The flight back to Chicago was just as the flight to Atlanta. They took the El on Carter's line but it was somehow different. Abby had only been on this side of town once before. Carter noticed the confused expression on Abby's face as he sat there quietly. "I wanted to show you something." He said. He stood up at the appropriate stop and hauled their bags onto the deck. From there they took a taxi.

They walked along a silent street, leaving their bags at the corner with a boy Carter paid fifty dollars to watch their stuff. The April air greeted them with the sun beaming down upon the trees. Carter opened the gate and climbed the stairs to this once familiar door. Abby followed in silence. He slipped a pair of keys out of his pocket and cranked the door open. He began to wander throughout the house.

"I bought this a couple of months ago."

"For you and Kem."

He nodded and traced his fingers along the unpainted walls. He sat down on the couch and stared. Abby approached him and started to talk but he interrupted.

"It isn't right." He started, "Maybe it was too perfect. A family. Our house…"

"Carter, you shouldn't put yourself through this."

"What am I supposed to do with this place?"

"I don't know."

The phone rang twice before Abby picked it up. Susan was on the other line asking a million questions about the trip.

"And how is Carter?"

"Fine."

"Like normal fine, pre-Makemba era fine or fine like he's ok but not shooting up."

"I'll pick answer 'b'."

"Ok, but don't forget about May 2."

"What?" Abby asked as she unpacked her last suitcase.

"My wedding! Don't tell me you forgot."

"Oh yeah. Sorry. What time do you want me to pick up Doug and Carol?"

Susan told, in great detail, what Abby was supposed to do. She was to pick up Carol and Doug tomorrow at three from the airport. They were to stay with her. Carol would take care of the dress and Abby was to coax Carter into being a groomsmen.

Abby dressed in her scrubs and grabbed her bag. She had a 'fifth floor' orientation up in OB. She had worked there before for so many years; it felt weird to go up as a med student. Dr. Coburn guided them into the nursery to wait for further instructions.
"Why does this feel like the NICU?" Neela asked frantically rubbing her hands together.

"Neela."

"I know, just need to calm down."

"My parents left me in the nursery for five days." Nestor said.

"That's nice."

Abby and Neela took their breaks downstairs in the ER while Nestor visited the jail ward. Luka and Carter were the only attendings, so they snuck into the lounge.

Neela pulled a book out of her lab coat and began to read as Abby poured them a cup of coffee.

"Were you invited?" Neela asked.

"To…?"

"Dr. Lewis' wedding."

"Oh yeah, that."

"I was but I don't know whether I should go or not."

"Go. It'll be fun."

"I haven't been to a wedding since grammar school."

"When are you off?" Abby asked contemplating how four people she barely even knew would be sharing an apartment with her.

"At one but Ray asked me to help him with something."

"Forget Ray, I'm off at two.

"And what am I supposed to tell him?"

Just then Carter and Luka pushed their backs into doorway talking about something in hushed voices. At the sight of Abby, Carter blushed and Luka became deathly silent. Luka studied Neela and Abby for a moment drinking a cup of coffee. He pulled a chair from the table and sat opposite of Neela.

"Aren't you two supposed to be in OB?"

"We're on a break." Abby said as she saw Carter leaving out of the corner of her eye.

"Well, got to get back to work then huh?" Luka said with an awkward silence at the end.

Neela glanced between Abby and the door rather quickly trying to figure out what was going on.

"What was that?" Neela asked almost laughing.

"Don't know." Abby said calmly, her eyes darting purposefully around the room. Both broke into a laugh.

Gate 541A6 now arriving. 541A6 now arriving from Seattle. The overhead intercom blared loudly into the depths of Neela, Abby, and Ray's ears. The trio gathered around a small section of chairs; Neela reading a medical journal, Abby flipping through a magazine, and Ray strumming his air guitar.

At the sound of the announcement, Abby quickly checked the folder Susan gave her and stood up. Hopping over Ray's outstretched legs, she crossed into the terminal. Carol looked around aimlessly as Doug struggled to hold onto two fidgeting little girls. Spotting Abby, Carol broke into a huge smile and gave her a wave.

Kate finally fell free of her father's arms and rushed to her mother's side. Carol placed Kate on her bag and gave Abby another wave. "Hi." They both said in unison as Neela and Ray finally caught up to all of them.

"Oh. This is my husband Doug." Carol added as he extended his hand out to Abby, winking in the process, which caused Abby to blush.

"Well I finally get to meet the notorious Dr, Ross."

He laughed at Abby's comment. With his hands in his pockets, Ray rocked back and forth on his heels releasing an enormous grunt. Abby rolled her eyes and introduced her (comrades).

The ride to Abby's apartment went fairly well. Doug and Ray carried the bags as Tess couldn't get enough of Abby.

"It's Neela, right?" Carol asked, trying to make polite conversation.

"Yes ma'm it is."

"Call me Carol."

"So your friends of Abby?"

"Susan mostly, but I guess you could say that. I mean, she delivered Tess so I guess she is more than an acquaintance. We all used to work together. I left about six years ago or so."

"So did Doug use to live in Chicago as well then?"

"Yeh, he worked at County as well."
"That's cool."

Their conversation became strained as the minutes ticked by. Abby returned with a fresh pot of tea breaking the tension in the air. Neela ran off to her fake appointment while Doug and Ray played hoops downstairs. Two hours had passed and the two reminisced about old times. But one question remained unanswered.

"So how's Mark doing these days?" Carol asked as if her question had no weight to it. Abby sat in disbelief. "What?" Carol tried again, breaking out into a broad grin.

The El rushed by, causing Susan to lose her paper. Carter laughed and struggled to pick it up from the ground but with no avail. They sat in comfortable silence watching the multitudes of people go by.

Susan lifted out her latest Nicholas Sparks novel out of her bag and began to read. Carter rolled his eyes in annoyance. "What?' Susan asked, "You were fine until I pulled my book out."

"You're reading Nicholas Sparks."

"And…"

"I just think he's a cheap author."

"Carter, Nick's book cost me a whole fifteen dollars in hardback." Susan said placing the book face down on her lap.

"Not cheap like that. I mean he has no substance."

"Love is substance. Besides, how do you know what Nicholas Sparks writes? Ever read one of his books?"

"No. Previous girlfriends read his books."

"Even…Abby?" Susan said teasingly already knowing the answer.

"No." Carter smiled shaking his head, "she likes that weird dark stuff. Stephen King and Robin Cook."

"And what books do you fancy Mr. Know It All?"

"I stick with the basics." He started with a tone much like the one he took when trying t recite Hamlet. "C.S. Lewis, Salinger, Shakespeare, and maybe a little Robin Cook here and there."

"I prefer to refer to Salinger as a 'one hit wonder'".

"Catcher in the Rye I presume?"

"Yes. I remember reading it in high school, falling in love with Holden Caulfield."

"Your literary taste astounds me."

"Thankee-sai."

"Welcome."

Resuming their silent solace, Carter contemplated whether or not to tell Susan what happened two nights earlier when it he was feeling lonely. He actually though about calling Abby before it had happened, but he didn't want to face her. Not after she flew with him all the way down to humid Atlanta. No, he decided, he couldn't tell Abby. Carter glanced back at Susan who was enjoying her book all too well. He decided to wait, but he would talk to Susan.

Once on the El, Susan gave up on Mr. Sparks and sat across from Carter trying to catch his gaze.

"You coming?"

"I'm on the El aren't I?"

"Not to Abby's, to my wedding."

"Still thinking about it." He answered a little uneasily shifting his weight in his seat.

"C'mon Carter, I've known you for almost ten years. That has to amount to something."

"Susan."

"I'm not taking your sullen 'no' for an answer."

"I need to tell you something."

Three knocks came rapidly at the wooden door. A phone rang in the distance. Tess and Cate immediately awoke from their afternoon naps, as Doug still lay limp on the couch.

Giving Abby a worried glance and a quick hug, Susan ran across the room towards Carol, their arms opened wide. "It's been too long." They both said in unison rocking back and forth in each others (embrace?).

Doug finally woke up from all the commotion as Cate climbed up into his lap dumbfounded. Forgetting about the door, Abby was startled by two hands resting on her shoulders. "Hey." Carter said almost in a whisper. She looked up at him and smiled.

"Hey Carter, what's happening man?" Doug welcomed, closing the door and patting him on the back.

"Dr. Ross." Carter said in a reserved voice.

"I got his boy out of his Peds rotation." Doug beamed, winking at Abby for the second time. He joined Susan and Carol at the kitchen table.

After settling Cate and Tess down with a movie, Abby and Carter stole to the apartment stairs outside the building. As they sat under the cloudless, starry sky, Carter fought within himself whether or not to tell Abby his sin. He looked in her direction expecting to find happiness and hope, but to his chagrin he found an Abby who stared up into the sky with a tear forming in the corner of her eye. Readjusting his position on the steps he thought of the day four years ago, in drug lock-up to be exact, when he told Abby what he was about to tell her now.

"How could you?" Abby said firmly facing head towards Carter.

"What?" Carter asked, a little taken back by the tone of her voice. She shook her head in disgust.

"After everything everyone has done for you."

"Abby-"

"No. Listen. You'd think tow times to Atlanta would do it. But no, John Truman Carter uses again!" her gaze went back to the stars.

"I…I-" he stammered out.

"I, I what?" she mocked. "You slipped, that's what." Abby paused. "Were you ever going to tell me or do you think I'm that stupid not to figure it out?"

"I wanted to but-"

"But what?" She waited patiently for his response. "What you do doesn't just affect John Carter; it effects everyone around you."

Carter stood up in disgrace and in rage and faced Abby as she sat on the second to last step. A cold breeze swept by and chilled them both.

"I'm sorry." He controlled his voice looking for hope in her eyes, but Abby met his with a cold, hard stare. "You have a problem too." He added, immediately regretting his words.

"That's right Carter. I'm the alcoholic. I'm the mother who aborted her child. I'm the student who dropped out of med school because her ex-husband who didn't pay her tuition. Happy?"

"Well you're trying to make it all about me; but it's not. You have your issues as well." He said in notorious cocky attitude.

"Don't you get it?" Abby gasped, "It is all about you. You've been given a second chance…again! Don't be the stubborn man I know you to be. If Weaver finds out she'll fire you. Don't you get that?"

"Let her fire me, see what I care." He took a step back.

The wind blew harder against their already rosy cheeks. Abby looked at Carter as if he had a third eyeball growing out of his head. Her look terrified him but he hid it well. She maintained her solid silence until he slowly walked down the street. He could feel her eyes on the back of his head.

Abby could hear Susan coming down the stairs, telling them dinner was ready. Susan stepped out into the windy air trying to call Abby back in. When Abby didn't respond, or even turn for that matter, she noticed Carter was missing. Without even asking Abby muttered, "He left."