This starts at the beginning of season two. What if the young girl traveling with Tom didn't leave to go to the mountains? What if she stayed and then discovered a connection to another member of the 2nd Massachusetts? How much different would the story really be? It will most definitely fall out of line with the series. So be the nature of the beast with alternative universes. Consider this a warning: in order for humanity to survive drastic steps will need to be taken, children will need to be born. The story is about reconstructing civilization which means some of the parents will be young adults, but not children. That is not how we work.

Disclaimer: We don't own Falling Skies that it TNT. We just love to twist things around.

Warring and Rebuilding

Chapter 1

Ben's POV

A lot of things change in three months, people change, locations change, and the pain. No matter how many skitters we kill, it won't bring him back. Capt. Weaver had explained why he went with the alien trash, but it didn't make us feeling better, especially me. My dad went on that ship of his own free will to protect me and to try to figure out what they'd done to me.

Each time I squeezed the trigger - even after Weaver called the cease-fire - I remembered everything they'd cost me. It didn't matter how many turkey shoots we set up, there were always more skitters and mechs to replace the ones we killed.

I could hear one was still alive. Ignoring Hal's retreat order, I jumped from the second story window, landing softly with no effort. I reached around my back and pulled the knife from the sheath. Not even one could be left behind. It clattered around, getting back on its six feet, only to turn around hissing just in time for me to shove the knife into the base of his chin and into his brain.

I could hear Hal coming up behind me. Dropping it to the ground, I turned to see his flabbergasted expression.

"What the hell was that?"

"There's one more. I can feel him," I muttered, turning back down to look up the street.

As expected, one came slithering out around the corner. Shots rang out in the air the minute I had it in my sights. When it dropped to the ground, all I could see was my father's face. It had to be a trick. He couldn't really be standing there, but he was. The minute he dropped to his knees and collapsed on his side, Hal and I both rushed up.

"Tom!" A slight brunette wearing a knitted cap yelled as she ran down the alleyway.

"Who are you?" I croaked.

"I could ask the same thing, jerk," she bit back. "I'm a friend."

"We're his sons. That's Ben, I'm Hal."

"Who shot him?"

There were no doubts the hole in his stomach was made by me. "I didn't mean to; I was aiming for the skitter."

"I think you missed. He needs a doctor."

Too lost to actually say anything else, we scooped up my dad and started racing toward the truck where Weaver had set up the staging point for the ambush. A neutron bomb fell just after we rounded the corner. The blue-gray, electric field billowing in the air around us nearly knocked us off our feet.

Hal screamed ahead, calling for help. Weaver was the first one to see us. Surprise colored his aged face when he saw who we were carrying. Everyone had the same shocked expression as we passed them and slid my father onto the truck bed. More than one fighter muttered his name in disbelief. Hal and I hopped in behind him as the Berserkers, under Pope's leadership, roared away on their bikes.

That's when I realized the young girl had followed us. Her eyes darted between all the fighters. Fear rolled off her in waves. Reaching out with my hand, I invited her to join us, hoping she'd take me up on the offer. If my father was traveling with her, then there was no doubt, he was bringing her back to the 2nd Mass. Her tiny, shaking fingers slipped into my much larger hand.

I had still yet to get a really good look at her until I pulled her up onto the tailgate. Her long brown locks were matted and dirty. The braces she wore were in desperate need of a brushing and removal. Smudges of dirt on her face showed how long the journey had been. She'd definitely been wearing the clothes on her back for more than a few days. We had all had those days since the day the bombs fell. None of that mattered when she peeked up at me through her long lashes.

Dai floored the pickup truck before she could get seated, and we both ended up tumbling over. She landed lying on top of me. I had been indifferent to her until she scrambled away and slipped in next to Hal. Something in my chest swelled. Jealousy. Shaking my head, I sat up and leaned my back against the side of the truck bed. Why was I suddenly jealous? I'd only had one crush on a girl back before they came and ruined our lives, killed our families, and destroyed our world. This girl I didn't even know.

Hal cocked his head, and I realized: I was glaring at him while I tried to figure out what was going on. I shook my head not wanting to say anything in front of her. Her doe eyes showed her fear of me. My fingers drifted over the metal spikes protruding from my neck. She must have felt them. That would explain why she was afraid of me.

I tried to take my mind off the frightened girl and just concentrated on my father. Thanks to me his life was hanging in the balance.

There was nothing we could do while Dr. Glass operated. During the ride back the guilt of what I'd done weighed heavy on my heart, it only managed to get worse. Capt. Weaver had taken our new friend into his tent to get more facts. It was easy to see she didn't want to go.

"Hal, Ben, follow us."

Bouncing between her feet, she looked ready to run for the door. "Is he going to shoot me, too?"

Opening my mouth to say something, anything, I realized, she was afraid I would hurt her. "I'm not going to hurt you. I didn't mean to hurt my dad. It was the skitter I was after. How could you think that I'd hurt you?"

Her focus dropped to the floor as she mumbled, "Since they came that's all everyone has ever wanted to do."

Capt. Weaver paced for a minute before clearing the air. "We in the 2nd Mass. are here to protect, not hurt, our civilians. How did you end up with Tom?"

"He saved me from an attacker in upstate New York," she mumbled, sneaking up a peek at me.

I understood her fear better. It was like when Dr. Glass was attacked for the drugs in the clinic they used to unharness the kids who had been taken.

Taking a seat in his makeshift desk, Capt. Weaver continued, "Did Tom say how he got there?"

"No, he just said he wouldn't hurt me and offered to bring me back. He was nice to me." She smiled at me. "He said Ben would like me. I guess he was wrong."

I couldn't stay quiet any longer. "What's your name?"

"Allison – Allison Pope," she stammered.

The air hissed from my lungs. It couldn't be. There had to be another explanation.

"Ali!" Pope burst into the tent, looking feral.

Her eyes widened as she gasped, "Dad?"

Her father didn't answer. He just grabbed her into a hug. It was the first time I actually saw Pope looking like a human being. There was no way to deny the love and relief in his eyes.

"Ali, where is your mother and brother?" he asked, cupping her cheeks.

Tears fell from her eyes. "Mom is dead. Michael was taken. We were on our way here when we were attacked. Tom helped me bury her."

"Well, Pope, it would appear you owe Tom a debt for bringing your child home. Take her back and get her cleaned up. Make sure Dr. Glass gets a look at her when she's done with Tom."

"As tempting as that sounds, I'm not taking her back to the Berserkers' barracks. I don't want those degenerates anywhere near my kid. Hell, I barely want her near me."

The color drained from Alison's face. Stepping back, her arms fell to her sides. "That's fine. I'll just head to the mountains like mom planned."

My heart raced in my chest. She couldn't be serious! The only reason she lasted this long was she had her mother, and then, my father to protect her.

"No, it's not fine. You can stay with us," I snarled, half expecting to scare Alison.

"Capt., there has to be somewhere else."

"I'm not going to pretend I understand. Everyone here would give an arm and a leg to have their kids back." Weaver shook his head. "Hal, do you agree with Ben?"

"I think my father would expect that. As far as I'm concerned there's no reason she can't stay with us."

Pursing his lips, Weaver hesitated in answering. "I do believe Tom would want that. For now, she's your responsibility until your father wakes up. Dismissed."

Before Allison could put up a fight, I grasped her elbow and towed her out of the tent. Surprisingly, she didn't resist. If anything, she stepped closer. Biting her lip, she looked up when we stopped at the bath tent.

"I have to check on my father. Kate here, she'll take good care of you and get you all washed up. Don't worry, I'll come back to get you."

Turning and walking away from her was harder than I thought. I looked up when Hal chuckled. There was smugness to his grin, one I wanted to smack off his face.

"What?"

"You like her." He laughed.

"I don't know what you're talking about," I grumbled, veering off.

Truth was, I did, not that I'd tell him that. If I didn't understand, I could guarantee my brother never would. The dumb jock never had a problem getting any girlfriend he wanted. I, on the other hand, found it hard to talk to the girls. For some reason Allison was just different.

I rushed back as soon as I could. What I found waiting for me was the last thing I expected. Allison walked out of the tent, leaving me speechless. Her long chocolate-brown hair shined from its wash and brushing. She even scrubbed her teeth and plucked off the braces. Someone managed to scrape her up a tight-fitting, black, long-sleeve T-shirt and black jeans that hugged her like a second skin. They'd even found a hip-length, gray, wool jacket for her. I couldn't resist raking my eyes up and down her form. She was beautiful.

"Um . . . better show you to the tent."

"Thank you for letting me stay," she twittered, trying to keep up.

When we reached the tent, I wrapped my hand around her waist and ushered her inside. Suddenly, I didn't want anyone looking at her. The hardest part was knowing I had to leave her to go back to my father's side.

"Allison, you can sleep in my cot while I go back to the med bus. I need to be there when my father wakes up. He's not going to be very happy that I shot him." A nervous chuckle rumbled from my chest.

She stepped forward, lifting her eyes to meet mine. "But, it was an accident."

"It was, but, when he left three months ago, I didn't even know how to shoot a gun." This time I stepped closer, inhaling the smell of the soap on her skin.

I shivered when she placed her palm on my chest. "He'll forgive you. Tom never stopped talking about how proud he was of the three of you. I wish my father was proud of me like that. You don't know how lucky you are."

"Pope was right about you not going to stay in the Berserker's barracks. As much as I trust them to guard the camp, the thought of them being that close to you makes my stomach hurt." Her eyes fluttered shut when I leaned in and stroked her cheek with my fingers. "Get some rest."

"I'm not sure if I can. I haven't slept alone since the attacks," she whispered.

Just being inch from her lips had me wanting to kiss her. "Would you like me to stay until you fall asleep?"

Biting her lip, she nodded. I slid my gun off my shoulder and dropped it onto Hal's cot. Leading her by the hand, I showed her to where I normally slept. To my surprise when she scraped off her coat and slipped onto the cot, Allison curled up all the way to one side, patting the other side as an invite. I'd never lain on a bed with a girl, but I wasn't about to turn down that offer.

There was no doubt in my mind that she had no idea of the feeling she'd awoke in me. My body hummed alive when I joined her. I could feel the heat from her body against mine. Nuzzling my face into the crook of her neck, I draped my arm over her waist and held her there. With the way my body was starting to react to her, I couldn't risk her moving around too much.

It only took a few minutes before she drifted off to sleep in my arms. Withdrawing from the bed, I adjusted my now tight jeans. There was no way for me to say it was my first erection, but, it had never been this painful. The reawakened guilt raging in my head quickly squashed it.

A/N This is our first Fallings Skies fan fiction. I hope you enjoyed it much as we did. Review!