OKAY! HELLO!

I have been away for a very long time. I realise some of you are angry. Some of you may have mourned.

There is no way I can explain to you why exactly I have been absent for so very long. But, believe me, if I told you, you'd be understanding, cause it's a perfectly reasonable explanation that justifies it.

I apologise sincerely for temporarily abandoning you.

I would like to thank each and every one of you who has sent me a message or a review in the time I've been gone. You guys are the reason I've not given up on this, and I appreciate every view this story gets, and every person who takes the time to look at my writing.

But I'm not here to talk about me.

I'm here to write fanfiction about an awesome fucking show.

And I'm just letting you know that I am back.

For good.

-Anne

A FEW VISITORS

CHAPTER 12

JESS

"I mean, why would they do that?" Jess said very seriously, her voice strained with anger and upset.

She dug her spoon further into the tub of maple walnut ice-cream and brought a heap of crême glacée goodness back out with it.

"I know. Bastards." Jake said, also digging his spoon into the tub.

They were lying on Becker's spare bed, surrounded by every tub of ice cream that Becker had in his freezer, watching 'Four Weddings and A Funeral'.

Jess' brow was knit deeply in frustration; she was very unhappy.

"I mean, why would they cast Andie Macdowell in this film?" she spat, shoving the spoonful of ice-cream into her mouth. She ate it angrily. "Andie Macdowell, of all people! Opposite Hugh Grant! Andie fucking Macdowell?!"

Jake looked at her sympathetically, and patted her shoulder.

"I know. I feel exactly the same way." he sighed.

"Its just not fair." she mumbled quietly around her mouthful.

Jake reached around her and picked up the television remote, deciding it was time to change the channel.

She was starting to feel sorry for herself, over Andie Macdowell. It didn't really make sense to him.

"Ah, Jerry Springer. Watching the scum of the earth get into fights over relationships should cheer you up, eh?" he said.

She nodded, and smiled at him.

"You're fun to hang around with." she said.

"I know. But I'm in high demand, so this is a rare opportunity that you should appreciate." he said, sighing and making Jess giggle.

The crowd on the TV roared, and both of them turned to see what was going on.

"Tsst. Would you look at that— he tried to cheat with her when she was already married. To his best friend, at that. He should have asked her out when he had the chance and she was single, shouldn't he?" Jess said, gesturing to the telly with her spoon.

Jake shrugged.

"Well, maybe he didn't realise he liked her back then. I mean, she obviously loved him. He didn't do anything about it, sure, but us guys aren't mind readers. Sometimes girls should make the first move, otherwise this situation might happen." he said.

Jess raised an eyebrow.

"Really? You would rather a girl made the first move than you?"

He looked over at her, slightly surprised.

"Not rather, but I wouldn't mind it. I've been asked out by girls before." he said. Then he thought again. "But usually that's because they have a crush on my dad, not me."

Jess snickered, and they both dug into the ice cream again.

"Why don't you ask him out?" Jake said.

Jess snapped her head up to look at the boy.

"What?" she said.

"Becker. You obviously like him. Ask him out." he said.

"How did you—"

"I'm not stupid."

He grinned at her, but she looked rather annoyed.

"You can't give me relationship advice." she said.

"Why not?" he laughed.

"One, you're fifteen. Two, I don't even know your last name." she said.

"I'm not giving you my surname, no matter how much you hint at it." he whispered.

"Know what else you're not giving me?" she whispered back.

"What?"

"Relationship advice."

"Well played, Jess Parker. Well played."

CONNOR

Connor, Sid and the woman with the toddler in her arms stepped out of Connor's car into the cold London air.

It was nearly eleven o'clock, and they were in an area that Connor had never been to before. But apparently this was where "Dave" lived.

"Are you sure this is where the anomaly detection device is?" Connor asked her.

"Yes, positive. I knew you were giving it to the guy, and I couldn't stop you. So I coaxed his address out of Jack when you were on your way out and wrote it down." she said, adjusting little Derek's wooly hat underneath his raincoat.

"Natasha, if it wasn't for you, I think Lester would beat me like a bowl of eggs." Connor sighed, shaking his head.

They approached the front door, and Connor rang the bell.

"I'm cold." Sid muttered, hugging himself tightly.

He was ignored.

Connor rang the bell once more, and after a few moments, they heard the sliding noise of a chain being unlatched on the other side, and a man opened the door.

"Can I help you?" he asked.

He was bald, and muscular, and covered in tattoos— an intimidating man, to say the least.

Connor wanted to run away like a scared kitten at the sight of him.

But he didn't. He smiled nervously, and cleared his throat.

"Hi, I'm Connor, Connor Temple. I believe we met the other night, through Jack Maitland?" he said.

The man leaned against the doorframe and crossed his arms.

"Oh, yeah. I think I remember you. Jack's mate... Came with your girlfriend?"

"Yeah," Connor said, smiling enthusiastically. "And, apparently, I gave you something that belongs to the company I work for."

The man paused. He didn't look happy.

"...A machine? Big metal thing? Kinda hard to forget?" Natasha prompted.

The man shook his head.

"Haven't seen it. Sorry."

Connor sighed.

"Look, Dave, mate. I know you have this machine." he said, his patience running out. "I know you probably want to sell it, too. And I am here to tell you that it is not your property, and that I wish to have it back, please."

Dave glared at Connor.

"Listen, arsehole," he snapped. "I don't have this fucking machine of yours. So you can just piss off, right now, away from my fucking house. Understand?"

Connor gulped.

"Listen, I don't what any trouble. But that machine is government property—"

"I don't give a fuck. Good night." Dave spat, stepping back into his house and reaching to close the door.

Sid stopped it from closing by shoving his foot in the doorway.

"Oi, don't talk to us like that! We need our machine!" the teenager yelled.

Dave ground his teeth, and suddenly Connor felt the need to yank Sid away from the door altogether.

"Fuck off away from my house, wanker! Or else I'll beat you to a bloody pulp. You're not getting any fucking machine back!"

And with that, the door slammed shut, and they were left in the pouring rain.

"Well, that went well." Sid mumbled.

"Abby's gonna kill me." Connor groaned. "If that bloke doesn't, anyway..."

"What are you gonna do now?" Natasha asked them.

"Connor pulled his car keys out of his pocket.

"We get Becker."

MATT

Roses are red,

Violets are blue.

I'm very sorry for giving away the Anomaly Locking Mechanism,

And, Matt, I love you.

Connor

Matt Anderson stood in the front room of the Parker-Maitland-Temple flat, holding a fat, colourful bouquet of red and pink roses, and glaring at the three teenagers before him.

He was so angry, in fact, that his face had almost turned the same scarlet shade as the flowers he held.

"Where. Is. Connor. Temple." he asked.

Derek looked to Haley, who looked to Nancy, who had the sudden urge to climb into one of the kitchen cupboards and hide there.

"Uhm... We don't know. He's out with Sid." the blonde mumbled.

Matt drew a deep breath and nodded. He was angry.

"Uh huh. And where is Abby?"

"Having a bath." Nancy replied.

Matt gave a quick nod, and purposefully strode over to the bathroom door, on which he proceeded to knock politely.

"Who's there?"

"Abby, it's Matt. I need to speak to you. I've figured out what happened to the Anomaly Locking Mechanism."

There was a pause, some shuffling noises, the sound of the door being unlocked, and then Abby emerged from the bathroom in a dressing gown and a pair of slippers.

"What?" she asked him. Her hair was wet, and glistened under the kitchen light.

"Connor sold it."

Abby blinked.

Matt was deadly serious. She looked to the three teenagers, who were equally as serious, and then back to the Irish man. She eyed the roses for a second, and then laughed.

"What are you talking about?"

"I received these flowers this evening, obviously sent to me by Connor," Matt calmly removed the gift tag from the flowers and read aloud what was penned on it's front. "The card says, 'Roses are red, violets are blue. I'm very sorry for giving away the Anomaly Locking Mechanism, and, Matt, I love you'."

Abby snorted and shook her head in disbelief.

"What? No. This must be a joke."

Matt remained very still, his face a frozen depiction of raw frustration.

"Your boyfriend is the reason that these six kids are in our custody."

Haley shuffled awkwardly from foot to foot; on the sofa, Molly turned away from Nickelodeon to listen to Matt.

Abby frowned.

"How could he have sold it? I mean, it's government property, he wouldn't have sold it... Would he?"

"I don't know, but it makes sense, and that is why I am looking for him."

Abby tiredly rubbed her face with her hands, her shoulders dropping with disappointment.

"Last time I checked, he was at the A.R.C with Sid."

"He's not at the A.R.C. I already looked," Matt snapped. "I'm going to have to find him."

BECKER

Captain Becker awoke after his much-needed nap to find his flat mostly empty. After checking to ensure that his hair wasn't in disarray (God forbid), he knocked on Jess' bedroom door.

"Come in."

He found Jake and Jess, watching telly, surrounded by half-empty ice cream tubs.

How these ice cream tubs had come to be in their possession and not the confines of his freezer, he didn't know, but he guessed it had something to do with the mischievous fifteen-year-old that was now dangerously close to dripping raspberry ripple on his pillowcase.

"How was your nap?" Jess asked him, gleefully.

Her cheeks were pink, and she was smiling brightly. The blue in he eyes regained it sparkle.

He inwardly felt overjoyed that she was getting back to her cheerful self.

"Good. How are you feeling?"

"Oh, terrific. Touch woozy every now and then, but apart from that, fine."

He gave her a small smile, eyed Jake suspiciously, and then realised that Haley and Derek were nowhere around.

"Where are the other two?" he asked them.

Jake and Jess exchanged a look. Worry crossed between them, and alarms went off in Becker's brain.

"Umm... They, uh, left." Jess said, her voice small.

He sighed, and shut his eyes.

"Left to go where, exactly?"

No one answered him.

He was about to ask again and propose some sort of ultimatum, when Jake blurted out, "They went to find Nancy! At Abby and Connor's, okay! There, I've told you, don't issue an ultimatum!"

Becker raised his eyebrows, and then frowned.

"How did you know I was going to?"

Jake was about to say something snarky, but then he looked at Jess' curious expression and fell silent.

"How did they plan to get there?" Becker asked.

"I think they took your car." said Jess.

Becker's eyes went wide.

"What?!"

And with that, he disappeared from the room, and they heard the front door slam.

"Wait!" Jake yelled. "I want to come with you!"

Jess jumped with startle as he leaped from the bed.

"What? You're going, too? Why?" she called, as he dashed from the room.

His reply was shouted from the hall.

"I want to watch Haley get in trouble!"

She sighed lightly, expecting to hear the door slam a second time, but then Jake ran back into her room.

To her surprise, the teenager gave her a quick peck on the forehead before bounding out of the room again.

"Stay in bed! Feel better!"

And then the door did slam, and the boy who looked so much like Hilary Becker was gone, leaving Jess alone and happily confused.