Outside MHA #16 - Saturday Morning (before the picnic)

[itsananomaly]

The journey to Fandom hadn’t been that bad, Cutter wasn’t sure if moving to another country halfway across the world to teach palaeontology to high school students was the best course of action but he couldn’t stay in London ... not with all those memories, after the shuttle ride he decided to drop off his luggage at his new apartment before he headed down to the welcome picnic.

At least that had been the plan, he managed to get his luggage outside the door to his apartment and tried to open it while holding onto his suitcase, duffel bag and the folders of research he was carrying but was starting to realise he might have to put everything down first.

He looked down at the two large suitcases full of his books and research, he hadn’t even factored in if everything was even going to fit in his apartment, he had left some of his books at home and packed the ones that he absolutely needed to bring with him - he figured he could get more sent over if he needed but now he needed to balance his things so he could open up his door.

[open!]

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[anomaly_research_nerd]

Connor was coming back in from an early morning outing to the park with Rex. Coming up the stairs he headed towards his apartment but then something caught his eye.

He knew they were getting new people on the island this weekend with the new school term starting up and all. Looked like they were getting a new neighbor too. A neighbor who needed some help right off the bat it seemed.

"Need a hand there, Mate?" he asked as he walked over.

[itsananomaly]

Normally Cutter was loathe to accept help of any kind but in this case he decided to accept it for once.

“Actually,” he considered, staring at everything he was trying to balance he didn’t look up though, “that would be great thanks,”

He paused, there was something familiar about that voice but he was too focused on making sure everything stayed upright that he didn’t make the obvious connection.

[anomaly_research_nerd]

With Rex busily chasing a fly or something else around the hallway for the moment, Connor walked over. He started to reach out for the door to open it.

"Got your door key handy?" he asked, realizing that everything was probably still locked up tightly.

And in typical Connor fashion was still pretty oblivious to anything unusual about his new neighbor, other than the obviously familiar accent of someone definitely from back home across the pond.

[itsananomaly]

“Yeah I have it right here,” and that was when all of Cutter’s anomaly research folders went flying to the floor.

He sighed, “um here, thanks,” he said and held out the key to Connor, without looking up while he bent down to begin picking up his research.

[anomaly_research_nerd]

Welp so much for keeping things from getting messier than they already were. Connor took the key, unlocked the door, and pushed it open.

He then bent down to help with scattered papers and file folders. Hie eyes caught the writing on one of the folders and he stared at it a moment.

He was about to ask about the 'anomalies' when Rex chose that time to lose interest in what he had been doing. Scurrying over, Rex gave a happy trilling chirp as he did.

[itsananomaly]

Cutter was about to say thank you for Connor’s help when he heard a chirp that he would recognise anywhere and chose that moment to look up in surprise.

“Rex?” he blinked, “what are you doing here?”

Sorry Connor he still hadn’t put two and two together.

[anomaly_research_nerd]

Rex looked up at Cutter with another happy chirp that almost seemed to say "I missed you."

Connor tried to shoo Rex off the papers but froze and looked at his new neighbor. And if anyone had been watching the exchange, they would have seen the exact moment something went 'pop' in Connor's brain.

It couldn't be... had to just be some weird Déjà Vu going on. That was why this guy, from the back at least, was suddenly reminding him of his old boss.

But then.... he knew Rex? That didn't make any sense either....

"How... how do you know Rexy, mate?" Connor asked as the small dragon continued to circle around them both, chirping happily.

[itsananomaly]

Cutter reached out a hand for Rex to sniff and to see if he would like any scritches.

Now Cutter blinked at that, looking from Rex with his outstretched hand and finally looking up and registering Connor’s appearance.

“Connor?” he said slowly, “what are you doing here?”

He had not factored in that this was not his Connor or Rex for that matter.

[anomaly_research_nerd]

Yeah... sorry Cutter. It was Connor's time to not be registering things fully.

"What...how... I..."

Well, he might not have been your Connor, but he was just a eloquent. That much was the same at least.

"Cutter??? It... " Connor shook his head. "It's not possible...."

[itsananomaly]

Cutter was now feeling like he was missing something, he stared up at Connor, “well up until two weeks ago I thought it wasn’t possible for my best friend to have an affair with my wife, or a woman to become someone different and it was like she never existed,” he said very dryly and not at all bitter. “yet here I am,”

Sorry Connor, it had been a rough couple of weeks.

He paused, “I don’t understand why you didn’t tell me you were coming to Fandom? When did you get here?”

[anomaly_research_nerd]

OK. Wait.... what was going on here? Two weeks? Cutter was talking about Stephen and Claudia.... but that... had been years ago. And not to mention the tiny fact that... Cutter was also dead as far as Connor knew.

"I've been here for months now" Connor said slowly, watching his old mentor, still trying to wrap his brain around this. "And you shouldn't be here...."

After a moment he gave a nervous laugh and looked around. "This is Helen's work isn't it? That's got to be it..."

Great... more Helen and more clone nonsense. JUST what I wanted... Connor thought to himself.

[itsananomaly]

Cutter blinked, “Wait …Helen? What has she done now?” he sighed, it seemed no matter how hard he tried he wasn’t going to escape his ex wife.

There was another pause as he absorbed what Connor was saying, “how could you have been here for months? You were working for the Home Office with me, you were living with Abby,” he tilted his head slightly, “I mean I guess it’s the ARC now …I’m still confused by the new timeline,” he rubbed the back of his head.

“I wasn’t planning on being here, it was very last minute…I needed to get away from London …I took a teaching job here,” he admitted.

[anomaly_research_nerd]

Slowly, things were kinda starting to fall into place... sort of. Connor stared at Cutter for a moment.

"So....the whole thing with Jenny.. I mean Claudia... that all just happened. Two weeks ago?"

Connor shook his head and gave a somewhat bewildered laugh.

"They were bloody serious about this place" he muttered to himself. "Sorry," he said seeing the look on Cutter's face. "This place... the island. They say its a sort of a nexus... a hotspot for other timeline and alternate realities. I... I thought they just meant other places and times connecting. Like our anomalies sort of thing. I didn't think they meant there could be two different versions of the same reality."

Connor paused. Still trying to make it make sense.

"Cutter. it... it's been several years, for me, since you came back through that anomaly, talking about a Claudia Brown.

[itsananomaly]

Cutter blinked at that, his brain trying to process what Connor was telling him.

“Years, alternate realities?” he shook his head, “it sounds like one of your science fiction movies,”

He had spent the last year chasing dinosaurs through England but being from another reality was apparently where he drew the line at being too unbelievable.

[anomaly_research_nerd]

"Yeah, I know its a lot...." Connor said rubbing the back of his head. He knew Cutter, and knew this would be a lot for him to just roll over and accept with his logical and scientific brain of his.

"But anyways...." he said trying to change the subject to something a little less mind-bendy for the time being. "You said you are teaching classes?"

[itsananomaly]

Classes. Yes. Classes was a nice normal subject.

Or at least as normal as it could get considering the circumstances.

“I am,” he nodded, “I’m teaching Intro to Palaeontology this semester,” he told Connor.

[anomaly_research_nerd]

"Actually planning to show up to teach class this time??" Connor asked with a laugh and a friendly smirk.

Even if this wasnt 100% the Cutter he knew and remembered, he figured there were likely things that would never change about the man.

[itsananomaly]

There was a little smirk there as well, “I haven’t quite decided yet,” he admitted, “maybe I will turn up to all my classes for once,”

The odds were extremely unlikely but with Cutter you never knew.

[anomaly_research_nerd]

"Well, if you ever decide to play hookie and all, feel free to swing by the Museum" Connor said. "I work there on Mondays usually. Rex and I had bene living there till just a month ago."

[itsananomaly]

“I think I’m teaching on Thursdays?”
Cutter tilted his head, he should really check his class schedule or the not showing up to classes would be starting early.

“the museum, that must be quite exciting in a place like this?” look he had just met a girl who was all blue and had met a Connor and a Rex who were not the ones he knew. He was starting to get a good idea of what this place was like.

[anomaly_research_nerd]

"Yeah there's a lot to uncover. And I've still really only been looking at the native species and such" Connor said with a laugh. "I'm sure the list will grow tremendously when I start trying to figure out all the things represented by the people that come here."

He paused a moment as he thought about the last few months.

"I've mostly met people from other versions or times of our earth or something very similar. But I've heard there are people from entirely different universes, and planets and.... yeah it's enough to keep even the likes of us busy for some time!"

[itsananomaly]

“Well I’ll stop by on Monday then to have a look,” Cutter told him, there was a very small smile, “it’s good to see you still Connor and Rex,” he added, nodding in his direction, “even being from another reality, I know my Connor is definitely going to be excited there’s another version of him,”

He had not yet considered the possibility of the two Connor’s being in the same place yet.

[anomaly_research_nerd]

"Good to see you too, Cutter" Connor replied with a smile of his own, definitely trying NOT to think about the circumstances of when he had last seen HIS version of Cutter.

Bloody hell that was going to be an interesting conversation to have.... if it ever was had. Would that sort of thing throw off the whole multiverse timeline thing? That seems like something that would totally mess with timelines.

Connor shook his head a little and glanced down at Rex with a smile. "I think Rexy is happy to see another familiar face around here again too."