Thank you so much for the reviews. This chapter is for you guys. Sorry it has taken so long for me to update, having to work for a living has been taking up too much of my time!! Hope you like it.

The instant his lips touched hers she felt something inside her awaken. It was as if the part of herself she had left behind when she got on the train that day had finally been returned to her. Suddenly she could not even form a coherent thought and found herself completely lost in the kiss.

For a second when he kissed her Mark feared that perhaps he had been too bold, but as soon as he felt her respond a sense of relief washed over him. For once he had taken a chance and it had actually paid off. Aside from the birth of his daughter this was the most amazing moment he had ever experienced. With each second that passed he felt his broken heart begin to mend piece by piece.

After several minutes had passed the need for each of them to breath forced them to break the connection. As they stood there breathless, inches apart staring into each others' eyes neither of them knew what to say.

Suddenly Mark began to panic. What if this wasn't what she wanted? Maybe she just got caught up in the moment and didn't want to hurt him again by pushing him away. As his eyes searched hers for the answers to his unasked questions Susan could see the panic begin to cloud his face. Tentatively she reached up and touched his face to calm him. Her touch immediately had the intended effect on him and he felt the knot that had formed in his stomach slowly disappear.

Slowly and with renewed confidence he found his voice.

"For a second there I thought I had over stepped the mark."

She smiled "I was too afraid to even hope that you still had feelings for me. After the way I left I was kinda worried that you would be mad at me....."

Before she could continue he placed a finger on her lips to silence her.

"Now that you are back I don't want to waste any time analysing the past and wondering about the what could have beens. We both made mistakes back then but that's all in the past. All I want to focus on is the present, right here, right now and the way I feel right now. The way you make me feel. It has been so long I had almost forgot how intense the feeling was." As he spoke his eyes never left hers for a single moment.

"And as for being mad at you," he continued, "sure I was hurt when you left but I could never be mad at you Susan." Slowly he looked down and took a deep breath, preparing himself for what he was about to say next. As he raised his head his gaze fixed upon her. As he mustered all the courage and emotion he could he said what he had wanted to say to her since the instant he saw her standing in the ER.

"I love you."

For the first time in 5 years he said those three little words and truly meant them. He watched as a single tear rolled down her cheek. As he pulled her into a warm embrace he heard her whisper,

"I love you too."

His arms instinctively tightened around her as his heart began to swell and a huge grin spread across his face. "She said it back", he thought to himself "She said it back, and this time she wasn't leaving. She was exactly where she belonged, in Chicago, in his apartment, but most importantly in his arms.

At that precise moment in time Mark Greene felt more at peace with the world than he had in his entire life.