A New Life (Previously "Untitled")
An ER fan fiction by AbCaLuDa
A/N: Many thanks to all who have reviewed, and special thanks to everyone who offered title suggestions…I have settled on "A New Life" suggested by jrGoose…But you are all appreciated!
Chapter 4
I watch Carter's father as we approach, and how his brow arches in question about the baby his son carries. "Dad," Carter says and frees his right hand, offering it to his father.
"John. Abby, nice to see you."
"Nice to see you too, Mr. Carter," I say and it sounds weird to say. For one thing it is not nice to see him, and certainly not on a day like this.
He raises his eyes to his son and Carter shrugs. "This is your grand daughter, Bella."
"You two certainly do work fast."
"She's Barbara's."
Jack Carter rolls his eyes and seems disgusted. "She better not cry during the service."
I watch Carter watch him walk away. "That didn't go well."
"I told you he wouldn't make a scene here." Carter sighs and shifts Bella to his other arm. "I should have let him believe she's ours."
"She is ours."
He nods and reaches for my hand. He squeezes it gently. "Don't let my father get to you."
"If you promise you won't let him get to you either."
He glances in the direction his father walked off. "No promises. I really wanted him to be…I don't know. I knew he wouldn't be happy, but I thought…I don't know what I thought. I wanted him to want to hold her."
I have a feeling something happened with Barbara that alienated her from the family, but this isn't the time or place to ask Carter about it. He's still holding my hand and he starts walking toward the chairs. We sit down in the front, leaving a seat open for Jack to sit next to Carter.
It's my turn to squeeze his hand when Jack sits down. He glances at me, and there are tears in his eyes. I want to take him in my arms and make all his pain go away. I'm not sure how much more he can take, and if his father shuts him out now because of Bella…I don't even want to think what will happen…
* * * * * * * * * *
"Dad, I really wish you would come by the house," Carter says.
Jack shakes his head. "I'm a busy man, John. I have things to do."
Carter nods, and I think about punching his father right in the nose. It's the least he deserves. But I just stand there and keep my hands to myself. Sometimes I really wish I could be impulsive like my mother…
"Okay, Dad. You know where I am if you change your mind."
"Good night, John." Jack turns his back and walks away. Just like that. He doesn't even care that his son just stands there staring after him, probably feeling totally crushed inside.
"We had a deal. We weren't going to let him get to us, remember?" I say softly.
He nods. "It's just hard. I buried my mother today and my father can't even come back to the house."
"I know."
He looks into my eyes, and tries to smile. I smile too, even though I think we both just want to cry. He takes my hand again and we go back to the house in silence.
Bella slept through the funeral and is now wide awake and demanding attention. Carter sits on the floor with her and tires to keep her entertained with the toys we brought home on the plane. I expect he'll want to go shopping tomorrow, and buy her all kinds of extravagant toys.
I sit on the sofa behind them, just watching him with her. A small part of me feels jealous, and I am disappointed in myself for acknowledging it. But he should be up here on the sofa with me. I should be comforting him, and here I sit, alone, feeling like a third wheel because he is so focused on the baby.
After a half hour, I get up and walk outside to get some fresh air. I find my way to the garden and sit on the stone bench. The bird bath Carter's grandfather ran into with the lawnmower hasn't been fixed. It will probably never get fixed or replaced, but will sit there in the perfectly manicured lawn as a testament to John Truman Carter Senior.
I sense him there before he sits down. I hate to say it but I am more than relieved to see he is alone. "I put her down for a nap," he says softly. He's staring at the damaged bird bath.
"Carter…" I start but he shakes his head as if my words, or my voice, pulls him out of a trance. He looks at me and reaches for my hands, both of them.
"Don't talk," he commands. "I want to ask you something." He let go of one of my hands and reached into his pocket. My heart skipped a beat and I felt my breath catch in my throat.
He pulls out a small box. I see it out of the corner of my eye, because my eyes are locked on his face.
"Abby, will you marry me?"
I stare at him for a long moment and he stares back. I know he must know the answer already. I nod, I can't speak. There aren't words to say what I want to say.
He takes the ring out of the box and slides it on my finger. It's a little loose, but it will do until I can get it sized. First thing tomorrow…
I wrap my arms around his neck and stretch my arm out so I can see the ring. "Carter, it's beautiful."
"It was my great grandmother's. My great grandfather gave it to her the day he went to war. It was a promise, that he would come back to her no matter what."
I nod. If he's making the same promise to me, I'm making the same promise to him by wearing the ring.
* * * * * * * *
Use the review option to let me know what you think. I cherish each and every feedback I get, and it only takes a second or two o your time! Thanks so much for reading!
An ER fan fiction by AbCaLuDa
A/N: Many thanks to all who have reviewed, and special thanks to everyone who offered title suggestions…I have settled on "A New Life" suggested by jrGoose…But you are all appreciated!
Chapter 4
I watch Carter's father as we approach, and how his brow arches in question about the baby his son carries. "Dad," Carter says and frees his right hand, offering it to his father.
"John. Abby, nice to see you."
"Nice to see you too, Mr. Carter," I say and it sounds weird to say. For one thing it is not nice to see him, and certainly not on a day like this.
He raises his eyes to his son and Carter shrugs. "This is your grand daughter, Bella."
"You two certainly do work fast."
"She's Barbara's."
Jack Carter rolls his eyes and seems disgusted. "She better not cry during the service."
I watch Carter watch him walk away. "That didn't go well."
"I told you he wouldn't make a scene here." Carter sighs and shifts Bella to his other arm. "I should have let him believe she's ours."
"She is ours."
He nods and reaches for my hand. He squeezes it gently. "Don't let my father get to you."
"If you promise you won't let him get to you either."
He glances in the direction his father walked off. "No promises. I really wanted him to be…I don't know. I knew he wouldn't be happy, but I thought…I don't know what I thought. I wanted him to want to hold her."
I have a feeling something happened with Barbara that alienated her from the family, but this isn't the time or place to ask Carter about it. He's still holding my hand and he starts walking toward the chairs. We sit down in the front, leaving a seat open for Jack to sit next to Carter.
It's my turn to squeeze his hand when Jack sits down. He glances at me, and there are tears in his eyes. I want to take him in my arms and make all his pain go away. I'm not sure how much more he can take, and if his father shuts him out now because of Bella…I don't even want to think what will happen…
* * * * * * * * * *
"Dad, I really wish you would come by the house," Carter says.
Jack shakes his head. "I'm a busy man, John. I have things to do."
Carter nods, and I think about punching his father right in the nose. It's the least he deserves. But I just stand there and keep my hands to myself. Sometimes I really wish I could be impulsive like my mother…
"Okay, Dad. You know where I am if you change your mind."
"Good night, John." Jack turns his back and walks away. Just like that. He doesn't even care that his son just stands there staring after him, probably feeling totally crushed inside.
"We had a deal. We weren't going to let him get to us, remember?" I say softly.
He nods. "It's just hard. I buried my mother today and my father can't even come back to the house."
"I know."
He looks into my eyes, and tries to smile. I smile too, even though I think we both just want to cry. He takes my hand again and we go back to the house in silence.
Bella slept through the funeral and is now wide awake and demanding attention. Carter sits on the floor with her and tires to keep her entertained with the toys we brought home on the plane. I expect he'll want to go shopping tomorrow, and buy her all kinds of extravagant toys.
I sit on the sofa behind them, just watching him with her. A small part of me feels jealous, and I am disappointed in myself for acknowledging it. But he should be up here on the sofa with me. I should be comforting him, and here I sit, alone, feeling like a third wheel because he is so focused on the baby.
After a half hour, I get up and walk outside to get some fresh air. I find my way to the garden and sit on the stone bench. The bird bath Carter's grandfather ran into with the lawnmower hasn't been fixed. It will probably never get fixed or replaced, but will sit there in the perfectly manicured lawn as a testament to John Truman Carter Senior.
I sense him there before he sits down. I hate to say it but I am more than relieved to see he is alone. "I put her down for a nap," he says softly. He's staring at the damaged bird bath.
"Carter…" I start but he shakes his head as if my words, or my voice, pulls him out of a trance. He looks at me and reaches for my hands, both of them.
"Don't talk," he commands. "I want to ask you something." He let go of one of my hands and reached into his pocket. My heart skipped a beat and I felt my breath catch in my throat.
He pulls out a small box. I see it out of the corner of my eye, because my eyes are locked on his face.
"Abby, will you marry me?"
I stare at him for a long moment and he stares back. I know he must know the answer already. I nod, I can't speak. There aren't words to say what I want to say.
He takes the ring out of the box and slides it on my finger. It's a little loose, but it will do until I can get it sized. First thing tomorrow…
I wrap my arms around his neck and stretch my arm out so I can see the ring. "Carter, it's beautiful."
"It was my great grandmother's. My great grandfather gave it to her the day he went to war. It was a promise, that he would come back to her no matter what."
I nod. If he's making the same promise to me, I'm making the same promise to him by wearing the ring.
* * * * * * * *
Use the review option to let me know what you think. I cherish each and every feedback I get, and it only takes a second or two o your time! Thanks so much for reading!