Disclaimer: Primeval does not belong to me, this is fan fiction, not for profit.
Any references to people, places, businesses etc is entirely fictitious.
3.5-7 Shark
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Sarah stood on the stoop, tapping the toes of her boot as she pressed the button beside the door to the flat. An answering buzz let her know to open the door. She stepped cautiously inside.
"Come on up," shouted Abby from somewhere within the building.
"Where are you?" called Sarah as she shifted the brown leather hobo bag on her shoulder and began to climb the stairs. The sound of a blow dryer starting up answered her question.
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Sarah looked around Abby's flat curiously. A comfy overstuffed sofa sat against one wall. A punching bag hung from a hook on the ceiling. A lizard swooped down from the ceiling. Sarah's dark eyes opened up wide. She backed up a step, and then another. Sarah backed into something.
Keeping one eye warily watching the flying lizard, Sarah tried to peek over her shoulder to see what she had bumped into. A glass tank, an aquarium with no fish, mused Sarah. Then something in the tank slithered.
"Augh!"
Sarah moved rapidly away from the snake in the tank, heedless of the lizard circling overhead. Abby ran into the living room, her short blue checkered skirt flouncing with every step. Abby turned her head to follow the direction of Sarah's gaze.
"Oh," sighed Abby.
Quickly moving towards the snake, Abby reached in and picked up the creature. It happily wrapped itself around the petite blonde. Abby ran one delicate finger down the side of the snake's jaw line. The creature flicked a bright pink tongue out.
"You scared him," accused Abby.
"Him?" asked Sarah indignantly. "What about me?"
Abby carefully settled the snake back in its tank, stroking it gently to calm the creature. Then she turned to look at her friend. Abby blinked her blue eyes.
"You?" Abby asked with a impish grin. "Were you scared?"
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The two friends were walking quickly down the sidewalk. The pub, neon green sign blinking The Randy Fox, Beer, Ale and Billiards, could be seen on the corner ahead of them.
"It really looks like a dive," commented Sarah uncomfortably.
"Yeah," agreed Abby "my brother's kind of place, not one I'd pick."
"You should have brought your brother," said Sarah.
"Can't bring Jack," replied Abby in surprise, "if that low-life that fleeced him see's me with Jack, there's no chance I'll get a game."
"Are you sure this is a good idea?" asked Sarah doubtfully as they reached the entrance to the pub.
"Yeah," answered Abby "I'm sure. All you have to do is point the stick at the ball and tap it."
Abby pulled open the heavy door to the pub. Strident music blared out through the open door. Sarah shuddered, took a deep breath and stepped inside.
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The pub was still fairly empty this early in the evening. A couple of older men were at the bar. A waitress was wiping down tables in the front seating area. The green felt table was in the back of the pub. Two men were playing, they were nearly finished.
Abby and Sarah sat at a nearby booth and ordered a pint. The smaller of the two men sank his last shot as the waitress brought their drinks. Abby took a quick sip and then nodded at Sarah. Abby walked towards the two men.
"May we have the next game?" Abby asked. "My friend and I want to play."
The two men exchanged a glance. The taller man smirked a little.
"How about if we play partners," he suggested. "I really don't want to lose the table. In this pub, winner keeps the table."
"Perfect," agreed Abby. She turned to Sarah and beckoned her forward.
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Sarah held the wooden cue tightly in her hands. She looked nervous. Across the table, the shorter of the two men racked up the balls. The taller man sat the eight ball on the table in front of Sarah.
"Are you ready?" he asked.
Sarah nodded yes, but Abby nodded no.
"What?"
"You have to chalk the cue," explained Abby, handing the dark haired woman a little blue cube. "Then, hit the black ball into the others."
Abby and Sarah pretended not to notice the two men exchanging a glance. The taller man smirked again. Behind them, the bar was beginning to fill with other patrons.
"What do you say we make this interesting," asked the taller man. He reached into his shirt pocket and pulled out some money. He set the bank notes on the side of the billiard table. "A little friendly wager, perhaps?"
Abby looked at the money on the table. Jack had been taken for more than double that amount. She looked up at the tall man, opening her blue eyes wide as she reached into the little inside pocket on her denim jacket. She took out a matching amount of money and set it down beside the first.
"Each?"
Sarah and the shorter man both added money to the side of the table. The game began.
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Sarah's first tentative shot knocked the black ball into the others, scattering them. None of the balls fell into the pockets. The shorter man shook his head regretfully.
"Bad break," he commiserated, stepping up to the table. "My turn."
The shorter man looked at the lay of the balls on the table.
"Stripes," he called.
He lined up his cue and tapped the eight ball gently, knocking a striped ball into the corner pocket. His second shot placed a ball right on the edge of the middle pocket. It hung there for a moment, and then settled back on the green felt of the table.
"Aww," sighed Sarah "shame."
Abby elbowed her friend.
"My turn," Abby said. She nodded. "Back corner pocket."
Abby lined up her cue and struck the eight ball hard. A solid colored ball fell into the far corner pocket. She called her next shot and sank it as well. Abby called her third shot, and leaned over the table to line up the tricky shot. As the ball went into the middle pocket, the two men exchanged a glance, but this time… they weren't smiling.
The petite blonde leaned over the table, lining up her fourth shot. The taller man picked up his cue and walked over to stand behind her. He appeared to be appraising the layout of the table. As Abby went to strike her cue, the short man started coughing violently. The sudden noise startled Abby. Her cue struck the eight ball on its side, causing it to miss the target ball completely.
"Aww, shame," said the tall man. His lips curled up in an unpleasant grin as Abby stared at him. "My turn."
Abby seethed inwardly as she backed away from the table. The tall man called and sank the next three striped balls in quick succession. For his fourth shot, the man moved around the table to stand in front of Sarah. He bent over the table, lining up his cue with the balls. Just as he was about to strike, Sarah gasped loudly.
"Abby," said Sarah pointing towards the pub's front window "I just saw Connor!"
"What?"
The tall man missed his shot and rose to stand upright. He glared first at Sarah and then at Abby.
"You did that on purpose," he accused.
"What?" asked Sarah innocently. "Her boyfriend just walked by. You should concentrate better."
"He's not my boyfriend!"
The tall man breathed in and out heavily for a moment, then he bared his teeth in what might have been meant for a smile.
"It's your turn," he said "go on now, so we can finish this."
"Finish this," said Sarah nodding, "right."
Sarah leaned over the table, lined up her cue and called her shot. One after the other, she expertly sank the remaining solid color balls. Then Sarah started on the stripes. When she finally straightened up, the crowd of patrons gathered around the billiard table were applauding. The two men were the only ones not applauding.
Abby picked up their winnings from the side of the table.
"Lovely game," Abby said to the two men, "but we really have to get going now. You can keep the table."
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Abby and Sarah were laughing and chatting as they hurried back to the flat.
"Did you really see Connor?"
"Of course," answered Sarah demurely. "You don't think I'd make that up do you?"
"It's just," said Abby wisfully, "I haven't seen him around the neighborhood since he went to stay with his mate."
"His mate?" asked Sarah in surprise. Did Abby really think Connor was staying at a mates place?
"Yeah," replied Abby as she stepped onto the stoop and inserted the key in the lock, opening the door. "I asked him to stay with a friend while me brother's in town."
"Oh," replied Sarah as she followed Abby into the flat. "How long is your bother... I mean brother here for?"
Abby, grinned, her eyes sparkled as she tossed her jacket on the sofa.
"Jack's a bit of a pain," Abby said "but he's all the family I've got."
A head peeked over the railing up above them. Tousled hair, made it look as if the owner of the head had just woken up.
"Did you get my money back?" asked Jack
"Yeah," answered Abby. "No more betting what you can't afford to lose. Right now?"
"Oh Abby," groaned the young man "I wasn't expecting to lose."
"No one ever does," said Abby. "Now come on down here… I want you to meet my friend Sarah."
"Oh... I only just got back to bed," complained the young man "your other mate… Connor stopped by... woke me up."
"What?"
"Dropped off a movie," replied Jack. "It's on the counter."
"Oh no," sighed Abby "I forgot movie night."
Sarah watched as Abby walked over to the counter and picked up the video. The smaller woman sniffed. Sarah wondered if Abby thought having Jack around was a fair trade for missing Connor.
"Connor prefers science fiction," Abby said, "but knows I like romantic comedies. He picks them up a lot, but then sometimes... he gets odd movies like this."
Abby held up the box so Sarah could read the title: Finding Nemo.
"Do you want to watch it?"
"No. It's getting late," said Sarah "I should probably get going."
Abby walked her friend to the door.
"Where did you ever learn to play billiards like that?" asked Abby. "You saved the day. It was awesome."
"I played at uni," answered Sarah. "I paid most of my tuition with winnings from billiards."
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