Disclaimer: Primeval does not belong to me, this is fan fiction, not for profit.
Any references to people, places, businesses etc is entirely fictitious.
3.11 Possibilities
"The universe is an amazing thing…"
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Lester pulled his sleek silver auto into the car park at the ARC. He stepped out and straightened his tie before marching into the building. Idling in her car at the curbside across the street, Vivian observed the approach to the ARC.
The tall soldier was the next team member to arrive at the ARC. He must have taken the tube thought Vivian, as she watched his long stride bring him quickly up the sidewalk towards the building. The white wrappings holding his left arm in place looked starkly out of place against the black uniform he wore. Vivian turned and nodded to the dark haired young woman seated beside her.
"That's Becker," ordered Vivian "you remember, from the Park yesterday. Go get him."
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Becker was almost at the outside security entrance to the ARC when he realized that someone was following him. He pivoted quickly to face whatever threat might be stalking him. Becker startled the petite brunette on the sidewalk behind him. She was standing with one arm stretched out as if to tap him on the shoulder. Becker's sudden movement caused her to jump. Her impossibly high heels caused her to stumble and spin.
The soldier instinctively reached forward. His left arm stayed wrapped to his chest, but his right arm caught the beautiful young woman. The sudden weight of the slender woman on his arm brought him to his knees, but he held her up, kept her from crashing to the pavement.
"I don't usually do a dip like this," the woman said looking up into his eyes with a bright smile "unless I'm on the dance floor."
For a moment, Becker couldn't think of a word to stay. He just wanted to gaze into the depths of those eyes… forever. But then she was in a standing position, dusting off her fuchsia dress, so he pulled himself erect.
"No dance floor around here," Becker replied hoping his voice didn't sound as regretful as he thought it might.
"I'm Jess," she introduced herself. She continued, speaking rapidly. "And you're Becker… but of course you already know that… and we did meet yesterday… at the Park, but we weren't properly introduced. Mrs. Lester said for me to bring you… you don't want to go into the ARC today."
She turned to walk away, obviously expecting Becker to follow. His feet moved on their own accord, but his mind did catch up. He stopped walking.
"Who did you say you were?" asked Becker looking at her with a puzzled expression.
The young woman turned to look over her shoulder at the wounded warrior.
"Jess," she replied "communications specialist… for the other ARC."
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Christine Johnson was furious. Lester had marched into the building like he always did, as if he owned the place. Christine had claimed his office as her own, taken over his desk, and he just smiled that infuriating little smirk of his and looked at his fingernails.
"Hmm," said Lester "need a bit of a trim."
"You'll need more than a bit of a trim James," hissed Christine through tightly clenched teeth "if you don't hand over those keys."
Lester looked directly at her then, widening his green eyes as if in surprise.
"The keys?" he asked in a disinterested tone, as if this was the first time he had ever heard of such a thing. "Which keys are you talking about?"
"The file room keys!" Christine exclaimed.
"Christine, really," chided Lester "you shouldn't let yourself get so upset over little things. The keys are on the hook behind my office door… right where they always are."
"The keys weren't there yesterday," snarled the angry woman as her aide swung the door away from the wall to reveal the keys. Lester's disdainful expression at her comment was to cover his inward chuckles. For once in her life, Christine was right. The keys hadn't been there yesterday, they'd been in Lester's pocket.
Christine's aide handed her the keys, then pushed her wheel chair out the office door. They would soon find an empty file room. Danny and Stephen had removed the few actual hardcopy files of pertinent information last night after leaving the hospital. Danny hadn't lost his touch on breaking and entering.
Lester walked over to the computer and typed in the password that allowed him to access the ARCs electronic files. A few quick keystrokes and the files were being sent to an external storage device… and being wiped from the ARCs database. He moved away from the computer as the sound of Christine's increasingly loud and strident complaints announced her impending return.
If anything, Christine looked more furious.
"The room's been ransacked," she growled.
"Really?" asked Lester, sounding surprised. "Tsk tsk… you must do something about your security issues."
"My security," the angry woman spluttered "it was your security!"
"No," said Lester withdrawing an envelope from the inside pocket of his suit. "You took control of the ARC… and its security… yesterday," he reminded the woman.
He set the envelope down on what had once been his desk.
"And I, along with my staff, have been reassigned," said Lester sounding a trifle bored.
He looked at his hand again, running his thumb across the fingertips.
"If you'll excuse me now," added Lester "I must be going."
Lester didn't bother to watch the woman scramble to grab the envelope. Nor did he watch as she tore it open, read the contents, and glared at his departing figure. Lester strode out of the building in the same imperious manner that he had entered the ARC.
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Cutter rubbed his sleepy eyes. Who on earth would be pounding on his door at this hour… okay… nine o'clock in the morning might not be the most ungodly time ever, but he'd been up all night. He opened the front door.
"Sarah," asked Cutter in surprise "what are you and Jamal doing here?"
"Didn't Lester tell you," responded Sarah as she pushed her way past him into the hall "we're all supposed to meet here."
Nick turned to watch Sarah lead Jamal into the living room where the anomaly research map was standing in all its freeform glory, soaring and spiraling across the room. He started to follow the two of them. Sarah was explaining the project to Jamal.
"Who's all?" Cutter asked. Sarah's words had finally penetrated his sleep fogged mind.
"Well gov," replied Danny cheekily as he entered the open door behind the professor, followed by young Stephen, "I imagine that would be us."
Cutter looked out the door as the two men walked past him to join Sarah and Jamal. Mrs. Lester's jaguar was pulling up to the curb. It looked like she had Becker and the new communications specialist… what was her name… Jess, with her. All he needed now, thought Cutter, was Lester… and Abby and Connor.
"You know," the Professor said as he turned back towards the living room "I'm supposed to pick up Claudia and Stephanie this afternoon... bring them home. I don't think we need all this commotion here."
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Abby woke to the sound of the hearth log breaking apart in the fireplace. She turned her head, blinked her blue eyes, and looked over her shoulder as the fire crackled and sent sparks soaring up the chimney. Probably need to put another log on the fire, she thought… but later. Right now, she wanted to snuggle under the covers some more.
She turned her gaze back to the man she was currently using as a pillow. Dark brown hair fell across his forehead, his eyes were closed, his mouth partially open. Abby listened to his breathing, feeling his chest slowly rise and fall, as she remembered last night.
Connor had been even more nervous than she had been. He was worried at first that he wouldn't please her. Then, when she got his black pants off and tossed them on top of her clothes, he had panicked about something else.
"Forgot," he said, "in my wallet… I carry some protection."
For a moment, Abby hadn't understood what he meant, but then she realized his concern.
"Connor," she whispered softly as she nuzzled his ear, "don't worry, it's alright."
"Abby," he protested as she kissed her way across his jaw and down his throat, "I don't want to risk you getting pregnant."
"I won't," she promised "I've got one of the miracles of the twenty-first century with me… implantable birth control."
"What?" was Connor's last coherent comment as she stroked her hand down his chest.
Abby licked her lips. Then her blue eyes opened wide as she realized the full impact of Connor's statement. She shoved Connor as she pushed her way into a sitting position.
"Mmmph?!"
"Connor Temple," asked Abby indignantly "how long have you been carrying condoms in your wallet?"
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Connor blinked his sleepy eyes and tried to jump start his sleep befuddled brain. Abby was speaking to him… asking him something… he blinked again. Last night… it hadn't been a dream… and now, Abby was still here… beside him… asking about his wallet. Connor's brain clicked on.
"Since hygiene class," Connor answered "year nine."
Abby's rage was gone as quickly as it had come. She snorted, putting her hand over her mouth, as she tried to hold back her laughter.
"What were you thinking?" asked Connor innocently.
Abby turned her head away from Connor to face the fireplace again.
"I'm thinking the fire needs another log," Abby answered, not really answering his question, "but I don't want to get out from under the covers. It's cold."
Connor drew in his breath at the sight of Abby. The firelight behind her gave her skin a golden glow. He brought his hand up to cup the side of her face.
"Lay back down. I'll have to crawl over you," he said "to get another log."
"Don't be ridiculous Conn," replied Abby as she quickly slipped out from beneath the covers. She reached for another log from the basket by the fireplace. "But I expect you to warm me back up when I get back in the bed."
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Percy had been up since the first rays of sunlight peaked through the narrow window in the front room. He, Louis and the boy had fed and watered the animals, mucked out their stalls, and brought fresh buckets of water into the house. Louis had then taken the boy to go check their trap line.
In the other room, Henri was grumbling, trying to get out of the bandages that Jean had wrapped around his chest. Percy told Henri to wait… Jean would be here soon. In the meantime, Percy sat himself on the bench and stared across the tiny village that had been his home for the past ten years.
Abby and Connor were here, lost in time with him. Percy knew that Lester, Cutter and the ARC's team would be doing everything possible to get Abby and Connor back. Percy hadn't thought about London in years. Percy wondered, was it possible for all of them to go back to the twenty-first century?
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