"Action Man Says He's Coming."

A week later.
Jessi and Becker walked up to Cutter's office. Lester was talking to him.

"Ah", Lester said seeing the two of them. "Any news of Helen Cutter?"

"We instigated a complete review of security", Becker replied.

"And found exactly what I expected, not a damn thing", Jessi said a bit frustrated.

"You're sure the intruder was her doing?" Lester turned to Cutter.

"I can't think of anyone else who could create an exact replica of a dead man", he mused.

Sarah walked in.

"Keep everyone on high alert. If Helen's back we should all be very worried", Lester said.

"And have guns ready", Jessi said sourly.

"You know I can't said she's shoot on sight, Jessi", Lester frowned. "She needs to be brought in alive".

"Oh yes. Cuz that worked SO well last time, Lester. We both know she's as dangerous as those Predators. Or have you forgotten that they both almost killed you in less than three days!" she snarled.

They had been at odds since the news of Helen's return. Jessi wanted her to be shot on sight where as Lester for some crazy reason thought she should be brought in. She remembered the last time that happened. The crazy bitch had let a bunch of dodos come through the anomaly she escaped out of. Two of them were infected with a highly contagious, brain-eating parasites that killed one of Conner's friends!

"She needs to be brought in for questioning", Lester said firmly.

"Damn it Lester! Every time that bitch shows up someone dies. The first time it was Conner's friend Tom, then Captan Ryan in the Permian, then Stephen and Leek (not that he didn't deserve what he got). Who's it going to be this time?! Cutter? You? Me? Becker? Conner? Abby?"

Lester sighed. "Get her out of here, Becker", he said.

"Yes sir", Becker said taking her arm.

"Why is he being so stupid about this?!" she snarled quietly.

"I'm sure there's a reason", he said calmly as he lead her to her office.

"God! I feel like a little kid in time out!" she grumbled.

Becker chuckled. Jessi pulled a beer and a wrapped chocolate from the fridge and gave them to Becker before grabbing one of each for herself. She plopped down next to him on the couch.

"I thought that was only for at the end of a long day", Becker smirked taking a sip.

"Yea well it's getting to be a long day already this morning", she said taking a bite out of her chocolate.

He chuckled again. "I see why you buy this stuff. It's really good", he commented after finishing his candy.

There was a little drop of the creamy center of the truffle on the corner of his mouth. Jessi couldn't help but smile. It was actually pretty cute.

"Umm you've got something right there", she giggled as she whipped it away with her finger.

"Thanks", he smiled.

"Don't mention it".

"You're suddenly smiling again", he grinned.

"No I'm not", she tried to hide it and turned away.

"Yes you are I can see it right there", he laughed poking the corner of her mouth.

Jessi whipped her head around and bit his finger.

"Hey! That wasn't very nice", he complained still laughing.

"I'm only nice when I wanna be", she stuck her tongue out at him.

"You're going to pay for that one, missy", Becker chuckled and started tickling her waist .

Jessi squealed and tried to wiggle away but he was too strong.

"AH! Becker stop!" she cried between giggles.

"Not until you say you're sorry", he laughed.

"NEVER!!" Jessi yelled rebelliously.

The tickling only got worse. So she some how managed to get her feet up and kicked off from the arm of the couch. It sent them tumbling to the floor. Becker's head landed on one of the pillows that had fallen off and Jessi landed on top of him with her's on his chest. They were both laughing hysterically. Just then the alarm on the ADD went off.

"Fuck", she sighed.

Becker just chuckled.

"You're very comfy to lay on", she said without thinking.

Becker busted up laughing. "I'm glad you think so".

"That came out a little differently that I expected", she giggled as she helped him up.

"Hurry up you two. It's in a hospital", Cutter said walking quickly by.

They shrugged and hurried after Cutter.

<{~*~}>

The group walked into the hospital. Lights above them started flickering.

"Becker take Jessi, Conner and your men and look for any creature activity", Cutter instructed.

"Come on", Becker said and they headed off.

They talked to quite a few people before a young woman came up to them saying she'd seen something. She looked to be of African American descent, heavily pregnant and was freaked out. They waked into her room.

"It went through a hole over there", she told them pointing to said hole in the wall.

Becker shinned the light from his gun into the hole. They didn't see much, just that something had chewed through it.

"What'd it look like?" Conner asked.

"I don't know. A ratty, chipmunk, beaver kinda thing", she seemed confused by what she saw.

"Well that narrows it down", Conner said a little confused.

"I smell reptile", Jessi said trying hide her smile.

He called Cutter. "Cutter. We might have a problem. A ratty, chipmunk, beaver kinda problem".

Jessi let a little giggle slip out as soon as they were out of earshot of the woman. Conner and Cutter were talking about what she seen in front of her and Becker.

"That's sounds kind of funny", she admitted to Becker.

"A bit", he smirked trying to stay serious because he was on duty but it was hard with her. They fell back into what Cutter and Conner were saying. "We've had three reported sightings", he added. Jessi seemed to have a knack for distracting him. But why? The lights flickered again and brought him back. He'd think about it later when he didn't have a job to do.

"There could be dozens of them in here. Ok I need you three to get this place evacuated now", Cutter said to Conner.

The trio did as they were told and started through looking for and creatures. A couple dozen or so rooms later they were getting frustrated, or at least Jessi was.

"Anything?" she asked Becker as they looked in yet another room.

"No", he sighed.

Just then Conner's phone began to ring. "Cutter?" Pause. "We're on our way", he closed the phone and put it away. "Where are the operating rooms?" he asked Becker an Jessi.

"No idea", he replied.

"We need to find someone that works here", Conner said.

"I'm a trained soldier. I can find my way around a hospital", Becker scoffed hitting Conners shoulder with the back of his hand before walking out of the room confidently.

"I'm going to laugh if we get lost following you", she snickered.

"Yes well we're not going to",he said.

20 minutes later they were no closer to finding Cutter and the mysterious, vanishing operating room.

"How difficult can it be to find an operating room in a hospital?!" Becker grumbled lowly.

"What was that you were saying about being a trained soldier?" Conner asked.

"This is just like what happened that one time at Sandhurst. Do you remember that one exercise we did in the woods, Beck?" she giggled.

"Yes", he said trying to hide his smile.

"What happened?" Conner asked.

"Well we had been paired up and sent out into the forest to survive in the forest and get to a designated spot. Course this was very early on and all I thought he was just some teacher's pet with an ego the size of Everest. They were probably hoping the perfect student would be a good example to the screwball", she explained.

"And as far as I knew she was just some misfit who didn't have the discipline or brains to go through a program like this and she was just doing it to prove how tough she was", he smirked. "I was half right".

"Yea so was I. Anyway we're lost out there, well he is. We had all been given one chance to look at a map and I have a photographic memory as well as growing up hiking everywhere. So I know where we're going and he only thinks he does. I follow him for the first day and to give him credit we were going in the right general direction. The second day he wants to go in a completely different direction. Then I step in and tell him that's the wrong way. 'No it's not. I looked at the map yesterday. This is the way we should be going.' Yada yada yada! We sat there and argued for a good half an hour before I finally told him we'd flip a coin. I won so he followed me, bitching the WHOLE freaking way. We ended up the first group to get to the spot and from then on he accepted me. After that they almost always paired us up. Probably because he was the only one I never actually fought with", she smirked.

"You're exaggerating", Becker argued.

"Like hell I am", she replied.

Conner chuckled. Just then there was a spark in the air vent above them and noises. Becker raised his gun to the ceiling

"Catch it", Becker told Conner.

"What'd ya mean 'catch it'?", Conner said a little alarmed.

"Catch it!" he said more forcefully and pushed him with his elbow.

"Yea. Alright. Catch it", Con muttered.

"Here use this", Jessi said pushing a cart towards him. The thing was moving and the tiles shaking were showing it's path.

"Get under it", Becker instructed.

Just then something the size of a smallish dog fell into the cart. Dust was thrown into the air. The trio looked into the metal cart to find a squat, adorable, bucktoothed critter.

"Hello mate!" Conner said happily to it.

Becker coughed and waved the dust away with his hand. Even he had to admit, the noisy little thing was very cute.

"This is Jessi, my name's Conner and this is", he paused looking at Becker. "My name's Conner. How are you? If I'm not mistaken you're a diictodon, right?".

"Cutter", Becker reminded them as he pulled the dark green sheet over the top of the cart.

15 minutes later they opened another room. Jessi started hearing a feint noise.

"They're not here", Becker sighed getting frustrated and leaned against a bed.

At that moment the diictodon in the cart started to squeal.

"What is it mate?" Conner looked under the sheet and asked it. "What are you trying to tell me?"

"Oh fantastic, he's Dr. Dolittle", Becker said sarcastically.

"Shh", Jessi hushed them holding her hand up.

They started hearing the noise too.

"He wasn't making that noise before", Conner noted. "There?" he asked pointing to the right. Jessi and Becker nodded.

"Follow me", Jessi said and they hurried out and down the hall.

They burst through the door where the noise was coming from to find Cutter and Abby with the pregnant woman from earlier who wasn't pregnant anymore, she held a small bundle in her arms.

"Sorry we...", Conner began but Abby shushed him.

She had a bundle in Cutter's jacket in her arms. Then a nurse came in.

"Ok, I'm going to have to go. The nurse will look after ya now, ok?" Cutter said gently to the new mother.

"Thank you, for everything", she said.

"Do you know what you're going to call him?" he asked.

"I don't know. I only had girl's names ready. Do you think it would be ok if I called him Stanley? I know it's old fashion but it's my dad's name", she said.

"See ya 'round, Stanley", Cutter said softly rubbing the baby's head.

They all left the room.

"So who locked you in?" Becker asked Cutter.

"No idea", he said smiling.

Jessi dropped back with Abby and Conner. Abby opened the top of the jacket to show a second diictodon. Conner smiled when he lifted up the corner of the sheet and the thing made a noise.

"Yep", he said answering Abby's unsaid question.

Jessi was smiling too. Abby poured her's in to the cart.

"Looks like they missed the last bus home", Conner joked.

"What are we going to do with them?" Abby asked

"You keep them", Jessi grinned conspiratorially.

"Yea", Abby said trying to put on an innocent smile.

They went out to the parking lot, loaded the two diictodon in the back of one the trucks and drove back to the ARC unaware of the chaos that was unfolding at the hands of the last person Jessi ever wanted to see. Helen Cutter.