Season 3: Episode One (On Thin Ice)
She knew deep in her gut that something didn't feel right. It was all too easy to her. She had ridden in the passenger seat of the truck with Colonel Weaver, his daughter Jeanne, and Matt. The space was right and cramped, but there was no way she was missing out on this. Also, when Captain Weaver became Colonel Weaver, she became his right-hand-man. Well, right-hand-woman. Tom's rise to presidency in the past seven months kept him too busy to fight alongside the 2nd Mass or Charleston's army. Watching closely from inside the truck, she spotted Ben helping some of the harnessed kids into the back from the side mirrors. Her and Matt decided to stay back, considering the job was already done. Most of the kids were inside. Jeanne decided to ride in the back with Diego. Ericka couldn't blame her, if it was Ben, she would've done the same thing. She started to think back to when the war began. She hadn't really become a fighter until she asked for a gun. Then she started going on little missions for the 2nd Mass and Captain (at the time) Weaver. A whining metal sound screeched as rocks were pushed aside. Confused, she opened the door and stepped out of the truck. Matt joined her, also curious as to what was happening. Her eyes widened at the sight of two Mechs. They looked vaguely similar to a Mech, but more advanced. Before she knew it, they were firing and Weaver was yelling to take cover. Things were exploding and blowing up, leaving behind fire. Bullets went back and forth as she dove for cover behind a crate. Not the best spot to hide, but it would have to suffice. She aimed her gun at the Mega-Mech and fired. Chaos erupted all around them. Skitters crawled out of the mines, but were put on defense as the Rebel Skitters descended from the cliffs. She saw one on top of Ben, attacking him. Ericka aimed at its head and fired. The other Skitter and Ben looked to her. She shot the other's leg clean off. It cried out, wobbling forward. He grinned and attacked it. When she turned back, she spotted a blast hit the Mega-Mech and it exploded into flames. Tom rode in on a horse with a few others, including Cochise. They took down the other Mega-Mech easily. She stood up, smiling proudly.
I have got to get me a gun like that, then I could really do some damage, she thought.
She walked with Colonel Weaver over to Tom. They talked for a few minutes. She kept her mouth shut though, just listening for once. They parted ways as she followed Weaver. He gave the order to move out. "We were...demolished, Colonel." Ericka stated. He nodded in agreement. Just when they seemed ahead, the Eshpeni pull out Mega-Mechs. "The important thing is that we won in the long run." Weaver replied. She shrugged as they made their way back to the truck.
...
"...plenty has changed." Colonel Weaver finished. He stared at Cochise by his horse. Then he spotted Ericka walking his way. He stopped her, gesturing to follow him. "We need to be at the War Room later." Dan said gruffly. He always spoke with a gruff tone. She raised an eyebrow at him and folded her arms across her chest. "We? Or you?" Ericka questioned. She was only his right-hand, nothing more and nothing less. He trusted her with his life, and she trusted hers with his. But sometimes, she didn't understand why he would let a 15-year-old girl be this far up in charge. "We. You're my second-in-command and you have every right to be there." was all he said on the matter. She smiled, heading with him to the War Room.
...
Everyone rose as Tom entered. "Sorry I'm late, as you were gentlemen." He spoke, heading for his seat. As he sat down, so did everyone else. Ericka leaned on the wall in the background. Again, she kept her mouth shut. She rolled her eyes as General Bressler accused the Rebel Skitters as being a mole. Her eyes drifted from person to person as they argued. Honestly, she was bored to death. There wasn't much to do except sit there. Though this "mole" talk was quite nerving, she wondered who would do such a thing. Who could possibly want to betray them? Maybe whoever it was was being manipulated somehow. That still didn't make much sense. As soon as they were dismissed, she caught up to Ben.
"Are you free later tonight?" She asked. Normally, she wouldn't ask a boy out on a date; especially if it was her own boyfriend. But she felt left like she hadn't seen much of him lately. Even though he's been back for the past seven months, he's been busy. He grinned at her, "Is Ericka Preston asking me out on a date?"
"Depends...is Ben Mason saying yes?" She questioned back at him. "Sure, we'll hang out later." He replied. "Ok, meet me in my room around seven."
She kissed his cheek, and then turned a corner as they continued to head straight. Whenever she wasn't on a mission with Weaver, she had a lot free time. Hanna spent some girl time with her, but she had other duties as well. She was helping reconstruct buildings. So that left a large amount of her time open. Sometimes she would practice her aiming or read a book. Her half-sister, Kathleen, was warming up to Ericka. They had gotten closer in the past seven months. She was someone Ericka could easily talk to about her past and what it was like. She could still remember that day the aliens attacked.
No, don't think about it, she warned herself.
She pushed the memory to the back of her head. It was a day that Ericka didn't want to bring up. A day she wished she could forget for more than one reason. If she could take back what she said to him, she would. But she couldn't.
...
Ericka was reading a magazine. It was the kinda garbage she would buy before the invasion. She was reading the embarrassing stories in the back, those were the most interesting. This is what she had turned to in her boredom. A knock at her door caused her to look up.
"Come in!" She shouted. Matt opened the door quickly. Hal, Maggie, and Ben were all behind him. "Anne's having the baby!" Matt said happily as a smile framed his face. Her eyes widened and she threw the magazine aside, getting up from her spot on the bed.
...
They were playing Monopoly. Tom said it was some sort of tradition. Her family never really had any traditions. Well, there was one. Every Saturday, the last person to wake up had to make everyone breakfast. It was weird, but fun. Matt nudged her, she had zoned off. "It's your roll." He whispered. She smiled, taking the dice. "Land on the train station, I dare you." Hal said. "No, she's visiting her boyfriend in Hollywood with hotels." Ben spoke up. He wrapped his arm around her. She shook her hands then released the dice on the board. It was six; a four and a two. "Actually, I'm going to jail." Ericka said with a proud smile. Only in a game of monopoly is jail ever a good thing, and that's only when hotels and houses are up everywhere you go.
...
She had fallen asleep along with the others. Her head was rested on Ben's leg and her wavy, dark brown hair covered her face.
"You aren't the boss of me!" Ericka shouted at her father. She pulled her wrist out of his grip. She was mad, because she had been caught. Aaron, her little brother, saw her come in late one night and snitched. Her father was furious and demanded to know where she went. Deciding it was the best thing to do; she came clean and told him. Jett, her current boyfriend, had taken her to a club. They didn't drink any alcohol; well, she didn't. Then he told her that he forbid her to see Jett again and that she was grounded. Ericka headed for the door. She opened it, but turned back to him before she left. "You always say you want what's best for me. How would you know?! You're hardly ever here. Then you make me give up my happiness for you, but you give some lame excuse!
I had to quit dance club because an A/B average was unacceptable; I couldn't work at the music shop, because the manager seemed odd; I have to break up with my boyfriend, because he takes me to a club. You may be my father, but that doesn't make you my dad." She shouted before slamming the door shut. His wife laid a hand on his shoulder. "Don't worry, Mark, she's just upset. She didn't mean it." His wife soothed him. He nodded, starring at the door with a hurt expression.
Ericka gasped, jolting forward. That was the last thing she said to her dad. The invasion happened while she was away and by the time she got back her mother, Chris (her older brother), and Aaron were dead. She assumed that the Skitter tried to take him, but something went wrong. There was a dead Skitter there as well. The Mason's came over just in time. They found her father upstairs, bleeding to death. The wound was too severe. In his dying breath, he asked Tom to look after her. A hand rested on her shoulder. She looked up at Ben. He was staring at her with worry in his chocolate brown eyes. "You ok?" Ben asked. Ericka nodded, pushing some hair out of her face. "It's just stuffy in here. I need some air." she stated, getting up and leaving the room. He set his book down on the table before following her out. She never had a chance to say she was sorry. It all happened so quickly. Ericka didn't tell Ben or even Tom what had happened earlier that day. She kept it to herself. Ben gently grabbed her wrist, stopping her from walking away. "What's wrong? Was it a nightmare?" he queried. She shook her head. There were a few chairs off to the side of the wall. She took a seat and he sat beside her. "It was a memory. I was arguing with my dad and I said some horrible things to him. I was mad and incredibly stupid." she said, tears running down her face. "I'm sure he forgave you." Ben tried to assure her. He smiled sympathetically at her. Ericka shook her head again, causing him to frown. "I told him that he may be my father, but that doesn't make him my dad. It was the last thing I ever said to him." explained Ericka. She turned to look at him. After all this time, she managed to push away that horrid memory. Ben grabbed her hand, holding it reassuringly. "You're obviously sorry for saying it. I'm sure that he knows that and forgives you. He was your dad, Ericka. No matter what you said to him would've affected the way he loved you." he said. She planted a chaste kiss on his lips. "Thanks."
...
Ericka was intently listening to Tom's speech when Kathleen came up next to her. "Haven't seen you in a while." she muttered. "Yeah, I'm sorry about that. They've got me pulling double shifts. I'm working with Hanna on the reconstruction project and in the kitchen." Kathleen explained, tossing her short brown hair over her shoulder. She had cut it really short. Her brown hair lost its caramel highlights. She even had bangs across her forehead. Kathleen had come a long way from being the spoiled brat Ericka first met here in Charleston. "But maybe we can hang out later?" she suggested. Ericka nodded, it's not like she was doing anything interesting later.