Next in the series that starts with Strange Allies.

Decision Made

The banging on the door was nothing if not persistent. Whoever had the heavy hand was going to feel an even heavier fist. Nathaniel Taylor struggled into his pants, forgoing his underpants after a cursory sleep induced search turned up nothing. Opening the door and flipping on the outside light in the same agitated motion, he grabbed the fist as it came down again almost connecting with his shoulder, "Guz, where's the invading army that you had to wake my kid." In the background, they could hear a baby crying loudly.

"Sorry, Sir," he took in the Commander's undressed state of bare feet and chest. "The invading army is General Caldwell. The portal opened a few minutes ago and he came through. Carter is on duty at the terminus tonight along with Curran. They are waiting for someone to go and get him. If you want, I'll go sir," he volunteered. In the background the baby stopped crying.

"How come you didn't just call me?"

"Tried Sir, your comm must be off."

"Ohh, I forgot, turned it off after Skye called yesterday. Sorry. I'll go get the General. Must be important for him to come in person. Tell Carter to keep the General entertained until I arrive and have someone pull my rover to the gate." He heard Guzman's, "Yes, Sir," as he shut the door. Walking back through the dark house towards the soft light pouring through an open door, he heard his wife singing softly to their son. Pausing in the doorway, he cherished the sight. Alicia had their baby in bed, bra open and he was forgetting his rude awakening with warm milk. She stopped when he moved to grab clean briefs from a drawer in the built in bureau.

"Who was that?"

"Guzman. You put him in command for tonight." She watched him pull his briefs up and automatically adjust his genitals before re-dressing in his black military issue jeans. "General Caldwell has come through the portal. It must be important. When you're done, get the officer's to the Command Center on the double." He grabbed a tight black t-shirt and pulled it over his head, tucking it in his waistband, snapping and zipping the pants. Fastening the belt buckle that he had left open when answering the door, he sat on a chair to pull his socks and boots on. Pausing after socks, he took a moment to once again look at the sight before him. "You're beautiful like that." He didn't want to look down, but his boots weren't jumping onto his feet by themselves. He waited for her acknowledgement with a smile and he could see the baby was already falling asleep again.

Putting Thaniel to her shoulder, she gently slapped his back, "What time is it?"

Picking his comm off the nightstand, he looked, "Three." He slipped it in a front pants pocket after turning it back on. Crossing to her side of the bed, he suggested, "Might as well bring the baby with you. Good as any time to shock the General with our relationship." He leaned over and acted like he was going to smooch her, but kept his head in its downward motion past her lips and planted a solid kiss on her exposed breast and grinned into her laughing eyes as he rose up to capture her lips. "Shouldn't tempt me like that," he explained into her mouth.

"Always my fault," she grabbed the back of his head with her free hand and pulled him back into one more kiss before letting him up.

He stopped inside the door and buckled on his knife and both pistols. Snatching his black leather jacket off its knob where his and her designated hooks contained the tools of their trade. He contemplated putting on his armor and decided to forgo it, but it dangled from his hand as he walked. Guzman was standing by his personal rover, which was started with lights on waiting for its driver.

"Report."

"Message delivered, Sir. I told the General someone would retrieve him, but not who."

"Any more activity?"

"No, it's been dark."

"I told Wash to gather the officers in the Command Center. Go ahead and start waking and get them moving."

"Yes, Sir," Guzman turned to the guard tower with its two posted guards. "Raise the gate." A private hit a button and the gate lifted slowly. No sooner had the rover cleared the posts and it reversed course. Guzman watched until the lights were gone and gate firmly back in its moorings then double timed to Reilly's door not far away.

The buzzing of Jim Shannon's comm woke him eventually. At first he tried to ignore the offending sound until his wife hit him. "Jim."

"It's Guzman, Sheriff. Emergency meeting in the Command Center in half an hour."

Fully awake, he inquired, "What's happened?"

"Not sure. The Commander says to round up the officers. He'll explain when we meet," he broke the connection to call another officer.

Jim walked up one set of steps while Wash took the other. Meeting at the door simultaneously, Jim grinned and with an exaggerated flourish opened the door for her, "Why thank you, Jim, for getting the door for me," he couldn't resist a smart assed remark.

"I didn't need you to get the stupid door, Shannon. No way am I thanking your sorry ass for doing your job, Number Three," she reminded him with her return he was demoted from Taylor's second in command.

With a laugh he mock pushed her inside to the smell of freshly brewed coffee, "Get you a cup, Twozee?"

"Of course, black," she took the baby to its bassinet near the Commander's desk. Thaniel didn't wake since getting his tummy full and the warm blanket kept the chill off him in his mother's arms as she made the short walk with him, diaper bag over one shoulder. Carefully laying him down, mom felt his cheek, still warm. Covering him with a lighter blanket in the bed, she folded the heavier one and placed it on the end of the bassinet.

"You're getting good at that Mommy thing," Shannon commented holding her coffee out to her.

Taking a sip, she retorted, "Men are easy to please, food and a warm bed and..." leaving off with that for him to fill in the blank, and by his smirk he did.

Washington was dressed in her camouflage pants and black tank top with her leather jacket over it. Jim noticed she also had her pistol in its normal place. Two months after giving birth and one would never have known she recently gave birth outside her larger breast full of milk, but concealed under the leather. Her hair was in its ponytail and makeup in place. Once he kidded her about not wearing colored lipstick. "Nathaniel says it's too hard to get out of his beard." She had a clear gloss on.

"I thought you didn't wear lipstick, Wash," he was looking closely at her appearance which seemed nicer than normal, especially for the ungodly hour.

"The Commander usually takes if off before we go to work," she looked over the officers, looking for sloppiness. "Reynolds, button your shirt."

"Yes, Lieutenant," she and Shannon watched as he button the camouflage button down shirt to cover his t-shirt. They heard commotion at the gate. Whatever the Commander left to do, he was back. Questions directed at Guzman and Washington went unanswered.

Footsteps on the wooden steps and the Commander entered, "Teeeeen Hutt," brought the room to its feet and attention. Seeing an un-known man with the three stars on his collar, hands slapped to foreheads in a salute and held as the Commander and General approached Lieutenant Washington who was the model officer. She stood facing the door and saw them approach. The only person not saluting was Jim Shannon, but stood respectfully when the officers jumped up. The General saluted Washington and turned and saluted the room. When he dropped his hand, other's followed. Taylor, in the meantime crossed to the coffee pot grabbed two cups and filled them, adding sugar to the General's.

"At ease people," the General accepted his coffee with a grateful nod and took a sip, "Can't believe you remembered, Nathaniel."

"Took a gamble that your wife still let you have sugar, Sir," he chuckled and motioned to his chair behind his desk. "Don't worry, he doesn't bite," he joked, as the General was admiring the skull. Moving to sit beside his wife, who positioned a chair beside her and Shannon sat on the other side of him at one end of the desk. The General pointedly looked directly at Jim Shannon until with a poke to his ribs from his wife; Taylor glanced to where the General was looking.

"Uhh, General, this is Jim Shannon. He's my civilian officer." Taylor hoped the General wouldn't kick him out.

"Shannon, I've heard of you. Broke out of Golad to come here. What was your crime, boy?"

"Third child," no hint of sorrow for his actions, just pride.

"Shame. Shame our society put a man in prison for wanting a family," he nodded to Jim who returned the nod.

Back to looking over the room, the General noted, "I recognize some of you. Good to see you again Guz, Reilly."

"Sir," they answered as one.

"I filled Commander Taylor in a little of the situation on the way here. Lucas Taylor has shifted popular opinion to his side. He's spun a tail of lies about how if anyone wants to come and mine this timeframe, they'll go home wealthy. He's making it sound like a modern day gold rush. I wanted to see this place for myself. I am going to have to try and figure out how to counter him."

The baby took that moment to let out a cry, causing the General who was still standing behind the desk to whirl and look at Taylor who grinned back at him, "Wasn't me, Sir."

Washington picked her baby up and grabbed the bag shoved out of sight under the bassinet.

"Washington? Care to explain?" The General was dumbfounded and it showed on his face.

Smirking at her husband, she took the baby up to the General, "My son. He needs to be changed and fed again. He has his father's appetite." Snickers were heard behind her as she took him to a room just off principal area.

The General looked at Taylor, "And the father is?"

"That'd be me, General. I married Wash several months ago," he was enjoying watching the information sink in and everyone else was engrossed with how the General would respond to a blatant violation coming proudly from their Commander.

General Caldwell looked him in the eye for a long moment. "I owe Rex a lot of money. I bet you'd never marry again. He said Washington was a subliminal statement that in time it would be her. He told me you taking her through the portal instead of waiting for a later pilgrimage with you wasn't just because she was the best in the business, but you were marking your territory like a dog." He was nodding in short jerks of his head, not breaking eye contact, "When did you make her yours, Nathaniel?"

"Like I said, last year, Sir."

"That's not what I asked and you know it," he was starting to smile and up and down motions changed to a side to side movement.

"Just before the third pilgrimage," Nathaniel answered quietly.

"You didn't waste any time. Lenore is never going to believe it when I tell her." With a chuckle, he got back down to why he came. "We don't know who to trust in our own ranks anymore. Attacks are coming from within from officers and soldiers who've been military for twenty or more years. Lucas wants the portal and is bribing anyone who will listen. Twice we've had attacks on the base; one came from inside the hangar. I've had to recall retired people who worked with you, Commander," he looked at Taylor. "I put together twelve men who I think I can trust to guard the terminus and they in turn brought in younger troops they trust, so we're well covered at the moment, but the attacks are increasing on our Continent. I put Mike Hudson in charge."

"Hudson's good. I don't think Lucas can get to him. He still active?"

"He's been on leave for over a year. He lost his wife and son, much like you lost Ayani."

"Sorry to hear that. Where was he when it happened?" He prayed the answer wasn't Somalia and his heart started pounding faster that another officer had to experience that horror first hand like he did.

"They were ambushed at Mendoza pass in Argentina a couple years ago. The military was moving families over the Andes to Chili. It was a slaughter, I'm sorry to report. I kept it out of the data we sent through with your young soldier there," gesturing to Reynolds. "We lost everyone. The regulars were fighting on the coast, leaving a small detachment to provide escort. When no word was heard from them, we flew in choppers and everyone had been killed and desecrated," he watched Nathaniel's countenance fall and darken. Caldwell knew eventually he would hear of the tragedy and had watched him suffer when his own wife was butchered.

Trying not to be sucked into the past and re-live that awful moment, Nathaniel was grateful when Wash reappeared carrying their son. By her worried expression, he knew she'd been listening. He took Thaniel as she sat back in her chair close to him. Holding his boy in his large hands, he leaned forward until his elbows rested on his thighs with his son suspended between his legs. He slowly rocked him up and down, looking at his still small body with its dark hair. Too early to tell if it was going to be curly like his or straight like his mother. So far he resembled him more than his mother. He felt the comforting hand of his wife moving under his jacket to stroke his lower back and let out a ragged breath.

Caldwell watched their interaction. He was glad Nathaniel found someone to understand the pain that would never ever go away completely. His opinion of Lieutenant Washington was formed during the debriefings before coming here. He only knew her by reputation before that, but had been friends with Nathaniel and his wife for years. He'd been Taylor's CO until he got his own command. Taylor would tell stories of his unit and Wash this and Wash that became an everyday name in the Taylor house. Ayani seemed to like her and would smile when her husband would pull a Wash story out of his vast memory of antics his people were always up to.

One time the women were talking about the females in Taylor's unit and Ayani pulled a picture of Wash up. He remembered clearly his wife telling him later, he would never be allowed to have a woman who looked and had a body like that in his outfit.

The sun was up and people moving through the market when the meeting adjourned. Taking the General for a tour, Shannon and Taylor were the center of attention with an obviously high ranking officer from the future. People had questions, but the Commander told them not now, but show the General, Terra Nova hospitality. Stopping by Casey's wheelchair, Caldwell shook his hand and chatted with him. Boylan wandered up and the General joked with him like an old friend while the Commander ordered up breakfast for them, two local cuisines and one frozen military ration made with algae and enzymes added to wheat used to make staple food in the future.

"Nathaniel, I can't believe anyone who's been to this place can be in their right mind to want and destroy it." The General kept looking at the sky, trees and impressive waterfall he was privileged to be facing as they sat in the market.

Malcolm came up with his own plate of food and slipped onto the bench beside Shannon.

"Dr. Wallace," Caldwell greeted him warmly.

"Been a while, General. Good to see the smog didn't get you yet." He spoke over Jim at the General and Commander. "Where's the lovely Alicia this morning, Commander?"

Waiting until he swallowed before answering, "Taking Thaniel to Skye. She's next on the babysitting roster." He laughed to the General, "Seems like all the young women want to take care of my kid, including Shannon's daughter," he bumped his shoulder against his friend. "They can play with a baby without the responsibility. I've been trying to change that. I think they need one while they're still able to spring up in the night, not like Wash and I. We want to sleep all night at our ages." The table laughed good-naturedly.

"Speak for yourself, old man. Thaniel is going to have a brother or sister, so you're not done getting up yet." Nathaniel looked up as his wife slid in next to General Caldwell with her own plate.

"You're not like uhh trying to tell me something are you, Wash?" Shannon and Malcolm were laughing at the Commander while the General looked totally amused.

"Well, we did try that pill Malcolm gave us, remember?"

All eyes turned to Malcolm. "How'd it work?" Malcolm asked and looked anxious for good results.

The Taylor's both turned red and Jim Shannon now really wanted to know why.

"We'll get with you later, Malcolm," Taylor spoke for them while Wash suddenly found her food very interesting.

"What are you up to, Malcolm?" Shannon wasn't going to let it drop and the General's attention wasn't back to the scenery, but on the hedging scientist.

"Ahhhh, we found a plant that had aphrodisiac qualities and I needed volunteers," even he colored at this admission.

"You didn't think of me?" Shannon put on a mock hurt.

"I ran it by the Commander and he said as Commander, it was his job to test it." Looking across at Wash, he asked with a red face, "How'd it do, Wash?"

"A low dose is perfect, wears off in about seven to eight hours with no side effects, but it's only been twenty four hours, so we didn't want to say anything for a few days to make sure no lingering effects." She glanced at her husband, who was smiling and added to him, "You'll get a report from me today if I get a chance and supplementary in a few more when I'm sure it's completely out of my system."

With a shrug to the General, Nathanial gave a shit eating grin, "Privilege of being in command." He turned to the scientist, "Malcolm, give out free pills with every marriage and we'll have this place crawling, literally, with babies. We found ourselves drawn to each other every two to three hours all day and slept all night; that is until Guz pounded on the door." He looked at his wife who was staring at him with her large ebony eyes.

"So that's why you said you were taking the day off yesterday? You were getting laid," Shannon was laughing.

"What'd you do yesterday, Shannon?" Taylor countered.

"Didn't get laid," he grumbled and slapped Malcolm who was laughing at him.

The General watched their comradely, pretending to be offended, but these people obviously cared for each other and he didn't miss the glances between Nathaniel and his wife. He couldn't see her expression, but Taylor kept staring at her as he ate.

His first in person meeting with her was when she accompanied Taylor to a meeting on the exploration details. Up to that point, Commander Taylor met alone with the brass as he put his team together. Malcolm Wallace was tapped to be lead scientist and there was nothing he didn't know about anything, either scientific or engineering. His job, plan and teach. It was a non-specific meeting that he couldn't remember the details to, but was introduced to Lieutenant Washington the second in command for the journey. She was quiet, but attentive. It had only been a couple years since Nathaniel's wife's death and he was still mourning. They had him and his son to dinner several times. Both were sad and the boy withdrawn.

He watched their interaction over the next eighteen months as the team began training and he attended most of the sessions with them. There was a time when he was sure he would have to lead the future if anything happened to Taylor. Washington was in charge of the troops and Dr. Wallace seemed scared of her and the Commander, but was less high-strung as he got to know them. The scientist didn't have any love for the military or authority in general and seemed to think they were too stupid to pull this off. Taylor's son turned out to be brilliant in the design of the terminus and his father turned his education over to the scientists in charge. He seemed happy to watch his son from a distance and was proud of his accomplishments. He told him in private all the time Ayani would be so proud of her son, like he was. Lenore, his wife, was more intuitive to Nathaniel's personal life. Like the good soldier he was, he didn't pay much attention to his soldier's personal lives, Taylor's included.

Lenore met Washington in the flesh when she turned up on Taylor's arm at a swanky restaurant and sponsors were paying large sums to hear the Commander speak. Caldwell knew Nathaniel hated these events and reminded him each and every time that he was a stupid soldier, not an orator. But you would never know it by his entertaining speeches. It was a black tie affair and the Lieutenant was in a black dress that showed her legs and arms off.

"Wash, nice to see Nathaniel added a woman to these events," he greeted her and introduced her to his wife.

"I figured she would draw double the funding I could," Nathaniel actually had his hand on her lower back.

"She will. Are you going to give a speech, Wash?"

"No Sir. The agreement was I would be," she looked at the Commander, "what was it you called me, Sir?"

"Eye candy, Wash. Liquor will loosen their wallets and all you have to do is smile at them." He had turned to face her with a smile, "Remember, Wash. The sooner we get a steady flow of funds, the sooner we can leave."

His wife grabbed Wash's arm and pulled her to their table, sitting beside her so she could get to know the first woman to be seen with Nathaniel. She told him later that his Lieutenant was very loyal to the Commander, but slippery as an eel to her personal enquiring. Eighteen months of his wife's probing never budged this tightlipped Lieutenant, and Taylor laughed off any comments in his direction. That was good enough for him. Now seeing them together and him squeezing her hand as she saw them off for a little OTG excursion, he missed all the signs his wife was trying to point out to him.

Three hours and many klicks later, General Caldwell was quite impressed with all the work Nathaniel and his colonists had done to make this wilderness a home.

"You know, Nathaniel," he shot a sideways glance at the driver, "I'm going home to the worlds nosiest woman. If I walk in and tell her you and Wash have a baby, you know what she's going to do to me, boy?"

Taylor grinned, "Congratulate me through you, of course." He ended with a laugh, dodging a small nycoraptor who jumped in front of the rover, "Nyco. They like human flesh. Tastes like chicken."

"The next person to wake you in the middle of the night will be my wife and you remember how she can be. You don't really want that."

"It was after I kicked Lucas out of the colony. She was there for me and one thing led to another and we began a relationship." There, that should be enough info.

"Lenore kept trying to tell me before you left, you two were going to end up together. I always took your side, but now I see I was wrong. What was it she kept pointing out," he thought quietly. "I remember. It was what I saw this morning. You couldn't take your eyes off her. She would enter a room and you always noticed her, no matter how crowded the place was or who was yammering for your attention; you'd stop and check her over. You sure nothing happened before you went through the portal, Nathaniel?"

"I'd be lying if I said I wasn't attracted and thinking along those lines, but we were just too busy. We flirted more and more, but didn't do anything until right before the third pilgrimage. Once we started, I wanted to go slow, but found myself at her doorstep way too often. After the eleventh I was going to make our relationship public, but she got pregnant so we got married two days after she returned from being POW for three months. I'm sorry I didn't do it years ago."

They sat in silence for a few minutes, one reflecting and one planning.

"You know, Nathaniel. I remember the support you got before and after you started taking Wash to those events. The funds doubled overnight. I think most people were like my wife and Rex. They saw romance in the air. The civilians didn't understand military protocol of non-fraternizing. With you changing the rules and making it work, I think we can use it to update that outdated policy, that's as stupid as two children."

"I don't see how our lives here are a reflection of a dying future."

"Hope. You and Wash represent what can be if we don't destroy this timeline. We need to counter your son, Nathaniel. Why don't you and Wash come back to the future and go public with your lives and sway sentiment back in our favor." He looked over in time to see a shocked expression, then a feral grin cross the Commander's face. Looking back ahead he almost screamed. The largest orange creature he'd ever seen was coming in their direction at a fast pace. "What the hell is that?" All his species training went right out the open window.

"Carno. Hold on, it's going to get fun." Taylor stepped on the pedal and increased an already obscene speed. Just before they collided head on into the open teeth, Taylor swung the wheel to the right and with a thump, the Carno rolled over the top of the rover and barrel-rolled a few times while the Commander straightened the wheel and got back on the trail. "We're almost to the colony." He grabbed his radio, "Taylor to base. Carno behind me. Get the people in and cannons ready."

Looking back, Caldwell saw the offensive beast gaining on them. Taylor swerved to the left and cut a different path, then back to the right. Caldwell couldn't see the dinosaur anymore. "Did we lose it?"

"No, they are hard to shake when pissed off. I'm just slowing it down. They can outrun me on open ground, but can't turn at a dead run very fast. They have to slow down, and the stupid bastards never figured out if they go straight, they'll get to us faster. Good thing they think like an animal." The colony came into view and people were seen running towards the open gate. Taylor ordered, "Fire," and sonic booms shot over the rover as it dashed through the gate and skidded with tires locked up. By the time they exited the rover, the beast had stopped and with a defiant roar wandered off as if that was its plan all along.

"Did you enjoy the wildlife, General?" Casey Durwin rolled up with a huge grin.

"I heard that one of those things got your legs, Durwin. I don't know how you can be so damn cheerful. Do you want to go back with me and get those legs grafted?" That took the smile off Durwin's face. He looked to the Commander with a puzzled expression.

"Casey, I never thought of sending you back. If you want to go, we don't have the technology here to graft bios. You could walk again." People started clapping and the Commander joined in.

"What say you, Case. You could walk down those steps to my bar," Boylan, his faithful friend clasped a shoulder.

"Who's picking up the tab Commander? I don't have the funds."

"The military will. You were active duty. No different than getting them blown off with a mine," Taylor looked to Caldwell for confirmation.

"Casey, just sell your story. You'll come back rich." Caldwell knew the military hospital would love to examine limbs torn away by dinosaur teeth.

Looking around, Nathaniel asked, "Where's Wash?" The Commander just discovered she hadn't materialized by his side like always when he returned from OTG.

"Feeding your kid again, Commander," Boylan made it sound like that's all she ever did, drawing a laugh that rippled through the crowd.

Caldwell noticed the military and civilians mingled together around them. No strict separation like back home. Jim Shannon stood nearby and joined them as they headed back to the Command Center. Entering, they found Washington rocking the baby in her arms. She handed a miniplex to the General, "Pictures for Lenore."

"I hinted to Nathaniel, I would like him and you to come back and counter the popularity of Lucas with a tour of your own," he slipped the tiny pad into his breast pocket.

"Oh, I'd hate to go back." Her husband crossed to her and knelt down by her chair, hand reaching out to stroke his baby's head.

"I may not have a choice, Alicia," his voice was low, but heard by Shannon and the General.

"No, I don't want another separation after last time," she was starting to panic. He couldn't do this to her again, and now with the baby. He saw the fear and her biting down on her lower lip, a sign of distress among the most popular reasons she chewed a lip. The other was total engrossment in a project and she wasn't at this moment.

"We'll talk later," he moved his hand to grip her shoulder. He was still conscious of displaying affection in front of others, especially his superior. "I think Casey might go back with the General and get new legs," he stood up and blocked her view of the General, but not Shannon. He didn't care what Jim saw, but if she were going to tear up, he didn't want the General to see weakness in an officer.

He got a small smile, "Is he going?"

"I hope so, he deserves it," he shared a private memory with her just by the look they gave each other. Both remembering it was Casey who got them over the line that night and they made love off and on all night. He wanted to remind her they broke that record just the day before, but she was on the same page by her widening smile and warm gaze. "I have to get the General home in time for dinner. You're in charge, Lieutenant."

"Yes, Sir"

"Wash, hope to see you again and soon," the General left with the men.