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 One Step At A Time
"… and lovers… for now"
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Abby watched Connor. He was sitting on the bench, leaning back against the wall with his bandaged leg stretched out long in front of him. Connor's eyes were closed, and his teeth were clenched tight. Jean was carefully unwinding the bandage from Connor's calf just as he had done yesterday.
The burn was getting better, Abby could see that, but she knew Connor's leg still hurt. Connor had spent most of his day sitting at the bench tinkering with the disassembled anomaly opening devices.
"I opened the anomaly to the Cretaceous," said Connor "then the raptor… or maybe Henri stepped on the anomaly opening device."
"Yeah Conn," replied Abby.
Connor still had his eyes shut and he was talking perhaps more to distract himself from what Jean was doing to his leg, than to her.
"I just don't know," said Connor "how the second anomaly opened."
"What do you mean?"
"I've taken apart both anomaly opening devices," answered Connor "the broken one is smashed beyond repair… and the other is powerless. Neither one of them could have opened that second anomaly."
"Connor, we've had anomalies opening for years," began Abby "before we ever knew such a thing as an anomaly opening device was even possible. It probably just opened on its own."
"Really Abby?" asked Connor "Do you really believe that? I don't. I think the world is full of connections…"
Connor hissed sharply as Jean removed the last piece of the bandage on his leg. The man murmured something to Connor.
"Connections Connor?" asked Abby trying to distract him "I doubt it… the world is full of random events. Some of them are pretty horrible, and none of it makes any sense. One person wins the lottery, another person gets run over by a bus."
Connor didn't say another word until Jean finished wrapping the fresh bandage on his leg. The gaunt man said something to Connor, and then rose to stand. Connor responded with a word. A slow smile crossed Jean's weathered face, the man nodded and turned to go down the stairs.
"What did you say?" asked Abby.
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Connor opened his eyes. He gave Abby a crooked smile.
"I'm not sure if I'm pronouncing it exactly right," replied Connor "but Percy told me that word means thank you."
"Trying to connect, are you?" asked Abby with a smirk.
"Me Gran always told me to remember me manners," said Connor. "Mum and I moved in with her when I was seven… we lived with her for a while… right after my father got run over by a bus."
Abby's blue eyes grew huge.
"Oh my God Connor," said Abby "I never meant… how awful…"
"It's okay Abs," replied Connor "I never told you… you couldn't have known…"
In the silence, Abby remembered all the times Connor had spoken of his mother and grandmother. He'd never mentioned his father before.
"We went to London," said Connor "I don't remember why. They were in the front seat of the car. I was buckled in the middle of the back seat."
"What happened?'
"Some people walked into the street… the bus driver tried to miss them… he crossed the center lane," replied Connor "just as my Dad pulled the car around the corner. Dad was killed instantly."
"Oh Connor…"
"Actions have consequences," continued Connor after a few moments. "Maybe in another time and place, my Mum would have said she was tired and didn't want to go to London that day. But in this life, we went to London."
"Were you or your mother injured?"
Connor blinked.
"Mum was expecting," he said quietly. "She was badly hurt, and the baby… my baby sister… died."
Abby reached to put her hand upon his shoulder. Connor bent his arm upwards to clasp her hand in his. He gave her a crooked smile.
"I wasn't injured in the collision," Connor continued "but living with me Gran for the next several years… no telly… had to read every day… scarred me for life."
Abby tried to smile back at his feeble attempt at a joke. Was this where all his lame jokes started from she wondered? Did Connor use humor to hide pain?
"What about your parents?" asked Connor. "I know you told me Jack was all the family you had, but you must have had parents."
"Yeah Conn," chuckled Abby "I had parents… if you can call them parents…"
"What happened to them Abby?"
"Oh… you know… they married young, had me and Jack… fought all the time," said Abby "got divorced… fought even more… we used to go to the bus stop to meet my father…"
Abby stopped speaking, her eyes grew huge again.
"They used to argue," she whispered "I remember once they were screaming at each other in the middle of the street… the bus went right past them… crashed into something… you don't suppose…"
Connor gave her hand a squeeze as he chuckled.
"Don't be ridiculous. I said I believe in connections," Connor replied "but no… I don't think your parent's and mine were involved in the same accident."
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Percy came in the door just then, followed by an auburn haired woman. The woman was pregnant and carrying a toddler.
"Who's this?" asked Abby.
"Henri's wife," replied Percy as the woman turned and went into the bedroom.
"Where has she been all this time?" asked Connor.
"She leaves when Herman comes to the village," explained Percy.
"Why?"
Percy drew in a breath, and looked from Connor to Abby.
"It's complicated," said Percy. "Herman he's a gentle soul… really believes what he preaches… but… that belief… is part of why Agneta leaves when Herman is here."
"What do you mean?" asked Connor.
"Herman represents one belief system," answered Percy. "Agneta… she represents another belief system… sometimes… they argue."
Abby nodded as she listened to Percy.
"Herman wants to do a wedding for Agneta and Henri," explained Percy. "Agneta believes that since she and Henri already had a hand fasting ceremony, not to mention a child, and soon to be another one, she's already married."
Abby's eyes widened. She turned to stare at Connor.
"What's a hand fasting ceremony?" asked Abby, turning to stare at Connor. "And how is it different from a wedding?"
"For Herman's type of wedding ceremony ownership is implied," answered Percy "the woman is given to her husband… sometimes there is a dowry… and she usually changes her family name."
"A hand fasting ceremony is a union between two equals," said Connor quietly "but it's only real if both people want it to be real."
Connor grabbed the staff leaning on the wall beside him and used it to push off the bench. When he was standing, Connor turned to Percy.
"Would you give me a hand?" Connor asked "I think I need to lie down."
Abby watched Percy help Connor back into the bedroom she had shared with Connor last night. She remembered some of the quiet whispered words they had shared in that room.
Connor had used the L word several times. The only time Abby had used that word, was when she had answered his question about whether they were still friends. And Abby remembered… she hadn't answered at all when Connor had said "but as long as you'll have me… I'm yours."
Had she missed something, Abby wondered… something important?
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Cutter picked up Claudia and little Stephanie from the hospital later that afternoon. Instead of going directly home, he drove his family over to Abby and Connor's flat. Lester and his wife, Danny, Stephen, Becker, Sarah, her boyfriend Jamal, and Jess, the newest addition to the team, were working hard to reassemble the anomaly research model.
It was the first time in ages, thought Cutter, that they were all actually working together. He started to say so, when he realized that Danny was holding his finger to his mouth in a shushing motion.
Danny and Becker approached Cutter, Claudia and little Stephanie. Danny began to pat down the Professor, while Becker was intently going over the Stephanie's little carry seat. The soldier gently lifted the baby's blankets and felt underneath the padded cushion. He withdrew a small black device and held it up for Cutter and Claudia to see. As Becker carried the gadget over to the table, Danny motioned for Cutter to pat down Claudia. He did, and found no additional surveillance equipment.
Cutter watched as Becker dropped the small black device into the glass on the table. It was half filled with an amber colored liquid. Several other devices appeared to be soaking there too.
"Now we can talk," said Becker. "But when you get home, be sure to check your entire residence."
Cutter looked from Becker, to the bottle next to the glass. The Scot turned to Lester.
"Is that the whisky you keep in your desk?" Cutter asked.
"Yes, I couldn't leave it for Christine," replied their boss.
"Why didn't you just use water?" asked Claudia.
Mrs. Lester smiled.
"James was handing me the glass and talking," Vivian answered "when I realized his cufflink had a microchip inset… I just undid the cufflink and dropped it into the whisky."
"Another thing I'll have to hold against Christine," said Lester "it's a terrible waste of good whisky."
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In the ARC, Christine Johnson glared at her security chief.
"Surveillance equipment doesn't seem to have been worth the effort," she hissed. "We're not getting any information!"
"Sorry Ma'am," replied the soldier.
She gestured at her aide. He came to stand behind her and began to push the wheel chair out of the security offices.
"Where to Ma'am?"
"To the doctor's," ordered Christine "I'm supposed to get these ruddy bandages off and be fitted for walking braces."
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