AN: Well it's Sunday night and I managed to get near the computer and because tomorrow is my Mum's birthday I thought I'd better update tonight. Thank you if you have taken the time to review, I was glad you liked the previous chapter. There is also another small authors note at the bottom of the page, if you read and want to review the chapter, please answer my question.

Drawn Uncontrollably To You

Chapter 26

Two months later (July 07)

'Mr Healy, you need to take this medication three times daily' said Susan handing her nearly ex-patient his meds. She had just discharged him when she noticed Abby lumbering heavily down the hallway.

'Abby!' she called catching up easily with her.

'Hey' Abby replied

'How are you? You okay?' Susan asked

'Yeah I'm good. I seem to be slowing up though'

'Well take it easy no one's expecting you to stand in trauma for hours or anything'

'Thank you'

'Heard from Carter?' asked Susan

'Uh-huh, he landed a few hours ago'

'You going to behave yourself whilst he's away right?'

'Of course. What with you and Fleur fussing it will be worse than living with Carter' Abby told her then off Susan's hurt expression she added 'only kidding'

'That's okay'

'I do have plans however' said Abby

'Sounds ominous, tell' Susan insisted

'I'm going to decorate the nursery'

'You are going to do it?' asked Susan thinking that Carter would be horrified if he knew.

'No, not exactly. I hired a decorator'

'Good because I was going to say..'

'I know what you were going to say' said Abby cutting in 'And I'm not that dumb. Besides Carter's really panicking now and I don't want to make him any worse. It's a wonder he went to Boston at all'

o0o

Carter sat in the board meeting half listening to a guy drone on about profits and loss. Jack kept giving him sharp looks every time he caught Carter's eye. Carter tried to concentrate on what he was supposed to be listening to but his mind just kept drifting off to think about Abby and the baby, wishing that he was back home instead of here.

'You're not going to stay with me then?' asked Jack later 'I have plenty of room in my apartment'

'I checked into a hotel' Carter replied 'But we need to talk, I mean I need to talk to you whilst I'm here. I don't know when I'll get the chance to come back for a while'

'How's Abby?' asked Jack

'Good, big, bigger than I thought she'd be and still five weeks to D Day'

'She still working?'

'Yes, I'll think she'll work right up to the birth, despite my protests at her slowing down and doing otherwise'

'Boston's' not that far from Chicago, it only takes a few hours to fly home if you have to' Jack said trying to be helpful.

'Yeah, hopefully that won't happen'

o0o

Two days later Jack and Carter met for the talk Carter had been dreading. But Abby was right as usual he admitted grudgingly, he had to talk out with his father his feelings after the incredible revelation in the Spring regarding Fleur. Fleur who had actually, Carter dared to admit become to mean more to him than just a colleague.

Jack broke the silence which was hanging over them like a black storm cloud. 'I spoke with your mother'

'You told her about Fleur?' Carter asked, surprised

'I thought. I know I've made a lot of mistakes in my life and I thought it best to be honest with her even if it is over thirty years too late'

'How did she take it?'

'Better than expected. She asked me to leave, but she called and we talked a couple of weeks later. Things have been strained between us for years, to be honest this doesn't make much difference. John I want to make everything right in all this mess and confusion I caused and that includes making things right with Fleur and with you'

'We can't change our pasts, whatever regrets we have' Carter said thoughtfully.

'You have regrets too?' asked Jack

'Doesn't everyone. I wish I'd spent more time with Gamma. I wish I'd been more vigilant the night Lucy and I were stabbed, I wish.... The list could go on and on'

'Yes I know what you mean. So have you had time to digest everything?'

Carter nodded 'Yeah. It was a shock. I knew when Abby and I sat on the sofa something unexpected was going to happen, but never that' He stopped and took a deep breath and sighed saying 'Sorry I got mad'

'I deserved it' Jack said simply

'But it all happened so long ago. I was so young, I didn't realise anything was happening with you and Mom'

'In retrospect I wish I'd done more for Fleur when her grandmother died. I didn't handle it well. Hell I didn't handle it at all I left it to my parents'

'Did you love her? Julia I mean?' asked Carter needing to know

'Infatuated maybe. But no I didn't love her. Maybe that's why I didn't help or really acknowledge Fleur'

'You knew about her from the beginning?'

Jack nodded 'I even went to visit her once, just before they moved, she was probably only a few weeks old'

'It was an impossible situation' said Carter deciding that if he had been in Jack's position there was no telling what he would have done.

'Are we going to be okay then?' asked Jack

Carter nodded 'It may take a while to get back what we had'

They looked at each other Carter accepting the situation and Jack relieved that he had.

o0o

A few days later Abby led Carter blindfolded up the stairs and towards the nursery.

'Can I take this off now?' he asked

'Can you see through?' she answered

'No but you asked me that already'

'Just checking' she opened the door aware that the room still smelt of new paint and was a bit of a giveaway.

'Have you been painting?' Carter asked

'Not me personally' she said honestly as she took the scarf off his eyes then added 'Well what do you think?'

Ho looked around the room with the bottom half of the wall lemon. The upper half light aqua with a cute sheep border between and matching drapes at the windows.

'I think it's saved me a job. Who did it? Susan? Fleur? You?'

'No, no and no. I got someone in'

'You paid someone?'

'Yes, you mad?' she asked tentatively.

'No'

'You still haven't said if you like it?'

'Yes I like it, when you going to finish it?'

'It is finished'

'I meant furnishings'

'Oh well that's your department'

'Mine?'

'Yeah the stuff stacked next door in the guest room. It just needs assembling'

'I think that I can manage that. Did you miss me?' he asked snaking his arm around what was once her waist and pulling her towards him.

'Uh-huh' she replied

'Missed you too' he said leaning down to show her how much with a kiss, or two.

o0o

A few weeks later one hot July afternoon in the over crowded emergency room.

'What are you doing here?' asked Jerry who had just come on shift.

'Working' said Abby

'Shouldn't you be doing something else?' he added

'Like what?'

'I don't know whatever heavily pregnant women do'

'They work if they are fit and wish to' she snapped getting irritated with him. 'Come on' she added turning to her medical student who was as incompetent and they came. Then with a chart in her hand and the med student at her heels she walked off to exam one.

She was trying to draw out information from her med student regarding the patient they were examining when Abby felt what only could be described as a pop, then a slow trickle of amniotic fluid ran down her legs.

She cursed under her breath.

'Are you alright dear?' asked the elderly patient from the bed.

'Indigestion' Abby replied

The med student by this time had enough about her to know that this was not indigestion and said to Abby 'What should I do?'

'Go to the desk and explain what's happened. I don't really want to walk around like this it will only make more work for housekeeping when they clear up the floor' she added to the puzzled expression on the students face.

The med student left and Abby said to the patient 'Where was I?' before a surprisingly strong contraction hit and she knew than she was further along than she first anticipated.

She grabbed hold of the patients headboard and willed it to pass quickly. If it was the onset of labour it would be over in a matter of seconds. Unfortunately the seconds ticked by and it was obvious that the niggling pains she had been having since lunch a couple of hours ago were the real thing. Abby was glad about one thing at least she was in the hospital. Carter would be panicking now if they were at home. CARTER! Someone was going to have to call him.

It wasn't long before Pratt came hurrying into exam one with the med student trailing behind. He took one look at her assessing the situation.

'We'll find you a bed and I'll examine you' he told Abby

'You are not examining me' she firmly told him and added 'And where are you going to get a bed, we've got patients in the halls. Call OB'

'There's not much point, we've still got the two women in exam two in early labour'

'But they arrived hours ago' exclaimed Abby

'Yeah OB is swamped today just like us. Now I'm going to find you a bed and then..'

'You can find me a bed but you're not examining me' she told him grimacing through another contraction.

'It'll be worth it in the end dear' said the elderly patient

Abby managed to smile at her before giving Pratt a glare.

'Okay I'm going' and he left the med student there looking awkward.

'Why don't you go and see Dr Schultz' suggested Abby, the med student looked at Abby gratefully and hurried away.

Pratt found Abby the only bed available, in the on call room.

'You can't be serious' Abby said as a contraction caused her to hold onto the doorframe for support.

'I don't suppose you would want to lie on a bed in the hall opposite the desk?' he answered.

'That's my only alternative? she asked 'What about trauma?'

'Susan's got a critical in one and we have a GSW three minutes out going into two. So I thought I'd leave you in the capable hands of Dr Schultz'

'She's not an attending'

'You'll have to wait until Susan or I are free. Jerry's trying to get hold of Luka or Jing-Mei'

'What am I supposed to do until then? Hold the baby in?'

'You can't be that far along'

'I think I am' she said groaning

'It's your first baby'

'Not all first babies take hours too arrive, it's not impossible to happen quickly'

'I'll get someone to check you a.s.a.p'

'Ring John' she said

'What?' Pratt said

'Get someone, I don't know Jerry? To ring John' Abby said feeling a wave of panic for the first time since this had started.

'John?' said Pratt not accustomed to calling Carter, John although he knew what his first name was.

'CARTER' she said half shouting.

'Carter, okay where is he?'

'At home, he was going to assemble the cot'

'Cutting it a bit fine' said Pratt slightly amused

'Just get him' said Abby through gritted teeth

'Okay okay I'm going the GSW is probably here anyway' said Pratt leaving Abby standing in the doorway.

There was no way she wanted to lie on the gurney in the on call room right now so she just walked into the room so that she wasn't in the way and used the wall for support.

Susan entered the on call room about twenty or so minutes later holding a gown and followed by Malik wheeling in some necessary medical paraphernalia.

'You need to put this on' she said offering Abby the gown 'Need some help?'

Abby nodded, Malik left and said to Susan 'I'll be next door if you need me'

'Someone call John?' Abby asked Susan

'Jerry, he said Carter would be here as soon as he could'

'Good'

'Okay let's get you on the gurney'

If she hadn't been in so much pain Abby would have thought the situation was farcical.

'I can't believe I'm going to have my baby here' she said becoming emotional all of a sudden and feeling the need to cry, but holding back.

'You're probably not as dilated as you imagine. The contractions get unbearable before you push' said Susan from personal experience on the subject. 'Okay let's see' and she concentrated on the exam.

The door opened quickly and Carter stood there looking anything but the experienced, professional doctor that he normally was. He walked over to Abby and she reached for his hand and held it tightly.

'You're right' said Susan looking up at Abby

'About what?' asked Carter alarmed, he had not imagined that they'd have the baby here. If it had to be in the ER it could at least be in the trauma room.

'Abby's fully dilated'

'Already?' he asked looking from Abby to Susan and back. 'It's not supposed to be this quick'

'You know as well as I do that it can happen' Abby said looking at him and deciding that he was looking particularly anxious at that moment.

'What's happening in trauma?' Carter asked Susan

'GSW in two and unstable patient in one, who has maybe a couple of hours left and we can't move him'

While they were standing there discussing this Abby had another contraction which brought Susan and Carter back to the matter in hand.

'I'm just going to get Malik' said Susan 'Ill be right back'

And she was, just in time to deliver Abby and John Carters first child.

o0o

They had been home a week as Abby nursed the baby in bed, the morning sunlight streaming thorough the windows and Carter beside her still sleeping. What was it with men she thought that they slept through when you wanted some help. However Abby had yet to express any milk so it would be difficult for him to feed their son, who had weighed in at a healthy 7lb 3oz at birth last week. He had probably broken the record for being the first baby to be born the in the on call room. She still couldn't believe that here they were with a healthy baby, a perfect healthy baby, it made her feel emotional just thinking about it. Carter was so proud and it made her smile when she pictured him holding the baby close. She was so wrapped up in her thoughts that she didn't even realise that Carter had woken up and was studying them both.

'How's my two favourite people this morning?' he asked lazily using one arm to prop his head up and the other to rub the baby's leg.

'Well he's fine, I could do with some sleep however'

Carter grinned and raised himself up and kissed her softly.

'When's he's done, I'll take him and change him then you can get some rest'

o0o

Abby plodded down stairs later that morning after attempting to sleep but not succeeding and having a long shower instead, to find Carter reading his medical journal to Michael, whilst slouching on the sofa.

'Interesting reading for a baby' Abby said

'It's the tone of my voice'

'Drones on and on'

'Hey, it's not that bad' he said and patted the sofa for her to come and join them both.

She sat down and snuggled up to Carter, placing a kiss on their son's head.

'What about me?'

'What?'

'Don't I get a kiss?'

'Here' she said and obliged lingering over the moment.

They sat they for a while marvelling at the little boy, Carter couldn't believe that it had happened that he had become a father with the woman he had only really ever felt at one with. After everything here they were together, a family.

It wasn't long before they both joined their small son in slumber, all three of them, on the sofa, together.

The End

AN: Well this is kind of like the end but I have a little epilogue if anyone's interested. But I suppose I could leave it like this. So the question is, shall I add the epilogue or not? Also in case I don't add the epilogue thank you to everyone who has read and reviewed.