One Day
'I think, that one day, you'll give me your name,' said Diane, snuggled into the crook of Ric's neck. He turned his head to look at her, wondering if he was imagining what she had just said. She looked him in the eye and carried on, 'It's a good name.'
In case you didn't know, that line was from the Holby Episode that took place in Ghana. This story is Diane/Ric, because they will always be one of my favourite couples. So this story obviously discounts her death, and all of the events leading up to it.
'I think, that one day, you'll give me your name,' said Diane, snuggled into the crook of Ric's neck. He turned his head to look at her, wondering if he was imagining what she had just said. She looked him in the eye and carried on, 'It's a good name.'
'Am glad you think so,' replied Ric, cuddling into her once more.
'I do think so,' said Diane in earnest. 'I think that 5 years on, we'll look back on this moment.'
'I hope so,' replied Ric, gently stroking her face.
And with that, he kissed her with a passion he didn't know he possessed.
'Are you going to go back to England?' asked Ric.
'I don't know,' whispered Diane. 'I could stay here forever, with you.'
'What about Owen?' he asked, his voice barely above a whisper.
He wanted to hear her say that she'd break it off with him, because she wanted to be with him, not Owen.
'I can't stay with him feeling the way I do for you,' she replied assertively, leaning in to kiss him once more.
He returned her kiss and deepened it, not wanting to let go of her.
But sadly, the need for oxygen was too strong, and their kiss of timeless passion broke.
Sensing his dismay at their kiss ending, she said, 'Never mind Ric, there's always tonight.'
'Oh tonight?' he asked, half confused and half suggestive. He knew what she had in mind.
'We haven't been together since medical school, I want to make you mine again,' she said, pulling him down and kissing him again.
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The Next Morning
She woke up next to him when the sun rose.
Knowing it was early, she got out of bed as quietly as she could, trying not to wake him.
She went to the window, and looked out, taking in the warmth of the Ghanaian sun.
It reawoke an inner calm within her, as the suns rays softly fell on her face.
Ric followed her ascent to consciousness, and gently stirred.
Hearing Ric waking up, she went and sat by his side, running her hands through his salt and pepper hair.
His eyes opened, and he saw true beauty, the beauty of a woman in love, the truest love.
'Morning,' he murmured.
'Morning,' she whispered, giving him a chaste kiss on the lips.
'Can't you come back to bed?' he asked, winking not so subtly.
'Hmmm,' she said, drawing him in for another kiss. 'I'm sure I can manage that...'
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3 Hours Later
It was 8am now, and the sun was fully in the sky.
Ric and Diane were getting dressed, preparing for another day in Ghana.
'I have to ring Owen, I have to tell him that I'm not coming home,' said Diane.
'Hmmm, I think that would be best,' said Ric, taking in the curves of Diane's milky white body.
'Are you paying any attention?' she asked mock seriously.
He shook his head and swept her up into his arms.
'Ric!' she protested. 'Let me down or...'
'Or what?' he asked, wiggling his eyebrows.
'Wait and see,' she replied sultrily as he let her down. 'Anyway, as I was saying, I have to call Owen and tell him that I'm not coming home and the wedding's off.'
'Yes you should,' he said, softly kissing her neck.
'Carry on like that, nothing will get done,' she warned.
'Fine,' he said sulkily.
She went and got her mobile out of her suitcase and dialled Owen's number.
'Diane?' he answered. 'Jesus Christ I have been calling you non stop. Are you okay?'
'I'm fine Owen, but I have something to tell you,' she said hesitantly. 'I'm not coming back to England,' she said quietly.
'Why the hell not Diane?' he asked inquisitively.
'Because Ghana is where Ric is, and I love him,' she answered defiantly. 'I'm sorry Owen, the wedding's off.'
She quickly put the phone down so that he could respond, feeling guilty for breaking his heart.
Never mind, she thought, he'll be off with Chrissie next, as per usual.
She came back into the main room, and told Ric that she had spoken to Owen.
'Well then, there's one thing left to do. Diane Sophia Lloyd, would you do the great honour of becoming my wife?'
'No Ric,' she said softly. 'I love you, there is no doubt about that, but our relationship is so new, I don't want to rush into marriage. I want to reacquaint myself with every part of you, then marriage could be considered an option.'
He nodded, but you could see the hurt on his face. In a way, he understood, but in another way, he just wanted her to be Mrs Griffin.
'When the time's right,' said Diane.
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1 Year Later
'I now pronounce you husband and wife,' declared the priest.
The crowd, dressed in the most beautiful Ghanaian silk, cheered in celebration.
'I present to you, Mr and Mrs Griffin.'
Traditional Ghanaian music played as the newlyweds danced slowly.
'I love you Mrs Griffin,' said Ric gently, stroking her face.
'And I love you too Mr Griffin,' she replied. 'Do you want your wedding present now?'
'Is it appropriate?' he asked, evocatively winking at her.
She slapped him gently.
'Yes it is,' she stated. 'I'm pregnant!'
He gasped, and lifted his wife into the air.
'I'm gonna be a dad again!' he cheered, bringing Diane back down and kissing her softly.
'You've made me the happiest man alive Diane Griffin.'
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6 Months Later
'Come on Diane, sweetheart you can do it, just push!'
'What do you think I'm doing?' she asked in a rage. 'Why does this baby have to come now? 2 more weeks and we'd have been at the hospital like we decided!'
'Honey, calm down. Okay, the head's out, one more push.'
She screamed in agony as she pushed a new life into the world. A loud cry of a baby followed, and Diane wept tears of joy.
'Diane,' said Ric. 'It's a little girl.'
He wiped her over and wrapped her up. He then gave her to Diane.
'Awww, look at you,' she cooed. 'Our little one. I think that we should call you Carey because it means dark. You certainly take after your daddy little one.'
'Umm, Diane, it's tradition to name children after the day that they were born, officially. She can go by Carey, but on her birth record she'd be Afia.'
'Oh right,' she said. 'But your name is Ric.'
'Wrong, my middle name is. My first name is Kobina, I go by Eric because its easier.'
'Well, so will she.'
She laughed as the baby quickly lulled herself to sleep.
And then she started to feel more pain.
'Ric, something's wrong,' she rasped.
He checked.
'Ummm Diane, nothing's wrong sweetheart, it's just another baby.'
'You what? You got me pregnant with twins? What is it with Griffin sperm?'
He chuckled to himself as she began to push
Several pushes later, and Griffin baby 2 made their entrance into the world.
'It's a boy Diane,' he said, his eyes bubbling with tears.
'You name him, said Diane, admiring her new baby son.
'I like Cameron,' he said. 'But then he'll have to go by Kofi, which is the male version of born on a Friday.'
'Me too, what do we give Carey and Cameron as middle names?' she asked.
'We could use Carey and Cameron, but then we can name them on their birth order,' replied Ric. 'So Carey would have Payin, which means first born of twins, and Cameron would have Akwetee, which means the second born of twins.'
'Well there we have it. Afia Carey Payin Griffin and Kofi Cameron Akwetee Griffin. What a traditional sounding name, for our traditional little babies,' she cooed softly. 'But I refuse to call them by their first name, unless I'm angry with them. What a mouthful it will be using the middle names.'
'Just leave using their African names to my brother, it still annoys me that he calls me Kobina.'
'So what would mine be?' she asked.
'Well what day were you born on?' he asked.
'A Saturday,' she answered after some thought.
'Don't tell Komi, he'll start to call you Amma.'
They both laughed at the thought of Diane constantly being called Amma.
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3 Years Later
Diane and Ric were nervous, they were going back to Holby to get their jobs back.
Ric squeezed Diane's hand reassuringly as they went to the CEO's office.
'Wait here,' they told their children and friend
'Mr Griffin,' greeted the CEO Chris Sutherland. 'Ms Lloyd.'
'I'm not Ms Lloyd anymore,' stated Diane. 'I am Mrs Griffin,' she said, giving a smile to Ric.
'Forgive me Mrs Griffin. I am under the impression that both of you can return to work full time?'
'I can, but Diane can't,' said Ric straight away.
'And why is that?' he asked.
'Cameron, Carey, in here please,' called out Diane.
The door came open and little Carey and Cameron Griffin came in, hand in hand.
'This is why,' said Diane.
'I see,' said the CEO.
As the adults talked, Carey and Cameron got bored and started fighting.
'Afia Carey Payin Griffin and Kofi Cameron Akwetee Griffin, behave yourselves right now!' she scolded.
The kids went quiet straight away.
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'No problems here,' finished up Chris Sutherland. 'You can start on Monday. I'll leave you all to get reacquainted.
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They made their way up to Darwin, and were greeted by a very pregnant Connie Beauchamp.
'Connie,' said Ric, embracing her.
'Ric, what have you been up to?' she asked.
'I could say the same for you. And I've lived in Ghana these past few years, set up a practice, got married, had children.'
'Oooh, local girl?' asked Connie.
'No actually, you know her,' he said as Diane came around the corner holding Carey and Cameron's hand.
'You married Diane,' she said joyfully. 'These must be the kids. They're gorgeous, what are their names?'
'Carey and Cameron,' said Diane proudly.
'They don't have African names do they? I always wondered what the K was for Ric. Kobina,' said Connie heartily.
'Actually Carey has Afia and Cameron has Kofi. They don't like going by them. Enough about us, I see we've missed a lot,' replied Ric, indicating Connie's bump.
'Well, I've divorced Michael, met someone else, remarried, and this is baby number 2. I have a daughter, Grace at home.'
'Anyone we know?' asked Diane in reference to who Connie had married.
'No you don't actually, he's my registrar, Sam Strachan.'
'Good luck with that,' they both said at the same time, walking off.
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1 Year Later
'You have had my name for 4 and a bit years now,' said Ric to Diane one night. 'How does it feel?'
She snuggled up to him and cradled her tiny bump. 'The best,' she replied.
Little Abenaa Erin Tawia Griffin was born 4 months later.
Abenaa means born on a Tuesday, and Tawia means born after twins, but they decided to let her go by Erin, just as she had let the other 2 go by Carey and Cameron.