Primeval WIP: Hugging (28/...)
Title: Hugging (28/...)
Author: TalliW
Pairings: Lester/Cutter
Rating: PG
Disclaimer: Primeval are the property of Impossible Pictures. I write just for fun.
Acknowledgments: Thanks to Fredbassett for beta-reading. I couldn't have done it without you.
Abby flipped listlessly through a file. It would have been better if she'd visited her friends in the zoo. She wasn't really in the mood for another awkward day at the ARC.
She nearly didn't hear the softly uttered greeting: "Hi, Abby."
Suddenly she was glad she'd decided to go into the ARC instead of spending the day at the zoo.
Those two little words were enough to warm her heart and make her smile.
She looked up in the beautiful eyes of her best friend who stood sheepishly in front of her with a small packet in each hand. Abby dumped the file and hugged
him impulsively.
Connor was shocked and tried to pull away, but Abby wouldn't let him go. So he gave up the struggle and just enjoyed the feel of Abby close to him, the two packages in his hands providing the perfect excuse not to have to hug her back.
"I missed you," Abby whispered.
"Missed you too. And I'm so sorry," Connor whispered back.
"It's OK. I'll forgive you if you do the laundry and do the the washing up for the next two weeks."
"I'll even clean the bathroom, if I can come back."
"You can. My flat is too tidy without a messy flat-mate."
When Abby finally released him they both were wearing a silly smile.
"Oh, the chocolate. I mean your present," Connor mumbled, dazed, and held a packet out to her.
A minute later Abby was looking with a smirk at a rubber ducky in her hands.
Connor blushed. "Oh, that's a gift for Rex. That's yours," and pushed a little crumpled-up package in her hand.
Abby grinned. It showed some things didn't change and that was a good thing, too.
Lester watched the display on the ground floor with satisfaction.
"It looks like those two have kissed and made up at last," Jenny said as she walked up to him.
Lester snorted. "They are far away from kissing but with the other assumption you could be quite correct."
"What happened to make Connor see reason? We didn't have much success when we tried. He goes nicely with the other stubborn people here."
"Seems someone talked some sense in the boy. It was time to sort things out," Lester said dryly.
"I see. And will that someone take his own advice?" Jenny asked.
"He probably should do that. But I'm not entirely sure it will end the same way."
Jenny laid a hand on Lester's arm. "James, there're only two solutions and you know that. Either you can sort it out and continue working together or you can't.
I consider you both a friend and I don't want to lose either of you but if Cutter doesn't get a hold on himself soon then he'll be a liability for the project.
You've shown more patience with him than you would have with anyone else and I don't want to see you go down with him.
That's just my professional opinion, of course. I wouldn't dare to give you private advice."
"And if I asked you for some private advice?" Lester said quietly.
Jenny sighed. "The situation is very difficult for you and you've been very strong. Now you have to decide if you can leave it behind and continue your relationship with him. Otherwise you'll have to let go. I know I couldn't forget if I were in your position. But it's entirely your choice."
"So you don't think a cuddle and a kiss would make things right again?" Lester asked sardonicly.
Jenny smiled sadly. "Go and talk to him. And perhaps at the end you can deliver a hug from me."
"If I remember right you've been quite effective in delivering your own hugs and kisses to him in person."
Jenny blushed. "And I hope you remember what I said to you that day. And for the record I didn't start that kiss. Please, excuse me now, I've some work to do."
Proudly, Jenny Lewis stalked away, leaving an faint amused James Lester behind.
Jenny was right. It was time to step into the lion's den.
Determinedly, James moved into the direction of Nick Cutter's office.
Nick Cutter stared at him when he walked in.
"Are you going to fire me? Then I'll save you the trouble. I'll quit. I hope you'll leave me that much dignity, if I have left any after what happened."
"Do you think I would have gone through all that trouble to just let you resign?
They've found out that the drug was in the coffee in my office. It could have been me. It probably should have been me."
"Helen...the bitch," Cutter cursed.
James nodded. "Yes, it's very likely that Helen was behind that plot. She disappeared immediately after the incident."
Cutter laughed bitterly. Incident - what a harmless word for such a horrible event which had destroyed his last hope of a happy future.
Helen had got her revenge. She'd been successful in taking everything away from him.
"Would you have been capable of forgiving me if I'd been the one...?" Lester asked.
Nick Cutter closed his eyes in despair. "I'm not sure... I don't exactly know what you had to go through. My memories are still hazy. But Ditzy told me it was bad. I presume I would have freaked out completely."
"Well, it was definitely not a walk in the park. And a freaked out ex-husband was probably what Helen was aiming for."
"James, I can understand that you don't want to..." Nick started.
But Lester didn't let him finish the sentence. "I'll not let her win," he said resolutely.
Slowly Nick raised his head and looked into James' eyes, searching there for the answer to his silent question.
"You were ready to forgive me after the business with Helen. I'll try to do the same. But I need time. It's not easy to forget," James told him.
"Thank you. So long as there is still hope.... but you alone get to decide the pace."
"We had a date at that Chinese restaurant last time. Perhaps we could try that again in the future."
With firm steps James Lester walked out of the room. He hadn't delivered a hug and there hadn't been kisses either. But he'd left a ray of hope behind.