So, many moons ago when this show was just finished, I wrote a story wrapping up all the loose ends and then got asked to try and come up with more stories for these characters, before finally managing to take a break after the fourth one. But it seems people have kept discovering the show and then discovering these. Last year, I exchanged messages with someone and promised to think about writing another one. Hopefully they're still keeping an eye out because now's the time!

I'm afraid I have not seen the show since it was first on and had to immerse myself in my old stories and plot summaries to try and get a handle on it again. I hope I'm not too wide of the mark! I have gone back to having two chapters per episode which I will try and post close together.

EPISODE ONE: Going Forward

CHAPTER ONE

"Hurry up!"Sutton insisted.

Dan shot her a long-suffering look. "Honey, I need to find a space."

They were in their car, which they were attempting to park outside the hospital. Which was proving more difficult than expected, as Dan drove round and round helplessly. "Hospital car parks have to be one of the nine circles of hell,"Sutton complained. "Haven't you got an emergency light you can put on?"

"Sure, if you want to get both of us arrested. Which I'm sure will go down well with both of our future careers."

"I just…I want to be there for Emma,"Sutton explained.

Dan's expression softened slightly. "You can always go in ahead of me."

Sutton shook her head firmly. "Uh-uh. We are doing this together." Her eyes fixed on a spot ahead. "There!"

Without evening pausing to check if she was right, Dan sped into the empty space. Then they jumped out and headed inside.

The first familiar face they saw inside was Char. She and Justin were sat in the hospital corridor, just outside the room they were heading to. Char's eyes lit up at the sight of them. "Okay, you have got to see this."

"Have you been in?"Sutton asked.

Char nodded. "But they were expecting you to come so we volunteered to step out."

"So as not to crowd them,"Justin added.

Sutton gave her old friend a quick hug. "Thank you,"she noted before heading inside, Dan following. And then they saw…

…their niece.

Emma was cradling the baby girl, Ethan sitting as close to them as possible with his arm round Emma's shoulder. Their son Eddie was standing near the bed, looking at his new sister in awe.

Sutton could see what Char meant about a crowd. Her and Emma's sister Laurel was there with her husband Jordan, and their adopted mother Kristen with her husband Peter, and even Emma's old friend Lexi.

Emma's eyes lit up when she saw Sutton. "Hey there, Auntie Sutton!"

"Hey there, 'Mum',"Sutton returned. She gave Emma a quick hug then stroked her niece's cheek. "Have you thought about what you're going to call her?"

Emma hesitated. "Well, that kind of depends on you two."

"We were thinking of calling her Theresa,"Ethan explained. "But if you two aren't comfortable with that…"

Sutton looked at Dan. "What do you think? I mean, it's all right with me…"

Dan nodded slowly, the mention of his late fiance obviously having struck a chord. "Yeah, I think it's a nice idea. I think she'd have liked that."

"Theresa it is then!"Laurel declared cheerily. "I'm liking it already!"

"You want to tone it down, girlfriend?"Lexi asked drily.

"Hey, it is not every day I get to be an auntie again: This is me savouring it."

"I think we all are,"Kristen agreed.

"Only question I've got,"Jordan noted,"is does savouring it involve cigars?"

"You are not smoking cigars around my niece!"Laurel insisted.

"Just a thought."

"Do they have smoking areas outside?"Peter wondered.

Ignoring the conversation going on in the room, Ethan gave a quick nod to Dan and the two of them stepped aside for a chat. "You ready for the thing?" Ethan asked.

"The thing?"Dan asked evasively.

"Yeah, you know, the thing. The thing you said you had planned for after Emma had given birth."

"Oh yeah, that thing." Dan gave a smile. "Don't worry, it's all in hand."

Dan dragged Sutton out into the corridor. "What's going on?"Sutton asked.

"I just needed a private chat,"Dan answered. He suddenly realised Char and Justin were still sat where they had been before, staring at them. "I, ah, think you two can go in now. There's room." The pair quickly retreated.

"What's this all about?"Sutton asked. She paused, a part of her suddenly worried. "Is it about Theresa? I know that reference to her in there must have brought up a few things."

"No. I mean, well, not exactly." Dan took a deep breath. "You know I've always had regrets about what happened with Theresa. How I wish I'd made it so I had more time with her. How I wish I could have made her my wife."

Sutton nodded awkwardly. "Yeah, sure, I know that."

"And how I've tried really hard not to make the same mistake with you."

Sutton opened her mouth to reply…but before she could do so, Dan was down on one knee in front of her, his hand fiddling in his back pocket for the jewellery box that, a moment later, he was holding out to her. "Wait, is this..?"

Dan flipped the box open to reveal the ring. "Sutton Mercer, will you marry me?"

A smile spread across Sutton's features. "Do I really need to say yes?"

Dan stood up and placed the ring on her finger, both of them unable to stop smiling. Then he lifted her up off her feet and kissed her.