AN; After I posted chapter five yesterday, the AN sort of read like that was the last chapter, which of course it is not. I apologise if it looked like that so I thought I'd better post six straight after.

The Rainbow After The Storm

Chapter Six

They stood there in the embrace; the only sound was the ticking of the grandfather clock on the wall. He stood there just holding her, not wanting to talk and break the moment, but to hold her and savour it.

She was feeling the same, it just felt right here with him, only she wasn't with him was she? Some time had passed before she eventually moved and they broke apart.

'Thank you' she started 'Just what I needed'

'Abby?' he asked wanting her to tell him more.

'Sorry, I came here' she added 'I...I .. Well I just needed...'

'It's okay' he replied

'I'd better go.......it's late'

He looked at her studying her, scrutinizing her face, the way she held herself.

'Stay?.... For a bit?..... Talk to me?' he tried not to sound as if he was begging for her company, but for some reason, just now, he craved it.

She in turn, surveyed him too, the fatigue etched on his face, but there was also something else there and she was half scared to read it, in case she read him incorrectly.

The silence was deafening as she considered her options. 'For a coffee?' she finally asked

'If that's what you'd like' he replied

She nodded.

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In the kitchen as he made the coffee Abby looked around at bit and opened the fridge door, examining the contents she found there.

'Beer's gone' she commented

'Threw it out, I meant what I said about not getting drunk again, bad experience'

She smiled in return, glad that he had meant it.

'Want to go in the other room?' he asked

'Sure' she replied.

They walked through the house and made themselves comfortable on the sofa. Abby almost opted for an armchair but for some reason positioned herself beside Carter. They sat there in companionable silence drinking their coffee.

Carter finally broke the silence and said 'You got your results today right?'

'Yeah'

'And?' he prompted

'Oh, um, well, yeah Dr Lockhart at your service' and she held out her hand which he shook.

Saying as he laughed 'Pleased to meet you. And congratulations'

'Yeah no more nurse shifts for me'

'Bet that feels great'

'Yeah'

They sat there again in silence.

Abby added 'I'm staying'

'Staying?' Carter asked not sure the context of her statement

'County, the ER, you'll have to put up with me a bit longer'

He smiled and said 'So? What's bothering you? It's not your results? Why else come visit me this time of night? Except maybe to celebrate, but you don't look like you want to do that tonight'

She studied him, she knew that he deserved an explanation, a truthful explanation, but without worrying him too much.

'Maggie' she said knowing that she had to choose her words carefully

'Problems?'

She raised her eyebrows 'Since when do they not give me problems?'

'They? I take it you Maggie and Eric?'

'Uh huh, I had another fight with Maggie tonight'

'About Eric' Carter stated, by some instinct he just knew.

'Yeah, he's been missing a couple of weeks, sent a letter from Missouri, she wants to go there, he could be anywhere by now'

'You never said'

'Well you've got enough problems of your own, without me telling you mine'

'You're my friend Abby and I like to think that I am yours, friends share their problems'

'I know it's just so complicated with Maggie and Eric, and after ..Well after what happened last year'

'He's sick Abby, he can't help it'

'Don't say something you don't mean, I know what a mess he made of everything, what a mess I made of everything that day'

They both knew what day she was referring to, the day of his Grandmother's funeral.

She continued mostly because she felt she had to apologise before he threw her out of the house. 'I'm sorry, it was a bad day for everyone. I'm really sorry'

She moved slightly as a small attempt to get up, for surely now he would want her to go, but she felt his hand on her arm.

'Where are you going?' he asked

'You don't want me to leave?' she asked biting her lip

'No, sit back' when she complied with his request he added 'I've thought about that day, over and over and I wish that, at the hospital I hadn't asked you to leave. I wish we'd gone someplace and talked'

'We can talk now, we are talking now' she smiled a little but it was a sad kind of smile, wishing of days gone by.

'I'm sorry I shut you out, with my Grandmother'

'Me too' she said 'With Eric'

'Start over?' he asked

She replied by nodding, she had never in a million years thought that they would talk about this tonight.

She moved again 'I should go, it's getting to be a habit, staying here talking all night'

'You could stay' he suggested 'In one of the spare rooms' he added off her slightly confused look.

'Thanks but I'd better go. If Maggie rings. I ought to apologise, say something to her' Abby replied thinking that staying under the same roof as Carter might not be a good idea, even if it was in another room.

He walked her to the car and waited whilst she tried to start it, after several attempts she wound the window down and asked 'The offer still stand?'

He grinned and nodded, she got out the car and they walked back to the house together.

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