Okay. It was exactly what Jess and Abby thought it was. But presently, you're not in a double bed with a naked Becker, you're sat in Lester's office. Or rather you're stood by Becker. Emily's sitting down and Connor and Abby are stood opposite you two. "So, to sum up, we're looking for a psychopath from Victorian England who can drive a car and is perfectly at home in the 21st century." Lester sighs, pacing his office. Emily sits in her chair looking vaguely bored and a little scared and you can see Becker trying not to wince at the odd twinge he gets.
"Emily you said he was from 1902. If so, perhaps he's got a police record. I could do some digging around." Becker volunteers.
"Okay, Becker, you track down this Ethan character." the office door opens admitting Matt and this seems to supply Emily with courage.
"I'm not going back without Ethan." she states firmly.
"Ethan's not going anywhere." Lester sighs. "When we find him he's going straight to prison. I suggest you rejoin your friends while you have the chance."
"It's her decision." you decide Emily looks rather pleased at Matt taking her side. "She should stay if she wants."
"He's right of course, but if you do, I'll be forced to inform Philip and the Minister." you refrain from the urge to back-hand Lester, deciding your job will probably go down the toilet.
"What will that me for me?"
"It remains to be seen, but I wont be able to protect you any longer."
"She should stay." you decide, beating Matt to the words by a millisecond. "She's out only real link to Ethan."
"You better not let her out of your sight, then." you presume that was aimed at Matt. The ADD blared into life, avoiding the next thing Lester has to stay.
"We have an anomaly alert." Jess informs you and the others as soon as you're next to her.
"No shit Sherlock." you mutter and she appears not to have heard you.
"Hitting 190, 20 miles, sending coordinates now."
"Becker! Stay here!" you order, grabbing your black box and heading from the room before Becker has chance to disagree. You don't really want to leave him with Jess, but you don't really have a choice. You hope he's forgotten about the 'baby rule'.
X
"Nice place." you mutter as the team head inside the mansion/house. Emily is sat in one of the cars looking rather annoyed as you, Abby, Connor and Matt head inside the building.
"Jess, we're in the hallway with no signal. What have you got?" Matt asks and you wonder if Jess can hear him due to the fire alarm.
I'm just loading the floor plans now. Okay, maybe she can.
"Still nothing, Jess. You got visual?"
The anomalies in the basement. There's an entrance in the North-West corridor.
"Basements. Yay." you mutter. "Cause that's always a good thing." Connor give you an agreeing look and Matt and Abby ignore you. The door's just round the corner and Connor opens it. You, Matt and Abby load up your guns and switch the EMD lights on.
A few paces into the darkness, Connor stops. "Woah. Did you hear that?" the technician asks. You all stop and Matt shakes his head. "Sorry, I thought I heard something." he sighs. You pull back plastic cover after plastic cover until you reach the wine cellar. Matt slides through the door first, motioning for the three of you to follow.
"No sign of a creature incursion." Abby says after a quick sweep of the area. There's a beep as Connor locks the anomaly.
"Maybe we got here just in time." he muses.
Then there's a creature roar that sounds like a hyena, lion and tiger cry all rolled into one and transmitted through paper. "Then again, maybe not." you sigh. The four of you head cautiously from the room. You head through more plastic sheets, loosing all sense of direction in the whiteness. There's a low growl and you stop moving. The four of you form a circle, your backs to each each other, EMDs raised.
"It's stalking us." Matt murmurs, so quietly you aren't sure if you've heard him properly. There's a distant metallic clanging and you're regretting not staying at the ARC. It would be so ironic to die here.
"So what's going to happen with Emily now, huh?" Connor asks in a fruitless attempt to lighten the mood. "She just going to stay at your place?"
"No." Matt replies shortly.
"You sound jealous." you tease and from the corner of your eye you see Abby smile.
"Easy on the small talk, Matt. We'll never get anything done." Connor mutters, ignoring your comment. "It must be really strange for a woman from her time, though, coming to the 21st century." you can almost count down in your head for the time it'll take Abby to snap.
"Shut up Connor! I'm trying to whisper!" she turns her head to look at him. A huge mistake. Connor Pulls Abby behind him and fires as a large, grey, furry head leaps out at Abby's turned back.
"Bloody hell." you breathe. And you push back the sheets to reveal a large, grey body resembling a wolf.
"Male hyaenadon." Abby mutters, heading back. "Carnivore."
"No change there then. Would it kill the anomalies to allow something small, cute, fluffy and, god forbid, herbivorous through?" you sigh. That's the hormones kicking in. you think bitterly. Matt and Abby split off, leaving you and Connor to sneak through the shadows.
"I agree." Connor whispers, pushing open the door to another cellar.
"Hello? Whose there?" a woman's voice calls. You and Connor exchange looks, pushing though the plastic. A few meters in and the outline of a person becomes visible.
"Identify yourself." Connor calls, raising his EMD. You follow his lead. The covers move back and you focus on the crocodile print shoes and travel up to the woman's face.
"Jenny!" you cry in alarm and happiness.
"Connor? Si?" she asks. There's a rustling and Abby and Matt appear.
"Jenny!" Abby cries on shock.
"Oh, no, no, this can't be happening!" Jenny stutters, taking several steps backwards.
"What are you doing here?" Connor asks.
"What am I doing here? What are you doing here?" Jenny's face breaks out into a smile, as though she suddenly understands something. "This is a joke, right? But how did you know I was getting married?" it's times like this you're thankful you aren't drinking anything.
"Married?" Abby's eyes widened.
"You're here and... Oh, my God, there's an anomaly." Jenny disappears behind a sheet, reappearing seconds later. "What am I going to tell him?"
"Who?" Connor and Matt ask at the same time.
"Michael, my fiancé."
"Oh."
"I'm not a demanding bride. Really, I'm not. Rain I can handle. Wrong flowers, fine. Dinosaurs? I draw the line."
"I found out Matt had a sister at mine." you suggest helpfully. "Although the prehistoric dogs are a little more hassle." Jenny shoots the four of you a disbelieving look. "Hang on a sec. What about Danny?"
"What about him?"
"Don't you remember the relationship between the two of you?"
"Danny's gone." Jenny replies. Tactfully, Abby changes the subject.
"It's going to be okay." she comforts and you don't know if she means the wedding or the whole Danny issue.
"We should really clear the place for a day or two, till we know everything's safe." Matt began. Jenny shoots him a look and you agreed with her. If someone told you to delay your wedding 'cause of a few dinosaurs, there's no way you'd take lightly to it. "Or we could search the rest of the property now and keep on things while you get married."
"Great. And what the hell, you're all invited to the wedding!"
X
You're sat on the sofa with Abby and Connor, Jenny and Michael opposite. Your mobile buzzes. "Excuse me." you smile at the pair, getting to your feet. "Matt?" you sigh. Emily's go-
"I can help." Speaking of Emily. "If I'm going to be stuck here, I may as well help. Did a creature come through the gateway?"
"Emily!" you hang up on Matt. "Forgive her, she gets a little carried away. That was the last team building session. Matt's putting ideas into her head." you laugh, pushing her from the room. "Id you're going to help the least you can do is not wander off! There's a man in there who knows nothing about what we do and believes we work for a PR firm so go with it." you say, trying not to snap as Matt runs round the corner. "Try to keep her under control." you snarl, headed back inside. You find Michael and Jenny telling Connor and Abby how they met and you can't help but smile.
"The office really brought people together." Jenny smiles at her future husband. "Abby and Connor here have an on-off relationship and Si is married to the head of security.
"Security?" Michael asks.
"Odd PR firm, mate." you grin. "Excuse me." you head out of the room, running into Matt and Emily. "Dear God, this is going to fail." you sigh. "We're gonna really stick out foot in it."
"We already have." Matt sighs, giving Emily a pointed look.
"Sorry." she says somewhat sheepishly.
X
"Well it's about that time." Jenny grins, picking up a champagne bottle and skipping over to kiss Michael. "I shall see you tomorrow. Don't be late. Nightcap in my room?" she smiles at you, Abby and Emily. Who, you notice, is stood rather close to Matt.
"Oh, yes, please." Connor grins.
"Girls only."
"Sexist."
"Would you like to come, Emily?"
"She's staying with me." Matt interjects. Smooth move. You think bitterly. Emily, who is rising from her chair, stops moving and Jenny, Abby and you turn to look at Matt.
"'She stays with me'?" Jenny says in a rather good imitation of Matt. "What is this, the 1800s?" You and Abby smirk at each other with a knowing look. Emily's eyes are wide and you've never noticed just how wide they are. There's a reason Matt's attracted to her. You think, shooting Matt a look.
"I just think it's time we all turned in."
"Gosh, he's Mr fun, isn't he?" Jenny mutters out of the corner of her mouth. "Must be a laugh a minute on the team these days."
"I'd love to come with you." Emily buts in and you shoot her a 'well done' smile. Emily gets to her feet, shoots a murderous glance at Matt and heads from the room.
"Have fun!" Connor calls. "We will." he adds quietly. Jenny mock-salutes, winks and heads out of the room. The mock-salute reminds you, although he hasn't done that since employed at the ARC, that this is the first night Becker isn't with you.
X
"Right." Jenny chews her lip as she throws her wardrobe doors open. "Abby, you're about my future sister-in-law's size, why don't you try...this one." Jenny throws a blue dress in Abby's direction. "Si, you're about my cousins size." she throws another bundle at you. "And, um, Emily, just go for it." you step back to admire the dress and smile. Not what you'd have chosen, but it works. You check your mobile and the display reads 10:58.
"Nothing." you mutter and Abby shoots you a sympathetic look as she exits the bathroom. Jenny catches on a moment later. "I'm going to try this on." you head from the room leaving Jenny to unveil her wedding dress to Abby.
The dress is tea length with an a-line shape and pleated sash at the top of the bodice that gently flowed down the back of the dress. You're not really sure if it's your colour purple, but it's still a nice dress. You shrug into it, decide it fits then take it straight back off again. You don't want to ruin it. You exit the bathroom to find Emily is still standing and, judging from the way she is, she's just told Jenny she's Victorian.
"You don't seem surprised." Emily mused.
"What? That Lester's still grumpy? No, not really." Jenny smiles slightly.
"No, that I'm from the 1800s."
"Emily, when you've seen what I've seen, trust me, nothing surprises you." there's a banging on the door and you just know who that is.
"Five bucks says that's Matt." you grin at Abby and she nods. Jenny jumps from the bed and you stand on tip-toes to see as she opens the door. "Yes!" you grin and Matt gives you a strange look. "Nothing's happening here." you grin.
"Oh, hello." there's distaste ringing in Jenny's voice and if Matt notices, he doesn't let on.
"Hi. Could I steal Emily, please?" there's a look on Emily's face that's half between shock and that of being fed up.
"It depends." Abby smirks. "We gonna get her back?" No reply from Matt.
"Abs, Si, I'm just getting some ice. Back in a minute." Jenny smiles, heading from the room.
"Major issues." you sigh, flopping onto Jenny's bed.
"Who? Matt or you?" Abby smirks and you shoot her a questioning look. "Oh, c'mon. You're never normally like this. And that's because you're never normally without Becker."
"I just get worried, that's all." you sigh. Abby nods.
"I see." there's a knock and a whisper of Abby! Through the door.
"Am I the only one without someone dying to talk to me?" you sigh as Abby throws a pillow at you and heads to the door. Abby opens it but you can see from here that Connor's gone.
"He's gone down the stairs. I'm not following." she sighs, shutting the door and you smile. You grab your phone and start punching in Becker's number. "Giving up on him?" Abby smirks and you nod. It rings but there's no answer. You don't leave a message.
"Stuff it." you mutter, turning it off.
X
"Up and at 'em!" Abby yells, throwing a pillow at you. "Time to move." you groan, roll over and fall out of bed. "Is that how you get up every morning?"
"Shut up." you mutter, pulling yourself to your feet.
"Is is Becker normally there to catch you." she jibes.
"Get in that dress before I kill you." you threaten and she laughs.
X
There's happy music playing as you and Abby enter the reception hall. Connor hasn't shown up since last night and Abby's getting worried. As soon as you enter the hall your mobile rings. It's Becker. "I gotta take this." you mutter, heading outside. "Yes?"
I'm so sorry but I was a little tied up.
"Uh huh."
Look, it was worse than you think.
"I'm stuck with Jenny who clearly dislikes Matt, Connor who is now missing, Abby who is worried over Connor, Emily whose more confused that a rhino at the South Pole and Matt whose fussing over Emily like there's no tomorrow."
And all I was doing was telling Jess how to diffuse a bomb to stop us both from getting blown up.
"A bomb!" you squeak. But at least Jess was there. You think sourly. "Gotta go. Jenny's here." you hang up, racing back inside. "What I miss?" you ask, sliding into your seat next to Abby.
"No sign of Connor and Matt's upset because Emily's married." that makes your eyes widen.
"I'm sure she wasn't wearing that before!" you whisper, catching sight of the gold ring on her finger. "In other news, the reason Becker couldn't call/answer was because he was busy preventing himself being blown up by a bomb." Abby's eyes widen and you add: "But don't worry. Jess saved the day." in mock joy. Abby gives you a sympathetic look as you lean over to tell Matt and Emily the same thing. You all rise as Jenny starts to walk down the isle. She smiles at the four of you before turning back to Michael. The vicar's not even three lines in when Connor appears.
"Everybody's in danger, you've got to believe me! Run, please! Now!" people start to murmur but no one moves. Jenny shoots him a withering look. There's a collective 'Aw!' as one of the pups from the anomaly appears. People stand in attempt to look at the creature that's sniffing its way down the isle. It starts to bark and you, Abby, Matt and Emily exit your seats and head to the side of the room, Connor running over to join you. There's a woman's scream and all hell breaks loose.
Alright, this chapter seems to be much longer than the others so this is to be broken into two ;)
sorry it took so long to update but my laptop broke, then the charger died and part 2 will take a while because I'm in London until Saturday. Sorry!
