Author's note: I got this one written faster than expected. If I keep coming up with ideas, I may be able to post every couple of weeks. I hope you are still enjoying my version of the Cretaceous. Please remember to leave a review/comment to help me stay motivated.

Trouble

Abby sat on the ledge outside the entrance of the cave she shared with Connor. She watched the sun reflect off the clouds of the early morning sky in sweeping strokes of crimson and orange. According to her cave-mate, an active volcano was responsible for the stunning colors.

She took a deep breath and enjoyed the rare opportunity to be alone while Connor slept. She listened quietly as the prehistoric world awakened. Bird song filled the air reminding her of home.

Suddenly the peace was shattered by roars and shrieks. She recognized the panicked calls of a herd of protoceratops. The creatures squealed in terror. When several of the squeals abruptly stopped, she knew the herd was being attacked, most likely by the T-Rex, Lester.

She sighed heavily and whispered, "I want to go home." She shook her head unhappily and picked up her newest project. She was trying to make a woven bowl using long blades of field grass. Carefully she intertwined the pieces, avoiding the sharp edges. She worked steadily until her concentration was broken by a small cry. As she watched, a tiny protoceratops stumbled into the area and collapsed.

She set her work aside and cautiously approached the wounded creature.

It looked like a miniature triceratops without the horns. The frill around its head arched gracefully back and away from its little face. From its size, Abby guessed it was less than a year old. One of its hind legs was badly gashed and a chunk of its tail was missing. It would die if left on its own. Gently she picked up the small dinosaur and carried it toward the cave.

She looked up to find Connor watching her from the entrance. His face was fierce and stern under all the facial hair; so different from the young, innocent Connor of a few months ago. Yet, despite his fierce exterior, his eyes still reflected the true man. He looked at her with love, and saw more than she intended to reveal. He gave her a deep, searching look as he asked, "What happened?"

"It's been attacked. It's badly hurt and I can't just leave it," she answered passionately. She laid the little animal down in the cave, and gave Connor a hard look, as if daring him to argue.

"Of course you can't," he said quietly. "Let me know what I can do to help."

"I need to make a poultice to pack the wounds. Can you watch her for a minute?"

Connor got down on his knees next to the creature, inspecting it closely, "Yes, I'll watch her. She's amazing. I hadn't realized the protoceratops' frill was this delicate," he said touching it carefully.

Abby worked quickly, pounding the dried herbs she had collected over the past weeks and mixing them with warm water out of her canteen to form a thick paste. She carried the poultice and canteen back to the creature, to kneel beside Connor. "O.K., hold her flank gently in case she jerks."

Connor did as instructed while Abby carefully poured water over the wounds to clean them. The small creature didn't stir.

Abby packed the poultice into the wounds then gently stroked the creature's hide as she said, "The wounds aren't as deep as I expected. I think she'll be O.K."

Connor grinned at her, "It's been a long time since I've watched you work with a wounded animal. You're amazing," he said with pride.

Abby looked pleased as she murmured, "thanks."

"Should we put a small pile of greens near its head in case it wants to eat when it wakes up?" he asked.

"That's a good idea. I'll get the greens if you'll put some water in the wooden bowl you made."

Connor grabbed the crude bowl he had gouged out of a large, broken tree limb and poured water into it.

Abby arranged the food and water near the creature's head then sat down with Connor to stroke the small animal again.

"She's so cute," Abby said, giving Connor a pleading look.

"You can't keep her," he stated flatly.

Abby moved into his lap to give him a hug. She gave him her best pout, using her wide, blue eyes to capture his attention, before she begged, "Please? She's still just a baby. I can't chuck her out on her own."

Connor kissed her forehead and gave up. "O.K., she stays until she's well."

Abby smiled smugly and gave him a quick peck of a kiss before moving out of his lap. "Thank you," she said happily. "Ready for breakfast?"

"Yep," he answered, as they both got busy with the preparation.

The morning meal would be a rare treat complete with eggs they found. Abby built up the fire, while Connor slid a thin piece of shale across one side of the fire pit. The eggs were cracked onto the hot surface while Abby added herbs and pine nuts. After a few minutes, they pulled the shale away from the heat. She put fruit and a few pieces of dried meat on their makeshift table.

They sat close together, completely at ease as they enjoyed their food. Abby took a bite of dried meat and offered the other half to Connor, holding it close to his mouth. He opened his lips to accept the meat as he gently wrapped his fingers around her wrist. He watched her expression as he slowly licked her fingertips, sucking each one into his mouth.

She closed her eyes as sensation coursed through her.

He released her hand and kissed her lips. Then he kissed her again, pulling her to him for a more intense exploration of her mouth. With a sigh, he let her go and cleared his throat, "Best breakfast I've ever had," he said happily.

Abby looked confused by the sudden change in topic. Connor had gone from kissing her to calmly discussing breakfast, but she smiled at him and answered, "Yeah, the eggs were really good."

"I wasn't talking about the food," he said as he flashed her a smile.

Abby's cheeks flushed pink as she registered his meaning.

The passion between them was getting stronger and harder to ignore. Connor tried to control the situation by constantly reminding himself that making love was off-limits until they got home. The reminders didn't help. He had wanted her for three years and finally, she seemed to want him too.

They stared at each other with longing until Abby looked away. Connor took a deep breath and blew it out, "Well, better clean up," he said as he picked up the slab of stone they had used for cooking.

Abby pulled her thoughts away from kissing Connor and looked over at the small protoceratops. "What should I call her?"

"Why don't you get to know her before you decide on a name," he suggested.

Their conversation was interrupted by a small snuffling sound, followed by the splash and thud of the wooden bowl being overturned.

The bulldog-sized protoceratops stared up at Abby inquisitively, and then turned its head to gaze shyly at Connor.

Abby contemplated the overturned bowl and the large puddle of water on the cave floor. She noticed the way the little creature watched her with clear, intelligent eyes. Finally, she grinned and announced, "I'm going to name her Trouble."

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Please remember to review or Trouble and I will be sad. Picture the little creature whining while I stare at you with puppy-dog eyes. Man, the things I do for reviews!