Disclaimer: Primeval and all its characters belong to someone else.

Set just after series 5 and New Dawn. Jess and Becker aren't together- yet. Short chapter- setting the scene…Please enjoy!

Six!

Chapter One- An Anomaly

Abby and Connor were in the menagerie with Rex, Sid and Nancy. They always tried to find a spare hour or two to spend with the little animals every few days, and played with them and petted them and just generally spent time together enjoying their pets and each other's company. They savoured precious moments like this after everything that had happened.

Abby was so thankful that all the sneaking around behind Connor's back- breaking into his lab and conspiring with Matt over New Dawn hadn't meant the end of her relationship with him, as she once feared. It had been for his own good of course, but she was still relieved when he saw it that way too in the end and forgave her, even though they weren't quite back together in every sense of the word as yet. They still had their bridges to build and trust to regain. They were working hard on it though- it was something they both wanted very much.

Connor, in turn, was overjoyed that Abby remained by his side- even after the way he'd treated her. He'd been so sure he was right- that Philip Burton was right, and he'd even made Abby cry... Abby! The strong woman who never cried except over her beloved animals! He'd watched as her lips had trembled and her eyes had flooded with tears, but he'd still taken Philip's words before hers! He looked over at her now, tickling Nancy's stomach and felt a rush of love and tenderness for her that he hadn't felt possible. They caught each other's gaze and just couldn't seem to break away, and this time Abby's eyes filled with tears because of her tender feelings for him.

Matt watched the little scene on the CCTV monitor and smiled to himself. They looked just like a happy little family, he thought. He was really pleased that after all the unpleasantness of New Dawn, they'd been able to set aside their differences and come together stronger after everything they'd been through. Although Connor had exasperated him at times, he really liked the pair of them and was glad it had all turned out so well for them.

Suddenly the sound of an anomaly alert roared out, and Matt turned aside to rush off to the ADD. Abby and Connor looked up towards the sound as the alarm rang out and then quickly ushered the small creatures back into their containment quarters, and ran off to find out what was happening.

As they approached the ADD, jogging to arrive on time, Lester's voice yelled over the noise of the alert.

"No running in the halls!"

Abby and Connor skidded to a halt next to the throng of people standing beside Jess' chair.

"Guys!" Jess announced worriedly. "It...it's in the ARC!"

Everybody turned to look at Connor.

"What?" he said, affronted by the accusations in their eyes, but also feeling guilty for his part in the New Dawn fiasco. "It wasn't me! I've dismantled the anomaly I made... I was in the menagerie with Abby..."

Abby put her hand in his and squeezed it tight in sympathy as Becker patted his shoulder, muttering a low 'sorry, mate!'

Connor sighed. It wasn't their fault they still blamed him. He blamed himself. He'd basically alienated everyone except Philip and let that April threaten and bad mouth Abby! Abby had told him afterwards the conversation she'd had with April when she'd been going to visit him in the lab and April had stopped the lift to warn her off. He'd been shocked and suddenly faced with the realisation that April had manipulated him so badly. He'd been such a fool.

They all turned back to Jess, who was speaking quickly, partly to co- ordinate, and partly because she couldn't bear to see the hurt in Connor's eyes.

"It's in the gym." she announced. "No- one's in there and there doesn't appear to be an incursion. It's big though- you'd better get down there quickly."

Becker tossed them all a black box, and they passed by the armoury to grab their weapons before hurrying to the gym.

"Why hasn't lockdown commenced?" Lester asked Jess as he stood behind her chair, watching on the cameras as the team race to the site.

"The lockdown procedure only kicks in if there's a creature loose in the ARC, so we know that there's not been an incursion...yet."

"How terribly reassuring." Lester muttered, as he began to return to his office. "Let me know any developments." he said waving his arm at her as he disappeared from sight.

Jess smiled a little, she really liked Lester for all his outward appearance of total disinterest. She knew differently, of course, and they'd formed a close bond especially after facing future predators together in the ARC.

Jess' smile deepened as she watched the team enter the gym. She shook her head slightly when she saw Connor trip over a barbell left on the floor, and giggled a little when he went to move it out of the way, but it was heavier than he expected and he struggled as he tried to shift it- more from surprise than anything. Jess watched as Abby easily took it from him and put it out of the way.

The others hadn't noticed the little exchange and Jess laughed to herself, but suddenly sobered as she noticed the team begin to step back, raising their weapons. They'd heard sounds of something coming through the anomaly.

She quickly pressed a few keys on the keypad, trying to get a better view of what was happening on the screen and then as she saw what passed through the golden orb, her eyes widened, and her mouth dropped open. Lester had been looking through his office windows, arms crossed and as he noticed Jess' reaction, he left his office and approached the ADD once more.

"What is it Jess?"

"Something's coming through..." she said.

As Lester reached her chair they both exchanged a surprised look as they saw what it was.

"Oh wonderful!" Lester murmured. "Just wonderful!"

He turned away and disappeared into his office once more, muttering as he went. "More paperwork! This is going to require at least an LG97- in triplicate!" Lester sighed, as he went to get started- just what he needed…the Minister was going to love this one...!

To Be Continued...