Title: Remnants [Part One] Pairing: Jenni/Nick

Series: Primeval Rating: 15 Type: UST

Summary: Jenni Lewis has a whole new life compared to the one she led three years ago. She has worked hard to put her experiences at the ARC and her memories of Nick Cutter far behind her. As a married woman, she has successfully launched a career in PR consultancy and is leaving the past behind… isn't she?

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the Primeval characters or anything from the universe of Primeval. I am just taking the characters and playing with them a while – promising to restore them whole and unblemished! Thanks to Impossible Pictures for creating these toys for me to enjoy. Please don't take any of my playing as having any bearing on the actual series. Enjoy.

()

Even she had to admit it; life had been going well for Jenni Lewis-Miller.

Aside from the dinosaur debacle at her wedding the other month, she had been pleased to see her old friends from the ARC. She was, however, saddened to hear of the loss of Sarah and that Danny had been declared MIA.

After the death of Nick Cutter, Jenni had chosen to sever all ties with her secret life in the MoD and run as far away as she could get from the hopeless love triangle of Claudia Brown/Nick Cutter/Jenni Lewis.

Part of her regretted that decision… after all… if she had been there then Connor and Abbey might never have been trapped in another time for over a year… Danny might have made it back through the anomaly and wouldn't be missing… and Sarah might still be alive.

Jenni shook herself – she shouldn't think like that.

But she couldn't help remembering what Connor had told her after having a little too much champagne at the wedding reception. He had confessed that Nick's dying thought was of Claudia... which meant that his dying thought, in a way, was of Jenni…

Her head sank into her hands as she leaned on the desk… Great. Now that thought will be with me all day!

She knew the reason, of course. Jenni was back working for the government.

Michael had taken his band on a tour of Europe. And they were doing well… but they needed funding to go further. The second tour was set for America… and there was a simple way she could help her struggling-artist husband.

Consultancy.

PR consultancy.

Truth be told, she was looking forward to getting back into the swing of things. And a little consulting here and there would bring much needed cash and help the career of her husband at the same time. What could be the harm in that?

Perhaps the fact that her first consultancy role was with the MoD… hmmm.

And – it got better –she was based in a secret research lab in London which was connected, no matter how distantly, to the ARC.

She had already received 'Welcome Back' cards from Abbey and the immutably enthusiastic Jess Parker.

Even James had called her and said he was freeing up his calendar to visit this afternoon. He had insisted on seeing her in person.

Jenni sighed. She had the distinct feeling she was back where she had started three years ago… then a diamond glinted on her left hand … except for a few differences.

Her attention was drawn to the file that had landed on her desk.

The government had been informed of a fledgling production company wanting to create a television show about dinosaurs by filming in a documentary-style fashion. The big-wigs had decided this was an excellent idea and offered government funding and expert advice… all in the name of plausible deniability.

Jenni was the PR liaison for the production. One that the MoD had doubts would last beyond the pilot.

Jenni smiled and shook her head as she read through the proposed television programme and the various emails back-and-forth from producers to writers to distributors and, finally, government reps.

It was dry-reading.

On that note, Jenni stood and left her office in the R&D building.

After stopping a number of people who directed her to the third floor kitchenette, Jenni was freshly supplied with tea and heading back to read further thoughts on what this PR stunt might entail when she came, startlingly, close to being bowled over by a flushed James Lester.

"Miss Lewis!" He exclaimed, gripping her to him in an effort to stop her falling.

"James!" She returned and watched, in horror, as her boiling tea swirled in the cup and spilled onto her colleague's shirt.

James hissed in pain as Jenni flustered around him and he assured her, "I'm alright… I'm alright!"

"Good," she snapped, slightly irritated by being startled, "Oh, and James, I am now Mrs Lewis-Miller."

"Right," he nodded brusquely, not truly listening, "Of course. Yep... yep…"

"Did you want me for something?"

James hesitated, brushing away the excess liquid from his clothes before coughing an answer; "It wasn't that I needed anything in particular… I was more concerned about you, actually," he admitted, dipping his head to catch her eye.

Jenni smiled automatically and waved away the unasked question, "I'm fine James, just fine. Settling back in."

"I see," James said, though seemed less sure than his words belied.

James Lester was a stoic type. He brought a new definition to the phrase stiff upper lip. But Jenni knew that, beneath it all, he was a caring man. He had been sorry to see her leave the ARC and even tried to convince her to stay, visiting her house one night. But many drinks later, after reminiscing about the various encounters with a particular Scottish professor, Jenni had cried to James that she had no idea who she would be if she stayed at the ARC and that she couldn't be in the team without Nick. James eventually supported her in the decision to leave, even helping arrange alternate employment in the beginning.

Even after all that… Jenni couldn't help a spark of annoyance in his concern.

Jenni frowned, "I am quite capable of working for the ARC again, James, even if it is at a distance. And, besides, this is a completely different set of circumstances."

"Yes…" he nodded, looking about the space, "I know. It was simply that… I was wondering if you had seen…"

"Someone's already given me the tour…"

James blinked. "So you know…"

"I have read the files," Jenni confirmed, starting to loose her temper.

"Right," James said, "right."

Jenni moved down the hall, hearing him follow.

"So… you're alright with this, then?"

"Honestly, James. You're treating me like a porcelain doll," she huffed, reaching her office and swooping round to look at him. "A lot has happened to me these past few years. But a lot of things have changed me as well. I'm not the vulnerable woman you saw leave the ARC. I have found myself again. I'm confident in who I am and what I am doing here. And I have a husband. I have moved on," she explained, taking a breath, "so there is no need to worry about me."

James went to reply, but his eye was caught by someone approaching from behind her.

Jenni didn't turn as an envelope was placed in her free hand.

A soft, Scottish voice intoned, "Your post, Mrs Lewis-Miller."

Oh my God…

She felt her eyes go wide as her heart faltered.

Jenni knew that voice.

Suddenly, she found she was rooted to the spot; James Lesters shocked face filling her vision as her brain tried to make sense of the impossible.

It can't be…

She still hadn't moved when the dear voice asked, "Shall I just place it on your desk, miss?"

And when she turned to reply she couldn't help the tears that sprang to her eyes as she beheld him.

"That's alright, Nick," Lester answered for her, taking the envelope and shooing the post clerk away, "I'll take it. You go on about your work."

The blue eyes held hers for a moment longer until Nick Cutter moved off down the corridor and out of sight.

Jenni looked to James.

"I think there are a few things we need to discuss."

()

Jenni sat at her desk, her hand held high in warning as James Lester waited for her permission to speak.

She stared at the post on the desk, dumbfounded. "That was…"

"I know what you're thinking," James jumped in.

"It was his clone," Jenni concluded.

It was James' turn to look surprised.

"Nick was buried," she explained, "I was there at the ARC. I went with his body to the hospital. I was there all the way."

"You were," James confirmed in a whisper.

"But the clone… they never confirmed his death. And everyone was so messed up about… Nick," she hiccoughed back a flood of tears, "nobody thought about the clone." The thought sank into the air, "My God. No one even thought…" guilt quickly overtook outrage as she continued to stare at the post she had been handed.

James coughed roughly, "That is almost correct…"

Cautiously, Jenni looked to him; somehow not wanting to know and yet succumbing to her need.

"He was… discovered in the wreckage… burned and bloodied… barely alive," James explained, keeping his eyes averted. "He was in a coma for over seven months… by which time you had left and the others were… there had been changes."

"So you sent him here?" Jenni asked, slightly horrified, "To R & D."

"Couldn't think of what else to do with him…" James admitted, "I couldn't let him go. I couldn't lock him up. So I found him a place to stay in the city and gave him a job..."

"Doing the post?" Jenni couldn't help but sneer.

"No matter what he might look like," James said, shifting forward in his chair, "he is not the original."

There was something in his tone that seemed like a warning… Jenni couldn't help her heckles raise.

"There is nothing to show Nick is anything like Cutter was. Nick can complete simple tasks… but. Jenni, he isn't able to process much beyond that."

Meeting James' eyes Jenni watched as her once superior finally admitted, "Professor Nick Cutter is dead. And that was an end to it."