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Thank you so much for the reviews. PrehistoricCat- thank you for the comment re layout- It's my first go and not being very techie- I really needed Connor! I had a bit of trouble trying to sort it all out. I had a hard time publishing it at all and nearly gave up! Will try to do better next time- I hope! Computers+ me= useless! Stories + me, I leave up to you to decide!

Disclaimer- sadly I still do not own Primeval, or any of its characters.

Making Time

Chapter Three

They walked down the corridor towards Lester's office hand in hand, and stood together looking into the room through the glass. where they could see the other team members assembled- waiting for Lester to arrive from wherever he was. They all seemed to be laughing about something and Connor wondered if it was about them.

"You know they're gonna make fun of us" Connor sighed

"Yeah, I know" Abby replied, turning to Connor "But it was worth it!" she smiled up at him "I've missed you!"

"Me too" Connor smiled back, "I won't let us be separated for so long again- no matter what Philip says!"

They looked at each other for a few seconds then braced themselves, and entered the room.

"Ah there you are, you two" said Matt

"Er…" Danny started in straight away "Are you two OK? I mean you didn't catch any kind of Cretacious virus or anything did you?"

"No!" snapped Abby, folding her arms across her body and looking daggers at Danny.

"Only" continued Danny "You're both looking pretty flushed! Yeah, maybe you'd better get checked out by the doctor!"

Connor put a calming hand on Abby's shoulder and jumped in quickly with "We're fine" even though he went even redder in the face. He heard a few sniggers from Becker's direction.

"Hey…Abby, come sit here next to me" came Jess' voice. Abby smiled at Jess who looked at her sympathetically.

"Abby-"she whispered so only Abby could hear her "Your top is inside out! Quick take my cardigan from the back of my chair before anyone else notices!"

Abby's eyes widened. She grabbed the lurid orange cardigan and put it on quickly, glancing around the room- and noting Jenny's amused smile.

"Thanks, Jess" she whispered "That's two I owe you now"

Connor made to go and sit on a spare chair by the girls, but Danny intervened, saying

"Connor, come and sit over here with me, Matt and Becker," putting a spare chair in between Matt and himself for Connor to use.

Connor sighed! He wasn't going to be let off the hook quite so easily. He smiled sheepishly- payback time for all the pranks he'd played on his team mates! He'd just have to grin and bear it and try his best to keep Abby out of the firing line to spare her blushes! He raised his eyebrows as he suddenly noticed her top was inside out and saw her hurriedly putting on some monstrous orange- thing- of Jess' to cover it.

"Please God- don't make anyone notice" he thought but saw Jenny gesturing to Danny behind Abby's back, and stifled a groan.

A few team members could barely suppress their laughter now. They were really enjoying Connor's discomfort.

"Hurry up, Lester" thought Connor, that'd shut them up and give them something else to think about.

"Connor," said Matt, elbowing Becker in the ribs "Did you manage to find your favourite pen?"

"You what…?" squeaked Connor, his voice going up an octave.

"You know- your favourite pen" he emphasised the word 'favourite' as he spoke "you know- the one you were searching for under the desk. I could've sworn I heard you talking to it!"

"Eh?"

"Yeah, I heard you say something?"

"No- I hit my head on the desk- probably heard me swearing. Yeah, thank you Matt, I found my pen." said Connor, blushing deeply. He looked over to Abby who was looking straight at him, her eyes wide, silently offering sympathy and love and he suddenly didn't care any more "Now look…."

He was cut off when Lester suddenly appeared in the doorway looking ready for business.

"Ah good, you're all here on time- even you Connor, for once"

"What is this" thought Connor "Have a pop at Connor day!"

Lester settled down in his chair and pulled out a folder full of papers.

"Right, now- these reports…."

Connor looked around the room, at each of the faces of the team mates he knew so well. They were all there- Lester, Danny, Matt, Becker, Jenny, Jess and Abby.

He suddenly gave a little snort of laughter, earning a sharp look from Lester.

"Sorry" he said quietly. Hey- so what if they were making fun of him- teasing him. Wasn't that what good mates did? He knew any one of these people would dive in to protect him if his life were in danger- as he would for them.

These were his friends- his 'family' of sorts. He cared about each and every one of them- yes even Lester- in different ways.

He'd never forget Cutter, who he'd looked up to as his father figure.

He had regarded Steven- and now Danny and Becker as his older brothers.

Jess as his little sister, and Lester/ Matt and Jenny as the ones he looked up to as the older and wiser members of this rather peculiar mish-mash of a family, and who kept him in order.

And lastly of course Abby- his one true love.

He'd never allow ANYONE to take him away from them again- not even Philip, who although Connor had regarded him as his hero, was very much an outsider to the group.

He smiled, then turned his full attention to what Lester was saying.

He was content here with his friends…..

FIN