A short something I came up with a while ago when they repeated series 12. Set between Neela going to the apartment with the Gallants and moving out. Spoilers for Strange Bedfellows. Beta'd by Maz as per usual.

"Abby, Neela's on line one for you," came the grunt of Frank, it was ending his shift, and all he wanted was to go home.

"Okay thanks Frank; I'll take it in the lounge." Abby walked from the triage desk into the blissfully quiet room, heading to the phone, pressing a sequence of buttons and holding the receiver to her own ear. "What's up Neela?"

"I need a favour," Neela's voice was quiet and rushed, and she obviously just wanted to get the conversation over with as quickly as possible.

"Shoot, what is it?" Abby twirled the coil of the phone wire around her finger making it spring back and forth towards the handset.

"Would I be able to use your apartment for a while?" Abby could tell Neela was holding in a breath, whether she meant to or not she was doing it. After all, the question, or rather the favour she had asked for it was certainly unexpected.

"Why? I thought you and Ray liked living together?"

"That's exactly the problem." All seriousness in her tone, she really didn't want to get into over the phone, but if she had to, well needs musts.

"Oh," Abby said shortly before the realisation hit her like a ton of bricks, "Oooh," she leant her back against the door before continuing her conversation, her fingers ceased in their movement, she was now all ears. "Does he know?"

"Well I've told him I thought it would be a good idea," Abby's eyes went wide, What!? "But he doesn't know I'm leaving."

"No, does he know that you know what's going on, how he feels?"

"I told him a few nights ago, after the convention thing with Dubenko," Neela started, this was going to be a long story, "Dubenko had offered to buy a few drinks, have a bit of a laugh, the usual, but I was already slightly drunk by this point, and I think I was a bit too open with him. I told him that I 'just wanted to go home and spend time with my roommate'. I did some thinking on the way back to our apartment and came to the conclusion that I can't live with him anymore."

"Neela, I have to say, you're doing the right thing, but are you sure? I mean if you have feelings for him, maybe, well maybe it's worth the risk."

"Abby!"

"Neela! Where is Michael? He's fighting a war! He's not here for you, and like I said before do you even know him?" Abby pushed off from the door and started pacing as far as the cord of the phone would allow her to, "You know Ray, you like Ray! You spend more time with him than me; maybe you should do what's right by you, not by the world for once!"

"I did that marrying Michael," Neela reasoned, fighting with herself more than anyone.

"But did you? Can you honestly tell me you don't regret in the slightest ignoring what your heart really wants? I'm assuming this thing with Ray isn't a new development."

"Well no, not really, I think it was there before Michael came home," she paused on a thought, "but I love Michael!"

"Honey I don't doubt that, but love isn't everything. I've loved Luka for seven years, but the only reason its working now is because we have an understanding of each other now, that we never had before." Abby stopped pacing and put her fingers through her hair, "I know him, I know him better than anybody. He's not just a partners, or a boyfriend, he's a friend, my best friend."

"Look Abby please, I just need this," Neela pleaded, she wouldn't ask if she didn't want it. Abby was right, of course she was, but she was married, she couldn't go back on that, not now.

"Okay, but I know I'm right."

"You most likely are, but let me make my own mind up about that."

"Okay, uh, the spare key is on top of the doorframe-"

"Freakishly like Ray," Neela cut in, earning an 'uh-huh' from Abby.

"Just let yourself in, I'll be at Luka's tonight, so I'll, uh, see you at work in the morning."

"Thank you Abby," Neela smiled at the phone, at least she had somewhere to go now; "I'm going to start packing, so I'll speak to you tomorrow."

"Okay, and Neela?"

"Yeah?"

"Do the right thing." Abby hung up, and sat back on the hard couch in the lounge, it was meant to be relieving, God this is screwed up.

At that moment, her baby decided to make its presence known, moving around, kicking a little bit too fiercely. "Aren't you just the little soccer star?" Abby smiled to herself placing her hand on the area he or she was kicking. "Definitely a little guy aren't yah!"

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