Author's Note: I'm so sorry for the delay! I had an exam to finish, so this chapter is pretty late. By the way, I lied earlier because this is actually the longest chapter I've written (I checked!). Enjoy! :)

When Skye woke up the next morning, she felt as though she had been squeezed thoroughly and left out to dry. She didn't have an ounce of tears left in her body, and that gave her a sort of reassurance to get through the day. Skye sat up in bed when she realized that the pain at the back of her head was oddly muted, and her eyes widened when she ran a hand over her head and didn't feel the usual sting. Swinging her legs out of bed, Skye placed her feet on the floor and put some weight on them to see if she would hold up.

When her knees didn't give away, Skye hoisted herself out of bed and clutched at the bedside table as she stood on her feet for the first time in a few days. Other than the mild pounding in her head, Skye found that she was able to walk normally. Thrilled by her newfound freedom, Skye walked over to the one thing she had been watching since she arrived at the camp; the calculations.

With a quick peek out the unguarded door to check that the coast was clear, Skye took Lucas's seat in front of the holographic calculations. She narrowed her eyes as she took in the months' worth of work, trying to decipher what the codes meant. Skye reached out and flicked the air to move to the next calculation and gasped when she saw it. Unless her eyes were deceiving her, Skye was looking at the beginning of a plan to recreate the portal. Lucas had made very clear indications of a 'portal', '2149' and a 'New Hope Plaza'.

Skye stared at the calculations for a while, thinking about how much work it would have taken to recalculate everything for a new portal. So this was what Lucas must have been doing all those sleepless nights. Skye raised a hand to flip to the next page, hoping for more information about the portal. But when Skye flicked the air, what she found had nothing to do with the portal. It was a detailed drawing of Terra Nova, complete with security details and weak points in the gates. Skye leaned in to read the small print, her heart racing.

Skye let out a yelp as someone grabbed her from behind, whisking her off the stool. Lucas pushed Skye against the wall, but brought an arm up behind Skye's head as an afterthought so that she wouldn't hit her head. Skye felt her back hit the wall and gritted her teeth, anticipating the pain, but nothing came. She opened her eyes to find Lucas less than a few inches away from her face, his jade eyes flicking up and down Skye's face, trying to decipher how much she knew.

"What did you see?" hissed Lucas, his hand tightening around Skye's shoulder. Skye raised a hand to push Lucas's hand away, but dropped it when she realized that she had no problem with him touching her.

"What did you not want me to see?" retorted Skye, folding her arms across her chest. Lucas growled, grabbing a fistful of the front of Skye's shirt.

"Bucket," Lucas pulled Skye closer to him until their faces were about an inch apart. "Tell. Me. What. You. Saw."

Skye rolled her eyes and raised a hand to feel the back of her head consciously. "I dunno, I didn't hear a please."

Skye just barely moved further to the left as Lucas lunged out and punched the wall to Skye's right, the impact shaking the whole room. Skye, noting that Lucas still hadn't taken his hand off her shoulder, decided that there was only one way to escape Lucas's wrath. She clapped her hands over her ears and squeezed her eyes shut, curling slightly.

"Buck – Skye," Lucas's eyes widened and he took Skye's face in his hands, looking concerned. Skye fought the urge to pounce on him as his hot breath rolled over her face, teasing her lips. The moment his grip softened, Skye pulled away from Lucas, a smirk forming on her face.

"Sucker," Skye sauntered away from the wall, dodging Lucas's fingers as he reached out to grab her again. She walked over to the full-length mirror at the back of the room and stood backwards in front of it. Skye could see Lucas watching her in the mirror as she parted her hair horizontally to examine her scar.

"You're lucky you hit your head, Bucket," said Lucas, leaning against the wall and hooking his fingers around his belt loops. Skye looked up at him, raising an eyebrow.

"I'm lucky you hit my head," snapped Skye, slight resentment apparent in her voice. Though his expression remained nonchalant, Skye's words ripped at Lucas's heart. He felt horrible for causing that gash in the back of her head, not only because she was hurt, but because he would have ripped off the head of anyone else who caused her that pain. Skye looked up again when Lucas didn't respond, her expression softening slightly.

"I'm just kidding, Lucas," said Skye, letting her hair fall over her shoulders again. Lucas's eyes narrowed, but he didn't respond. Skye took one last look in the mirror at her hair and scrunched her nose. "I need a shower."

Lucas's mouth curved into his trademark smirk. "How do you like your pressure, Ms. Tate?"

Skye narrowed her eyes and folded her arms across her chest. "I've taken showers outside the gates before. I know what I'm in for. I just want to wash my hair."

Lucas raised an eyebrow and shook his head slowly. "I don't think so, Bucket. Looks like I'm going to have to keep a closer watch on you."

He walked over to his calculations and tapped at the air until a holographic lock appeared, forbidding Skye from reading them. Skye, however, was preoccupied by the smell that seemed to be coming from her filthy hair. "Lucas! I'm serious, I need a shower."

"So am I," replied Lucas, straightening to meet Skye's eyes. "You aren't getting one."

Skye walked over to Lucas, her expression changing. She slid a hand up Lucas's muscular torso until it landed on his shoulder, where she played with the fabric of his dusty black shirt. Skye looked up at Lucas through her thick eyelashes, watching his slightly amused expression. "Alright. I'll just have to sneak out tonight then, I guess. I might get shot by a Sixer… or eaten by a dinosaur… you never know…"

Lucas looked down at Skye, trying to read her eyes to see if she was bluffing. Skye raised her eyebrows in response, knowing how believable she looked. Lucas sighed, rolling his eyes. "Fine. You get ten minutes, and I'm blindfolding you until we get to the stream."

"Done," said Skye quickly, getting excited at the thought of finally getting a shower. Lucas licked his lips, peering out the door.

"Wait here," ordered Lucas, pushing Skye gently away from him. "I'll be back."

Skye nodded eagerly, clasping her hands together. The moment Lucas left, Skye rushed over to the back where she had spotted a towel when she was checking her scar. Sure enough, there was a small white square placed beside the towel. Skye picked up the square and brought it to her nose, inhaling the smell. Her heart lifted when she detected Lucas's distinct scent, a mix of ivory and the freshness of a forest. With a sly smile, Skye slid the white square into her pocket before Lucas returned.

Skye tried to tell herself that it wasn't wrong to feel aroused as Lucas led her through the forest, her eyes securely blindfolded. Her dreams about Lucas kept replaying in her head, and she had to fight her urge to blush as Lucas placed his hands on her arms and shoulders. He occasionally slipped a hand around Skye's waist and tugged her in the direction of the waterfall when she strayed, but his hands never lingered as they had before the chip incident.

Unless she was just imagining it, Skye felt as though she could sense the chemistry between them. Lucas seemed to be able to predict where Skye was going to turn, where she was going to make a mistake and where she would get it right. Similarly, Skye knew exactly where Lucas would touch her, how he would pull her and even the noises he would make when she made a stupid move.

Skye threw out a hand and grabbed Lucas's arm as her head began to spin, pounding uncomfortably in her skull. Lucas looped a hand around her waist to support her back and Skye felt him lower her to the ground. "You okay?"

"M'head hurts," muttered Skye, leaning forward slightly. Lucas reached behind Skye's head and undid the blindfold with one tug, pulling it off Skye's face.

"We're almost here, it doesn't matter," Lucas explained, tucking the blindfold into his back pocket. Skye groaned, leaning forward even further until Lucas caught her head in his hands. He pulled it upwards again until Skye was at his eyes, placing his fingers at her temples. Skye's eyes rolled back slightly as Lucas applied light pressure at her temples, effectively numbing the pain.

"Thanks," breathed Skye, opening her eyes slowly. A small smile twitched at her mouth when she found Lucas staring longingly at her lips, and she bit her lower lip as seductively as she could, watching with satisfaction as Lucas shuddered with desire.

Before Skye could even think about moving in, Lucas got up abruptly and turned the other way, stuffing his hands into his pockets. "You ready to go?"

Skye looked up at him, her eyebrows furrowing together in frustration. She finally pushed herself up off the ground when Lucas turned around to give her a quizzical look. Skye didn't meet Lucas's eyes as she brushed past him and kept walking.

Lucas occasionally reached out to steer Skye in the right direction, but stopped after his last touch earned a glare from her. He gestured towards the trees, where Skye could hear the rushing water. "The falls are just past the trees. I'll, uh, wait here."

Skye nodded without even glancing at Lucas and brushed past the trees, exhaling with relief when her eyes caught sight of the vast lake. She pulled off her shirt and cargos in record time, retrieving Lucas's soap from her pocket, and jumped into the lake. The cold water rushed around Skye, numbing her from head to toe. She swam over to the falls, where she let the rushing water wash her hair as she ran the soap over her body. Skye eventually lathered the soap in her hair as well, substituting it for her citrus shampoo. She had to admit that the scent of the soap was much more appealing to her than her old shampoo.

Suddenly, a booming roar filled the air, seemingly coming from the forest to Skye's right. She retreated into the falls, her ears alert. A second roar sounded, this time much closer than the first. Skye felt her body chill, this time not from the water. It was the call of a Carno.

A hand clamped over Skye's mouth, blocking the scream that was bound to come. Skye turned around to find Lucas in the water behind her, fully clothed and drenched. His eyes met Skye's, and he raised a finger to his lips to signal Skye to stay quiet. Skye nodded, realizing that she was close enough to see every drop of water on Lucas's thick eyelashes. Lucas's senses were on full alert, and Skye could tell because he had no problem wrapping an arm around her waist to pull her closer to him. As she clutched at Lucas's arm, her chest rising and falling rapidly, Skye realized that she wasn't wearing anything except for her bra and panties. She flushed pink, chewing on the inside of her cheek to keep from shivering with pleasure.

Lucas pulled Skye even closer as the ground to their right began to shake, signifying the Carno's presence. Skye looked up at Lucas, her eyes wide with fear. Without a gun, Skye had no idea how to defend herself from a fully grown Carno. Lucas raised a hand underneath the water to stroke the length of Skye's arm, calming her nerves but speeding up her heartbeat at the same time. Skye watched as Lucas reached into the back of his jeans and pulled out a gun, his finger just beside the trigger.

"Run for the forest and don't look back," Lucas breathed into Skye's ear, pushing her behind himself. Skye opened her mouth to argue, but Lucas looked at her so fiercely that Skye pressed her lips together again.

"Don't do anything stupid, okay?" whispered Skye, grasping the hair at the nape of Lucas's neck. Lucas looked back at her and nodded absentmindedly, pushing her towards the forest. Skye edged along the back of the falls, keeping a close eye on Lucas as she reached the edge of the water and the beginning of land.

Lucas looked back to make sure that Skye had reached the forest, but his eyes widened when he looked her way. Skye spun around to find a fully-grown Carno standing less than twenty feet away from her, looking furiously hungry.

"Don't move, Bucket," Lucas's voice rang out loud and clear, but the Carno didn't look away from Skye once. Skye, who was already frozen in fear, obeyed without hesitation. Lucas began to wade over to Skye, his eyes never leaving the Carno.

Suddenly, the Carno lunged for Skye unexpectedly. Lucas raised his gun in a millisecond and fired, the bullet hitting the Carno's eye. It let out a roar, now stumbling blindly towards Skye. Lucas grabbed Skye from behind and pushed her towards the forest, keeping a constant eye on the enraged animal. They darted for the forest, both running faster than they ever had before. Skye looked back to make sure Lucas was at her heels, and he nodded quickly, pushing her forward.

When the coast was finally clear, they collapsed beneath a tree, adrenaline pumping and hearts racing. Skye held her head in her hands, trying to erase the uncomfortable pulsing feeling. Lucas took one look at her and swore under his breath. "Looks like we forgot something at the falls."

Skye looked down and realized that she was still only wearing her bra and panties. She looked up at Lucas, her eyes wide. How was she going to get back to the Sixer camp wearing nothing but her underclothes? As though he had read her thoughts, Lucas unbuttoned his dusty black shirt and handed it to her, revealing a tight-fitting black t-shirt underneath. Skye took the shirt, trying not to drool as Lucas shook his drenched locks. She slipped her arms into the shirt, satisfied with the decent length of the shirt. When she raised her hands to button it, however, Skye found that her hands were shaking from the cold and she couldn't even hold them still. Lucas, noticing her jittering hands, leaned over and began to button the shirt for her, trying his best not to stare. She drove him crazy fully clothed; the girl had no idea what she did to him when she was half-naked.

"There," said Lucas as he finished the last button. He leaned back on his arms, taking in Skye's appearance. "It could almost be a dress."

Skye snorted, shaking her hair out to let it dry. Lucas caught a whiff of her hair and went stiff when he recognized the scent. Skye looked up and caught his expression, a smirk spreading on her face. "Thanks for the soap, by the way. Smells great."

Lucas raised an eyebrow, a smile twitching at his lips. "And where is the soap, Bucket?"

"Whoops. Must've forgotten it at the falls," Skye looked up to meet Lucas's eyes and shrugged innocently, biting at her lower lip. Lucas stretched his arms out behind his back, his half-smirk returning.

"Well, there's one thing we didn't forget at the falls," said Lucas, raising himself off the ground slightly to pull something out of his back pocket.

Skye leaned forward, wrapping her arms around her knees. "And what might that be?"

Lucas whipped out the black blindfold, holding it in front of Skye's face. Skye groaned, burying her face into her knees. "Do I have to wear that? Can't I just shut my eyes myself?"

Lucas reached out and dragged Skye forward by her ankles, making her squeal. "We had a deal, Bucket. No backing out now."

"Oh, come on," complained Skye, pulling the blindfold out of Lucas's hands and holding it behind her back. "Why don't we make a switch? I'll offer you something else."

Skye bit back a laugh as something changed in Lucas's expression, possibly triggered by her innuendo. Lucas snatched for the blindfold, but Skye switched hands swiftly. Lucas folded his arms across his chest, raising an eyebrow. "Fine, I'll play along. What do you have to offer, Bucket?"

Skye inched closer to Lucas, letting her breath roll over his neck before whispering into his ear. "How about a new rover?"

Lucas's smirk turned into a grin. "Bucket. Something you can actually give me, maybe?"

"Fine," huffed Skye, tapping a finger against her lower lip as though she was thinking. "How about… a pet? That Carno seemed pretty friendly, we can name him Ralph."

Lucas raised an eyebrow skeptically. "Ralph? Of all names for a ferocious Carno, you come up with Ralph?"

Skye rolled her eyes, shuddering with pleasure as Lucas laughed, his hot breath tickling her neck. She leaned closer to Lucas, the hand holding the blindfold bent behind her back. "Or how about I just do this?"

Skye slid her free hand up Lucas's chest to wrap around his neck, pulling him closer until she could easily capture his lips in hers. Lucas didn't hesitate before wrapping his hands around Skye, pulling her onto his lap. Skye responded enthusiastically, wounding her fingers in his hair and pressing closer to him. She could feel her hips grinding involuntarily against Lucas, and Lucas let out a moan as she bit his lower lip. Her breath caught in her throat as she kissed Lucas passionately, her mind still processing the fact that he hadn't pushed her away. It was the first time she had kissed him since the day in the meadow, and Skye felt as though she couldn't get enough of him.

Suddenly, Lucas reached behind Skye and snatched the blindfold out of her hand, wrapping it around her eyes in a heartbeat. Skye froze in Lucas's lap and tried to reach up to undo the blindfold. Lucas grabbed her wrists and held them behind her back, laughing softly. "I don't think so."

"Hey!" Skye struggled to pull away, fighting against Lucas's strong grip. "You said I wouldn't have to wear this damned thing."

"Well, guess what?" said Lucas, leaning closer until his lips were brushing Skye's ear. Skye shivered, both from her shower and from how seductive Lucas could be without even trying. Lucas's breath rolled into Skye's ear, making her shiver again. "I lied."

Skye gaped blindly, swiping out to slap Lucas. "That's not fair!"

"Life isn't fair, Bucket," sighed Lucas, his voice sounding almost weary. He lifted Skye out of his lap with ease, setting her down on the soft grass. "Now let's get back before you freeze to death."

"Like you'd care," grumbled Skye under her breath, folding her arms across her chest. Lucas reached over and brushed a lock of Skye's hair out of her blindfold, tucking it behind her ear.

"Hm, you're right. I don't care," said Lucas, spinning Skye around until she was facing him. Skye frowned, slightly stung by his words. Lucas bent down until his face was level with Skye's, his lips moving lightly against hers as he spoke. "And you know why? Because I don't love you."

Lucas pressed his lips against Skye's so softly that Skye felt flutters in her stomach like a high school girl. But something told Skye that it wasn't just the kiss that caused the flutters. The tone Lucas used to tell her that he didn't love her implied the exact opposite. Had Lucas just told her that he still loved her?

Lucas placed one last chaste kiss on Skye's lips before taking her hand in his, relishing the warmth of it. "Time to go, Bucket."

"You sure this is the spot, Shannon?" Taylor looked up at the monstrous tree, shielding his eyes from the sun. Shannon nodded, following Taylor's gaze up the tree.

"That's where the signal's coming from," said Shannon, showing Taylor the Plex that indicated the chip's location. Taylor nodded, folding his arms across his chest. Wash came up behind him, looking up at the tree.

"Something tells me this isn't right," said Wash, pressing her lips together and frowning. "Why would Lucas stay somewhere without protection?"

"Well, there's only one way to find out," replied Taylor, raising his scanner. He held it up, aiming it at the tree, and frowned when no human activity was picked up by the scanner. Shannon pulled out his scanner and did the same, finding the same results.

"Rogers!" called Taylor, signaling the nearest soldier. "Have a team go up and look for the chip. There's no one up there."

Rogers got up instantly, selecting the nearest soldiers to climb the tree with him. Taylor pulled out his gun and positioned it to shoot just in case Lucas was still around. The soldiers disappeared up the tree, rustling leaves and branches as they climbed. Taylor, Wash and Shannon watched in anticipation, waiting for some sign.

Suddenly, Rogers leaned out from the top of the tree. "Commander. We found the chip, you might want to take a look at this."

Rogers let the chip drop, knowing that Taylor would catch it easily. Taylor snatched it in mid-air, bringing it closer to his face to examine it. Sure enough, a small white piece of paper was wrapped around it. Taylor unwrapped the paper and read it, his expression hardening. He handed it to Wash, who fumbled to open it again.

I warned you once. Consider this your second chance. Don't come looking for her again, or she'll suffer the consequences. - L

Wash looked up at Taylor, her eyes wide. Shannon plucked the note out of Wash's hands and read it over, his eyebrows furrowing together. Taylor took the note again, reading it over and over as his fury escalated. He let go of the note, watching it flutter to the ground. Then suddenly, Taylor turned his gun on the paper and shot at it, the bullet running straight through Lucas's signature.

Yep, this chapter was pretty fun to write :P I thought it would be soo Lucas to refuse to admit that he loves Skye, being the cocky bastard that we all know and love. At least they kissed, twice ;D Thrice if you count that last little one. And Taylor is reeally pissed off, Lucas is screwed if he finds them. Anyways, till next time! :)