"Wow! Cool cast!" Alex exclaimed as he rounded the end of Luka's couch. "Can I write something on it?"

"Only if it's clean," Luka warned. Alex rolled his eyes and swung his backpack off his shoulder. He unzipped a pocket and searched for a marker to write with.

Abby frowned slightly as she went through the stack of mail Alex had handed her.

"Special delivery..." she murmured when she saw the top envelope. Sam had attached a note saying it had been delivered by courier to the hospital the day before. She sat in a chair and opened the envelope. She read the letter and the tickets that had fallen out.

"Oh great..." she sighed. "You wouldn't want to go to the symphony with me, would you?" Luka straightened a bit and then indicated his cast.

"I would love to but I don't think I would fit in a seat right now," he said as he warily watched Alex drawing a figure on his cast.

'Where did they come from?" Luka asked.

"I had this patient about four weeks ago," Abby said. "It's kind of a thank you note."

"Man...did you kill him or something? Amputate something...vital... maybe?" Alex asked not looking up from his work.

"No..." Abby laughed. "I did a wonderful job suturing a finger laceration." Luka cast a glance at Abby and grinned as he nodded toward Alex. Abby grimaced in disbelief. Luka nodded toward Alex again. Abby shrugged.

"Um...Alex," she asked. "You wouldn't be interested in ...well...going with...me, would you?"

"Hell no!" Alex said.

"Hey!" Luka said firmly. 'Don't talk like that in my house."

" Okay..." the boy said. "But I still don't want to go."

"Oh...come on," Luka cajoled. "Abby needs an escort. I can trust you with her. It will be fun." Alex and Abby looked at one another for a moment and then rolled their eyes in unison.

Three days later Abby took a sideways glance at the boy sitting next to her in the Chicgao Symphony Orchestra's auditorium. She suppressed a smile and sighed softly. He was actually being a very good sport about the whole evening. He'd even brought her flowers... 'because Luka told him too.'

Alex slumped further in his seat and toyed with the dark tie Luka had loaned him to wear. He'd been very disappointed to find out there was no popcorn or candy counter during the intermission. The lights dimmed again and the audience sat in anticipation as the conductor made his entrance. There was applause and then a vocalist entered the stage. Abby glanced over at a still frowning Alex as the first notes of the operatic aria filled the auditorium. It would be a while yet before Carly's solo set. She reached across and hooked her fingers into his. Alex looked up at her in confusion. Abby winked and mouthed carefully and silently, "One, two, three, four...I declare a thumb war?" Alex sat up a little straighter and glanced around him. His fingers tightened on Abby's and they began sparring their thumbs.

When the house lights came up again and they were getting ready to leave, an usher appeared in the aisle.

"Dr. Lockhart?" he said. Abby nodded. "Miss Mendoza has requested that I bring you backstage if you have time." Abby nodded in surprise and glanced at Alex. She tipped her head toward the usher and Alex sighed.

Maybe we can get an autograph or something," she said. They followed the usher through the crowd toward the stage doors. The hubbub of the backstage area had a different tone that the crowd out front. Alex surveyed all the equipment and paraphernalia that was stored along the walls and behind the stage backdrop as he followed Abby. He looked up and saw a huge Christmas scene hanging from the ceiling. They entered a hall with lots of doors indicating they were rehearsal rooms and finally several with name plates on them. The usher tapped the door and it opened.

"Dr. Lockhart!" Carly's mother exclaimed. "It was so nice that you were able to come."

"Thank you for sending me the tickets," Abby said. "She was wonderful!" Carly appeared from around a dressing screen dressed in jeans and a sweater. She held her black satin performance dress out to her mother. Her long blonde curls, which had fallen over her shoulders as she performed, were caught back in a pony tail holder. Alex's mouth dropped open. She didn't look anything like she had on stage.

"Carly!" Abby exclaimed. "You were great! Why didn't you tell me you did this?" Carly flashed a bright smile at Abby and then dragged her huge blue eyes toward Alex. Her mother put the dress on a hanger and covered it with a garment bag before she put it on the hook on the wall.

"This is a friend of mine, Alex Taggert," Abby said. "Alex, this is Carly Mendoza."

"Hello," Carly said shyly. Alex shrugged.

"Hi," he said quietly. Abby suppressed a smile as the two teenagers surveyed one another. She nudged Alex and he trust his program toward Carly. She didn't take her eyes from him as she instinctively took the pen her mother held out for her. She scribbled something next to her photo in the program and then handed it back to Alex. Abby nudged him slightly.

"Oh...um...thanks," he said as he took the booklet from her. Carly smiled and nodded slowly. Her mother stared intently at her in surprise.

"You're welcome," Carly said, never taking his eyes off Alex. Abby snagged Alex's shirt in her fingers.

"Well, I need to get Alex home soon," she said. "I'm sure you both have school tomorrow."

"My Mom home schools me," Carly said.

"Cool..." Alex said slowly. Abby pulled him along to the door of the dressing room.

"Thanks again for the tickets," she said brightly. Carly's mother smiled and nodded in dismay.

"I couldn't believe it," Abby laughed as she helped Luka ease himself into bed. "I have never seen Alex tongue tied over anything."

"She's a tart," Luka said with a grin.

"She's thirteen," Abby said and tucked a pillow under his cast.

"She's a thirteen year old tart," he said.

"Okay...well, they are worlds apart from one another," she said. "They'll probably never see each other again." Luka folded his arms behind his head and watched Abby as she dressed for bed.

"You didn't see the autograph, did you?" he asked. Abby shook her head and ran a brush through her hair.

"Are you kidding?" she said. "He wouldn't let go of it."

"She wrote down her e-mail address," Luka said with a satisfied smile.

"How do you know that?" Abby asked as she climbed under the covers.

"Because Alex called as soon as he got home," Luka said. "He wants to come over tomorrow after school to use the computer for some... homework...project." Abby turned to look at him for a long moment.

"Oh no..." she said. "She is a little..."

"Tart," Luka finished. Abby and Luka began to giggle together and he pulled her on top of him for a long kiss. Abby pulled away and laughed.

"Speaking of tarts..." he said.

"Your cast..." she said.

"Is coming off tomorrow..." he said. "If I have to cut it off myself!" Abby laughed and snuggled back beside him.