Disclaimer: Primeval does not belong to me. This is fan fiction, not for profit.
Any references to people, places, businesses, etc. are entirely fictitious.
Foursomes?
…and beyond…
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Strange as it seemed, life still went on.
Becker moved back in to his tiny flat. Abby moved out of Jess's high rise. Jess's parents sold the place, said it had too many memories.
"Yeah," agreed Abby. She could almost hear Jess, you can't live on memories.
The blonde found a place of her own near the ARC. The high ceilinged loft had room for Rex to fly. Abby took Rex out of the menagerie and brought him home with her.
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In early December, Matt and Emily insisted that Abby go with them to the Lester's holiday party. Becker was there. He stood almost as if at attention, with his hands clasped behind his back.
"I'm watching my men," replied the soldier when Abby asked what he was doing, "I'm the designated driver."
"It's supposed to be a holiday party," reminded Abby. "Try not to look so scary."
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Abby went to visit Connor's mother for Christmas. The woman seemed to have aged decades in the few short months since her son had died. They ate roast turkey, listened to the Queen's speech and looked at old photo albums together. The woman pointed to a picture of a much younger Connor standing next to a dark haired teen age girl.
"That was Connor's first girlfriend," confided the woman.
A few pages further into the album and Abby was shown the picture of another brunette, identified merely as Connor's mean girlfriend back in uni. And then Connor's mum turned the page to reveal a picture of Connor and Abby together. Abby gasped.
"I didn't know that picture still existed," said Abby.
Connor and Abby's personal items from the flat they shared together had gone to a packing warehouse when they were stranded in the cretaceous. By the time they got home, the contents had been sold at auction.
"Tomorrow, when the shops are open," said Connor's mum, "we'll make copies of any photo you want."
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One of Jess's sisters invited Becker to visit the family for Boxing Day, but the soldier declined. He told the woman the same thing he'd told his own sister, "I'm working."
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The New Year brought changes.
At the end of January, Becker's favorite shotgun jammed while he was trying to hold off a kaprosuchus. With the weapon unable to shoot, the soldier got close and Becker resorted to using the shotgun as a club.
"What do you think you're doing!" shouted Matt.
"Saving your life," responded Becker, "if you don't appreciate it, your wife might."
Becker's security men joined the fight then, but it was a close call. Abby drove Becker to the emergency room to get his arm stitched up. She watched as the soldier winced when the nurse injected a pain killer.
"We'll just give that a minute to start taking effect," said the nurse, "before doctor starts stitching."
The nurse left the room and Abby moved to stand in front of Becker.
"What?" asked Becker.
"You, you're taking stupid risks," hissed Abby. "Jess wouldn't want you getting yourself killed!"
The words hurt, and Becker retaliated with the first thing he could think.
"And you don't risk anything now Abby," replied the soldier. "You stay inside alone all the time, you hardly ever go out except for work. Connor wouldn't want you hiding away from the world!"
The two friends were glaring at each other when the doctor arrived to stitch up Becker's arm.
-x-x-x-x-x-x
In February, Jack came back to London.
"Where have you been Jack?" asked Abby.
"Oh, just around," replied the young man. "Can I stay with you while I'm in London? Or did you let that Connor bloke move back in yet?"
Abby stared at the stranger who was her brother. She hadn't seen him since before the cretaceous and he didn't have a clue as to why she started crying.
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By April, Abby and Jack decided they needed a bigger place if they were going to share a flat. So Abby gave up the lease on her place and made plans to move again. Matt, Emily and Becker helped her pack up. Abby and the soldier got into a silly argument about whether Jess or Connor had the brightest smile, but this time they were laughing at the end of the squabble.
"Right," agreed Becker, "They both had great smiles."
The soldier handed her a framed photograph of Connor and Jess in front of the anomaly detection device. Then he picked up the box beneath the picture and carried it outside.
-x-x-x-x-x-x
On a particular day in May, Becker stopped by to see his friend Abby. The blonde opened the door with Rex perched on her shoulder.
"Where's Jack?" asked Becker.
"He's gone off to Dublin for the weekend," answered Abby quietly, "won tickets to see some telly show being filmed."
Becker couldn't believe the young man had left his sister again. Didn't Jack know anything? Abby was still spending way too much time alone and this particular day, she shouldn't... the soldier could almost hear the echo of Connor's voice, don't leave Abby alone! He swallowed. What do you say to someone who's quit living?
"Do you want to go bowling?" asked Becker.
Abby stared at the tall soldier.
"Bowling?" asked Abby. He nodded. She thought for a moment before she nodded back. Abby could handle bowling. "Yeah, I'll get my coat."
The bowling alley closed at two in the morning. Abby and Becker grabbed some fish and chips at an all-night diner, and they talked about what none of their other friends could or would, Connor and Jess.
"I just miss him, all the time," said Abby, her blue eyes welling up with tears. "He was my best friend… and… and…"
She reached for a tissue and sniffled.
"Jess was everything to me," said Becker. He reached into his pocket and pulled out the ring box he'd been carrying for so long now.
Abby could almost hear Jess's voice, "Say something!" The blonde reached out and placed her small hand over Becker's large fingers drumming an anxious beat on the table. The Captain's fingers stilled.
"Jess knew you loved her Becker," assured Abby.
Abby stared at their hands touching, and decided to move quickly before anything got awkward. She stretched and rose from the booth. Daylight was starting to shine in the streets of London.
"I should be going home now," said Abby.
Becker walked Abby to the front door of the flat. Her eyes were teary and the mascara had run. The soldier took her keys and opened the front door. That's when he noticed the boxes.
"You still haven't unpacked?" asked Becker in surprise.
Abby shook her head.
"Those boxes are Connor's movies, some of mine, and his video games," said the blonde. "We used to do movie night, and Connor would try to teach me how to play Blakes Seven… and…"
Her voice trailed off. Becker nodded.
"It's the little things," agreed Becker, "I go to pay for gas, and the cashier has chocolate bars for sale beside the register."
Becker could almost feel Connor's presence, almost hear Connor's voice urging the soldier on. "Do something!"
"Do you want to watch a movie?" asked Becker.
Three original Star Wars Movies, Blade Runner, The Terminator, Bridget Jones' Diary, and all the Alien movies later, and Jack came back from Dublin. Abby was sprawled across the far end of the sofa, while Becker was sitting near the door in the overstuffed chair with his feet on the ottoman. The table between them was covered with tea cups, empty crisp bags, and an empty tissue container. Abby and Becker were arguing over whether to start Star Trek or Twilight next.
"Neither," said Jack as he took the remote and sat down on the corner of the sofa between the pair, "Battlestar Galactica."
At the end of the movie, Becker rose to leave. Abby walked him to the door.
"Thanks," she said as he stepped outside, "for helping me get through this weekend."
-x-x-x-x-x-x
In June, Becker needed a plus one for some formal military ball at Sandhurst. He called his friend Abby. "If I don't bring someone," said Becker, "I'll be expected to dance with all the single ladies. I'm just not ready for that."
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In August, Abby planned a holiday at the shore. Her friend Becker recommended a place he used to go to with his family when he was a boy.
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In November, Emily gave birth to a little girl. Abby went to see her friend and held the tiny child in her arms.
"We're going to call her Charlotte," said Emily.
For a moment, Abby looked into the baby's dark eyes and pretended to herself that she was holding the child she and Connor should have had, but the moment passed. The blonde smiled bravely and handed the baby back to Emily.
"I'll be glad to babysit her," offered Abby, "anytime."
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For Christmas that year, Abby and Jack invited Becker and Connor's mum to join them. The foursome ate roast turkey and didn't listen to the Queen's speech. They played board games instead. Connor's mum offered to help Abby with the washing up.
"So are you seeing that nice young man?" asked Connor's mum the moment the kitchen door shut.
"What?" spluttered Abby. "No! Becker, he's just a friend."
The dark brown eyes gazing at Abby softened for a moment.
"The best ones usually are friends first," replied Connor's mum. She turned to the sink and began running hot water.
"There's nothing going on," insisted Abby.
Connor's mother turned to face Abby. The dark eyed woman knew her son would want her to speak to Abby.
"Abby," said the older woman, "you're young, you need to get on with your life. Connor wouldn't want you to be alone."
"Look who's talking," replied Abby. "You never remarried after your husband died."
"I was quite a bit older," answered Connor's mother, "and I wasn't alone, I had Connor."
"Well I've got Jack."
"It's not the same."
-x-x-x-x-x-x
The next year seemed busier than ever. The months flew by.
-x-x-x-x-x-x
In May, Abby called Becker. "One of my mates from the zoo is getting married," she told the soldier, "if I don't show up with someone, my friends are going to try and fix me up. Will you be my plus one?"
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Abby joined Matt and Emily for their holiday in August. She spent her days walking up and down the sandy shore. In the evenings, the blonde babysat little Charlotte while the couple went out.
-x-x-x-x-x-x
Abby knew what she wanted and when she got back to London, she went to talk to her friend Becker about it.
"I don't want to grow old alone," started Abby, "and I don't think you do either."
"What are you talking about Abby?" asked Becker.
"I want a family," answered Abby.
"Huh?" grunted Becker.
"Hilary James Becker," asked Abby, "will you marry me, have children and grow old together with me?"
Becker thought about Abby's words.
"Don't you think we should go out on a real date first?" asked the soldier.
"Probably," agreed Abby.
-x-x-x-x-x-x
The next time Abby asked Becker to marry her, he said something different.
"On one condition," answered Becker, "you never call me Hilary again."
"Of course not Becker," answered Abby. And Abby thought, I won't call you Hil either, that would be weird.
-x-x-x-x-x-x
"Do you suppose Abby ever calls him anything besides Becker?" asked one of the Captain's men with a cheeky grin at the wedding reception that Emily and Matt insisted upon arranging.
-x-x-x-x-x-x
A year later, Abby and Becker were trying to decide on the name for their newborn son.
"It's sweet of you to suggest," said Abby, "but Connor Becker just doesn't sound right."
"Well I don't think I could stand to name the boy Jesse," replied Becker.
"What about James Amadeus Becker?" asked Abby. She could almost hear Connor's squawk of protest, "Really? You're not going to saddle the poor child with my middle name!"
"Lester will think we've named the boy after him," chuckled Becker. He could almost see Jess smiling.
"Let him," said Abby with a smile.
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Four years later, little Jimmy Becker regarded his new baby sister. His hazel eyes assessed the squalling blue-eyed infant critically. He wasn't too sure he liked the name his parents had chosen, Johnna Marie Becker. "I think she's a bit of alright," pronounced the boy finally, "we should keep her, but I'm going to call her Jackie."
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Many years later, Jimmy and Jackie arranged for a party to celebrate their parent's fiftieth wedding anniversary. Abby and her husband listened to music while watching their children and grandchildren dance across the floor of the assisted living recreation room. Abby rocked the stroller containing the newest family member, their great–granddaughter. Abby and Becker talked of things to come.
"Well I'm just wondering," said Becker hesitantly, "if there is an afterlife, and if we see Jess and Connor again…"
"When we see Connor and Jess again," corrected Abby firmly.
Becker raised his eyebrows.
"When we see Jess and Connor again," Becker continued, "do you think heaven will allow us all to be together?"
"Heaven?" said Abby in a questioning tone. Her lips curled up in a smirk.
Becker placed his hand over Abby's. The look in his eyes told Abby what she already knew. They'd both been through hell already. Abby felt the warmth of Connor's presence beside her and could almost hear Jess's chuckle.
"A foursome in heaven?" asked Abby.
"That's not what I meant," protested the retired soldier, his face flushed bright red.
Abby moved her hand to pat her husband's soothingly.
"I know, it's about love, not sex," replied Abby. "It wouldn't be heaven if we couldn't all be together."
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