A/N: I hope you like this chapter, thanks for the alerts and the reviews. I love reviews, the more the merrier.

Now, the italics print relates to Jess and the past. Hope it's not to confusing.

CHAPTER TWO

When Jess exited the anomaly, her foot hit something solid, causing her to fall. She hit her head when she fell and her last thought before she blacked out was that she didn't want to die in some distant past and that she wished that she hadn't gotten mad at Becker.

The entire A.R.C team were searching for the anomaly, even Lester. Connor, Abby, Matt & Becker had headed off to check the western side of this floor, while other teams had been sent to other areas. Connor carried a locking device in one hand and the dating calendar in the other. The other three carried E.M.D's, Matt also carried a mobile detector. As they walked down the hallways, they were all very alert. Each and every room was checked.

"Is it still active?" Becker asked.

Looking down at the detector, Matt told them that it was still open. Reaching the end of the hallway, the only rooms left to check were the break room and the toilets. Matt and Becker took the break room while Abby and Connor took the respective bathrooms. They watched Becker and Matt enter the break room, and then Connor walked over to Abby and leaned over, giving her a kiss and telling her to be careful. She smiled and touched his cheek tenderly and told him to do the same. As she reached the door, she turned her head and watched Connor enter the men's room. Turning the handle, she walked into the ladies room and she saw the anomaly immediately, it was in the middle of the room.

"Connor!" She yelled, holding the door open so he could see inside. When he saw it, he smiled. Placing the locking device in front of the anomaly, he activated it. Tapping her ear-piece, Abby told everyone that the anomaly had been located and locked. Matt and Becker were with them within a minute and Lester wasn't that far behind. Connor lifted up the calculator and waited until it stopped its calculations. When it stopped on a date, Connor whistled.

"When is it Connor?" Becker asked.

"It's close, real close."

"Close to what?" Becker asked, staring to feel frustrated.

"It's saying that this anomaly goes to 2008. We could go and warn Cutter. Abby, we can save Cutter, Stephen and Sarah."

"No!" Lester interrupted. "You can't change the past. You could do more damage than good. Don't get me wrong, I wish we could save them too but we can't. The past has to happen the way it already has."

"Lester's right." Abby said softly. "Besides, you know that Cutter would never allow it."

"Where's Jess?" Lester asked suddenly.

Becker tapped his ear-piece and called her but she didn't answer. He tried a couple of times with the same result. Abby gave it a try as well but still Jess didn't answer.

"Connor, go check the A.D.D. See if you can find her by using her black box and make it quick." Lester said, sounding worried.

Connor nodded and ran down the hall. When he reached the A.D.D. he sat down and typed in Jess's id number. A little red dot appeared on the screen immediately. Zooming in on it, Connor managed to pinpoint the exact location. When he did, he was surprised.

"Ah guys, she is in the bathroom with you."

"No Connor, she's not here."

"Well, her black box is saying she is. Have you checked all of the stalls?"

Becker sighed but started to open the stall doors. In the third stall, he found the black box on the floor. When he turned around, he closed his eyes; the anomaly was right in front of the door.

"We have to unlock the anomaly." He shouted.

"Why?" Abby asked.

"Jess went through." He said, holding up the black box. "I'm going after her."

"No you're not. You know the rules. She's safe; we just have to trust that she won't interfere with past events.

"Lester, she's 19!"

"And she works for the A.R.C. She can handle herself. No-one and I mean no-one goes through. Do I make myself clear?"

Becker still looked as though he was going to disobey him when the matter was taken out of his hands. The anomaly closed, leaving Jess stuck in the past and Becker with no way of reaching her.

When the car pulled up, Nick turned to Connor, asking him if this was the correct location. Connor checked the detector he held and nodded. They all jumped out of the car but before they could move anywhere, the anomaly closed.

"Professor, the anomaly has closed."

"Ok, let's just check the area for any signs of a creature incursion. Abby, you and Connor go that way and Stephen and I will go this way."

Nodding, they took off. Less than two minutes later Abby stopped and pointed to a girl lying on the ground. Fearing the worst she and Connor ran up to her and knelt down. She hadn't been attacked but she was unconscious.

"Cutter! Over here!" Connor yelled out.

The girl started to stir. Abby took her hand and told her that she would be fine.

"Abby, Connor, where am I? I was sure I'd gone through an anomaly. Did you follow me? Becker and Lester won't be happy with you."

Both Abby and Connor stared at each other with matching looks of surprise on their faces. Who was this girl and how did she know them? Before they could ask her any questions, she'd closed her eyes again. They heard Nick and Stephen arrive and Nick knelt down on the other side of Jess.

"Is she OK?"

"She's unconscious but it's weird Cutter. She knew who we were, she knew about the anomalies. She even mentioned Lester and someone called Becker." Connor said.

"Who is she?" Stephen asked.

"I don't know mate. I've never seen her before in my life. What about you Abby?"

"No sorry, I've never seen her before either."

"Ok, call in the medics and we'll take her back to the A.R.C. When she wakes up, we can ask her how she knows this stuff."

They all nodded and Abby took out her phone to call Lester. She told him what had happened and that they needed a medical transport. Lester was hesitant at first and he only really agreed once he heard Cutter abusing him. When he did agree, Abby nodded to Cutter who just smiled.

When Jess opened her eyes again, she was lying in a bed. Her head was thumping and her throat was dry. She turned her head, searching for some water and her gaze collided with the bluest eyes she'd ever seen. He smiled kindly at her and poured her a glass of water. When she had emptied the glass, he put it back next to the jug.

"Hello, my name is..."

"Professor Nick Cutter, yes I know."

"Well, you seem to have me at a disadvantage. I don't know your name."

"Sorry, it's Jess, Jess Parker."

"Hello Jess. Now I have some questions for you, if you're up to it?"

"Sure, but first I need to ask you a question."

"Go ahead."

"What is today's date?"

"It's the 30th January."

"What is the year Professor?"

"It's 2008."

Jess closed her eyes and mentally went through all of the field reports that she had read. When she realised what they'd just been through, her eyes flew open and she involuntarily spoke out.

"Oh my God, you've just fought a Sabre-tooth."

Nick sat back in the chair and stared at he girl in the bed. How could she have known that? It had only happened four days ago.

"Ok Jess, now it's my turn. When are you from?"

Jess stared at Nick, trying to figure out how much she could tell him. She finally decided to just tell him the basics and nothing else, even though she could save his life.

"I've come from 2011. I work at the A.R.C. I'm the field co-ordinator."

"Why did you come through an anomaly?"

"Trust me, it wasn't on purpose. I was in the bathroom when the alert sounded. I ran out of the stall and straight through the anomaly."

"So the anomaly was actually in the A.R.C? Does that happen very often?"

"No, it's the first time and that's all I'm willing to say."

Nick nodded, knowing more than anyone how easy it was to change the future by interfering with the past. He noticed that Jess was looking tired again so he told her to rest as he stood up and left he room, closing the door behind him. He made his way to the lab where he knew his team would be waiting.

"Who is she?" Stephen asked.

"Where is she from?" Abby asked

"How did she know who we were?" Connor asked.

"All very valid questions. I'd like to know the answers to them as well." Lester said as he entered the lab behind Nick.

"Well, her name is Jess Parker and she is from the future and she works for the A.R.C."

"Cool, we can ask her about ourselves, our future selves."

"No Connor, we can't ask her because anything she tells us will alter how we live our lives, thus altering the future. We could make it worse."

Becker stood still, staring at the spot where the anomaly had been.

"God damn it! Not again."

He turned around and punched the wall before leaving the bathroom. He didn't want to talk to anyone. He couldn't believe that he'd lost her. After all of the security measures he'd implemented. How could it have happened again? When he reached the security office, he sat down at his desk and dropped his head into his hands. That was how Abby found him an hour later. She walked into the office and immediately went over to him. Squatting down in front of him, she placed her hands over his, causing him to jump. When he lifted his eyes, she saw that they were full of pain and regret.

"Aww, Becker, it's not your fault."

"Abby, she's gone. Just like you, Connor and Danny. Just like Sarah."

"We survived Becker. We made it back. Jess will too."

"Sarah didn't, did she?"

"No, she didn't, but we know that Jess only went back a couple of years. She'll be back with us soon. She'll find a way. She knows where we are."