Disclaimer: These characters do not belong to me. If they did ER would be having a very different season.
Spoilers: Up to and including 10.10 and 10.11
Summary: Carter returns from Africa and he and Abby try to coexist at County.
Epilogue
It's Christmas Eve. I've been home for most of the day. John gets off at 8:00, and I've been busy cooking what is turning out to be a pretty nice Christmas dinner. I have to work tomorrow afternoon, but we worked out our schedules so that we could spend Christmas Eve and morning together. Just the two of us. I smile at the thought. We've been back together for almost seven months now. We both thought it would be best to take things slow, but it didn't really work out that way. Once we found our way back to each other, we pretty much spent all of our free time together. After the second month, I casually gave him his key back, trying not to make a big deal out of it. John played along, but I think we both realized the significance. Now we are pretty much living together. I can't think of the last time John has spent the night at the mansion, and that is perfectly fine with me. I walk over to the oven to check on the turkey, when I hear the ring of the phone.
"Hello?"
"Hi sweetie, it's Mom."
"Hi Mom. What's up?"
"Well, Eric and I just wanted to wish you a Merry Christmas. I know you have to work tomorrow and I wanted to make sure I had a chance to talk with you."
"I should be home in the morning, how about I call you then. I'm kind of in the middle of making dinner."
"Sure sweetie, but don't forget, okay? We miss you!"
I smile into the phone. "I miss you guys too. Merry Christmas, Mom. I'll talk to you tomorrow. Tell Eric I love him."
As I hang up the phone, I'm surprised to find I really do miss them. John and I had gone up to Minnesota for Thanksgiving, and we actually had a wonderful time. I had been nervous about inviting John to go with me; my family can still be a touchy subject with us. But when I told him I was going to spend Thanksgiving with my mom and Eric, I swear he actually looked proud. I asked him if he wanted to come with me, and to my surprise, he said yes. No one I've ever been in a relationship has willingly volunteered to spend time with my family. John and Eric got along great, and Maggie was very welcoming. It was the first time in a long while I had a stress-free visit with my family. But even though things had gone so well, John and I agreed that we wanted Christmas to be just the two of us. And that couldn't make me happier.
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As I head home from the hospital, I think back on the past few weeks and how incredibly happy Abby has been. After we came back from Minnesota at Thanksgiving, it seemed like the weight of the world had been lifted from her shoulders. We never discussed it, but I think it was the first time she ever truly believed that Maggie and Eric would be okay. When we got home, she jumped into the Christmas spirit with a gusto I had never seen before. We bought a Christmas tree and put up lights at the apartment. She's even cooking us Christmas dinner tonight. She still has her sarcastic, cynical side, but the edge has been taken off, and she just seems happier. I like to hope that at least part of that is because of me.
I finally reach our apartment, yes, I do refer to it as our apartment, and I smile to myself as I retrieve my key out of my pocket. I remember the day she gave it back to me. She tried her best not to make it a big deal, but I know that deep down it was her way of telling me the past was behind us. I turn the lock, and when I push the door open I am greeted by the scent of pine from the Christmas tree mixed with a delicious odor coming from the kitchen. The sound of Christmas carols is coming from the stereo. I shake my head and chuckle. Abby Lockhart is listening to Christmas music.
"Hey Abby, I'm home," I call out as I remove my coat and lazily throw it onto the end of the couch.
Abby walks into the living room and flashes me her gorgeous smile.
"Hey. It's going to be awhile till dinner. I thought you weren't going to be home until 8:00."
"Susan let me go early." I walk over to where she is standing and wrap my arms around her small frame. "Merry Christmas," I whisper into her hair.
Abby looks up at me, still smiling. "Merry Christmas."
She pulls back and casually pushes her hair away from her face. "I need to go check on the turkey, I'll be right back."
I watch her as she walks into the kitchen. I suddenly realize how amazingly happy she makes me, and how there is no place else I'd rather be right now.
And I know. She's it for me.
"I want to give you one of your presents now."
Abby turns away from the stove with a mischievous grin on her face. "You know the rule, Carter. No presents until Christmas morning."
"I really want to give you one of your presents right now."
She walks over to me, and I can see she is intrigued. "Fine, but don't think you're getting anything before tomorrow morning."
"It's a deal," I reply.
We walk over to the couch and I pick up a package about the size of a shoebox from under the tree. I sit down next to Abby and hand her the gift.
"Shoes?"
"Just open it."
I watch her face as she unwraps the paper. The soft lights from the Christmas tree make her face glow, and she looks absolutely stunning. She opens the box and rummages through the tissue paper inside.
"Carter, I think you forgot to put the present in."
I sit in silence as she continues to remove the paper when she suddenly freezes.
"John."
I gently take the box from her and pick up the ring that she has just found. The same ring she found almost two years earlier, under much different circumstances, and hopefully, with much different results.
I hold her hands in my own and take a deep breath.
"Abby, I know we agreed to take things slow, but I think four and a half years qualifies for taking things pretty slow. I'm not denying that we have our problems, we probably always will. But I know now that we can work through those problems together. I've lived with you in my life, and without you in my life. And I am so much happier when you are in my life."
I let go of her hands and gently cup her face. I look into her eyes and notice they have filled with tears.
"I love you Abby. You are the only person who has ever made me feel this way. And I know that I want to be with you for the rest of my life."
I take another deep breath.
"Abby, will you marry me?"
I'm still cupping her face, and she closes her eyes for a moment. When she opens them, there are still tears in her eyes, but there is also a twinkle that I've never seen before.
She slowly nods her head yes.
And then she throws her arms around me, burying her head in the crook of my neck. I can feel her wet tears against my skin, and I have to admit, tears are beginning to fall from my own eyes as well. She lifts her mouth to my ear and whispers,
"I love you so much, John."
I pull back and hold her left hand in my own. I gently place the ring on her finger. She looks down at it for a moment and then looks up at me and smiles.
"It's a perfect fit."
I grin and pull her into a kiss. She then turns around so her back is resting on my chest, and as we settle back onto the couch, I wrap my arms around her, holding her as close to me as I can.
And I know. We're going to be okay. We're going to be okay.
The long day is over.
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Author's Note: That's all folks!
As I said in the first chapter, this is the first time I've written fanfiction, or fiction of any kind for that matter. I truly enjoyed this process, and I wanted to thank everyone who has taken the time to read this story, and a special thanks to those who reviewed. As a first time writer, it meant a lot to me.
I also want to encourage all of you Carbys out there who are having a hard time dealing with these new spoilers to try writing. It made me feel better to know that, at least in my world, these two end up together.
So please leave a review, either for this chapter or the story as a whole. Or maybe even both!