Knowing she got her stubborn streak from her mother, Lucy resists a fight
and gives in, "Fine, but if you change your mind, my offer still stands."

Barbera only smiles.

"So, did you want to change or are you comfortable?" Lucy asks, hoping she
could find a way to stall longer.

"I'm fine.  I flew down here for a reason, and that reason was not so that
I can change."

"Uh, you know, lets sit."  Taking their places on opposing sides of the
couch, Lucy pulls he feet up beside her body looking toward her relative.
"Now that you have gone through all of this trouble to get here, my
announcement doesn't sound that big anymore."

"Big or small, I came all this way for you.  Now lets here it."

"I've been seeing someone..." Lucy says slowly, trying to make sure that
her words are coming out correctly.

"Is he attractive?" Barbera asks, leaning in, as if she were a friend,
desperate to here about the others love life.

"Mother?!" she questioned, not finding it the most appropriate moment to
ask the question.

"Is he?" Barbera repeated.

"Very!  Well, we have been going out since May sometime..."

"May?!  And you never told me?"

"We never really told anyone accept Abby until a few weeks ago.  It was a
thing that was we wanted to keep secret."

"So you work with him I'm guessing."

"Yes, he works with me in the hospital.  He is nice, loving and everything
I could ever ask for and more."

"Can I meet him?"

"You've already  met him."

"I have?  When?  I only recall meeting Dr. Dave and Dr. Carter." Barbera
asks curiously, totally oblivious that it was one of the two.

Lucy raises her eyebrows and her mother starts to catch on a little at a
time.

"Is it that Dr. Mallucci?  I don't trust him.  He doesn't look or  act very
responsible.  Not the kind of guy that would make a commitment.  You will
only be getting your heart broken."

"Mom, I'm not seeing Dave.  I am going out with John Carter!"

"What?!  Dr. Carter?  You're seeing Dr. Carter?!" Ms. Knight asked, shocked
that her daughter would actually go out with an ex-teacher.

"Actually, we were  going out."  Lucy claims, highlighting were.

"Oh, he dumped you?  So you called me over a broken heart?  Is that what
this is about?" Barbera asks, acting sympathetic.

"Mother!  John didn't dump me!  I called you to tell you about this!"   Lucy
screams, flinging her left hand forward, towards her mom's face.

Barbera's jaw dropped as realised what her daughters point was.  Something
she probrely should of caught on to a lot quicker then she did.  Grabbing
hold of Lucy's hand, she admired the jewellery sitting of her ring finger. 
"That is one hell of a rock!  Either you will spend the rest of your
marriage paying for this or he's got deep pockets!"

"Is that a question or a comment?"

"Both."

"Am I supposed to answer that question?"

"Uh huh."  Barbera alleges, not taking her eyes off of the band.

"Well, they have some money, but John doesn't really a big thing for all of
it.  He is more of the kind that wants to make it on his own."

"Something tells me, if his wage is anywhere close to yours, that he broke
into the family safe for this one."

"So, do you still want to meet him, although you already know him, or do
you want to sit here for the rest of the day and drool onto my hand?"

"Is he home?"

"No, he is at work, but we can go and see him there."

"What time does he get off?"

"Six I believe."

"If he is at work, I believe that means he is supposed to be working.  How
about we call him, tell him to meet us here for supper and we can all eat
together.  That way we can spend the day shopping!  What do you say?"

Not really sure what had just happened with her mothers switch of emotions,
Lucy just kind of plays along, "Uh, okay."

"Great!"  Standing up, Barbera, gives her daughter a hand and goes to grab
their jackets.

~~~~~~~~~~1:00 PM, Same day

Walking through the grocery store, stalked with such a wide variety of
food, Barbera and Lucy Knight found it hard not to fight over what they were
going to have for dinner.

"No mom.  You already asked.  Plus, John doesn't like bland food."

"This does not count as bland."

"It's turkey with no spices, no flavouring and no stuffing.  I also think
that it might be to much.  I was think more toward something smaller and
less effort."

"Like what?"

"Maybe a little bit less traditional and more original.  Pizza, spaghetti,
or maybe salad."

"Fine then, how about we make some spaghetti and toss a salad.  They aren't
exactly the perfect match, but you said it, not me."

"Okay, I'm fine with that.  What will we have to drink?  Do you want to
pick up some wine?"

"Sure."

~~~~~~~~~~7:30 PM, Lucy's Apartment

"What time is John supposed to be here dear?" Barbera yelled from the
kitchen as she moved pans from one burner to the other.

"He said somewhere close to seven thirty."

"Well, dinner is ready, so whenever he arrives we can eat."

"Should I call him?"

"He will get here when he gets here.  Don't stress out over this.  It will
be okay if he is a little late.  I can reheat the spaghetti sauce if it gets
cold.  Don't worry about the food."

"I'm not worried about the food.  I'm worried about me."

"He'll be here soon, don't stress."  just as Barbera said that last
sentence, their was a knock at the door.  Looking at each other, the two
women smiled, "  I told you so!... Well, don't just leave him standing out
their, go answer the door!"

Pulling herself together, Lucy walked around the couch and to the door. 
Opening it up, she found John, plaid in his usual dress pants except this
time he didn't have a tie.  Just a dress shirt. "Hey Luce."  he leans down
and gives her a quick peck on the lips. "Sorry if I'm a little late, car
trouble."

"Again?  What this time?"

"I lent my jeep to Dave and he went joy riding.  When I got it back, the
thing was practically dead and it overheated on my way over so I had to take
the EL halfway here."

Appearing from the kitchen, Barbera Knight walks over, "Hello John.  I hope
you like spaghetti.  We also made salad and got some wine."

"Sounds great."  Grinning, John stands tall, waiting to be asked to sit.

Turning around, Ms. Knight runs to the kitchen calling behind her, "Excuse
me a minute, I have to go and take the sauce of the stove."

Looking down at Lucy, Carter whispers, "I'm guessing that she took it
easier then you thought she would."

"After she stared at the ring for, uh, five, ten minutes... She found out
that your family was not necessarily living on a strict budget and she was
anything but depressed about it."

"I say fifty bucks that you didn't tell her the only relation I have to my
family's account is family trust."

"Remind me, to remind you, to write a check for fifty dollars later."

Walking back out to the foyer, Barbera smiles, "Well, what are you waiting
for?  A written invitation?  Come on and sit.  Eat."

Taking their places around the oval table, Ms. Knight at one end of the
table while Carter and Lucy sat side by side across from her.  Through out
their meal, the happy couple shared a few stories, some happy and some
funny.  They also took sometime to discuss Lucy's younger sister and how she
had been doing in school.  After they had finished scraping their plates
clean with their forks, Barbera stood up, walking away, but soon returned 
with a pie.

"When we were at the store, I found some gorgeous, homemade pies.  They
looked delicious and I just couldn't help myself.  I hope that you like
apple pie John."

"Yes I do, thank you."  It seemed like she had to check with him about
everything she did.  If it wasn't about whether he liked the food, it was
about whether he was comfortable with their conversation.  It felt pleasant
that she cared about his tastes.  He could tell that he was being accepted
into their family and found it a good sign of there being no feuds between
them.

~~~~~~~~~~8:45 PM, Lucy's Apartment

"Thank you, both of you, for dinner. It was delicious."

"Your welcome." says Barbera.

"I'm sorry I have to cut this night short.  This is the third time that the
lady living across from me has called, notifying me that I left a light on
in my apartment and it is keeping her up.  I don't even know where she got
my cell number, though it is absurd what people can find on the internet
these days."

"I guess I'll see you tomorrow then?" Lucy suggested, starting to walk
Carter to the door.

"I'm not working late, so I'm sure we can get together sometime."

"Good bye Barbera." John calls to the other room where Lucy's mother was
now doing dishes.

"Good bye John.  It was nice meeting you again."

"You too." He hollers into the kitchen.

"Don't stay up to late, and call me tomorrow morning." demands Lucy, making
sure he would keep in contact over the nights time they will be apart.

"Of course I will.  What would I do with out you to keep me in track?" John
now talks to her, their voices hardly over a whisper.

"Uh, have no one to call in the morning?" Lucy guesses.

Carter laughs, giving her a deeper kiss good bye then he did when he first
saw her earlier in the evening.

"Call me!" She yells down the hall as he works towards the stairs.  Waving
behind him, he disappears into the stairwell which leading down to the main
floor.

~~~~~~~~~~ 7:30 AM, August 19, Lucy's apartment

Waking up the next morning with the sun in her eyes, Lucy shoved her face
deep into a pillow on the opposite side of the bed, quickly realising she
was alone.  She had become quite fond of waking up in the morning with
someone beside her or wrapping his arms around her body.  It wasn't the
first night they had slept apart, but it seemed different then other times. 
He had seen her the night before and had the chance to stay.  Not that she
would feel comfortable, especially with her mother in the other room and the
paper thin walls.  It just wasn't something she wanted to happen very often.
Falling asleep the previous evening was not a bundle of joy either.
Lucy stayed up late, talking with her mother, updating her on her summer
and work.  They talked to each other more like they were friends then mother
and daughter.  They just had a special bond most people didn't have.  Maybe
it had something to do with her being a single mother and raising two
children on her own.
Sometime near midnight, Lucy and Barbera made a bed on the couch and went
their separate ways for the wee hours. It took two hours for Lucy to fall
asleep.  All she could think about was John.  Her mind was supposed to be
clear.  She had finally told her mother about their relationship and all
turned up well.  Now she was trying to get him  off her mind so she could
sleep a full nights rest.  Why should she be putting herself through this? 
Why couldn't they be together every evening.

~~~~~~~~~~ 7:30 AM, August 19, Carter's apartment

Hearing his alarm clock go off was not the noise Carter had been looking
forward to waking up in the morning.  The annoying ring buzzed loudly
throughout the room, causing John to punch to snooze button solidly with the
palm of his hand, over a fit of anger.  He had only got about three to four
hours of sleep the previous evening, forlorn over not having Lucy at his
side.
Carter found it sad, that he, as a grown man, could loose sleep over
missing a women he had only seen hours prior.  Not only that, but they had
also spent most of summer and spring with one and other.  There were also
times through out the evening when he had the sudden urge to call her.  At
one point, he picked up the receiver and dialled six of the seven digit
number until he realised it was two in the morning and she was probrely
sleeping, not wanting to be awaken by the telephone.  It wasn't long until
he resorted to counting sheep.

Now that it was finally morning and he had made it throughout the night, he
layed in the same position for a few seconds, allowing his body and mind to
adjust to the morning.  Stepping out of bed a few minutes later, Carter
engloved himself in his housecoat and trotted off to the bathroom to take a
shower.

~~~~~~~~~~ 8:00 AM, August 19, Lucy's Apartment

After waking up, there was no way that Lucy was going to fall back asleep
and decided in waiting for John to call.  The only time she got out of bed
was to make herself toast and grab a muffin.  Her mom had not awoke yet and
Lucy was planning on letting her sleep until after John rang her up.

Taking her breakfast back to bed with her, she confiscated the cordless on
the way to her room and crawled back under the heavy comforter.  In the time
it took to eat one slice of bread and the top of her muffin, the phone rang.
  Jumping slightly, Lucy reached for the phone and had pushed the 'on'
button before the first ring had finished.  "Hello!  John?!" Lucy yelped
into the speaker, making in known to the person on the opposite end she was
anxious.

"Hey Luce!  How'd you sleep last night?"

"Sleep?  What's that?  I haven't had it in such a long time I'm starting to
forget what it is."  Lucy exclaims humorously, trying to make it sound
serious.

"Yeah?  I didn't get that much rest my self to tell you the truth." admits
Carter after being told he wasn't the only one unable to repose himself.

"I kept thinking of you."

"Me too."

"Lucy giggles.

"I mean you! I kept thinking of you !"

"I know what you meant!  So how do you think last night went?" asked Lucy.

"It was fun.  I'm just happy that she didn't ponder us with questions all
night.  It went a hell of a lot better then I expected it to go.  Better
then with my family."

"Me too!  I expected her to totally freak!  I was actually expecting to
have to give her a day until seeing you.  I was thinking she might of clawed
your eyes out with her nails or something."

"Those are quite the humble expectation you have."

"Well, she hasn't thought very highly of most of my past boyfriends.  Even
if they were respected people or got good grades in school, she
automatically turned on them.  But she likes you for some reason.  I love
you for that same reason."

"And what reason might that be?" asks John, showing his face was glowing
through his voice.

"Your charming, have good values and manners, stubborn..."

"Since when does me being stubborn come into this?"

"Know the saying 'Opposites Attract'?"

"Uh huh." responds John.

"It isn't all true. We are both stubborn and I think that is one of the
reasons we are both so compatible."

"Do you think?"

"Yeah." hearing a knock on her bedroom door, Lucy finishes up her
conversation with John, "Look, my mom is up.  I have to go.  I'll talk to
you though."

"Kay, bye. I love you."

"Love you to."  Pushing in the 'off' button, Lucy turns her attention to
the door, "Come in."

"Good morning Lucy!  I was wandering if you wanted to go out?  We can go
shopping and eat breakfast and maybe even drop by the hospital later..." 
Barbera tries to entice her daughter.

"Sure.  I'm up for it."  Forcing herself out of her comfortable bed, the
two women start getting ready for their day."

~~~~~~~~~~

For the rest of the morning and afternoon, Lucy and Barbera ate out and
went shopping.  Stopping at all of their favourite stores and of course,
County General Hospital.  During his lunch break, John went and ate lunch at
Doc Magoos with them and enjoyed the meal as he did the previous evening. 
Both feeling reassurance that everything was going to be okay, Carter and
Lucy felt free to safe in the way their life was going.  For now.

~~~~~~~~~~
Sunday, April 8, 2001

I hope that everyone is enjoying my story and will start sending some
feedback.  I haven't been receiving much and appreciate every word that I
have.  The next part will be coming soon, I already have idea planned out,
just have to get it out on paper.
Please send any comments or criticism to lizzyknightlight@hotmail.com