Disclaimer: Primeval does not belong to me, this is fan fiction, not for profit.
Any references to people, places, businesses etc is entirely fictitious.
"…in this world…"
3.11 Temporally Displaced (ABCDU)
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"What are you doing here?" asked Claudia. "Why aren't you in Jamaica?"
The man standing in front of her door wasn't holding an umbrella. The cab behind him pulled away from the kerb and disappeared around the corner. The light misty rain which started earlier in the evening was now coming down in earnest. Tiny raindrops were clinging to Lester's expensive gray suit, in his hair, and beading up along his forehead.
"Not enough rain in Jamaica," replied Lester. "Are you going to ask me in? Or should I call the cabby back?"
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Connor was leaned back on Claudia's pale blue sofa with his eyes shut. His bare legs were stretched out in front of him, feet propped up on the hassock. Since they'd come back from the science center, he'd had a chance to shower. His clothes had been washed and were now in the dryer. Connor was wearing Claudia's guest bath robe. Abby was curled up against his side, resting her head on Connor's shoulder.
"Lester," exclaimed Abby.
She sat up, waking Connor, as Lester entered the room with Claudia. Becker and Stella heard her from the kitchen and came to join the group in the living room. Claudia made introductions.
"Didn't you say there were five time travelers?" asked Lester.
"Danny's at work," replied Connor.
The buzzer on the dryer sounded and Connor headed off to change. Lester looked around, his gaze finally settling on the German shepherd.
"Danny's at work," repeated Lester "and Stella's a dog."
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A short time later the doorbell rang again. It still wasn't the delivery boy from the takeaway shop. Claudia brought the petite brunette into the living room. As she took the young woman's raincoat and umbrella, Claudia made introductions.
"This is Jess," said Claudia "she's the one who called the police and ambulance."
Jess grinned and waved at everyone in the room.
"You hacked CMU's security cameras?" asked Connor as he returned to the living room and sat down on the sofa next to Abby. "Good job! Thanks!"
"Yeah," added Abby "thanks!"
Jess blushed at the praise, and then nodded politely to the damp man, dripping on the carpet next to the coffee table.
"Why would hacking security cameras be a good thing?" asked Lester.
Claudia started to explain what had happened since she'd talked to Lester earlier on the phone, but the sound of the back door opening came from the kitchen. Paws on linoleum raced to the living room. Stella pounced and placed her wet paws on Jess's chest. Jess staggered back under the weight of the big dog, but she stayed standing. Stella's eyes were bright, her mouth opened in a doggie grin as the shepherd gave the young woman a soft woof in greeting.
"Oh, you good dog," laughed Jess as she rubbed Stella behind the ears "you look like the dog I met yesterday…"
The back door closed and a tall soldier crossed the kitchen to stand framed in the doorway between the kitchen and living area. Becker gazed at the young woman and Stella in surprise.
"Jess," said Claudia "this is Becker."
Jess lifted her gaze from the dog to stare at the man before her. Her lips curled up in a soft smile.
"We've met already," said Jess. "Hil it's so nice to see you again."
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They were all still talking about time travel, theories and possibilities long after the delivery boy from the takeaway shop had come and gone. Vegetable lo mein, steamed dumplings and eggrolls disappeared quickly.
"Why should I believe you?" asked Lester, punctuating his words with a stab of his chopstick at Connor.
"Do you think I'd make this up?" asked Connor, his voice rising in indignation.
Connor was now sitting on the hassock, facing Lester across the coffee table. Laughter and soft words of conversation could be heard from Claudia, Jess, and Abby in the kitchen. Becker was leaning against the door frame between the two rooms, watching everyone impassively. Stella lay at his feet.
"I don't know you," reminded Lester "you could be delusional for all I know."
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They were all still talking much later when the front door opened and closed again as Danny returned from work. Everyone was back in the living room. Jess sat next to Abby and Connor on the sofa. Lester now had the hassock, while Becker had moved to lean against the wall beside Jess. Stella was lying on the floor between Becker and the chair that Claudia was sitting in. Claudia was stroking Stella.
"Professor Cutter told me once," said Connor "that he was interested in the pieces of the evolutionary puzzle…"
"What do you mean?" asked Lester.
"Things that don't fit," answered Connor "like the coelacanth turning up in the Indian Ocean."
"The world is full of unusual things," said Lester "that's part of what makes it such a wonderful place."
"You're right, the world is a wonderful place," said Danny "and we'd like to keep it that way."
Lester raised his eyebrows as he turned to regard the tall red head standing behind him.
"Do you have any doubts that it's going to stay that way?" asked Lester.
"Helen is here," replied Danny "and she's going to try to destroy the world."
"She's in jail," responded Lester.
The tall red head sat down on the chair facing Lester. He leaned forward, elbows on his knees.
"As long as she's around," said Danny "she's a threat."
The government official regarded the purported time traveler. And Lester thought… all his training… to keep the people of his country safe had prepared him for just about any eventuality, up to and including alien invasion.
"What would we need," asked Lester "to be ready?"
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It was after three in the morning when Claudia finally went to her bedroom. She'd provided a practical answer to Lester's question first.
"More beds to begin with," Claudia said. "The sofa pulls out to a bed, but it will only sleep two."
As Jess rose to stand, Abby yawned and stretched her legs across the space the young woman had just vacated. Abby leaned against Connor.
"We've got dibs on the sofa," she said softly, in a sleepy tone. "We fall asleep watching telly all the time."
"You look pretty comfortable there," chuckled Claudia.
Lester said he was going to his London flat. He offered Danny a place to sleep on his sofa.
"My building doesn't allow pets though," said Lester as he looked past Danny to Becker and Stella. "You can come, but the dog would have to stay here."
"No, I'd rather have Stella stay with me," replied Becker.
"Mine does, I mean… my building does… allow pets that is, and I've got a sofa," stammered Jess. "You're more than welcome to stay, but be warned… the sofa is lumpy."
"It's got to be better than where we slept the last few nights," replied Becker with a quiet smile.
Lester called a cab. He and Danny left first. Lester had offered Jess, Becker and Stella a ride, but as it had stopped raining, they preferred to walk the short distance to Jess's flat. While Claudia was getting Jess's raincoat and umbrella, Connor woke Abby up and moved her to the chair. He opened up the sofa bed and made the bed with the sheets and blankets Claudia had provided.
"Goodnight," said Claudia as she shut the front door.
She turned to see Connor tucking a sleeping Abby into the sofa bed. Claudia smiled.
"Goodnight," said Claudia again as she turned out the lights and walked down the hall.
Claudia's bedroom door shut and Abby's eyes opened.
"Connor," Abby hissed.
"You're awake?" asked Connor in surprise. "I thought you were sleeping."
And it was a very good night, for both of them.
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The next day, Lester started getting things ready.
The vacant flat in Jess's neighborhood was fairly large, it had three bedrooms. Lester paid the first month's rent and purchased some essentials to get Abby, Connor, Danny, and Becker settled. When Claudia asked him where he got the money, Lester pursed his lips and didn't say anything for a moment.
"The government has a budget line item for Research and Development," Lester said finally, "two billion pounds for public order and safety..."
The flat was close to both Claudia and Jess. Danny and Becker weren't used to having flat mates, but they adjusted. Abby and Connor were used to living together. Sharing a room seemed to make them both happier.
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On Monday, Claudia and Jess were both transferred into Lester's department... whatever it was called.
"I can't hire everyone," said Lester "for something that might not even happen."
Danny kept his job at the restaurant, he liked the flexible hours and free food... it also gave him plenty of time to check out Duncan and Tom's Weird Sightings.
Connor accepted a job with the home office. Claudia recommended him for the position in the Witness Protection program, creating new identities. He also works part time Wednesday night and Saturday morning at CMU tutoring students in the computer science lab. He's saving up for something special.
Abby found a position in the reptile house at the Wellington zoo. She's got the keys to all the creature holding pens. If Lester's department ever needs a place to keep a stranded creature, they only have to ask Abby.
Becker was a little bit harder to place.
"Sandhurst records," explained Connor "could be faked... maybe, but people in the military... they know each other... it's a tight knit group. You can't fake friendship."
So Becker found another job, a job that let him carry a sword occasionally. The only drawback was the ruffled white linen shirt he had to wear.
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As June ended, Becker and Stella came back from their walk at the nearby park. Danny was sitting on the front steps of the flat, sprawled really, leaning back in the warm sunlight with his legs stretched out long in front of him. He looked totally relaxed. Becker stopped in front of him.
"You don't want to go in just yet," said Danny.
"What… again?" replied Becker.
"They've got years of repressed sexual tension to work off," said Danny with a smirk.
Becker sighed and sat down on the stoop across the steps from Danny. Stella sat at his feet. Becker started stroking the dog.
"So how was your walk?" asked Danny.
"Fine," said Becker as if he were talking about the weather.
"Did you meet that pretty little brunette again?"
The tiny twitch of Becker's eyes told Danny he'd hit the mark. Becker turned to stare at Danny.
"It's security stuff," said Becker, "good practice really... to keep communication open with Lester's group... and how do you know that I met Jess anyway?"
Oh ho, thought Danny. It wasn't good security practices that had Becker blushing. The soldier's relationship with Jess must be getting serious.
"I used to be a copper," replied Danny with a cheeky grin. "I know everything."
There was a momentary silence, while the two men regarded each other. Finally Becker spoke.
"Would you help me with my lines?" asked Becker.
He pulled the script out of his back pocket and handed it to Danny. The team leader nodded, prompting Becker to begin.
"All the world's a stage..."
Sometime later, Danny stood up and handed the script back to Becker as a cabby pulled up to the kerb.
"Where are you going?" asked Becker.
"Heathrow," replied Danny. "Sarah arrives back from Morocco today… I've got to replace some pot pies… and introduce myself."
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