I walked back to Julia's, wondering the whole time about Rachel Matheson. Julia had already gone out. I walked into the kitchen, hoping there was leftover pie. Instead I found a bottle of lemonade on top of a note. "Enjoy -Bass" I sat it back down and leaned against the counter.

Finally I headed back out, if I sat in the house all day I'd go crazy. I needed answers. I walked in the directions I had just come from. I glanced at the building housing Rachel, but kept walking to Monroe's office building. The guards let me pass. "Did you get the lemonade?" He asked, glancing up from his desk.

"Who's the woman next door?" I asked.

He looked up. "How did you get in there?" He didn't seem particularly upset, just curious.

"The guard was more interested in his coffee than watching the door." I shrugged. "So, who is she?"

"Someone who's very important."

I rolled my eyes. I'd gathered that much without even talking to Rachel. "But why is she so important?" He shook his head and looked around on his desk. I thought he was going to ignore me, but finally he handed me a drawing.

"Ever seen one of these?"

"Yeah, on a necklace." He looked surprised, and I realized his question had been rhetorical. Whatever these necklaces were, they were important. I covered my tracks. "Can't remember where, it was a while ago." I remembered exactly. Mary Louise Braxton had one, Sarah had gotten it after her mother passed away. She hardly ever took it off. "What does it do?"

"These pendants are the key to turning the lights back on," he said.

I looked up from the paper suddenly. "You're lying."

"I told you, I'll always tell you the truth."

I shook my head, still not quite believing. "If you can turn the power back on, you don't need me. You'd be unstoppable."

"I don't want a war, even one that I know I could win. Think of it as insurance. But, you're plan A."

"So Rachel is here to help you with this?" I waved the drawing. "And she's cooperating?"

"More or less."

I tilted my head. "Why do I feel like that's not the entire story?"

"It's a long story. I'm telling you what's important." He smiled. "I like you, Ciara. It's a shame I'm wasting you on a lieutenant. We could always change the deal. Maybe you don't have to marry Jason Neville."

For the briefest moment I let myself think about Nate. "What do you have in mind?"

"Marry me instead."

I stared at him blankly. "You're kidding, right?"

"You'd be in a position to oversee what happens in the Republic. I know you've been talking about education, and a more extensive trading network. We'd have electricity, we could do whatever we wanted."

"As fun as these past few weeks have been-" he smirked. I fought back another eye roll. "I'm really not interested."

"Suit yourself," he said. He smiled as if this whole thing had been a joke. "See you tomorrow, Ciara."

I left Monroe's office and returned to Julia's house. She was sitting on the the sofa reading, when I walked in. "Oh, there you are! You were up so early this morning. Did you see Bass sent over some lemonade? I love lemonade too." I nodded. "Are you alright, Ciara?"

"Yeah, I'm fine, just tired. I'm going to go lay down for a bit."

"Okay, feel better. I'll be here if you need anything."

OoOoO

My nap turned into sleeping straight through till morning. I looked outside, I could see people heading toward the harbor. "Shit," I whispered. Tom and Jason would be here any moment. I turned back around and noticed a note on my vanity. I walked over to read it. "Didn't want to wake you! Be back with the boys in an hour, hopefully you're up by then! -Julia"

I sighed in relief. I hadn't been keen on seeing Monroe today anyway. I headed to my closet and looked for something to wear. Julia had stocked it with a variety of choices. It seemed more overwhelming than my wardrobe at home. I wasn't the type to get dressed up, unless I had something official to attend. If I was just in the office with my dad, he didn't care what I wore. I decided on a dress, just because I knew Julia would be wearing one. Then I braided my hair loosely.

I headed downstairs, no one was home yet. I went into the kitchen and ate an apple, outside I could see people coming and going. The bottle of lemonade still sat on the sill. I pushed open the window and poured the bottle out into the garden. I could get my own lemonade, thank you very much. For a while I stood, expecting them home any minute.

I gave up and went to check my appearance in the mirror one last time. I fiddled with my hair, and eventually decided against the braid. The longer it took the Nevilles to come home, the more nervous I got. Julia had promised me I'd like Jason, but I still didn't know much about him. I twisted a piece of hair around my fingers absentmindedly.

The door opening downstairs scared me half to death. I froze. "Ciara?" Julia called up the stairs.

"Coming!" I replied. But for another moment I just stared at my reflection in the mirror. Finally I turned and headed to the stairs. I could hear voices coming from the foyer below.

"Mom, listen-"

Julia shushed him. "All I've heard come out of your mouth was some nonsense about Maine. Drop it, Jason. Now isn't the time, be nice." I headed down the stairs, without looking over at Julia and her son. I was afraid if I looked, I'd lose my balance and make a fool out of myself.

I heard a sharp intake of breath and then, "Elizabeth?" I glanced up quickly.

My eyes were probably the size of saucers. "Nate?" I didn't even make it down the last two steps, I just fell right into him. He hugged me. I'd been so scared, and it was just Nate. "Wait, you're Jason?" I leaned back, but still held onto his arms.

"And you're Ciara." He smiled. "And you aren't in Maine."

I laughed quietly. "I guess we both have some explaining to do." I glanced over at Julia, who was standing next to a man I assumed was Tom.

"Maybe we should all go sit down," Julia suggested. We followed her into the living room. I sat next to Jason on the couch.

Tom stopped, and held out his hand. I shook it. "Tom Neville, nice to meet you." He joined Julia on the couch.

"So..." Julia started. "How do you two know each other?"

"I told you about finding someone in the woods, right? That was Nate- I mean, Jason. I never would have made it here without him."

"All that and you never mentioned who you really were," Jason said.

"Well, you didn't exactly tell me everything either."

"You told me you were going to Maine. I pretty much told you everything."

"You conveniently left out the part about being in the Militia." I eyed his wrist, the brace was gone. In it's place I could just see the Militia brand above his sleeve. He pulled it down self consciously.

"I told you I lived in Philly," he pointed out. He was right, he had pretty much told me the truth.

"In my defense, I'd only just met you, and someone had already tried to kill me once."

He smiled. "This is insane." I nodded.

"So, Jason, you wanted to go to Maine because of this girl Elizabeth. But, it actually turned out to be Ciara. So the Maine business is sorted?"

I laughed. "You were going to follow me to Maine?" I asked. He nodded sheepishly. "That's kinda cute."

Julia and Tom still looked bewildered, but Julia gave us a huge smile. "Well, I don't think this could've turned out any better."

OoOoO

The rest of the day was spent with the Nevilles just talking. Julia pulled out an old photo album and showed me pictures of baby Jason. "Wasn't he just the cutest?" Julia said grinning. Jason looked embarrassed. I laced my fingers through his and he smiled at me.

"I wish we had some of your baby albums, Ciara!" Julia said.

"Oh boy, I haven't seen those in years." I shook my head. I knew exactly where they were, shoved in the back of the attic. I'd hid them years ago, so my mom couldn't show them off when dad's friends were in town.

"Food's ready!" Tom called, saving Jason from any more photos. We all ate dinner together. The conversation steered toward Tom and Jason's mission. Jason pointedly never made eye contact with his dad. After diner, Tom and Julia retired to their rooms.

Jason and I moved back into the living room. "What happened out there with your dad? I noticed how tense things got when he started talking about the mission."

"I disobeyed a direct order," Jason explained. "Monroe won't be happy."

"What'd you do?" I asked, folding my legs underneath me.

"Saved a girl's life."

"Someone they wanted you to kill?"

"I was supposed to bring her in." He shook his head. "I don't know, I don't like the way things are run here."

"Neither do I." For a few minutes we fell into comfortable silence. I looked up at him and smiled.

"What?" He asked, cracking a smile of his own.

"It's just, I never expected things would turn out like this. You know?"

He nodded. "You were really just going to come here and marry some guy you'd never met?"

"Don't give yourself too much credit. I have a job to do for my country, I wasn't giving that up for some guy I met in the woods," I teased. "Have you talked to Monroe yet?"

He shook his head. "We're supposed to giving him a report on what happened in the morning."

"What do you think he'll do?"

"If I'm lucky, send me to California. If I'm not..."

I remembered my conversation with Monroe yesterday, and quickly pushed it out of my head. "Nothing's going to happen, it'll be fine. You'll stay here. Otherwise, I'd just have to follow you to California."

The idea was just crazy enough to make him smile. We both knew I couldn't leave the Republic and still work for Georgia. But, for one night, we could let ourselves pretend.