Not feeling well today so thought I'd take the time to update my story.
Thanks to janbry, Ilovejakeander and Jessica Lockhart for reviewing the
last chapter. Sorry I haven't updated in a while. School work got a bit
hectic. Oh and by the way, kem does not exist in this story; I didn't want
to put her in.
Chapter 3 - Carter returns
Abby stood still and stared, hardly believing what she was seeing. It had been 4 months since she had last seen John Carter, and here he was, standing right in front of her large as life. She never thought he was coming back. She didn't even know if she would see him again after he walked away from her that night.
"John! What are you doing here?" she finally managed to say..
"I missed everyone. I wanted to see home again, that sort of stuff." He replied.
Abby's heart dropped, he wasn't here to see her then. Just then she realised how stupid she must look to him, with her tear stained face.
"Abby, are you ok? You look as though you've been crying." He asked her.
"Yeah, I'm fine" she replied, touched at how concerned he sounded. "Umm Susan? Can you take Josie to the cafeteria for a drink or something? I'll meet you there in a while."
"Sure." Susan replied, she knew Abby needed time alone to talk to John. Abby watched them walk away, only turning around as John next spoke to her.
"Who's Josie?"
"I'll explain later, it's a long story. Can we talk?"
"I was about to ask the same thing."
He followed her into the exam room she had just poured open her heart in a few moments previously.
"I have to explain why I left." Carter started, and then he paused.
"Go on" she pushed.
"I needed to find myself. I know that sounds terribly clichéd but it is the only way I can think of explaining it. When I first went to Africa I discovered things about myself that I never knew. Then I came back to Chicago and I felt, out of place somehow, like I didn't belong. I felt at home in Kisangani. I could really make a difference to peoples lives there, in a completely different way to how I can here. I needed to finalise things with you and me. That is why I wrote you that letter. I know it was a completely unsympathetic way of ending it and I regret doing that to you, I'm sorry. It was only last week that I realised no matter how much they needed me in Africa, I was needed here too. I remembered how I got the feeling of being 'at home' here as well as in Africa, especially when I was with you. So I guess I've come back to see if you would consider us getting back together. I know that I have hurt you, and you hurt me too but I think that we can put all that behind us, start over. It'll take some work but I think that this worth working for and I am prepared to work for what we can have. What do you say huh, Abby?"
"I think that is one of the best ideas you have had in a long time. I think I understand why you went now. I've had a lot of time to think things through as well, and I've realised that life without you really, really sucks."
"I love you Abby."
"I love you too John." As she said those words warmth spread all through her body and all of a sudden she felt that nothing could go wrong at that time, as long as held her and kissed her, everything would be ok.
"So what are we going to do now?" Carter asked.
"Right now? Well I have to go and get Josie, take her home."
"Who is Josie? Earlier all three of you looked like you had been crying."
Abby took a deep breath, this could change everything. What if he was mad? What if he didn't want anything to do with Abby after this? She had to tell him, he was staring at her puzzled.
"There's something I have to tell you Carter. It's something I hadn't told anyone until fifteen minutes ago."
"What is it? Is it to do with Josie?"
"Yes, John, she's my daughter."
Carter froze, unable to believe what he had heard. Abby had always said that she told him everything, yet here she was, saying something she hadn't even hinted at before. She knew he would react like this, she hadn't expected anything less. And so she told him the story she had told her daughter a few moments before. By the end, John had tears running down his face. His Abby, his beautiful Abby had experienced all this hurt and never told a soul. No wonder she had trouble admitting her feelings and bottled them all up inside, blocking everyone she cared about out, it was what she had become used to. Suddenly everything fitted into place. Why she was reluctant to talk about the two of them having kids, why she felt so much resentment towards her mother, for if she hadn't had to look after Eric she might never have lost Josie and why she sometimes felt strangely distant, as if there was something she was hiding.
"Are you angry with me for not telling you sooner?"
He shook his head. How could he be angry with her? She had suffered so much already and her only crime had been to have kept it all to herself, probably causing her even more pain.
"No, I don't. In fact, I think it's made me love you even more." With that she looked up at him, a gleam in her eyes.
"Really?" she hardly believed what he had said. He nodded and she jumped into his arms.
"I know it's early days and we've only just got back together, but if we are going to start off where we left off then Abby? Will you marry me?"
She screamed slightly. She couldn't believe it. She almost though she was in a dream and had to pinch herself to believe it. How could so much good happen to her in one day? After all these years of hurt and neglect, could her life finally be turning itself around?
"I understand if you need to think." John said and Abby realised she hadn't said anything for a while; she had just been staring out to space.
"I don't need anytime to think! Of course I will marry you. I just can't believe what an amazing day this has been. I start with nothing, then I get my daughter back, then you. I've never known so much good to happen to me in one day."
"You're a good person Abby, you deserve to be happy."
"We both do. And we will be, together, forever."
~*~*~*~
Five minutes later they walked into the hospital cafeteria holding hands. Abby spotted Josie and Susan sitting in a corner laughing.
"What are you two giggling about?" she asked them.
"Nothing much," Susan answered, "I was just amazed at how two people could be so alike, you look the same and sound the same, she's even got your sarcastic sense of humour Abby! There are two of you! Help us!"
Abby laughed. "However will you cope Susan?"
"I don't think I'll be able to. I think I'd better leave town now!" she said good naturedly.
"Carter, I'd like you to meet my daughter Josie." Abby said. John smiled down at the young girl, Susan was right; it was incredible how these two people who had been apart for so long could be so alike.
"Josie," Abby continued, "In answer to your question earlier, I'd like you to meet John Carter, your future step-father."
Josie beamed up at Abby, she could see how happy this man made her and she was glad. Judging from what she had been told earlier, her mother hadn't experienced much happiness in her life and she fully deserved it now.
On hearing John and Abby's news, Susan screamed and burst into tears of happiness, making them all laugh loudly.
Abby looked around at the three of her most favourite people in the whole world. Her fiancé, the only man she had ever truly loved. Her best friend who had become her backbone in life, she couldn't have coped the last few months without Susan by her side. And finally her daughter, her beautiful daughter who Abby never thought she'd see again. She knew so little about her, she wanted to know what her favourite colour was; how old she was when she lost her first tooth; things mothers should know. Abby looked forward to getting to know her better and also to becoming a proper mother and wife, what she had wanted for a long time. She couldn't wait.
To be continued........
~*~*~*~
Preview....
'As Josie walked away she lifted up her top at the back to scratch her spine revealing yet another nasty bruise. Abby stared at it, knowing there was something Josie wasn't telling her.'
~*~*~*~
Thank you for reading so far. It isn't going to be plain sailing from here (obviously, that would just be boring) but bear with it please.
Review please please please!!!!!!!!!! :-)
Chapter 3 - Carter returns
Abby stood still and stared, hardly believing what she was seeing. It had been 4 months since she had last seen John Carter, and here he was, standing right in front of her large as life. She never thought he was coming back. She didn't even know if she would see him again after he walked away from her that night.
"John! What are you doing here?" she finally managed to say..
"I missed everyone. I wanted to see home again, that sort of stuff." He replied.
Abby's heart dropped, he wasn't here to see her then. Just then she realised how stupid she must look to him, with her tear stained face.
"Abby, are you ok? You look as though you've been crying." He asked her.
"Yeah, I'm fine" she replied, touched at how concerned he sounded. "Umm Susan? Can you take Josie to the cafeteria for a drink or something? I'll meet you there in a while."
"Sure." Susan replied, she knew Abby needed time alone to talk to John. Abby watched them walk away, only turning around as John next spoke to her.
"Who's Josie?"
"I'll explain later, it's a long story. Can we talk?"
"I was about to ask the same thing."
He followed her into the exam room she had just poured open her heart in a few moments previously.
"I have to explain why I left." Carter started, and then he paused.
"Go on" she pushed.
"I needed to find myself. I know that sounds terribly clichéd but it is the only way I can think of explaining it. When I first went to Africa I discovered things about myself that I never knew. Then I came back to Chicago and I felt, out of place somehow, like I didn't belong. I felt at home in Kisangani. I could really make a difference to peoples lives there, in a completely different way to how I can here. I needed to finalise things with you and me. That is why I wrote you that letter. I know it was a completely unsympathetic way of ending it and I regret doing that to you, I'm sorry. It was only last week that I realised no matter how much they needed me in Africa, I was needed here too. I remembered how I got the feeling of being 'at home' here as well as in Africa, especially when I was with you. So I guess I've come back to see if you would consider us getting back together. I know that I have hurt you, and you hurt me too but I think that we can put all that behind us, start over. It'll take some work but I think that this worth working for and I am prepared to work for what we can have. What do you say huh, Abby?"
"I think that is one of the best ideas you have had in a long time. I think I understand why you went now. I've had a lot of time to think things through as well, and I've realised that life without you really, really sucks."
"I love you Abby."
"I love you too John." As she said those words warmth spread all through her body and all of a sudden she felt that nothing could go wrong at that time, as long as held her and kissed her, everything would be ok.
"So what are we going to do now?" Carter asked.
"Right now? Well I have to go and get Josie, take her home."
"Who is Josie? Earlier all three of you looked like you had been crying."
Abby took a deep breath, this could change everything. What if he was mad? What if he didn't want anything to do with Abby after this? She had to tell him, he was staring at her puzzled.
"There's something I have to tell you Carter. It's something I hadn't told anyone until fifteen minutes ago."
"What is it? Is it to do with Josie?"
"Yes, John, she's my daughter."
Carter froze, unable to believe what he had heard. Abby had always said that she told him everything, yet here she was, saying something she hadn't even hinted at before. She knew he would react like this, she hadn't expected anything less. And so she told him the story she had told her daughter a few moments before. By the end, John had tears running down his face. His Abby, his beautiful Abby had experienced all this hurt and never told a soul. No wonder she had trouble admitting her feelings and bottled them all up inside, blocking everyone she cared about out, it was what she had become used to. Suddenly everything fitted into place. Why she was reluctant to talk about the two of them having kids, why she felt so much resentment towards her mother, for if she hadn't had to look after Eric she might never have lost Josie and why she sometimes felt strangely distant, as if there was something she was hiding.
"Are you angry with me for not telling you sooner?"
He shook his head. How could he be angry with her? She had suffered so much already and her only crime had been to have kept it all to herself, probably causing her even more pain.
"No, I don't. In fact, I think it's made me love you even more." With that she looked up at him, a gleam in her eyes.
"Really?" she hardly believed what he had said. He nodded and she jumped into his arms.
"I know it's early days and we've only just got back together, but if we are going to start off where we left off then Abby? Will you marry me?"
She screamed slightly. She couldn't believe it. She almost though she was in a dream and had to pinch herself to believe it. How could so much good happen to her in one day? After all these years of hurt and neglect, could her life finally be turning itself around?
"I understand if you need to think." John said and Abby realised she hadn't said anything for a while; she had just been staring out to space.
"I don't need anytime to think! Of course I will marry you. I just can't believe what an amazing day this has been. I start with nothing, then I get my daughter back, then you. I've never known so much good to happen to me in one day."
"You're a good person Abby, you deserve to be happy."
"We both do. And we will be, together, forever."
~*~*~*~
Five minutes later they walked into the hospital cafeteria holding hands. Abby spotted Josie and Susan sitting in a corner laughing.
"What are you two giggling about?" she asked them.
"Nothing much," Susan answered, "I was just amazed at how two people could be so alike, you look the same and sound the same, she's even got your sarcastic sense of humour Abby! There are two of you! Help us!"
Abby laughed. "However will you cope Susan?"
"I don't think I'll be able to. I think I'd better leave town now!" she said good naturedly.
"Carter, I'd like you to meet my daughter Josie." Abby said. John smiled down at the young girl, Susan was right; it was incredible how these two people who had been apart for so long could be so alike.
"Josie," Abby continued, "In answer to your question earlier, I'd like you to meet John Carter, your future step-father."
Josie beamed up at Abby, she could see how happy this man made her and she was glad. Judging from what she had been told earlier, her mother hadn't experienced much happiness in her life and she fully deserved it now.
On hearing John and Abby's news, Susan screamed and burst into tears of happiness, making them all laugh loudly.
Abby looked around at the three of her most favourite people in the whole world. Her fiancé, the only man she had ever truly loved. Her best friend who had become her backbone in life, she couldn't have coped the last few months without Susan by her side. And finally her daughter, her beautiful daughter who Abby never thought she'd see again. She knew so little about her, she wanted to know what her favourite colour was; how old she was when she lost her first tooth; things mothers should know. Abby looked forward to getting to know her better and also to becoming a proper mother and wife, what she had wanted for a long time. She couldn't wait.
To be continued........
~*~*~*~
Preview....
'As Josie walked away she lifted up her top at the back to scratch her spine revealing yet another nasty bruise. Abby stared at it, knowing there was something Josie wasn't telling her.'
~*~*~*~
Thank you for reading so far. It isn't going to be plain sailing from here (obviously, that would just be boring) but bear with it please.
Review please please please!!!!!!!!!! :-)