Author's Note: This is my first attempt at an ER fic. As most of us are, I am a Carby fan, and that is what this story is about. This fic is sort of AU (Alternate Universe) because there are doctors and nurses from the past in here and ones currently in the show are there but the story is placed a little bit before they actually came onto the show. The timing and placing is kind of confusing because it is an AU, but I try to follow the story line of the show. Mark and Elizabeth are not married, they never had Ella, and he does not have a tumor. Luka and Sam are not in a relationship, but they eventually might be. I'm mainly just a Carby fan, but with a little Marsan thrown in. Carter has gone to the Congo, but he came back after saving Luka. He does not return with Kem. She doesn't exist in this fic. Please read and review so I know what you think of this story!

Disclaimer: I do not own ER or any of the characters associated with the show. I wish I owned Carter though, he's yummy.

Rating: This chapter is rated PG-13 just to be safe, but there is one little rated R part which is the second to last paragraph of this chapter, just to forewarn you. If you are uncomfortable with R-rated material or if there is someone who might be reading this over your shoulder that may take offense to it, I suggest you wait until they have gone or you don't read this story. You could probably skip that paragraph without missing anything because it will be explained a little in the next chapter.

Summary: I'm not real good with summaries, especially this one because I have to keep some secrets of the story. Basically it's just a fic that centers around Carter, Abby, and their relationship. It's been done lots of time before, but I hope my twist to the plot will add a unique quality to it. Lots of Carby fuzz.

Meant To Be - Chapter 1

The clock turned to 5:00 am and began to beep loudly. Abby groaned from under the covers as she threw them back and sat up, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes. She retrieved a towel and washcloth from the linen closet then walked into the bathroom and turned on the shower. The warm water cascading down her body slowly woke her up. She grabbed the towel and wrapped it around herself as she stepped from the shower. Abby dressed in her hospital scrubs then pulled her brown hair into a ponytail. She walked into the kitchen, put a bagel in the toaster, and got the small tub of cream cheese out. A few minutes later, the bagel popped up. She spread the thick substance over the bread and took a bite. She set it down for a moment to gather her things. She grabbed her white lab coat, which had a nametag that read Abby Lockhart. She smiled to herself. Soon there would be and MD attached to the end of her name in a little over a year's time. She collected the rest of her items needed for work. She finished off her bagel, locked her apartment, and set off on her walk to County hospital as she did every day.

Just as Abby entered the ambulance bay, John Carter came through the sliding doors of County General Hospital. Abby's heart caught in her throat as he neared her, looking down. Despite all that the both of them had been through, she still loved him very much. He finally looked up and gave her a small smile when he saw her, "Hey Abby, just about to start your shift?" She nodded, "Yeah, Weaver's got me working a twelve hour shift, seven to seven. Are you on break or are you off?" "I'm off. I'll be working the graveyard shift tonight, ten to ten. It'll be the third time this week that I have worked graveyard. I swear Weaver's working me to the bone," he looked down at the ground for a moment then stared straight into her luminous brown eyes, "um… you want to go get some dinner tonight?" Abby's stomach did flip flops of joy, but knew that it was just a friendly, casual dinner between colleagues. "Yeah, that'd be great. Is eight good for you," Abby inquired, smiling. Carter nodded his head in confirmation, "I'll come pick you up at eight then. Oh, and dress nice." She gave him a quizzical look then replied, "I better get in there or Weaver's going to be on my ass like fire on wood." He smirked, "Alright, I'll see you later Abby." "Bye Carter," she called out as he walked towards his Jeep. Abby then walked into the hospital and entered the lounge to put away her belongings. She had just pulled on her lab coat and was now adjusting the stethoscope around her neck when Kerry Weaver burst through the door. "Abby," she yelled, "where the hell have you been?" Abby glanced at her watch, "My shift doesn't start for another twenty minutes." Weaver shouted back, "I don't give a damn! Get your ass out here and help! We've got a gun shot wound to the chest coming in, ETA two minutes." As the doctor left, Abby sighed and her shoulders sank. "It's going to be a long day," she said to herself.

Abby plopped down onto the couch that evening as soon as she got home from work. Her shift today had been as a medical student, which meant more traumas, more patients, and more work. However, she was glad that she would be able to get away from it all when she had dinner with Carter tonight. She'd come home and study afterwards. She went to take a shower and pick out what she would wear. It took her almost half an hour before she finally decided on a simple black dress with a halter-top that had strings to tie at the back of her neck. It was soft and shiny, falling just below the knee. Abby combed out her hair and put it up in a clip. She washed her face then did her make up. Twenty minutes later, promptly at eight, the doorbell rang. Carter's jaw dropped and his mouth fell open when she pulled the door wide to let him in. He stuttered in awe of how stunning she looked in her black dress. "Wow… you look amazing, beautiful…" he trailed off, shaking his head in astonishment. She smiled up at him, "Thanks, you did say to dress nice. You clean up good too." He was dressed in a black suit with a dark blue dress shirt. "I think so too," he grinned wryly, then offered his arm, "shall we go?" Abby nodded and grabbed her purse then, arm-in-arm with Carter, left her apartment.

They drove for about thirty minutes, talking about work, their lives, and what Dave's consequences for his newest adventure in the ER would be. Finally, they arrived at a fancy restaurant. As they entered the brightly lit establishment, Carter said to the hostess, "John Carter, reservations for two." "Right this way," she replied as she grabbed two menus. The woman led them to a secluded table in a corner near the outside gardens. At this part of the restaurant, the lights were slightly dimmed and a small candle on the table. Carter pulled out a chair for Abby like the gentleman he was. Abby sat and he pushed in her chair then he took his own seat to her left.

Over almost forty-five minutes later, they still sat at the table, eating a dessert of ice cream and pie. Abby picked up her mug of coffee and held it in both hands, sipping carefully at the hot liquid. During this silence, Abby thought about the strange ways Carter had been acting the past couple of days. She was startled out of concentration by Carter reaching and taking her hand in his. He gently rubbed his thumb over her soft, delicate hands. "I've missed you, Abby," he said tenderly, at first avoiding her gaze but then looking steadily into her eyes. Her heart bounced with joy as she smiled and responded, "I've missed you too." "Listen, um… I have been thinking about some things… and I wanted to talk to you about it," he said hesitantly. She nodded for him to continue. He gave her hand a gentle squeeze, "I miss us, Abby. I know we've hurt each other in the past, but I want us to be together again. I still love you, Abby, so much. I want our relationship to work this time, I want us to work."

Abby appeared unsure of what to say and her eyes were shining from the tears held there. A million thoughts were running through Abby's mind. Would he hurt her again? Despite the fact that she still loved him, she wasn't sure that she should get back with him again. What if they got back together and when things got tough, he left again? Her heart wouldn't be able to handle it. But, she thought to herself, am I willing to risk my heart once more even if there is the slightest chance that it could really and truly work out between us? Yes, she would. If she could finally find true happiness with Carter, she would take that chance in a heartbeat. The tears she had been holding back broke through the dam that had contained them. She quickly looked down to hide the rivulets falling down her cheeks, dabbing at them with her napkin.

"Abby," Carter inquired, gently lifting her chin so she would have no choice but to look at him. Her expression was unreadable, which scared him a little. He wasn't sure if she wanted to get back together or stay apart. From her reaction, it appeared to be the latter. Carter placed both his hands on her face, his thumbs softly wiping the tears from her eyes. This gentle gesture only caused more tears to flow down her wet cheeks. She had longed for Carter's tender touches and soft caresses during the time they had spent apart. She leaned into his hand, taking comfort in it. Slowly, she took one of his hands and brought it to her lips. She placed a few feather-light kisses on his palm as Carter's heart pounded a little faster. She did want to get back together. He gently pulled his hand out of her grasp and she looked up at him with confusion written in her expression. He smiled and leaned his head in, their lips touching. The kiss deepened and Carter was surprised when she slipped her tongue into his mouth. Both of their tongues intertwined as they continued kissing, but finally broke for air two minutes later. They both smiled at each other and clasped hands again. He glanced at his watch, noticing how late it was. "Sorry Abby, but we have to cut the rest of tonight short. I have to be at the hospital in an hour," he replied. She smiled widely, "No need to apologize, I had a great time." Carter wrapped an arm around her shoulders as he paid their bill and walked to the Jeep.

When they arrived back at Abby's apartment, she unlocked the door and let them in. They stood in the midst of her living room, a tableside lamp as the only thing illuminating the room. Abby and Carter held each other in a warm embrace, relishing in the feeling of holding one another in their arms again. Abby, whose head was resting on Carter's chest, was the first to speak, "Thanks for tonight, John. After the shift I had today, I really needed it." He smiled in response, "No problem. I enjoyed it too." Their lips found each other again as the night overtook them and pent up passions soared through their bodies.

They slowly made their way to her bedroom, kisses becoming more intense and hands roaming over one another. Finally, they found their way to the bed and he laid her on it then carefully climbed on top of her. He gave her a searing kiss then made a trail of hot kisses across her jaw and down her neck. He lifted a hand to her breast and gently squeezed, first one then the other. A moan escaped Abby's mouth as she clutched the hair at the back of his head in her hands. She pulled him towards her, pressing his face lightly in between her breasts. He then took one of her taut nipples into his mouth, sucking through the soft material of her dress. She moaned again and arched her back as a jolt of pleasure shot through her body. After he'd tended to her other breast, Carter slowly began to untie the top to her halter dress. Realization at what they were doing finally hit Abby. She wanted him to make love to her more than anything, but not like this. Not so soon.

"John…wait," she said, her voice a little hoarse. He gazed at her in disconcertion, wondering why she wanted to stop. "I want to take it slow this time, okay? In our last relationship, we went too fast and look were we ended up. I just think that if we take it slow, our relationship might be better off. I'm sorry, I just want it to work out this time," she explained. "No, it's okay, I understand," he replied as he rolled off of her and onto the other side of the bed, "I guess we kind of got caught up in the moment, huh?" "Yeah," she smiled and kissed him while rubbing his chest, the blue dress shirt now wrinkled. Abby pulled the clip from her hair and placed it on her bedside table, noticing the big red numbers on the clock. She turned back to Carter, "John, get up! It's 9:45! You're going to be late for your shift!" He rose from the bed and searched for his suit jacket. After he'd found it he came to her side of the bed and kissed her lips then her forehead. "Are you working tomorrow," he asked. "Yeah, I'm working from six am to midnight, an eighteen hour shift," she replied, positioning her pillows. "Alright, get some sleep. I'll see you for a little bit tomorrow." She pulled him in for one more kiss, "Bye." After Carter had left, Abby still laid in bed. Still feeling the heat and passion that had caused her to become aroused, she fell into a blissful slumber.