Disclaimer: Characters not mine, no copyright intended

A/N: written for Tay-21's birthday, she wanted "accidents happen", whumping and a happy ending. I hope this meets those requirements - have a happy birthday! (and thanks to iEvenstarEstel for her help with the plot bunny)

Comments feed the muses :)

"Owwwww!" Connor sucked on his sore fingertip, cursing himself. Burning himself with the soldering iron was yet another thing to add to the growing list of things that had gone wrong today – and it wasn't even lunchtime yet.

He was beginning to realise just how much he relied on Abby to deal with the normal day to day things in their lives; things he'd clearly been taking for granted that she'd do. She'd only been away for one night but Connor felt like it had been weeks.

Abby had gone home to Brighton for an old school friend's hen party. She'd been a little reluctant, but Connor had insisted she went. They'd had a long and difficult few months and he thought she needed a good night out where she could let her hair down.

His evening had been great – no one complaining about him sitting playing "Warcraft" for hours on end, eating his sandwich without a plate and finally collapsing into bed sometime after midnight. That was when he started to miss her. She'd slept in his arms every night since their second night in the Cretaceous and he felt lost. He tossed and turned, unable to settle without her, and finally managed to drift off into an uneasy sleep in the early hours of the morning.

When he woke, something felt wrong. It was light. Given that it was early February, that meant he'd slept in longer than he should – it was normally still dark when he and Abby got up for work. He rolled over and tried to focus his tired eyes on the alarm clock on Abby's side of the bed. 8:35.. he'd slept in by over two hours, and should have been at the ARC over half an hour ago. Obviously, Abby was the one who remembered to set the alarm each night.

It all went downhill from then on – he tried to call Matt on his mobile whilst he filled the kettle to make some tea, and somehow managed to drop his phone into the sink under the running tap. He burnt his toast, burnt his mouth trying to drink his tea too quickly and then managed to cut his chin whilst shaving.

As he was about to leave, he spotted the crumbs on the sofa from his sandwich last night. Abby was due home later that afternoon whilst he was at the ARC and she'd have a fit if she saw the mess he'd made, so he grabbed the vacuum cleaner from under the stairs. He plugged it in and trailed it across the lounge, fixing the hose tool to it so he could clean the sofa. Somehow, he'd managed to get his leg tangled in the flex and tripped himself up, banging his elbow on the corner of the dining table.

When he'd finally managed to disentangle himself, he turned on the vacuum and began to clean up the crumbs. Suddenly there was a loud crack and the vacuum switched itself off. Connor rolled his eyes, grunted his annoyance and opened up the dust tank to see what had been sucked up inside. It was one of Abby's earrings – at least, it was half of Abby's earring. He found the other half a moment later. She'd been looking for it the other night after they'd got a little frisky on the sofa and she'd lost it. She was not going to be happy.

By the time he'd got to the ARC, he was nearly two hours late. He'd tried to sneak in and hoped no-one had realised he wasn't in, but the moment he'd sat at his desk, Matt was in the doorway. "Abby called," he said. "She was worried when she couldn't get hold of you on your mobile."

"I slept in, I'm so sorry Matt. Won't happen again."

"I guess I can't complain too much, Connor. You put in more hours here than most people do. I'll cover for you with Lester – this time."

"Thanks."

"And next time Abby's out of town for the night, ask her to show you how to set the alarm eh?" Matt laughed and walked away, closing the door behind him.

Things did improve a little then. Jess took pity on him, realising why he was late, and brought him a coffee and a doughnut. The combination of sugar and caffeine woke him up properly and he felt ready to face work. He leaned over to switch his computer on and knocked the remainder of his coffee over, spilling it's contents over the computer keyboard. It took several minutes to mop it all up; he just had to hope nothing had got inside, Jess's goodwill would rapidly disappear if he had to explain to her why he needed a new keyboard.

And now he'd managed to burn his finger whilst doing some repairs to the anomaly device. He could hear Abby's voice nagging him to get it seen to, so he took himself into the kitchen to hold his finger under the cold tap. It stung like hell, but he'd suffered worse and he could endure.

"Everything OK?" Jess enquired. She'd followed him in having seen him nursing his hand.

"Yeah. It's nothing. Do it all the time. I should wear gloves when I'm soldering or something." He forced a smile.

"You're missing Abby?"

"She's only been away for one night and it was my idea she went – yes, I'm missing Abby."

"You're so sweet, Connor!" Jess gushed.

Connor grunted a response and turned off the tap. He couldn't believe Abby's absence had reduced him to a pathetic kid who couldn't take care of himself. He'd been on his own before he'd met Abby and managed perfectly well – or had he? He'd been a student then, sleeping in till lunchtime most days and living off pizzas and microwave meals. She'd never leave him on his own again if she knew how poorly he coped, and that wasn't fair. He knew it was important to maintain some kind of a life outside of the ARC to keep themselves sane, and friends were part of that.

"Has it blistered?" Jess said, leaning over him and grabbing his hand.

"It's fine, Jess, don't fuss!" he snapped, and then softened and apologised.

"I'll forgive you," Jess smiled. "I know you're only grumpy because Abby's not here. Look, why don't you take some time out and clear your head. You'll feel so much better."

"Time out? Jess, I was two hours late. Matt's already covering up for me, I daren't..."

"We need some milk. And biscuits. Take some money from petty cash."

Jess was out of the door before Connor could even argue. He sighed, then decided that perhaps a drive down into the High Street would do him some good. He was all at sixes and sevens today; if he went out and came back in again he could start over with a better frame of mind. Besides, he could really murder a chocolate biscuit right now.

He grabbed his keys and his jacket, took a £5 note from the tin in Jess's drawer and made his way down into the car park. He'd not had this car for long; the BMW he drove previously had been Prospero property, and since that company no longer existed he wasn't able to claim on the insurance after he'd crashed it. It had taken several weeks to sort himself out with this new Ford; not quite as flashy as the BMW but more practical.

Connor couldn't even begin to explain what happened next. One moment he was putting the car into reverse gear and starting it up; the next his foot had slipped on the accelerator and there was a sickening crunch of metal and glass as the car shot backwards. He hardly dare look, and sat for a moment trying to compose himself. When he finally glanced into the rear view mirror he saw exactly what the crunch was – the front end of Lester's brand new Jag.

"He's going to kill me!" Connor muttered to himself, dragging himself out to inspect the damage. It didn't look too bad – the light could be repaired easily, the dent in the bumper could probably be reshaped and the scratches in the paintwork should polish out. He would likely be paying for this for several weeks in more ways than one, once Lester had calmed down.

His earpiece crackled and Jess spoke, "Connor, the milk will have to wait. We've got an anomaly. Meet Matt and Becker out front, they've got your EMD."

Connor got back into his car and carefully drove it forward into the parking slot again. For a fleeting moment, he did think about parking somewhere else and pleading ignorance when Lester discovered the damage to his car – but he had no doubt that the incident would have been caught on one of the many security cameras around the place and there'd be little point in denying it.

He sprinted around to the front where Matt was waiting with Becker in one of the ARCs sleek black SUVs. He slid into the back seat and Matt drove away at speed.

"Nice of you to join us," Becker said. "Forget to set your alarm did you?"

Matt let out a laugh and Connor sighed. He didn't even bother answering back, it wasn't worth rising to Becker's teasing. As they drove towards the anomaly following Jess's directions, Matt and Becker exchanged a little banter, some of it digs at Connor. He just closed his eyes and willed today to end so he could be back at home with Abby.

The second SUV containing four of Becker's men had already arrived at the site and they were radioing through their observations. Connor knew he had to focus on the job now; he had to try and assess what they were heading into and make some decisions about how they might tackle this. He didn't think there was an immediate danger; from the description of it's spikes and plates running the length of the spine and the sheer size, it sounded like the creature was an Ankylosaurus. Matt agreed, and told the men fire power would not be necessary, they just had to try and make it go home.

"You should like this one, Becker," Connor smiled. "Built like a Sherman tank, even the baby ones."

"Will we need EMDs?"

"Shouldn't think so," Matt responded. "They're no real threat, just huge. The men'll probably have it chased back through the anomaly before we get there. This will probably be a cleaning up operation, and Connor can lock it."

"Still, just to be on the safe side." Becker began preparing his EMD, pushing in a battery pack and checking it was charged before sliding it into the holster he had strapped to his body. He patted it as if reassuring himself it was there, and then prepared to leap out as soon as Matt brought the vehicle to a stop.

Connor had been right. The Ankylosaurus was pacing around anxiously, swishing it's tail and almost knocking over one of the soldiers that had got too close. "They're scaring it," Connor said. He could understand now why Abby sometimes got annoyed with Becker and his men. They didn't seem to have the same respect for the creatures that Abby and Matt did out in the field. Then he mentally kicked himself; who was he to judge how they did their jobs? They were there to protect human life, and that's what they were doing. Becker had laid his own life on the line several times over to save theirs.

"OK, let's just concentrate on getting him back home, eh?" Matt said. "Get behind him and try prodding, poking and pushing. Connor, get the locking device set up and ready – as soon as the creature's through, lock the anomaly."

Connor pulled out the heavy case carrying the delicate equipment that he was so proud of. The design had barely changed since his original model, although these newer versions had their own computers integrated into the body of them, rather than needing to be hooked up to an external laptop. He fixed it up just a few metres from the anomaly and powered it up, ready to flip the switch as soon as he saw the tail of the creature disappear.

There was shouting from some of the soldiers, and then Connor saw the Ankylosaurus surge forward and head straight for the anomaly. Whatever they'd done, it had worked.

"Lock it!" Becker yelled, and Connor flicked the switch. Nothing happened. The anomaly still hung in the air, glowing and pulsing. He tried again, and again.

"Temple! What's going on?" Becker sounded impatient.

Connor grunted, annoyed at yet another piece of bad luck. Now was not the time for whatever curse had been cast on him today to happen.

"There's another unit under the back seat of the SUV," Matt said calmly. Connor was on his feet immediately. He had to put this right, and quickly, before he became even more of a laughing stock than he was already. He ran to the SUV and scrambled into the back. On his hands and knees, he reached under the seat and began tugging on the case containing the spare locking device. He was vaguely aware of shouting, but he ignored it. The case was wedged in quite hard and was taking some pulling to get it out.

"Connor! Get out of there now!" It was Matt. Connor lifted his head to look out of the front window, just in time to see the rather angry looking Ankylosaurus bearing down on the SUV at speed. Then everything went black.

-o-

"Where is he? I need to see him!" Abby's distress and concern was obvious. She was relieved to find Becker and Emily waiting for her in the hospital foyer; friendly faces to rely on.

"The doctors are talking to Matt now, we'll know more in a few minutes," Emily placed a comforting arm around Abby's shoulder.

"What happened, Becker? You were on an anomaly call?" Abby had been driving home when Becker had called her. She was still over half an hour away and felt completely useless. At first, she hoped it was just a bang on the head; Connor was always knocking his head. But then Becker had said that Matt had gone in the ambulance with Connor and that he was following behind, and she knew it was serious. They didn't usually let an external agency get involved because of the questions that would be asked unless it was an emergency.

"The locking device failed and he was trying to get the spare unit out from the SUV," Becker began. "The creature came back through the anomaly; it was spooked by something and ran full pelt at the vehicle. I tried to stop it with the EMD but it had little effect, and before we knew it, the creature had decided that the SUV was a threat and..." He closed his eyes, reliving that terrible moment in slow motion. "It almost crushed it, and then sent it rolling over the edge of the cliff."

Abby felt her legs give way underneath her, and Emily guided her over to some chairs at the side of the waiting area. "How badly injured is he?" she managed to say, her throat feeling so tight she could barely breathe.

"Matt and I were certain he was dead. We got the the climbing gear from the soldier's SUV and climbed down to the wreckage. It had landed on a ledge about 100 ft down. He was drifting in and out of consciousness when we got to him, and we didn't stop to examine the extent of his injuries, we just concentrated on getting him out and back up the cliff. The ambulance was waiting at the top and the rest you know."

Abby reached out and touched Becker's arm, whispering a 'thank you'. For all his bravado and teasing, Becker did actually care and he was clearly shaken by what had happened. Abby was almost glad she wasn't there to witness it; she'd have been terrified at the thought of losing Connor. Becker said he was going to try and find somewhere to get some coffee and turned to go, but then Matt appeared.

"Matt?" Abby stood up, trying to read the expression on his face.

"The doctor's are just making him comfortable, you'll be able to go and see him shortly." He put his hand on Abby's shoulder and made her sit down again, sitting next to her and then taking her hand. "It could have been a lot worse, a hell of a lot worse. Connor must have a charmed life or something."

Abby tried to laugh, but her head was too full of what injuries Connor could have sustained. "You can tell me, Matt. How bad is he?"

"Concussion, cuts and bruises, couple of cracked ribs. He's been in surgery to sort out a collapsed lung, but otherwise he's fine." Matt tried to sound as positive as possible. "Connor's got more lives than a cat."

Abby felt a stray tear fall down her cheek. She'd been trying not to cry but it was too much. Silently, Emily handed her a handkerchief and Abby wiped her face. A plastic cup of coffee was pushed into her hand and she felt someone stroke her back. Only a couple of hours ago, Abby had felt happier than she'd done in a very long time and couldn't wait to get home to Connor and share her news with him. Now, here she was, sat in a hospital waiting room with Connor badly injured. She knew how serious a collapsed lung could be, coupled with the concussion and cracked ribs... there was a long battle still ahead.

A nurse peered around the corner and asked if they were with Connor. Matt nodded. "You can see him now, the doctor's finished with him. But take it easy on him; he's still a little out of it from the anaesthetic and he's been given painkillers. He needs to rest."

"Abby, you go and see him. We'll head back to the ARC and leave you to it," Matt said. "Call me later, let me know how he is." Abby nodded and followed the nurse down the corridor, leaving the others behind.

-o-

Abby stood back a little as the nurse opened the door to Connor's room. She hated hospitals at the best of times, but knowing the man she loved was hurt made it even worse. Still, she was going to have to get used to it very soon, she may as well start putting her hatred to the back of her mind and try to remain positive.

"You have to remember that most of the wires and tubes you see are helping him. They're nothing to be afraid of," the nurse said softly, seeing the look of concern on Abby's face when she saw the pale, motionless body in the bed. "We're pumping antibiotics and painkillers into him slowly, his blood pressure is being monitored and he can manage without the breathing mask – that's just to assist his lungs since they'll be a little sore and unable to expand as they should with his cracked ribs. I'll leave you alone with him, but if you need me, just press the button at the side of the bed."

Abby moved over to the bed and perched herself on the edge. Connor's eyes were closed and he looked peaceful. Abby traced her fingertips over his cheek as if to soothe the huge purple and black bruise there. Above his eye was a large cut, patched together with several stitches. Connor's eyes flickered open at her touch, and when he realised it was Abby, he pulled off his oxygen mask and smiled.

"Am I glad to see you!"

Abby bent down and kissed his lips lightly. "I'm glad to see you too, although you're a little more battered than I remember."

"Mm, yeah. Had a bit of an accident didn't I." He coughed, and winced in pain. Abby squeezed his hand. "Had a few accidents today... promise me that you won't leave me on my own again!"

"What do you mean?" Abby looked at him questioningly.

"I've missed you so much!" Connor sniffed and a tear fell down his cheek.

"Hey, it's OK!" Abby wiped the tear away. "What's been happening?"

Slowly, Connor began to relate the days events to her; from sleeping in through to reversing into Lester's car. "I'm pathetic, Abby. You can't leave me alone for one day without me having accidents."

"It seems it's the day for them," Abby smiled, and placed her hand tenderly on his face. "Though I think mine is a little better than yours." Connor looked confused. "I've suspected for a few days, so on the way home I decided I needed to confirm it. I had it all planned to tell you over dinner tonight. I know we weren't planning to have babies just yet, but... well, accidents happen right?"

"I don't understand?"

Abby rolled her eyes. Sometimes Connor really was thick, but she'd forgive him this once since he was probably not quite with it. "I'm pregnant." She watched the realisation of what she'd just said dawn across Connor's face and a smile spread across the entire width.

"We're having a baby?" he finally managed to say.

"That's usually what 'I'm pregnant' means, Connor." They gazed into each other's eyes for a moment, then Abby leaned over and pulled him into a kiss, warm and tender. Connor slid his arms around her, needing her closer, but then winced in pain and Abby pulled away. His cracked ribs were going to hinder things for a little while. She shifted her position so that Connor could rest his head on her stomach – and their baby. He sighed happily and brought his arm up to rest around her waist as she stroked his hair.

"I love you," Connor muttered sleepily, closing his eyes and finding himself drifting asleep. He felt Abby kiss the top of his head and he thought he heard her whisper that she loved him too. Sorting out paying for the damage to Lester's car could wait, right now the only accident he wanted to think about was the happy one growing inside Abby.