Author's note: Thank you for your reviews. Sorry the waiting for the update has been so long. Question answering time: Tabitha:I have not disclosed Michaels surname, at the moment it's not really relevant anyway but if you all would like or feel the need to know I will try and write it in. Carbyfan: Thanks for the ideas. Carbytothecore: Sorry you didn't think there was enough Carby in the last chapter but it was meant to be a flashback to a time when Carter wasn't in Chicago and therefore he didn't feature much in the chapter at all.Hope this chapter is slightly better for you. MissyMaura: I got the idea from some friends of mine whose baby had pyloric stenosis.

Chapter 11

"Ready" asked Abby who was waiting with Michael at the desk for Carter, Carter nodded and they left the hospital together.

"Carter's pally with Abby last couple of weeks" commented Morris to the others who stood there.

"Maybe it's got something to do with Michael" suggested Malik

"How do you work that out?" asked Ray

"He lost his baby. Michael's pretty cute, anyone would want to spend time with him" explained Malik

"Maybe, are Carter and Abby getting back together?" Pratt asked

"They went out?" asked Rupert a third year med student drinking in this gossip.

"Ages ago yeah" Malik informed him

"Wow" said Rupert stunned

"They don't seem romantically together though. I think Malik's idea is more likely" said Jerry

"Yeah, why wouldn't he want to date her anyway, there's much more better chicks about that Abby"

"Shut up Morris" said Ray shaking his head in disagreement.

"What is this? A mothers meeting?" asked Susan taking them all by surprise at which they all looked at her sheepishly before getting on with their work.

0o0

"Are you ready for this?" Abby asked turning in her seat to face Carter as he pulled up outside her apartment.

"Yeah" he said looking straight at her.

She pursed her lips, raised her eyebrows and said "okay"

"And you?" he asked "Are you ready?"

She started to bite her bottom lip as she nodded and whispered "Yeah"

"I'll bring him back" he told her with a smile "I promise"

"I know" she sighed and before letting herself out of the jeep she swivelled round and kissed a sleeping Michael goodbye, turning back to Carter she added "Look after him"

"You know I will" he said softly "It's only for a couple of hours"

"See you later Carter she said as she shut the car door behind her and walked slowly away.

She wandered into her apartment it seemed empty somehow without Michael, here, with her. After staring mindlessly out of the window for ten minutes or so she pulled herself together and began to use the time productively, doing all those things she normally found impossible with Michael standing attached h to her leg or crawling around on the floor. She smiled to herself as she picked up a recent framed snapshot of him and wondered what he was up to now with his father, Carter.

0o0

Carter had felt extremely proud as he walked into his house with a half awake Michael in his arms. He took of both of their outdoor clothes before talking gently to Michael giving him a tour of the downstairs of the house before ascending the stairs to the upper floors.

"And this is your room, especially for when you come stay the night" Carter told Michael who gazed at his father seemingly absorbing all that Carter was telling him. Carter had had the room decorated only days before choosing another room to that which had been intended for Joshua. As the thought of Michael having that room was too painful to endure and Michael deserved a room that was specially chosen for him.

Carter turned his head towards Michael, smiled and Michael babbled back to him and in that moment Carter felt an overwhelming surge of pride and love. "You wanna play?" he asked Michael sitting him down on the floor.

Michael, who was obviously aware he was in an unfamiliar place with a man he was only beginning to get to know, scrunched up his little face and began to howl. "It's okay" Cater said joining Michael on the floor and sitting Michael on his lap, then reaching across to a large wicker basket full of new toys he had purchased that week especially for occasions such as this.

Michael snuggled into his father as he was the only slightly familiar thing in his life at that moment, as Carter rummaged through the basket and drew out a multi activity soft giraffe with scrunchy bits, squeaky bits, rattley bits, and a friendly smiley face.

"Hey Mr Giraffe" Carter said to the toy shaking it to make it jingle "Say hello to Michael"

Michael looked from him to the brightly coloured giraffe as Carter shook it again trying to divert Michael's attention. His short baby arms stretched out as he tried to grab the toy and Carter placed it in Michael's arms and was rewarded with some baby babble.

"You like him Michael?" Carter asked pausing before adding "He's yours"

Carter watched ad Michael who was now nine months old jangled and chewed the giraffe. He felt the tears well up in the back of his eyes as he thought of all that he had missed of Michael's life so far. In fact he had missed more than he had shared and that made his heart ache almost uncontrollably. However he couldn't describe the joy he felt sitting here with Michael. The only thing missing he decided in that split second was Abby. Abby? Why was he thinking of her like that?

0o0

Carter pulled out his gloves and slid his hands into them. December was definitely here, it wouldn't be too long until Christmas he thought and he began to develop some plans for sprucing up the house to make it festive for when Michael came to visit. It was a bitterly cold afternoon and a he walked by a café he considered stepping in for a coffee. It was then, at that moment when he paused that he became aware of three customers inside. He stood unobtrusively by the menu which was displayed in the window for some moments watching them. They sat at a table covered with a red checked cloth consuming coffee and pie and they smiled and laughed together. Abby fed something to Michael who sat in a highchair clapping and waving his hands to the delight of the adults. Carter felt a stab of pain in his heart as he watched Abby laugh and joke with the man. He knew they were friends, but here they were sharing coffee and pie as they, had once done. It was not the first time he had been jealous of this man and his friendship with Abby, but he resolved to make it the last. Abby was his, his and Michaels and he Carter had a lot of work to do if they were to become the family he wanted them so badly to be. Not because of his desire to have a family, or for providing a stable environment for Michael but for the place Abby Lockhart had unknowingly secured in his heart.