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Part 5

"John, where have you been?!?" asked Millicent angrily as she let her Grandson into the mansion.

"Oh, uh, nowhere." said Carter aloofly as he entered the kitchen and poured himself a glass of orange juice.

"John, next time your going to be late, let me know. You promised me that you'd be home by early tonight!"

"I didn't promise anything, Gamma." Millicent gave Carter a 'look'.

"Ok, ok, I'm sorry. But you'll be pleased to know that I have tomorrow off."

"Oh, good!" said Millicent, genuinely pleased that John had some time to himself.

"I suppose you'll spend it sleeping in." she guessed as she pulled out a stool and sat next to her Grandson.

"Well, not this time. I'm showing a new friend around. She's from Australia."

"A girl, I see." said Gamma raising her eyebrows in amusement.

"Not in that way Gamma, she's just a friend."

"Well, you'll have to bring her round for dinner tomorrow." said Millicent.

"Gamma..."

"No, no, It won't be too formal, John. Casual, Ok?" Carter knew that his Grandmother wouldn't let him walk away without a yes, so deciding that maybe it won't be so bad, he agreed.

"Fine. But If she say's no.."

"She won't say no, dear. Now just get some rest." said Millicent gently prodding Carter towards the staircase."

"Ok, ok, I'm going! Good night Gamma."

"Night Dear. Make sure your up bright and early tomorrow!"

"Yes Gamma." said Carter rolling his eye's.

~*~*~*~

Kate looked at her limited choice of clothes which covered her bed. Narrowing it down to either a really nice pair of jeans and a black top which read: I'm The Devil or a pair of cream cargo's and a pink, sleeveless top that said: angle on the front. "Aggrr!" she screamed. "I thought that this was going to be easy!" Suddenly, the phone rang. Glad for the interruption, Kate practically ran to the kitchen and caught it on the second ring.

"What are you doing, setting a new world record for picking up the phone?" came the sarcastic voice over the line.

"Sarah!"

"Yeah, duh, It's me!"

"Sarah, you've gotta help me." said Kate desperately. Sarah sighed.

"Fine, the angel top with the cargos." predicted Sarah.

"How- how?"

"How did I know? Easy. I know you. Kate I rang you to tell you that I'm spending nine thousand Australian to visit you. Kate - you better say yes, I'm at the hospital and practically every nurse is listening. No privacy.... Hey you - get some charts before your cleaning the toilets." instructed Sarah to some poor soul halfway around the world. Kate chuckled to herself.

'That's Sarah alright.' she thought to herself as she listened to her best friend rant on about nothing in particular.

~*~*~*~

Carter climbed the steps leading to the floor that Kate’s apartment was on. Looking nervously in a mirror that had somehow made it onto the stairway, he checked his appearance and tried once more to flatten the pieces of hair at the top of his head which had managed to spring up once more. ‘Stuff it’ he muttered as he made it to his destination and stepped onto the doormat and knocked on the door. His first knock was barely audible, but as he realized that perhaps Kate couldn’t hear it he knocked louder.

"Come in, the door is open!" yelled Kate as Carter placed his hand on the knob and turned to find that it opened freely in his hands.

"Dr Carter, is that you?" came a voice from what John thought to be the bed room. "Yeah, you ready?"

"No, not yet. I’m sorry. Give me ten, OK?"

"Yeah sure. Don’t worry - I’m early." as Carter looked round, he noticed how empty the place looked. There seemed to be only the absolute nessicary, except the huge lump by the corner which he thought to be some sought of furniture. The kitchen looked absolutely empty except for the lone toaster on the bench. ‘She must have not had breakfast yet...’ thought Carter before his eyes set on what seemed to be a very old looking rice-cooker. He had seen one once in Gamma’s kitchen. Kate’s one was bubbling away and it’s red light was on and flashing.

"Hey." said entering the kitchen and placing a bowl into the sink.

"Sorry I took so long..."

"You didn’t." said Carter as he looked at what Kate was wearing- the angel top and jeans. ‘Wow, she looks really young and very, very beautiful.’

"You said casual, right?" asked Kate nervously as she noticed that Carter was looking at what she was wearing.

"Yeah- what you’ve got on is fine. You just look awfully young to be an attending." explained Carter as Kate rinsed the bowl and started to empty things from a shoe box into her hand bag.

"Oh, that would be because I started medicine back when I was fifteen."

"You ready?"

"Yeah, where are we going?"

"You’ll see."

~*~*~*~

"Wow." exclaimed Kate in awe as she watched the murky waters travel down, under the bridge and on it’s way to the sea.

"Yeah, beautiful. This has been one of my favorite spots."

"I can see why. Where are your other favorite places?" asked Kate turning away from the dark liquid.

"They’ll have to be saved for late, I um, forgot to tell you, but my Grandmother really wants to meet you." said Carter, stumbling a little.

"Your joking- right?" said Kate very surprised.

"You, you can come- can’t you?" asked Carter thinking that maybe Kate would give him a flat out no.

"Sure, I’d love to." said Kate, looking amused at Carter who let out a gush of air as soon as Kate agreed.

"What, is this like, really important or something?" asked Kate as the two walked towards John’s jeep. "Sorta- you see, my grandmother is uh, kind counting on my to bring you." explained Carter as he started the engine.

"Well, can I at least go and change?"

"Uh, no time..."

"No fair!" exclaimed Kate, mad that she had been set up.

"We’re already late. Come on! You look beautiful."

"Your only saying that to save your butt." said Kate, crossing her arm’s across her chest and looking out the window in a huff.

"No, no really, you look very beautiful to me." said Carter shyly as he turned the corner and came up to the large gates.

"You mean that?" asked Kate slowly unfolding Her arms, but remained looking out at the grounds of the Carter family mansion.

"Yeah, really."

"Thanks" said Kate turning to face Carter, her cheeks a red glow. She lifted her hands to her cheeks and felt them. They were hot. As soon as she realized hat it wasn’t the temperature in the car, but that she was blushing, Kate turned back to window as fast as she could, hoping that Carter would not notice. However, it was too late. He had already noticed and was grinning silently at the thought that he could make her as red as a beetroot.

"Here we are."

"Holy....cow!"

"It’s big, isn’t it?" said Carter, not dazed a bit.

"Big? You’ve got to be kidding- It’s, it’s humongouse!" said Kate in awe, her Aussie accent getting higher with every word.

"What are you rich or something?"

"Oh, no, not me. My parents and my sister and the rest of my family, yeah." said Carter getting out of the car and leading the dazed Kate in behind him.

~*~*~*~

"What an evening!" said Kate as she giggled her way up the stairs to her apartment. "Yeah, you could say that again. I would do almost anything to see Gamma’s face again when I told her that you were an attending."

"And what about the part when Kit-Kat had to just come in the room with chocolate sauce all over her." added in Kate and at remembering the scene where Carter’s cat had decided to join in all the fun.

"Seeing Kit-Kat reminded me of Cherry-Ripe back home alone in Sarah’s apartment." said Kate sadly as they finally reached her apartment.

"Cherry-Ripe?"

"Oh, that’s my hyper-active boy. He’s arriving in a couple of weeks." At hearing this Carter felt jelouse. He began to blush and tried violently like Kate had to hide it. "What time is He arriving?" asked Carter, trying to be polite.

"John, your not jells of my boy are you?" said Kate, looking up and noticing the look on Carter’s face.

"No, why should I be?" asked Carter trying to play the ‘innocent’.

"You are aren’t you? Yes, you are!" exclaimed Kate as he blushed even harder. That was all it took for Kate to burst out laughing. She slid her key’s into the lock and stumbled inside her apartment. Still laughing, she took off her coat and to Carter’s surprise invited him inside.

"Oh, God, Carter, you are a ripper!"

"What?"

"Cherry-Cherry-Ripe is my, my, Golden Labrador!" said Kate, before stumbling over to the sofa and collapsing in a giggling heap. Took a while for Carter to catch onto what Kate was saying, but at long-last, he too collapsed next to Kate and feeling like he was in a playful mood, he began to tickle Kate for all She was worth.

"John! No, John, stop, please?" begged Kate as Carter tickled even harder.

"With a cherry on top?" asked Carter sweetly.

"Yes, lot’s of cherries and wipped- wipped cream too!" begged Kate trying to run away from his wiggling fingers.

"I’m being very nice tonight so, ok!" agreed Carter.

By now, she had some how managed to climb on top of him. Their face’s were inches away from each other. Kate could feel Carter’s hot breath on her face. Suddenly, it seemed as though the room temperature had risen a few degree’s. John’s mind was racing. ‘Was this right, would it be ok if I kissed her?’ But his mind seemed to have gone in a world of it’s own as he leaned forward, capturing Kate’s mouth with his.

Kate’s heart was screaming out in joy; however her mind was yelling at her to stop. ‘Oh my God, oh my God, what do I do now?’ Kate was reeling in her thought’s. The kiss felt right. Like it was ment to be.

"I’m sorry, John, really I am but I’m just confused right ..." trailed off Kate as she pulled away.

"You don’t need to explain. I understand." said Carter as confidently as he could. He stood up to leave and picked up his coat from the sofa. The room was completely silent.

"John, I’m sorry, but, I just need some time..."

"Don’t worry. See you at work tomorrow?" "Yeah. See you at work." said Kate as Carter left the apartment block with a wave and drove off.

I want to feel you in me, just like the air we breath. I need you here in my life, dont walk away, dont walk away

Kate stood at the window, tear’s streaming down her face as she watched John drive off. "What have I done?" Kate asked of herself as she sat on the piano bench. "What have I lost?" and with that, she walked over to the sofa and curled upon the one where the moment had originated from and covered herself with a blanket which had been left there during the packing period. Blowing her nose on a corner of the warm piece of material, Kate sniffled her way into a restless world of sleep.

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