The other Abby.

~Chapter One: It begins, again.~

'Abby... Abby!' He grabbed her by the arm and swung her round. 'Oh my God, Abby.' The tall man flung his arms around the startled girl, lifting her briefly off the ground. 'I can't believe it is you.'

'Hmpf,' the girl mumbled into the man's leather coat as he held her tight. After a few seconds he looked down at her, smiling in broad relief and kissed her.

'Oy!' the young woman said, pushing him away. 'I like a good kiss as much as the next girl, but I prefer to have some idea who I'm kissing.'

The man stepped back and frowned. 'Abby, it's me Stephen. You don't remember, do you?'

'It's not that I don't remember,' she said. 'I have never seen you before.'

'No...' he whispered. 'This can't be... I've been looking for you for months!'

'I'm sorry but you have me mistaken for someone else.'

'No,' he said, running a hand through his hair. 'No it is you. Your name is Abigail Maitland, you are a zoologist specialized in lizards. You are a gymnast,' he told her insistently as if he tried to convince her this was true. 'And... ehm ... you like yoga and kick boxing!'

'Look...' the girl started, looking bewildered. 'I don't know how you know all that, apart from the zoo thing, which is just weird, but I promise you, we have never met.'

Stephen closed his eyes and sighed. He looked so devastated that the girl relaxed a little and placed a hand on his arm.

'It's okay, you just... have the wrong girl. It's nothing to worry about. Happens all the time.'

'I don't,' he said, his voice sounding a little pained. 'Things have ... changed. We used to know each other in a different ... time.'

'That is impossible,' Abby said with a small laugh.

'The scar!' Stephen exclaimed. 'The scar on your arm, you needed stitches!' He grabbed Abby's right arm and rolled up her sleeve. Her skin was even and unmarked apart from a tiny lizard tattoo on the inside of her wrist. 'You needed eighteen stitches,' he whispered softly, his voice on the brink of breaking. 'We joked about it because eighteen...'

'... is my lucky number.' Abby finished, her eyes wide, while rolling down her sleeve again. 'What is going on?'

'You'll never believe me,' he whispered, sounding desperate.

Abby was silent, staring at the man before her. He ran his hands over his face and through his hair again. There was something about him... she ought to be scared and trying to get away but against all reason she wanted nothing more at this moment than to trust him.

'I don't know what it is about you... eh, Stephen, did you say your name was?'

'Steve... you aways call me ... used to call me, Steve.'

'Steve, I don't know why but I want to believe you. I really do.' She looked up, trying to catch his gaze. 'It's just impossible. You understand? We never met. I would never forget a person completely, would I? And I am not a zoologist, I am a nurse. I have always been fascinated by lizards yes, although it beats me how you know that.' She sighed, weighing her words. 'Why don't we... Christ, what am I doing? I can't believe I am going to say this.' Abby straightened her back as if making up her mind. 'Why don't we go back to my place, it is right around the corner. We can have a drink and talk about this. Okay?'

'I should really... you're not the same Abby. I shouldn't interfere with your life.'

'It's a bit late for that. Come on, you look like you could use a drink.'

'All right.'

'It's just down the street, this way.' Abby gave him a sideway glance. 'I must be going nuts,' she muttered.

They walked in silence for a few minutes, the street already darkening with the falling night, until Stephen snorted.

'What?' Abby asked.

'It's like the ambulance thing all over again.'

'Ambulance thing?'

'Yes you, eh... the Abby I knew, was hurt and needed to be taken to hospital. They gave you - her some heavy painkillers and things were said and done but you didn't remember afterwards. Only this is ten times worse. At least you knew who I was then.'

'Here we are.' Abby pointed at a white door and walked up the steps to open it. 'Please come in. Go right up the stairs, I'll fix us some drinks.'

Stephen took the stairs two at a time and stepped into a large living room. He took it in for a moment, standing very still. It was her, he knew it. Her hair might be brown and longer now, her house might be too clean and without pets, but it was Abby. There were photographs of her and her parents, friends and other people and Stephen walked around to look at them.

'Here you go,' Abby said behind him. 'I hope you like wine.'

'I do,' he smiled and took the glass from her. 'No pictures of Jack...' he said, while they both walked over to the white couch. Abby took out two coasters and placed them on the large wooden coffee table.

'Jack?' she asked, one eyebrow raised.

'Your baby brother Jack...' Stephen said slowly.

'Nope.' Abby said, looking satisfied, as if this piece of wrong information was a relief. 'I have no brother, my parents disappeared when I was very young.' She smiled sadly. 'So I know what it is like to look for someone for a long time. But you must have the wrong person after all. I'm not a zookeeper either and the Abby you know obviously is.'

Stephen frowned again.

'Now are you going to tell me what this is all about?' Abby asked him. She turned toward him and sipped from her wine.

'I want to Abby,' he said and the way he said her name made her shiver. 'I really do but I'm afraid you'll think I'm crazy.'

'It's already too late for that, so you may as well...' she told him, but she smiled and Stephen smiled back.

'I suppose so,' he took a deep breath. 'Where do I start...'

'You spoke of a different time... try and explain that first.'

'Okay, ehm...' he pulled one knee up and rested his elbow on it, considering how to make all this madness sound acceptable. 'You've heard of legends like the monster of Loch Ness,' he started, his blue eyes lighting up. 'Myths like Saint George and the dragon,' he leaned forward in excitement. 'David and Goliath!'

'Yes of course I have,' Abby said, frowning slightly.

'Just... imagine for a moment that every beast that has ever been mentioned in legend, isn't legend. It is real.'

'Right... I'll try,' the girl said, nestling deeper into the couch.

'Now imagine there are anomalies, ruptures in time that create a passage between the past, the present and the future and that the beasts of these legends have accidentally wandered through them. The Loch Ness monster is really a dinosaur that lived millions of years ago, same with George's dragon. They just happen to be in the wrong time.'

Abby pursed her lips. 'If such a thing was possible, it would definitely explain the Loch Ness monster and other sightings that have been recorded in the past but what does this have to do with me?'

'I'm getting to that. If I tell you that these ruptures exist, if I tell you I can prove it, will you take my word for it for now and accept it to be true?'

'You are asking a lot Stephen... Steve.'

'I know.'

'Okay, lets say you are right. Let's say the curtain of time is torn. Go on...' She looked at Stephen expectantly. 'What? What now? Why are you smiling?'

'You've used that expression before, curtain of time, when we first met. I never forgot because it is so accurate.'

'This is insane...' Abby downed her wine in one gulp. 'Okay, so rips in time. Got it. Please tell me why you are sitting here on my couch thinking I'm someone else.'

Stephen took a deep breath. 'The government has known about these anomalies for years. I am part of a team of scientists that detects them and tries to prevent anything from coming through.'

'Surely you can't hush up something that big?' Abby exclaimed with a laugh. 'I mean literally, dinosaurs?'

Stephen leaned forward, his eyes glowing with intensity. 'You remember the escaped elephant on the M25?'

'Yes...' Abby's eyes widened. 'There was a rumour it was a...'

'Mammoth.' Stephen finished.

'Oh my God.'

'The disgruntled employer with an axe at the golf course six months ago?'

'Ick. Do I even want to know?'

'Pterosaurs.'

'All right, all right! Say I believe you. What do I have to do with this?' There was a note of impatience and anger in her voice now.

'Okay,' Stephen said, and he started to talk very quickly. 'Just over a year ago, you were part of that team. You worked for a local zoo at the time and you rescued a boy that had gotten lost in the forest of Dean. That is how you got the cut on your arm. But one day I stepped through an anomaly to chase ... someone and something went wrong. I have been trying to work out what... but I still don't know. When I stepped back through to the present, you were gone. Neither Nick, Connor nor Jenny had ever heard of you. There were a whole load of people I had never seen before... who knew me. They were there, waiting for me. All working for something called the ARC, an organization that didn't exist in my timeline. I have been trying to find you ever since.'

A deep silence fell. Abby started at the man before her, who was so convinced of his story she almost believed it. He watched her, waiting for any kind of reaction but none came.

'Abby?'

'Yes?'

'Say something.'

She glanced at the coffee table, where Stephen's wine glass stood untouched. Abby grabbed it and drank it in one great gulp. Spluttering and coughing she put the glass back down and still Stephen waited.

'You said,' she began hoarsely before clearing her throat. 'You said I disappeared. But I didn't. I am here.'

'Living a different life. No zoology, no brother.' Stephen took hold of her hand and ran his thumb over the small lizard tattoo. 'This is new too.' He sighed. 'Do you believe me?'

Abby stared at the little tattoo she had gotten in an act of rebellion.

'I believe... that you believe what you say is true. But Steve, imagine you were in my shoes...'

'And some lunatic comes up to me and spins a fantastic story like that. I know.'

'No, I don't think you are a lunatic.' Abby frowned in thought. 'You said you could prove it to me. The anomalies.'

Stephen lifted his head with a sudden jerk, gripping Abby's hand tightly.

'Abby, that is dangerous.'

'If all you said is true then I am sure it is. But what do you want from me? You can't come here telling me all this, expect me to smile and nod and then continue as if nothing happened. If the Abby you told me about is anything like me, you'll know I'm stubborn.'

'Oh yes,' Stephen smiled. 'Like a pit bull with bone.' He hesitated. 'There is an anomaly right now, nothing has stepped through so far...'

'Great!' Abby jumped to her feet. 'Let's go then!'

'What, now?' Stephen followed her to the door. 'Abby, it's late!'

'Yeah, like I am going to sleep tonight.'

'True. Ehm, Abby...'

'Yes?' she turned as she shrugged into her coat.

'You might want to change your shoes, the Permian period is not exactly a high heels kind of place.'

'Right. Of course.' Abby swallowed hard, kicked off her shoes and put on a pair of hiking boots. When she was about to tie her laces, she noticed Stephen looming over her.

'What?' she demanded when she noticed his grin.

'Want me to tie 'em for you?'

'I am quite capable of tying my own shoes thank you very much,' she told him sharply.

'I know, I know. Sorry. It used to be a running joke, I had to tie your shoes a few times because of your arm.'

Abby jumped to her feet. 'Listen mister,' she said, poking him in the chest with a pointy finger, forcing him to take a step back. 'I don't know what went on between you,' she poked him again forcing him further back. 'And ... eh, the other Abby, but there will be no more hand holding, kissing or shoe tying all right?' And with a last prod Stephen had backed up all the way against the wall.

'All right,' he said, trying hard not to grin, while rubbing the sore spot on his chest. 'You have a car?'

'Sure I do.' Abby said while opening the door.

'Let me guess... a mini cooper?'

Abby whirled around in the middle of the stairs, looking up at him. 'How did y... never mind.' She stomped loudly down the stairs and disappeared into the garage.

'I'll drive,' Stephen said, reaching for the keys.

'No you won't!' said Abby. 'I might still rethink my stance on the whole lunatic business. You just tell me where to go.' She took a seat behind the steering wheel. 'Tying my shoes... honestly.' She mumbled, pulled out of the garage and waited for his instructions. 'Where are we going anyway?'

'The forest of Dean.'

'So there is this portal to another time in the middle of a forest and no one accidentally wanders through it?'

'Oh I am sure a lot of unsolved disappearances can be explained that way. Nick, another scientist who works with us, his own wife disappeared in one before returning eight years later.'

'Eight years? She was lost for eight years?'

'Not lost, more like... not wanting to return.'

'How awful.'

'She didn't seem to mind...'

'No, I mean for ... Nick. He must have thought she was dead. And all that time...'

'I know. Now we have security in place until the anomaly disappears again.'

'And what do they tell people? Hey, you can't go through here, you might get eaten by a bloodthirsty but extinct dinosaur? Do you put signs down 'No trespassing, dino alert?' Abby sniggered. 'Sorry,' she said quickly when she saw the look on Stephen's face. 'Sorry, I guess I'm acting a little stupid, I'm feeling a bit giddy I suppose.'

'Understandable. Usually we tell people there is a toxic leak or something along those lines.'

'How will you get me passed them? Aren't they going to think it strange I turn up after all these years?'

'They don't know you anymore Abby, I was the only one through the portal when the change happened. I am the only one who remembers you.'

'Even I don't remember me...' Abby glanced at him. 'I'm sorry.'

'For what?'

'It must have been hard for you.'

'It was. It was strange. I felt out of place for a very long time.'

They drove in silence for a while, only broken by Stephen's directions and one stop for petrol. It was passed midnight when Abby parked the car near the entrance to the forest and Stephen flicked on a flash light.

'Ready?' he asked her.

'I guess so...' Abby said, looking apprehensively at the looming dark forest and then they set out into the trees.