Disclaimer: Don't Own, Don't Sue! ;)

A/N: Updates are probably gonna start slowing down again, as I have to start packing to move back in up at college for this coming Sunday. I'll try to update as often as I can. Sorry for the short notice.

Now that the slightly bad news is out of the way,

Enjoy the latest update! ^^

Chapter 10: Come In Closer

"Let me see your hand, Connor." Djaq asked, as she gently picked up Connor's hand to examine it.

"Vasey really did a number on you, didn't he?" Claudia asked, staring at Connor's nearly deformed left hand.

"It doesn't hurt that much, honest." Connor half smiled.

"I can fix it." Djaq explained, cradling Connor's hand, as she looked up at him. "But it is going to be immensely painful. Are you sure you can handle the pain?"

Connor looked at his hand, took a deep breath, and looked back at Djaq. "Do it."

Djaq very carefully unwrapped the pieces of Connor's jacket that Abby had tightly wrapped around Connor's hand.

Connor grunted, as Djaq pulled the last bit of material off of his hand. His hand was swollen, black and blue, and mangled, thanks to Vasey.

"Try to be brave." Djaq encourage as she prepared to set Connor's hand.

"Wait!" Robin shouted in a hushed voice.

"What?"

"The Sheriff and Gisborne could be scouring the forest right now. If they hear Connor scream in agony, we're all finished."

"I told you, I can hold in the pain." Connor reassured them.

"I'm sure you could; but Will and I also heard you try the same as Vasey crushed your hand minutes before we rescued you." Robin recalled.

Connor couldn't argue with that. He had to respect Robin's concern for his gang.

Robin grabbed a clean piece of cloth and apologetically put it in Connor's mouth instructing him to bite down on the cloth if he felt pain.

"What do you mean 'Becker told me what he wants to believe happened'?" Abby asked angrily.

"You're a smart girl, I'm sure you'll figure it out." Matt smiled as he started to walk away.

"Stop." Abby ordered.

Matt didn't turn around and continued to keep walking.

"What was that all about?" Jess asked as Matt passed her.

Jess rolled her eyes and returned to running diagnostics on the ADD. She just wanted an anomaly to hurry up and appear so she could escape the angst fest that Matt just seemed to keep adding to.

It seemed as if forever had passed as Djaq quickly and sharply moved the bones in Connor's hand to try and set his hand. Connor had screamed a few times, biting down on the cloth, tears streaking down his face.

The pain, Connor was almost certain, was more intense than when he had originally broken it.

"I need new cloth to wrap it in." Djaq spoke, cradling Connor's hand in hers.

Will looked around and found some cloth and helped Djaq wrap Connor's hand.

"Whoever originally wrapped your hand may have saved the use of it." Djaq commented as she let go of Connor's hand.

"Abby." Connor beamed as he set the cloth that was in his mouth to the side.

"That your girl?" Allan asked curiously.

"She was;" Connor answered, his smile fading. "But I doubt I'll ever see her again."

Abby ruffled through her locker, collecting some things to take back to Becker's flat with her. She still had no luck in finding a flat; and was beginning to wonder if Lester really even cared if she regained her personal life.

Becker had told her he'd meet her at the car, after he took care of something security-related.

As she exited the locker-room, she bumped into Matt, who dropped some papers.

"Sorry," Abby said as she bent down to help pick up the papers.

She didn't' very much like Matt or Jess; but she wasn't going to be a jerk and not help collect the fallen papers.

As they both stood up and Abby handed Matt the rest of his papers, Matt shook Abby's hand.

"Tell no one." He muttered, smiling as he walked away.

Abby had felt Matt slip a piece of paper into her hand and thought it best not to open until she made it to Becker's car before Becker.

Connor had fallen asleep shortly after Djaq had set his hand. Robin made the decision that they should sleep in shifts, believing that Connor must have some valuable information if Vasey and Gisborne were so interested in his presence.

Connor shocked the group, when he didn't wake up the next morning, or the morning after that.

"Is he dead?" Much asked concerned.

"I thought you didn't like him, Much?" Robin asked sarcastically.

"I don't." Much answered crossing his arms. "I just don't want to have to clean up the mess if he is dead."

"He's not dead, just very tired." Djaq explained, checking his vital signs.

"Cutter, I can't do this on my own." Connor mumbled in his sleep, causing Much to jump.

'What is talking about?' Claudia thought.

"What are you so afraid of?" Allan laughed, snapping Claudia back to reality. "He's just talking in his sleep."

"You—You—you shut up!" Much shouted defensively.

"He must've gone a long time without any sleep." Claudia noted.

"Look, I'm not being funny, but wasn't he sleeping when we first found 'im?" Allan inquired.

"He was unconscious, there's a difference." Claudia replied matter-of-factly.

Allan shrugged and continued to watch as Connor mumbled Abby's name a few times and then fell silent.

Connor woke up about a day and a half later. Everyone seemed worried about him.

Connor seemed distant when he woke up. It was as if he had accepted the fact that there was absolutely no way of going home.

Claudia had so many more questions for him. Robin had ordered Allan and the others to head out to find food, leaving Claudia and Connor to discuss things.

"Do you really think this is wise, Master?" Much asked skeptically, as they wandered around the forest. "Leaving two people we barely know alone in the hideout?"

"It'll be fine, Much. We'll leave them alone for half an hour and then return. I have questions of my own that need answered." Robin explained.

"How's your hand?" Claudia asked, keeping her distance.

"It still hurts like hell," Connor mused staring at his hand.

"How long have I been asleep?" He asked after an awkward silence.

"Nearly four days." Claudia explained.

"Huh."

"Oh, here's your wallet, Connor." Claudia said grabbing Connor's wallet off one of the shelves, handing it to him.

Connor flipped through his wallet, checking to make sure everything was still in place.

"Allan didn't take anything." Claudia reassured him. "He means well, he had a row with Robin and now he's trying to redeem himself."

"He's doing a bang-up job of it." Connor muttered replacing his wallet in his back pocket.

"You talked in your sleep." Claudia stated after a few moments of silence.

"Yeah? Hope I didn't say anything that's gonna get me in trouble."

"Actually, it raised more questions for me."

"I though I answered them all before those weirdoes kidnapped me."

"Well, sort of, but you kept muttering Nick's name, Abby's more so; and I was just wondering how has Nick been?"

Connor fell silent.

"Does he miss me?" Claudia asked, thinking Connor hadn't heard her first question.

"He—he talks about you everyday." Connor smiled, tears falling down his face as he thought of his best friend and mentor.

"How's everyone else?"

"They're pretty good, ya know, aside from missing a couple members."

Claudia stood and snatched the anomaly device that Allan had also stolen from Connor.

"Connor, could you please tell me what this is?" she asked holding the device out to him.

Connor's eye went wide as he started to realize where Claudia was trying to take the conversation.

Sorry for the cliffy! *dodges miscellaneous sharp objects* o.O More soon!^^

Please Review! ;D