Hi! : )

Sorry that it really took ages this time to update this. But I was really busy and wrote a few other fics in the meantime. ; ) Had to do this as long as I had a run. ; ) I hope you even remember what it was about. ; )

Part (7/10)

Abby was standing crying in front of her open locker when John came in.

"Abby?!", he said concerned while he walked towards her. "Shhh, calm down. What happened? Who called you?"

"I ... It ... ", was all that came out of her mouth. She was too upset to speak. When John reached her he put his arms around her and let her cry into his chest, holding her head with one hand and stroking her back with his other. He felt her trembling under her sobs. "Shhh, it's okay!", he said again. He felt his shirt become wet from her tears.

He held her like that for a while before they sat down on the couch together.

"Do you want to tell me what happened?", he asked carefully.

She nodded, still not able to speak it out loud.

"Okay, take your time and tell me everything when you are ready.", he said, holding her hands in his.

"On the phone ... ", she finally said though she was still sobbing, "it was the police. They received an emergency call from Brian's new apartment. It was Joyce. When they arrived there they found her unconscious on the floor, beaten up, her blood was everywhere. They brought her to the hospital, but ... ", she began to cry again, "they couldn't do anything, she died from her injuries."

"Oh Abby, I'm so sorry!", he said and put his arm around her. She lay her head against his shoulder.

"Brian killed her and I couldn't do anything!"

"You did everything you could! It's not your fault!"

"Why did she go back to him? I don't understand it!", she said angrily.

"I don't know. She didn't want to see who he really was.", he answered sadly.

"The police wants me to testify against him at court."

"Will you do that? Everybody would understand if you decided not to go."

"No, I'll do that, I have to. I owe Joyce to do that! He has to go to jail for the rest of his life!"

"He will!", he assured her, kissing her forehead and hugging her tightly.

"When are you off?" he asked after a while.

"About ten minutes ago." Abby answered.

"I'm on for two more hours. Do you already want to go to my apartment?"

"Yes, I think so. I'm tired, I think I will try to get some sleep."

"Do you think you will be okay all alone?"

She was not sure about that, but she didn't want Carter to worry about her too much. She felt awful, but instead of admitting that she said "Sure. Brian is arrested, he can't hurt me anymore. And you'll be home soon.". She tried to smile a little to be more convincing.

"Okay, see you later then. I try to get out of here early!" he said, kissed her and left the lounge, though he wasn't sure that she would be okay either. He could see that she was hurt, sad and vulnerable. But he thought it would make her feel stronger when he believed in her, let her feel that he trusted her, that she could make it alone for two hours. And he would follow her soon.

Abby changed her dress and left the ER about 15 minutes later.  She was still very upset. She could not understand why Joyce had gone back to Brian. She thought she had convinced her that she could not stay with him. But obviously she was wrong. Tears were running down her face again when she thought of Joyce and that she was dead now. And she realised how lucky she was. Brian could have killed her too that evening. She never thought that her death could affect her so much.

Lost in thoughts and in pain she stumbled down the streets towards Carter's apartment. She didn't realise anything around her. She almost reached his home when she noticed a shop on her side of the street. She stopped at the shop window and stared inside.