Author: yeknodelttil
Series: Primeval
Rating: K+
Genre: Romance
Spoilers: Episode 5x03 (Victorian London)
Disclaimer: I don't own Primeval; this is purely for the enjoyment of its fans created by a fan.
A/N: Its been a while since I've published a fic online, I've got plenty of them in bits and pieces across I don't know how many memory sticks. I hope you enjoy this. It's been torture waiting for series 5, I was so glad when the DVDs came out. (You'd never believe how protective I am of them).
Set after 5x03 but before 5x04YEKNODELTTILYEKNODELTTIL
Usually a funeral meant unforgiving rain, cold, biting wind and tears. This time there were none. The warm, sunny summer's day made the day seem less sombre somehow.
Emily had insisted on an outdoor ceremony for Henry, the only time he'd set foot in church was for the day she thought she'd lost her future. The Godless man, however, used religion to put her in her place.
A shadow crossed her face as the door to the mausoleum closed for the final time. Becker had offered to place the ashes inside Henry's tomb instead of her, an offer she'd uncharacteristically accepted. Inside she knew her own grave lay, prepared for her body over a century ago, next to Henry's. The thought chilled her to the bone. She'd never lie in state next to him, never. The team would respect her wishes.
Emily felt no loss at Henry's death. Of course she wouldn't wish death or death in that manner on anyone but fondness had not grown between them, Emily had doubted it ever would. All feeling of respect she had once held for him had vanished upon her return to Victorian London – his adulterous accusations and worry for his own character had finally closed her off from him. Where once she played the dutiful wife who tried to make her marriage last, she had seen true love and how they worked together to make it last. Ethan and Charlotte. Connor and Abby. Instead her heart had been given to and received by a soft speaking Irishman. Her presence at Henry's funeral was her last duty as his wife.
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"Hey, you okay?" Emily jumped at the soft-spoken question, her raven locking flailing in the soft breeze as she wiped her head around to face who was speaking to her. Matt offered her a gentle smile before placing a hand on her shoulder, offering some comfort.
"I'm fine, really I am." She insisted, ignoring his sceptical eyebrow. Turning fully she looked up at the rusted letters of 'MERCHANT' above the door. The once glistening gold letters looked dull, they had begun to rust when she first visited the place nearly 150 years ago. "I never loved Henry, ours was a family match nothing more. Although I had hoped he would become a friend."
"You lived with him."
"For less than half a year in total. The anomaly took me early in our marriage, when Henry sent me to investigate it in the garden and afterwards I was only with him for a few months." Anger built within her she never had the luxury of love, simply growing resentment.
"He was your husband." If Matt was trying to provoke a response for her the only one he'd get would be a punch. Not very lady like but she didn't care at that moment.
Emily's eyes narrowed but Matt wasn't concerned he'd seen that look before. "He stole my life. He and my father. Now I have it back." She jerked forward pulling herself free from his grasp. "We need to get back to the ARC." That ended the conversation.
Matt watched as Emily made her way towards Abby and Becker. He wasn't sure what to say, he knew she wasn't happily married but she *was* married. Emily surely was bound to crack sooner or later wasn't she?
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The dress crunched softly as it was dropped into the laundry basket. The dress would be disposed of, never would she wear it again.
Reaching into the wardrobe that still held her old clothes she pulled out a familiar item. A white, slightly creased shirt.
Her hands didn't drop the shirt on the bed instead she brought it closer to her face, inhaling the scent. The shirt she'd originally borrowed still held Matt's unique scent.
Without any more hesitation she slipped it on.
Just as she finished dressing a knock came on the door. Emily sighed knowing she would have to answer it her name was displayed on the outside, these wristbands were useless at achieving secrecy once used. Although Becker would say that was the whole point of them. If it was Matt it would take all of her restraint not to strangle him.
She waved her wrist over the sensor bar to allow her visitor to enter the room. As the door opened the flash of bright colour told her that she someone's life had been saved.
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"How are you feeling?" Jess questioned once she was fully settled on the bed.
"Free for the first time in years." Emily smiled widely at her, Jess seemed unsure at first but quickly smiled after searching the older woman's face carefully for any sign of deception. Jess looked around the room; there were no immediate signs of Emily staying there indefinitely.
"Where are you staying?"
"Lester's letting me stay at the company flat for a few days until I'm settled."
"You could always come and stay with me." Jess pulled her skirt down a bit more, her small shifting of weight on the bed was making it ride up.
"I can't inconvenience you like that."
"You know sometimes I think only Matt can understand you when you talk like that." The mention of Matt made the light atmosphere disappear, replaced by a more heavy sombre one. Jess frantically searched the room for something to talk about, before cursing as her curiosity was the only thing on her mind. "What did you do with your ring?"
The symbol of her marriage had vanished once she returned to the ARC after meeting Matt once again.
"It's gone, and I don't care where." She paused; there was no evidence that she ever wore a ring. There wasn't an indentation nor a tan line. "If I could I'd have thrown it back through the anomaly, as far as I was concerned my marriage began there and it ended there."
"You really know what you want." Jess reached across and squeezed her hand; Emily needed someone on her side. Someone to understand her point of view. In Emily's shoes she would've done the same thing; she couldn't imagine being married to someone she didn't love.
"I had time for regrets." Emily sighed.
"He missed you too. I know he doesn't really show anything to anyone but don't be too hard on him. He was less gloomy when you were around. Honestly, you have no idea how many fights I've had to stop between two little boys."
"That bad."
"You have no idea. I had to switch Becker's timetable for a week just to keep them apart." Emily laughed; the brotherly banter had obviously gone to an extreme while she was away. "Don't be too hard on him," The conversation took a serious turn. "I think he's worried that you'll think he's taking advantage of you."
"I missed him too." Jess tipped her head giving Emily a warm look. A jerking of her head towards the door confused the older woman.
"Becker's having a chat with him outside."
Was Becker really the right person to talk to Matt? "Becker?" Scepticism.
"He can be very perceptive—" Emily still had her eyebrows raised, "Sometimes." Jess rolled her eyes feeling her cheeks warm, looking up to the ceiling she continued. "When its not about him."
"Its…nice of him to try." Was 'nice' even the right word to use? Coming up with a polite reply was tricky, but it was an appreciated gesture considering how emotionally thick headed the Irishman in question could be.
A comfortable silence filled the room as they were both left to their thoughts. Without warning Jess stiffened then jerked upwards, brushing her hair behind her ear. "Lester will kill me if I leave the ADD for too long."
"I suppose I'd better speak with Matt."
"He'll come round, men are a bit slow, look at Connor," Jess glided across to the door as Emily laughed softly, opening it she paused. Jess looked back her eyes sparkling. "Matt loves you, he might not say it but he really does."
"Thanks Jess."
"I'll see you later, yeah?" The door clicked shut before she could offer a reply.
Her mind made up she stood prepared to tear the place apart in the search of an errant botanist.
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Becker was good at dressing someone down, Matt couldn't deny it. Hilary James Becker seemed to know exactly what to say to reduce him to the size of a thimble. Although it was funny that Becker couldn't sort out his own love life but could sort out everyone else's.
As he rounded the corner, entering the ADD main control room fully, he noticed Emily briskly pacing towards him. From the expression on her face he wasn't sure whether she was going to slap him or not. Being on the receiving end of one of Emily's attacks was not a good thing.
Before she could protest he grabbed her arm and pulled her in the direction of his lab.
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As quick as he could he pushed her inside the door and sealed it firmly.
He took a deep breath watching her carefully as she stood there her arms crossed, her face was unreadable.
"I wanted to say that I'm sorry." It seemed feeble even to his ears.
'Becker must have done a good job,' She thought, watching as Matt grew more uncomfortable with every passing second. He shifted his weight slightly from back to front, it was almost invisible to the untrained eye.
"Which part?"
"I don't understand."
"Which part are you sorry for?" That seemed to confuse him, he hadn't been expecting her to ask that.
Matt paced slightly, trying to formulate an acceptable answer. He looked at her a few times trying to beg her to drop the question but the stubbornness in her eyes didn't waver for an instant.
"For what I said after the funeral, for sending you back in the first place, for all of it." Emily's arms dropped slightly, but she wasn't quite ready to accept his apology. Matt moved around the lab bench and stood in front of her. "You are a distraction." He added, but the fierce glare he received made him continue quickly. "But when you were away I was distracted more than ever, all I could think of was what you might be doing or if you were happy back in your time." He took a deep breath, "Everyday I wished I hadn't told you to go. When the raptor came through I only wanted to find you again."
Matt's eyes held pure love and sincerity, he might have been the most open with his feelings but in that moment he could hide nothing.
A stray tear slipped down Emily's cheek, Matt gently brushed it away. "I didn't mean to make you cry."
"You always make me cry." She joked, letting a soft laugh follow.
"Sorry 'bout that." He pulled her close hugging her tightly, Emily lifted her head so her chin rested on his shoulder, the feel of soft cotton was still a strange sensation.
After a few moment she pulled back, instinctively she felt Matt reluctant to let her go. "Henry meant nothing to me Matt, he was cruel and conceited. *You* are important to me Matthew." A faint blush filled her cheeks, it was highly inappropriate to express her emotions to someone she wasn't married to.
Matt lifted her chin slightly so he could look at her more clearly. "I love you." As the soft lilt reached Emily's ears she beamed, her whole face lighting up.
"I love you too." This time Matt grinned, Emily's blush made the moment even more special. Never before had she given those words to a man.
Matt leaned down slowly, hoping desperately that he wasn't going to scare her. Emily tilted her face upwards, slightly nervous but knew that Matt wouldn't hurt her, her eyes searched his for a moment. Just as their noses brushed Matt paused giving Emily time to change her mind if she wanted. Sensing no rejection he closed the distance and gently brushed his lips against hers.
Emily sighed gently, Henry had only kissed her a couple of times and it had never felt like this. Instinctively she wrapped her arms around his neck, the comfort she felt when Matt wrapped his arms tightly around her waist couldn't be hidden and was expressed as a small smile against his lips.
She let out a gasp as Matt gently nipped her bottom lip causing her to open her mouth slightly. The sensation of his tongue in her mouth wasn't an unpleasant one and quickly she mimicked his actions, this time Matt let out a soft groan.
A knock on the door drew them apart. Emily touched her lips with her left fingertips, enjoying the tenderness that lingered. Matt spun round turning to face a smug looking Jess who was motioning for him to open the door. Matt stepped away from Emily and opened his door, letting the intruder in.
"A message from Lester – he wants the paperwork for what was destroyed at the gallery, I need your black box to recharge it and Abby wants to see Emily in the menagerie."
"And you couldn't have commed us?"
"The links are…down?" Matt gave her a sceptical look and Jess shook her head, not looking Matt in the eye. "Fine I wanted to see if you'd sorted things out."
Emily cut in quickly before Matt could say the sarcastic quip that was forming on his tongue. "We have, thank you Jess."
Jess hovered waiting, eventually she had enough. "So black boxes?"
Matt groaned before reaching down and unclipping the device from his belt. Looking at it the three blue lights were now simply flashing intermittently, it had been a good month since it had been charged. Jess handed him a fully charged one, an emergency back up. Everyone had one at the ARC, the old one would now become the back up once it had been charged.
"Is that all?"
"Yep. I'll take Emily to the menagerie while you sort out that paperwork." A grin that didn't suit Jess Parker surfaced, setting off warning bells in Matt's head. "Have you found somewhere to stay Emily?"
If he'd truly thought about it he would've known not to open his mouth at that time. The ribbing from Becker would be painful enough. "She's staying with me."
"Good." Jess stated firmly nodding her head. "I'm sure you'll have plenty of fun." Matt made a giant step forward fully prepared to strangle Jess for the first time. With no further ado she grabbed Emily's arm and pulled her from the room, not even bothering to throw an apologetic look over her shoulder.
Matt shook his head as he began to search the desk for the paperwork in question; looking upwards as the door banged shut he felt a pang of sympathy for Emily as she was about to be introduced to the never-ending world of women's gossip.
A/N: Thank you for reading. I'm a major Matt/Emily fan.
I was always curious as to how Matt and Emily's relationship had developed by the next episode, you could see the changes in touches and looks. I don't believe Emily or Matt would have truly been adulterous had Henry lived. I believe Emily took her vows seriously and I think Matt felt the same judging by his reaction when he found out she was married.
I have to admit I was one of those who didn't think a new male lead was going to be any good but I was pleased to find I was wrong. I think Matt creates an interesting dynamic, he creates more questions as the series goes on.