Disclaimer: I don't own Primeval or its characters.

Chapter Summary:Jess is in shock over what she learnt at the doctors and her friends are trying to help her work out what her next move should be.

Chapter Length: 1285

Author's Note: Chapter 22, proof read and ready for your enjoyment, I'll try to update again tomorrow. Here you get to see Connor's reaction to Jess' news, enjoy X

Open Mic Nights

Chapter 22 – Need to Know

Arriving at home Connor saw Jess' car parked on the street out in front of their house.

The girls must be having a gab, because they don't do enough of that during the week.

He hadn't been expecting to see Jess today, but, as always, he was happy to spend some time with the woman he considered a sister. He was assuming he'd find the women laughing together with a glass of wine each. So when he got inside and saw them huddled together on the couch, he began to worry. Seeing the tear tracks on Jess' face his worry grew.

"What's wrong?" Connor asked, trying to keep his voice calm.

He watched as Abby turned to look at Jess—who nodded—before looking back up at him.

"Jess went to see a doctor today."

"Did they work out why she's been so sick?" This time the tremble could be herd in Connor's voice, he was terrified that he was about to be given bad news.

Please don't tell me she's dying, or that she has cancer, or something equally horrible.

"They did."

"And?" God, were they trying to torture him or something.

Unless it's so bad they don't know how to tell me.

"Jess is pregnant."

All coherent thought left Connor's mind and a sense of relief slowly overcame him.

"I-I need to sit down." He said as he collapsed into the free armchair.

"Jeez Connor, your acting as if it's Abby that's having a baby." Jess said in an attempt to lighten the mood. But Connor didn't hear her, he was too busy feeling relieved that Jess wasn't dying. They had done a good job of scaring him. He faced down dinosaurs on almost a daily basis and had survived living in the cretaceous, but the thought that someone close to him could be dying was the most terrifying thing he had—or would—ever face.

Once his relief wore off, Connor's protective side kicked in and he begun to feel an array of different emotions; anger and disappointment where among the feelings that overcame him.

"How did this happen?" He demanded, sounding a lot like a disgruntled older brother. "I mean, I know HOW it happened, but didn't you use protection?"

"Of course I did!" Jess replied, clearly annoyed at what Connor was insinuating. "It's me, do you really think I'm stupid enough not to. But condoms don't have a one hundred percent success rate."

"Then why aren't you on the pill?"

"Connor, I know you think of me as a sister, but I'm not and that is none of your business. Even if you were my brother it'd still be none of your business."

Connor sighed and shoved his hand through his hair. "Is the father at least who I think it is?"

"Of course it is! Jesus Connor what kind of a woman do you think I am?" Jess yelled, burning with fury, before turning to Abby and Emily. "This is why I didn't want to tell anyone."

Before Connor can say anything else Jess storms out of the room and locks herself in the bathroom.

God, I'm an idiot, instead of acting like the supportive friend Jess needs right now, I act like a pissed off father. When did I become that protective of her?

"Connor…" Abby started.

"I know, I know. I'll apologise the moment she comes back out."

I just hope Becker reacts better than I did when she tells him.

"Becker better not leave her alone during this." Abby hissed quietly, so Jess wouldn't hear.

"Becker's a good guy, he wouldn't do that to her." Connor said, coming to his friend's defence.

"He's already left her once because he got scared of being in a serious relationship, crushing her heart in the process. Next time it won't be just Jess he'd be hurting, it'll be that poor little baby as well."

"You know he regrets that. He's got baggage he needs to work through, who knows, maybe this will help him. Believe me, he loves her and I don't think it'll be much longer before he realises he doesn't just want her back, but he needs her."

"And what happens when he realises he can't cope with being a father and runs out again."

"Perhaps we should worry less about what Becker may or may not do, and more about what we can do to help Jess now." Emily said, putting an end to the conversation.

"Your right Em, this isn't a good situation to be in and Jess is going to need all of us."

"At least now life is better for women, if we were in my time Jess would be shunned by society."

"It's not much better now Em, women in Jess' situation are still looked down upon."

"Especially if they're young," Conner added.

The sound of the bathroom door opening put an end to the conversation. When Jess came back into the room she looked like she had been crying again, which made Connor feel like even more of a jackass as he knew he had caused her tears.

"Jess, I'm so sorry. You need your friends right now and I acted like a pissed off father." Connor said, as he got up and gave her a hug. "I promise you will get nothing but support from me from now on. How are you doing with all this?"

"Thank you. Knowing all of you are here for me helps, and I accept you apology Connor." Jess sat back on the couch between Abby and Emily before going on to answer Connor's question. "Honestly, I don't know how I'm doing. I'm scared, and I really wish I wasn't about to go through all this on my own."

"You won't be alone; at the very least you will have the three people in this room." Emily told her.

"You'd have even more people there for you if you just told them what's going on. Come on Jess, you may as well tell everyone, half the team already knows."

"I just don't want people to start thinking badly about me."

"I told you before Jess, no one will think poorly of you."

"Connor did."

"Yeah, well, Connor's an idiot. Jess everyone at the ARC knows how smart and capable you are. If anyone can handle being a single mother it's you, and you'll be respected all the more for it."

"Besides, it's not exactly something you'll be able to keep from them for very long." Connor added.

"Oh God, you're right, I'm going to have to tell them aren't I?"

"It appears that way. Now, I am aware there are still somethings I am learning about life in this century, but would it not make more sense to tell the father before you tell everyone he works with."

"Crap! I have to tell Becker, don't I?"

"You do Jess," Abby told her, her voice filled with sympathy. "Even if you weren't going to tell everyone else, you'd have to tell Becker, he deserves to know he's about to be a father."

"He does Jess, knowing Becker he'll probably want to be a part of the kid's life."

Jess groaned. "What am I going to say? I haven't spoken to him in weeks and now I'm just going to walk up to him and tell him I'm pregnant with his child."

"It's not the best of situations, but if anyone can work this out, it's you Jess."

The four of them feel into silence, each lost in their own thoughts. No matter what happened with Becker, Connor hoped Jess knew the rest of the team would be there to help her in whatever way they could.