Disclaimer: I do not own the original ER characters, however I have made up a few of my own

Apprehension: Favor

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When Abby walked into the kitchen to pour a cup of coffee the following morning it was empty. Usually Carter was making noise somewhere, watching sports updates or talking on the phone to God knows whom. Today seemed different. There wasn't anything of his lying around. There weren't any breakfast remnants. Even the shower was dry. It was creepy. As far as she knew he had officially disappeared and wasn't ever coming back.

When she walked into the lounge an hour later she almost sighed out loud that he was safe, alive and still in the city. However he didn't seem too happy to be there at the moment, as he battled it out with Harper.

"No, it's not going to work," he said.

"A month," she said.

"Yesterday you weren't even going to let her stay and now you can't wait to get rid of her. If she's staying with me, it's not your choice as to how long."

"I need to finish us my work. As soon as I'm done and I have a permanent house in the states . . ." she started.

"No. I'm already haven't to make accommodations. If you step out that door without discussing this with me I'm calling my attorney."

"Accommodations? You live in a bachelor pad. I don't even know why I'm asking you in the first place. What about your grandparent's house?"

"I don't live there. I don't own that house anymore. We're not doing it your way anymore, Harper. We're doing it my way." He finally noticed Abby standing by the door, hesitating to walk in. "Go. Run away. Play house with some guy."

"We'll discuss this when I get back. Don't make any decisions yet," she begged.

"I'm not promising you anything." Harper gave him one last look before walking out of the door.

"Finally taking responsibility?" Abby asked, cringing inside at the thought that she probably just struck a cord with him.

"You know what?" he asked turning around to face her. "I'm done with this. You want to know everything about me? You want answers to your questions? You abandoned me when I needed you the most. I went back to Africa to save Luka and he still died. I shot a man in self-defense and lived in pain for months. I lived with the guilt of sleeping with another woman behind your back just to reassure myself that I was alive and life was worth living. Then I find out that that same woman miscarried my baby before we even know she was pregnant. You throw your new boyfriend, Trent, who you slept with behind my back, in my face, in the hospital we both work at. Now suddenly you have a kid who looks nothing like the man you claim is father and it proves how much of a liar you are. And just to show how much of a better person I am, I'll tell you the truth."

He took a deep breath, slightly surprised that she didn't try to interrupt.

"All the woman in my life have lied about something. Harper refused to let me be in my daughter's life because of the way I had acted. She was just as immature as I was. Avery could have easily been Doug Ross's daughter and I hated Harper before of it. We even did the right thing and eloped before Avery was born just so that he could be provided for. But I was a coward and I let her push me out of my kids life. So, now I have a chance to be in her life and that's where I'm going to be. Her mom doesn't want her but I do. I don't expect you to do anything because you're just as scared. God, I love you so much it hurts. But I'm through with it all. So, from now on, do me a favor and mind your own damn business because the only person I want waking up in my house is my daughter."

He grabbed his jacket and walked out of the lounge and into the ambulance bay, knowing that all the eyes at admit were boring into the back of his head with curious stares regarding his outburst.

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Author's Note: Almost to the end. Even I'm getting excited. I know this is starting to clear things up. Please continue to R&R.