There is someone new at the ARC. Jess contemplates the new woman.
It had been two weeks, Jess thinks, two weeks since the ARC had gotten a new member. As she looked up from her work she saw the dark-haired woman stand in the middle of the room engrossed in a model left by Nick Cutter.
It had been exactly thirteen days ago that Jess had found out that this woman wasn't new at all. She had worked here before. It had been obvious by the way Abby and Connor had jumped her, by the way Lester had nodded a greeting as if she had always been there and by the way Becker seemed comfortable around the woman
It had been twelve days since Jess realized that she was uncomfortable with this new woman. It wasn't as if she bad to be around but Jess just felt left out. Felt left out when she heard the new one and Abby talk about saving the creatures coming through the anomalies and arguing with everyone who wanted to harm one. She felt left out when even though she should be the tech-person it seemed to be the new woman who understood everything Connor said. It seemed to be her who helped the boy and reconstructed said model with him. She felt left out when the woman was arguing with Lester as if he had no authority. Most of all she she felt left out whenever Becker would go to the new woman to help her with something as if it was only natural for him to work with Connor and the new woman instead of checking on the security. These were the little things but they were what made Jess worried.
It had been seven days since the womans arrival that Jess found out that she was far from perfect. While the team was at a mission she had heard one or two things. She was afraid of most insects and disliked the others with a passion. She was a magnet for trouble and mostly she had a problem with obeying orders. Another factor that seemed to bring the new woman in troublesome situations, something Jess had seen more than once already. Still it seemed as if these mistakes made Jess feel some sympathy for her.
It had been four days since Jess had started to somehow like the new woman. She had driven her home when her car had been broken. The woman had encouraged her when she hadn't known what to do and the woman had been there when everyone else had headed out, keeping her company. And really Jess had never been someone who disliked people without a reason.
It had been three days ago that Jess had seen the new woman snap. Sarah, as that was her name she had asked Jess to call her, had screamed. She had been mad at Matt for doing something during a mission. Jess didn't know what it had been but just seeing the third woman on the team so mad had made her think it had been something big. Matt had cowered if only for a second. Yes Sarah was not someone you would want as your enemy. Still the passion Sarah had shown had impressed Jess.
It had been two days ago that Jess had found that something was wrong. The way Matt was looking at Sarah ever since the incident scared her. As if she was a variable he couldn't get, as if she was an enemy. As if she could be a keystone in a series of events that he did not trust to turn out his way anymore. Yes Matt watched everyone pretty closely but the way his eyes strayed to Sarah, the way they looked so unreadable scared her. Jess didn't like it at all, this look.
It had been one day ago that Jess had been saved by the same woman who was responsible for her heart breaking into pieces. It had been early when Jess had entered the ARC. Not much later when she had gotten her coffee her world had crashed. She had seen Sarah kiss someone. Passionately. She had cheered for her new 'friend'. Than she had seen that it was Becker who was the other participant in this not entirely work-place fitting activity. She had barely made it through the day and had mostly ignored the worried questions from everyone else.
The day had been hell so it nearly had been no suprise when a man with a gun had attacked her on her way home. Only when he had gotten a dose of pepper-spray in his eyes had he run away. Her saviour had been Sarah who had come after her because she had been worried. They had talked that night.
It was today that she thought that things would be alright. She could live with the way things were. If she got a little jealous whenever Becker stood just a little too close to Sarah, when the two of them just vanished or when she saw them leave together it was alright. It was alright because for the first time since she worked at the ARC she saw Becker smile without any worry left in his eyes. It was alright because she had found a new friend to talk to, one who was confident enough for both of them whenever Jess lacked in confidence and one who would listen to her rant about anything, even Becker, without getting mad or angry. Yes, Jess thought, things were alright. Maybe. Still she kept her eyes open. Whatever mood had gotten into Matt those days ago had left. That didn't mean that she liked the look he was giving Becker and Sarah at the precise moment. As if he had found the greatest weakness of someone he had been afraid not to be able to overcome before. And while she didn't know why she feared that what she saw might be true.
Letting her eyes stray from Matt she saw Lester in his office throwing an obviously sarcastic remark at the man standing in front of him. She saw Abby and Connor sitting in front of a computer searching some specifics about their new pet-creature and she saw Sarah being totally engrossed in Cutters model while Becker stood behind her listening with his hand on her hip and a small smile on his face.
Just as Jess wanted to get up for another coffe the alarm went off. A new anomaly. Some things never changed.