Chapter 10 – Safety Net

Stephen looked up as he heard the door open, frowning slightly; Abby didn't usually get back for a while when she worked at the zoo. Plus it would mean he might have to rethink his plan for a surprise dinner. He abandoned his hunt through the kitchen cupboards and walked into the main area as Abby threw a bag down by the side of the door.

'You okay?' he asked, leaning against the wall slightly as he watched her. Abby turned around sharply and he could have sworn he saw her blinking away tears.

'What's wrong?' he asked, crossing the gap between them in a few strides and placing a hand on the side of her face, rubbing away a tear with his thumb.

'We met Tim's replacement at the zoo today... he's slimming down all the projects and...'

'That includes jobs doesn't it?' Stephen guessed, it wasn't really a question but Abby nodded anyway, 'And that includes yours.'

He pulled her into a hug, he knew how much the job at the zoo had meant to Abby, for her to lose it now, when the team was currently trying to work through a rough patch was the worst timing imaginable. Abby wasn't crying, she just held onto Stephen, soaking up the comfort that was radiating from his body helped keep her tears at bay. She'd done too much crying over the past few days, she didn't want to do anymore. She didn't have the energy to.

'What do you fancy for dinner tonight? I was going to surprise you, but since you're here you might as well choose.'

Abby looked up at him with raised eyebrows, 'You were going to cook dinner?'

'Hey, I can cook!'

'Never said you couldn't' Abby said innocently. Stephen pretended to look hurt as she laughed and pressed a kiss to his lips.

'So what were you thinking of cooking?' she asked him.

'Lasagne sound alright?' he asked, leading her to the kitchen. Abby smiled.

'You bet!' she perched on the counter and watched as he went back to looking through the cupboards. Just then the doorbell went; groaning Abby slipped down from the counter.

'I'll get it,' she told him. Even though the day hadn't started off well Abby had a smile on her face; she knew she was the luckiest woman in the world to have found someone like Stephen, and she doubted anything could ruin her mood now. Not after the day she'd had so far anyway. She pulled open the door and realised just how wrong she had been.

'What are you doing here?' she demanded. The man on her front step smiled.

'Hey Abby,' John Baker said, 'How are you?'

'Get out of here,' she snapped, closing the door. John caught the door with his hand and blocked it with his foot.

'Now that's not very nice,' he chastised, 'I came here to give you something.'

Abby's eyes narrowed, 'I couldn't give a damn why you're here but if you don't leave I'll call the police.'

'Now don't be like that, Abs.'

Abby froze, her eyes widening in shock.



Stephen frowned in concentration as he put the pan on the side; he couldn't hear what was being said at the door but he could hear Abby's tone had changed, and he had an uneasy feeling in his stomach. He walked to the top of the stairs and listened to what was being said below. He heard Abby say she was going to call the police and his frown deepened. Who was at the door?

'Now don't be like that, Abs,' he heard a male voice said. After a few seconds of silence he heard Abby speak again.

'Get out.'

'Oh come on, baby, you can't say you haven't missed me at all.'

Stephen had a sickening suspicion he knew who was at the door and quickly went downstairs; he saw Abby blocking the gap between the door and doorframe and could see two men the other side of the door. He recognised the one on the left as the man from the office block, and could guess who the other one was. The dark haired man on the right pushed on the door, the combined efforts of both men meant the door was pushed out of Abby's grip and she took a step back. Stephen decided to intervene before things got any more out of hand.

'Abby, you okay?' he asked, closing the gap between them and standing at her side, wrapping an arm loosely around her waist, just like he had at the office block. Abby looked up at him with gratefulness in her eyes, she had to admit he had the best timing in the world.

'Who are you?' the dark haired man demanded.

'Hey, weren't you at the office the other day?' John asked.

'Yeah,' Stephen replied, 'Stephen Hart. Who are you?'

'Just an old friend come to catch up with Abby,' Tom replied; Abby subconsciously moved closer to Stephen's side.

'Who were just about to leave,' she said, glaring at the two of them.

'Not even going to offer us a cup of tea, Abs? Man you've certainly changed,' Tom commented, smiling at her in a way that was making her extremely uncomfortable, 'You always made the best cuppa.'

He started to try and walk through the doorway but Stephen moved to block his way, his arm slipping from around Abby to be placed on the door.

'You've caught us at a bad time, we were just about to go out,' he said, keeping eye contact with Tom.

'Who are you to tell me what to do?' Tom demanded, glaring at Stephen; he felt Abby place a hand on the small of his back and he straightened up, tightening his grip on the door so he was ready to push it shut.

'I'm her boyfriend, and she just told you to leave. So unless you want the police to drive you home I suggest you go,' he replied, closing the door before either man had time to reply or to move. He quickly slipped the chain across and turned around to look at her.

'Come here,' he said, holding his arms out; Abby moved into them almost immediately, and she felt them tighten around her. She never felt safer than she did when he was with her.

'Thank you,' she said; Stephen placed a kiss to her hair.

'You should have called for me when you knew who it was,' he told her, running a hand up and down her back.

'They caught me by surprise, I have no idea how they found me.'



He shushed her, 'They're gone now. If they come back I'll make sure to leave them in no doubt they're not welcome.'

Abby looked up at him, 'Just don't do anything stupid.'

'When have I ever done something stupid?' he asked, at her look he quickly added, 'Okay, on second thoughts don't answer that.'

Abby laughed and pressed a kiss to his lips, 'One thing.'

'Oh? What's that?' he asked, smiling at the mischievous look in her eyes.

'You told Tom you were my boyfriend,' she said, 'But you never actually asked me yet. For all you know I might want someone else.'

'You little minx,' he laughed, tickling her ribs. Abby squealed and managed to wriggle out of his grip and took off up the stairs, Stephen close behind her.

She ran around one of the tanks, putting the snake between them and grinned as she feinted left and right. When his gaze went down to eye the snake with uncertainty she raced around the left of the tank and around the couch, just managing to pull her arm out of the way before Stephen had a chance to grab it. She ran up the stairs to the bedroom, laughing and gasping as she stumbled a little when she made it. She tried to run around the other side of the bed but Stephen had caught her up and looped an arm around her waist and pulled her onto the bed with him, turning over so he was straddling her waist, successfully pinning her down. Both were laughing and gasping for air, as he tried to tickle her once more.

'No! Stephen, stop!' she managed to gasp out. Grinning, Stephen decided to take pity on her and stopped, letting his hands rest on her stomach. Smiling up at him, Abby let her hands travel up his arms to rest behind his neck, pulling his head down to press her lips against his; his hands slid up her torso from her stomach, his fingers pushing up the material of her shirt as they went. His lips moved from hers and trailed down to her jaw line and down to her neck, lifting from her skin only when he pushed her top over her head. He paused to look at her. Abby smiled up at him, pulling his shirt over his head and running her hands over the well defined muscles, once or twice they even crept over scars, the most obvious one being the one on his shoulder where the Arthropleura had bitten him. She sat up and pressed a kiss to the puckered scar, her arms around his back holding him close; she trailed kisses along his shoulder and up his neck to capture his lips with hers again. He was like a drug and she was addicted with no hope of rehab.

'Abby...' his voice was husky and it sent shivers through her body. He slowly leant down, pushing her back onto the mattress, a predatory gleam in his eye that had Abby shivering in anticipation. His body covered hers, her body fitted perfectly between his arms, their legs tangled together and the fingers of one hand running through her bleached hair.

'I love you,' she whispered, placing a hand on the side of his face and caressing his features, the roughness of forming stubble making her fingers tingle. She watched in wonder as Stephen's face seemed to transform with those three words; his eyes softened and the lust in them was replaced by love that seemed to radiate out of the blue depths and warmed her to her stomach. He seemed to lose a few years as his features softened and Abby felt suspicious wetness forming in the corners of her eyes.

'I love you, Abby,' he told her, 'My beautiful, brave, strong Abby.'

He pressed a kiss to her mouth with each word, and Abby felt the tears finally break free, holding onto his shoulder's as if Stephen was her lifeline as she drowned in him. The moment was 

ruined when the doorbell went for the second time that day. Abby froze and Stephen propped himself up on his elbows.

'Stay here,' he told her, wiping away the tears that had fallen with his thumb, 'I'll go see who it is.'

He picked up his shirt from the floor and pulled it on, as he turned and quickly ran down the stairs and down to the front door Abby knew he'd always be her safety net, always catching her whenever she fell and she couldn't help but love a little bit more. He pulled it open as Abby padded down beside him, her shirt back on and a smile on her face when she saw who it was.

'We've got summons,' Nick said with an eye roll, 'Lester wants us at the Home Office by six.'

'He's giving us two hours to get there?' Abby asked in disbelief.

'It's Lester... what he wants he seems to get,' the Professor answered. Abby laughed and beckoned Nick and Connor to come in, shooting an anxious glance outside for any car that wasn't normally there. Knowing she was being paranoid she shook her head and pushed the door shut, if it was a little quicker than normal only Stephen noticed.

'Anyone want a cuppa before we leave?' she asked, when she only got negative answers she shrugged and grabbed her bag and phone before pulling on her shoes and coat and following the other three team members back out of the door. Falling into step beside Stephen as she asked Connor about his Mum.

A/N: Hey, I'm so sorry it's taken me so long to update! I've been up to my eyes in coursework and exams. One week and it's all over! The other good news is that I've actually got this whole story planned! Which means all I have to do it follow my plan... and some of the scenes are already written! In my defence though I am still mourning the loss of Stephen cries

Thank you to everyone whose stayed with me and been patient. I'm still wishing Stephen was still alive and that he'd just shoved Helen in instead, I know I would have done!

Thank you to everyone who reviewed. The next chapter will probably be just a bit of fun and silliness but it's just to get the main plot going. I promise everything will start becoming clear soon!

Ciao for now

Starsword