Title: Zombie, Chapter One
Author: Pinkcat4569
Rating: T, some innuendos, mild violence, and mild language. It's a bit spooky, in tone but also humorous. Nothing too sexy, violent, or gross.
Description: Halloween horror gets a bit too real when the team goes to a fishing village to find out the source of mysterious behavior. Jess/Becker, not in a relationship.
Disclaimer: Only written for enjoyment. I don't own Primeval or the characters.
Author's Note: I began this as a Halloween story. It didn't get finished. Primeval Denial is having a fic finishing challenge, so I dusted it off. Like usual, it grew. It's huge! Anyway, in finishing it, I decided to use a prompt from my bingo card in Primeval Denial's Trope Bingo. The prompt is Genre: Horror. It fits the story. I hope you can hang on for this long ride. It's fun, I think. Thanks!
Total Words: Huge! 23000+ words (Will change. I'm still editing it.)
1638 Words, this Chapter
Zombie
Becker sighed as he walked out his door. The hallway in his building was covered with fake cobwebs, orange flashy lights and paper skeletons. Some people just had to get into the silliness of Halloween. Then he smiled. There was one person who adored the holiday. He shook the image of short costumes and that dazzling, bright smile right out of his head.
It was not professional to daydream about a colleague.
Across London, someone else was dreaming about a co-worker. Jess Parker giggled in her sleep. The dream was the best ever. She was in Ops, and the lights went out. Luckily for her, a certain security captain was on hand to keep her company. He was saying sweet, slightly inappropriate things and blowing in her ear.
Then the stupid alarm went off.
When Jess emerged from her building found a dreary, wet day, with dark, gray fog creeping along the sidewalk. "Yuck," she said, shivering. It was dark enough that she had trouble seeing where she walked. She stumbled into someone.
"Oh, I'm sorry..."
She looked up into a twisted, black, decomposing face, staring at her with freakish red eyes.
She screamed.
Then she realized that it was just a fake statue, put up for Halloween. She giggled. "OK, I love the chocolate and the the little princesses and cute ghosties that go door to door, but there are some things about the holiday that I just don't need, like Zombies!" She kicked the thing lightly. Then she resumed her way to work.
She was seated at the ADD when her favorite part of each day happened: Becker walked in.
"Good morning!"
"Eh," he muttered.
"What's your problem?"
"My problem? Too many people in line for the coffee of the month. Chocolate Pumpkin Espresso doesn't even sound appealing."
"It does too! I love this time of year!"
He moaned. "Don't remind me. Stupid ghosts and black cat decorations everywhere." He looked above Jess' head. A ghost swayed in the breeze. "Like I said."
She giggled. "Yay! It's Halloween again! Come on Becker, get excited!" She continued to giggle, then stuck her tongue out at him.
He sneered slightly, but it morphed into a teasing grin. "You're a bit too into all this nonsense, Jess. You do know you're too old, don't you?"
She gasped and glared at him. "You spoil sport!"
He chuckled. "Although...you could probably get away with trick or treating. You're just the right size."
"I am not short!"
His eyebrow went up.
"OK, I am, but you don't have to tease me about it!"
He laughed.
She crossed her arms and sulked. "It's not like I can control my height. Anyway, you're unnaturally tall."
"Now, now, don't be childish."
She narrowed her eyes and turned away. "I'll have you know that some of the best things come in miniature."
He laughed, looking up and down her shapely legs, peeking out from under the ADD. "Oh, I believe that."
She blushed.
"I apologize if I offended you, Jessica."
"If?"
"You have every right to love Halloween."
"Yes I do."
"No matter how silly and impractical it is."
She eyed him again. "So I take it that you have no plans?"
"Other than ignoring it all? No."
"I would ask you over to mine, but I'm not sure you'd behave."
He smiled. "Is this a...uh...private...invitation?"
She blushed. "No. Me, Abby, Connor, Matt and Emily are going to hang out and have fun. That's F...U...N, Becker. I'm sure you're not aware of the word."
He laughed.
"We're going to get a whole bunch of scary movies, and have popcorn and chocolate..."
"Of course."
"And cider, and pumpkins."
"To eat?"
She rolled her eyes. "No, Becker! We're going to carve Jack O'lanterns."
"You did graduate Kindergarten, didn't you?"
"Seriously! Stop teasing me!"
"I can't help it, Jess you're too tease-able."
She glared at him again. "I've invited you, against my better judgment. That's all I can do. If you want to be a sullen party-pooper, fine. Just don't bring your bad mood with you," she said, turning back to the ADD.
He stared at her for a moment, then decided he should get to work. Jess looked up to watch him walk away.
Later that day, the team was sitting together for lunch. Becker was the last one to arrive.
"Exorcist, Poltergeist, Blair Witch, the Shining..."
"What's Connor talking about?" asked Becker, with a slight look of alarm.
Abby smiled. "Jess put him in charge of the movies on Halloween."
Becker groaned. "I'm definitely not coming."
Jess glared at him. "Fine. Don't. What else, Connor?"
"Dracula, Nosferatu, Night of the Living Dead..."
Jess groaned. "No zombies."
Connor grabbed his chest like he was having a heart attack. "Jess, a Halloween movie-a-thon without zombies is like Christmas without elves!"
Abby laughed.
Jess shook her head. "I don't care. I hate zombies. They're gross, and stupid, and...have no color."
"Right, because Drac is tan and full of color."
"Becker, you're not coming, so you don't get a say."
"I get a say, right?" asked Connor. "I want zombies."
"No!" yelled Jess.
"Are you feeling fine, Jess?" asked Emily.
Jess nodded. "Yes. It's just...been a tough morning."
"That seaside anomaly is acting up again," Connor explained.
Becker shook his head. "Again? What's the deal with it?"
Connor and Jess shrugged in unison. "It's driving me crazy!" cried Jess. "The whole area lights up, but the ADD doesn't go off, then it lights up again, then nothing."
"How long has this been going on, a couple months, right?" Becker asked.
Abby, Connor, and Jess nodded.
"No major reports of creature activity either," said Matt.
"Very strange," said Connor.
"And annoying."
"Perhaps it is supernatural activity," Emily suggested.
They all stared at her. She slowly broke into a grin.
Matt chuckled. "She's trying to get into the mood."
"Oh, not you too," groaned Becker.
Jess sighed. "Stop with the Halloween bashing, Becker."
"I'm entitled to my opinion, Jessica," he said with a grin.
She didn't flirt back. "Connor, go back to the movie list. What else?"
"I dunno," he said, deflated. "I guess Zombieland is out?"
"Yes it is! I hate Zombies!"
"But I love them! Is this a party or a dictatorship?"
"It was my idea!" cried Jess.
"So what?" Connor snapped back.
"Calm down, both of you," said Abby. "Connor, you can watch zombies later tomorrow night, with me."
He sulked.
"And Jess, I think maybe you're getting too worked up over this."
"She is."
"Becker, shut up!"
"We do not have to impose upon you if it is too much stress," said Emily.
"Fine! No one come then, since you all don't seem serious about it."
Becker shook his head. "Serious, Jess? I thought it was supposed to be fun?"
Abby laughed, looking at Jess. "He's right."
Jess frowned, also sulking. "Whatever," she said, poking at her salad.
"We've depressed her," said Abby.
"She depressed me, taking away my zombies."
"Connor..."
Becker continued to chuckle, but looked at Jess in a softer manner. "Jess, we're just teasing."
"I wasn't. I'm serious about the z..."
Abby shushed her boyfriend with a warning glare.
Jess shrugged.
"You'll have fun. So will Connor, even without the zombies. He'll get caught up in the vampire blood sucking."
"Vampires are cool," said Connor, starting to perk up.
"And just think of all that chocolate," Becker said with a smile.
Jess didn't return the grin.
"Would it cheer you up if I agreed to come?"
Jess looked at him. "No. I don't need a sad clown at my party, thing, whatever." She suddenly giggled. "Although, that's a perfect costume for you. You are a sad clown."
Becker leveled an icy stare at her. "Don't ever call me that again."
Jess' face had more life to it. "Ah, what's wrong, Captain? Don't you like clowns?"
She giggled again. "Don't panic, Becker. You don't have to come as a clown, not even a sad one."
"Wait. You're all wearing costumes?" he asked in horror.
Jess rolled her eyes and scoffed. "Duh! It's Hall-o-ween," she said slowly, emphasizing each syllable.
Connor chuckled. "I think that killed the idea for him."
Becker nodded.
"Fine," said Jess. "Don't come, but you're right. We are having it. It will be fun and I will look," and she smirked at him, "stunning. And sexy."
"Sexy?"
Connor and Abby laughed and looked at each other.
"Yes, Becker. I'm, going to be a hot, adorable witch, with ridiculously high heels, a tall witch's hat, and...a plunging neck line."
Becker's eyebrow jumped up.
Jess giggled. "Plus the skirt is..."
"Yeah?" asked Becker, hanging on her every word.
She smiled, and blushed slightly. "Frilly, green, and...little." She had him and she knew it.
He couldn't help but lick his lips. "Um...just...how little is it?"
"Sorry, that's all the information I'm giving." She smiled teasingly, picked up her empty tray, and walked away, looking back to smile at him.
"You know, you lose a lot of your stoic cool around our field coordinator," Matt said with a laugh.
"Shut up."
Abby giggled. "You are coming, right, Becker?"
"I'm, uh..." he said, watching as Jess walked, "mulling it over."
Abby laughed and shook her head. "I've seen the costume, by the way."
Becker snapped his head toward her. "And?"
"It's shorter than the one she's wearing."
Becker's eyebrow went up and he smiled.
"He's in," said Connor.
End of Chapter One