Title: Bugged, Chapter One

Author: Pinkcat4569

Description: Jess is bugged: by some frightful creatures and by a certain Captain's ongoing teasing flirtations and overly protective nature.

Rating: Teen, not for anything specific. Mild language and flirtations but nothing adult. Creature situations, nothing graphic.

Pairing/Characters: Becker/Jess, season 4 and 5 main characters. Pre-relationship.

Disclaimer: I only write for fun. I don't own Primeval or the characters.

Author's Note: This involves a future species that I made up. I hope the logic is sound with all the timey-wimey stuff. (No, I don't own that phrase, either.)

15,131 words total, broken into chapters, maybe twelve. 1045 words this chapter.

Bugged, Chapter One

Jess walked into the ADD. She sighed.

"How are you today, Miss Parker?"

"I'm bugged, Morty."

"Sorry?" asked the tall, handsome soldier with well-defined muscles. In fact, if she wasn't stuck on his superior officer, she'd go for the private.

"It's that time of year, Morty. It's spring." She sighed. "Party time for all insects, and unfortunately, sneeze, hives, and sometimes coma time for me."

"That's horrible, Miss Parker."

"How many times must I tell you? Call me Jess."

He smiled. "I can't."

"Why?"

He laughed. "I value my life highly. The captain is very clear: you're Miss Parker."

She blushed. "Stop. You make me sound like...I'm special."

"Oh, you are, Miss. Trust me, you are."

She blushed again and smiled. "You're exaggerating but...thank you."

"So...bugs are not your favorite things, huh?"

"No! They're creepy, horrible little monsters!"

"I'll say," said a voice. "They almost killed you."

Jess turned around and instantly beamed. "Hi, Becker."

"Jess. Private Fray."

The private nodded. "Captain."

"How are you this morning, Becker?" asked Jess.

"Fine. You? You aren't in need of an epi pen, are you?"

She laughed. "No, thankfully. I was just telling Morty why I hate spring. Well, part of spring. I love the warm air, the sunshine, the green plants popping up, the pastel colors coming back to fashion and of the shorter skirts obviously."

"Did you call him 'Morty?"

"Oh, no Sir!" snapped the private, very quickly. "You...misheard, Sir."

Jess smiled. "Um...yes, you did."

"I don't think so," Becker said. He turned to the soldier. "You've been warned about fraternization, about showing respect..."

"Oh, good heavens, Becker," said Jess. "You're overreacting, besides, he didn't do anything. I'm the one who used a first name."

"Ah-ha! You admit it!" cried Becker, snapping back at her.

She rolled her eyes. "Becker! Wait...you seem upset," she said with a smile.

He blushed. "Of course I'm upset. My soldiers are lax in discipline."

"Sheesh, Becker," said Jess, walking down the hall. "Sorry, Morty," she called back.

"Fray! You call him Fray, Jessica!" he yelled, following after her.

As they left, Private Morton Fray counted his blessings that the captain was distracted.

The lift opened to Ops and Jess stepped out followed by Becker asking, "Just how many soldiers do call by first names?"

"Becker, you're bugging me!"

"I'm trying to maintain an atmosphere of professional respect..."

"By freaking out because I'm on a first name basis with your soldiers?"

"How many?"

"It's none of your business!"

He stood still, smarting. "I'm trying to protect you."

She scoffed. "From what?"

"From...insubordination."

She laughed loudly. "I'm not one of your soldiers."

He scoffed. "Obviously. You don't know your boundaries."

She turned on him. "My what? Who are you to give me boundaries?"

"I'm the military leader here, that's who."

Jess shook her head. "Go away, Becker. You're..."

"Bugging you. I know! You're bugging me too!"

He stomped back to the lift and got in.

Jess sighed, sitting at the ADD. "What was that?"

"That...was a man," said a fellow coordinator. "One who's too stupid to realize how much he's smitten with you." She winked at Jess.

Jess smiled, bashfully. "Stop it, Sylvia. I've told you before. He doesn't see me as anything more than a friend."

"And I've told you...he may think that, but he's lying to himself. He's crazy for you."

"You're delusional."

The slightly gray haired woman laughed. "Not for at least ten years yet, dear."

Jess giggled. "You aren't old!"

"Yes, I am and I look positively ancient beside you."

Jess shook her head. "Stop!"

"So...the Captain and you are having a tiff?"

"No. He's being stupid."

"So what else is knew? What's wrong?"

"I called a soldier by his first name and Becker went nuts. Who does he think he is?"

"He thinks he's your casual friend. He's not..."

"Sylvia! He is! He' s just...weird."

Sylvia snorted.

"He's all professional. It drives me crazy when he is in super soldier mode."

"I'm afraid you'll have to get used to it. He is a soldier."

"I know. I know. He goes too far sometimes." She sighed. "Ugh! I need to stop thinking about him! I...I need to focus on work."

"Yes, that will help," said Sylvia. "For now." She laughed lightly at the frustrated lead coordinator.

Less than an hour later, the ADD blared. Becker ran in, then the team. "What have we got?" he asked.

"Trouble. Bad trouble," said Jess.

Becker looked at her. She met him with fear in her eyes. It shook him. "Easy, Jess."

She shook her head. "Becker...it's horrible."

She showed him and the rest of the team the footage. "First it was just one," she said as the screens showed a huge insect-like creature. They resembled a wasp, with the segmented body, but they also resembled mosquitoes with the gossamer like wings and the long tube for sucking blood.

They were also about 2 and a half feet long.

"One was bad," said Jess.

Images played of a single creature attacking. It hovered around a victim, then it dove in and seemed to bite.

"Now though..." said Jess. The monitors now showed swarms of the things.

"God!" cried Abby. "There are hundreds!"

Jess nodded. She began to shake.

Becker put his arm on her shoulder.

On the screens, more people were attacked.

"Let's go," said Matt, tossing them all black boxes. "Jess, we'll need help."

"I've mobilized all available teams and I'm recalling those on leave and other shifts."

"Good," said the team leader. They all headed out.

But Becker squeezed her shoulder. "It will be OK," he said gently.

She nodded. "Be careful, Becker."

He nodded.

The team left.

"Sylvia, we need help too."

"I'll call all available coordinators in," she said.

"And locate the unavailable ones," said Jess.

"Right."

Jess, Sylvia, and the other coordinators managed multiple teams. Within hours it became obvious that Jess had been right. They were in bad trouble.

End of Chapter One