Disclaimer: Primeval does not belong to me. This is fan fiction, not for profit.
Any references to people, places, businesses, etc. are entirely fictitious.
French translation provided by Google Translate.
My Pet Dragon
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Becker drove the SUV as the team returned to the ARC. Emily was squeezed between Becker and Matt in the front seat. The Victorian woman was leaning on Matt actually. The soldier shifted his body, moving a little closer towards the door. Although Emily didn't look uncomfortable, Becker wanted to give her a little extra room. They were all hot, tired and sweaty.
"As incursion's go, I must say I liked the creatures at Victoria Tower Garden's today," mused the dark haired Victorian. Her lips curled up in a soft smile.
"Eohippus," murmured Matt. His eyes were half closed as he leaned against the passenger door. "Who knew they would be so fast?"
"And hard to round up," added Becker.
"But absolutely adorable," protested Emily. "I love all horses… even those tiny creatures."
Becker's sidelong glance noted the team leader's eyes opened wide in disbelief, while Jess's soft chuckle sounded through the ear buds.
"I'm not sure everyone would agree with you Emily," said Jess. "Lester is on the phone trying to explain to the minister about the eohippus herd and the Buxton Fountain."
"Yeah, sorry about that," grunted Matt. The man from the future moved to sit up straighter. "Have you heard if Charlie team has arrived at the London Zoo yet?"
Today's eohippus round up had required both the services of the Alpha team and one of the back-up teams. Since convergence, and the public awareness of almost all things anomaly related, the ARC team had taken to transporting stranded creatures to the rapidly expanding public zoo. The menagerie was now primarily used for a few long term resident creatures. Currently, Rex the coelurosauravus, Princess the dracorex and Elton the Columbian mammoth were the only occupants.
"Charlie team should be arriving at the zoo momentarily," replied the efficient field coordinator. Jess added, "Beta team is still at the Serpentine. No actual signs of an anomaly, but confirmed sightings of an unknown large aquatic creature."
"Does Leanna," asked Matt, referring to the Beta team leader, "have any idea what type of creature?"
"Possibly a small plesiosaur still skulking about from convergence," answered Jess. "At least that's her best guest based on witness description."
"Beta and Charlie team are still away?" asked Emily in surprise. "Are you and Lester in the ARC alone?"
The sound of Jess's indrawn breath could be heard through the comm unit. Becker could almost picture her lips pursing before she answered. Since convergence, the ministry had increased resourcing to the ARC. There were now five functional teams. For security purposes, at least one team was expected to be in the London office at all times. However, the recent loan of Epsilon team to the newly opened ARC outpost facility at the Forest of Dean had left the London ARC temporarily short-handed.
"I've already recalled Delta team," answered Jess. "They should be here soon, but you will probably be back at the ARC first."
"Delta team won't be happy about getting called back to work early," muttered Becker.
The soldier glanced in the rear view mirror before changing lanes. In the back seat, Connor and Abby were in their own little world. Abby was twisted sideways in the seat, gesturing animatedly with her hands. On the seat, between the couple, Becker could see their comm units beside the handheld anomaly detector.
"…cake…" said Abby.
"Becker!" exclaimed Matt, drowning out the rest of Abby's words. "Look out!"
The soldier quickly shifted his gaze forward. The damaged pavement before him was pockmarked with holes left by the parade of Apatosaurus through central London during convergence. The captain swerved to miss a pothole, but didn't. The SUV shook and rattled loudly. The soldier steered the SUV around the corner. The tall building that housed the ARC was visible in the distance.
"I can see the ARC now," Becker announced over the comm unit. "We'll be there shortly."
A beeping noise started in the back seat. Becker checked the rear view mirror again. Connor reached for the handheld, while Abby picked up their comm units. Handing one to Connor, she inserted the other in her ear. Becker's own comm unit began to blare the sound of the ARCs anomaly alert alarm.
"Seriously?" groaned Matt. "Another anomaly?"
The field coordinator was strangely silent. Normally, Jess would be providing information, quickly rattling off directions, coordinates, all the important details that made it possible for the team to do their jobs.
"Jess," growled Becker, "where is the anomaly?"
"Here," whispered Jess. "In the corridor. I can see it."
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Becker pulled the big SUV into the underground car park and cut the ignition. The team scrambled out of the vehicle. Becker moved to the rear of the SUV and grabbed his shotgun before following the others. Connor reached the lift first. The scientist stopped and pressed the call button. Matt continued past the scientist to the entrance to the stairwell.
"Not the lift," ordered Matt. "We take the stairs."
"The hub is four flights up," objected Connor. The restored hub had been moved to a higher floor in the aftermath of repairs from the predator's incursion. "The lift will be quicker."
The arrival bell for the lift dinged and the doors opened before the slender dark haired man. Emily hurried past Connor checking the charge on her EMD as she followed Matt to the stairs. Abby stopped for a moment beside her fiancé.
"The lift opens in the corridor," reminded Abby as she reached for his hand and tugged the dark haired scientist forward.
"Oh, yeah, right," agreed Connor.
Becker shook his head as he watched Connor hurry after Abby. The black clad soldier snapped the bayonet tip into place on the automatic weapon he carried. Another change since convergence, Becker carried real guns again. The tall soldier entered the stairwell last.
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As the team neared the ARC's administrative floor, the continued silence on the comm units was what worried Becker most.
"Maybe the new headset is acting up again," suggested Emily in a hopeful tone.
"Or reception could be really bad in the panic room," offered Connor.
Matt had ordered Jess and Lester to the panic room when he had heard the location of the newest anomaly.
"Jess took the new headset off," reminded Abby.
Becker nodded. The soldier remembered the clattering sound of Jess's headset as it rattled on the surface of her workstation. The field coordinator had gone to help the bureaucrat from his office. Lester was still using a cane since he had been injured during the predator incursion at the ARC just a few short weeks before.
"Or if there has been an incursion," said Connor with a determined smile on his face "they may have stayed in Lester's office, and not be able to reach the comm units."
Becker pushed past Connor, Abby and Emily to join Matt at the door to the fourth floor. The two men looked at each other.
"Ready..." began Matt.
Becker was past ready, he pushed the door open, entering the hub.
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The scene in the hub was not what Becker had dreaded. The anomaly, a glowing, spinning ball appeared before the doors of the lift. Jess and Lester were on the far side of and Jess's workstation. The ARC's director stood in a defensive pose, brandishing his cane before him. Jess was clinging to Lester, but to Becker's observant eye, he could tell she was supporting the director's weight.
"About time you lot finally arrived," snarked Lester.
There had definitely been an incursion, but of people and creatures. A tall, muscular figure, wearing a chain mail hauberk and holding a huge sword appeared closest to Jess's workstation. The medieval knight held his huge sword in a guard stance, and was standing still. Beside, and slightly before the knight, stood a small, dark haired youth. The boy held a crimson pillow, upon which shimmered a glass, or perhaps crystal, object. The horses in front of the anomaly blocked Becker's view, but he heard a voice and knew there must be another intruder in the ARC.
"We got here as quickly as we could," growled Becker in a menacing tone as he strode purposefully forward into the hub.
As Becker hoped, the swordsman turned away from Jess and Lester to face the new threat of the black clad soldier. The other voice spoke, a language Becker didn't recognize, but the boy obviously did. The youth clasped the fragile shimmering object tightly to the satin pillow and backed away from Jess and Lester. He clucked at the horses, backing them up closer towards the anomaly as well. The third intruder came into the captain's view.
"Who are you?" demanded Becker.
Footsteps sounded behind the soldier. He knew that Matt, Emily, Connor and Abby were behind him. Becker gave a grin of grim satisfaction.
"We have you outnumbered," continued Becker in a short, sharp clipped tone of voice.
The knight appeared to recognize the threat Becker and the others presented, if not the words. Thick muscled arms lifted the heavy sword higher and pointed it across the room towards Becker. The third intruder sniffed disdainfully. The slender man, dressed in a flowing purple cape that swirled around his body showing just the briefest glimpse of a richly embroidered white linen shirt and black leather breeches tucked into black boots, snapped a command at the youth.
"La pantoufle," repeated Connor in a questioning tone. The scientist had moved forward until he now stood at Becker's right side.
"Do you understand what he said?" asked Becker.
"The language sounds sort of like French," replied Connor. "If I remember my lessons right, Purple Cape Man said something about a slipper."
The shimmering object on the pillow became clear as the boy from the anomaly moved closer to the team in front of the stairwell. Purple Cape Man stepped closer too. The gold metal band around his forehead became visible as it glistened beneath the overhead light.
"A glass slipper," breathed Emily in awe. The Victorian now stood at Becker's left, Abby and Matt just beyond her. "And he's wearing a crown…"
"The Cinderella story was based on an old French legend," sighed Abby. "Do you think…?"
"Do you think he's Prince Purple Cape Man?" interrupted Connor.
"Couldn't possibly," huffed Matt.
The boy looked back at Purple Cape Man and said something. The royal intruder began to laugh rudely and more words were exchanged. Becker heard an indignant squawk from Connor.
"Ses pieds et ses bottes sont parfaites juste la façon dont ils sont!" exclaimed Connor.
Prince Purple Cape Man stopped laughing and glared at the young scientist. The boy backed up a step, exchanging a nervous glance between Connor and the Prince. The knight remained focused on Becker.
"What did you just say Connor?" asked Becker. The Captain's eyes kept roving, watching closely.
Behind the intruders, Jess released her hold on Lester. The director sagged against the computer console. Jess reached across the workstation and pressed some buttons. Then the field coordinator reached into the small bowl on her desk and grabbed something red. Jess squished the red substance between her fingers before she backed up and brushed her fingers lightly against the ventilator panel.
"Connor," growled Becker. The sound of his voice succeeded in keeping the intruders attention on the soldier. "What did you say?"
"They were talking about feet," explained the dark haired scientist. "I think I said her feet and boots are perfect just the way they are!"
"We don't want to upset our guests," reminded Matt. "You shouldn't be bothered if he said Abby's feet were too big…"
"It wasn't just Abby he was talking about," interjected Connor.
The man from the future narrowed his gaze at the intruders, but the Prince was speaking again in a haughty, demanding tone. Becker watched as the aristocratic intruder turned his gaze back to Jess.
"No!" exclaimed Becker. "Don't even think…"
A cretaceous roar sounded in the far corridor beyond Jess. Princess the dracorex was in the walkway coming towards the hub.
"How did Princess get out?" asked Matt.
"Jess," whispered Becker, "but our guests don't know that a dracorex is a vegetarian."
The intruders were clearly terrified of the oncoming creature. The dracorex entered the hub and paused for a moment beside Jess. The field coordinator held up her reddened fingers. Princess began to lick Jess's fingers. The beautiful brunette glared at the Prince and his entourage.
"Revenir en arrière et ne jamais revenir," said Jess, "ou je vais envoyer mon dragon après."
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The anomaly was locked. The mess from three medieval Frenchmen and two horses had been cleaned up and Princess was back in the menagerie. Delta team had finally arrived to take over the evening shift, and Lester had told the Alpha team to go home.
"It can't be real," protested Matt as he and Emily walked towards the lift. "Cinderella is a fairy tale, it's just not real."
"Sometimes stories are more real than history," chided Emily.
"Yeah," agreed Connor. The scientist almost stepped on Matt's heels as the man abruptly stopped walking. "Princess is proof that dragons of legend have a basis in fact. And really, the scientific name Dracorex hogwartsia is proof…"
The lift bell chimed and the doors swished open. Matt, Emily, Connor and Abby stepped inside.
"Are you coming Becker," called Abby.
The soldier shook his head. The blonde gave him a smirk and released her hold on the side of the lift door. The foursome disappeared. Becker was waiting in the hub as he had every night since convergence.
"Jess," called the soldier, "are you ready to go home?"
"Just a minute," replied Jess. She was scrubbing her hands with a wet wipe. "Trying to get the last of the strawberries off my fingers."
"That was good thinking," chuckled Becker, "to let loose Princess and attract her with strawberries. She really frightened those people."
Jess swiveled around on her high seat. The black clad soldier stepped closer. The field coordinator's eyes were level with Becker's hazel eyes.
"I thought you were afraid of creatures like the dracorex," continued Becker.
"After having an ARC full of predators," replied Jess, "a little dracorex that likes strawberries is nothing scary at all."
"Yeah," agreed Becker. He held out his hand to Jess. "Let's go home. The Delta coordinator can handle things from here on."
The petite woman smiled warmly at him and reached her hand to clasp his.
"Were you channeling your inner Cinderella?" teased Becker. The soldier knew how much Jess liked her Disney movies. "Didn't you want to try on the glass slipper?"
Jess shuddered.
"No! I can't stand Cinderella, letting someone else pick out her shoes!" replied the brunette emphatically. "If anything, I was channeling my inner Maleficent."
"Who is Maleficent?" asked Becker.
"The mistress of all evil from Sleeping Beauty," answered Jess. "Maleficent has a dragon form."
"You couldn't possibly be Maleficent," protested the tall soldier. "I can't imagine you ever doing anything evil."
"To protect people I care for," replied Jess, "I would do just about anything. Wouldn't you?"
The hazel eyes regarded her seriously as Becker recognized the truth of her statement. One eyebrow went up.
"Jess," asked Becker, "what exactly did you say to those people?"
The pretty brunette blushed.
"I threatened to sic my dragon on them if they didn't leave."
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