Ficlet: When the Cat's Away... (GH, Robin/Patrick, Lanaverse)
Title: When the Cat's Away...
Author: empressearwig
Claim: Robin/Patrick
Fandom: General Hospital
Theme: 23 - First Time Alone
Disclaimer: Any characters first appearing on GH do not belong to me.
Robin hung up the phone with a frown.
Patrick looked over at her as he continued to cut Matt’s meat for him. “Any luck?”
Robin shook her head and sat back down at the table. “No, it seems that every sitter in Port Charles has been booked for tonight. Lisa picked a really lousy time to catch the flu.”
“So does that mean we’re not going to the ballet tonight, after all?” Patrick asked hopefully. “And I was so looking forward to it, too.”
“Ha ha,” Robin said flatly. “No, it just means I’m going to shamelessly impose on Cameron and see if he wouldn’t mind watching Matt and Lana, too.”
“Wait, we’re going to Lucky and Maxie’s?” Lana frowned. “Do we have to?”
Robin turned to Lana with surprise. “I thought you’d like the idea, sweetie. Jake will probably be there.”
“That’s why she doesn’t want to go,” Matt piped up. “Because Jake’ll be too busy talking to his girlfriend to spend any time with her.”
Lana flushed scarlet. “Shut up Matt,” she hissed at her brother.
“Don’t tell your brother to shut up,” Robin said automatically, studying Lana’s face carefully. “Is that true?”
“That I don’t want to go to Lucky and Maxie’s because Jake has a different?” Lana stammered, looking down at her plate rather than at Robin. “No… I just don’t want to go over there, okay?”
“Okay,” Robin said, dropping the subject for now. “Unfortunately, we don’t have a whole lot of choice in the matter.”
“Why can’t Matt and I stay home by ourselves?” Lana protested. “I got my baby-sitting license, I could be in charge.”
Robin and Patrick exchanged dubious looks.
Lana pouted. “What, don’t you trust me? Maxie lets me babysit for Gia.”
“True,” Robin conceding, weakening slightly.
Sensing an advantage, Lana turned to Patrick with pleading eyes. “Please Dad? I promise I’ll do a good job.”
“Well…” he hesitated and looked across the table at Robin. “It’s just a couple hours and Cameron’s only a phone call away…”
Lana turned to Robin. “Please Mom?”
Robin sighed. “Fine, we’ll call it a trial run. But you have to promise you’ll us or Cameron or Uncle Mac or Alexis or…”
“I get it,” Lana rushed to assure her, jumping up from her seat and throwing her arms around Robin’s neck. “Thank you, thank you!”
Robin laughed and disentangled herself from Lana. “Sit down and finish your dinner,” she ordered. “You’re going to have to follow the rules, you know, which means no television or phone till after homework done, chores need to be finished, and bed times adhered to.” She looked over at Matt. “And you need to promise to listen to your sister.”
Matt looked up from the mountain he was making from his mashed potatoes. “Wait, I have to list to Lana? Mom!” He made a face and crossed his arms rebelliously. “I don’t want to.”
“Well you have to, just like you have to stop playing with your food and start eating it.” Robin looked across the table to Patrick and raised an eyebrow. “Wasn’t it your night to make sure he ate more of his dinner than he played with?”
Patrick looks sheepish. “Sorry.”
“I swear I have three children sometimes, not two,” Robin said fighting to keep a smile off her face.
“Tell you what, why don’t you go start making yourself beautiful and I’ll supervise the rest of dinner and chores and the start of homework,” Patrick suggested.
Robin glanced up at the wall clock and yelped. “I’m taking you up on that patently transparent attempt to get back on my good side, because I really do need to get changed.” She pushed her chair back from the table and dashed out of the kitchen and up the stairs, calling behind her, “Behave! And that means all of you!”
“Patrick looked back and forth between the children. “See what you did there? Way to get me into trouble guys. Isn’t it bad enough I have to sit through the ballet tonight?”
Giggles erupted from both children as they continued their dinner.
*
A little after eleven, Robin and Patrick crept into the house, bracing themselves for what they might find.
Just inside the door, Robin flipped on the lights as she slipped out of her coat and sighed with relief as she took in the mostly clean living room. “Well, it doesn’t look too bad.”
“See?” Patrick said, with a hint of teasing in his voice, as he took her coat to hang it in the closet. “All that worry for nothing.”
“I haven’t seen the rest of the house yet,” Robin sniffed. “For all you know they raided the kitchen or destroyed the family room.”
When she started moving towards the back of the house to check, Patrick grabbed her shoulders and steered her towards the stairs instead. “Nope,” he chided. “If there is a mess, it will still be there in the morning. I was good all night, and I deserve the reward I was promised,” he said, voice dropping lower as he spoke.
Robin gave an exaggerated sigh. “I suppose that’s true.”
They reached the top of the stairs and the door to Lana’s room, which was slightly ajar. She paused outside it, hand on the door knob. She looked back at Patrick and raised an eyebrow. “I trust that you’d have no objections to me checking to see if she lived through the night? That wouldn’t delay your reward too much?”
“Check away,” Patrick said gallantly. “Tell you what, I’ll go check on Matt. That way it’s less to my reward.” He winked at her and headed down the hall to Matt’s room and crept silently inside.
Robin shook her head and laughed silently to herself as she pushed open the door to Lana’s room. She gave a mental sigh of relief that the room was the normal amount of messy and not anything out of the ordinary. She tip-toed over to the bed to straighten the tangled covers that Lana had almost entirely kicked off.
As Robin was pulling them over her sleeping daughter, Lana murmured sleepily, “Mom?”
Instantly Robin’s hands stilled. “Shh, go back to sleep,” she soothed. “Good night, sweetheart.” She pressed a kiss to the top of Lana’s head, and started to back out of the room.
“Mkay,” Lana mumbled. “Nothing broke… night.”
Robin watched from the door till Lana drifted back off.
With a smile, Robin headed down the hall to Matt’s room, and found Patrick propped up on the bed next to Matt reading him a story. “Patrick Drake, just what do you think you’re doing?” she scolded, even as the sight of them together warmed her heart.
Patrick paused, looking over at Robin with a dimpled grin. “Someone said they wouldn’t go back to sleep till they saw their mom.” He shrugged. “So I thought this would be a good way to wait.”
“It’s true, Mom,” Matt piped up. “I wanted to say goodnight.” He grinned at her, dimple winking out and missing front teeth on display.
“Did you now?” Robin asked happily, coming to sit on the edge of the bed.
Matt nodded vigorously. “I did, I did.”
“Well, I think that now you said it you need to go back to bed. I know its Saturday tomorrow, but doesn’t someone have a karate class bright and early tomorrow morning? You want to be ready for that, right?” Robin reminded.
His lip started to slide out into a pout, but then he brightened and asked hopefully, “So, since I was good for Lana, does that mean Dad will make French Toast for breakfast tomorrow?”
Robin and Patrick traded amused glances.
“I think that could probably be arranged, if you agree to try your hardest to go to sleep now,” Patrick said firmly, closing the book and placing it on his night stand. He slid off the bed, and stood waiting while Robin gave Matt a hug.
“Night,” she whispered in his ear.
“Night, Mama,” he whispered back.
Robin released him and he settled back into his pillows as she stood, and she and Patrick headed back out into the hallway, careful to leave the door open a crack, the way he liked it.
Patrick wrapped an arm around Robin’s shoulders as they started down the hallway to their own bedroom. “So about my reward…” he drawled, but didn’t get any further, because Robin pushed him back into the wall, and kissed him intently. Taken by surprise, he couldn’t conceal the moan that escaped him, as he let her take control of the moment. When she finally pulled back for air, he asked between gasps, “What was that for?”
“Have I ever mentioned how incredibly sexy I find it when you’re a good father?” she purred. She stepped back and tugged him by the belt into their bedroom, closing the door firmly behind them.
He’d more than earned his reward.
Author: empressearwig
Claim: Robin/Patrick
Fandom: General Hospital
Theme: 23 - First Time Alone
Disclaimer: Any characters first appearing on GH do not belong to me.
Robin hung up the phone with a frown.
Patrick looked over at her as he continued to cut Matt’s meat for him. “Any luck?”
Robin shook her head and sat back down at the table. “No, it seems that every sitter in Port Charles has been booked for tonight. Lisa picked a really lousy time to catch the flu.”
“So does that mean we’re not going to the ballet tonight, after all?” Patrick asked hopefully. “And I was so looking forward to it, too.”
“Ha ha,” Robin said flatly. “No, it just means I’m going to shamelessly impose on Cameron and see if he wouldn’t mind watching Matt and Lana, too.”
“Wait, we’re going to Lucky and Maxie’s?” Lana frowned. “Do we have to?”
Robin turned to Lana with surprise. “I thought you’d like the idea, sweetie. Jake will probably be there.”
“That’s why she doesn’t want to go,” Matt piped up. “Because Jake’ll be too busy talking to his girlfriend to spend any time with her.”
Lana flushed scarlet. “Shut up Matt,” she hissed at her brother.
“Don’t tell your brother to shut up,” Robin said automatically, studying Lana’s face carefully. “Is that true?”
“That I don’t want to go to Lucky and Maxie’s because Jake has a different?” Lana stammered, looking down at her plate rather than at Robin. “No… I just don’t want to go over there, okay?”
“Okay,” Robin said, dropping the subject for now. “Unfortunately, we don’t have a whole lot of choice in the matter.”
“Why can’t Matt and I stay home by ourselves?” Lana protested. “I got my baby-sitting license, I could be in charge.”
Robin and Patrick exchanged dubious looks.
Lana pouted. “What, don’t you trust me? Maxie lets me babysit for Gia.”
“True,” Robin conceding, weakening slightly.
Sensing an advantage, Lana turned to Patrick with pleading eyes. “Please Dad? I promise I’ll do a good job.”
“Well…” he hesitated and looked across the table at Robin. “It’s just a couple hours and Cameron’s only a phone call away…”
Lana turned to Robin. “Please Mom?”
Robin sighed. “Fine, we’ll call it a trial run. But you have to promise you’ll us or Cameron or Uncle Mac or Alexis or…”
“I get it,” Lana rushed to assure her, jumping up from her seat and throwing her arms around Robin’s neck. “Thank you, thank you!”
Robin laughed and disentangled herself from Lana. “Sit down and finish your dinner,” she ordered. “You’re going to have to follow the rules, you know, which means no television or phone till after homework done, chores need to be finished, and bed times adhered to.” She looked over at Matt. “And you need to promise to listen to your sister.”
Matt looked up from the mountain he was making from his mashed potatoes. “Wait, I have to list to Lana? Mom!” He made a face and crossed his arms rebelliously. “I don’t want to.”
“Well you have to, just like you have to stop playing with your food and start eating it.” Robin looked across the table to Patrick and raised an eyebrow. “Wasn’t it your night to make sure he ate more of his dinner than he played with?”
Patrick looks sheepish. “Sorry.”
“I swear I have three children sometimes, not two,” Robin said fighting to keep a smile off her face.
“Tell you what, why don’t you go start making yourself beautiful and I’ll supervise the rest of dinner and chores and the start of homework,” Patrick suggested.
Robin glanced up at the wall clock and yelped. “I’m taking you up on that patently transparent attempt to get back on my good side, because I really do need to get changed.” She pushed her chair back from the table and dashed out of the kitchen and up the stairs, calling behind her, “Behave! And that means all of you!”
“Patrick looked back and forth between the children. “See what you did there? Way to get me into trouble guys. Isn’t it bad enough I have to sit through the ballet tonight?”
Giggles erupted from both children as they continued their dinner.
*
A little after eleven, Robin and Patrick crept into the house, bracing themselves for what they might find.
Just inside the door, Robin flipped on the lights as she slipped out of her coat and sighed with relief as she took in the mostly clean living room. “Well, it doesn’t look too bad.”
“See?” Patrick said, with a hint of teasing in his voice, as he took her coat to hang it in the closet. “All that worry for nothing.”
“I haven’t seen the rest of the house yet,” Robin sniffed. “For all you know they raided the kitchen or destroyed the family room.”
When she started moving towards the back of the house to check, Patrick grabbed her shoulders and steered her towards the stairs instead. “Nope,” he chided. “If there is a mess, it will still be there in the morning. I was good all night, and I deserve the reward I was promised,” he said, voice dropping lower as he spoke.
Robin gave an exaggerated sigh. “I suppose that’s true.”
They reached the top of the stairs and the door to Lana’s room, which was slightly ajar. She paused outside it, hand on the door knob. She looked back at Patrick and raised an eyebrow. “I trust that you’d have no objections to me checking to see if she lived through the night? That wouldn’t delay your reward too much?”
“Check away,” Patrick said gallantly. “Tell you what, I’ll go check on Matt. That way it’s less to my reward.” He winked at her and headed down the hall to Matt’s room and crept silently inside.
Robin shook her head and laughed silently to herself as she pushed open the door to Lana’s room. She gave a mental sigh of relief that the room was the normal amount of messy and not anything out of the ordinary. She tip-toed over to the bed to straighten the tangled covers that Lana had almost entirely kicked off.
As Robin was pulling them over her sleeping daughter, Lana murmured sleepily, “Mom?”
Instantly Robin’s hands stilled. “Shh, go back to sleep,” she soothed. “Good night, sweetheart.” She pressed a kiss to the top of Lana’s head, and started to back out of the room.
“Mkay,” Lana mumbled. “Nothing broke… night.”
Robin watched from the door till Lana drifted back off.
With a smile, Robin headed down the hall to Matt’s room, and found Patrick propped up on the bed next to Matt reading him a story. “Patrick Drake, just what do you think you’re doing?” she scolded, even as the sight of them together warmed her heart.
Patrick paused, looking over at Robin with a dimpled grin. “Someone said they wouldn’t go back to sleep till they saw their mom.” He shrugged. “So I thought this would be a good way to wait.”
“It’s true, Mom,” Matt piped up. “I wanted to say goodnight.” He grinned at her, dimple winking out and missing front teeth on display.
“Did you now?” Robin asked happily, coming to sit on the edge of the bed.
Matt nodded vigorously. “I did, I did.”
“Well, I think that now you said it you need to go back to bed. I know its Saturday tomorrow, but doesn’t someone have a karate class bright and early tomorrow morning? You want to be ready for that, right?” Robin reminded.
His lip started to slide out into a pout, but then he brightened and asked hopefully, “So, since I was good for Lana, does that mean Dad will make French Toast for breakfast tomorrow?”
Robin and Patrick traded amused glances.
“I think that could probably be arranged, if you agree to try your hardest to go to sleep now,” Patrick said firmly, closing the book and placing it on his night stand. He slid off the bed, and stood waiting while Robin gave Matt a hug.
“Night,” she whispered in his ear.
“Night, Mama,” he whispered back.
Robin released him and he settled back into his pillows as she stood, and she and Patrick headed back out into the hallway, careful to leave the door open a crack, the way he liked it.
Patrick wrapped an arm around Robin’s shoulders as they started down the hallway to their own bedroom. “So about my reward…” he drawled, but didn’t get any further, because Robin pushed him back into the wall, and kissed him intently. Taken by surprise, he couldn’t conceal the moan that escaped him, as he let her take control of the moment. When she finally pulled back for air, he asked between gasps, “What was that for?”
“Have I ever mentioned how incredibly sexy I find it when you’re a good father?” she purred. She stepped back and tugged him by the belt into their bedroom, closing the door firmly behind them.
He’d more than earned his reward.