Disclaimer: Primeval does not belong to me. This is fan fiction, not for profit.
Any references to people, places, businesses etc is entirely fictitious.
A/N: A collaboration with Mijo54. A/N2: story takes place after Detour.
10.3-5 Home Again
…to be apart…
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The flight home was uneventful. Due to the time change from Sydney to London, Becker, Jess and their luggage arrived in Heathrow late Saturday night. With nothing to declare but Jess's new riding boots, the couple breezed through customs. Connor was waiting for them in the arrivals terminal.
"Ooh Connor," greeted Jess with a broad smile. She hugged her friend. "You cut your hair!"
"Actually, Abby cut it," Connor remarked with a grin. He stepped back from Jess and ran his hand across the top of his head. Short dark hair curled up between his fingers. "I think it's a little too short on the back and sides, but Abby likes it."
"You look great Connor," replied Jess. She remembered Abby and Connor's daughter liked to hang on to Connor's hair when he rode her around on his shoulders. "I guess Sarah can't pull it so much either."
Connor nodded in agreement and then turned to Becker.
"Hey Mate," chuckled Connor. "We missed you both!"
The scientist held out his arms as if to hug Becker too. The soldier straightened up and looked at his friend quizzically. Becker's own black duffle bag was slung over his right shoulder, and he was pulling Jess's brightly colored roll along luggage and had her carryon over his other shoulder.
"Haven't been gone that long, Connor," replied Becker, "and I'm not going to hug you."
"Course not," chuckled Connor, "but you could give me some of those suitcases."
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Connor pulled the mini up in front of Jess and Becker's home.
"I'll give you a hand with the luggage," volunteered Connor.
Jess hurried up the walkway with key in hand to open the front door, while the two men started unloading suitcases from the tiny rear of the mini.
"The sofa arrived today," said Connor in a quiet whisper. "The delivery men carried the futon up to the small bedroom."
"Why didn't you tell me this earlier?" asked Becker.
"Tried," replied Connor with a cheeky grin, "but you didn't give me a proper welcome."
Becker rolled his eyes. The soldier hadn't realized Connor was trying to speak to him privately.
"Thanks," replied Becker.
"Glad to help," responded Connor as he followed Becker towards the front door. "If you need a hand moving things tomorrow, just give us a call."
Becker could see Jess just inside the doorway. His fiancée was standing and staring, her eyes wide open with delight. The soldier stepped through the entrance into his home, pulling luggage behind him. Becker turned to see that Connor had stopped at the door. The scientist set the suitcases he was carrying on the tiled floor before him, but remained outside.
"Are you coming in?" asked Becker.
"Oh no, best part of being away is coming home," replied Connor. He raised his eyebrows and waggled them. "Abby's waiting up for me."
Becker watched his friend hurry back to the mini. The soldier shut the door and then turned to Jess. She was still standing in the hallway. Behind her, Becker could see the cheery yellow and white kitchen. To the right of her, the pale tangerine walls of the dining room showed off the dark framed pictures Becker had brought from Jess's high rise flat. To the left was the living room with its dark red walls.
"Hil," exclaimed Jess in a happy tone as she turned to face Becker, "you finished painting the downstairs!"
The newly arrived evergreen sofa the couple had picked out from Heal's sat on the carpet facing Becker's black entertainment stand. The beige carpet Jess and Becker had found on sale at the Rug Company in Holland Park sat beneath the sofa. The rug had heavy black lines crossing and re-crossing the beige base in an asymmetrical pattern. The occasional bright squares and rectangles of yellow, orange, red, blue and green made the rug look somewhat like a stained glass window.
"Welcome home Jess," replied Becker.
The beautiful woman that brightened up his life in so many ways stepped towards him. Jess reached her slender arms up to Becker's broad shoulders. She placed one small hand at the base of his neck and tilted his face down.
"Welcome home Hil," murmured Jess as their lips met.
-x-x-x-x-x-x
The rest of November passed quickly. Jess and Becker finished painting the upstairs bedrooms and brought the remaining furniture from Jess's high rise to their new home together. Jess stood in the upstairs hallway looking into the smallest bedroom critically. The room was bare except for Becker's old black futon.
"The futon will unfold for a guest bed in a pinch," said Jess.
"It's uncomfortable," reminded Becker as he looked past Jess into the small room. The pale blue walls made the futon seem bigger than it really was. "It's not really long enough for an adult to sleep on."
"It should do for an occasional Saturday night sleep over if Marjorie or Gwendolyn come visit with their children," replied Jess. "But we should get a real bed for the other room, in case your mother or my parents come for a visit."
Becker glanced across the hall to the second bedroom. Boxes that needed to be unpacked lined the cheery green walls.
"Wouldn't your parents stay at the high rise?" asked Becker.
"We've got spare rooms," reminded Jess cheerfully. "Evie and the others fill up the high rise now."
-x-x-x-x-x-x
The ARCs December work schedule was posted.
"Oh, shame," exclaimed Jess "I've got to work on Christmas Eve and you've got to work Christmas Day!"
Becker came up to Jess's work console and peered over her shoulder at the monitor display. Becker gave Jess a teasing grin.
"Shame," agreed Becker. "I won't be able to make it to Marjorie's for Christmas dinner again."
Jess frowned at her fiancée. With both of them working at the ARC, Becker had only been to Manchester with Jess to visit her eldest sister and family a handful of times.
"But we've both got off on Boxing Day," added Jess. "I think we should start a new holiday tradition."
"What did you have in mind?" asked Becker.
"Let's stay home on Boxing Day," replied Jess. "We can invite everyone to our place."
The annual scramble to visit both his and her relatives left little time for just the two of them at the holiday season.
"Sounds great," agreed Becker. "But I think we should still keep our old tradition too."
Jess's lips curled up in a small smile. London's annual tree lighting in Trafalgar Square took place on the first Thursday in December. The festive event was always crowded. In December, Jess and Becker reserved the second or third Tuesday for a particular favorite restaurant near Trafalgar Square. Dinner and a walk hand in hand to see the tree, listening to carolers along the way, was their own private tradition.
"Of course," replied Jess. She leaned back in her chair, resting her head against Becker's chest. "Traditions are important."
-x-x-x-x-x-x
Both Jess and Becker had to work the Monday after Boxing Day. An anomaly alert called out the alpha field team. Connor and the new animal specialist were joined by Becker and his men at the eastern end of Hyde Park. Jess spoke crisply into the communications feed.
"Forward about twenty meters," Jess directed the team.
"The Serpentine is right in front of us," objected Becker.
"Is the anomaly in the water?" asked Connor.
Jess looked at the image on the monitor and shook her head.
"Turn left," advised the field coordinator.
"How much further after that?" asked Becker.
"Another twenty meters," answered Jess. "You should be able to see the anomaly from there."
In the ARC, Abby walked up to stand beside Jess at the ADD console. At slightly over seven months pregnant, the blonde no longer went out on field calls.
"Connor, hurry up and lock the anomaly before it starts snowing," said Abby. She rubbed her hand across her abdomen. "We've got to pick up Sarah from child care in another hour."
In Hyde Park, Connor and Becker exchanged a glance. Becker pointed in the direction that Jess had indicated. Connor nodded.
"We see it," replied Connor.
The scientist knelt near the edge of the Serpentine and began setting up the anomaly locking device. The sound of water flowing through the nearby sluice gate could be heard. The new animal specialist walked closer to the anomaly. He looked at the ground.
"What are these tracks?" asked the man.
Inside the ARC, the ADD began to sound another alert. Jess and Abby looked from the monitor to each other.
In Hyde Park, Connor stayed his hand from pressing the locking mechanism.
"Incursion," said Becker grimly. The soldier walked towards the tracks in the soft earth.
"Then where is the creature?" asked Connor.
Behind Connor, a glowing light appeared with the bottom of the anomaly partially submerged in the shallow water. A huge purplish brown tentacle snaked out towards Connor. The new animal specialist pointed. Becker turned to look at his friend in time to see the tentacle wrap around Connor and lift him up in the air.
"Augh!" shouted Connor.
The tentacle retreated back, taking Connor into the second anomaly.
"Connor!" shouted Becker.
The soldier splashed forward through the shallow water. Behind him, the first anomaly snapped shut on its own accord. Becker reached the second anomaly, but before he could step through, the second anomaly closed. Connor was gone.
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