This story line follows ER through season 8, but in my stories, Mark did
not have a recurrence of his brain tumor, and is not going to die. Ella
did overdose on Ecstasy, and Mark and Elizabeth were separated for a while,
but have since reconciled.
Another Chance
"Elizabeth?" Mark called as he ascended the stairs to their deck.
He received no answer, but as he reached the last step, he saw two of his favorite girls sleeping soundly on the hammock hanging in the corner of the deck. He chuckled softly as he remembered Elizabeth's initial adversity to installing the hammock. Ever the cautious and protective mother, she of course had envisioned their three-year-old daughter, Ella, wandering over to the hammock, and while trying to climb onto it, falling and hurting herself. Right now, though, it seemed that they were both enjoying it, regardless of its impending danger.
Upon approaching his sleeping angels, Mark carefully pulled up a chair next to them and sat silently for a moment, just watching. They intrigued him. He knew that he could get lost in this sight and just watch for hours. Even at this young age, it was obvious that Ella was all her mother. Up one side, down the other, from her humor and stubbornness to the big bright blue-green eyes that lit up every time she smiled. He smiled again as he observed Ella resting awkwardly on Elizabeth's chest.
He gently reached out and smoothed a tendril of Elizabeth's hair away from her face. Suddenly awakened by his gentle touch, her eyes fluttered open and began to focus on the charming face gazing down at her. "Hey," she whispered, smiling at him.
"Hi," Mark said as he ran his hand through her hair. "I didn't mean to wake you, but your hair was blocking your beautiful face from my view."
Chuckling softly she asked, "What time is it?"
"About 5:30."
"How long have you been home?"
"Not too long; just a few minutes. What made you decide to nap out here?"
"Well, Ella and I were playing on the new swing set in the yard, when she started talking about "daddy's swing". I had absolutely no idea what she was talking about until she pointed up here and took off running through the yard, laughing hysterically. Of course I followed, and when we got up here, she was jumping up and down, pointing to the hammock." Elizabeth explained.
"Ahh, I see." Mark said as he rubbed the back of Ella's small hand. "So she likes this better than the new swing set she got for her birthday."
"I guess. She refused to nap earlier, so I thought I might be able to wear her out by letting her play for a while and promising to let her play on "daddy's swing"." Elizabeth said as she watched Mark watching Ella. She loved the interplay between them. He was such a caring and loving father. She new that he was determined to make his relationship with Ella the best that it could be, and as a result, much different than the relationship he had with his father.
"Well, it looks like that playing worked on both of you." Mark pointed out.
"Yes, I suppose it did." Elizabeth rubbed Ella's back gently, and then asked, "Would you mind taking her up to her room to lie down? She's getting a little heavy, and I need to start dinner."
"Yeah, I think I can handle that, but you aren't making dinner tonight."
"What?" Elizabeth asked, but by the time safely plant her feet on the ground below the hammock, Mark had already lifted Ella from her and had disappeared down the deck stairs and into the house. He carried Ella through the house with Elizabeth quickly trying to catch up with him. He didn't say a word as he carried Ella into her room and got her settled on the bed. Gently kissing her cheek, he covered her with a small blanket and then walked to the door. Pulling it closed behind him, he saw Elizabeth waiting for him in the hallway, arms crossed and a smile on her face.
"What are you up to, Mark Greene?" Elizabeth asked with a suspicious grin on her face.
"Just putting our daughter down for her nap. What does it look like I'm up to?" Mark retorted, grinning.
"You know what I mean," Elizabeth replied as she crossed the hall toward him.
"Well, my dear," Mark said as he placed his hands on her hips and kissed her gently on the lips. "You and I have a date tonight."
"Oh, really," Elizabeth retorted as she wrapped her arms around his neck. "And just why wasn't I informed of this?"
"Late breaking news, I guess," Mark said playfully.
"And you are aware that I am on call this evening, correct?" Elizabeth asked, returning his playful tone.
"Not anymore you aren't."
"Oh, and just who made this decision?" Elizabeth asked, stepping closer to him.
"Well, when I went up to the OR this afternoon to check your schedule, Romano was standing there with Shirley looking over the schedule. In his charming little imp way, he asked me what the hell I wanted, so I told him I was just checking your schedule. He wouldn't let me look, but said that you were off until Sunday. I asked about call, and he just told me to leave him alone and get the hell away from him." Mark said, smiling down at her. "Nice guy you choose to work with."
"Yes well, obviously he isn't so awful because he rearranged the schedule for someone else to take my call, and generally, I just try to ignore the little bastard, because you I finally decided that sometimes you can't choose who you work with. On the other hand, you can choose who you marry, and I believe I made a lovely choice in that area," Elizabeth said as she leaned in to kiss him.
"Lovely, huh? Isn't that kind of girly?" Mark asked as he pulled away from her.
"So what word do you think I should use then? Wonderful, amazing,
spectacular. . ." Mark cut her off by kissing her once again.
"Yeah, I think any of those will do," Mark said, grinning as their lips parted. Looking deeply into her eyes, he then asked, "Do you know how much I love you, Elizabeth Corday?"
"Yes, but not as much as I love you," she said, giving him a light peck on the cheek. "So, what is the plan for tonight?" Elizabeth asked as she broke away from him and turned to walk down the hall to their bedroom, pulling him by the hand behind her.
"Well, Jing-Mei is staying here with Ella, and the rest is a secret," Mark said as he sat on the edge of the bed and pulled her onto his lap.
"Now that just isn't fair."
"Sure it is. That's really all you need to know, other than the fact that you need to dress nicely for dinner this evening and pack an overnight bag, because you and I will not be returning to this house until tomorrow afternoon."
Elizabeth's smile broadened. "You are amazing, Mark. How did you get Chen to agree to this?"
"It wasn't hard. She heard me on the telephone with Katherine this afternoon, and when I found out that Katherine already had plans for tonight, she volunteered. Now, go get ready, our reservation is at 7:30."
"And you can't give me a better hint other than to dress nicely. You know, there are several degrees of dressing nicely," Elizabeth pointed out as she leaned closer to Mark, wrapping her arms around his neck.
"That's all I'm going to give you. I think you know what I mean," Mark said as he leaned in to kiss her gently on the cheek.
"I suppose. Care to join me in the shower?" Elizabeth asked as she began to rain light kisses from his cheek down his neck.
"Mmmm. As wonderful as that sounds, I think I should probably take a rain check, just in case Ella wakes up." Mark said.
"Yes. You're right. I'll be out in just a moment," Elizabeth said as she gave him one last kiss and then walked toward the bathroom. Mark watched her until she completely disappeared into the bathroom. He knew that there was no way in the world he could ever tire of seeing her face or hearing her voice; that British accent that drove him absolutely insane. Their life together was often quite hectic, but just knowing that she was in his life always put things into perspective for him and made him realize that he absolutely could not live without her. He smiled as he walked toward their closet. He thought he might help her out a bit by at least giving her a few ideas on what she might wear for their evening out.
When Elizabeth emerged from the bathroom a few minutes later with her robe rapped around her and a towel on her head, she saw some of her clothing lying across the bed, but Mark was nowhere in the room. Walking down the hall toward Ella's bedroom, Elizabeth heard Ella chattering to Mark about her day. Elizabeth smiled as she leaned against the doorframe and watched them. Mark and Ella both looked up when they realized she was there, and Ella said, "Daddy's home, mommy."
Elizabeth walked into the room and took a seat beside Ella on her bed. "Yes, I see that," she replied, running he hand over the little girls wavy locks. Smiling at Mark, she said, "You can take your shower now, Mark, I'll stay with her."
"Ok," Mark said as he kissed Ella on the top of the head, got up, and then walked out the door.
"Daddy said Chen coming to stay with me tonight," Ella said as she climbed onto Elizabeth's lap.
"That's right, sweetie. Is that ok?" Elizabeth asked.
"Uh-huh. She's nice," Ella replied as Elizabeth stood, carrying the little girl along with her.
"Let's go into mommy and daddy's room. You can help me get ready. Ok?" Elizabeth asked. Upon the fervent nod of Ella's head, Elizabeth walked out the door and down the hallway.
At around 7:00pm, Elizabeth walked down the stairs, looking for Mark and Ella. She heard Ella's laughter coming from the kitchen, along with the voices of her husband and Jing-Mei Chen. Trying to put her earrings in, she entered the kitchen and saw Ella seated at the table, eating dinner. "Hi, Chen," she said.
Chen turned and looked behind her when she heard Elizabeth's voice. "Elizabeth, you look wonderful," she replied.
Elizabeth smiled and walked over to Ella and kissed her cheek. "Thank you. You know you can still back out of this if you want," Elizabeth said smiling.
"No. I love spending time with Ella. She's the most wonderful little girl," Chen said.
Mark laughed at Chen's comment. "I guess she has her moments," he said as he got up from his chair and walked over to Elizabeth, standing behind Ella. "Ok, so you have our cell phone and pager numbers, and here is the number for where we will be staying," Mark said as he reached into his pocket to retrieve a piece of paper with a number written on it.
"Anything else?" Chen asked, smiling down at Ella.
"I don't think so," Mark said. We should be home tomorrow in the early afternoon. "We'll call to let you know." Mark kissed Ella's forehead and then walked toward the door.
Elizabeth bent down once more, and kissed Ella goodbye. "We will see you tomorrow, sweetheart. Thanks so much for watching her," she said as she gave Chen a quick hug.
"It's not a problem. Just go have fun."
Mark was waiting at the door for Elizabeth with their bags in his hand. When she reached him, he asked, "Ready?" She slipped her arm through his, and they walked out the door.
"You really do look beautiful tonight," Mark said as they sat at the table in Elizabeth's favorite Italian restaurant. She was wearing a long black sleeveless dress that hugged her curves perfectly and made her look wonderful. Her hair was pulled up on the top of her head with several unruly locks spiraling down from the top of her head.
"Well thank you, but I can't take the credit. You and Ella helped me get ready," Elizabeth said as she reached across the table and took his hand.
"I'm not talking about what you have on. I'm just talking about you. You are beaming. It doesn't really matter what you are wearing. You are absolutely radiant," Mark said, smiling.
"Mark, there really is no need for flattery here. You have already done enough. I am having a wonderful time," Elizabeth said, chuckling.
"It isn't flattery, it's the truth. You are glowing tonight."
After a brief pause, Elizabeth replied, "Well, I guess they do say that pregnant women have that special glow about them."
"Yeah, I guess they. . ." Mark paused as he realized what Elizabeth had just said. Elizabeth felt a little uneasy and her face fell as she studied the shocked look on her husband's face. He sat there for a while, unspeaking.
"My goodness, Mark, say something. You're scaring me," Elizabeth said as she squeezed the hand she was holding. Upon hearing her speak, his face broke into a huge grin. Seeing his smile washed away the apprehension his initial response had caused to mount within her. "Don't do that to me ever again," Elizabeth said with a nervous chuckle.
"I'm sorry, I just. . .I just. . .well, I brought you here tonight as a surprise for you, and you had to go and upstage me with news like that," Mark said as he stood and pulled his chair around so he was seated beside her.
"So, is that good or bad?"
"It's amazing," Mark said as he reached for her and pulled her into a huge embrace. She kissed his cheek and held onto him.
Pulling back from his embrace, Elizabeth said, "I was a little nervous because Ella is still so young, and we haven't really talked about having more children, and it definitely isn't going to be easy with our schedules and everything else. . ."
"Elizabeth!" When she didn't stop speaking he said again, a little louder, "Elizabeth!" Upon hearing him say her name she looked at him and saw such tenderness in his eyes that she knew she didn't need to worry about anything. "This is wonderful news, and I am thrilled."
"I'm glad you feel that way because I have been so excited ever since I found out."
"How long have you known?"
"I have been feeling nauseous all week, and this time, instead of trying to ignore it or deny it like with Ella, I had Abby do a pregnancy test for me. I found out two days, and I'm about six weeks along."
"Why didn't you tell me?"
"You were asleep that night when I got home and you had already left for work yesterday morning, by the time I woke up. Then last night we had Ella's birthday party. I was just waiting for the right time, I guess." Right then, their waiter emerged carrying their dinner. They spent the remainder of dinner talking about how Ella would feel about the news and when they would tell everyone at work.
When the waiter brought out their check, Mark pulled out his wallet and placed a credit card down with the bill. Smiling, he looked at Elizabeth. "What are you smiling at?" She asked.
"You just never cease to amaze me," Mark said as he leaned over and gently kissed her cheek. "For a while, I wondered if you would ever even consider having another child. I know how hard your pregnancy was with Ella." Mark's smile faded as he looked down at the table, "and then everything that happened when she was a baby."
Elizabeth sensed the sudden change in his mood, and to lighten his thoughts, she said, "Well, I know this lovely man who for some reason always seems to stick by me through the rough times in my life, no matter what. He got me through being pregnant for Ella, and I know that he will be here for me this time, as well."
Mark realized that she was trying to change the subject and replied, "Sounds like a pretty good guy. I think I'd like to meet him sometime."
"He's the best."
Glancing down at his watch, Mark asked, "You ready to go?"
"Yes, I don't think I can wait much longer to find out where we're going."
"The Renaissance Hotel?" Elizabeth asked, smiling.
"Yes. Do you know what today is?"
"Friday the 29th?" Elizabeth asked, a little confused.
"Well, yes, but today my dear, is the five year anniversary of our first date, in this exact building," Mark replied as he pulled into a parking space. "I wanted to do something like this for our real anniversary, but we both had to work the next day. So, I tried to think of another important day in our relationship, and I thought this was as good as any."
"Oh Mark, I never even thought about that. We aren't going to get locked in any storage closets this time, are we?" Elizabeth said, leaning over to kiss him gently.
"You didn't like that?" Mark asked jokingly. "No, but I do have something else in store for tonight. It might be a little familiar," Mark replied as he got out of the car and moved to the passenger's side to open her door.
Upon entering the hotel, Mark gave his name and checked in, then lead Elizabeth to the room they were staying in. "Mark, we haven't done something like this for so long. I love it," Elizabeth said as Mark unlocked the door.
Peering into the room, Elizabeth was amazed. The room was filled with candles, all burning brightly. An entire wall of the room was nothing but windows, looking out over the city. It took her breath away. Glancing down at the table she stood by, she saw a huge flower arrangement of red and yellow roses, with a card nestled among them. Looking behind her to Mark for his permission, she asked, "May I?"
"Of course. They're all yours," Mark replied.
Opening the card, it read:
Elizabeth,
You are my wife and my soul mate.
I look forward to each new day because I know you will be there with me.
Thank you for allowing me to share my life with you.
My love forever,
Mark
"Oh, Mark. Thank you," Elizabeth said as she turned to him, fighting back the tears of endearment that sprung to her eyes.
"I mean every word of it. You made me the happiest man in the world when you agreed to become my wife, then you gave me a beautiful daughter, and now this," Mark said, glancing down at her abdomen.
Looking into his eyes, she said, "You give me too much credit. All I have ever done is love you."
"That's all I need," Mark said. Pulling her closer into his embrace, he bent his head down toward her and captured her lips with his.
Elizabeth tried to kiss Mark more deeply, pulling him closer to her, but he pulled back. "Not yet. I have one more surprise."
"Mark, this is enough, really."
Walking over to the stereo in the corner of the room, he turned it on, and the music of a tango filled the room. "I thought this would bring back a few memories," Mark said as he reached out one hand for her. "May I have this dance?"
Laughing excitedly, Elizabeth said, "You may have this dance, and every dance for the rest of my life."
They danced around the room for several minutes, and when the music ended, Elizabeth looked up at Mark and said, "Thank you for this evening, Mark. I have had the best time."
"No need to thank me. I just wanted to make sure you know how much you mean to me."
"I love you, Mark."
"I know," Mark said with a smile and then once again captured her lips with his. Parting her lips with his tongue, he gently explored her mouth with his, and elicited a soft moan from her throat.
Pulling away from her, he looked deep into her eyes, noticing the desire that filled them. "You are beautiful," he said.
Not saying a word, Elizabeth reached up and pushed his suit jacket off his shoulders. Leaning in to kiss his neck, she removed his tie, and then began with the buttons of his crisp blue dress shirt, kissing her way down his chest as she exposed more and more of his skin.
Reaching his belt, she pulled his shirt from his pants and said, "You looked so sexy in this suit tonight. It's too bad I am going to have to take it all off of you."
"Well, you don't have to if you don't want," Mark replied, grinning.
"Yeah, right!" Elizabeth said sarcastically as she slid his shirt over his shoulders.
As she reached down toward his belt buckle, he reached behind her and found the zipper of her dress near her neck. Gently pulling it down to where it stopped at her waist, he ran his hands over her back, feeling the smooth skin he had just exposed. Looking up at him, she kissed him again as she pulled his belt through the loops of his pants. Pulling her closer toward his body, he unclasped her bra and began kissing her neck.
Neglecting her work on his pants, she placed her arms at her sides as he pulled the material of her dress, along with her bra, forward and down her arms. Letting go of the material, the dress slid down her body and landed in a pile around her feet. Stepping out of the dress and her shoes, she looked up at him and saw his eyes admiring her body. She absolutely loved the way she felt when she was in his arms. Never before had she felt so secure with a man, and she knew she never wanted that feeling to end. She had always been comfortable with him like this, from the very beginning. She knew he loved her for who and what she was and nothing else.
Meeting his gaze, she stepped back into his embrace and resumed her work at his pants. Brushing her hand against his obvious arousal, he moaned softly and gently squeezed her hips, pressing her body against him. When she finally pushed his pants over his hips, he removed his shoes and socks with his toes and then removed his pants. Looking around the room once more at the candles and the roses, she walked backward toward the king sized bed, pulling him along with her. "This is one of the most romantic things you have ever managed to do. Make love to me, Mark."
Two hours later, Elizabeth relaxed on her stomach, in the center of the bed, as Mark straddled her body massaging her shoulders and back. "Mmm, Mark. That feels so good, and the scent of that lotion is to die for."
Mark did not respond, but just stared down at her back. "Mark?" Upon not receiving an answer again, Elizabeth rolled over beneath him until she was looking up at him, still straddling her. Seeing the far off look in his eyes, she asked, "What are you thinking?"
Moving to lay down beside her, he remained silent for a moment, trying to find the words to say. Lying on his side and facing her, he said, "I promise I will make it easier for you this time, Elizabeth."
"Mark, what are you talking about?" She asked, and she traced an imaginary line down his cheek.
"That night in the ER when you went into pre-term with Ella, I promised myself that if we were ever to have another child, I would make sure that you never had to go through what you went through during that pregnancy again," Mark said, softly.
"Mark, you had no control over that, it was my fault. I had no business being in that helicopter that night."
"No, it wasn't your fault. I'm sure the stress of work had something to do with it, but the biggest problem was all the stress I made you endure earlier on in the pregnancy," Mark said sadly, as he sat up and moved to the edge of the bed. Elizabeth remained still for a moment, trying to think of what to say. She couldn't believe he still blamed himself for what had happened. It was so far behind them now; it didn't even matter any more.
Sitting up, she moved behind him and wrapped her arms around his body. Resting her chin on his shoulder, she replied softly yet firmly, "Mark, you did not "make" me endure anything. I chose to be there. I loved you, Mark, I still do, and I always will. That is why I endured that stress. It was my decision."
"I just wish I could have been there for you. When you needed me most, I had to rely on you to get me through my surgery and then through weeks of radiation. That wasn't fair of me, and I shouldn't have done that. Then Rachel came to live with us after Ella was born, and we both know what happened then. That was my fault, too." Mark said, hanging his head.
Elizabeth moved to sit beside him on the bed and took his hands in hers. "Look at me, Mark," she demanded. When he didn't, she lifted his chin and looked him right in the eyes. The sadness she saw there shocked her. She didn't know he had been so worried about this or blamed himself for it. "What do you propose you should have done when you were sick, Mark?" she asked, her voice raising and getting slightly emotional. "Should you have just shut me out while trying to get through it alone? Should you have given up and lost yourself and me in the process? I don't care what you think, but sitting by and doing nothing would have been harder for me than being there for you, Mark. I refuse to let you think that the fact that I was there to help you caused any problems in my pregnancy for Ella. And as for Rachel, Mark, that was a long time ago. Everything is fine now, and thankfully, we still have a beautiful little girl at home right now who thinks you hang the moon. Stop dwelling on past events that you have no control over, because everything finally turned out perfect in the end."
"I'm sorry," Mark said as he smoothed a lock of hair from her face. "I am glad you were there. I'm glad I didn't have to go through all of it alone. I really think you saved my life, Elizabeth."
"Now, I don't know if I would go that far," Elizabeth said with a slight grin. "I was so scared that I was going to lose you, Mark, but I couldn't dwell on that. I knew that you needed me, and I wanted to be there to help and make sure you got through it. That we got through it. I want to be wherever you are, just like I want to be right here, right now. We were engaged, and I knew that you were absolutely the right man for me and that we were meant to spend the rest of our lives together. That's why I stayed. That's why I chose to be there for you. Not because I felt obligated, but because I knew that I couldn't live without you. I just wish I wouldn't have been so stubborn after Ella was sick. I should never have left you, Mark. My heart ached, and I missed you desperately. I never stopped loving you. Tell me you know that."
"I do. That night in the ER when you were having contractions and then when Ella was in the PICU, though, you cried, Elizabeth. I felt so responsible for your tears. All I could think was that I had just made the most wonderful person in my life cry, and it absolutely breaks my heart to see you cry. I didn't know what to do. I just wish I could have been there more for you when you needed me most."
"You were there, Mark. When I needed you, you came running, and you held me while I cried. You always have been there for me, and now, we have another go at this. Just as long as we are together, we are stronger than either of us ever could be on our own, but I can't promise that you'll never see me cry again."
Placing his left hand on her still flat abdomen and looking into her eyes, Mark replied, "Well, I can promise you that I will never give up on you or us. Will you let me try to help you out as much as I can during this pregnancy?"
"Will I let you? I will insist on it," Elizabeth answered as she kissed his lips. Pulling away, she finished, "Just as long as you don't get all anxious and worried and try to strap a fetal heart monitor on me all the time. You will drive me insane."
Mark laughed softly. "I'll try my best."
"Good." She said, smiling. "Are you all right?"
"Yes, I'm wonderful, thanks to you."
"I'm glad. Now, if you don't mind, this is the first evening you and I have been able to spend alone together in forever, and I refuse to spend the rest of it watching you beat yourself up over this."
"So, how would you like to spend the rest of this evening?"
Crawling back onto the bed and lying down, she replied, "How about that massage?"
Moving beside her and adjusting to where her head was resting on his chest, Mark said, "Sounds great. My shoulders have been a bit tense lately."
"Your shoulders? I meant that you should finish my massage."
Looking down at her, Mark chuckled, and jumping up, he started tickling her. She soon got the better of him and pinned his body beneath hers, her hands firmly pressing his arms against the bed. She kissed him hard on the lips, and then, her laughter soon sobering, she said, "Mark. . ."
"Yes?"
"I love you."
"I love you too, Elizabeth."
To be continued. . .
Another Chance
"Elizabeth?" Mark called as he ascended the stairs to their deck.
He received no answer, but as he reached the last step, he saw two of his favorite girls sleeping soundly on the hammock hanging in the corner of the deck. He chuckled softly as he remembered Elizabeth's initial adversity to installing the hammock. Ever the cautious and protective mother, she of course had envisioned their three-year-old daughter, Ella, wandering over to the hammock, and while trying to climb onto it, falling and hurting herself. Right now, though, it seemed that they were both enjoying it, regardless of its impending danger.
Upon approaching his sleeping angels, Mark carefully pulled up a chair next to them and sat silently for a moment, just watching. They intrigued him. He knew that he could get lost in this sight and just watch for hours. Even at this young age, it was obvious that Ella was all her mother. Up one side, down the other, from her humor and stubbornness to the big bright blue-green eyes that lit up every time she smiled. He smiled again as he observed Ella resting awkwardly on Elizabeth's chest.
He gently reached out and smoothed a tendril of Elizabeth's hair away from her face. Suddenly awakened by his gentle touch, her eyes fluttered open and began to focus on the charming face gazing down at her. "Hey," she whispered, smiling at him.
"Hi," Mark said as he ran his hand through her hair. "I didn't mean to wake you, but your hair was blocking your beautiful face from my view."
Chuckling softly she asked, "What time is it?"
"About 5:30."
"How long have you been home?"
"Not too long; just a few minutes. What made you decide to nap out here?"
"Well, Ella and I were playing on the new swing set in the yard, when she started talking about "daddy's swing". I had absolutely no idea what she was talking about until she pointed up here and took off running through the yard, laughing hysterically. Of course I followed, and when we got up here, she was jumping up and down, pointing to the hammock." Elizabeth explained.
"Ahh, I see." Mark said as he rubbed the back of Ella's small hand. "So she likes this better than the new swing set she got for her birthday."
"I guess. She refused to nap earlier, so I thought I might be able to wear her out by letting her play for a while and promising to let her play on "daddy's swing"." Elizabeth said as she watched Mark watching Ella. She loved the interplay between them. He was such a caring and loving father. She new that he was determined to make his relationship with Ella the best that it could be, and as a result, much different than the relationship he had with his father.
"Well, it looks like that playing worked on both of you." Mark pointed out.
"Yes, I suppose it did." Elizabeth rubbed Ella's back gently, and then asked, "Would you mind taking her up to her room to lie down? She's getting a little heavy, and I need to start dinner."
"Yeah, I think I can handle that, but you aren't making dinner tonight."
"What?" Elizabeth asked, but by the time safely plant her feet on the ground below the hammock, Mark had already lifted Ella from her and had disappeared down the deck stairs and into the house. He carried Ella through the house with Elizabeth quickly trying to catch up with him. He didn't say a word as he carried Ella into her room and got her settled on the bed. Gently kissing her cheek, he covered her with a small blanket and then walked to the door. Pulling it closed behind him, he saw Elizabeth waiting for him in the hallway, arms crossed and a smile on her face.
"What are you up to, Mark Greene?" Elizabeth asked with a suspicious grin on her face.
"Just putting our daughter down for her nap. What does it look like I'm up to?" Mark retorted, grinning.
"You know what I mean," Elizabeth replied as she crossed the hall toward him.
"Well, my dear," Mark said as he placed his hands on her hips and kissed her gently on the lips. "You and I have a date tonight."
"Oh, really," Elizabeth retorted as she wrapped her arms around his neck. "And just why wasn't I informed of this?"
"Late breaking news, I guess," Mark said playfully.
"And you are aware that I am on call this evening, correct?" Elizabeth asked, returning his playful tone.
"Not anymore you aren't."
"Oh, and just who made this decision?" Elizabeth asked, stepping closer to him.
"Well, when I went up to the OR this afternoon to check your schedule, Romano was standing there with Shirley looking over the schedule. In his charming little imp way, he asked me what the hell I wanted, so I told him I was just checking your schedule. He wouldn't let me look, but said that you were off until Sunday. I asked about call, and he just told me to leave him alone and get the hell away from him." Mark said, smiling down at her. "Nice guy you choose to work with."
"Yes well, obviously he isn't so awful because he rearranged the schedule for someone else to take my call, and generally, I just try to ignore the little bastard, because you I finally decided that sometimes you can't choose who you work with. On the other hand, you can choose who you marry, and I believe I made a lovely choice in that area," Elizabeth said as she leaned in to kiss him.
"Lovely, huh? Isn't that kind of girly?" Mark asked as he pulled away from her.
"So what word do you think I should use then? Wonderful, amazing,
spectacular. . ." Mark cut her off by kissing her once again.
"Yeah, I think any of those will do," Mark said, grinning as their lips parted. Looking deeply into her eyes, he then asked, "Do you know how much I love you, Elizabeth Corday?"
"Yes, but not as much as I love you," she said, giving him a light peck on the cheek. "So, what is the plan for tonight?" Elizabeth asked as she broke away from him and turned to walk down the hall to their bedroom, pulling him by the hand behind her.
"Well, Jing-Mei is staying here with Ella, and the rest is a secret," Mark said as he sat on the edge of the bed and pulled her onto his lap.
"Now that just isn't fair."
"Sure it is. That's really all you need to know, other than the fact that you need to dress nicely for dinner this evening and pack an overnight bag, because you and I will not be returning to this house until tomorrow afternoon."
Elizabeth's smile broadened. "You are amazing, Mark. How did you get Chen to agree to this?"
"It wasn't hard. She heard me on the telephone with Katherine this afternoon, and when I found out that Katherine already had plans for tonight, she volunteered. Now, go get ready, our reservation is at 7:30."
"And you can't give me a better hint other than to dress nicely. You know, there are several degrees of dressing nicely," Elizabeth pointed out as she leaned closer to Mark, wrapping her arms around his neck.
"That's all I'm going to give you. I think you know what I mean," Mark said as he leaned in to kiss her gently on the cheek.
"I suppose. Care to join me in the shower?" Elizabeth asked as she began to rain light kisses from his cheek down his neck.
"Mmmm. As wonderful as that sounds, I think I should probably take a rain check, just in case Ella wakes up." Mark said.
"Yes. You're right. I'll be out in just a moment," Elizabeth said as she gave him one last kiss and then walked toward the bathroom. Mark watched her until she completely disappeared into the bathroom. He knew that there was no way in the world he could ever tire of seeing her face or hearing her voice; that British accent that drove him absolutely insane. Their life together was often quite hectic, but just knowing that she was in his life always put things into perspective for him and made him realize that he absolutely could not live without her. He smiled as he walked toward their closet. He thought he might help her out a bit by at least giving her a few ideas on what she might wear for their evening out.
When Elizabeth emerged from the bathroom a few minutes later with her robe rapped around her and a towel on her head, she saw some of her clothing lying across the bed, but Mark was nowhere in the room. Walking down the hall toward Ella's bedroom, Elizabeth heard Ella chattering to Mark about her day. Elizabeth smiled as she leaned against the doorframe and watched them. Mark and Ella both looked up when they realized she was there, and Ella said, "Daddy's home, mommy."
Elizabeth walked into the room and took a seat beside Ella on her bed. "Yes, I see that," she replied, running he hand over the little girls wavy locks. Smiling at Mark, she said, "You can take your shower now, Mark, I'll stay with her."
"Ok," Mark said as he kissed Ella on the top of the head, got up, and then walked out the door.
"Daddy said Chen coming to stay with me tonight," Ella said as she climbed onto Elizabeth's lap.
"That's right, sweetie. Is that ok?" Elizabeth asked.
"Uh-huh. She's nice," Ella replied as Elizabeth stood, carrying the little girl along with her.
"Let's go into mommy and daddy's room. You can help me get ready. Ok?" Elizabeth asked. Upon the fervent nod of Ella's head, Elizabeth walked out the door and down the hallway.
At around 7:00pm, Elizabeth walked down the stairs, looking for Mark and Ella. She heard Ella's laughter coming from the kitchen, along with the voices of her husband and Jing-Mei Chen. Trying to put her earrings in, she entered the kitchen and saw Ella seated at the table, eating dinner. "Hi, Chen," she said.
Chen turned and looked behind her when she heard Elizabeth's voice. "Elizabeth, you look wonderful," she replied.
Elizabeth smiled and walked over to Ella and kissed her cheek. "Thank you. You know you can still back out of this if you want," Elizabeth said smiling.
"No. I love spending time with Ella. She's the most wonderful little girl," Chen said.
Mark laughed at Chen's comment. "I guess she has her moments," he said as he got up from his chair and walked over to Elizabeth, standing behind Ella. "Ok, so you have our cell phone and pager numbers, and here is the number for where we will be staying," Mark said as he reached into his pocket to retrieve a piece of paper with a number written on it.
"Anything else?" Chen asked, smiling down at Ella.
"I don't think so," Mark said. We should be home tomorrow in the early afternoon. "We'll call to let you know." Mark kissed Ella's forehead and then walked toward the door.
Elizabeth bent down once more, and kissed Ella goodbye. "We will see you tomorrow, sweetheart. Thanks so much for watching her," she said as she gave Chen a quick hug.
"It's not a problem. Just go have fun."
Mark was waiting at the door for Elizabeth with their bags in his hand. When she reached him, he asked, "Ready?" She slipped her arm through his, and they walked out the door.
"You really do look beautiful tonight," Mark said as they sat at the table in Elizabeth's favorite Italian restaurant. She was wearing a long black sleeveless dress that hugged her curves perfectly and made her look wonderful. Her hair was pulled up on the top of her head with several unruly locks spiraling down from the top of her head.
"Well thank you, but I can't take the credit. You and Ella helped me get ready," Elizabeth said as she reached across the table and took his hand.
"I'm not talking about what you have on. I'm just talking about you. You are beaming. It doesn't really matter what you are wearing. You are absolutely radiant," Mark said, smiling.
"Mark, there really is no need for flattery here. You have already done enough. I am having a wonderful time," Elizabeth said, chuckling.
"It isn't flattery, it's the truth. You are glowing tonight."
After a brief pause, Elizabeth replied, "Well, I guess they do say that pregnant women have that special glow about them."
"Yeah, I guess they. . ." Mark paused as he realized what Elizabeth had just said. Elizabeth felt a little uneasy and her face fell as she studied the shocked look on her husband's face. He sat there for a while, unspeaking.
"My goodness, Mark, say something. You're scaring me," Elizabeth said as she squeezed the hand she was holding. Upon hearing her speak, his face broke into a huge grin. Seeing his smile washed away the apprehension his initial response had caused to mount within her. "Don't do that to me ever again," Elizabeth said with a nervous chuckle.
"I'm sorry, I just. . .I just. . .well, I brought you here tonight as a surprise for you, and you had to go and upstage me with news like that," Mark said as he stood and pulled his chair around so he was seated beside her.
"So, is that good or bad?"
"It's amazing," Mark said as he reached for her and pulled her into a huge embrace. She kissed his cheek and held onto him.
Pulling back from his embrace, Elizabeth said, "I was a little nervous because Ella is still so young, and we haven't really talked about having more children, and it definitely isn't going to be easy with our schedules and everything else. . ."
"Elizabeth!" When she didn't stop speaking he said again, a little louder, "Elizabeth!" Upon hearing him say her name she looked at him and saw such tenderness in his eyes that she knew she didn't need to worry about anything. "This is wonderful news, and I am thrilled."
"I'm glad you feel that way because I have been so excited ever since I found out."
"How long have you known?"
"I have been feeling nauseous all week, and this time, instead of trying to ignore it or deny it like with Ella, I had Abby do a pregnancy test for me. I found out two days, and I'm about six weeks along."
"Why didn't you tell me?"
"You were asleep that night when I got home and you had already left for work yesterday morning, by the time I woke up. Then last night we had Ella's birthday party. I was just waiting for the right time, I guess." Right then, their waiter emerged carrying their dinner. They spent the remainder of dinner talking about how Ella would feel about the news and when they would tell everyone at work.
When the waiter brought out their check, Mark pulled out his wallet and placed a credit card down with the bill. Smiling, he looked at Elizabeth. "What are you smiling at?" She asked.
"You just never cease to amaze me," Mark said as he leaned over and gently kissed her cheek. "For a while, I wondered if you would ever even consider having another child. I know how hard your pregnancy was with Ella." Mark's smile faded as he looked down at the table, "and then everything that happened when she was a baby."
Elizabeth sensed the sudden change in his mood, and to lighten his thoughts, she said, "Well, I know this lovely man who for some reason always seems to stick by me through the rough times in my life, no matter what. He got me through being pregnant for Ella, and I know that he will be here for me this time, as well."
Mark realized that she was trying to change the subject and replied, "Sounds like a pretty good guy. I think I'd like to meet him sometime."
"He's the best."
Glancing down at his watch, Mark asked, "You ready to go?"
"Yes, I don't think I can wait much longer to find out where we're going."
"The Renaissance Hotel?" Elizabeth asked, smiling.
"Yes. Do you know what today is?"
"Friday the 29th?" Elizabeth asked, a little confused.
"Well, yes, but today my dear, is the five year anniversary of our first date, in this exact building," Mark replied as he pulled into a parking space. "I wanted to do something like this for our real anniversary, but we both had to work the next day. So, I tried to think of another important day in our relationship, and I thought this was as good as any."
"Oh Mark, I never even thought about that. We aren't going to get locked in any storage closets this time, are we?" Elizabeth said, leaning over to kiss him gently.
"You didn't like that?" Mark asked jokingly. "No, but I do have something else in store for tonight. It might be a little familiar," Mark replied as he got out of the car and moved to the passenger's side to open her door.
Upon entering the hotel, Mark gave his name and checked in, then lead Elizabeth to the room they were staying in. "Mark, we haven't done something like this for so long. I love it," Elizabeth said as Mark unlocked the door.
Peering into the room, Elizabeth was amazed. The room was filled with candles, all burning brightly. An entire wall of the room was nothing but windows, looking out over the city. It took her breath away. Glancing down at the table she stood by, she saw a huge flower arrangement of red and yellow roses, with a card nestled among them. Looking behind her to Mark for his permission, she asked, "May I?"
"Of course. They're all yours," Mark replied.
Opening the card, it read:
Elizabeth,
You are my wife and my soul mate.
I look forward to each new day because I know you will be there with me.
Thank you for allowing me to share my life with you.
My love forever,
Mark
"Oh, Mark. Thank you," Elizabeth said as she turned to him, fighting back the tears of endearment that sprung to her eyes.
"I mean every word of it. You made me the happiest man in the world when you agreed to become my wife, then you gave me a beautiful daughter, and now this," Mark said, glancing down at her abdomen.
Looking into his eyes, she said, "You give me too much credit. All I have ever done is love you."
"That's all I need," Mark said. Pulling her closer into his embrace, he bent his head down toward her and captured her lips with his.
Elizabeth tried to kiss Mark more deeply, pulling him closer to her, but he pulled back. "Not yet. I have one more surprise."
"Mark, this is enough, really."
Walking over to the stereo in the corner of the room, he turned it on, and the music of a tango filled the room. "I thought this would bring back a few memories," Mark said as he reached out one hand for her. "May I have this dance?"
Laughing excitedly, Elizabeth said, "You may have this dance, and every dance for the rest of my life."
They danced around the room for several minutes, and when the music ended, Elizabeth looked up at Mark and said, "Thank you for this evening, Mark. I have had the best time."
"No need to thank me. I just wanted to make sure you know how much you mean to me."
"I love you, Mark."
"I know," Mark said with a smile and then once again captured her lips with his. Parting her lips with his tongue, he gently explored her mouth with his, and elicited a soft moan from her throat.
Pulling away from her, he looked deep into her eyes, noticing the desire that filled them. "You are beautiful," he said.
Not saying a word, Elizabeth reached up and pushed his suit jacket off his shoulders. Leaning in to kiss his neck, she removed his tie, and then began with the buttons of his crisp blue dress shirt, kissing her way down his chest as she exposed more and more of his skin.
Reaching his belt, she pulled his shirt from his pants and said, "You looked so sexy in this suit tonight. It's too bad I am going to have to take it all off of you."
"Well, you don't have to if you don't want," Mark replied, grinning.
"Yeah, right!" Elizabeth said sarcastically as she slid his shirt over his shoulders.
As she reached down toward his belt buckle, he reached behind her and found the zipper of her dress near her neck. Gently pulling it down to where it stopped at her waist, he ran his hands over her back, feeling the smooth skin he had just exposed. Looking up at him, she kissed him again as she pulled his belt through the loops of his pants. Pulling her closer toward his body, he unclasped her bra and began kissing her neck.
Neglecting her work on his pants, she placed her arms at her sides as he pulled the material of her dress, along with her bra, forward and down her arms. Letting go of the material, the dress slid down her body and landed in a pile around her feet. Stepping out of the dress and her shoes, she looked up at him and saw his eyes admiring her body. She absolutely loved the way she felt when she was in his arms. Never before had she felt so secure with a man, and she knew she never wanted that feeling to end. She had always been comfortable with him like this, from the very beginning. She knew he loved her for who and what she was and nothing else.
Meeting his gaze, she stepped back into his embrace and resumed her work at his pants. Brushing her hand against his obvious arousal, he moaned softly and gently squeezed her hips, pressing her body against him. When she finally pushed his pants over his hips, he removed his shoes and socks with his toes and then removed his pants. Looking around the room once more at the candles and the roses, she walked backward toward the king sized bed, pulling him along with her. "This is one of the most romantic things you have ever managed to do. Make love to me, Mark."
Two hours later, Elizabeth relaxed on her stomach, in the center of the bed, as Mark straddled her body massaging her shoulders and back. "Mmm, Mark. That feels so good, and the scent of that lotion is to die for."
Mark did not respond, but just stared down at her back. "Mark?" Upon not receiving an answer again, Elizabeth rolled over beneath him until she was looking up at him, still straddling her. Seeing the far off look in his eyes, she asked, "What are you thinking?"
Moving to lay down beside her, he remained silent for a moment, trying to find the words to say. Lying on his side and facing her, he said, "I promise I will make it easier for you this time, Elizabeth."
"Mark, what are you talking about?" She asked, and she traced an imaginary line down his cheek.
"That night in the ER when you went into pre-term with Ella, I promised myself that if we were ever to have another child, I would make sure that you never had to go through what you went through during that pregnancy again," Mark said, softly.
"Mark, you had no control over that, it was my fault. I had no business being in that helicopter that night."
"No, it wasn't your fault. I'm sure the stress of work had something to do with it, but the biggest problem was all the stress I made you endure earlier on in the pregnancy," Mark said sadly, as he sat up and moved to the edge of the bed. Elizabeth remained still for a moment, trying to think of what to say. She couldn't believe he still blamed himself for what had happened. It was so far behind them now; it didn't even matter any more.
Sitting up, she moved behind him and wrapped her arms around his body. Resting her chin on his shoulder, she replied softly yet firmly, "Mark, you did not "make" me endure anything. I chose to be there. I loved you, Mark, I still do, and I always will. That is why I endured that stress. It was my decision."
"I just wish I could have been there for you. When you needed me most, I had to rely on you to get me through my surgery and then through weeks of radiation. That wasn't fair of me, and I shouldn't have done that. Then Rachel came to live with us after Ella was born, and we both know what happened then. That was my fault, too." Mark said, hanging his head.
Elizabeth moved to sit beside him on the bed and took his hands in hers. "Look at me, Mark," she demanded. When he didn't, she lifted his chin and looked him right in the eyes. The sadness she saw there shocked her. She didn't know he had been so worried about this or blamed himself for it. "What do you propose you should have done when you were sick, Mark?" she asked, her voice raising and getting slightly emotional. "Should you have just shut me out while trying to get through it alone? Should you have given up and lost yourself and me in the process? I don't care what you think, but sitting by and doing nothing would have been harder for me than being there for you, Mark. I refuse to let you think that the fact that I was there to help you caused any problems in my pregnancy for Ella. And as for Rachel, Mark, that was a long time ago. Everything is fine now, and thankfully, we still have a beautiful little girl at home right now who thinks you hang the moon. Stop dwelling on past events that you have no control over, because everything finally turned out perfect in the end."
"I'm sorry," Mark said as he smoothed a lock of hair from her face. "I am glad you were there. I'm glad I didn't have to go through all of it alone. I really think you saved my life, Elizabeth."
"Now, I don't know if I would go that far," Elizabeth said with a slight grin. "I was so scared that I was going to lose you, Mark, but I couldn't dwell on that. I knew that you needed me, and I wanted to be there to help and make sure you got through it. That we got through it. I want to be wherever you are, just like I want to be right here, right now. We were engaged, and I knew that you were absolutely the right man for me and that we were meant to spend the rest of our lives together. That's why I stayed. That's why I chose to be there for you. Not because I felt obligated, but because I knew that I couldn't live without you. I just wish I wouldn't have been so stubborn after Ella was sick. I should never have left you, Mark. My heart ached, and I missed you desperately. I never stopped loving you. Tell me you know that."
"I do. That night in the ER when you were having contractions and then when Ella was in the PICU, though, you cried, Elizabeth. I felt so responsible for your tears. All I could think was that I had just made the most wonderful person in my life cry, and it absolutely breaks my heart to see you cry. I didn't know what to do. I just wish I could have been there more for you when you needed me most."
"You were there, Mark. When I needed you, you came running, and you held me while I cried. You always have been there for me, and now, we have another go at this. Just as long as we are together, we are stronger than either of us ever could be on our own, but I can't promise that you'll never see me cry again."
Placing his left hand on her still flat abdomen and looking into her eyes, Mark replied, "Well, I can promise you that I will never give up on you or us. Will you let me try to help you out as much as I can during this pregnancy?"
"Will I let you? I will insist on it," Elizabeth answered as she kissed his lips. Pulling away, she finished, "Just as long as you don't get all anxious and worried and try to strap a fetal heart monitor on me all the time. You will drive me insane."
Mark laughed softly. "I'll try my best."
"Good." She said, smiling. "Are you all right?"
"Yes, I'm wonderful, thanks to you."
"I'm glad. Now, if you don't mind, this is the first evening you and I have been able to spend alone together in forever, and I refuse to spend the rest of it watching you beat yourself up over this."
"So, how would you like to spend the rest of this evening?"
Crawling back onto the bed and lying down, she replied, "How about that massage?"
Moving beside her and adjusting to where her head was resting on his chest, Mark said, "Sounds great. My shoulders have been a bit tense lately."
"Your shoulders? I meant that you should finish my massage."
Looking down at her, Mark chuckled, and jumping up, he started tickling her. She soon got the better of him and pinned his body beneath hers, her hands firmly pressing his arms against the bed. She kissed him hard on the lips, and then, her laughter soon sobering, she said, "Mark. . ."
"Yes?"
"I love you."
"I love you too, Elizabeth."
To be continued. . .