ATTENTION: THE AUTHOR IS POSTING THE LAST CHAPTER ON MAY 5. TO THANK ALL THOSE WHO HAVE READ HER STORY, SHE IS ALLOWING THE ENTIRE STORY TO BE PUBLISHED UNTIL MAY 22.

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THE INTERESTING THING about working with Robin was that he kept Regina guessing. Each time she thought she knew who he was, she was wrong. He constantly surprised her by the way he talked to colleagues, clients, Gold, and herself. The reputation he was known for was the farthest thing from the truth. That she had to swallow and admit. It was easier to see the reputation he was painted with.

It made it easier for her to push her feelings for him aside and justify her interest.

She'd apologized to him and they'd moved on. Throughout the week, they split duties when it came to the Swan case. She called and talked to the bank tellers in the loan department. He spoke to Shana at social services. They met with the landlord who was able to qualify for the loan and worked out an agreement with the mortgage company.

Regina lifted her head, "We're due in court in two hours."

"I know, I just got the email," he responded typing away on his computer.

She replied to Maggie, who agreed to accompany them to the court, and sent an update to Gold to let him know the progress they made. "The bank agreed to meet with you and Emma on Saturday at nine," she informed him. "There's a catch."

He lifted his head and stopped typing, frowning he asked, "What's the catch?"

"They want her to get a co-signer in case she won't qualify. They insisted," she shrugged.

"Emma doesn't have family or anyone who can co-sign," he argued.

"I'm aware of that, which is a dilemma," she agreed. "If she doesn't have a co-signer, they won't let her take the meeting."

She watched Robin cover is face in his hands and try to rub away the tension she knew he felt.

"Shit," he sighed. "I don't…" Pausing, he stared at the screen of his computer, "Two days to come up with someone. It's a tight timeframe."

"I have an idea, but it's not exactly ethical," she met his eyes.

"Does it involve you? If it does, you know my response," he said.

"Not me," she said lifting a brow.

"Me? Are you nuts?"

"No, not you, you'd give the press something to talk about for weeks," she put in.

His jaw clenched, his eyes flared, and he turned his head back to his screen, "You don't have to tell me that," he fired.

"Robin—" she tried.

"Forget it," he snapped.

"I was thinking about Maggie," she put in hoping to ease the heat that suddenly filled the room.

He paused and looked at her a long time making her squirm in her seat, "Maggie isn't her lawyer, I guess technically it wouldn't be crossing lines, but given we're in the same firm, it might cross into unethical. I'd check with Gold," he said and turned back to his work.

"I will," she said with no response. The mention of his reputation had ended their banter and he shut down any further attempts to converse. Taking it as a loss, she sent Gold an e-mail and hoped for the best.

ROBIN TOOK LUNCH OUTSIDE of the office to get away from the anger he felt. He kept it at bay in court and when they walked out, he quickly excused himself and told her he needed to run an errand. Truthfully, he needed to get away from her. Away from looking at her, smelling her, and being too damn aware of her.

Just when he started to let her in, she had to bring up his reputation. How many damn times did he have to prove how bullshit that all was?

It was his own fault, he mused. His fault that he allowed the media to paint a picture of him. It didn't bother him at first, it helped him land cases. It helped him get his previous job and he'd excelled there. He helped many and didn't need the public to know about it.

Inside where it counted, he felt content. He felt that he was putting his mark on the world, helping clients in the courtroom and when he couldn't, recruiting others who could. It wasn't ever over for him. If a client was in limbo, it bothered him, stayed with him. He couldn't get them out of his head. Didn't Regina see that?

It wasn't her fault for seeing him that way, but damn it, he respected her. It wasn't too much to ask for her to respect him, was it?

Aggravated with it all, he barely ate two bites of his sandwich, downed his iced tea, and tossed the rest. Feeling out of sorts wasn't a norm for him, he picked up the phone and called the one person who could always lift him out of this mood.

"Robby?"

"Hi, mom," he smiled feeling the weight lift off his chest at the sound of her sweet voice.

"You haven't called since you started at the new firm, your father and I have been wondering how you've settled in."

"It's great," he said. "I think it's the place for me, my caseload is small right now. It'll pick up in a few months. How's dad?"

"Your father is better today," she said. "The doctors are doing all they can to make him comfortable."

His heart ached to hear the sadness and distress in her voice. To know that despite the fear of losing her husband, his mother would mask it and pretend like everything was alright. She was strong and stubborn, and he loved her. "I wish I could come home and visit, but I can't get away just now."

"Robby, we know you're busy and we're proud of you."

The ache throbbed to hear this mother's declaration. All he did in his life, he did for his parents' approval. For his family, for the man, his father had turned him into. His father who he always looked up to, admired, and wanted to be. The man who was wasting away in a hospital bed as his kidneys functioned only with the help of a machine. "Thanks, mom. I'll try to come home for Christmas," he promised.

"We'd love it. Maybe you'll bring Greta," she offered.

"I told you, mom. That's over, the annulment took care of that and she's getting married to Drew," he said trying to keep the anger out of his tone.

"I wish you could work it out, but I won't push," she said.

"Listen, mom. I just wanted to hear your voice and to let you know that I'm doing fine. I'll call you soon," he promised. He couldn't keep talking about Greta every time he called his mother. It wasn't good for his blood pressure.

"I love you, Robby."

"I love you too, bye."

He hung up as he walked back into the building and held onto the ache around his heart. It wasn't often he thought of his parents because it didn't help him. It was unproductive to worry and hurt too much to let himself think of them. Shaking it off, he turned into the common room to tidy up.

In the office, Regina's desk was empty, and he was glad for it. At least for the moment, he told himself. For two hours, he worked in silence and managed to work off the mood he'd been in. He put his parents out of his mind and focused on a client he was due in court for the next day.

Engrossed in case notes, preparation for court the next day, he didn't hear or see Regina come in. He couldn't be sure how long she'd been there until he leaned back and stretched his back. As he shifted, he felt himself relax after each crack. Moving his head side to side, his neck cracked and further relaxed him. When he glanced over, he saw her before he averted his eyes back to his screen.

Out of the corner of his eye, he could see her hunched over, her feet were bare under her desk. Her toes painted red and held his eyes longer than he was comfortable. Lifting his eyes, he stared at her knowing she couldn't see him.

Her arm was rested on the desk, her elbow bent with her head rested in the crook, her hand limply over her hair. A pen poised in the other hand, moved as she wrote. For a few minutes, he only watched her. Her pen moved with such competency, her legs swung forward and back like a pendulum.

He couldn't see her face due to her hair hanging down like a curtain. In all his work, he hadn't noticed her and realized the anger was gone. He appreciated her coming in and not disrupting him. Thinking about it, she never did. It was like she came and went when she needed to and most times, he rarely noticed. Quiet like a cat, she moved in and out as she pleased.

Sitting watching her, he wondered if that was how she lived her life. It seemed she didn't belong anywhere, didn't have any real friendships outside the office that he could tell, and lived her life quietly. She was in the papers enough over the years, journalists seem to pay attention. They reported on her successes, mentioned her charity work, her party planning activities.

He tried to think about anything personal they'd reported and came up short. Granny had given him the only glimpse into her personal life. A mother who left her and her father when she was a girl, fourteen he remembered, and a father she lost a few years ago. His heart ached again thinking of his father. He didn't want to accept that his father's days were numbered. How did that feel? He wondered how she felt losing both her parents, having no children, being denied one, and living quietly.

Did she have friends? Did she have hobbies? Frowning, he turned back to his desk. Why the hell was he wondering? Why the hell did he care? Irritated again, at himself this time, he tried to focus on his task. Women weren't something he wanted to focus on. Despite what he told everyone, Greta nearly broke him.

Wanting to stay away from women and finding himself unable to stay away from Regina was a puzzle. There was something about her that drew him in, kept him interested, and irritated the hell out of him. Strong, stubborn, hard-headed, independent, and incredibly hard-working, all these qualities were something he knew and admired. Put them all together and she reminded him of his mother.

Well, hell, he thought.

No wonder she drew him to her. How stupid could he be? It made sense to him now. Undeniably, he was attracted to those qualities. Add a gorgeous woman with a sinful body and a vulnerability she hid too easily, and he was too damned hooked to admit it out loud. The ache in his shoulders took hold of him.

Next to him, Regina sighed. He watched her slip her feet into her heels, stand, and walk out of the room with a folder in her hand. He watched her go. Lost in his work again, he tried to focus but only counted the minutes until she returned.

When she walked in, her face was strained, her shoulders tight. Tossing the folder on her desk, she sat and pressed her hands to her temples.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing," she muttered not looking up. "Um…" She dropped her hands and looked around her desk looking for something. For what, he didn't think she knew. "Gold said that it would be up to Maggie to co-sign. So, if she needs to, it's not an issue."

"Great," he said watching her face.

Her eyes were wild and didn't settle, her hands were busy gathering and tidying her desk. When she had piles of papers, she put them all into folders. Putting the cabinet next to her, she shoved, and it clattered closed.

Regina winced and covered her face with her hands seemingly frustrated at her own behavior.

"What's wrong?" he asked again. "Regina."

When she lifted her head, his gut clenched, she had tears in her eyes and on her cheeks. "I'm fine," she insisted. Taking a tissue from the box on her desk, she wiped her eyes.

What was it about men that they faltered when women cried? His first instinct was to run in the other direction. Instead, when she wheeled her chair to face the window, he rose and walked to her. "Come here," he urged her gently.

"I'm fine," she said sniffling.

"No, you're not," he took her hand and helped her to her feet. "Come here," he wrapped her close and the damn broke. Her sniffles turned into sobs as her hands fisted on his shirt. His body jerked each time she sobbed, feeling the rush of heat and wet on his shirt.

As her body weakened, he sat in her chair and brought her with him. Draped across his lap, he held her, stroked her hair, and waited until she cried herself empty. When she was still and her hands relaxed, he whispered, "You want to talk about it?"

When she lifted her head to face him, he could see the tears. See the stress and the darkness under her eyes. It wasn't clear how long she'd been crying, but it had been awhile. Her makeup was wiped clean other than a thin line streaked down to her lips. He lifted his thumb to wipe it away. "Hmm?"

"I…" Her voice was thick, she sniffled and wiped at her nose, and tried to push up out of his lap. When she stood, she walked to the window and crossed her arms. For a few minutes, he let her stand there and gather herself.

It was a sight to watch her compose herself. She swallowed the lump in her throat, wiped away the evidence of tears, and hugged herself until her trembles stopped.

When she was calm, he took the chance and stood, went to her. He lifted his hand and used his fingers to brush her hair behind her shoulder. He edged in between the window and her vision, "Are you okay?" He tucked her hair behind her ear and tilted her chin up with his fingers. To soothe himself as much as her, he leaned in and kissed her gently.

Her face composed, her eyes nearly calm, her jaw set, she nodded, "I'm sorry."

"For what? Being human?" That earned him a faint smile. "What happened?" When she tried to draw away, he caught her by the waist. "No, you don't."

Shaking her head, she sighed, "I…" Her eyes prickled with tears again, he simply waited. "It's complicated," she began.

Sensing this could be longer than warranted to stand, he nudged her into a chair, "Why don't we start from the beginning," he suggested. He moved to grab the chair across from her desk designated for clients and set it beside her. Her tears were being wiped away by tissue, her nose blown.

Robin wasn't completely sure why he was pushing her to talk to him. Hadn't he just talked himself into keeping his distance? She was there and he couldn't seem to get her out of his head. Her face, her smell, her body, her mind, the words she spoke, her determination. It was like smelling a loved one after their gone. Imprinted on your conscience so that no matter if you're apart, it's right there with you.

Irritation and fear gnawed at his gut, it felt like rats eating from the inside out. A feeling that terrified him to the bone. He was involved with her, so involved in such a short time, it left an ache. An ache that he needed filled no matter how much he tried to convince himself. Watching her now looking the most vulnerable he's seen her only plagued him.

Regina sighed, "I got a call from social services after lunch," she began. Sitting back, he gave her room to let it out. Maybe talking it out would ease her mind, he thought.

"I thought it might have to do with Emma's case, so I answered it. I normally don't answer the social services number because it usually leads to never-ending conversations or meetings that take me out of the office," she explained.

Choosing to stay silent, he waited for her to continue.

"It was Brenda Wong," she said. "The social services worker who took my adoption case. Brenda was my caseworker for over a year, and I was surprised to hear from her."

"Your caseworker for the adoption?" he prompted.

"Yea, after I was denied, I stopped hearing from her. I met his foster mom and we've stayed in contact."

"What's the boy's name?" he wanted to know.

Regina swallowed, "Roland. His foster mother is Katherine Nolan. David's ex-wife. We stay in contact and I've seen him on his birthday, and I saw him for Easter."

"I didn't know David had an ex-wife," he said.

"It's not my story to tell," she shrugged.

"Sorry," he said getting distracted. "What did the caseworker want?"

"It looks like Katherine doesn't want me having contact with Roland anymore because it confuses him, she said. So, she's asking me to stay away."

Shit, he thought. Hearing the initial story and watching her cry, he knew this cut deep. "I'm so sorry," he said.

"I don't really see him all that much and I hadn't thought I was doing anything, but I can't understand why she wouldn't just tell me. Instead, she went behind my back and went to social services. If I don't stay away, she's threatening to put a restraining order out. I'm a lawyer for god's sake," she blurted. "Of course, I'd do what she wants. It's her child."

Her fists clenched and her body went rigid with temper. He took one hand to smooth the tension out until she relaxed. "Can I ask why you were denied or is that too personal? I can't help but wonder," he said honestly. "You're a successful lawyer, you have enough money to support a child, and you're honest and good."

She nodded, "I'm also not married, I have no family, no friends or support system, I work too many hours to be there for him. He'd spend more time in school and a daycare than he would in my care. They didn't think it would be the right environment for a young boy. He's only five," she said.

Silent, he let that sink in. He knew family law, knew the qualifications for placement and knew the criteria they looked for in potential adoptive parents. Having no spouse, family, support system, or time was doomed to be a failure. The child would be placed with someone who had all those qualifications over her any day. At his tender age, the criteria were harsh and more specific.

Regina may have a great job, an adequate place for him to live, and all the money to back them. Her mother wasn't in the picture, her father dead, and she worked too many hours to have friendships outside of the office. Knowing what he did about her, it wasn't hard to see why they wouldn't pick her.

"I hate to say it, but I see why they denied you, as painful as it is," he added for her benefit. "You could do it," he said. "If you really wanted to, I know you could. But the commitment to work, the lack of time, that's hard on a young boy."

"Believe me," she angrily wiped away a tear, "I've thought about it in my head and I would've made the same decision. They're right," she said. On each finger, she started listing off things that applied to her, "I'm not married and have no serious relationships to speak of, I don't have my parents anymore, I have a sister but she lives in London and I never see her, my only friends, if you can call them that come from this office."

Continually moving from finger to finger, she added, "My landlord hasn't seen me in months, I resorted to depositing rent in her account because it was easier. I spend holidays and weekends in the office even if I don't have cases. I volunteer or I help Maggie with her cases because it gives me something to do and a place to be outside of my home. So, yes. I get why they said no, and I can try and resent them for it, but I won't."

"So, you work yourself to death, don't let yourself be alone to think, and you hate yourself for failing," he finished for her.

Her cheeks turned pink and made the knot in his stomach ease. "How dare you?" She shot to her feet. He grabbed her before she could walk out and crushed his mouth to hers. When she responded and gave as much as she got, he released her.

"You can't be angry because I speak the truth," he said. "It isn't fair, and I respect you too much to let you walk out of this room thinking it. You have to accept what is and I've got accept that I may be falling for what you are."

Her eyes flashed and she huffed out a breath as she shoved him aside and walked out of the room.

Good, he thought. The woman he'd seen was lost and scared. Sad and alone. After he pissed her off, she was back to her confident and cold self. It was easier that way, he thought. He would worry about her less.