Author's Note: I probably shouldn't be posting this yet as I have only a vague idea of the story. I've never written for any of the Eureka characters before so I hope they come across okay. Anyway, hopefully the next chapter will be up soon.
Enjoy
The smell of wet earth surrounded him as the light faded. Pulling himself up off the ground, Rip looked around. There were trees everywhere and the road he was standing on went on as far as the eye could see in both ways.
"Where the hell am I now?" Rip sighed.
With a grimace he decided to start walking. The one thing he'd learned since he'd began bouncing through dimensions was that he was usually either near the shard or to someone who was.
"Gideon?" he called, waited for a few moments before sighing again and turned to his left.
It was as good a direction as any.
Rip had been walking for about an hour when it began to rain, a few drops hit his hand before a torrent of water suddenly fell from the sky.
"Bollocks," Rip snapped, moving to shelter under one of the millions of trees and watching the rain fall.
A horn honking made him turn to see a jeep with the words 'Sheriff' emblazoned on it drawing up beside him.
"Hi there," the man leaned out the window, short blond hair, blue eyes, he had what could only be described as an 'everyman' quality to him, "Are you lost?"
Rip took a breath, "Possibly."
"Car trouble?" the man Rip deduced from the uniform to be the Sheriff asked with an amused grin on his face.
Shrugging, Rip replied, "Something like that," an idea struck him, "I was hoping to get into town and get a tow."
"Well, I'm heading back now," the man told him, "I can give you a lift."
"I would appreciate that," Rip smiled, and climbed into the passenger seat.
"Jack Carter," the man introduced himself, "Town Sheriff."
"Rip Hunter," he reciprocated, unable to stop himself adding, "Current vagabond and drowned rat."
Jack laughed and started to drive.
x
Jack looked at the man sitting beside him, the accent had instantly given away that he wasn't from these parts. His hair was soaked and plastered to his head, although the long coat he was wearing appeared to have saved the rest of his clothes from the worst of the rain.
"There's a clean towel in the gym bag on the back seat," Jack told him, "If you want to dry off."
"Thank you," Rip replied sincerely turning and stretching for the bag.
Jack studied him for a moment before asking, "So what is your specialist subject?"
"Sorry?" Rip asked as he dried his hair.
Jack chuckled, "What do you have your Doctorate or PhD in? Mathematics of the Mind? Gene Manipulator? I'll even pretend to understand."
The man looked at him a little confused before replying hesitantly, "I work with Artificial Intelligence."
"Sounds fun," Jack said, "My house has an AI."
"Really?"
Jack nodded, "Are they all bossy?"
Rip smiled softly, "The ones I know definitely are."
Reaching the edge of town Jack watched Rip look of interest. He remembered the first time he walked into the insane asylum he now called home, how it had seemed so normal at first but then he saw the weirdness.
"You get used to it," Jack told his passenger who was staring in bemusement at the people they passed.
x
Rip stared out the window at the perfect small town he was being driven through, something was niggling at his brain about it and finally he saw what it was. A kid on the pavement was writing a complex mathematical equation in chalk, while another sat on the ground surrounded by books of advanced biochemistry. Jack's question about what degree he held made some actual sense now and Rip began to wonder even more where he was.
Jack turned onto what looked like a main street and parked in front of the Sheriff's station.
"Thank you for your help, Sheriff," Rip said as he climbed out the car, "I appreciate it."
"It's Jack and you can pay me back," Jack told him, "I have some boxes I need to unload from the trunk. I could use some help. I can offer some coffee and donuts. You look like you need to heat up a bit."
Rip hesitated, trying to work out if he should just run but Jack seemed genuine and he did owe the man.
"Of course," Rip smiled.
"Thanks," Jack opened the trunk, "They dumped the swap meet collection on me, well I sort of volunteered," he pulled out a box and passed it to Rip before grabbing one for himself, "No one mentioned it would mean doing so much heavy lifting."
Following the other man inside, Rip tensed slightly as he was now in a police station. Looking around he saw the cell and worked out three ways to release himself from it there and then.
"Henry," Jack said making Rip turn to see a man standing waiting, "What are you doing here?"
The man, Henry, grinned, "I'm here for Rip."
Ice filled Rip's spine and he forced himself not to demand how the man knew who he was.
"You know Henry?" Jack asked before rolling his eyes, "Of course, getting a tow."
"Dr Hunter is joining us for a few days to help me with a project," Henry continued, as Rip became more confused, "All his credentials should be in the system."
Jack sat at his computer, typing with the one finger technique which drove Rip crazy instantly, "You should have told me you were here to work for GD."
"He's not really," Henry said before Rip could reply.
Jack shrugged, "As long as you don't blow anything up or accidentally nearly end the world, I'm happy to have you in town."
Rip chuckled, still confused but replied, "Thanks, Jack. And thanks for the ride into town."
Henry tapped his arm, "Let's go get some lunch and then I'll take you to where you'll be staying for the next few days."
x
Rip walked out the Sheriff's station with the man introduced as Henry, waiting till they were on the street before demanding, "What the hell is going on? How do you know who I am?"
"Let's get to Café Diem first," Henry murmured as he nodded to people greeting him, "I'll explain once we're there."
Unable to argue as Henry started across the road, Rip followed. He wished Gideon were here for her opinion. Wondering if she just hadn't found him yet or if she was busy with the Legends and hoped whatever she was doing, she appeared soon.
The café was cheerful, it only had about half a dozen people dotted around the dining area but from the smell of the food it would fill soon.
"Henry," a man who Rip assumed was the manager walked over to them, "What can I get you?"
"Need to use one of the booths, Vincent," Henry said, "And lunch."
Vincent's eyes lit up, "Something important happening?"
Henry laughed, "Just catching up with an old friend. Rip," he introduced, "This is Vincent, he runs Café Diem."
"Nice to meet you," Rip nodded politely.
"And you. Whatever you want to eat just tell me," Vincent told him with a smile, "Our motto is, 'You want it, we've got it'."
Rip smiled amused, "Give me a few minutes and I'll let you know."
"Booths are just back there," Vincent smiled before leaving them to talk to someone else.
Following Henry, Rip slid into the booth across from him in the very back corner.
"Who are you?" Rip demanded softly, "And how do you know who I am?"
Henry reached into his shirt pocket and pulled out a folded piece of paper, "My name is Henry Deacon and I know who you are because you told me, the last time we met."
"The last time we met?"
Sliding the piece of paper across to him Henry smiled, "This might help."
Picking up the paper, Rip unfolded it and read the note.
You can trust Henry, Spaniel, Broad, Tricycle. Rip.
"I wrote the note," Rip breathed.
Henry nodded, "About six years ago. For me anyway," he shrugged, "I don't know how long it will be for you."
Rip let out a sigh of relief, "Then you know who I am?"
x
"And what can I get you gentlemen?" Vincent appeared at their table before Henry could explain any further.
"I'll have the linguini," Henry ordered, "And my usual coffee."
"And you?" Vincent turned to Rip adding when Rip hesitated, "Whatever you want I can make. What's your favourite meal?"
Rip shook his head with a chuckle, "One of my favourite meals is Fish and Chips."
Vincent laughed, "And I thought you were going to make things difficult. What about a drink."
"Tea please," Rip replied, "With lemon. And yes, I know I'm reinforcing a stereotype with both orders."
With a smile Vincent left them alone again. Henry waited until he was sure the other man was far enough away.
"Is Gideon with you?" Henry asked, seeing the same shocked expression Rip had worn several times since they'd met up.
"Ah, not at the moment."
He grimaced, "Well, let me know when she does appear. I have something I want her to advise on."
"Wait," Rip rubbed his temple, "You need to tell me what's going on because I am very confused."
Henry chuckled, "About six years ago for me, and some indeterminate time in your future, I was working at Nasa and a bright light filled the lab I was working in. When it faded, you were there. It was three in the morning, so I did think I was hallucinating, but you knew who I was and told me we would meet again in Eureka."
Rip frowned but remained silent.
"The thing was I had literally just received the offer to come here that morning," Henry explained.
"And that is why you trusted me?" Rip asked.
Henry shook his head, "I trusted you because you told me something specific that I told you to tell me."
Before Rip could ask Vincent reappeared with their meals.
"For Henry, the chicken and mushroom linguini," Vincent slid the plate in front of him before turning to Rip, "And for you, beer battered cod with twice cooked chips, freshly shelled garden peas, blanched with a small knob of butter."
"Wow," Rip said surprised, "That sounds…fantastic."
"And since I had some batter left," Vincent placed a small bowl on the table, "I made you onion rings as well."
Rip nodded at the chef, "Thank you."
"Enjoy," Vincent bustled away.
Henry smiled, "We can talk more once we've eaten. I'm guessing it's been a while since you've had something."
Gratefully Rip turned to the plate in front of him and began to eat.
Allison Blake knew today had been too quiet as she marched through the corridors of GD Section 5 to Lab 53 where Nathan was standing waiting for her.
"What's wrong?" she demanded.
Nathan grimaced, "Not sure if wrong is the word for it."
"Nathan, you called me down here urgently," Allison reminded him testily, "Why, Dr Stark?"
He grimaced at the use of his title instead of his name before opening the door to the lab. He stepped out the way so she could see in, "To show you this."
Allison looked in and gaped seeing a strangely shaped object stuck in the centre of the floor, a soft golden glow emanating from it.
"What is that?" she breathed.
Nathan sighed, "I've no idea but the energy it's giving off is immense."
"And considering the last time we encountered an unknown object giving off a massive amount of energy," Allison grimaced.
"Then this could be trouble."