This is a story, about the beloved characters of ER, in the future. This first chapter opens up in present time, a little while after Jospeh Kovac is born, and sets the stage for the story. Enjoy. Ianni

Kem threw the pillow onto the bed, clearly upset. Carter awoke from his sleep and looked up at his wife. It was three in the morning in Paris and Carter was not a morning person.

"Kem, you just get in?"

"No John." She sniffled. Kem stood at the foot of the bed, arms crossed.

"What's wrong?" he asked slowly, knowing he was treading on dangerous water. This wasn't the first time Kem had come home at an odd hour in the morning. He could smell alcohol in her breath.

"Nothing John, go back to sleep." She said spitefully and retreated to the kitchen. Carter rolled his eyes and pushed back the covers. After pulling on a shirt, he followed her.

Kem was sitting at the kitchen counter, head in hands. Carter came behind her and began to rub her back, aiming to calm her down. She wrenched around to face him. Kem looked into Carter's eyes and put her hands on his chin. "What are we doing?" she asked in a barely audible whisper. Carter looked at her perplexed.

"Maybe you should come on to bed." Carter tried. She looked at him annoyed and tired. Kem sighed.

"Do you love me?" she asked him, her face expressionless.

"You know the answer to that." John said, not really knowing where all this was coming from. They had been a normal happy couple till up to a week ago. Last Tuesday Kem had come home drunk with a message: she was pregnant.

Kem let go of Carter's chin and stood up. "If you love me, then love me." She grabbed her coat and walked towards the door.

"Kem-"

"No John. Maybe we should," Kem hesitated, her eyes darting around the room, not really knowing what to say next, "maybe we should take a breather. I don't really know that I am ready to bring another child into this world."

Carter walked up to the woman he so dearly loved and planted a kiss on her forehead. He took a step back and placed his hands on her shoulders. "If you think that's best."

"I do."

Luka unlocked the green door and took the three steps up into his apartment. Placing his keys in the red bowl Maggie had bought for them a week before, he went in search for Abby. He tiptoed through the apartment as to not wake his newborn son. He pushed open the nursery door and found the two people in the world he'd die for. Abby was asleep with Joseph in her arms sitting in the rocker that Morris had given them. His heart leapt; they looked so beautiful.

Luka crossed the room and ran the back of his finger along his son's chubby cheeks. Trying not to wake Abby, he eased Joseph from his mother's arm and placed him in his crib. Joseph made a gurgling sound, which made Luka laugh. Abby shifted in the rocker and slowly opened her eyes. She smiled. Luka walked back over to the chair and kneeled in front of Abby. She ran her fingers through his black hair. "I love you, you know that right?" she said. Luka stood up, placing his hands on the arms of the rocker and leaned towards Abby. "I love you so muc-" but he finished his profession with a kiss that Abby then deepened. They parted gasping for air. Three hard knocks broke them from their trance.

Luka looked at Abby quizzically, "You expecting your mother?" he asked.

"No." Abby said, getting out of the rocker. Three knocks came again. "I'll get it, watch him please?"

Luka nodded his head and rested his elbows on Joseph's crib, admiring his son.

Three knocks came to the door again and a little harder this time. Abby quickly unlocked the deadbolt and opened the green door. She took a step back; it was Carter.

It was Carter like she had never seen him before. His oxford shirt was half tucked and his tie wasn't even tied but hung around his neck. His usually kempt hair was wildly disheveled and she could immediately smell expensive wine in his breath. "Carter?" she said bewildered.

"Hey Abby!" he said jovially, waltzing into the familiar apartment. "Heard Luka knocked you up, wanted to see the little-"

"Wow." Abby put her hands up to indicate that Carter should stop. "What's going on with you?" she asked in a concerned and surprised voice.

He raised his voice and shook his head, "Typical Abby, always trying to fix everyone else's problems but her own!"

Abby heard the baby wake up and begin to cry. She quickly looked towards the nursery, then back to Carter. Luka came out, holding a crying Joseph in his arms. He looked at Abby, then at Carter.

"Carter." He simply said, giving his old friend acknowledgement. He readjusted Joseph and walked back to the nursery. Abby turned back to Carter.

"Where's Kem?"

Carter laughed and threw up his hands. He went towards the refrigerator. "Got anything to drink in here?"

Abby grabbed the hunched Carter's arm and led him to the table and pushed him down into a seat. He looked at her in a way that scared her. He looked at her with pain and fear and sadness. Carter couldn't bear to look at Abby like this, not after all the hypocritical truths he had shouted at her. He looked away and laid his head on the table and shifted in his seat uncomfortably.

Abby watched him squirm till he stopped. She ran her fingers through her hair and finally sat down next to Carter. "What's wrong?" she whispered to his head.

"Kem's pregnant." He barely said, lifting his head a little. "She doesn't want me to be with her."

"What?"

"She said that we should take a break. That she's not ready for a baby." He sat up straight in the chair. "It's been two years Abby, two years." He emphasized. She saw a tear escape his eye.

Abby didn't know how to respond. Carter looked so torn and it hurt her to see him like this. He looked past her shoulder, towards the nursery.

"Can I see him?" he asked, the mood in the air suddenly changing. The look on Carter's face scared her.

"No." Abby said strongly. "You need to go back to Kem."

"I just want to see your son Abby." Carter said, demeaning.

"You need to go back to Kem." She repeated, trying to catch his gaze; he had his eye on the nursery.

"She doesn't want-"

"If you love her, go back to her and help her through this." Abby said sternly, now standing.

Carter broke his gaze off of the nursery door and looked up at Abby. He stood up and slammed the chair into the table. Abby jumped. "Let me see your son." He insisted, his eyes now bloodshot and filled with rage.

"Carter, calm down. You're upset and not to mention drunk as-" Carter started towards the nursery door. Abby quickly stepped in front of him. "Carter!" He stopped only for a second, looking at Abby, then went for the door. "Luka!" Abby yelled as Carter turned the knob. Abby pushed past Carter and stood under the doorframe. "Carter, I swear to God if you step one foot into my son's room."

"Abby, what's going on?" Luka asked innocently. Abby looked over at the crib. "Get Joseph." Luka obeyed, now realizing what was going on. He handed the baby to Abby and Luka grabbed Carter's shirt and walked him through the apartment and outside into the hallway before Carter's hand could touch the top of Joseph's head.

Luka let go violently of Carter. Carter pulled away and readjusted his shirt. He started to breakdown. "I just wanted to see your son." Carter whimpered.

"Look at you!" Luka yelled at his once best friend. "Look at you!"

"I'm…I'm…" Carter stuttered. He banged his fist on the wall.

"You're what?" Luka yelled once more. "Why are you here?" he asked in a more normal tone of voice.

"I'm still in love with Abby." Carter whispered to himself as the realization hit him like a ton of bricks. He backed towards the elevators in shock. He looked at Luka for mercy.

"What?" Luka said, his hands on his hips walking slowly towards Carter. A second later Luka was inches from Carter.

"Where's Kem?" Luka asked.

"In Paris."

"Why are you here?" Luka asked once more.

"Kem's pregnant. She doesn't know what she wants. She wanted me to go."

"Go back to your wife." Luka almost snarled. Carter was almost shaking with fear.

"I just…I'm sorry, I just-" he stammered nervously.

"Go." Luka said one last time. "I never want to see you near here again. Go."

Carter looked at Luka once more then turned to push the elevator button feeling so small. He could feel Luka's eyes on the back of his head. Luka waited for the doors to close before he went back to Abby and Joseph.