Christmas In London, Part I - November 25
By: Lori (SixteenOzs)

DISCLAIMER: "ER," the characters and situations depicted within are the property of Warner Bros. Television, Amblin Entertainment, Constant c Productions, NBC, etc. They are borrowed without permission, but without the intent of infringement. The story presented here is written solely for entertainment purposes, and the author is making no profit.

Please do not post or redistribute without the disclaimer above, or without the consent of the author.

Feedback is welcome. Please send all questions, comments or criticisms to SixteenOzs02@yahoo.com

SUMMARY: Charles Corday invites Elizabeth to spend Christmas in London, and she asks Mark to accompany her.

RATING: PG

BACKGROUND: This story is set during November and December 2000 (Season 7), and was written during the hiatus after the Season 6 finale "May Day." The only exception to the stories seen on the show was that Carol did not move to Seattle to be with Doug. My version of their reunion is explained in Part I - November 25.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS: I would like to take this opportunity to thank Trigg for ALL of her help with information on London. I could NOT have done this without her. Thank you so much for putting up with my endless barrage of questions! I would also like to thank Farah and everyone else who has taken a look at the early versions and offered feedback. THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH!

Part I - Saturday, November 25, 2000

It was that time of year again. The holidays. Thanksgiving had come and gone two days earlier, and now everyone was frantically preparing for Christmas. Mark and Elizabeth hosted their second annual Thanksgiving dinner, this time for Rachel, Doug, Carol, Tess and Kate.

Rachel was still living in Saint Louis with Jen and Craig, but visiting Mark during her break from school. Doug had taken a job with a private practice and moved back to Chicago over the summer, wanting to be closer to Carol and his daughters.

Mark and Elizabeth both agreed that this year's Thanksgiving was better than the last. There were no broken bowls, no unexpected deliveries, no battle reenactments and no one locked themselves in the bathroom. But it was still a hectic three days.

Elizabeth, Carol and Rachel spent Friday battling the crowds, looking for Christmas gifts and great deals, at the after-Thanksgiving sales. Mark and Doug opted to stay at home, introducing Tess and Kate to the wonders of ESPN.

Once the shopping excursion was complete, Mark took Rachel out for dinner, allowing them a little quality time together. He and Elizabeth had move in together a few months earlier, and he wanted to make sure Rachel was really okay with the idea.

Saturday morning, they'd all gone over to Doug and Carol's house for the twins' first birthday party, but excused themselves early so they could make it to the airport in time for Rachel's flight back to Saint Louis.

Once they finally arrived back at their apartment that evening, Elizabeth sighed as she collapsed on the sofa. "I am so tired."

"Me, too," Mark said with a laugh as he sat down next to her and pulled her legs across his lap.

"I can't believe we have to go back to work tomorrow," she groaned. "It feels like we just got off."

"That was three days ago," he reminded her. Gently, he removed her shoes and started to massage her feet. "I'm seriously starting to think this is the first time we've been able to sit down together since then."

"How'd we manage to fit all of this into three days?" she wondered.

"I'm not sure, but I think we'll be paying for it this week," he laughed

They were both quite for several minutes. Finally, she asked, "What are you thinking about?"

"Everything that's happened in the last few years, last Thanksgiving," he said quietly.

"With you father?" she prompted.

"Yeah," he nodded. With a bittersweet smile, he said, "I'm more than a little surprised that you didn't take off running after that one."

She laughed. "It's going to take more than that to get rid of me. But I will admit, it was quite the challenge."

"You did an excellent job," he smiled.

"I'm sure Doug and Carol would agree that you did a pretty great job last Thanksgiving, too," she pointed out.

"Carol did all the work," he said with a self-depreciating smile.

She studied him carefully for a few moments. She knew the holidays would be particularly difficult for him this year. It was the first year without either of his parents. Even thought he hadn't spent much time with them since he'd been in Chicago, just knowing that they weren't there had to be difficult to accept. "How are you doing?" she asked.

"Tired," he replied.

"No, I meant with the holidays, your parents," she clarified gently.

"I'm okay," he assured her. "I'd let you know if I wasn't."

"I know you would," she smiled. The first few months after his father's death hadn't always been easy, but ultimately, in a strange way, it seemed as if it had brought them closer.

"What's Rachel doing for Christmas?" she wondered.

"Jen and Craig are taking her skiing in Aspen," he said sadly. "It almost feels like I'm not even a part of her life anymore."

"You're her father. You will always be a part of her life. You love her and she knows that. Nothing is more important than that," she said affirmatively.

"How'd you get to be so smart?" he asked with a grin.

"Thirty-six years of experience," she laughed. More seriously, she said, "My parents divorced when I was nine. My father moved out and Mother sent me to boarding schools. It took me a long time, but I finally realized that they both loved me very much, even if they didn't show it the way I wanted."

He stared at her for a few moments, a slight smile on his face.

"What?" she inquired.

"Sometimes it amazes me just how much alike we are," he replied. "Doug pointed the same thing out to me when we were in California about three years for his father's funeral. We visited my parents while we were there."

She smiled softly. "It's what drives me crazy at times, but it's also what makes this feel so right."

"What?" he asked, sounding slightly confused.

"How much alike we are," she smiled.

He laughed, then said, "I'm not sure I could have made it through the last year without you."

"You didn't have to try," she pointed out.

"Thank you," he whispered.

"You're welcome," she said as she sat up slightly, slipped her arms around his neck and pulled him closer until their lips met.

As the kiss ended, she asked, "So, what do you want for Christmas?"

"I don't know," he shrugged. "I've got just about everything I need."

After a moment, she suggested, "How about a plane ticket?"

"Trying to get rid of me?" he asked with a laugh.

"No!" she said, playfully swatting him on the shoulder. She bit her lip and hesitated a moment before she explained. "I talked to my father last night, while you and Rachel were at dinner. He wants me to come home for Christmas. In fact, he's buying me a ticket. I'd love it if you came with me."

"Really?" he questioned.

"Yeah," she nodded.

Grinning, he asked, "So, you want me to meet your father?"

She laughed. "Yes. You already know my mother adores you. The biggest problem you'd have with my father is that you're too much alike."

"Christmas in London, huh?" he smiled. "I think I'd like that."

"So would I," she whispered as she pulled him back for another kiss.

TO BE CONTINUED...

Thank you for reading. I hope you enjoyed it! Let me know what you think: SixteenOzs02@yahoo.com I know the first part was rather short, but I promise there will be more to come! LLP

July 1, 2000

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