CLAUDIA
She left CARI right on five o'clock, which was unusual because, although she officially finished work at that time, she almost always stayed on later to finish whatever she was walking on. This time, though, Claudia was exhausted after two nights of barely any sleep, and she was going to take the evening off and do something for herself for once.

There was a pit of uneasiness deep in her stomach that had been there ever since Cutter had appeared. On the surface, of course, there was the man himself and her feelings for him – which didn't exist anymore beyond the realm of strictly professional, she told herself firmly. She was engaged to Jem Keenan, a man whom she loved very much. Jem was everything Cutter was not: a rational, soft-spoken corporate financier who enjoyed classical music and vegetarian cooking. If his conversations over dinner sometimes seemed a little dull, or his Christmas presents a little impersonal (books, always books)... well, a relationship was nothing without a little friction here and there. Though, her relationship with Jem was almost the textbook opposite of frictional; any time she expressed any sort of distaste or dislike, he would instantly remedy it with plaintive apologies almost more frustrating than the original action. She liked it that way, Claudia told herself firmly. A little dullness was a welcome contrast to all the frenzied activity she had to cope with in her job.

The job, of course, Jem knew nothing about. Claudia had always meant to tell him about the true nature of her work, but in the early stages of their relationship she hadn't wanted to scare him away, and now it would almost not be worth the effort. As she drove home, Claudia realised that Abby and Jones had it lucky, each of them knowing exactly what the other did every day, able to lean on one another if it ever got too hard. Still, Jem usually did a pretty good job of comforting her, even if he didn't know exactly what it was that had gotten her down... and she wouldn't have dated a guy like Jones for any amount of money.

Claudia pulled into the driveway and was struck by the sudden realisation that if she'd accepted Cutter's request, he'd be here with her, right now. He would have been quiet on the way home, she knew; Cutter was never one for talking, and he would most likely be just as tired as she was. She wondered, as she locked the car and turned the key in her front door, what he would think of her house. It was a smallish sort of place: one storey, two bedrooms, fastidiously tidy. There were a few paintings and photos scattered around the place, but overall it was sparsely decorated – a far cry from Cutter's own house and office, which were so full of knick-knacks she'd been overwhelmed.

"Jem?" she called, stepping through the front door. There was music playing from the stereo in the kitchen; she followed it into the room to see her fiancé peering into the oven. He smiled at her and walked over to give her a kiss. "Smells good," she said, looking through the glass. "What is it?"

"Vegie pie," Jem replied. "It'll be ready in about an hour. I figured you might want to eat early tonight, since you went into work so early yesterday."

"Thanks, Jem. That's sweet of you." Claudia kissed his cheek.

She almost overslept the next morning and was saved only by the alarm on her phone. Jem, too, was woken by the shrill sound. Before Claudia could get up, he rolled over and wrapped his arm around her. "Don't leave," he said, nuzzling the back of her neck. "You're all warm and snuggly."

You're thirty years old and you still say 'snuggly'? Claudia thought. "Jem, I need to go. I've got work. So do you. Let go of me."

"Fine." He sighed theatrically and kissed her neck before releasing her. She dressed and ate quickly and was out the door in twenty minutes, trying not to feel annoyed about how clingy her fiancé could be.

She had half an hour of peace in her office before it was interrupted by a knock on the door.

"Come in." She turned, expecting Lester, and was surprised to see Professor Cutter instead, standing somewhat sheepishly outside.

"I did say come in," Claudia remarked. "You don't have to hover in the hallway."

"Thanks." Cutter entered, closing the door gently behind him. "Erm... I wanted to talk to you." He scratched the back of his neck, looking incredibly uncomfortable.

"Okay?"

"It's about yesterday. Yesterday morning."

"Right." Claudia nodded, looking away from him. "What did you want to say?"

"That I'm sorry." She was taken aback by the frankness of his words. "I was rude, and it was out of line. It's your life, and you should live it as you choose. I can't make those choices for you, and it was inappropriate of me to suggest otherwise."

He fell abruptly silent, and Claudia, glancing back at him, had to suppress a smile. He's really not very good at this. "Thank you," was all she could think of to say.

"That's another thing," he said, just as abruptly. "I want to thank you for trusting me with... with Helen. It means a lot to me that you're willing to do that."

"You're welcome," Claudia responded automatically. She then realised what she'd said, and frowned. "Lester really won't be happy if he finds out, you know."

"Why does that matter so much to you?" Cutter asked, but his tone was inquisitive, not exasperated. "Lester's not your boss anymore; he doesn't control you any more than I do. You need to do what you think is right, not what he or anyone else tells you." He paused. "Including me, I suppose," he added in a softer voice.

Claudia nodded. She wasn't really sure what to say to that.

"Anyway, I should get back to work." Cutter gestured towards the door.

"Right." Claudia nodded again.

"I'll see you around. Take care of yourself."

"You too."

He left, abruptly, uncertain of how to properly end such an exchange. Claudia stared at the door long after it had closed behind him. Nick Cutter was, she thought, a man far more comfortable amongst fossils and supposedly-extinct creatures than the human beings with which he lived and worked on a daily basis. His every social movement was a little hesitant, a little rough around the edges, like he was never quite sure if he was doing or saying the right thing. It almost made her nervous just to watch him. She knew, though, that beneath his rugged exterior, he had a heart that was full of a passion that scared her. She'd seen it years ago whenever he discussed a new creature or theory, and she'd seen it the previous day when he talked about Evelyn, of whom he'd become inexplicably, incredibly protective.

She'd seen it when he'd spoken to her – about Jem, about missing her for years. She saw it every time he met her gaze or said her name.

Claudia Brown.