by Luvsjhawks
Sonny Corinthos stood quietly in the living room; Jason's and Robin's voices fading as they retired upstairs for the evening. No matter that he'd arrived unexpectedly, he'd been warmly welcomed by two of the people dearest in the world to him. But despite the righteous feel of this "homecoming", and despite the fact that these dear friends were only a few yards away, as opposed to being separated from him by countless miles and territorial borders-- Sonny could not recall a time when he had ever felt more alone.
Into the vacuum created by their departure rushed an almost tactile feeling of loss. It was as if some entity had devoured him whole. But the end of suffering would not be quick.
Rather, it would be like a long, slow drain; making it harder and harder to remember that there were still a few good things left in this life of his-- perhaps to a point where he might not care about the now, let alone his so-called future.
Robin had looked so beautiful in the gown she'd worn to Cassadine's bacchanalia. Sonny had chided Jason for not escorting her to the party; as well as upon learning that Robin had taken a taxi home from the hospital after Katherine Bell's accident and death. He wished he could have undone the tragic outcome of tonight's events. Heaven knew Robin didn't need any more of Fate's testing of her character. In Sonny's opinion, Robin had passed too many tests already-- badly bent more than a few times-- but never broken. It seemed like overkill that her small bits of happiness always seemed to be followed by catastrophic times of pain and sadness. But she had Jason now, and with him, Robin would have help with whatever future burdens fell upon her small, yet sturdy shoulders .
Recalling how Jason's face always lit up whenever he looked at Robin, Sonny couldn't help but smile. Their blinding love for each other made his world a better place. He liked to think that in some distant future, he'd be able to look back and say that Robin and Jason had grown even more together over time-- that Jason's eyes still sparkled whenever they fell upon Robin; and that he would be able to look at a still healthy Robin Scorpio-Morgan-- whose love and devotion to Jason never once faltered during the lowest of low points that had inevitably come their way.
Sonny's heart ached for so many things-- with pleasure and gratitude that Robin and Jason had found their way back together. With regret that, if only he hadn't been so weak and leaned on Jason so heavily after Lily's death; forcing Jason to become as ensnared as he was in this harsh and lethal business; with despair over Brenda's suffering. Sonny had no doubt that if he dwelled on it, he could come up with a pretty impressive list of regrets. He moved away from window's scenic view and let his body collapse loosely onto a nearby sofa.
Brenda's words were still cutting away at his heart, and Sonny wondered how he would make it through the night, let alone the rest of his life. Somehow, he would have to get up in the morning, and convince the world and himself that he really could go on. He had been dealt some hard blows in this life, literally and figuratively-- and had gotten up each time. This time felt different, Sonny mused. He wondered if he would find his way to that strange place where Brenda had gone when he left her. What bitter symmetry that would be, he thought.
"I saved you, Brenda... I left," he'd told her earlier that evening. Of course, there really wasn't very much he could say in his own defense. Some inexplicable force had sent Brenda to the penthouse, and Sonny knew that this meeting had to take place; and that as badly as Brenda needed to talk, he himself had needed just to listen.
By the grace of God, he'd managed to get through it. But survival had come at an emotionally steep price. Brenda poured out her anger, and her pain-- her words cutting directly to his heart; like some emotional surgery that peeled away layer after layer; eventually reaching an unprotected center where everything was magnified. Unlike most battles Sonny had waged, the object of this one was to lose; to remain silent, when all he wanted to do was reach out and hold Brenda, and tell her it was all a mistake; to sit quietly and watch a part of himself slip farther and farther away, and not try to pull it back; and most of all to not show anything of what he was feeling that would make Brenda second-guess herself.
"...You just liked having a little model on your arm, so... I thought I'd destroy myself, so you couldn't... I ended up at Lily's grave. I sat there in the snow and looked at her name. And I just realized, for the first time, that I'd rather be alive than be Mrs. Corinthos. It took me a long time to realize that my life means something without you... If you'd come to the church that night, we'd be married and I'd be living with you right now... waiting for the man with the gun to come, just like you said. I'd be your woman, but I wouldn't be my woman. And I'd just be dying for love that's not really love... You made me doubt every single thing that I'd built my life on since the first day that I loved you. You hurt me... more than anyone else, ever."
"I did it to save your life," he had said to her near the end.
"Yeah, I know," Brenda had told him. "And that's the other reason I came here. To thank you... I grew up loving you-- and then you left me. And now I'm letting you go. We were so beautiful, weren't we? And now we're just done".
With a sigh, Sonny returned to the present and lightly touched his fingertips to his lips. He could still feel the energy of their last kiss, and the tiny, false embers of hope it conjured in counterpoint to the emptiness that followed Brenda's good-bye. Yes, there had been a price to pay. And he would gladly pay it a hundred more times if it kept Brenda not only alive, but alive and happy. He had survived this hurdle, considerably worse for wear-- but he was still here. Helping her believe that they were both doing the right thing now was a part of it, too. His holding back and not acting, when every pore of his being was crying out to hold her and never let her go-- that was the really big lie. And it would be the last lie between them. Sonny leaned forward with his face in his hands, and tried to think of nothing for a while.
********************************************
Upstairs in the nursery, Jason held Robin's hand as they stood looking down at the peacefully sleeping Michael Morgan. Robin had lost track of how long they had been standing there. She had thought that seeing the baby might numb the suffocating grief she was feeling over Katherine's death. But it had not. Michael's helpless innocence only seemed to magnify the sense of loss-- not her own-- but that of Katherine's. Just when things had seemed to be falling in place for her friend-- what should have been one of the happiest times of Katherine's life. Over... in just an instant. It was a familiar feeling for Robin. The suddenness of loss; of life turned upside down. One minute alive-- and the next-- a bullet, a bomb, a fire, a fall, a virus-- and it's all snatched away. Robin's grip on Jason's hand was tighter for a moment, and she sighed heavily.
Jason glanced at her and smiled. He leaned over the crib rail and lightly touched one of Michael's outstretched hands. Robin saw Michael's chubby hand reflexively close around Jason's index finger. She felt her throat tighten and the tears begin to spill down her cheeks. She untangled her hand from Jason's and hurried quickly from the room; unheeding his soft call of her name as he turned in surprise at her exit.
Once she reached Jason's room, Robin felt herself beginning to tremble. She hugged her arms around herself and sat on the side of the bed. The hoop in her formal gown immediately pouffed the skirt up into her face. Robin almost wanted to giggle-- this was something straight out of a comedy film-- but the tears streaming down her face made it impossible. Leaping to her feet, she raised the hem of her dress and began trying to undo the clasp that held the hoop around her waist. Anger and impatience made her fingers into uncooperative thumbs. Halfway between sobbing and laughing, Robin felt herself losing control. I can't even undress myself, she thought distractedly. Stop it, stop it, stop it... she could hear herself saying, as another inappropriate giggle escaped.
Jason rushed into the room, a worried look on his face. He knew that Robin needed him-- but wasn't exactly what he could do. It looked like Robin was crying and laughing at the same time. The overwhelming sadness he saw on her face momentarily stopped him in his tracks. His jaw clenched in anger that he could not stop her pain; but his eyes were softened by his need to somehow take that pain away from her. In a stride, he was beside her; bending to lift her by her waist and press her to him.
Carrying her towards the bed, Jason lowered Robin to her feet as he sat down on the edge. Robin's bowed head rested on top of his as he quickly undid the snap at her waist. The hoop dropped silently to the floor, and Jason steadied Robin as she stepped out of it. He kicked it aside and pulled Robin into his lap. Robin-- usually so pliable in his arms-- was stiff with tension, and, he suspected, a lot of unshed tears.
"Robin, I don't know what to say... but if you need to cry, it's okay". It was such a simple statement, but the tenderness in his voice as he said it was all that was needed for Robin to release the pain she had been holding inside. A muffled sob escaped her, and she covered her face with her hands, relaxing. "I've got you, Robin, just let it go", he said softly, tightening his grip around her.
Unconsciously, Jason began rocking her. From time to time, he whispered to her; saying that it would be all right, that he loved her and would do anything he could to make it better. Jason bit back his own anguish at Robin's pain-- but time and personal experience were teaching him that losing control this way could be of some benefit-- and as agonizing as it was to watch Robin go through it, Jason new that it would not hurt forever, and that she would feel a little better when the tears stopped. His own eyes moistened in sympathy.
After a time, Robin's sobs became less frequent, and finally all that remained were the occasional hiccuping aftershocks that followed a hard cry. Jason felt her shift against him, as she slipped her arms around him in a fierce embrace. He knew that this was another of those times when they needed no words. He felt her love for him, and her gratitude for the shelter she found in his arms. Robin had told him not to be angry at himself when he couldn't always find the right words to tell her how much he loved her--but sometimes it frustrated him no end. At this minute, Jason's heart ached the way it did when Robin said "your heart's too full". For now, he would just hold her, caress her, rub her back. And he would try not to think about all the time they had wasted being apart.
From out of nowhere came that awful feeling, the one of a life without Robin that sometimes crept into his consciousness, making Jason feel as if he were strangling. It was the one thing that could make him feel weak with fear-- and Jason's embrace was noticeably tighter around Robin for a moment. Robin felt the change in Jason's body- a tensing she had come to recognize. It was as if Jason were anticipating something unpleasant. He had once told her that this feeling was almost like those first few seconds after he'd been shot. Like the breath had been knocked out of him and he couldn't breathe air in no matter how much he struggled. Robin knew that her publicly fearless Jason was not totally without fear. She knew he sometimes needed to be reminded that her being back in his life was for real-- and as much as she had any control over it-- she was never going to leave him again.
It was her turn to comfort Jason, and the soft pats on the back she gave him told him that it was only fear. They had right now, and they had no time for fear-- they would not let fear win.
Jason rested his head on Robin's shoulder and expelled a long sigh. He could feel that awful dread receding into the dark place; being replaced with the simple joy that filled his heart whenever Robin was in his arms. He had told Sonny that it was enough just knowing that Robin was out there somewhere in the world, enjoying life. And that had been true-- up to a point. But the difference between how that had felt; compared to how he felt right now, holding her tight-- was the difference between night and day. It was hard to imagine that he could ever be happier than he had been in the last few days. Jason promised himself he would never, ever hold back in letting her know how important she was to him.
Robin's hand gently caressing his face brought him back to the moment, and he turned into it, kissing her palm, and covering her hand with his. He opened his eyes and pulled back to look at her. Her eyes might be bleary with fatigue and grief- but the beauty he remembered seeing that day in the hospital when he woke up with no past was always there. She smiled at him, and his full heart felt like it would explode. His eyes crinkled at her in return. He took her hand and pressed it against his chest--knowing Robin would feel how fast his heart was racing.
Robin returned his intense gaze. She heard his unspoken promise of safe haven and how deeply he loved her. Jason hid nothing of himself from her. And Robin felt like she was being entrusted with the most precious gift in the world. Sometimes when he looked at her this way, she felt like they briefly became one person instead of two. These moments always left her profoundly moved. Best of all, she could see in Jason's eyes that he felt the same way, too.
"Do you want to go to bed and get some sleep now"? Jason asked.
"Yes", Robin murmured, and after a beat, adding, "…and no". She looked at him pointedly while he processed her response. Jason had quickly nodded his agreement with the first part of her answer-- but the end of it had taken him unaware. He paused in the motion of standing and resettled himself on the side of the bed. He looked at her with an expression of uncertainty and surprise. But as he stared into her dark, beautiful eyes, and saw a hint of the playful smile she was trying so hard hide, Jason understood what Robin was telling him; and he the mischievous wink and smile he gave her in return made Robin laugh outright-- the clear sound of it something he never thought he'd hear so soon after the earlier events of the day. That he could do this for her only made his full heart even more so.
They stood, and Jason helped her slip out of the formal gown; pressing one of his clean tee shirts from the dresser into substitute service as a nightgown for Robin. He quickly shed the remains of his own clothes down to his boxers. They adjourned to the bathroom, and when they had both finished brushing their teeth, Jason stood quietly behind Robin, his arms around her, as she downed the scheduled meds of the protocol.
As she held his gaze in the mirror, Robin felt surrounded by the support Jason exuded by his presence alone. The harsh reality that her life depended on swallowing countless pills on a taskmaster schedule every day for as long as she lived, seemed not so bad-- as long as she could see and feel his encouragement. She knew she could do it, because she had to. Robert and Anna Scorpio had imbued in her the strength and courage to face what needed to be done, and to do it. But having Jason's loving support as backup was her "icing on the cake".
Chasing the last two capsules down with a final sip of water, Robin placed the glass on the counter and gave Jason a thumbs-up signal. That brought a brief laugh from him. He kissed the top of her head, swept her into his arms and carried her to the bed; nuzzling kisses across her face. Placing her on the bed, he tenderly pulled the covers over her. And rather than waste time walking around to his side of the bed, Jason executed an athletic vault up and over Robin, sticking the landing perfectly beside her on the bed, regarding her expectantly.
Robin lay on her side, head propped on her hand, quirking an eyebrow at him. She feigned a look of nonchalance, showing him a teasing, hand-over-mouth yawn, as if unimpressed by his athleticism. Challenging her pseudo-boredom, with a quiet laugh Jason reached out quickly and pulled her to him, catching her off-guard. Robin giggled in surprise and tried to go on the offensive-- but she knew how this game would end. Jason was tickle-proof, she had learned the hard way, but she always gave it her best shot anyway. Unaffected by Robin's weak offensive tactics, Jason assumed his best faux look of menace, and made a show of threatening Robin's vulnerable collarbones. They were both laughing softly by now. Robin hunched her shoulders and rolled away from Jason's fluttering fingers. She giggled anxiously, wondering what was coming next. Nothing did, but just when she was about to roll back and see what he was up to, she felt him slide over next to her.
Jason loved Robin too much to indulge in severe teasing. He could never quite forget the first time he had tickled her and she had laughed so hard that tears came to her eyes. He had been appalled and angry at himself. And even though Robin had tried to explain that it was okay, he had always been somewhat reserved whenever they got playful. Over time, he began to feel more comfortable, as they learned more about each other's bodies and temperaments. But he never forgot the remorse he had felt upon seeing the results of his early attempts at teasing her that way. It was a mistake he would never repeat.
But right now, Jason was happy that Robin's mood had lightened, and that she was actually laughing-the sorrow of Katherine's death momentarily banished for another time.
Lying on his side behind her, Jason moved her hair aside and softly kissed the back of her neck. Robin gave a little jump of surprise-- but they both knew at that moment that playtime was over. Jason ran his hand along Robin's arm and shoulder and felt her body relaxing. At his gentle urging, Robin shifted and rolled over to face him. Jason propped himself on his elbow and leaned down to kiss her. Robin's hand came up to gently cradle his face as she returned his soft kisses. Both of them understood that this night was not about sex. Rather, it was about the comfort of holding and being held; of making memories of kisses, sighs and smiles. Memories that they could relive, no matter where they were, any place and any time. This was the way they had first learned how to be together; each enjoying the touch and feel of the other; able to show and tell the other their biggest fears, or faults, or dreams. And as much as they did enjoy the recent developments in their sex life; they also enjoyed making love this way-- getting so lost in each other that for a while, nothing else really mattered.
Jason knew Robin liked to fall asleep "spoon-fashion" as she called it, so he placed one last kiss firmly on her lips and helped her turn her back to him. He smiled, remembering how they sometimes joked about how well they fit together in this position, considering the differences in their heights. As Robin nestled her back to his front, he reached over her waist and grasped her hand, lacing his fingers through hers. Robin surrounded his hand in both of hers and held it against her heart.
"I love you, Robin," he said quietly, giving her a gentle squeeze. His soft sigh of contentment briefly ruffled Robin's hair. "I know," Robin whispered back, raising his hand to her lips. "I know... and I will always love you". They were quiet after that.
Robin's breathing slowed and she fell asleep quickly.
Jason was tired, too. But holding Robin while she slept gave him a kind of pleasure he found hard to explain, and he was not quite ready to let go of it just for sleep. He supposed it might have something to do with not having to wonder if the guards were doing their job, or if there was some possible threat to her, for which he was unprepared, looming on the horizon. Maybe it was a simple as the absence of worry, of knowing that she was safe for a time from harm from outside sources while she rested in his arms. But whatever the name for it, it was a part of their life together he valued greatly. Sleep could come later.
Right now, as he lay still and quiet behind her, Jason hoped that even in sleep, Robin could somehow feel how much he loved her. When he was with Robin this way, he felt like anything was possible. As the minutes ticked by, Jason reveled in the feel of her pressed against him; the reassuring sound of her breathing; even the minute muscle tics of sleep. He wondered if she would have good dreams tonight-- and hoped that this was so. At one point, Robin stirred as if about to awaken, and he heard the whisper of his name escape her lips. "I'm here," he told her, gently squeezing the hand still entwined in his, his other hand softly stroking her dark hair. Robin's breathing resumed its slow pace and she fell silent again. Jason closed his eyes and silently thanked God for putting Robin in his life. Shortly after that, he, too, fell asleep.
When Robin awoke, it was to the familiar and comforting sound of Jason's steady breathing at her back. He no longer held her hand, but his arm was still draped over her waist. Robin lay motionless for a few minutes; appreciating the moment. This was the easy part about loving someone, she thought-- when they were lying close together this way, away from real world. It was when you're awake that things started to get complicated, she thought. She, too, enjoyed these little pockets of time that made their relationship seem almost like that of any other couple. In here, right now, there was no Mob, no Taggert or threats of grand jury investigations, etc. It was just her and Jason, two people who were deliriously happy to be back with each other; this time forever.
She wasn't sure what had wakened her-- but she was sure that she wasn't ready to fall back to sleep any time soon. A rumbling from her stomach, made Robin decide that raiding the fridge might be just the thing. Carefully lifting Jason's arm from her waist, she rolled to a sitting position on the side of the bed. Jason immediately woke up.
"Robin...are you okay?" he asked, his voice hoarse with sleep. "Is something wrong?"
Robin swung her legs back up on the bed and scooted over next to him. "No, sweetie! Nothing's wrong. I woke up. I think I'm gonna go raid the fridge."
"Want me to come with you?" Jason asked. Robin leaned down and kissed his forehead.
"No, silly!" she said, affectionately running her fingers through his sleep-rumpled hair.
"Go back to sleep. I'm all right... really." At Jason's sleepy "okay," Robin nuzzled her cheek gently against his for a moment-- his fuzzy stubble making her smile-- and then got off the bed. She nabbed her robe from the closet. Checking her watch, she retrieved one of her pill bottles from the medicine cabinet on her way out the door.
Robin stepped out into the hallway and softly closed the door to Jason's room. She swung by the nursery and looked in on Michael. His baby-snores reassured her he was still sleeping peacefully. She left, still smiling, and made her way downstairs. She padded through the empty living room and into the kitchen, flipping on the light as she entered.
Not expecting to see anyone, she let out a low, startled screech as the darkness gave way; revealing a figure slumped over the kitchen table. In the few seconds it took for Robin to realize who it was, Sonny's head shot up in surprise and he staggered upright out of the chair, an almost wild look on his face. They stood looking at each other in amazement for a few seconds and then Robin let out a nervous giggle. Sonny blinked and tried to wipe the sleep from his eyes. He ran his hand across his face and gave his head a clearing shake.
"Whew! Robin... you sure know how to make an entrance!" Sonny said breathlessly. "What are you trying to do... give ol' Sonny a heart attack or something?" He grinned as he reseated himself, a hand pressed dramatically against his chest.
Regaining her composure, Robin replied indignantly, "Sonny, what on earth are you doing sitting here in a dark kitchen at this time of night?!" Sonny reached out his hand to her. Robin took it and sat down in the chair adjacent to his.
"Ahhhh... well, technically, you're right," Sonny replied wryly. "I was sitting in the dark.
But mostly I was just sleeping. It's what people do when it's dark out, you know? Show some respect to your elders, young lady!" The twinkle in Sonny's eyes belied the chiding words. "Besides," he added, "I could ask you the same thing. What's your excuse for being up??"
"Me!?" Robin retorted. "I just had the munchies! And don't try to change the subject! You know perfectly well what I mean. Why didn't you just go up to your room and go to bed?" She looked at him in concern.
"Honey, you better be careful asking me a question like that. If I can't explain it to myself, I sure as hell would have a hard time trying to explain it to anyone else". Robin took in the wry smile on Sonny's face. But she would not be put off by a flip answer. She held his hand in a firm grip and kept looking him in the eye. Raising an eyebrow, she guessed, "Brenda?"
Sonny's eyes slid quickly away from her gaze and he sat back in his chair, pulling his hand away. "Not real hard to guess, huh?" he replied, with just and edge of bitterness in his voice. He looked back at Robin, seeing the sympathetic anguish in her eyes. He was instantly contrite. "Oh, Robin... honey," he said, leaning forward and recapturing her hand. "I'm okay! I don't want you worrying about me and my problems!"
"Don't ask the impossible, Sonny!" Robin replied impatiently. "Friends don't have any choice but to worry!"
"Okay, okay!" Sonny threw his hands in the air. "If I confess that I had a very bad day and was feeling sorry for myself, will you go easy on me?" Robin knew Sonny was trying to lighten the moment; but she could hear the very real pain hiding behind his words.
"I wish there was something I could do, Sonny," Robin said with a sigh. "I know how much Brenda meant... means to you. Right now has got to be a pretty bad time. I am so sorry if anything I said or did made it worse."
"Robin, honey, don't even think of feeling guilty or sorry about anything". Sonny looked at her intently, then away. His voice hoarse with emotion, he added: "She stopped by here, earlier today."
Robin gasped in surprise. "Oh my God, Sonny! Why didn't you say anything before now?! If I'd known that I would have..."
Sonny cut her off with a dismissive shake of his head. "Robin, no... no. There really wasn't anything you or anybody else could do about it. Besides, you already had your hands full; you didn't need me whining and moaning about my little problems after what you went through today. There was no way I was going to dump any more of my personal craziness on you. Just no way." He reached out a hand and briefly caressed her cheek. "Sweetie, you know I appreciate the support you've always given me. You and Jason are like my personal anchors, and I've leaned on you more than a little. But this... I have to accept responsibility for the decisions I've made. It's all on me. I was the one with the brilliant idea of leaving Brenda at the altar. I wanted her to hate me so she would never want to find me... so she would be safe. I knew it wouldn't be any picnic. But things turned out a hell of a lot worse than I ever thought."
Sonny looked away again. Robin could see the moisture brimming in his eyes; and she thought that Sonny was probably seeing the start of a long and unhappy journey-- and still not quite sure how he ever got on the path in the first place. She remained quiet, figuring Sonny needed every opportunity that came his way to make sense of things. He would be living with the consequences of his decisions for a long time. Robin was silently grateful that she had been given another chance to undo her own ill-advised decision of last summer.
Coming out of the thoughtful silence, Sonny again looked at Robin; his eyes refusing to surrender the tears. Clearing his throat he said, "I've been thinking... as bad as it was for me; for Brenda to come over here and tell me good-bye... that it was probably the best thing in the world for her. She needed to feel like she was taking back control over her life. She had to close the door on our relationship. And if that helps her move on, I can't be sad about that. Can I?" Sonny asked with a crooked little smile.
"Well, are you?" Robin replied succinctly.
"Hell, yes!" Sonny promptly replied. "Maybe it won't hurt so bad in another twenty years or so, if I'm lucky to live that long! But right now, sometimes I think about what I've done... and it gets real hard to breathe." The words were simple and honest. Robin could tell by the look in Sonny's eyes that his plan for a life without Brenda was shaky at best. She understood that empty feeling and wanted to scream at the universe, or at God, for Sonny having to go through it. Her search for words of comfort was coming up empty.
"Well, Sonny, you know what they say about that closed the door. There's supposed to be an upside, remember? One door closes, another opens. Maybe you can't even imagine it right now. But maybe the trick is to keep watching out for it anyway."
Sonny regarded her quietly for a moment, then nodded slightly. Then he drew in a deep breath and exhaled sharply. Robin took the motion for what it was-- a shift in the subject matter. Brenda was tabled, at least for the night.
Sonny looked at her mischievously. "Didn't you say something about food, when you came in here?" he asked. Robin nodded.
"Okay! That's it!" Sonny jumped to his feet, grabbing a dishtowel and draping it over his bent forearm. "My name is Sonny, and I'll be your waiter for the evening," he said jauntily. Sauntering over to the refrigerator, he snapped open the door and began eyeing the contents. Robin grinned as Sonny playfully ran down the "menu" for her. She declined his offer to throw together a gourmet snack; insisting instead that the simple, yet time-honored PB&J would be sufficient. Sonny clucked in good-natured disapproval at such a skimpy snack-- but didn't belabor the point.
Robin grinned at seeing how much Sonny loved puttering around in the kitchen. He was no slouch in the cooking department, she knew. She and Jason could personally attest to the five-star quality of some of the feasts Sonny had put together over the years. Robin felt so lucky to have him in her life. He was a man of many layers; so sad that the press and most of the public could not, or would not see beyond the surface layer of his reputation and public persona.
Apparently determined that Robin would not escape the table only having eaten a sandwich, Sonny set a saucepan on the stovetop and pulled out the ingredients for cocoa--first giving her a waggled-eyebrow "don't argue" look. Robin laughed out loud and gave a hands-up gesture of surrender.
A short time later, Sonny placed the sandwich in front of Robin with a flourish, and then carefully sat the cup of cocoa down beside it. On a final trip to the counter, he poured a cup for himself; before rinsing the used pot and other utensils and placing them in the sink. Sonny walked back to the table, bending to give Robin a quick peck on the cheek before reseating himself.
"Talk to me, sweetie," he ordered affectionately. He shook off Robin's offer of half of the sandwich.
"What about?" Robin asked, taking a first good-sized bite of PB&J.
"What do you think?! Anything. Everything! Jason. That Carly person." The last was said with such disdain that Robin knew Sonny had been giving the Carly situation considerable thought.
"I kinda wondered when you'd get around to asking about her," Robin said wryly.
"Can you blame me?" Sonny retorted vehemently. "Honey, you know I love you and I respect your privacy-- but I'm having a hard time understanding this thing between Jason and this woman."
"That makes two of us, Sonny." Robin said. She took another bite of sandwich, taking her time to reflect while chewing. In a moment she continued. "You know there are some things about this that I can't talk about with you, Sonny." She paused, and Sonny nodded in understanding. "Okay," she continued, "Jason told me you already guessed the part about him not being Michael's real father. I support Jason's wanting to protect Michael. But Carly has gotten him into a situation that's already hurting people, and it will only get worse down the road".
Sonny looked at Robin intently. "So... are you okay with this "friendship" of theirs?"
"How much choice do I have, Sonny? No, I don't like it! Carly has been a walking disaster ever since she got to Port Charles! For some reason, Jason honestly thinks she is a real friend. And he's nothing if not loyal to his friends! But I just think he's being naive. He knows Carly doesn't like me, and he knows I don't like her. I know Jason loves me, so I'm not jealous. And I know that she has helped him in the past when he was in a jam a couple of times-- but I can't help feeling that eventually she's going to do something to hurt him really bad!"
"Has she hurt you?"
"What do you mean?"
"You know what I mean! Has she done anything to try to hurt you? I hear she's a little tough on people who get in her way."
Robin looked at Sonny in surprise. Deciding not to question how much he knew or suspected, Robin carefully chose her response. "She hasn't tried to hurt me, physically, Sonny." She drank more of her cocoa before continuing. "Carly hasn't liked me from the beginning. She keeps getting in my face and accusing me of things that aren't true. Mostly I think she thinks I'm trying to turn Jason against her-- which isn't true. A couple of times Jason has gotten on her about some of the stuff she says to me and about me."
"Good for Jason!" Sonny declared, giving her a small smile. Robin grinned in response.
"Yeah, well, that certainly didn't make her like me any better," Robin said wryly. "I try to be civil to her-- but she doesn't make it easy. She goads me, and then seems shocked when I push back!" Sonny could see the anger Robin was holding back as she spoke. He made a note to himself to do some more checking into this Carly person when he got back to the island. He tuned back in as Robin was saying: "Anyway, I'm sure I haven't seen or heard the last from Carly. Jason will keep his word to try and help her as much as possible. All I can do is be with him and hope like hell she doesn't do to him what she did to most of the other people who tried to be nice to her!" Robin paused, looking a little surprised at her outburst. She shook her head slightly. "Sorry", she said apologetically. "I didn't mean to go off like that."
"Hey, it's not a problem, sweetie, Sonny said sincerely. "I asked because I want to know that you'll be okay when I leave. I'm not real fond of the idea of anybody making your life harder than it already is-- and that includes Jason!" The way he was smiling as he said the last, Robin knew that Sonny either already had spoken with Jason about Carly--or he planned to. She wished him a silent good luck on that one. Robin finished her sandwich, and she was more than tired of talking about Carly. There was something else she wanted to say to Sonny-- but she wasn't sure how to bring it up.
It was just about time for another one of her meds, so Robin used the opportunity to gather her thoughts before broaching the subject with Sonny. Rising, she ran tap water into a glass, and with the smoothness born of routine, downed the capsules with an economy of motion. She didn't realize she was twisting the prescription bottle nervously in her hands when she turned and walked back toward the table. "Sonny... there's something I want to tell you..." she began.
Sonny had been in the motion of lifting the cup to his lips. However, the somber tone in Robin's voice stilled his hand. He glanced at the pill bottle in her hands, and then anxiously up to her face. The hand in which he held the cup of cocoa landed weakly on the tabletop, producing a considerable sloshing of cocoa across the table. Sonny didn't know if he was going to pass out, be sick to his stomach, or maybe both. One of many from his repertoire of nightmares began playing out before him, and he was unaware that he was shaking his head; as if to deny the accompanying fear entry into his daytime awareness. In this version, it was Robin's emaciated body, wracked with pain, that lay helplessly on the bed. Robin-- not Stone-- this time, who was slowly slipping away; losing awareness of those around her, of where she was and sometimes even what was happening to her.
Seeing the look on Sonny's face, Robin's mouth fell open in wordless surprise, and for a brief moment her feet wouldn't obey her wish to rush to his side, so she could find out what was wrong. The color had drained from his face. His eyes were closed and she could see his lips moving as he mumbled something under his breath. After what seemed like an eternity, Robin found herself beside him. She placed a cautious hand on his shoulder. "Sonny?" she began tentatively. At his lack of response, louder: "Sonny! What is it?!"
Sonny reacted by pulling her to him, wrapping his arms tightly around her. Robin could now hear him repeating, "Oh, no! Please, God, no!" over and over. It began to dawn on her to what conclusion Sonny might have jumped. She was mortified that she had inadvertently conjured up what was probably one of Sonny's greatest fears. Bringing Sonny out of this panicked behavior suddenly became the most important thing in the world to her. She gave Sonny a less than gentle shake of his shoulders.
"Sonny! Listen to me," she said firmly. "It's not what you think! Do you hear me!? It's not that! I'm fine! My health is fine!"
She waited to see if she had gotten through to him. Sonny's head didn't budge from its position on her shoulder, but he suddenly stopped mid-sentence in his mantra-like rambling. Robin felt him take a deep breath before he said, "You're still okay? With your T-cells count... and everything?" The catch in his voice made speaking difficult.
"Yes, Sonny," Robin said softly. "I'm sorry if I scared you. That's not what I was going to say. I'm fine... really, I am". Robin laid her cheek on top of his head and began rubbing the back of his neck.
"Oh, thank God, thank God!" Robin heard him murmur, his voice cracking. She could feel Sonny starting to tremble now, and knew that he was quietly crying. Robin was silent, knowing Sonny needed time to calm down. She had wanted to try to stay strong, but she was fighting a losing battle in the attempt to keep her own tears at bay. As she allowed herself the brief teary release, her heart went out to this complicated man whom she loved so much. She knew what it cost him to be this vulnerable; even when it was just with her. Sonny was a proud man, and he did not like to acknowledge that there was anything that could really hurt him.
Robin was unexpectedly brought back from her contemplations when she realized that Sonny was trying to untangle himself from her. A strangled sound seemed to come from him as he gently but firmly pushed her away from him. He stood quickly, hand over his mouth, and dashed to the end of the counter to the trash can. Robin stepped to the counter and quickly snatched a couple of paper towels off the roll by the sink, wetting them down. Then she moved to Sonny's side; holding one wet towel to his forehead for support, as Sonny threw up what little he'd taken into his stomach that night.
Fortunately, the spasms didn't last long. When he straightened up, Robin handed him the other damp towel, which he took gratefully, wiping his face and mouth. Robin kept an arm around him as they moved back to the table. While Sonny sat, Robin took a soda from the refrigerator, removed a second glass from the cabinet and halved the soda between it and the one she'd used previously. She tore off a few more squares of towel off the roll on her way back to the table.
"Well, damn! That little display was both pathetic and disgusting," Sonny said with a tone of embarrassment, as she set the glass in front of him. His eyes met Robin's, taking in the dampness on her face. "And on top of that, I made you cry, too."
Robin reseated herself in her chair, sipped on her soda and began swabbing at the spilled cocoa. "I don't know what you're talking about," she said. "So you accidentally spilled cocoa on the table. No big deal. It could have happened to anybody. And besides, haven't you ever heard about people crying over spilt cocoa?" She looked at Sonny, knowing that he would appreciate her effort to get past the moment. She was rewarded with seeing the mischievous gleam sparkling in Sonny's eyes again.
"Have I told you lately that I think you're one sharp cookie?" he asked.
"As a matter of fact, you have. Must be because you love me, or something".
"Well, that's certainly one reason I love you, but not the most important one", said Sonny. Robin blushed at the compliment, and at the sincerity with which Sonny said it. They shared a look of silent understanding. A brief, but not unusual, companionable silence ensued between the two friends who could read between each other's lines very well.
"It's a good thing nobody came in here while we were both acting like a couple of sissies," Sonny said after a while, chuckling softly.
"Yeah? Why is that?"
"Because I have a reputation to uphold! I can't have people walking around talking about what a wimp I am!"
"I better not ever hear anybody calling you a wimp!" Robin said with mock menace.
"Oh yeah? What would you do about it?"
"I'd beat them up, that's what!" she vowed, grinning at him.
"Oh, sweetie, you'd do that for me?!" Sonny grinned back at her.
"Damn straight! I know a few good moves. I could make somebody very sorry they messed with you or me"
"I'll just bet you could, too!" Sonny agreed. "We'd make a good team, wouldn't we?" He raised his glass: "Here's to the tag team of Scorpio and Corinthos!" Robin clinked her glass against his in toast, "To Corinthos and Scorpio", she replied.
They were silent again for a moment. Then Sonny took her hand and enfolded it between both of his. He leaned forward, elbows on his knees and looked at her intently. "Okay, honey. What was it you needed to say to me before I rudely interrupted you?" For a brief second, Robin relived the anxiety of ever bringing up this painful subject. But it had been on her mind for so long. She knew she would hate herself if she lost what might be her last chance to say what she needed to say to Sonny. She owed it to him, and she refused to be a coward about it any longer. She accepted the silent strength Sonny was giving her and took a big breath before beginning.
"Okay... this is about what happened back when I asked you to fire Jason." Sonny didn't let go of her hand, but he sat back in the chair, and opened his mouth as if to protest. "No, Sonny! Please just listen, okay? I've been thinking a lot about this. And even if you don't need to hear it, I really do need to say it. Please?" Robin could see that Sonny was already blinking back the moisture that had come quickly to his eyes at the mention of that phone call; his dark lashes lightly sparkled with unshed tears. Sonny brushed away the wetness with a swipe of the back of his hand. Pressing his lips together, he gave her a quick nod of assent. His grip on her hand tightened.
Robin let out another big sigh and continued. "It's not very complicated. I just wanted to tell you how very sorry I am for ever thinking I had a right to ask you to do that. It wasn't fair to you. And it certainly wasn't fair to Jason! I know I was scared for Jason, but that still wasn't any reason for me to say some of the stuff I did to try to convince you to do it." Robin felt remorse tightening her throat, as the threat of tears returned. Sonny saw her swallow them back, and he silently squeezed her hand in encouragement.
"What I'm most ashamed of," she continued in a tight voice, "is what I said about Stone. I was using your love for him to try and get you to do something I wanted. I think Stone would have been ashamed of me, and I will always have that on my conscience." Sonny was in agony watching and listening to Robin beating herself up. He didn't know how much longer he could keep sitting there and let her do it. But she had told him she needed to say these things. So he would damn well just suck it up and listen. He found himself firmly nibbling on one his knuckles as he attempted to keep his composure.
"Sonny, I need to tell you how sorry I am about what I did. Even now, I still can't believe that I did it. What I was really doing was asking you to betray Jason. I was being selfish. No, I was," Robin insisted at the slight shake of Sonny's head. "I never stopped to think what it would mean to you; or how you might have felt being put in that position. Jason was right when he got upset with me about it, and when he said I was taking advantage of you. It was a horrible thing for me to do somebody I love, and to somebody who loves me! I need to tell you that I will never betray you or Jason like that again, ever. I'm so sorry. And I'm asking you to forgive me."
By now, neither one of them bothered to keep up the pretense of not being at another point of tearful emotion. Robin used the sleeve of her robe to wipe away the tears flowing down her cheeks. And Sonny again rubbed tears from his face with his free hand. An involuntary snuffle shook Robin, as she waited for Sonny's reply. Robin stared downward, feeling miserable.
Sonny leaned forward again and lifted the back of her hand to his mouth; gently kissing it before lowering it again. He reached out, and with a single finger under her chin, gently tilted her head up so they could make eye contact again. Robin saw that he was letting her see into his heart, reminding her that the past had not changed how much he loved her; and that her pain was his pain. She saw him blink slowly, gathering his thoughts. When he spoke, it was in that familiar husky timbre he fell into sometimes when he felt overwhelmed by his emotions.
"Robin," he began slowly, "if you say you need to hear that I forgive you, then I forgive you". Sonny blinked again and gave a huge sigh. "But I want you to listen to me, honey. I want you to remember that I eventually agreed with you that it was worth a try. Listen, I never, never thought badly of you for what you asked; for you wanting so desperately to keep Jason out of harm's way. I wanted that, too. But we both forgot that Jason doesn't allow people to think for him. I think I knew in my heart that Jason wouldn't go for it; but like you, I was desperate-- and willing to try almost anything to undo the road I started Jason on. That's what's going to be on my conscience forever. That I made a promise to keep Jason on the edge of what I do. But instead, my own weakness made a liar of me. Not only didn't I keep him on the edge; it wasn't too long before I threw him in the deep end by default, after Lily died. So don't you go thinking that you have a patent on wanting to take things back, okay? There's enough to go around for both of us, you got that!?"
At Robin's nod, Sonny continued. "What I think you need to give some thought to, Robin, is forgiving yourself. At any rate, you have my forgiveness, even though I don't think you need it. Will you think about what I've said?" Robin looked him directly in the eye for a moment, then nodded again.
"Okay, then!" Sonny said brightly, shifting the mood and topic again. He stood up and pulled Robin along with him. He raised his glass of soda with an elegant flair. "How about we retire to the study and finish off our brandies, shall we?" Robin accepted the chivalrous offer of his arm and they made their way into the living room. Robin ensconced herself on the sofa, and Sonny dragged over his gym bag from a corner and plopped down on the floor in front of her. From the bag, he took out a couple of brightly-colored envelops containing photographs.
In no time, he was proudly showing off pictures from his island casino and regaling Robin with amusing stories of his island adventures, as well as his casino employees, and some of his more colorful casino patrons. Their friendly chatter about Sonny's new venture created another pocket of normalcy, and Sonny soon lost track of time. He knew it was time to wind things up, however, when Robin's eyes started to droop, and a huge yawn escaped her, for which she apologized profusely.
"Have I bored you enough yet so you can go back upstairs to sleep?" Sonny joked.
"No, Sonny," retorted Robin. "Your stories aren't boring! You know that. I just had a long day and I think it's finally caught up with me. I want to spend time with you. So why don't you keep telling me stuff about your casino. It'll be like a bedtime story, okay?"
"Aren't you a little old for bedtime stories?" Sonny replied, smiling because he knew he would do anything she asked.
"Yeah, well maybe. But it's been so long since I've seen you. And I don't know or if I'll ever see you again, so I figure you owe me. Consider it payment in lieu of rent."
Sonny guffawed. "Well, since you put it that way. Let's see, where were we..." As Robin lay sideways on the sofa, facing out to watch him, Sonny started telling her about a particularly dicey situation that had transpired between him and a certain chef concerning the casino's restaurant menu. Robin tried to stay focused, but she was asleep before Sonny got to the payoff of his story.
He kept talking for a little while anyway; enjoying watching the restfulness of Robin's face as she slept. When he was sure she was soundly asleep, he got up and draped his leather jacket over her bare feet. He didn't especially want to leave her down here by herself, even if the guard was just outside the door. His solution was to crash on the floor where he'd been sitting. He had slept in places considerably less comfortable than a carpeted floor. He lay curled on his side, listening to the sound of Robin's breathing. Better than a lullaby, he remembered thinking, just before he himself was asleep. Sonny didn't notice when, not too long afterward, Robin's free arm slid off the edge of the sofa, ending up resting on his shoulder. Both of them slept on quietly.
***************
Sonny was jarred from sleep by the strident warbling of the cell phone in his jacket pocket. After a brief moment of confusion about his surroundings, he became aware of Robin's arm dangling against him. He sat up, grimacing at wanting to quickly get to the damn phone before it woke everybody in the house, and not wanting to jar Robin's arm and wake her up as well. Luckily he was able to do both, grabbing the phone out of the jacket pocket before it could ring for what he hoped was only a third time.
He punched to answer, but didn't speak until he had retrieved his gym bag and padded into the kitchen. If it was one of his associates, he knew that most of them knew that sometimes there were delays and interruptions when they contacted him. At his terse, "Go", one of his contacts began giving him an earful of information that he was not especially pleased to hear.
Sonny flipped on the kitchen light and sat at the table. From time to time he nodded, or interrupted the caller for clarifications. He also gave a few orders. The call lasted less than four minutes-- but when it was over, Sonny had already made the decision that this visit to Port Charles was over--at least for now. There was some business that needed his personal attention, and since it was related to the business that had brought him to Port Charles in the first place and posed a potentially even greater threat to Jason's operation (and Robin, by association); he would not trust anybody to look into it for him. This he would do for himself, even though it would be very difficult to leave his friends after so short a visit.
Sonny reached into the bag and pulled out a notepad. He wrote for several minutes. When he was finished, he sat quietly for another moment, not wanting to get up and leave this house and these people. He'd known he couldn't stay long right from the start, but that didn't make taking the first step of leaving any easier. With one last sigh, Sonny gathered his things from the table and stuffed them in the bag. He turned out the light and returned quietly to the living room. Robin was still sleeping, motionless on the sofa.
Sonny propped the note on the coffee table. Then he bent down and kissed Robin's soft cheek. "Hasta luego, sweetheart," he whispered. He risked one last brush of his hand on her forehead, smoothing her hair away for a last look at her face. He then made his way purposefully to the door, not looking back this time as he entered the hallway. He spoke a few quiet words to Jason's man guarding the door, and then stepped to the elevator. By the time he was in the limo, Sonny had made the transition from quasi-vacationer to full business mode. He knew he would be quite busy making calls and scoping out some interesting tidbits of information that appeared to lead to the most unlikely of places.
************************************
Jason rolled over on his side. The emptiness in the bed where Robin should have been woke him up. Curious as to why she was up so early, he pulled on clean sweats and made his way down the hall. Miraculously, Michael was still asleep. Jason leaned down and kissed him. Michael smiled in his sleep, causing that familiar stir in Jason's heart he always felt whenever he was with Michael. The happiness stayed with Jason as he left the nursery and made his way towards the stairs.
Jason paused on the staircase when he saw Robin asleep on the sofa. After a moment, he was not sure how he knew it, but he knew that Sonny was no longer in the penthouse. It was bright outside, so that the living room was well-lit by the sunshine filtering through the fabric at the windows. Spotting the note tented on the coffee table, Jason crossed the room and picked it up. "To Robin and Jason" was written on the outside of the note in Sonny's distinctive handwriting Just as Jason was about to open the note, Robin began stirring on the sofa.
Jason smiled and crouched down beside her. He began placing gentle kisses on her face, pausing briefly between each one to see what effect he was having. Not unexpectedly, Robin's eyes soon opened.
"Hi," Jason smiled down at her, watching her blink herself awake. After a moment, she returned his smile. "Hi, yourself," she said, and sat up to put her arms around his neck in a firm embrace. Jason sighed happily and hugged her back, then sat back on the edge of the coffee table.
"What's that?" Robin asked, seeing the note in Jason's hand.
"A note from Sonny," said Jason, offering the note to her. Robin shook her head, yawning fiercely. "No, you go ahead."
"You sure?" he asked. Robin nodded. "Okay," he replied, and began to read:
"Dear Robin and Jason: Please forgive me for leaving this way, without notice; but something has come up. I hope you know that I wouldn't have left this way, and so soon, if it wasn't absolutely necessary. I want you both to know how grateful I am for your hospitality, and the comfort and support one finds only with good friends and family. You two are both these things to me. Jason, I will be in touch with you soon. I've given Johnny some info to pass along to you. Robin, keep up working on your moves. You never know when they'll come in handy, sweetie!"
Jason looked up from the note to see Robin grinning broadly. At his questioning look, Robin shook her head. "I'll explain it later," she said with a laugh. Waving at the note Jason held, she added, "Finish...." Jason began reading again:
"Kiss Michael good-bye for me. He is a fine boy, and I am proud to have him as my namesake. Jason, remember what I said about security. Please know that I am so happy that you guys are back together. Love each other with your whole heart. Learn from my mistakes. Always be honest with each other, and don't keep secrets. Most of all, don't take your love for granted. I am inspired by the two of you. God bless you both. I love you. Do not worry about me. I'll be okay because I know you both are okay, and I'm taking a bit of your love with me. Hasta la vista. Sonny"
Jason remained quiet a moment, looking at the note in his hands. When he looked up at Robin, he was not surprised to see the moisture in his eyes mirrored in hers. Jason moved to sit on the edge of the sofa and Robin scooted back to give him more space. She took one of his hands in a comforting grip. Jason looked at her uncertainly. "He sounds so sad," he said.
"I know," Robin replied. "He is sad, but he's also a very strong man. He'll get through this."
"You're right, he is strong," Jason agreed, sounding more upbeat, looking into her eyes with a smile. He dropped the note on the coffee table, and reached out to pull Robin into an embrace. Robin pressed her cheek against his for a bit, then pulled back as his morning stubble tickled her face.
"Hey, what's with the beard?" she asked, affectionately holding his face between her hands, squinting his facial hair speculatively.
"Umm...you don't like my beard?" Jason asked innocently. "I thought maybe I'd try something different. You said you liked Sonny's goatee, didn't you?"
"Oh, that. Well, I was just being polite. Sonny's goatee was okay, but I liked him better without it. And I like your face better smooth, okay?"
"No problem!" Jason said, a glint of amusement in his eyes and he rose from the sofa. Robin reached out and grabbed his hand, keeping him from walking away.
"Heyyyyy!" she exclaimed. "Where do you think you're going?"
"To shave," said Jason, pulling as if to get away.
"Well, you don't have to do it right this minute," Robin said as she stood up. She pulled Jason close. "Besides," she said looking up at him coyly "you have work to do."
"I do?" Jason asked, curious.
"Umm, hmmmm," Robin said, putting her arms around his neck and rising on her toes to kiss him with determination. Jason was reminded of something else he loved about Robin, she could be very spontaneous. "What brought that on?" he asked breathlessly when they pulled apart, "not that I'm complaining," he added, chuckling.
"Well, you heard what the man said in the note. We're supposed to love each other with our whole hearts," Robin told him.
"Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhh," Jason said, exaggerating, as if he'd finally gotten a difficult clue. "So you think that's what Sonny meant?" His eyes twinkled at Robin in amusement. "I'm glad you explained it to me. You know I can be slow picking up on these kind of things."
"Well, now that you know, what are you going to do about it?" Robin demanded playfully, smiling, with her hands on her hips.
Jason's response was to lean down and place a soft kiss on Robin's mouth. Pulling back, he held her face in his hands a moment, and looked at her in that direct way of his that Robin loved so much. "I'm going to love you with my whole heart," he said in a low, tender voice.
"Yeah?" Robin asked, feeling almost out of breath from the intensity of his gaze.
"Yeah," Jason replied. He started kissing her again, slowly walking her backward towards the stairs as he did so. When they reached the stairs, Jason released Robin from the kiss, and she turned and walked up one step. However, Jason's grip on her hand stopped her from going further. She turned to look at him.
"I need to tell you something, Robin," Jason said. They were almost at eye-level with each other now. Robin remained silent, but reached out to stroke Jason's face. "I just need to tell you that you make me so happy, that sometimes, I wonder how I ever got so lucky. Every time I wake up, and I see you next to me, I... I love you." Jason paused, a slight frown of frustration knitting his brows. It wasn't that he was uncomfortable saying those words to her-- but they just didn't seem like enough. Robin knew that Jason felt a little lost, because he had reached another one of those moments when he didn't quite have the words to say to her what he was feeling. But as her own heart was just as full, Robin didn't need to hear the words. Whether Jason knew it or not, he was quite proficient at speaking from the heart, and she always knew what he was trying to tell her, with or without the words.
"It's okay, Jason," Robin said gently. "I understand it here," she continued, pressing her hand over her heart. "I love you, too," she added. "That's good," Jason said, smiling back happily. They held hands as they ascended the stairs. When they reached his room, Jason gave her a sly look. "Do you want me to shave first?" he asked innocently.
Robin didn't say anything at first. Instead, she began guiding him backward towards the bed. "I don't know," Robin finally said, when they reached the bedside, "I might get to like it, eventually." She gently pushed him back on the bed, and then joined him. "I could certainly stand it for the next few hours," she added, kissing him soundly on the mouth.
"Great," Jason managed, as he returned Robin's passion. Those were the last words spoken between them for a while, because none were needed. They were back in that safe place, where anything was possible; and, for a brief time, nothing else really mattered.
This story completed on August 5, 1998.
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