Chapter Text
Robby was going insane. It’s been three days, and for the life of him, Robby couldn’t figure out who the newest med students were talking about. He accidentally heard their conversation three days ago, while they were charting.
“I thought Dr Van Abbot was going to be one of those cocky assholes, but he’s surprisingly helpful.”
“I know. He actually made me take a break to regroup and destimulate.”
“I think I might be in love.”
Robby had no idea who Dr Van Abbot was, at first assuming it was one of their professors, so he brushed it aside, only to hear more and more of Dr VanAbbot during the next three days.
“Guys, Dr Van Abbot is a total nerd.”
“Have you seen Van Abbot’s kids? Who has kids that cute? It’s inhuman.”
“Did you hear there was a patient who was flirting hard with Dr Van Abbot, in front of one of his husbands? I thought the man was going to snap.”
It went on for days, driving Robby mad, and Dana and McKay fully laughed at Robby when he asked them if he knew who VanAbbot was, and Whitaker, Javadi, Santos, and even Mel just looked confused as hell. He would have asked Samira, but after the way he treated her before his sabbatical, he tried not to bother her as much as possible, the man apologising fully, but he had ruined any trust between them.
The guilt over that lived in his bones.
Finally, he snapped, the curiosity getting to him, making him ask with a confused expression, at the three interns now gathered during hand off.
“Who exactly is Doctor Van Abbot?”
Jeppesen, Coulson, and Banks stared at Robby, who stared back, the three med students blinking in disbelief.
“Doctor VanAbbot….” Coulson repeated slowly, as if it should mean something to Robby.
“Right, we don’t have a Van Abbot here in the Pitt.” He pointed out, getting another round of looks from the three students.
“Langdon.” Banks supplied, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world
“What about Langdon?” He thought back to the man he was once so close to and now pushed back, relating to a co-worker and a stranger, nine months after his return to the Pitt, only to save himself. He knew it was selfish and wrong, and Robby knew two months into his sabbatical that he hated the thought of Langdon leaving his ED, but he would never say it.
"Dr Robby” Jeppesen began. The woman, small and earnest, reminding Robby so much of Mel, her question was pure and innocent and full of absolute horror, “Do you not know your senior resident’s last name….?”
Robby had no response, his brain putting the pieces together at lightning speed.
His Frank Langdon was Dr Van Abbot?
Robby thought he was going insane before; now he knew he was.
Wait, didn’t one of them say he had husbands? Plural?
FRANK WAS MARRIED?
“Ooooh,” Robby rubbed his hand on the back of his neck, in disbelief. “I’m sorry, you think Langdon’s first name is Van Abbot? It’s Langdon. Dr Frank Langdon.”
“What?”
Robby internally cursed Langdon’s timing, the tall man sauntering over with a confused expression. “Need something?”
It's still cool and professional, and Robby is feeling way too many things he doesn’t want to think about or name, to care.
“Your first name is Frank?” It’s Coulson that blurts it out, the tall, lanky man who still looks like he’s fifteen instead of in his twenties, demands with wide green eyes.
“Uh…yeah…”
Robby pinches the bridge of his nose. “Unbelievable,” he mutters, “Frank, what’s your last name?”
“Langdon. Why?” Frank is now looking at the group with open suspicion.
“Please tell Dr Langdon what you thought his last name was for the last two weeks, please.”
It's Banks who answers, looking at the other two with a roll of her eyes. “Van Abbot.”
Frank chokes on air, and Robby is still feeling too many things to care. “Who the fuck told you guys that?”
“Jesse.” Jeppesen chirps, smiling, which dims and falls as recognition builds. “Oh, he was just messing with us, wasn’t he?”
“Yeah, but why would Dr Abbot confirm it?” Coulson ponders.
Robby is going to have a heart attack. An actual heart attack. “Hold on, Jack Abbot? Jesse, this guy,” they all look where Jesse is standing, talking to Whitaker with his arms folded across his chest, lazily, looking up, sensing their attention with a little frown, until he notices Frank winks at him before going back to his conversation with Dennis, “and Jack Abbot, from night shift?”
“Uh huh.” Coulson nods frantically.
“Told you three, my last name was Van Abbot?” Frank continues.
“Yup.” Banks agrees, looking supremely unbothered. “I take it you’re not married or the momma to their kids, either?”
Robby can’t stop the wheeze that comes out of his mouth, and Frank closes his eyes and heaves a sigh of exasperation.
“I mean…”
Robby turns to fully face Frank at the note of hesitation, trying so hard not to betray any of the internal chaos going through his head. “It's a yes or no question, Langdon.”
It comes out harsher than he means it to, but there is a desperate sense of jealousy starting to build.
“I’m living above in the small apartment above their garage and helping out with the kids, so I don’t have to pay rent…?”
Robby isn’t prepared for the sense of relief that floods him at hearing that.
“Hey,” the bearded man didn’t notice Jesse making his way towards them, the silver-haired man giving Robby a nod, before settling next to Frank with effortless ease, giving a nod to the med students.
“Van Abbot?” Frank demands, earning a little smug smirk from Jesse.
“No one would believe Abbot Horn, Frank.” Jesse shoots back, completely unbothered.
“We’re not married, we’re not even dating. You’re married.”
“We will be, not yet, and yes, I am, you’ll like him, I promise,” Jesse answers smoothly, and Robby has the irrational urge to kick him out of his ED.
“What?” Frank asks in total confusion.
“Momma!”
Tanner’s voice cuts through the Pitt, and Frank turns on instinct without thinking, eyes going wide in horror at what he did, just as Tanner’s face comes into view, the boy running through the Pitt, even as Jack is calling out behind him to walk, carrying Penny.
Robby watches, feeling like he’s frozen in place and can’t look away. Tanner, whose last name was actually Van Abbot, skids to a stop in front of Frank, holding out his arm for Frank to see.
“Look, Momma! I have tattoos like daddy!”
“Yes, you do, buddy.” Jesse smiles at Tanner; it’s a matching smile, the two eerily similar in their physical appearances, their surrogate carrier’s genetics never had a chance of winning, Jesse effortlessly picking up Tanner, who was reaching for a still stunned Frank, as Jack finally joined them.
“Tanner Robin, I know you’re excited to see Momma and Daddy, but you need to walk. This is not a place we run.”
“Momma, Penny also has tattoos.” Tanner was bouncing in Frank’s arms, and Penny reached for Frank with a pout on her chubby, freckled face, glaring at Tanner.
“ ‘Atoos.” She grunts. “My momma.”
Never mind a heart attack, Robby was going to have a stroke right here on the floor.
“Tanner…” Frank looks down at the boy he trades for Penny, the little girl giving a satisfied sigh, and clings to Frank’s scrubs with chubby fists, “I’m not your momma, I’m Frankie, remember.”
“No.” Tanner denies with a shake of his head. “You’re momma now.”
Jesse and Jack exchange a quick peck, and Jesse rubs his forehead against Penny’s, who giggles but refuses to let go of Frank. “My momma,” she declares again, with a frown when Jesse gets too close to Frank.
“Penny, baby, I’m not your momma. Frankie.”
“Momma.”
“Frankie.”
“Momma. No Fwankie.”
“You’re not winning this one, Doctor Van Abbot,” Jack smirked at Frank, looking far too pleased with himself. “They’re our kids.”
“I’m moving out.”
“You can move in with me.” Robby blurts out, before thinking, drawing everyone’s attention to him, Frank with wide blue eyes, the med students completely invested and Jesse and Jack with dangerous, icy glares.
“That’s won’t be necessary.” Jesse smiles coldly and sharply, “Thank you, Doctor Robinavitch.”
“We are perfectly capable of taking care of our boy and the carrier of our children.”
“I’m not either one.” Frank points out in exasperation, only for Tanner to let out a little sniffle.
“You don’t want to be our Momma? Do you not love us?”
Robby has no time to process what is happening.
Frank blinks. “Of course, I love you, Tanner Robin Van Abbot, how dare you ever question otherwise? Same for Penny.”
Frank sounds actually mad that Tanner would ever question his love for him or his sister. Frank fell hard for the two children from the moment Jack picked him up from rehab after Abby kicked him out, knowing he had no place to go, and installed him in the small studio apartment above his and Jesse's garage, only to find out Jesse was fifteen years sober and knew what it was like not to have support.
Tanner beams at Frank. “Okay, momma.”
Robby is forced to watch as Frank begins to lose in real time.