Gap-Filler: "Great Expectations" - Friday Morning

By: Lori (SixteenOzs)

DISCLAIMER: "ER," the characters and situations depicted within are the property of Warner Brothers 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 not making a 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: Continuation of the episode "Great Expectations," focusing on the events of Friday morning.

RATING: PG

"Rachel? You got everything?" Mark asked as he pulled on his jacket Friday morning.

"Yup, all here," Rachel replied as she zipped up her carry-on bag.

"Ready for pancakes?" he wondered.

"Sure," she nodded while putting on her coat.

"Dad, are you sure you're going to be okay here, on your own?" Mark asked.

"Yes," David nodded as he looked around for the remote control, then began flipping through the channels.

"You've got my pager number if you need anything, right?"

"Yes, Mark," David said in an exasperated tone. "I'll be fine. I am capable of taking care of myself."

"Okay," Mark relented as he clenched his jaw. Picking up his keys, he said, "I'm going to stop by the hospital to check on Carol after I leave the airport, so I'm not sure what time I'll be back."

"What about Elizabeth?" David inquired. "You going to see her?"

"I don't know," Mark shrugged. "Maybe. Okay, Rachel, let's go."

"Bye, Grandpa," Rachel said, walking over to the sofa and giving him a quick kiss on the cheek. "See you later.'

"Bye, Rachel," David replied before she and Mark left the apartment.

Mark sipped his coffee as they sat in the small restaurant and waited for their breakfasts to arrive. After a few moments, he said, "Rachel, I think we need to have a talk."

"Uh, Dad, that's okay. Elizabeth and I talked about everything yesterday," she said, toying with her silverware.

He had to fight to hide a smile. "No, not about that," he said, shaking his head. "I'm talking about the way you were acting yesterday. 'The Pilgrims came here to escape persecution from the British.'" he reminded here.

"I guess that was kinda out-of-line, huh?" she suggested sheepishly.

"Very much so," he confirmed. "Elizabeth put a lot of work into that dinner, yet you seemed bent on making her feel uncomfortable from the moment you walked in the door. Why?"

"I don't know," she replied.

"Rachel, I want a better answer than that," he said seriously.

She suddenly became very intent in folding the wrapper from her straw. When she didn't say anything for several moments, Mark prompted, "Rachel?"

"Are you going to marry her?" she finally asked quietly.

He was taken aback slightly by the question. "I don't know," he admitted. "We've only been seeing each other since May."

"But you like her, don't you?" she wondered, still toying with the wrapper.

"Yes, I do," he nodded. "How do you feel?"

"She's pretty nice, I guess," she shrugged.

He watched her for a few minutes. "You want to tell me what you're really thinking?"

"If you marry her, that means you and Mom will never get back together," she said softly as she stared at the table.

He sighed heavily. "Rachel, I know it's not what you want to hear, but even if I wasn't with Elizabeth, I don't think your mother and I would get back together. Besides, she's married to Craig now."

"I know," she nodded, "but I guess I always thought there was a chance as long as you weren't with someone else."

"But what about Cynthia?" he asked, groaning inwardly as he once again remembered what a mistake that was. "You weren't so hostile towards her."

"I knew you'd never marry her," Rachel explained.

"Oh, really?" he questioned with a slight grin. "How'd you know that?"

"She wasn't your type."

"Does that mean Elizabeth is?" he wondered.

"Yes," she admitted reluctantly.

"Rachel, I'm sorry your mom and I got divorced. I know it hasn't been easy on you. But I really think it's for the best," he told her gently.

"Why couldn't you stay together, why couldn't you make it work?" she asked plaintively.

He sighed. He wasn't even sure he had an answer to that question. "Your mom and I both changed a lot after we got married. We decided we wanted different things, and us being together just didn't work anymore. I know that hurt you, and I would give anything if I could take that away, but I honestly think your mom and I are both a lot happier now."

"So you'll never get back together?" she questioned sadly.

"No, I don't think so," he said softly. "I'm sorry."

She stared at the table for a few moments as she considered everything he'd just told her. "So, Elizabeth makes you happy?"

"Yes, she does," he nodded.

"I guess she's not that bad," she allowed hesitantly.

"Not that bad, huh?" he questioned with a laugh.

"Yeah," she nodded, "she did a pretty good job of taking care of me and Grandpa after you left yesterday."

"How was dinner?" he wondered.

"It was good. I didn't think it was bland," she commented.

"Even the turkey?" he asked with grin.

She laughed slightly. "Yeah, it was good. I liked it."

The waitress sat there breakfasts on the table, and Mark nodded a thank you. Looking back to Rachel, he asked, "Is there anything you want to say to Elizabeth before you leave?"

"What do you mean?" she asked in confusion.

"I think you owe her an apology," he said seriously.

"Yeah, I guess I do," she said hesitantly.

"We could stop by her apartment before we go to the airport, or you could write her a letter and I'll give it to her for you," he suggested.

She considered this for several minutes as she picked at her pancakes. "Is it okay if we go to the airport, and I'll write her a letter?"

"Sure," he nodded. Smiling, he said, "Now you'd better eat before everything gets cold. I know blueberry pancakes are your favorite."

Mark glanced at Rachel from around the corner of his newspaper as they sat in the terminal of O'Hare Airport. She gave a frustrated sigh, then screwed the piece of paper she'd been writing on into a ball and added it to the growing pile on her backpack.

"You'd better hurry up," he said with a laugh. "Your flight leaves in forty-five minutes."

She looked up at him and glared for a moment. "You want me to do this, so don't you want me to do it right?"

"Wait a minute," he corrected. "I want you to do this because you know it's the right thing to do."

"It is," she grumbled. "Now let me work."

"Okay," he chuckled as he turned his attention back to the newspaper.

Thirty minutes later, Rachel folded the sheet of paper and tucked it into an envelop, which she sealed and wrote Elizabeth's name on the front. Handing it to Mark, she asked, "Can you give that to Elizabeth for me?"

"Sure," he nodded. "So, what'd you say?"

"I can't tell you!" she admonished. "That's for Elizabeth."

"Okay," he relented. "School going okay this year?"

"Yeah," she said with a nod. "I got my report card last week. All As and Bs."

"What were the Bs in?" he wondered.

"History and English," she replied.

"Okay," he smiled. "Just try to do better next time."

"I will," she promised.

"Got a boyfriend?" he asked.

"No," she answered.

"Two? Three?" he teased.

"Dad!" she laughed.

After a few moments, he softly said, "It was nice having you here. I'm sorry I had to leave dinner yesterday."

"That's okay," she assured him. "Carol and the babies needed you."

He laughed slightly. "That's the same thing Elizabeth told me last night."

"She's pretty smart," Rachel commented.

"Yeah, she is," Mark agreed. "Would you be okay with things if I keep seeing her?"

"Yeah, I think so," Rachel nodded.

"Good. It means a lot to me to know that you like her," he said seriously.

"Thanks," she said quietly.

"American Airlines, Flight 1133 to Saint Louis is now boarding," the boarding attendant announced over the loud speaker.

"That's you," Mark said with a smile.

"Yeah," she nodded as she stood up and gathered her things.

"Your mom knows that your flight is landing in Saint Louis in about an hour, right?" he asked.

"Yeah, I called her this morning with the airline, the flight number and the time," she confirmed.

They walked to the boarding gate, and he wondered, "Would it be okay if I give you a hug?"

"Sure," she replied with a laugh.

After hugging her for a few moments, he stepped back and said, "I want you to be good and listen to your mother."

"I will," she nodded.

"And don't forget to page me when you get home, so that I know you got there safely," he reminded her.

"Don't I always?" she laughed.

"Just making sure," he chuckled. "Bye, sweetheart. I love you."

"I love you, too. Bye, Dad," she smiled before turning towards the ticket agent.

He stood at the terminal window and watched until the plane pulled away from the gate. He sighed heavily as he started to walk out of the airport. His little girl was growing up. He knew he had to accept it, but that didn't mean he had to like it.

"She is perfect, Carol. They both are," Elizabeth said with a smile as she held Kate.

"Thank you," Carol smiled while nursing Tess. "So, when are you going to have one of your own?"

"Me?" Elizabeth asked with a laugh.

"Yes, you!" Carol replied. Grinning, she added, "You've already go the most important part covered."

"Really? And what's that?" Elizabeth asked knowingly.

"The guy!" Carol laughed.

Elizabeth laughed, but didn't say anything.

Turning more serious, Carol said, "I've known him for a long time. He's the best friend I think I've ever had. Take good care of him,"

"I will," Elizabeth promised softly.

Carol hesitated a moment, then admitted, "He's even saved my life twice."

"Really?" Elizabeth questioned.

"Yeah," Carol nodded. "The first was six years ago. I got home from work one day, took a bunch of pills and chased them down with some alcohol. My roommate found me and they brought me to County. I wanted to die, but he wouldn't give up on me."

Elizabeth smiled gently. "When have you ever known him to give up?"

"Never," Carol said with a soft laugh.

"That's part of what's so fascinating about him," Elizabeth admitted with smile.

"Then the second time was yesterday," Carol continued quietly. "I was so terrified I was going to lose Kate, she was blue the first time I saw her, then I thought I was bleeding out. He stayed right there with me. I'm pretty sure I would have completely lost it without him."

Elizabeth smiled and said, "Then I think it was a good thing that he was here."

"I'm sorry I ruined your Thanksgiving dinner," Carol said apologetically.

"Don't worry about it," Elizabeth told her. "You needed him. I understand that."

"So, how did things go yesterday?" Carol wondered.

Elizabeth just laughed.

"That bad?" Carol questioned. "At one point, he said you were probably crawling out on a ledge."

"I don't think it ever got quite THAT bad, but it was my first Thanksgiving, and one I won't soon forget," she chuckled. Looking down at the little girl in her arms, she said, "I guess we have that in common, don't we?"

"What happened?" Carol wondered.

"Well, to start things off, I'd found this decorative Pilgrim's hat at the drugstore, and I thought it would be cute to wear it when I answered the door. As soon as she walked in, Rachel so kindly pointed out that you weren't supposed to wear them. Then, while we were putting dinner on the table, she reminded me that the Pilgrims came here to escape persecution from the British."

"She didn't?" Carol questioned in disbelief.

"Oh, but she did," Elizabeth laughed. "And all of this was before Mark left. Just before he got paged, he asked her to get the mashed potatoes. She 'accidentally' dropped the bowl. After he left, it just got better."

"I'm afraid to ask," Carol laughed.

"After dinner, David treated me to a reenactment of the landing at Normandy, using the leftover vegetables. But the best part came as we were getting ready to serve dessert," Elizabeth chuckled.

"What?" Carol prompted.

"What is the absolute worst thing that could possibly happen the first time you meet your boyfriend's ten-year-old daughter?" Elizabeth asked.

Carol considered this for a few moments, trying to come up with the most outlandish answer possible. "I don't know," she shrugged. "She gets her period."

"Exactly," Elizabeth replied with a wry smile.

"You're kidding, right?" Carol asked in shock.

"Afraid not," Elizabeth chuckled.

Carol looked carefully from Kate to Tess. "Please tell me I'm not going to have to go through something like that with them."

"I hope not," Elizabeth said sincerely.

"So, what happened next?" Carol wondered as she finished nursing Tess and readjusted her gown.

"Rachel had locked herself in the bathroom. I finally went in to see what was going on. She was sitting there, crying because she was bleeding and didn't know what to do," Elizabeth said sympathetically. Smiling slightly, she added, "Seeing her there like that made me forget how much of a brat she'd been earlier in the day."

"Had Jen told her anything?" Carol asked.

"No," Elizabeth said, shaking her head.

"So it all had to come from you?" she concluded.

"Yes," Elizabeth sighed. "And unfortunately, I only had tampons, so I had to send David out for napkins."

"No way," Carol said, trying to fight back a laugh. "How did you tell him?"

"I basically told him the same thing I just told you," Elizabeth admitted.

"Not exactly the conversation you want to be having with your boyfriend's father, huh?" Carol questioned.

"No," Elizabeth confirmed. "Then, on his way back from the drugstore, David slipped on the ice and got a nasty gash on his head. We came here to get him stitched up. And that was my first Thanksgiving."

Carol laughed. "You know, I think I'm actually willing to say you had a more eventful Thanksgiving than I did."

"I don't know," Elizabeth shook her head and laughed. "But I will say that it's not something I'm ready to repeat anytime soon."

They both looked up at the sound of a knock on the door. Elizabeth smiled as Mark entered the room. "Hi," she said softly.

"Hi," he replied as he bent down and kissed her gently. He sat at the foot of Carol's bed, then turned to her and asked, "How are you doing, Mom?"

"Tired," Carol admitted with a sigh, "but I'm figuring I should probably get used to that."

"Yeah," he nodded with a laugh, "at least until they both start sleeping through the night. Any idea how long you're going to be in here?"

"Dr. Coburn came by this morning. She said she wants me to stay at least a week, then she'll decide based on how well I'm doing," she explained.

"Probably a good idea," he said.

"Are you just saying Coburn had a good idea?" Carol laughed.

"Yeah," he admitted reluctantly. "Depressing, isn't it?"

"What's going on?" Elizabeth asked in confusion.

"Coburn and I haven't always seen eye to eye," he explained. "It's a long story. I'll explain later."

"You'd better," she grinned. "How's life at your place?"

He laughed. "Dad's at home, catching up with all the sports channels, and Rachel's on a plane back to Saint Louis. I just came from the airport."

"How's she doing this morning?" Elizabeth wondered.

"Okay," he nodded. "We went out for breakfast, had a nice talk. I think we've reached a new understanding on a few things."

"That sounds," she stopped, searching for the right word, "slightly ominous, don't you think?"

He chuckled. "No, I think things should be a lot better now."

"Really?" Elizabeth questioned suspiciously.

He reached into his jacket pocket and withdrew a single envelope. "She wanted me to give you this."

Gesturing to Kate, who was now asleep in her arms, Elizabeth said, "Could you just hold that for me? I seem to have my hands full at the moment."

"Sure," he nodded with a smile.

"But what is it?" she wondered curiously.

"It's too thin to be a bomb, so I don't think you need to worry," Carol joked.

They all laughed, then Mark explained, "It's a letter she wrote to you while we were waiting at the airport. She wouldn't let me see it, so I'm not sure what it says."

"Hmmm," Elizabeth commented, her curiosity piqued.

"Want me to open it and read it to you?" he wondered.

"No!" she chided. "She didn't want you to see it."

"Come on. You're no fun!" he grumbled.

"You're just upset because you're not getting get your way," she teased.

"Maybe," he admitted reluctantly.

"Mark, when's your dad going back to San Diego?" Carol asked.

"Sunday," he replied.

"Will you do me a favor?" she asked.

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

"Take Elizabeth out for a nice romantic dinner Sunday night," she said with a grin. "I think she's earned it."

He chuckled. "I think so, too."

"Well, thank you," Elizabeth smiled. Kate woke up a moment later, and began to cry. Turning to Carol, she said, "I think someone wants her mum."

Carol laughed slightly, "Mark, can you take Tess?"

"Sure," he nodded as he stood up and carefully took the baby from Carol's arms. Elizabeth then got up and handed Kate to her.

Mark looked to Elizabeth, then asked, "Do you have any plans for lunch?"

"Not really," she shrugged. "Why?"

"I was thinking we could get out of here, give Carol a little privacy and grab a bite to eat," he suggested.

"Will you be okay on your own?" Elizabeth asked Carol.

"Yeah, we'll be fine," Carol assured her with a smile. "You two go out and enjoy your lunch."

"Thanks," Elizabeth smiled.

"We'll be back to see you later," Mark said as he gently placed Tess in the bassinet. Quietly, he said, "You be good for your mommy, okay?"

Carol chuckled. "See you later."

They were seated in a back booth at Doc Magoo's, waiting for their lunch orders to arrive. Feeling the weight of Mark's stare on her, Elizabeth desperately tried to hide a grin as she read Rachel's letter.

Dear Elizabeth,

I want to say I'm sorry for the way I acted yesterday. Saying that the Pilgrims came to America to escape persecution from the British was out of line. I know you're probably thinking that Dad is making me do this. He did remind me that I was kinda rude yesterday, but I know he's right and that I need to say I'm sorry. I hope you can forgive me.

I also wanted to thank you for helping me. I know you probably had a bunch of reasons why you shouldn't, especially after the way I acted, but you did. It was a lot easier talking to you about that stuff than Dad or Grandpa. Thanks for telling Dad, and for letting him know I wanted to go back to St. Louis.

I was wondering if I could ask you a favor. Could you please take care of Dad for me, since I'm not in Chicago anymore. He really likes you. I hope you know that because I don't want to see him get hurt again.

I was thinking it might be kinda cool if we got together to do something the next time I'm in Chicago to visit Dad. That is if you want to.

Talk to you later,
Rachel

As she finished reading, Elizabeth carefully refolded the letter and replaced it in the envelope before looking back to Mark.

"Well?" he questioned.

"Well, what?" she teased.

"What did Rachel say?" he asked impatiently.

She laughed. "It's going to be so much fun torturing you on Christmas morning."

"Elizabeth, come on," he pleaded.

She smiled, but shook her head softly. "Mark, I can't tell you what she said in the letter."

"Why not?" he questioned.

"If you want her to get along with me, she has to know that she can trust me. She needs to know that I won't tell you everything she tells me," she explained.

"But she's my daughter," he tried to argue.

"I know that," she nodded. "And if it's something that affects her well-being, or something you should know about, then I'll tell you. But you're going to have to accept that some of it is just going to be 'girl talk.'"

He sighed as he stared at his coffee.

The waitress came and sat their orders on the table before Elizabeth chuckled softly. "Come on, say it."

He looked up at her. "Say what?"

"That I'm right, and you know it," she grinned.

A reluctant smile spread across his face as he watched her. "You MAY be right."

"Close enough," she laughed before she took a bit of her sandwich, then wiped her mouth with a napkin.

"Just one thing," he said.

"What?" she questioned suspiciously.

"Did she say anything in the letter that was as bad, or worse, than what she said yesterday?" he asked.

She smiled and shook her head. "No, she was very polite, very apologetic."

"Good."

"So, how are things going with your father?" she wondered.

He groaned softly as he leaned back in the booth. "I'm figuring he can't drive me insane in the next thirty hours, so I should be safe."

She laughed. "You are awful!"

"You don't know my father," he lamented.

"He was very sweet yesterday," she smiled. Pausing for a moment, she added, "Well, the Normandy reenactment was a bit much."

"See? This is what I've got to put up with," he pointed out.

"Why don't you both come over for dinner tonight?" she suggested.

"Really?" he questioned.

"Yeah," she nodded. "I've got tons of leftovers, and it might be easier if you didn't have to face him alone."

He smiled. "Thank you."

"Don't thank me yet," she grinned, "this means you've still got to eat my cooking."

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