Hello.

Hello.

This is a pretty quick update because I really wanted to get this chapter written. It's one of my favourites.

This follows a similar format to the chapter that just focussed mainly on Lynette. Like last time this chapter just focusses mainly on one single storyline. However, it is presented differently and I hope it isn't too confusing. I hope you like it. If not, sorry and it will be back to nornal next update. Teehee...

Also, no Mary Alice beginning and end monologues. Just bits in the middle. I have placed MA: where she would occur.

I hope you enjoy.

Thanks for the reviews

Ben

Chapter Eleven: A Prelude To A Kiss

During the duration of her life four men had told Susan Mayer that they loved her. In fifth grade, Sandy Tompkins had spent five hours making her a Valentines Card. He'd sat at his Mother's dresser with an assortment of felt tip pens, colored paper and glitter. From his front garden he'd picked a tulip and placed the petals of it inside the envelope along with his finished card.

Inside it had read:

Susan,

I think I will love you lots forever.

Sandy, Class 4.

Susan still had the wilted petals in a wooden box in her wardrobe.

Karl Mayer had also declared his affection. Three weeks before their wedding Karl had purchased a dozen red roses on his new credit card. He'd placed a plastic one in amongst the others and told her sweetly that he'd love her until the last one dies.

Two weeks before the wedding she found the romantic gesture had been triggered by an e-mail that had come through along with penis enlargements and life insurance deals.

Two years after the wedding Susan found out that Karl had been fucking his secretary.

Bree Hodge never admitted to being tipsy. Even when she had passed out in the wind mill on a mini golf course on her birthday and had to be rescued by her sex addict boyfriend who her son later slept with, she was adamant that she was not in the slightest bit intoxicated.

It was anecdotes like that that reminded Bree why she drank in the first place and quite possibly, how she managed to become a raging alcoholic in the space of a few months.

Tonight, as she surveyed the bottles of various alcoholic beverages in front of her on the table she decided that she may be just a little bit tipsy. Her friend Gabrielle agreed with her.

After Gabrielle had turned up on her doorstep unannounced looking extremely upset Bree had proceeded to help her drown her sorrows. Normally she would disapprove of such reckless behaviour. But as she had dropped a small box of free range eggs earlier she was going to use to make cupcakes, she felt in the need of a drink herself.

Gaby had seen Carlos devouring the lips of another woman. Bree had done her up most to try and keep the topic of conversation as far away from relationships as possible; but inevitably it seemed to come round to just that.

"I think I need a younger man" Gabrielle stated as she picked up her gin and tonic and took a mighty swig.

"Oh sweetie please, I think even kindergarten would be pushing it. Even with your standards"

Gabrielle spluttered the contents of her mouth back into her glass and turned and dug her fingers playfully into Bree's side.

"That was uncalled for! You know what I mean…I just feel, I need a man with youthful experience"

"I know exactly what I mean."

"You do?"

"No, sorry. I prefer the older, sophisticated man who can protect me."

"And you picked Orson?"

"Orson is exactly that!"

"I wouldn't know I suppose…I can never get past the bizarre way his hair moves in time with yours"

This spurred another set of hysterics from Gabrielle as Bree tried desperately to see what Gabrielle could possibly be on about. She settled for seeing if Gaby was now okay.

"See? I cheered you up"

"Yeah, thanks Bree."

Gabrielle slouched back in to the sofa. They both sat in silence for a moment.

"But I still need Carlos"

"Whiskey?"

Mike Delfino had cradled her close and whispered it in to her ear.

Mike Delfino had ravished her on numerous occasions and said it afterwards.

Mike Delfino had been thinking it the day he found out Susan had given Zach a considerable amount of money to go to Utah. As he drove down Wisteria Lane, that was all he could make sense of. That he loved the woman that betrayed him.

Mike Delfino had told her it the night they had got back together. Again, and again and again.

MA:

Good things get better.

Bad get worse.

Wait, I think I meant that in reverse.

Ian Hainsworth was the fourth man to tell Susan Mayer that she was loved.

It had taken him long enough to say it, but when he had, he knew it would secure him the best thing that he had had in a very long time.

That was until he had found out about her pregnancy very unexpectedly. Ian was never a man to abandon someone in need, but he truly did not know what to do. He'd known that he wanted Susan, but he wasn't sure that he wanted Susan and Fatherhood together.

Now he was sure.

And he'd just spent the last half and hour convincing Susan Mayer just that.

"…and I miss you Susan. And if you don't want this, I mean really don't want this. A family, to be together then that's totally up to you. I could understand why you will have done it. If you want to be with Mike. And possibly, over time my heart could let you go. But I need you to know, I miss you Susan. I love you Susan... What do you want?"

The phone let out a shrill ring behind her and Susan was glad to be drawn away from Ian's rant. She answered it, clearing her throat.

"Hello?"

"Hey Susan it's me"

Mike's voice greeted her on the end of the line.

"They seem to be all out of treacle tart…I'll get you something else. What do you want?"

Four things could make Susan Mayer cry. Book proposals falling through, homeless people, Cadillac cars and people she loved being completely oblivious to the things around them. Susan encountered the last thing quite often.

"Susan? Are you there? What do you want" Mike's voice crackled over again.

"Um. I don't know."

"Susan? Susan are you crying? Hey, it's no problem. I'll drive to the next town, there's bound to be some kind of gas station or something still open. I'll try and find you some treacle tart."

He cut off.

She felt a hand caress her cheek. She felt it wipe her tears away. She felt it slide down her back. She turned to face Ian.

"I truly am sorry Susan"

"No, I am."

And with that, Ian kissed her.

MA:

A kiss.

A together and salute made by two people pressing their lips suddenly parting them

A seal of love.

A declaration of feeling.

Yes a kiss is all of these…and more.

A kiss.

The first and last of joys.

The language of love.

Yes a kiss is all of these…and more.

A kiss can never be absolutely defined. Because each kiss is different from the one before and the one after. For it is people who make kisses. Real, live people pulsating with life and love and extreme happiness.

Mike Delfino drove another five miles to find a shop selling treacle tart.

Gabrielle Solis contemplated kissing one of her closest friends whilst she consumed another glass of wine. She left immediately.

Ian Hainsworth was glad when a confused Susan did not pull away.

Susan Mayer realized that out of the four men that had told her that they had loved her, she'd only reciprocated the feeling once. She pulled away from the kiss and looked directly at Ian.

"What?" he asked.