(I would like to take this time to thank everyone for the great and supporting reviews. Hopefully this will not be my last ER fic, but it certainly was a good start. Please read and review, and let me know if I should do a sequel. For disclaimers, see last chapter. Thanks again, and please read and review.)

Fade in.

(Carol's POV)

After the traumas were cleared, Susan came back and talked to Doug and me more about Mark. She gave us the letter that he wrote to the staff and both Doug and I were fighting back tears after we read it. After Susan left to give us some privacy, I cried long and hard for my friend. Doug was fighting back tears of his own, for his friend and brother.

Hours later, Doug and I fussed over our newest addition to the family, while the girls and Aiden were down in the ER with Lydia.

"I should call mom. We did come all the way over here to visit her you know."

"I'll go make the call, I should go check on the kids anyway," Doug said planting a kiss on my forehead as he got up.

"Make sure the nurses aren't giving them any junk to eat."

Doug laughed, "Yes mom," he said shutting the door behind him.

I laughed looking down at my son, whose brown eyes stared back up at me.

"You wanna here a story Mark? Let me tell you about the man you were named after."

Fade out.

(Doug's POV)

It was a weird feeling being back in the ER. Carrie hurried past me helping wheel a gurney into a trauma room. A middle aged man was moaning in pain with what looked like a knife sticking out of his side. I stopped in my tracks and resisted the urge to follow her in the trauma room and help her. Shaking my head, I continued on my way to the admit desk where the kids were sitting with Jerry. I was about to call out to them when a loud noise caught my attention.

Another gurney was rolling in with a small crying boy that looked a little older then Aiden.

"Doug I need you to take that kid!" Carrie yelled sticking her head out of the trauma room.

"Me?" Wasn't she the one who wanted to get me fired in the first place?

"Doug we're swamped, go! Where the hell are Carter and Abby?" She yelled.

I don't know what it was that came over me, but all of a sudden I got exited about working in the ER again.

"Alright give me the bullet," I said grabbing a pair of gloves and a gown.

"Three year old boy complaining of lower right pain, Mother called it in after he threw up twice. Two liters of saline in," She said as we made our way in the trauma room.

"Doug you taking this kid," Chunny asked amazed.

"Yeah, apparently you guys are swamped."

"And Carrie told you to take him?"

"I am as stunned as you are."

Just then a middle aged man with a heavy accent walked in.

"Who the hell are you?"

"Dr. Doug Ross;" sticking out my hand for him to shake.

"Do you work here?" He said ignoring my gesture of good faith.

Chunny shot me a look but said nothing. Not knowing who this guy was, or what he had against me, I just shook it off.

"Tonight I do," I said continuing to feel the boy's abdomen.

"Ouch!" he cried.

"That hurt's huh? Chunny can get an ultrasound in here?"

She nodded and left, the other doctor continued to stare at me.

"Okay buddy, we're going to get a few pictures of your stomach to see what's going on in there. You might have ruptured your appendix, and if you did were going to have to take you up to surgery. What's your name, pal?"

"Donny," he whimpered.

"Okay Donny we're going to take very good care of you."

"I want my mommy," he cried.

"She is on her way pal. She'll be here real soon," I said taking hold of his hand.

"I have this Dr, why don't you go," the doctor with the heavy accent interrupted.

"Because this is my patient," I said calmly not wanting to scare the kid.

"Did you order something for the pain?"

"Six of morphine"

"That's not enough, the boy is in pain!"

"It's all a boy his size can handle. So unless you want to question anymore of my treatment for this kid, I suggestion you go find another patient."

"I haven't seen you around here before," he said.

"That's because I don't work here-"

"Then you have no right to treat patients."

"Like I was saying before you interrupted me, I used to work here. Carrie asked me to take him because you guys are swamped."

"Well we'll just see about that," he said stalking out.

After they took Donny to surgery to remove his appendix, I went back to the admit desk to finish filling out his paper work. Seeing Carrie walking over to me, I knew I was in for it. That other doctor must have told her.

"Doug, I heard you had a little confrontation with Luka."

"Yeah, listen Carrie you asked me to take that kid; he had no right telling me how to treat him."

"I know, Chunny told me what happened. How long are you going to stay once Carol and the baby are released?"

"A few weeks maybe, we came to visit her mother. Stopping by here wasn't exactly on our agenda."

"What would you think about working here again? You and Carol"

"What?" this being the witch who drove me to leave, and now she wants me back. I was speechless.

"I can see that you have matured a lot since you have left, and we could really use the help.

"I'll have to think about that," I said trying not to let my disbelief show.

I rounded up the kids and made a quick call to Carol's mother promising to bring the kids by soon. Heading back up to Carol's room, with Aiden sleeping on my shoulder, I tried not to laugh.

Wait till I tell Carol about this.

Fade in

(Carter's POV)

I think my heart must have stopped when Abby backed away from me. She looked like a dear caught in headlights. I held my breath as she stopped and was about to say something.

"Carter I don't know what to say."

"Just say yes."

"Carter-"

"Abby I love you. I love everything about you. You're a strong loving caring person. You make me whole Abby. These last few months we've been together have been amazing. And I realized that I don't want it to end. You're right Abby, you are not broken. You don't need to be fixed or have people fix all of your problems. And I'm sorry. I'm sorry I waited this long to tell you."

She hung her head down, and I could tell that she was crying. Within seconds I was at her side, and holding her.

(Abby's POV)

I don't know why I was crying. Yes I loved this man more then life, and I want to marry him, but it scared the hell out of me. He pulled away from me, and wiped the tears from my face. That's what I loved about him. He was so gentle and loving. So why was I so afraid of him?

"Carter I'm sorry."

"Are you scared?"

Damn. How was it that this man always knew what I was feeling? I nodded, and buried my head in his chest. He wrapped his arms around me, as I bury myself further in his arms. He sighed, and stroked my back over and over again. I knew he would wait for me to tell him why I was scared. He would never push me about those things.

"I've been in so many bad relationships," I stopped not wanting to go on. He hooked his fingers under my chin and brought me at eye level with him. I took a deep breath and went on.

"I'm scared. I don't want to get hurt again Carter. And I don't want to lose my best friend in the process."

"Do you think that I would hurt you?" He asked quietly.

"I know you wouldn't."

"Then you have to trust me Abby. I don't know what the future is going to hold, but I know I don't want to go through it with out you with me."

Damn it. How does he know what I need to hear? How does he know just what to say in times like these? He pulled the ring from his pocket again and showed it to me. It was a beautiful ring, and it seemed to sparkle in the lights from the hospital.

"Do you trust me Abby?"

"Yes," I whispered as he slid the ring on my finger.

When he finally looked up at me, I saw the same goofy grin that I had seen the first day I had met him. The first day I had fallen in love with him.

"Will you marry me Abby?" he whispered.

"Yes," I whispered just before our lips met.

And finally as a light snow fell on the roof of ER, all seemed right.

END