Nathaniel watched his wife dress for work the following morning. His make-up session with her the night before left a noticeable mark at the base of her neck and she was scowling in the mirror. Finally, he heard her mutter, "To hell with it," and looked closely to see what she meant. She pulled a tank top on and reached for her diamond necklace. He hurried to fasten it for her.

"Dressing a little fancy for the office, aren't we."

"It's too hot for anything I own that will cover what you did to me. Everyone will know what we were doing last night and maybe the necklace will take their eyes off the obvious."

"I'm sure the entire colony over five figures out what we do in this bedroom."

"You're not chagrined at all by this are you?" she added earrings.

"Nope, I'm rather proud of my handiwork," he kissed her cheek. "See you at work." He left, leaving her the dirty breakfast dishes and the baby to get ready.

Zoe was pondering something as she played with her breakfast.

"Eat, Zoe," her mother urged her.

"Mommy, where do babies come from?"

Elizabeth and Jim shared a surprised look. "Is it time for that again," Jim exclaimed, as a laughing Maddy drew his eyes to her.

"What brought this on, Zoe?" Elizabeth used her special smile when she really didn't want to answer a question.

"Lieutenant Washington…"

"You mean Mrs. Taylor," her mother corrected.

"Yes, Mrs. Taylor had a round belly and that's where the baby lived until it was old enough to come out. How did it get inside her?"

"Mom, she's only seven. Don't give her the twelve-year-old version like you did me. I'm still traumatized."

"Why does Mom have to say anything," she smirked at Jim.

He jumped up, "Because Daddy has to get to work," he leaned over for a quick kiss before rushing off with the word 'coward' pushing him on.

Elizabeth thought for a second then answered, "The Commander loves Wash a whole lot and they wanted a baby girl real bad so they, uhh,"

"Do you know what sex is, Zoe?" Maddy cut in.

Zoe blushed and looked down, "At school, I heard that's what adults do."

"That's what creates babies. That's all you need to know at your age, okay?" Maddy informed her.

Zoe thought about it, "So sex created Jade?"

Elizabeth took over from Maddy again, "Yes, it's something people who love each and are married other do."

"But I heard that's what Skye and Tasha had," innocent Zoe was confused.

"Oh Zoe, don't ever repeat that. There are different types of sex, good and bad. Skye and Tasha didn't have sex."

"But Molly said they did."

"Molly is nine years old and hardly an expert on the subject," Elizabeth made a mental note to mention that fact to her husband. Nobody was supposed to be gossiping about the girls around the colony.

"Sex is for married people only," Maddy reemphasized, while giving her mother a strange look.

"And that's how babies are made?" Zoe hazard a guess.

"You got it," Maddy smiled at her and sobered when she looked at her mother, "That attack months ago was just an assault, wasn't it?"

"Maddy, you know I can never talk about something like that and I'd advise you to drop it or your father will be having words with you….and not a peep to anyone and that includes your boyfriend," Elizabeth's tone changed between daughters.

"Lips are sealed."

Elizabeth smiled back at Zoe, "I think we've covered it well enough for now. If you have any more questions, ask your father. He deserves to answer at least half the questions. Zoe, when did Molly mention Skye and Tasha?"

"The day the Commander came home. I was playing with Molly and Leah and Tanya and Sarah…"

"I know who you were with. What exactly did Molly say?"

"That Skye and Tasha had sex with Phoenix soldiers."

"Did anyone ask her how she knew?"

"Holly did."

"And…"

Zoe sighed, "I'm not in trouble am I?"

"No, Zoe, but I need to know. Molly said something that wasn't true that could hurt Skye and Tasha. You don't want that do you?"

"What if someone spread something untrue about you, Zoe. You wouldn't like it would you?" Maddy interjected.

"No," she spoke in a small voice.

"Answer me, Zoe," Elizabeth used her Mom's tone.

"Molly said she overheard her parents talking, when Holly said she was lying."

"Just great," Elizabeth muttered. "They got beat up by the Phoenix Soldiers, that's all. I was their doctor and I would know, wouldn't I?" she stared at Zoe.

Zoe nodded.

Jim hustled into the Command Center to see Elliot and Nathaniel with coffee cups, sitting at the Commander's desk already going over something on a plexpad. He nodded a greeting and grabbed a cup of his own. He marched directly to a bottle Nathaniel had on the counter, poured a liberal dollop and threw it back before returning for coffee.

He heard Nathaniel chuckling, "And what caused you to drink this early in the day?"

Jim joined them, "All I'll say is enjoy Jade's first few years. Before you know it she'll be asking where babies come from."

"Zoe, huh?"

"It's all your fault," Jim glared at him.

Nathaniel looked surprised while Elliot laughed, "What'd I do?"

"Zoe couldn't figure out how Jade got in Wash's tummy and asked."

Elliot and Nathaniel burst out laughing. "And you explained to her that my prowess in the bedroom far exceeds my brilliance as a commander."

"Yeah, I explained all that to a seven year old. You know, you have a special relationship with her. Maybe you can explain how a baby ended up in Wash."

"Not the Daddy," Nathaniel went back to what he was showing Elliot.

Jim looked at his plexpad and started reading bios on the prisoners they had.

Another half hour and Alicia climbed the steps burdened down with the baby and diaper bag. She went directly to the back and shortly returned empty handed. As soon as Jim saw her enter, he went for his first prisoner, a blond woman with hair not unlike what Leah Marcos sported when she first came back inside the colony. They started questioning her after Jim offered coffee to help relax her. The interrogation took over an hour then Alicia heard Jade cry.

"I think we're done for now," she keyed her radio mic, "Taylor to Dunham. Take the Sixer in the Command Center to the holding area." The Sixers were being separated after being taken from their cell, starting with the blond women, and leaving Mira for last. She went to see what Jade needed, which was a diaper change. Another fairly young woman was next. She told roughly the same story, one of privation and hunger before being recruited by Mira and Carter with promise of a home in the dome and to never struggle again.

Nathaniel tuned the interviews out and showed Elliot the process they started with when building the colony. Elliot listened to both conversations, alternating attention between the two.

"Of course you don't know how far Philbrick has gotten in your colony if you tell me he was using roughly the same schematic," Nathaniel stated.

"It wouldn't be the same without Malcolm's input."

"I agree, but don't tell him that. He's the biggest ego I have here outside of mine," both men laughed.

"Excuse me, Commander," Debora Tate spoke through the open door.

Nathaniel and Elliot looked towards the sound of her voice, "Come in ladies," Nathaniel bade, punctuated with the wave of his hand when he saw the two women at his door.

Elliot looked up and smiled. He took his breakfast with Ayani. He took Nathaniel's advice and they walked in the moonlight for a long time just talking.

"Ayani, how are you handling seeing Nathaniel with his wife?" he wanted to ask and now seemed like the perfect opportunity.

"It's harder than I told myself it would be. I find myself wanting to fight her for his affections and I know that's wrong."

"I don't know what I would do if Betty was with another man, probably challenge him to a duel," they chuckled.

"She's matured a lot from the young medic I remember," Ayani thought the colony was beautiful in the moonlight and streetlamps.

"Twelve years is a long time. Nathaniel and she have moved on together. He'll never leave her and his daughter," he gently reaffirmed what he knew.

"After seeing him with the baby, it would be a crime for someone to come between them. I'm afraid I've gotten off to a rocky start with Wash. I challenged her really loving him."

"Why?"

"I don't know really. She was being nice to me and I wanted to show her I was a better wife to him than she could ever be. It worked, she let her guard down and I got a glimpse of her true feelings, which is strained with me here."

"Do you plan on coming between them?" he wanted to know if he were wasting his time with her.

"No, but I don't think Wash will ever believe that now. I'm going to concentrate on Lucas. He was…."

"He was rude and arrogant," Elliot cut in.

"My son was not that way. He was a gentle, quiet boy who spent hours in studies every day. I bet if I could just visit him alone, I could find out why he changed so much. I'm sure Nathaniel doesn't know."

"Maybe you could help Nathaniel. You may not technically be his wife, but you are close enough to being her that your opinion would be valued in dealing with his son."

Debora Tate entered with Ayani behind her. A woman in binders was sitting at a table, with the sheriff and Wash talking to her. "Is this a bad time to give Ayani the tour of this building?"

"You can't go down to the jail, but show her around here if you want," Nathaniel stood and stretched. Elliot took that opportunity to do likewise. Jade let out another wail.

"My turn," Nathaniel headed towards the sound.

Debora showed the massive skull off and explained how it was found and delivered here. Ayani looked around at the rustic walls and down at the bare wood floor. 'The room looked like it never saw a woman's touch,' she made a mental observation.

Nathaniel returned shortly with his daughter. He carried her to his desk, where Debora, Ayani and Elliot were talking quietly. Jade was awake and wearing nothing but a diaper as the morning was warm with the promise of a hot afternoon.

"What has Debora shown you?" Nathaniel didn't have a clue what that might be.

"We went to many shops. We walked by them when Jim showed us around two days ago, but this time we did a few tours. I'm very impressed with everything."

"I was taking Elliot on that tour this afternoon after I filled him in on why we have certain cottage industries." Jade started fussing and he looked down at her. "Time for another feeding, isn't it?" He looked across the room to see what Mom was doing. She was still talking to the second Sixer. He rose and wandered in that direction.

Alicia's attention faltered when Nathaniel entered her peripheral vision holding Jade. Now was not a good time as the Sixer was finally giving them places in the forest they had camps and several locations they found plants and roots for medicine. She held a hand up for him to stop. Jade started crying in earnest.

"Can you mark the locations on the map," Jim took over and Alicia shot him a grateful look as she motioned her husband to approach.

"I'll be right back," she rose and took Jade. Nathaniel followed her to the side room.

"Are you learning anything new?"

"Jena Moravitz, the Sixer we are talking to right now, is trying to work an exchange. She stays in the colony for all the information she possesses. Jim and I were going to tell you when you had a moment."

"Is she a threat?" He watched her pull her top up and unfasten her bra cup. Soon Jade was nursing happily and he liked the sight of her full breast pressing against his daughter knowing his baby was getting enough nourishment, unlike most babies in the future.

"No, she's only twenty five and hooked up with Mira for the riches. She now knows her bubble has been burst and she has nothing but hardship to return to. We gave her a definite maybe to see what she was willing to divulge. We are going to send teams out to verify everything she's saying before giving the final approval. We also told her you had the final say, but her cooperation would go a long ways to earn your affirmation."

"Sounds like you've got it under control. Tell her I've been informed and am considering it. What about the first woman?"

"She wants to return. She left two kids with her parents."

"You're doing a good job. Do you think them talking to you without me being an overbearing presence is helping?"

"No doubt, most of the Sixers are scared of you. Both women looked uncertainly in your direction when Shannon brought them in."

"I doubt the men will be so intimidated," he glanced over his shoulder. Can we meet in the food court for lunch?"

"Jena is the last interrogation this morning, then Jim and I'll talk and we can make that last until lunch," she smiled up at him from where she was reclining across the cot with her back against the wall and one booted heel on the edge of the bed.

He leaned over and stole a kiss before returning to the main area.

"Elliot, let me show you something," Nathaniel motioned for him to follow as he walked out onto the balcony and waited for Elliot to extract himself from his conversation with Ayani and Debora.

"Mind if we interrupt?" Debora stood near the opening where Alicia was feeding Jade. Ayani stood slightly behind Debora and took in the sight of Wash looking down at her daughter feeding at a breast with the sun shining through a window giving the scene a Madonna like appearance. She remembered hours with Lucas in that same position and the bonding they developed.

Alicia looked up and saw the two women hesitating to barge in. "Come in."

"I was showing Ayani the Command Center. This is where the Commander lived when they first arrived and got this building constructed."

"The rest of us spread out around the floor and the women took up residence in the jail," Alicia filled in more details. "The men lived on this floor. We didn't have the fence up before we decided we needed a secure area for us. We lost eight soldiers the first few days until we learned to build temporary staves pointed outward. This is Carno territory. Having a stone building over natural caverns helped. We moved into the caves the first night we came through the portal. Nathaniel was here for a hundred and eighteen days already and led us directly here when we finally got together again."

"Nathaniel told me what it was like for him alone all that time," Ayani replied. "What was it like on your end?"

Alicia thought a moment, "I was surprised he wasn't where we were when we first stepped into this time. Everyone was accounted for, but Nathaniel. I called him on my radio."

"Washington to Commander Taylor." There was no response so she repeated.

"Wash is that really you?" The voice of their Commander caused Lieutenant Tate to step closer and give Wash a weird look.

"Yes, Sir. You came through the portal about ten seconds before Lieutenant Tate, and I was third as planned. Where are you?"

"Let me get a lock on your location. Okay, I have it. You're five klicks north of me. Is everyone together?"

Alicia and Tate looked around, "We're all accounted for, but you."

"What's the terrain like where you're at?"

Alicia looked around, "We're in the trees. I've never seen the size of trees like this before, Sir."

"I think I know where you are. Do you see any hills?"

"No, just forest."

"I'll be there soon, stay put and post guards. If a dinosaur looks aggressive, shoot it, setting on kill."

"Yes Sir, Washington out." Tate gave orders for everyone to be alert and all personnel were hereby on guard duty until the Commander caught up with them.

Soon the air filled with a cacophony of sounds they'd never heard before and they pointed rifles in all directions.

A large birdlike creature floated over their heads and gasps filled the air.

"I only saw training footage of Pterosaurs," Boylan commented.

"Much more impressive in life," Alicia replied and watched until it was gone.

They waited for an hour and Nathaniel stepped from behind a tree with a huge smile on his face and his chest heaving from running five klicks. The looks on the faces of his soldiers he'd take to his grave he joked as he walked towards them, then stopped and took footage of his stunned troops.

"I came through the portal one hundred and eighteen days ago," was his second statement as he marched up to Alicia and Alex Tate.

"You look like it, going caveman on us?" Alex recovered enough to joke back with a motion to Nathaniel's longer hair and beard.

Alicia wrinkled her nose, "They don't have water for bathing here?"

He laughed, "I call it stink leaves. Mixed with mud, it covers my scent and the Nyco's don't find me quite so fast. Does that mean I don't get a hug," he opened his arms to Wash.

She took a step back, "For you it's been three months, for me a few seconds. I'll pass."

Nathaniel sobered and looked around at his people. He was more than happy to not be alone anymore and told them so, "I found a possible location for a colony not far from here and it has a few caves or rather cave-ins where underground rivers cut caverns in rock in the middle of a clearing in a couple places and the rest of the area is good soil. It'll provide building material we don't have to pack for stone buildings. Stone is the only structure that will endure against the predators." He led them to the present location of the colony. Unbeknownst to him, he was being taped also as he talked.

Alicia finished her story and looked at Jade who'd fallen asleep, still latched with her mouth to the nipple. Carefully she pulled Jade away and refastened her cup.

"Want me to take her?" Debora offered and took her to the crib when Wash nodded and scooted off the cot to rearrange her top upon standing.

Ayani wanted to make peace with Alicia and looked for an opening, "I think we got off on the wrong foot, Wash. I didn't mean to insinuate I loved Nathaniel more than you the other day." She noticed the diamond necklace and the mark of passion it did a poor job of hiding. "That's a beautiful necklace."

"A wedding present from Nathaniel. So are the earrings," she saw Ayani's gaze lift to look at the matching diamonds. She didn't know how to respond so kept quiet. If Ayani felt the need to apologize, she wanted to hear it.

Ayani continued, "I was out of line comparing my years of marriage to Nathaniel with what you have with him."

"Yes, you were." Alicia decided now was the best time to bring everything in the open and hopefully convince her to stop her pursuit of a married man. She looked at Debora, "Debora, I need a minute alone with Ayani, please."

"I'll see if I can help Jim, as I know Jena quite well," she quietly and with a natural grace glided from the room.

"Nathaniel told me that you came on to him in the future," Alicia started once they were alone.

Ayani nodded, but didn't look abashed, "I did, twice. It was like God gave me my true love back."

"Nathaniel loved his Ayani very much and grieved for years over her death. I never heard or saw him turn to another woman, paid or otherwise for comfort. When he chose me for his next wife, we were both ready, but with us being the command team it wasn't easy and our start was rocky, both when we first came through the portal and again after I was shot."

"But you wanted him?" Ayani asked the question and they locked gazes.

"I wanted him first to recognize my talents as a soldier and leader. Without that, there could be no relationship. I knew he wasn't over his wife so never let myself go in that direction," a small lie, but Ayani and even Nathaniel didn't need to know everything she felt towards him in the early years. "We spent a lot of time together and grew close as friends and that evolved into mutual love. It was different than you and Nathaniel and the love of youth, but I feel a deep love for him. We overcame obstacles and like you and Nathaniel, grew closer over the years. Our relationship started years ago and we added marriage last year to what we already had established."

Ayani wanted to ask if the relationship was sexual in nature, but restrained herself, "I'm glad he's found someone who is worthy of his love and I don't say that tritely, Wash. I was worried you married him for his position in the colony, to have influence over him and usurp authority over the colonist. You see, Nathaniel didn't talk about you when he first ended up in our time and we were left to speculate on the reasons. I drew the conclusion he married you only to discover you didn't love him in return, but married for power. Nathaniel is totally loyal to his wives and that I do know."

Alicia absorbed the information. So Nathaniel didn't talk about her or their marriage. "Did you ask him why he was silent about me?"

"Finally, after he was with me long enough to feel comfortable he spoke a little, but it was Elliot that got the most out of him. He confessed to him a deep love for you and called you his soul mate."

Alicia raised her eyebrows at that, but remained quiet.

"I will confess that hurt, but there is nothing I can do about his feelings. Elliot also told me that Nathaniel was more distraught when he thought you were dead than when I died. I'm sure Nathaniel told him that in confidence, but Elliot was attempting to show me I had no claim or hope of ever winning him back. After seeing the two of you together, I can't harm that type of love. I know you're a reserved person by nature, at least your younger version was, so getting you to put on a public display isn't you."

"So I have your word, no trouble?" Alicia wanted her to say it.

"I give you my word, besides Elliot is also a fine specimen of a man and he's available. I'm taking advantage of this beautiful world to do some courting of my own. Nathaniel told Elliot a walk in your moonlight would put us in the mood. That was an understatement," Ayani smiled at the kisses she exchanged with Elliot.

"Nathaniel proposed at a place called Snakehead Falls," Alicia thought that was the most romantic place nearby.

"Jim showed us the falls, absolutely breathtaking. Nathaniel proposed willingly to you? I had to drag a proposal out of him and he made it sound like taking the garbage out when he proposed to me," Ayani complained.

Alicia laughed, "He told me you had to all but propose to him."

"What got him to do the deed was me telling him I was accepting a job across the country."

"He's improved a lot from those days. He set up a romantic dinner complete with tiki torches and the best wine Boylan had to offer."

"Now I'm jealous," Ayani spoke with light humor. "I'm glad for the years I had with my Nathaniel, but like he told me more than once, it's time to move on. Wash, I want to be your friend and am very sorry my presence has caused you angst."

"I was afraid you'd steal him away," Alicia just couldn't share her personal insecurities about not measuring up to being the wife of the great Nathaniel Taylor and would play this overture of friendship cautiously.

"If you showed one iota of not wanting him with all your heart, I'd have made the biggest play for him of any woman ever, in any timeframe." Ayani paused to catch her breath, "What I see is a woman who is his perfect companion here. You have many friends, as I found out this morning. Everyplace Debora and I went, when they found out who I was, the people all mentioned how happy they were you were his wife and what a great leader you were in your own right. I don't think I could ever fill your shoes with the colonist; they love you."

"I would like us to be amicable while you're here," Alicia agreed.

"What I really came for, believe it or not, was to see Lucas. Nathaniel shared some of his troubles with me about Lucas. I know you have a grudge against him, but he sounds like a boy that took a wrong turn. Before irreparable judgment is passed, I would like to work with him and see if I can't help one last ditch effort to change him."

Alicia weighed Ayani's words carefully, "I don't think grudge is the right word. I don't trust him and now have a child he's perfectly capable of harming, to think of first. The term is total distrust. I don't see myself altering my opinion no matter what type of show he puts on or remorse he pretends to exhibit."

"I may not have been here, but looking from the outside in, I see a troubled young man that can be saved."

Alicia shook her head, "I doubt Nathaniel told you everything. I will. Lucas is a con artist. He lay on the ground pleading with his father that Somalia wasn't his fault. That caught Nathaniel off guard. He told me that he told him, 'Of course it's not your fault.' Lucas then got up and hugged his father. As soon as Nathaniel raised his arms to hug him back, Lucas stuck that knife that his own father gave him, to the hilt. Then his voice changed and he snarled into his father's ear, 'You arrogant fool.' For that act alone, I will do everything in my power to see him punished."

"Because he stabbed the man you were in love with," a cold statement from Ayani.

Alicia responded just as coldly, "The physical wound healed, but Nathaniel will take the hurt to his grave that his son really does hate him and that's a pain I can't repair or help him with."

"I'm asking Nathaniel to let him return with me and serve his sentence in a prison instead of the anguish I know he'd feel and take to his grave of being the instrument in his son's death."

"I hear Golad's nice this time of year," Alicia smirked.

"He's the closest thing I have left to a child and you do understand that I have to try," Ayani softened her tone considerably.

Alicia softened as well and nodded, "Being a mother, I do understand. There's nothing I wouldn't do for my daughter and I've only known her a few days."

Nathaniel looked around the Command Center when he and Elliot returned from a tour of the eye. "Where's Wash and Ayani?" he asked Debora.

"They're in the back talking," she pointed. "I'm going to go home. I promised to make lunch for Jacob."

It took Nathaniel a moment, then he grinned, "So its Jacob now is it?"

"He's been hanging around to see his daughter since he returned, that's all."

"Didn't you have supper with him last night?" Nathaniel continued his teasing. "I didn't see Tasha anyplace near him."

"I'll see you after lunch," she left with a smile.

Both men exchanged an amused look and headed together to see what the women were doing. Stopping in the entryway, they saw the women at the crib talking softly while Alicia put a blue sundress on the baby. Nathaniel let out his breath, relieved they weren't at each other's throats. With a forced smile he stepped into the area, "Hon, are you not ready to return to work?" he crossed to Alicia and wrapped his arms around her.

"Well, the doctor did order me to take a week off and you screwed that up so I'm putting myself on light duty." She smiled as his lips landed on her neck and he pulled her against him.

"I ran into the committee organizing the party for Saturday and they want permission for fireworks. I told them to meet with you. They'll be by this afternoon."

"I can manage that. How's Jim doing with Jena?"

"She's gone. Debora is cooking for Jacob now so went home," he heard his wife laugh.

"I didn't realize we talked so long. Ayani wants to talk to you about Lucas."

Nathaniel looked at Ayani for the first time. She was standing close to Elliot with her hand on his arm. "Can't stay away from the baby, can you girls?" he joked.

"We were discussing who she was going to take after in personality," Ayani replied.

"Me, of course. She slept all night like me," Nathaniel grinned down at his wife.

"She did not sleep all night, you did."

He laughed, "I'm blaming you for that." He let his lips find hers.

"I think we better leave them alone," Elliot reminded them they had company.

Reluctantly Nathaniel lifted his head, "Meet for lunch in half an hour?" He spoke only to his wife.

When she nodded, he let her go and turned to Ayani, "Take a walk with me and let me hear your pitch concerning Lucas." He turned to Elliot, "Shannon and Wash can fill you in on how to treat enemies that might invade your colony." Without waiting for a reply, he motioned Ayani to follow him.

They walked outside the open gate towards the trees side by side and were seen by the guards to be having an animated discussion with hand waving and an occasional raised voice.

"He'll play you like a cheap fiddle," Nathaniel yelled in frustration. "There's not a prison that can hold him. If he escapes, he'll find a way back here. Oh, it might not be for a decade, but I won't rest easy knowing he's not under my control."

"If my future agrees to incarcerate him for life instead of death, where I can visit with him, will you turn him over to me?"

"No, not you. I'm not the only one affected here. He's gotten in with some bad people and I know they exist in your future. I will be bringing certain destruction upon you."

"You talk like he's a Hitler or Stalin or Amanni."

"Not yet, but he's young," Nathaniel replied. "He has one goal, to kill me and destroy this place we've built."

"More's the reason to put eighty five million years between the two of you. What's the harm in letting Elliot intercede on my behalf to our government? I believe he can be useful, even in prison. If he's as smart as you claim, he'll make a great teacher."

"Ayani, he has an amoral soul; he's a bruit beast, made for the slaughter. I am to blame for how he turned out no doubt about it. Somewhere he needed me and I wasn't there for him."

Ayani put a hand on his arm as they turned and slowly worked back to the colony, "Don't blame yourself for his attitude, Nathaniel. He carries most of the blame for his decisions, not you. I'm not excusing what he did, but pleading for his life."

The sonic boom caused Ayani to let out a scream and Nathaniel drew his pistol in record time and looked around. Bearing down on them at a full run was a large male Carnosaur.

"Damn," Nathaniel looked for safety and found none. "Run for the colony, I'll keep it entertained."

On legs shaking with fear, Ayani, with a burst of adrenalin sped for safety as another sonic boom shattered the otherwise beautiful day.

Nathaniel moved in front of the beast, waved his arms and yelled. He took aim and saw a chunk of hide fly off in one direction and the Carno let out a roar of pain and anger and focus on him. He knew there was no way he could make the trees and planned on throwing himself between the legs with hopefully a shot to the underbelly where they were the softest. With luck, he'd get a kill shot in and hope the tail didn't kill him as retribution.

A rover slid to a stop between him and the Carno and he took two leaping jumps and landed on the running board. He knew who was at the wheel without looking; his wife. She was one of the craziest daredevils outside of him for rushing headlong into danger. The Carno's next step would have collided with the rover that didn't hang around to be a target. With ease, Nathaniel sheathed his pistol and got a firm grip on the roll bar. Alicia slowed down and he scooped a running Ayani up with one arm and pulled her to him in a vice grip. He heard more sonic explosions as they made the gate and his wife applied breaks leaving skid marks just inside the gate. He heard Shannon yelling for the gate to close and they were safe.

Elliot was at his side immediately and took a shaking Ayani off the running board. She let him hold her and hadn't been so frightened since Somalia.

Nathaniel leaned over and grinned at his wife, "Nice save, Wash."

"You're not getting out of diaper duty that fast, Mister. I have to move the rover," his cue to get off.

"Lunch time already? Playing with Carno's always makes me hungry," he had stepped off and was talking into the open window as she was moving. He stopped and turned to Elliot when he heard her "Alright, lunch it is."

With a grin, he stopped before them and Shannon joined the group. "You okay?" Nathaniel rested his hand on Ayani's shoulder.

"Nathaniel, I was unprepared for your local wildlife," she tried to laugh it off.

"We were inside talking when without warning that damn sonic went off," Elliot told him his version. "Wash was out the door before Jim and I could get to our feet. She took one look and we got outside in time to see her jumping into her rover and taking off at a breakneck speed. I thought she was going to run Ayani down, she passed her so close."

"I saw her coming and wasn't sure she'd seen me," Ayani added. "Her trajectory was designed to just miss me as she didn't serve."

"I saw you and had a direct line to Nathaniel. I've missed people by less," Alicia joined them with Jade in her arms.

"Are you alright?" Elizabeth joined the group, having watched the rescue from where she ran to the gate. She zeroed in on Alicia.

"Why wouldn't I be?" Alicia thought she was talking to Ayani and just happened to be looking in her direction, but the doctor never gave Ayani a glance and looked sternly at her.

"That baby is not even a week old. I don't need you tearing something inside that I have to repair." Elizabeth, satisfied her friend would be all right, turned to Ayani, "I'm sure you'll have bruises from being manhandled. After lunch, stop by the Infirmary and I'll look you over."

"I've been bruised by a Nathaniel before," Ayani politely refused the fuss. "I'm fine and do not like being the center of attention." She was conscious that a small crowd had gathered and was staring at her.

Nathaniel reached over and took the diaper bag, "Lunch."