Author's Note: Y'all are going to hate me, but I just had to do this! I can't write a completely action-less story. It's just not how I roll… : )

Note, this is set in the context of my other stories, all relationships are built on in each story. Disclaimer is as usual – no profit, not mine (except Gracie, of course), just borrowing.

Things could be worse. Suppose your errors were counted and published every day, like those of a baseball player. –Anonymous

A Brief Intermission, Five Days to Wedding #2

OTG Team

"You did what?" Alicia brandishes her sonic weapon at the scientist cowering in front of her. Carter and Shannon, flanking her, both look equal parts pissed off and amazed by the stupidity. In the distance, a loud, intermittent banging can be heard.

"We couldn't have known that the system would get stuck in a permanent loop!" The scientist, a man taller than Alicia but thin enough to blow away in a stiff wind, backs away from her so quickly that he bumps into a chair, nearly tumbling backwards over it.

"That's your answer? I thought you scientists we're supposed to be intelligent, but even I, a high school dropout who joined the military at 18, knows that open broadcast on damned speakers of a sound you know will attract slashers? Bad idea!" Alicia is literally seething, and the poor man looks as though he is about to wet himself.

When her sonic weapon charges, Shannon steps forward and, from behind her, puts his hands on Alicia's upper arms. Carter steps between Alicia and the scientist, and without looking at Alicia, he turns to the scientist and says, "Go figure out how to turn the system off. You have five minutes. If you don't do it in five minutes, we're killing the power to the outpost. Leave. Now. Running might be best."

Alicia watches as the scientist actually whimpers and bolts from the room. They're at one of the outposts relatively near Terra Nova, and the idiot scientists thought it would be "interesting to see how effective the sound was at attracting slashers."

Judging by the dozen or so of the damned things currently throwing themselves at the outpost's fence, the source of the banging sounds, it's very, very effective. She wrenches free of Shannon's hands and stalks over to the communications set-up. Within seconds, she has a signal. "Washington to Terra Nova. Come in, Terra Nova."

A moment later, Nathaniel's voice comes over the comm. "We were getting worried, Alicia. Why are you so late checking in?"

"Because there were slashers everywhere. We had to fight our way into the outpost, Nathaniel."

"How many, Alicia, and where the hell did they come from?" Nathaniel sounds instantly worried.

"Over a dozen. And they called them. The twits out here, and we really need to ask Malcolm how these morons got recruited, discovered data reports from several years ago regarding a sound that attracts slashers. Apparently, they decided that seeing if it really worked was a good plan," she pauses as she hears Nathaniel utter a particularly colorful curse, "That was bad enough, but then the brain trust out here couldn't figure out how to shut the system down."

She hears Nathaniel curse again before he says, "OK, at least you're only three and a half hours from the colony. We can get some teams out to you well before dark. You'll be pretty full up tonight, though."

"Can we get a private channel, Nathaniel?" Something in his voice made her tense. As she hears him talk to the communications operator at the command center, she turns and waves Carter and Shannon away. "Go check on the idiot squad. I need a moment." They both nod and disappear.

"Alicia? We're private." He sounds slightly disgruntled, as if he can see an argument coming.

She doesn't waste any time. "Not you, Nathaniel."

"What?"

"You stay there, do you hear me? We've already scared Gracie twice in the last year, between Elisabeth and I getting caught by the nykos and the quarantine. Today is not the day to make it a trifecta. We agreed about this before she was born. One of us is always there." She knows he'll be irked with her for trying to tell him what to do, but she can't not push him on this.

"Damn it, Alicia, you don't get to make this call." His voice is nearly a growl.

She shakes her head and sighs. "You're right, Nathaniel, I don't. You get to make it. So, why don't you march yourself over to Gracie's school, look her in the eye, and tell her we're both going to be gone tonight. And when she asks why, and you know she will, I hope you have an answer ready that doesn't scare the bejeezus out of her."

He doesn't reply to that, but she knows he's likely sitting there cringing at the idea of scaring Gracie. He is just as upset by that as Alicia is. She goes to a softer tactic. "Please, Nathaniel. I know that every fiber of your being is probably screaming at you to come out here, but please stay put for Gracie. Skye is probably going to be upset, too, for that matter. Please just stay there."

"You can stop selling me, Alicia. I was sold at the notion of having to explain it to the Bug. But I don't have to like it." He sounds resigned, and Alicia relaxes.

"Thank you, Nathaniel. And please don't let Mira come either. Hopefully, Elisabeth won't let her, or better yet, hopefully she won't want to."

"Copy that. If I have to, I'll order her to stay in colony," he pauses, "Alicia, you be careful."

"I will be," she sighs again, "You know this is my fault, right? I never should have said I was happy and at ease. This is the kind of stuff that always follows when I say something like that."

She hears him chuckle softly. "I love you, Alicia."

She smiles and laughs as well. "I love you too, Nathaniel."

"I'll call you when the teams leave."

"OK, that'll work so long as we don't have to pull the power to shut the speakers off." She rolls her eyes, even though he can't see it.

She jumps when she hears Shannon's voice. "It's off."

Nodding, she says, "It's off, Nathaniel. No need to pull the power."

"Copy that. Stay close. Will call shortly. Terra Nova out."

With that, he's gone. She turns to Shannon. "Did they figure it out?"

Shannon grins. "Nope. They couldn't, so Carter shot the transmitter with a sonic. It flew ten feet across the room. Problem solved. But we may want to disarm Carter. He seemed calm earlier, but he's almost as pissed off as you are."

Terra Nova

Nathaniel looks at the group assembled in front of him, including Elisabeth, Guz and Mira. He can tell from the expression on Mira's face that she is itching to volunteer.

A moment later, he knows that Guz could tell the same thing about his wife, because he says, "Sir, I'll put together a team and go."

Mira looks up at him sharply. "Isaac, I…"

Elisabeth stops her, not making Guz be the bad guy. "Mira, stop right there. Same rules for you as I put in place for Alicia. No heading to known predator areas. I'd say this absolutely qualifies."

"I agree with Elisabeth, Mira. You're not grounded, but you're not going on this one." Nathaniel meets her glare head on.

Guz puts a hand on her arm and gently turns her to him. "Mira, please. Listen to them. I know you want to help, but it's not safe. If something happened to you or the baby, I'd…" He goes quiet, his eyes pleading with her to understand.

She looks angry for a moment, but at the look on Guz's face, it fades quickly. She sighs and her defensive posture falls away. "OK, Isaac."

Guz reaches out and hugs her to him. He starts to say something when a commotion outside the office gets all of their attention. A moment later, Skye bursts into the room followed by Malcolm. "Slashers? They're trapped in an outpost by slashers?"

Nathaniel cringes and goes over to the clearly very upset young woman. "Skye, they're OK."

"For now," she looks up at him, panicked tears in her eyes, "They're OK for now."

Nathaniel can't argue with her, so he just pulls her into him in a hug, and she wraps her arms around him, clinging tight. From behind her, Malcolm asks, "What the hell happened, Taylor? I thought they were just going on a re-supply and to pick up some research results. Are my people all right?"

"Your people are the reason Shannon, Carter and Alicia are stuck out there. They found the notes from years ago, the ones about the one sound we found that really attracts slashers. They wanted to see how effective it really is, so they played it on speakers." Nathaniel glares at Malcolm. "How the hell did those morons make your staff, Malcolm?"

Malcolm bristles slightly. "They're not morons, Taylor." At Nathaniel's arched eyebrow, Malcolm amends, "This was moronic. But they aren't usually morons."

"Well, morons or not, consider them all recalled. We're going to have to discuss their managing to put themselves, the outpost and our people in danger, and there will be consequences, even in the case of plain negligence, which is not what I think this was. I assume you have no objection to that, Dr. Wallace." Nathaniel levels a hard look at Malcolm.

The scientist blinks, probably due to the fact that he's not really used to being in the line of fire when Nathaniel is angry. "Of course not. I'm very interested in whatever explanation they attempt to come up with, as this experiment of theirs was certainly neither ordered nor authorized."

Nathaniel nods, and still letting Skye hang onto him, he addresses the others. "Guz, get your team together, at least three rhinos. Take whatever weapons you think you'll need to deal with multiple slashers. Definitely take Reynolds and Reilly, and build out the rest of the team as you see fit. You'll need enough space to bring back the three scientists from the outpost, though."

Guz nods, and Elisabeth starts to speak up. Nathaniel cuts her off. "If you're volunteering to go, the answer is no, Doc. Get with Reilly on any supplies they need. Wash and Carter have been training her. Between her outside and Wash and Carter inside, Guz'll have three very able field medics at his disposal. You stay here. Now, all of you except Mira, dismissed. Mira and I need to talk to Miss Tate here. Guz, report in when your team is assembled and ready to move out."

Guz nods and they all file out, leaving him alone with Skye and Mira. "Hey, little one. They're going to be fine. Carter will be fine."

Mira walks over to them and perches against the edge of the conference table. "Taylor's right, Skye. They'll all be OK."

Skye pulls away from Nathaniel, looking back and forth between him and Mira. Suddenly, she looks almost skittish. "It's always going to be like this, isn't? I'm always going to be left wondering if he'll make it back." She pauses, shaking her head. "I can't do this. I just can't do this."

Mira's eyes narrow slightly. "You can't do what, exactly, Skye?"

The young woman begins to pace. "I can't go through with this. Can't marry him. I can't go through this again and again. Why does he have to go OTG like this? Why can't he just work inside the colony?"

Mira looks up at Nathaniel, anger flashing in her eyes. He wants to intervene, but he realizes that Mira may be about to give Skye the reality check she needs. He gives Mira a slight nod, and the older woman immediately steps in front of Skye, hands on Skye's upper arms.

"Really, Skye? How many times did you go OTG when you weren't supposed to? I've only been back in the colony for a few years, and I've heard more stories than I can count. You don't get to question anyone for going OTG, Skye. No way." Mira's voice has a hard edge to it.

Skye deflates a little. "But he could die, Mira. I don't think I can handle…"

Mira's hands appear to tighten on Skye's arms as she cuts Skye off. "So, the answer to that fear is to just dump him? Do you have any idea what that would do to him? How much that would hurt him? Even back when we made you spy for us, he looked out for you and for Deborah. He has always had a soft spot for you, even when he didn't let you see it."

Mira stops, and she waits until Skye looks up at her before continuing, "I always thought you were more mature than your years. I gave you a lot of credit for how you handled yourself during all the crap we put you through. If you do this, if you treat him like this, then that credit was undeserved. You knew who he was, you knew what he did day to day before you said yes to his proposal. You don't get to act surprised about it now."

Skye wraps her arms around her torso, and a few tears roll down her cheeks. Nathaniel steps in, putting a hand on her shoulder and turning her to face him. When he speaks, his voice is far gentler than Mira's was. "I know you love him, little one. Do you really believe him getting hurt or, God forbid, killed, would hurt any less if you leave him now, before it happens? Or, would you end up regretting all the time you could've had with him but didn't because you chose to end things?"

Skye looks down and swallows a small sob, and he tilts her face back up with two fingers under her chin. "Trust me, Skye, it would be the latter. If you truly love him, it would be the regret. I know how hard this is. Alicia is out there. Mira knows too; Guz is about to be out there. But this is how it is. This comes with the territory. Even Carter deserves more than being abandoned out of fear, Skye, especially if you love him enough to even consider marrying him, much less to agree to it."

Skye blinks a few times before taking a shuddering breath. Then, after a moment, she nods. She looks at Mira and whispers, "I'm sorry. I don't want to hurt him, and I don't really want to leave him. I just don't want to lose him, either."

Mira's hard expression fades, and after a moment, she holds her arms out to Skye. Skye gives her a weak smile before going to her and letting Mira wrap her up in a hug. Nathaniel gives Mira a nod, and he leaves to go back and call Alicia, hoping that everything is still OK at the outpost.

OTG Team

Standing at one of the outpost's windows, a sonic holstered on her thigh and a conventional rifle leaning against the wall next to her, Alicia huffs out a breath as she observes the five remaining slashers she can see milling about outside the outpost's fence. Several of the creatures have already disappeared into the woods around the outpost, but they have no way of knowing if they're gone or just stalking. She sighs. At least Guz and the others should be here soon, bringing a lot more fire power with them.

"At least the banging stopped." At the sound of Carter's voice, Alicia turns to see him and Shannon approach, both carrying rifles and sonics similar to hers.

She snorts and turns back to the window. "Yay."

The two men join her, also looking out at the remaining slashers. After a few moments of silence, Shannon says, "So, 'a high school dropout who joined the military at 18?' That's how you classify yourself? Really?"

She gives Shannon a funny look. "It's the truth, Shannon."

Carter echoes her snort from seconds earlier. "Maybe technically, but who do you think you're fooling, Wash? I've seen your library. Outside of Sun Tzu's Art of War, I'd bet you that most of those books are yours, not Taylor's."

She laughs but tries to deflect the conversation. "The Hemingways are his, too. Cranky, drunk bastard. And we each have our own copy of Art of War. His is on the shelf. Mine's under my pillow next to my knife."

Shannon shakes his head and Carter laughs. Shannon presses, "Come on, Wash. Most high school dropouts aren't a thing like you. I'd say there's a story there."

She goes quiet. "We all have stories, Shannon."

Carter cocks his head at her. "OK, I'm curious now. You had to get the medical training somewhere, and the love of reading too."

Shannon nods. "Yeah, Wash. What gives?"

Keeping her eyes trained on the slashers, Alicia sighs again. "My mom was a medic. Before she died when I was 14, she helped a lot of people living, like us, outside the domes. She trained me on the fly. I learned mostly by watching and doing."

The men seem surprised by the admission, but Shannon still pushes. "And the books?"

After a beat, Alicia turns her eyes to Shannon. "Ayani Taylor gave me most of them."

Shannon's mouth opens a little in surprise, but it's Carter who quietly asks, "Taylor's first wife?"

She gives him a quick nod and turns back to the window again. "Nathaniel took me from the general medical team when I was eighteen, not long after I'd joined up. When he found out I didn't have any family still alive, he started dragging me home with him on the few days of leave we'd get now and then. Nathaniel, Ayani and Lucas just made me part of the family. Ayani became my surrogate older sister. My relationship with Nathaniel didn't become what it is now until we got here in 2142."

Neither man has time to react, because they hear the sound of gunfire outside the fence. Alicia shakes off the reverie of the last few moments, tightens her body armor and smiles at them. "Cavalry's here."

They both blink and then smile back, similarly adjusting their armor and raising their guns. She looks at Shannon. "Shannon, you stay here and keep an eye on the idiot boys. I'd hate for them to die before Nathaniel can kill them. Carter, with me."

Alicia rolls her eyes as she and Carter slip out the door of the outpost when she hears Shannon whine, "Why do I have to stay with the scientists?"

They both take up positions inside the fence, concealed by the large fence poles. Their comms crackle to life a moment later when Guz calls them. When she responds, he says, "Have already taken three of them out, Wash. We're about a hundred yards from your location. How many do you have eyes on?"

She looks at Carter and holds up five fingers. He nods in confirmation, and she quietly replies, "Five, Guz. Carter and I are outside the outpost, inside the fence. We can give you support from this side. Be aware that there were about fourteen of them before. Some may have left, but I think they're more likely stalking."

Guz's voice sounds in her ear again. "Copy that, Wash. We have four rhinos, all armed to the teeth. I'm going to have Reynolds and Reilly peel off and try to draw them out."

"Understood, Guz. We're standing by."

"Thanks, Wash. Guzman out." The connection ends, and they stand ready and waiting, both twitching at every gun blast they hear, both the sonics and otherwise.

After a minute or so, the five slashers at the outpost, all of which have been chattering back and forth, begin to move towards the sound of the rhinos and the gunfire. Alicia hits her comm. "Guz, our five are moving away, looks to be towards you."

She hears the roar of an engine and the sound of sonics in her ear before Guz yells, "Copy, Wash. Don't you and Carter have a rover? We could use a little help rounding up. Reilly and Reynolds both have an injured gunner."

Alicia eyes their rover – usually, these days, she takes a rhino, but for whatever reason, they'd opted for the more open rover this morning. It's battered, Alicia assumes from the slashers beating on it when they couldn't get past the outpost fence. It's only a few feet beyond the gate. She looks at Carter, who gives her a grin and a thumbs up. "Affirmative, Guz. Will call when we're underway."

She ends the connection, and, moving almost as one, she and Carter head to the gate. Within seconds, they're out, gate closed, and into the waiting rover. As Carter jumps in behind her, Alicia tries the ignition. Surprisingly, it turns over and roars to life on the first try.

They peel out, Carter leaning up and out the door opening, rifle ready. Alicia has her rifle next to her and her sonic pistol out and charged in her left hand. They see Reynolds' and Reilly's rhinos heading for the outpost, each with a slasher following. As they pass, Alicia and Carter both open fire.

The next five minutes are a blur of screeching slashers, Carter yelling directions to Alicia and the sounds of conventional and sonic gunfire. But then they're skidding to a stop back at the outpost, the last two rhinos, one driven by Guz and the other by one of the former Sixers, come up behind them. They all get out of their vehicles, knowing that fourteen dead slashers litter the terrain around and behind them.

Alicia grins at Guz. "How's your day going, Guz?"

"Dandy, Wash. Yours?" He grins back.

Carter jumps out of his side of the rover, starting to head over to Alicia's side. They suddenly hear a screech, and one last slasher, one they must have presumed dead given its bloody, battered appearance, comes flying up out of the tree line. It's making a beeline for Alicia, and she turns to try to fire on it, knowing she doesn't really have a shot. She hears Guz yell, "Carter, Wash, down!" She feels a heavy body collide with hers, and then she hears a rifle blast.

Realizing that the heavy body she felt was Carter knocking her to the ground, she sits up quickly, looking for the slasher. She breathes a sigh of relief when she sees it, now obviously dead, with Guz standing over it. "Thanks, Carter."

"Ow." His voice is strained. "Skye's going to be so pissed at me."

She looks over at him and cringes. He's leaned against the side of the rover, cradling his left arm, the shoulder pretty clearly dislocated. She shakes her head. "Well, maybe we'll be able to get you a sling to match your suit."

Terra Nova, the Next Morning

The four rhinos and Alicia's rover pull through the gate the next morning, and everyone piles out. Malcolm is there, and he immediately corners his three scientists, yelling and herding them towards his lab. The sight makes Alicia smile. Twits.

Carter gingerly rises from the rover, only to be nearly tackled by Skye in a hug. He groans a little, but wraps his good arm around her as she holds him tight to her. Shannon heads over to Elisabeth and Guz to Mira, and Alicia looks up to see Nathaniel heading for her. He gets to her and hugs her to him. She hears his voice in her ear. "Am really glad you're all right, Lieutenant."

She leans back to look at him, and she presses a soft kiss to his lips. "I almost killed Malcolm's boys. And then I almost let Carter kill them. I think even Shannon considered homicide. Is Gracie at school?" He nods, and then casts a concerned look towards Skye and Carter. She follows his gaze, looking up to see Skye still clinging to Carter. "Is she OK?"

Nathaniel nods again. "Yes. She is now. Yesterday, not really."

He takes her guns and day pack from her, and they turn towards home. As they walk, she asks, "What happened?" After he explains, Alicia blows out a breath and shakes her head. "I'm glad you two were able to calm her down. It would kill him if she left him."

"I know. I'm pretty sure you're exactly right about that."

The concern in Nathaniel's voice surprises her a little, as he's never been all that fond of Carter. "Is that concern for one Carter Mitchell that I hear in your voice, Nathaniel? When did that happen?" She smirks at him.

They get to their house, and he opens the door for her, letting her enter first. As he follows her, he says, "I don't know. It appears that the man grows on you. Like a fungus. I actually find the son of a bitch likeable these days."

"We shouldn't tell him that, though. He's more pliable and frankly more fun to mess with when he's afraid of you." She grins.

He laughs as he closes the door. "Good point. Got to keep him on his toes."