Part 5
Five hours later Carter and Abby were sitting holding hands on their bench by the riverfront, gazing out on the Chicago skyline, identical bands of white gold gleaming on their ring fingers.
Carter brought her hand up to his lips and kissed the ring then looked up to give her a smile and saw her smiling back at him. He had done this several times since the ceremony and she didn't think she was ever going to be tired of it. They simultaneously moved their faces closer together and shared a soft kiss, before settling back into their previous position: Abby nestled into the hollow of Carter's shoulder, Carter's arm protectively around Abby's shoulder. Abby was the first to break the silence.
"I can't believe we just did that." She spoke dreamily, as if she didn't want to speak too loudly in case they were brought back to reality. There was a pause before Carter replied.
"You're not sorry, are you?"
"No…I just never thought you'd be the type to drag a couple of complete strangers off the street to be witnesses for your marriage. I always thought you'd have some sort of big society affair with the mayor as guest of honour or something."
"Well, technically the Mayor was there if you think about it, and I wouldn't call Jeremy and Natasha strangers. Jem and I had quite a nice chat while he was processing the license for me and Natasha did say you were her OB nurse a couple of years back."
She smiled at this. He was still the same, the same semi-serious tone he always had. She didn't know if she had expected him to change towards her automatically the second they became man and wife, but she was relieved all the same that he hadn't. They were quiet again. This time it was Carter who broke the silence.
"I wish I didn't have to work tonight."
"Me too."
"I know this sounds selfish, but I wish you were working too. It wouldn't feel so bad working on my wedding night if my wife were there as well!"
"I know what you mean. What time are you on, again?"
"Seven. Only another two hours to spend with my beautiful new wife! I'll try not to wake you when I get home."
"I'll be awake."
He smiled at her thoughtfulness, then he positively grinned as the thought struck him. He turned his face towards her to see if she had noticed.
"Did you hear what I just said? 'I'll be home.' I guess we never really thought about the whole 'living together' part of being married! It sounds right, don't you think?"
She smiled back at him. "I like the sound of it. I always thought it was weird when we talked about your apartment and my apartment when most of your stiff is at my place anyway. 'Our place…'"
"'The Carter Residence…'"
"'Mr and Mrs Carter…'"
They kissed again, a slow, penetrating kiss that thrilled them both. Reluctantly they rose from the bench. Carter had to get ready for work, and Abby would have to change out of her new dress into something that would be more appropriate for wandering the streets of Chicago. As they walked away Carter thought about the last words she had said, and the prospect of spending the rest of his life with the woman he loved beside him. He gave her shoulder a squeeze with the arm he had draped around her, pulling her closer towards him.
"It sounds right."
Five hours later Carter and Abby were sitting holding hands on their bench by the riverfront, gazing out on the Chicago skyline, identical bands of white gold gleaming on their ring fingers.
Carter brought her hand up to his lips and kissed the ring then looked up to give her a smile and saw her smiling back at him. He had done this several times since the ceremony and she didn't think she was ever going to be tired of it. They simultaneously moved their faces closer together and shared a soft kiss, before settling back into their previous position: Abby nestled into the hollow of Carter's shoulder, Carter's arm protectively around Abby's shoulder. Abby was the first to break the silence.
"I can't believe we just did that." She spoke dreamily, as if she didn't want to speak too loudly in case they were brought back to reality. There was a pause before Carter replied.
"You're not sorry, are you?"
"No…I just never thought you'd be the type to drag a couple of complete strangers off the street to be witnesses for your marriage. I always thought you'd have some sort of big society affair with the mayor as guest of honour or something."
"Well, technically the Mayor was there if you think about it, and I wouldn't call Jeremy and Natasha strangers. Jem and I had quite a nice chat while he was processing the license for me and Natasha did say you were her OB nurse a couple of years back."
She smiled at this. He was still the same, the same semi-serious tone he always had. She didn't know if she had expected him to change towards her automatically the second they became man and wife, but she was relieved all the same that he hadn't. They were quiet again. This time it was Carter who broke the silence.
"I wish I didn't have to work tonight."
"Me too."
"I know this sounds selfish, but I wish you were working too. It wouldn't feel so bad working on my wedding night if my wife were there as well!"
"I know what you mean. What time are you on, again?"
"Seven. Only another two hours to spend with my beautiful new wife! I'll try not to wake you when I get home."
"I'll be awake."
He smiled at her thoughtfulness, then he positively grinned as the thought struck him. He turned his face towards her to see if she had noticed.
"Did you hear what I just said? 'I'll be home.' I guess we never really thought about the whole 'living together' part of being married! It sounds right, don't you think?"
She smiled back at him. "I like the sound of it. I always thought it was weird when we talked about your apartment and my apartment when most of your stiff is at my place anyway. 'Our place…'"
"'The Carter Residence…'"
"'Mr and Mrs Carter…'"
They kissed again, a slow, penetrating kiss that thrilled them both. Reluctantly they rose from the bench. Carter had to get ready for work, and Abby would have to change out of her new dress into something that would be more appropriate for wandering the streets of Chicago. As they walked away Carter thought about the last words she had said, and the prospect of spending the rest of his life with the woman he loved beside him. He gave her shoulder a squeeze with the arm he had draped around her, pulling her closer towards him.
"It sounds right."
