A/N: The team face off against Diictodon's, cute but surprisingly dangerous burrowing creatures that came through an anomaly from the Permian ear that has opened in the middle of a busy hospital in London. While the team is at the Hospital rounding up the Diictodon, Helen takes over the ARC. Upon returning to the Anomaly Research Centre, can Kara over come her anger towards her mother for killing Stephen, long enough to save herself and her father? Her world crashes again when she learns of her father's death. Can she be strong enough to overcome his death like she did Stephens? Or will she fall apart all over again? How much more pain can she endure, before she finally cracks?

This chapter goes out to Grace...and all you other Cutter fans. While watching this episode I was literally in tears. I didn't want to believe that he was gone.

I hope you enjoy this chapter, and your time with Cutter one last time. *sobs*


Primeval - Season 3

Chapter Three

The Diictodon's


Inside an abandoned building within the city limits, a group of cleaner clones stood side-by-side, their guns drawn, like they were ready for battle.

"Go!" one commanded, and the others followed up, up the narrow staircase leading to the roof. Bursting through the door, they each surrounded a lone figure, who stopped the stop-watch she happened to be holding.

"Not bad," said a the voice of Helen Cutter, she surveyed them all, before nodding at single one "You…come with me" she commanded, and lead him to a different building across from the rest of her clones.

Standing opposite one another, Helen looked down at the drop separating the two buildings. It was a long way down, but not a safe landing, seeing as there was a glass roof separating them.

"Jump," she said to the clone, as he over-looked the side "Listen to my voice…I said Jump!"

The clone looked at her, and then back at the drop before turning his back and walking to the far end of the roof. He then turned and started running full out towards her, before jumping. He landed with a crash, onto the glass roof. Dead.

"Death means nothing to you," Helen said as she over looked her creation "Your lucky," she added, to the survivors', before turning away from them.


Life at the ARC had become somewhat boring, usually there was an anomaly a day. But now, it was usually every week. Normally, a new mother would be fond of this and used the time she had off to spend with her child. But not Kara Cutter. She knew she had a job too, and she knew it was to take care of her child. But she also knew, that being on the Anomaly project meant protecting innocent people from the creatures that came tumbling through rips in time, to Prehistoric era's or Future era's this included her son and cousin. And the only way she could prevent the creatures from escaping that was if she was at work. And away from her precious baby. She could bring him here, but where would the point in that be? She would be distracted. So would her father and so would the babies godparents. Lester wouldn't appreciate that, and soon would lower the boom and tell Kara to never bring the baby around again. So she had to compromise. Could she? Yes, she could.

"You know, I've always like modern art"

Speak of the devil. James Lester had just entered the room, in which Kara Cutter and her father Nick sat. The anomaly prediction scale stood before them. Lester was slowly walking towards it, and Kara could tell if he took anymore steps he would be so close, he would be touching it, and that wouldn't sit well with her father.

"Its a very complex model of the exact locations and dates of -" Nick started to explain

"Of Anomalies throughout recorded history," Lester interrupted "Yes, I know"

Kara rolled her eyes. Of course he knew. He was lucky that it wasn't her he had interrupted. She hated it when people interrupted her mid speech, it was rude and uncaring for what the person had to say. But obviously James Lester didn't care about that sort of thing.

"Just don't touch it," Nick said

Lester froze in his spot, turning his head slightly so he was nose to pole with the structure. He scooted around the pole slightly and stepped out of the ravelling mess.

Kara rolled her eyes once more, and exchanged what seemed to be a uncertain annoyed look with her father. They both harboured the dislike for Lester, as he harboured dislike for them. But they honestly didn't care what he thought, they were there to protect innocent people from terrifying creatures. And protect terrifying creatures from people who didn't understand. It was clear to everyone at the ARC that the two Cutters and Lester didn't get on at all. Lester had seemed to come in and intervene with everything at random moments in the past. He had taken over the anomaly sightings and made it an official government secret. Something it was never meant to be, but in a way it did help. Because it helped protect people from running across anomalies. Well, it didn't help everyone. Some people came across the anomalies before the ARC even picked up a trace of them. But they couldn't save everyone...Kara had become aware of that along time ago.

"Ah," Lester said looking towards the door as Captain Becker appeared there "Any news on Helen Cutter?"

Kara looked up at the mention of her mum's name, her eyes landed on Captain Becker as he reported on his assigned job.

"I have instigated a full review of security" Becker reported in his usual formal tone.

Kara wondered, if he ever relaxed? Or was he always this formal?

"Your sure the intruder was her doing?" Lester asked, and Kara was aware that the question was directed at her and her father

"I cant think of anybody else, creating an exact replica of a dead man" Kara answered

Sarah, then entered the room, and Kara smiled slightly at her before turning her attention once more to Lester. She hated the feeling that she was being interrogated.

"Keep everyone on high alert," Lester said, turning back to Becker "If Helen is back, we should all be very worried"

No? Really? Kara thought as she rolled her eyes for the third time in the past 5 minutes.


"What are you doing?" Kara asked her best friend, Connor Temple as she sat beside him on the swivel chair from beside the anomaly detector. He was messing around with a handful of brightly coloured wires, which were attached to a half designed machine.

"Im creating that thing, you father asked me to do," Connor answered her "You know, the one that helps lock Anomalies?"

Kara nodded her head slowly, she hadn't taken a word of what Connor had said in. She was just staring blankly at him.

"You didn't hear any of that did you?" Connor asked, staring at her glazed over eyes

"No," she answered simply, cracking a smile "Sorry. My minds elsewhere"

"Don't you mean, your minds on someone else..." Abby chirped as she walked past Kara and Connor

"What she mean?" Connor asked

"No one," Kara said, glaring after her blonde headed friend, who merely smirked "I mean...Nothing" she corrected quickly realizing her mistake

Looking up as the doors to the main Operations room opened, Kara watched as her father, Lester and Jenny made their way towards where she and Connor where.

"Oh, here comes Lester," she mumbled to Connor, who looked sideways at her as the man in question stopped behind them.

"So this contraption is going to seal the anomalies, is it?" Lester asked, as he stood behind them his arms folded across his chest. Connor turned to face them, as Kara continued to swivel around on the chair she was kneeling on. A smile on her face.

"Ah...in theory..." Connor stammered, and Kara came to a halt, feeling very dizzy.

"Woah," she mumbled as she tried to stand, but stumbled and landed back in the chair in a sitting position.

"You know after a million pounds worth of research and development, I was hoping for a little more than Theoretical" Lester commented

If she was in any state to stand or speak at this moment, Kara had a few comment she would definitely say. But after all that spinning, and even though she was sitting rather still, the room was still spinning and she was feeling rather sick. Maybe she shouldn't have spun so many times? Oh well, she couldn't change the past, but she could change the future and she knew in future she wouldn't do that again. But then again, she always said that, and she never learned.

"You'll get it," Nick said and Kara felt a hand on her shoulder, she looked up to see her father standing above her an amused look on his face. She attempted to smile back, but it came as a grimaced as her world deteriorated before her very eyes. "When in simple terms this machine will reverse the polarity of the anomalies, so nothing gets in and nothing gets out"

"James?" Jenny Lewis called from a little to the right of Kara, and she was saved the trouble of looking around as her father planted two hands on her shoulders to prevent her from moving, and calming down before she threw up everywhere. James gave Connor another look, before walking to her side.

"Oh, I don't feel so good" Kara complained

"You always say that, yet you never learn do you?" Cutter asked, looking down at his daughter

"Well, its fun," Kara said "Then you gotta deal with the aftermath"

"Then deal."

Kara grumbled. She knew if she wanted a little fun, she had to deal with the consequences that came with it. If spinning on her chair, meant feeling sick afterwards, she had to learn that nothing came without consequences be them bad or good. Everything had catches.

"Your sure about this?" Cutter asked, looking up at Connor who had returned to his work

Connor hesitated, and Kara started to feel the light headedness slide away, leaving her world motionless.

"Pretty sure," Connor answered

As Nick moved to walk away, the alarm sounded. And Kara flew out of her chair and looked around, which proved to be another big mistake. As she stumbled yet again, not completely over her spinning dizziness. She stumbled backwards, this time instead of falling onto a chair, she fell into a person. Her head tilted backwards, and she found herself staring into the eyes of Captain Becker.

"Hi," she said

He smiled down at her, "Hi," he replied setting her carefully back on her feet, though he didn't move his hand from the base of her back.

Connor made his way past them and towards the Detector. He tapped away at the keys before speaking "Okay, its in the city..." as the alarm continued to blare, information was edited up onto the screen. Connor, turned to face them "Its in a hospital"

"Oh god," Kara murmured, she seemed to sober up completely, enough to actually walk out of the ARC without tripping or stumbling like a drunk. She made it to the cars, safely and climbed into the Silver SUV beside her father, who pulled out of the ARC parking lot, once Abby and Connor where in the back. Jenny was riding in with Becker and the others.


Once at the Hospital, the team entered the building, earning a few suspicious looks from patients and staff members alike. Kara looked around, for any signs of an anomaly sighting, but it seemed everything was pretty normal. Although the device in her hand was bleeping, there was an anomaly around here somewhere. She knew it. The looks were mostly directed at the SAS soldiers and Becker. And Kara knew that many patients were wondering why there were soldiers at a Hospital?

"Becker, take your men," Kara said turning to the Captain "Look for any creature activity"

"Come on," Becker said as he and his men walked past her and the rest of the team

Suddenly the lights flickered and went out completely.

"Power cut," Connor murmured

"The Hospital's back-up generator should kick in any minute" Nick said as he lead Kara, Connor and Abby away from the front desk "Come on,"

After leaving the main hall of the Hospital, Kara and Connor disappeared after Becker and his men, leaving Nick and Abby to check out one of the delivery rooms.

"Come on Con," Kara said, pulling him off with her down a deserted corridor, their guns in hand. Soon, they had met up with Becker and his men. "Anything?" Kara asked

"No, Ma'am" said one solider before Becker had the chance to answer "No creature sighting...no anomaly...no nothing"

"Well, there has to be something," Kara said, looking down at the Sat Nav in her hand "This is picking up strong magnetic fields...so its gotta be around here somewhere"

"Lets check the other floors," Connor said and with an approval nod from Kara, the SAS soldiers, Kara, Connor and Becker all split and hurried off in different directions.

Making their way down the third corridor, Kara skidded to a halt, when she heard a woman ahead of her talking to a nurse about a creature in her room.

"Excuse me," Kara said making her way forward "Did you just say...creature?"

"Yes," the woman answered

Kara looked over her shoulder and motioned for the other two to follow her "Could you show us where?"

"Sure,"

Following the pregnant woman back to her room, Kara pushed open the door, as the woman pointed towards the wall that the creature had gone through. "It disappeared through a hole in the wall, just there"

Kara looked around, sure enough there was a hole at the base of the wall, small enough for a small creature to slip in and out of. Becker, moved the chair and pointed the automatic gun he held towards the hole, shining the torch into the darkness. But there was nothing to be seen.

"What did it look like?" Connor asked

"I don't know," the woman said "Uh...a ratty, chipmunk, beaver kinda thing"

Kara and Becker exchanged glances "Well, that narrows it down," Kara said, straightening, and removing her phone from her back pocket. She dialled her father's number, lifted the phone to her ear and waited for her father to answer. When he did, she spoke. "Dad, we may have a problem..."

"What kind of problem?" Nick asked

"A ratty, chipmunk, beaver...kinda problem," Kara said

There was silence on the other end of the phone, and Kara checked to make sure her father hadn't hung up. The lights over-head flickered again, telling them the creatures where still in the air vents.

"Okay," Kara finally said and hung up, before turning to Becker and Connor "He said to meet him downstairs...lets go. Thank you," she added to the woman "And good luck," she motioned to her unborn child, before making her way out of the room with her others.

Once back on the ground floor, Kara walked alongside her father, with Connor and Becker following behind. They weaved between other doctors, nurses and patients as they spoke.

"So how did she describe this creature?" Nick asked "Besides the whole, ratty, chipmunk thing."

"Ah, right," Kara said "About so big," she made a slight size scale with her hands, it wasn't very big at all, "protruding teeth, large and some claws"

"We've had three other reported sightings," said Becker, and Kara glanced over her shoulder at him

"There could be dozens of them in here," Nick said as the lights flashed again, and they stopped "Okay, I need to get this place evacuated now! Kara go with them,"

Kara nodded, "Sure," she said as her father disappeared down another hallway, and she turned towards Connor and Becker who were already making their way down the hallway they had come. She stopped a random nurse, as she made to follow them "Hi, um, we're uh, gonna have to evacuated this building"

The nurse nodded, and Kara run off down the corridor after Connor and the others. "Hey! Wait for me!" she yelled, catching up with Connor finally, when they stopped. Kara crashed into the back of Connor and glared at him, as she backtracked "Warn a girl next time,"

"There's no win with you, is there?" Connor said,

"Well next time wait for me," Kara said "Don't just run off and then stop abruptly"

Connor opened his mouth but was cut off, when Kara side stepped around him and entered another unoccupied room after Becker.

"Anything?" she asked

"No," was her reply, her mobile rang in her hand, and she looked down at the caller ID. "Dad?" she said when she answered, had they found something? Like a creature sighting, possibly giving them an idea of what they were looking for.

"We're trapped in the operating theatre," Nick said down the line "with the anomaly and…a woman who's about to give birth…"

Kara bit her lip to keep from laughing, only her father could get himself into a situation like this.

"…I need you guys down here as fast as you can" Nick finished

"Okay," Kara said, trying to control her giggles "We're on our way"

She hung up the phone, and burst into a well held fit of laughter.

"What's up?" Connor asked, looking at her confusedly "What did Cutter want?"

"Where's the operating theatres?" Kara asked looking at the two guys

"Dunno," they both answered

"Why?" Becker asked

"My dad is trapped down there, with Abby, the Anomaly and a woman who's about to give birth" Kara explained "He needs our help. Only dad, can get himself into this situation"

"Didn't you just have a child?" Becker asked

"Yeah," Connor answered "But we weren't in the room, cause Kara's temper was off the charts, and she took out on any poor male near her"

"What?" Kara asked, with a small shrug of her shoulders "Number one rule when a woman is pregnant. Don't antagonize her. And beside, my temper targets men, whether im pregnant or not" and with that, she turned and hurried down the corridor. "Remember when I first met you?" she added over her shoulder to Connor.

She heard Connor say something behind her, but she didn't register what it was. And soon, he and Becker were level with her, once more.


"How difficult can it be to find an operating theatre in a hospital?" Becker complained for the fifth time. Connor and Kara exchanged looks, he was the one who had said that they didn't need help, that he knew how to navigate around an hospital.

"What was that you said about being a trained solider?" Kara asked

Becker turned to her, but she merely smirked tauntingly at him. Knowing he couldn't answer her back.

Suddenly the ceiling boards moved, and Kara jumped as Becker raised his gun, she looked up towards the ceiling to see the lose boards moving. They had found a creature. So it had to be something small, to fit into the air vents. Something small and dangerous possibly?

"Catch it" Becker whispered to Connor

"What do you mean 'catch it'?" Connor asked

"Just catch it!" Kara said "If we can catch it, we know what we're up against"

Connor looked at her, before looking around for something to catch the creature with. He grabbed a moving trolley from the wall beside them, and pushed it under the moving boards of the ceiling. Suddenly, the boards gave in and a creature fell from above, it landed with a yelping thud at the bottom of the basin.

Connor was crouched over it, as Kara hurried to his side "Aww," she cooed "it's a Diictodon. These creatures are so cute"

"Hi, mate," Connor said "Im Connor, this is Kara, and this -" he cut off as he looked towards Becker. Kara looked up at the captain, to see him frowning as usual

"Oh come on," she said to him "Smile. You gotta admit their cute."

Becker remained silent staring at her. Kara rolled her eyes and turned back to the creature, the smile returning to her lips as it yelped and chattered, as it looked up at her and Connor.

"Cutter," Becker said, as he pulled the cover over the creature

"Hey!" Kara complained loudly, as she straightened and followed after the captain, "Come on, Con. Action man's getting impatient!" and she smirked as she passed Becker, the smile on her face, she missed the grin he had as she practically skipped happily passed him.

As they continued onwards, Kara's phone rang and she took it out quickly, not bothering to check the caller ID, she thought it was her father.

"Dad?" Kara asked quickly

"Dad?" said a female voice "No. Its me, Grace. You know Grace Hunter. Your cousin, the girl you ditched again!"

Kara sighed, "Grace! Im sorry," she apologized "I thought you were my dad."

"Yeah, I got that," Grace said "Where are you?"

"Im, busy," Kara said looking around at Connor who was looking at her confusedly "Why? What's wrong? Is Nick okay?"

"Nick's fine," Grace said "Except I cant get him to stop crying,"

"Have you fed him?"

"Yes,"

"Changed him?"

"Yes!"

"Has he had his afternoon nap?"

"Yes," Grace answered again "He just woke up, and he hasn't stopped crying since"

Kara blew out a sigh, this was new. Nick never cried so much before, usually, he was either hungry, tired or needed to be changed.

"Um," Kara said not knowing what to say "Um…I don't know, this is new. I'll call Allie, from University, and I'll have her come over…she's got a little brother around Nick's age. Maybe she can shed some light on this, im actually at a loss. I shouldn't be long, and I'll be home. You can go out with your mates, and I'll bring Nick back to the office with me"

"Okay," Grace said and she hung up, Kara had heard Nick crying in the background, and as she typed in her message too Allie, she was thinking of why her son was crying so much, when he hadn't done it before.

"Everything okay?" Becker asked,

"Yeah," Kara answered "Uh, Nick just woke up from his nap, and he hasn't stopped crying. Grace is at a loss on what's wrong, and so am I" she sighed heavily, she wanted to go home right now.

"Kara go home," Connor said "We'll tell your dad, where you have gone"

Kara stopped texting and looked at him "Are you sure?" she asked, she was starting to love Connor more and more, each day, he really was a truly remarkable friend. She was lucky to have him.

"Yes," he said placing a hand on her shoulder "Go to Nick. He probably misses you, he hardly ever sees you"

Kara nodded, and deleted the message she was about to send "Okay. Uh, Mobile's on, call if you need anything…when you find my dad…have him call me. And I'll meet you at the ARC later."

"Okay," Connor laughed "Go!"

"Thank you Connor!" Kara yelled as she sprinted back up the hallway, and out of the hospital. She hated leaving her team to do the work, but she had to go to Nick, he held every inch of her, now, and she wanted more than anything to be by his side, day in day out, but sometimes she couldn't because of her job.


Parking her car in the driveway, Kara, jumped out and slammed the door, she then hurried up the front steps, and into the house. She was met by the cries of her baby, and the soft soothing 'shhs' of her cousin. When she entered the living room, Grace looked up and let out a deep breath of relief.

"Thank God you are here," she said, as she handed Kara the crying baby.

"Hey handsome," Kara said softly "What's wrong?"

The baby, looked up at his mother, and instantly stopped crying. Kara turned to look at Grace, a look of confusion and gratitude was washed into her cousin's face.

"Well, that settles it," Grace said "Mystery solved. He missed you"

"Remind me to thank Connor, next time I see him" Kara said as she took a seat on one of the chairs, curled her feet up under her as she cradled her baby in his arms.

"Why?" Grace asked

"He was the one who convinced me to come home. Kept saying Nick missed me, and stuff" Kara explained

Grace nodded, and Kara saw her glancing towards the stairs

"Go get dressed," Kara said, with a smile "Go on. And when your ready, I'll drop you off wherever, it is your going, when I head back to the AR-" she caught herself before she could finish her sentence, once again she had nearly given away her real work place "On my way back to the office!" she finished.

Grace eyed her suspiciously, before heading upstairs to change. Kara was singing lightly to Nick in the living room, the baby's eyes were slowly closing once more, and Kara couldn't blame him. He must have cried every ounce of energy he had out of him. Poor baby. She kissed his little forehead, as his eyes finally closed, and his breathing became shallow. Oh, how she loved him. He was her world, something she had to protect in this world. Her father had her, and now she had Nick. And Grace. How could she forget Grace. Grace was like the little sister, she never got to have.

"Ready," Grace said about half an hour later, and she entered the living room once more. She was wearing a long white top, that covered the tops of her jeans. A pair of denim skinny jeans, a pleated brown belt, and knee length hug boots. A black jacket was hanging over her arm, and over her head was a small black and dark pink handbag. Her hair was pulled back into a high ponytail, and two bangs were left down to frame her face.

"Where are you going?" Kara asked, taking in her cousin's appearance

"Just out with the girls," Grace answered

"Out with the girls?" Kara asked "You look like you got a date"

"Date?" Grace said, forcing a laugh "No, just a day out with the girls."

Kara nodded her head and stood, as she grabbed the nappy bag from the kitchen. It was always made up, encase of an emergency where she had to get out of the house quickly. She wanted to make sure she had supplies for Nick, ready.

"Ready?" she asked turning to Grace who nodded "Got your keys? Encase your back before me?"

"Yes," Grace said again "Can we go"

"Are you sure you don't got a date," Kara said as she grabbed her jacket, threw the baby bag over her shoulder and grabbed a blanket to wrap around Nick, as she hurried out the door "Your awfully impatient."

She passed Grace her keys, so she could lock up, and she strapped Nick into the car seat, before getting into the drivers side, the nappy bag in the back of the car. Grace slid in beside her, and handed Kara the keys, as she slid her car key into the ignition and started the engine.

Pulling out of the drive carefully, for the second time that day.


After dropping Grace off at the movie theatre, Kara drove with Nick in the passengers seat now, towards the ARC. She was once more thinking about, why she couldn't tell Grace about what she did, she often slipped up at times, and she knew Grace wasn't stupid, she would put two and two together one day, and figure it all out. But her dad, wouldn't let her tell Grace the truth. Maybe to protect her. She knew, that if he had a choice, he wouldn't let her do this job, to protect her. Maybe, because he couldn't do that with her, he would do it with Grace.

Stopping outside the gates of the ARC. The gates opened, and she drove it, parking in her usual spot. Her father's car still wasn't there, and neither were the SUVs. They must have still been at the hospital. Opening the door, she slid out, and hurried around the other side, to get Nick. She un-clipped the car seat, and pulled it out of the car. Her baby was sleeping, she didn't want to wake him by moving him.

"Yeah, your men are getting slack" she heard her father's voice, and she looked up. Her father and the others had just returned, from the hospital. She smiled and made her way towards them.

"Hey," she said, stopping beside her father, as he looked down at her, and then at the sleeping baby

"Hey," Nick said "I thought you would stay at home, with him"

Kara shrugged "I was bored. Plus I wanted to know what happened after I left"

Before anyone could answer her, Becker spoke "You guys go on ahead. Im gonna have a little word with security" and he turned his back on them and headed towards the gates. Abby, was at Kara's side looking down at her sleeping god-son, with a true smile on her face.

"He's getting cuter every day," she cooed as they started walking towards the ARC

"Did you ever find out why he was crying?" Connor asked

"Yeah," Kara answered "He missed me. You were right, thank you" and she reached up to kiss his cheek, in a thankful manor.

"No problem" Connor said, with a smile at her. He would do anything for her, and his god-son. He loved them both. Kara had always been there for him, it was only fair he was there for her too,

They entered the ARC, everything was quiet. Like everyone had gone home. There was no one in sight, nothing, the place was deserted. Where the hell was, Sarah? Lester? Jenny? Anyone.

"Something's not right" Connor said, as he and Abby pushed open the main operations room's doors. Leading into the main part of the ARC.

"Where is everyone?" Kara asked

There was the sound of guns cocking, and Kara turned around careful not to jostle the car seat on her arm. She looked up towards Lester's office to see her mum, her mind immediately flew to her dream, and she looked down at her baby. She shouldn't have come back here. Not with Nick.

Kara turned to look over her shoulder at her friends, and turned fully, when she saw the confused looks on their faces. Her father had already turned around beside her.

"What?" she asked, Abby, who was staring over her shoulder at something.

Kara looked, and gasped, there, walking towards her, was herself. A clone. And not just that, there was her dad too.

"Its you," Connor said, quietly, when the clones had stopped, and Nick turned. He seemed to jump as the clone was right up in his face.

"Put Abby and Connor with the others," Helen said from above them, but Kara didn't take her eyes off her clone. She couldn't wait to hear the explanation for this. And she prayed her mother had done this to Stephen.


"So the future was true" Helen said, as she made her way down the ramp towards Kara "You do have a child. I just didn't expect it to be Stephens"

"What are you talking about?" Kara asked

"This child," Helen said, motioning to Nick "Wasn't meant to be born for at least another 2 years"

Kara was even more confused. "But that would mean it wasn't -"

"Stephens?" Helen asked "Yes. Kara. It was never meant to be Stephen's child. Stephen, wasn't there in your future. He wasn't the father of your child. It was -"

But she was cut off from explaining, when her dad spoke.

"What do you want Helen?" Nick asked

Helen smirked at her daughter, before motioning for the clones to stand at the detector. Kara watched as she followed them, and her father followed after her. But she was rooted to the spot, if her baby, wasn't meant to be Stephens, then who's?

"You created these?" her father asked

"I borrowed the technology from the future" Helen explained "He's made from your DNA, and she's made from Kara's. Perfect in every physical detail"

"Physical?" Kara asked, finally finding her voice

"Hmm. It has limited intelligence, enough to follow basic instructions" Helen said

"Their still human beings, though right?" Nick asked

"Free will is what makes us humans," Helen said "This creature is…is nothing more than a living photocopy"

"Please don't tell me you did this to Stephen" Kara stated, causing both her parents to turn to her. She didn't want a Stephen clone to appear, not after she had just let him go, that was all she needed right now

"No matter what they look like, they could never be the original" Helen confirmed, and Kara breathed a sigh of relief, not that she wouldn't want to see Stephen again, but not even her mother could bring back the dead.

"Why are you doing this, Helen?" Nick asked, as he followed his wife to a near-by desk. Kara remained where she was, and she placed the car-seat with her sleeping son on the table, beside her. She wasn't leaving the baby's side for anything. Not while her mother was around.

"Because I have seen the final destruction of almost every living creature on this one beautiful planet" Helen explained "I can stop it Nick, I can save us from them"

"Them?" Kara asked, perking up slightly "Who's them?"

But Helen didn't get the chance to answer, once more

"Look, whatever's going to happen, is going to happen," Nick said "and we have to leave it alone."

"Dad's right," Kara said "Look what happened the last time, you tried to change things. You killed Stephen"

"I didn't kill Stephen," Helen said, turning to her daughter "You did"

Kara's eyes narrowed at her mother, she had gone through enough self guilt, she had just come back from hell, and she wasn't going to let her mother send her back there.

"I didn't kill Stephen!" Kara hissed "You're the one who disappeared, without a care! Without shedding a tear!"

"Calm down sweetie," Nick whispered as he moved to her side "Calm down,"

Helen watched the interaction with jealous eyes. It should have been her, calming her daughter down, soothingly. But that was only going to happen, if Kara saw things from her perspective, and came with her to stop what was about to happen. And that was never going to happen.

"We all know that the course of evolution can be changed" Helen continued and Kara knew she was talking about Claudia Brown and Jenny Lewis "I can restore balance"

"You still don't get it, do you?" Kara asked "That no matter how many times you interfere you still cant get the result you want, because evolution cant be bent to your will. You cant play God, mum,"

"I really hope your wrong," Helen said, her voice and face clear of all emotions. "You see, you don't know it yet, but I do"

"Know what?" Kara asked, as she run her hand through her hair, baby Nick started to stir awake, and she rocked the car seat lightly whispering 'Shh' as a grizzled cry was heard. The baby calmed slightly, and Kara unclipped the car seat, as she removed her baby, and cuddled him closer to her. Bouncing him lightly, as she held him closer to her chest, her arm around his waist, and the other hand supporting his head.

"Your work will lead to predators being created," Helen continued "here in this precious ARC of yours"

"We'd never sanction that" Nick said

"I see them, in the future." Helen said "Troops from the ARC"

"Oh no, you've got it wrong"

"You haven't done it yet, maybe not" Helen said "But sooner or later you will and it has to be stopped. You…you have to be stopped. Now. Before it begins."

"If your so sure about this," Nick said "then why didn't you get your creatures to kill me, when you had the chance? Why don't you just shoot me now?"

"Dad!" Kara hissed, and she could finally see, that he was protecting her, not just because he was her father, but because of Nick.

"Because there is still something, I still don't understand" Helen said, and she removed the cylinder from her back. Kara watched curiously. Helen, removed an artefact from the bag, and held it up in front of Nick. What was it? Kara looked at her dad, as he stared at the artefact. "Tell what this is," Helen said.

"There's a shock," Kara mumbled "She doesn't know"

"Well, do you know or not, Professor?" Helen mocked, Nick merely smiled

"Of course I do," Nick said, and turned away

"Tell me," Helen enquired

"No," Nick said, and he cast a glance at Kara, she was staring at him in confusion.

"Give him ten seconds and then shoot him," Helen commanded, and Kara's eyes turned from confusion to panic, as she watched her clone, approach her father with a gun.

"Dad!" she said, as she moved forward, before being blocked off by the cleaner clones. "Dad!"

She could hear her father trying to reason with her clone, who was slowly counting up from 1 to 10, the gun still aimed at her father. Suddenly all was quiet, and then the clone started once more.

"Okay," Nick said "Okay,"

When the clone reached 10, she backed off, and so did the cleaner clones. Kara raced towards her father, Nick still in her arms. The car seat forgotten on the desk. Nick caught her shoulders, and she stood in front of him, facing her mother, who grinned down at her.

Suddenly Helen's voice was heard over the internal PA system. Kara smiled. Help had arrived.

"Stop. Do nothing. Obey my voice"

"Stop. Do nothing. Obey my voice"

This was heard over and over again, and Kara looked around at her father with a small smile, and then down at her baby, who had been awoken by the loud voice. She held in him close, she had done it. She had saved him. Kept her mother from him, although it seemed that Helen wasn't interested in Nick at all. Maybe her dream had just been that, a dream…no, a nightmare. Her subconscious, playing games with her. Scaring her. It was just her doubt, doubt that she thought that she was going to be a bad mother. Just like her mother.

"No, stop. That's not me" Helen Cutter yelled, but her clones all started to shut down, lowering their weapons

"Its over, Helen" Nick said

Helen turned to her clones of her husband and daughter. "Listen to my voice," she said "Complete your mission"

Kara watched as the clone of her father, turned and headed to a black brief case that was situated near the detector. She gasped, when it was opened.

"Dad! it's a bomb!" she said, and looked around as her dad sprinted to his clone.

"Don't listen to him!" Helen yelled as she made her way out of the ARC the artefact in hand. "Follow your instructions!"

"Your not a machine," Kara said, turning to her clone "You're a free girl. You don't want to die"

"I don't know what death is," the Kara clone answered

"Trust me, life is so much better" Kara said "Don't throw it away!"

Kara stared at her clone for a long time, and the clone stared straight back, she then lowered her gaze to the baby in Kara's arms. A smile on her face. "Keep him safe," the clone said.

Kara stared at her in confusion, before she heard her father's clone speak.

"Save yourselves,"

Her eyes grew wide, as she turned to her dad, who was running towards her. He grabbed her wrist and pulled her along with him. "Go!" he urged her, pushing her towards the door "Get Nick out of here!"

Kara looked at her dad, and knowing full well not to argue, she sprinted out of the room. She heard the explosion behind her, and looked over her shoulder as she ran. Her dad was no where in sight, she turned to stop, but crashed sideways into Becker and Connor.

"Kara!" Abby said. She was with the two boys, so was Sarah, Jenny and Lester "what's going on?"

"it's a bomb!" Kara said, "We have to get out of here."

"This way," Lester said, and he led the way down the hallway, through different rooms and out into the outside. Kara coughed, before breathing in deeply, as fresh air filled her lungs. She had covered her baby, with her jacket, to keep him away from the smoke, and she was bent over protecting him. He was crying loudly, and she was bouncing him, as she listened to the chatter around her, not taking any of it in.


Abby and Connor were at her sides in minutes, Abby had taken the baby from his mother, as Kara looked around for her father.

"Dad," she said staring forward, knowing Nick was safe with Abby and Connor.

"Where's Helen?" Nick asked, as Kara reached him.

"I Dunno," she answered "Why?"

"She must be still inside," Connor answered, and Nick looked back towards the doors. Kara widened her eyes as she realized what he was about to do. She reached out to stop her dad, but Jenny beat her too it.

"Nick, she wouldn't lift a finger to save you." Jenny said "Or Kara!"

"Yeah, I know" Nick said, looking towards his daughter, who was shaking her head, silently asking him not to go.

"Don't go." Jenny said "This is a mistake"

Kara stared at Jenny, it was Claudia Brown all over again.

"I'll be fine," Nick said and he hurried back into the dense smoke

"DAD!"

Kara's screams silenced everyone else's, as she attempted to follow her father, but was caught around the waist by and SAS solider. She fought against him, yelling to be let go, but he didn't.

"Cutter!" Lester yelled "Where the hell is he going?"


After being let go from the SAS solider, Kara returned to Abby and Connor's side. Her son was looking up at her, and Kara smiled down at him. She was happy that he was safe, alive and still with her. But she felt incomplete, she wanted her father. He had been gone too long, and she was starting to worry about him more and more with each passing second. The SAS soldiers were watching her carefully, every move she made, they were there, preventing her entry to the ARC. Someone must have told them, that she would try to follow after her father. But she needed to get in there, she had to make sure he was okay. She couldn't do this without him.

"He's been gone to long." Kara murmured, as Abby continued to bounce Nick quietly in her arms

"He'll be okay," Abby tried to reassure her, but she too was worrying. What if something went wrong?

Looking towards Connor, Kara and Abby nodded.

"Be careful," Abby said, and Connor sprinted towards the smoke, drifting out from inside the ARC.

Kara watched him go fearfully, she wanted to go too. She turned to Nick and Abby, torn between helping her father, and staying with her son.

"Just be careful," Abby said, when she saw the look of torn on Kara's face "Remember, you got Nick now"

Kara nodded, and pressed a kiss to her son's forehead, before taking advantage of her guard's lost attention, she sprinted after Connor into the smoke. The yells of her name from Jenny, behind her.

There was smoke everywhere. Flames of fire, flickering in random parts of the officers and hallways. Kara coughed, as she raised her jacket over her mouth, she couldn't breathe, maybe this was a bad idea. But she had to find her father.

"Dad!" she yelled "Dad!"

She moved onwards, her mother was no where to be find. Could she have gotten out? But how did she do it undetected? But then again, the place wasn't on red alert anymore, they were tending to casualties, and worrying about her, Connor and her father. But they needn't have too, the three of them were gonna return. She knew they would. Her father wouldn't leave her, would he? No, he loved her too much to leave her alone like this.

Coughing harder this time, Kara stumbled into the door frame of another room. She raised her hand to steady herself, and looked up to see Connor in the room.

"Connor!" she said, through her jacket, her best friend looked up at her, and held his hand out to help her into the room, and the continued onwards together.

"Dad!" Kara continued to yell "Daddy! Where are you?"

There was a noise from up ahead, and Kara hurried onwards, Connor beside her. She edged into another room, to see her father on the floor, leaning against and over turned desk.

"DAD!" she said, and hurried around the table to him, she dropped to her knees beside him, and hugged him, tears in her eyes. "Daddy, you're okay," she said, although she said this, she knew something was wrong. Her father's breathing was laboured, and that wasn't because of the smoke. That's when she saw it, the bullet mark in his shirt. He had been shot. He was dying.

She felt her heart race, and her breathing come in heavy gasps.

"Kara," Nick said, his voice sounding distant. The last thing he wanted was his daughter to have a panic attack at this moment in time. "Kara, sweetheart, calm down"

"You hold on." Connor said, he was on his knees opposite Kara "We're gonna get you out of here, okay?"

He tried to lift Nick up, but he groaned and yelled out in pain. Kara's tears were now running quickly down her face. Her father was going to die, and there was nothing she could do to save him.

"Sorry" Connor apologized

"Don't. Don't…do that" Nick said

"Sorry," Connor said again

"Its okay, just sit with me" Nick said, looking up at his student before turning to Kara, who was crying softly in her hands "Kara, don't cry," he said reaching out for her, and pulling her hands from her face

Kara sniffled, but it was masked by another explosion.

"Listen," Nick said, reaching up to wipe the tears from his daughters face, she looked up at him, tearfully. He removed the artefact from his jacket that was at his side "This is important! I don't know why, but it is! So you have to find out what it means, okay?"

And he slid it into his daughters hands.

"Okay," Kara whispered

"Its on you now," Nick said, wiping another tear from her face, although another replaced it moments later

"No," Kara cried "No! We'll do it together. We've always done it together."

"Not this time," Nick said sadly, he hated seeing his daughter cry

"I cant do it without you! I need you, you're my dad!"

"Kara, I know you can do this," Nick said "Its about time, that you saw that for yourself, you don't need me there to hold your hand anymore. I love you, Keep Nick safe. And Grace - Tell Grace"

Kara closed her eyes, as her father lay down on Connor's shoulder "Tell Claudia Brown," he added as his eyes closed "Never mind…it doesn't matter…"

And suddenly his breathing stopped all together.

"Dad?" Kara questioned quietly, but she got no reply. A fresh wave of tears over came her as she stared at her lifeless father. It was happening again. She was losing everything. But this time, she was gaining nothing. This was the end. Her world, had come to an end.

"Come on," Connor said, getting to his feet, he lifted her father into his arms and looked down at her. She was staring at the artefact, before she looked up at him, tears in her eyes and on her face. And slowly, she got to her feet.

The walk out of the ARC was quiet, Kara was staring at he ground in front of her, tears cascading down her cheeks. Her father was dead. She didn't want to believe it, because then it would make it true.


A bright light met her wet eyes, as she came out of the ARC.

"Nick!"

There was a cluster of shouts. And she saw a number of people making their way towards her, Connor and her father's body. But she didn't register any of them. They lowered her father's body onto the ground, and she dropped to her knees. At his head, the artefact rolled out of her reach, but she didn't care.

"Get an ambulance, quickly" Lester commanded from a distance, when in fact he was standing above her

"Oh, Nick" Jenny cried, she was opposite Kara, but the girl didn't look up. Her face was buried in her hands, at her father's head. Her body shaking as she sobbed.

"Daddy," she cried, she didn't care if she sounded like a 5-year-old, her father was dead. "Dad, open your eyes, please" she begged, as she removed her hands from her face, and looked at her father's body. This wasn't real, she was dreaming, her father wasn't dead, he was playing.

"Its too late," Connor said, from above her

A fresh wave of tears over came her, and her body shook once more. She started shaking her head, "No," she said quietly "No! Its not true. Open your eyes!" she nearly screamed, as she shook her dad.

"Please! I cant do this without out!" Kara cried, the entire team was around her, but she register a single one of them. "I need you with me…you promised, you'd never leave me. Don't leave me…come back…"

But her father didn't move, he wasn't coming back. He was gone. Dead.


After Nick had been loaded into an ambulance. Kara was sitting in the back of another, a towel wrapped tightly around her shoulders. Her eyes were red from crying, Abby approached her, with baby Nick, and handed him to her friend. Before taking a seat beside her, as Connor approached.

"Are you okay?" Abby asked softly

It had taken a while to calm Kara down, she wouldn't let her father's body go. It took the combined help of Abby, Jenny, and Connor to move her, and when they did, she was too weak to even stand, her legs buckled the moment they let her go. She had lost a lot of strength through crying. Becker had caught her around her waist and led her towards an empty ambulance.

"I cant keep doing this," Kara whispered "I cant do it without him"

"You have too," Abby said sadly "You cant leave us now too…"

Kara heaved a heavy sigh, and looked down at her baby, who was staring at her in confusion, he was gurgling and when he locked eyes with his mother, he gave a little laugh, despite being upset, Kara smiled, as did Connor and Abby.

"He and Grace are all I have left," Kara murmured, "I cant lose them too"

"And you wont," Connor said "We wont let that happen,"

"If I couldn't protect my dad," Kara said, looking up at her friend "How am I too protect them?"

"Your not supposed to protect your father," Abby said "He's supposed to protect you. And he did that. He did it for you and Nick and Grace. He gave his life to save you. Don't let it be in vain. You cant walk way"

Kara was silent, she knew Abby was right. But she was too torn up inside to understand anything, all she knew was, this was an emotional blow that would take months to get over. Would she be able to fix her world after today? She prayed she could.

Looking at the ambulance her father's body was in. She passed Nick to her Abby and stood carefully, making her way towards it. The rest of the team were near-by and looked at her as she got closer. Sarah smiled sadly at her, as Kara opened the door of the ambulance, ignoring the protests of the paramedics.

"Its okay," Jenny said, as one paramedic, moved to usher Kara away "Its his daughter,"

And Kara climbed into the back, and sat beside her father's body. Abby, Connor, Jenny and the others stood outside.

"I promise," Kara spoke softly, trying hard to keep her tears intact this time "I promise. I will do everything, you asked me too do. I wont let you down dad…I -"

She choked back a sob, "I love you…"

Tears flowed again. And she didn't try to stop them.

As she clambered out of the ambulance, she was met by Abby, she took Nick from her and hugged him, her last connection to both Stephen and her father. She felt arms around her shoulders and she looked up to see it was Abby and Connor. She leant into both her friends, who had been with her since the beginning.

She had just said goodbye to her father.

Forever.


A/N: Sorry for the wait. But I wasn't going to update this story until I finished my other one. But I just had to finish it.

I hope all you Cutter fans, are okay with reading this chapter. And I hope I didn't make you cry. Unfortunately. I did cry, while writing this, and I cried when I first saw the episode.

I so badly wanted Cutter to pull through.

Hope you enjoyed.

Please leave a review. I want to see what you all make of my chapter.

Thank you

Love you all

Kara xxxxxxxxxxx