Fic: Stars Misaligned -- Part IV - Robin
Title: Stars Misaligned
Summary: In hindsight, he really should never have answered the phone.
Pairing: Don/Robin
Genre: Humour/Romance
Rating: 14A
Spoilers: Set season 5, no specific spoliers.
Part 7/11
Six thirty found Robin and her family seated around the table heads bowed, as Mr. Brooks said a prayer over the meal. While Robin was sure her parents could have held off serving dinner for a little while, she had not bothered to argue the point, as she was forced to agree that it seemed unlikely a few minutes, or even half-an-hour would make much of a difference. Clearly Don was not coming.
She was, however, beginning to wonder what exactly that meant. It could be anything from he got caught up at work, to he was injured in a hospital somewhere . . . or worse. No. She was not going to start thinking like that. You're just wound up because everyone keeps bringing up the dangers of his job. He probably just got caught up working. Again. Besides, she told herself, she had just spoken to him that evening, and he had not really mentioned anything that indicated she should worry right? What exactly had he said? 'The case just got a little out of hand." Well that could mean anything, Robin thought dismally. Knowing Don, that could be interpreted as a minor unexpected discovery or a full out tactical situation.
She sighed, no use dwelling on the 'what ifs.' Besides if something had happened to him, surely someone would call her. Trying to focus on the food in front of her Robin forced her speculations about Don's current whereabouts from her mind.
There was very little conversation around the table. Her parents still seemed a little shell-shocked from their earlier 'conversation' and Matthew and Hannah were working hard to steer the conversation onto 'safe' topics. Matthew finished telling a story about some new resident working at the hospital, and the table fell into another awkward silence.
"Aunt Robin?" Randy spoke up eagerly from across the table, "Do you think maybe one day your new boyfriend could teach me and Josh to shoot?" He asked, the perfect picture of innocence.
"Uh, I don't think-" Robin started before she was interrupted by her father and sister simultaneously.
"Absolutely not!" Hannah replied firmly with a patented parental glare. "What possessed you to even think I would allow you near a firearm!"
"Shoot? Are you insane?" Mr. Brooks blurted nearly chocking on a piece of meat.
"Benjamin's father lets him shoot. They go hunting every year." Josh replied petulantly as the table lapsed into silence once again. Hannah, obviously feeling bad that her sons had brought the awkward topic back to the foreground tried to recover. "This roast is really great Dad." She commented, lightly, in a very obvious, very desperate, attempt to switch the topic. "Did you do anything special this time?" She asked, only to have her feeble attempt interrupted by the shrill ring of Robin's cell-phone.
Her family watched her closely as she pulled out the ringing phone. Normally, she would have turned it off at a family dinner like this, but as she was still hoping to hear something, anything, from Don she had left it on. She glanced at the caller id as she brought up the phone and stoped short when the display did not read the name she had been expecting. Colby Granger, Robin read and felt her heart pounding in her chest. She flicked the phone open quickly, trying to ignore her family's curious looks.
"Colby?" She asked tentatively, hoping that this was not what she thought it was.
"Robin, hi." Colby's voice came across the line.
"What's happened?" She asked desperately, Please let Don be okay. Please. He has to be okay.
"Uh, well it's kind of a long story, but the short of it is we have a flat." Came the reply from the rather tired sounding agent.
"A flat?" Robin repeated dumbfounded. That she had not expected. In fact she had been so sure it was bad news about Don it took her a moment to register the words. "Like your tire?" She wondered aloud before realizing how stupid that sounded.
"Uh yeah." Colby replied sounded a tad confused, and no wonder really, what exactly else could be flat? Robin wondered still trying to think clearly. And just why exactly was Colby phoning not Don? Another part of her wondered. In fact, why was Colby even still with Don, I thought he was supposed to be on his way over ages ago.
"Look Robin, I don't think we are too far from your parents' place, and I was thinking it would probably be best if you came and got Don. It could take the tow truck awhile, and well, its kind of starting to rain."
"Okay," Robin replied slowly, somehow she was pretty sure she was not getting the full story, or even half of it. "Is everything else okay?" She asked quietly, not able to make herself ask directly if Don was hurt, as if somehow saying the words would somehow make her worst fears true.
"Well, uh," Colby stammered hesitantly, "like I said it's a rather long story. But Don's okay," Colby assured her, and she almost did not hear the added, "mostly."
"Wait. Mostly?" She repeated loudly, getting up from the table and ignoring the questioning looks she was receiving, "Just what does 'mostly' mean?" She demanded in her best 'cross-examination' tone.
A long sigh sounded on the other end, "Look Robin he'll be fine, but he did get a little, uh, roughed up earlier today. Anyway, I think you should really just come and get Don now." He replied before telling her exactly where they were and hanging up.
Robin clicked her phone shut and realized she had made her way to the front door without really paying attention. She had one shoe on and she glanced around desperately for the other while her parents watched from the doorway, "Robin, honey?" Her mother asked concerned. "Who was that on the phone?"
"Colby Granger." She replied distractedly, wondering just where her other shoe had gotten to.
"Okay, um, who is Colby Granger?" Her mother prodded gently.
"Huh?" Robin asked finally glancing up at her parents, "Oh, he's an agent. Works with Don. I need to go." She explained as she found her shoe under a hall chair. "I'll uh, I'll call later." She announced half way out the front door. Her parents stared bewilderedly after her as she hurried down the front steps leaving the door wide open behind her.
Summary: In hindsight, he really should never have answered the phone.
Pairing: Don/Robin
Genre: Humour/Romance
Rating: 14A
Spoilers: Set season 5, no specific spoliers.
Part 7/11
Six thirty found Robin and her family seated around the table heads bowed, as Mr. Brooks said a prayer over the meal. While Robin was sure her parents could have held off serving dinner for a little while, she had not bothered to argue the point, as she was forced to agree that it seemed unlikely a few minutes, or even half-an-hour would make much of a difference. Clearly Don was not coming.
She was, however, beginning to wonder what exactly that meant. It could be anything from he got caught up at work, to he was injured in a hospital somewhere . . . or worse. No. She was not going to start thinking like that. You're just wound up because everyone keeps bringing up the dangers of his job. He probably just got caught up working. Again. Besides, she told herself, she had just spoken to him that evening, and he had not really mentioned anything that indicated she should worry right? What exactly had he said? 'The case just got a little out of hand." Well that could mean anything, Robin thought dismally. Knowing Don, that could be interpreted as a minor unexpected discovery or a full out tactical situation.
She sighed, no use dwelling on the 'what ifs.' Besides if something had happened to him, surely someone would call her. Trying to focus on the food in front of her Robin forced her speculations about Don's current whereabouts from her mind.
There was very little conversation around the table. Her parents still seemed a little shell-shocked from their earlier 'conversation' and Matthew and Hannah were working hard to steer the conversation onto 'safe' topics. Matthew finished telling a story about some new resident working at the hospital, and the table fell into another awkward silence.
"Aunt Robin?" Randy spoke up eagerly from across the table, "Do you think maybe one day your new boyfriend could teach me and Josh to shoot?" He asked, the perfect picture of innocence.
"Uh, I don't think-" Robin started before she was interrupted by her father and sister simultaneously.
"Absolutely not!" Hannah replied firmly with a patented parental glare. "What possessed you to even think I would allow you near a firearm!"
"Shoot? Are you insane?" Mr. Brooks blurted nearly chocking on a piece of meat.
"Benjamin's father lets him shoot. They go hunting every year." Josh replied petulantly as the table lapsed into silence once again. Hannah, obviously feeling bad that her sons had brought the awkward topic back to the foreground tried to recover. "This roast is really great Dad." She commented, lightly, in a very obvious, very desperate, attempt to switch the topic. "Did you do anything special this time?" She asked, only to have her feeble attempt interrupted by the shrill ring of Robin's cell-phone.
Her family watched her closely as she pulled out the ringing phone. Normally, she would have turned it off at a family dinner like this, but as she was still hoping to hear something, anything, from Don she had left it on. She glanced at the caller id as she brought up the phone and stoped short when the display did not read the name she had been expecting. Colby Granger, Robin read and felt her heart pounding in her chest. She flicked the phone open quickly, trying to ignore her family's curious looks.
"Colby?" She asked tentatively, hoping that this was not what she thought it was.
"Robin, hi." Colby's voice came across the line.
"What's happened?" She asked desperately, Please let Don be okay. Please. He has to be okay.
"Uh, well it's kind of a long story, but the short of it is we have a flat." Came the reply from the rather tired sounding agent.
"A flat?" Robin repeated dumbfounded. That she had not expected. In fact she had been so sure it was bad news about Don it took her a moment to register the words. "Like your tire?" She wondered aloud before realizing how stupid that sounded.
"Uh yeah." Colby replied sounded a tad confused, and no wonder really, what exactly else could be flat? Robin wondered still trying to think clearly. And just why exactly was Colby phoning not Don? Another part of her wondered. In fact, why was Colby even still with Don, I thought he was supposed to be on his way over ages ago.
"Look Robin, I don't think we are too far from your parents' place, and I was thinking it would probably be best if you came and got Don. It could take the tow truck awhile, and well, its kind of starting to rain."
"Okay," Robin replied slowly, somehow she was pretty sure she was not getting the full story, or even half of it. "Is everything else okay?" She asked quietly, not able to make herself ask directly if Don was hurt, as if somehow saying the words would somehow make her worst fears true.
"Well, uh," Colby stammered hesitantly, "like I said it's a rather long story. But Don's okay," Colby assured her, and she almost did not hear the added, "mostly."
"Wait. Mostly?" She repeated loudly, getting up from the table and ignoring the questioning looks she was receiving, "Just what does 'mostly' mean?" She demanded in her best 'cross-examination' tone.
A long sigh sounded on the other end, "Look Robin he'll be fine, but he did get a little, uh, roughed up earlier today. Anyway, I think you should really just come and get Don now." He replied before telling her exactly where they were and hanging up.
Robin clicked her phone shut and realized she had made her way to the front door without really paying attention. She had one shoe on and she glanced around desperately for the other while her parents watched from the doorway, "Robin, honey?" Her mother asked concerned. "Who was that on the phone?"
"Colby Granger." She replied distractedly, wondering just where her other shoe had gotten to.
"Okay, um, who is Colby Granger?" Her mother prodded gently.
"Huh?" Robin asked finally glancing up at her parents, "Oh, he's an agent. Works with Don. I need to go." She explained as she found her shoe under a hall chair. "I'll uh, I'll call later." She announced half way out the front door. Her parents stared bewilderedly after her as she hurried down the front steps leaving the door wide open behind her.