Title: A Meaningful Conversation
Author: Natalie
Category: Romance/Humor, Carby
Spoilers: Hindsight
A/N: This takes place after Carter and Abby leave Susan's Christmas party in Hindsight. Please review and tell me what you think. I have a rough draft of the next chapter, so tell me if you'd like it posted.
The crisp December night air stung their faces, but Abby didn't notice. Deep in thought, physical sensation was lost to her until Carter took her hand.
He smiled down at her. "Well, that was fun."
"Mm."
"What?"
"Nothing. I was agreeing with you."
He gave her a look at her defensive tone. "What happened?"
She sighed. "Oh, it's just.Luka."
"What about Luka?" he asked, opening the car door for her.
"Well.he was drunk," she replied as she slid into the seat.
Carter walked around to the other side. "I noticed." He got in beside her. "So?"
"So.he talked to me."
There was silence.
"I have a feeling there's a little more to that."
"He said something about how we never talk anymore - like we ever did in the first place. He thought I wasn't happy.you gonna start the car?"
"Are you?" he inquired.
The car started with a whirring noise.
"Am I what?"
"Happy."
"Of course I am." She considered. "I'm not unhappy. And any reason that I would be has nothing to do with what he thought."
"Ah," he said in recognition. "He thought you weren't happy with me." It wasn't a question.
The car took off down the road.
"He didn't say that in those words, but yes, he implied it. Why?" She smiled at him playfully, trying to lighten the mood. "Are you worried?"
"No. Should I be?" he asked, looking towards her.
"Carter, if there's anything in my life that I'm happy about right now, it's you," she said truthfully. "Hey, watch the road."
"I'm not sure how to respond to that," Carter replied, turning forward.
Abby looked at him expectantly.
He tried to explain, using his hand for embellishment. "Well, I'm glad that you're happy with me, but I wish you didn't have to put it in those terms. You deserve to be happy with everything, not just me."
She gave a short, almost bitter laugh. "When you control the universe, I give you my personal permission to make me happy with my life."
"Fair enough." He nodded. "But since that'll be a ways off, what do I do before then?"
She looked at him with a wry smile. "I think you've already done everything physically possible for a mortal. You'll just have to wait for that omnipotence."
"You'll probably get there before me."
"Who ever said I would be omnipotent?"
"Well, you decided I would be, so I'll decide that you will be. And since I have the last word, I get to say who goes first." There was a short silence as neither seemed to fully understand his jumble of words.
She shook her head as she laughed at the strange turn their discussion had taken. "This is a ridiculous conversation. You know what, you're leaving for Boston tomorrow. We should be talking about something.meaningful."
"This isn't meaningful?" He raised his eyebrows.
"Meaningful is usually interchangeable with serious. And since neither you or I is planning on becoming a god when we grow up, this does not fall into the meaningful conversation category."
"And here I thought you loved our witty banter," He replied in a wounded voice.
"Banter, yes. Witty, not so much."
"What was that? Did a nurse just insult a doctor's intelligence?"
Abby narrowed her eyes. "Oh, that was low."
"But necessary."
"For what?"
"Well, now we can have a meaningful conversation about the positions and abilities of nurses and doctors." Carter said, his eyes twinkling.
"Oh, that would be fun," Abby said sarcastically.
"Isn't that how this got started?"
"What? Discrimination towards nurses?"
"No. Fun."
"I have no clue what you're talking about."
"I said the party was fun. You grunted. Conversation began."
"Mm," she grunted.
"You're impossible."
"Pot," she shot at him, seemingly randomly.
"Excuse me?"
"Pot calling the kettle black. Don't you know the expression?"
"One word isn't an expression. Did you expect me to get the reference by one word?"
"Not really. But you're cute when you're confused." She grinned.
"Flattery gets you nowhere," he warned.
"No flattery. Just facts."
"Don't think I don't know what you're doing."
She sat back and looked at him. "What am I doing?"
He opened his mouth but was at a loss for a comeback. "I don't know, but it's something manipulative."
"Why would I manipulate you?"
"You probably get some sick pleasure out of it."
"But I don't need to manipulate you. You already do anything I ask you to. You're like a little puppy and I have you on my leash."
"Good thing you don't take advantage of that." He stopped the car in front of the hospital.
"Ha," she laughed. "That's funny."
"Sure it is." He grinned good-naturedly. "But I've got to break the leash now and go work. What time are you on?"
She groaned. "Six."
"I'll see you then." He leaned over and gave her a quick kiss. "Get some sleep."
"What about you?"
"I have a whole plane ride tomorrow." He paused. "You really should come with me."
She waved her hand. "Nah, I don't want to intrude." She frowned. "Just be back by Christmas or I'm coming out there to get you."
"I'm scared."
She nodded once. "You should be."
"You need a wake-up call?"
"There you go with that puppy thing again. My own personal room service.."
"No, I just noticed that the alarm clock has been a little neglected lately and don't want you to be late. I won't get to see you again for three days, so every minute counts."
She nodded slowly. "So it's all in self interest. You don't care if I get fired for waltzing in at 7:30."
"They wouldn't dare. But I'll be late if I don't go in now." He opened the car door. "'Night."
"Bye."
He kissed her one more time, got out, and walked towards the hospital's entrance. Right before he reached the doors, he turned around and yelled back, "I'll call at five!"
She shook her head and smiled in amusement. The car started back up and she drove off. The biting winter air was still unnoticed.
Author: Natalie
Category: Romance/Humor, Carby
Spoilers: Hindsight
A/N: This takes place after Carter and Abby leave Susan's Christmas party in Hindsight. Please review and tell me what you think. I have a rough draft of the next chapter, so tell me if you'd like it posted.
The crisp December night air stung their faces, but Abby didn't notice. Deep in thought, physical sensation was lost to her until Carter took her hand.
He smiled down at her. "Well, that was fun."
"Mm."
"What?"
"Nothing. I was agreeing with you."
He gave her a look at her defensive tone. "What happened?"
She sighed. "Oh, it's just.Luka."
"What about Luka?" he asked, opening the car door for her.
"Well.he was drunk," she replied as she slid into the seat.
Carter walked around to the other side. "I noticed." He got in beside her. "So?"
"So.he talked to me."
There was silence.
"I have a feeling there's a little more to that."
"He said something about how we never talk anymore - like we ever did in the first place. He thought I wasn't happy.you gonna start the car?"
"Are you?" he inquired.
The car started with a whirring noise.
"Am I what?"
"Happy."
"Of course I am." She considered. "I'm not unhappy. And any reason that I would be has nothing to do with what he thought."
"Ah," he said in recognition. "He thought you weren't happy with me." It wasn't a question.
The car took off down the road.
"He didn't say that in those words, but yes, he implied it. Why?" She smiled at him playfully, trying to lighten the mood. "Are you worried?"
"No. Should I be?" he asked, looking towards her.
"Carter, if there's anything in my life that I'm happy about right now, it's you," she said truthfully. "Hey, watch the road."
"I'm not sure how to respond to that," Carter replied, turning forward.
Abby looked at him expectantly.
He tried to explain, using his hand for embellishment. "Well, I'm glad that you're happy with me, but I wish you didn't have to put it in those terms. You deserve to be happy with everything, not just me."
She gave a short, almost bitter laugh. "When you control the universe, I give you my personal permission to make me happy with my life."
"Fair enough." He nodded. "But since that'll be a ways off, what do I do before then?"
She looked at him with a wry smile. "I think you've already done everything physically possible for a mortal. You'll just have to wait for that omnipotence."
"You'll probably get there before me."
"Who ever said I would be omnipotent?"
"Well, you decided I would be, so I'll decide that you will be. And since I have the last word, I get to say who goes first." There was a short silence as neither seemed to fully understand his jumble of words.
She shook her head as she laughed at the strange turn their discussion had taken. "This is a ridiculous conversation. You know what, you're leaving for Boston tomorrow. We should be talking about something.meaningful."
"This isn't meaningful?" He raised his eyebrows.
"Meaningful is usually interchangeable with serious. And since neither you or I is planning on becoming a god when we grow up, this does not fall into the meaningful conversation category."
"And here I thought you loved our witty banter," He replied in a wounded voice.
"Banter, yes. Witty, not so much."
"What was that? Did a nurse just insult a doctor's intelligence?"
Abby narrowed her eyes. "Oh, that was low."
"But necessary."
"For what?"
"Well, now we can have a meaningful conversation about the positions and abilities of nurses and doctors." Carter said, his eyes twinkling.
"Oh, that would be fun," Abby said sarcastically.
"Isn't that how this got started?"
"What? Discrimination towards nurses?"
"No. Fun."
"I have no clue what you're talking about."
"I said the party was fun. You grunted. Conversation began."
"Mm," she grunted.
"You're impossible."
"Pot," she shot at him, seemingly randomly.
"Excuse me?"
"Pot calling the kettle black. Don't you know the expression?"
"One word isn't an expression. Did you expect me to get the reference by one word?"
"Not really. But you're cute when you're confused." She grinned.
"Flattery gets you nowhere," he warned.
"No flattery. Just facts."
"Don't think I don't know what you're doing."
She sat back and looked at him. "What am I doing?"
He opened his mouth but was at a loss for a comeback. "I don't know, but it's something manipulative."
"Why would I manipulate you?"
"You probably get some sick pleasure out of it."
"But I don't need to manipulate you. You already do anything I ask you to. You're like a little puppy and I have you on my leash."
"Good thing you don't take advantage of that." He stopped the car in front of the hospital.
"Ha," she laughed. "That's funny."
"Sure it is." He grinned good-naturedly. "But I've got to break the leash now and go work. What time are you on?"
She groaned. "Six."
"I'll see you then." He leaned over and gave her a quick kiss. "Get some sleep."
"What about you?"
"I have a whole plane ride tomorrow." He paused. "You really should come with me."
She waved her hand. "Nah, I don't want to intrude." She frowned. "Just be back by Christmas or I'm coming out there to get you."
"I'm scared."
She nodded once. "You should be."
"You need a wake-up call?"
"There you go with that puppy thing again. My own personal room service.."
"No, I just noticed that the alarm clock has been a little neglected lately and don't want you to be late. I won't get to see you again for three days, so every minute counts."
She nodded slowly. "So it's all in self interest. You don't care if I get fired for waltzing in at 7:30."
"They wouldn't dare. But I'll be late if I don't go in now." He opened the car door. "'Night."
"Bye."
He kissed her one more time, got out, and walked towards the hospital's entrance. Right before he reached the doors, he turned around and yelled back, "I'll call at five!"
She shook her head and smiled in amusement. The car started back up and she drove off. The biting winter air was still unnoticed.