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

Summary: - Connor needs help- and so does Vancouver!

New Dawn is over, but Connor still feels the after effects badly. Matt and Lester have a plan to help him get his confidence back by sending him to Vancouver to help the newly formed Vancouver ARC- and to retrieve something that belongs to him!

Vancouver Calling

Chapter Two- A New Project

Three weeks later, Connor was sitting in his lab, with discarded pieces of equipment all around him. Although anyone looking in would have thought he was busy, he wasn't really working at all. He'd started a new project- well, 'old' one really. He was working on a remote controlled 'buggy' of sorts to send through the anomalies to see what was on the other side. He'd made one of these before with parts from Abby's hairdryer (without getting her permission first!), but it had been lost in the Silurian and he had been trying to reconstruct it in a more robust and proficient way. However, his heart wasn't really in it. He had thought it was an important project but he just didn't seem to be able to concentrate on anything much at the moment. He sighed and threw down the piece of equipment he was holding in his hand.

As it dropped with a clatter onto the table with the rest of the pieces, he put his head in his hands and rubbed his eyes with the palms of his hands. He was so tired- he hadn't been sleeping well. He kept having nightmares that New Dawn hadn't been stopped and he'd destroyed the world. In his dreams, it was always Abby that went first. As he looked at her, her face slowly started disintegrating, little pieces of her floating away until there was nothing left of her but dust. As he screamed in his sleep, the rest of the buildings, then the street outside also disintegrated, leaving nothing but sand. At this point a future predator always leapt out in front of him and as he stood there, a lone tear trickling down his cheek, it suddenly slashed at him with its clawed hand- and he woke up, drenched in sweat, breathing heavily.

At first it used to wake up Abby, and she would comfort him and kiss him until he cast the dream aside, but it had reoccurred so often now that she didn't seen to notice any more, and he awoke alone, trembling and sweating in fear, just lying there with his awful thoughts to keep him company. As he leant on his elbows on the table, his eyes suddenly drooped and his arms gave way and slid softly down onto the table, his face on top of them as he fell into the first deep, dreamless sleep he'd had for months.

Matt looked through the window of the lab, and slightly shook his head- it was time to put his plan into action and help Connor back to normal. He left Connor to his sleep, and turned towards Lester's office…

Two hours later, Connor woke up, feeling refreshed and more alive than he had in a while. He went to the men's changing rooms where he had a quick shower and changed into some fresh clothes that he kept at the ARC just in case he needed them. As he walked towards the ADD to help Jess run through some checks, he heard Matt call him.

"Hey, Connor!" he said "Lester wants to see you in his office."

Connor sighed. Not again! He'd be fine, if they all just left him alone to get on with his work. He didn't say anything, though- just nodded and went to Lester's office, after throwing a quick glance at Jess, who smiled sympathetically at him.

Lester was alone in his office this time when Connor took up his usual stance in front of the desk, hands behind his back like a naughty schoolboy called to the headmaster's office. He didn't know why he always felt this way when called to the office- maybe it was because he was usually in trouble!

"Take a seat, Connor," Lester said. Connor was surprised. Lester didn't usually offer him a seat. He wasn't sure if this was a good or a bad thing.

"Connor" Lester started "I have a project for you…"

Connor was surprised once again. He hadn't expected this. He looked up for the first time since entering the room.

"As you know, when the convergence started, anomalies started opening up all around the world. Now, they may have already existed overseas, but no one sent any reports of them- by any official means anyway. However…" With this, Lester stood up and started pacing. Connor watched him carefully wondering where this was going to go.

"It appears that in one place in particular since the convergence, a team of sorts has been set up. This consists of an animal expert and an inventor among others. They are a very new team who just seem to have come together just as we all did, in the beginning. I need you to go to help them for a short while. Just to help them prepare their ADD, and set up a computer base and what sort of creatures they can expect- that sort of thing. You need to warn them that they mustn't 'play' with these anomalies- they must take them seriously. Your experience will be invaluable to them, as a science expert; dinosaur expert, and as one of the original team…"

"But…but where? By myself... I'm- I'm not good with new people- why should they listen to me?" Connor stuttered

"They are just an extension of the ARC, Connor. They need your help. Our people have been in close contact with them, and they have asked for our expertise. They have been doing very well so far, but as you know more than anyone, any interference with the anomalies can have catastrophic results. Who better to go than you?"

"Can't Abby come with me- she knows as much as I do about the creatures- more than I do. I just know there names and the eras they come from. She really knows about them…"

"No, it's impossible. We can only spare one person. Now your flight leaves tomorrow at 6am. Have the rest of the day to prepare and rest. Abby can help you. Matt will brief you on what you will need to tell them and what equipment you can take."

"But…you haven't said- where is it?"

"Vancouver- and Connor" Lester said "Wear something warm!"

Connor was astounded. He was excited in a way. This was like going back to the beginning. He remembered how exciting it had been, learning about the anomalies, and just seeing the creatures still sent a thrill down his spine even now. But to go somewhere like that alone, with so much responsibility- he just wasn't sure he could pull it off.

"This might change your mind-" continued Lester, handing a docket to Connor. "there's something out there that belongs to you, I believe. This docket gives you the authority to remove it from Vancouver and bring it back with you. You'll only be there one month. Make it worthwhile- oh…and Connor- stay out of trouble!" shot Lester at Connor's departing back, hiding a small smile at Connor's incredulity after reading the piece of paper in his hand.

A few minutes after Connor had left, there was a brisk knock at the door and Matt walked in. "How did it go?" he asked.

"Better than expected. I hope you're right and Connor will be able to do this."

"He will" stated Matt "And it'll help him move on from New Dawn, and get his confidence back. This will be good for him and the Vancouver team. The team leader there has been briefed and knows what to expect."

"I doubt that- he's not met Connor yet..." mused Lester…

To Be Continued…