Disclaimer: Primeval and all its characters belong to someone else.

Summary: - This is a first for me- an adventure story rather than just fluff!

This chapter has more angst, I'm afraid, but some fluff too! I decided it's time! I can't go for long without it!

Shards of Glass

Chapter Six- Tears and Fears

It seemed a very long time before they heard someone at the door. The rattling of the lock woke them up and they huddled together- disorientated and still muzzy from their disjointed sleep.

"Good morning," said Helen, sounding in a much better mood "I hope you both slept well?" she moved over to Abby and stroked her still reddened cheek, not seeming to notice when Abby flinched at her touch. Helen turned abruptly away saying "Come along now- you must be hungry. I've had some food prepared for you"

They got up and followed her, surrounded by the clone 'Cleaners', and were again taken to the room where they'd had eaten before. This time, they didn't need any urging, and grabbed the fruit and cakes and started to eat hungrily. They were both dehydrated from lack of water and drank their fill. When they started to slow down, they looked over at Helen, who was sitting with them, eating her slices of apple from her knife and watching them closely. She had a slight smirk on her face as she looked at them.

"You're going home today" she suddenly announced. Connor and Abby looked at each other as she continued "The anomaly will be opened in exactly two hours time, and you will both go back through it. Do you understand?"

"Y…Yeah" Connor replied

"My business here is nearly finished, and then you will be escorted back to the anomaly site. You will go straight to the anomaly- no more sneaking around or 'clever' moves. I promise you, you will regret it if you try!"

"What, Helen? You're always threatening us. But you need us alive for some reason- you've told us that much. What will you do if we don't do what you want, eh?" Connor yelled at her, tired of Helen's games and threats against them. He knew she wanted him to help Philip with New Dawn, so she wouldn't kill him… Oh! Realisation hit him. Yes, she needed him! Just him! Somehow Helen knew what his weakness was- Abby! If she ever tried to hurt Abby…he couldn't bear the thought!

"Y'know what, Helen- never mind! We want to go back, so you can stop all your threats. A distance of 145 million years between us is too close! I never want to see you again!"

"Ah! Little Connor, all macho and brave. Who ever thought they'd see the day!" laughed Helen, taunting Connor "Now, now, little Connor, put your claws back in- I'm sure no-one will have to do anything to anyone" she continued, looking pointedly at Abby "You're a clever boy- I can see you know what I mean"

Abby looked from Helen to Connor, not quite understanding the full gist of their conversation, but realising Connor was afraid of something unspoken between the two of them. She stood close by his side, pressing against him to let him know she was there for him, and his hand went down by his side, as he took her hand in his, hidden by their bodies from Helen's view.

Helen waved her hand and the 'Cleaners' pushed Connor and Abby out of the room, and returned them to their prison to wait until they were to be taken to the anomaly.

"Are you OK, Connor" Abby asked worriedly." What just happened?"

"Hey… no…no…I'm sorry," Connor said softly "I just can't stand being near that…that murdering…woman any longer!" He spat out the word 'woman' as if it was a dirty word. He didn't want to worry Abby with the realisation that Helen wouldn't hesitate to kill her to keep him in order.

"Well, if you're sure…"

"Yeah, I am. You know what, Abby," Connor said brightening up "you're right, we've got two whole hours to entertain ourselves! Let's think! What can we do…?" he raised his eyebrows suggestively at her a few times.

Abby couldn't help but laugh. She knew Connor so well, that she knew Helen had hit a nerve with him, but she just couldn't work out what it was….. her thoughts were suddenly cut off as Connor roughly pulled her to him and soundly kissed her on the lips. She immediately responded and after a few minutes, Connor suddenly let her go so abruptly she nearly fell. He put his forehead against hers and they stood like that for a few minutes until Connor lifted his head up and looked her straight in the eyes, a stray tear appearing from the corner of his eye, running down his cheek.

"I couldn't bear it if anything happened to you, Abby," he whispered "It would be a very lonely place here without you!"

"I'm not going anywhere" Abby replied softly, putting her head up to his, and gently capturing his lips with her own.

Connor and Abby slid down to the floor, their lips together all fears and worries pushed to the back of their minds for the next few precious moments, caressing, whispering and kissing each other softly; passionately, sharing their love…..

…..

A short time later, they settled down to rest before it was time to go, trying to conserve their energy to face what was to come next. They sat together on the floor, backs against the wall, Abby's head resting on Connor's chest. They didn't sleep, and just whispered together now and then, but mostly just sat there in silence, lost in their own thoughts.

Connor tried to think of a way to contact Philip, to try to warn him somehow- tell him Helen didn't care about him, and he would ultimately die. No…how was he going to do that? Philip hadn't believed him when he'd told him about Matt, and what New Dawn created. Why would he believe him now? He was just some stranger to Philip- they hadn't even met yet, in this time. In the end, everyone was responsible for their own actions- but Philip thought Helen wanted to help the world- not destroy it. His only crime was he was too trusting, and let her inflate his ego. Connor knew he was too trusting himself at times- there'd been Caroline, April and then Philip too! They'd all lied to him. And then of course, there was Abby- he just couldn't risk Helen hurting Abby! He banged his head back against the wall. No- there was nothing he could do!

Abby was lying against Connor's chest. Her thoughts were running more or less on the same lines. What could they do? Should they do something to try to stop her? But Abby didn't know what effect any action would have. She was too afraid to do anything in case it affected the future- their future!

The two young people sat silently, locked in their own terrible dilemmas, both wishing they could do something, but too afraid to mess with the timelines, and alter the future. They both drifted off into an uneasy sleep, until they were suddenly jolted awake by the door opening. They were roughly hauled to their feet, still groggy from sleep. Helen faced them

"It's time" she said simply "I have had the anomaly opened. It will remain open for exactly one hour only, so no funny business- I suggest you hurry there immediately. By that time my visitor and I will be long gone. I can only give you two of my men, so try to make it through alive, won't you! I don't want you messing up my plans, but I don't have the time to take you back. The rest of my men and I are needed elsewhere. We're going to visit Nick! I'll send him your love..."

Connor suddenly felt shivers running down his spine- surely… no! Surely she wasn't taking the clones to the ARC- surely this wasn't the time when she took the clones to the ARC, and killed Cutter! No! It couldn't be!

"N….." he started to say, and made a grab for Helen. The 'Cleaners' were too quick for him, and were all over him before he had the chance to do anything. One of them pulled a punch and hit Connor square in the face. Abby was trying to fight off more of the 'Cleaners', and was doing a good job of it, her kick boxing skills standing her in good stead. Unbidden, Caroline's advice about kicking her opponent effectively came into Abby's head, as she executed a perfect kick to one 'Cleaner' and he instantly went down.

Connor was knocked out cold by the 'Cleaner's' punch. The clones seemed to possess extra strength compared to a normal man, and although Connor was much more 'bad ass' than he used to be, he still crumpled under the blow. Abby was finally overcome purely due to the numbers of adversaries. There was no way she could fend them all off on her own.

She was finally thrown off into a corner of the room, where she hit her head on a table, and was knocked unconscious. Connor started to stir, groaning as he came to. He looked around, trying to clear his head, and then remembered what had happened.

"Abby!" he cried when he saw her prone body lying at the back of the room. He ran over to her and as he pulled her into his arms, she too groaned and started to come round.

"I warned you, Connor" said a voice. He looked up from where he was cradling Abby to see Helen's sneering face. "Now get up- my men will take you to the anomaly- they have strict instructions not to hurt either of you, but after that last stunt….. "

She went closer to Connor and whispered in his ear so that only he could hear her "They won't touch her- unless you try to escape! Pull another stunt like that and it's over. They have their instructions!" She stepped back from him.

Connor pulled Abby up gently, holding her in his arms as she held her head where she had hit it on the table.

"Well, I can't say it's been fun- but bon voyage! Oh! By the way… this building is set to be blown up and destroyed in the time it will take you to reach the anomaly- so don't bother trying to get back here another time, will you? You won't find anything left at all! " She laughed and tuned away, but seemed to have second thoughts and turned back "Remember what I said, Connor- no more chances….."

With that Helen left the room, but when she was just outside, she spoke to two heavily armed 'Cleaners' who were standing in the corridor. "HEAR MY VOICE" she said emphasising each word, "THEY ARE TO BE PROTECTED. TAKE THEM TO THE ANOMALY AND MAKE SURE THEY GO THROUGH. ONLY HARM THE GIRL IF THEY TRY TO ESCAPE- THE GIRL ONLY. HE MUST GO THROUGH SAFELY. HERE MY VOICE AND OBEY" Helen walked away without another glance.

The 'Cleaners' went into the room and pushed Abby and Connor towards the door, and they went with them, Abby still in Connor's arms.

"Are you OK?" Connor asked her- she was still groggy from the fall and a little unsteady on her feet.

"Yeah, I… I think so"

"We'd better move, we've only got an hour!" said Connor, as he helped Abby along

"Con.…do you think she's gone to kill Cutter? Do you….." Abby stopped as Connor's face crumpled as if he was about to cry.

"I don't know. I should have killed her when I had the chance. I should just have done it, and face the consequences later. I could have saved Cutter and Philip. I could have…."

"No, Connor- there was nothing you could do. It's not your fault. You mustn't feel guilty. It's Helen. It's always been Helen…"

Connor nodded, dashing his tears away. They quickly moved forward, Connor supporting Abby- they had to reach the anomaly in time…..

To Be Continued….

Well- there it is! Teensy bit of fluff, but it's there amongst the angst! My poor young couple! Will they make it through? Well we'll just have to see what happens next…

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