A/N: Okay, so I need to tell you, I'm not Catholic, and I have no idea about the hierarchy of the Catholic church, as well as any process of discipline for priests. I did look a little online, but did not find much that was very helpful to me. So my story probably doesn't really represent the way something like this might happen in real life, but luckily this is fan fiction. I'm hoping that no one is offended by my imagining of events, because this is definitely not my intention. I'm not really just in love with this chapter, to be honest. It was a little difficult to write, but it was one of those that I just had to push through. I hope to pick up the pacing of the story soon, as it's a little slow for my tastes. I'm trying to write a little more of the thinking right now, so you can kind of get a feel for my perceptions of the characters and their motivations. Also, I tried to make this chapter longer, as the first one, once it posted, looked so small to me. Thank you for the amazing input, and even that you're reading it. I'm not sure what the difference is between Hits and Visitors, but I've had 79 visitors! That's a lot. Also, I don't know how to go about getting a beta tester, or is that automatic? I think someone has to review the story before it is posted, but I'm not sure. So I'm trying to read and correct any mistakes myself. Reviews and constructive criticism are much appreciated. Thanks for reading.

Walking into the room he's been in a thousand times before, it felt different, like a death march. Immediately his stomach clenched, his mouth went dry, and the muscles in his shoulders and back tensed. "It's wonderful to see you Bishop Johnson, and Archbishop Daniels. It's been quite a while. To what do I owe the pleasure of this visit?" The men stood and Jack smiled and shook their hands, hoping that his voice did not betray the violent turmoil going on under the surface.

"Good to see you Father Landry." the Bishop bellowed, his booming voice echoing off of the walls. A round, jovial man, Jack had always enjoyed his company, as he was quite the storyteller and could make Jack laugh easily. "I wish it were under better circumstances that we were meeting this morning," he began, removing the smile and replacing it with a grim look of sorrow. "Father Travis phoned me last night and we spoke about the sermon you gave yesterday. While I personally understand your hesitancy and reluctance to wholeheartedly embrace the visitors without question, the church has declared a stance on this issue, and you as a priest must not contradict the teachings of the church. The visitors have done many good things, healing people and showing us their technology for environmentally safe energy sources. They do not deserve to have such things said about them as you said in your sermon. You must stop preaching this heresy."

"While I respect your opinion Bishop, I do disagree," Jack started. "The visitors have turned our people away from God. They are replacing God in the minds of our flock. God is not receiving the praise and glory for the good deeds, but the visitors are. Don't you see how dangerous this is?" Jack narrowed his eyes at his superiors, trying to gauge their reaction to his impassioned plea.

Great, this isn't going over any better than the sermon.

Only Bishop Johnson looked a little reflective, as if he was giving considerate thought to the words of Father Jack. Archbishop Daniels, who had remained quiet this entire time, interrupted the silence. "Jack, I'm sorry, but the church has taken a stand, and it is not your job to question or belittle it. Normally, we would have already started the process to involuntarily laicize you, but because of your years of faithful service and Father Travis' defense of your character, we are giving you another chance. But you must adhere to church teaching on this issue. It is your choice. We will give you one week to make your decision. In the meantime, you are not allowed to act in any official capacity for the church. Father Travis, you will be performing all priestly duties for the next week. Jack, I appreciate your dedication to our Lord, but you are wrong about the visitors. I know you will make the right decision. Thank you Travis for the coffee. We must be going now." The men all stood, shook hands, and said their goodbyes. "We'll see you in a week, Jack." Bishop Johnson retained a small smile and squeezed Jack's hand firmly as they departed.

Jack stood there, ready to continue the conversation with Father Travis. The elder man took a deep breath and sighed, turning to Jack. "There isn't much more to say, I know I won't convince you with words, and you won't convince me either. You are just going to have to pray over this issue, and search your heart, knowing full well the consequences. I just hope you choose well."

Jack looked at Father Travis, noticing the heaviness in his stance, the weariness in his voice, and replied, "Don't worry, I will." He turned and strode purposefully to the door, exiting and closing it with calmness and confidence. Once he was in the hall, he leaned against the wall and his legs turned to jelly. Trying to process all that had gone on in there, his mind was moving at a million miles per hour. What will I do? How can this be happening to me? I've never been fired from any job before. I've always been the good guy, doing what is right. Only now, they think that what is right is wrong. Starting to feel dizzy, he hurried back to his own apartment, collapsing on the couch as soon as he made it through the door. He saw one of his Bibles on the coffee table, picking it up to read. It is a source of great comfort in times such as this. He opened the thick book, and his eyes rested on this passage:

The Lord is my light and my salvation – whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life – of whom shall I be afraid? (Psalm 27:1)

Jack let go of a breath he hadn't realized he was holding. Yes, he could do this. He could stand firm, in the face of persecution, knowing that if he did not, that others might be led astray. Yes, even if it cost him his job, even if it cost him his life, he knew this was the right thing to do.

His phone suddenly rang, shaking him from his reverie. Recognizing the number, he grinned and answered immediately. "Hello?"

"Jack, I'm glad I caught you. I've been trying to track Ryan down this morning, and I can't get in touch with him. I'm really getting worried about him and Val. Anna has invited me onto the ship this afternoon, as some kind of thank you for yesterday. Do you want to come with me? I could really use some support. Tyler is going to be in school, and I'm glad. The less time he spends up there, the better." Her voice sounds a little rushed and shaky. Jack was quick to respond.

"Erica, I would love to accompany you. What time do I need to be over there?"

"Just let me come get you. We're supposed to be there at 2:00. I'll come by at 1:30, okay?"

Jack chuckled at her need to be in control. He wondered if she had been that way with her husband. "Sure, sounds good. I'll meet you out front at 1:30. Bye." He hung up the phone and tossed it on the table. What to do now?

He had no time to contemplate that question before his phone rang again. "Hello?"

"Father Jack, hi this is Chad Decker. I was wondering if you might want to meet me this morning, I think we have some things to discuss."

"Sure, I can meet you this morning. How about the coffee shop on 7th and Lincoln? In about 20 minutes?"

"Sounds good Father. See you soon."

Jack quickly changed out of his clothes, putting on a plaid shirt and jeans. He looked over at his priest garments with longing. I guess I won't be needing these for a while. He put on a jacket and hurried out the door.

Once outside, Jack glances up to see red clouds swirling around. What the...? People are stopped and staring up, almost entranced. Jack hurries along the sidewalk to his destination.

Jack got to the coffee shop first, ordering a coffee and muffin and securing a table in the corner where it would be a little quieter. Taking a sip of coffee, he looks up to see Chad walking through the door. He makes eye contact, smiles, and waits while Chad orders and pays. Sitting down, Chad flashes a tentative smile. "Father Jack, it's good to see you. A lot has changed since our meeting yesterday. I have seen and heard things that now make me question the visitors and their intentions for us. I would like to apologize for deceiving you previously. Anna kind of tricked me into spying and feeding her information. I am not ready to join the 5th Column at this point, but I am looking at the visitors with a new perspective. I guess I have been a little naive in my dealings with Anna. I apologize for any problems I may have caused."

Jack was taken aback at Chad's admission. "What made you realize that? Did something happen when you delivered the message?"

"Let's just say I saw things I wasn't supposed to see. I don't think I will be signing up for the Live Aboard program anytime soon. I plan on finding out as much as I can to make an informed decision as to which side I will end up on." Chad stopped talking to take a drink of coffee.

"What do you think is going on with the sky? Did you find out anything about that?" Jack inquires.

"I did not see or hear anything about that, but I'm going to get to the bottom of it." Chad replies. Sighing, he continues, "At this point though, Anna holds all of the cards, so it may take me a while to find out, but I will find out."

"Chad, I hope you can find what you need to know. Be very careful. The visitors do not like to be crossed, especially Anna. She won't hesitate to harm those whom she suspects are not trustworthy. Please keep in contact." Jack looked him in the eyes to see the emotions flashing across the reporter's face: fear, uncertainty, doubt, but also determination.

"Believe me, no one knows that more than I do." Chad said with a bitter laugh. "I need to get back to work now. Thanks for meeting me, I will keep in touch." With that, he gave a tentative smile and quickly left the shop.

Jack finished up and hurried back to his apartment. It was already 1:00 and he needed to change clothes and get ready. He decided to dress a little nicer for their meeting, since he had not seen any visitors (outside of Ryan) in casual clothing. He didn't want to draw extra attention to himself. After brushing his teeth, it took him 20 minutes to pick out some charcoal colored trousers and an olive green shirt. Suddenly, he heard a knock at the door.

Opening it up, his breath hitched as he took a look at the stunning leggy blonde in front of him. "Erica, you look beautiful," he sputtered. "Please come in."

Responding with a warm smile that made her eyes crinkle, she felt a blush rising up her face, "Thanks, Jack. You look quite nice yourself." Walking in hesitantly, she took in her surroundings. It was a modest place, at least from what she could see. The living room was sparsely furnished, with a couch, an arm chair, a coffee table (with a few issues of Sports Illustrated scattered on it), an end table with some pictures, and a bookcase filled to the brim. I guess he doesn't get to entertain company too often, she mused to herself. She turned to look at him and found him staring at her, in a way that a priest probably shouldn't be looking at a woman. Her heart raced and she felt a little tingly. "Jack?" she breathed out. "Are you okay?"

Jack's face turned pink, and he looked away, going over to the kitchen to get a glass of water. "Yes, sorry, I'm fine. It's just, it's been a wild day." Sometimes he really had a hard time being around Erica. Especially when she wore a certain shade of blue, or when she had on a button down shirt (she always started with the third button), or when she was boxing in that little grey tank top, or... okay, I need to stop thoughts like these right now. "Would you like something to drink? I was a little parched." PARCHED, why did I have to go and say something as pretentious as that?

Erica chuckled a bit, "No, thank you, my thirst is quenched right now." She threw him a smirk to let him know she was teasing.

Jack blew out a laugh, and took a big drink. "You sure you want me there with you? I don't exactly seem to be on my 'A game' today."

Erica grinned and replied, "Lucky for both of us I am." She then winked flirtatiously. Then a more serious look crossed her face. "Of course I want you there Jack. You are a calming presence in my life. You make me feel like I'm a better person when you're around me." She walked over and took his hand, gently squeezing. "I don't just want you there, I need you there."

He searched her eyes, finding only truth in what she said. He smiled his biggest smile, his deep, long, slightly curving dimples on full display. "Then nothing will stop me from being there. You mean so much to me. I guess that's one thing I can thank the visitors for, they led me to you."

They stood there staring in each others eyes for another few seconds, neither wanting to break eye contact. Both were filled with desire but neither was brave enough to act on it. A dog barking in the distance broke the spell, and they both jumped a little.

"So what's the plan on the meeting today? And what's going on with the sky?" Jack got back on task, trying to remain focused on the mission.

Erica went and took a drink out of Jack's glass, suddenly finding her thirst. "I have no idea what the sky is about. I can't wait to hear Anna's explanation for it though. And I'm not really sure what Anna has planned for our meeting, but I hope to speak with Lisa for a few minutes, and find out if there are any other 5th Column members on board, what she knows and is willing to divulge, etc. I'm just not sure it will be possible with Anna and Marcus there."

"Maybe I can come up with a distraction," Jack offers. I could try to keep Anna and Marcus busy with questions while you get a moment to talk with Lisa.

Erica smiled warmly at him. "Thank you, Jack. But I think we're just going to have to play it by ear, see if there are any opportunities that present themselves." She just wasn't sure the priest would be able to pull off anything preplanned. He was just so innocent, so honest, so GOOD... And she really didn't want to ask him to do anything that would involve lying. She could handle that, sometimes her job called for it. Of course, she didn't like it, but she could do it. Jack shouldn't have to, not for this. "And if it doesn't happen today, don't worry. With her dating Tyler, there will be plenty of opportunities for me to speak to her without Anna around."

Jack sighs, wishing he were better at sneaking and pretending and all these things he needs to do to help the 5th Column. "Okay, I guess you're right. Is it about time to go?"

"We have to be on the loading dock for the shuttle in about 10 minutes. Are you ready to go see an alien spacecraft up close and personal? It really is quite a sight." Erica smiles, grabbing her keys off of the counter.

"After you," Jack grins back, making a grand gesture.

They drive in comfortable silence to the loading docks, both lost in their own thoughts. Jack is reviewing the events of the day in his mind, cringing as he remembers the ultimatum he was given by his superiors. As he feels his heart rate quicken, he realizes he cannot dwell on that right now. Glancing out the window, his thoughts turn to the Red Sky, wondering the purpose and consequence of the swirling red clouds the shuttle is breaking through. Erica is sitting still, almost frozen as she thinks of Tyler, and his obsession with the visitors, and how can she help him see the truth? There is no point in telling him what she knows right now, he wouldn't believe it, or even if he did believe her he wouldn't care because his feelings for Lisa are so strong. No, she definitely needed to work on their relationship and build up the trust before enlightening him on the things she knew. The only problem was, in the meantime he could be in danger. Now that Joshua was no longer around, could she trust Lisa to keep him safe. She thought so, she hoped so, but there was a little doubt in there. Arriving at the docks, she turned off the car and faced Jack.

"Jack, please let me do most of the talking. I don't want you lying for me about anything if you don't have to. I'm used to this type of thing. Anna is very sneaky and sometimes is able to get information out of you that you don't even really realize you're divulging. I'm getting used to her style and her tricks, so I know I can handle her."

A confident Erica is a sight to behold. "You're the pro, Erica. I guess I'll just be 'man candy' today," Jack winks at her, squeezing back and gently removing his hand. "Let's go spend an afternoon with some aliens, " he grins, starting to feel his confidence come back.

Erica laughs at that and quickly gets out of the car. They make their way to the loading dock, and they are stopped by a burly, serious guard with a clipboard (it seems like the vistors always look so somber, Jack thinks). Erica gives the guard her name, and they are led on board the shuttle. The shuttle is almost empty, save a family with a mom and two young children, maybe only 2 and 4. Jack's heart breaks, and he remembers Chad's comments about the Live Aboard program. He looks at Erica and sees the same heartbreak in her eyes, looking at the family.

"Hi," Jack says softly to the 4 year old. "Are you going to go see the big spaceship too?"

"Yes, we are so excited. We got to watch Star Wars, and I want to see R2D2 up there!" she says enthusiastically. "But I don't want to meet Darth Vader, he's too scary."

"Ava, sweetie, remember, this isn't like Star Wars. You won't see any of them up there. You'll get to meet Anna though," her mom beams and looks at Jack and Erica. "She's obsessed with Star Wars. I can't get her to stop talking about it."

"I can't blame her, it's a good movie," Jack grins, blushing slightly. "Obi-Wan Kenobi is a favorite character of mine."

Erica turns at that admission, with a huge smirk on her face. "I cannot picture you being a Star Wars fanboy. Not at all."

"What's not to like? A small group of resistance fighters, banding together to fight the evil empire, seemingly against all odds..." Jack trails off, the irony of his assessment not lost on him. "Anyway, it's a great story, and the good guys win in the end."

Erica contemplates this for a moment, "I guess you're right. Maybe I need to watch that again sometime." She leans over to Jack and whispers, "To see if we can pick up some tips or hints."

Jack leans back and whispers, "At least Anna is a lot easier on the eyes than Darth Vader."

Erica chokes back a giggle, glad that the shuttle has taken off.

Suddenly, Jack tenses up, gripping the armrests on his chair. "Ugh.." he mumbles, and his face goes pale.

"Jack?" Erica reaches over and softly touches his arm. "Are you okay?"

"I...uh...I...," Jack stammers, unable to form a coherent sentence. He takes a deep breath, closing his eyes and tries to relax. "This feels a little like a roller coaster," he starts. Glancing up into her eyes, he sees the concern. "I don't do so well on roller coasters."

Erica looks at Jack tenderly. "You are just full of surprises today. Okay, here, just take my hand. Close your eyes, breathe deeply, and squeeze. Luckily, this trip only takes a couple of minutes."

Jack followed her instructions, and he started feeling better almost immediately. He concentrated on the feel of her hand, the soft skin and gentle touch. He could hear her breath, so calm and smooth, just like her. He also could smell her perfume, an intoxicating scent of lavender, with a hint of vanilla thrown in. Yes, he could stay like this for a long while. As he is thinking this, he feels her let go of his hand, and his eyes pop open.

"We're here," she says, with her serious face. Quickly returning to reality, Jack follows her off of the shuttle, down a long hall, where he sees Anna, Marcus, and Lisa waiting for them. Erica walks with confidence and poise, and at a pretty good pace. Jack tries to match her strides and demeanor.

"Erica, it's so good to see you again," Anna steps forward and takes Erica's hand, giving it a firm shake. I see you have brought a guest," Anna turns her focus to Jack, and he has to resist the urge to squirm under such an intense gaze.

"Yes, this is my friend Jack," Erica starts. "Jack, this is Anna, her daughter Lisa, and her advisor Marcus."

Jack smiles and shakes the hand of Marcus first, then Lisa. Next, he extends his hand to Anna. Taking his hand in hers, Anna responds, "Jack, welcome to our ship, our home. Any friend of Erica's is welcome here." It's the tiny smirk and the slight narrowing of the eyes that gives Jack chills...

TBC...