Mother Dear

A/N: Please, please REVIEW!  I need all the advice I can get.  Don't think you're going to hurt my feelings if you flame this story, because you won't.  Just be honest.

DISCLAIMER: Anything that you don't recognize, I don't own.

~*~

"Um, hi, Carter."

"Oh, please, Abby, don't call me that."  His voice was no longer the calm whisper it had first been nor was it the barking, harsh commands it had been in the trauma room.

"Sorry, John," she muttered sheepishly.

"Why did you come back, Abby?"

"I just- you know what? I don't have to tell you," she replied just as harshly as he had demanded her reason for returning.

"I can't believe you're doing this, Abby.  Really, when you left, I had some pretty low thoughts for you, but this, this tops it all."  He glared at her fiercely.

"John…"

"Abby, John!" It was Bennings.  "Back to work, now!"

"What happened to 'Carter'?" asked Abby, her words dripping with disdain.

"That was seven years ago, Abby.  A lot has changed."

Abby stormed over to the admit. desk to get another chart and find her name on the board.

"I see you've met Dr. Carter," said Bennings happily, "he's a good guy.  He just needs some getting used to," Bennings shifted her attention to the door, "Dr. Rasgothra, you're late!"

Abby spun around.

"Neela?!" she called out happily.

"Abby!"  Neela answered just as delightedly.

"I guess you know each other," observed Bennings, "well, you'll have time to talk after your shift, we're getting swamped and you're chatting!  Back to work!"  Abby sauntered over to Neela nonetheless and they met each other in a hug.

"Long time, no see!" exclaimed Neela.

"Same to you," replied Abby, noticing Neela's swollen stomach, "and congratulations!"  Neela blushed a deep red and continued to pepper Abby with questions.

"Whatever  happened to med. school?"  she asked finally.

"I guess it wasn't for me," was Abby's muttered response.

"To each her own," grinned Neela as she and Abby walked off to treat a patient with 'severe belly pain'.

~*~

Just before Abby left that afternoon, on her way to the lounge to pick up her stuff, she bumped into Carter again.  It was clear that he was avoiding her as she had managed to go through an entire without seeing him again.

"Sorry," she muttered as she pushed past him into the lounge.  He followed behind her and let the door close before he began to talk.

"Listen, Abby, if we're going to be working together, we're at least going to have to be civil to each other.  If we don't, we'll be risking the patients and that is something I'm not willing to do."  Abby refused to look at him.

"Oh, come off it, Abby.  You and I both know that ignoring each other is childish and stupid.  Now, I'm willing to forget these past few years if you're willing to do the same.  That's not to say that we'll be friends.  We'll merely be friendly."  Abby snorted.

"Abby, if you're not willing to be a civilized human being, I will have you fired.  I have much more influence and money than you will ever have."

"Is that a threat, Carter?"  He flinched when he addressed him with that name.

"No, Abby, I believe that is blackmail." Abby glared at him for a few seconds before finally giving in.

"Fine, Dr. Carter," she said her tone stabbing him in the heart, "have it your way.  I have to go now.  I have a family to attend to."  She knew right then that she had hurt him deeply.  His face fell and his eyes drooped and for a moment he looked as though he didn't know whether to break down and cry or punch the living daylights out of Abby.

Finally, he stepped aside and let her pass through the doorway.

Abby bumped into Susan on her way out.

"Excuse me," she muttered and Susan looked back and forth between a defeated Carter and a despairing Abby anxiously.