The Mystery of Stephen
Originally posted by aunteeneenah at The Mystery of Stephen
Title: The Mystery of Stephen
Rating: K
Word Count 1,163
Characters: Stephen, Connor, Abby, Cutter, Claudia, mention of Ryan and Helen
Spoilers: This is an AU from Season 2
Disclaimer: None of these characters are mine. I just bend them to suit my needs and then put them back together. I make nothing from this.
Summary: What's the deal with Stephen?
A/N: This is the result of a poke from nietie when we were discussing the amazing and pretty James Murray. It was supposed to be a drabble but it just sort of grew. Many thanks to fififollefor the beta. Thank you, Pooh Bear, (scwlc_fic) for the name of the pub.
“Connor! No!” Abby stated firmly but she knew it was no use. She recognized the look on his face and sighed. Everyone at the ARC thought Connor was a pushover when it came to Abby, that he’d always give in, but what they didn’t realize was that when he got his mind set on something, he could be as stubborn as an old mule.
“Abby, you know I’m right. Something’s off with Stephen. He doesn’t join us at the pub after work, and he was very secretive when I asked him about it,” Connor responded.
“Secretive? Connor, he told you to bugger off and mind your own business!”
“Yeah, well, that’s what I mean. He usually just ignores me, but this time he actually warned me off.”
Abby laughed and shook her head. “Maybe he has a girlfriend.”
“Nah. If he had a girlfriend, Cutter would know.” Abby gave him a look. “Well, maybe not, but you have to admit, he’s been pretty mysterious.”
Unfortunately, Abby did have to agree and even had to admit to being the tiniest bit curious about what he could be doing. Remembering the secrecy when he was seeing Helen made her blood run cold.
Connor could tell she was weakening. “Come on, Abs, we can wear trench coats and fedoras.”
“No! I will not wear a trench coat and fedora!” Abby was adamant about that. “The only people who dress like that are flashers.”
Connor took a moment to consider Abby naked under a trench coat and, obviously, the look on his face told her what he was thinking because she gave him a smack across the back of his head.
“Oi! What was that for?” he whined, rubbing his head.
“It’s for what you were thinking.” Abby laughed.
“All right, I’ll give you that one.” He returned her laughter.
The next day at work, Connor set his plan in motion. First he hacked into Stephen’s computer to find out if there was evidence of a girlfriend… or boyfriend, the designation wasn’t important, but found nothing.
He then had Abby snoop around Stephen’s office.
“What am I supposed to be looking for?” she asked.
“Anything out of place,” Connor explained. “You know I have no reason to be in his office or I’d do it myself.”
Because their individual disciplines crossed paths, Abby had more reason to be in Stephen’s office, so she asked him to double check some of her findings and while he was reading over the document, she glanced around, but she didn’t really see anything out of place except a book of matches advertising a place called The Cock & Jam and since as far as she knew, Stephen didn’t smoke, that seemed significant.
When she met Connor, she told him what she’d found, unfortunately, she was overheard by Claudia.
“What are you two up to?” Claudia asked, her eyes narrowed.
“Nothing,” came the chorus, along with two identically innocent looks.
“Come on,” she demanded, “I know when you two are up to something so out with it!”
Surprisingly, Abby was the one to crack. “We’re concerned about Stephen. He’s been acting… secretive… again.”
Claudia nodded. “Yes, I’ve noticed it as well. So has Nick. In fact, we were talking about it this morning.” She caught the look Abby and Connor exchanged. “Here at work! Honestly, you two. Get your minds out of the gutter.”
The duo laughed.
“What have you found out?” Claudia asked.
“What has who found out?” Nick interrupted.
“These two have been doing some snooping into what we were discussing this morning,” Claudia answered.
“Well?” asked Cutter.
Abby and Connor began to speak over each other so Cutter held up his hand. “Wait just a minute. Connor, you’re the one in charge of conspiracy theories, you go first.”
“What? That’s not fair. I found the clue,” Abby grumbled.
“My God.” Cutter laughed. “You’re beginning to sound like… what was it you called it, Connor? The Crime-Busting Gang?”
The laughter felt good. It had been a long time since they’d felt so comfortable together, since Cutter came back from the Permian with Helen and she’d dropped the bombshell about her affair with Stephen. It had been a bad time and Stephen was still trying to work his way through her betrayal and his own for that matter. Ryan was still in the hospital recovering from the injuries he’d sustained when the future predator had attacked but at least they’d found all five of the infants and destroyed them all. Cutter was still convinced that Helen had wanted them to live but he’d made certain he had personally dispatched those left after the Gorgonopsid had killed the final adult.
“Now, what’s this clue you have?” askedCutter.
“It’s all yours, Abby,” said Connor.
Abby explained about finding the book of matches and Connor went to his laptop and typed in The Cock & Jam. It turned out it was a pub that specialized in blues music. The team was perplexed. Why would Stephen be going there?
“Well,” said Cutter, “there’s only one way to find out. Tonight is pub night and if Stephen isn’t there, we go to The Cock & Jam.”
“No trench coats? No fedoras?” Connor’s face showed his disappointment.
Abby wrapped her arms around his waist and whispered in his ear, “I’ll wear the trench coat after we get home,” and walked away. Connor stared after her with his mouth hanging open and Claudia’s laughter ringing in his ears.
When they reached the pub, Stephen wasn’t there so they turned around and headed out to the other pub.
When they arrived, they looked around for Stephen, however, were disappointed to note he wasn’t there.
“Were we wrong?” Connor asked. “Was the matchbook a red herring?"
They moved further into the pub and found a table. At that moment, the curtain on the stage opened and a small combo consisting of drums, a guitar, harmonica, and piano began to play. They looked more closely and were amazed to see Stephen at the piano not only playing the instrument, but singing an old Muddy Waters standard. All his pain at love and friendships lost came through the music and as he went from one song into another, it was as if his very soul was being bared before them.
As he sang and played, Stephen looked up and saw them and rather than being angry that they were there, he began to sing directly to them. Sharing his life with them, the love, betrayal, fear, loneliness, and finally, a sense of blossoming and growth.
When his set was complete, Stephen walked out to their table and stood directly in front of Nick, watching for his reaction. Slowly, Nick stood, touched Stephen’s face and pulled him into his arms. The rest stood around them, circling them, and Stephen found what he thought he’d lost forever, the strength of love and friendship, never lost, simply misplaced and he knew he had come home.
Title: The Mystery of Stephen
Rating: K
Word Count 1,163
Characters: Stephen, Connor, Abby, Cutter, Claudia, mention of Ryan and Helen
Spoilers: This is an AU from Season 2
Disclaimer: None of these characters are mine. I just bend them to suit my needs and then put them back together. I make nothing from this.
Summary: What's the deal with Stephen?
A/N: This is the result of a poke from nietie when we were discussing the amazing and pretty James Murray. It was supposed to be a drabble but it just sort of grew. Many thanks to fififollefor the beta. Thank you, Pooh Bear, (scwlc_fic) for the name of the pub.
“Connor! No!” Abby stated firmly but she knew it was no use. She recognized the look on his face and sighed. Everyone at the ARC thought Connor was a pushover when it came to Abby, that he’d always give in, but what they didn’t realize was that when he got his mind set on something, he could be as stubborn as an old mule.
“Abby, you know I’m right. Something’s off with Stephen. He doesn’t join us at the pub after work, and he was very secretive when I asked him about it,” Connor responded.
“Secretive? Connor, he told you to bugger off and mind your own business!”
“Yeah, well, that’s what I mean. He usually just ignores me, but this time he actually warned me off.”
Abby laughed and shook her head. “Maybe he has a girlfriend.”
“Nah. If he had a girlfriend, Cutter would know.” Abby gave him a look. “Well, maybe not, but you have to admit, he’s been pretty mysterious.”
Unfortunately, Abby did have to agree and even had to admit to being the tiniest bit curious about what he could be doing. Remembering the secrecy when he was seeing Helen made her blood run cold.
Connor could tell she was weakening. “Come on, Abs, we can wear trench coats and fedoras.”
“No! I will not wear a trench coat and fedora!” Abby was adamant about that. “The only people who dress like that are flashers.”
Connor took a moment to consider Abby naked under a trench coat and, obviously, the look on his face told her what he was thinking because she gave him a smack across the back of his head.
“Oi! What was that for?” he whined, rubbing his head.
“It’s for what you were thinking.” Abby laughed.
“All right, I’ll give you that one.” He returned her laughter.
The next day at work, Connor set his plan in motion. First he hacked into Stephen’s computer to find out if there was evidence of a girlfriend… or boyfriend, the designation wasn’t important, but found nothing.
He then had Abby snoop around Stephen’s office.
“What am I supposed to be looking for?” she asked.
“Anything out of place,” Connor explained. “You know I have no reason to be in his office or I’d do it myself.”
Because their individual disciplines crossed paths, Abby had more reason to be in Stephen’s office, so she asked him to double check some of her findings and while he was reading over the document, she glanced around, but she didn’t really see anything out of place except a book of matches advertising a place called The Cock & Jam and since as far as she knew, Stephen didn’t smoke, that seemed significant.
When she met Connor, she told him what she’d found, unfortunately, she was overheard by Claudia.
“What are you two up to?” Claudia asked, her eyes narrowed.
“Nothing,” came the chorus, along with two identically innocent looks.
“Come on,” she demanded, “I know when you two are up to something so out with it!”
Surprisingly, Abby was the one to crack. “We’re concerned about Stephen. He’s been acting… secretive… again.”
Claudia nodded. “Yes, I’ve noticed it as well. So has Nick. In fact, we were talking about it this morning.” She caught the look Abby and Connor exchanged. “Here at work! Honestly, you two. Get your minds out of the gutter.”
The duo laughed.
“What have you found out?” Claudia asked.
“What has who found out?” Nick interrupted.
“These two have been doing some snooping into what we were discussing this morning,” Claudia answered.
“Well?” asked Cutter.
Abby and Connor began to speak over each other so Cutter held up his hand. “Wait just a minute. Connor, you’re the one in charge of conspiracy theories, you go first.”
“What? That’s not fair. I found the clue,” Abby grumbled.
“My God.” Cutter laughed. “You’re beginning to sound like… what was it you called it, Connor? The Crime-Busting Gang?”
The laughter felt good. It had been a long time since they’d felt so comfortable together, since Cutter came back from the Permian with Helen and she’d dropped the bombshell about her affair with Stephen. It had been a bad time and Stephen was still trying to work his way through her betrayal and his own for that matter. Ryan was still in the hospital recovering from the injuries he’d sustained when the future predator had attacked but at least they’d found all five of the infants and destroyed them all. Cutter was still convinced that Helen had wanted them to live but he’d made certain he had personally dispatched those left after the Gorgonopsid had killed the final adult.
“Now, what’s this clue you have?” askedCutter.
“It’s all yours, Abby,” said Connor.
Abby explained about finding the book of matches and Connor went to his laptop and typed in The Cock & Jam. It turned out it was a pub that specialized in blues music. The team was perplexed. Why would Stephen be going there?
“Well,” said Cutter, “there’s only one way to find out. Tonight is pub night and if Stephen isn’t there, we go to The Cock & Jam.”
“No trench coats? No fedoras?” Connor’s face showed his disappointment.
Abby wrapped her arms around his waist and whispered in his ear, “I’ll wear the trench coat after we get home,” and walked away. Connor stared after her with his mouth hanging open and Claudia’s laughter ringing in his ears.
When they reached the pub, Stephen wasn’t there so they turned around and headed out to the other pub.
When they arrived, they looked around for Stephen, however, were disappointed to note he wasn’t there.
“Were we wrong?” Connor asked. “Was the matchbook a red herring?"
They moved further into the pub and found a table. At that moment, the curtain on the stage opened and a small combo consisting of drums, a guitar, harmonica, and piano began to play. They looked more closely and were amazed to see Stephen at the piano not only playing the instrument, but singing an old Muddy Waters standard. All his pain at love and friendships lost came through the music and as he went from one song into another, it was as if his very soul was being bared before them.
As he sang and played, Stephen looked up and saw them and rather than being angry that they were there, he began to sing directly to them. Sharing his life with them, the love, betrayal, fear, loneliness, and finally, a sense of blossoming and growth.
When his set was complete, Stephen walked out to their table and stood directly in front of Nick, watching for his reaction. Slowly, Nick stood, touched Stephen’s face and pulled him into his arms. The rest stood around them, circling them, and Stephen found what he thought he’d lost forever, the strength of love and friendship, never lost, simply misplaced and he knew he had come home.