Woo hoo, I've finally got round to updating my story! I've been wanting to update for ages, but I've only just had the time to sit down properly and write. And it might take me just as long to write the next chapter, so enjoy this one!

A big thank you for all your reviews for chapter 5, I think it's my favourite chapter so far :D

-abigailc: five reviews for five chapters, wow, thanks for being so loyal :)

-PinkSparkle02: thanks for reviewing! I'm happy I've found someone who loves the idea of Marsan as much as me ;)

-lemon jelly: I'm glad you've been converted ;) Thank you for your reviews.

-Melissa Larkin: you were so right, you can be as smug as you like! Thank you for your constant reviews :)

-tv-crazy: I'm not really mean, honest! I'll prove it by writing some very fluffy Marsan chapters! :)

-saved-by-grace: I'm always glad to find another Marsan enthusiast! Thanks for reviewing my story :)

-NotHereAtTheMoment: I hope your head is ok now?! ducking for cover just in case ;)

-dupton: you've made my head grow twice its normal size with your reviews…please keep reviewing! :)

I hope this chapter is happy enough for you all! (Trust me, its very gushy!)

For Better or For Worse

It was the end of the summer. Autumn was approaching; some of the trees were already starting to change colour. The sun was radiating heat onto the city for as long as it could and everyone was trying to make the most of the last days of sunshine.

Mark was awoken by the sound of the traffic floating through the open window. Outside, the traffic was starting to build up as people made their way to work. Mark listened to them as they rushed around in their lives. He was grateful for moments like these – moments where his life seemed to stand still; moments that he wished would stand still forever.

He looked down at the figure that lay next to him, curled up and spooned against his body. He reached across to sweep a stray piece of hair from her face. Susan stirred slightly, shifting her weight, her leg brushing against Mark's. Her legs were newly shaved and he loved the feel of her smooth skin against his own. Mark had never felt so contented with life. Being with Susan made him feel complete. She touched something inside of him that no-one else ever had. A glimpse of her smile would erase any trace of a frown from his face; the sound of her laughter would relax any tension he felt in his muscles; her touch, her kiss were blissful heaven to him.

Mark traced his finger down her bare arm, reaching her hand, linking his fingers through hers. He lightly kissed her shoulder, inhaling the fruity scent of her hair. He silently willed her to wake up, wanting to talk to her, to kiss her, to make love to her. He resisted the urge to rouse her, knowing that she had only finished work at 1am.

Susan moaned quietly, sensing that something was lulling her out of her sleep. She was not fully awake, her mind stuck half way between sleep and consciousness. She could feel Mark's body pressed up against her back, his arm wrapped around her body and his lips on her shoulder. She moved her head towards him, struggling to open her eyes, and felt him kiss her cheek, her nose and then her lips.

"What time is it?" she asked.

"Early," Mark answered.

"Then why did you wake me?" Susan groaned, rolling back onto her side.

"You're beautiful when you're grumpy," Mark whispered in her ear.

"Go away," Susan grumbled.

Mark leant across to kiss her again – her shoulder, her neck, her cheek. His hands began to wander under the bed-sheets.

"You're not going to win me over," Susan said. She tried to remove his hands from her body, but he struggled against her. He was too strong for her. "Mark!"

"You're beautiful when you're mad," Mark laughed.

Susan stopped wriggling. "You really think I'm beautiful?" she asked softly, her eyes dancing seductively. Mark leant in towards her, reaching his hand up to cup her face.

"I really think you're beautiful," he whispered, closing his eyes as their faces grew closer. He leant in, expecting to meet her lips, his heart starting to race with excitement.

All of sudden, Susan slipped off the bed away from him. She was laughing.

"I told you you wouldn't win."

"Hey! That's not fair," Mark complained.

"Ah, you're beautiful when you're grumpy," Susan teased.

Susan turned to walk out of the bedroom door. As she did, she bumped into a young woman, tall and blonde.

"Oh, sorry," Susan apologised.

The woman smiled. "That's ok," she replied, with a thick European accent.

Susan looked the stranger up and down. She was wearing an over-sized white shirt, and by the reflection of the light, it appeared that this was all she was wearing. Susan suddenly felt very self-conscious as she looked down at her own pyjamas made up of a pair of sweat pants and an old t-shirt. Mark came up behind her.

"Hi, Mark," the young woman greeted him.

"Uh, morning, Holda," Mark said, embarrassed as Susan looked up at him, frowning.

"Morning, guys," Doug said as he appeared from his own bedroom.

"Morning, Doug," Mark said.

"Uh, I'm just on my way to work," Doug said. "Holda, you can let yourself out?"

Holda nodded as Doug kissed her on the cheek. He looked sheepishly at Susan, who was smirking at him.

"I'll see you guys at work?" Doug asked on his way out.

"Yeah, see you later," Mark replied.

Mark and Susan stood and watch as Holda wandered around the apartment, filling a glass with water then disappearing back into Doug's bedroom.

"Do they all look like that?" Susan asked Mark, raising her eyebrows.

"What do you think?" Mark asked.

Susan shook her head. "Wow," she said self-consciously.

"Wow, what?" Mark asked.

"Are you blind? Look at her. Haven't you ever been…tempted?"

"Tempted by what?"

"The long legs, the tiny waist…"

Mark slipped his hand around Susan's waist and started to kiss her neck.

"Why would I want anything else when I have you?" he asked her.

Susan smiled. She was not usually the sentimental type, but Mark had a way of making her feel like the most special person in the world. She turned to face him.

"What did I do to deserve you?" she said softly, standing on tiptoes to kiss him, wrapping her arms around his neck. They stumbled backwards into the bedroom, laughing as they fell onto the bed.

A few hours later, Mark and Susan arrived at County to find everyone gathered around the admit desk where Lydia was struggling with a mass of pearl white material.

"What's going on?" Susan asked.

"It's Lydia's wedding dress," Haleh said.

"What happened?" Mark asked.

"She and Al broke up," Haleh answered.

"Why, what did he do?" Susan asked, rolling her eyes.

"It's what he didn't do," Lydia said bitterly.

"He wouldn't set a date for the wedding," Chuni said.

"Men!" Halah exclaimed, eyeing Mark.

"I can feel some male-bashing coming on," Mark said. "I think I'll go find myself some sick people to heal."

He smiled at Susan, squeezing her hand before he let it go. Susan smiled back, before remembering that she was required to join in with Lydia's rant against men. It was no good though, the constant grin on her face giving away the fact that she was deliriously happy.

"Uh oh, here comes trouble," Chuni commented.

Everyone turned around to see a sheepish Al come into the ER. Lydia scowled and turned away, sending her wedding dress into disarray once more.

"Lydia," Al called, a pathetic look on his face. He followed her into an empty exam room, under the angry glare from the gathered crowd. They stood watching as Lydia and Al argued through glass doors. Lydia's face was stone cold, but they could see her features slowly soften as Al managed to talk her round. Finally, she swung her arms around his neck, embracing him passionately.

"Ew!" Malik grimaced.

Lydia and Al came out of the exam room, hand in hand, their faces glowing.

"We're getting married!" Lydia announced.

"We know that already," Chuni said.

"No, I mean, we're getting married today. That is, if the hospital chaplain will perform the ceremony for us," Lydia said, excitedly.

Everyone gawped at them, surprised.

"Well, there's no point in waiting, is there," Al said.

"I think he's in trauma one, performing last rites," Jerry said.

A buzz of excitement filled the ER. Susan shook her head at the craziness of it all. She left the group and headed into the lounge where she found Doug searching through the refrigerator.

"What's all the excitement about?" Doug asked, looking up to see who was coming through the door.

"Lydia and Al are getting married. Today. At the hospital," Susan told him, an amused expression on her face.

"Really?" Doug asked. Susan nodded.

"I can think of nicer places to get married," Doug commented.

"Yeah, I can tell you're really the sentimental type," Susan joked. She grinned cheekily at him.

They were interrupted by Haleh, who came rushing through the lounge.

"The wedding's set for two o' clock on the roof, make sure you guys are there," she said, before rushing out again.

"If we're all going to be at the wedding, who's going to be looking after the patients?" Doug asked.

"Who cares, I love a good wedding," Susan answered.

Haleh stuck her head back into the lounge.

"By the way, there's a trauma coming in. Double MVA. Mother and child."

Doug rolled his eyes. "No rest for the wicked, eh?"

At two o' clock that afternoon, everyone was gathered on the roof of the hospital. It was another warm day and there was little breeze.

"We are gathered here, before God, to join together Al and Lydia in holy matrimony…" the priest started.

The ceremony was quick so as not to interrupt too many people from their work. As the vows were exchanged, Susan felt something touch her hand. She looked down to see Mark's hand link with hers. She looked up at him and smiled, leaning towards him slightly. He kissed her forehead. She was glad that their relationship was out in the open now, so that they could flaunt such public displays of affection. Susan had never been in love like this. Her life had changed so much in the past six months and she told herself she was crazy to fall so deeply, so quickly. It scared her. When she had lost Little Susie, she had felt choked with grief and loneliness, and deep down she carried a constant fear of feeling that way again. But she knew she couldn't spend the rest of her life allowing that fear to dictate her actions. She had to move on, she had to learn to love again. And that's what she had done. In Mark she had found the perfect companion. It was safe and solid; it was also passionate and loving. They had been best friends for years, maintaining a platonic friendship when everyone had questioned the depth of their relationship. It had almost surprised her to find herself falling in love with Mark, but she had and now she was consumed by it; this love for just one person, one man, and she couldn't imagine the rest of her life without him.

Lost in her thoughts, Susan was surprised when the priest pronounced the happy couple husband and wife. Everyone cheered.

"Did you see Doug during the ceremony?" Mark asked her on their way back downstairs. "He couldn't take his eyes off Carol. I guess Holda is just a passing fling."

"You do surprise me," Susan answered sarcastically.

Mark laughed. "I wish they would just sort themselves out."

"You wish who would sort themselves out?" Carol asked, coming up behind them.

"Oh, um, the cafeteria. Their food is really going downhill," Mark stuttered, giving Susan a helpless look. She rolled her eyes, but Carol seemed content with the answer.

"Hey, Susan, are you busy later? I'm really stuck with this physics homework they gave me at night school," Carol pleaded.

"Yeah, sure. I always liked physics," Susan answered.

Carol looked incredulously at her. Susan shrugged her shoulders.

"Hey, I was a geek," she laughed. "I finish at eight, I can meet you in Doc Magoo's then?"

"That sounds great, thanks," Carol said. "Hey, look who's here."

They all looked up to see Conni carrying her newly born son into the ER. They walked up to her.

"Hey guys," Conni greeted them.

"Hi, Conni, what are you doing here?" Mark asked.

"My maternity leave finishes in a couple of weeks, I came to sort out some shifts," Conni answered. "Where are you all coming from?"

"Dr Greene, there's a GSW pulling in," Jerry called from the desk.

"I'll leave these two to fill you in. It'll be good to have you back, Conni," Mark said, before heading towards the ambulance bay. He wasn't held up for very long, and once he had sent the patient up for surgery with Benton, Mark wandered into the lounge where he found Susan sat on the floor, playing with Conni's son.

"Hey, where's Mom?" he asked, sitting down on one of the chairs near them.

"Working out a timetable with Carol," Susan answered, barely taking her eyes off the small bundle in her arms. Mark sat watching her with the baby, as she talked and soothed him, rocking him gently to send him to sleep.

"You still miss Little Susie, don't you?" he asked her softly.

Susan nodded. "She felt like mine," she said simply. Mark bent down and kissed her forehead. Susan closed her eyes at his touch. No matter how happy she was – and she was happy – there was still a hole that Little Susie had once occupied. She looked up at him and smiled sadly.

"Chloe's doing really well, you know. And I'm glad." It sounded like she was trying to convince herself more than Mark.

Just then Conni came into the lounge.

"Wow, you must have the magic touch, it usually takes me ages to put him down for his nap," she said, reaching down to take him from Susan's arms and putting him back into his pram. "Well, I'd better get this one home. I'll see you guys next week."

"Bye Conni," Susan called after her. She stayed sitting as she watched them leave, before lifting herself up off the floor. "I'd better get back to work."

She bent down and kissed Mark lightly. Mark watched her, wondering what he could do to help, to make her happier – until an idea came into his head.