Disclaimer: I don't own Primeval or its characters.

Chapter Summary: The night Jess has been waiting months for has finally arrive; it's her first date with Becker.

Chapter Length: 2593

Open Mic Nights

Chapter 12 – Frist Date

Friday afternoon had finally come and Abby couldn't have been happier. It had been a particularly tiering week, with three anomaly alerts—one of which involved a difficult incursion—as well as having to deal with a supply problem in the menagerie. After the week she'd had, Abby wanted nothing more than to order some takeaway, curl up on the couch, and watch a movie with her fiancée and best friend. But when they got home it became apparent that Jess may have had other plans.

The moment Abby pulled the car into her parking spot at their apartment building; Jess was out of her seat and hurrying towards the elevator. Abby and Connor followed, certain that Jess was just anxious to get inside and put the week they had just had behind them; though this certainty was shattered once they were inside their flat.

Inside, Abby watched as Jess made her way into the kitchen, where she dumped her bag, unceremoniously, on the bench. Catching sight of the clock display on the oven, Jess squealed.

"Oh my God, I've only got an hour to get ready." With that Jess was bounding up the stairs, hurrying towards her bedroom.

"What was that about?" Connor asked, watching Jess go.

"I don't know, but I'm going to find out." Abby replied as she moved to follow Jess.

Upstairs, Abby found Jess in her bedroom going through her closet. She was pulling different outfits out of the cupboard, looking them over, and then tossing them over her shoulder. Frowning, Abby entered the room and went to sit on Jess's bed.

"What's got you so excited?"

"If you must know, I'm going out tonight." Jess replied, not pausing in her search through her wardrobe.

"Like a date?" Abby asked, surprised. She didn't think Jess would ever give up on Becker enough to even consider going out with someone else, let alone actually do it.

"Not like a date, a date." Abby could hear the excitement in Jess' voice, it was clear she was looking forward to going out with whoever it was. Abby was happy for her friend, she deserved to spend her Friday nights out having fun, instead of at home waiting around for someone who may never realise that he has feelings for her. But at the same time she couldn't help feeling somewhat disappointed. She felt bad for Becker. Abby had been so sure that Becker was close to admitting how he felt about Jess, and to think that he had missed his chance to be with her saddened Abby. She knew that if they could both just admit how they felt to each other they would have made a good couple, they'd balance each other out.

"But I have no idea what to wear!" Jess' voice pulled Abby away from her thoughts.

"Well, where's he taking you?"

"I don't know he wants it to be a surprise."

"Okay, well, what about that black dress? That'll work not matter where he takes you." Jess pulled the dress Abby gestured to out of her closet and looked it over. It was a tight, lace black dress that ended mid-thigh. The black slip that was under the lace was made to look like a strapless dress, but the lace continued on, covering the chest, shoulders and arms. It gave the illusion of showing a lot of skin without actually showing anything.

"It's perfect!" Jess cried before heading to the bathroom to start getting ready. Abby smiled at Jess's retreating form then went down stairs to find Connor.

"So, did you find out what's got Jess all railed up?" Connor asked as Abby joined him on the couch.

"Turns out Jess has a date tonight."

"A date? With who?"

"She didn't say. But it's a good thing that she's going out; she shouldn't spend her life waiting around."

"Still, I can't help but feel bad for Action Man; he's going to be crushed when he finds out. Not that he'll admit it."

An hour later there was a knock at the door. Curios as to who was taking Jess out, Abby rose from the couch—where she was watching TV with Connor—and went to answer the door. She was expecting to find some nameless man who she'd never met on the other side, so imagine her surprise when she found Becker waiting at the door.

"Becker?" Abby said, confused. "What are you doing here? We hadn't planned to do wedding stuff tonight, had we?"

An amused look came over Becker's face at how confused Abby was.

"No we couldn't have," She continued when Becker didn't say anything. "Because Jess is going out to night and she wouldn't have made plans if we had already agreed to do wedding stuff. Unless…" Abby's voice trailed off as realisation overcame her.

"You're not…? Are you?" Abby asked eyes wide and a smile tugging at her lips.

Becker just smiled in response.

"Well it's about time." Abby pulled him in for a hug. "I'm so happy for the both of you."

"Thanks Abby, for everything." Abby smiled at Becker, glad that she had finally gotten through to the man.

"Hey Abs what's taking so long? Surly you've scared the bloke enough by now." Connor called as he came into the foyer by the front door. The same confusion that had riddled Abby fell over him as he saw Becker standing by the still open door. "Becker? Did we have plans I forgot about?"

"No Connor," Becker sighed. The confused frown on Connor's face deepened.

"Con, think really hard about what we were talking about before, and about how happy Jess was when we got home."

Abby could see the wheels in her fiancé's head turning as he thought about what she had just said. She could also see the exact moment he figured it out.

"Well I'll be damned, who knew you had it in you Action Man."

Becker was about to argue, but it was at that moment that Jess came down stairs.

Jess had been able to hear everything going on down stairs, and she couldn't help but smile at Connor and Abby's reaction when they realised who was taking her out. She wasn't sure why she hadn't told her flatmates about her date with Becker. Part of her had wanted to blurt it out the moment she got home last Saturday, but something within her had told her it would be better if she kept it quiet.

I guess part of me was worried that he'd realise what he'd done and cancel. Though I am honestly surprised I was able to keep quiet for an entire week.

When Jess heard Connor start to try and provoke Becker she decided it was time she made an entrance.

"Well at least it didn't take him a trip into the past to work up his nerve." Jess said as she descended the stairs. At the sound of her voice they all turned to look at her; each with a different expression on their face. Abby looked happy, like she had been waiting for this to happen for as long as Jess had. Connor looked happy for her as well, but there was a protectiveness underlining his expression that made Jess smile. Becker's expression, on the other hand, was one that Jess couldn't decipher. He was just staring at her and it looked like he was trying to hide a smile.

"You look beautiful." Becker said, ending the silence that had fallen over them, and causing Jess to blush.

"Thank you." Jess replied quietly, as she took in Becker's appearance. He was wearing grey pants, a black button down shirt and a leather jacket. He looked good, better than he did in his uniform at work—something Jess didn't think was possible.

"Come on Con, let's go find a movie to watch. Have fun you two." Abby said, taking Becker and Jess's somewhat awkward interaction as their cue to leave.

"But not too much fun; and you better have her home by twelve." Connor called as Abby dragged him into the living room. Becker laughed as the pair left the apartment and made their way to his truck.

"He's only half joking, you know." Jess said as she got in the passenger's seat.

Becker raised an eyebrow in question.

"It wouldn't surprise me if we find him waiting up when we get back. Though after last time I'd hope he'd know better."

Again Becker just stared at her.

Sighing, Jess explained. "In the time they've lived with me I've gone on a date one other time. It was a few weeks before the beetle incident, I was pretty much convinced my feelings weren't reciprocated and a friend convinced me to go out with this friend of hers. Anyway I agreed and when he came to pick me up Connor told him to have me home by eleven. We didn't end up getting back till twelve and found Connor waiting in the living room with an EMD he'd brought home to fix. He looked Brad in the eye and told him I was meant to be home an hour ago, all the while holding the EMD. It was humiliating but sweet at the same time, totally scared Brad off though, which was kinda for the best as he was really obnoxious."

"I never thought of Connor as the overprotective type."

"Neither had I and I was pretty annoyed by what happened. I started yelling at him, which turned into the two of us talking all night. He told me that I was like a little sister to him and he didn't want to see my get hurt. It was sweet really, and something I could understand. We started hanging out a lot after they moved in and found we had a lot in common. After some time we developed a sibling bond, something neither of us had had before, we're both the only child in our families."

"It's nice you were able to be that for each other."

"Yeah, it is." Jess smiled.

Becker took her to an Indian restaurant for dinner. As they waited for the hostess to seat them Jess took in the décor of the establishment.

The walls were painted mauve which looked striking when paired with the black tiles that covered the floor. Decretive mirrors and artworks hang at intervals along the walls. The mahogany furniture was almost as dark as the tiled floor, but anything else would have looked out of place. Each table was set out with white dinning wear, silver cutlery, a set of crystal clear glasses, and, in the centre, sat a white vase that held an arrangement of vibrant flowers. It was all beautiful, but Jess' favourite part was the bright coloured cloths that hung from the ceiling.

###

So far the evening had gone really well. The restaurant was beautiful, and the food tasted as good as the place looked. But it was the company that made Jess truly enjoy herself. Being out with Becker was just like she had imagined it would be, if not better. They talked happily through their meal and it was only as desert came that they fell silent, but it wasn't an awkward silence. It was comfortable; they were both more than happy to just enjoy being out together, neither of them felt like they had to keep the conversation going.

"Have you really only gone out once in the entire time Connor and Abby have lived with you?" Becker asked breaking the silence.

"Why? Is that a problem for you?" Jess asked, suddenly feeling like she needed to go on the defensive.

"No! God no. I just always thought of you as a social person."

Jess relaxed at his explanation. "Oh, yeah I am, I mean, I go out with the team weekly and see friends from uni at least once a month. I'm just not the type of person to go out with someone unless I have a genuine interest in them."

Jess blushed and looked down at her admission, meaning she missed the smile that tugged at the corners of Becker's mouth.

"Besides there was one other attempt, about a week after I went out with Brad, but that date ended before it even began."

"Connor again?"

"Yes, but this time he only intervened because he realised that the guy was a jerk. He saved me from a night of misery, and God knows what else."

They left the restaurant a little while later and Becker took Jess to a nearby club. After some drinks at the bar, Jess dragged Becker out on to the dance floor. They spent the next couple of hours dancing, taking the opportunity to hold each other close whenever a slow song came on. It was one of the most enjoyable experiences of Jess's life.

At 11:55 Jess was walking down the hall to her flat with Becker by her side. He didn't say so, but Jess was certain that Becker had decided to adhere to the curfew set upon them by Connor, to prove to their teammates that he wasn't going to do anything to hurt Jess. Not that she thought any of them believed he would; at least not intentionally.

They came to a stop outside her apartment door. Jess turned and looked up at Becker, suddenly feeling shy.

"I…um…I had a really good time tonight." Jess said, looking into Becker's eyes.

"So did I." They stood in the hallway, captivated by each other. It looked, to Jess, like Becker was trying to decide on something, then the next thing she knew he was brushing his lips gently across hers. A jolt of electricity shot through Jess at the contact and her breath caught in her throat.

As Becker started to draw back Jess threw her arms around his neck, and pulling him closer, she deepened the kiss. Becker's arms wound around her waist, and they stayed that way—kissing in the hallway—until they had to break for air.

Becker kept his arms around Jess when they pulled away from each other; he brought his forehead to rest against hers, while Jess moved her hands so they sat against his chest.

"I really did have a wonderful time tonight." He murmured.

"Me too."

They stood in each other's embrace for a while longer. Eventually Jess moved back, not far enough that she had to step out of his arms, but far enough that she could look at Becker.

Sighing she gave voice to the thoughts that occupied the backs of both of their minds. "I should go inside before Connor sends out a search party."

Becker smiled at her attempt at a joke. 'Yeah probably."

"Thank you again for tonight. So, I'll see you Monday?"

"Only if I can wait that long to see you again."

Jess blushed as she opened the front door.

"'Night Jess."

"Goodnight Becker," Jess said as she went inside, closing the door behind her.

Inside Jess found Abby and Connor sitting in the living room.

"We're not waiting up for you I swear! We're still watching the movie, we didn't put it on till late." Connor said when he noticed Jess. She laughed and made her way to the stairs.

"So how was the date?" Abby asked before she had a chance to escape.

"Fun." Jess replied heading up the stairs to her room. Once there, Jess closed the door behind her and flopped down onto her bed.

Best night ever.