Disclaimer: I own neither Carter or Lucy, and for anyone that I created who cares who owns them.

A Time for Redirection

He looks peaceful sleeping. But that alone aggrivates me. How is it fair that he gets to sleep n this flight yet I don't. I'm sure he did it on purpose. Yes, I Lucy Knight, 2nd year doctor in Emergency Medicine am forced to sit next to the one and only John Carter, the third I might add, 3rd year doctor also in emergency medicine. And I hate him just in case you didn't realie that yet. I've only known him for six months, and I despise him more then any other person I have ever met. Okay so why then did I accompany him to this seminar? Because you don't say no to that women. Also it is a pretty good oppurtunity. Also I don't want Mr. John Truman Carter III to learn anything more then I already know. But is he really peaceful? No, never. He is gaining he strength so that when he wakes up he can strike out at me with full force while I am weary from lack of sleep and shall be defeated. And look, the monsters etes open slightly in an evil slit.

"What?"

All I do is glare at him and then turn away. All rise to the occasion later.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

The ride to the hotel had been silent and neither Lucy nor Carter had any wish to break that silence. Even as they walked into the hotel wilence claimed them. Once they had reached the front desk once of them finally spoke.

"We have two seperate reservation for Lucy Knight and John Carter." Carter spoke evenly to the short bald man while watching the short little blond spawn from hell at his side through the corner of his eye.

The clerk typed the names in quickly then looked up to them. "I.D."

They both quickly pulled out their idenification and produced them to the clerk. AFter a quick verification the clerk pulled two keys out form under the counter. "Room 412." He handed a key and Lucy's ID back to her. "Room 416." He then handed Carter and key and his ID. "Your luggage will be brought up to your rooms."

Lucy turned quickly away from both Carter and the clerk and went strait to an elavator. Unfortanetly she heard Carters steps close behind her and when she reached the elevator and pushed the arrow pointing up she saw him stop next to her and look up at the numbers which began blinking down from number 9. In what seemed like the longest few moments of her life the elevator finally dinged and Lucy was the first to step on. Inside the elevator was worse. Lucy could almost feel CArter's nasty vibes. Unfortanetly he beat her in pushing the number four. Bastard she thought, knowing it was childish but unable to stop the thought. Eventually the elevator bell rang again and the doors opened and Lucy almost ran over the people coming in. Glancing at the signs directing to certain room number Lucy soon took off, of course CArter was behind her. Soon though she found her room number and quickly stopped .

"Lucy." Carter forced her name out of his mouth as he stopped behind her.

Lucy spun around, surprised to find him behind her. Looking at him warrily she responded. "What?"

"The introduction dinner is for 7, don't forget about it." After making that short statement Carter turned away from her and walked down the hall.

"Why thank you Dr. Carter, I'll do my best not to disapoint or embarass you." Lucy called after him in a sweet voice.

"Then don't show up." Carter yelled behind .

Lucy glared. That's all she could do was glare. She hated it when he got the last word. Turning back to the door she shoved the key in angrily and gave it a sharp turn. "Well then I'll be sure to show up! I wouldn't want you to actually have a pleasant evening!" Lucy shut the door behind her before he could even have a chance to consider responding.

Carter spun around only to find and empty hall. A few choice of rated R words passed through his head during that short moment and eventually he just turned away and walked to the door with his room number. He hated her, he despised her, he felt threatened be her, and more then often had his pride wounded be her. Walking into his room Carter found his luggage already placed on the floor and a money grubbing man waiting for his tip next to them. Carter yanked his wallet out in frustration and gave the guy a twenty without even realizing it. By the time the man was thanking him Carter had already grabbed his suitcases and was walking to the bedroom. She already had him in a bad mood. He never knew anyone that could get him so riled up like she could. Sure there is always someone you work with that you dislike. Carer could name a couple. But rarely did he hate someone as patiently as he did her.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Dinner, was it formal, no, I doubt it." Lucy yanked things out of her bag in frustration as she searched for the paphlet for the seminar. For the life of her she couldn't remember what the book had said to wear and she refused to have to ask Carter. She would rather fake a hear attack to find a doctor just to find out what to wear. "Oh yea, I'm good." Lucy yanked the book out from her back and plopped on the bed and opened it up to the begining. "Dinner, seven, main hall, dress semi-casual." Lucy sighed in relief as she realized she brought something of her wardrobe to fill that requirement. "Of course I'm sure Dr. Carter will be wearing his suspenders." Lucy said in a snotty voice. "Bastard." Throwing the book on the bed she glanced at the alarm clock on the night stand. "Three, good, enough time for a nap." With that deicded Lucy shoved her suit case and the other bags that polluted her bed onto the floor and through herself onto the king size bed. "Oh heaven. I'll have to attempt to get to some more of these seminars." Putting up wtih Carter was almost bearable for the luxury of the hotel. But only almost.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Carter of course made no attempt to check to see if Lucy was almost ready. Instead he just past her door and made his way to the elevator. She wasn't his problem. But she was a problem, a continous one. On more then one occasion had she plagued his thoughts almost throughout a whole day because of the way she got to him. It was even like that before their first blow out. But he hadn't thought of her with annoyance then. He had-. The elevator rang again and the doors slid open to reveal two yound women. A cute short brown headed one that kind of reminded him of Abby. And a tall blond. "What floor?" Carter asked with a smile. He never could resist the blonds.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

To Carter's luck they were both headed in the same direction he was going.

"So your from Chicago, wow, I couldn't imagine working there considering the weather. Maybe it's just because I grew up in 90 degree weather, it makes you unable to withstand the cold. But I'm sure you grew up there and are already used to it."

Carter laughed. "Well not really, at least not enough to run out in it without any clothes on." Carter responded to the blond, who's name he had found the be Rene.

Rene laughed. "I would hope not."

"Are you here alone? Usually two are send from a hospital?"

Carter turned to the brunette, or more specifically Megan. "No, I'm not alone. She just isn't down yet. Not surprising though."

"Really?" Rene asked intrigued as she noticed some form of annoyance in her aquintances voice. "if you don't mind my asking, why would that be?"

"Because she would be late just to annoy me." Trying to get off the subject of Lucy, since he didn't think talking about another women would impress his beautiful new friend, Carter pointed to an empty table. "How about you two accompany me then so I won't be by my lonesome."

Rene laughed. "Sure, I think we can do you that favor."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Within the next ten minutes another man and and women seated themselves at their table after asking if they could do so. To Carter's luck it was another blond. Although the groups was soon joined by what seemed to be two other eligable bachelors who made it a point that they must be seated at a table with some many beautiful women. Still, any thoughts of Lucy were gone, and he was now content with the people surrounding him.

"So John, is this your first seminar?" Jennifer, the new blond asked him.

"No, second. My first one was the year before." Carter responded to the women.

Jennifer nodded. "You know I seem to recall someone coming from your hospital last year. The only reason I do is because I think she was British."

"Elizabeth Corday, yea she was here last year. Actaully she was supposed to accompany to this years but the date of her wedding got moved up." Carter explained to teh girl, unfortanetly that brought on the thoughts of her replacement.

"They sent someone with you didn't they?" The other man asked who's name was Jason.

"Yea." Carter looked down to his watch then looked back up with a tight smile. "And she is late."

"Only fashionably my dear Dr. Carter. I'm surprised you are so dissapointed over my not being here."

Carter looked up to his side to find a slightly flushed Lucy with semi damp hair who somehow still looked like she had taken all of the time in the world to arrive.

Carter returned her smile. "Don't worry, if it makes you feel any better I was secretly over joyed on the inside."

Lucy smiled sweetly at him. "I'm ecstatic. And you saved me a seat, I didn't know you cared." Taking her seat next to him Lucy became instantly aware of the six people around her. Bitining her lip to hide the smile seemed to be no use and Lucy looked down at her lap. After a moment she regained her composure and looked back up to find glasses of water being placed in front of everyone.

"My name is Josh, I'm guessing you are also from Chicago."

Lucy turned to the man sitting next to her. His looks were nice and you looked about as young as her. Smiling genuinly Lucy responded. "Lucy, and yes I am from Chicago. And you?"

"Manhattan, as is my friend sitting next to me." Josh turned his head from Lucy and nudged the man next to him. "Michael meet Lucy."

Michael smiled at the blond and held out his hand. "Nice to meet you Lucy. I hope Josh isn't bothering you to much. He's been a doctor for six months and thinks he can take on the world."

"Hey, I resemble that!" Josh smiled at Michael then looked back at Lucy. "I was going to try to convince you I was at least a third year."

Lucy laughed and smiled. "Don't feel bad. I'm only a second year. And anyway, third years can be so stuck up." Lucy said the last statement loudly enough for the man on the other side of her to hear. Turning her head she met eyes with him. "Right Dr. Carter?"

Carter was almost at his breaking point with her. Starting an all out yelling match wtih her would have been easy back in Chicago, but it would hardly be practical there, or at least not infront of people. "Just as much as seond years can be immature."

"Well then I guess you've covered both haven't you?" Lucy knew she was getting to him. He was begining to clench his jaw just like he always did when he'd had enough and was going to began yelling which he coudln't do this time so it was even more perfect seeing him have to keep control.

"Well I guess it's a good thing you don't plan on making it to a third year isn't it Dr. Knight?" Carter voice suprisingly sounded polite, very much unlike his words.

"Why Dr. Carter, whatever could you mean. I would never miss a day if that meant surpassing you in anyway possible." The sweet smile had never left Lucy's face she had been enjoying their conversation way to much then she normally would.

Carter breathed in and just smiled. "Well then quit now Lucy because that isn't going to happen."

Seeing a salad placed in front of her Lucy looked around to find the same had been down around the table. "We'll see John." Turning away from Carter Lucy looked towards her salad.

"You know people always say competition is a healthy thing," Michael began, "but I think in the case of you two it is more deadly."

Lucy smiled and took a bite of her salad before she once again ventured into a conversation with Josh and his companion Michael, while she noticed Carter do the same with his blonds.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The rest of the night had went off without incident. The dinner lasted a couple of hourse after that with all of the introductions and speeches that were made after everyone ate. Once Lucy had gotten up from the table and stretched her legs to once again talked with her two friends as they all made they're way out of the main hall. If she were to look behind her she wouldn't have been surprised to see the two blonds on either side of Carter. "Well I had fun, even though the stuck up third year was sitting next to me." Lucy said wtih a smile.

Josh laughed at her. "Well that's good to know. I hope I can provide the service again tomorow when I see you."

"If your lucy." Lucy smiled when he laughed then she took her leave of him and Michael and walked towards to closest elevator. She shared it with four other people but luckily none of them were Carter.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Carter said goodbye to Rene and Megan as they stepped off the elevator then he waited silently with three other people who were talking quietly. The elevator came to the fourth floor moments later and Carter stepped off. After a moment he finally figured out which direction to go and once he did he saw Lucy putting her key in the lock. Even as he began walking towards her she looked up only to look back down and finish turning the lock. Carter reached her though before she could open the door and stood at her side. "We're not finished yet."

Lucy sighed. "I'm tired." Smiling tightly Lucy looking up at him. "How about we get rest so we will both be fresh in the morning to yell as much as we want."

"That's what I am talking about, there will be no sort of arguement." Carter voice was demanding, he wasn't in the mood to take anything from her, but he suspected he would.

"It takes two people to argue. And I didn't notice you ever shying away from any arguement since we arrived on the plane."

"I know how many people it takes to argue. I'm saying their will be no more arguing. What happened back there was totally uncalled for and immature." If Lucy had been tired she was full awake now Carter new, her face seemed to explode at his words.

Lucy threw her key down and cursed herself mentally for throwing that small tantrum and proving him right. Leaning down Lucy picked up her key. "Well then Dr. Carter I better get to bad so I'm not all bad and cranky tomorrow morning, I wouldn't want to embarass or dissapoint you again now would I?" The whole conversation was upsetting her. She hated people talking down to her.

"Lucy stop being ridiculous your acting like a child." Although seeming like he was talking down to her Carter knew he was fighting just as low as she was, he was pressing every button he knew pushed her over the edge. And he knew why, just so that she would get angry and prove him right.

"A child!" Lucy screamed and pushed him back roughly. "You know what I do hate you! How is that for childish!"

"Lucy be quite!" Carter hadn't done any better he yelled even louder and after the realization hit him he pushed open her door and walked in pulling her with him.

"Let go of me!" Lucy screamed.

"Jesus Lucy, what the hell is your problem?!" Carter yelled back just as loud.

"You! What the hell do you think. It's always you. The way you think you're better then me, smarter then me, more mature then me, jeez even neather then me after that comment you made a couple of weeks ago about me being a slob. Let me guess irresponsable is among them too after me being late!" Never had it been like this, never had they both openly critiscized the other. Normally it was just proving each other wrong or smart as remarks. This was totally different and Lucy hadn't been prepared to all out fight with him because she knew what he would say back to her would hurt for the stupidest reasons she knew.

"Me? And what about you? Let's see, I'm up tight, snotty, think I'm better then everyone else. You don't ever think your wrong and think everyone should be nice to you and if they aren't then they are then one with the problem. So because I didn't support your every decision I'm wrong, you know damn well I have no damn reason to have any faith in you!" Carter stood their like stone and stared down at her doing his best to show that he wasn't apolegetic for what he said, he had went to far this time.

Lucy dug her naild into the palms of her hands as she made tight fists. Her whole face was tight with anger and she had no words to respond to his comment. So nothing was said and he never spoke again because he turned around and walked out the door. Once it shut, surprising not loudly, Lucy blinked once to release the tears that had been building. Sighing to herself Lucy did her best to convince herself that it was all in the past.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The morning held little of the joy that the night before had for Lucy, even though she was in the company of Josh and Michael plus others who had seemed to join the small little group. What bothered her the most that morning, along with Carter's last comment the night before, was that he hadn't bothered to even say anything mean to her the whole morning he totally ignored her. To a point that she was on the point of getting angry. Luckily she hadn't had a seminar with him the whole morning, unfortanetly she had one with the blonds and had been stuck with her for two hours but Lucy survived it.

"So Lucy are you going to come with us tonight?"

Lucy turned away from the conversation she was halfway in and looked to Josh. "Where?"

"A bunch of us are going out tonight. There's this nice bar that I hear that the doctors go to when they are here for seminars so a bunch of us are heading that way tonight about 9."

Lucy scrunched her face in thought as she looked at the other few people around. "I don't know, this seminar thing is making me kind of tired."

"Oh bull, you know damn well it ends at 5 today. More then enough time to nap and get ready. Don't even tell us no Lucy." Josh smiled at her. "Tell her it'll be fun Michael."

"Well it isn't the hippest place I guess but it is fun for us all to get together and have a few drinks." Michael admitted to Lucy.

"See! We'll have a ball!" Josh exclaimed a little to loudly causing there small group to laugh.

Lucy laughed. "Sure whatever. You're buying me drinks then."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Michael was right, the bar wasn't anything special. It wasn't bad or anything like that. It was just a bar. Maybe a little more high class then most considering the few men and women wearing suites and skirts. It was dimly lit but Lucy could still make out the people crowding the bar and the tables that stood on the outskirts of the large room. Lucy's observation were cut short though as she felt herself being tapped on the arm.

"Over there." Josh pointed to the side were there was a crowd that had collected around three tables.

Lucy nodded and followed him over to the group of people. Some she had been previously accquianted with and other she just recognized form over the course of the day.

"Okay Dr. Knight, you said I'm buying drinks so what'll it be?" Josh asked as he flagged down a shot girl who was making a round.

Lucy opened her mouth to respond but no response came out and her mouth just hung open as she caught a familiar face from across the room. There eyes didn't meet though for he was to engulfed in his own conversation. "Dammit." She hadn't really expected Carter to be there, actually though she hadn't given much thought to it. But there he stood only a couple of tables away chatting up his two favorite blonds who were listening to him with all the attention they could muster.

"Lucy?"

Lucy turned away from her Carter watching and gazed on Josh. "Oh ummm, I don't know surprise me. With something strong."

Josh smiled. "Okay if that's the way you want it." He turned his back to her and whispered something into the waitresses ear.

Lucy didn't even try to hear what her fate would be in a few moments. Once Josh turned away from the shot girl and looked back at her Lucy spoke first. "So Josh, do you have enough cash on you to get me drunk?"

Josh smiled at her. "And why might I ask are you interested in getting wasted?"

Lucy shrugs. "Why not?"

"That's my girl." Josh laughed and patted her on the back before he ushered her towards a group of people.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

When Carter allowed himself to look around at the people around him he found himself soon surprised to see Lucy only a few feet away. If she hadn't noticed him he coudln't tell because she seemed very into the conversation she was in with that Michael guy and the drink she held in her hand. Looking down at the drink in his hand and finding it almost empty Carter frowned before he put the glass up to his mouth, threw his head back, and swallowed the rest. After placing the empty glass on the table he spied a shot girl making her way in his general direction. With hast Carter moved towards her and ordered a drink, not even thinking to offer to buy anyone else one. He just wanted to get drunk.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Lucy leaned back against the elevator as it counted slowly up to number four. Luckily the elevator had been empty and no one else had decided to go up at the same time she had. Michael and Josh and the other people who had walked back from the bar with them had decided to go to the bar in the hotel for about an hour before turning in. Lucy on the other hand was tired and not at her best and had thought it was to retire for the night. So after saying goodbyes she broke away from their small group and headed towards the elavator. The evening hadn't been all that bad, ecspecailly after about an hour of drinking her spirits seemed to have been uplifted. But as in all cases she was begining to sober up and realize that her life wasn't that fun or happy because if it was she wouldn't be walking out of the elavator and seeing Carter sitting right in front of her doorway.

"What are you doing?"

Carter looked up at the voice that broke the silence he had become used to over the passed thirty minutes. The voice he recognized, but not the face. His eyes narrowed as he tried to focus through the haze the alchohol had put him in and also become accustomed to the light that he had long ago shut out by closing his eyes. "Waiting for you."

Lucy eyed him warily, not sure in the least what his reason would be. "Why?"

"To apoligize for last night." Carter admitted easily but a little more slowly then he would have.

Lucy frown at his words. "You are definatly drunk Carter, go back to your hotel room before you regret anymore apoligizing."

"Why do you think I'm drunk, I couldn't do this sober." Carter admitted to her. He also had no hold on his tongue.

Lucy rolled her eyes. "Well that makes me feel better." Turning, with her back against the wall, Lucy leaned against it. She was finding it difficult to stand up strait and wasn't intersted in letting on that she was just as drunk as Carter was.

"Whatever, like you would have apoligized to me sober."

"I hadn't planned on apoligizing at all." Lucy responded haughtily then cringed. Sober or drunk, it made no difference in her attitude towards him.

"Well that's a relief." Carter responded sarcastically. He hadn't expected her to though. He was the one that had brought it back up later night.

Lucy slid down the wall to the ground and sighed loudly.

"To much to drink?" Carter asked her with a smirk.

Lucy glared. Even drunk he was still cocky and annoying. "I could ask you the same."

"You could, and the reply would be yes." Carter leaned his head back against the door and closed his eyes as he waited for her to speak. If she didn't he could care less. He would be fine with falling asleep right in front of her door.

Lucy laid her head against the wall in the same fashion Carter had but instead she kept her eyes open and turned her head to face him. For a moment, just a moment she just watched him, and she tried her best to imagine that they werent at each others throat all the time and that instead they were just friends who happened to fall drunkingly in front of her door. Lucy rolled her eyes at the ridiculous though and opened her mouth to speak. "Lets be on the level here shall we?" At that question Carter opened his eyes but remained staring strait ahead. "I don't mean tell each other what we really hate about each other, I think we accomplish that every single day. Last night you brought up something that we never actaully dealt with unless you count that loud screaming match over five months ago."

"Your the one that walked away when I tried to apoligize." Carter reminded her.

Lucy narrowed her eyes at him. "Placing blame is not going to help this situation any and I am trying my best not too."

Carter finally turned to face her and straitened his neck. "No it won't but, but lets face it we both blame each other and maybe partially blame ourselves. So if you want to be on the level we mine as well get everything out in the open here." Carter waited to see if she objected to dealing with the root of their problem right then in there in the hallway but she made none and instead just stared at him. "Alright then. You almost killed my patient Lucy." When she opened her mouth to respond he covered her mouth qucikly with his hand. "Just wait, then he can yell all you want at me. Alright?" He felt a puff of warm breath against his hand followed by her nodding. Pulling his hand away Carter continued. "You shouldn't have even been working. I know they asked you to stay on but you knew damn well you were half asleep when you operated on that man. I have never met anyone as commited as you to learn and accomplish things, but that day you almost killed a man because of it." After Carter was finished he half expected Lucy to start with her own dialogue, but the hall remained silent for a moment and she just stared at him to the point that it almost made him uncomfortable. Right before he was about to look away she began.

"You think I don't know that. You act like your proclaiming something that I haven't realized already. But me being overly commited was hardly what almost made me almost kill that man. I know I shouldn't have been there, but so should have anyone else on the staff that had known I had been there well over 24 hours. But because of a bus accident and an ER full of patients I had to stay. You weren't there, what was I supposed to do?" Lucy challanged him with the question.

"Not try killing him first of all!" Carter exclaimed at her question.

"So I was supposed to let him die while you instead tended to a patient that at the time you were involved with who was by no way near dying. You should have been there!!!" Lucy yelled back to Carter. "He was your patient and you weren't there! You know I'm sorry. I didn't mean to almost cause the man to die and maybe if I had better known my limits I would have instead insisted on going home. But people were in pain and dying, I couldn't very well in good conscious leave. But you were fine! You could have been there and you weren't!"

"I couldn't leave her!" Carter yelled. "I didn't know you coudln't handle the patient!"

Lucy fumed, she coudlnt understand why he coudln't jsut take responsibilaty for his part in the mistake. "Why can't you just admit you should have been there!"

"Fine!" Carter yelled and stood up unable to feel so defensivless by sitting down. Looking down at Lucy he continued. "I should have been there, I screwed up too. Are you happy?!" Lucy didn't repsond so he continued. "What if someone you cared about was in the hospital and hurt? How would you react to it?"

"That wouldn't happen." Lucy told him simply.

"Give me a break Lucy, your human, of course it would."

Lucy stood up and looked up at him. "I mean I'm to busy to care about anyone."

"Now wonder why your so bitchy all the time, you have no one but yourself." Carter frowned at her almost pitying her.

"What's your excuse?" Lucy questioned him angirly.

"I'm not bitchy all the time, just to you."

"Well aren't I special."

Carter shook his head. "You know you should really work on your people skills. Maybe if you weren't so uptight all the time and so concentrated on you work somone would take the time of day to notice you."

"I like my work, I don't need anything or anyone else." Lucy said firmly trying her best to convince him as she was herself. Sure she had family, but they were all back home. In Chicago though the didn't have or need anyone else. that way she could concentrate on her job.

"You try convincing yourself of that and see where is gets you."

"The same place it has from the day I started med school, by myself and with no one else to worry about." For some reason though Carter didn't looked convinced.

"Well thinking that way will cause no one to want to know you for long." Carter shook his head at her as he said so and smirked before he backed away and made his way down the hall to his room.

Lucy glared at his back, she hated when he didn't let her bother him. "Well I guess it's a good thing then that no one wants to care about me!"

Carter didn't turn around and kept walking towards he door. Eventually he heard her door opened and shut with a loud thud. Once he reached his door he stopped and looked down to hers. "That's where your wrong."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The morning after Lucy had to drag herself out of bed. The conclusion she came to was that all doctors should have to be in there room by 11 if they have to wake up for a 10 o'clock seminar. Or at least she should have to be in. She hadn't drinken enough to have a hangover thank goodness, but she felt tired as hell. A shower did little to awaken her and by the time she headed downstairs everyone was alerady heading off to the first event of the day. Looking quickly in her book she searched for the seminar she was headed to for that morning. Once her discovery had been made she headed hurriedly in that direction.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Is this seat taken?"

Lucy looked upa nd frowned. "What do you want?"

"I thought I would go out of my way to bother you and not let you be alone since that is the way you like it." Carter smirked at her and took a seat next to her.

Lucy looked cautiously at him. It didn't sound like his normal attempt to be mean to her, it sounded more like a joke, and that was what had her confused. "Is there a reason you seem to be in such a good mood, or does it just give you pleaser to annoy me?"

"Well I am in a good mood I admit, but it does give me pleasure also to annoy you." Carter admitted to her and couldn't help a genuine smile that he knew would annoy her further.

Lucy narrowed her eyes at him. "Stop it."

"Stop what?" Carter asked her with feigned ignorance.

"Acting this way, smiling, it's weird. Why don't you go sit with one of your little blonds." Lucy said and shewed her hand in the direction of one of them.

Carter looked over to where Rene was sitting then truned back to Carter. "Well your a blond and you were closer to the entrance."

Lucy only let out a frustrated sigh and turned away from him to face the front.

"Like I said Lucy, you really need to work on your people skills." Carter could see she was fuming silently but for some reason he didn't feel like rising to her attitude this morning. He had actually woken up in a good mood.

"Why? I'm not trying to attract your attention." Lucy continued to stare strait ahead. She was hoping that at any moment some funny little man or women would walk up to the microphone and start talking so that she could get out of this weird conversation she was in with Carter.

"Well your a blond Lucy, that automatically attracts my attention." It was said to annoy her, but for some reason, it was true, Carter did have a thing for blonds. Now he wasn't always attracted to blonds, but for some reason the majority were.

Lucy's head turned sharply around and she looked at him almost as if he had grown another head. "What is wrong with you?" Before she could even expect a response form Carter a 'Good Morning' echoed thjrough the room and everyone quited down. Lucy gave Carter one more look before turning away and looking strait ahead at the speaker.

Carter staired at her a moment longer after she turned away form him. He was acting a little out of the ordinary he knew. In fact Carter wasn't to sure why. Maybe because last time was the actual real talk he had ever had with Lucy. To anyone else it would appear as a fight. Carter knew that wasn't a fight, he knew the difference. Last night was different. And since that talk out in the hallway he was begining to think of Lucy in the same light he had before that fateful incident five months ago.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The seminar ended a couple of hours later and once everone began standing up Lucy immidiatly began scolding herself. She hadn't paid close attention throughout half of the talk. Instead she had been dwelling on the body sitting next to her and his weird behavior. Now she actually had to talk to him again, unless by luck he would leave her alone. But she refused to admit to herself the if he had just turned away from her without a waord that her feeling would have ben hurt.

"Well I'm guessing you disagree with everything he said and have a better way of doing it all?" Carter asked as he slouched and pushed his long legs out futher so that she coudln't pass.

"No, I never said I knew everything, you are the one implying that. Now if you would be so kind as to let me pass I would gratefully appreciate it."

"Here's what I concluded last night..." Carter began and at her sigh he stopped. "Take a seat."

Lucy let out another sigh but this one more impatient then the previous. "Fine." Lucy plopped down onto the chair and faced ahead.

"I believe that we have gotten everything out in the open, and if we haven't then it's all on your side because I really have nothing left to say concerning last night. So there really is no point of continuing this foolishness."

Lucy interrupted him quickly. "And by foolishness you mean.......?"

"This continous fighting that we have been involved in for over five months. I'm tired of it and I would hope you are also. I'm not going to sit here and try to be your best friend or even suspect that we can be friends at this point, but we can at least try to have enough respect for each other that we aren't yelling and arguing everyday." Carter looked at her intently as she seemed to think about the words he just spoke, and he almost found himself nervous throughout the whole silence.

Lucy thought about what he said silently, and surprisingly considered it. For some reason hearing that he no longer felt the need to argue with her any longer took away most of her need to. "You know it isn't that easy. We can't just say 'oh lets be nice to each other now' and then everythings all better."

"I never said that. But it isn't to late to try now is it? Unless you hate me so much that you don't want to." Carter really did hope that wasn't the case. He never really did hate her. Sure he had liked to think that but it never had been the truth. She just agrivated the hell out of them.

"There you go putting words in my mouth again." Lucy exclaimed in an exasperated tone. "I never said I hated you, I just-" Lucy winced and sighed as she tried to search for the words.

"What?" Carter asked.

Lucy coudln't help but notice the kind tone in his question and for the moment all the tension she felt when she was faced with him faded away and she felt more at ease to talk. She opened her mouth to speak but before she could get a word out they were interrupted.

"John?"

Both Carter and Lucy looked up at Rene who stood beside John and awaited his attention.

"Sorry to interrupt," Rene said apoligetically then looked straight at Carter, "Are we still going to have lunch?"

Carter nodded. "Sure just give me a minute."

Rene nodded and walked away.

When Carter turned back to face her Lucy was already collecting her things. "What are you doing?"

"Getting my stuff, what does it look like?" Lucy responded with a little more attitude then she had intended. With a sigh Lucy stood up and looked down at him, her face a little softer then it had been just a moment before. "Look I don't want to talk about this right now. I've never been uncomfortable around you because before I really couldn't have cared about what I said to you or what you thought of it, but right now you are making me uncomfortable. So I guess you could say I am running away form an inevitable discussion but so be it." Turning quickly Lucy walked in the oppisite direction down the isle.

Carter stood up and called after her. "We're going to finsih this later Lucy!"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Lucy made every attempt to make sure that later was later. In fact much later. For the most part of the day she had managed to avoid any sort of confrontation with Carter. She had been lucky enough not to have another seminar with him, but when she wasn't secluded in rooms for a two hours time she had managed to escape to her own hotel room or mingle in with a crowd. Only one time did she see Carter, but luckily he hadn't seen her and she had managed to move far enough away that if he did turn around he wouldn't spot her. Of course nothing stopped him from knocking at her hotel door when she was in there, which is what she discovered later that evening.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Lucy had chosen on not going out that night. Her experience last night made her opt for a quite evening in front of the T.V by her lonesome which is the way she often preferred it. Her quite time was evenutally interrupted by a knock on her door. Groaning, Lucy pushed herself up from her position on the sofa and looked at the clock. "Who the hell would be knocking at my door at ten thirty?" Of course Lucy got no answer and she knew the only way to would be to get up and answer the door. After building up her resolve Lucy eventually forced herself up offof the couch and to the door. After unlocking the door Lucy preceded to open it only to stand there shocked and scolding herself for not believing his last words to her earlier.

"I told you we were going to finish this later."

Lucy frowned. "Alright fine." Releasing the doorknob Lucy turned around and walked back in. She didn't look at him until she had plopped down onto the couch and was looking up at him. "Talk."

"Hey, I wasn't the one that got cut off." Carter reminded her.

"So if I wanted to say what I had to say I would have come and found you."

"Okay, look this is way off of the earlier discusion, but what is your problem Lucy. I could understand if you had more reason to hate me but I don't see it here." Carter told her honestly. "So what is your problem?"

"I don't have a problem." Lucy stood up and moved away form the couch to stand in front of him. "But forgive me if your the one person in the world I don't feel free to talk to."

"I didn't tell you to tell me your whole life story. But if I can try to get over all the animosity I have towards you why can't you try? I mean do you even want to, because if you don't then-"

"That isn't it." Lucy sighed and looked at him solemnly.

"Then what is it?" What surprised Carter, once he thought about it, was how genuine the question was when he asked it.

Lucy opened her mouth then closed it. The words she wanted to speak wouldn't come out. This new attitude that she was getting from him made it difficult for her to speak to him. "I'm having trouble talking to you now. Now that I am not trying to be mean I don't really know what to say. I mean this whole trying to be nice thing is making me nervous. You're making me nervous."

Carter could tell to. The way she kept biting her bottom lip and looking around at everything but him made it very obvious. "You don't have to be."

"Well I'm glad you think so." Lucy smiled quickly then looked down and sighed.

"Although my doctorial degree isn't in psychology I think I would be safe in guessing that you have a problem with opening up and pushing people away."

"Whatever." Lucy turned away from him and walked towards the t.v. to turn it off.

"Lucy be honest just this one time to me and to yourself. Do you actually believe you could be happy on your own with no one for you to care about and no one to care about you?" Carter waited patiently for a response, that's if he was even to receive one from her.

"I've gotten by just fine without anyone." Lucy responded to him as she truend to face him.

"That's not what I mean Lucy. Sure you can get by, but can you actually be happy?" Carter did not intend on letting up, no matter how much she tried to avoid the question.

"I don't know okay. I have no clue. You know sure I want what everyone wants. I nice man to marry and love a couple of kids and a pretty house. But I have no time for that."

"Lucy that is just an excuse. You aren't the only doctor that works hard. Look I'm not tryig to compare here and decide who works the hardest and has the least time to spare. But I work hard too."

Lucy jumped in. "I know that, I'm not trying to say you don't. You know maybe if I decided to I could make time in my life for nice things like that. But I don't want to."

Carter walked towards her as he began to talk. "So if someone admitted to you that they cared for you and wanted to get to know you better you would tell them that you don't have time for them at the moment and well that their just out of luck."

Lucy shrugged. "I don't know." Her reply was a pitch louder then she had intended but she continued. "But it doesn't matter does it? Because nobody really cares about me like that do they?" Lucy voice lowered as she asked the question.

"How would you know Lucy? You don't give anyone the time of day." Carter replied to her question with his own. He was doing his best to get her to think, and maybe even change her mind that she did need other people. "Or at least you never give me the time of day."

"Oh give me a break." Lucy scoffed. But then she frowned almost sadly. "Like you really even wanted to spend more then a few seconds in my company before or after our little incident."

"How would you know?" Carter asked and as he did his heart seemed to beat a little faster because it revealed more to what the whole into conversation had been aimed at. And at this point he was scared that she was going to kick him out.

"How would I know what?" Lucy asked cautiously. At this point she was very unsure of where this conversation was headed and almost scared.

"That I didn't want to spend any time around you." Carter explained to her.

"Because I got on your nerves, because we fought all the time. Why else would I think that?" Lucy asked him.

"Before any of that started Lucy I had no problem with you, but after we were both to stubborn to even give an inch and forgive the other. It took a huge fight and both of us getting drunk after before we could even overcome the whole thing. Like I said earlier, I don't hate you." Carter tried to look at her face both at that point she was looking down and considering her height compared to his it made it quite difficult to make out any feature on her face.

"I'm confused." Lucy admited.

"What? About what I said?" Carter asked confused himself.

"No, about what I am feeling." Lucy admitted and it scared her to do so. "About you I mean."

Carter made a bold judgement and spoke up. "Looking I'm going to try something, and well if you don't agree then just say so, just don't yell okay?"

Lucy looked at him even more confused then she was seconds before. "Um I guess so."

"Okay." Taking a deep breath Carter brought his hand up gently to cup the side of her face and brought his head down to kiss her lips softly. After a short moment he pulled away but only slightly.

"That's what you were going to try?" Lucy asked nervously. Her heart was beating wildly. It certainly hadn't been something exciting or lustful. But the fact that he had done it all together made her excited and nervous at the same time.

"Yea." Carter resonded softly. Maybe she was waiting a moment and then was going to beat the crap out of him, but at the moment she seemed rather calm about it.

"You didn't try it very long." Lucy told him.

"I wasn't sure if it was okay. Is it okay?" Carter asked her hopefuly.

Lucy licked her lips then pressed them together as she nodded. At that response Carter's lips were once again on hers but this time he didn't pull away after one kiss. Instead he sucked gently on her lip and as he did so his hand fell away from her face and wrapped around her waste, pulling her closer. Taking the initiative, Lucy wrapped her arms around his neck, pulled herself up against him and opened mouth to him to deepen the kiss. That's all it remained though, a kiss, and it lasted a while longer but eventually it ended and they were left there staring at each other with only about an inche between their faces.

Although the kiss had been broken Carter still hadn't released Lucy. He still held her tightly against him, because if he did she would be standing back on her own two feet and well below his own height. At least holding her up against she was closer to his height.

"We progressed rather quickly from fighting to this only within a couple of days." Lucy whispered softly considering how close he was to her.

"No we're just being honest now." Carter told her and finally relaxed his arms around her so that she lowered back to the floor slowly.

Lucy swallowed and began to feel uncomfortable with the whole situation. "Now what?"

Carter studied her face quietly and decided on a course of action to take. "Sleep on it Lucy, you still look confused."

"What?" Lucy opened her mouth again then closed it. Then eventually she opened it again. "Don't tell me I'm confused, I know damn well when I am confused I don't need you-"

Carter placed a finger of her mouth to shush her and surprisingly it worked. "I said you look confused."

Lucy grabbed his arm and pulled it down. "And your not?"

Carter shrugged his shoulders and shook his head. "I knew what I was going to do the moment I came in here." Lucy still remained silent though and still seemed a little tiffed over the whole thing. "Look I just want you to think on it's that's all. In the morning then you tell me how you fell then we'll take it from there okay?"

Lucy sighed as she relented. "Okay."

"Okay, good, then I'll see you in the morning." Carter turned halfway around before he realized he forgot something. Turning back to her he leaned down and kissed her softly on the lips. Pulling on slightly away he whispered. "Goodnight." And with that he turned away form her and was out the door.

Lucy looked after him as he went out the door. At this point she felt helpless to any rational thought or movement and instead just stood there playing over what just happened in her mind.

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To be continued......