A/N 1: This actually started out as a W/T fic in my head and somehow ended up being Jim centric. So I threw a little W/T in at the end.
Jim Shannon's original thought upon learning of the Commander upcoming 60th birthday, was that he needed to get the man something really special. This led to a week's worth of pondering and general annoyance of his wife.
He had ranged from a fine bottle of whiskey to a custom fishing rod. But none of those things really spoke to Jim, so he eventually turned to Wash for help.
"Come on Wash," Shannon pleaded, "you've known Taylor longer than anyone else in the colony. What do you get him?"
He instantly regretted asking the question when she gave him the dirtiest of smiles possible.
"Oh god," he moaned, "I don't even want to know. Don't say a word. Forget I asked," he yelled at her as he fled the command center.
Maybe Boylan would have an idea he thought.
"I give him a bottle of booze or promise not to cause problems for a month. He enjoys both," answered Boylan.
"You're worthless Boylan," Jim snared at the man as he left the bar.
"You're welcome mate!" Boylan shouted at Jim's retreating back, "And good luck," he mumbled under his breath.
Who else to ask? Malcolm?
Even though Jim was loath to ask, he made his way to the lab.
"Malcolm," Jim announced.
"Jim," Malcolm greeted back with his arms crossed over his chest. "What brings you to my neck of the woods?"
"I was wondering if you had any ideas of what to get the Commander for his birthday?" Jim asked.
"Really? You've turned to me for help?" Malcolm asked with astonishment.
"Yes," Jim answered. "I've run out of ideas and people to ask for help." Jim was downtrodden at the prospect of having to turn to Malcolm.
"Well," Malcolm started, "I actually never get him a present."
"Oh," Jim was starting to worry that he would never find a gift for the Commander.
"But," Malcolm said just as Jim was turning to leave. "I have something that might interest you." This perked up Jim's ears.
"Yes?" Jim asked.
"It's a material we just discovered and haven't had the chance to fully examine. But it has some very interesting properties," Malcolm moved to a glass box across the lab.
"It looks just like a normal rock," Jim said with a somewhat confused face.
"It's very deceiving but it has an amazing ability to remain cold," Malcolm said while staring at the chunk of rock.
"Remain cold? That's all you got?" Jim asked.
"Think of the possibilities, Jim. Not that the Commander would need it, but what if we could keep foods and medicines cold without using energy by making the rock into a container or lining a room with it? We could reduce the energy consumption of the colony in half," Malcolm said with a note of excitement in his voice.
"Oh," Jim said as he pondered what he might be able to use the rock for. "And you would just let me have it?"
"Yes," Malcolm said, "we've got plenty of it. This one we are just storing here until we can experiment further with it. But I would like to have a quid pro quo with you."
"I knew the offer was too good to be true," Jim said. "What is it?"
"Things have been good between us as of late so I'm not really asking for something huge in return," Malcolm said. "I was just hoping you could put in a good for me with the Commander. Not on his birthday of course, but I've been trying to get a science team to one of the outposts for quite awhile now and he keeps turning me down. He keeps going on about security concerns but I would really like to get a team out there. Do you think you could ask him let us go out there?"
Jim pondered over the offer for a few seconds.
"I think that's a fair trade," Jim said.
"Excellent," Malcolm said. "I'll get you a large piece from out back."
Malcolm returned a few minutes later to give Jim a fairly large and heavy piece.
"Thanks Malcolm. I really do appreciate it," Jim said.
"No worries but please don't forget to ask the Commander," Malcolm said. He returned back to work as Jim lugged the rock out the door and to his home.
He continued to wonder what he should do with the rock and by the time dinner rolled around, he had enough of staring at it.
Thankfully, the rest of his family came home and they happily ate dinner together.
"What is that rock?" Elizabeth asked after dinner.
"A special material according to Malcolm," Jim answered. "It keeps cool all of the time. I was trying to think of something to make of it for Taylor's birthday."
"How about a flask?" Elizabeth asked.
"A flask?" Jim took a second to think it over.
"Yes, lots of people in the military seem to enjoy alcohol and I've seen old engraved flasks amongst the military personnel," Elizabeth answered.
"I think that is a brilliant idea," Jim said. "I'll go see if the machine shop can make it for him. It will be perfect for Taylor. Thank you," he said while kissing her on the forehead.
As it turned out, the machine shop was able to make the rock into a flask. It would take a laser cutter and drill but they loved playing with new things and the rock presented a new challenge for them.
Jim left the rock with them and would return in a few days to let them know what he wanted engraved.
The engraving was a new problem to conquer for Jim.
He wanted to have something meaningful engraved but nothing over the top. He wondered what Taylor's old unit motto was and he realized he knew someone who would know.
"Wash!" Jim called out to the Lieutenant as he walked by the command center.
"Walk and talk, Shannon. Walk and talk," Wash answered as she took off towards the center of the colony.
"I figured out what I'm getting the Commander for his birthday," Jim said and Wash just gave him that dirty grin again. "Just stop right there. This was not meant to be dirty. But I do need your help Wash," Jim said.
"I've had my gift picked out for months but what is you need help with?" she teased.
"What I'm getting him should be engraved. I was thinking about putting your unit's motto on it," Jim said as he took long strides to keep up with Wash's fast pace.
This brought Wash to an immediate stop and she turned on a dime to face Jim.
She raised her arm, produced the knife hand, and in a very deadly voice said, "No." Then she took off again to her destination.
Well that was not the reaction Jim was expecting. Not at all.
"Wash," Jim said as he hurried to catch up. "I didn't mean to upset you."
"I know you didn't Shannon," she called back to him.
"Will you tell me what's going on?" He asked.
She slowed her pace at that and it allowed Jim to catch up.
"After Somalia, they disbanded our unit for a year or so. We were released to the four winds but then they started the Terra Nova project. They needed a group that was expendable but well trained and we fit the bill. The founding members of this colony are the rejects, Jim. Our motto is meant for us, and us alone," she said. "I'm sorry Jim, but you aren't privy to what our motto is."
"No worries Wash," he said while gently grasping her shoulder. "I was just trying to do something nice."
"I know. You're not the type of person to be cruel," she said. Wash truly wanted to help Shannon and immediately thought of an alternative. "What if you use the Terra Nova motto instead?"
"Terra Nova has a motto?" Jim asked surprised. He had never known that.
"Yeah, Taylor thought it up himself. It's 'Semper Liber.' It means 'Always Free," she said.
"You know, that's actually perfect!" Jim exclaimed as he hugged Wash and then ran off to the machine shop.
A week later the Commander's 60th birthday rolled around and they all gathered at Taylor's house for a private BBQ with dinosaur streaks.
Food was served first and then cake made by Maddy was distributed. Then came the gift giving. Being adults, no one wanted to make it a huge deal but Jim was especially excited to present his gift for the Commander.
The younger ones went first and Zoe was bouncing happily to give the Commander her homemade dinosaur. Taylor gave her a big hug in return.
Reynolds was particularly nervous giving the joint gift from Maddy and himself. But Taylor made the younger man feel comfortable and accepted the gift in a warm manner.
Next was Elizabeth who had put together somewhat of a gag gift. It was a pre-packaged med kit for use when Wash wasn't available. They all laughed at that.
Then it was Jim's turn. He handed Taylor his poorly wrapped gift that was tucked within a cardboard box. Taylor proceeded to rip the paper and dug into the box to reveal his prize.
The item he pulled out was a gorgeous dark blue flask with streaks of silver. The material was cool to the touch and an engraving marked the front.
Taylor read the engraving to himself until Wash finally asked what it said.
"It says," Taylor started. "Commander N. Taylor, July 11th, 2150, Semper Liber."
"Oh, that's wonderful," Elizabeth said.
"Good job Shannon," Wash said joining in.
"Actually, that's not the best part," Jim said. "It will never get warm."
Everyone looked at the flask in awe.
"It's a special type of rock they just found that's mixed in with some alloy. Or at least that's what the machine shop told me," Jim said. "So if you put alcohol in there, it will become cold."
"Thanks Shannon," Taylor said while extending his hand in a handshake which Jim returned with a firm grip.
The party quieted down and everyone eventually left to go home leaving just Wash and Taylor.
The pair ended up sitting on the couch with her tucked under his arm and him gently stroking her hair.
"That was fun," Wash started. "Nice and quiet. No emergencies to run off to."
"Another year older though," Taylor said with a hint of sadness coloring his voice. He hadn't let his age sink in yet. He had heartily dismissed his 50th because they had been preparing for Terra Nova but now ten years later, he realized how much he was starting slow down.
"Now stop before you get any further with that thought," she said in an accusatory tone. "You are not old, you most certainly proved that this morning, but I know you feel like the past is catching up with you. I feel the same on some days. But that doesn't mean we let it get to us, understand?"
"Yes, ma'am," he offered with a chuckle and kiss to her forehead. It was always good when she chased away his dark clouds.
"Good," she said as she got up from the couch, "because now it's time for your gift."
"I thought I already got my gift this morning?" he asked with a smirk.
"That was part one," she yelled to him from the bedroom. "And here is part two," she told him as she handed him a wrapped box.
"What did you do Wash?" Taylor asked.
"Jim inspired me to do something special," she answered.
This time, Taylor took care in unwrapping the gift as if it might break.
He peeled open the lid to reveal a bracelet in a dark material. The outside had an engraving of their unit number while the inside band had their motto that read "STAMUS CONTRA MALUM" in block letters.
"I had them engrave it on the inside so that you can only show it to who you want or no one if you prefer," she said with a slight hesitation in her voice. Since the very beginning of Terra Nova, they hadn't discussed in depth their old unit. "Also, it's made of tungsten carbide so it will never scratch."
"It's wonderful Wash," he said as he stared down at the bracelet. He kept rubbing his fingers over the material. He felt overwhelmed really. He had never given Wash a present this wonderful. And here she was, blowing him out of the water. "I love it," he said as slipped the bracelet on his wrist. He then gathered her into a tight hug. "I love you as well," he said into her shoulder.
"Love you too," she answered back.
A/N 2: "Stamus contra malum" means "We stand against evil" and is the correct Latin rendering of the motto of the Jungle Patrol in The Phantom comic book. A 'knife hand' is a gesture used in the military. It's like a salute but sideways and is meant to intimidate someone.