A/N: Hello! This is my second OQ fic ever (my other one was a five-part mini-fic/five linear oneshots back in March called "An Awkward Reveal", which was the first fic I had written in over a decade, so thanks OQ for inspiring me to write again). This is an idea that hit me about a week or two ago that just wouldn't leave me alone, so I had to write it. It's also a very different narrative style than what I usually write, so it was a fun challenge in that regard. I hope you enjoy, and I'd love any feedback. Thanks for reading!

Regina Mills likes to think of herself as a responsible person.

Raised in a good, supportive family, she had grown up believing she could be anyone she wanted to be. Her parents were sufficiently wealthy, which had allowed Regina to fully explore her interests in lacrosse and painting without having to worry about how they would pay for new equipment and classes. But, her parents did not spoil her. They had worked hard to become financially secure, and they had wanted their daughter to develop the same work ethic. And she certainly did. Regina had followed in her parents' footsteps and earned her way into Harvard for her undergraduate education, truly gaining admission on her own merit and not just because she was a legacy. She had proven herself as a dedicated student when she graduated at the top of her class with a degree in biology and a minor in legal studies. While her parents had attended Yale for graduate school (her mother studying law and her father earning his MBA), Regina diverted from their path and had chosen Columbia for her own legal education. She had once again excelled in New York, making law review during her final year, graduating with a job offer in hand as a junior attorney on the intellectual property team with a large pharmaceutical company in Seattle, and passing the Washington state Bar Exam on her first try. At only 25 years old, she is already taking life by the metaphorical balls and carving a place for herself in the world.

Yes, Regina Mills likes to think she is a responsible person, which is why she is completely mortified to find herself sitting in a flimsy paper gown on the cerulean vinyl examination table in a random OBGYN's office, waiting for the doctor to confirm what she already knows. A temporary lapse in judgment that led to five (or was it ten?) glorious minutes in the back of a random gastropub with a gorgeous blue-eyed Brit has resulted in a permanent souvenir.

She lets out an audible sigh and falls back against the exam table, crossing her elbows over her face as she mentally scolds herself for being so careless. She wants to blame her current predicament on her dear half-sister, who undoubtedly served as the catalyst for her out-of-character behavior when she had dragged her to the pub despite Regina's protests that she was still jet-lagged from the trans-Atlantic flight; her dear half-sister, who had subsequently bought her far too many tequila shots to kick-start their evening out. But, she knows her sister had only meant well, and at the end of the night Zelena was hardly the one hiking up Regina's skirt and telling the tall blonde stranger to take her against the wood-paneled wall of the single-stall restroom. No, this is on her, and her alone. Well, maybe it is also a little bit on the aforementioned handsome man. After all, it takes two.

She sits back up and looks at her watch, realizing that her appointment was supposed to start fifteen minutes ago. She absentmindedly kicks her feet against the base of the table, needing to do something to release some of the anxiety bubbling below her surface. She hears a soft knock on the door and takes a deep breath before muttering "Come in," hoping that her voice isn't quivering. The petite redheaded nurse who had taken her vital signs earlier comes in — Regina thinks she remembers her name being Belle— and apologizes for the wait. She explains that Dr. Superior was called into an emergency surgery, noting that apparently this is not uncommon at a teaching hospital where many of the physicians are the best in their field. Belle says that there is another gynecologist who can see her once he is finished with his current patient, and that he shouldn't be more than ten or fifteen minutes. Regina politely nods and says "that's fine" before Belle politely excuses herself and exits the exam room. Regina is not extremely comfortable with the prospect of describing her current situation to some stingy old male doctor, but she doesn't want to delay this any longer by rescheduling, so she really doesn't have any other options. She's still new in town and had falsely assumed she would have at least several more months before she would need to think about finding a doctor for her annual physical and to renew her birth control prescription — a prescription that had proven to be as good as useless given her current situation. When her roommate Kathryn had walked in on a nearly catatonic Regina staring at the positive pregnancy test a few weeks earlier, she had recommended she go see her gynecologist and had given her Dr. Superior's name and number.

Regina has never been great in complete silence or with nothing to do, and she has already thumbed through all the magazines in the room and can't bring herself to read the pamphlets on pregnancy and childbirth options that are scattered around the room, so her mind drifts back to the past seven weeks and how everything has changed so drastically. She had flown to Seattle in the middle of July to move in with her best friend and college roommate Kathryn, just in time to take the Bar Exam at the end of that month. Immediately after the test she had flown back to New York for a 12-hour layover to pack up the rest of her apartment and to drop the boxes at the post office to be shipped across the country, and then she had hopped on a redeye to Heathrow to visit her older half-sister. She does not get to see Zelena often, as the redhead had been raised by her father in a small town an hour north of London, while Regina grew up on the coast of Maine with their mother and her own father. At most, they see each other once or twice per year. But, Regina had had three weeks between taking the Bar and starting her new job as an attorney, so she had wanted to spend two of them traipsing around the United Kingdom with her big sister before going back to the States to prepare for the next phase of her life.

But now, that next phase of her life is panning out much differently than she had expected. On her first night in London, they had gone to a quaint pub at the end of Zelena's block where they had started with shots before switching to beer when her sister's fiancé Walsh and his friends had joined them. Regina had been tired and feeling a little out of her element, so she had gone over to the bar to get another drink, and that is where she had bumped into the man with piercing blue eyes. He had immediately captured her attention. He had introduced himself as Robin, a London native who had just finished his residency program and was preparing to start his career as a "real physician" the following week, while she had explained that she was in town visiting her sister before starting her new job as a lawyer back home. He had bought her another pint to celebrate ("To new beginnings," he had toasted) before challenging her to a game of darts in the back. After letting Zelena know where she was going and getting nothing but a wink in response, Regina had accompanied Robin to the back room of the bar. They had engaged in some harmless flirtation as he thoroughly kicked her ass at darts, (he later admitted that he was an expert archer, and apparently, the skills were transferrable), and thus she bought their next round. She had asked for a chance to redeem herself over a game of pool while they waited for their order of fries to be ready (which he had reminded her were called "chips". She would have found it annoying if he weren't so charming). With the liquor flowing freely, and both playing up their natural sex appeal by exaggerating their stances as they hovered over the pool table to take their turns, their harmless flirtation quickly escalated to something physical. If she is recalling the evening's events correctly, which she believes she is despite the alcohol-induced haze that surrounded everything about that night, it had been her idea to move somewhere "a little more private" when she had realized where it was leading. She had been sitting on the pool table and he was standing between her legs as she let her hands roam freely over his ass, ushering him closer as he trailed his lips down her exposed neck. He had appreciated her suggestion and had then recommended the lone unisex restroom around the corner— it was hidden in the back of the bar next to the pub owner's office and was intended for employees only, but he had said that his buddy John was the manager that night so they would be fine to use it. Moments later they were drunkenly stumbling into the small and surprisingly immaculate bathroom, locking the door behind them. He had the good sense to pull out his wallet for a condom, only to find it was empty. "You're a doctor, right? I assume you've been tested?" she had asked him as she found the strength to peel her lips from his. (God, they were magical. Truth be told she still dreams about them, even though it's been nearly two months since she felt them on her skin). He had nodded and said he had a clean bill of health, so despite her better judgement she had told him not to worry about it, then. She was on the pill and had assured him she was clean as well, and at that moment she just really wanted him, consequences be damned.

And damned they were. As she waits in the office for her roommate's gynecologist's colleague to finally show up, she still cannot understand how this could happen. She has been on the pill for nearly a decade and has never once had a pregnancy scare, and she had often neglected to use back-up methods when she was in monogamous relationships and routinely very active. Logically, while she paces the cramped floor of the office and looks at the various medical charts on the wall (despite years of college biology and anatomy courses, she still refuses to believe that a baby can pass through that), Regina knows that the pill isn't one hundred percent effective. Her previous doctor had reminded her of that fact every time she had gone in for her check-up and would ultimately admit that she didn't always use protection with her long-term boyfriend. But she had always followed the instructions in the pill pack to the letter and had always been diligent about taking her pill, never once skipping a dose thanks to the alarm she set on her phone. She had continued that diligence even after she and Graham had parted ways at the end of law school and she had returned to a life of celibacy (well, almost celibate, aside from that one fateful night). It is then that it hits her — the time difference. She had always taken her pill at the same time every day, but God, she was an idiot. She hadn't accounted for the fact that her phone automatically updated to the new time zones, and going from Seattle to New York to London meant that she most definitely screwed up her schedule, because she should have taken one on the flight to London and she most definitely did not. In her jetlagged state, she hadn't noticed. Now, it seems her previous doctor could say "I told you so," which is why Regina is glad that bitch is back in New York and will never have to know that Regina had managed to get pregnant during the only one night stand she had ever had.

Regina is pulled from her reverie when she hears another faint rapping at the door. Steadying herself once again with a deep breath, she hops back up on the examination table and says "come in," awaiting her fate. And fate, as it were, is always a twisted bitch.

She doesn't see him at first, as she is looking more at the floor than at him and his face is buried in her chart as he enters the room. He merely greets her with a "Hello Miss Mills, I apologize that Dr. Superior is unavailable, but I'm Dr. Locksley and I'll be seeing you today."

But, she knows that voice. That deep, smooth, and charming voice with the accompanying panty-dropping accent. She tells herself it cannot possibly be him. He's from London, and while he said he was a doctor, he never said anything about living in the States. He would have told her if he did, right? Especially when she said she had just moved to Seattle. If he lives there too, he would have mentioned it. But then, she thinks, she didn't tell him where she lives. Quickly replaying that conversation in her mind, she had only told him that she had graduated from law school in New York, so he probably didn't see a need to mention that he lives in Seattle. Damn it.

He still hasn't looked at her, still thumbing through the pages of her intake form, and for a moment she thinks that he's a crappy doctor for not even looking at his patient. She does realize that she was thrust upon him at the last minute when Dr. Superior was called away (and she quickly shakes her head, trying to get the image of her thrusting herself upon him in other ways out of her mind) and so he is likely trying to catch himself up on her medical history, but the least he could do is look at her properly, at least for a second. If he's going to be looking up her vagina in a few minutes (not like he hasn't already seen it, although the previous time he had been exposed to it in a much more enjoyable way than what she knew was to come), he could at least look her in the eyes now.

She manages to squeak out "Robin?" after her initial shock wears off, and that's when he does look up at her, eyes wide in realization.

He glances between her and her chart several times, almost frantically, as he finds his voice again. "Regina? What are you doing here?"

She rolls her eyes and falls quickly into the safety of her sass. "Um, going to the doctor, clearly."

He shakes his head. "You know what I meant."

She shrugs. "It's all there in the chart. I'm guessing you haven't gotten to the part where it lists the reason for my visit, or you wouldn't be asking me that question."

He nearly falls onto the rolling stool next to the exam table, still not quite believing that the brunette is in front of him, and his eyes skim back through the chart looking for the "chief complaint." He's hoping that it isn't anything serious (she's far too young for most gynecological cancers, he tries to reassure himself), while also hoping that she had not lied to him that night about her STI status, and that's when he sees it. The results of the urinalysis they had done when she arrived. "You're pregnant?"

"Surprise!" she says, making a little sarcastic jazzy gesture with her hands.

He tries to find the words. "Is it…um…is it—"

"Yours? Yes."

"Are you sure? You weren't with anyone else during that time?"

She raises a brow. "I may not be a doctor, but isn't it kind of med school 101 not to suggest that your patient is a slut?" She says, leaning forward and crossing her legs, remembering just how naked she is under the hospital gown and suddenly feeling very exposed.

"I'm sorry, Regina, you know that's not what I meant. I'm kind blindsided here. I certainly didn't expect to see you here, and especially not with this news."

"Well, for what it's worth I never expected to see you again, either. And yes, I am sure it's yours. You're the only person I've been with in the last four months."

"I thought you said you were on the pill?"

She winces. "Does that even matter at this point? And yes, I was. Apparently I missed a dose or my timing got off with the eight hour time difference from Seattle to London."

"I see," he nods, trying to refocus himself. "So, your chart says you're here for your first prenatal visit, and the urine sample you gave on your way in was in fact positive. Do you have any questions before we get started?"

She is seriously contemplating getting up and leaving right now so she can go to an entirely different gynecology practice, or at least ask for another doctor to see her here. But, she may as well suck it up. She's kind of stuck. "Um, not really…"

"Did you want to discuss options before we get to the exam or…"

She crosses her arms and leans forward, resting her elbows on her knees. "Are you asking as my doctor or as the guy who knocked me up?"

Robin exhales loudly and pushes back on the rolling stool, putting some much needed space between them. "As your doctor, Regina. I know this is certainly not what either of us expected, but we barely know each other so I don't have any idea what you're thinking — I don't know if you want kids, don't want kids, if you're pro-life or pro-choice. I have no idea, so I just wanted to know whether that was something on your mind, so we could talk about it or so I could refer you to someone if you needed additional guidance on the matter."

Regina suddenly feels sufficiently guilty for her snide remark, not to mention thoroughly chastised. "I'm sorry, Robin. I haven't decided anything yet, but I wanted to come in for a check-up in case I do decide to go through with it. But no, I don't need counseling or an elaborate medical discussion. I know what my options are and what they entail. Let's just leave it at that for now, please."

He nods and stands up, approaching the exam table. "Okay, then. Can I just say one thing before we begin, as the guy who quote 'knocked you up?' Please?"

Regina lets out a sigh, noticing that he has the slightest of smiles on his face as he throws her own words back at her, and she hates herself for finding it attractive. "Go ahead."

"I imagine you will probably find another doctor after today, and I cannot blame you for that, and in fact you probably should given the conflict of interest. But, will you please at least let me know what you decide, either way? It is certainly your decision, and I'm hardly in the position to try to talk you into or out of anything here, but if you do decide to go through with the pregnancy, we should talk and figure something out…come to some sort of agreement as to what this means going forward."

She looks up at him, surprised that he would even be willing to have that conversation, should she decide to keep the baby. She had fully expected never to see him again after this encounter. "Yes. I will let you know what I decide to do."

"Okay then, lie back on the table for me," he says as he washes his hands and puts on a pair of gloves.

She does as he asks, relieved that he has slipped into professional doctor mode, which strangely enough she finds to be calming to her nerves. He asks her questions about her pregnancy thus far, asking if she's had any cramping or spotting, any morning sickness, if she's taking any prenatal vitamins, and if she has refrained from tobacco and alcohol use. He awkwardly tells her about how to safely have sex during pregnancy, knowing that he can't leave out information he would normally tell his patients just because it is uncomfortable given their situation. He does a quick pelvic exam (God, that's embarrassing for them both), confirming that everything looks good. He then sets up for the ultrasound, and she can't help but think that if the pelvic exam was awkward, him shoving a wand up her vagina will be one hundred times worse. He explains the procedure to her, trying his best to look her in the eye as he does so, but she looks everywhere except his face, and he finds himself blushing more than would be deemed professional. She nods her consent, tells him to "go ahead" and he does.

As he's looking for the image on the screen, he asks her about her new job, to which she replies "are you really trying to make small talk right now?" and then they both laugh, thankful to relieve some of the tension in the room. She confirms that it's going really well and that she's loving Seattle. He answers the question that has been on her mind since he walked into the exam room, telling her that he moved to town right after he came back from London. He had finished his residency at Stanford in June and had decided to spend six weeks with his family back home before starting his new job as a full-fledged physician. He pauses their conversation to turn the monitor around, pointing to a small kidney bean shaped object on the screen. "Is that it?" Regina asks, a hint of disbelief in her voice. He nods and verifies that it is, and he says that everything seems to be progressing as expected. Not that they didn't know already, but he confirms that she's around seven weeks pregnant.

He gently removes the wand from inside her and prints out a copy of the ultrasound image, handing it to her as she sits back up on the table. He smiles as he watches her stare down at it in awe, and at that moment he makes up his mind — if she decides to see the pregnancy through, he wants to be part of it. He can't help but feel drawn to her, just like he was that night in the pub. He doesn't know if she will ever give him a chance to be anything to her, anything more than strictly the accidental father to her child, but he'll be damned if he doesn't try. He has never been a big believer in fate, but at this moment, he can't help but think the universe is trying to tell them something.

He stands up from the stool and makes a few notes in her chart, telling her that she is all set and should plan have her next appointment in four weeks if she is going to continue the pregnancy, and he says that he is happy to give her the names of some other great OBGYNs in the area. She hops off the table, reaching out and lightly reaching for his arm before telling him that she won't be having an abortion and that she will make an appointment with Dr. Superior for next month. He smiles, a wave of relief crossing his features, before he schools his expression to put on his professional mask once again. "Robin," she hesitates, biting her lip in the way that he finds so damn appealing. "You're right, we should definitely talk about this, sooner rather than later." He smiles again, quickly jotting down his cell number on a Post-It and handing it to her, saying that he should be done with his last appointment around five o'clock and to please call him after work. She says she will and he slips out of the room, leaving her to get changed and carry on with her day.

Regina Mills likes to think of herself as a responsible person, which is why later that day she finds herself sitting at Barnes and Noble, halfheartedly flipping through her copy of What to Expect When You're Expecting while she waits to meet with the father of her unborn child so they can come up with a plan. After all, that is the responsible thing to do.

When she had left his office earlier that morning, she had considered not calling him, had considered tossing that sticky note with those 10 digits on it into her office trashcan and pretending she had never seen him. But, she had quickly remembered that he has all her personal information thanks to her medical chart, so he has her full name and cell phone number, along with her address and work number at his disposal. Hell, he even has her roommate's phone number as Regina's emergency contact. She can't exactly avoid him.

It's not that she necessarily wants to hide from him, but Robin Locksley living in Seattle and working just two blocks away from her own office complicates things. She's barely a month into her first job as a lawyer, and it has been going remarkably well. She knows a baby is going to complicate things as it is, because she will need to take maternity leave much earlier in her career than she ever expected, not to mention she'll need to figure out childcare when she returns to the office. And, she'll probably have to move out, because Kathryn didn't sign up to live with a screaming infant when she invited Regina to move in with her a few months ago. Then, if she adds a one night stand turned baby daddy who suddenly wants to be in her life to the equation, that's a whole other layer of complexity that her brain is just not prepared to deal with right now.

Although she does not want to go into this conversation with any expectations, she tries to tell herself that maybe this is a good thing. As far as one night stands that result in an unplanned pregnancy go, she could have done a hell of a lot worse. At least Robin seems to be a good person, or so she assumes, even though she barely knows him. He is certainly intelligent and has a great job. He must have some natural appreciation for kids, considering that he's making a career bringing them into the world. And despite her doubts based on his aloof behavior when he walked into the exam room earlier, he is a well-liked physician (she may have googled him over her lunch hour, reading what patients had written about him on one of those doctor review sites). And even though his initial reaction was far from ideal and was rather insulting, it seems like he wants to be involved. She imagines that most one night stands would probably go running for the hills if they found out there was a baby on the way, so the fact that Robin had said right away that they should talk, and that he isn't pressuring her into an abortion, is a good sign. At least, she hopes it is. She supposes that there's always a chance he had said he wanted to talk so he can tell her that he will give her child support but wants no part in the child's life, but deep down she doesn't think that's the case.

Plus, she has to admit that there's a good chance their baby will be adorable.

"Regina," she hears his voice behind her, followed by a chuckle when he sees what book she is reading. "Doing your homework, I see?"

"Yeah, well, the internet is great, but this is the book that literally every pregnant woman on TV reads, so I figured it has to be good."

"It is one of the better ones, yeah," he says, finally coming to sit down in the vacant chair across from her. "Here, this is for you," he places a cup in front of her. "It's peppermint ginger tea. You mentioned that you were struggling with nausea, and a lot of my patients swear by this brand."

She smiles as she graciously takes the cup and brings it to her lips. The taste is strong, but not too overpowering, and the warmth relaxes her. "Thank you, Robin. That was very sweet of you." She is at a loss for words, not sure how to start what promises to be a very strange conversation, so she is happy to let Robin take the lead when he begins speaking.

"Look, Regina, I know I was the last person you were expecting to see today, and that you probably have spent the past few months assuming you would have to do this completely on your own. The last thing I want to do is pressure you into anything that makes you uncomfortable, but I would like to be there for you, if you'll let me. And even if you won't, which I would entirely understand, I want to be there for the baby. I was raised to take responsibility for myself and my family, and I want to be part of this child's life. I don't want to be some unknown guy who just sends a check every month."

She lets out a breath she didn't know she was holding as she looks up at him, really meeting his eyes for the first time all day. She had forgotten just how blue they are, and she can see the emotion swirling behind them — certainly a little fear, but it's mixed with what she thinks might be happiness and excitement. She slowly nods as she considers her next words. "Thank you, Robin. I appreciate that."

"So, is that a yes then? You'll let me be a part of this?"

"Of course. I don't want my child to grow up not knowing their father. I had assumed that would be the case since I never thought I would see you again, but now that you're here, I'm not going to deny either of you that. You have every right to be part of this baby's life, and I want my child to know his or her father."

"Thank you, Regina," he says, frowning internally when he realizes she only mentioned his involvement with the baby and hadn't said anything about his other offer. "And I did mean what I said, just so you know. I would like to be there for you over the next seven months, if you're comfortable with that," he pauses, trying to gauge her reaction, but her expression gives nothing away. "If nothing else, I am certainly a resource for any technical questions you might have," he adds, hoping to bring a little levity to the table.

"Robin, I appreciate your offer, and I might take you up on it, but I need some time to think about it. I absolutely want you to be part of the child's life, and we will need to talk about what that is going to look like so we can hopefully come to a mutually agreed upon arrangement before the baby comes, but right now it's just too overwhelming. There's a lot happening all at once in my life right now," she says, trying not to notice the disappointment she sees on his face. She isn't sure what he meant when he said he wants to be there to support her, and the idea that maybe he wants to start a relationship with her is nagging at the back of mind and that feels suffocating to her right now.

He reaches out and lightly covers her hand that is resting on the table with his, but he mutters an apology and withdraws it when he sees her flinch at his touch. "I understand, Regina. I don't need an answer today, and there's no rush. I know you must have a lot going through your head right now."

"That's the understatement of the year."

He chuckles and resists the urge to reach out for her once more. "How about this…How about we take things slow and try to get to know each other?" He sees her hesitate, so he quickly amends his statement. "I just mean as future co-parents, and maybe someday we can be friends. I'm not going to expect anything more than that. We are going to be in each other's lives at least a little bit for the next 18 years, so I think it would be helpful if we learned a little bit about one another to help make that transition a little easier, don't you think?"

"Yeah, you're probably right," she admits softly.

"So, we can figure out what works for us, and go at our own pace. Maybe we can try to meet up once a week to get a little more comfortable with each other… we can grab tea or lunch or dinner or whatever works with our schedules."

Regina smiles. "I can agree to that. That sounds nice."

"Good," he says, feeling relief wash over him. "And if you have any questions or concerns as you read through that book there, or as things start progressing, please call me, day or night."

"Of course. I probably would anyway even if you didn't tell me to," she laughs, finally feeling a bit more at ease.

"I kind of figured you would," he says with a grin.

They fall into an awkward silence, neither one knowing exactly where this conversation should go next, but also not wanting to be the one to get up and leave too soon. "So, umm, do you have any questions for me? Not about pregnancy, necessarily, but about me?" Robin asks tentatively.

"Oh, umm, yeah, actually," Regina rambles, finding her footing. "Since I guess they'll be part of the kid's life too, what is your family like?"

Robin launches into a brief version of his life story, telling Regina about his parents who still live outside London and about his younger brother who just started graduate school in Washington, D.C. She smiles at the way he lights up when he talks about his family and the antics that he and his brother got into growing up. It makes her gut clench at the idea of someday having a second child so that the one growing inside her has someone to play with, someone to conspire with, and someone to protect from bullies in the schoolyard. She pushes that feeling away, knowing that it is far too early to be thinking those thoughts. She needs to take it one day at a time.

A half hour later, they walk out of the bookstore together as they prepare to head their separate ways with a promise to get together for lunch early the following week. Before Regina turns to get into her car, she pulls out a piece of paper that she had nestled in the back of her book. "I know you can probably just get this from your work, but I made a copy when I got back to my office earlier today…I thought you might like one," she said, handing over a photocopy of the sonogram from earlier that day.

He smiles down at the image, holding it reverently in his hands. It feels so much more real to hold it like this than seeing it on screen or in her medical record when he was playing the role of her doctor earlier in the day. "Thank you, Regina. This means the world to me." He looks up at her and sees her watching him, and any fear he has about what's to come is completely alleviated. They will make this work.

As she drives back toward her apartment, she thinks about how quickly things can change. This morning she had been embarrassed about her situation, blaming herself for being so irresponsible and giving into such a carnal instinct. But now, while her life looks much different than she would have thought just a few months earlier, she feels a hint of excitement about what her new life could be.