ONE

He met up with the girl while he was running away from his past. She was running away from home which was basically the same thing. They exchanged first names only; Miles and Charlie. He teased her about it being a boy's name. She taunted him by saying Miles wasn't even a real name anyway. Miles liked her gumption and asked how old she was. She lied and told him she was almost 18. He laughed and said he was much older.

Miles told her she could travel with him if she could keep up. Not only could Charlie keep up, she kept him on his toes. The girl was already a skilled hunter and tracker; better than him by a far stretch. Charlie kept them going when Miles would have quit all together. There weren't many people he admired in this world but Charlie was certainly one of them. Between them they worked out a decent system. Charlie kept them fed while Miles dealt with any bandits that were out there.

TWO

She had staying power; Miles had to give her that. It was a full six months before she crawled into his bed. Miles wasn't known for turning down woman (willing or no) but he liked this girl and they had a good thing going. Miles had a bad habit of screwing things up when sex was involved so he pushed her away.

But it was her persistence he admired and she was no different in this. Every night she came to his bedroll and did her best to seduce him. It would be funny if it wasn't wearing on him so much. Miles had his limits. And had never been known for his celibacy.

So he struck a deal with here that he would take her when she was eighteen. Just to be sure this was what she wanted. Two weeks later, she told him it was her 18th birthday. He had her three times that night.

She was 17.

He was 43.

THREE

Not long after that, wandering around lost its appeal. The forest floor was not as comfortable or romantic as the movies used to make it seem. So Miles dragged Charlie to Chicago and they started a bar. Charlie accused him of wanting more booze. Miles was hardly going to deny it. So they settled in Chicago where he made the booze and she bussed the tables. After the customers left for the night, they retired to the king sized bed on the third floor. IT was a quiet existence until the past decided to walk through the door.

The blonde woman and her companions weren't the usual sort of customers they got around here but only the young boy was military so Miles was only too happy to dismiss them. Until Charlie came to the counter for drinks and between one thing and another, the whole ugly truth spilled out.

Miles had been writing Ben, that's how the other man knew how to find him. But he had never referred to Charlie by name in any of the letters, just called her his girlfriend. And Ben had never mentioned his daughter was even missing. There had been no reason to suspect anything on anyone's part.

Miles had done a lot of bad things in his life. He never thought banging his niece would be one of them. But, true to his nature, he couldn't really say he regretted it.

He and Charlie retreated to their bedroom to process. Miles offered an out. Her one chance to tell him to fuck off and go her own way. Charlie responded with the filthiest kiss they had ever share. It was answer enough for him. Anyone else that had a problem with it could answer to his sword. That included his nephew, though he didn't tell Charlie that.

FOUR

Turned out, getting Danny was the easy part. Everything that came after was much more difficult. The boy took their relationship with ease. He was happy as long as his sister was happy. Their mother however…

Rachel ranted until she was blue in the face. Then she caught her breath and ranted some more. Miles tuned her out somewhere along the two minute mark but it was clear she had an axe to grind and they were all going to listen to it. Charlie shut her up with a well-timed slap and a few choice words about her parenting skills. Rachel fired back with a few choice words about Miles' choices. Charlie let the words roll like water off a duck's back. She had made her choice and she was happy, no going back. Then the bullets started flying again and just like that they were back into the thick of the fight without any real closure on any point. And worse news yet to come.

Nora had been giving them both the cold shoulder since she joined up with the group but as she watched Miles comfort Charlie after Danny's death, she thawed. Miles made his care for Charlie clear in his actions if not his words. And that was what Miles Matheson was all about. Deeds mattered to him, not statements. His deeds showed that he would do anything for Charlie. Take on Monroe singlehandedly if he had to.

FIVE

The tower changed nothing and everything at the same time. Nora was lost and so was most of the East coast. Rachel's mind was pretty much gone with an unclear view on whether or not it would return. Miles didn't like Rachel but he didn't want her wandering around half crazy either. So they went to Texas, Miles and Charlie not even bothering to tone down their relationship.

They didn't even stop when they got to Willoughby. Charlie introduced herself as Miles' lover and the look in her eye dared Gene to argue. He didn't of course. (Miles might have been responsible for Gene walking in on them making out but he wasn't going to admit it. It was a crazy accident and that was that.)

Miles didn't' want to let Charlie leave but he knew she had to go. The night she left saw them almost as frenzied as when he first took her. And when Miles woke the next morning, she was hours away.

SIX

Miles was not used to being celibate. The six months Charlie was gone were some of the hardest he had ever known. He hadn't known it was possible to ache so much for another person. It would have been easy enough to seduce some new woman into his bed but it wouldn't have been the same. He wanted Charlie and no one else would do.

He threw himself into his drinking and fighting as a way of distracting himself. He gained a reputation in town that didn't' improve when the Patriots appeared. Miles scoffed at that name. These idiots were no better than he and Bass had been in their day. They were just flashier about it.

But thoughts of war and resistance disappeared when Charlie returned. They were so desperate for each other that Miles took her right there in the barn. Twice.

While they were catching their breath in the afterglow, Charlie told him all bout New Vegas and finding Bass. She had apparently explained all about their relationship on the road in some sort of strange way to get back at Bass. Bass hadn't even seemed surprised. Miles grunted. "He wouldn't be," he replied. After all, Bass had his own sordid past with women.

The other man didn't even bat an eye when they appeared, disheveled and reeking of sex. Just talked about the Patriots and the need to eliminate them. Miles was reluctant to join another war but he couldn't really deny Charlie anything. Besides, he owed Bass a few favors anyway.

SEVEN

Miles wasn't a big fan of the Bassling. The boy was far too arrogant and hot headed to listen to anyone. But he promised Bass he could keep the kid so Miles tried not to be too pissed about it. It had been his fault father and son were separated anyway.

Miles did nearly run the kid through when he learned about Connor hooking up with Charlie in New Vegas. Charlie insisted that it didn't count as cheating because she and Miles had been fighting when she left. That didn't much matter to Miles' temper.

Bass intervened and promised he had the situation under control so Miles let the kid alone. Two nights later, Miles learned that Bass kept it "under control" with his dick down Connor's throat. Even if Miles wanted to object he couldn't, not with the relationship he and Charlie had. It actually gave the two men a more solid bond. No one else was going to accept their relationships so they had to accept each other.

Fighting a war was a lot easier when you knew who your real friends were too. They still argued over tactics-Charlie preferred less killing while the Monroe men were fans of winning at any cost-but they always backed each other when the chips were down. Survival was the main thing after all.

EIGHT

Winning brought a brand new set of problems. People needed rules and leaders to enforce them. Miles was perfectly happy to go back to his bar with Charlie but Bass had a point when he said that they had more experience ruling than most people. They agree that actually having Bass and Miles rule would be awkward and problematic. So the easiest solution was to put Connor and Charlie in charge. With help form Miles and Bass behind the scenes.

The two ruled for five years while the country got back on its feet. Then for another three after they won the election. It was an eye opener for all of them. Charlie learned how power could make you paranoid and forgave Bass his sins. Connor learned the work that came with real power and realized he couldn't' handle it. Miles and Bass learned that ruling was for the young and not old, codependent war vets.

So after eight years, they all decided to leave public life. Miles and Charlie went back to their bar while Bass decided to teach history at a local university. Connor had trouble holding most jobs. So he helped out at the bar on weekends and kept Bass' bed warm the rest of the time. The letters from the rest of the group were few and far between. Charlie usually burned anything they sent. She told Miles she wanted a quiet life with no ties to her past.

Miles gave her as quiet a life as he could. The occasional bounty hunter (apparently all four of them still had outstanding warrants in Mexico) or grudge holder was enough to keep things from getting too boring. Life needed a little spice after all.