A Playful Conversation Starts
Chapter 1
Jess' panicked voice came over through the earpiece, "Becker? Matt? Are you alright? Can you hear me?"
Becker groaned, pulling himself up off the floor. "We're fine Jess. Don't panic."
Connor didn't even bother getting to his feet. "I'm fine too, Jess, thanks for asking." He closed his brown eyes welcoming the cold concrete against his bruises. "And fine is relative."
"Do you need a medic?" Jess asked, concern colouring her voice. "I can have one there in 4 minutes."
"He's fine," Matt interceded before Connor could reply. "Just a few bruises."
"If you're sure…" Jess trailed off uncertainly. She didn't have the field qualifications or knowledge to argue with her boss.
Connor opened his mouth to speak, "Ah,"
Abby walked over and pulled Connor to his feet. "He's fine. He's just being a baby."
"Am not," Connor glared at her.
"Are too," Abby replied childishly.
Becker rolled his eyes but smiled at the familiar antics. "We're fine Jess." He told the field coordinator. "We'll be home in time for dinner."
"That's good. See you in 10." Jess signed off cheerfully.
Mat ran a hand through his hair. "I need a drink."
"I second that," Connor said quickly. "There's a nice joint around the corner if you're after a good beer. If, you know, wanna go now." His confidence faded as his new boss looked at him. He and Abby had only been back from the past for a few weeks and they didn't know Matt all that well.
"Sure. Why not?" Matt smiled. "Abby? Becker?" He looked over at the other members of the team.
"Sure. Connor's buying though," Abby looped her arm through her best friend's, a playful smile on her lips.
"Why me?" Connor whined, "I always buy your drinks."
"Because if you don't, I won't cook for you and you'll starve." Abby smirked at him.
"I won't starve," Connor said indignantly. "I can call for pizza. And Jess'll cook."
Her eyes widened. "We can't go. We're going home with Jess and we've got the car."
"I was looking forward to it too," Connor complained then an idea struck him. "Why don't we run back to the ARC and pick her up and go somewhere else?"
"It's an hour both ways Connor," Abby said in her patented 'Connor, you're an idiot' voice. She turned to Matt, "What about somewhere closer to home?"
"Fine by me." The Irishman shrugged. "A beer's a beer."
"I've got to go back to the ARC to return the equipment, I'll drop Jess off with you on my way home," Becker said.
"Come with us mate," Connor clapped him on the back. "It'll be like old times."
Becker shook his head. "Maybe another time," He started walking to his 4WD. "Text the address when you pick a pub."
Becker walked into the near deserted Ops room. Jess was the only one still at the office and hadn't heard him walk in. A coy smile grew on his lips as he edged closer to her turned back. He slammed his hands on the back off her chair, tipping it back slightly. "So, how was your day?"
Jess jumped out of her chair with a strangled scream and spun around to face him. "You nearly gave me a heart attack!" She put her hand over her rapidly beating heart.
"Sorry," He said unapologetically. He couldn't help but grin at her glare. It was adorable.
"Give me some warning next time, please." She hooked her foot around her chair and swung it round so she could sit back down.
"Maybe," He grinned down at her.
She glowered at him.
He sighed heavily. "Fine, I will warn you." Becker unhooked his black box and plugged it into its charger. "Anything else you want?"
Jess leant back in her chair. "To crawl into bed and sleep for a week."
He chuckled. "I don't think I can help with that."
"I know," She closed her eyes. "Doesn't stop me wanting it." She frowned, realising something was missing. "Where's Matt? And Abby and Connor?"
"The pub," Becker answered simply, putting his hands in his pockets.
"Wonderful. What's the number for a taxi?" She opened her eyes and picked up her phone. He reeled off a number he'd learnt off by heart. She was halfway through dialling when she recognised the number. She looked up at him, "That's your number."
"Is it really?" He put on a mock surprised face. "Oh that's right," Becker put a hand to his forehead as though he'd forgotten something. "I told Abby and Connor I'd take you to the pub on my way home so I guess I'll take you home instead."
"Were you going to tell me anything of this or was I going to have to work it out for myself?" Jess asked him, a small smile growing despite the slight irritation of not having a say in the plans.
"It was more fun this way," Becker shrugged.
She rolled her eyes, grabbed her hand bag and stood up. "Lead the way then."
"Yes Ma'am," He put a hand on the small of her back as he led her to the elevator.
"Don't call me Ma'am. I'm not old," Jess huffed at him.
"You're not going to the pub because you're tired and its 6 o'clock on a Friday night, you sound old."
"I'm not as old as you!" She retorted as the elevator doors shut.
He frowned. "That was harsh. But true." He smiled at her to let her know he knew she was teasing. "Are you on call this weekend?"
"Nope. Thank God. You?"
"No. I think Lester took pity on me. I have to train the new unit next week. That's going to be fun." Sarcasm dripped from his words.
"Look at the bright side, you get to practically murder them with training and then shove a dinosaur at them. I have to sit through the same video that I have seen at least 100 times –literally- with all ten of them."
"I don't practically murder them with training," Becker replied indignantly as the elevator doors opened at the car park. "It's good for them. You might want to come."
Jess marched out of the elevator and turned, arching an eyebrow. "Are you trying to say something?"
Becker realised his mistake as he hurried after her. "No, I meant that… I didn't mean… I meant that in our occupation, a little self defence training couldn't hurt."
"I know," The twinkle in her eye let him know she didn't take offence.
"I'm serious, Jess. I could teach you," He offered as he gestured to a black sedan
She laughed. "I did karate once at school. Didn't end well."
"I think I'm a better teacher than a high school sports teacher."
"Again with the ego," She laughed again she hopped into the passenger seat.
"Would you prefer me to have low self-esteem?"
"No!" Her answer came out more vehement than she meant it too. He smirked at her as she fumbled for a proper reply. "I mean that, for you… it's good?"
"Close enough," He started up the car and drove out of the undercover car park. "You're going have to direct me."
"Don't you have a GPS?" She looked at him in surprise.
"Some of us like old school."
"Or you just don't like being dependent on anything," Jess supplied a different reason.
"Was that in my file too?"
She blushed. "No… I worked that out for myself."
"Smart girl," He commented lightly. She was spot on. "You're not like some child genius are you?"
"I'm not a child!" The shrill tone of voice told he'd hit a nerve.
"Sorry."
"It's ok… I just get sick of being called a kid. But to answer your question: no I'm not a genius."
"Just borderline OCD with bossing us around." He used a teasing tone of voice to ease the harshness of the words.
She huffed good naturedly. "I'd like to see you do my job."
"I'd like to see you do mine," He chuckled and pulled to a stop as the traffic around froze. "What the hell…"
Jess reached for her bag and fished out her phone. "Bad traffic jam," She declared after a quick search. "Car accident."
"Is there anyway around it?" Becker craned his neck to find an escape route but couldn't see any.
"No, sorry."
"Don't apologise, it's not your fault," He glanced over at her.
"If you weren't taking me home you wouldn't be stuck in this," Jess pointed out.
"Actually, I live this way."
"Oh." She fell silent for a moment. "I should call Abby and tell her I'm not coming."
"Probably," Becker agreed.
Jess pressed the speed dial number and waited while it rung.
"Hellooooo!" Abby shouted into the phone.
Jess pulled the phone away from her ear. "Abby?" She asked for clarification. She'd never heard her new flatmate so loud.
"Jess! When are you getting here? Connor's just put some songs on the jukebox. We're gonna do karaoke!" Abby yelled over the din of the pub.
Jess was instantly glad she hadn't decided to join them. "I'm not coming Abby. I'm just gonna head home."
"Come on. Party with us! It will be fuuuuuunnnnnnn!"
"I'll see you at home. Bye!" Jess hung up. "Wow…" She blinked. "I didn't expect her to be so…" She trailed off trying to find the word.
"Wasted?" Becker supplied helpfully.
"You heard that?"
"Jess, I think the people in the car next to us heard that."
"Oh."
Becker leant on the steering wheel, trying to see the end of the traffic jam. "This is ridiculous."
"Welcome to London," Jess said wryly. She stifled a yawn.
"Tired?" He looked over at her sympathetically.
She nodded. "I've been writing contingency plans since 6."
"So you're the person I get to blame when we get ordered to do safety drills?"
"No. That's OHS' department. I was doing stuff like the ARC gets invaded again and stuff like that."
Becker's hands tightened on the steering wheel. "You expect that to happen again?"
"No, but Lester made me plan for everything short of alien invasion. Actually alien invasion was on the list but I though he wasn't being serious." She added quickly.
"Any of those plans involve getting out of traffic?"
"No, sorry," Jess shook her head. A small growl echoed through the car. She jumped. "Is that a creature?"
"No," Becker coloured slightly pink. "That was my stomach."
"Why didn't you say you were hungry? You could have grabbed something on the way out."
"Well, I didn't expect the traffic jam of the century now did I?" He snapped at her. He winced at the tone. "Sorry. I didn't mean that."
"It's fine. You should see me when I'm hungry. It's like 'stay away or be eaten'. I don't mean I'll eat you, I meant-"
Becker cut her ramblings short. "I know."
Jess looked out the window. "Pull over here."
"Why?" Becker looked over, alarmed.
"Just do it," Jess told him tersely.
He obeyed the order, parking neatly on the curb. "Happy now?"
"No, but you will be." Jess jumped out of the car and started walking towards a 24 hour café.
"Jess? Where are you going?" Becker called after her. He got out of the car and caught up to her in a few strides.
She turned to him, looking up at him. "I used to come to places like this all the time. They have the best food. And it's better than sitting in gridlock for hours."
He blinked. He hadn't been expecting that. "Jess…"
She pulled open the door. "Are you coming?"
He sighed and followed her. "Anything beats sitting in traffic."
"See that wasn't so bad," Jess put down her knife and fork.
"Actually, that was good," Becker said as he finished off his steak and salad. "You know how to pick them."
"Of course I do," She rolled her eyes playfully.
"Again with the ego," He parroted her words from before with a smirk.
"Anything else loves?" The bored middle aged waitress returned.
Becker glanced at Jess before answering for the both of them. "No thanks Ma'am."
"Here's the bill then." She handed them the bill and left.
Jess reached for her handbag but Becker waved her off. "I've got it."
"Becker, I can pay for myself. Besides it was my idea."
"My mother raised a gentleman," He fished out the money from his wallet. "And a gentleman never lets a lady pay."
She smiled. "That's sweet," She leant back in the chair. "Fine, I'll pay next time."
"That's awfully presumptuous of you Jessica." Becker teased in a serious tone.
She blushed crimson. "You know what I meant."
"I know," He smiled and laid the money on the table. "Come on, it looks like the traffic jam has cleared." He offered her a hand to get up.
She accepted the hand. "You weren't kidding about your mother raising a gentleman were you?"
"No," He shook his head. "She made sure I had manners."
"She sounds nice," Jess commented as he pulled the door open.
"She is," He clicked the remote so the car doors unlocked. "So which way are we going?"
"Left," Jess answered quickly, "I'll tell you as we go. It's kinda complicated."
"I can do complicated," Becker retorted.
"I know."
They fell into a companionable silence with Jess giving directions ever few minutes. Becker glanced over to see Jess fighting to keep her eyes open. "Are you awake?"
"Why do people ask that question? It's not like the person who's asleep is going to answer," Jess asked absently.
"You ramble even more when you're tired," Becker noticed.
"Yeah," She agreed sleepily. "Turn right here." She pointed to the corner they were coming up to. "Then it's the fifth one on the left."
Becker followed the directions and pulled up in front of a modern townhouse. He let out a low whistle. "Nice place."
"Thanks," Jess undid her seatbelt. "Thanks for bringing me home."
"My pleasure," Becker replied with a courteous nod.
"It's time to party!" A familiar voice yelled. They looked up to see Connor on the balcony, waving a bottle of wine. "Anyone want to join us?"
Jess hung her head. "Wonderful." There went her plans to sleep.
"You could tell them to be quiet," Becker said quietly.
Loud 90s party music started playing. "They deserve a chance for a break. I can sleep tomorrow." Jess shrugged. "Lucky I have the day off right."
"You can barely keep your eyes open, Jess. You need to sleep. Put your seatbelt back on. You can stay at mine tonight."
Jess eyes widened. "What?"
A/N: So I'm officially on the Jess/Becker bandwagon now. They're just so cute. What's their ship name anyway? Jecker or Jesker? Cos I've seen both. I apologise if this seems a little too flirtatious for them. I went used their conversations from the prequel episode thingys for the basis of this. Their meeting = so adorable.
This will be an extremely fluffy story with a little bit of angst later on. It's gonna be long hopefully but I doubt updates will be regular because I start my final year of school in a week. And I need to focus on that. But I promise I won't abandon this. I think I will need the happiness to keep sane. Reviews would also make my day :D
