Disclaimer ~ I am like everyone else, I own nothing

Spoilers ~ The first two episodes of season eight, so if you want to be surprised when it airs in your neck of the woods, I would think twice about reading this. If not, read on.

Authors Notes ~ This evolved from a small scene idea I got partially during French class and partially while walking home from school on Tuesday. It was written quickly that night. It's not meant to be much, just something to get my creative juices flowing.

Special Thanks to my very nice, but very boring French teacher for making me so incredibly bored that my mind wandered and suddenly verb conjugations became this short fanfic. Oh, and thanks to Bridget for telling me to post this. :)

They both sat in a parked car outside her building. He was in the divers seat, her the passenger. Which made sense since it was his car. They always took his car whenever they went somewhere that a motor vehicle was required. Partially because his car was nicer then hers, but subconsciously she knew that part of the reason was it just felt right.

They hadn't done anything out of the ordinary that night. She liked it that way. Ordinary nights were her favorite. They left work together and grabbed something to eat at Docs before taking a walk along the river and talking. They both had coffee on their walk like always, mostly to keep their hands warm. After all, it was November.

They kept the conversation simple. They had had too many serious conversations to count. So many deep and meaningful ones about whatever problem was plaguing their life at that moment. One too many serious discussions for her. It was nice, for once, to just talk about simple things. The weather, what she should do with her hair, whether or not it was pronounced "ree-form" or "ra-form." Things like that. Nice, simple things.

When the chilly November air got a little too cold for them they headed to his car, parked perfectly parallel to the parking lines. She teased him about the "beauty" of it, and he pretended to be offended. Neither mentioned it once they got in the car.

So there they were, outside her apartment building, talking...again. As if they hadn't covered everything already. Normal people would have said something about how close they got the curb and then have bid each other goodnight. But they didn't do that. They sat in the car and talked, as if time had no relevance and they both didn't have a shift in the morning.

Carter said something and Abby laughed heartily at the comment. She couldn't put her finger on exactly what was funny about the comment. It was probably just the fact that he had said it.

As soon as a giggle escaped from her lips and she looked into his eyes she noticed something different about herself. She vaguely saw her reflection in his eyes and heard her laughter echo off the car ceiling. There was something different about her that evening, and she knew it.

As she sat there talking about whatever random item they had stumbled upon she realized that at that moment she was letting go of everything. Her hurt from her break up with Luka, her scars from her marriage with Richard, and the stress she had to deal with when her mother was around. It seemed as if none of that mattered. Like, it had just gone away.

But why did it all choose to disappear that night? She had been good friends with Carter for over a year, and her life had been full of problems long before that. Why, on that night, did she choose to let go of everything? Why, at that moment, did everything seem so simple? Why not during their other million conversations? Why not earlier at Docs? Why not tomorrow during her shift? Why at that moment?

But the answer was simple. There was no answer. And she knew that, but she couldn't help but wonder. Frankly, she didn't care why it was happening, as long as it did. She was relieved to finally reach this point.

As she looked over at him it was as if every conversation and every smile and every glance he had ever given her had all come rushing back. She saw the past year flash before her eyes, but only the good parts shone through. Only the parts with Carter. As if they were the only parts of the last year worth remembering. Maybe they were.

And then it hit her. What exactly were they doing? Sitting in a chilly car outside her apartment building talking nine hours before her next shift. That seemed so odd, and yet so natural. But what exactly was going on? It had been over three months since her split with Luka, and much longer since Carter had said those things to her by the river. Could that really have really been May?

Question was, did he still feel that way? Neither one had brought it up again, and she knew it was because of fear. She made herself forget about it when possible, but sometimes it was all she could think about. It only got worse after her split with Luka. She tried to push it away, but she couldn't do it.

Then she realized something. Something she had known all along but never admitted to. She did want more from her relationship with Carter. And she had known that for a good while. And sitting there talking to him in that car made her realize not only how much she needed him as a friend, but how much she wanted him to be more.

But how long would they just talk? When would they move past coffees and conversations? When would they reach the point where that just wasn't good enough for either of them, and who would be the first to break? She smiled and realized only time would tell.

She looked over at him. He wasn't speaking, and neither was she. Suddenly she remembered something Luka had said when they broke up. She hastily asked, before she had a chance to think, "John, do you think I'm pretty?" Her voice was quiet, but stern. She waited for his reply.

He looked at her, and she felt like he was really seeing her, like no one else had seen her before. He replied with very little hesitation and extreme sincerity. "I think you are beautiful, Abby" His voice was full of emotion as he said it. Her name seemed to flow off his lips, and if he was the only one who said it for the rest of her life it wouldn't matter because it didn't sound half as good coming out of someone else. She knew then and there that he wasn't lying to her. He really believed that. And that made her smile.

She sighed and pointed out the fact that she better get going. He shook his head and wished her goodnight. She smiled and got out of the car, her heart telling her whatever was in her house wasn't half as good was what was in that car.

As she neared the door she could feel him watching her, making sure she got in. Like some soccer mom making sure her daughter's best friend could turn the key the right way. She paused as she put the key in the door. Making a split second decision she turned around and made her way back to the car.

Swinging the car door open she said, "I forgot something." He gave her a strange look, knowing she left the car with what she came into it with.

At that moment she paused, and then leaned over and kissed him softly on the lips. He returned the kiss after a moment or so. The soft kiss then turned more intense as he put his hands in her hair. She felt a rush of sensation shoot through out her body, as if she had just been thrown into cold water.

Eventually she pulled away and she smiled at him. He smiled back. As she looked at him she wasn't sure if she had put them on the road to happily ever after or ruined their friendship, but at that moment she didn't care. They had done something they should have done a long time ago.

She whispered goodnight and grinned at him. "See you tomorrow." She smiled once more. Closing the door she felt a rush of cool air, and she wasn't sure if it was real or in her head.

She turned the key to her building and stepped inside. She heard his car slowly drive away as she shut the door. As soon as she got back to her apartment she knew she had made the right decision.

At least they had moved past coffee and conversations.