Disclaimer: Primeval does not belong to me. This is fan fiction, not for profit.

Any references to people, places, businesses etc is entirely fictitious.

A/N: A collaboration with Mijo54. A/N2: story takes place after Detour.

10.3-9 Acceptable Risk?

…part of who I am…

-x-x-x-x-x-x

Jess woke in the wee hours of the morning with a shudder. She was chilled. The slender woman scooted backwards across the mattress, expecting to find the warm and comforting presence of a certain soldier. She patted cold, empty sheets.

"Hil?"

Jess quietly tiptoed down the stairs. As she neared the bottom step, the pretty field coordinator could see her fiancé sprawled across the evergreen sofa. An old gray blanket was wrapped around him and she could hear the sound of his breathing in the otherwise silent room. Jess's chin trembled. The tiny woman sat down on the step and waited, listening to the comforting sound. Jess didn't move until the morning sunlight started to stream in through the dining room windows.

"Time to get ready for work," whispered Jess.

She slowly stood up and stretched, then tiptoed back upstairs. Jess returned a short while later in a dark blue dress, carrying a pair of heels. She quietly let herself out the front door, leaving the soldier asleep on the sofa. Outside in the cold December air, Jess slipped her shoes on. She glanced at the car, but decided to leave it for Becker.

"Plenty of time for a walk to the tube station," Jess told herself.

-x-x-x-x-x-x

At the ARC, Jess was distracted to say the least. Staffing was at a bare minimum due to the holiday season, so she was surprised to see Lester arrive.

"What are you doing here?" asked Jess.

Her boss raised his eyebrows and looked at her.

"I've got health and safety forms to fill out," the bureaucrat replied. He disappeared into his office leaving Jess on her own.

Two hours later, system back-ups were complete and diagnostics had been run. Jess started to complete her section of the reports on yesterday's anomaly. Or anomalies. Jess frowned at the form before her. The slender woman arose from her chair and smoothed down her dark blue dress before walking over to Lester's office. She tapped on the door.

"Yes, yes, come in," sounded Lester's harried voice. "What is it?"

Jess entered Lester's office. The glossy top of the wooden desk was covered with papers. Lester held more papers in his left hand and a pen in his right hand. Jess's lips curled up in a small smile.

"I was just wondering," said Jess, "For yesterday's report, was it one anomaly or three separate anomalies?"

Lester's eyebrows went up as he looked at the young woman. He noticed the dark blue dress she wore made her fair skin look paler than normal. Or maybe it was the shadows beneath her eyes.

"One," said Lester in a decisive tone. "Do you really want to write three separate reports?"

"No," sighed Jess gratefully. She turned to head back to her work station, but stopped for a moment. "Lester, about yesterday… Hil said entering the anomaly was an acceptable risk."

Lester looked up from his desk again. He set the pen down and gazed at Jess. Something was troubling her.

"Entering the anomaly was a risk," agreed Lester.

"How do you decide when a risk is acceptable?" asked Jess.

"For me, it's when I think all the alternatives are worse," Lester sighed shaking his head. He watched Jess as she closed the door behind her, and then through the glass office windows as she made her way back to her workstation. He pursed his lips and reached for the phone.

A half hour later, Jess was surprised to see the newest intern arrive in the ARC. The computer specialist bounded in eagerly. The secondary back-up coordinator was fascinated with the Anomaly Detector.

"What are you doing here this early?" asked Jess. "I wasn't expecting you until five."

Behind her Lester's office door opened.

"I called him in," explained Lester.

Jess turned to stare at her boss. The director nodded towards the intern standing beside the workstation.

"Why don't you let Jimmy take over?" continued Lester. "You were here late last night, you should go home."

-x-x-x-x-x-x

Jess didn't go directly home. The field coordinator climbed the steps up from the tube station and headed straight down the sidewalk beside the long narrow park instead of turning to go on the other side. A short walk soon brought Jess to a familiar dark green door. She knocked.

"Just a minute," called a male voice from inside.

Jess heard a thump. Connor opened the door. He was wearing brown trousers and a blue and white striped button down shirt that Jess had never seen him wearing before. The buttons were undone. Jess realized that the shirt couldn't be buttoned closed due to the thick layer of bandages around Connors midsection.

"Jess," greeted Connor, "hello. Come in."

The field coordinator shook her head, her long hair flew over her shoulder. Past Connor, Jess could see Abby standing in the kitchen.

"No," replied Jess. "I just wanted to see how you were doing and… if you and Abby needed anything, and… and..."

Jess shut her mouth as she realized she was babbling.

"Jess," urged Connor. "Come inside, it's cold out."

The kettle was whistling and biscuits were ready. So before she knew it, Jess found herself at the table with Connor and Abby. Little Sarah was in her high chair gnawing on a biscuit, getting the treat all gooey. The conversation turned to yesterday's rescue operation. The rescue sounded rather chaotic to Jess.

"Connor, I'm really glad that you're alright," said Jess, "but I really don't think that Hil..."

"Would you tell Becker I'm sorry about yelling at him yesterday," interrupted Connor. "Granted I'm really quite chuffed that he came and rescued me…"

"You yelled at Hil?" asked Jess incredulously.

Connor looked flustered. His face flushed.

"I appreciate your trying to patch things up between us Jess," continued Connor. "I'm not mad at him really, grateful actually, but it was risky for him and the others to go into an anomaly."

"I'm glad he went in after you," said Abby emphatically. The petite blonde laid her hand across her abdomen. "I would have gone after you myself, if I hadn't..."

"No," stated Connor. "We've always agreed, if something happens to one of us, the other person has to stay here with Sarah."

"When we agreed," said Abby, "I thought it would be me in an anomaly, not you."

Jess stared at the family sitting at the table with her. It seemed as if another couple disagreed about going into anomalies. Abby turned to little Sarah. The child's hands were sticky with biscuit residue.

"Let's get you washed up love," said Abby as she rose from the table. Abby and the little girl disappeared into the wash room.

"Connor," asked Jess, "let me get this straight, are you saying people shouldn't go into an anomaly?"

"Of course," said Connor, "people should stay in their own time."

"But, you've been into several anomalies," replied Jess. Her forehead crinkled up in confusion.

"Well only when I had to," replied Connor. "The first time that mer-creature took Abby, and the second time… well Abby was going after her brother, and I had to go with her. And then, the last time…"

Connor's voice trailed off as he remembered when he, Abby and Danny had chased after Helen Cutter.

"Becker went out with four missions," reminded Connor. "People got hurt, Sarah was lost as well, and Abby and I got back on our own."

Jess nodded, remembering the old reports. The field coordinator glanced at the timer on the microwave. She set her teacup down on the table.

"I should be going," said Jess. She rose to stand. Connor stood up also. He held Jess's coat for her.

"From the way you described yesterday's rescue," said Jess as she buttoned up, "I can't tell whether Hil planned a tactical assault or just barged in."

"I'm not sure if I could tell the difference between Becker's assault and barging in," chuckled Connor as he walked Jess down the hallway.

"I'll just have to ask Hil," said Jess with a smile.

"Do that," suggested Connor. The scientist opened the front door. "Becker is the expert on tactics and strategy. He beats me at chess all the time."

"And what has chess got to do with going into an anomaly?" asked Jess.

"Chess is a war game," replied Connor simply. "And going through an anomaly is somewhat like an invasion."

"There are so many risks involved," said Jess softly. "How do you determine what is an acceptable risk or not?"

Connor glanced back down the hallway to the kitchen. His wife and daughter had returned to the cozy room. Abby was wearing an old t-shirt with a band logo Queen printed across the front. The faded garment was stretched tight across her rounded abdomen.

"I would never risk my queen," said Connor softly.

Not for one moment did Jess think Connor was talking about chess.

-x-x-x-x-x-x

Jess arrived home a few minutes later. The quick stroll through the park had put some color in her cheeks. Jess smiled when she saw the car still parked in front of the home she shared with Becker. She hurried up the walk.

"Hil," called Jess as she opened the door. A familiar voice answered, just not the one Jess was expecting.

"Oh good," greeted her eldest sister. "Hilary said you'd left work already and would be here soon."

Jess stared at Marjorie in shock. She had totally forgotten New Year's Eve. Jess and Becker's idea of having everyone at their new home for dinner on Boxing Day had worked for almost all their family and friends. However, Marjorie and her family had already made plans for that day. To appease her sister, Jess had invited Marjorie and her husband to join them for New Year's Eve. The boys were staying in Manchester with their paternal grandparents.

"Sam and Hilary went to the shops," explained Marjorie. "We need bubbly for tonight, and Hilary said something about body wash."

-x-x-x-x-x-x