A/N: Sorry it's taken me a while to get this out...writer's block, not wanting to write, and a semester that totally kicked my ass (a film project due almost every week, 3 documentaries, memorization for acting [which is bogus since we're film makers, not actors], and numerous papers and crap). So needless to say, I didn't have time nor the energy to write anything. BUT the semester's over and I can concentrate on writing for pleasure now.

So, here ya go! (I'm not too happy with the middle of this chapter, but towards the end I started going somewhere with it. lol.)


Fred crawled off of Nim's shoulder after several minutes (apparently bored by not doing anything), onto the back of the couch. He made his way over to Colleen. He placed a claw on her shoulder to climb up, startling the woman and making her jump. Turning her head to the side, she saw the lizard.

"Jeez, Fred. Where'd you come from?" She asked, picking the Bearded Dragon up and putting him on her shoulder.

"He was with me, but I guess he got bored." Nim answered, putting her finger in the book to mark her place as she closed it momentarily.

Colleen hummed in response, then stood from the couch and walked back over to Jack, sketchpad in hand and Fred on her shoulder. She set the pad down where it was previously and stared absentmindedly. Her eyes were set on Jack's right hand. She watched as he wrote down notes and found herself memorizing how the veins and bones moved under the skin as he moved the hand. Hands that were large and strong...

Stop it, Colleen! She chastised herself, closing her eyes and shaking her head slightly. She opened her eyes to see Jack looking at her with concern.

"Are you alright?" He asked, setting down the pencil.

"Yeah, just a small headache." She lied, forcing a small smile.

"Well, I wouldn't be surprised. Your forehead is still multicolored."

"'Scuse me?"

"You didn't notice the cut and bruising above your eye?"

"No," she cringed. "Is it bad?"

"Not as bad as it was. Have a look for yourself. There's a mirror in the hall on the way to the kitchen."

Nodding, and self-consciously bringing a hand to her forehead, Colleen turned and walked out of the room after handing Fred back over to Nim. She found the mirror just before walking into the kitchen. Slowly lowering her hand, she saw the greenish-purple bruise above her left eye.

"Shit." She muttered as she gently prodded the bruise. She then saw the cut near her hairline. "And another scar. Perfect."

Sighing once more, Colleen turned away from the mirror and walked back to Jack and the microscope. She retook her spot to his right, in front of the notes and sketches. She stared down at the sketches, lost in thoughts of her friends.

"Okay?" She heard Jack ask softly, probably seeing her far-off look.

"Yeah, I just wasn't expecting that."

Jack watched her a moment longer before taking off his glasses and pushing back from the desk.

"You know what? I think it's time for a break. Let's have lunch." He got up from the chair and walked towards the kitchen.

Colleen watched after him, then shifted her gaze to Nim who was still sitting on the couch, grinning. She saw the girl put a bookmark in her book, then set it on the table. Nim looked up to her and the grin fell from her face.

"Colleen? Are you alright?" She asked the older woman.

"Yeah, sorry. Lost in thought." Colleen replied.

"You just looked like you were going to cry." Nim observed, standing from the couch and walking over to Colleen.

"I'm okay. Really." Colleen forced a smile down at the girl.

Nim smiled back, then grabbed the scientist's hand, surprising her. Nim started to walk towards the kitchen, tugging Colleen along behind her.

When they reached the kitchen, they both saw Jack preparing sandwiches for them. Nim let go of Colleen's hand to go over to a cabinet and pulled out a glass to fill it with juice. Colleen walked over to Jack's side.

"Want any help?" She asked, staring down at the sandwich supplies.

"Sure. You good with knives?" He grinned over at her.

"I'm decent." She grinned back, then quickly ducked her head to grab a tomato as Jack handed her a knife.

The two were silent for a few minutes while they focused on the food. Nim, standing on the other side of the room with Selkie next to her and Fred on her shoulder, watched Colleen carefully, trying to notice any change in the woman. Seeing if she would revert back to the closed off facial expressions from earlier.

"Are we eating out on the porch, Jack?" Nim asked, breaking the silence. She saw Colleen jump a bit, realizing that she was lost in her own thoughts, before both adults turned to look at her.

"Sure." Jack replied after looking at Colleen briefly.

Nim nodded, then turned to walk out to the porch to wait for Jack and Colleen with lunch, taking her glass of juice with her. Selkie followed her after a slight hesitation when she looked at Colleen.

Colleen finished cutting up the tomato and placed them on the sandwiches that Jack had been assembling in front of him. Jack glanced up and smirked at Colleen as he placed the top piece of bread on the sandwiches. Colleen ducked her head and cleaned up the tomato from the cutting board.

When Colleen got control of her facial expressions again, she spoke up.

"Jack?" She asked.

He hummed in response as he cut the sandwiches in half and put them on plates.

"When's the next time that supply boat will come by?"

Jack froze momentarily, a sandwich half in each hand ready to plate, before he lowered the sandwiches and turned to face Colleen again.

"I didn't think our company was that bad." He muttered.

"No, it isn't bad at all," she quickly corrected. "It just might be good for me to have some other clothes and necessities. I don't want to have to take all your extra clothes from you." She grinned, feeling her cheeks heat slightly.

Jack looked at her for another moment.

"That's not a bad idea. Maybe they can come sooner than their scheduled date." He said, looking beyond Colleen and thinking out-loud. After a moment, he brought his gaze back to her. "Make a list of things you need and we'll send a message later."

"Thank you." Colleen replied. "I'll compile a list after lunch."

Jack nodded, then moved over to the cabinet containing glassware. He pulled out two glasses and set them on the counter.

"What would you like to drink?" He asked, glancing at Colleen.

"Water will be fine." Colleen answered.

Nodding once more, Jack filled both glasses with water. He handed them to Colleen, then he picked up the three plates of sandwiches, carrying them as a server in a restaurant would: one on his forearm and one in each hand. Colleen watched him with an amused look on her face.

"Would you like any help with those?" She asked, trying not to smile.

"Nope, I've got 'em. Could you just bring out the drinks?" Jack said as he walked towards the porch.

"No problem." Colleen smirked, then followed after him.

On the porch, Nim was sitting on the second to last step down. Jack carefully kneeled down on the porch and set the plates down. He handed one to Nim, then sat on the top step, leaning his back against the railing post, facing towards the stairs. When Colleen walked out, she handed one glass of water to Jack, who lifted a plate as a trade. As he took a hold of the glass, their fingers met and both felt a slight tingling. Neither let on that they felt anything. Colleen quickly let go and took the plate from Jack with a quiet 'thanks'. She sat opposite him, crossing her legs underneath herself.

The three were quiet for some time. Colleen was lost in her thoughts, staring down at the wood planks in between her and Jack while she occasionally took a bite of the sandwich. Her mind kept jumping around between her list of supplies, her friends and crew, and what she was going to do while on this island.

Nim and Jack took part in small conversations. Jack mostly talked about the research he was conducting, which he could tell only semi-interested his daughter. Nim spoke of Chica's babies and how well they were growing. Both would occasionally glance at the doctor.

Nim, remembering her suggestion from earlier brought it up again.

"Jack, ask her to Fire Mountain." The girl whispered to him, keeping an eye on the woman, so she didn't hear.

"It seems like she has too much on her mind to go today." Jack replied, also looking at Colleen.

"Even though I have no idea what you two are talking about, I can still hear you." Colleen smirked, looking up and between the two. "This place is quieter than my lab even with all the equipment turned off."

Jack grinned. "Well, glad to see you've finally joined the conversation." He quipped.

"Oh, I've been paying attention. I've just mastered the technique of listening without the speaker knowing." She continued to smirk, letting them know that she was teasing.

Nim snorted in laughter, gaining the attention of the doctor.

"You, Miss Rusoe, neglected to tell me that there are six baby turtles." Colleen scolded, still with a small smile on her face.

"I didn't think it was that important." Nim defended.

"Not important? After telling you that my dissertation was on turtles, you should have told me everything." Colleen said.

"I'll remember that then." The girl said, looking to Jack for help out of the light-hearted scolding.

Jack looked from his daughter to the woman across from him. His smile fell slightly as he tried to think of a way to ask her to go to Fire Mountain without it seeming awkward. Clearing his throat gently, he gave it a go.

"Colleen, I have to up to Fire Mountain to collect a few samples. Would you like to come along?" He asked, then added. "The view is spectacular."

"Fire Mountain?" She questioned.

"The volcano." Nim put in.

"Oh, um...well..." She paused, looking down at her feet, wiggling her naked toes. "I think if I had my other shoe..."

"I was able to find a pair of old sneakers. They might be a little big, but they should do." Jack interrupted with a small grin.

Colleen grinned back. "Well, then. I guess I will join you then."

Her attention was focused on Jack, so she missed the large smile that lit up Nim's face before she forced herself to squash it. Picking up her empty plate, she walked in between the adults, through the house, and to the kitchen, where she deposited her dishes before getting her book again, a smile never leaving her face.

Jack and Colleen also collected their dishes and headed inside. In the kitchen, Jack took the plate and glass from Colleen and started to wash them. Colleen stood on the other side of the kitchen and watched him for a moment.

"I'm going to write down that list before I forget any of it and before we go to the volcano. What was it called, again?" she asked.

Jack turned his head to her before answering: "Fire Mountain." Then turned back to the dishes.

"Right. Fire Mountain." She mumbled.

Turning, she went back into the other room and grabbed a piece of paper and pencil from Jack's desk. Sitting in the chair in front of the microscope, she wrote down everything she could think of that she would need for her undetermined length of time on the island.


A/N: There you have it...an early Christmas present (for those of you who celebrate it).

Next chapter will be better. I swear. Think of this one as an awkward transition chapter...