by stephanie meyer.
i don't own them.  i don't claim to.  it's just for fun.
 
 

The happiest place on earth. Why did this god awful conference have to he
here? Diane sighed. Disney
World. She really just wasn't in the mood. She tried to concentrate on
Lisa's words.

"It's a shame that Kate couldn't come down for the whole conference, isn't
it? A week in Disney World, we
may have had to commit her. But four days she should be able to handle."

"Yeah."

"Diane, what's wrong?"

"I'm sorry Lisa. I hate this place."

"Hate Disney World ? I'm shocked! What are you going to do when Kate brings
Emily down with her?"

"Hope to god the giant mouse scares her so I can get the hell out of the
magic kingdom?"

"You are no fun." Lisa stated as they approached the desk. Aaron and Phillip
were already checking in. "No
fun at all."

"I am too."

"Are what?' Aaron asked.

"She hates Disney world!" Lisa exclaimed.

"I just don't see why not loving a place that's going to put me into a
diabetic coma means I'm no fun?"

Aaron smiled. "When they haul you away Diane I'll come and visit you."

"Very funny, Aaron. Thanks for the support."

Phillip chuckled. "Diane, don't be so serious. It's Disney World!"

"Yeah, well, if Mickey Mouse is a key lecturer, I can't be held accountable
for my actions."

"Is it illegal to kill a mouse?" Lisa asked.

"It is in this state," Aaron replied.

"I'm in research. It's what I do," Diane deadpanned.

"Here's your keys," Phillip handed the plastic cards to the two woman.

Diane was following Lisa to the elevator when her eyes landed on a familiar
face. He saw her too. "Lisa, why
don't you go on up. I think I see someone I know."

"Do you want me to wait?"

"No, go on ahead."

Diane met him by the indoor fountain. "Hi."

"Yeah, this is tough, isn't it?"

"Yeah, well maybe."

"Diane, I've been a jerk. I want to make it up to you. Please?"

She smiled bitterly. "Make it up to me?'

He moved to put his arms around her. She gave him a rough shove and toppled
him into the fountain. "There
now I think we're even." She staked toward the elevator.

Billy dashed after her. "Diane! Diane, wait!"

She paused and waited. He stopped in front to her, dripping wet. "What?"

"Can we at least talk? Please."

She felt tears forming. "I don't know Billy."

He saw her tears and drew her into a hug. "For old times sake?"

She buried her head in his chest. "I'm wet now."

"Join the club."

Billy had talked her into staying with him. This was probably a bad idea.
She still wanted to be mad at him. But,
the more time she spent with him, the harder it became. She was still in
love with him.

He was in the bathroom changing. She was sitting on one of the room's double
beds, dialing Lisa's room.

"Hello?"

"Lisa?"

"Diane, where are you?"

"I'm not going to be rooming with you after all."

"I want details. Who is he?"

"How do you do that?"

"It's a gift. Tell all."

"I'll catch you up later. Do you want me to run the key down?"

"No, keep it just in case. What's your number in case someone needs to get a
hold of you?"

Diane gave her the room number and phone number.

"Don't do anything I wouldn't do."

"Oh, the possibilities. By, Lisa."

"Bye."

Diane hung up the phone. She looked up to see Billy standing in the bathroom
doorway. "You are so
beautiful, did you know that?'

"Actually, I've been told that recently."

A small spark of jealously flamed on Billy's face before he smothered it.
"Anyone I know?'

"Nope. No one I'd care to know. For some reason, I've become the slime ball
magnet."

"Yeah, well..."

"Billy, I meant after you left."

"Oh."

Diane stared at her hands. She still wore her wedding ring. Billy noticed.
"I couldn't take mine off either."

"So what now?"

"We could go to the beach. The hotel has it's own."

"I thought you wanted to talk."

"On the beach."

Billy was lying on his back, an arm thrown over his eyes. "Love that sun."

Diane was rubbing sunscreen into her arms. "Yeah, feel the cancer. Do my
back?" She tossed the bottle at him
and lay on her stomach. Truth was, she could reach the parts of her back the
swimsuit didn't cover. She just
wanted him to touch her and they both knew it.

As Billy massaged the lotion into her back, he struggled to break the
silence. "So?"

"So what?"

"What do we do now?"

"Swim?"

"Diane."

She sighed "I don't know Billy. I don't know if I can go back."

"Do you want to?"

"Do you?"

"More than anything."

She turned over under his hands and looked up at him. His fingers brushed
her ribs as she reached out to lay a
hand on his cheek. She gently, tentatively moved to kiss his lips. "So do
I."

They shouldn't have stopped in the lobby but Diane had wanted to check the
front desks for messages. Billy
was reading the park info sign when he felt two arms circle around his
waist. Diane wasn't going for the PDAs
so he was in big trouble. He was trying to disengage himself when Diane
spotted him. The look of pain in her
eyes almost broke Billy's heart. He tried to get to her but got stopped by
one of those damned charters.

"Smile for a picture, sir?"

"I don't think so Excuse me."

The mouse grabbed his arms and gestured for him to get a picture.

"Let go of my arm."

The mouse flung an arm around him.

"I'm going to warn you one more time, buddy."

The mouse didn't move.

Billy shrugged looked down at the floor and pursed his lips. "I warned you."
Then he looked up nd punched
the mouse in the face.

Diane was sitting in front of the door when he got up to his room.

"I don't have a key."

"Diane, it's not what you think. That woman has been after me for months and
won't take no for an answer."

"Does she have a reason?"

"No. She's not even a friend. I swear. Diane there is nobody but you."

She looked up at him. She was crying. He sat down next to her and pulled her
into his arms. He buried his head
in her hair. "Don't cry, baby doll. Don't cry."

"Where were you?'

"Actually, I was talking to hotel security."

She looked at him, puzzled. "Security?"

"I sort of, um, punched Mickey Mouse."

"You what!"

"Hey, I warned him!"

Diane began to laugh. Billy hugged her tighter and chuckled.

"It's not that funny."

"Oh yes it is!" She was laughing so hard she could hardly talk.

"Well, I'm just going to have to stop that aren't I?" He kissed her. Not
like their tentative kiss on the beach.
This was a deep, passion filled kiss. Diane stopped laughing and started
responding.

When they finally broke apart, Diane gasped, "We should go inside."

"Definitely."

They were heading for the er conference together. Billy's hand rested on the
small of her back as he guided her
through the crowd. It was the little things like that she'd missed. He had
too. As they made their way to the
conference room, Billy spotted a colleague.

"Diane, I want you to meet someone. She's an er doc in Phoenix with me. She
used to be over at county. She's
moving back to Chicago, but might be interviewing at Chicago Hope."

"So you want me to be her corner."

"So to speak. She's good. She is also totally in love with her best friend
back in Chicago, but hasn't told him.
She left to be with her sister and her kid but then her sister fell of the
wagon. I thought we had problems."

By this time they has reached the woman. She was in an animate conversation
with a tall, balding man.
"Susan."

"Billy, Hi. I'd like you to meet Mark Green."

Billy stuck out a hand. "Oh, so you're Mark. Billy Kronk."

"Has she been telling tales?" Mark asked as he shook the other man's hand.

"Let's just say no one can measure up to you."

Susan blushed.

Billy continued. "This is Diane Grad. Mark Green, Susan Lewis."

Diane smiled and shook hands with Susan. "Actually, Dr. Green and I have
already met."

"Really" Billy raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah," Mark replied. "We got a guy off a plane from Africa, fever,
vomiting. Refused any other id specialist
except Dr. Grad. So we called her in."

"Jake had an allergic reaction to something in the airline food," Diane
explained to Billy.

"Loft? Oh I would have loved to see that!"

Diane dug an elbow into his side.

"Oww!"

"Don't' be so smug."

"Smug? Who's smug?"

Diane rolled her eyes. "I'm sorry you have to put up with him," She told
Susan. "Is he still always like this?'

"Worse."

"I do believe I am being ganged up on." Billy steered Diane into the
conference room. "We will see you later."

Billy and Diane sat next to each other in the conference. Triage and how to
keep prejudges out of the er. Diane
shifted in he seat. She really didn't want to hear this. The topic moved
onto gang bangers.   How to stay
objective when treating them. Diane got out of her chair and left the room.
She was pacing outside the doors.
Billy caught her.

"Hey, what was that about?"

Diane was skittish. "That ...program. Objective observer my ass!"

"It is not a personal attack."

"Yeah, well I'm getting tired of people who have no idea what they're
talking about lecturing me!"

"This about Alan, isn't it."

"I just am so tired of the whole, 'I'm not allowed to be human' attitude
that we're supposed to have. Damnit,
Billy, I'm human, I have prejudges, and I can't help it!"

"No one said you can't be human,  Diane."

"That's what that whole lecture was about! I'm sick and tired of being made
to feel like a horrible person
because of the way I feel! It's not like my prejudges don't have a basis.
Hell, if that weren't true, Dennis and I
couldn't be such close friends! Can I help it if I assume the worst when
gang bangers roll into the er?'

"Diane what's going on." He sat her down on the floor and sank beside her.

She put her head in her hands. "Gary Poltran's family is suing me."

"For what?"

"Undo suffering."

"Wasn't that settled?"

"Now his shoulder appears to be stiff so I'm being charged with permanently
maiming him by their attorney."

"Jesus Christ."

"Yeah well you've got to love the American justice system. You can kill
people and still get money because
your coffee's too hot."

Just then the doors opened and people flooded the lobby. Mark and Susan
found them.

"Where'd you go?" Susan asked.

"No where," Billy replied, scrambling to his feet and helping Diane up.

"I just got tired of the sanctimony." Diane answered.

"Where do they dig these guys up?' Mark commented.

"I think he was a hardware store manager," was Susan's reply.

"Convention food sucks!" Billy exclaimed.

Diane swatted him. "Not so loud. Besides since when are you a gourmet?"

"Besides, at least it's not cafeteria food," Susan pointed out.

"That's actually food?" Mark asked.

The four were sitting at at table discussing the complementary lunch. A
beeper went off.

"That's me," Diane said as she wiped her mouth.

"You brought your beeper?" Billy asked.

"Yes, I brought my beeper. Some of us have lives outside of a hospital,"
Diane replied as she checked the
number.

"I have a life!"

"Play much hockey in Phoenix?"  Diane's brow furrowed as she replied.

"Roller hockey, which is woosier than ice hockey but it will do," Billy
rebutted as she dug for her cell phone in
her bag.

"Everything all right?" Susan asked.

"I hope so." Diane waited for someone to pick up. "Kate? What's wrong?"

"Kate Austin?" Billy asked. Diane kicked him under the table. "Owww!"

"Yeah. That's fine. Do you want me to meet you at the airport? What time
does your flight get in? In the
lobby? All right. See you then. Thanks." Diane hung up the phone, rummaged
through her bag for a pen, and
wrote herself a note on a napkin. then she threw all of them into her bag.
Billy used to this ritual, waited until
its completion before he began.

"What was that about?"

"Kate's flying in early. Sarah's recital got cancled, a nd she rearranged
some surgeries so she could leave
tonight."

"And that affects you how?"

"She's bringing Emily with her."

"You left our daughter with Kate Austin?" Billy liked the woman but not that
much.

"Why shouldn't I ! She's capable. I more than trust her childcare skills.
Just look at Sarah. Besides, she's my
friend."

"Since when, wait, I know that don't. Don't answer. That was me being
insensitive."

"Would you two like to be alone?" Mark asked.

"No." They both replied.

Susan raised an eyebrow. "So you're the soon to be ex wife?"

"Does he tell tales?" Diane asked.

"Only good one," Susan replied.

"I'm impressed," Mark interject. "My ex-wife and I can't be in the same room
without killing each other." He
took a drink of water.

"That's because Jen is a witch," Susan replied sweetly. Mark choked on his
water, causing Susan to pound
him on the back.

When Mark was breathing again, Billy picked up the conversation as an
opportunity to tease Diane. "Don't let
her fool you. She's actually vicious. She pushed me in the fountain when we
first got here."

"You deserved it."

"Who me?"

"At least I didn't knock out Mickey Mouse."

Susan looked at him with a disapproving smile. "You punch Mickey Mouse?"

"I warned him first!"

"On behave of harassed tourists every where, I thank you," Mark interjected.

"Thank you! Someone's finally on my side. These women are going to kill me."

"Diane!"

Diane looked up to see Phillip walking toward her. Aaron and Lisa were
milling around behind him.

"Oh wonderful. Well, there goes my reputation," Diane joked.

"I would damage your reputation?" Billy asked.

"By the time it gets back to work, you will be a married man who's wife is
dying of some horrible tropical
disease whom I treated while seducing you."

Billy leaned back in his char. "Ooow. I like that, really."

"If you want to work at Chicago Hope,"  Diane directed at Susan," you have
to remember, it is a rumor mill with
medical instruments."

Phillip stopped at the table

"Phillip this is.." Diane began to introduce her companions.

"Phillip Watters, chief of staff, Chicago Hope. Diane, can I speak to you
for a moment. It's urgent." Phillip
didn't notice who else was at the table.

"Of course." She stood up. "Excuse me." Billy caught her hand and brought
her down for a quick kiss.

"Find me later?"

"Yep."

"What time does Emily ge in?"

"Six, main lobby."

Phillip was ushering Diane away when he realized who was at the table.
"Billy? What...Never mind. I'll ask later.
Diane, now would be a good time."

They hustled away. "There's a man here who wants to speak to you. He
specializing in funding research. With
very large grants, I might add."

"Why does he want to talk to me?"

"He's interested in your work."

"Why?"

"Diane , just talk to him. And don't mention anything about only legal
difficulties."

Kate was surprised when Billy met her in the lobby. "Billy?""

"Hey Kitty. Kate." Billy held out his arms and relived the woman of his
offspring. "There's my baby girl. Oh I
missed you!" The little girl clung to her father.

"Where's Diane?"

"She had some meeting with a big wig researcher. Phillip was all hot and
bothered about it."

Diane crashed in Billy's room later that evening. She was laying on the bed
when a giggling baby landed on
her. "Emily, sweetie, give mommy a hug."

"She has been wired."

"She's excited."

It took another two hours to get the little girl to sleep.

"She has gotten so big." Billy was standing behind Diane, his arms wrapped
around her waist, and his head
resting on her shoulder.

"Yeah, she has."

"What did that research guy want?"

"To offer me a job. Same research, same hospital, a whole hell of a lot more
money. I thought Phillip was going
to stroke out."

"Wow. Your research. That's great!" He kissed her hair.

"I didn't say I'd do it." She walked out of his arms and over to the window.

"What are you talking about? Of course you want to! It's your research! It's
what you're passionate about!"

She said something in a quiet voice.

"What, I couldn't catch that?"

"I said I'm passionate about you."

He walked over and turned her to face him. "Baby doll, we us, we're going t
try to make this work again. We're
going to start over. But that doesn't mean you can't do what you love too."

"But I love being in the er!"

"No you don't. You like it. You love researching. I've seen you when you're
researching, and I've seen you in
the er. Two entirely different things."

"But I would be tied down in Chicago!"

"So what? Baby, I can cut anywhere. Chicago Hope is where you can do your
thing so that's where I'll be."

"You'd do that for me?"

"You'd give up research for me?"

Diane hugged him so hard he gasped. But he didn't complain. He could feel
the tears running down her
cheeks.

"I've missed you so much."

"I've missed you too."