Title: Never Let Your Guard Down.
Author: Simple Plan Rulz
Rating: T
Disclaimer: I do not own ER etc etc
Authors notes on chapter: So I have been really busy lately with a bunch of crap from school, mostly. Also I went to a simple plan concert on the 11th of feb and it was soooo amazing. So I have been planning 2 do this chapter 4 a while but I thought I would wait until valentines day so it would be more applicable. I've only got up to 'Dream House' on the actual show and all that seems to be happening atm for ray is that he has been with a 14 year old 'hilery duff with an STD'! I love that quote. But I obviously don't know bout wats happenin in America atm so don't have a go at me if I make something happen that goes majorly against the show.
Oh and btw in this Luka and Sam have broken up and are currently both single. And Susan never left. And neither did Carter, but Clemente is around too, just 2 mess things up completely. And gallant is still in iraq, but he is goin out wif neela still. Also is Eve married? I hope not as in this she is single as we don't know in England yet.
Thanks for all the reviews, keep em coming.
Chapter 18: Membring Day
"Soo," Abby sat down on the sofa next to Ray, "Are you looking forward to tomorrow?"
"Of course," Ray smiled and put his arm around Abby. This struck Abby as slightly weird, it was just the way he put his arm round her in such awkward way, and the way he said 'of course' so fakely. It just seemed like he had no idea about what there was about tomorrow to look forward to.
"So what did you get me?" Abby asked, "Come on, tell me! The suspense is killing me."
"I got you…err…I got you a…err,"
"Ray!" Abby exploded, "Do you even know what day it is tomorrow?"
Ray looked up at her, he was slightly hurt, "Abby listen.."
"Oh my god, you jackass," she picked up a pillow and chucked at him, "you forgot Valentines Day!"
Ray looked lost in thought, he seemed confused and afraid, of course Abby mistook this and thought he had forgotten all about the 14th of February, but actually, it was quite the opposite, Ray would never forget that day, but not for the reasons you would think. Of course, if Abby had looked closer she might have noticed this. But she didn't. Actually, she just stormed out of the apartment and went of to work. She didn't even give time for Ray to explain.
Abby slammed her bag into her locker, "Wooh, calm down," Susan said from behind Abby.
"It's just Ray,"
"Ooo," Susan seemed excited, "what happened?"
"He forgot Valentines Day!"
Susan shrugged, "Chuck forgets every year, you gotta put up little post it notes to remind them."
"You know we shouldn't have to put up with this behavior."
"What behavior?" Neela asked as she walked into the staff room.
"Ray forgot valentines day!" Abby explained.
"As did Chuck," Susan added.
"Well Gallant sent a letter, but it still kinda sucks that he's in Iraq."
The girls nodded.
Suddenly a bright idea came to Abby, "I know! We should have a get together on Valentines Day!"
"Yer, that be good!" Neela commented.
"I don't think Chuck will be too happy, but screw him!" Susan added.
"We can have it at my place," Abby told them, "I'll just have to get rid of Ray."
"Sounds good to me!" Susan laughed.
"What going on in here?" Sam asked as she strolled in.
"We're planning like a valentines day get together, wanna come?" Abby asked.
"Sure, I'll get a sitter for Alex." Sam smiled, "just don't let Eve get wind of this or she'll try and invite herself, I heard her moaning earlier about how she had nothing to do for Valentines Day!"
The girls all laughed.
"Hey Ray!" Abby ran over to Ray.
"Great Abby listen..." Ray was about to explain, but Abby cut him off.
"Save it. I'm having the girls round for an anti-valentines day…thing, and so you need to not be home tonight okay? Neela says you can still go back and stay in your old apartment if you want."
Ray nodded, "But listen there's something really important I need to tell you."
"Look Ray, there no point trying to save yourself, I know you forgot Valentines Day." Abby said, and stormed off.
Ray shrugged, if she didn't want to know, then he wouldn't bother anymore.
"See, we don't need men," Abby said, smiling as she handed everyone more popcorn, they had ordered the film 'down with love' as it seemed appropriate for their evening. They had got about half way through.
"I dunno, I have a horrible feeling, Rene Zellwegger is gonna end up with Ewan McGregor by the end of the film."
"Yer, but if they call a film down with love, its gotta be anti-love right?" Sam questioned.
"Well that's what you would think, but that not the way things seem to be going." Neela added.
"I say we ditch it, this romantic comedy crap bores the hell outta me anyway," Susan declared.
The girls laughed.
Abby nodded her head, "So what are we gonna do?"
Susan was fiddling with her ring when she dropped it on the floor by accident, it rolled underneath the sofa. She went to go pick it up, "Eeew gross,"
"What?" Neela asked.
"Abby, you do know you have a moldy cookie under here don't you?"
Abby nodded, "I thought I told Ray to throw that away!" She took it form Susan and threw it in the bin.
Susan lifted her head from underneath the sofa, "Check this out!" She picked up a pack of cards, "we should play cards!"
"No, no, we can't play with those cards!" Abby grabbed them from Susan.
"Why not?" Susan asked, she was curious now; there was a story behind this.
Abby looked away, "never mind," she wasn't going to tell Susan about this.
"There like your and Ray's sex cards or something aren't they!"
"NO!" Abby realized she was gonna have to tell them, "it's just this one time me and Ray were pissing about and we played strip poker and well, that kinda how we first got together."
The girls all started to laugh. "Typical Ray," Neela added.
The party went well, it was a good evening and it proved Abby point.
"See ya," Susan waved as she left. She was the last of them. Slowly Abby began to gather up the last remains of the party, Susan had insisted on helping her clear up but in the end even she had got bored and decided to go home.
It was 3am and Abby was beginning to wonder where Ray was. She had told him to make his own plans for the evening, but she had still expected him to come back. It was almost beginning to worry her. There's no need to worry she thought he probably just at a real late night party.
Abby was suddenly snapped back into reality as the phone started to ring.
"Hey its Brett," Abby smiled, it was one of Ray's friends, this meant he must be there.
"Hey,"
"Look I hope I wasn't interrupting anything, but could you tell Ray he left his phone."
"I'm sorry what?" Abby was very confused, "what would you be interrupting?"
"You know, you and Ray, getting it on, he left in such a rush I knew that's what he was going to do."
"Wait, start from the beginning. So Ray's at a party at your house, but he's left?"
"Yer, he pulled a Cinderella on me and dashed out at midnight mumbling something or other, I just assumed he was late getting back to the missus. Why is he not there?"
"No."
"Oh," Brett seemed to be thinking, "maybe he stopped off to buy you something nice on the way, like flowers or something."
"I hate flowers."
"Oh…well maybe chocolate then?"
"Maybe, but what if he didn't? What do you thinks happen?"
"Like I said Lady, I got no idea."
"So you have no idea where he is and I have no idea where he is. So I've like, lost him!"
"Calm down, he's a big boy, I'm sure he'll be fine." Brett paused, "Actually he seems to have a bit of a habit of going awol around Valentines Day. Every year we seem to lose him, probably off with some girl."
"Oh cheers Brett, that very comforting, good to know you think so highly of your friend."
"Whatever, look I got to go, I've got a lady waiting upstairs for me, so when you find Ray, tell him he left his phone, will ya?"
"Yer sure,"
"Thanks bye"
"Bye"
Abby put down the phone and collapsed onto the sofa. This was so not like Ray. He totally hadn't made a fuss over the big Anti-Valentines Day thing, he just accepted it. Well, he had tried to tell her something on many occasions but she had just assumed he was trying to make up excuses for why he didn't know it was Valentine's Day. Maybe he really did have something important to tell her. Abby put on her coat, she had no idea where she was going, but she knew she had to get out.
Abby strolled around the park that was only a few blocks from their apartment. She watched all the homeless people huddled on their benches, they looked so cold. But, there was something that stood out about a particular homeless person on the far bench. He was sitting upright and staring straight ahead, unlike the others who were all curled up and trying to get some sleep. He seemed to turn away from her every time she got near so she still couldn't get a good look at his face. There was just something about him.
She strolled over to him and sat down on the bench next to him, immediately realize what was so different about this guy, it was Ray.
"Ray, what are you doing here?"
He just stared into the distance.
"Ray," her voice filled with anger, "what is up with you?"
He turned to look at her his eyes were blood shod, his face pale and lifeless.
"Ray," Abby was shocked, "have you been doing drugs?"
Ray face turned from sadness, to anger and hurt.
"Ray please tell me what going on," Abby was desperate now.
"I tried," his voice was husky and cold.
"Ray please," she said, almost crying.
He put his hands to her face, "Don't cry, there's no crying on Membring day, only remembering."
Abby looked at him curiously.
"My mum, I told you before, that she died, well she died on Valentines Day. When I found out I was so angry and hurt I went out and I drank loads and I cried loads and I was just generally very emotional. But then, at midnight, I found myself in my local park and so I sat down on the bench and stayed there until midnight the next day, just thinking about my mum, you know remembering her. When I finally came home my aunt had a bit of a freak cause she was so worried about me. But it felt good, to just sit and think, and so I do it every year."
He paused. She put her head on his shoulder.
"I didn't think you'd understand, I thought you'd think I was crazy, so I didn't tell you. I'm sorry. I also, obviously forgot to tell you I don't celebrate Valentines Day, cause it just generally sucks for me."
Abby felt terrible. She had refused to talk with him about it and now he was apologizing for not telling her. "I'm sorry too, for just assuming you'd forgotten."
"It's okay," He smiled "Now I may not celebrate Valentine's Day. But, lucky for you, I do celebrate Membring Day."
He produced a dusty jewellery box from his pocket.
"You mean you did get me something?"
Ray nodded.
"When she died, my mum left me everything. And she had always to me about how much she loved these earrings and one day she had hoped that she would pass them down to her daughter-in-law. Now I know where not married." He chuckled, "but you will look so beautiful in these earrings."
She opened the box. They were beautiful purple and gold vintage earrings. "They're beautiful," she smiled.
"So what do you do on Membring day?" Abby asked.
"Well I remember all the good times me and my mother had when I was younger."
"But if I was to join you, what could I do?"
"Remember all the good times you had with someone you love." Ray smiled.
"Is it okay if I join you?"
"Of course," Ray smiled and stroked her hair.
Ray and Abby spent the rest of the 15th of February sitting on a bench, and the whole time Abby couldn't help but think that wherever she was Jane Barnett must be proud of her son.
I dunno if you noticed this but I actually updated on 'Membring day' lol! I'll try and update as soon as possible but I am going away for a few days.