Claudia Brown observed her new housemate warily. When she had voiced an agreement with Cutter that Melina couldn't be kept at the Home Office indefinitely this wasn't exactly what she had in mind. They were over a week into their new lifestyle and neither woman appeared to be any closer to adjusting to it.

Melina Hollywell sat at the kitchen table with a collection of books open before her. They ranged in topic from animals past and present and were on loan from the university via Stephen and Nick. Melina had settled for the familiar topic of studying predators, intrigued to discover what new things had been learned since her time about the animals she had looked after in the nature reserve. She was stubbornly resistant to using a computer, which was to Claudia's relief as she wasn't quite willing to trust the safety of her laptop to the outdated woman.

Claudia clasped her hands together and fixed on her friendliest smile for the woman. She had just returned from another busy day of classified government business eager for some respite but she was starting to realise that with another form of classified government business living in her home there was no respite.

"How was your day?" Claudia quipped politely.

A walkman rested near the books, the headphones attached to it rested on Melina's shoulders behind her head, pushed down abruptly when she had sensed the door being opened. There was no music playing as she had hit pause and Claudia couldn't venture a guess as to what tape was within. The walkman was a gift from retro lover Connor although he had some angst about what tapes he was willing to part with and his recommendations had been of bands Melina hadn't heard of.

"As fun filled as the last," Melina retorted sardonically as she fixed her grey-green stare on the older woman.

Claudia's smile wavered a little as she relaxed her hands by her sides. "Well, they can't all be good days."

"I need to be doing something," Melina retorted stubbornly. "Like learning more about these time portal things."

"Anomalies," Claudia corrected, "and they're classified."

"To someone who travelled through them?" Melina retaliated heatedly. She tugged off the headphones and stood up, pausing to smooth down the pink and black plaid shirt Abby had gifted her with.

The peppy blonde had come round on the second day, after persuading Claudia to share her address, with a small offering of clothes for Melina along with a spare hairdryer. Claudia had gone shopping as well, returning with sanitaries, soaps, sponges, another toothbrush and some much needed food to share. Whilst grateful, Melina was bitter, evidently unhappy to be so dependent in this world.

"Look, I can't stay here forever but I can't exactly go seek out normality either, can I?" Melina remarked moodily. "How I can forget what happened? More importantly, how can I forget that there might be a portal to take me home? Maybe even one that will take me to before it," she added hopefully.

Claudia's brown stare became sympathetic as she nodded. She knew the issue of what Melina would or could do was going to be raised but she had hoped for at least another week to consider it.

"You can't tell me it's government personnel only, I've already worked out Abby and Connor are definitely not government," Melina said. "In fact," she added as her gaze became serious, "yesterday Abby told me she used to work in a zoo in the reptiles' department. She said she got into this because she was asked to identify a lizard that turned out to be from the past."

Claudia tensed just a little, guessing at where this had to be leading.

"I worked in a safari park with multiple predators, I've as much experience as Abby, maybe more," she shrugged, "I don't know how long she worked at her zoo for and I've dealt with several creatures from the past. Hell, I've been to the past."

"Melina, it's not that simple," Claudia began a protest.

"Well make it simple, I already know about the portals-"

"Anomalies," Claudia corrected again. She didn't know why she was so adamant about the terminology, given the anomalies probably went by many different names depending on whom they appeared to but Nick had called them that and everyone had agreed it was suitable and Claudia wasn't willing for it to change.

"Anomalies," Melina retorted pointedly with another irate look for the redheaded woman. "I know about them and I'm going to chase after them until I find the one that takes me home, it would be easier for me to do that with your help but I will do it without."

"Melina, there is no guarantee that anomaly exists anymore," Claudia tried to reason with her, "and if it does, it appeared as a link between your time and location, and Colombia almost sixty million years ago, so there is no guarantee it will ever appear in this time."

Melina frowned. "The way Connor and Abby talk I don't think you're running entirely blind on this. I mean it's a government organisation, you must have learned things about these anomalies."

Claudia frowned too as she told herself mentally to have a chat with Connor and Abby about classified information. "Alright," she murmured, a little too tired for an argument, "I'll talk to Lester, he's the boss. Now, how about we have dinner?"

"Sure."

Melina tidied up her books, shifting them into a pile before carrying them from the room to the spare room that Claudia had offered her. Once they were abandoned to the desk in there, she returned to the kitchen to help with the dinner.

Melina was a much better cook than Claudia, which wasn't hard as Claudia was too busy with work to be engaged with cooking. Claudia preferred to opt for fast made salads or catering, even going so far as to have a local deli prepare her lunch most days. Melina was horrified to learn this, insisting that home cooked meals were the best and always worth making the time for. She had talked briefly about her mother's love for cooking before clamming up and frowning.

Claudia knew it was difficult for Melina and that she couldn't imagine herself in the woman's position. She knew Melina was playing host to a conflict of heated emotions- shock, rage, disbelief, grief and guilt were all waging war within her and she still didn't seem ready to release any of them or welcome any positive ones save for that very faint flicker of hope she tried to keep going whenever the anomalies were mentioned. Claudia didn't know what else Melina should hope for but she did wish there was something else for the woman to focus on.

Claudia attempted to be useful as it was her kitchen. She got the utensils, set the table and hunted out ingredients as instructed. In the end she had to stand back and let Melina take over as there was little else to busy herself with in an attempt to seem helpful. It was funny but despite being Claudia's kitchen, Melina easily seemed more at home in it. Although, Claudia did have a small living room in her flat with a decent window view of the city outside it, Melina still brought the books and walkman to the kitchen table for studying.

As the room filled with steams full of wonderful senses, Claudia felt some of the stress of her busy day slip away. In the welcome warmth of the kitchen it was suddenly easy to forget the drama of trying to hide the existence of the suitably nicknamed 'terror pigs' from the world and cover up the two known fatalities they had caused. Worse was hearing Lester grumble about the financial cost and press cover-up as if the lives lost were of little value in comparison. Claudia understood that Lester was a businessman by nature and head of the organisation because he had the ability to channel his emotions and she appreciated that despite his crabby nature he did possess some sort of morals but it was still trying to hear him mutter about 'the mess to be cleaned' in reference to the deceased.

When the cooking was done and the food served, the silence of the room suddenly became palpable. The women sat opposite each other, busying themselves with eating home-cooked chicken stir fry served with boiled rice.

"It's delicious," Claudia said sincerely as much to break the silence between them as to offer her praise.

"It's simple," Melina murmured, "but thanks," she added on.

Claudia dipped her head back to her dish. She understood Melina's complication of emotions, her situation was horrible but it was still difficult to deal with the young woman's moments of moodiness each night.

The silence resumed until the meal was finished.

Claudia immediately stood up with her dish and reached for Melina's. She had made it clear that if Melina insisted on cooking she would do the cleaning.

Melina pushed back her seat and stood up calmly. "I'm going for a walk," she announced.

Claudia turned to face her with the plates still clutched in her hands. "Melina," she began a protest.

Melina held up her left hand slightly as she gave Claudia a weary look. "If I just go straight and then back again I can't get lost, can I?" she quipped sardonically. Melina's gaze turned sad as she gazed at Claudia. "Look I used to go for a run at least twice a day, I miss that and I need it. I'm going a little crazy without fresh air."

"Well it's not all that fresh in the city," Claudia countered, "especially compared to a nature reserve in South Africa."

Claudia turned a glance to the round, wooden framed clock she had hanging just above the door. It was coming up to seven o'clock and the sun had set.

"It's dark outside," Claudia attempted a new tactic.

Melina smirked at this. "In London? I know it's been a while but it can't have changed that much," she jested.

Claudia was surprised by the show of humour as it came without bitterness. She gave a small smile in return. "Alright, maybe not but it's certainly no safer," she said sternly.

"I know how to take precautions," Melina retorted, "it can't be any riskier than evading hyenas after sundown."

Claudia raised her eyebrows slightly at this as she pondered over whether the woman was joking or not. "Um why were you walking in the wilds of Africa at night?" she pried quietly.

Melina's smirk widened into an amused smile. "It wasn't casual strolling. Things would happen in the reserve, you'd have to do perimeter checks, might be warnings of poachers or one of the animals in danger, baby wild dog stuck in a pit was one reason."

"Oh, I see."

"So anyway, I won't be long and I won't go far but I need out."

Claudia nodded. "Alright but take a coat," she advised, "the wonderful British weather hasn't changed any."

"Glad to hear some things never change."

Melina headed from the kitchen, halting at the coat hooks by the door. She plucked down a black trench coat, put it on and headed out the front door. She walked down a brightly lit, plain hallway and down several sets of stairs, counting each floor as she descended.

Outside it was a grim, cold September evening. The clouds and smog had rolled in to hide the sky from view and the air had a biting nip carried in it with each blow of the breeze. The roads were thriving with traffic and a few pedestrians bypassed the young woman who standing looking about curiously.

Melina stepped to the edge of the pavement, looked both ways carefully and hurried to the centre island before checking the road and crossing again.


It was half eight when Claudia knew something had to be wrong. She figured an hour was enough to clear one's head and surely Melina would know Claudia would only worry if she was gone for any longer than that. Claudia checked the stairwell and the apartment block lobby first, just in case the woman had maybe become confused over the floor level. Seeing no trace of her, Claudia had taken a quick dash outside and winced at the damp, cool air of a London autumn night. Rain was coming and if the heavy clouds overhead were any indication it would be soon. Claudia glanced about the streets but saw no trace.

Desperate, Claudia returned to her apartment. She knew there was no sense in running up and down the London pavements aimlessly, it would only be a waste of time and a potential risk to her own person. Her neighbourhood was affable enough but it was still in the city so crime was unavoidable.

Swallowing down her pride but not her fear of reprimanding, Claudia lifted up her phone in the kitchen and dialled Nick Cutter's home number. She felt a thrill of relief when he answered on the third ring.

"Professor Cutter."

"Nick, it's Claudia," she retorted quickly. "Melina's gone."

"Gone? What do you mean gone?" Nick answered in confusion.

"She went for a walk around seven and hasn't come back."

"And you let her?" Nick queried incredulously. "You live in London it's not exactly easy to navigate."

"Well she's not a prisoner!" Claudia retorted irately. "Look Nick, I am not exactly sure what to do here. Maybe she's lost, maybe she's just taking longer than expected," she rambled as she pushed a hand up through her strawberry blonde hair, "or maybe she's run away."

"She's not a teenager," Nick chided.

"I didn't mean it like that," Claudia replied as she frowned and let her hand fall slack by her side. She cradled the phone closer. "She's fed up in the house and wants in on what we do."

"Well can you blame her?" Nick queried calmly.

"No but it's for the wrong reasons, she thinks she'll find an anomaly to take her back and we all know the odds of that happening aren't high."
"No but maybe teaching her that involves showing her it, you can't expect her to understand the anomalies without seeing more of them. We've worked with them for a few months now and we're still only scratching the surface."

Claudia sighed. "Alright, well I'll talk to Lester but firstly I need to find her. What if she's in danger Nick? London isn't the safest at night."

"Well look it'll take me a couple of hours to get down there, you need someone closer," Nick advised. "Call Captain Ryan, he'll have the skills to track her too."

Claudia sighed. "I was hoping to avoid giving the Home Office a heads up."

"Not wanting a telling off from someone?" Nick queried teasingly.

Claudia frowned as she sensed his smile. "Well I've seen from all of you that it can be unpleasant."

"Well maybe Ryan won't tell on you. Give him a call. I'll make my way to your house in the meantime but hopefully by the time I get there it won't be necessary."

Claudia wanted to argue against it and tell Nick that he didn't need to come but she couldn't. She wanted him here, just in case she told herself, ignoring the little voice that suggested it was more than simply wanting help with Melina. "Alright, thanks Nick."

Claudia ended the call and hung up the phone. She hurried over to her handbag, which was hanging over the dining table chair, and hunted her work mobile out from it. With reluctance, she found the captain's work number and dialled it.

Claudia realised she had no idea what Captain Ryan's personal number was on the off chance he didn't answer nor did she know where he lived. Sure his address was probably on record somewhere but there was no need for her to know it. What if he wasn't close like Nick assumed?

The rings stopped after four and the captain answered with a calm, "evening."

"Evening Captain Ryan, it's Claudia-"

"I know," he interrupted, still calm with a slight sardonic edge, "caller I.D."

"Right," Claudia's tone became irate, "captain I need your help with something urgently."

"Something," he repeated dryly.

Claudia knew he was mocking her on some level, probably guessing why she had called. If it was about an anomaly or creature she would have said so and he knew it.

"Alright, someone," she corrected moodily. "Melina. Look, she left my house to go for a walk around seven and I haven't seen her since," she admitted in an aloof tone, trying to sound annoyed by the ordeal rather than concerned. "She's probably just gotten disoriented somewhere. Could you come and well, track her?" She opted to use Nick's terminology.

Ryan let out a soft snicker, surprising and irritating Claudia with his show of humour. "She's not a deer but I'll try. I'll be in the area in about half an hour, ring me if she shows up before that."

"Wait, don't you need my address?"

"I already have it."

The line went dead as Claudia wondered what else the captain might know about her that she wasn't aware of.


Melina tensed on the damp park bench she was seated on. She had been hearing a variety of noises since she had sneaked into the park- leaves rustling in the wind, bats squeaking, branches cracking under the feet of urban foxes and the odd rustle of feathers and branches as an owl took off into the sky. Every sound she had managed to identify so far. She was wary of each one, fearful of other trespassers or worse, some unimagined monster breaking the laws of probability and time.

The sight of the park's pond had terrified her in an unexpected manner, turning her momentarily to statue like stillness as she had gazed at its still, reflective surface and wondered what might be hiding below it. She had scurried from it soon after, banishing it from sight and opting to sit on a bench by a path with a plain stretch of grass behind it. The grass blades were short but still she was wary of the unseen that might come slithering through it because it was dark and the shadows of the rain clouds were enough to provide cover for many things.

Melina wondered what made her tense now as she listened to the night. There were engines rumbling, exhaust pipes choking out pollution to the already smog filled sky and horns honking as a reminder than the nature here was an illusion and the world of man dominated. She felt a tingle on the back of her neck as the soft hairs there stood upright. Something was watching her.

Melina turned quickly, right hand up and knife bared, ready to defend herself. Her eyes widened in surprise as a hand grabbed at hers and took her wrist in a tight grasp before the knife could do any damage.

Her grey-green eyes locked upon her potential assailant as she prepared to throw out a wild punch with her free hand before realising she recognised them. It was difficult taking in the person's features in the darkness as the park lights were cheap, tall and spread out so their small bulbs could barely cover much.

"Do you always stroll through parks like a ninja?" she snapped.

Tom Ryan frowned down at the young woman before retorting, "do you always break into them?"

"Sometimes," she confessed with a small smile, "depends on the height of the fence."

"And does Claudia know you have her kitchenware with you?" he quipped dryly as he nodded to the knife in the hand he still restrained.

"Claudia's kitchen is a foreign land to her," Melina retorted mockingly, "I've had this for days."

"For what?" Ryan queried dubiously.

Melina frowned at him. "Really?" she snapped sardonically. "For serpents that come out of God damn nowhere that's what," she explained hotly.

Ryan released her hand. "If I'm quick enough to stop it, you can be sure the serpent is."

"Well no one will give me a gun," she grumbled.

Melina lowered her hand and pocketed the knife again before turning a curious stare up to the captain. "Well go on then, how did you find me? Did I leave tracks?"

"No, why does everyone keep assuming I'm a hunter?" Ryan complained. "I'm an army captain."

Melina shrugged. "And that never involved hunting? Not even enemy soldiers?"

Ryan frowned. "It's not the same thing," he muttered.

"Have you been in a war?"

"The Gulf War."

Melina looked confused at this. "Haven't heard of that one."

"You were about six years shy of it."

"Oh, huh, how many wars have I missed?" She frowned and held up a hand before he could respond. "Actually, don't answer, I don't want to know, not really. How old are you?" she pried.

Ryan cracked a small smile at this as he folded his arms. "How old do you think?"

"I'm not sure," she said quietly. "I've been thinking about that."

Ryan raised his pale blonde eyebrows slightly at this. "You've been thinking about my age?" he quipped dryly.

Melina gave him a scolding stare before she shook her head. "No, mine. I should be forty-nine, almost fifty, damn isn't that scary. Should I be older than you?"

Ryan's frown was back, he didn't like the hypothetical conversation, it was out of his comfort zone and more Nick's area, Ryan just took things as they were not as they could or might be. "You're not older than me," he said flatly. "You're twenty-six."

"You can do maths," she teased. Melina attempted a smile but it vanished swiftly. "Sorry, I'm just teasing because it's stopping me from freaking out."

Melina leaned forward, resting her arms on her knees and raising her hands so she could lean her head into her palms.

"I passed a payphone and I thought about calling my parents, I wondered if they'd still have the same number then I wondered if they're even alive anymore. If they are they're in their seventies, when I last saw them..." She shook her head. "My dad was a professor," she explained. She glanced up to Ryan again and gave another smile. "He taught Physics, he wasn't thrilled that I opted for animals as my interest and mum ran stables. They worked all the time but they really loved us, they made a point of us having a family holiday every year and meeting at their house for Christmas. I mean, they lost all of us, not even just one child, all of us and I can't even imagine what they thought happened to us."

Melina fell silent as she pushed her fingertips through her dark hair before placing her palms flat on her thighs. "I guess I wondered if they would appreciate hearing my voice or if they have let me go. They've had this screwed up mystery to deal with for twenty-three years but I've only had a few weeks to try and process it and maybe they deserve answers but maybe having me show up at twenty-six years of age and not forty-nine, well maybe that would be worse."

Melina looked to Ryan again and offered him another smile. "You know you don't look like a soldier tonight but you're still acting like one, do you ever come off duty?"

A brief moment of confusion flitted through the captain's blue eyes before he banished it. Melina was right, he didn't look like a soldier tonight, he was out of uniform and dressed in jeans, a plain, green shirt, a black, leather jacket, and black boots. He hadn't thought about his attire, it was generally based around practicality not style and he had been in a rush tonight. Even when he wasn't working he had to always consider the possibility of getting called in, it wasn't like the anomalies operated on a nine to five basis.

"It's not an act," he retorted, "and I'm not sure what you mean."

Melina waved her right hand up and down at him. "Come on, stoic, silent soldier, it's almost a cliché. You've nothing to comment on what I'm saying because that's getting personal and you tracked me down like a good professional, well not tracked, located me. How did you find me again?" she pried.

"I was considering that you worked and lived at a safari park and would maybe be seeking somewhere quiet nearby that was close to nature and not that much changed from your time," Ryan replied calmly.

Melina's eyes widened slightly. "Damn, you are good. I mean, I kind of liked the idea of swings too," she shrugged, "but there was no one to give me a push so I had to let that go." Melina stood up from the bench at last and brushed her hands down her jeans as if she could banish the dampness picked up from the bench. "Swings haven't changed too much, have they?" she queried.

"You mean you didn't even go and look?"

Melina frowned and rubbed at the bottom of her nose. "I saw the pond and didn't really want to keep exploring after that."

"Well they're still same. Look, it's going to pour down, you can always ask Claudia to take you tomorrow."

Melina chuckled at this. "Right, I can't even tell if you're joking or not but I'm sure she'd be thrilled, take the twenty plus unwanted house guest to the park for the day. Anything to keep me from the time portal thingies."

Melina folded her arms as she stared up at the blonde with a serious gaze. "I didn't ask for this and I sure as hell don't want it but it's happened and you government guys aren't going to offload me from it somehow, that's not fair and you already have civilians working for you so what's one more? I have a similar background to Abby, I've gathered that much."

"I'm not in favour of the civilians we do have," Ryan replied flatly.

"Well tough, what else do you expect me do? Just forget I travelled through time zones and had my life destroyed by some prehistoric snake?"

"Well I'm not the boss."

"Well good because you're opposed."

Ryan cracked a small smile at this. "The boss is Lester, you've met him, think he'll be for it?"

Melina smiled as well. "No but he'll be easier to wear down."

Ryan shook his head. "Can I get you back to Claudia now?"

"If you have to."

Ryan gestured for Melina to start walking along the path. He headed up it alongside her before pausing as they came to a fork in it and Melina continued forward.

"Just a sec, we can go left," Ryan advised.

Melina glanced at him quizzically. "Okay, I know I'm not familiar with this area but I remember coming this way." She gestured up to a decaying oak tree. "I remember thinking this guy looked a little freaky."

Ryan looked over to the tree in question. It was tall with many lengthy, spindly branches, sparse with leaves as an unexpected chill had snatched many of them away leaving to them to decay on the damp grass below. It did indeed cast a spectral silhouette in the night with the way some of its branches twisted and jutted at odd angles.

"We can still go this way," Ryan said as he gestured to the left path.

"Fine but if you're planning to bump me off because I know too much can I be buried where they will be flowers in spring? Oh, sunflowers would be good if this park has them," Melina enthused as she started following the path leading to the left.

Ryan shook his head wearily. "If that was something we did you'd be dead already. Anyway, who would believe you if you talked?"

Melina sighed as she kept walking. "Just whack jobs. Do you still have them in this time? Conspiracy theory nuts?"

"Yes."

"Hmm, just a sec, are these time portal things responsible for any?" Melina halted and looked at Ryan with intrigue. "Is Nessie real?" she marvelled.

"I suppose it's possible," Ryan admitted, "but my money is still on an overgrown fish exploited for tourist cash."

"Hmm, considering the alternatives maybe that would be better." She frowned and turned back to the path ahead.

Melina's eyes widened as she saw the play park coming into view at the end of the path, bordered by low cut hedges and a small, wooden gate. There was a set of swings, a single tyre swing, a roundabout, a rope structure to climb, and a set of ladders and slides.

She halted and glanced over her shoulder curiously to the solider.

"I am off duty," he said, "although I'm not giving you a push." Ryan looked up to the skies. "It's going to start raining soon, we're going as soon as it does."

Melina laughed. "I mean I was joking but since it's not every day some soldier from a secret organisation takes me to a play park in the future I suppose I must."

Melina headed forward, curious to see if the play parks had changed much since her time. She saw that they came with padded ground and soft sand and the swings seemed a little safer with soft, rubber seats instead of the wood and metal she remembered. She figured what the hell as she headed for a swing and occupied it. It was completely daft but her life had fallen so far into crazy she didn't really think there was much sanity to salvage in it.

Ryan watched quietly as the young woman made a half-hearted effort to swing. He figured from the frown that plucked at her lips that she was probably thinking of a time in a park with her siblings. In this time they had been dead for decades but to Melina it was only a few weeks and the wound was very raw. He only hoped she would start to realise how final it was and that this wasn't the future but her new present whether she liked it or not.