Elizabeth Cutter | Primeval

S1 E1 - This Is How It Starts

Elizabeth Cutter pulled up outside the Central Metropolitan University in a hurry, slinging her bag over her shoulder and carelessly exiting the car. Being late was one thing, but being late when you're lectured by your own father was another.

"Sorry I'm late!" She said, running into her Dad's office without knocking - something she always did.

When she got no response she took the time to realise that her dad and Stephen (his lab technician and close family friend) were not alone.

"Beth, this is Connor Temple. Connor, this is my daughter Beth Cutter." He introduced as Beth placed her bag down on the nearest desk.

"Yeah, we know." Connor responded and Nick looked to his daughter. "We've met."

"What are you doing here?" Beth asked in the nicest tone possible, avoiding her father's questioning gaze. It wasn't that Beth didn't like Connor but more that Connor liked Beth a little too much.

"It doesn't matter." Nick interjected. "Connor here was just leaving."

"Oh, no but I haven't even got to the main reason I'm here yet." Nick gave a small sigh that Beth picked up on and she couldn't help but smirk. "See, I was wondering if you'd seen this."

He held up a newspaper and Beth moved from her position to stand next to her Dad.

"Monster Hoax or Truly Beastly." Beth read the top of the article.

Nick took the paper from Connor and started scanning the article as Beth quickly lost interest and began studying a fossil on the table behind her.

"Some sort of gigantic, undiscovered predator." Connor told him.

"As if..." Beth muttered and Connor clearly heard as his face turned to a look of offence at her comment and Beth simply shrugged at him, not seeing the big deal before returning her full attention to the fossil in her hand.

Nick looked at Connor with disbelief before handing the paper to Stephen.

"Oh no, no, no, no, no. This ... this is the real thing." He tried to convince them but he wasn't doing a very good job.

"Connor, you should get out more. Go to a bar. Meet a nice girl. Life will seem a lot less confusing." Cutter told him.

"I've already got a girlfriend. Sort of."

"Yeah?" Beth questioned, turning around once more. Connor's had a crush on Beth since she could remember. From the day they first met, Connor tried everything to get her to notice him with little effect so for him to begin talking about a 'sort of girlfriend' amused her.

"That's not really the point." He continued. "There's an eyewitness, claimed to have seen it."

"People claim to have seen the Loch Ness monster, that doesn't mean it's there." Nick tried talking sense into Connor but he just wouldn't back down.

"Not now, obviously, because it died years ago." Nick and Stephen shared disbelieving looks at what Connor was saying. "The Government, they took the body away and covered up the whole thing."

"This is just a hoax. Forget it." Nick finished.

For a moment there was silence in the room until Connor spoke up again.

"Your wife wouldn't have ignored it."

That got Beth's attention and she froze for a moment before slowly turning to face Connor. Nick looked to his daughter whose eyes were fixed on Connor while Stephen looked between the father and daughter, concerned at the mention of Helen Cutter.