A/N: I know that last chapter left off in kind of a strange place but this one will make up for it. Bear with me, because it will pick back up here shortly.

Rain showers

The plane landed in Seattle to one of the many downpours that frequented the Emerald City. It was not that cold here and the rain actually felt good, when it hit Anna's skin. They had grabbed their bags and where now waiting to be picked up. Carter had called Doug and he was going to get them from the airport.

Anna and Carter stood in an alcove now watching the approaching cars for dark blue Jeep that Doug drove. Anna leaned back and watched the people coming and going, watching the flow of the airport traffic.

"Hey guys jump in." A voice called pulling Anna from her thoughts.

Anna looked the direction that the voice had come from, "hey Doug." She said walking towards the jeep and sliding inside followed by Carter.

"Doug thanks for all this." Carter said pulling the door closed as they headed for the freeway.

"No problem, just glad I could help, hey Anna how you holding up?" Doug asked.

"About as well as I can be expected I guess, considering the circumstances." She said softly now looking out the window at the falling rain.

"Understandable." Doug said sympathetically, he could see that she was tired just by looking at her, "the flight was okay?"

"Yeah pretty uneventful thank you." Carter said leaning back against the seat of the jeep. "Are you hungry Anna?"

"A little not too bad," She responded to the question, "more tired than anything."

"Yeah it takes a little getting used to the time change." Doug said, "And the grey weather doesn't help but the sun does shine in Seattle contrary to popular belief."

That got a small laugh from the tired woman sitting in the back of the jeep. Doug could not help but give her one of his famous goofy looks now as he negotiated the heavy Seattle traffic. Even though if was getting to be late night there was still a lot of cars on the freeway.

"I'm sure I will adjust just fine." Anna said looking at the darkness that surrounded the car, all the taillights that were on the road.

"Mariner's game just let out not that long ago. Seattle loves its baseball team." He said, "Although I haven't managed to break myself from being a cubbies fan. Too many years in Chicago I guess, I am still in that transplant phase."

"Doug you have been in Seattle for 4 years, I think you're beyond transplant, you are just a hopeless Chicago nut." Carter said, "Is there anyplace where we could grab her a burger and fries." He glanced in the review mirror at Anna. He lowered his voice so that she would not hear them talking, "she would go for hours with out eating if we don't get it for her. She has been shy about asking for anything. I know she feels guilty about having to have her friends help her out of the jam she is in, but I would help her out in a heartbeat."

"I know you would Carter." Doug said as the kept driving. "There's a place a little closer to the house that we can stop at get her something to eat. The girls are in bed and Carol's waiting up for us right now."

Carter looked at Doug for a minute, "we can talk about it more later," he said glancing back at Anna, "hey you okay back there?"

"Yeah I am fine." She said yawning a little now.

"We'll be to the house in just a few minutes." Doug said watching her yawn. "We've got a place for you and Carter to sleep set up there." The headed up the interstate getting off I-5 at 45th Avenue and turned shortly thereafter onto Sandpoint Way. Doug loved living on the lake. He hit a drive thru on the way and then it did not take long before they pulled into a house just off the lake. "We're home," Doug said as he parked the car in the driveway.

"It's a beautiful home Doug." Anna said as she got out of the jeep taking in the sights the best she could under the darkened sky of Seattle, the rain still softly falling now almost more of a mist than a rain now.

Carter grabbed their bags as they followed Doug inside the house. Anna was getting tired and looked around a little. Carol came into the kitchen when she heard them come in. Carter sat the bags down as he pulled Carol into a hug, "hey there long time no see." He smiled.

"Yeah same here Carter." She said, "Your face is the last one that I thought I would see here in Seattle." She turned to Anna after hugging Carter, "Anna it's nice to see you too, you look like you are about to drop. Here, why don't you sit down?" Carol pulled the chair out from the kitchen table.

"Here have something to eat too, and then we'll get you settled into your room for the night." He was trying to be helpful and polite to her.

"Uh thanks Doug." Anna said as she started to munch on the fries that he had set in front of her.

"Would you like a cup of coffee Anna?" Carol asked as she got one for her and Doug, "what about you Carter?"

"Sure that would be great Carol." Carter said.

"Please Carol." Anna said smiling a little now that she was among friends.

Carol made short work of filling the four cups and heading back to the table. They let Anna eat in almost silence now. "How is Chicago Carter and the County crew?"

"Everyone is pretty well." Carter said, "Susan and Kerry are doing well, and I'm sure that you heard that Romano died a few months ago in an unfortunate helicopter accident."

"Yes we heard about that." Carol said, "they had it on the evening news, the accident that is, but I talked to Elizabeth a few days later and she told us of County's loss."

"Not that he ever liked me, but it was a shame." Doug said, "so Kerry's the Chief now. County must be quiet the place to work now."

"Well it's not as bad now that Romano's not running the ER. He was an excellent surgeon but he lacked in people skills and you know he could be a little brash when he, well all of the time."

"Sounds like Robert." Carol said softly, "he'll be missed."

There was silence around the table again. Before anyone said anything, "well I have a job for you down at the hospital, its not County but I think you'll fit in. And if I remember you right, you were one hell of a pediatrician, they had an opening down at Children's here in Seattle so I threw your name out and they would like to meet you with before making anything formal but your resume spoke for itself, they think pretty highly of your over at CHOP."

"I loved working at CHOP." She said sighing softly now, "but Children's here sounds wonderful Doug, thank you, at least I will have a job and I'm thankful for that."

"Don't mention it Anna, I'm glad to have you on the staff there." Doug said as he took a sip from the coffee cup, "granted the hours aren't going to be the best, but I'm sure as low man on totem pole you kind of expected that."

"Well I wasn't expecting the day shift, so it's okay. I like working nights anyway. They tend to be as busy if not busier than days anyway." She pushed the food away from her, "I take it your work there too?"

"Yeah I have been there for about three years now." He said, "Started shortly after I got up here, the HMO thing just wasn't for me missed clinical practice to much."

"I can understand. I didn't like working in the management end at CHOP, it just wasn't as fun as patient care, but then I think I must be sick because I have gotten to the point where if I don't puked on at least once in a shift, I haven't been productive."

That mad Doug laugh, "well then I think we definitely have the right person for our staff now. We are a busy hospital but you will also be working with students, right as if you have stepped back into County. Children's is part of the University of Washington's School of Medicine."

"Ah, the good old days of teaching the future of medicine." Anna said gently covering her mouth to prevent a yawn from escaping.

Doug laughed, "Glad to see you are so enthusiastic about teaching."

"Sorry about that Doug, it's been a long and busy day. I think I saw more of Chicago today than I wanted too and then the flight, I'm just worn out." She reached down for her bag grabbing her meds so that she could take them, "If you don't mind I think I will call it a night."

Carol leaned over, "it's not trouble Anna come on I'll show you to where you will be sleeping tonight and then we'll see about finding you something more permanent tomorrow."

"Thanks Carol." Anna said as she scooted back from the table, "thank you again Doug, Carter, goodnight I will see you both in the morning."

After biding the men good night, Carol showed Anna to the bedroom got her settled in before closing the door and letting Anna drift off to sleep. Before returning to the guys in the kitchen.

"How is she really doing Carter," Carol heard Doug as she grabbed the coffee pot filling everyone's cups back up.

"She's holding up." Carter said looking at Doug, "we had a hard time losing him on the way to the airport and I think that she is still worried that he's lurking in Seattle here someplace."

"Don't blame her there, what do you think? Did you guys get out of Chicago with out him following you?" Carol asked as she sat down at the table.

"Yeah I think we did but you can't be too sure these days. I mean if he did follow us on the plane there was no way that he could have gotten his gun with him. But I think he's pretty intent on making sure that his threats to her were followed out. He came pretty close to taking her out at the mansion a couple of days, it's almost as if he's obsessed with Anna rather than in love with her." Carter said looking at the couple sitting across the table from him.

"We'll keep a good eye on her Carter." Doug said looking at him now, "I hate to think of what he has done to her."

"Yeah it wasn't pretty when she first got to County." He said thinking back to that day, "she came in on a gurney pretty banged up and all he could think about was how she was making him miss an important meeting. He doesn't care about her; he just wants to be with her."

Carol sighed now, "She'll have a fresh start here." She said looking at Carter, "you've put her in good hands Carter."

"I couldn't think of anyplace else to send her, where I knew she would be able to know someone yet be far enough away from Max that she wouldn't be easy to find."

"Well granted we're not all that far away, but Seattle is a big city so she shouldn't be hard to hide here." Doug said.

"Yeah I know." Carter said wishful that this was the right place to put her. "I trust you two, and I know the way that you feel about wife beaters Doug. If anyone can keep her safe and out of trouble it's you."

"We'll I'll do what I can. I will not make any promises but I am sure that we can do our best and give her a better life that what she had with him. No woman or child should suffer at the hands of someone who loves them, that's not love." Doug said rather disgusted. "I'll take you guys apartment hunting tomorrow find a secure building and then take her by the hospital show her around a little so that she doesn't get to lost here. It takes a few days but it is not hard to get around once you get the hang of it. Seattle's not that much different from Chicago."

"I'm sure she will," Carter said softly.

Carter, Carol and Doug talked for a little bit longer about how things were in Chicago before they turned in. They would all have a busy day tomorrow trying to get Anna settled in to her new city and her new life.