Title: Milestones 1: 17 Inside
Author: DrawnToDarkness
Rating: T
Characters: Becker, Jess
Pairing: Jess/Becker UST
Prompt: Inside
Summary: Missing scene/post-ep for episode 5x06. Last in the 'Milestones I' series.

The ARC was supposed to be safe. Jess was supposed to be safe.

Dread built up in his stomach as he drove the team – a little erratically, he would later admit – back to the ARC from the site of the giant anomaly where Prospero's New Dawn project had once been based. He would swear that his heart had stopped when he'd received her text message, so short and to the point that he'd been tempted to ignore everyone else, hop in his truck and drive straight to her.

'Trapped in ARC w/ Predators.'

No smiley face, no kiss. Becker's grip on the steering wheel tightened as the thought ran through his head that it might be the last text message he'd ever receive from her.

No. No, that wasn't possible. He wouldn't let it be possible. He clenched his jaw and ground his teeth.

He was not losing Jess. He couldn't lose Jess. Not without telling her… not without her knowing…

Images flashed through his mind, a slide show of events he'd begun to let himself imagine and dream about. Their first kiss, their first night, waking up with her, falling asleep with her, introducing her to his family…

Things that would never happen if she died. Milestones that would haunt him forever, along with all of the missed opportunities and thoughts of 'what if…'

He slammed his foot on the breaks when they made it to the ARC car park, the stillness of the building causing his stomach to churn.

Silently, the team unloaded the EMDs from his truck. Matt felt into step beside him but the glance the team leader threw his way went unacknowledged.

Sympathy, empathy, understanding… They weren't what he needed. Becker needed to focus – and he needed to find Jess.

Even if she was… Even if he was too late. He needed to be the one to find her. He needed to see…

Swallowing reflexively, his hand tightened around the EMD and he led the way into the darkened building.

There was blood on her face, on her hands and on her clothes.

Becker felt a momentary pang of relief that it wasn't hers, then felt guilty that even a tiny part of him was pleased that Lester was hurt instead of Jess.

Physically, at least.

The Field Co-ordinator who looked at him through dazed eyes, her face pale and cool to the touch, her slender shoulders trembling under the weight of his hand, was not the Jess Parker he knew and loved.

And he knew in that moment that it was true; he loved her.

It was more than a temporary infatuation, more than a short spell of lust-driven affection. The incident with the beetles had driven home just how deeply his feelings for Jess truly ran and the thought of her being trapped with the predators had convinced him he couldn't wait any longer to tell her.

He was reluctant to leave her side but knew he had to. First to see to Lester, being the qualified Field Medic that he was, and then to go back to the anomaly site with the team to try and avert the end of the world as they knew it.

He was certain, though, that the image of Jess's pale, blood streaked face and her big wide blue eyes watching them leave would stay with him for a long time to come.

Losing his truck the anomaly was a pain, not just because of the things he had in it but also because it took twice as long to get back to the ARC once a back-up team had been dispatched to pick them up. Though he was riding high on adrenaline after the success of the mission and Matt's safe return, he was anxious to get back to the ARC to make sure that Jess was okay.

Walking into the ops room with Abby and Connor, Becker hesitated for a split second when he saw Jess walking towards them across the hub, all visible signs of strain from the day's events erased from her face. There was still a shadow in her eye, though, and he made a mental note to see to it that that, too, disappeared in time.

He welcomed the opportunity to snatch a few moments alone with her, joining her as she went to the medical bay to rescue the medics from Lester's temper, unable to resist pressing a hand to the small of her back, needing some form of physical contact with her to reassuring himself that she was alive.

Jess glanced up at him, a brilliant smile on her face, relief in her eyes.

His breath caught in his throat but Becker managed to hold it together until they were walking along an empty corridor, and then all of a sudden he was tugging her against him, arms wrapped around her as he buried his face in her hair. Half expecting her to push him away, he was pleasantly surprised when her own arms went around him, just as tightly if not tighter than his around her.

They stayed holding each other silently for only a few moments, but it was long enough to cement themselves back in reality and soothe the anxieties that still lingered from the traumas of the day.

Jess stepped back when they heard voices coming closer – Lester's voice, and that of a harassed sounding medic. An uncertain smile curled the corners of her mouth and he had a feeling he would have given into the impulse to kiss it away if not for the voices getting closer.

"Can I see you later?" He quirked an eyebrow and watched over her shoulder as the medic pushed Lester in a wheelchair around the corner towards them.

"Unless you keep your eyes closed, I'm sure you will." Jess bit her lip to hide a smile and turned to meet Lester and the medic as they approached.

Becker rolled his eyes but felt an answering grin tug at his lips, doing his best to keep it from showing as Lester grumbled loudly.

Later, in Becker's mind, couldn't come soon enough.

Here we are at the end of Milestones I - and the beginning of Milestones II, wherein Becker will definitely get his 'later'!

Milestones II will be post series five and will focus completely on the progression of Jess and Becker's relationship... and probably not much else, if I'm honest. It may also have a couple of M-rated chapters (though probably mainly 'T' rated ones) but I'll make sure they're properly labelled so you can avoid them if that's not your thing ;) Look out for it starting at some point in the not-so-distant future, I hope, with the prompt 'First'.

Thank you, as always, to everyone for their support - you're all amazing and give me hope this fandom will last a long, long time. And with such amazing, lovely fans, hopefully one day we'll get lucky and get our series six! ;) xx