Not A Fairy Tale Part 6/16
Title: Not A Fairy Tale Part 6
Author: TalliW
Pairings: Lester/Cutter!clone
Rating: T
Disclaimer: Primeval is 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.
Nick looked angrily at the diplomatic passport, he had found in Lester's desk drawer, in the name of a Thomas Hardwich, with his photo in it.
He knew exactly what the other man was trying to do. But he wouldn't go of his own accord and he wouldn't let himself be driven away. If Lester wanted him gone then he would have to kill him.
With a malicious smile, the clone took the passport and threw it into the shredder, the howl of the device giving him a shiver of exitement.
The clone was waiting anxiously for Lester. Today James wanted to go out with him for the first time.
It was only going to be a short drive in the car and a walk in the park but it was enough to give Nick the jitters.
But he'd realised it was necessary to get comfortable with the outside world. He couldn't hide in the flat forever.
James Lester thought it was another step towards get the clone integrated in human society but Nick knew it was another step to getting accepted in Lester's life as a equal partner.
Four hours later, Lester still wasn't home. The civil servant had only wanted to get some papers from the office. It was Saturday, after all, and most of the employees at the ARC were used to enjoying their weekends if there wasn't an Anomaly emergency.
"Hallo, I'm a friend of Sir James. We had a meeting today but he hasn't arrived yet. Is there an emergency at work which has delayed him?" Nick asked anxiously into the telephone receiver.
"I'm sorry, sir, I'm not authorised to give you any information. Please identify yourself and I will leave a message for Sir James," the cold voice of a woman told him.
Nick banged the receiver down on the cradle and started to pace.
He felt something had happened to James. The man wouldn't have left him without any word, knowing how quickly he got worried, not with the state their relationship had now reached, anyway.
No, Lester would have called to inform him.
That he hadn't done could only mean one of two things, he was in a really tight situation right now or he wasn't be able to call because something bad had happened to him.
On the spur of the moment, Nick grabbed the leather jacket James had bought for him which he had only worn in the flat to model for James until now, and left the flat.
Captain Becker stared wide-eyed at the man in front of him. The longer hair, shaved face and classy clothes couldn't disguise the similarity to the man Becker hadn't be able to protect and who had died in this building months before.
Within minutes, Nick was brought into a safe room, escorted by a handful armed soldiers.
"Oh my god, that's Cutter," Sarah whispered to Danny as she observed the man through the mirror glass.
"No, he isn't. The Professor died in my arms. It's just a clone," Connor declared in disgust.
"He's probably here on behalf of Helen. Does she really think we're so stupid that trick would work a second time?" Abby said angrily.
Sarah eyed the well-groomed man in the expensive clothes curiously. "What do we do with him now?"
"Let's throw him into a cell and leave him to rot," Connor snapped.
"Connor!" Abby and Sarah cried together.
"What? The clones are responsible for Cutter's death. They deserve it."
Danny put his hand on Connor's shoulder and squeezed reassuringly.
"I'll go in and speak to the creature. I have experience in questioning criminals. Perhaps I'll get some information out of him about Helen."
After ten minutes with the clone, Danny was having to suppress the desire to punch the arrogant sod in the face.
All his experience in interrogation had been in vain with this guy. He hadn't answered any single question. The only response Danny had got from the clone was the demand to see James Lester.
He even had ignored the gun against his temple and had only repeated the sentence he had voiced every thirty seconds since Danny had stepped into the room.
"I want to speak with James Lester," the clone said again and Danny was at the end of his tether. His eyes flared up in rage and he grasped the man by his collar. Before he could get violent, Sarah and Abby hurried into the room, calling him back to his senses.
Taking deep breathes, Danny Quinn dropped his hands and walked away from the clone.
Sarah took his place at the table across from the clone and tried her luck.
The clone started again with his litany but Sarah interrupted him with a soft soothing voice.
"Yes, I know you want to speak with James Lester but before you can see our boss you have to answer some questions. We have to make sure you aren't a danger to Sir James. Do you understand me?"
The clone sized her up and nodded faintly. "Ask!"
"Do you know where Helen Cutter is hiding?"
"No."
"Did she send you here?"
"No."
"What are your orders? What do you want here?"
"I want to speak with James Lester."
"Damn it, Sarah. We're getting nowhere with that," Danny cursed.
"At last he is answering some questions now," Abby told him from the door, earning a grateful look from Sarah for her support.
Suddenly, Connor, who had been watching them from the outside through the mirrored glass marched into the room and stopped only a metre in front of the clone.
"Are you the bastard who blew up the ARC and is responsible for the death of Professor Cutter?"
Connor's eyes bored into the clone's face, looking for something familiar in the man's cold blue eyes.
The short nod from the clone was like a blow to his stomach and tore up the barely healed wound in his heart.
"Why are you alive when he is not?" Connor whispered, brokenly.
"James saved me," the clone answered, with more emotion in his voice as he had shown the whole time. "After a soldier found me, Sir James gave the order to take me to a hospital," he clarified.
The clone eyed the face of the distressed young man in front of him, and slowly raised his hand to touch Connor's cheek but the young man recoiled in revulsion.
"Where were you in the last few weeks?" Quinn asked, with narrowed eyes.
"In a hospital, then in a government facility and later at his flat."
"Lester's flat?"
"Yes."
Danny pursed his lips. "Let me get that straight: Lester has helped a criminal who's the exact copy of Nick Cutter and hidden him in his flat. That's just great. He'll have some explaining to do if he ever wakes up again."
"What do you mean by that. Where is he? What happened?" the clone called, frantically, but the team members ignored him.
"I think we should follow Connor's advice," Danny said. "Becker, throw him in a cell! He's a useless, stupid creature."
"No. Don't! I'm not stupid. Sometimes I just don't know about things or I struggle to express myself properly. But those times have got very rare now. I'm learning fast. James is teaching me," the clone said, defiantly.
"I'm sure he has trained you well," Quinn muttered under his breath, but the clone had heard him anyway.
With lightning speed, he crashed against Danny and banged him against the wall of the room.
"You will show some respect for him. James Lester is a noble man who does everything to protect his country and the things he believes in. He would die for every one of you."
"He nearly did today," Abby whispered.
The clone needed a moment to comprehend the meaning of her words, then he let Quinn go and turned around in horror to look directly into the barrel of the gun Captain Becker was aiming at him.
Danny, still reeling from the sudden attack, stretched his aching back and tried to compose himself, trying to deside if he should strike down the man who had dared to assault him.
Nick ignored the gun pointed on his head and faced Abby.
"What's happened? Where is he? I have to see him. He needs me."
"He's in the hospital,"Abby said, quietly.
A shiver ran down Nick's spine. "Can you take me there?"
Captain Becker, who was now really irritated by the guy ignoring him and the threat of his gun, corrected his position and took aim again but Sarah touched his arm and pushed his hand down slightly, whilst shaking her head.
Becker sighed and lowered the gun slowly, but still kept it ready to fire just in case.
Nick looked in distress at the people in the room and ran a hand through his long hair in despair.
"Look, I came here of my own accord because I was worried when he didn't come home. I mean no harm to anyone. I just want to find James Lester.
Please, I'm asking for your help. I don't know where the hospital is and I can't drive a car. But I have to be there for him."
When no one reacted, the clone closed his eyes in defeat and sank slowly down to his knees with his head bowed. "Please, I have to see James. You can do what you want with me later but I have to be with him first, just for a short while. He needs me."
Abby and Connor shared a look and Abby nodded faintly.
"I'll drive you," Connor announced and the clone looked thankfully up at him.
"I think we'd better go all together," Danny said and stepped up behind the clone, spurring him on to stand up with a nudge of his lower leg against Nick's back.
Becker was playing with his gun, as he took place in the van next to the clone.
"What should we call you? What's your name?" Sarah asked
The clone declared, rather sheepishly: "I'm used to the name Nick. That was what Helen called me sometimes and Lester went along with it."
Danny rolled his eyes. "How convenient."
"Can you tell me what's happened to James?"
Abby turned around from the front seat. "He was hurt this morning when he pushed me out of harm's way."
"Why aren't you there with him at the hospital? He saved you and you left him alone?"
As Abby and Sarah looked away, ashamed, Danny had had enough. "Listen mate. We have a very important job to do. Sometimes people get hurt in the line of duty but you still have to finish your job. You can't just run off to hold hands with a injured person. Now shut up and be glad some people here are nice enough to take you to him. I still think you'd be better off in a cell."
The clone gulped and remained silent for the rest of the drive.