Primeval fic: Tempering - birthday fic for stealingpennies
Title: Tempering
Author: knitekat
Word Count: 1084
Characters: James Lester, Connor Temple
Rating: 12
Disclaimer: Primeval belongs to Impossible Pictures. Certainly not me. Writing for fun and will replace.
A/N: For stealingpennies and her prompt Lester/Connor or Lester/Christine and 'No gain, no pain'. Hope you like it and sorry it is exceedingly late. Also for my trope bingo prompt: rites of passage / coming of age. Thanks go to the wonderful fifi for the beta *hugs*
Warning: Canon character deaths and lots of angst.
Lester put the proposal down, leaned back in his chair with a muffled moan and rubbed at his tired eyes. What a bloody nightmare these last few years had been, ever since he'd been 'gifted' with running the anomaly project.
His gaze turned to Connor Temple as the younger man worked on the ADD, running diagnostics and trying to improve its sensitivity. Doing all he could to improve their response time, to save lives.
Lester sighed as he recalled the events that had tempered Connor over his time at the ARC, maturing from an annoyance to a man Lester knew the ARC would suffer to lose.
Tom Curran, Connor's fellow geek and student, had been the first loss. His first close friend to die due to the anomalies. He'd read the report, how Connor had tried to save Tom and had almost walked away from the ARC, only the intervention of both Cutter and Captain Ryan had persuaded him that he was needed, that Tom would want him to continue. Connor had lost two friends that day but had gained at least two others.
Captain Ryan had been the next, dying to protect Cutter when Helen bloody Cutter had tried to play them. He was a bloody fool to have believed her for a moment, but he hadn't been able to bear the thought of the disaster that might have occurred if the predators had escaped to wreak havoc on the time lines. Losing another friend had been hard for Connor, although Lester had the feeling they might have been more, even if Cutter's breakdown seemed to distract him from his loss.
Stephen Hart. Lester couldn't say his death had been unexpected after Helen's revelation and Cutter's reaction. Bloody hell, if Lester hadn't known better he would have thought they were together... although later events had him wondering if he'd been blindsided by them, what with the way Cutter went off the rails, how he had became more reckless and less concerned with his own safety.
Of course, Cutter was a man who even after Helen had tried to kill them all, couldn't leave her to die. Except she hadn't and Connor had held Cutter, had carried him out of the smoking ARC. Connor had taken on Cutter's mantle after that, determined to make the mad professor proud of him.
Lester nodded, Connor had matured into an important asset for the ARC, it was just a shame that the price had been the death of so many. Which lead Lester to read the proposal in front of him once more. What would happen if he allowed Connor to attempt his plan? If he could change the past and save his friends... what would the consequences be? Would Connor be the man he had become or would he still be the annoying and geeky student? In the latter case, would the ADD still exist or would they still be chasing after police reports? Would people have died who otherwise had lived? Could he really risk that... and if he forbade Connor, would the boy, no, the young man, listen?
He glanced up at a knock on his office door and looked up to see Connor shifting nervously as he stood in front of his desk. “Lester? Have you decided?”
Lester sighed before he steepled his fingers and considered the man waiting almost impossibly patiently for his answer, so far from the student who couldn't sit still for a moment. “Have you considered the consequences of your plan?” When Connor opened his mouth, Lester raised a hand. “What happens if you save every one of them and change events? What if by saving your friend Tom, we lose someone else?”
“We won't.”
Lester sighed. “How can you know that? You're talking about changing the past. The one thing Cutter never wanted to risk. I read the reports Cutter and Jenny wrote about Leek's bunker. How Jenny should or could have been this Claudia Brown person Cutter used to rant about.”
Connor sighed. “I know. I... we have to try.”
“I...” Lester shook his head. “I'm no happier than you are with their deaths, Connor, but...”
Connor's voice cut through Lester's words. “But we've got to try. We can't just do nothing and let them die.”
“They're already dead, Connor.” Lester almost winced at the harsh words he uttered, but he had to get Connor to see sense.
“So you won't agree to it?” Connor's voice cracked with suppressed emotion.
“Where would you stop, Connor?” Lester asked gently. “With the deaths of our colleagues? With your friend, Tom?” He paused for a moment, hardening his heart for his next words. “Would you go back and prevent your father's death?”
Connor flinched before flinging back. “Your son...” His eyes widened comically and he swallowed nervously, taking a step back before a rush of almost indecipherable words erupted out of his mouth. “Ohgodimsorryimsosorryididntmeanitohgodpleaseimsosorry.”
Lester closed his eyes, memory flooding over him of his son crying out for help, of him... he shook his head, scattering those thoughts. Regret welled up inside him, for so much had changed with... Lester was surprised his voice didn't shake as he spoke. “And think how things would be different if I did...” He swallowed hard, looking down at his clenched hands. “My marriage wouldn't have broken down, I would never have accepted the directorship of the ARC, Christine Johnson was the next choice. Can you imagine what the ARC would have been under her?” He rubbed his eyes. “I know how much you want to save them, Connor, and I won't stop you researching it, but until you can do it without changing our world, I can't permit it. I just can't risk it.”
Connor sagged into one of the chairs in Lester's office. “I...” He sighed and nodded. “I just want them back.”
“I know. If I could have Peter back...” Lester's voice cracked before he pulled himself together by sheer force of will. “Do you understand, Connor?”
Connor nodded. “But I can keep researching?”
“Yes.”
“And if I find a way?” Connor asked quietly.
“Then we will have this conversation again.” Lester meet Connor's gaze. “Agreed?” When Connor nodded, Lester let out a breath he hadn't realised he was holding. All he could hope was that Connor would come back to him if he figured it out, and then... then Lester would have to decide what to do and what to risk.
Author: knitekat
Word Count: 1084
Characters: James Lester, Connor Temple
Rating: 12
Disclaimer: Primeval belongs to Impossible Pictures. Certainly not me. Writing for fun and will replace.
A/N: For stealingpennies and her prompt Lester/Connor or Lester/Christine and 'No gain, no pain'. Hope you like it and sorry it is exceedingly late. Also for my trope bingo prompt: rites of passage / coming of age. Thanks go to the wonderful fifi for the beta *hugs*
Warning: Canon character deaths and lots of angst.
Lester put the proposal down, leaned back in his chair with a muffled moan and rubbed at his tired eyes. What a bloody nightmare these last few years had been, ever since he'd been 'gifted' with running the anomaly project.
His gaze turned to Connor Temple as the younger man worked on the ADD, running diagnostics and trying to improve its sensitivity. Doing all he could to improve their response time, to save lives.
Lester sighed as he recalled the events that had tempered Connor over his time at the ARC, maturing from an annoyance to a man Lester knew the ARC would suffer to lose.
Tom Curran, Connor's fellow geek and student, had been the first loss. His first close friend to die due to the anomalies. He'd read the report, how Connor had tried to save Tom and had almost walked away from the ARC, only the intervention of both Cutter and Captain Ryan had persuaded him that he was needed, that Tom would want him to continue. Connor had lost two friends that day but had gained at least two others.
Captain Ryan had been the next, dying to protect Cutter when Helen bloody Cutter had tried to play them. He was a bloody fool to have believed her for a moment, but he hadn't been able to bear the thought of the disaster that might have occurred if the predators had escaped to wreak havoc on the time lines. Losing another friend had been hard for Connor, although Lester had the feeling they might have been more, even if Cutter's breakdown seemed to distract him from his loss.
Stephen Hart. Lester couldn't say his death had been unexpected after Helen's revelation and Cutter's reaction. Bloody hell, if Lester hadn't known better he would have thought they were together... although later events had him wondering if he'd been blindsided by them, what with the way Cutter went off the rails, how he had became more reckless and less concerned with his own safety.
Of course, Cutter was a man who even after Helen had tried to kill them all, couldn't leave her to die. Except she hadn't and Connor had held Cutter, had carried him out of the smoking ARC. Connor had taken on Cutter's mantle after that, determined to make the mad professor proud of him.
Lester nodded, Connor had matured into an important asset for the ARC, it was just a shame that the price had been the death of so many. Which lead Lester to read the proposal in front of him once more. What would happen if he allowed Connor to attempt his plan? If he could change the past and save his friends... what would the consequences be? Would Connor be the man he had become or would he still be the annoying and geeky student? In the latter case, would the ADD still exist or would they still be chasing after police reports? Would people have died who otherwise had lived? Could he really risk that... and if he forbade Connor, would the boy, no, the young man, listen?
He glanced up at a knock on his office door and looked up to see Connor shifting nervously as he stood in front of his desk. “Lester? Have you decided?”
Lester sighed before he steepled his fingers and considered the man waiting almost impossibly patiently for his answer, so far from the student who couldn't sit still for a moment. “Have you considered the consequences of your plan?” When Connor opened his mouth, Lester raised a hand. “What happens if you save every one of them and change events? What if by saving your friend Tom, we lose someone else?”
“We won't.”
Lester sighed. “How can you know that? You're talking about changing the past. The one thing Cutter never wanted to risk. I read the reports Cutter and Jenny wrote about Leek's bunker. How Jenny should or could have been this Claudia Brown person Cutter used to rant about.”
Connor sighed. “I know. I... we have to try.”
“I...” Lester shook his head. “I'm no happier than you are with their deaths, Connor, but...”
Connor's voice cut through Lester's words. “But we've got to try. We can't just do nothing and let them die.”
“They're already dead, Connor.” Lester almost winced at the harsh words he uttered, but he had to get Connor to see sense.
“So you won't agree to it?” Connor's voice cracked with suppressed emotion.
“Where would you stop, Connor?” Lester asked gently. “With the deaths of our colleagues? With your friend, Tom?” He paused for a moment, hardening his heart for his next words. “Would you go back and prevent your father's death?”
Connor flinched before flinging back. “Your son...” His eyes widened comically and he swallowed nervously, taking a step back before a rush of almost indecipherable words erupted out of his mouth. “Ohgodimsorryimsosorryididntmeanitohgodpleaseimsosorry.”
Lester closed his eyes, memory flooding over him of his son crying out for help, of him... he shook his head, scattering those thoughts. Regret welled up inside him, for so much had changed with... Lester was surprised his voice didn't shake as he spoke. “And think how things would be different if I did...” He swallowed hard, looking down at his clenched hands. “My marriage wouldn't have broken down, I would never have accepted the directorship of the ARC, Christine Johnson was the next choice. Can you imagine what the ARC would have been under her?” He rubbed his eyes. “I know how much you want to save them, Connor, and I won't stop you researching it, but until you can do it without changing our world, I can't permit it. I just can't risk it.”
Connor sagged into one of the chairs in Lester's office. “I...” He sighed and nodded. “I just want them back.”
“I know. If I could have Peter back...” Lester's voice cracked before he pulled himself together by sheer force of will. “Do you understand, Connor?”
Connor nodded. “But I can keep researching?”
“Yes.”
“And if I find a way?” Connor asked quietly.
“Then we will have this conversation again.” Lester meet Connor's gaze. “Agreed?” When Connor nodded, Lester let out a breath he hadn't realised he was holding. All he could hope was that Connor would come back to him if he figured it out, and then... then Lester would have to decide what to do and what to risk.