Matters Of The Heart
Set in 2017. When Abby and Luka travel back to Chicago for Rachel Green's wedding, a lot of feelings, past and present are put into play. Including those unfinished ones between Carter and Abby. AU
I know it's been a while since anyone would ever come into this fandom and read but give it a chance guys, don't forget to review.
AJ Carter was the kind of kid who helped people. You'd think he'd had it in his blood. The tendency to give it all to others, even though he was a full-swing teenager. Having been raised by a former nurse and doctor it was something that came naturally to him. He'd never complain about caring for his two little brothers when his mother and Luka asked for a break and he'd always done his chores, well... almost always.
AJ though had a soft spot for his father, who he'd only see a couple of times a year. He'd moved to Boston with his mom and Luka at age 6 and they'd never looked back on Chicago ever since, but Carter made sure he was still a part of his child's life. And so did Abby for that matter. She'd regretted how things had ended with her and John back then, two broken hearts, a letter, and a plus sign on a stick.
Abby had then she had run away for 6 months. Her mind was racing, she was heartbroken and hadn't told anyone where she was going. She'd come back just as she was about to give birth, in truth AJ had been born about 4 weeks before he was meant to and that didn't give Abby much choice but to come back to the home she knew.
Luka was by her side as she figured out what she'd do about her baby. For some reason, she'd decided to keep him, even though she resented Carter so much.
In fact, it had been Luka who'd told John he was a father, months after his son had been born and he'd come back on the spot, only to find out during that time he was having a child with Kem.
Abby felt betrayed by all the water under the bridge, as much as Carter, so they decided it was best to try and make it work somehow, Peter had done it with Carla, sort of... why couldn't Carter do it too?
And then he'd lost Joshua and Abby saw him spiral down, heartbroken and hurt, by Kem's indifference and the impotence of having lost his child.
He'd left Chicago then, promising her he'd come and visit AJ as much as he could. How he could walk away from the kid he had left beat Abby but she understood, just like she'd run, he had to make sense of what had just happened to him.
Carter found himself at work hours before Rachel's wedding, everyone was going about their day as they waited for the special day. It was then when he'd think about Dr. Greene and just how much he'd missed on his children's lives and it made him feel sick. He'd been stupid enough to walk out and leave for Africa after Kem had left. He'd told Abby he needed to make sense of his life again and promised his son he wouldn't be too far away but it definitely was a mistake to walk from what he already had.
Nevertheless, true to his word, he'd come to Chicago regularly to see AJ and sent Abby money every month even though she'd refused him at first. Carter sighed as stashed everything in his locker and headed outside to the warmth of summer. He moved over to the Center to check on some last-minute things and came face to face with AJ, over by the small tribute Carter had made for Joshua. "What are you doing here?"
"Oh hey dad, I asked mom to drop me off. They were going to the kid's museum before the ceremony." AJ said shrugging.
"And you are too much of a man to go huh?" Carter smiled.
"Something like that," AJ said shyly. "No, I wanted to come by that's all."
"Right. Well, since you are here, mind giving me a hand upstairs?" Carter asked.
They made it to his office which was on the top floor. AJ remembered coming to the Center for the first time when it opened.
"Ill begotten gains of my Carter forefathers put to good use," Carter said nostalgically looking over all those years of hard work and what he'd accomplished.
"Redemption?" Kerry Weaver asked.
"Maybe so." Added Carter with a sigh.
"Your grandma would be so proud," Susan said with emotion in her voice.
Carter sighed. "Grandfather's rolling over in his grave. He thought the Carter fortune would last longer than the pyramids."
Susan turned to Carter." You spent it all?"
"No. But most of it."
"You've done a great thing here, John. Truly great."
"Daddy!" Carter heard a small voice say as they all turned around. Abby and Luka stood there.
"My goodness," Carter smiled as he picked the little boy up, wincing a little. "What in the world are you doing here?"
"Oh well, we couldn't miss it," Abby said warmly. "Easy buddy, Daddy's just had surgery, remember?"
"Oh, yeah, they gave you a kidney, right Daddy?"
"That's right." Carter smiled putting the little boy down. "I'm getting better though."
"I'd given you mine but Mommy said it had to be a grownup," AJ said in a matter of factly. Susan turned to glance at Carter.
"That's really sweet AJ, I'll be sure to let you know if I ever need one." Susan said."Hey guys? How about a give you a mini tour? Let's go." Susan took the little boy's hand. Kerry and Luka followed suit.
"Where's Kem?" Abby asked once they'd climbed down the stairs.
"She's in Paris. I don't know if she'll be able to make it." Carter said wearily. "It's fine."
"Is it?" Abby asked. She didn't want to say anything. She didn't have to.
"Honestly? I don't know, I thought we'd be passed it. Or at least that we loved each other enough to make it work." Carter said. They sat beside each other on a couch nearby.
"For what it's worth, I am very proud of you," Abby admitted after a moment staring at those hazel eyes. "This is a great thing."
"I thought it was time," Carter said. "Thank you for being here." He took her hand in his, currently feeling self-conscious of the fact she was married. "Luka isn't watching, is he?" He joked.
"What are we sixteen? Don't you think we're way passed that?" Abby rolled her eyes at him.
"I know, but he's bigger than me." He sighed. "No really, thank you for this, for bringing them over, for not keeping him away from me."
"Why would I? You are his father and I know just how much you love him, that's enough for me."
Carter and AJ walked together strolling down the hallways, everyone would either wave or greet them as they came by. "We better go or we'll be late," Carter said, putting away his stethoscope. As they reached the spot for Joshua's memorial, AJ made an abrupt stop.
"He'd be about your age..." Carter said softly as AJ traced his fingers over.
"It would have been really cool to have met him." The young boy said. "Kem wrote to me the other day, she's moving back to Paris now that her mother is gone."
"Yeah, she mentioned that in her last call too," Carter said.
"Are you two okay?" AJ asked. "I know you're not together anymore or anything..."
"Why is it that you and your mother keep asking me that?" Carter laughed as they went into the parking lot to his car. "I'm fine."
True to his mother's nature, AJ rolled his eyes at him.
Here's chapter two! More AJ and Carter central. More Carby on the next one and what's is Luka and Carter's relationship really like.
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