Disclaimer: Totally forgot to mention I don't own anything but Apollo and the plot haha!

A/N: Every one of you has been to wonderful! Thank you for sticking with this fic, you guys are absolutely amazing!

Dedicated to: EVERY ONE OF YOU! And this entire story to Simone Kessell and Stephen Lang. I know they'll never read it, but it's for them because this fandom, this story- WE- wouldn't exist without their characters and their amazing ability to allow us to see between the lines and conjure incredible pieces of literature.

I give many, many thanks to my beta Sapphos-Daughter for putting up with me. She's been very patient with my TN kick and I thank her for that and betaing this last installment.

Enjoy from Taylor's POV :D!

The sky was dark but life in Terra Nova was busy as ever. It was Terra Day. A celebration Skye had come up with a couple months ago. Taylor was finally able to sit down and think of a day that would be appropriate for it. He ended up choosing the day before his second's birthday.

When Wash realized, she raised a brow and planted a hand on her hip. "Afraid you'll forget without a reminder?"

"Have I forgotten before?" he asked, a sly grin playing at his lips. They'd been together for a couple months now and, of course, had their ups and downs but for the most part, their bond- the already unbreakable bond- grew stronger each day. Their love for the other shinning almost impossibly.

Now he watched from the porch of the command canter as the celebrations took place. The day had been busy, each of civilians pitching in to make this night as perfect as the Harvest Festival. He scanned the crowd, watching them dance and mingle. Apollo was occupied with the youngest Shannon daughter and her friends. And then he spotted his object of desire. She was off to the side with Jim and Elisabeth. Jim had said something that made her laugh and punch him playfully in the arm. Her hair was down, curling ever so subtly around her face. It made her look all the more beautiful.

Taylor smiled to himself and just watched. His grinned widened as he saw a few men from the colony ask her to dance and she politely decline each offer. And then Sam Marcos walked up to her.

He tugged on her pant leg with Leah not far behind; their foster mother smiling encouragingly at Sam. Wash looked down. He could see her confusion when she saw it was Sam but leaned down to him anyways.

With a shy smile on his face, he asked her a question. Wash smiled, took his hand and led him to the dance floor. The sly little kid actually got her to dance with him. Taylor supposed it helped to be outrageously adorable. Nathaniel leaned on the railing and observed with a fond expression on his face as Wash twirled Sam and pulled him back into a tight hug. She let loose, allowed herself to relax and laugh her stresses away. This night was good for her. It was good for him.

Nathaniel felt a pair of eyes on him and he searched the crowd once more before his gaze settled on Jim. The man waved and jerked his thumb towards Alicia. The sight of his dear friend dancing with a little boy clearly amusing him beyond all comprehension.

Taylor held up a hand, a smile on his own face, showing that he knew what his girlfriend was up to. And then he paused and rolled over the title over in his head. Girlfriend. Because they were more than lovers, but they weren't married. That made her his…girlfriend. It sounded nice. Young.

He liked it. Associating 'girlfriend' and Wash in the same sentence was both odd and gratifying. She was his. And in return, he was hers. Perhaps, he thought, if he held onto her tight, she wouldn't ever be taken from him. Maybe- if he was there all the time- her life wouldn't ever be compromised.

Nathaniel sighed and shook his head. She wouldn't allow it. They were soldiers, not lovesick idiots. And yet he felt like one. Because the thought of her not being here with him, to share this incredible world… well… that tore his heart anew. And as he watched her, happy and alive with Sam Marcos, the love he felt for her spread through out his chest. Despite his worry, he knew she would be all right. He had to believe that or he'd drown in anxiety every time she went OTG. Alicia Washington, one of the few soldiers to come back from Somalia with him alive, had captured his heart. He knew that on some levels, she always had it.

An hour went by of him watching and observing her with Sam. She was brilliant with him. Affectionate and yet stern when he got too silly. She'd put her hands on her hips and tell him to be a serious dancer or she wouldn't dance with him anymore. At least that's what he got from her expression and the bit of words he was able to read from her lips. Sam immediately stood at attention- his expression serious- not wanting to lose his dance partner.

He saw it take Alicia a lot not break out into a grin. The exchange between Sam and his Alicia warmed him enough that he went down the stairs and crossed to the middle of the crowd.

"You're tired already?" he heard her say to Sam.

"Yes!" the little boy giggled. Alicia picked him up under his arms and slung him sideways over her hip.

"Then I guess it's time for bed. Where's your house, Mr. Marcos? I'll tuck you in."

"No not bed!" the boy giggled impossibly and squirmed.

"But you're tired." She mimicked his whine and caught the eye of her commander. She cleared her throat and grinned when he raised a brow at her and her Wash-handling of the boy.

"Tired of dancing! I don't want to go to bed yet, Alicia!"

"Alicia? I don't know any Alicia." she feigned dumb and frowned. "Who's Alicia?"

"You are!" he righted himself up so he could look at her face and giggled at her expression. "Lieutenant Alicia."

"Ah. That is me, isn't it?"

Sam's giggle managed to bring a smile of delight to Taylor's face. "Evening Sam. Is the lieutenant being mean?"

Sam looked at Wash, gauging her reaction. She raised a brow at him and slyly, he said "No."

Wash righted him so he was resting on her hip. "No bed then?"

"No." his grin was positively contagious.

"All right. I'll give you back to your mom."

"If you don't mind, Mr. Sam, I'd like to have a dance with your partner here. Would you mind terribly?"

Sam's smile widened before he hid his face behind his hands and giggled. "Don't say that."

Wash chuckled and walked in the direction of Leah and their mother. "I'll be back."

Taylor nodded, exchanging greetings with the people around him. They still hadn't gone public with their relationship. Taylor planned on changing that tonight.

Nathaniel turned around when soft fingers trailed from one shoulder to the other. He was met with the devious eyes of Erica Forbes. She was drunk and if he wasn't mistaken by her eyes openly trailing down his body, experiencing a wave of desire for him.

"Ms. Forbes-" he was silenced by her lips on his. Had he been faster, maybe he would have been able to stop her before it happened. Perhaps, even, he'd have been able to prevent Wash from tearing the woman away from him.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Wash hissed to Erica.

"What's it look like? I'm getting my man." Alicia's eyebrows raised.

"Your man?" she asked. She was calm. Very calm. Nathaniel wouldn't lie, it kind of unnerved him. And then he knew why. Wash gripped him by the lapels of his jacket and pulled him into her. Her lips found his and he didn't resist. Not when he'd planned on doing this later anyways.

Alicia pulled away and moved to step away to further challenge the woman but Taylor held her fast. "No, no. None of that." without a sparing glance back to Erica, Taylor hauled Wash off her feet and carried her further into the crowd. He ignored a few chuckles and playful jabs from the civilians around them. He knew what he'd scored.

Alicia cursed him for taking her away from Forbes but he ignored it. He set her on her feet and gave her a stern look before holding out his arms. "Dance with me."

For half a second she looked as if she wanted to decline and continue her verbal fight with the woman on the other side of crowd. Until she stepped towards him and placed her hands on his bicep and chest.

"This is an interesting way to dance." he commented, settling his hands on her hips. Wash grinned up at him.

"Think of it as a looser way of dancing." Taylor chuckled, moving his feet in time with the slow beat. She moved as well, her hips and feet graceful as they danced together.

"I'd planned on that kiss for later." he said after a moment of silence. Alicia shrugged.

"It was either that or deck her out. I figured you'd appreciate the kiss a little more."

Taylor hummed, silently agreeing.

That night they danced until their feet felt worn through. No one else existed in the world but them. No one held his attention more than Alicia. If there were to be one person in this world that he could take anywhere with him, it'd be her. She was flawed and yet so perfect all at once. The combination was striking.

Taylor led Alicia to the command center for a rest. She leaned against the railing with her back to him and he slid up behind her, pressing his chest to her back and gripped the railing on either sides of her hands.

They wouldn't embrace, not here. Not with so many eyes on them; regardless of their relationship being out in the open now. It would take time to get out of the habit to keep it secret. But they could indulge in things like embracing without really embracing.

They stared at the people risking glances at them and grinned. "I think we've successfully blown their minds, Wash."

"I think you might be right, Commander." she returned. Alicia turned around to face him and placed her hands on his chest because she could. "I also think we're about to be teased. Mercilessly."

Nathaniel frowned, distracted for a moment by her lips. "Why's that?"

"Evening Commander, Wash." Jim Shannon sidled up to them with a protesting Elisabeth in tow.

"Jim! Now is not the time, they just came out in the open." Taylor raised a brow at the man in question, silently telling him to listen to his wife.

"Come now, Elisabeth, a little congratulations never hurt any one." he countered with a friendly smile.

Wash reached over and punched him in the arm. "Your 'thanks' will have a double meaning."

"Lieutenant, I have no idea what you're talking about." She glared at him as he rubbed his sore arm and Elisabeth sighed, giving up on trying to talk her husband out of getting his butt kicked by both the commander and his second. "So, congratulations." he said with amusement clear in his gaze. "Also, those are some lovely bruises on your neck there, Commander."

Taylor turned a deadly gaze onto him, while his wife and Wash took the liberty of punching him on either arm. "Ouch! You're supposed to be on my side!" he said to his wife. To which she promptly crossed her arms and gave him an incredulous look.

"What he means to say," Elisabeth started. "Is we're very happy for the both of you."

Taylor felt a grin spread. "Thanks, doc."

"You ready to go, honey? Zoe looks like she's going to pass out on Apollo." said Jim and all four pairs of eyes rested on Zoe. She and the growing dinosaur were leaned against one another. Exhaustion clear on the child's face.

Wash smiled fondly at the image. "If I had a camera…" she muttered fondly, a decidedly very un-Wash phrase, but then; when had she really been her usual self this night? "I'll get Apollo." she volunteered and Elisabeth went down with her to retrieve her daughter.

Jim and Taylor leaned on the railing, watching their respective mates from their place at the command center.

"All teasing aside, I'm happy for you."

Taylor gave him a side glance to gauge Jim's facial expression. After a moment he nodded. "Thanks." It felt different, but so right at the same time. He was with Ayani for years and after her death, he'd never even considered someone else. But Wash… she had been able to worm her way in and remain dormant in his heart until the right time. It pleased him; terrified him.

He watched Alicia converse with Elisabeth on their way back. If he hadn't known any better, he'd say they were gossiping. But this was Wash, she didn't indulge in such things. And yet the glint in her eyes and the small grin on her lips told him otherwise. Interesting.

When Alicia and Elisabeth came to the bottom of the stairs, they looked up at their men and cocked a hip to the side. It made Jim chuckle and Taylor grin. "Can we help you, ladies?" the younger man asked.

"It's time to go, unless you'd rather we sleep alone and find other means of keeping warm." Wash replied. Both men were down the stairs within moments.

They bid farewell to each other and started walking in opposite directions. Taylor took the dinosaur from Wash and tucked him under one arm while his other hand sought out and found Wash's. He linked their fingers together and felt a moment of sheer delight when she returned to squeeze.

Taylor leaned into her and pressed a kiss to her temple. "I love you." he watched her eyes light up at his words. Maybe one day he'd propose. Maybe one day she'd say yes. One day. He rolled it over in his head. Nathaniel liked the sound of that. Until that time came, he would love her and show his devotion in every way he knew. Of that, he vowed to himself.

With Apollo under his arm and Wash, almost twice his junior, he decided they were the oddest family he'd ever seen. But it was one that found his heart and clutched onto it. He loved her- and he loved the damn dinosaur.

"I love you too." she whispered back.

"Damn right you love me too." he nudged her playfully with his elbow.

Alicia chuckled and stopped him from moving to plant a kiss on his lips. "Don't push it, Taylor."

His grin turned absolutely feral. "Wouldn't dream of it."

Fin.