CAST AWAY a continuation

A NEW BEGINNING

A/N: This takes place towards the end of the movie during the time he is driving down the highway. This is my first Cast Away fic and I've taken liberties with this story. I don't own it or any of its original characters.

Chapter 1

It had been a day like any other. She had gotten up in the morning; showered and dressed, fed her orange tabby and St. Bernard, fixed her breakfast, and went to her workshop to do some work.

Little had she known that this would be the day she would meet the man that would change her life.

Bettina happily hummed along to the tune playing on her radio as she made her way back returning from the hardware store to pick up some machinery she needed when she noticed a man standing by his truck with a look of uncertainty. He looked puzzled and he was standing in the road that led to her house drinking from a water bottle and looking at a map.

Return to Sender, address unknown, no such person, no such zone.

Chuck Noland drove along the highway listening to his favorite Elvis cd and glancing at the map realizing that he had no idea where he was going next. He grabbed his water bottle and took a sip. Chuck still marvelled at the feeling of the cool liquid sliding down his throat. There were a great many modern conveniences that he'd sorely missed marooned on that God-forsaken island; fire from a stove, hot showers, the sound of the toilet flushing, an on and off switch. He took a silent vow that he would remain grateful for all of it. He had survived. Even though things didn't turn out how he'd hoped, every day was a new day. Chuck would always be thankful.

Finally, the day had come that he delivered the package. He made absolutely sure that no one but him would; of that he was certain. He had kept the package safe for years. Four long years he'd held onto it. It was his saving grace. It had been his only goal. The package and …

"Well we're not going to talk about her again for Christ's sake!"

He could smell the light, leathery scent. Chuck smiled and looked over at his newly purchased volleyball. Wilson number two sat happily in the truck beside him. He had realized this was an inanimate object, but the one he'd lost at sea had been his only friend during those long years. Since the five weeks he'd lost his special friend, he'd felt empty. Chuck had desperately missed Wilson's musings and annoying ramblings. Upon purchasing this one he'd joyfully found that Wilson's voice had returned, although no one could hear it but him. He welcomed it gladly because it was better than facing the other reality; the reality without Kelly.

Pressing down hard on the steering wheel, he shook his former fiancee from his thoughts and pulled over to get a good look at the map. His only regret up to this point was that he'd been unable to meet the owner of the package if only to give his thanks in person. If not for the package he may not have stayed alive.

Chuck got out of his truck with water bottle and map and considered the surroundings. The vast fields had stretched on for miles on end. His idea when he left Memphis had sounded easy. The plan was simply to deliver the package and then to blindly point to a place on the map to find his destination. Now faced with such an important decision he felt hesitant. The whirring sound of a truck driving down the road towards him distracted him.

She normally wasn't the type who would've stopped and offered assistance, having little faith in men, but there was something about this stranger. He looked harmless and oddly familiar. Standing there Bettina could see that his eyes held a certain sadness and at the same time a little hope. Maybe that's what it was that compelled her to stop.

The red, Ford truck turned and pulled up beside him. The smiling redhead greeted Chuck.

"An attractive, smiling redhead. You've always liked redheads, Chuck."

Chuck had to agree with Wilson that she was quite attractive and friendly.

"You look lost," she told him with a smile; the wind blowing through her hair.

"I do?" Chuck asked uncertainly.

"Because you are."

To his delight the slender redhead exited her vehicle. "Where you headed?" she asked.

Chuck found himself disarmed by her smile and sweet demeanor.

"Well I was just about to figure that out."

She'd made her way to the back of the truck to her St. Bernard and patted its head as the canine panted happily.

Bettina was happy that she'd stopped and that she might be able to help. She pointed in one direction. "Well that's 83 south…" then pointed another direction. "This road here will hook you up with I 40 east," she paused for a moment then continued, "um..if you turn right that'll take you to Amarillo, Flagstaff, California, and if you head back that direction you'll find a whole lot of nothing back to Canada," she told Chuck pointing back the other way.

Chuck was grateful for her helpfulness. He was even more grateful for the kindness in her eyes and the pleasantness of her voice. And her smile.

"I got it," he told her quickly feeling like he'd already taken up too much of her time.

"Alright," she replied, got back into her truck, and looked at him with a smile. They were a long ways from just about anywhere. Smiling, she told him, "Good luck, Cowboy."

"Yee Haw!"

"Thank you," Chuck told her simply and watched her drive away.

"Well there she goes, Chuck."

The Ford drove slowly, almost hesitantly down the road. Chuck felt a little remorse about her leaving. He didn't even know her. But he wanted to.

Just then he noticed the symbol on the back of her truck. The all too familiar symbol that had inspired him to come all this way was driving off in the direction he'd just come from. The gold wings that he felt had flown for thousands of miles had indeed brought him here. He realized at that moment the gold wings had symbolized something else. It was the symbol for freedom from his island imprisonment. Suddenly he felt compelled to follow. Looking in every direction he considered his options.

A gust of wind blew, cooling the sweat on Chuck's brow. An unexplained force pulled his face back to her direction. Turning her way again Chuck longingly gazed at what could possibly be his future.

She pulled up in her driveway to her workshop and released April, her St. Bernard and made her way to her new purchase releasing it from its bindings.

April barked and bounded towards the front porch. Puzzled by the dog's behavior, Bettina hurriedly made her way to her door and found April sitting quietly next to a package. It was from Federal Express. With crinkled brows she tried to recall what she'd ordered and was unable to figure it out. Her keys jingled as she pulled them out of her pocket and reached for the screen door noticing a slip of paper fall to the floor.

She shook her head curiously and picked up the note. With dread she simply stared at it hoping that this wasn't from her ex-husband. "No, please," she whispered.

Bettina took a breath and unfolded the piece of paper. She gasped inwardly at the words.

This package saved my life. Thank you. Chuck Noland.

The words nearly took her breath away. Looking down at the package and back up at the piece of paper in her hand, Bettina wondered how it was possible. When had this package even arrived, she wondered. A slight, comforting breeze tugged at her hair cooling her neck.

That's when it occurred to her. He'd brought it; the man she'd given directions to. Now it made sense. He was the man from Federal Express that had been stranded on the desert island for 3 or 4 years. It had made headline news and been in all the papers.

As she unlocked her front door Bettina couldn't help but wonder why a man who'd just been returned to civilization would even bother to deliver this package after so long. Holding the door open with one hand she let April inside the house and slowly bent down to pick up the package. It did look weathered yet it had been delivered unscathed.

A strong urge to turn around overcame Bettina. She glanced over her shoulder and saw his blue truck in her driveway. A smile curved at her lips as she watched the tall, dark-haired stranger exit his truck and precariously approach her front porch.

Chuck couldn't believe he was doing this. The note should've been sufficient. But Wilson wouldn't let it go. It seemed now Wilson's presence was no longer required for Chuck to hear him. So here he was walking up the front steps hesitantly. The redhead didn't seem troubled by him. In fact there was a hint of a smile on her face.

She turned and faced him. "Hey Cowboy! You've come a long way," she remarked holding the package up, brushing her windblown hair from her eyes.

"You have no idea."

Chuck smiled and nodded not knowing what to say observing the bluish tint in her lovely green eyes and uncharacteristically looked shyly down at the ground.

Bettina's eyes darted nervously around her property. "Come in and join me for some iced tea?" She heard the words come out of her mouth and couldn't believe she said them. She inwardly cursed herself. It was one thing to give helpful directions to a lost stranger on the highway. Inviting him into her house was quite another. It seemed a force stronger than her had taken over.

"I….uh…just came to thank you…."

"I should be the one thanking you," she cut in, nodding. "I'm Bettina. But only my mother and people I hate call me that. You can call me Tina," she told him, extending her hand and felt at ease with him immediately.

Chuck smiled at her and found her much prettier than before. "Pleased to meet you, Tina. My name is Chuck." He shook her hand gratefully and admired the smoothness of it.

"Well Chuck, you have no idea how relieved I was that this note wasn't from my ex-husband." She narrowed her eyes and lifted a slender index finger and stated pointedly. "He's a bastard."

Chuck raised his eyebrows and Tina quickly caught on to his discomfort. "Come inside, Chuck and let me get you something cool to drink," Tina told him feeling better now about her previous invitation.

"Thank you, Tina. I'd like that," he replied gratefully following her into her house. Something about Tina had made him feel welcome. He couldn't recall the last time he'd felt this way.

She led him to the kitchen and dropped her keys on the counter, gesturing for him to sit at her dining table.

"Now how about you tell me about that note?"

A/N: Hope this wasn't too confusing. When Wilson is speaking it is italicized with quotation marks. There will be an eventual romance...please hang in there with me. Thanks for reading and please review!