Your Support
Chapter 4
A/N: Sorry this has taken so long, but I was not able to get to a computer over break. Also, I slightly changed the style of the story. Hope you enjoy and please, please review!!
She felt his arms envelope her. They were strong and held her fast. For once she felt safe, protected. Slowly, she wrapped her arms around his waist and whispered, "Thank you."
"For what?"
"For coming over."
"Abby, you're my best friend, of course I would come over."
"I know.it's just that with everything and us, I just." Before she was able to finish Carter quickly cut her off. "Shhh. Let's not think about that right now."
Slowly Abby pulled away from Carter's embrace. She quickly looked into his eyes in an attempt to gather the courage to complete her next action. She crossed to the coffee table and began picking up the bottles. She then took them to the kitchen and slowly began emptying them down the sink. From the corner of her eye she noticed that Carter had picked up a bottle and was carrying it in her direction. She quickly took the bottle from his hands and firmly stated, "No. I have to do this by myself. Why don't you sit down and I'll make us some coffee?"
Carter have her arm a tight squeeze and went to sit in the living room. The two waited in silence as Abby made the coffee. Neither of them were willing to attempt to deal with the situation at hand and their bantering had long since disappeared as they had grown farther apart.
Eventually, Abby reentered the room with two mugs of coffee, on of which, she handed to Carter. Sitting on the opposite end of the couch, she attempted to break the silence. "So, did Weaver ever figure out who put the thing in her locker?"
"Well, actually." he began.
"Well, actually what?"
"During my internship, I had her locker and they never change the combinations."
"You didn't?!"
"Yep, I did. But it's not like I wasn't encouraged to do it by you and Susan. I mean do you remember the look on Kerry's face when she walked into the Trauma Room?"
"How could I forget it. But, from what Susan said that look couldn't be matched by her look when she opened her locker."
"It looked like you tow hit it off at the seminar."
As soon as he said it, Carter regretted it. Why had he felt the need to bring Susan up anyway? He was preparing to leave when Abby's next comment surprised him.
"She's a really sweet person and sounds like lots of fun. I can see why you would like her."
Carter looked at Abby, stunned. He had imagined her reaction to Susan's name and it hadn't involved a compliment.
"We're having lunch together next week. Maybe, if your lucky she'll invite you on one of our coffee breaks."
"I don't think so."
"Why not?"
This was it Carter knew he had to tell her. He should have told her a long time ago. They were friends, after all.
"We broke up."
Abby didn't know what to say. On one hand she was glad that his relationship with Susan hadn't worked out. That meant that they still had a chance. And yet another part of her felt sorry for them. She didn't want to see either of them hurt. Before she had misjudged Susan. She had just seen her as an obstacle between her and Carter. But, at the seminar she and Susan had talked a lot and had found that they actually had a lot in common. She considered Susan a friend now. She shouldn't be happy that her relationship had failed.
Abby noticed Carter's face as her mind whirled. He was waiting for a reaction, any reaction.
"Why?" she finally managed to get out.
That one word sent Carter's mind wandering. Should he tell her Susan's parting words. 'You should tell her.That your desperately in love and can't live another moment without her.' Though it had been said in jest, she had gotten her point across. In fact, he had been amazed that Susan had stayed as long as she had. She had noticed that there was something between him and Abby long before the seminar. But he couldn't tell Abby all this. Not now. Possibly never. He would have to settle for another answer.
"She told me that she didn't feel.it."
"I'm sorry."
"No, it would have happened sooner or later. Anyway, it's not like the relationship didn't have its obstacles."
Carter really didn't want to continue on with this subject. He still remembered the look on Abby's face when she had walked into the Lounge and had seen them kissing. He did not wish to revisit those times.
"But lets not talk about that." With that he looked Abby straight in the eyes willing her to tell him what was going on.
Abby saw the intensity of his gaze and the concern in his eyes. She knew she had to tell him something. She had asked him over.
"I started on my birthday." She paused then to think of how she was going to word the next part of her explanation. "I mean the whole day was a mess from start to finish. When I came home Joyce was sitting on the stairs. She saw a card in my mail and asked if it was my birthday. The she offered me a beer. She was the only one who said happy birthday to me. I turned down her first offer, but with the days weight behind me, the second offer was too much. So, we sat on the steps and drank for an hour."
With that Abby stopped. What else was there to say? She dared not detail that day's events for it heavily involved Sobriki. She had failed once in keeping him hidden from Carter, she didn't want to fail twice.
"For a while it was under control. Just one glass every few days. But recently, it's been so hard. I just always find myself, when I'm at home, alone, with a bottle in my hand. And I'm sorry, I didn't mean to involve you. I just didn't know who else to turn to," Abby continued staring into space.
"Abby.Abby," Carter attempted to stop Abby from speaking. "Look at me.I'm glad you came to me."
Slowly, as their gazes finally met, the same smile crept upon each of their faces, while Abby let out a small chuckle, "Thanks."
Carter then stood and offered his hand to Abby. "Come on."
"What?"
"Let's go to the 10 o'clock meeting. And afterwards, if your lucky, I might take you out for coffee."
Seeing the smirk on his face Abby allowed Carter to pull her to her feet, to help her into her coat and to lead her out the door.
A/N: Yes, I borrowed some of the dialogue from "The Letter". You weren't just imagining it. Constructive criticism is always needed!!! And if you have any ideas on where this should go please let me know! Thanks for reading!!!
A/N: Sorry this has taken so long, but I was not able to get to a computer over break. Also, I slightly changed the style of the story. Hope you enjoy and please, please review!!
She felt his arms envelope her. They were strong and held her fast. For once she felt safe, protected. Slowly, she wrapped her arms around his waist and whispered, "Thank you."
"For what?"
"For coming over."
"Abby, you're my best friend, of course I would come over."
"I know.it's just that with everything and us, I just." Before she was able to finish Carter quickly cut her off. "Shhh. Let's not think about that right now."
Slowly Abby pulled away from Carter's embrace. She quickly looked into his eyes in an attempt to gather the courage to complete her next action. She crossed to the coffee table and began picking up the bottles. She then took them to the kitchen and slowly began emptying them down the sink. From the corner of her eye she noticed that Carter had picked up a bottle and was carrying it in her direction. She quickly took the bottle from his hands and firmly stated, "No. I have to do this by myself. Why don't you sit down and I'll make us some coffee?"
Carter have her arm a tight squeeze and went to sit in the living room. The two waited in silence as Abby made the coffee. Neither of them were willing to attempt to deal with the situation at hand and their bantering had long since disappeared as they had grown farther apart.
Eventually, Abby reentered the room with two mugs of coffee, on of which, she handed to Carter. Sitting on the opposite end of the couch, she attempted to break the silence. "So, did Weaver ever figure out who put the thing in her locker?"
"Well, actually." he began.
"Well, actually what?"
"During my internship, I had her locker and they never change the combinations."
"You didn't?!"
"Yep, I did. But it's not like I wasn't encouraged to do it by you and Susan. I mean do you remember the look on Kerry's face when she walked into the Trauma Room?"
"How could I forget it. But, from what Susan said that look couldn't be matched by her look when she opened her locker."
"It looked like you tow hit it off at the seminar."
As soon as he said it, Carter regretted it. Why had he felt the need to bring Susan up anyway? He was preparing to leave when Abby's next comment surprised him.
"She's a really sweet person and sounds like lots of fun. I can see why you would like her."
Carter looked at Abby, stunned. He had imagined her reaction to Susan's name and it hadn't involved a compliment.
"We're having lunch together next week. Maybe, if your lucky she'll invite you on one of our coffee breaks."
"I don't think so."
"Why not?"
This was it Carter knew he had to tell her. He should have told her a long time ago. They were friends, after all.
"We broke up."
Abby didn't know what to say. On one hand she was glad that his relationship with Susan hadn't worked out. That meant that they still had a chance. And yet another part of her felt sorry for them. She didn't want to see either of them hurt. Before she had misjudged Susan. She had just seen her as an obstacle between her and Carter. But, at the seminar she and Susan had talked a lot and had found that they actually had a lot in common. She considered Susan a friend now. She shouldn't be happy that her relationship had failed.
Abby noticed Carter's face as her mind whirled. He was waiting for a reaction, any reaction.
"Why?" she finally managed to get out.
That one word sent Carter's mind wandering. Should he tell her Susan's parting words. 'You should tell her.That your desperately in love and can't live another moment without her.' Though it had been said in jest, she had gotten her point across. In fact, he had been amazed that Susan had stayed as long as she had. She had noticed that there was something between him and Abby long before the seminar. But he couldn't tell Abby all this. Not now. Possibly never. He would have to settle for another answer.
"She told me that she didn't feel.it."
"I'm sorry."
"No, it would have happened sooner or later. Anyway, it's not like the relationship didn't have its obstacles."
Carter really didn't want to continue on with this subject. He still remembered the look on Abby's face when she had walked into the Lounge and had seen them kissing. He did not wish to revisit those times.
"But lets not talk about that." With that he looked Abby straight in the eyes willing her to tell him what was going on.
Abby saw the intensity of his gaze and the concern in his eyes. She knew she had to tell him something. She had asked him over.
"I started on my birthday." She paused then to think of how she was going to word the next part of her explanation. "I mean the whole day was a mess from start to finish. When I came home Joyce was sitting on the stairs. She saw a card in my mail and asked if it was my birthday. The she offered me a beer. She was the only one who said happy birthday to me. I turned down her first offer, but with the days weight behind me, the second offer was too much. So, we sat on the steps and drank for an hour."
With that Abby stopped. What else was there to say? She dared not detail that day's events for it heavily involved Sobriki. She had failed once in keeping him hidden from Carter, she didn't want to fail twice.
"For a while it was under control. Just one glass every few days. But recently, it's been so hard. I just always find myself, when I'm at home, alone, with a bottle in my hand. And I'm sorry, I didn't mean to involve you. I just didn't know who else to turn to," Abby continued staring into space.
"Abby.Abby," Carter attempted to stop Abby from speaking. "Look at me.I'm glad you came to me."
Slowly, as their gazes finally met, the same smile crept upon each of their faces, while Abby let out a small chuckle, "Thanks."
Carter then stood and offered his hand to Abby. "Come on."
"What?"
"Let's go to the 10 o'clock meeting. And afterwards, if your lucky, I might take you out for coffee."
Seeing the smirk on his face Abby allowed Carter to pull her to her feet, to help her into her coat and to lead her out the door.
A/N: Yes, I borrowed some of the dialogue from "The Letter". You weren't just imagining it. Constructive criticism is always needed!!! And if you have any ideas on where this should go please let me know! Thanks for reading!!!