A/N: As you all know (or maybe you don't), I am a carby, and my stories tend to be just like me. But I was chatting with Emily, a fellow carby last night and she suggested that I do the unthinkable: make this story all lubyish. Of course, I immediately refused, but then she turned it into a challenge, so what choice did I have? The results are entirely Emily's fault; feel free to blame her if you don't enjoy the ending. Stay tuned for further updates… ~Taz

Chapter 7

            Luka stood by the river, absently pitching rocks into the water. He could hear the plopping of the rocks as they hit the waiter, but his mind was on other things. Like how to clear his name.

            The evidence seemed insurmountable. Two eye witnesses, and Abby with no memory. If Abby could just somehow remember what had happened, things would be better. She would be able to tell them that he was innocent.

            Why was everything going wrong for him? He hadn't thought of it much that night, but what if he had gone back outside, apologized to Abby, and walked her home? Then none of this would have happened.

            Or ever if he hadn't left the El. The first witness said she saw he and Abby arguing, and she probably had. She wouldn't have seen anything if he hadn't felt the need to follow her, telling her why he was right and she wasn't. It made his head hurt just thinking of the trouble that had been caused by his stupid mistakes. And now Abby was paying for them. The doctor said she might have permanent brain damage.

            Well, he was paying for his mistakes too. If Abby didn't get her memory back, he might end up in jail for a crime he didn't commit. Was there anything he could do to help Abby remember?

            Or maybe she didn't need to remember. Maybe he could just convince her of his innocence and get her to drop the charges. After all, she had been dating him for months; she had to trust him to some extent, didn't she? At least more than everyone else in the ER did.

            Abby was the only one who had any doubts about his guilt. She was also the one who held the keys to his freedom in her hands. He had to talk to her again, either to help her remember or to convince her of his innocence. She was his only hope.

            But getting in to see her wouldn't be easy. She probably still had a swarm of people in her room who would do everything they could to keep him from seeing her. He had to come up with a plan.

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            "You hungry?"

            Abby shook her head. "No, just tired." She yawned. "What time is it?"

            Carter checked his watch. "It is...8:30. Yeah, I'd say it's about time for bed," he joked.

            Abby rolled her eyes. "Well, I'm tired. I guess no one told my body that's it's not supposed to be sleepy until after 11." She stood up from the couch, then abruptly sat back down.

            "Still dizzy?" Carter asked her.

            Abby nodded and closed her eyes, leaning back against the sofa cushions. "It'll pass," she reassured him.

            "I hope so," he said, but she heard the worry in his voice. "You just want to sleep down here? I can get you a blanket."

            Abby nodded. "Thanks," she said, trying to ignore the fact that she felt like the sofa was tilting sideways, threatening to throw her off. "And could you bring me some aspirin?"

            "Sure," she heard Carter yell from upstairs just as a phone started ringing.

            Carter was confused. Where was that ringing noise coming from? He ran into Abby's room and noticed that it was getting louder. Abby's cell phone! It must be in here somewhere...

            Feeling kind of odd rifling through Abby's things, he finally located the phone and pushed the talk button. "Hello?" he said, out of breath.

            Dead silence greeted him.

            "Hello?" he repeated.

            The sound of the phone hanging up resounded in his ear.

            Hmm, that was strange, Carter thought as he headed down the stairs with Abby's blanket.

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            Luka slammed the phone back on its base. Carter had answered Abby's phone. So it looked like there wasn't any way for him to contact her.

            He had learned from a friendly nurse at the hospital that she had been discharged today, but she hadn't been at her house. But she was with Carter? Was she staying at his house?

            Luka had to talk to her. But he didn't know how he could, if she was at Carter's. He couldn't see Carter opening the door of his home to welcome Luka in. But he had to try.

            He checked the clock. It was after 11. Well, justice would have to wait until tomorrow.

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            "How're you feeling?"

            "Like I slept on a couch," Abby grumbled, slowly lifting herself from the cushions. Her joints creaked in protest.

            "Any more symptoms?" Carter asked sympathetically, putting a hand under her arm to help her off the couch.

            "Yeah, arthritis."

            "I don't think head injuries can cause that." He folded up Abby's blanket and placed it on the sofa. "You want some breakfast? I made pancakes."

            "Sounds good," Abby agreed. They were headed for the kitchen when they heard a knock at the door.

            "I'll get it. Be right back. Don't start without me," he said as he headed for the door.

            Pulling it open, he discovered none other than Luka standing at his door.

            "What do you want?" Carter asked, his voice hostile.

            "I need to talk to Abby. Please," he said, looking past Carter into the house as if he might catch a glimpse of Abby.

            "I think you should go," Carter said, starting to close the door in his face.

            "No! Wait, please," Luka said, sticking his foot in the door. "I know you think I'm guilty, and I know you don't think I have any right to talk to Abby. But I'm innocent. I didn't do this, and Abby is the only one who can help me."

            "Carter? Who is it?" Abby asked, and Carter realized that she had followed him out of the kitchen.

            "Abby! I need to talk to you. Just for a minute, please." His voice was urgent.

            "Luka? What are you doing here?" Abby looked tired, disheveled. Luka felt a wave of sadness and longing come over him as he looked at her. She looked so weary, like she had been up all night. Luka wanted to reach out and hold her in his arms. But obviously, this was neither the time nor the place for that.

            He hadn't appreciated her while he had her. Now, she was staying at Carter's house, probably sleeping in Carter's bed. He may have lost her forever. But all he wanted now was to be able to talk to her, try to get her to believe in his innocence.

            "Abby, go back inside, I can handle this," Carter said, his voice softer now that he was talking to her. Luka felt like screaming in frustration. Why wouldn't they just listen to him?

            Abby's entire body froze, and for a moment she stood there, looking at Luka as if she had never seen him before. "Abby? What's wrong?" Carter asked urgently.

            "Carter can have you."

            Abby turned towards Luka, a stunned look on her face. "You broke up with me. That night, you broke up with me on the way home." She looked at Luka like she had never seen him before. "Why didn't you tell me?"

            Luka looked down. "I didn't want to hurt you," he explained, but the explanation sounded lame even to his own ears. Why hadn't he told Abby? It seemed so simple now.

            "I think you need to leave," Carter said angrily, shutting the door in his face. But to his surprise, it was Abby who stopped the door this time.

            "Carter, wait. I want to see what else Luka hasn't told me," she said. Her face still had a trancelike quality to it, as if she thought this was all a dream.

            Carter simply didn't understand. "But Abby, you already know that he's lied to you. What reason do you have to trust him?"

            "Just give us a minute, okay? I want to talk to him." Seeing the look on his face, she said, "Carter, it's okay, really. We'll be right out here on the porch." Obviously reluctant, Carter went back inside the house, but Luka could feel his presence, lurking just inside the door.

            "I'm sorry I didn't tell you, Abby. But everything happened so fast, and before I knew it I had told one story to the cops and another to you." Luka realized how his words must sound, so he quickly moved to correct them. "I was just trying to protect you. I knew you had been through a lot; I just didn't want to hurt you anymore." Luka hesitated for a moment, then asked, "How much do you remember?"

            Abby shook her head. "I think you've asked enough questions. It's my turn. Tell me everything that happened that night."

            Luka took a deep breath. It was time to come clean.

            He winced as he relived talking to the waitress, forgetting about her waiting outside while he sat at the bar and talked to a stranger. He hated seeing the hurt look on Abby's face. This was why he hadn't wanted to tell her.

            "And then I said, 'Carter can have you'." Both looked down, as if they were simultaneously ashamed of his words.

            "And then what happened?" Abby asked, holding her breath. This was the important part.

            "Then you said, 'Oh,' and you walked away." Luka was silent for a moment. "I hated seeing you leave like that, knowing I had hurt you. I wanted to come after you, but I knew I couldn't take those words back. So I just...went home."

            "That's all?"

            "I walked back to the El, got on, got off at my stop, and went home and went to bed. That's all."

            "Okay," Abby said, her expression unreadable.

            "Do you believe me?" Luka asked. At that moment, he looked almost desperate, and Abby felt a fleeting moment of sympathy for his. But why hadn't he come clean in the first place? "I want to believe you, Luka, I really do. But you didn't even tell me that we broke up; how am I supposed to trust you now?"

            "I guess I can't expect you to," Luka said sadly. "But just do this one thing for me: keep an open mind. Don't assume I'm guilty just because everyone else thinks so."

            Abby nodded. "Okay," she said quietly.

            "Thank you." Luka looked at the window. He could see Carter's face in the glass; Carter wasn't even pretending to hide himself. "I better go; I don't belong here. I'll do everything I can to prove my innocence, but until then, just keep an open mind." He took Abby's hand in his and squeezed it gently, then he was gone.

            Abby stood for a moment, looking at his back as he retreated down the road. He sure didn't act like a guilty man. But why hadn't he told her what really happened? That was the only thing that was keeping her from believing fully in his innocence. If he had nothing to hide, then why had he hidden the truth?