fredbassett | Fic, The Skull Beneath the Skin, Part 5 of 9, Nick/Stephen, 15

Title : The Skull Beneath the Skin (Part 5 of 9)
Author : fredbassett
Fandom : Primeval
Rating : Parts 1 & 2 have 18 rated sections, all other parts are rated 15
Characters : Nick/Stephen, Lester, Ryan, Connor, Abby, Claudia, Helen, OCs.
Disclaimer : Not mine, no money made, don’t sue.
Word Count : 3,101, this part. Total, 26,890
Spoilers : None
Summary : Nick and Stephen attend a conference and things take a particularly interesting turn during a field trip.
A/N : 1) This is my offering for the

help_pakistan auction. It’s been a pleasure to write this story and I’d like to thank

tryfanstone , who won me at auction as a present for a friend, and who passed on the prompts and encouraged me during the writing process. It’s been a privilege to work with you! 2) The title comes from the T.S.Eliot poem Whispers of Immortality. 3) I am very grateful to

lukadreaming who nobly betaed the entire fic, and to

steamshovelmama whose medical knowledge was, as ever, invaluable.

*****

A week later, a large amount of networking around the academic world, together with calls to the editors of The Palaeontological Review, The Journal of Vertebrate Palaeontology and any other publication Nick and Stephen could think of, had confirmed Lester’s suspicions. Frank Taylor had been in contact with various publications asking about backlogs and timescales, hinting that he had something extraordinary in the works. He’d also made numerous cryptic remarks to colleagues about something big in the offing.

Nick had mustered a number of cutting remarks in return, but it was clear to Stephen that his lover was still more caught up in contemplating what on earth Helen was playing at rather than in attempting to undermine Taylor’s credibility.

By mid-afternoon on the fourth day, Nick had descended into monosyllables and Stephen was feeling distinctly edgy. When Helen had first reappeared, it had brought back memories that they’d both spent a long time pushing to the back of their minds. Six months after Helen’s original disappearance, Stephen’s guilt-ridden revelation of their affair had put a strain on his friendship with Nick, but they’d worked through it, united in their feelings of loss. Four years later, when they’d finally stopped pussy-footing around and accepted that their feelings for each other went deeper than mere friendship, Stephen had at last begun to relax. Then Helen’s return had thrown everything up in the air again.

Nick’s news that he had turned down Helen’s invitation to join her in wandering the vastness of time had helped, but there were still times when Stephen’s insecurities threatened to overwhelm him.

“Penny for them.” Nick’s voice was low and warm. His hands settled on Stephen’s shoulders and started to knead gently at his tense muscles.

“Not worth that much, Cutter,” Stephen said equally quietly, staring out of the window.

Nick’s hands tightened on his shoulders. “I’m not going to leave you, Stephen. You do know that, don’t you? My marriage to Helen was over a long time ago. She was always more interested in her work than she was in me. We fought like cat and dog, and you know it. Oh, I was as bad, I’ll freely admit. I laughed at her theories when I should maybe have listened a bit more. But, for whatever reason, when she did come back, she decided to play games with us all. Not exactly a recipe for picking up where we left off.” A pair of strong hands turned Stephen around and cupped his chin, a thumb rubbing thoughtfully over the ever-present stubble.

Stephen tipped his head back and stared up at Nick, doing his best to summon a smile. “Sorry, Cutter. I thought I’d got past the stage of adolescent angst.”

Nick’s answering smile was all that Stephen needed by way of reassurance and he found himself pulled into a hug.

The almost simultaneous ringing of two mobile phones broke the silence and their embrace.

Connor had picked up a report on the internet of something that sounded suspiciously like a small plesiosaur in one of the larger ponds on Hampstead Heath. Ryan was already on his way to pick up Connor and Abby, and Claudia was going straight there. Pausing only to pin a note on Nick’s door cancelling his 4pm tutorial, the two men left the building at a run, earning a look of disapproval from the Faculty Dean and three wistful sighs from members of Stephen’s fan club, otherwise known as Nick’s students.

By the time they reached the heath, the local police, acting on Claudia’s direction had cleared the general public from area. The discovery of a World War Two mine in one of the ponds during a student prank involving a replica of the Loch Ness Monster provided a reasonable cover story and allowed Ryan’s men to pass themselves off as bomb disposal experts.

Abby had insisted on stopping off on their way there to buy up what looked like the entire contents of a fishmonger’s slab and Ryan was now hauling diving equipment out of his Range Rover while muttering that it smelt like Billingsgate Market. Stephen grinned and went to help him.

To Stephen’s surprise, the creature was pleasantly easy to deal with, accepting fish straight out of Abby’s hand, exhibiting nothing but curiosity for human beings. While Abby kept it entertained and Connor bounced about like an excited puppy taking photographs, Stephen and Ryan slipped into the water in full diving kit. The anomaly was easy to locate. It was off to one side of the pond, sparking brightly, even in the slightly murky water.

Using fish for bait, Stephen succeeded in leading the creature back to the anomaly and through it while Ryan tendered him on a length of line. He caught a brief glimpse of clear, blue waters whilst leading his playful companion about ten metres from the anomaly and dumping an entire bagful of fish, before turning around and finning quickly back to the safety of his own time.

He made a circle of his finger and thumb to Ryan, signifying success, and then the two of them spent the next 15 minutes securing a large, fine-meshed net across the pond. It was strong enough to hold against most things and all they had to do for the rest of the afternoon was repatriate a few smaller fish that got entangled in the netting.

The anomaly faded and finally winked out of existence after three hours, and a final trawl of the pond with another net revealed nothing more threatening than a small pike. While Stephen was helping Ryan re-pack the diving gear, Nick’s mobile went off. Stephen expected it to be Lester, demanding to know whether their unexpected guest had been repatriated but, instead, Nick’s eyes widened and he gestured with his hand to catch Stephen’s attention.

“Taylor? Yes, it’s Cutter. What can I do for you?”

Stephen rolled his eyes at Ryan. Frank Taylor had probably got wind of the fact that they’d been sniffing around after him and was almost certainly ringing Nick to complain.

“Calm down, man!” Nick snapped, using the usual gestalt counselling methods that invariably reduced his more sensitive students to quivering wrecks. “Start at the beginning…” A minute later Nick interrupted him with the words, “Frank, stop right there. I’ll be with you in…” he glanced down at his watch, “…two hours or so. Stay where you are. Do you understand me?”

He disconnected the call and stared at the phone in amazement.

“Cutter?” Stephen raised his eyebrows. “What the hell’s happened? I thought he was about to rip you a second arsehole or something.”

Nick shook his head, still looking slightly dazed. “His daughter’s disappeared off through an anomaly with Helen, or wouldn’t come back through one, or something. Taylor wasn’t exactly very coherent.”

Stephen whistled through his teeth. “Helluva way to escape the shackles of parental authority.”

A swift grin lit Nick’s face. “Come on, this is what we’ve been waiting for.”

Ryan stepped up to them, a frown on the soldier’s face. “Professor, it could be a…”

“…trap,” Nick finished for him. “I’m not a total idiot, Ryan. We’re going in mob-handed. Claudia, can you finish off here?”

Claudia nodded. “I’ll report to Lester as well. Be careful, Nick.”

“I’m always careful!” said Nick, meaning it, and clearly failing to understand why the entire team responded with raised eyebrows and amused looks.

With Ryan following in his vehicle accompanied by Abby and Connor, Nick drove to Byfield Manor. Traffic was relatively light and they arrived in just under two hours. Nick pulled up in front of the huge black iron gates and pressed the button on the intercom. “Cutter,” was all he got the chance to say before the gates swung inwards.

By the time they’d parked in front of the house, Frank Taylor was waiting for them on the steps, dressed in a green, multi-pocketed waistcoat over a khaki shirt and baggy, comfortable trousers. Stephen glanced down at the dried red mud on his boots and automatically noted that he hadn’t acquired that from his own garden. He looked like someone who had dressed for any eventuality. There was a look of mingled anger and desperation on his face.

“Your bloody wife has run off with my daughter!”

Stephen hurried to Nick’s side, Ryan no more than a pace behind him, half-expecting Taylor to take a swing at him. Nick raised both hands, palms outwards in a conciliatory gesture.

“She left me eight years ago, Frank, and since she reappeared she hasn’t exactly made much of an attempt to talk things through, so less of the your wife, if you don’t mind. I’m not responsible for Helen’s actions.”

“You got over her fast enough,” Taylor sneered, with a contemptuous glance at Stephen.

Before anyone else had time to react, Nick pulled his fist back and hit Taylor hard in the face. The other academic landed on his arse on the stone steps, one hand flying up to his bloodied nose.

“Actually, I didn’t, but that’s none of your fucking business,” growled Nick. “And yes, I have Stephen now, and that’s none of your fucking business either. Now, do you want my help, or are we just going to stand here and let Captain Ryan referee the fight?”

Taylor stared at the blood on his hand, as though he was trying to work out where it had come from, and then looked up, apparently noticing Nick’s companions for the first time. “Captain Ryan?” he said, sounding as dazed as he looked.

“The man in black carrying the big gun,” Nick clarified helpfully. “He also has a very useful right hook and he isn’t afraid to use it on recalcitrant academics.” He waved his hand at the others. “You know Stephen, and if you insult him again I’m leaving and everyone else is coming with him. I don’t think you’ve met either Abby Maitland or Connor Temple. They work with me.”

“Helping the government cover up the biggest scientific discovery ever. Yes, I know.” Taylor tried to lever himself up. “You’ve broken my fucking nose, Cutter.”

“Don’t be such a bloody drama queen, man.” Nick held down a hand and Taylor took it with a grimace and allowed himself to be hauled upright. “It’s just a bit squashed. Abby will deal with it for you, she’s used to dealing with dumb animals. Now come on, you didn’t call me here just to insult my friends and spout off about government conspiracies.”

Ten minutes later, they were all gathered in Taylor’s spacious kitchen, with Abby handing cold cloths to Taylor, and Ryan calmly making coffee, while the owner of the house recounted his most recent dealings with Helen Cutter.

From Taylor’s rendition of events, it sounded very much like Helen had first made contact with him a couple of weeks after her meeting with Nick in the Cretaceous and her subsequent arrest by Lester. Nick had exchanged a rueful glance with Stephen at that point. Both men knew Helen had never taken well to anything she regarded as a slight, and she hadn’t exactly been pleased about the arrest, or what she’d no doubt seen as Nick’s rejection of her. And it appeared from her approach to Frank Taylor that she had wanted someone to share the wonders of the past with. Or that was what she had claimed.

From his position lounging against a set of kitchen cupboards witnessing Nick’s interrogation of his fellow academic, Stephen could see Ryan watching the exchange equally intently, no doubt hoping that Nick would exercise more than his usual degree of subtlety and not give away the full extent of their knowledge of his activities. So far, all Nick had alluded to was the fact that Stephen had caught a glimpse of Helen at Bendrick Rock and overheard at least some of Taylor’s conversation with her. The subject of money hadn’t yet been mentioned.

Connor had his laptop open and was making notes while Abby was still handing over cold cloths, even though Taylor’s nose had finally stopped oozing blood.

“So what were you hoping to get out of this, Frank?” Nick asked, not doing a very good job of keeping the distaste out of his voice. “Fame? Fortune? A TV show called Time Travellers, or something equally tacky?”

“Don’t you understand anything, Cutter?” Taylor snapped back. “This is the greatest discovery ever, and I’m part of it!”

“And what did Helen want in return? Just the pleasure of your company?”

Stephen winced. Nick’s tone was diamond hard and for a minute Stephen thought that his lover had pushed just that little bit too hard, but Frank Taylor wasn’t silenced so easily.

“No, of course she didn’t. She wanted money as well. Probably to buy all the things she never got from you.” The sneer was back in the other man’s voice but on this occasion, Nick didn’t react with anything more than a rueful smile.

“Helen is the least materialistic woman I’ve ever known. What the hell does she want money for? In the old days it would have been to finance a dig, but she doesn’t need to do that any more, does she? Not when she can catch a taxi to the Cambrian, or wherever the hell she spends her time. Come on, Frank, you can do better than that.”

“She wanted a new identity,” Taylor admitted. “She said she was sick of being at the mercy of government goons.” His eyes flicked disparagingly to Ryan. “And she wanted enough money in the bank to give her back her independence.”

“According to her, she has the whole of bloody time as her playground. How much more independence does she want?” Nick shook his head, plainly not understanding, although it looked to Stephen very much like Ryan’s guesses had been pretty close to the truth. Nick stared appraisingly at Taylor. “Was that what your daughter wanted, Frank? Her independence?”

Frank Taylor winced and tried to disguise his reaction by dabbing at his nose again with a cloth. “She said she wanted to travel with Helen.”

“Could’ve just bought her an InterRail ticket,” Connor muttered. “That was what my dad did when I wanted to travel.”

Taylor shot the student a look loaded with scorn. “My daughter is a serious scientist.”

“Then why come bleating to me?” Nick asked, voicing the question on everyone’s lips.

“She promised to be back two days ago.” Taylor’s shoulders slumped as he spoke and the fight seemed to drain out of him. “Something has happened to her, Cutter, I know it has.”

Nick’s expression softened slightly. “Frank, I have absolutely no idea how Helen comes and goes the way she does. None of us has, but she was gone for eight years. Something about that tells me that whatever it is she does, it isn’t as easy as catching a Number 47 bus.”

“Karen said she would be back two days ago,” Taylor repeated. “It was the anniversary of her mother’s death, Cutter. We go to Marie’s grave together every year. It’s… important to us. To both of us. Karen said she’d be back by then and Helen promised.”

“I’m not sure how important promises are to Helen any more,” Nick said after a long and uncomfortable silence.

“Harsh, Nick,” said a voice from the doorway into the hall. “Very harsh.”

Ryan’s hand moved quickly to the gun holstered on his right thigh. Taylor jumped to his feet, overturning the chair. Nick followed suit. Connor yelped in surprise and Abby took a step backwards. Stephen moved quickly towards Ryan, careful not to get between the Special Forces captain and his target, and held up a hand in warning.

“Where’s Karen?” Taylor’s face had gone pale and he took a pace forward, anger replacing shock as the dominant expression. “Where’s my daughter?”

“We were… unavoidably detained,” Helen said carefully. “I told you that anomalies aren’t always predictable.” Her brown eyes turned to her husband. “I need your help, Nick.”

“What have you done, Helen? Where’s the girl?”

At Nick’s words, Frank Taylor barrelled past the table toward Helen Cutter, only to be grabbed by both Stephen and Ryan. He tried – and failed – to shake them off.

“Injured,” Helen admitted. She held a hand up in an irritable gesture. “Stop panicking, Frank. She’ll be fine once we can get to her.”

Nick’s eyebrows shot up and Taylor struggled even more. For a moment Stephen thought Ryan was seriously contemplating cracking the man over the head with the butt of his pistol, then the burly soldier heaved hard on Taylor’s arm and pressed him down into the chair that Abby had set back upright.

“Sit down before I tie you down!” the captain ordered, glaring without discrimination at both Frank Taylor and Helen Cutter, clearly wishing he could mete out the same treatment to her.

Helen glared back but Stephen realised that her calm was little more than skin-deep. He left Ryan to hold Taylor down and took a step forward, his face schooled into a neutral expression. “Helen, what’s happened to Karen? If she’s in trouble then we need to stop wasting time.”

“We were watching a herd of triceratops,” Helen said almost grudgingly. “A female was giving birth. Karen wanted to take some photographs. The flash on her camera went off by accident… one of them spooked and ran. We had to avoid it. Karen was… unfortunate. She fell… into a gorge. The vegetation concealed it.” If anything, the look Helen gave Frank Taylor bordered on apologetic. For her, anyway.

“What do we need to get her out?” demanded Stephen at the same time as Nick snapped, “How badly is she hurt?”

“She has a broken leg. And probably concussion,” Helen admitted, answering Nick’s question first. “She was unconscious when I left her.” To Stephen she said, “Climbing equipment, and preferably a stretcher.”

“In the back of my vehicle,” Ryan said immediately. He tightened his grip on Taylor’s shoulder. “Professor Taylor, if we’re to help your daughter we need your cooperation. Find whatever you have by way of first aid equipment. Abby, put some packs together. Food, water, anything that might be useful. One pack each, no more. Stephen, get the tranquiliser rifle and all the spare ammunition. Everything we’ve got.”

Ryan’s clipped tones galvanised everyone out of their shock. Stephen brushed wordlessly past Helen in the doorway, ignoring the half-smile she directed at him. He knew Helen well enough to be sure she wasn’t telling everything she knew, and that thought didn’t bode well for Karen Taylor.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

From:

bigtitch.livejournal.com

Wow! Great episode. Love the interactions. And no, Helen isn't telling everything, not even half of it!

From:

Fic, The Skull Beneath the Skin, Part 5 of 9, Nick/Stephen, 15

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