94 Minutes

Jan. 2nd, 2011 12:18 am
jooles34: (Lester)
[personal profile] jooles34
Title: 94 Minutes
Fandom: Primeval
Characters: Lester, Connor, Abby. Mentions of other members of the team.
Words: 571
Rating/warnings:
PG
Disclaimer: Nope, don't own Primeval.
Spoilers: For Season 4 episode one and all that came before.
AN: This  follows actual canon as apposed to the usual Jooles' head canon...
AN 2: Biblical referances intended as writing device only, no offense intended.


 

11.13 The anomaly detector sounds. Lester pays it the same amount of interest he gives all alerts in recent months. He hates to admit it, but he has given up hoping. Time was every alert made his heart leap into his throat, his brain telling him ‘this time, this time.’ but it never is. And, a part of him he hates thinks it never will be.

11.25. Connor Temple and Abby Maitland have come through the anomaly; condition unknown. The smile is broad on Jess’ face as she announces the news. And a glimmer of hope starts to shine in his chest. But he denies it, quells it, pushes it down. Still, he follows her to the control panel, a desperate need to feed himself with updates as they come in.

1134. The call comes through. They are alive, they appear well. Appearances are not enough for him; a remote call from a distance is not enough for him. He still won’t let himself believe. Even though the assurance comes from Becker, a man he has come to trust above all others, he can’t let himself hope. He denies them again. But still, he remains at Jess’ side. Even he is aware how badly he is hiding his need for more news.

1143. They’ve stolen a car. It sounds like them and he makes quips to Jess to hide the fact that his heart has finally made that leap into this throat. The idea that this might be true, it might really be them, they might really be safe and well starts to scream in his mind. But no, not yet, can’t give into it yet. He pushes it away once more.

1236. He sees them. Connor and Abby are brought into the ARC and he watches them enter on the security camera. They are real, whole; they smile as they walk into the building flanked by Becker. Lester slumps into his chair, the sense of relief so strong it deflates him. Everything he’s kept carefully pent up for the last year bubbles to the surface and a sob catches in his throat. He doesn’t yet let his mind question why there are only two. For now he will take this, celebrate this moment. He will ask that question soon, but he’ll just let himself enjoy this moment first. After all, he knows the celebration will only last so long.

1238. Lester’s moment alone is over and he gathers himself, stands at the door and waits for them to enter. He thinks about what he could say, thinks of everything he wants to say, but knows it won’t be said. And that’s for the best; it’s not what any of them need. He apparently chooses right; they both smile at him. Then he asks his question and receives his answer. Lester tries to remember to be happy with what he has. While he can. Abby hugs him – an awkward, but neither unpleasant nor unwelcome experience - and Connor attempts to hug him, a manoeuvre he thwarts that quickly. He can’t. He knows what’s coming next and he knows it will hurt Connor most of all.

1247. They have been back in their own time for 94 minutes and already he has broken them. They fought so much over the last year and here they sit, defeated by bureaucracy. And then Lester has to deliver the final betrayal.

“It was my decision.”

Date: 2011-01-02 02:10 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] arianedevere.livejournal.com
Yes! This sums up how he must have felt. Poor James.

Date: 2011-01-02 03:20 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] jooles34.livejournal.com
Thank you. He seemed so small at that point and I felt so sorry for him.

Date: 2011-01-02 03:52 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] canadian-jay.livejournal.com
*hugs James and refuses to let go*

Date: 2011-01-02 03:23 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] jooles34.livejournal.com
*joins in group hug*

Date: 2011-01-02 04:31 am (UTC)

Date: 2011-01-02 03:24 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] jooles34.livejournal.com
*sniffle* Thank you

Date: 2011-01-02 08:54 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] lukadreaming.livejournal.com
Ouch! Very believable!

Date: 2011-01-02 03:25 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] jooles34.livejournal.com
Thank you. I just really felt for him at the end.

Date: 2011-01-02 09:05 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] echo-fangirl.livejournal.com
That's pretty much exactly what I thought when he said that: "Poor James, it's going to kill him that, now he's finally got them back, he has to admit to them that he has inadvertently betrayed them while they've been away." Poor boy, needs hugs. *huggles Lester*

Date: 2011-01-02 03:26 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] jooles34.livejournal.com
*joins in with huggles* He just seemed so small in that bit, and I really felt for him. Glad it rang true for you.

Date: 2011-01-02 09:32 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] jaynedoll.livejournal.com
Ooh, that was good. Yes, I imagine Lester must have known how much that decision would hurt them and deep down I think it hurt him to have to tell them.

Date: 2011-01-02 03:28 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] jooles34.livejournal.com
Thank you hon. I felt for him all the way through, but that moment was just guh.

Date: 2011-01-02 01:27 pm (UTC)
fififolle: (Primeval - Lester B&W)
From: [personal profile] fififolle
*wibble*
Poor Lester.
*wibbles more*
Nice work!
*wibbles again*

Date: 2011-01-02 03:29 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] jooles34.livejournal.com
*is still wibbly too*

Thanks, glad you think it worked.

Date: 2011-01-02 03:51 pm (UTC)
ext_472928: (Bed Intruder Doctor)
From: [identity profile] hauntingblood.livejournal.com
The hug scene was totally the best. Akward!Hug!
I want to punch Lester for letting that happen. Then proceed to hug him in an akward fashion.

Date: 2011-01-03 01:10 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] jooles34.livejournal.com
I know. He would have thought that he was doing the right thing...and then... hug. *huggles Lester whether he likes it or not*

Date: 2011-01-02 05:38 pm (UTC)
fredbassett: (Default)
From: [personal profile] fredbassett
That worked really well!

Date: 2011-01-03 01:10 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] jooles34.livejournal.com
Thank you. And I totally noticed that there were other characters on screen too. Go me.

Date: 2011-01-02 05:39 pm (UTC)
ext_27141: (Lester Phone)
From: [identity profile] telperion-15.livejournal.com
*whimper* That ending packs a real punch against the background of Lester's inner angst...

Date: 2011-01-03 01:11 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] jooles34.livejournal.com
*pets*

Thank you; Lester just seemed so sad at that point.

Date: 2011-01-02 08:58 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] deinonychus-1.livejournal.com
waaaah! Poor Lester, that was sad, and then harsh.

Date: 2011-01-03 01:12 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] jooles34.livejournal.com
*sobs with you*

Thank you, I really felt for him at that bit. Glad you think this worked.

Date: 2011-01-02 09:44 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] knitekat.livejournal.com
*wibbles* over Lester's internal angst, and then ouch for the ending. *hugs Lester*

Date: 2011-01-03 01:14 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] jooles34.livejournal.com
Sorry about wibble. Thank you for commenting.

Date: 2011-01-03 09:15 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] ssw-loved.livejournal.com
I love you for this fic. I don't think I gave myself a reason in my head as to why he didn't allow Connor to hug him until right then. But gahhh, this just fits beautifully. It's so very Lester. It's so fatnastic.

<3333

Date: 2011-01-03 01:36 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] jooles34.livejournal.com
Wow, thank you so much. I'm really pleased that you think this works for tha character and for the situation. Thanks again for a lovely comment.

Date: 2011-01-03 09:23 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] quoththewriter.livejournal.com
HOW DID I NOT THINK OF THIS? That's a brilliant explanation for why he pushed Connor away! (And it is now my own personal head-canon.)

Poor, poor Lester. -huggles him- That must have killed him to do that. He was so very elated that they'd made it back (and worried over them before he could see them with his own eyes, my heart, James, you're melting it!) and then he had to do that.

(Though personally I'd always thought of the sacking thing as him having given up on them coming back and not taking into account the effect it would have if they'd have somehow made it back, and issuing the order as a way of preventing what happened to Sarah, which is obviously where the decision came from. But it always seemed to me that he hadn't considered them coming back into the picture and how that would effect the ruling he'd already put into place.)

I'm quite tired so I'm not sure how much of that made sense, but anyway, this was fantastic!

Date: 2011-01-03 01:39 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] jooles34.livejournal.com
Wow, thank you so much.Really chuffed you think this works. I agree with you. I think Lester made the decision because of all of them; Conner, Abby, Danny and Sarah; not willing to lose any more of them and getting to the point where he thought the others wouldn't be back so it would make no difference to them. The way he acts in ep two I think supports this. Thanks again.

Date: 2011-01-06 09:28 pm (UTC)
shadowcat: (Default)
From: [personal profile] shadowcat
Oh poor James. :(

I am glad that there are people who can see that he is not a bad guy!

Date: 2011-02-01 07:40 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] neferitiel.livejournal.com
Poor Lester! *pats him on the head then hugs him close*

Date: 2011-02-19 09:05 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] hab318princess.livejournal.com
that feels spot on... poor Lester

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