Disclaimer: I don't own anything ERandI didn't in the last chapter either!

Chapter 1: The Morning After

Carter's eyes flickered open from sleep. His eyes scrunched up at the glow of morning light that poured through the windows, the tangle of limbs restricted his movement as the familiar petite form, was back wrapped around him in an amoeba like fashion. Her chest rose and fell contently against his, in tandem with peaceful snores that escaped her lips. Sighing softly, he wished that she was able to find this peace all the time.

She began to stir slightly in his arms "Hey you" he whispered quietly, as his fingertips traced a pattern on the soft skin of her stomach "Wake up sleepyhead" he continued, capturing her nose lightly with his lips.

An indecipherable noise escaped her still, sleepy form as her trademark pout was fully formed once more. His lips twitched at the corners, barely holding in the smile, "Wow, Ms. Lockhart, how charming you are at these early hours"

"Hey I'm tired" was the now understandable reply. Despite her grouchy tone, she affectionately moved further into his embrace, grasping his hand with her own and tracing small circles in his palm.

"Really? We went to bed pretty early last night." The thought made him grin, and almost distracted him from the talk that he actually wanted to have with her, but he suppressed it to giving her a searching look as the other events of the previous night came to his mind.

"I don't know why, am I supposed to know why?" He felt her curl away from his grasp, increasing the distance between them but maintaining their contact. She knew that he could read her feelings fairly easily. It often made her uncomfortable, and she hoisted her interior defences right back up. Carter watched her eyes deaden before he looked away. They were so beautiful, but gave away to him exactly how she was feeling. Abby had a knack for hiding her true feelings, but Carter could always see it in her eyes, it is how he read her, how he knew her so well.

Abby always was a little grouchy in the mornings; he had learned to love it. All she needed was a little injection of caffeine, he gave up on this interrogation for now and decided upon this wiser option, "Breakfast?"

"If it involves coffee Dr. Carter, then I'm all yours. Her brown eyes gained their regular sparkle and a slight smile crept onto her face

"It's a deal" Carter said, planting a kiss on the lips whilst crawling out of her arms, making his way to the kitchen.

Abby sat at the kitchen table, her dark brown locks, were now darker ebony in their post-shower dampness. They were drying in slight wave around her face, getting in her eyes as she continually struggled to brush them out of the way. Carter looked on half amused and half mesmerised, she was at her prettiest when it was all natural, she usually brushed out the waves so they were straight and not half as annoying. Away in her own little world, she stopped as she caught his gaze, "What are you looking at?"

"I'm not sure; it didn't come with an instruction manual"

"Hey!" She swatted his arm in an equally playful manner. Carter winced mockingly, she rolled her eyes in reply, and that didn't last for long, gazing at her intently made her smile, his own deep brown eyes conveying deep affection. She could never keep up her pretence of anger.

"But you know, you do look even more gorgeous than the picture in the manual." He leaned forward, instigating a kiss, pecking her lightly on the lips at first. The kiss deepened as they both got lost in each other Abby reciprocating equally, running her hand through his soft un-gelled hair. Both eventually had to gasp for air. Abby smiled wryly, suppressing a giggle. Carter noticed and smiled back with a wide grin, even when she was happy she would only smile slightly, but he knew how she really felt because her eyes danced.

"Well, I must say, Dr. Carter, you sure do make an amazing breakfast" He smiled again in reply.

"I do, huh?"

"Yep, and as long as I'm still alive in twenty four hours, I'll stand by that claim." She teased, waiting expectantly for his lopsided puppy dog expression he always used to express his mock hurt. She didn't have to wait long. His light brown eyes got bigger as he tilted his head down, she could have sworn that he also stuck out his bottom lip the tiniest bit.

"Carter" Abby said with a smile in her voice.

"Yeah?" He said with the faintest whine present in his voice. He wasn't giving up this act yet.

She kept her face as straight as she could which was difficult as the grin she wanted to express hurt the sides of her face, "I'm immune to that you know"

"I don't think so" Carter said disbelievingly. At this, he turned used the lethal weapon; his brown eyes got even wider and more melancholy than before.

Abby broke her eye contact with Carter. His puppy-dog routine never failed to make her melt and she was melting right there, her stomach fluttering hopelessly. She crossed her arms petulantly ignoring his gaze, "Nope, not working on me" she stated. Carter took this opportunity to inch closer to Abby; he did it slowly and carefully observing each and every inch of her as he drew nearer completely unawares.

"Still not working…" Abby was oblivious to the fact that Carter had crept to within inches of her, until he pounced. She felt his warm breath settle softly on her neck, accompanied by light, electric kisses placed gently upwards on the side of her throat. "Still not…mmm." Her protests were distracted and gave way to moans of pleasure as his kisses moved vigorously from her throat to her chin. It wasn't long before this swift assault had captured her lips. His hand, which had laid rest upon her hips travelled in seductive rhythms up the side of her body. The other one followed the trail of Carter's kisses, it found itself wound in her soft dark hair, caressing down her cheeks and under her chin.

"Still not working?" he asked throatily, between kisses.

"Nuh huh" She murmured in reply. Abby responded to his touch, her arms wound around his neck and her hands in his hair.

Carter broke away suddenly from this embrace with a wide grin on his face, "At least you'll be at the hospital" he joked, nonchalantly, resuming the sparring that had gone before their outburst of passion.

"That was so mean" now it was Abby's turn to whine.

"I know" he stated simply, as he watched her pout. He liked to spar with her like this, if only, he thought, they could tackle the more serious things as easily. They both bantered on this superficial level often, and enjoyed it. Carter wondered however if they could ever even broach the serious. He wore his feelings as he felt them, but Abby buried hers deeply, often leaving them unreachable. Carter often pondered this issue and the implications that it might have upon their relationship. Up until now, even throughout their tumultuous friendship/romance flourished into the relationship that they were both experiencing it had never really been such an important issue. Carter had accepted that it was part of her, part of her personality. Now, he knew she was in so much pain; he had changed his mind, his very being ached at the thought of something causing her so much anguish and this had brought the issue to his attention.

"Okay then" Abby backed down. "It's a good job that I'm gonna be at the hospital, if..." he could see that this could go on for a while, so he quietened her with a kiss. Affection and passion came to the fore, amongst friendship and love, but the euphoria that Carter felt was tainted by one thing...secrets.