Disclaimer: Primeval does not belong to me. This is fan fiction, not for profit.
Any references to people, places, businesses, etc. are entirely fictitious.
A/N Part of the Claudia story verse (AU) Transitions, Transitions Too, Continuum, Trimming the Tree, Missing
6.5-7 –London, Paris, and The ARC
…related…
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Claudia called Danny first for Patrick's cell phone number.
"Patrick is at uni," reminded Danny. "He's supposed to be studying. What do you want with him?"
"I just wanted to ask Patrick why he thought that mad scientist was related to Helen," explained Claudia.
In the entomologist's lab, Danny raised his eyebrows and nodded towards Lester. The ARCs director listened as Danny answered.
"Claudia," replied Danny, "all that information is in Lester's debriefing report. Why don't you meet us here at the ARC."
Claudia agreed and snapped the cell phone shut. The tawny haired woman looked at her husband.
"What do you say to a slight detour before we pick up Stephanie from my father?" asked Claudia.
Nick's initial response was to turn the blinker on. As he moved the car into the turning lane, he spoke.
"Why does all the unexplainable madness seem to go back to Helen?" asked the Scot.
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Abby followed Connor. He hadn't said much since their talk on the train. Outside the train station, it was starting to get dark. Connor paused to look at the street map. He pointed across the street and gestured.
"The hotel is that way," said Connor. He kept his eyes on Abby as he stepped off the edge of the sidewalk.
A blaring horn, squealing tires, and screeching brakes sounded.
"Connor!" exclaimed Abby as she grabbed his lapels with both hands and jerked him forward towards her.
Connor and Abby both stared as a white panel van zoomed past, mere inches from where Connor had just been standing.
"Be careful!" exclaimed Abby.
"I forgot," said Connor. "People in Paris don't drive on the same side of the road as they do in London."
The pair stared after the van as it disappeared down the road.
"If I'm going to get run over in Paris," added Connor, "I'd like to at least be run over by a French car, a Peugot or a Renault!"
"I'd rather you didn't get run over at all!"
Connor looked down into Abby's blue eyes. They were swimming with tears. The knuckles on her hand were white from clenching his lapels so tightly.
"It's a little late for that," reminded Connor, trying to make light of the near miss. "I've already been run over once."
"That's not funny!" hissed Abby. "You nearly got yourself killed."
Connor pulled Abby close and wrapped his arms around her.
"Sorry love," said Connor. "I didn't mean to scare you."
Connor reached his hand up to Abby's eye and brushed away her tears. The dark eyed man had listened on the train as Abby had explained her fear of bringing a child into a dangerous world.
"What if one or both of us got killed?" asked Abby. "It's bad enough leaving Rex, Sid and Nancy with Jack, I wouldn't want to leave a child with him."
"My mum would be better to take care of a child," replied Connor. "Besides, London isn't anymore dangerous today than it was yesterday."
"That's not what I meant," sniffed Abby. "The work… the anomalies…"
"We're not working at the ARC anymore," reminded Connor. "Usually universities and zoological animal preserves are fairly safe places."
"There's a lot to think about before we decide anything," said Abby.
Connor understood Abby's fear was grounded in her own fear of abandonment. The slender scientist had spent the better part of their train trip trying to think of a way to reassure Abby that he'd be there for her, and, if they were lucky, any children they might have.
"Let's go to the hotel now," suggested Connor. His lips curled up in a soft smile. "Yeah?"
Abby nodded. Entwining her fingers in his, the pair started across the street.
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Jess flinched as the sound of shots echoed loudly in the firing room. The recoil pushed the young field coordinator's body back against Becker. A low rumble sounded from his throat almost echoing the sound of the pistol.
"Steady there," cautioned Becker. He had released his grip on Jess when she was ready to fire, but now the tall soldier wrapped his arms around Jess again. "You don't want to fall down."
"I'm not going to fall down," stated Jess.
Becker released his grip on her shoulders. He glanced away from Jess and looked at the far end of the firing room at the target.
"Let's see how you did," replied Becker.
The Captain pressed a button bringing the target silhouette forward to where they were standing. Together they looked at the holes in the target.
"Well at least if you shoot an assailant in the feet he or she won't be able to chase you," said Becker at last.
"I don't want to shoot anyone in the feet," protested Jess. "I don't want to shoot anyone at all."
"With proper training," began Becker.
"No," said Jess firmly. "Personal safety doesn't have to include guns. There's got to be another way."
Becker looked shocked for a moment at the idea that someone wouldn't appreciate the merits of guns, but then he shrugged his shoulders.
"Fine," Becker replied. "What would you suggest? Do you want to start training in hand to hand combat?"
A smirk crossed Jess's face. She stepped closer to the soldier. Jess placed one small hand against his chest.
"I've always heard that the key to hand to hand combat," whispered Jess, "is keeping your opponent off balance. Is that true?"
Becker sucked in a deep breath.
"Balance is critical," agreed Becker. He swallowed. "But it really depends upon circumstances…"
"Like this," said Jess as she pressed against Becker's chest.
The tall man staggered back against the armament rack. His knees bent as he struggled to remain upright. Becker found himself eye level with Jess. He swallowed again.
"Yeah, training in hand to hand combat," replied Becker, "might be better for you."
Jess's only response was to lean forward and press her lips against his.
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Danny and Stephen were standing behind Lester when Claudia and Cutter arrived. They were looking over his shoulder at old ARC files from when Patrick had returned last summer.
"Have you found out anything?" asked the Professor.
"Just that Patrick said he saw three different Helen's with that Aurora woman," answered Patrick.
"Yeah, I remember," said Cutter, "we thought Patrick had seen Helen at three different stages of her life."
"But the initial interview notes don't say anything about Aurora," added Lester. "And I don't really have that on any later notes either."
"Well yeah," replied Cutter. "We were a little busy with convergence to take notes when Patrick let out that bombshell about Aurora maybe being a scientist and maybe being related to Helen."
Lester glared at the Professor.
"That was in January," reminded Lester. "One would think a report could have been filed by March!"
Cutter opened his mouth to say something back, but Claudia intervened.
"Why don't we get the report started now," suggested Claudia. "What do we know about this woman?"
Claudia walked over to the white board and picked up a blue marker.
"Who's first?" asked Claudia.
An hour and two phone calls later, the team still had very little information. Patrick couldn't remember much more than what he'd already told them. Matt didn't know anything.
"My mother died when I was four," said Matt, "I had no siblings and never knew anyone named Aurora. My father brought me to this time and place when I was a teen."
Claudia's list included Aurora Anderson's known traits and a few possibilities. The mad woman was tall, thin, bony (malnourished? Or just skinny?), very pale, and had short blonde hair. She liked spiders, hated Connor, maybe came from the future, maybe lived underground, definitely worked with DNA, maybe made clones, definitely made biogenetic creatures.
"It's the last one that worries me," said Cutter as he rubbed his chin.
Claudia glanced at her husband. The one thing that worried Claudia was the item not listed on the whiteboard, the ring around Aurora's neck. Patrick had been sure that Aurora had Helen's ring.
"The youngest Helen and Aurora both had the same ring," said Patrick. "They fought about it, but I don't know why."
"Yeah, she made the predators," agreed Danny as he joined Cutter by the whiteboard. The two men stared at the list. "And she blames Becker for destroying her first biogenetic creation."
Cutter shuddered at the memory.
"That was the littlest predator I've ever seen," added Cutter, "but just as nasty as its bigger relatives."
"No," objected Lester. "The creature you saw at the anomaly junction in Abby and Connor's home during convergence isn't the smallest predator ever."
"I think I know best what I've seen," objected the Scot.
Lester nodded towards the entomologist's work table. The black and yellow creatures were spread beneath the magnification enhancement device.
"Miniature predators," hissed the bureaucrat.
"With wings," added Stephen.
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