A HUGE thank you to everyone who keeps coming back and reading more of my fic, and also for leaving so many nice reviews – PinkSparkle02, Melissa Larkin, NotHereAtTheMoment, lemonjelly and abigailc. I'm really pleased you are all still enjoying the story :)
ercarterfan and Flick – hello and welcome to my little Marsan world! Thank you for reading and reviewing my story, I'm glad you liked it and I hope you keep reading:)
This chapter is quite long, but it's one of my favourites so please stick with it. I've never been to Chicago so this chapter took a lot of research (thus why it's taken so long to write!). I got all my information from . so a big thank you to them. I hope there are not too many inaccuracies.
Enjoy! :)
Treasure Hunt
Beep…beep…beep beep…beep beep beep…beeeeeeeeeep.
Susan groaned, rolled over in bed and hit the top of her alarm clock, hoping it would shut up. She stretched out, expecting to find Mark's familiar form next to her, but instead she found an empty space. She frowned. Had Mark said he was working this morning? She didn't think so. Maybe he had woken early? She listened, but there was nothing but silence.
"Mark?" she called out. There was no answer. Susan climbed out of bed and tripped over the stuffed frog that Mark had won for her on their first date, a permanent fixture in her bedroom now. She wandered out to the kitchen, rubbing her eyes.
Maybe he had gone to buy milk? No. There was half a litre in the refrigerator and no note pinned to the door. The clock on her wall read 8.00am. Why was she up so early? She didn't have to work, Kerry had scheduled her to have the day off because…because it was her birthday. Susan shook her head as realisation struck. It was her birthday and she guessed that Mark's disappearance had something to do with all the secrets and whispering that had gone on for the past few weeks. Well, tough. It was her birthday and what she wanted to do right now was sleep. She went back into the bedroom and dropped back onto the bed. As she did, she felt something crunch under her head. Rolling over, she found a small envelope with her name written on the front. She opened it, curious.
Susan,
Happy Birthday!
Forgive me for waking you, but I've planned a busy day for you and you need to start early. I know you've been going crazy with all the secrecy but it won't be long now before you find out what it's all been about. I know you don't like surprises, but I hope you like this one. I want today to be special, to be memorable in the right way, because you deserve it. Keeping this from you has been so hard, because my first instinct is to tell you everything. I want to tell you everything. I hope we have a lifetime together full of long nights where we curl up by the fire and talk until the sun rises.
Anyway, I digress.
You may be wondering where I am, but you won't find the answer here. Instead I'm going to send you to a place where you'll have the best view of Chicago. But beware, this will take you over 1000 feet in the air – are you brave enough?
All my love,
Mark.
Susan frowned. What?
She read the letter again. The best view of Chicago? She looked into the envelope again, hoping to find some clue as to what was going on. Inside she found a small ticket, reading 'The Hancock Observatory'.
Susan read the letter for a third time. He wanted her to go to the Hancock Observatory – but why? Grabbing the telephone, she quickly dialled a number.
"Hey, Randi? It's Susan. Is Mark there?"
"Hey, Dr Lewis, happy birthday!" Randi greeted her. "Um, Dr Greene isn't working today, isn't he with you?"
"No, he isn't," Susan grumbled. "Thanks, Randi."
She hung up and dialled another number.
"Hey, Doug, it's Susan," she started.
"Susan, happy birthday," Doug interrupted.
"Yeah, yeah, whatever," Susan dismissed. "Where's Mark?"
"He's not with you?" Doug asked, a playful tone in his voice.
"You know damn well he's not," Susan said. She could hear a female voice call out to Doug in the background – a voice she would normally have recognised if she wasn't so distracted by Mark's mysterious letter – so she quickly said goodbye.
"Maybe you should just do what he says," Doug suggested before he hung up.
Susan decided that she had no choice but to follow Mark's instructions. She showered and dressed, pulling her hair back into a loose ponytail. Grabbing her bag and the envelope, she left her apartment and made her way to the Hancock Observatory. It was a very tall building, over 90 storeys high. She stood at the bottom and looked up at the towering building.
'Damn you, Mark Greene,' she cursed. She hated heights, he knew that. With a deep breath, she joined a queue of impatient tourists. They were taken up to the top in groups. Susan barely heard the tour guide as she concentrated on staying calm. When they got to the top, they reached an open-air skywalk.
'There had better be a bloody good present at the end of this,' Susan muttered to herself. She looked around her. On the edge of the skywalk were a number of telescopes that people were looking through. Slowly, Susan made her way to the edge.
'Just don't look down,' she told herself.
From one side of the building, Susan could see the miles of water that made up Lake Michigan. On the other side stretched Chicago. She made her way around the edge, taking in every angle of Chicago. The view was breathtaking, even Susan could admit that.
As she walked around, she spotted a small envelope pinned to one of the telescopes. She looked around to see if anyone else had noticed it, but apparently they hadn't. She walked across and as she approached it she saw her name written on the front in Mark's neat handwriting. She took the envelope and ripped it open to see what Mark had to say this time.
Susan,
If you're reading this note then I know that my efforts have not been in vain. I'm also sure that you have cursed my name repeatedly as you made your way up here!
I've brought you here because it truly is the best view of Chicago. From this spot, you can see everything. If you look west, you can see the hospital. Who knows, maybe someone you know is staring back at you right now – Carter, perhaps, hiding from Benton!
I love this city. It's the only place I've ever felt settled. I hated moving around so much when I was a kid – always changing homes, changing schools, changing friends. The closest thing I ever had to a proper home was in Hawaii, we were there for three years. One day I hope I can take you there, to show you where I grew up and share with you my memories.
Anyway, the next stop on your journey is the Navy Pier. You'll find my next note in the middle of the water.
All my love,
Mark.
Susan smiled. Forgiveness began to creep in but she quickly shook it off – he wasn't forgiven that easily. She glanced around herself again, feeling self-conscious, wondering why no-one had noticed this crazy woman picking up notes from telescopes. She made her way quickly back downstairs and was glad to have solid ground beneath her feet again. She took out Mark's second note and read it again. He was sending her to the Navy Pier, that bit was easy, but 'in the middle of the water'? Susan had no idea what he meant by this, but she trusted him enough to believe that it would become clearer once she was there.
Following Mark's instructions, Susan made her way to the Navy Pier. It was a typical autumn day. The sun was shining but there was a chill in the air, causing you to wrap up warm. The pier was quiet. Susan liked this time of year, when the holiday season was over and most of the tourists had gone home. She walked along the water front, taking in the sights and sounds. She could see a young mother sat by the water, cradling a young baby in her arms. Susan smiled, remembering Little Susie. She still missed her. Not everyday, not like before, but there were moments when she would remember how she felt when she had Susie in her arms, rocking her to sleep, singing to her, playing with her.
Her thoughts were distracted by a group of young boys who rushed past her on bicycles and rollerblades, yelling at the tops of their voices. She directed her mind back to Mark's letter.
'You'll find my next note in the middle of the water.'
Susan leant against the railings and looked out to the water, hoping to find some clue. She saw some people swimming and noted how crazy they must be, since the water at this time of year would be freezing. She hoped that Mark didn't expect her to swim out into the middle of the lake! Her eyes continued to wander over the water. She saw boats of all sizes sailing in the water. At this time of year only one cruise boat sailed up and down the coast, but there were a number of sailing boats gliding up and down.
'How am I supposed to know where to find his next note?' she wondered.
A voice came booming out from below her.
'The next boat cruise will leave in fifteen minutes.'
'Oh well,' Susan thought, 'I've got nothing to lose.'
She made her way down to the dock, paid her money and got on board the boat, making her way to the front. She watched the water below as the boat began to move, rippling underneath and frothing under the rotations of the rotor blade. She peered down harder, trying to spot any form of life under the water. As the shoreline became smaller and smaller she was still clueless as to where to find Mark's next note. Thinking that he may have left it on board, she decided to tour the boat. She received some strange looks from the other passengers as she wandered around, searching every surface for a small white envelope. She could feel herself starting to get irritated, desperate to find his next message. Mark had got her well-and-truly hooked on his little game. After doing two circuits of the boat, Susan sat down on one of the seats, completely frustrated, until a voice came over the speakers.
"If there is a Miss Lewis on board, would she please come to the captain's office. Miss Lewis to the captain's office, thank you."
Susan frowned. Did they mean her? Figuring the day couldn't get any stranger, she got up and went to the captain's office.
"Uh, hi, I'm Susan Lewis," she introduced herself.
"Ah, Miss Lewis, we've been expecting you all morning," a young woman greeted her. She held out her hand and, sure enough, there was a small white envelope.
"Thanks," Susan said, embarrassed.
"You're welcome. Enjoy you're day," the young woman said, a twinkle in her eye.
Susan went back out onto the deck. 'I'm gonna kill you, Mark Greene.'
She sat down and opened the letter.
Susan,
So, my clue wasn't too cryptic for you?!
I wanted to take you out on the water because I love it out here. There's something peaceful and serene about it. The good thing about having a father in the navy was the amount of time I got to spend at sea. When we lived in Hawaii, my father would sometimes take me with him on the ship up to TokyoHarbour. It always fascinated me to watch him at work on the ship, the passion he felt for his work was so strong and obvious. I'm glad I've found a job that I feel passionate about, aren't you?
I've always wanted to sail around the world – what do you think? Do you get seasick? I can't think of anyone else I would rather share my aquatic adventure with than you…stuck in the middle of the ocean for months, what will we do to pass the time?
I should stop before I get carried away with my thoughts. Are you hungry? I've reserved a table for you at the café overlooking the water that I know you like – enjoy lunch on me.
All my love,
Mark.
Susan knew the café he was talking about. They had been there before and Susan remembered commenting how much she liked it. Realising she was hungry, she checked her watch. The boat was due back at shore in twenty minutes. She walked back to the front of the boat, watching this time as the shoreline got closer. She read Mark's letter again. He barely talked about his parents or his childhood. She knew he wasn't close to his parents; she knew he had wanted a different life for himself. She wondered about his mother and father, how proud they must be of their son – this man who was kind and caring and thoughtful, who always put others first, who was a great doctor and a great father. She thought about her own dysfunctional family, realising she, too, had worked so hard to have a different life for herself. She sighed, longing for the day when she would have her own family to love and care for. Before Little Susie, her thoughts about the future had always been about her work and her career. Now she knew she wanted more than that. Work wasn't enough any more.
The boat finally reached the dock and Susan made her way along the pier towards a row of restaurants and cafés overlooking the water. She found the one that Mark was sending her to with ease. It was quiet, like most of them. A waiter greeted her.
"Can I help you, ma'am?" he asked politely.
"My name's Susan Lewis, I believe you have a table booked for me?" she said.
"Ah yes, we've been expecting you" the waiter nodded. Susan was getting used to hearing that phrase. The waiter held out his arm, directing her inside. She followed him up the steps to a table sat by the window.
As Susan sat down, the waiter disappeared, returning a few moments later.
"Here is a menu, and this note was left for you," he said, holding out his hand.
"Thank you," Susan said, smiling gratefully. The waiter loitered around, waiting to take her order. She hastily ordered from the menu, eager to be left alone so that she could read Mark's letter. When the waiter finally left, she opened the fourth envelope.
Susan,
I hope you are not tiring too much, I still have plenty of surprises in store for you.
Writing these notes to you has made me think about my life – all the things I've done, all the decisions I've made. And you know what? I wouldn't change a thing. Everything I've done and every decision I've made has led me here, to you. And I'm happier now than I have ever been. When I thought that I had lost you in the helicopter, I felt like my world had ended. That's how much I love you.
I guess my only regret is Rachel. She's 400 miles away from me. I hate that I'm missing so much of her growing up. I'm not there to make her breakfast, take her to school, test her spelling, read her a story at night, watch her fall asleep. I hate it that there's another man who is being a father to my daughter. So maybe there is one thing that I would change – but you can't change the past. You can live in the present and hope for the future. I hope that my present and future will be spent with you.
But for now, your future lies in these little notes I am leaving you. You'll find my next message in the Art Institute amongst the French Impressionists.
All my love,
Mark.
Susan sat in the café blinking back tears. She was surprised that a piece of paper could stir up so many emotions in her – happy, scared, hopeful, content. Would she change anything in her life? No.
She thought about the day she found out she had been accepted into medical school. It was the day she felt her destiny change, the day she escaped from her mother's dreams of settling down with a nine-to-five office job. Susan loved her job. She loved its fast pace and the way every day was different – different people with different problems. She couldn't imagine sitting at a desk all day, typing, answering telephones, meeting after meeting. Being a doctor was her vocation.
She thought about her life over the past few years. It had been like riding a rollercoaster. Just when she had thought her life was heading in one direction, something happened to send her spiralling a different way. Like Little Susie. The first time she had held Susie in her arms, Susan knew that life was never going to be the same again. Susie had changed her life, even for those few months when it had just been the two of them. As much as she loved and missed Little Susie, Susan had accepted that she belonged with Chloe, but that didn't mean that she wouldn't do it all over again if she had the chance.
And then there was Mark. Susan had been trying to get used to being alone again when Mark had come into her life. Not that he had been missing before, he had always been there for her whenever she needed a friend, but their friendship had turned into something more, something unexpected, to Susan at least. Knowing that Mark loved her gave her a strength that she had never had before, like she was invincible, like she could take anything that life threw at her. She thought about her hopes for the future. 'I hope that my present and future will be spent with you,' Mark's letter had said.
'Me too,' Susan thought. She couldn't imagine her life any other way. To Susan, her future was her family. Not her mum, dad or Chloe, but her own family. One that she had created; one that she shared with her soulmate; one that she loved more than anything else on the earth. If she closed her eyes and tried to picture the future, it always contained Mark. It scared her sometimes that life felt so perfect right now. But she couldn't live her life worrying about the possibility of things going wrong. Mark had said that you have to live in the present, and for the first time in a long time that's what Susan was doing.
Lost in her thoughts, Susan ate slowly. The view from her table was incredible. It was, no doubt, the best table in the café. When she had finally finished, she picked up her bag and Mark's latest note and went to pay her bill.
"Oh, the bill has already been taken care of," the waiter said when she tried to pay him.
Susan rolled her eyes. Mark really had planned her day to the last detail. She gave the waiter a generous tip and left, following Mark's instructions and making her way to the Art Institute. Even though she had grown up in Chicago, she had never been there, although she had always said that she would like to. It was so typical of Mark to remember the small things.
When she arrived at the Art Institute, she paid the fee and went inside.
'You'll find my next message in the Art Institute amongst the French Impressionists.'
The Art Institute was a maze of sculptures, paintings and architecture, and Susan had no idea where to find the French Impressionists. She wandered around slowly, taking in everything around her. She was enjoying herself, something that didn't often occur on her birthday. She walked down corridors with walls covered in paintings, where the eyes of the painters' subjects would follow you wherever you went. She read about the history of Chicago's architecture. She saw the intricate details of sculptures that she had only ever seen photos of before. She wasn't in any hurry as she ambled from room to room, certain that she would find Mark's letter.
She did. She eventually turned a corner and felt her heart skip a beat when she saw a sign pointing towards the French Impressionists. She followed the arrow, which took her into a large room full of beautiful paintings. She walked around, looking at the amazing artwork and also keeping one eye searching for Mark's letter. She finally found it pinned to the front of one of the museum curators! He looked so silly, sat on a chair in the corner with an envelope attached to his uniform. Susan walked up to him.
"Um, hello. I believe that letter you're wearing is for me," she said, finding it hard to keep a straight face.
"Tell your boyfriend he owes me a huge favour for this," the man said, unpinning the letter and handing it to Susan.
"I will," she promised, before turning away to find a quiet spot where she could open the letter.
Susan,
I hope you are enjoying this taste of culture. I left this note amongst the French artists because they are my favourites. Maybe on our sailing trip around the world we could stop in Paris and visit the Louvre – Monet, Van Gogh, the Mona Lisa. We could climb the Eiffel Tower, visit Quasimodo in Notre Dame, catch a show at the Moulin Rouge, travel up (or is it down?) the Seine.
There is so much of the world that I want to see. I don't want to look back at my life and realise that I neglected the important things – like you and Rachel. Don't let work rule your life, that's my new philosophy.
To continue on this European theme, you'll find my next note at a well-known water feature. If you bump into the Queen of England, say hello from me!
All my love,
Mark.
Susan smiled. She was starting to get the hang of this game and guessed immediately where he was sending her. The Buckingham Fountain. She left the Art Institute and made her way to her next destination. Her feet were starting to ache from all the walking she had done. If Mark wasn't careful, she was going to be asleep early tonight!
As she walked, Susan thought about all the places she had dreamed of visiting. When she was a girl, she had dreamed of going anywhere just to get away from her family. She had surprised herself when she found herself settling in Chicago. She loved this city too much – the weather, the people. She was happy here, more so since she had met Mark. Even when they had just been friends, he had made her life better in so many ways. They could be silly together and they could be serious; she could talk to him about anything and knew that he would always be there for her. He truly was her best friend, her soulmate. She wondered again how many more notes he had left her, hoping that soon he would send her to find him.
When she got to the fountain, the clue was easy to find. Unfortunately, getting to it was going to be difficult. Mark had pinned it to the statue in the middle of the fountain. Susan shook her head, wondering how she was ever going to get to it without getting soaking wet. Knowing Mark, that was probably the plan. But she was determined to out-smart him and looked around her to find anything that would help her. She spotted a man cleaning the paths, holding a long device that he was using to pick up litter with. She walked up to him.
"Excuse me? I know this probably sounds strange, but I've been left a note in the middle of the fountain. Can I please borrow your pole to get it?" Susan knew she sounded crazy, but she didn't care any more.
The cleaner looked at her. "I've been wondering who that envelope belonged to," was all he said, handing her the pole.
Susan thanked him and walked back over to the fountain, standing up on the edge. She leaned forwards, stretching out the pole to grab hold of the envelope. The pole was slightly too short and she leaned further. Before she could stop herself, she felt her foot slip from underneath her and she fell forwards into the water. Shocked, she gasped for air and swallowed a mouthful of water. She lifted her head, spluttering, before finding her feet and standing up.
'So much for not getting wet,' she sighed to herself. She could hear laughing and turned to see the cleaner watching her. She shrugged at him. Fortunately the fountain was not too deep, the water coming to her waist. She waded towards the statue in the middle, grabbed hold of the envelope, then waded back out again. The cleaner, still smothering laughter, reached out his hand to help her out and Susan gratefully accepted.
"Thanks for you help," she said, giving him back his pole, and watching as he carried on with his work. Her hair and her clothes were dripping, and she grimaced at the stench of the water that covered her. Sitting down next to the fountain, she opened the envelope. The message was simple.
1127 Michigan Avenue West, 6pm.
The address meant nothing to her. Looking at her watch, Susan realised she had only an hour and a half to clean herself up and get to her next, and hopefully final, location. She tried to hail down a taxi, but they all avoided her. She didn't blame them, she knew she was a mess. She hurried home, conscious of the strange glances she was getting. She showered quickly and pulled open her wardrobe. What was she going to wear? Should she dress up or should she be casual? She pondered over every outfit she had before settling for a pair of slimming black trousers and dark green top that she knew accentuated her green eyes. She put on a minimal amount of make up and pulled her hair back in a French twist, allowing a few strands to fall around her face. She looked in the mirror and smiled, pleased with the reflection.
Realising she was running late, Susan grabbed her car keys and flew downstairs. When she came out of the building, she groaned. Her car was blocked in by a lorry. Having no patience to wait, she hailed down the next passing taxi and gave him the mysterious address that Mark had given her. She had butterflies in her stomach at the thought of seeing Mark. Even though it had felt like she had spent the day with him, she had missed him all day.
The journey only took ten minutes. She looked up at the house that Mark had sent her to. From the outside, it looked old, although the door and the window frames were freshly painted, and the windows looked recently cleaned, sparkling in the reflection of the autumn sun. Susan walked up the steps to the front door. She was searching for a door bell when she noticed that the door was slightly ajar. She pushed it gently and it fell open, the joints squeaking.
"Hello?"
There was no answer. Susan wandered into the hallway. The décor was old fashioned and Susan cringed.
"Hello?" she called again. She felt strange, like she was doing something she shouldn't be. She hesitated, unsure whether to continue further into the house. Where was he? Susan looked around her. There was no furniture; the house appeared to be empty.
"Mark?"
Susan walked straight ahead of her into the kitchen. Nothing. No plates, no cups, no knives, no forks. She turned back into the hallway and paused outside a closed door. She contemplating knocking but realised there was no point since the house appeared to be deserted. She turned the handle and walked in, gasping at the scene before her. The curtains had been drawn and the room was lit with hundreds of tiny candles scattered around the room. In the middle of the floor was a picnic blanket, fully laid, ready for dining. A single rose stood in a slim crystal vase stood in the middle. Giant bean bags sat facing each other across the blanket. On the other side of room was a fireplace; above it a shelf. On the shelf stood a solitary photo frame. Susan walked across the room towards the fire place. She looked closer at the photo frame and smiled at what she saw. It was the photos of Mark and Susan, squashed in the photo booth at the fair.
"Do you like my new house?" came a voice from behind her. Mark's voice. Susan spun around.
"Your house?" she questioned.
Mark shrugged. "I couldn't stay at Doug's forever. It'll be a few weeks until I can move in properly but I signed on the dotted line this afternoon. What do you think?"
Susan looked at him. He was stood in the doorway, grinning proudly, and she couldn't help but smile. She didn't speak; instead she walked back across the room, wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him, deep and hard. She wanted him more than she ever had, to feel him, to smell him, to taste him. She refused to let go.
She wanted this moment to last forever.
Hours later, after they had sampled the local Chinese takeaway, Mark and Susan lay wrapped up in each other's arms. Mark sat propped up by one of the bean bags and Susan lay between his legs, resting on his chest, her head nuzzled into the crook of his neck.
"So, did you have a good birthday?" Mark asked.
Susan looked up at him. "I had the best birthday," she answered, reaching her head up to kiss him. He tasted of chow mein. "Thank you."
Mark smiled at her. "It's not over yet."
Susan frowned. "No more surprises, please," she groaned.
"You'll like this one," Mark said, shifting her body away from him and getting up. He walked over to the door where his coat hung and reached into one of the pockets, pulling out an envelope. He walked back over to Susan and sat down next to her, giving her the envelope.
"Where are you sending me this time?" she joked. Mark smiled, watching her as she opened the envelope and pulled out the contents.
"A train ticket?" Susan questioned. She read its destination. "To Phoenix?"
"You know, you're a very hard person to shop for," Mark said. "So I sat down and thought, 'what would you really like?', and then it was obvious. I know how much you miss Little Susie and I know how much you want to see her. So go."
Tears started to form in Susan's eyes, but she blinked them back.
"Mark, this ticket is for next Monday. I can't just go away at such short notice. What about work?"
"I've sorted it with Kerry. I've booked next week off work for you," Mark answered.
Susan sighed, happily, allowing a tear to fall down her cheek. It was the perfect present.
"And what about you? How will you survive without me?"
"Well, that's what this is for," Mark said, pulling out a return ticket. "This makes sure you come home."
Susan smiled. "I'll come home," she said, softly. "Thank you."
"You're welcome."
"I love you."
"I love you too."
Susan leant over and kissed him, before snuggling back into his arms.
She wanted this moment to last forever.