Chapter 1

Abby lay in her bed, listening to the traffic going past outside of her apartment, she lay there thinking, it had been a month since she and Connor had returned from spending a year in the Cretaceous period and she still didn't believe it, she kept expecting to wake up one morning and be sleeping under a bush with Connor on watch. So far she was lucky and she was still home. She rolled over and looked at Connor; people asked her how she had managed to survive a year alone with him, which she had found very amusing, Connor not so much.

They had been given their jobs at the ARC back not to long ago, she was sorry to hear about Sarah's death but it came with the job, the risk, they were living examples of that, she was glad that Becker was still there and that there was a new team, Jess was very sweet and had let her and Connor stay with her until they had sorted their old apartment back out again which they had moved into just last week. Matt seemed nice to, secretive but good at his job and had been very willing to let them join his team again. Lester was still there which she was pleased about, he was an interesting boss to say the least. It scared her that she and Connor were the only two remaining of the original team, she didn't like that, she missed Cutter, Stephen, and Jenny. She would like to be a part of the original team again.

There were people in this new team that she didn't like of course, the main one being Philip Burton, from the moment she and Connor had returned he had been interested in what Connor knew and what he could do, but she didn't trust him, he didn't seem to be interested in the creatures at all, just the anomalies, he had tried to kill all the creatures killed in the ARC, he just wasn't nice to anyone. Except Connor, he was constantly with him, talking to him and asking him to do stuff for him, Connor was excited to be around him and eager to please him in anyway he could. She continued to be wary of him but didn't voice her opinion to Connor.

She and Connor had become very close in their year in the past, they knew each other inside out, they had become intimate a couple of weeks before they had made it home, they had been the best weeks of the whole year, they had made the whole thing more bearable. She ran her hand through his long hair, she doubted she would have survived if not for him, more than once he had saved her life and kept her positive when she began to give up. He mumbled in his sleep and she smiled before sitting up, as she did so a bout of nausea overcame her and with a groan she ran to the bathroom and threw up in the toilet.

She remained there once she was finished groaning, she and Connor had been throwing up from time to time ever since they had got back, they knew it was something to do with their stomachs not being able to cope with rich foods after so long on a bland diet, Connor was getting better, she wasn't, much to her annoyance.

"Abby" she looked up when she heard her name, Connor was standing in the doorway looking at her concerned "are you ok" he asked, she didn't answer because bile rose in her mouth and she puked again, Connor bent down next to her and held her hair back for her, rubbing her back until she was done, "urgh" she groaned "I knew I shouldn't have eaten that curry last night, to spicy" she sighed as she carefully stood up and reached for the mouthwash "why isn't it getting better" she whined, Connor smiled as he wrapped his arms around her stomach "it will" he encouraged, "give it time" she sighed and leaned against him "it better" she mumbled making him smile again.

He left her cleaning her teeth and went to make some breakfast, when she came down, he was already making some toast which was the extent of his knowledge of cooking, she sat down and then smiled as her Coelurosauravus lizard Rex glided down and landed on the table next to her, she ran her finger along his side smiling as he arched his back chirping his unique call happily. She very carefully ate her breakfast before going to brush her teeth again as she still tasted vomit.

She looked at her reflection in the mirror, noticing changes, she was a lot thinner for starters though she was beginning to put some of it back on much to Connor's relief as he thought she was too thin, her face was thinner, more drawn now and her eyes, harder, she had seen things that no one else had, lived through what no one else had. And her hair was different, less pixie like, longer, and ragged. She finished in the bathroom before dressing for the day, checking the windows were locked so Rex wouldn't escape before she heading to work with Connor.

XOXOXO

When they arrived they went straight to the main centre where Jess was sitting at her bank of computers "morning" she greeted, Jess grinned at her "where's Connor" she asked, Abby frowned "he' right…." She trailed off as she looked behind her to find no Connor, she sighed "probably with Philip" she mumbled grumpily and Jess gave her a sympathetic smile, Abby sighed and went off to the menagerie to check on the rest of the animals, she leaned against the glass watching them all move around, and sighed, she did feel very lucky to be able to see these wonderful creatures up close and in some cases interact with them, well there had been a lot of times when she didn't want to interact with them, there had been a lot of very close calls.

"Abby" she looked round to find Matt standing watching her "you ok" he asked, his grey eyes showing concern, she sighed again "yeah I'm good" she said, but she could tell he didn't believe that anymore than she did.

At that moment another wave of nausea overcame her and clamping her hand over her mouth she pushed past Matt ignoring him calling out her name, she bolted for the nearest bathroom, where she threw up noisily into the toilet "urgh come on" she moaned, why wasn't it getting better already?. "Abby" she looked up, Jess was standing behind her "are you ok Abby" she asked "yeah I'm fine Jess, just ate something bad last night" Jess came over "are you sure because this is not the first time you have thrown up at work and I heard Connor say that you throw up most mornings"

Abby groaned "he really needs to learn to keep his mouth shut" she mumbled slowly standing up and rinsing her mouth out with water "Matt is worried about you" Jess said "he came and asked me to check on you, he says you looked really sick" "I am fine" Abby said "seriously everyone has got to stop worrying about me, it will pass, it did with Connor", she slid to the floor suddenly feeling very weary, Jess slid down after her "they all care for you Abby, especially Connor" she looked at her friend who looked rather dizzy "I think you should see a doctor Abby, what if it is something serious"

Abby sighed and carefully got to her feet "look I think I am fine, but if it hasn't stopped by the end of the week I will go to the doctors ok" Jess didn't seem to happy about her waiting that long but nodded "ok" she said giving her a hug "well I got to get back to work" she released Abby who smiled at her enthusiasm and left.

Abby remained in the bathroom for another minute to be on the safe side before leaving, she found Matt leaning against the frame watching her, she looked at him "I'm fine Matt I swear, look Jess has already made me promise to go see a doctor so you don't need to harass me ok" he nodded and something in his eyes made her think he knew something she didn't.

At that moment the alarm sounded and they all took off towards the operation room where Jess was typing furiously "where is it" Matt asked gabbing his little black box and ear wig, he then handed Abby hers before leaning over to see where the anomaly was, Connor appeared and gave her and odd look "are you ok" he asked concerned "you look pale" she smiled and nodded "I'm fine Connor stop worrying", he gave her another look before grabbing his stuff and they followed the rest of the team to the cars.

XOXOXO

Later that day they all arrived back at the ARC exhausted after chasing a pack of raptors round a building site, which would need to have some refurbishing already. She was exhausted and was relieved when Connor came out of his lab and they went home, they ordered a takeout and curled up together until exhausted, they both fell into bed, Connor was out like a light, but Abby lay awake in his arms thinking.

She was worried by how ill she felt, and constantly feeling dizzy, this was worse than usual, as she lay there thinking one small possibility came into her mind, a possibility that made her sit up in bed, Connor mumbled as she did so but she ignored him "no" she whispered "I cant be", she sat there for a while gazing at Connor before she quietly got out of bed and pulled some clothes on before slipping out and driving to the nearest store where she grabbed what she would need to set her mind at rest.

Once home she crept into the bathroom and followed the instructions, then all she could do was wait. The timer went and she took a deep breath and looked at the test.