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A/N: Some T-rated stuff near the end of the chapter, just a heads up!

Chapter 2: Disconnect

Abby propped her head up on her hand, trying to focus on her current report.

Her eyes were heavy and slowly drooping. She knew it would only be a matter of time before she'd fall asleep at her desk.

"Abby, you should set the report away and take a break." Matt spoke, leaning in the doorway.

Abby looked up at him groggily.

"No, I need to finish this." She protested. "With Jess still missing and now what happened with Becker, there's too much slack to keep up with."

Matt approached her and closed her laptop without so much as a protest from her.

"How about we just head home and you can finish this after you've rested, all right?"

She didn't bother to argue as Matt helped her to her feet and led her to the car.

On the way to home, they felt it safe to talk.

"Things are worse now more than ever." Abby muttered, hoping to fighting off sleep until they reached the flat.

Matt nodded. "Becker's sudden resignation seems odd. Phillip having a chat with him the day before he resigned makes me wonder if Becker did any of it willingly."

"I know that Jess's disappearance tore up all of us; but it doesn't make sense that he would wait this long and then abruptly quit." Abby spoke.

"Connor staying in his lab isn't helping anyone." Matt stated, as more of a fact than anything.

"He lost his girlfriend and his baby, Matt. Would you have done anything different if it had been me?" Abby chided.

Matt pulled over and parked the car.

"Abby, I promised a long time ago, when we first met, that I would never let anything bad happen to you. Do you remember?"

"You didn't answer my question."

Matt leaned over and pulled Abby's head closer to his as he kissed her deeply.

"You know that I would never let anything happen to you." He spoke sternly.

Abby kissed him once again. "Let's get home. I'm exhausted."

As Matt started driving again, he turned his head briefly to Abby.

"You're not pregnant. Are you?"

Abby smiled coyly at him. "How would you like to find out?"

"Abby, there's too much at stake right now. It's not the time for jokes." He answered, turning his eyes back to the road.

Abby stuck her tongue out at him before yawning.

Jess laid Abigail down on the bed for her afternoon nap.

She smiled down on her child, sleeping peacefully.

Abigail was nearly three months old.

They were still residing in the cottage that she had spent the remainder of her pregnancy in. Jess was exhausted. Despite the action she'd seen at the ARC, she wasn't remotely prepared for the sleepless nights often contributed to Abigail trying to adjust to a routine sleeping schedule.

Becker was still living with them as well.

Something was different about him, though.

Apart from seeing Becker now donning civilian clothing as opposed to the military clothing she was used to seeing him in, he had practically given up on shaving; a light, rugged beard starting to clothe his face.

He slept in shifts; always keeping a close eye on her and Abigail as if he were expecting somethign horrid to happen.

But the most puzzling question of all was: why didn't he want to return to London?

Becker had told her that it wasn't a good place to be after what had happened to the team and with Abigail just being born; she was too young to be traveling anyway.

Jess leaned down and kissed Abigail on the forehead, before turning and walking out into the sitting room.

Jess lay down on the couch and curled up, resting her head on the pillow.

She would lay here for at least a half an hour to regain her energy. Abigail would be awake by then.

Jess opened her eyes sometime later to find the fading sunlight seeping in through the window.

Before she jumped up, she realized there was a blanket covering her.

Becker must have placed it over her while she slept.

She had overslept, and she didn't hear Abigail crying for her.

And that worried her.

She threw the blanket off her and took off into the bedroom to find her daughter missing.

She took slow, laborious steps toward the kitchen as she heard cooing in the form of Becker's voice coming from that direction.

Stepping into the kitchen, Jess found Becker standing by the window gently rocking Abigail in his arms talking to her.

"I was worried." Jess announced in a hoarse voice.

"I didn't want to wake you." Becker admitted sheepishly. "You needed the rest. Besides, Abigail's been good little girl."

"Isn't that right?" He said soothingly to the baby in his arms.

"You didn't have—thank you." Jess stumbled.

"It's no problem, Jess."

Jess smiled tiredly at him.

He was leaner, his hair less formal—sticking up instead of slicked down—, a beard making him look more distinguished and less like the Head of Security she had come to know.

"Would you like to eat outside tonight?" He smiled. "Some fresh air will do us all some good."

Becker had watched Jess as they ate dinner outside with Abigail in a little reclining chair he'd gotten in town.

She smiled.

It wasn't a tired smile or even a forced smile to pretend everything was all right.

She seemed genuinely happy.

"This was brilliant, Becker. Really." She beamed.

Jess seemed different to him.

Apart from everything she'd been through, she now wore her hair up in a tie unless it was bedtime, she had a fatigued beauty about her; and compared to how she looked when he first saw her here—swollen belly, scared, and looking for a familiar face—she had shed a good bit of her pregnancy weight and now seemed more happy and content.

"I'm going to go and put Abigail to bed." Jess announced before standing and going ahead.

Becker stood and gathered the dishes and things to return to the kitchen.

Phillip's words still plaguing him.

He half wondered if Phillip would come after Jess if it came to it.

No.

Becker wouldn't let that happen.

He left the dishes in the sink and sat down at the kitchen table.

Phillip had given him more than enough money to make sure he never came back—with or without Jess and Abigail.

"You can give her a life Connor's work cannot yield to accommodate." Phillip had said to him.

He wasn't here to replace Connor in anyway.

He had come here to make sure that Phillip had been telling the truth and to protect Jess and Abigail at all costs.

Becker hadn't noticed Jess pulled up a kitchen chair in front of him and sat down.

"What's wrong?" Jess asked softly, putting a hand to his cheek, as if confirming the presence and actuality of the beard.

Becker inadvertently leaned into Jess's hand which hadn't moved away.

"Too much." He replied quietly.

"Why won't you tell me what's happened to London after I disappeared?" Her tone was not demanding.

Becker placed his hand over the hand Jess held to his cheek.

"I don't want to put anyone else in danger."

"What happened to me was not your fault. Neither was what happened to the others. I'm sure there was nothing you could do."

Becker winced slightly.

He removed his hand as Jess lowered hers.

"We should get some sleep." Becker said standing.

"I'll see you in the morning then?"

"I don't have anywhere to be, Jess." Becker replied with a smirk.

Jess smiled back.

She approached him and wrapped her arms around him, giving him a hug.

Becker returned the hug; but as she went to pull away, Becker's lips found hers.

Jess was shocked at first.

"Becker."

He kissed her again, this time with more intensity.

"The baby's—" Jess said before she found herself confronting all of the lonely emotions she forced away during her time here alone.

Her mind trying to convince her she was kissing Connor.

Becker's beard tickling her soft skin.

His left hand tangled through her hair while the other pulled her to him, pressing her against his chest.

She weaved her hands through his hair, feeling his body heat seeping through her shirt.

Becker slid his hands under Jess's shirt and up her back, as he deepened the kiss, searching for the clasp for her bra.

Becker started trailing kisses down Jess's throat, the longing he felt for her since that day she was stranded on the other side of the anomaly pouring out, as he managed to unclasp her bra; a growl escaping his throat as he burrowed into her neck.

"Connor." Jess gasped.

Becker stopped what he was doing and immediately withdrew his hands.

"Goodnight, Jessica." He nodded awkwardly before turning and heading for the couch that he slept on everything.

Jess stood in the kitchen for a few more moments before turning and fleeing to her bedroom in embarrassment and shame and confusion over what had just happened.

Connor update in next chap!

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