Disclaimer: Primeval does not belong to me. This is fan fiction, not for profit.
Any references to people, places, businesses, etc. are entirely fictitious.
A/N Part of the Claudia story verse (AU) Transitions, Transitions Too, Continuum, Trimming the Tree, Missing A/N2 references character from AU story Found
6.5-4 Full Circle
…a lot can happen in ten minutes…
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The anomaly pulsed again. Abby's knee touched the damp ground as she placed her second hand on Connor's other shoulder and leaned further down. She brought her hands together over his chest. Her blonde head was nearly touching the dark tousled hair on his head.
"I just want to know who invited an anomaly to our wedding reception," quipped Abby.
The team's tense mood lightened somewhat as everyone chuckled.
"Not me," answered the Professor.
"Sarah was in charge of the guest list," responded Jess. She was still standing behind the others, near the boot of her car. Her car was parked just past the rock at the edge of the small gravel parking lot. "I just made arrangements for the restaurant and food."
"I didn't get all the guests here," objected Sarah. "You got Becker back in time!"
"Actually," said Becker, "that was Lester calling in a lot of favors and getting my Army resignation pushed through fast."
"Good thing too," added Stephen. He stood beside the former soldier with the tranquilizer gun pointed at the anomaly. "Connor needs back up."
"Sarah," asked Claudia "how are you doing with that anomaly locking device?"
"Almost ready," replied the dark haired archeologist.
Jamal knelt beside her, handing her parts and pieces of the assemblage while Danny rose and moved to stand with Becker and Stephen.
"Something is coming," said the former copper repeating Abby's earlier statement.
Before them, the anomaly pulsed, shimmered and the little hamster scampered through. The creature ran straight towards where Connor still sat on the ground. The tiny rodent jumped onto the scientist's boot and ran up his leg.
"You're back," exclaimed Connor in delight. He cupped his hands around the tiny trembling creature. Its nose twitched nervously. "I wish you could tell us what's on the other side."
"I wish we had a reconnaissance device here now," muttered Cutter.
The remote control car with the camera feed on it that Connor had created ages ago had proved useful time and again, but the ARC only had two of them.
"Delta team will bring one," assured Claudia.
The anomaly pulsed again. A dozen or more yellow and black butterflies came flying through.
"They do have teeth!" exclaimed Abby. She ducked as a butterfly swooped down near her face.
"The racetrack anomaly leads to a place with giant bugs," reminded Sarah. She pressed the power button on the anomaly locking device. The machine started to warm up. "If this anomaly leads to the same place…"
"There could be predators," concluded Becker. He waved the black sword ineffectively at the swarm of fluttering insects.
"I can't shoot butterflies," exclaimed Stephen in exasperation.
Danny took his jacket off and started swatting at the creatures. Jack who had been standing quietly behind Abby and Connor followed Danny's lead. The two men succeeded in knocking the butterflies back towards the anomaly, when the anomaly pulsed once more. A tall bony woman stepped through. Butterflies circled above her head and her forehead creased as her pale face wrinkled up in a frown.
"I told you I'd be back," snarled the woman.
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Connor looked up at the approaching woman in dismay. The mad scientist was instantly recognizable. Abby clutched Connor tighter.
"Really, I wish you would have stayed at Carnaby Street," said Connor. "London in the sixties was a great time… you could have met the Beatles…"
"What are you talking about?" asked the angry woman. Her wild eyes stared straight at Connor.
"I mapped the anomaly junction at our home," answered the dark eyed scientist. Connor continued, "The anomaly you went through led to 1968 Carnaby Street."
"I've never been to Carnaby Street or the sixties," lied the woman. "Your calculations are off."
The woman thrust her hand in the pocket of her baggy sweater. When she pulled her hand out again, the crazed woman held a black metallic object in her grasp.
"Connor's calculations are correct," objected Cutter. He raised his open hands in a non-threatening gesture.
The woman in front of the anomaly raised the device in her hand and pointed it at Connor. The cylindrical object was mere inches from the slender young scientist's forehead. Connor's mouth dropped open as he gazed at the object before him. Abby hissed and drew Connor back against her body as if the extra half inch of space might protect him from the woman's weapon.
"I went over the calculations again to be sure Connor and Abby's home was safe," added Cutter softly. "After convergence, you went to 1968 Carnaby Street."
The madwoman turned her head slightly to listen to the Scot. Claudia looked from her husband to the tall pale woman. Although Claudia had seen pictures of Aurora, she'd never seen the woman in person. The mad scientist from the future was nearly as tall as Cutter with angular features and short bristly blonde hair.
"Who are you?" asked Claudia. "And what do you want here?"
"My name is Aurora Anderson," answered the pale, bony woman. She flashed a bitter smile. "And I want to save the world."
Professor Cutter stepped forward, placing his body between Claudia and the wild eyed human from the anomaly.
"The world is doing just fine on its own," continued Cutter's soft brogue. "You don't need to do this."
The woman glared briefly at the Professor and stepped closer to Connor. She pressed the weapon lightly against Connor's forehead.
"Oh I think I do," hissed the mad scientist.
The soft whisper of a tranquilizer dart flew past her. The woman's eyes turned to see Stephen staring at his empty tranquilizer gun in dismay. Danny and Jack stood beside the muscular young man. Becker stood behind them. His tall figure was partially blocked from the woman's view. Just beyond the four men Sarah and Jamal were kneeling behind the anomaly locking device.
"You missed?" exclaimed Connor incredulously. His wide brown eyes gazed at Stephen. "For years you've never missed a shot and now you miss?"
The woman hissed and pressed the device harshly against Connor's forehead.
"Ow!"
"Don't try anything stupid," snarled the madwoman, "or a lot of people will get hurt."
"What have you got against Connor?" called Danny.
"Connor Temple created the first anomaly opening device," snarled Aurora. "I grew up a foundling in a world destroyed by that invention."
Becker quickly stepped past Danny, Stephen and Jack brandishing the black sword.
"You've got the wrong man," warned the security officer. "There are many different worlds… you've got the wrong Connor Temple."
The madwoman turned her gaze away from Connor. She looked up at Becker, and then glared at the tall man in recognition.
"I'm planning on killing every Connor Temple I find," hissed the madwoman. "And you too… you killed my first biogenetic creation!"
She pointed the weapon away from Connor's head towards Becker.
"You created that monster on purpose?" asked Becker in disbelief.
The angry woman pressed the trigger on the device. A strange sounding whine filled the air. A laser bolt of bright energy shot out from the futuristic weapon and streamed towards Becker. The tall soldier swung the sword. The dark blade deflected the energy bolt, shooting it back at an angle behind the crazed woman towards the anomaly. The anomaly tilted on its axis and elongated into an oval shape. The bright red, orange and yellow shards of light faded to pale yellow, white and glimpses of colorless spinning shards.
"Looks like your sword is done for," chuckled the crazed woman. The energy bolt had twisted and bent the black blade of the sword. The woman raised her weapon again. "But this still works."
Across the car park, Jess reached into the boot of her car and grabbed the tire iron.
"No," shouted Jess. "Get away from him."
The petite field coordinator stepped hurriedly forward and threw the tool as hard as she could. The tire iron passed mere inches above Connor's head and struck the woman's hand causing her to drop the weapon. The butterflies swarming above the madwoman's head chose that moment to swoop down. The tall pale blonde raised her arms above her head, waving the insects away. She stepped backwards.
"No!" shouted Becker. "You don't want to go through there!"
The woman sneered as she continued to back into the anomaly, into another time. A flash of gold caught the light. A black ribbon dangled around the woman's neck, a gold ring hung at the woman's throat.
"I think I do," hissed the mad scientist as she backed up further, "but this isn't over."
Jess ran to Becker's side. She watched with him as the woman backed into Lucy's cage in the old ARC building. Aurora glanced up in time to realize she wasn't where she thought she was going, and Lucy the smilodon pounced.
"No!" cried Jess.
She hid her face against Becker's chest. He wrapped his arms around her and held her tight. The anomaly pulsed, shimmered and closed. In the air above them, the cold March London air was finally taking a toll on the yellow and black butterflies. One by one, the mutant creatures dropped to the ground.
"I really hope we don't see that woman again," whispered Abby. Her blue eyes were wide and her chin trembled as the petite blonde held Connor a bit tighter. The scientist was breathing heavily, his dark eyes wide and staring at the anomaly.
"You won't," replied Jess. "She's… she's…"
"That woman wound up in Lucy's cage," explained Becker. "I think it was her remains found in Lucy's den."
"I don't think I'm going to lose any sleep over that thought," said Abby grimly.
"Could you see into the anomaly?" asked Connor. "That's only ever happened once before that I know of… it must have been one of the earliest anomalies."
"Or a brand new one," suggested Cutter. "The anomaly changed direction when the energy from the weapon hit it."
"Oh God," said Connor. He looked at the spinning anomaly before him. "You don't think we just created an anomaly opening device do you?"
Danny walked past Connor and bent down to pick up the mad scientist's weapon from the ground. He looked at the logo etched in the casing: Burton International Industries, Riga UBC.
"I'd really like to know who she was," muttered the former copper, "and more about where she came from."
"I'm with Abby on this one," responded Sarah. "I hope we never see that woman or anyone from her time again."
"I second that," chimed in Claudia.
The ARCs Delta Team pulled into the car park just then. The Delta team leader stepped lightly from the big SUV.
"What did we miss?" asked the team leader.
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Stephen and Danny repacked the SUV with their equipment. They returned to the ARC with the Delta team when the anomaly disappeared from existence. The dead butterflies were collected and taken back for the entomologist to see. Sarah and Jamal left for the British Museum taking the little hamster with them.
"No Connor," reminded Sarah "you don't need the hamster now."
Abby had walked the two to their car and waved them off. Then she returned to where Connor was still sitting on the ground. He was busy writing down numbers and calculations on a scrap of paper.
"Connor," asked Abby "what'cha doing?"
The scientist looked up at Abby. Connor pointed at the bent and twisted metal that had once been a blackened sword forged with magnetite.
"Laser energy and that sword moved an anomaly," explained Connor. "And it made the anomaly go someplace different than where it came from."
The scientist shook his head in wonder.
"There's still so much to learn about anomalies," said Connor.
"There's always so much more to learn," chuckled Cutter, he reached down a hand and helped the younger scientist up off the ground, "about everything."
"Do you suppose we'll ever find where the first anomaly came from?" asked Connor. He adjusted the lapels of his smart dark suit.
"Personally, I think the first anomaly came from something really ancient," mused Cutter, "maybe a school of coelacanth in the Indian Ocean."
"Or a raptor chasing after lunch," added Becker. He pointed to Jess's car. "Now we really do need to get you two to the train station."
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At the car, Abby handed Jack the house key and the top of the wedding cake. The Cutter's were taking him home, while Jess and Becker were taking Abby and Connor to the train to begin the university tour.
"Take care of the place, and yourself," admonished his big sister. "We'll be back in six weeks time and don't want to find anything scarier than the bill for the new furnace when we come home."
"Abby," protested Jack, "there's nothing to worry about."
"And don't forget to put the cake in the freezer," continued Abby. "And... and..."
Connor leaned forward. The lucky pins on his lapel pressed against her back as he wrapped his arms around his wife.
"Abby, don't worry, everything will be fine," whispered Connor.
"How can you say that?" asked Abby.
"We got back home after being stranded in the cretaceous, we survived a house fire, and an anomaly junction at our next home," answered Connor. "And I think I'm the luckiest man on earth and especially because you married me."
Abby smiled at Connor.
"Aside from having to replace the furnace, what could go wrong?" asked Connor.
"Let's not miss the train, yeah."
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