Sunny Side Up

by Queen-of-the-Merry-Men

When Robin Locksely, a small town firefighter, asks his best friend, Regina Mills, the town prosecutor, for her eggs she assumes he's talking about breakfast food, turns out that's not exactly what he has in mind. Robin wants to have a child and is hoping to use her DNA to make it a reality.

1. Chapter 1

Hi guys! I hope you enjoy this fic. I know it's a bit of a monster but I think it's well worth the read. Happy reading!

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It was supposed to be an average Wednesday morning in Storybrooke, Maine.

It was a quarter before eight and shop signs were flipping from "closed" to "open". The kids were huddled in packs, dressed identically in their school uniforms as they waited on the street corner for the bus to arrive. Nearly every table in Granny's Diner was occupied as the town's workforce tried to squeeze in a quick breakfast. Even from the furthest corner table the sound of sizzling bacon and the smell of fried eggs filled the air as waitresses sped from table to table in their red shorts, serving their patrons with friendly smiles in hopes of a better tip, like they always did.

Regina Mills loved Wednesdays.

It was the one day of the week she would give up her daily routine of "coffee for breakfast" and actually have something substantial to eat. But of course it wasn't just the food that made Wednesday's special. It was her best friend Robin. Every Wednesday they would meet up in the third booth from the door and catch up over breakfast. It was a tradition they'd maintained ever since she'd moved back to town. Five years and they'd never missed a Wednesday. And of course this week would be no exception.

Dressed in her royal purple blouse and pencil skirt, she entered Granny's just as she usually did, with her eyes on the phone in her hand. If one word could be used to describe Regina Mills most would claim "preoccupied" as the most fitting. After double-checking her calendar for the day she finally looked toward their booth, her eyes widening in surprise when she saw Robin already seated there, his blonde hair still a bit tussled from sleep and his Storybrooke Fire Dept. tee peeking out between the edges of his forest green leather jacket. Honestly that should have been her first tip off that something was amiss. Robin never arrived to breakfast before her. Between her need to be perpetually early and his almost willful inability to keep a schedule it was practically a rule that she arrived first. Yet, there he was sitting in their usual booth awaiting her appearance.

He looked up at her with a smile as she walked over to him. "Good morning," he greeted, his old British accent peeking through.

"Good morning to you," she replied, sliding into the seat across from him.

He gestured to the coffee mug in front of her. "I ordered your coffee for you."

She hummed appreciatively as she picked up the oversized mug and took a sip. Dark roasted coffee with vanilla creamer, two sugars and a healthy dollop of whipped cream on top. Same thing she ordered every day. She wiped a smidge of cream from her upper lip before nodding at Robin gratefully. "Oh you know me so well and I love you for it."

He smiled at her before taking a sip from his own coffee. Black with just two sugars. "Well I thought it might be nice if I ordered for you just this once."

She raised an eyebrow at him curiously. "Early and helpful? Makes me feel like I should be worried."

"Not at all," he said, quickly shaking his head. "I just thought you could use the pick-me up since dinner with your family is coming up."

She scoffed as she set down her coffee with a thud. "Robin you know the rules. Their names are not to be mentioned at this table!"

"I didn't mention their names, I merely alluded to them," he argued, before taking another sip of his coffee. "But since you're so determined to change the subject, how's work going?"

She rolled her eyes with a groan. "If we're going to get into that debacle I'm gonna need food first."

She signaled for a waitress to come take their breakfast orders. They had the same thing every week. Robin always chose to indulge in a Belgian waffle with whipped cream and a side of bacon while she preferred a small bowl of cinnamon oatmeal with a fruit cup and two eggs on the side, sunny side up of course. As they ate together she filled Robin in on some of her more interesting cases from work. Just because Storybrooke was small didn't mean it was lacking in creeps who preferred to ignore the law. As a town prosecutor it was her job to make sure that those creeps spent as much time behind bars as possible. Her time in court usually awarded her with stories juicy enough to keep Robin's attention but that didn't seem to be the case today.

The more time she spent talking the more she noticed he seemed to be out of sorts. Resting his chin atop his folded hands, his blue eyes remained focused on her but his mind was certainly drifting elsewhere. After her third attempt redirecting his attention she set down her fork and narrowed her eyes at him. "Robin… what's going on with you?"

He raised his eyebrows at her. "Hmm?"

"You're acting strange," she pointed out. "I feel like you've barely heard a word I've said."

"I'm listening!" he insisted. "I just… have a lot on my mind."

Regina took another bite of oatmeal as she raised her eyebrow at him. "Like what? Things at the firehouse?"

"No," he said quickly shaking his head. "Things at work are fine. I'm just… working up the courage to ask a really big favor."

"From me?" she asked curiously.

He pressed his lips together nervously before nodding his head anxiously. "Yes actually."

"Really?" she replied, an intrigued smile growing on her face. Robin so rarely asked her for favors, when he did it was always unexpected. She shrugged her shoulders. "What do you need?"

Robin looked at her with uncertainty in his eyes. His knees began to bounce under the table as he grew more nervous. "Well I'm not exactly sure how to ask it."

She chuckled at him before checking her wristwatch. 8:30. "Well you better figure it out because I have to be at work in half an hour."

"Can I have your eggs?" he suddenly blurted out. As soon as the words left his mouth, his eyes went wide and his mouth fell open, as if he was shocked by his own question.

A line appeared between Regina's eyebrows as she knitted them in confusion, caught off guard by the extreme reaction her friend had to his own mundane request. With hesitation, she slowly slid her unfinished plate in his direction while tilting her head at him curiously. "I suppose so, I'm not really in the mood to finish them anyway."

His gaze dropped down to the plate before he let out a painful sigh and scrunched his eyes closed in frustration. "That's not what I meant. I mean…. I would like to have a child. And I would like to use… your eggs to have one."

It took a second before the gravity of his question hit her. He wanted to use her eggs… to have a child. He wanted to have a child…with her eggs. She blinked once. Then twice. Then three times before her mouth dropped open in shock.

Suddenly it wasn't just an average Wednesday anymore.

As she tried to swallow her own shock, she saw Robin lean forward in his seat, the anxiety clear in his eyes as he whispered, "I know. It's a lot to ask over breakfast."

Even as she forced a breathy chuckle from her throat, her hand subconsciously slid from the surface of the table down to her stomach. He wanted her eggs. Damn right it was a lot to ask. How was she supposed to respond to such a request? Well, obviously a "yes" or "no" would be preferable but she couldn't say either of those words even if she tried. Instead she focused on a word just as simple yet half as loaded.

"When?"

He scrunched his eyebrows at her. "When would I need them?"

She immediately shook her head at him. "No, no, no," she stammered, before taking a breath to calm herself. "I mean when did you decide all of this? Robin we talk nearly every day. You've never once mentioned wanting a child."

He hesitated before blowing out a guilty breath. "Honestly… I've been considering this for a while."

"Define a while," she ordered briskly.

"A few months," he admitted.

A few months? Regina brushed her hair behind her ear as she digested just how long Robin had desired her DNA. "Why didn't you talk to me about it?"

"Because I wasn't sure," he answered. "I wanted to make sure that I wasn't rushing into things because of what happened with Marian. I knew that was what everyone would say and I wanted to be certain that wasn't true before opinions were thrown at me from all sides."

She raised an eyebrow at him. "And you're certain now?"

"Yes!" he responded earnestly. He sighed as he leaned back in his seat. "Look I've accepted that I'm never going to be a husband again… but that doesn't mean I can't be a father. I just need… help to become one."

My help, she added silently. "Well… are you sure this is the way you'd like to do it?" she asked. "Robin there are other, less complicated ways of becoming a parent."

"And I've looked into them," he stressed. "I checked with the adoption agencies and fostering websites but I'm a single man who gets paid to walk into dangerous situations for a living. Even if I did, by some stroke of luck, get on a list it could take years before someone decides to give me a child. You know that."

She did. She knew what it was like spending years on the adoption list, meeting with prospective birth parents, hoping one of them would see your value and deem you worthy enough to care for the most precious thing one person could ever give to another. And of course she knew the misery that came with waiting for a day that seemed like it would never come, and what it felt like to grow more sure that it wouldn't.

"I don't want to wait any longer to start a family," continued Robin. "And since a relationship isn't exactly in the cards for me using a surrogate is my best option."

"A surrogate?" she questioned.

"Well yes," he said with a nod. "I mean… carrying the child isn't something I'd want to ask of you. I wouldn't want to inconvenience you in that way."

Nice to know my body is where he draws the line, she thought wryly.

Her fingers tapped against the table as the questions continued to flood into her head. She heard her mother's voice in the back of her head – fidgeting is a sign of weakness dear – and she forced her hand to go still. Removing her other hand from her stomach and lacing her fingers together on the table, she tried to exude a sense of calm as she thought over Robin's request.

A baby. He wanted a baby with her DNA. One that he would raise… with her? Without her? What would this baby mean for her? Would she be their… mother? Their aunt by choice?

She licked her lips nervously before asking, "What would I be to this baby?"

"Whatever you like," he answered softly. "Your involvement can be whatever you'd like it to be."

So he doesn't know either, she thought sullenly. Perfect.

It was so much to ask and he wanted it so badly. She could see it in the way he was staring her down, the pleading in his eyes almost auditory as the weight of his gaze dropped on her like an iron cage, trapping her in her seat. He wanted an answer. But she wasn't ready to give him one.

Instead her eyes flickered down to her wristwatch for a hasty escape.

"I… I have to go to work," she said, briskly standing to her feet. She practically shook the table in her rush to get away from the booth.

Robin watched with wide eyes as she looped her purse onto shoulder, before standing himself and reaching for her hand. The touch of his fingers against her wrist stopped her in her tracks, her dark hair whipped over her shoulder as she turned to face him.

"I don't need an answer today," he said gently. "I just need to know if you'll think about it."

"I will," she promised. She gave his fingers a squeeze before slipping her hand from his and heading out the door, a clear grimace on her face.

XXXXX

Normally walking into city hall would fill Regina with a sense of calm. This building, and the courthouse down the street from it, were like old stomping grounds for her. She'd been coming here ever since she was a child, following her father around, playing on the floor of his office while he ran the town from his desk. As a town prosecutor she now had a desk of her own just three floors below where her father once sat as the town's mayor. Sometimes it irked her that her mother now occupied that seat above her head but that didn't stop city hall from feeling like a second home. No matter what was happening outside those thick wooden doors, as soon her heels clacked against the marble tiles beneath her feet Regina always knew exactly where she stood.

Well… usually.

Today those marble floors might as well have been splintered planks on a rope bridge. Her breakfast with Robin – and what he'd asked of her – had thrown her completely off balance. Even as she rode in the elevator to her office she felt like she couldn't get her head on straight. All she could think of was Robin and babies and… eggs. She couldn't believe she'd slid her eggs to him like an idiot! She tried to push the thoughts out of her head as the doors to the elevator opened to her floor.

As a town prosecutor Regina had her own office but she shared the floor with the town's two other prosecutors and the office assistants. As she stepped out onto the floor she could see she was one of the first to arrive that morning, only beaten out by her former mentor Gold and her own personal assistant Rose.

Tiny, blonde and efficient, Regina knew she couldn't ask for a better assistant. Rose was smart, enthusiastic and always determined to do the best she could no matter how small the task seemed. As Regina walked past her desk on the way to her office, Rose chirped "Good morning!" and automatically held out three different colored Post-It Notes for her to pick up. Regina let out a soft groan at the sight of them.

"I suppose it's too much to hope that those are just thank you notes for my hard work," she sullenly grumbled.

Rose grimaced as she picked up on Regina's mood. "Sorry boss. Only people looking for you to work more of your magic."

Her barely concealed compliment brought a small smile to Regina's lips, breaking through the fog of her confusing morning. Another of Rose's irreplaceable talents? The ability to crack Regina's bad moods. At least temporarily.

She took the Post-It notes from her with a sigh. Rose had a color coded systems for her Post-Its. Well, Rose had a color-coded system for everything but her Post-Its code was the only one Regina really understood. Blue stood for messages from police, yellow from coworkers, purple from the witnesses and informants, and red from family. Regina felt a pin slide in her skull when she noticed a red Post-It note in the mix. Probably her mother calling to confirm their dinner for tonight. Her mood darkened at the thought of it.

She turned to Rose. "Do me a favor and hold all my calls for the next hour, please."

"You got it," replied Rose with a firm nod of her head.

Once she acquiesced Regina disappeared behind her office doors, settled behind her desk and let out a deep sigh. Not even ten seconds in her office and already she wanted to go home.

She pulled out a case file from one of the drawers in her desk and began to look through it in order to prepare for court that afternoon. A DUI that ended with involuntary manslaughter. Pretty straightforward case but over prepared had always been her preferred state of mind. She flipped through the pages, ran her eyes over the words but nothing stuck. It was all blown away by the question that was already taking up the space in her brain.

Was she willing to let Robin use her eggs?

Yet again, her hand subconsciously slid down to her stomach. Even forgetting all the emotional complications and strings that came along with a such request, she still balked at the idea of the physical requirements. It'd been a while since she'd drowned herself in the study of fertility treatments. Even the details that she remembered were a little hazy. After a brief moment of hesitation, she tossed her file aside and turned her attention to her work computer. Pulling up Google, she typed into the search bar: egg retrieval; fertility.

Just like she remembered it was an organized mess of hormones, needles and doctors, but all things considered it appeared to be a fairly simple procedure. The whole process took a little under a month, on her end anyway. Once Robin picked a surrogate, she would take the appropriate hormones for a while to sync up their cycles, her eggs would be retrieved, fertilized, then implanted a few days later. And with fate's blessing Robin's baby would born a few months later.

Robin's baby. Not hers. Or would it be?

Trying to ignore the emotional implications she attempted to lose herself in the medical ones. She typed in search after search, going through the various procedures, looking up possible doctors and side effects. But no matter what she discovered it wouldn't take away the one irrefutable fact she already knew.

She could do it.

Regina made a point of having regular check-ups and that included her gynecologist. As far as she knew she was perfectly capable of what her best friend had asked. The choice was entirely hers and the fact that she had no physical reason to say no weighed heavily on her. Even if it hadn't been his intention she couldn't help but feel like Robin had placed a decent chunk of his future into her hands. She couldn't help but resent him for it just a little bit. Really, what the hell was he thinking asking her to do this?

Bang!

Startled by the sudden noise, Regina looked up in time to see her office door bounce against her wall. The source of its harsh rebound? A five-foot-nine (six-foot-two in heels), blonde force of nature known as Mallory Smoak. She was currently steaming as she stalked over to Regina's desk, her blonde hair bouncing against her shoulder as she stared down at Regina with an incredulous look on her face. "What the hell are you still doing in here?"

Regina just stared up at her wide-eyed and open-mouthed. "What?" she dumbly replied.

Rose trotted her way into the office now, an apologetic look on her face. "I'm sorry Miss Mills. She pushed past me."

Rolling her eyes Mal tossed a belittling look over her shoulder at the secretary and spat, "Fly away little fairy. This is a conversation for adults."

Rose glared at her and Regina finally broke out of her stupor. Giving her head a little shake she sent Rose back to her desk before turning her attention to Mallory. "What do want Mal and why are you storming in here for it?"

Mal narrowed her eyes at her before sarcastically responding, "Well Regina… do you happen to remember a little case we pulled together last month against Craig Samuels? You know the dirt bag who killed his own wife?"

Regina rolled her eyes. Of course she remembered that case. It was hideous. An abusive drunk named Craig Samuels had tormented his wife, Dina, and step children for years. Verbally and physically abused her, until one night and one miscalculated shove later he finally killed her. Head banged against the kitchen counter and she was dead on impact. One of her daughters had made the call from the under her bed where she hid with her younger brother and sister. By the time the police got there Craig was already digging a shallow grave in his backyard. Case had landed on Regina's desk and she and Mal had worked late nights making sure that the evidence and arguments they had was air tight enough to land murder one with no problems. They were due to make their argument in court in a week.

"Yes I remember the case Mal," said Regina.

"Well," said Mal leaning to place her hands on the edge of Regina's desk, "then I expect you'll be just tickled to know that right now, at this very moment, Gold is in Blue's office talking over that very case in relation to one of his own."

Regina's hands instantly curled into fists. "He isn't," she growled.

Mal nodded her head matter-of-factly. "He is. So why is your ass still in that chair?"

A guttural sound erupted from the back of Regina's throat as she rose from her seat. "Son of a bitch!" she cursed under her breath.

She stalked out of her office, fire burning in her eyes as she made her way across her the floor to the District Attorney's office. Two hours had passed since she first came in and the floor was buzzing now, full of assistants and aides working on their cases. They all fled from her path as she made her way past them.

She reached Blue's office in less than a minute. Not even bothering to check in with her secretary she burst through the office doors to find Blue and Gold sitting across from each other, clearly deep in conversation. At Regina entrance the district attorney looked up with an annoyed sigh. "Regina. I was just about to call you."

"Oh I bet you were," Regina coolly replied.

Elaine "Blue" Mackenzie, nicknamed for her penchant for the color, had worked in the district attorney's office for nearly fifteen years. A short woman with brown hair and beady, judgmental eyes she was appointed as district attorney by the mayor six years ago. She was cold and condescending but also efficient and strict. She believed in the law and expected it to be followed to the letter. Her rigidness concerning the law had earned her Regina's respect, but her callous attitude toward victims had also earned her contempt.

"Heard you both were talking about my case," said Regina shutting the door behind her. "Thought I'd stop by and listen in on the chatter."

Blue leaned back in her seat and shared a look with Gold whose face was a mixture of smug and impassive.

"Well, you were right," sighed Blue. "We were discussing your case and the defendant."

Regina let out a light scoff and turned her attention to Gold. "Don't tell me you want him for one your backhanded deals, Robert."

Robert Gold was a smug son of a bitch and he didn't care who knew it. Hardly an inch over 5'7'' he somehow managed to look down on every one that stepped into his path and that included Regina. When she'd first arrived on the job she'd admired him. He was a confident lawyer with a stellar record of conviction. But that was before she knew what he really was. A deal maker. Constantly trading confessions and information for shortened sentences, Gold cared more about his conviction rate than he did about justice. And now he was threatening her case just to get another notch on his belt.

Not even looking her in the eye Gold lazily brushed a piece of lint off the sleeve of his expensive suit. "Turns out your murderer knows my drug supplier."

"Of course he does. He's a drug dealer," she gritted out between her teeth. "But that's hardly the worst of his crimes now."

"I've talked to the police," Blue stated calmly. "They've been building a case against the supplier for months. If he's put behind bars it could collapse the meth scene that's growing these past few years."

"And let me guess. My defendant is the only one willing to talk," she said incredulously. She shook her head in disbelief. "That man killed his wife with her three children in the next room. He's a murder."

"The argument isn't whether or not he's a murderer," said Gold. "It's whether or not he's useful. And from what I gathered during my joint interrogation with the police he is."

"Joint interrogation?" she spat. "Who the hell gave you the right to interview my case's defendant?"

"I did," said Blue, staring her down. "Gold and the officers he worked with came to me with their suspicion that Samuels held vital information. I gave the go ahead."

Regina narrowed her eyes and stepped further into the room. "Without consulting me first?"

"I wasn't aware I was required to," Blue replied coldly. She stood to her feet, bringing herself eye to eye with Regina. "Don't forget I am still your superior Miss Mills. I don't need your permission on how I run this department. Even if your mother occupies the seat above my head."

Regina clenched her jaw and tried to hold in the growl threatening to escape her throat. It was commonly held belief around the department that Regina had only acquired her position since her mother was the mayor. Regina loathed to admit it but the rumors did hold a margin of truth. It wasn't as if she'd asked for the job but when she'd moved back to town her mother had pressured her to take a position with the city. She'd wanted a political family dynasty but Regina hadn't been so keen on the idea. She'd resisted for a year but her mother had always been a hard person to say no too. Especially for her daughters. So she'd accepted the job as town prosecutor. And Blue had always resented her for it. When the Mayor asks you to give her daughter a job you can hardly say no and to Blue Regina had been a lost puppy she'd been forced to take in. Her contempt had lessened when she discovered that Regina was more than capable at her job but it had never completely disappeared. Not that Regina cared. As far as she was concerned the feeling was mutual and she was perfectly fine keeping it that way.

"Now you have done excellent work on this murder case," conceded Blue. "But that doesn't mean I can ignore your defendant's importance in Gold's vice work."

"So what?" said Regina, sarcastically shrugging her shoulders. "Samuels blabs about a few of his friends and we let him off scot free for the murder of his wife."

"No one is saying he's getting off scot free," chimed in Gold from his seat.

Regina sent a harsh glare in his direction. "Just what are you offering Robert?"

The older man paused and let out annoyed sigh. He knew what he was about to say wouldn't go over well with his former protégé. "We reduce from felony murder to manslaughter. 10 years instead of 25."

"That is bullshit!" growled Regina.

"And that language is inappropriate!" shot back Blue. Her brown eyes were harsher than stone as she glared from behind her desk. "Control yourself Mills."

"It's not as if we're letting him walk," argued Gold. "He's still going to prison."

"For less than half the time he's due!" she angrily pointed out. She turned her eyes back to Blue. "You can't seriously be considering this."

"I already have," replied Blue, lowering herself back into her navy colored swivel chair. She let out a regretful sigh. "We're offering him the deal."

To her surprise Blue actually looked remorseful about the decision that she'd made but it did nothing to cool the rage currently boiling under her skin. The sight of that poor women lying face down on her kitchen floor with her skull smashed in flashed behind her eyes. She clenched her jaw as she shook her head in her boss' direction. "Unbelievable," she muttered.

"I'm sorry Regina," said Blue apologetically. "But sometimes we have to make sacrifices for the greater good."

Regina's eyes went cold as steel as she replied, "Tell that to her children."

She stalked out of the office, slamming the door hard enough to convey her mood but not so hard as to attract the attention of the rest of the floor. The buzzing of keyboard typing, printing paper and office chatter surrounded her as she stood two feet away from Blue's office, taking in deep breaths trying to settle the anger that was still bubbling up inside of her.

"Goddamnit," she muttered, pinching the bridge of her nose in frustration.

She heard the door to Blue's office open and her spine went stiff.

"Feeling a bit emotional dearie?" asked Gold. His tone was as smug as ever and so was the look in his eyes when she finally turned to face him.

"You had no right Gold," she hissed.

"I had every right," he calmly responded. "Seeing as how it is my job."

"It's your job to go behind my back on cases?"

"No but I do always find it to be the path of least resistance."

She narrowed her eyes at him. "You should be ashamed of yourself," she heatedly whispered.

He just let out an amused chuckle. "You and I both know that if I could still feel shame I wouldn't be half as good at what I do." He regarded her coolly, a hint of superiority shining in his eyes. "But you, Regina, you might consider adding a little mercy to your arsenal. It might just save your career."

A dark smile pulled on Regina's lips. "Mercy is for the forgiving Robert. And you and I both know that is not who I am."

She gave him one last look of disdain before heading back to her office. She forced herself to hold her head high despite the weight of failure she felt pressing down on her shoulders. On her way in her office she stopped at Rose's desk and told her to contact the social worker responsible for Dina's children. She needed to set up a meeting with them, see if they were comfortable. If those kids weren't going to get justice for their mother, the least they could receive was honesty from her about what happened and a comfortable foster placement until they found Dina's extended family.

She entered her office to find Mal sitting behind her desk, scrolling on the computer with her mouse. The blonde looked away from the screen with expectant eyes when she saw Regina enter. She raised her eyebrows curiously. "Well?"

Regina plopped into the seat in front of her desk. "He took the case right from under us."

Mal rolled her eyes. "You've got to be kidding me! What was his excuse this time?"

As Regina relayed to her everything that happened in Blue's office she saw Mal's skin visibly redden with anger.

"Ten years?!"

"Ten. Years." Regina gritted out the words with scorching resentment.

"God," breathed Mal, leaning back in the seat with disappointment. "I swear sometimes I don't know why I even do this job."

"Because if we didn't do it he'd be the only one left," responded Regina. She leaned back in her seat and let out a deep sigh.

"True," replied Mal. She eyed Regina curiously. "Want to talk about it?"

Regina arched an eyebrow at her. "There's not really much to talk about. Gold snuck around my back and robbed another victim of justice. It's not the first time its happened and I'm sure it won't be the last."

Mal shook her head. "No I didn't mean about that. I meant about the fact that you're looking up egg retrieval during your work hours."

She turned the computer screen back to Regina revealing the fertility website she'd been searching before Mal had burst into her office. At the sight of it all of the anger drained from Regina's body and was replaced by a swift wave of embarrassment. With all the distress over her case she'd actually managed to forget what she and Robin had discussed this morning. At least for a while. She felt her cheeks go red as she immediately stood up from her chair and shooed Mal away from her computer and out from behind her desk.

"That's private," she mumbled, quickly minimizing the website. She swallowed thickly as it disappeared from the screen. Even with it out of sight she could still feel Mal's burning curiosity begin to fill the office.

"It's not private if you leave it up on your computer screen for everyone to see," Mal replied smoothly.

"That's funny because I don't seem to remember inviting you behind my desk," Regina shot back.

Mal stood up and walked over toward the office door. For a moment Regina thought she might be leaving but to her dismay Mal only shut the door before choosing to occupy the seat Regina just vacated. Her pale blue eyes were unwavering as she stared down Regina from across her desk.

"Are you going to tell me what's going on?" she asked. "Or am I going to have to beat it out of you?"

While the look on her face was amused something in her tone implied that she was only half-joking. Regina rolled her eyes as she reluctantly sat down behind her desk. Crossing her arms over her chest, she let out an annoyed sigh and gave her head a little shake. "If you must know I am looking up the procedure because… I might be having it."

Mal's full lips began to pull into an intrigued smile. "Really? You're thinking of having a baby?"

Regina nervously licked her lips. "Possibly. But it might not be… mine… in the traditional sense."

Mal knitted her eyebrows together. "What are you saying exactly?"

"Well," stalled Regina, "A friend has asked me to donate my eggs so they can have a baby."

"A friend?" mused Mal. She paused biting her lower lip as her eyes glazed over in thought. After a second her face lit up. "Is it Robin? The firefighter?"

Regina openly gaped at her. "How the hell did you figure that out?"

Mal shrugged at her. "It wasn't that hard, sweetie. You said a friend asked you and you only have three friends. Me, the firefighter and the librarian. I sure as hell didn't ask you. Given her age and salary the bookworm also seems unlikely. That just leaves Robin, the firefighter."

Regina just stared at her clearly impressed. "How are you not a cop?"

"The pay's crappy and they wouldn't allow me to wear heels over two inches," Mal replied. She leaned forward in her seat, curiosity blazing in her eyes. "So… when did he ask?"

"This morning at breakfast," Regina revealed. Realizing that Mal wouldn't be leaving until her curiosity was satisfied Regina confessed everything that happened at Granny's just a few hours before. She had to admit that it felt good to get it off her chest with someone she trusted. She'd known Mal for years, ever since high school. They'd lost touch when she'd left town to be with Daniel but they'd quickly reconnected upon her return. Mal was whip smart, fierce and highly opinionated. She was never one to withhold her thoughts and perhaps that was exactly what Regina needed right now.

When she finished recounting the details of her morning Mal had leaned back in her seat, one finger pressed to her temple, staring at her intently while the gears in her head worked overtime taking in all that she said. "Wow," she breathed. "So he really wants this?"

"So badly," sighed Regina. "I could see it in his eyes. He is certain this is what he wants."

"And could you do it?" asked Mal. "Donate, I mean?"

Regina nodded her head. "Yeah. There's no reason why I shouldn't be able to."

"Really?" Mal drawled curiously. She leaned forward in her seat. "I always thought that you couldn't."

When Regina narrowed her eyes at her she continued on. "Well, in high school you were always talking about how much you wanted to start your own family as soon as possible but when you moved back to town after Daniel you still didn't have any children. You two were married for so long I just figured…"

Mal trailed off letting her assumption go unspoken. A familiar ache swirled up in Regina's gut as she took in her friend's words.

"It wasn't that I couldn't, it was more that we couldn't together," explained Regina.

In a flash her mind sped through her fourth year of marriage with Daniel. Their excitement over finally starting a family had slowly but surely drained away as their lives became a repeated cycle of trying and failing, trying and failing month after month. By the end of the year there was still no baby and they'd decided to seek professional help. She remembered sitting in that frigid doctor's office, shaking in her seat as she waited for him to tell her there was no possible way she could ever conceive a child only to be told that there was nothing wrong with her at all. In terms of their ability to conceive… Regina hadn't been the problem.

"Daniel was… sterile," she reluctantly revealed. Her eyes dropped down to her desk as she avoided Mal's gaze. "We found out about a year before he died."

She still remembered the look on the Daniel's face when they found out. The shock and devastation in his blue eyes would forever be etched into her memory.

"Oh!" Mal's voice was barely above a whisper. "So… you could still get pregnant?"

"Yes," said Regina, "and as far as I can tell my eggs are still good so if I wanted to give them to Robin… I could."

Mal's studied her face. "And do you want to?"

Regina bit her lip and finally brought her eyes up to Mal's. "I don't know."

Mal sighed. "Well… do you think Robin would make a good father?"

Regina retreated in her mind back to every time she'd ever seen Robin with a child. The smile he'd have; the patience he'd display. A wistful smile grew on her face as she remembered the excited light that shined in his eyes every time a baby was put into his arms.

"Robin would make an excellent father," she softly answered.

"Okay," drawled Mal. "So what's holding you back from helping him?"

Regina gave her head a little shake. "I guess… I just don't understand it. Why he'd want to do it this way? Through a surrogate? With my eggs? Really?" She sighed. "It just seems like it would be so complicated."

"Building a family is always complicated," Mal responded. She folded her arms across her chest before adding, "You know… I used a donor with Lily."

Her admission caused Regina's eyes to go wide. "Really?"

Lily was Mal's nine-year-old daughter. Regina had only met her a handful of times in person but thanks to all the pictures in Mal's office the little girl's straight brown hair and sparkling green eyes were a familiar sight to her. She didn't look much like her mother and Regina had always assumed that she'd inherited her coloring from her father, who Mal had summed up in two words: Not involved. Regina hadn't wanted to push her old friend so she hadn't asked about him. Instead she'd just assumed that Lily was the result of a passionate one night stand or a relationship gone sour.

Mal straightened up in her seat and nodded her head. "I was 26 years old, a year out of law school. Everyone around me was already pairing off and getting married, and as I went to wedding after wedding I just felt more like I wasn't interested in that. I only started feeling a little jealous when all my old classmates started posting pics of their sonograms and newborns." She gave her head a little shake and let out a soft chuckle. "I wanted the baby I just… didn't want the partner. So I decided to go through with it on my own. Went down to sperm bank, picked out a pretty face with a decent IQ and had Lily by myself."

The air in the room had grown thick as Mal told her tale. In Regina's eyes her vision of Mal shifted slightly. She was still the same woman she'd been this morning but the light around her had changed. It was just a bit brighter than it was before.

Regina lightly drummed her fingers against her desk. "And you have no regrets?"

Mal's chest heaved as she let out a deep breath and shrugged her shoulders. "No more than any other parent I suppose. Sometimes Lily will ask about him, bring home a family tree project or something like that and I'll feel… a bit guilty that I don't have more to give her in that area but… I couldn't regret my choice if I tried. Lily is…perfect. She's just everything."

Mal's eyes began to light up as she talked about her daughter. Regina knew that Mal wasn't the sentimental type. There were few people that the blonde woman could say that she genuinely cared for but the overwhelming love she had for her little girl was always abundantly clear.

"I get it," said Regina. "You wanted a child so did what you felt was necessary to have one. I understand that. And I get that Robin is only trying to do the same thing but…"

"But what?"

"But why me?" She finally voiced the question that had been plaguing her since breakfast. "If it was just about having a child he could've chosen anyone. He could've gone down to the fertility clinic and chosen a donor out of a binder like you did. Why did he have to come to me?"

Mal pursed her lips before shaking her head. "I can't answer that for you, sweetie."

Regina sent her an annoyed look. "Really? Of all the times we've talked you're going to choose now to start withholding your speculation and conjecture?"

"Yes I am," Mal firmly declared. "Like I said building a family is complicated and right now you and Robin are the only ones qualified to determine what the best decision is for both of you."

Regina arched an eyebrow at her. "For both of us? Even if I'm just the donor?"

Mal rolled her eyes and scoffed at her. "Regina please. You can lie to yourself but you can't lie to me. You'd never be comfortable just letting your DNA walk around this town without your guidance. If you do end up giving Robin your eggs that baby is going to be just as much yours as it is his and you know it."

Regina opened her mouth but only a weak defensive squeak came out before she shut it again. She couldn't refute Mal's claims if she'd tried. It was true. The only way she'd be able to donate her eggs to Robin is if she knew she'd be fully involved with any child that came from them. She'd have to be their mother and nothing less.

Mal tilted her head as she saw Regina begin to retreat deep into her thoughts. "Would it really be so bad? Sharing a baby with Robin?"

"Mal you artificially inseminated yourself so you wouldn't have to be attached to anyone," Regina sharply pointed out. "Can you really blame me for having reservations against having a child with Robin? I mean… it's not exactly what I pictured."

And what had she pictured exactly? Regina's picture of her future family had grown quite muddled over the past few years. For so long she'd dreamed of nothing short of the classic white picket fence. Father, mother, children. The American ideal. But that had changed with Daniel's unexpected diagnosis. And of course she'd considered doing what Mal had done. Just going to the sperm bank and getting pregnant with the help of a donor. She and Daniel had talked about it extensively but in the end, despite his many assurances that he'd love any child that she gave birth to regardless of DNA, she'd only wanted to be pregnant with his child, not anyone else's. If they couldn't make a child of their own she'd rather them adopt one together. They'd barely been on the adoption list for a year when Daniel had been murdered. Shot down in the street for the 50 dollars and cell phone he carried in his pocket. She'd been devastated. The picture of her ideal family had been destroyed when she was forced to bury the father of her hypothetical children. Though the pain she'd felt over Daniel had left a hole in her heart she'd kept her name on the adoption list, hoping that one day she'd be given a child to fill it. That day had never come.

"I know it's not what you pictured," said Mal gently. "But very few people actually get that. I doubt this is how Robin imagined he'd be having his first child either."

Regina had to admit that was true. Three years ago she'd have pegged him as top choice for the white picket fence she'd wanted so desperately for herself.

"All I'm saying is that maybe you should talk with him a little more and be open to the possibility that this might be the best way not just for him to become a father but for you to become a mom," suggested Mal.

Her words were gentle but they dug into Regina like cactus pins, sharp and impossible to just brush off. She couldn't ignore them but she wasn't exactly ready to deal with them either.

Instead she turned her face back to her computer screen. "I have court this afternoon. I should get back to work."

Mal gave her a searching look before standing from her seat and heading for the door. Just as her hand fell on the knob she turned back to give Regina one final look. "Can I just say one final thing?"

Regina let out an exasperated breath. "What Mal?"

A mischievous grin grew on her face. "With your eyes and his dimples that baby would be unstoppable."

"Get out of my office," ordered Regina, pointing at the door. She shook her head to herself as Mal walked out the door silently giggling as she went.

Once she heard the door to her office close she leaned back in her seat and took a deep breath. She really did feel better after talking to Mal and she had to admit that her friend had made some decent points. Building a family was complicated no matter how you chose to do it. It wasn't as if she and Daniel hadn't had their complications when they'd chosen to get married and even then she still counted it as one of the best decisions she'd ever made in her life. She turned her eyes to the picture of him that sat on her desk. The photo was at least ten years old now. Taken in the stables where they'd first met it was a candid picture of Daniel grooming a beautiful chestnut mare. You could only see Daniel's profile but it was still her favorite picture of him. It showed his patience and gentle-nature. She stared at it wistfully as she ran her fingers over the frame. She'd wanted a family with him so badly… but that was never going to happen now. He'd been gone over five years and as her mother kept reminding her she certainly hadn't gotten any younger during that time. She wanted to be a mom and she was tired of waiting for someone to come along and hand her child. She was ready for one now. But could she really do it like this? With Robin?

Her eyes turned to the photo on the opposite side of her desk. It was even older than the Daniel's. Her and Robin sitting on swings at the park, the two of them barely older than eight, ice cream cones in their hands and matching grins on their face as they bared their teeth for the camera. Robin had been a part of her life for decades and even without blood he was one of the few people she really considered family. She loved him, not like she loved Daniel but she did love him. And she wanted him to be happy. They were practically family already so why not make it official?

Because it's more complicated than that and you know it, she reminded herself.

Even with all the pros and cons weighed out Regina did still have one final question. Why had Robin chosen her? Their friendship had always been sturdy and simple. Though they'd been close all through their lives, they'd never once crossed the barrier into romantic territory. (Except that one time that didn't count.) Even if he did desperately want to be a father, why would he risk complicating their relationship by asking this of her?

The question buzzed in Regina's head like a bee on speed. She leaned back in her chair, rolled her eyes up to the ceiling, and grumbled to herself, "I hate Wednesdays."

XXXXXXXXXX

Across town Robin was having a similarly stressful morning. He'd ended up leaving the diner not long after Regina, his Belgian waffle practically untouched on his plate. Such an act had probably earned him Granny's wrath the next time he saw her.

He clenched his jaw as he walked down the sidewalk past the town shops hoping to drive the events of the morning from his head. It was a futile battle. The look on Regina's face kept replaying in his mind. The utter shock present in her whiskey eyes, the fall of her jaw and the raise of her eyebrows as he dumped an unprecedented emotional request into her lap. He felt the pace of his steps speed up as he mentally tried to run from the image that had plagued him ever since she'd walked away from their booth.

"So stupid," he muttered to himself under his breath. And he was. He knew was. He had to be in order to ask her something that important in such a thoughtless, impulsive manner. Over breakfast? In public? No wonder she'd bolted. How could he have been so stupid! Of course he knew why. It was because he was impatient, just like he'd been all his life. Except this time his impatience might've cost him a life-long friendship. And a hypothetical child.

He let out a deep breath as he reached a sidewalk corner and waited for the flashing white stick figure that would tell him it was safe to cross the road. He was supposed to wait this morning. He hadn't wanted to ask her over breakfast when he knew she had work and dinner with her family coming up. That had never been the plan. He was supposed to take her out to lunch this weekend and ask her then. Some place private, or at least less crowded than early morning Granny's. He was supposed to let her know about how much he wanted to be a father, tell her his plans and then ask if she'd be willing to donate. Not spill out his request like lemonade over a tilted picnic table. He'd had a plan. A good one. But the minute he saw her he knew he wouldn't be able to stick to it.

They'd been friends too long for that.

He didn't like keeping things from Regina. And honestly, he'd never been particularly good at it. She'd always been a rather astute woman and after more than twenty years of friendship he considered himself utterly transparent in her eyes. He was surprised he'd been able to keep his fatherly intentions away from her for this long.

Robin didn't know the exact moment he'd decided to have a child. There had been no lightning strike or light bulb moment to mark his recent epiphany. All he knew was that one day he woke up and started looking at all the children in the street wondering if he'd ever get the chance to have one on his own. Before he knew it he was calling adoption agencies and looking into becoming a foster parent.

The crosswalk light flashed "GO" and Robin pulled himself out of his stupor long enough to make it across the street. He'd been puttering around town for nearly two hours now and somehow in the dazed, regretful state of mind his feet had brought him to the one place he didn't actually need to be that day. His job.

He was in the midst of a 48-hour off duty period for work but staring up at the red brick firehouse he couldn't actually think of a better place to be. Robin loved being a firefighter. He loved being part of a team, helping his community and knowing that it was unlikely that one day at work would be exactly the same as another. Somehow that unpredictability made him feel secure in life. He could use a little bit of that security right now.

After taking a moment to drum up a decent excuse (he still hadn't signed up for Community Day yet) he decided to head inside. As he passed the gleaming red firetruck in the driveway and hung his jacket up on the coatrack next to the garage door he tried to force that morning out of his head.

It was relatively quiet around the station that day but that wasn't unusual. Storybrooke was a small town and could usually manage with no more than four or five fighters on duty at a time. He passed the bunk room and kitchen area and made his way toward the game room in the back. As he got closer he began to hear the familiar sound of a ping-pong ball repeatedly hitting a tennis table. A smirk graced his face as he turned to the corner to find Emma Swan and Will Scarlet, two of his favorite coworkers, locked in a vigorous battle.

Will was the first to notice him, his brown eyes going wider as Robin walked into the room. "Robin? What the hell are you doing here?"

Emma took advantage of his momentary bewilderment and smacked the white ball against the table for a game point. It bounced against Will's end of the table and off to the side causing her to triumphantly raise her hands and let out a victorious "Ha-Ha!"

Will's head whipped back between the ball and her face, before raising an accusing finger in her direction. "That's not fair Swan! I was distracted!"

She smugly shrugged her shoulders at him. "Not my fault you can't keep your head in the game Scarlet. And what the hell are you doing here Locksely?" She crossed her arms across her chest as she regarded him suspiciously. The sleeves of her gray fire department tee were rolled up showing off her impressive biceps and her hair was pulled back into a slick bun.

"I'm just here because I forgot to sign up for Community Day at the library," he said, walking past her toward the sign-up sheet pinned onto the game room bulletin board.

"Better get on it, mate," advised Will. "You know your sister won't take it lightly if she doesn't find your name on the list."

Over his shoulder Robin raised an eyebrow in Will's direction. "I expect I'll find your name just above mine, right Scarlet?"

"Obviously," Will answered confidently. "Wouldn't want to disappoint the love of my life, now would I?"

Robin just rolled his eyes in response. Even after a year it was still hard to wrap his head around the idea that thrill-chasing Will was dating his sweet-natured younger sister. As someone who actually enjoyed spending time with the guy Robin still wasn't entirely sure what Belle saw in him. They were the furthest thing from kindred spirits with hardly anything in common at all. In his opinion, their relationship was positively mind boggling.

As he wrote his name on the line beneath Will's own scraggly signature he heard Emma start taunting behind his back, "You should stick around Locksely. It's getting a little boring kicking Will's ass at ping pong every game. Yours would be a nice change of pace."

"Ha!" He let out a bark of laughter before turning back to her. "Not bloody likely. You know darts have always been my game."

"Well like I said a change of pace is welcome," replied Emma, dropping her ping pong paddle and swaggering over to the dart board.

Robin smirked at her as he headed over to her side. "Alright, you're on."

Robin was undoubtedly the best darts player in the whole station, possibly the whole town. Over the years he'd won hundreds of dollars from the wallets of his coworkers by betting on his damn near magical shooting accuracy. However, twenty minutes in it became clear that he was off his game. No less than ten throws and he'd barely gotten on the board twice. Even Will was ahead of him in points.

A frustrated groan flew from his throat as yet another dart sailed far off from his target and into the wall.

"Huh." Emma put her hand on her hips before turning to Robin and shrugging her shoulders. "What's wrong with you?"

Robin glared at her. "What?" he spat defensively.

"Well, no offense," said Emma, "but your shots suck today."

"Am I not allowed an off day?" he retorted.

"Sure you are," Will replied cautiously. "But like you said, mate, darts have always been your game. And, well, the last time you played this badly… was when you first got the news about Marian."

Will's tone was a mixture of concern and hesitation. He'd known Robin long enough to know when things were off kilter with him, and a bad round of darts was always a red flag. Had been ever since that tense period three years' prior when Robin had tried to ignore his bubbling anger and frustration over Marian's diagnosis only to let it seethe out from him in the form of a short temper and bad aim. He'd been a fright to be around during that month.

Robin felt his frustration cool when he saw the clear concern in his friends' eyes. "I'm fine," he assured them. "I'm just a bit… conflicted."

"About what?" prodded Emma, her curiosity piqued.

Robin ran his thumb over the dart in his hand. "I might be thinking about making some changes."

"With work?" asked Will.

"With my life." Robin shot another dart at the board. It landed on the edge of the outer ring.

"Okay," drawled Emma, crossing her arms. "In what way?"

Robin sighed as he walked over to the wall and started gathering darts off the board. Will and Emma were really good friends of his but he didn't exactly want to tell them about what happened that morning. He wasn't sure if he was ready to hear their opinions. However, the person he'd usually talk to wasn't exactly an option that day. And he could use some advice.

He swiped another dart of the board. "Well… I've been giving it some thought and I think I might be ready to start a family."

Emma's eyebrows shot to her hairline in surprise. "Really? You're thinking of dating again?"

"No!" Robin quickly shook his head. "It's not dating I'm interested in. Instead of going out and trying to find someone to start a family with, I'd just start one on my own. You know, one with just me and a child."

"Wait, what?" Will's eyes went wide with Robin's admission. "You mean… taking in a kid on your own? Just you?"

"Well… yeah," said Robin shrugging his shoulders.

An awkward silence filled the room as they both stared at him with wide eyes, not even bothering to hide the shock on their faces. A moment passed before Robin let out an annoyed scoff. "Well don't all jump up to support me at once."

Emma was the first to react. "Well, I don't really know what to say Robin."

"I do," chirped Will. "You're insane."

Emma whipped her head toward him. "Will!"

"What? We're both thinking it."

"No we're not!" She turned her attention back to Robin. "No we're not. We are just… taken by surprise is all."

She leaned back against the pool table behind her. Robin saw her harshly swallow before speaking again. "How long have you been thinking about this?"

"A while," he softly answered. At Emma's encouragement he revealed the whole story to them. Wondering if he would ever have children. Looking into the foster and adoption websites. Settling on surrogacy. Everything up until breakfast. He wasn't exactly ready to talk about that yet. When he came to the end of his confession Emma appeared to be fully supportive of his decision while Will remained decidedly unconvinced.

"Does Belle know about this yet?" he asked.

"No," Robin quickly answered. "No one in my family does. And I swear to God, Will, if you breathe one word –"

"I won't!" Will raised his hands palms up in a submissive gesture. "I can keep a secret. But I will say I find it a bit telling that you're keeping this little plan of yours so tightly under wraps."

"I just wanted to wrap my own head around the idea before I included anyone else," argued Robin. "Is that such a crime?"

"No it isn't," chimed in Emma. "And for the record… I think this is a good idea."

Robin raised his eyebrows at her. "You do?"

"Yeah," she said, shrugging her shoulders. "I know you're great with kids. Liam absolutely loves you. And from what you've told us it really does seem like you've thought this through. You'd make a great dad Robin. So I think you should do it."

Will just crossed his arms with a scoff. "Well I think it sounds like you want a kid because you're lonely and too afraid to date."

"Really Will?" snapped Emma. "You're not even gonna sugarcoat it for him?"

"My opinions only come in blunt form Emma, you know that."

"And they're just as helpful as usual," deadpanned Robin.

"Okay even if your opinion was valid, which it isn't," Emma pointed out, "being lonely isn't the worst reason in the world to have a kid."

"I'm not lonely!" snapped Robin. "That's not what this is about."

"Then what is it about?" interrogated Will.

"It's about the fact that there are certain parts of my future that I don't want to give up on and being a father is one of them," Robin sharply explained, his frustration growing with Will's continued disagreement.

"But do you have to do it like this?" Will continued to argue. "I mean, think about it Robin. You'd be having a baby with a complete stranger."

Robin felt his throat tighten up at Will's assumption and he averted his gaze. "It might not be a complete stranger," he muttered under his breath.

Emma leaned forward, her eyebrows pinched together at Robin's aside. "I'm sorry what was that?"

He let out a deep breath. This was not going to be fun to explain. "Well I'm since I'm going the surrogacy route that means I'll need a donor. So… I'm considering asking one of my friends to donate."

"And just who were you thinking of asking?" Emma's voice had gone deadly steady as she stared him down. Robin felt goosebumps rise up under her gaze.

"Well… I was thinking of asking Regina."

A frown pulled at Emma's face at the same time a wide grin split across Will's. With that one admission they'd completely swapped attitudes.

"Oh wow!" laughed Will.

Emma shook her head at him. "I take back everything I said. You haven't thought through anything," she deadpanned.

Robin groaned. "Emma…"

"Robin… you realize what you'd be asking her, right?" said Emma. "You'd practically be asking her to have your baby."

"Which, for the record, I am totally onboard with," said Will, grin still plastered on his face.

Robin chose to ignore him. "I wouldn't be asking her to have a baby with me. I'd only be asking for her eggs. That's all I'd need."

"And you really think she'll be okay with that?"

Yet again Regina's face flashed through his mind.

"Well…" he stammered. "I'd do it for her if she asked me."

And it wasn't even a lie. If Regina had come to asking for his help to have a child he'd say yes with barely any hesitation. At least that what he kept telling himself.

Emma on the other hand saw straight through him.

"Really Robin? You'd be okay with her having your child, raising it in the same town as you but not being involved in any way?" she questioned. "You're telling me you'd be able to look at that kid, see yourself and be able to feel nothing?"

Robin pressed his lips together as she fired off question after question. They were valid points but that certainly didn't make them any easier to address.

"Lay off Swan," ordered Will. "You're acting like her being involved would be the worst thing in the world."

"I'm not saying that it's the worst thing in the world. I'm saying that it's unnecessarily complicated," stressed Emma. "They've been friends practically their whole lives."

"Which is probably what makes her the best candidate for the job," pointed out Will.

"Well you've certainly changed your tune," said Emma. "Ten seconds ago you were calling him insane for wanting to be a father at all."

"That was when I thought he was doing it alone but now that I know he's not…"

"And what's so wrong with doing it alone?" she sniped, accusingly.

From what he remembered Robin's parents had never been the type to fight around their children, but listening to Will and Emma bicker over his future certainly made him feel like the kid called into the principal's office. He felt his frustration start to rise as they continued to talk over each other.

"Okay that's enough!" he snapped. When they turned to him with wide eyes, he took a deep breath. "I've already told Regina that her involvement in the child's life can be whatever she wants it to be."

"Wait what do you mean you've already told her?" Emma trapped him under her interrogative gaze. "Do you mean you've already asked her?"

"When did you ask her?" Will demanded.

Robin silently cursed himself for letting that detail slip. "I asked this morning at breakfast," he answered in resignation. He reluctantly filled them on the scene at Granny's diner.

Will grimaced. "Wow, so she really bolted?"

"Reasonable reaction if you ask me," muttered Emma.

"Thanks," Robin blankly replied.

Emma shrugged her shoulders at him. "I'm sorry if it sounds like I'm just being negative but you have to admit that you absolutely blindsided her Robin. I mean it's not like you asked her to loan you a couple bucks, you asked her to help you make a baby. It's a pretty big deal."

"Actually have to agree with Swan on this one," Will chimed in. "Your approach could've been a lot better."

Well at least they're finally agreeing, Robin thought sullenly. However, he was willing to admit that they had a point. The way he'd asked Regina for her help wasn't how it should've gone down. He should've waited for a better moment.

"I know asking her at Granny's wasn't the best idea but I can't take it back now." He paused for a moment. "Do you think she'll say yes to me?"

Emma and Will shared a furtive glance.

"Honestly," drawled Will, "I think it's a bit of a coin toss at this point. Could go either way."

"She is your best friend," mused Emma. "She clearly wants you to be happy but children aren't fleeting, they're a lifelong commitment. And the way you asked…"

She let her sentence trail off given him an unspoken reminder of just how impulsive he'd acted that morning. Robin just let out a disappointed breath before hurling another dart at the board. It bounced off the board and onto the floor.

Emma watched his failed attempt and knitted her eyebrows at him. "Why her, Robin?"

"What?" He turned to her with surprise flashing in his blue eyes.

"You heard me," she said. "Robin you could've gotten any anonymous donor that you wanted but instead you went to breakfast and asked your best friend for her eggs. Why would you do that?"

Both Emma and Will were staring at him, the demand for an answer clear in their eyes. Robin suddenly felt paralyzed under their gaze.

"I… I don't know," he stuttered.

Will openly gaped at him. "You don't know. That's the answer you're going with?"

"Well, I mean… you've met her," stammered Robin. "She's pretty and healthy and intelligent…"

Emma sternly shook her head at him. "Oh no, Robin that's bullshit. You cannot just list out characteristics and expect us, or her, to understand. You could've gotten smart, pretty, healthy anywhere. If you want her to say yes to you… then you're gonna have to be honest and give her a much better answer for why you want her to be the mother of your child."

Her words practically blew him off his feet. Why did he want Regina to be the mother of his child? Honestly he'd tried not to give it much thought but if he allowed himself to dig deep he knew exactly why he'd chosen her. But if she knew would she even say yes?

XXXXXXXXX

The day didn't go quickly for Regina. Still trapped in the fog of Robin's request the minutes seemed to drag on for hours. She was so knocked off her game she barely made it through court that afternoon. It was nearly seven when she finally left the office, her wandering mind had made it hard to get through her paperwork. Climbing into her car she tried to relax into the soft leather seats of her BMW, letting the back of her skull fall against the headrest. She closed her eyes and let out a deep breath as she brought her hands up to the steering wheel. Her mother and sister would be expecting her for dinner in half an hour and honestly, she was dreading it. The idea of sitting down for a two-hour session of poorly hidden barbs from her sister and outright criticism from her mother all while still grappling with Robin's request made her stomach churn and head ache.

Opening her eyes, she gave her head a little shake before reaching into her purse. In a move that was sure to earn her mother's wrath and disdain, she quickly fired off a text letting her know that she wouldn't be arriving for dinner that night. As soon as she saw it was sent she turned off her cell phone in order to avoid the barrage of texts and calls that would soon be coming her way as her mother attempt to shame her into coming to dinner. She couldn't handle being in the same room as her right now. She wasn't steady enough.

She turned the key in the ignition and headed out of the parking lot. She suddenly realized that she wasn't in the mood to go home. All the silence would give her space to overthink. Instead, she drove around town for a bit, trying to clear her head with the help of the Lana del Rey. The singer's husky voice emanated softly from the radio as Regina made her way through the town, passing shops and houses, their lights reflecting against her car as she went.

After half an hour of driving on autopilot she realized that she'd driven up to a familiar spot on the edge of town near the forest. An old forgotten campground. A small smile tugged on her lips. This was her and Robin's place.

She pulled her car over by the side of the road, next to the towering pine trees on the edge of the forest. Her heels sunk into the dirt as she made her way over to the old picnic area, kicking away an empty beer can as she went. A couple of teenagers must've found their way here. She and Robin had been coming here since before they were teenagers. They couldn't have been older than twelve when they'd found it. It was the first place they would look for each other when they were sad or angry or just feeling things in general.

She sat down on the bench of an old picnic table, the splinters of the old wood poking her through her pencil skirt. A cool breeze ran over skin and she tilted her head up to the sky. The sun was barely setting but she could already tell the stars would be plentiful that night. The starry sky was one of Storybrooke's main selling points. The twinkling lights had a calming effect on Regina. They helped her feel at peace.

She didn't know how long she'd been sitting there, letting the sounds of the forest calm her, before the sound of an empty beer bottle being kicked against the ground and the smell of orange chicken and egg rolls breached her bubble.

He should've known she'd been there.

Robin had eventually made it to his house that day. The firehouse had grown a little unbearable after his conversation with Will and Emma. Instead he'd gone back to his house, settled in his garage and went to work fixing that table chair Granny had been bugging him about. He'd spent all afternoon, drowning himself in carpentry, trying to clear his head of Emma's interrogation. Every once in a while his eyes had flickered toward his cell phone and he'd wondered about Regina, debated whether or not he had the right to call her first or wait for her to reach out to him.

When the itch to dial her number had become too much he'd finally left. Put on his boots and took another long walk up to the town's only Chinese restaurant to order dinner. Eating alone at home didn't exactly feel appealing but eating alone in public had just seemed sad. Instead he'd gotten his order to go and headed out to the campground. If he had to be alone it might as well be in a place where he could actually think.

He'd instantly recognized her black BMW when he'd walked up and the sight of it had stopped him in his tracks. The coward in him had wanted to turn around and head straight back to town, unwilling to face her after what happened between them that morning, too afraid she'd already made up her mind and not in his favor. But that part hadn't won out. The campground had always been a safe place for the both of them. And if he was ever going to face her he'd rather do it here than anywhere else.

He found her sitting at one of the old picnic tables, still dressed in her work clothes, the bottom of her two inch heels lightly dusted by the dirt. Her body was turned out to face the forest while her head was pulled back and her eyes closed shut. It was a familiar pose. One that told him she was letting the sound of the wind and the crickets lull the gears of her brain into reluctant slumber. For a moment he felt as though he was interrupting and considered turning back. But an empty beer bottle alerted him to her presence.

Her momentary peace interrupted, she turned and stared at him like a deer caught in headlights. "Hey."

He shrugged his shoulders at her. "Hey."

An awkward silence passed between them and the air grew thick with tension. Regina swallowed hard as she continued to stare. She didn't know exactly what to say yet. Before she could even get a word out her stomach spoke for her, growling as the smell of orange chicken rode on the night wind into her face. She was suddenly reminded that she'd had barely anything to eat since breakfast.

Robin lifted up his takeout box. "You hungry?"

A grateful smile tugged on her lips. "Starving. Did you over order again?"

He nodded his head as he took a seat across from her at the picnic table. "Can't seem to break the habit."

He handed her the box of egg rolls as she swung her legs over the bench and beneath the table. She mumbled a grateful reply before eagerly taking a bit of one. Lukewarm, she thought to herself. He must've walked up here again.

He eyed her curiously as he split apart a pair of chopsticks. "What are you doing up here? I thought you had dinner with your family tonight?"

She swallowed her food. "I canceled."

Robin's went still for a moment before arching an eyebrow at her. "Really?"

"Yes."

"Huh," he huffed. "Well that must've been a fun phone call."

"I sent a text."

His eyes widened. "Wow! Your mother must be stewing by now."

"I know," she moaned pitifully. "She's probably going to give me double the hell next month."

He flipped open his box of orange chicken. "Well I hope you had a good reason."

She paused before shaking her head at him. "I didn't. I just didn't think I could sit with them for so long. Not with my head like this."

Not thinking about what you asked, she silently added.

Even though she didn't speak the words he heard her loud and clear. By blindsiding her that morning he'd left her vulnerable. Too vulnerable to endure a dinner with just her mother and sister. She'd need time to build her guard back up before she saw them.

Robin sighed as he let his chopsticks fall down into his takeout box. "Regina… I -I'm sorry if I took you by surprise with what I asked. That wasn't my intention and it was never supposed to happen like that. I just saw you and I became –"

"Impulsive," she sternly supplied, giving a sharp lift of her eyebrow.

His eyes guiltily dropped down to the table. "Yeah," he softly agreed.

Regina watched as Robin's shoulder began to hunch over like they always did when he felt guilty over something. The sight of him like that twisted her gut. She ran her fingers through her hair and let out a frustrated breath. "Robin… why didn't you talk to me? I was here. You could've come to me."

"I guess I was afraid of what you'd say," he admitted. "Afraid that you'd tell me I was being impulsive and shortsighted. I know that was what everyone else was going to say and… I just didn't think I could handle hearing it from you."

"Well, that might be true," she said. "This decision could be seen as impulsive and shortsighted but Robin… that's who you are."

He scoffed at her. "Gee thanks."

"I mean it," she said firmly. "You've never made the important choices using logic or sense. You go with your gut every time. And you're usually right."

"I know," he sighed, "but is it really a good idea to have a child based on a gut feeling?"

Regina playfully tilted her head left and right. "Probably not," Regina admitted with a chuckle, "But neither was getting married and look how that turned out for you."

The dimples in Robin's cheeks flared as a soft smile pulled on his lips. Deciding to get married after only four months of dating had to have been the most impulsive decision Robin ever made. Hell, he'd started eyeing his grandmother's ring after three weeks. Still he would always count marrying Marian as one of the best decisions he'd made in his life. And he wasn't the only one.

"As I recall I had your full support with that decision," he reminded her, a clear smirk on his face as he reached for the egg rolls.

"That is very true," she conceded. "You and Marian made perfect sense to me. As do you and a baby."

"You mean that?" he asked softly.

"I do," she replied. "You're loving and protective. Kids adore you for some reason. Men like you were built to be fathers."

"Thanks. That means a lot," he said. "And I really do feel ready."

"Good," she said with a firm nod of her head. "You need to be."

"What about you?" he asked. "Do you think you're ready?"

She reluctantly set down her takeout box. "I've been ready to be a mom for a very long time Robin. You know that. But I'm not like you. I can't just make decisions using my gut. It doesn't work like that for me."

It was true and he knew it. Regina had always been the level-headed one for the two of them. She liked having options and thinking them through. He and Daniel used to joke that she never met a choice that couldn't be made with a pro and cons list. He should've known it would've too much to expect she'd have an instant answer for him. That wasn't who she was.

"But I have been thinking about it," she softly added.

"You have?"

"Of course," she said. "How could I not?"

"Are you close to a decision?" he asked, hope lifting his tone.

She drummed her fingers against the bench. "Maybe," she mumbled, unable to look him in the eye. "I'm still feeling… uncertain about a couple things."

A moment of silence passed over them and Robin saw her clench her jaw from across the table. She was holding back from him. He could tell.

"There's something else holding you back, isn't there? Something you're too worried to ask me about?"

A flicker of doubt passing behind her eyes told him he was right.

"You can ask it," he said. "I promise I'll be honest."

Her chest heaved as she let out a deep breath. "Okay. I suppose I don't understand why you'd want to do it like this. And I don't mean using a surrogate, I mean… I don't get why you'd want to do it with my eggs. I know we've been friends for a long time but I just… didn't see it coming from you. And that leaves me feeling… unsettled. So I guess I'd like to know why, when you could've chosen anybody else, did you choose to come to me?"

It was a question he'd been struggling with ever since the firehouse. He knew she'd ask it. And he knew he'd have to answer as honestly as possible.

Beneath the table his hands started to grip the wooden bench as he cleared his throat, trying to think of a way to turn what he felt into words that she could understand.

"Okay," he sighed, "well, I am going to start by knocking one scary option out of the park for you. I am not asking for your eggs because I am secretly in love with you and trying to trap you with a child."

She rolled her eyes at him. "Well that's good to know," she sarcastically replied, with a tilt of her head.

"Don't pretend you weren't thinking it. I know you were," he laughed.

Maybe a little, she silently admitted, shrugging her shoulders.

He shook his head. "Honestly it's nothing like that. I just…well I went up to a fertility clinic in Boston a little while ago."

Surprise flashed across her face. "Really? Why didn't you tell me? I would've gone with you."

"That's why I didn't tell you," he said softly. "I've kind of been in lone wolf mode up until this morning. Thought it was best I went by myself."

He took another deep breath. "Anyway, I went up there I told them my plans and they were helpful. Told me everything I'd need. But then they asked me about my donor and I told them I wanted an anonymous one. Then they handed me this monster of a binder filled with profiles of possible donors. And they all had their nice attributes I suppose, but when I looked at their faces… I saw nothing but question marks staring back up at me."

He paused before continuing. "The binders didn't tell me whether or not they were kind. Or funny. Or what type of foods they liked. It didn't tell me the stuff that mattered to me. And it just hit me that if I went with the anonymous donor there was a chance that I might look at my child and see nothing but another question mark staring back at me. And that's not what I want."

He finally brought his gaze back up to her face. "When I look at my child I want to see pieces of someone I love. I missed the chance to do that with Marian but you… well, you're my best friend. You've always been a part of my life and I trust you more than anyone. So on the way back home I started thinking to myself that if I had to look at my child and see one half of another person… I'd want that person to be you."

Regina felt her eyes begin to burn as she blinked back the tears that were threatening to fall. He meant every word. She could see it in his eyes and it made her heart clench. She blew out a long breath and folded her hands against the table. "You said this morning that my involvement could be whatever I wanted it to be. Did you mean that?"

"Yes," he instantly replied.

She continued, "Because if we did end up going through with this I don't think, no, I know that I'm not going to be able to sit on the sidelines when it comes to this baby. I'd need to have a say in every decision. I'd need to be their mother. Nothing less. Would you really be okay with that?"

He took a moment to give it some thought but firmly nodded his head. "Yes. I would be fine that."

She arched an eyebrow at him. "Are you sure? Because I'm talking about the real deal here Robin. Shared custody. Full on co-parenting? Are you sure you're alright making that sort of commitment to me? Because you've made it pretty clear you didn't want it with anyone else."

"Well that's different," he pointed out. "You're… different. I mean you were always going to be a permanent fixture in my life anyway. And no matter what I hoped that would mean you'd be a permanent part of the baby's life too. So yes… if you want to do shared custody I am fine with it."

She locked her brown eyes onto his blue searching for any sign of uncertainty or hesitation. She found none. In that moment her decision was made. Her heart leapt in her chest. She gave her head a little shake and chuckled to herself.

"I don't know how I'm going to explain this to my mother," she whispered, a humorous lilt to her tone.

Robin raised his eyebrows at her. "So… does that mean…"

She sighed. "Yes Robin Locksely. You can have my eggs."

---

NEXT CHAPTER: Robin and Regina reconsider whether or not they actually need a surrogate.

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