Epilogue part 1… As ordered. A sequel. Sort of. But there won't be much more cause I'm working all summer away from home (NZ summer starts soon and ends in February). Hope you like.

"Yah, see you tonight." Elizabeth hung up the phone.

"How things going?" Susan asked familiarly.

"Ah, good. I just hope I don't get pulled into surgery 20 minutes before my shift ends."

"You got it bad huh?" Susan grinned, picking up a pile of files from admitting.

"What?" Elizabeth was reading a case and was a bit distracted.

"You're that keen to leave - must be something good waiting at home."

"He's not as bad as he seems." Elizabeth smiled. "I better get on to this." She held up the file and walked away. I guess its official, she thought to herself. Not that she wanted to deny anything - in fact she was suppressing a desire to shout things from the rooftop. Everyone at County knew. Some of it anyway. But they all had slant -most of them cynical and dirty - things their relationship definitely was not. But who cares what they think. It's about as good as it gets - he's looking after Ella instead of full-time work, though it is full time work really. He's there when I get home, meals prepared, bed made. And I'm not alone. Ella's not neglected. Neither am I. Neither is he. I should get him something, a gift.

"Elizabeth?" Chen had obviously said her name several times.

"Yah?"

"I need your signature."

"Oh, right." Elizabeth signed absentmindedly.

"What's on your mind?"

"Just looking forward to the end of my shift." Elizabeth smiled. "I'll take her up." She nodded at the patient and wheeled the bed to the elevator.

Robert lifted Ella from her high chair and carried her through to the lounge. 15 more minutes of the Simpsons then Ella would go to bed and he'd have 4 hours to kill before Elizabeth got home.

Elizabeth let herself in to Robert's house quietly. When the door was closed behind her she peaked in the lounge and kitchen then made her way upstairs. But he wasn't in his room either. She went to check on Ella and found her sleeping on Robert's chest. He was lying on the guest-room bed by Ella's cot. Elizabeth lifted Ella, lightly waking Robert. She put Ella down in the cot then sat beside Robert on the bed.

"Hi." She smiled.

"Hey." He rubbed his face, trying to wake up.

She took his hand. "Come on, you obviously need your sleep." She lead him to their room. She kicked her shoes under a chair.

"Na-ah." Robert shook his head. "I haven't seen you all day, and I don't need sleep that much. I missed you tonight." He pulled her closer to face him.

"I missed you too."

"You can't have been that busy." He brushed the hair back off her face.

"It was a bit slow but I kept getting distracted - if you'd been there you would have given me a yelling-at."

"I can if you like."

"Na, Kerry almost did, that'll do me."

"Doesn't really count, irritating her is a royal honour."

"And irritating you isn't?" she jumped out of his grasp giggling. He shook his head in mock-disapproval then chased after. He cornered her against the bed, though she wasn't putting up much of a fight. He gave her a look as if to say, you give up? She shrugged, smiling cheekily. He stepped forward so his body was touching hers when they breathed in, and pushed her shoulder once. She fell back onto the bed and put her hands above her head, "I surrender," she whispered. He straddled her legs and held her hands above her head.

"Good, cause I'm all out of fight." He kissed her once then just hugged her.

"Robert," she whispered, holding him tightly, "I think I should take some time off."

He lifted his head to look at her, "Why?"

"Cause of us - this is all new and I want it to work and that takes time. I miss you and I worry about you."

"I'm fine." he insisted, sitting up beside her on the bed.

She sat up. "I know. But, I mean…" she took his hand. "Are you?" she searched his face."

"Yup." He met her eyes but that gave him away, "Okay, I miss work. I miss the challenge, the competition, the conflict. Heaven forbid, a bit of snark with Kerry in the elevator might keep my brain from turning to mush. A bit of abuse in the ER might keep the rest of me from turning into mush."

"So why don't you go back - there's a job waiting for you."

"Gee Lizzie, I dunno - oh, that's right, I'm missing a limb." He rolled his eyes.

"And you're getting a prosthetic in a matter of days. Knowing you you'll be using it like an old pro within a week or two. Meantime, you managed to work without sensory function in your arm for almost a year. Your centre of gravity is slightly different but it won't affect your work. You can still abuse nurses, doctors and students alike."

He didn't reply, which surprised Elizabeth. He just sat their thoughtfully, "Maybe you're right." He swallowed and met her eyes. "The return of the one-armed-freak."

"Hallelujah." She half-smiled. Which made him smile.

"I'll wait till I've got the prosthetic down though. I've lost enough dignity in past months. Can't give them all too much pleasure but making a mockery of the heartless tin-man."

"Who turns out to have a heart after all."

"No it's all yours."

"I meant in the story - it's one of Ella's favourites." Elizabeth smiled.

"Oh. Well," he sighed, "I'll talk to Kerry when I go in to get my prosthetic fitted - can't wait." He rolled his eyes.

"Surely this is a good thing." Elizabeth looked at him quizzically.

"I meant the meeting with Kerry."

"Oh, fair enough then." She reached up to touch his face. "You're very brave."

He raised his eyebrows in agreement.

"I don't mean because you're meeting with Kerry - I mean because you're going back at all."

"I couldn't live with myself if I gave them the pleasure of getting rid of me for good. I always had my suspicions that one of the innumerable curses aimed my way, from doctors and patients alike, might have taken effect in that helicopter - ha! Didn't stop me yet."

"I love you."

"Yah, I noticed. Why?"

Lizzie shrugged playfully then lifted her hand to his face again and kissed him.

"Thank you." He opened his eyes and looked at her earnestly.

"But I'm still going to take a week off."

"Why?"

"To have a holiday - before you go back… we might as well take advantage of this." She grinned mischievously. "What do you say?"

"I'd say that the south of France sounds great."

"For one week?"

"Sure."

"Robert, we're talking about a holiday that starts in ten days. We won't find a hotel."

"Who says we need a hotel? Trust me. Hell, let me organise the whole thing - you can wrestle with Kerry for the time off. I wouldn't trade you for the world."

She looked at him suspiciously - he was hiding something. But not one to kill a surprise she let it drop, "Ok."

"I just have one question."

"Shoot."

"Is this a holiday or a honeymoon?" He asked confidently but his vulnerability was evident in his eyes.

Elizabeth smiled, biting her lip, playing with the idea in her mind. She swayed from side to side on the bed. "You want a honeymoon?"

"Do you need to ask?"

"Okay." She was still smiling and biting her lip. He lifted his hand to her face and stroked his thumb over her lips, freeing the bottom lip from her teeth.

"You sure. It's not too soon."

"I'm sure. I want to be with you forever - that's not going to be any different in 6 months - who cares if people think it's too soon. I don't."

Robert grinned like a child. "I guess we have a wedding to plan as well."

"Anything's possible. You've got to love a challenge if you're going to plan a wedding in a week."

"Good thing Ella likes shopping."

"I'll get Chris to look after her while we're away."

"What are your hours like this week?"

"So-so."

"Is it possible?"

"Robert - we've done surgery to save people who might have well been dead - we can do this."

"Okay. We're getting married." He grinned like a child. "You must understand, I never thought I'd say those words."

"I never thought I'd be so happy to hear them - I don't mean from you - I mean from anyone - I mean…" she sighed awkwardly.

"It's okay." Robert touched her face lightly.

She smiled, "I know. It's crazy but it's okay. We don't need to invite many people anyway - no one at work will understand, my parents will flip - excellent. What about your family?"

He looked unsure.

"They should be there."

"It's just Jo. And her husband and daughter. Dorothy, my housekeeper. Gretel can be my best man - except she's neither male nor human and it would be a waste of a good suit."

Elizabeth laughed. "Small is good. It's not about anyone else anyway. In fact the fewer the better."

"Yah, less to feed at the reception."

"How are we going to find a place in a week."

"I have my ways." He tapped his nose.

"This will be a first - a wedding where the bride is surprised by something other than the best man's speech."

"And since the current best man is a canine that will be one fascinating speech." Robert laughed. Elizabeth watched him silently, adoring him completely. He stopped laughing and met her stare. "I don't deserve that look."

"Yes you do." She replied earnestly. "I love you." She cupped his cheek with one hand, "Bedtime. We have a busy week." She lay back on the bed. He stood up and looked at her while he removed his outer layers of clothing.

"I can't even be bothered getting changed." She yawned.

"I can help you there." He rolled her over on the bed and unzipped her skirt then rolled her over again and kneeling beside her unbuttoned her blouse. She was blissfully floppy and sleepy, aware of Robert's hands undoing her clothing and tentatively undressing her and nothing else. He cupped her cheeks, kissed her softly on the lips, leaned over her and switched off the bedside lamp and returned to her lips. She opened her eyes,

"This is why I was distracted all day at work." She smiled cheekily and wrapped her arms around his body, pulling him closer with her eyes as well.

I know, I'm mean. I leave it all up to your imaginations. But at least bad writing can't ruin it for you. But you know what's meaner - you thought this was more of the story but it's better - it's the promise of more. The wedding. Epilogue part 2. And maybe the honeymoon too. We'll see… maybe we need an Epilogue 3. But I have a bad feeling NBC are letting us down now that I've seen the trailer for the next season. I keep watching it again looking for Elizabeth and Robert but it doesn't help much. "How's your arm?" "Gone" - Robert has one word. Lizzie's in the background - I'm not even sure it's her. And it's a different scene. Well, I suppose they might be stretching it out for dramatic reasons but I'm NOT IMPRESSED.

I'll write a completely new fan fiction once I've seen the first few episodes. Unfortunately that won't be for ages cause NZ is so far away we won't get ER till next year. Unless someone writes a meticulously detailed summary - then I'll try. No promises. Maybe I could just move to the US to see the next season… I'll see what I can do…