Disclaimer: Primeval and all its characters belong to someone else.

Double Wedding

Chapter Thirty Six- Wedding Day!

Part 1

"Well, this is it!" Becker said to Connor as they shared a breakfast of sorts on the day of their double wedding. Becker had eaten a hearty meal and was feeling excited, thrilled and even a little emotional, but as a soldier he was trained in how to reign in his feelings and keep calm.

Connor was the exact opposite. He'd hardly taken a bite of his breakfast and looked very pale. His hands trembled a little as he held his cup of coffee between them, forcing himself to drink, but feeling very sick.

"Yeah." Connor managed to reply.

Becker looked closely at him. "Relax, Connor!" he advised sympathetically. "Try not to think too much and get panicked…"

"I don't think I can do this…" Connor began, jumping to his feet.

"Connor!" Becker leapt up, blocking Connor's exit with his body. He put his hands on Connor's shoulders, which had an immediate calming effect. "You've wanted this for a very long time. You and Abby- well, you've been together as long as I've known you both. Do you really want to back out of this now?"

"Yes! No! I don't know! I can't think straight! What if I mess up- make a fool of myself? Trip up, or muck up m'words?"

"It'll be fine, Connor! You won't mess up!"

"Easy for you to say. You're Mr Perfect! Never a hair out of place- not even after fighting off a raptor! How do you do that? Me? I'm a walking disaster- you know that…told me often enough!"

"Well OK, yes you are. But that's part of your charm. Look- if you ever repeat this, I'll shoot you with my favourite gun, and trust me- that's not just an EMD!"

Becker sighed. He wasn't very good giving advice, or compliments for that matter. There had been a friendly rivalry between the two of them from day one but although they'd enjoyed all the banter and 'one up-manship' battles, they'd become close friends over the years and Becker knew that Connor wanted this wedding to go ahead more than anything. So he took a deep breath and tried as hard as he could to comfort the shaking mess standing in front of him.

"…it's part of your charm, Connor! The whole…bumbling geeky scientist, unable to string two sentences together, or putting your foot in your mouth and saying something totally inappropriate at the wrong time…thing. But I've seen you in full scientist mode. When it comes to your computers, your knowledge of everything dinosaur- even when it's the most dangerous situation, your intelligence, knowledge and bravery come to the forefront. Being brave isn't about not being scared. We all get scared. It's about facing what you've got to face even if you are afraid. Confronting your fears, if you like.

Look, Connor- so what if you stumble over your words, or your feet for that matter. Abby loves you as you are- not what you think you should be. Now stand firm, like a man- like a father and go and have your shower!"

"Wow! Thanks, Becker!" Connor managed, really appreciating the other man's words. He felt moisture at the corner of his eye and turned away before Becker could see.

Becker had noticed, but refrained both from rolling his eyes and from commenting. The poor sop had enough to contend with as it was. His mind turned towards Jess. He wondered how she was this morning. He smiled- he could imagine her now, bounding around as excited as a kitten. He couldn't wait to see her….

~~oOOo~~

Over at Jess' flat, Abby was sitting quietly watching Jess frantically rushing around from here to there, first checking her nails were still perfect, then going into the bedroom to take another look at the dress hanging up on the wardrobe door, before going back to the kitchen to make some tea. She didn't seem able to sit still for a moment.

Abby was feeling very calm. She'd come to a firm decision that this was her day- hers and Connor's, and the other two as well, of course, and she was going to enjoy every minute of it. She wasn't going to revert to form and get scared and push Connor away again- she was past all that. He was the one for her and she'd made a promise to him that she'd be there- and she fully intended to keep that promise. She laughed out loud, showing her perfect white teeth as Jess suddenly grasped her hands in joy.

"Oh, Abby! Our wedding day! The sun's shining, and it's all going to be perfect! I can't believe that in a few short hours I'll be Mrs Jessica Becker and you'll be Mrs Abigail Temple! Are you excited too?"

"So excited, Jess! I've waited for this moment for a very long time now. It just feels so right- me and Connor finally together!"

The girls squealed together, then became serious again. There was a lot to before they could relax. The hairdresser and make up girl was due to arrive any time now. They'd best get a move on!

~~oOOo~~

Connor began to get dressed in his wedding suit. He went through all the motions as if on autopilot, but finally stood, looking at himself in the mirror, smiling at his reflection.

'Hey- scrub up well, Connor!' he congratulated himself. He was dressed in a black suit over a crisp white shirt and pale blue waistcoat and cravat. His hair had been newly cut and was behaving itself for once. Becker glanced at him as he dashed past, with only his towel around his waist. He had just finished his shower and wasn't hurried about getting dressed- it was still early. Plenty of time yet.

"Looking good, Connor." he commented. "Don't get creased up, now! Better sit quietly for a while until Matt and Danny arrive."

"Yeah- you're right!" Connor agreed, suddenly worried he'd spoil his clothes. He gingerly sat down and opened his laptop. That would make sure he stayed clean and take his mind off of everything for ten minutes or so.

Becker began to dry and style his hair when he heard Connor's concerned exclaim.

"No- that can't be right!" Connor murmured, fingers flying over the keyboard.

"Everything alright, Connor?" Becker queried, peering over Connor's shoulder. "Dr Who been cancelled?" he tittered at his own joke, but grew serious as Connor looked from the laptop to him open mouthed and then back again.

"It's the ARC. Something's wrong."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, I just thought I'd check the systems from here- I can do that you know, with the remote access I built into my laptop. But…the ARC's offline. Everything's been taken down."

"What? It's in lockdown do you mean?"

"No- not lockdown. The computers have been shut down."

"Maybe there's an electric cut, or that kid Archie pressed a wrong button or something. Let Christine Johnson worry about it."

"If I can just…" Connor's fingers tapped furiously and Becker could hardly keep up with him- sequences of numbers were rolling down the screen so fast that Becker couldn't even begin to read them. Suddenly they stopped and a new dialogue box opened up on the screen.

"Aha!" Connor said triumphantly. "Managed to bypass the firewall someone's installed."

"What do you mean 'someone's installed?' Who? What's going on, Connor?" Just then Becker's mobile rang, and he turned away to answer it, moving away from the laptop.

"Jess?" he said into the phone "Isn't it unlucky to… what? Yes, Connor said the same thing. Hold on…Connor- it's Jess. She's got an alarm on her portable device alerting her the ADD's been masked. She wants to talk to you…"

As Connor and Jess began to discuss something that Becker couldn't understand, Matt and Danny arrived, full of smiles and good wishes. Their faces grew serious as they looked over at Connor tapping madly and talking on the phone at the same time.

"Something's up at the ARC." Becker told them. "Jess noticed it too- that's who Connor's talking to." The men stood silently and watched as a picture suddenly filled the laptop screen.

"Oh no!" Connor stated. "That can't be good!"

He looked open mouthed at the others, as they all stared at the machine. No, it certainly didn't look good…

~~oOOo~~

Lester was almost ready for the wedding. He'd dressed in his best Italian suit with his silk tie and matching handkerchief. He suddenly patted his pockets and groaned. He sighed, visualising the last place he'd left the order of ceremony details and his speech. In the ARC, of course! He face- palmed his forehead angrily. How stupid he was- that was something Connor would usually do, not him! Oh well, nothing for it but to go and get them. He grabbed his keys and his wallet and rushed off to the ARC. Lucky there was plenty of time!

As he entered, his footsteps slowed. Something didn't feel right. He looked about him and noticed people sitting at various stations silently working. That seemed OK, if a little too quiet. He suddenly glanced at his office where Christine Johnson was seated talking on the telephone, smiling as she swung the chair around. He silently entered the office and Christine sat bolt upright as soon as she saw him.

"I've got to go." she said into the telephone and rapidly finished her call. "James!" she said smoothly as she placed the receiver down. "What a surprise. Thought you'd be at the wedding."

"Forgot my…Christine, is everything alright?"

"Absolutely fine, James. Oh- is this what you're looking for…your speech?" Christine flicked through the papers she had just spotted on the desk. "Looks good!"

"Thank you. Well, if you're sure…" Lester turned, ready to leave, missing the smile instantly disappearing from Christine's face. As he turned out into the ARC, ready to leave, he noticed the young boy sitting at the ADD looking at him with panic in his eyes. Lester glanced back at Christine who had once again picked up the phone, and he slowly left the office and walked over to the ADD.

"Everything alright?" Lester asked Archie quietly.

Archie cast a glance around, looking terrified. "No, sir!" he replied in a low voice. "They…"

"Still here, James?" Christine asked from behind him. She put her hand on Archie's shoulder, effectively silencing him.

Lester suspiciously looked at the ADD screen which had been scrolling numbers down it in a continuous stream. A message box suddenly appeared with the words- 'DOWNLOAD COMPLETE' and the screen went black for a moment before displaying 'ANOMALY CREATED'. Lester knew that wasn't right. Created? What did that…?

"Oh dear!" Christine purred sadly, suddenly flanked by several soldiers in grey camouflage uniforms. "Sorry you had to see that, James. Now I'll have to keep you here. What a shame that you will have to miss the wedding."

"What! Wait! What are you…?" Lester began as he was manhandled by two soldiers.

"James, you remember Captain Wilder, don't you? Of course you do."

"Christine, what have you done?"

"What have I done!" she ranted, her whole demeanour changing. "What have I done! No, James- it's about what you did- or actually what you didn't do! You and your precious Minister! Do you remember, James- I was frogmarched at gunpoint and pushed through an anomaly by that awful Helen Cutter! I faced that…that predator. I nearly escaped, you know James- nearly made it back through. Your little group were there. Standing right there. I screamed- I begged them to help me. They were slow, James- so slow. By the time they awoke from their stupor, I was dragged back by my leg. The pain! You wouldn't understand! The anomaly closed and I was alone! I grabbed at anything- everything as it pulled me along, my hands were cut and bleeding as I tried to save myself. I was lucky, if you can call it that! Another one of those creatures attacked. It wanted me too! It charged at the first one and as they fought over their meal, I managed to crawl into a tiny crack in between the rocks. I watched as they pulled each other to pieces! As one of them died, it managed to sink its jaws into the neck of the other, and killed it too!"

"I'm sorry for what you suffered, Christine, but that was down to Helen- not me!"

"You insufferable, pompous…bore! Don't you see- I was alone in that terrible place, in pain and I had to find a way to survive. I did it though. I finally made it back, and what did you do…nothing! Not a call. Not a well wish. Nothing. Oh, the Minister was flapping around - promising I'd have my position back, but what did I get? Filing! Menial tasks! The man's nothing but a fool. So, I met up with Captain Wilder, here. He's a loyal man…" Christine approached Wilder and smoothed her hand over his jacket and stroked his cheek. "He didn't forsake me, and we made our plans, he and I."

Christine moved away from Wilder and turned to Lester, staring straight into his eyes. "Captain Wilder planted one of his men in the ARC and he's been gathering so much information for me! You really need to sort your security out, James!" Christine paused before continuing. "Your little Connor's quite a genius, isn't he? Made his own anomaly. Well, we've reopened that now, James. We're going to use it to take over the government!"

"Just how do you expect to do that, Christine?"

"We're going into the 'monster collection' business, James. Thanks to our 'plant', we've got all the information we need on how your man Leek controlled the future predators. We've used the information from Connor's anomaly to open a bigger version and contain it within a sun cage. Then we'll capture the creatures and control them- and the world.

All the information's been downloaded…the sun cage that you thought had been moved onto another exhibition all those years ago was taken by me, James. We're all ready. The government will do as they're told or people will die. You're soon going to have a new Prime Minister, James! Isn't that nice…"

James Lester looked at the woman in front of him in disgust. She'd always wanted power- he didn't like this one bit! A familiar face took hold of his arm and grinned nastily as he led him away. It was Raif Roberts… the traitor…

~~oOOo~~

"We need to get to the ARC." Connor stated.

The others nodded. On the screen was a dialogue box with the words 'ANOMALY CREATED' emblazoned in red, flashing continuously.

"Someone's opened an anomaly- its details were taken from mine, but it's infinitely bigger though not as big or as deadly as Philip's!" Connor looked stricken as he gazed at the three men. "This is all my fault! I should never…"

"It's not your fault, Connor. Come on, we've been through this many times. You were tricked, just like Philip was himself. You thought you were doing the right thing."

"But it wasn't the right thing, was it Matt! And now it's come back to haunt me again. On my wedding day!" Connor looked down at the ground, desperately trying to keep his emotions in. He couldn't help but feel the prickle of tears at the back of his eyes, but he struggled to stop them from falling. Would he ever be free of what he did? He just wanted…but that didn't matter now. They had to sort this mess out. Everything else would have to wait.

"OK- let's go- we'll go to Jess' flat first where you and Jess can set up operations. You can show Abby what to do and then join us in storming the ARC. We'll need the girls to get as many soldiers recalled as they possibly can." Matt instructed.

The men looked at each other for a moment, then they sprang into action as they had so many times before. They worked silently together gathering any equipment they could find, knowing each other so well that no words were needed. Becker threw on some clothes and as Connor snapped the laptop shut and put it in his backpack, they took one final look around, then dashed out into the sunshine to try to save the ARC…

To Be Continued…

Oh, oh! Didn't think it would all run smoothly did you? Really? Part 2 soon…please watch this space!