Author's Note: Wow, I've been gone a long time! Well, here's the next chapter. Kind of short, but it leads into the next one, where something big happens! Any guesses? Whoever guesses it right, I will write in as a character in the coming chapters! :)

I woke up with a sharp, unpleasant pounding in my head and a high pitched keening in my ears. Groggily, I stretched my limbs out, trying to ascertain exactly what I had done the previous night to make me feel so awful. Feeling sticky and gross, I pushed the covers off and made to get cleaned up when it all came back.

I had been disgustingly drunk the night before- at Pope's nest of all places. And then- of course! Ben had carried me back to my quarters where- Oh God! I must have babbled and if I'd said anything about...

I actually couldn't remember. You always assume when people talk of drunkenly "blacking out" that they're exaggerating- but they aren't. I couldn't remember anything.

Having opened my eyes, I knew Ben wasn't in my room and the panic welled into my chest until it was hard to think. I threw on clothes- I had still been wearing my filthy clothes from the day before- and bolted out the door, ignoring the guard when he waved to me.

I felt horrified with myself all over again. It was one thing for me to carry the guilt of what had happened with Hal myself, but a whole other, much worse thing for Ben to know. He would feel betrayed, I know, even though there wasn't anything going on between us now.

I hoped beyond hope that I'd kept my mouth shut. Even if I'd embarrassed myself- so be it! That was better than the alternative, which happened to be hurting him in this case.

A tiny niggling voice in the back of my head said that I'd hurt Hal too, but I chalked that up to my near hysteria and kept walking.

If he didn't know...well, everyone would be acting normal, right? He would be sitting there with Hal, maybe with Maggie ot Deni too, and he would be joking around in that sort of dry way of his. This was what I told myself as I neared the huge cafeteria of Charleston.

When I got inside, my stomach dropped- something was clearly wrong. I could see Deni getting some ice and a cloth from Weaver's daughter by the stations of food. Peering around the corner, I searched for Ben quickly and was not pleased with what I found.

Hal was sitting at a table by himself and he seemed to be sporting a bright red mark across the left side of his face- which seemed to be turning purplish blue alarmingly fast.

"W-what happened?" I managed as I neared the table. Hal looked up at me, his face a contortion of pain.

"Ben," he said quietly when I'd gotten close enough to hear. "He knows what happened. He was...furious. I've never seen him lose control like that."

"He...hit you?" I asked, almost stuttering, not believing that Ben would do that. In all the times I'd imagined him finding out, I'd never thought he'd get...like that with Hal.

"Yes, pretty sure," Hal said cheekily, and then his expression grew more serious. "You should probably find him and talk to him, if you can. You're probably the only one who can really get to him, as weird as that seems in this situation."

"Okay," I said numbly. "I'll talk to him if I see him. Do you...know where he might be?"

Hal shook his head no and Deni came back with the ice at that point, effectively ending our conversation. Mutely, I turned to leave, maybe to try and find the middle Mason son.

As I had turned to go forward in my search, I ran into Tom Mason himself.

"Oh, Mr. Mason, I'm sorry!" I exclaimed, taking a few steps back.

"Oh, it's okay, Audria," he said, giving me a small smile. There was a crease in his forehead that gave away his stress- although when wasn't he stressed, being the president of the new United States. He continued talking, "I was actually coming to find you. I'd like to talk to you in my office when you get the chance."

"Oh, oh, of course, Mr. Mason," I replied cheerfully, though I was actually nervous about what it could possibly be about.

He gave that tight smile again, and motioned for me to follow him.

"There's going to be a mission in a couple days, a raid on an important alien location. I can't tell you much about it," Tom said, with a peculiar tone to his voice.

"So...what? Are you trying to tell me Ben and Hal will be on the mission?" I asked, narrowing my eyebrows at the former professor.

"No, no," he shook his head. Clearly I wasn't understanding anything he was saying. "No, I meant...Audria, we want you on this mission."

"Really?" I asked, my eyes lighting up.

"Yes. Captain Weaver and I have discussed it and...it seems to be in your own best interest to have you there. I know you can handle being kept out of the loop on daily tasks, much as you might complain, but I felt like it would be wrong to leave you out of something like this," he explained. "So we decided that you could come along, so long as you stay with Hal. Not Ben, Audria. Hal, and don't leave his side the entire mission."

I quirked my head to the side, and asked quietly, "Why Hal and not Ben?"

He blinked slowly, trying to gather his thoughts obviously, and then answered, "Because of what happened between my sons this morning."

I blushed at the thought of Tom knowing what had happened, and replied, "That might just...make Ben angry though, me staying with Hal."

"Maybe, but it's better than you guys getting into a serious discussion when you need to be fighting."

I bit my lip, and nodded, clearly embarrassed. What could I say to the man whose son I had practically cheated on with his other son? Nothing. Regardless of the fact that he was my father figure, he wasn't my actual father. I didn't think he could see it from my side.

As I started walking out, Tom spoke again.

"That's another thing. Don't feel bad about what happened, Audria," he said, and he was smiling when I turned around. "I really do think of you as a daughter, regardless of your relationships with any of my sons." His voice got serious. "I knew about you and Hal when it was happening. Saw you guys together by accident- don't worry, nothing too horrible." The small smile came back and little creases formed around his eyes.

"Really? You knew?" I said in surprise, my voice edging higher.

He nodded slowly. "The way I saw it, both of my sons cared about you, and that was enough for me. How your relationships worked out with Ben and Hal wasn't my business. As long as you all find a happy agreement..."

I nodded, smiling at him finally, just the tiniest, wimpiest quirk of my lips. I couldn't help but feel terrible.

"Really, though. Just talk to Ben, and everything will be fine. Although...I'd advise you to talk to Hal too, maybe...clear the air. I know enough to know when my son is conflicted."

With that, he turned back to the work on his desk, and I took that as my cue to leave.