"First day of school and you're already making friends?" Mark teased as Susan escaped the exam room.

"Yeah, I'm a shoe in for home coming queen." She grinned, "a foul abscess, a neurotic granny, Naked boy here and I had to break into Chen's locker."

Mark just laughed, "Welcome back. So what do you want to use for the maggots?"

"Cetacaine."

"Weaver's immune to it so we don't stock it."

"You're having far too much fun with this."

"Colonel Dixon's Magical Maggot Mix." He grinned, "Seriously, you paint it on with milk."

"And I'd forgotten why I was so determined not to get talked into coming back here."

"I knew you were just trying to get dinner out of me."

"That's the one."

"You came to the dark side without a fight." He scoffed.

Mark got back to work as Carter sidled up to her, introducing her to a couple of med students before sending off to do his paperwork.

"You had the grand tour yet?" he smiled at her.

"I'll muddle through. Enjoying babysitting?" she teased, knowing he loved the authority he had with students. "Oh, Abby, is that it?" she called out to a retreating nurse, unsure of her name.

"Ah, yeah." Abby turned. She was loaded to the chin with supplies and not really wanting to stop until she could offload.

"Oh, Susan, Abby, Susan used to work here." Carter filled in the blanks.

"That's the rumour." Abby tried not to sound too impatient.

Susan ignored them both and asked her about setting up to suture in exam three.

"It's all in there." Abby turned away and made for the supply cupboard.
Susan pushed into through the door into the lounge, desperate for a breather.

"You surviving?" Mark grinned from the coffee machine.

"Huh, just." She smiled. "Yes please." She nodded at the coffee and he passed her his cup and set about making another.

"Has Amal come back?"

She shook her head.

"I'm on a roll." She grinned almost sadistically.

"One of those days eh?"

She nodded and accidentally let a yawn escape. "I did survive the wrath of your charming ex."

"Romano rubbed off on her." He tried to explain Elizabeth's temperament.

Susan laughed, "No it was probably me. I managed to offend Carter's grandmother too."

Mark laughed. He could tell Carter still had a thing for Susan. He wasn't the only one.

"But I did deliver a baby on a ladder. That's a first." She gave him a wry smile and sipped her coffee appreciatively. "When do you finish?"

"Seven"

"Same. Dad invited me to watch ice hockey with him at the bar. You feel like giving me an excuse to get out of it?" she flirted just the tiniest bit.

He laughed. "Sure. Rachel's with me at the moment but she's got a friend's birthday party tonight."

"Oh a school night?"

"That's what I said." He shook his head, clearly more concerned than he'd let Rachel know.

"Susan, I need you out here." Carter pushed the door open.

"I knew it." Mark teased.

Susan glared at him and put her half empty coffee on the bench. "Coming."
Mark put the pizza box on the kitchen bench and got two fresh beers from the fridge.

Susan followed him into the kitchen. Her old kitchen. "Talk about nostalgic." She took the bottle he offered.

He smiled, still amazed at her mere presence.

"What?" she questioned his stare.

"Oh, nothing." He looked at the clock on the microwave. Ten-fourty-five.

"When was she meant to be home?"

"Ten."

"Is this normal?"

"Huh, there is no normal. She's only been here a couple of weeks. I think she's trying to set precedents. I'm too easy on her but you know me…"

"You hate to be the bad guy." She realised after she said it that she might have hit too close to the mark.

Mark waited a moment before nodding. She really did know him. "Plus I'm trying to make up for the past ten years and she knows it and milks it for all it's worth."

Rachel's key in the door grabbed their attention.

Susan could see Mark's inner struggle and put a comforting hand on his arm.

"Hi." Rachel stood in the Kitchen doorway, first wondering how her dad would react to her late arrival, then wondering who the woman was standing beside him.

"What happened to ten o'clock?" Mark asked, forgetting their introduction.

"Oh, I tried to call – the pay phone in the restaurant was broken." She almost passed for innocent."

Susan stood there awkwardly.

"Rachel, this is Susan." Mark said.

"Hi." Susan smiled and held out her hand. "You've grown up since I last saw you." She tried to melt the tension.

"Susan used to work at County." Mark explained, trying not to sound snappy but he didn't know what to do with Rachel.

"Oh." Rachel smiled amiably. "Well, I'm going to go to bed. I'll see you tomorrow Dad. Nice to meet you again Susan." Rachel disappeared.

Mark looked at Susan. He looked beaten.

"Go talk to her." She prompted.

He hesitated for a moment then nodded and followed his daughter.

Susan cleared the bench and set about doing the few dishes they'd used.

"Oh, you don't have to do that." Mark said when he returned.

"It's okay. They're all done." She dried her hands. "She okay?"

Mark nodded.

"You okay?"

He smiled. "She reminds me of Jenn when she lies."

Susan offered him a wry smile. "You shouldn't blame yourself."

He shook his head and sat down at the kitchen table with a sigh. "Maybe if I'd… I don't know."

There was nothing she could say that would make a difference. "Is she here for good?"

"She's at school, so I hope so."

Susan smiled, "So here's your chance. Don't give up on her… or you. Parenting doesn't come naturally to anyone."

"I don't know – you seemed to pick it up with Suzie."

Susan laughed, "I was a mess."

He shook his head and she was glad to see his smile was back.

"Give yourself some time."

"Yeah. You're probably right."

"I'm bluffing." She said self-depreciatingly.

"No, you read people well."

She shook her head smiling, "Enough with the flattery."

He grinned and took a deep breath. "So… what was the highlight of your first day back?"

She looked at the ceiling, playfully thoughtful. "Probably this."

"Now who's flattering?"

She laughed, "Well… I did get swept off my feet by Malik this morning. Literally."

"Well, I would have done that but people might talk."

"What else is new?"

"True."

"Most embarrassing moment would be when I thought Benton was asking me out to breakfast." She knew he'd like this, "But he was talking to Cleo. Good thing I turned him down."

Mark laughed and she felt the triumph of it.

"Yeah, well you know I've always had a thing for Peter."

"I had my suspicions." He laughed. "Actually, interestingly enough, he had a thing with Elizabeth as well."

"Really?" Susan raised her eyebrows. "She's doing well, three down…"

Mark laughed. "I think she's good for Romano. He hasn't terrorized the ER for a while – well, med students aside."

Susan laughed, "I'm almost looking forward to meeting him."

"Just you wait."

"Oh, don't worry, you'll always be my favourite." It was said before she realised it.

He did a double take then tried to brush it off, "Good to know."

"Sorry."

"It's okay. Me and Elizabeth were a disaster waiting to happen anyway."

"Still, that was awful of me."

"Really it's fine." He insisted. "I didn't love her." He played the brutal honesty card.

"Oh."

"She wasn't good for my pride but that's all she hurt."

Susan nodded. Uncharted territory. "When are you on tomorrow?"

"Six."

"I should go." She stood up.

Mark smiled and went to open the door. "Thank you for coming."

She smiled at him, at his manners.

"And for coming back."

"Thank you for being so… welcoming. I wasn't sure what to expect but I never dared hope…"

"Of course – you're Susan," he shrugged, "you always belonged here." He meant County but was all too aware they were standing in the doorway of his apartment and it used to be hers.

"It's good to belong." She hesitated, "I'll see you at work."

He nodded and watched her walk away before he shut the door