Title: She Can Take You or Leave You
Author:
empressearwigClaim: Robin/Patrick
Fandom: General Hospital
Theme: 29 - Family Business
Disclaimer: Robin and Patrick do not belong to me, Lana and Matt do.
“So Lana,” Patrick said, looking across the table at his twelve year old daughter through narrowed eyes. “When were you going to mention Take Your Daughter to Work Day?”
Lana looked up from pushing her carrots around her plate. “What?”
“I saw the notice from school on the refrigerator. When were you going to let me know so I could clear my schedule?”
“Oh.” She cast a quick glance at Robin, looking for a save, but Robin was engaged in a debate with Matt about whether or not he’d eaten the requisite five bites of cooked carrots, one of his least favorite foods. “About that, Dad…”
“Yes? I’m really looking forward to it, you know. I love when you get to come spend a day with me at the hospital.”
“IwaskindofhopingtodoitwithMomthisyear,” Lana blurted out quickly.
Patrick set down his fork. “One more time.”
Lana sighed. “I was kind of hoping to do it with Mom this year,” she said more slowly this time. Seeing Patrick’s face fall, she rushed to explain. “I love watching you be a surgeon Dad, but we’re doing a chemistry unit at school, so I want to see Mom’s lab and stuff.” She peered up at him hopefully. “You’re not mad, are you?”
“Mad? No, of course not, sweetie. It’s great that you want to see what your Mom does too.” He smiled wistfully. “I just always thought of this as our thing.”
“What’s your thing?” Robin asked, rejoining the conversation.
“Take Your Daughter to Work Day.” Patrick narrowed his eyes at his wife. “Did you know about this?”
“That Lana wanted to come to work with me this year?” Robin shrugged and cast another look at Matt, who was now blowing bubbles in his milk. “Matthew Phillip Drake, if you don’t stop that this instant, you’re going to lose dessert for the rest of the week.”
“You knew?” Patrick asked, trying to keep the hurt out of his voice, conscious of how closely Lana was listening.
Robin stared at Patrick in confusion. “Of course I did. She asked me last week when she brought the notice home from school. Didn’t I talk to you about it?”
“No,” Patrick said sharply.
“Oh. I’m sorry, Patrick, I didn’t think you’d have a problem with it. She’s gone every year with you for the last six years.”
“I don’t have a problem with it,” Patrick rushed to clarify, looking over at Lana. “I was just surprised is all.”
“Right…” Robin said disbelievingly. “Alright, Lana would you mind helping your brother clear the table so we can get dessert? I’ll help you with the dishes later in return, okay?”
Lana made a face, but stood and picked up her plate from the table. As she reached for Patrick’s, she leaned forward to press a kiss to his cheek. “Thanks for being so understanding, Dad.” She grabbed the plate and sailed into the kitchen, Matt carefully carrying his and Robin’s plates trailing behind her.
“You’re obviously not okay with Lana coming to work with me,” Robin said looking over at Patrick’s face which had fallen into a pout with Lana’s exit from the room.
“No, I’m not,” he agreed. “I know I’m being silly, but I thought it was our thing. Just me and her.”
Robin reached over to squeeze his hand. “You and Lana have lots of things. Not doing this one activity for one year won’t take away from all the times you have.”
“I know.” He shrugged. “I know I’m overreacting, but I can’t help it.”
Hearing footsteps, Robin advised, “Well, snap out of it, at least if you want to keep pretending in front of her.”
Lana and Matt slipped back into their seats at the table and looked at Robin expectantly.
“Ice cream?” Robin suggested, looking over at Patrick. “I think that’s all we have that’s quick, but I think everyone deserves something for actually eating their dreaded carrots.”
“Yes!” Matt cheered, and Lana nodded in agreement.
“Alright, I’ll go get it. Patrick, you want to help?” Robin asked in a tone that clearly indicated it wasn’t a question, as she stood and headed for the kitchen.
Patrick pushed himself back from the table and trailed along, shooting a warning glance at his children. “Behave.”
They smiled at him angelically, and he laughed as he entered the kitchen. They didn’t fool him for a second.
*
Patrick leaned against the doorframe of Lana’s room. “Lights out, kiddo.”
Lana looked up from her book with pleading eyes. “Just let me finish this chapter.”
“How many pages are left?” Patrick countered.
She checked, and frowned. “A lot.”
“Then, nope. The book will still be there tomorrow night.”
She pouted, but marked her place and set the book down on her night stand. “Night, Dad.”
“Night, Lana.” He flipped the lights off and started to walk down the hall to his and Robin’s room, when Lana’s voice stopped him.
“Daddy?”
“Yeah, baby?”
“You’re really not mad that I want to go to work with Mom? Because if you are, maybe I can spend the morning with her and the afternoon with you?”
“You don’t have to worry about me, Lana,” Patrick scolded, voice full of affection. “I’m glad you want to spend the day with your mom.”
“But you sounded so sad when I told you.”
Patrick sighed and crossed to sit on the edge of her bed. “I was sad. Because I love getting to spend the day with you, but Lana, if you want to spend the day with your mom, then I want you to spend the day with your mom. Besides, it’s not like you won’t see me during the day. Your mom and I work together, after all.”
Lana giggled a little. “True…” she acknowledged. She leaned up to hug Patrick. “Night, Dad.”
He hugged her back, breathing in the smell of her hair. “Night, Lana.” He stood and walked to the door, watching her flip onto her side, curling her hand under her head, in the exact way Robin swore he slept the majority of the time. With a sigh, he headed down the hall to the bedroom he and Robin shared, and found Robin propped up in bed reading.
She looked up as he entered the room and flopped down on the bed next to her. “Everyone all tucked in?”
Patrick propped himself up on an elbow, and looked up at her. “Yep. Matt’s sound asleep, and Lana should be on her way there.”
“Should be?” Robin questioned, a grin emerging on her face. “How many extra pages did you give her?”
“Give me a little credit,” Patrick sniffed, pulling the book from Robin’s hands.
“Like you’re capable of being a hard ass when it comes to your darling daughter,” Robin teased gently. “All she has to do is look up at you with those big brown eyes…”
“Your eyes,” Patrick interjected.
“… and you melt like butter,” Robin finished. “Face it Patrick, a tiny little girl has your number.”
“Just like a slightly larger woman to whom that little girl bears a striking resemblance,” Patrick said, tugging Robin down to her back and scooting over so that he was looking down on her.
“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” Robin said, reaching a hand up to toy with the hair on the back of Patrick’s neck.
“Uh huh,” he said, pressing kisses to Robin’s neck and sliding a hand up under her tank top.
“Really,” she gasped, holding his head tightly against her throat. The next instant, she was tugging him away, though, holding his face back so she could look him in the eye. “Before we get distracted, are you really okay with Lana coming to work with me instead of you? Because I know you were genuinely upset, Patrick. I know you better than anyone.”
“I was,” he acknowledged. “But we’re raising her to make her own decisions and be her own person, and if I tried to stifle that, I’d be going against what we’ve taught her.”
“That’s very mature of you,” Robin noted. “Who are you and what have you done with my husband?”
“I’ll show you mature,” Patrick threatened, dropping his hands to Robin’s waist and tickling her, causing Robin to thrash about in fits of laughter.
“Patrick!” she shrieked. “Stop that this instant or I won’t let you play with me!”
His hands still, but he laughed as he said, “Talk about your idle threats. You can’t say no to me, Scorpio.”
“Watch me,” Robin sniffed. “You make it easier by the …”
Patrick cut her off with a swift kiss, which quickly grew more passionate. Patrick rolled more fully on top of Robin and pressed her back into the mattress, running his hands along her body. Robin wrapped her arms around Patrick and tugged him ever closer, tangling her legs with his.
Patrick tore his lips from Robin’s and looked down into Robin’s lust fogged eyes. “What was that about saying no?”
“Shut up and kiss me,” she ordered, tugging his head back down.
Patrick obliged.
After all, he’d never been able to resist those eyes, in either his wife or his daughter.