AN: Thanks again to those who reviewed. I apologise that the story did not join the prologue, not used to adding chapters, hopefully it has worked with this chapter. If not I am totally useless, in case it doesn't I'll add a small disclaimer.

Just to clarify what a village is, in England it is a small/smallish settlement, too small to be called a town really. I don't know what the US equivalent is so I have used the word village. I will also apologise again if I have used any other words, which are English English as opposed to American English.

Disclaimer: These characters do not belong to me etc.

The Other Side Of Never

Chapter Two

It had started snowing again and although it began as a light flurry it was now becoming heavier. The wipers were still cleaning the windscreen on the four-wheel drive, but the road conditions were deteriorating.

'Mom look! There's a car in the ditch' said Elise who was five going on twenty-five.

'Where?' her Mom replied.

'There, look. Maybe we should check no ones hurt'

'Elise, we need to get home before this weather gets any worse'

'You're a doctor Mom, you have'ta stop'

'Oh okay' she put the car in reverse and stopped at the side of the road. 'Stay here and look after Toby'

'He's sleeping'

'Elise' the tone of her mothers voice held a hint of warning.

This time it was Elise's turn to say 'Oh okay'

Dr Dirkiss got out of the car and went to inspect the vehicle sitting in the ditch. It was empty and by the look of it not too badly damaged just stuck in a rut so to speak. The engine was still slightly warm. She looked around a bit but the driver was nowhere in sight. She did however note that it was a hire car.

'Typical' she thought 'Some hot shot down here on holiday'

'It's empty' she told Elise as she got back into the car and they restarted their journey.

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Carter wished that he had left his holdall in the car. It was heavier than he thought and his body ached and he had cut his face when the car crashed. The snow was falling steadily now and he was becoming cold and wet. He had one thing he longed for and that was peace and quiet. Although at the moment he wished that a car, a truck, tractor, anything would come along the road to give him a ride to a garage, motel or a hospital. After a while of trudging along the road he swore he could hear the distant rumble of a vehicle coming down the road.

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'Hey Mom! Look there's someone walking down the road'

'Yeah I see him Elise'

'We gonna stop and rescue him, he could have been in the car'

'I don't think anyone local would be mad enough to walk along here in this weather, except maybe Agnes'

She slowed down and stopped just ahead of the dark figure walking towards them.

'Stay here and watch Toby' she thrust her cell phone into Elise's hand. 'Call 911 if I don't come back'

'But why?'

'Because he's a stranger, we don't know him'

'You treat strangers all the time at work'

'I'm not at work now I'm here with you guys'

Elise nodded and sat quietly gently taking her brothers hand in hers.

Dr Dirkiss got out of the car, the slamming of the door echoing in the stillness of the snow. The hunched figure approached slowly, which she thought, looked vaguely but strangely familiar.

He stopped when he saw a pair of feet, his snow covered head still bowed to the ground. He slowly raised his head and two pairs of eyes fixed on each other in amazement.

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'Carter!'

'Abby?'

'What are you doing out here in the middle of nowhere? I take it, it was your rental car back there in the ditch?' His sheepish look confirmed her suspicions and she continued 'You're not hurt are you? You could have been you know' she paused, she looked at him with concern in her eyes 'You weren't trying to kill yourself or anything?' She noticed the sticky blood on his face and almost reached out to touch it.

Carter looked at her and inwardly smiled. He let her rant and rave, deciding that her liked this more open caring Abby.

'Carter!' she yelled at him 'Answer me'

'What? Oh no' he replied

'No to what?'

'No I wasn't trying to kill myself I skidded on some ice'

'Maybe if you'd chosen a better car'

'It's a great car'

'Yes, it is, but not for driving up here at this time of year. Where are you going?'

'I don't know, do you know any hotels round this way'

'No'

'Oh'

'Back in town there's a few, but you're walking in the wrong direction'

'Oh'

'You'd better get your face looked at, I'll take you back to town'

'You sure I mean... '

'Carter!'

'What!'

'Just get in the car I don't want to treat you for hypothermia or anything else for that matter' Abby said her patience beginning to wear thin.

She opened the trunk of her car and threw his holdall in. The she opened the passenger door and signalled for him to climb in. As she sat down she turned to Elise and Toby.

'Elise, Toby' she said 'I'd like you to meet an old friend of mine John Carter'

Carter turned round surprised to see two small children sitting there.

'Hi' said Elise

She gave him a look, the assessing kind that children sometimes give a person they meet for the first time.

'Pleased to meet you' replied Carter feeling awkward.

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'You're very lucky' the ER attending said 'You got off lightly with a few stitches and some bruising. I suggest you don't spend the night alone in a hotel, have you any friends or family you could stay with?'

'No, not really' Carter said.

'There's room at my house, I've got a couple of spare rooms, you can stay with us' Abby said

'Are you sure?...... about me staying... with you... and your family?' asked Carter.

Whilst he thought inwardly that he didn't want to deal with seeing Abby with another man.

'Quite' she saw his worried look 'There's just us' she told him and saw him

visibly relax.

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They all piled back into the car. Carter with his face stitched up and much to everyone's amazement only bruising no cracked ribs or anything.

They drove back out of town, slowly as it was still snowing then past his rented car and they continued on for a couple of miles until they reached a small village. Abby turned down a side street, where they pulled up at a rambling red brick, double fronted Victorian house, even in it's dilapidated state, looked rather out of place here.

'Okay guys we're home' Abby said to Elise and Toby as Carter shook himself out of a trance.

'You live here?' he asked unbelievingly.

'Yeah. Do you like it?'

'It's...' he paused 'Big and ....' he searched for the right words.

'Rundown' she offered.

'I was going to say, it had potential'

'Yeah, right' she replied, smiling and climbing out of the car. She helped Elise out and took Toby in her arms. 'Trunks open' she called to Carter.

Carter looked blankly at her.

'Your bag' she said 'It's in the trunk'

'Oh yeah' he replied slowly going to find it.

The house although warmer than outside was rather cold. Everyone seemed reluctant to shed their outdoor attire. Abby sighed and handed Toby to a startled Carter.

'I need to check the boiler, it's in the basement' she explained. 'Mommy will be back in a minute sweetheart, stay here with Elise and Carter' she told Toby, who was looking bewildered, rather like Carter really.

'It's okay' Abby heard Elise tell Carter and Toby as she went down to the basement, to give the boiler a kick, that usually worked.

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'Do you want to sit down mister?' Toby's heavy 'specially if your hurt' Elise said to Carter as she took him by the hand and led him to an under furnished lounge, where they sat side by side on the sofa.

Toby wriggled off Carter's lap and found a toy train sticking out from under an armchair. He wheeled it along the arm of the chair immersed in his own little world of make-believe.

'You okay mister? You didn't get hurt too bad when your car went in the ditch?' Elise asked him.

'No, a few cuts and bruises that's all' Carter smiled 'And you can call me Carter ...or John'

Elise looked up at him confused. 'What's your real name?'

'John Carter'

'My name is Elise Natasha Dirkiss, what's your middle name?'

'Trueman'

'Toby's middle name is Nathan'

'How old is he?'

'Nearly three, I'm nearly six' she said proudly, as there was a loud clunk from the pipes. Elise smiled 'Mom's got the heating working, we can take our coats off soon' she informed Carter who was still feeling rather uncomfortable.

Abby came into the room 'That should feel better soon. I'd offer you a bath but it will be a while before there is any hot water. Maybe I'll show you your room'

'Mom. I'm hungry' said Elise

'Sweetheart let me show Carter his room and then I'll fix some dinner'

Abby took Carter upstairs and opened the first door they came to. It was sparsely furnished with an old iron bedstead and a couple of cupboards.

'Sorry it's a bit cold, this furniture came with the house' she explained as she fiddled with the radiator 'This should take the chill off'

They stood there awkwardly for a few moments, staring at each other.

Abby finally looked away and said 'I'll make the bed for you later. Bathroom is the next door on the left, yell if you need anything, I'd better fix some dinner' she gave him a half smile and after giving him some bedding and towels she headed downstairs to the kitchen.

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They had had dinner and the kids had gone to bed. Carter had gone to have a bath and Abby stood at the sink her arms immersed in the washing up water, half the washing up completed. She stood there and contemplated her day, what were the odds of meeting up with Carter again like this, a very troubled Carter. He had been troubled five and a half years ago when she'd left. Some things had changed. She had changed; her life had become complicated in ways she'd never imagined. Her responsibilities had altered. Many things had changed except the way she still felt about John Carter, even after all this time she knew she still loved him and always would. This time would be different, she, when the time was right would tell him how she felt. She had been given a second chance and this time she wouldn't hide behind her fears.

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