Author: Freckled Writer

Rating: Teen (13+)

Pairing: Pope/O.C. Tom/O.C. Other Character= Leigh

Disclaimer: I just wish I owned Falling Skies!

Summary: What if Pope and Tom where caught in a love triangle? Matt finds a mystery woman in the woods outside Charleston. Lots of action! This story is told from multiple POVs.

Note: This story is going to move fast, pay attention to what's in-between the lines. Reviews are love!

I stomped up the steps to Pope's home, shaking the whole contraption that he had made by hooking trailers up to the old med bus. He emerged looking pissed. Of course that's how he always looked. "What do you want Mason? What are you doing stomping around in my neighborhood?"

"Where is he?" I demanded. Pope had been told not to interfere with Matt's schooling. I thought he had agreed that it was important that Matt go to school, but when an aide had come to tell me that Matt had missed school for the second day in a row, I knew where I could probably find him.

"Where's who? You're going to have to be more specific." Pope's tone was always mocking. Did he not remember me punching him in the face? Just because I was President did not mean I would not punch him in the face.

"My son. He's missed school for two days in a row. He is in a lot of trouble and he is not to be in your neighborhood at all, from now on." I walked up to the middle of what looked like a porch and stood there waiting for my youngest son to come slinking out of the shadows.

"He's not here Professor. I told you that I agreed that he needed to be in school. Dumb people don't run anything, and I told him so last week after you and I talked." Pope was annoying but he almost never lied. As I stood there thinking Pope spoke again.

"What about the boys he runs around with. Where are they?"

"In school. That's the first thing I asked the aide. I checked his room before I came here, so I know he's not there." I stood there absolutely perplexed. Where could my son be?

"Did he say anything last night about being mad or anything?" Pope asked me. He and I didn't see eye to eye on much, but I think Pope truly cares about Matt. He doesn't give any other kid a moment of his time, he even shuns a lot of adults, but he is always good to Matt.

"I didn't talk to him last night. Weaver and I were up all night with Porter discussing new strategies for beating the Espheni." I frowned when was the last time I had talked to Matt? Pope asked the same question out loud, almost as if he had read my mind.

"Well today's Wednesday, so it would have been Monday. Hal and Ben are supposed to check in on him for me. I'll go ask them if they've seen him."

As I walked off of Pope's bus, I saw an armored truck pulling up that had both Hal and Ben in it, as well as Maggie. A group of them had just come back from securing the perimeter and rallying the troops. If they had been out all night they probably wouldn't know where he is either, but I had to talk to them. I could hear Pope following me.

"Hey guys, how'd it go?" I yelled out to my other two boys.

"Good." Hal yelled back, "There were a couple of guys that looked pretty complacent, we reminded them that they're the first line of defense and they've got to stay frosty. I think the line's pretty secure though."

"So ya think you're doing a good job, huh?" Pope yelled out. They all stopped to look at him. "Where's your little brother?"

Hal shrugged and looked at me, Ben locked eyes with Pope then looked at me with a questioning glance. I sighed and said, "I can't find your brother. When was the last time you guys talked to him?"

Hal spoke, "Monday morning. He was headed to school and I was leaving to meet Ben for this assignment." The concern in Hal's voice was evident. "Did you talk to his teachers?"

"They came to me. He skipped school on Tuesday and today." I was really worried now. Hal and Ben looked back and forth at each other. Maggie had been helping the other guys unload the truck but she stopped now. "Did you talk to his friends?"

"Yeah, they're in school and didn't know where he was. He's not with Pope in the Badlands. I don't know where else to look." They all stood still for a moment, looking back and forth at each other.

After a moment Pope spoke, "I find it hard to believe that his friends don't know where he is. How many questions did the teachers ask them? You know they're over worked because there aren't very many of them. Why don't you let me talk to the boys and see if I can't get some answers out of them?"

I hesitated to let Pope interrogate 12 year olds, but I wanted to know where my son was. So I said yes.

We crouched down in the brush waiting for whatever was making the rustling noise up ahead to appear. I willed my heart to beat slower, but it did not listen. The drumming kept on. At least the kids were being quiet. Stacy held her little 13 month old in her arms and rocked him. He closed his eyes and started to go to sleep. Her older sister Stella was having a harder time. Stella had a 3 year old girl and a 12 month old boy. Her boy was also ready for a nap as it was getting to be close to midday, but three year old Angie did not want to set still. She put her .45 pistol back in the holster on her leg and reached for Angie. Angie had ran off a couple of steps and stared defiantly at her mother.

Luckily Janelle was able to get a hand on her. Janelle found a bare patch of dirt. She had Angie and her 11 month old son Chase start drawing stick people in the dirt. You only got to draw if you are quiet. That rule had been made the first month after The Fall, after those things started hunting us. We called them "the things" and "spider aliens". There were rumors that they were just the ground soldiers, that other, taller, two legged aliens were really running the show. I prayed that those rumors where just hysteria and that there weren't two types of aliens hunting us in these woods.

I poked my rifle barrel out of the brush and looked through the scope. There was definitely movement ahead of us. They didn't realize we were here. Traveling alone through the woods, like we did, we rarely had to fight them. We mostly hid and waited for them to pass by, but they were coming straight for us this time. I would have to shoot them and just pray that the noise wouldn't draw more aliens to us before we could get the kids away.

My cousins were keeping their kids quiet, but I never knew how long that would last. Finally something came into view. Curly brown hair. That wasn't right, what was I seeing? Finally the source of the noise stepped through the brush and relief went through me. It was a kid. I kept my eye in the scope, and took my finger off of the trigger, waiting to get a better look before I called out to him.