AN: Just a short drabble on Josh's thoughts during Occupation. Unbeta'd. Sorry for any errors.
Disclaimer: I don't own Terra Nova, it belongs to Commander Taylor.
When it happens, he doesn't really have time to think it over. Boylan sends him to the table and he goes reluctantly, refills the glass, and asks if there's anything else he can get for him. Lucas recognizes him on sight, even though they've never met. He listens to the asshole's drivel, getting angrier with each passing second. The Terra in his pocket is almost the last straw, but he perseveres. He knows what could be lost if he starts something here, now.
Skye walking in causes a new worry to form in the pit of his stomach. She looks at him with unreadable eyes, but he thinks he can make out an apology somewhere in them. He's not quite sure what she's apologizing for. For betraying the colony, for meeting with the enemy, for Kara. He doesn't know.
He doesn't get time to think about it either, as Lucas pushes him back in the direction of the bar.
Again he goes reluctantly, wanting to know what they're talking about. Wanting to make sure Skye is okay. She looks sad now with a pinch of discomfort hidden in the corner of her small, bitter smile. He watches from the bar. Can't look away from the train wreck.
The pressure builds in his head as Lucas reaches for her face. Her discomfort grows and he repeats to himself that he can't afford to mess up now. She's a tough girl, she can handle herself.
She bats his hand away from her face, but he just grabs it instead. Josh can see the controlled panic and knows its partially fear of Lucas, knows the other part is fear that someone will stand up for her and be hurt in the process.
Knows that it is mostly fear it will be him.
He has to repeat his mantra as his fists grip the counter and then he hears her words, angry even in whispers.
"Stop it!"
He's not quite sure how he makes it out from across the bar.
And then he's moving. His fist hitting his face makes a satisfying crunch, but the feel of his flesh finally beneath his fingers doesn't make him feel nearly as good as he thought it would. He knows he's screwed, but he continues on anyways, until the soldiers grab him. When Lucas comes at him the feeling of pressure in his head loosens and he realizes he would do it again in a heartbeat. He would smack the bastard back to the twenty second century if he could, even if it meant the beating he was about to take. He doesn't know if he made the right decision but he knows it's the only one he can live with. His thoughts stop completely and all he can focus on is the pain.
His dad arrives a few minutes later. He swoops in and Josh is reminded of when he was little, when his dad was his hero who could defeat any bad guy. He knows now, that's not the case and as their dragged to the brig he realizes why.
He can think now, in fact that's pretty much all he can do. Think about his dad and how for the past few years he's been unjustly angry. Think about how he really is his father's son. He never understood before, doesn't think he ever would have if Lucas wasn't hell bent on destroying Terra Nova.
And by extension, it seemed Josh's whole life.
He thinks back on the moment in the bar, the moment he unconsciously moved, and remembers his dad doing the same thing. Knows the only reason he punched a cop was to protect those he cared for. Zoey was his daughter, he couldn't bare to watch her cry, to have her dragged away to god knows where and gods knows what. He wanted to keep her safe.
He didn't have a choice.
Josh didn't either. Skye was his friend, his best friend, a person he cared for.