Warmth out of the Cold
©Daphne Miles
Disclaimer: I don't own or have anything to do with ER, the actors, etc. I wish I was brilliant enough to come up with a show this great!! ------------------------------------
Abby rolled over in her bed, focusing her eyes on the clock. It was 3:00am. She rubbed her eyes and sat up, leaning over the side of the bed. She looked over at Carter who lay peacefully sleeping next to her. She had trouble sleeping, her brother's situation was keeping her up. She walked down the hall into the kitchen. The glass empty glass that the wine had been in stood on the counter, next to the still full bottle of wine. She covered her mouth with her hand, looking from the bottle to the sink. She sighed and rolled her eyes at herself. She picked up the bottle and hesitated a second before pouring down the drain. She watched the red liquid flow down the sing and she immediately felt a little better, not having the temptation there. "Hey, what are you doing up?"
Abby turned around and looked at Carter. "I.I just had to get rid of it. I didn't want it here."
Carter nodded and walked over to her. "You okay? It's three in the morning."
Abby nodded. "Yea, I'm fine."
Carter put his hands on her shoulders, squeezing them gently. He looked into her eyes. She looked at him, he could see through her so well. "You don't have to be so strong, you know."
Abby looked down and sighed. "It's just a lot easier to say everything is fine and move on.after a while of saying it, I start to believe it."
Carter slid his hands down her arms and slipped his arms around her waist, pulling her tightly against him. She wrapped her arms around him and closed her eyes, leaning her head against his chest. "Why does everything just seem so much better when you're here?"
Carter smiled and kissed her on top of her head. "Come on, lets go back to bed."
She nodded, keeping her head nuzzled against his chest. She sighed and looked up at him. He smiled a little and touched the side of her face. "Abby, everything will be okay.I promise."
She smiled a little and kissed the palm of his hand. He leaned down and kissed her gently on the lips. She kissed him back, hugging him tightly. Carter pulled away slowly and took her hands in his. "Come on."
They walked back down the hall and climbed into bed.
-*-
"What time do you have to be at work?"
Carter called to Abby who was in the bathroom. "Uh.ten." "Alright. My shift starts at nine. Want to go grab something to eat?" "Sure."
Abby walked out of the bathroom, her hair still wet from her shower. Carter pulled on his coat. "Just let me dry my hair. If I go outside it will very likely freeze."
Carter chuckled. "I'd like to see that."
Abby smiled at him. "I bet you would."
She smiled at him before walking back into the bathroom. "I'll be in the front room."
Carter had to yell over the noise of the hair dryer. He sat on the couch and turned on the TV. He flipped through channels and came to a morning show.
Fifteen minutes later, Abby walked down the hall. "Ready."
Carter stood up and helped her into her coat. He turned off the TV. "Alright, let's head out then."
He grabbed the keys and they walked out of the apartment. He slipped his hand in hers as they made their walk through the cold to the train station. "It's freezing. I wonder if it will snow soon." "I'm sure it will.we'll probably have a white Thanksgiving."
Carter smiled at his comment. Abby laughed a little. "Yea um, regarding Thanksgiving."
Carter looked at her and smiled. "Whatever you want."
She sighed. "I know I should probably spend it with my brother and mom.but."
She sighed as they came to a stop on the 'L' platform. "Hey.how about this."
Carter turned to her and smiled that smile she knew was just for her. He continued with his thought. "I can blow off my parents. They can do without me for a Thanksgiving, and I'll come with you, you shouldn't have to face your family by yourself."
She smiled a little. "I hate that I'm saying I have to 'face' them.you shouldn't feel that way about your family."
She sighed and looked up at him. She nodded. "I'd really like to have you there."
He smiled and slid his arms around her. "It's a plan then. You have not lived until you have tasted my mashed potatoes."
She grinned and leaned her forehead against his. "I love mashed potatoes."
He smiled and kissed her. She was almost immediately warmed up. Looking at him she thought *maybe this holiday season won't be as horrible as I thought.*
©Daphne Miles
Disclaimer: I don't own or have anything to do with ER, the actors, etc. I wish I was brilliant enough to come up with a show this great!! ------------------------------------
Abby rolled over in her bed, focusing her eyes on the clock. It was 3:00am. She rubbed her eyes and sat up, leaning over the side of the bed. She looked over at Carter who lay peacefully sleeping next to her. She had trouble sleeping, her brother's situation was keeping her up. She walked down the hall into the kitchen. The glass empty glass that the wine had been in stood on the counter, next to the still full bottle of wine. She covered her mouth with her hand, looking from the bottle to the sink. She sighed and rolled her eyes at herself. She picked up the bottle and hesitated a second before pouring down the drain. She watched the red liquid flow down the sing and she immediately felt a little better, not having the temptation there. "Hey, what are you doing up?"
Abby turned around and looked at Carter. "I.I just had to get rid of it. I didn't want it here."
Carter nodded and walked over to her. "You okay? It's three in the morning."
Abby nodded. "Yea, I'm fine."
Carter put his hands on her shoulders, squeezing them gently. He looked into her eyes. She looked at him, he could see through her so well. "You don't have to be so strong, you know."
Abby looked down and sighed. "It's just a lot easier to say everything is fine and move on.after a while of saying it, I start to believe it."
Carter slid his hands down her arms and slipped his arms around her waist, pulling her tightly against him. She wrapped her arms around him and closed her eyes, leaning her head against his chest. "Why does everything just seem so much better when you're here?"
Carter smiled and kissed her on top of her head. "Come on, lets go back to bed."
She nodded, keeping her head nuzzled against his chest. She sighed and looked up at him. He smiled a little and touched the side of her face. "Abby, everything will be okay.I promise."
She smiled a little and kissed the palm of his hand. He leaned down and kissed her gently on the lips. She kissed him back, hugging him tightly. Carter pulled away slowly and took her hands in his. "Come on."
They walked back down the hall and climbed into bed.
-*-
"What time do you have to be at work?"
Carter called to Abby who was in the bathroom. "Uh.ten." "Alright. My shift starts at nine. Want to go grab something to eat?" "Sure."
Abby walked out of the bathroom, her hair still wet from her shower. Carter pulled on his coat. "Just let me dry my hair. If I go outside it will very likely freeze."
Carter chuckled. "I'd like to see that."
Abby smiled at him. "I bet you would."
She smiled at him before walking back into the bathroom. "I'll be in the front room."
Carter had to yell over the noise of the hair dryer. He sat on the couch and turned on the TV. He flipped through channels and came to a morning show.
Fifteen minutes later, Abby walked down the hall. "Ready."
Carter stood up and helped her into her coat. He turned off the TV. "Alright, let's head out then."
He grabbed the keys and they walked out of the apartment. He slipped his hand in hers as they made their walk through the cold to the train station. "It's freezing. I wonder if it will snow soon." "I'm sure it will.we'll probably have a white Thanksgiving."
Carter smiled at his comment. Abby laughed a little. "Yea um, regarding Thanksgiving."
Carter looked at her and smiled. "Whatever you want."
She sighed. "I know I should probably spend it with my brother and mom.but."
She sighed as they came to a stop on the 'L' platform. "Hey.how about this."
Carter turned to her and smiled that smile she knew was just for her. He continued with his thought. "I can blow off my parents. They can do without me for a Thanksgiving, and I'll come with you, you shouldn't have to face your family by yourself."
She smiled a little. "I hate that I'm saying I have to 'face' them.you shouldn't feel that way about your family."
She sighed and looked up at him. She nodded. "I'd really like to have you there."
He smiled and slid his arms around her. "It's a plan then. You have not lived until you have tasted my mashed potatoes."
She grinned and leaned her forehead against his. "I love mashed potatoes."
He smiled and kissed her. She was almost immediately warmed up. Looking at him she thought *maybe this holiday season won't be as horrible as I thought.*