Author's Notes: I'm so sorry for the delay!!! It really took me ages to post the – probably – last chapter of this fic. But I was really busy and then all my beta readers kinda left me … because they were busy themselves. (If anyone is interested to beta read other fics … ::hinthint:: ; ) ) But I really didn't want to wait for the new year until they have more time again – so I decided to just post it. Tracey read it over once, though. (Thank you! ::hugs::) So it shouldn't be too bad.

Anyway … here's the last chapter. There might be more but I'm not sure yet. I hope you'll like it. I've been told it's still PG-13 … and that's what I think, too. But I apologize for the really mild sexual content in advance if it's not …

I really enjoyed writing this and I'm glad that you apparently enjoyed reading it! : ) Thank you for all the reviews!

Happy holidays and a happy new year! : ) [/end of rant]

I'm still a bit overwhelmed by the amount of people when Kerry limps towards us.

"Abby, John, family problems are solved?"

I look at her, confused for a second. But then I remember the lie John told her to get a few days off from work.

"Yes, everything is solved," he answers quickly.

"Good, GSW to the head in Trauma One for you, Carter."

He looks at me, waiting for a sign that I'm okay with him going.

I nod and kiss his cheek before he leaves.

Weaver turns her head to me now.

"Assaulted woman in Exam Two for you, Abby. Looks like she was raped, poor thing. Susan is already there," she says before she limps away again.

I'm like paralysed for a moment. Can I handle that? But then I have to think of the poor woman. She deserves help. Instead of being scared I should try to help her.

I take a deep breath before I join Susan in the exam room.

I feel tears in my eyes when I see the woman. Her face is badly bruised. Her left eye is so swollen that it's shut. Tears are running down her cheeks. She must be in her early twenties.

Susan comes over to me when she sees me.

"Hey, are you feeling better?" she asks and puts her hand on my shoulder.

I nod. "Has she been raped?" I ask her in a whisper.

"We don't know yet. I just wanted to examine her. You don't have to stay."

I shake my head. "No, I have to stay," I say before I go over to the woman.

"Hey, I'm Abby," I say carefully. "What's your name?"

She turns her head to look at me. "Melissa," she whispers.

Now that I stand next to her, the injuries look even worse. I almost think that I can be glad with what happened to me – that not more happened to me – it could have been worse.

I sit down next to her on the gurney and take her hand. It's shaking and I can see that she's scared. She's shocked from what happened to her and scared of what's yet to come.

"Don't be scared Melissa," I say to her and squeeze her hand. "I'll be here with you."

I know how important it is not to be alone. I was lucky that I had John. That I still have him. He's still helping me. And I want to help this girl to make her feel better, too.

And it seems like it works, she seems to relax a little while Susan begins to examine her.

"Do you know who did this to you?"

She shakes her head. "I took the El and when I got out that man was behind me. I don't remember what he looked like ... "

"Shhh, don't worry, you're save now," I say, not sure if that's what she needs to hear now. But I think there's nothing I could say that would help in any way.

"The only thing I remember is that he had a very bad aftershave and that I cut him with a knife I had in my bag ... "

With that she starts crying and I stroke her cheek.

***

"Has she been raped?" I ask Susan after she examined the girl.

We're standing outside her room now. Her mother arrived a while ago and as I look in I can see some relief already in the girl's face.

Susan nods. "She's definitely been raped."

Tears gather in my eyes. She's so young. She shouldn't have to go through this. Nobody should have to go through this.

I stare at her and her mother when Susan begins to rub my arm. "Hey, everything okay?"

I nod. "It's just that her description fits to the man who ... "

"Do you think it was the same?" she interrupts me.

I shrug my shoulders. "I'm not sure. He never raped the women."

"But she cut him with a knife. Maybe that made him angry."

Susan is right. He's sick and who knows what could push him over the edge.

Before I can say anything we hear yelling at the admin desk.

Susan and I turn around to see a man with a towel around his arm.

"Can anyone here help me?" he shouts.

I see Carter there, too. He tries to calm the man down.

"Sit down in chairs and we'll help you as soon as possible."

"Can't you see that I'm bleeding?" he yells.

Susan and I come closer and suddenly it hits me. I know the voice and I know that face.

"It's him," I whisper.

Carter turns around to look at me. "What?" he asks in disbelief.

"It's him," I say again when the man looks at me.

I suddenly feel sick when our eyes meet and I run to the lady's room.

I run into the first stall and kneel down to empty my stomach.

Then I let myself fall to the floor and cover my face with my hands.

I jump when a hand suddenly touches my shoulder. I didn't notice him.

"Hey, it's me," he says and kneels down in front of me.

"It's him," I whisper again.

"I know, they got him Abby, everything will be okay."

I look up into his brown eyes and the tears I felt the whole time finally roll down my cheeks.

He wraps his arms around me and just holds me. "It'll be okay," he whispers again and rubs my back gently.

***

I can't believe that it's been two months already. The man got 10 years for sexual harassment and rape. Sentence is served in a high security mental institute, where the likelihood of him ever being released is minimal.

John and I just came home from the last set of test results. Thank God I'm healthy, he didn't pass any diseases onto me. And I'm not pregnant. I guess I was lucky after all. It could really have been worse.

I'm stood at the window staring outside when John comes in.

"Hey," he says and reaches his arms around me from behind.

"Hey," I say and turn my head to look at him.

"How are you feeling?"

"Okay. I'm glad it's finally really over. I was still scared that I might be sick."

"I know, but you're not."

I turn around in his arms and smile at him. "I know."

I wrap my arms around his neck. "Thank you that you've been there for me. I really needed you ... I still need you."

"Any time," he says and looks into my eyes.

I reach up to kiss his cheek. When I pull back my lips brush against his.

I don't know whether it just happened or was subconsciously on purpose, but I feel a wave of electricity run through my body. It's been a while since we've been so close – at least in that way. I just couldn't handle it. It had nothing to do with John. And he understood. He never pushed me to do anything I didn't want.

I also didn't want to pass any disease onto him.

But now I feel that I want to kiss him again.

I reach up again, this time to kiss his lips.

When my lips touch his he pulls his back slightly, just a bit, to look at me.

"Abby, we don't have to do this."

"I know, but I want to," I say before I kiss him again.

I have to admit that I wasn't sure at first if I really wanted it. But once I kissed him I knew that it was right, that I was ready.

This time he kisses me back. The sensation of his lips on mine, our tongues carefully exploring each others mouth is overwhelming. It feels like the first time we kissed in that Trauma room, like we're experiencing each other for the first time again.

His hands slide down my shoulders and he pulls me closer towards him.

My hands run through his hair at the nape of his neck, while his hands run up and down my back. But he still seems reluctant to touch me.

I pull away from our kiss.

"It's okay, really," I say and begin to trail light kisses down his throat while my hands run over his chest slowly.

He smiles and lets one of his hands slip under my shirt, forming patterns on my bare skin. I feel goose bumps appear all over my body.

He feels so good and I missed his touch. And I can tell he missed me, too.

We move over to the bed slowly while I unbutton his shirt and he fiddles with my bra.

Once we reach the bed his shirt is open and I shrug it off his shoulders. I admire his bare chest and let my hands run over his skin.

He takes off my shirt and my bra and looks at me.

"You're beautiful," he whispers while he lets his hands run over my breasts slowly before he leans down to kiss them.

I sigh and close my eyes.

"I missed you."

"I missed you, too."

He reaches lower to remove my pants and the remaining underwear and I do the same with his. Once we're naked we lie down on the bed.

He kisses me softly while his hands explore my skin.

I can feel both our bodies respond to our touch when he pulls back again to look at me.

"Are you really sure?" he asks me. "We don't have to ... "

I nod and put my finger on his lips before I kiss him again.

With that he positions himself between my legs.

Silent moans escape both our throats once he's inside of me.

I really missed him, missed to feel him.

He begins to move slowly and gently and soon I can tell that we're both getting close. But his movements still remain gentle until we both reach our climax.

"I love you," he moans.

"I love you, too," I whisper breathlessly before he kisses me gently, lies down next to me and pulls me into his arms to hold me close.

I'm overwhelmed with emotions and a tear trickles down my cheek.

Of course he notices it and wipes it away. "What's wrong?" he asks worriedly.

"Nothing," I say. "I just missed you and I'm happy to have you back."

"Same here." He just smiles and kisses me.

I start to believe that he's always been right; everything will be okay again.