Disclaimer: Primeval belongs to Impossible pictures, no copyright intended.

A/N: Just a small update before I start getting into the complicated bits ... How did Connor die?


29th March

Abby watched Connor disappearing through her rear view mirror. She was un-nerved and her head spinning in confusion. She had no idea how Connor had managed to do what he'd just done, but she guessed he'd risked a lot. That's if it was Connor. The thought that she'd just spoken to one of Helen's replicas flickered in her head. Connor had always been against changing the past, so why now? She could see the Connor of the present coming out of the flat now and had to make a decision. She'd just been told that a week from now, he would be watching her die, and it had something do with today. He'd told her not to drive to work. Did she believe what she'd just been told, or was it a trap?

She got out of the car. "Connor, we're going to walk into town. We can get the tube from the far end of the High Street."

"A few minutes ago, you were complaining we were late!" he muttered.

"I know, I know. We are late, so we may as well be late in style! Let's get some breakfast on the way seeing as someone used all the milk last night and I haven't had my coffee." She smiled, then turned on her heels and began to make her way down the street.

"Are you buying?" Connor said hopefully as he ran to catch up with her.

"Actually, I believe it's your turn to treat me." She said. Connor looked at her. "Come on. If we go to that bakery on the corner, we can get the chocolate coated doughnuts!"

"You'll regret it!" Connor laughed "The calories will go straight to your hips!" and he ran, knowing Abby would hit him for saying that.

"Cheeky!" she ran after him and gave him a playful thump on the shoulder. It felt good to be laughing, without a care in the world for a change. The sun was shining and there was finally a hint of spring in the air. Abby didn't really recall what they'd been chatting about, she just knew he had made her smile. They approached the High Street, and Abby commented how quiet it seemed compared to their usual trips there on a Saturday afternoon.

"You go and get us a couple of coffees from over the road, and I'll go into the bakery." She ordered Connor. He pretended to salute her, then grinned as he made his way across the crossing to the coffee shop. Abby joined the queue in the bakery and watched the world pass by the window.

It all seemed to happen in slow motion, and yet there was nothing anyone could do to stop it. She saw Connor come out of the coffee shop, and wait at the side of the road for the lights to change on the crossing. There was a screech of tyres and a lot of shouting, as a blue van came around the corner. It looked to be out of control, and people were yelling at each other to get out of the way. The van swerved to avoid a family. The next thing she knew, someone was screaming "Call an ambulance! Someone's been hit!" Abby didn't need to look, she just knew. The pain in her chest and the sick feeling in the pit of her stomach told her it was Connor.

A crowd was gathering in the street, and through the window, Abby could see a group of men at the front end of the van. One of the men walked away and doubled up, throwing up on the pavement. It wasn't a good sign.

Suddenly coming to her senses, Abby ran outside. Maybe Connor was OK? "Connor?!" she yelled. She scanned the crowd, looking for his smile. "Connor!!" She moved towards the van, and the man that had been sick ran over to her.

"Believe me, you don't want to see."

"My friend … I need to know if … he was going to cross the road." She was shaking, barely able to speak.

"What's he wearing, your friend?"

Abby tried to think. "Jeans, black tshirt, red jacket, black fingerless gloves"

The man looked her straight in the eyes. "I'm sorry."

Abby froze to the spot. An elderly lady put her arm around her shoulders and spoke softly to her, but she didn't hear the words. She barely heard the sirens of the ambulance and police cars, and she could only vaguely remember being led into the back of the ambulance. They only thing she did recall was the one sentence. "He would have died instantly, no pain." It was a small comfort.

--

5th April

"It's here." Sarah's voice echoed up the staircase from the street below. Abby's stomach lurched. This was it, time to say her final goodbye to Connor. For the last week, she'd almost hoped it was all a bad dream and that she'd wake up and find him rummaging in the fridge like she did most mornings.

"OK?" Danny said softly. She was glad he was there, and Sarah. They'd both been amazing, helping her with arrangements and allowing her to cry on their shoulders. It had fallen on Abby to organise everything, Connor's mother was of ill health and lived in a nursing home. Abby just nodded at Danny, and took a deep breath. She walked slowly down the stairs, Danny just behind her. As she saw the hearse with the coffin inside, it hit her. Her legs turned to jelly and she almost fell. Danny was beside her in a second, linking his arm through hers.

Just as they were getting into the car, Abby paused and glanced across the street. For a fleeting second, she could have sworn she saw Helen Cutter. How dare that woman be here on Connor's day!? Not wanting to give Helen the satisfaction of even being acknowledged, Abby got into the car and focussed ahead of her. Connor deserved her full attention today, even if she hadn't always given it to him when he was alive.

--

Helen and Connor watched the two cars drive away slowly. Connor was shaking. He wanted to rush over to Abby, hug her, let her know he was alright, but Helen had held him back.

"This is what happens when you start interfering with the past." Helen said sternly.

"I don't understand, if I died, why am I still here?"

"Time and anomalies are strange things, Connor. There's still a lot that cannot be explained, yet. I call this the 'Claudia Brown' effect. You exist in one reality, but not in the other."

Connor just stared at the doorway of the flat, his home. He needed answers, he wanted Abby and the others to know he was still OK and that they didn't have to grieve for him. The reality of his decision was slowing dawning on him. He may have saved Abby's life, and he'd done that for purely selfish reasons, but he'd destroyed so much more.

"The deal's off." He said, facing Helen directly, fighting the anger and fear he felt inside.

"You don't have a choice, Connor. How are you going to explain this to your friends, your colleagues, to the girl you love? Imagine how they're going to feel when you tell them you came to me for help? Will they ever be able to trust you after this? Can you face them?" Helen knew exactly which buttons to press. She had watched Connor for a long time and knew what made him tick. Friendship and loyalty meant a great deal to him.

Connor dipped his head and stared at his feet. "You're right." He whispered. "They'll never trust me again."

Helen held out her hand to Connor. "Come with me. It's just you and I now. We both want the same thing and we can help each other." She smiled at him. Connor wasn't sure if it was genuine or not, but she was all he had at the moment. He took her hand and allowed her to lead him away. Away from the safety of his home and the life he adored.