Title: Never Let Your Guard Down.

Author: Simple Plan Rulz

Rating: T

Disclaimer: I do not own ER etc etc

Notes on spelling: Okay I officially apologize for all spelling mistakes in any of my fan fictions. You see, I am dyslexic and so spelling is difficult for me, I do use spell checker but it can't tell, for example, if I'm using the right there, or their. And, as a dyslexic I find checking my work myself extremely difficult, so apologies for the crap spelling. Also I'm from England and so spelling in England can be different to spelling in America, I have set the language on my computer to American (much to the annoyance of everyone else in my house, as it keeps telling them their spelling colour wrong!) but I don't think it picks it all up. So basically, sorry for the awful spelling.

Notes on chapter: soz for the delay, I've been in Lyon, France, for the last few days to visit my brother at his university. So here is the next chapter, thanks for all the reviews!

Chapter 13: The 'Rents Part 3

Ray and Abby hurriedly got dressed.

"You, I can't believe you," Neela screamed, making her way over to Abby, "You know, I expected this of him, but not of you, Abby, you're supposed to be the sensible one,"

"You have got no right to shout at me, we're the ones doing you a favor," Abby screamed back.

"Favor! Favor! It only a favor as long as you do it right! How do you think I'm going to explain this to my parents?"

Ray looked at the Rasgotra family, they didn't look angry, like he had expected them to, more confused, of course, they had no idea what Abby and Neela where arguing about. They seem to be arguing about something, but why Abby having an affair with Ray was a favor to Neela was beyond them.

Abby and Neela had been arguing for a while now, whilst Ray just stood there like a lemon. Abby had been packing up her stuff, and shouting at Neela, when she turned to Ray. "Ray, go get your stuff, we're leaving."

Ray nodded and went off to go pack his stuff.

The last 15 minutes had been a blur. Ray got his case, and went out to the car with Abby, who was still arguing with Neela, they had argued some more and then Abby drove off, still shouting at Neela as she went off down the driveway, towards the road.

The car journey ever since had been pretty silent. Ray wasn't quite sure where they were going but he didn't really care.

All he could think about was how they had just left Neela. She was supposed to be their friend and they just left her. It was weird, Abby was angry at Neela, Abby and Neela were like, never angry at each other. He still couldn't believe they had just left her to face the consequences of what they had done and, as much as Ray loved Abby and wanted to please her, he could let that happen.

"Pull over," Ray was quite angry, Abby should have known better than to abandon her best friend.

"What?" Abby looked at him confused.

"Just pull over, on the side of the road."

"Why?"

"Just do it."

Hesitantly, Abby pulled over.

Ray sighed, "We should go back,"

"What? No way, we we're doing her a favor by coming down here this weekend, she shouldn't have got mad at us,"

"Well, I dunno bout you, but if you ask me, it wasn't much of a favor. The whole reason she had us come down here this weekend was because she was worried about her parents judging her by her friends and about her parents getting her an arranged marriage, and I doubt very much that her parents think we're appropriate friends for Neela, and there probably gunna force her into that arranged marriage. She'd have been better off just pretending she could make it this weekend. We totally ruined everything for her. That's supposed to be a favor?"

Abby remained silent. This was the first time Ray had ever really stood up for someone, in front of her. She knew he was right, but she just didn't want to admit she was wrong. Instead she just got out the car and went and sat in the back, a clear signal she wasn't going to stop Ray, but that she also didn't want to be a part of this.

When they got back to Abby's house, Ray was about to get out of the car, when he turned round to talk to Abby.

"You coming?" He asked Abby. She shook her head.

Ray knocked on the front door, Neela opened it.

"I'm sorry," Ray admitted, "that was a total jack ass thing for me to do, you deserve better."

Neela nodded.

"Have you talked to them bout it yet?"

She shook her head.

"Come on," he took her hand, "I'll do it with you."

He strolled into the living room, Neela's parents where sitting on the sofa.

"Mr. and Mrs. Rasgotra," Ray began, "I know you probably really don't want to see me right now or even listen to me, but you just gotta give me the chance to explain something. You see, a few days ago, Neela came to me and Abby, asking us to come with her to London, to meet her parents. She'd asked us to be, like, on our best behavior cause, according to her, her parents tended to judge her, by the people she hung out with. And, well, I think that's not right. You guys are a good family, you work well together, trust me, I know, it takes having bad family to see how great a good one is. You wouldn't believe that your daughter was stupid, just cause she hung out with stupid people or that she was ugly, just cause she hung out with ugly people. You have got yourself a bright, intelligent and organized daughter, who, in my opinion, is also a great doctor. You should count yourself lucky. I know I would."

Neela couldn't believe it, up until now she had still been angry with Ray, but after that speech? How could she still be, it was the sweetest thing Ray had ever said about her.

"Thanks Ray," she smiled and hugged him.

"Listen," she turned to her parents, "Ray's not my boyfriend, he never was. Actually, he's going out with Abby! Hence, our little mix up! The reason I pretended he was, is that well, I didn't want you to get me that arranged marriage!"

"Oh baby," Saloni hugged her daughter, "You are so silly sometimes, if you didn't want an arranged marriage you just had to say!"

Neela laughed, "Really?"

"Of course," Mr. Rasgotra insisted.

The four of them where in the middle of a group hug moment, when they heard a knocking on the living room door. It was Abby.

"Look Neela, I'm sorry, I should have known better and I should have seen that I wasn't doing you a favor at all."

Neela smiled and went to go hug Abby, "Its okay, I'm sorry for shouting at you,"

"Friends?" Abby asked.

"Friends," Neela replied.

After the weekend, Abby, Neela and Ray had to go back to Chicago.

"Listen Ray," Saloni took Ray by the hand, "If your ever in need of a good family, we'll always be here, just give us a call,"

Ray smiled and hugged Saloni, it meant a lot to him, to be accepted into a family, even if it was Neela's!

"Good bye young man," Mr. Rasgotra shook Ray's hand. For some reason Ray liked Mr. Rasgotra, he was a man of few words, but he seemed very kind and wise. Ray would defiantly not have minded having a father like him.

"Come on Ray, let's go!" Abby called from the car.

"Bye Ray," Maya smiled down at himfrom the top of the stairs, "And if you ever break up with Abby, you know who to call!"

"Maya!" her mother shouted at her, "Go back to your room!"

Once Ray had put all his stuff on the car, and they where finally on the road, the three of the looked at each other.

"It was a good weekend," Neela smiled.

"Yer, we had a good time with the 'rents!" Ray laughed.

Wow, the past three chapters have felt like a mini fan fic in themselves! It will be weird going back to the main story. Plus I've just realized that the past three chapters haven't really helped the main story very much at all! Oh well. The next chapter is more important! Abby finally decides to go to one of Rays gigs! But things go horribly wrong!