Disclaimer: Primeval does not belong to me, this is fan fiction, not for profit.
Any references to people, places, businesses etc is entirely fictitious.
3.11 Together
"All he needed now…"
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Mrs. Lester agreed with Cutter for once.
The women had left her car and walked quickly to the Cutter residence, her stilettos making little clicking sounds on the pavement.
"You're right," said Vivian. The tall slender woman in the gray dress nodded at Cutter in agreement. "We don't need all this commotion here… which is why we're relocating."
"What?" asked the Professor.
Cutter looked from Mrs. Lester to the young woman in the brightly colored dress that had come to stand beside her. Looking at the two women, Cutter felt decidedly scruffy in his rumpled t-shirt and jeans. Becker was still outside the house. Standing on the sidewalk, the Captain looked first one way and then the other. Keeping watch.
Vivian reached into her voluminous black purse and pulled out a camera. She handed it to Jess and pointed down the hallway to the living room.
"Take pictures of the entire anomaly map," Mrs. Lester instructed "before we move anything."
"What?" asked Cutter suspiciously. "Who gave you permission to move anything?"
Cutter watched as the tall, slender brunette started to follow Jess down the hall. He reached for Vivian's arm, stopping her. She looked at him, her nose narrowed as she breathed in sharply.
"You can't come barging into my home," said Cutter, his brogue rolling stronger with each indignant word "and take my work… without an explanation."
"Since Christine Johnson and her brand of military intervention have taken over the ARC," huffed Mrs. Lester "I've been able to get you reassigned… to a different department… my department, the Anomaly Research Center for Humanity."
Cutter stared at Lester's wife. Nick knew that Claudia loved her work, but was bringing the two groups together so abruptly a good thing, he wondered.
"ARCH?" asked Sarah.
The dark haired woman had moved out of the living room, to give Jess a clear view of the anomaly research map. Sarah was leaning against the white painted doorframe. The tan colored jacket Sarah was wearing stood out in sharp contrast to the white wood. Sarah had heard every word of Cutter and Mrs. Lester's discussion.
Mrs. Lester looked at her. She raised her eyebrows disdainfully and said "Let's not do acronyms now please."
"Well what are we doing?" asked Becker impatiently.
Cutter jumped. The soldier was standing right behind Cutter. He knew the ARCs head of security had been outside, but Cutter had forgotten about him in his confrontation with Vivian.
"We're getting the anomaly research model out of here," said Vivian "before Christine Johnson and her group get their hands on it. We're going to use it to find where Abby and Connor have gone."
"I thought you said an anomaly map was impossible," said Cutter, his eyes twinkling, a grin beginning to spread across his face.
"It is impossible," replied Vivian "when I'm from… but here… the anomaly map apparently works."
"So you will admit," the Professor pressed "that Dr. Page's and my theories combining paleontology, archeology, history and myth provide a rational explanation for the occurrence of anomalies and…"
"James said you were brilliant," said Vivian, cutting his words off, "and impossible. He forgot to mention long winded."
She pretended to glare at the Professor for another moment, her dark eyes smoldering, dark brown hair cascading in soft waves over her shoulders. Then she smiled, dimples showing.
"The only thing I'll admit," concluded Vivian "is that we need to get Abby and Connor home."
She turned abruptly and walked past Sarah into the living room.
"She's right about that," said Becker. "But how?"
"That's what we're going to find out," replied Cutter following Vivian into his living room.
Jess had been meticulously taking photographs the entire time they had been talking. Snap a picture, step to the side, repeat. Jess had slowly made her way across the living room.
Danny sat sprawled across the sofa. He had sat down in order to get out of Jess's way. Young Stephen was beside him, leaning forward, staring at the spiraling contraption in wonder.
"We need to start taking it apart," ordered Vivian "quickly now."
"Where do you plan to reassemble it?" asked Cutter. "You'll need a bigger space it's really too cramped in my living room… we need a room with a higher ceiling."
"I haven't found a suitable location yet," admitted Vivian "but we need to get it out of here before Johnson comes for it. Can't use our offices… Johnson might come there too. There's a warehouse… it's a possibility…"
"What about Abby and Connor's flat?" asked Sarah. "I've got the spare key… Jamal and I have been taking care of Rex and Abby's other pets while they've been gone."
Everyone turned to look at the dark haired doctor of archeology. She reached a hand up to her hair and flipped the long strands over her shoulder.
"Well, the ceiling is high enough for Rex to fly around," said Sarah. "And since Abby and Connor are gone, no one else should be going around there.
"I thought you didn't like snakes," said Becker.
Sarah shuddered.
"I really don't like snakes," Sarah admitted. She pointed to her boyfriend. "Jamal feeds them."
"Would you like to take the diictodons too?" asked Vivian.
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An hour later, the anomaly research model was disassembled and loaded into the vehicle that Danny had acquired from somewhere. Mrs. Lester had looked startled when they had started taking the equipment outside and Danny had pointed out the white panel van.
"It's always a white panel van," Vivian murmured.
"What?" asked Cutter.
"Nothing," Vivian replied. "Remember, when Johnson gets here, you don't know anything about the anomaly research model, or where the rest of us have gone…"
"Yeah," said Cutter "I'm on paternity leave and Claudia is on maternity leave. The only important thing is Claudia and Stephanie. I know that."
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Abby pulled Connor's fingerless glove out from beneath her pants. She wondered briefly how it had managed to get there, and then set it on the bed. Sliding her slender legs over the edge of the bed and into the pants, she quickly stood and pulled them up. Abby grabbed her top, slipped it on, and then she reached for Connor's red hooded sweatshirt.
"Do you want this?" the blue eyed blonde asked Connor.
"You keep it," replied Connor with a grin. "It looks better on you."
The sweatshirt was soft and warm and smelled just a little like Connor, thought Abby as she gratefully pulled it over her head. She opened her eyes as the garment settled on her body. Connor was sitting up in the bed. He picked up the fingerless glove and was holding it in his hand. The tattoos on both exposed wrists were readily visible, even in the dim light of the dying fire.
Abby had seen the tattoos before, but had never asked Connor about them.
"Why do you suppose," Abby asked, pointing down at his wrist, "that Percy's friends thought that tattoo meant you were a wizard of some sort?"
"Well, it's written in Elvish," replied Connor in a matter of fact tone of voice.
"What?" asked Abby as she picked his pants up off the floor and tossed them at Connor.
"Me mates… Tom and Duncan…" reminded Connor, pushing the pants to one side, "we all went out to see one of the Lord of the Rings movies… wound up getting tattoos afterwards."
Abby leaned over and grabbed his wrist. She traced her finger over the swirling, arcing symbols etched across Connor's wrist. He shivered.
"I was a bit drunk," admitted Connor. "Told the tattoo artist that I wanted me girlfriend's name…"
"Your girlfriend's name?" asked Abby. She looked closer at the tattoo. If that was a name, she couldn't tell. Connor shook his head.
"No. The artist said he couldn't do that… wouldn't do names," explained Connor "but he could do this… love for all time…"
Privately Abby thought the tattoo looked more like a Celtic tattoo that her friend Edie had between her shoulder blades, but Abby just nodded.
"It hasn't worked out too well so far," sighed Connor.
"What do you mean?"
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Connor looked at Abby.
"Well I haven't always had the best of luck with women," confided Connor. "That girlfriend… she dumped me, told me to go on to uni where I belonged."
"Oh Conn," said Abby. She sat down beside him on the bed. She leaned into him, reaching her arm around his waist.
"My next girlfriend kept throwing things," continued Connor. "Our landlord called the coppers…"
Abby stiffened. Had she heard Connor correctly?
"Did you say our landlord?" asked Abby.
"Yeah," answered Connor drawing the fingerless glove up over his wrist.
"You lived with someone?"
Connor nodded. He turned and began feeling around on the bed, searching for something. Abby drew back, staring at Connor. He finally found the piece of cloth Abby had torn from her t-shirt the day before. Connor held it up triumphantly and turned to face Abby. His smile faltered and fell from his face in the force of her glare.
"What have I done?"
"Why did you tell me you'd been carrying condoms in your wallet since hygiene class, year nine?" demanded Abby.
"Because I have," answered Connor. He looked at her in confusion for a moment, then his eyes widened. "You didn't think I meant the same one from year nine, did you?"
Abby swallowed. Well, she had wanted to think that… but really…
"How long have you been carrying that particular condom around?" asked Abby.
"Abby," asked Connor "does it make a difference?"
Abby opened her mouth, and then closed it again. Did it make a difference, she wondered. She had a past, and so did Connor. What was really important Abby decided was whether or not they had a future. She blinked, and realized that Connor was staring at her in concern.
"Abby," asked Connor "are we still friends?"
"Yeah Conn," said Abby.
Her bottom lip wobbled just a bit, but she tried to smile and not let him know how his question affected her.
"We're friends first and always," answered Abby "and lovers… for now."
Connor nodded. He reached for her hand. Connor still had the piece of cloth from Abby's t-shirt in his hand. With his other hand, he drew the cloth over their clasped hands, looping it around, as if he were tying their hands together.
"I don't always believe in marriages or pieces of paper, and sometimes I'm not really sure about forever," said Connor softly "but as long as you'll have me… I'm yours."
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Percy greeted Abby as she opened the bedroom door. The bright light of afternoon was shining through the front windows. Abby blinked.
"About time!" he exclaimed "I was beginning to think you were going to sleep all day."
"It's dark in the bedroom," stammered Abby "didn't realize the time."
She held up the chamberpot.
"Where do I dump this?"
"Out back of the house," directed Percy "there's a sluice off the main aqueduct that keeps the sewer channel running… keeps the village clean."
"When I get back," Abby asked "will you help me get Connor over to the bench?"
"If he can put any weight on his legs," said Percy "I can help him do that now." He rose from the bench as Abby started down the stairs.
When Abby returned, Connor was sitting on the bench. The black jacket loosely covered his chest. The torn black jeans and white bandages on his calf peeked out beneath the edge of the table. Percy was watching intently as Connor opened the rucksack. Connor took out first the powerless anomaly opening device and then the stomped on anomaly opening device.
"I'm not sure how these tools work," sighed Connor, "but if I can fix them… we can go home."
"I'd like that," agreed Percy. "I've got a bet to collect."
Abby and Connor exchanged a glance. His eyes were wide. Silently he shook his head and mouthed I never said anything. She smirked.
"You're not going to collect Percy," replied Abby. "Sarah wins that bet… she always said we were already together."
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