Disclaimer: All facsimiles of Primeval, characters, etc. belong to the BBC!

Author's Note: This is my first foray into Primeval fic. I actually started writing this fic a few years ago and only just recently finished it, bless the fickle muse's return. It is slash, you don't like or get it, vacate this fic immediately. That is your only warning.

I would also like to thank my somewhat charming, darling baby sister for agreeing to beta this fic for me, especially as she'd given up hopes of this fic ever being finished ages ago. Jesse Hestia! You should know how stubborn I am by now!

I hope you readers enjoy the story, please let me know with reviews! I've had quite a stretch of fun writing it! I will say that Episode 2.7 really affected me, and well here's my response to Stephen Hart's death and resurrection. This story is eight chapters and an epilogue long, and over 34,900 words total! Without further ado, here is Lament the Things Left Unsaid.

-Cassie

Lament the Things Left Unsaid
By C.K. Blake (tempestquill)

One: Lonely Boy

Nothing has been the same. He thought he had a handle on the risks of the job after Tom's death, but this is worse. Of all of them to die, why Stephen Hart, the ace shot, the optimum tracker and survivor, the bloody living action figure G.I. Joe of the outfit? If anyone should have been dino din-din, it should have been him, Connor Temple, all around general techno geek who wasn't even allowed to hold a gun for obvious reasons (like that time he tranqed Abby instead of the baby raptor and nearly gotten her eaten, which he still didn't think she forgave him for). It's disconcerting, downright bloody disturbing that Stephen is gone. Nick is taking it hard, so is Abby, he can tell, and well he feels god awful himself, Stephen was like an older brother, always annoyed with him but careful to look out for him too, and now that security is gone. Stephen is dead, hardly anything left worth burying after those damn predators had finished him off.

Connor sucks in a deep breath and looks at himself in the mirror over the sink in the loo of his and Abby's flat. He notices the bags beneath his eyes, and he aches everywhere from lack of sleep. It's been a little over a couple of months since they lost Stephen, and Connor is still unsure of what he feels, angry, sad, lost. Lost is probably the best way to define it. He knows now just how precarious he's been treating his life in the face of his work. It's far too easy to forget you're only a link in the food chain and not at the top, that is until you're facing an anomaly and something with claws and lots of teeth is slipping through.

He's given up on aliens and conspiracies now. Maybe Stephen would have been proud to know he was a part of Connor's finally growing up. Connor takes in another sharp breath and turns away from the mirror, hating himself for how he treated Stephen in the beginning, jealous of the bloke's good looks and charm and how quickly he caught Abby's interest. Hell, up until they found out about Stephen's little affair with the professor's wife, there was no wrong that Stephen Hart could do. There's the rub, Nick Cutter's wife, Helen Cutter, the main reason behind Stephen's death. It really wouldn't do for Connor to think on that. His head hurts enough with all the other rubbish sifting through it without sparing that slag a thought.

He steps out of the bathroom, notices the grey light of the coming dawn slipping through the windows. He's usually never up this early, but lately, since that night, he's been working hard to avoid Abby and the others. It's not like he sleeps much anymore either. He heads to the kitchen, pulls a fruit bowl out of the fridge and tosses it into Rex's dish. The little coelurosaravus lands near the bowl with a pleased chirp and then begins to dig into his breakfast. He leaves Abby a note to let her know he fed Rex and then he grabs his bag and spare keys and slips out of the door as quietly as possible. He's sure he'll see her and the professor at the ARC at some point.

He slips behind the wheel of his mini, takes out his anomaly detector, flips the dial on, and sets it in the passenger seat. He turns the engine over and then pulls out of the car park. He taps his fingers on the steering wheel as he waits at an intersection and that is when the anomaly detector begins to go haywire. His eyes widen and he looks down at the machine. Knowing the risks, he decides that he's had enough of being someone else's burden. He can go have a look at this latest anomaly himself and prove that he is worthy of Stephen's sacrifice for them all. Rather than going straight to head toward the ARC, he makes a right as indicated by his detector.

He's a little worried when he pulls into the car park outside of a small children's park. This can't bode well. He quickly puts the car into park, grabs his detector, messes with the settings for a moment, grabs his bag and then he heads off in the direction that the detector is leading him to. His eyes widen at the sight of the brightly fractured anomaly by the swing set. He reaches into his pocket to grab his phone, only to realize that he's left it behind and that is when he feels the warm, steaming breath that singes his hair and the back of his neck. He slowly takes a step forward, twists his head just enough to catch a glimpse of the creature behind him, and a glimpse is all he needs before he decides that his best bet is to run because this thing isn't something he's familiar with from his database and has a lot of damn teeth.

-PRIMEVAL-

It's ironic that they find themselves at the anomaly in the Forest of Dean again, the very same one that started it all. Damn Helen Cutter for finding it and damn the thing for continuing to appear so often. He looks down at the detector in his hand, glad that Nick managed to get Lester to agree to the team splitting up to search for anything that might have come through the anomaly. Actually Lester only agreed to let him go out on his own, the others had to go with the bloody soldier boys. Still he is the best tracker among them, and the best crack shot, even better than Becker. At that thought he grinds his teeth and lets out a slight growl. The reason for Becker and his men, all because he couldn't keep track of one damn techno geek. It was for this very same reason that he preferred being out in the field on his own whenever he was tracking something. Granted the buddy system worked before, usually when it was him and Nick going off in one direction and Abby and…Connor…

He shakes his head to clear it. There is nothing to be done. One of their team is gone, has been gone for months, and that is a failure that Stephen Hart will not repeat, so he's out on his own, looking for signs of anything that may have come through the anomaly. Suddenly he pauses, the sound of a twig snapping in the distance sharpening his senses. He turns a hairsbreadth toward the west and there is a rustling sound, and then more twigs cracking. Something is running, and more importantly running toward his direction. He looks at the dart gun in his hand and smiles at the feel of the semi-automatic holstered at the small of his back. If whatever it is won't go down one way, then it will damn sure go down another.

He slips behind some shrubbery and waits for the thing to come out of hiding, to come running to him. Maybe he's a little more bloodthirsty than usual, but there is something about this location that brings out the predator in him. He notices the sound of the thing running growing closer. He cocks the tranquilizer gun and then takes aim, his arm steady, and that is when the thing breaks through the brush. He doesn't bother to get a good look at it before he pulls the trigger. He steps out of the brush as the creature falls forward, and then his eyes widen when he realizes it's a human male. Even more disturbing is the rising hair on the back of his neck.

He barely manages to pull the gun from his back holster in time. He shoots off five of the ten rounds loaded in the gun, the real creature falls backward, its head damn near completely blown off, and then Stephen hurries forward to check the fallen man. He keeps his gun out, just in case there is more than one predator pursuing the man. Carefully with one arm he turns the man over and his eyes widen and his gun hand goes slack as he recognizes the man's face, but it can't be. After a moment's split decision he holsters his gun, removes the dart from the man's side, and gather's the man under the armpits. The man surprisingly heavy considering his short, slight frame.

It takes Stephen a long time to track through the forest, and he's glad that he doesn't run into anyone else from the team. He manages to get to his truck. He packs the man and the man's bag away in the backseat of his truck, covers him with a tarp, and then runs back toward the forest. He has four hours at least before the man wakes up, and by then Stephen will have him secure in his apartment, and the man will not be leaving until Stephen has some answers. For now the others need not know about his find.

-PRIMEVAL-

His thoughts are muddled as consciousness slips up on him. His limbs feel heavy, his mouth is dry, and there is a pain in his side like a bee sting. He groans and then his eyes widen as he remembers running from the futuristic predator in the kiddie park. He sits up, looking around at unfamiliar surroundings and wondering what the hell happened, where he currently is, and most importantly how in the bloody hell he got here.

He jumps a little at the sound of a door opening, and as he turns toward the sound his eyes widen as a familiar figure emerges damp and towel clad from the steaming room. He feels the color draining from his face as he stares at a ghost emerging from the shower steam ether of a bathroom. He falls back on the bed dramatically, his eyes screwed shut, his breathing labored, and finally after barking out a hysterical laugh he manages, "Oi, I guess I've gone and died and found myself in Hell, that's the only bloody explanation. At least I can't remember being eaten. Do you remember bein' eaten, mate?"

"What the bloody hell are you talking about Temple? I know it's always been a chore for you to be sensible, and I imagine that months of being trapped in some unknown period of time might make you more mental than usual, but I hope you're not so 'round the bend that I can't take you to see Nick and Abby once you've answered my questions."

"They're here too? They've gone and gotten eaten too?" Connor asks, morbid resignation on his face.

"No one's been bloody eaten! After I shot you with the tranquilizer I killed the bloody thing chasing you! You're fine, and God I hope it's just the tranquilizer making you more addled than normal!"

Connor gives a muddled look of confusion before he says, "But Nick saw you get eaten! He was there, and we were all at your funeral, and Lester brought in Becker to replace you, and he's not a thing like ya mate, and Helen Cutter got away, and nothing's been right, then I found that anomaly in the kiddie park and that thing run me through it, and…wait a tick… You shot me?!"

"It was a tranquilizer dart, so there is no damage, and what are you talking about? Do I look like I've been bloody eaten to you? You're the one that fell through a bloody anomaly and has been missing for months. We figured you were dead. Do you have any idea how bloody stupid that was of you to go off on your own? I told you to stay behind me you daft idiot, and you go off and then fall through an anomaly and disappear! Do you know how much paperwork I had to write up because of you, or what it's done to Abby or Nick? Always have to go looking for trouble!"

"Stephen, you're jokin' right? I've never been paired with you, least not since that first week or so. Professor always puts me with Abby," Connor says and then gives his head a shake, which isn't a good idea as he ends up swooning.

Stephen, obviously disgusted with Connor and his actions, drops the towel and picks up a pair of trousers he left folded on the chair by the bathroom door. He glances up at the sound of a gasp from the direction of his bed and his electric blue eyes narrow. "What? Surely you've got a good look at some point. Christ you'd think you'd never seen me drop trough before."

"Um…well… I… bloody hell…hung…horse…shit," Connor stutters out.

Stephen allows an amused smirk to tug at his mouth, still amazed at how difficult it is to remain angry with the younger man over anything. "How about you go shower, I'll overlook you using my shower instead of your own, and then you can get dressed and we'll suss this out over take out. I'm still not finished with talking to ya, before I let Nick or Abby at ya. After all, it was my responsibility to babysit you that last time, so I should be the first you give answers to."

Connor swallows thickly before he slips out of the unfamiliar bed, glad that he's still fully dressed minus his boots and hat, and as he gives the room a quick perusal he notices his bag with his laptop laying by the door he's assuming is either a closet or an exit out of the bedroom as he's already identified the bathroom's location. Stephen is just pulling on a long sleeve white thermal when Connor slips past him and into the bathroom, and then it hits him. He has nothing to wear. All of his things are at Abby's.

"Oi, what'll I wear?" he asks.

Stephen turns to him with a raised eyebrow and then rolls his eyes. "It's not like I threw anything out. Never got around to it. You just worry about that shower, you smell like something that got regurgitated. I'll have you something set out on this chair. I'll call that Indian place you like so much, should be here by the time you get out, and don't use all my bloody shampoo this time."

Connor's eyes widen and then he opens his mouth to say something, thinks better of it at the cross look that Stephen is giving him and shuts the bathroom door. He turns the lock for good measure, unsure of anything at the moment. Stephen Hart is alive and well, apparently Conner himself has been missing for months, but really, he only fell through that anomaly a little while ago, six hours at the most if he calculated in the tranquilizer's effects. He lets out a sigh, unsure of anything at the moment.

Getting a good look at the bathroom and the huge, Jacuzzi like tub, he considers a bath, but after another thought he thinks getting out of here as quickly as possible is his best bet, rather than have a not so dead Stephen Hart thoroughly annoyed with him.

He turns on the taps in the glass enclosed shower, and he has to admit that the water pressure is incredible against his aching muscles. He makes quick work of lathering up his hair, using Stephen's shampoo sparingly, and then he quickly soaps up and rinses off, his hands pressed against the tile of the shower as he luxuriates in the feel of the sharp prickling of the hot water massaging away the aches in his lethargic muscles. Finally he feels mostly awake and human again, and he slips out of the shower. He pulls a towel around his waist and puts one over his head and walks out of the bathroom toweling his hair. He's relieved to find that Stephen's bedroom is empty and then he looks down at the chair by the door of the bathroom and his eyes widen as they set on a pair of familiar black cargo pants, an old band t-shirt, boxers, vest and even one of his hats and a pair of his fingerless gloves. Fancy that. Maybe Stephen popped off to Abby's while he was in the shower. Must have been in the shower longer than he thought.

-PRIMEVAL-

At the sound of a knock Stephen heads toward the main door of his flat, wallet in hand. He pays the delivery boy and gives him a tip as he takes the food from the boy, shuts the door, and then heads back to his kitchen. He sets the bags on the counter and then gets a beer out of the fridge, pops the top on the bottle and takes a long pull as he hears the water from his shower cut off and then he waits on Connor to come out.

There is a lot on his mind. Connor seems different, and there is the whole part where Connor mentioned him getting eaten. He gives his head a shake, who knows what the kid has seen after getting trapped in an anomaly for months. Not that he was all there before, but he's bound to come out of it with a few screws loose at the very least. Still, there is something strangely off about Connor that he can't quite put his finger on. He shakes his head; maybe it's just that he's gotten used to being on his own again. It's strange having his annoying little flat mate back all of a sudden. Now he'll have to get used to having his apartment in a bloody mess all the time again, chastising the bloke about tidying up, and God, all the wires from the computer equipment Connor will have strewn about the flat again. Stephen can't help but smile at the thought. At first he'd thought he would kill Connor, he honestly couldn't blame Abby for kicking Connor out after he let Rex out that last time, and after drawing straws with Nick he'd gotten the short one, so he got stuck with the kid indefinitely. It wasn't that Connor hadn't proven himself valuable to the team. He was a genius with computers, technology, and a walking dinosaur encyclopedia, but on the other hand the kid had a knack for finding trouble in the worst way.

Speaking of the devil, Stephen looks up at the loud sigh coming from the direction of the hallway as Connor inevitably follows his nose to the kitchen. Stephen looks up and smiles at the familiar sight of his flat mate, big grin on his face, dimple prominent, and he shakes his head for a moment to clear it. Still that smile on Connor's face always was a bit contagious.

As Stephen gathers plates from the cupboard and begins to divide the food between them, Connor takes a seat at the counter on one of the stools and watches him. Stephen can feel those brown eyes watching his every movement. He sets a plate before Connor along with a fork and knife, and then goes to retrieve another beer for himself and one for Connor. As he eats he finds himself watching Connor, and once they've both eaten a fair bit, Stephen finally takes the last dregs from his second beer and sets the empty bottle down firmly on the table.

"Now it's time we had that chat I mentioned," he says, and he notices how Connor swallows thickly.

"Look…um… about you shooting me… It's all right, no harm done and I didn't get eaten. Really, and thanks for the food, yeah? Nothin' to worry 'bout. I'm almost done, and then I can head on out and surprise Abby. I hope she hasn't gone and rented out m' room already…" Connor trails off at the confused look on Stephen's face.

"What are ya on about? You live here, Con. You've imposed on me for near on two bloody years now, ever since Abby kicked you out for letting Rex loose that one millionth time. I drew the short straw so I got stuck with ya. I only moved the main computer. All your stuff's in your room."

"My room?" Connor let out with a small squeak, and then he shook his head. "But Abby adores me, we're best mates, and I feed Rex his dinner, and I even got her hooked on Dr. Who and Battlestar Galactica! I live with Abby. I've never even been to yer flat."

"Must've hit your head when I darted ya," Stephen says with a shake of his head.

"What are you bloody on about? I'm tellin' ya, this isn't how it's s'posed to be! Nothin's right here, except that you're not all eaten, but other than that everythin's all wrong," Connor shouts as he gets to his feet and begins to pace along the length of the kitchen.

"Glad to know you weren't happy about my supposedly being eaten," Stephen says dryly.

Connor looks crestfallen as he turns back to the taller man. "Look mate, didn't mean it like that. It's been a long day, I ran through an anomaly, almost got eaten, got shot, and that shower and the curry… I'm a little knackered, so how about pointin' me to the sofa and I'll have a little lie in, yeah?"

"Why the sofa?" Stephen asks as he gives a jerk of his head, indicating Connor to follow him down the hall, and then Stephen's hand closes on a door handle and something in Connor's stomach bottoms out as he realizes that his whole life is about to be redefined. He almost wants to stop Stephen from turning the knob, but then it's too late, and as he looks past Stephen his eyes widen.

He sees his master computer that he built himself, a fairly nice and impressive entertainment center, Lester must have given him that raise if he could afford it, and everything in the room screams of him, except that it's all tidy and organized and nothing is out of place or on the floor. He shifts his gaze to Stephen, and Stephen shrugs.

"After you fell through the anomaly I couldn't bring myself to throw anything out, but I couldn't stop myself from tidying up. How you could stand such clutter I'll never know. By the way, now that you're back I expect you'll be handlin' the dishes and remember the rules. You wash yer own bloody underwear, and don't mix your laundry with mine. I'd rather not have pink thermals, thank you very much," Stephen says, and Connor is a little surprised at the note of teasing in the older man's voice, and then Stephen's hand lands on his shoulder giving it a firm and familiar squeeze and Connor feels his stomach give a little flip.

He swallows thickly and gives Stephen a little nod as he slips past the taller man and into the very tidy bedroom that apparently belongs to him, even down to the alphabetized sci-fi film collection on the set of shelves along the wall to the left of the entertainment center. He hears Stephen pad down the hall to his own room, and then Connor shuts the door behind him and begins to explore his room, he looks in the dresser and the closet and sees all of his clothes, neatly folded and hung respectively, along with a few additions that he never would have picked out, and he absently wonders if maybe he has a girlfriend or something here. Obviously he's not seeing Abby. He just hopes that he's still good friends with her, because he would miss the companionship they had otherwise. At that thought he winces, wondering how his Abby and even Nick are handling his disappearance. He should have known better than to go chasing an anomaly on his own, still seeing Stephen alive and well is worth it. Maybe being here in this time, in this alternate world, he can change things so that Stephen doesn't get eaten and he won't have to see again what the loss of Stephen was to their team, and maybe he won't have to feel that loss for a second time either. Of course being in this new time and place, he can understand Nick's situation after he came back through the anomaly asking about a woman named Claudia Brown. He wonders what has changed in his own universe in his absence. Of course if the anomaly has already closed, then he may as well get used to this new reality. That's a rather unsettling thought, and he's feels like a lonely boy in the wake of such thoughts, because who does he really know here, and where does he belong?

Author's Note: Again I hope you enjoy, the next chapter posted as soon as Jess gets it back to me. Please review!

-Ta Luvs,

Cass