Author Notes: Sorry this took a while. I suddenly realised halfway through this chapter that I hadn't actually worked out what was going to happen next. I finally did today, finishing it. Hope you enjoy, and thanks for the lovely feedback!

Chapter 5

Cutter breathed sigh of relief as he saw Connor drop the gun, but his confusion and worry were only heightened by the words that followed the action. Connor seemed to pale, and then his legs gave from under him, forcing him to catch himself on the table, and sit heavily on the floor, just staring blankly at the ground and the gun. Helen straightened, focusing on Nick, "Well, you look good for a dead person."

Cutter gave her a look, and then indicated to the soldiers behind him, "Move her to another room, and have someone look at her leg. Go!"

The soldiers reluctantly obeyed, Stephen closing the door behind them. Abby moved forwards while Nick picked up the gun and handed it to Stephen. Tentatively, they watched as the young woman crouched down in front of the bedraggled and worn form of their friend, and reached out to rest a hand on his shoulder, "Connor? It's okay, Helen's gone, you're safe."

Connor looked up, responding to her voice. As their eyes connected, Abby couldn't remember ever seeing such emptiness in Connor's eyes. Nick could; it was the same look they had held when he had thought Abby was dead. The friend they had all thought was lost smiled weakly back at Abby, "Safe?" He seemed to be testing the word, as if it was an unfamiliar term. And then he lent forwards and wrapped both arms around the woman in front of him, and she returned the hug, both of them looking for all the world as if it was a dream from which they expected to wake up.

Finally, Connor pulled away, his smile slightly stronger. Nick and Stephen moved forwards, "Come on," Nick bent down and looped an arm around Connor's back, careful to avoid any bandages, "Let's get you off this floor."

Gently, and with Stephen's help, they got Connor to sit in the chair Helen had vacated, allowing their hands to linger so as to reassure themselves of the reality of his presence. Everything was quiet for a moment, no one really knowing what to say, but happy nonetheless, until Stephen frowned, "So why did Helen think Cutter was dead?"

"I thought he was." Connor spoke, his voice raspy and halting as he tried to get a hold on the overwhelming situation, his damaged mind and body running out of adrenalin to work on. "I mean, you are. I thought I was still there."

The three friends exchanged looks at the words, "I'm sorry Connor, I don't understand." Cutter spoke.

Connor half-shrugged, "In the future, you're dead. So is Stephen. I thought I was still there, and that Helen had finally made it, a prisoner like me."

"A prisoner?" Stephen raised an eyebrow, pushing the concept of him being dead to the back of his mind, "You must've realised you were in the ARC?"

Connor nodded, his eyes dull. Abby placed a reassuring hand on the back of his neck, "We're just glad you're back, you don't need to talk about anything."

The man shrugged again, ignoring the offer, "In the future, the ARC is a government facility controlled by Leek." They all frowned at the venom that laced his tone, "You're part of a 'terrorist cell', Abby, known as the Forsaken to the general public. I was too – you found me. The ARC controls the creatures, their own personal army. Anyone who is not enlightened enough to accept Leek's regime is declared an enemy of the new, golden age, with their rights as citizens revoked."

Abby blinked in shock, while Nick made a noise of outrage, "The ARC is a research facility!"

Connor gave him a crooked smile, "It's now known as Active Regulations Control. It's the army, police and secret service all rolled into one, as well as serving as Leek's personal guard, of course." Connor studied their horror-filled faces impassively, before continuing, "When I went into the past with Helen, I ended up going through another anomaly, one to the future."

Abby nodded, somehow managing to form words, "Helen told us."

"I was injured, the creature that followed me through was going to kill me, but the Anomaly Detector had done its job, and I was picked up by the ARC." He swallowed thickly, "Leek was quite shocked to see me, but at the same time I was just what he needed. They were testing a new method of creature-management, and needed human volunteers. In other words, anyone who they could pick up under an offence; being 'dead', I had no citizen file, so was a perfect candidate."

Stephen had gone slightly pale, "You mean they tested those neuro-controls on humans?"

Connor shook his head, "They may have, but they already had that technology by then. Possibly gained through the anomalies, because I don't think the future creatures you know were native to even that time, although there were a lot of them. No, they wanted to test a kind of micro-technology, a chip that could be implanted into the brain and used to directly control the creatures. They wanted them for their soldiers, but didn't want to test the technology on loyal men."

All three stared at him, "Do you mean..?"

"Unfortunately."

The blunt response made it clear he didn't want to talk about it, so Nick changed topic, "How did you get back to us?"

"I escaped the ARC – by accident, really. The Forsaken were conducting a recon mission, to try and take out some of the creatures in the meantime; they wanted to see if it would be possible to cut power to the facility, but there were too many back-up contingencies." He raised his eyes to Abby, "You saw me. I don't think you believed it at first, but then you realised what must have happened to me, and I got out. It was weird; you weren't much older, but you'd seen a lot in a short space of time. We formed a plan – a few of our scientists were convinced I could change the future if they sent me back; we knew it was possible from what you did, Cutter, and as I didn't exist in the past, I wouldn't create a paradox. Took us ages to find the right anomaly, but we did."

There was silence in the room. Connor had nothing else to say, reluctant to reveal too much, but Abby had to know, "How far in the future were you?"

Connor refused to meet her eyes as he replied, "When I woke up in Leek's ARC, it was almost four years from when I had been taken by Helen. When I left to return here, it had been almost five."

Cutter swore, "Only four years?"

Abby, on the other hand, heard something else. Her throat caught, "I thought a few months was bad, but you've been gone a year." Her eyes blurred slightly with tears, and she pulled him back into a hug, "We've missed you." She pulled back, placing a kiss on his cheek, lingering perhaps more than a friend would.

Nick turned to Stephen, "We need to talk to Lester."

"Can we trust him? What if he's part of the problem?"

Cutter sighed exasperatedly, "By the sounds of it, I'd say Leek was the bigger problem, don't you?"

Stephen nodded, "I'll get on it." He swept from the room, glad to have something to do, or rather, something to point a gun at.

Nick rested a hand on Connor's shoulder, "I think it's time we get you back to a doctor, don't you? Try not to plan a great escape this time though."

Connor quirked a weak smile, "I'll restrain myself." With Cutter and Abby's help, he got to his feet, and began to make the slow, trudging walk back to the infirmary. Every muscle ached, and his recent wounds throbbed. He had had worse during his time with Leek, but then he had had a purpose and hate to keep him upright. Now with neither, it was all he could do to keep his feet moving one in front of the other.

Everything was going to be fine now. Lester would have Leek arrested, or somehow removed. The ARC would never fall, and Helen was in custody. Without the catalysts that spurred whatever in the future made the anomalies tear their way through time was gone.

It was this thought that allowed Connor to make the walk, with two friends by his side.

But it was the sudden loss of light as they were all plunged into darkness that flooded panic, adrenalin and strength back into his body, a reaction born on the instinct of fight or flight.

And it was this that made him realise just how naive he still must be, to ever believe he would be safe again.

To Be Continued...

Author Notes: Cliffhanger! Woot! Just to warn you, this might not be updated for as much as another month, as my exams are looming, and I'll need to be revising. I normally keep a few chapters in reserve for instances like this, but like I said, I had block on this one. If I still haven't updated by 20th June, feel free to poke, prod and threaten away. Hope you liked it, and I'd love to hear from you!