Author's notes: Huge thanks to my beta readers Jen & Raine. Luv ya...
"One game."
"No Dave."
"C'mon."
"No."
"Please?"
"What part of the word no don't you understand?" Luka commented from the lounge couch.
"Hey you stay out of this. This situation is partly your fault."
"It's also partly yours." Luka retorted. "I told you I was bad at pool."
"Yeah but you neglected to mention that your wife and Abby were sharks."
"I wouldn't say we were sharks." Abby said as she shut her locker and went to get a cup of coffee.
"You two totally hustled us." Dave said.
"Dave if we had hustled you, you wouldn't have known it till you woke up in an alley with your wallet missing." Susan told him with a grin, looking up from her chart.
Abby laughed. "Didn't we do that to some flyboy who got a little too touchy feely with Linda?"
"Now that you mention it, I think we did."
"Back to the subject at hand. I just want a chance to get even."
"You're not gonna let this go, are you?"
"No. My pride is wounded."
"Not to mention his wallet." Luka muttered.
"Basketball at lunch. I'll see you out there."
"We'll see you out there." Susan corrected.
"We'll be there." Luka says with a smile.
"So I've been thinking." Susan says to Abby.
"What about?"
"Luka's birthday is coming up."
"Oh that's right. Are you gonna do something for him?"
"I was thinking about a party. The kind where everyone shouts surprise."
"You sure you wanna do that?" Abby asked.
"Sure. But I have a problem."
"What is it?"
"Location. If I have it at my house he'll find out, I know he will. I don't think I could rent a decent restaurant on such short notice. The only other alternative is to have it here."
"You could have it at my house." Abby offered.
"What? I can't do that."
"Why not?"
"It's too much to ask."
"You didn't. I offered." The brunette said putting away a file and turning around. "What?"
"Are you sure?" Susan asked.
"Yes. It's about time to break in my house. What did Col. Lynman used to say? It wasn't a home till a few friends got plastered in it. Doug, Luka, and Dave will have to do it for me."
Susan's brow furrowed. "He didn't say that about homes, he said it about the officers' club."
Abby shrugged. "Same difference. C'mon, what do you say? Doug can barbeque, we can order pizza, Dave can play DJ, and it'll be fun."
"Okay." Susan nodded her agreement.
"Great. When?"
"His birthday is a week from Sunday."
"Then we will do it a week from Saturday."
"I love you." Susan tells her friend.
"I know." Abby smiles.
"So I hear Doug's been elected chef for next week." Chuni said.
"Susan tell you?"
"Yeah." Chuni checked the I.V. bag. "Can I do anything?"
"Uh yeah. Bring a case of beer."
"You got it. Anything else?"
"No, we're ordering a cake and some other stuff from the bakery, Susan and I are gonna go shopping for the food, we're just gonna get a lot of already made stuff, and everyone is bringing their own alcohol."
"Cool. Kids allowed?"
"Absolutely. My girls will be there, Carol's bringing hers, Haleh is bringing her grandkids, and when I invite her I'm going to tell Elizabeth to bring Ella."
"You inviting Carter?"
"Susan's going to." Abby told her.
"What about Ava?"
"She's welcome to come. I get the feeling she doesn't get along with a lot of people down here."
"Just the nurses."
"Why's that?"
"I don't like to gossip."
"That's very wise. It's bad for the soul."
"Very." Chuni nodded.
Abby looked over Chuni's shoulder. "Okay I figure we've got about five minutes before Weaver comes over here and tells us that we shouldn't be standing around talking so make it fast."
"She just has the habit of treating nurses like they're there only to serve. She did a rotation down here. That was how she met Carter. After about a week she was on Haleh's shit list."
Abby nodded. "Well as a nurse who almost became a doctor, I can say that treating the nurses like crap is not a good idea."
"Ya think?" Chuni rolled her eyes causing Abby to start giggling.
John walked out into the ambulance bay and saw a rather intense game going on.
"Foul!" Dave shouted after Susan sank a basket.
"Not even Malucci." Abby said. "Take it like a man and admit that we kicked your ass."
"Either that or blame Luka."
"Hey!"
Susan and Abby left Dave and Luka on the court to argue over who was supposed to have been watching whom.
As they got closer John could here their quiet comments.
"We did it again." Abby said.
"Screwed up in reverse." Susan agreed.
"They're never gonna leave us alone."
"Ladies." John nodded to them.
"Hey Carter." Susan nodded and then turned to Abby. "Do you still want to do that planning session tonight?"
"Yeah. Hang around or if you want take the El and meet me at my house."
"I'll hang around."
"Okay."
"I better get back in there. Oh but before I do. Carter you never gave me an answer before. Are you gonna come or not?"
"Luka's surprise party? Sure I'll be there."
"Great. Al, can you give him the address?"
"Sure." Abby nodded.
"Good. Well, I better get back inside. I have a patient that won't go home till I check every part of his body out." Susan said.
"Have fun." Abby called after her.
A "yeah right' could be heard as Susan disappeared through the double doors and Abby looked back at Carter. He was looking at Luka and Dave.
"Dave's ego was wounded last night." Abby said.
"Oh?" He said looking back at her.
"Yeah. Susan and I beat him at pool."
"I see."
"Got a piece of paper?"
"Uh sure." John pulled something out of his lab coat pocket. "Here. Need a pen?"
"No, I got one. " Abby scribbled something down. "Here you go." She handed him the piece of paper.
John read it. "Your address?"
"Yep." Abby nodded. "Be there or be square." She smiled at her own corniness.
"I will. Are you getting a sitter?"
"For the girls, you mean? No, they're gonna be there. I'm having people bring their kids along. Figure it'll save everyone a lot of trouble."
"Right." John nodded.
"So you are definitely coming?"
"Yeah." John said. "Why?"
"No reason. I hope Ava can make it too. I hear they give residents a lot of Saturday shifts up in psych."
"Yeah they do. I'll have to bring it up to her later."
"Right." Abby nodded.
"Abby look if Ava said something to you yesterday I'm sorry. She can be a little territorial sometimes."
"Don't sweat it Carter. You're not the one I'd be mad at if I were mad." Abby smiled before she went on. "I better get back in or Carol's going to think I deserted."
"Right. I'll see you later."
"Bye." Abby smiled and headed back inside.
"I need your help with something." Susan announced about an hour after they'd gotten to Abby's.
"Thought that's why we were here." Abby said looking up from the list she'd been making.
"Not that. It's something else."
"What?"
Susan reached for her purse and pulled something out. She handed it to Abby. "Can you open that for me?"
"What is it?" Abby inspected it curiously.
"Lab results."
"For who?"
"Me."
"What? Susan, are you okay?"
"Fine. I think I am anyway. I drew the blood myself and did the test about an hour before I left work. I just haven't had the nerve to look at it."
"What test did you do?"
"Pregnancy."
"What?" Abby shrieked.
"I'm not absolutely sure but I'm pretty sure and I wanted to know for sure but I can't work up the nerve to open that. I don't want Luka to do it because I don't want to get his hopes up. You're the only other one I'd want to know at this point so would you do it?"
"Of course." Abby looked touched. "Want me to do it now?"
"Yeah." Susan nodded biting her lip.
"Okay." Abby carefully opened the envelope so as not to shred the paper inside. She pulled out the single sheet that held Susan's results and read it carefully. She had a thoughtful look on her face when she looked at Susan. "What's the name of that song you used to sing to your niece? The one you tried singing for the girls but it didn't work."
Susan looked at Abby confusedly. "You mean 'Blackbird'?"
"That's the one. I think I'm gonna need to buy a copy."
"Why?"
"Well I'll need it when I baby sit if your baby is anything like its cousin." Abby started to smile as realization crept over her friend's face.
"Really?" Susan's voice was hopeful.
"See for yourself." She handed over the test results to Susan.
The blonde devoured the words and then she started to laugh and cry at the same time. "I'm pregnant."
"Yep."
"I'm pregnant!" Susan shouted before she hugged Abby. "I really am."
Abby was smiling at her friend's happiness.
Susan suddenly pulled back. "I need to tell Luka."
"Okay. Do you want me to wake the girls and drive you down to the hospital?"
"No. He'll be here soon." Her words were punctuated by the ringing of Abby's doorbell. "See?"
"I'll get the door, you get your stuff." Abby got up and crossed to the door. Before she answered the door she turned back to Susan. "Hey. Just remember Nine Months, okay?"
"Huh? Oh! Oh, right, okay." Susan nodded.
Abby opened the door and smiled. "Hi Luka. Susan's right here. I think she's ready to go home."
"Okay." Luka looked at Abby curiously. She was had a rather large smile on her face. "Are you okay?"
"Great. Why?"
"No reason." Luka smiled and then his wife appeared.
"Hi." Susan said then she looked at Abby. "Bye Al."
"See you tomorrow." Abby nodded as Susan and Luka left. She waited a moment before going across the courtyard and locking her gate. Then she headed back inside to go to sleep.