Disclaimer: Primeval does not belong to me, this is fan fiction, not for profit.

Any references to people, places, businesses etc is entirely fictitious.

3.6-2 After The Not So Safe House

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Abby added bubble bath to the water as she watched the tub fill. It had been a long, terror filled day and she needed to unwind.

Running from Johnson's men, Danny's crazy driving, the terror birds and much more, were images Abby wanted to erase from her memory. But to Abby's mind the image of an unconscious Connor, head bleeding after the collision with the tree was the most horrible image of all. She needed to get that image out of her mind.

As she slipped off her clothing and lowered herself beneath the bubbles, she remembered the feel of his arms around her as he had rolled on the ground against her, pushing her away from the oncoming vehicle. Now that was something to think about.

-x-x-x-x-x-x

Jack gave a sigh of relief.

Abby had bought his line. When she had asked where Rex was, Jack really thought he had lost all chance of hiding his mistake. Rex wasn't upstairs, and until Jack had a chance to figure out how to get the creature back from his mate, he would rather Abby didn't find out about his latest poker loss.

Why was it, Jack wondered, that his poker face only worked on Abby?

-x-x-x-x-x-x

Connor was leaning against the anomaly detection device waiting for Lester.

He'd stayed at the anomaly detection device, trying to look busy. Connor had first waved goodbye to Abby when she left, and then he'd waved again to Sarah shortly afterwards.

It was getting late now; surely Lester was going to go home soon. Or at least remember he had a flat mate that needed to go home and have a shower and a lie down. Maybe Connor should remind Lester that Sid and Nancy needed to be fed soon… maybe that would…

Lester and Danny were coming towards him now. Good, maybe they could all go home now. Connor straightened up, still holding on to the side of the anomaly detection device.

"Ready to go Lester?" he asked.

"Just what I was going to ask you," replied Lester in a snarky tone of voice.

"Huh?"

"Come on mate," said Danny, making a beckoning motion with his hand "I'll take you to the hospital."

"What?" asked Connor.

"Danny told me that you'd had an auto accident," said Lester sternly "and that you were unconscious." The man continued to frown at Connor. "Health and Safety regulations require you to be seen by a medical official…"

"Well I can see the medic here tomorrow," said Connor hurriedly "I just want to go..." he paused for words... home was what he had been about to say, but Lester's flat wasn't really home.

"No mate," interjected Danny "I've read the reports… a mild concussion and stitches after that encounter with the G-Rex. That was less than a month ago. I'm taking you to the hospital."

-x-x-x-x-x-x

Becker had always wanted to be in the military… ever since he could remember.

Taking the position with the ARC had not been his idea of a good career move at the time. He'd only wanted to be back in London where he could care for his mother while she was in rehabilitation care.

For slightly over eight hours today, Becker had been working in an ARC run by a military liaison from the home office. And he had hated every minute of it.

-x-x-x-x-x-x

Sarah pulled up in front of the Cutter's modest home and parked her serviceable gray Toyota. She knocked on the door. Claudia opened it, giving her a broad smile.

"Come in," Claudia exclaimed. "Have you had dinner?"

"No, I haven't," admitted Sarah "but I don't want to cause you any trouble…"

"Don't be silly," said Claudia "join us… we're glad of the company."

Sarah followed Claudia down the hallway to the kitchen. Nick was seated at the small table near the back door, looking at the garden.

"You're sitting up!" Sarah exclaimed.

"After all this time," growled the professor in his Scottish brogue "you'd think I would be doing cartwheels."

Sarah glanced at Claudia. The woman rolled her eyes, with a bit of a smirk. Sarah knew the professor had been a cranky patient. The surgery to remove and repair the damage caused by Helen's bullet had been trying enough, but the subsequent respiratory infection that Cutter acquired had delayed his return to work.

"Well," said Sarah as she sat down in a chair across the table from him, "maybe what I have to tell you will have you doing cartwheels."

"What is it?"

"Connor and I got the artifact to open up," said Sarah. At the excited look on Cutter's face, she held up her hands. "Briefly," she qualified. "It lit up the room… with glowing lights… like your map…"

-x-x-x-x-x-x

James Lester had been worried. There were so many ways today could have gone so very wrong.

When Christine Johnson had taken over the ARC, Lester had been escorted from the building. He had called the Cutter's home, just to let Nick and Claudia know, in case Christine sent someone to their home, but no one had answered the phone.

Lester had then tried to reach his wife's cell phone, but the call wouldn't go through. The bloody phone company gave an automated message: "this number can not be connected." The next call to his home hadn't gone through either. That was when Lester had begun to worry in earnest. It really shouldn't make much difference who headed up the ARC, right?

Lester had gone to see Billy then. The minister without portfolio had been a long time friend and confidant, with direct ties to Whitehall. Lester had been greeted by the man's assistant and left cooling his heels in a waiting room. When he had finally gotten irate and stormed the man's office, Lester entered just in time to hear Becker's report. Lester could have kissed the man.

Upon their return to the ARC, Abby asked Lester "You missed us, didn't you?"

Lester replied in the only possible manner "Don't be ridiculous."

It wasn't until after he had gotten Danny to take Connor to the hospital, that he was able to call the Cutter's. The phone was picked up by Claudia on the second ring. "Sarah's on her way," he told Claudia. In response to her question, he answered "No, I don't think she's mentioned it to Abby... Connor's still staying at my flat."

Lester closed the phone, looked at it carefully and took a deep breath. He then dialed his wife's cell phone number. The phone rang, which was a good sign, thought Lester. And then Vivian answered.

"I was just wondering," Lester asked, trying to control the trembling in his voice, "if you might stay in London tonight?"

She gave a throaty chuckle. "London's a big city," Vivian teased. "Any place in particular?"

"With me."

-x-x-x-x-x-x

Christine Johnson seethed. James Lester and his team may have thrown her plans into disarray, but it was only a temporary setback.

She had another plan. She always had another plan.

-x-x-x-x-x-x

Danny Quinn was in the waiting room when the woman stormed into the hospital's emergency check in area.

"Where is he?" demanded the plump little woman. Her brown hair, starting to show gray was swept back from her face, and the glare that the woman gave the admissions clerk would have frightened most anyone, but the admissions clerk was used to panicked parents.

"Who?"

"My son," replied the woman "Connor Temple."

Danny blinked in surprise. He wondered how she had known to come to this hospital. Oh well… Danny guessed it was his duty to rescue the admissions clerk. He stood up and walked towards the pair.

"Mrs. Temple," said Danny in a kindly tone "I brought your son in to be looked at, just a safety precaution really. I'm sure he's going to be fine."

The woman turned her glare from the person sitting calmly behind the admissions desk and focused on Danny. He took a step back.

"You don't look like a doctor," she said sharply.

"Well, I'm not," began Danny.

"Then don't be telling me he's fine," she interrupted "you're not qualified…"

She might have kept on going in that manner for hours, Danny thought, but for the timely arrival of Connor Temple.

"Mum," Connor asked in a surprised tone "what are you doing here?"

She had been in the city for the day and had tried calling him to meet for dinner before she returned home on the evening train. After no answer on his cell phone, she had called his work number. Whoever had answered that number, had directed Mrs. Temple to the hospital. She reached a hand out to touch the bandage on her son's forehead.

"What happened to you Connor?"

Connor looked at Danny. "Well, I lost my phone."

"Not the phone Connor," she said with a trace of exasperation in her voice "your head."

"Mum, I'm fine," he answered "just a bit of an accident with a car."

The woman turned her gaze to Danny, narrowing her eyes as she looked suspiciously at him.

"I wasn't driving," Danny explained hastily

Lester entered the waiting room then. He took in the scene with one glance.

"Connor," he directed "let's get your mother to the train on time. Shall we? The car is outside… double parked… would the two of you go get in?"

Danny and Lester watched as Connor escorted his mother out of the hospital.

"I'll be right with you," called Lester "and don't touch anything!"

Danny turned to face Lester. "Thanks," he said "I owe you one."

Lester sniffed. "When Susan told me Mrs. Temple had called," he said "I figured someone had to come rescue you."

"Met her before, have you?" asked Danny with a chuckle.

"No, but Cutter has," replied Lester. He followed after the pair, turning as he reached the door.

"Mind you," Lester added "if I ever have to, I will tell her you tried using her son as bait today."

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