A/N: Yeah I'm really into my oneshots at the moment. The lyrics are from a song on the new Nightwish album, the song is called Bye Bye Beautiful hence the name of the fic. I heard the song, loved it, and thought maybe we could have some Stabby angst... there MIGHT be a sequel to this... not sure yet... depends how I feel about it after I finished the chapter... I might decide to make this a 2 chapter fic... we'll see.

Bye Bye Beautiful

Abby knew this wasn't what she wanted, she knew she wanted to stay, but it had gotten to the stage where she couldn't stay any longer. She loved working with the team, but lately things had gotten too awkward, too bad. Ever since that argument. She brushed away a tear that was falling down her cheek and got out of her mini, locking it and walking across the University grounds to Nick's office. She just hoped Stephen wouldn't be there, she didn't know if she could go through with it if he was there as well. Connor had managed to get a flat of his own so she wouldn't have a constant reminder of all the good times she'd had with the team any more.

Her mind wandered back to the first time she'd met the team, she'd gone to collect Rex from Ben in the Forest of Dean and they'd been frightened by the Gorgonopsid; then she'd run into the herbivore and they'd appeared behind her, Nick telling her not to move. That was the first time she'd seen him, and she'd been attracted to him from the start. She caught sight of him up ahead and ducked into another corridor, waiting for a few minutes before peering round the corner and seeing he was gone. She sighed, swallowing the lump that had risen in her throat and rubbed at her eyes, trying to hold back the tears that were building up. She hurried along the corridors, wanting to get to Nick's office before she lost her courage and her resolve wavered. How had it gotten this bad?

Did you ever hear what I told you?

He'd slipped a note into her bag asking her to meet him that evening at his flat. She'd gone and, finally, they'd got their feelings out in the open. She'd told him everything about why she'd held back for a while, how all of her ex-boyfriends had caused her pain every time she broke up a relationship, including the once when she'd been beaten after breaking up with her last boyfriend. She still had a scar on her forearm from it; she rubbed it subconsciously as she walked, remembering how he'd held her as they sat on his couch when she told him, rubbing the scar and having a look in her eyes that made her knew he'd never let anyone touch her like that again. In the end he'd inflicted more pain than any of the others. She'd opened herself up to him, given him everything, and then they'd had that argument. That argument, under a week ago, had torn apart everything she'd built on this past month she'd been with him. She couldn't even remember how it had started, but they'd ended up screaming at each other, bringing up each other's pasts as ammunition, knowing they were being unfair and stupid but being so angry and upset at the other that they didn't care.

Did you ever read what I wrote you?

She'd knew he'd been ignoring the texts she sent him to try and apologize, just as she'd done at first, knew he'd diverted her calls, just as she'd done at the beginning. So she'd written it down on a letter for him, giving it to Nick and asking him to make sure Stephen read it, Nick had nodded with a sad smile for her. She didn't know if he'd ever read it, Nick hadn't told her what had happened, but she knew she couldn't keep going on like this; she couldn't keep seeing him, working with him, when she couldn't mend the scars they'd both inflicted.

Did you ever listen to what we played?

Unbidden her mind flew back to that night a few weeks ago when the whole team had gone out for a night, it had been karaoke night and Conner had put her and Stephen's names down for 'I've Had The Time Of My Life' from Dirty Dancing. She had to admit they'd enjoyed it, she'd meant every word she'd sung and she thought he had as well.

Did you ever let in what the world said?

Everyone had said they'd made the perfect couple, Claudia had taken Abby aside a week after she and Stephen had gotten together and the two had ended up in fits of laughter as they'd talked nonstop about the two men they loved. She had glowed with happiness when Nick had come to congratulate them on finally getting together, especially when he'd embraced Stephen like a brother, knowing how much it had meant to him.

She finally reached Nick's office; she took a deep breath and knocked on the door. Nick's voice called out from the room and she opened the door and walked in, closing it softly behind her. She sighed with relief when she saw Stephen wasn't in the room; Claudia was and she stood up, smiling at the young woman.

'Hi, Abby,' Claudia said; Abby smiled back in reply, trying desperately to find her voice and keep her tears back. She tried to speak but was only able to mouth the word 'Hi'

'Abby, what's wrong?' Nick asked her, coming over.

'I'm sorry... I can't do this anymore,' she replied, one of the tears she'd been fighting to keep back escaping, 'I've come to resign from the anomaly project.'

Nick and Claudia had similar looks of shock on their faces.

'Why?' Claudia asked her; Abby couldn't bear to look at the woman who'd become a close friend to her.

'I can't go on like this, Claudia, I'm sorry but I just can't... I love working with all of you but... I can't keep seeing- seeing him and knowing I can't apologize and try and fix things- it's too painful. I've got to go.'

She turned and was halfway up the stairs before she turned around.

'Abby, please don't leave we need you on this project. Not just because of your skills but because of you as a person. Don't leave,' Claudia begged her. Abby shook her head.

'If you need any information on lizards or reptiles give me a call. I'm so sorry.'

She walked up the last few stairs and reached out to open the door as it opened of its own accord. They stood, looking at each other for about a minute.

'Abby-' Claudia started to try and convince her to stay again but the younger woman ran past Stephen, tears streaming down her face as she ran back through the corridors of the University. Stephen watched her run away, racing around the corner and out of sight.

Did we get this far just to feel your hate?

Did we play to become only pawns in the game?

He remembered when he'd first told her how he felt, after the Arthropleura had bitten him and she'd stayed by his side that whole time. How had it come to this? All those stupid games they'd played on the journeys to anomaly sights with Conner and Nick and all the laughs they'd shared. How had he lost her so easily? Silence ensued in the room after Abby's departure. Claudia and Nick exchanged a look and then Nick walked over to Stephen's desk and picked up the unopened letter.

'I think you'd better read this,' he told his friend, 'Otherwise you'll never see her again. She just came to tell us she's leaving the anomaly project.'

Stephen looked at Nick in shock, the Professor held the younger man's gaze until he took the letter from his hand; opening the envelope he took out the two sheets of paper. Claudia watched as Stephen sunk into a chair, completely engrossed in the letter from the broken woman who had just left.

How blind can you be, don't you see

You chose the long road but we'll be waiting

Stephen looked up at Nick when he'd finished, a lost look in his eyes as he silently begged the Professor to tell him how to fix things. Claudia sighed and sat down as the younger man buried his face in his hands and, for the first time she'd seen, wept openly. Nick looked at her, asking her what they could do to help their two friends.

'Stephen,' he looked up at her, silently begging to help, 'You need to go after her. If you don't do it now you'll never get another chance.'

Stephen looked up at the door where Abby had disappeared through. Claudia could see a single tear falling down his cheek.

Bye bye beautiful

Stephen shook his head, 'I'm too late. She'll never listen to me now.'

'She won't if you keep thinking that,' Claudia replied. Stephen looked at the letter still clutched in his hands.

'Go after her now, Stephen, or I'll personally make sure you never speak to or see her again. If you don't go after her and talk to her now then you obviously don't care about her as much as you say you do and have led her to believe you do.'

Stephen looked up at Nick, pain evident in his eyes but the Professor kept his gaze firm.

Stephen took one more look at the letter before folding it up, standing up, and running out of the room.

Bye bye beautiful

A/N: What do you think? Shall I put up another chapter of this? I could leave it as it is and make you all wonder whether Stephen actually does go after Abby or if he just runs out of the room to get away from everyone. Please R&R I want to know if you want me to put up the next chapter... even though I probably will anyway. Lol

Ciao for now

Starsword