Disclaimer: Not mine, no copyright intended

A/N: Set a little while after Connor and Abby return from the Cretaceous. Thanks to evenstar_estel for the plot bunny! *spoilers for series 4* taken from the ITV press release. I've taken a bit of artistic licence with Jess as we don't yet know what she'll be like

Connor was feeling pretty damned pleased with himself. He leaned back in his chair and let his eyes wander around the office – his office! Who'd have thought that geeky, awkward Connor Temple would have his own office and a team of specialists that answered to him!

He loved his new role at the ARC. This new collaboration between the government and whatever private enterprise Philip Burton worked for was excellent in his opinion. Now that the new girl, Jess, was manning the ADD most of the time, he was able to concentrate more on research and development – wow, didn't that sound important?! He finally felt like he was being respected and listened to. The new team were good at their respective jobs, but none of them had the experience that he and Abby had.

The thing Connor liked the most about his office was the window. It looked straight down into the lab where Abby spent most of her time, and he could quite happily sit there watching her all day. Occasionally she'd glance up and wave, sometimes beckoning him to come and join her. That was another thing that made him feel good about himself. Finally, after three years of barely being able to do anything more than goldfish impressions, he'd told her he loved her and wanted to be with her more than anything else. He'd been completely bowled over when she said she felt the same, and even now he had to pinch himself to make sure he wasn't dreaming.

Yes, Connor Temple was finally going places. Good job, respect from his colleagues, and the most gorgeous girl that he knew was his girlfriend.

He glanced at his watch, just after 3pm: his turn to make coffee. He strolled into the kitchen and switched the kettle on, knowing Abby and Jess would be in shortly. Becker was already there, which came as no surprise to Connor. Whenever Jess was due her break, he'd be there, and it was pretty obvious the pair liked each other. He'd watched them dance around each other, flirting but missing the signals. Reminded him of the way he and Abby were before the Cretaceous.

"Hey Connor, did you get some biscuits?" Jess bounded in, then pinked up when she saw Becker there.

"Sorry, Jess. Meant to get some on the way in this morning, but Abby was running late." Connor grinned.

"That's it, blame me!" Abby said. She gave Connor a soft kiss on his lips. "I believe it was you that slept through the alarm."

"I have half a packet of biscuits you can have. Just replace them tomorrow." Becker said. He gave Jess the packet, making her blush from her neck upwards. Connor rolled his eyes, why did Becker have to be so bloody perfect all the time? Abby shot him a look.

"So, does anyone have plans for the weekend?" Jess said, as Connor handed out the coffee.

"Yeah, Connor and I are spending the weekend at his mum's." Abby said,

"Getting serious then eh?" Becker said. The look on his face was almost mocking. Becker had been the only one who hadn't seemed pleased when Connor and Abby got together. He'd commented that it took being the only man on earth for Abby to notice him. She'd given him a piece of her mind for that, and no more was said, but Connor still couldn't help thinking Becker didn't think they'd last.

Connor hadn't thought of it as 'getting serious'. He just wanted Abby to meet his mum, and now seemed like the right time. Abby squeezed his hand. "Maybe it is." She said, with a glint in her eye. That wiped the sneer of Becker's face.

"I think that's sweet!" Jess said. Becker rolled his eyes and left the room. "What is his problem?" Jess said to Abby.

"Don't mind him, Jess. He's just jealous because Connor's got a girlfriend and he hasn't." Abby laughed. It was Connor's turn to blush. There was no way Becker was jealous of him, not in a million years, but it did make him feel good.

Connor was rather nervous at how well Abby and his mum seemed to be getting on. The family photo albums were already out, and Abby was giggling over all his baby photos. There was also a lot of whispering going on, and Connor couldn't help but be suspicious. Eventually, Abby asked to use the bathroom, and Connor looked at his mum.

"So, what do you think?" he said.

"She seems lovely, Connor. Beautiful eyes, you can tell a lot about someone from their eyes. She's hopelessly in love with you, I can see it, and who can blame her?" Mrs Temple smiled at her son. "We did worry about you for a while you know, shutting yourself in your room on that computer all the time."

"Yeah, well that's all behind me now. I don't need to hide away like I used to." He grinned.

"Well, if this is what Abby has done to you, then I hope she plans to stay around for good." She changed the topic because she heard the bathroom creak, and Abby making her way down the stairs. "What are your plans for tonight?"

"I thought I'd take Abby to that little pub by the canal. Why don't you join us, mum? We could even have dinner there, save you having to cook." He said.

"That does sound lovely, are you sure I won't be intruding?"

"Mrs Temple, it's you we came to see, of course you wouldn't be intruding! Its not every day Connor offers to buy dinner so make the most of it!" Abby said.

"I never said I was paying!" Connor protested.

So, later that evening, the three of them had dinner at "The Barge", gazing out as the sun set, the orange glow reflecting in the water. It really couldn't get more perfect. "I'm going to get a taxi and go home I think sweetheart." Connor's mum said. "You two stay, make the most of your weekend off. Thanks for dinner, and I'll see you both in the morning." She kissed them both, and just as was leaving she said "There's a clean towel for Abby in your room, and I'll bring the spare duvet down for you and leave it on the sofa."

Connor cringed and looked at Abby's face. He could tell she was trying not to laugh. "Mum's a bit old fashioned." He said in explanation. "As long as I make sure I'm on the sofa when she gets up, we'll be OK."

Abby went over to the bar to get more drinks. As she waited to be served, she saw three men go over to Connor and start talking to him. At first, she thought they must be old friends of his, so she hesitated for a moment. It was soon obvious from Connor's body language that he was very uncomfortable, and she saw an expression on his face she hadn't seen for a while. Whoever the three men were, Connor didn't want them there.

"Here you go." Abby said, walking over with a purpose and handing him his pint. She slid herself into her seat next to Connor. She noticed he was very tense.

"Aren't you going to introduce us to your girlfriend, Shirley?" one of the men said.

"This is Abby, Abby this is Scott, Cookie and Webster." Connor muttered.

"So, Abby." The guy called Webster said. "What's a gorgeous little thing like you doing with geek boy?"

Abby glared at them, then looked at Connor. Why was he letting them call him names like that? "His name is Connor." She said. "And its none of your business."

"Oh, she's a feisty one, Shirley. Where did you find her? Didn't know you could get English ones on the internet, thought they were all Russians or Thais." Cookie said. He put his hand on Abby's knee. She firmly removed it, and looked at Connor again.

"Maybe we should go?" Abby said.

"What, already? We've only just started! We could play with you all night, Abby!" Webster said, blowing kisses in her direction. Connor finally reacted, banging his fist on the table. "Easy now, Shirley, we're just being friendly, no harm done."

"Let's leave them to it." Scott said. "Shirley obviously wants to keep Abby all to himself." The three of them stood up, and moved over to the pool table at the far end of the bar. Connor breathed a sigh of relief.

"Friends of yours?" Abby said. She hadn't seen Connor like this since she'd first started living with him. He used to think he had to compete with Stephen all the time, then got depressed because he felt he could never measure up.

"Hardly." He said. His head was down, staring at his half drunk pint. "Just some idiots I used to go to school with."

"Have they always been that pleasant?" Connor just nodded. "I don't get it, why did they call you Shirley?"

"They all used to call me that at school. Shirley Temple. Hilarious eh?" Abby took his hand.

"Do you want to go somewhere else?"

He nodded, and downed the rest of his pint. "I'll just use the bathroom first eh. You finish your drink." He stood up and Abby watched him disappear through the door to the gents toilets. She was actually feeling a little guilty. At school, she'd been the bully. Most of the kids in her year were scared of her. Looking at Connor now, she wondered what would happen if she were to meet one of her victims in a pub.

Connor was in the toilets when he heard someone else come in. He heard the scuffing of feet on the tiled floor but thought no more about it. He came out and started to wash his hands, then looked up in the mirror and saw Cookie, Scott and Webster standing behind him.

Suddenly he was back in Year 9. His heart pounding and sweat forming across his brow. What those boys did to him back then had scared the crap out of him so much, he refused to go back to school for two weeks. He'd tried to fight back, but it just made it worse, so when he returned to school, he just let it happen. He let them do whatever they wanted to him because it was easier that way.

Scott grabbed a handful of his hair. "What's up Shirley? You too good for us now that you've got a job in the city and a pretty girlfriend?"

"No." Connor managed to mutter. Then it started, just like in Year 9. A knee in his back knocked the wind out of him, a punch to the stomach almost made him sick, and then he slumped to the floor. He closed his eyes and decided it was easier to just let it happen. They wanted to see him get angry, to lash out at them so they could laugh at his feeble attempts at punching. He wouldn't give them the satisfaction. He curled himself into a ball, his hands covering his head. When he was certain they'd gone, he allowed himself to cry.

Abby was waiting at the table, glancing at her watch. Connor had been gone too long and she was concerned. She thought about asking the barman to go into the gents and check he was OK, then she saw Scott, Webster and Cookie come out. They laughed at her as they passed and walked out of the bar. Something was wrong. She didn't care that it was the gents toilets, she ran in.

Connor was curled up in the middle of the floor, and she could tell from the way his body was shaking that he was crying. "Connor!" she knelt beside him, putting her arms around him. He tried to shrug her off, but she wasn't having any of it. "What did they do to you? Look at me Connor!" She tried to get him to uncurl so she could get a look at him, but he refused to move. She had to try another tactic.

"OK, if you won't tell me, I'll ask them. Give them a dose of their own medicine!" she stood up and began to walk toward the door. She would have gone after them, and taken on all three in one go, such was her anger right now.

"I don't need you to fight my battles for me Abby!" Connor growled angrily. He had lifted his head. Abby gasped. His face was bruised and blood was pouring from his nose. She grabbed a roll of tissue from one of the cubicles and knelt beside him, pulling some of the sheets off to dab his face. He snatched the roll angrily from her.

"I'm quite capable of looking after myself." He snapped.

"Of course you are, that's why you're sitting on the floor of the men's toilets with a bloody nose and a face full of bruises!" she shouted back at him. "Stop being so bloody stubborn and let me help you."

"I don't want your help. Just leave me alone and I'll be fine in a minute."

"Ok, if that's how you want it to be." She stood up. "I'll be waiting for you outside when you're ready." She couldn't believe he was being like this.

Connor was trying to stop crying, but his entire body hurt. He felt humiliated, why had he ever thought he could be something? He was a pathetic loser, and he had just been fooling himself and Abby that he could be anything else. Sooner or later, Abby would have realised anyway, he just hated that she had to find out in this way.

He tried to uncurl himself to stand up, but the pain was too much. He let out a pained cry, and he saw Abby turn around to look at him. He didn't want her to see him like this and he yelled at her to go away. Her face crumpled, and he knew he had hurt her. Great, now he could add "stupid bastard" to his list of crimes. She would hate him now, and he wouldn't blame her for walking away and never coming back. She deserved better than him. He moved again, and the pain was so bad, so intense, he felt his stomach retch as he threw up, and then he passed out.