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NOTE: if you have not read "What Now, AKA season 4 episode 1" this story will not make much sense. If you wish to enjoy or at least understand this story you should go back and read "What Now, AKA season 4 episode 1".
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Chapter 1
After enduring two days worth of test at the hospital, only to find out that all they could say was it was a case of exhaustion, Connor was finally going home today. He had been looking forward to this ever since Abby said he could move back into her flat. When Abby had told him he could move back it had been hard for him to envision this day since she had told him while they were stuck up a tree thousands of years in the past.
Abby had shown up that morning to drive him home but was currently talking to one of the nurses. He used this time to get dressed and pack up his few things. He didn't have much with him, but one of the things he wasn't sure he wanted to bring home were the clothes that he was wearing when he finally got back to his own time. There was no explanation as to where they had come from, but it was certainly on everyone's minds; especially since they were unlike any clothes they had ever seen before. They were only clothes, but they were a key to what happened to him and why he did not come through the anomaly the same way his friends did.
There was also no explanation for how his leg had managed to heal. The only things the doctors offered was that everyone had been mistaken at how bad his leg had been hurt, but he knew better. His leg had been bruised and swollen and had been very painful to walk on, but when he finally got to his own time he was able to stand on it with no trouble.
He was putting on his shoes when Abby walked in the room.
Abby smiled at Connor as she entered the room, "Hey Connor, you ready to get out of here?"
"I am so ready to get out of here. I hate being in the hospital". He finished lacing up his shoes and stood to grab his bag, but was stopped by Abby.
"Sorry Connor, I'll take that for you. You get to ride in a wheelchair to my car".
As if it were planned, a nurse came in at the exact moment Abby got finished saying the word wheel chair. "OK Mr. Temple, it looks like you're all set to go. Now all you need to do is sit down and let me wheel you out of here".
Connor could have easily walked out, but he had been around hospitals enough to know how they worked. "Ok Nurse Terry, but I hope you let Abby push; I've seen the way you drive the medicine cart around here".
Nurse Terry enjoyed Connor's sense of humor and gave him a look a mother might give to her child when they were being naughty, "Oh I am going to miss you too Mr. Temple, now sit down".
Connor did as he was told and was happy to see that Abby was going to push him out. Abby grabbed hold of the handles and pushed him out into the hallway. Nurse Terry was not far behind them.
"Now you remember if you have any more of those headaches I want you to get in contact with the doctor".
"Yes Nurse Terry, I will".
"Take care of yourself and I hope we don't have you visiting us anytime soon".
Connor waved goodbye as Abby pushed him toward the elevator. He hoped he wouldn't end up here anytime soon either, but the two headaches he had experienced since getting back had been the worse he had ever felt. He had never had a migraine before, but this is what he was told they were. He just hoped it was a side effect from all the action he had been part of recently and that he would not have any when he got home. But just in case he did, and to help him sleep, the doctor had given him a prescription for any future occurrences.
As Abby pushed Connor into the parking garage she broke the silence that had started when they left the nurse, "You've gotten awfully quite Connor, what are you thinking about?"
"Huh…., Oh Sorry Abby, I was just thinking?"
"Oh, what were you thinking about?"
"Just thinking about what we are going to do now that we have stopped Helen".
Abby stopped pushing the chair once she reached the passenger's side of her car, "What do you mean Connor? We'll keep doing what we were doing before. I don't think anything will change now that Helen is gone. Actually I anticipate things to be much better now that she is gone".
Connor remained in the wheelchair as he responded, "Oh, I don't know. There seems to be something different with all of this now. While I was lying in the hospital I had time to think about what we were doing and there seems to be something missing".
Abby opened the car door and waited for Connor to get inside before she pushed the chair over to the elevator. She headed back to her car and opened her door. She took her seat in the car and continued their conversation, "We'll I bet you that once you're back at the ARC you won't feel like anything is missing. You'll finally feel like your home once you're behind your computers again". She knew he always felt better when he was playing with his computers or tinkering with some new electronic toy.
Connor looked out the window as Abby drove off toward home. He just hoped she was right and that everything would feel the same once he got back to work. He would have preferred to go back today, but Abby told him to take his time. He knew she was only looking out for him but the sooner he could get back to work the sooner he might be able to figure out what happened to him. He was also anxious to see how their new team member was working out. Abby had told him she was working at the ARC now and he had to wonder what new problems would lay ahead with her around.
It had only been a couple of days since the team had gotten back to their own time and Danny still couldn't believe they had given Trina a job at the ARC. Just because she may have information that could help their cause was no reason to let her stay here, but according to Lester it was not his idea. He did at least get Lester to agree that she was not allowed to go on any missions. Lester said that her main priority was to work with the research and development team on some new weapons.
Another thing that Danny had to get use to was the creation of an additional team that would be used to investigate the anomalies. He had been angry when he heard this because he thought they didn't waste any time in replacing them, but he had been reassured that although it was discussed, it was not the main reason for another team. There had been more anomalies reported lately and in order to keep up with them they decided that two teams would be the best. Danny thought there may have been a third reason which had to do with how he led a team to go after Helen without proper approval and backup, but no one would admit to it; in fact there was little discussion about what he did at all. But this didn't bother him. If he had it to do all over again he would not have changed a thing about going after Helen.
Sarah had been the first one who had noticed Danny's mood today. She had tried everything to get him to laugh and smile, but nothing seemed to work. But she wasn't about to stop trying because she was so glad he was home; that they were all home. She remembered how she felt when she saw him again and wanted to hold him and never let go, but she kept these feelings to herself; for the moment anyway.
Danny had noticed the extra attention from Sarah and appreciated it, but it still didn't put him in a very good mood. He hoped she understood his feelings at the moment and that she would keep trying. He had grown fond of her and had thought of her on several occasions while he was trapped in the past. He had also hoped to tell her how he felt when he got home, but now didn't seem like the right time. Ever since getting home he had noticed something different between Sarah and Becker and didn't want to intrude. After finding out that their son was a lieutenant in an alternate future, he didn't know if there was something going on between them right now that he had never noticed before learning about their son. In order to not think about it he decided to give work his full attention. He still felt threatened by having Trina around and knew she would take up much of his time.
Chapter 2:
Trina was very pleased with herself. She had managed to escape the inevitable fate that her coworkers from her own time had unknowingly been part of and could now make something of herself in this new time. She knew a lot more that anyone here and was very confident that the information she possessed would move her up the command ladder. Once she was in a better position she could do what she wanted and there wouldn't be anyone to stop her.
There was only one thing that could spoil her new found paradise and that was Danny. She saw how he looked at her and knew that he was not happy with this arrangement, but as long as she gave his bosses what they wanted she would be able to stay no matter what Danny did. But she knew she had to watch her back.
Luckily today would not be one of those days. She would be working in the research department away from Danny and his prying eyes. She would quietly formulate her plan of attack without anyone being the wiser.
She couldn't help but smile as she made her way to the 3rd floor. The look on her face said it all, but there was no one there to see it. Had there been anyone around at that exact moment, they would have been able to see directly into her soul and would have known who she really was.
Connor woke up in a cold sweat and his head was pounding. A momentary look of confusion covered his face as he looked around the room, but he soon remembered where he was. It had been awhile since the last time he had woken up in Abby's flat, but he hoped it would become a regular occurrence now that he was living here again.
He slowly got up and made his way to the mirror. He looked at the face staring back at him. For some reason it looked different from what he remembered, but it was the 'why' that he had yet to figure out. He also felt different, but he figured that was due to all the action he had been through. It would only make sense that someone who had gone back into the past and seen and done some of the things he had would feel different.
He turned away from the mirror and pulled on his robe. Usually Abby had the heat up on high for Rex, but he was cold this morning; which made him wonder if something was wrong with Rex. He hadn't seen the little guy since he got back, but he hadn't asked about him either.
He entered the kitchen and found a pitcher of orange juice sitting on the table along with 2 empty glasses. He also smelled something cooking on the stove and suddenly realized how hungry he was. It seemed like forever since he had had some good food to eat. A closer inspection of the pan on the burner revealed something that he was not very fond of, but at this point it was home cooked and he was starving.
He was stirring the cream of wheat when he heard a noise from the other room. He looked toward the sound just in time to see Abby enter the room.
Abby gave Connor a quick once over before saying anything, "Good morning Connor, I hope you slept well"?
Connor put the spoon down as he responded, "I did, but I still feel like I could use some more".
"Maybe a nice little nap after breakfast will do the trick".
Connor shook his head, "No, I have done nothing but rest for the last couple of days; I just want to get back into my old routine and maybe head over to the ARC today". A sudden chill coursed through his body as he turned back toward the stove. He closed his robe tighter around his body before turning back to Abby, "Do you think we could turn the heat up a little?"
Abby gave him a look of concern, "Sure Connor, but it already feels like a sauna in here. Are you sure you're ready to go back to work today? Maybe you should just go back and lay down for awhile".
A sauna was the last thing he would have thought this place felt like "Maybe a nice warm shower is all I need". He didn't want to continue with this topic for fear she would make him stay home. He really just wanted to have his life return to normal.
Abby had Connor sit at the table while she fixed up some plates for the both of them. She added some fresh fruit to the bowls and made sure that Connor had some brown sugar for his cream of wheat. She knew this was the only way he would eat it.
They ate in silence and when Connor was done she took the empty dishes away while he slowly made his way to bathroom for a shower. She wished he would stay home a few more days. Ever since they got him back he seemed different. She didn't think it possible for someone to change so much in such a short amount of time, but he had. It had been less than an hour between the times she saw Connor enter the anomaly from the future to the time he came through into the present, but it was obviously enough to do something to him. She couldn't quite figure out what was different but she knew she had to keep an eye on him.
Standing under the water felt invigorating at first, but the longer he stood under the streaming water the more his head started feeling funny. He had woken up with a headache, but thought it had gone away after breakfast. He wasn't sure this was the start of another headache or not. It didn't feel like it; for some reason this felt different.
After he rinsed the rest of the shampoo out of his hair his vision suddenly went dark. At first he thought he had gotten some soap in his eyes so while he was trying to rinse them out there was suddenly an explosion of light followed by an image. He tried to see whatever was in front of him, but he couldn't focus on it. It looked like the shape of a person standing in a field of green waving to him, but he couldn't be sure. He closed his eyes quickly hoping it would help his vision but it didn't. The image was still blurred.
A loud banging startled him, causing the image to suddenly fade away. It also made his hand hit the side of the shower as his head turned toward the noise. He was looking at his hand when the sound came again, but this time it was followed by Abby's voice.
"Hey Connor, are you ok in there; what was that noise. I was getting worried since you were in there so long".
Connor turned off the shower and wrapped a towel around his waist before opening the door.
Abby thought he looked like he had seen a ghost when he opened the door. His face was pale and his eyes were glazed over as he looked at her, "Hey are you OK?"
"Yeah Abby,,,,, I didn't realize how long I was in here. I didn't mean to make you worry".
Abby could see that he was shivering as he stood there so she grabbed his robe and threw it around his shoulders, "Why don't you sit down while I dry your hair off".
Connor did as he was told and took a seat on the toilet. He closed his eyes as he felt Abby's fingers run through his hair. He always enjoyed it when someone played with his hair. Before he knew it Abby was lightly shaking him awake.
"Connor, you awake in there? You're all done so I think you should get dressed and go lay down for awhile. And before you complain about it, we will go to the ARC once you have had some more sleep, but not before then".
Connor could only smile at her as she helped him up. One he was in his bed he didn't even bother to remove the wet towel from under his robe. He sank his head back on his pillow while Abby covered him up. He was asleep before Abby even left the room.
An hour later he opened his eyes. The room was dark and for a minute he thought he had slept too long, but he soon realized the blinds were just closed. He rubbed his head as he sat up. He had managed to fall asleep, but the vision that he had seen in the shower had found its way into his dream; which caused him to be even more confused.
He decided it would do him no good to dwell on its meaning. He had had plenty of odd dreams before without being able to understand what they were so he figured this was just another one to add to the list.
He got up, put on some fresh new clothes and went in search of Abby.
Abby was watching Connor like as hawk as he made his way into work. She still thought he could have put this off until tomorrow, but she didn't want to mention it again for fear it would add undue stress.
Once they were inside the building they were greeted by several of their coworkers who wanted to welcome them back to work. It felt good to be back and by the way Connor was acting she knew he felt the same way.
The excitement was short lived however as Lester appeared somewhere amongst the crowd, "Abby, Connor, I would like to see you in my office in 10 minutes".
Connor looked in Abby's direction as he said, "Some things never change".
Danny had heard that Connor and Abby were in the building and he wanted nothing more than to go and see them, but he knew that Lester would get to them first.
He found Sarah working behind one of the computers and it was she who confirmed the location of his two friends. He knew they would be in Lester's office for awhile, since he had to go through the same ordeal when he got back.
He would meet up with them later. He had more pressing business to attend to at the moment. It seems that Trina was proving her skills quicker than he thought. She had only been working with the research team for a day and already she had managed to improve one of their weapons. Becker and his men were going to go out and test the 2 that had been modified and Danny was going along. He knew that Trina would be staying behind because she had agreed to show some of the soldiers a few new moves.
Becker found Danny waiting with some of his men, "Danny, you look like you're ready to go".
"I am at that. I'm curious to see the new weapon up close and in action". Danny climbed into the truck being driven by Becker while the rest of the men followed behind in a second truck. As they headed out toward the firing range, Danny looked back at the ARC. Not very much had changed while they were gone, but he had a feeling that would not be the case now that they were back. He had a feeling that all of them were in for a lot more before their lives could return to normal.
Chapter 3:
After enduring 2 hours in Lester's office, Connor and Abby were finally allowed to leave. They knew that their time in the past and the future would need to be discussed, but they didn't think Lester would have had so many questions.
During their questioning Abby thought that Connor seemed distracted, "Hey Connor, you were awfully quiet in there. Do you have another headache?"
Connor stopped walking and turned to Abby, "No I feel fine, I just wasn't in the mood I guess".
Abby hadn't been in the mood either, but she knew if they didn't get it done today, Lester would only hound them until they did. But if Lester was annoyed by Connor's lack of answers he didn't seem to show it. "So, what do you think Lester was implying when he said we won't understand the full ramifications of our actions for some time, if ever".
"I think that he is worried that our little excursion may have changed more than we think, but honestly I don't know how he would ever miss something he never knew he had".
Abby hadn't expected Connor to give such a response, "Wow that was deep Connor. But I have a feeling that you're absolutely correct".
Now it was Connor's turn to be surprised. Normally he and Abby spent a lot of time having her tell him why he was wrong so he wasn't expecting her to say he was right so quickly.
He hadn't realized that he was thinking about her response so intently until Abby was shaking his arm.
"Connor, you home? Where were you just then? All of a sudden you were just staring at me as if you had just met me for the first time".
Connor didn't know what to say to that, so he just smiled instead before changing the subject, "So what shall we do today?"
"I don't know about you, but I have to go and check on my plants. I bet no one has been taking care of them properly".
Connor knew how much she adored her plants, but this was the last thing he wanted to do. "I bet they haven't. Well I'm going to go and check on my computers then".
As Abby took the corridor to the left Connor kept going straight until he ended up at the end of the hallway. He hesitated at the doorway for a moment before pushing it open. As he stepped inside the room his ears were instantly besieged with a familiar noise. He never thought he would miss his computers, but the mere sight of them made his heart beat faster. He started to make his way to his usual chair but never made it. As soon as the 3 people working in the room saw him, they descended on him like vultures.
One person in particular was bound and determined to make sure he had his attention. "Hey Connor, oh I am so glad to have you back. You wouldn't believe the trouble I had with your program, but I'm sure that you can tell us what's wrong with it".
Connor looked annoyed at the prospect that something was wrong with his computers and had to stop his friend, "Hey Seth, slow down there. Now tell me what's wrong with it".
Seth led Connor to his terminal, "Well, I was trying to enter some new data into the program and it seemed to freeze up when I did that. When I went to remove it, it said that I didn't have authorization to make that change so I tried to override it, but then it just shut down completely so I took the whole thing apart, but I don't think I put it back together correctly".
Connor was horrified at what Seth was telling him. "Why would you do that?"
Seth had a sudden look of guilt on his face. He looked at the other 2 people in the room for assistance at what to say next, but could tell they were trying to avoid him. "Well Connor, I know you don't like anyone to touch your stuff, but Lester wanted the changes and we didn't know if you were ever coming back so…", he stopped, not knowing what else to say.
Connor let Seth's words sink in and it made him mad. He didn't think they had been gone long enough to warrant anyone from doing what Seth had confessed to doing. He didn't know if he was mad at him or at Lester for even thinking to make changes without him. Everyone knew that he didn't like anyone to touch his stuff. The anger he was feeling kept him from saying anything but he saw the looks that he was getting from everyone. They were waiting to see what he would do. He really didn't feel like saying anything except to tell everyone to get out so that he could fix what had been done, but his head started to hurt making him lose his balance. He managed to grab onto one of the chairs just in time before he lost his footing. He held on tight to the chair waiting for the pain to decide what it was going to do. He didn't realize that once again everyone was looking at him, but this time it was a look of concern.
Seth was the first to act, "Connor, you ok there?"
Connor rubbed his forehead as he look at Seth, "I just have a headache".
Seth didn't want to make things worse, "Why don't you sit down and I will go get you some water. Our discussion can wait until you are feeling better".
"Thanks Seth". Connor took a seat and turned to the computer screen, not wanting to face anyone. His head still hurt, but luckily it didn't seem to be getting any worse.
As he waited for Seth he looked at the computer and decided to log on to the system to see what truly was wrong with it. He was glad that he was still able to access everything, but he always had a secret way to get back in if they had ever removed him. After all this was a system he had put together so it would only stand to reason that he should be able to access it whenever he chose.
He had already found several things that irritated him when Seth returned with some water. He took the bottle and thanked him, but then he told him to leave him alone so he could figure out what was wrong. He knew that he would be here awhile so he didn't wait for Seth to leave before he got back to work.
When Abby went to get Connor for lunch, she found him sitting on the floor surrounded by bits and pieces of what she could only imagine came from his computers. He looked right at home, but she didn't expect him to have gotten this far in such a short time. "You're only back a few hours and already you have this whole thing pulled apart".
Connor didn't even bother to stop what he was doing when he responded, "Yep, they did one heck of a job on my system".
Abby got down on her knees to get a closer look, "Well, I think it is time we stop and go get something to eat". She knew how much he liked his food so she knew he would stop at the mention of it.
When Connor didn't respond the way she thought he would, she didn't bother to ask again, this time she insisted. She took the screwdriver out of his hand and said, "Come on Connor, time to go eat something".
Connor wanted to stay and work, but he knew better than to say no to Abby. He gave her a quick smirk of surrender and got up from the floor.
They were just about ready to leave when Lester came into the room. "What is all of this?"
Lester looked around at the mess on the floor and his eyes went straight to Connor, "What have you done to the computer this time Connor?"
Connor never knew how to handle himself around Lester when he was in this mood. He started to say something in his defense but Lester started talking again.
"Where is Seth, someone find Seth and tell him to get in here to fix this". He looked at Connor, "I think it might be a good idea if you take the rest of the day off".
Connor looked wounded at the thought that Lester would rather have someone else working on this. "I don't need Seth, I can do this myself".
Lester glared at Connor as he considered his words, "I want this back in working order by the end of the day".
Connor looked at the mess he created, "I don't know if that's possible. Seth told me there was something wrong with it to begin with and I haven't been able to figure out what it is yet".
This was not what Lester wanted to hear. His voiced reached an angry tone, "I want it working by the end of the day".
Before Connor could respond another voice spoke, "If you let me look at it, I bet I could get it working".
All eyes turned to Trina. No one had seen or heard her enter the room so her presence was startling to everyone in the room.
Lester looked at Trina with hopeful eyes. He didn't know much about the woman, but she had proven useful so far; despite Danny's warning of her. "Well get on with it then. I expect between the two of you one of you will manage to put it back together".
All eyes were on Lester as he left the room, but Connor's eyes turned to Abby immediately after, "Well it looks like you'll be having lunch on your own".
Abby wasn't happy about this turn of events, "I'll bring you something to eat since I know I'll never get you away from this place".
Connor watched as Abby left and then turned his attention back to the mess he had created. He quickly looked at Trina but turned away before she became aware of it. He didn't want her help and hoped that she would grow bored of it and eventually leave.
Trina had noticed the look on Connor's face and knew he wasn't happy with having her help, but this was exactly where she wanted to be.
Chapter 4:
By the time Abby had gotten back to Connor with some food she could tell he was not happy at all with his new work partner.
As soon as Connor saw Abby he rushed up to her, "Please just kill me now, that woman is driving me insane".
Abby looked over Connor's shoulder while he was talking. She could tell Trina had heard every word, but it wasn't hard since Connor wasn't trying to keep his voice down. She could only smile at the other woman as she pulled him away. "Connor, you should keep your voice down, she can hear you".
"I don't care if she can hear me; actually I would be glad if she heard me for once. She acts like I am not even here and keeps doing whatever she wants". Connor stopped talking as his breathing became slightly labored and his head started pounding.
Abby noticed as Connor's demeanor suddenly changed and could tell that he must be getting another headache. "Here Connor, I think you should sit down before you get yourself all worked up".
He didn't argue and took a seat while rubbing his head. He needed to calm down or he would be in a whole world of pain soon.
Trina walked over to the table when she noticed Connor sitting down, "I think you should just do as Lester suggested and take the rest of the day off. I'll be able to handle this by myself".
Connor looked up at Trina, "No, I'm fine. I can do this".
"You're not doing anything until after you have eaten something". Abby knew that she would be unable to talk him into coming home with her so the least she could do was make sure he had something to eat.
Connor looked at her and was grateful she didn't argue with him. He was even more grateful when she pulled his little bottle of pills out of her pocket. He didn't normally like taking the pills, but he could tell he would need them before the day came to an end.
Once Connor had eaten something and taken his medicine Abby reluctantly left to tend to other things. She decided she would give him a few more hours, but then he was going to go home and rest.
Danny and Becker had tested the modified weapons that Trina had provided them with and both were impressed. Despite the hesitation Danny had with the woman, he had to wonder what else she had. The weapon they had already tested would undoubtedly help them in a sticky situation so any other weapons would surely do the same. He just had to wonder what she expected out of all of this, but whatever it was he was sure it would be something that could only benefit her.
Becker had gone to work with his men on modifying more weapons while Danny went in search of Connor and Abby. He hadn't talked to either of them since they arrived earlier and was rather anxious to see them. They were the only other two that would understand how he was feeling; something which he had been unable to express to his other friends, especially Sarah. He wanted to get Sarah alone but for some reason she was still acting funny around him.
As he walked toward the main computer room he practically ran into Abby.
"Hey watch where you're going", as Abby looked to see who had run into her the tone in her voice changed, "Oh Danny, I'm sorry. I didn't realize it was you, I didn't mean to yell at you".
Danny smiled at her, knowing exactly how she was feeling. Everyone and everything around here felt a little off and it was easy for him to lose his temper, so why would he expect Abby to act any different. "That's ok Abby, where were you going in such a hurry".
"Connor is just so stubborn and that woman is so infuriating".
Danny was a little confused by the second part, but he didn't have to wonder very long who she was talking about.
"I can't believe that Lester is letting Trina work on the computer with Connor. Why is he bending over backward for a woman he doesn't even know? He knows how we all feel about her."
"I don't know Abby, but I don't want you to worry. I plan on keeping a close eye on Trina".
Abby looked back at the door she had just come from and then back to Danny, "Do you think you could go and check on Connor. I'm worried that he is going to work himself to death in there just to prove once again to Lester that he can handle the job".
Danny knew how Connor could be, "I'll do that Abby. Why don't you go home; I can give Connor a ride home".
Abby didn't want to leave but knew she could trust Danny. "Ok, but call me if you can't get him to leave".
Danny waited until Abby left before he went into see Connor.
The first thing he noticed when he entered the room was the mess on the floor followed by Trina standing over one of the monitors. He didn't see Connor until he moved to the other side of the counter, and even then he didn't see anything but his legs. Connor was on his back and had himself wedged under the largest monitor. He ignored Trina as he positioned himself directly in front of his friend, "Hey Connor".
The only response that came from Connor was "Owww" as he tried to maneuver his way out. He sat up rubbing his head; having just banged it on something when he sat up.
Danny stretched his arm toward Connor, "Here, let me help you up".
Connor took the offered hand and was on his feet within seconds. He had to lean against the counter as a wave of dizziness hit him. He tried to hide it, but it was obviously too late.
"Here Connor, come and sit down so I can look at your head".
Connor reluctantly complied with the request and let out a loud huff of air when he sat down. "I'm fine Danny; I really need to get back to work".
"Not until I check you out. Besides, I promised Abby, so please don't get me in trouble with her ok mate".
Connor put his head back and closed his eyes as Danny probed his head.
"Well it looks like you'll live Connor, but might I suggest you go home for the night?"
"Oh not you too Danny; I should have known Abby would put you up to this". He wanted to wave him off and get up, but he felt Danny apply a little pressure to his shoulders preventing his escape.
"She is just worried about you; and so am I. This can all wait until tomorrow".
Connor looked over at Trina; who by now had stopped working to watch the show, "No I can't; I need to get this done".
"If you feel like you have to prove something to Lester, than you're wrong".
"No, I don't care what he thinks. I need to do this for myself Danny".
Connor had stopped talking, but Danny could tell there was more to the story than his friend was admitting to. "Well I didn't say you had to stop doing it, I just meant that it can wait until tomorrow".
"No, it needs to be done tonight".
Danny could see the conversation was starting to upset him so he decided not to pursue the notion of leaving. Instead he stayed and helped Connor as best as he could all the while trying to avoid Trina.
"What are you still doing here?"
As Connor heard Lester's voice, he stopped what he was doing and looked up from his work. He was about to say something when Trina's voice sounded off.
"We're almost done here, it won't be long now". She seemed pleased with herself and waited eagerly for a response.
"Well this can wait until tomorrow. I want everyone to go home now". Instead of waiting for a response Lester turned and addressed Connor personally, "Connor, now that you are living at Abby's I expect you to come and get your stuff out of my place and don't forget to take your pets".
Connor just stared at him as he left. He was surprised that Lester wasn't mad that everything wasn't done, but he was ok with going home. He had stayed longer than he had wanted, but now he could go home and get some sleep. A small smile came over his face at the thought of being able to call Abby's place home again. He would not miss living at Lester's house at all.
Danny noticed Connor's smile but chose not to say anything. "Well I can drive you home Connor".
"Ok mate; that sounds good". He picked up his jacket that he had tossed on the floor earlier in the day when he noticed that Trina had gone back to work. He knew what she was up to and he was willing to stay to prove to everyone that he was still capable of doing this job.
Luckily Danny saved the day, "Trina, Lester said that everyone had to go home".
Trina responded without looking at him, "I just want to get a few more things done before I go".
Danny walked over to her and grabbed the screwdriver out of her hand, "He said everyone so that means you too".
Trina was about to object, but the look on Danny's face convinced her that he was not backing down on this. "Ok, I'll leave".
Danny and Connor made sure that she left the room first before exiting themselves.
Abby had been relieved to have Connor home. She had prepared some food for him, but he was asleep on the couch before she had a chance to give it to him. Instead of waking him so he could move to his bed, she just covered him up and went to clean up the kitchen.
As Connor lay sleeping his mind started dreaming. He found himself looking out toward a green field and the same woman he had dreamt of before was there, only this time he could see her better. He didn't know this woman's name, but somehow he knew they were close. He walked toward her but she never seemed to get any closer to him. In fact it almost seemed like she was starting to slip away.
He tried to find his voice and call out to her, but he couldn't. He felt totally helpless and was starting to panic. He stopped moving in hopes she would as well. It seemed to work, but her appearance was once again getting blurry; as it had been the first time he dreamed of her. He was feeling desperate to say something to her when she suddenly came into full view and was no longer fuzzy. It only lasted a second but in that brief moment she uttered, "You have to stop her".
Connors eyes opened suddenly. The image of the woman was clear in his mind, as were her words. The only problem was he didn't know who this woman was or what she meant.
Chapter 5:
Connor woke up feeling stiff. As he sat up he instantly knew what caused the pain in his back. He had fallen asleep on the couch again. He swung his legs over the side and covered his face with his hands as he leaned forward. The backache wasn't the only thing he woke up with; he was also starting to feel a headache coming on.
A quick glance at the clock revealed it was still early, but he knew he needed to get up. He thought some food would help his head and fill his stomach in case he needed his pills; he always hating taking them on an empty stomach.
He got up and sauntered over to the refrigerator. Once there he pulled out the juice and some butter for toast. He didn't feel like making too much food since he didn't really feel very hungry, but it should be enough.
He was sitting at the table when Abby sleepily entered the room.
"Hey Connor, you're up kind of early. Is there anything wrong?"
He slowly lifted his head as he answered, "No, I was just ready to get up. I'm sorry if I woke you up". He knew she was also not much of a morning person.
"It was time for me to get up. How long have you been up anyway?"
Connor had no idea, "I don't know; what time is it".
"It's 7 in the morning".
"Oh", was all he said when he realized that he had been sitting at the table for over 2 hours. A quick sip of his juice confirmed the time as he found it to be room temperature.
Abby took a seat next to Connor, "I take it you've been up for awhile".
Connor didn't answer right away, but managed to change the subject before Abby could say anymore. "I think I'll go take a shower before work".
Abby watched Connor get up and make his way to the bathroom. She couldn't tell what was wrong, but she knew that something was bothering him.
The anomaly alarm sounding off was the first thing that Danny noticed when he walked in. The second thing he noticed was Sarah and Becker getting supplies ready.
Becker looked up as Danny approached, "It's about time you showed up".
A quick smirk formed on Danny's face as he answered, "Where are we headed today?"
"Not sure Danny, but now that you are here we can get going".
Danny looked around and noticed there was something missing. He saw Becker and Sarah there, but he didn't see Abby and Connor.
As if Sarah had read his mind she answered his question, "Abby had to take Connor to the emergency room so they won't be joining us this trip".
Danny was instantly concerned at the mention of the emergency room, "what happened?"
"Connor tripped down the stairs on his way to work this morning so Abby was going to have his leg looked at. She said it wasn't bad but she didn't want to take any chances. I imagine they will be here waiting for us when we get back".
Danny was relieved to hear it wasn't serious. "Well let's get going then". He hadn't gone out on any missions since he had gotten back and he was sort of looking forward to it since it would mean things were finally getting back to normal.
As they headed out toward the truck Danny couldn't help but notice Trina standing with Lester. He thought she was starting to look awfully comfortable here, but he tried not to let it bother him.
The nurse walked up to Abby, who was reading one of the many outdated magazines that were scattered about the waiting room. "Excuse me; you came in with Connor Temple, didn't you?"
Abby put the magazine down, "Yes, is there something wrong?"
"No, there's nothing to worry about. The doctor was wondering if you wanted to go back into the examination room and sit with your friend while he waited for the x-ray results".
Abby let out a sigh of relief when she found out it was nothing serious. She figured he would have x-rays done while he was here and it would probably take some time to get them done. "Sure, which room is he in?"
The nurse pointed toward the back of the room, "Go down that hallway and turn left. He is in room 4".
"Thanks".
It didn't take Abby long to find the room. She knocked on the door before entering and found Connor sitting up on the exam table with ice on his ankle. She could tell he felt miserable, but didn't mention it, "Hey Connor, they said I could come in and keep you company while you waited for your x-rays".
Connor gave her a half smile; his voice filled with obvious discomfort as he responded, "I was hoping they would let you come back. I hate sitting in these rooms".
Abby knew he didn't like hospitals or doctors, but she never really knew why. She figured someday she would ask, but today was not the right time. "So what did they say about your ankle; do they think you broke it?"
He shook his head, "No, they think it is just a minor sprain, but it hurts enough that I wouldn't be surprised if it wasn't broken".
Abby remembered the last time she had to help him get around after hurting his ankle. He hadn't broken it then, but she knew he was in a lot of pain.
There was not much conversation between the two as they waited. It was mainly just small talk which made Abby feel a little awkward. She knew Connor better than this so why was it so hard to talk to him. She didn't have to worry about it long. She was only in the room for 15 minutes when the doctor knocked on the door and came in.
"Hi, I'm Doctor Wilson, you must be Connor's friend?"
Abby grasped the doctors extended hand for a handshake, "Yes, thanks for letting me sit with him".
"So Connor, is the ice helping any?" The doctor asked the question while he placed some x-rays in the lighted panel on the wall.
"It helped numb the area, so yeah I guess it has helped".
"Glad to hear that. You will also be glad to know that you didn't break it again. Frankly I am surprised that you didn't do more harm to it considering the amount of scar tissue from your last break".
Connor looked confused, "What are you talking about? I've never broken my ankle before".
"Well that's not what your x-ray says". The doctor pointed to an area on the ankle bone, "You see this area and the way it looks darker and fuzzier than the other areas? Well this tells me that you broke this bone pretty bad and the way it healed left scarring on the bone".
"But I don't remember ever breaking my ankle. Is it possible from the x-ray to indicate how long ago this happened, maybe it was when I was too little to remember".
"No, the break actually looks pretty recent, at least in the last 2 years maybe".
Connor didn't ask any more questions. Instead he looked over at Abby to see what she was thinking. He couldn't really tell what the look on her face meant, but it was enough to see that she was also thinking about what the doctor had just told them.
If the doctor found the information a bit strange, he didn't seem to show it. "Well, I would suggest that you stay off that leg of yours for awhile; allow it some time to heal properly. I am going to give you a prescription for some pain killers and have the nurse fit you with some crutches for the next couple of weeks. I also recommend you elevating it when you're not standing. Do you have any questions for me?"
"No I don't think so; thank you doctor".
Abby stayed with Connor while the nurse gave him his prescription and fitted him to crutches that were the right height. When the nurse left the room, she helped him out of the building toward her car. "Well I think that I should take you back home so you can rest your leg".
"No, can we just go to the ARC for a while. I really need to keep working on the computer system. I can rest my leg later".
Abby started the car and turned to Connor, she could tell he was in pain, "Well I know that talking you out of going to work is a waste of time".
The drive to work was similar to the wait she had in the exam room; quiet. But this gave her time to think about what the doctor had said to Connor. How could he not remember breaking his ankle; especially if it happened in the last couple of years? The closest she knew to him hurting his ankle was back when they were looking for Helen and then ended up in an altered future. But he hadn't broken it; actually he hadn't done too much damage to it at all because as soon as he finally came back through the anomaly to their own time, there was nothing wrong with his ankle. She planned on talking to Danny about this when she got to work. This was just another thing to add to the mystery surrounding Connor. They hadn't really talked about what happened when Connor failed to come through the same anomaly they had, but this might be the subject to start talking about what happened to him. She had lots of questions and it was time to start getting some answers.
Chapter 6:
Connor slowly made his way into the building while Abby held the door open for him. He ignored the stares of sympathy he was getting from those watching him and made his way to his usual work area. He was expecting to find things just the way he left them but was surprised when he found that everything from the night before had been put back together. He saw Trina sitting in his chair and he was not happy about it.
Trina looked up to find the source of the noise and found a very unhappy looking face. "Hi Connor, I heard about your mishap, I do hope you are ok?"
Connor was in no mood to have a chat with her. "I'll be better when you get out of my chair".
"I was only working on the new specs that were put in. I have managed to re-align some of the old parameters and I have finally gotten the new program running. It will need some tests before we can be sure how it works, but it should improve things greatly".
Connor was about to object to everything she said when Lester entered the room. "Well Connor, it is so nice of you to join us, but as you can see we have everything under control. I think the best thing for you would be to go home and rest; you don't look in any condition to be working today". He looked over at Abby who had followed Connor into the room, "Abby, I would like you to take Connor home, and make sure he stays home until he is feeling better".
Abby liked the idea of Connor going home, but she didn't like how Lester was treating him. She thought the tone in his voice was a little condescending and she had to wonder how much of this was attributed to Trina. She walked over to stand next to Connor, "Come on Connor, I think Lester is right about you resting".
Connor had had enough. Usually he was just a happy go lucky kind of guy that was just happy to be noticed and taken seriously once in awhile, but there was something about this whole set up that was not making him very happy. "I'm fine Lester; I think I would be of much better use here".
"This is not up for debate Connor". Without giving Connor a chance to protest, Lester left the room.
Abby took Connors arm and was surprised by his strength as he resisted her attempt at pulling him out of the room. She never remembered him feeling so strong before, but then again she had never paid much attention to it. She was also surprised by his behavior; which had changed ever since they had gotten him back. She pulled at his arm again and was thankful that he obliged her request.
Trina inwardly smiled to herself after the two of them left the room.
Abby had seen Connor mad before, but the way he acted on the way home was something altogether new. She knew he was upset, but she thought he would get over it before they got home. She couldn't have been more wrong.
She turned off the car and rushed over to the passenger's side after arriving home. She opened the door and couldn't help but feel sympathy for Connor. They were only a few minutes away from her place when his head started pounding. She knew it was a bad headache when he doubled over in pain and placed his head in his hands for the rest of the ride home. "Come on Connor, let me help you inside".
Connor wanted to get of the car, but it was as if moving his hands away from this head would make things worse. He resisted the tug on his arm at first, but it was when he felt her hands reached out and pull his own hands away from his face that he felt he could move.
Abby's first instinct when she couldn't get him to move was to take him straight to the hospital, but she didn't want to upset him anymore than he already was so she kept trying. When she finally got him out of the car she felt his body go limp as he leaned on her for support. She did her best and soon she had him inside and sitting on the couch.
Within minutes she had Connors pain pills and a cold towel for his head. "Here Connor, I want you to take these". She handed him the pills and waited for him to pop them in his mouth. She thought he would say something about the number of pills he was taking, but when he didn't she was glad. She had remembered the doctor telling her that he could take more if needed and she felt this was one of those times. Once he had taken the water and swallowed the pills she gently pushed him down so he could lay down. Once he had his head on the pillow she put the cold towel on his forehead and stroked his hair until he closed his eyes.
With 20 minutes Connor was fast asleep. Abby covered him up with a blanket, put his sore leg up on a pillow and went into the kitchen to retrieve her phone. She wanted to discuss the day's events with Danny.
The first thing Danny saw when he entered Abby's place was Connor sleeping on the couch, "How's he doing Abby".
"I don't know Danny. Ever since we came back things just don't seem the same; especially with Connor. I can't quite place my finger on it, but there is something different with Connor".
Danny pondered Abby's words for a minute. He had also noticed slight differences, but didn't want to say anything. But Abby's admission was something he had been waiting for. Perhaps they could figure out what was going on before anyone else figured it out.
Danny wasn't around the last time someone came through the anomaly and things had changed, but he remembered hearing about the tale of when it happened to Nick Cutter. Abby had told him that he had insisted that Jenny had really been someone else to him, but never did anything about it for fear that they would have removed him from the whole operation. He knew that Abby and Connor had in the end believed him; but knew there was nothing they could do to change it. If the events were associated with someone having traveled to another time; there was no changing it if they didn't know exactly where and when it happened. They all knew that to change events while they were on a case could be detrimental to another time so they did what they could to make sure things stayed the same. He also knew that if something had happened to Connor while he was missing; there was nothing they could do about it now. They would have to make the most of it; but he just hoped it was in their favor.
Abby led Danny into the kitchen, "Would you like some tea Danny?"
Danny took a seat at the table, "Yeah that sounds good. So what did the doctor say about his ankle?"
"He said it wasn't broken, but he was to rest and stay off of it as much as possible". She paused, not sure if she should tell him the rest. She finished pouring the water for the tea; which gave her enough time to decide. "He said something else that I thought was odd".
Danny took the offered cup from Abby, "What was that".
"He said that he didn't break it this time, but was surprised he hadn't; considering the break he had had in the last couple of years was a bad one".
"What's odd about that?"
"Connor didn't remember ever breaking it and if it was in the last couple of years I don't remember it either. I thought maybe he had hurt his ankle worse that we thought before we got back to our own time, but when he finally came through there was absolutely nothing wrong with his leg. And then there are all the other things", she suddenly stopped, unsure if she should say anything more.
Danny had been listening very intently and didn't like it when she stopped. "Abby, you've been noticing things too, haven't you?"
She knew she was busted. She felt a combination of relief and fear; of relief that she was not crazy and of fear that she was correct in that the Connor that came through that day was not the same Connor they went into the past with.
Chapter 7:
Connor looked out toward the greenest field he had ever seen. He never knew something could be so beautiful, so captivating. He didn't have a clue as to how he had gotten here, but for some reason it didn't seem to matter. He just kept moving forward on the small overgrown trail, not sure of where it led.
He walked the trail for some time; all the while allowing the majestic view to consume his thoughts. The ground was so covered with overgrowth that he had stopped paying attention to the road ahead. Had he been looking he would have seen that he was headed for a large hole. Had he been watching he would have been able to stop the excruciating pain that was about to be inflicted on his already sore ankle.
"ARRRGH", Connors ankle had nowhere else to go but down into the hole; the ground swallowed up his bad ankle. Before he had a chance to think about what he was doing he moved forward in an attempt to rescue his leg. The sound that he heard was that of bone breaking. The next sound that he heard was the cry of pain that came from his mouth as the rest of his body fell to the ground.
He slowly pulled his leg up from the hole, trying not to pass out from the pain. Once it was out he lay back while holding his leg. He wanted to shout out for help, but since he had no idea of where he was he didn't know if anyone would come. He felt a wave a nausea flow through him; which only made things worse. He closed his eyes in hoping the feeling would go away.
He didn't know how long he had been lying the on the ground, but he knew he had to figure out where he was and find some help. He still had his eyes closed when he felt as if he were no longer alone. He slowly opened his eyes to find out that his senses were still intact. He found that he was staring at a woman who he had never seen before yet he somehow knew who she was. His pain was momentarily forgotten as he looked at her face. He could see that she was talking to him, but his ears heard nothing. He wanted to ask her to speak up but never got the chance. The image before him started to blur. Soon he could only see a fuzzy outline of her. He reached his hand toward her to make her stop and cried out "Wait, don't leave me, who are you?"
Abby was sitting at the kitchen table with Danny when she heard Connor cry out. She was on her feet within seconds to check on him; Danny wasn't too far behind.
Abby could tell that he was still asleep, but he had one hand reaching up toward the ceiling while the other one was cradling his leg. She went over and grabbed his extended arm and pushed it back down, "Connor, wake up".
The image of the woman was almost gone when Connor started to hear someone calling his name. He thought that perhaps the woman he had seen was coming back to him so he kept his eyes focused on the last spot she had been. He would have continued watching, but the pain in his ankle suddenly flared up, causing him to close his eyes against the pain.
It was Abby's third attempt to wake him when his eyes suddenly opened. A feeling of relief flooded through her body, but it was short lived. She looked in his eyes, but could tell he wasn't entirely awake. She could also see that he was in pain, but it was the look of confusion that worried her. He was looking at her as if he had never seen her before. She was actually glad when he closed his eyes again.
For the brief moment his eyes were open Connor had been confused. He had just been in one place only to close his eyes and open them to a new place. He looked at the woman before him and knew who she was, but it had been so long since he had seen her that he was having a hard time believing it. He had to shut his eyes again to see if his mind would clear.
Abby held on to Connors hand waiting for him to do something. She knew that Danny was watching her but was glad he was staying out of the way. She felt Connor's body start to shake; almost as if he were shivering, so she grabbed the blanket off the floor and covered him up. When he finally opened his eyes he had stopped shaking.
Connor opened his eyes again. He saw Abby's face and smiled. "Abby, what's wrong?"
Abby didn't know how to respond. She wasn't expecting the question so she paused before answering. "Connor, you were crying out in your sleep, and you looked like you were in pain?"
Connor sat up; with some assistance from Abby. "My leg does hurt, but I don't remember crying out".
"That's ok, as long as you're good now".
"I'm kinda hungry actually, is there something to eat in the kitchen". Connor looked toward the kitchen and found that he was not alone with Abby, "Hey Danny, when did you get here?"
Danny smiled, "I've been here awhile, just waiting for you to wake up".
"Super, I'm awake now and I'm starving. Are you going to stay for a while?"
"Sure Connor". Danny went over and helped Abby get Connor to his feet. Silence filled the air as the three made their way to the kitchen.
Once Connor was seated, Danny and Abby went over to the counter to fix him something to eat, "What was that all about Abby, it's almost as if he didn't remember anything from the first time he woke up".
Abby had been thinking the same thing, "I know, but I don't think he was fully awake the first time. Maybe we should talk about this later, ok".
"Sure Abby".
Connor ate while Danny and Abby sat with him. Both were hoping that he would tell them about his dream, but he never offered anything. The conversation was mostly work related since Connor thought of nothing but going back tomorrow and getting Trina away from his computers.
It didn't take Connor long to grow tired again, but this time he fell asleep in his own bed.
After helping him get to his bed, Abby went back down to where Danny waited.
"I take it he fell asleep again?"
"Yeah, I just hope it's a restful one. I wonder what he was dreaming about. He was asking someone to not leave him, what do you think that could be about?"
Danny scratched his head. He hadn't known Connor all that long so he didn't even want to try and guess. "I'm sure it was nothing. We have all been through a lot lately so I think it's only natural that some of us are having more trouble adjusting than others".
Abby wasn't convinced this was the right answer, "I don't know Danny, there is just something wrong and I don't think I am going to be able to relax until I can figure it out. Connor just seems so different at times, but then other times he seems exactly the same. Do you think it's possible he's not the same Connor?"
"I don't know what it could be Abby, but I would bet money that it has something to do with the time he was missing between our altered realities. I have been thinking a lot about this lately and there is something missing that we need to figure out, and it has to do with where ever he went or for that matter what time he went to. I've also been thinking a lot more about our newest coworker".
Abby wondered when the topic of Trina would come up.
"I've been watching her and I don't like what I have been seeing. She has gotten herself in tight with Lester a little too quickly and I'm afraid if we don't watch it she's going to be the death of us".
Authors Note: I went and revised chapters 1-7 in January 2011 and will be working on the other chapters in an attempt to get myself back into this story so that I can finish it. The changes made the chapters are only to fix the spelling and grammatical errors. The plot is still the same. I also thought I would put more chapters together so that anyone reading it can read the first 7 chapters without having to click on the page. I will be working on the next chapters and hopefully I will have this story finished. It is my oldest unfinished story on this site and I always said that I would never leave an unfinished story up, so I either have to finish it or get rid of it. I would like to finish it so that everyone who wanted to finish it could see where I was going with it. I guess it was the start of season 4 that prompted me to want to finish this. I can't say I am totally happy with the way they are doing season 4, but for the most part I am enjoying it and hope to see more.
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