Primaeval - A Royal Incursion
by phoebenpiper
Author's Note: This story takes place between episodes 6 & 7 of Series 4 (shortly after Jenny's wedding). It was inspired by "actual events", witnessed by me at 3am on April 29, 2011, from my couch in California! Also, my justification for Connor's silly behaviour is that he hasn't followed Jenny's advice yet and is continuing to "plan the wedding," even though he hasn't proposed to Abby. :)
...
As Becker entered the ARC, he noticed Jess and Connor having an animated discussion in front of the ADD. This, in itself, was nothing new. However, this morning, instead of flashing its usual maps and info, or even some ancient dinosaur, one of the monitors displayed a large, strange, hat-like construction.
"What's going on?" Becker asked, sidling up to Abby, who appeared to be purposely keeping her distance from the enthusiastic twosome.
Abby gave a heavy sigh of frustration, rolling her eyes and shaking her head as she mumbled defeatedly, "The wedding."
Becker shrugged. "Whose wedding?"
Abby turned to him, a look of stunned amazement on her face, tinged with just a hint of jealousy.
"The Royal Wedding?" she prompted, as if there was not now, nor never had there ever been, any other wedding.
"Oh."
Becker had heard something about one of the princes - William, was it? - getting married to some commoner and about how the military would basically shut down for the entire day in order to ensure security, but otherwise he wasn't really up on the latest popular gossip.
Nor did he want to be.
"So what are they so interested in?" he asked, gesturing towards the ADD where Jess was trembling with excitement as she and Connor nattered on.
"What AREN'T they interested in?" Abby grumbled. "The fashions, the decorations, the invites. It's all they ever talk about from sun-up till bedtime. And apparently they've just released a whole bunch of the celebrities' hats - this will keep them bouncing off the wall for days."
Becker smirked, feeling lucky that he wasn't the one sharing a flat with the two of them. But before he could tease her about her sorry predicament, he was interrupted by a squeal.
"Becker! You MUST come look at this fascinator!"
"It's pretty incredible," Connor nodded in assent. "Imagine the bloke who has to sit behind HER in the chapel."
Becker turned to Abby, hoping she might be his salvation. Unfortunately, he found that same look of relieved bemusement on her face that had been on his only moments before.
"Welcome to my hell," she said cheerfully, patting him on the back as she started away. "I'll be in the menagerie if anyone needs me."
Becker watched her go, desperately trying to come up with a reason why he, too, needed to visit the animals. He suddenly felt Jess take his hand and start to drag him over to the ADD. He sighed, realizing he was now going to spend the morning looking at hats, whether he wanted to or not.
The sacrifices he made for the citizens of Great Britain!
...
"What now?"
Becker often wondered why they didn't simply install stadium seating in front of the windows to Lester's office, as watching their coworkers argue through the glass had become nothing short of a spectator sport.
"Lester canceled their campout," Abby said, not taking her eyes from the window where Connor and Jess could be seen in a heated debate with the pin-striped bureaucrat.
Becker raised a questioning eyebrow, hoping for clarification, and Matt calmly explained, "Lester just announced that everyone has to work on April 29."
"April 29?" Becker didn't understand what that date had to do with any campout.
Matt and Abby turned their heads in unison to stare at Becker as if he'd just asked, "December 25?"
Becker recognized the look in Abby's eyes and nodded, understanding. "Ah. The wedding."
He vaguely recalled Jess mentioning that, in order to get a decent view of the Royal couple, she was simply going to have to stake out a good place near Westminster Abbey days ahead of time.
Now that he'd deciphered their meaning, Becker turned their attention back to the window right as Connor slammed his hand angrily on the desk and leaned across it towards Lester. Through the glass, they could only make out a few muffled words of his diatribe: "...sense of duty...," "...loyalty...," "...blackguard!"
Becker cringed at this last, expecting Lester to lose his temper at such an assault. But the man continued to lean back in his chair, his fingers placidly crossed in front of his chest, a sardonic grin on his face. Clearly Lester had his own interpretation of the phrase "sense of duty," and it didn't involve sleeping outside just to catch a glimpse of some antiquated monarchs preserving their arcane traditions. No doubt it involved protecting the citizenry of the Nation instead, something the ARC team couldn't do if they were milling amongst the madding crowds.
And Becker couldn't help but agree with that interpretation.
...
"What the...?" Becker caught himself, both verbally and physically, and turned to glare back at what had just caused him to trip.
"Sorry! Sorry!" Connor rushed over, kicking the offending articles under the nearby tables so they were no longer protruding into the general pathway. "I meant to move these things elsewhere."
Becker stared down at the odd kit of sleeping bags, overnight cases, and shopping bags overflowing with orange Club bars and Coca Cola.
"Do I dare ask?" Becker mumbled under his breath.
"It's what's called a 'compromise'," Abby explained, flashing Becker a smile as she walked by.
Becker instantly recognized the look on the blonde's face, but he couldn't exactly see what camping kit inside the ARC had to do with the Royal wedding.
Nor did he want to know.
"Becker!" Jess hurried to his side, her face aglow with joy as she eagerly grabbed his hand. "I do hope you're planning to stay the night."
Becker stared at the girl in the wee skirt, amazed by her forwardness. He'd known for some time that she had a crush on him, but he hadn't expected her to proposition him so bluntly, right here in the middle of the ARC. He mumbled a vague, "Uh...," as his brain tried to think of the best way to answer.
But before he could formulate any words, he felt Connor pat him on the back. "Yeah, you should totally join us, mate. Abby packed plenty of sweets for all of us. We'll have a whopping good time, I promise."
"Huh?" Becker wasn't really following because his mind was busy trying to decipher why he felt so disappointed at having misinterpreted Jess's invitation.
"Oh, DO join us, Becker. It shall be such fun."
"Not as much fun as actually BEING there, of course," Connor acquiesced, continuing with a shrug, "but what can we do?"
Jess nodded enthusiastically. "They're doing all-night coverage of the crowds, not to mention assorted background specials on the Royal couple! And Lester agreed to let us project it all on one of the ARC's big monitors!"
"You're staying HERE?" Becker's mind was finally coming back to the present and was now playing catch-up with the conversation.
"Yes, silly," Jess said. "Where else?"
Connor sighed. "Since we can't go camp out in front of the Abbey all night, we're going to make the best of it here."
Becker nodded, finally understanding why Abby had referred to this as a "compromise."
"You will stay?" Jess gushed. "That's brilliant!"
"Hmm?"
Becker suddenly realised his nod of understanding had been misunderstood as a gesture of assent - clearly he wasn't the only one misinterpreting things today! He frantically tried to think of a way to disentangle himself from this mess. "No, I can't. I...uh...didn't bring any clothes to change into."
"Oh, you don't need pyjamas, silly," Jess said. "You don't actually expect us to sleep tonight, do you?"
Becker raised an bemused eyebrow, and he thought he detected just a hint of blush spread across the girl's face.
"And it's not like we blokes HAVE to wear hats tomorrow," Connor teased, grinning up at the trilby that was currently resting atop his head. "Though we did make some brilliant fascinators for Abby and the other girls."
"Would you like to see mine?" Jess asked, grabbing Becker by the hand and dragging him over to the ADD.
This was going to be a long day.
...
Becker was thankful that he'd finally managed to escape the night before. Over the past few years he'd become practically fearless when it came to fighting prehistoric creatures, but the thought of spending an entire night discussing nothing but Royal Wedding details had terrified him. He'd finally used the excuse that he had to get home to "feed his neighbour's cat," and he was extremely grateful to Abby for not blowing the whistle on him - if their positions had been reversed, he probably would've called her bluff just so he'd have some sane company for the evening!
Arriving back at the ARC the next morning, he was suddenly even more grateful to Abby, and he reminded himself that he definitely owed her a pint...or five!
The ARC was barely recognisable, instead resembling a naff tourist shop in Leicester Square. The entire place was hung with souvenir flags, proudly displaying a picture of the Royal couple amidst a Union Jack. There were also red, white, and blue bouquets of fake flowers on every surface as well as balloons and streamers hanging from the grated ceiling. And across Lester's window had been drawn a giant heart with "W + K" inside!
This was certainly no ordinary day!
And his coworkers were dressed in no ordinary clothes. Connor was wearing a black suit jacket, complete with a homemade red-white-and-blue boutonniere and an obviously new hat, and both girls sported hats as well. Abby wore a simple straw one with a corsage matching Connor's boutonniere attached to it, a nod to tradition that contrasted sharply with her everyday shirt and trousers.
Jess's wedding outfit, on the other hand, was clearly coordinated from head to toe. Her red wide-brimmed hat held a huge display of red flowers, feathers, and what could only be described as "artwork" that added nearly 20 centimeters to her height. Her red dress was longer than the skirts she ordinarily wore, but its flared skirt, which looked like something out of 1950s movie, suited her figure perfectly, such that Becker's eyes never even moved down to notice her coordinated red shoes.
Jess's and Connor's eyes were eagerly glued to the ADD's monitor, squealing with delight at everything they saw, so naturally Abby was the first to notice Becker's arrival. The look of sheer joy on her face upon seeing him spoke volumes about how the night had gone.
"How's your neighbour's cat?" she asked with a knowing smirk, and Becker instantly recognized what she was implying - her grueling shift was over, and now it was his turn to take one for the team.
Jess instantly spun around. "Becker! You're finally here!" Her face fell as she took him in. "That's what you're wearing?"
At her disappointed tone, Becker glanced down at his black t-shirt and cargo pants, suddenly feeling oddly guilty for letting Jess down.
"Don't worry, mate," Connor said, rushing over to Becker's side with a boutonniere matching his own. "Jess and I made plenty."
Connor stared blankly at Becker's chest, looking for someplace on his plain t-shirt to pin it. After only a moment, Jess was at their side, taking the boutonniere from Connor. "Here, I'll do it."
She put her hand on Becker's chest, pulling the black fabric away from his skin so she wouldn't stick him with the pin, and Becker suddenly didn't mind having to wear the gawdy thing. Once it was pinned in place, Jess grabbed the soldier's hand and dragged him over to the ADD.
"Have you been watching?" she asked excitedly, continuing before he even had a chance to shake his head. "Her Majesty just conferred the titles of Duke of Cambridge, Earl of Strathearn, and Baron Carrickfergus upon William."
"That means Kate will become Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Cambridge after the wedding," Connor said with as much enthusiasm as he usually showed when discussing dinosaurs.
"Catherine - not Kate."
Everyone jumped at the sound of Lester's voice behind them and turned to look at their guv'ner who, Becker noticed, was already wearing one of Connor's boutonnieres pinned to his striped suit.
"What was that, Lester?" Jess asked, clearly excited that yet another person was showing an interest.
"After the wedding there can be no more of this 'Kate' business," Lester said with great authority. "She shall only be known as Catherine."
"Well, it's not like she's really gonna know, is it?" Connor said with a smile.
"I'LL know," Lester said ominously before turning back towards his office, making Becker wonder what Royal secrets lay beneath his boss's staid exterior.
...
"Oh look! It's the Beckhams!" Jess shrieked. "I told you she'd wear something from her 2011 collection. I TOLD you!"
"And look at HIS top hat and tails - now THAT'S posh!"
As Connor laughed at his own joke, Becker rolled his eyes. This was sheer torture.
The two nutters continued discussing celebrity wedding fashions in the foreground as a figure in the background suddenly caught Becker's eye. He leaned in towards the screen, trying to catch a closer glimpse, but the man disappeared into the church before the soldier could quite recognise him.
"Ooh! Look!" Connor said as the camera view switched to inside the Abbey. "They're showing the choir boys in the stalls! That's so cool!"
"Young boys, Connor?" Becker asked dryly, raising a questioning eyebrow. "Is there something you'd like to tell us?"
"What?"
The innocent look on Connor's face made it clear that he didn't follow Becker's meaning. At least not at first. But when Matt chuckled from across the room, he finally caught on.
"What, no! Nothing like that! I'm no kiddie fiddler!" Connor looked horrified at the suggestion. "They just remind me of the good old days. I was in church choir when I was a boy, you know."
"Really?" Jess seemed impressed. "That's so sweet."
"Was quite good, actually," Connor bragged. "Even had a solo once."
"That's brilliant!"
Connor shook his head, crinkling his nose. "Was rubbish actually. Forgot the words. Never asked me again."
"I sang for a few years as well."
All eyes turned to Lester, who had just emerged from his office again. Straightening his tie, he continued, "Personally, I always preferred Handel and Bach to the more modern anthems."
"'Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring'?" Connor asked eagerly.
Lester nodded. "One of my favourites."
"Brilliant!"
A loud snore erupted from the sleeping bag on the floor where Abby was now taking a much deserved nap.
Becker thought it was the most appropriate commentary of the morning.
...
"This is it!" Connor gushed.
"I'm so excited!" Jess concurred, grabbing Connor's hands as they jumped up and down like a couple of schoolkids.
Becker lightly nudged Abby awake with his foot. She groggily opened her eyes and looked up at him questioningly. He answered with a shrug, not really sure what the big deal was but assuming that Abby might take grief from Connor if she missed it.
On the large monitor of the ADD, a Rolls-Royce was seen pulling up in front of the Abbey. As the door of the car opened, Connor and Jess let out audible gasps as they held their breath in anticipation.
In the next moment, several things happened at once: the bride stepped out of the car, bathed in a golden, sunny glow; Connor & Jess squealed with delight; and the alarms and red lights of the ARC suddenly went off.
Abby was the first to react to this convergence of events - she burst out laughing. This was immediately followed by Connor and Jess both yelling, "NO!" in unison, obviously disappointed that their elaborate celebratory plans were being interrupted.
"Don't worry," Abby said, standing and placing a comforting hand on Connor's shoulder. "We're recording, remember? We can watch it all later."
"Snap to it, people!" Lester barked as he and Matt joined the others at the ADD.
"Where is it, Jess?" Becker asked, kicking himself for having taken so long to react.
The Rolls-Royce disappeared from the detector's screen, replaced by swirling maps of the UK. As the ADD targeted the anomaly's location, the map zoomed in, first to southern England, then to London, and finally to Westminster itself.
"It's right there," Jess said with a gasp. "Right in front of the Abbey."
Becker knew what that meant. The revelation of Kate's wedding dress was nothing compared to this secret getting out.
And depending upon what creatures emerged, tens of thousands of civilians could be in danger.
The team was already halfway across the room when Lester yelled after them, "Protecting the citizenry is our number one priority!"
Becker certainly didn't need reminding.
...
"What's happening, Jess?" Becker asked as he sped the black 4x4 through the city streets. Thanks to Jess's intimate knowledge of the wedding procession route, she'd been able to direct them to the heart of the city without much difficulty, but Becker could tell by the growing crowds of people along the pavement that they would soon have to abandon their vehicles and continue on foot.
"I don't know." Jess's voice, which normally sounded so calm through the intercom, sounded almost frantic. "The anomaly seems to have faded almost immediately, within minutes. And I'm searching the internet for references to something - ANYthing - about creatures or a flickering yellow light, but there's nothing besides comments about the dress."
"How is the dress?" Connor asked eagerly from the backseat.
"Oh, it's beautiful, Connor. White satin, with lace across the top and a long train. In fact, it looks a lot like that dress you showed-"
"Ahem!"
Upon Connor loudly clearing his throat, Jess quickly stopped mid-sentence and then continued, "Oh, right. Sorry...She's wearing a veil, held in place by a tiara that apparently was owned by the Queen and the Queen Mum before her."
"Hair up or down?" Connor asked eagerly.
Becker shook his head - Connor could be such a girl sometimes.
"Down, actually. She looks gorgeous! Oh Connor, I wish you were here so we could watch it together."
Becker sighed, slamming on the brakes as he saw the barricade ahead. "End of the line," he said, throwing open the door and jumping out as the other military vehicles pulled to a stop nearby.
Matt was already out of the car, prepping his weapons. "We go on foot from here."
Not knowing what sort of creature they were likely to encounter, Becker grabbed several sizes of EMDs from the back of the 4x4 and slung them over his shoulder.
"I've cleared everything with the authorities." Lester's voice sounded as calm as ever over the 'com. "They know you're coming, so you shouldn't have a problem getting your weapons past security."
"Let's hope not," Becker mumbled under his breath as he followed Matt towards a policewoman guarding the barricade. Clearly she'd just received word from her superiors for she nodded and stepped aside without a word, letting the team rush straight into the crowd.
"Where to, Jess?" Matt asked as they struggled to make their way through the revelers.
"I told you, it's faded," Jess repeated. "Gone!"
"We know that, Jess," Becker replied. "Just lead us to where it was. If it opens again..."
"And it probably will," Connor broke in.
Becker sighed before continuing, "...we need to be there."
"Make your way up Tufton," Jess directed, "and then cross through Dean's Yard. You should be able to see the Abbey from there."
From behind him, Becker heard, "I can see Abby from here," followed immediately by an annoyed, "Connor!"
As Becker forced his way through the crowd, he saw out of the corner of his eye a policeman directing a newscamera away from the advancing military team. While Becker was grateful to the peace officers for stopping the larger news organizations from covering this story, he knew they couldn't stop the news from spreading through texts and tweets. Becker just hoped that their only news would be the presence of a military team at the wedding...and nothing worse.
...
"Oh Jess, the energy in the crowd here is amazing! I wish you were here."
"Sshhh!"
The last thing Becker needed was Connor nattering on when they were trying to listen to people in the crowd for some sign - ANY sign - of what had happened. But as Jess had explained the results of her internet research, all the overheard chatter was about the wedding and nothing else. On the one hand, Becker was relieved that they weren't having to chase down a G. Rex or hyaenadon through this crowd, but he felt uneasy not knowing what exactly had happened.
"Oi!"
The exclamation from below made Becker pause with his foot in mid-air. He caught his balance and set his foot back down on the ground only centimeters from the source of the voice.
A petulant 10-year-old boy lying on the ground at Becker's feet set aside his Gameboy and glared up at the soldier.
"You should watch where you're going, mate," the boy reprimanded.
"You really think this is the best place to lie about?" Becker asked dryly, surprised the boy hadn't already been stepped on by the crowd.
The boy shrugged, not making any effort to move from his position on the grass. "Can't go no place else. Stuck here with me mum and sisters." He gestured to the cluster of squealing girls and women Becker had just passed through.
"Weddings aren't your thing?" Becker teased, kneeling down so he could be closer to the boy, having a gut feeling that this was someone he needed to interview.
The boy rolled his eyes. "Rather be off playing footy today meself, but I didn't have much say."
Becker nodded. "I know how you feel."
"Don't give me that. You dressed up for this," the boy said accusingly, pointing towards Becker's chest where Connor's boutonniere still remained pinned, somewhat worse for wear.
Becker sighed - he'd forgotten all about it. "I didn't have much say either," he admitted.
The boy laughed and nodded knowingly. "Is she pretty?"
Becker smiled - this boy was quite a piece of work.
But instead of answering the question, Becker asked one of his own. "Have you seen anything strange today?"
"You kidding? You don't get much stranger than me sisters playing Pretty Pretty Princess!"
Becker shook his head. "I mean anything out of the ordinary, NOT related to the wedding?"
"Oh, you mean like that flickering yellow light up in the sky?"
Becker's head spun around to look above him.
"Not now, daftie. That was ages ago." Clearly bored with the conversation, the boy picked up his Gameboy and launched into his game again.
But Becker wasn't done with him. "Did anyone else see it?"
The boy put down his game again. "What? The flickering light? You kidding? Everyone was too busy watching the wedding."
"And you didn't say anything about it?"
"'Course I said something! It was a bleedin' flickering light. But me mum told me to stop grousing - thought I was pulling their plonker - so I let it go. It weren't there for long no how, so I decided not to make a song and dance 'bout it." The boy again lifted his Gameboy and returned to his playing.
But Becker had an eyewitness, and he wasn't about to let him go till he had all the details he needed. "Did you see anything come out of it?"
"Out of what?" The boy was clearly annoyed at being interrupted again.
"The...flickering light," Becker said, carefully using the same phrase the boy had used.
The boy looked skeptical. "Like what?"
Becker shrugged, trying to sound nonchalant. "Birds? Insects? ... A flying dinosaur maybe?"
The boy dropped his game and glared at Becker. "Now you're pulling my plonker. Shove off."
Becker knew he wouldn't get anything more out of the boy, but he'd found out what he needed to know. Clearly there had been no creature incursion, and the boy was definitely no threat to the integrity of the ARC's secrecy. And since the boy was conceivably the only person in the entire crowd who'd been looking up at the time...
Looking up!
"Jess," Becker said into his earpiece as he stood up and started making his way back through the crowd towards the Abbey. "Didn't you say something about there being a flyover after the wedding?"
"Yes. There's to be a Royal Air Force Battle of Britain Memorial Flight to celebrate the wedding. It's to include a Lancaster bomber, a Spitfire and a-"
"I don't care about the planes, Jess. I need to know when."
"Uh...let me see." Becker could hear Jess typing away before she answered, "Here it is. It's scheduled for later, when the Royal Couple is on the balcony. About...two hours from now?"
Becker instantly understood the weight of the situation. In a couple hours, every eye in London would be focused on the sky where, less than 30 minutes ago, an anomaly had opened up.
"What is it, Becker?" Matt asked through the intercom, clearly sensing the nervousness in the soldier's voice.
Becker answered with a single word.
"Trouble."
...
Becker hated feeling so helpless. But what more could they do? They couldn't control whether the anomaly opened again. They couldn't control whether, if and when it did open, a creature might appear. They couldn't control if the entire world discovered what they'd worked so hard for years to hide. Instead, all they could do was sit and wait and hope for the best.
And that was not how Becker liked to pass his time.
He was a doer. A fighter. Connor hadn't called him "Action Man" for nothing. He didn't have a problem facing down his enemies in open combat, be they Afghanis or dinosaurs. But this kind of waiting made him nervous. When he was doing, he was in control. But now, NOTHING was in his control.
And he didn't like it.
"Captain Becker?"
Becker instantly recognised the voice behind him and spun around. "Philip Burton," he said, making his way through the crowd towards the head of Prospero Industries. Taking in the famous entrepreneur's suit, Becker realised that this was the figure he'd almost recognised on the telly, entering the church behind the Beckhams.
"What are you doing here?" Becker asked, surprised to see him.
Philip patted his breast pocket with a smug smile. "One doesn't turn down a Royal invitation. But I didn't want to let it 'round the ARC, you see - thought there might be some...hurt feelings."
Becker smiled to himself as he imagined Connor and Jess arm-wrestling over who would get to be Philip's plus-one and realised that Philip had made the correct decision in keeping it a secret.
"And what about you?" Philip asked. "Never pictured you as a Royalist. And I didn't think Lester was giving anyone the day off for the festivities."
"He didn't."
After a brief moment, Philip's face grew pale as he slowly understood the implications. He swung his head around, frantically looking for an anomaly.
"Where? When? Was it contained?"
Becker nodded. "In a sense. It appeared only briefly, but no one saw it." At Philip's questioning glance, Becker nodded up towards the sky with his head. "But we're worried it might open again, so we thought we should..."
"Oh, absolutely! No question! You must stay here and try to contain things." Philip shook his head and mumbled to himself, "This shouldn't have happened. Connor should've figured out how to control them by now. The creatures are just a distraction - I need to make him focus on..." He trailed off as if suddenly remembering that Becker was still there, placidly listening. Philip quickly smiled, a charming smile that convinced most people of his sincerity.
But not Becker. There had been something in Philip's tone that had seemed almost ominous.
And Becker knew that he and Philip approached the world in very different ways. Whereas Becker was a man of action, always willing to put himself on the line, Philip was a man of money, convinced that all problems could be solved by throwing enough money at them.
Or enough power.
And neither was going to help in this case.
"Well, I best be off then," Philip said, his smile starting to wane under Becker's intense scrutiny. "I wouldn't want to get in your way. And it's seems like you're doing everything you can."
Becker nodded. Unfortunately the entrepreneur was right - they WERE doing everything they could.
But Becker wasn't sure that was going to be enough.
...
The team had converged in front of the Abbey, waiting for the countdown. Surveying the surrounding streets, Becker was amazed at how quickly the crowds had dispersed after the wedding. Of course, the revelers hadn't gone home - instead they'd merely changed locations, moving en masse down the Mall, eager to catch a glimpse of the newly married Royal Couple sharing their first kiss upon the balcony of Buckingham Palace.
And that would be the moment of truth, but not in the way most of Britain - or the world, for that matter - imagined. For after the kiss, all eyes would be turned towards the skies. And there was a very good chance that an anomaly might be shining directly back at them.
They'd been lucky so far in that it hadn't reopened yet, though in a sense this made Becker even more nervous. Most anomalies stayed open for more than just a few minutes, so why hadn't this one? Why had it closed so quickly? Why hadn't it reopened? Why was it acting so weird?
Becker remembered overhearing Connor talking to Philip about how the anomalies appeared to be changing, becoming more frequent. Perhaps Philip was right. If only Connor could focus the same energy he'd put into this wedding into solving the reasons for the anomalies.
But that wasn't going to happen in the next few minutes.
Over the 'com, Jess was giving up-to-the-minute accounts of what was happening at the Palace. It would've seemed completely unprofessional, yet it was the only indication they had as to when the flyover would be.
"The curtains are moving! I think this is it! Yes, here they come! The Royal Couple is out on the balcony! Oh, and here come the pageboys and bridesmaids and the rest of the family! Yes, they're all out now, waving. One of the pageboys just asked Wills something and he pointed up at the sky - I'm guessing he was asking about the flyover. It should be soon. Oh, and Wills and Kate - I mean the Duke and Duchess - they just kissed!"
Becker didn't need to be told. The massive cheer coming from the Mall could be heard even from where they were. Out of the corner of his eye, Becker caught Connor and Abby share a discrete kiss, and he couldn't help but smile, knowing his friends were so happy together.
Glancing up at the sky again, Becker just wanted this flyover to be finished so they'd be in the clear. Not that the anomaly reopening in the middle of Westminster would be particularly good at ANY time, but opening in the next few minutes would be beyond inopportune.
Becker strained his ears, hoping to hear the approach of the planes, but he couldn't hear anything over Jess's running commentary:
"And they're still waving. Oh, and littlest bridesmaid is covering her ears - it's so cute! I imagine the roar must be incredible from up there! Oh! And they just kissed again! Two kisses! That was totally unexpected! I can't-"
"Jess!" Matt said, and she instantly stopped, allowing Becker and the others to hear what Matt must've already heard - the approach of the flyover.
Becker held his breath as he looked at the sky, hoping their luck would hold for just a few more minutes.
The three WWII aircraft suddenly appeared in the sky, and the sound of the cheers along the Mall could be heard once again wafting across St. James Park as the planes circled the Palace.
A moment later the four modern jets followed, causing cheers from not just the crowds but from the ARC team as well - they had successfully dodged a major bullet.
Afterwards, Matt called the team together. "I want some men to stay here through the rest of the day and tonight, just in case. We need people here if it opens again."
All eyes turned expectantly towards Connor, hoping he might have some insight as to the anomaly's weird behaviour.
"I don't understand it," Connor admitted. "No anomaly's ever opened for so short a time. It doesn't make sense. 'Course, the anomalies have all been acting a bit off lately. Hopefully we'll have an answer soon, but-"
Matt continued, "But for now, we'll proceed as planned."
Becker gathered the soldiers together, indicating to them who would take the first shift. He, himself, planned to head back to the ARC and promised to send back replacements in a few hours.
As the rest of the team made their way back to the 4x4s, Becker heard Abby comment to Connor, "What a day, huh?"
"What a wedding!"
Abby turned to him, clearly coming to some sort of decision. "Okay, okay. You've been good all day, and I know you're ready to burst. So go ahead. Just say it."
"Really?" Connor sounded as excited as if they'd just announced a new Star Wars movie. "You won't get...upset?"
Abby shook her head patiently. "No, Connor. Just say it."
Connor took a deep breath and then burst out, "I want a carriage."
Matt and Abby both burst out laughing as Becker turned to stare confusedly at Connor, completely lost as to what this conversation was all about.
"You want a carriage," Abby repeated, trying not giggle.
Connor nodded earnestly. "PLEASE?"
"C'mon, let him have one!" Jess's voice sounded through the 'com.
Abby slowly nodded. "You can have a carriage."
"YES!"
Becker watched as Connor grabbed Abby and gave her a passionate kiss in the middle of Dean's Yard, thoroughly convinced that his coworkers had both completely lost their minds.
...
"'The sighting of Middleton's wedding gown - the biggest secret of the day - prompted swoons of admiration as she stepped out of a Rolls-Royce with her father at the Abbey. Against all odds, the sun broke through steely gray skies at precisely that moment.'"*
Jess finished reading from the news report on-screen, and all eyes turned expectantly towards Lester.
"The biggest secret indeed." He gave a nod, adding, "Good work," before turning back towards his office.
"Yes!" Connor said, sharing high-fives first with Abby and then Jess and Matt. When he raised his hand to Becker, the soldier merely gave him a look which made Connor quickly drop his hand.
"We were lucky," Matt stated succinctly.
Connor's enthusiasm was suddenly replaced by guilt. "I know, I know. I'll get back to researching immediately."
He slunk his shoulders and started to head back towards his lab, but Matt stopped him. "Not today, Connor. Go home. Get some sleep."
Connor's cheer returned as he and Jess shared a look. "Watch the wedding!"
Matt laughed. "Fine. Do what you need to do. Just come in rested, ready to work tomorrow."
They both nodded eagerly, like schoolkids promising to do their homework if they can just watch spot of telly first.
As they started to collect their kit, Abby flashed Becker a desperate look. He knew precisely what speaking up now would entail, and while he much preferred to simply go home and forget about this entire day, he owed it to her to help out.
"Let's all go down to the pub to celebrate," Becker offered, eliciting a grateful smile from Abby. "A wedding toast - first round's on me," he added, looking pointedly back at the blonde.
"Brilliant!" Connor said. "I'm in!"
"And then you can come home with us and watch the wedding!"
Becker forced a smile. "Love to."
"Yay!" Jess was so caught up in the moment that she gave Becker a quick peck on the cheek before either of them really realised what she was doing. Afterwards, she turned away embarrassedly, muttering something about packing, clearly wanting the moment to pass without comment.
Connor, however, flashed Becker a conspiratorial grin. "Weddings put some people in the mood," he whispered, nodding his head towards Jess and wiggling his eyebrows suggestively.
Becker grinned back.
He suddenly realised he was counting on it.
...
* Note - this is an actual line of a news story by Vox Bikol that was reproduced in newspapers and websites all over the world!