A/N: Yay! Update! Sorry for my tardiness *inserts excuses of weddings and scatterbrain and tumblr taking over .. in here*... Thank you for your patience and reviews! Enjoy the update!

"Ok, yeah of course Malcolm and I will stay with the kids while you wait for Alicia to wake up." Kate said over her comm. She sat Ava on her hip and walked around the house the movement seemed to quieten the little girl down as she had woken up crying. Kate figured it was the fact that Ava knew Kate and Malcolm were not her parents and she wanted her real mother and father.

"It could take all night. Is that Ella?" Taylor asked as Ava made a whingy noise as Kate had stopped moving for a mere second disturbing Ava's version of serenity.

"No, Ava she woke up half hour ago. She's fine just a little fussy" Kate assured him on her comm. amazed he could hear the baby as she continued swaying on the spot with Ava on her arm like a Koala.

"Where's Malcolm?" Taylor asked.

"He's cooking dinner, you want to talk with him?" Kate asked as Malcolm looked over his shoulder at the mention of his name.

"No, you sure you two can handle the twins?"

"Yes. We'll be fine, just keep us posted on Alicia's progress" Kate said as she moved around the house.

"Will do, Taylor out"

Kate placed the comm. unit on the dining table and walked over to Malcolm with a smile as he was cooking a stir fry at the stove top. He noted her presence and looked down at Ava like she were a ticking time bomb which made Kate want to laugh.

"Everything alright with Alicia?" he asked.

"Yeah, they were able to flush the toxin from her system before it did any permanent damage. Taylor wants to stay with her until she wakes up and asked if we'd take care of the twins for the night. You don't mind do you?" Kate asked him as she swayed on her feet staying in one spot she was glad she wasn't one prone to motion sickness otherwise she would not be in a happy place.

"Of course I don't mind" he said as stirred the ingredients in the pan.

"You ok?" Kate asked him as she ran her free hand down his arm. He seemed to be deep in thought about something and she wished fervently she could know what was on his mind.

"Perfectly fine and to be honest I'm glad we're here than at our place" he said.

"I'm sorry" she said.

"Stop apologising. We'll be fine and dinner will be ready in 5 minutes" he informed her.

Alicia stirred awake a few hours later and felt like she had been hit by a transport truck her body felt so heavy and sore. She looked around noting vaguely it was night time and she was in the infirmary. Then she remembered what happened she tried to sit up but felt hands on her shoulders gently pushing her back down.

"Relax, you're ok" She heard Taylor said and that's when her eyes focussed on him. She hadn't noticed he was standing over her in the low lighting until that moment.

"Wha-" She started to say but Taylor cut her off.

"You were poisoned with a paralytic drug. You'll be fine just a little sluggish for the next couple of days. So you have to take it easy" he told her.

"Where are the twins? And Kate is she ok?" She asked him as she hated it when he told her to 'take it easy'. She had nearly died and now she was in the infirmary and couldn't feel her toes and her other limbs were tingling like they had pins and needles.

"Kate's fine and the twins are safe at home with four guards, Kate and Malcolm" Taylor assured her as he moved closer to the bed so they could talk in low whispers.

"Malcolm? That's comforting" Alicia said dryly as she smiled to show she was joking.

"I see you haven't lost your sense of humour" Taylor said with a smile as he gazed at her.

"You should go home and be with them" Alicia said as she lifted her hand to nudge him only for Taylor to misinterpret it as he took it in his and interlaced their fingers. She sighed as the innocent gesture was more comforting than she thought.

"I'm not leaving you and the twins can live without us for one night. Anyway it will give Malcolm and Kate some practice" He said with a smile. Alicia nodded as she didn't have the energy to argue with him. He looked down at her with such genuine care she just wanted to bask in it as he stroked his thumb up and down her jaw line in a soothing manner with his free hand. "I was scared when the call came in and that you were being taken to the infirmary" he confessed.

"I hope you didn't come down on Kate too hard" Alicia said as she felt her insides warm at his confession. Taylor shook his head.

"No, It wasn't her fault. Anyway I wasn't going to tear her to pieces in her current state. She's taking it hard as it is with now being a target and that the perpetrator got into the house and planted the tea while Kate and Malcolm were asleep." Taylor told her, Alicia frowned as she truly felt for Kate. The woman prided herself on being able to protect herself and being invincible with her training to know someone crept into her house and poisoned her tea proved that she wasn't invincible.

"What are we going to do?" Alicia asked like she actually had an active role in what would happen the next few days. But she wanted to know.

"Kate and Malcolm's house will refitted with new security systems and all edible stuff tossed. Other than that there isn't much we can do until we catch the perpetrator" Taylor told her.

"Are we getting those upgrades?"

"Yes"

"Do we get to lose the guard detail?"

"No"

"But I'm not a target and neither are you"

"Not yet and I refuse to take the chance. Please don't argue with me about this" he said in a pleading voice.

"I know. Pick my battles carefully" Alicia told him.

"I love you Wash" he said sincerely as he leaned in and pressed a kiss to her temple, she gave another sigh as she wanted more. "I should go get a doctor" he said but Alicia shook her head.

"No, just stay with me" she told him.

"You got the wrong woman. Lt Washington has yet to be tried for her crimes" The young soldier said from his usual seat at the table as did the others while Caetano sat at the end of the table and held her head in her hands.

"Who cares they all end up guilty" The man with the knife said.

"There is a process" The older woman at the table said.

"She survived, so can we get back to the problem at hand" the meek woman said.

"Yes, our activities have become noticed. The sixers had banded together and now Deputy Renshaw has yet to be executed but now realises she is next. She will be prepared. Taylor will up security around her like she's made of precious metal" The young soldier said.

"Perhaps we should pull back and take a cooling period and allow everything to calm down. They don't know who we are or have any evidence to find us. I suggest we all break for a brief period and allow them to think the executions have finished." the meek woman said.

"Or we continue on and finish this. I can take the Deputy" the man with the knife said.

"I say put it to the vote. Those in favour of a cooling period" All hands went up except for one "Ok we have a cooling period I suggest at least a couple of weeks as it will give us time to regroup and think of a new attack strategy" The young soldier said.

"What about the Deputy?" the man with the knife asked.

"Her Execution is stayed for two weeks" The older woman said, the man with the knife scowled as he felt differently. He normally would have voiced his issue with an execution being stayed but decided it was time he took over the business of carrying out the executions as the others were too weak to see it through.

"Look who's a natural now" Kate said in a low voice as she watched Malcolm hold Ava and sway on his feet just as Kate had to keep the normally placid child content. She had dozed off after dinner on the lounge and woken up in the spare bedroom, it had been disorientating until she remembered where she was and got up to see what Malcolm was up to. She found him with Ava walking around the living area. She looked to the clock and noted she had been sleeping for roughly four hours and could only assume by his confidence that she had missed some diaper changes and a few good spews as Malcolm was wearing a different shirt.

"I like this one, she hasn't spewed on me yet" He told her with a smile as he noticed her watching him.

"'yet' being the operative word" Kate said with a chuckle as she came over to him and looked at little Ava who was desperately trying to stay awake but failing miserably as her tiny eyes were barely open and her eyes kept rolling like they wanted to go to sleep. Kate and Malcolm both knew if he stopped moving Ava would start crying.

"Well there is still the rest of the night and morning to go" he said when she looked back at him. He felt more confident learning the dos and don'ts of babies without someone around to witness especially Kate who was a baby whisperer.

"Fingers crossed she keeps herself contained on the vomit front?" Kate asked him as she moved to the kitchen and got herself a glass of water.

"Yes, anyway what are you doing up? You should be asleep. Are you feeling unwell?" he asked as he moved to the kitchen and placed a hand on her forehead checking her temperature.

"I'm fine, the wind woke me up" Kate said as she leaned into his hand. There was a gale blowing through the colony and the rustle of the leaves and a branch hitting the ground outside had woken her up. "Do I feel warm?" she asked him.

"No, you feel fine. Sorry, I'm just worried about you" he said as he started moving again due to Ava making small huffy noises when he stopped a signal she was going to get fussy.

"It's ok, do you want me to take over?" Kate asked.

"No, I've got the rhythm here" he said with a smug smile. Kate tilted her head and looked at Ava again but this time her little eyes were closed.

"I think she's asleep" Kate whispered as she wanted Malcolm to put the baby down and kiss her senselessy for a few minutes. She would have wondered how Taylor and Alicia managed to get a few hours of sleep and sexy time but remember their relationship was on the rocks which meant sexy time had been turned to sleep time. She hoped the two would make up and fast.

"She did that earlier but as soon as I put her down she made the huffy noises" Malcolm said as he continued to move. Kate gave him an amused smile.

"You mean you've been walking around since I feel asleep four hours ago?" she asked him.

"No just an hour. Ella spewed on me again" he said in a low voice.

"Ella ok?" Kate asked more concerned for the baby than the amusement of Malcolm being spewed on.

"Yeah I think so. She hasn't got a fever or anything and she wasn't distressed by it. So I think I just have that effect on her" Malcolm said, placed a hand over her mouth to cover her smile.

"I'm sure it has more to do with her developing stomach and oesophageal muscles than you" Kate said in an amused tone.

"I'm sick of lying around" Alicia said the next morning, she had woken up at 5am and an hour had passed and she was already bored. Taylor gave her an amused look. She shot him an annoyed look. "Can't you get a doctor and get me out of here" Alicia griped, she wanted to go home and see her girls and Kate.

"I can get you breakfast but Doc Shannon doesn't come on until 9am or would you prefer I got Dr Canzales?" Taylor asked, Alicia made a face as she hated Canzales with a passion. She once came in with a broken finger and he didn't bother looking at her finger before declaring it to be a sprain.

"No, but come on break me out of here. Kate would do it for me" Alicia said with a pout.

"I'm not Kate" Taylor told her, displeased to be compared to Kate.

"I know, I should of married her. She'd break me out of here in a heart beat, no questions asked." Alicia said matter of factorily.

"If you can get out of bed and walk to the door I'll carry you the rest of the way" he told her, Alicia's eyebrows rose at the challenge he issued. She pulled the blanket off her legs and slowly swung her legs over the bed and slid to her feet. Her body allowed her to get to her feet. She stood up and looked up at Taylor who was standing beside her.

Alicia took a deep breath before she let go of the bed for support she barely took a step when her legs gave out but Taylor caught her before she even began to fall and pulled her up against him.

"Tell me exactly how Kate would break you out of here when you can barely walk" Taylor said to her, Alicia looked up at him momentarily lost in the feel of his hard body pressed against her and his delicious scent before she spoke.

"A wheelchair if not I bet she'd piggyback me" Alicia said with a smile, Taylor reciprocated the smile before he shook his head in amusement as even he could see Kate piggybacking Alicia. He lifted her up with ease and placed her back into the bio bed and pulled the blanket back over her legs.

"Though in her current state she'd probably get Evan or Carter to do all the heavy lifting" Alicia added with a sigh as her body was completely useless in its current state. She felt she was sighing a lot and felt the overwhelming need to pull Taylor into bed with her as she really missed his touch and the sex. Now it was on her mind she was undressing the man with her eyes.

"I could see that happening" Taylor told her with a smirk completely unaware that she was no longer thinking about escaping the infirmary. She mentally shook her head of the thoughts and focussed back on her children.

"Do you think Kate and Malcolm are awake?" Alicia asked to distract her from her wayward thoughts.

"Why?" Taylor asked.

"I want them to bring the twins here" Alicia said.

"I don't know-" he started but Alicia cut him off.

"I don't know if they are awake or if they should bring the twins here?" Alicia asked in a slightly annoyed tone, wondering how he was going to control her again. The reminder killed her sex drive for him and the once mentally naked Taylor was fully clothed again.

"If they are awake" he answered "Why don't I go home and see if they are and if they are awake and twins are as well I'll send them your way as I don't think you'll be released from the infirmary today" he said.

"Thank you" Alicia said, Taylor leaned over her again but this time he kissed her goodbye on the lips in a slow and languid manner before he left with a satisfied smile on his face as Alicia was completely punch drunk from the kiss.

"Do you like sitting like this?" Kate asked Ella in a low voice as she held the little baby up so she looked sitting up on the dining table with her legs over the edge. The baby just looked at her with wide eyes just looking at her. "I think you do, I think you like me better than Uncle Malcolm too. Oh yes you do. now all you have to do is spew on your other uncles and aunts and I'll be titled 'the favourite one'. You going to smile at Aunty Kate today hmm? Maybe not" Kate mumbled as Ella just looked at her blankly. She heard the front door unlock and she looked up and watched as Taylor came into the house.

"Morning" Taylor said in a low voice as he closed the door behind him. He saw Malcolm asleep on the couch and Kate at the table with Ella he assumed Ava was in the crib.

"Hey" Kate said softly with a smile, she picked up Ella and turned the baby to face Taylor "Look who's home. It's Daddy!" she said in a soft excited voice. Taylor smiled as he moved to the table and took Ella out of Kate's hands and lifted the baby girl into his arms and kissed her forehead.

"Hey peanut, you wake up your aunt?" he asked Ella.

"No I was already awake before she started making that huffy noise your kids make before they start crying" Kate said with a smile as she looked at Taylor holding Ella. It was incredibly adorable.

"I see Malcolm is wiped" Taylor remarked.

"Yeah he stayed up pretty late walking laps of the room with Ava" Kate said her smile turning into one of a person victorious in a major battle when all she did was not spend hours walking with a baby.

"Really? Usually she sleeps most of the night" Taylor remarked as he moved Ella into a more comfortable position.

"I think she knew Malcolm and I weren't you and Alicia. Coffee?" Kate asked.

"Yes, I would love some" Taylor said as he sat down at the table with Ella. He had slept poorly in the chair by Alicia's bedside and needed the coffee to freshen up his demeanour. Kate moved to the kitchen and went to making the coffee. "Alicia is awake and already bored" he said making conversation.

"I can only imagine. If you want to I can take the twins to her and have an infirmary play date. Elisabeth can do all the baby check ups on them at the same time" Kate suggested.

"I was hoping you'd say that but no prison breaks" he told her.

"What?" Kate asked confused but then it clicked and she smiled "Oh! I can't make any promises. So otherwise she is good?" she asked as she turned her attention back to the coffee.

"She's fine, how are you?" Taylor asked as he noted her hands were shaking as she was setting up the coffee and the cups to go with. He knew for her it wasn't a sign of fear or anxiety but a sign of excessive fatigue and illness.

"I'm worried about my house being broken into while I was asleep last night and what pleasant surprises will be instore for me." Kate said with a sigh.

"I'll get Guzman to upgrade the systems-"

"I want security cameras on the exterior and the living area interior. Just in case my visitor comes again" Kate said cutting him off.

"It was the plan" Taylor replied as he looked at her more carefully. Taking not of her overall appearance, she had dark circles under her eyes and she also pale and tense. She had good reason to be but other than that her appearance was perfectly in order. So he pegged it down as pregnancy fatigue mixed with the threat of a killer on her tail.

"Thank you" Kate said looking relieved at the prospect of having stronger security measures. She poured out a hot cup of coffee and brought it over to the table for him before taking a seat opposite him. "I'm really worried about what round two will be with this chick. I figured that maybe I was on the list but that I'd be the last one to be taken out. There's still a lot of sixers to get through yet but my tea was poisoned and I don't want to be carved up like a christmas turkey" Kate said in a low voice. The fear was written clearly in her eyes that she knew she was vulnerable and afraid.

"What do you want to do?" Taylor asked as he sat Ella on his leg with his arm around her middle to hold her up.

"I don't know, we have no tangible leads and I don't want to spend however long it takes to find this woman questioning whether my food is safe to eat or if it's safe for me to close my eyes at night." Kate said as her eyes darted to where Malcolm was sleeping as she obviously didn't want him to hear what she was saying if he woke up.

"I can post guards" he said.

"Someone like me shouldn't need guards to protect her." she said looking upset with herself.

"You're no longer one person Kate and you have to remember that now more than ever. You have a kid on the way and Malcolm, so what affects you affects them." He told her.

"When did a 'me' thing turn into a 'we' thing?" Kate asked.

"After you slept with the man" Taylor told her in an amused tone as he picked up his coffee and took a sip. He enjoyed to strong and bitter taste as the caffeine refreshed him.

"Funny" Kate told him dryly as she got up from her chair as she heard Ava stirring as she made whingy noises. She moved to the crib and picked the girl up into her arms and went through the checklist of what Ava would need. "I'll be back Ava needs to be changed" Kate said.

Taylor nodded and turned his attention to Ella as she was fair better looking to look at than Malcolm who was still fast asleep. The baby was incredibly well behaved but then Taylor apparently had the magic touch when it came to Ella as he could only calm her down when she got herself into a tizzy.

"You miss me?" He asked Ella, she looked up at him with wide eyes saying nothing. "I missed you and mommy missed you too. You'll have to put on your Sunday best for her today and no fussing when you see her. Gotta be good with her" he said before taking another sip of coffee. Ella just looked around the place completely oblivious to him and what he was saying. He could hear Ava crying from the other room and Kate's voice talking to her telling her to calm down.

He shot a look over his shoulder and saw that Ava woke him up with her wailing as he sat up and rubbed his face. He stopped and looked up at Taylor.

"Morning" he said in a sleeping voice as he was still waking up.

"There's some coffee on the stove. If you want it" Taylor said.

"Yes, that would be great. When did you get in?" Malcolm asked curiously as he looked to the clock and noted he had a grand total of five hours of sleep. He was definitely in need of coffee instead of his usual morning tea.

"Around ten minutes ago" Taylor remarked.

"Oh ok, how is Alicia?" Malcolm asked.

"Better, she weak and can't walk but I'm sure a couple days of bed rest she'll be back to normal" Taylor said.

"That's good" he said as he poured himself a cup of coffee and weakened it with substitute milk and sugar before taking the same seat Kate had been in earlier.

"You know we have a guest bedroom with a double bed" Taylor remarked as Malcolm stretched his neck and gave the sigh of man who didn't sleep comfortably last night.

"Yeah I know, Kate and I were talking as she was looking after Ella and I dozed off. I think we ruined any routine you had going with the twins" Malcolm said. Taylor laughed as he and Alicia pretended there was a routine but really the twins controlled everything.

"There's no schedule, we like to think Ava holds a schedule while Ella is the non conformist"

"Ella doesn't like Malcolm" Kate said coming back into the room with the crying Ava.

"No?" Taylor asked in a amusement looking between Kate and Malcolm.

"She chundered on him twice last night" Kate said as she moved it the kitchen "Oh I know, I know you're hungry baby girl" Kate said to Ava as she pulled out a bottle of milk and went to warming it up.

"You want a hand?" Malcolm asked Kate as he liked Ava out of the two twins.

"Nah I got this, how was your sleep?" Kate asked him with an amused smile as the crying didn't bother her in the least while Taylor felt his heart strings pull for his crying daughter even though he knew Ava would be happy once she was fed.

"It was ok but that lounge is horrible to sleep on. No offence" Malcolm said looking at Taylor.

"None taken" Taylor said as he drank more of his coffee. Kate finally quietened down Ava who was now greedily drinking milk that Kate warmed up.

"Ah peace and quiet reigned in the Taylor residence" Kate said with a sigh as she sat down next to Malcolm and placed her head on his shoulder while she cradled Ava in her arms. Taylor mused how it was like a preview of future and how they made a good image.

"How much sleep did you two get?" Taylor asked.

"Mmm I don't know but not enough. I'll play catch ups this afternoon" Kate said as she sat up again.

"So I'll be pushing my luck for another night of babysitting?" Taylor asked with amused look.

"I don't mind playing babysitter for one more night but only if I get my afternoon nap" Kate told him, she looked to Malcolm figuring he'd definitely say 'no'. But instead he surprised her and gave a shrug.

"I don't mind either though I will join you for that afternoon nap" he told her, she smiled as she knew they weren't going to just sleep. She also knew she'd feel a lot more comfortable with him there.

"Hmm we'll have to clear out our pantry and clean everything today as well" Kate said with a sigh as her day off would be taken up with cleaning house.

"Tomorrow, we'll eat at Boylan's for lunch today's?" he asked her.

"Sounds like a date" Kate said with a smile as she adjusted Ava in her arms. Taylor watched the two envious of their moment and wishing he and Alicia could get that back again as he felt more like her roommate than her husband. Sure she still responded to him but only when he caught her off guard or in a moment of weakness. He really had to start picking up his game otherwise they'd stay in their current pattern which he'd rather they move out of as he wanted the old them back. He wanted all of her.