Title: Ryan Moment Series - Moment #1
Author(s): Tiana
Rating: T
Pairing/Characters: Ryan/Claudia, Ryan/Cutter
Genre: Friendship
Spoilers: Season 1 Ep 1
Summary: Basically I wanted to do a series where there was a moment in time when Captain Ryan interacts with each character from the show for more than a couple of seconds.
Disclaimer: Don't own primeval, really wish I did though.

It was half an hour after the Gorgonopsid had gone on its rampage through the campsite causing chaos and destruction.

"Captain Ryan," Ryan turned and walked towards Claudia Brown who was sitting in an ambulance with one of the Government lab techs who had been knocked aside by the Gorgonopsid and landed badly breaking an arm.

"Ma'am?"

"I trust you have everything under control."

"Yes ma'am."

"Good I'm going to the hospital to have my ankle X-rayed. I'm sure it's just a sprain but your medic won't listen," she glared at Scott Anderson, the Special Forces Medic who was busy attending to Cutter in the only tent that was still standing and so was oblivious to the death glare being sent his way. "You're in charge while I'm gone." Ryan nodded his head, as Anderson walked up, "and Captain I need you to get that camera back from Cutter."

"Yes ma'am."

"Time to go," Anderson said, shutting the ambulance doors.

"How is he?" Ryan asked looking across at Cutter who was now talking to the petite blonde.

"He'll have a really bad headache for a couple of hours but apart from that he's fine." Anderson replied, "I mean as long as you don't hit him again." Ryan smirked

"I'll try to contain myself," he said wryly, "see you back at the base," he dismissed Anderson and walked over to the tent.

As he got closer he just managed to catch the end of Cutter's conversation with the blonde.

"I'm going to head out now – I've left my number with Stephen if you need to get in touch."

"Alright, thank you Abby." She turned around and just managed to stop herself from walking into Ryan.

"Captain," she said before side-stepping him. There was something odd about the way she couldn't quite make eye-contact with him that nagged at Ryan but he shook it off chalking it up to her not being used to being around military. Cutter was sitting on a metal chair, his eyes closed pinching the bridge of his nose.

"Professor," Ryan greeted. Cutter opened his eyes.

"Captain – I can't decide what hurts more my nose or the back of my head." Ryan had the good grace to look apologetic.

"Yeah, sorry about that couldn't be helped – my orders were to bring you back no matter what and as for the punch that was just self defence."

"Aye that I deserved. I'll give you that," Cutter said sitting up, "but I take it you're not here to check up on my well being." Ryan's eyes involuntarily flicked to the camera sitting on the table next to Cutter. Cutter picked up the camera protectively.

"If there's any film in it we need to get it developed," Ryan offered by way of an explanation. Cutter looked down at the camera and rubbed his thumb over the H.C. embedded into the leather casing.

"I gave this to her on our first anniversary," he said softly, "photography was a hobby of hers." Ryan waited patiently. "You must think I'm an idiot." Cutter continued, "for wanting to stay 300 million years in the past to look for someone who, for all I know, could still be dead."

"Actually, I was thinking she must be a pretty amazing person for you to be so willing to sacrifice everything and get stuck in the past for her," Ryan said diplomatically. Cutter smiled appreciatively.

"She really was," he agreed, "constantly pushing the limits…it's just," he sighed and shook his head slightly, "I should have been there that's all." Ryan knew instinctively that Cutter was talking about the day that Helen Cutter had disappeared eight years ago.

"At least we know she wasn't alone," he offered remembering the skeleton they had found. He didn't know why but it gave him the creeps.

"Captain Ryan." One of the lab techs called, Ryan looked over his shoulder and saw her holding a mobile. "Lester's on the phone, he wants to talk to you."

"I'll be a there in a minute," he said and looked at Cutter, "Professor," Cutter held the camera up to him.

"Be careful with it," he said, Ryan took the camera out of Cutter's grasp, the strap was still tangled around Cutter's fingers.

"Do you think if there was a chance she could've come back in the past eight years she'd get in contact with me? Let me know what she found?" Ryan saw the hurt and confusion in Cutter's eyes. It wasn't his place to say but if she was as devoted to him as he was to her …

"Yes." Ryan replied honestly. Nick nodded his head accepting his answer, then let go of the camera strap.

"I'll hand it over to the lab techs at the Home Office personally," Ryan reassured him

"Thank you Captain," Nick said, Ryan nodded his head and went to speak to Lester on the phone.