Thick as Thieves chapter 20
Title: Thick as Thieves (20/?)
Warnings: None for this chapter.
Characters: Lucas Taylor, Michael Taylor (OC), Nathaniel Taylor, Skye Tate, Alicia Washington, Mira, Boylan, the Shannon family Summary: This is an AU story about Lucas having a twin brother. Instead of rebelling like Lucas, Michael - his brother - remains loyal to their father. This fic explores their relationship and what would have happened in the series had Michael existed.
This Chapter: Alicia and Michael make an important decision about their relationship while Jim finds out something about Michael that could jeopardise his place in the colony.
Tearing herself away from the warmth of the mattress, Alicia reached for her tank top, smirking as she eyed Michael on the other side of the room. "Hey. I didn't hurt you too bad, did I?" she asked playfully, referring to his injured leg. He smiled briefly and shook his head. He finished dressing in silence.
Once she had laced up her boots, she got to her feet again and caught on to his distant gaze. "What's wrong?" she enquired, nearing him. "I thought you'd be happy."
"I was," he answered her quietly. His hair was a mess and his clothes were still crumpled, giving him an almost child-like quality. "What happens now?" he added. "We go back to being Corporal and Lieutenant again?"
Her expression fell and she closed the gap between them, smoothing her fingers through his hair. "That's the way it has to be. For now."
He huffed in annoyance and then there was that angry schoolboy look again. "It's not enough."
She drew back. "The reason I ended it was so things like this couldn't happen. So you wouldn't get hurt, but clearly that didn't work out." She gazed in to his green eyes inquisitively - tragically - and remained silent for a beat as she looked at him. "What do you want?"
"I want you," he replied, almost automatically, taking her hands. "I want to be with you. I don't want to hide it anymore."
She bit her lip, quietening for a moment. "Do you realise what you're asking me?"
"Alicia…I don't expect anything. You wanted to know what I wanted and the answer is you, that's all."
A long pause followed, Alicia's eyes darting back and forth between his, thinking. This was one of those rare, unsettling moments where she looked genuinely unsure.
"Okay," she said gently.
"Okay?"
"As soon as the spy is dealt with. We'll tell the Commander. We'll tell everyone, if it's what you want."
He grinned at her, disbelief in his face, then the smile turned in to a laugh. His hands caressed her cheeks and his lips met with hers in an overjoyed kiss. It didn't occur to him in that moment that being with Alicia meant outing Skye as the mole. He was just happy that there was a possibility.
"Alright," she said. "Come on. We ought to get you home before anybody misses us. I'm supposed to be keeping you out of trouble."
"Then you're doing a terrible job," he quipped, pulling her a little closer, making her chuckle and roll her eyes and kiss him again.
"Okay, seriously," she said, hitting him playfully.
"Fine, I'll behave. But I've got to see Boylan about something first... I just wanna see if he's okay."
She narrowed her eyes, considering it. "Fine, but be quick about it." Then she kissed him again, knowing that it would probably be their last for some time.
When Michael arrived at the bar, it was in shambles. Tables and chairs were overturned, bottles were smashed and papers were scattered all over the floor. In the centre of it all was Boylan, busily sweeping up the mess.
"Jeez, Boylan. What happened here?"
Tom looked up and grimaced at Michael. "Your friends left one helluva mess while I was locked up, that's what happened."
"Want some help?" he offered guiltily.
"Nah, you're alright."
"You look awful, Tom. What did they do to you?"
Tom hesitated a bit, scratched his head and wiped some of the sweat from off his face. He looked deeply troubled, staring at Michael as if he were anxious about something. "I've done something bad, Michael."
Michael raised both his brows. "What?"
Boylan put down his broom and came closer to the Corporal, speaking in hushed tones. "While I was down there…they drugged me to get me in to talking and I just…I said something."
"To who?" Michael demanded.
"Shannon."
He felt his heart start to race. "What did you tell him?"
The barman fidgeted. "I said something about Pilgrim's Tree…about Phillbrick's body. I don't remember exactly, I was out of it."
Michael swept a hand through his hair, panicking. As if things weren't bad enough, now the new sheriff was about to discover he was a murderer, too.
"I'm going to go down for this, Boylan," Michael snapped. "I've only just got out of that Brig…He's gonna find out."
"No, he won't," insisted Tom, trying to calm him. "Alright. He doesn't know who the body is and even if he does, he can't connect you to the death. Just forget about it."
"Forget about it? Boylan, I killed someone. If Shannon finds out, it won't matter what my father says, the colony will want me out for good."
"I won't let that happen. He's gonna come back wanting more info soon. I'll tell him I don't know what he's on about. I was so far gone I could've said any old rubbish."
"I don't know, Tom."
"It's gonna be okay, kid. Just rest up and look after yourself. I'll deal with this."
Michael hesitated and then gave Boylan a defeated smile. "I guess if you hadn't tried to cover for me like you did, you wouldn't have been locked up in the first place. Thanks…for doing that."
"No worries," Boylan said. Michael still looked unsure. "Listen, it was bound to happen sooner or later. Taylor's always suspected me as the spy. At least both our names are in the clear. Now they can concentrate on whoever's really working for Mira."
Michael shifted uncomfortably. Boylan was right. Now the focus was shifted from them, his father could be getting closer and closer to identifying Skye as the Sixer mole. It was only a matter of time. Then he remembered one of the reasons he had come to visit. He asked Boylan if he knew anything about Lucas working with Mira. He denied it.
"Michael, I swear. I don't know anything about that. If I did, I would have told you."
Michael stared at him. He believed him. He didn't have any reason not to. "I know I can trust you, Tom," he said.
He re-joined Wash outside, limping up the steps, the bright sunlight blinding him, making his head ache again.
"You okay?" she asked as Michael tried to shield his eyes from the white sunshine.
It felt like someone drilling in to his skull through his eye sockets. "Yeah, I just get these headaches sometimes," he replied. "Ever since the accident."
"Maybe you should get it checked out."
"I'm fine." He began to walk towards the houses again, but overnight the pain became more frequent and unbearable. He was having trouble sleeping again, and it didn't help that he knew Shannon might be out there somewhere, digging up Phillbrick's body.
Even Taylor was becoming concerned. "Let Doctor Shannon check you out. Better safe than sorry," he advised his son.
"It's nothing," Michael claimed, and then found himself repeating the same thing to Doctor Shannon ten minutes later. The light she was shining directly in to his pupils didn't help.
"Well, I could do a few tests to make sure," the doctor suggested. "If the accident caused this there's a chance it could be more serious."
"Doc's right, son," Taylor said, standing beside Elizabeth. "If I'm gonna have you back on my team, I need you in top form."
Michael perked up then, looking up from his place on the Infirmary bed. "What? You want me back on the team?"
"I can be reasonable. You can earn the right to keep your rank. In fact, there's something I need to discuss with you later. You'll come see me?"
"Of course," said Michael eagerly. "I will."
"Good," the Commander smiled. "But you tell me if you're not feeling up to it. No more lies, no more secrets. You tell me everything. Gottit?"
"Yessir," Michael agreed, and with that Taylor allowed him to go.
"Are you sure he's alright?" Elizabeth asked the Commander, glancing back towards the door where Michael had made his exit.
"He's had a stressful time lately," Taylor explained. "I'm sure he'll be fine, but…I am worried about him."
Elizabeth smiled at him. "You're his father, of course you're worried."
"There's been a lot on his mind lately…I need him thinking straight. I just need to know he's alright, that I can trust him."
"Well, if the headaches are stress-related I'm sure there's nothing to worry about. But in the meantime, if you're worried about anxiety, I could prescribe some sleeping tablets?"
"If you think it'll help. Thanks, doc."
Feeling the pain still throbbing inside his head, Michael strolled outside and took in a deep breath of the fresh air. He considered going to find Skye. They hadn't talked much lately; he wanted her to know that her secret was safe with him. Plus, he was still concerned about her. Unlike him, she was still under Mira's thumb and that, he knew all too well, was not a pleasant place to be. But when he got to her house, she wasn't there.
So he decided to go for a walk through the colony to clear his head. The fresh air and the exercise did some good, although he was still limping his way around. He was starting to feel better when he felt something crash in to him, pushing him against a building. His face was pressed to the wall, someone holding his arm behind his back, causing him to wince.
"I found the body," barked a threatening voice. Jim Shannon. Of course. And he was furious.
"What are you talking about?" Michael struggled to get out of his hold.
"You may have the Commander fooled, but I know you're still working for the Sixers. You're a murderer and the truth is gonna come out."
"Get off me."
"Boylan told me. He said you were there."
"Where?"
Jim pulled his arm back even more, making Michael cry out with the agony. "I know you killed Phillbrick," Jim said.
"Let me go, Shannon."
"Admit it."
"Let me go!" Using his last ounce of strength, he managed to push himself away from the wall and elbow Shannon in the face with his other arm, forcing the man backwards. The cop recovered quickly and punched him. Hard. Dazed, he tripped and found himself in a heap on the ground. Jim picked him up angrily.
"I want to show you something, and then we're gonna talk."
Michael had no choice. Jim dragged him back towards the infirmary, the science lab in fact, where Lucas used to work. As Jim shoved him into one of the rooms in the lab, there on the table was a rotted skeleton. Michael was repulsed.
"You might not recognise him so much now," said Jim resentfully. "But I know you had something to do with his death."
"I don't know what you're talking about," Michael murmured, his breaths heavy as his mind once again began to cloud with pain.
"I'm asking you to do the right thing, Corporal. Confess."
Michael remembered the struggle that night. Both of their hands trying to grab the gun. Bang. It was an accident. How could he possibly explain? He was beginning to see a redness in the corner of his eyes. "I'm not a killer," breathed Michael, his tired eyes still staring at that skeletal figure who used to be Phillbrick. He shuddered. Was this really the man he had killed all those years ago?
"You're a traitor," corrected Jim. "Why should I believe anything you say?"
"You don't understand."
"If the colony finds out about this, you and Taylor will be finished. This is serious; you have no idea what you've done here."
"I know exactly what I've done," seethed Michael. "I know how much Terra Nova means to my father. It means just as much to me. What I did was to protect my home and I don't regret that for a second. You think you're the hero around here, acting like you know it all!" he scoffed. "You don't know the first thing about it. I was here first. There's secrets about this place you can't even begin to understand!"
It felt like somebody else talking, the anger taking over. He felt the rage bubbling up inside.
"I'm gonna have to turn you in, Michael." He went to restrain him but Michael resisted. He wasn't going back to that prison, and especially not because of Jim Shannon.
"Don't touch me," he warned, shoving Jim back in to some metal trays, the loud clanging ringing in their ears. He felt the dull ache behind his eyes start to spread, and then Jim hit him across the face, causing him to topple over on to the remains of the General's body.
His eyes widened with horror, the stench of the soily skeleton making his stomach turn. He kept seeing flashes; the echo of the gunshot, the blood on his hands, the endless scrubbing and washing and sickness that never seemed to go away. He was being strangled. His entire body shook. This had all been over. Boylan had fixed it all, Boylan and his father. They had buried him. It had been long gone. Until Shannon dug that dusty grave up.
He lost his temper fast and launched at Jim, forcing his whole body in to his and knocking him to the floor. Cries and shouts of anger were heard as the two rolled around on the ground, throwing punches, left and right, crashing in to furniture and lab equipment. By the time Michael realised what he was doing, it was all over.
Soldiers had separated them. Taylor was standing at the door, in front of a horrified Malcolm. They were both demanding what was going on. Michael felt blood trickle down from his lip. He could see Jim shake off the soldier who was restraining him, still angry. Michael was stunned with himself. He couldn't find the words to explain. Jim tried to do all the talking, pulling the Commander to the side and murmuring to him. Taylor frowned and nodded, his solemn gaze holding Michael's before settling on to the skeleton. Then he ordered his men to take Jim to the Brig.
"What? Did you hear what I just said, Taylor?" demanded a frustrated Jim.
"I'm charging you with conspiracy and endangering the welfare of this colony. I have evidence to suggest you're the spy, Jim. Attacking my son is the last straw. You and I are gonna have a serious talk."
After some protesting, Jim was dragged from the lab. Taylor looked back at his son who was returning him that same shame-faced look he used to give him as a teenager. "Wait for me at home," he said, and Michael nodded silently.
Outside, excitement was building for the harvest, but Michael went straight home and waited for his father. Whatever Jim knew about Phillbrick, he knew his father would fix it. But he was still worried.
When Taylor arrived home an hour later, his son was sat alone at the kitchen counter, holding a cloth to his swollen lip, looking sore and beaten and depressed. His father looked at him with pity and shook his head.
"I told Jim everything."
"What do you mean everything?" questioned Michael warily, holding the bloodied cloth away from his face.
"I told him what happened with Phillbrick, about Lucas; everything."
Michael nodded unhappily. He could have been angry, but he knew it had been necessary. Otherwise Jim would not have put this to rest.
"We can trust him," Taylor promised. "For now."
"Doesn't change the fact that what he said was true," Michael said, pouting with his swollen lip. "I am a murderer."
Taylor sat opposite Michael. "You did what you had to do to protect me. You know that. I will always be grateful for what you did, understand?"
"Yeah."
"I vote we put this behind us. But I am concerned about what happened in there," Taylor admitted, examining the sores on his son's face.
"I don't know what happened," said Michael quietly. "I just…lost it."
"Doctor Shannon gave me these." Taylor retrieved the sleeping tablets from his jacket and put them on the counter. "They're to help you sleep. To help whatever is going on in that head of yours…I need you rested. I need you well again because I need you for something."
Now Michael was curious. "For what?"
Taylor fell silent for a moment. Michael knew he was considering whether or not to tell him of his plans. "Soon," he said. "It's been a long day, and it's not over yet." At that moment, the cheers from the crowd erupted outside, prompting Taylor to get to his feet. "Festival's starting," he announced. "Better get out there and make my speech. You'll come and watch, won't you."
"Sure, dad," promised Michael.
"Today we take the time to take a reckoning of everything that we've accomplished together," the Commander declared proudly from his place on the stage, hundreds of eyes watching him. "And to give thanks for everything we have. "
Michael found Wash in the crowd beside Malcolm and crept up behind her, his hand slipping in to hers. She glanced back and smiled warmly at him.
"Heard you got in to a fight," she said into his ear as he stood closer to her. "Can't leave you alone for five minutes."
"I'm fine," he grinned with his sore lip. They were interrupted by a baby's cry and they turned their smiles towards the Commander holding the new addition to the colony. He couldn't help being mesmerised by the tiny little creature squirming in Taylor's arms. "You ever think about babies?" he whispered casually to her.
"Do you?" she retorted, dodging the question.
"I guess," he murmured. "Maybe."
"This is what Terra Nova's all about," his father's voice broke in again. "We're all in this together. You're my friends, my family, my loved ones. And today I give thanks for each and every one of you."
As the fireworks started, the colours exploding in the night sky, Michael finally felt at ease next to Alicia, their bodies warming each other, their fingers interlocking. He mused on his father's speech, thinking about Lucas out there somewhere, thinking about his mother, and he concluded that if he ever had a second chance at having a family again, it would be right here in Terra Nova, with the people he loved.
But until then, there was old family to deal with, and old scores to settle, because it wouldn't be long until the two brothers finally came together in a reunion.
TBC
Warnings: None for this chapter.
Characters: Lucas Taylor, Michael Taylor (OC), Nathaniel Taylor, Skye Tate, Alicia Washington, Mira, Boylan, the Shannon family Summary: This is an AU story about Lucas having a twin brother. Instead of rebelling like Lucas, Michael - his brother - remains loyal to their father. This fic explores their relationship and what would have happened in the series had Michael existed.
This Chapter: Alicia and Michael make an important decision about their relationship while Jim finds out something about Michael that could jeopardise his place in the colony.
Tearing herself away from the warmth of the mattress, Alicia reached for her tank top, smirking as she eyed Michael on the other side of the room. "Hey. I didn't hurt you too bad, did I?" she asked playfully, referring to his injured leg. He smiled briefly and shook his head. He finished dressing in silence.
Once she had laced up her boots, she got to her feet again and caught on to his distant gaze. "What's wrong?" she enquired, nearing him. "I thought you'd be happy."
"I was," he answered her quietly. His hair was a mess and his clothes were still crumpled, giving him an almost child-like quality. "What happens now?" he added. "We go back to being Corporal and Lieutenant again?"
Her expression fell and she closed the gap between them, smoothing her fingers through his hair. "That's the way it has to be. For now."
He huffed in annoyance and then there was that angry schoolboy look again. "It's not enough."
She drew back. "The reason I ended it was so things like this couldn't happen. So you wouldn't get hurt, but clearly that didn't work out." She gazed in to his green eyes inquisitively - tragically - and remained silent for a beat as she looked at him. "What do you want?"
"I want you," he replied, almost automatically, taking her hands. "I want to be with you. I don't want to hide it anymore."
She bit her lip, quietening for a moment. "Do you realise what you're asking me?"
"Alicia…I don't expect anything. You wanted to know what I wanted and the answer is you, that's all."
A long pause followed, Alicia's eyes darting back and forth between his, thinking. This was one of those rare, unsettling moments where she looked genuinely unsure.
"Okay," she said gently.
"Okay?"
"As soon as the spy is dealt with. We'll tell the Commander. We'll tell everyone, if it's what you want."
He grinned at her, disbelief in his face, then the smile turned in to a laugh. His hands caressed her cheeks and his lips met with hers in an overjoyed kiss. It didn't occur to him in that moment that being with Alicia meant outing Skye as the mole. He was just happy that there was a possibility.
"Alright," she said. "Come on. We ought to get you home before anybody misses us. I'm supposed to be keeping you out of trouble."
"Then you're doing a terrible job," he quipped, pulling her a little closer, making her chuckle and roll her eyes and kiss him again.
"Okay, seriously," she said, hitting him playfully.
"Fine, I'll behave. But I've got to see Boylan about something first... I just wanna see if he's okay."
She narrowed her eyes, considering it. "Fine, but be quick about it." Then she kissed him again, knowing that it would probably be their last for some time.
When Michael arrived at the bar, it was in shambles. Tables and chairs were overturned, bottles were smashed and papers were scattered all over the floor. In the centre of it all was Boylan, busily sweeping up the mess.
"Jeez, Boylan. What happened here?"
Tom looked up and grimaced at Michael. "Your friends left one helluva mess while I was locked up, that's what happened."
"Want some help?" he offered guiltily.
"Nah, you're alright."
"You look awful, Tom. What did they do to you?"
Tom hesitated a bit, scratched his head and wiped some of the sweat from off his face. He looked deeply troubled, staring at Michael as if he were anxious about something. "I've done something bad, Michael."
Michael raised both his brows. "What?"
Boylan put down his broom and came closer to the Corporal, speaking in hushed tones. "While I was down there…they drugged me to get me in to talking and I just…I said something."
"To who?" Michael demanded.
"Shannon."
He felt his heart start to race. "What did you tell him?"
The barman fidgeted. "I said something about Pilgrim's Tree…about Phillbrick's body. I don't remember exactly, I was out of it."
Michael swept a hand through his hair, panicking. As if things weren't bad enough, now the new sheriff was about to discover he was a murderer, too.
"I'm going to go down for this, Boylan," Michael snapped. "I've only just got out of that Brig…He's gonna find out."
"No, he won't," insisted Tom, trying to calm him. "Alright. He doesn't know who the body is and even if he does, he can't connect you to the death. Just forget about it."
"Forget about it? Boylan, I killed someone. If Shannon finds out, it won't matter what my father says, the colony will want me out for good."
"I won't let that happen. He's gonna come back wanting more info soon. I'll tell him I don't know what he's on about. I was so far gone I could've said any old rubbish."
"I don't know, Tom."
"It's gonna be okay, kid. Just rest up and look after yourself. I'll deal with this."
Michael hesitated and then gave Boylan a defeated smile. "I guess if you hadn't tried to cover for me like you did, you wouldn't have been locked up in the first place. Thanks…for doing that."
"No worries," Boylan said. Michael still looked unsure. "Listen, it was bound to happen sooner or later. Taylor's always suspected me as the spy. At least both our names are in the clear. Now they can concentrate on whoever's really working for Mira."
Michael shifted uncomfortably. Boylan was right. Now the focus was shifted from them, his father could be getting closer and closer to identifying Skye as the Sixer mole. It was only a matter of time. Then he remembered one of the reasons he had come to visit. He asked Boylan if he knew anything about Lucas working with Mira. He denied it.
"Michael, I swear. I don't know anything about that. If I did, I would have told you."
Michael stared at him. He believed him. He didn't have any reason not to. "I know I can trust you, Tom," he said.
He re-joined Wash outside, limping up the steps, the bright sunlight blinding him, making his head ache again.
"You okay?" she asked as Michael tried to shield his eyes from the white sunshine.
It felt like someone drilling in to his skull through his eye sockets. "Yeah, I just get these headaches sometimes," he replied. "Ever since the accident."
"Maybe you should get it checked out."
"I'm fine." He began to walk towards the houses again, but overnight the pain became more frequent and unbearable. He was having trouble sleeping again, and it didn't help that he knew Shannon might be out there somewhere, digging up Phillbrick's body.
Even Taylor was becoming concerned. "Let Doctor Shannon check you out. Better safe than sorry," he advised his son.
"It's nothing," Michael claimed, and then found himself repeating the same thing to Doctor Shannon ten minutes later. The light she was shining directly in to his pupils didn't help.
"Well, I could do a few tests to make sure," the doctor suggested. "If the accident caused this there's a chance it could be more serious."
"Doc's right, son," Taylor said, standing beside Elizabeth. "If I'm gonna have you back on my team, I need you in top form."
Michael perked up then, looking up from his place on the Infirmary bed. "What? You want me back on the team?"
"I can be reasonable. You can earn the right to keep your rank. In fact, there's something I need to discuss with you later. You'll come see me?"
"Of course," said Michael eagerly. "I will."
"Good," the Commander smiled. "But you tell me if you're not feeling up to it. No more lies, no more secrets. You tell me everything. Gottit?"
"Yessir," Michael agreed, and with that Taylor allowed him to go.
"Are you sure he's alright?" Elizabeth asked the Commander, glancing back towards the door where Michael had made his exit.
"He's had a stressful time lately," Taylor explained. "I'm sure he'll be fine, but…I am worried about him."
Elizabeth smiled at him. "You're his father, of course you're worried."
"There's been a lot on his mind lately…I need him thinking straight. I just need to know he's alright, that I can trust him."
"Well, if the headaches are stress-related I'm sure there's nothing to worry about. But in the meantime, if you're worried about anxiety, I could prescribe some sleeping tablets?"
"If you think it'll help. Thanks, doc."
Feeling the pain still throbbing inside his head, Michael strolled outside and took in a deep breath of the fresh air. He considered going to find Skye. They hadn't talked much lately; he wanted her to know that her secret was safe with him. Plus, he was still concerned about her. Unlike him, she was still under Mira's thumb and that, he knew all too well, was not a pleasant place to be. But when he got to her house, she wasn't there.
So he decided to go for a walk through the colony to clear his head. The fresh air and the exercise did some good, although he was still limping his way around. He was starting to feel better when he felt something crash in to him, pushing him against a building. His face was pressed to the wall, someone holding his arm behind his back, causing him to wince.
"I found the body," barked a threatening voice. Jim Shannon. Of course. And he was furious.
"What are you talking about?" Michael struggled to get out of his hold.
"You may have the Commander fooled, but I know you're still working for the Sixers. You're a murderer and the truth is gonna come out."
"Get off me."
"Boylan told me. He said you were there."
"Where?"
Jim pulled his arm back even more, making Michael cry out with the agony. "I know you killed Phillbrick," Jim said.
"Let me go, Shannon."
"Admit it."
"Let me go!" Using his last ounce of strength, he managed to push himself away from the wall and elbow Shannon in the face with his other arm, forcing the man backwards. The cop recovered quickly and punched him. Hard. Dazed, he tripped and found himself in a heap on the ground. Jim picked him up angrily.
"I want to show you something, and then we're gonna talk."
Michael had no choice. Jim dragged him back towards the infirmary, the science lab in fact, where Lucas used to work. As Jim shoved him into one of the rooms in the lab, there on the table was a rotted skeleton. Michael was repulsed.
"You might not recognise him so much now," said Jim resentfully. "But I know you had something to do with his death."
"I don't know what you're talking about," Michael murmured, his breaths heavy as his mind once again began to cloud with pain.
"I'm asking you to do the right thing, Corporal. Confess."
Michael remembered the struggle that night. Both of their hands trying to grab the gun. Bang. It was an accident. How could he possibly explain? He was beginning to see a redness in the corner of his eyes. "I'm not a killer," breathed Michael, his tired eyes still staring at that skeletal figure who used to be Phillbrick. He shuddered. Was this really the man he had killed all those years ago?
"You're a traitor," corrected Jim. "Why should I believe anything you say?"
"You don't understand."
"If the colony finds out about this, you and Taylor will be finished. This is serious; you have no idea what you've done here."
"I know exactly what I've done," seethed Michael. "I know how much Terra Nova means to my father. It means just as much to me. What I did was to protect my home and I don't regret that for a second. You think you're the hero around here, acting like you know it all!" he scoffed. "You don't know the first thing about it. I was here first. There's secrets about this place you can't even begin to understand!"
It felt like somebody else talking, the anger taking over. He felt the rage bubbling up inside.
"I'm gonna have to turn you in, Michael." He went to restrain him but Michael resisted. He wasn't going back to that prison, and especially not because of Jim Shannon.
"Don't touch me," he warned, shoving Jim back in to some metal trays, the loud clanging ringing in their ears. He felt the dull ache behind his eyes start to spread, and then Jim hit him across the face, causing him to topple over on to the remains of the General's body.
His eyes widened with horror, the stench of the soily skeleton making his stomach turn. He kept seeing flashes; the echo of the gunshot, the blood on his hands, the endless scrubbing and washing and sickness that never seemed to go away. He was being strangled. His entire body shook. This had all been over. Boylan had fixed it all, Boylan and his father. They had buried him. It had been long gone. Until Shannon dug that dusty grave up.
He lost his temper fast and launched at Jim, forcing his whole body in to his and knocking him to the floor. Cries and shouts of anger were heard as the two rolled around on the ground, throwing punches, left and right, crashing in to furniture and lab equipment. By the time Michael realised what he was doing, it was all over.
Soldiers had separated them. Taylor was standing at the door, in front of a horrified Malcolm. They were both demanding what was going on. Michael felt blood trickle down from his lip. He could see Jim shake off the soldier who was restraining him, still angry. Michael was stunned with himself. He couldn't find the words to explain. Jim tried to do all the talking, pulling the Commander to the side and murmuring to him. Taylor frowned and nodded, his solemn gaze holding Michael's before settling on to the skeleton. Then he ordered his men to take Jim to the Brig.
"What? Did you hear what I just said, Taylor?" demanded a frustrated Jim.
"I'm charging you with conspiracy and endangering the welfare of this colony. I have evidence to suggest you're the spy, Jim. Attacking my son is the last straw. You and I are gonna have a serious talk."
After some protesting, Jim was dragged from the lab. Taylor looked back at his son who was returning him that same shame-faced look he used to give him as a teenager. "Wait for me at home," he said, and Michael nodded silently.
Outside, excitement was building for the harvest, but Michael went straight home and waited for his father. Whatever Jim knew about Phillbrick, he knew his father would fix it. But he was still worried.
When Taylor arrived home an hour later, his son was sat alone at the kitchen counter, holding a cloth to his swollen lip, looking sore and beaten and depressed. His father looked at him with pity and shook his head.
"I told Jim everything."
"What do you mean everything?" questioned Michael warily, holding the bloodied cloth away from his face.
"I told him what happened with Phillbrick, about Lucas; everything."
Michael nodded unhappily. He could have been angry, but he knew it had been necessary. Otherwise Jim would not have put this to rest.
"We can trust him," Taylor promised. "For now."
"Doesn't change the fact that what he said was true," Michael said, pouting with his swollen lip. "I am a murderer."
Taylor sat opposite Michael. "You did what you had to do to protect me. You know that. I will always be grateful for what you did, understand?"
"Yeah."
"I vote we put this behind us. But I am concerned about what happened in there," Taylor admitted, examining the sores on his son's face.
"I don't know what happened," said Michael quietly. "I just…lost it."
"Doctor Shannon gave me these." Taylor retrieved the sleeping tablets from his jacket and put them on the counter. "They're to help you sleep. To help whatever is going on in that head of yours…I need you rested. I need you well again because I need you for something."
Now Michael was curious. "For what?"
Taylor fell silent for a moment. Michael knew he was considering whether or not to tell him of his plans. "Soon," he said. "It's been a long day, and it's not over yet." At that moment, the cheers from the crowd erupted outside, prompting Taylor to get to his feet. "Festival's starting," he announced. "Better get out there and make my speech. You'll come and watch, won't you."
"Sure, dad," promised Michael.
"Today we take the time to take a reckoning of everything that we've accomplished together," the Commander declared proudly from his place on the stage, hundreds of eyes watching him. "And to give thanks for everything we have. "
Michael found Wash in the crowd beside Malcolm and crept up behind her, his hand slipping in to hers. She glanced back and smiled warmly at him.
"Heard you got in to a fight," she said into his ear as he stood closer to her. "Can't leave you alone for five minutes."
"I'm fine," he grinned with his sore lip. They were interrupted by a baby's cry and they turned their smiles towards the Commander holding the new addition to the colony. He couldn't help being mesmerised by the tiny little creature squirming in Taylor's arms. "You ever think about babies?" he whispered casually to her.
"Do you?" she retorted, dodging the question.
"I guess," he murmured. "Maybe."
"This is what Terra Nova's all about," his father's voice broke in again. "We're all in this together. You're my friends, my family, my loved ones. And today I give thanks for each and every one of you."
As the fireworks started, the colours exploding in the night sky, Michael finally felt at ease next to Alicia, their bodies warming each other, their fingers interlocking. He mused on his father's speech, thinking about Lucas out there somewhere, thinking about his mother, and he concluded that if he ever had a second chance at having a family again, it would be right here in Terra Nova, with the people he loved.
But until then, there was old family to deal with, and old scores to settle, because it wouldn't be long until the two brothers finally came together in a reunion.
TBC