AN: Thanks if you have R & R. Now to move the story on a bit.
The Rainbow After The Storm
Chapter Seventeen
April 2005
He looked at the box; he opened it and looked inside, staring for long minutes. Susan was right; he had to tell her. Their relationship had to move on. He hoped that she wanted it to move on the same way he did. Not he had helped much by not telling her how it was with him, with her. He knew he couldn't carry on until he had told her everything, how he felt, what he wanted, needed, craved. He had to tell her how it was, would always be. It was just a bit scary, she had changed, he knew but he didn't know what he would do if she rejected him. The rational part of him knew what she wanted, but still after everything that had happened.
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Carter sidled up to Abby as she moved away from admit.
'We have to talk. Tonight?' he suggested
'Sure' Abby answered, somewhat puzzled at his out of the blue comment, everything had been going really well, better than the first time in fact.
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They sat opposite each other in Carter's kitchen drinking coffee, in a companionable silence, Carter wondering how to best start the conversation. Abby reflecting on their relationship and wondering what he was so worked up about.
'I've been thinking' Carter said
'Did it hurt?' Abby asked
'Ha ha' he mouthed back at her then added 'I'm trying to have a serious conversation here'
'Sorry' she replied suitably apologetic and attentively she added 'You were saying'
'Abby, you know I love you. I know I never really say it'
'You've never said it, not to me anyhow'
'Well I'm saying it now. I love you Abby; it's like I've loved you forever. I want to spend the rest of my life with you. We've been going round in circles for so long now and I want us to straighten the path out a bit. If you would just think about this'
'Have you been talking to Susan?' Abby asked thinking that it was only yesterday that Susan had said to Abby that it wasn't it about time she and Carter tied the knot.
'Not recently' he answered 'I want to marry you as soon as possible. We could go to Barbados, Antigua, someplace else you pick' it came out in a rush and he inwardly cringed thinking it wasn't the best wording he could have chosen.
'You want kids. What about that? I don't know if I could ever go through with it. Sometimes I think I can, other times I think not'
'I'd love to be a father you know that but I love you more. I want to spend the rest of my life with you. I know this seems a bit sudden'
'Sudden! We've been as you said circling each other for years'
'Is that a yes?' then before she could reply he added 'To me this makes sense in my mad life, to be with you, to live my life with you. It's all I've ever wanted'
'I know you said you wanted to talk, but I didn't expect this' although she was surprised it was pleasantly surprised.
'I thought if we went out I'd lose my nerve or it would come out wrong or something. I mean this Abby, this is for real'
'For real? You sure?'
He nodded and almost inaudibly said 'Yes'
'There's nothing I'd like better. I agree I've known I wanted to be with you for a long time now. In fact by the time I realised it I thought it was too late. I thought I'd left it too late, that I had lost you' she admitted
'Life has a funny way of working out doesn't it?' he said
'You know that if you marry me you get my crazy family too?'
'And you get mine they're not that sane either'
She smiled and took his hands in hers across the breakfast bar.
'I love you' she told him
'Is that a yes?' he asked
'What?'
'Will you marry me?' he asked properly this time
'Yes' she replied.
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It was difficult but they managed to scrounge seven days leave together from James Wright for the following month. They spent their spare time frantically trying to organise everything. They told no one of their plans until the day they left when they told Susan.
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'Where's Carter?' asked Luka
'He's not in' answered Pratt
'Abby either' joined in Neela
'Neither of them are in?' said Sam
'They've gone away' informed Susan joining the conversation
'Together?' asked Pratt
'Uh huh' said Susan
'Where did they go?' asked Neela
'Antigua' replied Susan
'Antigua?' chorused everyone
Without thinking Susan replied 'To get married' realising what she had said she added 'oops' and walked off leaving them staring at her with their mouths agape.
'I don't know why you're all so surprised' said Frank 'We all knew it would happen eventually'
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On the morning of the wedding Carter got ready and went down to the hotel lobby to wait for Abby. He was surprisingly calm and collected about the situation, knowing that he was doing, the best thing that he had done in a long time, perhaps ever.
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She stood in front of the mirror in the hotel room and smiled to herself happy that she was finally going to be with the one man who made her life complete.
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He couldn't believe how beautiful his bride looked when she eventually met him at the front of the hotel sometime later.
'Ready?' he asked wanting badly to kiss her but deciding that he could wait a few more minutes to do so.
'Yeah' she replied softly gazing intently into his eyes.
Joining hands they went to the beach where they had organised for the ceremony to occur. It was a quiet ceremony with absolutely no guests, just the registrar and two witnesses that had been selected on their behalf. Which was exactly the way they wanted it.
Without Jack giving his opinion, without Eleanor giving hers. Without Maggie getting over excited and without Eric doing something that he might regret at a later date. They both knew that they would have a lot of explaining to do on their return to Chicago.
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The two witnesses stood there wondering why a lovely couple as these two seemed to be, were, on one of the most important days of their lives was getting married without any friends or family present. It seemed a shame that there was no one else to share this important moment with them.
It didn't appear to bother the couple who if truth be known were too wrapped up in each other to notice if they were a hundred guests present or not.
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Carter and Abby sat on the beach together watching the early morning sun glisten on the water. The white foam of the sea was softly lapping against the golden sand. They sat close, quietly reflecting the past seven days that they had spent as one, with no interruptions from their usual life.
'Ready to head home?' he asked
'I guess, can't stay here forever' she murmured
'Did I ever tell you that I love you?' he asked
'Not today' she replied leaning in to kiss him.
Some while later he sighed then said 'I suppose we've got a lot of explaining to do when we get back'
'Not at work though'
'What do you mean?' he asked
'You really believe Susan has managed to keep it a secret?' Abby answered
He looked at her, still not quite believing that she was now his wife and said 'No you're right, I guess not. We'd better go if we're going to catch the flight'
He stood up and held his hands out to her, when she grasped them he pulled her up, they walked hand in hand along the beach back to the hotel to collect their possessions.
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