Connor sat against the door in his and Abby's bedroom just watching her sleep on the bed. He knew it was stupid, he knew that here they were safe and nothing would come to try and eat them if they were asleep at the same time. But a wakeup call from a Velociraptor leaves a lasting impression. He wondered briefly if that feeling, that nagging sense of imminent danger in the back of his head would ever fade. He doubted it would ever fully go away. He knew he could never forget that year in the cretaceous.

For a moment he let the memories wash over him. He let all the pain, all the hardships, danger, injuries, and suffering go by in his mind. Some parts of that year were an empty blur, and others were so vivid and real that he could almost swear they were happening right now. That world was like another planet. Full of wonder, and full of terror. The terrors came to mind easily and in vast numbers of teeth and claws, but one wonder stood out above everything. That wonder was still asleep in their bed, that wonder that had kept him alive and sane through the most horrific experience of his life. Abby Maitland was the most amazing woman he would ever know, and the only woman he would ever love. Over that year together all the awkwardness, the doubts and fears had melted away from both of them and they were finally together. They had left behind many parts of themselves to survive in the cretaceous. He knew that parts of him had died back there, parts that would never return. Both of them had. But they filled that space in each other, truly becoming two halves of a whole.

Suddenly there was a noise in the kitchen, suddenly he was on his feet back braced against the wall and his E.M.D. was up and ready. He didn't need to look to know Abby had woken as well, and was just as ready as he was. She was standing back in the room, ready to follow him out the door. Before they burst out side, the noise happened again, this time more steadily. Connor opened the door slightly to see Jess in the kitchen evidently making breakfast. He closed his eyes and softly banged his head on the wall as he powered down his gun. Abby wordlessly shut hers down as well and came to look. They both looked at one another for a moment and burst out laughing as silently as they could.

"I'm guessing Jess doesn't need to know about that does she" Connor suggested

"No. No she doesn't." Abby agreed still laughing, but suddenly she got serious. "You were on the floor weren't you?" She didn't judge him, she didn't seem angry or amused. She just held his gaze with an understanding no one else could ever have.

"Yeah. I still don't feel right if one of us isn't on watch."

She merely looked at him for a while. She knew how much he had sacrificed to stay alive in the cretaceous, just as she had sacrificed. She just put her hand on his cheek and kissed him lightly. She knew in some ways, they would never leave the cretaceous.

Jess knocked on the door and then burst in without waiting for a response "Just wanted to tell you guys that breakfast should be ready in a couple of minutes." She popped back out again cheerfully, evidently not having noticed the drawn guns.