Disclaimer: Still own nothing...what a shame.

Rating: PG-13

Spoilers: Season 10

Authors Notes: Just to let the Carby fans out there know, there's still hope.

My Favourite Mistake

Sam and Luka's Wedding- Reception

"So, Abby..." Susan started, appearing in front of Abby.

"So, Susan...?" She questioned, turned her full attention to Susan. Mikael placed a hand on her lower back.

"Are you going to introduce me?"

"Ohhh, I'm sorry, yes," She turned, motioning to Mikael. "this is Mikael. I met him on the plane to New York. He's a doctor, at the hospital I work at." Seeing Susan nod she added, "Mikael, this is Susan. We used to work together when I lived here."

"Well then, how do you like Manhattan? Better than Chicago? We miss you at County, you know. Not the same without the dramatic life of nurse Lockhart." Susan countered.

She laughed. "Very funny, how I've missed your stand-up comedy. Not. But honestly, I like them both."

Susan knew there was more, but didn't want to pressure her. "Okay, well, Chuck's been wanting me to dance with him ever since we walked through the doors but I made him wait while I came to talk to you. So I'm gunna go make him happy and dance." She started to walk away, then turned. "Abby?"

"Mmm?"

"I'm sure Carter would like to talk to you. Sometime tonight."

Abby nodded. She indeed, needed to talk to Carter too but had been avoiding him like the plague. It's not that she didn't want to be around him it was just...Well, truth was, she just didn't know what to say. Mikael's voice broke her thoughts. "Wanna dance?"

"Sure." She let him lead her onto the dance floor in the mix of other couples.

"Abs?" He was holding her, swaying to the music, with his chin resting on her head. Mikael looked down at her, shifting a bit.

"Yeah?" She was looking away.

"I know that you and Carter had your thing. And I'm okay with that. If you want to talk to him, then by all means, go ahead, I'm not going to stop you. In fact, I want you to talk to him. It seems you two have unfinished business."

Abby looked him in the eyes. "Thank you. Thank you for being so understanding. We do have...business." He kissed her forehead.

She leaned closer into his embrace.


"What are you thinking about?" He heard her ask him as his gaze left the dance floor.

"Nothing." Responding to her, he stood. "Do you want something to eat?"

"No. I'm fine John, really." Kem straightened her skirt.

Carter let his attention turn back to the woman on the dance floor who always made his heart skip a beat. The one who was in another man's arms. The one who he let go to another man. Pushed, in fact. He could have, no, should have, stopped her from boarding that plane. But he hadn't. He sighed and deciding to get more wine, he made his way over to the buffet table.

"John?" He heard a faint whisper from behind him.

"What?" Not really caring who it was.

"Can we talk?" Louder this time. Carter spun around, knowing who's voice it was.

Clearing his throat and setting his glass on the table he prepared himself to talk to her about whatever it is she thought they needed to talk about. Nodding towards her, he let himself be led out the doors and into the freezing December air. They sat, silently, on the steps for moments before Abby spoke.

"I think it may be warmer in New York." She had that look on her face. The one she got when she said something other than the thing she wanted to say and was almost, second-guessing herself.

"Maybe." He kept his gaze directed towards her. She shook her head at his choice of words and pursed her lips.

Shivering she finally turned to him, looking him in the eyes. "I left you John." When he didn't make any effort to respond she went on. "I left you, at the airport in Chicago." He watched her shake her head again and look away. "That's what you think." Almost harshly she turned back. "But I didn't John, because you weren't mine and I wasn't yours. At least not in the real world. At least not in the world where Kem was carrying your baby, or the one where you wrote me that letter from Africa, or the one where you told me that we could never be." Abby covered her face with her hands. She wasn't going to cry, and Carter knew that, she was shielding herself from him seeing what she felt.

"I'm sorry Abby." It was all he could muster. He wanted to say more, he wanted to kiss her right then, he wanted to wrap her in his arms and tell her that he'd never do anything to hurt her again, he would never leave, and he would never make her cry. But instead, he looked away, away from Abby, away from whatever was between them.

"I know John, and so am I." When she turned back to him, tears glistened in her eyes. "I love you John. I'm IN love with you. And I will be, for the rest of my life. But it seems...it seems that we need to move on. Move on and learn to be apart. And who knows, maybe...maybe one day we can be together."

Son of a... He thought as he rubbed his face. Taking her face in his hands he kissed her lips. "I'm in love with you too Abby. For the rest of my life." He stood. "One more thing, before I go?"

She looked up at him. Wiping tears that threatened to fall she replied. "Yeah John?"

"One last dance?" He smiled down at her, extending his arm to help her up.

Abby giggled. "Of course." She allowed herself to be pulled up into his strong arms. And there they stood, listening to the music that wafted out the doors of the majestic Hilton Hotel. Holding onto each other in a way they had never before. Both thinking that maybe if they had held on this tight before, nothing would have changed. They'd still be together. She inhaled his scent, rubbing her face into his shirt. And for the first time in months, they both let their tears run freely. "Promise me something?" She didn't want to break the moment but she had to ask.

"Hmm?" He held onto her tighter, wanting to remember the feel of her in his arms.

"Love me forever?" She pleaded in a whisper.

"No," He heard her inhale sharply. "Forever seems too short of a time."

The trouble with love is

It can tear you up inside

Make your heart believe a lie

It's stronger than your pride

The trouble with love is

It doesn't care how fast you fall

And you can't refuse the call

You've got no say at all