Primeval fic: Broken Wings (13/17)
Jan. 25th, 2012 09:21 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
knitekatTitle: Broken Wings (13/17)
Author: knitekat
Word Count: ~1210 (of ~27300)
Characters: Tom Ryan, James Lester, team and OC soldiers.
Pairing: James Lester/Tom Ryan, various.
Rating: 18
Disclaimer: Primeval belongs to Impossible Pictures. Certainly not me. Writing for fun and will replace. The OCs belong to Fred and Luka. 'Broken Wings' is a song by Mr Mister.
A/N: For Fred and her prompt of Lester/Ryan and Technical Hitch. Thanks go to Luka for looking at it and to the wonderful Fifi for the beta. Any remaining mistakes are my own.
A/N2: Continues from Part 12 and continues in Part 14.
Warning (for all parts): Timey-wimey AU: death!fic, dark!fic, dub!con, hurt/comfort, angst, slash, het, OOC-ness.
The painful boom of the door being blown from its hinges was the best sound in the world to Ryan's ears, at least, it would be once they stopped ringing. The additional fire-power tore through the stunned Predators and allowed Ryan to slump against the wall as the adrenaline coursed through his body. He smiled ruefully when he glanced at the man collapsed beside him. Stephen was sporting an impressive post-combat hard-on. Ryan's smile faded, the professor would make short work of Stephen's erection... but Ryan's own would have to be sorted out by his own hand. He had no lover to return to. Not until he found his James.
Ryan smiled as he watched the professor pull Stephen into a hug and made him promise never to do anything so stupid again. That they could work their problems out. That he never wanted to lose Stephen. It was a feeling Ryan understood only too well. He couldn't help his smirk as the Scotsman’s expression changed from a mixture of fear and anger to one of speculation as he pressed against Stephen. He had a feeling that the two lovers would soon disappear to take care of Stephen's little problem. Especially when they began to snog as if no one else was present.
Ryan's thoughts were derailed as a familiar soldier snapped off a salute to him.“Sir? Captain Ryan?” Lyle's voice was a mixture of confusion and happiness. “I'm afraid you'll have to come with us, sir.”
Ryan nodded, relieved that he hadn't been thumped over the head this time. He had known this would happen, but he couldn't have left Stephen to die. To be torn apart by those bloody future nightmares. He still had his duty to these people, even if they weren't exactly his people. He couldn't leave someone to die when he could save them. It would make him no better than the original Leek or the Connor in that bloody fucked-up world.
He followed Lyle out into the bright sunshine and smiled at the expressions on the faces of his former friends. He nodded to Claudia, once again dressed rather more extrovertly than he was used to. Ryan saluted smartly, for in James' absence she was his boss. “Ms Brown?”
Claudia shook her head at him. “No, Captain Ryan. I'm Jenny Lewis.”
Ryan nodded. So, he was finally meeting the professor's mysterious Jenny Lewis. Maybe this was the world that the stubborn bastard had originally come from? Did that make the professor, the one he had just met, the version from his world? Maybe he should talk to him about it? If he could get any sense out of the man when he wasn't shagging Stephen senseless.
Connor grinned suddenly. “Hey. That means Nick really is from a different world. Lester's going to love that.”
Ryan swallowed hard, all thoughts of talking to the professor wiped from his mind. James was alive and by the sound of it, in charge of the ARC. He felt almost in a dream as he allowed Claudia... no, Ms Lewis and Lyle to usher him into a car. Watching the scenery as they drove to the ARC, Ryan let his mind wander. He knew he would be interrogated again, but would they just let him go if this world's James couldn't... wouldn't be his? Would saving Stephen's life be enough for them to just let him go? To continue his search? He'd been lucky last time, Christine had let him go... would he be as lucky now?
Ryan paced the interrogation room as he waited for his fate. He had patiently endured all the medical exams and answered all the questions put to him as well as he could. Now he could do nothing but wait. Wait and hope that James Lester would want to question him himself. Hope flickered and died and was re-lit in his heart that this world might be the end of his search.
Ryan spun as the door opened and he froze. His eyes devoured every detail of the man in front of him. Suited and booted as normal, although Ryan's expert eye noted he favoured one side. An injury of some description? Ryan took a step closer, he wanted to go to him, to make sure James wasn't badly hurt, but he couldn't. If it had been his James standing before him, Ryan wouldn't have hesitated to gather him in his arms and... but this wasn't his James. No matter how much Ryan hoped and, yes, prayed, that this James might be the one.
James quirked an eyebrow at Ryan's perusal. “Captain Ryan?”
“James...” Ryan stuttered to a halt before continuing, “Sir James?”
“I take it we were acquainted in your 'world'?”
Ryan couldn't help smile at the disdain James put into that word. He really didn't like anything disturbing his well-organised world. The anomalies to the past had been bad enough, but parallel worlds on top of that? Ryan opened his mouth to answer before closing it. He both wanted to know if he and James could be together and feared the answer, so he settled for, “Sir?”
“Don't play dumb with me, Ryan.”
Ryan realised that James' voice was tightly controlled, his emotions buried deep beneath a façade that only Ryan knew well enough to see past. “Sorry, James.” He took a deep breath. “Sorry, sir. We... that is he and I...” He shrugged helplessly. “It's complicated.”
James nodded and sighed and Ryan silently cursed as the tension in James' stance increased. James' voice was still tightly controlled as he asked, “In your world, you and he were lovers?”
Ryan couldn't reply, he could only nod and look away. He found himself unable to met James' eyes and see his hopes shattered... again.
“I see.” James' voice was devoid of warmth. “In this world, Captain Tom Ryan was killed in the Permian 10 months ago, following Helen Cutter into the past to search for a future anomaly.”
“Oh.” Ryan couldn't think of anything else to add. Nothing sensible anyway. He had so many questions to ask but... he couldn't. He wanted to hold onto hope for a little while longer.
“That event didn't happen in your world?”
“When Helen suggested using the Future Predator babies to locate the future anomaly?” At James' quirked eyebrow and nod, Ryan continued, “Yes sir. But it wasn't me who went through. It was a Captain Becker who was in charge. He didn't make it, sir. I joined the project later, sir, as his replacement.”
“I see.” James nodded thoughtfully. “Until I... we decide what to do with you, Captain, you are confined to the ARC.”
“Sir.” Ryan felt his heart break as James just turned around and left without another word. Without the slightest sign that he saw Ryan as anything more than one of the ARC's soldiers. To have got this close and still have failed was agony. He sat down hard and rested his head in his hands. Ryan knew he couldn't remain here, not with James so close and yet so far away.
Author: knitekat
Word Count: ~1210 (of ~27300)
Characters: Tom Ryan, James Lester, team and OC soldiers.
Pairing: James Lester/Tom Ryan, various.
Rating: 18
Disclaimer: Primeval belongs to Impossible Pictures. Certainly not me. Writing for fun and will replace. The OCs belong to Fred and Luka. 'Broken Wings' is a song by Mr Mister.
A/N: For Fred and her prompt of Lester/Ryan and Technical Hitch. Thanks go to Luka for looking at it and to the wonderful Fifi for the beta. Any remaining mistakes are my own.
A/N2: Continues from Part 12 and continues in Part 14.
Warning (for all parts): Timey-wimey AU: death!fic, dark!fic, dub!con, hurt/comfort, angst, slash, het, OOC-ness.
The painful boom of the door being blown from its hinges was the best sound in the world to Ryan's ears, at least, it would be once they stopped ringing. The additional fire-power tore through the stunned Predators and allowed Ryan to slump against the wall as the adrenaline coursed through his body. He smiled ruefully when he glanced at the man collapsed beside him. Stephen was sporting an impressive post-combat hard-on. Ryan's smile faded, the professor would make short work of Stephen's erection... but Ryan's own would have to be sorted out by his own hand. He had no lover to return to. Not until he found his James.
***
Ryan smiled as he watched the professor pull Stephen into a hug and made him promise never to do anything so stupid again. That they could work their problems out. That he never wanted to lose Stephen. It was a feeling Ryan understood only too well. He couldn't help his smirk as the Scotsman’s expression changed from a mixture of fear and anger to one of speculation as he pressed against Stephen. He had a feeling that the two lovers would soon disappear to take care of Stephen's little problem. Especially when they began to snog as if no one else was present.
Ryan's thoughts were derailed as a familiar soldier snapped off a salute to him.“Sir? Captain Ryan?” Lyle's voice was a mixture of confusion and happiness. “I'm afraid you'll have to come with us, sir.”
Ryan nodded, relieved that he hadn't been thumped over the head this time. He had known this would happen, but he couldn't have left Stephen to die. To be torn apart by those bloody future nightmares. He still had his duty to these people, even if they weren't exactly his people. He couldn't leave someone to die when he could save them. It would make him no better than the original Leek or the Connor in that bloody fucked-up world.
He followed Lyle out into the bright sunshine and smiled at the expressions on the faces of his former friends. He nodded to Claudia, once again dressed rather more extrovertly than he was used to. Ryan saluted smartly, for in James' absence she was his boss. “Ms Brown?”
Claudia shook her head at him. “No, Captain Ryan. I'm Jenny Lewis.”
Ryan nodded. So, he was finally meeting the professor's mysterious Jenny Lewis. Maybe this was the world that the stubborn bastard had originally come from? Did that make the professor, the one he had just met, the version from his world? Maybe he should talk to him about it? If he could get any sense out of the man when he wasn't shagging Stephen senseless.
Connor grinned suddenly. “Hey. That means Nick really is from a different world. Lester's going to love that.”
Ryan swallowed hard, all thoughts of talking to the professor wiped from his mind. James was alive and by the sound of it, in charge of the ARC. He felt almost in a dream as he allowed Claudia... no, Ms Lewis and Lyle to usher him into a car. Watching the scenery as they drove to the ARC, Ryan let his mind wander. He knew he would be interrogated again, but would they just let him go if this world's James couldn't... wouldn't be his? Would saving Stephen's life be enough for them to just let him go? To continue his search? He'd been lucky last time, Christine had let him go... would he be as lucky now?
***
Ryan paced the interrogation room as he waited for his fate. He had patiently endured all the medical exams and answered all the questions put to him as well as he could. Now he could do nothing but wait. Wait and hope that James Lester would want to question him himself. Hope flickered and died and was re-lit in his heart that this world might be the end of his search.
Ryan spun as the door opened and he froze. His eyes devoured every detail of the man in front of him. Suited and booted as normal, although Ryan's expert eye noted he favoured one side. An injury of some description? Ryan took a step closer, he wanted to go to him, to make sure James wasn't badly hurt, but he couldn't. If it had been his James standing before him, Ryan wouldn't have hesitated to gather him in his arms and... but this wasn't his James. No matter how much Ryan hoped and, yes, prayed, that this James might be the one.
James quirked an eyebrow at Ryan's perusal. “Captain Ryan?”
“James...” Ryan stuttered to a halt before continuing, “Sir James?”
“I take it we were acquainted in your 'world'?”
Ryan couldn't help smile at the disdain James put into that word. He really didn't like anything disturbing his well-organised world. The anomalies to the past had been bad enough, but parallel worlds on top of that? Ryan opened his mouth to answer before closing it. He both wanted to know if he and James could be together and feared the answer, so he settled for, “Sir?”
“Don't play dumb with me, Ryan.”
Ryan realised that James' voice was tightly controlled, his emotions buried deep beneath a façade that only Ryan knew well enough to see past. “Sorry, James.” He took a deep breath. “Sorry, sir. We... that is he and I...” He shrugged helplessly. “It's complicated.”
James nodded and sighed and Ryan silently cursed as the tension in James' stance increased. James' voice was still tightly controlled as he asked, “In your world, you and he were lovers?”
Ryan couldn't reply, he could only nod and look away. He found himself unable to met James' eyes and see his hopes shattered... again.
“I see.” James' voice was devoid of warmth. “In this world, Captain Tom Ryan was killed in the Permian 10 months ago, following Helen Cutter into the past to search for a future anomaly.”
“Oh.” Ryan couldn't think of anything else to add. Nothing sensible anyway. He had so many questions to ask but... he couldn't. He wanted to hold onto hope for a little while longer.
“That event didn't happen in your world?”
“When Helen suggested using the Future Predator babies to locate the future anomaly?” At James' quirked eyebrow and nod, Ryan continued, “Yes sir. But it wasn't me who went through. It was a Captain Becker who was in charge. He didn't make it, sir. I joined the project later, sir, as his replacement.”
“I see.” James nodded thoughtfully. “Until I... we decide what to do with you, Captain, you are confined to the ARC.”
“Sir.” Ryan felt his heart break as James just turned around and left without another word. Without the slightest sign that he saw Ryan as anything more than one of the ARC's soldiers. To have got this close and still have failed was agony. He sat down hard and rested his head in his hands. Ryan knew he couldn't remain here, not with James so close and yet so far away.
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no subject
Date: 2012-01-25 09:32 pm (UTC)And waaaah! Poor Ryan ...
no subject
Date: 2012-01-25 09:42 pm (UTC)*hugs* Sorry, things just can't be easy for poor Ryan.
Thanks for reading.
no subject
Date: 2012-01-25 09:48 pm (UTC)Aside from that, fabulous! :)
no subject
Date: 2012-01-25 10:02 pm (UTC)Glad you liked it and thanks for reading.
no subject
Date: 2012-01-25 10:15 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-01-25 10:29 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-01-26 12:11 am (UTC)Don't give up. I'm sure there's a way to win Lester's heart.
no subject
Date: 2012-01-26 06:29 pm (UTC)Ryan won't, he knows there is a James out there for him, somewhere ;)
Thanks for reading.
no subject
Date: 2012-01-26 01:48 am (UTC)Heartbreaking last line too
no subject
Date: 2012-01-26 06:31 pm (UTC)Sorry, but things can't be easy for Ryan. Thanks for reading.
no subject
Date: 2012-01-26 08:21 am (UTC)Poor Ryan, he's completely lost his tongue now he's found a Lester that seems the closest thing to his one he's seen yet! Rather a grumpy version *wibble* But yay saving Stephen!!!
Very much waiting for the other shoe to drop, as usual! :D
no subject
Date: 2012-01-26 06:36 pm (UTC)Hee, I think it is the first James Ryan has actually managed to talk to face-to-face, so it probably isn't a surprise he is a bit tongue-tied.
I thought it would be good to have a bonus Stephen fixit.
But... you know how it ends ;) Thanks again for the beta and for reading.
no subject
Date: 2012-01-26 10:43 am (UTC)*crosses paws hoping my theory is right*
*gnaws paws to nubbins*
no subject
Date: 2012-01-26 06:39 pm (UTC)*hee, no spoilers, there are still 4 parts to go ;)*
*distracts Fred from gnawing paws with naked man/men of her choice*
Glad you liked it and thanks for reading.
no subject
Date: 2012-01-26 12:58 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-01-26 06:41 pm (UTC)*nods* I was mean to Becker, but he is still alive in this particular world.
Thanks for reading.
no subject
Date: 2012-01-26 07:55 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-01-26 08:05 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-01-26 08:40 pm (UTC)Loving this fic!
no subject
Date: 2012-01-26 09:16 pm (UTC)Glad you are liking it and thanks for reading.
no subject
Date: 2012-01-27 04:35 am (UTC)The scene with Ryan and Lester was fabulous, I can't wait to find out what happens next. :)
no subject
Date: 2012-01-27 06:46 pm (UTC)Glad you liked the Ryan and Lester scene - their first face-to-face since part 2. Patience *eg*
Thanks for reading.
no subject
Date: 2012-01-27 11:00 pm (UTC)I'm trying! ^_^
no subject
Date: 2012-01-28 12:10 am (UTC)*nods* You only need to be patient until Tuesday.
Thanks for reading.
no subject
Date: 2012-02-16 09:04 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-02-16 10:31 pm (UTC)