" Never Felt Like This Before"

Author's Note: Sorry it took me so long to update, I promise it will not happen again, and a note to my beta reader, this chapter would be as great without her.

Chapter 4

"Yes, of course I want to move in with you," Abby exclaimed, in what for her was an extremely happy voice, hugging Carter all the while.

"So, you don't think we're moving too fast?" John questioned, concern evident through his happy tone.

"John, of course not! I think its a great idea…but there is one thing." Abby added, and Carter couldn't tell if she was being serious.

"What is it?" Carter asked softly, looking down at Abby.

"Do you think that we could find our own apartment, instead of moving into one of our current ones?" Abby asked innocently.

"Of course we can," Carter smiled and held Abby tightly.

"Come on, let's go to bed." Abby suggested, smiling. "Sure," Carter replied, yawning quietly and following Abby into the bedroom.

***

The next day, Abby was in the lounge reading the newspaper classifieds when Susan entered the lounge.

"Hey," Susan said as she sat down next to Abby, "Are you looking for a new apartment?" she questioned as she took a seat next to Abby.

"Yeah. We are," Abby replied cryptically, smiling all the while.

Susan looked at Abby with a surprised yet odd look on her face.

"John and I are moving in together," Abby explained softly.

"Really? That's great," Susan exclaimed as she hugged Abby.

 Abby still couldn't believe that she was moving in with John since it was such a big step for her.

 "So, I guess things between you and Carter are going pretty well," Susan smiled, noticing the happy look that crossed Abby's face, but then frowning when she heard her nervous response.

"Susan, its going great, but…" Abby trailed off, considering her next words.

"What's the matter?" Susan asked. "I just can't help but think that something is going to go wrong, and I'll lose John…" Abby once again trailed off, leaving Susan to reassure her.

"Abby, I've known Carter for a long time. I've never seen him this happy before. He really loves you, and I don't think anything could happen that would change his mind about that," Susan said reassuringly to her friend.

"I'm sure you're right," Abby replied just as her pager began to go off.

"I'll see you later," Abby called, walking out the door. A second later, Abby rushed back into the lounge, looking regretful, "Susan. Thank you for the advice, it really helped." Smiling, Abby walked off, just in time to hear Susan's reply.

"No problem Abby," Susan called out as the door swung closed.

            ****

 A week later, "I think I found our apartment,"

Abby exclaimed happily as she got up from the couch, and jogged to the kitchen where she knew Carter was.

"It's a one-bedroom apartment, close enough to work, but far enough so we won't have to live at the freak show twenty four hours a day," Abby added, jokingly as she read the ad from the paper aloud.

Carter turned around and smiled," It sounds great," he said as he handed her a cup of coffee .

"Thanks. So…I'll make an appointment to see it? I can't believe that this is happening, we're going to move in together." Abby said softly looking up at him.

"You can still change your mind," Carter reminded her gently.

"No way," Abby smirked, "You aren't getting rid of me now!"

"I think I'll be okay with that," Carter teased, grinning.

            ***

The next day, Abby was in the lounge at her locker when Carter entered the room.

"Are you off soon?" she quietly asked as she started to slip on her jacket, fumbling with the other things in her hands.

"Here, hang on, let me help you with that," Carter said, gently sliding her jacket over her shoulders after he noticed her jacket struggle, "I'm off in 20 minutes but our appointment isn't until 4 PM. We still have plenty of time."

"I know that," Abby smiled, "I just don't want to be late," she said seriously.

Carter put his arms around Abby. "We don't even know if we're going to like the apartment," he said laughingly.

Susan had walked in time to hear Carter's last words, and asked, "You found an apartment?"

"We might have, it's a one bedroom a safe distance from the freak show." Carter said, smiling at Abby about their 'private joke' about work.

 "That sounds…great," Susan said, not quite catching the work reference, "Call me if you get it," she added just as her pager began to beep.

 "Sorry, I've got to get back out there, but, good luck!" Grumbling something about evil bosses and annoying patients, she made her way out of the lounge.

***

 Later that day, Abby and Carter were looking around the apartment and from what they could see, it looked very nice.

"What do you think?" Carter asked Abby seriously as she stood next to him surveying the spacious kitchen.

            "I like it," she replied honestly, opening cabinets and drawers to see the space inside. Abby turned around and eyed Carter cautiously, "Do you like it?" she asked pointedly.

"Yes, I do," he replied honestly, smiling at her.

"Okay, then, are we getting it?" Abby questioned softly.

"Do you want it?" he asked teasingly, just as the landlord walked into the kitchen.

"Did I hear you say you wanted the apartment?" she asked mischievously, obviously having heard the entire conversation.

"I believe you did" Carter joked, smiling down at Abby at the same time.

At the same moment, Abby asked excitedly, "How soon before we can move in?"

"How does next week sound?" the landlord asked, chuckling at Abby's enthusiasm.     

"Great," they replied in unison as they began the paper-signing process and eventually left the apartment smiling, incredibly happy with the apartment and with each other.

            ***

A week later, Carter, Abby, Susan Lewis and Jing-Mei Chen stood in the apartment after setting down the last of the boxes they had carried inside.

"Thank you both for helping us move in," Carter said as he and Abby surveyed the now crowded, and not even completely moved-into apartment.

"It was no problem," Jing-Mei reassured them as she put the box she had been holding down on the kitchen table.

"How much more do you two have?" Susan asked.

"There are a few more boxes at the old apartments, but most of it is Abby's stuff," Carter said playfully.

"Don't lie, John," Abby smiled, and turning to Susan and Jing-Mei, added, "No, its not," she said seriously, gently hitting Carter on the arm.

The three enjoyed a short laugh at the cute couple until Jing-Mei noticed the time.

"Wow, is it already 4? I'm sorry you all, I've got to get to work…or whatever that place would be referred to as," Jing-Mei added this last part muttering, and they all laughed again, knowing all too well what that place was really about.

"Well, thanks for helping us," Carter said softly, walking Jing-Mei to the door.

"It was nothing," Jing-Mei replied honestly, smiling as she headed out the door and Carter turned back around to head to the kitchen.

"John." Carter heard Jing-Mei softly calling him, and he turned around to find her still at the door.

Mhmm?," he asked in only a way that Carter can.

"I've never seen you this happy before," she whispered, smiling up at him.

Carter smiled and looked in the direction of the kitchen where Abby and Susan could be heard talking quietly as well and responded, "I've never felt like this before, never this happy," he said softly, blushing a pale pink and running his hand over his face in an expression of embarrassment.

 "Great," she said, smiling, happy for him, "Bye John," she called as she left the apartment.

"I should get going too," Susan said, "Mostly because I have to work in two hours." she added, smiling.

"Alright, thanks for helping us," Abby smiled as her friend hugged her, whispering something about Abby being lucky. Abby just nodded in Susan's direction, with a secret smile on her face.

"Bye guys," Susan called, and she too left the apartment, leaving Carter and Abby alone, but together.

They went and sat on the couch that had taken them a good twenty minutes to lug inside, and let out breaths of relief that they were basically done with the moving part.   "Is there anything that you want to watch?" Carter asked politely, turning on the television.

"Nope, just whatever you want," Abby offered as she wrapped her arms around Carter and leaned into him, enjoying their first night together in their apartment.

'Our apartment,' Abby thought, 'I like the sound of that. And I could really get used to this all the time,' happy with the thought Carter's arms around her each night.

As she realizes how tired she was from all the moving that day, she thought, 'I have never felt this happy before. Never.' And with that thought, she smiled and hugged Carter closer, closing her eyes and drifting to sleep.

To be continued!!!