AN: Thank you for your comments and for your encouraging words. Not much more of Ben I promise. Just to let you all know that I won't be able to update for a couple of weeks or so. Look out for an update mid May. Hope you like this chapter.

Drawn Uncontrollably To You

Chapter 7

Christmas Eve 04

The ER was looking traditionally festive; not only with the decorations, which adorned the place, but also with the type of patients the Christmas period attracts each year. With a sudden rush of patients who visited the emergency room with any small ailment they had which they thought could hamper their enjoyment of Christmas.

Abby let out a long drawn out sigh glancing at the clock and thinking that as she had only five minutes left of her shift she didn't want to door to swing open with some large trauma. It appeared that luck was on her side and after wishing everyone a Happy Christmas she escaped the confines of the hospital and set out to make the first of her two stops of the night.

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The doorbell rang twice before it was heard. Abby was just pondering whether or not to leave when it finally opened.

'Jack hi, John about?' Abby asked

'Yeah come in, you look good'

'You too, how are you?' she asked

'Not bad. Go through' he said indicating for her to enter the lounge

'No I can't stay. I have to be somewhere'

'Okay well I just get John for you'

Abby sighed gazing about until Carter came out into the hall looking hot and flustered.

'You okay?' she asked

'Yeah. I'm head chef tonight' he answered grinning at her

'Oh that accounts for the burning smell then' she teased

'Ha Ha!' he said sarcastically then added 'Dad said you just popped by?' he shrugged his shoulders as if to ask why.

'Oh yeah, well I haven't seen you and I wanted to give you this' she said as she pulled a festively wrapped gift out of her bag and handed it to him. 'Just a little something to help you relax'

'Thank you' he replied taking the present which was obviously some kind of CD. 'I got you something too'

'Oh you didn't have to' she said as he went to retrieve it

'No but I wanted to' he told her and added 'Open it'

She opened the box to find a gold necklace with what looked like a small diamond pendant.

'Wow John, thank you' she managed

'Put it on' he suggested

'I have to take my coat and stuff off' she protested

'It'll only take a minute' he insisted

'Okay' she relented and shrugged out of her outdoor clothing and he fastened the chain around her neck, where her fingers automatically reached up to touch it.

So many thoughts were running through her mind. She had no idea why he had bought such an expensive gift. Although the money side of it had probably never even entered his head. Ben she knew would be jealous if he discovered that Carter had given her this.

She must have been quiet for a while as when he spoke he said 'Abby, Abby don't you like it?' she stared up at him and he continued 'I wanted to say thank you, for listening when I hit rock bottom. For caring enough to drop a date or two with Ben to see me, talk, console me. Be there for me when I needed you'

Abby still lost for words reached up and went to kiss his cheek.

'John' said Jack from the doorway.

As Carter turned towards his father the kiss brushed his lips instead, which caught both he and Abby by surprise. They moved away quickly from each other. Abby backing up against the wall, Carter almost into Jack. There both muttered lots of 'um's and er's' as they did so.

Abby seemed to gather herself together first and said 'Got to go' she gathered up her coat and accessories from the bottom of the stairs and hurriedly put them on.

All the while Carter seemed stupefied after what had just occurred.

'John' said Jack loudly

'What?' he replied

'Abby's leaving'

'Abby' Carter said trying to think of something sensible to say but coming up with nothing.

'Happy Christmas' she said to the pair of them as she let herself out the door, as John Carter watched her walk away out of sight and Jack Carter watched his son.

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Abby arrived at her next destination still rather disorientated after accidentally kissing Carter on the mouth and wondering what on earth Jack had thought of it all. Sighing she pressed the doorbell.

'Abby hi' Ben greeted her with a smile, hug and kiss. 'Hungary?'

Abby nodded as he ushered her into the room. Ben's father was asleep snoring in an armchair and his mother was sitting opposite him knitting. Abby didn't think anyone knitted anymore these days obviously she was mistaken. Ben's mother looked up and smiled at Abby then returned to her knitting.

'She's counting stitches' explained Ben drawing Abby into the dining room so that they could have some form of privacy.

'Your brother not here then?'

'Later. Can you stay the night?'

Abby sighed and shrugged 'I can but I need to be at work by seven'

'That's okay I'll give you a ride'

'That's very generous of you' she said knowing he didn't like getting out of bed if he did not have to.

'Anytime' he answered 'Now let me get you something to eat'

She bit her lip until it hurt. Why did she make her life so complicated?

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Chuck and Susan put Megan down to sleep in her cot and actually managed to have a decent evening together. Hanging up a stocking for their baby daughter's first Christmas before they retired to bed.

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Fleur was working again; in fact she had offered to work all tomorrow too. There wasn't any point taking the day off to spend it alone. All the relations on her mother's side had died when she was much younger and she had never known her family from her father's family anyway.

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Jack and Carter stayed up late into the night talking, trying to fix their ailing father son relationship which had gone downhill after Millicent Carter had died. Gradually they lapsed into silence each wrapped up in their own thoughts.

'What are you going to do about Abby?' asked Jack suddenly

'What are you talking about?' Carter replied

'I know what I saw earlier'

'And that was what exactly?'

'Two people trying to deny how things really are between them'

'She's got a boyfriend'

'So?' asked Jack 'Didn't stop you falling for her before'

'That was different'

'Oh not really. You both may have changed at bit, had different experiences, but the love's still there stronger than ever'

Carter scoffed at his father's suggestion.

'That was a very nice gift just to give your 'friend' ' Jack added

'I wanted to thank her, let her know I appreciated what she'd done'

'It's not too late John, if you really love her. You've never given up on something your heart's desired, needed before. Why start now?'

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Two weeks later. Jan 05

'Damn' said Ben as he pulled away from Abby and went into the bathroom

'What?' she called from the bed

When he didn't reply she turned over and shut her eyes. He returned some moments later.

'You okay?' she asked propping herself up in one elbow.

'The condom split' he explained

'Oh'

'If you'd gone on the pill like I'd suggested' he said crossly

She sighed 'I didn't get round to it'

'We've been seeing each other for a while'

'I know, I'm sorry'

'I had my kids. I don't want anymore, my family's complete, even if I have divorced their mother'

'I'll take the morning after pill if that makes you feel better' she snapped clambering out of the bed

'Where are you going? he asked

'Home' she answered hastily pulling on her clothing

'But I thought you were going to stay the night?'

'I've changed my mind' she told him her tone hostile

He looked at her retiring form but he didn't attempt to follow her. Instead he lay down in the bed and went to sleep.

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Carter led Eleanor into the restaurant one hand at the small of her back the other trying to loosen the tie which he felt was choking him. As he prepared for a tension filled evening.

They had ordered their meal and Eleanor was telling him how she was spending her days when Carter caught something interesting out the corner of his eye. Although his mother was still talking Carter didn't hear a word she said. Sitting in the corner of the restaurant was Ben Norris and an elegant looking woman.

Carter spent the remainder of the meal trying valiantly to concentrate and appear interested in all his mother was saying, whilst keeping one eye on Ben and his dinner partner. Which he concurred was most definitely a date. The way they looked, touched each other actually convinced Carter they were lovers. They departed whilst Carter and Eleanor were eating desert. Carter watched, as out on the sidewalk they shared a kiss. Which was most certainly a kiss of two people who were more than friends.

Somehow he managed to compose himself in front of his mother. Even though he wished he could go outside and punch Ben, hard.

'John something wrong?' Eleanor asked

He focused back on his mother and said 'No, I've just seen someone I know'

'Oh, do you need to go and talk with them?' she queried

'No' he replied shaking his head and smiling at her. While inside his mind was in turmoil.

A hundred thoughts ran through his mind that night. What should he do? Should he tell Abby what he saw? What should he say? Not one of the thoughts convinced him what to say for the best. And he had his first bought of insomnia for over two months.

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