A/N: A big thank you to metube and Smurf5 for reviews! I've decided last update was incredibly long! So my thoughts are that I will cut down to shorter chapters that way maybe more updates?… Would this be a good thing? Please let me know your preference :-) Also do we want Lucas Dead or Alive? Majority will win and I'll write that direction!
"We should talk about the possibility that Lucas is still alive" Jim said the next morning in the Command Centre. Taylor wore a grim expression with Alicia who shifted uncomfortably in her chair as the three of them were sitting at the conference table. In half an hour the senior staff members would be arriving for their weekly meeting.
"He survived two shots to the chest I'm sure he could survive a severed hand if Escher treated him properly… You two know something" Jim stated.
"Escher is someone we both knew before coming to Terra Nova" Taylor said.
"Ok, ex-soldier?" Jim asked.
"No" Alicia answered.
"Ok, I need more information than what you two are giving me" Jim said.
"The hand was just a key. It's needed it to open the device. Lucas's remains are most likely to be displayed somewhere in the Jungle waiting for us to find" Taylor said his jaw twitched and his stomach turned at the thought of his own flesh and blood somewhere out in the jungle like food for scavengers.
"You-" Jim started only to be cut off.
"I know that my son is dead." Taylor told Jim with grim certainty. Jim could see the pain in Taylor's expression. Just because Lucas had been off his rocker and tried to kill his own father it didn't stop Taylor from feeling the grief of losing a son any less. Jim also knew that Taylor deserved the chance to lay Lucas to rest if they could find it.
"Ok, then if we are supposed to find Lucas's remains. We will find them and by 'we' I mean Kate and I. So I'll talk with Mira and come up with some locations to start the search. Anything you can give Kate and I to help us would also be good" Jim said. He really wanted to know what Alicia and Taylor were so reluctant to tell him. Jim also knew it was better for Taylor not to see his son's remains desecrated, the man needed some sense of peace not another bad memory.
"You want Kate for your deputy" Taylor stated.
"Tell me it's not a good fit. The Sixers and the Soldiers respect her. She highly trained soldier. She has a good eye for details, handy with a gun, she's proven more than once she's willing to lay her life on the line to protect this colony…" he listed off a few more good attributes of Kate's that suited the bill for a good detective and cop "So you disapprove?" he asked Taylor.
"No, but you're going to have a hell of a time convincing her to say yes" Taylor said.
"Well I planned on just making her think she's just helping me out and skip the whole 'asking' her part" Jim said with a smile. In actual fact he was going to ask her in a few days after whatever was happening between her and Malcolm settled itself. He knew the would say 'no' on reflex if he asked today where as a few days she would think about the offer.
Later that morning,
"It's come to my attention that the Command Chain of the Colony is in need of restructuring due to our current and most probably permanent situation of being severed from 2149. As such the newly proposed Command structure will accomodate so both Military and Civilian contingents in Terra Nova will be represented equally." Taylor said to Senior staff members at the table. They had run through the normal schedule of updates from the department heads. Alicia sat to his left with Kate and Mira and Jim who sat at the other end of the table. While on his right were Guzman, Maiko Uotani and Dr Wallace.
"As such some people will be stepping down while others step up in a 3 week transition phase. Lieutenant Washington will be the first in stepping down as my second in command for the colony. She will remain as my second in command for Military contingent and Military advisor but she-" Taylor started.
"Who's stepping in as Second in Command for the Colony?" Mira asked cutting Taylor off, she wondered how it would affect her people and the agreement they had made. Taylor pursed his lips not impressed at being interrupted but Mira didn't care it was a valid question. She was amazed she had been invited to the meeting and had been recognised as a leader with respect instead of being pushed into the background. She sat next to Kate who was sitting in the meeting as Baz's representative as the old coot despised meetings that didn't involve a cold alcoholic beverage.
"Jim Shannon" Taylor answered.
"Don't get too excited about it Taylor" Jim said dryly, those at the table chuckled as did Taylor.
"Why is Lt Washington stepping down? I understand the need for restructuring but isn't that a demotion? I-" Malcolm started only to be cut off by Alicia.
"I offered to step down for my own personal reasons" Alicia stated. Malcolm nodded not questioning it. Originally they were going to share the news about their plans to get married and her pregnancy but Alicia had told him she'd rather wait until she was in her second trimester to share the news. By then there would be physical signs and they agreed that they wanted to have their nuptials in a private ceremony. If they decided to have a ceremony, Alicia was happy to just sign a piece of paper and have Taylor put a ring on her finger.
Taylor waited for more questions before he continued to line out how the command structure would change over the next week and when they would announce it to the colony etc. until Mira asked about the progress on the Terminus and Lucas.
"Dr Wallace?" Taylor prompted Malcolm who couldn't seem to keep his eyes from wandering to look at Kate who was staring at some mark on the table with disinterest. Taylor didn't take offence as he knew Kate could repeat the meeting verbatim to him.
"The terminus will take a while to fix but to be honest at least 6 months to a year maybe more" Malcolm said.
"Maybe more?" Mira asked in disbelief.
"Yes, I have to fabricate parts from scratch and not to mention find the materials in Terra Nova to make them. Let's not forget about the fact that we have no idea how to locate a fracture back to 2149. If there is another fracture at all" Malcolm told them.
"But you told Hooper-" Mira started only to be cut off by Malcolm.
"I lied, the truth is what I said before which is that this is going to take time" Malcolm told her.
"What about the purpley thingymabob?" Kate asked using her hands to gesture the objects dimensions, she knew Lucas's hand was being kept quiet but the device wasn't.
"You have found his device?" Mira asked as she hadn't been told.
"Kate and I searched Escher's house yesterday, I was going to talk to you about it after the meeting." Jim said to Mira, she narrowed her eyes at him assessing if he was being honest or not before she nodded acceptance of the information.
"Sorry" Kate said she made the decision right then that it was best to keep her mouth shut.
"What about Lucas?" Mira asked Taylor in a sharp tone.
"We are going find Lucas" Taylor said, he left off the dead or alive. He didn't need Mira getting up in arms about them deliberately trying to sabotage the terms of the agreement.
"Either way this will take a long time and what does it matter if we have the equations and no working Terminus or vice versa we are still cut off. It will take time and you will have to be patient" Malcolm said with an exhausted sigh.
"Ok then give me a list of what you need and I'll get some people onto it. See if we can harvest the materials from other systems etc. Let's see if we can get the Terminus fixed while Shannon and Kate find Lucas" Taylor said.
The meeting drifted to colony issues for another half an hour before they called an end. Taylor asked for Kate and Jim to remain while the others were dismissed. He watched Alicia leave the room with Guzman talking about the soldier rotation on the north east perimeter before turning back to Jim and Kate.
"What I'm about to say stays between the three of us." Taylor said as he sat back down at the conference table. He picked up a plex and accessed the central database typing in his private security access code and opening up access to Ellyas's records.
"On this plex is everything you need to know about Escher. It does not leave this room" He handed the plex to Kate as she would be able to find it more useful that Jim. "I need you two to find what is left of my son out there and bring him back to the colony for a proper burial. I want to know this is finally over. I want to lay my son to rest" Taylor told them.
"We'll do our best" Jim assured him. Kate nodded in agreement as she looked up from the plex.
"What are you reading so intensely?" Carter asked Kate when he walked into the command centre hours later. Kate turned the plex into standby blanking the screen before looking up at Carter who was standing in the doorway.
"What are you doing here?"
"Looking for you" Carter told her.
"Me? Why?" Kate asked she looked around the centre to find it empty and amazed that she hadn't noticed that Taylor had left the room but then she had been reading Escher who was actually Declan Ellyas. She knew the only reason she had access was that her training allowed her to get inside of her enemies mind and predict patterns of behaviour.
"Baz sent me, wants me with you" Carter said as he moved into the room and took a seat in the chair next to her at the conference table. Kate made a derisive noise.
"Right" Kate told him.
"I'm serious, call him. He wants us to go for a lovely stroll together and do a proper damage assessment" Carter told her.
"I was doing that at two o'clock with Turtle" Kate told him.
"It's two and he's been delegated elsewhere" he told her.
"What?" Kate asked surprised she pulled out her phone and looked at the time. She dropped her head back and sighed as she had let time slip away from her. She turned off the plex and grimaced as she had been so absorbed now she was feeling all the aches and pains.
"You haven't had lunch or pain killers have you?" He asked as he wore an amused expression as she made slow pained movements and rose from her seat walking like an old lady and placing the plex on Taylor's desk. "Must have been some read. What were you reading?"
"History" Kate told him. She pulled the pill container from her pocket and dry swallowed a tablet as she knew two would make her want to go to sleep. "Let's get this over with" Kate said.
"Just what every man loved to hear but first we get some food, maybe something to drink then we'll work. I don't need you passing out on me" Carter told her.
"I'm not going to pass out and I'm not hungry"
"Humour me by eating something you're a skeleton" Carter told her. Kate made a face at his comment before following out of the room.
"You know Lucas could be alive. It's possible" Alicia said as she and Taylor were walking the perimeter before checking in with Baz about the construction schedule. They always walked the perimeter to discuss sensitive situations as it gave them a chance to stretch their legs from the command centre and gave them a chance to show their presence to the Soldiers so they didn't slack off.
"We both know that's not Ellyas's M.O. Kate will tell you the same once she is finished consuming what's on the plex" Taylor said.
"You know as well as I that Ellyas made trophies of his women. There could be a chance that he kept Lucas-"
"Alicia" he said in an exhausted tone, it was the mix of him using her first name and the tone that made her stop. She didn't know why she was pressing the issue but knew that Taylor had resolved himself to the fact his son was dead.
"I'm sorry about Ellyas and everything he's done" Alicia told Taylor
"You shouldn't be, it wasn't your fault" Taylor said.
"I know but I feel responsible and I hate knowing that Ellyas did this because of some sick twisted revenge and everybody that we know has been dragged into it and hurt thanks to me." Alicia vented as she recognised the guilt gnawing on her insides. Taylor stopped walking and turned to her. He gave her a serious look.
"Alicia, we all have a past. Yours came and bit you in the ass but it's over now and luckily all the damage will repair itself. Shannon and Kate will find Lucas and we'll lay this whole chapter of our life to rest and move on." Taylor told her. Alicia nodded acknowledging what he was saying.
"Ok" Alicia said letting go of some of the weight on her shoulders.
"I assume that whatever is happening between Kate and Malcolm has gotten worse?" Taylor asked changing the topic as he didn't want to think of Lucas out in the Jungle.
"It's not better. Anyway I thought we were supposed to stay out of their business" Alicia said.
"Can't help it if their relationship is affecting their work" Taylor said Alicia shook her head incredulously.
"Nathaniel Taylor, you are such a drama king and it's only been 2 days. Give it week before making such statements. They are both professionals and besides the slight snapping from Malcolm that one time and the awkwardness they are handling it as best they can" Alicia said.
"Well then looks like allowing Shannon to have Kate help him is a good thing" Taylor said.
"Could you imagine her being a deputy?" Alicia asked.
"Probably complain about not having a badge" Taylor joked he looked to Alicia as he had expected her to have a witty reply only to find her looking incredibly pale. "Wash?" he asked she took a slow inhale and held her hand up. After a few moments and slow breaths passed, she dropped her hand and opened eyes to look at him.
"Sorry, nausea is really bad. You know, I feel like I should carry a bucket with me everywhere. Just in case" Alicia grumbled, she had left her anti-nausea meds at home and the once she had taken at breakfast were wearing off. Or so the imminent threat of lunch wanting to make a return visit told her. she had hoped she might be able to go without the meds but it looked like she was going to have to stick to them.
"Second trimester will be easier when your hormones settle down" Taylor assured her. Alicia looked at him surprise as she had not expected him to say that.
"What? I have a plex too" he told her in response to her look. "You want to quiz me?" he asked.
"Maybe later" Alicia drawled.
Saturday after lunch Kate went to pick up Zoe, they raided the Shannon linen closet of bed sheets and light weight blankets. Zoe had been talking Kate's ear off about what she was learning in school when Carter materialised by Kate's side. It unnerved her when he did that but she blamed the pain killers for dulling her senses.
"Here, let me take that for you and you little lady" Carter said to Kate and Zoe as they were both carrying two piles of blankets. He pulled the piles of blankets from Kate and Zoe and held them under his arm with ease before Kate could even tell him to take a hike.
"So what's with the blankets?" Carter asked after Kate and Zoe exchanged looks and decided to let him carry the bed sheets and blankets for the rest of the way.
"We're making a blanket fort" Zoe answered.
Kate and Carter had run into Maddy and Zoe at the market yesterday when Carter insisted on making her eat. Kate made the introductions. Maddy was slightly reluctant to shake Carter's hand but he didn't show any signs of being insulted. Zoe on the other hand was far too excited about Kate's primate friend that had woken up and wanted to play than give Carter any attention. They had a brief conversation before Kate made noise to Carter that they had work letting the girls go back to what they were doing.
"Really?" Carter said to Kate.
"Yeah, Zoe and I are going to build the biggest fort. Aren't we?" Kate asked Zoe.
"Yep we are going to have tunnels and everything" Zoe said.
"Impressive" Carter commented.
"Hopefully it will be." Kate said.
"You know, I could help you build it as I can lift my arms above me head and heavy furniture" Carter offered. Kate narrowed her eyes at him wondering what he was up to. The last few days he'd been hanging around her and helping her with things and work. The only time she escaped him was when Alicia or Jim showed up needing her help that he would leave her alone. She figured he was just trying to stay on her good side. Either way she was not letting him into Taylor's place.
"No we'll be fine. It's not our first blanket fort" Kate assured him.
"And it's girl's only. No boys allowed" Zoe piped up.
"Don't say it" Kate said in a low voice to Carter as she knew exactly what his reply would be. It would be along the lines of 'I'm a man not a boy' but laden with sexual innuendo. He smiled at her which only confirmed her assumptions that he was going to respond inappropiately.
"Ok, well at least let me carry your supplies. Where are you going?" he asked.
"Taylor's house" Kate replied.
Saturday night, Taylor opened the front door let Alicia step in first before he followed. He wondered if he had stepped into the wrong house. Where his dining room and living room used to be was now what could only be described as the largest blanket fort Taylor had seen constructed indoors. He wasn't even sure how he was supposed to navigate his way to the bathroom let alone the bedroom.
He looked to Alicia who was sporting a smile. "You knew this was going happen" he said in a low voice as it was past 10pm and figured the girls were sleeping somewhere in the house.
"Yep" Alicia said proudly his facial expression upon seeing the fort was priceless.
"Is that a pulley system?" he asked pointing to the ceiling. It looked like Kate had been a little too industrious in her fort making. He made a not to find out who had helped her considering he knew for a fact she couldn't lift her arms up to install it.
"Well how else was it going to be suspended when she can't lift anything?" Alicia asked innocently as she was trying not to laugh. Taylor shook his head at her. "Don't look at me like that. You said 'yes' to having the Shannon girls over." She reminded him.
"Didn't think the interior of the house would be renovated. I'll have to be careful what I agree to next time" Taylor mused.
"Or get used to it. I like Kate and her blanket fort adventures. Though this is a little overboard" Alicia conceded as Taylor gave her a look.
"Come on, follow me" she grabbed his hand and found an opening in the sheets. They had to duck down as they quietly made their way through the fort. They stopped as they reached the centre or the 'main' room of the fort which was lit by a small chem. light. There on the floor half buried under pillows, doonas and Zoe's toys were Maddy and Kate with Zoe in the middle. The three girls were in deep, peaceful sleep.
It was easy to picture their kids sleeping just like the girls currently were. It stirred old emotions in him that he had when he used to watch Lucas sleep as a kid and a strong sense of anticipation as he couldn't wait for their children to be in the world even though it was months away. He looked to Alicia and saw the soft smile playing on her lips as she carefully adjusted the blanket that was over Zoe and covered her feet that were sticking out.
She retreated back and looked at Taylor for a moment still smiling. She pointed towards a makeshift tunnel to where he could only assume was their room.
TBC- Don't worry I will update Thursday my time (for those in the Northern Hemisphere it's your Wednesday)... So let me know about Lucas and chapter length and updates :-)