A/N: Sorry for the delay...I've been wicked busy with some presentations for my classes for the past 2 weeks and some guy drama [rolls eyes], but it's done with. Here's another chapter! Enjoy!
When Colleen next awoke, she found that there was a weight on her face. Opening her right eye, since she couldn't open the left from the weight, she could distinguish the form of some sort of lizard. Bringing her hand up, she gently grabbed the lizard and took him off of her face, being careful not to scratch her face with the lizard's claws. Colleen grinned as she looked at the Bearded Dragon.
"Well, hello." She said to the lizard. "Aren't you handsome."
The lizard opened his mouth and made a cawing sound.
Colleen chuckled as she sat up, still holding the lizard. Standing from the couch, she set the lizard on the couch as she put on her ripped shirt. She sighed as she found all of the holes in the garment. She picked her camera up off the floor and placed it on the table next to the couch. Picking the lizard up, she placed him on her shoulder, then walked out the front of the house to where the fire pit was.
Once outside, she kept walking a few yards before turning around and looking at the house.
"Wow." She muttered in awe, with wide eyes, as she saw just how elaborate the whole house was.
The lizard on her shoulder cawed again.
Turning her head, she looked at the lizard with a grin. She then went back to the porch and sat on the top step. She looked out into the surrounding rain forest as she took the lizard off of her shoulder. She placed him on her knee and pet him absently.
A few minutes later, Colleen heard footsteps behind her, but didn't bother to turn around.
"Good Morning...I'm glad to see you're up and about."
Colleen grinned and turned her head to look behind her at Jack.
"Morning." Colleen replied, turning her head back to the jungle.
Jack sat down next to her on the step and handed her one of the two mugs in his hands. Colleen looked at the mug he offered before looking questioningly up to him.
"It's coffee." He said.
Colleen nodded and took the mug from him, taking a sip.
"Thank you." She said softly, going back to petting the lizard.
They sat in companionable silence for a time.
When Colleen was almost done with her coffee, she decided to break the silence. "How do you do it?" She asked Jack, looking down into the mug.
"Do what?" He countered after a sip of his own coffee.
"Live out here." She said simply, glancing up at the man next to her.
Jack grinned. "It's just like living anywhere else, really. We have a ship that comes out every few months to deliver necessities. We use solar power for electricity, satellites for phones. Anything else, we find here on the island."
Colleen nodded, then looked down at the lizard, who looked up at her, before she continued.
"When does that boat come next? Maybe I could hitch a ride with them and leave you and your daughter to your island."
"So soon?" He frowned. "I mean, you're a scientist and I'm a scientist. Maybe we could collaborate for a while. I'd love to know what you've found." He laughed then. "I didn't think we were that bad of company."
"No, you're not." She said quickly to reassure him. "It's just that your daughter, Nim, right?" She paused as Jack nodded. "I don't think she likes visitors here. I can understand it, though."
The lizard on her knee started to crawl closer to her, so Colleen set the mug down in between her and Jack, then let the lizard crawl onto her hand, where she stroked him like a cat.
"Nim's just not used to people. This is the only home she's ever known and the only people she's come in contact with over any length of time was me, the captain to the cargo ship, and Alex Rover, a friend of ours." Jack explained. "Yes, it's true that we don't want anyone knowing where we are because if they did, we wouldn't have any peace...and I wouldn't get any of my research done."
"That's true. I just wish there were times where I could lock myself in my lab for days on end and just do my work. Not be bombarded by press and all that crap." Colleen sighed.
"If only life were that simple." Jack replied.
"If only." She mumbled. "Whoa. Wait. Alex Rover? Like the author?" She asked, pausing in her petting of the lizard.
"Yes. It's a long story." He said.
"Nice." She again mumbled. "I like those stories."
"So does Nim. Now that she's friends with the author, the real Alex Rover, she loves them even more." Jack replied.
Colleen thought for a moment. "Maybe I could stay for a little while. I'll have to think about it, though." She said with a grin.
She could see Jack look at her out of the corner of her eye. As he went to open his mouth to say something else, someone beat him to the punch.
"Jack, have you seen Fred? He isn't with me." The two heard Nim ask from behind them in the house.
"Who's Fred?" Colleen asked Jack quietly.
"That lizard in your hands."
"Oh."
"He's out here, Nim. Seems he found a friend." Jack called, grinning at Colleen.
Colleen ducked her head and blushed slightly as she held onto the lizard...Fred.
"What is Freddie...?" Nim started to ask as she walked out of the house, but paused in the doorway as she saw that the woman was holding him.
"This Fred?" Colleen asked with a smile, holding the lizard out to the girl.
Nim nodded as she walked closer to Colleen and cautiously took him from her. She then inspected him to make sure nothing had happened to him. Jack took a drink from his mug to hide his grin; Nim was still in her pajamas.
"I found him on my face when I woke up this morning." Colleen explained.
Jack sputtered and spit the coffee in his mouth back into his mug.
"I'm sorry. Did you say he was on your face?" He asked, using the back of his hand to wipe at his lips.
"Yeah." Colleen laughed. "I couldn't open my left eye."
Jack laughed loudly. "Oh, that's a good one."
Nim rolled her eyes and sat down on the other side of Jack. Selkie came out of the house and sat behind her.
Colleen watched as the sea lion followed the girl and sat behind her. Nim leaned against Selkie.
A/N: There ya go! Reviews would be awesome and make my week...