I Miss You

This story basically is about how I believe Carter and Susan will get back together. This fic contains no real spoilers but everything through Secrets and Lies is fair game.  Remember I am a Carsan so Carbies and Jinters may want to avoid this one. Please read and review and let me know what you think. This is supposed to take place in season 9 or 10.

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It had been a long day.  Enough traumas and patients and chart reviews to make Carter's dead spin.  He went into the lounge, opened his locker and grabbed his coat.

"Hey Abby, if Weaver asks, I went over to Docs to grab a cup of coffee," he called to her walking out the door.

"No problem," she answered still looking down at the chart in front of her.  He sighed.  Ever since Susan had announced to everyone at that stupid sexual harassment conference that he was still stuck on Abby, things hadn't been the same between them.  Actually, things hadn't been normal for a year or two, but that had just made things worse.  Plus, Susan had been very wrong .  He had no feelings for Abby other than friendship. 

Carter swung open the door to Doc Magoo's and sat down at the counter.  Just as he had begun to look at the menu the door swung open again and someone else walked in.

"Shit," Susan thought to herself.  Praying that Carter hadn't seen her, she decided to take a booth towards the back of the diner.  But halfway there she changed her mind.  He would have to turn around eventually and she didn't want to seem like the unfriendly one.  "Damn," she thought to herself again, "and they had been doing so well in avoiding each other."  She sat down next to him and cleared her throat.

"Oh, hi…umm…," Carter mumbled, unsure of what to say.  Sometimes he really regretted working in the same place as his ex. 

"So, uh, how've you been?" Susan asked trying to be friendly.

"Uh, good I guess.  How about you?" Carter quickly regretted saying that.  Sure he was fine physically, but mentally he really missed her.

"The same," she answered knowing it wasn't true.  The truth was she really needed someone to talk to.  With Mark dead, Carter was the only person she felt she could turn to.  Sure there were improvements with her relationship with Abby, but they hadn't reached a point where Susan felt she could really confide in her.  Susan cleared her throat knowing it was something she had to do.

"Actually, umm, I miss you," Susan stated quietly growing even more quiet as the sentence had progressed.  Carter turned to face her and raised his eyebrows in surprise.

"You miss me? After you said how I was still stuck on Abby and you made cracks about my family and their wealth?"

"Listen, you know a lot of things we said that day were out of anger and jealousy.  I had just found out that one of my best friends was going to die.  And you seemed to have no problem bringing up how you thought I had slept with Mark every five minutes.  But I don't think either of us meant all we said that day, I didn't at least," Susan said staring down at the cup of coffee which had been placed in front of her.

"Well I didn't mean all I said either, the whole Mark thing was just out of anger and jealousy.  But the truth is I miss you too," Carter replied not making eye contact with Susan.

"So are you umm seeing anybody right now?" Susan asked him hoping the answer was no.

"Ha like who?  Abby and I have never been more than friends and that comment you made to her didn't make her want to be with Luka any less than before. And there's never been anything more than friendship between me and Deb," Carter answered, "Are you?"

"Umm, actually I haven't really been seeing anyone since we broke up," she replied.

"You want to go take a walk down by the river?" he asked her.

She looked over and smiled at him, "I'd love to." 

- - - -

They didn't say much during their walk yet they both knew what the other was thinking.  When they got to the part of the river where they always stopped, they looked down at the water which was glistening in the moonlight.

         "If we're going to this again," he paused to look at her, to make sure they were on the same page, "we have to get a few things straight."

         "What's that?" she asked turning to face him.

         "No secrets and no lies," he answered.

         "It's a deal then," she responded, smiling at him. And with that he leaned down to kiss her.

         "So what was that second date rule you and Abby were talking about?" Carter asked her.

         Susan smiled and started to walk again, "I guess you're going to have to wait until our second date to find out."

         "Hey that's no fair," Carter called after her walking a little faster to catch up with her.