A/N: I actually had plans to update this a lot sooner, but my stupid laptop crashed and I lost everything. ::sigh::. However, I'm back in business now, (not to mention broke), so cheer me up with feedback please!

Part Ten

"I'm alive, I'm alive, I'm alive," she chanted to herself, still gripping the steering wheel, eyes glued shut. Cautiously, she opened one eye, then the other and relief flooded her as she relaxed immensely. Her car had skidded off the road, falling into the shallow ditch, finally stopping in the front yard of an old farmhouse.

"Oh crap," she muttered, opening the door and climbing out of the car. "These people are not going to be happy to see I've left huge tire tracks in their yard."

Walking around the car, she surveyed the vehicle for any sign of damage. She was relieved to find none, aside from the mud and grass caked to the fenders and tires.

"Nothing a good wash job won't fix," she surmised, relieved she wouldn't have to explain to Stephanie that she'd damaged a rental car that was leased in her friend's name. "Oops," she said aloud. "I knocked down some sort of sign though." She bent down to pick up the now mangled advertisement, intending to replace it where it formerly stood before anyone noticed.

"Can I help you ma'am?" a voice called out from the front porch of the small wood-framed house.

Startled, Lita jumped and spun around, not expecting the sudden intrusion. "I... I... I'm sorry, sir," she said, hiding the bent sign behind her back. The old man stepped off the porch and headed towards her. Panic set in as she remembered the lectures Stephanie gave her about being seen. What if this guy recognized her? How would she explain that she wasn't dead? Wait, no one in the general public knew she was supposedly dead, at least not that she knew about. It couldn't last forever though. What if he asks her a million questions? She felt nausea set in and swallowed hard. The last thing she needed now was to be recognized, only to then puke on the guy. Damn pregnancy symptoms, she swore at herself.

"You know, you coulda pulled into the driveway on them gravels over there. It'd been a little easier on your car." The man pulled out a handkerchief from his pocket and wiped his brow.

"Huh?" Lita asked, clearly confused.

The old man chuckled. "Are you ok, Miss? I heard the racket with your tires squalling and all. Did you tear up anything besides my yard here?"

Lita snapped out of her fog, realizing the man was just being concerned about her. He also didn't seem to recognize her. "Um, yeah, I'm fine, thanks," she answered. "I'm afraid I owe you a bit of grass seed though."

"That's alright, girl," the man chuckled. "I'm just glad you didn't get hurt. We don't get much excitement around here much." He noticed she seemed to really be upset still. "Are you sure you're ok? You're not looking too good, if I do say so. Would you like something to drink?"

"Yeah, if you don't mind, water would be great. My nerves are a little shot." She offered a half-smile at the older gents kindness.

"The name's Zebediah Markley," he said, offering her his hand. "You can call me Zeb."

Lita smiled, and pulled her hands from behind her to return his handshake. Both of them noticed the warped sign she still held in her hand. Pushing it up under her arm, she accepted his welcome. "I'm Li... uh, Christine," she said firmly, catching herself. "Christine Hardy." She awkwardly returned his handshake.

"Well, Christine, it's nice to meet you. Let's go up to the house and calm your nerves a little." He laughed at the warped sign still under her arm. "I'll take that and see if I can straighten it out and put it back up." He reached out for it as they walked towards the house.

Lita offered it to him shyly, embarrassed by this whole situation. "Yeah, sorry about that too. Today's really not my day." Just as he was taking it, she reached back, yanking it out of his hands again. "Wait," she said, stopping in her tracks.

"What's wrong?" he questioned.

"Does that say 'For Rent'?" She run her hands over the sign, trying to wipe off the mud to see the letters beneath.

"Well, I reckon it use too before you buried it." He chuckled at his own joke. "This old place was my daddy's. I was just here today trying to get it fixed up a little so I can rent it out."

Lita's mind spun wildly, an idea forming quickly. Another spontaneous idea that Stephanie would probably kill her for. Her heart swelled at the possibility before her. "Zeb, do you believe in fate?"

"I don't know about that kind of hokey stuff, Christine. Why you ask?"

"Because it just so happens I'm looking for a new place to live. Maybe it was fate that I landed in your yard today." She smiled brightly at the old man and followed him on up to the house. The house that would soon allow her to be closer to home, and to those she loved. Just the thought of being a tad bit closer to her true home instead of locked in a cabin hundreds of miles away was enough to have her grinning ear to ear.

To be continued.........