Author's Note: This may be my most favorite chapter so far, because it involves a lot of Lucas. Enjoy! :)

"Let me go, Doc, or your daughters are next."

"I'm telling you, Skye needs her rest!"

Skye frowned, still half-asleep. She brought her fists up to her eyes, rubbing the minimal sleep she had gotten from them. Remembering where she was all of a sudden, Skye's eyes shot open. Lucas was trying to get to Skye's bed, but Dr. Shannon was standing in his way holding the same protective stance she had that morning. Looking swiftly at the clock, Skye realized that it was three in the morning; only half an hour after they had helped Taylor, Shannon and Josh escape.

"There. She's awake," Lucas's eyes found Skye's, who quickly sobered her expression to look as sick as possible. Dr. Shannon turned around and looked apologetically at Skye as if to say 'I tried'. Skye blinked twice, letting her know that it was okay.

Lucas walked over to Skye, his captivating eyes narrowing. He seated himself on Skye's bed as close as he could without touching her, which made Skye raise her eyebrows. Lucas looked deep into Skye's eyes as though he was trying to read her soul. "So. You helped them escape the Brig."

"Who?" asked Skye, raising her eyebrows innocently. Lucas suddenly lunged forward, grabbing Skye's face in his hand.

"I know you helped them escape," growled Lucas, ignoring Skye's attempts to free herself from his hold. "Where are they?"

"Hey!"

In a flash, Dr. Shannon pushed Lucas off the bed and stood between him and Skye. Her expression was remarkably brave, seeing as she was facing a man with a gun. "Whatever you did to her yesterday, it gave her a damaged spleen and liver, resulting in internal bleeding and her inability to walk for another week. This is the first time she's woken up since you dropped her off; I've been with her all night!"

Lucas leapt up off the floor and grabbed the front of Dr. Shannon's lab coat, his voice dangerously low. "Never try that again, Doc."

Dr. Shannon squirmed under Lucas's grip, but didn't move away from Skye's bed. Lucas motioned for the Sixers at the front of the medic center, and they pulled Dr. Shannon away, much to Skye's dismay. Lucas brushed off his shirt, ignoring Dr. Shannon's cries. His piercing gaze turned back to Skye, pinning her. "Did the Doc help too? Was she the one that got you to the Brig?"

Skye widened her eyes, both for the act and out of fear for Dr. Shannon. "What the hell are you talking about?"

Lucas narrowed his eyes in return. He sat down on Skye's bed again, watching her intently. "So you have no idea that my – excuse me, our – father, Shannon and Shannon's boy escaped last night?"

"Escaped? As in got out of Terra Nova?" asked Skye, trying her best to look shocked. Lucas pressed his lips together and continued to watch Skye, otherwise expressionless. Skye's mouth dropped open. "They actually got out, didn't they?"

Out of the corner of her eye, Skye could see that the Sixers had let Dr. Shannon continue with her work, but she was lurking around a patient just close enough so that she could hear the conversation. Lucas's frown twisted into a taunting smirk. "Hm. Well, that just gives me an excuse to kill them faster. Hunt them down like the dogs they are."

Skye wet her dry lips, preparing herself to lie once again. "I told you, you need them."

Lucas scoffed, reaching over to tuck a strand of Skye's hair behind her ear. Skye froze, waiting for him to pull his hand away. Lucas just moved his hand down to her cheek and kept it there. "Humor me, Bucket. Why would that be?"

Skye pulled away, letting his hand drop onto her lap. She then scrunched her forehead, pretending to remember even though her plan was set. "I'm not really sure, but I overheard Commander Taylor talking about how his and Mr. Shannon's heartbeat and retina scans were needed to make the portal work both ways again."

Lucas's forehead scrunched to match Skye's. "That's impos – "

Skye cheered silently in her head as she saw the possibility dawn on Lucas's face. He looked back at her, and she quickly attained a serious expression. Lucas's face suddenly hardened. "You'd better not be lying to me again, Bucket."

"Would I lie to you?" asked Skye, reaching up to stroke the side of Lucas's face teasingly. As an afterthought, she added, "Brother?"

Something dangerous flitted through Lucas's eyes. He quickly grabbed her hand, holding it tightly in his. "You're lucky we aren't alone right now, Bucket."

Skye's heart began to beat faster, and she pulled her hand out of his, putting it under her blanket. Lucas's smirk widened suddenly, as though he had just thought of something. "Alright, then. I'll just have to have a little more fun killing the Shannon boy. You don't have an excuse for him, do you?"

Skye could almost feel her blood chilling as she realized her mistake. How could she have been so careless? She looked up to meet Lucas's triumphant eyes. "Lucas…"

"What will you offer me this time, sister?" Lucas crooned, leaning in so far that his nose brushed against Skye's cheek. Skye turned beet-red as she remembered the first time she had asked Lucas to spare Josh's life.

"Let Josh go. I'll give you whatever you want, just let him go."

Lucas took both of Skye's hands in his, knowing that she was in no place to pull away. She looked down at the ground so that Lucas couldn't see her tear-filled eyes. Lucas loosened one of his hands to tilt her face upwards, looking down into her eyes. "What should I ask for from one of the most beautiful girls I have ever seen?"

Lucas leaned down to press his lips against Skye's forehead, and could feel her shaking under his touch. He let out a heaving sigh, knowing that he couldn't ask for what he truly wanted. "Don't die from fright, Bucket. I just want one simple little thing."

Skye bit her lip involuntarily, oblivious to what that did to Lucas's mind. "What?"

Lucas leaned down until his lips were brushing Skye's ear. "I'm not sure when, but at some point in our lives I am going to ask you a question. And you must answer yes."

Skye blinked, shocked at Lucas's painless condition. "That's all?"

Lucas chuckled, the sound rumbling through his chest and vibrating against Skye. "Don't tempt me, Bucket."

Skye quickly pulled away. "Okay. Just don't kill Josh."

"Don't worry," replied Lucas, his voice bitter. "I won't kill your boyfriend."

"He's not my boyfriend!" snapped Skye, turning on her heel to leave. Lightning-quick, Lucas grabbed Skye from behind, pulling her back in.

"In that case, I want one more thing," Lucas spun Skye around in his arms and pressed his lips against hers.

Skye shook herself out of her memory, turning even redder when she realized that Lucas was watching her with a seductive tilt to his lips. She looked down at her blanket, willing herself to open her mouth and say something to save Josh.

"Don't worry, Bucket," said Lucas, lifting himself off Skye's bed. "We can make another deal when I return."

Skye raised her eyebrows curiously, not wanting to have to ask where he was going. Lucas's expression hardened. "I'm going to hunt down our runaways, and bring them back."

Just as Lucas turned to go, Skye got a sudden rush of courage. "Oh, one more thing."

Lucas turned around, tilting his head to a side and watching Skye almost teasingly. Skye narrowed her eyes, much like Lucas did. "Don't ever threaten Dr. Shannon again."

Lucas's expression morphed into a devilish grin as he walked back to Skye's bed. He leaned down and took Skye's face in his hands again. "Now, Bucket, you're in no position to be threatening me."

Skye slapped his hand away, but Lucas just bent down further to whisper in her ear. "The things I could do to you…"

Skye flinched as Lucas's hot breath brushed over her ear. That must have been the most sexual thing Lucas had ever said to Skye, at least verbally. Lucas kissed Skye's cheek chastely before straightening with an arrogant smirk on his face. "Sweet dreams, Bucket."

Skye's eyebrows creased with worry and fear as Lucas turned to go. She wondered why Lucas insisted on terrorizing her, and if she had done a good enough job of convincing him to keep Taylor, Shannon and Josh alive. As soon as Lucas left the medic center with the Sixers, Dr. Shannon rushed over to Skye's bed.

"That was amazing, Skye," said Dr. Shannon, looking sincere. Skye could see by her slightly embarrassed expression that she had overheard the last bit of their conversation, but decided not to mention it. "I really think he bought it."

Skye pulled herself into a seated position. "I have to find a way to go with them. I can promise that Lucas is going to put Terra Nova on lockdown, and this might be my last chance to communicate with Taylor."

"It's too dangerous," insisted Dr. Shannon, shaking her head. "You're supposed to be in bed for another week. How are you going to explain things if Lucas catches you?"

"I don't know," replied Skye, pressing her lips together. "But I know that I have to try."

Skye was cramped uncomfortably at the very back of Lucas's rover, her arms wrapped around a metal can. While he was ordering the Sixers around, she managed to draw a stripe on the top of Lucas's rover with reflective paint so Taylor would know which rover she was in. She had just managed to crawl into the rover when Lucas let out a bellowing "Move out!"

Lucas slammed the rover door behind him, making Skye jump. From the sounds of it, Lucas was riding with another Sixer, meaning that Mira had stayed behind to make sure that Taylor didn't try to communicate. Skye tried her best not to breathe too loud, but she knew that any noise she made would be drowned out by the loud humming of the rovers.

"Have the troops replaced their bullets with the darts?" asked Lucas from the front seat, catching Skye's attention. He was planning on shooting with some sort of dart, meaning that he had bought Skye's story.

"Yeah, they've all been changed," replied the Sixer alertly. "Why are we shooting at them with darts again?"

There was a long pause, and Skye could hear the Sixer recoil slightly, possibly at the expression on Lucas's face. "Turns out we need them."

The Sixer didn't press on, so the rest of the ride was in silence. Lucas's pager beeped frequently, and he picked it up to answer in a low voice, leaving Skye to wonder what she was going to do if Taylor wasn't prepared.

Suddenly, the rover jerked to a stop. Skye heard Lucas and the Sixer move around and resisted the urge to peek over the seat. Lucas pushed the rover door open. "What the hell is going on up there?"

The Sixer followed him, leaving Skye alone in the back of the rover. Taking her chance, Skye leapt over the seat and jumped out the open door, getting ready to sprint for the forest. Someone grabbed Skye from behind, one hand over her mouth, and yanked her behind Lucas's rover.

"Shh, it's me."

Skye let out a sigh of relief at the sound of Josh's voice. She quickly turned around to face the many rovers behind Lucas's, but the Sixers had all gone to the source of the commotion.

"I'm so glad you're all out, but we don't have much time," whispered Skye, looking up to meet Josh's eyes. "I think I know how to get Terra Nova back in Commander Taylor's control."

Josh frowned, his furrowed brows barely noticeable through the darkness. "Really?"

"Yeah, but I doubt you're going to like it," warned Skye. Josh rolled his eyes and crossed his arms across his chest.

"Try me," replied Josh, a hint of sarcasm in his voice. Skye bit her lower lip nervously.

"Okay, just remember that I got my idea from you," said Skye, pressing her lips together. Josh narrowed his eyes. "I think that if I can convince Lucas that I… that I'm in love with him – "

"WHAT?" said Josh, loud enough for Skye to clap her hand over his mouth. He winced apologetically, and Skye shot him a glare.

"Sorry, sorry," muttered Josh when Skye removed her hand, looking around nervously. "But that's crazy, Skye, he's a lunatic."

"No, listen," insisted Skye. "I'm sure that I can convince him that I like him back, and then I'll get the freedom I need to help Commander Taylor get Terra Nova back."

"That's a horri – "

"Horribly devious idea. I'm impressed."

Skye and Josh whirled around to find Commander Taylor crouched beside them on the lookout. He looked up at Skye. "Shannon's keeping them busy, but we don't have enough time."

Before she could think, Skye pulled Commander Taylor into a hug. "I'm so glad you all got out safe."

After a moment of hesitation, Taylor wrapped his arms around Skye. "I'm glad you're safe too, kiddo."

"Commander Taylor approves of my plan," said Skye after she pulled away from Taylor. Josh opened his mouth to argue, but Taylor cut him off.

"It gives us the advantage that we need," said Taylor, his eyes narrowing as his mind began to work at triple-speed. "I'll find a way to contact you, but for now you should hold on to this."

Taylor put a small chip into Skye's hand, about the size of her pinky fingernail. Skye tried to put it in her pocket, but Taylor caught her hand. "No, wear it in your ear at all times. I'll let you know when we'll meet next, and I'll plan a diversion for you to get away."

Skye stuck the chip into her ear, wincing as it almost brushed against her eardrum. Suddenly, Taylor pushed Skye towards the rover. "Quick, they're coming back! Get in!"

"Wait, Skye, be careful!" whispered Josh, his voice sharp with worry. Taylor grabbed Josh by the elbow and pulled him into the forest, out of sight. Skye jumped into the front seat of the rover and managed to scramble over the seat just as Lucas approached the rover.

Skye's breath caught in her throat when Lucas didn't get into the rover right away. He seemed to be circling the rover, looking for something. She pressed a hand over her heart, afraid that Lucas would be able to hear it hammering away through her chest. Suddenly, the chip in Skye's ear crackled, making her jump. Lucas slammed a hand against the rover, setting Skye's heart racing even faster. "Bucket! I know you're here somewhere. I can smell your shampoo."

Skye's mouth dropped open in disbelief. He memorized the smell of her shampoo? That was easily the creepiest thing she had ever heard of. She shrank back into the rover, trying to move as little as possible. Suddenly, Lucas poked his head into the rover and his eyes caught Skye's curly brown hair.

"Bucket."

Skye looked up, her eyes wide. "I… I just…"

Lucas leaned against the rover, crossing his arms over his chest just as Josh had a few moments earlier. "Go on. You just…"

"I wanted to make sure you weren't going to kill Josh," said Skye quickly, remembering to stay as still as possible seeing as she wasn't supposed to be able to walk. Lucas rolled his eyes, something Skye had never seen him do. He leaned over the seat and picked Skye up despite her cries.

"Put me down!" snapped Skye, slapping at Lucas's arms. He shot her a glare, silencing her attempts to get free. He set Skye down on the seat and grabbed a rope from a compartment. Skye glowered at him as he tied her wrists together, just as he had been tied up by her when he was ambushed.

"I guess it's a good thing you tagged along," said Lucas mildly, brushing a lock of Skye's hair behind her ear, the one with the chip in it. "If you came to communicate with our father, he can't be far."

"They're around here somewhere, boys!" called Lucas, signaling the Sixers. Skye tried not to show her concern as Lucas turned back to her. After studying her face for a moment, Lucas reached forward and untucked the lock of hair from behind Skye's ear.

"It looks better out."

Author Again: Gaah, I love this couple so much :3 and I really wanted to show how Elisabeth was there for Skye, so I hope I got that right! I don't think I'll be done the next chapter by tomorrow, seeing as I have a lot of homework, but it'll be up in a few days :)