Author's Note: Not sure how I feel about this chapter. It is a bit anticlimactic, but this was never meant as the core of the fic (and I actually like the banal twist I put in). Anyhoo, enjoy?

It was difficult for Abby Maitland to focus with her heart pounding in her ears and her stomach twisted in a knot. And it was completely ridiculous, as well. If she could separate herself from the moment, she would probably become quite irate and embarrassed of herself for being one of those clingy girlfriends. Except it wasn't quite like that. Not really. To compare her relationship with Connor to an average everyday sort of couple, just wasn't accurate. And to say so wasn't out of arrogance.

Their relationship started off like so many others, barring the whole chasing dinosaurs thing. A near-blind unrequited adoration on his side and a reluctant, slow build of affection on hers. Moments of awkwardness, tentative expressions of emotion. But then they had been thrown into a hostile environment with only one another to depend upon for survival. The only two humans in the world. For over a year, a long, terrifying and sometimes interesting, year.

They had developed a deep bond, her and Connor, one that few could understand let alone ever experience themselves. He seemed to be readapting well enough back amongst his computers and gadgetry. However, Abby found herself thinking that they may have left the cretaceous but the cretaceous hadn't quite left her. Six billion humans and at her core, she still thought of it as 'Connor and Abby vs. the World.' Her instinct was to protect him above all other concerns.

During their year in the cretaceous, they were never apart more than a few hours at a time, for the thought of losing the only other person in existence was unbearable. They had seen what Helen Cutter turned into with the insanity of isolation in a cruel world, and it was terrifying. And even since their return to 'civilization', they had never been apart for more than a day.

It made her edgy and worried.

The fact that they were just allowed to enter Prospero's facilities without more than a five minute security check that didn't even end in the confiscation of their weapons did nothing to ease Abby's mind.

However, if the stone faced men -whose armament and bearing made Becker's men look like a disorganized troop of girl guides- that were 'escorting' them were any indication, Philip Burton wasn't feeling as nonchalant about their presence as he'd have them believe.

Abby saw Emily start in sync with the voice that crackled in her own ear.

/Hey guys, comms are up./

/Great work, Jess./ Matt's voice complimented in soft tones barely audible through the device in her ear. Their escorts didn't seem to notice he had spoken at all. /What else have you got?/

/It wasn't me. Well, it wasn't only me. Connor caught me hacking the system. Lent me a hand. I've almost complete access now./

/Good. Stay in touch./

Abby had slowed, slipping into the shadow of a doorway before she had even realized what she was doing. The others rounded a corner, and she let out a relieved breath and took a moment to question just exactly what was she intending to do?

And had anyone noticed she had slipped away? Oh, Philip's mercenaries sure looked smart, with their matching fatigues, precision haircuts, rigid postures and neutral expressions. But, as she was beginning to discern, with Philip Burton, appearances were deceptive. The muscle had the abilities and the training, but money hadn't bought the brains.

Some security escort they had been, with nobody bringing up the rear to keep an eye on the ARC team. Abby would've indulged in a gleeful chuckle if she weren't afraid of being caught, certain she'd sound insane, and immensely worried for Connor's well-being.

True, he was at least in form enough to contact Jess, but that was no sure sign. He did some of his most brilliant work under the looming threat of death. For all she knew, he had snuck into Prospero's computer network with nothing more than a paperclip and a gum wrapper. God, she was in love with MacGyver. Only thankfully, minus the mullet. Although Connor did put the term 'scruffy' to the test at times.

Ow.

She wanted -no, needed him back now. Right this second or she wasn't sure what would happen.

Tapping the button on the side of her earpiece, Abby concentrated on cycling through the channels landing on a private line with Jess (she hoped). She didn't want the others to know what she was doing, that she had forsaken the needs of the many for the need of the one (even though he was the one she had thank for thinking in Star Trek references).

"Jess?

/Here, Abby. What do you need?/

"Do you have a location on Connor?"

/I thought you were being escorted to see Mr. Burton./

"I...er... got separated from the others."

There was a heavy silence, in which Abby knew the other woman to be contemplating her possible actions, whether she should inform Matt of Abby's cavalier endeavour.

/He's not far. I'll guide you to him./

Abby sighed. Voice of an angel, Jess.

"Thanks."

...

She was running so fast she could not stop in time when the door Jess had referred her to appeared on her right. Skidding to a halt, Abby back-tracked and threw herself at the barrier separating her from Connor. There was a click as the electronic lock cleared.

"Thanks, Jess," she said breathlessly.

/You're welcome./

Ready to fight off hordes of voracious creatures, irate scientists, mad experiments gone terrifyingly awry and calmly cruel mercenaries, she burst into the room to find... Connor Temple sat at a desk before a PC terminal, in no trouble whatsoever. Or simply oblivious to it.

Luckily for Connor, the fact of finding him safe and sound trumped her anger over not finding him horribly abused, in physical pain or about to be torn apart by rabid velociraptors.

"Come 'ere, you!" She gave him no chance to do so as she threw her arms around his neck and pinned him to the back of his chair from behind with her exuberant embrace.

She would never let him go again.

After a second or so of choking and sputtering, the object of her affectionate assault rasped, "Hi, Abby. Nice to see you, too."

Realizing that she indeed would have to let the man go if she wanted to understand his words, or wanted him to continue breathing for that matter, she released her grip and spun his chair so that her was facing her.

"What are you doing here?" he asked. His confused expression turned into a frightened one, his eyes widening and his genuine, goofy grin turning to a wince. "I forgot to call, didn't I?

"Sorry, Abbs. You know me. Philip's had me working on this major problem. I mean 'End of Days', 'The Day After Tomorrow', 28 Days Later'-well, probably won't be any zombies. At least I hope not, because you know, dinosaurs are really enough. But it's going to be bad. I mean-"

"Connor!"

Abruptly shutting his mouth, he gave her a sheepish look for his rambling.

"You really think Philip wants to help?"

She rolled her eyes over the sincerely ingenuous look upon Connor's face. The world he lived in wasn't quite the same as the one in which Abby and everyone else resided. Despite being exposed to a harsh year in a cruel environment, witnessing so many deaths, having his mentor die in his arms, Connor Temple lived in a compassionate world, where people cared about one another and monsters were simply creatures displaced from their time. It had never even occurred to him that a brilliant man would use his gifts not to benefit others but for selfish gains. She hated to hurt him, almost envied his bubble, but he couldn't protect himself if he didn't see the threat.

"Why do you think we're here? Did it not seem odd that Jess was trying to hack Prospero's systems?" A blank stare met her rhetoric. "Philip's the one messing with the anomalies!"

"Wh-what?"

"Ugh!" She threw her hands up, turning away while she tried to compose herself. The 'L' word had never really come up, not since that time when she had been dangling from the edge of a cliff, but Abby knew how she felt, and it must be the most profound kind of love, since she did not walk out over the exasperating thick-headedness of the young man stood stupidly before her.

She had to do it, didn't she? Had to plunge the knife in where it hurt. It was something she should have sat down and talked to him about when she first witnessed it, seeing it for what it was, but she had been the coward, because she knew it would be painful. For the both of them.

"He's not Cutter! Can't you see that? Or are you so desperate for a father-figure?"

Pain, loss, frustration, bitter loneliness and agonizing memories she found in his expressive brown eyes. When he spoke, it was quietly and much more sober than was the optimistic young man's tendency.

"Abby, I-"

The door to the lab opened, the sound startling them from their rather intense conversation. A man with that same precision haircut and smart blue fatigues entered, already forging into mid-sentence before his substantial form was fully in the room.

"Mr. Burton wants to see you..." The pug-faced mercenary trailed off as he spotted Abby. Well, maybe not 'pug-faced' per se. Not naturally or originally so, anyway. The squished effect to his features was blatantly the result of being crushed in the past. The nose was bent and smushed. It must have been broken several times. His left cheekbone, too. And his ear that she could see more clearly boasted the first signs of cauliflowering, as in the manner of pugilists. This man had been a fighter, in what capacity, Abby wasn't certain. But he was looking at her like a man who had lived a hard life and finally fallen into a cushy security gig -one which was threatening to become very much like real work by a diminutive blonde woman with fierce eyes.

"You," he said, jabbing a meaty finger in her direction. "So this is where you'd gotten off to. Best come along and rejoin your friends."

He grabbed her wrist.

Abby ground her teeth., her muscles tensing.

There was a warm, comforting hand upon her shoulder. The warning touch had been the only thing that had kept her from... Well, she had no idea what she was about to do, only that it would not have been pleasant for anyone involved.

The mercenary met her eyes, and then deciding better than continuing down his current path, looked away, releasing her arm. She'd have to watch him. He wasn't as stupid as he looked. Mr. Former Pugilist opened the door and gestured in one of those deadly polite ways for them to proceed him into the hall.

Abby took a deep breath to calm herself and ease her hyper-excited aggressive side as she warily passed the ugly bastard.

What was important was that Connor was safe, she told herself.

For now...

A/N: Poor Abby, all worked up and worried for Connor and he was just doing what he likes best, being a geek. :-p

What's happening with Matt, Emily and Becker? Stay tuned… ;-)