Falling Skies Invasion Alone

Should I Be Worried?

A/N So in the start of the ep Door Number Three, Ben has the kinda weird dream about him and Maggie. In that dream he deals with some guilt about what he's doing to Hal, so I figured he'd have some guilt about what he's doing to Cassie too, so he overcompensates. So Cassie is right to be a lil bit worried

I felt a hand graze my hair, pulling it softly. My throat gave out a soft moan as I stirred from what I hoped was just a nap.

"Cassie." I heard Ben's voice by my ear, felt his lips press softly to the side of my neck.

I took a deep, sleepy breath and raised my head from the worktop. Blinking away my fatigue, my dry eyes took in the scene. I was perched on one of the stools, leaning over the worktop in the medic lab. My hand was still clutching the stopwatch I had started...five hours and seventeen minutes before. "Oh man." I dragged my hand over my face and squeezed my eyes.

"You must have fallen asleep in the middle of something." Ben plucked the timer from my hand and stopped it before laying it back down. "What were you doing?"

I thought quickly and when I remembered, I didn't know if I wanted to tell him. I felt his warm hand stroke my back and it occurred to me how touchy feely he was being. We hadn't had time to be close like that, there was no opportunity. "Just tests." I shrugged, knowing he would have just been annoyed if I told him I had cut my arm and was trying to time how long until it completely healed. I was just grateful there was no blood on the worktop. I must have fallen asleep before it finished healing.

"How are you feeling? I didn't expect you to be up. I thought you would still be sleeping." I stood up from my stool.

"Maggie woke me." His hand caught my arm before I could walk away.

"Maggie woke you? Why?" I questioned as he held up my hands and entwined my fingers with his. His eyes darted to the left, weirdly, which was his tell that he was dodging something. "Why?" I pressed him, squeezing my thumb into his hand a little more.

"The Overlord is gone." Ben stated with a sigh. Before I could even get out my incredulous 'WHY?' he spoke over me. "We don't know. Maggie woke me up to tell me. We think Lexi got Lourdes to let him go. Anthony got hit over the head and the thing was gone."

"Lourdes did it?" I shook my head in slight disbelief. Whatever connection there was between her and Lexi, it was definitely running deep. She was putty in Alexis' hands.

"We think so." He pulled me close to him, a hand gripping my hips and pulling me tight. My head buzzed a little bit in confusion.

In the face of that confusion, my mouth reacted with a laugh. "What are you doing? You're telling me there's an Overlord on the loose because Lexi ordered Lourdes to let him go and you're doing this?" I motioned to his wandering hand.

He broke out into a grin. A real beam of a smile that I hadn't seen towards me since I got back from wherever the hell I was. He let go of my hand and ran his hand through my hair, tugging a little on my ponytail. "I really love you."

Again, another laugh, when he brushed his nose against mine. "I know you do. But right now?"

With a soft groan, he gave up waiting and grabbed my thighs, hoisting my up onto the worktop. He made me closer to his level, easier to kiss. And kiss me he did. Ben stepped between my legs, wrapping them around his waist as he shrugged out of his jacket. My hands clutched at the black top he had on, my body reacting to him kissing me so hard, so intensely. His hands were everywhere, pulling me so close.

There was a part of me that felt like we shouldn't be doing anything: Lexi was still...volatile, we had things to focus on. But the other part of me was just incredibly happy to get affection and feel close to Ben on a scale similar to how we used to be. And that part of me was in control.