Anna returns to town in February 2012, shortly before Robin is killed in a hospital lab explosion. Anna delivers the sad news to Mac and tries to contact Robert. She sends Luke after Robert, who storms off after viewing Robin's remains in the morgue. When Robert returns, he tells Anna that Luke told him he is the father of Holly's son, Ethan Lovett, who has been kidnapped by Helena Cassadine. Robert doesn't want to lose another child, so he decides to find Ethan and leaves Anna behind, going before Robin's funeral, not knowing that Luke and Holly lied to him in order to give him a reason to live.