Ficlet: The Submerged Truth (GH, Robin, Brenda, Lanaverse)
Title: The Submerged Truth
Author: empressearwig
Prompt: 45 - Dreams
Pairing/Character(s): Brenda, Robin, Patrick (briefly)
Rating: G
Disclaimer: Not mine.
Word Count: 1132
Spoilers/Warnings: Part of the extended Lana!AU.
Summary: "I've been having some weird dreams..."
Author's Notes: I promised leobrat that I would work on this part of the story. I hope you're sufficiently intrigued... Written for theechochorus.
“Yet it is in our idleness, in our dreams, that the submerged truth sometimes comes to the top.” - Virginia Woolf
Robin came down the stairs from the nursery to join Brenda on the couch. “I think she’s finally down for a little while.” She looked at the coffee table in front of her. “You made tea?”
Brenda shrugged, and picked up her own mug. “I thought you might need it” She took a sip. “That baby of yours is the most beautiful thing I think I’ve ever seen, you know.”
Robin beamed, and reached out for the other mug. She blew lightly on the warm drink before taking her own drink. “I know! Isn’t she great?” She leaned back into the couch. “I don’t think I’ve ever been more exhausted, though, not even while I was an intern.”
Concern laced through her voice, Brenda asked urgently, “But you’re taking care of yourself, right? Patrick’s helping and your health is fine too, right?”
Robin reached over and squeezed Brenda’s hand gently. “I’m fine. I am taking excellent care of myself, and if you really think Patrick would let me neglect my own health, you’re crazy.”
Brenda flipped her hand over and clasped Robin’s hand. “You’re my little sister, I worry, you know that.”
“I do,” Robin acknowledged, letting go of Brenda’s hand and tucking her feet up underneath her. “So, big sister, how long do you think you’ll be sticking around Port Charles for?” She studied Brenda’s face carefully. “I know how hard it was for you to come back.”
“Don’t be silly,” Brenda scoffed. “There’s no way I was going to miss being here for my niece’s debut into the world.”
“But Bren…” Robin started.
A loud cry came through the baby monitor, cutting her off.
“Damn, I thought she was going to stay down,” Robin cursed. She stood and wagged her finger at Brenda. “We’re not done with this conversation.” She ran up the stairs towards the nursery.
Brenda let out a loud breath and sat back into the couch. She knew it was just Alanna crying, and that it was perfectly normal, but it had startled her. She’d never thought that a baby crying would scare her so much, but since it seemed like their hadn’t been a night that had gone by for the last month where she hadn’t awoken to the sound in her dreams, it was making her jumpier than she’d thought possible.
She managed to get her breathing under control as Robin came back down the stairs cradling Alanna against her chest.
“I think she just wanted to have some girl time,” Robin announced as she sat back down on the couch. She looked over at Brenda. “Are you alright? You’re white as a sheet.”
Brenda smiled weakly, and reached out to shake the baby’s bootie covered foot. “I’m fine. I think I just need to get something to eat.”
Robin frowned. “I don’t believe you. What’s wrong, Bren?”
Brenda huffed and crossed her arms over her chest. “Nothing is wrong, my blood sugar is just low. Do you need to eat? I still can’t cook, but I can dial a phone for takeout like no one’s business.” She stood and started heading into the kitchen. “You keep your menus in here, right? What do you think about Italian?”
“Brenda.”
The quiet, firm voice made Brenda turn around. “What, you already practicing your mom voice?”
“Come over here,” Robin ordered.
Meekly, Brenda obeyed, settling herself next to Robin on the couch.
“Now tell me what’s wrong.”
Brenda took a deep breath. “I’ve been having some weird dreams…”
“What kind of dreams?” Robin probed gently, rocking Alanna against her chest.
“I don’t really know,” Brenda said carefully. “All I really remember from them is the sound of a baby crying, and then I wake up and can’t catch my breath.”
“What do you think they’re about?”
Brenda threw up her hands in frustration. “I don’t know! I suppose it must mean something, but I don’t know what.”
“Do you think it might have something to do with you past?”
Brenda looked at Robin quizzically. “Like what? I’ve never been pregnant, heck, I’ve never even spent that much time around kids.”
“You’ve told me before that you don’t really remember that much of the first year after your accident,” Robin pointed out. “Maybe something happened.”
“You think I was pregnant when I went off the cliff and don’t remember giving birth?” Brenda stared at Robin in shock. “You must be crazy.”
“I live in Port Charles,” Robin pointed out wryly. “Are you seriously going to tell me stranger things haven’t happened? And I’m not the one that made the leap to you had a kid you don’t remember, that was you.”
“Fine,” Brenda pouted. “You might have a point.”
“The dreams could mean nothing, Bren. Or maybe it’s just your fear about being back in Port Charles manifesting itself in a weird way.”
“Why would I be scared of being back in Port Charles?”
“Have you seen Jax since you’ve been back?” Robin asked gently.
“No, and I don’t plan on it,” Brenda retorted.
“Bren, you need to see him.”
“No, I don’t.”
“If you don’t, Port Charles will never stop being some place you avoid, and sweetie, I don’t want you to avoid Port Charles. I want Alanna to grow up with her Aunt Brenda, and to do that, she needs to see you.”
“That’s what webcams are for, and you know it’s never too soon to start exposing the little girl to European culture…”
“Brenda.”
“You need to stop using that Mom voice on me,” Brenda scolded.
The front door opened, and Patrick walked through. “Ladies,” he said. “Am I interrupting?”
“Patrick, I have never been happier to see you before in my life,” Brenda said, relief laced throughout her voice.
“Thanks, I think,” Patrick said with confusion. He looked back and forth between Robin and Brenda. “Something wrong?”
“Your girlfriend has lost her mind. I think you should force her to go take a nap,” Brenda advised. She stood and bent down to give Robin a hug, and to press a kiss to the top of the baby’s head. “I’m going to go to the hotel for a little while, clear my head. You need to get some sleep so you stop with the crazy ideas.” She walked towards the door, and squeezed Patrick’s arm as she walked by. “Bye, Patrick.”
“I’m not crazy!” Robin called after Brenda’s back.
Patrick looked at Robin with confusion. “Did I miss something?”
Brenda laughed as she walked out the door, and shut it behind her.
Once outside, she leaned back against the door. She laid a hand over her stomach, and wondered.
What if Robin weren’t so crazy?
Author: empressearwig
Prompt: 45 - Dreams
Pairing/Character(s): Brenda, Robin, Patrick (briefly)
Rating: G
Disclaimer: Not mine.
Word Count: 1132
Spoilers/Warnings: Part of the extended Lana!AU.
Summary: "I've been having some weird dreams..."
Author's Notes: I promised leobrat that I would work on this part of the story. I hope you're sufficiently intrigued... Written for theechochorus.
“Yet it is in our idleness, in our dreams, that the submerged truth sometimes comes to the top.” - Virginia Woolf
Robin came down the stairs from the nursery to join Brenda on the couch. “I think she’s finally down for a little while.” She looked at the coffee table in front of her. “You made tea?”
Brenda shrugged, and picked up her own mug. “I thought you might need it” She took a sip. “That baby of yours is the most beautiful thing I think I’ve ever seen, you know.”
Robin beamed, and reached out for the other mug. She blew lightly on the warm drink before taking her own drink. “I know! Isn’t she great?” She leaned back into the couch. “I don’t think I’ve ever been more exhausted, though, not even while I was an intern.”
Concern laced through her voice, Brenda asked urgently, “But you’re taking care of yourself, right? Patrick’s helping and your health is fine too, right?”
Robin reached over and squeezed Brenda’s hand gently. “I’m fine. I am taking excellent care of myself, and if you really think Patrick would let me neglect my own health, you’re crazy.”
Brenda flipped her hand over and clasped Robin’s hand. “You’re my little sister, I worry, you know that.”
“I do,” Robin acknowledged, letting go of Brenda’s hand and tucking her feet up underneath her. “So, big sister, how long do you think you’ll be sticking around Port Charles for?” She studied Brenda’s face carefully. “I know how hard it was for you to come back.”
“Don’t be silly,” Brenda scoffed. “There’s no way I was going to miss being here for my niece’s debut into the world.”
“But Bren…” Robin started.
A loud cry came through the baby monitor, cutting her off.
“Damn, I thought she was going to stay down,” Robin cursed. She stood and wagged her finger at Brenda. “We’re not done with this conversation.” She ran up the stairs towards the nursery.
Brenda let out a loud breath and sat back into the couch. She knew it was just Alanna crying, and that it was perfectly normal, but it had startled her. She’d never thought that a baby crying would scare her so much, but since it seemed like their hadn’t been a night that had gone by for the last month where she hadn’t awoken to the sound in her dreams, it was making her jumpier than she’d thought possible.
She managed to get her breathing under control as Robin came back down the stairs cradling Alanna against her chest.
“I think she just wanted to have some girl time,” Robin announced as she sat back down on the couch. She looked over at Brenda. “Are you alright? You’re white as a sheet.”
Brenda smiled weakly, and reached out to shake the baby’s bootie covered foot. “I’m fine. I think I just need to get something to eat.”
Robin frowned. “I don’t believe you. What’s wrong, Bren?”
Brenda huffed and crossed her arms over her chest. “Nothing is wrong, my blood sugar is just low. Do you need to eat? I still can’t cook, but I can dial a phone for takeout like no one’s business.” She stood and started heading into the kitchen. “You keep your menus in here, right? What do you think about Italian?”
“Brenda.”
The quiet, firm voice made Brenda turn around. “What, you already practicing your mom voice?”
“Come over here,” Robin ordered.
Meekly, Brenda obeyed, settling herself next to Robin on the couch.
“Now tell me what’s wrong.”
Brenda took a deep breath. “I’ve been having some weird dreams…”
“What kind of dreams?” Robin probed gently, rocking Alanna against her chest.
“I don’t really know,” Brenda said carefully. “All I really remember from them is the sound of a baby crying, and then I wake up and can’t catch my breath.”
“What do you think they’re about?”
Brenda threw up her hands in frustration. “I don’t know! I suppose it must mean something, but I don’t know what.”
“Do you think it might have something to do with you past?”
Brenda looked at Robin quizzically. “Like what? I’ve never been pregnant, heck, I’ve never even spent that much time around kids.”
“You’ve told me before that you don’t really remember that much of the first year after your accident,” Robin pointed out. “Maybe something happened.”
“You think I was pregnant when I went off the cliff and don’t remember giving birth?” Brenda stared at Robin in shock. “You must be crazy.”
“I live in Port Charles,” Robin pointed out wryly. “Are you seriously going to tell me stranger things haven’t happened? And I’m not the one that made the leap to you had a kid you don’t remember, that was you.”
“Fine,” Brenda pouted. “You might have a point.”
“The dreams could mean nothing, Bren. Or maybe it’s just your fear about being back in Port Charles manifesting itself in a weird way.”
“Why would I be scared of being back in Port Charles?”
“Have you seen Jax since you’ve been back?” Robin asked gently.
“No, and I don’t plan on it,” Brenda retorted.
“Bren, you need to see him.”
“No, I don’t.”
“If you don’t, Port Charles will never stop being some place you avoid, and sweetie, I don’t want you to avoid Port Charles. I want Alanna to grow up with her Aunt Brenda, and to do that, she needs to see you.”
“That’s what webcams are for, and you know it’s never too soon to start exposing the little girl to European culture…”
“Brenda.”
“You need to stop using that Mom voice on me,” Brenda scolded.
The front door opened, and Patrick walked through. “Ladies,” he said. “Am I interrupting?”
“Patrick, I have never been happier to see you before in my life,” Brenda said, relief laced throughout her voice.
“Thanks, I think,” Patrick said with confusion. He looked back and forth between Robin and Brenda. “Something wrong?”
“Your girlfriend has lost her mind. I think you should force her to go take a nap,” Brenda advised. She stood and bent down to give Robin a hug, and to press a kiss to the top of the baby’s head. “I’m going to go to the hotel for a little while, clear my head. You need to get some sleep so you stop with the crazy ideas.” She walked towards the door, and squeezed Patrick’s arm as she walked by. “Bye, Patrick.”
“I’m not crazy!” Robin called after Brenda’s back.
Patrick looked at Robin with confusion. “Did I miss something?”
Brenda laughed as she walked out the door, and shut it behind her.
Once outside, she leaned back against the door. She laid a hand over her stomach, and wondered.
What if Robin weren’t so crazy?