A/N:

Dear readers,

Good morning/afternoon/evening! I am not late today! Here is 7/8's update. It seems chapter 1 was liked; I hope chapter 2 meets your expectations. It's a big time jump to when Robin is already in the Shepherds.

Tomorrow will be an one-shot Fates/If fanfic.

I hope you enjoy today's reading. Comments appreciated!

I do not own or have the rights to Fire Emblem Awakening or any of the characters.

Age 19

…This was not how she imagined her birthday. In all honesty, she was a little, very minutely, happy to be spending time with Frederick, but to be doing all these chores? The day had started at six, where she, and a few other Shepherds, did some morning exercises and training; that was normal. But after, she was whisked away by Freddy-bear to take an inventory on EVERYTHING in the barracks and their other stock holds. Then they went to the market to replace and buy anything they needed; although, at least the knight was kind enough to buy her some breakfast, a peach and sweet pastry. Maybe he caught her repeated glances at the fruit seller's wares… When they returned, which was by then nine, they cleaned all the weapons, including the newly bought goods, which were already pristine. Most recently, they cleaned a strangely disorganized library, which was a surprise, being that Miriel would never allow the place to reach such a state, and now, they were off to pick weeds and pebbles in the gardens and courtyard.

All the tactician wished for, on her birthday, was to have a cup of tea, sit under a shady tree, and read from one of her favorite tomes. That's all. Nothing too much to ask for, but no; it seemed Frederick had other plans!

She pulled a weed out, one lying under her tree, for in her head, she claimed it as such, sticking it in her rubbish sack.

And Naga forbid! This had better not be the man's attempt at wooing a woman! There's zero, if any, romance involved in this "date!" And…if it were, maybe she best try find another beau. She knew, based on his interest, that most of his habits and hobbies were normal-ish and manageable, but to be THIS boring? THIS job focused? No thank you! She wouldn't be able to live like that.

…Of course…Who was she kidding? It wasn't as if he liked her. She was a nobody to him; only recently did he start being a little kinder to her. And, with all the other beauties in the army, what would draw his eye to a plain-old Jane?

A little sigh escaped her lips as she pulled out another we- …Whoops! She stuffed the marigold into her sack, hoping the knight didn't see her mistake. …Maybe picking pebbles would be better.

Another oddity, besides the barrage of chores and the messy library, was the fact that, besides the morning training session, she had seen no other Shepherd. True, some of them slept in till noon, and others had certain morning rituals, like visiting the market or going to church, but to see no one? It was peculiar to say the least.

Being that she was starving, she had mostly filled both sacks of weeds and rocks, and it was close to lunch time, she decided to go over to the knight to ask for a lunch break, and maybe, just maybe, she would get dismissed from these errands. "Freddy-bear!" The platinum started walking to the Great Knight, where he was hunched over a vegetable bed. He gave no reply, probably not hearing her due to his intense concentration. If that were the case, she was going to spook him! Serves the man right for wasting this perfectly good day! Just as she was about to pounce, she heard him mumble.

"…This is going too fast…"

"Did you say something?" Frederick jumped, causing the Tactician to laugh. "I'm sorry, did I scare you?"

"Scare, no; surprise, maybe." He stood, towering over her. "Did you need something?"

"Not really. I was just wondering if I could stop and get some lunch? I mean, helping you is fun-ish and all, but I'm getting hungry."

"No!" That shout surprised her! A bit more calmly, he continued. "I'm sorry…I mean, no. Not yet. Did you need a few more bags? Yours look full." He took the two sacks, passing her two new ones, then returned to his gardening. …He was obviously hiding something.

"Is there something you need to tell me, Freddy-bear?"

"Something, Robin?" A nervous laugh; how un-Frederick. His back was to her, but he was obviously lying. Even though she couldn't look him eye-to-eye, she could tell lying was not his strong suit. "Of course not. What makes you think that?"

"Well, you mumbled, 'This is going too fast.' only a few seconds ago."

Another laugh. "No, no. You must have misheard me. I said, 'This is getting so fat.'" He moved a bit to show some tomato plants, holding a green one still on the vine.

"That one doesn't look any different than the rest."

"Ah, no! See, it's definitely more plump then the others!" She looked at it again. The one he held, and the one right next to it, looked exactly the same. "See, nothing to worry about! Would you be able to check that area over there?" He pointed to the farthest corner of the courtyard. "I saw some fairly big pebbles that could possibly injure those who aren't attentive."

"Or maybe…We can stop playing around, and you can let me get lunch."

The knight stopped what he was doing, stood, and turned to the tactician. His face was straight, but she knew that wasn't where she should read his emotions; everything came from his eyes. So, she looked there, reading surprise and a bit of worry. Or was that nervousness? She stared directly, not backing down. Frederick was smart and sharp, but depending on the situation, he usually took everything into account before giving a response. However, she could play this game; she had enough of dancing around this subject.

Finally words came. "We are not playing, Robin. These are responsibilities that need to be done, and I only wish for your help in them."

"Don't play ignorant with me, Frederick." He winced. She had stopped using "Freddy-bear," meaning she wasn't playing. "Many things we have done today are chores that you, or I, can handle separately, in half the time needed. Even the mess of a library was planned to delay me, was it not?"

He blinked, and looked away. "I have no idea what you speak of."

"Look me in the eye and say it."

Looking straight at her, he took a breath. "I-I have…" Once again, he turned.

"Can't, can you? If you're done wasting my time, let me enjoy my day in peace." Turning to walk away, he immediately grabbed her arm, holding her in place.

"I cannot do that, milady."

"Why?"

"Milord told me to watch over you."

"…D-did I do something?" She could feel her heart sink, unsure of why there was a sudden change in her and Chrom's friendship. Did he mistrust her now for some reason? Was it because of Emmeryn?

"Naga, no!" He let her go. "I-I did not mean it in that manner. Today, for the time being, milord just wants you away fr-" He covered his mouth.

"...Is something going on? Something I should be aware of?"

"No!" In other words, yes. "I mean, no. Nothing. Nothing you should worry about."

With a sigh, Robin shook her head. "Chrom chose a mighty fine secret keeper, didn't he?"

"I will admit I may not be the best, but I was the only choice milord had, based on the circumstances." That was true, usually she would be the first choice in this type of matter, but since it was to be kept a secret from her, concessions must be made. Looking at the others, Lissa, Vaike, and Nowi would easily spill the truth; Sully, Sumia, and Ricken could be tricked into saying something; Chrom, Stahl, Kellam, Maribelle, Cordelia, Libra, Olivia, and Donnel would try their best, but with enough cajoling, the secret would be spilt; Miriel would forget herself and absentmindedly say something, or would forget to keep watch over the her; Lonqu, with his gynophobia, could be pressed into saying something; Gaius, Gregor, and Tharja could easily be bribed with candy, money, or some strange memento from her; Panne probably would say something, not caring the impact; and Virion, who would have been the best choice following herself, had disappeared soon after the dealings with Gangrel.

That left the ever loyal Frederick. If this was an enemy interrogation, he would no doubt die, taking the secret to his grave, but that wasn't the scenario. He, and the others, were keeping a secret from her, a friend. If that were the case, he fell into the broad category of needing persuasion; although, if she REALLY wanted to know, she may need to be a little more heavy handed. But, since she didn't, for the moment, she would only try to get out of this "doing random chores" situation.

"I'm assuming I can't go to the mess hall."

"Wh-what makes you think that?"

"Where else am I going to eat lunch?" No response. "As well, I assume I must be within your vision at all times, until whatever your concealing is completed?"

"Yes." He sighed, giving up the fact that he was stalling her.

"Then, why don't we go to the market?"

"Was there something you needed to buy? You could have bought it a couple of hours ago."

"There's nothing I need."

"Then why go?"

"Well, besides seeing Chrom give you over 10,000 gold yesterday, no doubt meant for the supplies we bought, he also gave a separate, smaller bag that I would estimate to be about 50. Maybe you could take me out on a little date."

"That would be impossible."

"Oh… I-I see… I guess I'm not up to your standards." She tried to make the last part sound like a joke; whether it did, she wasn't sure. At least she was right; he had no interest in her.

"No, Robin. That's not what I meant. I would be honored to accompany you on an outing, but…the money you saw is already spent. And in all honesty, besides the excess money used for the weapons, I have nothing on me." A blush rose to her cheeks. He "would be honored…;" she was barely cognizant of the rest of his comment. "Robin, are you well?" She looked at him, then quickly averted her eyes, once more looking down. "Is-" Stopping before he could say any more, silence fell between them. After a few minutes, Robin finely gained enough courage to look at him. She noticed the knight's head was partially turned away, one hand covering his mouth. Sadly for the brunet, it couldn't hide the crimson, bright across his face.

Several more uncomfortable minutes pass before Frederick spoke. "It's almost twelve. We should head over." She wanted to ask where and to what, although she had an inkling, but the embarrassing awkwardness between them kept her from asking. His right hand hovered self-consciously, trying to figure out where would be fine to touch. The back? A shoulder? Her hand or arm? In the end, he kept his hands to himself. Instead, he withdrew his right, tucking it behind him, and with his left, motioned the way forward.

They briefly go to a wash room, getting rid of their grime, then continue through the maze of a castle, once more in silence. Reaching the closed mess hall, they stood there for a moment, waiting for something.

"I-I forgot to mention before…" She turned to him; his face composed, but the previous tinge was still evident. "…Happy Birthday." He gave a slight smile, broader than what she ever received from him before.

"Thank you." Although she grinned widely, she could feel her slightly cooled face burning again, forcing both parties to look away.

Again, there was silence, but the ringing noon bell soon broke the quiet. "…I wasn't sure if I would be able to tell you that later." With that, he opened the doors, revealing all the Shepherds blank and surprised faces.

The mess hall had been transformed! Inside was decorated with streamers, flowers, ribbons, and bows; all in varying colors of purple, blue, and white. The tables had been moved to the left-most edges, stacked with various drinks like punch, juices, wine, and tea; and foods like pies, cakes, sandwiches, roast beasts, and other extravagancies. To the back right corner was a band of some sort, and to the nearest corner was various tables laid with board games and cards.

"What are you doing?" Frederick's irritated voice broke her stupor. She had expected a party, but nothing so...elaborate.

"I should be asking that to you, Frederick!" Lissa came stomping over, followed closely by Chrom and Maribelle. "Where was the warning?"

"Now, now, darling. Calm yourself." Maribelle caught the blonde's arm, the Princess's face in an angry pout.

"What warning?" With the birthday girl arriving, and all the yelling, the Shepherds started gathering around.

"The warning you were going to give when bringing Robin in?"

"Milady, I said be ready by noon. I made no mention of a warning."

"Well, you should have gave one! We're not ready yet!"

"I can't just return Robin outside, as if she saw nothing."

"Maybe we should say something to her." Chrom tried stepping in between the arguing duo.

"A bit late with that, milord."

"You told her as well!"

"No, I did nothing of the sort. With all the oddities of the day, she figured something was off."

"We should have chosen a better delayer!"

"Then she would have been here in half the time."

"Hey now," Gaius came over, a slice of cake already in hand, and a fork in his mouth. "You two might want to stop arguing, and start trying to figure out why Bubbles is crying." All the eyes suddenly fell on the tactician. The tears had started long ago, her hands covered her mouth, trying to stifle any sob, and her legs shook, ready to give way at any second. The only reason she stood was because Tharja was holding her up.

Outcries came from various Shepherds, asking, "What's wrong?," "Don't cry!," and various similar comments. She could feel the Shepherds crowding around her, hugging her and keeping her straight.

"Robin! What's wrong? Are you hurt?" Chrom was at her left; his hand on her shoulder, trying to get a better look at her face.

"We're sorry! Are you angry?" Lissa stood on her right, both hands holding her upper arm, looking as if she may cry herself.

She shook her head, new tears falling, hitting those closest to her. "I-I…" With her legs finally giving way, her hands automatically clutch Chrom's left hand, dragging the two, Lissa, and Tharja down. "I'm just…just so…grateful!" Her voice trembled as she tried to get her thoughts straight. To come from nothing, no memory, money, or family, to now having a room full of people who would put so much effort into this one simple day… Grateful couldn't even begin to describe the emotions that she felt!

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY!"

A/N:

I didn't say this in the chapter, since I couldn't find a good place to add it in, but Frederick still dislikes his "Freddy-bear" nickname, but he begrudgingly allows it when they're alone.