Disclaimer: I do not own ER or any of its characters. The only one that I own is Jessica "Jess" Graham! Yeah, she came out of my head :)

Long chapter ahead! A/N in the end :)

Forgive my mistakes!

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Jess jumped the last two steps of the small stairs in front of Abby's building and walked down the street. It was another cold night in Chicago and Jess put her arms around her body trying to warm herself. She looked to her watch. 20:20.

"I doubt that Ray will be outside the hospital at nine." - Jess thought. "He is always stuck with something."

Jess continued walking down the street, heading to the El. The cold wind scratched her skin and made her shiver. She walked as fast as she could, afraid that she would miss the train. She got to the stairs of the El and quickly climbed them. When she was at the station she saw that the train wasn't there yet and sat down at a bench. She looked through her purse and took a small mirror. It was a little dusty and had some scrathes on it but she didn't care about it. She saw her on face at the mirror and made a disgusted face.

"God" – she whispered to herself – "I do look like shit"

She put the small mirror back in her purse and took a hair fastener. She took her hair and made a pony tail, letting her purse fall open in the process. Jess rolled her eyes with frustration and finished making her pony tail. She bent down and started to pick up her things. When she almost finished she saw an envelope that fell from her purse. She finished taking her stuff and put everything back in her purse, except the envelope. The paper was already a bit yellow and the envelope was already open. She glared the front of the envelope where it was written "Alliance du Medicine Internacionale". Jess was about to take the content of the envelope but was suddenly startled by the noise from the train that was coming. She looked to the train that was about to stop and then back to the envelope. With a sigh she put the envelope back in to the purse and got up to take the El.

Abby got out of the shower and put on her sweat pants and a black shirt. When she got off the steamy bathroom she felt how cold was her apartment. She quickly put on a sweater that was laying on her bed and walked to the living room. She got near her answering machine and pressed a button. She walked to the kitchen and opened up the fridge.

"There must be something here that is worth eating" – she mumbled.

"You have 3 new messages" – said the voice coming of the machine.

Abby took of the fridge a pizza box from the previous day and opened it. There were three slices in it yet. She made a face and shrugged.

"Good afternoon Ms. Abigail Lockhart" - said a voice from the machine. Abby made an upset face and then mumbled "It's Abby" to the machine – "I'm calling from 'The Globe' newspaper and I have a wonderful promotion for you!"

"I bet you do" – said Abby, walking to the machine and pressing the delete button. The second message started.

"Good afternoon Ms. Lockhart. I'm from the 'Ballet Store' and..." - Abby pressed the delete button again.

"Do I look like a ballerina?" – she asked the machine and sighed – "No one leaves normal messages anymore?"

She then walked back to the kitchen and picked up a plate. She put two slices of pizza in the plate and then in the microwave. Just when she closed the microwave door the third message started. This time it wasn't from any newspaper or store.

'Hey... Abby." – Jake's voice came out of the machine – "I know you just got out of the hospital but I just wanted to know the amount of Demerol you gave to Mr. Salvador. You didn't... Oh, wait. What?" – Abby could hear Haleh's voice in the back but she couldn't make sense of what she was saying. – "Oh, okay. Hm... Haleh just found out so... Hm, sorry. Okay, thanks. Bye, Abby."

Abby smiled. "Poor Jake" she thought "Just another intern in County. He must be in trouble." Abby smiled again while she remembered her own days as an intern. The microwave made a "DING!" and Abby looked to it. Just when she took the first step towards the microwave the bell rang. Abby sighed and went to the door. She opened it and a big smile appeared on her face.

"Hi." – Abby said, smiling.

Jess was at the ambulance bay, sitting on a bench. She was almost disappearing in the middle of her coat and she was still cold. "Where the hell is Ray? Ahhh, I'll kill him for being late!" Jess thought. She looked to her watch and then looked to the E.R. exit. She was starting to think about going home when she realized some movement coming from the exit doors. She looked to the doors and there was Ray, walking towards her and smiling. Jess stood up and opened her mouth to speak, but Ray was faster.

"Sorry." – Ray said – "I was stuck with a trauma and then Urology wouldn't just come down and take their patient and..."

"Stop. Just stop." – Jess said and Ray looked to her apologetically and reminded her of a seven-year-old boy – "I'll kill you. I swear. Do you have any idea of how cold is out here?"

"You could have waited inside."

"And be sucked in? Don't think so. If I waited inside, I would probably be in there with five patients and a trauma right now."

Ray laughed and both of them started walking out of the ambulance bay side by side.

"By the way..." – Jess started – "Where are we going?"

Ray smiled at his friend. "I was thinking that maybe we could go for a walk by the lake. I need to talk to you about something."

"Hmm... It has to do with the one that you need my help with?"

"Well... Yes... No." – Ray said, blushing a little. – "I believe I won't need your need your help anymore."

"Why?"

"Hm, well, I'm kind of giving up." – Ray said when they got to the lake.

"WHAT? You giving up? It must be really bad." – Jess was a little worried now.

"Yeah, it is. I... I realized it would be too complicated."

"Okay, you got to tell me who it is now."

Ray smiled to his friend's curiosity and was about to start speaking when he heard a voice that he knew quite well scream.

"JEEESS! RAAAY!"

They both stopped and looked back and saw a short woman running towards them. She had chocolate brown skin, eyes and hair which was short and wavy.

Neela was running to meet them.

"You haven't heard me calling you?" – Neela asked with a British accent very present in her voice. – "I saw you guys walking out of the ambulance bay and I needed to talk to you." – Neela looked to Jess.

"You could've phoned me!" – Jess laughed showing her her cellphone.

"Like you would have heard it ringing!" – Neela laughed too. – "Anyway, I must be fast. Michael said he would call me with good news." – Neela smile widened.

"Great." – Ray mumbled. Jess looked to him inquisitively.

"So, Jess." – Neela started – "Kovac is looking for you and I told him you were with you cell but he laughed at that too." – Jess laughed, so did Neela and Ray. – "Weaver wants to talk to you too and Henry called asking for you."

"He called to the hospital?" – Jess asked, surprised.

"Yeap. Frank got nervous with him and said he could talk with 'his girlfriend's third world adoption'" – Neela rolled her eyes. – "He said he tried to call your place but you didn't answer."

"Yeah, well... I haven't got home yet. I'll call him when I get there."

"Okay. Just don't start thinking that I'm your answering machine, all right?" – Neela smiled. – "Have to go. Bye, see you tomorrow! And don't make much noise when get home, Ray!" – Neela started running back to the street and headed to the El.

Jess and Ray started walking again and Ray was the only one talking this time.

"I really admire Neela. She is able to keep a relationship with a guy with the whole distance and war thing... I mean, many relationships wouldn't resist it." – Ray said and Jess just kept looking to the floor. When his words finally hit her she looked up and smiled.

"Do you think that..." – Ray started again – "Do you think they'll resist?"

Jess stopped walking and looked to Ray with a face like she was about to hit him.

"Please be kidding." – she said.

"What?" – Ray asked, but looked to the floor, trying to appear innocent.

"Neela?" – Jess asked in a whisper. – "She is the girl you like? She is the one you asked my help with?"

"No!" – Ray lied, but he looked into Jess' eyes and couldn't do it – "Yes."

"Oh God!" – Jess looked away and put a hand on her forehead – "I can't believe this."

"What! I said I gave up on her!" – Ray said, a little louder this time.

"You obviously did NOT!" – Jess started to speak louder too. – "You're asking if I think that she and Michael will break up!"

"Well, sorry then!"

"You knew that I couldn't help you with this! She is in love with Mike and I can't just come to her and ask what she thinks about you!"

"I NEVER ASKED YOU TO DO IT!" – Ray was screaming now and his face was red with anger. – "I'm sorry if I came to you to talk about it! I just thought you were my friend!

"I AM YOUR FRIEND!" – Jess yelled as well – "But I'm Neela's friend too, and you know that I can't do it! You know that I can't persuade her to break up with Mike so that she will be with you!"

"OKAY THEN, SORRY!"

"Ray" – Jess said, in a normal tone – "I really wanted to help. But you know I can't. But you can talk to me about it, anyway. I am your friend. You just can't expect that I'll do something about it."

"Don't mind. It's my problem. I don't need you. And nothing coming from you. Sorry if I bothered you." – Ray said, without looking in her eyes and in an arrogant tone.

Jess was really mad now.

"Ray" – she looked to the floor and then into his eyes – "You are a jerk."

And she walked back to the street, without saying another word.

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Well, this chapter was EXHAUSTING. But it was worth it :)

Abby's story will continue next chapter such as Jess', Ray's and Neela's.

And yes, I loooooooooove Neela :)

Thank you for the reviews! They make me want to write more and more!