Summary – This is a Hal/Maggie story and is mainly from their points of view. This chapter is based on 1x06 'Sanctuary'. I have used a lot of the moments from the show here, but there are bits I have added too.

Disclaimers – Same as always, I don't own Falling Skies, any of the characters (unfortunately). Some of the dialog in this chapter has been transcribed from dvds, so I don't own that either.

Author Note - Unfortunately the chapter has ended up as very long one, so I have split it into parts 1 and 2, although they are both from Hal's POV. I actually struggled with this chapter, not sure why, but hopefully you all like it. You know what to do!

Moments In Time

Chapter 7 part 1.

Hal's POV

Flashback

So an attack was immanent. We'd always been prepared in case of an attack, but after Dad and Weaver came back with Clayton, it became more realistic. Dad said something about Porter telling Clayton that all kids under twenty, were to go with him to somewhere known as 'the Sanctuary'. It was kids that the Skitters, seemed to be after, Clayton had told us, like we didn't already know that. Usually Dad wouldn't have given it a second thought, if it meant keeping Ben and Matt safe, but this time he stalled….I just wasn't sure why. I would have asked, but there more pressing things to see to, like prepare for this attack. It was going to hit in a matter of days and we needed to be ready.

After helping out for a while, I decided to get some sleep….I hadn't had too much of it lately, what with one thing and another, but Ben and Matt were making too much noise for me to even try and sleep. I'd told them enough times, but Matt had too many questions about Ben's harness. Bless him, we all had questions, but Matt was young enough to get away with asking, without Ben having ago at him. I knew if I asked, he'd just get arsy with me. Closing my eyes, I listened to Ben trying to explain to our younger brother what it was like living with the Skitters…. "Did they talk to you?" Matt had asked, but it was Ben's answer that got my attention. "Not like you think. It was…..you don't exactly have your own thoughts. It's not like you're thinking….at least not the way you normally do, so….its more like someone's thinking with you. Remember when we went camping with dad and you weren't feeling well? You were hungry and you were thirsty and your stomach hurt. Well….imagine if dad knew everything you wanted before you even asked for it". Bless Matt, but the first thing he responded with was "You must have been scared", but again Ben's answer worried me slightly…"When they first caught me, I was never more afraid in my entire life, but after the harness, it wasn't so bad". Of course Matt kept going…"Did you miss us?" "I don't know" replied Ben, "In some bizarre alien-y way…I think the Skitters actually cared about us, you know? They weren't monsters…they were our family. I know it sounds weird but sometimes I still miss then".

What the hell? They took care of them? They were like family? He still misses them? I had too many thoughts going through my head as I heard Ben's story. This was, no it is crazy….he's back where he belongs, with us, his real family, he shouldn't be thinking about the Skitters. The thing was as much as I had questions, I knew that this information was too dangerous to tell anyone. A lot of the camp were still wary of Ben because of the harness and if they knew this too, well it wouldn't be pretty. I couldn't even tell Maggie….I knew I could talk to her about pretty much anything, even if I really didn't want to, but this was way too much to even contemplate talking to her about. But it didn't stop me worrying, after all he was still brother…..although maybe there was one person I could tell….Dr Glass.

"You got a sec?" I asked the very stressed out doctor. I knew things hadn't been easy for her since this morning and I didn't like to bother her, but she was probably the only person who would judge Ben, if I told her. True to form, her worrying instinct kicked in "your all right, you not sick?" she asked. "No no no. I'm fine. It's just…um…" I actually didn't know where I'd start with this one, then she said those famous words "you can think of me as your doctor if you want. Anything you say stays between us". Relaxing slightly knowing that it would go no further "It's Ben. Something's up with him. I mean I know what all he's been through and everything. And its not that. Its like he's just not acting like himself. He just did a hundred push ups with out breaking a sweat. He'd been lucky to hit ten before the attack." I told her. "We don't know what they had him doing all those months" Anne replied. She was right but still…"no I know. Its just hard to explain it if you didn't know him before.. he was, um…my bratty little brother you know? He was my bratty little brother that was twice as smart as me. And now…he's like…." I couldn't find the words. "A grown-up?" Anne asked. "No he's a different kid" I finally came out with. I wasn't sure how she could help, but it felt good to get it off my chest and talk to someone about it. "Try not to worry, I'll keep an eye on him, we will get to the bottom of it, it just might take some time' Anne told me. 'I know…it's just…well you know, he's my brother" I told her. 'I know Hal, but there are a lot of people that care about Ben, about all of you. And don't worry, this is between you and me, no mentions to your dad' she said. 'Thanks' was all I could say, at least someone understood where I was coming from. The thing was as much as the talk helped, something was bugging me and that something was more of a someone….Maggie. As much as I knew the reasons why I couldn't talk to her about this, it felt wrong talking to someone else and not her…I wasn't sure why…..its just did. Anyway there was too much to do, so I pushed it to the back of my mind and carried on preparing for the attack.

Things were getting worrying in camp, standing there behind Dad, I could see everyone turning on each other, in regards to sending the kids away with Clayton. Dad had tried to restore some calm and had decided that when the time came, he would make the decision on whether or not to send the kids away. I wasn't sure… I knew he was still struggling with the decision. I didn't want him to send Ben and Matt away anymore than I wanted the to go, after all we'd only just gotten Ben back, but I also knew when it came to their safety he would do the right thing. That was when we heard the Mech fire. Dad, Weaver, Mike and Clayton headed out, while Dai, myself and others kept an eye on things inside.

It wasn't long afterwards that things started to turn again inside, but this time they chose the wrong target…they choose Ben. I wasn't aware of it at first, until Maggie spoke "I'm gonna check on you brother" she told me. "Which one?" I asked, I don't know why I asked it, as I was pretty sure it had to be Ben who was in trouble. The response was a typical Maggie one "the one about to get his ass kicked". She replied. Walking over to Ben she told him to take what he wanted and go. I pushed to guy before asking him "Hey you got a problem?" I had a feeling this guy could turn nasty at any point, but he wasn't about to turn on Ben, not if I had anything to do with it "no problem. Just glad we're not bringing these harnessed kids back the Second Mass". "Nobody's stopped anything" I told him. "Soon as we get the drugs Dr Glass needs….we're gonna rescue as many as we can". Who did this guy think he was, of course we were going to rescue more of them. But of course he had a response "your just inviting a skitter attack" he told me, and well the rest of the people inside the hall who had gathered to see what the problem was. Now he was really beginning to piss me off "see the Skitters should know by now anybody that messes with our families gets their asses kicked by me" I informed him, as I stepped closer to him and looking him straight in the eye. The message was to him, but it was also a warning to everyone else….anyone that messed with any member of the Second Mass, harnessed or not, was going to be protected no matter what. With that the guy walked away, but so had Ben, who by the time I turned had left the room. I wanted to call after him, but I felt a hand on my arm…I didn't need to look to see who it was, I knew the hand belong to Maggie. 'Don't, just leave him. He needs his space' she said. I knew she was right, but it still didn't stop me from being annoyed at the guy for starting it, for wanting to go after Ben. One thing I was thankful for though, was the fact that Maggie had been there to not only spot something happening, but it also awoke me to the fact I wasn't the only one who was protective of my brothers, Maggie was just as protective and becoming more so each day, and for the I was glad to have her on my side.

End Flashback