Thank you guys so much for your kind reviews! I felt like I rushed the last chapter, which was why I said that I didn't like it much. But your reviews really convinced me otherwise. You guys are great :)

"Isn't he so cute?" squealed Savannah, running a finger along the spine of the baby Ankylosaur. Skye bit back a smile as she watched Savannah gush over the dinosaur, thinking about how adorable both Savannah and the Ankylosaur were. Lucas knelt down beside the tank housing the baby dinosaur, examining it through the glass.

"He looks pretty healthy," said Lucas, looking up to shoot Savannah a genuine smile, something very rare to Skye. He reached out to pat Savannah's shoulder encouragingly, and Skye had to repress the urge to raise her eyebrows in disbelief. "Good job, kiddo."

Savannah beamed back, brushing her brown hair out of her face before leaning down to get a better look at the dinosaur. She looked back up at Skye, her eyes wide with excitement. "What should I name him?"

"Ralph," said Lucas, shooting a smirk in Skye's direction. Skye's lips twitched at the mention of the name she wanted to give the Carno, surprised that Lucas remembered it. Lucas winked at Skye before turning back to Savannah, who was looking from Skye to Lucas in confusion.

"Why?" asked Savannah, wrinkling her nose. "It sounds like a name my great grandpa would like."

Lucas let out a snort of laughter, clapping a hand over his mouth to stop the rest from coming out. Skye shot Lucas a glare even though she was trying not to laugh herself, and she kicked Lucas's leg lightly, making him fall back onto his hands. Lucas reached out and grabbed Skye's ankle, pulling her down until she fell beside him. Skye let out a giggle and widened her eyes at the sound of it. She'd never heard herself make such a girly sound before, but then again, she didn't really have much experience flirting.

Meanwhile, Savannah was examining the Ankylosaur through the glass with great interest. Skye leaned back, looking over at Lucas. He was watching Savannah with a smile so serene that Skye's mouth tilted to match it. "So, you like kids?"

Lucas looked over at Skye, his eyebrows slightly raised. "Yeah, I guess. Why, do I not seem like it?"

"I dunno, something about your intense physicist persona told me that you wouldn't like kids," replied Skye, biting on the inside of her cheek. Lucas chuckled slightly, reached out to lace his fingers between Skye's.

"Nah, I like kids. They're trustworthy and forgiving. What more could an intense physicist ask for?"

Skye looked into Lucas's eyes, trying to read into his expression. His mouth was tilted into his trademark smirk, but his jade-green eyes revealed a sort of vulnerability that made Skye want to pull him into a hug. She looked down at their entwined hands, running her thumb along Lucas's scarred palms.

"What about you?" asked Lucas, breaking the silence. Skye looked up, her eyebrows raised questioningly. "Kids. Do you like them?"

"Oh, yeah," replied Skye, shaking her head slightly at her space-out. "Yeah, they're great."

"So do you want kids?" asked Lucas lightly, trying to sound casual. Skye's eyes snapped up to meet Lucas's, her eyebrows furrowing slightly. Lucas quickly backtracked, sensing her suspiciousness. "Not any time soon, I mean in the future."

"Probably," said Skye, her mouth twitching slightly at the relieved expression on Lucas's face. "Especially if they turn out as adorable as this one here."

Skye jerked her head at Savannah, who was still fawning over the dinosaur, oblivious to the conversation going on behind her. Lucas smiled as he turned his attention back to Savannah, his fingers winding tighter around Skye's. Every time he looked at Savannah, Lucas found himself imagining what a child of his and Skye's might look like. The thought of having a child with her made Lucas feel giddy, as though his heart was being lifted inside of him. But, being as traditional as he was, Lucas wanted to marry her before even thinking about having children. Though he would never admit it after what Skye had done, Lucas loved her more than anything and wanted nothing but the best for her.

Skye watched Lucas subtly out of the corner of her eye, contemplating him mentally. Despite what she had believed, Lucas had many weaknesses; all of them being emotional. And to Skye's amazement, she was one of his weaknesses. His words haunted her thoughts – "When I'm with you, all I can think about is keeping you safe," – and Skye couldn't help but feel somewhat happy about that. She knew that Lucas would do pretty much anything for her, including making up with his father, though that would definitely take convincing. Though Skye knew that she would feel terrible if she manipulated Lucas, she knew that it was the only way she would save Terra Nova and the ones she loved.

Skye pressed her lips together as she thought about Taylor. She was still furious at him for lying to her about his intentions that day. After all she had sacrificed to spy for him, including her relationship with Lucas, he had chosen to keep her in the dark about something so important. Skye felt betrayed, hurt, and most of all, used. She looked over at Lucas again, her anger washing away when she caught the peaceful expression on her face.

But at the thought of Taylor, another person came to Skye's mind. Her heart wrenched at the thought of her mother, and she swallowed to remove the lump in her throat. Skye had been trying to avoid thinking of her mother since she had been taken by Lucas, but she found her mind wandering back every now and then. The thought of her mother made Skye feel as though her heart really was breaking, a feeling that was usually reserved for Lucas. Skye bit back tears as she looked up at Savannah, trying to wipe away the thoughts of her mother, but she couldn't stop the single tear that ran down her face.

Skye quickly reached up and wiped the tear from her cheek with her free hand, hoping that Lucas hadn't seen it. To Skye's dismay, he reached out and caught her hand, seeing the wetness on her fingers. He wiped Skye's cheek as the next tear fell, his expression concerned. "Hey, what's wrong?"

Skye wiped away the last traces of her tears and held her head up high as she looked Lucas in the eyes, hiding all her true emotions. "It's nothing. I just got something in my eye."

Lucas looked back at Skye, one of his eyebrows raised in disbelief. "You sure?"

"Yeah!" replied Skye, her voice a little too chipper. She hoisted herself off the ground, removing her hand from Lucas's. She could feel his eyes on her as she made her way over to Savannah, and she tried her best to ignore his curious stares as she spoke to the girl. "So, did you come up with a name yet?"

Savannah placed a hand on her chin, thinking hard. She looked up at Skye, her eyes sparkling. "Yeah, I think so!"

"So? What is it?" asked Skye, throwing Lucas a smile. Lucas got up and joined Skye beside Savannah, placing a hand discreetly on the small of her back. Skye fought the urge to rest her head on his shoulder in front of Savannah and turned her attention to the girl, wondering what she had named the Ankylosaur.

Savannah looked up at Lucas and Skye, a gleeful smile on her face. "Nathaniel. Isn't it perfect?"

"What do you mean, she escaped?"

The soldier cowered under Taylor's intimidating glare. "She must have gotten out just as you arrived, sir."

"She was probably waiting for the distraction," hissed Shannon, cursing under his breath. Wash sighed heavily, holding a hand up to her forehead.

"Now what? She was our only lead to the Sixer camp," said Wash, looking at Taylor with wide eyes. Taylor waved a hand to dismiss the soldier, who gladly slipped out of the fort. Taylor circled the fort to step behind his desk, his eyebrows furrowed in thought.

Shannon looked sideways at Wash, who looked positively terrified. She truly believed that the whole ordeal was her fault, but Shannon couldn't lie; he would have felt the same way if he was in her shoes. Though it wasn't Wash's fault, she would still guilt herself into believing that she could have stopped Skye from going into the meadow that day.

Taylor looked up once the door swung shut behind the soldier, as though he was about to say something. However, the moment the door shut, it swung open again to reveal Josh Shannon. Josh walked in, looking furious.

"Where is she?" demanded Josh, his eyes flashing with a mix of anger and grief. Shannon gave Taylor a swift look before walking over to his son to console him. Josh pushed his father away, stepping away from him.

"Don't try and tell me she's okay," snarled Josh, his hands curling into fists. "It's been four days since she went missing. I can't lose her. After Kara – "

Josh's voice broke off, and he swallowed the rest of his sentence. Taylor came out from around the desk, his arms folded across his chest. "Don't worry, son. Skye's not gone. Not yet."

The pinkish glow from the setting sun was beaming through the skylights of the Sixer camp, lighting the area where Skye was French braiding Savannah's long straight brown hair. She wove the strands as gently as she could, being careful not to hurt her delicate head. Skye was still fighting the urge to laugh as she thought about Savannah's initial choice for the Ankylosaur's name. Lucas's face had hardened, and his hands had clenched into fists, but he couldn't say anything in front of the six year old girl. She didn't even know that Lucas's father was still alive, let alone that his name was Nathaniel. He had managed to talk her out of his father's name and they had finally settled on Sparky. For the eleventh time since she'd started braiding Savannah's hair, Skye leaned over to check her expression. "You sure I'm not hurting you?"

"Yes, I'm sure, I'm sure!" said Savannah, sounding exasperated yet excited. She raised a hand to feel the braid, squirming with excitement as her fingers slid over the intricately woven hair. "How much longer?"

"Just a few more seconds," assured Skye as she braided the last inch of Savannah's hair. A sudden stab of pain pulsed through Skye's head, and she struggled to hide the agony as she braided. She wrapped an elastic made of tree bark around the girl's finished braid, letting go of the rope-like hair. "There. All done."

Savannah jumped up and hurried over to the mirror to admire her hair. Skye brought a hand up to her forehead as Savannah spun in circles in front of the mirror, bouncing with excitement. Skye quickly forced a smile as Savannah turned around. She ran over to Skye, petting her braid. "It looks so pretty! Thanks, Skye!"

"No problem, kiddo," said Skye, trying her best not to grimace instead of smile. Savannah suddenly reached out and pulled Skye into an unexpected hug. Skye, taken aback, hugged Savannah back at the last second, almost forgetting her current migraine.

Savannah pulled away and flounced back to the mirror, leaving Skye to bend over in pain again. The sound of footsteps made Skye look up to see Lucas halfway across the room, his worried gaze on Skye. Skye tried to smile, but she could tell by the look in Lucas's eyes than he didn't buy it at all.

"Hey, kid," called Lucas, turning his gaze towards Savannah. Savannah turned around, flashing an angelic smile at Lucas. "It's time for you to go to bed."

"Aw, can't I stay a little longer?" Savannah pouted, folding her arms across her chest like Skye had seen Lucas do many times before. Lucas walked over and picked Savannah up, spinning her around as she squealed. He set her down and gave her a little shove towards the door.

"See ya tomorrow, Skye!" called Savannah over her shoulder, waving at Skye as she left. Lucas watched her go from the doorway, closing the door behind her. As soon as the door shut, Lucas was at Skye's side.

"Are you okay?" murmured Lucas, wrapping his arms around Skye. She buried her head into his chest, letting the pain take over. He kissed the top of her head and stroked her hair as she whimpered in pain, cursing himself mentally for causing her such agony.

"I'm so sorry, Skye," whispered Lucas as he pulled Skye into his lap. He took her face in his hands, massaging her temples until her whimpers softened and her expression relaxed. Lucas leaned down and pressed his lips against her forehead before taking her lips in his, erasing the last of her pain. Skye let out a little sigh, and Lucas felt the butterflies return to his stomach. He moved his lips to her ear, where though he barely whispered, his words sent shudders of desire running along Skye's spine. "Guess what?"

"Hm?" asked Skye, pressing her forehead to Lucas's so she could look into his eyes. He reached up and stroked the side of her face, tucking her hair behind her ear.

"I don't love you," breathed Lucas, moving his lips back to Skye's. Skye pulled away, raising an eyebrow at Lucas. She pulled herself out of Lucas's lap and pushed herself off the bed.

"Well, in that case…" Skye started to walk away, and grinned when Lucas reached out and grabbed her hand. Skye turned around and shot Lucas the seductive half-smile that he always gave her. Though she knew how sexy it looked on Lucas, she had no idea what it did when used against him. Lucas pulled her onto the bed and pounced over her, kissing her fiercely but taking care not to crush her body.

Skye wrapped her hands around Lucas's neck, his erratic breathing mirroring hers. Lucas brought his lips back to hers, coaxing her mouth open with ease. Skye pulled gently at the hair at the back of Lucas's head as she melted in his arms, letting him take over.

They broke away for air, and Lucas looked down into Skye's eyes. Skye felt her mouth part slightly when she saw the fire of desire in his eyes, yet she knew that the same fire was burning in hers as well. Lucas let out a low growl, kissing at Skye's neck. "God, Bucket, you're irresistible."

"Then don't resist," sighed Skye, running her hands along Lucas's unbelievably muscular torso. Lucas leaned down to kiss her again, his need becoming stronger, but Skye rolled over until she was on top. She straddled Lucas's waist, brushing her hair out of her face before leaning down until their faces were only half an inch away. "Three words. Eight letters. Say it and I'm yours."

That shudder-inducing electric feeling returned between Skye's legs just as she said the words, which only made her imagine what it was doing to Lucas. He let out a growl, trying to reach up to kiss Skye, but she pulled away, raising an eyebrow. Lucas let out a moan of defeat, wrapping his hands around Skye's hips. "You're a monster."

"And you're wasting precious time," teased Skye, her voice rolling seductively in her throat. Lucas rolled over again, this time straddling Skye's hips. He leaned down and kissing Skye's jaw line, murmuring against her skin.

"Fine. You win," whispered Lucas, kissing his way up to her lips. He pulled away and looked Skye in the eyes, his expression dead serious. "You ready for this, Bucket?"

Skye bit her lower lip and nodded, smiling. Lucas brought his lips to hers, and Skye could feel the vibrations of his words as he said them. "You're. Fucking. Sexy."

Skye let out a laugh in spite of herself, reaching out to slap Lucas's arm. "That was sixteen letters, mister."

"I'm sorry," murmured Lucas, his voice unbearably seductive. Skye looked into his eyes, reaching out to run her fingers through his hair.

A sudden knock at the door sent Lucas flying off the bed and Skye scrambling for the sheets. Skye bit back a giggle as Lucas adjusted his clothes, cursing under his breath. "Can't catch a damn break."

Lucas opened the door, revealing a rather red-looking Sixer. Skye blushed the same color as she realized that he must have heard what was going on through the door, and she reminded herself to be a little quieter. Lucas conversed with the Sixer at the door, the two talking in hushed tones. Though Skye knew that she should be suspicious, she found herself still trying to control her racing heart and charging hormones.

Finally, Lucas turned back to look at Skye. "I might be a while. You get some sleep, okay?"

Skye nodded, trying to hide the disappointment from her face. Lucas gestured for the Sixer to lead the way, and quickly poked his head into the room before he left. "I'm sorry, more security stuff. I'll see you tonight, okay?"

"Okay," said Skye, forcing herself to smile. Lucas smiled back, looking relieved, and disappeared moments later. Skye fell back down onto the pillow, feeling somewhat put out. She'd been looking forward to that moment for so long, but it definitely hadn't ended the way she wanted it to.

Skye closed her eyes, letting her thoughts lull her to sleep. By the time Lucas returned, Skye was half-asleep and wasn't even sure if she was dreaming or not, especially when Lucas slid into bed with her. They were sleeping face to face, and Lucas's arms were wrapped protectively yet comfortably around Skye. His hands repeatedly stroked her back, relaxing her so she could sleep again, and his lips caressed her forehead. Just before sleep took over, Skye heard Lucas whisper three words as he kissed the top of her head.

"I love you."

Hehe. Yeah, I kinda stole a line from Gossip Girl there, but I thought it fit. This chapter was actually pretty fun to write, especially the Sixer cockblock. I've got some action planned for the next chapter (real, fighting-type action, not… you know :P), so till next time! :)

P.S. asdjfsdjgfhdg 102 reviews? That is such an amazing thing for me, thank you guys soo much! Best readers ever :)