A/N: I'm here with the next, massive chapter, the final one to be posted this week. Fun fact! This chapter is the longest yet at over 5000 words. I need to cut back. But since this chapter goes over Robin's upbringing it couldn't be helped. Regardless, its time for femslash!

Chapter 8: Meet the parents: Robin's side

December 22, 2030. 8:40 a.m.

Robin went back into the house to prepare for Juniper's arrival. She had received a call earlier that Juniper was going get home soon, and since Robin now had the whole day off she wanted to take Juniper out on the town.

As Robin changed into a new outfit she looked around at their shared bedroom. A king-sized bed with pink, frilly sheets and pillows that they had picked together. Light blue walls decorated with pictures. A shared dresser where they kept their clothing, with a mirror above that they would often use. Different beauty accessories scattered on top of the dresser such makeup and hair brushes.

If the events of that day hadn't transpired, would she still know to appreciate everything around her, everything that she and Juniper had built together?

Robin liked to think she would, but they often said that you didn't know what you had until it was gone. And nothing made you appreciate your freedom more than the chance that you might lose it...

February 10th, 2028. 8:00 a.m.

Detention center, holding cell 3.

Robin stared at the ceiling of her holding cell, wondering how everything had gone so wrong. What mistake had she made? What clue had they missed?

She had entered the school campus around six this morning in order to see if she could find a new lead as to the Shadow's identity. But first, she had made a stop off at her locker in order to organize her stuff.

Inside had been a third note:

You've been an obstacle in my path for so long.

You've sat on the throne you didn't even want. You double down on what you do wrong.

It's too late for redemption. This is the end of the line for you.

Farewell, Robin Newman.

Robin quickly took out her cell phone and snapped a picture of the note.

Farewell? What exactly did the Shadow mean by that? Robin wondered. She began to scan the inside of her locker to see if she could glean any more clues.

Immediately, she noticed that one of her paintbrushes was missing. A small hammer she used for statue work had also vanished, and the bottom of the looker was stained with streaks of white. At this point, she noticed a rather odd smell inside her locker.

Is that bleach? Or some kind of cleaner at least.

Robin's Locker info updated.

Shadow's Notes updated.

Before Robin could contemplate the new information, she heard footsteps from down the hall. She turned around to find a pair of police officers approaching her.

"Are you Robin Newman?" One of the officers asked.

"I am." Robin said. "Are you here about the person that's been harassing me and Juniper?"

The officers shook their heads, and one of them took out their handcuffs.

"You're under arrest." The officer said as he placed the handcuffs around Robin's wrists. "You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law..."

By the time Robin could could process what was going on she was being led out of the building.

"Woah, Woah, Woah!" Robin exclaimed, deeply panicked. "Why am being I arrested? What did I do? What's going on, maaaaannnn!"

"Vandalism." One of the officers said as Robin was placed in the back of a police car and the two cops got into the front seats. "This morning we received a call from the school that some of the school lockers had been vandalized, and it turned out that they were correct."

"As for why you were arrested," the other officer added, "The lead detective on the scene discovered decisive evidence linking you to the crime."

Robin sank into her seat, her heart sinking in her chest right along with her. Could this have been the Shadow's doing?

Robin, of course, had drilled the officers on what exactly they had found, but they had clammed up and refused to say anything else. Thus, they had taken her to the Criminal Affairs department and placed her in the holding cell she was in now.

Robin reviewed her activities for the past twelve hours to see when the crime could have been committed that would make the police suspect her.

After the last bell yesterday I went over to Juniper's house so I could talk to her Grandma. After that, I went home with my parents and had dinner. Then I went to sleep, and this morning I went to school early to see what else I could learn. I was going to talk to the principal about who had access to the locker keys, but I stopped by my locker first. After that I was arrested! So it had to have been yesterday evening or this morning!

Robin sat up in her seat, her anger rising. It couldn't be a coincidence. An earlier note had said that within three days, she would leave Themis Legal Academy and never return. A day later, she was arrested for a crime she didn't commit that had decisive evidence against her.

This was the Shadow's plan. At some point, they had set a trap for her and she had fallen right into it.

If this spineless villain thinks they can defeat me like this, I'm going to personally hunt them down and show them how wrong they are!

"I'm going to TAKE YOU OUT, MAAANNNNN!" Robin screamed at the top of her lungs, venting all her frustrations.

A door opened, and one of the detention center's guards came inside. It occurred to Robin that yelling wasn't the best thing to do in her current situation.

"I'm sorry for all my yelling," Robin said nervously.

"You have visitors," the guard said, disregarding Robin's apology as he unlocked the door to her holding cell.

"Really? Who is it?" Robin asked.

"Its your parents."

February 10th, 2028. 8:15 a.m.

Detention center, visitor's room.

Indeed, seated in chairs across the glass divide were her parents, and Robin felt her foul mood grow worse. Her parents didn't look as if they were much happier, a mixture of anger and worry on their faces. The fact that they were in a private room specifically for family to meet did not help the foreboding.

When Robin took her seat across from her parents, the three of them only stared at each other, unable to say anything. A fragile, high energy tension surrounded everyone and Robin took this chance to really look at the people that had raised her.

Her mother, Diana Newman, had been the person she had inherited her looks from. Her light brown hair was styled into straight waves that fell down her shoulders, and her eyes were the same shade of brown as Robin's. Her face was likewise similar to Robin's, with the main difference being the signs of age like the crows feet around her eyes. She was in a blouse and skirt combo, and wearing high heels: her mother worked part time as an accountant at a local tax office, and it seemed she had been working when she had been informed of Robin's arrest.

Sitting next to her mother was her father, Richard Newman. As a prosecutor, he was the man whose path Robin was supposed to follow. Everything about him demanded the respect that came with his position: His cropped dark brown hair, his steely gray eyes, his rough face, his imposing stature. He was dressed in a pressed gray suit, his prosecutor's badge pinned proudly on his lapel.

Her father, fittingly, was the first one to break the silence.

"Robin, your mother and I received a phone call saying that you had just been arrested for vandalism at your school, and your friend Juniper is crying her eyes out wanting to know what's going on." He narrowed his eyes, glaring furiously at his daughter. "Explain yourself at once!"

Robin felt herself becoming smaller and smaller. The only time she had seen her father become this angry had been after Juniper's trial last October, when she told her parents that she had revealed her gender to everyone.

Then her mind had latched onto a particular detail of what her father said.

"Juniper? Where is she? How's she holding up? Are Hugh and Myriam with her?" Robin asked in quick succession.

"Answer your father." Her mother said, her soft tone underlaid with the same anger.

"Not until I know Juniper's okay," Robin said, sitting up straight and crossing her arms, glaring right back at her parents.

"She showed up not long after us," Mrs Newman said. "But we left her outside because we wanted to talk to you first."

"Mom, Dad." When Robin had her parents' attention she continued, 'I'm going to explain everything. But first I need Juniper to be in here with us. She has a lot to do with what's been happening, and I've been meaning to tell you guys something for a while anyway."

Her parents saw that Robin wasn't going to budge on this point, so Mrs. Newman stood up and left the room.

It didn't take long for her to return with Juniper in tow, after which they both took a seat next to Mr. Newman. Juniper looked disheveled despite being in her school uniform, and her face was red and swollen from crying.

Nevertheless, the first thing she did upon spotting Robin was to smile encouragingly at her, a smile that Robin reciprocated.

"I wanted to bring you something," Juniper said sheepishly. "But the guards wouldn't let me give you anything."

"Eh heh heh. Well, you can give it to me when I get out of here," Robin said cheerfully. "And I'm really happy just having you here."

Juniper beamed even wider before her face clouded with concern. "I heard you shouting earlier. Are you okay? Does it have to do with the Shadow?"

"The Shadow? This is the first we've heard of this."

Robin jumped in her seat at the sound of her mother's voice. She had been so happy to see Juniper that for a split second she had forgotten her parents were there.

"I did say I would explain everything. But before I can tell you about the Shadow, I need you guys to understand something first." Robin looked at Juniper, who nodded, then turned to her parents.

Robin knew that she would have to answer for keeping so many secrets from her parents. But at this point, there was no reason to keep quiet any longer.

"Juniper and I are girlfriends. We've been going out for two months."

Immediately, her parents' facial expressions became unreadable, but they didn't say anything. Juniper and Robin took this chance to explain their relationship for the third time that week, including the relevance of the Shadow's actions in regards to Robin's arrest.

The entire time, Robin's parents didn't speak, simply listened with neutral expressions on their faces.

"So you suspect that this 'Shadow' is framing you for the vandalism?" Mr. Newman asked after Robin finished her explanation.

"Uh huh. B-u-t, don't think I'm don't have any evidence to back my claim up. If you talk to the principal he should still have all the notes that were found in my locker." Robin said.

She hadn't known what reaction to expect. But the last thing she expected was for her parents to bow their heads.

"I ask again," Mrs. Newman said, an undercurrent of hurt cracking her voice. "Why are we only hearing about all of this now? Aren't we your parents?"

"You are! But after what happened last October, I wasn't sure if I was still your daughter!" Robin cried out. She felt tears begin to run down her face. "I wanted to tell you guys about my relationship with Juniper. I just didn't know if you guys would actually listen to me."

"Last October? What happened last October?" Juniper asked. She presumed it was related to Robin's gender, but Robin didn't talk about her home life after that until just recently.

When the Newmans turned their attention towards her, she flinched but recovered quickly enough.

"It's private family business, dear." Mrs. Newman said gently, not wanting to upset their guest.

"Maybe it is. But Robin is my girlfriend," Juniper said firmly. "And I don't want to see her crying."

"If we're going to talk this out, I want Juniper here," Robin added. "She's strong enough for this."

"So? Are we going to go on ahead, Ricky?" Mrs. Newman asked her husband.

Mr. Newman smiled wryly at his wife. "Our child is in a detention cell, Diana. If we don't do this now, we may not get another chance. And I want to see if Juniper can back up her words."

Mr. Newman brought out a bag he had been keeping on the floor up until that point and rummaged around for a bit before removing a very familiar item. "I presume you remember this, Robin?"

Robin almost flew from her seat in her attempt to get away, staring at the item with a mixture of loathing and fear on her face.

It was the brace that had restrained her chest. The ultimate symbol of her miserable time as a boy.

"Why? Why do you have that?"

"Because like I told you before," Mr. Newman said. "You don't understand what your mother and I were trying to do for you."

Juniper slowly approached the brace, and picked it up. "And what was that?" Juniper asked, her voice trembling with anger. "What were you trying to a-accomplish by making Robin so unhappy?"

Robin's parents were looking distinctly uncomfortable at this point. Mrs. Newman took out a photo from her pocket and laid it on the steel table separated by the glass barrier. "Do you remember this, Robin?"

Robin and Juniper returned to their seats to get a better look at the picture. It depicted Robin as a small child, no older than five, standing in a mud puddle. She wore a frilly green dress, but it was smeared with mud. The mud itself had small lumps that Robin had attempted the mold into something. Her child self wore a messier version of the pixie cut she had today, and the biggest smile on her face, clearly proud of her efforts.

The photo sparked a memory deep inside of her, which in turn became a blaze of recollections. "I remember..."

Mrs. Newman turned towards Juniper. "Our little Robin was always rambunctious. She always wanted to prettiest clothes, but they would be ruined in a day because she would be off on some adventure."

This had been right around the time where her parents had started to slowly raise her as a guy instead of a girl, or at least as far back as she could remember. But with her memory of that time so fuzzy, it brought up a bit of a chicken or the egg issue: had she always had a streak of tomboy inside her, or had that been artificially created by her parents' efforts to raise her as a boy?

In those days, she fully believed her parents when they had told her that she was a boy. Oddly enough, her memories of her elementary school had been mostly happy. She had gotten along well with everyone, and no one questioned Robin when she did things like make things out of mud. After all, it was normal for boys to do that.

Except even back then, a voice in her head told her that something was not quite right. That her intentions were being misunderstood, but at only five-years old she couldn't grasp what she felt well enough to verbalize it. Every time she did something girly, like wear a dress or play with dolls, everyone at school began to pick on her.

Mr. Newman covered his face with his hands, deeply troubled. "Diana and I...we wanted a son. So when Robin seemed to take to being a boy really well, we didn't do anything to correct her-"

"Robin was only a child."

Everyone turned to to Juniper, whose calm tone belied the outraged look on her face.

"She was only a child," she continued. "She was too young to understand about how guys and girls act, and as parents you should have reassured her. Should have let her be herself instead of molding her just for your own sakes!"

No one had any rebuttal to Juniper's words. In fact, Robin found herself shaking.

"This entire time, that was the reason I was raised as a boy?" Robin said, each word being forced out to keep from shouting. "Because it was just easier and you guys wanted a son? Did my feelings mean nothing?!"

Regardless of who Robin had been back then, who she might have become, it didn't excuse what her parents had done.

Her parents still couldn't counter the argument, but continued to explain: Robin continued to grow up half-believing she was a boy. But inevitably, nature had taken its course and Robin began to develop in ways that boys didn't develop. With her parents unwilling to answer her questions, she looked for her own answers and discovered her true gender.

Like this, Robin entered middle school. However, an unexpected development threw everything into confusion: her very first crush.

"One day, Robin came back home with some questions," Mrs. Newman said. "About why she felt so funny around one of her friends."

"Was that friend a girl?" Juniper asked, having a pretty good idea of what the answer was.

"It was," Robin confirmed. "But it never went anywhere since my parents wanted me to focus more on my school work."

"That was what we told her at the time," Mr. Newman said. "But truth be told we had no idea how to handle our Robin liking girls. The one thing that would make her living as a boy easier, and Diana and I were at a complete loss."

Except, it had nothing to do with her upbringing as a boy. For while that first crush hadn't been her last, she found herself consistently attracted to only girls. At the time, she thought it had been connected to her upbringing.

"Last October, I told Mom and Dad I wanted to live as a girl," Robin said. "After Athena blew the lid on the whole thing during the trial. But they weren't in the best mood over some of the things I did during the trial and we started fighting."

She had been so happy to finally live as herself. Then she fell in love with Juniper, and she wondered why she would still have this remnant of her time as a guy.

"You guys told me that life would be so much easier for me as a male prosecutor since I would never have worry about money."

The answer, of course, was that her feelings for Juniper weren't a shadow of anything.

"And you could support yourself and anyone you wished to be with," Mrs. Newman finished.

Juniper made the connections in her mind. "So you already knew that-"

"I'm a lesbian? I think they suspected," Robin said. "But I didn't really know myself until I took a hard look at myself."

That was right. Sleepless nights going over her feelings. Roping Hugh into her confused ramblings. Reflecting on what her parents had told her during that fight. All helped her awaken to her true sexuality.

She had come out to her friends not long after that, but held back her crush on Juniper. They had all accepted her, but Juniper had done more than that. She had revealed her own bisexuality as a show of support, and as part of the resolution they had all taken to not keep secrets from each other.

That had been near the middle of November last year. Her feelings for Juniper had already started to change after the Gavinner's concert, but having Juniper accept her for who she was caused her to see Juniper in a new light. A little over a month later, she confessed her love to Juniper.

"That's why we brought this." Mr. Newman pointed to the brace. "We won't pretend to understand your relationship with your friend Juniper, but we've always wanted what's best for you, Robin. We were so scared when we heard you got arrested. We didn't know what to think."

"But now that we've talked to you we can see that you've grown into a great woman all on your own,"Mrs. Newman said sadly. "So if you want to start making your own decisions, we'll support you. And we'll start by destroying the brace."

This was what it all came down to in the end. She had what she always wanted: the right to live as herself. But what did that mean for her relationship with her parents? Even after hearing about why they raised her as a boy, she couldn't be too mad at them. In their own warped way, they really did want to see her happy.

Seeing her parents so humbled by remorse did make one thing clear: No matter how angry she felt right now, no matter what happened in the past, she didn't have it in her to cut her parents completely from her life.

"I know I'll probably face more people like the Shadow," Robin said. "But I won't let my life be run by them. Like it or not, this Robin Newman is here to s-t-a-y! But, now that everything's out in the open could we maybe start over? Get get know each other as adults?"

Her parents sat up, surprised by her words. "Do you mean it?" Mr. Newman asked.

Robin shook her head. "Don't get me wrong. I don't know if I can ever forgive you guys. But maybe we can meet halfway."

"We'd like that."

February 10th, 2028.

Detention center, holding cell 3.

After that, Robin and her parents talked a bit about her current predicament, but Robin reassured them that she was innocent, and that she had a defense attorney ready. She did ask her father who was prosecuting her case, but he told her that as her father he hadn't been told in order to keep him from influencing the prosecutor's opinion.

Eventually her parents had to return to work, but not before telling Robin that they would be watching her trial tomorrow and wishing her well.

Juniper left as well, saying she needed to return to school. She in turn had said that when she returned later for the lunch hour she would bring company.

Robin was returned to her holding cell, where she was once again left alone with her thoughts. She lay down for a nap, but all she could do was dream of braces and hollow fiends made of paper.

February 10th, 2028. 1:15 p.m.

Detention Center, Visitor's room.

Needless to say, it was a relief when another guard showed up saying that her defense attorney had arrived with company. When Robin was escorted to the visitor's room, she found Athena Cykes waiting for her, flanked by Hugh, Juniper, and Myriam.

"You don't look so good. Are you holding up okay, Robin?" Athena asked right off the bat.

"Eh heh heh heh. This hasn't been the best day," Robin admitted. "But I had a good talk with my parents, and now you're all here. So today hasn't been all bad."

She noticed that one member of their group was missing.

"Where's Apollo?"

"He's busy working on a case with the Boss so he couldn't make it," Athena explained. She grinned and hit her palm with a fist. "But I'm more than capable of helping you out of this mess!"

"So who's the prosecutor for the case? Are there any witnesses?" Robin asked, her mind and demeanor slipping into an intense focus that she used when approaching studying her Prosecution course work.

"Simon's going to prosecute the case," Athena said. "Since I'll be the one defending you. As for witnesses, there is one. A student from the Prosecutor's course who reported the crime."

Hugh stepped forward with some papers in his hands. "But before we tell you who the witness is, we need to make you aware of some new information we discovered. Juniper here managed to go to the Principal and learn who has the keys to the lockers."

"From what I heard, usually the administration has access to the keys, for safe keeping," Juniper continued. "But the custodial staff also has access, in case of an emergency such as a student being unable to open their locker because the electronic lock broke."

"So are you saying the Shadow might be a janitor?"

"We are." Hugh said. "Here is the work schedule for the custodial staff these past couple weeks. Pay attention to who was working on the days you found those notes, and the day before the crime."

Hugh set the papers down in front of Robin, and she read through them as best as she could from the other side of the glass barrier. As she read, she noticed a name repeat itself the day before she found one of the Shadow's notes in her locker, every time. The same name appeared yesterday night: Logan Sullivan.

"No...no waaaAAYYYY!" Robin shouted at the top of her lungs.

Janitorial staff schedule added to Organizer.

"Do you know this person?" Myriam asked, trying to read the papers upside down.

"Not really," Robin said. "We've only talked to each other once, and it wasn't a very long conversation. He seemed like a shy person. But the Shadow has it in for me, right? Why would it be him if we don't know each other?"

"That's the million dollar question," Athena said, playing with her earring while deep in thought. "But he's also the one who reported the crime, and is the witness for the prosecution."

"Something just occured to me, sss sss sss. We've been investigating the Shadow for a while, and thanks to a few traps we've managed to narrow it down from when it could have been anyone at school."

"That's correct." Hugh said. "Are you going somewhere with this?"

"Hey, no snide remarks!" Myriam snapped. "As a matter of fact, I am going somewhere. What if the reason the Shadow is doing this isn't just about getting rid of Robin? Her arrest has already thrown our investigation for a loop. If she were to be convicted, I'd imagine it would give our foe a chance to try and destroy the evidence of his crimes since the police efforts would be focused on her for a while."

"Impressive thinking," Athena said. "I think all that time sneaking around has served you well."

"In other words, the Shadow's become desperate." Hugh concluded. "A cornered person is dangerous. But at the same time, their judgement might become clouded enough to make a mistake. Well done, Myriam."

"Hold on, everyone!" Robin interrupted. "If all of this is true, we're still missing something. The Shadow would have to know we were on their trail. But the only time I talked to Logan, it was before I found the first note. How would he know?"

An alarmed look crossed Juniper's face, which then shifted into shame. "I think it might be my fault. Yesterday, Logan approached me after class, and we talked about the Shadow. He told me not discount people I know as the culprit."

"You mean...you leaked information?" Myriam asked, sounding distinctly horrified.

"Not that much!" Juniper quickly said. "I told him we set a trap for the Shadow, but I didn't give him any details. And he was a real gentleman. He even said that if anyone could catch the Shadow, it would be me."

Athena slammed down her hands against the steel table. "So that's how this vilaine bête wants to play it. I'll make him regret ever poking into Junie's business!"

"I don't know," Robin said. "There doesn't seem to be any real motive for him to do these things, and without a motive we can't build a case. There's still so much we don't know about him."

An idea occurred to Robin. A risky, crazy idea, but an idea nonetheless.

"Hey Athena. I can participate in my own defense, right?"

"Everyone has the right to self-representation, but then I wouldn't be able to help you as a defense attorney." Athena answered.

"But what if you helped me as a therapist instead of a defense attorney?"

"I suppose it would be legal, why do you not want my help all of a sudden?"

"Its not that I don't want your help," Robin explained. "But its me the Shadow's after, right? So if Logan's the Shadow I'll be able to personally cross-examine him. Then you could use your Mood Matrix to see how he feels talking to me."

"I get it, kahk kahk." Myriam said. "In facing him, you're trying to draw out any bad feelings he might have towards you so scary lawyer lady can catch them."

"Are you sure, Robin?' Athena asked. "Logan's our only suspect, but if its not him we won't look good if we just accuse him."

"I agree with Thena," Juniper said. "I know how badly you want to catch the Shadow. We all do. But it still seems like a really big risk to take."

"I'm not saying we should go for blood right away. If its not him, then we focus on getting me off the charges and we look for a new suspect. If I need to I'll hire Athena to represent me later."

"You really smart, Robin. I know you are." Juniper said, clutching her hands tightly. "But you're not a trained defense attorney like Thena or Apollo. I don't want you to be found guilty!"

Robin was already starting to feel distinctly guilty from the torn look on her girlfriend's face.

"And that's another reason why I need Athena with me," Robin reassured Juniper. "So she can keep me from falling in any holes. But facing Logan myself might be our best chance to finally find the truth."

"As much as I hate to admit it, Robin might be right." Athena said. "And its not like she hasn't thought this through."

"I understand. I trust in you, Robin." Juniper said, resigned. "And I'm going to trust in Thena to keep you safe."

"Leave everything to me!"

February 10th, 2028. 8:00 p.m.

Detention Center, holding cell 3

After Athena coordinated their plan of attack and arranged the paperwork to get the ball rolling, everyone left to separate destinations. Robin spent the rest of the day inside her cell, with meals to look forward to for the rest of the day.

As she lay down to sleep, her mind went over all that happened today, and all the information needed for tomorrow.

Today's been really crazy. But I need to be ready for my trial.

Just you and me, Logan. I'll get the truth out of you one way or another!

December 22, 2030. 9:00 a.m.

Robin clipped some red earring studs in her ears as she finished dressing for Juniper's arrival. It wouldn't be that much longer, but a question stuck in her mind.

The vandalism trial. I wonder...if I had done something differently that day, would everything that happened after have happened the way they did?

A/N: A big part of today's chapter is Robin's backstory. I hoped I handled it well. Regardless, the trial of Robin Newman begins next chapter, which should be here within two weeks! Update those court records and feel free to speculate in the comments! I'd like to take this chance to thank everyone who has read the story so far, and those that have read this story. Until then, this has been Orion Fowl, and thank you for visiting my corner of Romance.