A New Beginning

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School Daze                                                                                                                                

           

            "Rayne, the new arrivals are coming in, we need you to help come sort them out." Malcolm said coming into the class room.



            "It's going to have to wait Malcolm, I have two more classes coming in today and then there is a staff meeting right after." Rayne explained.



            Malcolm was thrown a little by her answer. "Rayne, you are the lead researcher for Zoology in Terra Nova. You are not a primary school teacher."



            "Right now I am." She answered back, "I'm a flied researcher Malcolm and circumstances have made it impressible for me to continue doing the work that I was meant to do. This is just as important."



            "But we have actual teachers to teach the children, we need you at work in your lab doing your job." Rayne sighed and turned looking at him.



            "Then put me back out in the field." She said seriously.



            "Absolutely no way under the sun is that a possibility. Commander Taylor has very clear and specific instructions about you going OTG at any point." He said.



            "I wasn't asking to even go to one of the research outposts. Just a click out at the furthest." She said. "The galasours will be spawning and probably have already been hatching by now." You know where their spawning grounds are the same as I do. Can you imagine it? A baby galasour for study."



            "Well then we can send a team out that way to collect one for you but you simply cannot go. I may be the CSO, but commander Taylor is our CEO. The buck literally stops with him." Rayne frowned and turned going back to her lesson plan. Malcolm sighed and frustration and knew he wasn't going to get anywhere this way and was going to have to go to the next step.

 

Tell Tales



            "I don't understand what the complaint is about this time Malcolm. She's been teaching off and on for the past four years. Why is it suddenly a problem for you now?" The commander questioned.



            "Because she absolutely refused to come back to work in the lab and insists that she will continue teaching solely until she is allowed to go on a research mission to collect a baby Gallasour."  Well it was definitely a ligament problem.

 

            "You two had a record going for the longest stent without complaining to me about anything going and just like that we're back to square one." He said.



            "Her quarrel isn't with me this time Taylor, it's with you. She's tired of being coped up in the colony and she wants to be in the field again." Malcolm said.



            "Well that’s not possible because the Sixers have basically put a bounty on her head. If you'll notice, it hasn't been for a bargaining chip once. they never intended for us to get her back." Taylor said sternly. "You get your science team out there and get her what she wants and bring it back here. It's the best we can do right now, until the Sixer's and l. . . until things are different." The CEO said putting his foot down as it was not something he was going to change his mind on.



            "Well it's come to a standoff between me and her, I'm afraid that the CEO is going to have to step in on this one otherwise I’ll never get her back to work." Malcolm said frustrated beyond belief. Taylor sighed having thought they had overcome this problem long ago.

 

Standoff



            "You of all people should understand why you are forbidden to go beyond those gates, Rayne." Taylor said sternly. "You've been taken twice, and never once used as a hostage. Lucas and the Sixer's have other very unsavory plans for you and that isn't something I have any control over." Taylor said sternly. "you need to go back to work but you have to stay within the perimeters that are set for you."



            "We went on a school Field trip to outpost 12 without incident, why is this become a problem now?" She asked. "The expedition is going less than a click out and I don't see why I should be stopped from getting to go with them." She argued. "And despite what Malcolm claims I’m still working, every day. Even more now than I was now that Nathan is in the head-start program as well."



            Now Taylor was starting to get frustrated as well. "Rayne, for crying out loud why are you making this so difficult? You love your job and I don't see why you are refusing to do it now." He stated.



            "I’m a field researcher Nathaniel, I can't do field research in a lab. That sort of defeats that entire purpose. I can only do so much in a lab and it's frustrating. My only release is to teach the kids about animals and it's something I actually enjoy."



            "Damnit, Rayne. Sometimes I feel like I should take you over my knee for some of the stuff you pull." He said.



            "You do." She said with a mischievous smile.



            "Look, we need to come to some kind of understanding or this isn't going to work at all." He said.



            "Then let me go out with the science team. They are well guarded and I won't be alone." She protested.



            she was stubborn as could be and he wasn't going to win this argument right now. "I'll think about it." Was all he said to end the conversation." She smiled and kissed his cheek.



            "My next class is coming in soon, I have prep work"



            "Uh huh." He said before turning to go about his duties hating not having won that round.

 

News

            "Again? Already?" Rayne said in surprise taking the glass Plex from Dr. Shannon to double check.

            "Well yes, it doesn't take that much when you and your husband share a a bed together." She said with a chuckle.

            Rayne sighed, "Back in 2149 it would be an automatic abortion and they wouldn't have even asked or told me."

            "Well fortunately for us, those rules don't apply here, we want our population to grow." She explained. "How do you think Commander Taylor will take the news? " She asked.

            "he'll be thrilled at the thought of being a father again, but we're going to need to talk about some contraception Doc. We need to slow this down before Terra Nova is overrun with Taylors." Rayne said seriously.

            "We're still working on that. The rules have changed here so it's going to take time to syntheses an effective birth control method." She said seriously. 

            "The old fashioned way I supposed." She said. Rayne scoffed, "Yeah right. To do that it would be like having to put to rabbits in separate cages, and even then I think we might chew through the bars." She said seriously.

 

             "Well, you have at least the next 7 months to figure it out."

 

Rabbits

            "Well this is fantastic news." Taylor said walking over and taking her by the shoulders kissing her deeply. "Looks like we’re going to be a family of 5 now." he said grinning from ear to ear.

            "Yeah looks like" Rayne said in a low tone.

            Taylor noticed that she wasn't as happy as he was and looked into her eyes, "Sweetheart? This is a good thing isn't it? Your happy aren't you?"

            "Yes, of course I am. I just didn't think it would be so soon." she admitted.

            He rested his hands on her hips."This is absolutely wonderful news honey.." he said kissing her.

            "I feel like a brood mare." She said softly.

            "Far from it. We're making a family together and I couldn't be more pleased" He said with a grin." He kissed her once again with more passion and anxiously clinging to her body.



            "But a third child? Already? Are we really ready for another?" She questioned.



            "Absolutely." He sighed and paused a moment, "I know it's something we both tend to ignore but Rayne, I am not exactly a spring chicken. And my job is incredibly high risk all day every day. Waiting on making our family . . . it's just not practical. The sooner the better, and honey, you've given me such beautiful babies. I can't help but want more. All I can get. Is that so wrong? And I don't want to leave you alone, I want to leave a family behind for you."



            Rayne looked into his eyes and smiled softly shaking her head. He grinned and kissed her nose glad that she was being so understanding. "Thank you honey." he said kissing her again and hugging her tight.

 

She still had her reservations but she knew now what his reasons were for pushing forward with children. A fear of something happening to him and her being left alone.

 

Reports



            "Again? You're telling me she's pregnant, again." Lucas scoffed at the very idea. "What are they rabbits?"



            "The environment makes everything extremely fertile here, Lucas. Humans aren't going to be any different. They probably aren't even trying." She said seriously looking at him.



            "Trying or not, this has got to end. This will give him three children now, and he's completely forgotten how he screwed up his first family and left them to die. That's unacceptable." Lucas hissed.



            Mira didn't really want to get into this father/son drama with him right now and decided to just move on to something more relevant. "How have you been doing with your calculations for the time fracture?" She asked.



            "It's coming along." He snapped not liking to be interrupted in the middle of one of his rants. "In the meantime, I want that woman here. Within 10 feet of me, immediately." He said with a dark look. "I don't care if you have to storm Terra Nova itself, get her here NOW!!" He roared.



            It was another mission that Mira wasn't thrilled about but she had little choice to obey him if she ever had any chance of getting back to the future and seeing her little girl again.

 

Insanity



            Rayne looked at the screen she was asked to sit in front of, electrodes hooked up to her belly. "This is really stupid." She said.



            Malcolm walked over and checked her progress. "No, it's beneficial in ways you'll see down the line. Studies have shown that the earlier you begin to encourage a child's cognitive development, the higher their IQ will be."



            "It's still stupid." She said not having changed her opinion. "My first two are already in the head-start program, Willow is about to start preschool. If Nathaniel finds out that your conducting experiments on our third child, he's going to take you and put your outside the gate bare-beam and buck naked." She said seriously.



            "it's not really an experiment. It's been proved before that these techniques have worked the best in utero and have had very successful results" He said. "And don't worry, I have 3 other women coming in for the same course of treatment you are. I'm not singling you out just because you are the Commanders wife."



            "Well good, because I don't think he would be happy with any of this if he knew about it." Rayne said.



            "If your so worried about it, then why did you agree to the treatments?" Malcolm asked.



            "Because if for some reason this does work, I want my children to have every advantage that can be afforded to them. This is a new world, and they are going to need all the learning and education they can get." She stated plainly.



            "So, stop complaining and let’s get back to work then, shall we?" He said reaching up on the screen and starting the next set.

Sonogram



            "Another son?" Nathaniel said holding Rayne's hand grinning from ear to ear. "But that's great!" He said in an excited tone. "Isn't that great honey?" He said kissing Rayne's cheek.



            "Of course it is." She said kissing him back before looking at Dr. Shannon. "And he's healthy right? There's nothing that looks, off or dangerous?" She questioned.



            "Nope. Turns out that you and Commander Taylor are very good when creating new life." She said with a smile.



            Rayne smiled a little bit, and something seemed a little off. The doctor smiled, "I'll be back I just want to go check on those readings." Dr. Shannon turned around and left.



The Commander looked at Rayne and could sense that something was wrong. "What's wrong?" He asked. "Aren't you happy?"



            "Yes, I am. Really I am very happy." She said softly, "But what if this makes the target on our backs that much bigger?" She asked.



            "Hey, we're allowed to be happy." He sighed, "I hate this." he admitted, "I hate that before we can be happy about anything we have to stop and wonder how it's going to affect us negatively. That's not right, and it's not fair" The Commander ranted. Taylor took her hand, "our family is growing. I can't see the future, but I know that we can be happy now. We're happy now. That's what matters." He said kissing her hand before reaching up and cupping her face, "So, your allowed to be happy. Okay baby?"



              Rayne looked into his eyes a moment before she smiled and gave a nod. He grinned and kissed her as they looked at the sonogram again.





Emergencies



            "She went OTG without asking or telling anyone, she went through the fence near the new construction." Washington said.



            "I know where she went." Rayne said running up on Shannon and Washington a little out of breath, "I know where she went. We can go get her and be back under an hour."



            "No, No way." Washington said. "Commander Taylor has repeated I don't know how many times that you aren't allowed OTG. Especially not now that your expecting."



            "This isn't a planned outing Wash, and we're not going to be gone that long. But if we don't get to her in time she's going to be a Carno snack." Rayne said quickly. Jim and Wash looked at each other a moment. "I'll take full responsibility he can chew my butt after he's told me like 3 times a day since we were married. But we need to get a rover and get to her now."



            Jim looked at Wash and sighed, "We won't be gone that long and we have to get her back."



            Washington still looked incredibly weary about the entire situation but losing a 15 year old girl to a dinosaur wasn't something they wanted on their heads if they really good stop it "Alright, but quick. 60 minutes and you have got to be back in the gate or we're all dead."



            A little while later they were riding in the Rover in the direction that Rayne had indicated. "Why would she do something as insane as this?" Jim asked.



            "Because she's an adventurous, free spirited kid that is way to curious and not nearly enough cautious." Rayne answered. "She wants to see a Carno's nest and she wasn't happy with the pictures and drawing we had. She wanted to get up close and personal."



            Washington sighed, "That child doesn't have nearly enough parent supervision." She said.



            "Amanda isn't a bad kid, she just needs to learn patience and caution." Rayne answered.



            "Yeah but a Carno's nest? You have got to be insane to go after that on purpose."



            "I have. But it also wasn't hatching season." Rayne said.



            When they arrived, they were lucky to find Amanda before she had started exploring the nests, and hustled her back into the Rover before they were attacked. However when Wash and Jim made it back to the Rover, they found Rayne laying out beside it on the ground unconscious.



            "What the hell? Rayne?" Jim said, "Rayne!" He called shaking her arm but there was absolutely no response.



            "Lets figure out what happened later, let’s get out of here and back to the colony now." Wash said. Jim nodded and reached down picking her up putting her in the Rover as the two vehicles high tailed it out of the area heading back to Terra Nova.



            "Did she pass out?" Jim asked Wash as she was checking Rayne's pulse and looking at her face, "Pulse is normal, heartbeat is steady, I have no idea." Washington answered.





Problem



             Rayne lay on the bio-bed in the infirmary motionless as the Doctor continued to scan her and did test after test.



            Washington came in, "Well Amanda is on work detail from now until the day she dies. She seemed like she wasn't too concerned with it, like she expected it. I'll make sure she gets double duty if it isn't that big of deal to her." She looked over, "What about Rayne has she woken up yet?"



            "No. And what's worse I can't find what's causing it." Dr. Shannon said. "We found a strange substance on her face and in her right ear and I cleaned it all off, Malcolm is analyzing it now." She reported.



            "Every single time she goes outside the gates." Washington said with a sigh.



            "Hey, give her a break. She used to live OTG for months on end by herself. It's probably because she's stuck here 24/7 now that this sort of thing happens." Jim said. Everyone in the room looked at him finding his outburst in her defense a little odd.



            Just then Malcolm hurried into the room, "We've got a problem." He said seriously. He held up a small vile and walked over to Elizabeth, "Do you remember that sickness that we encountered not long after you arrived, out at the research outpost where memory loss and regression into ones past were the main symptoms?" He questioned.



            "Yes, but . . . but that was a pathogen." She said.



            "Not anymore." Malcolm held up the vile, "Someone took the records and tampered with it. It's relatively the same disease but it's been modified into a liquid form and can be administered without infecting others around the victim."



            All three went silent as they looked back to the sleeping woman on the bio-bed. "Sixers." Shannon said without any doubt whatsoever in his voice. "Who else would do this?"



            "But why do it? And how did they know how to find us so fast? How did they know that we would bring Rayne along with us when she's forbidden to leave the colony?" Washington asked.



            A moment passed before Jim looked at her, "We need to talk to Amanda."

 

Guilty



            "You lured us out there knowing that Mrs. Taylor would be the one to help us find you."Shannon said in a low voice. You had plenty of time to make it into the Carno's nests before we found you. You waited for us in that spot so we'd stop there."



            "Look, what's the big deal? It was just a dare to see if I could do it and I did." Amanda said.



            "Seriously." Shannon said looking at her. "You did this on a dare? What did you get out of it?"



            "Well I have to be able to keep my reputation. It's really important that people know who I am and what I can do. and I got 50 terras out of it which is always good." Amanda said. It was obvious she was a child who didn't understand the gravity of what had happened.



            "Who dared you to do this?" Washington asked.



            "I don't know, I just got a note saying they bet 50 Terra's I wouldn't do it, so . . . I proved them wrong. Now whose the big chicken?" She said with a satisfied smirk. Washington looked at Shannon who gave a nod.



            "Alright, let’s go." She said taking her arm and pulling her from the chair, "I think a few days in the detention center might rearrange your priorities a little bit."





Bad News



            "What about the baby?" Taylor asked looking at Dr. Shannon.



            "It doesn't appear to be having any affects on him at all. The only one it's affected is Rayne and . . . well I’m afraid she doesn't know any of us." She said wishing she had better news.



            "She can't . . . not know us. She's a top researcher here in Terra Nova." Taylor said stunned when they told him the situation. "She's the mother of my children, my wife."



            "She doesn't remember anything before Terra Nova commander. She's a completely different person then the one that we know." Dr. Shannon said. "Malcolm is still working on a formula to counter act the affects of the disease."



            "Well where is she?" Taylor said, "I want to see her. Speak with her."



            Jim Shannon looked a little weary of that and Taylor just stared at him wanting to know what the problem was. "She's. . . umm. Well we currently have her locked in pod 3."



            "What?" Taylor said in astonishment.



            "She seems to have a small problem with authority of any kind." Shannon explained. "I'm not entirely sure how she's going to respond to you, when she's been giving me and Washington absolute hell for the past two days."



            Taylor just gave him a look and turned heading to the detention pods to find his wife.





Arguments



            "Is this supposed to be the big bad commander you've been threatening me with, pig?" Rayne said giving Taylor the once over when Shannon walked in.



            "Rayne, we've had this conversation. I'm a police officer or a sheriff. Not a pig. Calling me names isn't going to win you any special considerations." Shannon said in an almost patronizing voice. It was clear he was at his limit with everything that had gone on in Taylor's absence.



            She sighed and crossed her arms looking at Taylor again, "So what do you want."



            "Have they told you . . . what you’re doing here?" He asked.



            "Yeah, that pi . . ." She glanced at Shannon and decided to change her sentence, "That cop said that I wasn't allowed outside the fence and locked me up for breaking some stupid rule. I'm an adult, I can go outside a fence if I want."



            "What about in the infirmary. Has the doctor spoken to you at all?" Taylor asked.



            "Oh, yeah. Someone’s weird fantasy that I've got a husband and kids. Yeah right, I'm never getting married. Men are such annoying twits. They couldn't tie their shoes without directions and then taking credit for it." She snapped.



            Taylor just starred at her not knowing what to say or what to do. When she was in high school, she was quite the woman's lib/anti-male advocate ever. That had all changed by the time she'd met Jason for her internship but it was still there just not as pronounced. She glared at Taylor and Shannon with an instant and deep disgust because they were men.



            "Give us a minute, will you Jim?" Taylor asked.



            "Yeah, just uh . . . call out if you need help." He said warning him that she was a force to be reckoned with having already tangled with her himself. Turning he and the guards left Taylor alone with Rayne.



            She crossed her arms and just stared at him as if ready for a fight. It was disarming to see her this way, the utter hate she had for men the instant irritation it caused her when they were present.



            "You're an intelligent young woman Rayne." Taylor began looking at her. "You can't really think that everyone here is playing some kind of mind game on you. Trying to deceive you or pull the wool over your eyes."



            "Oh really? And someone playing a mind game on me definitely wouldn't say something like that to me to make me think otherwise?" She said not believing anything he said before he even had a chance to say it.



            Taylor just looked at her a moment feeling as though there was a knife in his heart as he looked at her. "You said that you would never marry." He stated recalling her words from earlier. "What about children? Would you consider them?" He asked.



            "I have no problem with kids. All they want to do is learn and to know. They don't go around trying to control you or fight over whose got what power or whose in control. I wouldn't mind having kids myself except for the part where I would need a man to get them." She said.



            The Commander wasn't sure how to approach this. What to say or what to do. He walked closer to her and she stood her ground starring straight into his eyes not looking away or blinking with no intention of backing down. "So why is it so hard for you to believe you have two children, and another on the way." He asked leaving himself out of it for now.



            "Now you’re just being dumb. For me to have another one on the way that would mean that I was . . . ." She stopped in mid sentence looking at him. "I'm not pregnant." She said seriously.



            "Yeah," Taylor said taking out a small plate and punching up her most recent sonogram handing it to her so she could see, "You are." Rayne starred at it for a moment still disbelieving it, then her eyes turned towards him.



            "If this is my sonogram, and this is my baby." She held up the plate, "Why do you have it?" Rayne questioned.



            "You're a smart young woman, why don't you tell me?" He stated looking into her eyes.



            The reality of it was just to much as she looked him over again before looking into his eyes, "No. No way. You’re like . . . twice my age." She said.



            "Maybe." Reaching out he took the plate and punched up something else before handing it to her. There was a picture of her, Nathan and Willow, sitting with him on the ground. "But maybe it doesn't really matter to you how old we are."



            Rayne starred at the picture before looking at him, then she studied the two little faces and it was unmistakable. That deep sparkling blue color, matched that of the Commanders. They were his children. The fact that William was actually Lucas's child made no difference as Lucas had gotten the same characteristics from his father. 



            She half laughed, "This . . . is bogus." She said handing him back the plate, "I would never marry someone like you, much less have children with you." She said in disgust. "You're everything I hate in this world."



            "We're not in the same world you were before we met, Rayne. So much has changed in your life . . . in our lives. You've just forgotten, that's all." The Commander said trying not to become upset himself. "But I'm going to fix this. You're going to remember me, our family. Our life that we've built together."



            She starred at him seeing how deadly serious he was and that he truly meant was he was saying, "I don't believe you." She said shaking her head.



            "You will Honey." He said softly. "You'll see."

Custody



            Rayne stood in the kitchen of their home looking around before moving to the next room of the house looking around. She saw the various toys and the nursery where the babies usually slept. Although right now, Taylor thought it best if they stayed with someone else until things got sorted out.



            Taylor followed her around the house watching her in silence, waiting for her to ask a question or say something. It was a strange feeling. She'd help design and build their home and now it was like someone who had just come over for the first time and was thinking maybe about buying it.



            Finally she came to a stop at their bedroom and sighed crossing her arms, "This is impossible. There is no way I would ever live here. There is no organic flow through. If this was my house there would be more house plants, and several animals inhabiting the area."



            "Pets aren't allowed in Terra Nova." Taylor stated. "This is a very hostile environment and most of the animals are dangerous no matter how innocent and harmless they may seem." He explained.



            "I am studying to be a zoologist, I would have animals." She said.



            "You do. You have quite the menagerie, they're all at your lab." Taylor said directly. "In fact, you teach class several times a week for the younger children, and have hours that people can come in and visit the animals if they want."



            Rayne sighed and looked around, "Where are my alleged children?" She asked, "There's supposed to be a little girl and a little boy that are mine? Willow and . . . Nathan?" She said.



            "I thought it best that they stay with a friend for now. At least until your better. You have enough to worry about I didn't think adding to your stress level would be helpful." Taylor said seriously. "I thought, if we spent time together it might help you remember something."



            She scoffed and rolled her eyes moving into the room where she saw some things that looked like they might be hers. Clothes and other such things. The Commander stepped in closing the door behind him. Rayne dug through the drawers and grinned when she saw a necklace that looked like something she would wear. She took it out and wrapped it around her neck tying it at the back.



            Taylor half smiled seeing her wear that. He'd made it for her, it was a combination of Carno and Slasher teeth. For some reason that was the first time Rayne noticed the ring on her wedding finger. It was like a jolt of lighting as she stood up and considered for the first time that this and everything she had been told might have been true. She stood up starring at the ring and Taylor walked closer.



            "These are Garnets." She said looking at the three beautifully carved gems surrounded by diamonds.



            "Your favorite." He said softly. "I had it made for you. Took two pilgrimages to get here. Was starting to think they weren't capable of getting the order right." Taylor half smiled at how silly the whole thing was.



            Rayne shook her head a little, "This is all impossible." She said her eyes wide for the first time even imagining she wasn't being lied to. "I would remember this, I would remember having a husband and two children." She said starting to shake a little.



            Taylor shook his head and reached out resting his hands on her shoulders a moment and rubbing them a bit as he looked into her eyes, "It will come back to you, honey. You can't just forget everything we had together, it goes so much deeper than that." He stated.



            She looked into his glowing blue eyes, like two deep pools, broken sapphires. They were intoxicating. They were the same eyes the little boy and the little girl in those pictures had. Without thinking about it, her hands rested over her abdomen were only the slightest swell was beginning to grow. She looked down at herself and took a breath. Could she really have a baby growing inside of her.



            "Our son." He said after a moment answering the question she had in her mind. "Dr. Shannon says that he's strong, and healthy, and everything is perfect."



            Taylor was leaning a little closer to her having a hard time resisting the temptation to gather her into his arms and hold her close. Especially since it seemed her very reality was crumbling around her and she had nothing to hold on to. But he had to wait, he knew he had to wait.



            "How long have we been married?" She asked softly.



            "Five and a half years." He answered.



            "And we're already on our third child?" She said astonished.



            He grinned a little, "We tended to move pretty quickly you and me. Laying so close to such a beautiful woman every night, the temptation is impossible to resist." He admitted.



            Rayne was quiet a moment and swallowed the lump in her throat thinking another moment, "I want to meet them." She said looking into his eyes, "I want to see them. Willow and Nathan."

 

            Taylor thought about it for a moment, and decided it would be alright. They were young enough that if she had a bad reaction to them they wouldn't remember, but he knew how much she loved children, and how much she adored her own.

 

Nursery Rhymes



            The Commander stood back watching Rayne sitting on the floor with their little ones, smiling from ear to ear and having fun just playing blocks with them and holding them close. It was like she could hardly believe they were hers and she was cherishing them completely.



            "How are things coming?" Jim Shannon asked as he came in.



            "Not sure." Taylor said with a sigh. "She adores the kids, sort of accepts that she's expecting another, but when she looks at me all she sees is a complete stranger." He said in frustration. "Any news from Malcolm on the science front?"



            "He's made a little bit of progress but it's slow going. Elizabeth wants to take a few more readings which is why I came to find you to see if you could bring her by the infirmary." Shannon said. They both watched the young woman a few more moments, "At least she seems to be behaving better now."



            "I wouldn't put money on that yet." He admitted. "She was nipping off the alcohol in my office when she thought I wasn't looking. She used to be a hard drinker when she was in high school in college. She didn't know she was pregnant yet and I don't know if she's going to stick to being on the wagon until she truly believes she's in her second trimester."



            "Well Elizabeth should be able to help with that, she'll just take another sonogram, snap a few pictures in real time and show her." Jim said.



            "We'll see. I just don't know about any of this Shannon." Taylor said frustrated with how slow things were going to get her back to her normal self.





Sleeping Arrangements



            Getting bedded down for the night, the Commander came in getting a pillow and a blanket as Rayne stood in her nightgown. "I have a cot in my office, I'll just be over there if you need me. I left a com unit on the bedside table over there."



            "You're leaving?" She asked.



            The Commander paused a moment, "Well . . . yeah. I didn't think you wanted me to stay here."



            Rayne looked a little nervous and unsure but then took a breath, "If you have to leave, maybe you could stay just a little longer?" She requested. It had been a long day and there was so much she had to take in. He thought about it for a moment before he put down the blanket and pillow giving a nod. There was an awkward silence for a moment before she cleared her throat, "Do you have some pictures from our wedding?" She asked moving over and sitting down on the bed crossing her legs.



            "Uh, yeah." He walked over and picked up a PLEX and moved to sit down next to her on the bed. She moved closer as he opened the files on the glass plate.



            He started to scroll through them one at a time and she grinned a little, "I look so silly in that dress."



            "No you don't your beautiful." He said looking at her. She blushed a little and he cleared his throat going back to moving through the pictures. "Well, it was definitely the biggest wedding this colony is ever going to see for a while. Everyone was in on it. You know, me being the commander and all." He admitted. He came to a picture of just Rayne and himself. His arms were around her and she was sitting on his lap, and they were kissing deeply. They looked like two people truly, deeply and madly in love. It was his favorite to be honest. Rayne studied the photo, seeing so much. It looked like they really loved each other and nothing else in the world mattered or existed.



            Her eyes turned down for the first time since she lost her memory and she took a breath, "Do you love me, commander Taylor?" She said softly.



            He closed the files on the plex and put it aside. "More then anything. More then I ever thought possible." He said turning to face her.



            Rayne looked up at him, "Just from today roaming the colony, it seemed like your well respected and thought of like a God. You could have any woman you wanted. Why me?" She asked.



            Taylor smiled and reached up cupping her face in his hand, "For so many reasons. To many reasons to count really. You're everything I've ever wanted. You seem to be in awe of my loving you, when it's me who is in awe of your loving me."



            They gazed deeply into each other’s eyes a moment and before they knew it they were kissing lovingly. Slowly at first, and then passion and lust started to grow. His hands moved over her body and she wrapped her arms around his neck hardly able to resist. Another instant went by and suddenly he wrapped his arms around her and lay her back down on the bed rolling over her. When their bodies started to rub together anxiously, Rayne gasped and braced her hands against his chest.



            "Wait, wait . . . we can't." She breathed in a panic.



            "It's okay baby, don't be scared." He whispered. "Everything's okay." With in an instant they started to consume each other’s mouths again, as Taylor reached down pulling her nightgown up to her hip. "Just relax honey, it's alright." He encouraged breathing into her ear as he cupped her head in his hands kissing her again.



            Rayne started to relax swept up in the heat of the moment, but when she felt his member brushing against her womanhood, she had a hard time settling down. Everything was moving so fast. So many things were running through her mind that she had to take in during the day. Who he was, that she had children, who she was, this new place 85 million years in the past. She started to push her hands against his chest again but in his passion he caught her wrists in his hands and pressed them down into the mattress on either side of her head as he began to slowly enter her quivering body.



            It was easy to forget the situation. Taylor and Rayne had always been explosively passionate lovers, and their basic instincts, lust and desire had a tendency to kick in when they lie in bed together making love. But at this moment Rayne was still unsure of her surroundings, and she may have been wearing this man’s ring on her finger, but he was still very much a stranger in so many ways.



            "Please," She gasped a little, "Commander Taylor, please." Hearing her call him that snapped him right back into reality. He raised his head and looked down at her suddenly embarrassed that he had been so anxious in his affections when she clearly wasn't ready for them.



            "Rayne I . . ." He had no words, nothing he could say. He quickly released her and rolled of to the side sitting up at the edge of the bed not believing himself. Rayne was still breathing deeply and sat up pulling her nightgown down over her as she looked at him, his back to her.



            "No, I  . . . I think it's me." She said quickly moving closer to him her legs tucked underneath her.



            "I forgot myself, I'm sorry." He apologized.



            Rayne smoothed her hair back now the one feeling incredibly embarrassed. She had been with this man all day as he walked her through every aspect of her life, so why was she suddenly so panicked? Rayne moved closer and reached for the PLEX sitting up a bit more next to him. Taylor looked at her not certain what she was doing. She pressed a few buttons and the picture of them on their wedding day appeared.



            "This is us." She said looking at it for a moment where he could see it. "I'm your wife." She said softly before looking up at him, “And we have two . . ." She paused placing her hand over her abdomen, “And a half children together." She shook her head a little, "You're not the one at fault who should be sorry. I am."



            "This isn't your fault Rayne, it was something that was done to you. You went out to find that girl because she was one of your students. Because you cared about her. How were you to know that it was a set up to get you OTG?" Reaching out he wrapped his arm around her pulling her closer. "There are times when I think you put to much faith in people. You've always sort of . . . stayed away, and rather be with the animals. But at the same time, You always have given people the benefit of the doubt. Unfortunately, people take advantage of that."



            She was quiet for a moment before she looked at him. "What if we pretended." She said breaking the silence.



            Taylor looked at her not quite understanding and she looked into his eyes, "My head, is all jumbled. Muddled with all this stuff that I've apparently forgotten, and it just confuses me. It upsets me." She paused another moment, "What if we pretend, that we just met. Not just that I've just met you, but that you've just met me and we don't know anything about each other."



            "I don't understand where you’re going with this." The Commander admitted.



            "Well, we're married so there would be nothing wrong with anything we did, right?" She said looking into his eyes. "So lets just pretend that we're meeting each other for the first time."



            Nathaniel wasn't sure about it. They'd never roll played before and it seemed like a strange time to attempt it. However if it was what she wanted to do, and it helped he didn't see the harm in it. "Alright." He said. Rayne reached over and put the Plex down moving closer to him.



            "My name is Rayne." She said holding out her hand to him.



            "Nathaniel." He said taking her hand and kissing the back of her hand. She grinned at how charming he was being.



            "Do you come here very often?" She asked.



            Taylor half smiled, "Every night." It was the truth and at the same time he was having a little bit of fun. It was like when he was a new solider when he and his buddies used to go to the local bars and pick up women on the weekend. "I've never seen you here before."



            "oh," She said clicking her tongue. “you’d remember me if you had." She leaned closer whispering into his ear, "It would have changed your life forever."



            The Commander looked at her and before he knew what was happening she was hungrily consuming his lips. Her onrush of passion was a little surprising considering they had to stop their activities just moments before. Apparently just needed to get herself in the right frame of mind.



            It seemed that talking was over as she pushed him to lay back and straddle his hips before anxiously seeking out his lips again. How could he possibly complain about this? She was fully of energy, and almost seemed like she was starving to feel their naked bodies against each other.

 

Aftermath



            The two lay together starring at the ceiling, bodies covered in sweat both gasping for air and Taylor lay wide eyed as if he had been mulled by a tiger, but in a good way.



            "You know, I always have thought you were amazing in bed." He said after a few moments of silence, "But I think I felt the earth move."



            Rayne grinned and looked at him, "I told you, life changing."



            He rolled over on his side resting his hand on her belly as he looked into her eyes. "I know, I'm probably going to regret asking this, but I need to." He said softly stroking her soft skin looking at her. She turned and looked into his eyes. "How did you learn to be so . . . incredible?" He said not knowing the right words.



            She looked sheepish for a moment before she rolled over onto her side looking into his eyes. "Can you keep a secret?" She asked softly.



            "I keep all your secrets honey." He said kissing her forehead.



            Rayne half smiled before she looked into his eyes once again, "When I was in middle school, I was diagnosed with acute nymphomania." She said seriously. Taylor arched a brow as this was news to him. "I wasn't riding teachers between classes or anything, once they diagnosed it they gave me medication and kept a close watch on me."



            "How did they know to check for it?" He questioned.



            She looked a little sheepish turning her eyes down a slight blush to her cheeks. "I was caught . . ." She cleared her throat, "Molesting myself between classes and every other chance there was. I wasn't always by myself." She said putting it as delicately as possible.



            "You're lucky. There are a lot of boys, a lot of men who would take advantage of a girl like that." She blushed a little more looking away from him. "What?"



            She sighed a little and looked up at him, "Girls are better at everything."



            Now she caught his attention. "You mean you were satisfying yourself with other girls?" He said just to clarify. She gave a slight nod. At first he was shocked but then he started to laugh. Such interesting facts he was learning about his wife. "I . . . I really would have never known, you’re so passionate in bed with me."



            "I was never . . ." She stopped short not sure if she should continue but he kissed her encouraging her to tell him. "I wasn't  . . . penetrated until college, and not long after that I had a boyfriend."



            "Jason." He said his smile fading a bit hating that name every time someone said it, including him.



            Rayne cocked her head a little, "You know Jason?" She said in surprise.



            "Yeah. You could say that." He said in a less friendly less gentle voice.



            She thought his change and tone in demeanor was a little odd but there were so many weird things going on today that she really couldn't separate them. "By then my hormones were more under control. I was still on medication for a year or two after that, which didn't really work to well, but then it was decided I had enough self control to be taken off them completely."



            Taylor chuckled slightly, "Until of course the lights go out at night, then all bets are off, huh?"



            She half smiled blushing a little bit, "apparently. If we have 3 kids in almost 5 years I'd say that's a fair assumption."



            "Well, I'm not going to judge you for it. Just as long as when you get an urge you come find me straight away." He said.



            She settled down in the pillow a bit more, "So how about you? Why are you so ferocious in bed?"



            "Are you kidding?" He said looking into her eyes, "I'm married to a hot-blooded, beautiful goddess. Any man would be insane not to want his hands on you at all times." He said seriously before reaching up cupping her face in his hand stroking her soft skin gently with his thumb. "There has always been something about you. way before I got you into my bed, honey. Something I just wanted to hold, and touch and kiss. Even though you thought I was a complete megalomaniac with delusions of Godhood that you informed me off on a regular basis."



            "Are you?" She asked.



            "Not the last time I checked but when you're running a colony, rumors and negative opinions tend to fly like bugs." He admitted.



            "But I still married you." She said thinking that strange.



            Taylor paused a moment, "Maybe you saw something in me, like I saw something in you." He said softly.



            Rayne smiled a little, "Well, you are pretty charming." She admitted. "I doubt very many people would be able to say no to you even if they tried."



            "Oh believe it or not it has happened." He said. He grinned and they kissed once, and then again as the commander wrapped his strong arms around her as they continued to kiss passionately and he rolled them onto her back.

To Be Continued . . . . .

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