Fandom: Primeval Characters: Connor Temple, Abby Maitland Rating: PG, at most Timeline: Set between 3.4 & 3.5 Disclaimer: Obviously a copyright infringement, but surely not worth suing over Summary: A string of bizarre deaths brings Abby Maitland face-to-face with a past she'd tried to forget, and her friendship with Connor Temple is tested as the team races to find the source of an ancient, deadly toxin.

Connor studied the large sheet of paper laid out on the table in Cutter's old lab. It was covered with markings, Connor's hand-drawn copy of the strange symbols carved into the outside of the artifact that Cutter had taken from Helen before his ex-wife shot him. With his mentor gone, Connor felt driven to live up to the confidence Cutter had shown in him when he told Connor, with his dying breaths, that it was up to him to carry on. He hoped that diagramming the artifact would help him discern some pattern that would reveal its secret purpose. So far, the object had remained as enigmatic as ever.

Connor was so intent on his task that he didn't hear Barrington come into the lab until the scientist spoke.

"Mr. Temple."

As casually as possible, Connor flipped over the schematic before turning to face Barrington. His visitor held a device in one hand, which Connor immediately recognized as the micro-spectroscope he had invented for Abby. "Something I can help you with?" he asked coolly.

"I gather you are what passes for tech support around here," Barrington said. "This machine doesn't appear to be working properly." He held up the spectroscope.

"Where did you get that?" Connor asked.

"From Abigail. She seemed to think it might be helpful to me in my work, and since she had no use for it herself, she turned it over to me. Unfortunately, it doesn't seem to come with a user's manual, and she's not around at the moment to give me a lesson."

Connor reached out and took the instrument from the scientist. He pressed a small, recessed button on its side, studied the results of his action on the miniature screen for a moment, then flipped the device over and opened the back panel of the casing. Fishing a tiny screwdriver from his shirt pocket, Connor made a few tiny adjustments to the complex circuitry inside, slid the back cover shut and handed it back to Barrington. "There. Just push the on button and it should give you whatever you need."

"Thanks," Barrington said without sincerity. As he turned to walk out, a low comment from Connor stopped him in his tracks.

"I want you to stay away from Abby."

Barrington turned back to Connor. "I suspect that will be a bit difficult, since we share a very small lab."

"We don't need you here. Abby doesn't need you."

Barrington smirked. "My dear boy, you don't have the faintest notion of what Abigail needs."

"I'm warning you-"

The scientist laughed out loud. "Are you marking your turf, little man? Surely you don't imagine you'd ever have a chance with a woman like Abigail Maitland."

"This isn't about me. It's about Abby." Connor spoke with quiet intensity. "I know you hurt her before. I won't let that happen again."

Barrington's face darkened. "My relationship with Abigail – past, present and future – is not your concern." He glared at Connor through narrowed eyes. "I wonder how she would feel if she knew you were playing the knight in shining armor for her?" Connor's suddenly averted eyes told Barrington he'd scored a direct hit. "Abigail is quite capable of taking care of herself and making her own decisions." His lips curled into a derisive smile. "And if she ever is in need of a hero … I think we both know she won't look here first."

Abby parked the Mini in as visible a spot as she could find and got out cautiously. This wasn't exactly a part of town she frequented, and the late afternoon sun slanting over the roofs of the nearby council estates were an uncomfortable reminder that nightfall was coming on. Abby wasn't proud of the deep-seated societal prejudices that prompted her unease – but she also knew Brixton was no place for a woman to be found alone at night.

The road was largely deserted; most of the shops had already closed, and the few tired-looking residents standing at the bus stop or loitering in doorways didn't look like the type to offer a stranger a helping hand. The revitalization movement Abby had heard so much about clearly hadn't reached this part of Lambeth Borough yet. Abby glanced at her watch and checked her mobile to see if she'd missed a text. Nothing. As minutes ticked by, she began to feel very exposed and vulnerable. It would be clear to anyone that she didn't belong here. Finally, just as she'd nearly made up her mind to leave, she spotted a slender figure emerging from the shadows of a market stall. The girl looked quickly in every direction, then hurried over to Abby. Without saying anything, she tugged open the passenger side of the Mini and climbed in. Startled, Abby got in the driver's side.

"We need to go somewhere else," Linda said. She ducked her head below the dash. "I don't want anybody to see me with you."

"Where?" Abby said, starting the car.

"Just drive. I'll tell you where to go."

Linda directed Abby down several increasingly desperate looking streets and finally pointed to a narrow alleyway between two vacant shops.

"You want me to drive down there?" Abby said, uneasy.

"Yes. We won't be seen from the street."

Abby hesitated. "Linda, what's all this about?"

The girl gave Abby an irritated look. "Look, we need to do this my way, or I'm outta here."

"Fine." Abby turned down the alleyway and drove slowly a few dozen yards until Linda signaled her to stop. Wedged between the buildings, the alley was dark and strewn with trash – and Abby noted the far end was blocked with a chain link fence and several large dumpsters. There was no getting out that way. Abby had been in enough dangerous situations to feel very, very uncomfortable with the lack of escape options here.

"Look, Linda. This isn't exactly my idea of a fun night out, so you'd better tell me what's going on right now." Abby's growing anxiety made her tone sharper than she intended.

"Gerry's dead."

Abby was shocked. "I'm sorry," she stammered. "What happened?"

Linda shrugged miserably. "I dunno. They never would let me see him, or tell me how he died. Yesterday when I went back to the hospital, they just said he was dead and told me to clear off."

"Is it possible they were lying to you?"

"About him being dead? No. This woman from council services who I've had some dealings with made some calls and found out they'd released his body to the east morgue. I took the Tube yesterday and saw him laid out there. Had to tell them we were married so they'd let me in." Her lip trembled. "It warn't really a lie. We felt like we was married. We were all each other had, you know?"

"I'm truly sorry, Linda."

"That's not why I called you down here," the girl said. "I was wonderin' … were what I gave you any use?"

"Yes. Thanks to you, we were finally able to discover what's in Gob that makes it so dangerous."

"I'm glad." Even though they were entirely alone in the car, Linda lowered her voice and leaned in closer to Abby. "I've been doing a bit of investigatin' myself."

"What do you mean?"

"I've been asking around, trying to figure out where exactly that squat party was and who was the bloke who brought us there."

Abby frowned. "That could be dangerous, Linda. I appreciate you wanting to help –"

"I'm not doing it for you, or the Bozzers or thems at the hospital," Linda snapped. "I'm doin' it for Gerry. He were a good man, in his way. He didn't deserve to go the way he did."

"I know, and I promise we will find out who's responsible. I just don't want to see you get into any trouble – and neither would Gerry."

The girl turned her face to the window and stared at the sooty bricks of the alley wall. "It don't matter what happens to me, now Gerry's gone," she said softly. She turned back to Abby and gave her a sad smile. "Don't you worry about me, miss. I've been taking care of myself since I was 13. And anyway, I got what I was looking for – part of it, at least." She pulled a crumpled piece of paper from her pocket and handed it to Abby.

"Callum Lewis," Abby read.

"That's 'im. That's the one who met up with Gerry at the club and took us to the squat. He stays sometimes with some Quiff up at Loughborough Estate. I figure if you get ahold of him, he'll be able to lead you to who's supplyin' him."

"This is amazing," Abby exclaimed. "Thank you for this, Linda. I know you put yourself out there to get this information. It won't be wasted, I can assure you."

Linda shrugged. "I just hope if you do find out who's behind this, you make him pay for what he did."

Abby nodded. "What will you do now? Is there anything I can do to help you?"

"Nah. I'll be leavin' town in a couple of days. Got an old mate who lives in Manchester and said I could stay with him for a while. Afraid things might get a bit hot for me here now."

"I think that's a good idea. I hope you'll be careful, Linda."

"Yeah." Linda looked at Abby seriously. "I expect I won't be seeing you again, Abby. I want to thank you for … well, just for being nice, mostly. I haven't got that much the last few years."

"That's a shame, because you deserve to be treated well. I hope you know that."

The girl didn't answer, but carefully opened the door and squeezed out into the alleyway. "I'll be leaving you here," she said. "I know a short way back to where I'm staying. You'd best be getting back to your own part of town. It's getting dark."

"I don't like to leave you here. It isn't safe."

"Not safe for you," the girl answered. "But these are my streets. I know how to take care of myself." She closed the car door and watched as Abby backed down the alley. As Abby turned the car back onto the main thoroughfare, she glimpsed Linda give her a small wave. Then she disappeared into the darkness.