Previously...

Connor looked her dead in the eyes. His whole demeanor screamed defeat. "If you don't know by now Abby, you never will." He dumped money on the table then walked back to the flat, leaving Abby sitting there, head in hands, wondering what on earth she had done.

When Abby eventually returned home she was blind drunk and just staggered into bed fully dressed. By the time morning came Connor had packed all his things back into his old rucksack and was already at the ARC, working furiously on the artefact.

"Hey Connor, how'd it go?" Sarah asked as she wandered in, Connor just sniffed and stayed silent. This immediately set Sarah on guard. "Conn?"

"I moved out." Sarah barely caught it, what was wrong with that girl?

"Oh Connor, look at me and tell me what happened." Sarah shut the door and sat down beside him.

Connor looked up at her, and it was plain he'd been crying. His eyes were painfully red and he had rings round his eyes too. "She's dating Lt. Ryan. I can't believe I was stupid enough to think I had a chance."

"It'll be okay Conn." Sarah held him and let him cry, once he dried out they began to work on the artefact again. "So where are you going to live?"

"Here for a bit then wherever I find." Connor really didn't want to consider anything that far ahead, all he could concentrate on was getting through the day at the minute.

That's when the alert sounded... (I know this is really similar to my other Conby story, but I really love ones where they fight and Abby realises her feelings just as Connor gets hurt)

At the Anomaly site...

"Right Becker you go with Connor and I'll go with Abby, Danny can judt go where he wants when he shows up." Becker was shocked at Sarah ordering them about, but immediately set off with Connor in tow.

"Abby, we need to talk, don't worry we can here the boys but they can't hear us." Abby appeared rather uneasy.

"Come on we can walk and talk." They began wondering through the trees. The alert had led them to the Forest of Dean.

"How's Connor?" Abby asked, her voice wavering a little.

"Not good, I don't think he slept at all." Sarah watched Abby carefully for her reaction, surprisingly she stopped dead.

"I- I don't understand! I heard him talking in his room, he said will you go out with me, I thought he may have been going to ask me but then he denied it and his phone was right beside him, although then he asked me to go for a drink so he could run something by me. Clearly, or so I thought at the time, that he'd got a girlfriend and was going to tell me. That's why I asked Lt Bird Brain out so I could pretend it didn't hurt, but at the bar he was talking about things not being weird and would I g- that's when Ryan cut in but there was a clear go sound." Tears were streaming down her face and she was pacing about kicking up leaves.

"Abby, listen to me. Connor was going to ask you out last night, he was practising in the mirror in the morning but bottled it. He told me yesterday morning, then when Ryan showed up it was like a punch in the face. You need to get rid off Ryan and start apologising to Connor, he's got enough confidence issues as it is, he told me about Caroline." Sarah knew she was a little abrupt with Abby but she also knew Abby appreciated straight talking.

Just then the radio crackle to life, the boys had been silent 'till then. "Becker, what's wrong with me?" Connor sounded really depressed, Abby froze as they listened to then radio.

"Nothing's wrong with you Connor."Becker sounded rather uncomfortable and exasperated.

"There must be something. Every girl I like is only with me so I can do their homework, get top secret information, or just be their friend."

"Connor, you're a good guy and you're smart it'll work in the end."

"Note the absence of good looking."

"What was that?" Becker sounded on edge.

"I said-" Connor began to repeat.

"-Look out!" Sarah and Abby stared at each other, and simultaneously set off running. They hadn't got very far when they heard Connor's bloodcurdling scream, and there pace doubled.