Susan had settled into her role of “Domestic Goddess” at Rocket’s place quite well. Their furnishings, though quite different, intermingled with each other’s. Rocket’s taste was more Modern Contemporary, and Susan’s was more eclectic. Somehow, they managed a way to pull them all together, and it made them both feel as though it was “their” home. Whatever was left over that didn’t have a place for, was put in storage.

Susan was still on unpaid leave, having been suspended, not only due to her behavior, but also because as Kerry put it, “There is a definite lack of care, a feeling of negligence towards your patients.” Also, Kerry felt that “Susan had made Elizabeth feel as though she were working in a “hostile environment.” Susan took it all in stride, besides, what kind of punishment could it be if she was using that time to spend her days and nights with the man she loved?

Rocket still had two weeks of disability left before he had to return to County. He was dreading going back. He didn’t want to be away from Susan - Not for one second!

Since Susan had taken up residence with Romano, they were always together. Their days seemed to follow a certain routine:

Always making love for a couple of hours once they had awoken, then showering (always together), and then either Susan or Rocket would make breakfast, then they would both work-out together in Romano’s basement with the Bow-flex. They would then have lunch, afterwards, taking Gretyl to the park to run free with the other dogs, as they would kiss and cuddle as they watched her, while sitting hand in hand, on the park bench.

Their nights would consist of dinner, be it take out, or prepared by either Susan or Romano. After dinner, Rocket would always start a fire in his fireplace, and always by remote control. He would start the fire; he would start the soft music to summon Susan to slow-dance with him for about an hour, which she loved. They would then order a Pay-Per-View movie, Susan would make the popcorn, and they would snuggle on the couch together, watching the movie, making out like teenagers would. Rocket would always make it to third base before he would take Susan’s hand and lead her upstairs to their bedroom.

Susan would often dance for Rocket. Sexy songs playing would always conjure up seductive images in her mind, and she would perform a seductive strip tease, until Rocket could stand no more, and grabbed Susan to make love to her passionately, be it on the couch, the floor, and if he had enough patience that night, in their bedroom.

He would always “pay her well” with love and sexual favors, for her dances; they had made him so hot. To see the woman he knew that he truly loved, dancing for him, gyrating her hips for him, always with her cheeks flushed, and always with a hint of shyness, a hint of naïveté‘. When Susan danced for him, he would and could, always make love to her way into the sun’s early light.

One evening, Romano had convinced Susan that he had an appointment to be fitted with a “prosthetic” arm in a couple of days. She could tell he was nervous about it, although she didn‘t quite know why. She didn’t pry, she knew enough about him now to know that if he mentioned anything about his arm, that whatever he said was all he was going to say, and that was final. How he hated talking about the arm that he didn’t have anymore. She didn’t press it. She took what he said and that was it.

But that night, the sadness in his eyes, the honesty in what he was saying, almost forced her to say something.

“Baby, please don’t do this for me, please tell me that you are doing this because you want to do it. I want you to do this for yourself. I’m perfectly happy with the way you are, I love each and every part of your body, including your arm.” she would say, as she would nearly kiss every inch of his body.

But Rocket had ulterior motives regarding this “prosthetic” arm, not only did he want it to make himself feel like a part of the “normal surgical world” as he would call it, but also, he wanted it to please Susan.

He had done so much research on this “prosthetic” arm that he was going to be fitted for. (As far as Susan knew) The procedure wasn’t covered under his healthcare plan, but he was more than willing to pay for the surgery out of his own pocket.

This was the prosthetic arm of the future. It entailed another surgery for Rocket, as this arm needed to be attached to the stub he already had. The surgeon was well renowned for his expertise on this kind of prosthetic surgery, with a 98% effective rate.

It wasn’t going to be something Robert would be able to put on and take off at will. The arm would a custom fit, and it wasn’t the kind of arm that could be taken off. No, this arm would be surgically attached.

Robert had read so many studies about his surgery on the Internet; he knew that this was, in his mind, the only best alternative to having a real arm back. Yes, it was made of the finest materials known to the scientific world, but there was more to it. His brain would control the movement, just like other prosthetics, and he would have months of grueling physical therapy. The surgery itself would take around 8 hours to perform, and the surgeon was in Paris, France. It was a long, life-threatening surgery, but the benefits outweighed the risks in Robert’s mind. This arm would be a prosthetic, but it would be warm to the touch, and not as mechanical as some of the alternate prosthetic arms that he had to choose from. This arm was state-of-the-art, and Rocket wanted it. No matter what the cost. Nobody would stop him, not even Susan.

It wasn’t technically a mechanical arm, it was almost as if he had his real arm back. It would look like an arm, it would feel like an arm, warm, as if blood was running through it, and all of his fingers would be able to work. The doctor had told him that it wouldn’t feel like a fake arm, it wouldn’t look like a fake arm; that Robert could consider it to be a real arm.

All he was waiting for now, was the page. The page telling him that his arm had been created, and the doctor was ready to perform the surgery. It was really already scheduled, he just hadn’t told Susan all of the details. He would tell her that, when the time came.

He had talked to Suz about it, but he wasn’t going to be specific. He wanted to surprise her; he wanted to show her a real arm, with a real hand and real fingers. The doctor had told him not to get his hopes up. The odds of this arm working as promised were one in a million. Still Rocket had to hold on to some hope, and this was it.

The morning after he had told her about this “fitting” Susan had awakened before Rocket had. She had dreamt that somehow, the fitting went terribly wrong. Robert’s nerves were too much on edge and he had started to seize during the fitting. They had started CPR as his BP had dropped to dangerous levels. Finally, they had stabilized him, but he was in a coma. As she sat at his bedside, Carter came in and told her that Robert had been unconscious for too long, that he was basically a vegetable at this point, and asked her is she had wanted to sign a DNR.

She woke up with a jolt, and she was crying, tears streaming down her cheeks. She sat up in bed, looking to the left of her, seeing Rocket sleeping so soundly, so peacefully. She whispered “I love you” into his ear, kissed him lightly, and got out of bed.

She quickly took her shower, got dressed and headed for the market for groceries, leaving Rocket there to sleep-in. She had taken his car, as he had told her that whatever was his, was now hers as well. She casually strolled the isles, still thinking about the nightmare she had had, but knowing that it was just that, a nightmare. So there she was, looking for new and interesting foods, she had realized that ever since she had been on un-paid leave, that she loved cooking for Robert, loved cleaning for Robert, loved being with Robert, she just loved Robert, period. She never in a million years would have thought that she’d be this happy - ever - with any man.

She had just returned from the market, and had just gotten in the door, when she heard the phone ring.

“Rocket, can you get that?” She called out, hands full of groceries.

Silence. “Robbie? Can you get the phone?” Still silence.

She put the bags of groceries on the floor and looked out of the kitchen window. She could see Rocket and Gretyl playing ball. She smiled to herself and picked up the ringing phone.

“Hello, is this Mrs. Romano?” the unfamiliar voice on the other end of the line asked.

“Uh, well, um, not technically” she tried to continue, but the voice ignored her and kept on with his pitch.

“Congratulations, Mrs. Romano, you’ve just been awarded with a years subscription of 12 different magazines.” the voice said excitedly.

Normally, she would have toyed with the telemarketer for a while, but today, she just wasn’t in the mood.

She laughed, “Sorry, wrong number” and quickly hung up the phone.

After she had hung up, she noticed that the caller ID said that there were 20 new calls. She pressed each button on the display, after about half of them, she noticed Lockhart, Abby and her number.

She was surprised to see that Abby had called her, especially after the fact that Susan had punched her in her eye, taking out her anger on Abby, when all she wanted to do was slap Carter across the face for calling Rocket a “prick.”

God knows she had wanted to call Abby, she missed her best friend. But Carter had made it perfectly clear that night, the words stinging in her ear:

“Don’t you ever, and I mean never, go near Abby again!” He had screamed to her. And then after Susan had to remove her belongings from her locker:

“Fuck you, Susan” he had said with that grin, that adorable grin that had beckoned her to pursue the feelings that she had had for him, seemingly so long ago now.

The friendship that she had with Carter, clearly for forever, it seemed, and the friendship that she had developed suspiciously at first, with Abby after Carol left, now gone. Gone forever, she thought.

As frightened as she was, she simply had to return Abby’s call. She swiftly put all of the groceries away and took another quick look outside of the kitchen window. Romano was sunbathing; it looked like he was asleep.

She wanted to make sure that he wouldn’t just walk in on the phone call to Abby.

Rocket had a few choice words himself about the way that Carter and Abby had treated Susan that night. He had hated what Carter had said to her that night:

“No GOOD friend would ever say that to you baby, please Suz, for your own sake, don’t have any contact with them, anymore. You’ve got me now, I’ll be your best friend, your lover, anything and everything, just don’t bother yourself with them, ok babe?” He had asked her with love in his eyes.

Susan had known that it was her fault that Carter had flown off the handle that way. She was the reason, not the other way around.

Still, for weeks, the words that Carter had said to her, the way he had said them to her, as if he had never cared for her, lingered in her mind, playing over and over like a broken record. Susan was nearly inconsolable for days, but Rocket was there to pick up the pieces. Just holding her to his chest, letting her cry, letting her release her dejection, his shirt quickly becoming wet with her tears. She knew he was only thinking of her best interest at heart, and she tried to not think about how much she missed Carter and Abby.

Still, the temptation was just too great now. She took a quick look out the window, Rocket was still in the same position, sunbathing. She quickly picked up the phone, and dialed Abby’s number:

“Hi, you’ve reached Carter and Abby, we’re not here, please leave a message” Beeeeeep! Susan heard in Abby’s voice.

Suddenly, Susan froze. What if Abby was calling her on the sly the same way that Susan was calling Abby on the sly? She knew that Carter didn’t want Susan to have anything to do with Abby, what if she left a message and Carter picked it up? She wasn’t ready for the confrontation and quickly hung up.

It was a good thing, because as soon as she hung up the phone, in came Rocket and Gretyl.

“There’s my girlie!” he said, coming towards her for a kiss and a hug. “It was lonely out there without you and your sexy crocheted bikini.” he said, now pouting seductively at her.

She eagerly embraced him, reciprocating his kiss enthusiastically.

“Hey, you’re so red, did you use any sunscreen at all?” she questioned him like a concerned mother.

He sheepishly looked down on the ground, “No, but I am wearing a hat” he said, looking up at her with those dimples, mischievously.

She just stood there, looking him over. He certainly was a sight for sore eyes. So handsome, his body so sculpted, even more so than that first night they spent together. They had been working out everyday, and she could see results, big time. His arm was so muscular, his chest so chiseled, and his abs, what a six-pack.

He had on a baseball cap, backwards, the way that Fred Durst from Limp Bizkit wears it, and a pair of cut-off jean shorts. He looked very hot to her just then.

She grabbed his hand and led him out towards the pool.

“Just wait,” she said with a smile.

She slowly started to undress, not taking her eyes off him for a second, grinning at him sexily.

Finally nude, she went to the diving board and gracefully dived into the pool.

He was watching her in awe, thinking to himself how perfect she was in every way.

She enticingly beckoned to him from the other side of the pool, her cheeks flushed, flashing him her beautiful smile.

She watched as he only took off his shorts, leaving the baseball cap on, then approaching the diving board, and then jumping in.

Finally reaching her on the other end of the pool. She wrapped her legs around his waist, one arm around his neck, the other, bracing herself poolside.

They kissed longingly, deeply. Her legs still around his waist, she braced herself with both arms at poolside and arched her back. He eagerly kissed her lips, and then kissing her neck, finally reaching her breasts, lightly licking each nipple, watching them grow hard with excitement.

“You are the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen” he sighed to her, lightly licking her breasts, then back up to her mouth.

They kissed seemingly forever, hands roaming each other’s bodies, playfully splashing each other, and she tightened her grip with her legs around his waist.

He slowly, yet eagerly entered her. She gasped with excitement, “This is so incredible” she moaned as she continued to brace herself so that they could fully enjoy their weightlessness, and he could more fully penetrate her more deeply.

She had always been a sort of exhibitionist, back in college, she remembered skinny-dipping with her boyfriend at the time. But that was just a small lake, in the middle of nowhere, there was nobody to perform for, and what fun was that?

But right here, right now, any neighbor from either side of Romano’s house could look outside their back door, and see what was going on. That, and the sounds of the water splashing, the sounds of the birds chirping, the sunlight on both of them, Susan knew that she was close to ecstasy.

“Yes Rocket, just like that, oh, mmm-hmmm” and soon, he could feel her constrict around him. Her hips moving in waves of pleasure, sucking and licking his neck, his earlobes.

Seeing Susan come was a real turn-on for Rocket. He always knew when she was about to, her cheeks would turn a delicious shade of strawberry red, her pupils would start to dilate, and he could feel her muscles tighten around his hardness. Soon, he too would be feeling the same pleasure that Susan had.

“Yes, Yeah, oh God yes!” he screamed, not caring who was watching or listening, his hips gyrating quickly yet slowly, giving Susan the most satisfaction she could get from his climax.

She threw both her arms around him now, her lips quickly meeting his, kissing him as though her very existence depended on her tongue meeting his, slowly, deeply, and passionately.

“Oh God Sus, I love you so much” he sighed, his body still contracting with pleasure, still inside of her.

“I love you more!” she screamed, laughing and loosening her grip around his waist, now swimming to the other side of the pool.

Swimming was quite a challenge for Rocket now with just his one arm. He decided to get out and go sit on the chaise lounge, still nude, still just wearing his baseball cap. He sat there contentedly, just watching the woman that he loved, the woman that he was sure that he would marry, someday.

There she was, swimming playfully, pretending to be a synchronized swimmer, looking over at him, smiling, flashing her pearly whites.

“He sexy!” she called, “Like what you see?”

“I’m lovin’ what I’m seeing,…” he said to her, all along, thinking of the new arm that he hoped that he would get soon. He no longer wanted it for himself, not anymore, no, now he only wanted it to please his Suz.

He laid back in the chaise and let the sun shine down upon him, and soon, he was fast asleep, dreaming of how many ways he would be able to make Susan happy with both of his arms.

Meanwhile, as Susan swam happily, she suddenly felt dizzy and nauseous again. She quickly got out of the pool, ran past a sleeping Romano, and barely made it to the bathroom in time.

“Oh great, there goes my breakfast…vomiting again: and lunch” she said as another wave of nausea came over her, now violently throwing up into the toilet.

As a doctor, she was trained to look at just what she had vomited up.

Looked like food, tasted like food, no blood, nothing out of the ordinary, she thought.

But even doctors aren’t perfect, because if she would have really thought about it, she would have put two and two together, and remembered that her period was two-weeks late…