Felicity Brown disengaged her lips from her boyfriend Ben's. They seemed to be really attracted to him. "I really have to go, Ben. I can't be late to work anymore."

"Felicity, I love you!"

"I know!" She kissed him one last time and jumped out of his truck, hurriedly fixing her hair and make-up. Ben was an amazing lover. How hadn't the hell she seen what had been under her nose all this time?

She hummed with the songbirds of the spring. She was happy! And oh, she so wanted everyone around her happy, especially her best friend Andy. She had made such a promising start with Leo and she was hoping that soon they would patch up their differences.

She sauntered into the diner with a cheery hi, but Andy's downturned head made her realize that something was really wrong.

With a sigh, she tied her apron, determined to corner Andy at lunchtime.

****

"He said, what exactly? He was seeing you for the last time?" Andy sniffed and buried her nose in the tissue in her hand.

"Uh-huh."

"And what did you tell him?"

"Well, nothing, I didn't wanna come across as clingy."

Felicity swore. "Wow, you're a lunatic! He asked you to move in with you and leaves without a by-the bye?"

"Well, he had come to say bye," Andy said in a small voice.

Felicity huffed. "I can't believe it. I didn't think that you would be a doormat."

"Well, I'm not one!" Andy's chin lifted up. "I'm making a point. I'm fine without a man in my life. I was fine before and I'll be fine again."

"Oh yeah, so why are you closeted in the bathroom and crying your eyes out?"

Andy sniffed again and stared at the mirror in the washroom which was full of brown spots. "There's another problem."

Felicity crossed her arms, clearly exasperated at Andy. "What?"

"I'm late."

"Late?" Felicity knitted her brows.

"Yes, I'm LATE," Andy stressed meaningfully.

The news just took out the fight from Felicity. "Wow, just wow! You're really screwed. Did you take a pregnancy test?"  

"No, do you mind if I take it here? I couldn't stand to do it alone."

"Of course! I'll be right out." She squeezed Andy's shoulder as Andy went into a stall and swung the door closed.

*****

Leo frowned at the frail, wheel-chair bound man in front of him and felt like wiping the smug grin off his face with a well-deserved punch. But, he knew that would satisfy the bastard and he would be happy to get a rise out of him. So, he opted for a bored tone instead, "So, what's up, Robin? Why were you dying to meet me, anyway?"

The old man coughed delicately and his nurse wrapped a blanket around him. Leo hated everything about this man. His pretentious townhome, his smug demeanor and most importantly the fact that his mother had chosen this asshole over her own family. That still hurt like a bitch.

"Leave us, please." He rasped to the nurse and she promptly obeyed, shutting the door to the study behind her.

"Would you like a drink?" Robin gestured to the liquor cabinet and Leo got up, pulled out a bottle and poured two fingers of the amber liquid into two glasses on the cabinet counter. He did his best not to scowl at Robin and gulp down his glass, he didn't want to give the old guy any satisfaction whatever.

"So, why did you wanna see me? Are you dying?"

There was a flash of irritation in the pale blue eyes but then Robin sighed and ran a hand over his face. "You can believe me when I say this, I find no satisfaction in this meeting. I'm just doing this to because of the promise I made to Betty."

Leo's nostrils flared as the bastard said his mother's name. He said nonchalantly, "Was it before or after you had boinked her brains out?"

Pissed off, Leo finally tossed back the contents of the glass. The whiskey was strong and burnt all the way to his stomach. With eyes bleary, he stared at Robin. Maybe he could strangle him with his bare hands?

Robin was getting angry, but he just turned his head and looked out the window. "No, it was when she was dying in my arms."

"Touching," Leo returned drily.

His irritated glance landed on Leo again.  Then Robin adopted a complacent tone. "I'm happy that Andy talked you into coming. It's funny what love makes one do."

"If you mean, destroy someone's family, I'm afraid that you won't get my sympathies. And leave Andy out of this."

"Hmm," Robin's gaze turned shrewd. "If you must know, your family was destroyed much before I came along. Your father suffers from bipolar disorder, dementia and also shown signs of schizophrenia-"

"At least he never cheated on his vows-"

"There are other ways to break a person's spirit. What I shared with Betty is something that you would never understand, nor do I expect you to. Just know this, she was the one most adamant to bring you into this world. She loved both her boys, but she couldn't stay with Dan any longer. Still, she stuck around for you. It was a herculean task to convince her to come away with me."

"My congrats on your success. Is there anything else you wanted to talk about?"

"Hmm, the impatience of youth," Robin wheeled to the desk in the study and pulled out a brown envelope. He held it out for Leo.

"Your mother left this to you. She couldn't give it to her when she was alive, but I thought you should have it now."

Leo took the envelope. "What does it contain? A letter, a will or a 'Sorry for ditching you, now act like a big boy' card?"

"It's a letter." Robin conceded. "I thought you should have it."

"How considerate of you," Leo stood up. "There are mailing services, you know. You didn't have to hunt me down and irritate me to death to hand it over."

Robin leaned back in his wheelchair and studied Leo. "I- well, I guess so. But I wanted to meet you. I didn't want kids, but sometimes I wonder what I missed. "

"I'm touched. I'm leaving now. You can call your nurse back in. Maybe you could use her and ruin another family."

Robin sighed. "Well, my job here is done. Thank you for visiting me."

"Yes, you've done enough. Now, stay away from me and mine." 

******

"Andy? Andy, sweety? Are you ok?" Felicity was alarmed. Andy hadn't come out in fifteen minutes. She heard nary a peep from her. "C'mon, sweety, come out or let me in."

After hearing what could only be a shuddering sob, Andy pulled open the door, a good deal paler than before.

Shit.

"Oh, sweety!" Felicity hugged her tightly. She was going to string Leo up by his balls. No way was he going to shirk responsibility where this baby was concerned.

"It'll be ok, I promise. You won't be alone while raising this child."

Andy pulled back and washed her tear-stained face in the washbasin. Poor girl. She said something but it came out all muffled.

"What is it, sweety?"

Andy dabbed her face with a paper towel and though her eyes teared up, she was obviously making a valiant effort to not cry. "I said, I'm not pregnant."

"Wha-? You stupid bitch, you gave me a heart attack!" Felicity punched Andy's arm and ignored her howl of protest. "Why, in God's name, were you crying then? Shouldn't we celebrate with some wine?"

Andy sniffed, looking very much like a lost little girl. "Oh, Felicity. I- My emotions are all over the place. At first, I was angry, then terrified that I may be carrying a baby, but then I thought, 'Oh, finally I won't be alone. There will be someone who will always love me.'"

"Oh, that's sad, but you're young yet. Don't worry, it will happen to you." She finally understood what Andy wasn't saying. "Oh no, did you want it to be Leo's baby?"

Andy sniffed and said nothing. Felicity giggled. "Well, I'll be! You really wanted Leo's kid?"

"Well, since he's probably not coming back, I- it would be nice to have something that reminded me of him, you know, forever."

Felicity suppressed a smile. "So, this has nothing to do with the fact that you're madly in love with him?"

Andy gave her a pained smile. "Oh, I wish I could say to you that's not true."

Felicity leaped in the opening. "Oh, this is so exciting! I finally get to say, I told you so!"

"Ugh!" Andy buried her face in her hands. "I don't want to. The last time I loved, it caused me too much pain. I was determined to avoid the pitfall altogether this time. But, I can't even bring myself to sell the house that he fixed for me. It's got too many memories. Oh man, this is hopeless, I wish we could go back in time."

"Well, we can't. And we cannot really choose the person that we fall in love with either. It's destiny. Karma." 

Andy gave her a weak smile. "I guess you're right."

Realization suddenly dawned on Felicity.

"Oh damn, I'm sitting here all fancy in the bathroom of all places and preaching to you and I just realized something. Oh my God, I actually love Ben! Oh sure, he sometimes annoys me with his devotion, but I always wanted someone who will dote on me forever."

She tugged on the strings of her apron and pulled it off. She dumped the apron on Andy's lap.

"See you later! Fill in for me, will you?"

"What? For the third time this week? Where are you going?" Andy yelled after her, but Felicity was already out of the washroom door. 

"To find Ben," she yelled back and hurried to the exit.

*****

A few days later, Leo found himself at Sharon West Home for Women. It was a huge ivy-colored mansion and had beautiful landscaping that was tended by groups of cheerful women. None of the women looked abused, scared or unhappy. They were laughing, talking and even singing. The staff was friendly and when he asked directions to the office, a cheerful matronly woman escorted him there.

"You're lucky Mia's in right now," the woman said as she matched Leo's brisk gait. "Her husband's also in to pick up the kids."

The office was open and airy and when he went in, he saw a dark-haired woman sitting behind a desk and giggling as a man wrestled with a young boy of about five on the floor. A dark-haired little girl was on the side, cheering up her father in a fight against the boy, who was obviously a sibling. They stopped fighting and stood up, the minute they noticed him.

"Goodness, Damian. This nice young man has work in the office and you scared him with your antics with these hellions."

"I'm not a hellion, Mrs. Ramon, Chase is. Daddy was beating him up because he hid my doll and won't tell me where it is!" The little girl piped up.

"Why don't the two of you come to the kitchen with me and settle it over some ice-cream?" Mrs. Ramon suggested and both the dark-haired kids tromped out, obviously in agreement over ice cream.

The man came over to shake hands with Leo. "Hello, I'm Damian. Pleased to meet you. Things are only crazy around here sometimes." So, this was The Damian King, the scion of King Enterprises. He seemed to be in his thirties, with laughter crinkling his eyes permanently. His wife, Mia, who was Andy's best friend, also came over to shake hands with him.

"How can we help you? Are you looking to get shelter for someone you know?" The petite dark-haired Mia enquired politely as her husband put a possessive hand on her back.

"Oh no, Mrs. King. We have a common friend, Andy. There's something I would like to inquire on her behalf."

The pair exchanged looks. "Is she ok? Why didn't she come with you?" Mia asked.

"Oh, she's fine. I actually am more interested in examining the files of another patient you had here by the name of Mary Bremer. I'm worried that her presence may be placing Andy in danger."

-----

A/N: Hope you enjoyed. I hope you liked seeing Mia and Damian again. I wasn't sure if they were going to make an entry in this story, but I guess they are! :)

Thanks for reading, please don't forget to vote/comment.

Love,

S.