Disclaimer: I don't own ER, or any of the character, except for the Matthews Family, however if I did own ER, I would be stinkin' rich, and wouldn't need to write fanfiction.

"Alexandra Matthews" A woman called – probably the secretary, Alex thought as she approached the office wherein her job interview would take place.

She stepped in, and looked at two persons in the office – both looking familiar as ever. "Hello Kerry" She greeted the woman, sitting in a chair next to Romano.

Weaver heartedly smiled to her "Alexandra – I thought you moved to New York?"

She seated in the chair in front of the desk "I did – but family matters have brought me back to Chicago"

"This isn't a social visit people… Christ, you can't let two women inside the same room, before they start jabbering away with boring nonsense"

Weaver shot him a glance.

"Applying for attending spot then?" He asked flipping some pages, Alex presumed to be her résumé

"Yes" She answered with raised eyebrows – as if he didn't know.

"There's a recommendation letter here from a Dr. Pattinson, Chief of emergency medicine at mercy new York" he continued.

Alex rubbed her right temple "I told him not to write one – but the man is stubborn" She shrugged, trying not to look directly into his eyes.

"Hm… it says here you have a kid?"

Alex forced a smile "Daughter"

"Really? How old is she?" weaver chimed in

"She turns five in august" Alex now completely avoided Romano's look, but tried to sound as casual as she could.

"Kerry, would you be so kind to leave us for a moment?" He looked at weaver, with a look that said 'do as I say, or I'll do something very painful to you'.

Confused she inclined, and left the room, leaving the two alone.

Kerry walked out of the office, wondering why in the world she had to step out – after all, she had a big say in this as well.

As she was about to enter again, Susan appeared down the hall, and walked toward her.

"Kerry? I thought you had a job interview right now?" She looked at her with a puzzled look.

"I do, but Romano kicked me out of his office – he wanted to talk with her alone"

Susan looked like something dawned on her "Did she tell about Leah?"

"Who? Her daughter?"

"Yeah… damn it, I told her not to bring it up"

"Well, she didn't, Romano did, but what's wrong with that?" Kerry felt like she had missed something important.

"She and Romano dated for five months before she left."

It was quiet… too quiet in the office, that if a penny was dropped to the floor, it could have been heard. Romano was dangerously quiet. Had he figured it out? – No he couldn't have.

"Alexandra" He began – a bad sign, as he always called her Alex, or Alexi. "You could have told me"

Oh shit she looked down.

"I know, I know"

"I don't know, if you're still with him but – "

"Wait – what?" She interrupted him. "With who?"

"The father of your kid, and quite coincidentally the man you cheated on me with" he sounded almost bitter. She finally looked up at him, puzzled as the where he'd gotten the idea she'd cheated on him. "I – I've never cheated on you… why do you think I did that?"

"Because you incidentally have a kid, and we always used protection"

"Not always, not the last time" she said, looking down again, ashamed that she hadn't told him before – that she didn't tell him back then.

She took a deep breath, and raised her head, to look at him. "The last time was in November, my birthday, and we didn't use it then"

His left eye brow was raised "You're telling me I have a daughter?"

She took a deep breath and nodded her reply.

"And why didn't you tell me, before you left?" He oddly enough didn't sound mad, rather, it sounded like he didn't believe it.

"Because… I – I don't know… I guess I thought it was because you didn't want the kid, and I know this may sound really cliché, but I didn't want to give the baby up… I were 33 years old, and I guess I saw it was my opportunity to have a kid before it's too late" She didn't know how else to explain it, weather it was an explanation he believed or not, was up to him.

"What, eh, is her name?" He asked

"Leah… Leah Matthews Romano" She looked at him, as it dawned on him that he actually had a child "Look, if you don't want to see her, or anything, I don't mind – I came here to get a job, not to force anything on you" She said calmly, telling nothing but the truth.

"Have you told her about me?" He asked, somewhat careful.

"I've told her, that you are a doctor and a loving man when you want to be one – she often asks, but I don't want to set her hopes up for anything – that's also why I haven't told her you work here"

She wondered what he was thinking, as he looked deep in thought. "Why did you move back here?"

He then asked, Alex could only guess that, it was one of many questions.

"Family matters like I said – my sister have been having financial problems, and since she can help take care of Leah, we moved in with her" Alex informed him, though, a voice in the back of her head said it wasn't his business why she moved back.

"very well" he took a deep breath, and looked at her, with a business minded look "you'll know in 2 days if you have the job, now get out" he said sharply.

Alex needed not being told twice. She rose and went out the door and took a deep breath – okay, now that's over with she told herself.

"Hey Alex" Susan called. Alex turned around, and found Susan standing next to Weaver. She walked over and joined them, forcing a smile at the sight of her old friend and went over to hug her.

"Are you done?" Weaver asked frowning.

"Yeah"

Swearing under her breath, weaver went back into the office, leaving Susan and Alex standing.

"You told him, huh?"

Alex threw her arms defeated in the air. "I had to… he thought I'd cheated on him"

Susan frowned, and looked at her watch "I still have 30 minutes left for lunch – wanna go get something at doc magoos?" She asked.

"That's still open? Sure, why not"

"So, tell me, he thought you had been cheating on him?" Susan asked, after they had ordered.

"Apparently… I had to tell him about Leah… otherwise, he wouldn't believe me" Alex said hopelessly. Her chances of getting the job looked dark.

"Was he mad?"

"I don't know… he didn't seem mad, but you know how he is – if anything doesn't go his way, he gets mad"

The waitress appeared with their sodas and Alex instantly took a slurp.

"So, what? Does he want to be in her life?" Susan asked

"Honestly, I don't know. He didn't say anything about, but you know, I told him that if he doesn't want to, then he doesn't have to – I didn't move back to force him onto anything" Alex said, and glanced out of the window for a second, and then back at Susan, who looked worried. "What?"

"I just don't like it – If Leah gets hurt – "

"Then she has a lot of aunts and uncles to help her" Alex smirked. "Mark would never want to see Leah hurt – he has been more of a father figure for her than anyone"

"Yeah, I guess you're right – but I still think you're taking this too lightly. Romano is a devious, arrogant, little man with a lot of power" Susan pointed out, making Alex glare at her. "I know, I know, you once loved him and all that, but I still don't get what you saw in him"

The waitress returned with their food – something Alex thought Susan would distract her from her next question, but she was quickly proved wrong. "What did you see in him?"

Alex sighed. "I don't know… There's… there was something about him… something that made me want him"

Susan eyed her, as if trying to read her thoughts. "Do you still like him?" She asked casually taking a bite of the sandwich she had ordered.

Alex starred at her "No… At least I don't think I do… it's been too long" She took a bite of her own sandwich, not the least bit comfortable about the conversation.

"What are you gonna do if you don't get the job?"

"Apply at mercy and north western" She answered without a thought. "But it would be nice to be back" She said truthfully. She really did miss the ER… She'd heard about all the changes that had happened – Doug, and Carol had twins, and was now living in Seattle. Peter Benton now worked at North western, Dr. Finch with him. Jeanie Boulet had a son and was now counseling people with HIV and Even Dr. Anspaugh were only performing surgeries now instead of managing the place.

She'd met Mark's wife, Elizabeth on several occasions, and liked her – her and mark fit together like the yin and the yang. She'd heard about a Croatian doctor named Luka, who, after what she had heard, had a soft spot for the nurses at county. She missed county more than she even was aware of, and she began to regret ever leaving.