December 1st, 2003

It was so cold. Snow was piling up. Sam hated this time of year. She hadn't even begun to get Alex's Christmas presents yet.

"It's snowing pretty bad out there." Sam glanced out the window. Chuny nodded.

"Another foot is expected by tonight." She said, "They just closed the train."

"You've got to be kidding me. How am I supposed to get home?" She asked. Chuny shrugged and walked away.

"Sam, can you check Mr. Armestan's foly?" Susan asked.

"Yeah. Sure." Sam sighed picking up his chart.

"Sam, your son's school just called." Frank said. Sam groaned loudly.

"What did he do now?" Sam asked.

"Nothing this time." Frank handed her a slip of paper, "They closed the school because of the snow. you need to pick him up now."

"What? Now?" She asked.

"That's what the secretary said." Frank replied.

"I can't! I don't have a car. The trains are closed." Sam said.

"I'm not your fairy godmother." Frank said. Sam growled going to the lounge.

"Goddamn snow." Sam kicked her locker. She glanced at Lily who was getting ready to go. "Lily, could you do me a huge favour?"

"Depends on what it is." She said.

"Could you finish off my shift?" She asked, "I'll cover for you tomorrow." Lily thought about it for a moment.

"All right."

"Thank you so much." Sam said, "Are the cabs running? If not I'm going to have to walk five miles in the snow."

"I'll drive you." Luka stood by his locker. Sam looked at him.

"No thanks." She zipped her jacket up.
"Walking five miles in snow is ridiculous and you'll be admitted to the hospital with frostbite." Luka said. Sam sighed wrapping her scarf around her.

"Okay. Thank you." She said.

"Come on." Luka led Sam outside. The snow was coming down harder now. She probably couldn't have walked two blocked in this crap. Luka took Sam's elbow and led her to his car. He unlocked it and opened it for her. Sam shivered, "I'll turn the heat up all the way. Make sure you buckle up." Sam gave him a look, but buckled up.

"Alex can't stop talking about you." She said. Luka smiled.

"Is that good or bad?" He asked. Sam chuckled softly.

"Very good. Believe it or not, Alex has a hard time trusting people." Sam said.

"He doesn't seem the type." Luka said. Sam shrugged.

"He puts up these walls. He's been hurt so this friendship that the two of you have..."

"Is great." Luka smiled as he pulled up to Alex's school.

"I'll be right back." Sam got out. Luka leaned back in the seat with a sigh. Sam had let him in a little bit more, but not too much. How could he blame her? He wasn't sure how much Sam knew about his past. he liked it that way.

"Luka!" Alex jumped into the backseat.

"Hey, Buddy." Luka smiled, "Pretty cool that they cancelled school huh?"

"Totally. They cancelled it tomorrow too." He told Luka.

"Come on, Let's get a pizza and take it back to your house. I'll pay." Luka said.

"Pepperoni?" Alex asked. Sam smiled softly.

"Well, of course. Does mom eat pepperoni?" Luka asked.

"Mom eats anything." Alex said. Sam laughed loudly.

"Hey!" She cried.

* * *

Sam sat on the couch watching Luka and Alex play a video game. They always seemed to have a great time doing this.

"Die you blood sucking looser." Alex said. Sam laughed softly. Okay, maybe Luka wasn't the best role model for Alex, but he was better than nothing.

December 9th, 2003

Lately, Luka was in a better mood he wasn't sure what it was. Maybe it was Alex. Being with Alex reminded him what he had lost ten years ago, when he thought life would always be wonderful. Even though he had been in a nice mood, he wouldn't have forgotten that today would have been his daughter's sixteenth birthday.

Luka sat outside in the cold. There had been a little snow flurry, but now there was nothing. The sky was clear and Luka could look to the stars.

"Aren't you freezing?" Abby pulled her lab coat around her and sat next to Luka.

"I didn't even notice the cold," Luka smiled, "You look good as a doctor." Abby chuckled softly.

"Glad someone thinks so." She said, "It looked like you were in deep thought when I came out here."

"I was." He said. Abby gave him a look.

"Care to let me in?" She asked. Luka glanced at her.

"It's Jasna's birthday." He said. Abby's face softened.

"I'm sorry, Luka. I had no idea." Abby said. Luka shrugged.

"It's all right. She's in a better place." Luka stood up, "We should get back inside." Abby nodded and followed him in.

"Luka, I need your help over here!" Sam stood in the doorway. Luka and Abby ran to the trauma room where a man was throwing a fit.

"Get me out of here!!" He yelled.

"Mr. Johnson, Calm down." Luka said.

"He needs a head CT but he won't relax." Neela said.

"No. he doesn't need one." Luka said checking his vitals.

"Yes he does, Luka." Abby said.

"He's alert. Give him some haldol and monitor him." He said. Sam narrowed his eyes.

"I'm not going to sign my name to anything, Luka. he needs a head CT." Sam said.

"He needs Haldol." Luka snapped. Sam gave him a look, but got the haldol anyway. Abby sighed.

"Luka, was in a MVA." Abby said as Sam stuck the man.

"There happy?" She asked.

"Yes." Luka took his gloves off." Sam growled.

"Jeez! Who died and made you god?" Sam asked. Luka looked at her. He knew she didn't mean it like that, but it still hurt. he turned and left the room.

"Good one." Abby said. Sam looked at her.

"What did I say?" She asked.

"You'd think someone who hung out with Luka or worked with him, you'd know." Abby said.

"Know what?" Sam asked full of confusion. Abby sighed.

"What you said...Who died...About ten years ago Luka's wife, son, and daughter were killed. Today is his daughter's birthday." Abby said. Sam stared at her.

"He...he never told me about a wife or any children." Sam asked, "They were killed?"

"In the Croatian war and trust me, it haunts him everyday." Abby said. Sam groaned loudly. now everything made sense. No family for thanksgiving, his friendship with Alex.

"I'm such an idiot." Sam said.

"So a lot of people here say." Abby smirked. Sam left the trauma room.

"Frank, where's Kovac?" She asked.

"Lounge." He said. Sam went into the lounge. Luka was sitting on the bench tying his shoes.

"Luka?" She walked up behind him.

"How's Mr. Johnson?" He asked.

"He's fine, but I'm more concerned with you." She sat next to him, "Why didn't you tell me?"

"I suppose, Abby told you." Luka said. Sam nodded.

"Some." She said, "Why didn't you tell me?"

"Because it's none of you're business." Luka said, "Just like Alex's father is none of my business." Sam shook her head.

"Having your family murdered is a whole lot more different than an asshole running out on you when you're seven months pregnant." Sam said.

"Did he really do that?" Luka asked. Sam chuckled.

"Smooth, but we're talking about you, not me." She said, "I'm sorry for sticking my foot in my mouth back there." Luka chuckled.

"Don't apologize, Sam." he said, "I hate when people apologize for things they didn't know." Sam was silent for a moment.

"How old were they? Your kids I mean." Sam asked.

"Thee and six." Luka said. Sam shivered.

"I don't know what I would do if something happened to Alex." She said.

"The pain never goes away, but you learn to live with it." Luka said. Sam shook her head.

"You shouldn't have to live with it." She said. Luka smiled softly.

"you're telling me." he chuckled.

"Tonight is Alex's night to rent a movie." Sam said, "Want to come by? Movie, popcorn, pizza."

"Good combination." Luka chuckled, "Will it be a gory movie?" Sam chuckled.

"Oh probably." She said patting his leg, "Let's get back to work."

"Okay. I'll be there in a minute." Luka said. he needed a moment. Sam was trying to help, but she stirred up a lot in him, both good and bad.