Around 2am in the city of London not all was quiet and peaceful. Jess Parker shot up in her bed gasping loudly. Eyes wide, tears streaming down her face Jess jumped out of bed locating her slippers, dressing gown, phone and car keys before running out of her flat. She drove madly to Captain Beckers apartment sobbing uncontrollably. When she reached her destination she sprung from the car barely remembering to grab her phone and lock the doors before tearing through the outside door to the building and sprinting up the stairs to his door.
Becker woke slightly to a loud pounding. Before he could figure out what exactly the source of the noise was his phone started to ring from its place on his night stand. Checking his caller ID he became puzzled when he saw Jess' name on the screen. He answered the phone but before he could greet her he heard the pounding as she mumbled unintelligable words through hysterical sobbing. Realising that she was the source of the loud hammering on his front door Becker climbed out of bed and jogged to the door.
"Jessica you better have a good expla-oomph" Becker was surprised when Jess launched herself into his arms crying hysterically.
"Shh, hey Jess, hey what's wrong? What happened? Is everything okay?" His tone changed from slightly annoyed to frantically worried in seconds. She was crying and shaking violently, he also noticed she hadn't even bothered to change.
"Thank god, you're here, you're real, you're alive!" When he caught what she was babbling about his common sense kicked in.
Becked bent down slightly and picked the crumpled mess that was his field coordinator up carrying her inside. He kicked the door closed with his foot and walked quietly over to the couch while whispering reassurances in her ear. When he reached the couch she refused to let him go so he simply sat down with her. A blush tinted his cheeks when she curled up in his lap. Mentally slapping himself he continued reassuring her while rubbing her back until her sobbing died down and her breathing smoothed out.
"I'm sorry." She whispered.
Now that she had regained her control Jess felt quite foolish. Rushing over to his apartment at 2am and almost kicking his door down then leaping into his arms whilst crying hysterically about him being alive. Her right mind was once again in control and a blush had eruped onto her cheeks. She reluctantly pulled away from his chest and tried to slide off of his lap only to have him hold her in place. When she looked up surprised at his actions she saw his face had taken a serious expression.
"I don't know why you're apologising Jess but I want to know what exactly happened for you to come running to my apartment at two in the morning in your pajamas crying hysterically. You couldn't seem to believe that fact that I was real or alive, what's going on?" His brow was furrowed with confusion and worry for the girl and it made her feel better knowing he worried about her.
"I, had a nightmare and it felt so real I just had to make sure." When she saw the look on his face tellingher to elaborate she sighed lowering her eyes to his chest. "I dreamt that those creatures weren't all gone and you were killed and then we had a funeral and everyone was crying and you were gone forever and, and, and..."
"You thought I died. Why didn't you just call me Jess? I would have answered straight away you know that."
Shaking her head Jess blinked back more tears. "I had to see you with my own eyes, touch you and feel the flesh and bone, to be sure." She was whispering and her blush intensified when her hand touched his chest to prove her point. It was then that she noticed her wasn't wearing a shirt and she was pretty much straddling his lap. "Oh my" it was barely noticable but he heard nonetheless.
When Becker noticed the position in which they were currently sitting he quickly moved Jess to sit on the couch as he stood up to think. "Jess We have to be at work in a few hours, you should go home get some sleep and we'll talk more in the morning yeah?"
Jess shook her head for the second time in five minutes. "There is no way I'm going back to sleep without you around or do you want me back her in another hour or so? I just can't have that dream again it felt so real. It hurt so much, I can't. Can, can I stay here?" She looked at him pleadingly until he sighed in defeat and point to the corridor.
"The guest room is the second door on the left. First on the left is my room, bathroom is on the right." A small smile broke out onto her face as she turned toward the bedrooms. "Oh and Jess? Wake me up if you need to yeah? I'm right next door." He gave her a small reassuring smile as she turned and disappeared into the guest bedroom.
Becker locked his fron door before returning to his own room for some much needed rest. It was an hour later when he heard a scream and quickened footsteps on his floors. He sat up in bed just in time for Jess to burst through the door tears streaming down her face once again. She ran into his arms half sitting half laying on the bed. Realising that she wasn't going to sleep without him next to her Becker gently pulled her closer and shifted her until she was under the doona and craddled in his arms.
Mumbling quiet reassurances he watched her slowly calm down and fall asleep. When he was sure she was asleep he laid them both down keeping her in his arms. The sound of her even breathing and the feel of her soft body against his lulling him into a deep, restful sleep. Before he fellinto slumber though he gently placed a kiss to her forehead in an attempt at warding away the bad dreams she ahd been experiencing.
The next morning Jess woke surrounded by warmth and the unique smell that was Becker. Realising she had slept until morning without anymore nightmares Jess smiled and turned over to snuggle into Beckers chest. When she did turn over she saw deep brown eyes watching her.
Jess' eyes widened as a blush crept across her face. She opened her mouth to speak but could only close it again.
Becker smirked when Jess' content smile tunred that a look resembling a dear in headlights. He noticed her breathing become quick and shallow and could feel her pulse jump and accelerate above its normal rate. Realising he was only half dressed and still holding onto the petite red head Becker smiled.
"Good morning Jess." he huskily whispered before unwinding his arms and slowly sitting before getting out of bed and heading for the kitchen.
"Good morning" Jess squeaked from her frozen positioin in the bed.
Jess snuck a peak at the clock on the side table that read 7am. Jess smiled she had slept much better and she had a whole hour to get ready and be at work. Wait, an hour to get home, shower, change and get into work! Jess began to panic. Jumping from bed she ran to the spare room for her keys, phone and gown. Running into the kitchen where Becker held a thermos of what she hoped was a hot caffeinated drink.
As she hurried past him she took the thermos he offered and gave him a small peck on the cheek as she hurried for the front door.
"Thank you!" she called back as she left the apartment in a hurry.
Becker lent against his kitchen bench and chuckled. She was so frazzled because she had only an hour but in reality she had plenty of time she was always early for her shift anyway but so was he and at the rate he was going he wouldn't be early either. Becker walked towards the bathroom looking into his guest bedroom briefly as he always did. This time though he had to do a double take as something bright caught his eye. Taking two steps backwards Becker peered through the empty doorway to identify what the bright blob was. When Becker identified exactly what it or rather they were he broke into a fit of chuckles. Jess had left her slippers behind in her hurry.
When Jess power walked into Ops still feeling a little frazzled from waking up with Becker and Connor and Abby's interrogation that she had warded off temporarily she failed to notice a certain Captain walking to catch up with her.
Half way across the empty room Jess felt a slight pressure on her arm that sent a jolt through her system. A small smile formed as she realised the only person who could do that to her.
"Jessica a moment if you will."
"How did you get here before me!" she said disbelievingly as she turned to face him.
"Because I don't need to put on make up or select which bright outfit i'm going to wear or put on and walk in those insanely crazy shoes that you love oh so much. I merely eat, shower, dress in my uniform, brush my teeth and leave Jessica. But that is not what I wanted to talk to you about."
"Oh I'm sorry. Thank you for everything last night I don't mean to be a bother I just, it was so real and I couldn't shake the feeling that it was. Sorry. Oh and thank you for the thermos I have it clean in my bag."
"Jess you don't have to apologise for anything. It's ok to have a nightmare and I'm always there if you need me. If you ever have another night like that you just call me and come right over no matter what time, sleep be damned ok?"
Jess smiled shyly, "Okay, thank you." Once again Jess pecked him quickly on the cheek and turned to keep walking when his voice stopped her.
"Oh! Jess I forgot you left somethings behind this morning I wanted to return them to you because you clearly can't live without them." Becker smirked at Jess' confused expression.
Jess was so confused. She had picked everything up when she left his apartment, hadn't she? When she saw what becker was holding realisation hit her and she blushed madly. Becker seemed to find it incredibly entertaining though.
"My slippers"
"Yea they were in the guest bedroom. I wouldn't have even known they were there except i glanced in there and saw this blob of bright colour that didn't belong and when I decided to investigate I found them. Figured you would want them back ASAP." He smiled cheekily and handed them to her pressing a small kiss to her forehead before turning and walking straight into Connor, Abby, Matt and Emily.
Becker's cheeky smile disappeared and he heard Jess gasp behind him. Becker was well aware of the two gobsmacked faces, evil smirk and sweet smile he was receiving and the uncomfortable warmth that was reaching his cheeks. Clearing his throat Becker looked from the shocked Abby and Connor who probably just figured out where Jess had been had she not already given in to their interrogation skills to Matt smirking and wondering how he was going to cop it from him this time and finally his gaze landed on Emily whose smile had him thinking she could see very clearly how much he felt for their coordinator.
"Abby, Connor would you close your mouths before something flies into them. Don't any of you have work to do?" When they simply kept staring at him Becker sighed. "I'll be in the armoury doing checks on the weapons if you need me."
He hated to leave Jess with them but she could handle it and he wasn't good in those situations. Give him a dinosaur over a conversation and ribbing about emotions any day.
Jess stared eyes wide at the empty doorway that Becker had disappeared through. Her attention focused on her four comrades and two thoughts occured to her. The first was that she was going to really get it now because she could lie and say she went for a drive anymore, not when Becker had just handed her her slippers and kissed her on the forehead. The second thought was that said Captain had just left her with much worse than dinosaurs and he was indeed a coward when it came to emotional conversations and teasing. Another thought popped into her head as Abby and Connor approached her. She was going to have a long conversation with Captain Becker about leaving men or women behind when in battle.
Jess sat at the ADD thankful for Lester interrupting her interrogation. Abby and Connor had asked her question after question as Emily stood back with a calm expression on her face. Matt however was goign to get it as well. He seemed amused at the way she was being asked so many things and that she was squirming like mad. Of course they had all deducted that she had been at Beckers but they wanted to know how long she had been there and why she had been in her pajamas and well why she had been there in the first place.
Jess had been surprised to see Abby and Connor in her kitchen when she got home considering they had moved out. When they jumped on her and asked her where she had been so early in the morning in her pajamas Jess had turned to asking why they here omly to have them tel her they had come to take her to work like every morning and ask if she were ok. Jess had told them she was fine and would explain everything but not when she was running late for work. They had let the subject slip but when they saw her and Becker in Ops they had almost exploded. Jumping to conclusions, firing off unreasonable questions and laughing or threatning Becker until Lester walked in and told them all to leave her alone as she looked like a scared little mouse cornered by the cat.
Begrudgingly they had all left her alone for their own duties. As she pondered her thoughts She failed to notice Becker walk up to her.
"Hey."
Jumping slightly Jess turned to him with narrowed eyes. "You left me with the vultures or rather special forces interrogation until Lester saved me. Abby and Connor were going mad with situations that were far from normal, I didn't even get a word in because they were to busy letting their imaginatiosn run wild. And Matt and Emily just stood there trying to stiffle their laughter! At least I think Emily felt sorry for me but It was Lester that finally told them to leave me alone."
"Uh, I'm sorry?" When Jess merely raised an eyebrow and continued to look unimpressed Becker sighed. "I'm really, sorry I don't handle those conversations well okay. I will bring you lots of chocolate, will that help?"
"Maybe" She said as if he had been dismissed. Becker lent over the chair and spoked right into her ear.
"I really am sorry Jess. I'll get you some chocolate and give you this-" he kissed her gently on the cheek, "and just hope you can forgive me." he spoke so quietly and his breath tickled her skin.
Jess could feel her blush and justified it this time. Slowly she turned her head towards his until they were almost nose to nose and smiled softly. "Okay, you are forgiven. Just don't forget my chocolate." She winked then and turned back o her screens.
Becker smirked as he stood up straight and went back to the armoury feeling more confident about this morning until her ran into Matt and Connor waiting for him. Immediately Beckers mood faded and his smirk dropped. He then panicked slightly when he noticed Abby looking angry and glaring at him. Sighing he pleaded for an anomally. No such luck.
Becker watched Matt lean comfortably against the wall as Connor stood behind Abby who was looking very menacing. He assumed because they hadn't given Jess an opening to actually answer their billion questions that they had thought the worst and already believed it.
"Just what is the big idea, seriously I can't believe you would just deflower her like that! Taking advantage of someone who cares about you just to get some satisfaction when you want it. She isn't your personal booty call you know she's a really person with real feelings. And -"
"Abigail, Connor! Shut up! If you would stop talking long enough for someone to actually get a word in, you would know the truth by now. Do you actually think that I would call Jess in the middle of the night and demand sex?! Come on Abby you both know me better than that so I suggest you either shut up and let me tell you what happened or get out of my sight and come back when you come to the conclusion that I'm not an ass in that sense and Jess would never let anyone use her that way!" He snapped.
He walked past them into the armoury and waited as Abby, Connor and Matt silently followed him. When Connor and Abby sent him apologetic looks and Matt sent him a get on with it look Becker took a deep breath to begin the recollection of last night.
"I woke up at 3am to an incessant knocking on my front door and my phone ringing. I opened the door and Jess jumped at me and kept mumbling something about I was alive and I was real. No matter what I said she was too hysterical, she refused to let go of me. I sat on the couch with her for a while and waited til she calmed down. She told me she had been having nightmare and that the last one she had experienced was really bad. She thought it was real so she grabbed a handful of things and drove to my place. she said something about needing proof that i really was alive.
When I told her I would drive her home she refused to leave my flat. She wouldn't leave my side so I set her up in my guest room next door to mine and went back to bed. I woke up not long after. She was screaming and then she burst through my door and ran into me. Same dream. She was beside herself so I sat with her and eventually we both fell asleep.
She left this morning around seven. In a state because she was going to be late. I gave her a thermos as she ran out the door. That's when she ran into you two in her pajamas without shoes. She was in such a hurry that she forgot her slippers. I was giving them back to her when you lot walked into Ops"
"But what about the kiss you gave her?" Connor asked suspiciously.
Becker sighed, "She apologised for coming over and waking me up. So I told her not to worry and that she can do it anytime if it eases heer mind. I was trying to rid her of her guilt from waking me up."
He looked at his three comrades with the same expression on their faces. A knowing smirk. Becker sighed for what felt like the millionth time that day.
"And just what are you all smirking at?"
"You spent the whole night with Jess in your bed and didn't try anything" Connor grinned.
"You showed her affection in a public place without second guessing yourself whilst trying to make her feel better twice." Said Abby a little whistfully.
"Let's face it mate, You're in love with her and the sooner you let her know that the better off you both will be." Matts Irish accent teamed with his amused and all knowing smirk only supported his comment.
Beckers eyes widened for the briefest of moments before excusing himself to get his apologee chocolate for Jess. After supplying Jess with her chocolate and going out on multiple anomally alerts Becker returned to the ARC at the end of the day exhausted. He showered to remove the gunk from his body. The incursions weren't extremely dangerous but were chalenging enough to cover him in dirt, mud and somethign he would rather not think about. Emerging fresh and clean from the locker room Becker worte upp his reports and took them to the ADD to find it empty. Realising Jess had probably gone home for the day he headed home himself.
Becker awoke with a start in the middle of the night. Damn nightmares! He had them regularly and was used to handling them alone. Tonight however was different. Becker realised what he needed and she was in her own apartment five minutes away. Becker saw the clock had just gone past midnight and hesitated a second before putting on a shirt and his shoes, grabbing his keys and leaving his apartment.
He knocked on Jess' door urgently and waited impatiently. When she opened the door her eys widened in question. he loved it when she looked at him with surprise like a deer. He couldn't take it anymore. Becker stepped forward, Picked her up and kissed her with everything he had. She gasped slightly and Becker took the opportunity to include his tongue in the kiss, it was then that th petite woman responded. Jess' legs wrapped around his waist as she wrapped her arms around his neck to kiss him back. His arms held her lower back as they kissed. Becker stepped further into her apartment and kicked the door shut behind them never breaking their seering kiss.
Becker walked blindly until he hit a surface that he thought resembled a counter. Breaking the kiss slowly he realised he was right. He also realised that his hands had travelled from her back to her bottom as he held her up. Becker set her on the countertop to remove his hands from her behind. When he looked at her face he saw Jess was out of breath, flushed and currently wondering why he had done that.
"Sorry I just realised I should listen to Matt, Abby and Connor more often and do something about us."
Jess smirked. "You realise you just said you should listen to Connor mroe often don't you?"
Becker chuckled. "Yeas Jessica are you complaining about their advice?"
Jess shook her head quickly. "Definately not!"
"Good now enough talk about Temple, Abigail and Matt. I don't want to talk anymore I want to sleep peacefully with you right next to me. Last night was the best sleep I have had in a long time and I intend to have the same kind of rest every night from now on."
Jess smiled brightly. "I think I can help with that." Becker stepped back as Jess jumped down from the counter. She padded quietly down the hall to her room.
Climbing into bed she waited for Becker to remove his shoes and shirt. He settled himself on the mattress and pulled Jess to him. He sighed with contentment and she giggled. He kissed her forehead as he drifted off. But before sleep consumed him one last thought entered his mind. He was never going to tell those three that they were right and he actually followed their advice. Temple already had a big enough head and He didn't need Abby's knowing smirks or Matt's ego to inflate anymore than it probably already had. No he wouldn't tell them because by lunch time tomorrow Jess would have fallen victim to their interrogation and they would already know.