Fic, Silk and Steel, Part 64, AU, 18

[fredbassett]

Title : Silk and Steel, Part 64
Authors : fredbassett & munchkinofdoom
Fandom : Primeval
Characters : Nick, Stephen, Annie Morris, Abby, Lacey, Helen, Jenny
Rating : 18
Disclaimer : Not ours, no money made, don’t sue
Spoilers : None
Summary : Nick reflects on his discussion with Stephen, and Helen turns her attention to Abby.
Warning : Slave!fic.
A/N : Tanya Lacey appears by kind permission of reggietate .

Nick paused and leaned back on his seat, stretching his back to ease aching muscles. He and Stephen had been quiet since their little talk. Not that they had been able to say much, with Stephen nervous from his brush with Helen and intimidated by the ever-present surveillance cameras.

Nick couldn't quite get his head around the fact that, in this universe, Helen hadn't been missing for eight years. He’d heard from Stephen how, instead, she had cut a swathe through the academic community, managing to cause outrage by her treatment of those below her in the hierarchy before even the notoriously lax management at the Central Metropolitan University had finally taken a stand and forced her out, at least for a while. She’d apparently retreated to the US to lick her wounds. He supposed he had to be grateful to his alter ego for preventing Stephen being collared and placed under Helen's supervision – Nick shuddered at the thought of what Stephen's life would have been like if Helen had gained control of him – but he still found it hard to muster more than a rudimentary level of respect for the Nick Cutter of this world. A man who clearly saw nothing wrong with having a soldier flogged for a minor transgression.

So, according to Stephen's story, Helen had come and gone with seeming ease, her political and academic star still managing to rise in spite of each so-called sabbatical. Nick suspected that Helen had actually been away longer than the casual observer might have realised, but had somehow found her way back to an earlier time than his Helen had.

But something she had done had brought her to Section 42's attention. Nick grinned, earning a confused look from Stephen. Going by Captain Thomson's treatment of her, Helen wasn’t going to have things all her own way.

The question was, what to do with this new information? Nick could only think of one person in this madhouse of a world that he trusted enough to discuss this with. He stood up and stretched again, this time for the benefit of the cameras. "Come on, Stephen. We need to stretch our legs."

"Where are we going?" asked Stephen as he followed Nick out of his office and down the corridor.

"I need to have a little chat with Annie..."

Stephen looked confused but he just shrugged. The two men soon reached the door to the physics lab and Nick peered inside before knocking politely on the glass petition. Annie was sitting in front of a computer display, her expression serious. She looked up, smiled at them, and waved the two men into her domain.

"Do you have a minute, Annie?" Nick asked.

"Certainly, dear." Annie pushed her computer chair back from the desk and turned to face them, indicating other chairs nearby. Nick and Stephen grabbed one each and sat down. "So, what can I do for you, Nick?" she asked.

Nick leaned closer and spoke quietly. "Helen knows that I'm not from this universe."

Annie frowned. "Are you sure?"

Nick nodded.

"Oh dear." Annie sighed. "That can't be good."

"What do we do now? With Leek in charge, are you going to be able to continue with your research into how I got here?"

"That’s a very good question," Annie said, frowning. "I have tried to see James, but Captain Thomson has been most specific in his instructions to the guards he has stationed to guard him. No one apart from Leek is entitled to pass those particular doors." She paused for a moment. "Perhaps it’s time for a chat with Oliver, after all?"

"God, no!" said Nick, emphatically. Just the thought of placing his life in Leek's hands made him shudder.

"Ah, there you all are. How convenient."

Nick turned sharply around at the new voice. Talk about unfortunate timing. Oliver Leek.

"Ah, Oliver, do join us.” Annie recovered more quickly than Nick, and treated Leek to a wide smile. “Nick and I were just discussing how best to assist Helen to settle in as your new Head of Science."

Leek gave a small theatrical shudder at Annie's words. "Might I suggest feeding the damned woman to the first creature we encounter?"

"Having a rough start to your first day as boss, Leek?" asked Nick with little grace.

"So far, I have a most unwelcome conversation with the Prime Minister followed by a run in with your ex-wife on the subject of your behaviour towards her and...” Leek cast a glance in Stephen’s direction, “…those she considers her rightful playthings. The woman is an absolute viper. But at least Captain Thomson seems to have her measure," Leek ended with an oily grin.

Nick wondered what the chances were of locking Leek and Helen in a concrete bunker and sealing it with cement. Not good, unfortunately. "Are we getting Lester back any time soon?"

Leek's face turned sombre, an expression Nick hadn't expected to see. "Unfortunately, no. I have been confirmed as the new Director of the Anomaly Project. Sir James will be exonerated, eventually, but he won't be returning to the ARC."

"And what of Captain Ryan?" asked Annie.

Leek refused to meet her eyes. "Downing Street requires a public display of contrition for the loss of innocent lives. We are to expect a government executioner by close of business tomorrow."

Nick rubbed his tired eyes with his fists. This world just kept on getting worse. He glared at Leek. "And there's nothing you can do?"

"I’ve tried, Cutter, believe me, I’ve tried. I've broken the news to Sir James – not that he hadn't expected such an outcome, considering his political experience – and I will do everything I can to make Ryan's last day as comfortable as possible, but the Prime Minister's decision is final."

Nick hadn't really expected any more than that from the man. Leek had always struck him as the sort who would stab his own mother in the back if it might give him a political advantage, and being named Lester's successor was too great a coup for the slimy bastard to risk going out on a limb for a condemned man.

"But that isn't why I’m here," Leek continued. He finally turned his full attention to Annie, and Nick felt a stab of concern. He had come to like the amiable, motherly physicist since Lester had brought her onboard.

"Professor Morris," Leek said. "After a brief discussion with Sir James – and I really must give credit to him for his advice and assistance in these difficult circumstances – it appears that you and I need to have a talk about your special project work."

Nick's eyes widened and he spied Stephen sitting up straighter in his chair. But Annie showed no outward emotion.

"Of course, Oliver. Would you like to talk now or would you prefer some privacy? I could report to your office at your convenience?"

"No, no, it isn't that urgent," said Leek, waving one hand idly. "I was thinking, perhaps, coffee at my home tonight? We’ll be working closely together, and I feel a small amount of social time together will no doubt oil the wheels of our daily interactions. I'll expect you at 8pm. Cutter, as team leader I'd like you there too."

"Will Helen be there as well?" Annie asked mildly.

"Not on this occasion,” Leek said, with a slight smile. “I’m sure she has plenty to occupy her time with at the moment. I’m simply trying to arrive at a clearer understanding of your projects and their progress."

"I understand," said Annie. "I shall look forward to this evening, Oliver. Would you like us to bring anything?"

"No. Just yourselves. Oh, and Cutter, you'd better bring Temple with you. The stupid boy won't get any sleep if he stays in the ARC another night, and he is your responsibility, after all."

Nick frowned but nodded his agreement. He didn't like the idea of a private meeting with Leek, and he certainly didn’t like the idea of involving Connor in whatever was going on, but he couldn't simply refuse the new director's order.

Leek exchanged a few last pleasantries with Annie while Nick watched, feeling like this universe had just contrived to become even stranger. Then Leek turned to head for the door. Just before he left the lab, he turned around and smiled at Stephen. Nick bristled. Despite Stephen's assurances that nothing had happened the previous night, Nick didn't trust Leek as far as he could throw him.

"Can I rely on you, Mr Hart, to stay out of Helen Cutter's way for the rest of the day? Much as Thomson apparently enjoys baiting our new Head of Science, I do think he and Professor Cutter have better things to do than protect your virtue."

"Yes, sir," Stephen said dutifully, even as Nick glowered at Leek.

Leek simply ignored his glare and finally exited.

"Well, that was interesting," Annie said.

Nick wasn’t sure that interesting was quite how he would have put it, but he managed to dredge up a grin from somewhere. “A party at Leek’s house. Lucky us.”

* * * * *

The atmosphere in the ARC was so thick with tension that Abby was beginning to think she’d have no trouble cutting the air with a knife and climbing through it, only knowing her luck it would probably be as bad on the other side. She’d spent the night in one of the rest rooms, all too conscious of the fact that she’d been lucky to get any sleep at all, even if it had been fitful and full of dark dreams. Connor had spent most of the night working on the security footage that Captain Thomson seemed to be setting such store by.

Her friend had spent the morning in front of the battery of screens in the Control Room, his dark eyes shadowed with exhaustion. He looked like he’d slept in his clothes, and two-day old stubble shaded his cheeks, giving them a hollow look. His abused back was still giving him trouble, but Ditzy had been attentive, insisting on watching while Connor had swallowed a combination of painkillers and anti-inflammatories. Abby had tried to give him some moral support, but Sergeant Miller had appeared mid-morning and was clearly enjoying himself looming over Connor, dispensing hard-eyed stares in the direction of anyone who tried to get too close.

Abby had quickly run out of excuses for hanging around the atrium and had made her way down to one of the biology labs. There were numerous samples that needed cataloguing, so there’d be no harm in making a start on them, especially as Helen Cutter would almost certainly be paying her domain a visit at some point.

Abby settled herself down at one of the work-stations and started to work methodically through a range of mosses and simple plants they’d picked up on a recent trip through an anomaly.

An hour or so later, she had a crick in her neck and was dying for a drink, but she’d made a good start on the backlog. A light knock on the door drew her attention, and through the glass on the top half of the door she saw Tanya Lacey, her glossy dark hair pulled back in a loose pony-tail, trying to attract her attention and mouthing the word ‘tea’. Abby jumped up to open the door for her.

The soldier was carrying a tray with a large thermos jug of tea, a couple of mugs and a packet of biscuits. “Thought you might be in need of a pick-me-up.”

“You’re a life-saver,” Abby grinned. “I was just thinking of taking a break.”

Her friend had the same drawn look that haunted all the soldiers she’d seen that day. Even Captain Thomson’s men – with the notable exception of the almost universally disliked Sergeant Miller – were subdued.

“How’s Captain Ryan?” Abby asked quietly. She’d heard what had happened to Ryan the previous evening. Everyone in the ARC had, by now.

“Still in the infirmary,” Tanya replied. The ever-present security cameras prevented any further discussion of the captain’s condition.

The two women stood in silence, drinking their tea, while Abby wondered if the ARC would ever return to what passed for normality. With Leek in charge, she doubted it, although she had to admit that Lyle’s constant presence at the man’s side had her – and everyone else – more than a little baffled. Ryan’s men were taking their cue from their lieutenant, and it was clearly a case of business as usual as far as Lyle was concerned, but the tension between the two military factions was still obvious, even to a casual observer.

She’d just opened her mouth to speak, more to fill the silence than out of any actual desire for conversation, when a smooth voice said from the doorway, “Tea, how nice. I was beginning to think I was the only person around here without an addiction to coffee. Is there another cup left in that pot?”

Tanya stiffened, but schooled her face into the bland expression so beloved of all the soldiers. “Yes, ma’am. Milk and sugar?”

Abby found another mug in a cupboard under one of the sinks, rinsed it under the tap and passed it to Tanya.

“Just milk.” Helen waited for Tanya to pour the tea and hand it to her before she made an almost imperceptible movement of her head towards the door in dismissal.

“Ma’am,” Tanya acknowledged, giving Abby an apologetic look before rinsing out her own mug and retreating.

“Close the door behind you,” Helen ordered, forestalling any attempt on the other woman’s part to provide Abby with any measure of security, however illusory.

Abby debated whether she could invent an excuse to leave the laboratory, but Helen was between her and the door and was staring at her in an unsettlingly intense manner. The older woman’s cheeks were slightly flushed and there was an air of barely-contained anger about her that had clearly made Tanya Lacey uneasy and was now doing the same for Abby.

Helen stared down at her, then extended one hand and ran a finger lightly along Abby’s cheek, trailing it down her jaw line and bringing it to rest under her chin. Abby wanted to pull away, but the work surface was already digging into her back, leaving her no easy escape route.

“Such a pretty little thing,” Helen murmured. “Have you been warming Nick’s bed for him?”

“No,” Abby ground out. “Professor Cutter doesn’t take advantage of his position.”

“Dear Nick,” Helen said, radiating insincerity. “Such a paragon of virtue. I wonder if my ex-husband’s new colleagues are finding him quite so endearing?”

Abby stared up at Helen, an icy prickle of confusion hovering at the edge of her thoughts. They’d all been quick to dismiss Cutter’s ramblings when he’d returned through the anomaly claiming that something they’d done had altered the timeline. Fear of attracting unwanted attention was ingrained in all of them, and a close association with a man who had started to claim that the entire System of Indenture was an artefact of one of their own actions wouldn’t exactly have been a good career move, but Abby was now starting to think that maybe they shouldn’t have been so quick to distance themselves from him.

Helen smiled widely and Abby wondered if the woman had any inkling of what she’d just been thinking. The questing finger chose that moment to continue its journey and Abby gritted her teeth as Helen ran it lightly around the edge of her hated collar, scoring a fingernail across her skin. The smile widened and Helen casually pushed Abby’s grey hoodie off first one shoulder, then the other, sliding it down her arms and exposing the thin straps of Abby’s tee-shirt and bra to her heated gaze.

Abby was under no illusion about what was going to happen next. She’d seen the predatory glances that Helen had been casting at her, when she hadn’t been preoccupied with Stephen, and it didn’t take much intuition to guess that someone – probably Cutter – had foiled her attentions in that direction, leaving Helen to go on the prowl for easier prey, and it looked like Abby had been in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Helen trailed her hand lightly down Abby’s body and cupped it around one breast. The desire to thrust the other woman away was almost irresistible. Helen was taller and heavier than her, but Abby worked out with the soldiers and she knew she could have Helen Cutter flat on the floor in seconds.

“If you want to keep the skin on your back, don’t even think about it,” Helen hissed.

Her finger and thumb closed around Abby’s nipple and pinched hard. Even through the material of her top and bra, it hurt. Helen smiled and slipped her hand inside Abby’s clothing, her fingers making a pretence of soothing the small hurt. A hot flush of embarrassment crept up Abby’s cheeks. This wasn’t the first time she’d been on the receiving end of unwanted attention from other women. When she’d served her first Indenture, one of the older female keepers at the zoo had been a persistent groper, but this was different. This was far more about power than sex. Helen had been thwarted at some point today, she was sure of it, and this was her way of hitting back.

Abby gritted her teeth and simply tried to be thankful that Helen had chanced on her, not Connor. Her friend was exhausted and in pain and, although he was tougher than most people gave him credit for, she didn’t think he was up to handling their new Head of Science when she was in this sort of mood.

This time Helen pinched with her nails, not the pads of her fingers, and pain lanced through Abby’s breast. She cried out, unable to stop herself, and fought hard for control. Helen pulled Abby’s top and lacy bra down and watched in fascination as a drop of blood welled up out of her abused nipple.

Abby’s cheeks were burning and her insides were fluttering like a bird caught in a net. Instinct was warring with common-sense, but so far she had managed to keep her hands at her sides, although her fingers had balled into fists and her nails were digging painfully into the palms of her hands. She stared at the floor, not wanting to see the look of triumph that would be dancing in Helen’s eyes at her discomfiture.

The sound of a door being yanked open made her jerk her head up, hope flaring even as her bared breast made her blush with embarrassment even more fiercely than before.

“Helen! What the hell do you think you’re doing?” Jenny Lewis’s voice was loaded with outrage.

“Nothing that need concern you, Miss… Lewis.”

“Personnel welfare is my concern! Now step away from Abby, please.”

“She wears a collar.”

“And I do not!” Abby could see fire flashing in Jenny’s eyes, and it was obvious from the stiffness that had crept into Helen Cutter’s bearing that the older woman felt at a disadvantage by having her back to Jenny. “Move away from her, Helen, I won’t tell you again.”

Helen’s smile grew wider. She took a pace backwards, blocking Abby’s body from Jenny’s view and used that as an opportunity to rub the droplet of blood around the aureole of Abby’s nipple, leaving behind a smear of red, matching the red splodges that Abby could feel burning her white cheeks. The older woman then turned around slowly and stepped to one side, a disdainful smile forming on her face as she allowed Jenny an uninterrupted view of the blood smearing Abby’s breast.

“You bitch…” Jenny took a step forward, one hand raised.

Helen’s smile widened and she threw up her right arm to block the slap Jenny was aiming at her face. In a move as smooth as any Abby had ever witnessed, Jenny balled her hand into a fist, slipped it below Helen’s guard and punched the other woman hard in the solar plexus.

Helen gasped and doubled over, the breath driven out of her body at the same time as the blow took its toll on her nervous system. Jenny watched her fall, a slight smile on her red lips. She held her hand out to Abby, who grabbed it gratefully and stepped over Helen’s prone form.

Jenny stared down at the other woman, who was still coughing and clutching her stomach. “You’re on my patch now, Helen, and like I told you a moment ago, I take personnel issues seriously.” She tightened her grip on Abby’s fingers and used her other hand to straighten Abby’s clothing. “Come on. I’ve got some antiseptic wipes in my bag in my room. Your jabs are all up to date, aren’t they?”

Abby nodded, doing her best to hold back an almost hysterical laugh.

“You’ll regret this,” Helen panted, pain and fury twisting her features into an ugly grimace.

“I expected something rather more original than that,” Jenny said with a smile. “For a practised bully, you fight like a girlie, Mrs Cutter. And before you even think of retaliating in kind, you might want to reflect on the fact that I have three older brothers and I spent my childhood scrapping with them.”

And with that, Jenny swept regally out of the laboratory, with Abby following her, the angry clack of her protector’s heels on the tiled floor echoing loudly in the silence of the corridor.