TWO MONTHS LATER

Connor woke up to the bright sun shining through the window of the flat. No, it wasn't his flat; it was one that the remaining Area 51 soldiers had let him stay in while he was stuck here. It had now been 8 weeks. Every day of it was spent trying to make the anomalies open again, with absolutely no luck. Connor had started to wonder if he was ever going to go back to his own reality…

He stared up at the ceiling and remembered what happened; the whole thing- Alex killing himself to close all the anomalies and kill the future predators, The look on Dian's face when it happened, the moment after he realized anomalies weren't opening anymore, and the fear that ensued. Every night since it happened, Connor kept dreaming about it.

When he closed his eyes, all he could see were the anomalies and Alex going to sacrifice himself to save everyone. He couldn't stop thinking about how he felt every moment of it. But more so, he couldn't stop wondering how Dian must have felt during it all. If it was like a nightmare that never ended to Connor… then what must it feel like for Dian?

He stirred in the bed, turning over on his side and smiling at the person who lay next to him. Connor stroked Dian's arm with his thumb as she slept. He always felt happy when he was around her. For some reason or another, she gave him hope by just being here. Though, she was always repeatedly saying he has nothing to worry about; that the anomalies will re-open and he'll be back home in no time. Of course, he knew she didn't really believe it entirely; but at least she was trying to make him feel better… and it worked every time.

Although Connor knew he loved Dian in many ways… not a day had gone by here that he didn't think about getting back to Abby at least once. It was different with Abby and Dian; it was like two different ways of loving someone, but Connor couldn't really explain it. Maybe his love for Dian was more like how you love someone in your family… he just wanted to be here with her and protect her.

Connor got out of the bed, careful not to wake Dian, and went into the kitchen to make some tea. Nothing in this universe wanted Connor Temple to have a simple and happy life, he decided. Not only did he have to deal with the insanity of the fact that he loved two women, one of which has no idea about any of it, but he now had to be stranded in this alternate reality with no hope of ever being able to go back home… yes, the universe was definitely playing the cruelest trick on Connor. It hated him, obviously.

"Hey," Dian's voice broke Connor's thoughts as she walked into the room. He turned around to look at her and smiled. His eyes looked down at her slightly bulging stomach; she'd been pregnant for about three months now… Or maybe four months; Connor really didn't know, and he didn't want to ask her because he felt a little weird about it- like he should know but he didn't.

"Hey," he replied. "Want a cuppa?" he asked lightly.

Dian nodded. "Yeah, thanks." She went to sit at the table and saw the Anomaly opening device sitting there as usual. Connor was always working with it; trying anything and everything to get back home. She didn't blame him… he needed to be back home in his own reality. But she quite liked having him here with her constantly. It felt right. She also knew, though, that if the anomalies wouldn't open again… she'd never see her father. Nick Cutter was still in Connor's reality.

Dian laughed a little, thinking about her dad and how he was probably pissing everyone off in the other reality. Although he'd been shot, she was sure that only made him more of a pain in ass to everyone. Her dad wasn't exactly the kindest or most well-tempered person… as a matter of fact he was just the opposite. It made him a respected soldier, but when it came to socially… no one liked him. Despite all his faults…Dian missed her father; she didn't want to think she'd never get to see him again.

Abby was sitting in the hospital room at the ARC, flipping through a magazine as she sat next to one of the occupied beds. She looked over worriedly at Danny as she'd been doing every day since he'd gone into this coma. She was just thankful she didn't have to see his bandages soaked with blood anymore from where he'd gotten shot… *** (wait… we have to go back.) ***

Two Months ago Jack Maitland from the alternate reality had come to the ARC, his minion Area 51 soldiers that had infiltrated the British military a few years back took all of the ARC hostage.

When Abby confronted Jack, he told her what he was planning on doing. He told her he had been working with Helen Cutter and he was continuing her work now that she was dead. She'd convinced him that the ARC destroys the human race in the future and she'd shown him what his realities' future would be like… it was just as horrid, if not worse. He wasn't going to let that happen. So he wanted to kill everyone and everything that had to do with the Anomaly Research Centre. Burn it all to ashes. So he was ready to burn it when someone else interrupted… Here's what happened after that…

"I don't think that's a wise idea, Jack," a too-familiar voice called from across the ARC.

Abby turned away from Jack, looking at who had just spoken. For a moment her heart skipped a beat as she saw the perfectly familiar face of Connor Temple… only then did she see the red streak in his hair and the strange, ragged, clothing he was wearing. The happy feeling that she thought she'd gotten Connor back was replaced by utter fear. "C.," she said simply. "But… how? You died… I saw you die!" she yelled, forgetting about Jack-the-homicidal-mental-patient-Maitland.

C. walked through the crowd of gun-toting soldiers-guns that were pointed at him as he walked. "I was," he said to Abby. "Helen Cutter brought me back. I don't know how and frankly… I don't give a shit." Yep… it was C. alright. "But I do have a few things to say to this idiot." He pointed to Jack with one, un-gloved, finger.

Jack looked terrified as he stared at C.; his eyes wide and his breathing quickened. He swallowed hard. "What do you want?"

C. smiled maliciously. "I want to stop you, you idiot. What you're doing is insane and I won't let you do it. There are too many innocent people here." Abby's eyes narrowed in shock. What the hell was he talking about? Acting like he cared. He nearly killed Connor, Dian, and Alt. Cutter.

Jack pulled out a pistol, pointing it at C. "No… I think you've got it all wrong. If you think for a second that I would let you ruin all my hard work!" he paused, letting his anger replace any fear he had. "You've got another thing coming." Jack cocked the pistol, aiming it for C.'s head.

"Hey!" Abby yelled at him. She didn't know what she was doing or why… but she was doing it. Jack looked at her, his eyes narrowed. "Helen Cutter was a psychotic idiot," she began, still having no idea what she was doing. "If you think for a moment that what she told you what true, then you're even crazier than she was." Abby swallowed as she saw an angered look wash across Jack's face. But she kept going. "You know what happened to Helen… she's dead. And if you follow what she was trying to do, then you'll just end up the same. So… quit now, while you're ahead."

Abby saw Jack's narrowed eyes glaring at her, but he wasn't looking directly at her; it was like he was thinking about what she was saying. For a moment she thought she'd convinced him to stop what he was doing. Turns out she was wrong. Jack turned his pistol on her. "I'm really sick of you trying to brainwash me into thinking you are the good guys." He smiled cunningly, so proud of himself. "I'm not going to listen to this anymore… You'll be the first of these people to die, Blondie." In the alternate reality, Jack and Abby were brother and sister, but they'd never known… they'd never even met. Jack would have met her at Area 51, but she died before he came there. So to him, this Abby was just another person that would destroy the future of humanity.

Jack's finger pulled back on the trigger, and before the shot, two people both yelled "No!" at the same time. Then the shot echoed through the ARC, and everything seemed so still. Jack lowered his gun, looking at Abby on the ground. He scoffed, shaking his head. "You idiots," he muttered.

Abby sat up, rubbing her head from where she'd hit it on the floor. She looked at herself- no shot wound. For a second she was confused, but then she saw what had gotten in the way of the bullet… "Danny!" she yelled, scrambling to where he lay on the ground, bleeding and unmoving. She felt his pulse-he was still alive, but unconscious.

C. was watching as Abby made sure Danny was okay. He looked at Jack, who was doing the same; his pistol pointed to the ground. C. ran at him, put his arm around Jack's neck to choke him, grabbed the pistol and held it to Jack's head. C. smiled at himself, saying in Jack's ear, "What now, bitch?" Then he promptly used the other end of the gun to hit Jack with and knock him out.

Abby looked at C. and smiled, but then another gunshot fired in the room. Abby flinched at the sound and watched as C. flew back, hitting the ground. She turned around quickly, seeing that one of Jack's soldiers had shot C. And then a few seconds later, she saw that soldier get shot; she flinched again.

"Holy shit that hurts!" C. yelled, holding his wounded shoulder. He pointed his gun at the crowd of Jack's soldiers. "Unless you want to play a game of 'which of you and how many of you will I shoot before you shoot me', I suggest all of you just drop your guns and let no one else die here today." The soldiers exchanged looks… Then all of them lowered their guns. C. did the same, sighing in relief and pain.

"Are you okay?" Abby asked.

"Oh yeah… I'm bleeding like hell and there's a bullet lodged in my shoulder, but I'm just peachy," He replied sarcastically.

Abby rolled her eyes, standing up and facing the large crowd of terrified people. "If all of you Area 51 soldiers comply with us, then we can send you home safely and we won't hurt your boss. But if you even think about attacking us again… Jack Maitland is dead," she said in a demanding tone. She nodded to some of the waiting Military soldiers, which told them to round up the Area 51 soldiers and restrain them until we could find out what to do with them. Abby figured she would let Lester deal with that…

Becker and Stephen came forward; they had been held down by some of the invading soldiers. Abby looked at them-it was still a little strange seeing Stephen, even though she knew it wasn't the Stephen she knew. "You two take Danny to the infirmary, quickly. He needs medical attention." The two men nodded, picking up the unconscious Danny and taking him away. Abby turned to C., who was still bleeding out. "You should go to the infirmary too. You're going to lose too much blood."

C. looked at her with careless eyes. "Other people were hurt too. You only have one Doctor until your medical team gets here. I'm fine," he insisted.

She glared at him. "I didn't save your ass so that you could bleed out and die," she said sternly. "I almost got shot saving your life. Do me a favor and don't let that have been a waste. Go get medical help… now," she demanded.

C. stared at her and smiled, laughing a little. His smile was a thank you, Abby could tell. He walked off towards the infirmary, leaving Abby alone.

When most everyone had cleared out of the main room, Abby stood there in silence and looked around at the destroyed ARC. She stared at the ADD which was destroyed from when the Future Predator came through. It reminded her that Connor was still gone… and at this time, she didn't know why.

And so, two months later….

Abby put down the magazine with a sigh. She knew that she'd gotten Danny in this condition. He got shot and hit his head, putting him in coma, just to save her life. So all this… this was her fault. She came to visit Danny every day, just waiting for him to wake up from this coma. But it's been two months… the Doctors say that most people by this point will never wake up. That didn't mean she was about to give up on him.

Connor's alternate reality twin, C., came into the hospital room and spotted Abby-his shoulder still had a wrap on it from where he was shot, but the arm sling was finally taken off. "I knew I'd find you here," he said to her. "Mike said he wants you to come sign a reference paper or something… I don't know. He said it was for a job he was applying for." A few days after Jack's threat was eradicated, Mike was brought back to the ARC. He was reunited with his dad, C. Funny thing is… C., being from Area 51 where they had way more advanced technology than here, was able to create a sort of Anomaly opening device-this is when they all realized anomalies could no longer open, and that Connor was stuck in the wrong reality… so were Cutter, Stephen, C., Mike, Jack, all the soldiers, and Shamus. This was a very bad thing…

"Alright," Abby said. "I'll be there in a moment."

C. looked at her intently; he knew she was killing herself about what happened to Danny. "Abby…" he said in Connor's familiar voice. Him just being here was hurting Abby, because she knew that she'd most likely never get her Connor back. "Abby, you can't blame yourself for this." He pointed to Danny. "It was my fault, not yours."

Abby scoffed. "Don't try to put the blame on yourself. He was protecting me, not you."

"Yes, but you were protecting me. That's the only reason you were even about to be shot." C. pulled up a chair next to Abby and sat down. "Why didn't you let Jack shoot me?" he asked, sitting on the chair backwards, his arms propped up in front of him on the backing of the seat.

Abby glanced at him, only for a moment. "I don't know," she said honestly.

C. smiled a little bit. "I do. I look too much like your Connor. You wouldn't have been able to bear watching me get killed, because it would have been like seeing him get killed. Now that he's stuck in the other reality, I'm the closest thing you have to him, and you can't stand that. If it came to it again, you'd save my life simply because of that fact. You love him, that's why."

"Shut up," Abby said harshly. "Just shut up, you don't know anything! You don't know him!" she yelled. So badly, she wanted Connor to come back to her. She couldn't stand it anymore. "You almost killed him!"

C. was taken slightly aback by Abby's outrage. "Exactly. So why did you let me live?"

Abby knew he was right, but she wasn't going to admit it. "I don't know."

C. sighed. "Alright… if you don't love him, then I suppose I'm wrong. But you saved the life of the person who almost murdered him… so I think you need to figure out why." He got up, putting the chair back where he'd gotten it. "That is… if what I said was wrong." He winked at her before leaving the room.

Of course he'd been right. Abby knew that the only reason she saved C. was because he was the closest thing she had left to Connor. The only thing on her mind now though… what was she going to do if Connor could never come back home?

TBC in Chapter 14!

So yay, it was a long Chapter. :)

Hope you're enjoying the read! Please review, so I can know what's good and what's not.

Thanks so much for reading!