Disclaimer: Primeval does not belong to me, this is fan fiction, not for profit.
Any references to people, places, businesses etc is entirely fictitious.
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Abby was walking slower now. The slight incline as they followed the side of the hill was hardly noticeable to her, but Connor was breathing heavily now. She kept her arm around Connor's waist and he was leaning on her again, much like their first day walking in the cretaceous.
"Connor," she asked "I thought Cutter said pterosaurs mainly ate small reptiles, do you really thing one would try to attack us?"
"Dunno," he replied "but after having been chased by one, I can say I would just as soon it didn't happen again."
Abby chuckled at his response. She would just as soon not ever have a creature chase after her.
"And besides," Connor continued "there's only so much you can tell, guess really, from the fossil record… there's still a lot of things we don't know about these creatures."
Remembering the centipede that bit Stephen, supposedly non-venomous, Abby nodded in agreement. They continued walking up the hill in a companionable silence. Abby relaxed a little, it was almost as if they were back home, walking in the Forest of Dean, no sounds of raptors, no sounds of anything really except the step of their feet.
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"Connor," she began again "earlier you said we've been here nearly a month now…"
"I said nearly…" Connor interjected "It's not a month until Friday."
"I've lost track of the days," Abby admitted. She looked up at him with a dazzling smile, willing him to continue. He looked down at her, an answering smile starting to spread across his face, but he was distracted, he stumbled on the uneven ground and almost brought them both down.
As they righted themselves, Abby decided to forego subtlety and just straight out ask Connor what she wanted to know. "Connor," she asked "if it's not a month until Friday, what day is today?"
He looked at her in surprise, "Sunday of course."
Abby rolled her eyes at his words, wondering to herself how he kept track of the days. "And there's been no sign of an anomaly," she prompted him.
"No," Connor agreed worriedly, "which is why I want to get the anomaly opening device…"
"It doesn't work," Abby exclaimed impatiently.
"But it did work before," responded Connor "and if I can jury rig the power from our cell phones, maybe it will work again..."
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As they came around the curve of the hill, they stopped abruptly. Abby gasped in amazement. The massive tree that once stood so tall, holding the aerie safely above the reach of raptors was destroyed. The top half was completely gone, and the huge trunk shattered, split down the middle. Half still stood, a lonely spire pointing skyward, while the other half sprawled in chunks and splinters across the ground.
"What on earth," exclaimed Abby.
"The titanosaur," answered Connor looking at the devastated tree and the swath of open ground beyond "it's an eating machine…"
Abby shivered remembering the quiet forest. The last time she hadn't heard any sound of creatures, Connor had told her that a carnivore had been trailing after the titanosaur, frightening all the other creatures away.
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They decided to spend the night at the base of the tree. Standing isolated in the open swath of mowed forest, it still offered the best shelter around. It was getting late, and Abby could tell that Connor was tired. It took little to persuade him that crossing the open area would be best done tomorrow morning after a good rest.
There was quite a bit of regrowth showing amongst the trampled plants. The plants weren't as far along as the ones sprouting in the open space they had previously crossed, indicating the titanosaur had probably passed through this area more recently, but Connor assured Abby that the creature must be long gone by now.
"Connor," Abby asked "will you start a fire?" Then without waiting to hear his answer, she called "Be right back," and headed back into the forest in the direction from which they had just emerged.
"What happened to staying together?" he called after her. Shaking his head, he began unpacking the anomaly detectors. Strategically placing them around their camp, he ran the trip wires and then started the fire. He was getting better at starting a fire now. It was soon blazing and crackling.
Abby soon returned to camp with an arm load of pinecones. "Thought we should have a movie night," she said with a grin "and I've brought the popcorn."
"Ready to roast pinecones," agreed Connor.
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Connor was sitting, leaning back against the base of the tree. Abby reclined with her head against his chest, sighing contentedly. She was picking the last of the pine nuts out and intermittently handing one to Connor and then eating one herself.
"I'm really glad we've got the fire," Abby said sleepily "have to thank Becker for putting flint in the backpacks."
"Yeah," agreed Connor "it's great for cooking… warmth… ambience…"
Abby's eyebrows rose at his last word. Ambience, she thought. "I meant," began Abby "for keeping the creatures away… for keeping that titanosaur and whatever was following it away." She shuddered.
"Oh Abby," Connor replied "I doubt this little fire would keep something as big as a titanosaur away… oomph." He gasped for air as Abby elbowed herself into a sitting position. She turned to look at him.
"What do you mean," she demanded "everyone knows that fire scares animals…"
"Everyone hasn't been born yet," he remarked.
"What do you mean?" she repeated.
"Most animals in our time fear fire because it is associated with humans, and humans are dangerous," he explained. "Here and now, fire is something that might occur after a lightening strike… something as small as this campfire would probably not even be noticed by a titanosaur."
"The titanosaur wouldn't notice a fire," Abby asked incredulously.
Connor snorted as he tossed another branch on the fire. "If the whole forest were on fire… maybe… but really, I doubt a creature that size would notice anything smaller than a G Rex or another titanosaur."
He looked at her, and finally seemed to realize her dismay at his words. "Of course, the smoke will mask our smell from anything that hunts by scent."
"That won't save us from getting stepped on," she replied.
"Abby," he grinned "we would hear the titanosaur coming long before we got stepped on."
She nodded in agreement, remembering the sound of its slow lumbering tread.
"And the G Rex," she asked. "that hunted by detecting motion…"
"Yeah" Connor agreed "so we just need to huddle together."
Hmmph. Abby leaned back against Connor's chest again. Looking up, she could see the moon and stars. They hadn't seen the moon and stars since they moved into their second camp. The forest growth was thicker there, bright sunlight made its way through the branches, but not too much else.
Tonight was just beautiful, and Abby decided she couldn't worry about titanosaurs or G Rex or whatever else might be lurking out in the darkness. Tonight, she was going to concentrate on the man right here with her, right now.
"Connor," she said turning her body to face him.
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