Disclaimer: Primeval is property of Impossible Pictures, no copyright intended.
A/N: This one was going to just be a little short and turned out longer than I originally planned out, but this way is better. Just want to thank Sallad24601 for all the support and help as I wrote this out.
Did another re-edit! First chapter is all I've gone over, I'm gettin' to the other two. This one really didn't need anything but some tweaking in speech pattern. Enjoy and please read and review!
Connor sat at the stream, he stared as the water streaked through the rocks and slivers of dirt that compassed down the flow of the current. His mind wandered – knowing he should be fishing right now but he just watched as the fish swam by peacefully. He always caught them in the end, but somewhere in him he hated to kill the creatures. Maybe he envied them or maybe he just felt bad for killing an innocent creature's life. Really he couldn't ever really put his finger on it, but when he caught them, he couldn't help but want to put them back; put them back where their home was, where they were safe.
Connor shook his head and lifted his spear; the fish scurried through the drift of the stream and right as he had a shot to strike- his head jilted to his side.
"Connor!" Connor's spear dropped to the ground and his feet coursed toward the sound of Abby's in periled scream. He couldn't quite put his ear on where the direction came so in the middle of woodsy maze he paused and tried to find some sense.
"If Abby's hurt or even ..." His thoughts weren't helping him at the moment. All he could think of was what if he was too late. Connor took a deep breath, and knowing it was risky, he hollered out her name.
"Abby!" he shouted. His heart leapt when he heard her voice scream his name again. Connor ran to the direction of her voice and while he was running, it dawned on him how thick he could be sometimes. That wasn't Abby's distress voice! In the midst of Connor's realization, he felt a sudden thud to his back and he fell to the prickly, hard ground.
"Ow." Connor moaned, feeling Abby's weight pressed against his body.
"Got ya." She giggled. Connor rolled to his back to see Abby smiling at him- she sat up and teasingly sighed. "You broke the rules, Connor."
"Yeah, yeah. To be fair you're acting skills have greatly improved last time you played this one on me." He said, continuing to lie on the ground and look up in the trees. Abby rolled her eyes and smirked at him.
"You could have gotten hurt calling me back like that, ya know." She shoved him, he gave an effect of being hurt just to mess with her, but also because it wasn't too long ago where it probably did hurt.
"Well in hindsight, Abby, I didn't really care." Connor excused. Abby then was slightly upset at his answer; he always said things like that. 'He didn't care about his life if it meant it was for hers.' It aggravated her to no end. But it wasn't because she found his reaction irritating or silly, but because she couldn't stand the thought of him getting hurt for her. Connor was always too selfless, one day it was going to get him killed, which would get Abby killed herself in the end.
Abby rested her chin on her hand and stared at him, Connor's eyes gawked over to her and he frowned.
"Wha'?" she worriedly asked.
"I left my spear at the creek."
She laughed. "Yeah, it only makes sense to leave your only weapon to come save me. Course." She reigned with sarcasm and Connor just shook his head.
"I wasn't much in the moment of thinking, yeah?" Connor voiced with annoyance in his tone. Abby tried not to sigh and instead laid down beside him, arms folded behind her head.
"So, is this what it's like?" Connor crooked his head to her and gave a questioning look. "You being mad at me and all, I wasn't sure what it felt like 'till now." Connor gave a laugh and looked back up at the tree tops with no comment to go along side. "So it is - interesting feeling."
"I'm not mad at you, Abs. I would have no reason to be, would I?"
"Except for the fact that I made you think I was in danger and had you come save the day." Abby strained her body to her side and propped her head up with her hand. Connor looked up at her and smiled.
"Well, there's that. But it's not the first time, is it?"
"Ha!" Abby thought about it, realizing he was right she couldn't help but grin. "I did it before we were even living in preordained danger at all hours."
"And I always come running." Connor said as if it was a bad thing. Abby furrowed her brow and cleared her throat, he looked at her and she punched his arm.
"Ow! Oi, what was that for?"
"Don't you ever think once about not coming, Connor Temple. Don't ever." Connor stretched his hand out to her, his thumb brushed the side of her cheek and he gave a reassuring front.
"I won't." Connor assured. She smiled as they gazed at each other until her realizing that they're actions could be taken in a romantic way she pulled from his touch and sat back up. But when she did, she regretted her repulsive instinct. "But if you could," Abby looked back at him as he finished his words. "Could you not scare me like that again?"
"I can't make any promises." She profoundly teased. Connor smirked at her, knowing she had great plans for spooking him a dozen more times this week. In many ways, Connor didn't mind all her little pranks on him, it kept humor between them. Connor knew if they needed anything here, it was a little light heartiness to coat the facts of what surrounded them. They couldn't risk losing that happiness they still had with each other.
Connor sat up beside her, Abby gave a playful look and Connor gave a chuckle through his nose. Before the Cretaceous their relationship had become somewhat strained, with Connor kicked out of the flat and Abby kissing him at the race track- they were both confused and felt awkward near each other. But when Helen came in the picture, it was like they were back the way they were supposed to be and then next thing they knew they were trapped millions of years into the past with only each other. Abby and he were now always joking and invading each other's personal space, and neither of them cared; but Connor was still puzzled. There was no kissing between them, ever, and there was never anything to say she wanted that kind of relationship. Then there were times like this that Connor looked at her, and the looks she gave him, it was like she was asking him to kiss her.
Connor's eyes looked away and he brought his mind to something else. Because no matter what Abby wanted, Connor wasn't sure if he wanted to change what they had at the time being. He couldn't really say, he loved Abby – but he didn't want anything if Abby didn't feel the same. Abby looked down at her hands and tried to accept what he just did, she knew it was the right choice, but it didn't mean she couldn't be disappointed. Abby feelings for Connor were mixed and rattled, her not getting involved now probably was best. When he spoke again Abby looked back to see him staring at a small little creature roaming around through the secluded woods that they found the two of them lounging in quite often.
"Is that a …? No, it's too small." Abby whispered to him, Connor shook his head.
"It has to be a baby." Connor quietly answered. Abby scooted towards it and put out her hand for the little reptile to see and find her friendly.
"Hey little guy, it's okay." The reptile kinked his head and walked on all fours slowly to her.
"There must be another lake around here." Connor guessed, the reptile leaped into her hands and she grinned.
"No, Nothosaurs' live in the oceans for how large they get. I thought we steered clear from any large water mass?" Abby edged back beside Connor, he smiled at the baby mer-life and petted its head with his hand.
"We did, we've been everywhere 'round here. This thing would have had to walk at least ten miles from the closest water mass."
"Maybe something carried him?" Abby suggested.
"What do you mean?" Connor probed.
"The Pterodactyls tend to linger around here. One could have swooped down when this guy came up on land, carried him about ten miles and dropped him in the forest when he wiggled aroun' too much."
"Pterodactyls aren't known for dropping their pray but I guess it seems the most suitable reason, yeah?" Abby looked at Connor with a devious smile, his head lifted and when their eyes met Connor dreaded what she was going to ask.
"Connor…" she started.
Connor shook his head. "Abby, no."
"Connor! He could die!" she spat at him. Connor gave no reaction to that statement.
"Do you know how big Nothosaurs' get?" he reminded, she rolled her eyes.
"Just until he old enough to find his own home."
"Abs, Nothosaurs' can live out of water- but there's no telling for how long! It could die in a matter of days without its natural habitat."
"Then we let it swim in the creek!"
"And let it-"
"Him." She corrected him. Connor sighed and amended his words.
"And let him eat all our fish? No."
"I never said it was up to you." She scowled at him, Connor tried to reason with her but was she looking at him with her dejected blue eyes and his heart sank.
"Abby-"
"Look at him, Conn. He's like a little Rex without wings." Connor looked down and smiled at the creature. This little Nothosaurs reminded her of home, how could he say no to her just wanting a little bit of remembrance? "Besides, we kept three at home and we managed."
"The circumstances were a bit different then, weren't they?" Connor noted. He then smiled at Abby and shrugged his shoulders. "But I guess we can take care of the little man until he gets old enough to take care of himself." Abby gave out a classic Abby squeal and hugged him tight. He missed it when she was happy like this; the times when she was excited about something, the times when something that really meant something to her took place. She hadn't acted like this since Connor graciously agreed to move out of the flat.
She pulled away and kissed him on the cheek. "Thank you, Connor."
"Course." He smiled to her and looked back at the Nothosaurs. "I think I could get used to him, what do you say mate?" the creature looked up at him and curled up in Abby's lap.
"Should we give him a name?" she wondered.
"Yeah, calling it 'him' all the time is a bit silly, init?" he said, softening up to the idea of keeping him around.
"Yeah." She smiled. "I dunno, I sorta like 'him'."
"…Really?" Connor looked at her baffled; she gave a laugh and explained.
"I like 'Hem'. It means 'home', and then there's no confusing him." Connor smiled and gave a nod.
"Brilliant." They looked at each other, both missing where they would have been only but four months ago. They were missing their friends, missing their jobs, missing their families, missing their lives. Being there for so long now, though, it was like this was their home. It may have not been their ideal home, but they knew everything about it and they kept themselves safe from most danger. Connor stood up and put out a hand, helping Abby to her feet with Hem in her arms. "C'mon, let's go show Hem our home."