AN: Thank you for reviewing. Please note that this story will not follow the show storyline exactly.
The Rainbow After The Storm
Chapter Two
Carter showed Abby into the lounge and signalled with his hand for her to sit, which she did.
'Coffee?' he asked
She nodded biting her bottom lip 'Sounds good'
He headed off to get some, while she perched uncomfortably on the edge of the chair. Realising that this didn't look good she took off her jacket and sat further back. Minutes later he returned with two coffee's and sat down opposite her.
They sat there in silence, and awkward type of silence Abby was frantically searching for the right words to start off a conversation when Carter spoke.
'You're right' he said with difficulty his gaze on the floor
She looked at him but he wouldn't look up. 'John?' she said softly, then when he didn't answer 'What's happened? What's wrong?'
The silence was so heavy it seemed to fill the room like a crushing weight upon them. Abby felt unsure, she was still worried that he would ask her to go home, she sat there nursing her coffee while he kept his eyes on the floor.
When she couldn't stand the tension anymore she added 'Do you want me to go?'
He replied with a shake of his head. Abby started to bite her fingernails waiting for him to say something, anything.
Abby gently tried again 'Talk to me John?' she urged encouragingly. 'What is it?'
'Everything' he finally muttered, when he started to shake she realised that he was crying.
She was still unsure of the situation; hesitatingly she put the mug of coffee on a side table and sat at his feet. Then she gently put one hand on his shoulder and the floodgates opened.
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Abby wasn't quite sure how long they had been sitting there; long enough for her to have pins and needles where she had been sitting on her feet and Carter must have been uncomfortable hunched over for such a long while.
He was quiet now, had been quiet for some minutes, but for some reason she didn't want to break the silence which was still between them, some of the tension had however lifted.
She carefully moved her hand from his shoulder and rubbed his knee comfortingly instead as he sniffed and reached into his pocket for a handkerchief which he proceed to use.
'You want to talk now?' she asked quietly
He nodded although he still hadn't looked up properly. 'I don't know where to start' he said rather croakily.
'The beginning?' she suggested
'It's complicated' he answered
'Ah well complicated is my middle name' she said encouragingly
This finally rewarded her with his intense gaze from his reddened eyes, but there was a glimmer of a smile there and he nodded and she, waited.
'Kem' he started
Abby looked at him wondering how she was going to manage Carter talking about Kem, but knowing that she had to control herself at least until she left Carters home.
'Go on' she said
'She' he sighed 'She's staying out there, she's not coming back'
'Are you going back?' she asked
He replied by shaking his head, he was looking at the ground by this time. 'She doesn't need me' he said bitterly
'You have a fight?'
He shook his head. 'She didn't love me really, she used me to get what she wanted'
'The baby?'
He shook his head again he just couldn't trust himself to speak 'The baby's not mine'
She didn't know what to say, somehow deep down she had known this, but to tell him would not be right.
'I'm sorry' she finally whispered
'It didn't take her long to get back together with her previous boyfriend' he continued 'She didn't tell me at first, pretended everything was the way it was when she was here in Chicago. Then one day I caught them together'
'I'm really sorry, I understand, you know about finding out like that' she said this time really empathising with how he felt, she had caught Richard once with another woman, in their bed. Off his questioning expression she added 'Richard' as an explanation.
'I've messed up everything here too'
'Messed up. How?' she asked
He rubbed a hand over his face before turning back to her.
'The lawyers keep calling, I keep ignoring them, Dad's calls, other Foundation based call's, various charities calls, my mother. I ignored them all hoping they'd all go away, that I wouldn't have to deal with any of it. I don't want it Abby, none of it'
'It's not going to go away until you deal with it Carter'
He looked directly at her 'I know. When I was in the Congo it all faded into insignificance. It's another world out there Abby, another way of life, so different from this, here. Staying in the Congo helped me to forget what I needed to do, where I needed to be. Being there I didn't have to face reality'
'It's good, that you recognise this'
'I can't stop thinking about everything, all that's happened over the last year. Things I've done, not done'
'I'm sure you touched a lot of lives out there John, saved a lot of lives, but you can do that here too.'
'I don't know if I can do this by myself' he looked down again defeated with himself.
'Why don't you ask Weaver for a couple of days off?'
'I can't keep having time off'
'A couple of days won't make a difference'
'No I guess not, but I prefer to keep working'
Abby sighed, looked at him for a long moment. 'Would you like some help?'
'Pardon?' he asked having reverted to his own thoughts
'Help. If you want, I can help, I don't know how, but..'
'You want to help me?'
She nodded
'You're busy' he added
'I'm sure I can fit it into my busy schedule'
'Thank you' he said covering his hand with hers.
She let it rest there for a few seconds before saying 'I could really do with a hot coffee now'
'Come to the kitchen, we'll grab one' he replied
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They had drunk coffee, sat in the lounge and talked about general things and somehow both drifted off to sleep until Abby woke suddenly. Looking at the clock she noted that it was after five am, she could only have been sleeping for half an hour or so. She shook herself awake, went into the conservatory and found a throw with which she used to cover Carter. She then let herself out of the house as quietly as she could; she drove home to bed for a few hours much needed sleep, as her shift started at noon.
