Disclaimer: Due to unfortunate circumstances I have lost the characters to a bet with the people at NBC, so I don't own them anymore. Although my psychologist tells me I never owned them in the first place. : (
Rating: PG
Summary: Susan meeting Carter's mother leads to a moving experience.
Special Thanks: To my best friend in the world Lori, I've managed to get another chapter done.
P.S. This is the last chapter in this series but there is a new one coming soon.
Teasing, Meeting, Moving
Flashback: Two months before they broke up.
Carter and Susan walked into the ER with garment bags.
"Why do you guys have garment bags?" Randi asked.
"None of your business," Carter said with a smirk, while leading Susan into the lounge.
"Fine, be that way," Randi said sarcastically.
Lounge: Carter and Susan are at their own lockers.
"What time is the reservation for?" Susan asked.
"I don't know, you have to earn the information, it's privileged," Carter said glibly.
"Oh, John, so how do I earn it?" Susan said mockingly, after shutting her locker and facing Carter.
"I was thinking along the lines of a kiss for a start," Carter said with a grin.
"Oh, is that all?" Susan asked as she moved closer to Carter. He shakes his head and pulls her in for a kiss just as Mark walks into the lounge.
"Get a room you two," Mark said as he shakes his head and heads toward his locker.
"What? I was only trying to get the reservation out of him," Susan said innocently.
"I don't want to know," Mark said as he turns to leave.
"7:00," Carter said with a grin, kisses Susan again and walked out of the lounge.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
6:00 that evening, Carter comes out of the men's room dressed in a sharp looking tux.
"Did someone die, Carter?" Abby asked.
"No, but very funny...where is Susan?" Carter asked.
"She is still getting ready, but we will go and get her," Lydia said as she, Conni and Haleh turn and leave.
"N-," Carter said as the ladies restroom door closing in front of him.
Susan is standing in front of the mirror putting on a pair of diamond earrings that Carter had gotten her for Christmas as the nurses walk in.
"Carter's waiting for you, and he looks really, really fine," Lydia said with a giant smile on her face, as the other two nurses giggle behind her.
"I'm so happy that you all find my relationship with Carter so interesting," Susan said sarcastically, as she finishes applying her make up.
"Oh come on, you come back and immediately start dating the hottest doctor in the ER, of course we're going to tease you about it," Haleh commented.
"I have a question for you, how good is Carter?" Conni asked suggestingly.
"Why whatever do you mean?" Susan asked innocently.
"Come on, you can tell us, we won't say a word," Lydia said almost pleading.
"That's the same thing you told me when I said I was dating Carter and look where that got us," Susan said as she turned to them.
"We didn't say a word, we promise," Haleh said.
"Sure, Carter told everyone," Susan said.
"Yeah he did," Conni said, still trying to convince her to tell them.
"If you want to find out so desperately, you will have to find out for yourselves," Susan said with a smirk as she begins to walk out of the ladies room.
"But that's impossible, he's in love with you," Lydia said confused.
"My point exactly," Susan commented as door closed behind her.
"Ooooooooooooh," the nurses whined in unison.
As Susan walked out, she spots Carter sitting by the administration desk in a tux. Carter turns to her with an awed look on his face.
"What?" Susan asked demurely.
"You look amazing," Carter said almost in a whisper.
"Well, you don't look half-bad yourself, John," Susan said as she takes a step closer and puts her arm through his. Carter just smiles as they leave the ER for their date.
Outside the ER:
A limo sits in wait.
"A limo? I wonder whom that's for," Susan said as Carter opens the limo door for her, his smile growing even more.
"Only for the most beautiful doctor to come to the ER," Carter said. Susan walks over to him and kisses him as she gets in.
"I bet you say that to all of your girlfriends," Susan said.
"Well, this is the only time I've ever meant it," Carter said teasingly as he gets in beside her.
They arrive at a classy, expensive restaurant. They step out of the limo and are getting ready to enter.
"Well, are you ready to meet my mother?" Carter said nervously adjusting his tie.
"It'll be ok John," Susan said as she fixes his tie for him.
"I mean it's no harder than a trauma victim is," Susan continues and she once again puts her arm through his.
"Whatever you say," Carter said as they walk into the restaurant together. As they walk in a waiter greets them.
"Reservation, sir?" The waiter asked with a British accent.
"Carter, for three at 7pm," Carter said calmly with nervous anticipation inside.
"Ah, yes, your other party member is here waiting," the waiter said as he turns to lead them to their private table in the back of the restaurant.
"Well that's a first," Carter said stunned as Susan pulls closer to his side. They follow the waiter to see his mom sitting there waiting for them. As the waiter goes to pull out the chair for Susan, Carter waves him away and does it himself. After Susan sits down he pulls his chair closer to Susan and sits next to her.
"Well, it's nice to see you finally made it," his mother said snobbily.
"Uh, sorry, uh, we hit traffic on the way here," Carter said apologetically, looking down at the table. Susan squeezes his hand under the table reassuringly.
"Since, my son is so rude, I'd like to introduce myself. I'm Eleanor," She said, the snobbiness ever more present.
"It's nice to meet you Mrs. Carter, I'm Susan," Susan replied.
"Please, call me Eleanor," Eleanor said. They all pick up their menus to make their selections for the evening.
15 minutes later: Still waiting for their food in a rather uncomfortable silence.
"So, Mom, how have you been?" Carter said finally breaking the silence.
"Fine dear, you?" Eleanor asked in return.
"Great, me and Susan are doing great," Carter said.
"That's Susan and I, dear. I guess boarding school didn't teach you much did it?" Eleanor reprimands him. Susan tries not to laugh at his facial expression as his cheeks begin turning a pale shade of pink. The waiter finally brings their food. The silence ensues again as they eat.
20 minutes later: They finish eating and again make an attempt at conversation.
"So, Susan, why did you decide to come back and date my son?" Eleanor asked.
"Mom," Carter asked indignantly.
"Excuse me John, I wasn't addressing you," Eleanor said, turning back to Susan.
"Uh, well, some stuff happened in Phoenix that made me decide to come back. As for dating your son, well, um, uh, that just sort of happened," Susan replied nervously.
"Oh, I see. What problems were those? Nothing that will affect my son and his career, I hope," Eleanor said.
"Mom, please, you don't have a right to pry into her life," Carter said, really getting upset.
"Well, you certainly seem to think you do," Eleanor said, reprimanding him again.
"Ok, that's it, I think it's time for us to leave. Nice to meet you Mrs. Carter," Susan said getting up. Carter just nods and gets up behind her. He watches Susan leave as he pays the bill.
"What is this about John Truman Carter?" Eleanor asked quite perturbed.
"I'm sorry mother, I think we've had enough of you tonight," Carter said as he follows Susan out of the restaurant.
Outside the restaurant: Carter spots Susan, standing in the cold.
"Sorry about that," Carter said as he takes off his jacket and puts it around Susan's shoulders.
"Can we just go home?" Susan asked. Carter nods and waves for a cab.
Flashback ends. One month after they're back together:
Carter wakes up and sighs. He cuddles closer to Susan and wonders to himself.
"What is going to happen when she and my mother meet again tonight?" Carter asked himself.
"What was that John?" Susan asked just as she wakes up and turns to look at the clock.
"Nothing," Carter said.
"Liar, you're worried about tonight aren't you?" Susan asked as she snuggled closer to Carter.
"Yeah, well, we have to get to work," Carter said, as he gets up and gets dressed for work.
"You're avoiding the subject," Susan said, watching him.
"God, he looks good in boxers," Susan said to herself this time.
"Of course," Carter said as he walked over, leaned down and kissed her.
"You're not getting off that easily," Susan said. With that, Carter leans down kisses her passionately and then slowly breaks the kiss, leaving Susan breathless.
"I'll go out and make a quick breakfast," Carter said as he walks out of the room.
"I guess he is," Susan said to no one, still breathless.
"What was that?" Carter asked from the kitchen.
"Nothing," Susan said as she gets out of bed to get dressed for work. She walks out to the kitchen to see a couple of pop-tarts fresh out of the toaster.
"Is that what you call making breakfast?" Susan asked as she walked over to him.
"I said it was quick," Carter said as he takes a bite out of a pop-tart. Susan just smiles at him and gives him a kiss on his cheek, grabbing her pop-tart from the counter.
"Only on the cheek?" Carter asked with crumbs now on his lips from talking with his mouth full.
"I don't like the taste of pre-chewed strawberry pop-tarts," Susan replied. Carter just frowns, then gets a mischievous grin on his face.
"Don't even think about it, John," Susan said, taking a step back.
"Think about what?" Carter asked innocently and he steps closer to her.
"John..." Susan starts to say as Carter pulls her to him and gives her another, long passionate kiss. Susan pushes him away laughing.
"We have to get work," Susan said still full of giggles. Carter just smiles, very pleased with himself as he finishes his pop-tart. They grab their stuff and head off to work, hand in hand.
In the ER:
Carter and Susan walked into the ER with garment bags.
"Does anyone else get a sense of déjà vu?" Randi asked. Carter just glares at her.
Later in the ER: Susan's filling out charts in the exam room. Carter walks in and looks at her.
"Shouldn't you be working?" Susan asked John as she looks up at him.
"Yeah, I have a patient that I need to check up on. She's having problems with her tonsils," Carter said mischievously as he walks over to Susan and takes her charts away.
"Oh, do you now? Who would this be?" Susan asked.
"You," Carter said and he pulls her up into a kiss. Susan pushes away.
"John, we're at work," Susan said giddily.
"Coffee break," Carter said, pulling her into a kiss again, this time not letting her push away. The kiss becomes more passionate as they fall onto one of the exam beds. Carter's shirt then begins to come off as Mark walks into the exam room.
"Susan, have you finished ..." Mark begins and then realizes who was with Susan. Susan, startled, pushed Carter to the floor, and turns bright red.
"Carter, put your clothes on, you have patients waiting for you," Mark said, shaking his head as he walks out.
"Sorry," Susan said from the bed. Carter stares up and pulls her down on top of him.
"I have a bruise now. I think you need to kiss it and make it better," Carter said as Susan leans down and kisses him. The door opens again, but this time they don't notice.
"Ok, break apart you two, now, we just had two trauma victims come in," Mark said, this time angrily. Susan and Carter break apart, nod, get up and follow Mark out of the exam room, after Carter puts his shirt back on, of course.
6:00pm, back in the lounge:
Carter closes his locker, and turns around to see three nurses behind him.
"Well, doesn't this look familiar. I guess we should go get Susan for you," Lydia said, as Conni and Haleh follow her out the door to the ladies room. Carter rolls his eyes and follows behind them. The nurses enter the ladies room, leaving Carter sitting by the admissions desk, again.
"Susan, your handsome date is waiting for you," Conni said as Susan puts her make up back in her purse.
"Do you three enjoy harassing my boyfriend?" Susan asked.
"Oh, no, we'd never do something like that," Haleh said. Susan just rolls her eyes.
"So we heard through the grapevine that Mark caught you and Carter heatedly involved in the exam room," Lydia said with a smirk. Susan stops and looks at them with an embarrassed expression on her face.
"Nothing happened," Susan said as she started walking out of the ladies room.
"Yeah, only his shirt came off... Nothing indeed," Conni said to the other nurses. Susan shakes her head as the nurses giggle behind her and goes in search of Carter. She looks around and can't find him anywhere, so she heads to the admission desk to ask where he went to when he came out of the lounge with a dozen red roses in his arms.
"Where did you get those?" Susan asked.
"I have my ways, along with a florist across the street," Carter said with a sensuous smile. Susan looks at him and kisses him. The nurses come out of the ladies room.
"Oh, is his shirt going to come off this time?" Lydia asked.
"And can we watch?" Conni asked. Carter and Susan turn bright red and walk out of the ER, saying nothing as the rest of the staff starts laughing.
Same restaurant as before, when Carter took Susan to meet his mother the first time: The waiter takes them to their table and seats them.
"Well, so nice to see you again," Eleanor said nicely.
"Likewise," Susan said, not altogether happy.
The dinner conversation was respectfully nice. Towards the end of the dinner, Eleanor asks Carter a question.
"John, I thought you two broke up?" Eleanor asked.
"We did, but we worked things out," Carter replied.
"That's good," Eleanor said.
"Yes, so good in fact that I've asked Susan to move in with me," Carter said with a grin, turning to Susan.
"Uh, when did you ask me that?" Susan said shocked and confused.
"Earlier today," Carter replied. His mother sat there with wide eyes, trying to maintain her poise.
"Uh, I guess I'll leave you two alone now, and I'll talk with you later John," Eleanor said as she leaves the table and the restaurant. Susan just looks at him.
"Pay, for the bill, we're going home," Susan said, not sounding too pleased. Carter nods, pays the bill and they leave the restaurant. The cab ride home was filled with silence, leaving Carter feeling very uncomfortable. They enter Susan's apartment and all she can do is stare at him with arms crossed.
"So, when did you ask me to move in with you, John?" Susan asked, still a little heated.
"I don't know, somewhere between the time when you were taking off my shirt and when Mark walked in," Carter said matter-of-factly. Carter sits on the couch and Susan joins him.
"If you don't want to, I understand, but ..." Carter said, starting to feel a little nervous.
"But what, John?" Susan asked quietly, no longer upset.
"We've gotten through the worst of it and I feel so close with you and love you so much that now I can't imagine you not being in my life. I want to wake up next to you every morning in our place, knowing that we've taken the next step together and that we're committed to each other. But, if you don't want to, well, then ... I guess, we can continue to go slow from here. I just thought you felt the same way." Carter said as he folds his hands in his lap and looks toward the floor. Susan just stares at him, unsure of what to say.
"John, how can I say no to that," Susan said with a smile. Carter looks up, pulls her to him and kisses her.
"Let's take this to the bedroom shall we," Carter said as he picks her up and carries her to the bedroom, closing the door behind him.
Next morning in the ER: Susan's in the admission area as Carter walks over with an armful of available apartment listings.
"I found a listing for a beautiful, 4 bedroom apartment, with a view overlooking the lake in Chicago. What do you think?" Carter said enthusiastically as he sits next to Susan.
"How much?" Susan asked.
"Not telling, that's my concern, not yours," Carter said.
"Since when?" Susan asked.
"Since I became your boyfriend," Carter said with finality as he kisses her.
"So, I guess having a rich boyfriend does come in handy," Susan said with a smirk.
"Of course," Carter said as he kisses her again as Mark walks into the admissions area.
"Do you two ever stop to breathe once in a while?" Mark asked. Carter and Susan break apart, he shakes his head and kisses her again. Mark walks over to see what ads were lying next to them.
"So, you finally moving away from home, Carter?" Mark said sarcastically.
"Yes, and Susan is coming with me," Carter said after breaking the kiss with Susan. Susan just smiles and leans her head on Carter's shoulder.
"Good, now you two can make out at home and not during work," Mark said with a grin as he heads into the lounge.
"Are they ever going to stop teasing us?" Susan asked.
"They're just jealous," Carter said as he kisses Susan again.
A week later, at their new apartment: Carter walks in and drops the boxes on the floor.
"I get stabbed in the back and you still make me carry everything," Carter said as Susan enters, carrying a small house plant.
"You didn't want to pay for movers," Susan said with a smirk.
"Ha ha, very funny," Carter said.
"Don't worry, I'll make it up to you later," Susan said.
"Promise?" Carter asked as he walks over to Susan.
"Absolutely," Susan said as she leans in for a kiss. They break the kiss.
"I think this just might work out," Carter said.
"It just might," Susan replied as they both look around at their new home together.
