Disclaimer: Primeval does not belong to me. This is fan fiction, not for profit.
Any references to people, places, businesses, etc. are entirely fictitious.
Valentines
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After the events of New Dawn and Convergence, the team settled into a new routine. Anomalies were now public knowledge, but that didn't seem to change the ARC's mission, at least not much.
"We'd love to have you back," assured Lester.
"I can't say I've missed the creatures," admitted Jenny, "but I have missed all of you."
Jenny and her husband Michael moved to London. The public relations specialist finally got to coordinate a team building exercise when she rejoined the team.
"Here's a menu, mark down what you want for dinner," instructed Jenny, "we'll get take-aways and catch up on old times."
"Really old times?" asked Connor. "Or any old times?"
Jenny rolled her eyes at Connor's joke, but the team dinner went over well.
"We should do this every Tuesday," said Abby.
-x-x-x-x-x-x
It wasn't until after the New Year that Matt approached Connor about Valentine's cards. The events of the past ten months had wrought changes in the team leader from the future. No longer having to keep secrets from his friends allowed the reserved man to share his feelings more. And now, from the way the team leader kept shifting his weight from one foot to another, it was obvious, Matt was nervous.
"What's wrong?" asked the newlywed.
Connor placed his new trilby on the top shelf in his locker. Sitting on the bench in front of the locker beside the dark haired scientist, Becker looked up in concern.
"I haven't heard an anomaly alert," began the soldier.
"No, no," soothed the team leader. His soft lilting voice continued, "it's just… I just had a question… about customs in this time period."
Both Connor and Becker stared at Matt. The two men waited. Matt glanced from one side to another. No one else was in the men's locker room, yet still the team leader lowered his voice.
"When I first met you Connor," began Matt, "you were going on about Valentine's Day cards."
"Yeah," agreed Connor as he remembered his first day working at the new ARC. Connor slipped off his jacket and hung it on the hook inside the locker. "I wanted to impress Abby with the perfect card."
"So did you find the perfect card?" asked Matt.
"No," answered Connor. He smiled softly, remembering some special whispered words. "A card could never show how much I love Abby. All I really had to do was be myself."
"So you didn't get a card," breathed Matt in relief. "Celebrating Valentine's Day isn't important in this time."
A surprised squawk sounded from Connor. Dark brown eyes met hazel eyes as Connor and Becker glanced at each other.
"I didn't say Valentine's Day isn't important," blurted out Connor.
"That's not what Connor meant," added Becker. The tall soldier rose to stand. He zipped up his black Kevlar vest. "There are lots of ways to show someone that you care."
Connor nodded. The normally quiet soldier started counting off different ways, ticking off his fingers as he spoke.
"Cards, flowers, candy," began Becker. "Dinner reservations…"
"Hmmph," interrupted Connor. "Are you going to take your own advice there Becker?"
The captain glowered at the dark haired scientist. Matt looked from one friend to another in confusion.
"I can make dinner reservations," responded Becker.
"Ooh hoo!" Connor exclaimed happily. He raised a slender hand clad in blue fingerless gloves in a traditional high five motion. "You finally asked Jess out!"
But Becker didn't clap Connor's hand in return. The soldier just stared at Connor until the smaller man lowered his hand.
"You did ask Jess out," questioned Connor, "didn't you?"
"Jess and I have been having dinner together every Tuesday since convergence," reminded Becker.
"Tuesday dinners are work stuff," replied Connor. "It's not the same!"
The scientist glanced at Matt for support, but the man from the future appeared totally clueless.
"For Valentine's, the dinner has to be special," continued Connor. "just the two of you… and you have to ask… it's important."
This time, it was Becker and Matt who exchanged a glance. The team leader's lips curled up in a smirk.
"So Connor," asked Matt, "did you ask your wife out for Valentine's Day?"
Connor's face lit up with a huge grin.
"Yes, I asked Abby what she would like to do for our first Valentine's Day as a married couple," answered Connor. If anything, his grin grew even bigger. "We're having dinner at home."
The scientist moved past Matt and pushed open the doorway to the corridor.
"And, since Victorian's started the Valentine's card tradition, I checked with Emily," continued Connor. "Got some really good advice on the best kind of Valentine's cards."
"So Emily thinks Valentine's cards are important?" asked Matt.
"Oh yeah," replied the genius. Connor's dark brown eyes twinkled, and his eyebrows waggled up and down. "And if you want some advice from the only married man in this room, you might want to think that Valentine's Day is important too."
Matt's mouth gaped for a moment. Connor stepped through the doorway and disappeared down the hallway.
"Right," murmured Becker as the door swung shut.
Becker glanced at Matt. The team leader looked panicked. It was two weeks until Valentine's Day
"Where is a good place to find a Valentine's Day card?" asked Matt.
-x-x-x-x-x-x
Becker found Jess in the break room. She was fixing a cup of cappuccino from the fancy machine the Vice Admiral of the Royal Navy had sent over before the Christmas holidays. The pretty brunette looked up as the tall soldier entered the room. Her bright smile brought an answering smile to the captain's face.
"Jess," began Becker hesitantly. "I was wondering…"
The young woman looked up at the captain as he stepped closer, really closer, intruding on her personal space closer… not that she minded.
"Yes," prompted Jess, "you were wondering…"
Becker blushed. There was no help for it. Every time the soldier was around Jess, he was reduced to fumbling and bumbling.
"Would you like to have dinner with me?" blurted out Becker. "I mean… not take-away Tuesday… not work related… but a proper dinner. Out. Just you and me?"
Jess stared. The quiet soldier had rarely said that many words at one time. And now, Jess wasn't quite sure if she had heard right.
"Dinner," repeated Jess. "Out, just you and me? Like a date?"
The soldier nodded. His hazel eyes never left her face.
"Like a date," agreed Becker. "Actually, yes, a date."
Jess's eyes lit up and her smile broadened. She only just stopped herself from jumping up and down in excitement.
"I'd love to," agreed Jess. "When?"
"Friday after next," answered the brave soldier. "Valentine's Day."
-x-x-x-x-x-x
A week later, and Matt was getting desperate. The man from the future approached Connor in the scientist's lab.
"Connor, when you asked Emily about Valentines," asked Matt, "what did she say?"
The scientist looked up from his work table. Tools, wires and circuitry boards were scattered across the table top. A framed picture of Connor and Abby, taken on their honeymoon in Dorset, was beside his laptop.
"Most of the first valentines were handmade," answered Connor, "ribbons, lace, fancy paper, and really talented people wrote poems."
"Seriously?" groaned Matt. "I can't write poetry."
"Me neither," chuckled Connor.
"Did you make a card for Abby?" asked Matt.
Connor's dark brown eyes gleamed. He put down the small screw driver and reached for the top drawer of his desk. Sliding it open, he revealed a heavy green piece of folded paper. Sand was glued and sprinkled across the top in the shape of a heart. Opening the card, Connor had glued and sprinkled tiny flat white rocks in the shape of a heart. A hand written endearment read "Abby, you rock my world. Love Connor."
"The sand and rocks came from the beach," said Connor. The dark haired man pointed at the picture taken in front of the Durdle Door. "It's Jurassic really, not cretaceous, but I think Abby will like it."
"It's beautiful," said Matt. "I'm sure Abby will like it."
Connor looked at his friend. Matt still looked worried.
"I asked Emily out," said Matt. The team leader named the restaurant at the Mandarin Oriental.
Connor gave a low whistle. The well-known place was a bit pricey.
"The restaurant cooks authentic Victorian recipes," explained Matt, "and being so close to Hyde Park… I hope she likes it."
"The important thing is really just to think about the person you want to give the card to," confided Connor. "And be yourself."
-x-x-x-x-x-x
"Really?" asked Jenny. "You have to work on Valentine's day?"
"The lot of a musician," responded Michael. The man stepped closer and wrapped his arms around his wife. "When you get off work on Friday, come to the club. Please."
"A crowded bar scene is not what I had in mind for our first Valentine's Day as a married couple," harrumphed Jenny.
Michael leaned closer and kissed the side of Jenny's face. He trailed kisses down the side of her face, down her throat and over her shoulder. When he reached the narrow strap of her camisole, Michael nipped it with his teeth.
"With you," said Michael, "every day is Valentine's Day."
"Hmmph, I suppose we could celebrate early," replied Jenny with a smile. Her face was flushed with warmth as Michael continued to kiss and stroke her body. "On Friday, you better save me a table."
-x-x-x-x-x-x
Matt went to pick up Emily promptly at seven. The Victorian woman had a cozy flat within walking distance of the ARC. The man from the future looked at the heavy brass knocker on the door. The lion's eyes had a decidedly ferocious glint. Matt reached for the knocker, but the door opened before him.
"Matt," greeted Emily.
She looked stunning. The Victorian's dark hair cascaded in soft waves over one shoulder. The white button down shirt and form fitting blue jeans showed off her figure. Matt's mouth opened and shut again. He swallowed, and then thrust the plant he held forward.
"Arbutus," said Matt. "From the family Ericaceae…"
Their fingers touched as Emily took the small green plant from Matt's hands. She backed up into the vestibule of her flat, pushing the door open wider with her body.
"When it gets bigger," continued Matt, "it will flower and have red berries."
"A strawberry tree, mandrones," said Emily with a small nod. "In the language of flowers…"
"Thee only do I love," finished Matt.
Emily's lips parted in a warm smile.
"Matt, I know you made dinner reservations," said Emily, "but would you like to come inside. We could cook dinner together… if you like."
-x-x-x-x-x-x
Connor was in the front room of home he and Abby had bought with their twelve months of back pay from their time in the cretaceous. He added another log to the blaze in the fireplace. The sound of a resounding crash came from the kitchen, followed by a wail.
"Abby!"
Connor jumped up and hurried to the rear of the modest home. Abby stood in front of the cantankerous old oven. The dish she held in her hands looked to be decidedly overdone.
"Are you all right?" asked Connor.
Blue eyes looked up from the burnt dinner. Tears welled up in Abby's eyes.
"I wanted it to be perfect," she said in a small voice. "And now it's ruined."
Connor picked up the other oven mitt and took the heavy casserole dish from her. He set the dish down on the stove top and turned off the oven. Then Connor pulled his wife closer to him. He wrapped his arms around the petite blonde and kissed the top of her forehead. Abby sniffed.
"Personally I think as long as it's not boiled roots and bulbs," said Connor, "it will taste great."
Abby tilted her head up and looked at Connor. She had to chuckle.
"You made such a beautiful card, and now I've gone and ruined dinner," replied Abby.
"It's not ruined," interrupted Connor.
At Abby's stern look he shrugged.
"Okay, well if you really think it's ruined," suggested Connor hopefully, "we could order pizza. And eat it in front of the fire."
"Pizza?" asked Abby. "For Valentine's Day?"
"I love pepperoni pizza," said Connor, "almost as much as I love you."
Abby's lips curled up in a smirk.
"Alright Connor," replied Abby. "Pepperoni pizza it is."
Connor reached to press the speed dial on his cell phone, but Abby placed a hand on his wrist stopping him. He gazed into her blue eyes.
"Just be sure to order enough for three," said Abby. She held her breath.
The smile on Connor's face faltered.
"Oh, Jack's coming tonight?" asked Connor. "I thought he wasn't arriving until tomorrow…"
"No, Connor," replied Abby. "Jack's not coming tonight. And I'm not really sure about him coming tomorrow either…"
Connor looked confused.
"But you need to order enough pizza for three of us," repeated Abby. She gave Connor a small trembling smile.
The genius finally figured out what she was trying to tell him.
"Really?" asked Connor.
Abby nodded. She took his hand and placed it on her lower abdomen.
"And in about six months," she said, "you'll need to get a lot of nappies."
-x-x-x-x-x-x
Becker rang the buzzer to Jess's flat at eight. The pretty field coordinator checked her make up in the mirror one more time before she opened the door. The soldier stood before her dressed in a soft black pullover sweater and gray trousers. He held a gold heart shaped box.
"Traffic was awful, sorry I'm late," greeted Becker. He thrust the box towards Jess. "Happy Valentine's Day."
"Thank you," replied Jess as she took the box of chocolates. She held the door open wider. "Would you like to come in for a minute, I'm almost ready, just have to put my shoes on."
The soldier looked at Jess. The short bright red dress showed her shapely legs to advantage. And although Becker would be the first to say he loved watching Jess walk in high heels, he had to admit the barefoot look was just as attractive.
"We should be going soon," replied Becker as he stepped inside the flat. "Dinner reservations are at eight thirty and the traffic to St. Georges Street is still…"
"A bit heavy," concluded Jess. She sat down on the bright blue sofa and picked up a pair of black shoes with a red sole. "What was the name of the restaurant again?"
"Sweet Honey," replied Becker.
"Hmmm, sounds familiar," said Jess as she stood up. The field coordinator calculated the routes in her head, she doubted that they would make it in time for the eight thirty reservation. "Just let me grab my coat."
London traffic was still quite congested, and then parking was another issue. Becker and Jess arrived at the trendy restaurant fifteen minutes late. The host looked up at the tall soldier in dismay.
"I just gave away your table," sighed the harried man. "If you'd like to take a seat at the bar, I'll squeeze you in at the next available table."
Becker looked at Jess in consternation. Already, this date wasn't exactly going as he had planned, but Jess smiled brightly.
"That sounds perfect!" agreed Jess.
Becker nodded. The pair followed a waiter to two bright yellow seats in front of a crowded bar. They were soon served with two tiny carafes of wine and a plate of equally tiny appetizers.
"Complimentary," explained the waiter, "since your reservation was delayed."
Becker picked up one of the tiny hors d'oeuvres in his big hand. He held it out towards Jess. She opened her mouth and took a bite. She closed her eyes as she tasted the delicious food.
"Mmm," said Jess. She opened her eyes and grinned at Becker. Reaching for another hors d'oeuvre, she held it out towards the soldier. "Hil, you've got to try this."
Becker's eyes blinked in surprise.
"You called me Hil," said the soldier.
Jess stopped smiling for a moment, and then nodded.
"How did you know my name?" asked Becker.
The pretty woman rolled her eyes.
"Please," sighed Jess, "I've read the files. I know everything. Besides, I can't call you Becker if we're going out on a date. That would be weird."
She held up the hors d'oeuvre once more, closer to Becker's face. He inhaled the tangy scent of spices. Becker licked his lips.
"Taste," ordered Jess. "You'll love it."
Becker's mouth parted. Jess moved the tiny hors d'oeuvre closer and his lips closed gently on her fingers. She blushed as she pulled her hand back. He reached for another hors d'oeuvre.
"Would you like another Jessica?" asked Becker, his voice slightly hoarse. She nodded.
It seemed like only a few minutes had passed by the time the waiter offered to direct Jess and Becker to their table. Becker placed his hand on the small of Jess's back as the couple walked down the long narrow room past a number of other patrons to the rear of the restaurant. The waiter pulled out a chair for Jess. Becker moved to the seat opposite her. As he sat down, the man at the next table looked up. To the horror of both men, they recognized each other.
"Becker?" asked Lester. "What are you doing here?"
At the sound of their boss's voice, Jess turned to look. The ARCs director and a slender brunette were seated together at the small round table.
"Jess and I are here for dinner," answered Becker. "And you?"
The bureaucrat smiled warmly. The woman beside him flashed a dimpled smile.
"My wife and I are here for dinner also," replied Lester. "Just finishing up."
The ARCs director made introductions as he signed for the bill. Lester set the pen down and placed his hand over his wife's slender fingers. The candlelight shone on the white gold wedding band on his finger.
"We've been coming here every year for Valentine's Day," confided the ARC's director. "This is where we had our first real date."
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