Becker didn't notice Matt and Danny talking with their heads close together, whispering conspiratorially, as he walked into the detector room Monday morning. He didn't notice Abby and Sarah staring at him as he walked by on his way to his office at lunch time and he didn't notice Jess giggle when he passed her on the way to give his reports to Lester right before the end of work.
He had spent most of his day in the armory cleaning the guns and training with his soldiers. The only person he had really talked to that day was Lester and nothing had seemed different about him. He was his usual grumpy self, sarcastic and dry in humor as he commented on Becker always getting his reports done before the rest of the team, and didn't he have any sort of life or relationship outside of work and the Arc. Becker's only response was to lift an eyebrow at his boss before Lester sighed and dismissed him.
As he left to finally get home and be able to catch the last half of the rugby match, he noticed that most of the team was still in the detector room instead of having left like they normally would have. The only person that wasn't there was Connor, which was odd noted Becker considering he could usually be found wherever Abby was.
"What are you lot still doing here?" he inquired to the room at large, as it was only the team still there. For a moment no one answered and Sarah and Jess fidgeted around in their seats without meeting Becker's eyes.
"Nothing much mate," responded Quinn after a moment "Lester keeps complaining that we never get our reports done and if they aren't on his desk when he comes in tomorrow morning, we all have his permission to borrow the morning paper to check on the job listings. I personally would say bugger it and just go home, but Abby told me I had better stay if I don't want to wake up tomorrow morning to find those blasted beasts she calls pets eating their way through my walls."
Becker internally grinned at the glare Danny shot at Abby and her receiving look of complete innocence She tried to make her eyes big and guileless, but it didn't entirely work. The only person Becker knew who could completely pull that look off was Connor. With his big brown eyes and utter naivete, he didn't even need to try to look innocent.
"Where is Connor then? If you lot are supposed to be finishing your reports before Lester comes in the morning, why isn't Connor? Becker assured himself that he didn't really care, that the feeling of protectiveness that he had for the younger man was just because Conner was so danger prone and likely to get into any kind of trouble without someone there to watch over him, and it was Becker's job to keep every member of the team safe. He would feel the same for any one of the people on the team. Becker steadily reminded himself that he was off of work now and it wasn't his job to look after troublesome geniuses.
"Uh, Connor left earlier." Abby responded hoping that Becker didn't ask for more information.
"Oh, why?" Becker inquired.
"He, uh, said something having something to take care of. I'm sure his reports are already done"
"Well, see you tomorrow mate." The rest of the team chorused in their good-byes with Danny's as Becker left and they got back to work.
Becker felt that there was something going, that there was something he was missing, but he couldn't quite place what it was. There were odd things that had happened today, but nothing so very outside the norm that it garnered looking into. The team actually staying to work was not normal, and neither was Lester asking about his personal life. Though he had done it in quite a sarcastic way, it was still weird of him to say anything about personal information. And especially different was Connor not being around Abby. He usually hung around her like a little lost puppy, and oddly the thought of how he waited on Abby made Becker's stomach tighten up. Becker dismissed it as revulsion that Connor acted in such a way just to get a little more attention, even as the niggling feeling in the back of his mind told him that maybe he just wanted to be on the receiving end of Connor's devotion.
"Okay, he's gone mates." Danny spoke up first, only about a minute after Becker had left.
"Well, goo- "
"Wait!" Jess cut off Matt before he could speak any further, "He's still here. He's in the elevator now."
The group waited for a few more minutes as they watched Becker leave on the security camera screens that Jess had brought up on her computer screens. As soon as Becker got in his truck and pulled out of the car park, Matt started talking again.
"Good, he's finally gone. I was worried for a minute, you lot can't act inconspicuous to save your lives. He'll know something is up with the way you guys were going on."
"He might think something is up but he'll never realize that we are all plotting to set him and Connor up together." Pointed out Danny.
"And why exactly am I condoning you delinquents to mess with the lives of my head of security and the ARC's only still living genius, though you'll never hear me say that again, someone please explain to me." Lester had come out of his office while the team had been watching Becker leave.
"It'll be good for them." Claimed Abby, "Most the time Connor is making eyes at Becker anyhow, and Becker is too cowardly to admit that he likes Connor. We're just helping along the process."
"You do realize that it is against the ARC's policy to allow employees to be in a relationship, right?"
"Don't be such a spoilsport mate. Think of all the fun it will be trying to get these two to fess up to their feelings for one another. This will be the most entertainment I've had ever since repeatedly breaking into the ARC, Becker's face is sure to be even more priceless this time than it was when I did those 'security checks'." Lester's glare at Danny could have stopped a predator in it's tracks, but it didn't faze Danny you continued to chuckle to himself.
"Danny, the policies of the ARC are not put in place so that you can break them for your own misguided entertainment."
"Lester, we're just trying to give them the push so that they admit their feelings for one another." Jess's cajoling seemed to be working better than Danny's. "It'll happen either way, we're just trying to give it the push so that we aren't waiting for them to give in until next year."
Lester didn't look entirely convinced, but his face had softened more than when Danny had tried to convince him. "Fine, you lot will most likely do it without my permission anyhow." Danny and Abby grinned to each other.
"Know that we have Lester on board with us, what is the plan to get them to admit their feelings?" Sarah's question made Dany and Abby's grins fall a little.
"We hadn't really gotten that far in the planning when we called the team together. Anyone have an idea?" They all looked thoughtful for a moment before Abby spoke up.
"I have the perfect plan!"
Fin