A/N: Thank you to everyone who has been leaving reviews, please do it again, tee hee. I'm soooo sorry I haven't updates this story in awhile, but I've been really busy with college starting back up and writing Friends fanfic for some contests. But I'll update more often now, I promise!

Disclaimer: Don't own anything related to ER, or the songs I use in some chapters.

Chapter six: It's all relative

He rushed downstairs to open the door for her as he straightened out his hair one last time. He felt like he was in highschool again and this was his first big date or something. He was acting like a teenager, standing in front of the mirror for half an hour when he was just dressing casually anyway. This wasn't a big deal...was it? Abby had showed him again that she had feelings as well... yea, everything was going to be fine. He opened the door and he saw that she'd brought wine. Two bottles, one red and one white. He couldn't help but smile at her.

"What? I had to bring both red and white because I didn't know what you were gonna cook." She smirked at him.

"Did you crawl into my mind and read my thoughts or something?"

She laughed as she walked past him into the house "Like I need to be able to read your mind to know what you're thinking."

He took her coat and they moved into the living room.

"Ok, so which bottle will you be using tonight? You can keep both anyway."

"I don't know, I'm not a chef. What do you mean "you""?

"Well I'm not gonna have wine for obvious reasons, even though I have tried to convince you that it's under control. So what are we having? Maybe I can decide wether to have red or white." She looked up at him expectantly, but he just kept staring at her. "What?"

"Nothing it's just that I was thinking about what I have cooked for you and it's meant to be a surprise. See I was gonna make pasta first, but we just had Italian last night and then Deb didn't know anymore either. I wanted to impress you, but not be too sophisticated or make something that would be a disaster..."

"John..."

"So then she suggested all of these typical Japanese and Chinese things, some that I had never heard of so that still left me with the problem..."

"Carter..."

"...of what to cook and then at last I found something but now I need to know what wine to drink with it? I mean,"

"CARTER!" Abby yelled at the top of her lungs and she was laughing hysterically.

"What?" he looked confused and bothered that she had disturbed him while he was rambling.

"You obsess too much" she smiled at him.

"I don't obsess" She gave him a sarcastic look. "I think...intensely...Anyway I can't really help it. You threw this on me like a bombshell! Why don't you make dinner for me? And me, being the amazing guy that I am, of course said yes." He turned around, leaving for the kitchen to go and check on the food. Leaving her there shaking her head at him.

She plopped down on the couch after he told her to make herself comfortable. It had been a hard day, she'd lost 2 patients and she was glad that she got to relax here, with Carter. Her cellphone rang and she took it out of her purse. She knew she shouldn't have bought one, it bugged her that now she was feeling peaceful it was disturbing her. She saw Maggie's number on the caller ID and frowned. She had just called yesterday and Abby had phoned her back, what was wrong?

As she answered she could hear that she was definitely upset about something. She prayed that she wasn't off her meds again, but as she listened on, she heard it was about Eric. Apparentely he had disappeared and he hadn't taken any of his medications with him and Maggie was concerned.

She walked to the kitchen and saw that Carter was busying himself with the grill and other stuff that was on the table. He saw her and smiled.

"You couldn't wait could you? Well if you must know what we're having..." He saw her face and she was looking down at the ground. That couldn't be a good sign. "What's wrong? Who was on the phone? Abby?"

"It was my mother. Eric ran off and he didn't take any of his medication with him so it won't be long until he gets completely out of control again. I'm sorry John, I have to go. Help her find him and, as always, make things right I guess. Although he doesn't want my help."

He looked beaten, defenseless. He had been looking forward to this night no matter how much he had complained about cooking or the time he had spent in the kitchen. He didn't want her to leave. But then again, he understood why she had to. She saw the look on his face and she once again scolded at her and her family. He didn't deserve this. He should be with a nice girl who could give him everything she wanted and doesn't have a screwed up family. No matter how many times he told her that his family was nowhere near being normal either, it just wasn't the same.

"I'm sorry John, but I have to go"

"No, it's fine. I'm ok, really. Do you want me to go with you? Because you really can't go alone right?"

"No, I would like it if you stayed here. I'm sorry, but this is my family and you shouldn't get dragged into this. I have to deal with this, I always do."

He looked a bit hurt, but Abby ignored that and got her purse and put on her coat.

She turned and left for the door and turned around to say goodbye. Carter was leaning against the doorpost of the kitchen just watching her. She quietly said goodbye and left.

A/N: Ok ok, I know this was short, but as I said, I'll update real soon. When I'm reading this again and adjusting things here and there...I'm just surprised at the way I wrote back then, heh. Please leave me a review to say you hated it or loved it or whatever. Thanks!