Hello my luvlies, long time no see and all that. Finally got round to watching season 20 a couple of months ago, and couldn't let Awakening go by without a bit of fanfic. This is all that we didn't see and how the three of them get out of Mexico.

All characters belong to the BBC, I'm just letting them do, what we know they need to. Oh and did I mention who saves the day? Can you guess? Starts with H and ends in arry.


The Job Description of a Lyell Centre Manager

Chapter 1

Thomas Chamberlain pulled at the collar of his white shirt, he inhaled the stale air, breathing deeply to satisfy his body's desire for oxygen and shuddered. This was definitely not what he'd signed up for when he joined the Lyell.

'Nikki'

The word revolved around and around his head.

The plane juddered, he tugged his collar again and wished he was sitting nearer the front of the plane. He hated the recycled air on planes. It tasted weird, metallic, artificial. It was full of toxins too, he never travelled without picking up a cold. He looked at his watch. It was a fourteen hour flight. How long had he got left?

How long had she got left?

What was she breathing in?

Nikki.

Why?

He should have known.

Had he known?

He shrugged his shoulders, pushing his spine back into his seat, seeking some kind of comfort in the constricted space.

He'd not asked Jack how much space she'd got. Not much. More than he had? Less?

She was so small, was that an advantage?

Why her?

What had she done?

What was she doing?

He thought back to the day he'd put her in the taxi and sent her off to the airport.

He had kissed her.

What had he been thinking? She was his colleague, he was her boss. It was definitely not in the job description. More likely it was on the list of actions worthy of disciplinary procedures. It was wrong on so many levels but it had been so right, so natural. Like old friends after spending a day together reminiscing. Except they weren't old friends. Or were they? Is that what he wanted?

She'd returned the kiss. He'd felt her lips touch his skin, briefly.

He rubbed the spot on his cheek and checked his watch again.

All Jack had had to do was get her back. Had it been such a hard assignment? That was part of Jack's job description; to protect the department assets, namely Nikki. Nikki could be infuriating at times, but even when it was misguided he understood her motivation. But Jack? The way that man's brain worked was an anathema to him. How could he be such a diligent forensic scientist and yet be rolled and swayed by his emotions like that? It did not fit Thomas' own logical, contained style.

What was Jack doing now? Thomas had thought that Jack could at least have sounded grateful for all the progress he'd made in sourcing assistance from the British Consulate and local agencies. Had Jack any idea how many political wheels he'd had to grease and strings he'd pulled to get one missing British pathologist to register on anyone's radar over there? He'd worked tirelessly at it, secured genuine help that would start… He checked his watch again. Within the next twelve hours and Jack had sounded like all that effort deserved contempt and a punch in the face.

It was a long time.

Too long.

What was Jack doing?

What was he capable of doing, to get her back?

Thomas shuddered and tugged at his collar again.

Clarissa had been keeping very quiet, she'd organised all Thomas' travel arrangements for him without giving him the 'what did your last servant die of look.' He was grateful she was so amenable and took on everything that was thrown her way with the same professionalism and diligence. But he knew she was holding back on him, she was only recounting the facts of her conversations with Jack. He could see from the lines on her face that she was as worried as he was.

Why had he let Nikki go?

It was just a friend's funeral he'd told himself. People go all the time. What kind of a boss would he have been to deny her the chance to say goodbye to her friend. Luisa had been good for the department. She'd been good for Nikki. Someone for her to teach. She'd made Nikki happy. They had been good friends until Luisa had returned to Mexico, leaving Nikki alone; again.

He should have known not to let Nikki go. He should have gone with her.

Would that have been odd?

His thoughts were interrupted by a smiling member of the cabin staff.

"Are you enjoying your flight? Can I get you something to drink?"

Thomas realised how thirsty he was, the stuffy air on the flight dehydrating him.

"Water please," he requested and felt his heart constrict as he did so.

Nikki.


So Thomas is not my favourite character by far, just thought it would be fun to experiment with this from his point of view. And that kiss on the cheek; that was weird… Hope you're prepared to indulge me.