Title: Home (Part 6) Final Part. (Standing here until you make me move)
Author: Kate.- Summer_hunnie@hotmail.com
Author's notes: Feedback would be cool!


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Previously:
"You want Florida?" Carter asked. Not looking into her eyes, instead focusing on his rogue shoelace.
"Maybe..." Abby hummed.
"Then go." Carter finished.
"John-"
"-GO!" Carter called back, throwing his anger in his stride.

Abby thought about chasing after him, but what was the use? Maybe she did want Florida, and maybe Carter was right about how she should not sacrifice her career for something that probably wouldn't work out anyway.

'You just laughed and smiled, denied the proof; we're fine until I think of a problem. I wish it made sense, like a joke that no one gets, it's a life without regret, I wanna feel this way forever and ever.'

Abby took a deep breath and walked into the hospital, not wanting a lot of attention, just wanting closure.

"Abby, Abby, over here!" Abby turned slightly alarmed by the urgency in Dave's voice. He was holding a big bunch of flowers and a card, which had been signed by all the staff. Abby smiled a warm smile, she never thought she'd be sorry to see the back of Dave but she was. She opened the card, constantly being distracted by the calls of encouragement from nurses and other Doctors, to busy to say goodbye properly. She laughed at the card; they'd managed to squeeze nearly every single person that worked at the hospital onto it. Abby walked into the lounge to empty the locker that should have been emptied long ago, thanks to her medical school suspension. But nobody had noticed so she kept on using it. At that same moment Luka too walked into the lounge.

"I'm going to miss you Abby." He said smiling at her.
"I'm going to miss you too" She replied simply. And that was the truth, she had loved Luka, they had had some great times, and as she hugged him warmly and comfortably she still felt the security of his hold, which had first attracted her. She let go unwillingly, but desperate to move on.
"Goodbye Abby" Luka said as he exited the lounge. Abby smiled, some things were better left unsaid. Minutes later she too ventured out into the hospital struggling with bags to take to her car.
"Hey let me help you with those." Dave said as he took them from her hands and carried them out to the car.
"Good luck Abby" Dr Greene managed on his way past. "We're really going to miss you here" He smiled sincerely before stepping into the lift.
"I'll second that! Goodbye Abby" Dr Weaver added on her way past, presumably on the way to the same trauma. Abby just smiled unwilling to say goodbye. She had never liked to say something so final. With her mom it had been easy, after all, she would always be back, but in the real world, it was much harder to say. She walked out of the hospital stopping and looking back just once. She saw Carter and he looked straight into her eyes, she quickly turned though. Turned and walked away; the messages, plans and plane times flashing through her mind. Carter had wanted to run after her, but he would have been setting himself up for a fall. She was leaving and he would just have to deal. Things would work out, they always did.

'Anybody heading in my direction, away from the city, anybody want to change the way they feel? Step inside. Doesn't really matter where you wanna take me, away from the city. I wanna start again, I wanna take it back I wanna start again.'

Abby got to the airport. She smiled as she remembered Carter had asked her to stay the last time she was here. She knew that wouldn't happen this time. That he'd asked her to stay and she'd said no. That thought sent shivers down her spine. When she'd gone to Italy it was fine, there was hope and she knew it. Even though she told herself not to hang on to the notion of it when she got back, she did. But now, there was nothing to go back to. No hope for the future, only regrets from the past. Abby froze. She heard the last call for her plane and took a step back. Everything was in slow motion, her eyesight went hazy and she thought she was going to faint. This was the beginning of everything else. She took a few deep breaths for a moment and closed her eyes. She cleared her mind of any thoughts and when she opened her eyes again she was walking. Walking fast and harsh. But she wasn't walking towards the plane, she was walking away from it. Home.

'I got my ticket. And I got a straight road. But I'm passing the same signs. Over and over. But my world falls down, and I'm there calling out, and it's something I can't say; though it seems the only way. But it's a game that I won't play. Not today.'

Abby surprised herself. She was being calm under pressure. Something else had kicked in. She let her instincts guide her. She soon found herself back at county, but one look at the hospital told her she wouldn't find what she was looking for in there. Ironically there was no cure to her problem in a place that had solved the rest.

~~~~~~~Cut to John Carter~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Carter had been miserable all day. He hated the fact that he had not been enough to make her stay. He hated the fact that he would have stayed for her in a second, yet she had gone to Florida disregarding every feeling she did or did not have for him. But most of all he hated, despised and dreaded the fact that he'd never know. Neither would she. And there were two things in life, which could happen and have you tossing and turning in your bed for the rest of your life. 1) Having regrets 2) having to live your life not knowing how something could have ended up when you know it could have been something good. These were two things he had learned, both from being an addict and being human.

'Why, bleeding is breathing, you're hiding underneath the smoke in the room. Try, bleeding is believing, I saw you crawling to the door.'

Carter sat still in the booth that he had always sat in at Doc Magoo's. Staring at the ashtray as though it had all the answers. Everything was playing like a film without sound. He looked out the window and cursed at himself. This must have been the 6th time today he had mistaken someone else for Abby. He made himself turn away and hit his head with his hand hard.

'Where it go? The bluebird I should follow back home. But where is home? Guess it won't amount to much. Won't be long before I crush. I'll stand in line.'

Abby walked into Doc Magoo's. She carefully manoeuvred herself around the tables contending with the luggage she didn't think to drop off. If Carter was there, she knew where he'd be. In that same booth. It was no use; she was never going to fit. She took a de-tour to the bar and parked her luggage down aimlessly. She looked behind her for a minute, forgetting the rather vital reason for her backward journey, but she had to take a double take. There he was. He was sat there looking at her as if she wasn't really there. He was surprised; she could see it in his eyes. She took a deep, silent breath and headed towards him. He slowly stood up, smiling sincerely. They were standing face to face.
"Are you really here?" Carter asked dumbly.
"I couldn't leave, I don't want t run away." Carter stroked Abby's cheek gently before kissing her passionately. And as they kissed Abby felt his hand through her hair. She had always loved that. She felt like this was where she was meant to be. This was right. This was safe. This was home.


Wow! Well after 6 parts I've finally finished! I'm thinking of doing another series, which follows on from this one focusing on the relationshippy bit, but I'm not sure.
Well thanks for everyone's support, and feedback will still be great! =)