Whoops, I forgot to add the timeframe in the last chapter! Anyway, this is at the end of the Water 7 Arc, during the big party. :)

"Oi, Nico Robin. There you are." Robin turned partway in her seat to see Franky waving at her from a few yards away, wearing a clean hawaiian shirt and his pompadour looking particularly fluffed-up and cared for for the party.

"Oh, excuse me, Sanji-kun, but I should probably go talk to him. Pardon." Robin excused herself, leaving the cook to bemoan his fate.

"What will I do without a beautiful lady to talk to?" he looked up into the sky, seeming to be asking God himself this question.

"SAANJIIII! MORE MEAT-KEBABS!" Luffy roared, and Sanji felt almost inclined to weep at the fact that not just one, but both of his female crewmates had decided to abandon him. He perked up, however, upon sighting a curvy, bikini-clad young lady with long brown locks coming his way. Maybe tonight won't be a total waste after all, he thought to himself, sending the smoothest, suavest smile he could manage in the woman's direction.

"What is it, Franky?" Robin asked the cyborg, who was currently focusing his entire consciousness onto the task of twiddling his rather large thumbs awkwardly. He seemed uncharacteristically nervous about something. Seeing him so nervous helped Robin to calm down herself: she was still shaken from her earlier conversation with Aokiji.

"I'm sorry." He finally blurted.

Robin smiled, but was nevertheless nonplussed. "What are you apologizing to me for?" she asked, bemused. "If anyone, you ought to be apologizing to Luffy and Usopp, not that they haven't already forgiven you for your actions."

"What? Oh, you're talking about that whole beating Usopp up thing. No, this isn't about that. It's... Well..." he trailed off, twiddling his thumbs again.

"Go on." Robin prompted.

Franky took a deep breath, then began to explain. "Well, a long time ago, my master Tom-san told Iceburg and me about you. This was like, right after you got your first bounty, yeah? He told us you were dangerous n' stuff and that you could destroy the world and all of that with the poneglyph stuff, and that's why we needed the blueprints..."

"Which you've since burned to a crisp." Robin nodded, thinking that she saw where he was going with this.

"Yeah. But, um, no, that's not what I'm apologizing for. Before I met you or anything and saw how much your crew cared for you n' stuff, I had some pretty mean thoughts. Like somehow you were the reason that Tom-san was taken to Enies Lobby all those years ago because you could resurrect a totally evil weapon that we needed to keep those blueprints for, which were the things that the government was actually after, as it turned out..." Franky was babbling. He knew that, but try as he might he could not stop. He was grateful when Robin interrupted him.

"Are you apologizing to me... because of unkind thoughts?" She asked him, half surprised and half amused.

"I guess... yeah?" Franky scratched his head awkwardly. "But now I've met you and I think you're super awesome and kind and hot and just super... well, super. I'm really glad that you decided to live and I hope we'll meet again sometime, if you ever come back to Water 7."

Robin smiled, touched at the man's honesty and knowing that this conversation had taken him quite a lot of nerve. She wondered whether it would be appropriate for her to invite him to come along as a new crewmate, but quickly decided against it, deciding that she did not have the authority to extend such an invitation: Only Luffy could invite a new crewmember aboard. Not that she'd exactly waited for him to ask her before stowing away on the Merry as the Strawhats were leaving Alabasta. "Well, don't worry, Franky. I accept your apology. All's forgiven. Now, why don't you and I people watch for awhile?" Robin smiled.

"SUPER!" Franky grinned, evidently relieved that the awkward conversation was over. "Hey, you want a cola?"

Robin smiled again. "Why not?"

Author's Note: Yes, I know, this is undeniably a FRobin chapter, but believe me when I say that this is a set-up! Yes, a set-up for something hilarious yet to come! And yes, I felt so sorry for Sanji that I gave him some random girl to chase that may or may not play a role later on... and anyway, Franky and Robin are so cute together! :3 Oh, and thanks to everyone who wished me luck in school: I'm probably going to need it. :D

Peace,

~Lucinda