Lovers Reuinited
Part 2 - I Love The Way You Love Me
By: Lisa Brown,
ERDrLewis@aol.com

Spoilers for "Power", I don't own the characters, thanks to Ally, Julianne and Rachel.



- I do swear that I’ll always be there.
I’d give anything and everything
And I will always care.
Through weakness and strength,
Happiness and sorrow,
For better, for worse, I will love you
With every beat of my heart.

"From This Moment On", Shania Twain

"Carol, can you believe that you’re getting married?" Anna said.

"I know! I’m so excited. I can’t believe it’s finally here."

"Okay, here, how does the bridesmaid dress look on me?" Susan asked, stepping out of the dressing room.

"You look beautiful Susan. Almost as beautiful as Carol," Elizabeth said.

"Thanks. Carol, you do look great! Look at you."

"Thank you. You’re not so bad yourself."

"Well, I’m fat, so."

"*You’re* fat? I’m almost a month ahead of you and I’ve got two in my stomach! You think that you’re fat!" Carol said.

"Yeah, well you look beautiful. I look fat. You can tell that you’re pregnant, I just look fat."

"You don’t look fat, Susan. You’re not even showing that much," Anna assured her.

"Well, you two look nice," Susan said to Anna and Elizabeth.

"Thanks."

Mark then stuck his head in the door. "You guys almost ready?"

"Yep. Will you tell Susan she does *not* look fat?"

"Sus, hon, you don’t look fat, you look beautiful."

"See?" the other three ladies said in unison.

"Carol, you look gorgeous. You look great too, Anna, Elizabeth."

"Thanks."

"Ready?"

"Yep, let’s get this show on the road!"

"Carol looks beautiful, doesn’t she?"

"Yep. You look beautiful too." He leaned over and kissed her ear.

"Carter!"

"What?"

"Come on, we’re supposed to be dancing. Also, I thought we would kinda keep this a secret a while? Be good."

"Okay, okay. It’s nice here."

"Yep, they picked a nice hotel. It’s magnificent. Carol and Doug seem *so* happy."

"I’m glad that they finally got married. You know, Anna-"

"I told you I wanted to take this slow Carter."

He smiled. "I know, I’m just teasing you. Hey, look at Mark and Susan dancing over there. They look like they’re in their own universe or something, oblivious to all around them."

"Yeah. That’s another perfect couple."

"I can think of one more."

"Who?"

"Us."

"You know, Susan, you look wonderful. Don’t get all worked up over nothing."

"I know, I know," Susan said, laying her head on Mark’s shoulder as they swayed back and forth to the music. "Doug and Carol look so happy together."

"Yeah, they do. Mark? I wanted to ask you something."

"What?"

"I was going to wait a little while to ask you this, but I might as well do it now. Now that we’re in a relationship, I realized that the baby would affect not only me, but you as well."

"Susan-"

"Let me finish. I’m going to ask you something and think about the answer. Even if you think that you know the answer, sleep on it. Okay?"

"Okay, Susan, what is it?"

She sighed. "I was wondering . . . I mean, you are the one I want to do this, but if you don’t . . . that’s okay, just think about it. I was wondering if you would consider being the baby’s father. It’s a big responsibility and commitment, and if you don’t want to do it, that’s all right, just think about it. And don’t answer now."

"Susan, I-"

"Shh. Sleep on it. Let’s try to forget about it for now, okay?"

Mark smiled. "Okay, I’ll sleep on it. You look a little tired. Do you want to sit down?"

"Just for a little bit."

"Okay, I’ll get you something to eat too, okay?"

Mark saw Susan to their table and then walked over to the buffet to get Susan a plate of food. He ran into Doug and Carol on the way. "Hey, you! Again, I must say congratulations!"

"Hi. Where are you off to?" Doug asked.

"Susan’s hungry."

"You are so good to her. What was she saying while you two were dancing? You guys looked pretty serious," Carol asked.

"Yeah, she asked me if I would consider being the father of the baby."

"Wow! She told me that she was going to ask you tonight. What did you say?"

"She’s making me sleep on it. But I think I’m going to say yes."

"Go for it big guy! You better get Susan her food," Doug said.

"I’m going to! Enjoy the rest of your night!"

"Hey, Carol. Do you have a pen I can use?" Susan asked.

"Yep. Here you go."

"Thanks," she said, filling in some info on a chart.. "Aren’t you on leave yet?"

"It’s my last day. I’m only on for three more hours and then I’m gone."

"Lucky. I’m on for two months more."

"Well, you don’t look like you’re about to burst!"

They laughed. "Well, take it easy. If you need anything, let me or Mark or someone know."

"Sure. And Susan? Don’t mean to be nosy, but . . ."

"What Carol?"

"You know the night Doug and I got married? Well, you never told us Mark’s decision."

Susan smiled. "Sorry. He said yes. You should have asked earlier! It’s been quite a while since then!"

"I would have, but it slipped my mind. No offense, but I wasn’t thinking of you too much that night."

"That’s okay, I don’t mind. I have to get these charts to exam four. Talk to you later!"

Carol went into the lounge and sat down on the couch. She wasn’t feeling so hot. She needed a nap. She wondered if she could sneak into an exam room somewhere or something. She got up to walk to the board to see which one was open. She frowned to herself. Had her water just broke? No, she was just imagining it. Then she felt a sudden sharp pain on her side. Damn it. "Mark! Susan! Anyone!"

Carter heard her screaming and ran into the lounge. "You okay?"

Carol shook her head. "No. Water broke. Get Mark," she said through clenched teeth.

"Yes ma’am!" he said as he ran out of the room.

A few seconds later, Mark ran in. "You okay Carol?"

"No. Call Doug."

"Susan’s beeping him. Carter’s calling OB. You’ll be all right, Carol."

"OB said to get her in a room and examine her. They’re sending someone down. And Susan just beeped Doug. He called back and she’s talking to him now."

Susan ran in. "Okay, Doug’s on his way. He’ll be here as soon as possible. Come on, let’s get you in a room."

"Heard any news in a while?" Susan asked.

"Nope. But I’ve had patents straight on for the past four hours. We had those three traumas and who knows what else," Mark said. "I think Anna said that she was going to try to get up there on her break. Aren’t you off now?"

"Almost. Fifteen more minutes."

"It’s slowing down a little. Why don’t you go on up there and check everything out?" Kerry said.

"What’s the catch?" Susan asked.

"You have to come back down here and give us all an update."

"Sure thing! See you in a little bit," Susan said, walking towards the elevators and stepping in one.

"Hey, Susan, you going up?" Anna called to her.

"Yep."

"Wait up, I’m on my break now."

Susan held the elevator for Anna. "When did you get on?"

"About three hours ago. You off?"

"Yeah. Kerry let me off fifteen minutes early to go see how things were going," Susan said, rubbing her stomach.

"You’re almost due now, right?"

"Almost. I’m just about at seven months. I feel like I’m going to burst."

The elevator stopped at the fourth floor and the ladies got off. They checked to see what room Carol was in and started walking there. When they got to the room, they immediately knew it was hers.

"Come on, Carol, you have to push."

"I know that! You think I don’t know that after my years downstairs?" Carol snapped at Doug. The contraction stopped. She saw Doug’s hurt face, realizing he was only trying to help. "Sorry. I’m just sick of pushing, pushing and not much happening." Carol looked out the small window in the door and saw Susan and Anna. "Hey, I’ll be okay for a few minutes, go talk to Susan and Anna for me," she said to Doug.

Doug saw the women and waved. "Okay, if anything happens, I want *you*," Doug said, pointing to a young nurse who didn’t seem to be doing much, "to come out and get me."

"Doug, don’t scare her. Get out there."

Doug walked outside. "So, we see you’re not a father yet," Anna said.

"Yeah, they said it’ll be another hour or more. So, did they all send you up?"

"Yep. Everyone wanted a status report," Susan joked.

Anna’s beeper went off. "Damn, they need me down there. Send someone down when they’re born, all right?"

"Will do!" Doug called after her.

"Hey, I was just going to get something to eat, do you want anything? Coffee or something?" Susan asked.

"Coffee would actually be great."

"If you want, I can stick around for a while and be your messenger to the ER."

"It’s days like these when I realize why you’re my friend," Doug teased.

"Ha, ha. I’ll be back in about fifteen minutes with your coffee, okay?"

"Thanks! Oh yeah, Carol says hi."

Susan laughed. "Tell her I say hi too. Be right back!"

"Hey guys!" Susan said, a few hours later down in the ER.

"What? Are they born yet?" Anna asked.

"Yes! Two little boys, Paul Michael and James Douglas, each five pounds, six ounces, and five pounds, three ounces, respectively. The most adorable things. Carol sent me down here to get her Polaroid camera so she could take a picture of the two of them for you all to see."

"Everything okay, even though they were born early?" Mark asked.

"Fine. They weren’t born too early, twins are usually a little early, but they’re perfect. I’m going to get the camera and I’ll be back in a few minutes with the proof."

Anna walked to the kitchen late that night. She was thirsty, and decided to get a glass of water. As she poured it from her bottle from earlier, she saw the picture of the boys Susan had taken for her. Susan took three pictures, one for everyone in the ER to see, one for herself, and then the one that was on the table. They looked so cute. Carol was in the bed, of course, holding one. She thought this one was Paul, but she wasn’t sure. Then Doug was standing by the bed, his one arm around Carol and his other holding James. Or possibly Paul. Anna found a piece of Scotch tape, and taped the picture to her refrigerator. She drank her glass of water and then went back to her bedroom. She stood in the doorway a while and looked at Carter, lying there, taking up half of the bed. She saw him reach out for her in his sleep, and then get a confused look on his face when he found only pillows. She laughed quietly to herself and got under the covers again. She got close to Carter and he smiled in his slumber when he noticed her presence there. He reached over and pulled her closer. Anna lay her head on his chest. She smiled, thinking over everything that had happened since she had moved back. She was, quite possibly, the happiest woman alive. She loved Carter with all of her heart. She really didn’t think anyone really knew about their relationship at work, except for maybe Carol, but she had enough to worry about. Well, maybe Kerry too. She had to get somewhat suspicious when Carter kept spending the nights out, only coming home once and a while to change his clothes. She wasn’t quite sure why he was paying rent, he spent every night at her place. Oh, well, she really didn’t care that much, the only thing she cared about was that Carter was asleep next to her. She loved him, everything about him, all of the memories she held about him. She couldn’t remember when she had ever loved a man more, but it was most likely accurate that he was the only man she had ever loved this much.

Carol looked over at Doug. He was asleep in the chair next to her bed. It didn’t look that comfortable. Carol had even told him to go home and get a good night’s sleep, but he refused. She was somewhat glad about that though. She felt safer, more secure with him there. She was exhausted, but couldn’t quite get to sleep. So she decided to watch Doug sleep. She loved him. She traced her finger around her wedding ring. It was on a chain around her neck, along with her engagement ring. Her fingers had gotten a little swollen as her pregnancy progressed, too swollen for them to fit. So, Doug went out and bought her a beautiful gold chain. He was the most wonderful, caring man she had ever known. She wanted to get up and hug him for doing everything he had for her, but she couldn’t find the strength to get out of bed. The IV didn’t help much either. So she just smiled at him. If sensing something while he was asleep, Doug smiled too. Carol saw this and then drifted off to sleep.

Susan walked in the door. She wondered if Mark was still up. She decided to be extra quiet in case he was. She had had a meeting with Anspaugh about her maternity leave. She was going to work up until one week to her due date, unless the baby came early, and start four weeks later. She had taken five weeks off, and most of it was paid for. She walked into the kitchen and taped the picture of the Ross family up on the fridge, in between a picture of Chloe, Joe, and Susie, and a picture of Mark, Susan, and Rachel, when she had come to visit for the weekend a few weeks ago. She smiled at it, and walked into the bedroom to change. She saw Mark asleep on the bed and tried very hard not to wake him up. Luckily, she changed without a peep from him. She pulled the covers down and crawled under them. She looked at Mark, so happy she had come back. She loved him. She smiled at the thought. Her grin became bigger as she saw that Mark was only wearing his boxer shorts. She had to fight the urge to wake him up. Even though she had a pretty inventive way of waking him up, she thought against it. It had been a long day and he needed his sleep. She snuggled up against him. She heard Mark whisper in her ear, "Susan?"

"Yes?" she whispered back.

He didn’t answer, just smiled. It was one of those times when he was half asleep, half awake. She loved that about him. She loved a lot of things about him. His hair, his eyes, how he always knew exactly what she wanted, wherever, whenever. It was like he could read her mind. She loved that about him too. She loved Mark with all her heart and knew she would forever.

- I like the feel of your name on my lips
I like the sound of your sweet, gentle kiss
The way that your fingers run through my hair
And how your scent lingers even when you’re not there

I like the way your eyes dance when you laugh
And how you enjoy a two hour bath
The way you convinced me to dance in the rain
With everyone watching like we were insane

But I love the way you love me
Strong and wild, slow and easy
Heart and soul, so completely
I love the way you love me

I like the way that you sing sweet and low
When they’re playing our song on the radio
And I like the innocent way that you cry
At old time movies you’ve seen hundreds of times

But I love the way you love me
Strong and wild, slow and easy
Heart and soul, so completely
I love the way you love me

I could list a million things
That I love to like about you
They all come down to one reason
I could never live without you, baby

But I love the way you love me
Strong and wild, slow and easy
Heart and soul, so completely
I love the way you love me

Oh, baby, I love the way you love me

"I Love The Way You Love Me", Eric Martin

https://www.angelfire.com/bc/LisasERPage/fanfics.html