Disclaimer: Don't Own, Don't Sue! ;D

A/N: The song kept coming up on shuffle, hence the title. But, still, it fits. xD

Also, for those wondering, Amanda made a brief appearance as Field Coordinator in the prequel to this "My Boy Builds Coffins".

Chapter 9: Somebody That I Used To Know

Amanda looked up as Phillip Burton's guest set the baby carrier in front of her on her desk.

She stopped typing and looked up at him. "What?"

"She needs taken care of." He grumbled.

"You have hands." She retorted. "I've been taking care of her this whole time."

Amanda was exhausted.

Between manning the ADD at the ARC, her secretarial duties as Phillip Burton's PA at Prospero, and taking care of the baby; there has been much time to relaxation.

"My only job was to find to find her; not care for her." He answered gruffly.

Amanda was going to say something else; but instead lifted the infant and set about seeing to the baby's needs.

The man wandered off to the other side of the room and stared out the window.

"Sorry, for the detour, love; but you won't have to be an orphan much longer. Your dad's coming for you." Amanda stated as she fed Abigail a bottle.

Phillip emerged from his office shortly after.

"I'll be back in roughly an hour." He announced.

"You're going to the ARC?" Amanda guessed.

"I'm going to collect Connor and bring him here before the Convergence starts." Phillip nodded before leaving without a further word.

After Phillip had been gone for half an hour and the baby was asleep, Amanda put the infant back in the baby carrier and turned to Phillip's visitor.

"She should sleep for sometime. At least until Connor gets here. I'm sure it won't kill you to look after her until then."

"Where are you going?"

"Off to the ARC to do my job." She retorted before leaving.

The man stared at the sleeping baby from across the room. Hopefully, she would stay asleep until then.

This should be easy.

Just watch a sleeping child.

Jess didn't want to wake up.

She hadn't felt so secure in a long time.

Connor kissed her lips lightly.

"We have to get going." He whispered. "For Abigail."

Jess's eyes flew open with the memory of everything that had happened.

"Calm down. We're still at the motel; just getting ready to move out." Connor soothed.

Jess ran her hands through her hair before beginning to pull it up into a pony tail.

Connor placed a hand on her arm.

"Leave it down." He requested.

"It looks horrid though, I haven't had a shower in some time and—" She was cut off by Connor's lips.

"You look fine." He smiled breaking the kiss. "Come on."

"Alright, Abby, Connor, and I will head back to the ARC and deal with some damage control from our disappearances yesterday. Becker, you and Jess wait an hour before following us back to the ARC." Matt spoke, announcing the game plan.

"No." Connor objected, taking a step toward Jess so that he was standing in between her and Matt.

"Connor, if all of us show up together at the ARC, it will be exactly what Phillip wants." Abby explained.

"Jess is coming with us." Connor said sternly.

"Phillip said he wants to reunite Abigail with you, Connor. If the three of us return together, we can get Abigail back and then deal with what's happened. If he finds out that Jess is back, it might not be as easy." Matt pointed out.

"It's fine, Connor." Jess spoke up.

Connor looked at her as if she'd just prodded him with a hot poker.

"You promised me that we would get Abigail back and this is our chance. Your chance. I'll catch you up and everything can be alright again." Jess met his eyes.

Connor knew there was no point in arguing.

He nodded. "I'll see you soon."

"See you soon." Jess replied before they exchanged a goodbye kiss.

Connor reluctantly turned and got into the truck with Abby and Matt as the trio drove off.

"We've got an hour to kill." Becker stated awkwardly after the truck was down the road and out of sight.

"Breakfast?" He suggested when Jess didn't reply.

"Sure." She replied quietly.

"Ah, Connor, there you are." Phillip greeted as Connor, Abby and Matt entered the Main Operations room.

Matt and Abby averted paths with Phillip and Matt sent a look at Connor that said 'Keep your cool' as they headed into Lester's office.

"Here I am." Connor said with feigned enthusiasm.

"I think it's time that we check on your final product and then I have some great news to share with you."

"Really? What kind of news?"

"We'll get to that. In the meantime—"

The anomaly alert began to blare.

Connor stepped around Phillip toward the ADD with Matt, Abby, and Lester and Phillip crowding around the machine behind him.

Anomalies were appearing all over the grid of the world.

"It has to be some sort of a glitch." Connor muttered in disbelief.

"It's not, I checked." Amanda explained.

"Do you mind?" Connor asked politely as Amanda moved to the side and he typed away at the keyboard.

"They're definitely all real." Connor confirmed.

Abby glanced over at Matt, who only nodded in response to an unspoken question.

"Sending all available units out." Amanda announced as she resumed her duties.

"Looks like our little secret is out." Lester announced to Phillip before returning to his office.

"Connor, the project?" Phillip reminded him.

Connor nodded.

"After you." Phillip held out an arm toward the doorway.

"Why did you lie to me?" Jess inquired as she and Becker made their way to London after stopping for breakfast.

"About everything?" She added.

"Because I love you." Becker replied, staring at the road as he drove.

"People don't lie to those they love."

"It kept you alive and safe." He countered.

"Until they took my daughter!"

"We're going to get Abigail back, Jess."

"Yes, that's the plan. I don't know why everyone has to keep repeating that to me like there's some underlying meaning to it." Jess retorted exasperated.

"I won't lie again. I can assure of that." Becker promised, momentarily glancing over at her.

"Look out!" Jess shouted as an anomaly opened up in the middle of the road.

Becker swung his eyes back to the road and swerved the car to avoid whatever was emerging from it.

"Hold on." He shouted as he lost control of the car, which flipped and landed upside down in a ditch.

Connor was getting worried as he and Phillip rode to Prospero.

He hadn't heard anything from Jess or Becker for that matter. They should have arrived in London already.

Of course the fact that it was practically raining prehistoric creatures all over the world might have something to do with it.

"If you take this next exit and hang a left, it will bring us straight to Prospero." Phillip advised.

"Sure thing." Connor answered as he followed Phillip's instructions.

"So, what was the great news you had to share with me before the convergence began?" Connor inquired, trying to conceal the bitterness in his voice as they made their way through Prospero.

"Now is really not the time, Connor. There are people to save. Creatures to dispose of." Phillip replied trying to sound as if he were giving a pep talk.

"If there was time to sidetrack preparations to prevent this, there's time to answer my question, Phillip."

"There were no preparations to be sidetracked, Connor. The ARC has failed."

"Tell me." Connor demanded.

"Very well." Phillip sighed. He turned his head in the opposite direction. "Come out."

"I meant this to be on better terms, but I think you already know that your daughter has been found; but Jess, there was no trace."

"My daughter." Connor still couldn't believe the words even as he'd been familiarized with them for well over 24 hours.

A figure stepped out from the shadows holding a baby carrier.

"Gallant?"

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