II: Abigail

"Oh Abigail, these pancakes are divine," Luke smiles around a mouthful of his breakfast. Even though ah went out last night, ah still woke up early this mornin' t' make breakfast fer mah fiancé, mah brother, and mah best friend. It still feels odd that ah'm hidin' this from them. "Yeh gotta make 'em more often."

"Ah tried a new recipe. These are cinnamon chocolate chip," Ah beam as ah put more on Rowan's plate. Usually, outta the three, he eats the most.

"Mah darlin' sister treats us so well," Bray beams back, cuttin' up his own pancakes. "We got anymore butter milk?"

"In the fridge, ah'll make yeh a glass as soon as ah put these pancakes on mah plate," I respond as I slide the few remaining pancakes from the pan t' mah plate. As ah pass Luke, he puts a hand on mah lower back. Ah flash him a charming smile, running a hand through his thick tangle of black locks. "Eat, yeh need yeh strength darlin'."

"Oh love, ah know," Luke grins, "ah just like t' let yeh know how much ah love yeh."

Ah grin again and get int' the fridge t' get the buttermilk t' pout Bray a glass. Ah sit at the table t' start eatin' as Bray sips his drink. "Boys…do we have business in town t'day?"

Erik shakes his head, "No sir. We ain't got no-"

"Actually," Luke corrects, "we do. We gotta do that favor fer the mayor."

Though ash was tryin' not t' let mah curiosity get the besta me, ah can't help but look up in shock. "Ya'll work fer the Mayor of Titan City?"

Bray cuts his eyes at Luke before speakin' up, "On occasion. Boys, why don't we adjourn t' the other room?"

"Please, Bray, ah am a grown woman," ah plead so that maybe they'll stay. Ah don't get why ah can't be in on their careers. Ah'm responsible, ah have a great work ethic. "Ah can take care a mahself. Please."

"Darlin' we would be more than happy t' take yeh t' the city. But Titan City is a dangerous place. A sweet, innocent girl like yeh wouldn't last very long," Luke speaks kindly. Though his voice is kind, his eyes read differently. His eyes show that he don't think I have any place in that city.

"How do yeh know? Ah hold mah own while yeh three are away. Yeh can let me go t' the city with yeh at least once," ah plead, puttin' mah hand on his. "Just once, yeh can bring me on a job with yeh."

"Abigail, just last week, a woman just a few years older than yeh went missin'. They ain't found her yet. Why, if ye went missin', ah'd burn down halfa Titan City t' find yeh. Ah would rather not risk yeh life," Bray speaks, his voice eerily calm.

"But ah wouldn't be alone! Ah would have yeh with me," ah plead again.

"Ah said no an' that's final!" Bray snaps. I wince at his tone, hearin' the harshness in it. He takes a deep breath and smiles in a way that would be offputtin' t' most. Ah know it as his comfortin' smile. "Ah'm sorry ah snapped darlin' lil' sister. Yeh just don't get it."

"We couldn't live with ourselves if'n yeh got hurt. Tell yeh what though. If'n Bray allows it, ah'll take yeh out in a month's time."

Ah grin, perkin' up. A month should give me more time t' get use t' Titan City. "Bray? Please?"

He glares at Luke before lettin' out a sigh, "Alright, alright. In a month's time Luke will take yeh out fer a date in Titan City. Until then, yeh stay here Abigail. Boys, let us adjourn int' the other room."

Luke pecks me on the lips before pushin' himself up from the table, Erik wavin' goodbye before followin' the other two. Ah finish mah pancakes before headin' up the stairs in the other room. From the stairs ah can hear them in the livin' room. Perfect. "Luke, them boys would eat her live! They said themselves they would hurt anyone what was associated with us. We gotta keep her safe!"

"She is mah future wife, Bray," Luke defends, "besides, we got more important things t' worry about. The Mayor's son in law wants us t' handle that officer Cena."

"And a course we gotta handle the D.A.," Erick speaks up. Handle? What do they mean by handle? Surely they wouldn't be involved in somethin' illegal?

"So what do yeh boys propose we do?" Bray questions.

There's a brief silence where ah think they boys are thinkin'. It occurs t' me, however, that they may suspect ah'm sittin' on the stairs. Ah climb up backwards so ah can't be heard too much on the stairs. As soon as ah'm up them, ah head int' mah room. Handlin'? A cop and a D.A? This all sounds highly illegal. What…what could they be doin'? Ah start t' fold mine an' Luke's laundry, lettin' this question float around in mah head. Surely the boys would never get involved in somethin' criminal. It seems like forever before ah hear the door open behind me an' feel the strong arms of mah fiancé wrap themselves around mah waist. "Darlin'," he whispers in mah ear. His voice an' the way he treats me send shivers down mah spine.

"Yes dear?" ah grin, foldin' the last piece of laundry.

"We're leavin' darlin'," Luke presses a kiss t' the back of mah neck. I shiver, lickin' mah lips. Luke an' ah ain't never gone all the way but we do mess around from time t' time. His hand comes up t' mah breast an' ah take in a deep breath.

"Fer…fer how long Luke?" ah turn t' face him, placin' mah hands on his chest an' smilin' up at him. He grabs mah legs at right under mah ass, wrappin' them around his waist. He backs me against the wall, his hands slippin' t' mah waist.

"Just the day darlin'," Luke grins as he places soft pecks t' mah lips, "Maybe…when we get back..yeh an' ah can…"

"It's a sin," ah softly whisper. It is, sex before marriage is a sin. "Ah…ah can't…"

Luke nods, lettin' me down. "Sorry ah..well…ah'll be goin…" He turns t' leave an' ah slide down the wall. Ah dunno why ah keep stoppin' him. Ah pray before bed each night an' ah spend time in the prayer room but ah don't attend church. Why am ah so worried about this sin? Parta me is afraid to go there, sure, but he's mah fiancé.

But he's mah fiancé…so ah'll get over it…right?