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 Part of the Claudia story verse (AU) Transitions, Transitions Too, Continuum, Trimming the Tree
5.3-2 AU The Return
…"nothing is ever going to be the same"…
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Matt, Cutter, Becker, Abby, Emily, Sarah, and Claudia started towards the car park.
"Not all of you at once," roared Lester.
The team members looked at each other.
"And who do you want to go check on this anomaly?" asked Cutter. "And who do you want to stay?"
Lester's gaze travelled to the device Cutter still held in his hands.
"You stay," replied Lester. "Try to figure out where or when that thing came from."
Another pinging noise came from the video array in front of Jess.
"There's another anomaly!" exclaimed Jess.
"Where?"
"Westminster," answered Jess.
Lester shook his head. He pointed past Matt, Becker and Abby.
"You three go check out the art gallery," Lester ordered. He turned and pointed the opposite direction. "Emily, Sarah, and Claudia… you come with me to Westminster."
"You're going?" asked several voices in surprise.
Lester adjusted his tie and grinned.
"Parliament, Number Ten, and Buckingham Palace are all in Westminster," Lester reminded. "What kind of bureaucrat would I be if I didn't go?"
-x-x-x-x-x-x
Matt, Becker and Abby entered the art gallery. Flashing lights and a motion sensor showed pictures of themselves on an electronic display climbing the wall to the floor above. Becker shook his head.
"Not my style," he muttered "I'm really more of a post-impressionist…"
Abby tried to hold back a chuckle. Matt was already half way up the stairs.
"Come on now," called Matt.
Becker and Abby hurried after.
-x-x-x-x-x-x
Claudia drove the SUV carefully following Jess's directions. Emily and Sarah tried to suppress a smirk.
"The Victoria Embankment," Lester sighed, "are you sure?"
"Yes," replied Jess in a crisply efficient tone. "The anomaly is near Cleopatra's Needle."
-x-x-x-x-x-x
Abby was the last one up the art gallery stairs.
"Abby," warned Becker "stay back… something is coming through."
The anomaly rippled and shimmered. First one man, then another ran through and skidded to a halt near Becker. Matt was pointing his taser at the pair. A smile started across Abby's face as she recognized them. The two men appeared a trifle older, tired and worn, but they were still her friends.
"Danny! Stephen!" Abby exclaimed. "You're back!
Matt started to lower the taser, but Danny shook his head. He was panting, hands on his knees.
"Hurry and lock the anomaly," urged Danny. "There's a creature after us."
Matt and Becker exchanged a glance.
"Non-interference," reminded Matt. "We just monitor anomalies… only locking them if we're sure there is a threat."
"Oh there's a threat all right," gasped Stephen.
A low rumbling growl filled the air. The anomaly shimmered and shook. The bottom portion of a jaw, sharp teeth and long tongue appeared. The tongue thrust into the art gallery, searching. Becker was already opening the anomaly locking device, when Matt spoke.
"You're right," agreed Matt "we should lock it."
-x-x-x-x-x-x
Lester tapped his foot impatiently on the pavement. He stood to the right of Cleopatra's Needle, near a small bronze replica of a sphinx. Sarah, Claudia and Emily stood in front of the obelisk, gazing upwards, and around… searching.
"We're here Jess," Lester said, "but I don't see any anomaly. Has it closed?"
"No," replied Jess. "According to your black box signal, the anomaly should be right in front of you."
Lester glanced through the bare branches of the tree lined road. He looked to the left, and then to the right.
"All I see is the road, pavement and some trees," Lester complained. "There aren't even any tourists."
Jess's indrawn breath was audible over the communication device.
"All right," Jess replied "the anomaly should be right behind you then."
Lester slowly turned around. He looked over the bronze statue, into the River Thames. A brief glimpse of a long neck and a pair of flippers made him close his eyes and groan.
"The anomaly is in the water," Lester declared "and unless I miss my guess, we've got a friend of Nessie's visiting."
"Nessie?"
"Yes, you know…," spluttered Lester "the Loch Ness Monster."
Cutter's voice came over the comm device.
"Lester," the Scot asked "are you talking about a plesiosaur?"
"Just call the Royal Marines," ordered Lester "and get this section of the river blocked off."
"Already on it," replied Jess.
-x-x-x-x-x-x
The tongue withdrew from the room, to be replaced by the baleful glare of a yellow eye. The trumpeting sound of a frustrated carnivore echoed through the room as the anomaly locked. Abby stepped up to Danny and hugged him tight.
"Where have you been?" Abby asked. "We've missed you so much!"
"Oh you know," chuckled Danny "a little here and now, mostly there and then…"
"In the cretaceous," replied Stephen. He stepped forward for his turn at a hug. "Danny had some fool idea about returning a cell phone…"
"It wasn't a foolish idea," objected Danny.
The lanky red head looked around the room as Becker slapped him on the back.
"What only three of you to meet us?" asked Danny. "Where is everyone else? Where is Connor?"
-x-x-x-x-x-x
Lester watched the boats surrounding the creature with some satisfaction. The anomaly might still be open, but the creature was contained. Emily was watching in amusement as Sarah explained to the boat captain why he couldn't tie off to a priceless Egyptian artifact. Claudia was walking towards Lester.
"Lester," called Jess's voice over the comm. device "there's a situation… you're needed here."
The simple phrase "there's a situation" was one Lester and Jess had agreed upon long ago.
"Claudia," called Lester "would you take over here… I've got to get back…"
"Seriously?!" exclaimed Claudia. "You're leaving now…"
Claudia watched as Lester ran out into the street, raised his arm and flagged down a car.
"Just keep everything calm, cool, and collected," said Lester. He climbed in and was gone before Claudia could respond. "Carry on."
-x-x-x-x-x-x
Abby walked down the corridor with Danny and Stephen towards Jess. Becker and Matt had dropped them off and continued on to Westminster. Lester was already in his office. Abby stopped to talk with Jess while Danny and Stephen continued on.
"So did you and Cutter figure out how that gadget works?" asked Abby.
"I've been too busy to even look at it," replied Jess. "Cutter got tired of waiting for me and took the thing to Connor."
"What?" asked Abby. "Connor is on medical leave."
"Abby," replied Jess "Cutter is just going to ask Connor what he thinks…"
"It's late," said Abby. "I've got to go."
She turned quickly and headed for the car park, not waiting to hear a response.
-x-x-x-x-x-x
Lester looked up from his desk as Danny and Stephen entered the room.
"Welcome back," greeted the director.
Stephen dropped his heavy rucksack by a chair and sat down facing Lester, while Danny walked past the man to the filing cabinet. He opened it and pulled out the bottle of whiskey Lester kept there.
"Oh by all means," said Lester "help yourself."
Danny reached into the filing cabinet again and brought out two heavy glasses. He carried the glasses to Lester's desk. Set them down and poured a stiff shot into each. Danny kept the bottle in his hand and raised it.
"Are we having a toast?" asked Lester. "To what?"
"To the future," replied Danny, he took a swig of the whisky, "in all its many and marvelous variations."
-x-x-x-x-x-x
When Abby pulled up in front of their home, she saw Cutter's car parked out front. She started to insert the house key in the green door, but the door pulled open in front of her. Cutter glared at her and stomped out. He reached the kerb, and turned to face her again.
"Abby your boyfriend is the most stubborn, pig-headed man I've ever met," said the Professor.
"Obstinate too," added Abby with a smirk.
Cutter nodded without realizing who she was referring too and then turned to leave.
Rex was on the banister when Abby entered the home. He chirped a greeting. Abby rubbed him under the chin.
"Now who do you suppose taught Connor all about being stubborn, pig-headed and obstinate?" Abby asked.
Rex chirped again and Patrick poked his head around the kitchen door. He looked at Abby.
"Is Cutter gone now?" asked Patrick.
Abby nodded as she rubbed Rex.
"Good," said Patrick "Cutter and Connor were yelling at each other."
Abby was startled. That didn't sound like Connor.
"I'll just go check on Connor," said Abby as she started upstairs. "Oh... and Patrick... Danny and Stephen are back."
-x-x-x-x-x-x
Once the generator was set up and running, the two women resumed unpacking the SUV. When they got to the boxes of equipment from the electronics store, they stopped for a moment.
"Where is the copy you made of Temple's hard drive?" asked the taller woman.
"In the SUV, up front with the laptop," answered April.
Aurora brought the copy and the laptop and set them both on the folding table. She hooked up the copy and started downloading it to the laptop.
"Do you really think we should be building that device?" asked April as she resumed unloading boxes.
"We have to save the future," hissed Aurora.
"Just asking," said April. "The plans were labeled prototype… we really don't know if it works or not."
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