After the altercation with Riley, Ben hadn't seen hide or hair of her for days and was too busy leading scouting raids to worry about the infuriating woman. The few times he had seen Sackett the man had been distracted, mumbling about a new type of correspondence and dismissing Ben without a thought. When he finally had a minute to himself he made his way to the barn, tired legs dragging him there and swinging open the door.

Sackett glanced up at his entrance and his gaze flicked to Riley who was hunched over a small desk, face pressed to a piece of parchment as she dozed. Ben couldn't help the small smile that found its way onto his face before turning to Sackett.

"Mr. Sackett," he bowed and Sackett nodded at him.

"Major."

"I've been thinking about this, unfortunate situation with Miss Sammis," he kept his voice low as to not wake her.

"Unfortunate indeed. The poor girl has been bored silly."

"I thought she was working with you?"

"Hardly, she is not tolerated to be privy to any information of the ring. I have been trying to keep her busy with administrative tasks, but the majority of my work is of a sensitive nature."

"Does the Commander know?"

Sackett shrugged and turned back to his paper.

"He knows enough. The doctor that treated her upon her arrival told him about her mysterious appearance. I have ensured him that the situation is being handled."

Ben shook his head approached Sackett's desk.

"Do you think we should try and get her back to Long Island? She is convinced that she will be able to find a way back to her time there."

"And if she is a Tory spy? Would that not provide the perfect opportunity for her to run?"

Ben shrugged and gestured to the woman who was still fast asleep.

"If she is, she is certainly the most haphazard tory I've ever met."

Sackett snorted and continued to write.

"I don't think it would be disadvantageous to allow her to train, if only to give her something to do. I suspect the men are starting to talk. God forbid any of them were to find out she is a woman, she should at least have the means to protect herself."

Ben scowled and shook his head.

"I don't believe that's a good idea."

"Yes, you made that very clear the last time you spoke."

"It is not proper place for a woman. If she were to be discovered, we would be unable to protect her. How would it reflect on Washington that he had a woman serving in his army?"

"I doubt very much that she would be discovered, she certainly has the height to pass as a man, as well as the attitude," Sackett smiled at this and Ben shook his head.

"Isn't there anything else you can do to keep her busy?"

Sackett stared at him over his glasses.

"I am doing my best, however now that we know she is not a threat I do not believe that she needs a babysitter. And I would quite like to get my barn, and cot back."

"We still don't know that she isn't a threat. You just said so yourself!"

Sackett looked like he wanted to roll his eyes but resisted. He gestured to where she was sleeping, face stuck to a piece of parchment.

"Yes, she is the epitome of threatening. You know just as well as I do that she is most certainly not for our enemy. What does your gut tell you?"

Ben sighed, knowing that he was right but not wanting to concede so easily.

"Perhaps I will consider the possibility."

"I believe that would be wise, Major."

Ben left the barn, shaking his head and wondering, yet again, how he ended up saddled with this mess.

The next day found Riley sulking, staring out of the barn door as Sackett had her doing more menial tasks. She perked up as Caleb came breezing in, a large package in his arms. He grinned at her before dropping it down onto the desk in front of her.

"Hey Riley, got a present for ya."

She smiled and quickly undid the cloth, her grin widening as she took in the pile of clothing.

"The pants are doeskin, soft as a feather and lightweight so they don't get too hot in the summer. Shirts we lifted off a tory ship, brand new and headed for some rich type on Long Island."

Riley smiled as she ran her hands over the clothing, finally coming to the last piece. A black leather jacket was soft under her fingers and she grinned at Caleb, throwing her arms around him and whispering her thanks.

He let out a laugh and patted her on the back.

"Well, it didn't look like you were leavin anytime soon so I figured why not. At least now you'll be a bit more comfortable."

"I thought I was going to start bleeding from all the scratching. I don't know how you deal with this clothing."

"Ah, it's not exactly easy to get clothing now a days. Continental dollars gone right to hell."

"So how'd you get these? And how do I pay you back?"

He waved her off and shook his head.

"Don't worry about it. I happen to run a bit of a side business on the London Trade."

"What's that?"

"Ah, basically the black market. Both sides are turnin' a blind eye to it."

She grinned at him and nodded.

"Nice. Any chance there's a time machine floating around out there?"

Caleb let out a bark of laughter and shook his head.

"Fraid not. That cuts lookin like it's healing well, huh?"

Her hand came up to the scar on her head and she nodded.

"Yeah, the stitches on my arm finally came out too. Thank god, they were driving me insane."

Caleb nodded and gestured to the barn door.

"Alright, next surprise, follow me."

He lead her out of the barn and through camp, passing hundreds of small dirty tents before coming to an area where the tents were larger. He came to a stop outside of the smallest, dirtiest tent she had ever seen, like a shack in a city of skyscrapers.

"Welcome to yer new home!"

Riley bit her lip as Caleb flipped the flap open and gestured her inside. It was barely tall enough to crouch inside but it had a cot and a stool and a little trunk where she could keep her belongings.

"It's great," her voice was flat and Caleb laughed.

"Yeah, not the prettiest tent we have, but yer right next to Benny boys. This is where the officers stay so it will be a little bit safer than with the rest of the men."

"Alright, if you say so."

"I know it may not seem like it but having a tent to yourself is considered a luxury here."

Riley nodded and tried not to feel ungrateful, this was just another thing she was going to have to get used to.

"Alright, sounds good then."

She placed the new clothing Caleb had gifted her in the small trunk and stepped outside of the tent. Turning when the flap to the much larger tent next to her flipped open. Riley's gaze narrowed as Ben exited his tent.

"Ah, I see Caleb has shown you to your new home at camp."

"Yeah, I was just complimenting it actually."

Caleb snorted and nudged her with his shoulder. Ben recognized her sarcasm but chose to ignore it.

"We've also agreed that if yer gonna be keepin up this ruse that you get the proper training of a soldier."

"We did not agree to anything Caleb, you and Mr. Sackett think- "

"Aye, Benny boy here thinks that you should just be left defenseless to any tory bastard that may find you."

"That is not what I said Caleb, I just think that there is no reason-"

"Do I have any say in this? It is me we are talking about. Or are you so used to making decisions for women without their consent that this doesn't even phase you?"

Ben glared at her and shook his head.

"That is not what I am saying, I just think-"

"Fight me."

"What?" Ben cocked his head as if he couldn't believe the words that came out of her mouth.

Riley sighed and crossed her arms over her chest.

"You heard me, fight me. If you win I won't receive any training and if I win then I do. That's fair."

Ben shook his head.

"This is ridiculous, I am not fighting a woman!"

Riley shrugged.

"I'm serious, name the time and place. Hand to hand, first one to pin the other wins."

Ben gaped at her and shook his head.

"Absolutely not, it's out of the question."

Riley rolled her eyes at him and glanced quickly to Caleb.

"It seems you're the only one who thinks that I'm incapable just because I have boobs, Major Tallmadge."

Ben flushed red and looked around.

"Would you keep your voice down, we are trying to make sure you go unnoticed. And I do not think you are incapable, I just don't believe that it's proper for a woman to be trained in hand to hand."

Riley snorted and shook her head.

"I thought the whole idea of the 'rouse'," she put the word in air quotes, "was to pass me off as a man. How does that make any sense?"

Ben glared at Caleb as he laughed.

"She has a point Benny."

Ben swore and brought a hand up to pinch at the bridge of his nose.

"You know what, fine. But if you are going to be trained it is going to be properly. You will join an incoming unit and drill with them."

Riley smirked and nodded, feeling victorious as pride filled her.

"Sounds good to me."

Riley groaned as she flopped down onto her cot. Her feet ached, legs spasmed and pulsed as she finally got off her feet. The entire day had been spent drilling, constantly walking, turning, about facing. Her unit had begun to train with their muskets and bayonets and spending ten hours on her feet had taken a toll, regardless of the fact that she was used to working out daily. She had been grouped up with a platoon of fresh faced boys, the lot of them looked like they had never held a gun in their lives and were barely past puberty.

She had learned how to reload a musket and had to shake her head at the absolute idiocy that it took. She couldn't imagine standing on a battlefield with no cover, out in the open as she struggled to load the powder and ball, precious minutes wasting away as bullets whizzed by her. She dug her face into the canvas of the cot, nose wrinkling at the smell before flipping onto her back. She haphazardly pushed herself back up and pulled over the washbasin, dipping the washcloth into the cool water and wiping the sweat and grime from her person as best as possible. The light inside the tent grew dimmer and the sounds of the camp settling in for the night soothed her as she laid back down onto the cot, letting her eyes slipped shut as exhaustion overtook her.

The first weeks of her training left her sore and tired, the constant drilling had become no more than a chore and she had to bite her tongue every time the drill sergeant talked about different methods of attacking, none of which involved shielding yourself behind anything useful. Caleb had given her an earful, warning her not to speak out and to blend in as well as she could. She wasn't under the impression that any of the men suspected her, but she still worked hard to keep the pretense up. Her encounters with Major Tallmadge were scarce, no more than a passing nod when their paths crossed at night on the way to their respective tents. Some days she took lunch with Mr. Sackett, the odd man having grown on her since her arrival. He wouldn't speak of it, but she had the feeling that him and the Major were working on something of great significance.

Unsurprisingly, Caleb had been the one to reach out to her the most. He had invited her to share drinks with him around the fire and had taken to including her in a card game every now and again. She got along with the man like a house on fire and many nights found herself laughing along with him as they traded stories of the sea and of nights of over indulgence.

It was an unusually cool night in June and most of the soldiers had retired for the night, however Caleb and her were still lounging around the fire, passing a bottle of stolen rum and a commandeered cigar back and forth.

"So how long have you and Ben known each other?"

Caleb laughed and leaned forward, bracing his arms on his knees and taking a quick inhale of the cigar, releasing the smoke and blowing a few rings.

"Since we were a mere glint in our mother's eye. Both of us grew up in Setauket, small town that it is. Can't remember a time where we weren't helping each other out."

"It's funny, I'd say I can't imagine that you two would be friends considering your differences, but I had friends at home like that."

"Don't let Benny fool you, that boy has a reckless streak a mile wide."

Riley snorted and took a swig from the bottle.

"I'll just have to take your word for it. That man looks like he wouldn't know a good time if it hit him over the head with a four by four."

Caleb chuckled and passed the cigar back to her, swapping it for the bottle of rum.

"What about your friends at home, they all crazy sarcastic arseholes who can wipe the floor with any man they meet?"

Riley grinned and shook her head.

"Nah, surprisingly we were all a bit different. I was the athlete, played lacrosse and soccer. Liz was really into fashion, Alex was the band geek, Jordan was a writer, Ryan was the genius. We were a bit of a breakfast club, really," she trailed off, voice dipping in sadness as Caleb took in her deflated demeanor.

"Why do you speak of them in the past tense."

Riley shrugged and brought the cigar up to her lips.

"We all kind of fell out of touch after… well, let's just say that it wasn't their fault that we went our separate ways."

Caleb knew a hint when he saw one and he changed the subject.

"What is soccer and lacrosse?"

Riley smiled and grabbed for the bottle.

"Soccer is a sport where you have to kick a ball into a net. Lacrosse was invented by the Native Americans and you have a stick with a net on top of it and you throw and catch a ball."

Riley rolled her eyes at herself and shook her head.

"Well, they sound really stupid when I explain it like that."

Caleb laughed and shook his head.

"I think I've seen those lacrosse sticks before. One of our scouts was looking to trade with it."

Caleb watched as Riley perked up.

"Really? How much was he looking for it?"

"Ah, it was a few years ago. Sorry lass."

She sighed but gave him a smile anyway.

"It's alright, I probably wouldn't be able to play with it anyway. The technology and equipment have changed so much."

Caleb opened his mouth to respond but was beat to it by Ben plopping down on the log next to him. Caleb cheered and grabbed the bottle away from Riley to pass it to his friend.

"Ah there he is! What's got you lookin like you want to strangle the next redcoat to cross yer path?"

Ben took a swig out of the bottle and scowled at his friend.

"Nothing I can talk about here."

Riley rolled her eyes and passed the cigar back to Caleb.

"Alright, I'll go then."

Caleb swore at his friend and reached out to stop her as Ben shook her head.

"I'm sorry, Mis-" he cut himself off before looking around, "Riley. It has nothing to do with your presence. It's just such delicate matters should not be discussed in the open."

Riley paused and looked at him, taking his apology for what it was worth and nodding.

"Alright."

Ben gave her a tight smile and passed the bottle back to her.

"How is your training going?"

She shrugged and took another swig.

"At this point, it's getting kind of boring."

Ben's brow creased as he looked at her.

"How so?"

"It's just constant walking and drilling. All they are instructing is how to attack head on. The men," she scoffed at her own words, "The boys I am with are all scrawny and out of shape. The first few weeks were hard but I was training for a lot worse before I ended up here."

"What were you training for?"

"I wasn't training for any one thing in particular. I just… I wanted to be able to protect myself by whatever means necessary. I trained in mixed martial arts and boxing. They were high intensity workouts."

Caleb and Ben nodded as Riley stared into the fire.

"Why did you feel the need to have to protect yourself?"

Riley swallowed past the lump in her throat and gave them a weak smile.

"That's a story for another time."

As time passed Riley came to the conclusion that, for at least the foreseeable future, she was very much stuck in the 18th century. Time passed in a bit of a blur as she watched as battles raged on, men leaving camp never to return was an experience that she was not prepared to handle the first time. She had not been called on to join in any of the battles, but the stench of death that encompassed the camp after one was enough to keep her away anyway.

It was a hot day in July and Riley was miserable. The heat was unrelenting, the sun was beating down on camp and baking anyone who dared stay outside for too long. She had seeked shelter in the barn, listening to Sackett prattle on when Ben had come breezing in, looking haggard and worn, sweat pooling on his brow as he took in the duo.

"Mr. Sackett, there has been an update in the correspondence we were discussing earlier. I have information for Culper that needs to be delivered as soon as possible."

The man looked at Ben from over his spectacles and shook his head.

"Lieutenant Brewster is at the shore monitoring the line. He is not expected back for a few days and I do not have another courier that I can trust with your correspondence."

"I would go, but General Washington is requesting me for a meeting this evening."

Riley rolled her eyes and cleared her throat.

"What about me?"

Ben shook his head and glared as Sackett gave him a coy smile.

"Absolutely not."

"Why not?"

"You do not have any skill on a horse and this needs to get to Caleb with most haste."

Riley narrowed her eyes and stood up.

"How would you know if I have any skill horseback riding?"

Ben tried to reply but she cut him off.

"You don't know. I actually happen to be quite skilled on a horse."

Sackett raised a brow at the two of them.

"This is important information."

"So let me deliver it."

"I.." he trailed off, debating with himself if he truly trusted her with such a task.

"I think you are out of options Major."

Ben swore in defeat and held out the sealed letter, meeting Riley's gaze with his own steely one.

"This must get to Caleb before nightfall and under no means can it fall into enemy hands, do you understand?"

He expected a sarcastic remark and was unprepared for the seriousness in her eyes as she nodded.

"Yes, sir."

Ben nodded and released the letter, watching as she reached into her shirt to tuck it securely against her chest.

"Someone needs to tell me where Caleb is and how to get there."

"Sackett will take care of that," Riley nodded and turned to Sackett but was stopped by Ben's hand on her arm.

"Riley," she held his serious gaze. "Be careful."

She nodded at him and he broke her gaze, slipping out of the barn to the sound of Sackett providing directions.

He watched from a distance as Sackett lead her to the paddock, picking out a large black mare for her mount. It was obvious from the moment that she held her hand out for the mare to sniff that she was accustomed to being around horses. She swung herself onto the horse with an ease that spoke of countless hours in a saddle and took off towards the tree line. Ben watched until the tail of her mare disappeared into the distance.

Riley pushed the mare on the road, Sackett said it was only an hour ride. She kept an eye out for the landmarks that he had described for her, slowing down as she approached a large white farmhouse with a picket fence and swing hanging from a large oak tree. She made the right at the house, just like Sackett said and took off at a gallop, the late afternoon sun beating down on the back of her neck. The air grew slightly cooler the closer she got to shore and she stayed alert, turning off the path at the intended spot and leading her horse through the woods towards the shore. She dismounted as the water came into view and whistled the tune that Sackett taught her to signal her arrival.

The last note had barely passed her lips when Caleb was stepping out from behind a large bush, holstering the pistol that had previously been aimed at her. She tipped her hat back to expose her face and he let out a large breath.

"Jesus Rile, gave me a freakin heart attack. What are you doing here?"

Riley reached inside of her shirt, pulling the slightly damp parchment out and handing it to Caleb. His eyes widened comically as he tore into the letter. He swore and raked his fingers through his beard, looking from the letter back to her.

"Shite."

Riley would have laughed if it not for the annoyed look on his face.

"What's wrong."

"I gotta get this to Setauket as soon as possible."

Riley nodded and gestured to her horse.

"Do you need me to tell Ben anything?"

He shook his head and looked out to the Sound.

"No, but I can't escort you back right now."

Riley laughed and crossed her arms over her chest.

"I got here all by myself, I'll be fine getting back too."

Caleb gave her a look and swore again.

"You be careful you hear me? The road at night is nowhere for a lady to be found."

Riley rolled her eyes.

"Good thing I'm not a lady then."

"I'm serious Riley, not everyone in Connecticut is sympathetic to the cause. There's a pretty price for any captured Continental spies."

She rested a hand on his shoulder and looked him in the eye, giving him a small smile to try and provide him with some piece of mind.

"I'll be fine Caleb, don't worry about me. You have to get that to Long Island."

He nodded and brought her head down to place a kiss on her forehead.

"Thank you for bringin this, may have just saved a whole lot of lives."

She smiled and nodded.

"Go."

She turned and grabbed her horse by the reins, bringing her over to a small stream so she could drink. She fed the mare an apple and remounted, taking off at a trot back up the road whence she came. The sun was starting to set and she let her mind wander as she moved along the road. It had been well over a half an hour and she still hadn't come across the farmhouse. In fact, nothing looked familiar as she took in her surroundings. A cold chill went up her spine at the thought and she cursed the 18th century and the lack of Google Maps.

She brought her horse to a halt and looked around, dread settling like a ball in the pit of her stomach when not a single thing around her held any familiarity. She took a few deep breaths and forced herself to calm down. She looked towards where the sun was setting in the sky and tried to think logically. The sun set in the West, she was on the coast of Connecticut and she had traveled east to get to Caleb's location. All she had to do was backtrack and then travel west along the road that she must have missed. She turned her mare around to venture back down the road but stopped, horror slipping down her spine at the movement from the end of the road.

She could see them in a distance, the setting sun illuminating their red coats, giving them the appearance of a burning inferno. She swore and turned the mare back around, digging her heels into her sides and taking off away from the group of soldiers, the sounds of them yelling for her to halt echoing in the distance. She didn't look behind her but a bullet whizzed past her ear and she ducked closer to the horse urging her on faster, the sound of hoofbeats approached behind her as she raced for her life.