Chapter 25 – Old Friends

A few days later, Grace turned up in the ER to a round of smiling faces, however, it didn't take long for the rumor mill to run amok as they had all noticed a change in her appearance since she'd left.

Malucci, never the consummate gentleman, was the first to make a direct comment the first opportunity he had. "Wow, you're knocked up, eh Hanson? I guess that means you're straight after all. After all the times you turned me down, I thought for sure you were batting for the other team. So, who's the lucky guy?"

Grace, foolishly thinking her scrubs could hide most of her weight gain stood a little stunned at first. "Well Malucci, anyone but you makes this a real blessing. Excuse me." She said, walking away as Abby high-fived her. Malucci just shrugged and smiled to himself. He enjoyed stirring the pot whenever possible.

A few hours into Carter's shift after a few traumas had been sent up to the OR, things quieted down giving him a chance to welcome Grace back properly. "Grace! I'm so glad you're back. Everyone missed you." He said as he gave her a warm hug.

"Thanks, I missed you too." She grinned. "It's really great to be back."

"So?" He said, raising his eyebrows and looking towards her mid-section.

"So."

"You've been busy?" He added, continuing to stare down at her belly.

Grace smiled, "I guess it's not much of a secret? I thought my scrubs would hide it for a while. Yes, I'm about 22 weeks along…and that's all I'm telling you John."

Pulling her aside for privacy, he added, "It's Romano's, isn't it?"

She nodded. "Please don't say anything, Carter. I just want to work out my last couple of months and go quietly on mat leave."

"Quiet doesn't live here, Grace. You've only been back a few hours and your curious co-workers are already speculating about who the father is. The majority seem to think it's your ex."

"Well, they can wonder all they like, but it's really none of their business." She said defensively.

"Don't worry, I won't say a word. I know you don't need the added pressure of people finding out about your past relationship with Romano. Congratulations, I think." He said hugging her.

"Thank you." She smiled.

"I am a bit surprised to see you back here. Won't it be awkward, running into him all the time? I thought that's why you opted to work at Mercy. Unless…wait a minute, does he even know? You did tell him, didn't you?"

"Of course I told him, Carter. Give me a little credit here."

"Sorry, I shouldn't have jumped to conclusions, but this is just a lot to take in. I really wished you would've called me. I was worried about you."

"I'm sorry, John. At first I was just in complete shock and then I had to try to figure out what I was going to do next. I guess I needed to do that without the advice from well-meaning but sometimes judgmental friends." She grinned.

"I know you don't mean me. I'm never well-meaning." He grinned. "So did you, figure everything out?"

Grace avoided eye contact before answering. "Yeah, um, we did."

"We?"

"We're living together, Carter."

"Really?" He sounded annoyed. "Just like that?"

"No, of course not. It's not a decision I made lightly. He asked me to come and stay with him when I was really ill with morning sickness. I was in pretty bad shape and that was the only reason I agreed. But then, as the weeks went by, we managed to find our way back to each other. Look John, I know it's hard for you to believe, but he's different when he's with me. He's a good man and for better or worse, he's the father of my baby and we're trying to make a life together. I'm very happy these days and I really hoped you'd be happy for me too." She searched his eyes for a glimmer of understanding.

"You don't play fair, do you, Grace? You know I want you to be happy."

"Well I am."

"Well…okay then."

"You don't sound completely convinced."

"You're really sure about this?"

"Yes, John. So, are we good?"

"You know I can't say no to you, Grace."

"Well, if someone we both know had said no to me, I might not be standing here in the family way." She said and they both laughed. Grace was relieved to have cleared the air with Carter and that she could rely on his friendship and support.

Nosiness aside, Grace was glad to be back in familiar territory. The nurses were extremely supportive and didn't waste any time before they started planning a baby shower for her. While they offered an overabundance of advice on motherhood, she knew they genuinely cared about her wellbeing and it meant so much to know she had good friends in her corner. It helped to alleviate some of her fears about taking on such a huge responsibility, especially with her family living miles away.

As the weeks passed, her waddle became more pronounced and as she approached 32 weeks, there was no denying she was in the homestretch. Standing behind the admit desk one day, she looked up to see a face she recognized from a photo in the lounge and her heart sank immediately.

"Elizabeth?"

"You know my name? How lovely…Grace, is it?" She said, bending down to read her name tag as she smiled politely.

"What are you doing here? I mean, uh, it's great to meet you. I've heard so much about you from everyone here." Grace tried her best not to stammer, but her mind was in overdrive and her brain was becoming slightly disconnected from her mouth. "I, uh, thought you were in London?"

Elizabeth could hardly contain her excitement. "I'm here for a job interview. God this place is a sight for sore eyes! I can't believe everything looks exactly as I left it." She beamed, looking around the ER.

Grace's worst fear had come true. Corday was the one woman Romano was completely mesmerized by and Grace was suddenly gripped with fear that now, back at County, his obsession with her would begin again.

Corday could see that Grace was a little distracted and touched her arm gently to get her full attention. Coming out of her out of her fog momentarily, she heard Corday add, "Sorry, but I'm running a bit late. Tell everyone I'll come back down and catch up afterwards. Is Dr. Romano's office still on the 4th floor?"

"Yes, forth." Grace said blankly as Corday rushed off towards the elevator.

Grace barely made it into the ladies room in time to vomit. She knew her relationship with Romano could be in jeopardy with Corday back at County, and it hit home even more so when she realized he hadn't mentioned a thing about her coming back to Chicago.

Grace's shift ended before Corday had a chance to return to the ER to reminisce with old friends. Grace made her way home, managing to hold on until the privacy of the penthouse before breaking down, while she hopelessly tried to convince herself that her entire life was not falling apart right before her eyes. She managed to pull herself together before Romano came home, stubborn as always, she didn't want him to see she had been crying.

When he arrived home later that evening, he greeted her cheerfully, kissing her and stroking her baby bump. "Princess Grace!"

"Something's got you in a good mood. Let me guess." She said, staring at him intently, folding her arms across her chest.

He was surprised at her strange demeanor. "What's wrong with coming home in a good mood?"

"Elizabeth Corday."

"You heard? Yes, Lizzie is back. I interviewed her today."

"And you didn't think the need to tell me?"

"What for? You don't work in the OR, and besides, you knew I was trying to hire another surgeon."

"Don't play coy, Robert. You know this is a big deal. Elizabeth is the woman who consumed you when she worked at County."

"And she fell in love with Peter Benton and Mark Greene…"

"But now she's back."

"So?"

"So you're saying this has absolutely no affect on you whatsoever?"

"You have nothing to worry about, although seeing this side of you is quite a turn on, Gracie."

Grace looked completely unconvinced.

"Look, it's a moot point anyway. You know she never felt the same way about me so there's no reason to go prenatal on me."

"And what if she did return your feelings?"

"Never happen. Besides, that was a lifetime ago, Grace. I'm in love with you and we're having a baby together." He snaked his arms around her waist and kissed her reassuringly.

"I'm worried this will stir up old feelings for you."

"You're cute when you're jealous."

"I'm serious, Robert!"

"Look, I don't have feelings for Elizabeth Corday. What more do you want me to say?" He barked.

"You really expect me to believe that?"

He stared back at her, frustrated at not being able to alleviate her fears and wasn't completely sure he was being truly honest with himself about the prospect of having Corday back at County.

He brought his voice down to a softer level. "Grace, this won't change anything between us. You need to believe that."

"I just wish she hadn't come back, not now anyway."

"Well, I won't lie and say I'm not sorry to have her back on staff. She was the best surgeon County ever had, well, other than me of course."

"What about Benton?"

"Oh, yes, Dr. Benton. He wasn't as good as me either. Come here." He said, sitting on the couch. "Have I ever given you a reason to think I'd cheat on you?"

"You know this is different. The hands of fate are offering you a second chance to ignite the burning fire of unrequited love."

He rubbed her back and kissed the nape of her neck. "Gracie, you're way off base. I'm not your ex-husband and you don't need to worry about history repeating itself."

He was saying all the right things, but it still didn't change her feelings of insecurity coupled with a hormone induced emotional roller coaster ride. She tossed and turned most of the night and finally decided to get up and try a cup of tea, hoping it would relax her. As she paced and worried and sipped her tea, she couldn't help wonder why happiness in life, always seemed to be so fleeting. Past history reminded her that no matter how wonderful things could feel in the moment, ultimately they didn't seem to last. Her college boyfriend, her ex-husband and now Robert and the baby, and feeling as though she had absolutely no control over the situation only served to fuel her anxiety. As Grace gazed out the window into the night, the lights of Chicago illuminating the skyline, her baby gave her a firm kick to remind her that he or she was awake too, and more than ready for a fight.