Hi Everyone.

There are around three more chapters to go now.

So this is where it all starts to wrap up.

And those of you that will be missing Mike this Chapter... :P Don't worry, he'll be back next chapter when things get a bit dramartic involving Ian...

Anyway, here's the update.

Thanks for reading. I hope you enjoy it.

Ben

Chapter Nine: Happy Boys & Girls

Ida Greenburg liked to sit and watch.

She'd rummage around in her study for her favorite pair of binoculars and position herself by the bay window. Sometimes she'd sit for a few hours, sometimes longer. Other times she'd sit their for the whole day watching the busy residents of Wisteria Lane go about their lives.

Ida sat for as long as she could. Because she knew, the shorter time she watched, the more she missed. And on Wisteria Lane, you didn't want to miss a thing…

Bree Hodge expected a number of people to come knocking at her door on February Ninth. She had ordered some new crockery that was being delivered before noon, her Daughter was back from vacation that evening and Lynette had promised she'd drop by with the slow cooker she'd borrowed. Yes, Bree Hodge expected many people to knock at her door that day. Susan Mayer was not one of them.

"Bree, we need to talk"

"Do you not think all this groveling is getting a bit repetitive Susan? I told you I do not want to speak to you" Bree spat, attempting to close the door.

"Hey! Before you close that and cause me some kind of big facial injury, I've got a few things I need to get off my chest. Now we can do them inside, or out here, your choice."

Bree was a little startled at Susan's new found assertiveness. She hesitated a moment before showing Susan in.

"Coffee?" Bree asked.

"No thanks"

Damn. If she'd wanted coffee it would've meant Bree could have put this conversation off a little longer. She sat down opposite Susan.

"Well? I have three batches of flapjack to make before noon and I have to go out to the store to get flour so, come on"

"Bree. I feel truly awful. I don't know how I could let anything come between our friendship, because it means so much to me. And I know you don't want to hear this, but I am sorry. Really I am. Karl told me last night that it was him who told Ian about the baby. And I just hope that some day you can forgive me, because without our relationship I don't think I could get through half the stuff I have."

Susan, not quite sure what she'd just said in her ramble that seemed to flow off her tongue uncontrollably, stood up indicating her exit.

"I'm sorry for wasting your time. I'll let you get back to your baking"

She turned and started to leave.

"Susan, the flapjack can wait."

Sick of her Mother's feeble attempts at trying to make her feel better, Gabrielle had left the house early that morning and gone to the cemetery. It occurred to her as she passed through the iron gates that morning that this was the first time she'd come to visit my grave in the three years I'd been buried there.

Cemeteries are never the most cheerful of places and as she teetered on her high heels passed row after row of cold, stone slabs of stone she began to have second thoughts about coming here. This place made her stomach churn, it symbolized the end. Symbolized fear. Symbolized decision, final decisions.

MARY ALICE YOUNG.

BELOVED WIFE AND MOTHER.

1962-2004

Three lines. Three sentences to elaborate on a life. Jesus Christ.

Gabrielle slumped down onto the floor next to the headstone. She caressed the carefully chiseled letters that made up my name. Beloved wife and Mother, so simple, that's what most modern women aspired to be. But Gabrielle had never been that. Would she be restricted, confined to?

GABRIELLE SOLIS

1976- ?

Two lines. Two sentences to elaborate on a life. A life, she felt that she was now wasting. She had something missing, a cavern of nothing that needed something.

"I always thought you had it made. Husband, cute kid. Nice house. But then I realised, you didn't, you were just like me. People thought me and Carlos had it made. Loving relationship. Trust. Money. Good sex. But we didn't, we didn't have it made at all. And then you, well we both know what you did. And then it hit me, you never had it made, but I ALWAYS thought you were happy. Because what you had is what I need."

She knew exactly what it was that she needed. She needed her Ex-Husband back.

"You're quieter than normal." she stifled a laugh.

"But hey, I could sit in complete silence with you when I had a problem and still walk away feeling I've just been given the best advice in the world"

And just like that, Gabrielle took a chance. She left the cemetery and started the short drive to Carlos' apartment.

Tom Scavo hated Saturday shifts at the pizzeria. It was the day Andrew Vandekamp had off and Lynette took the kids swimming. This meant that he was very short staffed and he struggled every week to maintain the standard of service his customers were used to.

Friendly, dedicated, charming service.

As he sprinkled the mozzarella cheese over the top of his base, a customer sidled up to the bar where Tom was working.

"Smells Divine"

Tom glanced up to be greeted by a very smug looking

"Eliza?"

"Hi Tom. I just dropped by for some of this infamous pizza of yours. Oh, and to apologize for potentially ruining your marriage."

"Oh really!?"

"Yeah, I feel simply awful about it. In hindsight I shouldn't have mentioned it, it just complicated things. I am sorry. Can we start again?"

"Are you for real?"

Eliza ignored the question and began to fumble around in her purse for some mascara.

"Get out of my restaurant"

"But I have a coupon"

She didn't need telling again as Tom picked up a very sharp pizza cutter.

"It's probably expired anyway-"

Eliza walked out of the restaruant sheepishly. However she did still feel accomplished. She knew now that Tom would tell Lynette that she'd come to see him, and then things would really get messy...
PAST:

Edie Britt was used to seeing policemen in her home. Well, at least she assumed they were policemen. They were always very smartly dressed and brought handcuffs with them.

Tonight however her Mother didn't take them through to the bedroom to have a chat; they remained in the living room on the lavish sofa her Mother had just purchased. Their chat was irate tonight though and Edie's Mother did look particularly shaken. As Edie cowered underneath the desk her Mother was handcuffed by the burly looking officers and led out of the apartment.

As she exchanged a glance with her, her Mother placed a finger square on her chapped lips. It didn't require much explanation. She knew that her Mother was referring to that nice-lady Sophie's baby that was under her bed in a bassinet...

PRESENT:

Carlos Solis had grown sick of waiting around for his wife. He was a man of business, he didn't wait for many things.

Least of all women.

He had loved Gabrielle, everyone around him could see that.

But when he'd met Lisa. The nice girl at Macy's who worked in the lounge wear department who smiled at him whenever he shopped there. Things had changed. He felt like he hadn't had to wait anymore.

So he'd asked her out. Just like that. Of course he'd used the excuse of "needing advice on loungewear to accomidate himself" to get talking to her. But all the same, he'd asked her out.

Now they were on his doorstep entwined in an intimate embrace filled with passion that reminiced that of his marriage.

Gabrielle could see that it did resemble this, as she was sat in her convertible sobbing, on the other side of the street.

Nope. Ida Greenburg was right. On Wisteria Lane, nothing was to be missed.