Uncharted Territories

By: Danae Bowen

Fandom: Primeval

Characters: Connor/Abby

Rating: M - not suitable for kiddies or workplaces.

Disclaimer: I so obviously don't own Primeval; I just like to borrow the characters and mutate their inner voices. Please don't sue, my house is small, my car is useless and my dogs are pains in the arse, but they're all I have.

Summary: Set just after 3x02 - Sometimes revisiting old chat-up lines can have interesting consequences. Does it matter who makes the first move, when in the end, a single person tent can comfortably fit two?

A/N: Watching 3x02 just makes me happy, happy me usually equates to happy smut. Fair warning, I don't think there are any mistakes as I've read it through two or three times, but it's one am and I really just needed to get this out of my system. I'll have a closer read of it tomorrow and make sure we're mistake free, but if I've missed something tonight, I apologise in advance.

A/N2: If you don't like smut, I'd suggest not reading this as, if I remember correctly, an M rating suggests themes along those lines. :)

~~~.

"Oh, you're not serious, right?"

Connor looked up as Sarah sat back in frustration, running a hand through her long dark hair. Her eyes travelled from her watch to the lowering sun in the sky to the open bag at her feet. He moved away from where he was setting up his small tent, across from where they'd gathered wood for the fire, to stand a foot behind Sarah, cocking his head to the side.

"Something wrong?"

"Idiot," she muttered, now drawing Abby's attention to her. "Couldn't even be bothered putting it back in the sack, the great prat."

Both Connor and Abby looked down subtlety, trying to see what had set Sarah off. In the tent bag, rather than seeing the canvas one would expect, instead the image of flannel blankets and a crumpled note met their gaze. "What's that?" Abby asked, thoroughly confused.

"Charles," Sarah groaned. "Bloody Charles. He'd gone camping a week or two past and asked to borrow my tent. When Cutter called for an over night excursion, I just grabbed the damned thing and never looked inside. That," she pointed in disgust at the crumpled note, "Would be the idiot's promise of tea and biscuits the Monday he returned. The note was to remind him when he returned my tent that he owed me." She sighed. "Now, I have a note and no tent. I don't even have the tea and biscuits promised me."

Abby looked back at her small tent, a pained expression crossing her face which she swallowed quickly. "No worries, Sarah, we'll share mine, yeah?"

She looked doubtfully at the small tent Abby brought for herself. "You sure there's room?"

Abby shrugged. "Yeah. It'll be quite tight, but we can make it work."

Connor shook his head, raising a hand to scratch the back of his neck as he watched the girls move Sarah's things towards Abby's tent. When they disappeared inside, only to move both their bags outside for the extra room, Connor sighed.

"Stop being ridiculous, you two. Sarah, you'll sleep in my tent tonight, 'n I'll sleep by the fire." He turned his back on the duo as he pulled his rucksack and sleeping bag from the tent, laying them down next to the pit they'd cleared earlier.

Abby slipped up behind him, her lips close to his ear so that Sarah'd not overhear. "What're you doing, Connor? You hate nature."

"It's fine, Abby."

"Seriously, Conn, you sneeze if the windows're too clean."

He shrugged. "Don't see a point in the both of you suffering.

She put her hands up and backed away, "All right. Your choice, I s'pose." She grabbed her bag and disappeared back into her tent as Connor turned his attention towards building their fire.

"You're sure, Connor?" Sarah asked, still standing outside his tent, her bag on her shoulder.

"Contrary to popular belief, chivalry is not dead, Sarah, so yeah, I'm sure. Now would you please settle in so we can get down to important stuff? Like supper? I'm proper starved!" Connor flashed a grin in her direction, turning away to light the kindling and begin the low flame that would heat them through the chilly evening.

Sarah's satellite phone rang loud in the quiet forest, tying her up with Cutter for longer than Connor would've expected. Rather than waiting, he moved to the truck and pulled a small cooler from the rear. Inside was a loaf of bread, several hamburger patties, wieners, cut vegetables, and several cans of beer nestled into a bed of ice.

"Thanks, Professor," Connor muttered gratefully, turning, startled to find Abby directly behind him.

"Talking to yourself, again?" She grinned as she reached into the truck and pulled out her heavier coat, slipping it over her shoulders as the sun lowered below the horizon.

"Nah, just giving thanks to Cutter," he reached into the cooler and grabbed a can, tossing it to his surprised friend.

"Really?"

Connor shrugged. "Likely did it to get under Lester's skin, but I'm not gonna complain."

Abby flashed him a saucy grin as she turned her back on him, moving back towards the comfort of the fire. "That'll be a first, Conn."

He grumbled under his breath as he pulled the cooler and a small portable grill over to the fire, placing the meat on the grill to begin cooking. Sarah wandered over, satellite phone still at her ear as she went over the day's findings with Cutter. She pulled a few celery sticks and carrots from the cooler before returning to the tent, zipping closed the flap and retiring for the night.

The meat cooked quickly over the fire, and Connor and Abby ate in silence, watching the forest darken around them. When they'd finished, Connor cleaned up quickly, returning their garbage and left overs to the safety of the truck. When they'd nothing left to do, they sat around the fire, chatting quietly about the increased number of anomalies in the surrounding woods, prompting their sudden camping trip. Becker and Cutter would be joining them the next day, and as a team they'd work from anomaly to anomaly, systematically exploring each one, maintaining a team of soldiers on each to prevent any further incursions.

Connor, Abby and Sarah were there to take land, air and water samples, exploring for any reason nine separate anomalies would open within ten kilometres of each other, all in the same twenty four hour period.

As the fire died down, Abby climbed to her feet, heading back to her tent for the night, casting one final glance at Connor. He was shimmying down into his sleeping bag, shivering as he inched closer to the warm embers.

"You sure about this, Connor?"

He shivered softly once more. "Yeah. You know me, always love a good sleep out."

Abby snorted. "Only if it involves huddling up for warmth, if I remember correctly."

He shrugged, casting her an innocent grin. "Still a good idea if you find yourself cold in the night, all by your lonesome."

Ignoring his parting comment, Abby climbed inside the meagre shelter of the thin canvas tent. She pulled off her jacket, leaving it by the entrance to the little dome. Next came off her boots, and once she pulled her small kerosene heater from her bag, she shimmied out of her jeans, sliding into her sleeping bag in just shorts, a t-shirt and hoodie.

Abby loved the sounds of the outdoors, the calls of nocturnal animals, the drift of the wind by her cloth walls and she easily drifted into a quiet slumber, undisturbed until a hiss and whisper stirred her from her peace.

"Abby?"

She sighed into the darkness, glancing down at her watch; she'd been sleeping for barely more than an hour. "What is it, Connor?"

There was a pause and she could almost see him reaching up to scratch at the back of his neck, a habit he repeated any time he found himself uncomfortable. "Um, can I sleep with you, please? The fire keeps burning out and it's really cold."

She sighed and twisted in the bag, unzipping a quarter panel of the flap, finding herself looking directly into his pleading chocolate brown eyes. The chill of the night air reached into the tent, raising goose bumps on her flesh, softening her expression. "I'd say you were pathetic, but it seems too much like kicking a dog, doesn't it? Come on, then, if you're coming."

He clambered into the tent, mumbling apologies as he twisted and turned, bumping her and stepping on her, zipping closed the flap and settling in roughly next to Abby. Once he stretched out with his back pressed up against the canvas, he found himself less than a foot from the heat of her body and swallowed thickly.

"Bit cozy," he murmured, his breath whispering over the back of her neck.

"I can put you back outside, y'know?" she threatened softly in the darkness.

"Was just saying." He paused. "Quite nice, though, don't you think?"

"Connor, go to sleep."

He tried. He honestly tried, but the smell of her kept his senses on full alert, the presence of her so close to him sent visceral tendrils of sensation over his skin, an almost physical reaction that raised his flesh and strained his resistance. He edged closer to her, torturing himself, testing his restraint even as the ends of her short hair began tickling his nose. He breathed heavily, closing his eyes, swallowing the groan of frustration that threatened to give away his more primitive thoughts.

"You're about to get yourself tossed, Connor Temple."

Her voice cut through him like a knife, his breath catching in his throat, his jaw snapping shut to grind his teeth together as he dug his fingers into the palms of his hands. Even when she turned to face him, a torch suddenly lighting the room dimly, he couldn't force himself to back away, and rather met her accusing gaze straight on.

He watched as she recognized the look in his eyes, swallowed heavily as her breath froze in her chest, he felt every single millilitre of blood force it's way through his constricted veins in that endless moment as her confusion melted and her hand raised to the side of his face. It was the touch of her fingers against his jaw that shocked him into action. Connor lifted his hand, mimicking Abby as his fingers stroked first along her jaw line, past her ear, across her throat. He heard her gasp as he wound his fingers into her hair, pulling her gently towards him, pressing his lips to hers in a sweet kiss that stalled every fibre of his being. If asked later, Connor would swear that kiss lasted an hour, his lips pressed against hers, his tongue passing between and dancing in the warm wet depths of her mouth, her nails digging into his neck as she moved towards him eagerly, drinking from him even as he drowned willingly in her taste. When he pulled away, his chest heaving from lack of oxygen, he slipped his fingers back around to her jaw, his thumb trailing over her throat in a gentle stroke.

"I think I've always loved you, y'know."

The words came easier than he'd ever expected, slipping free without effort, but there, under a tiny tent in a freezing forest with Abby's body pressed against him, her taste still on his tongue, the truth came without hesitation.

"Yeah," she whispered breathily, "Think I've always known."

Any doubts he had that, in this moment, she wanted him as badly as he's always wanted her evaporated, and he closed the last bit of distance between them. For all the uncertainty in his life, Connor was very sure of himself as his hand travelled down the length of her body, his fingers stroking the soft flesh he found at her hip in slow circles as he lowered his lips back to hers,

Greedily they drank from each other, her hands against his chest, his fingers slipping below the thin line of her small shorts. Rough callous met sensitive skin and she gasped, her body arching into his, even as he spun them in the small enclosure, rolling her on top of his hard body.

She didn't exactly remember lifting his jumper from him, but suddenly her fingers met the hard muscle of his chest, her nails instantly raking over a sensitive flat nipple. Her body clenched with the sound of his groan, his immediate erection nestled between her thighs as she settled astride him. She rocked her hips softly, leaning down to nibble from his lips to his jaw, down his throat, nipping at his collar bone, her tongue soothing each teasing wound with a soft stroke. His fingers dug into her hips, holding her to him as she moved, her mouth burning a wet trail down his chest until her tongue flicked at his dark nipple and he wrung a soft cry from her lips as his nails broke skin.

Connor wished for nothing more than a long, slow night of gentle love making to break in this new level of relationship with Abby, but the way she ground down on him as she leaned forward, first kissing, then sucking, the nipping at his lips had him arching under her, instantly nearing release only minutes after starting to play. He whimpered, gentle fingers freeing her of her hoodie, tossing it to the side, praying it far enough from her heater to prevent any unnecessary interruptions in their evening. He slid his hands up under her t-shirt, pulling it over her head, his eyes going wide as the dim light reflected off the pale expanse of skin displayed to his view. Her small black bra stood out against her flesh, and he offered her a wicked grin of delight as he pulled that off her body as well.

Not to be left out of the teasing fun, Connor immediately lifted his hands to her breasts, cupping them in his soft palms. His nimble fingers splayed out, at first kneading her gently, pulling whimpering cries from her lips before his rough fingertips centered on her nipples, rolling each with a light touch, grinning as they hardened and pebbled for him. He ground his hips up, pressing his hard cock firmly against her warmth, fighting the urge to close his eyes as his heart stalled and his breath caught in his throat. Instead, he paused for a single second, drinking in the image of Abby astride him, rolling her hips against his, her head held back, mouth half open, eyes tightly shut, clad only in small shorts, his own hands covering her firm breasts. It was a sight he'd expected to only see in his dreams, a thought that forced his heart to pound painfully in his chest as he spun them without warning, one hand moving behind her head to gentle her landing, the other tearing her shorts from her body in a single fluid motion, leaving her bare beneath him.

She leaned up on her elbows, crushing her lips to his own, her fingers going immediately to his jeans and releasing the button and zip threatening to cut off his blood flow. A breath of relief flowed past his lips as together they lowered his jeans and boxers to the ground, freeing his aching erection to the cool air. Again, he silently wished he could take this slowly, but her hand wrapped around his painfully hard cock, the scent of her excitement flowed over him as she spread herself for him, and without a moments hesitation she shifted so that his head rested at her entrance.

Warmth and wetness were the first sensations to fire through his short circuiting brain. A tight throbbing came next as he lowered himself into her, her slick passage stretching to accommodate his girth as he slid deeper and deeper inside. A low groan rumbled in her throat, matched evenly by the growl that built in his chest, and her legs wrapped tightly around him. She dug her fingers into his ass, nails biting into soft flesh as she arched up to meet him, impaling herself deeply as he finally closed his eyes.

Too fast, his brain whispered before abandoning him to sensation. His jaw dropped open in awe, words disintegrated into guttural grunts, and thoughts of forever became demands of now as he pulled back until her sopping entrance sucked at his throbbing head and he drove himself forward, hard and deep. She gasped and cried out as he filled her to her most absolute ability, drew back and thrust forward again. Her nails bit deep into his flesh, drawing blood as he repeated the same drive over and over, a thick sheen of sweat building on both their bodies. Her moans were cut off into short, unrecognizable vocalizations, less human than animal as his fingers wound into her hair, pulling her head back and his mouth descended on her throat, feasting on the salty flesh he found.

When his teeth found the sensitive skin above her collar bone, sinking in until she was sure he broke skin, the knot growing in her stomach suddenly unravelled into sheets of white light behind her eyes, exploding in waves lacking colour and sound as her body clenched down on his thick cock within, her body arched hard against his until no space remained between.

He felt her tighten around him, her wet, pulsing heat calling to him even as he lost what little control remained. His rhythm faltered, his thrusts becoming jagged and uneven into her clenching depths and he buried his face in her shoulder instinctively as he stiffened, calling out his pleasure loudly while every neuron in his body fired at once, no sound but that of the ocean running through his mind as waves of ice water ran down his spine. The pleasure crashing through him was akin to burning agony, her nails cutting into his ass no less scarring than a branding iron and as he came back to himself, his breath coming in short gasps, her taste overwhelmingly thick in his mouth, he found her own flesh trapped between his teeth as he bit down on her shoulder, marking her with a heavy bruise.

Together they panted as they cooled, Connor softening inside her as they refused to part. When his eyes opened he found his gaze met by hers, her blue eyes glassy with pleasure even as they reflected his flushed face back at him. Only when their sweat drenched bodies began chilling in the cool night air, only when breathing came naturally rather than painfully once more, and only when their heartbeats grew regular rather than arrhythmic did Connor regretfully pull his body free from hers, cuddling her against him as he buried them under Abby's sleeping bag.

She shimmied as close as possible, closing her eyes as she allowed the warm feelings flowing through her body lull her into a half sleep state. "Rather chilly now," she murmured, her voice barely above a whisper.

His grin was crooked but tired as he pulled her tightly against him. "It took three years, but I knew one day I'd have you huddled up for warmth."

"Shut up, Connor."

He grinned into the darkness.

~~~.

By the time Sarah poked her head out of her tent the next day, Connor had a small fire burning and a campsite coffee pot steaming over the low flame. Abby only freed herself from her tent as the sound of crunching tires came up the dirt road where they'd parked their truck. She tried not to meet Connor's eyes as she moved through the campsite, packing up what they needed for the day, but avoiding him became impossible as every time she turned around he was there, grinning at her, eyes sparkling. The next time she walked past him, she punched his shoulder, hissing at him quietly.

"Wipe the smile off or they're gonna know," she whispered, glaring at him even as her eyes danced with his.

"And they call me paranoid," he grinned back at her, moving off to meet Cutter and Becker, leaving Abby glaring daggers at his back.

Cutter glanced around the campsite, nodding in approval at the small fire, shaking his head at the sight of the two tents for three people. He tossed a spare tent in Sarah's direction, who offered him an apologetic smile before moving off to set up hers while the team settled in.

"Quite the gentleman," Becker lifted an eyebrow, noting Connor's sleeping bag laid out by the fire.

Connor grinned and shrugged, unable to stop his eyes from relaying his pure joy and relaxation on this beautiful morning. "What can I say? I'm always willing to sacrifice when needed."

Cutter set his equipment on the ground next to the fire. "Must've been a rough night's rest, Connor, I'm sorry; I know you're not a great fan of the outdoors."

Another knowing grin. "Nah, Professor, no worries." His eyes tracked Abby as she disappeared back inside her tent, presumably to finish getting ready. "If you ask me, camping out is dead cool."

~~~Fin