A/N: You guys are all so supportive! I absolutely love it!

One of our fellow fanfiction members, whisperingflaws, has begun her own Terra Nova fanfic called Sins & Omissions in which Lucas actually has a sister! The first chapter was really well written, and it really looks like it could be a promising story. Check it out: fanfiction(.)net/s/7704222/1/Sins_Omissions

Numbersixteen just updated Cut Off Without Amends – and the action is really heating up! Check it out!

I came across another Lucas Taylor character study vide on Youtube – and it's the best by far! Check it out: youtube(.)com/watch?v=MEvisI5q9f0

RMinlights, I actually have seen that video! It was very amusing. I think I linked it on one of the early chapters of my fic, possibly Chapter 7 – whichever one was Memories. Thanks for reminding me, though!

Five days. Skye hadn't realized that time could pass by so slowly – or so painfully. It felt like ten years.

She shimmied out of her lab coat, clocked out of the clinic. She made sure to say tell Dr. Shannon that she was on her way to Boylan's bar for her second job. The woman nodded and smiled, though her task at hand demanded more attention. Skye waited until Dr. Shannon had refocused her attention on her work before she slipped out the other door – away from Bosh, her watchdog at that point – and headed in the opposite direction of Boylan's bar.

The sun was still high in the sky, though it was sure to set within two or three hours. An hour or two after nightfall, Taylor would come and pick her up from Boylan's bar to take her back to his home, where he would feed her but say nothing. The silence had slowly been killing Skye inside, even more so than the disappointed look that flickered in the Commander's eyes every time he saw her. He had started sleeping out on his couch so he could keep an eye on Skye's door in case she tried to sneak out; the window in her room had been sealed shut. She may as well have been put in the brig alongside Lucas – it felt as bad as a prison.

The marketplace was just around the corner. Skye fingered the terras in her pocket, trying to decide what she could and couldn't afford to buy. She had left her crutches back in the clinic because her ankle had healed so well already that she found it faster to limp. She glanced down at the ground, watched it pass by beneath her feet. She had to be quick about it, though, she knew that much. Bosh would notice her tardiness; he would no doubt talk to Dr. Shannon and find out that Skye had already left – without him, of course, which was in violation of her probation, as she liked to think of it.

So consumed was she in her thoughts that she collided with something solid, yet fleshy. Stumbling back, she met Malcolm's light, misty blue eyes.

"You okay there, Skye?" he asked, his eyes reflecting only mild concern. Skye managed a nod, forced a weak smile despite the rapid palpitations of her heart. "Aren't you supposed to be at the clinic?"

Skye shook her head. "My shift just ended. I'm on my way to Boylan's."

Malcolm's eyebrows arched. He glanced around, returned his curious gaze to Skye. "You're going the wrong way."

Skye nodded. "Yeah, um, I was hungry. I wanted to buy an apple or something before I went to Boylan's."

The Chief Science Officer nodded, smiled. "I'll walk you there and to Boylan's bar."

Skye suppressed a curse. Taylor's told everybody, she realized, frowning. I'll never be able to get away.

Malcolm flanked her side as she limped to the marketplace. Perusing the fruit, she bought the one with the most nutrients – it also happened to be the one that filled the stomach up fast – and also bought a small loaf of bread. Tucking them beneath her arm, she fought to remain calm. She had to get away from Malcolm somehow without making him suspicious.

"Shouldn't you be using your crutches?" he suddenly asked, noticing her limp for the first time.

"Yes," Skye answered, her voice harder than it should've been, "but I – I forgot them in the clinic." An idea suddenly came to mind. "Could you get them for me? I need to stop by Taylor's house to change," she lied, "and I'll be late if I have to go back for my crutches."

Malcolm frowned, his brow creasing slightly. He glanced over his shoulder, sighed. "I suppose."

"If I don't come to the door," Skye continued, her mind still scrambling to form a coherent lie, "I'm in the bathroom. You can leave the crutches by the door."

She couldn't help but notice the unease that settled in Malcolm's features. He glanced around again, peered down at the watch fastened around his wrist. Passing a hand through his hair, he nodded. "Fine," he muttered, turning in the direction of the clinic. "At least I'll be able to talk to Elizabeth for a moment."

Yes, you do that, Skye thought, watching him leave. Knowing Malcolm, he'd get sidetracked talking with Elizabeth long enough for Skye to do what she needed to do. Hopefully Bosh wouldn't ask questions when Malcolm left with her crutches; maybe he wouldn't notice. He wasn't exactly the brightest crayon in the box, that much Skye knew. How she hadn't managed to slip past him earlier was beyond her.

She tried to appear as normal and nonchalant as possible. After the first few days, the colonists had stopped looking at her every time she walked by. Now they hardly noticed her, much to her relief. She had grown tired of the stares, of the looks that flickered in their suspicious eyes. Nevertheless, she kept close to the houses, slipped between them so nobody could see where her ultimate destination was.

"No one's allowed inside," the guard at the door said when she finally reached him. A thin bead of nervous sweat trickled down Skye's neck.

"I was sent by Dr. Shannon," she lied, struggling to get the words out of her throat. "He may be a prisoner, but he needs to be fed."

The guard's face was expressionless. Taylor knew how to pick them. Skye wished she had kept her lab coat on; it would've made her more convincing.

She sighed, glared up at the man. "Look, I really don't care, but I'm sure Taylor wouldn't be happy if his son died of starvation because you wouldn't let me in."

"I have strict orders to remain here," the soldier said in clipped, short tones. Skye suppressed a grin of triumph as she noticed the slight wavering in his voice. "I won't be able to follow you inside."

Skye shrugged. "He's tied up, right?" The soldier nodded. "Then I'll be fine."

The soldier's iron façade finally fell away, replaced by indecision. Glancing over Skye's shoulder, he finally nodded and stepped aside to key in the code. Skye's tried to memorize the sequence of numbers as t he door slid open to allow her entrance. She smiled at the soldier, stepped inside. The door slid shut behind her.

A wave of cold air cascaded over her, made goosebumps pimple across her arms. Clutching the fruit and bread tightly, she peered into the poorly lit holding facility, her eyes struggling to adjust to the darkness.

"Lucas?" she asked, her voice just above a conspiratorial whisper.

"Skye, is that you?" The desperation in his voice rang out across the room. He came out of nowhere, his eyes better adapted to the darkness. His hand seized her face, pulled her close. "He didn't banish you," he said, the relief in his voice evident. "I thought I'd never see you again." He pulled away, stared into her eyes. "How did you slip past the guard?"

Skye shrugged, found that her breath had hitched in her throat. "I'm a…talented liar," she decided, forcing a weak smile. "How're you holding up?"

Lucas grinned. "Shannon hasn't gotten a word out of me." He chuckled. "And my dear father hasn't spoken to me since I was locked in here." He pulled her closer, pressed his lips to hers. His tongue sought hers, his whole body seeking solace from her. When he pulled away, his voice was husky. "I'm so glad to see you."

Skye smiled softly, having taken a moment to relish the feel of his lips on hers. She cleared her throat, glanced over her shoulder at the door. "I brought some food," she said. "I know they're feeding you, but I'm sure it's hardly anything."

Lucas's hands wrapped around hers as she handed him the fruit and the bread. "I only get one meal," he muttered, his voice growing hard. "I'm starving to death."

"Can't be any worse than being alone in the forest." Skye gently pulled her hands from his, her eyes once again darting towards the door. When she glanced back to Lucas, she saw the wound beside his mouth. "You're hurt."

He nodded. "It seems my father has a penchant for violence. I knew I got it from someone." His lips twitched into a triumphant, if not bitter, smile. It faded, however, as quickly as it had appeared. "Has my father talked to you?"

"Kinda," Skye admitted. Running a hand through her hair, she sighed, averted her eyes. "He just debriefed me, that's all." She forced her gaze back up to Lucas. "I didn't tell him anything."

"Why not?" A twisted smile touched his lips. "I know, I know, don't even bother answering the question. I can't help it – I'm just so happy to see you." Setting the bread and fruit on the ground, he reached up, traced a pattern on her cheek with his thumb. "Taylor told me I'd never get to see you again…"

"He's doing a good job then," Skye murmured, losing herself for just a moment beneath Lucas's touch. "It's a miracle I even got here. He's forcing me to stay at his house until he can trust me again – "

"Which will be never," Lucas interrupted, his voice suddenly hard.

Skye suppressed the urge to hit him in that moment, knowing that he was once again right, and continued, " – and he's having me watched at all times. When I finish working at the clinic for the day, I have to go straight to Boylan's bar and work for him so he and Josh can keep an eye on me."

She felt him tense at the mention of Josh. Glancing up to meet his eyes – she hadn't realized how beautiful they actually were – she thought she saw something akin to a protective jealousy flicker in his pupils. It vanished quickly, however, replaced only with the odd look of concern that she had only seen a few times on Lucas's face.

"How did you get away, then?" he asked.

Skye shrugged. "I snuck out the back door of the clinic after I told Dr. Shannon that I had finished my shift."

"Isn't Boylan expecting you?"

"Yes, but I'll just tell him that Dr. Shannon needed me to stay for a while longer to finish something." Skye shrugged again, felt her throat tightening. "I've never lied so much in my life."

Lucas shifted, took her face in his hands again, forced her to look up at him. "You didn't have to," he said.

"Lie?"

He shook his head. "Come and see me."

"You're right, I didn't," Skye said, her mind screaming, Yes I did, "but I did, so you can't complain."

His lips twitched into an amused smirk. "Who said I was complaining?"

"Your face did." She placed her hands on his chest, gently pushed. "I better get going before I'm missed."

The smirk faded from Lucas's face. He leaned forward, pressed his lips to hers again. He pulled her close, his hands sliding away from her face to loop around her waist. Skye felt her arms wrap around his neck, pulling him closer still. The stubble on his face, longer now, still tickled her cheeks and lips. He sucked on her lower lip, gently nipped it.

"Don't go," he whispered when he pulled away, his eyes fluttering shut. "I don't want my father to take you away again."

Skye shook her head. "If he catches me here," she said, "he'll take me away forever." She stepped back, gestured to the food. "Eat. You'll need your strength."

She left him standing there, his eyes longing for her even as the door closed shut behind her. Refusing to glance at the guard, Skye limped away to Taylor's house. Malcolm had done what she had said; the crutches leaned up against the front door. Tucking them beneath her armpits, she hauled herself over to Boylan's bar. Bosh was already inside, talking with Boylan. He turned around, his face a mask of anxiety and anger. No doubt he had panicked when he realized Skye had slipped by him.

"Where were you?" he demanded.

"At Taylor's house," Skye answered, feeling yet another lie come to her lips. "Didn't Malcolm tell you? I sent him back to get my crutches." The look of confusion on Bosh's face did little to calm Skye's unease. "I walked right by you! Didn't you hear me tell you where I was going?"

The soldier spluttered a response. Skye's eyes darted to Boylan, whose face had split into an amused grin. His eyebrows, however, arched when he met Skye's gaze. She had the feeling that, as always, he knew more than he let on. Nevertheless, he set down the cup he had been cleaning and tapped Bosh on the shoulder.

"Well, she's here now," he drawled. "You can go now. I'll make sure Taylor doesn't hear a thing."

Bosh's lips pressed into a thin line before he nodded and headed for the door. Skye watched him go before setting aside her crutches and limping behind the bar. Boylan's eyes followed her, one eyebrow still quirked. Skye met his gaze again, her own brow furrowing.

"What?"

"Where were you really?" he asked, handing her a few cups to clean.

"At Taylor's house," she repeated, struggling to keep her voice steady.

"I'm sure." Boylan shook his head, draped the dishtowel over his shoulder. "Rush hour is almost here. Get those cleaned up as fast as you can."

Grimacing, Skye piled all the dirty cups and dishes into the sink, managed to create lather from the soap Boylan had provided. Soon she had the water up to her elbows. Ruminating on Lucas's words, she went to work, the hot water scalding her skin. She ignored the heat, however, too consumed by the lingering sensation of Lucas's lips on hers. One by one, each cup and plate was cleaned and set aside for later use.

"You were late," Boylan drawled from behind her. She jumped, nearly dropped a cup. "What were you doing in Taylor's house?"

Skye's gaze darted to his. Her throat felt like it was closing in on her, another bead of sweat trickling down her neck. She swallowed thickly, fought to contort her face into a look of annoyance. "It's not any of your business."

Boylan nodded, his eyes alight with mischief and amusement. Slapping a dry dishtowel onto her shoulder, he ordered, "Dry them, too."

A heavy sigh slipped past Skye's lips. "Why can't Josh do this?"

"He's worked here longer than you," Boylan replied. His voice dropped, his eyes darting towards the door. "Besides, if he complains, I'll have to hear from his father."

Skye suddenly understood. A wry smile twisted her lips. "Aw, you're scared of Josh's father? How cute."

Boylan's eyes flashed. "There are some things here that I'd rather not share with the cop," he hissed. "You of all people should know that."

Skye's soul twisted once again within her chest as Boylan headed upstairs. Pulling the dry dishtowel off her shoulder, she picked up the first cup, glanced down at her reflection in the dark, sudsy water. Her mirrored image rippled with the movement of the water. Frowning, Skye pulled the plug in the sink.

Her reflection drained away with the rest of the dirty water. She had the feeling that her soul had, too.