It was a great end to a good week. No promises, but a positive MRI and he was home for three days. Susan took Kerry's offer and bailed for the weekend.

Mark barely looked sick, sitting in the passenger seat beside her, in his own clothes, fiddling with a cassette tape. "What?" he asked when she kept looking at him.

She shook her head and turned back to the road as he flicked the cassette into the tape player. It was Rachel's Moulin Rouge soundtrack. Come What May.

A few lines into it and Susan had to keep her eyes on the road because if she looked at him she'd be in tears and blur her vision and have to stop driving and she knew how he hated to see her sad…

"Can we take a detour?" He asked, knowing full well she'd not turn him down.

"Sure, where are we going?" her breathing was controlled as she spoke softly.

He gave her a few directions at a time till they turned down a narrow road, lined on either side with cherry trees in full glorious blossom. She forgot the song and smiled, "That's beautiful."

He grinned at her, "it's the next road on the right."

She got there and it dawned on her, "I've been here before. This is Carter's family fortune right?"

He nodded, "straight up the drive."

"Why are we visiting Carter?"

"Patience is still a virtue." He teased.

"So I'm supposed to just drive up to the front door? In this? I mean, no offence to your car." She teased him back.

"Oh, that hurts." He pointed ahead and she spotted a few people standing at the door apparently waiting for them.

She parked the car and they both got out.

"What's going on?" she took his hand but he was looking at the people…

She turned to see who it was… Abby, Luka, Carol… what? Carol?

She looked at Mark confused… surprised. Then turned back to them, "Carol." She laughed pulling her friend into a rough embrace.

"You feeling undervalued?" Abby asked Luka who was just grinning, watching Susan's confusion.

"Hey stranger." Carol was grinning then remembered the task ahead and took Susan's hand, "Come on, we've got work to do."

"What's going on?" Susan looked back at Mark again, then at the others.

"You didn't ask her yet?" Abby asked.

"Ask me what?" Susan asked as Carol dropped her hand, stepping back while Mark stepped forward, catching Susan's eyes and her breath with one awestruck bashful smile.

"Marry me." He barely breathed.

She was smiling and trying to figure out what was going on and…

"Oh, come on, at least get down on one knee."

"Doug?" she turned from Mark for a moment.

Doug came up to her, kissed her on the cheek and went to Carol's side, whispering something in his wife's ear.

Susan turned back to Mark, who was still waiting for his answer.

"You only have to love me for the rest of my life." He took both her hands.

For a moment she couldn't bear to look in his eyes. Then she did and forgot about trying not to cry. "I'll love you for the rest of mine."

He kissed her softly, with joy and promise.

"Yeah, alright, plenty of time for that later." Abby said, touched by the honest display.

Mark grinned and let the girls drag Susan away.

Doug sidled up to him, "You okay."

Mark nodded then looked at him. "I got my last wish."

Doug could feel tears pricking the back of his eyes. "Come on, lets get you ready."

"You bought me a wedding dress?" Susan looked at it incredulously.

"Not quite." Abby grinned, "It's mine."

"Is there something you're hiding?"

"Ha, no." Abby pulled the veil off the side of the mirror, "I was married before."

Susan grinned, "That bodes well. This is incredible. How did he organise all this?"

"Just you wait." Carol came into the room, followed by her daughters.

Susan's eyes lit up.

"We have flower girls." Carol introduced the girls to Susan and Abby then disappeared to get them ready.

Abby set about helping Susan with hair and make up. And they were almost done when a knock came at the door.

Abby and Susan turned as Chloe came in, dressed to the nines.

Susan's mouth opened in surprise and she stood, crossing room to hug her sister, "You're here."

"Yeah. And I've brought a third flower girl."

"Suzie?" Susan crouched down as her niece ran into her arms. This was too much.

"You look beautiful sis." Chloe touched the dress appreciatively.

Susan shook her head grinning profusely, "I can't believe this."

Carol came back in with the twins, all three in formal dresses. "Hey." She smiled at the crowd and at Susan's bewildered awe. "The third bridesmaid has just arrived. I'm just going to go up and get her so she doesn't get lost in this ridiculous house."

"Up?" Susan asked as Carol disappeared.

"John picked her up in a helicopter." Abby informed them, amused by the lavish degree he'd gone to for this.

"Carter?"

"No, John Wayne." Abby pulled her back to finish her makeup.

Another knock came at the door only minutes later.

"You ready yet?" This time a man's voice.

Susan turned expecting another surprise.

"Not quite." Chloe called back and he didn't come in.

Susan laughed. "This is insane."

"Yeah, marrying the man you love. Totally moronic." Abby said dryly, "There you go, all done." She stepped out of the way so Susan could see in the mirror.

She looked for a moment and took a couple of deep breaths.

"You can come in Dad." Chloe called and watched Susan's face expectantly.

Susan laughed and shook her head.

"You look beautiful." Her dad kissed her on the cheek.

"How did he pull this off?" She asked of no one in particular as they headed for the hallway.

"He asked my permission." Her dad's expression could only be described as chuffed.

Susan laughed again.

"Right, are we ready to go?" Abby asked, laughing with her. "We have, three flower girls, count 'em."

"One, two, three." Chloe grinned, closely followed by Suzie and the Ross twins.

"And three bridesmaids." Carol said, following Rachel toward them.

"Hey Susan." Rachel grinned and hugged her enthusiastically.

"You'll crush the dresses." Abby scolded playfully. "Three bridesmaid's, count 'em."

Carol pointed to Chloe, Rachel then herself, "One, two three."

"One father of the bride."

"Check."

"And one bride?"

"Present." Susan joined in the game.

"Right, shall we?" Abby led the way… down the grand staircase, out into the back garden.

There were cherry blossoms everywhere. And the jovial voices of a small crowd hidden by a forest of cherry trees and box hedges.

She stopped walking and turned to the party. "Right, Chloe, you're first, then Suzie, then Rachel, then the twins, Susan and finally Carol. Comprende?"

"Comprende." Chloe was the only one who replied but Susan just laughed.

Her laugh gave away their arrival and the voices on the other side of the hedge dulled.

Carol looked at her and whispered, "You ready?"

Susan nodded as Chloe disappeared around the corner. And Doug started singing.

"No more talk of darkness."

Carol was trying not to laugh, knowing what was coming.

"Forget these wide eyed fears, I'm here, nothing will harm you, my words will warm and calm you. Let me be your freedom…"

They could hear a few sporadic giggles from the audience.

"Let daylight dry your tears. I'm here, with you, beside you, to guard you and to guide you."

Abby prompted Susan to finally follow Carol around the corner as Carter joined Doug on the platform at the other end of the aisle.

"Say you love me every waking moment. Turn my head with talk of summertime." He grinned at Doug with more cheese than a greasy pizza, "Say you need me with you now and always. Promise me that all you say is true. Love me that's all I ask of you." He looked straight past Susan down the aisle at Abby but only a few heads turned and noticed. Most of them were pinned to Susan, virtually floating down the path, or Mark, standing on the side at the far end, watching her with tears spilling over onto his cheeks.

Doug picked up the line, "Let me be your shelter. Let me be your light, you're safe. No one will find you. Your fears are far behind you."

"All I want is freedom. A world with no more night. And you. Always beside me, to hold me and to hide me." Carter's attention was back on Susan and Mark… for the moment. (just a nod to carbys, there had to be one. Plus I watched 'the letter' today and they're almost bearable)

"Then say you'll share with me one love, one lifetime. Let me lead you from your solitude." Doug held one hand out to Carol dramatically, then turned back to Carter, "Say you need me with you here, beside you. Anywhere you go, let me go too… that's all I ask of you."

Carter was almost cracking up, trying to hold Doug's ridiculous glare, "Say you'll share with me one love, one lifetime. Say the word and I will follow you."

Susan stopped beside Mark and her father took a seat as Carter and Doug joined together for the crescendo, "Share each day with me, each night, each morning." Thankfully, they'd turned back to the audience.

"Say you love me."

"You know I do." Doug fell to his knees between Susan and Mark, who looked at him, gracious and amused. "Love me."

Carter joined him, and they both finished with huge grins, "That's all I ask of you."

The audience stood and clapped.

Susan was grinning, looking at Mark, totally overwhelmed.

The service was short and light. Except for the 'in sickness and in health', closely followed by, 'till death do us part.' It seemed to hang in the air. Well… until he kissed her; a clear resolution to a passion that had already survived so much.

Everyone clapped again and they parted smiling profusely, not so willing to let go.

Carter and Doug jumped up and took the stage again, "Anywhere you go, let ME………" not quite breaking glass but everyone was grateful they were outside, "go too…… Love me. That's all I ask of you."

Susan was laughing again, wiping tears from her cheeks, only momentarily wondering if she'd worn waterproof mascara.

"You look incredible." Mark leant closer, speaking softly above her ear.

"You are incredible... This is…" she shook her head in something like disbelief.

"It's for you." He stopped at the end of the aisle and turned to her.

She ignored their audience and reached up to kiss him again, inciting yet another round of applause, closely followed by Doug exclaiming, "Damn, I'm hungry."

Mark laughed at him as Carter lead the way to a light lunch spread that would be hard to beat.

"Right! Best Man's speech." Doug must have taken the microphone in his back pocket, Mark almost cringed.

"Oh no." Susan was glowing and clearly not at all concerned.

"Na, we sang instead. You've been through enough." Carter stole the microphone from him. "But…" he crossed the room to Carol, "A word from our sponsor." He handed her the microphone and stepped out of the limelight.

"Thank you." she grinned, "I love you both so much. So I'm going to spare you a long speech and give Carter a fiver for taking this from my husband." She got a laugh, "But I know that everyone here loves you both like I do. They might not have been seeing this coming for quite so long… but anyway, someone once told me you should marry your best friend. So I did." Everyone was grinning – they'd all seen that saga, "And these two… you two, have been the best of friends – an inspiration," she feigned eloquence, "it's a privilege to see this… this dedication, between two people so devoted to one another, and so generous to everyone they meet. I have been blessed by both of you. And I know I'm only one of more than I can count." She found her glass on the table beside her and lifted it, "So, I only hope that you'll be equally blessed by us, or God, or whoever…" she wasn't sure if she was finished but the only other thing she wanted to say would end the speech with sorrow and there was already too much of that. So she lifted her glass and put down the microphone.

"Thank you." Susan hugged her while Mark went for the microphone.

"You have." He spoke, a little incoherently. "You have blessed us." He hadn't thought of anything to say so he ended bashfully, "thank you. All of you."