AN: Just a little something that's been rumbling through my head this past week. I based this off of one of the promotional photo's I saw for episode 3x03. Hope you enjoy! (Sorry for any typo's/grammar. I wrote this up fairly quick.)
"You know, if we're going to be traveling together you might as well try to be personable."
"Sorry," Charlie said without turning around, "I have a hard time playing nice with someone who just shot me."
"Don't I get any consideration for patching you up and letting you go?"
"Sure, I stopped Monroe from killing you. I think that's consideration enough."
Charlie and the bounty hunter, he introduced himself as Adam, had been walking all night, following the trail of the cart Monroe took off on. Charlie had not been happy about the partnership but she knew she wouldn't be able to get rid of the man, and he was willing to share whatever weapons he and his late partner had on him. She figured letting him tag along was a small price to pay for the knife he gave her. Still, he was much too talkative for her taste.
"Yeah, about that," Adam looked over at her, "You've got a nice swing I admit but that psycho could have killed you easily and he didn't. Got any clue as to why that is?"
Charlie shook her head. She had been wondering about that the whole time they were walking. Now that she had time to calm down, she realized that Monroe had been trying to get her to stop, and that he only hit her hard enough to get away. She thought back to the Tower. He had saved her life, after all that time, after her dad and Danny, of trying to kill the rest of her family he actually saved her life. Perhaps that was part of the reason she was still chasing him. To figure out why.
After last night she knew the rational thing to do was to cut her losses and move on, that what Miles would tell her anyway. She was no match for Monroe in a face off and he wasn't stupid enough to let his guard down again like in New Vegas. Trying to kill him would be like trying to kill Miles, and that never worked out well for their enemies, but she had to try.
She felt someone grab her shoulder sending pain down her arm from her already injured skin.
"Woops, sorry," Adam said wincing, removing his hand. "I was just asking you how you knew him, Monroe, I mean," seeing her confused look he elaborate. "I heard him call you Charlie back there didn't I?" When she didn't say anything he continued. "Yeah, I made have been a little groggy before, with him trying to choke me and all, but I was just thinking back, he knew you. Not just your name but personally. And it seemed like this whole grudge is one-wayed."
"Listen," Charlie said, spinning around, "My problems with Monroe is none of your business. If you want to continue traveling with me you better remember that." She turned and continued walking.
"Hey, I'm just trying to put the pieces together."
"Don't hurt yourself," Charlie shouted back. When he didn't hear anything she turned around and her breath caught in her throat. A few yards back, Adam stood very still, with a sword pressed against his throat and none other the Sebastian Monroe standing behind him.
"You should pay better attention to your surroundings, Charlotte," Monroe said. "I thought you uncle would have taught you better than this."
Charlie gritted her teeth, "Come back for round two, Monroe? I'm afraid there's no audience this time."
"We need to talk."
"Aw, you missed our little chat in the pool. How cute."
Monroe swore. "You just had to inherit all you mother and uncle's stubbornness didn't you."
There it was again. Uncle. Charlie noticed it the first time but thought nothing up it. Monroe never referred to Miles as her uncle, it was always Miles. He was staring at her intently, like he was trying to convey his seriousness. Adam looked like he was trying to figure a way out of this but she knew he'd be dead before he could try anything.
"Let him go," Charlie said, indicating the bounty hunter, "And we'll talk."
"Uh-uh," Monroe shook his head. "Not a chance. I think I'll tie pretty boy to that tree over there. Unless you have no problem with me killing him?" He didn't even wait for her answer before he punched Adam in the side, then dragged him over to one of the trees where some rope was already waiting. He had planned this. After he was done he walked over to her and held out his hand. "Your weapon, kid. Don't give me that look, I know you have one."
Charlie glared but handed over the knife anyway. She was too curious right now what he had to say and if it involved Miles in anyway then she needed to know. Monroe led her down the road a bit to a small little nook where he had parked the cart. The side was open and papers were strewn all over the back.
"I found these in the back of our bounty hunters cart," he said handing her some of the flyers. "It appears I wasn't the only one on their list."
Charlie looked at the papers in horror. Staring up at her were Miles and her mother's faces. "What the hell is this? Why are my mom and Miles on wanted posters?"
"Well," Monroe said slowly, "Miles helped found the militia. They probably want to be seen taking down everyone at the top who was ever involved."
"And my mom?"
"I don't know kid. Maybe they had some information from before. Maybe this new 'US government' or whoever they are knew that your mom knew about how the lights went out and are trying to pin it on her."
"But she didn't do anything!" Charlie yelled. "It was Randal."
Monroe held up his hand. "And I didn't drop the bombs but nobody knows that. If they want to insert themselves into peoples good graces so easily they need to create a common enemy. And that's your family and me."
Charlie was stunned. She thought that after the Tower they would be allowed to move on with their lives. That they would finally be allowed to grieve. But now that could never happen.
"Why are you showing me this?" She asked.
"We need to warn Miles and your mom. This guy won't be the only bounty hunter this new government hires and if they're staying in one place they'll be found that much faster."
"We?"
"No matter what you may think of me, Charlotte, I don't want to see your family suffer anymore. I'll get you back to them to warn them then I'll take off, you'll never have to see me again."
Charlie thought about this. All her anger that had been built up towards him started to dissipate with this new threat against her family. She once heard Mile say that "The enemy of my enemy is my friend." Could she work with Monroe? Danny would have been able to. When they were kids in the village there was one boy who he really didn't like. But one day that boy was getting picked on by some bigger kids, Danny stood up to defend him even though he got a black eye for it. She looked back at Monroe. She could do this. For her family.
"Alright," she said, her voice hoarse with emotion. "Let's get going."
Monroe searched her face, as if looking for a trick. He much have been satisfied with what he saw because he reached into the cart and pulled something out. It was her crossbow.
"Thought you might want this back."
She took the weapon back wordlessly. It had been a present from her father for her 12th birthday, she didn't realize how lost she felt without it. She looked back at Monroe and nodded. She would not say "thank you."
"And the bounty hunter?" Monroe asked.
"What about him."
"We need to kill him."
"No."
"Look kid, I know you have a knack of picking up the wrong traveling companions but I thought maybe you would learn from last time."
"Meaning?"
"Meaning, I know what happened with you and young Neville. The smart move for Miles to do would have been to kill him once he found out he was a spy, would have saved you a whole lot of trouble, but you got too attached and wouldn't let him. This is not that different, except this time I was hoping you would make the right decision," he passed her back the knife Adam had given her. "Now what's it going to be: the life of one man or the safety of your family."
AN: OK, so I'm ending it there (please don't kill me). You can make up your own ending to whether she kills Adam or not. Hope you enjoyed it!