Disclaimer: No rights to anything

Rating: PG-13

Spoilers: Season 10...previous chapters

Authors Notes: Again, ty very much for the feedback. Trying to manage two chapters in a day since it had been about a month or two since the last.

Desperately I Long

---Morning

She awoke to the sound of water running, the bright sun shining through the curtains. Abby looked over to the clock, the red lights read 11:48 am. She dragged herself out of bed and over to the phone. Lifting the receiver she dialed Luka's number and sat on top of the dresser.

Ring Ring

"Hello?" Came the voice of the Croatian doctor.

"Hey Luka. It's Abby. How are you?"

"Abby. Hey I'm fine, and how are you? How are things in New York?"

"Great. Yeah, everything is really great Luka. I miss you guys though. You know, and County. How is everyone there? Susan? Kerry? Neela?…" Hearing Luka's voice made her miss them more. She'd spend the past 6 years helping fight for people's lives with them, they were family to her. It had almost made her want to pack up and run back to Chicago. The bathroom door opened and Mikael appeared. Almost. She smiled as he came over and planted a kiss on the tip of her nose.

"Everyone is doing well. Hey Abby, Sam's here and she's fighting me for the phone. So I'll let you talk. We all miss you. Come back to visit soon."

"Bye Luka. Miss you too."

She heard a scrambling of the phone as Sam came on the line. "Abby!"

"Hey Sam!! How are you?"

"I'm great! How are you?"

"Great too. What's up? What's your news?"

"We're getting married!!" Sam gushed. "I mean, he asked me last night. I told him yes of course. Alex is pretty happy about it too, at least he says he is."

"Wow Sam. I'm so happy for the two of you!! That's so great. Have you guys set a date yet?" Mikael came over, resting his hands on her thighs.

"Not for sure yet. Sometime in August. You think you'll make it back for it?" Sam seemed unsure.

"Of course I will. And I'll be bringing someone." She leaned up, kissing him. He kissed her back shortly before turning to finish getting ready.

"Oh?"

"Yeah. His name is Mikael. I met him on the plane and he got me a job at his hospital. And right now he's about to be late to said hospital." Abby opened the drawer beneath her, pulling out a pair of his pants and throwing them across the room at him.

Sam laughed. "Okay well you will have to tell me more about this man who has kept you more than a little occupied the past month when we talk next. We miss you Abby. Talk to you soon, okay?"

"Miss you all too. And don't worry, I'll tell you all about it later. Talk to you soon!! And congrats again."

"Bye Abby."

"Bye Sam." Abby hung the phone up and slide off the dresser. She threw some clothes on and walked out to the kitchen where Mikael was putting his coffee cup in the sink. "You ready?" She looked grabbed his wrist, turning it to see the face of his watch. "You're gunna be late." She walked over and grabbed his jacket, her purse and the two sets of keys off the table, throwing one in his jacket pocket and the other in her purse. Grabbing her hand he led them out of the apartment, closing the door behind him. Falling in step, they walked down the block. "So Luka and Sam are getting married in August." She was the first to break the silence.

"Yeah? And Luka is the Croatian doctor right? And Sam the nurse?" Mikael asked.

Abby nodded. "We're both invited. That's if you want to come with me. You don't have to, of course. But I'd really like it if you did."

He smiled down at her. "Of course I want to come with you." Pausing. "Abby?" He stopped mid-stride.

"Hmm?" She turned to face him.

"Abby, I'm in love with you." He noted the moment, in front of the fountain.

Abby took a moment to process this. "Well I'm in love with you too Mikael." Grinning, she squeezed his hand tighter as he kissed her. They walked the rest of the way to the hospital, hand in hand.

"I get off at 1." He bent down to kiss her. They were outside of their hospital.

"I'll wait up for you then. I'm not on until 2 tomorrow. Half shift so I get off at 8." She kissed him again.

"Okay. I'm off tomorrow anyway. What are you doing the rest of the day?"

"Shopping. Did you write what you wanted on the list that I had on the counter?" He kissed her forehead one last time.

"Yep. So I'll call you during my break. Love you. See you when I get home." He turned.

"Okay. Love you too. See you then." She watched him walk into the building before she got her cell phone out. Dialing the familiar number she walked down the street.

Ring

"Hello?" Carter answered.

"Hey."

"Abby. Hey. What's Up? How are you?"

"I'm fine. Just calling you back. How are you?" Pausing she added, "And Kem?"

"We're both fine. Thanks for calling me back."

"Sorry it wasn't sooner. I had work yesterday." She looked back at the hospital.

"Oh, no that's okay. Where you working now?"

"Saint Claire's. In Manhattan."

"Do you like it there?"

"Yeah, actually I do." There was a long space of silence, she knew she had to tell him. "I, uh, I met someone."

"You did? Like a friend? I'm glad you're making friends there."

"No Carter. His name is Mikael. We've been together for about three weeks now. He got me the job at Saint Claire's, he's a doctor there."

"Oh…well, I'm…happy for you Abby. Three weeks huh? That's like, that's like as long as you've been there."

"Yeah, we, uh, we met on the plane." Quietness enveloped the conversation before she continued. "You know, John, that you can come visit anytime you want, if you'd like. We could go see a play, or whatever, you know, if you want to." Her words hung in the air.

"Yeah, yeah that would be nice. Maybe sometime…" Carter trailed off.

She'd reached the grocery store. "Okay well, call me…Thursday?" She questioned.

"Sure. When? Do you work?"

"Umm, yeah, but I'll be home anytime before 4."

"Okay, I'll talk to you then. Bye Abby."

"Bye John." She waited until she heard the click before hanging up her phone and grabbing a cart.