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Drawn Uncontrollably To You

Chapter 19

December 2005

He softly trailed a series of kisses up her body before fastening his mouth on hers.

'Good morning' he said eventually when they parted for air.

'Mmm. What time is it?' she asked lazily, contented to stay right where she was.

Carter shifted his head to look at the clock 'Five after six' he responded turning back to Abby and leant down to nuzzle into her neck.

'What?' she exclaimed sitting bolt upright in bed and causing Carter to bang his nose.

'Oww' he muttered

'What?' she said again glancing at him and realising what had occurred then added 'sorry'

She climbed hastily out of bed and entered the bathroom for a few moments before reappearing and throwing on the first garments she could find, then tying her hair into a scruffy ponytail.

'What are you doing?' Carter asked amused as he watched her obvious panic.

'I've got a shift. Why didn't you wake me?' she replied

'I thought you weren't on 'til six' he answered

'Six yes' she said pointing to the clock in frustration

'Six tonight' he clarified

'No I'm on 'til six tonight, start at six am' she told him with the emphasis on the 'til.

'Whoops' he mumbled

'Weaver is going to kill me, everyone else won't let us live this down. You know that don't you?'

Carter just laughed and said 'It's not that bad'

Abby said 'It's okay for you, by the time you get into work I will have endured all the teasing already'

o0o

It wasn't until sometime that afternoon that the pair met up again in the corridor of the ER.

'How's it going?' Carter asked Abby.

She gave him a look which said 'how do you think'

He replied by giving her an apologetic look. He himself had endured teasing when he had arrived for his shift a couple of hours before.

'So' he said in an effort to change the subject and also to clarify a few things he had hoped to discuss with her before she went to work. 'I invited Dad for Christmas' he paused then added 'like we discussed'

'Fine' she responded then asked 'Carter?'

'Yeah?'

'I've been thinking, maybe we should ask Fleur to join us too'

'Fleur?'

'Yes'

'I know she's lonely but...'

'She hasn't got anyone John. She tries to work all the holidays and if she doesn't she sits at home alone'

'Sounds slightly familiar' he said

'I may have worked all the holidays but I still had my mad family and some good friends'

'Mmm' he said thinking about it.

'It's only for a few hours' she added

'You already asked her?' Carter asked

'No, of course not' Abby told him

Carter nodded 'Okay I can't see that it'll hurt'

o0o

Christmas 2005

Carter and Jack sat in the lounge chatting and waiting for Fleur to arrive and Abby to finish work. Carter suspected that Fleur would arrive before Abby and when the doorbell rang he knew he was right.

He leapt out of his chair and went to answer it. Jack could hear muffled voices in the hall and knew that he was going to meet the woman he had seen at John and Abby's wedding.

Carter ushered Fleur into the lounge and said 'Fleur this is Jack Carter, Dad this is Fleur. Did you meet at the wedding, I can't remember?'

When Jack didn't speak Fleur said 'Hi' and offered her hand which Jack shook.

Jack replied by saying 'No, I don't think we met'

They spent the next fifteen minutes or so making small talk and discussing work before Carter looked at his watch, then excused himself so that he could check on the dinner.

After Carter left the room there were a few moments silence before anyone spoke.

In an effort to break the silence Fleur said 'Mr Carter'

'Jack' said Jack

'Jack' said Fleur 'Abby didn't tell me, I didn't know that you would be here'

'That make a difference?' he replied politely but somewhat coldly.

'I don't want to intrude'

'You're not intruding, can't say I'm not curious though' There was another awkward silence between them before Jack added 'You are Julia Buchannan's daughter?'

'Yes, that was my mother's name' she answered in a quiet voice.

'You want something from the Carter family?' he asked his tone somewhat accusing.

'No'

'Mmm. You not after money or anything?'

She looked at him straight in the eye clearly hurt by his comments. 'I think' she started then said 'I know, I know that the Carter foundation provided money for my education and medical training. I guess I should thank you'

'My mother Millicent, insisted upon it. Said it was the least we could do under the circumstances'

'I could have done with some emotional support I had no one' she said keeping her voice neutral, which came from years of experience of hiding her real emotions, when inside she wanted to run home and have a good cry.

'I'm sorry' Jack said a little less harshly. Then added 'we can't reverse the past'

'You know I'm a surgeon, I have a good job why would you think I wanted your money?'

'Revenge perhaps?'

'Keep your money. I have no use for it. What I needed as I said before was love'

Jack couldn't respond to this so instead he said 'You know you look like her'

'Pardon'

'Julia, your mother, you resemble her'

'Mmm. I haven't really thought about it. I mean I've only got a couple of pictures, she died when I was three. When you're that young you kind of forget how people looked'

o0o

Meanwhile Abby had arrived home and had joined Carter in the kitchen.

'They seem to be getting on okay' he told her

'You think so?' she replied 'When I came in they were sitting in silence, that's why I put some music on. Maybe it was a mistake'

'What? No, you're right she's lonely and needs to meet new people. How was work?'

'Busy. They wanted me to stay on even longer than the couple of hours I already did. Said I'd go in at six' she told him

'Yeah well I start then anyway, I guess that way we might see each other'

'That's what I thought' she said.

'Did Susan leave on time?' he asked

'Yeah. she had to go pick up her Dad who's still not recovered as expected'

'Mmm' Carter said thinking about Susan and the worry she had had with her father the last six or seven weeks.

'Are we going to dish this up or not?' she asked him 'I think I'm beginning to smell burning'

'Yeah right'

'Carter'

'What?'

'I'm not joking' she said pointing to the stove where he hastily retrieved his burning sauce.

o0o

The sauce however could not be saved and so they went without. The remainder of the evening went well. Both Jack and Fleur made an effort to get along although they really could have done with sitting alone together for a few days to discuss what they had so successfully skirted that evening.

Fleur left for home exactly three hours after she arrived and Jack excused himself and went to bed leaving Carter and Abby curled up on the sofa together.