TITLE A:hover {color #000000; pont-family: Verdana}

TITLE: Fade To Blue - Part I

AUTHOR: Abilene Keegan

EMAIL: Abilene_Keegan@hotmail.com

RATING: PG

SYNOPSIS: Luka confronts Abby with his feeling about

their relationship or lack-thereof. Luka/Abby.

DISCLAIMER: The following is a story of fiction based

on characters created and owned by Michael Crichton

and NBC.

///\\\///\\\///\\\///\\\///\\\///\\\///\\\///\\\

P A R T I

----------------------------------------

I think I know how the story's going to end

It's getting to the part where heartache closes in

The stage is set and it's time for me to leave

Cause I don't want to see the final scene

Fade to blue

We didn't make it through

Let the hurt unfold

And fade to blue

-Unknown, Fade To Blue

----------------------------------------

Luka walked very silently into the lounge as to not alert the woman already in there. Quietly he walked up behind her. She was standing in front of the coffee pot just staring down at it, oblivious to his presence in the room. Remembering an old American tradition he lifted both his arms up and, reaching out in front of her, gently covered her eyes with his hands.

"Guess who?" He smiled down at the back of her head. He could feel a smile forming on her face as well.

"Ummm... Judging by the accent I'd have to say that tall, dark, and most hansom Euro doctor we have working here in the ER." Luka removed his hands and she turned around to face him.

"Close enough." He stated smiling down at her, then a thought occurred to him. "Euro doctor? You've been talking with your mother haven't you?"

"Guilty as charged." He nodded his head knowing that this was the reason she'd been so absent minded today. Still, even this confused him. Although Maggie was far from being Abby's favorite person, he'd thought they'd cleared things up.

"How's she doing? She still on her meds?" As he asked the question he could already see the barriers around Abby going up. And so it begins, he thought to himself.

Over the past few months, ever since his encounters with the bishop, he'd come to realize that he had been holding onto a family long gone. And so he'd recently been trying very hard to let them go. In fact, he was sure, he'd pretty much succeeded. But in letting go of his past, in letting go of his family, he'd had to look at his present a lot closer. That's when he realized the trouble his relationship with Abby was in. And that's when he realized how much he didn't want to lose her.

With this revelation Luka suddenly started to pay a lot closer attention to their relationship and to Abby herself. He'd become a lot more sensitive to her feelings and now knew most every time something was bothering her. However to his heartbreak, he also knew that every time that happened she seemed to disappear and, mysteriously, so did Carter.

"Um, yeah I guess so. She sounded okay." With that Abby turned around and started to pour herself a cup of coffee. "She's talking about coming for a short visit soon." Luka's attention was at high alert. He needed to keep her open to him. To keep her talking. He was certain that if she'd open up to him about just one problem in her life then she'd come to realize she could talk to him about anything.

"So soon." Truth was, Luka didn't know what to say exactly. He didn't want Maggie visiting. Abby had seemed to be a little happier since her departure to Minnesota and he didn't want Maggie showing up and ruining all that.

"Yeah, I guess." She didn't seem to keen on this idea either, Luka thought as he watcher her take a sip of the coffee she'd just poured.

"And how do you feel about this?" With that said Luka was almost certain he had not only felt the wall go up but had seen it being built brick by brick around Abby. She began walking towards the door.

"I don't know. Fine. Why wouldn't I be fine with my mother visiting me?" She had reached to door. Luka needed to come up with something quick. Something that would stop her.

"Going to find Carter?" Okay that wasn't the something he had in mind. Abby turned around and faced him. Great, he'd started this now how does he end it without getting into a huge fight with her.

"Excuse me?" Then again, maybe a fight is what was needed. If it would bring this issue to light.

"Well, I assume you'd want to talk with him about this. After all you couldn't possibly talk with me about it, now could you?"

"Luka what are you talking about?" Her voice was a mix of anger and astonishment. Had she really never expected him to bring up the issue? Had she figured he hadn't even noticed that every time his girlfriend had a problem she went running off to another man to talk about it. Luka was certain that somewhere in there she was violating the code of being faithful to ones significant other.

"You know what I am talking about Abby." He let it all sink in for a moment and watched her reaction. Problem was her only reaction was no reaction at all. He couldn't tell what she was thinking or feeling. Her face was a blank mask.

"I am so sick of it." He continued and suddenly his emotions were coming out into the open to pay greeting to his already emotionally distressed girlfriend. But he didn't care, this had to be said. "I am so sick of you going to him every time you need someone to talk to, as if I weren't even here. Do you not consider how I may feel about that? It is not the proudest thing knowing that my girlfriend won't even talk to me about her problems." Luka's heart almost broke as he watched a tear slip down her cheek. He'd caused that tear. Still he had to continue. This had to be said cause if it didn't end...

"If you're not willing to talk to me Abby, then your not willing or ready to have a relationship with me." Abby was about to say something but he cut her off quickly. He wanted her to think about this before she decided where he truly stood in her life. He knew where she stood in his. And with that he found himself uttering three words he'd never said to her before.

"I love you." He knew those words would only succeed in causing him greater pain if she did decide to leave him. By the stunned expression she gave him though he was glad he had said them, she needed to know. "I want to be with you. But if you can't learn to be with me... emotionally, then there's no chance for us. So please, figure it out so that we both can move on with our lives."

With that said, Luka walked past Abby and out of the room.

----------------------------------------

We played the part of lovers

Knew every line by heart

But sometimes love can't erase what is written in the stars

So, before the bitter words come crashing down

Lets see what's left and let the lights go out

And fade to blue

We didn't make it through

Just fade to blue

-Unknown, Fade To Blue

----------------------------------------