Title: Body Swap: Matt and Lester, Chapter One
Author: Pinkcat4569
Rating: Teen, mild language and situations
Spoilers: Series 4, 5
Description: Body Swap: Becker and Connor ended with a surprise: Matt and Lester swapped bodies as well. How will they get back, and keep the ARC and their lives running until they do?
Disclaimer: Only for fun, nothing made as I don't own primeval or the characters.
Author's Note: Direct sequel to Body Swap: Becker and Connor. The focus here is not how they switched, but what happens once they do. So, any explanation will be quick and probably dumb. B/J a couple, so are M/E, and A/C, and Lester is married. Will be a B/J element since that is what I write. I apologize if this isn't good. I don't usually write anyone but B/J and now I know why. It's hard! For me, at least. Story begins write after the end of Body Swap: Becker and Connor, so Matt and Lester are already switched.
Updated Note: Edited for spelling and grammar, but I leave a lot of fragment sentences. Jess has to ramble, after all.
Chapter One, Body Swap: Matt and Lester
"Connor, fix us," said Lester, with Matt's Irish brogue.
"Sure. I'll fire up another anomaly. Becker you shoot into it again."
"I can do that," said Becker.
"Good, and hurry. I have a breakfast meeting with the minister, and I'd like to show up in my own body," said Lester.
"No worries," said Connor. "It worked for us, it should switch you too.'"
"Should?" asked Lester.
Matt laughed, leaning against a desk. He actually looked relaxed.
"That's unusual," said Abby, pointing at Matt. "You don't normally see Lester calm and lounging in a jogging suit."
"You are awfully calm about all this," said Jess to him.
He shrugged Lester's shoulders. "Connor's got the answer, besides, Lester's raving enough for both of us."
Lester scowled Matt's facial features. "Forgive me for being a bit put out. I don't adjust easily to waking up in a subordinate's body, next to a woman who isn't my wife."
Emily laughed. "It was not comfortable for me either, Lester."
"At least you had the decency to be clothed."
Becker chuckled as he raised the EMD. Connor created an anomaly, right there in Ops, and Becker fired into it, just as before. This time however, there was no flash, no tremor, nothing.
"Well?" asked Matt's body, eyes rolling. "Anytime Connor. I'm sure it catches you by surprise, but I do tire of watching your so-called genius at work."
Connor looked at him. "I'm guessing you're still Lester."
"Oh, bravo, Connor!" cried Lester, clapping Matt's hands.
Matt, in Lester's body frowned. "OK, now I'm worried."
"I don't know what to do," said Connor honestly.
"Brilliant," moaned Lester.
"Let me think on it," said Connor.
"Jolly good. I'll just go home to my wife, and tell her not to mind the new body."
Becker turned to Matt. "What did you tell Mrs. Lester?"
"I woke up in his study alone," said Matt, "with an empty glass of sherry in my hand."
"Night cap. I am the legal drinking age, you know," said Lester.
Matt shook Lester's head, chuckling. "Anyway, I was a bit...upset and confused, so it was nice not to have an audience."
"Aren't you the fortunate one? Some of us did not have privacy," muttered Lester.
"At first I was confused and concerned," said Emily, "and thought perhaps you were trying to amuse me"
"Bloody awful joke," said Lester.
"Indeed, then I thought perhaps a switch had happened, as with Connor and the Captain."
"So Mrs. Lester doesn't know?" asked Abby.
"I went looking for a phone, and stumbled around in the dark. She woke up, but I was able to convince her that there was an emergency at work. I was in pajamas, so I looked around for clothes."
"And with my top of the line wardrobe, including the finest tailored suits, you selected a jogging suit?"
"Sorry. I prefer jeans, and you didn't have any. The jogging suit was the most casual thing I could find. Fine suits aren't my style. I look good in them, though," he said, winking at Emily.
"Please don't do that Matt," said Becker. "A flirtatious Lester is unnatural."
Jess giggled.
"Why do you even have a jogging suit, Lester?" asked Connor.
"I keep fit," he said, pacing in front of the ADD. "Never know when one will have to outrun a t-Rex or predator from an apocalyptic future."
"True," said Abby. "What are we going to do about this body-switching problem?"
"Tell your boyfriend to get that intellect cracking and return us to normal," snapped Lester.
Connor frowned. "How? What me and Becker did, hasn't worked."
"Think of something else, then," said Matt. Lester's phone, in Matt's pocket, rang. "It's your wife."
"Don't answer it! If there was ever a time to dodge my wife, it's now."
"She is probably concerned for you," said Emily. "It is late."
Lester sighed. "Reassure her Anderson, briefly."
"Me?"
"You have my fine melodic tones," said Lester. "If I try to speak to her with this annoying Irish brogue, she may figure out something is amiss."
"Annoying?" asked Matt, clearly offended.
Emily chuckled. "I find the brogue enchanting."
For the first time, Lester cracked a smile. "Do try to remember that I a married man," he said.
"I shall try," replied Emily, also smiling.
Matt answered the mobile. "Hi...uh..." He mouthed to Lester, "name?"
Lester whispered, "Carol."
"Hi, Carol."
Jess whispered, "Honey."
"No, not 'honey.' I say 'darling," corrected Lester.
Matt shushed them with a wave. "Darling. Yes, I'm fine. Sorry to worry you."
"Too nice," whispered Becker.
Lester frowned, then acknowledged with a nod that he was probably right.
"Work, you know. Darn thing calls me out all hours of the night," Matt said. "Shall I just pop home then, and leave my underlings to handle my oh-so important job?"
Jess stifled a giggle. Lester rolled Matt's eyes.
Matt continued, "Go back to bed...darling. What? The opera?"
Lester dropped his mouth, and hit his forehead with his hand. "That's this evening."
"Of course I remember. Now is not a good time, darling. I'll call you as soon as I'm available. Right. Good night…Oh, yes, love you too."
"No!" whispered Lester harshly, as Matt hung up. "Are you crazy? I only say those words as necessary, and on her birthday, our anniversary, and some major holidays. You've given up the charade for sure."
"Lester, relax. She has no idea," said Matt.
"Yeah, she's not in on our weirdness," said Connor. "Unless you blabbed."
"Connor, it's too early, I'm too tired, and too Matt. Shut up," said Lester. "Less talking, more figuring this out."
Connor nodded. "Jess, let's go over the ADD activity."
"The last few hours?"
"Yeah, exactly," said Connor. "Something caused them to switch."
"And affected your solution," said Matt.
"Yeah, why didn't you turn back like we did?" asked Connor, gesturing to himself and Becker. "There has to be an answer here somewhere."
"What can we do?" asked Emily.
Connor shrugged. "Not much. Why don't you guys try to get some sleep?"
They nodded. Lester had Matt phone his wife again and quickly explain that he was staying at work. Thankfully, she had gone to bed. He left a voice mail for her.
Lester grudgingly went to a guest quarters. As he left he told Matt, "No improper stuff with my body, Anderson."
"I suppose we should sleep in separate rooms," said Matt.
"Yes," she said, leaning up to kiss him. "I am sorry, I cannot kiss Lester."
"Who could?" teased Becker.
Emily chuckled and kissed Lester's cheek, as Matt took her hand. "We know it can be reversed. We just need to be patient," he said.
Emily nodded. Matt walked with her to the guest quarters.
Abby left for the canteen to get coffees for those staying awake. Jess and Connor went through the ADD activity. Becker sat beside Jess, going through security footage to make sure nothing else 'weird' occurred that could explain the switch.
Abby returned with the coffees, and sat beside Connor, quietly lending moral support. Nearly an hour passed.
"Nothing," Becker said, turning from the security feeds. "You guys?"
Jess shook her head.
Connor was quiet. He sighed. "There are some low level readings, but nothing noticeable," he finally said, tired and frustrated. "That's just how it was the night we switched though."
"Right," said Becker. "The anomaly was unstable and weak."
Connor nodded. "I'm going to have to go over these slowly and carefully."
"You should try to sleep, Conn," said Abby. "We all should if we're going to help them."
Jess nodded. "Even with the shot of coffee, I'm having trouble staying awake."
Connor nodded. "Becker, take the girls home. I'll stay here in case there's any change in the readings," he said, then seeing Abby's disproving face, he added, "I'll lie down, I promise. I can hear the alarms. I'll get more sleep here, than if I went home."
Abby nodded, and kissed him. "I love you. You'll find an answer, I know it."
Connor smiled. "Thanks."
They left, leaving Connor to his study. An hour later he did go to a guest quarters, and managed to sleep a few hours.
End of Chapter One