Title: Never Let Your Guard Down
Author: Simple Plan Rulz
Rating: T
Disclaimer: I do not own ER etc etc
Sorry it took so long, again, i've been trying to update for like a week now, but it kept having a major spaz up. But it finally worked today. Thanks to Unconcious Regret for all her help! It seems like I cant write a chapter these days without it! Well here's the next chapter!
Chapter 21:The Countdown
The social services lady looked over her desk, and peered over her half moon shaped glasses perched on the end of her, rather large nose, and took a good look at both Ray and Abby.
"Right then girlies," she began. Ray was unsure whether to explain that he was, in fact, not a 'girlie', but decided against it.
"I believe you're here to apply to foster care for young Sam."
Ray and Abby nodded at each other.
"Well, Dr Barnett and of course," she gestured to Abby, "Mrs Barnett I will have to visit the living area in which we can expect Sam to reside for, however long. You know, to check its suitable."
"Erm," Abby spoke, "I'm afraid I'm not Mrs Barnett, we're not married. I'm Dr Lockhart."
"Oh." The lady leaned back in her chair, and picked up a chip from the bag on her desk, she then attempted to fit the whole thing into her mouth, without breaking it, which she, miraculously, managed to do, before finally chewing the chip. "So, two doctors, well as I'm sure you are aware, being a doctor is time consuming and with both of you being doctors, I question whether you will find time to look after Sam."
"We can work separate shifts," explained Ray. The lady seemed to think about this for a while.
"Well, he is very attached to you, Dr Barnett, seems to think the world of you." The fact that she was unsure why, was definitely implied.
The woman looked into Ray's pleading eyes and sighed. "Fine, but we will have to arrange a time suitable for me to view your living space and I will of course, have to do some background checks, shouldn't be a problem."
Abby sighed, whenever she was involved there was always a problem.
Abby and Ray sat on the train as it rattled back home.
"You know I still can't believe that lady thought we we're married!"
"What?" Ray laughed, "do we not look couply enough?"
Abby just smiled. "Besides who says I'll even take your name if we did get married?"
"You wanna keep Richard's?"
"No, maybe I'll go back to my maiden name."
"The weird sounding one?"
"Or maybe I'll be Dr Lockhart-Barnett."
"What's so terrible about my name?"
"Well," Abby smiled playfully, "for a start it's yours…"
"Ooo," Ray laughed, "low blow."
"Well its true, anything belonging to you is second rate." She joked some more.
"Then why are you still with me, why don't you go running back to Luka, or get on a plane to Africa to confess your true love for Carter?"
Abby laughed, "Because I happen to be very fond of second rate, it just so happens to be more exciting than first class."
Ray smiled, "is that just your roundabout way of saying I'm better in bed?"
Abby hit him playfully on the arm, "why is it always about sex with you?"
"Why isn't it always about sex with you?"
Abby looked away.
Ray grinned, "You just don't wanna admit it, do you, that I'm better in bed than Luka?"
Abby shook her head, "whatever I say, you won't be able to look at Luka in the same way, you won't respect him."
Ray sighed, and pretended to frown. "Anyways its not like we're ever gunna get married." Ray spat the last word out with ultimate disgust.
Abby agreed without thinking about it. But the more she did think about it, the more she felt like marrying Ray was exactly what she wanted to do.
Abby was sitting on the sofa. The social services lady had just visited the apartment, overall it hadn't gone to bad, and it had all checked out okay and the lady arranged for Sam to move in by the end of the week into Neela's old room.
"Its weird," Abby explained, "us, you know how we lived together right from the start of our relationship."
"Yer, we'll we had been friend before, and I had practically been living in here before that anyway."
"Yes, but on the sofa. It was just so sudden a move and yet it just seemed so right." She paused, "Neela thought I was crazy!"
Ray laughed, "She still does, she proper barked at me the other day. She just doesn't think we belong together."
Abby shook her head, "she's just upset over Gallant dieing."
The pair were silent for a few minutes, Michael's death hanging coldly in the air.
"But," Abby began, "the way us living together just worked out, you have to admit its weird!"
Ray laughed, "well it didn't always work out, do you remember the fight we had when I used up all the milk!"
"Yer and do you remember when you got really pissed off cause I spilt coffee on your guitar?"
"And that time you organised all my stuff?"
"Ray, you had your underwear just lying around everywhere."
Ray laughed and sat down on the sofa next to Abby, "So how come I always ended up being the one to crash on the sofa, how come it was never you?"
Abby laughed, "Because I'm superior to you. And besides, you could have always just slept in the spare room."
"But its so…"
"Creepy." Abby finished his sentence for him.
"Before Sam gets her, we should re-decorate it."
"If we find the time."
Abby and Ray both sighed, knowing from now on it would be different.
"I'll miss spending time with you." Ray broke the silence.
"We could always sneak a moment in the drugs cupboard."
"Classy," Ray laughed, "its just not the…"
"Same." Abby smiled and placed her head on his shoulders, "We'll get through, we always do."
Sam had been in the new apartment only five minutes and he and Ray where already babbling on about music, school, sports, you name it. Abby felt it was far too much effort to keep up with their fast pace so she just sat in the kitchen, drinking her coffee and observing in a very Abby-like manner.
"And so then he ran with the ball…"
"After that she threw her drumstick on the floor and screamed…"
"Seriously a top speed of 220mph and 0 to 100mph in 90 seconds…."
The conversation was so riveting Abby swore she even feel asleep at one point. But at least Ray and Sam where getting along well. Until Ray looked at his watch "Shit," he yelled, "I'm sposed to be at the hospital in five minutes!"
The next five minutes where a blur, until Ray left and it was just Sam and Abby all alone, the apartment empty and silent. Sam sat at the counter opposite Abby. There stared at each others eyes for a few minutes, before Sam finally spoke.
"So…"
Abby nodded, "You unpacked all your stuff?"
Sam nodded.
Abby shrugged, "So what do you wanna do?"
Sam shrugged, "You wanna go shot some hoops?"
Abby shook her head, "I can't play basketball."
"I could teach you?"
"No thanks. You wanna go shopping?"
"I hate shopping."
"Oh." Abby sighed and took a long sip of coffee, like it was vodka.
"Why do you like that stuff?"
"What coffee?"
"Yer."
"Cause it tastes nice."
Sam shook his head violently, "It taste like cat poop."
"How do you know what cat poop tastes like?" Abby laughed, "Besides you'll like it when you're older."
Sam didn't like this, "How do you know? Have you met the older me?"
Abby shook her head, "No, but I'm sure he's lovely."
Sam went over to the Hi-Fi, "You wanna listen to the Clash?"
"The who?"
"Never mind."
"How about some Cliff Richard?"
"No," Sam whined, "he sucks."
"Fine."
Abby resided to her coffee; it was obvious that they had absolutely nothing in common.
Sam sat on the sofa, and turned on the TV, he searched through the DVD's for a bit before producing, 'The OC' box set. He showed it to Abby, "You like the OC?"
"I love it!" Abby enthused.
"Its good you've got season 1, seasons 2 and 3 just aren't as good."
"I know, Seth's just funnier and Marissa is way less annoying."
Sam laughed, "I love the episode 'the countdown', its so sweet at the end."
Abby nodded, "That's my favourite episode, that or the heartbreak!"
Sam smiled, "Yer that's a wicked episode!"
"I can't believe you like the OC, most guys don't! Ray refuses point blank to watch it with me."
Sam shook his head, "That's not very nice."
The two of the smiled at each other as they sat down to watch the OC.
Later that day, Ray came home to find Abby and Sam still watching the OC.
"Oh Abby, don't tell me you made the poor kid sit through the OC!"
"No," Sam shook his head, "I love the OC."
Ray looked at the dark circles forming around Sam's eyes, "How long have you guy been watching?"
Abby shook her head, "I lost track of the time 10 episodes ago."
"What?" Ray shook his head, "Guys that's terrible, you should go to bed, Abby you've gotta be on shift in 2 hours."
Neither of the two moved.
"Guys? Guys?"
There was still no movement or sound coming from the whole apartment except the sound of Ryan and Marissa talking quietly about her mom.
"Fine," Ray stormed off to the bedroom, "I'm going to bed, if you two wanna screw up your eye sight and be shattered by tomorrow, go for it!"
"We will," came the solemn reply from Abby and Sam.
"Hopeless," Ray shook his head like an old man, and flopped onto the bed, "just hopeless."