Previously in the fic:
"You're off in an hour, and I made plans." Carter said, leaning over Abby
by the admit desk.
------------------------- Continued -------------------------
As usual, Abby felt totally out of place. Why did Carter always have to pick the most extravagant place to eat at?! Her black dress suddenly seemed very plain & frumpy. Ah well, there was nothing she could do about it now. Music filled the air, and Abby glanced at the live jazz band that was playing. Once they were escorted to their seats she wasted no time telling Carter how 'out of place' she felt.
"Maybe next time you should just reserve the entire place to us."
Carter gave her a look, "You look nice." He said, changing the subject.
Abby shrugged, "I'm glad I changed out of my jeans." She said, sarcastically. "Soo.." she added.
Carter picked up a menu, ignoring her.
"So you made me miss girls night, dragged me to a stuffy over-priced restaurant, and now your going to drag this conversation out further?" Abby said, propping her elbows on the table and resting her chin in her hand.
Carter smirked, "What do you want?"
"Hmm? Oh, I'll just order an appetizer." Abby said, with a sigh.
Carter placed their order, asking for 3 different sea-food appetizers. He then turned his attention back on Abby. "Thanks for coming."
Abby bit her lip, and gave a short nod. "Sure."
-----------------------------------------------------
Tell it to my face, have I been erased?
Are you happy now. -----------------------------------------------------
"Well aren't you a sight for tired eyes."
Luka turned to see Jing-Mei.
"When'd you get back?" She asked, stopping at the ambulance bay.
"Few days ago. where've you been?" Luka said, leaning against the wall.
"Took a few days off, switched my days with Pratt." Jing mei answered. "So how was it?"
Luka was tired of answering the same question, so he put on a smile and simply said "It was a good experience."
Jing mei smiled, "Well it was good to see you. I better go punch in. You off?"
Luka nodded, "Yeah.see ya."
He walked over to his car, fishing for his keys in his pocket.
The days since he had been back seemed to be flying by. Everything was almost a total blur.
But even still, one conversation still seemed to stick out in his mind. The conversation he had with Dr.Lewis.
She seemed flustered and embarrassed at the mention of Abby's name. Frankly, that intrigued him a bit. But also in a weird way, saddened him. He figured Susan probably now saw that he still did miss Abby.
Women somehow knew these things. Or could read his face good, or something. He started the engine, not really in any kind of mood to go home.
He eventually found himself in front of a bar, and he cut the engine. A few drinks couldn't hurt.
-----------------------------------------------------
Do you really have everything you wanted?
You can't run away from yourself.
--------------------------------------------------------
Abby sipped on her club soda, watching Carter as he seemed to reflect on how to start this 'important' conversation.
"I was at Gamma's house today." He said, finally.
"Oh?" Abby asked, trying to sound more interested then she was.
"That's when I started thinking about . things." Carter said, deliberately skipping the word 'us'.
"An empty mansion would definitely be a good place to spend some quality thinking time." Abby said, joking slightly.
"I realized" Carter went on, "That we seem to be apologizing more in this relationship, then we do actually enjoy it."
Abby furrowed her brows, "What do you mean?... That we're apologizing 'for' the relationship?"
"No, no I didn't say that. It just seems we spend more time trying to 'make up', then actually having a real relationship."
"Well, apologizing in a relationship keeps it real. Yes maybe it.seems we do it a lot. But I don't think it makes it any less real." Abby said, trying to understand his view.
"I just think.." Carter ran his fingers through his hair, "Maybe we are lacking something."
"Such as.maybe trust?" Abby offered.
"I wasn't referring to that." Carter said, taken back slightly.
"Well, you don't seem to think you can tell me everything."
"That doesn't mean I don't trust you." Carter said, defensively.
"No. But how can I trust you, if you never tell me everything?"
"And you tell me everything?" Carter threw back.
Abby hesitated a minute. "Like I said, I think we have a *trust* issue."
"How can you accuse me, if you do the same thing?" Carter asked, still hung up on his previous question.
"Look. I'm not just saying you do it. Maybe I could stand to be a little more open too. But after that last incident, I guess I just realized you seem to.leave details out."
Carter rubbed his forehead, "Okay. we're going in circles now. So besides 'trust' what else do you think we need to change?"
Maybe 'change' wasn't the right word.Abby thought. Should a person, or persons, have to change to accommodate a relationship? There was no such thing as a 'perfect' relationship, and she knew that. But just how much changing did a person have to do, before you become someone your not, in order to have a relationship.?! "I don't know." She said, softly.
"What is it?" Carter asked, picking up on her distant look.
"Where .. or when does a person, or persons, draw a line? The line.."
"Draw the line for what?" Carter said, a puzzled look on his face.
"You can only give so much. Or do so much. Or change so much." Abby started, "Before you realize you've forgotten who you are, in order to have a relationship with someone. Where do you draw the line.. and say enough is enough, I've sacrificed myself for something that can't work."
Carter was silent. He stared at her blankly. "Sometimes you have to do a few things to make a relationship work."
"I know. But when is it to much?" Abby said, still waiting for an answer.
"I guess when you feel like.you've done all you can. Or when you feel you've changed to much as a person." Carter felt a bit un-nerved.
"So what do you think we need to do, in order to make this work?" Abby said, trying to be a little more hopeful for his sake.
"This."
Abby raised a brow, "Hmm?"
"Talk. Communicate." Carter said, pushing his plate aside. "Trust eachother, and be willing to open up and tell eachother everything."
Abby nodded in agreement, "I think that's a start." She said, with a small sigh.
"Do you think we'll be happier?" Carter said, as he stood to go pay the bill.
Abby pondered the question, "Define happiness." She said, with a small smile.
"Are you happy, Abby?" he asked.
-------------------------------------
To be continued. -------------------------------------
------------------------- Continued -------------------------
As usual, Abby felt totally out of place. Why did Carter always have to pick the most extravagant place to eat at?! Her black dress suddenly seemed very plain & frumpy. Ah well, there was nothing she could do about it now. Music filled the air, and Abby glanced at the live jazz band that was playing. Once they were escorted to their seats she wasted no time telling Carter how 'out of place' she felt.
"Maybe next time you should just reserve the entire place to us."
Carter gave her a look, "You look nice." He said, changing the subject.
Abby shrugged, "I'm glad I changed out of my jeans." She said, sarcastically. "Soo.." she added.
Carter picked up a menu, ignoring her.
"So you made me miss girls night, dragged me to a stuffy over-priced restaurant, and now your going to drag this conversation out further?" Abby said, propping her elbows on the table and resting her chin in her hand.
Carter smirked, "What do you want?"
"Hmm? Oh, I'll just order an appetizer." Abby said, with a sigh.
Carter placed their order, asking for 3 different sea-food appetizers. He then turned his attention back on Abby. "Thanks for coming."
Abby bit her lip, and gave a short nod. "Sure."
-----------------------------------------------------
Tell it to my face, have I been erased?
Are you happy now. -----------------------------------------------------
"Well aren't you a sight for tired eyes."
Luka turned to see Jing-Mei.
"When'd you get back?" She asked, stopping at the ambulance bay.
"Few days ago. where've you been?" Luka said, leaning against the wall.
"Took a few days off, switched my days with Pratt." Jing mei answered. "So how was it?"
Luka was tired of answering the same question, so he put on a smile and simply said "It was a good experience."
Jing mei smiled, "Well it was good to see you. I better go punch in. You off?"
Luka nodded, "Yeah.see ya."
He walked over to his car, fishing for his keys in his pocket.
The days since he had been back seemed to be flying by. Everything was almost a total blur.
But even still, one conversation still seemed to stick out in his mind. The conversation he had with Dr.Lewis.
She seemed flustered and embarrassed at the mention of Abby's name. Frankly, that intrigued him a bit. But also in a weird way, saddened him. He figured Susan probably now saw that he still did miss Abby.
Women somehow knew these things. Or could read his face good, or something. He started the engine, not really in any kind of mood to go home.
He eventually found himself in front of a bar, and he cut the engine. A few drinks couldn't hurt.
-----------------------------------------------------
Do you really have everything you wanted?
You can't run away from yourself.
--------------------------------------------------------
Abby sipped on her club soda, watching Carter as he seemed to reflect on how to start this 'important' conversation.
"I was at Gamma's house today." He said, finally.
"Oh?" Abby asked, trying to sound more interested then she was.
"That's when I started thinking about . things." Carter said, deliberately skipping the word 'us'.
"An empty mansion would definitely be a good place to spend some quality thinking time." Abby said, joking slightly.
"I realized" Carter went on, "That we seem to be apologizing more in this relationship, then we do actually enjoy it."
Abby furrowed her brows, "What do you mean?... That we're apologizing 'for' the relationship?"
"No, no I didn't say that. It just seems we spend more time trying to 'make up', then actually having a real relationship."
"Well, apologizing in a relationship keeps it real. Yes maybe it.seems we do it a lot. But I don't think it makes it any less real." Abby said, trying to understand his view.
"I just think.." Carter ran his fingers through his hair, "Maybe we are lacking something."
"Such as.maybe trust?" Abby offered.
"I wasn't referring to that." Carter said, taken back slightly.
"Well, you don't seem to think you can tell me everything."
"That doesn't mean I don't trust you." Carter said, defensively.
"No. But how can I trust you, if you never tell me everything?"
"And you tell me everything?" Carter threw back.
Abby hesitated a minute. "Like I said, I think we have a *trust* issue."
"How can you accuse me, if you do the same thing?" Carter asked, still hung up on his previous question.
"Look. I'm not just saying you do it. Maybe I could stand to be a little more open too. But after that last incident, I guess I just realized you seem to.leave details out."
Carter rubbed his forehead, "Okay. we're going in circles now. So besides 'trust' what else do you think we need to change?"
Maybe 'change' wasn't the right word.Abby thought. Should a person, or persons, have to change to accommodate a relationship? There was no such thing as a 'perfect' relationship, and she knew that. But just how much changing did a person have to do, before you become someone your not, in order to have a relationship.?! "I don't know." She said, softly.
"What is it?" Carter asked, picking up on her distant look.
"Where .. or when does a person, or persons, draw a line? The line.."
"Draw the line for what?" Carter said, a puzzled look on his face.
"You can only give so much. Or do so much. Or change so much." Abby started, "Before you realize you've forgotten who you are, in order to have a relationship with someone. Where do you draw the line.. and say enough is enough, I've sacrificed myself for something that can't work."
Carter was silent. He stared at her blankly. "Sometimes you have to do a few things to make a relationship work."
"I know. But when is it to much?" Abby said, still waiting for an answer.
"I guess when you feel like.you've done all you can. Or when you feel you've changed to much as a person." Carter felt a bit un-nerved.
"So what do you think we need to do, in order to make this work?" Abby said, trying to be a little more hopeful for his sake.
"This."
Abby raised a brow, "Hmm?"
"Talk. Communicate." Carter said, pushing his plate aside. "Trust eachother, and be willing to open up and tell eachother everything."
Abby nodded in agreement, "I think that's a start." She said, with a small sigh.
"Do you think we'll be happier?" Carter said, as he stood to go pay the bill.
Abby pondered the question, "Define happiness." She said, with a small smile.
"Are you happy, Abby?" he asked.
-------------------------------------
To be continued. -------------------------------------