A/N I realised that in my summary I say there is Conby and Memily and I don't think there's much of it in my story. So here is a little bit. Not a very good little bit, because I struggle with Conby and Memily and its only a very little bit but I have tried! :D
Also, there is a dinosaur - called a Noasaurus (I know, but its real - I looked it up!) - and I just couldn't resist it. Besides he'll be useful later...
The anomaly alert had sounded at seven o'clock that morning, echoing through a half deserted ARC…
Only half deserted because Lester was already in his office, sifting through anomaly reports for the previous month, frowning deeply.
Matt and Hutchens were conversing in the armoury. Since the Morrison's anomaly they had developed a tentative camaraderie and had decided to meet to discuss strategies to improve the communication and involvement of the security detail at anomaly alerts. On occasion their conversation strayed from work scenarios and they discovered they had a lot in common; they even laughed from time to time.
Jess, on this particular morning, was sat at her beloved ADD - where else? - slurping a frothy coffee and munching warm pain-au-chocolat with Emily. She had persuaded Emily that this was a very nutritional breakfast and Emily was thoroughly enjoying it.
"So, how are things with Matt?" enquired Jess casually.
Emily smiled at her friend's complete lack of tact.
"Better, actually," she conceded. "He still has his moments where he is withdrawn, but he is trying very hard. You know, the other day, we took a walk in the park. And instead of being all melancholy, talking about how blue the sky is and how it all changes in the future, he noticed some children playing and actually laughed as they chased each other around a tree. It was very - positive." She smiled as she remembered the moment affectionately.
Matt was slowly emerging from his darkness and Emily was glad to see it. He let her in more and more each day and they were both learning the ways of this unfamiliar time. It was sometimes challenging but still a journey well worth the taking. And at least they were taking it together.
Jess patted her hand and brought Emily out of her reverie. Emily smiled and broached another difficult subject.
"And how are you, Jess?" she asked gently, clasping the younger girl's hand in her own.
Jess sighed heavily. "Better, I suppose. Every day makes it easier to accept - what happened." Jess paused. "And it helps that I have such lovely friends," she added, squeezing Emily's hand.
Since her chat in the armoury with Captain Hutchens, Jess had reinstated her eclectic style. Although her skirts were longer - she felt she had grown up over the past few months - and her heels were slightly less ridiculous, the bright colours had returned along with her smile and her cheerful nature. Only her eyes betrayed her regret, having lost some of their sparkle. She still had her bad days, sometimes at night the sadness overwhelmed her and she would cry herself to sleep, but these instances were occurring less and less and Jess was feeling more at peace with herself and what had happened. She'd only been to Becker's graveside twice this week, an improvement on the four times the week before.
The anomaly alert interrupted breakfast and Jess slopped her coffee on her skirt in surprise. Emily jumped up and grabbed a black box, having become an integral part of the team since her return from the past. She tapped her Comms.
"Matt, Hutchens, anomaly alert," she announced.
"Yep we heard it," replied Matt. "We're on our way. Jess what have we got?"
Jess was checking her screens, typing at her keyboard swiftly, the ADD closing in on the co-ordinates.
"Matt, its on Brighton Beach!" she cried and exchanged an astonished glance with Emily.
"Where are Connor and Abby?" demanded Hutchens, suddenly right behind her instead of in her earpiece and grabbing a black box whilst slinging an EMD over his shoulder.
"We'll ring them from the car," decided Matt, taking black boxes for himself and the missing couple.
With a brief nod to Lester, the team headed out, a security detail not far behind them.
Connor and Abby were stood next to Abby's mini arguing about whose turn it was to drive. That changed as soon as they received Matt's terse phone call. Abby already had the keys and so leapt into the driver's seat and headed south, out of London. They were to meet with Matt, Emily and Hutchens at Brighton Pier. It was a good hour's drive and after a brief period of silence whilst Abby navigated her way through London's traffic, Connor asked Abby a question that had been worrying him for some time.
"Abs," he began, uncertainly.
"Uh huh," the blonde woman replied, concentrating on the traffic and not really listening.
"Do you think Matt will be ok if I ask him to be best man at our wedding?" Connor stopped as Abby turned her head quickly to look at him.
"I mean, I was going to ask - to ask Becker - of course - but now I can't but I don't want Matt to think I only asked him cos Becker - can't - and I just - I don't know -" Connor was rambling and Abby smiled at him lovingly. No-one could worry like her Connor could worry.
"It will be fine, Connor," she reassured him. "Matt will be pleased, I know he will."
Connor smiled slightly. "I guess we need to talk about this, don't we? Maybe set a date?" His voice was tremulous. Everything had been put on hold since Becker's death and he had never been sure when would be a good time to re-open the subject. But he wanted to marry Abby as soon as possible - before the fear that she would change her mind made him a nervous wreck!
Abby let go of the gear stick and patted his knee.
"If you like," she murmured, smiling. Maybe planning a wedding was what they all needed - something fun and happy to do for a change.
"Soon?" asked Connor, in the manner of a small child asking a parent when they were going to Disneyland.
Abby giggled. "Yep, straight after we deal with this anomaly," she promised.
"Will you wear a dress?" asked Connor hopefully. Abby didn't wear dresses often enough in his opinion.
"To deal with an anomaly?" Abby teased, straight-faced.
"To our wedding!" exclaimed Connor, not catching on that she was joking.
Abby grinned. "The biggest, fluffiest marshmallow I can find!" she declared and giggled at Connor's glorious, expectant face, his eyes like saucers. "NOT!" she added, vehemently.
Connor's face fell, his mouth turned down in disappointment. Abby decided to indulge him.
"I will wear a nice dress - a proper wedding dress - I promise," she told him solemnly.
He smiled at her. "And what should I wear?"
"Absolutely nothing!" cackled Abby as she threw the mini round a corner, jolting Connor against the car door as he gaped at her.
Matt threw them both an EMD as they met up on the beach, the shingle crunching beneath their feet.
"Nice of you two to join us," Matt observed, dryly.
"Sorry," they apologised in unison. "Car trouble," added Abby and Connor smirked.
Jess's voice interrupted them over their earpieces.
"Matt, the anomaly is right at the end of the pier. Be careful, the wooden structure is old and unstable and there are dangerous currents in the sea below."
"OK Jess, we're on it. Any sign of an incursion?" asked Matt, almost as an afterthought.
"I don't have CCTV on the beach or on the Pier," Jess sounded unhappy. "I can only just see you if I wiggle the traffic cameras at the roadside to just the right angle. I can't see the anomaly at all, so I don't know if anything has come through it. Sorry."
"No problem, Jess," Matt tried to reassure her, knowing she hated not being able to see what was happening. "Just keep the public out of this area until we know what we're dealing with."
"Already done," there was pride in Jess's voice at having been so useful. "The coastal road is now closed, TV and radio are announcing that the beach is closed and I've ordered the police to keep the public out of the area. There's a very dangerous gas leak, by the way."
"Great work Jess!" Matt could almost see her smiling.
He looked at Hutchens and the two men lead the team towards the Pier. As they neared it, there was an unmistakeable sound, one that sent chills down each of their spines every time they heard it; it was the sound of an incursion.
Running towards the end of the Pier they saw the creature.
"Noasaurus," Connor identified it immediately. "Late Cretaceous." It was about 8 feet long with talon-like claws. "Like a raptor, but not a raptor," muttered Connor to himself.
"Carnivorous?" asked Hutchens.
"Hell yes!" exclaimed Connor in admiration of the dinosaur. "And its fast too."
"Great," grumbled Matt. "OK, so lets knock it out and put it back through the anomaly quickly," he ordered, looking down to charge his gun.
"Um, Matt, that's going to be a problem," Emily told him, slowly.
He looked up just as the anomaly blinked out of existence.
"Damnit!" Matt exclaimed. "OK, Plan B - we knock it out and take it back to the ARC. Have we got a cell in the menagerie that will hold it Abby?"
She nodded. "Yeah, but Lester's not going to like it!"
Matt stared at her hard. "Now the anomaly has closed, its either that or we kill it," he told her flatly.
"Right, yep, we'll take it back to the ARC then," agreed Abby. She was more than happy not to have to kill it.
Suddenly, the Noasaurus noticed them and, with an excited roar, charged towards them. They all raised their EMDs and fired and the dinosaur dropped - straight through a rotten wooden board and into the sea.
"Damn!" shouted Hutchens, having discovered a few weeks ago that dinosaur transportation was his responsibility. He snapped orders to his men over the Comms to get a boat and a truck.
With the incursion dealt with, the anomaly closed, and the sleeping dinosaur on its way back to London, Jess lifted the restrictions from around the Pier. And went to replenish her frothy coffee.
Abby, Connor, Matt and Hutchens arrived back at the ARC quite late that afternoon, having made sure the Noasaurus was secure in the back of an armoured truck. Hutchens had felt the extra protection of the armoured vehicle was prudent given that this little chap was a killer. Matt drove the ARC pick up truck into the yard and frowned.
"Where are your men at the gate?" he asked Hutchens.
Captain Hutchens frowned. "No idea - but there's going to be hell to pay when I find out!"
He jumped from the car and made a run towards the gate. But there was no-one there and no evidence of anything untoward.
He turned back to Matt. "You go on ahead and brief Lester. I'll secure the creature in the Menagerie and sort out this damn sorry security team!" He shouted the last part just to be sure his men had heard his disappointment.
Abby linked arms with Connor and Emily gripped Matt's hand firmly in hers as they made their way to the lift. The doors opened and then the small metal box transported them up towards the Ops Room. They were laughing and joking as they exited the lift at the far end of Ops, near Lester's office. The laughter died abruptly as four men in turbans trained Kalashnikov rifles in their direction…
Uh-oh! Who could possibly be in the ARC with Kalashnikov rifles and wearing turbans? And what possible use is a Noasaurus? :P
REVIEWS PLEASE! :D
