Terra Nova - Things Lost in the Fire ch16 [Skye/Lucas]
Title: Things Lost in the Fire
Fandom: Terra Nova
Ship: Skye/Lucas
Rating: NC-17
Warnings: bad language, sexual situations, AU
Chapter: 16/?
Summary: AU story. Skye meets a strange man at Snakehead Falls and ends up falling in love. But can happiness built on anonymity last, when the world around them is on fire?
Author's Note: Finally a chapter that actually centers around the pairing here ;)
Things Lost in the Fire
16. Fireworks
Skye strode across the camp in a fit of rage. The night had come and gone, and she'd fallen asleep on the bed, thinking Lucas would just wake her when he came back. Well, he hadn't - Not in the middle of the night, not during the morning. She had woke up all alone and pissed off.
Her quick advance didn't go unnoticed and neither did her obvious irritation. Skye was practically emitting sparks as she made her way towards Mira's morning spot, where the Sixer leader usually had her quiet moment of meditation and drank tea. Skye had caught wind of this bizarre routine on her first day here and made a habit of checking it out on consecutive mornings since. She'd mapped out countless other routines around the camp as well, following a tradition she'd adapted on Terra Nova as she knew it'd come handy one day. It was important to notice things, keep your eyes open in case you needed to slip away every once in awhile.
"Mira!" she roared angrily, stirring the Sixer leader from her thoughts. Mira didn't move from her spot though, just gripped her cup a little tighter. She was sitting on the ground with her back against a rock, eyes set on the tree line. A small fire reduced to cinder was still emitting heat next to her, and near it laid a pot she'd used to seethe the water and herbs. There was a strong herbal scent in the air, unfamiliar to Skye.
Skye stopped right next to Mira arms folded across her breasts, lips pursed. She was wearing a tank top and one of Lucas' shirts, which she had shortened from the waist down by tying the long hem on a bow over her stomach. "Where is he?" she inquired with an icy tone, not bothering to tone down her speech one bit this time.
At first it didn't look like Mira even acknowledged her words; she merely drank from her cup calmly, listening to the jungle. Skye waited for awhile, trying to keep up her anger, searching for Mira's eyes with hers, but she found it so difficult when she already knew inside that it wasn't Mira who was being impossible - It was Lucas. After a short while though, Mira took a careful sip and then glanced up at Skye, whose intensity was waning down.
"Lover's spat?" she asked without enthusiasm. Of course she was less than thrilled that Lucas was acting out. It meant more delays, more chances for the vipers to attack. It left them all weak, alone.
"He didn't come home," Skye explained with her head hung, agony replacing her anger. Hurt and worry always seemed to frequent her face around Mira, or so the older woman observed.
Mira wanted to throw a snappy comment about Skye calling this camp home or about her worrying over a man who'd been in the jungle alone for five years, yet the remarks fell from her tongue when she tried to voice them. It didn't feel right, rubbing it in.
"He was upset," she whispered instead, nostrils quivering at the scent of the tea. "Well, he lied about having a breakthrough with the calculations, but I could tell he was upset," she then continued, making a vicious frown, seemingly annoyed at his behavior as well.
"Just point the way, and I'll drag his sorry ass back," Skye promised, needing nothing more than to see him now. The bastard had snuck out to see his father, gotten his feelings hurt and then decided to handle it alone. She'd seen enough of the Taylor family's way of handling issues by repressing them already.
Mira stood up unexpectedly. "I'm not sending you alone into the jungle," she hissed dangerously but softly, sounding awfully protective.
Skye threw a glance over her shoulder, noticing Carter standing not far away. She smirked back at Mira, her resolve strengthened. "Carter has my back," she then announced cockily.
It turned Mira's initial softness into something wild and harsh. She grabbed Skye's wrist, pressing her thumb against the bandage and the sore skin underneath. Skye yelped a bit in pain and surprise, quickly biting her teeth together to exclude weakness from her demeanor. They stared at one another intensely for a few seconds.
"You're not going to do anything foolish. If I take you there, you'll never attempt to go there alone because you think you have a bodyguard. Are we clear?" Mira asked with a hushed tone, speaking the language of violence so clearly. Skye settled to nod, and she quickly cradled her hand against her chest when Mira let it go.
"I'll just have a few words with Carter, and then we're going," Mira told Skye, fully assured that Skye had gotten her message loud and clear.
Skye used the opportunity to retreat, seeing no use in arguing since she was getting what she'd wanted. She was a bit relieved though, for she'd expected Mira to put up more of a fight over this instead of giving in fairly easily.
And Mira motioned Carter to her, drinking the last of her tea with a bitter expression, finding the sweet taste suddenly sour in her mouth. She was still wearing yesterday's clothes - trousers, boots and a sleeveless shirt -, and her sable hair was open on her shoulders for once. Mira hadn't decorated herself this morning. She'd forsaken her ornaments, made no effort to tame her hair or paint her face. She gave a softer impression for once; even her eyes didn't look quite as angry when Carter reached her, and he took notice of this strange occurrence.
Carter stood in front of her casually, appearing refreshed. His hair was spiky as usual, his face decorated by a stubble he hadn't bothered to shave for awhile now, and he wore that necklace again - the one he'd gotten from Theresa awhile back. Her eyes seemed to circle the necklace for a bit, focusing on the cracked leather and pins. It was made from an old belt, cut into small slides and then twined into a necklace. He wore a khaki uniform, his tattoo hidden underneath the sleeves.
"Did you tell her about us meeting Taylor?" she questioned, already seeing the answer on his face. He didn't even need to say it when she already grunted with frustration, her expression shifting to something akin to despair. "What the hell is wrong with you lately?" she snapped at him, digging for answers.
Carter was honestly a bit piqued at her venting her frustrations on him. Mira didn't generally pay that much attention to him as long as he got the job done. He raised a troubled brow in response, not knowing how he was supposed to react.
"Lucas works faster when he's happy," he then noted like it was the simplest truth, making no attempt of hiding his involvement in making things run smoother.
Mira licked her lips, refusing to look at him, staring at Skye's retreating back instead. "But the thing is Carter, we all know you're not going back, so what do you care?" Her comment came out a lot more hostile than intended, resembling an attack, a reflex. And still all she could think of was all the times she'd heard him speak, whispering the doubts, the alluring suggestions of staying here. They had all had remained with her.
He didn't have anything to go back to, just this failed mission that continued on and on. It didn't mean he didn't care. As usual, he stared at her mutely, searching for the right words a little longer than she would've given anyone else time to think.
"Because you need to go back," he then told her, brows furrowed, betraying weakness in that small fraction of second before he looked away.
"Everyone here has someone they're doing this for, someone they're saving. Yours happens to be important to you," he continued more confidently, sounding distant. "It's a better goal than just waging war for the sake of war."
Mira didn't know how to process this, so she chose not to. Anxiety was all over her in an instant, removing the softness from her. And in seconds the warrior was in her place.
"Keep an eye on things while I reunite the lovers," she whispered cruelly, cracking a vicious smile. Her hand tapped his shoulder as she passed him by and stayed a bit too long it its place, just enough for him to notice it too.
The hike to Lucas took forty minutes tops. Skye had trouble evaluating the time, especially since the route wasn't familiar to her. Lucas had chosen to hide further way from Terra Nova, and she was delving deeper into the jungle than she'd ever been. Even in her frequent visits OTG she'd always made sure she was close to help if she needed it and had only really charted the areas between the Sixer camp and Terra Nova. This area was new to her.
Mira lead her on mutely, struggling with something, an unpleasant echo or so Skye deduced. She was trying to look at her former enemy with new eyes now that she knew the back story of the woman who always seemed to get the short end of the stick, a mother working to get her kid a better future. She could tell Mira had a nurturing side to her as well, which was probably why she was making way with Lucas, why she had the patience for him.
It didn't cross her mind to test their fragile truce though; Skye knew better. She anticipated Lucas wouldn't be happy with her showing up and Mira helping, so Mira would have a reason to revert to her old behavior soon anyway.
Mira stopped their advance at a quiet spot, climbing to a nearby tree as Skye watched her movement with awe. Everything about the way Mira moved told her she was in her natural habitat, completely in her element - nothing seemed to demand any effort. And so Mira tugged at something at the trees, loosening a rope ladder that she pulled down. Skye realized then that the cluster at the trees wasn't just thick foliage as she'd thought, but a hidden tree house.
She approached the rope ladder with amazement and started to climb up. Mira used the tree to get there, and pulled herself up to the platform in the trees by sheer strength. She then reached down for Skye, kneeling on the edge of the platform and extending her hand to help Skye up. Seconds later she felt the barrel of a gun press against the back, and discomfort flooded her senses quickly. Mira didn't turn or move, she barely even breathed as Skye slow appeared into her view.
Skye froze just when she'd caught Mira's hand as she found Lucas standing behind Mira gun in hand, a harmful stare in his eyes. Lucas appeared well-rested and alright, yet the unmistakable irritation in him was present in the way he stood and held the gun. Skye didn't think he would shoot, but she was certain he wasn't happy to see either of them here.
"Lucas..," she breathed in worry. Anger took over that instant and she narrowed her eyes at Lucas, yanking herself up on the platform with Mira's help. "What the hell Lucas!" she barked, forgetting for a moment that silence was necessary.
"I think you broke him," Mira noted dryly, unable to believe her luck. The barrel remained at her back though, even if Lucas was now looking straight at Skye and her obvious rage. Mira withstood the situation, unwilling to try her luck. She still had the scar from the last time she'd attempted to invade Lucas' personal space. It didn't keep her from imagining spinning around and breaking his nose with her elbow though; the brutal image helped her stay still.
"You brought her here?" Lucas snarled at Mira accusingly, disappointment in his voice.
Mira just rolled her eyes at him, still kneeled right next to Skye. "I'll be right on my way the moment you remove that gun Lucas," she promised, ready to bolt at the first chance. It was up to Skye to calm him down and deal with whatever it was he was trying to fight this time.
Skye stood up now, bringing her hand over Lucas' wrist, watching him react to her touch, how he inhaled deep. He looked as mad as ever, but she sensed it had nothing to do with Mira this time. No, this was all about her and their little family drama, she could just tell. She caressed his skin lightly, watched as his grip eased and then how he pulled the gun away, letting Mira off the hook.
Mira stood up slowly, feeling relieved after she'd subconsciously tensed. She faced Lucas for a second, struggling with the desire to punch his face. Her desire was eventually subdued, and she couldn't help smile at the thought feebly as it slipped away.
"Don't all thank me at once," Mira commented, finding a strange satisfaction in seeing the dark gleam in Lucas' eyes subdue at the sight of Skye. She didn't waste any time in stepping on the ladder and starting her climb down after that. She most definitely knew when she was needed and when she wasn't.
With her disappearing from sight, Lucas pulled his hand away from Skye and retreated inside the hut that rested on the platform. Skye followed decisively, finding herself in yet another lair full of calculations and madness. It was the heart of his obsession, a secluded place he'd sought to keep from her. It hurt.
"Really? Not even a word to me that you weren't coming? You couldn't ask Mira to deliver a goddamn message?" she called to his back, staring at his black shirt and the leather harness over it. Lucas stood there back to her, focus on his papers.
"I needed time to think" he responded after a pause and motioned her to sit on the floor as there was no furniture in this quite primitive structure. It provided shelter, light, and a place to sleep without fear - nothing else.
Her anger wasn't so easily tamed. "And you couldn't do that with me around?" She asked snidely, sounding more like him than her. The only admission she gave him was sitting down as he'd wanted, and even then she chose the opposite end of the structure, eyeing him with offense.
"No. You fog things up, Bucket," he responded, watching her move while wearing his shirt, clad like a Sixer. Her appearance reminded him of the sacrifices she'd made. Desire clutched his insides, already taking effect. It was so difficult to stay mad at her, when her whole being resonated light in him.
She watched him watch her and then shut her out as he too sat down; arms slumped over his knees that separated them. "Nothing is simple with you," he told her.
Skye wouldn't relent, wouldn't give up. "Does it have to be?" she asked, wondering why he was so obsessed with labeling things neatly, having them be so accessible.
"Yes!" he shouted in a fit of honesty, feeling the weight lift with that statement.
"I want things to be simple. I want them to be clear," he explained, pointing at the calculations around them. They formed a messy picture that only a brilliant mind could connect, but to him they were clearer than anything, including her.
"I hate him so much, you can't even comprehend it," Lucas said next, sinking into the overwhelming emotion that had kept him alive. Hatred was the absolute truth, and his quest was a justified search for vengeance. Everything he felt, he felt for a reason. But in his head he father kept telling him his vision was flawed, and Skye kept yelling at him, saying what a terrible person he was. The two pictures didn't fit.
"But you spin things about, and that hate falters. I have nothing else. It sustains me," he explained.
Skye jumped a bit, leaning towards him, expression intense. "It doesn't have to!" she claimed, raw desperation in her voice. She tried to reach to him, to make him see.
"You have me," she then whispered, feeling tears sting her eyes at the sight of his lost expression.
"You're with him, you'll always be with him," he responded, feeling the information tear at him again. And when she didn't quite see what he meant, Lucas smiled viciously, moving a bit closer to her as well, leaning over his knees.
"I saw my father yesterday, Bucket. I hear you two had a good talk about Somalia and my mother. I hear… you were quite convinced he was a struggling hero back then."
Of course, because that explained everything, she thought bitterly, feeling bare under his stare. Lucas' most insufferable moods were tied to this: to his father, to this dark memory that had incapacitated him. She remained in her position though, leaned towards him, weight on her knees. The cold scientist observed her like a spider calculating its next move, thinking he had her trapped with the information he'd just disclosed.
"If you're asking me to accept your reasons for this, I'm sorry, but I can't," she responded truthfully, anguished over his expression, that hint of pain. "You were caught in a horrible situation, and you barely survived. But I can't blame your father for it. He didn't pull the trigger, Lucas."
She leaned backwards a bit, breaking her kneeling position and straightening her legs as he suddenly jolted at her, catching her in his grip, his hands locking her between them, between him and the floor. She was trapped so easily, left looking into his enraged eyes. She couldn't deny the primal fear in her gut, because he was acting like a wounded animal again, reason blinded from him.
Lucas held her down, thinking on some subconscious level that he could just silence her like this, have her agree, see his views and not contradict the truths he'd built his life on. She remained unwavering though, emotions building on her face as she shared every ounce of what he was feeling.
"They went into Somalia to pillage and plunder what they had no right to take," Lucas said, anger seething from every pore. His green eyes were almost manic.
"So when the rebels made my father choose, it wasn't about my mother or me," he continued softly, glancing down at his chest when her hands rose to it. Her touch was tentative, supportive even in the middle of everything.
"It was about choosing between the past, my mother, and the future, me. Would he go back where he came from and give them their homes, or would he stay and keep the claim over the land he stole?" He searched for signs that she understood his words; that she saw what he'd seen.
Skye let her head fall, touch the floor. She relaxed her body next, recognizing that he wasn't about to move. There was nothing sexual about this position, but it was intimate; he was reaching out for her.
"He learned nothing that day. He still fought in these useless wars, committed unjust crimes. I wanted to be nowhere near him, but he'd planned my future ahead."
His face moved closer to hers, lips hovering above her cheek. He wasn't as intimidating anymore. Even his grip was eased up. This was beginning to feel more like that moment in their bed when he'd told her about Mira.
"Military school, a career in the army. But I was too fragile for them. I was expelled quietly, so he wouldn't have to live through the shame."
Again, he spoke with contempt, reminiscing his teenage years, how he'd wasted them seeking for his father's approval when he could never measure. Skye listened, her focus solely on him, now that he was finally shedding light on the source of all this.
"I made my own life from then on, got a scholarship, went to college. It wasn't enough for him, so the first chance he had, he put through the papers to get me here. I was content, Bucket, and he pulled me into this hell."
She could hear the agony in his voice, the pure, unadulterated distress. And she wondered if that was why he'd worked on the portal, wanting to return to the future, to his life. She wondered if he'd had someone special, someone he'd left behind. And her face betrayed her thoughts; he saw what she was thinking, how the doubt clouded her beauty.
"No," he told her as her eyes strayed from his face, "I had my work, I was alright. But I didn't have anyone like you."
It felt good to hear that even when the doubts had lasted mere seconds. Skye moved her fingers a bit against his chest, feeling it rise beneath her touch.
"So the reason I'm doing this is that he needs to make the right choice," he explained next, lips moving to her forehead, brushing against her skin. She trembled beneath him, choking back tears, and even he had to close his eyes for a moment to regain control.
"They will strip-mine this place for everything it's worth, and he will watch. And they will take those resources to the future where we are a dying race, undone by our stupidity. People will live on because of Terra Nova's offering."
It was so clear in his head: So simple.
"He has a home now, and you want to destroy that because you think he needs to suffer for past sins?" she asked, hoping to understand. He was unrelenting, unable to see anyone but himself and his father here. The saddest part really was that Lucas was doing the same thing those rebels had done to him, that he was becoming the very people who had killed his mother.
He was caught off-guard completely when she suddenly pushed him off her and rose to her feet, empowered by her visceral reaction to his revelations.
"Terra Nova is about second chances!" she told him, throwing her hands in the air whilst he was still lying on the floor, blinking and staring at her thoroughly confused.
"Your father didn't bring you here to control you. He brought you here, because he wanted you two to be a family, because he could give you something better! He loves you!" Skye inhaled painfully, this conflict burning in her lungs.
He stood up and yanked her back in his arms, in his hold, the first chance he got. "No," he said to her cruelly, "This is the wrong choice. He can't choose who gets to be saved and who doesn't when he doesn't even deserve Paradise himself!"
She tried to struggle free but this time his hold was strong. Desperation crept to her face, and she considered that perhaps she couldn't make him change his mind. Perhaps it wasn't in the cards. He watched her yield in silence, easing his hold, allowing some room between their bodies.
"You're the same as the people who killed her," she said to him, defeated. It actually froze him for a moment, made him think, consider what she was saying.
"How can you demand him to be a better man if you're doing evil as well?" she continued wearily, tying one arm around his neck to keep her up. Her legs felt so tired suddenly.
"The needs of many outweigh the needs of the few," Lucas said.
"Isn't that the same way your father was thinking?" she countered, and felt a sob emerge from him.
Lucas batted his eyelashes, trying to grasp it. But he couldn't think of anything to say. The justifications crumbled on his lips, feeling empty. Who was the hypocrite really?
"I'm not going to stop," he told her, refusing to give up.
Skye just placed her head against his chest. "I love you," she whispered. "And I'm with you. I'm just stuck here, waiting for you to give up this anger before it swallows you whole."
Hearing it wasn't something he'd expected.
He'd known he loved her that day six months ago. He'd known he needed her from the first kiss. And for six months the prize of being with her once everything was over had been better than his revenge - he'd used it to motivate him. It didn't mean he didn't need his revenge anymore; just that for once he had something in his life after it, something good.
Did going through with it mean he'd lose her? Did giving up mean the Company would be on their tail for an eternity; that the lives Lucas had helped build for the Sixers would be threatened?
Either way Lucas saw no happy ending in store for them. She would never go with him to future where they would be safe from repercussions. He couldn't live with her in the jungle, condemn her to the same ruthless life he'd led before her. He would never return to Terra Nova and bow before his father. Skye wouldn't let him burn her former home, kill her friends. Staying with the Sixers wasn't an option without fulfilling his end of the bargain.
"Skye," he called her, searching for her face with his, trying to get her to look at him. His hostility had died, the anger he'd held inside had withered for now. She pulled her head from his chest and looked right at him sadly.
"I love you too," he then told her, knowing it was the one thing in his life he was sure of anymore.
Lucas kissed her, bringing his hand to her neck, hoping that the contact would help absolve him. They were at a dead end, but in the middle of everything she remained bright and inviting. Skye hadn't even considered that hearing him say it would feel so good. She realized she'd calmed him down again, planted another seed of doubt. And it was good enough; it really was enough for now. Little by little, she'd make him see that he couldn't do this, that he was better.
Once their lips parted she was left tasting him on her lips, smiling. With her hope rekindled, she asked him softly, "Will you take one day away and just be with me?"
"Like we were at the Falls?" he recalled; When things had been simple, when they'd both been happy. It wasn't an unreasonable request. "I will," he promised her, feeling her tie her arms around him next, squeezing real hard.
"Thank you."
She'd guided him outside into sunlight. And he'd shown her the spot near-by where the river was kind and warm and there was sunshine. They had swam, and sunbathed, and just laid there together in silence.
At one point she'd realized he was kissing her again with the same tenderness, the awkward tensions lost. Skye had kissed him back, teased him. They had made love in the sand by the river, protected by the tall bed of reeds around them.
He'd made sure she had something to eat, hunted and prepared them dinner while she had listened to the jungle outside. She hadn't asked him about his reasons for seeing his father (and whether he was beginning to see things differently). He hadn't asked her about how things were going with befriending Curran (and whether she was beginning to doubt this arrangement). But they had laughed, and loved, until it was dark and Lucas was kicking the fire out while Skye looked at the skies.
Lucas joined her side, knowing this was the end of this short vacation. They needed to return to the Sixer camp before Mira would worry. Skye would continue making friends, being useful, and he would continue wrestling with the issues at hand, with the calculations.
He moved behind her, tying his arms around her as his gaze fixated on the night sky. It was lit by fireworks.
And just like that he remembered: Today was the day, the thirteenth pilgrimage had arrived and Terra Nova was celebrating its newest occupants. With any luck Taylor had found the company man, caught him and was now thinking of some way to get rid of this person. With any luck Lucas could trust in his new allies, Mira and Carter, and together they would find a way out of this mess.
"I didn't even remember what day it was," Skye told him a bit of nostalgia in her voice.
"Me neither," he admitted, having hoped for more time, for a sudden revelation that would save them all.
Skye took his hands in hers, squeezing them hard. "If he didn't bring you here, we would've never met," she realized, unable to imagine what her life would've been like. Would she be at Terra Nova, dating Josh, settling into mediocrity, dreaming of freedom and sneaking out for excitement? Would he be in the future, studying with a worried brow, trying to fix a dying world?
"For that," Lucas murmured in her ear, kissing it gently, "I'm glad."
TBC
Fandom: Terra Nova
Ship: Skye/Lucas
Rating: NC-17
Warnings: bad language, sexual situations, AU
Chapter: 16/?
Summary: AU story. Skye meets a strange man at Snakehead Falls and ends up falling in love. But can happiness built on anonymity last, when the world around them is on fire?
Author's Note: Finally a chapter that actually centers around the pairing here ;)
Things Lost in the Fire
16. Fireworks
Skye strode across the camp in a fit of rage. The night had come and gone, and she'd fallen asleep on the bed, thinking Lucas would just wake her when he came back. Well, he hadn't - Not in the middle of the night, not during the morning. She had woke up all alone and pissed off.
Her quick advance didn't go unnoticed and neither did her obvious irritation. Skye was practically emitting sparks as she made her way towards Mira's morning spot, where the Sixer leader usually had her quiet moment of meditation and drank tea. Skye had caught wind of this bizarre routine on her first day here and made a habit of checking it out on consecutive mornings since. She'd mapped out countless other routines around the camp as well, following a tradition she'd adapted on Terra Nova as she knew it'd come handy one day. It was important to notice things, keep your eyes open in case you needed to slip away every once in awhile.
"Mira!" she roared angrily, stirring the Sixer leader from her thoughts. Mira didn't move from her spot though, just gripped her cup a little tighter. She was sitting on the ground with her back against a rock, eyes set on the tree line. A small fire reduced to cinder was still emitting heat next to her, and near it laid a pot she'd used to seethe the water and herbs. There was a strong herbal scent in the air, unfamiliar to Skye.
Skye stopped right next to Mira arms folded across her breasts, lips pursed. She was wearing a tank top and one of Lucas' shirts, which she had shortened from the waist down by tying the long hem on a bow over her stomach. "Where is he?" she inquired with an icy tone, not bothering to tone down her speech one bit this time.
At first it didn't look like Mira even acknowledged her words; she merely drank from her cup calmly, listening to the jungle. Skye waited for awhile, trying to keep up her anger, searching for Mira's eyes with hers, but she found it so difficult when she already knew inside that it wasn't Mira who was being impossible - It was Lucas. After a short while though, Mira took a careful sip and then glanced up at Skye, whose intensity was waning down.
"Lover's spat?" she asked without enthusiasm. Of course she was less than thrilled that Lucas was acting out. It meant more delays, more chances for the vipers to attack. It left them all weak, alone.
"He didn't come home," Skye explained with her head hung, agony replacing her anger. Hurt and worry always seemed to frequent her face around Mira, or so the older woman observed.
Mira wanted to throw a snappy comment about Skye calling this camp home or about her worrying over a man who'd been in the jungle alone for five years, yet the remarks fell from her tongue when she tried to voice them. It didn't feel right, rubbing it in.
"He was upset," she whispered instead, nostrils quivering at the scent of the tea. "Well, he lied about having a breakthrough with the calculations, but I could tell he was upset," she then continued, making a vicious frown, seemingly annoyed at his behavior as well.
"Just point the way, and I'll drag his sorry ass back," Skye promised, needing nothing more than to see him now. The bastard had snuck out to see his father, gotten his feelings hurt and then decided to handle it alone. She'd seen enough of the Taylor family's way of handling issues by repressing them already.
Mira stood up unexpectedly. "I'm not sending you alone into the jungle," she hissed dangerously but softly, sounding awfully protective.
Skye threw a glance over her shoulder, noticing Carter standing not far away. She smirked back at Mira, her resolve strengthened. "Carter has my back," she then announced cockily.
It turned Mira's initial softness into something wild and harsh. She grabbed Skye's wrist, pressing her thumb against the bandage and the sore skin underneath. Skye yelped a bit in pain and surprise, quickly biting her teeth together to exclude weakness from her demeanor. They stared at one another intensely for a few seconds.
"You're not going to do anything foolish. If I take you there, you'll never attempt to go there alone because you think you have a bodyguard. Are we clear?" Mira asked with a hushed tone, speaking the language of violence so clearly. Skye settled to nod, and she quickly cradled her hand against her chest when Mira let it go.
"I'll just have a few words with Carter, and then we're going," Mira told Skye, fully assured that Skye had gotten her message loud and clear.
Skye used the opportunity to retreat, seeing no use in arguing since she was getting what she'd wanted. She was a bit relieved though, for she'd expected Mira to put up more of a fight over this instead of giving in fairly easily.
And Mira motioned Carter to her, drinking the last of her tea with a bitter expression, finding the sweet taste suddenly sour in her mouth. She was still wearing yesterday's clothes - trousers, boots and a sleeveless shirt -, and her sable hair was open on her shoulders for once. Mira hadn't decorated herself this morning. She'd forsaken her ornaments, made no effort to tame her hair or paint her face. She gave a softer impression for once; even her eyes didn't look quite as angry when Carter reached her, and he took notice of this strange occurrence.
Carter stood in front of her casually, appearing refreshed. His hair was spiky as usual, his face decorated by a stubble he hadn't bothered to shave for awhile now, and he wore that necklace again - the one he'd gotten from Theresa awhile back. Her eyes seemed to circle the necklace for a bit, focusing on the cracked leather and pins. It was made from an old belt, cut into small slides and then twined into a necklace. He wore a khaki uniform, his tattoo hidden underneath the sleeves.
"Did you tell her about us meeting Taylor?" she questioned, already seeing the answer on his face. He didn't even need to say it when she already grunted with frustration, her expression shifting to something akin to despair. "What the hell is wrong with you lately?" she snapped at him, digging for answers.
Carter was honestly a bit piqued at her venting her frustrations on him. Mira didn't generally pay that much attention to him as long as he got the job done. He raised a troubled brow in response, not knowing how he was supposed to react.
"Lucas works faster when he's happy," he then noted like it was the simplest truth, making no attempt of hiding his involvement in making things run smoother.
Mira licked her lips, refusing to look at him, staring at Skye's retreating back instead. "But the thing is Carter, we all know you're not going back, so what do you care?" Her comment came out a lot more hostile than intended, resembling an attack, a reflex. And still all she could think of was all the times she'd heard him speak, whispering the doubts, the alluring suggestions of staying here. They had all had remained with her.
He didn't have anything to go back to, just this failed mission that continued on and on. It didn't mean he didn't care. As usual, he stared at her mutely, searching for the right words a little longer than she would've given anyone else time to think.
"Because you need to go back," he then told her, brows furrowed, betraying weakness in that small fraction of second before he looked away.
"Everyone here has someone they're doing this for, someone they're saving. Yours happens to be important to you," he continued more confidently, sounding distant. "It's a better goal than just waging war for the sake of war."
Mira didn't know how to process this, so she chose not to. Anxiety was all over her in an instant, removing the softness from her. And in seconds the warrior was in her place.
"Keep an eye on things while I reunite the lovers," she whispered cruelly, cracking a vicious smile. Her hand tapped his shoulder as she passed him by and stayed a bit too long it its place, just enough for him to notice it too.
The hike to Lucas took forty minutes tops. Skye had trouble evaluating the time, especially since the route wasn't familiar to her. Lucas had chosen to hide further way from Terra Nova, and she was delving deeper into the jungle than she'd ever been. Even in her frequent visits OTG she'd always made sure she was close to help if she needed it and had only really charted the areas between the Sixer camp and Terra Nova. This area was new to her.
Mira lead her on mutely, struggling with something, an unpleasant echo or so Skye deduced. She was trying to look at her former enemy with new eyes now that she knew the back story of the woman who always seemed to get the short end of the stick, a mother working to get her kid a better future. She could tell Mira had a nurturing side to her as well, which was probably why she was making way with Lucas, why she had the patience for him.
It didn't cross her mind to test their fragile truce though; Skye knew better. She anticipated Lucas wouldn't be happy with her showing up and Mira helping, so Mira would have a reason to revert to her old behavior soon anyway.
Mira stopped their advance at a quiet spot, climbing to a nearby tree as Skye watched her movement with awe. Everything about the way Mira moved told her she was in her natural habitat, completely in her element - nothing seemed to demand any effort. And so Mira tugged at something at the trees, loosening a rope ladder that she pulled down. Skye realized then that the cluster at the trees wasn't just thick foliage as she'd thought, but a hidden tree house.
She approached the rope ladder with amazement and started to climb up. Mira used the tree to get there, and pulled herself up to the platform in the trees by sheer strength. She then reached down for Skye, kneeling on the edge of the platform and extending her hand to help Skye up. Seconds later she felt the barrel of a gun press against the back, and discomfort flooded her senses quickly. Mira didn't turn or move, she barely even breathed as Skye slow appeared into her view.
Skye froze just when she'd caught Mira's hand as she found Lucas standing behind Mira gun in hand, a harmful stare in his eyes. Lucas appeared well-rested and alright, yet the unmistakable irritation in him was present in the way he stood and held the gun. Skye didn't think he would shoot, but she was certain he wasn't happy to see either of them here.
"Lucas..," she breathed in worry. Anger took over that instant and she narrowed her eyes at Lucas, yanking herself up on the platform with Mira's help. "What the hell Lucas!" she barked, forgetting for a moment that silence was necessary.
"I think you broke him," Mira noted dryly, unable to believe her luck. The barrel remained at her back though, even if Lucas was now looking straight at Skye and her obvious rage. Mira withstood the situation, unwilling to try her luck. She still had the scar from the last time she'd attempted to invade Lucas' personal space. It didn't keep her from imagining spinning around and breaking his nose with her elbow though; the brutal image helped her stay still.
"You brought her here?" Lucas snarled at Mira accusingly, disappointment in his voice.
Mira just rolled her eyes at him, still kneeled right next to Skye. "I'll be right on my way the moment you remove that gun Lucas," she promised, ready to bolt at the first chance. It was up to Skye to calm him down and deal with whatever it was he was trying to fight this time.
Skye stood up now, bringing her hand over Lucas' wrist, watching him react to her touch, how he inhaled deep. He looked as mad as ever, but she sensed it had nothing to do with Mira this time. No, this was all about her and their little family drama, she could just tell. She caressed his skin lightly, watched as his grip eased and then how he pulled the gun away, letting Mira off the hook.
Mira stood up slowly, feeling relieved after she'd subconsciously tensed. She faced Lucas for a second, struggling with the desire to punch his face. Her desire was eventually subdued, and she couldn't help smile at the thought feebly as it slipped away.
"Don't all thank me at once," Mira commented, finding a strange satisfaction in seeing the dark gleam in Lucas' eyes subdue at the sight of Skye. She didn't waste any time in stepping on the ladder and starting her climb down after that. She most definitely knew when she was needed and when she wasn't.
With her disappearing from sight, Lucas pulled his hand away from Skye and retreated inside the hut that rested on the platform. Skye followed decisively, finding herself in yet another lair full of calculations and madness. It was the heart of his obsession, a secluded place he'd sought to keep from her. It hurt.
"Really? Not even a word to me that you weren't coming? You couldn't ask Mira to deliver a goddamn message?" she called to his back, staring at his black shirt and the leather harness over it. Lucas stood there back to her, focus on his papers.
"I needed time to think" he responded after a pause and motioned her to sit on the floor as there was no furniture in this quite primitive structure. It provided shelter, light, and a place to sleep without fear - nothing else.
Her anger wasn't so easily tamed. "And you couldn't do that with me around?" She asked snidely, sounding more like him than her. The only admission she gave him was sitting down as he'd wanted, and even then she chose the opposite end of the structure, eyeing him with offense.
"No. You fog things up, Bucket," he responded, watching her move while wearing his shirt, clad like a Sixer. Her appearance reminded him of the sacrifices she'd made. Desire clutched his insides, already taking effect. It was so difficult to stay mad at her, when her whole being resonated light in him.
She watched him watch her and then shut her out as he too sat down; arms slumped over his knees that separated them. "Nothing is simple with you," he told her.
Skye wouldn't relent, wouldn't give up. "Does it have to be?" she asked, wondering why he was so obsessed with labeling things neatly, having them be so accessible.
"Yes!" he shouted in a fit of honesty, feeling the weight lift with that statement.
"I want things to be simple. I want them to be clear," he explained, pointing at the calculations around them. They formed a messy picture that only a brilliant mind could connect, but to him they were clearer than anything, including her.
"I hate him so much, you can't even comprehend it," Lucas said next, sinking into the overwhelming emotion that had kept him alive. Hatred was the absolute truth, and his quest was a justified search for vengeance. Everything he felt, he felt for a reason. But in his head he father kept telling him his vision was flawed, and Skye kept yelling at him, saying what a terrible person he was. The two pictures didn't fit.
"But you spin things about, and that hate falters. I have nothing else. It sustains me," he explained.
Skye jumped a bit, leaning towards him, expression intense. "It doesn't have to!" she claimed, raw desperation in her voice. She tried to reach to him, to make him see.
"You have me," she then whispered, feeling tears sting her eyes at the sight of his lost expression.
"You're with him, you'll always be with him," he responded, feeling the information tear at him again. And when she didn't quite see what he meant, Lucas smiled viciously, moving a bit closer to her as well, leaning over his knees.
"I saw my father yesterday, Bucket. I hear you two had a good talk about Somalia and my mother. I hear… you were quite convinced he was a struggling hero back then."
Of course, because that explained everything, she thought bitterly, feeling bare under his stare. Lucas' most insufferable moods were tied to this: to his father, to this dark memory that had incapacitated him. She remained in her position though, leaned towards him, weight on her knees. The cold scientist observed her like a spider calculating its next move, thinking he had her trapped with the information he'd just disclosed.
"If you're asking me to accept your reasons for this, I'm sorry, but I can't," she responded truthfully, anguished over his expression, that hint of pain. "You were caught in a horrible situation, and you barely survived. But I can't blame your father for it. He didn't pull the trigger, Lucas."
She leaned backwards a bit, breaking her kneeling position and straightening her legs as he suddenly jolted at her, catching her in his grip, his hands locking her between them, between him and the floor. She was trapped so easily, left looking into his enraged eyes. She couldn't deny the primal fear in her gut, because he was acting like a wounded animal again, reason blinded from him.
Lucas held her down, thinking on some subconscious level that he could just silence her like this, have her agree, see his views and not contradict the truths he'd built his life on. She remained unwavering though, emotions building on her face as she shared every ounce of what he was feeling.
"They went into Somalia to pillage and plunder what they had no right to take," Lucas said, anger seething from every pore. His green eyes were almost manic.
"So when the rebels made my father choose, it wasn't about my mother or me," he continued softly, glancing down at his chest when her hands rose to it. Her touch was tentative, supportive even in the middle of everything.
"It was about choosing between the past, my mother, and the future, me. Would he go back where he came from and give them their homes, or would he stay and keep the claim over the land he stole?" He searched for signs that she understood his words; that she saw what he'd seen.
Skye let her head fall, touch the floor. She relaxed her body next, recognizing that he wasn't about to move. There was nothing sexual about this position, but it was intimate; he was reaching out for her.
"He learned nothing that day. He still fought in these useless wars, committed unjust crimes. I wanted to be nowhere near him, but he'd planned my future ahead."
His face moved closer to hers, lips hovering above her cheek. He wasn't as intimidating anymore. Even his grip was eased up. This was beginning to feel more like that moment in their bed when he'd told her about Mira.
"Military school, a career in the army. But I was too fragile for them. I was expelled quietly, so he wouldn't have to live through the shame."
Again, he spoke with contempt, reminiscing his teenage years, how he'd wasted them seeking for his father's approval when he could never measure. Skye listened, her focus solely on him, now that he was finally shedding light on the source of all this.
"I made my own life from then on, got a scholarship, went to college. It wasn't enough for him, so the first chance he had, he put through the papers to get me here. I was content, Bucket, and he pulled me into this hell."
She could hear the agony in his voice, the pure, unadulterated distress. And she wondered if that was why he'd worked on the portal, wanting to return to the future, to his life. She wondered if he'd had someone special, someone he'd left behind. And her face betrayed her thoughts; he saw what she was thinking, how the doubt clouded her beauty.
"No," he told her as her eyes strayed from his face, "I had my work, I was alright. But I didn't have anyone like you."
It felt good to hear that even when the doubts had lasted mere seconds. Skye moved her fingers a bit against his chest, feeling it rise beneath her touch.
"So the reason I'm doing this is that he needs to make the right choice," he explained next, lips moving to her forehead, brushing against her skin. She trembled beneath him, choking back tears, and even he had to close his eyes for a moment to regain control.
"They will strip-mine this place for everything it's worth, and he will watch. And they will take those resources to the future where we are a dying race, undone by our stupidity. People will live on because of Terra Nova's offering."
It was so clear in his head: So simple.
"He has a home now, and you want to destroy that because you think he needs to suffer for past sins?" she asked, hoping to understand. He was unrelenting, unable to see anyone but himself and his father here. The saddest part really was that Lucas was doing the same thing those rebels had done to him, that he was becoming the very people who had killed his mother.
He was caught off-guard completely when she suddenly pushed him off her and rose to her feet, empowered by her visceral reaction to his revelations.
"Terra Nova is about second chances!" she told him, throwing her hands in the air whilst he was still lying on the floor, blinking and staring at her thoroughly confused.
"Your father didn't bring you here to control you. He brought you here, because he wanted you two to be a family, because he could give you something better! He loves you!" Skye inhaled painfully, this conflict burning in her lungs.
He stood up and yanked her back in his arms, in his hold, the first chance he got. "No," he said to her cruelly, "This is the wrong choice. He can't choose who gets to be saved and who doesn't when he doesn't even deserve Paradise himself!"
She tried to struggle free but this time his hold was strong. Desperation crept to her face, and she considered that perhaps she couldn't make him change his mind. Perhaps it wasn't in the cards. He watched her yield in silence, easing his hold, allowing some room between their bodies.
"You're the same as the people who killed her," she said to him, defeated. It actually froze him for a moment, made him think, consider what she was saying.
"How can you demand him to be a better man if you're doing evil as well?" she continued wearily, tying one arm around his neck to keep her up. Her legs felt so tired suddenly.
"The needs of many outweigh the needs of the few," Lucas said.
"Isn't that the same way your father was thinking?" she countered, and felt a sob emerge from him.
Lucas batted his eyelashes, trying to grasp it. But he couldn't think of anything to say. The justifications crumbled on his lips, feeling empty. Who was the hypocrite really?
"I'm not going to stop," he told her, refusing to give up.
Skye just placed her head against his chest. "I love you," she whispered. "And I'm with you. I'm just stuck here, waiting for you to give up this anger before it swallows you whole."
Hearing it wasn't something he'd expected.
He'd known he loved her that day six months ago. He'd known he needed her from the first kiss. And for six months the prize of being with her once everything was over had been better than his revenge - he'd used it to motivate him. It didn't mean he didn't need his revenge anymore; just that for once he had something in his life after it, something good.
Did going through with it mean he'd lose her? Did giving up mean the Company would be on their tail for an eternity; that the lives Lucas had helped build for the Sixers would be threatened?
Either way Lucas saw no happy ending in store for them. She would never go with him to future where they would be safe from repercussions. He couldn't live with her in the jungle, condemn her to the same ruthless life he'd led before her. He would never return to Terra Nova and bow before his father. Skye wouldn't let him burn her former home, kill her friends. Staying with the Sixers wasn't an option without fulfilling his end of the bargain.
"Skye," he called her, searching for her face with his, trying to get her to look at him. His hostility had died, the anger he'd held inside had withered for now. She pulled her head from his chest and looked right at him sadly.
"I love you too," he then told her, knowing it was the one thing in his life he was sure of anymore.
Lucas kissed her, bringing his hand to her neck, hoping that the contact would help absolve him. They were at a dead end, but in the middle of everything she remained bright and inviting. Skye hadn't even considered that hearing him say it would feel so good. She realized she'd calmed him down again, planted another seed of doubt. And it was good enough; it really was enough for now. Little by little, she'd make him see that he couldn't do this, that he was better.
Once their lips parted she was left tasting him on her lips, smiling. With her hope rekindled, she asked him softly, "Will you take one day away and just be with me?"
"Like we were at the Falls?" he recalled; When things had been simple, when they'd both been happy. It wasn't an unreasonable request. "I will," he promised her, feeling her tie her arms around him next, squeezing real hard.
"Thank you."
She'd guided him outside into sunlight. And he'd shown her the spot near-by where the river was kind and warm and there was sunshine. They had swam, and sunbathed, and just laid there together in silence.
At one point she'd realized he was kissing her again with the same tenderness, the awkward tensions lost. Skye had kissed him back, teased him. They had made love in the sand by the river, protected by the tall bed of reeds around them.
He'd made sure she had something to eat, hunted and prepared them dinner while she had listened to the jungle outside. She hadn't asked him about his reasons for seeing his father (and whether he was beginning to see things differently). He hadn't asked her about how things were going with befriending Curran (and whether she was beginning to doubt this arrangement). But they had laughed, and loved, until it was dark and Lucas was kicking the fire out while Skye looked at the skies.
Lucas joined her side, knowing this was the end of this short vacation. They needed to return to the Sixer camp before Mira would worry. Skye would continue making friends, being useful, and he would continue wrestling with the issues at hand, with the calculations.
He moved behind her, tying his arms around her as his gaze fixated on the night sky. It was lit by fireworks.
And just like that he remembered: Today was the day, the thirteenth pilgrimage had arrived and Terra Nova was celebrating its newest occupants. With any luck Taylor had found the company man, caught him and was now thinking of some way to get rid of this person. With any luck Lucas could trust in his new allies, Mira and Carter, and together they would find a way out of this mess.
"I didn't even remember what day it was," Skye told him a bit of nostalgia in her voice.
"Me neither," he admitted, having hoped for more time, for a sudden revelation that would save them all.
Skye took his hands in hers, squeezing them hard. "If he didn't bring you here, we would've never met," she realized, unable to imagine what her life would've been like. Would she be at Terra Nova, dating Josh, settling into mediocrity, dreaming of freedom and sneaking out for excitement? Would he be in the future, studying with a worried brow, trying to fix a dying world?
"For that," Lucas murmured in her ear, kissing it gently, "I'm glad."
TBC