It was like clockwork. Every morning they stepped into the elevator together. Separate but together all the same. He stood against the elevator while she stood in front of the doors, ready to leap out whenever her floor arrived.

She'd get off first, on the 23rd floor. He got off on the 32nd floor.

It had been about a year since he had had seen her for the first time in the Blanchard Business Offices building. She always came in and left at the same time. Luckily, it had coincided with his own schedule as well.

It was a routine that they unknowingly established for one another. Always meeting at the same time and leaving as well. Never speaking a word, silently waiting for the elevator to open.

She was always busy. Always either typing away on her phone or on a call discussing work. He concluded she was a lawyer since the few times she was on the phone he heard her say lawyer like words; deposition, judgment, complaint etc.

She stepped in first, always raising her head from her phone to look up to the person joining her on the short elevator ride and as usual, it was always him. She always gave him a nod along with a quick smile. Just like on the first day he met her.

He remembers it like it was yesterday, he had stepped in first, the elevator starting to close when he heard a feminine voice yell out to hold the door. As she stepped in the only word she'd ever voiced to him was a simple thank you.

Nothing more and nothing less.

Robin Locksley was intrigued, though. She was a beautiful woman, far more beautiful than any he'd seen before. Sweet full red lips, sensual curves and beautiful black tresses reaching her shoulders.

He noticed the days she was upset, the days she had won a case or the days her assistant had forgotten to file documents with the courts, setting her back months in progress.

Only until about a few months ago, she had verbally addressed him for the first time with a simple and quick good morning. Then that turned into their new routine. A simple smile along with a good morning or goodnight. He revelled in their exchange. He looked forward to the beginning and end of the day, because he knew she'd be there, with a glittering smile to make his day.

Then something interesting began to happen - her belly grew.

She was pregnant.

Her morning calls turned into calls to OB/GYN and private schools and private child care. No more court calls. She was going to be a mother and she was preparing for her child.

He had been figuring out a way to ask her out, not trying to be creepy or come off too strong. He was going to try, but once he saw that she was pregnant it was clear that she was with someone. Although he noticed there was not ring on her finger - which was strange. He decided not to question it and concluded that he had lost his chance. It was clear she was with someone else and happy enough to have a child with that person.

So, it continued like that, good mornings and goodnights and her belly grew and grew. It grew until it seemed she was ready to pop.

It was a Friday, he remembers it clearly. She had been scolding her assistant for thinking that the courts were open on Saturdays. She was a tough boss but also a fair. and he noticed it in the way she spoke to her staff. Whenever there was a mistake she very professionally scolded them. But also made sure to congratulate them when they did well. She was tough, but very fair and it was a trait he'd admired.

"You've been working for me for about 6 months now, how do you not realize that?" She was upset, and rightly so.

"I'll just call the judge and ask for an extension. The clerk's office is closed now, but make sure you send it over first thing in the morning. Got it?" As soon as she hung up, she called the judge handling the case, and with the utmost professionalism, threw herself under the bus instead of the employee. He found that slightly odd, had thought she'd blame the staff but instead blamed it on herself, and it was received well since she was given Monday to submit the paperwork without penalty.

As she hung up, a thick sigh escaped her, and it was clear it was a difficult day. From his view from behind of her, he noticed her shoulders sag, and she rubbed her neck, attempting to loosen a knot. She was with someone, but it seemed that whoever was at home did not do well to ease her. He imagined what he'd do if he was the one in her life. When she got home, he'd run her a bath, fill it with relaxing essential oils and give her a good foot rub. Make her a snack she loved and relax together and watch whatever she pleased.

But he didn't get to do that, would never. So, he did the next best thing he would think of and for the first time he'd decided to speak to her.

"Tough day?" He asked as he nervously cleared his throat.

It was as if she was unsure if he'd actually spoken to her, her head tilted looking as she looked at him, making sure he was actually speaking to him. But they were the only two on the elevator, so, yes, he was speaking to her. She turned, neither smiling or serious, merely curious, "You could say that."

"Want to talk about it? "he asks taking a leap, "It's good to vent, I'm all ears."

She waves her hand, denying his request, "No big deal. Just a scatterbrained assistant."

"I've got a few of those." He tells her, and she nods, smiling as she turns completely to lean against the adjacent wall with him.

"She's got potential, she just needs to build her confidence, it's what's got her a bit off."

"Ah," he replies nodding.

"What do you work in?" She asks him, and he's beyond thrilled that she's actually talking to him, asking him something remotely personal.

"Pediatrics." He replies.

She smiles and tilts her head curiously, "Are you Dr. Robin Locksley?"

He nods, "The very same. How'd you hear about me?"

"I was recommended by Mary Margaret Nolan. Since, well, I've got to find this little guy a doctor now." She rubs her now full belly softly.

"Little guy? So, it's a boy?"

She nods proudly, "His names Henry. After my father."

"I know Mrs. Nolan well, she's got the two twins driving her mad every time she's in."

She chuckles a softly melodic hymn and it knots his belly, "Neal and Emma. Yeah, they're a handful. I babysit them often. Well, used to, not as much anymore since I can't exactly be running around as much."

"How do you know Mrs. Nolan?"

"She's my sister. Well, half-sister. My mother married her father when I was 15. She was about 12 at the time."

"Ah, she has mentioned a sister at our appointments. She also mentioned that when she babysits, she forbids any junk food. More than the kids own mother."

Regina smiles embarrassingly at his comment, "She lets them eat whatever they like half the time. Emma insist on always having grilled cheese and Neal will only eat those disgusting dinosaur chicken nuggets. She's can't say no to them. It's crazy, at least when they come into my home they have healthy diet."

"She states you only feed them vegetables and flavorless chicken."

"That was one time! One time and she doesn't let me live it up!" She replies back with a chuckle.

He laughs wholeheartedly at her indignancy, "Well if it's any consolation, coming from a pediatrician, I think your child be grown up a healthy boy with the way you cook."

"Thank you," she replies proudly.

He tells her teasingly, "Just make sure it's not flavorless chicken though, maybe some salt and pepper at least."

She lets out a loud laugh that fills the elevator and he can't help but think that he loves to hear it. And her smile, it sparkles in his sight and it fills this tender feeling inside him. She's a stunner and he can't deny it.

They'd been so caught up in their conversation that they hadn't realized that they were still in the elevator and that it had not moved at all.

Regina turns to the buttons on the wall, "Did we press the button for the first floor?"

"Yes, after you came in, I pressed it. The doors just closed but I don't believe it moved at all."

She moves over to press the first floor bottom again but this time a buzz comes from the speaker machine.

"Hello?" The voice said.

"Yes, hi, this is Regina Mills from the 23rd floor."

"Hi Ms. Mills, this is Alex from security. Is there anyone else with you in the elevator?"

Robin moves forward, "Yes, Robin Locksley from the 32nd floor."

"Very well, the elevators have had a malfunction and have turned off. We are working to get maintenance to get it back on. You both appear to not have moved and are still on the 23rd floor." The man said.

"Do- do you know how long it will take to get it back up and running?" Regina asked. Her voice was strained, and Robin could sense the slight fear in her voice. She holds her belly and breathe with brows furrowed in pain.

"No, Ms. Mills, I don't know. I will keep you all updated if anything changes," the man buzzes out and leaves them both in silence.

Regina stands against the wall, holding her belly tightly. She takes her phone out of her purse and dials, "Jefferson?"

His heart thumps. So, the father's name is Jefferson Robin thinks to himself.

She waits for a moment until the person at the other end of the phone answers and she tells them, "Yeah, sorry, I can't make it tonight. I'm stuck in an elevator for who knows how long. No, I'm fine, don't worry. Check with Mary Margaret, okay?"

He hears the muffled voice on the phone speak and a smile appears on her face, "Yeah I will. Have a good flight."

As she hangs up she leans her head back and looks to Robin, "Can... can you help me sit down?"

She asks, and he moves to help her sit. He sits next to her, observes her as she breathes calmly.

"I'm a bit claustrophobic," she tells him. He moves his hand on over hers soothing her softly.

"You'll be alright," he assures her. She looks down at his hand embracing her and she smiles at him and closes her eyes once again.

"I take it the father is not worried." He says moments later.

"Father?" She asks with a scoff.

"The man on the phone."

"Oh," she chuckles, "No, that's a friend. He came to visit and he's flying back to London tonight. I was going to accompany him to the airport."

"Ah, I see."

She looks at him, and she knows he's curious, its clear. She doesn't understand why she feels comfortable telling him all this and opening up, but she does it either way.

"There is no father, in case you're curious."

"I wasn't," He replies quickly, and she gives him a look, telling him she knows otherwise.

"Fine, I was."

She gives him a friendly smile. There's a moment of comfortable silence between them.

He's curious and now that she seems open to him, so he'll ask, "What happened to him?"

She scoffs as a bitter smile fills her lip, "Well, his phone probably got purposely lost somewhere. After the few hundred voicemails, emails and texts it seems he is going to be available for the fatherly task for the next 18 years."

"Sorry about that. It must be hard."

She shrugs, trying to convince him that it doesn't affect her, but it does, it always does, "It's fine, really. Better to not have a father than a half ass excuse of one."

She closes her eyes, and she can still feel his hand on hers. She takes it and laces their hands together, she needs to feel secure, and strangely, with him, she does.

Her breathing begins to steady, her eyes open slightly and his eyes are focused on her. As if he's making sure that every inch of her is okay. She grimaces and moves a hand to her belly, "You alright?" Robin asks.

"Yeah… just a bit of cramping. The doctor said their just braxton hicks." She answers with a quick wave of her hand.

"Are you sure?"

"I'm fine, I'm just about 7 months along, so I've got a bit more to go. I look ready to pop, I know." She tells him. She indeed looked ready to give birth any minute, but examining her over, he'd noticed that she was thin and it must have been the growing child that gave her the farther along appearance than she actually had.

She clears her throat and gets into a comfortable position while soothing over the pain once again, "So, how long have you been in the building?"

"Nearing five years now."

"And as a pediatrician?"

"Nearing fifteen years."

"How long have you had your own practice?"

He raising his brow amusingly, "So, am I being interrogated?"

"I need to know what credential's my child's possible pediatrician has."

"Well, if you must know, I was first in my class at Stanford. Graduated from UCLA with honors and was first in my year to begin my internship prior to graduating."

She scoffs teasing, "So, you went to hippie schools."

"Hardworking hippie schools, might I add. What about you? I take it you're a lawyer from the plethora legal talk you have in the mornings. What school did you go to?"

She gives him a smirk, clearly she likes this teasing game their playing, "I went to Yale for undergrad and graduate school."

"Ah, prestigious."

"Smart," she counters.

"What law?" he asks.

"Criminal Defense."

"Ah, so you help put the bad guys in jail."

"A bit here and there," she jests.

"Have you always wanted to be a lawyer?"

"I wanted to be a CSI agent when I was younger. But, I realized I'm not that good at grunt work. I prefer comfortable office setting," she says smiling, "So, next best thing is reading up on the investigation and putting them in jail. You?"

"Always wanted to be a doctor, just hate adults. Kids are a lot more manageable."

"Really? Let me guess, you already have like three kids. You look like the type."

"Nope, not even married. But I do want them."

"Why not? A handsome, charming guy like you must be. In addition to wanting kids – any woman would be stupid not have snatched you up by now."

"Waiting for the right one, I guess. Or maybe I'm just too much of a hippie for the ones I like."

She doesn't say anything, only smiles at his reponse and it grows silent. A comfortable silence that has him feeling too comfortable for just having met her. He decides to fuck it all and just go with his gut, it never failed him before so why start distrusting it now?

"I'm going to be frank," he begins. Surprisingly confident in his confession, "I've been wanting to talk to you from the moment you got into the elevator about a year ago."

Her response isn't rejection or awkwardness, it's a knowing smile that ends with question filled with disappointment,"Why didn't you?"

He's relieved that she is this receptive to him even having just met him.

"Hippie cowardice." he replies and they both sniggers.

He sits himself comfortably next to her. She turns slightly so he's in good view and he begins talking, "I was going to ask you one day, but it had been what a month since you had not come and then the day you did I noticed the bump. Realized you'd got pregnant, I thought you were with someone and had missed my chance."

"You should've asked either way. Probably would have said yes." She tells him with a smirk and he just about wants to sucker punch his past self for being too respectful, too tactful for his own good.

"Probably?"

She smirks, "Would have played a little hard to get at first. Maybe one or two elevator rides if you were persistent enough."

He's chuckling at her wit, because knowing her now, he's quite sure she would have dragged it on as much as she could just to see how badly he wanted her. God, and he wanted her badly

He has her now, though. He can be as flirty and as persistent as he cares to be, "Well, how about you consider my offer. I'd like to take you for coffee."

She raises an eyebrow and his quickly rising confidence plummets to the ground floor because it seems like she's reconsidering it all.

"A pediatrician asking a pregnant woman on a date to drink coffee." she replies and he just about wants to hug her at how relieved he is that she's not saying no.

He'd been too caught up in the excitement of asking her, of hearing her sweet cherry lips say yes, that he had not to realize he'd done a pregnant woman no no. He covers his face with a chuckle and she giggles back as well. He doesn't know where to go now, he's a pile of nerves and she seems to revel in that notion.

Without a question, she gives him a quick peck on his lips. One kiss so quick that he has to blink twice just to make sure it actually happened. It's quick, almost enough to not really get a good recollection of how it felt but he remembers it, quickly remembers the softness of her lips. The small bit of her red lipstick staying on his lips and he gives her a kiss back, one that last a bit longer than the first. He cups her cheeks, giving them the needed time to take in the moment. She presses towards him, returning the unbroken kiss with a bit more force. It's calm, intimate, yet hot all the same. He finally kissed the girl on the elevator, and he's loving every minute of it.

As their lips part due to their need for air, her tinted cheeks grow warm from the heated kiss.

He regains his focus, halting the need to kiss her once more,"Smoothie. Breakfast, lunch, whatever you like. I'd like to just get to know you more."

"Well, how about tomorrow? There's this little bakery I go to on Saturdays. This little guy has me craving some bearclaws."

"Tomorrow, then," he replies simply smiling but inside he's struggling to hold down the wide smile filling his face. She smiles at him, a hopeful sweet smile.

There's a moment of silence, one quickly broken by the creaking of the elevator.

Regina's hand moves quickly to her belly and the other to hold tight to Robin's hand, "What's that?" she asks with shear fear.

He is about to respond when the speaker on the wall buzzes, "Ms. Mills, Mr. Locksley?"

"Yes?" Robin responds.

"We are just about finished fixing the control panel. Hold tight-"

"Ah!" Regina cries out.

Robin quickly turns to see her holding her belly and her face in excruciating pain.

"It… it hurts!" she cries out again, "More than the other cramps, it -ah!"

"Where does it hurt?" Robin moves to her, trying to see what help he can give her.

"Uh… oh, no… my wa-water b-broke." she replies shakily feeling the small puddle where she sat.

"Shit," Robin quickly moves back to the speaker and buzzes the man on the line.

"Mate, Ms. Mills water just broke… can you maybe speed up that restart?"

"We're working as fast as we can Mr. Locksley. The ambulance is outside of the building. Per our safety procedures we've called them due to the elevator shut down. I'll let them know to be prepared for Ms. Mills to be taken to the hospital right away."

Robin turns back to Regina who is whimpering in pain as she clutches the fabric of her dress.

"Just breathe, love," He soothes her imitating the deep breathes.

She shakes her head frantically, "He… he wasn't supposed to come now… he-he's early…"

She's completely fear stricken, eyes wide. He shushes her, trying to calm her but it's no use as fearful tears fall from her lids.

"Hey…" he whispers, "It'll all be okay. If it comes to it, I'm more than capable of delivering him."

She lets out a nervous laugh in between her now falling tears, "You're a hippie!"

"An experienced hippie," he replies smiling at her. Their witty exchange seems to ease her, and soon the contractions appear to be gone.

"Breath, love," He soothes her.

"Easy for you to say… you didn't just experience your own body torturing you. Ah!" She cries out.

"Shit, they're coming faster then they should. I think the little guy wants to come out."

"No!" she cries out, "It's not ready! I.. -ah!- D-David was supposed to help me with the crib and… and I still have to buy the outfit he's going to wear when he leaves the hospital. and- AH!"

"Alright, he's coming."

"N-No! He can't come… it's not ready," she begins to sob shaking her head, "I-... I'm not ready. I can't… I can't do it alone!"

"You won't do it alone, you've got people that love you that will help you. You're strong, you will do it. He will grow up to be a perfect healthy baby boy." he assures her. He knows she probably doesn't believe him, but he really does believe that. Something about her, perhaps its his wildly romantic heart, but he knows that she would be an excellent loving mother.

"How do you know?" she cries, "What if he hates me for giving him bland chicken and vegetables?"

They both snigger as the thick tension starts to fade through their comical conversation.

"He won't. You'll be more than fine, I'm sure."

"Ah!" she yells out again. Her breathing thickens and she begins to take the breathes she'd practiced in her lamaze classes.

"Fuck, I knew I should have stayed home. I had a bit of cramps this morning and I was spottina bit… nothing bad and I took a calming tea and... ah!"

"He's- he's coming," she tells Robin and he can't do anything but assure her that she'll be more than fine.

"The ambulance is right outside… just keep holding on for a few more moments."

Robin moves to the speaker, ready to bang the door open if the man on it doesn't tell him good news, "Come on Alex, give me some good news. Ms. Mills is ready to give birth to her son."

"The firefighters are coming to meet Ms. Mills, elevators should open up in a few seconds. Hold tight."

"Hear that?" Robin turns to her, he holds her hand as she continues to breath, "They're coming."

"Yeah, so is this baby!"

"Just a bit longer, love."

"Not so good impression after asking me on a date, huh? Care to reconsider? Might not be able to make it tomorrow. May have a lifelong obligation come up." she says and he can't believe how she's making jokes and pulling her wit while she's having contractions. Bloody hell, he will marry this woman, he just knows it.

"I've never been more sure," he firmly replies and then another contraction comes. She's groaning in anguish, face tightened trying to breathe.

"Gah! Fuck you, Daniel! Fuck you for doing this to me!" She cries out in rage, and he can't blame her. It's not the child she's angry with, but the bloke that left her to deal with this all by herself.

"Hey, hey," he kneels in front of her, he holds her hands in his and gives her a quick kiss on her forehead. It's still new to them, in fact, strange to be this close only knowing one another for such a short time and here he is, soothing and giving her affection like a lovable and caring partner would. It seems comfortable, easy and it seems to ease her, "I've got you, love. You've got me, alright. I'm not going anywhere."

She was just about to cry, she looked him straight in his eyes and she knew, he meant it for good. Not just to keep her company during her contractions but really stick by her. Oddly enough, it didn't scare her, in fact, she felt it was something that was meant to happen.

"Robin I -," she wants to ask him. She desperately wants him to know that whatever is between them she wants it to be serious. Unborn baby aside, she wants something real and she somehow is sure that it's what he wants too.

The elevator begins descending and once it reached the main floor, the doors opened, and the firefighters along with paramedics are ready with a gurney for her. Another rush of contractions hit her and he's there next to her, soothing her and letting her take strength from him.

"Alright, Miss, let's get you on the gurney and off to delivery your baby," said one of the paramedics. They mounted her on the gurney and they were about to leave when Regina called out for Robin who had been standing watching the paramedics tend to her.

"Don't leave, please. Stay," she begs him and he takes hold of her hand. She's scared, and rightly so. He'd never dare to say no to her, even if she hadn't asked, he'd made sure she was okay.

He takes her hand in his, gives it a quick kiss, "Let's go have this baby then," he tells her and as if in consensus, they paramedics begin to wheel her to the ambulance.