A/N: 10/21/15: This chapter didn't have Author's Notes when I first published this. I am now correcting this, along with other things.

Chapter 3: Every awkward step

December 22 2030, 6:30 a.m.

After leaving the jewelry store, Juniper caught a train headed back home.

As she watched the landscapes rush by, her mind began to fog with memories of those first heady months of her relationship with Robin. She would be lying if she didn't admit to being rather scared. But in the end, it was all part of growing up…

December 2027.

After that first date, Juniper and Robin continued to see each other throughout the rest of winter break, finding and defining just what exactly they were to each other, and with this new relationship came a whole host of questions that needed to be answered.

The first thing they had decided on was to not to tell their respective parents (or rather, Robin's parents and Juniper's Grandma), at least until they could figure out just what they were going to say to them. Athena and Hugh already knew that they were dating, which just left telling their mutual friend Myriam Scuttlebutt and deciding how open they wanted to be at Themis Academy. But in true adolescent fashion, they put it off, and kept putting it off until it was time to go back to Themis Academy...

January 3rd 2028, 6:00 a.m.

Woods Residence, Juniper's room.

If one could describe Juniper's room in only word, it would be harmony. Everything was neat and tidy, and on top of places like Juniper's dresser sat the occasional potted plant. One one end of the room sat a small bookshelf, filled mostly with complicated legal text, but interspersed with a few romance novels. A study desk sat next to the bookshelf. On the other end of the room was the bed, with Juniper herself sleeping in it. Next to the bed was a nightstand, which contained items inside like her medicinal inhaler and school supplies. On top of the nightstand were three items: a gorgeous handmade pot with a winter rose growing from it, a picture of her and Athena as small children, and an alarm clock. As the time rolled over to six, the alarm began to ring.

The blaring drone of the alarm clock slowly roused Juniper from her sleep. After turning off the alarm, she sat up in her bed and rubbed the sleepiness from her eyes.

Today's the first day of my final semester at Themis. I hope everything goes well...

She turned to look at the potted plant on her desk and smiled. It had been a Christmas present from Robin, who had gone out of her way to craft the pot herself. In return, Juniper had made a new smock for her artistically inclined girlfriend.

Her girlfriend. Truth be told that was still quite the concept she was adjusting to, but she and Robin were taking things one day at a time.

We haven't even told anyone besides Hugh and Thena that we're dating. Juniper nervously played with a half-completed braid of hair. One of us was supposed to tell Myriam but we never got around to it. Oh, I hope this doesn't end up causing any problems.

These exact worries were why she had been so adverse to listening to Hugh's confession last October. The very thought that her relationship could cause trouble amongst her friends caused her chest to tighten painfully.

This train of thought caused Juniper to remember Myriam's article about her being in a love triangle with Hugh and Robin, and the irony of the whole situation was not lost on her.

At that moment her cell phone chimed with an incoming message, and Juniper checked it to find it was from Robin.

Good morning, Juniper! -Robin ＾▽＾

Juniper giggled at her girlfriend's text before looking at the emoticon attached at the end of it. Robin had slowly started adding emoticons like that to her texts, one of the many small details that came with their new relationship and warmed her heart.

Good morning, Juniper answered. How are you? I heard its going to be cold out. Do you have a sweater? Should I bring you one? -Juniper

The response from Robin came promptly.

The way you worry about me is so c-u-t-e! But I'm fine. Although...I'm having a bit of trouble putting on the uniform.

The lack of signature told Juniper that this bothered Robin, but that was to be expected. Robin was determined to exercise her new found freedom to be whoever she wanted to be, and one of the few concessions she gained from her parents was permission to go in the female Prosecutors uniform. If this was what her girlfriend wanted, the Juniper was more than happy to guide her every step of the way.

7:30 a.m.

After Juniper was done helping Robin with her uniform over the phone, the two fell into talk about their final semester at Themis while Juniper prepared for the day ahead. The last they heard, Hugh had managed his perfect score at the entrance exam, and was expected to graduate with everyone else as long as he earned the rest of his grades honestly and took a lot of remedial courses. Robin was already looking into taking the bar exam (I'M GOING TO GIVE IT MY ALL, MANNN!), while Juniper was looking into where she could get law experience before she attempted to ascend to the bench as a Judge.

This caused the conversation to fall to Myriam Scuttlebut, and so the inevitable question came up.

Hey Juniper. Are we, like, going to tell Myriam that we're going out?

Juniper considered this, and realized that there was only one course of action. Keeping secrets had almost tore them all apart once, and she was not about to make the same mistake twice. Putting aside the two weeks they had whiled away.

We're going to tell her, she texted. I mean, we have to tell your parents and Granny eventually. I just thought, we'll start by telling our friend. And...we'll work our way up.

The Granny in question was sitting across from her serenely eating breakfast. Juniper didn't like keeping secrets from her, but until Robin was ready to tell her parents she would have to hold off. They had promised to tell their loved ones together, and telling Myriam was the first step.

January 3rd 2028, 8:00 a.m.

Themis Legal Academy, front of campus.

After bidding her Grandma goodbye, Juniper took a train into the city, and from there made her way to school as she did every day. Waiting at the front gate was quite a welcome sight: Hugh and Myriam, with the former leaning against wall while reading a book and the latter pretending to be an inanimate cardboard box. The tight feeling in her chest clenched tighter.

"*cough* Good morning, everyone," Juniper said, smiling.

"Good morning, Juniper," Hugh answered.

"Sss, sss, sss," Myriam answered. "It is a good morning! To seek out the first big scoop of the year."

The judge student stood up and began to dance happily.

"I can see it now! An entire ocean's worth of stories! 'Who's made a last second career change? What bitter rivalries exist amongst the defense and prosecutor courses? What forbidden confessions lay in the hearts of students?'"

The last statement caused Juniper to jump slightly, which Myriam didn't notice in her throes of reporter's joy. Hugh, however, did notice and shot Juniper a meaningful look over his book.

Juniper nodded to show that she received the silent message. It was at this point that an absence she'd noticed became particularly felt.

"Where's Robin?" she asked, looking around for her girlfriend.

"Here I am! Sorry I'm late, everyone! How do I look?"

Juniper turned towards the entrance gate- and was greeted by a breathtaking sight.

It was indeed Robin, dressed up in the female's prosecutor uniform and her usual red jacket to ward off the cold. She beamed at everyone and gave a quick twirl to show off her new outfit.

The only thing that was different was the uniform, essentially just a red sailor fuku. Yet looking at Robin, a strange, warm feeling began to permeate throughout Juniper's body and she felt herself go red in the face.

"You l-look...really great," Juniper said, her blush becoming heavier with every passing second.

Robin twirled again, this time out of sheer joy. "Its totes adorbs, isn't it? Thank you for helping me with this, Juniper."

Juniper felt a tap on her shoulder and turned to see Hugh, who pointed at Myriam.

Myriam was looking between Juniper and Robin, completely silent. With her face completely obscured by her box it was impossible to tell what was on her mind.

Robin caught onto the silent thread and looked at her girlfriend. For a split second they were on the same wavelength: it would be impossible to keep their relationship secret from Myriam any longer.

Hugh abruptly closed his book. "I need to get going. I have a class to get to, and a genius like me always keeps good attendance."

He hurried off inside the school, but not before subtly tapping his neck and giving a quick glance at Myriam.

Juniper and Robin tapped their own proof of friendship bracelets to indicate that they had received Hugh's message before turning towards their mutual friend Myriam Scuttlebutt.

Physically, only two things were different about the judge course student: she replaced her box with a new one that had contained books analyzing the dark age of law, and she now wore a proof of friendship band around her left ankle. The band was one of a new batch Juniper and Robin had made together recently in celebration of the friends they had gained in the wake of Professor Courte's murder, and in tribute to her memory they were engraved with a pair of scales. The other two had gone to Athena Cykes and Apollo Justice, growing the group to double its original size.

The bands were a physical manifestation of the hope that nothing would ever destroy the bonds between everyone, and with this in mind, Juniper and Robin led Myriam to a secluded area.

"We *cough* have something to tell *cough* you, Myriam *cough* *cough*."

Juniper reflexively grabbed her inhaler and breathed into it, trying to fight back the suffocating feeling in her chest.

Why is this so hard? Am I really such a weak person?

She felt Robin squeeze her arm reassuringly, and for the first time that day she felt lighter. This was what they had decided, and she was going to see it through.

Myriam began to tap her foot impatiently but remained silent. To see the gossip-loving girl so quiet was jarring, to say the least.

It was now or never. Before she lost her nerve Juniper decided to just get it out there.

"Robin and I h-have been going out for the past two weeks."

Myriam froze up completely. A small flood of items came out of her box, followed by her laptop, but the girl didn't seem to notice this.

"I think we broke her," Juniper muttered, feeling rather alarmed.

"Don't be too angry at Juniper," Robin said, nervously picking up Myriam's possessions. "I was the one who insisted we keep things secret. Be angry at me, man!"

Juniper shook her head. "I'm the one t-that was too scared to say anything. If a-anyone's to blame, it's me."

"That's not it at all! Someone as kind and wonderful as you-"

"Kahk-Kahk...ha ha."

Juniper and Robin turned back towards Myriam, who was now trembling. Suddenly she burst out laughing, frightening her friends quite badly.

"...What's so funny?" Robin asked.

"Ha ha ha-vying for the black heart of the she-devil-ha ha ha ha-if I'd known just how right I was-ha ha ha ha!"

Juniper realized that Myriam had caught onto the irony she herself had contemplated earlier and started giggling. Robin caught on last, and her particularly loud laughter echoed through the air. All of Juniper's fears and insecurities finally vanished completely.

After the three girls had calmed down, Robin returned Myriam's belongings, which she stuffed somewhere in her cardboard box.

"I suspected something had changed between you two, sss sss sss," Myriam said. "But after Athena threatened to shove my camera up somewhere unpleasant if I ever 'meddled', I decided to fall back and get more resources. Hmph! Who does she think she is, telling a reporter such as myself not to do her job!"

"Now now. I'm s-sure Thena was just looking out for me, that's all," Juniper said, hoping to head off Myriam before she could get going.

This proved to be a futile effort, as the self-styled reporter stared intensely at her friends. "Since you two are already talking, would you mind giving me an exclusive interview?"

"Juniper and I haven't decided if we're going to be open about our relationship at school," Robin said. "But if we want to spread the news, we'll let you have the s-c-o-o-p."

This was enough to placate Myriam, and Juniper couldn't help but feel proud of how well her girlfriend had handled the situation.

"Right now w-we're just telling our closest friends," she added. As she thought, the statement caught Myriam off guard, to the point where she almost dropped her stuff again.

"Kahk-kahk. Thanks."

A bell started to ring, and everyone realized they were now late for class.

"WE'RE IN SO MUCH TROUBLE, MANNN!"

December 22 2030

Aside from the detention the three of them had to serve that day, Juniper was surprised by how well everything had gone. In hindsight, that had lulled her into a false sense of security.

One that left her unprepared for the harrowing emotional roller coaster that was her final semester at Themis Legal Academy.

A/N: As always, I'm working hard on the new chapters and hope to have them out soon. Just...I have many other things on my plate as well. Until then, this has been Orion Fowl, and thank you for visiting my corner of Romance.