Disclaimer: I do not own any of thePatriot characters, nor The Patriot. I do not gain any profit for writing this story. Ido own Catriona Johanson and two more upcoming characters.

Chapter 1

Cat Johanson couldn't believe it. She had been exploring the woods to find the fawn she had seen minutes ago. Now she was facing a historical plantation home that was surrounded by men dressed in red uniforms, mounted up on magnificent horses. Wagons were sitting a few feet from the riders, some were filled with supplies while others were full with wounded soldiers. Most of the men on horseback, however, were wearing green uniforms with tall, black, fluffy helmets.

Frowning in confusion, Cat edged forward slightly, straining her ears to hear what was being said. As she got closer, the faces became more definable.

"I'll be damned!" Cat whispered in disbelief with her green eyes wide in wonder.

There before her was Benjamin Martin, known to her as Mel Gibson. Yes, Mel Gibson. Cat was from the twenty-first century. How she ended up in the eighteenth century was a complete and utter mystery to her. Now that she was here she thanked God that she was a history fanatic and historical romance novel reader. It didn't hurt that she loved The Patriot. She just hoped she didn't get herself killed. Crouching low, she spotted a man on horseback, pointing a pistol at Ben Martin. His hair was dark and tied back. He was straight and tall in his saddle, his attention focused on the man at the point of his pistol. Cat recognized him immediately. Lieutenant Colonel William Tavington. 'The Butcher' among the patriots. Cat knew what was happening and what was going to happen, but knew she couldn't stop it. It could, somehow, change history. Ben Martin needed to fight and this was the fire under his bottom to get him running.

Resigned to just watching passively, Cat focused on the scene before her.

Gabriel Martin had moved forward to protect his father, but then he made the mistake of letting one revealing word slip by his lips, "Father."

"Oh... so he's your son." A dark eyebrow rose."You should have taught him about loyalty."

"Colonel, I beg you, please reconsider. By the rules of war, a dispatch rider with a marked case..." Ben Martin began just to be interrupted.

Tavingtons' horse shifted, but he quickly brought it under control, his pistol steadily trained on Martin, who was looking desperate, yet trying to remain calm.

"Would you like a lesson in the rules of war?" Tavington coldly interrupted.

Martin remained silent, eyeing the Colonel, waiting for him to pull the trigger. "Bad move, Mister Martin." Cat thought sadly.

Tavington moved his horse forward a few steps and shifted his pistol towards the Martin children.

"Perhaps your children would." Tavington sounded almost pleasant, but the cold malice in his cold blue eyes denied that any pleasant feelings were harbored inside the Colonel.

Martin jumped in front of the children, arms spread out as he swallowed thickly. All the children, except for Thomas Martin, were frightened. Abigale, the black servant, was clutching the little ones to her with desperation.

"No lesson is necessary." Ben Martin's voice shook slightly.

Tavington moved his blue eyes over the terrified children and smiled slightly in amusement. 'A smirk, really.' Cat thought. 'Tavington would never smile.' He holstered his gun pistol as a redcoat tied Gabriel Martin's hands.

"Father, do something." Thomas Martin beseeched, his body stiff with rage as he watched his brother being tied.

Martin remained still and silent as Thomas's rage increased. His eyes moved from his brother to the woods and Cat froze. He was almost looking right at her! 'He can't see me. It's still too far and I'm hidden... sort of.' Cat remained still as stone, unaware that she was holding her breathe.

The breath that she had been holding whooshed out as Thomas began running, throwing himself at the two redcoats that were holding Gabriel. For such a small person, he knocked the soldiers down to the ground.

"Gabriel! Run!" Thomas shouted.

Cat tensed, watching as Gabriel stood frozen as Tavington swiftly drew his pistol and fired, hitting Thomas in the back. Thomas was thrown to his knees by the balls' impact. He stared down at the massive exit wound in his chest in shock and bittersweet confusion.

His father caught him before he fell and gently eased him to the ground. Gabriel gave an anguished cry as the children stared in shocked silence at their brother, while Abigale wept bitterly behind them.

The redcoats were frozen, like Gabriel, in disbelief, while the dragoons remained impassive and silent, having seen much worse. Martin held his son, staring down at the wound, anguish written deeply over his face. Martin looked up into Tavington's cold eyes, hatred clear in his dark gaze.

Tavington stared at the boy. "Stupid boy." His voice was scornful and sharp as a knife.

He turned his horse around and galloped away, his dragoons thundering after him.

Rising, Cat gave one last sympathetic look at the Martin family before running after the Green Dragoons. She knew she would never be able to keep up nor outrun healthy muscled horses, but she had a clever mind and was brought up to use it. Trailing them, Cat bent swiftly, picking up a good sized rock, easy to throw and loud enough to make a noise, while running and threw it into the woods in front of her, near the rear dragoon horses. The men gave shouts as they began to slow, staring hard into the woods. Cat watched in amused awe as the rest of the dragoons slowed in a chain reaction.

Tavington, with a mildly impatient look, rode to the rear men.

"What is it?" He demanded with a glare.

Cat slowed to silent crawl, trying to slow her breathing as she watched Captain Bordon come to a halt behind Tavington.

"We heard a noise in the woods, sir." One brave man said with hesitant tone.

"A noise?" Tavington repeated bitingly. "For all we know, it could have been an animal, Sergeant."

Cat came to a stop and straightened her shoulders. With a quick prayer upwards, she marched out of the woods, heading straight for Tavington. Men noticed her and stared at her. Some were looking at her in suspicion and others were leering at her suggestively. 'Gross.' Cat groaned. Bordon noticed the shift of attention and stiffened as he caught sight of her.

"Sir, we have company." He nodded in Cat's direction.

Tavington turned and narrowed his eyes at her. He turned his horse and trotted over to her. Cat stopped walking and tilted her head back to look at him.

"Good Afternoon, Sir! I hate to bother you, but are you on your way to Fort Carolina? I could go by foot, but if it isn't a bother for you, may I ride with one of your men?" Cat asked, pleasantly, wishing he would back way a little or get off the horse. Her neck was starting to ache.

"Who are you?" Tavington asked, staring down at her with knowing cold eyes. The bastard knew her neck wasn't comfortable and he was enjoying her discomfort. Cat gritted her teeth, but kept a outwardly calm face.

"I'm Catriona Johanson. And yes, I'm a loyalist." 'When the situation calls for me to be,' Cat added silently.

Tavington's eyes narrowed, distrust clearly written in his eyes. "What is your business at Fort Carolina?"

"That, Sir, is none of your affair." Car said primly with narrowed eyes.

Tavington's gaze sharpened and gleamed with ire. Who the hell was this woman? She was dressed in some kind of britches and tight shirt that left nothing to a man's imagination. A camp whore? Like we need another trollop lazying about,' Tavington thought with a sneer.

"Bordon, this... female will ride with you."

Tavington turned his horse and rode forward through the dragoons to the front, where he waited impatiently. Cat watched Bordon ride up and offer a hand. Cat grasped his hand, placed a boot clad foot on his shiny left boot and pushed off the ground, swinging her right leg over the horse. Bordon sat stiffly in shock. A woman never rode astride a horse. It was improper! Cat gripped Bordon's sides lightly, before leaning to the left slightly to enquire politely, "Sir? Would you prefer me not to ride with you?"

Bordon shook his head, still puzzling over the strange woman. "No, Miss. Tis no trouble, but a pleasure."

Cat snorted, "Riding with two people is uncomfortable for the horse and the riders. It also slows the horse. I imagine you wouldn't mind seeing me thrown off."

Bordon was shaking his head in denial when Cat lifted a hand and patted his shoulder.

"I'm teasing, Sir." Cat consoled, smiling softly from behind him. Bordon really was an easy target.

Borden just nodded in puzzlement and rode up after Tavington with Wilkins following behind, distrustful eyes on Cat's back. Cat gripped Borden's sides and discreetly, or ashamedly, watched Tavington, over Borden's shoulder.

They were riding hard, dust flying up and around. Cat studied the back of the dark aristocratic head and began to plan. She would travel with Tavington with Cornwallis's permission, if she could convince him. How to convince a general? Cat chewed on her lower lip, her mind drawing a dark blank. She turned her head and watched all the dragoons thundering behind her. That was when she noticed the mud on their uniforms. Mud and ...? She turned back to Bordon and inspected his jacket. Blood! That's it! She was going to convince Cornwallis that she was a nurse then hint that the dragoon would benefit from having a travel nurse. Less men lost in battle and raids, if any was lost at all during the latter.

'Good thing I was studying to be an R.N. in the future,' she thought ruefully.

Soon Cat saw a fence coming into view in the front of them that was at least ten feet tall with spiked top ends. Ahead of her and Bordon, Tavington was slowing. Ahead of him was the fence doors acting as the headquaters defense. They opened as a voice from above called down, "The Lord General is waiting for you, Colonel."

Tavington rode through, not acknowledging the watchmans' words. Cat glanced up and waved merrily at the bewildered man, who just stared at her as Bordon rode in after Tavington. Cat, even though she was in the past in the middle of a war no less, was humming with excitement. Her head was swinging back and forth, trying to take everything in. Tents were up, shouts and bellows of laughter filled the air as horses neighed and stomped around her. Men were staring at her curiously and other were rudely leering at her. Cat sneered at them as she raised her chin, trying to look haughty, but failed as she caught sight of the mansion that the British had commandeered for the war as Cornwallis's headquarters. It was breathtaking. Cat reluctantly jerked her eyes from it to glance at Bordon, who had brought the horse to a halt. Cat placed a hand on Bordon's left shoulder before lifting up off the horse and swinging her leg up and away before bringing it down from the horse to the ground. Bordon shook his head and dismounted after her.

She turned and walked up to Tavington., who was watching her with a frown. Cat smiled at him as she came to a stop in front of him.

"Lead the way, Sir."

Tavington ignored her and looked over her head towards a person behind her, which wasn't hard to do for she was only about five feet tall.

"Take the horses and give them water and a good rub down."

"Yes, Sir."

Cat recognized Bordon's voice behind her as she folded her arms while raising a dark eyebrow at Tavington. Tavington turned and began striding towards the mansion. Cat followed, practically running to keep up for she had short legs. Cat followed him inside and down a hall towards the end, where they turned right into a large and lavishly decorated room. Inside behind a large desk sat a man in a white curled wig, studying papers. Another man was in the room by the windows, hands clasped behind his back, shoulders pushed back in rigidity.

Tavington strode into the room with a confidence that seemed to be escaping Cat as she followed him.

The man behind the desk looked up at Tavington coldly. "Colonel"

Tavington stopped a few feet from the desk and bowed slightly at the waist. "Lord General."

"How have you faired?"

"Excellently, My Lord. We have also acquired a person... a woman to be precise. She hailed us from the woods."

"A woman? Who is she?"

Cat nimbly stepped around Tavington, smiling warmly at Lord Cornwallis.

"I'm Catriona Johanson. Yes, I'm a loyalist and I think you can use my help."

A/N:

1. I will be using the movie and the script actions and words for my story. Either they will be mixed up or one will be used for a certain scene and the other for another.

2. This story in a WIP, so please bare with me and be patient. I write whenever I can and I'm also working on another Patriot fic, so my extra time is divided. I will update as fast and punctually as I am able.

3. Please give me feedback. Reviews are a writers best friend. Throw me praise and criticism. It will help me see what you guys like and hate and help me better my writing.