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munchkinTitle: A Short Walk In The Past
Author: munchkinofdoom
Fandom: Primeval
Characters: Nick Cutter, Jenny Lewis, Captain Ryan
Rating: PG
Spoilers: Reference to 1x06
Warnings: Nope!
Word Count: 980
Summary: Nick, Jenny and a pony. *g*.
Disclaimer: Primeval and its characters are the property of Impossible Pictures. No money is being made from this fanfic.
Author's Note: for![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
reggietate's birthday, who asked for Nick and Jenny having to deal with a creature on their own. As usual, my bunnies decided not to behave.
Thank you, as always, to my wonderful Evil Twinfredbassett for the beta.
Nick Cutter stared around him at the wide expanse of grassland, the distinct chill in the air biting at his exposed skin.
"Well, that worked well," Jenny Lewis sighed. "So, where are we? Or, should I ask, when are we?"
"I suspect this is steppe country. Most likely north-western Europe, but as to what era, I can only make an educated guess. Judging by your new friend there, who is showing no fear of us," and Nick indicated the short, stout pony that was edging closer to Jenny, now that they weren't chasing it up hill and down dale, "I'd say we're probably no more than 5,000 years in the past."
The pony sidled up next to Jenny, careful not to make direct eye contact, and Nick watched the pair with bemusement. "I didn't know you were good with horses."
"Pony club as a girl. I preferred clay pigeon shooting, but what was a girl to do when her friends were all horse-mad?" Jenny caught Nick's amused glance at her shoes and shrugged. "My shoe fetish came later," she added. Looking at their surroundings, her face became concerned. "Should we be worried about people?"
"Very possibly." Nick turned in a slow circle, inspecting the horizon. There was what looked like a small herd of ponies off in the distance, but he could see no indication of human habitation.
There was also no sign of the anomaly that they'd just come through, chasing the damned pony. Nick sighed and then nodded resolutely to his travelling companion. "There's no reason why the anomaly shouldn't open again in about half an hour, like it's been doing all afternoon."
"Or that might have been the last of it," answered Jenny.
"Well, we'll soon find out, and we might as well make ourselves comfortable for the moment. If it doesn't re-open in the next hour or so, we'll need to consider our options."
"At least we have one of Connor's hand-held detectors," Jenny said, smiling as Nick fished around in his pockets and then pulled out the detector.
The pony's head darted forward, sniffing with interest at what was in Nick's hand, and he pulled the detector away quickly. While he didn't think the animal would actually eat it, he was not so sure that Connor's gadget would survive an experimental nibble. The pony whinnied softly in disappointment when the object of its interest was removed, and then turned its attention back to Jenny. She scratched its ears briskly and it lurched forward in bliss, forcing her to step backward as it tried to bury its stocky head against her chest.
"That definitely doesn't look like wild behaviour to me," Nick commented.
Jenny nodded as she placed one hand firmly on the pony's head, rubbing the long plane down to its nostrils as she continued to scratch behind an ear. "If I didn't know better, I'd expect him to be rummaging in my pockets for sugar."
"That's what worries me. Where there are domesticated horses, there are people domesticating them."
"Well, that settles it then. Come on, sweetie, time for you to go home to your family." And, with that, Jenny walked the pony around until it was facing toward the herd, off in the distance. Then she swatted it on the rump, stepping out of the way as it kicked a little in reaction and then took off.
"And with any luck," Nick mused, "it won't bring its herd back with it."
They stood and watched as the pony cantered off to join the others. The ponies in the herd jostled a little and then settled down, and only then did Nick release a breath he hadn't realised he had been holding.
"So what now?" Jenny asked.
"We wait."
The minutes passed slowly as they scanned the horizon in all directions, wary of being found by any locals that might be in the area. Finally, their nerves began to calm, and Nick noticed that Jenny was shivering slightly in the chilly air.
"You’re cold," Nick said.
"I'll be fine."
"Don’t take this the wrong way, but come here."
Jenny looked at him for a long moment, shivered again, and then sighed in resignation. Giving into the inevitable, she settled into Nick's arms as he sat down low in the long grass to make the most of its meagre protection from the wind.
"We won't be here long, anyway, with any luck," said Nick, tucking Jenny's head in under his chin, turning up his collar to give them some protection. They settled down and Nick was relieved to see that Jenny's shivers soon stopped.
They fell quiet again, the silence companionable even as they continued to scan the area intently.
Finally the air began to change, static electricity raising the hairs on the back of Nick's neck, and then the anomaly opened.
"Well, don't just sit there," Captain Ryan called, his face concerned. "Ms Lewis," he said politely, and then he turned his attention to Nick, who knew he was grinning like a fool. "I can't take my eye off of you for a second, Cutter." Then Ryan was gone again, back through the anomaly.
"Come on then," Nick said, helping Jenny to her feet. "Captain Ryan will be back any minute if we don't get a move on."
"Captain Ryan?" asked Jenny, her voice faint. "As in…?"
"Yeah, the Captain Ryan who was killed just before you joined us," Nick answered, his face beginning to ache due to the grin he couldn't wipe from it.
"Perhaps we should wait for the next anomaly."
"It's not like catching a bus, Jenny. Come on," he said, taking her hand and leading her gently toward the anomaly. "I promise, it will be all right."
"How can you know?" she asked, trepidation clear in her voice.
"Because he didn't call you Claudia Brown." And then Nick escorted Jenny through the anomaly.
Author: munchkinofdoom
Fandom: Primeval
Characters: Nick Cutter, Jenny Lewis, Captain Ryan
Rating: PG
Spoilers: Reference to 1x06
Warnings: Nope!
Word Count: 980
Summary: Nick, Jenny and a pony. *g*.
Disclaimer: Primeval and its characters are the property of Impossible Pictures. No money is being made from this fanfic.
Author's Note: for
reggietate's birthday, who asked for Nick and Jenny having to deal with a creature on their own. As usual, my bunnies decided not to behave.Thank you, as always, to my wonderful Evil Twin
fredbassett for the beta.Nick Cutter stared around him at the wide expanse of grassland, the distinct chill in the air biting at his exposed skin.
"Well, that worked well," Jenny Lewis sighed. "So, where are we? Or, should I ask, when are we?"
"I suspect this is steppe country. Most likely north-western Europe, but as to what era, I can only make an educated guess. Judging by your new friend there, who is showing no fear of us," and Nick indicated the short, stout pony that was edging closer to Jenny, now that they weren't chasing it up hill and down dale, "I'd say we're probably no more than 5,000 years in the past."
The pony sidled up next to Jenny, careful not to make direct eye contact, and Nick watched the pair with bemusement. "I didn't know you were good with horses."
"Pony club as a girl. I preferred clay pigeon shooting, but what was a girl to do when her friends were all horse-mad?" Jenny caught Nick's amused glance at her shoes and shrugged. "My shoe fetish came later," she added. Looking at their surroundings, her face became concerned. "Should we be worried about people?"
"Very possibly." Nick turned in a slow circle, inspecting the horizon. There was what looked like a small herd of ponies off in the distance, but he could see no indication of human habitation.
There was also no sign of the anomaly that they'd just come through, chasing the damned pony. Nick sighed and then nodded resolutely to his travelling companion. "There's no reason why the anomaly shouldn't open again in about half an hour, like it's been doing all afternoon."
"Or that might have been the last of it," answered Jenny.
"Well, we'll soon find out, and we might as well make ourselves comfortable for the moment. If it doesn't re-open in the next hour or so, we'll need to consider our options."
"At least we have one of Connor's hand-held detectors," Jenny said, smiling as Nick fished around in his pockets and then pulled out the detector.
The pony's head darted forward, sniffing with interest at what was in Nick's hand, and he pulled the detector away quickly. While he didn't think the animal would actually eat it, he was not so sure that Connor's gadget would survive an experimental nibble. The pony whinnied softly in disappointment when the object of its interest was removed, and then turned its attention back to Jenny. She scratched its ears briskly and it lurched forward in bliss, forcing her to step backward as it tried to bury its stocky head against her chest.
"That definitely doesn't look like wild behaviour to me," Nick commented.
Jenny nodded as she placed one hand firmly on the pony's head, rubbing the long plane down to its nostrils as she continued to scratch behind an ear. "If I didn't know better, I'd expect him to be rummaging in my pockets for sugar."
"That's what worries me. Where there are domesticated horses, there are people domesticating them."
"Well, that settles it then. Come on, sweetie, time for you to go home to your family." And, with that, Jenny walked the pony around until it was facing toward the herd, off in the distance. Then she swatted it on the rump, stepping out of the way as it kicked a little in reaction and then took off.
"And with any luck," Nick mused, "it won't bring its herd back with it."
They stood and watched as the pony cantered off to join the others. The ponies in the herd jostled a little and then settled down, and only then did Nick release a breath he hadn't realised he had been holding.
"So what now?" Jenny asked.
"We wait."
The minutes passed slowly as they scanned the horizon in all directions, wary of being found by any locals that might be in the area. Finally, their nerves began to calm, and Nick noticed that Jenny was shivering slightly in the chilly air.
"You’re cold," Nick said.
"I'll be fine."
"Don’t take this the wrong way, but come here."
Jenny looked at him for a long moment, shivered again, and then sighed in resignation. Giving into the inevitable, she settled into Nick's arms as he sat down low in the long grass to make the most of its meagre protection from the wind.
"We won't be here long, anyway, with any luck," said Nick, tucking Jenny's head in under his chin, turning up his collar to give them some protection. They settled down and Nick was relieved to see that Jenny's shivers soon stopped.
They fell quiet again, the silence companionable even as they continued to scan the area intently.
Finally the air began to change, static electricity raising the hairs on the back of Nick's neck, and then the anomaly opened.
"Well, don't just sit there," Captain Ryan called, his face concerned. "Ms Lewis," he said politely, and then he turned his attention to Nick, who knew he was grinning like a fool. "I can't take my eye off of you for a second, Cutter." Then Ryan was gone again, back through the anomaly.
"Come on then," Nick said, helping Jenny to her feet. "Captain Ryan will be back any minute if we don't get a move on."
"Captain Ryan?" asked Jenny, her voice faint. "As in…?"
"Yeah, the Captain Ryan who was killed just before you joined us," Nick answered, his face beginning to ache due to the grin he couldn't wipe from it.
"Perhaps we should wait for the next anomaly."
"It's not like catching a bus, Jenny. Come on," he said, taking her hand and leading her gently toward the anomaly. "I promise, it will be all right."
"How can you know?" she asked, trepidation clear in her voice.
"Because he didn't call you Claudia Brown." And then Nick escorted Jenny through the anomaly.