Disclaimer: I own nothing.
Summary: Captain Tom Neville should have never underestimated Charlie Matheson and her devotion to save her brother.
AN: Third Revolution fic…man, I'm kind of seriously loving this. You guys are amazing, like seriously amazing. This is more about Neville's view on Charlie and Danny and also I refer to him as Neville, not Tom because aside from his wife, hardly anyone calls him Tom. I hope that makes sense, lol. Anyways HUGE THANKS to Selivia, JoyScott13 and MyBrokenButterfly who reviewed my last story and thanks in advance to everyone who reads this! I hope you all enjoy and reviews are greatly appreciated!
wash our hands with dear actions
one-shot
…if you prick us, do we not bleed?
If you tickle us, do we not laugh?
If you poison us, do we not die?
and if you wrong us, shall we not revenge?...
William Shakespeare – The Merchant of Venice, Act III, Sc. 1
It isn't until he has a knife pressed against her neck that he sees the resemblance. Danny is fairer than she is, more delicate, but it's the eyes that are the dead giveaway. Clear blue, as if staring into the open sky. Blue eyes wide, aware, fearful and determined.
Then he sees Miles barking at him and snapping at the girl, Charlie, he recalls. Miles doesn't have the Matheson eyes. Doesn't have the wide blue eyes the siblings share.
He knows this because when Jason throws Charlie off the train, she and her brother share the same look. Blue eyes wide, aware, fearful and determined.
Danny yells with rage and tries to attack Jason but Neville pulls him back, slams him into the chair and backhands him, just enough to silence him. He handcuffs him to the chair but that doesn't stop his struggling.
After a while Danny does stop struggling and he sinks deeper into the chair. "She won't stop."
"Who won't stop?" He asks, his jaw clenched, he knows whom he's referring to. It's the only she they mutually know.
"Charlie. She won't stop until I'm with her and you're dead."
He laughs. "She won't be able to do a goddamned thing, kid. I'll kill her before she even gets close. And her death will be on your hands, just like your father's." He turns around and through the train's window he can see Danny's face fall, can see him stiffen. He sees Jason sitting on the far side of the train, eyes trained straight.
He honestly believes that Charlie Matheson, no matter how determined, won't be a blip on his radar, but even so, he can't help the churning of his stomach that tells him he may be wrong. Just this once.
If he thought Danny was mouthy during the entire time they were together, it's nothing compared to when he meets General Munroe. He growls and spits (and then spits out blood when General Munroe has him beaten). He grimaces through bloodstained teeth and shakes his head. "Is this what you do?" He slurs, his voice hoarse, "you beat kids?"
"I remember you when you were a kid." General Munroe says quietly.
Neville pauses and glances at the boy, his face confused. Well, this is interesting, he thinks to himself.
General Munroe nods, "I was best friends with your uncle Miles. Your uncle Miles helped me build and train this army. This is his doing. Our doing. I used to visit your family. Your father was a great man, he was kind, he welcomed me into his home…I was grateful."
"And you repay him by killing him." Danny spits out blood on the floor, "some gratitude."
"An unfortunate and unexpected occurrence. I mourned for your father. Your mother continues to mourn for your father." He gestures his head to a guard by the door and the man leaves.
Neville continues to glance at Danny and then glances at Jason who is standing at attention, his posture stiff and face frowning. He looks over Danny's head and locks eyes with him but Neville turns his head away.
"My mother is dead." Danny says and his voice falters when he sees a woman walk through the doors.
Neville notices that while the guard is still standing behind her, he doesn't have her in custody; her wrists aren't in handcuffs. She's free to roam and walk around as she pleases and oddly, this makes him think of his own wife. A glimpse at Danny, shackled, beaten and bloodied, tells him that he sees the same thing.
The woman lets out a small whimper, "Oh, Danny. You told me you wouldn't harm him. Bass, please, let him go."
Bass, Neville thinks, intimate, friendly.
Danny growls, "Is this where you've been all this time? With Bass? Walking around freely while we work our asses off and mourn you? Have you enjoyed your time with Bass and the rest of these assholes? Is this what you expected?" He turns his head to General Munroe, "did you expect me to weep with the same gratitude you apparently showed my father?"
"Danny, please."
"Shut-up." Danny snarls and Neville is surprised because through all their time together, everything he put the kid through, he was never as vile as he is now.
General Munroe lashes out and lands a hard punch to Danny's face. Jason winces as he hears a crack and when the General moves his hand, Neville knows, just knows that he broke something in Danny's face. "Show your mother some respect."
Danny looks up at him, bloodied face and shakes his head. "My mother, Bass, died years ago when she left us. So, you know what? You can keep her." He looks at his mother, "if you think that I'm bad, wait until Charlie sees you. She'll never forgive you."
No, Neville supposes, it's not in the Matheson genes to forgive.
Neville should have seen this coming. He really should have. It's not like Danny didn't warn him. But he's still surprised when their Camp is under attack from rebels of all people, he's still surprised that throughout everything his son is still standing beside him and he's still surprised that he's caught unaware by a girl, barely a woman with a crossbow.
"Move one more inch and I will shoot you in the fucking heart." Charlie says, her voice hard.
He can see the fight in her eyes, she wants to look at her brother, wants to make eye contact him, he can see her fingers twitch, but she knows that if she looks away, Neville won't hesitate to kill her and Danny. Jason would hesitate, but Neville knows that he won't. "Now sweetheart, put down the weapon and leave the fighting to the men."
"Let go of my brother and I'll think about letting you live."
"Charlie-" Jason starts.
"Shut-up." She snaps. "Don't say a thing."
"You're alone." Neville says, "I'll take you down before you can even blink."
He hears a gun cock behind. "Yeah," a new male voice cuts through the air, "not as along as you thought."
"Aaron?" Danny asks, trying to turn his head, Neville grips him tight enough to make him wince and he sees Charlie's blue eyes widen with rage.
"Another uncle?" Neville asks sarcastically.
Charlie doesn't smile, "Basically. Now let Danny go."
He lets Danny go as a pretense of surrender and it happens quicker than he thought it would. As Danny walks forward, he reaches for his gun, a little mournful that he has to shoot the kid that he could have come to like and maybe even admired a little bit, but Charlie is faster. True to her word, she shoots her crossbow, but it doesn't hit his heart. It's close enough but it doesn't kill him instantly.
He sees her quickly un-cuff Danny and he watches as the other man, a larger man places his gun on the side table and pulls Danny into a hug. He looks up at his son who has fallen to his knees. "Dad? Dad? Oh God, dad please."
Charlie pauses in her examination of her brother. "Dad?" She asks.
He wants to tell Jason everything he couldn't say before that he does love him and that he is proud of him but he can't form the words, so instead he just looks at his son's face, trying to memorize every detail and waits for death to take him.
"No. NO!" Jason roars and he rushes up but Danny…Danny-boy is faster. He grabs the gun off the table and shoots Jason before he has the chance to charge at his sister.
"That's for throwing my sister off a moving train." Danny mutters and Neville wants to laugh but he can't because he's dying and his son is dead and he's thinking about his wife who will be devastated.
"Mom's alive." Danny says, his voice is distorted than what it usually is and with a sudden jolt of fear; Neville realizes that he's dying. This is it, this is the final stretch.
"I know." Charlie's voice is cold and uncaring. "It doesn't matter though, because I've got you. You're here and you're okay and that's all that matters. You're all the family I need."
With one last glance at Jason, his eyes wide and lifeless, Captain Tom Neville closes his eyes for the last time, idly thinking that he never should have underestimated Charlie Matheson and her devotion to save her brother.
So, to me, I kind of want to see Charlie kill Neville just for everything that he put Danny through and stuff. And yes, I killed off Jason/Nate. Because, I don't think it matters that he and his father are estranged, its obvious that he still loves him or at least yearns for his acceptance and I mean…I would slaughter anyone who hurt my family, so…let me know what you think!
I hope everyone liked it! Reviews are greatly appreciated!
Thanks and much love,
Bex
P.S. Any mistakes are mine and mine alone and I apologize for any and all of them!