Title: Happiness Is a Road Traveled

Author: DockRock06

Rating: M

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. No money is being made from this work. No copyright infringement is intended.

Spoilers: None. This story is AU

Content Warning: None yet

Summery: What if Gallant hadn't went to Iraq, but stayed in Chicago instead. What if he was the other link of the love triangle for the roomies? AU set in season 11. Will be a REELA.

Well this is my new story, and it is something that I haven't tried before, a love triangle. I hope that you will all like it and tell me your opinions and any ideas.

In this story Neela never had her break down at the end of season 10, she picked County to stay at.

Prologue

It was a warm, sunny day in Chicago and Neela and Abby where sitting in the Doctors lounge of Chicago's Cook County General Hospital, sipping away on the sludge that one of the doctors of nurses called coffee. It was their last week as medical students and they both were excited, not to mind a little apprehensive, about getting to be interns and having a bit more responsibility. Dumping her coffee in the sink Abby turned to her friend and said,

'So, the new interns are coming in today. I wonder if any of them are going to be cute?' Abby said with a smile on her face as she pretended to think, her hand on her chin and her eyes turned towards the ceiling.

Neela laughed at her friend, but she was secretly thinking the same thing.

'Who knows, why are you looking?' Neela questioned as she walked over and sat down beside her friend.

And just as she was about to answer Morris swung open the door and announced that there was another trauma on the way in five minutes, for the both of them to suit up. Standing up Abby turned to the younger doctor and said,

'No rest for the wicked then'

Both doctors then exited and went to the ambulance bay to wait on the trauma.

The trauma which had been brought in was an everyday MVA, nothing out of the ordinary for the doctors in the E.R of County, and so both patients where on their way to their rooms now.

Walking down the hall Neela and Abby noticed that their where two new guys standing at admit whom neither of them had seen before, so both knew immediately that these were the new interns that were going to be spending the next year with them, if they could hack it. Both women made their way over to the admit, and Abby whispered in Neela's ear,

'This was the new meat I was talking about' before giving a light chuckle as both women rested at the desk.

One of the men had blonde hair, and was slightly chubby, and Neela noticed that he also looked a little skittish, not taking Luka's hand when he offered it to him, he just looked at it as though it where some foreign object. The man next to him had longish brown hair, which hung just over his ears and in bangs at the front of his face. Neela couldn't stop from noticing that he had beautiful green eyes, and a deathly smile, as he flashed a grin at Luka as he shook his hand and said,

'Ray Barnett' and Neela also noticed that there was a slight southern drawl when he spoke, and she found it quite charming.

Neela was snapped out of her thoughts however when she felt someone tap her on the shoulder and turned to see that Michael Gallant was standing beside her, a smile on his face.

'So Neela, I was wondering if I could talk to you at the end of you're shift, in the lounge?' Asked Michael, waiting for Neela to respond.

'Sure Michael, I'm off in about three hours so I'll meet you then' and with that Michael nodded and walked off down the hall, a chart in his hand.

When Neela turned her head back to the admit she noticed that the two men where gone, and she turned and looked at Abby, who was grabbing a few charts. Neela walked over and started to lift a couple herself when Abby said,

'That guy with the brown hair was cute. Didn't you think' Abby asked with a smile on her face.

'Yeah, he was alright' Neela said, not wanting to get into it right now in front of Jerry and Frank, who gossiped more than two old women.

Walking round to the front of the desk and down the hall, Neela beside her, Abby laughed and then replied,

'Oh, come on, he was more than alright. He was hot!' Abby said, giving Neela a disbelieving look that she could only think that this, Ray Barnett, was only alright looking.

'O.K so he was more than alright, but I have work to do and so do you. So go!' Said Neela as she gave Abby a gentle push and walked into curtain three.

It was only an hour to go of her shift and Neela was back at admit, looking for another, hopefully easy, case which she could take and fill up her remaining hour before she had to go and meet Michael in the lounge and see what it was he wanted to talk about. I wonder what it is he wants to talk about? Thought Neela.

She was soon interrupted from her musings when she felt someone tap her shoulder, and turning around she saw that it was none other than Ray Barnett.

'Hey, I was wondering if you could help me in curtain two, Abby said you could cos she got called away somewhere' Ray said with a smile.

Neela was caught up in his eyes and answered with a nod and a mumbled, 'Sure', before she made her way over to curtain two, Ray right behind her.

The patient was a teenage boy with a dislocated shoulder, and within a few minutes the shoulder was back in place and Neela was making her way out the door, stopping when she heard Ray saying,

'You're really good at that' and she couldn't turn around as she thanked him for the compliment, afraid that he would see the crimson that colored her cheeks.

Making her way to the lounge, as she realized that her shift was over and Michael would be waiting, Neela couldn't help but thinking how sweet Ray already appeared to be, and she hoped that he would be sticking around.

Pushing open the door of the lounge Neela seen that Michael was already there and waiting, and as she walked over to her locker to take off her lab coat and get her own to go home she asked,

'So what was it you wanted to talk to me about?' Neela turned around as she slipped her arms into the coat and sat on the sofa beside Michael.

'Well I was wondering if you wanted to come out for dinner with me tomorrow night. On a date?' Michael asked, his voice sounding more nervous than he looked.

Neela thought about it for a second before answering,

'That would be lovely, what time?'

Michael then gave Neela the arrangements for them to meet the next night outside Antonio's restaurant at eight.

'Well I see you then. Goodnight' and with that Neela got up and left the lounge, and out into the ambulance bay where Abby was standing.

'You'll never believe what just happened!' Neela exclaimed as she walked up beside her friend.

'Try me' Abby deadpanned in a sarcastic voice.

'Michael just asked me on a date tomorrow night' Neela said as she smiled. She hadn't known Michael that long and was hoping to get to know him a little better.

Abby looked slightly shocked, but quickly sobered and then said,

'Well at least one of us will have fun. Maybe I can go find Ray, of course he is a bit young…but still cute' Abby joked, pretending to ponder the idea of her and Ray.

'Well he is sweet, you might taint him' Neela joked before walking away to get the EL, hearing Abby give a disbelieving, 'oomph' in the distance.

Well there you go the first chapter! I hope that you liked it, and don't worry this is a REELA, I just need the date to happen for an important part of my story that you will see later on. Sooner if I get lots of lovely reviews!