Disclaimer : I own nothing, guys at WB and NBC do. I just borrow to have fun…

Abby was updating a patient's file when she saw a smiling Haleh come her way.

"How are you doing today?"

"I'm doing fine, why?" The young doctor wondered. Hadn't they already talked this morning?

"Oh nothing! We just didn't have the opportunity to really chat since I came back. I really missed you all. It's so good to be here. Even with the hellion breathing down my neck." Abby chuckled at the descriptive.

"Yeah, just ignore her and do your job. We will all support you, you know that."

"I know that." Haleh became silent again, but her eyes were still on Abby.

"What? Why are you staring at me? Do I have a crumble on my cheek or mayonnaise stains?"

"No, nothing of that sort. You look good, but… maybe a little tired. You had the day off yesterday, didn't you use the opportunity to get some sleep?"

"Well I had to come in, that's not the way I imagine the perfect day off. It was past 1 am when I finally managed to go to bed. Then Kerry called this morning at 7.30 to tell me I was back on days starting immediately, I didn't even really get why. So I definitely didn't sleep enough last night."

"Oh, poor you!"

"But I plan to go to bed early tonight. I'll take a good book and relax in a nice, hot bath."

"That sounds like a good plan. Oh, Chuny seems to need me. See you later." Abby looked at Haleh's retreating form. Some days she sure was strange, what had that been about? She shook her head and went on with her paperwork.

"So could you get anything out of her?" Still looking in Abby's direction, Chuny grilled her friend as soon as she was close enough.

"Nope. She plays it tough. Have you seen Kovac?"

"He is with a patient, Sam is with him. So far I don't think they have worked together. That's not good. How are we supposed to see anything if they never get close to one another?" Chuny whined.

"Okay now you have to go!" Haleh pushed her friend in Abby's direction.

"Where? If I start questioning Abby now, she will get suspicious. We have to do that with style. And be patient. And look some more."

"True. She is already looking at us. Act natural! Maybe we should include other doctors. Neela could help." With a relieved sigh, she saw Abby take a chart and go to Sutures.

"What makes you think that Neela will be willing to help us here? No if any, I'd say Morris would be a good candidate." Chuny considered that possible ally.

"Morris would never get anything out of her. No, let's stick to Clemente for now. How late is it?" Haleh wondered.

"3.20. Why?"

"Hmm in 10 minutes nurses from Ortho will go on a break. Why not start the little rumor there? It's pretty quiet today. You should go upstairs and talk to them." A wide smile spread on Haleh's face.

"Why me?"

"With Eve around, I have to be cautious. I don't want to lose my job a second time." As she finished her sentence, Eve appeared. She looked at them, crunching her eyes.

"Haleh, I thought you were supposed to prepare Trauma 1 for the next patient." Haleh turned to Chuny.

"Okay I'll go." The young nurse whispered back.

"On my way, Eve." Haleh answered.

"We'll never get anything juicy if it goes on like that. I don't know but either that was a one-night-stand or they are damn good at covering their tracks." Sitting at Admit, Chuny pouted. She drummed on the counter with a pen and let out a sigh.

"There is still the possibility that nothing happened."

"Oh come on, Inez, we already had this conversation a thousand times."

"I'd just say we've been out of luck. Luka has been on nights twice while Abby was on days. So of course there was no interaction. Today we should be luckier. They're both back on the same shift." Haleh was still hopeful. Something had to happen. And soon!

"And what's the status of the latest gossip? Last time I checked, speculation was running wild."

"Well after 5 days of wild guessing, the rumor has come back to ER." Frank joined their little group.

"And?" The news brought a smile to Chuny's face. Finally she would know what her little chat with Dolores, one of the quickest rumor spreading nurses at County, had brought.

"Apparently Barnett has an affair with Inez." Frank bowed in front of Inez. The young nurse blushed furiously.

"With me? No way! I mean I like him and he is nice, but…" She stammered some more before becoming quiet.

"Ouch! I guess this needs a little tuning. It was definitely too vague." Chuny let her head fall on her folded arm. That wasn't looking good. Luka and Abby were behaving as though nothing had happened and now the rumor was all wrong. She looked at Inez thoughtfully. And what if the young nurse had been right? No, that wasn't the way to handle it. She looked at Frank, who was still smiling.

"Yeah, and of course I decided that something needed to be done. So I threw Abby's name in the talks this morning."

"So now the rumor is Abby and Ray?" Haleh laughed at the idea.

"Well, Abby is the person who had the most affairs with doctors here. So I guess they will couple her with anyone down here and up there…" Frank laughed. As the phone rang, he went to answer it.

"Poor Abby!" Inez made a face, trying hard not to laugh. "But well I guess, it's better her than me."

"Don't worry, she is used to it." Chuny said. "And after all this rumor is about her." As she finished her sentence, she saw Victor Clemente arrive. He was a little early for his shift.

"Dr Clemente, so how are you doing?"

"Fine, fine!" He didn't really pay any attention to Haleh and just walked past the little group.

"Any luck with Abby?" That question made him stop in his tracks. He turned with a smile on his face.

"I haven't tried yet. With Kovac not around, it would only have been half the fun. But you're right, there is nothing like today. The big man is back. Let the show begin." At that they all laughed, hoping that this day would bring something new.

"I think they are avoiding each other." Chuny bit in her cookie and looked thoughtfully at Abby, who was busy with a patient in Exam 3.

"No, they're not. I caught them chatting and laughing during your break. But by the time, I was close enough to hear what they were saying, a trauma rolled in and Abby helped Pratt with the patient." Haleh put three new charts in the rack.

"We're doomed." Chuny looked at a chocolate chip on her cookie and nibbled at it. Chocolate was still the best medicine. She checked her watch. 7.45 pm and nothing had happened. Again...

"Frank, did you notice anything?" Haleh didn't give up that easily. She had seen the first signs and she just couldn't believe that that had been it.

"He seems to be paying more attention to where she is. I caught him staring twice, but maybe he was just lost in his thoughts and I'm reading too much into it. They chat regularly together but not more than before." Even Frank sounded depressed. Resolutely, Chuny grabbed another cookie and furiously bit in it.

"And Abby?"

"She's giggling a lot and is also looking for little chats. But except for that, there is nothing to report. They don't come in or leave at the same time and don't seem to spend much more time together than before." Frank watched as Abby finally left Exam 4 and headed their way.

"Oh crap!" Haleh's expletive at that news showed her frustration.

"What is crap?" Abby wondered. Haleh jumped when she heard her friend's voice. She tried to hide her shock at seeing her that close.

"My new schedule. I have one shift less than I expected." Frank decided it was time to retreat. Observation from afar was definitely safer.

"Have you talked to Sam? She could help you with Eve." Abby smiled at her, trying to comfort her friend.

"Oh look. Clemente and Luka in a friendly chat. That doesn't happen often."

"They seem to get along better." They watched as both doctors parted. Luka smiled at them before heading to the lounge. Also smiling, Clemente joined them.

"Ladies." Time had come to act. Resolutely he focused his attention on Abby. "Abby, I was wondering, would you like to have a drink with me, tonight or another night?"

"A drink?" Abby frowned. Now that was a strange invitation!