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 Story picks up right after Transitions Too (AU)
4.6 AU Finally…
"…north of London …"
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Lester had insisted on accompanying Matt, Stephen, Abby and Connor on the anomaly alert.
"Danny, you can't go with a possible concussion," ordered Lester. "You're on mandatory desk duty for thirty days! I'll go with the team… I know the area."
Danny remained behind with Jess at the ARC. The ARCs big silver SUV was already loaded and waiting for them in the car park. With the new ear devices that Matt had brought this morning, the team was able to remain in constant contact with the ARC. Matt drove. Lester sat beside him, giving directions.
"Take the next exit," directed Lester, "the road cuts through to Cadogan Lane and is a quicker route to Aylesbury."
Stephen, Abby and Connor sat in the back seat, huddled close together, talking quietly.
"Knowing when and where an anomaly opens to," said Stephen "would be very useful."
"The dating calculator is still a work in progress," replied Connor "it's not ready yet."
"When it is ready, you can test your theory," added Abby. "Walk around the anomaly and see if you get different readings… find out if different entry points lead to different places."
In the rear compartment, Patrick pushed the blankets off of him and sat up. When the alert had sounded, the youth had left Danny's office and hidden in the waiting vehicle, wanting to join the team on their response. He had listened and stayed quiet until now.
"Well yeah! Of course different entry points lead to different places," said Patrick. "I've seen people enter the same anomaly from different angles and some just disappear."
Abby, Connor and Stephen turned to look at the dark haired youth in amazement. Lester turned around in the front seat, while Matt glanced into the rear view mirror. Connor spoke first.
"What are you doing here?" asked Connor.
"I want to work with you, I can help," said Patrick "I've know a lot about the gateways too."
From the front seat of the SUV, Lester's exasperated groan could be heard.
"Just what we need, another annoying student at the ARC," said Lester.
Lester turned to face the driver.
"Whether he comes or not is your call Matt," reminded Lester "you're team leader."
Matt shook his head and spoke into the communications device.
"Danny your brother is here with us," said Matt. "It looks like he stowed away in the SUV."
"How did he get past security and into the ARC?" questioned Danny's voice over the headset.
"The same way you always manage to get past Becker's security I imagine," replied Lester "it probably runs in the family."
"Becker's out on medical leave," reminded Jess' voice "and we're short handed… I'm sure Worthington is doing the best he can."
"We can't have security lapses!" exclaimed Lester in annoyance. "Start a complete security check of the ARC."
"Danny, we're too far from London to go back now," said Matt "and I don't want to drop a kid off by himself… so we'll take him with us."
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In the ARC, Danny looked at Jess with a worried expression. He held his hand over the microphone.
"Can I talk to just one person with this thing?" he asked Jess.
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In the SUV, Patrick's face reddened at Matt's words. As Danny agreed with Matt that Patrick should stay with the team, the teenager protested.
"I'm not a kid," exclaimed Patrick.
"You are just a kid," responded Matt. "You're not even of age!"
"I'll be sixteen next month," replied Patrick "or thirty-one… but who's counting?"
The quiet tension in the SUV was broken by a sound of annoyance.
"Matt, watch where you're going!" exclaimed Lester. "You almost missed the exit."
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In the ARC, Jess showed Danny how to adjust the settings for a one-to-one communication. He turned away from her and the ADD and walked across the room.
"Stephen, we're on a private com line now," said Danny. "Can you hear me?"
"Yeah," the younger man whispered quietly.
In the vehicle beside him, Abby and Connor were talking with Patrick. Connor told Patrick that he needed to go to university before he could join the ARC. All three seemed oblivious to Stephen as he leaned further to the side, resting his head against the window. In front of him, Matt was concentrating on the road while Lester was still giving him directions.
"Would you keep an eye out for my baby brother?" asked Danny. "I've only just got him back…"
Stephen's face softened for a moment at the sound of Danny's concern.
"Danny, that goes without asking," he replied "we're a team… we take care of each other."
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"Jess, would you repeat that address," said Lester.
She complied, and added she would be sending coordinates to the sat nav in the SUV as soon as she got the computer unlocked. Lester shook his head as if she could see him.
"No need," replied Lester "I can give Matt directions… to my home."
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Jess turned to Danny with a worried frown on her face.
"The computer shouldn't be doing this," said Jess.
She pointed at the blinking monitor. The text SYSTEM LOCKDOWN scrolled across and repeated down the screen.
"All I did was activate the security check," she explained.
Danny grinned at the young woman.
"Don't worry," replied Danny "Lester knows where he's going… the team doesn't need directions."
Danny's comforting grin faltered at the sound of metal shutters rolling down over the outside windows. Within the ARC, doors swung closed on their hinges.
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Matt parked the SUV in front of a sprawling eighteenth century country manor. Lester was out of the vehicle before it came to a complete stop. He strode past the rose bushes and up the stone pathway, heading for the front door. He was quickly followed by Matt. Connor climbed out of the SUV and stopped moving. The scientist stood on the stone pathway, lined with lavender on either side, and gaped at the huge home. Abby climbed down from the vehicle and pushed Connor forward just a bit.
"He lives here?" exclaimed Connor "Lester must get paid a lot more than you and I do!"
"Sshh!" hissed Abby.
Behind them, Stephen got out on the other side of the vehicle. He walked to the rear of the SUV and opened it. Patrick jumped out as Stephen grabbed some equipment from the rear of the SUV.
"You stay with me," cautioned Stephen "and do what I say. Danny won't be happy if anything happens to you."
The teenager regarded the muscular young man standing in front of him.
"Danny won't be happy if anything happens to you either," said Patrick. "We can both watch out for each other."
Stephen blinked in surprise at the teen's words.
"Didn't know Danny said anything to you…," began Stephen.
"He didn't have to," interrupted Patrick "he's my brother, and I know when he's happy."
The dark haired youth grinned and jerked his head in the direction of the open front door. Abby and Connor were disappearing inside the home.
"We should get going," said Patrick "yeah."
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"Okay," said Danny "maybe we'll worry just a little bit."
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"Vivian?" called Lester.
He strode down the wide hallway towards the rear of the home. A voice answered.
"James," greeted his wife as she opened the kitchen door. "Are you home early?"
She gazed at her husband, Matt standing behind him, followed by Abby, Connor, Stephen and Danny's brother. Vivian realized the implications.
"No," said Vivian shaking her head "we can't be having an anomaly here."
She pulled the door opened wider showing a spacious modern kitchen. Behind her, sitting at a long narrow oak table were three children, two girls and a boy. The oldest girl was frowning at the paper in front of her and scribbling answers into her workbook. The boy held a book in front of him, silently shaping words with his mouth as he read to himself. The youngest girl was holding a red crayon, but instead of coloring, she was staring at the people gathered in the hallway.
"Do you have a cellar?" asked Connor.
He held up the hand held blinking anomaly detector.
"According to this, the anomaly should be right beneath us."
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"Can't you turn it off?" asked Danny.
He leaned over the ADD and the young woman rapidly typing commands into the computer.
"It would help," replied Jess "if you quit hovering."
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Lester unlocked a heavy wooden door to the disused west wing of the home. Doors to closed off rooms lined the spacious corridor. The team followed him through the building.
"The cellar is through here," he directed "this way…"
"This is a huge home," commented Connor "for just five people."
Lester stopped walking and turned to face Connor. He sniffed, and narrowed his eyes before replying.
"Six, my mother lives with us too," said Lester. "It's an investment really, we're fixing the place up… slowly, but hopefully by the time we retire… it will be ready."
"Ready for what?" asked Abby.
"We've got plans," answered Lester as he began to unlock another door "to rent rooms out… for weddings and such."
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"I just have to turn off the security program," muttered Jess, talking more to herself than to Danny "but… it looks as if someone's modified the system."
"Who would have done that?" asked Danny.
"Bloody Philip!"
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Steep stone steps led down a narrow stair well to the cellar. Abby shivered in the sudden chill.
"It's only September and the cellar is already this cold?" she asked.
"It won't get much colder. The cellar hovers between 10 and 13 degrees Celsius year round," answered Lester. "It will make a great wine cellar some day."
The bright and glittering anomaly pulsed in the center of the room. Connor stuck the hand held detector into the messenger bag he carried and pulled out another device. The slim scientist circled the anomaly slowly, taking readings of some sort.
Stephen set down the heavy box containing the anomaly locking mechanism. He opened the box and started prepping the equipment.
"Connor," called Stephen "I can't lock the anomaly with you standing in the way."
"I thought the policy was to let the anomalies remain open," objected Connor "why are we closing this one… there isn't even an incursion."
As if in response to Connor's words, the anomaly pulsed. A black and brown canine trotted through. The small creature tilted its head and stared at Connor with an inquisitive look. The pup sat on its haunches, and yelped at him. Connor backed up a step.
"Hyaenodon," said Connor "this anomaly must go to either the Late Eocene or Early Miocene."
"Connor," urged Abby "get out of the way, before something else comes through and tries to eat you. Let Stephen lock it."
The anomaly pulsed again as a woman strode through.
"I'd rather you didn't lock it just yet," said Claudia. "At least not until Nick and Stephanie join us."
The woman stood in front of the team, tanned and healthy, her tawny mane of hair much longer than it had been mere days ago. She stepped forward, nudging Connor, who was standing there gaping at her, and moving them both out of the way. Cutter, carrying baby Stephanie, followed her through the anomaly into the cellar.
"You're back!" exclaimed Connor happily when he finally found his voice.
His dark eyes were bright, and his lips curled up into a broad smile. Cutter glanced around the room, his gaze settling on Stephen for a moment.
"Yeah, we're back," the professor replied in his rolling brogue "but it would probably be a good idea to close the anomaly before something else comes through."
Cutter's gaze continued from one person to the next as if he needed to reassure himself that they too were here, alive and well. The professor's eyes stopped moving. He stared at his protégé.
"Connor," asked Cutter "what happened to your nose?"
Before Connor could answer, Abby spoke up.
"Aren't we forgetting something," asked Abby "shouldn't we get the hyaenodon back through before locking the anomaly?"
"No," said Claudia "Pookie stays with us."
"Pookie?"
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Jess called Connor on the com device. The thing rang, and rang. Then she tried his cell phone.
"Come on now," she pleaded. "Answer me!"
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The Lester's parlor was full. Claudia, Vivian, and Abby were seated on the overstuffed furniture. The Lester's three children were sitting on the floor, and little Stephanie straddled the friendly hyaenodon's back.
"You've only been gone three days in this time," said Abby "but Stephanie looks so much bigger now."
"She ought to be bigger," said Claudia with a broad smile "she's nearly seven months old now... and been sleeping through the night for the last three months."
The pup was getting lots of petting and the occasional biscuit from the children. Stephen, Patrick, and Connor were leaning back against the wall, observing both the pup and the little humans.
"I can't believe the pup let's the baby pull her ears like that," said Patrick.
"A lot of creatures allow a young one more leeway," said Stephen.
Connor looked at his cell phone and frowned.
"Jess tried to call," he said "if you'll excuse me, I'll take this outside."
Across the hallway, in the study, Lester and Cutter were talking quietly.
"Nearly four months in the Miocene," mused Lester. "However did you manage?"
Cutter looked at the ARCs director, and wondered how much the man really wanted… or needed… to know.
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Cutter had landed face first in the Miocene. The anomaly closed behind him. He rose from the ground, spitting out dirt and grass, frantically looking for signs of Claudia and Stephanie. A shoe print in soft brown dirt pointed him in the right direction. Soon he was on a narrow path, curving up the side of a hill.
The sound of a wailing baby urged him on faster. Female voices carried down the slope of the hill. The two women sounded as if they were arguing. The abrupt silence of the voices, followed moments later by total quiet as the baby stopped wailing, left Nick Cutter shaking. He forced himself to continue the climb. He had to know.
Reaching the top of the hill, he found an amazing sight. Claudia, sitting on a rock, nursing Stephanie, smiling at the tiny baby cradled safe in her arms. His wife looked up as he approached.
"Nick," said Claudia "don't look over the side of the hill. Just don't."
Cutter never asked Claudia what happened between the two women. And he didn't look over the hill just then, but later, after Claudia and Stephanie were asleep in Helen's hideaway, safe for the night, Cutter went down to the base of the cliff. Nick buried that crazed woman's body, in the memory of a sweet Helen he'd once loved.
Helen's hideaway, a base camp of sorts, had enough supplies to feed an army for a year, and technical wonders the likes of which Cutter had never seen. Many of the gadgets were emblazoned with a triangular logo containing the initials CT, others were imprinted with CAT, still others had a logo of a feline creature on a computer. It was four months before Cutter figured out which device opened an anomaly back to the UK.
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"Lester," said Cutter "it's late. Can we do this debriefing tomorrow morning?"
"Tomorrow's Saturday," said Lester. "The debriefing can wait until Monday."
Connor ran into the building just then. He stood in the hallway between the parlor and the study.
"We need to get back to London," said Connor "there's a problem at the ARC."
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