Okay, warning: mostly cheesy mushy stuff. ur gonna love it.
Disclaimer: MEAN NBC own this. Not me. I'm not that mean.
"Don't you think mum would look great in that?" Robert pointed a dress out to Ella who shook her head ferociously.
"What? She'd look stunning." Robert demanded.
Ella nodded.
"What? I don't get it."
"Mama's dress is pretty."
"What dress?" he began lightly, "Oh." It dawned on him that Elizabeth already had a wedding dress – she'd been married before. But surely she'd get a new one. Might as well ask Ella, "Is it a new dress?"
Ella nodded as though she were telling a secret.
Whew.
"What cake does she like?" Robert figured he might as well use Ella's privileged information to help with the wedding plans.
"Chocolate." Ella replied excitedly.
"Is that her or you."
"Me!" she said, then thought "and Mama too."
"Okay." He laughed, carrying the toddler into a cake shop. Ella looked around and put her nose up at all of them. Robert liked one of them but it was ridiculously expensive. And not perfect. It needed to be perfect.
Elizabeth poured herself a cup of coffee as Susan entered the surgeon's lounge.
"Hey." Susan said, collapsing onto a seat.
"Long shift?" Elizabeth asked, her mind wirring, trying to think of a way to ask Susan to the wedding.
"Not so bad but sometimes they just drag."
"Coffee?"
"No, I'll go home and sleep in an hour."
"Fair enough. So, um, are you busy this weekend."
"Why, need a double date?"
"No." Elizabeth laughed. "Um," just say it… "um," say it! "I'm getting married. You want to come?"
"What?" Susan sat up in disbelief. "To who? Romano?"
"No, Santa Claus."
"No, I mean. Already?"
"Well… um," Elizabeth wasn't quite sure what to say.
"Sorry. None of my business. I'd love to come."
"It's okay. It is very fast. But I guess it's not entirely normal circumstances."
"You don't have to explain to me." Susan stood up to pour herself a coffee.
"There's been a lot beneath the surface for a long time and we've known each other for years. But I must admit I wouldn't have believed I'd ever marry him a year ago. I wouldn't have even thought – even before Mark."
Susan nodded. "I'm happy for you – I mean, I'm sure you could do better but I don't really know Romano."
"He wouldn't let you."
"What's your secret?"
"He let me."
Ella pretended to bake a ridiculously large cake with Robert's pots and pans spread all over his kitchen floor. Robert sat on the floor, leaning against a cupboard, flicking through a cookbook with a pile more on the floor beside him. He sighed dropping the current one back on the pile. The book under it caught his eye and he picked it up.
"That's what I make." Ella pointed to the picture on the cover – a cream coloured cake that was DARK inside. The book was the one Elizabeth had bought him when he was still in recovery. And the cake was Dark Chocolate with White Chocolate icing [yah some foods deserve uppercase letters]. He had a good feeling about this one. He flicked through until he found another picture of it and skimmed his eyes over the recipe.
"You finished?" he asked Ella.
"Yup, we gotta eat it now."
"What if we go out and make a REAL one when we get back?" Robert suggested. That sounded good to Ella.
I am not going through that again. Elizabeth told herself. Susan got her invite – the little card with handwritten purple metallic writing. Elizabeth posted the rest on bulletin boards around the hospital just before she left – the less questions the better.
Ella took a mouthful of the mini-version of the wedding cake. The combination of dark and white chocolate around her mouth was quite the work of art. Robert waited for her eyes to widen in delight before he took a bite from the same slice.
"Yup. That's it. No question. I hope your mum likes chocolate."
Ella giggled revealing the much-appreciated contents of her mouth. Which made Robert laugh too.
Elizabeth unlocked the door with a tired sigh. The sound that hit her ears immediately made her smile. The combined laugh of her daughter and Robert was musical. She dropped her bag at the foot of the stairway and followed the sound the kitchen. The usual suspects were sitting on the floor surrounded by pots and pans and between them was a LARGE slice of cake, in each of their hands was a dirty fork and each of their mouths was open and covered in chocolate.
"Looks like I'm missing out." She said, leaning against the doorway.
"Oh, you're home." Robert spun around, trying to hide the cake and wipe his mouth at the same time. Ella hiked her rear end off the floor and, cake covered and all, ran to her mother. "Ella." He gave her a you're-ruining-our-plan look that made Elizabeth laugh. Robert stood up and Elizabeth stepped forward, kissing him.
"You taste different too." Elizabeth teased him and wiped the white chocolate from above his lip, bringing it to her own with an approving 'mmm'.
"At least pretend there's some kinda surprise here." He said, ruffling Ella's hair.
"Okay. I'll clean up Ella and you can turn this evil-scientist-lab into your kitchen again." Elizabeth walked out of the kitchen laughing.
"So, how'd it go?" Robert asked as Elizabeth
"What?" She lifted herself so she was sitting on the bench.
"The invites." He pressed 'start' on the microwave and turned to her.
"Oh. Well I told Susan and then chickened out and posted the rest on noticeboards. I figure people will come if they want to. The gossip was inevitable, hell, it started a while ago."
"Fair enough. Do you think people will come?"
"In curiosity, yes. But who cares – it's our day, not theirs." She swung her legs and held out her hand to him. He stepped between her knees and she rested her hands on his shoulders.
"Then why are we inviting them?"
"Cause coming back from our honeymoon to let them all know we're already married would be so much fun it'd kill us. And you've had enough close calls this year."
He smiled, thinking how beautiful she looked, tired and comfortable and happy. She hadn't looked this happy for a long time. He made her happy. This realization shocked him. "You are so beautiful." He lifted his hand to her face and was about to kiss her when the microwave beeped, announcing their dinner was now reheated. Robert didn't miss the look of disappointment on Elizabeth's face as their almost-kiss was broken. He hadn't felt this good in a long time either. He hadn't felt this good in his memory. Maybe never?
"What are we having?" she jumped off the bench and got two wine glasses out of the cupboard.
"Soup and toast. I was busy today, so my apologies for the simplicity."
"Robert, you're basically a gourmet cook. A simple meal is nice for a change." She poured two glasses of red wine and put the glasses and the bottle on the table.
"So, what were you busy doing?"
"Stuff," he tasted the soup before grabbing the salt and pepper shakers from on top of the fridge.
Elizabeth got up and got the Parmesan, grating some into her soup. "So you're not going to tell me anything?"
"Nup." He dipped some toast into his soup.
She laughed and shook her head.
"Did Ella go down alright?" he changed the subject.
"Yeah, she said she had fun today. You know you're amazing with her?"
"Did she tell you what we did?" he panicked
"No, your secret is safe."
"I have a loyal accomplice, excellent." He lifted his eyebrows with an evil grin.
Elizabeth smiled at him. It never ceased to amaze her that she'd known this man for so long and had never seen this side of him till recently. This amazing side – so lovable, compassionate and funny. Something told her the transformation had something to do with her.
"I can't sleep." Ella padded into the kitchen barefoot, in a singlet and nappies.
"My turn." Robert jumped up and swooped Ella off the floor. She squealed with laughter that faded slightly as her took her upstairs.
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Elizabeth looked herself up and down, unable to repress her laugh.
"You okay honey?" Her mother poked her head in the door [now I'm laughing, mental image of Lady Corday with her head stuck THROUGH a door… lol, that's not what I meant though…]
"Yah, I'm fine. What do you think?" She turned, her wedding dress swishing around her ankles, nothing could squash her mood, not even her mother.
"You look lovely." She said simply. "Ella is all clean and dry, where's her dress?"
"Oh, I'll dress her – if I don't keep busy I'll get nervous." She laughed again, more like a nervous giggle.
"It's perfectly normal to be nervous."
"I know mum, I've done this before."
"Oh, right sorry. So how did you keep this a secret for so long?" she followed her daughter towards her granddaughter's room.
"How'd I keep what a secret?"
"You and Robert?"
"Oh, I didn't. I mean, not intentionally."
"It's not that long since I talked to you, and it might not have come up but 'I've fallen in love' is a great conversation starter."
"Well, to be honest, I don't know if I was 'in love' when I last talked to you. It all happened so fast – cliché, I know, but in truth this relationship is far from cliché."
"They all are." She said cynically, then quickly apologised.
"What I mean is that we have only been seeing each other for a few weeks but it's been in the air for a lot longer." She pulled Ella's dress out of a closet and lay it on her bed. "Where did she go?"
Her mother shrugged.
Elizabeth stepped out into the hallway, "Ella!"
There was the distinct click of a phone being hung up then Ella's voice, "Yeah?" she appeared at the bottom of the stairs looking guilty as a thief.
"Who were you talking to?" Elizabeth asked as her daughter toddled up the stairs.
"Robert."
"What did he say?"
"Nothing." Ella walked determinedly into her room.
Elizabeth sighed. "Let's get you dressed." She knelt in front of her daughter, pulling off her t-shirt.
"This really is a lovely house." Her mother filled the silence.
"Yah," Elizabeth agreed and slipped the dress over her daughters out-stretched arms, covering her face. Ella giggled as Elizabeth pulled it over her face. "What are we going to do with your hair?"
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Robert held his hands to his stomach as he nervously looked in the mirror.
"You look fine." Jo insisted and pulled him to face her. He didn't look so sure. "Trust me." She pushed a white rose into the buttonhole of his dark blue pinstripe suit.
He smiled and took her hand. "I'm crazy aren't I?"
Jo took a moment then nodded. "Probably, but I've only met Elizabeth once and I don't really know her. If she can put up with you, if she's seen you after three shifts in a row and she still wants to marry you, I think you're safe."
"I didn't think I'd ever get married."
"Yes, but that's because you've compared every thing in a skirt to her and you never met her clone."
"I hope she likes the wedding."
"Are you kidding?"
"Well, I'm no wedding planner. I don't know what she's expecting."
"Did you go to her other wedding?"
"Yeah."
"So is this better."
"For me, sure, I'm the groom."
"That's not what I meant."
"I know. I have nothing to worry about but tell that the my stomach."
"You can light those candles if you need something to take your mind off it."
"I'm a surgeon, multi-tasking is a given, it'll take more than candles."
"Where's open-heart surgery when you need it?" she pushed him aside to check herself in the mirror.
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"I think its time honey." Mrs Corday turned to her daughter. Elizabeth took a deep breath.
"Okay, Ella. You ready?" she knelt down to her daughter who nodded and giggled nervously. Elizabeth spun her around and nudged her toward the doors. A few seconds later Elizabeth followed on her father's arm. Robert had been watching Ella and blatantly grinning at her. He lifted his eyes to Elizabeth and the grin was replaced by stunned amazement. He consciously took several breaths to slow his heartbeat, swallowed nervously and blinked back traitorous tears.
"Is he crying?" Susan whispered to Jing Mei who had no answer.
Robert's sister squeezed his hand quickly before he took Elizabeth's. He was still choking on each breath, her closeness was almost suffocating. The preacher started speaking. He tried to listen but it was all a jumble of words and all he could hear was the unconditional love travelling through her hands into his body, up his arms, making his heart race, his face flush, his eyes water.
Elizabeth tried to calm her breathing – somehow she was puffed from walking up the aisle. This was easier last time. The held his hands dependently, strengthened by his presence, by his delicate touch.
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"Congratulations" came from every direction outside the church – some more genuine than others. Robert grabbed Elizabeth's hand, desperately grinning and bearing the more artificial compliments.
Susan lightly hugged Elizabeth whispering, "you surviving?"
Elizabeth just smiled.
"What?" Robert asked, curious.
"Nothing." Elizabeth laughed.
"Be good." Susan shook Robert's hand. "And who cares what people think – it's your lives so good on ya."
"Thanks." Elizabeth was still smiling.
Robert turned to Ella who'd just run into his leg, leaving Elizabeth to talk to Susan. "You having fun kid?"
Ella nodded.
"You look stunning, did you know that?" he put his hands around her waist and lifted her up.
"Yup." She giggled.
"Your mums' not bad either."
"You're silly." Ella put her arms around his neck. Elizabeth turned to them. They were finally alone, but probably not for long.
"Hey honey." She put one arm on Ella's back and the other around Robert's waist. "You did wonderful – just perfect. Thank you."
Ella nodded then rested her head on Robert's shoulder.
Disclaimer: MEAN NBC own this. Not me. I'm not that mean.
"Don't you think mum would look great in that?" Robert pointed a dress out to Ella who shook her head ferociously.
"What? She'd look stunning." Robert demanded.
Ella nodded.
"What? I don't get it."
"Mama's dress is pretty."
"What dress?" he began lightly, "Oh." It dawned on him that Elizabeth already had a wedding dress – she'd been married before. But surely she'd get a new one. Might as well ask Ella, "Is it a new dress?"
Ella nodded as though she were telling a secret.
Whew.
"What cake does she like?" Robert figured he might as well use Ella's privileged information to help with the wedding plans.
"Chocolate." Ella replied excitedly.
"Is that her or you."
"Me!" she said, then thought "and Mama too."
"Okay." He laughed, carrying the toddler into a cake shop. Ella looked around and put her nose up at all of them. Robert liked one of them but it was ridiculously expensive. And not perfect. It needed to be perfect.
Elizabeth poured herself a cup of coffee as Susan entered the surgeon's lounge.
"Hey." Susan said, collapsing onto a seat.
"Long shift?" Elizabeth asked, her mind wirring, trying to think of a way to ask Susan to the wedding.
"Not so bad but sometimes they just drag."
"Coffee?"
"No, I'll go home and sleep in an hour."
"Fair enough. So, um, are you busy this weekend."
"Why, need a double date?"
"No." Elizabeth laughed. "Um," just say it… "um," say it! "I'm getting married. You want to come?"
"What?" Susan sat up in disbelief. "To who? Romano?"
"No, Santa Claus."
"No, I mean. Already?"
"Well… um," Elizabeth wasn't quite sure what to say.
"Sorry. None of my business. I'd love to come."
"It's okay. It is very fast. But I guess it's not entirely normal circumstances."
"You don't have to explain to me." Susan stood up to pour herself a coffee.
"There's been a lot beneath the surface for a long time and we've known each other for years. But I must admit I wouldn't have believed I'd ever marry him a year ago. I wouldn't have even thought – even before Mark."
Susan nodded. "I'm happy for you – I mean, I'm sure you could do better but I don't really know Romano."
"He wouldn't let you."
"What's your secret?"
"He let me."
Ella pretended to bake a ridiculously large cake with Robert's pots and pans spread all over his kitchen floor. Robert sat on the floor, leaning against a cupboard, flicking through a cookbook with a pile more on the floor beside him. He sighed dropping the current one back on the pile. The book under it caught his eye and he picked it up.
"That's what I make." Ella pointed to the picture on the cover – a cream coloured cake that was DARK inside. The book was the one Elizabeth had bought him when he was still in recovery. And the cake was Dark Chocolate with White Chocolate icing [yah some foods deserve uppercase letters]. He had a good feeling about this one. He flicked through until he found another picture of it and skimmed his eyes over the recipe.
"You finished?" he asked Ella.
"Yup, we gotta eat it now."
"What if we go out and make a REAL one when we get back?" Robert suggested. That sounded good to Ella.
I am not going through that again. Elizabeth told herself. Susan got her invite – the little card with handwritten purple metallic writing. Elizabeth posted the rest on bulletin boards around the hospital just before she left – the less questions the better.
Ella took a mouthful of the mini-version of the wedding cake. The combination of dark and white chocolate around her mouth was quite the work of art. Robert waited for her eyes to widen in delight before he took a bite from the same slice.
"Yup. That's it. No question. I hope your mum likes chocolate."
Ella giggled revealing the much-appreciated contents of her mouth. Which made Robert laugh too.
Elizabeth unlocked the door with a tired sigh. The sound that hit her ears immediately made her smile. The combined laugh of her daughter and Robert was musical. She dropped her bag at the foot of the stairway and followed the sound the kitchen. The usual suspects were sitting on the floor surrounded by pots and pans and between them was a LARGE slice of cake, in each of their hands was a dirty fork and each of their mouths was open and covered in chocolate.
"Looks like I'm missing out." She said, leaning against the doorway.
"Oh, you're home." Robert spun around, trying to hide the cake and wipe his mouth at the same time. Ella hiked her rear end off the floor and, cake covered and all, ran to her mother. "Ella." He gave her a you're-ruining-our-plan look that made Elizabeth laugh. Robert stood up and Elizabeth stepped forward, kissing him.
"You taste different too." Elizabeth teased him and wiped the white chocolate from above his lip, bringing it to her own with an approving 'mmm'.
"At least pretend there's some kinda surprise here." He said, ruffling Ella's hair.
"Okay. I'll clean up Ella and you can turn this evil-scientist-lab into your kitchen again." Elizabeth walked out of the kitchen laughing.
"So, how'd it go?" Robert asked as Elizabeth
"What?" She lifted herself so she was sitting on the bench.
"The invites." He pressed 'start' on the microwave and turned to her.
"Oh. Well I told Susan and then chickened out and posted the rest on noticeboards. I figure people will come if they want to. The gossip was inevitable, hell, it started a while ago."
"Fair enough. Do you think people will come?"
"In curiosity, yes. But who cares – it's our day, not theirs." She swung her legs and held out her hand to him. He stepped between her knees and she rested her hands on his shoulders.
"Then why are we inviting them?"
"Cause coming back from our honeymoon to let them all know we're already married would be so much fun it'd kill us. And you've had enough close calls this year."
He smiled, thinking how beautiful she looked, tired and comfortable and happy. She hadn't looked this happy for a long time. He made her happy. This realization shocked him. "You are so beautiful." He lifted his hand to her face and was about to kiss her when the microwave beeped, announcing their dinner was now reheated. Robert didn't miss the look of disappointment on Elizabeth's face as their almost-kiss was broken. He hadn't felt this good in a long time either. He hadn't felt this good in his memory. Maybe never?
"What are we having?" she jumped off the bench and got two wine glasses out of the cupboard.
"Soup and toast. I was busy today, so my apologies for the simplicity."
"Robert, you're basically a gourmet cook. A simple meal is nice for a change." She poured two glasses of red wine and put the glasses and the bottle on the table.
"So, what were you busy doing?"
"Stuff," he tasted the soup before grabbing the salt and pepper shakers from on top of the fridge.
Elizabeth got up and got the Parmesan, grating some into her soup. "So you're not going to tell me anything?"
"Nup." He dipped some toast into his soup.
She laughed and shook her head.
"Did Ella go down alright?" he changed the subject.
"Yeah, she said she had fun today. You know you're amazing with her?"
"Did she tell you what we did?" he panicked
"No, your secret is safe."
"I have a loyal accomplice, excellent." He lifted his eyebrows with an evil grin.
Elizabeth smiled at him. It never ceased to amaze her that she'd known this man for so long and had never seen this side of him till recently. This amazing side – so lovable, compassionate and funny. Something told her the transformation had something to do with her.
"I can't sleep." Ella padded into the kitchen barefoot, in a singlet and nappies.
"My turn." Robert jumped up and swooped Ella off the floor. She squealed with laughter that faded slightly as her took her upstairs.
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Elizabeth looked herself up and down, unable to repress her laugh.
"You okay honey?" Her mother poked her head in the door [now I'm laughing, mental image of Lady Corday with her head stuck THROUGH a door… lol, that's not what I meant though…]
"Yah, I'm fine. What do you think?" She turned, her wedding dress swishing around her ankles, nothing could squash her mood, not even her mother.
"You look lovely." She said simply. "Ella is all clean and dry, where's her dress?"
"Oh, I'll dress her – if I don't keep busy I'll get nervous." She laughed again, more like a nervous giggle.
"It's perfectly normal to be nervous."
"I know mum, I've done this before."
"Oh, right sorry. So how did you keep this a secret for so long?" she followed her daughter towards her granddaughter's room.
"How'd I keep what a secret?"
"You and Robert?"
"Oh, I didn't. I mean, not intentionally."
"It's not that long since I talked to you, and it might not have come up but 'I've fallen in love' is a great conversation starter."
"Well, to be honest, I don't know if I was 'in love' when I last talked to you. It all happened so fast – cliché, I know, but in truth this relationship is far from cliché."
"They all are." She said cynically, then quickly apologised.
"What I mean is that we have only been seeing each other for a few weeks but it's been in the air for a lot longer." She pulled Ella's dress out of a closet and lay it on her bed. "Where did she go?"
Her mother shrugged.
Elizabeth stepped out into the hallway, "Ella!"
There was the distinct click of a phone being hung up then Ella's voice, "Yeah?" she appeared at the bottom of the stairs looking guilty as a thief.
"Who were you talking to?" Elizabeth asked as her daughter toddled up the stairs.
"Robert."
"What did he say?"
"Nothing." Ella walked determinedly into her room.
Elizabeth sighed. "Let's get you dressed." She knelt in front of her daughter, pulling off her t-shirt.
"This really is a lovely house." Her mother filled the silence.
"Yah," Elizabeth agreed and slipped the dress over her daughters out-stretched arms, covering her face. Ella giggled as Elizabeth pulled it over her face. "What are we going to do with your hair?"
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Robert held his hands to his stomach as he nervously looked in the mirror.
"You look fine." Jo insisted and pulled him to face her. He didn't look so sure. "Trust me." She pushed a white rose into the buttonhole of his dark blue pinstripe suit.
He smiled and took her hand. "I'm crazy aren't I?"
Jo took a moment then nodded. "Probably, but I've only met Elizabeth once and I don't really know her. If she can put up with you, if she's seen you after three shifts in a row and she still wants to marry you, I think you're safe."
"I didn't think I'd ever get married."
"Yes, but that's because you've compared every thing in a skirt to her and you never met her clone."
"I hope she likes the wedding."
"Are you kidding?"
"Well, I'm no wedding planner. I don't know what she's expecting."
"Did you go to her other wedding?"
"Yeah."
"So is this better."
"For me, sure, I'm the groom."
"That's not what I meant."
"I know. I have nothing to worry about but tell that the my stomach."
"You can light those candles if you need something to take your mind off it."
"I'm a surgeon, multi-tasking is a given, it'll take more than candles."
"Where's open-heart surgery when you need it?" she pushed him aside to check herself in the mirror.
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"I think its time honey." Mrs Corday turned to her daughter. Elizabeth took a deep breath.
"Okay, Ella. You ready?" she knelt down to her daughter who nodded and giggled nervously. Elizabeth spun her around and nudged her toward the doors. A few seconds later Elizabeth followed on her father's arm. Robert had been watching Ella and blatantly grinning at her. He lifted his eyes to Elizabeth and the grin was replaced by stunned amazement. He consciously took several breaths to slow his heartbeat, swallowed nervously and blinked back traitorous tears.
"Is he crying?" Susan whispered to Jing Mei who had no answer.
Robert's sister squeezed his hand quickly before he took Elizabeth's. He was still choking on each breath, her closeness was almost suffocating. The preacher started speaking. He tried to listen but it was all a jumble of words and all he could hear was the unconditional love travelling through her hands into his body, up his arms, making his heart race, his face flush, his eyes water.
Elizabeth tried to calm her breathing – somehow she was puffed from walking up the aisle. This was easier last time. The held his hands dependently, strengthened by his presence, by his delicate touch.
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"Congratulations" came from every direction outside the church – some more genuine than others. Robert grabbed Elizabeth's hand, desperately grinning and bearing the more artificial compliments.
Susan lightly hugged Elizabeth whispering, "you surviving?"
Elizabeth just smiled.
"What?" Robert asked, curious.
"Nothing." Elizabeth laughed.
"Be good." Susan shook Robert's hand. "And who cares what people think – it's your lives so good on ya."
"Thanks." Elizabeth was still smiling.
Robert turned to Ella who'd just run into his leg, leaving Elizabeth to talk to Susan. "You having fun kid?"
Ella nodded.
"You look stunning, did you know that?" he put his hands around her waist and lifted her up.
"Yup." She giggled.
"Your mums' not bad either."
"You're silly." Ella put her arms around his neck. Elizabeth turned to them. They were finally alone, but probably not for long.
"Hey honey." She put one arm on Ella's back and the other around Robert's waist. "You did wonderful – just perfect. Thank you."
Ella nodded then rested her head on Robert's shoulder.