Ficlet: The First Cut is the Deepest (GH, Robin/Patrick, Lana)
Title: The First Cut is the Deepest
Author: empressearwig
Prompt: 38 - Hurt
Pairing/Character(s): Robin/Patrick, Lana
Rating: G
Disclaimer: Not mine.
Word Count: 1249
Spoilers/Warnings: Part of the Lana!AU.
Summary: “But I love him!”
Author's Notes: Written for theechochorus.
Robin knocked gently on Lana’s bedroom door. She could hear the sound of muffled sobs through the door, and while she waited for a response, her heart ached for her daughter.
When no answer came, Robin pushed the door open gently. “Baby?”
Lana was sprawled out on her stomach, face pressed into a pillow as she cried. She didn’t change positions as Robin approached and seated herself on the edge of the bed. Only when Robin reached out to stroke her back did she react, jumping slightly at the contact. She raised her head from the pillow and twisted to see Robin.
“It’ll be okay, baby,” Robin said sympathetically, and Lana threw herself into her mother’s arms, still sobbing.
Robin held her tightly and stroked her hair slowly, as she murmured comforting nothings into Lana’s ear.
Eventually the tears started to dry out and Lana pulled back a little, wiping her face off. A flush came over her cheeks, and she stammered, “I got mascara all over your new sweater, I’m sorry.” She tried to get up, but Robin held her down.
“I don’t care about my sweater,” Robin said firmly. “I care about you.” She cupped Lana’s chin, forcing her to meet her eyes. “What happened?”
“I don’t want to say it out loud,” Lana whispered.
“Why not?” Robin asked gently.
“It’ll make it real,” Lana sniffled.
“Just say it fast.”
Lana hesitated for a moment, and when she spoke, Robin had to strain to hear her. “Jake wants to break up with me.” She broke back down into tears and threw herself into Robin’s arms once more.
“Oh, sweetheart,” Robin said helplessly as she held her daughter tight. She’d had a feeling this was coming since the end of summer was approaching and Jake was leaving soon to go to school at Cal Tech, but all summer Lana had seemed cheerfully oblivious to the idea that a long distance relationship wasn’t going to work out. This was one of those moments when Robin hated to be right.
Patrick appeared in the doorway with a worried expression on his face, silently asking if he should come in and try to help.
Robin shook her head, careful not to disturb Lana, and Patrick frowned but nodded, and quietly closed the door ensuring their privacy.
Noticing that the sobs were trickling off again, Robin asked hesitantly, “Baby, can I ask you a question?”
Lana pulled back and sniffled. “I guess.”
“Did Jake say why?” Robin held her breath waiting for the answer.
A scowl crossed Lana’s face and she pulled back out of her mother’s arms, crossing her arms across her chest. “He said that it wouldn’t be fair to me,” she huffed, anger replacing the sadness in her voice. “Can you believe that? As if he should get to decide what is and isn’t fair to me.”
Robin winced, and said cautiously, “You know I’m completely on your side, baby, but you know, he might have a small point.”
Lana stared at her mother in shock. “Are you serious? How could you say that?” She flew off the bed and began pacing around the room. “God, not even my own mother can be bothered to take my side in this.”
“Lana, I am on your side,” Robin tried. “But have you really thought about how hard it’s going to be to date someone that lives 3000 miles away? I mean, really thought about it. Jake’s not going to be around to take you to homecoming, or to prom, or to see your dance recitals, or your soccer games. You won’t be able to drive down the street to see him whenever you want… It’s just going to be really hard, and maybe Jake realizes that and wants you to have fun with the rest of high school and not miss out on all of the good stuff just because he’s gone.”
“But I love him!” Lana cried, face crumpling once more.
Robin stood and crossed the room to pull her daughter into her arms once more. “I know you do, sweetie. I know.”
They hugged for a long moment, and then Robin stepped back and started pulling Lana back over to the bed. “Now, I want you to crawl under the covers and try to take a nap, alright? I’ll be back in to check on you in a little while.”
Lana silently obeyed, and Robin tucked her in, just like she had when Lana was a little girl. “Can I get you anything?” Robin tried a small smile. “Want me to send your father out to stock up on chocolate for later?”
A shadow of a smile crossed Lana’s face. “That’d be nice,” she mumbled, as she started to drift away.
Robin watched her till Lana was sound asleep, and then slipped as quietly as she could from the room, closing the bedroom door silently behind her. With a heavy heart, she headed down the stairs, where she found Patrick sitting on the couch, aimlessly channel surfing.
When he heard Robin’s footsteps, he immediately snapped the television off. “What happened?” he demanded. “Is she alright?”
Robin sighed, and dropped onto the couch next to him. “You know that thing we’ve been dreading all summer?”
Patrick frowned. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
“Jake going away to college?” Robin elaborated.
“Oh,” Patrick said flatly. “He broke up with her?”
“Well, he told her that he thought they should break up.” Robin sighed and curled her feet up underneath her, leaning into Patrick’s side. “So I imagine we’ll get to do this all again when they actually break up.”
“You know, I don’t really know what to feel about all of this,” Patrick said slowly. “My heart is breaking for my little girl and I want to go punch Jake Spencer in the face for making her cry, but I’ve wanted them to break up since they started dating. Is it possible I’m both happy and sad about this?”
Robin slapped his stomach lightly. “I’d advise against expressing the happy part of that anywhere near Lana if you ever want her to speak to you again.” She looked up at her husband. “By the way, I told her that I’d send you to buy out the grocery store of anything chocolate related, so you make sure you take care of that, okay? Preferably before she wakes up.”
Patrick nodded. “I think I can manage that.” He looked down at his watch. “How much time do you think I have?”
“Well, she more or less exhausted herself with the crying, so probably a couple of hours.”
“Okay.” Patrick disentangled himself from Robin and stood, patting his pockets checking for his wallet. “Do you think she’d like it if I bought her flowers?”
“I think she’d like that very much,” Robin said with a smile as she stood up. She reached up on her toes and pressed a kiss to Patrick’s cheek. “You’re a good daddy.”
Patrick smiled, flashing his dimples. “I try.” He bent down to press a swift kiss to Robin’s lips. “I’m off to buy enough chocolate to put her into a chocolate coma. We need anything else?”
“Nope. Good luck!” Robin called after his retreating back. She flopped back down onto the couch and sighed.
She wanted nothing more than to take away her daughters pain, but it was a part of growing up.
She just wished Lana had stayed a little girl a while longer.
Author: empressearwig
Prompt: 38 - Hurt
Pairing/Character(s): Robin/Patrick, Lana
Rating: G
Disclaimer: Not mine.
Word Count: 1249
Spoilers/Warnings: Part of the Lana!AU.
Summary: “But I love him!”
Author's Notes: Written for theechochorus.
Robin knocked gently on Lana’s bedroom door. She could hear the sound of muffled sobs through the door, and while she waited for a response, her heart ached for her daughter.
When no answer came, Robin pushed the door open gently. “Baby?”
Lana was sprawled out on her stomach, face pressed into a pillow as she cried. She didn’t change positions as Robin approached and seated herself on the edge of the bed. Only when Robin reached out to stroke her back did she react, jumping slightly at the contact. She raised her head from the pillow and twisted to see Robin.
“It’ll be okay, baby,” Robin said sympathetically, and Lana threw herself into her mother’s arms, still sobbing.
Robin held her tightly and stroked her hair slowly, as she murmured comforting nothings into Lana’s ear.
Eventually the tears started to dry out and Lana pulled back a little, wiping her face off. A flush came over her cheeks, and she stammered, “I got mascara all over your new sweater, I’m sorry.” She tried to get up, but Robin held her down.
“I don’t care about my sweater,” Robin said firmly. “I care about you.” She cupped Lana’s chin, forcing her to meet her eyes. “What happened?”
“I don’t want to say it out loud,” Lana whispered.
“Why not?” Robin asked gently.
“It’ll make it real,” Lana sniffled.
“Just say it fast.”
Lana hesitated for a moment, and when she spoke, Robin had to strain to hear her. “Jake wants to break up with me.” She broke back down into tears and threw herself into Robin’s arms once more.
“Oh, sweetheart,” Robin said helplessly as she held her daughter tight. She’d had a feeling this was coming since the end of summer was approaching and Jake was leaving soon to go to school at Cal Tech, but all summer Lana had seemed cheerfully oblivious to the idea that a long distance relationship wasn’t going to work out. This was one of those moments when Robin hated to be right.
Patrick appeared in the doorway with a worried expression on his face, silently asking if he should come in and try to help.
Robin shook her head, careful not to disturb Lana, and Patrick frowned but nodded, and quietly closed the door ensuring their privacy.
Noticing that the sobs were trickling off again, Robin asked hesitantly, “Baby, can I ask you a question?”
Lana pulled back and sniffled. “I guess.”
“Did Jake say why?” Robin held her breath waiting for the answer.
A scowl crossed Lana’s face and she pulled back out of her mother’s arms, crossing her arms across her chest. “He said that it wouldn’t be fair to me,” she huffed, anger replacing the sadness in her voice. “Can you believe that? As if he should get to decide what is and isn’t fair to me.”
Robin winced, and said cautiously, “You know I’m completely on your side, baby, but you know, he might have a small point.”
Lana stared at her mother in shock. “Are you serious? How could you say that?” She flew off the bed and began pacing around the room. “God, not even my own mother can be bothered to take my side in this.”
“Lana, I am on your side,” Robin tried. “But have you really thought about how hard it’s going to be to date someone that lives 3000 miles away? I mean, really thought about it. Jake’s not going to be around to take you to homecoming, or to prom, or to see your dance recitals, or your soccer games. You won’t be able to drive down the street to see him whenever you want… It’s just going to be really hard, and maybe Jake realizes that and wants you to have fun with the rest of high school and not miss out on all of the good stuff just because he’s gone.”
“But I love him!” Lana cried, face crumpling once more.
Robin stood and crossed the room to pull her daughter into her arms once more. “I know you do, sweetie. I know.”
They hugged for a long moment, and then Robin stepped back and started pulling Lana back over to the bed. “Now, I want you to crawl under the covers and try to take a nap, alright? I’ll be back in to check on you in a little while.”
Lana silently obeyed, and Robin tucked her in, just like she had when Lana was a little girl. “Can I get you anything?” Robin tried a small smile. “Want me to send your father out to stock up on chocolate for later?”
A shadow of a smile crossed Lana’s face. “That’d be nice,” she mumbled, as she started to drift away.
Robin watched her till Lana was sound asleep, and then slipped as quietly as she could from the room, closing the bedroom door silently behind her. With a heavy heart, she headed down the stairs, where she found Patrick sitting on the couch, aimlessly channel surfing.
When he heard Robin’s footsteps, he immediately snapped the television off. “What happened?” he demanded. “Is she alright?”
Robin sighed, and dropped onto the couch next to him. “You know that thing we’ve been dreading all summer?”
Patrick frowned. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
“Jake going away to college?” Robin elaborated.
“Oh,” Patrick said flatly. “He broke up with her?”
“Well, he told her that he thought they should break up.” Robin sighed and curled her feet up underneath her, leaning into Patrick’s side. “So I imagine we’ll get to do this all again when they actually break up.”
“You know, I don’t really know what to feel about all of this,” Patrick said slowly. “My heart is breaking for my little girl and I want to go punch Jake Spencer in the face for making her cry, but I’ve wanted them to break up since they started dating. Is it possible I’m both happy and sad about this?”
Robin slapped his stomach lightly. “I’d advise against expressing the happy part of that anywhere near Lana if you ever want her to speak to you again.” She looked up at her husband. “By the way, I told her that I’d send you to buy out the grocery store of anything chocolate related, so you make sure you take care of that, okay? Preferably before she wakes up.”
Patrick nodded. “I think I can manage that.” He looked down at his watch. “How much time do you think I have?”
“Well, she more or less exhausted herself with the crying, so probably a couple of hours.”
“Okay.” Patrick disentangled himself from Robin and stood, patting his pockets checking for his wallet. “Do you think she’d like it if I bought her flowers?”
“I think she’d like that very much,” Robin said with a smile as she stood up. She reached up on her toes and pressed a kiss to Patrick’s cheek. “You’re a good daddy.”
Patrick smiled, flashing his dimples. “I try.” He bent down to press a swift kiss to Robin’s lips. “I’m off to buy enough chocolate to put her into a chocolate coma. We need anything else?”
“Nope. Good luck!” Robin called after his retreating back. She flopped back down onto the couch and sighed.
She wanted nothing more than to take away her daughters pain, but it was a part of growing up.
She just wished Lana had stayed a little girl a while longer.