Payback
It was nearly lunchtime and Skye wanted to know if Lucas had had time to talk to Alexandra. She left the infirmary and ran to the lab. She didn't bother to knock and entered in Lucas' lab. She immediately stopped, embarrassed.
"Sorry," she said when she saw he was not alone.
"Skye, how many times did I ask you to knock at the door before entering?" Lucas sighed, annoyed. Skye shrugged, uncomfortable.
"Oh, you must be Skye Tate?" Charles asked, shaking her hand. "I've heard so much about you." Skye forced a smile, not knowing what to say. What could he have heard about her? "I'm Charles, Alex's father. And this is my wife Alice." Skye already knew who they were, she had seen them at the infirmary. She thought Alexandra's father was strange and his penetrating gaze disturbed her. She didn't like it and it made her uncomfortable.
"Nice to meet you," she mumbled. "I just wanted to talk to Lucas but I… I'll come back later."
"Oh no, please don't go. Do what you have to do, Alice and I are leaving anyway," he smiled widely. "Quality time with our daughter," he added. Lucas stood up and grabbed Skye's arm as he passed. He walked her outside and closed the door behind him.
"What do you want?" He asked, annoyance more palpable than before.
"Isn't it strange to work with her parents?"
"No. What do you want?"
"Have you talked to her yet?"
"No I have not."
"Why?"
"I can't do that."
"Why?"
"I have my own reason. Just stop trying to solve this. This is none of your business."
"Pardon?"
"You heard me. Drop it."
"What's going on?"
"Why is it that every women I know can't just stop asking questions?" He asked, rolling his eyes.
"Maybe because you're not answering," she snapped, rather upset by his question.
"Can't you see that you, being around me all the time is not helping? Don't you have a job to go to?"
"Ok… So I can see you're angry right now and I don't know why, but I'm gonna... I'll leave you to… to deal with it however you want. We'll talk later."
"I don't want to talk, ok? I have enough talking, enough thinking. Just stop invading my life , ok?"
"Hey I did nothing. Don't spill your anger on me!"
"Skye this is not a good day, not a good week, not a good month. Just get out of my life," he commanded her.
"Are you kidding me?"
"No, for God sake just go," he said roughly. She looked at him with anger.
"I understand now why she was crying," Skye dared to say. Her plan worked perfectly because Lucas froze immediately. She had all of his attention now.
"Who?" He asked, arching his eyebrows.
"Who do you think? You stupid arrogant jerk." He frowned at her, displeased by her tone.
"When?"
"An hour ago."
"Where?"
"At the infirmary."
"Alone?"
"With Dr Shannon."
"Good," he stated.
"Good? Have you lost your mind?" She was stunned.
"Not at all. Now, if you would excuse me, you may not have a life, but I've got one," he scowled, going back to his lab. Skye was shocked by his reaction. He wanted to have Alexandra back in his life, he had spent the last weeks talking about how he would win her back and now he was pleased she was crying? What kind of normal person would do that? She was very disappointed. She left the lab and walk back to the infirmary to finish her shift, her mind full with questions and theories about Lucas' behavior.
Alexandra had walked back home after her discussion with Dr Shannon. She had prepared a lunch for her and her parents. Now, they were eating in silence and it made Alexandra shift uncomfortably on her chair. She remembered that they usually used to talk a lot when she was younger, at least when they were eating together. Of course, it was the only moment when her parents were sharing time with her. But it was in her memories though.
"So... Hmmm... How was your first morning in a normal life?" She started the conversation.
"Great, really great. They have amazing machines in here," her father answered.
"Yes, your father is like a child in a toy store," her mother laughed.
"Good… Good… And, how is it working with Lucas Taylor?" She tried to ask casually.
"It's nice! He is a smart boy. Do you know him?" Her mother asked. Her father tilted his head, waiting for her response, as if he was trying to read her minds.
"Well... Uh... I don't really know him. Yet I know him enough to know that he can be weird so if he does anything strange, feel free to tell me."
"Oh no he's fine with us, isn't he Charles?"
"Yes, this boy is a genius. It's a pleasure to work with him."
"It's perfect then!" Alexandra smiled widely.
"How was your morning?" Alice asked her.
"Great. Normal. You know, patrols and things. Nothing really important," she lied. She saw her father was still staring at her. "Is there something wrong dad?"
"No, nothing. I was just realizing how grown up you are. 22. You're almost an adult now."
"I am an adult dad! I have a job, I have a house. A house I actually share with you, indeed, but it was my house at first."
"I can see that. I'm proud of you, do you know that?" He said seriously. She froze for a moment, looking awkwardly at him. It felt really strange and this conversation seemed unreal. Did her father really say that he was proud of her?
"Thank you," she managed to say. "I'm proud of you too, both of you. You made a brilliant invention. The portal. I mean, wow, who would have believed that in 2012?" She changed the subject, turning it back to her father.
"Yes, amazing isn't it?" Charles smiled proudly. "We did a great job I guess. Years of work."
Alexandra spent the rest of the lunch listening to her parents' invention and how they created it. She was captivated by their story, yet she was not as fascinated as she was when she was younger. Maybe when you have spent so much time in Terra Nova, you were not easily impressed anymore. At the end of their lunch, Charles left them for a moment, leaving Alice cleaning the dishes while Alexandra was dried them, lost in her thoughts.
"Mum?"
"Yes?"
"I was wondering… What's your plan?"
"What do you mean?"
"What's your plan? I mean, you repair the portal and then what? What are you going to do?"
"It's not done yet."
"You'll repair the portal. I'm sure of it. Are you gonna stay here?"
"I'm not sure."
"Where will you go after? When will you go? 2149? 2012?"
"I don't know honey. I haven't really talked about it with your father."
"Really? Doesn't sound like him. He plans everything."
"I guess we will go back to the future. I don't know when. But we won't stay here. We don't belong here."
"And me? What's my place in your plan?"
"You're coming with us!"
"Really?"
"Of course you are!" She reassured her.
"And you don't wanna know if I want to stay? You don't wanna know my opinion?"
"No we don't," his father said casually. She had not seen him come in.
"And if I want to stay here?" she challenged him.
"I'm sure you don't," he stated, sure of him, his dark eyes looking intensely at her, defying her to say the opposite. It was like he knew she had not told him everything, like he knew the problems she was having lately.
"I'm not a child anymore, you can't force me."
"I can see that. Yet, we just found each other. We are a family again and I'm sure you don't want to break it up again." Here he was again, guessing just right. Of course she didn't want it to happen.
"I don't, of course I don't."
"See, there are not problems, only solutions."
"Look at you, we are a family again and here you are, deciding everything on your own again."
"I know what's good for my family. And anyway there's nothing that holds you back here." It was a statement, his tone was clear. How could he be so sure of himself? His confidence confused her, making her lose all of her arguments.
"I… I've a life here, I created a family here. I've got friends… I've got a job… I've got… Taylor," she stammered. Actually she was not sure what she had anymore. Lucas was out of the equation, Damon and Taylor were acting like they didn't want her in their lives anymore. Skye was now a traitor instead of a friend. Fortunately, she still had the Shannon's.
"Taylor?" Her father said, disdain perceptible in his voice. "What's Taylor doing in this?" Alexandra didn't like the tone he was using. Even if Taylor had asked her to go away, he didn't deserve her agreeing her father's judgment.
"Yes, Taylor. He saved me, he healed me, he fed me, he gave me a job, a house… He gave me a chance. He is… was like a father to me." Alexandra didn't know what Taylor was for her anymore. Their last meeting had not ended so well for her. Charles' face hardened at the word 'father'.
"Well, I'll have to thank the man," he said bitterly, not even hiding his disgust at the idea. "But now, your real father is here."
"I can't just forget his existence because you're back, can I?"
"Are you blaming me for my absence?" He asked, slightly hurt. Alexandra had always known what to say to upset him and even if he knew it, he could never get used to it.
"Do you know how it felt to be abandoned? To be an orphan when you're 14?"
"It's not like we had the choice."
"I ended up alone!"
"You were not alone, you had your grandmother."
"It was not the same!"
"Yet she took care of you. You should be grateful."
"I am!"
"Do you know what it was like when we were abducted?"
"I'm not talking about you right now. I'm talking about me, ME!" She was yelling now, upset.
"You're so selfish!" He said coldly.
"Me? You are the most selfish man I know! It's always about you, about your work! Look where it led us! You are just…"
"I am so…" They were talking at the same time, tension growing between them, filling the room.
"…so unfair."
"…disappointed by your attitude."
"How can you do that to me? To us?"
"Me? Are you listening to yourself? You're a…"
"Shut your fu…"
"Stop it! Both of you!" Her mother shouted, stopping both of them in whatever they were going to say.
"I need some fresh air," Alexandra blurted out madly, walking outside, slamming the front door on her way.
"This girl won't make it Alice," Charles murmured, shaking his head.
"Yes she will. She'll get used to it. She will join us," Alice tried to reassure him. "She'll come with us."
"I hope you're right," he sighed. "But if you're not, we'll do it my way."
"Give her more time. I'll talk to her."
"We don't have much time left. I'll give you two days. Then, I'll handle it. And believe me, I'll fix her."
Alexandra was wroth. How dare her father decide for her. They had just come back together and he was already directing her life. As she walked, she bumped into Skye, hand in hand with Josh. She looked at them, bemused.
"You're still together ? How sweet," she mocked bitterly. Then she noticed Josh bewildered expression and Skye's uncomfortable face. "You haven't told him, have you?" She chuckled nastily.
"Tell me what?" Josh frowned. As Skye didn't respond, Alexandra answered for her.
"Let's just say that you had every reason to punch Lucas like you did," Alexandra smiled evilly. Now she was enjoying this situation. It was her turn for payback.
"What?" Josh looked at Skye and saw how confused she was. "What did he do to you?"
"Nothing, he did nothing," she started to explain. "He… I… Josh, I need to tell you…"
"That they kissed," Alexandra finished Skye's sentence, to her dismay.
"He what? You what?" It was like Josh was going to have a heart attack.
"Josh, wait, I can explain," Skye tried to say as he was leaving her. She tried to stop him but he pushed her.
"I can't believe you did it! You disgust me," he spat.
"Josh let me explain to you!"
"Explain what? You cheated on me! With Lucas! That's worse than everything you've ever done."
"Josh!" Skye cried, panting, her face reflected anguish as he glared at her in disgust.
"I'm not a revengeful person, but for you, I'll make an exception." Alexandra said harshly, smiling nastily to her, before leaving a distressed Skye, crying in the middle of the alley. Alexandra knew that what she had done was bad, yet it made her feel better. She was really cross, her heart was hammering in her chest, speed increasing at the thought of everything that had happened to her since the morning. Yes, she was bloody pissed off and someone had to pay for it.
Ok so Alex and her father, conflicted relationship. Skye and Josh, not in a good way after the truth has finally been exposed. Skye and Alex? Not in a good way either after Alex's revelation. Skye and Lucas? Well, not much better. Wow, it sounds like everybody is started to be a little tense, doesn't it? Might only be the beginning of a tricky and complex situation… Where is it gonna lead them? And above all where is it gonna stop? I let you make your theories on this until the next chapter!
