Chapter 6
When Abby first woke up, she wasn't quite sure where she was. She was laying in a strange bed, and under unfamiliar sheets. She turned in bed groggily, and noticed that she didn't feel any pain. She suddenly remembered laying down and falling asleep on the couch in the lounge, and realized she must be in the hospital. With a groan, she turned over in bed.
"So, you're finally awake."
Abby jumped. She hadn't realized there was anyone else in the room. But in fact, Carter had been sitting right beside her bed.
"Sorry. I didn't mean to scare you," he said, touching her arm. She realized that he must know what had happened. Is he mad? she wondered, trying to gage his reaction. But his face was expressionless.
"Abby, what happened?" She knew the question was inevitable, but now, here it was. She didn't want to tell him, though. She had no idea how he would react. So she tried to stall.
"W-what do you mean?" she stammered.
Carter looked at her, and she immediately felt guilty. There was no point in playing games like this; she might as well tell him the truth.
Abby took a deep breath. "That night, after I left the hospital, I- I got mugged," she looked down at the sheets, not wanting to see his reaction.
Carter's jaw dropped. "Why didn't you tell me?" he asked quietly, and Abby felt even worse.
"I- I don't know," Abby said, and then, she did the worst thing she could have possibly done. She started crying. She tried to get herself to stop, but she couldn't. She had been trying to bury her fears after the mugging, and now they all came spilling out.
Carter wrapped his arms around her and gently stroked her hair. "I'm so sorry, Abby. I'm really sorry that this happened to you," he said, which of course just made her cry harder.
"I'm sorry," she said, wiping her eyes. She was mad at herself for falling apart like this. She didn't want Carter to think she was trying to rope him back into a relationship with her by using her emotions.
"You don't have to apologize," Carter said, still holding her. He felt terrible about what had happened. He couldn't imagine what she had been going through these past few days. And then, to top it all off, her so-called boyfriend cornered her on the roof and accused her of drinking! "I'm the one who should be apologizing. I'm sorry for accusing you of drinking. I didn't know-"
"It's not your fault. I should have told you what happened," Abby said in a trembling voice, finally managing to staunch the flow of tears. Carter wrapped his arms around her more tightly, engulfing her. He hadn't been there for her last time, but now he wanted to do whatever he could to protect her.
The two of them sat like that for a while, each lost in their own thoughts. Then Carter took Abby's chin in his hand, tilting her face upward so she had to look at him. "Are you okay?" he asked her sincerely.
She nodded. "Yeah. The ribs'll take a few weeks to heal, but-"
"You know that's not what I meant," Carter chided.
Abby took a deep breath. "I think so," she said. She leaned her head on his chest. "I was scared that you'd be mad about this," she confided.
"Mad?" Carter was confused. "Why would I be mad?"
"Cause I didn't tell you. And for what I said at my apartment. I'm really sorry about that, too."
"It's okay; I know you were hurt, and being in pain can make you say crazy things." Carter paused for a moment. He knew there was one thing left for him to ask. "Why didn't you tell me?"
"I just wanted this whole thing to not have happened. I know it's stupid, but I thought that maybe if I didn't say anything, it would all go away. It was so stupid, me going out at night by myself, but I...wanted things to be special for you." Not the tears again. Abby made a mental note to have her tear ducts surgically sealed off as soon as she felt better. She didn't like feeling like this, so out of control of her own emotions.
Carter didn't say anything, just held her until she stopped crying. Once she had, she pulled away from him, embarrassed at her emotional display. She wiped her eyes and vowed to never cry again. Crying didn't solve anything, it just made your face blotchy.
Carter looked at her, trying to decide what his next move should be. She was obviously trying to say that she wanted some space, but he didn't want to abandon her in her time of need. So he decided to let her make the next move. He simply sat there at her bedside, silent, waiting for her to act.
Abby dried her eyes and reigned in her emotions. She needed to have a serious talk with Carter, not go off into emotional spasms like a hysterical bimbo. She removed the last of the tears from her face, and turned toward Carter.
"John, I'm sorry that all this happened. I really am."
"It's not your fault-"
"No, let me finish. I know that I didn't go out and plan to be mugged, but I should have told you earlier what was going on, and I'm sorry that I didn't." Abby paused, not sure what to say next. So Carter stepped in.
"Abby, we have to learn how to trust each other. Our whole relationship has just been like a big game of hide-and-seek: I hide from you, then you hide from me, then I find you and we start all over again. I don't want things to be like that anymore."
Abby wasn't sure how to respond. Hiding was a way of life for her; she had done for as long as she could remember. All her life she had been afraid to trust anyone, afraid they would hurt her. She had been burned so many times, she had almost given up on having a normal relationship with anyone. She wasn't sure if she could stop hiding.
Then she looked up into his eyes, the eyes she had fallen in love with. She saw in his eyes how much he loved her, how much he wanted her to trust him. Maybe things would be different with him. Maybe she could finally allow herself to love someone. She knew that she was taking a huge risk letting someone into her life like this, but maybe it was time to stop hiding.
After a long silence, Abby said, "I don't want things to be like this anymore either. I love you, John. I don't want to hide from you anymore."
Carter smiled at the sincerity on her face, the hope in her eyes. He knew that she was taking a big step in saying that, and he loved her for it. So he told her.
"I love you too, Abby," he said sincerely. He took her hand. "Things are going to be different from now on," he said, but it was really a question.
"Yeah, they are," Abby said, leaning on his shoulder. "They're going to be better."
THE END
A/N: Sorry for the cheesy ending, but who can resist good old-fashioned carby fuzz? If you haven't already, be sure and review. This is my first fanfic, so I'm eager to know what everyone thought. ~Taz
When Abby first woke up, she wasn't quite sure where she was. She was laying in a strange bed, and under unfamiliar sheets. She turned in bed groggily, and noticed that she didn't feel any pain. She suddenly remembered laying down and falling asleep on the couch in the lounge, and realized she must be in the hospital. With a groan, she turned over in bed.
"So, you're finally awake."
Abby jumped. She hadn't realized there was anyone else in the room. But in fact, Carter had been sitting right beside her bed.
"Sorry. I didn't mean to scare you," he said, touching her arm. She realized that he must know what had happened. Is he mad? she wondered, trying to gage his reaction. But his face was expressionless.
"Abby, what happened?" She knew the question was inevitable, but now, here it was. She didn't want to tell him, though. She had no idea how he would react. So she tried to stall.
"W-what do you mean?" she stammered.
Carter looked at her, and she immediately felt guilty. There was no point in playing games like this; she might as well tell him the truth.
Abby took a deep breath. "That night, after I left the hospital, I- I got mugged," she looked down at the sheets, not wanting to see his reaction.
Carter's jaw dropped. "Why didn't you tell me?" he asked quietly, and Abby felt even worse.
"I- I don't know," Abby said, and then, she did the worst thing she could have possibly done. She started crying. She tried to get herself to stop, but she couldn't. She had been trying to bury her fears after the mugging, and now they all came spilling out.
Carter wrapped his arms around her and gently stroked her hair. "I'm so sorry, Abby. I'm really sorry that this happened to you," he said, which of course just made her cry harder.
"I'm sorry," she said, wiping her eyes. She was mad at herself for falling apart like this. She didn't want Carter to think she was trying to rope him back into a relationship with her by using her emotions.
"You don't have to apologize," Carter said, still holding her. He felt terrible about what had happened. He couldn't imagine what she had been going through these past few days. And then, to top it all off, her so-called boyfriend cornered her on the roof and accused her of drinking! "I'm the one who should be apologizing. I'm sorry for accusing you of drinking. I didn't know-"
"It's not your fault. I should have told you what happened," Abby said in a trembling voice, finally managing to staunch the flow of tears. Carter wrapped his arms around her more tightly, engulfing her. He hadn't been there for her last time, but now he wanted to do whatever he could to protect her.
The two of them sat like that for a while, each lost in their own thoughts. Then Carter took Abby's chin in his hand, tilting her face upward so she had to look at him. "Are you okay?" he asked her sincerely.
She nodded. "Yeah. The ribs'll take a few weeks to heal, but-"
"You know that's not what I meant," Carter chided.
Abby took a deep breath. "I think so," she said. She leaned her head on his chest. "I was scared that you'd be mad about this," she confided.
"Mad?" Carter was confused. "Why would I be mad?"
"Cause I didn't tell you. And for what I said at my apartment. I'm really sorry about that, too."
"It's okay; I know you were hurt, and being in pain can make you say crazy things." Carter paused for a moment. He knew there was one thing left for him to ask. "Why didn't you tell me?"
"I just wanted this whole thing to not have happened. I know it's stupid, but I thought that maybe if I didn't say anything, it would all go away. It was so stupid, me going out at night by myself, but I...wanted things to be special for you." Not the tears again. Abby made a mental note to have her tear ducts surgically sealed off as soon as she felt better. She didn't like feeling like this, so out of control of her own emotions.
Carter didn't say anything, just held her until she stopped crying. Once she had, she pulled away from him, embarrassed at her emotional display. She wiped her eyes and vowed to never cry again. Crying didn't solve anything, it just made your face blotchy.
Carter looked at her, trying to decide what his next move should be. She was obviously trying to say that she wanted some space, but he didn't want to abandon her in her time of need. So he decided to let her make the next move. He simply sat there at her bedside, silent, waiting for her to act.
Abby dried her eyes and reigned in her emotions. She needed to have a serious talk with Carter, not go off into emotional spasms like a hysterical bimbo. She removed the last of the tears from her face, and turned toward Carter.
"John, I'm sorry that all this happened. I really am."
"It's not your fault-"
"No, let me finish. I know that I didn't go out and plan to be mugged, but I should have told you earlier what was going on, and I'm sorry that I didn't." Abby paused, not sure what to say next. So Carter stepped in.
"Abby, we have to learn how to trust each other. Our whole relationship has just been like a big game of hide-and-seek: I hide from you, then you hide from me, then I find you and we start all over again. I don't want things to be like that anymore."
Abby wasn't sure how to respond. Hiding was a way of life for her; she had done for as long as she could remember. All her life she had been afraid to trust anyone, afraid they would hurt her. She had been burned so many times, she had almost given up on having a normal relationship with anyone. She wasn't sure if she could stop hiding.
Then she looked up into his eyes, the eyes she had fallen in love with. She saw in his eyes how much he loved her, how much he wanted her to trust him. Maybe things would be different with him. Maybe she could finally allow herself to love someone. She knew that she was taking a huge risk letting someone into her life like this, but maybe it was time to stop hiding.
After a long silence, Abby said, "I don't want things to be like this anymore either. I love you, John. I don't want to hide from you anymore."
Carter smiled at the sincerity on her face, the hope in her eyes. He knew that she was taking a big step in saying that, and he loved her for it. So he told her.
"I love you too, Abby," he said sincerely. He took her hand. "Things are going to be different from now on," he said, but it was really a question.
"Yeah, they are," Abby said, leaning on his shoulder. "They're going to be better."
THE END
A/N: Sorry for the cheesy ending, but who can resist good old-fashioned carby fuzz? If you haven't already, be sure and review. This is my first fanfic, so I'm eager to know what everyone thought. ~Taz
