Disclaimer: Primeval does not belong to me, this is fan fiction, not for profit.

Any references to people, places, businesses etc is entirely fictitious.

A/N takes place after Graduation chapters 9-12

9.3-2 More Travel

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Someone was pounding on the door. Pounding loudly.

Connor sighed and got up from the sofa carefully supporting the little pink bundle in his arms. Patting little Sarah's back every step of the way, Connor walked over to the front door and opened it.

"Lester," he asked in surprise "what are you doing here?"

"Are you going to ask me in," asked Lester "or keep me standing on the steps in this miserable weather?"

Connor opened the door further and ushered his boss inside. Closing the door behind Lester, Connor pointed at the coat rack.

"You can hang the rain coat there and take off your shoes before you come into the living room," said Connor as he turned and walked back to the sofa. Picking up the bottle from the end table, Connor settled back down with his daughter.

"Where's Abby," asked Lester as he hung his dripping coat and started to untie his shoe laces.

"She's upstairs… sleeping," answered Connor "it's the middle of the night you know and new mother's need their rest."

Lester's face softened for a moment at a long ago memory. Yes, he knew that new mother's needed their rest. And so did new fathers. Lester set his wet shoes down on the rug beneath the coat rack and padded in his stocking feet into the living room. He settled himself in the overstuffed chair across from Connor and little Sarah.

"I thought Abby was determined to breast feed," said Lester.

Connor blinked. Had he actually heard Lester correctly? Abby and little Sarah had been home from the hospital just a week now, and Abby was breastfeeding their daughter… but Connor didn't think she had ever told Lester that… and Connor knew he hadn't told Lester.

"This is breast milk," answered Connor flushing a little. "Abby has a pump… can store the milk… this way she gets to sleep… and I get a little one on one time with my princess." He shifted the little girl back to his shoulder and set the bottle down to start patting her back again.

Lester watched the younger man. He was totally absorbed in his daughter. Lester knew Connor wasn't going to like what he had to say next.

"Connor," said Lester "we need you to go to Mumbai."

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The baby belched and started to wail. Connor stood up, pacing back and forth, patting the little girl on her back.

Connor glared at Lester. "I'm supposed to be on vacation for the month," he said "you remember… to make up for the time I didn't get to take all last year." The baby seemed to pick up on Connor's frustration and squirmed, turning her head from side to side, crying louder.

"Ssh, Sarah, ssh," whispered Connor looking down at the infant "you'll wake up Mummy."

Lester watched Connor jiggle the baby, pacing back and forth. Lester stood up from the chair. "May I?" asked Lester gesturing at the baby.

Connor looked at the man in surprise.

"I've got three children of my own you know," said Lester "I do know a thing or two about babies."

"Right," said Connor holding out the little pink bundle "you can walk her while I go to the kitchen… need to warm up the bottle."

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Connor rubbed his eyes tiredly as he warmed Sarah's bottle. What was Lester thinking to ask him to go to Mumbai now? Abby was so not going to like this he thought.

He brought the bottle back into the living room where he saw Lester sitting in the overstuffed chair with Sarah snuggled in his arms. The older man was speaking to the baby in a soft steady voice. Connor didn't recall that gentle tone ever being heard from his boss before.

"I know," said Lester quietly to little Sarah. "Really, I hate to ask… but we need your Daddy."

"What is it you need me to do Lester?" asked Connor.

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Abby looked at Connor's image on the webcam. He looked tired she thought. Those circles under his eyes and the cut on the side of his face hadn't been there when he left London. She rubbed little Sarah's back while she listened to him talking to Lester and the other ARC personnel assembled around the video equipment.

"The problem was there were two anomalies open in Mahim Bay," explained Connor "the one directly under the Bandri-Worli sea link opened to the Jurassic…" He pointed to a map on the wall behind him.

"That's where the pliosaurs came from and the other anomaly in the center of the bay… it opened to the cretaceous… that's where the mosasaurs were coming from. We got a sub in there to get some readings, and once we locked the first one, the blinkers on the bridge itself stabilized… we got some really good readings before the center span crashed down..."

He gestured towards the desk. A woman with long dark brown hair stood there holding a small boy. "Couldn't have got any readings without Padmaja here," Connor added "Lester we need to see if she'll come work for the Mumbai ARC."

Abby almost laughed at the expression on Lester's face when he heard Connor's words.

"We don't have an ARC in Mumbai," the older man reminded Connor.

"You didn't," said Connor "but you need one now, and Padmaja is the best technical rep you'll find."

"I'll see what the International ARC's budget will allow…" began Lester.

"Make it happen Lester," said Connor impatiently "because I can't keep travelling all over the world."

The two men stared at each other for a moment.

"And I'll have a word with Abby," said Connor. "In private," he added.

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Lester and the other ARC personnel had left the conference room. On the webcam Abby watched Connor call the dark haired woman over. He introduced Abby and Sarah to Padmaja and her little son Jatin before they left.

"I'll be home Tuesday night," said Connor.

"Promise," replied Abby.

"Yeah."

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