The end scene from 'Tell Me Where It Hurts' has always been the perfect Carby moment to me. I sometimes forget how much I love them and then I hear a song like 'Fall' and remember.

Dedicated to Carly because she's been asking, patiently waiting for a Carby. Thanks for being my Carby buddy!

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Fall, go on and fall apart,
Fall into these arms of mine,
And I'll catch you,
Every time you fall,
Go on and lose it all,
Every doubt, Every fear,
Every worry, Every tear,
I'm right here,
Baby, fall...
-Clay Walker's 'Fall';

"I'm not going anywhere." His voice wasn't loud, wasn't authoritative, but soft and strong. Her fingers intertwined with his as the tears fell from her dark eyes. Her heart was shattering along with her faith in humanity. Eric had been through so much when they were kids, he'd always kept his head up and made Abby smile on the bad days and now, in her eyes, the universe had just handed him a death sentence. There was no coming back from this; things could get better but they'd never be back to 'normal', he'd never be her Eric ever again.

John Carter had rode in like a knight on a white horse and swept the damsel in distress into his arms as he put the pieces back together. The situation was still cracked and the super glue was still drying but with Carter in her corner she felt a bit more capable to handle everything.

He stood from the table, his hand still in hers as he pulled her to her feet. She looked at him through tired eyes as he lead her down the hallway to her bathroom. She watched him drop her hand and turn the knob for the hot water on her tub and pour in the vanilla scented soap. Her hip rested against the counter of her sink as her head drooped to the side. He rolled up his sleeves and tested the water with his hand before turning his attention back to Abby.

Slowly, he crossed the tile floor to where she stood and reached up, in one quick motion undoing her hair. His hands ran through her golden waves and she relaxed into his touch as he finger combed away the tangles. He pressed a kiss to her forehead as his hands slid under the stretchy fabric of her sweater and traced over her abdomen as he lifted it over her head. His eyes never left hers as he removed the remainder of her clothing, scooping her up bridal style and carrying her to the tub. Her arms locked around his neck as he lowered her into the hot water.

She sunk down into the tub as he pressed a soft kiss to her lips before standing. She looked him in the eyes and he winked at her before exiting the room. She heard the rustling of her drawers, the opening and closing of her linen closet, and finally the tumbling of her dryer. Leaning her head against the back of the tub she heard the gurgling of her pipes as he dumped the wine down the sink and then silence. She was almost asleep in the tepid water when she heard the dryer ding and exactly two minutes later he appeared with her favorite pair of pajamas – flannel lounge pants and one of his tees – and hot, fluffy towels fresh from the dryer.

He helped her rinse off and lifted her out of the tub before he meticulously dried her off. He helped her into the warm clothing and then grabbed her brush, taking her hand and leading her down the hallway to her bedroom. The bedding had been changed and the blankets were just as warm as her pajamas. He sat against the headboard and she crawled onto the bed beside him, nestling between his legs. He started at the bottom and brushed out every knot and tangle from her long hair. She was half asleep as he brushed the hair off to the side and began to massage the tired muscles of her neck and shoulders. He worked from her shoulders down to her finger tips as her head slumped against his chest.

His lips pressed a kiss right beneath her ear as he pulled back the covers and helped her under before sliding in beside her. She wiped at the tears that had been building up, no one had ever taken the time to do the simple things for her. His hand pressed against her abdomen, pulling her back flush to his chest as his fingers trailed up and down her arm and her eyelids grew heavy. He leaned over, lips brushing against her earlobe, "I'm here, Abby, sleep. I'm not going anywhere. I love you."

I love you. She felt it as surely as she felt her heart pounding in her chest as she pressed herself back against him, wanting to touch as much of him as possible. I'm not going anywhere. She willed herself to believe his words because she knew he'd never break his promise. Her hand stopped his as it traced over her bicep, fingers interlacing as she pulled the back of his hand to her lips, "I love you too."