Chapter 8

Hal and Grace scoured the airport for their brother, but there was no sign of him. After what happened to Jimmy, Grace's mind was racing. What if he had gone back out there? What if the skitters circled back and found him? Hal tried to reassure her, reminding her that there were still plenty of places around the airport they hadn't searched yet, but her concerns were hard to pacify. In the end, Hal took his bike to search the west side, while Grace went back to check on Jimmy.

She was relieved to find Ben there, sitting over Jimmy's bed. He must have snuck back in while they were out looking for him. The bus was silent as he watched Jimmy sleep. From Jimmy's peaceful expression, a bystander wouldn't have thought he was fighting for his life.

"Ben," Grace said gently. "We've been looking all over for you."

He turned around to look at her briefly before focusing back on his friend. "I went for a walk," he replied. "Staring at this thing." He raised Jimmy's compass to Grace's view.

She smiled sadly. "Remember when Weaver gave that to him?"

"Yeah. He was furious at Jimmy for getting lost out there."

"So was I! I spent two days looking for him!"

"I remember - you practically screamed at him when we found him in that old factory."

"He looked so guilty. I couldn't stay mad at him."

"He hated you being mad at him."

Her smile eased away as she stood over Ben. She couldn't help noticing his use of the past tense, his despondent expression. It seemed like he was grieving already.

"Ben, I don't want you to blame yourself over this. I should have turned us back. It was my responsibility."

"Why? Because you're my big sister?" he retorted. "That didn't matter to me. You heard what I said - nothing was going to make me turn back. I forced you and Jimmy to hunt those skitters."

She sat down opposite him, frowning. "You didn't force us...I wanted to do it. The idea of hunting those things, turning the tables on them - I was actually excited by it. I'm sure Jimmy felt the same. I saw his face when he was showing me those dragon breath rounds. It's not your fault."

"Everyone else thinks so."

"Who?"

"Everyone. Even Dad, Hal. It's the way they look at me."

"Don't be stupid. They don't blame you."

"Yes they do," Ben snapped. "And so do I."

Grace sighed, watching the sadness in his eyes. "No matter what you do, we will always be here for you," Grace assured him. "Including now. This whole situation...it really sucks. But I'm here." She paused, her gaze settling on Jimmy again. "I guess it would be nice to know that you're here for me too." She sniffed, swallowing back the lump in her throat. "I think I'm gonna need you. All of you. I can't deal with you and Hal fighting anymore. With you thinking everyone's against you. I'm trying to understand. I'm trying to help. But I need you to help me too….Can you do that?"

His eyes raised to meet hers, his expression softening. A long second passed. Then the corner of his lips twitched into a small, sympathetic smile. "Of course I can," he said quietly.

She smiled appreciatively through teary eyes.

"There you two are."

Grace looked up to see Tom walking down the bus towards them. He seemed relieved to find Ben safe and sound, but also a little flustered. His sudden presence was followed by a commotion outside the med bus, like a crowd of people mumbling and muttering in unison.

"What's going on out there?" asked Grace.

"You missed it," replied Tom. "A woman in a plane just landed outside. Avery Churchill. Says she's from Charleston."

"Charleston? What's in Charleston?"

"Apparently, the new U.S. government," said Tom. "A central command for all post-invasion militias, including the Second Mass if we choose to join them."

Grace got to her feet, intrigued. "Well, that sounds amazing," she beamed. "You think she's for real?"

"I'm not sure," admitted Tom. "She seems genuine enough. Captain Weaver isn't convinced though."

"If it's true...it changes everything," said Grace. "We might have a real shot of taking back our planet."

"She's outside right now talking to everyone. Why don't you see for yourself what she has to say?"

She shot a brief look at Ben, who seemed generally disinterested in the news of a potential new refuge. Instead, he continued staring at Jimmy's compass. She looked back towards Tom who gave her an encouraging nod. He would look after Ben. She smiled at him and headed out the bus, eager to see this Avery woman in the flesh.

Avery Churchill was a confident woman with short blonde hair and an infectiously positive attitude. When Grace found her outside the med bus, she was standing up on one of the picnic benches with a huge crowd around her, enchanting everyone with her promise of a safe haven that was apparently home to over three thousand people.

"I'm not saying it's a paradise," she declared to the many faces staring up at her. "Far from it. But there are people all helping each other. And there's electricity and hot water."

"There's hot water?" Dai asked keenly. Grace had to agree that the thought of not having to bathe in ice-cold water was certainly enticing.

"How is that possible with all those people?" someone else asked.

"All I know is that every day, we get a little closer to normal. I mean before I left, I went to a wedding!" Avery chirped.

Grace raised an eyebrow. 'Normal' seemed a little bit of a stretch, but she could deal with a 'new normal'. It certainly sounded promising anyway, and it filled her with a little bit of hope when Avery said that they had made contact with other parts of the world. For once since this all started, their little piece of humanity didn't feel so alone.

She saw her father join the crowd. She could tell he was hopeful too. After Avery's speech, everyone was gathered around asking her questions, including Hal, Matt and herself.

"Are there kids in Charleston?" asked Matt excitedly.

She grinned at him. "Yes, plenty! And we have schools too."

"And you have enough food and supplies for everyone?" questioned Grace.

Avery nodded. "We're currently exploring food production with hydroponics."

"And you have doctors, scientists?" Hal added.

Avery chuckled, finding their bombardment of questions amusing. "Yes! Honestly, I'd prefer to show you in person."

"Sounds too good to be true," Grace remarked, folding her arms. "We've been promised paradise before only to be sold out to the enemy." She felt bile in her throat once again at the unpleasant memory of Lieutenant Clayton and his heinous deal with the skitters.

"It's a leap of faith, I'll give you that," smiled Avery. "But I promise you'll regret it if you don't see for yourself."

Grace narrowed her eyes at her. She stared at Avery, watching her baffled smile. Honestly, Grace had a good enough vibe from her, but she would always be careful around strangers - especially after what happened the last time. They had been too trusting in the past and they'd paid the price.

"What's your name?" Avery asked her.

"Grace Mason."

"Mason…" Avery repeated, as if she'd heard the name before. "Oh, so you're the girl who got abducted?"

She almost laughed. Was that her legacy? The few hours she had spent on an alien ship before her dad had to rescue her?

Avery's eyes widened slightly in realisation. "So your father is…"

"Tom Mason," Tom introduced, appearing beside them as he extended his hand to Avery. "We weren't properly introduced earlier."

The pilot shook his hand eagerly. "I've heard a lot about you, Professor Mason. You've got some story."

"Oh?"

"Until now I hadn't met one person who was taken aboard an alien mother ship and lived to talk about it," said Avery, her face lighting up. "Now I have two right in front of me! It's a brave story, you leaving on that ship to save your teenage daughter."

"It happened," replied Tom modestly. "Doesn't make it a story."

"We need people like you in Charleston, Tom, to help rebuild this country."

Tom shook his head. "I'm just a history teacher."

Grace almost rolled her eyes. She knew over this past year, her father had proved himself to be much more than that. Avery could see it too.

"And I was a manager at the Carpet Corral," Avery told him. "But look at me now. I'm Paul Revere in a prop plane. Don't sell yourself short. These people don't."

Grace flashed a small smile at her father, as if to reinforce Avery's words. She may have been a stranger, but she was right. If this Charleston base was real, it would need Tom Mason.

Avery walked away and Grace gave her father a playful shrug. "She's not wrong."

"You think we should go?" he asked her.

"It's definitely an attractive offer," Hal said, taking a sip from his coffee cup.

"Can we go?" Matt begged, tugging on his father's jacket. "I never thought I'd miss school, but it sounds fun there!"

Tom looked a little uncertain.

"Alright, shrimp," Hal chuckled, pulling Matt away. "It's way past your bedtime."

"Aw!"

Their father gave Hal a grateful nod. As Hal walked Matt back to their tent, Tom and Grace strolled across the hangar together.

"What do you think?" he asked her sincerely.

Grace glanced back at Avery who was still busily chatting with people, though she was beginning to look tired. "Honestly? I have a good feeling about her. I'm not sure I trust her a hundred per cent but...Dad, if it's true? That's pretty incredible."

"I thought the same thing," he looked up and smiled at her. "I think we should go."

"And if Weaver doesn't let us?"

He looked down for a moment, gently pulling at the frayed string on his gloves. "That's looking pretty likely at the moment. But the Second Mass is our home. We should go wherever they go."

"Agreed."

He smiled at her again, patting her shoulder, when Grace noticed a change in his expression. The smile dropped into a look of concern. He was looking at something behind her.

"What?"

It was the med bus. She could see a lot of movement through the open door. In all the excitement, she had almost forgotten about Jimmy's condition, but now it looked like he was in trouble.

She quickly followed Tom onto the bus, alarmed to see that Anne was doing chest compressions on Jimmy.

"What happened?" asked Tom, approaching behind Anne.

Anne was breathless as she steadily pushed down on the boy's chest. Lourdes was at his head, pumping air into his lungs with a ventilator mask.

Ben stood next to them, watching helplessly. "He...he stopped breathing."

"What?" Grace tried to get closer to Jimmy, to at least see his face, but Tom pulled her back.

"C'mon Jimmy," panted Anne, continuing the compressions. "Come on."

Grace winced; she could hardly watch. The compressions looked painful, but she willed Anne to try harder. Jimmy wasn't waking up. She watched helplessly as the doctor desperately tried to save his life.

And then...she slowed down.

"Why are you stopping?" Grace demanded. Tom stood behind her, putting his hand on her shoulder. Grace could see it in Anne's face. She was giving up. They were all giving up. She couldn't accept it. She couldn't let this be the moment she lost him. "Keep going!"

"Grace, I'm sorry…"

"No…" Ben whispered. "He can't be…"

"He's gone," Anne confirmed, still catching her breath.

Ben stared at her, speechless.

"No!" Grace cried. A long, excruciating sob that could surely be heard across the hangar. "No!"

It felt wrong, like a cruel joke. Like a bad dream. She stared at Jimmy's pale body for a long moment, as if he would spring up at any second, winking at her and yelling 'surprise!'

But he was still; lifeless. Her legs became weak. Her heart pounded.

She collapsed beside him, letting the tears flow down her face. She touched his cheek, still warm. Still Jimmy. That brave, cheeky boy who was in love with her. The orphaned boy who'd lost everything but still fought alongside her, cracking jokes and making her laugh. She could hardly believe he was gone, just like that. Like it was nothing. She buried her head into the side of his arm, weeping into him.

Her best friend. Gone forever.