This takes place a few months after chapter 19.........and once again, and for the final time where this story is concerned...I do not own ER or any characters from it that are mentioned herein...
THE AMERICAN PATIENT
Chapter XX/Epilogue.... The First Noel
Elizabeth leaned back into the couch, savouring the flavour of the rich fruity liquid, as it travelled effortlessly down her throat. Her fingers firmly encircled the thick crystal goblet of wine, as she lowered it from her lips into the safety of her lap.
Closing her eyes, wearing a warm smile she reflected to herself on a day that she'd look back on with happiness, for years to come...their first Christmas together could not have gone more smoothly, even in her wildest dreams.... it was amazing to think how time and circumstance would intervene to heal all wounds; how different the contrast between last year and now....
A year ago, she'd dreaded it.... the loneliness of waking everyday, alone.... a widow.... but also a mother who had attempted to paint on a happy face for the sake of her daughter. She'd failed miserably and had thanked the powers that be, that Ella had been too young to appreciate the concept of Christmas and the season of goodwill. What had she to be thankful for?
But what a difference a year could make.... and how much had they all changed? How different was their outlook now? All due largely, to the man who was upstairs putting her tired, but very excitable daughter to bed.... his munchkin. Robert had fully integrated himself into their lives in just a matter of months.... such a short period of time in the grand scheme of life, but it felt gloriously permanent to her.
Bringing the wine back up to her lips, she took another drink and chuckled aloud at the still, very fresh memory of just a few days ago...she'd been stood talking to Susan by the admit desk in the ER when Robert had appeared, pulled her under the hanging mistletoe and kissed her passionately, in front of all and sundry. It had been received with a raucous round of applause, wolf whistles and shouts of "Finally." Robert had pulled away from her, feigned bewilderment and asked, "Finally what?"
The rumour mill had been burning at white-hot levels where they were concerned for a little over a month now.
"You two are finally confirming what everyone already knows." Jerry had shouted.
"Don't know what you're talking about ...its mistletoe ...we're just following tradition." Robert had deadpanned back.
Then he'd elaborately twirled Elizabeth aside and pulled Susan out from behind the admit desk and planted a big full-on kiss on the surprised doctor. Then he'd released her and shouted, "Step up ladies.... who's next?"
At Susan's large smile and loud exclamation of 'Wow,' Chuny and Haleh exchanged glances and rushed over smirking, along with two patients who ambled over from chairs. Roberts's bravado had suddenly looked questionable and Elizabeth had taken pity on him, tearing down the mistletoe, tossing it over to Kerry who had caught it.
"That's the only 'bouquet' you'll ever catch Kerry." He'd laughed, before Elizabeth took his face in her hands and silenced him with her mouth.
"Marking your territory Lizzie?" he'd whispered against her lips. "I feel like a lamppost."
"Woof-woof." She'd whispered back, and kissed him again, this time to shouts of "Get a room!"
The sound of his footsteps on the hardwood stairs brought her out her reverie. He stopped at the bottom, and called out, "You need anything from the kitchen?"
"No thanks."
The house fell silent again, until she heard the rattle of the fridge door open. Elizabeth closed her eyes and took another sip of wine, letting her mind wander again....
The day had begun with Robert typically, going way overboard on the gifts scale; Ella's eyes had lit up brighter than the Christmas tree itself, on seeing the multitude of parcels that lay underneath the gaily-decorated spruce. Elizabeth had attempted to scold him, but he'd appeared more excited than Ella, so she'd given up rather than waste her breath, and they'd simply sat mesmerized watching the little girl rip into gift after gift, forming approval and disapproval piles.
Elizabeth opened her eyes detecting movement behind the couch. Straining her neck round, she looked up at him as he came around and knelt down between her legs. She inhaled deeply as he pressed his warm palms flat against her legs, and spread his fingers wide. Elizabeth watched, as he slid them slowly from her knees up her thighs, past her waist, until he took the wine from her hand and placed it on the coffee table, his eyes never once leaving her. Smiling, he drew her into his arms and kissed her hungrily. She wrapped her own arms around his neck and pulled him deeper into her, their tongues engaging in a well-horned dance of hide and seek.
"You had a good day?" he whispered, against her.
"Yes.... I don't think it could have been anymore perfect."
Robert opened his eyes and gazed at her.
"Look at me." He said softly, and she opened her eyelids.
He moved his hands to embrace both sides of her face, and smiled into her open gaze, seeing his love reflected there. Cocking his head in the direction of the tree, his eyes never leaving hers, he spoke again.
"So you gonna open that one?"
What one?
Elizabeth looked to the tree and saw a modestly sized rectangular present underneath it, which moments before, had not been there.
"What are you up to?" she asked, with a hint of anticipated glee.
"Nothing...just forgot to put that one under...it's for you."
Robert stood up and retrieved the gift. Handing it to Elizabeth, he accompanied it with a kiss and whispered "Merry Christmas." Sitting down next to her, he wore a mischievous grin, and Elizabeth could not help but notice the glint in his eye.
"Should I be worried?" She grinned at him.
Lifting the parcel to her ear, she shook it gently.
A bit of a rattle, but nothing revealing.
She lifted it to her nose and sniffed.
Definitely not chocolates.Casting another quick glance at Robert, she saw him raise an eyebrow in amusement.
Sod it!Elizabeth ripped at the paper with impatient abandon, bearing an uncanny resemblance to Ella. Tossing the wrapping casually over her shoulder, she poured over her prize with a bemused expression plastered on her face.... it was a child's board game she had played many moons ago.
"OPERATION...are you casting aspersions on my surgical abilities Robert Romano?" she laughed.
He giggled and shrugged his shoulders. "Well we could all brush up on our skills y'know.... besides I thought we'd start Ella off young."
"So is this for me or Ella?" Elizabeth attempted to sound indignant.
"Oh it's definitely yours.... why.... don't you like it?"
"I love it...God I haven't played this since I was a girl." She said, going all misty eyed. "I used to pretend I was assisting my father in some vital surgery at the hospital.... we'd sit and play for hours on end, and it drove my mother mad."
"So do you fancy a game now?" Robert grinned, taking the box from her.
"Yeah, why not?" she laughed. This should be fun; she'd had more than enough wine to make her hand unsteady.
Robert carefully removed the lid and took out the board game, placing it on the coffee table.
"I think you should start with some open heart surgery...." He smirked.
"Why the heart?" she asked, rescuing her wine and finishing it off.
"Why not?" Romano replied, taking the empty glass from her and offering her the tweezers.
Elizabeth laced her fingers together and made a show of stretching them out, before accepting the tweezers from him. Smiling broadly, she moved her hand towards the heart and stopped suddenly...her eyes opened wide and her mouth dropped open slightly. Slowly she let her eyes drift up from the board to settle on Romano who was watching her face intently.
Her smile receded slightly, and she gently prodded him, "Robert?"
"Close your mouth Lizzie, you look like your catching flies." He said softly, his eyes smoking.
She returned her gaze back to the game, and looked down at the diamond ring that lay over the heart.
"You have to surgically remove it Lizzie.... I had to tape it down." Robert said quietly.
She watched in amazement as her hand moved towards the ring, and applied the edge of the tweezers, slicing the tape. Roberts's fingers appeared over hers and he slid them under to pick up the newly liberated ring. Her eyes focused on his long slender fingers, then moved to his face as he shuffled on to his knees between her own.
Taking her hand in his free one, he gazed into her eyes, and broke into what she recognised as his 'naughty' grin.
"Lizzie...there's no easy way to ask this but flat out.... so here goes...Elizabeth our relationship has not yet moved in the direction I would have liked. Now partly that is because I have trouble communicating these types of feelings..." Elizabeth snorted at that bit, and he silenced her with a kiss, before continuing. "Now I don't know what your long term plans are, but the fact is...I love you.... and I would really like you to consider...." Glancing down to her hand, he couldn't keep up the bravado, and when he looked back up to meet her gaze his eyes had fallen very serious, all signs of mirth gone, revealing in its place, a very nervous man.
"Elizabeth...will you marry me?"
Elizabeth continued to stare at him, wearing an expression of surprise and bemusement. She remembered the first time he'd asked her out years ago, with almost the exact same words. She'd turned him down flat then, but well, he was certainly having the last laugh.
Elizabeth swallowed hard, and felt her teeth bite her lower lip, as she tried to stop the goofy smile that threatened to overtake her entire face.
"This is the bit where you say something." he whispered, his eyes still boring into hers.
Her decision was instant.
"Yes." She said softly, her voice barely audible in her own ears.
Roberts's eyes widened subtly, and his mouth curved into a large dimple-revealing smile.
"Did you just say 'yes'?" he laughed.
Elizabeth tried to speak, but her vocal chords failed her, opting instead to tie themselves in knots. Instead she nodded her head.
Romano lowered his gaze to her hand, and slid the ring onto her finger, letting his hand remain there, his thumb drawing circles over her ring finger.
Elizabeth could stand it no longer, and slid herself off the couch; her body pressing against his, as she journeyed slowly down him to the floor. Robert gasped, surprised at how much this woman's physical touch affected him still. Their mouths moulded to each other's tenderly, but their hands belied it, revealing the ever-present passion that burned within them like the eternal flame. They tugged at one another desperately, pulling layers of clothing from their bodies.
They fell to the floor tugging off the last remnants of their clothes, and Robert pushed the table roughly aside, knocking off it contents, before laying down, covering Elizabeth with his body.
"I love you." He moaned into her mouth.
"I love you too." She whispered back, as he pushed himself into her. They both gasped, as once again they united and became one, moving together in blissful union, aware only of one another's needs.
When they were spent, he rolled off her and they lay together basking in the naked heat that they had created.
Eventually Robert broke the silence and the mood in one fell swoop.
"Lizzie...can we relocate somewhere more comfortable...I have pine needles sticking in my butt."
Laughing, she grabbed the side of the couch and hoisted herself up heavily. Arching her now, very stiff back, Elizabeth tried to look down at the back of her right thigh, where she thought she saw a bruise forming. He watched her none too graceful movements and heard her grunt then started laughing. She frowned down at him reproachfully.
"Not getting any younger are we?" he shrugged.
"Just as well we're going to grow old ungracefully together then...isn't it?" she chuckled.
"Indeed it is." He took her outstretched hand and heaved himself up, then folded himself into her arms...
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Elizabeth lay propped up on her side, watching Robert sleep, his face illuminated by the streetlight. They had completed a marathon lovemaking session not more than an hour ago, as if they'd never before been joined. It was not surprising then, that he wore a content and most satisfied expression, even in his sleep.
She knew his face by heart now.... every line, every expression, and every smile. The full dimpled smile that was reserved only for her and Ella she loved. But it was this face she loved the most.... it was exclusively hers, and could only be put there by her...and be seen by her.
She lowered her head and brushed her lips gently against his, then left a trail of light kisses all the way to his ear.
"I love you." She whispered before rolling onto her back, and smiled up dreamily into the darkness.
She was aware of her left thumb dancing across the beautiful diamond ring, and it struck her then. She was engaged.... to be married.... to Robert Romano.
And whilst that thought filled her with joy.... there was a consequential phone call she now had to prepare for...a certain Charles Corday had to be informed, that the man he disliked and distrusted with a passion was about to become his son-in-law...
THE END
R&R
Sequel to follow.... one day