DISCLAIMER: I don't own ER, or its characters. No profit, except the satisfaction of writing a fanfic, is being made.

A World Away

Chapter One: Be OK With This

She turned off the TV and headed into the kitchen. Being alone in her apartment felt foreign now. For so long it had felt like home, she had learned strength from it. Now she shared it, but his absence brought back the memories of past heart breaks. He was due back in tomorrow, which made tonight unbearable. She looked at the small stack of books he had left for her. She loved that. His small gestures of consideration and love. How could she ask for, or want, more. Life had taught her that sometimes expectations or desires are too far above reality. He was a good man, and he loved her, she loved him too. There wasn't anything she wanted more than to be happy with him. Sure they weren't perfect, but the years had taught her no one was. There were things they needed to work on, but the big picture seemed optimistic. Finally she had found someone, she had found happiness. Realizing these thoughts of life, love, and reality had begun to give her a head ache she grabbed the book on the top of the stack and headed back into the living room and plopped onto the couch. Within page twenty one she was out like a light.

……….

Suddenly she snapped back to reality. What time is it? She thought. Moving to the kitchen, she found to her horror that the clock read six fifty eight in the morning. She hurriedly moved to the bathroom to commence getting ready for her shift that she was most certain to be late for.

……….

"You look like you had good morning." Susan said with a smile as Abby entered the lounge.

"Good morning to you too." Abby jokingly replied.

"Greg still gone?"

"He should be in tonight."

"Mmhhmm." Susan smirked as she poured herself a refill.

"Sometimes I wonder how you keep all that medical knowledge in that dirty little mind of yours."

"And your so innocent." Susan remarked as she exited the lounge.

"A lot more innocent than you." She yelled in response as the door shut.

……….

"Mr. Zorn I'm going to have to ask you to sit still."

"Dr. Lockhart it hurts."

"I'm going to make it stop hurting, but you'll have to sit still."

"That needle isn't going to make anything feel better." The man stubbornly explained.

"Your right Mr. Zorn, this needle isn't, but the medicine inside will."

"Your lying." He stubbornly added. "The last shot I had bruised my arm for a week."

"Ok, if you don't want a shot what would you like?"

"I get a choice?"

"Sure you do, this is America." Abby said with a smile as she looked over at Haleh.

"Yes," Haleh added, "Which looks more appealing?" She asked as she moved to the small counter on the side of the room.

The man's gaze followed Haleh, and as she reached into the drawer Abby gently, but swiftly, injected the shot.

"Hey!" The man shouted.

"See, doesn't that feel better?" She asked with a smile.

"You lied!" He angrily stated.

"You'll feel better in a few minutes, and I'll be back to finish up." She said with a warm smile as she patted his arm.

"That hurts. See my arm is already sore."

"I patted your other arm, I'll be back Mr. Zorn." She stated as she exited the room. Haleh followed her.

"Pretty big scaredy cat." Haleh joked as she looked back at the two hundred and fifty pound man.

"The bigger they are the more they cry." Abby sarcastically stated. "The sad thing is he's the best I've gotten today."

"I hear ya." Haleh retorted as she moved down the hall.

……….

Finally was the thought that filled her mind as she pushed her key into her lock. It was past nine and her body was exhausted from the shift she had spent on her feet. The apartment was barely lit when she entered. A small light in the living room was on, and she could see Greg sitting on the couch.

"Hey Baby." She affectionately stated as she shut the door and quickly moved to him. He stood up and embraced her. "I'm so glad your home."

"Me too." He stated as he kissed her and sat back down.

"What's wrong?" She asked.

"Maybe you should check the messages." He added as he took a sip of his soda.

Abby sat on the other end of the couch and leaned over the back of it and hit the answering machine that rested on the table behind them. Hey Greg this Dave, call me if you want to get lunch this week. *BEEP* Abby, it's John. I don't have long. I need you to call me. It's important. You know I wouldn't call if it wasn't. If I'm not hear when you call someone will know what to tell you. Thanks Abby, I love you.

"It sounds important." Greg stated.

"Your upset over a message?"

"You know why."

"John and I are friends, we have a long history."

"Yeah I know. The one who got away."

"Greg don't do this."

"Aren't you going to call him back?" He matter of fact asked.

"I will tomorrow."

"It sounded pretty important." He sarcastically insisted.

"I don't want to have this argument again."

"Maybe there is cause to have it AGAIN."

"What do you want me to say?" She said in a frustrated tone as she moved across the room. "He's one of my best friends. We were friends, we dated, it ended, and we're friends."

"Friends don't fly across the country at the drop of a dime because the other friend is having a problem."

"His damn daughter was sick, his wife was in Africa, and there are things you don't know."

"And you can't…won't tell me." He angrily stated back at her as he rose from the couch and moved to the window.

"Look at me Greg." He turned to face her. "I want you to hear me." He stared into her eyes as the desperation in her voice filled the air. "John and I got each other through a lot. Some of which you know, some of which we don't talk about, not to anyone. I need you to trust me when I say John and I are old friends. I'm sorry that your not comfortable with the fact that this friendship still requires sacrifices, that this friendship still means a lot to me. I'm sorry that there are still things we are there for each other on. If you can't deal with that…"

"What?" He countered her statement. "If I can't then what? Are you willing to say goodbye for a friend?" His tone softened as their argument reached the crux. "Well?" He simply stated as he awaited her answer.

"I love you." She stated softly with her back to him. He could her the emotion in her voice. "You know I love you, and that I want to spend the rest of my life with you. But I need you to be ok with this. I need you to be ok with the fact that there is this relationship that might demand things of me." Greg stood there staring at her back as she leveled the situation for both of them. "There is this relationship that saved my life, and his. I love you Greg, I really do, but you have to be ok with this. It isn't going away."

"You don't leave me much choice." He stated as he sat back down on the couch, ready to put the argument behind them, at least for now.

"I never said I was an easy woman to live with." She conceded with a smile as she moved in front of him.

"Understatement of the year." He mocked as he pulled her close to him.

"How about we get back to what we should be doing?" She asked with a seductive smile.

"You're the boss."