Vows and Promises
Part Four
By Susan
lilichild@aol.com

ARCHIVE: Sure, just tell me where
TIMELINE: Well, this part takes place in the summer before season 7 and goes from there, the other parts will take place later, it’ll make more sense once you read the fic.
SPOILERS: I don’t read ‘em. You shouldn’t either J That said, anything that I didn’t beyond the latest aired episode is pure speculation.
DISCLAIMER: The story is mine, the characters aren’t. They belong to Warner Brothers, don’t waste your time suing, I have no money
NOTE: This is part one of a series and is my first fic, be kind J Comments welcome
PREVIOUSLY: Doug and Carol got engaged (yes, again), and decided upon a post Thanksgiving wedding at the house in Seattle. Doug called Mark to share the good news and asked him to be his best man. Mark accepted, Chuni, Haleh, and Conni overheard and put two and two together so to speak and asked if they were right in their assumption. Mark told them yes, and the three nearly knocked him over hugging.

PHOENIX

She was tired. She’d had a long day at work and the June heat didn’t make matters any better. Sure, compared to Chicago it was a “dry heat” but that didn’t make it any more pleasant. She arrived home at her little apartment. She was a block away from her sister’s family. Chloe’s family, the thought still seemed odd to her. It amazed her to this day that Chloe had gotten her life together. She had married Joe, who she moved in with in Phoenix. Along with little Suzie who was now six years old, they had had a three year old son, Joey.

It’s not that she begrudged Chloe her happiness. She was glad her sister had finally had gotten her life together. Now if she could only do the same. It’s not that she was addicted to drugs and alcohol as Chloe was only a few short years ago. She was perfectly sober, she was well – she wanted someone to go home to. Her career was fine, but she felt that she had nothing else. She was a beloved aunt, by she had no little one of her own, no one she could cling to in the long, lonely nights.

It was your own choice. She admonished herself sternly. She had been engaged to Seth. Seth was a decent guy, but… well, she didn’t love him and didn’t think it fair to him to marry someone just for the sake of being married. Seth had said he’d understood, which was kind. It almost made her rethink her decision, but she soon realized that she just didn’t want to wake up next to him every morning.

So she was alone. She was starting to think she should get used to it. This was her life, hot weather, an attending emergency physician at a Phoenix hospital and an empty little apartment down the street from Chloe’s family. She had a nagging feeling. She couldn’t quite place it but if she was honest with herself it was the feeling that her life was leading somewhere else. She’d felt it before, which is what led her to Phoenix in the first place. She wouldn’t admit it but she knew deep inside that she needed a change.

She pulled a microwave dinner out of the fridge. If it weren’t so late, she would have gone over to Chloe and Joe’s. It was after 9 and the kids were probably asleep by now. She sighed and placed the dinner in the microwave. Just then, the phone rang. She raced to answer it.

“Hello?”

“Hey, I didn’t wake you did I?” Carol asked on the other end.

Susan immediately perked up. She loved it when Carol called, even though they were separated by distance, they were still the best of friends.

“No, not at all” She said quickly. “So how’s it going”

“Well…” Carol began “Are you sitting?”

“Should I be?” Susan asked worriedly. All kinds of bad thoughts about something happening to one of Carol’s children flashed through her mind.

“Maybe you better” Carol responded, almost bursting with her good news.

“Okay” Susan responded shaking. She sat. “Okay, I’m sitting”

“All right. Doug and I…” Carol started.

“What?” Susan asked impatiently

“… are getting married!” Carol finished.

Susan shrieked. “Oh, Carol that’s so great! Tell me everything”

Carol recapped the story of the night before with Doug’s proposal on the dock and by the time she got to the point where Doug had given her the key necklace. They were both sobbing.

“That is so romantic!” Susan exclaimed. She was thrilled for Carol, she pushed aside a slight twinge of jealousy she felt.

“Yes, it was” Carol finished “We’re getting married right after Thanksgiving in Seattle and I was wondering if you’d be my maid of honor. I promise I’ll actually get married this time” Carol was of course, referring to her failed attempt to marry Tag.

Susan laughed. “Yes, of course”

Carol heard crying in the background then. “Oops, Susan. I better go. I hear Kate crying.”

“No problem” Susan responded

“Call you tomorrow” Carol promised

“You better” Susan teased

They both hung up then, and Susan knew she should be happy for Doug and Carol and she was, but something else gnawed at her. A feeling that wouldn’t go away. A feeling that this wedding would somehow change her life forever.