AN: Thank you for reviewing, especially jaclyn4 who commented on my previous story, making two reviews for it. Here is the next instalment.

The Other Side Of Never

Chapter Nine

That evening

Carter

The flight to New York went smoothly, but instead of thinking about what lay ahead on this trip he had just embarked on his thoughts went to the last three months of his life, how he had changed, for the better. He was not looking forward to seeing his mother, it had been eighteen months since they had last seen each other and the phone conversations they had had since then had been stilted.

Abby

Abby arrived home with the kids; the house was unusually still. In fact they all were rather quiet and subdued as they moved through their evening routine and went to bed.

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Next Day

Carter

Carter didn't see his mother until the following morning, which happened to be a Sunday. She emerged as he was occupied with paperwork, which had been delivered to his mother's apartment the previous day.

'Morning John' her voice cut through the silence

'Mother' he replied curtly

'Sorry I missed you last night, there was a function that I couldn't cancel at such short notice'

He nodded as an answer, without looking up.

'I thought maybe we could have lunch one day whilst you are here' she stated, not asked.

'Ermm....' he shook his head as he thought 'Today, I'll probably be tied up the rest of the week'

'Oh, today' she replied, having wanted to have a quiet day to herself, but then she hadn't seen her son for a long time. 'Yes, today would be fine, I haven't got any other plans' she told him, leaving him to continue with what he was doing.

Which was trying to concentrate on the task in hand, but his mind kept straying to Abby and the kids. They had planned to take them out for the afternoon today, he wondered if she would go ahead without him. He wanted to call but resisted the urge to do so, and more importantly he'd left without telling her that he loved her.

Abby

Abby true to her word took the kids out for the afternoon swimming. The local pool was filled with families with the same idea and she wished Carter was there, not only as she missed his company but also for an extra pair of hands, especially when they got out the pool and became not only wet but cold as well. It was one thing changing yourself but when you had two children to warm up first, Abby found that she always felt cold for ages after.

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That evening

Carter

Carter punched the numbers into the phone and listened to it ring.

'Hello' came a little voice trying to sound professional and grown up 'My Mom can't come to the phone right now but...'

'Elsie?' he cut in

'Hey Carter?' the little girl replied, then to her Mom shouted 'Carters on the phone'

Carter held the handset away from his ear as she did this unable to hear Abby's response.

'Mom said she'd be in a minute'

'Did you have a good day?'

'Yeah, we went swimming and I swam by myself'

'Wow!' he replied'

'Here's Mom' she said handing the phone to Abby.

'Hey' Abby said to Carter 'How are things?'

'I was going to ask the same thing to you?'

'Things are okay, missed you today, the kids have been kind of quiet since you left'

'I missed you too, all of you actually. I read through some details and had lunch with my mother'

'How did that go?'

'Better than expected' he replied hearing a big crash, through the handset and then a wail.

'Umm Carter I've gotta go'

'Sounds like it, call you soon, okay, bye'

Before he realised it he'd hung up still without telling her how he felt.

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28th Feb 2010

Abby

'......Happy birthday dear Toby happy birthday to you' sung Abby and Elise rather out of tune as Toby blew the candles out on his cartoon character cake.

'I want the head bit' Toby said

'You can have the head bit, let me cut it' Abby replied taking his already sticky fingers off the cake in an effort to cut it. 'Elise, cake?'

She nodded and said 'I don't mind what bit I get, I mean it's not Barbie or a princess is it? She looked disapprovingly at the cake her brother had chosen from the store.

'Well it wouldn't do for everybody to like the same' Abby said

'I guess not' she replied

'I'm sure it tastes good' Abby told her

Reluctantly Elise nodded in agreement as she took a bite. 'Not as good as Grandma's cakes though'

'Grandma has time to do her own baking' Abby told her

'Maybe if Carter was back you would have had time to bake one' suggested Elise.

Abby raised her eyebrows and looked at the children.

'He'll be back when he can, you know that don't you?'

'Yeah' they both replied through mouthfuls of cake.

'And he called earlier to speak to both of you'

They nodded.

'We go and see him?' suggested Toby

'No we can't, not right now. Elise has school and I want to take some time off in the summer so we can all go on vacation'

'Carter too?' asked Elise

'I don't know I haven't asked him, maybe' she replied not wanting to make a promise that she couldn't keep. 'Right now though I think that you both need to get cleaned up, I can't tell the difference between you guys and the cake'

Elise and Toby giggled.

'I'll go and run you a bath and then we'll call your other Grandma and Uncle Eric, okay? She told them getting and making sure they followed her up the stairs to the bathroom.

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March 2010

Carter

Despite his initial reservations about changing the way the foundation money was spent, Carter made the time to make some alterations. Changes that he felt happy about. Changes that felt right and would benefit lots of deprived children.

He had also sorted out the majority of problems that had arisen, the few remaining would take a couple of weeks to finalise and while he waited he decided to pop into Cook County Hospital to see how everyone was doing and maybe work a few shifts.

As he walked into the hospital he noticed that nothing had changed since he left in October. It was buzzing with people, staff patients, and family members of the patients. He mad his way over to the admit desk where he saw Jerry.

'Hey' he said to the desk clerk. 'Busy in here'

'You staying?' Jerry asked 'Susan will be glad to see you'

'Only for a bit' he replied

'Only for a bit what?' asked Jing-Mei walking up to Carter 'Welcome back, by the way' she added

'I'm only here for a couple of weeks' he answered

'Carter!' Susan exclaimed setting eyes on him and coming over to give him a hug 'You're back?'

'Not really no, but I thought if you needed a hand for a couple of weeks, I have some business to take care of though'

'Wow, so you're not staying, for good?' she asked

'Not at the moment, no'

'What did you meet the girl of your dreams?' joked Susan

'Something like that'

'I was joking Carter' she answered

'I'm not' he said, then changing the subject said 'When can I start?'

'Now' she suggested

'Fine' he said and walked off to change.

'What's going on with him?' Jing-Mei asked Susan

Susan only shrugged deciding that she would find out later.

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A few days later Carter called Abby.

'Hello' croaked Abby into the phone.

'Hey, you okay?'

'Yeah, I think I've picked up that 'flu' type virus that the kids have got, they also kindly gave it to Marjorie and Bill, who are really under the weather. So much so when I went to work today I had to get their Aunt Claire come and watch them'

'And you passed it round the hospital, nice' he commented

'Yeah, well I'm generous like that'

'I've noticed'

'Do you know when you're coming back?'

'Not sure, a week or so, you better get well before I get back I don't want to catch your virus'

'And I don't want to nurse a baby, a big baby, like you. Anyway I've got two babies already, plus all the really sick kids at work'

'Are you calling me a wuss'

'Me? That's not like me, to suggest that'

'Mmmm, maybe the cold remedy has gone to your head, I'll catch you again soon'

'We miss you, bye'

'Bye'

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County

A week or so later

'So, you're leaving us again Carter and I've not even caught up with you' Susan said smiling

He shrugged.

'Who is she?' Susan asked

Carter decided he might as well tell Susan about Abby and so he took the plunge and answered 'Abby'

'Abby Lockhart, Abby?' she said stunned

'Not exactly'

'What do you mean not exactly?'

'Yes Abby Lockhart, but she got married again, then widowed and goes by her late husbands name, Dirkiss'

'Wow' she paused then added 'Are you kidding me Carter?'

'Me? No I'm not kidding, I've been staying with her more or less since I left'

'I need to sit down' she said feigning shock and sitting at a stool at admit.

'Hey that's my chair' yelled Frank

'You can have it back in a minute' Susan said over her shoulder to him then to Carter she said 'So?'

'What?' he replied being evasive.

She looked at him with an expression that said tell me or else.

'We met by accident I crashed my rental car and she happened to come by, I stopped at her house and never left. She's got two kids'

'Abby?' Susan said disbelievingly

'Yeah, the eldest child Elise was her late husband's daughter and then they had a little boy Toby, who's just turned three, they're really cute. I've just got back on track with Abby and I don't want to stuff things up this time'

'You'd better get back then' she replied with a grin on her face. She stood, opened her arms for a hug 'Say hi, from me, oh and don't forget to invite me to the wedding'

He grinned back at her as he headed out.

'Carter gone?' asked Luka

'For now' replied Susan

'My chair' shouted Frank

'Okay, there's no need to yell' she said pushing the stool towards him.

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Late March 2010

Montana

He didn't tell her he was coming back tonight and when he reached the house it was quiet and he let himself in, it was late and had it been anything but quiet he would have been surprised.

What did surprise him however was the mess. The lounge was strewn with toys, the kitchen with dirty washing up.

Concerned he climbed the stairs, there was a soft light coming from Abby's room and he entered it. There he discovered Abby propped up in the middle of the bed, by four or so pillows. Either side of her lay a child, Elise curled up to her right side and Toby half hanging out of the bed on the other, Carter gently put Toby back onto the bed so that he wouldn't fall out . He noticed an array of over the counter cough remedies and such by the bed. He gently lay his hand on each of the children's foreheads and found then warm, but normal. Abby's however was hot. He stood there watching them Abby's breathing seemed a little laboured, but not too bad. He fought the urge to kiss them all on the forehead and started to walk out of the room, but then turned back and did just that.

Not wanting to disturb them anymore, he crept back along the passageway to his room. It was cold, the bedding felt damp, but he was so tired he didn't really care and was asleep within minutes.

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