Chapter 44: Robbie's Appearance
Fiona got the job on a Tuesday.
She burst into the shop at noon, cheeks flushed from running, waving a paper like a victory flag. "I got it! Manager position at Patsy's Pies. Actual salary, benefits, everything!"
Ben looked up from an engine rebuild, wiping grease on his jeans. "That's amazing. When do you start?"
"Tomorrow. Mike—he's the owner's son—he said I was exactly what they needed. Someone who knows South Side, can handle chaos, won't quit after a week." Fiona grabbed his face, kissed him hard despite the grease. "This is real, Ben. A real job with a future. Not waitressing, not scrambling—management."
"You deserve it." He pulled her close, ignoring the oil transferring to her clothes. "Proud of you."
She left to tell V, excitement radiating off her in waves. Ben returned to the engine, but his hands moved on autopilot while his mind churned.
A job at Patsy's Pies. The owner's son, Mike. Everything lining up exactly like the show, just with Ben in the picture now instead of Jimmy.
His Danger Intuition hummed low and steady. Not screaming yet, but awake.
Three days later, Fiona mentioned Robbie for the first time.
"Mike's brother came by today," she said over dinner at the Gallagher house. Debbie was setting the table, Carl helping reluctantly. "Robbie. Total wild card—told this story about BASE jumping in Norway, had the whole staff laughing."
Ben's fork stopped halfway to his mouth. "Robbie?"
"Yeah. He's nothing like Mike. Mike's responsible and kind of boring—no offense to Mike, he's great—but Robbie's all energy and chaos. You'd probably hate him."
The Danger Intuition detonated.
Ben's vision tunneled. The kitchen disappeared, replaced by fragments that hit like hammer blows: Robbie's smile, cocaine residue on a glass table, Liam's small hand reaching, orange jumpsuit, handcuffs snapping closed, Fiona's face behind plexiglass separation.
"Ben? You okay?"
He forced himself back. Fiona was watching him with concern, fork suspended. The kids had gone quiet.
"Yeah. Sorry. Long day." He managed a bite of food that tasted like cardboard. "What's he do? For work?"
"Honestly? I don't think he works. Rich kid living off family money, doing extreme sports and traveling. Mike seems kind of embarrassed by him but also proud? It's complicated brother stuff."
Rich. Reckless. Exactly the type who'd have cocaine connections. Exactly the type Fiona used to be drawn to before she chose stability.
Ben forced himself to eat normally, contribute to conversation, act like his world hadn't just tilted sideways. After dinner he texted Lip: Need to talk. Urgent.
They met at the shop after the kids were asleep.
"Robbie Pratt," Ben said without preamble. "Mike's brother. Tell me everything you know about the Pratt family."
Lip lit a cigarette, studied Ben through the smoke. "The Pratts? They're north side money. Mike's the responsible one, runs the family business. Robbie's the fuckup—had a cocaine problem in college, got sent to rehab twice, now he just travels and pisses away trust fund money."
"Cocaine problem."
"Past tense. Supposedly clean now, but..." Lip shrugged. "Rich kid clean and actually clean are different things. Why?"
Ben's Danger Intuition pulsed confirmation. "He's the threat. The one I've been sensing. Something about him leads to cocaine in our house, Liam in danger, Fiona arrested."
"Arrested for what?"
"Don't know specifics. Just know the chain: Robbie appears, cocaine follows, disaster happens." Ben pulled up his laptop, started searching. "I need to research him. Everything—social media, criminal record, connections."
Lip watched him work for several minutes. "You think Fiona would cheat?"
"No. But I think she's attracted to chaos. Always has been. Robbie represents everything she's trying to leave behind but part of her still wants." Ben found Robbie's Instagram—photos of skydiving, motorcycles, parties in expensive locations. "And I think he's dangerous not because he's trying to be but because he's reckless. That recklessness could destroy everything."
"So what's the plan? Tell Fiona to quit?"
"Can't. She loves this job and she'd ask why. 'Because my danger intuition says so' isn't a good enough reason to derail her career." Ben saved Robbie's photos, started cross-referencing locations. "I prepare. Make sure cocaine never reaches Liam. Make sure if disaster comes, we survive it."
Lip stubbed out his cigarette. "You're playing with fire. If you act jealous or controlling, you'll push her right into the chaos you're trying to prevent."
"I know."
"So trust her. She chose you, she's wearing your ring, she's planning your wedding. Trust that means something."
"I do trust her." Ben closed the laptop, exhausted. "But I also know what I've seen. Robbie's connected to disaster. Whether through Fiona's choices or his recklessness or just bad timing, he brings cocaine and consequences. I can't prevent his existence but I can prepare for the fallout."
Lip left. Ben sat alone surrounded by tools and shadows, his research pulled up on the screen.
Robbie Pratt, age 27. Two rehab stints. Extreme sports enthusiast. Trust fund kid with no direction and dangerous hobbies. Instagram full of parties, powder residue visible on tables in background of several photos.
Still using. "Clean" is a lie he tells his family. And now he's in Fiona's orbit, charming and dangerous and exactly the type that used to make her pulse race.
Ben's phone buzzed. Fiona: Coming over? Or are you working late?
Be there in 20.
He closed the laptop, locked the shop, walked through March cold toward the Gallagher house. Toward his fiancée who had no idea the threat that just entered her life. Toward the family he'd sworn to protect from dangers they couldn't see coming.
I can't stop Robbie from existing. Can't stop Fiona from working with Mike. Can't control human attraction or chemistry. But I can control cocaine access. Can protect Liam. Can prepare for disaster even if I can't prevent attraction.
The house was warm when he entered. Fiona was folding laundry in the living room, domestic and normal and beautiful. She smiled when she saw him.
"Hey. Long day?"
"Yeah. Engine trouble." He kissed her, sat beside her, helped fold. "How was work?"
"Great. Mike's teaching me inventory management. Says I'm a natural at organization." She folded one of Liam's tiny shirts with practiced efficiency. "Robbie stopped by again. Brought lunch for everyone, expensive sandwiches from some downtown place. He's exhausting but fun, you know? Like being around him is tiring but in a good way."
Ben's hands tightened on the shirt he was folding. "Sounds like a character."
"He is. Complete opposite of you—all impulse and no planning. Probably why you two would clash." She leaned against him. "I'm glad you're not like that. Glad you're the stable one."
But part of you misses chaos. Part of you is attracted to the wild energy Robbie represents. You chose me because I'm stable, but Robbie reminds you of the excitement you gave up.
"I'm glad I'm not like that too," Ben said. "Stability's underrated."
They finished folding in comfortable silence. Later, lying beside her in darkness, Ben listened to her breathe and thought about the preparations he needed to make.
Narcan. Child safety measures. Drug recognition training. Documentation systems. Legal contingencies. Everything required to protect his family from a threat that wore a charming smile and had cocaine connections.
Trust Fiona. Prepare for Robbie. Protect Liam. Those are the priorities. In that order.
He just hoped preparation would be enough when disaster finally struck.
Author's Note / Promotion:
Your Reviews and Power Stones are the best way to show support. They help me know what you're enjoying and bring in new readers!
You don't have to. Get instant access to more content by supporting me on Patreon. I have three options so you can pick how far ahead you want to be:
🪙 Silver Tier ($6): Read 10 chapters ahead of the public site.
👑 Gold Tier ($9): Get 15-20 chapters ahead of the public site.
💎 Platinum Tier ($15): The ultimate experience. Get new chapters the second I finish them . No waiting for weekly drops, just pure, instant access.
Your support helps me write more .
👉 Find it all at patreon.com/fanficwriter1