Solutions: Chapter 13:

"How's the war going?" Allen asked as Laura joined him and his daughter for dinner. The air smelled of sizzling meat, sweet flowers and sometimes a musky scent he couldn't identify.

"Not good for our invaders." Laura smiled as she sat down. "They've taken out several convoys and patrols."

"Hate fighting," he mumbled as he expertly turned the meat. In another pot berries simmered. The fruit had turned into a great sauce for the various dinosaur steaks they'd eaten.

"We all do." Laura helped herself to some coffee and made a face.

"Don't like it?" Allen had made it himself.

"It's fine." She took another sip. "I'm almost going to miss this when we get back to Terra Nova."

"Miss it? How could anyone miss this?" He checked on is daughter who sat playing with her doll near their tent. "I would like to have a real bed to sleep in."

"Might take a while."

"Where's that cat of yours?" His cousin had returned from her visit to Bola and the herd alone.

"She's hunting."

"You trust her to come back?"

"She's a wild animal. I never forget that."

"Taylor left earlier in a Rover. I tried to find out where, but his soldiers wouldn't say."

"Probably a mission. Nothing we need to worry about."

"He puts our lives at risk every time…"

"Our lives are at risk anyway, cousin. Or do you want us all to lose this second chance?"

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Morning dawned and with it a bright sun overhead along with warmth along her back. Laura turned slightly in her sleeping a bag and smiled. Sheba slumbered there.

"Happy to see you." Laura lightly pet the saber cat's head and got up. Outside the camp buzzed with noise and it took her by surprise to discover that the Shannon family had joined them.

Jim Shannon started at seeing her. "I thought everyone was back in Terra Nova."

"I was OTG when the attack went down. Ran across the army coming and watched as a pack of carnos had fun with the device they were transporting."

"Heard about that."

"Hi Laura!" Zoe bounced up to her. "Bola around?"

"Nope. He joined another herd. Found himself a girlfriend."

Maddy asked, "What about Sheba?"

Laura pointed to the tent. "She's sleeping after hunting last night."

"Where's your cousin?" Jim glanced around.

"If you're asking about Barnabas, not sure. He took off after the sun set last night and we haven't seen him since."

Sienna appeared from her tent, dressed in shorts and top. She hugged her doll.

"Your daddy still sleeping?" Laura knew the girl tended to be shy around strangers.

She nodded, trying to hide partway behind the tent opening.

"Sienna, this is the Shannon family. I think Zoe might be about the same age as you."

Zoe grinned and walked over to the other girl. "Hi."

"Hi."

"That your doll?"

"Uh, huh."

"What's her name?"

"Dolly."

"That's a good name."

Elisabeth kneeled down. "Hello. Are you hungry?"

Sienna nodded.

"Fire's hot," Laura told them. "The pans are there on the log."

Josh plopped down on a log. "What do we have to cook?"

"Can we have berries?" Sienna's large brown eyes begged.

"I think there are some left over from dinner. How about we make some pancakes and use them instead of syrup," Laura suggested.

"Pancakes?" Elisabeth rose.

Both Josh and Maddy took an interest.

Laura went over to the box where she'd been keeping their food supplies. She lifted the lid and took out the mix. "All we need is some water and a good hot pan."

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Barnabas returned at dusk feeling sated and full of energy. He glanced around at the group relaxing around the fire. "Company I see."

"Shannons joined us last night." Laura sat back against the log, her cat licking its fur lying beside her.

"We don't see much of you in Terra Nova," Elisabeth said.

"No. You don't." His eyes met Laura's. "Does this mean Taylor is losing?"

She shook her head. "Just a move to keep folks safe."

He sensed there was more and suspected, with children around, it shouldn't be spoken of. "Where's Allen?"

"Talking to Reilly. Not sure about what."

He sighed.

"Jim, I need to look at that hand." Elisabeth got up.

Her husband glanced down at it. "Yeah, we were so tired this morning, it didn't seem important."

"Come on. The med station is over there." The parents got up and left.

"Zoe, you should probably get to bed," her older sister said.

"Don't want to."

"Come on," Laura offered. "I'll tell you and Sienna a bed time story."

That caught both little girls attention. They nodded and darted into the nearest tent. Laura got up to follow them. Sheba started to get up. "No. Stay there." The cat growled and resumed her grooming.

"That cat is scary." Barnabas recognized Josh from Boylan's bar.

"Good hunter though." Mark Reynolds appeared. With a smile he invited, "Would you like to take a walk, Maddy."

"I would love to." The pair disappeared.

Josh grinned knowingly. "Haven't seen you in a long while."

"I was OTG with Laura."

"Lucky you."

"Any idea how the rest of the family is?"

"Fine. Hostages like most everyone else."

"To keep Taylor out of the colony." It made strategic sense. The British had done similar things during the Revolutionary war.

"Didn't keep us from fighting back."

"Oppression should always be fought against."

Josh looked at him oddly. "Sound like someone who would know."

"I do."

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

After his meeting with Taylor, Jim returned to the camp site. Elisabeth sat there alone, holding a cup and staring off into the dark.

"Where are the kids?"

"In bed." She took a sip and set it down. "Zoe fell asleep while Laura was telling them both a bed time story. She's in that tent." She pointed to a light gray one not far away. "Josh is asleep and Maddy is sharing a tent with Laura." She laughed. "They got into a discussion on time travel and possible mishaps."

"Hope she gets some sleep."

Two voices drifted on the night breeze. He recognized Maddy's and Laura's. They were laughing about something.

"I still have to wonder why the Collins came here. They had everything in 2149."

"No. Not everything." Elizabeth took her husband's hand. "Allen Collins is here as well and brought his youngest daughter Sienna with him."

He glanced around to make certain they wouldn't be overheard. "Sienna is Mira's daughter as well."

"What?" She leaned closed.

"Taylor told me. He hopes this give us a bargaining chip with her and the Sixers."

"Do you think they'll negotiate?"

"No idea." He put his arm around her and pulled her close, kissing her.

His wife smiled contentedly. "It's not so bad out here."

"I'm just enjoying this moment." He'd tell her later about the plan to blow up Hope Plaza, cutting them off from 2149.