"And, as always, thank you for flying Southwest Airlines."

Susan glanced over at Carol.

"Ready?"

"As ever."

They made sure they had all their carry-on baggage before stepping off the plane into a crowd of other passenger's family and friends, with only one familiar face peering back at them.

"Dr. Lewis!" The memorable voice cried, and the man who owned it came running up to them, his white doctoring coat flapping out behind him.

"Carter, what are you doing here?" Susan asked, looking at him astounded.

"News gets around, I was ordered to come pick you up." Carter explained.

"C'mere," Susan hugged him tightly and he smiled at what he saw over her shoulder.

"Carol?" His jaw dropped.

"Close your mouth, Carter." Carol said smiling. He hugged her, laughing loudly.

"And I'm assuming these little ladies are Miss Tess and Miss Kate?" Carter crouched to the level. Tess, being the more forward twin, flung her arms around his neck and Kate, not wanting to be left out, followed suit. Carter pulled back. "Don't tell me which one's which, let me guess." He put a hand to his chin before taking Tess's face in his hands. "Tess." Then he cupped Kate's. "And Kate." The two giggled.

"Lucky guess, Carter." Carol said.

"It was a fifty-fifty try." Susan added.

"What are you doing up here?" he asked, rising from his crouching position.

"I decided to take a little trip to Chicago, maybe think about moving in with my mother." She replied.

"Did Doug come with you?" Carol's face turned stone still.

"No, it's just me and the girls." Carter nodded, not pressing any further.

"Let's go get your bags." He said, trying to save the situation. They retrieved them from the claim and went into the parking lot, climbing into Carter's red automobile.

"This is new." Susan commented, brushing the soft interior.

"Isn't mine, it's my wife's. She's at home with the baby." Carter said nonchalantly. Carol and Susan stared, amazed.

"P-pardon?" Susan stuttered.

"Did I *hear* you correctly?" Carol's eyes widened. "Wife and baby?" Carter nodded.

"Her name's Emily, his name's Daniel Thomas Messier-Carter, age two months, otherwise known as Dan. Em's still on maternity leave." He said, starting the car.

"You've got a baby?" Kate asked from her position next to Carol in the backseat.

"A very *little* baby." He said.

"Can we see it?" asked Tess.

"Tess!" Carol cried.

"It's okay." Carter smiled. "You said you're going to be here for a while, Carol?"

"Think of it as a temporary perhaps permanent homer." Carol said quietly.

"Then I'll have to have you over for dinner sometime." He grinned.

"Will you have cake?" Kate leaned forward expectantly. Carter laughed.

"Maybe." He said, smiling. "Where are you staying?"

"The Chicago Central Embassy." Susan replied.

"For how long."

"I'm only there for four more days, I don't know about Carol,"

"I'm going to the hotel until I can convince my mother to take us in." Carol replied. "Which shouldn't be too long."

"I have strict orders to drop you off, wait for you, and then bring you to County for a visit, since you don't have a conference today." Carol said after driving a while. "Of course, now everyone will be even more surprised, now that Carol and the twins are coming." He pulled up to a fancy hotel door. "Here we are."

"Thanks Carter." Susan smiled. "Wait for us here, okay?"

"Sure thing." He helped them and their baggage out and then parked the car a short walk away from the main doorway.

"That was sweet of him." Susan commented after they had retrieved their keys and began putting away their things in their adjoining rooms.

"Wonder who put him up to it." Carol chuckled.

"I like Carter. He's very nice." Tess commented.

"Yes. He has nice candy too." Kate smiled a chocolate-covered smile.

"Did Carter give you chocolate, Kate?" Carol asked warily.

"Ye-es...." she hid behind her chocolate-covered hands, as did Tess.

"Go wash off, then we'll go see Carter again, OK?"

"OK, Mama." The toddled off to the bathroom.

"They're so sweet." Susan said as they helped each other wash the stains off.

"They take after me." Carol smiled smugly.

"How did Doug like having kids?" Susan asked, walking into her room.

"He loved it, spoiled them to death, though. I always told him they'd get to be little snobs." Carol called through the open door.

"No, they're too cute to be snobs." Susan walked back in. "I'm finished."

"As am I." Carol replied, shutting a drawer. "Girls, we're leaving!"

"OK, Mama!" One of them called back. They hurried out of the bathroom.

"Where are we going, Mama?"

"Yeah, where are we going?"

"Is it far away?"

"Can I bring my colouring book?"

"We're going to see some friends of Mama's, it's not far away, and no, you can't bring your colouring book, okay?"

"OK." They sighed and followed herself and Susan outside to Carter's car.

"Mama found out about the chocolate." Kate whispered into Carter's ear.

"That's okay." He whispered back. "As long as you didn't get in trouble."

"Nope." Tess grinned.

"Good." He smiled and got into his seat, starting to drive the car towards the hospital, pulling into the oh-so-familiar parking lot a few minutes later.

"Here we are." Susan said, rubbing her stomach as a nervous habit.

"Never thought I'd see this place again." Said Carol.

"Mama, where are we?" asked Tess.

"Remember the hospital Mama used to work at? The one we talked about?" They nodded. "Well, this is it."

"Really?" They chorused. Carol smiled and took their hands, leading them inside. Susan closed her eyes and sniffed.

"What are you doing?" Carter asked.

"It still smells the same." She explained, opening her eyes and smiling. She was right. Patients, soap, and that excruciatingly clean "hospital smell" as the twins called it.

"My God...." Carol dropped the twins' hands just in time to see Lydia, Haleh, and Malik all drop whatever they were doing and stare at Susan and Carol.

"So, you were actually able to do it, Carter." Peter Benton laughed, walking up behind them.

"You were the brains behind this operation, Dr. Benton?" Susan folded her arms and raised her eyebrows.

"Myself and Kerry Weaver." He smiled. "And Carol too?"

"Carol too." Susan nodded. Motioning to the still open-mouthed nurses, she asked, "I'm assuming they didn't know of this?"

"Well, no one knew Carol was coming."

"Are you saying they love Carol more than they love me?"

"She's been here longer."

"Oh, shut up." Susan playfully hit Peter upside the head.

"Oh, Carol, Carol, Carol...." Haleh cooed, herself, Lydia, and Malik giving her a group hug.

"And Susan, look at you!" Lydia stood back, smiling at Susan's rounding stomach. They hugged each other tightly.

"And who are these little things?" Haleh asked, touching Tess and Kate's arms.

"I'm Kate Ross. I live at 437 Sandpiper Avenue in Aberdeen." Kate chirped.

"I'm Tess Ross. I live at 437 Sandpiper Avenue in Aberdeen." Tess repeated. Malik threw back his head and laughed.

"They sure are educated." He said. "How old are they?"

"Four." She replied.

"And born on Thanksgiving." Carter added.

"How did you know our birthday?" Tess asked curiously.

"I'm psychic." He explained in a mystical voice.

"Mama, what's psychic?" Kate whispered into Carol's ear.

"It means special." Carol said quietly. Turning to Peter, she asked, "Where is everyone else?"

"Milling around," he replied. "Chen's got the day off, and Corday's upstairs, dropping off her little girl."

"She had a daughter?" Carol asked, then said to Susan, "Elizabeth Corday, she's Mark's wife."

"Yeah, her and Mark had a girl, Ella." Carter said, smiling a bittersweet smile.

"What brings you here, Carol?" Peter asked, leaning against the wall.

"Just taking a little trip with Susan." She replied, gesturing to her. Peter nodded, putting the pieces together; Tess and Kate *Ross*, but no wedding ring.

"Susan Lewis," The no-nonsense voice of Kerry Weaver called down the hall. "And Carol Hathaway? What is this, the return of the employees?" She walked towards them as fast as she could with her crutch.

"Good afternoon to you, too, Kerry." Susan replied, smiling.

"Are you going to that conference, Carol?" Kerry asked.

"No, I'm here on a whim." Carol said, explaining it for the third time.

"Maybe you should carry a sign." Carter whispered in her ear, making her laugh.

"I've got to go upstairs," Peter said, excusing himself. "See you later, Susan, Carol."

"Carol! Carol Hathaway!" A British voice cried.

"This is Elizabeth Corday." Carol whispered to Susan.

"Mark's wife?" Susan clarified.

"Yep." She nodded.

"Carol, what are you doing here?" Elizabeth asked, walking up to them puzzledly.

"Vacation." Carol smiled. "Elizabeth Corday, this is Susan Lewis. She was a resident here a couple years ago."

"How do you do?" Elizabeth extended her hand.

"Nice to meet you," Susan replied, taking it in hers.

"Elizabeth, why don't you take Susan and Carol on a tour?" Kerry suggested.

"Sounds great, if it's alright with you." Susan said, looking at Elizabeth.

"It's perfect." She replied.

"And we'll have to stop at Daycare, I want to see your daughter." Carol smiled.

"Ella is an absolute angel." Elizabeth sighed a little.

"How old is she?" Susan asked.

"Three." Elizabeth then noticed she was still wearing her coat. "Oh, dear. Let me take this off." They followed her into the lounge. Carol began reading the lockers.

"Mallucci, Finch, Benton, Corday...." She said quietly.

"Remember when they read 'Greene, Boulet, Lewis, Ross'?" Susan chuckled.

"Speaking of," Carol turned to Elizabeth, "how is good old Mark?"

"What do you mean?" Elizabeth turned to them, a confused look on her face.

"What do *you* mean, what do I mean?" Carol replied.

"Didn't you get the notice?"

"What notice?"

"Mark...Mark's dead."