Disclaimer: Not mine, no copyright intended. Song Lyrics by Ned Washington
When you wish upon a star
Makes no difference who you are
Anything your heart desires
Will come to you
If your heart is in your dream
No request is too extreme
When you wish upon a star
As dreamers do
-o-
"Can I give you two a lift home?" Danny said.
"No, thanks." Connor replied. "We can walk from here."
Abby shot Connor a look. They had just spent the last three hours clearing up after an anomaly. No creatures had come through, but it had opened into a swamp and the smelly, thick sludge had oozed through. Danny had picked her and Connor up on his way over after he'd been to the ARC to collect mops, buckets and shovels. Abby couldn't believe Connor had turned down a lift home!
"OK, guess I'll see you guys tomorrow then." Danny said, getting into the 4x4.
Abby followed Connor, who was already striding down the street. "What are thinking, Connor?" she called, catching up with him.
"It's a nice, warm evening. You're always saying we should make the most of it." he smiled.
"Hmm. Maybe when we're not covered in prehistoric gunge!" she said. She should have been more annoyed, but it was hard to be cross with Connor when he was in a smiley mood. Sometimes she wondered if he did it on purpose; knowing the effect he had on people when he did the puppy dog eyes and the smile with the dimple. A few minutes later, Abby had to admit that this was quite pleasant after all. The sky was clear and she could see the stars really clearly.
"Wow! Did you see that Abs?" Connor said, pointing towards the sky. "A shooting star!"
"No?" Abby said. She was actually disappointed she'd missed it and squinted her eyes, scanning the sky for more. Moments later, she saw one. "They're amazing aren't they?" she whispered, although she didn't know why she had felt the need to whisper.
"Of course, they're not really stars. They're meteors." Connor said. "Mid August is great for spotting them! We should go up onto Hubbard's Hill and watch them properly!" he actually sounded quite excited.
"OK, why not!" Abby said. She had a feeling she would regret it, but Connor seemed determined to go, and it was so hard to say 'no'. He'd sulk if she didn't agree for one thing. They made their way down a side street and over a stile into the park where the hill was. The place was deserted and it felt strange being here, just her and Connor. But strange in a nice way.
"Race you to the top!" Connor shouted, sprinting away. Abby shook her head and gave chase. By the time she'd caught up with him, he was on his back and beckoning for her to join him. "This is the best way to look at the stars." he said.
Abby lay next to him. "I'll take your word for it."
"You've never done this before?" Connor asked. Abby shook her head. "I used to do this all the time with my dad and sister. He knew all the names of the constellations and things."
"Do you remember any?" Abby asked.
"A few. That one there, in the shape of a W, is called Cassiopeia. Always remember that one because my sister's called Cassie." he pointed towards a particular point in the sky and Abby nodded. He reeled off a few more names, and Abby was impressed; but not surprised at how much he knew. "And that little one there, is called Rex."
"Really?" Abby said. Connor had a slight smirk on his face.
"Yes, and the two next to it are called Sid and Nancy…and the big mean looking one is called Abby!"
"Oi!" Abby laughed, giving Connor a playful shove. He started babbling on about meteors and comets, but Abby found herself distracted. In the soft light of the moon, Connor looked different. She'd never noticed how muscular he actually was, the moonlight casting shadows making his torso seem even more defined. Her eyes wandered to his face, watching his lips move as he spoke. Those lips… She shook herself; this was Connor, she couldn't start thinking about him like that.
"The next shooting star we see, we have to both make a wish!" he said.
Typical Connor, thought Abby. The only person she knew who could talk for hours on end about Science and then go off on a tangent into the realm of fantasy! "OK." she agreed. They both lay there on their backs, staring up into the sky. Abby moved her arm and her hand brushed against Connor's. The tingle of excitement that shot through her took her by surprise. Why was she suddenly feeling like this? She felt his fingers touch the back of her hand and linger there, and her heart began to pound.
"We've probably missed them all, knowing our luck." he whispered.
"Yeah." she replied, and tangled her fingers into Connor's. She glanced sideways at him and noticed him swallowing nervously. He could feel it too; something was definitely going on here. Laying here, on her back and holding hands with Connor felt like the most natural thing in the world; it was almost as if they'd done this a million times before.
Abby glanced back up to the sky, just as two shooting stars trailed across within micro-seconds of each other. Until a few moments ago, she didn't know what she was going to wish for - and then it had come to her. It made perfect sense. She felt her heart skip a beat at the thought, and a contented warmth spread through her entire body.
Connor had his eyes closed, and a happy smile spread across his face. He looked completely at peace for the first time since Cutter had died; like a huge weight had been lifted from his shoulders.
Abby sat up and edged closer to him, her free hand resting lightly on his stomach. "What did you wish for, Connor?" she said.
"You're not supposed to tell anyone, Abby. It won't come true if you do." He said, completely serious.
"I see. Guess that's where I've been going wrong all these years." Abby found herself leaning closer to him, so close she could feel the warmth of his breath on her face. Then she pressed her lips to his, allowing her hand to drift from his stomach to his hip. She lingered for a moment, scared she'd crossed a line that she shouldn't, then deepened her kiss. Her lips grazed against his, encouraging his apart. He gave a soft sigh and tightened his fingers around Abby's hand.
Abby pulled away slightly, trying to gauge exactly what Connor was thinking. "Don't stop, Abby." he whispered, placing his free hand on her cheek. This time, when their lips met, Connor returned the kiss. He pulled her closer into him so that the top halves of their bodies were pressed together.
"I don't think I've ever had a wish come true before." Abby said when they finally broke the kiss. Her hand was still tangled with Connor's and she had no intention of letting go.
"Me either." he said, smiling so that his dimple deepened even more than usual. Abby rested her head on his chest, and he lazily stroked her hair. "There's still chance we'll see more shooting stars tonight, do you think we could chance making another wish since luck seems to be on our side?" he laughed.
"Better not push it, eh." Abby said. "Besides, I think I already got everything I want."
"Me too." He looked up into the sky and saw another shooting star. He silently mouthed a 'thank you' before kissing the top of Abby's head.
-o-
Fate is kind
She brings to those who love
The sweet fulfilment of their secret longing
Like a bolt out of the blue
Fate steps in and sees you through
When you wish upon a star
Your dreams come true