Primeval fanfic - Seven Days (part 4)
14th April (cont’d)
“I don’t like this!” Danny hissed in Abby’s ear as they approached the door to her flat.
“You’re going to have to trust me on this one.” She hissed back.
“What makes you so sure it’s him?” Danny whispered, grabbing her wrist as she went to unlock the door.
“I am here you know!” Connor called from some way behind. Abby looked back at him and smiled.
“I’m not entirely sure … yet. It was just something he said back there about the morning of the accident. Something only Connor would know.” Abby whispered back. “There’s just one further test I need to do. If he passes that, then you have to promise me you’ll give me some time alone with him. He’s more likely to open up if it’s just me. Especially after you beat him up!”
“OK. We’ll do it your way. If there’s any doubt, then I kick his scrawny backside from here to …”
“Enough, Danny!” Abby snapped. She opened the door and motioned for Connor to go in ahead of her. She turned to Danny. “Five seconds … four … three …two …one….” There was the sound of scuffling feet, and excited chirruping. Abby’s smile broadened. She walked towards the living area, followed by Danny. The sight that greeted her warmed her heart and left her in no doubt that this was Connor. Rex was sitting on his shoulder, and Sid and Nancy were dancing in and out of his legs, almost tripping him over.
“Looks like they’re pleased to see you.” Danny said. He turned to Abby and began to make his way out. “Call me in an hour, I need to know you’re OK.” She nodded.
With Danny gone, Connor seemed to visibly relax. He was crouched on the floor now, whilst Sid and Nancy leapt around him. “I missed you guys too!” he was saying. Abby had so many questions, so many things she wanted to say, but for the moment she was content to watch him. She felt herself wanting to cry, needing to feel Connor’s comforting arms again, hear his voice telling her it would be OK. After a few moments, she shook herself out of it. There were more pressing things to be dealt with first.
“We should get some ice on that eye.” She said, going into the kitchen. “It’s already bruising.” She came out with a bag of frozen peas, which she wrapped in a tea towel. “Sit.” She ordered, indicating the sofa at the far corner of the living area. Connor obeyed, and sat nervously on the sofa.
Abby knelt beside him, and placed the improvised icepack over the bruised, swollen area. Connor went to put his hand on it to hold it in place, not expecting to find Abby’s hand there. He thought she’d pull it away, but she didn’t. He could have sworn her breath hitched slightly as they made contact, but maybe that was wishful thinking. Her hand felt warm and soft beneath his, and for a moment he closed his eyes. His fingers curled gently around hers until he was actually holding her hand. When he opened his eyes again, he expected to be met with an angry look and for her to snatch her hand away. But instead, her fingers gripped his tighter, and her eyes were soft and watery.
“Abby.” He whispered. He was never good with words at the best of times, but now seemed even more difficult than usual. Less than two weeks ago, he had sat by her bed and watched her die. Holding her warm hand and seeing her sitting beside him, very much alive, was almost too much. He swallowed hard, trying to find something inside to help him.
“Connor.” She whispered back. She was struggling too. She was looking into the eyes of someone she thought she had lost forever. Any moment now, she believed she would wake up and realise this was a dream and that Connor was still dead. She leaned closer to him, placing her free hand on his chest. She needed to feel his heartbeat, something tangible that would tell her he was alive. The look in his eyes was one she knew too well. It was a look of hope and longing but not demanding. The tears she had been fighting back were now falling down her cheeks. She wanted to fall into the safety of his arms, and almost did as he raised his free hand to wipe her cheek. Then another emotion took hold and she pulled away.
“Do you have any idea what you’ve put me through!?” she shouted.
“I’m sorry, Abby. I didn’t plan it this way.”
“I had to identify your body at the morgue! I had to tell your mother you were dead and sit with her for over an hour as she sobbed! No mother should have to bury her own son! Do you realise how many people you’ve hurt!?” Abby was crying hard, but trying to force her tears away.
“I didn’t intend to hurt anyone.” He stood up and tried to take hold of her hand again. “I had spent a week sitting by your bed, waiting for you to wake up but knowing you wouldn’t. Then I watched you die. All I could think of was that I couldn’t imagine being without you, and I was desperate to try anything to bring you back.”
Abby took a deep breath. “OK. Let’s sit down and you explain everything to me. I’m trying to understand what’s going on here, but all I’m seeing is someone I care about betraying everything we’ve ever stood for.” She sat back down of the sofa and waited for Connor to join her. He sat beside her, leaning forward with his head down. “Talk, Connor.”
“Your accident … the reason I warned you not to drive to work. We were parked at the crossing on the High street waiting for a family to cross when the van came speeding around the corner.”
“A blue van?” Abby asked. The image of it was practically imprinted into her mind.
Connor nodded. “It hit your car head on. I got out with just a few cuts and bruises, but you …” Connor shuddered. The memory of it was still as painful as it was the day it happened. “After they turned off your life support, I just needed to do something. It was so unfair, I travel through time practically every day, and yet I couldn’t go back a week and warn you. That was when I realised I could, with some help.”
“Helen? I can’t believe she even agreed to help you.” Abby said.
“I suppose she saw an opportunity. She needs someone with computer skills, someone who can understand complicated gadgets. It seemed a small price to pay for saving your life, except I didn’t think about the other consequences.” He looked up and made eye contact with Abby. He tried to read her expression. At least she didn’t seem angry now. “When I came back through the anomaly after warning you, I discovered I’d changed too much. I’d been killed instead of you. My death has caused one or two other issues that I’m now working with Helen to put right.”
“Like what?” Abby asked softly.
“It was my program that created the map of the anomalies and the artefact. Without me, that never gets made.”
“Artefact? Anomaly map? What are you … ah, I see. In your timeline, these things existed, but mine …”
“Exactly! Abby, you have no idea what this all means do you? This is why I’m working with Helen at the moment. She has things from the future that will help us so much, but it’s all in pieces in different places. Then there’s my work on the ARC computers. Once I have it all tied back together … you’ll see!” he felt a surge of excitement.
“When you and Helen have all the pieces together and you make this… artefact … what then? You disappear off with her?”
“No, Abby. You, Danny, Becker … you think I’m betraying the ARC. I’m not. Helen thinks she’s clever, but I’m a step ahead of her. You just have to trust me.” He squeezed her hand.
“I want to trust you, Connor.” Abby said. Her heart was pounding. She squeezed his hand back and looked him straight in the eyes. That look was there again. She finally broke down, sobbing hard, allowing herself to melt into Connor’s embrace.
Connor was also crying, his tears were more of joy and relief. The one person he needed to believe in him was Abby, and she did. He held her tightly, pulling her close to his chest and stroking her hair.
Abby’s mobile rang. Connor picked it up. “It’s Danny.” He said, rolling his eyes.
“He’s just looking out for me, that’s all.” Abby said. She stood up and answered the phone. Connor listened as she told Danny she was OK and that he didn’t need to worry. Despite the fact his stomach still hurt from the kicking, and his eye could barely open, he was pleased Abby had someone protecting her. Although Abby always seemed to have a tough façade, he knew she was vulnerable. He waited until she had finished her conversation before getting up to leave.
“I should get back to Helen. I have a lot of explaining to do. She won’t like the fact I’ve spoken to you guys and I’ll have to convince her that I haven’t told you anything. The bruises should help my story though.” He smiled wearily.
Abby hugged him. “Take care, Connor. I don’t know what you have planned, and maybe its best that I don’t know … but I trust you that you’re doing the right thing.”
He didn’t want to let go. Leaving was almost as hard as the moment they turned off the machine keeping her alive.
--
“I knew you would crack, Connor!” Helen said as Connor tried to creep back into the bunker. “When you weren’t behind me, I knew what you were doing. You waited for Abby didn’t you?”
Connor nodded, dropping his gaze to the floor.
“The eye, that’s not her style. Who gave you the beating?” Helen placed her hand under Connor’s chin, forcing him to look at her.
“Danny.” He replied.
“No more than you deserve, you stupid … Didn’t I warn you?”
Connor remained silent. His heart was pounding and he realised he was actually scared. She removed her hand and walked away.
“I told you that there’s no room for emotional attachments now, didn’t I? Your old friends don’t trust you, they know you work for me. You were lucky they didn’t try to kill you.” She said. The expression on her face was almost smug.
“You’re right. I realise that now.” Connor said.
“Good. I trust our secrets are still safe? It would be rather a shame to terminate our arrangement so soon.”
“You have no worries there. I just wanted to see Abby, speak to her …” Connor sighed. He hoped Helen was buying this act. She seemed to be, much to his relief. “It won’t happen again.”
“Right, let’s get on with our work shall we?” Helen sat herself at Connor’s computer. “Give me a progress report.”
“Well, I have the data from your future computer, and I’ve added my program from the ARC computers to it. It looks to be a fully working map of the anomalies.” Connor grinned. Helen seemed pleased too. “I assume, at some point in the future, I’m meant to put all this onto a portable hard-drive and make the artefact.”
Helen nodded. “I don’t think we have the technology available here in the present, but you could probably patch something together?”
“It’s possible. Won’t be as sexy as the original, but it should serve a function.”
Helen raised an eyebrow. “Sexy? Only you could describe something like this as sexy.”
Connor blushed. Did he really just say that? He needed to change the subject. “The anomaly opener … I can understand how we can transfer the data from the computers to the device, it’ll be just like using an ipod. I just need to work out how the opener actually works, how it opens the anomalies.”
Helen reached into her pocket and pulled out the only anomaly opener still existing. She handed it to Connor. “Here you go. Pull it apart. Find out how it works. Make more of them.” She stood up and walked towards the door. “I like how you think, Connor.” And then she was gone.
Connor was shaking, his grin broad. Finally, he had everything he needed. He hunted around for his screwdriver, ready to start the next step in his plan.