Primeval WIP: The Musings of a Lonely Man - A New Member Of The Family (53/...)
Title: (53/...) A New Member Of The Family
Author: TalliW
Pairings: Lester/Cutter, Stephen/Lyle, Abby/Connor, Jenny
Rating: K+
Disclaimer: Primeval is the property of Impossible Pictures. I write just for fun.
Lyle belongs to Fredbassett.
Acknowledgments: Thanks to Fredbassett for beta-reading. I couldn't have done it without you
A nervous smile played on Lyle's lips as he walked with Stephen towards his uncle and aunt’s house where his cousin’s engagement party was taking place.
Unfortunately it had started raining on Sunday afternoon and so the festivities had had to be moved from the back garden into the house.
The closer they came to the front door the more nervously Lyle got. In the end this felt something like his official outing. Whilst most of the guests wouldn't think anything of the fact that he was bringing a male friend to the party, his parents and close relatives would certainly catch the significance instantly. Until now he had always shown up alone to family events.
Lyle glanced over to Stephen and realised that his lover wasn't any less anxious than he was.
He touched Stephen hand encouragingly, knowing that Stephen would make a great impression and win his parent’s hearts in no time.
In his silver grey suit Stephen looked even more sexy than in his usual outfit and Lyle had had a hard time keeping his hands to himself. He almost felt underdressed in his casual beige suit next to Stephen. It was a given that his lover would attract attention as soon they stepped over the threshold.
"Here you are at last." Lyle was greeted by his cousin and pulled into a bear-hug. Over Lyle's shoulder her eyes fixed on Stephen and she murmured in Lyle's ear, "God, he's gorgeous. You should have warned me."
Laughing, Lyle moved out of the embrace and introduced them to each other.
"That's my little cousin Caitlin Derrow, the lucky bride and future leader of the Liberal Democrats. And this is Stephen Hart."
"Don't take him seriously. I'm just a little cog in the party. Welcome, Stephen. It's nice to meet a friend of Jon’s."
"The pleasure's mine," Stephen's replied politely and was shocked as he was engulfed in a hug no less hearty than the one Lyle had received.
Then Caitlin let him go to pull someone out of a group of men.
"And this is Gavin Kilsby, my fiance," she declared proudly. "Gavin, this is my cousin Jon and his friend, Stephen."
Lyle and Stephen looked in surprise at the friendly face of a tall coloured man.
"Hi, nice to meet you. I take it Caitlin hasn't mentioned I'm of Nigerian descent to you either," he said with a smile.
"Uncle Marvin must be bursting with joy." The words slipped out of Lyle's mouth before he could stop them. "I mean nice to meet you too. Congratulations on your engagement."
Caitlin began giggling at the view of Lyle standing there awkwardly, flushed with embarrassment and searching for an adequate apology for his gaffe.
"He's probably still trying to get over the shock," Gavin replied grinning. "And he isn't the only one. My little minx has kept it secret from all but her parents and her grandmother."
Lyle took an instant liking to Caitlin's fiance, glad that she had made a good choice. Proffering his hand to the young man, he said, "Yeah, Caitlin can be a real handful. Take good care of her."
Then Lyle made his rounds through the room with Stephen, saying hello and introducing Stephen to the members of his family.
When Stephen's head started to spin from the onslaught of names he was trying to memorise Caitlin appeared right next to him.
"Do you mind if I borrow Stephen for a moment? I need a strong man to help me open a few more wine bottles."
Before Lyle could say anything Caitlin was already dragging Stephen away to the wine buffet.
"So you’re in the Forces too. Jon told me you met at work."
"Actually I'm a lab assistant."
"Really?"
Noticing Stephen's unease Cailin added, "Stop worrying. I won’t ask what strange project you are working on together. I know most of the things Jon is involved in are under wraps. Just as I won’t ask what sort of relationship you both really have. Jon never has been very subtle."
Stephen concentrated on opening the wine bottles and chose not to react to Caitlin's remark.
"It's about time you got out of the closet," his second cousin Liam told Lyle a tad too loudly. "Pity I didn’t place a bet on you. I knew you were swinging that way since that summer camp in June 1987 when I watched you ogling Roger Sheffield's arse. Is that cute guy over there your current lover?"
"That's Stephen, the man I'm in love with," Lyle clarified loudly enough that half the room could hear his words. He hadn't realised how well the hall transported sounds if you were standing near the entrance.
Suddenly all eyes turned to Lyle before fixing on Stephen, shock clearly written on the faces of various people.
Stephen's hand started to tremble and Caitlin quickly took the bottle of wine from him before he could spill it.
Despite the fact that he had heard it clearly Stephen had difficulties believing his own ears. None of his former girl-friends had ever taken Stephen home to their parents. And now Lyle had even gone the extra mile and declared his feeling for him in front of his whole family.
Impulsively Stephen walked over to Lyle, grasped his hand and squeezed it tight. Lyle smiled and pressed a chaste kiss on Stephen's cheek before he moved to the crowd of whispering people around his parents, pulling Stephen with him.
"I can't believe it. My boy is finally settling down."
Lyle's mother shoved the hefty, gesticulating man in front of her, who had been introduced as Uncle Miles to Stephen, to the side and gave her son a stern look. "Why didn't you tell me you’ve found someone special? Introducing him as only a friend. You are just as bad as your cousin."
The next moment Stephen was pulled into a hug, so tight he was afraid his ribs might break. The solid slap on the shoulder from Lyle's father could almost be labeled as soft in contrast.
Giving Uncle Miles and his friends a saucy look, Lyle watched his grandmother leading Stephen away into the kitchen. Without doubt to subject him to the thorough interrogation every future family member had to undergo.
What did it matter that Uncle Miles, Aunt Harriet and their bunch would now gossiping viciously about the disgraceful fag?
He didn’t give a damn about what they thought as long the people important to him accepted him the way he was. It had taken long him long enough to come to this point and it was very liberating to be finally honest about his preferences with his family.
"Did you have to chose my engagement party to make your official statement?" Caitlin asked with feigned anger.
"Sorry," Lyle mumbled apologetically. Then he noticed the twinkle in her eyes. "Damn, you’re having me on again. Are good acting skills a basic requirement for a career in politics?"
Huffing, Caitlin punched Lyle against the arm.
A chuckle from the right startled them both.
"Apparently nothing has changed since you were children," Caitlin's mother said smiling. "It's wonderful you could make it to the party, Jon. Oh by the way congratulations to you. Your boyfriend seems like a fine catch. Proves again the cutest guys are always gay."
Lyle was glad they weren't mad at him for wrecking the party. He certainly hadn't planned to announce his love for a man loudly, knowing there were quite a few homophobes amongst the guests but he didn't regret that it had happened.
Gavin, Caitlin's fiancee, had finally managed to get free from a group of his friends, wanting to clink glasses with him.
Proudly, he put his arm around Caitlin's waist and then gave her a kiss before he turned to Lyle.
"I guess congratulations are in order for you too. You know, for a while I was really jealous of you. After Caitlin called you it was Jon here and Jon there. She told me a lot about you. But of course she never bothered to mention you were gay."
A little sheepishly Lyle confessed, "She didn't know. I’d never told any of my family before. Sorry for spoiling your engagement."
"Nonsense," Gavin replied light-heartely before stealing another kiss from his fiancee. "At least they’ve found another topic other than the colour of my skin they can gossip about now."
With a smile, Caitlin's mother gave Lyle a soft push. "Better go rescue your boyfriend from your grandmother's clutches before he decides to dump you. Gavin almost took flight during his interrogation."
His grandmother had already finished Stephen's interrogation by the time Lyle bustled into the kitchen. Stephen had a high colour to his face but was still smiling. Apparently the danger of being dumped wasn't very imminent. Although that could change when his father decided to have a serious talk with Stephen as well.
"The boy is good for you. So I warn you, Jon, if you hurt him I'll put you over my knee," Grandmother Lyle whispered to Lyle. "And now out with you. Young people should mingle with one another, not sitting in the kitchen with decrepit grannies."
But the force with which she then pushed her grandson and Stephen out of the kitchen didn't show any sign of decrepitude.
Loaded with a lot of plastic containers full with leftovers as Lyle's aunt thought Stephen was a little too thin, Lyle and Stephen left the relative’s house late at night.
When most of the guests had bid good bye, including Uncle Miles and his family, they had celebrated on in a smaller group.
And after Lyle's father had taken Stephen aside and told him that he had been sceptical first about Lyle hooking up with a beau but now was of the opinion his son could not have made a better choice, Stephen began to relax completely. In the end it had almost been as if Gavin and Stephen had always belonged in the family.
On monday morning, Lester arrived punctually at eight. Nick walked in a few minutes later with a yawn, prompting Lyle to whisper to Stephen, "Cutter looks like they’ve spent the whole weekend shagging."
Nick had to hide a smile when he heard Lyle's words. The soldier actually wasn't much off the mark. Lester had ridden him so long it was a wonder he could walk at all.
He greeted them with a nod then moved torwards Connor and Abby who were chatting animatedly next to the anomaly detector. From the entrance he heard a jubilant, "Good Morning, ARC" and could watch how the smile on Connor's and Abby's face slowly turned to confusion as the newcomer made his way through the swing doors.
In the reunion with Lester, Nick had almost forgotten all about the new team member. Unfortunately Thomas Barrows was a force of nature who always brought himself to mind again.
Stephen was stunned as Thomas Barrows greeted Cutter with a loud, "Hallo, stupendous Nicky." He hadn't been aware that Cutter knew Jenny's stalker guy personally.
Cutter rolled his eyes, annoyed. He had hoped never to hear that dreadful nickname again.
"Stupendous Nicky?" Connor asked curiously.
"Trust me, you don't want to know."
A brief look at Lester leaning on the railing told him that Lester hadn't even batted an eyelid but Nick suspected his lover would ask him later in private about the odd name as well.
"Hallo, little Tommy. I usually prefer to be called Cutter, Professor or Nick."
"All right, point taken."
"How did you manage to get into the project, Tom?"
The whole team followed with interest the conversation between the newcomer and Cutter, a little confused as to what exactly was happening here.
"You know, connections. My mother knows someone who knows someone who's related to the Prime Minister. I didn't want to go that way but you left me no other choice. I hope the funding rise helps to get over the shock of having to put up with me again, Nick."
Cutter looked questioning at Lester who slowly made his way down the ramp, with a glaring Jenny in tow.
"He's right. We just got the confirmation about a special budget for the next three years and the promise of more autonomy. Of course only on the condition that we hire a certain person. Those seems to be very influential connections that you have, Mr. Barrows."
Lester eyed the younger man appraisingly but Thomas only shrugged his shoulders.
"Be that as it may. You're now part of the Anomaly Project. There are currently two teams under the command of Professor Cutter and Stephen Hart. You will belong to the science team with Professor Cutter as teamleader. I'm the project supervisor and Jenny Lewis is my right hand. Our work is important and often dangerous. This isn't the place for mavericks or wannabe heroes. You will follow all of our instructions without any objection or you will be chucked out on your ear, whether or not you know the Prime Minister personally. Is that understood?"
Thomas Barrows nodded.
"Good. Jenny will take care of the necessary paperwork after your medical check-up. Then Mr. Temple can give you an introduction in the project. Welcome to the ARC, Mr. Barrows. Professor Cutter, may I have a word with you?"
Nick followed Lester up the ramp into his office and closed the door.
He waited for Lester to start talking but Lester only sat down in his chair and crossed his arms.
"James? What's the deal? Despite what I’ve told you recently Thomas is a decent guy. I think he will fit in with us."
"I hope so. We can't get rid of him so easily if he causes trouble or brings frictions into the team. His family is of old money, Nick. His mother doesn't just know someone. His parents probably have tea with the Prime Minister every second week."
"You have checked him thoroughly," Cutter stated.
"Of course, I have. I must know beforehand what sort of people I've got to deal with, specially when I have no say in the matter. And it doesn't sound promising. I'm usually not interested in society gossip but my ex-wife could tell me some interesting things about him as well. Barrow is indeed the black sheep of the family but he's the only son and will inherit the large family property. You didn't know he comes from a influental family?"
"No, I didn't. He was just the little brat who followed us around. I wasn't interested in his family history."
"That much is clear. He has good manners and is highly intelligent. He got his degree in physics and got an offer from Oxford which he rejected. He spent some time in Indonesia and Nepal instead. The problem is he stays never long in one place and opposes authority on principle. After I learnt you were something of a role model for him I'm not surprised he's just as much a maverick as you. He even studied at the same university as you did. It's a wonder he didn't choose the same subject as well."
"At least he doesn't colour his hair blond anymore to look more like me or try to imitate my Scottish accent."
With a shudder, Nick thought back at the time Little Tommy had followed him around like a puppy dog. And if he and his friends had tried to get rid of the teen, Nick had been chided by passers-by to be more nice to his baby-brother. Nick still thought it a cruel joke of nature that Thomas, a guy from the Midlands, bore such an uncanny resemblance to him.
"And you are absolutely sure you aren't related in any way?"
Lester's tone made Nick prick up his ears. "Okay, James, what else did you find out?"
"Apparently his great-grandmother met your great-grandfather in a hospital in London during World War I and they were, I would say, well acquainted. She left her work at the hospital when her husband returned from the front. The child she gave birth to nine months later was of course assumed to be fathered by her husband."
"Great. So my great-grandfather was probably an adulterer and I'm related to Tom, at least around several corners. I just hope he never finds that out."
With an amused smile Lester continued, "I'm very sure Barrows did know all about that family secret when he started to copy you."
"You seem to enjoy that a little too much."
"Well, I have to find some humour in the situation. After all I'm the poor boss who has to put up with two of your kind now."
Rolling his eyes, Nick moved to the exit. "I better check to see if Jenny has killed Little Tommy yet."
"Bribery and blackmail. It that your way of getting everything?" Jenny's voice was rather frosty as she shooed Thomas Barrows into her office.
"No of course not. Look, I couldn’t see another way of becoming part of the team. And it wasn't really like you think. I just dropped a few hints here and there that I know about the ARC and that I eventually might contribute something to the project if they were willing to hire me. And of course that my family might show their gratitude."
Jenny looked disgusted and Thomas realised he had finally overstepped the line. He fetched the files Jenny handed to him and retreated quietly.
Thomas’ attempt to befriend Connor went a lot easier.
In Connor's book, the effort Thomas had put in to join the ARC already spoke in favour of the guy. Someone so determined must have ulterior motives. Otherwise he would have tried to make money and sell his knowledge to the papers.
And thanks to Thomas Barrows, there was also a big budget now waiting to be spent on some more of Connor's ideas. For this Connor could even forgive the mischief the weird guy had caused with the computers.
So when Thomas approached him he only demanded Thomas should stay away from the network and Connor's desktop surface.
"All right. You can keep your silly Star Trek icons."
"Not a big sci fi fan apparently," Abby mumbled, irked. She had taken an immediately dislike to the new guy. They all were a well-honed team and did an important job. They didn't need someone who tried to muscle in just out of curiosity.
Abby got even more peeved when Thomas followed her to the holding area to feed the ARC’s residual guests. Until now that had been her domain alone.
Nick found Thomas Barrows in the staff room with a cup of tea and a bandage around his left elbow, studying some files Connor had given him.
"Tom, you all right?"
"Just a scratch. But that woman is scary."
"Yes, Jenny can be very direct at times."
"I'm not talking about the lovely Jenny. Most of the time she's all smiles and graces. I'm meaning the blonde one. Abby"
Nick pointed at the bandage Ditzy had skillfully applied on Barrows' arm. "Abby did this?"
"No, the deinonychus did. I was trying to help her feed it and it thought I was after his food. Abby then gave me such a lecture that my ears are still ringing. And her look. Last time I saw such a look it was in an animal documentation on the discovery channel, in the eyes of a panther before it went for the kill."
Nick had to bite back a laugh. Thomas finally seemed to have found his master.
Resigned, Thomas closed the file he'd been reading and made an inviting gesture to a chair.
"Well, go on. You certainly haven't come down here just to ask how I am.
"What's all this about, Tommy? Why are you here? The truth."
Thomas took a deep breath and started to rub on a little dent he had seen on the table surface.
"The truth is I’ve never met a woman like Jenny Lewis before and I want to get to know her better. That also includes her daily work. Of course the project itself plays an important part too. Time portals, extinct species - that's so fascinating. Are you very mad at me, Nick? I know I was a nuisance in the past but I've grown up. I won’t follow you around anymore."
Nick snorted. "Thank God for small mercies. I heard you followed Jenny around instead."
"Yes, I know that wasn’t my best move. Some habits die hard. I was working for the yellow press for some time. There you had to operate in the background to get a story."
"I heard about that as well."
Nick said nothing more, just continued to look at the younger man until Thomas started to squirm under Cutter's gaze.
"All right, when I look back I suppose my whole behaviour must seem quite irrational. I don't know what got into me. But I swear I'm not here to cause more mischief. I'm really interested in the project and in Jenny."
A smile appeared on Thomas Barrow's lips as he mentioned Jenny's name.
"I was always looking for something to give my life meaning. After trying almost everything I was close to accepting that I would have to spend my life in the same boring way as all my ancestors. Then everything changed within a day. I met Jenny, saw a living dinosaur and my former inspiration Nick Cutter with a weird group of people and soldiers at the school in Kent. I knew it had to be huge if you were willing to work for the government. You know the rest."
"You could just have contacted me."
"I didn't think that would bring anything. I tried contacting you several times after I started university. When I called you, you either weren't there or you didn't call back when I left a message with your wife. And the two times I came over to visit you personally your wife fobbed me off. I finally accepted that you didn't want anything to do with me. I mean, it was understandable after the impression I must have made on you back then. It's really embarassing to know that my boyhood idol remembers me as an annoying whiny adolescent."
"I never got your messages. Apparently my ex-wife, Helen, had a very strange view about the duties of a wife," Nick said with some remorse. He had lost contact with all his university friends and acquittances after his marriage to Helen. It would have been nice to talk to someone about old times.
"Still you could have tried getting in touch with us in a more legal way. That would have given you the benefit of the doubt."
"Maybe. But I'm sure you wouldn't have trusted me with the truth about the project if I had just suddenly shown up on your door step. I didn't want to get sent away with some platitudes. Now I have enough information to really be from value to you. I've read all the reports about the anomalies and I even took a crash course in evolutionary zoology. Please, just give me a chance to prove myself on the team."
Thomas pulled a face as he realised he was back to the pleading again. To show he had in fact changed since his teens he quickly added, "If I fail I'll go without protest and I'll even make sure there aren't any repercussions for your boss or the Anomaly project. Agreed?"
That seem like a reasonable proposal to Nick. Perhaps a physicist could hustle things on. There had been times even Connor had reached the end of his knowledge and had to seek help from outside. But that he couldn't be very specific in his inquiries had made the research more difficult.
"Okay, Tom. But please no solo runs. We can't afford to lose someone because you want to satisfy your curiosity. And stop that nonsense with the computer network or Connor will get very upset. He likes his Star Trek gimmickry."
"Well, I thought Jurassic Park was more fitting for such a project." A wicked light was dancing in Thomas' eyes but died as he realised Cutter meant it seriously.
"I will try to behave," he mumbled, wishing he didn’t feel just so much like a teenage boy again who had got permission to accompany the grown ups.
Author: TalliW
Pairings: Lester/Cutter, Stephen/Lyle, Abby/Connor, Jenny
Rating: K+
Disclaimer: Primeval is the property of Impossible Pictures. I write just for fun.
Lyle belongs to Fredbassett.
Acknowledgments: Thanks to Fredbassett for beta-reading. I couldn't have done it without you
A nervous smile played on Lyle's lips as he walked with Stephen towards his uncle and aunt’s house where his cousin’s engagement party was taking place.
Unfortunately it had started raining on Sunday afternoon and so the festivities had had to be moved from the back garden into the house.
The closer they came to the front door the more nervously Lyle got. In the end this felt something like his official outing. Whilst most of the guests wouldn't think anything of the fact that he was bringing a male friend to the party, his parents and close relatives would certainly catch the significance instantly. Until now he had always shown up alone to family events.
Lyle glanced over to Stephen and realised that his lover wasn't any less anxious than he was.
He touched Stephen hand encouragingly, knowing that Stephen would make a great impression and win his parent’s hearts in no time.
In his silver grey suit Stephen looked even more sexy than in his usual outfit and Lyle had had a hard time keeping his hands to himself. He almost felt underdressed in his casual beige suit next to Stephen. It was a given that his lover would attract attention as soon they stepped over the threshold.
"Here you are at last." Lyle was greeted by his cousin and pulled into a bear-hug. Over Lyle's shoulder her eyes fixed on Stephen and she murmured in Lyle's ear, "God, he's gorgeous. You should have warned me."
Laughing, Lyle moved out of the embrace and introduced them to each other.
"That's my little cousin Caitlin Derrow, the lucky bride and future leader of the Liberal Democrats. And this is Stephen Hart."
"Don't take him seriously. I'm just a little cog in the party. Welcome, Stephen. It's nice to meet a friend of Jon’s."
"The pleasure's mine," Stephen's replied politely and was shocked as he was engulfed in a hug no less hearty than the one Lyle had received.
Then Caitlin let him go to pull someone out of a group of men.
"And this is Gavin Kilsby, my fiance," she declared proudly. "Gavin, this is my cousin Jon and his friend, Stephen."
Lyle and Stephen looked in surprise at the friendly face of a tall coloured man.
"Hi, nice to meet you. I take it Caitlin hasn't mentioned I'm of Nigerian descent to you either," he said with a smile.
"Uncle Marvin must be bursting with joy." The words slipped out of Lyle's mouth before he could stop them. "I mean nice to meet you too. Congratulations on your engagement."
Caitlin began giggling at the view of Lyle standing there awkwardly, flushed with embarrassment and searching for an adequate apology for his gaffe.
"He's probably still trying to get over the shock," Gavin replied grinning. "And he isn't the only one. My little minx has kept it secret from all but her parents and her grandmother."
Lyle took an instant liking to Caitlin's fiance, glad that she had made a good choice. Proffering his hand to the young man, he said, "Yeah, Caitlin can be a real handful. Take good care of her."
Then Lyle made his rounds through the room with Stephen, saying hello and introducing Stephen to the members of his family.
When Stephen's head started to spin from the onslaught of names he was trying to memorise Caitlin appeared right next to him.
"Do you mind if I borrow Stephen for a moment? I need a strong man to help me open a few more wine bottles."
Before Lyle could say anything Caitlin was already dragging Stephen away to the wine buffet.
"So you’re in the Forces too. Jon told me you met at work."
"Actually I'm a lab assistant."
"Really?"
Noticing Stephen's unease Cailin added, "Stop worrying. I won’t ask what strange project you are working on together. I know most of the things Jon is involved in are under wraps. Just as I won’t ask what sort of relationship you both really have. Jon never has been very subtle."
Stephen concentrated on opening the wine bottles and chose not to react to Caitlin's remark.
"It's about time you got out of the closet," his second cousin Liam told Lyle a tad too loudly. "Pity I didn’t place a bet on you. I knew you were swinging that way since that summer camp in June 1987 when I watched you ogling Roger Sheffield's arse. Is that cute guy over there your current lover?"
"That's Stephen, the man I'm in love with," Lyle clarified loudly enough that half the room could hear his words. He hadn't realised how well the hall transported sounds if you were standing near the entrance.
Suddenly all eyes turned to Lyle before fixing on Stephen, shock clearly written on the faces of various people.
Stephen's hand started to tremble and Caitlin quickly took the bottle of wine from him before he could spill it.
Despite the fact that he had heard it clearly Stephen had difficulties believing his own ears. None of his former girl-friends had ever taken Stephen home to their parents. And now Lyle had even gone the extra mile and declared his feeling for him in front of his whole family.
Impulsively Stephen walked over to Lyle, grasped his hand and squeezed it tight. Lyle smiled and pressed a chaste kiss on Stephen's cheek before he moved to the crowd of whispering people around his parents, pulling Stephen with him.
"I can't believe it. My boy is finally settling down."
Lyle's mother shoved the hefty, gesticulating man in front of her, who had been introduced as Uncle Miles to Stephen, to the side and gave her son a stern look. "Why didn't you tell me you’ve found someone special? Introducing him as only a friend. You are just as bad as your cousin."
The next moment Stephen was pulled into a hug, so tight he was afraid his ribs might break. The solid slap on the shoulder from Lyle's father could almost be labeled as soft in contrast.
Giving Uncle Miles and his friends a saucy look, Lyle watched his grandmother leading Stephen away into the kitchen. Without doubt to subject him to the thorough interrogation every future family member had to undergo.
What did it matter that Uncle Miles, Aunt Harriet and their bunch would now gossiping viciously about the disgraceful fag?
He didn’t give a damn about what they thought as long the people important to him accepted him the way he was. It had taken long him long enough to come to this point and it was very liberating to be finally honest about his preferences with his family.
"Did you have to chose my engagement party to make your official statement?" Caitlin asked with feigned anger.
"Sorry," Lyle mumbled apologetically. Then he noticed the twinkle in her eyes. "Damn, you’re having me on again. Are good acting skills a basic requirement for a career in politics?"
Huffing, Caitlin punched Lyle against the arm.
A chuckle from the right startled them both.
"Apparently nothing has changed since you were children," Caitlin's mother said smiling. "It's wonderful you could make it to the party, Jon. Oh by the way congratulations to you. Your boyfriend seems like a fine catch. Proves again the cutest guys are always gay."
Lyle was glad they weren't mad at him for wrecking the party. He certainly hadn't planned to announce his love for a man loudly, knowing there were quite a few homophobes amongst the guests but he didn't regret that it had happened.
Gavin, Caitlin's fiancee, had finally managed to get free from a group of his friends, wanting to clink glasses with him.
Proudly, he put his arm around Caitlin's waist and then gave her a kiss before he turned to Lyle.
"I guess congratulations are in order for you too. You know, for a while I was really jealous of you. After Caitlin called you it was Jon here and Jon there. She told me a lot about you. But of course she never bothered to mention you were gay."
A little sheepishly Lyle confessed, "She didn't know. I’d never told any of my family before. Sorry for spoiling your engagement."
"Nonsense," Gavin replied light-heartely before stealing another kiss from his fiancee. "At least they’ve found another topic other than the colour of my skin they can gossip about now."
With a smile, Caitlin's mother gave Lyle a soft push. "Better go rescue your boyfriend from your grandmother's clutches before he decides to dump you. Gavin almost took flight during his interrogation."
His grandmother had already finished Stephen's interrogation by the time Lyle bustled into the kitchen. Stephen had a high colour to his face but was still smiling. Apparently the danger of being dumped wasn't very imminent. Although that could change when his father decided to have a serious talk with Stephen as well.
"The boy is good for you. So I warn you, Jon, if you hurt him I'll put you over my knee," Grandmother Lyle whispered to Lyle. "And now out with you. Young people should mingle with one another, not sitting in the kitchen with decrepit grannies."
But the force with which she then pushed her grandson and Stephen out of the kitchen didn't show any sign of decrepitude.
Loaded with a lot of plastic containers full with leftovers as Lyle's aunt thought Stephen was a little too thin, Lyle and Stephen left the relative’s house late at night.
When most of the guests had bid good bye, including Uncle Miles and his family, they had celebrated on in a smaller group.
And after Lyle's father had taken Stephen aside and told him that he had been sceptical first about Lyle hooking up with a beau but now was of the opinion his son could not have made a better choice, Stephen began to relax completely. In the end it had almost been as if Gavin and Stephen had always belonged in the family.
On monday morning, Lester arrived punctually at eight. Nick walked in a few minutes later with a yawn, prompting Lyle to whisper to Stephen, "Cutter looks like they’ve spent the whole weekend shagging."
Nick had to hide a smile when he heard Lyle's words. The soldier actually wasn't much off the mark. Lester had ridden him so long it was a wonder he could walk at all.
He greeted them with a nod then moved torwards Connor and Abby who were chatting animatedly next to the anomaly detector. From the entrance he heard a jubilant, "Good Morning, ARC" and could watch how the smile on Connor's and Abby's face slowly turned to confusion as the newcomer made his way through the swing doors.
In the reunion with Lester, Nick had almost forgotten all about the new team member. Unfortunately Thomas Barrows was a force of nature who always brought himself to mind again.
Stephen was stunned as Thomas Barrows greeted Cutter with a loud, "Hallo, stupendous Nicky." He hadn't been aware that Cutter knew Jenny's stalker guy personally.
Cutter rolled his eyes, annoyed. He had hoped never to hear that dreadful nickname again.
"Stupendous Nicky?" Connor asked curiously.
"Trust me, you don't want to know."
A brief look at Lester leaning on the railing told him that Lester hadn't even batted an eyelid but Nick suspected his lover would ask him later in private about the odd name as well.
"Hallo, little Tommy. I usually prefer to be called Cutter, Professor or Nick."
"All right, point taken."
"How did you manage to get into the project, Tom?"
The whole team followed with interest the conversation between the newcomer and Cutter, a little confused as to what exactly was happening here.
"You know, connections. My mother knows someone who knows someone who's related to the Prime Minister. I didn't want to go that way but you left me no other choice. I hope the funding rise helps to get over the shock of having to put up with me again, Nick."
Cutter looked questioning at Lester who slowly made his way down the ramp, with a glaring Jenny in tow.
"He's right. We just got the confirmation about a special budget for the next three years and the promise of more autonomy. Of course only on the condition that we hire a certain person. Those seems to be very influential connections that you have, Mr. Barrows."
Lester eyed the younger man appraisingly but Thomas only shrugged his shoulders.
"Be that as it may. You're now part of the Anomaly Project. There are currently two teams under the command of Professor Cutter and Stephen Hart. You will belong to the science team with Professor Cutter as teamleader. I'm the project supervisor and Jenny Lewis is my right hand. Our work is important and often dangerous. This isn't the place for mavericks or wannabe heroes. You will follow all of our instructions without any objection or you will be chucked out on your ear, whether or not you know the Prime Minister personally. Is that understood?"
Thomas Barrows nodded.
"Good. Jenny will take care of the necessary paperwork after your medical check-up. Then Mr. Temple can give you an introduction in the project. Welcome to the ARC, Mr. Barrows. Professor Cutter, may I have a word with you?"
Nick followed Lester up the ramp into his office and closed the door.
He waited for Lester to start talking but Lester only sat down in his chair and crossed his arms.
"James? What's the deal? Despite what I’ve told you recently Thomas is a decent guy. I think he will fit in with us."
"I hope so. We can't get rid of him so easily if he causes trouble or brings frictions into the team. His family is of old money, Nick. His mother doesn't just know someone. His parents probably have tea with the Prime Minister every second week."
"You have checked him thoroughly," Cutter stated.
"Of course, I have. I must know beforehand what sort of people I've got to deal with, specially when I have no say in the matter. And it doesn't sound promising. I'm usually not interested in society gossip but my ex-wife could tell me some interesting things about him as well. Barrow is indeed the black sheep of the family but he's the only son and will inherit the large family property. You didn't know he comes from a influental family?"
"No, I didn't. He was just the little brat who followed us around. I wasn't interested in his family history."
"That much is clear. He has good manners and is highly intelligent. He got his degree in physics and got an offer from Oxford which he rejected. He spent some time in Indonesia and Nepal instead. The problem is he stays never long in one place and opposes authority on principle. After I learnt you were something of a role model for him I'm not surprised he's just as much a maverick as you. He even studied at the same university as you did. It's a wonder he didn't choose the same subject as well."
"At least he doesn't colour his hair blond anymore to look more like me or try to imitate my Scottish accent."
With a shudder, Nick thought back at the time Little Tommy had followed him around like a puppy dog. And if he and his friends had tried to get rid of the teen, Nick had been chided by passers-by to be more nice to his baby-brother. Nick still thought it a cruel joke of nature that Thomas, a guy from the Midlands, bore such an uncanny resemblance to him.
"And you are absolutely sure you aren't related in any way?"
Lester's tone made Nick prick up his ears. "Okay, James, what else did you find out?"
"Apparently his great-grandmother met your great-grandfather in a hospital in London during World War I and they were, I would say, well acquainted. She left her work at the hospital when her husband returned from the front. The child she gave birth to nine months later was of course assumed to be fathered by her husband."
"Great. So my great-grandfather was probably an adulterer and I'm related to Tom, at least around several corners. I just hope he never finds that out."
With an amused smile Lester continued, "I'm very sure Barrows did know all about that family secret when he started to copy you."
"You seem to enjoy that a little too much."
"Well, I have to find some humour in the situation. After all I'm the poor boss who has to put up with two of your kind now."
Rolling his eyes, Nick moved to the exit. "I better check to see if Jenny has killed Little Tommy yet."
"Bribery and blackmail. It that your way of getting everything?" Jenny's voice was rather frosty as she shooed Thomas Barrows into her office.
"No of course not. Look, I couldn’t see another way of becoming part of the team. And it wasn't really like you think. I just dropped a few hints here and there that I know about the ARC and that I eventually might contribute something to the project if they were willing to hire me. And of course that my family might show their gratitude."
Jenny looked disgusted and Thomas realised he had finally overstepped the line. He fetched the files Jenny handed to him and retreated quietly.
Thomas’ attempt to befriend Connor went a lot easier.
In Connor's book, the effort Thomas had put in to join the ARC already spoke in favour of the guy. Someone so determined must have ulterior motives. Otherwise he would have tried to make money and sell his knowledge to the papers.
And thanks to Thomas Barrows, there was also a big budget now waiting to be spent on some more of Connor's ideas. For this Connor could even forgive the mischief the weird guy had caused with the computers.
So when Thomas approached him he only demanded Thomas should stay away from the network and Connor's desktop surface.
"All right. You can keep your silly Star Trek icons."
"Not a big sci fi fan apparently," Abby mumbled, irked. She had taken an immediately dislike to the new guy. They all were a well-honed team and did an important job. They didn't need someone who tried to muscle in just out of curiosity.
Abby got even more peeved when Thomas followed her to the holding area to feed the ARC’s residual guests. Until now that had been her domain alone.
Nick found Thomas Barrows in the staff room with a cup of tea and a bandage around his left elbow, studying some files Connor had given him.
"Tom, you all right?"
"Just a scratch. But that woman is scary."
"Yes, Jenny can be very direct at times."
"I'm not talking about the lovely Jenny. Most of the time she's all smiles and graces. I'm meaning the blonde one. Abby"
Nick pointed at the bandage Ditzy had skillfully applied on Barrows' arm. "Abby did this?"
"No, the deinonychus did. I was trying to help her feed it and it thought I was after his food. Abby then gave me such a lecture that my ears are still ringing. And her look. Last time I saw such a look it was in an animal documentation on the discovery channel, in the eyes of a panther before it went for the kill."
Nick had to bite back a laugh. Thomas finally seemed to have found his master.
Resigned, Thomas closed the file he'd been reading and made an inviting gesture to a chair.
"Well, go on. You certainly haven't come down here just to ask how I am.
"What's all this about, Tommy? Why are you here? The truth."
Thomas took a deep breath and started to rub on a little dent he had seen on the table surface.
"The truth is I’ve never met a woman like Jenny Lewis before and I want to get to know her better. That also includes her daily work. Of course the project itself plays an important part too. Time portals, extinct species - that's so fascinating. Are you very mad at me, Nick? I know I was a nuisance in the past but I've grown up. I won’t follow you around anymore."
Nick snorted. "Thank God for small mercies. I heard you followed Jenny around instead."
"Yes, I know that wasn’t my best move. Some habits die hard. I was working for the yellow press for some time. There you had to operate in the background to get a story."
"I heard about that as well."
Nick said nothing more, just continued to look at the younger man until Thomas started to squirm under Cutter's gaze.
"All right, when I look back I suppose my whole behaviour must seem quite irrational. I don't know what got into me. But I swear I'm not here to cause more mischief. I'm really interested in the project and in Jenny."
A smile appeared on Thomas Barrow's lips as he mentioned Jenny's name.
"I was always looking for something to give my life meaning. After trying almost everything I was close to accepting that I would have to spend my life in the same boring way as all my ancestors. Then everything changed within a day. I met Jenny, saw a living dinosaur and my former inspiration Nick Cutter with a weird group of people and soldiers at the school in Kent. I knew it had to be huge if you were willing to work for the government. You know the rest."
"You could just have contacted me."
"I didn't think that would bring anything. I tried contacting you several times after I started university. When I called you, you either weren't there or you didn't call back when I left a message with your wife. And the two times I came over to visit you personally your wife fobbed me off. I finally accepted that you didn't want anything to do with me. I mean, it was understandable after the impression I must have made on you back then. It's really embarassing to know that my boyhood idol remembers me as an annoying whiny adolescent."
"I never got your messages. Apparently my ex-wife, Helen, had a very strange view about the duties of a wife," Nick said with some remorse. He had lost contact with all his university friends and acquittances after his marriage to Helen. It would have been nice to talk to someone about old times.
"Still you could have tried getting in touch with us in a more legal way. That would have given you the benefit of the doubt."
"Maybe. But I'm sure you wouldn't have trusted me with the truth about the project if I had just suddenly shown up on your door step. I didn't want to get sent away with some platitudes. Now I have enough information to really be from value to you. I've read all the reports about the anomalies and I even took a crash course in evolutionary zoology. Please, just give me a chance to prove myself on the team."
Thomas pulled a face as he realised he was back to the pleading again. To show he had in fact changed since his teens he quickly added, "If I fail I'll go without protest and I'll even make sure there aren't any repercussions for your boss or the Anomaly project. Agreed?"
That seem like a reasonable proposal to Nick. Perhaps a physicist could hustle things on. There had been times even Connor had reached the end of his knowledge and had to seek help from outside. But that he couldn't be very specific in his inquiries had made the research more difficult.
"Okay, Tom. But please no solo runs. We can't afford to lose someone because you want to satisfy your curiosity. And stop that nonsense with the computer network or Connor will get very upset. He likes his Star Trek gimmickry."
"Well, I thought Jurassic Park was more fitting for such a project." A wicked light was dancing in Thomas' eyes but died as he realised Cutter meant it seriously.
"I will try to behave," he mumbled, wishing he didn’t feel just so much like a teenage boy again who had got permission to accompany the grown ups.