Disclaimer: Primeval does not belong to me, this is fan fiction, not for profit.
Any references to people, places, businesses etc is entirely fictitious.
3.11 Something Important
"… had she missed something… something important?"
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Sarah was pacing back and forth turning to stare at the anomaly research model from time to time.
"You're going to wear a hole in the floor," chuckled Jamal.
The slim dark haired man was watching her from his perch on Abby and Connor's old sofa. In the months since the team had put the anomaly map in their friends flat, they had worked out a routine of sorts.
Most of the team was working at the Anomaly Research Center for Humans.
Sarah was usually the first to leave work. She would meet Jamal at the British Museum and then, if no one was following them, the two would go to Abby and Connor's flat. Stephen would let them in.
It was hot outside in the early August evening, and even hotter inside the flat. Sarah reached back to pull her long dark brown hair up off her neck. She left her hands atop her head as she continued to gaze at the twisting bent spirals soaring up towards the ceiling.
"I just think we're missing something," Sarah said thoughtfully.
"What are we missing?" asked Stephen. He was standing by the sink, filling water dishes for Abby and Connor's pets.
The young man from another time stream was the only one not assigned to work at the ARCH. Being officially dead in this time period had some drawbacks. No employment papers meant no job. For the moment, Stephen was flat sitting. He had taken over the feeding and care of all of Abby and Connor's creatures.
"It's just…" sighed Sarah "everyone has such different ideas."
"Of course we do," chuckled Claudia as she entered the flat carrying little Stephanie.
Claudia was still on maternity leave, so she and the baby usually arrived at the flat shortly after the infant woke from her afternoon nap. Claudia set down the infant carrier and started to unbuckle the tiny child.
"Maybe you should make a list," suggested Jamal.
"Right," agreed Sarah. She lowered her hands and placed them on her hips, never taking her eyes off the anomaly map. "Let's start with what we know."
By the time Cutter arrived at the flat, the list covered a large sheet of poster paper that Stephen had dug out from somewhere. The paper was taped to the wall above the couch.
Cutter had returned to work. The Professor tried to join the team at the flat as quickly as he could, but his arrival time was dependent upon the workload at the new facility. That… and however long it took to shake off Christine Johnson's surveillance team.
The Professor walked over to Claudia and held out his hands. She passed him their daughter. He stepped closer and leaned down to kiss Claudia tenderly.
"How are my two favorite ladies?" he whispered, his eyes glowing with happiness.
Claudia smiled and whispered something in his ear. Cutter turned to look at the paper. Sarah, Jamal and Stephen were staring at it critically.
"I still think we're missing something," said Sarah.
"What are you writing?" asked the Professor.
Sarah stepped to one side, giving Cutter a better view of the list. In big black lettering he read ANOMALIES. The line that said where: air, land, water and underground had been crossed through. Everywhere was scribbled next to the marked out text.
The line that said when had question marks beside the estimated times: past 70% ?, future 20%? Unidentified time, 10%?
The section on physical properties seemed to be more definite. Anomalies can be tracked (radio-magnetic frequency). Anomalies can be locked (electromagnetic frequency) or contained (the sun cage). Magnetite and Egyptians Knew! was printed in block text on the border of the list beside this entry.
"You've been busy," chuckled Cutter as he jiggled Stephanie. The baby snuggled close, her fingers gripping his collar tightly.
"You forgot something," said Danny. No one had heard the stealthy ex-copper enter the flat. Standing behind the team, Danny added "Anomalies move."
Danny delighted in taking Christine Johnson's surveillance teams on wild goose chases. Depending upon how creative Danny was with his detours, or how persistently Johnson's security team followed him, sometimes Danny wouldn't make it to the flat until after dinner, but tonight he arrived just after Cutter.
"Well yes," said Sarah.
She placed her hands together, fingertips touching as if she were holding an invisible ball. Then she flexed her fingers as if squeezing, in and out.
"The anomalies pulse… we've all seen that."
"That's not what I mean," said Danny. "They move… around… they rotate…"
"And they reappear," said Cutter nodding his head "that water anomaly in the pool… it appeared in the reservoir and then in someone's basement."
Both Sarah and Danny looked at Cutter in confusion.
"I don't remember…" began Sarah.
"I read those reports," said Danny "but I thought it was three separate anomalies."
"No, it was the same anomaly," said Cutter "the creature… the lifeguard… the diver… they were all connected… one anomaly… in three different locations in our time."
"That's not what Danny meant when he said the anomalies move," said Stephen. "The anomalies at the junction… when they moved… they would rotate."
Cutter stared at the young Stephen. The Professor still wasn't quite sure what to make of this man that was so like, and yet utterly unlike, Nick's friend and colleague.
"So?" The Professor's brogue carried a tiny hint of a challenge.
"Even a little change in the anomalies physical position," explained Stephen, "would change the time period the anomaly would lead to."
Lester and his wife could now be heard at the door. They were often tied up in meetings… for both the ARC and the ARCH… and on occasion one or the other would be called in to Whitehall. For some reason, Christine Johnson had decided to take a special interest in Lester's whereabouts. While Vivian came to Abby and Connor's flat at least twice a week, sometimes James was only able to make it to the Tuesday night team meeting.
"What's this?" asked Lester as they walked into the main room.
Sarah was writing more on the poster paper. Anomalies move… movement can change time period… she stopped writing for a moment to shake out her hand.
"I just wanted to put everything we knew about the anomalies," Sarah answered "out where we could all see it."
Lester read the list through. His eyes narrowed and he reached a hand up to stroke his chin.
"Does that cover situations like the Forest of Dean," said Lester "where an anomaly opened, then eight years later opened again… then a few months later opened to a time in between?"
Sarah set the marker back on the poster paper and wrote Anomalies reappear… not in linear time…
"And have you accounted for the predictions?" asked Mrs. Lester "The connections between these anomalies… have to mean something."
Everyone started talking at once. In the two months that they had been coming here to work on the anomaly map, no additional predications had been made. They seemed to be no closer to finding Abby and Connor than they had been in those first dark days.
Keys jangled as the front door opened again. The staccato click of heels entering the flat could be heard.
"I just think you should let me carry something," said Jess "really… I can help."
"I've got it," insisted the Captain. "I mean… thank you really, but… would you shut the door please?"
The pair entered the main room of the flat. Becker was carrying several large bags. He headed towards the table and set them down.
Becker and Jess were always the last to arrive on Tuesdays. Jess had offered to order take-away for the Tuesday night research meetings, and Becker had offered to drive her and help carry the purchases.
The soldier was healing well. Medical clearance finally allowed Becker to resume light duty along with his physical therapy. But… if anything, the Captain was more reserved than ever. The only time he seemed to open up was when he was with Jess.
Lester had taken to assigning the two of them to work together more often. The young woman's naturally bubbly personality seemed to brighten Becker's somber mood. Vivian had even insisted she had seen the soldier smile at something the communications specialist had said.
"What's that?" asked Jess. She was looking at the poster paper taped to the wall above the sofa.
"Our list of all things anomaly related," replied Jamal. "The more we know… it seems the less we know."
Jamal walked past Jess to start peering into the bags. Jess was staring at the list. She brought her finger to her lips, striking a pose similar to the way Lester had been standing just moments ago.
"I never knew that magnetite could be used to contain an anomaly," Jess said. "Magnetite is fairly common ore, but not all of it actually has a strong magnetic field..."
Cutter listened to the young woman as she continued on about the properties of magnetite. He looked at Claudia and rolled his eyes. The newest team member was brilliant, but she sometimes tended to ramble, reminding Cutter of Connor.
"Have you cross referenced the anomaly map with a geophysical map of magnetite deposits around the globe?" Jess asked.
"No," replied Cutter. "I don't think we have… Sarah?"
"No," agreed the doctor of archeology as she turned to join Jamal at the table. "Jess… that's a great idea. Connor had a natural phenomena theory… he was working on a tracking program."
"A tracking program," said Jess "I haven't seen it."
Sarah stopped in midstep. She turned back to stare at Jess.
"Connor's tracking program…," said Sarah "I've got his laptop… would you mind taking a look at it?"
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Abby glanced at Percy as he returned to the main room. The sunlight coming through the narrow windows above the bench was fading rapidly.
"I think I'll go have a lie down too," Abby said "it's getting dark."
"Wonder where Louis and the boy have gone?" mumbled Percy as Abby walked past him and entered the small bedroom.
Abby looked at the fire gratefully. Percy had already stoked it for the night. The warmth it was giving off felt good. She stretched out her hands toward the flames, spreading her fingers wide.
Looking over her shoulder, she could see Connor was stretched out on top of the bed, still fully clothed. One arm was draped across his forehead shadowing his eyes. The fabric tied around his wrist had slipped a bit showing part of his tattoo.
"Connor," said Abby "we need to talk."
"Great!" he said in a tired voice. "Now we have the talk."
Abby turned to face him in confusion. She wasn't sure what he meant by that remark.
"Last night," began Abby "you said something…"
"Yeah, I said a lot of things," interrupted Connor.
Abby blinked, then Abby remembered. She remembered that other conversation… and how it didn't quite end the way she hoped… Abby wasn't going to make the same mistake again.
"I heard you," replied Abby "last night… when you said you loved me."
Connor let out a sigh.
"I just don't understand what you mean," she continued.
Connor's jaw moved, but if he said anything, she couldn't hear him.
"Words don't always mean the same thing," said Abby "to different people."
"Abby…" said Connor quietly "don't play games with me… please… I… I… I can't bear it."
"I'm not playing games," replied Abby "I'm trying to explain… I told you... my mum and dad used to fight all the time… they used that word… love... to hurt each other."
"What?" asked Connor. He removed his arm from his eyes, and propped himself up on both elbows to look at her.
"I didn't realize at first," said Abby turning sideways to hold her hands out towards the fire. "Mum would do things… like ask me if I wanted to be in choir at school… it was fun and yes… I wanted to sing with my friends."
Connor stared at her, not saying a word. Abby went on speaking.
"Mum told my dad that I loved to sing," said Abby "so I went to choir practice on Wednesday nights… which was supposed to be his visit night."
She tilted her head sideways, wrapping her hands across her body.
"For Jack it was soccer practice," Abby continued. "Dad sort of did the same thing Mum had done… Things like that happened over and over. By the time I was a teenager, I couldn't stand to hear the word love… it always came with strings attached... and someone was always getting hurt."
Connor's big brown eyes gazed at her, held her blue eyes steady. She swallowed.
"A few minutes ago, you said something," began Abby again "about actions have consequences… I think actions… show more than words ever really do."
Now it was Connor who looked confused.
"Huh?"
"Connor… just so you know… and don't ever wonder," said Abby "Danny didn't ask me to stay with you, I told him to go… that I'd stay with you… I wouldn't leave you. I've been telling you that... for the last three days... and I'm still here."
Abby sat down on the bed beside Connor. She uncrossed her arms and reached for his wrist.
"I'd rather be with you," Abby said "even in the Cretaceous… than be anywhere… without you."
Abby loosened the torn piece of cloth covering his tattoo. Unwrapping his wrist, she took the fabric in one hand and his hand in her other hand. Abby looped the fabric over and around their wrists.
"This morning, I heard you," said Abby softly "but I didn't understand you were asking me a question… now… listen… to my answer…"
For a moment, time stood still.
"I'm not really sure what love is… but I'm not leaving you…," whispered Abby "for as long as you'll have me."
Two pairs of eyes glistened in the firelight, two bodies leaned forward, lips met…
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Percy pounded on the door.
"Abby, we've got to go looking for Louis and the boy," called Percy "can you carry a torch for me?"
Abby and Connor broke apart and turned to look at the door.
"Now? Seriously?" asked Connor "He's got the worst timing ever!"
Abby chuckled.
"Connor, I'll be back," she said with a smirk. "Keep the bed warm, yeah."
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