knitekat

Title: Summoned

Author: knitekat

Word Count: 1421

Characters: James Lester, Nick Cutter, Christine Johnson, OCs.

Pairing: Nick Cutter/James Lester.

Rating: 15

Disclaimer: Primeval belongs to Impossible Pictures. Certainly not me. Writing for fun and will replace.

Warning: Hurt/comfort. Spoilers for episode 3.01.

A/N: Part of my Under The Moonlight wolfverse. Set after Home and continues in Return To Me. Thanks to the ever wonderful Fred for the beta.

Nick knocked on Lester's office door and smiled at his lover, “James? Are you ready?”

Lester looked up with a sigh. “I've been summoned to a meeting at the Home Office, Nick. Go on home and I'll be there as soon as I can.”

Nick entered the office with a concerned look on his face. “Is it about Leek?”

Lester nodded slowly. “Possibly. It's a meeting with Christine Johnson. She's the military advisor to the Home Office.” He smirked, “Think of a Velociraptor, only better dressed.”

Nick smirked back. “Do you know what she wants?”

“Probably this project,” Lester sighed. “I've been hearing whispers that the military want to take over.”

“What! We can't ...”

Lester raised a hand, “I know, love. That's why I have to go to this meeting.” He closed the distance between them, and gently kissed Nick before grinning, “I'd much rather be at home with you, for dinner and ...”

“Mmmm. Don't be long.” Nick pressed against his lover. “I'll be willing and waiting.”

Lester gave a low growl as he thrust once against Nick. “Damn the meeting and damn bloody Christine Johnson. I'll be as quick as I can.”

***

Lester rolled his eyes as he emptied his pockets. How typical of Christine to show off her power in such obvious ways. No doubt she'll be down soon, feigning having forgotten to clear me through such details, trying to wrong foot me before the meeting even starts. She really should remember that I knew her rather well at one point. Ah, oh yes, I need to remember that she knows me just as well.

***

“James.”

Lester glanced up as a well-known voice calls out to him. So, now the games begin, he mused as Christine walked down to stairs towards him. “You're very well guarded, aren't you.”

“It's fine, let him pass.”

Hmm. An obvious display of your power so early and we haven't even started the meeting yet. It made his inner-wolf growl, its hackles up as it detected danger. I know what you're after, Christine, and I'll be damned if you think I'm going to give you the ARC so easily.

“I'm sorry, I should have thought and told them to whisk you straight through.”

As Lester put his belonging back into his pockets, his thoughts continued: What? And missed out on this public display.

“Thank you for coming.” Her hand was held out as she waited for him to shake it.

Lester continued placing his belongings in his pockets before he shook her hand. Two can play games, my dear. I wonder if I should pretend to be more off-balance than I really am?

“I like your suit. Italian?”

OK, off balance it is. “Yes ...”

Christine looked him up and down. “Yeah, it looks good on you, matches your eyes.”

Flirting? Interesting. Lester raised an eyebrow before Christine continued, “Shall we?”

As Christine led him towards the stairs up to her office, Lester's thoughts continued: So, are you going to start this meeting in public? I bet that you will, yet another of your little tricks to try and discomfort me.

“The minister has asked me to offer you support in any way I can.”

Ha, I just bet he did. Been cosying up to him, have we? “What kind of support?”

“You tell me?”

If you think I'm going to tell you our vulnerabilities ... “I think we're managing pretty well as we are.”

Christine touched Lester's arm, stopping him and turning him towards her. “Well, I have to say, and I'm sorry, this isn't my personal opinion, but that's not the general perception. There's a feeling that perhaps the situation is too extreme for you to handle alone.”

Do you really expect me to believe you? Well, as least I know your game. Forewarned is forearmed after all. You want in on the ARC, and you want me to give it to you. Just how stupid do you think I am? “Well, that perception would be entirely wrong.” His voice didn't show any of his internal irritation at her attempted manipulation.

Christine didn't give up though, and continued in her attempt. “Even so, the minister is keen that we allow the military a greater role. After all, we are on the same side.”

We are? So, you don't want to replace me and take over the ARC? “Captain Ryan and his men have a role in every ... mission ... we are notified of, Christine.” He edited his words as people walked past. I do so like your idea of security, chatting about confidential material in a public place.

“Of course they do, James. But the minister was thinking of the military having more of a role in operations.”

And that won't have been your suggestion to him, then? If you think I'd let you interfere and try to gain control. “I won't tolerate any interference.”

“Perish the thought, James, I can't tell you how much I admire your work.”

Really? And here I was thinking you were trying to stab me in the back and take over. “Can't you? Oh, go on, give it a go.”

Christine's smile made Lester's inner-wolf growl again. “Maybe later. First I need to be briefed on some operational protocols ...” She paused and Lester followed her gaze to an impatient and somewhat agitated looking soldier. “I'm so sorry, James, we're going to have to reschedule. Let's do dinner.”

What the fuck's going on? What have you done? I just know it's something I'm not going to like. “I beg your pardon?”

Christine just ignored him. “Claire, would you mind escorting this gentleman from the building?” She walked off, leaving Lester in Claire's hands.

Claire nodded, “Sure. Follow me.”

“W.. well, actually … um.” Sorry, Christine, but I'll have to take a rain check on dinner. I've arranged to have dinner with my boyfriend and then I plan on fucking him, or being fucked by him. I'm not sure which, and if I'm lucky it might very well be both. Lester almost smirked at that thought as he followed Claire. I wonder what you'd do if I did say that?

***

Christine watched Lester leave, then turned to the soldier. “Well?”

“We have some ... interesting footage from the ARC, ma'am. About the Leek incident.”

As she watched the video, Christine's face went from mildly annoyed at the interruption to interested. Turning to the soldier, she inquired icily. “Why wasn't I shown this earlier?”

“We wanted to make sure it hadn't been tampered with, ma'am.”

“And has it?”

“No. This is what we recorded.”

Christine smiled as she looked speculatively at the images. “Well, well, James. Really, keeping secrets from me? You should know better than that.” Tapping her lip as she thought, Christine smiled as she looked as the frozen image of the wolf. “Captain, you know what to do.”

Watching her walk away, the captain glanced at the image again and shivered as he remembered the look on Johnson's face. He felt a momentary pang of pity for the man in the image, then shrugged, he had a job to do.

***

Lester found himself having to restrain a subconscious growl as he walked to his car. Bitch! Messing up my plans for tonight by calling me all the way over here like a ... a ... well, like a bloody pet dog and then dismissing me like I'm irrelevant. Damn it, what did I ever see in her?

Lester was so caught up in his own thoughts that he forgot to be watchful. He sensed danger just in time to spin around and be blinded by headlights.

The impact was a dull thump which sent Lester flying to land in an untidy heap. Every drag of air sent agony flaring through his body. As his vision faded, Lester heard running footsteps and a cry of 'Oi' as an engine revved and tires squealed.

The last thing Lester felt was a hand on his arm. The last thing he heard was a quiet and confident voice speaking to him. “Easy mate, I've called an ambulance. You'll be fine.”

As Lester sank into the darkness, his last thoughts were of Nick.