Prompt: Separation
Rating: T
It didn't seem possible that October had arrived and, with it, their wedding.
September had passed in a blur of activity. They'd moved into their new home with the help of their friends and had finalised plans for the wedding around their busy working days. The anomalies that had eased off in the aftermath of convergence seemed to be back to normal – whatever normal was where anomalies were concerned. No one else seemed worried by the shift in routine, though Matt continued to avoid the subject whenever Becker broached it.
It wasn't until the eve of his wedding to Jess that Becker got the answers he'd been waiting for – answers he wasn't sure he wanted.
The tradition of the bride and groom spending the night before the wedding apart was one both Jess and Becker would have quite happily ignored. Unfortunately for them, it was a tradition their friends and family insisted on since neither of the pair had wanted a stag or hen night nor had they really had time to organise one in the short run up to the wedding.
Eventually, Jess agreed to stay at home, accompanied by the women who'd become family, while Becker was almost forcibly removed from his fiancée's side by his teammates. He was taken to Matt's flat, where the others staying over planned to take full advantage of the team leader's specially stocked bar.
Connor and Davey were embracing their night of freedom from their wives and seemed to have made it their personal mission to try and make Becker squirm by constantly reminding him it was his last night as a free man. Connor even joked that he'd help him flee the country if he'd changed his mind; his drinking buddy, Davey, had cheerfully replied that if they tried, he'd quite happily break both of their legs.
Lester and Becker's father were quite content to sit apart from the younger generation, slowly but steadily making their way through the bottle of whiskey Lester had managed to smuggle out of his house without his wife, Eleanor, noticing.
Matt, Becker noted, was quite subdued and, after his mobile phone was confiscated when they realised he was using it to exchange text messages with Jess – though he suspected hers had also been taken off her due to her sudden lack of response – he decided to corner the team leader and find out what was going on.
The team leader was determined to stay tight-lipped, though. He was still nursing his first beer of the night, almost as if he was afraid drinking too much would make him talkative. As the others joked and teased the soon-to-be newlywed, Matt disappeared outside onto the balcony.
It was there Becker found him, brooding as he stared out over the city after the others had become engrossed in a computer game tournament Connor had insisted upon. Becker approached cautiously, leaning on the railing beside Matt in silence for a few moments.
"When are you going to tell me what's going on, Matt?"
Instead of answering straight away, Matt took a swig from his bottle. "Don't you think you've got enough to focus on? You're getting married tomorrow."
"Which is why I need to know if there's something going on." Becker stared at Matt until the other man had no choice but to look back at him. "If we're facing another end of the word scenario, I'd like to know, Matt. I can't do my job if I don't."
"Your job as Head of Security or Jess's husband?" Matt's attempt at a smile fell flat, his eyes growing solemn. "Would it make a difference? If you knew the world was going to end, would you still go ahead with it?"
"With marrying Jess? Yes." There was no hesitation on his part, no doubt. "If anything, it'd make me more determined to go through with it."
Matt nodded slowly. "That's good, then. I thought you might want to postpone it till later, deal with the problem first."
"Not if there's a chance dealing with the problem will mean there is no later. And I'm guessing since we're talking about it, there is a problem?" Becker stifled a sigh when Matt said nothing. "Come on, Matt. Didn't last time each you anything? We can't help unless you tell us what's going on."
It took a while, but eventually Matt began to talk. He explained about seeing his doppelgänger at the ARC, explained the cryptic warning he'd received that he had 'to go back.'
Where he had to go back to, though, Matt wasn't sure.
"I don't know if he meant the future or the past or something else entirely." The team leader ran a hand through his hair in obvious frustration. "We haven't had an anomaly to the future since, you know. I don't know if that's a good sign or a bad one."
Becker didn't know, either, so couldn't give Matt the reassurances he wanted. He clapped him on the shoulder instead and shook his head. "If it's that serious, surely you would have seen yourself again? He wouldn't stop at one warning, he'd have come back until you listened."
"I don't know, Mate. What if he – I – can't get back? I don't know where he went afterwards. I checked all the security footage. There's no sign of him, no evidence he was ever there in the first place." Matt sighed heavily. "Maybe I imagined the whole thing. It was a stressful time..."
"Maybe, but you don't think so." Neither did he. Nothing in life, especially where anomalies were involved, was ever that easy.
A problem shared was supposed to be a problem halved. It didn't feel like it.
Long after Connor and Davey had fallen asleep – or passed out, Becker wasn't sure which – and his father and Lester had sensibly retired for the night, Becker stayed awake in the darkened flat, staring out of the window, dwelling on what Matt had told him.
He'd meant what he'd said. If the future was still in jeopardy, he wanted to marry Jess more than ever. He didn't want to put it off, say they'd do it later after the danger had passed just in case one or both of them wasn't around if and when that happened.
But the thought of them getting married, planning on spending the future together only for that future not to exist...
That was why sleep was alluding him, because he couldn't stand the thought of not having the life together they'd planned.
They'd talked about the future since getting engaged and had all sorts of plans he didn't want to think about never becoming reality.
Though they weren't having a honeymoon straight away, having decided to save their money since they had a wedding and a new house to pay for, they had planned to one day to go Italy to see where Jess's mother's family had originally come from. After that, they'd planned to go to Canada and see the Rocky Mountains, something Becker had admitted to having wanted to do since he was a child.
And speaking of children... Yeah, they'd talked about that, too.
Neither of them were ready yet, and both admitted they wanted to take advantage of it just being the two of them for a while, but having children of their own to fill the family sized house they lived in was something they both wanted eventually. They'd even discussed how they'd cope balancing children with their jobs, with Jess suggesting she could do some of her work from home if necessary and Becker admitting that, if and when they had kids of their own, he'd probably want to cut back the hours he spent out in the field and take on more of a consultancy role to try and ensure he was there to see their children grow up.
With Matt's revelation, Becker couldn't help but think there wouldn't be any children to watch grow up. No little girl with her father's brown eyes and her mother's brilliant smile, no little boy with a mass of unruly dark hair and big blue eyes...
Being awake, he didn't jump when his phone started to ring from the cupboard Connor had hidden it in. The dread coiling in the pit of his stomach meant he wasn't surprised when Matt's phone began to ring, too, or when Lester's and Connor's joined in.
All four phones going off at the same time could only mean one thing and it was a grim-faced Lester who stumbled out of the guest bedroom to confirm it: an anomaly had been detected.
Leaving an inebriated Connor at the flat to answer any questions Davey or Colonel Becker might have should they wake up – hopefully, though, not with the truth – Matt and Becker made their way to the coordinates given to them by the reserve Field Co-ordinator. Emily and Abby were apparently on their way, while Jess was left at home, trying to keep her own worries at bay while assuring Margaret, Rachel, Andi and Eleanor that everything was going to be okay.
Without a word, the two men got to work after checking the ground to make sure nothing had come through. Becker set up the locking device while Matt checked the dating calculator, the latter putting his hand on Becker's shoulder to stop him from locking it when he saw where the anomaly led.
"It's to the future, isn't it?" Becker asked without looking up. He'd half-expected it would be, the knot of dread in his stomach only tightening the closer they'd gotten to it. "You're going through."
"I have to." Matt looked up at the sound of an approaching car, knowing even from a distance that it was Abby and Emily. "I have to know what it's like."
Becker stood up. He reached for his EMD, a sigh escaping him. "Then we should make it quick. They won't be pleased," he added, glancing at the car as it started to slow.
"You're not coming with me." Matt shook his head, his brow furrowed. "Mate, you're getting married tomorrow. Today, even."
"I am, which is why we need to do this now so I'm not late." Becker squared his shoulders and took a step towards the anomaly. "You're not going through alone, Matt, so either we both go now or neither of us does."
As Matt stared at him, looking torn between agreeing and shooting the Captain with his own EMD so he could go through alone, Becker took the decision into his own hands and walked through the anomaly, making a silent promise to Jess that he'd be back.
Having hurried through the anomaly to avoid a confrontation with their two female teammates, the last thing Matt and Becker had expected to see first on making it through to the other side was Abby and Emily.
Since neither of them looked particularly pleased to see them, Becker half-considered backing through the anomaly to face their wrath in the past – present – instead. The only reason he didn't do that was because one of the people standing behind them caught his eye and she didn't look like she was ready to shoot him.
If anything, Jess appeared to be rather amused at his predicament – as did the man standing beside her.
"So which one of you wants to explain why you decided to be so bloody careless not to mention inconsiderate?" The angry question came from Emily - future Emily – who folded her arms over her chest as she glared at each of them in turn. "You should have known better," she directed towards Matt, "and you!" Turning to Becker, her glare intensified. "You're supposed to be getting married in the morning!"
"There's not really any 'supposed to be' about it, Em," Jess spoke up from where she stood beside himself – his future self. As Becker watched, she gave the man standing beside her a soft smile that felt odd to see being directed at someone else – even if that someone else was him. And with that thought, he felt a headache begin to brew. "You were right when you said she was scary."
"I told you." His future self returned her smile with an unabashedly affectionate grin of his own. "Lester's got nothing on Emily when she's on a roll."
"What were you thinking?" Ignoring the couple behind her though Becker couldn't take his eyes off them, Emily stalked towards the newcomers. They all looked older, Becker thought, with added lines here and there, but somehow didn't look as old as he'd expected when Matt had told him the date. "Seriously, Matt, I understand you being so pigheaded that you'd risk messing everything up by going through the anomaly but to let one of your best friends run the risk of missing his own wedding! That's just selfish!"
Matt held his hands up in submission, managing to finally put the shock behind him and find his voice. "Hey, I don't make him come through. He made that choice himself."
"As if he'd let you go through alone." This from Abby, who tapped her foot against the floor in what could only be a sigh of annoyance. "It's his job to protect the team, Matt. It's not like you could fail to see that he takes it kind of seriously."
There were a dozen if not more questions going through their minds as Matt and Becker exchanged a glance. Where was Matt's future self – and Connor's? Was the future still in danger? Had something changed? Was everything going to be okay or were they still uncertain...?
Fortunately for Matt and Becker, Jess took pity on them and stepped forward, away from her husband's side – and yes, Becker was quick to notice, he was her husband. A wave of relief crashed over him when he saw they were wearing the matching wedding bands he and Jess had picked out almost two months ago.
"Everything's fine," Jess told them, putting a calming hand on Emily's shoulder. "You'll have to forgive Emily, Matt. Emotions are running a little high at the moment." As she spoke, the former Victorian snorted indelicately and Becker noticed her hand drop to cover her stomach for a split-second. Glancing at Matt, he saw his friend seemed oblivious to the gesture. "If Lester hadn't insisted you and Connor be in the meeting with the minister, you'd be here to reassure yourself, Matt."
"I had a message." Matt ran a hand through his hair, unsure how to proceed when faced with a future he'd been hoping for but really hadn't been expecting. His gaze strayed past the women in front of them to the man lingering protectively behind them. "I was told to go back."
"It'll make sense later," Becker heard himself promise. "There's something you have to do –"
"Something we all have to do," Emily interrupted with an indignant huff.
"Something we all have to do," Becker's future self corrected himself with the roll of his eyes. "But it gets done and everything's okay as far as we know."
Matt nodded, some of the tension leaving him but not as much as Becker had hoped. "What is it we need to do? If you tell us now..."
"We can't." Jess smile was apologetic but Becker took note of the shadow that passed over her face and the way both Abby and his future self moved closer to her as if to offer comfort. "But you'll know what you need to do when the time comes." Her gaze flickered towards him for a moment and Becker found himself fighting the urge to go to her and take her in his arms. It wasn't his place to do so, though, not in this time, as he was reminded when his future self put a hand on her shoulder that she covered immediately with her own. "It'll be okay," she said quietly, and he was left with the distinct impression that she was speaking to him.
"You should go back now." His future self said after a moment. "It won't stay open indefinitely and there's somewhere else you really need to be."
Despite Matt's frustration that they weren't being given any detailed information and his own concern that what they had been told implied Jess was somehow involved in whatever had happened, Becker was marginally reassured that the future wouldn't be the nightmare it had once been. Everyone was still alive, for one thing, which could only be a good sign, and he and Jess were still together, still very much in love if the looks they were exchanging were any indication... They'd survive whatever the future had in store for them.
Together. Both them as a couple, and the whole group as a team.
"Come on, Matt." He put a hand on Matt's arm and started towards the anomaly. "Time to go home."
Matt turned away with a nod, his shoulders slumping though whether it was with relief or disappointment or maybe just realisation that there'd be an angry Emily and Abby waiting on the other side of the anomaly, too, Becker wasn't sure.
With one last glance at his future, Becker followed, reassured that no matter what happened, he and Jess would be able to see it through.
I have an idea for what it is that needs to be done to save the future but I'm not sure if it'll ever be written. It's kind of convoluted and might tie in with Primeval New World now I've got around to seeing it all. Who knows, maybe one day :) For now, this story will be continued in 'Morning'.
Emelie, I would love to see the picture you've done but not sure how to go about doing what you've asked! If you could upload it to photobucket or something, that would be fab! :)
