Better Days
By Candie

Chapters 40-44

Chapters 40-44

Setting: Robin's Apartment
(Patrick Drake opens the door to Robin's apartment out of breath. He takes a deep breath then finally releases his held breath.)

Patrick: Robin!
(Silence. Patrick closes his eyes. This was NOT happening. The door closes behind him as he walks further into her apartment.)
Patrick: Robin!
(More silence. Patrick felt like he couldn't even breathe. Her apartment was so eerily quiet.)
Patrick: Robin!
(Patrick's eyes scan the entire apartment, then finally moves toward her bedroom. He opens the door slowly and stops shortly as he looks around the room. She wasn't there. Patrick's entire body slumps slightly as he walks further into the room. His entire body felt cold… numb. Patrick's eyes scan her room quickly. He suddenly notices a piece of paper taped onto one of her closets. Patrick walks quickly toward the small closet and rips off the folded piece of paper. He looks down at it. It was Robin's handwriting.)
Patrick (reading aloud): Choose one.
(Patrick looks up confused until his eyes notice another folded piece of paper resting on one of her pillows. He picks up the small piece and of paper and reads it.)
Patrick (reading aloud): Choose a side.
(Patrick shakes his head.)
Patrick: I don't get it.
Voice: She was going to ask you to move in with her tonight.
(Patrick jumps at the sound of Lucky Spencer's voice behind him.)
Lucky: You didn't close the door fully.
Patrick: I just… I ran in and…
Lucky (numbly): She's missing.
(Patrick listened to the way Lucky said it. It wasn't a question. It was a statement. A fact.)
Lucky: I got in contact with my father. Him and Robert are on their way back.
Patrick: Robin's mom… was she in Italy?
(Lucky shakes his head no. Patrick just quietly watches him then sits down on the foot of the bed, still holding Robin's notes in his hands.)
Lucky: It was her aunt.
(Patrick looks down at the folded pieces of paper in his hands.)
Patrick (quietly): Who has her, Lucky?
(Lucky simply stares back at Patrick Drake. The arrogant, confident doctor suddenly didn't seem as arrogant and definitely didn't seem as confident. He looked broken. Lucky releases a large breath.)
Lucky: Robin had me running around for most of the afternoon with her, you know.
(Patrick finally looks up at him.)
Lucky: She wanted to give you this tonight.
(Lucky walks over to Robin's closet and slowly opens it. He reaches inside of it and takes out a small picture frame and hands it to Patrick.)
Patrick (distantly): This was from our vacation.
(Lucky listened as Patrick's voice became more distant by the moment. His mind was obviously starting to go places it shouldn't. Lucky wanted to keep him grounded.)
Lucky: Robin has amazing instincts, Patrick. If anyone could get out of a jam, it'd be her.
(Patrick shakes his head as he stares down at the picture of them. It was of them kissing underwater from when they went snorkeling. Patrick almost smiles for a moment, but the smile never quite forms completely.)
Patrick: The woman in this picture… she is so happy, so beautiful – so unbelievably perfect. This woman should never be in danger. She should be safe and…
(Before Patrick can finish his sentence, there's a knock on Robin's front door and Lucky runs to open it. Mac Scorpio flies into the apartment. He stops short when he sees Patrick Drake exiting her bedroom.)
Mac (out of breath): I just came from GH. (Runs his hands through his hair) Robin is nowhere to be seen. I have about ten men there now questioning the staff.
(Lucky pauses then turns toward Mac fully.)
Lucky: Mac…
(Mac flips and turns toward Lucky.)
Mac: I can't even look at you right now, Spencer.
Lucky: Mac…
Mac (angrily): You asked for a lesser schedule to watch my niece! Where were you, Officer Spencer?
(Lucky sighs, dejectedly, and rubs his face tiredly as he looks down quietly.)
Lucky: I'm sorry, Mac.
(Mac ignores Lucky and turns toward Patrick.)
Mac: And what about you? When's the last time you saw my niece?
(Patrick steps forward slightly.)
Patrick: Before I went into surgery hours ago.
(Mac nods as he rubs his face. He was clearly thinking.)
Mac: Okay. (Sighs) Drake, I need you to stay here.
(Patrick looks back at Mac.)
Patrick: Just stay here and do nothing?
Mac: No, I need someone to stay here in case someone should call or if by some miracle Robin comes back – and this is Robin's home. I don't want some cop in here that doesn't know her in it.
Patrick: Mac, I just can't sit here and do nothing.
Mac: Well, there's no alternative for you, Drake. I can't look out for you as well as look for Robin.
(Patrick starts to object, but Mac simply holds up his hand.)
Mac: I'm serious, Drake. If something happens to you, Robin would never forgive me and I need to insure that you are here for her when she comes back. (Looks at him) She's going to need you, Drake. She's going to need you safe and she's going to need you HERE. (Pointedly) So, stay here!
(Mac turns and looks at Lucky. He points toward him.)
Mac: But you – I can use you! Follow me.
(Lucky just nods and follows Mac. He knew better than to fight with him right now. Mac opens the door to Robin's apartment then turns back around and looks at Patrick again.)
Mac: I'm serious. Do not leave!
(Patrick just shakes his head annoyed as Mac and Lucky leave Robin's apartment. Once they're gone, Patrick punches the air angrily and throws his body onto the couch. He was not a powerless man. He has never been out of control in his life. If he wanted something, he'd go for it. If he wanted to save a life, he'd save it. And now he felt completely powerless. The woman he loved seemed to just simply disappear. Patrick looked around her living room and shook his head. This seemed wrong. She was everywhere in this apartment. Every single inch of this apartment screamed Robin. And if he closed his eyes, he could still smell her. Patrick leans back on the couch and runs his hands through hair. He sits like this for several minutes. More minutes than he realized. Patrick's eyes shoot open when he hears a slight knocking on Robin's front door. He leaps to his feet immediately, runs toward it and opens it. Noah Drake. Patrick stares back at his father then just turns around without any words and walks back into the apartment. Noah watches his son then follows him inside.)
Noah: The cops are all over GH. (Pauses) Do they have any idea where she is?
(Patrick snaps back at his father and shoots him a glare.)
Patrick (angrily): If they did, do you think I'd seriously be here right now?
(Noah looks down and tries to figure out what to say next. He sighs for a moment then looks back at his son.)
Noah: We need to find her, Patrick.

Setting: A Wine Cellar
(It's later in the night or early in the morning. One single chime was heard in the distance. Wherever Robin Scorpio and Anna Devane were, it was one o'clock. Robin tiredly leans her head back on the wall behind her as her mother turns her head and looks at her daughter.)

Anna: You can sleep, Robin. I'll be awake.
(Robin just closes her eyes.)
Robin (numbly): She's going to lure dad here and kill him.
Anna: You don't know that.
Robin: Or she's going to kill us in front of him.
Anna (strongly): I would never let that happen, Robin.
Robin: Or maybe she'll just kill me and let the both of you watch. (Turns her head and looks at her mother) How's that for irony?
Anna: Robin, I know you're angry…
Robin: Parents are supposed to protect their children! Why is it that my parents just bring more danger into my life? And not even just my parents but the people they choose to spend their lives with. (Thinking) Holly withholds a cure to a virus that is not only killing me but an entire town. Duke brought the mob into both of our lives. (Shakes her head) And you two are just in a league of your own.
(Anna's eyes darken slightly as she looks back at her daughter.)
Anna: Robin, I am not about to start arguing with you about how I failed you as a mother. And I don't think right now is the right time for us to be opposing one another. (Strongly) I will get us out of this mess and once I do, then you can lecture me all you want on my failed qualities as a mother.
(Robin closes her eyes and shakes her head. She hated fighting with her mother. She always had. Fighting with her father somehow felt more natural. They were always good sparring partners, albeit their arguments in the past were more amiable. But Anna and Robin never fought… well, they did, but it was never about “real” topics. This was unfortunately a real topic. Robin feels fresh tears forming in her eyes and slowly turns toward her mom.)
Robin (emotionally): Mom, I thought something happened to you. Do you know how scared I was for you? Mom, I thought I'd never see you again. I just don't get it. How can you constantly put your life at risk without ever thinking of me? I think of you all the time!
(Anna turns toward her daughter. She looks back at Robin sincerely.)
Anna: Robin, you are all I think about. I went after your father for you! (Simply) Robin, was I angry that your father didn't tell me he was alive? Of course! Was I bothered by the fact that he let me mourn him? Absolutely. (Looks at her) But I was enraged, ENRAGED, that he let you believe he was dead. You lived without your parents for fifteen years! That is unfathomable to me! I couldn't control my absence from your life, but he could. (Frankly) Robin, I went after your father to kick his ass!
(Robin can't help it… she bursts out laughing through her tears. And in that moment, Robin remembered every single thing she loved about her mother and why she loved her as much as she did. And why she never wished that she had a different one. Robin quietly scoots over next to her mother and rests her head on her mother's shoulder.)
Robin: Mom, I love you.
(Anna reaches up toward her daughter and touches her face.)
Anna: The next chance I get, I am getting us out of here.

Setting: Robin's Apartment
(Patrick is standing directly in front of his father. And for some reason, he felt like his blood was boiling. He knew none of this was his father's fault. Unfortunately, however, he was the only person in screaming distance.)

Patrick (angrily): Why are you here?
Noah: I thought might need someone, Patrick.
Patrick: I do need someone… and it's not you! (Desperately) I need Robin to walk through that door safe and sound… so, unless you know where she is, I don't need you!
Noah: Patrick, you need me more than you know.
(Patrick laughs angrily as he shakes his head.)
Patrick: Like you needed me when you went to Robin for treatment!?!?
(That was low. Noah steps back slightly, feeling like he's just been sucker-punched. He knew Patrick was scared for the woman he loved. Therefore, he tried to not let his son's words have more power than they should.)
Noah (calmly): Patrick, that is in the past.
Patrick: Not that far in the past. (Points toward him) You didn't trust me with your life. You obviously didn't think I could “handle” having your life in my hands… so, I'm just returning the favor. (Pointedly) I don't think you can handle this. No, let me be clearer – I don't want you to handle this. Robin is MY girlfriend. She is NOTHING to you.
Noah: Now Patrick, you know that is not true! You can yell and scream at me all you want. I'll even let you get away with some falsities about us, but not Robin. You know that I care about her.
Patrick (strongly): More than I do?
Noah (angrily): What is this? A contest? Who's smarter? Who's the better doctor? The better man? Patrick, do you want me to take out a ruler and end this absurdity once and for all?
(Patrick's mouth falls slightly. He forgot for a moment where he had gotten his own crudity from. Good ol' Dad.)
Noah (simply): Now, stop acting like an unpleasant child and listen to me! (Looks at him) Your girlfriend, a woman we both care deeply for, is missing. Either we can fight or we can work together to try and get through this together.
Patrick: And what do you suggest we do, dad? Do you want to hold hands and exchange our favorite Robin stories?
(Noah sighs as he shakes his head. Patrick was making this so difficult. It was moments like this that reminded him why they hadn't spoken in years.)
Patrick: I'll be more than happy to share a few tales with you, but I hope you're still not a modest man… because you might not approve of my tales.
Noah: Is any of this making you feel better?
Patrick (coldly): You know what will make me feel better? If you left! See, I like dealing with things on my own as well; you're not the only one.
(Noah looks down.)
Noah: You're not alone, Patrick.
(Patrick shakes his head. He couldn't listen to his father go on about how he would be there for him, if anything should happen to Robin. He wouldn't be. He wasn't there for him when the first woman he loved died. Why would he be there for him if something should happen to his second?)
Noah (sighs): And neither is, Robin. Wherever she is, she's not alone either.
(Patrick looks back at his father.)
Patrick (rolls his eyes): Yes, I know! We are with her in spirit! (Bitingly) How “compassionate” of you, Dad.
(Noah finally snaps and reaches into the bag he brought with him. He takes out a folder and shoves it into his son's chest.)
Noah: Robin isn't alone! (Strongly) She is pregnant with your child, you jackass!

Setting: Robin's Apartment
(Silence. The folder pressed up against Patrick Drake's chest falls to the floor resulting in the lab results falling to his feet. He doesn't even know if he's still breathing. He had to be. He was still standing. Patrick Drake slowly looks back up at his father and their eyes connect.)

Patrick: I think I misheard you.
(Noah sits down on the couch and runs his hands through his hair as he leans on his knees.)
Noah: I ran the test three times, Patrick. That is why I was in the research library. I spent hours going over her case. I wanted to give Robin the best information I could when I saw her. I just… I lost track of time.
(Patrick simply sits on the floor in front of his father. He looks up at him somewhat questioningly.)
Patrick: She doesn't know?
(Noah shakes his head.)
Noah: I don't think the thought even crossed her mind. It was just her routine checkup that Alan usually performs.
(Patrick simply stares at the floor underneath him.)
Noah: I'll give you a second to let this register. I know this must be a shock to you.
(Patrick runs his fingers through his hair, over and over again.)
Patrick: We were… we were so careful.
Noah: Patrick, you know that condoms offer great protection but they're not 100% safe.
Patrick (softly): I know. I know that. (Sighs) Condoms. With Robin, I always thought of them as precautions to make her feel more comfortable, if that makes sense; it never even entered my mind that they were preventing pregnancy with her. (Shakes his head) It sounds ignorant, I know.
Noah: It doesn't sound ignorant. It just sounds like you're a man in love with his girlfriend.
(Patrick looks back at his father again.)
Patrick: She really has no idea?
(Noah shakes his head.)
Noah: I don't think so.
(Noah stares down at his hands for a moment then looks back at his son.)
Noah: Patrick, you know that you have to be tested, right?
(Patrick just silently nods.)
Patrick: I will. (Pauses) But right now I need to focus on Robin's health.
(Patrick looks back at his father.)
Patrick: I need to know everything. Everything you ran… every single test.
Noah: From the tests we ran and the paperwork Robin filled out, she doesn't seem to be too far along in her pregnancy… maybe around a month.
Patrick: That's why there haven't been any symptoms.
Noah: Any noticeable ones, perhaps. Robin's viral load test came back as still undetectable.
(Patrick just nods. He felt like he was basically going through the motions.)
Noah: That is a remarkable thing in all of your favors.
(Patrick looks back up at his father.)
Noah: Robin's, yours and your child.
(Patrick swallows hard. His child.)
Noah: Patrick, there have been so many advancements in HIV medications and protocols for pregnant women.
(Noah reaches for the bag he brought with him.)
Noah: This was all the research I did this afternoon. I thought I'd bring it with me for when…
Patrick: For when Robin comes back… if she comes back.
(Patrick holds his head in his hands and for the first time, he feels like he is shattering into a million pieces.)
Noah: Patrick?
(Patrick couldn't even lift his head to acknowledge his father reaching out to him. He simply looks straight ahead and lets his hands fall down his face.)
Patrick (distantly): Today while I was saving some stranger's life, someone else was taking mine from me. (Looks down) My future. My hopes. They took everything when they took Robin.
(Noah moves from the couch and sits down in front of his son. He looks at him directly.)
Noah: Patrick, look at me.
(Patrick slowly looks up at his father.)
Noah: Robin is a fighter. We both know that more than anyone. Come on! This is the woman that poured a pitcher of ice cold water on me as a means of introduction.
(Patrick smirks slightly.)
Noah: She doesn't back down and she'll fight tooth and nail to get back to her life. (Simply) To get back to you.
Patrick: And the baby?
(Patrick covers his mouth for a moment, almost as if the next sentence would be too hard to say.)
Patrick: What if they hurt her and…
Noah: Your child is a fighter too, Patrick. (Tearfully smiles) Come on, look at the genes. That kid is going to be a monster to deal with.
(Patrick has to laugh a bit. “That kid.” “That kid” is his – his and Robin's.)

Setting: The Wine Cellar
(Five chimes. Robin groggily opens her eyes. Could it already be 5 in the morning? She felt horrible this morning, more like sick to her stomach. She attempts to ease her nausea by stretching slightly. Robin moves her body from her mother's. It's funny… her mother still held her as she slept, just as she did when she was protecting her as a child. Robin looks around the darkened room and attempts to refocus her eyes as she thinks back to the sound of the chimes. They sounded so familiar to her. She just couldn't place where she had heard them from. Before she can fully think about it, Robin feels movement next to her. Anna Devane slowly wakes up as well and reaches for her daughter.)

Anna: Robin?
Robin: I'm here.
Anna: How many chimes was that?
Robin: Five. I've been gone now for at least nine hours.
(Anna looks slowly toward her daughter.)
Anna: You know, earlier when I opened your purse and…
(Robin looks back at her mother and raises one of her eyebrows.)
Robin: The condoms?
Anna (releases a breath): Are you with someone?
(Anna watches her daughter carefully as Robin nods and looks down at her hands.)
Anna: Is it the doctor?
(Robin quietly nods again as she plays with her hands.)
Robin (quietly): He was afraid something like this would happen.
Anna: What do you mean?
Robin: When dad came back to town, Patrick wanted to leave immediately.
Anna: And you told him “no?”
Robin: We just came back from vacation and… I thought dad was overreacting.
Anna: You went away with him?
(Robin nods quietly.)
Anna: Do you love him?
Robin: So much that I thought us staying behind proved it. I told him that I was done running. I no longer wanted to run from my past. (Shakes her head) I never thought not running would jeopardize our future together.
Anna: Robin, it won't. You'll be back with Patrick shortly.
(Robin holds her head in her hands and for the first time since this nightmare started, wants to break down and sob uncontrollably.)
Robin: I just… I should've listened to him.
Anna: Robin, you couldn't have put your life on hold.
(Robin suddenly flashes back to Nikolas Cassidine and something he said to her the last time she saw him on the docks.)
Nikolas: But, I don't think whatever fear your father brought back into your life should stop you from living your life.
(In the present moment, Robin raises her head slowly while covering her mouth. Anna watches as her eyes widen slowly.)
Robin: Oh my…
Anna: What is it?
(Robin turns toward her mother.)
Robin: Those chimes… that clock… we're in Wyndemere.

Setting: Wyndemere
(Nikolas Cassidine walks slowly down the steps of his house ready for his morning run. It was early. The sun had just come up. He stops shortly when he sees his grandmother waiting for him at the bottom of the steps.)

Helena (smiles proudly): My beautiful grandson.
Nikolas: What the hell are you doing here?
Helena: I can't see my grandson without motivation behind it?
Nikolas (yells): AFTER WHAT YOU DID TO COURTNEY?!?!
(Nikolas starts to walk quickly toward Helena, ready to lunge toward her, but stops when he sees her two henchmen step forward.)
Nikolas: What's going on, grandmother?
Helena: I was in the vicinity and I thought I should check in with you. How's precious Emily?
Nikolas: She is none of your business.
Helena: Your brother?
Nikolas: Get out of here, Helena!
(Nikolas starts to walk away from his grandmother.)
Helena: How about your old friend… Robin Scorpio? Was that her name? It seems like she has a lot going on, with her father coming back from the dead and all.
(Nikolas turns around with a certain darkness in his eyes. He moves toward his grandmother. He angrily grabs her neck and looks into her eyes.)
Nikolas: Don't even think about going after her, grandmother.
(Helena laughs wickedly.)
Helena: Who's to say that I already haven't?
(Nikolas stares back at his grandmother trying to figure out what angle she's playing.)
Nikolas: I don't know what type of game you're playing, but I'm not participating.
(Nikolas forcibly pushes his grandmother away from him, loosening his grip from her neck.)
Helena: This isn't a game, Nikolas.
(Helena walks slowly over to the bar and pours herself a glass of water as Nikolas simply watches her.)
Helena: Do you remember when you had that pathetic adolescent crush on the young Robin Scorpio?
Nikolas: Is your point coming soon?
Helena: Yes. (Looks at him) Nikolas, I would like you to go back to that place again in your mind. Do you remember how protective you were of her? The way you stood by her side when that common thug, Jason Morgan, almost got her killed?
Nikolas: I'm still impatiently waiting for your point.
Helena: Remember how she helped you regain your speech?
Nikolas (impatiently): I don't need this crash course on MY friendship with Robin Scorpio. She is one of my oldest and best friends. I don't need you to remind me of that.
Helena: Fine. Let me get straight to the point. (Looks at him) If you ever want to see one of your oldest and best friends, you'd sign over all the Cassidine money and power to me.
(Nikolas opens his mouth appalled and laughs loudly.)
Nikolas: You are whacked! I wouldn't pour water on you if you were in flames! (Simply) I'm not giving you a penny.
Helena: And what about the sweet Dr. Scorpio?
Nikolas: You're bluffing. If you had Robin, I would've known by now.
Helena: That's right, sweet Nikolas. I forgot that you are best friends with her boyfriend, Patrick Drake. Isn't that the same man you fought like a commoner in the streets only a few months ago?
(Nikolas takes a deep breath and stares back at his grandmother.)
Helena: Call her house if you don't believe me.
(Helena picks up the phone and extends it toward Nikolas.)
Nikolas: Why would you go after her to hurt me? Robin and I are just friends. (Angrily) She has done NOTHING to you – NOTHING to your family!
Helena: Her father….
Nikolas (yells): SHE IS NOT HER FATHER!!!
(Nikolas finally takes the phone from Helena's hands and dials in Robin's apartment. On the first ring, Patrick Drake picks up the phone.)
Patrick (frantically): Hello!?!?!
(Nikolas closes his eyes. He didn't even need to talk to Patrick Drake to know that his grandmother already accomplished what she wanted. He closes his eyes, dejectedly, then hangs up the phone. Nikolas looks at his grandmother.)
Nikolas: What is it that you exactly want?

- The Next Day
Setting: Robin's Apartment
(Patrick is sitting on Robin's couch holding his head in his hands. He's been in this same spot since last night. Robin's test results sit next to him on the couch. Every few minutes he would look down at the paper and read the same line over and over again: Pregnancy test – positive. Robin was pregnant with his child. No, correction – Robin was missing and pregnant with his child. This wasn't how he envisioned this. Not that he ever envisioned this. He never envisioned becoming a father. He never envisioned loving a woman so much that the thought of having a child with her wasn't what terrified him, immobilized him – that it was the mere thought of not having a child with her that paralyzed him. Patrick Drake and his father fought for years. They hurt each more with words than others did with knives or guns. But there were six words said by the elder Drake that stopped the younger one in his tracks. “She is pregnant with your child!” Patrick felt his entire body stiffen. He saw his father's mouth moving, but he couldn't hear the words leaving Noah's mouth after those six words. And ever since that moment, those are the only six words he kept replaying in his mind. Patrick had asked his father not to tell anyone else about Robin's pregnancy. For some reason, he wasn't ready to tell anyone else about it yet. And it didn't seem right that anyone else should know before Robin did. Truth be told, Patrick felt odd knowing about Robin carrying their child before she did. This was supposed to be HER news. He was supposed to take cues from her how to react. It didn't feel right that Patrick had to hear this news alone, deal with this news alone. He wanted Robin there with him reassuring him that he could be a good father. That he wouldn't screw his kid up as much as he is. He needed Robin there to hold him and tell him that everything would be okay. He needed to hear Robin tell him that she wasn't scared… therefore, there was no reason for him to be. Patrick knew Robin was much stronger than him. He knew that the moment they met. She never backed down from him once. She never flinched no matter how many insults or digs he threw at her. Hell, she didn't even back down when he threw other women in her face. Robin was much stronger than him… because he flinched. He flinched when she insulted him. He flinched when he saw her with any other male that wasn't him. Patrick can still remember the passionate way she worked to save Jason Morgan's life and how it made him… it made him jealous. And he swore to never admit that out loud – not even to her. Everyone knew Robin was stronger than him. Even his father. Noah went to Robin because he knew that she would take care of him. She had the perfect mixture of strength and compassion. Noah knew that Robin would heal him while holding his hand, whereas Patrick would heal him while kicking him every chance he had. Noah Drake made the right decision. And so did his son… when he fell in love with Robin Scorpio. Even now with all the pain he was in, all the fear that ate at his insides, he didn't regret a moment of being with her; the way she felt in his arms as they slept, the way she would close her eyes and release a contented sigh when he would lean over her and kiss her forehead tenderly when they made love. Patrick couldn't forget any of those things and he would give up everything and anything to have Robin with him right now – to have her simply sitting next to him holding his hand, kissing his neck tenderly as she teased him. He needed her so much right now it hurt. Every single fiber of his being hurt being away from her. He wanted to hear her voice, to touch her skin, kiss her lips. Patrick closes his eyes and leans back on Robin's couch as he runs his hands through his hair. He reopens his eyes as Noah steps out from the back of Robin's apartment.)

Noah: That was Robert Scorpio. He's back in Port Charles.
(Patrick's eyes burst open and he turns around quickly.)
Patrick: The phone?
Noah: It rang. You were somewhere else.
Patrick: I… I didn't even hear it.
Noah: I didn't think you did.
(Noah sits down next to his son and sighs tiredly.)
Noah: You haven't eaten or slept since last night.
Patrick: I can't.
Noah: Patrick, you need to keep up your strength. If you're not going to sleep, you at least need to eat.
Patrick (snaps): I CAN'T!
(Noah flinches slightly. Before Patrick can apologize or Noah could snap back, there's a knock on Robin's front door. Patrick leaps to his feet and runs toward it. He steps back slightly at the sight of Alexis Davis.)
Alexis (nervously): Uh… can I come in?
Patrick (awkwardly): Robin's not here.
Alexis: I know that. (Sighs) Can I come in, please?
(Patrick nods then steps to the side. Noah stands up as Alexis walks further into the apartment. Patrick watches her awkwardly. He couldn't figure out why Alexis Davis was here.)
Alexis (awkwardly): My nephew asked me to come here.
Patrick: Your nephew?
Alexis: Nikolas.
(Patrick takes a deep intake of breath.)
Patrick (snaps): The man who attacked me?
Alexis: Just hear me out. Look, Robin helped bring my daughter, Molly, into the world and I will forever owe her. She's actually done a lot for the Cassidine family. (Rambling) Did she ever tell you how Nikolas once lost the ability to speak and she helped him get it back?
Patrick (angrily): What the hell is your point?
Noah (sighs): Patrick…
Alexis: The point is… Nikolas has informed me that he knows who has Robin.
(That got Patrick's attention.)
Patrick: And that person would be?
Alexis: He just wanted me to let you know we were working on it and…
(Patrick starts to leap toward Alexis, but Noah jumps between them and is able to stop his son.)
Patrick: Where is she?
Alexis (calmly): That I don't know.
Noah: Have you told any of this to Robin's father, her uncle or Luke Spencer?
Alexis: No. Nikolas and I believe that with this person, it'd be best if we kept Luke Spencer out of this.
Patrick (deadly calm): Who has her, Alexis?
Alexis (looks down): Patrick…
Patrick: If you think I am going to let you out of here knowing where Robin is, you have another thing coming.
(Alexis sighs as she looks back at Patrick. She looks at Noah, begging him for some sort of help, but he wasn't offering her any. She looks back at Patrick.)
Alexis: It's Nikolas's grandmother. He's convinced that she has Robin somewhere in Port Charles. She wants control of the Cassidine fortune in exchange for Robin.
Patrick: And he's giving it to her, I hope?
Alexis: That's where I come in. I'm drawing the papers now.
Noah: Wait, you expect us to believe that he's just going to give Helena his entire fortune to get Robin back?
Alexis: As I said, Robin has done a lot for our family.
Patrick (simply): You're going to con her. (Pointedly) You aren't going to give this woman a red cent.
(Patrick grabs his jacket and looks at Alexis.)
Patrick: Take me to Wyndemere.

Setting: The Wine Cellar at Wyndemere
(Ten chimes. It's ten in the morning. Robin looks toward her mother.)

Robin: They haven't been back here since last night.
(Anna stands up and moves toward the door.)
Anna: This is the longest they've left me here.
(Robin stands up as well and moves next to her mother.)
Robin: Helena is probably putting her plan in motion.
Anna: Are you sure we're in Wyndemere?
Robin (confidently): I know that clock! I spent a lot of time here a few years ago with Helena's grandson.
Anna: And he wouldn't notice that there are two women in his wine cellar?
Robin: Wyndemere has at least five wine cellars… and knowing Helena, she's been using the tunnels to get around.
(Robin suddenly looks around the room. Anna watches her curiously. Her daughter was obviously thinking.)
Robin: But, what she doesn't know is that I know the tunnels just as well as she does… if not better.
(Anna suddenly nods.)
Anna (comes to a realization): You and Rowdy.
Robin: We knew Spoon Island like the back of our hands. (Remembering) And each room in this place had some sort of entrance to another tunnel.
(Robin starts walking around the dark room feeling around the walls.)
Robin: There could very well be an entrance to one of the tunnels inside this very room.
(It didn't help that the wine cellar was pitch black. Robin feels her way toward the corner of the room and starts to feel for some loose bricks. Anna watches her daughter then starts on the other side of the room.)
Anna: It never even occurred to me that there could be an entrance to a tunnel in this room.
Robin: Well, don't get your hopes up too much. Most of the entrances have been blocked off. Nikolas once told me that he wasn't too fond of Luke walking through his house any time he chose, so he closed most of them off.
Anna (still feeling for loose bricks): So, tell me about Luke Spencer. Is he still a pain in the ass?
Robin (still feeling for loose bricks): Yeah, more or less.
Anna; Nice to see some things don't change.
(Robin laughs slightly as she walks toward another corner of the room. Suddenly she feels something that feels off.)
Robin: Mom, come here!
(Anna runs toward Robin.)
Anna: What is it?
Robin: This brick… feel it… it's loose.
Anna: You're right.
(Anna and Robin both look around this particular section of the wall and feel for some sort of movement. A quick thinking Robin takes off her shoe and quickly attempts to bang the loose brick with it quietly… and sure enough it falls away and the wall slowly moves. Anna reaches toward her daughter and kisses her head.)
Anna: You're brilliant.
Robin: Let's just move fast. Helena and her goons can come back any minute.
(Anna grabs Robin's purse then follows her daughter down the dark corridor. She wasn't sure if her daughter was faking it or not, but it looked like she knew where she was going despite their pitch black surroundings. Now… if they only knew where they were walking.)

Setting: Wyndemere
(Chaos. That is the one word that could describe the environment when Patrick Drake with his father and Alexis Davis following him storm into Wyndemere, ready for blood. Nikolas Cassidine looks up from his desk wide eyed and doesn't even have time to react when Patrick walks over to him and physically lifts him from his chair. Noah groans slightly and attempts to run over to his son to stop him from doing something he'd regret.)

Noah: Patrick, Nikolas is not the enemy.
(Patrick stares back at Nikolas as he holds him by his collar.)
Patrick (coldly): But, his family is!
(Alexis steps forward and pulls on Patrick's arm.)
Alexis: Nikolas is trying to help Robin – not hurt her! We both are!
Patrick: Where is she, Cassidine?
(Nikolas finally pulls himself from Patrick's grasp.)
Nikolas (emotionally): I don't know! If I knew, I would tell you! (Impassioned) I would tell anyone that could help her!
Patrick: I don't believe you! Why should I believe you?
Nikolas: Because I love her, too!
(Patrick steps back and just stares blankly at Nikolas. He wanted to kill this man even more now.)
Nikolas (emotionally): Robin is one of my oldest friends. It does me no bit of good to know that it is my grandmother who has her somewhere, possibly torturing her. (Looks at Patrick) Yes, torturing her… because that is what Cassidines do.
(Noah steps forward and looks at Nikolas.)
Noah: So, what are you going to do about this?
(Nikolas runs his hands through his hair.)
Nikolas: My aunt is drawing the papers to give Helena what she wants.
Patrick: You honestly expect me to believe you're just going to sign away your fortune to get Robin back?
Nikolas (simply): Wouldn't you?
(It was a simple question. A question that stopped Patrick Drake in his tracks. Noah looks at his son then back toward the young Cassidine heir.)
Noah: Do you know where your grandmother is keeping Robin?
(Nikolas just looks down, but Alexis steps forward.)
Alexis: We figure somewhere close by.
(Nikolas looks back at Noah and Patrick.)
Nikolas: My grandmother is smart, but she has flaws. Her biggest one is that she has a pattern of underestimating her enemies. She underestimates Robin and who she is. She sees her as a feeble, soft doctor… with all book smarts and not one instinct for survival. My grandmother only knows the brilliant doctor, the girl who graduated with honors and went to Yale and the Sorbonne; she doesn't know the woman who was kidnapped by sociopaths, who stood up for Tony Jones when the rest of the town turned their back on him, who lived with car bombs and bullet proof windows. Robin is a survivor. She always was one. My grandmother bit off more than she could possibly chew when she took Robin. I can guarantee you that. (Simply) I am just afraid of what my grandmother will do when Robin fights back – because we know she will.
(Meanwhile in the lower level of Wyndemere, Helena Cassidine walks down toward the wine cellar with her two henchmen. She had found an entrance to this particular part of Wyndemere years ago. Her weaker son, Stefan, blocked it off after thinking his precious Laura had died. Of course, she didn't… but that didn't inspire Stefan to reopen this part of his mansion. He had used this wine cellar at that time to keep all of his love-sick mementos from their time together in Greece. Now that Stefan was dead, no one else knew about this corner of Wyndemere or the entrance to it outside of the main gate. It was the perfect hideaway for the brilliant Dr. Scorpio and her spy mommy. Helena was thoroughly proud of herself. Her whole plan was brilliant in her humble opinion. She simply abducted Anna Devane and kept her long enough to cause some sort of stir and lure back Robert Scorpio. She just knew he would leave town immediately to find his precious Anna, leaving his also precious daughter behind, then hired Manny Ruiz to abduct Robin, paying him enough money for him to move to another country of his choice and start over. The plan was flawless. Nikolas, much like her weaker son Stefan, never fully got over his first real love. Laura was Stefan's weakness; Robin was his. Both men never truly had these women; therefore, they'd sacrifice their souls to have them in any way they could, including mere friendly gratitude. It was pathetic actually, Helena thought. Pathetic, but useful. She knew Nikolas would sign over his fortune to get Robin back… and once again the Cassidine power would be hers. She would flee back to Greece, give Nikolas, her grandson with disappointedly too many Stefan-like qualities, the woman that would never love him and all would be the way it should. Helena smiles proudly as she walks closer to the wine cellar. She was so close to victory she could taste it. She gestures for her men to open the door and once they do, they stop shortly. An overly confident, Helena, simply stares back at her henchmen.)
Helena: I think it may be time to move them.
Man: It's too late. (Looks at her) They're already gone.

Setting: The Tunnels in Wyndemere
(It feels like it's been hours. Robin and her mother have been walking through pitch blackness with no sense of direction looking for a simple glimmer of light, of hope. Robin knew the tunnels of Wyndemere well from her childhood, but she knew them well with a flashlight. There were no lights in these tunnels. All they had was darkness and dirt. Robin could feel the grime starting to cover her body from head to toe. The further they walked, the further Robin was convinced that Helena picked a part of Wyndemere that was abandoned. It was not a surprise that Nikolas had no idea that his old friend was only a mere few feet underneath his office. The more they walked, the more Robin feared that she made a grave mistake. The air was becoming denser, the dirt was becoming thicker. If this was a part of Wyndemere that has been indeed closed off for years, then logic told her that the air pockets have also most likely been sealed. It was around this time that Robin turned around and looked at her mother and they both came to a quiet realization. They may be walking into their own graves.)

Anna: Tell me about this Patrick Drake.
(Robin smiles tiredly as her and her mother slowly make their way through another passage.)
Robin: I thought we were trying to conserve our air.
Anna: A few words won't hurt.
(Anna was trying desperately to keep her daughter awake. She could tell by her slowing movements that she was getting tired. Robin was walking her way through these tunnels with pure adrenaline, but Anna knew extremely well that adrenaline was bound to run out and she needed her daughter then to move on something else… love.)
Robin (sighs): I don't only have a few words about Patrick Drake. Okay, he drives me crazy. (Smiles) But a good crazy. He's so damn cocky. (Hesitates) But I almost accept it, because he has reason to be. He's the smartest man I ever met; the most charismatic… he's just unbelievable.
Anna: And you love him?
Robin: Unbelievable considering I swore off love, huh?
Anna: I knew that wouldn't last long.
Robin: Sure, you did.
Anna: And he loves you?
Robin (simply): Yes.
Anna: You say that confidently. That makes me happy.
Robin: I know that confidently. I don't question things with Patrick. I mean, we played a lot of games in the beginning… maybe too many games, but even then I knew how he felt about me somewhat. We're both very stubborn; too stubborn for own goods, probably. We're a lot alike.
Anna: I remember when you first met him. (Laughs) You were so appalled by him.
Robin: Appalled is an excellent word. (Shakes her head) Appalled by his lack of professionalism; his sheer mockery of the sanctity of the O.R. (Smiles) I'm glad I got over that.
Anna: Do you think this could be serious? What's going on between you?
Robin (quietly): You mean, if we make it out of this… will Patrick and I have “happily ever after?” (Sighs) I don't know. All I do know is that I can't imagine my life without Patrick. I can't imagine him not being in my life, in some sort of way. (Feeling her way around another corner) I mean, of course I would want him as my life partner. But somehow while we were fighting and bickering, we fell in love and while doing that, he became my best friend. I can't imagine not having that. (Thinks) The other day, I had to treat Jason and… being with him, sort of reminded me of what we once were to each other. We were once so deeply in love. I mean, I thought he was my entire world. Jason Morgan was my definition of “happily ever after” for so long. But, the problem was… we weren't best friends. I mean, we were friends. We truly enjoyed each other's company. But when things got rough, when you need that best friend to pick you up and put you back together, we didn't turn to each other. He'd turn to Sonny or Carly and I'd turn to, say, Brenda or Nikolas, maybe. (Simply) I can't picture going to someone else besides Patrick to get fixed… and I don't know, I kind of hope that if you were to ask him, he would say that he'd come to me.
(Anna looks back at her daughter and sighs loudly. She was such a woman now. Such a beautiful grown woman.)
Anna: I'm sure he would.
(Robin just nods and continues down one of the dark corridors. She was getting so tired. Robin didn't know how much more she could walk. She felt like she was struggling just to keep each foot moving in front of the other and each breath was taking longer to leave her lungs. Even her head felt heavier with each inch. Maybe this was a bad idea.)

Setting: Wyndemere
(Nikolas and Alexis are sitting on his couch going through pages and pages of financial documents. Patrick and Noah are standing in the corner of the room simply watching them. Noah finally turns his head and looks at his son.)

Noah: Why are we still here?
Patrick: I want to make sure Nikolas does the right thing.
Noah: No, you want to wait to see if his grandmother comes back here.
(Patrick looks back at his father.)
Patrick: And what if I do?
Noah: What are you going to do, Patrick? Kill her? You are a neurosurgeon – not a murderer!
Patrick (straightly): You don't think I'm capable of hurting the woman who has my pregnant girlfriend?
(Noah closes his eyes. In that moment, he fears that he did the wrong thing by telling Patrick that Robin was pregnant with their child. That one single piece of information heightened Patrick's irrational state. Noah looks at his son. He couldn't blame him. He would've been the same way if someone had Mattie and Patrick years ago. His sweet, beautiful Mattie. A day never passed that Noah didn't think of his late wife. He missed her so much, especially during times like these. She had such a special gift of talking sense to their, often times, irrational son. She would simply touch his arm, brush back a strand of his always unruly hair then smile that genuine smile and, sure enough, Patrick would step back into line. The power of a mother's love. Meanwhile only a few mere feet away, Robin and her mother are making their way through another tunnel. Anna notices Robin slow down once again considerably and she moves toward her.)
Anna (concerned): Robin?
(Robin looks back at her mother, her eyes glazed over slightly.)
Robin: I just need a break.
(Anna simply nods as she touches her daughter's face.)
Anna: Of course, luv. Just breathe.
(Robin nods as she leans back on the wall. In and out. Breathe in. Breathe out. In through the nose and out through the mouth. Robin knew how to breathe. She's been doing it for twenty-eight years. She could do this. Robin simply closes her eyes and thinks of something calming… Patrick. She feels him simply wash over her. She reaches up and gently touches her forehead where he had a habit of always kissing her during their most intimate times. Robin smiles softly and breathes out a contented sigh. Patrick. And that was her last thought as she fell to the ground underneath her. Anna immediately rushes toward her daughter and immediately cradles her body in her arms as she leans down toward her. She was still breathing. Robin fainted. Anna's eyes search her daughter's, now dirt covered, face and sees a large gash that must've happened as a result of the fall. Thinking fast, Anna rips off a part of her own T-shirt and attempts to make some sort of bandage. They had to get out of here… and they had to keep moving. Anna closes her eyes, takes a deep breath then with the strength of a mother's love, picks up her daughter in her arms and starts down the darkened tunnel. Adrenaline just kicked into a whole other gear.)

Setting: The Haunted Star
(Mac and Robert Scorpio as well as Lucky and Luke Spencer are sitting at the bar with a large map of Port Charles sprawled out covering it.)

Lucky: We've covered each and every part of Port Charles possible.
(Luke stares down at a small segment of the map. His eyes narrow down at the Harborview Penthouse.)
Luke: Have we, really? (Looks at Mac) Bubba, have you spoken to Robin's ex?
Mac: We brought them down for questioning last night.
Robert (angrily): And?
Mac: And he knew nothing.
Robert: Common thugs don't usually volunteer information with ease.
Luke: For Robin, they would.
(All three men look back at Luke.)
Luke: Look, I am not a card carrying member of the Jason Morgan or Sonny Corinthos fan club… but I am certain that they wouldn't hold back information that could jeopardize Robin's wellbeing.
Sonny: We wouldn't.
(Robert looks up as Lorenzo Alcazar and Sonny Corinthos walks into the Haunted Star with Jason Morgan closely behind them.)
Luke: You three together. Now, that's something I thought I'd never see.
Lorenzo: It's for a good cause. Robin did a lot to help Skye during the epidemic.
Lucky: What do you have?
Sonny: Manny Ruiz. He's disappeared.
Lorenzo: I've had some men do some investigating. A large sum of money was deposited into his account a few weeks ago.
Jason: It's believed that he was paid off to complete a job.
Lucky: And you think that job was Robin?
Jason: I've been asking some questions around the hospital. From all accounts, I seem to be the last person that saw Robin. However, Maxie said she saw Manny right after I finished my appointment with her.
Robert: Where did she see Manny?
Jason: Pushing a laundry cart onto the elevator.
(Robert and Luke look at one another as does Mac and Lucky.)
Sonny: I have my men trying to figure out who Manny was working for.
Lorenzo: Once we find out who deposited the money into Manny's account, we'll find out who has Robin.
Robert: And possibly Anna.

Setting: Wyndemere
(Noah and Patrick are standing in the corner of the room, both men with their arms crossed against their chests. Alexis Davis stands up abruptly and stops shortly at the sight of them. They almost looked identical at that moment. Patrick is the first to turn his head toward her and she jumps slightly then moves toward him.)

Alexis: We drew the papers. Nikolas will contact Helena.
(Nikolas stands up and walks over to Patrick and Noah.)
Nikolas: I know it's a waste of breath, but I don't think it's smart if you're both here when my grandmother arrives.
Patrick: I'm not leaving here until I'm face-to-face with that…
Noah (cuts him off): We'll stay out of the way.
(Nikolas raises his hands, in a gesture of withdrawal, then starts to walk toward his desk. Patrick follows him, clearly losing all sense of patience and control, and looks back at him.)
Patrick: Are you in love with her?
(Nikolas looks up at Patrick wide-eyed.)
Nikolas: What?
Patrick: You heard me. Are you in love with Robin?
Nikolas (angrily): You are kidding me right now, right? I am trying to save the woman you supposedly care about and you are questioning my motivations?!?!
Patrick: Not your motivations – I'm questioning YOU!
(Nikolas stares back at Patrick. He's trying so hard to cut this punk some slack. He obviously hasn't slept, eaten or shaved since Robin was taken.)
Nikolas: As I said the last ten times, I care about Robin.
Patrick (pointedly): Care? Not love? I seem to remember you saying you loved her.
Nikolas: And you don't care about your friends? (Snidely) You don't care about Carly?
(And that was it. Patrick raises his fist to strike Nikolas, but Noah almost expecting this reaction from his son sooner rather than later, leaps toward him and grabs his hand.)
Noah: Don't make this worse, Patrick!
(Patrick swings around wildly and looks at his father.)
Patrick (yells): Worse?!?! Does it get much worse than this!?!? The woman I love has been missing for almost twenty-four hours. And the only lead we have is this joke's psycho granny looking for money. How do we even know she has her? For all we know, she could've heard Robin was missing and took this as an opportunity to visit Prince ATM!
(Alexis attempts to somehow calm Patrick's fury.)
Alexis: Patrick…
(Patrick swings his arm away from Alexis's touch.)
Patrick: I want proof that Robin is alive. If you're going to sign over some family fortune to the psychopath, then I want to see proof that she has her.
(And as if Patrick's loud words broke through the wall, suddenly the bookcase behind him starts to move. Alexis and Nikolas both turn with widened eyes, expecting Helena to enter the room after using her favorite mode of transportation. What they weren't expecting was to see Anna Devane holding a limping Robin Scorpio in her arms. Nikolas's mouth falls in shock. Patrick turns around slowly and in that moment, his entire world stopped. He breathlessly mouthed her name and that was all it took for their eyes to finally meet. She was the one to move first and she ran directly into Patrick's arms, holding him as if she was holding onto him for dear life. Patrick buries his face in Robin's neck and she can feel his hot tears against her cool skin. It was in that moment, he swore that he was never letting Robin leave his side again. However, not wanting to cut short their reunion, but feeling the need to, Anna looks around the room wildly then looks directly at Nikolas.)
Anna: Your grandmother is probably still in this house with two armed men. And either we're taking her out or she's taking us out, but one thing is for certain – she is not leaving this island alive.

to be continued...

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