Disclaimer: Characters are not mine, no copyright intended.

A/N: I originally deleted this story because I wasn't happy with some elements of it and I couldn't find an appropriate ending. I've editted the first couple of chapters slightly and finally given it an ending. I hope you enjoy, and if you do, please let me know. If the pairing is not your taste, then back away now.

Just in case you haven't heard, although ITV are not making series 6 of the original, Space channel in Canada have taken on the franchise and are currently making "Primeval: New World", set in the same timeline as the UK show with a Canadian team investigating anomalies. The team leader is Evan Cross, played by the gorgeous Niall Matter (google him!)


You weren't supposed to get jet lag when you travelled west; at least that was what she'd always been told. Abby had tried to get back to sleep and have another couple of hours, but her body was telling her that it was past lunchtime and her stomach was growling in protest. She gave in fighting it and decided to go and see if the hotel was serving breakfast yet.

She found the restaurant but it wouldn't open for another half hour, so she decided to go and see if one of the Starbucks she'd passed on the way here was open. Half a block down the road, she found one and ventured inside. The other patrons didn't give her a second glance; they all looked as tired as she felt. Why were they here at this hour anyway? Insomniacs like her perhaps? Or maybe these were workers just finishing a night shift and grabbing a coffee before heading home to bed?

Without thinking, she ordered her usual latte and an English muffin, and settled at a small table in the far corner where she'd be hidden from view. It was only when the Barista brought over her muffin that she realised what she'd done. Here she was, thousands of miles from home on the west coast of Canada and she was ordering a normal English muffin instead of some local delicacy.

Home really did feel like it was a whole world away at the moment. If she was honest, even when she was in London it hadn't felt like home for some months. She was glad of the opportunity to have a change of scenery and time to clear her head. Perhaps if things went well here, there would be the chance she could stay on a bit longer. She was running away from her problems and she knew she shouldn't be, but she was tired of being strong, tired of fighting and tired of the pitying looks her colleagues were giving her.

As she sipped her latte, Abby tried to think just when it had all gone wrong. Asking Connor to marry her had felt so right; she'd never felt so certain about her feelings as she did in that moment. She'd almost lost him because of what Philip Burton did, and as they watched him die along with New Dawn it had put everything into perspective. Then they got caught up in the aftermath of that day; Connor especially as he felt partly responsible and thought he needed to be the one to put things right. It was several days before they made the official announcement of their engagement, and then they got the request from Vancouver to assist with their anomaly project.

Lester had dug his heels in at first but then agreed to help them, insisting that they could only spare one member of the team at a time. Connor was the first to go, and that was when the cracks started to appear in their relationship. Whilst he was away, Abby decided to fill her time by starting wedding preparations. So many people were asking them if they'd set a date and were they having a church wedding that Abby realised just how much they had to do. Connor being away was the perfect time for Abby to start trailing around shops, picking up brochures and catalogues, looking into costs and so on; she knew he hated shopping so she thought if she put in the leg work now, they could start looking at everything together when he came back.

It had been a huge mistake. "How can we plan a wedding when there's so much to do? Anomalies are a worldwide problem now, Abby, and it's down to us to make sure the other people dealing with them know what's going on so they don't make the same mistakes that I did." Connor had said when he saw the pile of Bridal magazines on their table. He started on a one man mission to educate as many of the new international teams as possible; and each time he travelled away it drove another wedge between them.

Three months ago, when Connor returned from several weeks in New Zealand and Australia, Abby asked him if remembered he was actually engaged. She'd sat and watched the romance between Matt and Emily slowly blossom, and she'd even given Becker a little shove in Jess's direction and got him to ask her to accompany him to a reunion event for his old regiment – the entire time feeling the ache of her own crumbling relationship. She'd had enough; she was fed up of being told 'just how important this work is' and issued an ultimatum – it was her or the work. Doors slammed, tears were shed and then Connor repacked his suitcase and said he would be flying to Moscow in the morning.

Abby blinked away her tears, pulling herself back to reality. Her finger still felt bare without her engagement ring on it and she missed the little chink it made when she wrapped her hands around a mug of coffee like now. At least no-one here would know her history. There wouldn't be any "I can't believe you and Connor broke up!" and she wouldn't have to keep seeing evidence of his existence around her. This time away was exactly what she needed.

"Can I get you a refill?"

"What?" The Barista startled Abby and shook her from her thoughts. "Sorry, I was miles away. No, I need to get going. Do you know how I'd get to … erm..." She pulled a piece of paper from her pocket with the address of the temporary base the Vancouver ARC team were using.

"You're some distance away, you'd be best to get a taxi. I can call one for you if you like?"

Abby nodded and glanced at her watch. It was still early, but she was wide awake and she suspected that Evan Cross would be there anyway. Both Connor and Becker has commented on how dedicated he seemed, and Becker in particular had been impressed when he spent some time with the team teaching them how to use and maintain the EMDs.

-o-

The Vancouver version of the ARC was pretty similar to the London version. It seemed she wasn't going to be able to escape Connor completely and she should have realised that his influence would be evident. As she was lead around on a very quick tour of the facility, it was pretty clear to Abby that this team were already efficient and professional; quite why they needed her help was beyond her but she wasn't going to complain.

Dylan Weir, the team's creature expert, already had things pretty much under control. Abby had spoken to her a number of times and the two had swapped knowledge – Dylan was a behavioural expert, whereas Abby's expertise lay in the biology and welfare of the creatures because of her previous work at the zoo. "Where's Dylan?" she asked the young technician showing her around.

"She'll be with Evan. He said to bring you up to his office when you arrived." He led her up some stairs and into the main office. Abby smiled to herself; this was very different to back home. It seemed a very relaxed place; there were three computer workstations on the far side and a large projector screen covering most of the back wall. The rest of the room consisted of soft, black leather couches, coffee tables and foot rests. There was also a larger table with some office chairs around it, clearly some kind of meeting place.

"Abby!" Dylan stood up as soon as she saw her and walked over to give her a hug. "We had a feeling you'd be in early."

"My body is telling me it's mid-afternoon. Not quite used to Vancouver time yet."

"You should have taken another day or so. There's no rush for you to get started here."

"I like to be working. Keeps my mind focussed and not dwelling on... things."

Dylan shifted awkwardly and cleared her throat. "We heard about Connor. I'm sorry."

Abby sighed; there really wasn't an escape. These people had worked with Connor and she supposed it was only natural they'd mention him. At least they seemed to know what had happened so there wouldn't be any difficult moments with someone asking "So how are the wedding plans going?"

Dylan told Abby to sit down and she took a pot of coffee from the side, pouring 3 cups. Over at the far side by the computers, a man was stood with his back to them and talking on a phone. She guessed he was Evan. He turned around briefly and waved a hello at Abby before resuming his conversation. Abby was taken aback; there was something very familiar about him but she couldn't place it.

Several minutes later, he ended his conversation and came back over. "My apologies – My deputy does his best to look after the company whilst I'm here, but he's terrible at making decisions for himself. Evan Cross, and you must be Abby?" He held out his hand, and Abby stood up to shake it. He held her hand a moment longer than was necessary and Abby caught something in his eyes.

"Abby Maitland. It's great to finally meet you."

"I have to say, you're a huge improvement on your two colleagues. We definitely got the better end of the deal this time."

Abby felt herself blush, then pulled herself together. She couldn't remember the last time a man other than Connor had openly complimented her. It was probably as long as … It hit her why Evan seemed familiar. The glint in his steely blue grey eyes, dark hair that looked like a comb had simply been dragged through it, the slightly over confident manner; he could be Stephen Hart. The thought un-nerved her considerably.

"We told you yesterday, Evan. If your company need you we can cope here without you for a couple of days. It's all in hand." Dylan said.

"Cross Photonics is not my main priority at the moment," he sniffed. "And as you know, it's probably for the best that I stay away from temptation."

Of course! Abby recalled that Connor had been horrified when he first arrived here. Evan's company were studying the anomalies as a source of light and energy. Connor had seen the look in the scientist's eyes before, and coupled with the fact he had the weight of a multi-million dollar company behind him, he feared Evan was another Philip Burton. By the time he left, Connor had persuaded Evan that he needed to be putting his brains, his time and his money into finding ways to stop the anomalies. In some ways, Abby supposed Evan was the cause of the breakdown in her relationship with Connor.

She watched Evan reach for the last cup of coffee and that was when she noticed his wedding ring. She wondered how on earth someone like him could hold down a marriage, own and run his own company and lead the ARC team. His wife must be incredibly understanding; Abby knew only too well what it must be like for her and she wondered how they made it work. Or perhaps they didn't? She couldn't recall either Connor or Becker mentioning that Evan was married.

"How's your hotel?" he asked.

"It's fine, thank you. I probably should think about hiring a car if I'm going to be here for a little while, that taxi here cost me a fortune. I'm just not sure about driving on the wrong side of the road."

"Use one of our vehicles for the duration. I'll get Mac to sort you out with one, and if you need a lesson in driving on our streets, I'd be more than happy to take you out... and give you a lesson as well!" There it was again; a playful glint that was so Stephen Hart and the one that had had Abby weak at the knees in those early months on the team. She also caught Dylan rolling her eyes and that spoke volumes. It was clear that Evan flirted often and that angered Abby a little. All she could think of was his poor wife sat at home whilst he worked long hours and flirted with other women. Did he ever take it beyond flirting? She hoped not.

"I'll figure it out. Can't be that hard," Abby replied, and glanced at Dylan who was hiding a smirk. Abby decided that she and Dylan were going to get on extremely well.

-o-

The day passed quietly. Abby was introduced to the rest of the team and then went with Dylan to the warehouse that was being converted into a menagerie. They were using the design Abby had been hoping to use back in the UK ARC, but without the extra funding that Philip Burton had provided, any redevelopment had to be put on hold. The British Government would only fund the public facing side of the ARC for the time being. Abby was a little envious of Dylan; she had everything she needed at her fingertips thanks to the money coming in from Cross Photonics and the local government.

Abby found herself yawning. "Sorry, still on UK time," she said.

"We should probably call it a day. I'll go and see if Mac got that vehicle sorted for you." Dylan smiled sympathetically at Abby and left. Moments later, as if he'd been waiting for her to be alone, Evan appeared.

"You look tired."

"I'm fine, just a bit jet lagged."

"You probably shouldn't drive, especially as you're not familiar with driving on the right. Look, I'm sure you'd prefer a decent home cooked dinner to eating in a hotel restaurant. Come back to my apartment, I'll make you dinner, you can relax for a little while and then I'll drive you back to your hotel."

Abby had to admit that sounded good. The thought of trying to find her way through Vancouver during the rush hour was terrifying, and she agreed to dinner at Evan's despite alarm bells ringing in her head.

-o-

Abby glanced around Evan's apartment. Lester hadn't been kidding when he said that Evan was well off. This place was like a palace compared to her own flat back home in London and she didn't know what to do with herself. He'd said to make herself at home, but that wouldn't be easy. One thing did strike her as odd though. The place lacked a feminine touch. Was this a place Evan used for himself away from his wife? Abby felt her stomach churning and her head full of confusion. He'd been openly flirting with her all day and she'd resisted, and now here she was in his 'bachelor pad' against her better judgement. Still, there wasn't much she could do about it now, and dinner did look good. He'd placed two huge bowls of chilli in front of her, along with tortilla chips, soured cream and salsa. He called out that she should get started without him, and Abby took a spoonful. She hadn't realised just how hungry she was and she was glad she'd gone for this option instead of sitting alone in the hotel restaurant or ordering room service.

"Hope red is OK?" Evan said as he came in from the kitchen. He was holding a bottle of wine and two glasses.

"It's fine," she said. He sat himself down at the table. She watched him pull out the cork and pour them both a glass, handing her one and taking a sip from his own and starting to eat his chilli.

"I'm glad you're 'fine'," he mocked. Abby glared at him. "Sorry, but that's all you've said all day."

"I guess I left my thesaurus at home," she smiled. He was right, she'd been telling everyone that she was fine for the last three months when she was far from it. Maybe it was time she stopped wallowing in her own self pity and moved on. That was why she'd come to Vancouver after all. "It's just the jet lag. Give me a couple of days and I'll be my usual self."

"Pleased to hear it. I know you've just come out of a long term relationship and it's not easy stepping out on your own after being part of a couple. Believe me, been there done that."

"You're divorced?"

"Widowed."

Abby could almost kick herself. It made sense now and her opinion of him suddenly changed. "I'm sorry, that must be hard. How long since she died?"

"Three years. But I try not to dwell on it and I do what I can to make myself happy. Life's too short to spend it being miserable, don't you agree?"

Abby nodded. He was right. Coming here was a new start for her, and she should take a leaf out of Evan's book. The rest of dinner passed pleasantly, and Abby felt completely relaxed for the first time in many weeks. When the dishes were empty, Evan led Abby into the lounge and they settled on the leather couch side by side. Abby downed the remains of her second glass of wine and held her empty glass for Evan to refill.

"I'm going to need another bottle at this rate. Are you trying to get me drunk?" Evan grinned as he filled it and then topped up his own. Abby caught a flash of something in his eyes; more than just a smile. Perhaps it was just the effects of the wine but she liked the way he looked at her.

"I thought it was you that was getting me drunk," she replied softly, taking a sip from her now full glass.

"Why would I want to do that?"

"You tell me."

Something hung in the air between them; something so tangible it could almost be touched. Abby had a feeling she knew what it was, but could she act on it so soon after Connor? Evan had clearly sensed it too and was placing his glass down on the table and leaning in closer. She could feel the warmth of his breath and the butterflies in her stomach stirred. Silently, he took her glass from her hand and placed it next to his. Abby's heart began to race. He was going to make a move on her; question was, did Abby want him to? She thought she did but it didn't feel right.

His lips pressed lightly on hers and Abby let out a gasp, pulling away. "Evan, I don't think this..." but her protests were stopped by his lips on hers, more insistently this time. She couldn't help it; it felt nice and she found herself returning his kiss.

He moved away a little and looked serious. He was breathing hard and his eyes darkened. Something seemed to snap and they suddenly locked into a passionate embrace, lips mashing hard against each other as Abby grasped the back of Evan's hair and his hands encircled her body to pull her closer to him. Abby felt her own breathing quicken; this was wrong and yet so good. It had felt like an eternity since anyone had kissed her like this, and now it had started she didn't want it to stop.

His tongue trailed along her lower lip, pushing against her mouth and urging her to open it for him. She obliged, allowing his tongue to probe inside, tasting him and breathing in his soft sighs of pleasure. Her own tongue tangled with his and the kiss intensified. Abby felt his hand slide over her body, letting out a squeak when he cupped her breast and lingered there.

When he broke off the kiss, Abby felt disappointed. Her body was screaming for more and there was no doubt she'd have let him go further. Then she looked into his eyes. The look was still there; a spark, a twinkle; lust and longing. "Would you like to take this somewhere a little more comfortable?"

Abby's body responded with a pleasant shiver. She wanted him and he wanted her, but there was a tiny doubt in her mind that made her hesitate. This wasn't her; at least it wasn't the person she'd become since she'd been at the ARC and met Connor. When she was a single woman, she'd thought nothing of sleeping with a guy she'd barely met. Wait... she was a single woman now; why shouldn't she sleep with Evan? She nodded and he stood up, offering his hand. She took it and followed him silently through a door and into his bedroom.

This room was as equally lavish as the rest of the apartment, but all Abby noticed was the king-sized bed. She sat nervously on the edge next to Evan, heart beating hard against the walls of her chest and a fire beginning to ignite in her groin. He pulled her into another kiss, moaning softly as their tongues danced together again. He was incredibly sure of himself, his confident hands moving to begin slowly unbuttoning her blouse. Abby wished she felt less anxious. She'd known Connor inside out and knew exactly what he liked; being with someone new was somewhat daunting.

Evan's fingertips skimmed over her now exposed flesh, leaving warm tingles in their wake. She felt her blouse slip from her shoulders, followed swiftly by the thin straps of her bra. Evan's breathing changed and he moved his kisses from her mouth to the nape of her neck, licking and sucking slightly on the sensitive skin as he reached behind to unfasten her bra and pull it from her body.

"Evan!" Abby breathed, finding her voice for the first time since this had started. She gripped onto him tightly as he continued to kiss her, shifting to her throat and then down, capturing a hard nipple between his teeth and then licking and suckling her breast. He cupped the other in his hand, caressing it firmly. "Oh god!" Abby pressed into his touch, allowing herself to completely enjoy the attention he was lavishing on her.

"Lie back," he whispered, guiding Abby down onto the bed. He followed, trailing kisses down her stomach. She felt her waistband loosen and her jeans were tugged from her in a swift, confident move and then he parted her thighs, settling himself between them to continue his soft, butterfly kisses. His lips moved over the curve of her pubic bone as his hands glided over her thighs, tantalisingly close to the dampness she could feel in her knickers. A whimper escaped her lips and her body tingled in anticipation.

Evan stood up and looked down at Abby with a lop-sided grin. Abby must have had a look of disappointment on her face because he laughed. "Don't worry, I haven't finished with you yet, not by a long shot!" His t-shirt was pulled over his head and discarded to the floor and then he began to unfasten his belt, the whole time giving Abby that smile and a playful sparkle in his eyes. The lighting was dim in the room, enough for Abby to see the well defined contours of his upper torso. He had muscles; he clearly worked out and took pride in keeping himself in shape. It was definitely a welcome sight.

With his belt unfastened, Evan's hands moved to the zip and button on his jeans. Abby couldn't stand it any longer and sat up, pushing his hands aside and slowly pulling the zip down herself. She glanced up briefly, noting that Evan's expression had changed. This was serious now; his eyes burned with pure lust and he let out a groan from somewhere within his depths as Abby's trembling fingers slid inside his underwear. "Take it!" he rasped, easing his jeans down over his hips to allow her easier access.

Her fingertips tentatively traced down the full length of his arousal, not quite brave enough to grasp it. Evan sighed softly then took her wrist to guide her. "I won't break you know."

"Sorry. It's just... new."

"The first time is always the hardest. Just do what feels natural."

Abby curled her fingers around the base of the shaft and then slid them up, feeling him swell and harden. Encouraged that she must be doing something right, she grasped more firmly and stroked up and down.

After some minutes, Evan pushed her hand away and slid himself out of his underwear. He was completely naked and pushing Abby back onto the bed. "Let's get rid of these shall we?" he growled, tugging her knickers over her hips and now the final barrier between them had been removed. His hands moved swiftly over her body; up her arms and over her shoulders, down her back to the soft globes of her backside and then around to her hips and across her stomach.

Instinctively, Abby parted her thighs for him and his hand moved between them, his thumb grazing the swollen nub of her clit and middle finger slipping into her. She gasped out and her back arched involuntarily. A second finger joined the first, thrusting and twisting, back and forth.

She wanted more; harder, faster, but before she could speak an orgasm hit and engulfed her entire body. Her muscles clamped around Evan's fingers as he increased his pace, and wave after wave of pleasure crashed and rolled over Abby's trembling body.

He moved, sitting up and gazing down at Abby with heavy lidded eyes. There really was only one outcome now. He leaned over to the set of drawers by the side of the bed and pulled out a familiar foil packet. Abby swallowed, it seemed Evan thought of everything thankfully, she'd certainly not been prepared for anything like this.

Abby watched him slide the condom on and then he shifted, settling himself between her thighs once more. Abby could feel the tip of his cock pressed against her slick entrance; this was it - the moment she would finally move on from Connor. It was scary, and yet exciting at the same time. Circling her arms around Evan's torso, she gazed up into his eyes and granted him the permission he was waiting for. Moments later, he was inside her, sliding in with ease. Every nerve fired and Abby's back arched again. Digging her fingers into Evan's back, she gasped and adjusted her position to accommodate him. Deeper and deeper he sank into her, leaning down and seeking her lips for a passionate kiss that would say more than any words could. Finally, as their tongues tangled together, Abby felt the coarse hairs at the base of his cock against her clit and she knew he was now completely buried inside her.

"Please!" She needed this more than she'd realised. Evan began long, slow strokes, pushing in as deep as he could. He seemed to know exactly how to touch her, as if they'd been making love for years, and as one orgasm rolled into another, Abby writhed beneath him, punctuating his groans with her own mewls of pleasure.

"You're amazing!" Evan gasped out, pausing for a moment to readjust himself. He then began again, faster, harder and more determined strokes making Abby cry out loud. She grasped fistfuls of the bed cover, trying to anchor herself in reality as she felt her head spin and all rational thought leaving her.

Finally, she felt Evan's hips buck wildly against her and he let out a loud groan. Abby's body responded; a pulsing from within her core quickly spread through her entire body and engulfed her completely. She cried out, sobbing Evan's name as he held her and then collapsed exhausted and spent on top of her.

-o-

When Abby awoke some hours later, Evan was not in bed. She remembered falling asleep against the warmth of his chest and he'd held her, stroking her hair and kissing the top of her head softly. She shouldn't have been surprised that he had left her to sleep; less awkward that way.

She pulled on the nearest item of clothing she could find; his t-shirt that he'd been wearing last night. It swamped her but she didn't care. As she opened the bedroom door, the smell of fresh coffee hit her and Evan was sat at the table using his laptop.

"Morning sleepy! Help yourself to coffee."

Abby poured herself a cup and rubbed her eyes. "You should have woken me."

"You looked so peaceful, seemed a shame to disturb you."

"I need to go to the hotel and get a change of clothes. I can't turn up for work in the same stuff I wore yesterday."

"I'm the boss, it doesn't matter. We don't even have to go in today; its the weekend, they'll call if they need us. Have a shower here, take as long as you need." Evan turned back to his laptop. It was as if nothing had happened between them. Abby supposed this was all normal to him, but it had been a long time since she'd had a one night stand and it didn't feel right. Maybe a shower would make her feel better and she could get on with the job she'd come here to do.

She'd been right. The water soothed her and refreshed her, cleared her head so she could hold it high. She wrapped herself in one of the huge fluffy towels and made her way out to go back to Evan's bedroom to get her clothes. Evan was no longer alone. Sat opposite him, drinking coffee, was Dylan. She cast a critical eye over Abby.

"Hi. I'll... just get dressed." Abby felt her cheeks burn and she practically ran to the bedroom. She'd never dressed so quickly but wondered why she felt the need to do so; she hadn't done anything wrong and it wasn't any of Dylan's business. Composing herself, she stepped out and back to join Dylan. Evan was in the kitchen and had closed the door.

"Evan called me and said he would be working from home today. He asked me to come over to go over some reports with him," Dylan said. Abby simply nodded, not sure what to say. "Look, I know it isn't any of my business, but I'd hate to see you get hurt so soon after your broken engagement."

"You're right, it's not any of your business."

"Evan's never got over his wife's death. He's not looking for a relationship. To him, you're just another notch on his bedpost and he'll move on to the next pretty blonde that catches his eye."

Abby detected something in the tone of Dylan's voice. Either Dylan had been one of those "notches" herself but had wanted more, or she had her sights set on Evan in the hope she could be the one to finally break down the wall he had put up around his heart. "Thank you for your concern, but I'm a big girl now. I'm not looking for a relationship either."

"Well that's OK then," Dylan said. "Forget I said anything."

As Abby prepared to start work, she couldn't help feeling more than a little awkward. She liked Dylan and wanted to work with her, but if she was right and Dylan did have a thing for Evan, how would her knowing Abby had slept with him affect that relationship?