AN: I was going to make the whole ceremony and party one chapter, but it really needs to be two so this is part 1. Part 2 featuring the ceremony and the party will be uploaded soon, and exciting things are in the works for my two favorite ER couples. Happy reading :) I love everyone reading this :) your reviews make it all worth it, and once again, i don't own ER, but often wish that i did ;)

Lucy tossed and turned in the large bed, trying to block the sun light that poured into the room. She groaned, placing the pillow on her face, kicking off the covers. It was too hot in the room, and she wished to collect five more minutes of sleep before the momentous events of the afternoon kept her up all night.

She was graduating today—her short coat replaced with a long one, and M.D. would follow her name now.

John Carter stood in the doorway watching the woman he loved sleep. His eyes were bright, his beard full but neatly trimmed. He wore navy blue pajama pants and an old Northwestern T-shirt. He was madly in love with Lucy—there relationship had been allowed to blossom because she was no longer his student. He smiled, recalling the day he graduated Med school, and what a big step it was towards the career that he loved almost as much as he loved her.

His suit for later hung in the closet, already pressed for her big day. Walking over to her side of the bed, he bent down and removed the pillow from her face, placing a kiss on her forehead.

Lucy stretched and moaned in her sleepy bliss at his cool lips on her burning skin.

"Time to wake up, Luce." he purred as he sat down beside her.

"Mhmmmmm, five more minutes." she pleaded, her eyes still closed as she rolled over onto her back, her beautiful hair fanned messily around her.

"No can do, Luce. We'll both be late for work, and if i let you sleep, you'll miss breakfast." John laughed as he placed soft kisses on her lips, until her eyes opened.

Lucy glanced up at him from the bed, and gave a half-smile as she sighed and sat up. "Why do we have to work today?"

"Didn't you hear about County's doctor initiation ceremony? All students graduating have to work a full shift before their graduation." Lucy rolled her eyes at his sarcasm.

"That was such a bad joke, John." she shook her head as she stood up, brushing her bed-head out of her eyes as she rubbed them until she was alert. A pair of thin, holey sweats covered her legs. They were too big and baggy, and drug the ground slightly, but they were her favorite. She'd had them since she started college—her mother bought them for her before she set off to become a doctor. She had a little piece of her mother with her when she wore them, and it helped to dull the ache of missing her. Lucy hand't seen her mother in two years—her mother wanted to attend her graduation but simply didn't have the money too. Lucy understood how hard her mother struggled to raise her as a single parent with no college education.

Lucy relied on scholarships to attend Medical school, and she'd worked hard her entire life to get where she was. The blonde promised her mother she'd call after the ceremony was over, one day last week as she got off the phone with her, and tears ran down both of their faces.

"Why do you think i'm a doctor? I couldn't cut it in comedy clubs." He rolled on the bed with laughter, enjoying the feel of the soft sheets below him for a minute.

The timer on the stove dinged, and he hopped out of the bed. Lucy looked at him with curiosity in her eyes. They had breakfast together every morning since she had moved into his family's spacious mansion—Gamma's chef always knew how to stuff them full of mouth-watering delicacies. Normally, the butler would gather them and lead them into the dining room, but today, Carter insisted on doing the cooking.

His hand found hers, and Lucy smiled at him. He smiled back, and they walked into the kitchen.

The kitchen was empty except for the two standing at the stove. It was odd, but Lucy said nothing as she sat at the bar and admired his thoughtfulness.

His back to her, Carter flipped a few pancakes in the pan he was holding, concentrating on the task in front of him. "I decided to give Steven the morning off." The pancake flopped back into the pan, golden brown on one side.

"That was nice of you," she told him, drumming her fingers on the marble counter top, swinging her legs as she waited. "Can i do anything?"

"Just enjoy today." he replied while taking a few plates out of the cabinet. He smiled, but she couldn't see. He had his own surpirsie for her, and he made a note to call Dr. Romano as soon as they arrived at County.

"Everything's different now, isn't it?" she bit her lip nervously, her heart beating with anticipation.

He set a full-plate of food in front of her. He heard the way her voice quivered when she asked the question. John studied her shaking figure, and walked over to the other side of the counter.

"You are going to be a great surgeon," he told her, his voice full of confidence.

She shook her head. "Everyone's counting on me. What if i let them down? What if i make mistakes?" her blue eyes, normally pools of light, held a certain darkness that was uncharacteristic of the woman John Carter loved, and he couldn't help but wonder if it was because of the upcoming ceremony, missing her mom, and spending too much time on the fourth floor.

"You will make plenty of mistakes, Luce. We all have. You'll never learn otherwise. Nobody expects you to be perfect." he rubbed her hand with his thumb, relishing in the feel of her soft skin.

"What if i kill somebody?" her eyes went wide, and she sighed, picking up the fork with her free hand.

"Occupational hazard. You can't save them all. As long as you give every patient your very best effort, then that's all anybody can ask for." He moved to sit beside her, holding her hand for a few more seconds until she nodded, satisifed with his answer.

John picked up his fork, and took a bite. "I'm your biggest fan. I'll always be here."

"Me too. Sorry about spoiling breakfast." she looked at the food in front of her, picking at it. She hated the fact that her self-doubt always crept in at the worst times.

"You didn't. Besides, it's normal to have doubts. I had them when I first started, and still get them occasionally. If you don't, then there's something wrong with you. And yes, I'm sure that even Dr. Romano gets them, sometimes." The image of the confident surgeon doubting himself made the bearded ER doctor snort. It wasn't everyday that the Chief of Staff made him laugh, but he didn't have the heart to tell Lucy that he'd probably made that last bit up. Dr. Romano never had doubts, did he?

Lucy laughed. He was right—she was just being silly. Pushing away all the uncertainty she had about the future, she took a big bit of pancake, syrup dripping down her chin.

John grinned, sipping his juice while smiling at the woman beside him. He couldn't get over how amazing it felt to be with her, no matter what they were doing, and he snapped a picture in his mind of her face covered in blueberries and syrup, wanting to remember this moment forever.

—

Robert sat at the desk in his study, reading through a thick stack of files. His eyes glazed over and he rubbed his face. Sometimes he really hated his job—he loved surgery, but why he ever agreed to be Chief of Staff he couldn't understand. Okay, so it was totally a power move over Kerry Weaver and he wasn't sorry he'd "OutWeavered her" but he would rather be spending his free time doing the other things he enjoyed beside surgery.

"Mhmmmmm, I thought you had the day off," the voice brushed against his neck, and he took a deep breath, holding onto the desk as he tried to control his desire.

"I do, Lizzie, but i couldn't sleep knowing that this has to be done before this afternoon." he sighed, closing the file when she kissed the back of his neck.

"I was lonely when I woke up this morning, and I don't enjoy that." she wrapped her arms around his shoulders, burying her head in the crook of his shoulder.

"Okay, I'm done for the day. I can't look at that anymore." Exhausted beyond belief, but trying to hide it, he wiped his eyes, pinching the bridge of his nose as he absentmindedly tapped his pen on the deep colored mahogany desk, a rich brown matching the color of his eyes. He wanted a day where he could just lay in bed snuggled up next to the woman he loved and do nothing at all, but he was a pragmatist. Medicine never slept, and he'd never even so much as wanted a day off before, but Rocket Romano's priorities were changing, and while he still loved jumping out of bed to save people, he found it harder and harder to leave the perfectly content woman who slept beside him most nights alone in his warm bed.

She giggled. "How long have you been up?" She untangled herself and set her cup of coffee down upon the the dark wood, noticing the way his voice was thick and heavy. It wasn't his, and she hoped he wasn't reaching burn out—he was much too young to be through yet, and she wasn't ready to give up her favorite operating buddy quite yet.

"About four hours," he replied, spinning the chair around to face her, his left leg hooked around his right.

"It's only 8. Have you even had coffee, yet?" She asked as she stood just a few inches away from him. He looked worried, and she had a feeling she knew the reason. Elizabeth knew how hard it was to relax on her days off because they were few and far between.

Robert shook his head. He took one of her hands and kissed it, regretting not waking up beside her. "I'm sorry, Elizabeth." his voice was thick with longing, and he hoped that Elizabeth wouldn't notice his distress.

"I'm not mad. Are you okay?" she knelt in front of him, touching his cheek as she looked into his eyes.

"I guess i'm just nervous about today." he admitted, knowing that it was no use keeping it from her because she'd just find out anyway.

"About her graduation or the party?"

"Both." he halfheartedly laughed. "I can't even believe that she's graduating. Seems like just yesterday she came to us as a student, and in a few hours she'll be a doctor."

"It's hard to believe, isn't it?" Elizabeth smiled, careful not to give away the surprise of later. She and Lucy had planned it perfectly, filling in everyone of their plan except Robert. She hated keeping secrets from him, but it was necessary, and she knew it wasn't one of those secrets that's dangerous to a relationship.

"Why did I ever agree to agree to hosting Lucy's graduation party?" He snorted at his own stupidity for ever suggesting such a thing, remembering the look on her face a few weeks ago when he'd made the offer.

"Because you care for her very much." she reminded him, placing a hand on his shoulder.

"She's like a little sister to me. Besides, I care for a certain Associate of Surgery, more." His eyes flashed brightly, and for just a moment, he felt a bit better.

Lizzie looked around, pretending she didn't know he was talking about her. "Is she pretty?"

"The most beautiful woman I've ever seen. Smart, funny, capable, stubborn too." Robert played along, grateful for the distraction. Gretel ran into the room, wagging her tail as she panted and looked at the two expectantly.

"She sounds fantastic." Lizzie teased, nodding her head in approval at such a fabulous choice for a mate.

"She is. Absolutely fantastic. Am i worried for nothing, Lizzie?" he wondered as he stretched his arms into the air, standing up.

"Yes. The party will be fun, the food will be delicious, and everyone will love it. Besides, you've got me. What else is there, really?" She kissed his nose, adjusting the Manchester United shirt that she wore to cover more of her bare legs—it was Robert's and she always wore it when she stayed over, loving that she had a "piece of home" with her.

He raised his eyebrows, watching her try to cover her rich caramel skin. Rocket's eyes grew mischievous, but he tried to stay focused on the problem at hand. "Well, there's money, power, and sex, but i don't think those were the answers you're looking for."

Elizabeth rolled her eyes as Robert pulled her close, breathing in her wonderful scent while wrapping an arm around her waist. He kissed her passionately, and she moaned, wrapping her arms around his neck and parting her lips. Their tongues danced for a few minutes, and Robert fought to keep the throaty growl from his lips. Elizabeth touched the soft fabric of the black t-shirt he wore, and ran her thumb over his collarbone.

"Lizzie," he whined in between kisses, "you're killing me."

"Good." she gave him a wicked smile.

Gretel whined at the lack of attention, and the pair pulled away reluctantly.

"See what you miss when you don't wake up beside me," she teased him before petting the large Bouvier.

"You've made your point." Robert chuckled. "Definitely better than coffee." Gretel brushed against his leg, reminding him of the time.

"What time is Carter supposed to call?" she wondered as they headed into the kitchen. She took out a cup for him, and gave him a gentle kiss on the lips before leaning against the counter.

"As soon as he gets to work." he poured himself a large cup of coffee, and drank it in a flash. He looked at his watch. "It's time for someone's walk," he pointed to the large pair of eyes looking up at him.

"Would you like me to go?" she studied his jawline, very pragmatic with a few days worth of stubble.

"No. I was going to go for a run anyways." he smiled at Elizabeth, and he played with a strand of her hair before setting off to locate his tennis shoes and his beloved dog's leash.

—

Elizabeth showered while Robert was gone. Covered in an expensive grey-cotton towel, she decided what she was going to wear to Lucy's graduation. Robert had been gone an hour, and she went through the things she'd need to collect from her apartment before tonight. She was also in desperate need of clean clothes. Elizabeth threw on one of Robert's sweatshirts and the last clean pair of pants she had brought over last week. As much as she loved staying with him, she hated the commute across town to retrieve the rest of her belongings.

After sorting out her thoughts, she went downstairs and made herself a plate of waffles, opting for the microwave instead of the oven this morning. She had just shoved a rather large bite into her mouth when the phone rang.

Scurrying into the other room, she swallowed careful before picking it up. "Hello?"

"Dr. Corday?" the voice on the other end of the line was strained as if was trying not to be heard.

Lizzie heard the familiar pandemonium form the other side of the line and grinned. The caller was at County. "Hi, Dr. Carter."

"I was supposed to call Dr. Romano when i got in."

"Oh, yes, i know all about your little surprise."

John laughed briefly. "Uhm, can i speak with him?"

"He's out on a run at the moment, but i'd be happy to fill him in when gets back." She grabbed the pen and pad that sat by the phone and jotted down the details Carter gave her.

"So her flight gets in at 1?" she repeated, twirling the phone chord around one finger as she balanced the pad on her knee and write with the other hand. Elizabeth was careful to write down the specifics, wanting everything to go perfectly. The thought of Robert's surprise that she and Lucy had planned fro later also weighed on her, but she knew that one was perfectly ironed out, and Lucy was off putting the finishing touches on that one.

"Yes." Carter nodded as he held the phone, not wanting to get back to work, but knowing he had too if he was going to leave on time. He noticed Peter walking towards him out of the corner of his eye. "Listen, Elizabeth, I've got to go."

"Sure, I understand. I'll see you later tonight." A key in the lock and a gentle bark caused her to turn her head towards the front door.

"You too. Goodbye." Carter set the phone on the receiver as Peter looked at him suspiciously. The bearded man checked his watch, picking up a chart, pretending to be busy.

"Who was that on the phone?" Peter wondered.

"Elizabeth. I was supposed to talk to Romano, but he was out so she was going to relay the information to him."

Jealousy reared its ugly head, but Peter pushed it down deep in his chest, not fully over the confident surgeon yet. He loved Jeanie Boulet with everything in him, but it would take a bit more time before the wounds Elizabeth had given him healed.

John checked to make sure Lucy wasn't around. He lowered his voice. "I'm going to surprise Lucy tonight by having her mom come to her graduation because she hasn't seen her in two years."

Peter nodded. "You had a rule-out appy for me?" John nodded, handing him the chart. Peter went through the chart diligently, trying to kill time before the big ceremony.

Neither of them had much to do on a surprisingly slow day at County. The two friends set off to see the patient.

The Admit desk wasn't very busy, and the others chatted about the upcoming party, especially going to Robert's house for the first time. Susan and Mark sipped their coffee, making jokes while Malucci and Chen gave each other a hard time.

Lucy came around the corner, stopping by the side of her best friend, Abby Lockhart. They'd become best friends in the last few months, having bonded over both being students in difficult rotations. They talked about the next few hours, and the surprise that awaited the Chief of Staff. When Lucy told the brunette about her doubts, Abby locked her in a tight hug, helping to push Lucy's fears away.

The clock on the wall chimed. 12:00. Two hours before she would no longer be able to hide behind the guise of being an ignorant student. In two hours, she'd be a doctor, and her move to the fourth floor would be a permanent one.

—

The door opened and the pair entered. Robert observed the cute way Elizabeth leaned against the side of the couch, her hair bouncy. She looked breathtaking in his Columbia sweatshirt. Gretel ran to her side, and laid down next to her female companion. Robert's heart swelled with happiness at the sight of his two loves, and he thought about the day a tiny pair of feet would be standing next to them, smiling as he came home from work.

When silence greeted her from the other side of the line, she returned the phone to its home.

"If you keep looking delicious, I might just have to forget the party tonight and whisk you off to the Bahamas for the weekend," Robert laughed as he slipped off his shoes, covered in a thick layer of sweat.

"You'll do no such thing. This party means the world to Lucy, and I don't think you have it in you to disappoint her." Elizabeth retorted as she walked over to him and kissed him hungrily.

"I hate it when you're right. It's not my fault that you're so damn beautiful." He set down the empty leash, kissing her back. He could tell that she'd already showered because her alluring coconut shampoo made his mouth water.

Elizabeth clucked her tongue. "How was your run?" she asked as she noticed the stains on his shirt. She pulled him close, and scrunched up her nose. He smelled like a mixture of wet mud and exercise.

"Let's just say that someone wanted to make sure i didn't forget how much she loves mud," Robert looked at Gretel with guilty eyes, and she looked back at him innocently as if she had no idea what he was talking about.

Robert stretched, his sore muscles screaming. He hadn't been able to run in a while, and he missed it, but he forgot just how taxing it was. He made a mental note to hit the gym soon. He had to keep in shape for his beloved. Rocket had an image to maintain, after all, and he figured he'd need all the stamina he could get soon.

"Oh, Carter called while you were gone." she told him, handing him the pad of paper, covered with her small scribble. Robert took it from her, glancing at it for a brief second before throwing it on the black wrought-iron coffee table that sat a few feet away from them—the picture of the two of them smiling in the OR also sitting on the glass, just like Robert had promised her a long time ago.

Rocket licked his lips while his eyes held mischievous determination. He felt like he was seventeen again as he tickled her. Elizabeth squealed, and ran down the hall, her blue eyes so bright they were almost blinding.

Robert ran after her, catching her and plastering her face with little kisses. The beautiful woman tried to fill him in as his lips danced across her skin, and her knees grew weak at the wonderful sensation. Elizabeth tried to concentrate, but it was nearly impossible because Robert was making her feel so damn good. "We don't have time," she purred, wondering how she was even able to open her mouth.

"I only need ten minutes," Rocket growled as he played with the hem of the sweatshirt, his voice full of passion. He moved his soft lips across the skin on her neck, and she bit her lip as she moaned softly, touching his shoulder.

"Robert Patrick Romano!" she giggled until her chest burned from the lack of oxygen, brushing her fingertips along the curvature of his shoulder, his skin cold and caked with a bit of dried mud, but she didn't care. "That's no way to speak to a lady." Elizabeth teased, and the normally stoic surgeon was coming unglued in her hands.

"I can't help it that you're sooooo fucking desirable. Lizzie, you should know that I have a very hard time controlling myself, especially when you're around, but I thought you liked bad boys." he breathed into her warm skin, rubbing his nose along the crook of her shoulder, and they both held back a moan because they'd decided to take their relationship slow and let it go how it was going to, but Rocket figured they'd probably end up breaking that rule soon. Pulling his lips from her skin, he smirked, raising his eyebrows suggestively at her as he pouted, exposing his dimples.

She playfully swatted him as she pushed him away, and grabbed the wall to keep from falling over. She nodded her head at him, tracing her fingertips over the line of stubble at his chin. "i do have a penchant for a certain surgeon, but I've already showered and he hasn't so while I'd love to roll around in the sheets with him, I do require him to be clean first." Elizabeth scrunched her nose as Robert really began to stink.

Rocket smiled at Elizabeth's admission. "Fine, I'll go shower. What did Carter say?" he wondered as he took off his black t-shirt, walking towards the laundry room. He threw the shirt onto the pile of clothes to be washed, and started for the stairs, grabbing her butt and squeezing for a few seconds when he passed her. She yelped in surprise, rolling her eyes while scratching her neck.

Elizabeth relayed the information, watching his half-naked body parade up the stairs. Her legs tingled. Electricity coursed through her veins, rooting itself deep into her toes.

The gold clock on the wall chimed, and Robert stopped halfway up, cursing.

"Damn, it's already 12:15. Lizzie, can you call Anspaugh for me? He's supposed to pick up the guest of honor, and i totally forgot like a dolt."

"Sure thing, Robert. I also need to run home and grab my outfit for later. Did you stop at the store, yet?" She called up to him, rummaging around in the kitchen. Elizabeth waited for his response as she scribbled down a list of ingredients for tonight, and she hoped that Robert had come to a decision on food because he'd been thinking about it for two weeks, and she really didn't want to have pizza. Maybe this was a bad idea, letting Robert plan most of it by himself—when did he even have time to sleep anymore—he looked exhausted, and she made a note to speak to him about lightening his workload.

"Shit, shit shit! I told you this was a bad idea, Lizzie." he told her as he gripped the wooden railing, fear gripping his strong frame. What the hell have i gotten myself into? he wondered in the deafening silence that surrounded him.

"Relax, it'll be fine. Go get a quick shower and then we'll figure it out. We'll just have to be quick," she reminded him, her voice light as the double entendre rolled off her lips with ease.

Robert snorted at her joke, feeling better already. It would be fine, he knew, as long as he had her to help her through it. He gathered himself before sprinting the rest of the way up to wash off the dried mud, thoughts of later permeating his mind.