okay, there's lots of mush that could go in here but there's so much of that in all my stories so I'm going to skip it here and get on with the plot. I'm trying to fit this into season eight: the whole Rachel's an easy pot-head, Mark's a clueless father… all that jazz. Just no evilstepmotherElizabeth and no grossCarterandSusangross! So we're all better off.
Mark and Susan walked into Union Station hand-in-hand. Rachel's train hadn't arrived yet. They checked the timetables and headed for track six. It was cold and they stood close together in silence, knowing the other was thinking of the last time they'd stood there.
Susan turned to him when she couldn't bare it anymore, smiling and acknowledging the awkwardness.
"It was pretty impressive for a first kiss. Very… dramatic." He said
She nodded in agreement but changed the subject nonetheless. "I'm on tonight so maybe you could talk to Rachel about, um… well… the thing is, she's going through a lot, with moving and new school and well, you know. Maybe I shouldn't stay over when she's home. Just to make things less complicated."
"Maybe." He took a deep breath and smiled, "It's ridiculous, but I miss you when I'm not with you and I can't help thinking we've wasted so much time already."
"Yeah, I know."
The train was arriving and drowned their voices.
"I'm on nights this week so it doesn't matter – we'll figure something out." Susan yelled.
Mark laughed and kissed her – something that couldn't be belittled by the train-station-decibels.
"We better find her." He yelled as they pulled apart.
They watched the passengers disembark the train – a remarkable variety of people. Rachel looked older than fourteen with her hair up, carrying her luggage. Mark jogged toward her and Susan followed, walking so as not to intrude on the family-reunion-bit.
Rachel was smiling, hugging her dad. When Susan reached them Rachel hugged her too. Susan smiled at Mark of her shoulder, clearly a little surprised by the enthusiastic reception. Mark was grinning. He had learnt from the best that there was no such thing as a happyfamily but he couldn't help hoping…
He picked up Rachel's suitcase and led them away from the noise of the platform.
Mark and Susan walked into Union Station hand-in-hand. Rachel's train hadn't arrived yet. They checked the timetables and headed for track six. It was cold and they stood close together in silence, knowing the other was thinking of the last time they'd stood there.
Susan turned to him when she couldn't bare it anymore, smiling and acknowledging the awkwardness.
"It was pretty impressive for a first kiss. Very… dramatic." He said
She nodded in agreement but changed the subject nonetheless. "I'm on tonight so maybe you could talk to Rachel about, um… well… the thing is, she's going through a lot, with moving and new school and well, you know. Maybe I shouldn't stay over when she's home. Just to make things less complicated."
"Maybe." He took a deep breath and smiled, "It's ridiculous, but I miss you when I'm not with you and I can't help thinking we've wasted so much time already."
"Yeah, I know."
The train was arriving and drowned their voices.
"I'm on nights this week so it doesn't matter – we'll figure something out." Susan yelled.
Mark laughed and kissed her – something that couldn't be belittled by the train-station-decibels.
"We better find her." He yelled as they pulled apart.
They watched the passengers disembark the train – a remarkable variety of people. Rachel looked older than fourteen with her hair up, carrying her luggage. Mark jogged toward her and Susan followed, walking so as not to intrude on the family-reunion-bit.
Rachel was smiling, hugging her dad. When Susan reached them Rachel hugged her too. Susan smiled at Mark of her shoulder, clearly a little surprised by the enthusiastic reception. Mark was grinning. He had learnt from the best that there was no such thing as a happyfamily but he couldn't help hoping…
He picked up Rachel's suitcase and led them away from the noise of the platform.