Twinkling lights..

"Susan what were we like,..I mean before I had the accident?" Mike all of a sudden asked.

Susan moved away a bit so she could look him in the eye.

"What do you mean?" She asked, a little surprised by his question.

"Well,..one of the twins made me wonder about that,..you know, because of what he said..".

Mike paused for a second.

"You mean, because he asked if we were getting married now?" Susan carefully said.

"Yes,.. Why would he ask that. Not just because he saw us standing together?" Mike asked.

"Right before you had the accident, I had planned a romantic evening for the both of us, remember? I told you at the block party.." Susan looked at Mike who nodded.

"Well, it wasn't just going to be a romantic evening,..I was planning on proposing to you,.. And I talked about it to the girls at Lynette's house, so most likely, Porter heard us talking about it".

Mike didn't respond, and Susan looked up to his face again. Mike let his head rest in his hands for a moment, then ran his fingers through his hair.

"I can't believe what a mess everything has become,..I'm in jail,..and you have a new boyfriend,.." Mike sighed and wanted to say something else, but al of a sudden it got dark around them.

"What's going on?" Susan looked at the other houses but there were no lights burning there either.

"I think the power went off?" Mike got up an went inside to check. Susan saw Tom coming out of his house.

"Tom,..what's going one, is the power off?" Susan shouted.

Tom walked up to her.

"Yeah I think so, maybe the grid was overloaded, but it could take them all night to fix it, I mean who's working on Christmas eve?" Tom smiled.

"I think it adds something to the Christmas mood,..makes it even more cozy!" He laughed as he walked back to his house again.

Susan sighed deeply.

"Cozy,..yeah that's just what I needed!" She cynically said to herself.

Walking back up the porch she noticed Mike was still inside, so she also walked into the house and closed the door behind her.

"Mike?" she called. "The power is off everywere,..Tom thinks it may last all night!"

Mike came out of the living room, with a candle in his hand.

"Yeah, I kind of figured that out too! But thank goodness you have so many candles, we could even last without power, throughout the entire winter!" He grinned.

"Hey I just like candles! What's wrong with that?" Susan pouted.

"Nothing, but I think you will have to buy some new ones soon", Mike said as he leaded her into the living room. Susan saw at least a dozen candles burning, and together with the fireplace they filled the room with a warm glow.

"It looks so warm and cozy here!" Susan blurted out. Suddenly she remembered Tom's words and she couldn't help blush a little.

This was all getting way out of hand. The dinner, sitting on the porch together and now this romantic atmosphere.

"Mike,.." she hesitated. He turned around and saw the doubt in her eyes.

"It's ok Susan, I'm not trying to force you to do anything you don't want", Mike said understandingly.

"It's not that I don't trust you…", Susan sighed.

"I don't trust myself around you..". She finally confessed what had been in her mind all evening.

Mike looked at her warmly for a moment. Then he stepped closer and laid his hands on her shoulders.

"I can see why this is difficult for you,..like we talked about earlier. I think we are doing a pretty good job, being friends. You don't have to be afraid, I won't try anything…I know you are with Ian now.." He sadly ended.

Susan bit her lip, wondering why it felt so odd to hear Mike say that name. And even more, why she felt less and lesser when she thought of Ian.

"It's getting cold in here,..", she changed the subject quickly.

"Yeah, the heater isn't working either,..thank goodness we made the fireplace on. I think we'd better go sit in front of it to stay warm,..unless you'd rather go to bed ?" Mike asked.

Susan shook her head. She enjoyed talking to Mike, going to bed would put an end that, and she wanted it to last a little longer. After all he had to go back to jail tomorrow.

"Why don't you move the couch in front of the fire, so we can lean against it? I'll go make us some eggnog ,.that should help us get warm!" Susan smiled as she walked back to the kitchen.

Mike moved the couch and sat down on the floor, in front of the fire. A book was laying on the floor and Mike picked it up. It was probably something Susan had been reading lately. The book was titled ' A Love Story', and Mike smiled. Typical women's stuff.

He opened it anyway, and was surprised when a picture fell out of it.

He grabbed it and turned it around,..he saw it was a picture of the both of them. He was standing behind Susan, his arms wrapped around her,..smiling. Mike sighed deeply.

Seeing the image, affected him more then he'd imagined.

He was still looking at the picture, when Susan entered the room again.

"Mike?" She called him softly. He lifted his head and looked at her, pain and frustration in his eyes. Susan noticed the picture in his hand, and bit her lip.

"I see you found my secret hiding place..", she tried to say lightly, but the emotional undertone was easy to hear.

She walked up to him and sat down across from him, her back leaning against the couch.

"I'm sorry,..I didn't mean to pry,..", Mike softly apologized, still looking at the picture.

"You don't have to say that,..it's ok. I'm glad you found it,. and not Ian..", She whispered softly without thinking. She covered her mouth with her hand, shocked.

"Why do you still have this picture? If you don't want Ian to find it?" Mike asked.

"Because I can't get myself to get rid of it.." Susan answered honestly.

"Do you feel the same about him,..like you once felt for me?" Mike blurted out. Almost immediately after that he laid his hand on her arm.

"I'm sorry, that's none of my business", Mike sighed.

"I shouldn't have asked you that."

Susan swallowed back her emotions. Mike's question made her wonder about that once more too. She was afraid to look at him when she started to talk.

"I think you're entitled to an answer", she softly whispered. His hand was still on her arm, when she continued.

"To be honest I don't think,..I've ever felt as much for anyone, but you. I've been married to Karl for almost 14 years,..but besides from having Julie, I never was really happy. When we divorced I was a wrack,..I didn't know how to survive on my own. But then I met you,..and I can say, you turned my life around.

Sitting by your side, for 6 months was the hardest thing I'd ever experienced. The thought of losing you was more then I could take…". Susan stopped for a moment, thinking back of that time. Mike gently caressed his arm.

"Anyway,.after a few months, I met Ian in the hallway. We started talking and since his wife was in a coma too, he understood me. I never wanted it to be more,..but the one time I let my guard down,..it did..and then you woke up. I felt so guilty! But you didn't even recognize me anymore..seeing you with Edie just broke my heart.."

Tears were running down her face by now, and Mike was unsure about what to do.

He felt like protecting her, holding her and never letting go. But he promised not to put any pressure on her. Seeing the hurt in her eyes made him slide a little closer.

"I haven't said 'I love you' to him yet, I can't …I think maybe that's a sign too.." she continued.

"I remember the day I said it to you for the first time.." Susan smiled through her tears.

"It was at my.. front..door..right?" Mike carefully asked. A big smile appeared on Susan's face, while she nodded.

"Yes it was! You told me you loved me the night before, and I wasn't sure enough to say it back.." Susan started.

"I thought you still loved Karl,..right?" Mike interfered.

"True, but when Karl told me he wanted me back, all I could think of was you,..that's when I knew I loved you, more than anything!" Susan said, gently touching Mike's face.

Before they knew it, their faces were dangerously close to one another. Susan laid her hands around Mike's face, while his hands moved towards her back.

Slowly he leaned forward, and kissed her so sweetly, she could cry again.

She kissed him back, with all the love she still felt for him,..enjoying the touch of his lips.

Her hand moved to the back of his head, her fingers running through his hair.

A soft moan escaped from her mouth, when she felt Mike's hand move underneath her shirt. Their kiss became more passionate, their body's closer,..and their breathing faster.

"Susan,.. I want you so bad..", Mike groaned, in between kisses.

Susan felt the same way, there was nothing she wanted more, then to make love to Mike, right here, right now. But a little voice in the back of her head warned her this wasn't right. Slowly she pulled back and looked him in the eyes.

"Mike, there's nothing I want more,..but I think we have to wait,..at least.." Susan stopped. She didn't want to hurt Mike, with the things she was about to say.

"At least before I talked with Ian,..and.." she hesitated again.

" Before I have my memory back,..is that what you wanted to say?" Mike finished her sentence for her.

"Please don't be mad at me..", Susan whispered softly. Mike ran his hand through her hair,. placing a stray piece of hair behind her ear.

"How could I be mad at you,..after everything you've done for me?" He gently answered.

"I understand why it would be to soon for you,..and I respect your decision. I don't want you to regret anything afterwards".

Susan sighed deeply.

"I may regret pulling back tomorrow,.." she joked. Mike smiled at her.

"So,..you want to go to sleep now, it's getting pretty late", Mike said lightly.

"You know what I really want?" Susan asked, holding her head aside a little.

Mike raised his eyebrow, wondering what she meant.

"Just say it, if you don't want to do this,..but I would love to sleep right here in front of the fire,..with you laying next to me..", Susan said her voice a little unstable, her eyes moving away from his. Mike reached for her hand, and held it between his.

"I would really like that too. Really…, it would be the perfect closure of a wonderful evening", Mike replied.

He got up to blow out the candles, and grabbed a blanket from the couch, along with some cushions. He laid the cushions on the floor in front of the fire.

Sitting down again next to Susan, he felt her nervousness. He gently made her lay down, covering her with the blanket. Then he moved himself next to her, pulling the blanket over his legs.

"Can you hold me like you used to do?" Susan softly whispered. Mike lifted his arm, so he could wrap it around her, while she laid her head on his chest.

"Goodnight Susan", he said softly, kissing her forehead. She already closed her eyes, a blissful smile on her face.

"Goodnight Mike..", the sweat answer came. As the fire slowly expired, they finally fell a sleep.