Author Note:

This chapter has been replaced. I was supposed to add new chapters a couple of times a week, but something came up, and so I didn't. Instead I've had plenty of time to edit, so I'm going to replace the first three chapters before adding new ones. This time, however, I will post new chapters regularly.

English is not my first language. If you notice any awkward errors, please let me know.

Also, this is a romance fic - not a documentary. I have tried to do some research, though. :)

I don't know what's going on with the line spacing, it seems like the site changes it quite a bit during upload, but I'll do my best to make it look normal after upload.

Oh, and BTW, the story was written and is set sometime after season 2.

Enjoy reading! :)

Replaced chapter

# 1 - The Girl with the Familiar Eyes

Ben's POV

"What's this?" Ben asked annoyed as he entered the marquee. It was one of two marquees in the camp. This one was used for gathering the officers and giving commands, writing letters, gathering intelligence, and other paperwork. The other one held his own, private quarters.
The sight that met him took him quite by surprise. Two of his young soldiers were hurting a lady, apparently on purpose. One of them was holding onto her brown hair in a very violent way, and she let out a cry of pain.

"Let go of her! Now!" Ben demanded, shocked to find that his subordinates would treat a lady this way.
"But, sir…" The one holding her said, but he did let go of her hair.
"But what?" Ben thundered and made the man shut up.
"My apologies, Miss…?" He addressed the young woman, who looked shocked and upset, her gown in a most alarming state. It might have been a pale yellow once, but it definitely wasn't anymore. It had been torn in several places, revealing more than what was decent. And, probably due to the soldiers, the woman's hair was in a mess, too.
"Abbott." She replied with a quick glance at him, before she let down her eyes again.
"Miss Abbott. This is not the way we tend to treat ladies." Ben said and beckoned her to sit down on a wooden chair by a desk. "My apologies on behalf of my men. Are you unharmed?"
"Yes, thank you." She said, still not looking up at him.
"But, sir…" One of the soldiers tried again. "She's a spy. A traitor."
"And how exactly do you know this?" Ben asked with an annoyed sigh. He very much doubted that the soldier was right.
"She was walking in the woods this morning, hiding when she saw us. No lady would walk around alone in the woods."
Ben stared at the young man trying to intimidate him and waiting for him to realize his mistake.
"…sir." The latter finally added, and made Ben chuckle inside, though the situation was far from laughable.
"And that's your proof? She was alone in the woods?"
"Yes." The soldier replied. "…sir."
"Does she look like a spy to you?"
"No, sir, but even though you may not believe it, women can be spies, too." He looked at his feet, probably afraid that he had spoken out of line. "Sorry, sir."
Ben resisted the urge to roll his eyes, but he did give another sigh. "I know they can. In fact, they make great spies."
He could've kicked himself at that very moment. He didn't know for sure that she wasn't a spy, and he definitely shouldn't let her in on secrets such as him knowing about female spies.
"Jones, go get Brewster." He told the quiet soldier standing by the entrance. The other one he dismissed with a wave of his hand. "I'll deal with you later."
"Miss Abbott." He then addressed the woman with a small smile and an apologetic look. "I'm very sorry. I'm sure this is just a misunderstanding, but I hope you understand that we'll need to ask you a few questions before we let you go."
She looked up a little too quickly for Ben not to notice, as if she was about to object. She didn't say a word, though. She just looked away again and nodded.
She looked frightened. But why would she be?

"Missed me, Tall Boy?" Lieutenant Caleb Brewster's voice reached Ben from the entrance. Only then did Caleb notice the upset woman looking up at him with tears in her eyes. "Oh. My apologies, miss."
He eyed Ben with a questioning frown.
"Caleb, this is Miss Abbott. Jones and Ryan found her wandering in the woods." Ben explained. "Miss Abbott, Lieutenant Brewster is my personal friend, and he'll make sure no harm will come to you while you're here."
She nodded in reply, unable to speak. Her eyes were blank, and Ben was afraid she'd start crying in a moment. He had no idea how to deal with a crying woman, so he crossed his fingers that it wouldn't happen.
"Alright. What'd you want me to do, Major?" Caleb asked with a twinkle in his eye. Obviously, he found the situation amusing.
Ben thought about the options for a moment.
"Keep an eye on Miss Abbot while I move our…paperwork…to my own quarters. And make sure she gets something to eat and drink." He looked at the young lady, hoping that the thought of food would lift her spirits a little. "Have you had anything to eat today, miss?"
"A little." She replied quietly, but she seemed a little less scared than a moment ago.
"Yes, sir." Caleb said and sent Ben a teasing smile. The only reason why he would call him sir, was the fact that they were in the company of a woman. And probably a beautiful one, had she been dressed better.
"Oh, and Caleb…" Ben added, opening the desk drawer to take the letters and other papers with him. "Find her a new gown."
"A new...? Where am I supposed to find a gown in this camp?"
"You'll figure something out." Ben replied and sent a teasing smile back at him. "Miss Abbott, please excuse me for a while. I'll make sure to check back on you later."
"Thank you, Major." She replied and made Ben hesitate for a moment. Then he withdrew with a courteous nod at her and left it to Caleb to look after her.

When Ben, less than an hour later, returned to Miss Abbott's temporary quarters, Caleb was waiting outside.
"Is she ready for questioning yet?" Ben asked, more concerned about her being dressed properly than about her mental state.
"As ready as she's gonna get." Caleb replied.
"Good. And If she is, indeed, a spy, I want two men guarding her. I'm not gonna take any chances."
"And her safety doesn't matter the slightest bit to you?" Caleb teased.
"That, too." Ben replied rolling his eyes at his friend. "That's why they can't be just anyone."
"I'm on it, Benny." Caleb said and left.
"Miss Abbott?" Ben asked before entering the marquee. "May I come in?"
"Uh…Yes." She replied from inside, and Ben entered.

Caleb had been able to find her a gown, though Ben had no idea how. She was looking a lot better than an hour ago. The new gown (which was, in fact, very far from new, but at least it was in a much better state than the one she had been wearing when the soldiers found her) was a pale rose, and she looked very lady-like, now that her hair had been put back in place, too. Ben also thought her cheeks looked rosier than before. Healthier.
"Have you had anything to eat yet, Miss Abbott?" He asked, trying not to make the atmosphere too tense.
"Yes. Thank you." She replied. She was standing upright, and clearly, she was not sure, whether she should sit down or keep standing.
"Please." He said and beckoned her to sit down in the one chair in the marquee. When she did, he sat down on a small, wooden stool opposite her.
"Miss Abbott…" Ben began, clearing his throat. "Can you tell me what you were doing alone in the woods?"
"I was just…walking." She replied. She looked up at him for a moment, before she looked away again.
"Just walking… Hm… And where were you going?"
"I wanted to visit a friend. It's faster to go through the woods."
"But if you were just visiting a friend, then how did your clothes become so ragged?"
"Well, that would have been your soldiers' doing, Major." She replied and looked reproachfully at Ben. Was she angry or was she just trying to get the better of him? To control the situation? If she was, it was working.
"Oh, of course. I'm very sorry about that." Ben replied and blushed. "I'll see to it that their treatment of you will have consequences."
"Thank you."
Ben continued less agitated.
"But how come you didn't bring anyone with you? I mean, in times like these, ladies should always be accompanied by someone to protect them."
"I've walked through the woods to visit my friend since I was a young girl, Major. Why would I stop now?"
"Because there's a war going on? And do your parents even now about you being out on your own?"
She didn't reply. She didn't look up, either.
"Miss Abbott, if that really is your name? How old are you? 18? 19?"
"21." She replied and looked up at Ben from beneath long, dark brown lashes. There was something familiar about them.
"I take it, at your age you would still be living with your parents? Or with a relative, at least. Unless you're married, of course. Would that be fair to assume?"
"I suppose it would." She replied looking down again.
"Then help me out, please, because I can't find any Abbotts anywhere around. In fact, there's no one within 30 miles from here."
"That's strange."
"Yes. That's very strange, indeed." Ben sighed. "So would you care to tell me your real name and what you were doing in the woods?"
"I already told you." She complained and looked Ben in the eye. She looked almost panic-stricken like all of a sudden. "I was going to visit a friend. I'm telling you the truth!"
"Alright. Please, miss, calm down. I'm not going to hurt you."
"I'm not a spy, if that's what you're thinking."
"Okay. I may believe you. But I can't let you go until I'm sure. And I can't be sure when you won't tell me the truth. Nor your real name."
She didn't reply. She just looked pleadingly at him with her familiar, green eyes. The color, the surroundings, the small wrinkles in the corners - he knew them. But where had he seen her before?
"Ben, a minute?" Caleb's voice interrupted Ben's thoughts. He got up to go talk to him.
"Please, excuse me." He said with a nod at the young lady, whose name was definitely not Abbott.

"According to Jones and Ryan she was carrying this." Caleb said when Ben got outside. He was holding a traveling bag made of dark leather. It was empty.
"What was in it?"
"Food, they say."
"And where's that food now?"
"They split it and ate it."
"Seriously? I know we're low on food supplies, but no one here is starving!" Ben said angrily. "What kind of food?"
"Bread, beef, cheese… Food for traveling. There was probably enough to last 3 or 4 days, they said."
"Okay, so she was definitely going on a longer journey. Did they find anything else in it? A letter? Intelligence of any kind?"
"No. Nothing."
"Did they find anything on her?"
"I think they were trying to search her when you walked in on them."
"They were hurting her!" Ben complained before he continued. "So she hasn't been searched yet. I should've thought of it."
"Yeah. You should."
"Would you…?"
"No. That's your own headache." Caleb chuckled.
Ben sighed. He could have someone else do a body search of her, but he knew very well that most of the men would take advantage of the situation and touch her more than necessary. Though he didn't exactly like the thought of searching her himself, it was the only right thing to do.
"Alright. You search the clothes she was wearing and make sure she hasn't reached hiding anything in the desk drawer or behind the canvas or someplace else. And I'll…" He trailed off.
"Good boy!" Caleb said amused and padded Ben's shoulder, entering the marquee with him.

The young lady was still sitting where Ben had left her.
"You were carrying this." He said and held up the bag for her to see. She didn't reply. "Food to last a few days. Now, tell me again, how far away does that friend of yours live?"