Sorry it's taken so long but I've got upcoming A2 exams! :O Hopefully I can get into uni, though the required grades are ridiculous this year... anyway, enjoy! :)

Today's events, if somewhat long and tedious, had been relatively uneventful – no prehistoric predators, no Helen and no parasitic creatures. It hadn't been too difficult to get the mother and her infant back through the anomaly before it closed, but we'd spent the better part of the day hanging around to make sure it had closed for good – well, in a few day we should know for good.

Now, sitting behind the wheel of my car, I can't wait to go home and actually have some time alone. Sometimes I wish I could forget that any of this ever happened to me – I wish I wasn't on call twenty four seven and I wish, for once, I could go on holiday without having the whole faff of arranging for someone to temporarily fill in for me.

Swinging the car into the parking space outside my house, I feel relief wash over me. I'm exhausted; I just want a goddamn bath, a glass of wine and a goodnights sleep for a change. Is it really too much to ask for? Maybe I should unplug the landline... just for tonight. I can't deal with much more.

Setting my car keys down on the hall table, I push the front door shut and kick off my shoes. Several months ago I wouldn't have seen my house as an escape, more a place of loneliness, but recently it's the only place where no one bothers me. I think Nick's the only one, apart from Lester, who knows whereabouts I live and so I find the others never drop in on me. I've heard they do that sometimes with Nick, just drop in from time to time for... well, I don't really know what... not that I particularly care what he gets up to with everyone else.

I head for the kitchen, intending to get myself drink. Remembering I bought some port not that long ago I go straight to the far side of the kitchen, where the cupboards are, and pull it out, and then a glass.

"I never took you to be much of a drinker."

I drop the glass in shock, and it shatters against the tiled flooring as I spin around to face the table, where Nick had been sitting only this morning.

"What the fuck are you doing here?" My fear's suddenly replaced with fury as I recognise who she is, and I can't help but swear. I've had enough of her already and now she's breaking into my house?

Helen gazes back at me, smirking in that stupid, look-how-clever-and-mysterious-I-am way that she has, "Thought I'd just drop in for a bit of a chat."

I think, if there is a God, he seriously dislikes me. Right now, I'd rather have the world and its mother "drop in" on me.

"I didn't think you were the chatty type."

"Touché." She says.

It's one of those things I've never really been able to wrap my head around. Watching Helen peeling the skin off an apple, I can't quite envision her with Nick. I've never been able to, even though I know and accept that they have been married. I just... I can't imagine how they worked back then. I know he says she's changed, but from my perspective Helen's always been this way, and it doesn't quite fit with Nick.

"So?" I prompt, wanting to get her out as soon as humanly possible.

She watches me momentarily, as if thinking, then decidedly speaks, "Do you... has Nick been acting a little strange to you?"

I hesitate, caught off guard. It strikes me odd how she would know that, and why, of all people, she would come to me, "I... what makes you think I've noticed anything?"

"He's closest to you, isn't he?" Our eyes meet, and I notice the smirk's vanished. Perhaps it's the fact that she's openly acknowledging that there's something between Nick and me which makes it awkward. I'm quiet for a bit, because for all our criticism of her, we've never really seen it from her view. Yes, she left him, I can't condone that, but she's losing him now, and she's experiencing the pain he must have felt all those years ago. Though, I think that her pain must be worse - Nick's leaving her through lack of love. At least when she "died" he thought she still loved him.

"You could say that."

"So?" She's looking at me intently, as if I know something of great importance to her.

I don't really want to answer, because I don't know what this is all for, "I think he's just upset, about losing all those soldiers. He probably just blames himself."

I daren't mention the conversation about the watch, or the supposed difference in time.

Helen nods deliberately, which makes me think she doesn't quite believe me, then gets up to leave. It's only when she's at the front door that I choose to speak.

"Helen?" She turns, "Next time you break into my house, I'll shoot you myself. Understood?"

"We'll see."

She leaves the door wide open and my pity rapidly dissipates. She's like one of those kids who purposely pisses you off just to get a reaction.

I slam it shut, wondering if I should call Nick. I think better of it, concluding that I genuinely can't be bothered – what could he do about it anyway? He'd probably offer to come over, concerned, and I'd turn him down, terrified I'd put myself in difficult situation (though I think I've already done this...?). These past few months I've noticed my innocent affection for him as gone... well... questionable. I know he reciprocates my feelings, and judging by what happened in his office neither of us would think twice about sleeping together. What I worry about, and what stops me from calling him right now and asking him to come over, is that this relationship would be far too complicated. His ex-wife shows up every now and then, making life difficult for everyone, Stephen believes there's some kind of double standard going on, and either one of us could be eaten by a dinosaur tomorrow. Sometimes I just think it'd been easier to settle down with someone without so much baggage and whose life expectancy didn't have to be calculated on a daily basis.

I clear up the broken glass before downing two glasses of port, and later collapse into bed. I just can't do anything at the moment, maybe tomorrow, when I'm not feeling so tired.

XXX

I wake up rather early as I'd forgotten to draw the curtains, and so weak sunlight fills my disorganised bedroom. I try to rest for a bit, but give up as I'm too awake. Instead I make some breakfast and eat it in the dining room, so I can look out into the back garden from the French doors. It's not too big, but I adore it as the previous owner had it designed to replicate a traditional Chinese garden. It reminds me of the year I spent over in Shanghai after finishing my degree, a present from my father for getting a first. Sometimes I wish I could go back, as I often find myself missing it, but I know I could never do that, not now.

By the time it's twelve o'clock I've already done my washing, tidied up my room a bit and done some paperwork. That's when the phone rings, and I feel nothing but dread. I can't be dealing with another anomaly. I just... I can't.

It's Abby's voice I hear, which is odd as it's usually Lester, one of his assistants or Nick.

"Claudia?"

"Yes?" How did she get my number?

"It's Abby. I know it's a day off, and I understand if you don't want to come, but it's Connor's birthday today, and I was hoping I could surprise him with a little get together. Nick and Stephen are already coming; I just wondered if you wanted to?"

"Of course." I can't hide the surprise in my voice, "That sounds great."

I'm sort of glad I've got something to look forward to, rather than spending the evening alone again. I haven't really had a social life since the first anomaly appeared. I keep putting old friends and colleagues off, worried something will come up and I have no real excuse as to why I leave in such a hurry. They all think I'm a workaholic anyway.

I guess that's why my ex-fiancé left me.

XXX

I take a taxi to Abby and Connor's as I'm not entirely sure how much drinking we could be doing. Abby answers the door, wearing a party hat and draped in confetti from a popper, and I realise I'm the last to arrive.

Upstairs Stephen and Connor are sitting at the table, lining shot glasses up and filling them. Nick's sitting on the sofa, watching the mute television with disinterest, for want of something better to do.

Connor spots me, and comes over, grinning enthusiastically. Handing him his present, a bottle of wine, I give him a hug and wish him happy birthday.

Connor's one of the few people in the world I like completely, even when he's being a little moronic. He's just one of those people who make you laugh, even when you're genuinely angry at him, and is morally good at heart. I think he's a credit to the team, to be honest, even though the others don't really notice it, at least, not as much as they should do.

"What are you doing?" I ask, looking over at the table, directing my question more at Connor than Stephen.

I'm surprised when Stephen replies, glancing at me with a grin, "It's a drinking game Connor and I thought up."

I know he's not angry at me, but all the same I thought he'd avoid talking to me after what happened between the three of us in Nick's office. I was, after all, partly the reason as to why he and Nick were arguing at the moment.

Nick turns around at the sound of our voices, his eyes lingering on me, "It's gonna be a hoot. I brought twister."

I laugh at this, imagining us attempting twister sober, and then varying degrees of drunk. He smiles slightly at my amusement.

"But before that, we're doing a quiz. For every question you get wrong, you take a shot."

It all starts off fairly innocent, with only the occasional wrong answer and inevitable shot. Before long, though, when we've all had at least three shots each, it starts to get silly. No one can be bothered to answers the questions correctly, and eventually Abby makes up a new part of the game: forfeits. Getting an answer wrong no longer meant simply taking a drink, but doing a dare thought up by some fairly drunk people.

Nick sits next to me, his cheeks flushed from the alcohol. He's quiet, subdued, almost, and I can't help but let my gaze fall on him every now and then.

It's going to be an interesting night...

Please review! :)

GPR