Connor awoke to a bright light. He groaned as his head pounded in his ears. He almost passed out again from the pain. Why did his head hurt? He felt it slowly, there was no cut. He sat up quickly and swayed. A sharp taste filled his mouth, water! He needed water, that was the reason for his intense headache – extreme dehydration. A face filled his mind – Abby! What had happened? She was gone. Tears threatened to spill, and he felt the extreme sadness fill him. It had been such a good dream too. He thought he had really held her in his arms – felt the heat pound on his skin.

Connor tried to speak, but his mouth was too dry to make an audible sound. He sat up, more slowly this time. He was lying on a metal table, and there was a glass of water on the desk a couple of metres away. Connor managed to ease himself up onto his feet and make his way slowly to the desk. He fell against it and grasped up the glass. He knew he shouldn't drink it all so quickly but after the first cool, smooth drop touched the tip of his tongue, he couldn't stop until the whole thing was empty, then he crawled back to the bench and lay down again, exhausted.

He heard a footfall, and opened his eyes a crack. A face came into view, with white hair and dark eyes. Eyes he recognised so well, the amount of times he had gazed into them. But it wasn't Abby, she was gone.

"Hi Issy." His voice came out in a squeak. He didn't know why she was there, maybe she felt sorry for him. Wait, was she looking at him strangely?

"Issy? Connor, are you okay?" she looked anxiously at him. Feeling his head, Connor's skin burned where her fingertips brushed against him. "My name's Abby."

"Abby." Connor repeated after her. "It's really you." His heart flared with joy and he raised his hand to brush her face. His face lit up in a smile so large he thought his face would break. "Abby." He repeated. She looked puzzled for a moment until Connor folded her in his embrace and held her close. The tears he had wept for her over the last couple of days spilled out again, tears of joy. He was back where he belonged.

Abby looked up, at his face. It was stained with tears.

"Connor? Hey, Con, are you alright?" she was crushed in his embrace, he was holding her to him so tightly. He nodded, his eyes screwed tightly closed.

"Abby?" his voice whispered softly in his ear. She found herself nodding as his voice whispered sweetly in her ear, "You know I love you?" She smiled into his chest. "So, so, so, so much. I love you. So much it hurts, I couldn't live without you. I know that. I love you." She brought her own smiling face up to look into his, his tears standing out on his eyelashes.

"What's brought this on?" she asked, looking into his honest face.

"That doesn't matter." He muttered. "All that matters is that I love you. And I will never leave you."

"And I love you." Abby saw Connor's face as she said these words, and he smiled, like a beacon had turned on inside his head. And the smile was for her, and it made her heart melt.

Connor could hardly believe she was really here. He was overcome with emotions, he finally had her again. He held her so tightly, he was worried she would vanish again. The fear he had felt, over the last couple of days, that he would never see her again had tumbled over the side in relief. He looked down on her small face, through his tears, and pulled her even closer, he lowered his head to hers and their lips met. The pain Connor had felt evaporated in that kiss, the fear, the anxiety... It was all better now. She was here with him. Just him.

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The rest of the group came in to hear what had happened on the other side of the anomaly, Connor wasn't really sure what to tell them. After they had all filled the small room, Connor felt like something was missing, then he realised. All the time he had spent, over the last days, with Cutter, had taken their toll. He realised just how much he missed him. He bowed his head,

"I don't really want to talk about it." He told them. "Can I go? I'll see you all tomorrow." He backed through the door. Abby looked after him, worriedly. Something had happened on the other side of the anomaly, and she was determined to know what had hurt him, because it was obvious he had been hurt. She followed him.

Abby caught Connor getting in the car, and climbed in the passenger's seat.

"Abby." He said without looking at her. "Thank you." He bowed his head again, before turning the key and driving off.

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The car stopped outside the cemetery, it was late afternoon, and the sun was low in the sky. Abby was slightly confused at what they were doing there for about a second, until it hit her. Oh.

They weaved between the grave stones, looking for one in particular, Connor slightly in front, looking fearful. They eventually reached the one they were looking for.

Professor Nick Cutter
Good Friend
Honourable worker
Well loved

Connor knelt down by his grave.

"Cutter. I know you can't hear me, but I would like to thank you for all that you did for me, when I was in need. You understood what was happening. Thank you for believing me and helping me. I know I can never repay you, but I miss you every day and I don't know how we cope without you."

As he stood up, Abby came up behind him and held him close.

"Abby." Connor whispered her name, more tears cutting tracks down his face.

"Connor." She whispered back, tears rolling down her face now. She took a deep breath. "C'mon, we'd better go home."

"Yeah. Home." Connor muttered. Cutter had shared his home with him when he needed him most.

"Connor?" Abby was the reason he had needed him.

Connor turned and grasped Abby. They stood like that for a bit, crying silently in each others' arms. Then, they turned around and made their way back.

"Will you tell me what happened on the other side of the anomaly?" Abby asked Connor. If she knew, she may be able to help him recover.

"I think I will. But it's a long story, and at the moment, it's too fresh in my memory. Maybe soon." Abby would wait until he was ready to share.

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After a few days, Connor did tell Abby what had happened from when he went through the Anomaly in the claws of a pterodactyl, to when he fell back into her arms. He cried a bit, and Abby was there to comfort him, where she wishes she could have been then. She believed every word he said, because she knew he wouldn't lie to her. It had obviously affected him severely, and it pained him to talk about it, and Abby honoured that.

A short while after that, Connor proposed to Abby, and they got married safely, well for a part, until they were interrupted by an anomaly alarm. Abby found out how hard it was to swim in a wedding dress, and Connor pulled her out of the water, swearing to protect her as often as he could and swearing he wouldn't let her die. And he stuck by that. Always there, her rock in the rough sea of life (and work of course), to comfort her when she needs it most, and to help her always.

He was her Connor, and she was his Abby. Together they would protect each other and save the world, heck! One day they might even have children, but let's worry about that later...

The End!

Yep, you read it right! Finished now! Thank you, all my readers and thank you for sticking with me! hope you enjoyed it!

Please continue R&R-ing. Love you all :D