Abby walked out of the ER later that night (or early the next morning as
the case may have been) wrapping her coat around her. The last person she
expected to see casually leaning against the wall, was Carter.
'What are you doing here?' she asked, trying to hide the smile from her face. 'I thought you weren't on till tomorrow night?'
'Tonight Abby - it's 3am' Carter pointed out.
'Yeah.so what are you doing here then?' Abby persisted.
'We haven't talked for ages - not really talked' Carter said, bringing a smile to Abby's lips.
'Go on then, talk away' she said with a grin, linking her arm through his as they walked through the snowy streets.
'Susan and I broke up' he stated, looking straight ahead. Abby turned to look at him. 'You did? Why?' she asked, sounding genuinely concerned.
'No spark'
'You believe in love at first sight?' Abby asked.
'Sure. I think your love should grow from that point on' Carter replied, turning to face Abby. He noticed again how beautiful she was, looking up at him with a thoughtful half smile on her face. 'What?!' he asked.
'You hopeless romantic' Abby replied, laughing. 'That's the thing. I think I've met someone. Susan says I should tell her how I feel' Carter told her.
'Why are you telling me this?' Abby asked, her heart sinking - why would he tell her if it was her he was talking about?
'Cause you give great advice' Carter told her, trying to sound her out. Instead he extinguished the tiny flame of hope still burning deep inside Abby.
'Well yeah you should tell her otherwise you'll never know if she feels the same way, and you'll spend the rest of your life wondering what could have happened' Abby replied thoughtfully.
'Maybe. I dunno' Carter said, and they walked on in silence, coming to a standstill looking down at the glittering lights reflected in the river. 'You're right'
'Pardon?' Abby questioned.
'I should tell her.how I feel I mean' Carter said. He took a deep breath and caught her arms, turning her gently to face him. 'Abby I love you'
'P.pardon?' What did you just say?' Abby stammered.
'I love you Abby' Carter repeated gently, his voice soft and undeniably truthful. 'I always have and I think I always will.' Abby looked into his eyes and was overcome by the urge to let everything go and admit that she loved him too. But there was something holding her back.
'But you're like my best friend John' she said, and Carter could tell she felt vulnerable and nervous as she fiddled with the small gold locket hanging round her neck. He reached out to brush a stray strand of hair from her face. 'What are you scared of Abby?' he asked. 'Are you scared of loving someone, or of being loved? Or is it both?' he asked, gently moving Abby's hand from the necklace, and amazing her by how well he knew her. 'Why can't you tell me?'
'Ok I'm scared!' Abby blurted out. Carter reached out and caught both her hands in his, squeezing then gently, encouraging her to continue. 'I'm scared cause you're my friend, I'm scared I'll get hurt again, and I'm scared that if I do get hurt that I'll have lost the one person I can really talk to' she said quietly, staring out across the river.
'Do you really think I'll hurt you Abby?' Carter asked. Abby shook her head, turning to look at Carter, who cocked his head to one side, asking for an explanation.
'I'm scared of needing someone Carter. I've been independent all my life.not out of choice, but I have.' She began. Carter nodded - he understood how bad her childhood had been. 'The thought of not being independent scares me to death' Abby finished, her voice shaking slightly, and all Carter wanted to do was hold her in his arms and tell her everything would be ok.
'Everybody needs somebody Abby' he said.
'Do they?' Abby asked.
'Yes Abby' Carter replied, nodding gently. 'They do. You don't have to be so strong all the time' Abby shivered, pulling her jacket around her.
'I don't feel strong' Abby whispered. As the snow fell softly around them, she wondered why she couldn't just say yes - it was silly how a small 3- letter-word could have so much riding on it. 'What are you thinking?' Carter asked, stunning Abby out of her reverie.
'I'm thinking why can't I say yes?' she paused, then continued, her voice softer. 'And I'm thinkin I've never felt so out of control.and all I want now is for you to hold me and tell me everything's gonna be alright' Abby finished, laying her feelings on the line. Carter held out his arms to her, and she willingly walked into them. He held her tight, one hand resting on the small of her back, the other rubbing the tense muscles in her neck.
'Take a chance Abby. Take a chance on love.take a chance on me' he said, resting his chin on the top of her head. Nestling into the arms of the man she loved, his words echoed through Abby's head, and in a split second she made her decision - to take a chance on love. She moved, and looked at Carter, and the love reflected in his eyes was so sincere, as sincere as the love reflected in Abby's own eyes as she leaned towards him.
'I love you John Carter' she whispered, seconds before her lips met his. Their kiss was warm, and soft, and tender, as the lights of Chicago twinkled in the night sky above them.
'What are you doing here?' she asked, trying to hide the smile from her face. 'I thought you weren't on till tomorrow night?'
'Tonight Abby - it's 3am' Carter pointed out.
'Yeah.so what are you doing here then?' Abby persisted.
'We haven't talked for ages - not really talked' Carter said, bringing a smile to Abby's lips.
'Go on then, talk away' she said with a grin, linking her arm through his as they walked through the snowy streets.
'Susan and I broke up' he stated, looking straight ahead. Abby turned to look at him. 'You did? Why?' she asked, sounding genuinely concerned.
'No spark'
'You believe in love at first sight?' Abby asked.
'Sure. I think your love should grow from that point on' Carter replied, turning to face Abby. He noticed again how beautiful she was, looking up at him with a thoughtful half smile on her face. 'What?!' he asked.
'You hopeless romantic' Abby replied, laughing. 'That's the thing. I think I've met someone. Susan says I should tell her how I feel' Carter told her.
'Why are you telling me this?' Abby asked, her heart sinking - why would he tell her if it was her he was talking about?
'Cause you give great advice' Carter told her, trying to sound her out. Instead he extinguished the tiny flame of hope still burning deep inside Abby.
'Well yeah you should tell her otherwise you'll never know if she feels the same way, and you'll spend the rest of your life wondering what could have happened' Abby replied thoughtfully.
'Maybe. I dunno' Carter said, and they walked on in silence, coming to a standstill looking down at the glittering lights reflected in the river. 'You're right'
'Pardon?' Abby questioned.
'I should tell her.how I feel I mean' Carter said. He took a deep breath and caught her arms, turning her gently to face him. 'Abby I love you'
'P.pardon?' What did you just say?' Abby stammered.
'I love you Abby' Carter repeated gently, his voice soft and undeniably truthful. 'I always have and I think I always will.' Abby looked into his eyes and was overcome by the urge to let everything go and admit that she loved him too. But there was something holding her back.
'But you're like my best friend John' she said, and Carter could tell she felt vulnerable and nervous as she fiddled with the small gold locket hanging round her neck. He reached out to brush a stray strand of hair from her face. 'What are you scared of Abby?' he asked. 'Are you scared of loving someone, or of being loved? Or is it both?' he asked, gently moving Abby's hand from the necklace, and amazing her by how well he knew her. 'Why can't you tell me?'
'Ok I'm scared!' Abby blurted out. Carter reached out and caught both her hands in his, squeezing then gently, encouraging her to continue. 'I'm scared cause you're my friend, I'm scared I'll get hurt again, and I'm scared that if I do get hurt that I'll have lost the one person I can really talk to' she said quietly, staring out across the river.
'Do you really think I'll hurt you Abby?' Carter asked. Abby shook her head, turning to look at Carter, who cocked his head to one side, asking for an explanation.
'I'm scared of needing someone Carter. I've been independent all my life.not out of choice, but I have.' She began. Carter nodded - he understood how bad her childhood had been. 'The thought of not being independent scares me to death' Abby finished, her voice shaking slightly, and all Carter wanted to do was hold her in his arms and tell her everything would be ok.
'Everybody needs somebody Abby' he said.
'Do they?' Abby asked.
'Yes Abby' Carter replied, nodding gently. 'They do. You don't have to be so strong all the time' Abby shivered, pulling her jacket around her.
'I don't feel strong' Abby whispered. As the snow fell softly around them, she wondered why she couldn't just say yes - it was silly how a small 3- letter-word could have so much riding on it. 'What are you thinking?' Carter asked, stunning Abby out of her reverie.
'I'm thinking why can't I say yes?' she paused, then continued, her voice softer. 'And I'm thinkin I've never felt so out of control.and all I want now is for you to hold me and tell me everything's gonna be alright' Abby finished, laying her feelings on the line. Carter held out his arms to her, and she willingly walked into them. He held her tight, one hand resting on the small of her back, the other rubbing the tense muscles in her neck.
'Take a chance Abby. Take a chance on love.take a chance on me' he said, resting his chin on the top of her head. Nestling into the arms of the man she loved, his words echoed through Abby's head, and in a split second she made her decision - to take a chance on love. She moved, and looked at Carter, and the love reflected in his eyes was so sincere, as sincere as the love reflected in Abby's own eyes as she leaned towards him.
'I love you John Carter' she whispered, seconds before her lips met his. Their kiss was warm, and soft, and tender, as the lights of Chicago twinkled in the night sky above them.