27/5: Before you start, this story was written about a month ago and originally posted in 'Misc TV Shows'. Back then I was one episode into the show and knew nothing about the characters. So please remember this was long before Falling Skies had a fan fiction archive, had revealed a lot of details and was only just starting. Despite its many inaccuracies, I hope you like it. It was the first Falling Skies ff on ff dot net and I'm very proud of that fact. Enjoy!

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Disclaimer: I don't own Falling Skies but if Spielberg's selling and Drew Roy is going for a good price, I'll buy!

YOU ARE NOT ALONE
falling skies

"… after the break: friend or foe? Lacey Simmons talks to a woman who is convinced our visitors are only after our souls. You're watching Good Morning Bo…"

Rebecca Mason switched off the television as she heard the familiar squeak of the stairs. "Hal, breakfast." Taking three steps sideways, away from the kitchen table, she spotted the back of her eldest son as he reached for the front door. "I can see you."

Hal turned with that trademark charming smile stuck on his face. "Oh, hey mom, didn't notice you there."

"Breakfast." Hal opened his mouth to say something but she cut him off. "Don't give me a story about going in early to study, remember, I sign your report cards." Hal trudged towards her like he was headed for the gallows rather than cereal. "You know I don't like you ducking out to see that Sarah Cunningham – she's not a nice girl."

"I know." Hal shook some cereal into a bowl, ignored the milk, and started to eat it dry.

Rebecca sighed. "Please don't tell me you broke that girl's heart."

He shook his head. "Mutual agreement." Though, through the cereal still in his mouth, it sounded more like 'muchul ageemen'.

"He's going out with Gemma Watkins now, according to the rumors." Ben, the middle child of the Mason family, spoke up. At fifteen and a nerd at the high school the two eldest Mason sons shared, he was the bane of his older brother's existence, and he knew it.

"Gemma Watkins?" Rebecca frowned softly, not noticing the death glare Hal was shooting at Ben.

Ben just smiled at his brother slyly. "She's seventeen."

"Hal," Rebecca warned softly.

"What? I'll be seventeen in three months!" Hal's protest died though as Ben continued.

"Seventeen, as in, a senior." He looked up at his mother, his sandy hair messed up and his blue eyes shining. Both were looks he'd inherited from her. On the other hand Hal was dark-haired and had hazel-colored eyes, like his father, and these eyes were now shooting death wishes at his younger brother. "She's off to college next year!"

"Hal Thomas Mason!" Rebecca wheeled, turning on Hal, and the sixteen-year-old leaned back in his chair to move away from her. "Older girls? What have you done? Alienated all the others?"

He shrugged. "It's no big deal, her brother's on my lacrosse team, she's cool and…"

But Rebecca wasn't done and she was looking for an ally. Tom Mason had the misfortune of walking in just at this moment. "Okay boys, don't torment your mother, an…"

"Tom, did you hear all that?"

Tom looked up from his bag slowly. "Sorry Rebecca, I have a lecture in an hour, I've got to get to the college."

"You have a lecture now darling. Your oldest son is going off the rails!" Rebecca's voice went a little higher and she pointed a finger at Hal, in case Tom wasn't sure which son she meant. Impossible since their middle son Ben was a good boy and their youngest, Matt, was just a kid.

"Mom, I'm not going off the rails!"

"He's right mom," Ben added. "Technically he's been off the rails for a while now."

Hal leaned forward, hitting the table between them, and growled at his brother. "I'm gonna kill you." Ben barely batted an eyelid.

Tom just shook his head. "Hal, don't kill your brother." He looked at Ben. "Stop tormenting yours." He finally turned his gaze on Rebecca. "Don't stress them, they're just being boys." He glanced upstairs. "Where's Matt?"

"Still in bed. He's probably faking some rare African disease." Rebecca smiled. "You know how much he loves school."

Tom chuckled. "I'll go wake him up before I go," he kissed his wife on the cheek and gave his eldest son a light shove as he passed them. "Stay out of trouble."

…

"What do you think he dreams about?" Hal asked, glancing down at his youngest brother as Matt slept peacefully. He seemed to be the only one able to.

"I don't know." Tom looked up from the map he'd been studying. "But he seems happy doesn't he?" Hal shrugged a response. "In the current climate it's the least we're going to get. Ancient Romans us…"

Hal cut him off. "Dad, please, what did we say about the history lessons?" But he grinned as he spoke and Tom laughed softly.

"Sorry, I'll rein it in shall I?" Hal smiled and stood, making for his dirt bike, some minor repairs required before they set off again for the day. He could see the central tower standing over Boston from here. Somewhere, beyond the city and to the west, was the suburb of Bastion Hill. His old home. He turned his eyes away from it. Tom seemed to sense where Hal was looking. "Seems like a million years ago doesn't it?"

"Six months." Hal sighed and looked back at Matt. "We gonna wake him up yet?"

"Not yet." Tom smiled down at his son then glanced up at Hal. "So, what do you dream about?" He said cheekily.

Hal raised an eyebrow. "I think that's kinda personal dad." Tom grinned as his son walked away.

...

"Hey!" Karen closed her locker door and jumped a little as her best friend Amie appeared from around the corner. "You going tomorrow?"

Karen played dumb. "To what?"

"'To what?'" Amie mocked. "The lacrosse game against Bastion Hill High. Craig's playing."

She shrugged. "I don't know, maybe." Picking up her backpack, now full with textbooks, she flung it onto her shoulder. "I should be studying. I have that Advanced Cal exam Friday." Amie cast her eyes skywards and Karen read it. "First: Craig hasn't exactly asked me to be there so," she shrugged. "And second: Boston West haven't won a game against Bastion for five seasons."

"Karen Nadler: the very image of school pride." Karen laughed at Amie's face as she put her hands up like claws and tried to look ditzy, impersonating Boston West High's cheerleader army. "Go Cheetahs."

"I have school pride." Karen pulled open her locked again. "See!" She motioned to a blue and yellow (the school's colors) banner pinned inside the door. It read 'Academic Decathalon: 1st Place – Boston West High. Karen Nadler'. "And sporty too!"

Amie grinned. "You're lucky we've been best friends since we were seven super-geek otherwise I'd cut you loose." She shut the locker. "And as your best friend it's my duty to ensure you get to that game, win over Craig with your geeky charm, and then make me maid of honor at your wedding." Karen laughed. "Come on girl, let's go get you something awesome to wear for the game. Something loud, bright, just generally great – like me!" She looped her arm around Karen's and, before the blonde could protest, she'd dragged her away.

…

"Mom, can't I go?" Matt looked up at his mother, eyes wide, as she finished packing his lunch. "It's a big game, isn't it?"

He looked to his eldest brother for support but found none when Hal just glanced up at his mother. "I don't want him there."

Rebecca frowned. "Be nice." But she still shook her head at her son. "No, I'm not driving you over to West, so stop trying to get out of school." Matt stuck out his bottom lip but it didn't work and Rebecca pretended she couldn't see it, turning her attention to the news as another news anchor questioned the lack of alien contact. She glanced towards the window where the massive ship, larger than the city of Boston itself, hung on the horizon. It had been two weeks since they had come. Two weeks with no contact, no movement, just quiet lingering. It scared her a little and she looked away just as Ben walked into the kitchen. "Ben, are you going to West with Hal and the team?"

Ben raised an eyebrow. "Why would I do that? I hope the Knights lose."

Hal just cast his eyes skyward and shook his head. "Like I'd want you there Geekazoid, embarrassment to the Mason family name."

"No, that would be you." Ben shot back, crossing his arms. He turned to his mother. "Can I go over to Nick's this afternoon? I have a free period after lunch and we wanna work on the science project due next week."

Rebecca nodded. "Since you absolutely refuse to go support your brother, at least you'll be doing something. Give me a call when you're done and I'll come pick you up, okay?" Ben smiled and nodded, grabbing some toast and his backpack, kissing his mother as he left.

"Suck up." Hal muttered under his breath. Rebecca didn't even bother to silence him.

"Matt, go get your stuff, I'll drive you to school." Matt slouched off as Rebecca looked at her eldest. "The game is at 2, right?" Hal nodded silently. "Okay. Straight after the game your dad will pick you up."

Hal grumbled. "Mom, what if I wanna hang out with the team afterwards?"

Rebecca shook her head. "No, don't think I don't know about that English exam tomorrow morning. I want you home and studying by four." Hal just stood and slouched off as well. "You'll thank me for this one day!" As he left her sight Rebecca rubbed one hand over her face then went back to packing Matt's lunch.

…

"Your dad's looking at you." Lourdes smiled at Hal as she came up beside him, cupping a mug of hot drink to her like a lifeline. Hal just glanced back at his father. "I think he's worried about you. You know, since…" she didn't finish the sentence and they both knew why. It had been three weeks since Karen had been taken.

Hal shrugged. "Well, I'm fine, no need to worry about me." He put on a brave smile.

"Good." Lourdes' tone suggested she didn't quite believe him but he didn't call her up on it. "But if you wanna talk about it there's me, or Dr. Glass or I can help you talk to Him."

Hal nodded upwards. "The big guy in the sky?"

Lourdes smiled. "He's a very good listener."

"I'm fine, really." He glanced at the drink. "Though I wouldn't knock back one of those."

Lourdes held it out to him without hesitation. "Here, take mine." She smiled brilliantly as she pushed it towards him and Hal took it slowly.

"Thanks."

Just giving a small nod the mousy brunette turned away, stopped, then glanced back. "I, uh, hope you don't think I'm prying but you and Karen were friends when I got here. I was wondering, I've been wondering for a few months now, how you met?"

Hal sipped his drink. "A few months?"

She shrugged with another smile. "I'm nosey."

"We met at a lacrosse match, the day of the invasion." He gave a small smile. "She, literally, saved my life."