Bad Karma
Carby. Something happens to Abby. How does it affect her life and her relationship with Carter? Read on to find out! Please review!
A.N.: I'm not the original author of this story. The original author was carby luva 313. She's decided she doesn't have enought time to write, so she's giving me the honour of finishing it for her. Everything after chapter six is my own. I hope you like it!
Disclaimer: I don't own ER, and neither do you. Michael Crichton does. I borrowed and tweaked a line from William Golding's novel Lord Of The Flies.
Chapter 32: Message In A Bottle
Abby was running around, frantically trying to find something half decent to wear to dinner. Carter had surprised her only a few minutes before, saying that they had reservations at a very classy restaurant for seven o'clock. It was six fifteen. Abby had just jumped out of the shower, and was leaving trails of water everywhere she went. After finally finding the perfect outfit, Abby laid it out on the bed and rushed back into the bathroom to finish drying her hair and putting on her makeup. After a few minutes, she had finished. Abby ran around the bedroom and quickly pulled her clothes on. A simple, yet elegant black dress that flowed to just above her knees. Black high heeled strappy shoes and a black handbag. Abby finished getting dressed and put on the diamond earrings Carter had gotten her for her birthday and the dove necklace she had recieved from Eddie as a welcome back gift.
Carter had gotten dressed in a fraction of a second and was waiting at the bottom of the grand spiral staircase for Abby. He had planned the perfect romantic evening for them. Dinner, dancing, and a moonlit walk along the shores of lake Michigan. It seemed cliché, however, the evening that Carter had planned was going to be anything but conventional. Carter once again glanced down at his watch. Abby was taking her sweet time in getting dressed, but it didn't bother him.
Upstairs, Abby was just making sure her hair was perfect. After a few more seconds of primping, she hurried out of the bathroom and grabbed her shawl. It was the middle of June, so it wouldn't be cold. Still, better safe than sorry, Abby thought. Once she was ready, Abby dashed out of the bedroom and headed for the stairwell. Once she reached the grand, sweeping staircase, Abby slowly walked down the steps, gripping the rail with one hand and her handbag in the other.
Carter stood, waiting patiently at the bottom of the stairs. The light from the chandalier illuminated the room, casting warm shadows along the floor and walls. The light danced playfully on Carter's chiselled features. Abby thought he looked perfect. Suddenly, she felt underdressed. Carter was wearing a black Armani suit with a dazzling white shirt underneath. A black and silver striped tie complimented the outfit. Abby looked down at herself before looking up to meet Carter's gaze. He smiled as she walked toward him. He gripped a single red rose between his teeth. As Abby approached, he took it from his mouth and held it out to her, taking her arm and nestling it in the crook of his elbow.
"Wow. You look absolutely stunning." Carter said breathlessly.
"Thanks. You look great, too." Abby replied.
"Come now, our carriage awaits." Carter said.
Abby smiled at his metaphor. A Jeep wasn't exactly a carriage. The moment they stepped out the front door of the house, however, Abby saw the true meaning behind his words. It was just that, a horse drawn carriage, standing in the driveway. Abby looked at Carter quizzically.
"I thought this might be more fun." Carter laughed.
"It's like living in a fairytale." Abby said incredulously.
"Well, then I overshot. I was just trying to keep you entertained enough so that you wouldn't fall asleep on me during dinner." Carter said jokingly.
"Oh ha ha." Abby deadpanned.
As they walked hand in hand toward the awaiting carriage, Abby nuzzled closer to Carter. He reflexively wrapped his arms around her and held her close to him. Carter vowed never to let her go. Once they reached the step up to the carriage, Carter loosened his grip and allowed Abby to step ahead of him. He held out his hand and she gripped it for balance as she carefully climbed up into the carriage. Once Carter had gotten on and nestled himself in comfortably next to Abby, he gave a thumbs up to the driver and they were off. The road was smooth, and the cool breeze was adding an enjoyable touch to the evening ambiance. The sun was setting and warm shadows were being cast down from above them. Carter turned to Abby and pulled her chin up to his. As their lips touched they both felt a warm and gentle love seeping into eachother. The kiss grew more passionate and after a few minutes both Carter and Abby had to come up for air.
"Whoa." Abby breathed.
"Totally." Carter replied.
They were speechless at the passion that sparked with their kiss. Even after all their time spent together, it still managed to surprise them that their kisses never got boring. The trick to a relationship like Carter and Abby's is that they never fell out of love at the same time. They dodged all of the bullets and were going strong. Little did Abby know that bond was about to get stronger. After a few more minutes of G-rated snogging, they arrived at the restaurant. Carter stepped out of the carriage and held his hand out to steady Abby. After she stepped out, Carter took her arm and they walked into the restaurant.
"...So then Kerry took her crutch and beat the guy with it. It was hillarious!" Carter dictated.
"Oh, John, stop! It hurts to laugh!" Abby cried.
She was shaking with laughter, holding her sides. Carter and Abby were enjoying their dinner, laughing and chatting amicably. It was only half way through the main course that Abby noticed something unusual.
"Uh, John?" Abby said questioningly.
"Yeah, what is it?" Carter replied.
"Why are we the only ones here?" Abby inquired.
"Well, I wanted this to be special, so I made a private booking." Carter smiled.
"You didn't have to do that." Abby said lightly.
"I wanted to. This way the only people who can witness my horrible dancing are the chef, sous chef, and waiter. Three people can't be that hard to knock off, if anything..." Carter trailed off.
"John!" Abby laughed.
"What?! Seriously." Carter deadpanned.
Abby smiled and looked him deep in the eyes. Every time he looked back into hers, he knew all over again exactly why he fell in love with her. Abby's eyes always conveyed a different message, but it was always well meant. After they finished their dinner, they sat drinking wine. Carter swirled his Merlot in his glass and then put it down on the table. He stood and walked around to Abby's side of the table. He extended his arm and smiled down at her mysteriously.
"Shall we dance, signorina?" Carter inquired.
"Si, we shall." Abby replied, taking his outstretched hand.
Carter waved his hand at the band in the corner, and they began to play a beautiful tango melody. Abby looked at Carter with wide eyes. Carter smiled at her pleading gaze when he realized Abby didn't know how to tango.
"It's easy, just listen to the music and go with it. Follow my lead." Carter said lightly.
Abby nodded slightly and stood with one hand resting in Carter's and the other on his shoulder. Abby looked down at her feet as they danced. Carter smiled and spoke.
"Don't look at your feet, just look at me. Feel the music. Relax." Carter said softly.
Abby sighed and tore her gaze from her shoes. Her eyes met Carter's and she wished she could have spontaneously combusted. Abby was embarrassed that she couldn't dance. Here she was with this amazing, loving, incredibly classy and cultured man, and she couldn't even dance. Abby loved how patient Carter was, but she also wondered exactly what that patience could withstand. Abby felt her cheeks redden as she stepped on Carter's foot yet again. He didn't so much as wince. Abby stopped moving and dropped her hands.
"You know what, I quit." Abby breathed.
"Come on, we were having fun!" Carter laughed.
"Speak for yourself." Abby deadpanned.
"How about something easier. The waltz?" Carter asked.
"I think I can do that." Abby said sarcastically, smiling.
Carter addressed the musicians and the music changed to a nice, slow, almost loving waltz. Abby and Carter stepped up to eachother, him clasping her hand and gently cradling her hip with the other. Abby lightly rested her hand on Carter's shoulder. Despite her high heeled shoes, Abby was still considerably shorter than Carter. In any case, it didn't bother her. It just felt right, dancing with a taller man. After the song ended, Carter hugged Abby to him tightly. She nestled her cheek into his chest. After they disentangled themselves from eachother, they walked hand in hand back over to their table.
"That wasn't so bad, was it?" Carter asked innocently.
"After I got over wanting the ground to swallow me whole, no, it really wasn't. I just can't believe I never learned to dance." Abby laughed.
"It's easy. All you have to do is get close. Close enough to your partner to feel their heartbeat. Just follow that." Carter explained.
"Easy for you to say." Abby stated.
"Hey, I had to learn to. My mom wanted me to be the next Fred Astaire. I wanted to be Indiana Jones." Carter reminisced.
"So that makes you..." Abby trailed.
"A monkey's uncle. I don't really know. I guess it makes me, me." Carter shrugged.
"And I wouldn't have it any other way." Abby smiled.
Carter smiled back before regretfully tearing his eyes away from Abby's beautiful face to look at his watch.
"It's nine o'clock. Do you want to get out of here?" Carter inquired.
"Yeah, sure." Abby agreed.
Carter got up and walked around to Abby's side of the table. He pulled her chair out for her and reached out to help her stand. Abby took hold of his outstretched hand and pulled herself up. After gathering their things, the couple left the restaurant in a delighted embrace. The carriage was still outside, waiting for them. Carter helped Abby up into it and took his seat beside her. The driver apparently knew where they were going, considering that they started moving immediately, without Carter saying a word. Instead his arms scooped Abby up and brought her body closer to his. It was a fairly warm evening, but nevertheless Abby felt a more pleasant warmth spreading through every fibre of her body as Carter embraced her. After about fifteen minutes, they arrived at a scenic little park near Lake Michigan. Carter unwillingly relinquished his hold on Abby and stood up. After getting out of the carriage, Carter held out his hand, motioning for Abby to do the same. By then, the sun hand nearly set. There was just a thin strip of pink and gold cloud in the West. The stars and moon quivered, reflected in the cold water of the lake. Carter wrapped his strong, warm arms protectively around Abby's waist as they walked toward the shore.
"You know, I've never done this before. A moonlit stroll on the beach. I mean, I've read about it in a bunch of romance novels, but I never thought things like this happened in real life. You know what I mean?" Abby said.
"I know exactly what you mean. I used to watch a bunch of romance movies with my mom and grandma, and I would think to myself. I wondered if I would ever find someone I would love so much that I would die for them. Now that's not an option. I'm six degrees above that step. I would carry the world on my shoulders for you, Abigail Lockhart." Carter whispered.
Abby blushed. She knew Carter loved her, but she never got tired of hearing him tell her that he did. Before Abby knew what was happening, Carter had swept her off her feet and held her, kissing her passionately. Their attraction was magnetic. After they let go, Abby felt dizzy from the overwhelming emotions that flowed from him into her. Carter put Abby down and waited a moment before letting her go. Abby smiled as she got an idea. Carter watched her intently as she bent down and unfastened her shoes. She kicked them off and picked them up. Abby ran off down the beach and let the cold water wash over her feet. The frigidness of it made her bones ache, but it felt good. Carter laughed inwardly and did the same. After removing his shoes and rolling his pants up he ran over to join Abby at the water's edge.
"Come on, let's walk." Carter said.
Abby took his arm and they slowly ambled along the beach. Each wave made Abby shiver, but Carter's firm, warm grip comforted her. After walking for a few minutes, Abby noticed the moonlight glinting off of something on the beach. She let go of Carter and ran over to it. After reaching it and bending down, Abby realized it was a bottle. A dark blue glass wine bottle. It had a cork in the top, and a paper rolled up inside it.
"What's this doing here? For crying out loud, this is Lake Michigan!" Abby said incredulously.
"I don't know. Maybe it's a map to buried treasure. Open it and read it." Carter suggested.
Abby eased the cork out of the bottle and tipped it upside down. The paper that fell out seemed very old. It was rough Egyptian papyrus. There was a wax seal on it, bearing a crest that Abby couldn't make out in the dark. Abby carefully peeled off the wax seal and unfurled the paper. Carter watched anxiously over her shoulder as she read it aloud.
Dear Abby,
I love you more than you could ever imagine. All of the words in the world could not describe my feelings for you. We have a long and complicated history, but what I want to say here is simple. I thought I might be able to express it in a poem, so here goes.
Every time I think of you my skin burns.
This fever could be the death of me.
The heat that emanates from you scorches my very soul.
I can't begin to explain why, because I cannot fathom it but
I drink in the sensation.
The feel of the cool night's breeze on my bare skin is chilling,
Yet undeniably welcome.
The mercury rises as your gaze shifts toward me.
My pulse races, and I can hear the blood rushing to my head,
Pounding in my ears at the slightest hint you are interested.
I know what I feel is love. I know because I've never felt it before.
I cannot describe it.
It is a wellspring of passion that tears me down.
I get caught up in a paroxysm of compulsive, convulsive nerves,
All because I am lucky enough to be this close to you.
Suddenly my knees are weak.
They give way and I fall; into your arms, into your life, and
Into your heart.
Now it's your turn to fall; To fall in love with me.
The world stops turning for a second when I realize that
A wish I hadn't made has come true.
Your warm embrace chases away any doubt I have about
Loving you, and you loving me.
A contagious, malignant reciprocity.
I get chills in anticipation of your loving, caressing touch.
All of my symptoms add up to the already cliché clinical picture of
Lovesickness.
True lovesickness.
There is no cure for my affliction, but you are the treatment.
In this love there looms no threat of an inevitable, indefinite Terminal heartbreak.
Breathe into me a life-giving breath.
A breath of promise to last forever.
Lest our souls be taken.
- John Truman Carter III
Okay, so It's totally cheesy. I guess what I'm trying to say is...
Abby had tears in her eyes as she finished reading. She turned to face Carter, only to find him on one knee, a velvet box open in his hand, containing a beautiful diamond ring with a white gold band. Abby's hands went to her mouth and she dropped the letter. She was speechless and it was hard to breathe. Carter looked deep into her pleading eyes and spoke.
"What I'm trying to say is... Abigail Lockhart, will you marry me?" Carter asked.
Abby choked as she tried to speak. She caught her breath and only managed to shake her head. After getting a hold of herself, Abby spoke.
"Yes." She said weakly, but ecstatically.
Carter stood up and slipped the engagement band onto her elegant finger. He then dropped the box and pulled her into a tight embrace. Abby cried tears of sheer joy into his chest and Carter exhaled a breath he hadn't realized he had been holding. He didn't doubt that Abby would say yes, but it was a relief to know that it was no longer a dream, but a wonderful reality. It took Abby another ten minutes before she was able to compose herself. She looked up at Carter and then down at the ring to reassure herself that it had really happened. Abby smiled as she looked into Carter's eyes, reassuring him.
"Yes. John Truman Carter, I will marry you." Abby said emphatically.
"I love you so much." Carter said, tears of happiness now flowing from his own eyes.
"I love you, too." Abby replied.
They stood there on the beach, wrapped in eachother's arms for another fifteen minutes, caught in the heat of the moment. Abby finally had what she wanted. This was the first day of the rest of her life, belonging to a normal family. Even after they pulled apart, Abby cried for the rebirth of innocence, the warmth of this man's heart, and the coming together of two souls. They strode together back down the beach, knowing all the future held was life and love.
"Let's go home." Carter said contently.
"Mmm." Abby agreed.
They walked back along the path, leaving a second set of footprints. One that represented uncertainty and misunderstanding, a new one that represents a new beginning and eternity. Once they reached the carriage, Carter once again helped Abby in. As the carriage bumped down the road back to the Carter mansion, Abby and Carter sat wrapped in eachother's arms. Neither had to say anything, they both knew that there would be plenty of time for that. Forever, in fact.
Once they reached the house, instead of helping Abby step down from the carriage, Carter swept her off her feet and carried her up the steps to the house. At the top of the stairs to the second level, Carter and Abby ran into Millicent. Abby's eyes were still red and puffy from crying, and she and Carter both had ecstatic grins on their faces. Millicent raised a questioning eyebrow.
"What is it with you two? You're like a couple of hormonal teenagers." Millicent commented.
"Shh. Don't tell." Abby joked.
"Abby had just made me the happiest, luckiest man in the world. She's agreed to spend the rest of her life with me." Carter explained.
Abby nodded and held up her hand for Millicent to see the engagement ring that once belonged to her sitting there. Millicent realized what John had meant and she smiled.
"Well, congratulations you two, this is wonderful!" She exclaimed.
"Do we have your blessing, gamma?" Carter asked.
"Of course you do, John." Millicent replied sincerely.
"Thank you, Mrs.Carter." Abby said.
"Oh please, darling, call me Millicent. I'll let you two get back to your celebrations. See you tomorrow." Millicent said cheerily.
"Goodnight." Abby and Carter chorused.
With the pleasantries behind them, Carter continued his stride up the stairs. Once they reached the bedroom, he carefully pulled one of his arms out from under her to quickly open the door. After stepping inside the bedroom, Carter kicked the door shut once again. Abby noticed the hundreds of candles softly lighting the room, and the rose petals all over the place. He slowly waltzed over to the bed, with Abby's arms encircling his neck. Once he reached the foot of the bed, Carter dropped Abby onto it and fell over beside her. They immediately launched into a mind blowing, passionate kiss. Knowing that these kisses never had to end excited both of them to no end.
After about fifteen minutes of making out for the sake of making out, Carter and Abby frantically began to tear at eachother's clothes. Seconds later there was a pile of Gucci and Armani in the middle of the bedroom floor. With the covers pulled back, Abby and Carter crawled into them and whispered sweet nothings to eachother. After a few minutes of foreplay, neither Abby nor Carter could resist the temptation anymore, so they moved their hips together and joined their bodies. With Carter inside her, Abby moved her hips to match his motion. As they rocked rythmically, both of them were overcome with an intense pleasure such as neither of them had ever felt before, even in all the times they had been together. There was just something about knowing that both of them would be with their better half for the rest of their lives that made the chemistry almost intolerably incredible. After all too short a time of frantic, passionate lovemaking, Abby came in an orgasm so intense she almost passed out. Immediately after, Carter came with a cry as well. He withdrew from Abby and they lay, spent, wrapped in eachother's arms and catching their breath.
No words needed to be said. This was the final seal on a pact that was never intended to be broken. They gave eachother the gift of themselves, and they would both cherish that for the rest of their lives, regardless of what happened.
"I finally know what people mean when they say that life is perfect, even in all of it's imperfection." Abby stated.
"What imperfection?" Carter said breathily.
"Exactly." Abby murmured.
They smiled and kissed again. This time it was a slow, loving, gentle kiss, as opposed to the frantic, passionate ones they had shared moments earlier. Carter and Abby lay tangled in eachothers arms. The night was still young, but the love they shared had taken all of the energy out of both of them. They quickly drifted off into a wonderful, deep sleep, to dream only of eachother. Abby smiled as she fell asleep, thinking about how she was going to have to explain the ring to everyone the following day. Carter had no intention of letting her go to work without him. She would just have to fake sick untill their shifts agreed again. He just couldn't bear to be away from her, the future Dr. Mrs. Abigail Carter. The name had a nice ring to it...
A.N.: How was that? It took me forever. You would not believe how hard it is to write a proposal chapter when you've never witnessed a proposal. In any case, it's done. I hope you like it, please review! Thanks to hyperpiper 91, carbyfan, Kim, and Carbylover for reviewing the last installment! Jewelz