Hey guys I'm back! Sorry it's been so long, but pleased to see your still enjoying A Lucket Love Story :-) I hope this story meets your expectations and that you enjoy it :-D

So I feel obliged to say here the usual... I don't own Terra Nova or the characters (though I swear if I ever win the lottery, I shall buy this incredible series and make a second season with lots of Lucket!)

On with the story and let me know what you think :-) xxx


Chapter 1: Shame

Skye

One month later

"Your mind's not on the game." Taylor commented.

My attention snapped back to the chess board on the wooden table in front of me. I had just moved my queen right into the pathway of Taylor's castle. He took my queen and added it to the pile of my black pieces. I sighed and pushed away an annoying strand of my hair that kept blowing in front of my eyes.

"Sorry." I muttered.

My mind began attempting to work out a way I could turn this game around. It came up blank. Taylor was going to win this round. Whichever way I moved, I'd either lose my remaining bishop or one of my knights.

"Wanna talk about it?" Taylor inquired.

I slowly shook my head, not meeting his eyes. What was there to talk about? Lucas had left, end of. No need to dwell on that fact. He clearly hadn't felt what I had; better that I realised that sooner rather than later – I might've ended up doing something stupid, like getting shot for him...

Begrudgingly I moved my bishop, figuring one bishop and one knight where probably better than two knights. Taylor sighed and, as predicted, claimed my knight with his queen. We played the next few moves silently. The quiet was only broken when Taylor alerted me that my king was in check. I quickly moved it behind a pawn.

"I'm sure he has a good reason..."

"I really don't want to talk about it." I interjected.

My eyes briefly met Taylor's, before I stared back down at the game board.

"Don't bottle up your feelings..."

"I'm not!" I snapped. Taylor sighed, and I instantly felt bad. "I'm sorry...I just..." I shook my head. "I just feel stupid. I mean I...I thought that he actually...cared." I frowned. "Guess I was wrong." I kept my eyes firmly on the game.

I felt ashamed that I had allowed Lucas to get into my head like that. He had screwed up my life, and then left. It had just been one big game to him. I hated him. I wished I had let Mira shoot him; or better yet, I wished my bullet had killed him the year before.

"Skye, I don't want to sit here and defend my son...he shouldn't have run off like he did. But I do think he cares for you. I think it was the fear of losing you which caused him to act the way he did."

I shuddered. If Lucas cared for me then he would have been sat opposite me, smirking about how he was beating me. Instead Taylor's blue eyes gazed back. Nothing Taylor said would ever make Lucas's rejection any the easier. Although my memory was cloudy after being shot, I could vaguely recall being in the rover with him. I could remember telling him that I loved him. He leaving me after that confession was what hurt the most.

It took a lot for me to truly care about someone these days. I had lost so many people that I loved in the past that I didn't like to let myself get too close to people. Lucas was just another name on a very long list of people who had left me.

I sighed and my gaze drifted from the game to across the view from the balcony. I couldn't prevent myself from wondering where he was. Every time I looked out into the wilderness, I would wonder whether he was looking back. I told myself that I shouldn't care about him anymore. If he couldn't be bothered to stick around long enough to see if I survived, then why should I give a damn about him? But still my heart broke when I thought about him; still he occupied my thoughts; still he claimed my dreams.

"Your move." Taylor remarked, changing the subject from his traitor son.

I glanced back at the game and shoved my bishop in a direction, not caring if Taylor captured it or not. The rest of the game was played in eerie silence. Taylor beat me good; by the end of the match I had only four pieces left. As Taylor packed up the game I gazed longingly out at the breathtaking scenery in front of me.

"What you got planned for the rest of the day?" Taylor asked.

I shrugged, not looking back at him.

"Dunno as you won't let me do any work."

Since the accident Taylor had forbidden me to go back to the hospital; apparently I had to rest. I had tried to go out with the construction team the week before, but they had refused. Dear old Taylor had clearly told everyone not to let me lift a finger. But I hated just sitting around doing nothing; it got really boring. It wasn't even like I could do what everyone else would have done in my position and go to Boylan's bar; Josh was there. I hadn't seen him since I had broken up with him; and I didn't want to. How was I supposed to face him after everything? He had said Lucas would hurt me.

"I'm sorry Skye, but you know I can't have you ending back up in hospital."

I groaned.

"I know, I know...but it gets so boring doing nothing all the time." I complained, looking back at Taylor. "Can't I just sit behind the reception at hospital and sort out records or something?"

He shook his head.

"I'd rather you just took it easy for now." I went to moan but he put his hand up. "I know you Skye, you'll say you'll just sit there and order files or whatever, but then you'll get up and start charging around the hospital, helping everyone else and not yourself."

I sighed; as always he was right.

"Can't I do something for you then, that way you can keep an eye on me?"

"Like what?"

I shrugged.

"Anything. I just need something to do. I'm starting to go insane from all the sitting around I've been doing."

Taylor watched me carefully, debating what to do with me. His fingers drummed against the table and then he sighed.

"When is your next check up with Dr Shannon?"

"Tomorrow." I answered quickly, feeling hope brewing in my stomach.

"Right. Have the rest of today off and see what the doc says tomorrow. If she thinks you'd be alright for some light work, then I'll find something for you to do. Deal?"

I grinned and nodded.

"Okay."

Taylor smiled.

"Good. I probably won't be around until tomorrow afternoon as I gotta go pay a visit to Outpost 3. But as soon as I get back we'll talk."

I frowned.

"Why have you gotta go up there?" I queried.

"Oh we've been having some communicational errors, ain't heard a thing from them for 36 hours now." Taylor remarked, waving it off. "I'm sure everything's okay, they've probably had some damn Ovosaurs chewing at the cables again; that place seems to be a particular favourite of that species." I chuckled. "But it's my duty just to make sure and after last time..." He raised his hands and pulled a face.

I nodded.

"When are you leaving?"

"About an hour or so. Just waiting for Malcolm."

"Malcolm?"

Taylor nodded and grimaced.

"Yup...As he's the chief scientist think he kinda thinks he owns that building." Taylor rolled his eyes and shook his head. "I'd have said no and would have gone on my own, but Malcolm told me he wants to stay there for a couple of weeks. Something about some potential healing properties of some of the plants around there," Taylor waved his hand and shook his head. "I dunno I'd stopped listening by that point. But I figured if it gets him out of here for a while then what the hell."

I sniggered.

"He's not that bad."

"That's a matter of opinion." Taylor countered with a smirk. I grinned and laughed. Then Taylor got to his feet. "Anyway, I should probably go find what's taking him so damn long."

I nodded.

"Okay. Well drive safely and try not to kill him."

"No promises."

I chuckled and watched as he began walking around the side of the building. A sudden thought hit me, and I called Taylor back. He glanced back at me, eyebrows raised.

"Do you need a medic to come with you?" I questioned.

Taylor smiled.

"On the off chance something is wrong I don't want you anywhere near that place."

I sighed.

"Worth a shot."

He grinned.

"I'll see you later Skye."

I nodded and listened as he clomped down the steps. My stare briefly went back to the jungle, before I stood up and forced my mind to focus on something else. I grabbed hold of the chessboard and box full of pieces, returned them to Taylor's office and then meandered back toward the direction of home.

Once there, I grabbed my Plex and collapsed onto the couch. Boylan had managed to make more Promethean Cores, so we were able to use our Plex's again. Last year when the portal was closed, Maddy's reaction had been priceless when she had realised no more Cores would be coming through. I'd never understood how she could enjoy doing homework; I'd always hated it, to the point of usually ignoring its existence and not doing it.

I tapped on the music folder on the screen. Josh had attempted to get me into some of the bands he liked; they were a little too heavy metal for my taste. No longer feeling obliged to find common ground between the two of us, I dropped the bands into the bin. Then I backed up and went into the library I had. I wasn't a big reader, but I did have a few books. One of my favourites was 'Hunted', written in 2135 by Jane Palmer. It was a detective thriller.

So I snuggled down onto the couch and began reading.