[PRIMEVAL FIC] Whisper in the Dark- 1/1
Title: Whisper in the Dark
Author: Jourdana Standish
Rating: PG
Fandom: Primeval
Disclaimer: I own nothing. Purely writing for pleasure.
Summary: It's been almost a year since Abby's world was shattered and she lost everything. Now she's faced with the chance to move on, but feels like she's betraying her heart if she does. A late night visit shows her that it's okay to let go.
Author's Notes: This is very AU, you will understand why when you read. It either technically takes place before Series 4 or ignores certain aspects of what happened at the end of Series 3/beginning of series 4.
~~~
Abby Maitland carefully closed the door, trying to ignore the hurt she saw in Hilary Becker's eyes when she denied him entry to her flat. In many ways, it was both of their flats with how often he was over to see her. And would sometimes remain. There was something about tonight, something about the raw honesty and emotion in his eyes that had her heart pounding. What made her ache was the equal measures of excitment and guilt she felt.
She couldn't let herself think about anything deeper with the man, though there was a part of her way deep down that wanted it. She tried her best to ignore that part of her, as she had when she briefly thought she could have feelings for Connor after...
"Stop," she mumbled to herself. "Just stop it, Abby."
She set her bag down and quickly shed her jacket, tugging her hair free of the ponytail it was up in. She hoped loosening the strands would start to ease the pain she was feeling in her head. It was different, adjusting to her hair growing out. Her thoughts wandered to Stephen and wondered what he would think...
"Oh!" She jumped and sighed when Rex twittered at her and his head fin straightened and lowered.
"You scared me, Rex," she said with affection, reaching a hand out to let the coelurosauravus nuzzle her fingers. "I'll get you some dinner."
Keeping herself busy in her flat always tended to make her feel better. She was glad for Rex's company, missing Connor's since he moved out a few months ago. She had to admit that it was easier to ignore the pain and not let her thoughts drift when he had been there. After she fed Rex and cleaned up a bit, she stared in the 'fridge, looking for something for herself. Her stomach churned at the idea of food, two sets of gorgeous eyes floating in her mind. She finally gave up, deciding bed was a better choice.
"It's an early night tonight, Rex," she said. The coelurosauravus simply purred and extended its wings, flying upwards towards her bedroom. She followed at a more sedate space up the stairs.
After washing her face and doing her general nightly regime, Abby felt tears on her cheeks. She lifted her head and stared in the mirror, wishing the pain she still felt would start to ease. Moving into her room, she slipped beneath the covers and reached for a pillow. She curved herself around it and let her eyes close.
"Stephen..."
~~~~~
Abby's nose wrinkled as she felt something brush against her skin. She swatted at whatever it was, trying to settle more. Her nose wrinkled again as it happened again.
"Rex," she mumbled. "Stop." She was not expecting the chuckle. One so achingly familiar.
"Never thought you would actually mistake me for a lizard."
Abby's eyes snapped open and she sat up. She stared into the devastatingly blue eyes of Stephen Hart, her husband.
"Stephen," she breathed out.
"Hi gorgeous," Stephen said, disarming her with a smile. "I've missed you."
Abby covered her mouth with her hand as the tears from earlier returned and filled her eyes. "Oh... Stephen, I've missed you!" She crawled into his lap and wrapped her arms around him.
"Is that why you have so many tears?" Stephen asked, drawing away enough to brush his fingers along her cheek.
"I... I...," Abby swallowed hard.
"My love," Stephen said quietly, brushing her lengthening hair away from her cheeks. "You can't grieve me forever."
"Yes, I can," Abby whispered, her voice cracking. "The last thing I said to you..."
"You were right to say it," Stephen said. "I should have backed Cutter as well. And I didn't. If I had, I might still be alive. With you. We might have even had a little Abby running about."
"You would want to burden the world with a little me?" Abby asked, laughing softly.
Stephen pressed a kiss to Abby's hair, stroking his hand down her back before resting his forehead against hers. "The world would be better for a little you," he said. His fingers caressed along her spine before speaking again, his voice soft and understanding.
"Perhaps you can have that with Becker."
He felt Abby stiffen in his arms. He tightened his hold when she tried to look away. "Love, it's not a crime for you to move on," he said.
"I feel like I am betraying you," Abby said quietly. "Betraying the love we never got to show everyone."
"That was our choice," Stephen said, stroking her back. He reached a hand up and urged her to look at him. "Only four of us knew about our marriage. Two of us are gone now."
"It doesn't make me feel better," Abby said, tears slipping onto her cheeks. "I feel myself falling in love with him, but it makes me ache because I love you! You are my husband."
"Abby, just because you love me doesn't mean you have to live life alone," Stephen said. "Sweet girl, I love you. I always will. But I'm gone."
Abby's face crumpled, shaking her head as she cupped his face. "No," she said. "Please don't make me say good-bye again."
"Listen to me, love," Stephen said, cupping her cheek. "I love you. I want you happy. At one time, that was meant to be with me, but fate wasn't kind. I died so you could live, so Cutter could live, and Connor too. Now you need to let me go."
"No," Abby said, a sob escaping. "Stephen..."
He cut her words off with a kiss, holding her close. He let himself get lost in it one more time, savoring the taste of her as he felt Abby's arms wind around his neck. He broke the kiss after a moment, resting his forehead against hers.
"Promise me you'll find happiness, love," Stephen said. "I need to know you are happy. It aches for me to see you so sad."
"It's too soon," Abby said.
"Love, it's been a year," Stephen said, amusement in his tone. "And someone new is in your life. Don't let him go because of me."
"Because... Stephen, you are my husband!"
He smiled softly, his fingers brushing against her skin. "I know," he said. "Your late husband. I'm gone and you deserve to be happy. You deserve to find love again. Abby, my girl, you have a wonderful heart and so much love to give. Becker deserves a woman like you. Don't push him away."
"I..." Abby was at a loss for words.
"Love him, Abby Maitland Hart," Stephen said, smiling at her. "If you need my blessing, you have it. Just promise me you'll name your first born son after me, right?"
Abby laughed, a cry mingling in the sound. She wrapped her arms around him again, holding him to her tightly. "I love you, Stephen Hart."
"I love you too, Abby Hart," Stephen said. "Always and forever. But it's time for you to move on and let me go. I'll always be in your heart, but there's room for him too." Abby said nothing, merely snuggled closer into Stephen's chest, listening to the heartbeat she so missed.
~~~~
"Stephen," Abby murmured. She reached for her husband but found nothing but cold sheets and air. She jerked upwards, blinking to adjust her eyes to the darkness. She turned and looked at her bedside clock. It was only two in the morning. She still felt Stephen's presence, the dream all too real. The message had been clear though.
Reaching over to the table, she grabbed her mobile phone. Hesitating just a moment, she quickly dialed in a number and listened to it ring. She wasn't surprised by the groggy male voice on the other end.
"Hi," she said. "It's me, Abby. I... I know it's late, but could you come 'round? There's... there's someone I want to tell you about."
~ Fin ~
Author: Jourdana Standish
Rating: PG
Fandom: Primeval
Disclaimer: I own nothing. Purely writing for pleasure.
Summary: It's been almost a year since Abby's world was shattered and she lost everything. Now she's faced with the chance to move on, but feels like she's betraying her heart if she does. A late night visit shows her that it's okay to let go.
Author's Notes: This is very AU, you will understand why when you read. It either technically takes place before Series 4 or ignores certain aspects of what happened at the end of Series 3/beginning of series 4.
~~~
Abby Maitland carefully closed the door, trying to ignore the hurt she saw in Hilary Becker's eyes when she denied him entry to her flat. In many ways, it was both of their flats with how often he was over to see her. And would sometimes remain. There was something about tonight, something about the raw honesty and emotion in his eyes that had her heart pounding. What made her ache was the equal measures of excitment and guilt she felt.
She couldn't let herself think about anything deeper with the man, though there was a part of her way deep down that wanted it. She tried her best to ignore that part of her, as she had when she briefly thought she could have feelings for Connor after...
"Stop," she mumbled to herself. "Just stop it, Abby."
She set her bag down and quickly shed her jacket, tugging her hair free of the ponytail it was up in. She hoped loosening the strands would start to ease the pain she was feeling in her head. It was different, adjusting to her hair growing out. Her thoughts wandered to Stephen and wondered what he would think...
"Oh!" She jumped and sighed when Rex twittered at her and his head fin straightened and lowered.
"You scared me, Rex," she said with affection, reaching a hand out to let the coelurosauravus nuzzle her fingers. "I'll get you some dinner."
Keeping herself busy in her flat always tended to make her feel better. She was glad for Rex's company, missing Connor's since he moved out a few months ago. She had to admit that it was easier to ignore the pain and not let her thoughts drift when he had been there. After she fed Rex and cleaned up a bit, she stared in the 'fridge, looking for something for herself. Her stomach churned at the idea of food, two sets of gorgeous eyes floating in her mind. She finally gave up, deciding bed was a better choice.
"It's an early night tonight, Rex," she said. The coelurosauravus simply purred and extended its wings, flying upwards towards her bedroom. She followed at a more sedate space up the stairs.
After washing her face and doing her general nightly regime, Abby felt tears on her cheeks. She lifted her head and stared in the mirror, wishing the pain she still felt would start to ease. Moving into her room, she slipped beneath the covers and reached for a pillow. She curved herself around it and let her eyes close.
"Stephen..."
~~~~~
Abby's nose wrinkled as she felt something brush against her skin. She swatted at whatever it was, trying to settle more. Her nose wrinkled again as it happened again.
"Rex," she mumbled. "Stop." She was not expecting the chuckle. One so achingly familiar.
"Never thought you would actually mistake me for a lizard."
Abby's eyes snapped open and she sat up. She stared into the devastatingly blue eyes of Stephen Hart, her husband.
"Stephen," she breathed out.
"Hi gorgeous," Stephen said, disarming her with a smile. "I've missed you."
Abby covered her mouth with her hand as the tears from earlier returned and filled her eyes. "Oh... Stephen, I've missed you!" She crawled into his lap and wrapped her arms around him.
"Is that why you have so many tears?" Stephen asked, drawing away enough to brush his fingers along her cheek.
"I... I...," Abby swallowed hard.
"My love," Stephen said quietly, brushing her lengthening hair away from her cheeks. "You can't grieve me forever."
"Yes, I can," Abby whispered, her voice cracking. "The last thing I said to you..."
"You were right to say it," Stephen said. "I should have backed Cutter as well. And I didn't. If I had, I might still be alive. With you. We might have even had a little Abby running about."
"You would want to burden the world with a little me?" Abby asked, laughing softly.
Stephen pressed a kiss to Abby's hair, stroking his hand down her back before resting his forehead against hers. "The world would be better for a little you," he said. His fingers caressed along her spine before speaking again, his voice soft and understanding.
"Perhaps you can have that with Becker."
He felt Abby stiffen in his arms. He tightened his hold when she tried to look away. "Love, it's not a crime for you to move on," he said.
"I feel like I am betraying you," Abby said quietly. "Betraying the love we never got to show everyone."
"That was our choice," Stephen said, stroking her back. He reached a hand up and urged her to look at him. "Only four of us knew about our marriage. Two of us are gone now."
"It doesn't make me feel better," Abby said, tears slipping onto her cheeks. "I feel myself falling in love with him, but it makes me ache because I love you! You are my husband."
"Abby, just because you love me doesn't mean you have to live life alone," Stephen said. "Sweet girl, I love you. I always will. But I'm gone."
Abby's face crumpled, shaking her head as she cupped his face. "No," she said. "Please don't make me say good-bye again."
"Listen to me, love," Stephen said, cupping her cheek. "I love you. I want you happy. At one time, that was meant to be with me, but fate wasn't kind. I died so you could live, so Cutter could live, and Connor too. Now you need to let me go."
"No," Abby said, a sob escaping. "Stephen..."
He cut her words off with a kiss, holding her close. He let himself get lost in it one more time, savoring the taste of her as he felt Abby's arms wind around his neck. He broke the kiss after a moment, resting his forehead against hers.
"Promise me you'll find happiness, love," Stephen said. "I need to know you are happy. It aches for me to see you so sad."
"It's too soon," Abby said.
"Love, it's been a year," Stephen said, amusement in his tone. "And someone new is in your life. Don't let him go because of me."
"Because... Stephen, you are my husband!"
He smiled softly, his fingers brushing against her skin. "I know," he said. "Your late husband. I'm gone and you deserve to be happy. You deserve to find love again. Abby, my girl, you have a wonderful heart and so much love to give. Becker deserves a woman like you. Don't push him away."
"I..." Abby was at a loss for words.
"Love him, Abby Maitland Hart," Stephen said, smiling at her. "If you need my blessing, you have it. Just promise me you'll name your first born son after me, right?"
Abby laughed, a cry mingling in the sound. She wrapped her arms around him again, holding him to her tightly. "I love you, Stephen Hart."
"I love you too, Abby Hart," Stephen said. "Always and forever. But it's time for you to move on and let me go. I'll always be in your heart, but there's room for him too." Abby said nothing, merely snuggled closer into Stephen's chest, listening to the heartbeat she so missed.
~~~~
"Stephen," Abby murmured. She reached for her husband but found nothing but cold sheets and air. She jerked upwards, blinking to adjust her eyes to the darkness. She turned and looked at her bedside clock. It was only two in the morning. She still felt Stephen's presence, the dream all too real. The message had been clear though.
Reaching over to the table, she grabbed her mobile phone. Hesitating just a moment, she quickly dialed in a number and listened to it ring. She wasn't surprised by the groggy male voice on the other end.
"Hi," she said. "It's me, Abby. I... I know it's late, but could you come 'round? There's... there's someone I want to tell you about."
~ Fin ~