A/N: SAndyLeePotts, YouHaveLovelyHair, Heyarandomgal, Sarcastic-Bones, we have an anomaly, Prawn Crackers and Mijo54: thanks so much for those reviews! Also, thank you to MoutieGirl, Binnie-Bunny, nsane1, Kedern, Rawwwwwr, teparry and EmmaL94 for adding this story to their alerts/favourites. I'd love to hear what you think of the story though! (On a side note, I'm still alive! And surprisingly, I haven't even slipped on any ice and fallen over like Connor did in chapter 1.) Anyway, here's chapter 2, I hope you enjoy it.

What the hell had happened?

As he turned around, examining the state of the room, his hazel eyes caught onto a bizarre sight. Slumped against the wall behind him, lay a raptor (though what it was doing in the Hub, he had no idea) with what looked like a chair leg stabbed through its neck. Stumbling forwards and around the table, Becker went for a closer inspection. Only, he never made it to the creature. Instead he tripped over something lying at his feet and found himself lying on top of a body.

Reeling, Becker found he had fallen on top of Jess. Tiny, auburn-haired, smiling Jess. Perfect Jess. Jess whose skin was now startlingly white and cold. A streak of blood coated her cheek and her arm was bent at an odd angle.

"Becker?" she asked in a weak whisper.

Gasping, Becker's memory came back to him.

He remembered striding purposefully forwards and taking up his protective stance in front of Jess. He remembered the beast's gargantuan strength, so much stronger than him. It was quick and agile too, easily gaining the upper hand when Becker didn't even have a knife to defend himself with.

It circled him, lunging with snapping jaws and flying claws every now and again. And though Becker always managed to either dodge the attack or kick at the thing, he couldn't help but feel the raptor was toying with him.

He managed a few punches, though it felt like his hand was hitting a solid wall and he soon learned not to use the tactic. His knuckles still bore the marks and were covered in dried blood.

As he flung his aching hand about, hissing in pain after the last punch, Jess made to aid him. She probably wanted to check his hand, but as her heeled shoe hit the ground, the raptor turned sharply towards her. Its claws clacked on the polished floor as it came at her. Using all his strength, Becker grabbed the thing around the neck, ignoring its rearing head as tried to snap his head off, and hurled himself and the raptor into a wall, right on top of the ARC's fuse box. Light flared behind his eyes and his head spun dangerously as he stumbled away, trying to clear his head. An electric spark filled the air and the lights flickered off, leaving the room in gloomy darkness.

Unseen, the velociraptor collided with his side and knocked him to the ground where he knew no more.

"Jess," Becker called urgently.

She mumbled something and closed her eyes.

"No, don't go to sleep," he told her, shaking her slightly by the arms.

God, she's cold, he thought anxiously, shrugging out of his black camouflage jacket and placing it around her shoulders.

"Jess, you can't go to sleep."

She seemed to be completely ignoring him.

"Jess, what can I do to keep you awake?" he asked more to himself than her.

Sleepily, she murmured, "Take your shirt off…"

Becker gave a shaky laugh and lay down beside her, carefully wrapping his arms around her – desperate to avoid moving her when she was injured – and using his body heat to keep her warm.

Jess sighed, as she was ensconced in warmth suddenly. Her nose was filled with Becker's soft aftershave, the scent she had come to love and she couldn't help turning her head to face him to get a better sniff of it.

He ran his hands up and down her slim arms, trying to keep them warm.

"Jess, why can't you ever wear trousers or anything with long sleeves?" he complained as he tangled his legs with hers hoping to shield them from the cold that way.

Again, she mumbled something, but this time Becker didn't catch what it was.

He shivered, and regretted throwing himself at the ARC's electric system. With no heating, the sub-zero temperatures of winter were seeping into the airy, already cool building. Sometimes, he really didn't use his common sense.

Jess' breathing began to even out and Becker called her name loudly.

"What?" she asked grumpily, seeming to regain some life. She just wanted to be able to sleep. She was so tired, and her eyes were fluttering closed, only to be opened every time Becker spoke.

"I have to something to say," Becker blurted unthinkingly, willing to do anything to distract her from sleep. He nosed her hair, taking in her floral, fruity smell and took a deep breath. If ever was the time to do it, it was now, he told himself. "Will you go out with me?"

Jess was silent for a moment and Becker feared the worst.

"Will you?"

"Why?" she asked, her voice small again.

"Because…I owe you after you bought that Chinese," he offered lamely.

"Is that the only reason?" she asked hopefully.

"Ye-no," Becker admitted. If Jess was to die, he couldn't bear the thought of lying to her. "I-I don't know how to say this. I-I like you, Jessica Parker."

"You do?"

Becker nodded and then realised she wouldn't have seen him in the absence of light.

Clearing his throat, he answered, "How could I not? Hm? You stroll into the ARC dressed in the most ridiculously inappropriate clothing, skirts that are barely there, and expect me not to notice. You have no idea how much self-control it takes to not jump you, Jess." He paused as she chuckled and apologised. "Then, as if that wasn't enough, you smile at everyone and are always cheerful. You do my paperwork and keep us alive. You welcome us back like we're members of your family. You…you're just you."

"Okay," she finally answered, working to keep her voice calm whilst she was screaming on the inside.

"Is that okay you'll go out with me or okay as in you accept my reasons for liking you?" he asked in confusion.

"Okay as in I'll go out with you." If Jess hadn't been so tired she'd have been laughing.

"You will?"

"Sure," she replied. "You have nice hair." Her uninjured arm reached up and her hand lightly touched his front quiff. He was sure she was smiling; he just wished he could see.

Becker laughed, remembering the last time she'd said that. She'd been in danger then too. Though this time there was no magic injection he could give her. This time there was nothing he could do to help at all. He was no medic; sure he had basic first aid training from his time in the Armed Forces, but that was it.

If only the goddamn lockdown could be lifted then he would be able to get her to the ARC medics. But somehow, after he'd been knocked unconscious the ADD had been ruined. Besides there was no power anyway.

Becker had always known that working at the ARC would kill him; but he assumed he'd die from being attacked by a creature, not being trapped in the building with no food or water.

Suddenly, the door hissed open and torch light swung over them.

Becker squinted up at it, the glare of the light stopping him from seeing the person's face.

"Need a hand?" a man asked in an Irish accent.

"Matt!" Becker exclaimed in relief. "Jess is hurt. I need you to get a medic!"

Becker felt her body go limp in his arms and shouted, "Jess!"

Matt swung the torch over Jess' body and gulped at the amount of blood coating the sleeping FCO. It was almost as bad as the workmen at the stadium.

He pulled a walkie-talkie off the waistband of his trousers and said, "Matt to Emily, I need the medics sent to the Hub, over."

Emily's voice came clearly over the connection and replied, "They're on their way, over and out."

Becker and Matt waited in terse silence until the medics ran through the door, each holding a torch, and began examining Jess. One of them pulled Becker away and set about checking his head, despite his protests that he was fine and it was Jess they needed to worry about.

The entire time his eyes didn't leave her. Except for when they ripped open her dress to better access her wounds and he found himself blushing, gulping and turning away.

Some time during the fifteen minutes that followed, Connor walked in, followed by Abby. The pair of them froze when they saw Jess, the kind girl who had let them stay in her flat when she didn't even know them. Connor reached back for Abby's hand, wiped his eyes on the back of his other wrist and moved to the fuse box, ready to try and restore the electricity. If Jess needed surgery, she wouldn't have a hope without it.

Becker's breathing was erratic with worry, and eventually he couldn't stop himself from joining the medics around her and taking her hand.

Silently, Connor worked on the fuse box, never once asking what on earth Becker had done to it, though he craved to. His efforts were rewarded with the lights coming back on with a buzz. Better able to see what they were doing, the medics worked manically on Jess, terrified of the Captain's anger if she should die.

Everyone could see how much he cared, but no-one tried to console him until Emily stepped into the room, kissed Matt briefly and then went to stand behind Becker in support, squeezing his shoulder.

The medics worked on Jess continuously, only quietly talking to each other as they applied pressure to wounds, sewed up some more superficial cuts and grazes, cleaned the blood from her skin and put her arm in a splint.

"What the bloody hell happened in here?" Lester demanded, suddenly appearing in the room. He stopped short at the sight of his best employee lying unconscious on the ground with the team gathered around her. "Well?" he said, rather less abrasive than before.

Matt took him aside and explained what he knew, but even that wasn't much.

Becker tightened his grip around Jess' hand trying to bring her back that way. It didn't look positive, and though he didn't understand anything the medics were saying, he knew they didn't rate Jess' chances either.

Finally, she was ready to be lifted onto a gurney and wheeled down to the ARC hospital for her more serious wounds, like those to her stomach, to be addressed.

Becker tried to follow her but one of the medics drew him aside.

"We're taking her into surgery so for health and safety reasons you can't come in with Miss Parker."

"Is she going to be okay?" Becker asked, his brow furrowed in concern.

"We think she'll pull through. You made all the difference by keeping her awake for as long as you did."

Becker nodded, still feeling like he should have done more.

An hour and a half later Jess was released from surgery. Becker had paced the corridor outside the entire time, unable to sit still, and as soon as the doctors let him, he sat by her bedside, holding her hand. She was still pale – from blood loss the medics told him – but her hand was a lot warmer than before. It gave Becker hope that she would wake up soon.

The doctors had closed up all internal bleeding and every wound she had, wrapping much of her in bandages, including her arm which was given a proper cast.

What would he do if she died? He would only remember the words he'd always been unable to say. They were all he could hear in the silence of the room. The only other sound to be heard, was the soft noise of Jess breathing. At least she wasn't on a ventilator, Becker thought, grateful for small mercies.

He'd had his whole world wrapped inside his arms and still hadn't confessed the full truth. It had been on the tip of his tongue, and he just hadn't been able to get it out. Boy, did he regret it now. And he had no-one else to blame but himself. Captain Hilary James Becker didn't just like Jess, he loved her.

"Jess, I love you," he murmured, only really telling himself as Jess was still under the influence of anaesthetic and couldn't hear him.

Outside, Lester was talking to the medic, getting the full rundown of Jess' injuries and how long it would take her to recover. It seemed she would be missing from work for a full three weeks.

Connor and Abby sat side by side, her head resting on his shoulder and her hand wrapped in his on her knee. Both were asleep, though Connor's mouth hung open as his head lolled back over the chair to lean against the wall. Matt had done a better job of staying awake at the late hour and continually sipped coffee to keep himself alert.

Emily quietly talked to him, still filled with worry for young Jessica, who had so kindly taken the time to help her settle into the 21st century and still came shopping with her.

"I hope she's okay," Emily repeated for the millionth time.

"I'm sure she will be – we've got the best doctors and surgeons here, remember?"

Emily nodded and shuffled closer to him. His arm came up and around her shoulders, where she fitted perfectly into his body. He pressed a kiss to the side of her head, noticing how wet her warm, brown eyes looked. But it was impossible to tell if she was on the verge of tears. Emily's eyes always had been expressive that way. It was one of the things that had captured his attentions.

Now that Becker was inside the hospital room, Lester appeared to have taken over his pacing duties, his usually impassive face twisted with worry. Matt said nothing over the ARC director's apparent lack of composure. They all knew that Lester cared for Jess, certainly more than he liked the rest of them. It was almost like she was his niece, the way Lester reserved his sarcastic comments for everyone else.

Regardless, despite his sardonic front, Lester did have a heart and he was always pained by the injuries, deaths and disappearances of his staff. He'd even come to view Connor as a son of sorts. An annoying one that came with a lot of baggage and nerdy awkwardness at that.

Becker's anxiety continued to mount as he waited impatiently for Jess to wake up.

He didn't know when, but at some point he had taken to running his fingers up and down her uninjured arm. Now he was sat with her hand clasped between two of his and every so often pressed kisses to it. He was barely even aware he was doing it.

Finally, his hours of sleep deprivation caught up with him and he fell asleep, his head resting on the mattress beside Jess. In sleep, the lines of worry smoothed away and a gentle snore took hold of him.

Abby jerked awake as Lester sat down in the vacant chair beside her. Yawning, she wiped her eyes and turned to him.

"What time is it?"

Seemingly too tired for a sarcastic retort, Lester replied, "Just gone five in the morning."

Abby nodded and yawned again, accidentally elbowing Connor as she tried to stretch in the enclosed space of his arms.

Connor blinked a few times and looking down blearily eyed at her.

"Whatsa matter?"

His eyelids fell closed again, before he sniffed, and let go of Abby to properly rub his eyes.

"Morning," he mumbled to his fiancée, kissing the top of her head. "I'll go get coffees, shall I?"

Abby nodded gratefully and turned back to Lester.

"How is she?"

The old man wearily shook his head. He looked haggard with his shirt untucked, his tie loosened and his eyes bloodshot with tiredness, a picture far from his usual immaculate appearance.

"The surgeons tell me that it's all down to her now. They've done as much as they can, Jess needs her willpower to pull through."

Abby smiled softly. "She'll be fine then," she asserted.

Lester shot her a confused look and glanced back at the doors that separated them from Jess and Becker.

"Nothing, not even death, will keep Jess from Becker."

"Are you telling me that my FCO and my Head of Security are fraternising?"

"Becker? And Jess? Hardly. They've been tiptoeing about one another for months though. The only ones who can't tell that they like each other are Jess and Becker," Abby explained, as Connor returned with three cups of black coffee.

Lester took his wordlessly and sipped it.

"Yeah, I don't think Becker could be any more oblivious to Jess' sudden nonsensical rambling whenever he's around."

"Nonsensical rambling?" Lester muttered to himself, wondering how he could have failed to notice.

"Mm hm," Connor replied through a mouthful of coffee.

"What about all that chocolate Becker always brings Jess though?" Abby asked with raised eyebrows.

"I've heard enough," Lester declared as he stood. "Regrettably I must inform the minister of this." Nodding once to Connor and Abby, he walked away down the corridor and locked himself in his office, taking off his suit jacket and swinging it over the back of his chair.

Really, he honestly couldn't believe that his staff had so insistently ignored the ARC standards on internal relationships. First Abby and Connor, though an exception had been made for them because they'd been absent when the rule was implemented, then Matt and the young Miss Merchant, and now Captain Becker and Miss Parker.

Sighing, and wishing he could have stayed to find out the news on Jessica, he pulled the telephone towards him and dialled for the Home Office. The minister was not going to be in a good mood.

Becker woke gently, remembering the hand that had run through his hair, smoothing it down and tickling his scalp with perfectly rounded nails.

The dream was too good to be true, he thought, as he remembered lying with his head resting on Jess' naked stomach with his arms wrapped possessively around her torso.

Again, the feeling of nimble fingers in his hair came and he opened his eyes in confusion, finding Jess awake and looking at the wall as she absently touched his lovely hair.

"Jess?" he asked in disbelief, his voice seeming more high-pitched than ever before.

Embarrassed, she removed her hand and glanced down at him, where his head still rested atop his folded arms on her mattress.

"You're okay," he whispered, still smiling genuinely.

Jess nodded. "Thanks to you, I believe."

Becker shrugged, feeling guilty that she'd even been injured in the first place. Only an idiot would take out the lights when there was a dinosaur in the building.

Jess itched to ask him about whether he'd meant it when he said he liked her, whilst Becker found himself wondering if she even remembered anything that had been said between them. Not only that, but he was desperate to tell her the whole truth.

"About in the hub-" Becker began just as Jess opened her mouth and asked, "Did you mean it-"

"Ladies first," Becker muttered nervously, his heart racing as surely as if he had adrenaline running in his veins as he fired one of his beloved guns.

Jess nodded and breathed deeply. Could she even ask? What if he'd only said it to keep her awake and didn't really mean it.

She opened her mouth and then closed it again, unable to find the words to ask him.

"Jess, whatever it is, you can tell me," Becker told her, gently squeezing her hand to reassure her.

She nodded and asked quietly, "Do you really like me?"

Becker nodded without hesitation, and then breathed into her ear. "I think I even love you."

Jess couldn't help herself as she pressed her lips briefly against his before drawing back in shock at her bold actions.

Before she could apologise, Becker leant down to capture her lips, just as the door creaked open, admitting a creeping Abby and Connor into the room. Matt and Emily followed, all smiling at the sight of Jess alive and looking more like her usual self as her smile took her over her entire face. Despite the absence of her bright and mismatched clothes, Jess' face looked as cheerful as ever.

"Hey, Jess," they chorused as they came closer. Disgruntled, Becker sat back down and huffed. Only Abby, Connor and Matt could interrupt a moment like the one that had been about to happen.

As the rest of the team asked Jess how she was, Becker zoned out and was quite surprised to suddenly find Lester in the room, asking him to get back to work.

Reluctantly, the team left Jess to rest, as Lester took a place at her bedside.

Watching Becker go, Jess felt her heart finally begin to slow. It was lucky she wasn't attached to a heart monitor.

"Well, Jess, you gave us quite a scare," Lester began.

Since leaving the ARC hospital though, he had straightened up and put on a new suit. He no longer looked like he'd been dragged to hell and back.

"Sorry," Jess replied. "I bet you were worried for your jag with that raptor on the loose."

"Quite," he told her, though his soft eyes said the opposite.

Lester stayed with her for a few minutes, before his mobile rang and he had to excuse himself to talk with his wife. As soon as he snapped the phone open and her voice rang out, he rolled his eyes sarcastically and mouthed goodbye to his favourite employee.

The day Jessica Parker had interviewed for the Field Coordinator position, had been a good day. Without her, the ARC organisation would have collapsed long ago.

Jess' day was long and boring. The doctors and nurses passed through to check her vitals and record notes, ask her a few questions to check her memory, but mostly she was left alone to rest and recuperate. How they expected her to do it when she knew that the team could be out on an alert without her at the ADD, she didn't know. What if something happened? She could only hope that it would be a quiet day.

Luckily for her, Becker snuck back in with a magazine and a Crunchy Bar, but even those couldn't keep her indefinitely entertained. In his bag of goodies, he'd also stuck in a bowl of grapes and a 'get well soon' teddy.

Finally, at the end of the day, the ARC medics released her, stating that she would recover quicker in her own environment where she would be more comfortable. She wasn't, however, allowed to drive herself home on account of the drugs present in her system. As she stiffly walked out of the hospital, dressed back in her own clothes – albeit not the ruined ones she had arrived at the ARC in – intent on finding Abby and Connor and pestering them for a lift, she came face to face with Becker.

"Going somewhere?" he asked, with his eyebrows raised in humour.

"Home," she offered as an answer.

"Not without me, you're not. I'm officially your designated driver."

Jess hid a smile and followed him down the corridor.

"Can we stop off at my locker a second?"

Becker nodded and then insisted on carrying her bag as they walked to the lift. Once in the car, Jess closed her eyes and tried not to think about how close Becker's hand was as it settled on her chair.

The true gentleman, Becker also insisted on opening the doors for Jess when they reached her flat. The front door was no problem, but as they reached the top of the stairs Jess had to caution Becker to be careful when he unlocked her flat door.

"Why?"

"Annabelle," Jess answered ambiguously.

Shrugging, Becker unlocked her door and almost jumped as he felt something brush past his leg.

"Hey, Annabelle," Jess said happily as she picked up the fluffy lump.

"What on earth is Annabelle?" Becker asked, walking into her home and depositing her bags on the sofa. He leaned back against it to look at her and the ball of fluff as she closed the door behind her, still carrying the large, black thing.

Jess laughed, carefree and easy. "She's my house rabbit," she explained as she let the rabbit back on the ground. "Abby convinced me to buy her. She was in the Adoption Centre in Pets at Home when we bought reptile food for Rex once." Annabelle lolloped towards Becker and sniffed at his boots before leaning up and pawing at his legs like a dog might.

Jess rolled her eyes. "She likes you."

"So it would seem," Becker muttered, bending to ruffle the incredibly soft fur and stroke the rabbit's floppy ears.

Jess laughed at his unimpressed tone and sat on her sofa, feeling exhausted.

Becker soon joined her, though he had to deal with the heavy rabbit sitting on his lap, as he finally kissed Jess and tried to distract her from how tired and achy she felt.

A/N: I hope you enjoyed this story. I'd love to know your thoughts on it so hit that review button.

Some of you may have noticed that the lines where Becker is waiting by Jess' bedside bear a large resemblance to a certain song. I was listening to Words I Couldn't Say by Rascal Flatts (although you might know it from 'Country Strong' if you've seen that film, as Leighton Meester's character sings it) as I wrote much of this chapter, and the lyrics fitted so well with the scene. I'd recommend listening to it. Incidentally, as I've just noticed, the song was composed by someone who shares the same surname as our beloved Head of Security.

I also want to say a quick thank you to Sarcastic-Bones and You Have Lovely Hair for their advice and extra encouragement.

Lastly, I was so eager to upload this chapter, that I didn't read over it for typos. If you spot any, please do let me know!

THANKS FOR READING!