Title: Traditions: Connor and Abby

Author: Pinkcat4569

Description: Traditions that the ARC staff carry out during the holidays are as varied and different as the people.

Rating: G

Characters/Pairing: Abby/Connor

Disclaimer: I write only for fun. I don't own Primeval or the characters.

Author's Note: I envisioned this as one chapter for each character or pair. I saw Abby and Connor first. Becker/Jess took over naturally, and the chapter for them is very long like twenty pages. Emily is very short, maybe less than one page. So the chapters are now stories, each one in the Traditions series. They vary in length as I said. Thanks!

737 Words, this story.

Traditions: Connor and Abby: Caring For Strays

The holidays came upon the ARC once more. The staff were busy with their personal traditions.

Abby pushed the shopping trolley as Connor threw blankets in. "Gray aliens for Duncan, Lord of the Rings for Trevor, spaceships for Zachariah, and the Harry Potter is for..."

"Suzanne," said Abby, checking off their list.

"Right," Connor said. He chuckled. "She's so cute. When I asked her what she needed she got all shy."

Abby nodded. "I worry about her."

"I worry about all of them. They need to socialize more."

Abby laughed. "Says my former geek."

He put his hands on his hips. "That's a fine way for a wife to talk. What do you mean 'former?" He smiled proudly.

She shook her head, chuckling. "You get out more since you've met me...and the anomalies."

Connor pulled towels off the shelf, also in sci-fi themes. "I don't remember many social gatherings in the Cretaceous, Abs."

She laughed again as they moved to kitchen aisle. "I was talking about how you have more mates now."

"I had mates before."

"Yeah, but they were all the same: like you," she said as he put several sci-fi themed plates in the cart. "We have these all at home, you know."

He smiled. "So me and my mates have the same tastes. What is wrong with that?"

She smiled and kissed him. "Nothing. I like you the way are...a lot."

He blushed and giggled.

"I just think it's healthier that now you have friends with other tastes," she said.

"Yeah, like guns and hurting people."

She laughed.

Connor put some plain, boring steel pots and pans in the trolley. "Now they can cook."

"Right, let's get them some food."

He nodded. They bought the stuff and drove to a grocery store.

"Let's split up," said Abby. "I'll get actual nutrition. You can get the junk."

"I prefer 'comfort food,' Abby."

She laughed. "Everyone needs comfort."

"They do."

Abby got meat, cheese, vegetables, milk, and bread. Connor got crisps, biscuits, pork rinds, beef jerky, candy, and soda.

They stood back and looked at two carts overflowing. "This is gonna hurt," Connor said, pulling out his wallet. "Especially after the dent the other store made in our funds."

"It's for a good cause," Abby said. She smiled at him. "I'm proud of you, Conn. You're a good guy."

He shrugged. "I know what it's like to spend the holidays alone," he said, "that is...before you."

She smiled and kissed him deeply. They stood silently, holding on to each other.

Finally Connor said, "OK, let's get this over with," and they began checking out.

They filled their car. They had to push things in, it was so full. "We'll have to stop at home before the pet store," said Connor. "You buy more stuff feeding your strays then I do feeding mine."

Abby laughed as she sat in the driver's seat. "True. Boy, it's been a long time that I've been taking stuff to animal shelters and vets' offices. I started so small too, just helping a few reptiles."

"And now you feed all the lost animals in London."

"Not all, Connor," she said, pulling out of the parking lot. "Let's go home, organize this stuff, and maybe make a few deliveries tonight. Tomorrow we'll start with the animals."

"Sounds good to me," said Connor. "I'd like to drop by Duncan and Suzanne tonight, make sure Duncan remembered to eat and see how Suzanne is holding up." He sighed. "I wish her family wasn't so..."

"Horrible? Imagine, disowning your daughter just because she loves another woman."

Connor shook his head. "I know, it is horrible. They didn't even reach out to her when Libby died."

"Every year I find more people I'd like to shove through an anomaly."

Connor laughed. "Abby..."

She gave him a sideways chuckle. "You know what? Let's drop these off, then go over and kidnap her."

"Kidnap?"

"Yeah, force her to spend the evening with us."

Connor laughed. "You're just trying to get free labor, aren't you?"

"We'll feed her, Connor."

"And she'll have company," he said. "Ooh! We can watch a sci-fi flick too!"

She laughed. "Sounds good."

He clapped his hands together. "Let's do it!"

"Let's," she said, driving to their home.

End of Story One. Next up: Emily