Sorry this took so long. Unfortunately, real life got in the way :( I've made this chapter extra long though, because I probably won't get to update it again for a while.

'ZACH!' Rachel Greene screamed as Carol, Mark and Zach came through the door of Mark's tiny apartment.

'Hey Rach' Zach grinned and wriggled himself free of his mother's arms. Once on his feet, the toddler dashed over to the nine year old girl's side and hugged her around the waist. Rachel wrapped her skinny arms around Zach's neck and returned the hug.

'Rach, why don't you bring Zach into the bedroom and show him your new toys' Mark suggested.

Rachel sighed dramatically. 'He's a boy, dad. He won't be interested in my things' she replied, rolling her eyes as if Mark had been incredibly stupid.

'Rach' Mark said, his tone of voice dropping. Rachel sighed again and then took Zach by the hand.

'Come on Zach, I'll show you a new game I got for the computer' she said and led the child away. Mark smiled and then turned to thank and pay the babysitter.

Carol had already sunk onto the couch and was holding her head in her hands, wondering if she had imagined everything she had seen in John's office. After he said goodbye to the sitter and let her out, Mark went to the kitchen, flicked on the kettle and then returned to his friend's side.

'Carol, what happened?' he asked, quietly, hesitantly, touching a gentle hand to her quivering shoulder. There was silence for several minutes, then Carol raised her head and wiped away some stray tears.

'I can't believe he'd do that to Zach' she mumbled.

She didn't even care that John had cheated on her. Well, she did, but she cared more that Zach would be the one that got hurt the most in the whole sorry mess that was her, now failed, marriage. She listened to his voice, quietly babbling away in the other room, with Rachel. Her son, the most precious thing to her in her whole world, would be hurt. Zach was her reason for being, the reason she got up in the morning. Carol looked up at Mark's concerned face and forced herself to say that one sentence that would mean this was true.

'He cheated on me, Mark' she said and finally succumbed to tears.

Mark automatically moved onto the couch and cradled the sobbing woman in his arms. He spoke the usual words of comfort, 'Everything will be okay' and 'Ssh, it's alright' and so on. Of course, he, of all people, knew how Carol was feeling. He had been in her shoes. Admittedly, he knew his marriage was failing before he discovered Jen's affair, but that didn't make it any easier to take. He still asked himself those questions. Why? When? Who? But Carol and Tag had seemed so happy. Why would Tag do that to such a wonderful person? Mark felt like punching his lights out. Between sobs, Carol recounted what she had seen upon opening John's office door and wailed loudly when she spoke about explaining to Zach.

Eventually, her sobs subsided and she sat up to look at Mark. 'What do I do now, Mark?' she asked. It was a simple question, but there was so simple answer.

'Well, do you want your marriage to be over? Do you want this to be it?' he asked her in return.

His questions made Carol's eyebrows come together as she thought about it.

'I love him, Mark, he's my husband, but I can't just go on like this didn't happen. I don't even want to speak to him right now. But I can't imagine my life without him. I just don't know what to do' she finished with a small sob as she wiped the remaining tears from her cheeks. Mark rubbed her back, offering as much comfort as he could but he was still at a loss for words.

'I really don't want to see him. I don't want to go back there' Carol said, her shoulders trembling.

Mark would gladly have offered to let her stay with him for a few nights, but he knew that Carol needed to talk to Tag and try to sort things out, get explanations if nothing else, for her peace of mind. Not that endless and pointless questions wouldn't spin in her mind for weeks anyway. He sighed.

'You're more than welcome to stay here, Carol. You and Zach. But, I really think you should talk to him' he said, quietly, hoping she took his advice.

With a deep breath, Carol sat up. Her eyes were red rimmed, her cheeks blotchy and Mark could see how heartbroken she was just from one look at her eyes. The sparkle was gone from them. 'Maybe you're right' she said eventually.

Carol didn't want to speak to John, afraid if she laid eyes on him right now, she might do something she'd regret. But this was her marriage and her son's happiness on the line and if she didn't go speak to him and try to sort things out, she'd never move the guilt that she had given up and lost her son his father without even trying.

'Can Zach stay here? I don't want him around for this' Carol asked.

Mark half smiled. 'Of course. Just go speak to him and them come back and stay for the night. He'll understand that you need your space' Mark replied.

Carol nodded and stood up. 'I won't say goodbye to Zach. He'll just ask what's wrong. If he notices I'm gone just tell him I went to the shop of something, 'kay?' she said.

Mark nodded. 'Don't worry about him. He'll have a ball with Rach' he said.

Carol nodded and exhaled deeply. 'Here goes. I'll be back later. Thank you, Mark' she said, hugging her best friend and then heading for the door. Mark smiled encouragingly when she looked back and with another deep breath, Carol left his apartment.

Needing time to collect her thought, Carol walked the short distance between Mark's place and her house. She didn't even know if John would be home and the image of that med student draped across him flashed across her mind again. But as she neared the house she saw lights on in the living room. She didn't know what she was going to say to him and the thoughts of confronting him now overwhelmed her and she stopped in her tracks.

Come on Carol, you can do this she thought to herself and forced her feet forward. But as she climbed the steps to the porch, her worst nightmare came through the front door.

'Carol, you're so very late, tonight! And where is Zachary? Why is John in such a mood, he almost kicked me out. Of course, I left with my dignity but he's never been that way before. He must have had an awful day. But where have you been?' Helen Hathaway demanded of her daughter.

Carol closed her eyes and rubbed her temples with her fingers. 'Mom, I need to go and speak to John. Can we talk later?' she said, not even looking at her mother and pushing her way past.

'Carol, what is going on?' Helen asked, turning as Carol laid a hand on the door knob.

'Mom, just go home, alright' Carol snapped and quickly stepped into the house. She needed to get away from her mother's questions but in doing so, she had placed herself right in front of John, without a clue of what she was going to say.

John's expression was apologetic, sorrowful and afraid. Carol just stood at the door, waiting, for both him to speak and her mother's footsteps on the wooden porch to fade. Once she knew her mother was gone and it was evident that John wasn't going to speak anytime soon, Carol moved away from the door, past John, and into the living room.

'So?' she said, wishing to break the silence and prompt him into speaking. It worked.

'Carol, I'm so so sorry. I don't know what I was doing! I can't believe I was so stupid. I promise it will never happen again. I'm so sorry I hurt you, I never ever wanted to hurt you, or Zach. I love you two more than anything. I'm so sorry. Please...You do believe me right, that I never meant to hurt you?' John asked as he watched Carol's expression harden.

She took a deep breath and replied, 'I believe that you never meant to get caught'.

John shook his head, advancing on his wife. 'Carol, you and Zach are the most important people in my life' he said.

'Doesn't mean we're the only ones' Carol retorted, her anger from earlier returning. She left the living room and entered the kitchen, took a glass from the cupboard and a bottle of wine from the shelf and poured herself a healthy amount. John followed helplessly along in her wake, a pleading expression on his face now.

'How many, John?' Carol asked, turning to face him, leaning against the counter.

John struggled to find words. 'Times?' he eventually asked, looking lost.

Carol shrugged. 'Times? Women? I'm not fussy' she replied.

Again, there was silence, until John asked, tentatively, 'Does it matter?'.

Anger surged up through Carol and without making a decision to, she threw the wine glass at her husband, who ducked and it hit the wall behind him instead.

'OF COURSE IT MATTERS! I mean was tonight the first time, just an act of weakness, or has it been going on for weeks, months, years? God, you really have it good don't you? You go out and fool around and I stay here and take care of your house and your kid! Is that really fair? Maybe I should go and have an affair. What do you think? That would even things up nicely, wouldn't it? I wonder who I could pick. Oh maybe Carter would be up for it, or Mark, or Luka, or -'

Carol stopped mid rant and forced herself not to spit out that last name. She had no idea where it had come from. Her inability to explain her unexpected thought of him earlier returned. Why was he suddenly in her head, after all these years?

John didn't miss her sudden break in words and he looked up, now angry, for he knew whose name had almost escaped her lips.

'Or him? You've always loved him more, haven't you? I was just second best after he split! Maybe that's what drove me away, did you ever think of that? Knowing that you wished I was someone else!' John shouted. Carol clenched her jaw. Did he really think that?

'You know that's not true and you know he only left after I chose you' she said, quietly, staring her husband in the eye.

John shook his head, disbelievingly. 'It was always him. I'm just second best' he spat at his wife.

'Hold on now, how did this become about me? You are the one that was just caught with a med-student hanging off you! Which could get you fired, might I add!' Carol snapped.

'Going to report me?' John asked, sarcasm hanging on his every word.

'Maybe I should' she replied, walking away from him again and towards the stairs.

'Where are you going?' he asked, following behind her again.

'I'm going to pack some stuff for me and Zach, we're staying at Mark's tonight' she replied, not stopping.

'Maybe I was wrong, maybe it's Mark you want!' John shouted at her, jealously filling every part of him, though in the back of his mind, he knew he had little right to feel that way.

Carol stopped and turned. 'Well he's the one that's been there for me. He helped me through a lot when you were "working" so hard. He supported me in opening my clinic when you said it was just a silly dream. He's been there, John, and you haven't. He even knows Zach better than you do!' Carol shouted.

Something snapped inside of John Tagilieri. Carol and Zachary were his world. And okay, so his insecurities that Carol would someday run off to find him had spurred him into his various affairs with nurses, med-students and doctors alike, but that didn't mean that he didn't worship the ground Carol walked on or adore every single inch of his beautiful little boy. And hearing that Mark Greene meant more to both wife and son made his blood boil. He didn't mean to, he didn't even want to, but something snapped and suddenly, Carol was on the floor, blood oozing from a cut on her cheek and John's clenched fist still held in the air where, seconds before, it had made contact with his wife's face.

D&C

Mark looked at his watch. It was past midnight and he had not heard from Carol since she had left his flat. Both kids were fast asleep, Rachel on a camp bed she usually used when she stayed over in her dad's one-bedroom apartment, and Zach on the pull out sofa in the living room. Mark sat at the window, watching and waiting for Carol's return.

He hated that something so horrible was happening to someone he cared about. Carol had helped him through so much. His divorce from Jen and the aftermath of Susan's departure for Phoenix. His thoughts lingered on Susan.

A year had passed since he had declared his true feelings for his best friend and colleague. A year of trading overly friendly emails, pretending he didn't feel the way he did. Even now, he couldn't quite dispel his deep love for the beautiful blonde, even though he knew she was dating someone else. Not that he had dated since she had left. There had been a few, some regrettable, others not. Cynthia, of course, had been the most serious. Well, for her it had been serious, and if Mark hadn't of been in love with someone else, maybe things would have worked out better for them. But he knew where his heart truly lay and it was impossible to forget that. To forget her. The last words he had heard she speak echoed in his ears as if someone had just screamed them.

I love you.

Comfort and resentment came with those three words though. Comfort because at least he knew it wasn't one sided, that she had feelings for him too, that he had not made a total fool of himself on that platform at Union Station. Resentment because she had left anyway. She had left. And the one question that he had asked himself over and over again came to mind again.

Why?

But before he could dwell too long on that agonising question, Mark spotted Carol approaching his building, two bags hanging off her shoulders, he head bent against the strong November wind. He rushed downstairs to open the door for her.

D&C

Drying her hands with a towel, Susan turned away from the sink and looked over to where her four year old niece lay asleep on the couch. Chloe and Joe had gone out with some friends that Joe worked with so Susan was left to mind Susie. Not that she minded in the least. She loved Susie so much and cherished every moment she spent with her. She also spoiled her and had given up when Susie protested going to bed, choosing to let the youngster watch more TV. It was now gone ten at might, so Susan decided it was time to move the sleeping child to her bed.

Once Susie was tucked up in bed, Susan returned to the living room and switched the TV station over to watch her favourite medical drama. So much for leaving work behind at the end of the day. Before long, she was thorough engrossed. A young girl whose father worked at the hospital had just been brought in after being involved in an MVA. Susan was so into it that she barely heard the beep that signalled the arrival of an email on her computer.

Pulling herself away, she was pleased to see Doug's reply to her earlier email. She was so excited about seeing Doug. She hadn't seen him in four years, since Carol and Tag's wedding, when he had disappeared without any notice. Mark had received an email from him after several days to say he was in DC and he had never returned to Chicago. Susan had given him such a hard time over that, running away. But then, didn't she do the exact same thing last year. She had run away, just as the words she had been dying to hear came out her best friend's mouth.

She asked herself daily why she had done that, why she hadn't got off that train and left the station, finally hand in hand with the man she truly loved. She knew the answer, she was just ashamed to admit it. Part of it was because of Susie, she just couldn't bear to be away from that little girl who had come to mean so much. But the other part, the part she was ashamed of...It was fear. She was afraid that it would end in heartbreak and she didn't want to destroy her friendship with him. It meant too much to her. It had taken months for the ache in her heart to even begin to fade and it was by no means gone, she just had a better handle on it now.

Thinking of Mark and Doug, Susan started to wonder about her other friends back at County. She missed Carol the most, after Mark of course. She missed their girly chats and nights out. She missed everyone: Carter, Peter, Haleh, Chuny, sometimes even Kerry. She didn't miss the weather though. Here is was, November, and it was 20 degrees Celsius. Back in Chicago, it was probably something like six or seven at best.

Susan smiled to herself. Doug would be there in two days and even if he wasn't Mark, he was still a good friend that she missed terribly and couldn't wait to spend some time with.

D&C

Doug lay awake in his bed. It was only just after one in the morning and he knew he had to get up for work in just four short hours, but he just could not sleep. Different scenarios were bouncing around in his mind.

He would casually drop her name into conversation and Susan's face would light up and she'd tell him that she asked about him all the time.

Or even better, that she had left her husband.

Or the best, that she just so happened to be visiting too.

Or it could go the other way. Susan could tell him that she's never been happier, that she never asks about him, or worse, that she still hates him.

All these thoughts led him to debate whether or not he should ask Susan about her at all.

All this kept him from falling asleep. He had woken that morning with happy memories but now, all he could think about were the bad times. Like when, five years ago, her limp form was rolled into the ER after taking an overdose. Or when, after she'd recovered from said overdosed and he'd visited her only to find him there with her. Or when he'd turned up at the engagement party and begged for another chance and he'd been punch by that loser she was marrying.

Has married Doug corrected himself, mentally. She's married! There's no point worrying about all this or even thinking about her. She's happily married with a kid to boot. She probably hasn't thought about me in year. I just have to pull myself together and move on.

Doug thought about his relationship with Vanessa. She was married too, not happily, but still married so he knew there was no future for them, even though that was what he had first liked about her, no commitment.

He thought about Alicia. She was nice. She was pretty, successful, rich, independent...single. But she had a kid. There was the catch. Could Doug take on someone else's child? Eden was a great kid and all, but could he give that much commitment?

But he had to move on, he couldn't dwell on her forever.

Sitting up in bed, disregarding the time, Doug picked up the phone and dialled. After only two rings, someone answered.

'Hello?' Alicia said into the phone.

'Hi Alicia, it's Doug. I hope I didn't wake you or Eden' Doug replied, in his most sincere voice.

'Oh Doug, hi! No, of course you didn't. I'm still up doing these stupid accounts for tomorrow. I've a meeting with some clients. What's up?' Alicia asked. It couldn't be clearer that she was delighted Doug had called.

'Well, I'm leaving for Phoenix that day after tomorrow so I was wondering if I could see you before I go?' Doug asked, sweetly. He could almost hear Alicia blush.

'I'd love to Doug but I've meetings in the morning and I've to pick Eden up after school because my nanny is sick with the flu' Alicia explained, apologetically.

Doug knew how to swing this. Every single mother liked when a potential boyfriend showed interest in their child. 'We could meet up after you collect Eden? We could all go ice skating or something. Eden like's ice skating, right?' he asked, innocently.

'Oh Doug, that would be wonderful. I'm sure Eden would love that. I'll give you a call after I pick her up then?' Alicia replied.

'Excellent. I'll see you both tomorrow then. Good night' he told her.

'Good night' Alicia gushed and hung up the phone.

Doug smiled and lay back down on the bed. See, he could move on too. Of course he could.

AN: So what did you guys think? Please review :)

Hopfully, I'll get to write something during the week and maybe get another chapter up next weekend. No promises though :)

Thanks for reading,
'Til next time,
Katelyn x