AN: Okay here is the penultimate chapter, the last one will follow in the next day or so. To hopefully fill our fuzzy needs, which are being somewhat, ignored during S-10. Thank you very much if you have reviewed, I value your comments.
The Other Side Of Never
Chapter Fifteen
Easter 2011
Abby strode through a field and finally sat down on an old fallen log, she rested her elbows on her knees and was soon lost deep in her thoughts.
Tomorrow was the day, the day that she would become Mrs Carter or Doctor Carter. They decided not too hang about too long and were going to set a date back in January, but after considering everything they decided to put it back to the Spring. Easter was a time for new beginnings and this was theirs.
Carter was working and the kids were at home with Maggie and Eric. Maggie was adjusting everyone's outfits amongst other things and Abby had decided that if she didn't have ten minutes to herself she would explode. Especially as the house was going to be bursting at the seams later as more guests arrived some of them staying over at the house. Others including Carter and the best man at one the hotels in town.
Abby smiled to herself at the thought of the best man, thinking that life was ironic and hoping that as Susan wasn't too keen on flying that she and Luka wouldn't get delayed too much driving up.
Abby pondered over the events of her life since Carter had returned, there were occasions when she couldn't believe it was actually happening this time. This time she was actually going to marry the man she loved. Not the man she thought she loved or the man she felt she had to marry, but the right man, the only man she ever truly loved. John Carter.
Some birds flew noisily overhead throwing Abby out of her reverie, she got up and started heading home, wondering at the chaos she might find there. Then suddenly remembering that Carter's Dad was supposed to be calling when he got to town for a ride to the house. Thankfully his mother had decided to stay in a hotel in town. With this in mind she walked back rather briskly.
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Carter pulled up at the house, there was no where to park and he ended up parking a few minutes away from home. As he stepped over the threshold he began to realise the bedlam, which ensued, there were people everywhere. The good thing was that he recognised most of them, bar one or two, whom he supposed, were Abby's cousins. He stood there wondering what to do next when he felt his pant leg being tugged; he looked down to see Toby.
Crouching down he said 'Hey Toby'
'We gotta talk' Toby replied taking Carter's hand and leading him upstairs away from the noise and mayhem.
They went into Abby and Carter's bedroom which was decidedly quieter than downstairs. Carter sat down on the bed and Toby stood facing him.
'What can I do for you?' Carter asked
' 'Bout the marrying'
'The wedding?'
'Yeah, that'
'You nervous, about carrying the rings? It's okay to be nervous, I know I am a bit'
'It's not that, I'm not scared'
'Good, that's good. What's up?'
'I've been thinking' he said jumping up on the bed next to Carter
'Thinking's good. About what?'
'You'
'Me?'
Toby nodded and sat there quietly looking at Carter.
Carter said 'You know Toby, you can talk to me about anything, any questions, things that worry or scare you. I'm always here to listen and if I'm not you can get Mom or whoever you are with to call me, right?'
Toby nodded again and sighed. 'I don't want to call you Carter' he finally blurted out.
Carter looked at him puzzled. 'That's okay you can call me John'
Toby shook his head vigorously and replied 'No'
'Oh, what then?' asked Carter rather densely.
Toby looked down and then up at Carter again. 'Daddy'
Carter raised his eyebrows in surprise. He and Abby hadn't discussed this with the kids yet and were waiting until after the wedding and everything was back to 'normal'.
'Well, that's okay too'
'Yeah?'
'Uh huh, did you talk to Elise about this'
'Talk to me about what?' Elise asked coming into the room at that moment having been told to find Toby.
'We were just discussing what to call me after the wedding'
'Oh that. Toby tell you what he wanted'
'Yeah, that's fine by me. How do you feel?'
She studied him for a long time; so long in fact that Toby began to fidget.
'I want to call you Carter, I know you're like my Daddy and I love you like my Daddy and we're gonna be a proper family, but...... but when I see the picture of my Daddy and....'
'It's okay Elise if you're not ready. You can call me Carter or even John if you prefer'
She smiled 'Maybe one day I'll change my mind, everything's confusing sometimes'
He nodded 'It's okay, really'
He opened his arms and gave her a hug and then included Toby. After a few moments he started to tickle them and the squeals of delight could be heard downstairs above the din.
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Carter stood outside the closed front door with Abby. The house was somewhat quieter; everyone who was staying in town had left, except for Carter, Luka and Susan.
His hands rubbed up and down her forearms, it was feeling chilly out and she stood there without a jacket.
'You ready?' he asked
She bit her bottom lip and nodded 'You?'
'Yeah, I didn't think I'd get you away from everyone tonight' he whispered
She smiled 'Have you got everything?'
'Yeah, it's in Luka's car'
'Did you move your car nearer home?'
'Slightly' and he pointed to it.
'Hard to see in the dark'
'I didn't think we wanted to bring attention to ourselves out here alone'
'No you're right' she replied moving towards him as he embraced her.
There they stood listening to the gentle hum of people taking inside, she moved away slightly and they shared a gentle kiss.
'What are you two doing out here?' Susan asked breaking the moment, rather abruptly as she came out the front door and left it wide open.
Carter and Abby broke apart and looked at each other feeling like two school kids who had been caught out.
'Nothing' Abby said defiantly, not moving out of the embrace, Carter just blushed but because it was dark nobody noticed.
'Oh you've found them' Luka said with a grin on his face 'Your mother's looking for you' he told Abby
Abby sighed and rolled her eyes at Carter.
'Come on, we're going' Susan said to Carter pulling his arm
'See you tomorrow' Abby said reluctantly letting him go.
'Abby there you are' said Maggie 'I've been looking all over the house'
Abby just managed see a told you so look from Susan before she was ushered back indoors.
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Abby decided that she had got through the day in a daze. She was woken up early not by an excited Elise or Toby as she had expected but by an equally excited Maggie, who insisted that she get up at 6am or there wouldn't be time to do everything.
Of course there had been, everything had gone surprisingly smoothly considering they had put the whole thing together quickly.
Elise looked pretty in a lilac dress and had made a wonderful flower girl. Toby had been very grown up too and taken his responsibilities seriously. They had got irritable later but by then they were very tired.
Much to Abby's surprise she hadn't felt nervous at all and when she first saw Carter standing at the front of the room she knew that he had enough nerves for both of them.
Maggie and Eleanor had seemed to be on their best behaviour too and things although stilted at times were okay.
While Abby sat in the bathroom pondering the day's events Carter sat in the bedroom of the hotel thinking about the same things.
Carter knew that any worries or nerves he had about the day disappeared the moment he saw Abby walk towards him. She looked beautiful she wore a dress of cream silk with a bouquet of white, cream and lilac flowers. He had been looking so intently at Abby and thinking about the promises they were about to make he couldn't remember what kind of flowers they had been.
Apart from the actual ceremony, which almost brought tears to his eyes was afterwards, when Toby ran up to him calling him Dad for the first time.
Marjorie although now living away had come to the wedding, something that must have been very difficult for her. But she had told him that she was glad that Abby and the children were going to be with him, that she was happy that Abby had moved on with her life. As they all deserved to be happy. Marjorie was also going to take care of the kids while Abby and Carter went away for a short honeymoon.
Maggie had argued that she and Eric could look after the kids but Abby and Carter knew that the children were much more familiar with Marjorie and would settle better with her whilst they were away.
Bringing himself back to the present Carter realised that Abby had been in the bathroom for quite a while.
'You okay?' he asked knocking gently on the door.
'Yeah' she replied 'You can come in'
He entered finding sitting on the edge of the bath, still in the dress.
'Need help getting out of the dress?' he asked in a suggestive manner
She smiled at him 'No, but I'm sure it will be more fun if you help'
He grinned back at her and moved to run a pattern of kisses from her shoulder up her neck and finally captured her mouth. They were in the bathroom a very long time.
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The next morning Marjorie and the kids took Abby and Carter to the airport and after much hugging and kissing they left.
'Ready to go home?' Marjorie asked
They nodded Elise catching hold of her Grandmothers hand and Toby dawdling behind.
Toby turned round and said to himself 'One wish to go'
'Toby! Keep up, otherwise I'll lose you' Marjorie said taking his hand so that he wouldn't get lost in the swarm of people.
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