fic: Doppelganger Effect (9 of ?)
Title: Doppelganger Effect
By: Chibi-Kaz
Fandom: Crossover: SyFy Alice/ Primeval
Rating: PG-13 (language, innuendo)
Pairings: established Alice/Hatter, Jack/Duchess, plus Connor/Abby UST
Disclaimer: Um, duh. I don’t own any of it.
Summary: “Abby, look - Lester will buy pre-historic, and he’ll buy futuristic, but fictional? Not a chance.” Set post-Alice miniseries by maybe a year real-world time, but sometime between when Primeval Season 2 ends and the start of Season 3. (yeah, I’m playing with timelines here, big time.)
AN: For alchemistc
ONE and TWO: http://community.livejournal.com/new_wonderland/151892.html
THREE and FOUR: http://community.livejournal.com/new_wonderland/154454.html
FIVE and SIX and SEVEN: http://community.livejournal.com/new_wonderland/160108.html
EIGHT and NINE: http://community.livejournal.com/new_wonderland/163600.html
TEN and ELEVEN: http://community.livejournal.com/new_wonderland/172402.html
TWELVE and THIRTEEN: http://community.livejournal.com/new_wonderland/179703.html
FOURTEEN and FIFTEEN: http://community.livejournal.com/new_wonderland/188056.html
SIXTEEN: http://community.livejournal.com/new_wonderland/191087.html
SEVENTEEN
(the Heart Castle)
“Oh, thank goodness you’re back!” Duchess Grace exclaimed from a window overlooking the stable-yard, as the hunting party turned their mounts over to grooms.
“What’s wrong?” Hatter asked quickly, speaking for all.
“I need Abby and Alice for fittings! It’s all well and good for you men - just like Jack, you just throw on whatever’s laid out for you. But it’s already after luncheon, the ball starts at dusk, and the seamstresses need SOME time to alter to fit!” Grace looked frantic, but Hatter’s eyes had glazed within the first sentence.
Alice laughed and pulled Abby after her, going off to meet Grace to do womanly things. Charlie was called away as well, to organize an honor guard of knights for the event. Hatter sniggered at the expression of relief on Connor’s face as the two found themselves abandoned.
“I suppose, since they know what fits you, they don’t need me, yeah?” the younger man asked.
“S’right. C’mon, let’s dig up some lunch.”
After a highly successful raid on the castle kitchen, during which Hatter demonstrated to Connor the ways a charming grin can get him just about anything, Hatter led the way to a billiards room, since the men had a few hours before they had to get ready for the evening’s event, and neither particularly cared about their relative states of dishevelment.
“How are you at billiards?”
“I suck,” Connor admitted ruefully.
“Fine, no games then. Ah!” Hatter found the hidden catch on a wall, opening a panel to reveal a bottle of amber liquid and several low glasses. “Jackie-boy’s secret stash!” He examined the bottle. “Huh. ‘Oban’.”
“Oban! That’s good stuff,” Connor said.
As Hatter pulled out glasses, a third voice called out, “Make it three, if you please.” Jack slipped through the door, looking worn out.
“Busy morning?” Hatter asked, pouring two fingers for each man.
Jack sighed. “Honestly, I don’t know how anyone does it.” He sipped the single-malt Hatter handed him with a relieved expression, then moved to sit in a leather armchair. Connor and Hatter collected their drinks and sat nearby. “I don’t recall anything like this sort of work going on when my mother held the throne.”
“Yeah, but your mother didn’t do any of this sort of work, now did she?” Hatter pointed out.
“True,” Jack conceded. To Connor he said, “We’ve brought a single home wind power unit from New York, and our people are working on setting it up, but we’re going to have to see if we can generate enough power to meet our growing demands.”
“You’ve got a monitor, to track output?” Connor asked.
Soon all three men were engaged in discussing Wonderland’s energy needs, and Jack’s plans for importing and adapting Earth technology. It wasn’t long before Jack was providing paper and pen for Connor to draw up suggestions, giving Jack shortcuts that would speed up their progress immensely.
Eventually, Jack chuckled. “I must say, it was a very good thing for me, when the Looking Glass inadvertently brought you here, Connor. These are brilliant. I appreciate your input.” He held out his glass for Hatter to refill. All three had merely sipped at their scotch, so none were in danger of embarrassing themselves at the ball. Hatter handed back the glass, and Jack rolled it between his palms a moment, before leaning forward. He glanced at Hatter, who merely gave him a smirk in return. Hatter knew where this was going. He’d seen it last night. Alice had even discussed the possibility with him. And now, Jack was going to make an offer to Connor. The question was, would Connor refuse or accept?
Connor glanced between the two, sensing something was up. With a slight clearing of his throat, Jack said, “Connor, I’d like to make a suggestion… an offer really. Wonderland, and my rule, could use someone of your skills and knowledge.”
Connor blinked and sat up straight in surprise. Jack went on. “I’d like you to consider staying. Full retainer to the Crown, even a title if you wanted, a Dukedom perhaps, and you’d be housed and complete supported here at the Castle. I’d like you to become my Technology Suit.. er, Advisor. You wouldn’t be obliged to accept a rank as a Suit, of course.”
“Make him a Hatter.” Hatter suggested. “Isn’t really Wonderland without a Mad Hatter, is it?”
Jack ignored him. “You’d be paid as well. And I’m sure we could arrange for you to visit London from time to time. You’d have complete control of our progress - energy production, technology adaptation, and so forth, plus input on our cultural importations as well.”
Connor’s mouth moved a moment, as if he wanted to say something, but couldn’t find words. Jack held up a hand. “Please don’t make a decision hastily. You can certainly think about it. The New York mission is still ongoing - we won’t be able to recalibrate back to London until late tomorrow afternoon. I do hope you can give me an answer by then.” Jack tossed back the rest of his drink and stood. “Well. I should go get ready now. Grace will skin me if I don’t change for her ball tonight.” He gave Connor and Hatter a small smile, nodded, and left.
Connor let out a long breath as soon as the King was gone. “Bloody hell.” He narrowed his eyes at Hatter. “You knew. You knew he was going to offer me a job.”
Hatter swirled his scotch nonchalantly. “I knew it was a possibility. You were talking so much last night, you didn’t see how Jack and Phillip listened to you.”
Connor frowned. “But to ask me to stay? Isn’t that a bit much?”
“Jack needs good people. He needs smart people. You’re both.”
“What about Abby?”
“What about her?”
“Is Jack going to offer her a job too?”
Hatter cocked his head. Now they were getting somewhere. “Why would he? She doesn’t have any skills he needs.” It seemed Connor wouldn’t consider staying without Abby.
“Abby’s brilliant too. She’s the best.”
“The best what?”
“Abby knows animals, she’s excellent with them.”
“No zoos in Wonderland.” Hatter pointed out dryly. It made Connor scowl.
“I already have a job,” Connor said flatly, setting his unfinished scotch down. “I have a life. On the other side of the Looking Glass from here.”
Hatter leaned forward in his chair. Now was time to push. “Do you? Really? Big family, close friends? Satisfying work? You’ve got respect and power and everything you could want there?”
“I … It’s important work! We save lives!” His omissions told Hatter more than he’d think. Clearly, Connor did not have a big family, or many close friends, or was respected.
“Ah, so you’re a hero then. Must be beating back the ladies with a stick, yeah?”
Connor stood angrily. “Why the hell am I even arguing about this? I’m not taking Jack’s job, I’m going home with Abby tomorrow.”
Hatter leaned back again, his tone deliberately careless. “Yeah, because Abby can’t live without you, of course. You two are a solid couple, sacrifice anything to stay together, you would.”
The anger on Connor’s face turned him grimmer than Hatter would have thought possible. “I’d die for Abby,” he hissed lowly, “I’ll do anything for her, and I’ll protect her from everything if I have to.” Hatter was impressed. He hadn’t thought Connor had it in him. Connor went on. “You don’t know- you have no idea what we do. Every day, one of us could die. One of us already has. Stephen sacrificed himself to save Cutter, that’s the level of loyalty we have on our team! He let himself get... get shredded by monsters, to save lives.” Connor’s hands were tightly curled into fists that trembled under the strain. His voice became ragged with intensity. “I would never ever betray the team by quitting. NEVER.”
Hatter held up his hands. He knew there was no way Connor had a right cross like his own, but he still didn’t mean to drive his little brother into throwing punches. Whomever this Stephen was, his loss and what it meant to whatever work Abby and Connor did was a still-bleeding wound for the younger man. “Alright. Sorry. Really, little brother, I’m sorry,” Hatter soothed. He cocked his head, waiting for the anger to bleed out of Connor’s frame. When it finally did, after a few moments of silence, Hatter wordlessly handed him back his glass of scotch. Connor tossed back the last of the whiskey, as Hatter said, “I get it you know.” At Connor’s questioning look, he finished, “I feel exactly the same way about Alice.”
to be continued
AN: so, some filler, and the scene you had to know was coming: Jack inviting Connor to stay. We get to the Ball within the next two parts, with some humor, some serious bits, some romance... almost....
By: Chibi-Kaz
Fandom: Crossover: SyFy Alice/ Primeval
Rating: PG-13 (language, innuendo)
Pairings: established Alice/Hatter, Jack/Duchess, plus Connor/Abby UST
Disclaimer: Um, duh. I don’t own any of it.
Summary: “Abby, look - Lester will buy pre-historic, and he’ll buy futuristic, but fictional? Not a chance.” Set post-Alice miniseries by maybe a year real-world time, but sometime between when Primeval Season 2 ends and the start of Season 3. (yeah, I’m playing with timelines here, big time.)
AN: For alchemistc
ONE and TWO: http://community.livejournal.com/new_wonderland/151892.html
THREE and FOUR: http://community.livejournal.com/new_wonderland/154454.html
FIVE and SIX and SEVEN: http://community.livejournal.com/new_wonderland/160108.html
EIGHT and NINE: http://community.livejournal.com/new_wonderland/163600.html
TEN and ELEVEN: http://community.livejournal.com/new_wonderland/172402.html
TWELVE and THIRTEEN: http://community.livejournal.com/new_wonderland/179703.html
FOURTEEN and FIFTEEN: http://community.livejournal.com/new_wonderland/188056.html
SIXTEEN: http://community.livejournal.com/new_wonderland/191087.html
SEVENTEEN
(the Heart Castle)
“Oh, thank goodness you’re back!” Duchess Grace exclaimed from a window overlooking the stable-yard, as the hunting party turned their mounts over to grooms.
“What’s wrong?” Hatter asked quickly, speaking for all.
“I need Abby and Alice for fittings! It’s all well and good for you men - just like Jack, you just throw on whatever’s laid out for you. But it’s already after luncheon, the ball starts at dusk, and the seamstresses need SOME time to alter to fit!” Grace looked frantic, but Hatter’s eyes had glazed within the first sentence.
Alice laughed and pulled Abby after her, going off to meet Grace to do womanly things. Charlie was called away as well, to organize an honor guard of knights for the event. Hatter sniggered at the expression of relief on Connor’s face as the two found themselves abandoned.
“I suppose, since they know what fits you, they don’t need me, yeah?” the younger man asked.
“S’right. C’mon, let’s dig up some lunch.”
After a highly successful raid on the castle kitchen, during which Hatter demonstrated to Connor the ways a charming grin can get him just about anything, Hatter led the way to a billiards room, since the men had a few hours before they had to get ready for the evening’s event, and neither particularly cared about their relative states of dishevelment.
“How are you at billiards?”
“I suck,” Connor admitted ruefully.
“Fine, no games then. Ah!” Hatter found the hidden catch on a wall, opening a panel to reveal a bottle of amber liquid and several low glasses. “Jackie-boy’s secret stash!” He examined the bottle. “Huh. ‘Oban’.”
“Oban! That’s good stuff,” Connor said.
As Hatter pulled out glasses, a third voice called out, “Make it three, if you please.” Jack slipped through the door, looking worn out.
“Busy morning?” Hatter asked, pouring two fingers for each man.
Jack sighed. “Honestly, I don’t know how anyone does it.” He sipped the single-malt Hatter handed him with a relieved expression, then moved to sit in a leather armchair. Connor and Hatter collected their drinks and sat nearby. “I don’t recall anything like this sort of work going on when my mother held the throne.”
“Yeah, but your mother didn’t do any of this sort of work, now did she?” Hatter pointed out.
“True,” Jack conceded. To Connor he said, “We’ve brought a single home wind power unit from New York, and our people are working on setting it up, but we’re going to have to see if we can generate enough power to meet our growing demands.”
“You’ve got a monitor, to track output?” Connor asked.
Soon all three men were engaged in discussing Wonderland’s energy needs, and Jack’s plans for importing and adapting Earth technology. It wasn’t long before Jack was providing paper and pen for Connor to draw up suggestions, giving Jack shortcuts that would speed up their progress immensely.
Eventually, Jack chuckled. “I must say, it was a very good thing for me, when the Looking Glass inadvertently brought you here, Connor. These are brilliant. I appreciate your input.” He held out his glass for Hatter to refill. All three had merely sipped at their scotch, so none were in danger of embarrassing themselves at the ball. Hatter handed back the glass, and Jack rolled it between his palms a moment, before leaning forward. He glanced at Hatter, who merely gave him a smirk in return. Hatter knew where this was going. He’d seen it last night. Alice had even discussed the possibility with him. And now, Jack was going to make an offer to Connor. The question was, would Connor refuse or accept?
Connor glanced between the two, sensing something was up. With a slight clearing of his throat, Jack said, “Connor, I’d like to make a suggestion… an offer really. Wonderland, and my rule, could use someone of your skills and knowledge.”
Connor blinked and sat up straight in surprise. Jack went on. “I’d like you to consider staying. Full retainer to the Crown, even a title if you wanted, a Dukedom perhaps, and you’d be housed and complete supported here at the Castle. I’d like you to become my Technology Suit.. er, Advisor. You wouldn’t be obliged to accept a rank as a Suit, of course.”
“Make him a Hatter.” Hatter suggested. “Isn’t really Wonderland without a Mad Hatter, is it?”
Jack ignored him. “You’d be paid as well. And I’m sure we could arrange for you to visit London from time to time. You’d have complete control of our progress - energy production, technology adaptation, and so forth, plus input on our cultural importations as well.”
Connor’s mouth moved a moment, as if he wanted to say something, but couldn’t find words. Jack held up a hand. “Please don’t make a decision hastily. You can certainly think about it. The New York mission is still ongoing - we won’t be able to recalibrate back to London until late tomorrow afternoon. I do hope you can give me an answer by then.” Jack tossed back the rest of his drink and stood. “Well. I should go get ready now. Grace will skin me if I don’t change for her ball tonight.” He gave Connor and Hatter a small smile, nodded, and left.
Connor let out a long breath as soon as the King was gone. “Bloody hell.” He narrowed his eyes at Hatter. “You knew. You knew he was going to offer me a job.”
Hatter swirled his scotch nonchalantly. “I knew it was a possibility. You were talking so much last night, you didn’t see how Jack and Phillip listened to you.”
Connor frowned. “But to ask me to stay? Isn’t that a bit much?”
“Jack needs good people. He needs smart people. You’re both.”
“What about Abby?”
“What about her?”
“Is Jack going to offer her a job too?”
Hatter cocked his head. Now they were getting somewhere. “Why would he? She doesn’t have any skills he needs.” It seemed Connor wouldn’t consider staying without Abby.
“Abby’s brilliant too. She’s the best.”
“The best what?”
“Abby knows animals, she’s excellent with them.”
“No zoos in Wonderland.” Hatter pointed out dryly. It made Connor scowl.
“I already have a job,” Connor said flatly, setting his unfinished scotch down. “I have a life. On the other side of the Looking Glass from here.”
Hatter leaned forward in his chair. Now was time to push. “Do you? Really? Big family, close friends? Satisfying work? You’ve got respect and power and everything you could want there?”
“I … It’s important work! We save lives!” His omissions told Hatter more than he’d think. Clearly, Connor did not have a big family, or many close friends, or was respected.
“Ah, so you’re a hero then. Must be beating back the ladies with a stick, yeah?”
Connor stood angrily. “Why the hell am I even arguing about this? I’m not taking Jack’s job, I’m going home with Abby tomorrow.”
Hatter leaned back again, his tone deliberately careless. “Yeah, because Abby can’t live without you, of course. You two are a solid couple, sacrifice anything to stay together, you would.”
The anger on Connor’s face turned him grimmer than Hatter would have thought possible. “I’d die for Abby,” he hissed lowly, “I’ll do anything for her, and I’ll protect her from everything if I have to.” Hatter was impressed. He hadn’t thought Connor had it in him. Connor went on. “You don’t know- you have no idea what we do. Every day, one of us could die. One of us already has. Stephen sacrificed himself to save Cutter, that’s the level of loyalty we have on our team! He let himself get... get shredded by monsters, to save lives.” Connor’s hands were tightly curled into fists that trembled under the strain. His voice became ragged with intensity. “I would never ever betray the team by quitting. NEVER.”
Hatter held up his hands. He knew there was no way Connor had a right cross like his own, but he still didn’t mean to drive his little brother into throwing punches. Whomever this Stephen was, his loss and what it meant to whatever work Abby and Connor did was a still-bleeding wound for the younger man. “Alright. Sorry. Really, little brother, I’m sorry,” Hatter soothed. He cocked his head, waiting for the anger to bleed out of Connor’s frame. When it finally did, after a few moments of silence, Hatter wordlessly handed him back his glass of scotch. Connor tossed back the last of the whiskey, as Hatter said, “I get it you know.” At Connor’s questioning look, he finished, “I feel exactly the same way about Alice.”
to be continued
AN: so, some filler, and the scene you had to know was coming: Jack inviting Connor to stay. We get to the Ball within the next two parts, with some humor, some serious bits, some romance... almost....