Summary: Kerry finally finds out who her parents are, and along the way she finds love. I won't say anymore because half way through this part you'll have the whole thing figured out yourself...
Notes: Thanks to Meghan Martain and Cimerene for Beta Reading for me.
Disclaimer: All characters belong to Warner Brothers studios, I'm only borrowing them, and they can have them back once I've finished.
Elizabeth watched paper after paper slide into the fax tray. The test had proven without a doubt that the dead woman wasn't her sister. The problem was figuring out which of the two other women was. The fax machine finally came to a stop and Elizabeth started to read them.
Laying the first few pages face down she paused, not believing what it read. " It isn't possible..." She frantically scanned the rest of the page, moving on to the next and the next until her mind froze up. She had no idea what she should do.
Luka wiped the name from the board, carefully watching the surgeon from the corner of his eyes. All day she had been staring at Kerry, dropping her eyes quickly whenever Kerry stared back. Kerry glared at her once, heading for the lounge.
Elizabeth threw down the chart she was pretending to read and started after her. Luka deliberately stepped into her path, not letting her by. " What's going on?" Elizabeth stared up at him harshly, " That is none of your business. Now will you kindly move out of my way?"
" I'm simply concerned about her." Elizabeth stepped closer to him lowering her voice dangerously, " You wouldn't understand..." Luka replied softly, " Give me a chance to."
Kerry listened to Luka enter the lounge. There was an air of solemnness about him that hadn't been there before. " Kerry you were exposed to a TB patient, so you need to be tested." Kerry sat the file down, she couldn't remember being exposed but the day had been a blur.
" I didn't realize I'd been exposed." Luka smiled, setting the small tray on the table. " He came in a few hours ago." Kerry shrugged off her lab coat, trusting his judgement.
Walking up to the desk Kerry noticed that it had been almost an hour since she'd let Luka draw her blood. " Carol did Luka ever get the labs on my blood back?"
Carol glanced over at her, " He never sent it up." She started to walk away pausing briefly, " ...I thought I saw him give a vial of blood to Elizabeth."
Kerry narrowed her eyes slightly, scanning the area for her newest lover. She wanted to have a few words with him.
During the period he'd been married Luka had learned that there were some things you just didn't do unless you wanted to end up sleeping on the sofa. He had learned that the hard way. He could still remember the small smile on his wife's lips when he'd come staggering home at four in the morning, his breath thick with drink.
His wife had spoken ever so sweetly, " If you want to stay out all night drinking like a commoner than you'll sleep like one to." She had tossed him a blanket then walked away. For seven days he had apologized to his wife, trying to point out that it had been his best friend' s birthday, and for seven nights she had kicked him out of their bedroom.
After that he'd sworn that he'd never do anything else that would result in his sleeping alone, and today for the first time in fifteen years he'd broken that promise. Trying to assure himself that Kerry wouldn't find out, he left the exam room.
" You mind telling me what Elizabeth wanted with my blood." Luka paused mid stride wincing at the false light voice that silently ordered his immediate confession. His mind went into over drive, the only coherent word making it through was stale.
" Do you mind if I get some coffee first?" Kerry's icy gaze never faltered under his warmest smile. ' Luka old boy when you step in it you dive in head first. '
Kerry stared at the rising numbers trying to decide who to kill first, Luka or Elizabeth. The fact that he was standing next to her looking like a child caught stealing cookies wasn't exactly helping either. Slamming the tip of her crutch down she marched out onto the third floor.
Rounding the corner, she spotted Elizabeth staring at a piece of paper in astonishment. " Are those the results?" Elizabeth was unable to respond simply handing the sheet to Kerry. The older woman slipped her glasses on and started to read.
Luka gently took the paper from her numb hands already knowing what it said but needing to see it for himself anyway. The results shouted out at him as Elizabeth broke the silence. " Kerry why don't you join me for dinner tonight...You can bring Luka if you want."
Kerry nodded hesitantly, afraid to speak. She had been searching for her biological family for as long as she could remember, and now...Thrusting the paper at the surgeon she hurriedly walked away.
Luka stayed right behind Kerry as they entered the apartment. The tension radiating from his lover was so thick he could barely breath. All evening she'd been acting almost manic depressive. Switching from pure rage to nervousness within seconds. In desperation he'd nearly locked himself in the bedroom.
Now she seemed to be stuck in between. Her eyes were stormy with barely controlled anger but her hands were shaking from her nerves. Taking a deep shuddering breath she managed to pull herself together, but Luka knew that the slightest thing would set her off.
Isabelle walked forward, hugging Kerry; she didn't seem to notice her discomfort as she started talking happily. " I'm so glad we finally found you." Isabelle held her at arm's length looking her over, " And to think that you're a doctor just like your sister."
" Uh why don't we sit down?" Elizabeth said nervously. Kerry backed away from her new found mother, taking a seat at the end of the couch. She stared at Isabelle wearily, " Why did you abandon me?"
Isabelle lost her cheerful attitude. " I didn't abandon you. We put you up for adoption, and from the look of it I'd say you had a very good up bringing."
Luka took Kerry's hand, wrapping his arm around her shoulders. He could feel her body winding tightly, " You're right, my childhood was a piece of cake. After all I only spent 14 years being thrown from orphanage to orphanage, being rejected by countless couples. I only witness hundreds of acts of civil disobedience."
" You were finally adopted?" Kerry gripped Luka's hand so tightly that he flinched. " Yes I was by an archeologist and an activist."
Isabelle tried to meet her eyes but couldn't, " And you were happy with them?" The harsh laughter that came from Kerry made her flinch. " As happy as I could be considering they only adopted me out of pity...Why did you put me up for adoption?"
" We weren't ready to have children." Kerry stared at her not seeing anyone else. " I see." Kerry stood up, and grabbed her coat.
" Christine..." She turned to her mother, " My name is Kerry, and as far as I'm concerned you made your choice 35 years ago."
Kerry walked out of the apartment glad for Luka's silent support. Getting into the elevator she watched Elizabeth jogging toward the closing doors. " Kerry..." Kerry rehit the button for the first floor, relieved when the doors shut.
" You don't approve of how I handled it."
" I didn't say that."
" But you don't."
" I'm not sure. On one hand she isn't much of a mother. To give up such a...miracle because they weren't ready..."
Luka sat at the kitchen table trying to decide if he should make a run for it or not. Kerry was ideally chopping vegetables with the longest, sharpest knife he'd ever seen. The fact that a heavy rolling pin was laying at her elbow certainly didn't help.
" And the other hand?" Chop, chop, chop... " My family was taken from me violently, and I never even got a chance to say goodbye. You...you've been given a rare chance." Whomp, whomp, whomp...Kerry slammed the knife into the cutting board with frustration.
" I know...I just got so angry. I went through that hell because she didn't feel like having a child, and then she has Elizabeth less than a year later?"
" What are you going to do?"
" I don't know..."
" Kerry you can't punish Elizabeth for a mistake your mother made."
Kerry laid the knife down with deliberate gentleness. " I know..." Luka smiled sadly; he understood what she was going through. Even though she'd been searching for her family it was still a lot to adjust to, especially since part of her family turned out to be someone she already knew.
Elizabeth stared at the door as it opened. She knew it was late but she couldn't sleep until they'd talked. Kerry frowned slightly at her, looking slightly disgruntled in a simple light robe and pajamas. " I'm sorry, did I wake you?"
" No..." Kerry moved to the side, letting Elizabeth enter. Closing the door, Kerry led her into the living room. " ... I wasn't able to sleep."
Elizabeth nodded awkwardly, " Kerry I know how you feel about what our mother did..."
" No you don't." Elizabeth stared at her curiously as Kerry wearily sat down. " I always assumed that my mother was some teenager, but... there was always this doubt in the back of my mind that maybe she just didn't want me, and all of a sudden...I find out that I was right."
Elizabeth sat beside her slipped an arm around Kerry. " Kerry, I'm not asking you to accept her, but I am asking for a chance to be a part of your life."
Kerry clasped her hand, " I'd like that." Elizabeth hugged her. It wasn't a lot but it was a step in the right direction.