June 15, 2001 week 11 of pregnancy

Luka stood in the doorway of their new bedroom. Boxes still were strewn about the place. He watched Abby get dressed. She already had a bulge. It was adorable. Abby jumped up and down and tried to zip up her pants.

"I need new clothes." She moaned as she finally hooked the button closed. She looked at Luka and smiled. "What's on your mind?" Luka scratched his neck.

"I need a break." He said. Abby stared at him.

"A break?"

"Yeah." Luka sighed; "I need to go out for awhile. Have a drink play some pool or something." Abby chuckled.

"Sweetheart, you can go out whenever you want." Abby said, "I don't want to hold you back. We have twenty days until I'm your old ball and chain. Go out and have fun."

"You don't mind?" Luka asked. Abby laughed slightly

"Of course I don't mind. I don't want to keep you locked up with me 24-7." Abby said, "I have plenty to do around here to keep me occupied...like try to get rid of some of these boxes. Go call Carter or Malucci...no not Malucci...Call them and go out."

"I'd much rather go out by myself tonight. Luka said.

"Then go out. Have a few drinks. Have one for me." She winked at him, "I'll be here when you come home...just don't stay out until all hours of the nights."

"Yes, mother." Luka smiled before leaning in for a kiss. He put his hands on Abby's stomach, "Take care of your momma, little one."

"He will." Abby smiled, "We're going to stuff our faces right now and then curl up on the couch and watch a Law and Order rerun."

"Sound very...fun." Luka said sarcastically. Abby smacked him playfully.

"Be gone." Abby swished her hand. Luka chuckled.

"Don't stay up too late, darling." Luka said walking down the stairs and out the front door. Abby smiled with a sigh. She really wanted Luka to have fun and not feel strapped down with a wife and kid.

Luka sat at the bar nursing a frosty beer. It had been awhile since he had drunken one. He thought that Abby was doing the no drinking thing, he should try to stay away too, but this one hit the spot. Luka turned and watched a couple playing pool. This was the same bar he and Abby went to on their first date. Luka smiled slightly as a red headed bombshell sat next to him.

"You sure are happy." She smiled at him. Luka turned and looked at him, "Hi, I'm Chanterelle."

"Um...I'm Luka." He smiled politely.

"You care to join me in a game of pool?" Chanterelle smiled. Luka chuckled slightly.

"Oh...that's okay. I'm not that good at it." He said.

"Neither am I." She said, "We can practice with each other. Come on."

"If you promise not to slaughter me." Luka said.

"Oh. A girl can't make promises like that." Chanterelle winked at him slightly off the barstool. "Come on, Luka." She walked over to the pool cues and grabbed two. She tossed Luka one. He chuckled softly and got up. Chanterelle bent over and racked up the balls, "You may break."

"Thanks." Luka chuckled and lined up his shot. He hit the white ball into the triangle of colors causing the seven ball to be sunk into a pocket. He smiled.

"Not bad." Chanterelle lined up hers and sunk in three balls, "Better." Luka chuckled.

"You have played before haven't you?" Chanterelle smiled slightly.

"I'm not hustling you out of any money so don't worry about it." Luka chuckled as he shot and missed. Chanterelle quickly took care of the balls and sunk two in. Luka sighed knowing he was going to loose and he did loose. Chanterelle laughed. "Looks like I win."

"Congrats." Luka said.

"Now you have to buy me a drink." She said.

"Oh I do do I?"

"Yup." Chanterelle said sauntering over to the bar; "it's in the rules. Lady beats your butt in pool and you need to buy her a drink." She smiled.

"Oooh. I'm glad I know how it works now." Luka laughed sitting next to her in the bar.

"Maybe later we can play for a prize." Chanterelle suggested.

"We could but I know that I'll loose." Luka said ordering two beers. Chanterelle smiled.

"So," Chanterelle said, "did someone snatch you up yet?" Luka chuckled.

"Yes. I'm engaged." Luka said with a smiled.

"Lucky woman." She said putting her hand on Luka's knee. He cleared his throat.

"Yes. And I am very lucky to have found her." He said quickly, "We have a baby on the way."

"Oh...A baby." Chanterelle smiled. That means she fat and undesirable, She thought. "Congratulations."

"Thank you." Luka smiled as the bartender served them the beer. Chanterelle took a sip.

"So, when are you two getting married?"

"Twenty days...July fourth." Luka smiled.

"So, you still have twenty days to be a bachelor and see what you're missing out on..." She smiled moving her hand further up Luka's leg. He looked at her.

"Excuse me??" Chanterelle smiled.

"I'll be willing to help you out in that department." She moved her hand to Luka's groin, but he grabbed it.

"What do you think you're doing??" Luka cried, "haven't you heard a word I've said?"

"Oh I heard you. I just don't think you're ready to make that kind of commitment."

"I am and I have." Luka said, "My heart belongs to Abby. My everything belongs to Abby and no one else. Now, I'm sorry if I led you on by wanting to play a game of pool, but I not interested in you." Chanterelle stared at him and got up.

"Fine." She snapped grabbing her purse; "you'll be missing out on something great." Luka smiled slightly.

"Trust me. I'm not missing out on a thing."

* * *

Luka quietly shut the front door behind him. He hung up his jacket and placed his keys on the side table. He inaudibly walked to the living room for he heard the television still on. He smiled at Abby who was curled up on the couch sound asleep. He walked over to the TV and shut it off.

"Luka?" Abby mumbled as she woke up.

"Hey baby. Go back to sleep." He said. Abby stretched.

"What time is it?" She asked.

"It's midnight." Abby yawned and sat up.

"Did you have fun?" She asked.

"Oh...it was a blast." He smiled.

"That bad?"

"That bad." He pulled Abby to her feet and hooked his arm around her waist, "How was Law and Order?"

"Boring. I already saw it on the first run." Abby said, "I need get two boxes unpacked. We only have like 3 to go."

"Good." He said walking up the stairs. "Sometime next month, we'll go shopping for anything that we don't have-"

"Like a dinning room set." Abby interrupted. Luka chuckled.

"Like a dinning room set and stuff for the nursery." Luka said walking into their bedroom. "Guess what?"

"What?" Abby asked changing into an over sized t-shirt.

"I got hit on at the bar tonight." Abby chuckled.

"Well, that's easy to believe since you're so god damn gorgeous." She smiled.

"Well, yeah. I know that." Luka winked at her. "She wanted sex with her to be the prize of her winning a game of pool."

"You can't play pool." Abby said crawling into bed.

"Exactly." Luka smiled following her in.

"You gotta watch out for those spider women, Sweety." Abby said, "They look for prey and then wont give up until they have them."

"I know...Im engaged to you aren't I?" Luka smiled wrapping his arm around Abby. She snickered.

"Night, Luka."

"Good night Spider woman."