Two Years On
Part One - Someone Old, Something New
By Anna Rousseau
annadelamico@yahoo.co.uk

Rating: PG-13+
Genre: ER Carter
Notes: Takes place at Season 7 premiere, one of the threads for the premiere. Suggested song 'Even Angels Fall' by Jessica Riddle from the 10 Things I Hate About You soundtrack and 'Whatever You Do- Don't' by Shania Twain. My first fic, so go easy on me!



Dr. John Carter prodded his pecan pie with one of Doc Magoo's severly battered forks, just about aware of the fact that someone had asked him a question, "Huh?"

"I said, 'When are you on?'," repeated Dr. Jing-Mei Chen, half chuckling whilst stirring a cup of black coffee.

"Sometime soon, Deb," he answered distantly, staring out of the window into the cool August night, his mind processing the last few months of this year wondering how everything had gotten so out of hand. He certainly felt better, but he was ashamed that he had let himself get addicted, after the hard time he had given Chase. He would never have much respect for himself after doing that.

"First day nerves eh, John?"

"Something like that," Carter replied warily, dreading the day ahead of him.

"It's been quiet around here without you," 'Deb' commented staring into his eyes. "I tried to call you in Atlanta..."

"Deb..." he urged her to stop, he really didn't want to think about his time in the 'diversion programme'.

"I was really worried about you."

Carter opened his mouth to reply, but was interupted when Dr. Dave Malucci burst through the doors of the diner and broke into their conversation.

"Hey, Carter! You've got to check out this new doctor, boy is she hot! Tall, blonde, leggy, pedes resident..."

Deb rolled her eyes, but Carter wasn't really interested in Dr. Dave's new crush, "I'd better go now, you know, say hello to everyone and all that."

"You're not interested then?" Dave pestered, sliding into the red vinyl booth next to Deb.

"I'm not really in the mood Dave!" Carter replied, leaving money for his coffee and desert.

"Suit yourself, my friend, but she *is HOT*," Dave replied, moving closer to the Japanese-American resident.

"Got the message, Dave!" Carter added.

"What ya doing tonight Dr. Chen?" Dave asked almost in the same breath.

Deb rolled her eyes and pressed the demo button on her beeper, "Dammit, I'm on the code team today, it's a 911- see you around Dr. Malucci."

She hastily exited the diner, tossing some dollar bills onto the melomine table top.
Dave looked perplexed, "Was it something I said?"



"Hey there, Carter!" Chuni Marquez R.N. said on spotting the senior resident. "Missed you!"

"You too, Chuni," he replied after being engaged in a small hug by his friend, wondering if everyone was being a bit too friendly, the whole hospital must have known by now that he was sent to rehab for a narcotic addiction.

"Good morning Dr. Carter," Dr. Kerry Weaver greeted him with a cheery smile, "We've all got new ID badges, with swipe cards- extra security for getting into facilities and such- I haven't given you yours yet- here."

Carter took the ID card, which had a fairly new photo- he must have been just starting his third-year residency then...oh god, he remembered that day, Lucy was standing next to him. *No, it's all in the past* he thought.

He glanced further down the card, all was in order: John Truman Carter MD, Chicago County General Hospital, Emergency Medicine, Chief Resident, Senior Triage Officer... *Chief Resident?* he looked again, no change.

"Dr. Weaver?"

"Yes, John?"

"There's been a typo, see, it should say 4th Year Resident." Carter explained, pointing out the mistake.

"No, that's correct." Weaver replied.

Carter broke into a grin, "Serious? No kidding?"

"You're ready for the responsibility, you're an excellent doctor, and I need your help. What can I say, Chen and Cleo are new and let's not even mention Malucci. You're the best resident this ER has, and one of the most dedicated I've worked with. Are you willing to do this?"

She stared into his eyes, it was the sort of thing he needed to boost his confidence, to show him that they still respected him after what had happened - Kerry blamed herself for not helping him sooner, this was the least she could do.

"Yes, absolutely!" Carter replied enthusiastically.

"I'll brief you later, first, I want you to check on the new resident in Curtain 2."

"OK, why do we have a new pedes resident?"

Weaver explained the situation, "We're expanding the pedes ER thanks to Dr. Finch badgering Romano for the past 3 months."

He'd obviously missed a lot.



Carter grabbed the patient's chart from the rack and headed over to the curtain two, studying the pieces of paper. Halfway to the drawn curtain he stopped, something was familiar about that cursive scrawl on the fracture T-Sheet.

He pushed back the bright printed curtain all the way and immediately stopped in his tracks. Carter would recognise her golden blonde hair anywhere, even though her back was turned to him as she applied a plaster cast to a small girl's arm.

Her voice confirmed his identification of the new resident.

"Great Haleh, can your page the orthopedes fellow and pass me a 5 inch?" She asked the non existant Haleh. Dave and Chuni looked on from the admit desk with bemused grins: Chuni because she knew what was going on; Dave because he didn't.

Carter passed her the bandage from a nearby tray, his hand lingering on her delicate hand.

She stopped, turned around and jumped off the stool and into his arms, "John!" She exclaimed.

"Anna!?" Carter replied, dropping his chart onto the floor and enveloping Dr. Anna Del Amico in an affectionated hug, her wet hands dampening his lab coat with the plaster of Paris mixture. But Carter didn't mind.

"I've missed you so much!" Carter said, burying his face into her thick blond hair, with a sigh of relief. He pulled her warm body closer to him, not wanting to loose her again.

"Me too," Anna replied resting her check against his, relaxing in his strong arms, the tension in her muscles soothed by the warmth of his body. This is how she wanted to be, safe at last in his arms. She was just content knowing she could trust someone. Though she was relieved a tear rolled off her check onto his lab coat. She gave in as he held her closer, her messy hands creeping up to his thick hair. She held on to him with a strange urgency, not caring what the res of the surrounding ER thought. She didn't want to loose him again. More tears cascaded down her face and she choked on their bitter sweetness, "Me too."



When they finally let go of one another, Anna laughed as she wiped her tear stained face with the sleeve of her lab coat, "I guess I look really stupid."

"Not at all," Carter replied studying her face for clues.

"Well you do!" Anna replied, pointing to the set lumps of plaster in his hair, "Look at your hair, Carter!"

"I didn't notice." Carter replied truthfully, the woman he loved was in front of him and that's all that counted.

"I'm sorry, I wasn't really thinking straight, here," she continued, reaching for his fairly tousled hair, picking out a few bits. Her hand lingered there, their eyes contacted and neither let down the gaze.

Carter's eyes questioned her whilst Anna's were apologetic, "Why did you go, Anna?" He whispered.

"I..."

"Hello there!" Dr. Dave interupted brashly, "So I see that you and Carter know each other, Dr..."

"Dave, this is Dr. Anna Del Amico, Anna this is Dr. David Malucci, my 'room-mate'," Carter said not breaking Anna's gaze.

"Just call me Dr. Dave," Dave added, "Or anything else you like, honey."

Anna broke their gaze and turned to Dave, "It's Dr. Del Amico to you, *honey*."

"O-Kay, I'll see you two around," Dave replied, slightly embarrased, "I want the dirt later, Carter."

Carter sighed, "That's Dave."

"I gathered," Anna replied, "Carter, John...I...I'm sorry..."

"Anna, it...don't, at least you're here," Carter explained. Anna nodded slowly and changed the subject.

"So, Dr. Carter- can you manage coffee after I finish up," she asked, turning to her patient.

"It's the grave-yard shift, Anna, I'm sure I can sneak away for a little while," Carter smiled, watching her work on the girl's arm. "What about in the lounge."

"Ten minutes?"

"See you then."



"Hey, Carter!" Dave called the other doctor, "So what's the deal?"

"What are you on about?" Carter asked staring at Anna's locker, how come he hadn't noticed it before, it had been Harper's, then Anna's, then Lucy's and now Anna's again.

"What am I on about!" Dave chuckled, "You and Dr. Hot."

"Del Amico, Dave, it's Del Amico!" Carter already lived with Dave, he didn't need this all the time, luckily, this was the only shift that coincided with Dave's for a while. Carter hadn't intended to let out the extra room in his Lincoln Park condo, but it seemed a good idea at the time. Gamma was giving him all the money he needed, but he'd rather live off his own income, which meant letting out the spare room. But if he'd only known quite so undomesticated Dave was he would have thought twice. But hey, he was a nice guy and they had fun. Carter remembered the whole Dennis Gant situation and caved in.

"So you know her, we've established that, but just how well?"

Carter sat down at the table and started to review an anemic's chart, "We interned together here."

"And..." Dave probed.

"And what?"

"Chuni said you sucked the marrow out of her pelvis."

"Dave, did you mean for that to sound as disgusting as it did," Carter laughed in spite of himself.

"Me, disgusting, you have the wrong man, my friend," Dave replied. "So did you date her?"

Carter really didn't want to get into the long version of this, "I asked her out, yes."

"And..."

"Then her old boyfriend turned up and she wasn't quite over him, so she left with him to go to Philidephia."

"Ouch," Dave winced, "So do you like her?"

Carter came out with it without even thinking, "I haven't stopped loving her." He stopped, just realising what he said, "I mean, I care about her...but..."

"Now we're getting some place."

"I'm not sure what she'll think when she hears about the Atlanta thing..." Carter trailed off. "Why am I telling you all this?"

"Cos I'm your bud!" Dave replied, "well are you going to ask her ou...."

Anna burst through the door, "Hey Carter! Oh, and Dr. Malucci, what joy!" Anna gestured to the two Starbucks cups she was holding, "Dark, caffinated, tall, hold the milk, two sugars- right Carter?"

Carter was amazed, "Yeah."

"I don't know how you drink this stuff, I'll just stick to a..."

"Tall, slim, de-caff mocha with three sugars, cinnamon and whipped cream," Carter finished.

Dave looked on, amused, "This is starting to get spooky."

"The roof OK for you?" Anna asked, grabbing some Donuts from her locker.

"Great." Carter replied, "Bye Dave."

"Bye Carter, Dr. Del Amico," Dave added to save face.



The night was stifling in the centre of Chicago, even on top of the roof. So the two doctors had shed their lab coats and layed them on the concrete floor, and sat down on them eating donuts and their coffees.

"So John," Anna started, unbuttoning her blouse one button and fanning herself with a T-Sheet from her lab coat. "What's happened?"

"Doug left over that kid, I think you heard about that and Carol, Jeannie's gone..." Carter started.

"No, with you?" Anna explained, softening her tone, "Millicent, I mean, your grandmother told me about your med-student and the 'Atlanta thing' when I phoned the mansion..."

"What do you think?"

"What?"

"Are you disappointed with me," Carter asked, "am I just as bad as any other addict. You know, I swore after Chase not to let this happen, but...it was so awful Anna...I'm so ashamed of myself...I...." Carter trailed off, not daring to look into her eyes for that look of disappointment or pity that he had seen on many a face since the 'accident'.

"John," Anna said, her eyes full of understanding and compassion, "I came back because of you. I thought I needed more time to sort things up with Max, but he was just one big disappointment- it took me a while to realise that I'd rather be in Chicago- believe me, it was two wasted years..."

"Why did you come back?"

"Because I want to be here," Anna started, glancing at Carter who was pulling off his tie in the heat, "here, let me..."

She didn't know why she did it but Anna reached over and pulled him towards her with the tie, then proceeded to pull it off, her hands skimmed over the buttons of his dark blue shirt, undoing the first one, then the second one- Carter caught her gaze.

Anna pulled back and looked at him nervously *does he know that I love him, will he give me a second chance?* Her fingers wanted to keep going but her mind was telling her that this was too fast, but it felt so right. Carter's eyes penetrated into her very soul, she wanted to melt in their darkness. She was glad they were sitting because her knees were weakening, her face felt so flushed- she just hoped that her would think that it was from the heat.

Carter took her hand and lent closer, "Anna...I..."

Anna breathed quickly as he came closer, her heart and mind racing, trying to kepp control she gulped, "Yes?"

Carter lent in toward her until their noses nearly touched. They both knew this was right, they just were picking up where they left off. A beeper went off, but neither of them heard it.

Anna could smell his aftershave and shampoo, feel the heat of his breath on her lips, intoxicating her...

The roof door swung open, "Hey, you two! 911 to Trauma 2- NOW!" It was Dave, interuppting yet again.

The doctors jumped apart guiltily and rushed to the door, picking up their lab coats on the way.



"Didn't you get beeped?" Dave asked as they rode the elevator to the ER.

"No," Anna started, a litle to quickly, trying to think of an alibi.

"I left mine in the lounge." Carter realised, looking at Anna who quickly came up with a reason.
"I was sitting on mine," Anna added, truthfully in any case.

"Lucky beeper!" Dave commented with a leer.

Anna gave him a sarcastic smile, "Here Carter, your tie." Anna added passing him the Italian silk necktie.

"Thanks," Carter replied, placing it in his pocket and doing up one of his shirt buttons.

Dave smirked and gave Carter a quizzical glance.

The rest of the ride was spent in silence.



"Hey, Anna!" Carter exclaimed as he went over to his locker.

She cut in, as she sorted out her possessions and added a magnetic name tape to the front of the locker, remembering when she took it off two years ago, "You free after your shift?"

Carter was taken aback by this, they had both come on round about the same time and they were off at one am after a short shift, "Yeah...of course. What do you want to do?"

"Can I go see your apartment?" She asked, pushing for all its worth, she longed to spend some time alone with him, as she had so longed since she had moved back to Philly.

"Sure, let me grab my coat and sign off on a chart." Carter said, realising how close she was, he coughed and whispered throatily, "I can't promise cordon bleu cookery or anything- that's one thing that Kerry didn't teach me when I roomed at her place."

"You lived with Kerry?" Anna giggled, "Kerry *Weaver*"

"There is a lot that you've missed, Anna!"

"Well at least I'm back."



"Hey, Dr. Chen?" Dave asked, drawing up beside her locker, "You going home?"

"Yep, off to hit the sack," she replied, pulling off her lab coat and stethoscope and placing them on a hook.

"Want to see our apartment?" Dave asked, pulling on a leather jacket after removing his scrub shirt.

"It's one am, Dave...I'm tired!" Deb pointed out, putting on a lightweight jacket.

"I promise, nothing funny, hey Carter's probably there already, no need to worry," Dave said trying to convince her his motives were nothing other than friendly.

"Well, OK, but I'll need some coffee first!" Deb replied, exiting the lounge and signing some charts that Haleh handed her.

"Doc Magoo's OK?"

Haleh raised an eyebrow.

Chen nodded, "Perfect, Dr. Malucci."



"Nice place, Carter!" Anna exclaimed after they removed their shoes (because the neighbours found people clomping around on the timber floors disturbing at night time), "Better than Roach Manor, anyway!"

"Where are you staying?" Carter asked, pouring them both a glass of Diet Coke from the fridge and opening a packet of crackers.

"At the dorms, got a position as the RA," she said, taking the drink.

"You're kidding!"

"No, why- is there something I should know?" She said suspiciously,

"No, no- not at all. Well we have a spare room here, if you ever get stuck..." Carter explained.

"Really?" Anna's eyes widened.

"Yep..." he nodded, gesturing to a door next to the fire place which was already laden with family photos, shots from the ER, and Benton's appendix in a jar *still the same Carter* Anna thought with an inward chuckle.

"Can I see, because I really wouldn't mind renting in a place this nice," she continued.

"Sure, this way..." Carter said taking her hand and opening the door to the spare room, he shut the door and fumbled for the light switch, "It's here somewhere behind the door."

"Wow, three windows, and fully furnished," Anna said squinting at the street alluminated room, she whirled around to Carter, "I..."

But Carter was walking to her at the same time and they collided, toppling them onto the bed and sinking them into the mattress.

"I guess you've now realised this is a really lumpy mattress!" Carter exclaimed, very aware of the fact that Anna was sprawled on top of him.

Anna was also pretty aware of the fact that Carter was underneath her, "Well, I suppose I'll just have to smooth it out," Anna breathed, taking in his scent, the closeness of his lips, his boyishly tousled hair and his broad chest.

Carter started to reply in a deeper, more throaty voice, "I love you Anna."

Anna melted at those words, her whole being was taken in by his sincere and loving eyes, his breath warm on her lips, the warmth of his body.

Carter wondered what would happen now, *she's going to blow you off again*, he could feel her breath come more quickly and he felt their chests rise and fall at the same time.

"Me too," Anna replied in a quiet voice as he rose to meet her lips with the most innocent of kisses, which deepened as they both gave into three years of waiting.

Carter rolled Anna over as the continued their passionate kiss, her hands went up to his hair, and pulled his lips closer to hers, his hands caressing her back and shoulders.

Anna rolled back on top of Carter and caught her breath, she stroked his cheak, "I loved you from the moment I met you," Anna explained, moving her hands across his chest and engaging him in another kiss whilst her hands slowly unbuttoned his shirt, untucking it and getting herself as close as she could to his bare skin.

"You sure?" Carter asked as they kissed, his hands moving down her back and hers wrapped in his hair.

"You bet," Anna replied as she felt Carter's hands move to the zipper on the back of her floaty print dress. A few moments later Anna lay on top of Carter in her underwear, pressed as closely to him as she could, wanting to stay with him like this forever.



"Here we are!" Dave exclaimed, opening the door to the Lincoln Park apartment.

"Looks like Carter's asleep."

"So, how about a tour?" Dave asked, after he locked the door.

"That's why I'm here," Deb replied. "The only reason!"

"Of course," Dave said with a chuckle, living area, dining area...kitchen through here....balcony, great view, bathroom.... my room," Dave added, "wanna see?"

"Get on with it!" Deb said rolling her eyes.

"Carter's room, I'll not disturb him, he has some serious Dr. Hot fantasising to do..."

Deb looked at him increduosly.



Their kisses became more urgent and Anna's hands wrapped around his shoulders as his caressed her smooth back, "Did I tell you how handsome you are?" Anna asked in between the fleeting kisses Carter planted on her neck.

"No," he replied, thrilled at the feeling of her on top of him.

"Well you are, and cute..." she breathed kissing his ear.

"Uh-huh," he replied running his fingers down her back and kissing.

"Sexy..." she continued, running her fingers down his chest.

"Really?" Carter asked, as he kissed her jawline.

"Yeah and looks like you'll be great in bed..." she moaned as her lips hit his in an amazing kiss.



"Oh and the spare room, you can always room with us if you want," Dave said opening the door and flicking on the switch, "really nice bed....oh mama!"

Deb and Dave stood there open mouthed as they came across Anna Del Amico sprawled across an open-shirted Carter in her underwear, their lips locked and hands all over each other.

They suddenly broke apart and sat up guiltily, Anna grabbed her strewn dress and a sheet, hugging them protectively around herself. Carter hastily drew his shirt around himself.

"Dave...Deb...we..." he started.

Dave, amazed as he was chuckled and turned to the open mouthed Deb, "Well, as you can see Dr. Chen, this is a really nice bed!"

End Of Part One

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