As you can probably tell I've totally lost it with this story, I know where I want it to go but can't get it there so please bear with me. It's also taking me longer to update because of exams but I'm trying my best. Thank you for your reviews, that's the reason I'm continuing with this.

Chap 23 - Taking Over Me

"Susan?" I call as I enter her house with the key she gave me, no reply. I try a bit louder as I walk through the dark living room

"Susan?"

"Abby?" I hear her call.

"Yeah, where are you?"

"In my bedroom." I head towards that direction and enter the room to find her sitting up in her bed.

"Hey, how are you doing, still having contractions?"

"Uh huh, They started a few days ago I thought they were just Braxton Hicks but these feel stronger and I just panicked, sorry I shouldn't have called you, I was being stupid."

"No you weren't, we should get them checked out, they might be proper contractions."

"No, I'm fine, I'll just take it easy for a bit, there's nothing wrong."

"Probably not, but we're taking you to the hospital, and I'm not taking no for an answer."

"Abby come on, I knew I shouldn't have called you, I'm not going."

"You are, you didn't pull me out of a nice meal so you can refuse to do what I say, it could be serious."

"It won't be, anyway who was this meal with, Mike?" I shake my head not wanting to go further because I know what she'll start thinking.

"Come on Abby, if you tell I'll come with you."

"Yeah right!" I laugh.

"Promise." She pulls an innocent looking face, which doesn't make me believe her anymore than before, but I tell her anyway.

"With Carter."

"Carter?" I nod as a huge grin spreads over her face.

"Nothings going on, we'd been talking about Leah and then we realised we were hungry, and Carter suggested it." She's still grinning, I shake my head at her to stop it.

"Did I hear my name?" Carter asks as he steps into the room carrying a sleeping Leah.

"Hey Carter, I didn't realise Abby brought you along as well, perhaps you can tell her I don't need to go to the hospital."

"I can do no such thing, Abby's right you need to get checked out, just in case something's wrong." At least someone agrees with me. She sighs throwing back the covers.

"Fine, but I bet it's nothing serious, and you'll have just separated me from my lovely warm bed for no reason."

"It'll still be here when you get back, now lets get you up. Did you reach Chuck?" I ask as I move round to help her out of the bed.

"No, I left a message on his phone, which I should probably changed or else he'll panic." She starts walking to the phone but I intercept her, she's only delaying leaving.

"Let him panic, we are taking you to the hospital now!" She sees that I mean it and follows Carter out of her house towards his jeep as I leave a note for Chuck before following them locking up as I go.
"I can't believe I have to stay in bed for five weeks!" Susan groans.

"Well you were complaining about leaving it earlier, now you get to spend lots of time in it!" I try to make it slightly more appealing for her, I don't think I'd be that thrilled at the thought of not being able to do anything for five weeks either.

"This is so annoying."

"Well you can get Chuck to wait on you hand and foot, you don't have to work, it doesn't sound that bad to me."

"I'll make you pay for this Abigail Lockhart."

"For what? Making you get checked out so you can find out they're real contractions. Do you want to have a premature baby?"

"No, but I'm sure nothing would have happened."

"You don't know that, it's better to be safe than sorry. Chuck will be here soon to take you home to your nice warm bed!" I laugh at her.

"What I can't even have one last hour of freedom?"

"Nope, he called when he got your message, I told him what was happening and he's coming to pick you up now."

"I guess I probably freaked him out a bit!" She smiles.

"Just a little, it was really sweet though, he was really worried."

"And now he isn't going to stop worrying, great!" She throws her head back in despair.

"Better make the most of it, as soon as the baby gets here, he's going to be worrying about him all the time instead."

"Is that what Carter's like?" she asks me.

"We don't really spend much time together with Leah, but from when we have all been together he does seem very protective over her, I think I'd be a bit worried if he wasn't."

"How are things between you two at the moment?" How come she always does this.

"How do you always manage to turn this round to me?"

"So?" I can tell she's not going to let it go.

"Things aren't too bad, we can have a normal conversation, I think we're slowly getting our friendship back, I should probably make more of an effort though, I tend to just avoid spending time alone with him, well up until tonight anyway. But it's weird, I had a really good time tonight, it kind of felt how it used to you know, when we used to go for coffee and pie together, it felt comfortable." The smile on Susan's face has grown. I give her a questioning look, wondering what she finds funny.

"I knew you'd start to work things out eventually." That threw me slightly how could she know that?

"What? How did you know?"

"It's you Abby, you know you still love him, you told me a million times how much you hated him, but you always finished by saying you wished he'd come back. You know how upset you were when he left."

"Yeah, that's because I thought I meant more to him than that."

"But you do. Who was the first person he went to see when he came back? The only person he's told about what happened with Kem."

"That doesn't mean that I meant something to him, it just means that I was the first person he thought of when he came back."

"Because you mean something to him."

"No, oh I don't know, why do things have to be so complicated?"

"Cos that's life, you have to figure out the complicated things and then you'll realise what you really want."

"That's a lot of help." I laugh,

"I try my best!" she laughs with me before our attention is lost as Chuck bursts through the door. He rushes over to Susan's bed giving her a hug before standing back, leaving one hand on her bump.

"Baby, I was so worried, is everything all right?"

"Chuck everything's fine, it was just Abby freaking out." She flashes me a smile.

"That is so not true Susan, you were the one freaking out first. Anyway I better leave you two to it, and remember you're on bed rest, so no moving about." I smile back turning towards the door.

"Thanks Abs, you better come visit me, I'm going to be so board."

"I'll be there, see you later. Take care of her Chuck."

"Don't worry, she's not going to be doing anything for the next five weeks." I leave them in peace and go to find Carter who should be around here with Leah somewhere.
I manage to make it through the ER without getting pulled into help with a patient which is a miracle and get to the lounge. Carter and Leah are both in there, fast asleep. They look so adorable lying there, Carter's arm protectively encircling our daughter. I head back out to admit to leave a note with Randy for Carter.

I put my coat on and step back into the lounge careful not to wake either of them, I prise Leah out of his grip. He mumbles something in his sleep but remains out of it, I wrap my daughter up, still admiring her perfect sleeping form. I still can't get over how perfect she is, it doesn't seem real, I have a daughter. I wonder when I'll get used to that, it's been over seven months and I still can't believe it. I hold her tight as I step out into the night and catch a cab home so I can finally join her in the land of sleep.