Christmas In London, Part IIa - December 20
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: Follows Christmas In London, Part I.

RATING: PG

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 IIa - Wednesday, December 20, 2000

Elizabeth couldn't help but smile as she closed the cover of her book and looked slightly to her left. She saw Mark fidgeting in his seat as the Boeing 747 began its approach to London's Heathrow Airport. "I didn't think you were a apprehensive flyer," she commented.

He looked at her. "I'm not."

"Then why do you look so nervous?" she asked with a grin.

He laughed and shook his head.

"Is it meeting my father?" she wondered.

"Maybe," he conceded reluctantly.

"You'll be fine," she assured him. "You're a lot like him. Passionate and dedicated when it comes to your work. Kind, wonderful, giving." Grinning she added, "Irritatingly stubborn at times."

He laughed. "I suppose you inherited that."

"Very funny," she said as she rolled her eyes.

"So, am I going to be locked in a bedroom on the third floor?" he wondered.

"No!" she laughed. "My father knows we're living together. We're going to be sharing the guest suite. But don't worry, Daddy's suite is on the opposite side of the flat-."

He rested his head on the back of his seat and chuckled. "Remember the last time we had this conversation?"

"Last year, when your father came to Chicago for Thanksgiving?" she suggested.

"Yeah," he nodded.

"Funny how being around your parents makes you feel like a teenager sneaking around, huh?" she asked.

"And what would you know about sneaking around as a teenager?" he questioned with a grin.

"A girl's got to have a few secrets," she grinned back.

He laughed.

"We're going to have a great time this week," she assured him.

"I know," he nodded. "I'm with you."

After landing at the airport and collecting their luggage, they met her father's driver, Parker, who was waiting for them.

Settling in the back of the car, Elizabeth remarked, "You might as well get comfortable."

"What do you mean?" Mark asked curiously as he climbed in next to her.

She glanced at her watch, which she'd adjusted to London time before they landed. "It's almost eight o'clock, so rush hour should be in full swing. Daddy lives in Kensington, it's in the center of London. It will probably take us at least an hour, maybe even an hour and a half, to get there."

Wrapping his arm around her shoulders, he pulled her a little closer and grinned. "So, why don't you show me the sights, to pass the time?"

"Okay," she nodded with a smile.

As they rode along, she pointed out Kew Gardens and the big bend in the Thames. Going a little further, she commented, "I heard it was bad, but I had no idea it was THAT atrocious."

"What?" he wondered with a confused expression.

Leaning across him, she pointed, "The Millenium Dome. It was built last year, opened on New Year's Day. I read about it 'The Times.' They used taxpayer money to pay for it. Such a waste!"

He laughed, "Why don't you tell me how you really feel?"

She grinned sheepishly. "And if you look up over there," she pointed, "you can see the top of the London Eye. It's sort of like this huge Ferris Wheel. It was also built last year. I've heard you can see the entire city from the top of it. I'd really love to go up there sometime."

As they continued towards her father's flat, she pointed out Earl's Court, Hyde Park and several hospitals that could be seen in the distance.

He just smiled as he watched her, prompting her to ask, "What?"

"You look happy," he said softly. "Are you glad to be back here?"

"Yeah," she nodded, "it is nice. It's been three and a half years. That's a long time to be away. I didn't even realize how much I missed it until we landed."

He hesitated a moment, but finally asked, "Do you ever think about moving back here?"

She considered this for a moment, then smiled and shook her head. "No. Chicago suits me. My life's there, my career. But most importantly, you're there."

He smiled as he leaned over and kissed her gently. The kiss ended after a moment, and he tried to stifle a yawn. "Just checking."

She chuckled, "Am I boring you?"

"No," he laughed, "I'm actually enjoying the tour. It's just the jetlag. It's after two in the morning in Chicago right now, it's after eight here!"

"You got up at six yesterday morning. That's only twenty-one hours. That should be a piece of cake for a super ER doc like you," she teased.

"Twenty-one hours in the ER I can handle," he assured her with a laugh. "I think you're forgetting about the eight-hour transatlantic flight, with the temperamental two-year old that was sitting three rows behind us, making sleep impossible."

"You just get grouchy when you're tired," she pointed out, trying to hide a grin.

"I am NOT grouchy," he countered.

She gave him a knowing stare before they both started laughing.

Later, they pulled up in front of her father's flat. Getting out of the car, she had to smile as she looked up and down the street. "What do you think?"

"It's nice," he commented as he helped the driver remove their bags from the trunk.

She laughed softly. "Don't worry, it's looks deceptively small from the street. Once you get inside, it's ridiculously huge, especially when you consider that it's just Daddy and Charlotte. She's his housekeeper. She comes in during the day, but goes home at night. It makes me feel better to know that someone's looking out for him."

"Ready to go in?" he wondered.

"Yeah," she nodded as they started up the front steps. Ringing the doorbell, she commented, "When I talked to Daddy yesterday, he said he was hoping to get one of his partners in the practice to cover for him today, so he could be home to meet us. I hope he's here."

A woman who looked to be in her late fifties answered the door a few moments later. "Miss Elizabeth? You look wonderful!" she exclaimed as she pulled Elizabeth into a hug.

"Charlotte! Hello! How are you doing?" Elizabeth replied as she stepped out of the hug a moment later.

"I'm good. Your father is going to be so happy that you're here," Charlotte said with a smile.

"Where is Daddy?" Elizabeth wondered.

"Thomas Westmore, one of his partners, is sick. Your father had to cover his surgeries today. He wanted me to tell you that he promised he'd be home as soon as he could," Charlotte explained.

"That's okay," Elizabeth laughed. Grinning at Mark, she added, "It's an occupational hazard I'm used to by now."

"And who IS your friend?" Charlotte inquired.

"Charlotte, this is Dr. Mark Greene. Mark, this is my father's housekeeper, Charlotte Richmond," Elizabeth said as she made the introductions.

"Pleased to meet you," Mark smiled as they shook hands.

"Likewise," Charlotte replied with a smile. "Now, why don't you come inside, so you can put those bags down. If I remember correctly, Miss Elizabeth does NOT pack light."

"It doesn't look like much has changed," Mark laughed as they entered the flat.

"This is great," Elizabeth said sarcastically. "I've been here all of five minutes, and I'm already being insulted!"

"You know we're just giving you a hard time," Mark teased.

"I was going to help you carry the bags up to the THIRD floor, but just for that, you're on your own," she countered.

Mark looked at the staircase for a long moment. "The THIRD floor?" he repeated with a pained expression.

She let him suffer for a few moments, but finally laughed as she picked up one of the suitcases. "Come on. It's not that bad."

"Have you two had breakfast?" Charlotte wondered as they started up the stairs.

"Just what the airline tried to pass off as food," Elizabeth replied.

"If you like, I could prepare something while you get settled," Charlotte suggested.

"That would be wonderful," Elizabeth nodded. "Thank you."

Charlotte smiled as she turned towards the kitchen.

"I figured we could take the bags upstairs and unpack first. I can give you the grand tour on the way back down," Elizabeth said.

"Sure," Mark smiled.

After placing their bags in the bedroom, Elizabeth took Mark's hand and led him to the set of double doors that opened onto a small balcony. Walking onto the balcony, she remarked, "This is my favorite part of this house. With the car fumes and the noise, it can be hard to find a quiet moment here, but they do come along occasionally. When it's warmer, usually in the evenings, or late at night, I can come out here for hours, just reading or thinking."

"It's beautiful," he commented as he enjoyed the magnificent views.

"I know," she nodded with a smile. "That's what I love about it. See over there?"

"Yeah," he nodded. "What is it?"

"That's Holland Park," she replied. Noticing that he was stifling another yawn, she said, "You must really be tired."

"You're not?" he questioned.

"Well, maybe a little," she admitted. "After breakfast, what would you say to taking a nap? Daddy probably won't be home until late this afternoon, at the earliest."

"I think that is an excellent idea," he replied. Wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her closer, he said, "You look really happy right now."

"I am," she nodded, "and the best part is that you're here to share this with me."

"I wouldn't miss it," he assured her just before their lips met.

Mark reached across the bed, still half asleep, expecting to find Elizabeth next to him. Realizing she wasn't there, he sat up and reached for his glasses. She emerged from the bathroom a few moments later, clad in a terrycloth bathrobe with her hair wrapped in a towel, turban-style.

"Sleep well?" she asked as she sat down on the edge of the bed next to him.

He smiled. "It would have been better if you'd been here when I woke up."

"Sorry," she said with an apologetic smile. "I just woke up and decided to take a shower."

"What time is it?" he wondered.

She glanced at the clock on the bedside table. "A little after two."

"Two?" he questioned. "It feels like it should be about eight in the morning."

She laughed. "You're still on Chicago time. You should be fine by tomorrow."

"So, tell me, why aren't you having a problem with the jetlag?" he wondered.

"I think I'm just too excited to be back," she said with a slightly embarrassed smile.

He smiled. "Do you know what time your father will be home?"

"I called his office when I woke up. It'll probably be after six before he gets here, at the earliest. If you felt up to it, I was thinking we could go out and search for a tree before he got home. Then, we could all decorate it after dinner," she suggested.

"That sounds like fun," he said with a smile. "Honestly, I can't remember the last time I decorated a Christmas tree."

"Really?" she questioned suspiciously.

"Yeah," he nodded. "Last year I was in San Diego helping my father move into the nursing home. Since we were packing everything, it didn't seem to make much sense to put up a tree. And, at least to me, a tree in San Diego, where it's seventy degrees in December, just doesn't seem right. Most other years, it was just me. I usually ended up working, so there wasn't much of a point. I guess the last time I had a tree was the last year Jen and I were married. She and Rachel were in Milwaukee, but we still had the house in Chicago. That was about six years ago," he explained. "What about you?"

"Sort of the same, I suppose," she admitted. "The last time I really celebrated Christmas was when I was here, so four years ago. Since I've been in Chicago, it's just been me. Like you said, there didn't seem to be much of a point."

"I'm sorry you had to spend last year alone," he said quietly.

"Don't apologize," she told him. "I'm glad you were able to spend it with your father."

"So am I," he admitted softly.

She studied him carefully. After a moment, she asked, "It's hard for you, isn't it?"

"Yeah," he nodded.

"Is there anything I can do?" she wondered.

He looked at her and smiled. "You're here."

She smiled gently at him. "Why don't you grab a shower? It'll help wake you up. Then we can go out in search of the perfect Christmas tree."

"Care to join me?" he asked with a suggestive grin.

She chuckled and shook her head. "I've already taken my shower."

"So?" he countered as he held her gaze.

She tried to suppress a grin. "You know that it is impossible for me to say no to that look."

"That's what I was counting on," he laughed as he got out of bed and reached for her hand, pulling her up next to him.

Elizabeth pulled on her parka as she started down the stairs. Calling back to Mark, she said, "Don't forget your gloves. We're going to be outside, and it gets a lot cooler once the sun starts to set."

Catching up to her, he laughed and said, "This is my eighteenth winter in Chicago. I think I can handle it, but yes, I am bringing my gloves."

She laughed. "I just don't want to hear you complaining."

Once they reached the main floor, she called, "Charlotte, we're going out. We should be back by the time Daddy gets home."

As they began to walk down the street, Mark wondered, "So, what's the plan?"

She thought for a moment. "Well, I figured we'd take the Tube out to Stanmore. They have some tree farms out there. We'll wonder around until we find the perfect tree, chop it down and bring it back. Simple as that."

He stared at her for a moment. "Just to make sure I'm understanding this right, the Tube is sort of like the El in Chicago, right?"

"Yeah," she nodded, "pretty much."

"And you're suggesting that we carry a Christmas tree on the train?" he asked, staring at her in disbelief.

"Yes," she said simply. After a moment, she grinned. "If anyone asks, I'll just say that it was the American's idea."

Before he had a chance to reply, she started running, her laughter echoing back to him. He stared at her for a moment, then shook his head and laughed. "Why you..."

Taking off after her, he caught up to her and grabbed her by the waist, then started spinning her around in circles.

"Mark!" she screamed playfully. "Put me down!"

"Not until you take it back!" he laughed.

"Okay, okay," she laughed breathlessly. "I'm sorry."

He sat her down and she turned around in his arms. "You think you're pretty funny, huh?" she asked with a grin.

"Actually, I think you should just be grateful there wasn't a snowbank around here for me to push you into," he grinned back.

She couldn't help but laugh. Taking his hand, she said, "Come on. If we're going to make it back before Daddy does, we really need to get going."

"Okay," he nodded as he followed her towards the Tube.

TO BE CONTINUED...

Thank you for reading. I hope you enjoyed it! Please let me know what you think: SixteenOzs02@yahoo.com LLP

July 8, 2000

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