Lily raised an eyebrow. "You both want to come to work with me?" She sipped her tea. "I-I guess you guys can come and see where I work but I have a long shift today and I won't be stopping for a quick bite to eat or anything."

"That's fine. We can find something else to do today. Touring Hong Kong." Alicia grinned, winking at Ethan.

"Oh, ok. We better go, otherwise I will be late."

Lily's job was ten minutes away via walking and the three took their time to enjoy the early morning bustling of people commuting to school and work and cars driving through the busy streets.

"God, it's loud, isn't it?" Alicia asked, pulling her jacket tighter around her body.

Lily chuckled, nodding. "You get used to it. The windows at my place block it out well enough. I think too well enough because I sleep like a horse lately. It's nothing like Holby."

Ethan could hear the sadness in her voice but decided not to ask about it. "So, what's the hospital like?"

"Just like Holby but foreign. To you, not to me. The signs are a mixture of Mandarin and English but I have even found myself becoming lost sometimes." Lily cleared her throat. "You'll be waiting in the local library which is across from it. I'll try and make it out for lunch and dinner."

"No, you don't have to if you're very busy. I'm sure you can-"

Lily shook her head with a smile. "It's fine. I have to talk to you guys anyway."

They had arrived and Lily used her ID card to sign in at the front desk. She also collected two visitors' passes for them.

"I'll show you around - my office, the ward I work at and then the cafeteria where you'll come back to at 2:30 PM. It is a late lunch but I can't shift it."

"Perfect. Well, let's get going. We mustn't keep you any longer." Ethan smiled.

...

Lily yawned, smiling as she withdrew her hand from her mouth when she saw Ethan and Alicia waved her over to their secluded table.

"Did you guys get anything to eat?"

"Oh, no..." Alicia frowned. "We don't know how to order." She blushed.

Lily gave out a soft chuckle. "You come with me first then I will help Ethan."

Alicia stood up before following Lily to the queue. It was very short and they found themselves ordering and collecting their food quickly. Alicia went back with both trays to switch places with Ethan.

"There's a variety. Unfortunately, no orange chicken." She raised a bemused eyebrow at him when he blushed furiously.

"Yo-You heard that?"

She nodded. "You woke me up." She helped him order his meal and collect it before grabbing three colas for them and water bottles. They then made their way back to their table to see Alicia already digging in. "Like it?"

"Oh, it's lovely!" Alicia smiled widely. "Why does Ethan look so alarmed?"

"Orange chicken." Lily shrugged, sitting down and eating her food.

Alicia burst out into laughter. "Oh, God! Ethan! I did tell you to be quiet. Sorry, Lily."

"It's fine," Lily giggled herself. "Quite amusing, if I must say so. So, tell me how life is back at home?"

Ethan glanced up at her as Alicia went on to talk about everything that went on which she hadn't been able to talk to her over the phone about.

It was ten minutes after the conversation had ended.

"Are you missing Holby?"

Lily looked up from her drink. "I did live there for four years." She shrugged. "I guess I should come out with it... I was really hoping that you wouldn't visit because it would have made things worse. I would have missed Holby so much and I do and that meant missing Iain as well. Talking on the phone was easy, it was just like old times but you guys actually being here, in Hong Kong, makes the reality of Iain turning up real. I don't want that, I just want to move on. That's why I took the offer to become Head of Department..."

Ethan looked hurt but understood where she was coming from. Holby hurt him too. So many tainted memories, he wondered why didn't he pack all of his things and go to Australia or somewhere?

"I'm sorry that you feel that way, Lily..." Alicia said quietly. "I guess we were excited to see you that we didn't stop and think how-"

"Oh, no. Don't get me wrong. I love that you guys came and see me. Takes the pain away for a little while but..." Lily trailed off, nervously glancing around. "No one knows this but me..."

"What is it?" Alicia asked.

Lily swallowed deeply before turning to face Ethan. "I'm ten weeks pregnant."

Ethan faltered. But they did the blood test. They took samples. She was negative.

"After." She whispered to him.

Alicia looked at her then Ethan. "Did you know already?"

Lily shook her head. "He helped me take a test the first time. We were on our way to work and I threw up. Turns out it was the flu. But then when I told Iain... he told me he wasn't ready but yet we didn't use protection after..."

Alicia stood up and knelt beside Lily. "Was it your decision or his to...?"

"Mine. I feel like I've betrayed him, his trust. He told me didn't want children yet I... knowing that I could get pregnant. I'm a bad person..." She whispered, making Alicia hug her tightly.

Ethan snapped out of his shock and reached over to take her hand in his. "We're here to support you. Do your colleagues know?"

"No, and I don't want them to. Not until absolutely necessary. I just got this job and I cannot mess it up." Lily sighed, rubbing her head. "I want to do something to further my career not stop it all together. I thought Iain and I would still be together so we could raise it but... I don't think I was ever in love with him. Or I don't know if I'm just saying that to lessen the pain that I am more or less a single mother."

"Maybe we should cancel next week and extend our stay," Ethan told Alicia.

Lily shook her head at him. "No. Don't. I'll be fine, okay?"

"Mrs Beauchamp told me that Iain was planning to come at Christmas."

"Oh my God... And he's going to know-"

Alicia chuckled lightly. "Lily, you're barely even showing. We didn't know you were pregnant and we worked with you closely for years. I'm sure that you won't be showing enough for two weeks or so. Just brave the confrontation, and tell him you want to make it work."

"But what if he wants us to go back to Holby. I am happy here."

Ethan knew it. That he might have to let go of her forever. "Convince him to stay. I'll help you."

"I guess it was a blessing in disguise the both of you coming to visit." Lily smiled, hugging them both.

Five days later, Lily waved goodbye to them, promising to call every week, especially on Christmas Day and New Years. But she knew that they wanted an update on Iain and the baby and she couldn't fault them for their concern. To them, she was going into this alone but she'd hope that she would get her own happy ever after especially seeing Ethan and Alicia grow even closer over the week. She had snuck a letter into Ethan's suitcase before she dropped them off at the airport. And another found its way in Alicia's too. If she was going to be miserable this Christmas, she wanted them both to have a magical one despite them working. Lily Chao was going to get Alicia Munroe and Ethan Hardy together even if it killed her.