Primeval fic: Broken Wings (7/17)
Title: Broken Wings (7/17)
Author: knitekat
Word Count: ~1230 (of ~27300)
Characters: Tom Ryan, James Lester, team and OC soldiers.
Pairing: James Lester/Tom Ryan, various.
Rating: 18
Disclaimer: Primeval belongs to Impossible Pictures. Certainly not me. Writing for fun and will replace. The OCs belong to Fred and Luka. 'Broken Wings' is a song by Mr Mister.
A/N: For Fred and her prompt of Lester/Ryan and Technical Hitch. Thanks go to Luka for looking at it and to the wonderful Fifi for the beta. Any remaining mistakes are my own.
A/N2: Continues from Part 6 and continues in Part 8.
Warning (for all parts): Timey-wimey AU: death!fic, dark!fic, dub!con, hurt/comfort, angst, slash, het, OOC-ness.
Ryan stepped out into a glorious spring morning, cool after the heat of the past. The sound of birds singing in the trees sounded like heaven to his ears after the harsh squawks of pteranodons and who-knew-whats in the past. Even the distant drone of a plane had Ryan smile at the sounds of home. Well, at least Helen's journal had proven correct so far, this anomaly certainly appeared to lead to a world much like his own. Although how near he was to his own time was another question, that and whether James was here. Ryan crouched down as he checked his position. He couldn't see any incursion from the past or evidence that anyone from this side had been near. Good. That would give him time to find out where the hell he was. Where he was and when it was.
The sound of several approaching engines had Ryan darting for cover. He barely made it before the first of the ARC vehicles pulled up and the team piled out. He crouched in the thick undergrowth and watched the soldiers set up their perimeter, shaking his head as he realised they were a bunch of bloody amateur wannabes. Bloody hell, it was unlike James to allow himself to be saddled with this useless lot.
Ryan turned his attention to the civilian team; the professor was his old annoying self, once again exhibiting his belief that he knew best, even against the evidence. Ryan frowned as he noticed the tension in the air between him and Stephen. The way they glared at each other but still gravitated towards each other just screamed of an unresolved lovers' tiff. Ryan shook his head, unless he ended up staying in this world, it was really none of his business. If, however, he did stay, Ryan knew his first professional act would be to knock their bloody heads together. Ryan smiled as he remembered it had worked the first time he'd needed to make the professor see reason when he had gone off half-cocked with the raptors in the shopping centre; when the mad professor had followed them into the past with the intent of finding his wife and fixing the past. Even in the short time he had observed them, Ryan could tell the tension between the stubborn Scot and his assistant was tearing the team apart. Bloody stubborn fools, both of them.
His eyes scanned the rest of the group. He wasn't present - thank God with that bloody useless shower of pretend soldiers wandering around. He'd hate to think this world's version of him was that sloppy with the training of his men. Connor was present, still wearing clothing that looked as if the boy had dressed in the dark. Abby apparently still possessed her common sense as she kept shooting the two arguing lovers exasperated looks. She obviously thought their actions at the anomaly site were as stupid as Ryan did.
Bloody hell, Ryan had learned long ago not to go on the job with an argument still looming over you. You could never know if your last words would be ones of anger. It was why Ryan had been so thankful he and James had had a few moments... he shook his head and scattered those thoughts. He could be distracted by his memories later, when it was safe to brood over the past.
Ryan's eyes widened when he caught sight of Claudia. Bloody hell, what was she wearing? He just couldn't imagine the woman he had worked with for the best part of a year ever wearing clothing like that. All high heels and red lipstick. He pursed his lips and wondered if this was the mythical Jenny Lewis that the professor had babbled on about, at least until Claudia had put him straight. Ryan smiled as he recalled that conversation, the professor certainly never referred to her as Jenny afterwards.
He shook his head, whether she was or wasn't wasn't important. What was important was whether James was alive here, alive and available. Ryan looked around but couldn't see him, not that he was really surprised by that. His lover had never believed in getting his feet dirty. After all, that was what minions were for.
Ryan crept as close as he dared to without risking capture. Considering the bunch of amateurs he was dealing with, that was bloody close. Close enough to overhear the various conversations. To hear the tense words and snapped answers between the professor and his assistant as they bickered over telling the public the truth. James would certainly never approve of that suggestion.
Ryan bowed his head as his thoughts returned to James. He needed to control his emotions and memories, he couldn't risk being seen, not until he knew James was alive. If he could be his...
He froze as Claudia, or maybe Jenny, turned around and seemed to look straight at him. Ryan barely breathed as he waited for her to cry out and reveal his location. He breathed a soft sigh when raised voices - the professor's and Stephen's, unsurprisingly - distracted her attention. Claudia (or maybe Jenny) rolled her eyes at them before exchanging a long-suffering look with Abby. Her mobile trilled and, Ryan mentally shrugged and decided to stick to Claudia until he had proof she wasn't, Claudia sighed again as she looked at the caller id.
Ryan's mouth was dry. This could be the moment. It would be so like James to call up demanding updates and from the look on Claudia's face, it was her boss she was about to speak to. Ryan strained to hear her every word. “The site is secure, Sir Oliver. There have been no incursions.”
Ryan let his head drop as he remembered finding James, of holding him tight as if to hold him to life itself. What that bastard Leek had done to him. If he... no. Ryan shook his head, the Leek in his own world was dead, killed when his own predators had torn him apart. This Leek, he wasn't responsible, no matter how much Ryan wanted to wring his scrawny neck for what his counterpart had done. No, he could not risk his self-imposed mission. Ryan froze as footsteps approached his position. He held his breath as the boots came to a stop a few feet from him. He winced at the sound of a zip and just prayed that the man aimed somewhere else. It really would add insult to injury if he got pissed on.
***
Ryan slumped to the ground and let his head fall back against the cool rocks of his makeshift camp. He had made it back through the anomaly without difficulty, the so-called soldiers guarding it had been too busy playing cards to keep a proper watch on it. Bloody hell, if they had been his men he'd have had them up on report and square-bashing. But, all things considered, their sloppiness had allowed him to escape through the anomaly unnoticed.
He threw more sticks onto the fire and watched his dinner slowly charcoal. Another day gone in his seemingly never ending search. He had to hope though, hope that one day he'd find James. He smiled bitterly as he amended that to a James who wasn't attached and certainly not to one Helen bloody Cutter.
Author: knitekat
Word Count: ~1230 (of ~27300)
Characters: Tom Ryan, James Lester, team and OC soldiers.
Pairing: James Lester/Tom Ryan, various.
Rating: 18
Disclaimer: Primeval belongs to Impossible Pictures. Certainly not me. Writing for fun and will replace. The OCs belong to Fred and Luka. 'Broken Wings' is a song by Mr Mister.
A/N: For Fred and her prompt of Lester/Ryan and Technical Hitch. Thanks go to Luka for looking at it and to the wonderful Fifi for the beta. Any remaining mistakes are my own.
A/N2: Continues from Part 6 and continues in Part 8.
Warning (for all parts): Timey-wimey AU: death!fic, dark!fic, dub!con, hurt/comfort, angst, slash, het, OOC-ness.
Ryan stepped out into a glorious spring morning, cool after the heat of the past. The sound of birds singing in the trees sounded like heaven to his ears after the harsh squawks of pteranodons and who-knew-whats in the past. Even the distant drone of a plane had Ryan smile at the sounds of home. Well, at least Helen's journal had proven correct so far, this anomaly certainly appeared to lead to a world much like his own. Although how near he was to his own time was another question, that and whether James was here. Ryan crouched down as he checked his position. He couldn't see any incursion from the past or evidence that anyone from this side had been near. Good. That would give him time to find out where the hell he was. Where he was and when it was.
The sound of several approaching engines had Ryan darting for cover. He barely made it before the first of the ARC vehicles pulled up and the team piled out. He crouched in the thick undergrowth and watched the soldiers set up their perimeter, shaking his head as he realised they were a bunch of bloody amateur wannabes. Bloody hell, it was unlike James to allow himself to be saddled with this useless lot.
Ryan turned his attention to the civilian team; the professor was his old annoying self, once again exhibiting his belief that he knew best, even against the evidence. Ryan frowned as he noticed the tension in the air between him and Stephen. The way they glared at each other but still gravitated towards each other just screamed of an unresolved lovers' tiff. Ryan shook his head, unless he ended up staying in this world, it was really none of his business. If, however, he did stay, Ryan knew his first professional act would be to knock their bloody heads together. Ryan smiled as he remembered it had worked the first time he'd needed to make the professor see reason when he had gone off half-cocked with the raptors in the shopping centre; when the mad professor had followed them into the past with the intent of finding his wife and fixing the past. Even in the short time he had observed them, Ryan could tell the tension between the stubborn Scot and his assistant was tearing the team apart. Bloody stubborn fools, both of them.
His eyes scanned the rest of the group. He wasn't present - thank God with that bloody useless shower of pretend soldiers wandering around. He'd hate to think this world's version of him was that sloppy with the training of his men. Connor was present, still wearing clothing that looked as if the boy had dressed in the dark. Abby apparently still possessed her common sense as she kept shooting the two arguing lovers exasperated looks. She obviously thought their actions at the anomaly site were as stupid as Ryan did.
Bloody hell, Ryan had learned long ago not to go on the job with an argument still looming over you. You could never know if your last words would be ones of anger. It was why Ryan had been so thankful he and James had had a few moments... he shook his head and scattered those thoughts. He could be distracted by his memories later, when it was safe to brood over the past.
Ryan's eyes widened when he caught sight of Claudia. Bloody hell, what was she wearing? He just couldn't imagine the woman he had worked with for the best part of a year ever wearing clothing like that. All high heels and red lipstick. He pursed his lips and wondered if this was the mythical Jenny Lewis that the professor had babbled on about, at least until Claudia had put him straight. Ryan smiled as he recalled that conversation, the professor certainly never referred to her as Jenny afterwards.
He shook his head, whether she was or wasn't wasn't important. What was important was whether James was alive here, alive and available. Ryan looked around but couldn't see him, not that he was really surprised by that. His lover had never believed in getting his feet dirty. After all, that was what minions were for.
Ryan crept as close as he dared to without risking capture. Considering the bunch of amateurs he was dealing with, that was bloody close. Close enough to overhear the various conversations. To hear the tense words and snapped answers between the professor and his assistant as they bickered over telling the public the truth. James would certainly never approve of that suggestion.
Ryan bowed his head as his thoughts returned to James. He needed to control his emotions and memories, he couldn't risk being seen, not until he knew James was alive. If he could be his...
He froze as Claudia, or maybe Jenny, turned around and seemed to look straight at him. Ryan barely breathed as he waited for her to cry out and reveal his location. He breathed a soft sigh when raised voices - the professor's and Stephen's, unsurprisingly - distracted her attention. Claudia (or maybe Jenny) rolled her eyes at them before exchanging a long-suffering look with Abby. Her mobile trilled and, Ryan mentally shrugged and decided to stick to Claudia until he had proof she wasn't, Claudia sighed again as she looked at the caller id.
Ryan's mouth was dry. This could be the moment. It would be so like James to call up demanding updates and from the look on Claudia's face, it was her boss she was about to speak to. Ryan strained to hear her every word. “The site is secure, Sir Oliver. There have been no incursions.”
Ryan let his head drop as he remembered finding James, of holding him tight as if to hold him to life itself. What that bastard Leek had done to him. If he... no. Ryan shook his head, the Leek in his own world was dead, killed when his own predators had torn him apart. This Leek, he wasn't responsible, no matter how much Ryan wanted to wring his scrawny neck for what his counterpart had done. No, he could not risk his self-imposed mission. Ryan froze as footsteps approached his position. He held his breath as the boots came to a stop a few feet from him. He winced at the sound of a zip and just prayed that the man aimed somewhere else. It really would add insult to injury if he got pissed on.
***
Ryan slumped to the ground and let his head fall back against the cool rocks of his makeshift camp. He had made it back through the anomaly without difficulty, the so-called soldiers guarding it had been too busy playing cards to keep a proper watch on it. Bloody hell, if they had been his men he'd have had them up on report and square-bashing. But, all things considered, their sloppiness had allowed him to escape through the anomaly unnoticed.
He threw more sticks onto the fire and watched his dinner slowly charcoal. Another day gone in his seemingly never ending search. He had to hope though, hope that one day he'd find James. He smiled bitterly as he amended that to a James who wasn't attached and certainly not to one Helen bloody Cutter.