AN: Okay I have some things planned for later in the story, but I want them to be sort of historically accurate. Soooo... I'll probably add a few more chapters of off-screen character building for Madison (since I REALLY need to build up her relationship with the militia men before I move on) before I go to the next scene in the movie.

I really hope you guys are ok with that.

Again, THANK YOU SO MUCH to my guest reviewer! You're definately my inspiration for this story.

And if you have any suggestions on future chapters, PLEASE TELL ME. I'm in desperate need of constructive crticism, because I can't tell if my readers like this story or not.

So, I'll say this again... PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE REVIEW!

Anyway, enough of that.

This will sort of just continue the previous chapter.

TALLY HO!

Madison's cringe was extremely evident to the African American who sat blankly beside her.

After her assertion of independance, she had swiftly made her way back to the bonfire where her friend sat.

Gabriel, that is. Not Occum.

Occum had come over several moments after all the whooping and rowdy talk had settled. And in his company, Madison realized just what had happened.

He looked over to her, sighing miserably.

"Thanks."

Despite the growing fever in her cheeks, the teen managed to smile softly at the middle-aged man. He really was very kind.

"No problem, Occum."

She noticed how he seemed to have it in his mind that, if he spoke to a white person, he would be punished. And she hated that. No one should have to fear the people who were meant to be like family. And that was a concept the adolescent was all too familiar with.

In the end, it was Gabriel who broke the somber tenson.

"Don't listen to them." he began friendily, "If we win this war, a lot of things will change."

"What will change?" came the former slave's response.

Madison felt tears brim her eyes, which was absolutely absurd. She had nothing to be sad about in any way. This was a sweet moment!

Then, she began to figure it out. She wasn't on the verge of weeping just because of sorrow or despair. She was tearing with pride. Pride for the country she knew was to come from all this suffering.

She had never felt so patriotic. Never experienced such raw hope. It was like this war was just one big, long, dark tunnel. And the joyous future that she had witnessed with her own two eyes was like the light at the end.

It was amazing.

That was when the girl zoned back in to Gabriel's explanation.

"-but we'll have a chance to build a new world." he said, "A world where all men are created equal under God."

Occum hummed as response. "Equal? ... Sounds good."

Madison couldn't help herself. She had to spout off about how good the "new world" really was. And how it held so much more freedom than this one.

"Oh, it is good. I- I mean... it will be."

The two males looked thoughtfully at her.

"It's better than good, actually. It's the epitome of liberty. I mean, there, everyone is equal! All races! White, black, hispanic, oriental, indian... And all sexualities, too! It doesn't matter if you're heterosexual, homosexual, bisexual, transgender, polygamist, asexual, pansexual... Oh! And all religions are accepted, as well! Ya know? Christian, Hindu, Buddhist, Scientologist, Athiest... Oh, and-"

Gabriel cut her off.

"Why do I have the feeling that you're not speaking of this country?"

He was looking her in the eyes, and his voice was a soft mumble.

"Your home country has been through this, as well... has it not?"

Madison smiled peacefully and nodded in agreement.

"Yes. And now... my home is the definition of freedom."

Gabriel put a hand on his companion's shoulder.

"Madison... where is your home?"

At this, the younger of the two couldn't help but smirk. If only he knew...

"It's closer than you'd think."

Gabriel looked puzzled.

Occum also looked puzzled.

But Madison looked... well... up.

For, Benjamin Martin had made his way over to the little area of chatter, tossing a thick journal into John Billings' arms.

He sighed exhaustedly.

"I've just been in the mind of a genious." He took a long swig of whiskey. "Cornwallis knows more about warfare than we could hope to learn in a dozen lifetimes."

"Well that's cheerful news." Billings murmured.

Madison stifled a giggle, trying her hardest to seem professional in front of Mr. Martin.

"His victories at Camden and Charles Town were perfect. Perfect. And he knows it, what's more. ... Perhaps that's his weakness."

His son scowled irritantly, fed up with being confused so much in one night.

"Sir?"

About that moment, the Major had come up and sat down at Gabriel's left side, taking out a glass container (most likely alcohol).

"Pride." the Colonel responded simply, as if it was the most obvious thing on the planet. "Pride's a weakness."

Jean looked tiredly over to him. "Personally I would prefer stupidity."

Benjamin chugged down another gulp of the dark whiskey in his old-fashioned flask.

"Pride'll do."

00000000000000000000000

"Here." The blonde teen thrust a cracked dish toward his younger friend. "I never see you eat anything. You must be very hungry."

Madison squinted her eyes against the darkness to see what kind of strange morsel Gabriel had just offered her.

After a good thirty seconds, she deemed the food edible (whatever it could've been) and took it gently from his hands.

When the meat hit her palate, it was obvious it wasn't beef.

Hmm... maybe some sort of poultry...

Nevertheless, it was chewy and tough, and the teen was almost definate that whomever prepared this thing had burnt it.

Sure could use some ketchup right about now.

"So..." Gabriel encouraged his companion to speak.

"So, what?" she asked, with a big bulge of food collecting in her cheek like a squirrel's nuts.

Gabriel chuckled. "So, how is it?"

"Pretty good, I guess. I'm starving so it's not like the taste matters... but what is this exactly?"

Gabriel leaned in and dropped his tone to a suspicious murmur.

"Dog."

Madison's eyes stretched to the width of dinner plates. Dog!?

She looked at the Colonel's son again.

"R-really?"

As she prepared to vomit right the and there, her notions were thwarted when he shook his head.

She glared at him, then swatted mock-angrily at his bicep.

"Oh my gosh, Gabriel! What the heck?"

The fit didn't last long, though, as both parties errupted in very audible laughter.

"Y-you believed me?" Gabriel asked through bursts of chuckles.

His friend didn't respond. Just smiled cutely and shoved the last little bit into her pie hole.

"So, how are things with you and Anne going? I'd love to meet her. She seems lovely." The younger party chatted casually. It seemed like lately the relationship between Madison and Gabriel was reaching a comfortable level, which is something they both enjoyed.

"I wrote her several days ago." he began, not even bothering to ask how she knew about his 'girlfriend'.

"And?"

"I expressed how much I long to see her. Perhaps... our duties will bring us near..." he trailed off.

"Did'ja mention me?" the girl questioned, attempting to lighten the mood a tiny bit.

"Now, why ever would I do that?" he teased.

Madison puffed out her bottom lip and tilted her head to the side.

"Cuz I'm your buuuuddddyyy..." She stretched out the end of the sentence, hoping for a silly effect, but instead it just seemed all the more awkward.

Gabriel smiled brightly, though. He appreciated her attempts at humor and found them nothing short of adorable.

But not adorable in the same way as Anne. In fact, he didn't find Anne adorable at all. He thought his lover was beautiful, absolutely stunning. But most certainly not adorable.

He was, however, snapped out of his musings by the sound of Madison's hand zooming to her mouth, as she tried in vain to stifle a yawn.

"You're tired?" he asked in a fatherly tone.

"Little bit."

The girl was rubbing at her eyes, trying to keep her mascara from running as water collected in them.

Lord knows why she even bothered to apply makeup on a daily basis, but she felt like it was the right thing to do. No one had seen her real face in a long time, and she hoped that no one ever would. For old bruises and scars tended to be an eyesore.

She never slept with the clunky stuff, though, as she was always sure to atleast make an attempt at removing it before bed.

She looked up to see her friend grinning at her fondly.

"Come," he whispered, ushering her in the general direction of his ragged tent. "You should rest now."

Usually the young girl would disagree. She loved staying up late and looking at the stars. Having learned the position of the north star made it even more comforting. For now, she knew that, even if she were to return to her own time period, she would still have a connection with this place. See, the north star never moves. It's constant. Unwavering. A guide. So no matter if it was the eighteenth century or the twenty-first, she knew that this one star was always the same.

That was one of the many things on which she pondered during her long nights of restlessness.

And tonight was no different.

Deep down, she knew that no less than an hour after her head hit the ground, she would be awakened once more. And then she would step out of the tent, and maybe sit on the dry earth beneath her. And then she'd lean back and admire the galaxy above her, just like always.

But that still was no reason to protest as Gabriel pulled her toward his makeshift quarters.

After all, he never noticed her insomnia before. Why start now?

AN: I know it's short but still.

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