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For the first time in the history of ever, Robert was about to open the door fully clothed.

Maddie's voice was so easily recognizable, it made the man light up with a goofy smile. He practically fell off the couch, tumbled over and then rammed into the door, before actually managing to open it. He swung it wide, and lifted his arms out, ready to welcome Madison to his arms and his sexy not-a-bachelor pad.

"PRINCESS!" He cried out, taking a step forward to try and collect her into his arms.

Robert let out a little squeak of happiness when Maddie fell into his arms, and he snuggled her viciously, disregarding how small she was or how big his arms were. His head rested on top of hers, and he left himself absolutely vulnerable, which made it no surprise that her punch hit unclenched stomach muscle and made him groan in pain.

"Owwwwww!" The big baby whined, pulling her away just long enough to give her a good long glare. Why was she calling him a big assmunch? What had he done now? He couldn't remember a single thing he might have done to garner Maddie'swaitaminute.

DAMNIT.

"Awwww, maaan.." Robert thought he'd gotten away clean with that particular mess up, but he was wrong. Though if all it meant was a punch to the gut, he'd take it willingly. "I know, I know, you're right. I'm a big assmunch. I'm a big assmunch who loves you to death and maybe.. sometimes.. thinks he has to protect you. When he doesn't. I knooooooow."

He rubbed his stomach with a sour expression. Nobody needed to protect Madison.

Everything turned out for the best...

In the end..?

There were two options in Robert's mind, that would explain an answer like that. One, Leon was in fact a douche and she'd figured that out on her own. He ruled that one out because of the way she glowed - he knew that meant she was happy. No girl would be happy, in that situation.

Which left the only other option..

"Princess.." Robert breathed out in surprise, staring at her like she was made of gold. "You're gettin' MARRIED!?"

Oh. Dating. Riiight, that was an option too, he supposed. Robert giggled like a naughty child and picked her up with one big arm, pressing her up against him as he carried her into the room and closed the door behind him. "My little Maddie's all grown up and banging Lifers. See, you shoulda stayed with us, you'd probably have gotten caught up with Leon sooner. He always was a little high strung."

In fact, he'd seemed even more high strung, now.. "You know, he kind of hates me. I tried to patch things up.. don't think he's real interested."

He dropped Maddie down on his couch, and then flopped down beside her. "Hope that doesn't get weird."

"You smoothed s**t out between you two, sugar. That's completely different. You're a beautiful chick who happens to be givin' him things I most definitely will not be. There ain't no reason why he'd forgive me."

The idea of Leon hating him forever disturbed him, but not enough to dwell on it. Almost nothing disturbed him enough to dwell on it, really. He reached out and started tugging on Madison's hair gently. "You really like it better in Death? What they got that we don't got?"

"Eeeeeehhhhhhhhhh........"

Robert listened, with a fond smile on his face. He actually loved that Madison was telling him her life story. It was sad, in some parts, but not that unfamiliar. His life hadn't been so terribly different in many ways - but in others, simply being a boy made it far, far less tragic.

"That's a good story, princess." He coo'd gently, brushing her hair back away from her face with an affectionate touch. "I'm glad you shared it with me. And I'm glad you found someone that you got to choose." He smirked. "Even if I don't think he's worth you by a mile. But I probably won't think anyone's worth my princess."

He chuckled, and leaned his head back on the couch. "Anyway, I told him I'm sorry. I really did. If he decides to accept it later on, good. If not.." He shrugged. "I'll live."

Still playing with a strand of her hair, he stared up at the ceiling. "You told me a story. Maybe I'll tell you one now. Once upon a time in a magical land where everything was green and yellow and smelled like horse s**t, a stupid little boy lived on a farm. And as he grew up, he got real strong, and he got real stupid. So he used the first thing to help the second. He beat up kids. He made them do his homework. And most of all, he refused to be scared of the shadows. Sure, they were always after him. But he'd turn, and he'd scare them right back until they were just shadows again. And sometimes, that made him a little crazy."

He snickered, remembering the old days. The kids who were brave enough to call him on it. The blood on his fists afterward.

"So he tried to fit in. He dated the girls you were supposed to date when you were a hot piece of a**." He cleared his throat deliberately. "He treated women like s**t, because that's what bullies like him were supposed to do. He fit into his role. And then one day, he lost everything he ever actually cared about, because he didn't know how to care."

This was a long a** story. Even he was getting bored of it. "So some a*****e scooped him up out of the gutter and promised him a second chance on life. I don't even think he realized just how good of a second chance he was actually giving me. But I took it. And I learned - slowly - how to care the right way. And who I really cared about."

It was here that he tilted his head back, and gave Madison a stern look. "So I know you like that you got to choose your partner, this time around. But to me, that just sounds like another bad reason to be with someone. So before you just fall into another mistake, think about why you actually want to be with Leon." His lower lip pouted. "I'm not saying I think he's wrong for you. I'm saying you gotta do things for the right reasons. Maybe Leon's worth you - but I don't think he's proven that, yet."