Disclaimer: Primeval doesn't belong to me, no copyright intended

A/N: Although I'm ending this now, its still open .. this kind of story can go on and on ... so I might return to it at some point once other things are out of the way

Connor leaned back awkwardly onto his pillow. He hoped the nurse would be in soon to adjust his position so he could lie down and get some sleep. He turned to look at the photograph that Abby had propped against the lamp on his bedside table – it was from the ultra sound scan. He still couldn't quite grasp the fact he was going to be a father, and whilst most fathers had pretty much the full nine months to get used to the idea, he had less than four, and for at least two of those months, he'd be in hospital immobilised whilst his injured pelvis healed.

He wasn't scared of being a father, he quite liked babies and young children. Growing up, his parents had been foster carers and they often had babies and toddlers in the house. Sometimes they'd only stay for a few days, others stayed for several months. It made up for not having a real brother or sister.

What did scare him though was his relationship with Abby. He loved her more than life itself, and he believed she loved him. It should be perfect, the two of them together again, bringing up their child … but Connor couldn't promise Abby the "happily ever after" she wanted, not yet, and she had left that evening upset. He hated hurting her in this way, but he had thought it through and knew, unless he did something, she would end up hurting him more….

--

It had started the day he woke up after the accident. He knew things had changed whilst he'd been unconscious. As he blinked his eyes and began to stir, he heard a familiar voice

"Conn? I'm here" she whispered, her hand touching his face.

"Abby?" he croaked, his face twisting in pain as his eyes opened.

"Shh, it's OK. You're in the hospital, do you remember what happened?" He shook his head. "I'm going to find a nurse, get them to give you something for the pain. I'll be back in a minute" she scurried out, scanning the ward looking for a nurse.

Connor was confused. The last thing he remembered was standing at the bar with Danny after he'd walked away from Abby. How had he got here? Why did his entire body hurt so much? Why was Abby here? The nurse came in, followed by Abby. She injected something into him and smiled. "That should help for a few hours, and then the doctor can sort you out properly in the morning" she turned to Abby "Call me if you need anything else, I'll be at the main desk"

Abby sat on the bed again, stroking Connor's hair. "It's good to have you back with us" she was smiling.

"What happened to me?" he said

"You got hit by a car on your way home from the bar, you've been out of it for nearly 24 hours"

"Explains a lot" he said. He could feel the pain killer slowly taking effect, but it was also making him drowsy again. He felt his eyelids droop. But he didn't want to sleep, he still had questions. "Abby?"

"Conn?"

"You were here, holding my hand …. I thought we … I didn't think you …."

"Yes, I've been here. Just because we're not together, it doesn't mean I don't care about you" she could feel tears falling down her cheeks. She leaned into him and kissed his lips. He automatically responded, his lips seeking more from her. It was brief, but it was a start. As she pulled away, he felt tears in his own eyes.

"Don't do this to me Abby. Not now"

"We need to talk. When you're up to it." she said.

Connor was drifting off to sleep. "Yeah, talking would be good" he whispered, his eyes closing.

--

Abby spent a lot of time with him over the next few days, and for the first time in a long time, he actually liked being with her. They held hands, they gave each other brief, tender kisses, and most importantly, they talked. It was like the early days of their romance, when little gestures meant so much. They realised they had come to take those things for granted. Abby was falling in love with Connor all over again, the dimple in his cheek when he smiled, the glint in his eyes … all the things that had attracted her to him in the first place. Connor was also falling for her again, but he was weary.

About a week after the accident, Connor was moved from the intensive care ward and into a more private room. They told him he was considered a long term patient, and they settled him in with a few home comforts. He even had his own tv. Abby visited as usual that evening and settled down to watch tv with him. It was almost like home, Abby resting her head on his shoulder, his arm around her. "Conn? … can we try again?"

"Try again? You mean, get back together?"

She nodded. "It'll be different this time. It has to be"

"I'm willing to try, if you are"

"Kiss me, Connor" she placed her hand on his cheek, urging him towards her. Their lips crushed together, both desperate for more than just warmth and comfort. "I love you so much" Abby sobbed, as Connor kissed her again, his tongue teasing her lower lip until she parted her lips to allow him inside.

"Love you too" he murmured, sinking deeper into the embrace. He cursed his lack of mobility, wanting more, needing more. Abby was guiding his hand somewhere, he hoped he wasn't going to embarrass himself … but she had placed his hand on her stomach and then pulled away. He was confused.

"Connor, there's something I need to tell you" she was saying. He took his hand away and looked at her. "Put it back, Connor" she whispered.

"Ok" he said. What was going on? Abby placed her hand over his and looked him straight in the eyes

"I'm pregnant"

The words took a moment to register. "Pregnant?" he felt himself start to cry.

Abby was nodding "I've only known a few days, but I'm actually five months on …"

Connor blinked. Five months, his father's anniversary. He gently stroked her stomach, his head spinning. In the midst of all that anger and hate, one moment of love had broken through and given them something to remind them of that love. "Wow!" was all that he could say.

Abby reached into her back pocket and pulled out the wallet she carried her ARC id in. Tucked behind the id card was a photo, it was from the ultra sound scan. "That's Junior" she said, handing him the photo. "It's a little small for five months apparently, but the doctor said it wasn't a concern. Everything looks fine on the scan"

Connor stared at it "wow" he said again, not quite believing what he was seeing.

Abby laughed. "You're going to have to hurry up and get yourself well. We'll need another new place with a second bedroom, and then set up a nursery"

"The doctor said I'll be in traction for at least 2 months, and then I'll probably need physio and stuff. I won't be much help. Besides, it'll be your place, you have to make the choices" Connor swallowed hard. He knew that wasn't what Abby wanted to hear.

"You mean our place, right?" she said

He shook his head. "I don't think us living together is a good idea, at least not for a while" he squeezed her hand tightly.

"I thought you were OK with this, that you wanted to try again?" Abby didn't understand, it felt like her world was crumbling around her again, just as it was starting to rebuild

"I do want to be with you, Abby. I love you. But if we just go straight back into a full blown relationship without properly resolving the issues we had before, then how long before it all starts again? I can't go through that again, and we certainly can't put a baby through that."

"If that's what you want" Abby said. The tremble in her voice betrayed her, despite trying to put a brave front on.

"It's not what I want. It's what we need" he said.

Abby curled herself into a ball beside Connor on the bed. He snuggled into her the best he could. "We'll be OK you know" he whispered "the three of us"

"Yeah" she whispered back.

--

Abby had left about an hour after that, tears staining her cheeks. Had he been wrong to be more cautious this time? The hurting he'd suffered in the last few months would take longer to heal than she realised. He got the impression she believed the baby was a magic wand that would just erase everything that had happened.

Abby had been looking for a happy ending today, but it would have been hers, not his. Why had she assumed Connor would do what she wanted? Maybe that was part of the issue with them, he always went along with what she wanted and never actually said what he wanted. He just tried to make her happy, and she allowed that, never considering that Connor might have his own idea of what made him happy. If things were going to work out, then they both needed to change – he had to stop being a doormat, and she had to give a little more, and maintaining a little distance between them might help both of them.

He turned back from the photo and he closed his eyes. Connor Temple was finally growing up and realising what he wanted. He knew Abby wouldn't like it, but if she really did love him, then she would have to get used to it. This had to work this time, there was more than just their own life to consider and that tiny life growing inside Abby deserved better than what they had before.