November 12th, 2004

Abby turned the water on in her sink. The dishes were piling up. Neela and herself were never home to do anything, but today they both had work so they were doing a massive cleaning spree. She put some rubber gloves on and began to scrub.

"You have about one hundred bank statements here." Neela said showing Abby a box.

"I need to keep anything from five years ago to now, but you can shred the others." Abby said. Neela nodded and sat at the kitchen table. She watched as Neela began to throw things in a bag, "Can I ask you a question?"

"Besides the one you already did? Sure." Neela said. Abby sighed as she scrubbed the pan they used last night.

"What do you think of Barnett?" She asked. Neela couldn't help herself. She let out a laugh.

"Barnett? He's gorgeous. He's an ass. He's cocky. He's good doctor." She told her best friend, "He's just...an ass."

"What do you think of his smile?" Abby asked drying the pan.

"That smile is incredibly sexy." Neela said. She stopped sorting and turned around, "Why? Do you fancy him?" Abby groaned and shook her head.

"No but I think he likes me." She said. Neela bean to giggle, "What?"

"Hello, Mrs. Robinson." Neela said. Abby threw the sponge at her.

"I'm not that old. Jeez." Abby said.

"he is very cute. I say go for it if that's the answer you were looking for." Neela said. Abby's body shivered. She had to turn the heat up, "You haven't been on a date in a long time. You need to do it more often."

"I've never seen you date." Abby pointed out. Neela shrugged.

"I'm young enough to have a dry spell." She said going back to her sorting. Abby growled slightly. Young enough. Old enough. This age thing was starting to bug the hell out of Abby. It wasn't like she was fifty-five. She was allowed to date younger men. Even if those men were Ray Barnett....


"Here you go." Ray handed Sam a muffin. She looked at him oddly, "No I didn't bake it, but it's good. It's blueberry."

"My favorite." Sam smiled walking away.

"I know." Ray walked up to the admit desk with a grin on his face. This always worked like a charm. He looked up as he saw Abby walk in, "It's your day off."

"You're a real Sherlock Holmes aren't you?" She asked.

"I've been called worse." Ray chuckled as he took another chart. Abby glanced around her. It wasn't busy but it wasn't slow in this ER.

"When are you off?" She asked.

"This is my last patient so ten minutes." Ray looked up at her. "Why?"

"Because I'm taking you out." Abby said, "it's only fair." Ray stood there watching her with a smile upon his face.

"Don't justify it with an It's only fair comment. Either you're taking me out because you want to or we're not doing anything." Ray said. Abby took in a deep breath. She felt like an idiot letting this child get to her like this. She was in control of her feeling and her body.

"I'm taking you out because I want to." She said.

"Good. I'll meet you in the locker room in ten minutes." Ray said leaving to go to his patient. She was in control. She was in control. She was in control. Abby kept on repeating that to herself as she went into the locker room where Susan was feeding Cosmo.

"Oh...Sorry." Abby said closing her eyes. Susan chuckled.

"It's okay." She said stroking her son's back. "He's gotten big hasn't he?" Abby looked at the Baby. He certainly wasn't the tiny little June bug he once was.

"Thankfully he looks like you." Abby chuckled.

"I know." Susan smiled unhooking Cosmo from her breast. She began to pat his back, "So, what bring you here on your day off? You that stupid?"

"I asked Ray on a date...sort of." Abby said. Susan arched her eyebrow in disbelief.

"Our Ray? Ray Barnett?" She asked. Abby nodded, "Wow...well, good for you. He's a charmer all right."

"It's just dinner and drinks." Abby said. Susan gave her a look, "I mean dinner and Pepsi of course."

"Of course." Susan said, "You need to get back into the dating field I suppose. It's been awhile."

"So people keep on reminding me." Abby said sitting down. "Maybe I shouldn't be dating doctors. They leave a bad taste in my mouth." Susan rolled her eyes.

"What happened with you and Luka and you and John had nothing to do with something you did and you know it. It was their own stupidity that they let you go." Susan said. Abby sighed deeply. She knew Susan was correct. It never had been her in any relationship. She didn't think that in a cocky way, but her back three relationships ended because of the men. "Besides, Ray has a killer smile."

"Everyone thinks that don't they?" Abby laughed. Susan nodded.

"Well, it's true." She said as Ray came in.

"Why hello ladies." He said walking up to the couch, "Hey, there tiger." Ray ruffled Cosmo's downy hair and went to his locker.

"Ray." Susan said, "Do a lot of girls throw themselves at you?" Ray chuckled as he opened his locker. He nodded.

"It's the Barnett charm." He tossed a glance over his shoulder, "You ladies throwing yourselves at me?"

"I'm not, but Abby is." Susan said.

"Susan!" Abby hissed. Ray chuckled under his breath. Susan winked and stood up.

"Chuck should be back so I'm going to go wait outside." She said, "Have fun, Abby." Abby glared at her. Susan always did things like that.

"So," Ray shut his locker and looked at Abby, "Where are we eating?"

"My place." She smiled.

"With Neela?" Ray asked as they stepped into the hall. Abby shook her head.

"Neela is out for the night." She replied. Neela was out at the movies and then off to the library. Abby for once would have the apartment to herself.

"Oh so you are throwing yourself at me." Ray chuckled. Abby stopped in her tracks and glared at him.

"No I am not throwing myself at you. We're having dinner together. It is going no where after that." Abby said, "Don't think this is some booty call because it's not."

"Chill." Ray said, "I didn't think that. Don't be so vain." He walked ahead of her. Abby felt her cheeks flush. Damn it Ray, Abby thought.


"You have a nice place." Ray looked around. It was spacious but cramped, just like his. Abby was so thankful she and Neela got everything looking great. It would probably stay like this for a week. Then it'd look like a tornado hit it.

"Thanks. I like it." She said, "Pizza sounds good?"

"Love it." Ray said plopping himself on the couch. "Mind if I take my shoes off? I've been in them all day." Abby wrinkled her nose.

"You going to smell my apartment up." She said.

"Only a little." Ray winked. Abby nodded. With a groan, Ray kicked his shoes off underneath Abby's coffee table and plopped down onto the couch. His eyes closed. Abby could tell he had had a very long day at work. She watched his muscles relax in his face and arms. Ray opened one eye. "You like staring at people?"

"Only tired ones." She winked playfully, "Want some Pepsi?"

"Sounds good if you don't have any beer." He said. Abby pulled a can from the fridge.

"No beer allowed in this house." She smiled tossing him the can.

"How long have you been sober?" Ray asked. Abby pierced her lips.

"Excuse me?" She asked.

"You're in recovery aren't you?" Ray asked, "It makes sense." Abby nodded slowly.

"It hasn't been long enough to have self control." She said. "I was sober for six years when I had a major relapse in 2002. It's a day by day thing now." Ray nodded.

"Anything like that is a day to day battle." Ray said, "it's not cool."

"No it's not." Abby sat down on the couch next to him. She hated talking about her illness. She hated talking about herself.

"When's your birthday?" Ray asked. Abby couldn't help but to chuckle at that.

"January 10th." She said. "I like the colour blue, but black looks best on me. I like to eat Cherries and pizza, but not together." Ray laughed as he looked at her.

"You're nuts, you know that right?" He asked.

"It's hereditary." Abby smiled. Oh yeah. Bipolar runs in my family, Abby thought. She wasn't going to tell him that. There were very few people in the hospital who didn't know Maggie, he was one of them.

"I know what you mean." Ray said. The two adults sat there in silence for what seemed like hours. Abby hated silence like this...Awkward silence.

"So, you play guitar?" Abby asked. Ray nodded.

"Yeah. I love it." He said.

"Cool. It must be neat to be able to-"Abby was cut off in mid-sentence when Ray's lips silenced her. She sat there motionless trying to process what was going on. Ray was kissing her. Do something! Abby's brain screamed. It took a moment, but Abby finally started to move her lips with his. His tongue carefully slid along her bottom lip as he sucked it into his mouth. Abby shivered. He knew exactly what he was doing. He was experienced in this field.

Abby kept her groan at bay as the kiss intensified. Their tongues began to dance with one another. Slowly at first, but then pure animalistic lust filled them. Whoa, Abby thought briefly before her mind shut down. Her body was growing hot with every stroke of Ray's tongue. Finally the groan escaped from Abby's throat. Ray took that as a cue and slid his hand down to her hip. His fingers stroked the fabric of her shirt away until the were stroking the bare flesh of her side. Abby was going to melt. There was no way she could stop this now.

But then the doorbell rang. Ray groaned loudly. Pizza. It was Ray who pulled away first. Abby was stunned that that had just happened. She looked at him. His lips were swollen from her kisses, but so were his pants. Abby scrambled up off of the couch.

"I'm...pizza." She grabbed her purse and rushed out into the hallway. Abby exhaled and ran her hand through her hair. Did that just happen? She drew in a deep breath. Abby couldn't let it go any further than it just did. She just wasn't ready...mentally she wasn't ready because her body sure as hell felt hot enough to feel Ray pulsating inside of her...but not tonight.