Chapter 24
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"So let me get this straight," Mags, one of Wash's rebel allies, began with bewilderment as they walked through the corridors, searching room by room. "You had a kid together, but neither of you have met him? This Nichol woman has had him all along?"
Wash and Michael exchanged a look.
"I'm still getting used to the idea of it," admitted Alicia. "I only just found out he existed...I was so confused when I woke up." She looked down, ashamed. "I can't believe I just left him."
"Hey," Michael put a hand on her back comfortingly. "You didn't know. You'd been out for so long. Lucas said it was surprising you were walking around at all. I just wish I had done more to take care of you both…"
"Yeah, yeah. We've all got guilt," said Mira, rolling her eyes. "Can we just concentrate on finding them?"
Michael kept typing in the code, peering into rooms, but most were empty.
Eventually, they came across another group of rebels. There were five Phoenix Group soldiers in the middle of them who had been taken as prisoners. They looked up at Michael as they approached..
"Captain Taylor?"
They all looked at him, confused.
"Captain Taylor, huh?" a short rebel man repeated distastefully. "You the Commander's son? The military one?"
Michael nodded uneasily.
"The one who helped fight against us? That one?" the man continued angrily, raising his rifle.
"Easy, Tony!" Mags promptly put his gun down and called for calm. "He's Alicia's babydaddy. He's on our side now. We promised Alicia we'd help her."
Tony groaned and lowered his gun. He looked at Wash. "Fine, but the only reason he's not joining these low-life Nazis is because you've been a great ally to us. We wouldn't have got this far if it wasn't for you."
Wash smiled appreciatively at him. "Thanks, Tony."
"Is that true, Captain?" one of the soldiers asked despondently from his pitiful place on the floor. "You changed sides?"
"I was only ever on one side," Michael said after a brief pause, looking at Alicia. She smiled at him.
The soldiers appeared betrayed, muttering under their breaths. Michael was probably the only one who felt sorry for them. Ironically, they all probably wanted the same thing - to keep their families safe.
Their attention turned to the explosions outside. They ran over to the window, seeing the flames down below.
"What's happening?" asked Mags.
More of the rebels started coming over to the window, scrutinising the activity outside. Michael noticed the Phoenix Group soldiers start to get down low. He took a step back, his attention returning to the window where a drone had flown towards them. The rebels looked at it, perplexed.
"GET DOWN!" Michael screamed. He grabbed Wash and bowled her over as gunfire exploded from the drone, smashing through the windows and shooting several of the rebels. Michael shielded Wash from the shattered glass and gunfire as a dead Tony dropped next to them.
Once the drone stopped firing, the soldiers grabbed their discarded weapons and started shooting at them. The remaining rebels returned fire. Mark and Mira had already backed up to cover whilst Wash pulled Michael up from the floor.
Noticing one of the soldiers aiming for his former captain, Wash quickly fired her pistol, killing the attacker. She pulled Michael back down the corridor, the both of them shooting their weapons defensively.
They retreated back round the corner. They quickly realised, however, that they were not alone. Mark and Mira already had their hands up, surrendering to the Phoenix Group soldiers ahead of them. They were outnumbered.
Dropping their weapons, Michael and Wash slowly raised their arms up.
"Where are you taking me?" Taylor demanded as they finally got to the ground floor.
"Nichol has an underground facility just below EdenCorp," Lucas explained, opening the door to the hallway. "It's the safest place in the building. If she's still here, she's bound to have taken the children there."
Taylor looked at him through narrow eyes. He still had his gun poised, in case Lucas tried anything, but he kept following. The two paused briefly at the sight of the many bodies that littered the charred foyer. Soldiers from both sides. Taylor lowered his gaze morosely.
"This way," Lucas continued. He took his father to the end of the hallway, to what looked like a storage closet. He typed in the code and swung the door open to reveal an elevator.
Taylor hesitated. He frowned at Lucas.
"This another trap?" he said angrily.
"Trust me," Lucas said. "You'll want to know what's down there."
Taylor didn't look convinced, but he got in the elevator anyway. They were silent during the ride down. When the doors opened what seemed like ages later, Taylor wasn't surprised to see that there were soldiers waiting at the bottom, surrounding him.
He threw his gun to the ground and put up his hands while Lucas smirked and entered the room freely. Taylor's glare followed Lucas into the room where his eyes locked on to the portal terminus behind him.
"You...have a terminus here?"
Lucas looked back at the terminus. "We have a portal," he said smugly while his father was put in restraints. "The one you cut off. We have control of it again."
Taylor's face fell. "So you can invade Terra Nova now. Have you made contact with Michael? Or Shannon?"
Lucas was about to answer when one of the men spoke up.
"Actually, Captain Taylor is here. He passed through the portal a while ago now."
"What?" Lucas and the Commander said together.
"Michael is here?" Taylor added.
"With two others," the private replied. "I didn't recognise them. But they were looking for Nichol. Then they went to find the children."
Lucas appeared frustrated. "The kids - where have they been taken?"
"I'm not sure," the soldier replied nervously. "Did I do something wrong?"
"We'll see…" Lucas contemplated. What was Michael's game? Surely he would have known it was a suicide mission to retrieve his son now? On the other hand, perhaps the rebel attack might have worked in his favour. "Does Nichol know about this?"
"I do now." Her piercing voice echoed through the room, sending a shudder down Lucas' spine. They all turned to see her on the other side of the room, placing her fur coat and rebreather down on one of the desks. She had clearly just come back from wherever she had retreated to during the attack, only returning once it was safe.
Lucas couldn't say anything. He only stared at her as she made her way over, her eyes narrowing on Taylor.
"Shame my little game failed," she sighed. "I hadn't bargained on the rebellion actually siding with you." She chuckled. "Desperate times call for desperate measures, I suppose." She turned to Lucas, who was breathing harder. "Lucas, I'll let you kill him. Just like you wanted."
Lucas stared at her, disbelief in his wide green eyes. Was she serious? It felt like everyone was staring at him, waiting to see what he would do.
"Come on!" Nichol rolled her eyes. "You've been moaning this entire time about getting to kill him. So do it, won't you? Then he'll be out of the way for good."
Slowly, Lucas went to pick up the pistol his father had dropped moments previously. He pointed it at the Commander's head, his heavy brows knitted together in concentration.
This was it.
Taylor glared back at him. "If you're gonna do it, boy, do it. I ain't gonna stop you. I ain't gonna beg."
The gun trembled in his hands. He couldn't stop it. He slowed his breathing, preparing to pull the trigger. He thought about his mother and how he had to watch as they tortured and killed her. He thought about every moment with his father after that. That look. The look he was giving him now. He re-lived it all, so his brain told him to shoot.
But he couldn't.
"You can't do it, can you?" Nichol taunted from behind him. "You're all bark and no bite, Lucas. Disappointing."
Her words broke him out of a spell. "I CAN DO IT!" he yelled furiously, surprising her. "It's just...too easy like this." He nodded at one of the soldiers. "Untie him."
Nichol rolled her eyes as one of the soldiers undid Taylor's bonds.
"Okay," Lucas said, mind racing. "Fight me."
Taylor was confused. "You have the gun. I'm unarmed."
Lucas threw the gun away. "Fight for your life, old man."
Lucas hit first, missing, which Taylor used as an opportunity to grab his torso and knee him in the gut. Lucas doubled over and Taylor pushed him onto the floor.
"You can't outdo me in a fist fight, son."
Lucas growled and launched at him, sending them both flying. Scientists dodged out the way, protecting their work.
"May I remind you that there is extremely expensive equipment!" Nichol chastised. She waved her hands in the air, exasperated. "Men," she muttered as they ignored her.
Lucas threw punches left and right, leering over his father furiously. He hit Taylor a couple times, but the Commander recovered quickly, wrapping his arms around Lucas' torso and pulling him down to roll him over. He pinned Lucas down, striking him across the face, causing his son's previously acquired cuts to reopen and stain Taylor's fists with his blood. When Lucas tried to push him off, he dealt another blow, hitting the nose and almost breaking it. Lucas cried out in pain.
"Is this what you wanted, Lucas?" Taylor barked. "It won't bring her back!"
Lucas' breaths were fast, his vision blurred. He reached up to push him off, but Taylor grabbed his wrists. How was he still so strong? He could just about make out his father's angry features above him.
"If you need to hate me, fine, but you're self-destructing, Lucas. I didn't want this for you."
Lucas fought against his father's iron grip, but gradually slowed his efforts; he could have sworn there were tears forming in his father's eyes.
"I think about that day all the time," Taylor admitted soberly. "I think about the million things I could have done differently. I hear your mother begging me to choose you. And now, seeing what you've become…" He paused, watching Lucas' petulant frown below him. "I wouldn't have chosen differently. She wanted you to live. I wanted you to live. Because you're my son. Mine and Ayani's. You're our son."
Lucas trembled, trying to suppress his own emotions. It was exhausting. Hating him, fighting him. Trying to kill him. It was all he had done for so long, he didn't know how to do or feel anything else.
But recently, he was starting to feel something. It began with Skye. She made him feel something other than hatred, other than rejection and loneliness. She unlocked something he had sealed away long ago. Then the kids, whose presence he had first abhorred, had ironically come to mean more to him than he would admit. Whatever was unlocked had grown and was getting harder to contain.
He couldn't accept this. He pushed the Commander off of him and wobbled to his feet, his mind racing. If he couldn't finish this by killing Taylor, then how else would he end it? His sole purpose was to exact revenge on the man who ruined his life. If that was threatened, then what purpose did he have? How else could he make everything right?
"Alright, break it up," ordered Nichol, yawning. "I'm bored of this now. I'll do it myself."
She pulled out her own pistol as the soldiers dragged Taylor and Lucas apart. Lucas stared off into nothingness, void of emotion, as if in a trance as they stood Taylor up and restrained him. Nichol aimed and…
A voice came over her comm. She sighed with annoyance and answered. "This is Nichol….really? Okay. Send them down." She put down her pistol and smiled at the two Taylor men. "I think this reunion is missing someone," she said.
Taylor and Lucas looked towards the elevator as the doors opened and several people entered the room.
Michael, Wash, Mark and Mira were all forced out of the elevator at gunpoint. As soon as Michael walked in, he clocked his father and brother. His apprehensive gaze lingered on his father as he remembered their last interaction. Michael remembered pushing him into the fracture, into the hands of the enemy. The Commander's steely expression was impenetrable. The corporal lowered his head shamefully.
"All my children have returned home!" Nichol beamed, watching as her former spies gathered in the centre of the room. "Welcome back."
"We don't work for you anymore," Mark retorted with a cold glare.
She looked at him with some sort of mock tenderness. "Mark Reynolds. One of our first experiments." She came closer, examining his face. "You've grown so much." She touched his cheek and he batted away her hand. She didn't look offended. "When we found you, you were so lost. I helped you, didn't I? Look at you now. We made you into the strong, good-mannered, intelligent man you are today." Her expression fell. "And then you abandoned us."
Mark looked like he wanted to punch her, his jaw going rigid and his eyes narrowing at her. He tried to avoid the Commander's confused and curious expression as Nichol exposed his true nature to his friends and colleagues.
Nichol turned her attention to the others. "All of you. I gave you a second chance."
"Terra Nova was our second chance!" Michael asserted loudly. "It's our home, and you're threatening it."
Nichol turned to Michael, looking disappointed. "Michael, you're a good fighter, but crappy at following instructions. If you had just done what I'd asked then I would have given you everything you wanted."
"Liar," spat Mira. "You promised us our families. I demand to see my daughter."
Nichol looked at Mira for a few moments, a deep frown on her wrinkled lips. "Fine. The children have been with me. I told you I would keep them safe." She spoke into her comm. "Bring her out."
A few moments later and one of the guards walked into the room, leading a young girl by the arm. They walked towards Mira.
The change in Mira was striking. Her demeanor softened almost instantly upon seeing her daughter, her eyes wide and wet with tearful disbelief. "Sienna?" She looked at the girl with trepidation, nervous of her reaction.
The girl halted when she saw Mira. At first she seemed a little startled, her mouth hanging open, little eyes staring at the mother she hadn't seen in years. Then, a look of pure excitement: "Mommy?"
Mira burst into tears, nodding. "I'm here, baby."
Sienna ran as fast as she could into her mother's arms. Mira stooped low to scoop her up and squeeze her tightly.
Michael watched, mesmerised. He couldn't think of a time where he'd seen Mira cry this much - or just generally seem so human.
Mira pulled back to take her daughter in, her eyes, her nose, her mouth, her little ears. She placed her hands on either side of her face. "You got so big, baby!"
Sienna grinned. "I knew you'd come back. I knew it! I missed you so much!" She grabbed on to Mira again.
Mira held her close, burying her face in her hair, stroking her. "I missed you too. I'm here, Sienna. I'm never leaving you again."
"It brings me joy to see you two together again after so long apart," Nichol said, seemingly moved by the reunion. "And Mira, I thank you for your years of service. Despite many setbacks, I can't fault your loyalty. I release you from your obligations. You can go free with your daughter."
Mira stood, Sienna clinging to her leg. She glared at Nichol. "I want to take her home." She paused, looking back towards the terminus. "I want to take her to Terra Nova."
Nichol looked intrigued by the response. "If you're sure." She nodded at the scientists. "Let her go."
A man in a lab coat started typing into a console by the terminus and the portal lit up. Mira started taking Sienna towards it when the little girl broke away, surprising her. She ran straight for Lucas Taylor, wrapping her arms around his hips and hugging him tightly.
Everyone looked stunned, most of all Lucas. After a second, he put his hands on her shoulders, returning the embrace awkwardly.
"I hope you change your mind about coming back," she said cheerfully. "You and Michael and your daddy can all be happy again in Terra Nova."
Lucas didn't say anything. He glanced at Michael who returned his cryptic gaze with a perplexed look. It was baffling for him to see anyone, particularly Mira's own daughter, pay his brother affection like this. But there was clearly an established relationship between the two, whether intended or not.
Sienna looked over at Michael, smiling. He smiled back at her, a little taken aback. Sienna let go of Lucas and they watched as she rejoined her mother by the portal.
Mira glanced back at the Taylor men. Michael nodded at her. He understood. She stared at him a second longer, then took her daughter's hand and walked through the portal. They were gone.
As soon as they disappeared, Michael looked back at Lucas curiously. Just how much had changed since he had been away? How had he got a little girl to care for him like that? The man was full of complexities he knew he had no hope of figuring out.
"What about our son?" Wash spoke up suddenly. "Where is he?"
"Lieutenant Washington," smirked Nichol. "I'm impressed to see you looking so well after everything you've been through."
"You mean everything you put me through" Wash snapped.
"You mean saving your life? Ensuring the safe delivery of your baby?" Nichol's red lips pouted. "You should be grateful."
"Shut up," Wash growled. "I want to see him."
"Fine," Nichol said. She turned to another one of her guards. "Take the lieutenant to see her son. A mother deserves to meet her own child."
The guard began escorting her. Michael instinctively began to follow when Nichol stopped him.
"Just the lieutenant for now, Michael. There's still some things we need to clear up."
Wash shot Michael a quick look before she was escorted away. He didn't take his eyes off her until she was completely out of sight.
Nichol stared at all of them for an uneasy amount of time. Her silence proved frustrating and, just as Michael was about to say something, she barked her next order.
"O'Brien, shoot Reynolds."
Mark looked stunned.
The soldier, O'Brien, was hesitant.
"Wait a minute," Taylor protested.
But before he could say anything more the gun had gone off and the bullet had hit Reynolds in the chest. His body dropped to the hard floor. No yells of surprise or screams of pain. Just silence.
Michael looked on with horror, shaking, as he watched his friend die instantly. Taylor was speechless, jaw hanging open. Lucas looked away.
Michael trembled, turning back to Nichol with disgust. "Why would you do that?" he demanded.
"Why wouldn't I? He's no use to me now." She looked over at Mark's body, a hint of regret in her expression. "I admit, I did have a soft spot for Mark. But he wasn't the only child we took under our wing. He clearly had no loyalty to the people who made him what he is. That makes him a threat. Just like all of you. That's why we're going to play a game."
Michael scowled at her. His breathing increased rapidly as he clenched his fists together. He thought he couldn't hate her any more at that moment, but what she did next proved him wrong.
"Commander, pick up that pistol," she instructed, indicating to the discarded gun on the floor. Taylor looked perplexed. But as the soldiers aimed their rifles at him, it was clear he had no choice. He bent down to pick up the gun, then looked at Nichol expectantly. She smiled dangerously. "Good. Now, shoot one of your boys."
All three Taylor men stared at her, confused and horrified.
"What?" the Commander said, sickened.
"I want you to choose. One of them to live, one of them to die."
There was a beat of horrified silence.
Lucas glared daggers at her. "I remained loyal to you. I did everything you asked! Everything you wanted me to!"
"Did you?" she said doubtfully. "Was releasing the Lieutenant 'remaining loyal' to me? Was sneaking around to visit your nephew every day, against my wishes, being loyal? Was communicating with your brother behind my back?"
Lucas bit his tongue, dropping his gaze angrily to the floor.
"Face it, Lucas. You're an emotional car crash. I can't trust you any more than I can trust your idiot brother."
"You need me!" he yelled fiercely. "You couldn't have done any of this without me!"
"Maybe so," Nichol said thoughtfully. "But you've played your part. I have everything I want now. It's just your damn family standing in my way. Well, that and Jim Shannon, which leads me to your stupid twin brother."
Her gaze fell on to Michael, who was glowering at her, about to explode.
"Michael, I wanted to like you. Up until now, your brother had been a valuable asset and I hoped you could be as useful. But, just like him, you let your emotions get the better of you. You can't even follow instructions to save your family. I'll do you a favour and let Lieutenant Washington and your child live, but you're less of an asset to me now."
"Stop," Taylor interrupted. "Just stop. Nichol, you've won. Why do you need to play these games? I'm the one you wanted. You manipulated my boys to bring me here. Well, here I am. Just kill me and have it done with!"
She smirked. "Oh, I will. It's just more fun this way."
"You monster," Michael snarled. "Do you have no empathy? No decency? Have you never had family?"
"Of course I have!" she revealed defensively. "I had a family. I had a daughter, a granddaughter," she softened slightly. "Emilie. She would have been Sienna's age now. She was so...full of life. Kind, caring." Her expression hardened again. "But this world and all the terrible things in it killed her. And the grief killed my daughter. I know what it's like to lose people I love, Corporal. All the money in the world can't bring them back. But it can help to make this world a little more bearable." She looked back at Taylor. "Now choose. Or I'll kill them both. You made this choice before, Commander. You can do it again."
Taylor shook his head, visibly disturbed by the choice given to him. "No. I won't. Don't make me do this," he pleaded.
Lucas looked over at Michael, then at his father holding the gun unsteadily.
"Shoot me," he said.
Taylor stared at him, stunned. "What?"
"Just shoot me," he repeated. "After everything I've done, you have no reason to save me anyway. Michael's got a life. A family. He was always meant to live. I wasn't." He looked down, shaking his head solemnly. "I know Mom wanted me to, but she was wrong. I should have died instead of her. Most of the time I wish I had." He looked up at his father again, a grave expression on his worn and bloody face. "You should have chosen her, not me, and you should choose Michael now."
"No," Taylor whispered. "No matter what you've done, I won't. I won't do this."
"Believe me, I wanted things to end much differently," Lucas said ironically. "But when it comes down to me and Michael, it has to be Michael."
"Lucas, stop it," Michael said. "Shut up." This was a far cry from a year ago when Lucas had threatened to sacrifice Michael if it meant getting what he wanted. But he also knew Lucas had a total disregard for his own life, practically encouraging the likes of Skye or their father to shoot him in the past. Michael thought it was because he had been willing to die for his cause. But was this the real reason? Because he truly did believe he should have been the one to be executed? The thought made him sick.
"You heard the woman," argued Lucas. "I've outlived my usefulness. I have nowhere to go and I will not go through what I went through with our mother again. I have to die." He turned to Taylor. "Shoot me. If you want to make things right, that's what you have to do."
After a long, painful moment, Taylor slowly raised the gun, his eyes gleaming.
Lucas relaxed himself, preparing for the impact of the bullet. He wasn't afraid.
Michael watched with horror and revulsion. "Dad, no!" he cried.
The Commander pointed the gun at Lucas, blocking out the cries of protest from his other son. A million things ran through his mind but for some reason, the day his sons were born popped into his mind. He remembered it so vividly. Ayani, through all the pain and stress of labour, was beautiful and strong as ever. She made the delivery look easy. Michael was first. Then ten minutes later Lucas came along. It was the happiest day of his life. He had been given two healthy, handsome boys.
Later that day, holding his youngest son, Taylor promised to never let any harm come to him. Lucas, so harmless and innocent then, grabbed onto Taylor's finger. He'd forgotten about that moment. That promise and how much he had failed at keeping it. He'd been failing him ever since he was born.
Taylor closed his eyes, remembering his words from before. Lucas was his son. His and Ayani's. He always would be.
He couldn't do this. He lowered the gun.
"I won't choose. They're my boys." He looked up at Nichol, defeated. "Kill me however you want, but...spare them."
"That wasn't part of the game," lamented Nichol, irritated. "Forget it, let's just get this over with. Shoot them all."
The soldiers raised their weapons, but before they could pull their triggers they were knocked down by a sonic blast.
The Taylors looked over, stunned, to see Mark Reynolds standing - alive and well - with a sonic rifle. He pulled the earlier bullet from his dented armour and threw it to the floor. "That hurt," he remarked sourly.
Michael grinned widely to see Reynolds was okay. There wasn't much time to voice his relief before more bullets started flying. He ducked. The remaining few Phoenix Group opened fire. The scientists fled for cover. Taylor did the same, firing back with his pistol as Mark continued hitting the enemy with sonic waves.
Michael looked over to where Nichol had been, but she was gone. He quickly retrieved a rifle from one of the soldiers and went to find Wash.
He found her in another room, noticing the back of her head as she leaned over a crib. Before he could do anything, the guard with her grabbed hold of him, pinning him against the wall and forcing him to drop his weapon. They struggled for a few seconds. That's when Wash picked the rifile up from the floor and smacked the guard in the head with it. He blacked out, slumping to the floor.
Alicia dropped the gun as Michael stared at her, catching his breath. She smiled at him through tears.
"Michael, he's beautiful."
She turned back to the crib, picking up the baby and holding him closely to her chest. She showed him to Michael. The baby's large green eyes found him. He bore a toothless grin, babbling happily. A perfect, chubby little miracle.
Michael was speechless. His heart suddenly lifted, along with all his pain and anxiety. This was his son. Finally. Pools of moisture filled his eyes.
Alicia gently handed the baby over to him, wiping away her own tears. The boy was heavier than he imagined. But he felt amazing. He stared up at Michael, smiling with round, dimpled cheeks. Oblivious to the violence that was going on outside. Michael couldn't describe this feeling...this connection. He was instantly overwhelmed with it. He knew he loved this kid more than he could ever love anyone.
He looked over at Alicia, blinking away tears, and he laughed. She smiled at him, her dark eyes glimmering.
The sounds of gunfire took them out of their happy trance. The looks of joy faded into something more sombre. They had to get out of there. Michael exhaled deeply, then nodded at Alicia. She picked up the rifles, handing one to Michael.
"I'll cover you," she said.
Alicia went out first. She fired her weapon skillfully. The soldiers that were left had retreated behind desks and other equipment. They were not skilled or brave enough to fight back properly, so the Terra Novans had the upper hand. They just had to make sure they didn't get hit.
Michael followed close behind. He had never held onto something more tightly as the infant started fussing in his arms. His heart was racing. All he knew was that he had to get his son out safely.
A small sonic blast tripped him up, causing him to fall backwards. He dropped his weapon, choosing to protect the baby with both arms as he landed on his backside. He recovered quickly, looking up as he saw Nichol clip-clopping towards him in her high heels, pointing a pistol at him. She looked furious.
"Sonic pistol," she said bitterly. "Much like the one that nearly killed your beloved Washington. Don't make me use it on your dear son too."
Michael covered the baby as much as possible. "Please. Just let us go. You don't have to do this."
"Yes I do," she spat arrogantly. "I'm so close to having everything...why should you get a happy ending?" She raised the pistol, anger flashing in her bloodshot eyes. "I'm doing this for Emilie," she whispered tragically.
Michael turned away, protecting his son, when Nichol stopped. She dropped her gun, her eyes wide and panicked. Blood spurted from her neck. Then she fell.
Michael looked over to see Wash lowering her weapon, breathing heavily. She looked down at Nichol's body coldly. Then she ran over to Michael and pulled him up.
"You okay?" she asked him, checking on the baby too.
Michael looked down at Miranda Nichol, bleeding out on the floor. He nodded. "Get us out of here."
"With pleasure."
Taylor was by the lit portal, ushering Mark through. He was calling for Wash and Michael, firing at the enemy as he did so. They headed over to him when Michael noticed Lucas hiding behind an overturned desk.
He took hold of Alicia. "Go, take the baby," he yelled over the loud noises, handing the child over to her. "I'll be right behind you."
She hesitated for a second, looking back and forth between both of his pupils. "You better be!" she shouted back. She smiled at him, then ran for the portal. Taylor covered her, then helped her through. She was there one second, gone the next. Back towards home where she belonged.
Michael ran for Lucas, diving next to him behind the desk. "Lucas, Nichol is dead," he explained. "It's over. You have to come back with us."
Lucas shook his head. "Back there? With him? I can't."
"You said it yourself, you have nowhere else to go! I want you to come back."
"I can't go back there," said Lucas. "You don't und-"
"Don't you dare tell me I don't understand" Michael yelled over the gunshots. "You know I do more than anyone. When I left, I felt exactly like you did. But I came back and they accepted me - eventually. They'll forgive you too."
"I don't want their forgiveness!" snapped Lucas impatiently. "I'm not like them. Or you. I don't belong there! It represents everything I've hated for so long."
"Let it go, Lucas. There's no point fighting anymore. Terra Nova is your home."
"It never was! Just leave me! I'll be fine."
Michael swore under his breath. He looked around him. There were just a few soldiers left now. His dad had found good cover by the portal, but it wouldn't last much longer. They were running out of options. Michael looked at his stubborn brother, shielding himself from the bullets. He'd rather stay here and get shot at then go back home. He sighed. "I didn't want to tell you this, Lucas, but Skye...she asked about you." As soon as he spoke her name Lucas lifted his head, a curious look in his eye. "She was worried about you. I think, deep down, in some weird way, she loves you, Lucas. I didn't want to believe it but she does. She's waiting for us. Just on the other side of that portal. You could see her again if you wanted to. You could make things right with her."
He had Lucas' attention then. "Bucket," he murmured softly. His eyes looked in deep thought. Michael could see he was considering it.
"Michael!" Taylor yelled. "We need to go now!"
Michael grabbed onto Lucas. "Look, you asked me to go through that portal with you a year ago and I did. I chose you. I followed you here. Now I'm asking you to do the same. Whatever's on the other side, we'll figure it out together. I won't leave you alone."
Lucas still didn't look convinced. But he did look defeated. He exhaled deeply, nodding at Michael. Michael immediately got to his feet, making sure they were good to go. He jumped out of their hiding spot, firing, indicating for Lucas to follow him. They got to the portal, their father yelling at them to hurry.
But it was too late.
"TAYLOR!"
All three of them turned their heads to see Nichol limping towards them. She looked half dead, covered in blood, one hand on her neck trying to stem the flow of the red liquid pouring out of her. She had never looked so ghoulish, so menacing.
"Insubordinate little shits!" she seethed, raising her gun with the other hand. She fired.
Michael instinctively leapt to protect their father. But, seeing this, Lucas stepped in front of them both.
The bullet penetrated his stomach, causing him to collapse immediately on top of Michael and forcing them both to fall through the fracture. The electric blue immediately swallowed them.
"NO!" Taylor fired his gun, hitting Nichol with multiple bullets. She fell to the floor as more blood left her body.
She was finally still.