Don't own Primeval. But in another dimension, I do. In another dimension, I have a purple Coelurosauravus named Pickles.

Chapter 3

Sarah arrived at the ARC the next morning, groggy and wondering why everyone was so anxious. She passed soldiers rushing through the halls, on her way to get coffee in the rec-room. She couldn't wake until she had her coffee.

Once the caffeine was in her, she realized the same word was on the tongue of everyone who bustled through the halls. Helen.

Helen.

Helen?!

She found Danny and grabbed his arm as he was on his way somewhere. "Why is everyone suddenly talking about Helen?" she asked.

"She's here--in the ARC."

Danny pulled away and Sarah found herself following him, confused. When she saw Helen on the other side of a one-way mirror she gasped.

"What the--what have I missed?" When she saw the only two in the room besides her and Danny were Becker and Lester, she turned to Danny. "What happened?"

Danny explained what he knew and Sarah pursed her lips. She understood, but she wasn't sure how to take the information.

"So what do we do, then?"

Danny shrugged. "We find out what she knows, and see if any of it can help us. But so far, all she's said is what we already know. Anomalies are rifts in time, et cetera et cetera."

"What if she knows nothing?" Sarah asked. Danny's jaw clenched.

"We don't know."

Sarah turned to Lester. "Any suggestions?"

The man shook his head. "None at all, but then again, it's not my decision. Jenny's got the final call, as it's a matter of international security."

Sarah nodded, realizing she was blatantly ignoring Becker but not really caring. "Okay," she said.

On the other side of the wall, Jenny was questioning Helen, and their voices were playing over a tiny speaker.

"How are you finding anomalies?" Jenny sounded tired, even over the bad sound system, and Sarah grimaced with sympathy.

Helen, Sarah noted, seemed a little reluctant to give that information up. "They're all over the place; everywhere. All you have to do--"

"Is know where to look." Jenny finished her statement and held a hand to her forehead with a quick glance to the mirror, trying to signal those on the other side. "Look, Helen, I'm going to be right back. If there's anything you need, just say so into the mike and we'll get it for you."

Helen nodded as Jenny left the room, and in two seconds she entered on the other side.

"Morning, darling," Danny said, leaning down to peck her on the cheek. She smiled tiredly up at him; Becker coughed into his fist and Danny looked at him and Sarah sheepishly. "Right, we shouldn't make out in front of the kids--and Lester."

"Kids? Danny, Sarah's a week younger than me." Jenny blushed and turned to the others. "All right, questioning her is about as useful as asking the anomalies how they work."

"But do you think she does know anything?" Lester asked, crossing his arms.

Jenny bit her lip. "It's hard to say, really. She sounds like she has an idea, but I'm just not sure."

"Maybe she's already evil, maybe she's been that way all along."

Jenny pursed her lips. "I'm going back in. Wish me luck."

Danny grabbed her wrist and shook his head. "You need to rest, Jenny. I'll go."

As he stepped out, Jenny turned to Sarah.

"Where are Connor and Abby?" she asked. Inside of the room, Helen greeted Danny amiably--that new amiable Helen they just couldn't wrap their minds around.

"Abby had a doctor's appointment," Sarah said. "She's getting pretty close."

"This is about the worst time for it," Lester grimaced. "Have you and Connor finished upgrading security on the ADD2?"

"Not completely," Sarah said. "Connor knows most of the technical information right now, so it'll be up to him to figure it out when he gets back."

"One day you'll have to write all of the information down, you know," Lester grimaced. "You can't just store all the facts in your heads forever."

"What do you know about anomalies?"

They looked to see Danny asking Helen the same question Jenny had asked her several times before. Helen just smiled and shook her head.

"I've told your people all I know."

Danny sighed; he tossed the papers he had been holding to the floor. "Fine then," he said. "New question. What's Nick Cutter like?"

Jenny's ears perked up; she looked up to her boyfriend suddenly with ferocity, who she took to be invading her privacy. Helen didn't seem as perturbed by the question.

"Nick? He's my husband. Why are you asking--"

"That's a good question." Jenny was at the door to that room, staring him down. "A word, Danny?" Danny did not look embarrassed or ashamed of his question; he met her gaze evenly as he stepped out into the hallway. Jenny was there alone, and the door to the next room was closed.

"I'm going to give you fifteen seconds to explain why you're asking that--woman--about Nick."

Danny shrugged, shaking his head. "I'm allowed to ask, aren't I? He was the team leader before me, so I might as well know a little about him."

"Danny, this is neither the time nor the place to even bring Nick up." Jenny looked lividly up at him. "I forbid you from mentioning him while we conduct this interrogation, and if you disobey I'll have to suspend you from the operation."

Danny gave her a halfhearted nod that told her he understood but wasn't paying her much mind. Jenny knew, however, that he'd do as he was told, as the job meant far too much for him; on their relationship, she would have to talk with him later.

She returned to the viewing room, which was silent. Sarah and Becker were on opposite sides of the room, and Lester was standing awkwardly in the middle, although 'awkward' was hardly a word one could use to describe Lester. He managed to maintain his air of superiority in any situation.

"I assume we can all guess what that was about?" he said, but the look Jenny shot him was deadlier than many of the creatures they'd faced.