Hello. Blimey, can you believe it's been a whole year since I left poor Jess and Becker as friends in 'Say Something'? Well, I've finally got an idea and the time (sort of) to work on it, so I've decided I couldn't leave them there.

However, I TRY TO MAKE SURE ALL MY STORIES CAN BE READ ALONE, so please don't be put off if you haven't done that. Just a quick catch up (though feel free to read 'Say Something' if you haven't already):

Scott, Becker's flatmate, and Jess had started to date, though both to kept it from Becker; Jess wanted to see if Scott was better than Becker and Scott had secrets. When Becker found out, he revealed Scott'd cheated on a past girlfriend, but Jess forgave him. Becker and Scott competed for Jess (though Becker stated he just wanted to protect her from Scott). Though Becker's date was interrupted by a dinosaur, but Scott gave her orange chocolate and it was enough for Jess to return to Becker, though the pair decided they needed time before embarking on anything more.

Phew! I didn't realise so much had happened last time. Anyway, poor Jess and Becker are about to be thrown back into trouble again. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: Nope, still don't own Primeval.

Becker had the house to himself. Ok, Scott had been around to pick up some clean clothes, but the only evidence of his presence was the tea mug he left unwashed on the kitchen sideboard. While Becker was in the house, he was on his own.

Jess hadn't been around again. Becker didn't quite know what to make of this, whether he should be offended or indifferent. However, considering the situation would only be worse if she did come over, he decided she was actually making a very wise decision.

His logical side told him not to dwell on the issue, that this was the reason why he hadn't just whisked away straight after she'd returned early from her date with Scott. Returned to him. It was an emotional mess and these sorts of things needed a step back. It needed time. Unfortunately, his mind was obsessing the question of how much time. Damn his mind.

And so, Becker decided to do what he did best. That is, delve into his work as deeply as possible. This provided great hilarity for the evening shift, who were suddenly granted the extra physical presence of their Captain as he worked a little later and a little later and a little later...

They knew it was probably something to do with Jess. Let's face it, when their Captain was acting odd, it was nearly always to do with Jess.

Jess at work seemed to be settling back down into the old routine well. She just typed, co-ordinated and found various excuses to go down to the security department; this was normal. Also, there'd been no weeping, no overeating, no lavish tattoos... no matter how hard Connor tried when they went past the parlour by the grocery store.

However, Abby found that a newly single Jess took even more time than when in the middle of a relationship crisis. They'd had three film nights, two swimming trips and had a friendly meal and cinema trip. All in about week. On top of that, Jess never seemed to settle in her own company and kept starting conversations that lasted hours at a time.

None of these things were unusual alone, but together Abby realised that Jess seriously needed someone else to take her mind off events. Someone who isn't Abby. Someone from outside their flat and their work.

She was still wondering when one Friday Jess found an envelope for her when she got home. It was a pale violet colour, neatly hand addressed. Jess squealed as she read it.

"What is it?" asked Abby, looking up from cooking the evening meal for the three of them,

"My friend Janet's getting married. That's so sweet. I knew her and Paul from secondary school. They make the most adorable couple – apart from you and Connor, of course." Abby nodded her thanks; she'd hardly call her and Connor adorable, but it was a compliment she was willing to take.

She then stood through a ten minute explanation of how the happy couple flirted during geography, presented roses in the common room on Valentine's Day and shared ice-cream at lunchtime. Eventually, once Jess started on more sugar-coated memories about how she and Janet planned their future weddings together, Abby had to break her reminiscing.

"So... when is it?" she politely questioned, in a bid to avoid being physically sick.

"Not for nine months. They were always so organised. I remember this one time..."

Abby let Jess go on as she took the invite herself so she could avoid having to ask further questions. As she did though, a slip from it fell to the floor. She bent to pick it up and read through it curiously.

"Jess?" she said frowning. "This slip..."

"Isn't it just the reply slip? I didn't really check it." The brunette picked up a towel to dry her hands.

"It is a reply slip, but... Jess, someone's already ticked the 'plus one' box. In pen. And there's a note at the bottom. 'Jess, if you need any help getting a plus one, I can recommend some lovely boys Paul now works with. But you're bringing someone, 'cos you at least have to have a date at what should've been our joint wedding.' Winky face. ' Love Janet. Xx'" Abby half-gasped, half-laughed. Jess' smile fell slightly.

"She didn't. Oh, she always was so meddlesome. I can't believe her." She snatched the piece of paper off Abby and re-read it. "I can't go with someone from Paul's office! It'd be like admitting I can find no-one better. Why did she do that?" Jess got more and more agitated until eventually Abby grabbed her arm.

"Jess! Calm down. Just take Becker."

Jess gasped. "I can't do that!" she squeaked.

"I thought you two had practically agreed to go out with each other anyway. After this break."

"No. We merely didn't put a full-stop to the issue. We agreed to be friends and give it time. We need to take things slowly."

Abby felt like hitting her head against a brick wall. Given that Jess hadn't dissolved into depression at the break-up with Scott and things seemed smooth with Becker, she'd felt she'd dodged a bullet, though she also felt it showed there was no bullet in the first place. Her flatmate had never been in love or even remotely attracted to Scott during their two and a half month relationship. Which considering the chaos it had caused was both a relief and so frustrating.

Now it seemed that the emotionally inept Becker had merely knocked one man away to leave a hole, not fill it. As Jess babbled on about how things would work out given enough time, Abby couldn't help feeling that Becker needed a kick.

After all, how was he spending his evening?

It had started off well. He'd got home about eight, cooked a simple meal, which had turned out nicely and was settling into clearing and tidying the house. It still felt rather empty, but Becker was slowly getting used to Scott's absence.

It was just as he was putting the last dish away that the doorbell went. Becker was immediately alert. The landlord shouldn't be calling and there'd be any salesman around at this hour. Which left...

"Scott," he stated. The other man stood on the doorstep, but Becker didn't really know what to say. Instead, he stood there until Scott coughed awkwardly.

"This is actually my home still too, you know. So, I'm just putting it out there; I'm coming in." He pushed past the Captain, slightly grumpily. Becker shut the door and followed Scott to the living room.

There, the two men glanced each other up and down. For Scott, this was a quick task, as Becker was never going to let himself go to the point of a dirty T-shirt or hair out of place if he could help it. Scott, though, wore a five o'clock shadow and looked generally slightly tired around the eyes and the way he was slumped.

"Guessing you heard what happened," he said eventually. "Never buying girl orange chocolate again." A sad smile flickered across both men's faces. "To think you came back looking like you'd fought a bear and yet my date was worse!" The flat exclamation in his voice told of his frustration. Becker almost winced at the guilt he felt towards his friend.

"Scott, I'm sorry..." the Captain began gently.

"You're sorry?!" Scott suddenly cried. "Becker, everything was going perfectly. Perfectly. And then you ruin it and get the girl! How many dates have you been on with her?"

"None. Scott..."

"Oh I know. You're taking things slowly. Never let anything go faster than a tectonic plate movement. You ripped us apart so you could sit there and do nothing! If you're in love with her, fine. That, I can accept. Just about. But don't stop her seeing someone, seeing me, so you can just wallow in fantasy."

"You weren't right together!" argued Becker.

"No, we were right together. We were right until you told her we weren't. And the cracks seeped in. Do you know why? Girls don't like being told to think twice, because they generally do and there's always something which isn't quite right."

"Jess is better than that."

"Than me?"

"Yes!"

Becker regretted the word as soon as he said it. There was a deadly silence as Scott just glared at him. Finally, the other man just breathed out what Becker knew to be violent anger and concentrated on patient rage instead.

"Your reasons for believing that won't change, will they?" Becker didn't reply. "What happens if I start dating a new girl? Would you tell her?"

Becker tried to fill the air. "If you were happy with the girl, if I was sure you were settled..."

"I was happy. I was settled. A good friend would've left it at that. They'd have bitten their reaction and been happy for me. For us. Especially you, the Captain who is so good at not showing a glimmer of emotion."

Becker felt his body clench at the accusation as every fibre of him protested against it, but his mind couldn't put that into words, because putting the feeling into words is what was hard. His jaw tightened and he folded his arms tightly, avoiding Scott's gaze.

Scott knew he'd overstepped a line somewhere. He and Becker were good enough friends before for him to sense the Captain's mood. He drew back and decided to stick with business.

"My brother's flatmate has moved in with his girlfriend, so there's an opening. I'm picking my stuff up over this weekend and will be gone by Monday." Silence. "I can't live with you. You and Jess... there's something there, I'll admit, and I don't want to become the evil guy who constantly undermining it, but equally I can't watch it happen. Sorry."

As Scott left the room, Becker felt more alone than he had done before. He'd lost one of his closest friends and suddenly the house seemed too big for him. Probably because it was.

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