𝐆𝐑𝐈𝐍𝐂𝐇 // 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐧𝐨𝐫 𝐫𝐡𝐨𝐝𝐞𝐬

𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐬𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐞𝐧

CONNOR COULDN'T HELP BUT notice the panicked look on Will's face as he rushed into the room where Connor stoor, his shirt off as he changed out of his scrubs. "Hey," the dark-haired surgeon spoke up, tugging a black sweater over his head. "Is Natalie on your ass about something again?"

               "That's one way of putting it," Will huffed, shrugging off his labcoat. "She is stressed. Last night, she realized none of us have finished our Christmas shopping, and now she's panicking. I mean, I get why — Natalie likes to keep things in order, but she wants me to come along, and she does not want to bring Owen."

"He can't be with his grandmother?"

Will shook his head, placing his stethoscope in his locker. "She's got the flu, most likey gotten it from Owen, but Nat and I aren't really up for stressing her with his energy level tonight."

"I'll take him," Connor shrugged, not even looking at Will, who shot the surgeon a surprised look. "I mean, I won't be taking care of him alone, I'll bring Eila too — if you're not dropping him off at my place, of course, but we'll be two about it. I'm convinced Eila would love sharing Christmas theories and stories with Owen, and I could make an attempt at cooking dinner."

"You, cooking dinner?"

"Why is that a bigger shock than the fact that I volunteered to babysit your step-son while you're out helping Natalie with Christmas presents?" Connor raised an eyebrow, turning to look at the red-haired doctor. "Will; come on. Get a grip."

                 "Spending time with Eila has really changed you," Will rolled his eyes, though it appeared as if he was thinking the scenario through. After all, if Connor and Eila would watch Owen, it would give him and Natalie the time they needed to finish their Christmas shopping. "You don't have any shopping left, or?"

"Oh, I'm not really on the level where I do the shopping and presents; you should know. After all, I would have given you a crap present two years in a row now, if I dis the whole present-gig, of course," Connor snorted, rolling his eyes as he shot a look at Will. "Now, do you want me to babysit your step-son, or should I let Eila know her plans are still on for the night?"

"What did she have planned for the afternoon?"

Connor froze; in fact, he did not know what Eila had planned for the afternoon. Usually, he would have the slightest hunch, but he was lost. They had written Christmas card, they had watched the holiday movies, they had been drinking hot chocolate, and they had bought Eila a tree. Heck, they had even done a little Christmas volunteering at an orphanage, yet Connor had no clue as to what she had planned. "I don't know," he replied honestly. "Thing is, Eila keeps planning things, and she keeps springing them on me. Occasionally I get a text or a head's up that I need to dress nice, and the following day I show up at her door, or she shows up at mine, and I have no clue whatsoever as to what we'll be doing."

               "She does a good job with keeping the element of surprise, then," Will chuckled, shaking his head a little, though turned to the door as Natalie entered the room. "Hey — Nat, Connor and Eila offered to watch Owen while we do the Christmas shopping tonight."

               "Oh, I don't want us or Owen to intrude—,"

                "Trust me when I say it was my suggestion," Connoe smiled warmly, watching a surprised look slip onto Natalie's face. "Yeah, yeah — didn't imagine you would say that, and all that jazz, I know. But, we'll happily help out. Or — I'll let Eila know, of course, but I see no reason as to why she wouldn't want to do it. She absolutely fell in love with Owen when we watched the Cola-truck with you guys."

                 For a brief second, Natalie and Will shared a look, before turning back to Connor. "Well, I guess it's official then," Will chuckled. "We'll drop by your place when we leave home, but you do not have to worry about making him dinner. I mean, we have to eat before we get around to the shopping too."

               Connor nodded, shoving his hands into the pockets of his coat. "Alright, well — I'll see you two in a little while then," he smiled, before leaving the room. The ED was still seeing patients come through the doors, Maggie doing her best to keep everyone under control. Connor chuckleed, sending a wave in her direction as he ducked out the doors, quickly finding his car. For the first day in a long time, the snow was not falling from the dark Chicago sky. Instead, a light breeze kept the top layer of the snow flying. Though he felt a bit rude ( but happy that no one noticed ), Connor couldn't help but laugh as he saw the snow whisk up in the face of a business man, who walked with his phone pressed to his ear.

                There was little to no traffic on the road, causing Connor to wonder where everyone had taken off to, before he came to realize it was closing in on Christmas. The few people out driving, they were out because they had to do something. Everyone else would be at home, preparing for the holidays with their loved ones.

                Minutes later, he stood at Eila's door, a warm box of pizza in his hands. "You want to come eat pizza with me? I hope you didn't have anything too special planned; I kind of said we could babysit Natalie's son while they're out to finish their Christmas shopping."

               Eila chuckled, nodding. "Not more than a month ago, I wouldn't have pegged you as the guy who'd babysit anyone's child."

"I don't think anyone would."

The two ate pizza in silence, before Eila disappeared for a second. Connor didn't notice she had left the apartment, until she returned as he returned from the bathroom, his sweater changed for a white t-shirt. In her arms were various book, and from what the surgeon could see, they all had Christmas themes. "I just got some stuff we could entertain Owen with. I mean, I'm sure they will be bringing things themselves too, but it would be nice. He could choose what books to read with us."

               "You'd be a great mom."

               The words simply blurted out of Connor, and quite frankly, he didn't realize what he had said until the words had left his mouth. A blush crept onto Eila's face, her gaze avoiding his. He was about to speak up again, when a knock on the door distracted them, Will entering with Owen on his arm, and Natalie behind him.

              "Hey hey, hope we're not disturbing anything," Will smiled, his gaze dancing between the pair standing in Connor's living room. "Owen brought a couple of his favorite toys, and he'll probably be tired in a bit—,"

               "Don't worry if he falls asleep," Natalie shot in, a smile on her face. "As long as he has a pillow and a blanket, he should be fine."

               The next twenty minutes were spent trying to reassure the two of them — mostly Will — that Owen would be just fine in the care of Connor and Eila. Connor had the toddler distracted already before they could leave the apartment, and within a few hours, the toddler was asleep. Eila found herself leaning against the kitchen island as she smiled at the scene in front of her; Connor was sitting comfortably on the couch, his head resting against the back, and his feet on the coffeetable. His arm was gently, though protectively placed around Owen, holding the blanket wrapped around the toddler, who quietly slept all snuggled up to his surgeon.

                 Her mind, however, could not get over his words from earlier, but she did not have a single doubt in her mind. Connor would make a great dad, and though it had been a break in their Christmas preparations, seeing him with Owen had only made her whole self even more sure of how she felt.

              In fact, it was very possible that Eila Chapman loved Connor Rhodes.