Falling Skies 1. Chapter 1: Worlds Apart

**Ok, so I personally believed my last story sucked. Like a lot. I was not happy with it at all. This is going to pick up at season 2. Ericka is the only OC that will be treated as a main character. Although, Hanna and Madison will make brief appearences. But forget everything that happened in the last story, besides Ben and Ericka being a couple. That's the only thing that happened.**  
**Things to know:**  
**Ben and Ericka became a couple. Ericka has trained with a gun and now helps fight. Jimmy and Hanna are currently dating. Madison is also helping to fight in the resistance.**

**(That's about it. Other than those bits of info, forget everything from the previous story.)**

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**Falling Ericka: Returns...**

Ericka sped down the open road on her motorbike.. It was one built for speed and that's what she loved about it. The speed and the rush, it was thrilling. She hit the brakes and stepped off, putting up the kickstand. She started off in a walk, then quickly picked up her pace. Madison and the other two members of her scouting crew had barely managed to get off their bikes before she ran to Captain Weaver. "Scouts are back!" someone shouted amoungst the crowds. Her jaw was clenched and her fingers were balled up into fists. "Captain Weaver!" Ericka shouted. All of the eyes from the large crowd had fallen on her. "We need to talk...now." she said in a stern and steady voice. He nodded and they walked off to the side. The crowd had then gone amoung their business. Ben, Hal, Anne, and Tom watched as Captain Weaver argued with Ericka.

"Look, I'm sorry. It was my fault this happened." she said. "You can go now." he stated, nodding over in the group's direction. She turned and smiled at the four of them before walking their way. Tom and Ericka hugged for a quick second. "I'm glad you're ok." she told him. He let out a small laugh. "So, what was that about?" Ben asked, referring to the conversation she had with Weaver. "Uh...it was nothing." Ericka replied.

They spent the night talking and spending time with one another. Soon, it was time for everyone to go to sleep. Ericka waited and waited for everyone to fall into a deep sleep, before she awoke Ben. She led him down to the lake. "Why did you drag me out here?" he asked with a smile on his face. She smiled back. Ericka wrapped her arms around his neck. Standing on her tippy toes, she pressed a kiss to his nose. Ben chuckled at his girlfriend. She backed away from him. Ericka then removed her shoes, her jacket, and the shirt she had over her white tank top. He frowned. "What are you doing?" Ben asked bitterly. "Going for a swim. Care to join me?" she asked. Ben removed his shoes and his overshirt as well. "You're insane." he stated jokingly, which caused her to let out a laugh. Then she walked in the water and dived. It took a few minutes, but she later surfaced. "Come on in!" Ericka shouted. Ben ran in the water, once he was in deep enough, he swam to her. Ben wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her closer to him. "How did I get such an amazing girl like you?" he asked her. She smiled and leaned forward. Their lips touched, sending sparks of electricity through her body. Ericka had always felt this way when she kissed Ben. His lips moved in sync with hers, but still dominated her. A soft moan of satisfaction escaped her mouth, that was currently pressed against his. Ben smiled, enjoying the moment with his girlfriend. Her hands ran through his messy brown hair, she gently pushed his head down, deepening the kiss. A light was shone on them. The couple broke apart and looked towards the source. It was Jimmy. They sighed in relief and headed towards the shore. Ben and Ericka hadn't gone that far out, just a little ways away.

They dried off and sat down in the grass. Jimmy sat down beside them. "What happened when you went scouting?" he asked Ericka. She sighed. "Mal died, leaving me in command. We were ambushed by Skitters and Mechs, so we had to run." she explained.

THE NEXT DAY:::

"Let's move out!" Captain Weaver shouted. They all started heading in the direction of the airport. Ericka was in the very back of the line. Cars and bus were positioned in a line, driving down the road. Her gun hung on her back as she followed the medical bus. Madison and Jimmy were walking beside her. Madison was fumbling around with a radio they had found just the other night. "Will you stop? That thing is useless." Ericka said harshly. Madison only rolled her eyes and continued to mess with the controls. She tried tuning it to different stations, but recieved nothing less than static. She switched it off and stuffed it in her backpack that she had been carrying. "You know, you have been a real bitch lately." she stated, walking beside Ericka. "Madi, leave her alone." Jimmy said in a warning tone. "No! She needs to know that just because she's a higher rank than me, doesn't mean she can treat me like crap. We're friends, Ericka! So, check your attitude before you lose a friend." Madison added before walking away. Jimmy placed a hand on Ericka's shoulder. "You ok?" he asked, obviously concerned. She didn't answered him, but they continued to walk. He moved his hand away from her shoulder. They walked in silence, not saying a word. She looked straight ahead, watching the end of the bus slowly move along. "It was his birthday today, he would've been twelve." Ericka said, breaking the silence. Jimmy watched her, waiting for her to continue. But she never did. "So...where's Hanna?" Ericka asked, smiling at him. Jimmy smiled back. "She's in the school bus helping out with the younger kids." he replied. They both started laughing. Madison ran up to them with a serious expression on her face. "Guys! Listen, you have to hear this." she shouted. They stopped walking and listened as she turned the volume on the radio up. There was a voice that was so small and weak. "Hello? Is anyone...out there?"

It was a little girls voice. "Did you respond?" Ericka asked Madison. She shook her head no. "I was going to, but I_" Ericka cut her off mid-sentence. "Let me see it."

Madison reluctantly handed her the radio. Ericka took off running past the vehicles. She was heading towards the front of this enormous line. Ericka ran over to Captain Weaver and quickly explained the situation. Hal walked over to them, holding his gun firmly in his hands. "What's going on?" he asked curiously. "Madison intercepted a transmission over the radio. It's a little girl." Ericka told him. "Hello? Someone please, help me." the little girl's voice crackled over the radio. "We have to help her." she said. There was this look of determination in her eyes that said she was going to do it with or without his permission. "Ok. Take Jimmy, Maggie, and Dai." Captain Weaver ordered with a nod. "Are you crazy? This could be a trap." Hal whispered to Captain Weaver. "Or it could be a little girl in need of help." Ericka suggested. "Mason, either go with her or drop it." Captain Weaver spoke in a demanding tone. He ordered the cars to start moving again. Ericka was walking away at a normal rate. Hal jogged to catch up with her. He didn't like this one bit. "I'm coming too. I'll get Maggie and Dai, we'll meet you right here. You go get Jimmy." he told her. She nodded.

Ten minutes later they all met back at that spot. Ben decided to tag along with the group. The radio crackled and once again, the girls' voice came on. "Hello! Is anyone out there? Please, someone help me. I'm all alone...help...please." she spoke into the radio. Ericka closed her eyes and pressed the button, then she held the device near her mouth. "This is Ericka. Who are you?" Ericka asked. She released the button on the radio, receiving only static. She opened her eyes. Everyone held their breath, waiting for a response. "Maya...my names' Maya." she replied. "Maya, where are you?" Ericka questioned the little girl. "I'm in Brookhaven, it's about a mile or two from Boston." she said in a happy voice. "Ok. We'll be there soon. Maya, how old are you?"

They waited and waited, but no reply came. "You think something happened?" Jimmy questioned the group. Ericka shook her head and stared at the radio. "No, she's just scared." Ericka stated. Suddenly, her voice came up over the radio, "I'm 8 years old."

"Oh my God..." Hal whispered in shock. Ericka's eye twiches. Dai puts a hand on her shoulder, and she looks up at him. He nods, meaning for her to continue. Ericka pushes down the button. "Why are you alone?"

"Those things...they killed my family. My brother...he tried to get me somewhere safe, but they got him too." Maya explained. Dai and Maggie navigated the way to Brookhaven. It turns out that it was a lot closer than they had thought. Ericka and Maya continued to talk balk and forth. "What about you? Do you have a family?" Maya asked Ericka. Ben glanced over at her and he caught her smile. "I lost my family in the beginning of the attacks, but since then...I've gained a new one. You remind me of a boy I know." she said. Maya laughed from the other side of the line. "Maybe_" she was got off by gun shots. Mechs. Everyone froze in their tracks. Ericka gulped and pushed down the button. "Maya? Maya, are you there?" Ericka asked. They heard shuffling on the other side. "Maya's one of us now." a female voice said. Hal's jaw dropped. He knew exactly who it was on the other line. It was Karen. Ben noticed a change in Ericka. Her eyes had become darker, metaphorically speaking. She looked so evil. Hatred had consumed her veins, but why now? "Karen, you tell those heartless creatures that we're coming for them...and we won't stop until they're all dead." Ericka replied harshly. Her tone held no emotion at all. She took a few steps towards Hal and handed him the radio. "You can say whatever you want to her, but as long as she's wearing that harness...she's not Karen." she spoke in a whisper. Then Ericka started walking back they way they had came.

LATER:::

They had managed to get back to the group. It took all day, but the 2nd Mass had reached the airport. Ericka sat alone, watching the parking lot of the airport for no reason in particular. She could hear footsteps heading towards her. Right now, all she really wanted was to be alone. Hal sat down beside her. Even though they weren't related at all, Hal was like an older brother to her. He had always watched over her and treated her like his little sister. "You ok?" he asked, keeping his eyes fixed on the parking lot. She just shrugged and he looked at her. He could see how much she hated those aliens, and that hatred was consuming her if it hadn't already. "Don't you do that. Don't you dare turn into Ben." he said furiously. She looked up at him. "What do you mean?" Ericka asked. Hal sighed and looked back at the parking lot. "He's so full of hate for the aliens...he's changed. I don't even know him anymore." he said, shaking his head in shame. Ericka looked away before speaking, "I know what you mean. It's like he's a different person." she replied. They hugged, and that's when Ericka started to cry. "It's my fault...all of it. Maya's death, Mal's death, and my family's death. It's all my fault." she sobbed into his chest. He smoothed down her hair, comforting his little sister. That's what she was to him, a little sister, and he loved her like one. "Don't say that." he whispered. "It is. It's all my fault. Aaron would've been 12 today, if he was still alive. But he isn't and it's my fault." she added, still sobbing. "No, it's not. I was there Ericka, you couldn't have done anything." he comforted her in a hushed tone. She sniffled and lifted her head. Ericka was smiling. "Thanks Hal." she replied. Then she started to walk back to the group of people, leaving him standing there. "Ericka! Promise me, you won't turn into that." he shouted. She turned around and nodded with a smile on her face. "I promise."


	2. Chapter 2: Compass

**So...I'm extremely upset. If you saw the most recent episode that literally just aired then you know why I'm upset. Sorry if this chapter is suckish. Please review. I'll update another chapter soon. It's gonna be in the future when all of this is over. On with the chapter.**

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Ericka was taking the news hard. She had been there, watching the scene go down. But she hadn't spoken. It seemed like just a minute ago Jimmy was there...talking to her. Now, she was waiting for Ben. Tom had instructed him to go get cleaned up. True, she had known about their little "hunting" activities. But she didn't think anything of it. She had written it off too early. Ben was beating himself up and she knew that. Her face was a mess, much like the rest of her. Face red and eyes bloodshot from crying. Right now, she needed to see Ben. Jimmy was her friend...she should've been there. She should've gone. Then, maybe she could have prevented it somehow. He walked out of the tent. Ericka immediately hugged him. "I should've gone. I should've been there with you two." she mumbled against him. He wrapped his arms around her and started crying on her shoulder. "It's all my fault." he repeated over and over. "No, this wasn't your fault. This wasn't anyone's fault, but theirs. Those bastards are going to pay for this, I promise you." Ericka replied darkly.

Then she pulled away from their tight hug. Ericka kissed him square on his lips, he eagerly kissed her back. She leaned back, breaking their kiss. "Come on. Let's go wait with him." she said calmly.

:::

"No! Why'd you stop? Keep going!" Ben shouted. But it was too late. Jimmy was gone and he was never coming back. Ericka backed away, she turned and ran. Running as fast as she could, she kept going. Ericka was just outside the hanger. She bent over, catching her breath. Then she stood up straight. If she had gone, then maybe it would have be her instead of Jimmy. Why'd he have to die? He was so young! He shouldn't have died...he didn't deserve to die like that.

:::

"I'll go with him." Anthony spoke up. Ericka had just heard about the fight between Tom and Pope. Now, it was her turn. He was just standing there. She picked up her speed, walking twice as fast. He turned around, just as her fist connected with the side of his face. Pope stumbled back. A little blood trickled down from the corner of his mouth. He wiped it away. "Nice hit." Pope said through gritted teeth. "You're a self-absorbed asshole. You only care about yourself, no one else. For the record, I've wanted to do that since I met you." she explained. Then, without another word she walked away. All the people that were around at the time had their eyes glued on her as she walked off. Ericka knew he was leaving and she was glad. She would be completely alright if she never saw him again. Now, she didn't wish that he would be killed or anything. Someone gripped her wrist and spun her around. Hal. "You made a promise to me..." he whispered steadily. She could see that he was holding back his anger. "I shouldn't have. Now, everything's changed." Ericka spoke back. Her tone was so dark it concerned him. "Why? Because you lost a friend? We've all lost a friend, Ericka." Hal said. Then he released her, and took a few steps back. "I don't know who you're becoming...you're becoming lost, just like Ben." he added disappointed at her. She shook her head, rolling her eyes and then walked away.

:::

They were on the move again. Leaving this place and heading to another. Ericka didn't mind that much. She walked up to the medical bus and got inside. "You riding with us?" Anne asked. She nodded and took a seat. Then, Ericka opened her bag. A tear slipped down her cheek. She pulled out her diary and a pen. Opening the book up, she turned to the page with nothing written on it. She scribbled down the date.

_Today, we lost one of our own. Again. Only this time, it was someone I couldn't afford to lose. It was Jimmy. He was such an amazing friend and one of the best soldiers. This stupid war with these horrid creatures forced all of us to grow up too fast. It wasn't until he was gone that I realized how young he was. I regret not going with them on their hunts. Maybe it could've been me instead of him. Maybe...I could've done something. I don't know. I just don't understand why it had to be him. He was my friend and now he's gone forever. I will never forget him. Never in a billion years. Hanna went crazy after we told her. She's in a complete catatonic state. Frankly, I don't blame her. The only thing keeping me going right now is revenge. I promised Hal that I wouldn't be consumed by hatred like Ben, but now...I can't promise anything. Ben is going to need some help coping with this. I know he blames himself for it, but it wasn't his fault. Please God, help us all._

She closed the book and a picture slipped out. Ericka leaned over and picked it up. It was her, Ben, and Jimmy together. Something Madison had taken with a camera she found. The thing about Madison is that she loves to find stuff. She's a scavenger. Always searching for things and what not. Ericka smiled down at the picture before slipping it back into the diary, then stuffing the book back in her bag. She hadn't even noticed that they had been driving. The bus stopped and Ericka stood. "Ben's riding with Hal, right?" she asked Anne, who nodded in response. "I'm think I'm going to walk. Mind if I leave my stuff here?"

"Of course not." Anne said with a smile. She opened the bus door and Ericka stepped out. The long line of cars started to move again. She walked along side of them in quiet. Trying to keep her mind off of Jimmy, she started to sing. It was a song she hadn't sung in ages. Now, she was singing it to Jimmy. As a final way to say goodbye. Footsteps grew closer to her and another voice accompanied hers. Madison.

ERICKA'S POV:

_Goodbye, goodbye, goodbye my friend_

_I can't hide, can't hide, can't hide what has come_

_I have to go_

_I have to go_

_I have to go_

_And leave you alone_

_But always know_

_Always know_

_Always know that I love you so_

_I love you so_

_I love you so, oh_

_Goodbye brown eyes_

_Goodbye for now_

_Goodbye sunshine_

_Take care of yourself_

More and more voices joined in. Somehow it seemed that we all had the same idea. One last song to Jimmy, for him. We all sung together, both men and women who knew the song. And if they didn't know it, they bowed their heads respectively. I could see some of them crying and others putting up a facade. He was all of our friends.

_I have to go_

_I have to go_

_I have to go_

_And leave you alone_

_But always know_

_Always know_

_Always know that I love you so_

_I love you so, oh_

_I love you so, oh_

_La lullaby_

_Distract me with your rhymes_

_La lullaby_

_La lullaby_

_Help me sleep tonight_

_La lullaby_

_(La lullaby, la lullaby)_

_I have to go (goodbye)_

_I have to go (lullaby)_

_I have to go (goodbye)_

_And leave you alone_

_But always know (goodbye)_

_Always know (brown eyes)_

_Always know (goodbye)_

_That I love you so_

_I love you so (goodbye lullaby)_

_I love you so, oh (goodbye)_

_I love you so (goodbye brown eyes)_

_I love you so (goodbye)_

_I love you so_

_I love you so_

_Goodbye brown eyes_

_Goodbye my friend_

A hand reached out and desperately gripped mine. I looked to my left. Hanna. She had tears welled up in her eyes, but she smiled at me. Hanna knew that one way or another, she had to let go. Jimmy was in a better place now, a safer place. Away from this horrid world. He could be free now. He could be a kid again. I can't say that I don't wish my friend was here, because I do. But at least now he could be happy. I started to think of everyone I ever lost. It was a long list. Then I realized that only few people on that list actually mattered. The friends I had before this were never truly friends. Next I think of all the people I've gained. I met Jimmy, Madison, and Hanna. My friends. There's Maggie, and Lourdes. And even Anne. All of them are my new family. Sure, I miss my old family. But it seems that Jimmy's recent death has helped me to move on. I used to think of them all the time, but now, they're a fading memory. I know that sounds awful, but it's what they all would've wanted. They would want me to forget about them. I haven't completely forgotten, and I never will be able too. Hopefully we can get to wherever it is we're going and fast. I look over and not too far ahead of me, I see Tom. He cracks a smile at me and I can't help but smile back. There's this voice in my head that isn't my own, it's his. He says one simple sentence that means the world to me, "You'll make it through this."

And I believe him. Because Jimmy was my friend and he never lied to me, not once.


	3. Chapter 3: Future

**RANDOM ONE-SHOT on the future! Has NOTHING to do with my story.**

Ericka leaned on the wooden railing of the deck. They had a nice backyard. It was fenced in, but just behind it you could see the forest. She looked so much older than she had years ago. The war with the aliens had ended four years ago. The world had turned back to what was somewhat normal. A lot of things still needed to be fixed. When she turned 18, her and Ben had gotten married. They found a place in Somerville, Massachusetts together. She smiled as Ben chased around the little toddler. The small boy had her hair and Ben's eyes. He chuckled as his dad ran after him. Ben was smiling happily. The spikes on his back had gone away, all it took was time. They were happy together, as a family. Although, her and Ben were still young, only being in their early twenties. The little boy spotted his mother and smiled. He stopped running and waved. Ericka waved back. That's when Ben grabbed his son in his arms and tickled him. His laughter rang out through the light morning air. It was moments like these that she loved. Ericka pulled out a camera, taking pictures of the two boys that drove her crazy. She loved those two boys with all her heart. Ben set him down and he ran to his mother. Ericka put the camera away. She opened her arms as the boy jumped into them. He was only about two years old. "There's my little Jimmy." she cooed. He chuckled as she placed a soft kiss on his cheek. "How about we go inside and play your favorite game?" Ericka asked her son. Ben was still standing in the center of the backyard, smiling at them.

He wouldn't trade anything in the world for this. It was moments like this that made his heart stop completely, or swell up. They had named their son after his best friend. Jimmy Boland. Actually, it was Ericka who suggested it. "Come on daddy!" his son called with his two-year-old whisp. Ben smiled and jogged over to them. What could be better than this?

They walked inside, shutting the backdoor behind them. Ericka set Jimmy down on the ground, allowing him to run around crazily. Jimmy pretended to be an airplane flying through the skies. Ben appeared behind Ericka. He wrapped his arms around her waist and leaned his head down on her shoulder. "I love you, you know that?" he asked with a grin. She cranned her neck, so she could look down at him instead of watching their son. "I know." Ericka replied with a smile. They shared a passionate kiss that was interupted by their son. "Ew! Gross!" he said, running off. Ben and Ericka pulled away, they looked at each other and laughed.


	4. Chapter 4: Young Bloodlines

"Ben? Where are you going?" Ericka asked. It was late at night, but a lot of people were still awake. The 2nd Mass had stopped to get some rest. It was only then that Ericka had caught him sneaking off with his gun. She looked at him, then the weapon and back at him. "Really? You can't be serious?" she asked in disbelief. She thought that he would've stopped his hunting after what happened only four days ago. Ben frowned and looked at his feet. He had been caught and this wasn't going to end well. "Look, I know you want to kill every single one of those creatures. Trust me, I do too. But this isn't how it should be done." she told him. Ericka had walked closer to him, she was standing only an inch or two apart. "Please, don't do this. We both just lost someone and if something happened to you, I don't know what I'd do. I'd be a mess, Ben." Ericka explained, touching his cheek with her hand. His hand rested on top of hers. "I have too." Ben replied. She nodded and moved her hand away. "Then I'm coming too."

And that was all she said, because that was all she needed to say. He knew that this wasn't up for debate, that there was no arguing with his girlfriend whom he had known for years. So, he simply nodded. Together they walked off into the woods.

:::

Madison and Hanna sat down in the grass. Hanna sighed, "I don't think I'll ever get over him."

Madison looked over at her friend with sympathy. Of course, Ericka was more of a friend to Hanna than she was. It's not that she didn't like the girl. She just never actually talked to her. Hanna and Jimmy had only been dating for a few months, but she really liked him. Madison placed a hand on her shoulder, comforting her. "It'll get better." Madison whispered. Hanna whipped her head around; fresh tears had formed in her icy blue eyes. She looked at Madison for a long time, and then turned back around. Madison let her hand fall from the girl's shoulder and into her own lap. A soft laugh escaped Hanna's lips. "Did I ever tell you how I met him?" she asked. Although she couldn't see it, Madison shook her head. "No." she replied. Now, she was curious. How did Hanna they find Hanna?

"I was in the middle of Algebra class when the ground started to shake. I looked around and saw that everyone else had too. A few of us had seen the spaceship land, just outside the window. I tried to run, but I was knocked out before I could make it to the door." she started to explain. Hanna stared at the other people all around her. "When I woke up, everyone was gone. I guess they thought I was dead and left me." Hanna shrugged, causing waves of beach blond hair to fall off of her shoulders. "I stayed at the school for about 3 months. I still can't remember anything of my life before that day. That horrible, awful day is all I remember of my life before." she stated. Madison looked at her, concerned for her friend. "What about your family?" Madison asked. "I remember having a mom, a dad, a twin brother, and a little sister; but other than that and a few other things, I can't remember anything about them." she replied. Madison took a minute to absorb this new information. "How did they find you?" Madison questioned Hanna.

"I was harnessed, one time I had slipped up and the Skitters caught me. Anyways, Jimmy, Hal, and Tom were there with Anthony and Dai. They rescued me and Anne managed to take off the harness. Within a day, the spikes were gone. She said it was most likely because I wasn't harnessed for long." Hanna explained.

:::

Two Skitters stood about twenty feet away from them. Ben and Ericka hid in the bushes. "We kill the one with the red eye first." he told her. She nodded and positioned the gun right. Ericka fired and it hit the red-eyed Skitter in its' head. The creature fell down to the ground. Dead. The other one was crawling quickly over to them. Ben stood and shot off his gun. He fired and fired, but the Skitter kept going. They were about four clicks away from camp, so no one would hear them. The Skitter pushed Ben back. Ericka stood and hit it on its' head with her gun. It turned around and slapped her. Ericka flew back and hit a tree, she fell to the ground. Ben's eyes widened, she wasn't moving. He pulled out his knife, but froze. His spikes started to glow. This Skitter had a red eye, just like the other one. Ericka looked up and noticed the scene. She was lying on her stomach. The gun was inches away from her. She reached out and grabbed the weapon. Aiming at the alien, she whispered, "Go to hell, bastard."

Then she fired the gun. The bullet soared through the air, hitting the alien in its head. It fell to the ground, dead. Ben blinked, and then ran over to Ericka. It was like that night all over again. It was just like the night he had gone out with Jimmy, the night that caused his death. Ericka coughed and she sat up. Ben helped her stand. "Damn, those things know how to throw a punch." she muttered. He chuckled, seeing that she was ok. Ben stared into her stormy blue eyes. He loved those eyes. "Ben, how long have they been doing that to you?" she asked. He hadn't expected her to ask that. A tear slid down his cheek. "That was the third time. Once the night Jimmy was injured, another the night we left...when I was visiting Jimmy's grave and Hal found me, then the third time was just now." he explained. Ben looked away from her as more tears came falling down. He looked back at her. "What's happening to me?" Ben asked, choking back a sob. Ericka looked down at her feet. "I don't know, Ben." she mumbled. Then she walked over to the other Skitter and kicked it, making sure it was dead. "Come on, let's go." Ericka said sternly. They started to walk back to camp. Ericka stopped walking and turned around to face Ben. She knew he was upset and she hadn't been the most comforting person. "Ben, we can't do this ever again. We can't hunt for them anymore. Ok?" she asked him. He nodded. Her back would definitely need medical attention; she could feel her skin burning with pain. Ben looked away from her, staring at the ground.

"I love you..." she whispered, placing a kiss on his cheek. He turned to face his girlfriend, giving a weak smile. "I love you too." Ben replied. Ericka smiled as he started to lean forward, she leaned in as well and their lips connected.

:::

Hanna and Madison laughed. "Seriously?" Hanna questioned Madison. She nodded and they both laughed again. Hal stared at them from afar, curious as to what they were laughing at. Lourdes joined the two girls, sitting beside them. Soon she was laughing with the other two girls. "No way? You seriously did that?" Lourdes asked. "Yeah. He so wasn't expecting it." Madison replied. "Your dad must have been extremely mad." Hanna commented and Madison nodded again. "Grounded for a month, but it was so worth it. I mean, his hair was pink!" she added, laughing again. Although Hanna was the youngest of the group, being 13, she fit right in. Madison was about 3 years older than her at age 16 and Lourdes being 6 years older than Hanna, making her 19. It was weird, but it worked. A 19-year-old, 16-year-old, 14-year-old (counting Ericka), and a 13-year-old all getting along as if age didn't matter, because truly, it didn't...not at a time like this when the world was falling apart. Not anymore at least.

:::

"How did you manage to do this?" Anne asked, examining her back. "I was out taking a walk with Ben and I thought I saw something. So, I climbed up in a tree to get a better look. But I slipped." Ericka explained to the doctor. She didn't quite believe the girls' story. "What did you see?" she questioned. "Oh, it turned out to be nothing. I was just hallucinating, I guess." Ericka shrugged, but then winced in pain. Anne pulled down the back of her shirt. Ericka turned around to face her. "Nothing looks broken, but you're going to have some nasty bruises. I already cleaned them, but make sure you don't do anything too strenuous." Anne said. Ericka hoped down off the table and left. "Thanks, ." she shouted. Anne chuckled and smiled.

Ericka walked out off the bus. Ben was leaning against it, waiting for her. He smiled at her and grabbed her hand. They walked towards the tents. "So, are you alright?" he asked concerned for her well-being. "I'm fine." she muttered, resting her head on his shoulder.

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**This chapter is dedicated to Mrs. Dylan Authors, one of my bestest friends. Happy late birthday, you're totally awesome! Please review you guys!**


	5. Chapter 5: Love & Other Acts of Courage

**(a week ago) Omg, so I'm writing this on my IPod. I apologize ahead of time for any mistakes or etc. So, guess what? I had this half written and all, then my iPod blacks out and of course I forgot to save. So, I lost it all. Now, I'm furious. Because I know it won't be as good as the first time I wrote it. It never is. Here it goes. I hope you like it, I really do.**

**-So, originally, I was going to write it again. But I got lazy. So, here's the chapter after the most recent episode that just aired tonight.**

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Ericka gasped, placing a hand over her mouth. Tears were spilling out from her stormy blue eyes. Matt and Ben turned around. She had been standing there the entire time, listening to their conversation. There was no way she would go with him. Ericka knew that this was something he had to do and she couldn't stop him. That's what scared her. She was afraid for Ben; afraid that he wouldn't make it back or that he'd turn into the very thing they've been killing. "Matt, you should go." Ben stated, not taking his eyes off of Ericka. The younger Mason brother nodded and stood. He quickly ran back into the hospital. Ben made his way to where Ericka stood. She was shaking her head back and forth. "No..." she mumbled repeatedly. He placed his hands on her cheeks. That's when he saw something flash in her eyes. It was something he had never had directed to him.

Ericka backed away. That look in her eyes was back. It was a look of disgust. "Ericka_" she cut him off before he could say anything except her name. "Who are you?" Ericka shouted. Anger burned inside of her like a raging fire, violently ripping it's way out. "Ericka, it's still me. I'm still, Ben, your boyfriend." he replied, swallowing a lump in his throat. She was crying now and it killed him to know that she was crying because of him. He wanted to hold her closely in his arms and tell her that everything would be alright. Ben knew he couldn't promise that, not in these times. This was all too much for Ericka, with Jimmy's death and everything that's happened since. Now, the person whom she loved with all her heart, was leaving and might not be coming back. She jumped into his arms, hugging him tightly. Ericka sobbed on his shoulder. He wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her close. He wanted this moment to last a lifetime and never end. That's all Ben wanted, to have her in his arms. "I know...I can't make you stay. If there is anyway I can, I would do so in a heartbeat. I love you, Ben. This is scaring me, you're getting too close to them." she whispered into his shirt that was damp with her fallen tears. A light breeze blew past them, making them shudder. The moonlight shone brightly overhead of them. He pulled her back so he could gaze into those eyes of hers that he loved so much. She was searching his eyes, her own filled with hope. "I know, me too. That's why I have to go." he told her. She was confused, slightly appalled by his decision. He was choosing to go with the Skitters, aliens that they had spent almost a year killing. "I love you and I don't know if I can make it without you." she replied.

Ben never thought he'd have to let her go. Before the attack, they had only been friends and nothing more. Now, they were inseparable. They were perfect for one another, anyone can see that. "I know." he whispered. He cupped her face in his hands. Ben leaned forward, crashing his lips to hers. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him closer, deepening the kiss. Neither knew when he was leaving, so they would just have to make every moment count. That kiss turned into a passionate make-out session. Most of it was a blur to the both of them. They were just enjoying the sensation of each others mouths. Somehow they ended up on the ground. Ben was on top of her and she can't say she didn't mind. Ericka ran her hand through his light brown hair. She moaned in satisfaction as he continued to explore her mouth.

Someone cleared their throat from behind them. The couple froze in their tracks. Ben, regrettably, pulled away from Ericka's soft lips. He looked up to find his father standing there. Ericka looked up at Ben's expression. She didn't know who was watching them, but she had a good guess. "Hi Tom." Ericka shouted out to him.

A smile formed on the older man's lips. It was quite funny. His son was blushing so hard, he looked worse than a tomato. And Ericka sound so disappointed that he had interrupted their "moment". Tom chuckled at the them. "I was just looking for Ben." he added with that smile on his face. Ben was only embarrassed, majorly. His dad had just caught him in an extremely heated make-out session with his girlfriend. He looked down, noticing he was still on top of Ericka. Ben shuffled to his feet and helped her up. There was this weird atmosphere, lingering around them. It was suddenly silent, so silent that a pin dropping on the floor could be heard for miles. Ericka's eyes darted between the two. "Um...I should let you two...bye!" she said, waving and leaving. Tom laughed at her. No, life wasn't simple, but it was moments like this that made life easy. Where all you'd have to worry about is your son having sex with his girlfriend in the middle of a war with aliens, because that was the easiest part of their day. Tom warning his eldest sons, Hal and Ben, not to go that far with a girl unless they were absolutely sure that she was "the one". He had believed that everyone was meant for someone, so his sons should only settle for the girls they loved and without a doubt loved them back.

:::

_Something rustles in the dense, wooded area. Ericka had her gun raised in the direction of the noise. She gulped, waiting to see who it was. Ericka took a step closer. A Skitter jumped out from the bushes. She growled, gritting her teeth and backing up. The creature seemed to have no intention on attacking her. Ericka kept her gun raised, ready to fire. If it were any other Skitter, she would have. But not this one, she knew this Skitter. Ben emerged from behind it. He smiled at her, but she didn't return the gesture. Her glare sent a shiver down his spine. Ericka lowered her weapon, narrowing her eyes at Ben and his "new friend". Ben frowned at Ericka. "Ericka! You alright?" Hal shouted from a further distance. She pursed her lips together. Ben's eyes pleaded with her. She couldn't keep doing this. She couldn't keep hiding him from the 2nd Mass. "I'm fine!" Ericka called back. "Ok! I'll meet you at the rendezvous!" he shouted to her, she replied with a simple "ok". They listened as his motorcycle engine roared to life, then grew lower as he sped off into the distance. "You should get going." Ericka said. Her voice held no emotion at all. Ben nodded in response. Him and the Skitter walked past her, into a different direction. "Ben." she called with a fierce voice. He turned, meeting her deep eyes. Those eyes he loved so much. They reminded him of the skies, just after a storm; light blue, with a mix of gray. "Next time I see you, I will shoot." Ericka added. Now, he could see it clearly. Ben had lost all of her love and he wasn't sure if that was something he would ever gain back. The truth was, it was hurting her more. Those where the lat words she ever wanted to tell him, but he had betrayed her. "I still love you." Ben whispered, hoping those meaningful words would make things better between them. He knew that they wouldn't. She scoffed and shook her head. "Not once in my entire life have I been disgusted with you, not even when you were harnessed. But now, you sicken me." she spat venomously at him. It felt as if a knife had been stabbed into his heart. "I used to love you, not anymore." Ericka added. Then, just like that, she turned and walked away. He was left standing there alone with the Skitter. The knife was twisted deeper into his fragile heart. A single tear slid down his cheek._

Ben's eyes snapped open and he released a breath that he realized he had been holding. His arms were wrapped around Ericka. Her long, beautiful brown hair was sprawled out on the pillow they shared. He looked around the room. White walls, machines, cleanliness. Ben instantly knew he was in a hospital. His heart was pounding inside his chest. The thoughts that had loomed in the back of his head, made their way tohithe front. Would she really dispose me, he wondered. Ben blinked and let out a frustrated groan. Could he really leave everything behind?

His dad? His brothers? The 2nd Mass? Could he leave her? Ericka's breathing remained steady, she hadn't been awakened by his nightmare. A smile graced her lips. She snuggled closer to him. Ben smiled back down at her. Making a quick decision, he closes his eyes and attempted to fall back to sleep. He decided to wait and see what the future held. No, he wasn't sure when he'd leave. But their relationship would have to wait until that time came. A long time ago, he vowed to himself to protect his family and Ericka, no matter the cost. That was something he intended to follow through with. Those people are the only people he loves and he couldn't live without any of them. They were his family.

_The scene had changed all to quickly. One moment, Ben was holding her in his arms. He talked about how much he loved her. She had smiled and snuggled closer in his arms. Then it all changed. The once beautiful park they were at had turned to ashes in a matter of seconds. Ben was standing only feet away from her. He eyes were red and puffy, with tear stains down his cheek. She gulped, noticing the dark, crimson fluid on his hands. "Ben? Is that blood on your hands?" Ericka asked, slowly taking a step closer to him. He backed away from her. "No! I'm dangerous, stay away!" he screamed back. She moved closer to him. "Who's blood is that? Ben?" she questioned to him, moving closer and closer._

_A gunshot was fired, and it hadn't missed it's target. Ben gasped as the bullet pierced his skin. He fell to the ground, but not before Ericka caught him. She looked up from Ben, to the man with the gun in his hands. The smoking gun that had fired the bullet, the bullet that was killing her only love. Tom. Gulping, she glanced down at Ben. His brown eyes were staring into hers. He smiled, "Finally..." __It had come out in such a small whisper. What did he mean "finally"? Ericka begged and pleaded for him to hold on, to not leave her. As soon as his eyes shut, she knew he was gone forever. Tears streamed down her cheek, like a flowing river. She glared up at Tom. "How could you? He was your son, you loved him." Ericka shouted at him. "It had to be done. He was corrupted by the enemy." he replied._

Ericka gasped, opening her eyes. She had known exactly where that nightmare had came from. It was when she had heard Tom talking to Captian Weaver. She had wondered how he could even think about harming Ben. She hadn't wanted to admit it, but Ben was different then he had been before. Of course, this whole lousy situation changed everyone. Some for the better, and others for the worst. Before this whole thing started, Ericka was an awful person. She treated her parents, friends, and a lot of other people like crap. The war with the aliens had brought that into perspective. She had changed, for the better. Ericka silently and stealthily untangled herself from Ben's arms. She stood and walked out of the room. Lurking through the halls of the hospital, she saw barely anyone. Ok, so she saw a lot of people. None of them the one person she was looking for. It took her nearly twenty minutes to find Tom. He was talking to Anne. She narrowed her eyes as she approached him. How could he be alright with this? How could he let this happen? The two adults looked up at her, smiling happily. "Tom, can we talk?" she asked. He nodded, excusing himself. They walked outside the room, into the empty hallway. "I heard you talking to Captian Weaver." Ericka started.

His face fell. "We aren't having this conversation." was all he said. Tom walked away, leaving her standing there alone.

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**Yes, this was done on my iPod. Again, I apologize for mistakes. I hope you liked this chapter. Please review! :) **


	6. Chapter 6: Homecoming

"What the hell?" Hal asked. Ben and Karen turned to where Hal was standing. Behind him was Ericka, she looked shocked and hurt. Ben brushed past Hal. For a split second, his eyes met hers. Ben continued walking at a fast pace as he exited the building. Ericka blinked, then she quickly followed him. He was walking faster and faster. She put a hand on his shoulder and turned him around. "What the hell, Ben?" she shouted at him. Her face flashed with anger, upset with him. "I don't know! I can't explain it!" he shouted back at her. Ericka backed away from him, wondering what he meant. 'Karen was manipulating him. That's what she thought it was. Karen was messing with his spikes, controlling him somehow. That had to be the answer. Or maybe, he didn't love me.' she thought to herself. Ben honestly couldn't explain it. He had felt a connection to Karen, like he was drawn to her. It was something he couldn't describe. It's not like he wanted to hurt Ericka, he didn't. Ben was in love with her and she knew that. They were both standing there, avoiding each others gaze. He stole a glance at her. Ericka was biting her lip, something she only did when she was seriously thinking.

What could he do? What could he say? His spikes and this alien invasion was effecting their relationship, it was tearing them apart. "Just tell that we're gonna be ok." she asked him with a shaky tone. She couldn't lose him. He grabbed her hand and pulled her into his embrace. Ben chuckled nervously, "Of course we will." He didn't know if anyone would be "ok" anymore.

:::

"Oh my God..." Ericka whispered. She knew that he would be leaving, but she still hadn't accepted it. And Ericka wasn't going to let him go without a fight. She raised her gun at them, ready to fire, but not wanting too. Tears were falling down her cheeks. Her gun was raised at the two of them, but her hands were trembling. Ericka looked at Ben, broken-hearted and hurt. Ben took a step towards her, but she backed away. "Stay away from me." she shouted at him. Ben froze, paralyzed by the words she had spoken. Not once had she ever feared him. She never made him out to be the outcast everyone else did. The worst part was that he really loved her. Now, he had to leabe for the both of them. He was keeping her safe, but that's not how she saw it. Ericka felt betrayed, in reality she should have seen this coming. Ben was changing, he wasn't the same Ben she once knew. Ericka had been too blinded by love to see the truth. She narrowed her eyes at him. "You said you loved me. Was that a lie? Were you lying to me, Ben? Huh?" she screamed at him.

A thought crossed his mind, but he couldn't ask her that. Could he? Ben took a step towards her and she backed away, yet again. The gun was still pointed at him. "Never." he replied, moving forward. This time she didn't back away. Ericka put her gun down. Ericka closed the gap between them, leaving a foot of space. She cockeit's he gun and handed it to him. "Prove it." Ericka said. She nodded her head at Karen. "Shoot her." she whispered in his ear. Ben turned to Karen and raised the gun. His finger was on the trigger, ready to pull it at any moment.

He closed his eyes and took in a shaky breath. "I'm so sorry, I will always love you." Ben muttered. He spun on his heel, turning around to face her. He held her by her throat, choking her. She gasped for air, but none came. "I swear to you that none of it was a lie." he spoke to her as another tear fell down his cheek. "Liar...you never...loved...m-me." Ericka gasped, struggling against his grip. "I won't...stop,...not until...every...last...one of them...are dead." she quoted him. Then, Ericka fell limp in his arms. He knelt down on the ground, cradling her. How could he leave her? Ben pressed a kiss to her lips. When he pulled away, he gently set her on the ground. Walking back to Karen, he never took his eyes off of her.

:::

Tom shook Ericka awake, she groaned and opened her blue eyes. Hal had already waken up and was rubbing his head. She gritted her teeth together as she forced herself to stand. Still dizzy from the lack of air, Ericka wobbled before falling in Tom's arms. He helped her stand up straight. Trying to remember what had happened, her eyes wondered around as she took in the scene. Ericka couldn't believe that he would do that to her. Then he said he would always love her. Early she believed that Karen was manipulating him, but now she wasn't so sure.

Everything she had overheard Tom talking about with Weaver was suddenly gone. Realization hit her and she wondered how she could ever doubt Tom. Her eyes met his and he looked like a worried parent. A NORMAL worried parent. That thought made her want to laugh and on other circumstances, she would've. He would never, could never, harm his son. Even if it came down to it, he wouldn't be able to. The same with Hal and...her. That's why she hadn't fired the gun at him. Any soldier would have, but she didn't. Instead, she gave him a choice. And he chose Karen, the Skitters, over her. All she could do now was help the 2nd Mass however she could and hope that Ben was safe. Does Ericka believe in the Skitter rebellion? Hell no. Her Ben was out there, somewhere, and she was going to find him. Ericka was going to bring him back to the 2nd Mass, where he truly belonged. After this, she wasn't sure if they could be together. Her relationship with Ben was officially over. Did she live him? Of course. But maybe they weren't meant to be like she thought.

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**Again, this was done on my IPod. Sorry for mistakes and whatnot. My computer is broken, so I will probably be doing updates on here more often. Thanks to the reviewers! Please review, I would really appreciate it.**


	7. Chapter 7: Molon Labe

"Ben! Get down!" Tom shouted at them. Guns fired at the enemy as Ben ran for cover under a mass of rocks. Ericka ran by his side and fired at the Mech. He glanced over at her, shocked that she would have come for him after what he did. Karen had disappeared and the Mech was taken down, leaving the Overlord defenseless.

:::

They arrived back at the hospital. The people were packing up as quickly as possible, some even faster. Ericka hopped out of the back of the truck. Walking over to the main entrance, she passed Captain Weaver. "The next person to ask me that is going to get knocked upside the head with this cane." he spoke. "Noted." Tom replied to his friend. She smiled up at them. "Nice to see you out and about, Captain." Ericka added, walking past them. Not once had she looked over to Ben. Quickening her pace, she jogged up the steps and entered the hospital. A pair of footsteps had followed her. She sighed with annoyance. Hal hadn't stopped pestering her about what happened earlier. She knew it was only, because he cared for her. They were like family. "I'm fine, Hal." Ericka whispered, not bothering to stop or turn around. The footsteps stopped and a hand rested on her elbow. She froze by the sudden contact. This wasn't who had followed her. She knew his touch, it was the same touch that sent tingles throughout her body. The same touch she loved. It was Ben. "I'm not_" Ericka cut him off, "I know."

He didn't know where they stood. Was it possible she could still love someone like him? Was it possible she could forgive him? "What do you want, Ben?" she asked. There was no emotion in her voice; not anger, or sadness, or even pain. That's what scared him the most. He pursed his lips together, wishing she would turn and look at him in the eye. She had come back with Tom to get him, so it was possible she could still love him. Truth be told, she did love him. He was the only guy she would ever truly love. They were soul mates; meant to be together forever. But forever seemed so far off from now. "I wanted to know if there was still an...us." he spoke softly. He wanted the truth; he wanted to know if she was still in love with him. Ericka shook off his hand. "I have more important things to deal with right now." she answered and walked away from him.

:::

Tom walked off, down to see the Overlord. Ben rubbed the back of his neck with his hands. He was left alone in the hallway, well, not completely alone. She had been watching them for a while now. Maybe he hadn't noticed. Ericka walked over to Ben. He stared into her stormy blue eyes and finally, he could see something in them. Although, it wasn't what he had expected. He expected to see betrayal or anger, but instead he saw determination. They stood there in silence, staring at one another. Neither of them really had time to talk to one another with everything going on. Now, they had a chance and they didn't know what to say. Ben couldn't stand the silence anymore. He took a step towards her as she took a step towards him. The silence was killing her as well. He closed his eyes and pressed his lips to hers, she reacted by kissing him back. Both of them pulled back. "Why do I mess everything up?" he asked. She opened her eyes to look at him. Ben gently touched her cheek. Ericka shook her head, taking a step back. She thought their relationship could be over, but now she wasn't so sure. "I have to go." she replied, turning and walking away from him. What could she say? What could she do? He was set on leaving, and she couldn't hold him back. That was the question though; what could she do to make him stay?

:::

"You alright?" she questioned him as they were leaving for Charleston. He nodded, but it was a lie. She was concerned about him. Something didn't feel right, but Ericka just ignored it. Ben let out a small laugh and she raised an eyebrow at him. "I was just thinking, we never been on a real first date." he spoke. She couldn't help, but smile at the thought. "I'll make you a deal. When we get to Charleston, we can start over. First date and everything." Ericka promised him solemnly. He grinned as she got into the truck and followed her.

:::

Ericka looked back to see Ben walking away. He was leaving the 2nd Mass for good and no one could stop him. Her heart was pounding inside her chest. She felt almost as if she were suffocating. Ericka dropped her gun, causing eyes to drift her way. Although, her baby blues never left his quickly fading body. She ran down the pavement as fast as she could, not caring about anything except him. Before she could stop herself, she called out to him. "Ben!"

He turned around, seeing her running to him. Ben frowned and dropped his bag. It only took a matter of seconds for her to reach him. Ericka jumped into his arms. She chuckled at herself. "I'm such an idiot." she said flatly. He rubbed her back soothingly. Of all the remarks she could say, none of them escaped her lips. Instead, she listened to his soft voice in her ear. "It's gonna be ok. I'll be back, I promise. We'll see each other again."

"Ben, you know that's what people say before they die." she replied. Ok, so she let on humorous remark slip. He laughed at her. It was only the truth though. Most movies and books would have people say that just before they died. She would admit it this once, just this once, that she was afraid. Afraid that this would be their last moment together, that she might never see him alive again. Because dead bodies were showing up everywhere now. Ericka felt powerless; if she could do anything to make him stay, she would. They stood like that, him holding her. Neither one of them said a word, but neither one of them needed too. "I love you more than anything. You are all I can think about." he mumbled. She wanted to say that she was coming with him. To give him no choice, but to allow her to come with him. To escape and flee with him, wherever he goes. She pulled away from him. Ericka refused to cry right now. Although, she couldn't help as a stray tear fell down her cheek. Then she crashed her lips to his, kissing him as passionately as she could. Ben pulled her closer and deepened their kiss. It was so beautiful. Just as romantic as all the stories had made it out to be. Sparks, fireworks, light-headedness; all of that stuff. Who could blame them? They were in love. When the kiss broke, she looked into his brown eyes. A chuckle escaped her lips. "I'm gonna miss those eyes of yours..." was all she said. He smiled at her as she cupped his cheek with her hand. "You better come back to me, because if you don't I assure you I'll die. Don't pull that, you'll-move-on crap. It's not true. You and me are in it for the long run." she added with a smile. "Of course, I still have to take you on our first date." Ben joked, making her laugh. She kissed him one last time and they parted. Ericka watched him as he grabbed his bag and walked away. Could she seriously let him go through with this? The love of her life was slowly fading away. Now is when the tears had fallen down her cheeks. She sunk to her knees, finally allowing those tears to fall. Her head had sagged downward. A hand rested on her shoulder, attempting to comfort her. Then the person pulled her into a hug. "It'll be ok, Ericka." Hal muttered to her. She shook her head "no". It would never be ok as long as they were apart. She was bound to go insane without him.

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**Again, this was done on my iPod. Please review and let me know what you think. Their relationship is kind of...I don't even know. They love one another, but aren't actually dating. It's kind of like what Mick said to Amber in HOA; "We're mates, not dates.". Idk. They'll get there eventually. In your review, let me know what you think should happen next to Ericka. Should she find herself someone else? Should she shoot the crap out of some Mechs? Or maybe she should go after Ben? Anyone catch the one thing she didn't say? The one thing she forgot to say?**


	8. Chapter 8: Death March

**AN: I was reading over my other story, again. It disappoints me every time, because I know I could write better. I tried to go through and look at all the characters I made, but then I got all confused and none of it made sense! Then I got frustrated. So, I'm only gonna say that if you read it, try to forget those characters. Because it really is confusing. Characters you should know! I hope it helps a little.**

**-Ericka's dad (name not mentioned yet; deceased)**

**-Ericka's mom (name not mentioned yet; deceased)**

**-Chris (Ericka's older brother; deceased)**

**-Aaron (Ericka's younge brother; deceased)**

**-Madison (Ericka's friend, who is about Hal's age)**

**-Hanna Jackson (Ericka's best friend, who is a year younger than her)**

**-Jett (Ericka's ex-boyfriend, pre-invasion; deceased)**

**{New}**

**-Kathleen {You'll find out soon enough who she is and how important she is. Her last name remains anonymous for now.}**

**-Damian Wright {A caring jock and previous ex-boyfriend to Ericka.}**

**-Michelle "Michi" Reynolds {A future romance for someone who could use a little love.}**

**Some things about Charleston will change, because I want it to go along with the show. Enjoy! And like always, please review.**

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Ericka POV:

I was relatively quiet during the whole trip. Not because I was sad, but trying to think. Of course I would miss Ben, I loved him. But maybe this is giving me a chance to take a step back and think before I jump in. I've been over it so many times in my head before, processing everything that had happened. Throughout the whole trip, I stayed tuned out. Listening to the hum of the engine and nothing else. I reply our goodbye through my head over and over again. Then it hit me, I didn't say "I love you". Crap, I am such an idiot. So, what now? What can I say or do? I looked back at Matt, laying down and writing in his journal. I had given up in my journal since Jimmy died. It seemed so pointless. Then I looked over at Tom, who is staring out the window. He's thinking of Ben, he has to be. "Tom?" I asked, wondering if he's zoned out like I was. His head turned in my direction. A smile is curled up on his lips when he looks at me. "Be honest, do you think he's coming back?" I questioned. As soon as I said it, I wished I hadn't. Tom frowned at me, then continued to look out the window. Watching the trees fly by us, he muttered a few simple words. "He's strong and persistent, he'll come back."

I sighed and stood, carefully walking over to Matt. His hazel eyes glistened up at me as I sat down beside him. "Why do you write in the journal?" I asked. So full of questions, I was. His eyebrows crinkled in confusion. "Dad says that it's important to_" I cut him off, "I know what your dad says, I want to know why you write anyways."

He looked down at the notebook, the words written so small on each page. "It lets me feel normal." he answered. Then he handed me the book, offering to let me read. Matt knows that he doesn't have to let anyone see it, but he showed me anyways. I read over some of the most recent entries. He talked about how he's sad that Ben left and he's afraid that he'll never come back. I took the pen and scribbled a little note down. When I was finished, I handed him the book. He yawned as I stood. I messed his hair up and told him to get some sleep. Walking back to the front of the bus, I took my original seat. In the past few days, I haven't slept much. Maybe I'm just too excited to get to Charleston. This trip has seriously got me thinking. About my past, present, and future. Living next to the Masons for all of my life, we've always been good friends with them. I come, came, from a big family. As you can probably guess, they were killed when the aliens invaded. I remember all of them to the best of my ability, but by now they're just a fading memory. My dad worked for the CIA. I don't know exactly what he did, but I know he wasn't a spy. He had a desk job. My mother was a part-time nurse. When she wasn't working in the ER, she was at home cleaning. Then there are my brothers. Chris, who was 22 and didn't bother to even call, and Aaron, who was 12 and insanely annoying. I miss them all the time, but I'm sort of glad they aren't here. They are a lot safer in heaven then they are here. Sometimes I wonder if my parents are proud of me.

I pulled out my diary from the bag and start to write a new entry.

:::

I almost cried when we made it to Charleston. When Porter showed up and said that not everything is what it appeared, or even when Hal pulled me in for a group hug. I can be a major pain sometimes, that's why I'm so grateful to Tom. He's treated me like a daughter, looking after me since my parents died. Tom shouted out, "Let's go to Charleston!"

We climbed back into the cars and followed Porter. I started to write in my journal. Tom sat beside me, curiously leaning over to read the words I had written on the page. Chuckling, I pushed the notebook over to him.

"Our journey has been long and seemingly unending, as our adventure to Charleston ends...a new one will begin." he read aloud. His eyes moved over to me. "That's really good." he complemented me, handing back the book. I nodded, saying a silent "thank you". We talked for a while on a variety of things. I apologized for ever being rude or jumping to any conclusions. Shockingly, he said it was ok and forgave me. Well, this was Tom Mason. "So, what's with you and Anne?" I questioned jokingly. He smiled and shook his head. "For me to know and you to not." was his reply. I laughed at it, but respected their privacy. Then he asked about my relationship with Ben. I told him about all that had happened between us, well, not EVERYTHING. Please, I'm not stupid. By the time we finished talking, the bus stopped. Finally, we were here at Charleston. The new capitol of the United States. Personally, I like Washington D.C. a lot better, but oh well. I couldn't even tell you how luxurious it was. I was so stunned and still somewhat am. We were greeted by people right away, it seemed as if we were swarmed. I found Hal and stood beside him. Most people say I am exceedingly sociable, but ride then I wanted to hide. Maybe it was because I looked like crap, while everyone else looked...normal. Hanna found me rather quickly, it had been a while since we talked. She grabbed my arm, clinging to me. "Everything ok?" I questioned. Hanna smiled and nodded, but she was obviously lying. "Hanna..." I said in a warning tone. "I don't know, I feel out of place." she replied. "Yeah, me too." I added. A group of girls came up to us, they looked pretty and bubbly. There were three total; two blondes and one brunette. The brunette was the obvious leader. They looked so rich, it was weird. You could even see highlights in their hair. While I on the other hand could just be satisfied with a haircut. "Oh! Newbies!" the blonde on the left cheered. "Yay!" the other one said. Then the brunette put up her manicured hand in the air, in an instant, the blondes were silenced. "Hi, I'm Kathleen. This is Linda and Jessie." the brunette, Kathleen, introduced. 'Ok, so what do you want?' I wondered. "I'm Hanna Jackson and this is Ericka Preston." my friend said when I didn't reply. Kathleen's lips formed a small 'o' as if she were surprised. "No way! Kathleen's last name is Preston!" Linda cheered. Yes, she was the cheerful one. "Cool, where did you grow up?" I questioned, plastering on the fakest smile. "Right here in Charleston, South Carolina. What about you?" she questioned back. I smirked at her, already I couldn't stand this girl. "Somerville, Massachusetts." I answered with pride. "No joke, my dad left my mom after having an affair with her and headed to Somerville." she explained. Was she trying to tell me something? "Ericka, can I talk to you?" Hal interrupted. I had completely forgotten he was there. Nodding, we walked away. Kathleen eyed Hal, totally checking him out. We walked away, through the crowd and outside. He folded his arms, looking at me sternly. "Yes?" I said.

"Oh, nothing. You just looked like you wanted to rip her hair out." Hal replied. Hanna nodded, still holding onto my arm. "I don't tolerate bitches." I said in my defense. That got them both laughing. We walked back inside and ignored the girls staring at us. By the way Kathleen was looking over at Hal, you could say she was crushing on him. I leaned over to whisper in his ear, "Kathleen is eyeing you, I bet she's even picturing you naked.". His eyes widened and he stated laughing hysterically. I didn't bother to look over at her either, because I could tell she was glaring daggers into my back. 'Ouch! That so hurts.' I think sarcastically. Like I would ever care what she thinks.

:::

Normal POV:

Tector was walking back to the van, he had forgotten something inside. Too lost in his thoughts to watch where he was going, he bumped into a woman with long black hair. "I'm so sorry." she said hastily, her hazel eyes staring up at him. A lopsided smile formed on his lips. "That's quite alright. In all honesty, I should have been paying more attention. You're forgiven if I am?" he suggested with that accent of his. She was about 22, give or take a little. The woman smiled, showing her dazzling pearl-white teeth. "Deal." her soft voice spoke. He held out his hand to her and she shook it.. "I'm Tector and it's nice to meet you..." he paused, waiting for her to say her name. "Michelle, but you can call me Michi." Michelle said, removing her hand from his. Then she walked off, leaving him stunned by her unknown beauty. He shook his head, Tector was gonna like it here in Charleston.

:::

Ericka was eating with her friends in the mess hall. Lourdes was depressed as usual, while everyone else seemed sort of happy. Charleston was amazing, ten times better than it should've been. She had been waiting for something to go wrong and it hadn't, at least not yet. Someone tapped on Ericka's shoulder, so she turned around. What she wasn't expecting was Kathleen to be there standing next to a much older woman. The woman was most likely her mother, but that didn't shock her. There was quite a resemblance. "That's her." Kathleen said in a matter-of-fact kind of tone. By now, everyone at the table was silent. "Is your father by any chance, Mark Preston?" the woman questioned her. Ericka nodded, even if her daughter was evil (which Ericka was 89% sure of) she wasn't going to be mean to this woman. Unless, however, she deserved it. "Is he here?" she asked. "No, he's dead." Ericka replied politely. "I am so sorry. I know this may seem a bit sudden, but in March of 1997 your father had an affair with me." the woman explained. Ericka's jaw dropped in shock. "I realize that this may be hard for you to believe, but_" she cut Kathleen's mom off mid-sentence. "Please don't bother me ever again."

The woman nodded and grabbed her daughter's arm, marching away. Ericka turned back to the table of people. All of them were a little shocked and some of them even felt bad for her. She put up her facade and smiled, "So, if Dori is a girl fish, does that mean that she got with Marlin at the end of the movie?"

"Yeah, but I think they didn't put it like that because it was PG." Lourdes spoke up. "Still! It just wasn't clear if she was a girl or boy." Ericka added. Then they all nodded in agreement and continued to eat. It was obvious she wanted to avoid the topic by the way she didn't even acknowledge the truth. Was it true? 'Things are going to work out in the end, they always do.' she thought to herself.

:::

Ericka pulled out her journal and recorded in today's events. It had taken her hours to record the previous days she missed. She thought about Ben, hoping he was alright. Before he left, she never missed a day to write in the tattered notebook. Then she came up with an idea. Directly under her entry, she wrote a note to Ben.

(Ben,

You are such an idiot. Don't you know when a girl runs after you, you're supposed to stay with her. And I'm the bigger idiot, I didn't even say "I love you". Wherever you are, I hope you know that I do love you. Even if you can't read this, you better stay safe and come back to me. Always yours, Ericka.)

It wasn't fancy or anything special, just a short little note. That way if, when, he came back he could read it. Maybe she should start writing them more often. Maybe she would.


	9. Chapter 9: A Prince of Greatness

**AN: I'm unhappy. :( I watched this episode and then read the last chapter. I must have repeated this cycle over and over for a while. So, I'm taking a lot of things out. But, I decided to keep Kathleen. Because I like her being a...well, you know. But I think everything else is going to be ignored. It didn't fit with the episode, so I won't keep it. One of these days I'll get around to rewriting it. Here's the current chapter. Please review.**

* * *

"Well, I think you should spend some time at home for a while." Tom told his son. That's when the door burst open. Ericka walked in, smiling as if she were proud. "Matty! I heard you beat the crap out of some kid!" she cheered. Anne chuckled, while Tom stared at her. She raised an eyebrow at him. "What?"

They just looked at her as if she were crazy. She huffed and folded her arms across her chest. "So, I can't cheer on Matt when he beats the crap out of some snotty kid?" Ericka questioned. Anne shook her head, laughing.

:::

Ericka walked into the cafeteria area, Madison and Hanna by her side. She didn't like how they were scattered all around the place. Nor how the 2nd Mass' weapons were confiscated. They had seen more action with the aliens than any of these people. Hell, some of them never fired a gun and half of the military never saw any action. She was a 14-year-old girl and she could probably out-shoot most of them. Nevertheless this was their place, therefore they would have to follow their orders. Of course she had heard the rumors of the 2nd Mass being cowards and what not. Something that definitely didn't sit well with her. Cowards? They're hiding underground and HOPING to avoid the aliens. Strutting over to her was Kathleen and her followers. "Hello Ericka." she said with venom. 'Why does she hate me so much? Oh, that's right. My dad chose my mom over some whore, aka her mom.' Ericka thought. "Hi." Ericka replied. "You don't belong here, none of you do. So do everyone a favor and leave." Kathleen growled. Ericka pinched her nose and backed up a little. "First of all, get a breath mint. And secondly..." she paused, getting in her face. "Get the hell off my back before I shoot you. Something our dad taught me." Ericka continued with a grin. Madison and Hanna gawked, they were supposed to "be nice" as Weaver put it. That certainly wasn't nice. They followed her out of the cafeteria.

::

She had only heard a few words, being near the group of men dressed in military uniforms. They were huddled with Tom and Arthur, discussing something. She was only a matter of steps away. "...found...deharnessed boy...message...Tom Mason..."

That was all she needed to hear. Tom caught her widened eyes from feet away. Her blue eyes scanned his brown. They were both thinking the same thing. Ben. It was him, she was sure of it. It had to be Ben. Ericka's heart was pounding inside of her chest. As soon as they left, she started to follow. A hand gripped her arm and spun her around. Kathleen. "Where do you think you're going?!" she questioned. "Kathleen, I get why you hate me. But that isn't my fault." Ericka said seriously. She shook off her hand from her grip. Jogging to keep up with the fast-moving group, she darted down the halls. They walked into the meeting room. "Ben?" Tom called, just before the door shut. She pushed it open after the it shut and walked inside. Her heart sunk when she saw him. It wasn't him, it wasn't Ben. The boy looked at her, cocking his head to the side. "You're not him." Ericka whispered so low, she was sure no one heard. But he had. She was so sure that it was Ben. Somewhere along the way, she zoned out. Ericka stopped paying any attention to everything surrounding her. She wanted so bad for it to be him. Questions filled her mind. Where was he? Was he alright? Did he think of her? All this time she had been staring at the deharnessed boy in front of her. Something in his eyes made her realize something. The 2nd Mass didn't belong in Charleston. They didn't fit in here, they weren't apart of this. The boy talked about how the red-eyed Skitter sent him. How he had important news. Quietly and unnoticed, she slipped outside the room. Her eyes flicked down the hall, where an argument was taking place. It was Kathleen and her mom. "You were a mistake! If I hadn't gotten pregnant, he never would have left. You ruined my life! You insignificant little brat!" her mother shouted. Then she slapped Kathleen across the face. Her mother stomped off as she reached up to touch her red cheek. Kathleen was beautiful. Her hair was long and brown, but it was a lot lighter than her own with highlights put in. There was a waviness to it as well. Freckles dotted her face across her nose and cheeks. Hazel eyes darted over to meet Ericka's stormy blue eyes. They walked towards each other. What could Ericka say to her? "I'm sorry. I never knew anything about all of this, about you. I know my dad though. He wouldn't have left you. Maybe he did and I'm wrong about him, though. What I'm saying is...you'll always have a sister." Ericka told her. They were around the same age. Kathleen was maybe a month or so younger than her though. She hadn't really given this girl a chance. She knew nothing about her. Kathleen smiled and hugged her, years falling down her cheeks. "Thank you..." she whispered. Ericka nodded and hugged her back. If the 2nd Mass were to leave, would Kathleen come with her? Did Ericka want her to come? They had just gotten here and already Ericka wanted to leave. Charleston wasn't her home, it wasn't their home. The 2nd Mass was a family and it was obvious that they weren't shouldn't be here. 'Maybe we should form our own capitol in the "New America".' Ericka thought. "I want to start over, I don't want to be...who I am." she confessed. Ericka's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "It's never too late to change." she replied to Kathleen. The door to the meeting room opened. The soldiers dressed in army uniforms exited with the boy in their hands. Ericka pulled away and walked towards them. "What are you doing?" she questioned angrily. He looked as if he were being held prisoner and that wasn't ok with her. "Taking the prisoner to his cell." one of them answered. "I don't think so!" Ericka shouted at them. A hand rested on her shoulder. She hadn't even seen or heard the door open again, but it had. Ericka turned around to face him. His face was stone-cold and emotionless. All he had to do was nod. Confusion came over her, what was going on? Tom wouldn't give up this easy. Neither would Captain Weaver, who was standing behind Tom. What was going on?

:::

They ran down the halls, guns in their hands and ready for whatever came next. What they weren't ready for? Was to be caught.

They were rallied up together in prisoners in cages. No one said anything to anyone. "Next chance we get, can we leave Charleston?" Ericka asked Captian Weaver. "Where would we go next?" he questioned her in return. "Any place is better than here. We could head back up north, but a different way. We'll be able to cover more area." she suggested. The door burst open. There was shouting coming from Arthur as feet marched towards them. They locked him up and the 2nd Mass was freed. This was there chance. She looked over to the deharnessed boy. As if he knew someone was watching him, he turned to face her. Their eyes met. There was something fimilar about him.


	10. Chapter 10: A More Perfect Union

**AN:** I **really hope you like this chapter. I like it. Please review, I don't seem to be getting many reviews. If I find out any spoilers for the next season (from now until it airs), I'll be posting them here and on my Bio page. Don't worry about checking it for a while, it's early. What I do know is that they start filming season three next week (or this week), which you already know if you saw the 2nd Watch. **

* * *

She watched as they argued with one another. It was so tempting to just sneak away, creeping out of their sight. Hopefully this was the end of their stay at Charleston. Ericka gasped, snapping back to reality when they pushed he into the cage. Her head accidentally knocking up against the metal. Not a second later, the alarm sounded. Something didn't feel right. Quickly, they dashed to the main entrance. A group of skitters had grouped together. She felt so lost in thought, as if she weren't really there. "Stop! We're not here to hurt anyone." he shouted with that goofy smile on his face. Her eyes widened at the sound of his voice. It had been so long, too long. Ericka looked at him, wondering if it were even real. "Ben." his father whispered with joy. The smile that showed on Tom's face was like nothing anyone had ever seen before. They hugged each other. "Ben!" Matt screamed, running to his older brother. "General, tell your men to lower your weapons." Tom told him. But he didn't stand down. Ericka looked around at all of them, curious. Anne was moving towards Tom. They stood their ground in front of the group. Ericka pushed past the soldiers with their guns poised. She stood beside Ben, lacing her fingers through his. The touch felt so familiar, as if it had only been an hour since they last touched. Soon, members of the 2nd Mass joined them by their side. Kathleen shook her head at Ericka, disapprovingly. It was silent as they stared one another down. They weren't backing down. "Sir?" the man who was second-in-charge asked. He waited for an answer. "Hold your fire." the general said through gritted teeth. "Stand down!" the man echoed. They were lead to the meeting room, but Ericka didn't let go of Ben's hand. Just before they entered, she pulled him to the side. He placed a gentle kiss on her lips. "I don't know what's going on, but by that look in your eye...I can tell it isn't good. Even if you aren't staying for good, I just need to say I love you. Because I didn't before you left and I've been regretting it ever since." she ratted on and on. He grinned, wondering when she was going to shut up. Instead, he silenced her with a passionate kiss. Pulling away, he walked to the door. Her hand seemed to slip out of his. Ben turned around and raised an eyebrow at her. Ericka was usually always involved. Not because she needed to be there or it was important, but because she didn't give anyone a choice. "I'm not coming, I'll catch the info later. Just go do your thing and see me before you go." she replied. In the corner of her eye, she found Kathleen staring at them. He nodded and walked into the room.

Ericka spun around and stomped down the hall to Kathleen. She was evidently anger at her. "You're boyfriend is deharnessed!" Kathleen yelled out in fury. She folded her arms across her chest. "Yes, he is. I'm apart of the 2nd Mass and we believe the skitter rebellion is real. We're allied with them, so you can deal with it." Ericka said calmly.

:::

"The world doesn't work that way anymore." Ben spoke truthfully. The cold night's air nipped at their noses. Their breath could be seen forming in the air near their mouths. "What about Ericka?" Hal asked, concerned for both his brother and Ericka. She was a younger sister to him, he looked out for her. "What about her?" Ben asked. Avoiding eye contact, he stared at the view to his left. "She loves you, I know you know that." he paused, looking for the right words to say. "You know it wasn't that long ago we were fighting side-by-side. Made quite a team, remember?"

"We did..."

:::

She looked down at the bodies of skitters and deharnessed children. Ericka couldn't let her mind focus on what was in front of her. Why was that? She kept drifting off from reality. Disappearing into her mind, she didn't hear a word that was said.

"Fine! You've got my permission." he shouted as he walked away from them. "Yes sir." Captain Weaver called back.

:::

They were loading up, ready for another mission. One that would finally even the playing fields. Ericka noticed Ben drawing. Tom walked over to him and they started talking. He walked away without another word. She snuck up behind him. "Boo!" Ericka whisper-shouted in his ear. He chuckled, not looking up from the notebook. They sat there quietly. Suddenly, he looked up at her. Ben looked so concerned for her sake. "Are you ok?" Ben questioned her. She let out a small laugh. Everyone else was getting into their cars to leave. It was like they were heading out to war. Ericka leaned over and kissed his cheek. "I'm fine." she whispered.

:::

It happened so fast. After all, it was war. She should have expected something to go wrong. Because things never worked out. They were setting up the C-4, eager to blow the place sky-high. "Skitters!" Ben shouted. They appeared from everywhere it seemed; crawling from the walls and other openings. Ericka fired at the nearest one, blowing off its leg. Gunshots sounded throughout the massive building. It was a fight that they were losing. There were so many and it happened so fast. Dai was killed off almost instantly. Ericka screamed in a fit of rage as another skitter picked her up. Ben spun around and fired, hitting the creature in its chest. It backed up, tossing Ericka to the ground. She rolled on her back in time to see Ben kill it with five shots to the head. Looking around, her friends were captured one-by-one. Taken down so easily it was sad. In a matter of minutes they were tied up to slimy, alien-looking ropes. Each of them knew what was coming next. Torture. She listened closely to Karen. Ben tried to interrupt, but the ropes wrapped around her mouth. Her eyes looked back and forth between Karen and Tom. Thoughts raced across her mind. The one time she wished she could clear her head, she couldn't. Karen sauntered over to Ericka slowly. Ben's eyes widened as she came closer and closer to her. "This is your chance, Ericka. If you say something, we can spare you. I know your greatest fear. Death isn't avoidable, but it can be temporarily prevented." she explained in a monotone voice that held no meaning or emotion. The stick waved near her. She had to fight back, somehow. Ericka gasped in fear as her eyes went huge. "I...I'll t-tell you..., just don't hurt anyone." she begged in a hoarse voice. Her plan had to work, it had too. Walking closer to hear better, Karen was within inches from her face. Ericka gripped onto the strange ropes and swung her foot up. Her shoe connected with Karen's face. Karen tumbled back a little and growled in rage. "Go to hell, bitch." Ericka spat at her with rage. Karen poked her with the stick. Shouting out in pain, Ericka struggled to get away. She pulled back and waited a second before poking Ericka again. Karen was going to have fun with this stick. Repeatedly, she poked Ericka until her voice ran out and she could no longer scream. Karen ignored their protests to leave her alone. Ericka was going to get it. By the time she finished, Karen walked over to Anne. "Is he enjoying watching you torture us?" questioned Tom. There was a fire in him now. It was a fire in him that couldn't be out out. "He doesn't care anymore about you as you would care about a mosquito buzzing around your face, Tom. You're just an irritant to him." she explained. Ericka could hardly keep her eyes open. Ben attempted to shout at her, but his begs were muffled out. Seeming to notice this, Anne spoke up. "Ericka! Stay awake." she ordered. Her beautiful blue eyes remained closed and she nodded. Karen paused in front of Anne. "I was hoping to avoid this."

Ericka blinked, attempting to remain conscious. The room around her blurred out of her vision. She felt as if she were only out for a few minutes. Only giving in to the darkness for a minuscule second. Ben shook her awake from the concrete flooring. His face was full of concern for her. She sat up, taking in her surroundings. Where was she? Suddenly, it all came back to her. It was as if fog lifting from the sky. Skitters were jumping around everywhere, attacking other skitters. It was an all-out war. He helped her to her feet. When they looked up, the red-eyed skitter was flung to the ground with a slash across his body. Ben ran to its side and Ericka followed. He was communicating with it when his friends and family surrounded them. Rashly, Ericka leaned over to wherever the alien's ear was. She whispered something to him. Wondering what she was saying, they stared at her. It looked over at Ericka, then to Tom. The skitter reached out and Tom held it's hand as the alien died. She swore she saw Ben cry, but she was on the verge of tears as well.

"We have to go." Ben spoke up.

:::

They marched down the enormous halls, leading into the underground hideout of Charleston. Although they had won, it cost them something. Dai was dead as well as the leader of the skitter rebellion. Was anyone safe? Soldiers ran over to them, but they kept walking; the general was amongst them. "Mission accomplished, sir!" Captain Weaver shouted in his gruff voice. "Alright, get these people some food. In fact, get them any damn thing they want!" the general ordered. The crowd that had seemingly followed roared with cheers of triumph.

Hanna and Madison ran up to Ericka. They hugged her quickly and tightly, almost suffocating her. Tears of joy streamed down their cheeks. "We missed you!" Hanna cooed. "I missed you guys too." she whispered back. It was a sort of bittersweet moment. While she had survived, there was no way to undo what had happened. Sure, the overlord was dead. But they were scarred. Nevertheless, she put up her facade. "I know things have been crazy, but how about a girls night. If Hanna can snag some nail polish we can paint each others toenails and point out the Charleston hotties." Ericka offered. "Deal." the said simultaneously.

:::

"Ok. Things are pretty screwed up, but that's the new normal. Right? But, I believe you promised me a first date." Ericka said as they strolled away from the hospital. He let out a small laugh and stopped. Ben wrapped his arms around her waist as she snaked hers around his shoulders. "Really?" Ben questioned with a playful smile and an eyebrow raised. He was enjoying taunting her. "Ok, how does a moonlit picnic sound?" he asked. "Sorry, I'm busy. I still have to whoop the Mason boys' butts at Monopoly and then the girls and I are gonna have a GNO." she explained. They snickered quietly to themselves. Closing their eyes, they leaned in until their lips touched. When they parted, their breath was taken away by one another. "That's ok. I'll wait till kingdom come for you." was his reply.

She smiled, witty comment already forming in her brain. "Yeah, because Lord knows I've waited forever for you." He frowned at her, which caused her to frown. Then she beamed with utter happiness and joy. "And I'd do it all over again if it meant a million moments like these." Ericka added, a smile reappearing on his face.

Hand-in-hand, they ventured to Matt's room. It took only a few minutes to set up the game. Regrettably, it was only the three of them. Just was Matt rolled the dice, they walls shook with a great ferocity. They stood, frightened by the sudden movement. "There's no way that's an earthquake!" Ben shouted over the noise. Running towards the exit, they noticed the sky. Lightning illuminated the clouds of black as thunder roared. Their was a piercing noise that made them cover their ears. When it was over, shuttles appeared. One-by-one, they landed precisely on the ground. Ericka gasped in horror as the one nearest to them opened. Another alien was revealed, one they had never witnessed. The wind blew all around them, howling like a wolf. "You can't be serious." Ericka said with an annoyed and frustrated tone.


	11. Chapter 11: What She Said

AN: For those of you who wondered what Ericka said to Red Eye.

What she said...

Amongst the chaos and the heat of the battle that was dwindling down, they stood by it as it died. The red-eyed skitter had helped them do so much. It gave them a chance to live and to fight. Ericka felt as if she owed the alien something. She did.

Leaning over, Ericka whispered into its ear. "Thank you, for everything you've done. You've helped us and you gave us a chance to win the war."

Her eyes drifted up slightly to Ben. She was well aware that everyone was watching her closely, curious as to what she was saying. Ericka continued, "And thank you for keeping him safe." It wasn't long and it wasn't poetic, but it was a way to show that she cared. They owed this skitter with their lives. It didn't say anything back to her. The skitter didn't have too. The look in it's alien eyes said it all. 'You're welcome.' She didn't know if anyone heard her or not, but she didn't really care. Then it whispered something to Ben. He seemed slightly confused by what Red Eye was saying. Ben's eyes caught Ericka's for a split second. Did he hear what she said?


	12. Chapter 12: On Thin Ice

Season 3: Episode One (On Thin Ice)

She knew deep in her gut that something didn't feel right. It was all too easy to her. She had ridden in the passenger seat of the truck with Colonel Weaver, his daughter Jeanne, and Matt. The space was right and cramped, but there was no way she was missing out on this. Also, when Captain Weaver became Colonel Weaver, she became his right-hand-man. Well, right-hand-woman. Tom's rise to presidency in the past seven months kept him too busy to fight alongside the 2nd Mass or Charleston's army. Watching closely from inside the truck, she spotted Ben helping some of the harnessed kids into the back from the side mirrors. Her and Matt decided to stay back, considering the job was already done. Most of the kids were inside. Jeanne decided to ride in the back with Diego. Ericka couldn't blame her, if it was Ben, she would've done the same thing. She started to think back to when the war began. She hadn't really become a fighter until she asked for a gun. Then she started going on little missions for the 2nd Mass and Captain (at the time) Weaver. A whining metal sound screeched as rocks were pushed aside. Confused, she opened the door and stepped out of the truck. Matt joined her, also curious as to what was happening. Her eyes widened at the sight of two Mechs. They looked vaguely similar to a Mech, but more advanced. Before she knew it, they were firing and Weaver was yelling to take cover. Things were exploding and blowing up, leaving behind fire. Bullets went back and forth as she dove for cover behind a crate. Not the best spot to hide, but it would have to suffice. She aimed her gun at the Mega-Mech and fired. Chaos erupted all around them. Skitters crawled out of the mines, but were put on defense as the Rebel Skitters descended from the cliffs. She saw one on top of Ben, attacking him. Ericka aimed at its head and fired. The other Skitter and Ben looked to her. She shot the other's leg clean off. It cried out, wobbling forward. He grinned and attacked it. When she turned back, she spotted a blast hit the Mega-Mech and it exploded into flames. Tom rode in on a horse with a few others, including Cochise. They took down the other Mega-Mech easily. She stood up, smiling proudly.

_I have got to get me a gun like that, then I could really do some damage_, she thought.

She walked with Colonel Weaver over to Tom. They talked for a few minutes. She kept her mouth shut though, just listening for once. They parted ways as she followed Weaver. He gave the order to move out. "We were...demolished, Colonel." Ericka stated. He nodded in agreement. Just when they seemed ahead, the Eshpeni pull out Mega-Mechs. "The important thing is that we won in the long run." Weaver replied. She shrugged as they made their way back to the truck.

...

"...plenty has changed." Colonel Weaver finished. He stared at Cochise by his horse. Then he spotted Ericka walking his way. He stopped her, gesturing to follow him. "We need to be at the War Room later." Dan said gruffly. He always spoke with a gruff tone. She raised an eyebrow at him and folded her arms across her chest. "We? Or you?" Ericka questioned. She was only his right-hand, nothing more and nothing less. He trusted her with his life, and she trusted hers with his. But sometimes, she didn't understand why he would let a 15-year-old girl be this far up in charge. "We. You're my second-in-command and you have every right to be there." was all he said on the matter. She smiled, heading with him to the War Room.

...

Everyone rose as Tom entered. "Sorry I'm late, as you were gentlemen." He spoke, heading for his seat. As he sat down, so did everyone else. Ericka leaned on the wall in the background. Again, she kept her mouth shut. She rolled her eyes as General Bressler accused the Rebel Skitters as being a mole. Her eyes drifted from person to person as they argued. Honestly, she was bored to death. There wasn't much to do except sit there. Though this "mole" talk was quite nerving, she wondered who would do such a thing. Who could possibly want to betray them? Maybe whoever it was was being manipulated somehow. That still didn't make much sense. As soon as they were dismissed, she caught up to Ben.

"Are you free later tonight?" She asked. Normally, she wouldn't ask a boy out on a date; especially if it was her own boyfriend. But she felt left like she hadn't seen much of him lately. Even though he's been back for the past seven months, he's been busy. He grinned at her, "Is Ericka Preston asking me out on a date?"

"Depends...is Ben Mason saying yes?" She questioned back at him. "Sure, we'll hang out later." He replied. "Ok, meet me in my room around seven."

She kissed his cheek, and then turned a corner as they continued to head straight. Whenever she wasn't on a mission with Weaver, she had a lot free time. Hanna spent some girl time with her, but she had other duties as well. She was helping reconstruct buildings. So that left a large amount of her time open. Sometimes she would practice her aiming or read a book. Her half-sister, Kathleen, was warming up to Ericka. They had gotten closer in the past seven months. She was someone Ericka could easily talk to about her past and what it was like. She could still remember that day the aliens attacked.

_No, don't think about it_, she warned herself.

She pushed the memory to the back of her head. It was a day that Ericka didn't want to bring up. A day she wished she could forget for more than one reason. If she could take back what she said to him, she would. But she couldn't.

...

Ericka was reading a magazine. It was the kinda garbage she would buy before the invasion. She was reading the embarrassing stories in the back, those were the most interesting. This is what she had turned to in her boredom. A knock at her door caused her to look up.

"Come in!" She shouted. Matt opened the door quickly. Hal, Maggie, and Ben were all behind him. "Anne's having the baby!" Matt said happily as a smile framed his face. Her eyes widened and she threw the magazine aside, getting up from her spot on the bed.

...

They were playing Monopoly. Tom said it was some sort of tradition. Her family never really had any traditions. Well, there was one. Every Saturday, the last person to wake up had to make everyone breakfast. It was weird, but fun. Matt nudged her, she had zoned off. "It's your roll." He whispered. She smiled, taking the dice. "Land on the train station, I dare you." Hal said. "No, she's visiting her boyfriend in Hollywood with hotels." Ben spoke up. He wrapped his arm around her. She shook her hands then released the dice on the board. It was six; a four and a two. "Actually, I'm going to jail." Ericka said with a proud smile. Only in a game of monopoly is jail ever a good thing, and that's only when hotels and houses are up everywhere you go.

...

She had fallen asleep along with the others. Her head was rested on Ben's leg and her wavy, dark brown hair covered her face.

_"You aren't the boss of me!" Ericka shouted at her father. She pulled her wrist out of his grip. She was mad, because she had been caught. Aaron, her little brother, saw her come in late one night and snitched. Her father was furious and demanded to know where she went. Deciding it was the best thing to do; she came clean and told him. Jett, her current boyfriend, had taken her to a club. They didn't drink any alcohol; well, she didn't. Then he told her that he forbid her to see Jett again and that she was grounded. Ericka headed for the door. She opened it, but turned back to him before she left. "You always say you want what's best for me. How would you know?! You're hardly ever here. Then you make me give up my happiness for you, but you give some lame excuse!_

_I had to quit dance club because an A/B average was unacceptable; I couldn't work at the music shop, because the manager seemed odd; I have to break up with my boyfriend, because he takes me to a club. You may be my father, but that doesn't make you my dad." She shouted before slamming the door shut. His wife laid a hand on his shoulder. "Don't worry, Mark, she's just upset. She didn't mean it." His wife soothed him. He nodded, starring at the door with a hurt expression._

Ericka gasped, jolting forward. That was the last thing she said to her dad. The invasion happened while she was away and by the time she got back her mother, Chris (her older brother), and Aaron were dead. She assumed that the Skitter tried to take him, but something went wrong. There was a dead Skitter there as well. The Mason's came over just in time. They found her father upstairs, bleeding to death. The wound was too severe. In his dying breath, he asked Tom to look after her. A hand rested on her shoulder. She looked up at Ben. He was staring at her with worry in his chocolate brown eyes. "You ok?" Ben asked. Ericka nodded, pushing some hair out of her face. "It's just stuffy in here. I need some air." she stated, getting up and leaving the room. He set his book down on the table before following her out. She never had a chance to say she was sorry. It all happened so quickly. Ericka didn't tell Ben or even Tom what had happened earlier that day. She kept it to herself. Ben gently grabbed her wrist, stopping her from walking away. "What's wrong? Was it a nightmare?" he queried. She shook her head. There were a few chairs off to the side of the wall. She took a seat and he sat beside her. "It was a memory. I was arguing with my dad and I said some horrible things to him. I was mad and incredibly stupid." she said, tears running down her face. "I'm sure he forgave you." Ben tried to assure her. He smiled sympathetically at her. Ericka shook her head again, causing him to frown. "I told him that he may be my father, but that doesn't make him my dad. It was the last thing I ever said to him." explained Ericka. She turned to look at him. After all this time, she managed to push away that horrid memory. Ben grabbed her hand, holding it reassuringly. "You're obviously sorry for saying it. I'm sure that he knows that and forgives you. He was your dad, Ericka. No matter what you said to him would've affected the way he loved you." he said. She planted a chaste kiss on his lips. "Thanks."

...

Ericka was intently listening to Tom's speech when Kathleen came up next to her. "Haven't seen you in a while." she muttered. "Yeah, I'm sorry about that. They've got me pulling double shifts. I'm working with Hanna on the reconstruction project and in the kitchen." Kathleen explained, tossing her short brown hair over her shoulder. She had cut it really short. Her brown hair lost its caramel highlights. She even had bangs across her forehead. Kathleen had come a long way from being the spoiled brat Ericka first met here in Charleston. "But maybe we can hang out later?" she suggested. Ericka nodded, it's not like she was doing anything interesting later.

* * *

**AN: I really didn't feel like writing, but then I got motivation from...I don't even remember what motivated me. Hope you enjoyed this. Please review and the second episode should be up before next Sunday. If it isn't, then I'll be slipping that one. Laters! :)**


	13. Chapter 13: Collateral Damage

Season 3: Episode Two (Collateral Damage)

Kathleen and Ericka were in her room, each of them was painting their own toenails. She only had two colors; a pearl-blue and a bright green. Kathleen was using the green and she used the other color. "So, how's your mom?" Ericka asked, concentrating on her toes. She heard Kathleen sigh. "Still spiteful and lazy as hell." was her reply. They chuckled together. This was their routine. They would get together, hang out, discuss parents; it was their normal. "How's your boyfriend, Ben?" Kathleen asked, trying not to cringe. Though they were getting along, she still didn't like the fact that Ben had spikes. Kathleen wanted absolutely nothing to do with anything alien. She didn't like their weapons or technology, let alone them. Still, Ericka could see that she was trying. And she would have to try too if she wanted to have a relationship with her half-sister. "He's great. You know, one of these days I'm going to change your mind about the so called 'razor-backs'." she joked, adding a small laugh at the end. Kathleen snorted, "Maybe when I'm dead. I'm sorry, but an alien is an alien and if you've got the spikes…you were one of them."

Ericka sighed, shaking her head. She would try to show her that not all of them were bad and that they weren't as different as everyone thinks. But for now, she would have to settle for this.

…

Ben and Ericka were walking through the streets, holding hands. People were all around; laughing, eating, talking. Ever since he decided to stay, they've got to spend more and more time with one another. It was actually nice how they were really starting to know each other more and more. They used to live next door, before the invasion. And their families were really close with one another. They were talking about the things they missed most (besides families and friends). "I miss music, real music. I'm talking Adele, Will. , Rihanna, Britney Spears, and Taylor Swift for crying out loud! I miss that garbage that I used to listen to." She proclaimed loudly. He let out a slight laugh. "What was your favorite artist or band?" he questioned. "I didn't really have a favorite, but there was this one song by David Guetta that I loved. Do you remember Titanium? That song was the best!" Ericka gushed. She really did love music. Her old iPod had over 300 songs on it that she would listen to all the time. Secretly, she still lugged it around with her, even though the battery died long ago. "What about you? What do you miss?" she challenged, intrigued to know. "Saturday morning cartoons…" Ben answered honestly. He continued, "Tom and Jerry, Looney Tunes, and other old things."

She nodded, looking amused. "Aaron used to wake me up and watch Spongebob with him every Saturday morning at 8 a.m." replied Ericka. The good memories were something she liked to look back on, but the bad ones were ones she desperately tried to forget.

…

Ericka stood by Colonel Weaver's side. He was giving out orders and explaining the plan. She thought about the chances of everyone actually making it out alive and getting the mission accomplished. The odds didn't seem in their favor, but they did have a solid plan. If everyone stuck to what they were doing and there were no surprises, then they might actually accomplish this. She would be with Colonel Weaver and the team distracting them. No matter what this had to be kept confidential. Her eyes drifted to Ben, he looked determined. She smiled, secretly praying that everything would go as planned.

…

Ericka fired, from behind a tree. There were Mechs everywhere, firing back at them. She continued to fire, not thinking twice. For a slight second, she wished she had stayed back at the base. Then again, this was the only thing fun to do. This brought a smile to her face. That smile faded when she noticed a Mech aiming an explosive at the tree. She ran out from cover, moving to where the others where. Taking a moment to catch her breath, she looked up. Ericka remembered something. She dug a hand into the pocket of the jacket she wore. She nudged Weaver and handed him the grenade. "Where the hell did you get that?" he hollered over the roar of bullets. Smirking, she replied, "It was a pre-mission present I got myself. I take one every mission, just in case, but I haven't used one yet."

He grinned and took the grenade. Pulling the pin, he waited three seconds before throwing it out to the Mechs. The grenade landed right at the feet of one of them, sending it up in flames. Ericka concentrated her fire on another Mech. The fight continued to go on. Three men had already died. She wondered how many more would go before this was over.

…

She watched as a few of the dead men were loaded onto the truck. Suddenly Ericka felt dizzy; she leaned over on the truck. Though the deaths of these people she knew were upsetting, she never got dizzy or nauseous around it. Ben turned and walked over to Weaver. "That's the last of us, nobody left behind." Ben informed him. Colonel Weaver nodded, "Right."

Hal suddenly spoke up, "For what it's worth, Colonel, it worked. Your team bought us the time we needed."

Denny seemed to notice how pale Ericka looked. The next thing she noticed was the blood spot on Ericka's shirt. "Oh crap, Ericka." she said, pointing to it. Ericka looked down, muttering curses. Denny called for Colonel Weaver. When all of them looked over, they rushed to Ericka. She lifted up her shirt a few inches to reveal a bullet wound. She put pressure on it as Ben and Pope helped her into the truck. "I didn't feel a thing…" she whispered to no one in general. Ericka must have received it when she moved from behind the tree. The adrenaline is probably what kept her going. Ben got in the truck with her, slamming the door shut. Weaver got in on the other side and started the car. Somewhere on the way back, she passed out.

…

When she woke up, she noticed Ben sitting in a chair at her bedside. Colonel Weaver was sitting in another chair, much further way, but he was there. She inched up, painfully. Ben tried to stop her from sitting up, but she was bent on sitting fully up in the hospital bed. "You should take it easy." He told her with concern. She chuckled and shook her head. "I'll take it easy when I'm out of this bed. I can't stand hospitals and clinics." she replied. Weaver walked over to her. "I'm glad you're alright. I feel bad for not noticing that you were hit." he explained regrettably. Ericka nodded, "Its fine, I'm fine."

He grinned with a nod. "Don't tear your stitches now. I'm gonna need you up and running ASAP." He added before he left. She chuckled. Her eyes drifted to Ben. "Where's Denny? I need to think her for noticing the blood spot on my shirt." Ericka said with a grin. He furrowed his eyebrows at her. "How are you so cheery? You were just shot!" he stated angrily. How could she have been so careless? Didn't she know that he needed her; that he would be absolutely distraught if she died? "Ben, I'm still alive. I will be alright, you need to calm down." she said in a low voice. Other people died to do, she didn't. She was still alive and breathing just fine. If he wanted to be upset or angry, be upset for those who died or be angry at the people who killed them. "That was incredibly stupid of you to get shot." Ben added. Her jaw dropped; what? Did he seriously just say that? She rolled her eyes at her unbelievable boyfriend. "Yes, because I completely planned on getting shot." She shouted with sarcasm in her voice. Ericka huffed and looked away from him, folding her arms. He realized his mistake and suddenly corrected it. "I'm sorry, it's just…even though you're alright, the thought of losing you kills me." Ben replied. Figuring that she was still mad, he got up to leave. "Ben…wait." Ericka called out. He turned around to face her. She appeared to be exhausted. Scooting over, she patted the spot on the bed beside her. He headed back over to her. Ben climbed in next to her. She rested her head on his chest. Yawning, Ericka batted her eyes, trying to avoid falling asleep. Though she had just woken up, she was still quite tired. "Stay with me?" she asked innocently. He nodded, placing his head on top of hers. "Always."

Ericka smiled, allowing the fatigue to take over.

* * *

**AN: So...no reviews on the last one. Does anyone read these? I feel more confident than when I started off at the beginning of the series, but now I feel like my character is a typical Mary-Sue. :( Oh well, but I'm going to continue to write until I don't want to anymore. Because I love writing these. This chapter wasn't as long as the other one, but I actually did it. So...review? Tell me what you thought about this chapter or if you wanna talk about the episode, that's cool too. Until next time, see ya!**


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Falling Skies, Adventure, Romance