Sorry for keeping you guys waiting, but I've been pretty busy...

I'm going to Turkey on Thursday (at like 4 AM), so I'll try to see if I can update before then, but I might not... I'll be there for 2 weeks, and since the house we're staying in doesn't have internet, I'm not sure if I'll be able to update til I come back (probably the 25th, maybe the 24th)... But I'll try to see if I can find a way before then...

Anyways... here's the next chapter... ENJOY!!


Chapter 32 - Safe?

Ignoring the heat, Abby pulled her sleeves down over her hands as they were walking through Lincoln Park. They had barely spoken since they left the apartment, but Abby was grateful that it wasn't one of those really awkward silences. Sure, it was a bit awkward, but not too much.

"Listen, Luka..." She stopped walking and Luka walked in front of her so they were facing each other. "Can we just please forget all of this? Pretend like it never happened?" Luka took a deep breath as he saw the pleading look in her eyes.

"I can't do that, Abby. I can't just act like nothing." He sighed as she looked away, fiddling with her sleeves. "But... I think I can make today an exception." Surprised, Abby looked back up at him. "Or at least for a little while." Biting her lip, she nodded gently.

"Thank you." She didn't have time to look up before Luka grabbed her hand and started walking again. Or well, more like dragging her after him.

"What are you doing?" Shrugging his shoulders, he didn't slow down.

"Getting ice cream." Not knowing how to reply she just followed him to the small ice cream place further down in the park.


"Ever tried Dippin' Dots?" Biting her lip as they stopped walking, she shook her head. "Well then it's about time you do." Abby just looked away embarrassed as she blushed. She always did that when he smiled at her that way. "Wait here, I'll be right back." Nodding she sat down on the closest bench, looking at the life in the park as she waited for Luka.

Normally she'd notice the kids running around and having a good time, or maybe the people walking their dogs or teenagers holding hands and kissing, but today she only noticed the opposite. The things she usually blocked out. Like the little boy who fell and scraped his knee and now wailed like crazy as his mom tried to get the bleeding to stop, or the homeless drunk who was sleeping on a bench a little further down.

"Got your favorite flavor." She got pulled out of her thoughts as Luka sat down next to her, handing her a cup full of small, round pieces or green and brown ice cream. "Chocolate Chip Mint." Giving him a small smile she picked some of them up the spoon so she could get a better look at them.

"Thanks, Luka." She took a bite, surprised by how different it tasted from normal ice cream. "Wow, this is actually really good."

"I know." He held out his cup with different colored ice cream balls. "Wanna try mine? It's cherry berry ice or something." Shrugging her shoulders she nodded.

"Sure." She was about to pick up her own spoon, but before she could he held his out in front of her with the ice cream on it, so she just took it from there instead. "That's really good as well. Not as good as mine, though." Giving him a small smile, she offered him a bite of hers which he quickly accepted.

"We should do this more often." Abby gave him a confused look. "Eating ice cream, I mean. Not... everything else." Looking away she nodded as her smile faded. She was finally having a good time and then she had to screw it all up by not knowing what Luka had meant.

"I guess." She was only whispering, and somehow she'd be surprised if he'd heard her.

"Hey," Luka started gently rubbing her arm, pulling her out of her thoughts. "Are you okay?" Nodding, she looked down at her ice cream.

"I'm fine, Luka, I just..." She took a deep breath. She wasn't really sure what she was going to say, but she needed to say or do something to end this awkwardness. "I'm just surprised of how nice you are to me." She was telling the truth, she really was surprised. Even though she felt really grateful of it, it kind of creeped her out. She wasn't used to it and she had no idea how to react to it. Putting his ice cream next to him he put his hands on both of her arms and carefully spun her around so they were facing each other.

"Don't be!" He moved a strand of hair, which the wind had blown in front of her eyes, out of her face. "Come here." Before she could protest he pulled her closer, so she was leaning up against him, feeling him stroking her hair.


Abby sat down on the couch as soon as they got home. They had been walking around all over Chicago all day, and since she still wasn't in the best condition, she was pretty beat and her feet were killing her, not that she'd ever show it or tell anyone though.

"I'll be right back, gotta call my parents." She just nodded and curled up in the corner of the couch, yawning as she stretched her arms in front of her.

Today hadn't been as bad as she'd thought it would be. Besides from that one little awkward situation in the park, they had pretty much been able to avoid all the 'touchy' subjects, and just talked about totally irrelevant and random stuff. It might seem like they were in denial, but it was what she needed.

"Damn." She looked up as Luka walked back into the room. "I'd totally forgotten about that."

"What?" Sitting down on the couch he let out a big breath.

"I have to go to a wedding shower tomorrow." She just gave him a confused look, not really getting his point. "I have to be home by noon tomorrow at the latest." She didn't move, so he turned to look at her.

"And?" She wasn't planning on making it come out like it did, but at the same time she didn't really mind. It just showed how she felt really well. She couldn't see why he was making such a big deal out of it.

"Well," He gave her a small smile, resting his hand on her knee. "It feels wrong leaving you here." Smiling knowingly she nodded and looked away, getting somewhat tired of his constant overprotectiveness, even though she had to admit she was kind of flattered. "I don't think I can... I don't want you to be alone." Sighing, she rolled her eyes and looked at him.

"Luka..."

"I know, Abby. I know you say you're fine and that you're used to it, that I shouldn't worry." He started moving a strand of her hair behind her ear, but she moved away and turned her head before he had a chance. "But I can't feel comfortable leaving, when I know you're not safe." Closing her eyes for a few seconds, Abby stood up to get away from him.

"Luka, I really appreciate your concern, but I don't need you taking care of me!"

"I know." She sat down on the table as Luka got up as well and walked towards her. "So please, Abby, come to the hospital with me. Or go yourself, I don't care, as long as you get out now, before you end up dead." Looking down she bit her lip as he walked closer. She knew that was a possibility, her dying, but she wouldn't mind if it happened. Not that there really was a chance of it anyways, because he'd always refused to do so when she begged for him to just end her life. Feeling Luka's hands carefully being placed on her shoulders, she shook her head.

"I can't do that, Luka, I already told you that." She slowly lifted her head so she was facing him, and the almost disappointed look in his eyes made her feel a bit bad. Sighing defeated he pushed the still loose strand of hair behind her ear, lightly kissing her forehead.

"Okay." Letting his arms fall to his sides he started staring at her, not really sure what to say or do.

"Are you... mad at me?" She was looking at him like she was afraid of hearing the answer, and her voice sounded like she was some little kid who had gotten caught stealing cookies before dinner. It made Luka feel like his heart had been stabbed with the sharpest butcher knife. Having Abby be scared of him and not trusting him was the last thing he wanted right now, and he surely hadn't meant to seem mad.

"No, I'm not." He was actually lying a little, but he wouldn't ever admit it. "Not at all." It wasn't true. He was mad at her. Mad at her for being so stubborn, and mad at her for not wanting help, his or anyone else's. But he also knew that he couldn't hold Abby responsible for being like that. It was probably the only thing she knew about, and it was most probably her fear speaking, not her common sense. When he looked back at her, she was looking the other way, yawning like she'd pass out any second.

"Come on, Abby, let's go to bed. It's been a long day." She looked at him for a few seconds before reluctantly grabbing the hand Luka held out for her.


Putting the last laundry back in the closet, Abby let out a deep breath. It hadn't even been two hours since Luka left, and she'd already got the entire apartment cleaned up perfectly, from every little piece of dust hidden beneath the carpets to changing all the sheets.

Walking back into the living room, she sunk down into the far end of the couch. Even though she had gotten way more rest than usual these past couple of days, she still felt way more exhausted than she could remember having felt for a really long time.

Biting her lip she picked up the piece of paper which was laying on the table. There wasn't anything on it besides from Luka's cell phone number, along with both of his parents' and their pager numbers, in case she needed to get a hold of him. Curling it up in a ball she was about to throw it into the trashcan in the corner, but closing her eyes she stopped herself last minute. Luka had meant well after all. He might have gotten on her nerves by being so overprotective, and it sure didn't help when he practically refused to leave, but now she almost missed having him around.

Or well, she didn't really miss him, she was actually relieved to be alone, but she was scared. Scared of Luka, since he knew her secrets. Scared that he'd tell someone. Scared that other people would find out since he had. She hated the fact that he knew everything, or well, some things. She could no longer be herself around him, he'd always look at her differently. He wouldn't see her as 'Abby' anymore, he'd see her as this broken, fragile girl who needed pity. And she didn't want that, because she was no different from the girl she was before he found out.

Sighing she put the still curled up paper back on the table. She would put it in her room when she pulled herself together to get up, hide it somewhere just in case.

Closing her eyes she leaned back against the couch, still not understanding why she was as tired as she was. But of course, being pregnant might have something to do with it, just like it had caused her to throw up twice that morning.


It was the sound of the front door slamming which pulled her out of her thoughts, causing her body, or at least her heart, to practically jump up through the roof. It couldn't be Eric since she'd told him to stay at his friend's house, so she held her breath scared as she heard his foot steps quickly approaching the living room.

"Well hello, Abs." She felt herself automatically moving further into the corner as he was staring at her with his arms crossed over his chest. "You don't seem too happy to see me."

"What... What are you doing here?" Her voice was shaking uncontrollably, and even though she tried to never show him her fear, it was impossible when he looked at her like that, more evil than she'd ever seen him.

"Well someone called me and told me that you never showed up for work yesterday." She mentally cursed herself for not having thrown away the paper as he slowly walked towards her. "Care to explain, cause it sure doesn't sound like you?" Even if she had wanted to, she never got a chance of saying anything before he violently pulled her up from the couch by tightly grabbing her wrist.

She was staring straight into his eyes and she couldn't get herself to look away. The look he sent her had her paralyzed, and even as he pulled down her sleeve to reveal her perfectly bandaged arm, she couldn't move. She felt her eyes tearing up as he looked questionable at her. Grabbing her hair he forced her to bend forward, so he could lift up her shirt to reveal the many cleaned out, covered wounds on her back. When he pulled her back up the hot, fresh tears were streaming down her face. She couldn't remember ever having been as scared as she was right now, and judging by the look in his eyes, she had a very good reason to be so.

"Girl, you're in 'deep' trouble!" She didn't need him to tell her that, she already knew it. "Luka?" Still not able to take her eyes away from him, she nodded slightly. She could already feel the mental pain of the next many hours of pure, plain torture, already feeling as good as dead.


Sorry for leaving you with such a cliffhanger :)
As I said, I'll try to update before I leave, but I can't promise anything...

Don't forget to review :P