Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters. They have been borrowed for entertainment purposes only without any commercial gain.

Thank you kindly to those wonderful people who have left reviews...They really do mean a lot, thanks again. Hope you keep enjoying reading this story as much as I am still finding joy in writing it.

Mine

Chapter 11

From here to there

Abby drove through the streets in a daze, in auto pilot, stopping at the right time and obeying the traffic lights but not really conscious about what she was doing. The images kept rolling through her mind's eye as if there were being played in an endless video loop; Kerry's eyes, her hands, her voice. Every so often, she would stop the memories and reflect upon the implications of the step taken just minutes ago, the consequences of the promises made, the flood of expectations that had been unleashed in a matter of seconds after a few words muttered in haste.

When she finally got home, she opened her door and went straight to her room to change. Taking her jacket off she noticed Kerry's perfume on her clothes; that sweet smell of magnolias she had sensed before but never quite took in until now. Suddenly Abby felt as if she was being dragged onto a secluded kingdom shrouded in mist and ivy in which she felt like an alien in foreign land. Despite of being used to dealing with the unknown and its uncertainties, this was a different feeling; one of expectation and freedom.

Once she had changed, Abby dragged a stool to her balcony, grabbed a pack of cigarettes and sat outside to enjoy the end of the day. The wind was cool and it blew softly, unveiling the colors of a rare orange and blue sky. Inhaling deeply, Abby still could feel her fingertips tingling as if they were still touching Kerry's face. She swallowed hard. In less than 30 minutes, her whole life had been turned upside down and her response to that was a very unfamiliar sense of peace, some tingling and a smile she just couldn't shake up.

Unexpectedly even to herself, Abby got up from her stool and grabbed the phone. Giggling, she dialed Kerr's number.

"Hi…"

"Hi sweetheart… I take it you made it home alright..?" - Kerry smiled but tried to suppress her excitement.

"Yeah…"

"You okay sweetie?"

"Yeah… Just… uh…"

"What..?" –asked the older woman with a hint of concern.

"No, I'm okay… uh… a little… I don't know… overwhelmed maybe? But in a good way… actually…"

"Uh huh…"

"I can't stop smiling…" –said Abigail blushing and giggling like a little girl.

Kerry closed her eyes listening to Abby's words and feeling the impact they had on her. "I know… me too…" –she whispered.

"I'm going out… to Luka's… I wanted you to know Ker…"

"Sweetheart, you don't need to…"

"I know, I know… but the way I see it now I'm no longer just me… so I wanted you to know…"

"Okay…thank you"-muttered the redhead with a lump in her throat.

"Do you have his number, Luka's?

"Yes, I do…"

"Okay, well, just in case you know? Also… will you be going to bed anytime soon?"

"Me..? –Asked Kerry with surprise-…uh… I don't know… I'm really not very tired now but I don't know about later though… Why?"

"I just thought about calling you later when I come back home, you know..? Just to say good night… If that's alright…"

"Of course that's alright, actually, I would like that… very much…"

"Okay… so… I'll call you later, ok?"

Kerry remained silent for a couple of seconds. "Abby..?"

"Uhm..?"

"I love you"

Abigail's eyes flickered as she inhaled deeply. "I love you too, Ker…"

"Bye…"

"Bye…"

Putting the phone down, Abby grabbed her jacket and drove to Luka's.

Luka's apartment was the same controlled mess that she remembered from when they were together.

"You never told me about your fish…" –said Abby as she watched Luka fed the fishes in his aquarium.

"That one, the bright yellow one, is a yellow tang. This guy over here, the one in the cave, do you see it?"

"Yeah…"

"That one is a pearl jawfish…"

"I like that one…"-said Abby softly.

"And this one is a purple firefish…"

"Oh wow… that one's beautiful…"

"Yeah… kind of shy too but it's coming around…–said Luka as he finished feeding the fish- …so…what's on your mind…?"

"Uh… stuff…"

"Good stuff or bad stuff?"

Abby turned around to face Luka. "I don't know, for me it's good but I don't about other people though…"

Luka smiled and recognized a sparkle in Abby's eyes which he hadn't seen in a very long time. He had never stopped caring for the diminutive nurse who one day soon, would become a doctor. "Come on… spit it out…"

Abby smiled and enjoyed the security that Luka's attitude was providing her.

"Uh… -she sighed deeply- …I'm kind of…"

"Happy? In love?"

Abby nodded closing her eyes and bringing her hands to her face.

"Yeah, it shows too…"

"It does?"

"Well…I can see it…"

"I guess you were always able to read me well…"

"Yeah…"

Luka had been having his suspicions for a while. He had watched Abby and Kerry together at the cafeteria, working at traumas, talking at the admin desk, leaving together at the end of many shifts. He decided to help his beloved friend. "It's Kerry, right?"

Abby almost jumped from her seat and in seconds her face turned to a fierce shade of crimson. "But… How did you know?"

Luka smiled and lay back on his chair.

"I know you Abby… I've seen you with Kerry…"

"But, but…"

"Nobody else makes you smile like she does… Nobody has…not me, not Carter and certainly not that med student… what was his name?"

"It doesn't matter…"

"Yeah, well him… anyway… no one… Kerry does, though…"

Abby sat back and somewhat embarrassed brought her knees to her chest and hugged herself into a knot. "I can't believe this…"

"But what's the matter? Why are you embarrassed?"

"It's just that… uh… I just found out myself and you knew?"

"Well, I didn't really know, I mean, I saw you two together and knowing Kerry as a friend, knowing how great she can be well, I could see that you too were becoming friends… I mean, I didn't really know you two were… are… a couple…"

"Are, as of... –Abby looked at her watch- …four and half hours ago…"

"And you came here because you felt I should know?"

"Yes… well…yes and no… I wanted to let you know yes…but I also wanted to share this with you because this is so incredible that I am… uh… so…"

"Happy?"

"Yes, happy of course, but happy doesn't even begin to describe it… it's a lot more than that…"

"Tell me…"

"That's the problem, I don't think I can… it's like there are not enough words in the English language to describe what I feel… how she makes me feel about myself…"

"You wanna know something..?

"What?"

"I think it is about time Abby… you deserve to be this happy more than anyone I know… Come here…" And opening his arms, Luka cradled Abby kissing her in the crown of her head. "I'm really, really happy for you Abby… I wish I had known the secret but even if I couldn't, even if I was clumsy I… I'm really happy for you…"

"Thank you Luka…"

"So…what now?"

"Now? Uh… I don't know… what do you mean?"

"Yeah…now what? Are you guys moving in together? Babies? What?"

"Are you crazy? Moving in together?"

"Well…I guess eventually you probably will…This is actually…great…"

"Is it, really?"

"Yeah… Kerry and you are two of the nicest people I have ever met… yes, difficult… but good; honest… you deserve each other…"

"Thank you, Luka…"


An hour later, Abby found herself driving through empty Chicago streets. It wasn't that late and she found it odd that everything seem so desolate. Since she had left Luka's apartment, Abby had contemplated the possibility of stopping over by Kerry's but now, she wasn't sure if it would be a good idea. Despite of herself, she drove to Kerry's house and parked the car, turned off the engine and looked up to her lover's home.

As she was contemplating what to do next, her cell phone rang.

"Hello?"

"Are you home?" –Asked Kerry.

"No… -Abby replied softly, smiling- …Go to your window…"

Kerry got up from her bed and moved as fast as she could without using her crutch. "Is that you…?"

"Yeah… I…"

"Come on in, honey…"

"Uh…"

"Please Abby…"

The need encrypted in Kerry's plea got to Abby. "Okay…"

She stepped out of the car and walked to Kerry's front door. Once she got there she looked and saw Kerry opening the door. They stood motionless for a couple of seconds. "I wanted to see you…" -mumbled the nurse.

Kerry looked down and smiled. "Me too hun…"

Abigail climbed the three steps that separated her from the door and walked in. Kerry closed the door behind them and looked up.

"I'm sorry… uh… about the call… I wanted to know you were alright…"

Abby stepped in closer to the redhead. "I was kinda hoping you'd call…" and without saying anything else, she leaned in and kissed Kerry.

Kerry moaned at the contact and opening her lips, she let Abby in without reservations. The young nurse pressed further enjoying the feeling of Kerry's lips and tongue as they welcomed her. Without any explicit intent, Abby's hands grabbed Kerry's waist and pulled the older woman closer. Kerry allowed the intimacy with a trust that melted Abby's heart.

Abby broke the kiss inhaling sharply. With closed eyes she leaned in and rested her forehead in Kerry's.

"I needed to see you…"

"I… me too…"

Abby nodded. "I love being with you…"

Kerry brought her arms and hugged Abby, pressing the young woman to her. She hugged her tightly, rubbing the younger woman's back and taking in the smell that she would forever know as her lover's. "There's no place else I rather be Abby… You… uh… you have become… my world…"

Abby clung to Kerry and brought her face to rest in Kerry's neck.

After a couple of minutes, Kerry spoke again. "Hon… do you want to stay…?"

Abby looked up while her right hand caressed Kerry's face.

"I do… but…"

"Abby, we don't have to…"

"I know we don't have to… Just listen to me for a minute, okay?"

Abby brought her eyes downward as her mind tried to arrange her thoughts. "I know we don't have to… I know you will not expect anything from me that I do not feel like giving to you or that I'm not prepared for… that's not it, Kerry…"

"So, what is it then...?" Abby felt a small, subtle edge of insecurity in Kerry's voice which tugged at her heart. In an effort to erase any anxieties from Kerry's mind, she cradled her soon to be lover's face with her hands and rained several tiny kisses all over her face. Afterwards, she spoke again.

"I love you Kerry Weaver..."

"I lov-"

"Let me finish, please?"

Kerry nodded.

"I love you. I have loved other people -or at least I thought I had- but nothing compares to what I feel for you, Kerry. This feeling is so immense that I want you to know all of me; I'm willing to let you in, to allow you to get to know the person that I am in a way –she inhaled- in a way that I never allowed anyone in. I also want all of you; everything. This is a lot more than wanting to make love to you or asking you to make love to me…"

Kerry nodded, unable to articulate words.

"So, I don't want us to rush things. I want us to slowly get to that place where we find it impossible to go on without the other… you understand what I'm saying, Ker..?"

Again, another nervous nod.

"That's the reason I'm not staying…"

"Okay…" –muttered Kerry.

Kissing her once again, Abby stepped back and smiled at the redhead. "You're so, so very beautiful Kerry…"

Kerry blushed and pulled Abby in for another kiss. "You too…"

(End of Chapter 11)