A few hours later at Kate's house,

"Olivia Giselle Washington get your naked backside back in here now" Evan said as Olivia ran out of the bathroom while he turned his back for one second. He really should have learned with Sean but then he had Lena to tag team with then. He heard Olivia giggle as she was running around the living area without a care in the world. He half wished he had a camera for this moment and half wished Olivia could have skipped the Naked stage entirely. He ran out of the room just in time to see Kate grab Olivia and pick her up off the floor before closing the front door.

"Hello there, now where you running off to fuzz guts?" Kate asked Olivia as the little girl giggled and squirmed in Kate's arms trying to get away. Evan decided he's ignore Kate calling his daughter 'fuzz guts' as the woman caught Olivia before she did a nudie run down the main road.

"The naked phase has started" Kate said in an ominous tone as she held Olivia out as the little girl continued to squirm and giggle like they were playing a game.

"Yeah, any advice?" Evan asked.

"My brother used duct tape so my nephew couldn't pull his shirt and pants off. I advise that as a last ditch effort otherwise anything with buttons that closes at the back. Didn't Sean go through this stage?" Kate asked.

"Yeah we just bought him a huge onsie and put it on backwards so he couldn't get out of it. You mind holding her while I clother her. She's more livelier than a worm" Evan said

"Sure" Kate said Evan looked relieved at the offer and directed her to the couch. "Where's Sean?" Kate asked out of curiosity as they sat down.

"He's playing in his room luckily he's not as difficult as Olive here. Hey where's your monkey?" Evan asked as he managed to get the nappy and legging on. He disappeared into a room and came back with the dress to cover Olivia's top half.

"At Alicia's, asleep on plant in the living room. I just came home for a quick shower and to get changed." Kate told him.

"You just leave him places?" Evan asked.

"Yeah, I'm not he's keeper. If he disappeared for longer than 48 hours he has a tracker so I can find him if I have to but at the end of the day he's an animal he shouldn't be reliant on me forever" Kate said.

"Makes sense" Evan said as he and Kate pulled the soft royal blue cotton dress onto Olivia. Kate did the buttons on the back up. "Done! Let's see how you get yourself out this dress" Evan said to Olivia who pouted and lifted the dress skirt up in protest as she babbled her disapproval.

"You could just let her run wild and naked let her get it out of her system" Kate said.

"Oh no Olivia has to learn naked time is in the bathroom or in the privacy of her bedroom not the living room or the great outdoors. Don't ya kiddo otherwise you'll get sunburnt on your backside and it won't be fun now will it?" Evan told Olivia. Kate laughed as she got up from the lounge.

"I'll be ready in ten but if you want to go on ahead to Alicia's then you can" Kate said.

"No we'll wait" Evan said.

"Taylor isn't expected to be home for another 20 minutes" Kate told him.

"We'll still wait for you" Evan said, Kate smiled in amusement not saying anything more as she moved to her bedroom to grab some clothes.

15 minutes later, Kate and Evan were in the kitchen while Sean and Olivia monopolised Alicia's attention as they played a game of go fish. Of course Olivia had no clue what the game was about so she kept calling out Alicia's cards as she identified the numbers, jacks and queens etc. Evan was grateful as it meant Olivia wasn't stripping her cotton dress off and running around the place naked.

He felt nervous at having to play the dutiful brother in law and play nice with Taylor. It was easier to pretend he cared about the man when Taylor wasn't in the room and the two carefully avoided one another for the past month. Now Alicia was putting them into the same room for a meal, how it was going to end up was anyone's guess.

"Just relax" Kate told Evan in a low voice as she helped him pull the roast out of the oven and cover it to allow the meat to rest.

"Don't I look it?" Evan asked trying to be a casual as Kate he had to admit she was one smooth operator as he knew she was wearing a calm and causal façade.

"No you look like you're the weakest link. All you have to do is pretend he's your best friend for two hours then excuse yourself as the kids need to go home and go to bed" Kate told him in a low voice.

"That was the plan" Evan murmured to her.

"Good, so just relax" Kate told him.

Taylor gave a sigh and rolled his shoulders back giving them a good stretch before he entered the house. Today had been a very trying day and he had a headache for his troubles. So he was definitely ready to relax the evening away with Alicia. His wish for a quiet evening with Alicia was dispelled as soon as he opened the door and was assaulted with the noise of small children and lively chatter.

"Hey! Welcome home" Alicia said as she moved from her seat to him. She greeted him with a quick kiss.

"We have guests" Taylor said as he looked at the two kids and Evan in his house. Kate, he thought of as family so he wasn't irked by her appearance.

"We have family" Alicia corrected him. She narrowed her eyes at him wondering why he was acting like she asked Boylan to dinner. "Come I think it's time you were properly introduced to your nephew and niece" Alicia told him as she grabbed his hand and dragged him to the table.

Malcolm's eyes felt gritty and dry as he slowly opened them, he gave a cough as he was parched for water. He looked around in the soft yellow glow of the infirmary and knew immediately he was in Terra Nova.

He racked his brain wondering how long he had passed out as he was hooked up to IV and vital monitors it seemed like an overkill for a person who just walked through the portal.

He inwardly groaned as this was not the first impression he had wanted to make with Commander Taylor or his subordinates. Who would respect a men who fainted upon arrival, actually he didn't remember anything past walking through the portal but still it would not bode well.

"Dr Wallace?" Malcolm was broken out of his reverie when a nurse called hi attention.

"Yes" he rasped, his voice felt so unused.

"It's good to see you awake, I'm going to go get Dr Shannon" She said, disappearing before Malcolm could ask for a glass of water. A second later, Elisabeth appeared to his surprise.

"Elisabeth?" he said as he looked at her, she had changed but she was still beautiful as ever. He was amazed after all these years she still affected him deeply and he rued the way they had parted in fact he had planned to get himself established then look her up and recruit her to Terra Nova but apparently someone else had beaten him to the punch.

"Yes Malcolm, it's good to see you still recognise me" Elisabeth joked as she came to his bedside. The nurse came back with ice chips and Malcolm helped himself to a few enjoying the feel of melted water.

"Yeah it's been years, you look really well" he said with a smile as he looked at her. Elisabeth gave him an odd look.

"Years?" she asked him as she moved to the monitor and checked his Monitor and IV before pulling out her penlight.

"Yeah I had no idea you'd be here. I didn't even see your name on colony manifest" Malcolm said with a frown as he didn't remember there being any other Elisabeth on the list except for a private who was part of the military contingent.

"Malcolm can you answer a few questions for me?" Elisabeth asked.

"Sure" Malcolm said blinking at the penlight as Elisabeth checked his pupil reactions. She asked him various questions about himself mostly about his studies and how they met, what were the last things he remember etc very easy questions though he couldn't remember the last few days before blacking out very well. His impressions of Hope Plaza were vague and the meetings he went to before heading through the portal all fuzzy. He knew he had been there and talked with many people before leaving but it wasn't as crisp as the rest of his memories were.

All the while asking him to move limbs and digits checking his motor responses before making him lay still for scans after about 20 minutes of talking.

"Why are we going to so much effort if I passed out?" Malcolm asked as Elisabeth pulled up a stool and sat down. He wondered why she wasn't running more scans and why she looked distinctly uncomfortable.

"You didn't pass out Malcolm, you were in a coma" Elisabeth said.

"A coma?" he said completely taken off guard as he hadn't expected her to say that. "For how long?" he asked.

"Nearly 6 weeks" Elisabeth told him, he ran a hand down his face and frowned as he facial hair was gone and he had light day's stubble. Not only had he missed 6 weeks on his job his beard was gone and his head of hair it was definitely not a good way to wake up.

"What happened to me?" he asked, Elisabeth proceeded to tell him how there had been a storm and the building he had been in had collapsed and how he had been injured.

"Olivia" Evan warned his daughter as the little girl was tugging on her clothes as she sat next to Kate. Olivia stopped fidgeting and picked up her spoon and dug up a small portion of roasted pumpkin mush and ate it. He noted Taylor watching the exchange and wondered if the old man was judging his children and his parenting style.

Luckily Sean was on his best behaviour if one thought conversing in French was not inappropriate at the dinner table. Alicia told Sean to speak in English or that's what Evan assumed as Sean started talking in English which made the awkwardness subside. Olivia on the other hand was like a yo-yo. One minute she would be behaving and the next she'd get fidgety which was the precursor to some kind of Olivia version of mayhem.

"Redheads are trouble, it's only going to get worse" Kate said with a smile as she pushed a bean on her plate. She had eaten half of what Alicia piled on her plate. Dinner so far had been incredibly awkward. Taylor was unusually quiet and a vein in his neck pulsed which could only mean he was really pissed off that Alicia surprised him but decided to be polite in saying nothing. Alicia made up for his lack of social manners as she, Evan and Kate tried to make the best of the dinner so the kids didn't think something was wrong or believe that Taylor didn't like them.

"Thanks for the warning I assume you were a terror as a kid?" Evan asked Kate.

"The worst but my brothers made me look tame in comparison" Kate told him as she took a sip of her tea.

"Taylor was a redhead when I first met him" Alicia said with a smile trying to draw Taylor into the conversation hoping he would share someof his antics with his brother.

"Really?" Kate asked in amusement. Taylor inclined his head.

"I was until Alicia made me go grey" Taylor said. Alicia rolled her eyes.

"I did not make you go grey. It was the 30 plus years in military service that made you grey" Alicia told him. Kate's comm. unit buzzed on the bench and Taylor looked at Kate as she cringed knowing he didn't like comm. units to be turned on during meal times.

"Sorry I'm on call" Kate said as she got up from her seat and picked up the comm. before stepping out the front door to take the call. Once the door was closed silence fell on the table again and Alicia looked between her brother with an apologetic look and her husband giving him the 'talk or I'll make your life miserable' look.

"So Evan, how's the work progressing on the terminus?" Taylor asked hoping to appease his wife even though he had a raging headache.

"Slowly, I've been talking with a couple of the fabricators to get parts made but it's going to take time as we don't have the materials required to make some of the parts in the Colony" Evan said.

"I'm sure a team could be assembled to find the resources" Alicia said.

"It can be arranged, I'll talk to the fabricators and see what they need" Taylor said, the front door opened and Kate popped her head in.

"Sorry to interrupt but I have to go" Kate told them.

"You need back up?" Taylor asked her hoping he might escape the dinner.

"No, it's the infirmary. Malcolm's awake. I need to go" she said they all understood completely and Alicia could see a weight was lifted from Kate's shoulders in just knowing Malcolm was awake.

"Of course, go ahead and tell Malcolm it's about time he woke up" Alicia told her. Kate smiled as she closed the door. Awkward silence fell at the table as Alicia once again hoped Taylor would become his charming self she knew he was but instead he looked down at his plate and continue to eat his second helping. She wondered what his problem was. Sure the kids were a little unruly. Well Olivia was unruly, Sean was perfectly behaved for a five year old. Speaking of Olivia Alicia thought as she noticed Olivia had disappeared from the table.

"Dad" Sean said tugging on the sleeve of his father's shirt.

"Yeah?" Evan asked.

"Olivia's stuck in her dress" Sean said trying not to laugh as the adults had completely missed the two year old sliding off her chair and disappearing to the lounge area where she currently was by the couch with her dress up around her head and her pudgy hands trying desperately to pull it off but because of the buttons and the material having no give it appeared she was stuck. She was making noises of annoyance as she tried to get the dress off as she moved around smacking into the furniture mainly the soft furniture.

Evan and Alicia laughed at first until Olivia smacked her head into the coffee table and started wailing and then Evan jumped up from his seat to his daughter picking her up off the floor where she was currently having her little crying jag with the dress still up around her head and arms.

"Awwh Olive you are such a goose" Evan cooed in a sympathetic voice as he righted the dress and lifted Olivia up into his arms she latched onto him crying as she buried her little face into his neck. Crying about what he assumed to be the injustices of buttons and their interference with her want to be naked. Alicia was still laughing as it had been funny to watch and even Taylor smiled.

"Laugh it up. You guys are having two girls in one go. You won't find it funny chasing two naked kids around the colony" he told them.

"So let me get this straight. I've forgotten nearly 6 years of my life, you're married to the sheriff with three kids and I'm engaged to a woman I don't remember" Malcolm stated as this was not what he had expected Elisabeth to tell him. She had told him to rest but he wanted to know why she was acting so awkwardly and pushed her until she told him.

"Yes" Elisabeth told him. Her being married was a definite surprise and disappointment to him as he had hoped maybe he had a chance with her. "Her name is Kate, she's a beautiful woman" she told him.

"What is her field of study?" Malcolm asked.

"She's a deputy, she works with my husband" Elisabeth said she didn't like the calculative tone in his voice like he was already sizing her up to a list of qualities.

"A deputy" he said in an unimpressed tone, he figured he would always marry someone who had similar interests to him, a scientist who was just as equally as brilliant as he was not a woman who carried a gun and upheld the law. Whil being an officer of the law was an honourable profession it didn't take a genius to do it or at least that was his opinion. It wasn't his ideal woman but then his ideal woman was married and deeply, happily entrenched in her life with the kids she always wanted that he refused to give her which led to them breaking up.

"Before that she was in construction, she has a degree with honours in Mechanical Engineering and a diploma in Languages" Elisabeth said as she felt she needed to prove Kate was intelligent as she could tell Malcolm wasn't impressed with what he had heard so far. That and she felt she'd save some things for him and Kate to talk about and she could see Malcolm was balking at the idea of being engaged to someone who wasn't a scientist. He'd probably have a fit when he found out she used to be a soldier as Malcolm was a pacifist who disliked the military intensely in his youth.

Something that must have mellowed out of him in the past 5 years living and working closely with Taylor or that's what Elisabeth assumed as he never made any bones about the military like he used to. But that was all gone the man lying in the bed was the same man Elisabeth knew from over 18 years ago and if anything he was more pretentious if his current deportment was anything to go by.

"What exactly do I have in common with her?" Malcolm asked as he watched Elisabeth pull out her comm. unit and start typing a message.

"Malcolm, you and Kate are very private couple. You don't do the hideously cutsey things like gush about eachother's habits and what you both like. You like what you have and feel no need to prove it to anyone, it's well known you are both well suited and are very happy together and very much in love. Do you think you'd ask her to marry you if you didn't feel strongly about her?" Elisabeth asked as she sent a message to her husband as she had overheard one of the nurses calling Kate and knew the last thing Kate needed was for Malcolm to treat her like a second rate human being because she didn't meet his precious standards.

Kate walked as casually as she could to the infirmary as she smiled. Malcolm was awake and it looked like finally her evening was going to turn good. She was also glad for the escape from 'family' dinner as it had been incredibly awkward apparently Taylor didn't get the memo to act like he cared for Evan and the kids even just a smidgen for Alicia's sake. She knew they had a 'no lies' policy but there had to be some grey areas. Taylor really needed to find his before he was sleeping in the guest bedroom.

She barely made it to the Infirmary entry when Jim jumped into her way blocking her path. He was slightly out of breath as though he had run all the way from his house. He took a moment to catch his breath before looking at Kate who was giving him an odd look.

"Where's the fire?" Kate asked him with a smile.

"You're the fire" He said.

"Me? what have I done?" Kate asked defensively.

"You can't go in there" he told her.

"Why not? A nurse called me and said Malcolm is awake" Kate said her early relief was replaced with worry as to why Jim would run to stop her from going in. It had to be bad.

"Yeah she didn't get the ok from Elisabeth before she called you" Jim said.

"Is something wrong?" Kate asked him.

"Not that I know of, so let's go have tea at my house and wait for Elisabeth there" Jim said as he placed a hand on her shoulder.

"No, just tell me what it is" Kate said folding her arms. Jim pulled his Comm. unit from his pocket and opened the message his wife had sent him.

"I only know this" Jim said as he showed her the message on his comm.

"Malcolm unfit to be seen will explain in an hour, divert Kate to home for tea now xo" Kate read out loud. Jim pocketed the comm. device.

"See, so come on Maddy made lime meringue pie. You can have a slice while I finish my dinner" Jim said, Kate looked at the infirmary wanting desperately to see Malcolm but knew it would be easier to just go with the flow and it wouldn't look good having the sheriff go head to head with his deputy.

"Fine, let's go" Kate said.

An hour and half later, Alicia and Taylor said goodbye to Evan and the kids as Olivia was becoming increasingly fussy as it was nearing her bedtime and there was a routine to be maintained which needed the environment of Kate's home to settle down. Alicia was sure her brother just wanted to escape. She didn't blame him as her husband was less than stellar company. She knew he wasn't a fan of surprises but she thought he would at least put some effort in being sociable and then chew her out for springing it on him.

"You were awfully quiet this evening" Alicia remarked as Taylor packed away the last of the dishes into the dishwasher.

"I'm exhausted and have a headache can we pick this up later" Taylor said, he had to say his performance tonight had not been stellar but he had little energy to put on a show.

"No because Kate was exhausted and she managed to be sociable. I get you don't like surprises but my brother and his kids have been in Terra Nova for 5 weeks and every time I try to organise a family dinner you're never there which now I know was on purpose" Alicia said.

"Alicia" Taylor said in a trying tone.

"No, don't 'Alicia' me I want to know why you don't want to know my family" Alicia demanded she was tired of not knowing why Taylor avoided her brother and his kids. Evan looked reluctant but she thought perhaps it was due to the fact that his kids weren't perfect and there was a stigma that Commander Taylor like perfection. Sure he liked it from his soldiers but not children or civilians.

"I know your family already" he told her.

"No you don't, and you were disapproving the whole evening. That's right I didn't miss that look you shot Evan when Sean spoke French at the dinner table or how you were annoyed Olivia was getting fussy" Alicia told him, she couldn't help but vent her angery

"The kid has a set of lungs and did I mention I have a headache?" he asked as he had no patience for this conversation.

"Then you should have excused yourself to the bathroom and taken a couple of analgesics and come back being the charming man I know you can be instead this moody grouch" Alicia said she had felt the dinner was an important introduction and step to what she wanted to be a weekly thing like how her family used to have dinner every Sunday. She wouldn't blame Evan if he didn't want to have dinner at her place again.

"You shouldn't get so upset about this it's just a dinner I'll do better at the next one"

"Like you'll even come to the next one" she said baiting him.

"It's been a busy month, I've been overseeing the science department along with all my other duties as I don't trust any of the scientists to stand in for Malcolm. I'm a lieutenant down and Baz is itching to go OTG for more supplies. I'm tired and I have a headache the size of Asia can we have this discussion another time" he told her.

"No I can't because I'm angry with you and you are trying to placate me than tell me the real reason why you've been actively avoiding my brother" Alicia said.

"It doesn't matter" he said as he rubbed his temples.

"It does! I've been getting this sinking feeling that you and Evan are keeping something from me. So tell me what it is" Alicia demanded.

"I don't know what you're talking about" he said being obtuse.

"Yes you do! We said we'd never lie to one another and right now you are lying to me" she said tears prickling her eyes as she didn't know what hurt more that he was lying to her now or that he didn't have the guts to just say he didn't like her brother and be done with it.

"It's not important"

"Bullshit it's not important. I want my family to get along is that so hard?" she asked him.

"Yes, it is that hard. If you weren't so blind to who your brother was and knew the truth then you would understand and not be so forgiving. He hasn't changed and him breaking his word is proof of that. He's still a screw up and it's only a matter of time until he messes up" Taylor said he hadn't meant for the words to slip out but they did. Alicia reared back at his words.

"Excuse me? What truth?"

"Forget it"

"What are you referring to? tell me Nathaniel" Alicia said in a firm tone.

"No I won't tell you not now"

"Why not?"

"Because you're supposed to be relaxing, not getting worked up about the past. You're pregnant for christ's sake can you just follow your doctor's orders instead digging up old bones!" He said as he closed the dishwasher door and turning it on.

"What did you do?" she asked him.

"What did I do? Perhaps you should ask your brother what he did! instead of putting it all on me. I'm the one who protected you and covered for your brother. While he walked away to save his own skin from the being shot a traitor to his country. You happy?!" he asked her. Angry and frustration that had been pent up for years about Evan and Alicia because she had no control over her family came out as he lost his control.

"What?" Alicia asked in disbelief.

"Your Brother was a secessionist who stole your military ID and got caught trying to access the military core obviously to download classified information to disseminate on the public core. Something you know as well as I do that is considered treason" Taylor continued.

"No, he wouldn't have done that" Alicia said shaking her head in disbelief.

"He did and luckily he was caught before he did any serious damage but still he would have been branded a traitor if I didn't step in and clean up his mess because lord knows if I hadn't you would have tossed out of the military because you allowed him to take your ID and it would be assumed you told him where to go to access the core. What's worse is if the DA found out about it you could have been named as an accomplice and been charged which is also punishable with the death penalty. I protected you from him and he gave up his friends and promised to get out of your life and never come back like I said he can't keep a promise that's for sure. Now I have to pretend to be happy around him until he screws up again" Taylor told her bitterly.

"You told my brother to walk away"

"You have had a stellar military career-" his sentence was cut off as Alicia slapped him.

"You think I care about my career? Let's not be disillusioned I was never going to be promoted past lieutenant, I've already been passed over three times. I'll never be a Major or a Lieutenant Commander thanks to Ellyas and the black mark he left on my record no matter how hard I work" Alicia said as she breath shortened as her emotions of shock, betrayal and anger rolled through her. She moved to the table and sat down as the tears rolled down her face.

"I would promote you" Taylor told her.

"Oh yeah like everyone will believe that promotion was given because I deserve it. One day you'll have to promote someone over me otherwise you're showing preference to your wife" Alicia scoffed as she felt her anger evaporate but she still couldn't

"You said you didn't want to be promoted" Taylor said confused as they had talked about her future in Terra Nova career wise. She wasn't ready to give up her career but she said she didn't want to be promoted unless she earned it and handing a promotion along with a wedding ring smacked of favouritism and she didn't want that to be.

"I don't now, my priorities have changed but in the past I did. I've spent 18 years in service, I got a fruit salad of medals and have watched men of lesser skills with no honour be promoted above me. You don't think that left me sore?" she asked him.

"You never said anything" he said. It was the first time he had heard her sound disappointed with her career.

"Why should I? You don't control the Promotion boards. You're the one who reccommended me they were the ones who shot me down" she said shaking her head tears streaming down her face as she couldn't be bothered controling the outflow of emotions. "Anyway I've volunteered enough of myself to the Military. I want more out of my life but 10 years ago I lost my brother and when he left a rift was created in my family and never understood why. I've been trying for those 10 years to mend the bridges with him. You knew I was trying to find him, trying to get in touch with him and you lied to me , you said nothi- Oh" Alicia stopped as she felt a tightening along with a sharp pain in her abdomen. She placed her hands on her stomach and groaned as the pain continued.

"Alicia? What is it? What's wrong? Talk to me" Taylor demanded as he knelt down in front of her.

"I don't know, sweet mother-" Alicia didn't finish as a mewling whimper escaped her lips as the pain spiked again, harder. She closed her eyes tight and heard Taylor calling the infirmary telling them they were on their way.

TBC~ Yes I'm Evil but I will update this week with more to get back on track.. so not too evil :-P