Standard disclaimers applied. See Prologue for further details.

Author's Note: Aw Thanks for everyone's interest so far in an ER & Awtr crossover. I do have to admit that I have few chapters written already but the ending ... that's still up to speculation, so you just have to wait and see what happens. Anyways, all of you should be happy to know that the subsequent chapters will be longer than the Prologue, so enjoy!


Chapter 1: My New Roommate

"Well, I think that's the last of it. I hope I haven't forgotten anything."

Abby Lockhart did a quick inspection around what used to be her apartment and made a mental check off in her head. Satisfied with her self inspection, she balanced the last remaining box in her hand and dug into her jeans for her set of keys. Turning to her ex-roommate, she said triumphantly, "Ok, here are my set of keys, Neela. Thanks for the help with all that packing."

Nodding and waving off with a welcome, the shorter girl replied, "If you need anything, don't hesitate to ask."

Abby smiled at the offer. She had first asked the young Indian med student to move in with her. They had become good friends but like any set of roommates, they had their many moments. There were times when Abby wanted to shoot herself in the head but it helped with the rent and it was nice to have someone just around the next wall. Now, Abby was ready for something different, since she and Jake had been going steady for awhile. Abby even surprised herself by the extent of the relationship but she had no regrets with agreeing to move in with him. Speaking of which, Abby remembered the box in her hand and her boyfriend who was waiting outside in his car for her. "Thanks, Neela. I'll see you at work on Wednesday. I took two days, so I'll see you then." With that, she was gone.

Neela Rasgotra sighed as she closed and locked the door behind her. Already, she was missing Abby. It was true that the two doctors didn't always get along. Neela would admit that she had some compulsive habits that drove others up the wall but Abby was very patient and more often than not, took it in stride. Life at County General Hospital was getting better now, after her graduation and earning a residence placement. She often got on with very little sleep but having a place of her own was heavenly after a long day in the ER.

Since Abby made the announcement about moving in with Jake, Neela had been trying to find potential tenants to help share the rent. A couple of weeks later with ads posted in local papers and through word of mouth, there was still no luck. Neela hoped to find somebody soon, or else, she would need to find a cheaper place because there was no way she could afford to pay the rent herself.

-o-o-

The phone rang incessantly for about two minutes. He growled slightly as he opened the door of his bathroom to grab the cordless phone off the wall. "Barnett," he nearly snapped into the receiver.

Holding the phone in one hand and tugging it between his head and shoulder, he used the towel in his other hand to pat himself dry.

"Landon?"

There were very few people who still called Ray Landon Barnett with this name and the feminine voice gave away the identity of the caller.

"Hey ma." Ray felt a little self conscious now, being clad only in a towel when he came out of the shower. He hoped that his mother wasn't offended by his curt tone.

"Landon, the phone has been ringing for two minutes, what took you so long?"

"Ma, I was in the shower," he sighed.

"Now, Landon Rollins Carter, don't get that tone with me."

"Now ma ..."

"Don't now ma - me, young man. Just because you live in a different state, doesn't mean that I have given up my right to be your mother. Now, I missed hearing from you. The Reverend said that you sent him a card on his birthday. That was very thoughtful of you. Now, tell me what is happening with you, Landon."

Ray, or Landon as he was called, chuckled at his mother's tirade. She had been shocked - to put it mildy - when her son told her of his plans of leaving Beaufort. She was nearly rendered comatose by his decision to change his name, though he decided to keep the his first name, 'Landon' while leaving the rest. His reason was simple, "I need to do this. I'm not the same person anymore, Ma and I don't pretend to be."

Landon had applied to several universities around the country with his sights set on medical school. Mrs. Carter was proud when her son, emerged in a graduation gown and told her that he had been given an internship at County General Hospital in Chicago.

Cynthia Carter understood her son more than she was sometime given credit for. She knew that he needed to find a way to deal with everything, so she reluctantly left him go to find his way in the world. He had matured so much since Jamie, but there was a part of Landon that would always grief and pine for her.

After leaving Beaufort, he submerged himself into work. For awhile, it helped him forget because med school was very stressful and demanding. However, it didn't mean that Landon changed completely. Many of his former personality still remained. He was passionate, and devoted. He had a stubborn streak that was longer than the state border, so Cynthia knew that he was determined enough to stick through the end. He had a certain charm to him that drove those around him crazy. It was his saving grace over the course of eight years. He made a handful of good friends, but none of them knew the full extent of his past. Other were just acquaintances for he would allow few to get into his heart again.

The only time Landon allowed himself to be truly free was through his music. Bret and his bandmates were part of the privilege few who were good friends with Ray Landon Barnett but even they barely knew the Landon Rollins Carter of the past. Music served as a medium for self expression and Landon lost himself in the world of rock, even though Cynthia never truly approved her son's rocker-jock ensemble plus the black nail polisher and gel-up hair.

Landon and his father became closer than before and kept in touch as Landon worked his way through medical school.

"Ma, how's everything in Beaufort?"

Ray listened attentively to the many anecdotes that had accumulated since his departure. He was shock but happy that his high school friends, Belinda and Dean stayed around the area. The Reverend's health was keeping etc.

The conversation continued thus. "I talked to dad the other day. Yeah, he came down to help me settle into my apartment a couple of weeks ago. I'm looking for a new roommate. It would help with the rent a little bit... yes ... I know, ma... yes .. I'm fine. Why wouldn't I be? County General Hospital isn't the Ritz but so far so good. ... I guess."

He hang a couple of minutes later with a promise to call her sometime next week. Ray looked at the clock and cursed. His shift was going to start in less than a hour. Finishing with getting ready, he grabbed his backpack and guitar on his way out. Stuffing his keys into his jean pocket, he hurried to work.

-o-o-

Dr. Susan Lewis always looked for punctuality in her staff. After all, if you are working in one of the most unpredictable place in the ciy, you need as many of your staff on hand to face it head on. She was about to start on a lecture about time management, when she saw the blur figure of Ray Barnett streamed by her on his way to the lockers.

"Yo, doc," was his hurried greeting.

She shook her head. As much as she wanted to be mad at him, there was something about Ray that was elusive. She saw the way he handled patients. He had a way to distant himself while connecting with them at the same time. Of course, he also had a habit of discharging them in a rate that was faster than the high tide crashing against the shore.

She was interrupted from her musing when Dr. Neela Rasgotra came to the admissions desk to grab another chart. Susan watched the young Indian doctor as she signed of the chart that was in her current possession. Now Neela on the other hand, would never discharge her patients so quickly. She was extremely thorough and had been dubbed the 'walking book of facts.' Dr. Lewis saw the innocence and purity that Michael Gallant fell in love with and that Greg Pratt admired. Neela had a way to warm herself into people's hearts.

It's been a couple months since the death of Gallant. Every loss at County was hard, especially if it was one of their own. If possible, Neela further retreated into herself and her work. It was always Dr. Rasgotra, the professional, rather than Neela the woman. Susan felt a loss as to how to offer comfort and even Abby who was by-far the closest to Neela was helpless in that respite. They finally came to the conclusion that time may be the best medicine.

Neela felt Dr. Lewis' gaze upon hers. She wondered briefly if she did something wrong. Looking up from her chart, she asked, "Is everything alright, Dr. Lewis?"

The older blonde seem to shook herself from the reverie and said, "Oh, I'm fine. How about you, Neela? I heard that Abby moved in with Jake."

Neela nodded, "Yes, and I've been trying to find a new roommates for a couple of weeks now. So far, no luck."

The two women was interrupted by a voice behind them. "Who said something about needing a roommate?"

Ray hadn't meant to eavesdrop on the conversation but he couldn't help it because he was going to pull up a few charts. He was just glad that Dr. Lewis decided to forgo a lecture about coming to work on time.

"Yes, I have a opening at my apartment," Neela replied to his question.

Ray cocked his head to one side. He had only been interning here for a few weeks, so he didn't recognize the shorter woman in front of him. His eyes darted to her name tag: Neela Rasgotra. "Well Neela, I have an opening at my place too."

She looked up at him as if seeing him for the first time. His breath was caught. In her eyes, he saw something foreign, something akin to grief and sadness and he wondered what could the source. The way that she stared at him, it was though she was trying to unravel the intricacies that was his past. Then, she smiled and her face radiated for a brief moment, so fast that he wasn't sure if he imaged it himself.

She was beginning to feel self conscious of the silence between them, until she noted with a blush that it was her turn to comment. "Well, umm... why don't I give you a call and we can set something up?"

She was flustered but she was grateful that he didn't seem to mind. The ringing from a beeper broke the awkward silence. Susan looked up apologetically, when she said, "Sorry."

Indeed, the older doctor was sorry because she really wanted to see the end of the conversation. It was rare to see Neela so tongue tied, so she decided to store that little piece of information to her memory. The fact that Barnett was acting extremely suave struck a cord.

Neela saw the retreating back of Dr. Lewis before she remembered that it was her turn to say something again. Taking a quick glance at his name tag, "Here's my address and number, Barnett." She quickly took her notepad and scribble frantically on it. Thrusting the single piece of paper in his hand, she then grabbed her charts without looking back at him.

-o-o-

She had put the incident out of her mind for the rest of the shift. Although, she and Ray Barnett did work alongside each other when a trauma came in. They worked silently though, trying to gauge the other's style. Their early conversation was unaddressed, so Neela was surprised to see Ray waiting for her at the end of the shift. She had pulled an overtime because Dr. Carter had to leave urgently on a personal matter. "I figure I'll come with you to see your place right now, if you don't mind," the intern explained.

"No, it's fine." He motioned for her to lead the way and like their previous conversation, they lapsed into silence. Neela was too tired for small-talk and Ray didn't press.

Neela's apartment was only a short walking distance after they got off the subway. The whole place was cozy but there was a sense of coldness in the air that Ray couldn't quite place. He just dismissed it as the draft in the air. The place was bit small and cramp for his style. Not only that, it was a bit out of the way from where he did his gigs with his band. He didn't voice all of this, instead, he said, "How much you said was the rent?"

Neela named a price to which Ray replied, "Well, my place is only two stops from here. It's bigger with a great view from the balcony. It's a slightly more expensive but I think we can scrape by with the two of us to split the rent. Why don't you come by and see it tomorrow, before we decide who moves where."

However, it wasn't much of a choice because Neela knew that everything felt right the moment she stepped into the apartment. There was a sort of warmth which she immediately contributed to the amazing view. She saw Chicago at its finest, with the backdrop of the newly-risen sun against the glistening windows of skyscrapers. The balcony itself was really part of the fire escape, but she was surprised by the presence of a large telescope there. The apartment itself was barely furnished, but Ray's guitar and music equipment had taken residence there as well.

"Alright, Ray," she said as she turned to the intern. She couldn't shake the feeling that this was where she belonged.

"Alright, roomie," he returned, holding his hand outstretched sealing the deal.

End of Chapter 1


AN: I know this is kinda slow right now, more general background stuff, but I appreciate any input from you guys. Don't forget to r/r.