"Hey, you've reached Luke. I'm not around to answer, so call me back. You know the drill. Beep, message, etc. etc."


[Messages can be left for Luke or his mun here]

5.1. "Moral indignation is jealousy with a halo."
H. G. Wells

Co-written with doesntwaltz & tacticalmind

It was a weeknight, so The Bondi wasn't very busy except for a steady trickle of musicians coming into jam with others, and a few people having some casual drinks after work. Luke was up in New York for a few days to get the paperwork done, so while he wasn't technically working, he was there behind the bar because he couldn't help himself. Leila technically was on shift, but she didn't actually need to be there because there was plenty of staff to cover the patrons. She had come, though, and brought Rob along with her, mostly so she could catch up with Luke for a little while. After chatting on and off about their Part Three's issues with not getting any newlywed sex, Luke paused in his polishing of a tray of glasses and pointed with one to Rob who had struck up a conversation with a small bunch of sailors at one of the booths across the bar.

"Should I be worried about the quality of my booze? I've offered him freebies all night and he keeps sticking to orange juice. Saving his mojo to pound you into the mattress later?" he asked in amusement, shaking his small towel out and putting the clean glass into the tray. "You know what they say, a guy's cock stops working properly when he's pissed."

"Is that what say?" Leila asked as she smirked at him. "I could have sworn it was more like a guy's cock doesn't get a chance to start working once he's passed out. You experienced some issues with the wife?" She leaned on the bar, and watched Rob. Her expression shifted as her eyebrows drew together. "He went out on the piss with Mike. Needed to get hammered after his appointment with some blokes on the base. The ones that decide if he's fit enough to go back to duty, or not."

( Luke watched the military posse for a few moments and then shot Leila a wry look... )


Word Count | 3,530

[Backdated to Thursday, October 29th 2009]

When Luke heard that Andrew wasn't feeling well, he happily abandoned his accounts paperwork for The Bondi and went over to check on his cousin. Aiden had just finished running through the next schedule of promos for the bar before he went back to his ivory tower in Manhattan to meet with a new client. Everyone was excited about Ali and Andrew's wedding on the weekend. They usually nabbed any excuse for a good party, but this time it was huge. It wasn't just family. By the time Ali and Andrew had been done with the guest list, it was pushing two hundred. Both knew a lot of people, and factor in all of the Jackson/Connor clan from Australia, it was always going to be a huge affair.

( Which is why Luke wasn't particularly surprised to hear Andrew was feeling sick. The Groom-to-be greeted Luke at the door with baby Jamie nursed on his hip, eyebrows raised questioningly, though he looked tired... )

LINK: Luke bit down on his lip sheepishly as he took in his cousin's unconsious, prone form on the sofa in his office, and then hit speed dial on his cell to call his wife for back-up, "Um, Tab, sweetie, darling, gorgeous... how quick can you get to New York because I think I'm about to be murdered?"


[Bendy time back to Thursday night, or very early Friday morning]

[Occured about a week ago on 16th October 2009]

Leila was slumped in the booth of The Bondi, her foot resting on the seat next to her cousin. She nursed her second beer in her hands and pressed her lips together as her mind once again slipped to Rob, and if he was safe right at that moment. He had to be. She'd already suffered through him being sick, and not being able to do a damn thing about it. She couldn't take the idea of him being injured and still not being able to do a thing. Although if he did end up in the infirmary again it would mean hearing from him...

She slapped herself in the forehead as she groaned. "FUCK! I actually want my husband to get injured just to hear from him. I am seriously fucking losing it, Lulu. I need help." She tilted her beer towards him, something else occurring to her. "You think we should feel guilty getting pissed while Andy can't even be here?"

Her birthday drinks were small with it being just her and Luke, and to be honest, she didn't mind. She wanted things intimate. There had been talk of going out for dinner with Andy the next night, but tonight Leila had just really needed a drink or ten. She'd been thinking herself in circles since she'd missed Rob's call. At least she had Mike to talk to now. He had turned her down with the moving in thing, but the offer was always open. She was being partially selfish in her reasons for asking him. It was like if she could look after him, she'd look after Rob.

( Luke took a long gulp of his beer, swallowing as he shook his head... )


Word Count | 3,152

Leila stood in the middle of the apartment, camera in hand as she took snaps from various angles. On the off chance she thought it was the place for her and Rob she wanted to make sure she had the pictures to email to him. She wasn't really feeling it though, and it was the fourth place so far she'd dragged Luke to. She turned to look at her cousin, nose scrunched as she gave him that look that said 'I'm really sorry, but no'.

She hated this. She hated having to suddenly make decisions for her and Rob, and not being able to talk to him about them. She never knew when the next phone call would come, and the emails were intermittent. It wasn't enough. They were still new to their relationship, and extremely new to their marriage. Leila wanted to be curled up with him after more fantastic sex, and falling asleep with his arms around her.

She let out a sigh, her shoulders dropping as she let the camera hang around her neck. Leila lifted her glasses up to rub at her eyes, and turned around to look again at the mediocre apartment. The wallpaper was hideous, but she supposed it could always be fixed up. Still, it didn't scream her and Rob's names. She wasn't even sure if any place would.

( Luke puffed his cheeks out and let the breath out in a rush... )


Words | 2,169

We really need to talk about your matchmaking skills.

2.5. "It's all right letting yourself go, as long as you can get yourself back."
Mick Jagger

Co-written with asinthecity
[Follows THIS and THIS]

"TAB!" Luke called as soon as he pushed his way in the front door of his city apartment. He had the door propped open with his hip as he grunted softly, manoeuvring the baby buggy inside and trying not to drop the heavy bag of presents slung over his back and the full pink baby bag over one arm. He was absolutely buggered trying to lug all three up the stairs to the apartment, and now Jamie was doing that small whimpering thing which could mean she needed a fresh nappy or was about to start bawling. He really hoped it was just a nappy change because he was already stressed out and he wasn't sure he could handle hearing the baby girl upset too.

( He lugged the bags into the apartment and dumped them both onto the sofa... )

All muses referenced with permission and are from the princeton2nyc universe


Word Count | 3,699

Well? Do you need reinforcements or have you got a mouthful of soldier as we speak?