Summary:
A few years have passed since their discovery of the anomalies. Everyone has a slightly more settled life. Although with changes. But a new "problem" arises that motivates James Lester to ask his Caribbean family for help.
Chapter Management
Chapter 1
Chapter Text
Chapter 1: One More
James Lester takes little walks around his office, rather his cubicle. It has been a year and a half or so (almost two) since the explosion that destroyed the ARC. And of the succession of more deaths than he had wanted to know. A little mess. It has also had to reduce its decision-making capacity. The ARC has been half privatized. It was necessary, there were not enough funds. James Lester has a "partner" with whom he has had to learn to use more left hand than ever, but he already has the anomalies almost "under his skin", like the Cole Porter song. In addition, he feels responsible for his employees (and friends), for their lives and for the lives of the millions of civilians he feels he has had to take care of. He knows that, if not for him, his "partner" Philip Burton would be more aware of the benefits of the ARC. But trust that "his" ARC is like the Phoenix, reborn from its ashes. It is necessary and vital at this time. And he has to be there. Despite the complications.
But not all are headaches: she has been able to celebrate the wedding of her great friend Jenny Lewis, he has as her right hand the charming and playful Jess Parker, always faithful and with principles! What the ARC needs. To the great Matt Anderson, who has managed to reunify and strengthen the team and give them enough faith and strength to regain their confidence in themselves. Although this man is an enigma, a lonely man. But he knows he´s trustworthy. Just as he knows he wouldn't trust Philip with his life.
And he has never left aside his family, Richard Poole, his wife Camille, and his two little nephews: Julian and Richard. Two great little troublemakers. Richard has already forgotten to sleep properly, to enjoy his music and books in peace… .but he´s happy with his "lovely Detective Sergeant Camille Bordey", now Camille Poole. She didn't have a great memory of her father, so she had no qualms about changing her last name. Saint Marie is another world, a world in which, despite crimes, major and minor, is full of sun (too much for Richard yet) and of life and laughter. By the way, James Lester also escapes from time to time, less than he would like, to the island. He needs to disconnect. Of course he takes his wife and children with him. But he likes to keep them out of the ARC world for as long as he can. Although he likes it, he knows it´s dangerous.
"Sir" interrupts their meditations Jess Parker "Anderson reports that they have managed to neutralize the Dracoraptor. Apart from a broken leg of a civilian and some material damage already being handled by the Reconstruction team, there is no further damage to regret."
James Lester has listened to her carefully and in silence, thanking her that the damage didn´t reach more.
"Is it known how the Dracoraptor got from the Jurassic period to 19th century Wales?" This work have 5 chapters.
"It appears that there was an anomaly connecting them, sir. But they have already closed it. Fortunately it wasn´t very big. The problem has arisen when the civilian has become nervous and has gone the wrong way. He tripped and fell. That's what happened to him"
"In the 19th century it wasn´t very common to see a distant relative of the Tyrannosaurus rex running around." Through missions and awards, James Lester is learning a lot from the whole world. And he´s beginning to be passionate about it, although he never forgets his main mission: to protect. "When are Anderson and the others coming back?" he asks.
"They are on their way, sir. Before closing the anomaly they have left the little Dracoraptor in its time. If you don't need anything else…" she answers, making a move to leave.
"No, nothing more. As soon as they are at the ARC, have Anderson stop by my office and report back to me. Thank you." And with his hand he indicates the door with kindness with his characteristic gesture and sits down.
Another aborted crisis.
"Richard, take the boy! Can't you see he's going to fall?" Camille scolds him. Richard catches him on the fly. Who was going to tell him that he was going to gain agility with the children!
Julian is really the more restless of the two. He doesn´t stop! He has an attraction for the sea that he cannot and doesn´t want to avoid. It fascinates him. And little Richard follows him everywhere, if only to fight. That doesn´t change.
"Julian, we´ve told you a thousand times that there are no baths in the sea with maman until she says so! Do you understand me?" Richard tries to reason with him.
Julian looks at him smiling, always with his father's smile! And nods, but Richard knows that, as soon as he can, he will run away.
When he notices that the boy is calmer, he takes him with his brother and goes to the back garden.
"I want you to play for five minutes until maman and I are ready to go where Grand-mère Catherine is, let's leave you there and go to the Station. Okay?"
The children nod their heads. They have a great time with their grand-mére! They don't talk too much. Richard and Camille have been told that nothing is wrong, it´s normal between twins. But they communicate very, very well! Richard adores them, at this point he could no longer live without them and without Camille. They are his life, he recognizes it. But they had to be two!
He walks away from them and almost runs up the stairs to go to the bedroom, where Camille is packing and finishing getting ready to go to work.
"Honey, do you have a lot left? The children are restless"
She looks at him and answers:
"No, I'm almost there. And when are they not?" she responds. "Do you have the briefcase? I see you do. Let me fix your tie" She straightens it and gives him a little kiss on the lips. "We must take advantage of the few seconds we have to ourselves" she excuses himself.
He doesn´t object. He kisses her back and they go downstairs to pick up the children, take them to Catherine, and go to the Station. They are with another case in hand.
19th century, in the middle of an ordinary street on the outskirts of Newport, not too far from Cardiff. Abby Maitland is devastated. Not by the Dracoraptor, she has already been returned to his time and place. They´re in one of the dirtiest and poorest streets in the city. She knew that they would meet poor people, crippled people ... that's how many human beings lived at that time and history is what it is.
"Connor, look at the number of children there are begging! They are too small!"
Connor looks at her, he's also devastated. But he doesn't know what he can say to comfort her.
Matt walks up to them and watches the scene:
"That's how it was lived in the nineteenth century, I'm afraid. Unwanted children inevitably ended up on the street, even if they had their mother, father or both. In the best of cases, there was a" godfather "who took care of them. But, yes, of teaching them to steal, at first using them in petty thefts, to get into houses and things like that. Of course they had to be worth, to those who didn´t, they went back to the streets. "
Abby looks at him indignantly. "And we can't do anything for them?" Same old Abby.
Matt Anderson stares at her and answers:
"In this day and age there were nursing homes, to call them that. Some were run by people who really had good intentions in what they did. Not in most cases. This anomaly is quite stable. I'll talk to Lester and see if we can do something. I promise you"
"That girl is too small to walk alone!" Connor exclaims. As Abby and Matt talked, he has been observing what was happening around him. He also feels the need to do something. Among these children he has been observing a girl of about three and a half years or so with long, matted hair. It´s impossible to know the colour. It´s too dirty and thin.
Hearing him they turn around and look at her. Matt walks away from them and approaches the girl. She, at first, runs away from him. But when he offers her a piece of candy, she walks over to him and accepts it. She´s starving. Matt signals Abby and Connor to come closer.
"I think this girl isn´t as strong as the rest, maybe Emily gets on better with her than we do. She can find out if she has a family, that kind of information ..." says Matt.
Connor and Abby look at each other, then look at him and ask:
"Are you hinting that we take her with us?" they ask him. Not even crazy Connor would have come up with such an idea, which embarrasses him a bit.
"There is no other remedy. We cannot leave her on the street. She´s too small. She won´t survive. Emily can make her know as little as possible about the 21st century" Matt replies.
"Lester is going to have a fit. I know," confirms Abby. "But maybe something will occur to him. He has children and cares about people more than we think."
Abby has always been very optimistic. So they return from the "mission" with one more little person who doesn't quite understand what´s happening.
Notes: The dracoraptor was a small animal and somewhat resembling a dragon. Or so those who made the dragon the animal of Wales thought.