"I. Hate. That. Bitch." Abby raised her eyebrows at Emily.
"Where'd you learn that?"
"Matt."
"Ah." Abby nodded and the group fell back into silence. "How long?" she asked Becker, the closer to the countdown clock.
"Fifteen." There was more silence that Emily decided to break.
"Did you decide on names?" Abby flicked her head towards Emily.
"If it's a boy, Sam. If it's a girl, Rachel."
We were thinking William or Baylee.
"Jess!" Abby and Emily cry out at the same time and Becker smiles. "I thought you couldn't hear us!" Abby laughed.
I couldn't. I've just amped the signal with Connor's help.
"Wait a moment. You are pregnant?" Emily asked and Becker's smile grew and Jess laughed.
I felt left out.
"Congrats Jess! Is Connor there?"
I'm here Abs.
"Thank God." Abby smiled and Emily felt her heart tighten. There was no Matt.
Were breaking the walls down as fast as possible. Helen must have gone through and anomaly because the alarms went off for a few seconds. Jess said and the trio could hear her typing quickly.
"How thick are the walls?" Becker asked.
Um, two meters.
"There's not enough time. This place blows in thirteen minutes."
WHAT! the three winced as Jess and Connor yelled at the same time.
"The only way to get us out and stop the bomb," Becker continued as though he hadn't heard them. "Is to get someone in through the vents."
But we don't know the way and we can't get hold of Matt! Jess exclaimed, her typing increasing.
"Jess, Connor?" Emily asked. "Can one of you do me a favour please?"
Of course Em. That reminds me, have you found Ivy yet? Jess asked.
"That's just it. Ivy's down here somewhere too. Tell Matt...Tell him that she's with me."
You can tell him yourself. I promise we'll get the four of you out. Jess's voice was thick as Abby said 'Eleven minutes'
"Jess, honey, don't cry. We'll get out of this." Abby and Emily attempted to block their ears to Becker's soft side.
Nine minutes left...
"Ivy!" Emily called out. "Ivy! Come here!" Emily feverently hoped her daughter could hear her and that she'd come. Just so they could see each other one last time.
"How far through, Connor?" Becker asked.
One down, one to go. Mate, the last one took eleven minutes.
"When it gets to two minutes, if you're not in, for God's sake sound the alarm and get everyone out." Becker sighed, resting his head against the table.
Four minutes left...
"Connor..." Becker warned.
We wont make it. Connor replied quietly.
"Sound the alarm." Becker ordered and several seconds later, the lock down alarm went off.
"Jess?" Emily asked quickly. "Before you go, I need to ask you to do something for me."
What do you want me to tell him? Jess asked, understandingly.
"Just, tell him I love him." Abby smiled over at her friend and told Connor she loved him. Thirty seconds later and the ARC was quiet.
"The worst bit will be not having my baby." Abby said quietly. "Or to see Connor again."
"At least your child will go with you. I'll never know mine." Becker said, his eyes closed. "And never seeing Jess again goes without saying."
"At least I shall be with two of my friends." Emily tried to smile but she couldn't. "At least Matt let me know he was sorry."
"God, I'll miss Connor's stupid little laughs." Abby mused.
"Me two. And Jess laughing at them."
Aw, good to know I'm good for something.
"Connor!" Abby yelled. "What are you doing here?"
If you're going down, I'm coming with you. Abby laugh out loud, a sound of pure joy.
Damn it, Temple! We were enjoying the Captain's soft side for once!
"Robinson?" Becker asked incredulously.
And Heath, Smith, Clarke and Jakeway.
"What are you doing? I told you to leave!"
Yeah, well, lets face it. We didn't want to. Emily suddenly understood why Becker had made quiet Robinson his second in command.
You're more popular than you realise. Jess adds and Emily cringes, not wanting to know Becker's reaction.
"Jess? Get out of her!"
I'm not loosing my husband.
"What about-"
We're staying together. Jess's tone was final. Wait a second. Hey, Stop!
Miss, with all due respect-
Be quiet Clarke! Listen!
Hey, that's Ivy! Connor exclaimed. Move outta the way kid! A few minutes later and there was a loud 'Crash'.
Move it! Robinson ordered and the pounding of feet followed. A few moments later and the five soldiers, Connor, Jess and Ivy ran into the room.
Cries of "Momma!", "Abby!", "Becker!" and "Get that thing defused!" were yelled out and the team were unstrapped and embraced.
"Anything?" Emily asked and Jess shook her head.
There was a shrill ringing as the countdown hit zero, but it was swiftly cut off. "Bloody hell." Robinson muttered. "Close enough for you Heath?"
"Sorry." Heath gave the others a lopsided grin. "Shall we go?" he asked and everyone turned to look at Becker who nodded. The team filed out of the room, Becker and Jess first, hand in hand. Abby and Connor followed, Connor's arm around Abby's waist, something no one had seen before. Even with Abby being pregnant and the pair being married. Emily followed with Ivy on her hip and Heath, Clarke, Smith, Jakeway and Robinson brought up the rear. The group had reached the open vent before they heard it. It was a clanging and a muffled yelp and the vent started to shake.
"Get back!" Becker ordered and the team flattened themselves against the wall, Becker infront of Jess and Emily infront of Ivy. The clanging got louder until something, or rather someone, fell out of the opening. It was a woman. Worse. It was Helen.
No one needed to say anything, the soldiers just lunged. Someone, Smith admitted to it later, shot her with an EMD by 'accident' as the cuffed her and hauled her to her feet. "I'm not carrying her." Robinson said.
"Who said anything about 'Carrying'?" Becker asked and Robinson grinned.
"Excellent." the second in command grinned, mimicking Mr Burns from the Simpsons perfectly. The clanging in the pipe picked up again and everyone jumped back to their previous positions against the wall.
"Is she dead?" Matt's head popped from the shaft. Emily's eyes widened. "No? Damn." Matt's head disappeared into the shaft and moments later he dropped to the floor, landing hard on his feet. Emily launched herself at him just as he straightened up and he had to prise his arms out from under her. He wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close and burying his face in his hair. "I'd have been quicker, but I ran into that thing." he nodded his head towards Helen and the others smile.
"You could hear us?" Jess frowns.
"Yeah. Although it turns out you couldn't hear me. I was screaming bloody murder at you." he grinned and the others actually laughed. "I was so worried. I'm sorry." he whispered into Emily hair. She tilted her head to say something but Matt took this as an opportunity to kiss her. When Emily made no indication to pull away, Matt deepened the kiss. When they finally parted for air, Matt kissed her forehead before leaning his forehead against Emily's. "I'm sorry." he whispered again and Emily smiled.
"I know." Matt looked over his wife's shoulder and met Ivy's eyes. He let go of Emily rather reluctantly and dropped into a crouch, opening his arms. Ivy barrelled into him with almost as much force as Emily had. Matt smiled into his daughter's shoulder and she clung tightly to him.
"By the way, congratulations." he smiled up at Jess and Becker who smiled back. When Mat straightened up again, he placed Ivy on his hip and took Emily's hand with his spare one and the team started walking again.
"Oh, thank God for that." Lester muttered as the team entered the hub although no one was sure if he said that because they were dragging, literally, Helen behind them, because they were all alive or that the tension between Matt and Emily had obviously been sorted. "No one will see me if I shoot her, right?" Becker smirked and the others smiled. "I'll clear it with the Minister but in the meantime, I want her wrists and ankles cuffed and her put into an empty cell in the menagerie. Preferably move the mammoth and donate it's cell to her. Just don't clean it."
"Smelly witch!" Ivy giggled and Lester actually smiled.
"Yes. Smelly witch. I wont say what should be said. Oh, and keep guards on her until we've decided what to do with her." Becker nodded and motioned for the other soldiers to do as Lester said. Once Jess had returned to the ADD and Lester to his office, Becker brought a suggestion up.
"Why don't me and Jess look after Ivy tonight. That'll be okay, won't it Jess?" Jess smiled and nodded over at them. "I'm sure you can hold out for one night." no one missed the dark shade of red her cheeks turned as she quickly turned away.
"If you're sure..." Emily began uncertainly.
"Of course we are!" Jess called, not turning around.
"There we go. Would you like that, Ivy?" Emily asked and Ivy nodded vigorously.
"But you and Daddy promise me something." Ivy said, clinging to Matt's shirt.
"What would that be?"
"No more fighting." Emily and Matt laughed and Matt kissed the top of Ivy's head.
"Of course not." he chuckled.
This is my favourite chapter so far :)