Fic: Cuffed and Cursed Part 4
Connor stared at Becker for a long moment, lips pursed slightly as if he wanted to say something, but couldn't get the words to form. Becker let go of Connor's shoulder, and smiled slightly.
"I'm sorry I gave you the wrong impression, Connor. I'm not very good at saying what I mean, it would seem." He admitted. Connor shook his head, eyes brighter now.
"No worse 'n me. I should've trusted you, Becks." He cleared his throat. "Why don't we go find Danny, now?" Connor still felt a little niggle of doubt in the back of his mind, but it would never truly go away. He accepted that, but would prefer to move on from this as quickly as possible. Before Becker could ask if he would agree to staying out of the field.
Of course, Becker and he often thought alike, and Connor could almost see the question forming.
"Not now, later. We've gotta get these cuffs off b'fore, y'know..." They both paused, listening unnecesarily carefully for the sound of the ADD. They both sighed in relief when nothing happened, and then laughed.
"Right."
Danny grinned from where he hid, though he was almost tempted to bribe Jess into sending Becker and Connor on a wild goose chase while they were still handcuffed. Actually... that was a really good idea. The ex copper snickered and wriggled his way through the vent system towards the Hub.
Becker and Connor weren't sure where to start now, unsure which way to go. Danny had been seen in the break room twenty minutes ago, and he could've gone anywhere.
"Oh! Becker, this way!"
"What?! Did you see him?!"
"No, but I thought of somethin'! We 'ave ta get to me lab first, then I'll explain." Now that the argument was more or less forgotten - and Becker wasn't sure if it was an act or if Connor had truly forgiven him that quickly. He was going to bring it back up, but later, not right now. He nodded, and Connor took off at a run. Becker was careful to start movign at the same time so that neither of them would be tugged along by their wrist.
"So, what's in your lab, Conn, that's so important?" Becker asked, shifting his weight from foot to foot as Connor moved stacks of papers and piles of tools and bits of wiring.
"Just somethin' I was messin' with... here we go!" He found the device, which looked like a whole mess of odds and ends thrown together haphazardly.
"What does it do?" Connor couldn't help but bristle slightly at the almost-patronizing tone in Becker's voice... until he realized that it was actually geniune curiosity... something he still wasn't used to, even now.
"It's a modified bit of equipment. Standard features of the heat sensetive night vision goggles, only the tech's relayed back into my little machine 'ere, which basically goes ding when it picks up sings of life. I figured it'd be pretty bloody useful in case we end up in another tight spot or whatnot. It's only a prototype for now, but it is workable. I figure we can turn this baby on, and scan a couple o' hallways 'n air ducts, an' we'll find Danny in short order." Connor said, grinning in his enthusiasm.
Becker smiled.
"Definitely sounds like a good plan. Okay, let's do this."
Danny scrambled through the small space near Connor's lab, hoping that the whiz kid wouldn't turn the machine on right at that moment... because if he did, Danny would be found. He'd been unable to resist the detour to spy on Becker and Connor, but it would probably be a good idea to get to Jess and see if his plan would work, before he was faced with an irritated Becker.
Abby left the menagerie and headed to the breakroom, waving at Jess and Lester, the latter of which did not wave back, but she did see him smile. Rex chirped and swooped in, landing on her shoulder. He was the only creature allowed full access of the ARC, because it made more sense, and he was much happier and healthier around Abby than not.
She wondered absently, as she scratched him gently under the chin and strolled easily to the break room, what Danny's "plan" actually was. She'd said she didn't want to know, and she stood by that... but she was honestly a tad curious.
She touched her mobile in her pocket, biting her lip as she considered whether to call Connor or not. Her stomach growled, and she was reminded of hwo long it had been since breakfast, and decided to let the boys deal with their issues aloen for now.