongs to me. I don’t want to share my stories with others. Our love was private. I can’t share that with others.

Robin (smiles): You do. Maybe without knowing it, but you do. It’s in your smile, the way your eyes light up at the mention of his name, or the way your voice softens. People show their love differently. You’re more subtle.

Alex: Others called it cold. I have been accused of being unfeeling.

Robin: You don’t believe that, do you? Not putting your feelings on display doesn’t mean you don’t feel them. From my own experience, that only makes them deeper. The feelings that I didn’t immediately show were the ones that were the strongest ...... be them pain, sadness, grief, happiness, or love.

(Alex sighs then looks at Robin.)

Alex: How did you become so smart?

Robin (smirks): It was Paris.

Alex: More like life, I bet. You are a strong woman, Robin Scorpio. Talking to you, I could swear that I’m talking to Anna. She had such similar thoughts, beliefs, and insights at your age. You are definitely her daughter.

(Robin smiles tearfully and hugs her cousin.)

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The characters of Robin Scorpio, and the other residents of Port Charles/Pine Valley belong to ABC Television and no copyright infringement is intended. This is merely for the enjoyment and wish fulfillment of this character's fans!
The story itself belongs to the author who wrote it.