Disclaimer: I don't own Terra Nova or any of it's characters.
Natalie hadn't spoken since her appointment with Dr. Shannon, Alicia was wise enough to know she talked about her nightmare. It could've been that she remembeed it, but Wash already figured out she always thought of it.
Alicia wasn't the first to ask, she knew better, pushing her would only make it worse. So when she finally fared hours later during dinner Alicia looked at her, but her face revealed nothing.
"Are you going to ask?" Natalie's voice was timid, like a little child scared of the consequences for her actions. Except she wasn't a little child and she never cared for the consequences.
"No," Alicia said.
"Doctor already told you," She assumed, and it was a fair assumption.
"She didn't," Wash assured, "But I trust when you're ready you will."
Natalie accepted the answer, but she was still curious, "What makes you so sure?"
Wash put her utensils down, resting them atop her plate and met Natalie's eyes, "Because I know you. You put on a hard-shell and act like the memory isn't haunting you every minute of the day, but it is."
It was hard to not notice the change in her demeanor, ever since she got back she was never the same as she left. The only thing that was the same was their constant fighting, but Natalie was a different person, and so was she.
She had to continue on after her daughter was gone and after that point she didn't have many people let in, she had Taylor, but he was the only one. He understood her, got her without having to have her explain her choices or mind. That's just how they were.
"You have a haunted look in your eye instead of that spark of life," She continued, "You're distant."
She spoke the truth, and Natalie understood that.
She just never thought they'd understand each other, "I guess we aren't so different."
They'd always been opposites, and Natalie never saw – refused to see – their similarities.
|~Brother or Mother~|
Days past since her appointment with the doctor and she was still no closer to sharing what happened that day. She continued her sessions with Elisabeth, less frequently, but it was still haunting her and if she wouldn't confide with Alicia, then she needed to with the doctor. There had to be someone she trusted and was willing to share her secrets with.
The package was slid across the table. It was a simple brown leather covering with a piece of string wrapped around it keeping the bound sheets inside and the pencil situated on top.
Natalie had a good idea of what it was, and she could feel the excitement bubbling inside her as the anticipation built up. The only question was why she was being given the gift, "What's this for?"
"Your birthday, you're fourteen." She wanted to be amused that she forget, but she couldn't because she didn't forget, she didn't know. She had been gone for so long she didn't know how many years she'd been gone, or what day it was.
"What?" Natalie blinked, looking more shocked than she should. How could she forget? How could she miss such an important event?
"It's October 27," Alicia explained.
"We never could keep track of the days out there. I could guess it was a couple of weeks after the Harvest Festival, but I never knew exactly how long. I was never good at counting suns and moons, Lucas could, Mira could, but me? I was clueless. Just like I was with everything."
They would talk about Lucas at one point, and Mira, but now was not the time. Yes, there was never a right time, but this was the worst time. She had many birthdays to make up for, starting with her first – and bringing Lucas into it would ruin it.
Alicia pushed the journal forward, encouraging her to open it, and Natalie gladly did.
|~Brother or Mother~|
"We need to talk."
Those were the four words no one ever wanted to hear. They were the worst way to start a conversation and they always meant bad news.
"About?" Natalie was nervous, that was never good, it meant you screwed up.
"If it's about the nightmares I'm not ready." She rushed out.
"Understood," Wash did, "It's about school."
"School?" She never thought she would hear that word again.
"Yes, you do remember what that is?" Her tone was light and friendly, she was trying to keep this from going south. It would, but she could keep this joking going until then.
"Or course, I do, it's a terrible learning program." There was no humor in her voice, it was dead serious.
And here Alicia thought she was the only reason Natalie left, "Yea, well that terrible program is a requirement." It wasn't really, it was a highly recommend course, but they didn't –and couldn't– force kids into attending.
If she wanted she could post-pone her reapplication till further notice for medical reasons or excuse her all together accusing her of being a danger to the colony. She of course wouldn't do that as that would make her less emotionally, mentally and socially developed than she already was.
"What are you saying?"
Quick and easy, just rip off the band-aid,
"You're going back to school."
Natalie reacted at once, "Mom!" She exclaimed, the outrage showing on her face.
Alicia had predicted her reaction and she was prepared, "Natalie, you haven't been to school since you were eleven – you're fourteen now."
Going with reason probably wasn't the smartest method as Natalie never listened to that option but it was worth a shot. Her other option had been to just say she was going no negations which wasn't a bad road to go down.
"Then why should I now?" Natalie crossed her arms, preparing her own defense.
"Because you can't sit around the house and do nothing."
"I don't do nothing. I draw, I cook, I dance, and I search for stuff to do."
Alicia shook her head, her daughter needed to join society.
|~Brother or Mother~|
The pair of leaders were busy in the Command Centre. Wash in a seat across the desk a plex in her hand with Taylor on the opposite side mirroring her position. They were going over OTG schedules – a usual occurrence between the pair.
"You're going to outpost nine with a survey team?" Taylor asked.
Wash nodded, "Yes, it's a five day-trip, shorter if we're lucky. Why, sir?"
He already knew that, they went over that when she first brought over the trip and he insisted she bring extra defenses; she once again denied. He wasn't easily swayed – not when Mira was at play – he knew she would be fine on her own and she could hold her own, but there was another matter in question,
"Are you good with that?"
She understood the underlying meaning of his question, "I'll have to explain Natalie the rules of the house again, and make sure she actually listens, but I can't keep putting OTG trips on hold because of her."
She had a point. Since Natalie had been released she hadn't taken a single trip OTG, typically she would jump at the chance since being cooped up inside the colony for too long made her incredibly tense and impossible for her to relax.
Taylor knew that too.
Still, he brought up a valid point. Not to keep her here – though keeping her out of harms way was always his goal – but to keep Natalie from getting in trouble.
"Who's going to check in on her?"
Great question, who was going to keep an eye on her?
|~Brother or Mother~|
How Natalie convinced her into this was still a mystery. She was saying she trusted her – a big mistake she kept reminding herself. She was fine trusting her for a day, Natalie was responsible despite her terrible choices, she was a mature, independent young women. She just struggled with judgment, honesty and cleaning up after herself.
Natalie's voice dragged Alicia from her thoughts, "Stop worrying, I spent over two years on my own, I can handle a few days."
"Five days, and it's the fact you spent two plus years on your own that worries me," Alicia commented.
Natalie was honestly offended, did they think she was that ignorant? "You think I'm going to leave the moment you leave?" No, I have to wait till Taylor's gone then I'll make my run for the hills.
She didn't respond, just rattled off the rules again, "No friends, no parties."
"Still don't have friends."
Alicia sighed, "Don't use the stove and be careful when you use the knives."
"I've used a knife before." There was a quick second of what she couldn't explain, but it was obvious she was troubled. It quickly passed and Natalie replied with a smart remark, "How do you think I cut my fruit and veggies up?"
Wash plowed through, ignoring her reply, giving her a warning glance, "Clean up any mess you make only leave the house if it's an emergency and no going OTG." The last instruction accompanied a warning look, "Clear?"
"Yep, sure, got it, perfect."
"Curfew is 6. I'm trusting you, don't make me regret it."
She would, Wash knew it, and Natalie knew it. Still, the next morning she would wake up at the crack of dawn and leave the house for Outpost Nine.
Author's Notes: Shorter chapter, but quicker update. You may hate me next chapter, we'll see. As for this chapter, in my opinion, Wash is a no nonsense women, she'll bend a little, but she will do anything for Terra Nova.