Primeval Fic: A Little Time [5/5]
Characters: James Lester, Alex Edwards (OFC)
Rating: PG
Word Count: 757
Written for:
Prompt: 1: we've got promises to keep
Summary: There’s a whole life he’s lost and there’s nothing to remember it by.
His to-do list is fairly short: find and arrest Leek, deal with Helen. He clicks the pen on and off several times and then writes at the bottom, Alexis.
James clicks the pen off and puts it down. Of the three things, she’s going to be the hardest, because he doesn’t know how to get past what’s happened. She used to be so sure about him, now she’s sure that they can’t work, and he can’t help but think the last few weeks might be enough proof for her.
It isn’t fair; he’d not known. He’s been operating under the assumption she’d left for… what? He doesn’t quite know, but he’d not considered the possibility of someone travelling through a damn anomaly with the sole intent of breaking up his relationship. He has to hand it to Helen - she really knows how to pull off a mad scheme.
But he’s still left with a god-awful mess and little clue how to mend things.
Perhaps he ought not to be thinking about it right now - what with Leek on the loose and Helen up to no good - but it’s bugging him. He’s missed her these past five years and knowing why just makes the hole deeper. Her assignment feels less like salt in the wound and more like a second chance, as long as his attitude’s not already screwed that up.
And then everything gets worse. Losing Stephen is a sharp reminder of how fragile life is, especially one spent chasing the most dangerous creatures on the planet. James feels only a little pleasure that Leek is also dead, because Helen is still out there and the danger is still very real. And Alex is still on the front of a battle without rules.
She stands by him, her face pale as the service draws to a close. He knows she’s thinking of the predator and his own close shave, though probably not the risks she herself faces. He watches her for a moment, then lets his fingers brush hers. She doesn’t look away from the fresh grave, but she takes his hand. Clings tightly.
It’s the first glimmer of hope he’s had in days. He can’t help but think about what Cutter said, when pressed hard and with the full knowledge that the present is most definitely wrong.
They should be married. They should have kids, dammit. There’s a whole life he’s lost and there’s nothing to remember it by, because it didn’t even happen. But fate, or something, has brought her back to him. He grasps that as tightly as she does his hand.
“You said yes, once,” he reminds her. “For richer or poorer, because it doesn’t matter to me. It never did.”
She sighs and squeezes his fingers. “I know. And I’m sorry.”
“So am I.”
The service closes and people begin to drift away. He looks at her, then heads for the car. She follows, hand still in his. When she gets into the car, he can barely keep the smile off his face. Now is not the time.
It’ll take more of that, yet.
Still… “I made you a promise. I would like the chance to keep it.”
Alex looks at him, then leans against him. “It’s such a mess,” she notes. “Especially now. They’re going to need me.”
“I wasn’t asking you to resign.”
“Can I stay, then?”
“I’d rather you did.”
She gives a soft laugh. “That’s different.”
James ignores the dig. “You promised me something as well.”
Her humour fades. “I know.”
“And?”
“The problems don’t stop existing just because you ignore them, James.”
“They’re not insurmountable either, Alex. How about we tackle them together?”
She scans his face, her eyes gentle. He knows full well she’s no more over him than he is her. Her smile makes his heart ache, then she leans in further. Her lips brush his and God, but he has missed her.
“We both have promises to keep,” she says then. “Just… give it a little time, James.”
He wonders what she’d say if he told her that in one time she’d not run away, whether she’s already guessed at some of it. She’s intelligent enough to figure it out, that’s for sure. But does it make a difference? He thinks not.
No, they have to start over. As if it never happened, because this reality is that it didn’t. Which really makes his head hurt.
“We have all the time in the world,” he tells her.
And hopes to God that’s the truth.
Rating: PG
Word Count: 757
Written for:
Prompt: 1: we've got promises to keep
Summary: There’s a whole life he’s lost and there’s nothing to remember it by.
His to-do list is fairly short: find and arrest Leek, deal with Helen. He clicks the pen on and off several times and then writes at the bottom, Alexis.
James clicks the pen off and puts it down. Of the three things, she’s going to be the hardest, because he doesn’t know how to get past what’s happened. She used to be so sure about him, now she’s sure that they can’t work, and he can’t help but think the last few weeks might be enough proof for her.
It isn’t fair; he’d not known. He’s been operating under the assumption she’d left for… what? He doesn’t quite know, but he’d not considered the possibility of someone travelling through a damn anomaly with the sole intent of breaking up his relationship. He has to hand it to Helen - she really knows how to pull off a mad scheme.
But he’s still left with a god-awful mess and little clue how to mend things.
Perhaps he ought not to be thinking about it right now - what with Leek on the loose and Helen up to no good - but it’s bugging him. He’s missed her these past five years and knowing why just makes the hole deeper. Her assignment feels less like salt in the wound and more like a second chance, as long as his attitude’s not already screwed that up.
And then everything gets worse. Losing Stephen is a sharp reminder of how fragile life is, especially one spent chasing the most dangerous creatures on the planet. James feels only a little pleasure that Leek is also dead, because Helen is still out there and the danger is still very real. And Alex is still on the front of a battle without rules.
She stands by him, her face pale as the service draws to a close. He knows she’s thinking of the predator and his own close shave, though probably not the risks she herself faces. He watches her for a moment, then lets his fingers brush hers. She doesn’t look away from the fresh grave, but she takes his hand. Clings tightly.
It’s the first glimmer of hope he’s had in days. He can’t help but think about what Cutter said, when pressed hard and with the full knowledge that the present is most definitely wrong.
They should be married. They should have kids, dammit. There’s a whole life he’s lost and there’s nothing to remember it by, because it didn’t even happen. But fate, or something, has brought her back to him. He grasps that as tightly as she does his hand.
“You said yes, once,” he reminds her. “For richer or poorer, because it doesn’t matter to me. It never did.”
She sighs and squeezes his fingers. “I know. And I’m sorry.”
“So am I.”
The service closes and people begin to drift away. He looks at her, then heads for the car. She follows, hand still in his. When she gets into the car, he can barely keep the smile off his face. Now is not the time.
It’ll take more of that, yet.
Still… “I made you a promise. I would like the chance to keep it.”
Alex looks at him, then leans against him. “It’s such a mess,” she notes. “Especially now. They’re going to need me.”
“I wasn’t asking you to resign.”
“Can I stay, then?”
“I’d rather you did.”
She gives a soft laugh. “That’s different.”
James ignores the dig. “You promised me something as well.”
Her humour fades. “I know.”
“And?”
“The problems don’t stop existing just because you ignore them, James.”
“They’re not insurmountable either, Alex. How about we tackle them together?”
She scans his face, her eyes gentle. He knows full well she’s no more over him than he is her. Her smile makes his heart ache, then she leans in further. Her lips brush his and God, but he has missed her.
“We both have promises to keep,” she says then. “Just… give it a little time, James.”
He wonders what she’d say if he told her that in one time she’d not run away, whether she’s already guessed at some of it. She’s intelligent enough to figure it out, that’s for sure. But does it make a difference? He thinks not.
No, they have to start over. As if it never happened, because this reality is that it didn’t. Which really makes his head hurt.
“We have all the time in the world,” he tells her.
And hopes to God that’s the truth.