Mother Dear

A/N: Please review!  Tell me if you think it's getting boring and whatever now.  Tell me if you think the characters are believable too, because I'm trying to keep them true to their TV personalities and I want to know how I'm doing.  Thanks.

DISCLAIMER: I don't own any of it.

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"Ashley, I know that you're nervous and that what happened scared you-" Carter began kindly.

"It didn't scare me," Ashley stated resolutely staring at Abby's meal, the tears welling up in her eyes.

"Carter, it's okay, just…. Leave it."  Abby sighed.  Carter looked rather crestfallen but he stopped talking, sat down and put the food on the table next to the bed.  A tear fell down Ashley's cheek and Abby lifted her hand- with Ashley's hand holding tightly onto it- to brush it away.  Ashley was still staring at Abby's platter of food.

"Did you eat lunch?" Abby asked the girl softly, her voice filled with worry, regret and love.  The little girl nodded slightly. 

"Okay," Abby said.  Abby lifted her arm again and wiped the hair out of the little girl's face.  She stroked her daughter's cheek and she felt the little girl's grip loosen slightly.  Carter was watching intently.  The love the mother and daughter had for each other was clear.  

Abby began to hum a soft to Ashley.  Carter assumed that it had been a lullaby from when the girl was a baby and he suddenly felt rather out of place. The little girl's body trembled slightly with tears. 

"It's okay to cry," Abby soothed.

"Mommy…" the little girl sobbed as she released Abby hand and climbed up onto the bed with her mother. She rested her head against Abby's chest and touched the large white cast hesitantly, her sobs disappearing.  She felt from the very top of the cast down to Abby's elbow which was as far as the little girl could reach from her position.

"Does it hurt?" she asked after a few minutes.

"A little," Abby said truthfully, "mostly it just feels funny.  My fingers are tingling."  The little girl looked up and faced Abby, placing her hand softly over a sore spot on Abby's forehead.

"What about your head?" she whispered.  Abby didn't dare wince for fear what Ashley would do though Ashley's hand was irritating the spot and it felt like it was on flame.

"It's much better than before," she stated, her voice steady.

"They had to sew it closed where it was bleeding."  The little girl continued to stare at the spot on Abby's forehead as she twirled a bit of Abby's hair with her pudgy little finger. Abby waited patiently until the girl pulled her eyes away and curled back into Abby's arm.

"What about your tummy?"

"It's all better when I'm lying down like this, but it hurts sometimes when I stand up."

"All better…" the girl repeated.

"All better," Abby stated kindly but firmly.  The little girl took Abby's good arm and placed it around her shoulders, cocooning herself in her mother's embrace.

Abby looked toward Carter who was staring back at her amazed.  He had never seen anyone who was so capable with little children.  Abby smiled and beckoned for him to come closer.  The little girl raised his head as Carter approached bearing the food.

"I'm ready to eat now," she said.  Carter helped Ashley off the bed and handed her a hamburger sandwich.  Abby finally turned her attention toward her food and the three of them ate in a satisfied silence.