Hey! Here's Chapter 10. I have a feeling that this story is nearly drawing to a close possibly only 2 or 3 chapters left but we'll see : ) Thanks again to all the people who reviewed the last chapter.

Song is Breathe by Michelle Branch.

Chapter 10

And I Give you just a little time
I, Wonder if you realize
I've been waiting till I see it in your eyes

Neela's finger tip gently trailed the faded inscribed marks on the bar's table top. The conversation she had shared with Ray in the afternoon spinning around in her head. A smile fell on her face. Things were going better than she'd ever expected between them. She'd never thought he'd forgive her as quickly as he did, let alone sit down with her and have a private conversation.

"Neela? Are you listening to me?" Abby said snapping her fingers in front of her friend.

Neela jumped.

"Sorry, I was miles away." She said.

Abby grinned cheekily at her.

"No, I think you were thinking of somebody who's about two blocks away." She told her raising her hand for the bartender's attention.

Neela shook her head quickly.

"No! Abby that's not true." She said.

"Sure it isn't, and don't try denying it."

Neela glared at her before letting out a soft laugh.

"Well then I guess there's no point in arguing back." She said.

"What can I get y'all ladies?" the bartender asked in a low Louisianan drawl as he approached them.

"Ah…I'll have a cranberry juice." Abby said.

"I'll just have a beer, thanks." Neela told him.

He nodded before setting of to get their drinks.

"So…I take it things are going pretty well with Ray?" she said.

A small smile lit up on Neela's face.

"Yeah, things are going great Abby, I can't even begin to describe how surprised I am that he's even let me this close to him after everything I've done." She said.

"Well like I said in Chicago Ray loves you to much to hold a grudge against you forever." Abby said.

"Well I'm just glad that he's giving me another chance." Neela said as the bartender set their drinks in front of them.

"Thanks." Abby and Neela both said.

"So…what now?" Abby asked.

Neela looked up at her with a puzzled glance.

"What do you mean?" she said.

"I mean now that you've reached this far with him, what are you going to do to show him that you're ready for more than a friendship." Abby said taking a sip of her drink.

Neela shook her head.

"I don't know…I don't want to rush into things to fast and ruin what I've got with him right now…so I guess I'm just going to have to wait…who knows maybe he just wants friendship from me now…" a sad look came to her face as she said those words, "only time can tell right?" she said.

Abby nodded.

A smile playing on her lips.

"Unless I have something to do with it."

OOOOOOOO

Well it's all so overrated
In not saying how you feel

"Ray, dinner's ready." Jacy told her son as she emerged from the kitchen.

Ray glanced up from where he had been gazing blankly at the TV. He wheeled himself over to the dining table.

"Look's good." He said hungrily eying his mother's famous Louisianan chicken legs.

After he finished serving himself he glanced back up at his mother.

"So…what time did Neela and Abby say they would be back?" he asked hoping his voice sounded nonchalant.

Jacy smiled secretly to herself. Her son was really hopeless about this girl.

"Umm…I don't know Ray, Abby said she needs get out and loosen up a bit so they could be a couple hours I guess." Jacy said looking up at him for a reaction.

"Oh…okay." He said with a barely hidden disappointed sigh.

"So…how are things going with Neela?" Jacy asked.

Ray looked up surprised.

"What do you mean?" he asked getting flustered.

"I mean when we left the hospital you made it pretty clear that you didn't want to talk to her again…and now you two seem to be very…chummy together." Jacy said.

"Well things have changed Mum, I was just angry at her then but now that I've had time to think it through…I've realized that I can't stay mad at her forever…I lo-…she's my best friend." Ray said, mentally kicking himself for the words that had almost escaped his mouth.

Jacy raised an eyebrow at her son. He was like an open book. She knew what he had just been about to say, he knew what he had just been about to say now only Neela needed to know what he had just been about to say.

The rest of the meal passed in silence. Ray thinking about what an ass he had just made of himself in front of his mother and Jacy thinking about what she could do to help her son talk to Neela.

OOOOOOOO

Later that night Jacy sat talking with Abby.

"Neela's convinced that Ray only wants friendship with her…" Abby began.

"And Ray's bottling up all his feelings for her." Jacy finished.

Both women sighed.

"God, we got ourselves a couple of basket cases don't we?" Abby said shaking her head.

"Tell me about it." Jacy replied in agreement.

"Well we've only got four more days left before Neela and I have to head back to Chicago…so we're going to have to act fast if we want to see some progress between the two." Abby stated.

"Well…all I think we have to do is get them in a room alone together and make them really talk about what they're feeling for each other." Jacy said.

Abby nodded.

"But you see that's the problem, they never 'talk' about what they really need to talk about, they kind of just avoid it and talk about everything that's second best…" Abby told her.

Jacy sighed.

"Well do you have a better idea?" she asked.

Abby groaned.

"Not really…" she said.

"Well then we'll just have to stick with my one…its better than nothing, and heck maybe we can lock the door and tell them we won't let them out unless they 'talk'." Jacy said with a smile.

Abby chuckled.

"That's not a bad idea…" she stated.

Both the women laughed.

"Then it's settled." Jacy finished.

What did you think?

lol BTW if any of you feel that Jacy and Abby are really meddling into Ray and Neela's lives I'm sorry if it feels a bit over dramatic but hey this is an ER fic I'm writing :P anyway I thought it would be fun to write about it that way and I'm having fun doing it.

Again Please Review : )