Disclaimer: Primeval and it's characters belong to Impossible Pictures. No copyright intended.
A/N: Last chapter! Best time to post night for C&A is at night, yeah? If that made any sense, I'm impressed. My brains a little ... yeah, not my best of nights. Hope you enjoyed the story, and thanks so much! Please R&R!
Abby came from the waterfall and barged to Connor's side as he sat at the view of the fish he silently lured in to kill. Her hair was damp, her socks felt soggy from the quick act of putting her shoes on just to come give him a piece of her mind, and her mind made no sense out of anything from the fury that rang through her. Abby had had it with Connor's games.
"Do you find it funny?" she snapped at him after she stood there for a few seconds without him recognizing her presence. In Abby's fit the fish swam away in a hurry, making Connor growl.
"That was our dinner." His voice came out harsher than he intended – coming off from the vibe Abby was spewing towards him.
"It was one fish, you'll get over it." She quipped back, purposely pushing Connor's buttons. Five months here with him, she knew just how to tick him off. Connor made no response; he just stayed in a squat like position and didn't move a muscle in his body. Abby knew he was resisting the urge to bite back so she continued. "You didn't answer my question." And at that Connor whipped up to face her, his eyes narrowed and angry.
"And what question would that be, Abigail?" he said tense and frazzled. This evening had not been a good day for either of them in the end. Connor's plan to woo Abby fell into a failed plan to just make him confused and her angry. But he wasn't going to put up with her yelling, she had led him on for years and she thought she could just fly off the handle? Just like that?
"The question implying that you find toying with my emotions as a fun little hobby, Connor." She snipped back, more attitude in her last come back than actual anger. Now she would get angry. Before Connor could reply he cut him off to come back to her comfortable yelling. "I'm not a creature, Connor! You think you can just lead me on like I'm on some kind of rope? You can't just tease me with your words and then sit back and act like I mean nothing to you! Do you expect me to come fleeting to your arms for warmth when all you do is give me a bunch of twisted, confusing signals?!"
Connor was amazed at her bluntness and her oblivious ways. He had had enough. "For years I have stood behind you, taking in your harsh words and pushing down the stabbing pain I got every time your face winced at the subtle comment of a stranger saying we were something more than flat mates. For years I have allowed you to lead me around like a creature you saved from some closed anomaly, showing signs of mutual feelings back and smacking the cold hard truth back to me over, and over, and over again – and you stand here, yelling at me, for 'leading you on'?!" he shouted, his voice loud but breaking.
Abby was taken aback from what he said. But instead of feeling pity, she felt more anger at the tone of his cold, raging voice. "You were the one with the big crush, Connor. I'm sorry if I tried anything not to encourage it. But when you poured out your feelings for me as I was near death, I confronted you and all you did was run off with your bloody girlfriend! How do you expect me to act when you come off like some child, Connor! For god's sake, you told me you loved me!"
And with her harsh words Connor was on more than an edge. All his hurt emotions came boiling back to the surface, and not ever wanting to hurt Abby, he wanted to say something just as hurtful in return. "Last I remember, I denied that I ever let those words out. Did it ever occur to you why?"
Abby was mad with her own rage now, he was not going to deny this any longer. He was not going to continue and tell her he didn't love her. "Don't you dare say you didn't mean it, Connor Temple. You should know I know better than to believe that."
Now Connor turned the conversation back to her, remembering something. "Abby! You kissed me! At the racetrack youpulled me in for a kiss, left me there to wonder why the hell the girl of my bloody dreams kissed me – and you came back saying you 'didn't want it to be weird'. Knowing you long enough, I knew exactly what that meant as well. I had heard it a dozen times before." His voice lowered as he stared her in the eyes. His emotions were just as a wreck as hers were, but she was not about to back down.
"You had told me your true feelings and done nothing to show it for almost a year, so I took a stupidly bold step and kissed you – afterwards I regretted it." She said harsh but soft.
"And when you kissed me at the waterfall, you regretted that too?" Connor said with deep sarcasm. She didn't respond to that question so she went on. "Why?" his voice came in more of a shout again. "Why did you regret it? Realized I meant nothing to you, you were just stringing me along again?"
"Course not, Connor." She snapped just shooting daggering glares straight through him as she just stood there practically speechless.
"Then tell me why you regretted it! Did you kiss me to test the water but realized it went too far for just friends?" his voice was torn and cracking, the emotion from the day coming through snippets of his speech pattern.
Abby's voice was still course and angry, but this time she lowered it even more. "No, Connor."
"You thought it would be fun to see my reaction?" he still shouted, though his voice was more hurt than raged. Abby was now letting the guilt sink in. She had been horrible to him.
"No, never … Connor," she reached for his arm but he jerked away and stood closer to the stream – still staring at her for answers.
"Why Abby?" he asked as if one last time. She was sad and hurt and just right out emotional, and for the first time she finally admitted it out in a spit of left over furry.
"I was scared! Okay!?" she let out a sigh and continued to yell in a less wrathful manner. "I was scared! After finding out what you did for me I realized how much -… I kissed you out of impulse but after I did it I regretted it because I was scared of what I'd do! Do you not bloody get I'm horrible with relationships, Connor!? It would end badly and I didn't want that!"
"You don't know if it would end badly, Abby-"
"To hell if I did." She shot back before he could finish. She stood there with crossed arms and tears dripping down her face, Connor came closer to her, slowly easing back out of his rage. She jilted from his touch, just as he did, and Connor felt even more hurt but he was hopeful.
"For cryin' out loud, Abs! Can you not be so stubborn sometimes?" she looked at with another familiar scowl and winced at him.
"Stubborn? You think I'm stubborn?" she flew her arms in the air as if an act of surrender and slapped them down to twist around and have her back facing him. Before he could even fully understand her scold to him she twirled back around pointing a finger at his chest. "You're the bloody stubborn one."
"Me?" he said as if insulted.
"Yes you!" she shouted. "At least I kissed you! You wouldn't make one bloody move on me!"
"At least I admitted how I felt about you! You hardly would even admit you liked me!"
"You denied saying anything after I confronted you! And like you can talk, you won't say one word about liking me!"
"Worst part is Abby, I don't like you half the time!"
Abby's eyes grew big then they shrunk down to a narrowed glare. "You know what? You think I'm so stubborn?" she said as she answered in a much louder shout. "For god's sake, here's stubborn – I love you!"
"Yeah? Well I love you!" they both paused, hearing those words finally spilled out. Connor breathed heavily as all the anger in him drained out, staring at Abby who was terrified for what she just admitted. In one quick impulse and a short mumble of "Here's stubborn," he clasped Abby face in his hands and crushed his lips to hers. He longingly kissed her with passion before she wrapped her arms around his neck and wistfully returned his actions without hesitation. With a smile that creased Connor's face it broke the kiss, him seeing Abby grinning back at him.
"Abs," he spoke.
"Hmm?" she said with a gleeful expression.
"You just told me you love me." He said with a playful smirk.
Abby gave the same smug look back and said in a hushed tone. "Sure enough."
"Abs, do you mean it?"
Abby's grin faded and she reached to rest her hand on his cheek. "Yes Connor, of course I do."
Connor's dimples showed as he whispered back to her. "Good. Say it again?"
Abby's grin eased back and she answered, "Only if you say it again, too."
"Course."
With Connor's hands now on her waist and her arms still wrapped around his neck Abby proudly spoke. "You are the geekiest, silliest, bravest most compassionate man I know. And I love you for it. I love you, Connor Temple."
Connor gave a soft smile and brushed his thumb across her tear stained cheek. "You are the most frustrating, amazing, beautiful, loving person I have ever met. And as I have felt for a very long time, I love you Abigail Maitland."
"Just Abby, you call me Abigail when you're angry." She said still beaming at him.
Connor leaned in, reaching to kiss as he whispered "Abby," before pressing his lips to hers again. With a long waited passion they kissed and before the sun sunk down into the hills and the night came over them, they walked back to the shelter hand in hand. For the first time, paying no attention to what surrounded them – it was just the Cretaceous.
"Abs," Connor said as they made it back to camp, she looked at him as an answer. "When we get home, promise me you'll never stop kissing me like that?"
Abby smiled, sweetly but shortly kissed him on the lips, and nodded. "Anything for you."
To Be Continued in the fourth addition of Abby's and Connor's adventures in the Cretaceous.