Hello. I've finally got back and settled upon an idea for a new story. Hopefully the wait will be worth it. This one is not set in the 'Big Boots'-verse and is actually set after Series 4 Episode 4; it does require knowledge of the series up to that point. Hope you enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own Primeval. Isn't that strange?

Boxed and Locked

One more time and he would be free. The prison's door had been weakened when her back had been turned, his friend taking the opportunity to chew at a couple of the bars. He scuttled back and launched himself at the cage door, crashing against it with a clang.

OK, maybe one more time.

The second attempt was successful and the door banged free. He explored his new found freedom, stretching in the space available. He'd spent far too much time in that cage recently, through no fault of his own.

But now, no more.

"...And as you can see, we've got motion sensors in the ventilation pipes." Lester turned back to the bored looking Phillip who just managed to glance back up from staring at his watch before the civil servant saw. "Happy now? No more suffocation."

"Absolutely splendid. No doubt Captain Becker will be testing the full system 'til it breaks and we have to come up with a new one."

Lester sighed and started walking back to his office, Phillip in tow. "If you had let him do his checks before, he would have noticed the design flaw that your system had," he muttered.

"I heard that."

"I saw you gazing at your watch as if it would suddenly reveal the secrets of the Universe while I was trying to explain what Connor had changed. Oh, talking of Connor, has he given you the new password code yet?" Phillip looked up in surprised. "I take that as a 'no' then. I persuaded him it was a good idea to have a couple more people with the ability to override the system, especially considering the... 'drop-out' rate we have. We can't always rely on him having an epiphany about his childhood fantasies all the time."

Phillip nodded thoughtfully and stopped, extending his hand to Lester. "I must be going. Thank you for this... special tour."

"The pleasure was all yours, I assure you," replied Lester sarcastically, shaking the proffered hand. "You had to know. Never promised it to be interesting."

"I understand. Goodbye." Burton walked off in the direction the pair had come from and Lester watched him leave, before turning back to his route to his office, where he hoped a strong coffee was waiting for him. Why did an anomaly have to appear over the window that Phillip had set aside to view the security?

Just as he reached his office, Lester collided with someone rushing past, causing him to inelegantly fall to the floor.

"Sorry," came an oh-so-familiar Irish voice and the sound of a metal container being put down. Lester darted a sharp look up at Matt, who stretch out a hand with which to pull Lester up easily. Lester brushed his suit down, scowling at the patches of dust and dirt that now speckled the previously pristine black cloth.

"First, I have to do your job with Phillip, now it seems you wish me to break my leg. What's in that thing anyway?" Matt looked down at the metal container, which looked suspiciously like a large pet cage, and then back up with a childish grin on his face. "Oh no, not another pet for Abby to adopt. We only just survive Rex as it is. If Phillip finds out, he'll have that thing under 24-hour armed guard, if not simply pinned to his wall where he can keep an eye on it."

Matt sighed and picked up the cage. A squawk suddenly came from deep within and there was the unmistakeable sound of something shuffling around within the box, banging against the sides in frustration. Lester inwardly groaned and stared at Matt pleadingly.

"It's a Juravenator. His name's Jerry." Lester raised his eyebrows. "Don't ask. A juvenile, but he hasn't got much more growing to." Lester got down to view the creature more carefully. "Watch it! He's not Rex."

"Oh joy! Another one requiring a note to the butcher." Lester frowned, straightened up again and looked at Matt. "By the way, where's Abby? Because I think we might need her..."

Matt followed his gaze which led to a certain small reptile sitting watching the two men intensively.

Chirp.

The doctor snipped the bandage and pinned it in place. He'd already explained that it wasn't strictly necessary, but a precaution in case she had to tend to any dinosaurs who might infected the small cut during the next week – there was the subtle undertone of 'we know you're going to ignore the orders to not touch them' in his voice.

Abby smiled as Connor entered the room, his hair pointing out at different angles and his cheeks slightly flushed red in embarrassment.

"Sorry I..." he started, but Abby soon interrupted him.

"Sorry what? That you can't see round corners?" She let out a light-hearted laugh. "It's fine. Just a small cut and a lot of fuss." She shooed the doctor away, who quickly exited. "See. He didn't protest, so I must be in optimum health. Come here."

Connor drew nearer to his girlfriend and kissed her gently on the head. He then checked over his shoulder to make sure that no-one was listening, then turned back and spoke in hushed tone.

"Ready to go?" Abby frowned; it was unlike Connor to want her to leave if anything could possibly be considered to be wrong with her unless...

Unless...

"What's happened to Rex?" Connor's blush intensified. "Connor..." Abby grabbed her boyfriend's arm tightly and stared him right in the eye, searching for an emotion to give her a clue of what was going on.

"You remember you said to go and check on the creatures, and set up a place for the new arrival to be kept until you came back." Abby nodded. "Well, it kinda... involved opening the door to your lab." Abby eyes widened as the truth became apparent. "Come on, it was your fault really." Abby frowned in disbelief at her boyfriend's claim. "You shouldn't have let him roam the lab free while you weren't there, especially after Burton had just b..."

"Connor," interrupted Abby and Connor immediately stopped talking, studying Abby's confused face as it frowned in puzzlement into the mid-distance. After a few moments, she suddenly came to, as she just remembered that Connor was still standing there. She took a breath before she explained. "I didn't let him out."

Becker landed heavily on the ground and winced as his entire weight was pressed onto his hand, which got caught under him. He rolled to one side as he gripped the blanket tightly before realising that it still contained nothing. He looked up and saw Rex fluttering above him, having escaped his clutches.

Again.

Becker was all for active fun and games, but this was becoming repetitive.

Rex suddenly wheeled around mid-air and dive bombed into the Captain. Another blanket went flying through the air, closely followed by Matt, who landed with a thump on the other side of Becker.

Becker scrambled to his feet and whipped round, trying to spot the creature. Instead, he spotted Lester, who was standing with his arms folded, observing the scene, with Jess just staring on, biting her lip as she tried not to laugh.

"And you are sure you don't need Abby?" Lester questioned him. Becker bit back a retort, only to be pushed forward by Rex, who collided with his head. Becker reached out with a hand, but narrowly missed with flying reptile, instead, spinning on the clean floor and losing his balance.

Matt grabbed his arm before he fell and hoisted Becker into a stable position.

"We need a better plan," Becker conceded.

Matt nodded. "Yep. What about... I get Abby?"

"Absolutely," agreed Becker, breathing out heavily. He noticed a movement out of the corner of his eye. "I'll keep an eye on him." He gestured towards Rex, who was currently making himself at home on top of the cabinet lab coats were kept in.

"Well, now that's sorted, I'll get my coat and leave you to it. Oh, and please remind Matt to take that... thing down to the menagerie before he goes."

"You not staying to watch?" asked Jess, grinning at Becker in such a way that made him want to leave her with Rex and see how she liked it.

"No. I have to go and have dinner with some dignitaries and I suggest you leave before you get too embroiled in it all too much. Have fun, Captain!" he exclaimed, his tone making it clear he knew how much Becker would have. The civil servant closed the door quickly as he left, Jess following, giggling.

Becker resolution was hardened at the slight and he angrily grabbed up the blanket to approach Rex. He slowly crept towards the creature, who was preening himself on his perch and held out the blanket at arm reach, ready to grab. He took a step closer, then one more and one more...

Rex squawked as he realised what was happening and lifted off. Becker lunged and caught the tail, swinging Rex around and off course, but the Captain was so off balance by that stage that his foot squeaked across and Becker slipped over, his head bouncing gently off the metal cabinet. Rex wriggled free just in time to avoid being taken down as well.

Becker groaned and sat there for a few moments recovering his senses. Glancing up, he noticed Rex was performing his favourite occupation, flying around in circles.

Using the cabinet as support, Becker heaved himself upwards and just watched, to do anything to the creature that was well outside his reach.

"Rex!" came the voice of an angel, disguised as Abby. "Rex, come down. I've brought food." Becker observed Rex take one more lap around the ceiling, before gliding down, straight into Abby's open arms.

Becker pulled a face in irritation at the control Abby had which he didn't. At risk of sounding incredibly childish, it wasn't fair. Matt clapped a friendly hand down on his shoulder and grimaced.

"I know, mate. I'll never understand it either." The pair of men stood back for a minute as they viewed the scientist and the zoologist coo over the small little trouble-maker. After a while, Matt cleared his throat pointedly and Abby looked up, bashfully.

"I'll... take him down and get him a new cage. I probably didn't like being cooped up for so long on Burton's orders."

"We'll put him in a stronger cage," reassured Connor. "I think Sid 'got' at the last one." He smiled before taking Abby's arm and leading her down the corridor to the menagerie, ready to put the creatures to bed for the night.

"Right, so we need stronger cages..."

All of sudden, red lights started flashing. Jess' voices, or at least an automatic voice she'd recorded, blared out.

'Lockdown initiated. Non-conforming life form detected. Lockdown initiated. Non-conforming life form detected.' Her voice continued, for once to the annoyance of Becker. The door down the corridor that Abby and Connor had disappeared slammed shut, and there was a clicking sound as the impenetrable locks activated. Becker pulled at the handle, but it was futile. The metal blinds came down and the two men had to stand back helplessly as they were shut in.

"WHAT'S HAPPENING?" shouted Becker over the din of all the alarms. Matt shrugged, then visibly went a few shades paler. Dashing across the foyer area, he picked up the cage that Jerry had been in.

'Had' being the significant word. Matt swung the box around and sighed. He twisted it to display the back; it had a large rugged hole in it.

Intrigued/Bored/? Please review!