Author's Note: Okay, so…Back story time!
In this story, we begin at the first chapter of the third season, where we find that Tom Mason has been selected as President of the new United States. Almost the entire second season has been…well, rewritten a bit, in my version. You will find out about what happened in that time frame, so stay tuned. You'll learn of Tom Mason's reappearance and the arrival at Charleston, it might just take a bit of time.
Without further adieu, I present to you: Holy Ground (the sort of sequel to Fly Away)
They were coming from behind us, making metallic groaning noises and loud stomps on the soft ground. Gazing ahead, I could see they were coming from in front of us and from the sides of us too. The mechs were coming from all directions, and I knew the skitters wouldn't be far behind them. It was useless. We were going to die, no question. And Ben…
I glanced over at him, shaking my head furiously, tears welling up in my eyes at the sight of his spikes glowing bright blue-white. He had that blank expression that I hated so much, and I knew that this time; there was nothing I could do to help him, or myself.
And we weren't alone. I looked all around at the scared faces of Anne and Matt. Weaver, as always, held a stone-cold expression and faced our opposition with determination. As if that would change our fate. I laughed bitterly, and broke out into a run toward the skitters, knife in hand. If I was going to die, I sure wasn't going down without a fight.
I wrenched upright in my bed, gasping for air. The same thought rolled through my mind over and over and over again. Where is Ben?
This was the first thought to pop in mind most mornings when I awoke in a cold sweat, screaming as if my life depended on it. We had been through too much for me to lose him now, and I couldn't stand the fact that he was never near me when I woke up this way. I needed to make sure he was safe, and I was afraid of failing at that like I'd failed at everything else.
The memories were hard to repress. I would go weeks without thinking of the things that had happened in the past year, and it would make no difference. Without warning, the thoughts would slip into my dreams like slimy skitters and terrify me all over again. These nightmares were achingly familiar, and I resented them, but there was nothing I could do.
I pushed open the door to my sleeping quarters and turned immediately to the soldier waiting outside the door. "Where is Ben?" I questioned, on the verge of breaking down into body-shaking sobs. In fact, that wasn't a rare occurrence on mornings like these.
"Went on patrol with Hal earlier," the soldier said quietly, giving me a soft smile. He was accustomed to my deep concern for the Mason family by then. "Should be back in an hour or so."
I nodded, and gave the soldier a weak, forced smile. Why did living like this have to be a daily struggle? "Do you know if Weaver has responded to my request yet?" I muttered toward the young man, almost embarrassed that I'd been asking everyday for two weeks.
He shrugged apologetically and shook his head. A sharp, hot flash of anger streaked through me, and I could feel my face contorting into a scowl. Weaver had been avoiding me for too long, and it was high time I got some answers. I couldn't deal with any more of this.
I stormed down the corridors of our home, intent on finding the colonel of the 2nd Massachusetts regiment, no longer in that position in our new location. Honestly, I wasn't entirely sure what Weaver was anymore, but I knew he was close to Tom Mason, and I knew he could give me what I wanted.
Tom Mason, of course, was the President. And my sort of father figure in the dark times of the end of the world. Except that the way Mr. Mason saw it, it was just the beginning of our war with the aggressors, and we would survive and even win in the end. I wasn't entirely sure about that- certainly wouldn't say we would win- but I loved the spirit with which Tom Mason lead the new country, and that made me admire him like no one else before. And respect aside, he was my sort of boyfriend's father, so, in a way, I didn't have any choice but to like him.
I pushed open the doors roughly, not bothering to knock or speak the pleasantries I usually attempted with Weaver. I understood his concern was for my safety, and I knew that he cared about me, but I was no longer a child. The past year had taught me that, for good or bad, I was in control of what happened to me and I no longer needed to sit pretty as everyone around me risked their lives for my well-being.
"Colonel Weaver, I want a straight answer." I said these words in a hard, serious voice. It didn't matter what he wanted, I was going to make him listen.
Weaver's eyes flicked up to me in surprise, shaking his head in disapproval. "Audria…" He shook his head some more, and sighed, putting away the files he had been studying.
"Captain Weaver, you know what I'm capable of. Just because I'm a girl—"
"It has nothing to do with you being a girl. You're only sixteen, for God's sake," Weaver said in a rough tone, a strained expression on his face.
"And I wonder who else is sixteen," I said in a biting voice, my words just dripping with sarcasm. "Oh yeah, Ben. Who is on the front lines of it all, risking his life every single day by your command."
"You know as well as I do that the boy has asked to be there," Weaver replied gruffly, his anger rising visibly.
"And you know as well as I do that I've asked to be right there with him," I retorted, spitting the words out at him. I don't know when our relationship became so…well, almost hostile, but it had been this way for a while now. A tiny piece of my mind felt terrible for the way I was treating him, but the rest of me was too angry, and too distraught, to honestly care.
"Audria, I know you worry about him." Weaver's voice softened considerably, and the anger left his face. My near obsession with Ben's safety wasn't exactly a secret among anyone. "But you being there will only distract him. Instead of doing what he's supposed to, he'll be worried about you."
"And I'll be constantly worried about him, unless I can see him with my own eyes," I said, in a more gentle tone this time, trying not to let the frustration from moments before seep into my voice. "You've seen what it does to me. I can't stay back while he's out there. It's killing me slowly."
Weaver sighed and slammed his fist down on the table. I eyed him cautiously as he started shaking his head fervently. "Audria. I'm going to regret this, I know it. But I'm saying yes."
My eyes lit up, until the Captain held up a hand to me, signaling for me to reel it in. "But you have to promise me to take care of yourself. Don't take any unnecessary risks. And remember that Ben can take care of himself, he doesn't need you to jump in at every slight problem."
I nodded, consenting to all of that. If Ben needed me, though, I could be there, I could actually help him, I could save his life if it came to that. He would have someone to watch his back. And that thought made me immensely relieved, my shoulders sagging with the weight of it, as I realized I had nearly achieved my goal. Until Weaver spoke, that is.
"My last condition is that you have to get the permission of Tom. And you might want to talk it over with Ben too. As much as you worry about him, I doubt it's half of what he spends worrying about you, and you've been home and safe up until now."
I faltered on that request and stared up at Weaver, completely shocked. Convince Tom? That would be nearly impossible. The man wouldn't have his…well, almost his daughter, fight alongside the rest of his sons. If something went wrong… I pushed that thought out of my head, and whispered to the colonel, "Do I have to?"
"That's my final say. You get him to agree, and I'll have you out on the next patrol with Ben."
Author's Note: Okay, so...How do you like the new Audria, those of you who read Fly Away? She's a bit bolder, and a lot less innocent. You'll find out why, I promise. And I have to inform you; unfortunately, I'm changing the character of Deni. She will no longer be a soldier, fighting, and she will no longer be Ben's close friend in this. It just makes it less complicated when I try to write Deni and Ben's relationship, considering the presence of Audria in this one. Anyway, thank you for reading!
