Pairings: Robin/Regina, David/Mary-Margaret, Regina/Graham - mentioned

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Ding...ding...ding...ding.

With a displeasured groan, Regina lifted herself up and grabbed her phone off the nightstand to stop the alarm clock. Sighing, she laid back down resting her head on Robin's back.

"What time is it?" he asked from behind where his head rested on his hands.

"Six," Regina answered.

He breathed deeply, "Did you get any sleep?"

"No, I didn't. You kept me up all night!" she answered.

"I would argue it was the other way around...in more ways than one."

She rolled her eyes, "I guess being exhausted the next morning is the downside to makeup sex."

He chuckled.

Regina rolled over so that she was laying with her cheek against his back. She ran fingernails gently up his sides, watching goosebumps erupt in the wake of her ministrations.

Reaching back he grabbed one of her hands and pulled it forward to press a kiss on her palm. With that he used his shoulder blade to nudge her to let him up. She moved back in response, allowing over to turn over onto his back where she rested her head on his chest.

He smiled and stroked her hair, not even seeming to notice that it was tangled and sweaty.

"Don't fall asleep!," she scolded, poking him in the ribs as his hands stilled.

"Hm," he hummed tiredly.

"I'm serious, our shift starts in two hours!"

"We could call in sick," he suggested.

"Both of us?"

He shrugged.

Regina sighed. It was an appealing idea. They'd spent the entire night taking each other over and over again. She couldn't deny it had been incredible, but it had also left her entire body sore and her head foggy from sleep deprivation.

"It wouldn't work," she answered, "Graham would never believe we're both sick-"

"It's plausible we might both get sick at the same time. Spending all day in a car together...we could easily swap illnesses."

"The problem is he knows we've been swapping other things."

Robin opened his eyes and looked at her with a surprised expression, "You told him about us?"

"I didn't specifically say it, but we're going to have to make an official disclosure ASAP. He guessed after what happened on Friday."

"He guessed about us?"

She nodded.

Robin closed his eyes as a realization hit him, "That's what he was talking about at the bar."

"I'm sorry?" she asked, "What was that? What do you mean talking about at the bar?"

"I saw Humbert later that night at The Rabbit Hole. He said something that I didn't think much of at the time, but now that you say he knows...apparently he was expecting me to be here that night."

Regina processed that information for a second before looking away and muttering, "He wasn't the only one."

He sighed, but before he could respond she looked back up at him.

"I'm not mad. I don't want to fight again, but can I just ask...if you knew Graham wasn't with me that night why didn't you just come ask me about what happened?"

"I was a jealous bastard," he admitted, "I figured I knew what the answer had to be, so I didn't want to talk about it I just wanted to be angry."

"Oh," she frowned.

"I'm sorry."

"It's alright," Regina answered, "We figured it out. It's just...the only way this is going to work is if we communicate. We have to tell each other these things. We have to be in this together."

"I agree completely," he said ducking downward to kiss her lips, "I love you."

"I love you too," she responded, placing her palm on his chest and using him as a springboard to push herself off the bed.

"Ugh! God, Regina!" he protested.

"Sorry," she said contritely, "We have to get up though! Make it up to you while we shower?"

He laughed taking her had and letting her pull him out of the bed, "Not sure I have the energy, but you're welcome to try."

"Just shut up and get your ass in the shower, Locksley," she said with smirk.

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After their shower, which involved just a bit of kissing and cuddling, as neither were actually in the mood for more so soon, Regina got dressed and drove them over to Robin's apartment in the squad car.

He dragged himself up to his apartment, and changed into a uniform. On his way back down the stairs he bumped into David Nolan and his wife on the landing to their apartment.

"Robin, hello," Mary-Margaret greeted with a smile.

"Morning."

"Oh hey, did you still need a ride?" David asked.

"No, Regina came to pick me up after all," he explained.

"Everything okay?" Mary-Margaret asked, "Regina seemed a little upset last night when I called her."

Robin bit the inside of his lip guiltily, "As far as I know, yeah. I can ask her to call you though..."

"That would be really great if you can get her to do it!" the dark haired woman exclaimed.

He knew her reasons for being worried, but also that he wasn't supposed to know them so he hesitated before responding. In doing so he caught the guilty look on David's face. It was a look he'd seen before when he was a police inspector. The look a suspect got before they were about to confess, and he didn't want to be there for David sharing that he'd told Robin about Regina and Graham because that would, no doubt, raise questions from his partner's sister...

"Well I'd better be going," he excused himself.

"Right, um yes...thank you...for talking to Regina," Mary-Margaret said.

"No problem," he answered turning toward the stairs.

"I'll see you later," David called after him. He waved in response, and shoved his way through the outer security door.

He quickly jogged over to where Regina parked the car and got in the passenger's side. When she didn't start up the car or say anything he glanced over at her. She was sitting behind the wheel with a carrier from the diner balanced on her lap. She had her other hand clutched around her phone staring intently at the screen.

"Regina?" he asked.

"Hm?" she jumped, looking toward him, "What?"

"Everything alright?"

"Yeah," she smiled, "I got coffee. Your usual."

He accepted the cup, placed it down in the cup holder, and reached around the back of her head to pull her toward him for a kiss. They had agreed when they first started dating to be just partners while they were on patrol, but a good morning kiss when one picked up the other was the one thing they hadn't been able to deny themselves. Doing it today was a bit indulgent since they had just seen each other, but he wanted to anyway.

"Thank you," he said, "Though I thought we said we'd communicate."

She looked down, "You're right. I'm already screwing this up!"

"You aren't doing any such thing," he prodded, "Just tell me what's wrong."

She sighed, "Okay, Graham texted me."

Robin's hackles just went up the moment he heard the words, but he forced himself to respond calmly, "What about?"

"I'm not sure," Regina answered, "He said he wants to speak to me at the office some time today...ah, shit!"

"You think it's something bad?"

"I don't know!" she shot back, "On Friday after he kissed me the threatened to reprimand me for fraternizing with my partner."

"What?!" Robin demanded, "He threatened to reprimand you after he-"

"Yes, I know, the irony was not lost on me, and I made damned sure it wasn't lost on him either," she responded, "I thought we had an understanding, but now I'm not sure. Dammit, maybe he wants to just fire me before I even have the chance to disclose!"

"He can't fire you, Regina. Not without admitting how he found out."

"Not necessarily!" Regina answered, "He could just flat out ask me if we're together and if I tell the truth it doesn't matter how he found out because I just admitted it, and if I lie and we eventually disclose I'll be caught in the lie!"

Robin sighed, "You really think he wants to fire you?"

"I wouldn't have thought so, but now I'm not sure!"

"Okay, look...it's alright," he answered, "We'll get through this. Did you want me to meet him with you?"

She looked at him, almost tempted to take him up on the offer and have the support, but reconsidered it.

"No," she finally said, "Graham and I...for better or worse we've known each other a long time, so I'll talk to him."

He looked uneasy at the thought.

"Robin, please trust me on this," she begged.

He nodded, "I trust you, Regina."

"Do you really?"

"Yes, I do," he assured her.

She smiled, trying to convey how happy she was to have that trust.

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For the remainder of the drive to the station house, Regina tried act brave for Robin's sake. The truth was, though, that she was nervous.

She didn't know what she would do if she actually lost her job. She had a son to think about, and, in spite of their involvement, she wasn't sure if she would really be successful in fighting Graham.

She parked in the parking lot, and strode through the front desk. Leroy Mines was watching the replays of a football game on his computer, and didn't even look up as she walked past.

That was the sort of thing that she'd normally get onto him over, but today she didn't care.

There were a few officers in the bullpen, but not too many. She avoided eye contact as she made her way to the sheriff's office.

With a deep breath, she knocked on the door frame.

Graham looked up from the paperwork he was reviewing.

"You wanted to see me?" she asked steadily.

"Yes," he rose, "Please, come in."

She entered the office, as Graham moved around to shut the door behind her.

"Please," he motioned to the chair in front of his desk.

"I'd rather stand if you don't mind?" Regina answered.

"Right," he nodded, "Of course."

Graham paced back and forth to the side of his desk.

Regina studied him as he did so, noting that he almost looked nervous. She had never seen Graham Humbert nervous before.

"I asked you here to apologize," he finally said.

She blinked, "I'm sorry?"

"I'm sorry for assuming we'd just pick back up whenever I wanted," he said.

While she hadn't been certain Graham was going to reprimand or fire her, she definitely had not expected this.

"Well, thank you. I appreciate that," she finally said.

"So...I know this may seem self-serving, but...is there any chance you'd like to...give it another try?"

She tensed, "Graham."

He shrugged, "I had to ask. We were good together..."

"We were good at one thing," she clarified, "In many ways we were bad for each other."

He frowned, moving back around to his desk.

"And you feel..." he laughed bitterly, "...someone else is better for you?"

She gritted her teeth, and began, "Graham..."

He shook his head, "Never mind. Forget it."

"Is this going to be a problem?" she asked.

He sighed, "No, Regina, I told you. As long as you can still do your jobs effectively...I'll stay out of your business. I would just urge you to be aware of the fact that it might some day become a problem."

She simply nodded having nothing else to add.

Graham dismissed her soon after, and booked it out of the station as quickly as she could without looking suspicious.

"Morning, Regina," Bjorgman greeted as she ran into her and David on the way out the front door.

"Morning," she said back, pasting a smile on her face.

"Heading out on patrol?" David questioned.

"Yeah, see you later," she said hastily.

Out in the parking lot Robin was pacing back and forth in front of their squad car. She could see even from a distance the apprehension coming off him in waves. She smiled making her way over to him.

"How did it go?" he asked when he saw her.

Glancing around, she grabbed his hand and pulled him around to the side of the building. There weren't many people outside, but she always believe in caution.

Quickly, she peeked a kiss on his lips, "It's okay."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah," she nodded, "he apologized for what happened...and asked if I wanted to get back together."

He tensed.

"I said no!" she scolded, "How could you think anything else?"

He quirked a sheepish smile, looking into her eyes.

"What is it?" she asked, seeing that he was considering something.

"Well...did want to disclose still?" he asked.

She tensed. It was true that, as long as Graham wasn't going to make an issue of it, no one knew about them, so they didn't have to disclose their relationship. She had thought he'd want to, though. Of course, maybe making it official felt like too much like a statement about their relationship's future, and he was having second thoughts.

"...why?" she finally asked.

He hesitated, looking away from her. As she studied his face she noticed a red flush spreading across his cheeks.

"Robin are...are you blushing?" she asked, almost in disbelief. However, the redness definitely got brighter at the inquiry, "Okay, I have to know what could possibly embarrass you!"

"I just...if we disclose we'll be assigned new partners," he explained.

"Yes," she nodded, "It's department policy, but what does that have to do with anything?"

He shrugged, "I'd miss you."

As the words sunk in Regina felt her eyes prickle. He was like this at times when he choose to show it. Beneath the brash, and even somewhat egotistical, cop, he was could be so gentle and romantic.

"Robin," she breathed, with a glance over his shoulder to make sure they weren't about to be putting on a show for colleagues he leaned down and kissed her deeply.

"I'd miss you too," she answered as they separated. Wiping at her cheeks she nodded, "Okay, let's wait."

He took her in his arms one last time, before pulling away and putting his cover, which he'd been holding in his hand, back on his head.

"Then come on, Mills, we've got a job to do."

Shaking her head, she followed him out of the alley to their car.

They both knew this was only a temporary solution. If they stayed together eventually they'd get to where they'd get sick of seeing each other all the time, get sick of keeping their relationship a secret, get to where it'd be impossible even if they wanted to...but they'd cross that bridge when they got to it.

THE END