Chapter 10: Mothership

"Let me tell you Jen, I am damn tired of seeing you hurt all the time." Anne said as she dabbed cream onto her burn.

"You and me both," Jenny smiled a little but Anne just kept on dabbing. "Oh come on Anne, it isn't the worst thing I get hurt a lot-"

"It still isn't good. You're one of the people I see in here most, and I wish it didn't have to be that way." she said and Jenny sighed.

"Well what was I supposed to do? He had a gun at Bridget, if I hadn't run in front of her she would have gotten shot and she would've died." Jenny said and Anne reached for some gauze.

"I'm not saying what you did was wrong, I'm just saying...Try and be careful. Other wise I'll have to cover you in cushions just to keep you from hurting yourself." she told her and Jenny smiled a little.

"I am going to be fine," Jenny assured, touching Anne's arm and Anne looked up.

"You better be, because if I lose one more person-" she shook her head and Jenny hugged her.

"You aren't losing me, okay?" she asked pulling back and Anne smirked as Hal appeared in the door.

"Hey, lunch is ready." he said and Jenny nodded.

"I know I'm not going to. Because, Hal here, is going to keep his eye on you." Anne said and Hal smirked while Jenny sighed. "She does anything stupid you better make sure she doesn't make a mess of herself." Anne told him and he nodded.

"Yes ma'am." he said and Jenny laughed.

a"Both of you are...ugh, just unbelievable." she shook her head walking towards Hal.

"I'll take that as a compliment." they both said at the same moment and Jenny laughed.

"My point exactly." she muttered, walking through the door.

Eating soup, Hal looked to the bandage. "So, when I ask you this you better be honest because if you aren't..." he trailed and she looked up from her bowl smirking. "How is it feeling?" he asked and she smiled, putting a hand on his cheek.

"It's fine. And don't worry, I'm being honest." she snickered taking her hand away and he nodded.

"Good, I didn't have to resort to other methods." he said and she raised a brow.

"Methods?" she asked. "What kinds of methods?" she asked him and he sighed, shrugging.

"I honestly don't think you're ready to hear them..." he trailed and she laughed.

"Okay Hal, you go on like that. I'll find out." she assured and he smirked.

"That, you will." he said, reaching around her waist and tickling her.

She squirmed, dropping her spoon into her soup, sending some of the soup flying. Hal got some dotted onto his face and she laughed hard, leaning back.

"Aha! Karma Hal!" she laughed. "Karma is a real bitch." she smiled and then sighed as he shook his head.

She reached up to his face, wiping away the splattered dots and sighed, keeping her hand there. He looked into her eyes and once again found himself finding all the different shades of blue within them. Then she laughed, slapped his face playfully and returned to her soup.

"Again with the slapping!" he exclaimed and she laughed more and rubbed his knee under the table.

The funeral for Mike took place that evening. Jenny was holding back her tears as much as she could, but found a few times she just couldn't do it, and would wipe them away without a second thought.

Hal went up and said piece and returned, standing by Jenny. She watched him, and knew that inside he was trying to put on a brave face. So she moved up beside him, and took his hand. He looked over to her and looked back as she rubbed soothing circles on the back of his hand as Tom went up and said his part.

Lourdes then stepped forward and began singing as the flag was folded. Jenny saw Weaver lean over to Tom, saying something and Tom replied back in a hushed tone.

The flag was handed back to Rick, who took it and she sighed.

As the crowd dispersed, neither Hal nor Jenny moved. They stayed, looking to the cross over Mike's grave.

After about another ten minutes, Jenny had to walk away. "We need to go Hal," she said gently. "We'll be late for dinner."

He just nodded, and they walked back into the building together.

Dinner was quiet, no one being particularly chatty with the exception of the younger kids.

That night Jenny returned to their room later than usual, looking tired.

"Hey, where were you?" asked Hal as she floated past the sleeping kids.

"Oh, just helping Anne. She's been teaching me how to do little things like stitches so that if anything happens to me out there, I can take care of myself." she told him, sitting down next to him on the bed. "Reading without me?" she asked seeing that he had the book out again.

"Eh...Kind of. I think I just picked it up so I had something to look at other than these walls." he muttered, sitting up and she nodded.

"Yeah, I've been thinking about Mike a lot too. Also Rick," her eyes went a few cot's down to where he was sleeping. "Do you think he'll be okay?" she asked and Hal shrugged.

"I don't know. I mean, Ben...He's still Ben...Just not." he said. "It's weird. I mean he's been doing three mile runs without breaking a sweat. He was lucky if he could get to twenty push ups and now he's doing one hundred a day." he sighed.

"Yeah, Caleb's been doing stuff like that too. He was into baseball..but what he can do now is just scary." she shook her head. "But we can't treat them like freaks Hal. Because that's how they're seen by everyone else and if they think we think that of them then they'll think that they can' trust us." she explained and then thought. "Wait, did that even make sense?" she thought it over as Hal chuckled. "Yes, yes, it did. Okay I was just spouting off there." she laughed and he brushed back her hair as she looked down.

"I'm glad I met you." he said and she laughed.

"Yeah, me too. Cause if I hadn't that skitter would've had my ass." she said and he cracked a smile.

"But really, I am." he said and she shrugged.

"Well I am too." she said and he put his hand on the small of her back, leading her into him.

He kissed her gently and she pulled back and ran a hand through his hair as he closed his eyes.

"We should sleep. This is one of our only nights off this week." she said and he nodded, making room for her and pulling the blanket up and over the both of them.

"So have you heard?" asked Ben the next day as he sat next to Jenny at lunch.

"Heard what?" asked Hal from across the table.

"Pope, he's been assigned to make bombs to take out the structure downtown." Ben said and Jenny raised her eyebrows.

"Downtown? Well that's gonna be a long hull." she sighed and Ben nodded.

"I heard Weaver, Porter and dad talking about it. Seventh is gone, and we lost contact with fourth and sixth," Ben went on. "we're supposed to bring the war to them in four days."

"Four days?" asked Hal. "That's not much time." he said shaking his head and Jenny shrugged.

"It's gonna have to be." she said with a bit of helplessness in her voice.

"No, blue won!" Bridget insisted as she and Mat joined the table.

"No! Red won! By two goals!" Matt insisted. "Jack scored fair and square, and the second was by me." Matt smirked.

"Well then you're forgetting that Molly, Tristan and Grace scored. We won, you're just too scared to admit it." Bridget teased and both Hal and Jenny laughed.

"How was soccer?" asked Hal and with that both of them went into a full play-by-play of the game in hurried voices and defending their own teams in the same manner.

As they left, the two were still debating over who won.

"Ah, kids. So oblivious, so competitive." Jenny chuckled and Hal smirked.

"Yeah well I can think of someone else who's like that too." he said and she looked to him. "You step on that field and you're one of those eight year old kids running around." he told her and she laughed, hitting his arm.

"Oh I am not!" she said and he laughed, rubbing his arm.

"Hey, watch it. I gotta use this thing." he said in a hurt voice and she nodded.

"For what? There are plenty of people who can get by in their life without an arm." she told him as they walked into one of the empty classrooms used for storage. Jenny liked this room because it looked out onto the field where the kids were always playing.

"Yeah but they can't do this." he said, snaking his arm around her waist and turning her around, capturing her lips.

She smiled as he backed her up onto the counter, putting a hand on his neck. Jenny curled her leg around his calf and gently bit his lip.

He pulled back slowly, wondering. "Really?" he asked and she shrugged.

"What?" she asked and he chuckled.

"I didn't take you as the aggressive sort of kisser." he said to her and she looked to him seductively.

"Oh Hal you have much to learn." she said laughing.

She turned so he was against the counter and grabbed his collar roughly before letting her hands rest on his chest and sneaking around behind his back. He knotted his fingers in her hair at the nape of her neck.

She broke off and kissed his jaw, went down his neck, and then kissed the necklace he wore. She was just about to lean back in when they heard a thud and saw the soccer ball had hit the window.

Both of them immediately dropped to the floor, leaning against the counter.

Jenny burst out laughing her head back as did Hal and he looked to her.

"We could've been so dead," he shook his head and she smiled, biting her lip and looking over to him.

She nudged him with her elbow. "You liked it," she taunted and he leaned back in.

"Yes I did-"

There was a knock and both of them shot back. Margret peered around the door.

"Hey, lovebirds, time to leave the nest. Weaver needs you both." she said to them and they both stood, adjusting themselves, still a bit embarrassed. Margret just smirked as they walked down the halls.

"You know, it isn't the first time in my life I walked in on people making out. It isn't a bit deal so you can stop your blushing." she told them and Jenny just looked away while Hal cleared his throat.

They entered Weaver's office where he stood with Tom.

"Good, you're here. Okay, so I'm sure you already know what's happening." Weaver said and they nodded. "Word can spread like wild fire in a community this small..." he trailed. "Anyways, Jen, Hal, Dai and Tom you are going to go and scout out the structure, see what the chances are looking like if we do blow that thing up." the two of them nodded.

They left, and as they were preparing for their leaving they stocked up on ammunition in the make-shift armoury room. Tom turned to them and began expressing his worries about Weaver's choices in combat.

"He can...you know..." Tom never finished because Jenny saw Weaver appear behind Tom and she gave him a look saying, 'shut up, he's right there'.

"I can what?" asked Weaver with an acidic tone.

Jenny looked to Hal worriedly who just sighed and loaded his gun.

"I'm just saying that sometimes I wonder if you're making the right choices." Tom said and Weaver narrowed his eyes.

"You're questioning my ability to lead this mass." Weaver stated and Tom shook his head.

"I never said that," Tom told him and Weaver looked to Dai.

"Dai, I'm taking your spot on the scout. You're relieved of your duties until further notice dismissed." Weaver instructed and Dai just sighed, hopped off the counter, and exited the room.

Weaver strode out of the room and Tom followed, striking up another conversation of debating.

"That can't be good." Jenny muttered and Hal shook his head.

"Not much we can do about it." he answered and she looked out the door.

"Do you agree with Tom?" she asked. "About Weaver's choices."

Hal shrugged as she loaded some more rounds into her hand gun. "I don't know. There are times when you wonder but I think that's just human nature...spotting all the flaws of a plan. I think Weaver's the best man for the job, just not sure if he's the best man all the time." he explained and she nodded in agreement.

"Hopefully one of his questionable choices doesn't end up on the bad side." she said, clicking her gun back into place. "Lets go scout out that mother ship." she said and he smirked a little, falling in step behind her.

Soon they were on the roof of an old office, guns ready and studying the structure.

"Hey, dad, look the south west entrance." Hal said, handing Tom the binoculars.

"Something has their attention," Tom agreed and they all saw as these silvery creatures on two legs came about and stood over the skitters.

"What the hell is that?" asked Jenny as she was handed the binoculars.

"It's almost human..." trailed Tom and Weaver shook his head.

"The damn things...more we need to know now." he sighed.

A sudden whirring came from above them and they all flattened themselves to the ledge as a ship flew over them.

"That was close," Weaver said, taking a shaky breath. "Lets get back to the bikes." he said and they all stood in agreement.

Walking back through the streets Weaver reflected back on how he used to drive them all the time. Hal heard some shuffling which caught his attention.

"Dad," he said, jerking his chin towards an ally way.

Tom nodded and the four of them shuffled down the alley way, guns raised as they explored the abandoned and wrecked area which once used to be part of the thriving city.

A shot rung out, hitting the side of a wooden palate next to Tom. The four scattered themselves about, hiding behind various objects.

"Get out of here before I blow your damn heads off!" they heard a woman yell out to them.

"We're not gonna hurt you," Tom said.

"Yeah well that's what they all say," the woman scoffed. "How can I know you're not with them?" she asked.

"Do we look like skitters?" Weaver called out.

"You know, it's not space men that bother me. The human trash, running around tearing up the city, stealing everything that isn't nailed down," the woman went on as Weaver nodded to Tom.

"We're with the resistance," Tom started, coming out from his hiding spot, gun raised. "we can help ya."

The door pushed out, revealing an older woman in her late fifties. "Help I don't need. You wanna talk? Lets talk." she said.

She came out slowly, as did the others.

"My name is Tom Mason, this is my son Hal, Jenny, our commanding officer Dan Weaver." To, introduced.

"Sonya, Sonya Reinkins." she replied.

"This would go a whole lot smoother if you'd just lower your weapon." Weaver told her and she thought, and then lowered it cautiously.

"Well I have to admit you don't seem like those others," she said.

"Others? How long have you been out here?" Weaver questioned.

"I never left," Sonya said. "You can, come in if you like," she said, carefully.

"We don't have time for this," Weaver grumbled.

"Well if it's space men you want I've been keeping my eye on them too. It's not far, just around the corner. Twenty seven forty," she began to pass by them. "first floor, apartment one D." she left them to talk.

"Our mission needs to take priority," Weaver said. "this could be a trap."

"Or an opportunity." Tom pitched in. "This woman's been living by this structure the whole time. It could give us more info on how it works."

"Or she could just be some crazy lady," Hal and Jenny said at the same moment.

They met eyes and laughed softly before turning back to the other two.

"She's by herself," Hal added.

"She survived the invasion," Tom said looking at her walking away. "got the drop on three fighters, we should all be considered crazy," he told them.

"Alright," Weaver sighed. "you and Hal go in. Watch yourselves." he said.

"And us?" asked Jenny.

"Well we'll stand watch," Weaver said. "If we see anything incoming, one of us will fire a warning shot."

Tom nodded and walked off after Sonya, and Hal looked to Jenny. She rolled her eyes and shook her head before giving him a stern look, and he followed after his dad.

Jenny watched them go before looking around her, taking in the dumpsters and old newspapers scattered about.

She looked back to Weaver seeing him bent over something. "What's that?" she asked and he turned away quickly, putting something in his chest pocket.

"Nothing," he muttered. "You take the west side, I'll travel east. Meet back here in an hour." he told her and she nodded, looking to her watch.

"Sure," she agreed, and together in silence they departed ways.

A.N I'm infinitely sorry for how long it's been! Summer finally decided that I would get busy, and I have been! But I haven't forgotten about you guys and your amazing feedback! I have another chapter heading your way, so don't forget to R&R please! It's really appreciated!

~WritingGurl101