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a missing scene from Primeval's Series 4 Episode 1

by phoebenpiper

[Author's Note: Contains SPOILERS for Primeval's Series 4 Episode 1!]

"I'm serious, Abby. This is the tastiest cappuccino I've ever had. You sure you don't want a sip?"

"No thanks, Connor."

Connor could hear the exhaustion and gloom in Abby's voice as they slowly climbed the stairs. She'd seemed to take Lester's news about the ARC harder than he had, and Connor would swear she hadn't smiled once since they'd left the office. She hadn't even ordered anything from the coffee shop, even though Becker had offered to buy them whatever they wanted. After a year of eating roots and grubs, if Abby didn't want some REAL food, clearly she was upset.

Not that Connor wasn't upset as well. The idea that they were no longer welcome on the team, that all the work they'd done with Cutter and Danny was being tossed out like an empty bottle of Ribena, was disappointing, to say the least. Sure, they'd seemingly jumped directly from the frying pan into the fire, but at least this "fire" didn't have raptors that were eager to turn them into a meal. He and Abby could deal with the new ARC situation in the morning - for now, Connor wasn't going to let discouragement ruin his buzz.

"You know, Abby, this caffeine seems to be going straight to my head. I guess not having a single drop of coffee for an entire year really lowered my tolerance. And just think - if a simple cappuccino is affecting me like this, imagine what a pint of ale might do to me. I might be the cheapest date in history right now."

Connor was pleased to see the hint of a smile cross Abby's face, so he quickly continued, "So what'dya say, Abby? You wanna take me out for a drink tonight and then take advantage me?" He wiggled his eyebrows mischievously, but Abby merely frowned in response.

"I'm tired, Connor. I don't want to go out for cappuccinos or ale or anything. All I want to do is go home..."

Connor heard her trail off on the word "home" and knew exactly how she felt. No matter how fancy this apartment was that the company was sending them to - and by the looks of the hallway, it was way higher brow than he was used to - it wasn't really home. He and Abby had struggled for a whole year to come home, and now home no longer even existed - their flat had long since been rented to someone else, and all of their belongings had been dispersed. Even Rex and Sid and Nancy were now tucked away inside the ARC's new menagerie.

Yet Connor WAS home. He was with Abby, and for the first time in a year he didn't have to worry about them being eaten in their sleep. They were safe and they were together, and that was all the "home" Connor needed.

Though a hot shower would feel awfully nice right about now.

"Here, Connor," Abby said, finally stopping in a front of a door. "891. This is it."

She unlocked the door, and out of habit Connor entered first, his arm raised, ready to defend them both from any creature that might be inside. But there were no creatures to attack, no den to defend. This was London, 2011, and this was simply an empty apartment.

An empty, incredibly ritzy apartment! Everything in the place was dazzlingly white - a "colour" Connor and Abby hadn't really seen in the brown and green world of the Cretaceous.

"Wow!" Connor said, looking around in awe as Abby shut and locked the door behind them. "Philip Burton certainly didn't spare any expense on this, did he?" Connor popped his head into the bedroom and grinned. "A queen-sized bed, Abby! With real pillows! And a comfy duvet, not just your crinkly old survival blanket." Hurrying into the toilet across the hall, he called out, "And toilet paper, Abby. REAL toilet paper! I never realized before how much I truly love toilet paper. And showers! I love showers! I call dibs on the first shower!"

A strange noise caught Connor's attention and he quickly returned to the front hall to find Abby still standing by the door, quietly sobbing.

Connor felt like a heel. "I'm sorry," he said, rushing to Abby's side and tenderly taking her shoulders in his hands. "I didn't mean to upset you. I was just being selfish. Of course you can have the first shower!"

Abby shook her head, unable to speak through her tears, and fell, exhausted, against his chest. As he protectively enveloped her in his arms, her body was wracked with heavy, uncontrollable sobs that Connor guessed had nothing to do with who would shower first. He held her trembling body tight; all thoughts of showers, pillows, and cappuccinos disappeared, for in that moment, all that existed for him was Abby's misery.

. . .

It was a combination of the coffee table light spontaneously switching on and the pins and needles in her foot reaching a critical level that finally roused Abby. As she stretched out her leg, shaking her foot to try to get the circulation going again, she slowly realized that the lights must be on automatic timers, since no doubt this flat was left empty most of the time.

Abby glanced up and noticed that Connor had dozed off as well. She vaguely remembered Connor at some point leading them both away from the door and over to the couch but couldn't remember much beyond that. She wondered how long they'd been asleep - her watch having died months ago, she'd lost all concept of time. Of course, hours and minutes hadn't meant that much in the Cretaceous; but now that they were back to reality, she was going to have to readjust.

In fact, she was going to have to readjust to a lot of things and come to terms with all they'd been through.

Including what had just happened.

A wave of embarrassment washed over her as she thought about her breakdown. She knew that Connor would want an explanation - she simply couldn't let him think that he'd caused it by anything he'd said - but she didn't know what to tell him. She wasn't entirely sure herself why she'd collapsed into tears the moment they'd reached the apartment, although a quiet moment of reflection might've made the answer clear.

For an entire year, she'd been continually on her guard - her very life had depended upon her constant vigilance. And while at times she'd despaired, convinced that they were trapped in the past forever, she'd never once cried in front of Connor. She hadn't wanted him to know how vulnerable she really was, how scared she'd really been. In essence, she simply hadn't wanted to let him down.

Since they'd returned through the anomaly, everything had been a whirlwind of activity and information: being chased by the Spinosaurus; Connor dropping Helen's device, their one chance to track down Danny; learning of Sarah's death and the changes at the ARC. Connor had seemed to take everything in stride, but it had all worn on Abby's already fried nerves.

So once inside the apartment, truly safe for the first time in over a year, Abby had finally been able to relax. And once her guard was down, all the anxiety, fear, and despair she'd kept bottled up for so long came rushing out. It'd felt so good to let it all go in the safety and comfort of Connor's tight hold.

Once her sobs had run their course, exhaustion had overcome her and she'd dozed off. The quick kip had helped refresh her tired body, but her mind was still numb. Now awake but still held tight in Connor's sleeping arms, she didn't want to think about what was to become of them or what new challenges they must now face - she merely wanted to stay in this thoughtless void, free from fear and anguish, for as long as possible. She snuggled closer to Connor's warm chest and closed her eyes, savoring the sanctuary of his loving embrace.

However, this moment didn't last. Another light in the living room where they now sat spontaneously turned on, awaking Connor from his kip. As he jerked awake, Abby felt every muscle in his arms and chest tense up as if instantly on the defensive, an instinctual response to the life they'd been living in the Cretaceous. She could sense, however, when awareness of their new situation dawned on him for his muscles relaxed and he sighed, groggily wiping his eyes with his one free hand.

Abby turned her head slightly so she could smile up at him.

"Hey," she greeted quietly.

"Hey," he mindlessly responded. Instantly, though, he must've remembered how they'd ended up here together on the couch for his muscles again tensed and his eyes filled with concern as he looked down at her.

"Are you...okay?" he tentatively asked.

It was the question Abby had been dreading ever since she'd awakened, but she was no longer embarrassed by the truth. She now realized that it was okay to be vulnerable in front of Connor - after all, she trusted him with all her heart and soul.

"I am now," she said, snuggling against him.

But Connor pulled his arm out from under her and shook it, explaining, "Sorry. Arm's asleep."

Abby smiled and sat up, giving him more room to stretch and wriggle his fingers. He then turned to her, gently asking, "Are you sure you're okay?"

The look of love and concern in his eyes made her realize that, no matter what happened next, everything was going to be all right. Even in this strange, foreign apartment, they were now home.

"I'm fine now." Grinning, she added, "And I'll be even better after a long hot shower. Race ya!"

And sleepy Connor was left in the dust as Abby leapt up from the couch and bolted for the bathroom.

. . .