This time it was Connor's turn to be quiet and thoughtful while Abby and Gran chatted over dinner. Abby and Connor had made a hearty chicken potpie and Gran had complimented them on it, even though Connor knew from experience that Gran's potpies were far tastier. They'd also baked a chocolate cake for dessert and cleaned up well enough that Gran never knew about their little flour fight.

Abby and Gran were talking about all kids of things now, jumping from one topic to another in the way that Connor never understood how women could do. He'd stopped paying attention when Abby told Gran how she often got Rex to wake him up by tossing lettuce onto him in the mornings. Instead, Connor's mind switched back to the one thought that'd been running through it pretty much the entire day: he'd kissed Abby!

He knew it wasn't the first time, but the situation surrounding the first kiss had been a lot different and he'd assumed she'd only let him get away with it because she'd been so emotionally broken at the time. And perhaps this time she'd understood that it'd been his way of expressing his thanks after her compliments had rendered him speechless, but that didn't change the fact that she'd still been smiling afterwards and that she hadn't so much as given him a warning. He wondered what that meant. She'd said they were together, but she'd also said they weren't a couple. To be honest, he wasn't entirely sure what the difference was, but he was willing to worry about that later and just dwell on the fact that he was apparently allowed to kiss her.

"Earth to Connor!" Abby suddenly demanded, her voice breaking into his thoughts.

He turned to her, wide-eyed and apologetic, "Sorry Abby. What is it?"

"Your Gran's only asked you to pass the seasoning salt three times now, Con."

Connor blushed and muttered another apology, this time to his Gran, as he passed her the shaker as swiftly as possible. Gran chuckled. "Welcome back, Sonny. Off on Planet Connor were you? Or maybe Planet Abby?"

Abby blushed this time as well and then turned an even deeper shade of red when Connor nodded, "Yeah, guess I was. The second one." He'd already kissed her, so he had to be allowed to think about her, right? He glanced at Abby to make sure she didn't look mad, missing completely the smug smirk that flashed across Gran's face.

They crawled into bed at the same time that night and Abby didn't try to sleep on the edge again. Rather she grabbed his arm and pulled it firmly across her body, tucking herself neatly against him with her back against his side. Connor was happy about the fact that it was her that initiated contact this time, and he tightened his grip on her waist immediately, burying his face against her neck. He wasn't smiling this time though, and he was glad that she fell asleep quickly, because he couldn't long keep back the tears that fell simply out of his sudden overwhelming love for her. He also fell asleep shortly, thinking he wouldn't survive it if she hurt him again this time.

When Connor woke up in the morning, he found that Abby was already awake. She was still cuddled against him, but she was facing him now. At first he was confused because she seemed to be holding a very one-sided conversation, but as he fully awakened he realised that Rex had joined them and was perched on his left shoulder.

Connor shuffled, propping his head up on his elbow and knocking the lizard gently to the bed. Rex looked rather put out and flew away into the rafters.

Abby shook her head, "Connor! That was rude you know, me and Rexy were talking."

He raised his eyebrows, amused, "And I was supposed to just lie still until you were done?"

"Maybe."

"Well, sorry for moving. What were you talking about anyway?"

"Stuff. You didn't hear? You're right here and all."

"I was asleep, mostly. I haven't the foggiest what you said and even if I did I never seem to understand Rex's side of your conversations."

"That's odd, since I know you talk to him too."

"I didn't say I couldn't understand him when it's me and him talking Abs, just when it's you and him, see?"

Abby's eyes sparkled at his teasing as she shook her head and laid back on his arm. "Then I guess you'll just never know what we were talking about, will you?"

"I would if you tell me."

"He was trying to demand we get up, you know. So I simply explained to him this holiday wasn't really about him, it was about us, so he should let us sleep longer if we wanted to."

Connor was surprised at her admission, seeing as it was the excuse of the lizard that had convinced her to come on this holiday in the first place, but he knew better than to make a big deal of it. Instead he just nodded and asked, "And how'd he take that news?"

"Oh, he didn't buy it. Said it's always about him, he did."

Connor chuckled and dropped back lower onto the bed, resting his forehead against hers as he enjoyed losing himself in her laughing eyes. "Well then, I guess we'd better just have an extra long lie-in to teach him a lesson, yeah?"

Abby nodded and whispered, "Yeah."

Connor didn't respond this time though, suddenly feeling awkward at their closeness. He should probably pull back, he thought. His hand was resting on her stomach, playing a bit with the hem of her pyjama top, his forehead on hers, gently pinning her to the bed. He was too mesmerized by her eyes though to move away. After a long moment of gazing into them, hers suddenly shut, blocking his view and he wanted to protest until he suddenly realised that he was kissing her again. Now how had that happened? Had he really been so lost in her eyes he hadn't noticed such an important fact? Connor, stop analysing this and enjoy it! That his conscious was actually starting to sound a lot like Abby was the last thought that he let cross his mind before closing his own eyes too.

It was far different than either of the two previous kisses had been. For one thing, there was no good excuse for it that could explain it away if Abby demanded one. For another, she was actually kissing him back. Her hands were in his hair keeping him close and, for all Connor knew, she might have even intiated this one. He sure didn't remember doing so. He sighed happily and then broke away from her hastily as the loud rap came on the door.

Gran's voice floated into the room, "Surely you two can't be asleep with all that racquet! Why don't you let him out?"

Abby suddenly registered that Rex was putting up quite a fuss at the closed bedroom door, wanting them to get up still, and Maggie was barking on the other side wanting in to see his little green friend. She pushed her way out of bed and opened the door for the lizard, giving a sheepish apology to Gran.

Once the trio of interrupters were gone, she shut the door again and looked at Connor apologetically. "I guess it might be all about him after all."

"Unfortunately," Connor agreed, getting out of bed himself. "But don't tell him so."

"Wouldn't dream of it," she laughed.