Chapter 5

Abby Lockhart tossed in her bed, woken by the strong smell of coffee escaping her kitchen and for several moments she lay unaware of who was in her apartment. She abruptly sat up as she heard a faint murmur escape from the other room. Still groggy from the hours of sleep that had just past Abby stumbled out of her bed and made her way out of the room. She stood in the doorway, dishevelled from her restless night; quietly watching her guest. A smile crept across her face as she watched him move around her apartment in the same way he had done so long ago. Whilst in the process of turning she caught his attention and he turned to face her.

"Good morning" He sung, smiling at her scruffy appearance.

Abby smiled in return as she made her way into the kitchen.

"How long have you been awake?" She asked, her voice still a little bit croaky.

"Too long. Jetlag I guess" He replied.

Abby nodded her head as she quickly glanced around the room.

"Have you tidied up?" She asked, slightly surprised.

Carter laughed a little as he ran his hand through his hair.

"Yeah, sorry…I just couldn't sleep." He added.

"No..no..it's cool Carter, actually thanks! I would never have gotten round to doing it!" She added, slightly impressed that he still remembered where everything went.

"Coffee?" Carter asked her, aware that she was in dire need of a morning pick-me-up.

Abby nodded her head in reply before she squeezed past Carter in order to get to the other side of the room. Then slowly, almost by magic both Carter and Abby fell into an age-old routine of theirs. Abby washing two cups under the tap, handing each to Carter who stood by her side with a towel – ready to dry them. As he dried the second cup she pushed past him and made her way to the kettle as Carter grabbed the sugar bowl and coffee jar. Within moments two cups of coffee were served. Both Carter and Abby was somewhat astounded at how easily they fell into their old routines. Abby was alarmed at how normal it felt to have John in her apartment, in her kitchen. She felt as though she had woken up in a time-lapse and not noticed where she and Carter we're still together and called her small apartment home. It was the thin gold ring on his left hand that quickly made her realise exactly where and 'when' she was. In between sips of her coffee she found herself smiling at him and as though they were in some parallel universe, he smiled back. For longer than expected both John and Abby remained in silence, both quietly drinking their coffee.

"So what does the 'blushing bride' have planned for today?" Carter asked as he smiled at her with the tiniest bit of sadness in his voice.

Abby rolled her eyes at his pathetic attempt to make conversation, although at the same time she was thankful he was trying.

"Well…" She started. "Susan will be dropping off my dress later which will be followed of course with my last official night of freedom" She laughed. Carter forcefully laughed back at her until he realised he hadn't even seen the groom-to-be since his arrival – not that he particularly cared for Jake, but he was still concerned.

"So…can I ask? Where's Jake?"

Abby tilted her head until she realised that Carter was yet to run into Jake.

"Ohh right! Yeah, well he's at his parents until tomorrow. His brothers are organising his party and apparently have something very special planned" Abby added with a hint of sarcasm.

Carter laughed at her reply.

"A stripper perhaps?" Carter added, laughing.

"I hope he thinks so…"

Carter smiled at her until she had turned to go back into the kitchen to get rid of her now empty cup. He felt a sudden pang of guilt when he allowed himself to wish that Jake would sleep with the stripper and call off the wedding, or that his brothers would send him on a one-way trip to Australia, or better yet – the moon. He was snapped out of his wishful thinking by a knock escaping the front door. He darted his eyes towards the door then to Abby, who in turn had reacted the same way. Abby shrugged her shoulders at Carter as he made his way towards the door. He crept up to look through the hole in the door and smiled when he seen who was standing at the other side. He relaxed his tense shoulders as he opened the door.

"Guess who?" He chirped at Abby as Susan Lewis once and again stood in the threshold.

"Hey Carter" She said as she entered Abby's apartment.

"You're early" Abby stated sounding very surprised.

"And you look like crap…" Susan added.

Abby shot her friend a quick death glare before asking her

"What are doing here?"
"I came to drop this off" Susan replied, placing a black suit-case on the back of her couch.

"But it's like 11 am" Abby added.

Susan rolled her eyes.

"Thank you Sherlock, I can tell the time!" She answered back. In response Abby smiled sarcastically as she ushered her to continue.

"I have so much to do today! I have like a whole bunch of crap to give to Weaver, then I have to pick up Cosmo and take him to Chuck's mom's, then final arrangements for tonight, then I need to get ready…" Susan rambled.

"Ok, ok!" Abby cut in.

Susan smiled at her friend in response.

"So….?" She asked, turning to face Carter. "What'd you two get up to last night?" She asked with a wink.

"She's funny isn't she?" Carter asked across to Abby.

"Very…almost too funny" Abby replied.

"Ohh! Denial!" Susan screeched from between her friends.

Both Abby and Carter laughed at Susan before they both steered her out of the apartment.

"Susan, go home!" Abby commanded as she laughed.

"Fine…but when it does happen…I wanna know" She smiled as she looked between Carter and Abby who stood at either side of her. Abby rolled her eyes and shut the door.

"Is that the dress?" Carter asked, motioning towards the black object that lay flat across the couch – trying to shift conversation from what could have been very awkward.

Abby smiled at him as she walked over to the dress.

"Uh…yeah, it is. I better go hang it up before it gets all crumpled." Abby said as she picked it up. She noticed Carter looking at it, through the cover.

"Do you wanna see it?" She asked him.

Carter laughed a little as he said: "well, yeah ok!"

Abby nodded her head as she unzipped the black cover to reveal a stunning white gown. She pulled it out and held it up to show Carter.

"Ta-da!" She smiled.

Carter's eyes widened at the mere thought of seeing her in it.

"It's…wow…"He stuttered, causing Abby to blush.

"Don't I get the runway view?" he asked with a smile. He couldn't help himself, he was well and truly under her spell – like so many times before. He could almost predict her answer before she so much as opened her mouth to speak.

"I'd rather not…Carter, sorry" She said sadly. "And besides, don't you think it would be kind of weird? You're my ex…"

"I'm also your friend" He added.

Abby hung her head in defeat. He was right, despite how much she wanted to admit it. Regardless of all of this she still didn't want to parade in front of him in her wedding dress, even though she didn't know why.

"you're right, but I don't want to have to steam it again…it's just too complicated…I don't want to have to steam it…so, you'll just have to wait until Sunday" She smirked.

Carter smiled at her and nodded his head. He laughed a little, to himself as he had found himself absorbed in a strange fantasy world in his head. This world was all too familiar to him, he had spent a great deal of time there over the last couple of years, especially when Abby was dating Luka. It was such a fantasy land that Luka had been deported and Carter was superman (minus the lycra) or at least, Abby's hero. He transported himself into this world whenever he was around her, and when they were dating – it was his escape from the million problems they always seemed to encounter. And now, in a time when he was "happily" married he was being transported into this great land where everything was the way he wanted it, nothing ever went wrong – it was perfect. With that in mind, Carter's heart, head and mouth all seemed to loose their connections, he would speak without thinking.

And that he did.

"Well, I suppose that's only fair" He smiled at Abby as he spoke. She smiled back at him before turning her attention back to the dress.

"The groom can't see the bride in her dress before the wedding…" He blurted out without thinking. Soon the words flooded back to him and shot him in the head. He stopped dead in his tracks when he realised what he had said. He spoke from his dream world for the first time in his life, and he knew he was going to pay the consequences and no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't for the life of him work out why he said what he did.
Abby stood motionless and for a brief moment Carter believed she hadn't heard him, but this was completely changed when she turned to face him – though she was yet to open her mouth.

Carter kept his eyes focused on the floor as he could feel Abby's eyes on him. With no other choice he opted for clueless ness. Using all his acting ability he shot Abby his best confused face as she stared at him, her mouth slightly open while her face threw him a totally bemused face.

"What?" He asked her, playing dumb.

"Wha…what..." She began to stutter. "What did you just say?".

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