MORE THANKYOU'S TO REVIEWS!! You're fantastic.

            Carby6 (yes, carby is the way to go)

            Duckygirl (v cool name – there are some random ducks living in my school right now. Ok, so that's kinda random, but it's true. And very cool)

            Starbright (look! It's in bold!! Aren't you proud of me??? … No really)

            Caitlin015 (yes, it is going to turn out like you hope. Probably)

            Rae10 (esteemed fictionpress writer. Go to: )

            And I have to mention in a category of her own:

            Britgirl2003 – heh heh, you're just the coolest – thanks very much for being so… gushing. You're very kind.

            Anyway, so Chapter Eight of Twelve – here it is. Enjoy. Love LJ xXx

Summary of C7: Carter comes back from Congo. Abby makes her way to xmas party at Chen's. She slips in ice but Luka catches her. Carter sees Luka holding her and thinks         they are together.

           

            Susan Lewis walked briskly down the frosty sidewalks, head down and hands in pockets. Glancing at her watch, she wondered anxiously if Abby would turn up at all. She hoped she would – it couldn't be doing her any good to be so upset the whole time. She was so absorbed in thinking about her friend that she walked straight into a person hurrying off in the opposite direction.

            "I'm so sorry," she apologised, hurriedly. The figure shrugged it off and walked on. "Merry Christmas," she called after them.

       "Merry Christmas," the person mumbled. Susan stopped dead.

       "Carter?" she asked dubiously. The man stopped, too and he turned around.

            "Hi, Susan," Carter smiled weakly. Susan stared wordlessly at him for a while, before finding her voice.

            "Hi," she greeted, with raised eyebrows. "So – are you coming to Jing-Mei's house? She's having us all over for Christmas,"

       "I don't think it would be – " he began, awkwardly.

       "Abby will be there," Susan added. He nodded.

            "Yeah, I know. I should've seen that coming," he muttered as Susan watched him, curiously. "Listen – I have to go. Abby seems to be doing fine without me."

            "What?" Susan asked in incredulity. "What do you mean by that? Carter, look, it's alright if you don't want to come now but you have to go see her sometime – there are things that need sorting out."

            "I know – I saw them earlier," Carter sighed, looking down at his feet. "Maybe not now – another time."

            "Ok then, but please say you'll come back soon," Susan begged. "You have no idea how much she's missed you." Carter, who had begun to walk away, laughed suddenly and cynically.

            "Sure," he answered. "Well, have a good Christmas, Susan."

            "You too, Carter," she watched him walk away wondering if she would ever see him again. Then she turned and walked on to her friend's apartment and a Christmas party.

            Carter walked back to his place, slowly dragging his feet. Happy Christmas, John Carter. He stared out towards the river with empty eyes – he shouldn't have been so naïve to think that she wouldn't stray. It's not like they left on the best of terms and it's not like he had ever been there for her when she needed him. And now she and Luka. He could see it now – happily married with kids. He had missed his chance.

*           *           *

            It was only ten o'clock when Abby got her coat and announced she was leaving.

            "Already?" Jing-Mei asked, surprised. "Stay a little longer, Abby – go on," Abby only smiled slightly and carried on putting on her coat.

            "I've got to work tomorrow morning," she reasoned.

            "So do I," Jing-Mei retaliated. She held up an emptied glass of wine. "And it's not stopping me. Come on, Abby."

            "I'm sorry," Abby added. "Have a good party – Happy Christmas." And she left, quietly and discreetly.

             As she was walking down the hall, she heard a shout.

            "Hey," Luka called and came jogging down to meet her. "Going so soon?" Abby shrugged.

            "I'm working all day tomorrow."

            "You work too hard," he told her. She laughed and looked at the floor.

            "Well – I need the cash,"

            "And you need to take your mind off everything else that you'd rather not think about," he nodded and she raised her eyebrows – how did he know? "That's why you don't want to stay, isn't it? Because everything reminds you of how it should be but isn't. But you came anyway, because if you made out that you were moving on then you might trick yourself into thinking that you really have. And you haven't, have you?" She stared at him and bit her lip.

            "No," she answered, quietly. He took both her hands and held them.

            "You won't ever get over him, will you?" he asked, sighing.

            "I can't."

            "It's alright. I get it," Luka murmured. He pulled her into a tight hug and, while everyone inside Jing-Mei's flat raised their glasses to a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year, there were just two standing in the hall – one holding the other like he never wanted to let go while she closed her tired eyes and buried her face in his sweater.