Disclaimer: Primeval does not belong to me. This is fan fiction, not for profit.
Any references to people, places, businesses etc is entirely fictitious.
A/N Story picks up right after Continuum (AU)
4.8 AU Christmas Morning
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Abby and Connor were the last ones downstairs Christmas morning. As they passed the open door to the front room, they saw the sofa bed was already folded back up. The silvery tinsel on the Christmas tree shimmered as the morning light streamed through the front windows. Brightly wrapped presents waited beneath the branches. Lady Medusa's tank was set atop the desk near the doorway. In the kitchen, the narrow table was back in the corner where it belonged, flanked by a bench seat on either side and set with plates for breakfast.
"Well look who's finally up," greeted Jack.
The sleeves of his red sweater were pushed up past his elbows. His hands were covered in soap suds as he washed last night's serving dishes. Bare feet peeked out from wrinkled blue jeans. He looked like he'd slept in his clothes last night. Connor and Abby exchanged a glance. They'd been up earlier, but fallen back asleep.
"Why didn't you wake us up?" asked Connor. "We could have helped with the cleaning up from the party."
"You had a late night with all your guests," replied his mother as she flipped a fried egg over.
Connor's Mum had dressed for Christmas day. She wore a burgundy sweater with a silver Christmas tree lapel pin. Dark green slacks with burgundy and silver pinstripes, and dark green leather flats completed the festive look. The woman's dark brown hair was pulled neatly back in a soft chignon. Abby suddenly felt underdressed in her soft pink flannel pajamas and robe. The ice skating penguin print which seemed so adorable earlier now seemed out of place.
"John and I can handle a little tidying up," added Connor's Mum.
Abby blinked at her use of Jack's given name. He seldom used it, preferring the nickname Jack. Her brother turned away from the sink towards them, brandishing a large serving spoon as he spoke. Jack grinned at Abby and Connor.
"It was a good party," said Jack.
Abby glanced at Connor. He was tugging on the sleeves of his red shirt. His thumbs poked through the holes at the wrists, leaving his long slender fingers bare. The deep v-neck showed the ring dangling from the chain around his neck. Connor frowned at Jack, but before he could say anything, his mother spoke.
"Mind the drips," chided Connor's Mum as she reached for the platter in the dish drain.
"Yes ma'am," replied Jack.
Abby watched in amazement as her brother dropped the spoon back into the sink, grabbed a cloth and knelt to wipe the floor.
"Great place by the way," continued Jack as he stood back up and squeezed out the cloth. "When did you move here?"
With the crowd last night, Abby and Jack hadn't really had a chance for a personal conversation. Abby hadn't seen Jack since the race track anomaly.
"Jack!" Abby exclaimed. "I've been trying to reach you for months now… why didn't you return my calls?"
Her younger brother flashed a bright smile, but his eyes had a guarded look Abby recognized. Jack shifted his weight from one foot to the other as he leaned back against the kitchen sink.
"Lost my cell phone," was all Jack answered. "Didn't know you'd called… didn't even know you'd moved."
An awkward silence followed Jack's statement. Abby wondered how Becker had managed to find Jack… and what the soldier had done to ensure he arrived last night.
"Where have you…" began Abby.
"The other flat burned down…," started Connor.
Jack ignored Abby's question and turned his gaze away from his sister to focus on the dark haired scientist. Abby narrowed her eyes. She watched Jack as he started asking Connor questions about the fire, instead of answering her question. Her brother wasn't telling her something.
"It looks like you've done alright for yourselves," concluded Jack as he hung the dishtowel to dry. "This place is huge."
"I like it better than the other flat," agreed Connor's Mum. "This place is more like the two of you."
Abby glanced at Mrs. Temple in surprise. The woman was carefully placing fried eggs on the platter.
"When were you at the other flat?" Abby asked.
Connor looked a bit uncomfortable.
"You were at yoga class," Connor replied "when Mum stopped by… it was when I first moved in…"
"Connor moved from the dorm… to a flat with some girl… and then out of that flat and in to your flat in less than a year," answered Mrs. Temple "I was worried…"
"Mum!" Connor exclaimed. His face reddened.
"Connor," reminded his mother "you're all I've got."
The older woman turned to face Abby.
"I wanted to meet you and see where Connor was living," she added "but he told me you two weren't… erm… romantically involved."
Mrs. Temple flushed a bit and her voice changed as she spoke the last few words. Abby flushed too.
"Well we weren't," replied Abby "I mean… not then…"
Mrs. Temple sniffed and looked at Connor.
"Well you should have told me when things changed," continued his Mum as she frowned at Connor. "Three years you lived together… and never said a word."
Abby remembered her first meeting with Connor's Mum at the train station the day after the fire at the flat. She and Connor had just returned from their time in the past… or Ratanakiri province in Cambodia as per Lester's cover story. Abby had wondered then at Mrs. Temple's attitude, but thought it was due to worry over the recent fire.
"I wouldn't have been so surprised when I finally did get to meet Abby if you had told me…" Connor's Mum rambled on. She turned back to face the stove and flip the last fried egg on to the platter.
"Breakfast is ready," added Connor's Mum. "Where's Patrick?"
"Who's Patrick?" asked Jack as he looked from Abby to Connor in confusion.
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Over fried eggs, bacon, beans on toast, sliced tomatoes, bright red Sicilian Sanguinello orange juice and lots of tea Abby and Connor explained that Patrick got snowed in at Matt and Emily's. Their friends were living at the new ARC station at the Forest of Dean.
"Matt promised he'd get Patrick home in time for dinner," said Connor as he reached for another piece of toast, "but they got more snow than we did… it just depends upon the road conditions."
"Can't imagine missing a party just so I could hang out in the woods with an old married couple," smirked Jack. "What kind of bloke is this Patrick fellow?"
"Patrick's been on his own since he was fifteen," replied Connor as he spread beans across his toast. "He's going to CMU now while he lives with us."
"But I guess the main reason he went up to the Forest of Dean," added Abby "was to see his girlfriend Charlotte… she's in the botany program at the local uni there."
Jack leaned back precariously in his chair, balancing on the back two legs. He grinned.
"A girlfriend…," Jack replied still smirking, "now that makes sense."
Across the table from Abby, Connor's Mum set her fork down on her plate.
"Are they the same Matt and Emily I met at the Lester's party a few months ago?" asked Mrs. Temple looking puzzled. "I didn't think they were married."
"They weren't then," replied Connor. "They got married in November… a civil ceremony."
Mrs. Temple's nose narrowed as she inhaled sharply. She looked from Connor to Abby and then back at her son again.
"Well what's taking the two of you so long?" Connor's Mum asked bluntly. "When are you going to get married?"
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Silence followed Mrs. Temple's question. Abby reached her hand across the table to take Connor's hand in hers. He was staring at his mother, his mouth opening and closing wordlessly. Jack watched his discomforted sister, Connor and his mum in some amusement.
"We're partners in every sense of the word," said Abby quietly. "A piece of paper isn't going to change that."
"Really?" replied Connor's Mum icily. "Some people think those pieces of paper are rather important."
"We don't," blurted out Connor. He squeezed Abby's hand tightly in his. "We had a hand fasting ceremony."
"A hand fasting ceremony?!" exclaimed his mother. "You've definitely listened to your Gran's old stories too much!"
"Gran was happy," replied Connor.
Connor's mum pushed her chair back from the table.
"When your grandfather died," said his mother as she stood up and walked towards the kitchen door, "the lack of that little piece of paper… meant no pension… no insurance… she couldn't even visit him in the hospital at the last."
"Mum," called Connor.
He released Abby's hand as he rose from his seat. Connor followed his mother down the hallway. Jack leaned forward, settling his chair back on all four legs. He placed his elbows on the table and faced Abby.
"She might have a point you know," said Jack.
Abby turned her stunned face towards her brother.
"What are you talking about?" Abby asked.
"Your work is dangerous," reminded Jack. "Who's your emergency contact? I really hope it's not me."
"Don't flatter yourself," Abby replied as she shook her head. "I know better."
A fleeting trace of something Abby couldn't quite define crossed Jack's face, and then was gone.
"So while Connor and his Mum are out of the room," asked Abby "do you want to tell me where you've been for the past several months?"
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