Reconstructed Luka
Part One
By Miesque
miesque48@hotmail.com

RATING: PG-13 (mild sexual content, but mainly up to your imagination)

SPOILERS: None that I know of.

STORY SYNOPSIS: It's ten years and five kids later, and Daisy and Luka need a vacation somethin' awful.

DISCLAIMER I: The character of Luka Kovac is the sole property of NBC, Warner Brothers, Amblin, and Constant C. I created Marguerite 'Daisy' Childers one day several months ago and she pretty much belongs to me ;).

DISCLAIMER II: Thanks to Bill Engvall, where ever you are, for bits and pieces of "Dorkfish"-the baseball commentary in particular. This guy is hilarious (and a fellow Texan, so no wonder I love him). BTW, I didn't get a chance to ask my brother about baseball rules, so if I got something wrong... eh... it's not like I watch baseball that closely!

SONGS: 'When I'm Sixty-Four', by The Beatles; 'Texas', by Chris Rea

PRAISE TO: My Canadian mentor and my friends in Oklahoma for continued editing, support, inspiration, and encouragement.

CROATIAN WORD TRANSLATIONS: 'lubenica' (watermelon); 'kapus' (cabbage); 'sira' (cheese); 'kruha' (bread); 'beba' (baby); 'srce' (sweetheart) 'ja te volim' (I love you)

PREVIOUS INSTALLMENTS: Not necessary, but see "Deconstructing Luka" (parts 1-6) for details.



"Daisy!" Luka yelled, banging the front door shut. It bounced, though, and he had to go back and push it shut. Another thing to fix, he thought as he made his way down the hall.

"I'm in the kitchen!" she yelled back. "Nik, would you stop that?!"

Luka came upon a scene of chaos. Daisy was at the sink, washing dishes. Nikolas, their eldest son, was tormenting his baby sister Meg, who was crying. The twins, Aleks and Marina, were finger-painting with their younger brother Jackson and making a mess.

"Aleks!" Luka said quickly. "Don't paint your sister!"

Instantly, the kids jumped up and ran to their father, mobbing him, peppering him with questions. Luka picked up Jackson and tousled everyone's hair. Meg, the youngest of the group, held her arms up for her father to hold her, and Luka bent down and picked her up carefully. Her face was still red from crying, but she hugged her father and kissed him on the mouth, hugging him and patting his back. She was twenty months old, with a curly mop of black hair and bright green eyes.

"Dais'," Luka said, fighting his way through the crowd to his wife. "Hey...rough day, huh?"

"Not too bad. They just started going crazy when they figured out you were fixin' to come home," she said wearily. She turned around and Luka gave her a deep kiss, causing the kids to giggle.

Luka grinned at his wife then winked at the kids. "Where's Marina? Oh, there you are." He checked his daughter's tooth - it was about to fall out. She smiled at him.

"Mommy says I'll get a quarter for it when it comes out."

"Here, let me pull it out!" Nik said, moving toward his sister. Marina screeched and backed away.

"No!"

"Nikolas, behave...or else," Luka said sharply. His oldest son - nine years old and possessing his father's somewhat tempestuous temper - stared up at him. He knew his father always meant business when he used that voice. He frowned for a moment, then backed off.

"Now, Dais', what's for dinner?"

She shot him a look, and Luka grinned. "Okay, let's try again...what am I making for dinner?"

"I have no idea...decide for yourself. I'm sorry... I just had no time at all. I had at least fifteen people in for portraits at the studio... Marina, let go of my leg, honey... I just got back in... the baby-sitter swears she's about done for with this bunch.  Luka, I need a break..."

Daisy didn't even attempt to pick up little Meg, who was holding her arms up expectantly. Meg moved back to her father, who gathered her up in his arms and then held her upside down. The girl screeched with laughter.

"Come on, little 'possum," Luka said. "Got any money in your pockets?" He shook her gently, but Meg just kept giggling.

"Did you hear me, Luka?" Daisy said. She gave Nik a frown when she saw him making a face at Marina.

"Yes, I hear you," Luka answered. "I need one, too. Summer's almost here... where would you like to go?"

"Really?" Daisy grabbed a dishtowel and dried her hands. "You want to go on a vacation?"

"Sure... I think I can get a couple of weeks off..." He frowned at her, not sure if he should tell her about his meeting with the administration this morning. Luka had suddenly found himself in the running for Chief of Staff, and he wasn't sure he wanted the job at all. When Daisy heard about this, and that he was considering it a little, he was sure she'd have a fit. He was away from home enough. A higher administrative position would only make things harder. In fact, Luka had been given two weeks' time off to think it over - he could start his 'vacation' any time he wanted.

Jackson came toddling toward Luka. Barely four years old, the boy was a handful. Daisy had tried to name him Ivan, but Luka had been insistent on an American-and Southern-sounding name.

"What's going on?" Daisy said, putting her hands on her hips and tilting her head back to look up at her husband. Luka frowned, licking his lips nervously.

"What do you mean?" he asked innocently.

"Something's up. Tell me."

The kids fell silent. Their parents rarely fought, but they did come to what Nik called 'bumpers'. They butted heads occasionally. Daisy and Luka were iron-willed and actually enjoyed a good skirmish every now and then.

"The hospital is considering making me chief of staff," Luka said at last. He was unable to lie or hide the truth from his wife.

She stared at him, then rolled her eyes in exasperation. "Good Lord, what'll they think of next?" she said wearily. "Luka, I hope... I really hope, you aren't considering it?"

He sighed. "I am...sort of. I don't really want it, but there's several on the board and in the staff that would like to see me up there... I could probably work less hours, have more time off with my family if..."

"You know that's not possible. You're already ER chief... what, do they want to kill you?"

"Well...ever since Kerry left it's been hard for everyone."

Daisy sighed and turned away. She had been secretly glad that Kerry had gone to teach at Johns Hopkins. Dr. Weaver had never said anything about it, or made so much as a move, but Daisy has sensed that Kerry had a secret, unspoken crush on Luka. She had liked Kerry a lot, and had found her to be a kind-hearted, friendly woman, but Daisy had felt protective of Luka around her. It was strange that Kerry was the only person she had considered a serious threat of any kind. Her husband and Dr. Weaver had been good friends, Luka always standing on Kerry's side against Dr. Greene and Dr. Romano regarding policies, even though Mark had become a good friend to Luka as well. Fortunately - or, maybe, unfortunately, for Kerry's sake - Luka had never noticed anything. Daisy figured it was for the best, but she still hated to see Kerry... hurt? She had certainly seemed regretful when she'd left two years ago. She was still unmarried, still alone. Daisy wrote to Kerry sometimes, and received letters detailing her life in Maryland, her interesting and stimulating job... but never any mention whatsoever of Luka - not even a question about his general health, a sign, to Daisy, of a lonely woman who had missed her chance.

"Yes, I suppose it has been..."  Daisy looked back at Luka, who smiled at her.

"I'm just thinking about it, Dais'.  I haven't given them an answer yet."

"Yet. And will a vacation make up your mind?" She sighed sadly and picked Meg up. The little girl grinned, showing several teeth. Luka tickled his 'least child', as Daisy called her, and she giggled.

"I don't know, Dais'. But we definitely need one."

"I'll probably get pregnant again... all you have to do is look at me and I'm knocked up."

"Well, it's just a typical thing, Daisy. We're manly men in Croatia."

She whacked him on the arm and he laughed.

"What's 'pregnant', Mommy?" Marina asked.

"Something inevitable, in my case," Daisy said, smiling at her elder daughter. "Now, let's think about supper. Who wants pizza?"

"I do, I do!" Jackson yelled, bouncing up and down.

"No! I want Chinese!" Nik said.

"Burgers!" the twins, Marina and Aleks, shouted in unison. Luka was glad they were opposite sexes, because otherwise they were almost exactly alike and seemed to think, act and speak in stereo. He called them 'The Migraine Twins', because they were like double vision.

"Well, since your Mom and I pay the bills around here, we'll decide..." Luka put Meg down, and she began to whine. Luka gave her a look, though, that stopped the waterworks before they started and she stood, waiting with the other four kids.

"What do you want?" Luka asked Daisy. He saw a glint in her eyes, and chuckled. "Food, Daisy. Food."

"I'll make...chili!"

"Oh, damn..." Luka muttered under his breath.

"Five alarm!" Nik yelled.

"No, please...not five alarm. It's a wonder I didn't spend a week in the Burn Unit at County last time your mother made five alarm chili," Luka said, shaking his head. "Two alarm... that should be enough."

"Can we make Frito pies?" Marina asked.

"Yes, you may," Daisy said with a smile. Luka shook his head, finding the situation pretty much beyond his control now.

"I guess that means I have to go buy corn chips..."

"And Longhorn cheese..."

"And Maalox," Luka said, rolling his eyes. Daisy giggled.

Luka always snagged at least one kid to go with him when he went to run errands. They all stood, waiting, hoping to be picked for today. Luka finally decided that little Meg hadn't been out enough lately, so he grabbed her and headed out the door, Daisy yelling a grocery list at him. "Call me on my cell phone!" he yelled as he galloped down the front steps, Meg squealing happily all the way.



After ten years of marriage, and being told regularly that he was simply drop-dead gorgeous by his wife, Luka was still clueless. He had yet to grasp the concept of the effect a good-looking man with an adorable baby could have on the opposite sex. Pushing a shopping cart down the aisle, Meg eating grapes and babbling, Luka didn't even notice the stares he was getting from the women - married and single - he passed.

"My God...look at that guy!"

"Married...with kids."

"Probably a houseful of them...the best ones are always either married or gay. He's definitely married."

Luka didn't hear them.  He was on the phone with Daisy. "Milk... bread... eggs...hell, Daisy, why don' t I buy the whole store? What else? Tomatoes? You grow tomatoes, Dais'. Yes... and a watermelon..." He rolled his eyes. It was too early in the season for watermelon, so whatever he was able to find would be a poor specimen compared to the good summer ones her parents shipped to them from Texas every summer.

"Dada!" Meg said, and Luka tweaked his daughter's nose. She grinned at him. She had her mother's smile, but her father's serious eyes and black hair.

Luka passed a short girl attempting to get a liter of Dr. Pepper from a high rack. Luka reached over and grabbed it for her, and she looked up to thank him and just froze, eyes wide. "Listen, Dais', I'll get everything... yes, I wrote it all down..." He was lying. Meg had tried to eat the grocery list he'd already made. His mind switched gears to Croatian - it was easier to remember things in his own language. "Yeah... I'll be home soon... okay..."

He turned the cell phone off and popped a wheelie for a giggling Meg. Then he went in search of groceries, saying each item in Croatian, Meg repeating him almost perfectly, except for a slight lisp. "Lubenica, kapus, sira, kruha..."



Well, at least it's not a mini-van, Luka thought as he loaded the groceries in the Grand Cherokee. He wasn't that much of a yuppie. He wasn't young any more, he wasn't really urban-they had moved out to the suburbs, into a nice older development with lots of large brick Victorian houses. He was a professional-a respected member of the medical community. Daisy, too, was a professional - a prize - winning newspaper photographer with a portrait studio as a very successful side business.

Their kids kept them young, that was for sure. There was no time for getting old, Luka decided. He looked in the rear-view mirror, observing his head of thick silver hair, and smiled at little Meg, who met his gaze and grinned back. She threw her rubber goldfish at him, hitting him in the head.

"Ouch...Meg!"

She giggled. "Bonk Dada."

"Yes...you bonked Daddy...again." Luka sighed. "Kid'll be a pitcher..."

He turned the radio on and sang along with The Beatles, keeping his daughter entertained. Meg banged on the handrest of her carseat and laughed, hooting along with the familiar music.

When I get older losing my hair
Many years from now
Will you still be sending me a Valentine,
Birthday greeting, bottle of wine?
If I'd been out till quarter to three
would you lock the door?
Will you still need me
Will you still feed me
When I'm sixty-four?

YouŽll be older too
And if you say the word
I could stay with you

I could be handy mending a fuse
When your light have gone
You can knit a sweater by the fireside,
Sunday mornings, go for a ride.
Doing the garden, digging the weeds
Who could ask for more?
Will you still need me
Will you still feed me
When I'm sixty-four?

Every summer we can rent a cottage on the
Isle of Wight, if it's not too dear
We shall scrimp and save
Grandchildren on your knee
Vera, Chuck, and Dave

Send me a postcard, drop me a line
Stating point of view
Indicate precisely what you mean to say
Yours sincerely wasting away
Give me your answer fill in a form
Mine forever more
Will you still need me
Will you still feed me
When I'm sixty-four?

"But I gotta say, Meggy," Luka told his daughter as he backed out of the parking spot and headed home. "Charles is okay. Dave is okay... just don't tell Dr. Malucci. But Vera...no. Please...don't name your kid Vera."



"This is the last game of the season, Dad," Nik was telling Luka the next morning. "I really hope you can come... we might actually win this time."

Luka grinned. Nik's team, the Rangers, was just awful. Of course, it had been far worse when the kid was five, when he started T-ball. Luka had never heard of 'T-ball' before and upon seeing it, and finally becoming a coach (though he didn't really like baseball that much), Luka realized that T-ball was pretty damned simple. But what do you say to a kid who's standing on the mound with a ball balanced on a pole? "Now!" And each game took about four hours to play, because there were about six players per position. And what motivation was there for a five-year old who is wearing a cup in 98° weather? He's tired, he's had his mouth full of dirt six times so far, his nose is bleeding, and now his father is yelling at him to 'cover the pocket', whatever the hell that meant.

He and the other fathers, including Mark Greene and John Carter, had devised T-ball street rules. Ten errors, that's an out. If half the team is crying and the other half has wet their pants, the game's over: pizza and snow cones for everybody. Luka had tried and failed to get Nik interested in soccer, but to no avail. Aleks, however, was soccer mad and was already on a winningteam of knee-chewing six-year olds.

"Really?" Luka drummed his fingers testily on the wheel. He was driving the kids in to school, Daisy having awakened with a headache. Last night had been awful-Jackson vomiting up his Frito Pie (he was his father' son, that was for sure) that morning...

Talk about a wake-up call, Luka thought, rubbing his forehead. To have a four year old vomit in your bed at five in the morning... oh, yes, you'll get up.  No doubt about it. Luka found himself standing there in the buff, yelling at Daisy, who was yelling at him to 'get him off the bed!'. Luka had reached for Jackson. The dog, Skids, was licking the mess up, and Daisy had shouted, "Not the boy, Luka... the dog!"

"Well, hell, Dais', the dog's cleaning it up better than we could! This is the most fun this dog's had since he sired Mrs. Cromwell's prize standard Schnauzer's puppies last year!"

"You think you can win?" Luka asked, smiling and glancing back at Aleks and Marina, who were sitting quietly, looking out at the traffic.

"Yeah! The team we're playin' is even worse'n us!"

"Oh, well..." Luka grinned. At least Nik had a sense of humor about it. Nik was actually fairly good - and Luka was being objective, since he had no vested interest either way about baseball - but most of his team-mates were just terrible. Fortunately, the coaches and other parents were equally philosophical about it. No matter how badly their sons played, they all could sit around later over a beer and laugh about it. They were just boys having some clean fun, spending time outdoors, getting good fresh air and keeping out of trouble. Nik was a good-natured, fun-loving but mischievous boy. He was blond, like his mother, with her coloring but with Luka's frosty green eyes. The other four kids were dark like their father. "I'll see if I can, son... it's hard though, y'know."

"I know." Nik looked away. Luka hated missing his kids' activities, and he knew they hated it when he wasn't there. Nik didn't just play baseball - he was also a straight-A student, already interested in being a doctor like his father. He possessed Luka's photographic memory, and he was usually very serious about everything. Fortunately, he didn't take baseball very seriously. But he still loved it when Luka was able to attend his games. Besides soccer, Aleks was taking riding lessons. Riding lessons... Luka shook his head, smiling. He had asudden, happy, memory of his days in the Grand Canyon with Daisy - the feel of her body against his, and the 'riding lessons' they had enjoyed together upon getting back to Chicago. He couldn't wait to get back home tonight... somehow, there had to be a way to be alone with her for a little while.

Getting his mind out of the gutter for the time being, Luka returned his thoughts to his kids, smiling to himself. Marina was a very focused little ballet dancer, with ambitions of being a prima ballerina one day. Luka hoped she wouldn't grow as tall as the Kovacs and the Childers or she'd be in trouble. Jackson, so far, seemed only talented at getting an upset stomach and laughing. Meggy was very good at being adorable, which Luka supposed was the point so far.

"Daddy, Aleks forgot his lunch," Marina interrupted.

Luka sighed and dug in his pocket. "Why didn't you tell me that before we got to school?"

"He didn't notice 'til now."

Marina was the informant of the family. She knew everything about everyone. She'll end up a lawyer, Luka thought tiredly as he handed the money to Aleks. Marina jumped up to kiss Luka on the cheek, bumping his head with her lunchbox, then scrambled out. Aleks was too young to be embarrassed to kiss his father goodbye, but Nik wasn't. He did submit to being tickled, though, grinning and rolling his eyes.

"See ya, Dad," he said.

"I'll try to come, son."

"Okay..."

"Ja te volim!" Luka called.

The trio turned and waved to their father, and Luka watched them walk away, Nik responsibly taking Marina's hand in his, Aleks running ahead to greet his friends, as usual. For a moment, Luka thought of his dark days in the past. He had lost so much twenty years ago - it suddenly dawned on Luka that Jasna would now be twenty-five years old, probably a mother by now - and yet here he was, having gained so much. He was so blessed.

'As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man; so are the children of the youth. Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them'. Luka remembered Daisy's words from ten years ago. She had embroidered the words on a throw pillow that lived on the living room couch. Point the arrows in the right direction, toward the right target. Make the shaft straight, the point hard and strong and it'll fly straight toward the mark. From what he could tell so far - and there were no guarantees - that's what he and Daisy were doing. There were ups and downs, but they had been blessed with five great kids. And Daisy still wanted more.

The car behind him beeped and Luka sighed and headed for work.



"Hey, Carter," Luka said, gesturing to his friend. John dropped a chart in the bin and headed toward Luka.

"Yeah?"

"Nik has a ball game this evening. Can you come?"

"Sure. Deb lets me out to play sometimes, so long as I bring her something nice when I come home."

"I've always wondered," Luka glanced at the clock. "Why she lets you call her 'Deb' at home while everyone here has to call her 'Jing-Mei'?"

"I don't call her 'Deb' at home. I call her 'Yes Dear'," Carter grinned. "When does the game start?"

"Six o'clock."

"Maybe I'll bring Deb along... she loves night games."

Luka nodded. "All right. At the usual place. Barf Field."

Barf - or actually, D.K. Simpson - Field was a legendary playing ground among the kids in Luka's neighborhood. Nearly every boy that had ever played Little League had thrown up there at least once, thus it's nickname. Even Nik, who had a stomach made of iron, had lost a meal there.

Dr. Dave Malucci came swaggering up, and Luka appraised him for a moment. Ten years had done nothing to change the man's attitude. He was a lot better at bedside manner and paying attention, but he was still cocky and brash. He and Abby Lockhart had finally married, after five long years of lack of commitment on Dave's part. They had a six-year old daughter, Annie, who was Marina's best friend.

"Hey, chief, what's up?" Dave asked.

"Barf Field, six o'clock," Carter said, looking at Luka before he spoke. Luka nodded.

"Oh, really? Nik got a game?"

"Yep. They might win this time. The Twins are worse than the Rangers, I hear."

Dave laughed. "Can't see how that's possible. Except for Nik and J.T., they're lousy." J.T.-John Truman Carter, IV-was Carter's oldest son. He had two others, Chase and Daniel. Chase was Aleks' best friend. Amazing, Luka thought, that we've all gotten so tangled up together in the past ten years. He, Carter and Mark were great friends, often sitting down for a beer together at Doc Magoo's after work, besides taking turns coaching Little League and soccer teams, or just hanging out together. Their sons were all close friends... Luka was amazed sometimes to think that twenty years ago he had found himself so alone and shattered. He still had nightmares about it sometimes - still had painful memories of it, but everything was so much easier now that he had friends to help him rise above it.

"Remember the T-ball league?" Luka asked, leaning against the admit desk. "They called themselves the Rangers... Daisy was all excited that they picked that name, 'cause she's from Texas and all, but Nik said, 'No. The Power Rangers'. God, they were awful, too. They got whipped by the Leggos first time out...twenty-three to four."

Carter cackled. "Remember our street rules?"

"How can I forget?" Luka shook his head. "Consider yourself blessed, Dave, to have a daughter who is only interested in ponies."

"Heh...Abby wants her to play football!"

Luka laughed and headed back toward the exam rooms, having cases to finish up.



"It's like herding cats," Luka said, shaking his head and watching as the Rangers ran onto the field. "They work independently of each other, don't they?" The kids were practicing their throwing. They were good enough at that, but catching was another issue all together.

Daisy giggled. Deb and Carter were sitting beside them, a blanket across their laps. The Kovac and Carter kids were seated behind them, chattering. Luka glanced up at them and caught Jackson's eye.

"Daddy, can we get some popcorn?" Aleks asked.

"Stick together," Daisy said. "And walk!"

The kids all jumped up and ran down the steps, heading at top speed to the concession stand. "That doesn't look like walking," Luka said. Daisy sighed.

"It's impossible...getting them to walk instead of run is like trying to..." Daisy cuddled Meg, who had fallen asleep already.

"Keep Meggy awake during a baseball game?" Carter said, leaning forward to look at her. Daisy laughed.

The game began. Luka listened to the assistant coach - a cardiologist from Mercy that Luka had known for years now - talking to the Rangers. "Now what do you do when the ball gets hit to the outfield?"

"Throw to first!"

"Excellent...now go out there and play ball!"

"Lord help us all," Luka said, which caused Deb to scream with laughter.

The game actually went fairly well, until a hard line drive hit the third baseman, a little boy named Jimmy, a member of the opposing team, on the knee. He went down like he'd been shot.

"Well, he's lucky to have so many doctors here," Dave Malucci said, patting little Annie on the head. Abby, shivering in the cool breeze, was chatting with Daisy, and they all looked up to see if the boy was okay.

"Uh-oh..." Luka said. "Is that Jimmy's mom?"

"My baby! My baby!" A woman came running out on the field. Jimmy was sitting up, yelling, "He did it on purpose!"

"The moose is loose on the field!" Dave said. Abby punched him on the arm.

"One of these days, Dave, you're mouth is going to get you in trouble," she warned.

A loud, emotional argument ensued, but finally Mark Greene, coaching the Rangers, came out of the bull pen, looking like he was going to his own execution, and calmed everyone down. Mrs. Jimmy's Mom left with her theatrically limping son and the game resumed. "That kid should join the drama club," Luka commented.

Luka snorted with laughter when he heard a father behind him yell at his son: "Don't worry, Justin... that ball won't bite!"

He rolled his eyes at Daisy. "You just know what Justin's thinking. 'Jesus, it's got teeth?!'"

Daisy couldn't quit laughing. Carter and Malucci started taking bets as to which team would make the most errors. Between innings, Mark came up and leaned wearily against the bleachers.

"My God...they're awful, aren't they?"

"Eh, they're not so bad tonight. Of course, compared to the Twins, I think the Rangers look like professionals," Daisy said. She covered her mouth, blushing. "There aren't any Twin parents here are there?"

"No, they're the people in the other bleachers... the people that look even more depressed than us," Malucci said. Abby and Deb giggled.

At the end, the Rangers won, four-to-two.

"Well done, son," Luka said, ruffling Nik's hair. Nik had hit a double, and the Twins had just floundered about.

"Yeah, Nik, great hit!" Carter said, clapping the boy on the shoulder. Up in the stands was a girl that Nik knew from school, and she waved at him. Luka glanced back at her for a moment-she was a pretty little redhead. He glanced at his son, and Nik blushed to his roots.

"All right, to spare Nik further humiliation, we shall return to our domicile and feast on the flesh of a cud-chewing beast and fleshy vegetable matter," Daisy announced.

"Huh?" Luka said, looking at his wife.

"Pot roast and potatoes," she said, pinching him.

"Oh...yeah.  Speak English, Dais'," Luka said, giving her an affectionate hug. She laughed and climbed down. Luka watched her with interest. Ten years, four pregnancies, five babies... that had done nothing to her figure. In fact, she seemed to get more beautiful, more desirable, after the birth of a baby. So no wonder they have five. She was just beautiful... the best thing in his life.

Heh, he thought. I'll have to keep my hands off her until the kids are tied down and thrown into bed. Then...maybe.



Daisy was humming as she brushed her hair. She was in a Texas state of mind, and had brought out several Texas and South-related CDs. So far, she'd played Asleep at the Wheel and her beloved Dwight Yoakam, and now Chris Rea was singing.

Warm winds blowing
Heating blue sky
And a road that goes forever

Been thinking 'bout it lately
Been watching some TV
Been looking all around me
At what has come to be
Been talking to my neighbor
And he agrees with me
It's all gone crazy

Well my wife returns from taking
My little girl to school
She's got beads of perspiration
As she tries to keep her cool
She says "That mess it don't get no better
There's gonna come a day
Someone's gonna get killed out there."
And I turn to her and say "Texas."
She says "What?"
I said "Texas."
She says "What?"
"They've got big long roads out there"

Warm winds blowing
Heating blue sky
And a road that goes forever
I'm going to Texas

We got to get out of here
We got to get out of here

Well I got a little brother
Several meters high
Yeah he's built just like a quarterback
And he swears he'll testify
he says he's been to Texas
And that's the only place to be
Big stakes, big girls, no trouble there
That's the place for me

I'm going to Texas
I'm going to Texas
Watch me walking
Watch me walking

Luka lay on the bed, reading the newspaper. It was a cool night, and she had left the windows open. Last summer, a bat had flown in and taken up residence in her closet. That had been an experience-Luka coming home when she found the creature hanging there  It had taken three hours to catch it, and despite Daisy's insistence that he kill it, he turned it loose. Luka had joked with her that it still sent letters, apologizing for the intrusion.

"What you need," Daisy said quietly, making him look up. "Is some good lovin'."

"How'd you know?" he answered, smiling at her.

She was wearing a comfortable cotton football jersey, and Luka was contemplating grabbing her and pulling that thing off. It had been a long time - well, a few days, at least-since he'd made love to her, and he wanted her now. Their lives often interfered with their love life, that was for sure.

"I know you too well," she said, climbing in beside him. She took the newspaper out of his hands and kissed him.

"Should I turn the lights out?" he asked.

"No...let the bats watch us."

He laughed and rolled her onto her back, lifting her hands above her head. In moments, her jersey was off and he was reacquainting himself with her luscious body. In the ten years of their marriage, they had found that the sex never got stale-it only got better. They knew each other's likes and dislikes very well, yet were both willing to experiment a little. Daisy called i 'love magic', and Luka agreed wholeheartedly. After a rough day at work, or especially a good day, coming home and making love to his wife was like a tonic for his heart. It was impossible to feel tired or run down after being held in her arms.

They had picked this house because of not only it's size (seven bedrooms) but because of how convenient it was. Not only was it very large, but it could be added on to if necessary. The master bedroom suite was downstairs, which meant that they could make noise in bed and not worry about waking anyone up. The arrival of little Nik, however, had made it obvious that a better plan was necessary, so Luka had spent Daisy's second pregnancy building a nursery, knocking out a wall in the bathroom.  Five Kovac babies had slept in that comfortable room, rocked to sleep every night in a chair Carter had given them as a wedding present. Little Meg was asleep in there now, so Daisy and Luka had to be quieter than usual.

Daisy was thinking about going to Texas for their vacation. Lying in Luka's arms, her body satisfied, she found it easy to sort things out in her mind. A trip to Oklahoma to visit her cousins would be nice, too, then Texas and maybe, if he'd agree to it, a trip down into Mexico. The only thing that concerned her, however, was the idea of taking all five kids along. Jackson and Meggy weren't likely to have any memories of this vacation, and she wanted them to remember it. She wanted to show them the places where she and Luka had first kissed, where they got lost...

Luka was caressing her skin, marveling at the softness of it. He laughed to himself-she was a nice, respectable matron now, and yet in bed she was quite another thing. Sometimes, especially when pregnant, she was insatiable, but Luka was able - somehow - to keep her satisfied. Well, he thought, yawning, sex burns calories. No wonder she's in such good shape. No wonder I'm in such good shape. Luka had quit smoking years ago, and obeyed his wife's demands that he eat well. He swam ten laps every morning in the pool - jogging and bulking up in the gymnasium didn't appeal to him. At forty-six, Luka was probably in better shape than he'd been when he was twenty-six.

"Baby, I was thinking..." she said softly. He had dozed off, so she gave him a squeeze in a very sensitive area. He woke up, startled, and gave her a sound kiss as punishment for taking such liberties.

"What were you thinking about?" he asked, pushing her gently onto her back and moving down to squeeze her as well.

"I was thinkin'... mmm.... more of that, please... of going to Texas through Oklahoma... ohhh... Luka... and then..."

She lost her train of thought, though, as he made love to her again. She smiled as they came together, remembering how it had been that first time. There was even more passion between them now than there had been then. It was a miracle that she often found incomprehensible. She clung to him, crying out his name, listening to him breathe against her neck, sighing happily when he kissed her again.

"What were you saying?" he asked, giving her another kiss as he rolled off her. She snuggled into his arms, sighing softly, her body still trembling a little.

"I was saying that maybe we could go to Oklahoma and Texas, then Mexico... on the way back up we could go back to the Grand Canyon."

"I don't think they let kids ride the mules though... hey, I wonder if Clinton is still alive?"

"The mule or the ex-President?" she asked.

"The mule, Dais'," he said, feigning impatience. He reached up and turned the lamp off.

"Same difference," she said, grinning. "Anyway, we wouldn't have to go into the canyon itself. Just stay in a hotel on the rim and look down. Nik told me the other day that he'd like to spit in the Grand Canyon."

"Well, that's kind of blasphemous, isn't it?"

"Maybe, but he's nine years old. Nine year old boys love to do stuff like that. I'd prefer he spat in the Grand Canyon than on my dining room rug."

Luka laughed. "Well, tomorrow, we'll get a map and set a course. I can probably get an extra week if I need to."

"Oh, that'd be wonderful!" she said, smiling. "A nice leisurely trip. Of course, it wouldn't be as long as three months in 'Mwegsigo', but it'd be enough, I think. The kids'd love it... we'll put them in their own room at the hotels and maybe work on baby number six."

Luka looked at his wife. "Hell, Dais', we may have already done that tonight."

She laughed. "Maybe. But half the fun is getting there, right, beba?"

"It certainly is."

"I love you, srce," she said, kissing his cheek.

"Te volim," he answered.

Daisy looked up at him, whispering the words back. He had taught her several Croatian words and phrases, and she had found the soft-spoken language to be very romantic. She wrapped her arms around her husband's neck and kissed him again. He moved onto his back, pulling her with him, and she sighed happily. In moments, they were both asleep.



TO BE CONTINUED...

--
Do something, every day, that scares somebody.
-Dale Gribble, "King of the Hill"