Summary: Charlie was twelve when the lights went out. Eight years later Ben dies from illness leaving Charlie and Danny alone, so Charlie sends a letter to her Uncle Miles only for Sebastian Monroe to answer. AU
I watched as the pyre burned with my dad's body on it. Not even a week ago we had burned Maggie's body. The virus that had struck our small village had killed it last victim. After dad no one else had shown signs of sickness his quarantine had worked. Maggie had begged dad to leave her alone as she agonized so that he wouldn't get sick but he had been stubborn and stayed by her side until the end. Maggie had gotten sick as the local doctor everyone had gone to her for help as the flu had started to appear. At first the virus looked like the regular flu that came once a year around winter time, with fevers and chills, the only difference was that after a person got sick they only had a week to live before their whole bodies shut down. The virus had worked its way through the village until ten people had died from different households, it had taken the weak, the elderly and the children. I had kept Danny away from everyone to make sure that he didn't get sick, Danny was always the first and with his asthma, he needed special attention, so I had kept him close to me at all time covered from head to toe in layers of clothing and kept him in the forest away from the village. Danny had loved it, like only a nine year old can. While I had taken him to the forest often with me for walks I had never allowed him to go hunting, but with needing to keep him close do to the virus and him getting board easily he had been allowed for the first time to hunt. I had spend our time together in the forest teaching him how to track and hunt, how to walk without making a sound and to hear everything. Danny had taken to hunting like a duck to water even if I had only let him hunt rabbits and squirrels.
However now all that joy and happiness had faded from his eyes and been replaced by tears and sadness as he clung to me, watching the pyre burn. With a sigh I pulled my eyes away and knelt down next to Danny, I opened my arms and let him hug me with all the strength that his skinny arms had, my own wrapping around him. As his sobs turned to sniffles I grabbed him and lifted him into my arms, his legs wrapping around my waist and his head nuzzled into my neck, his face hidden by my long hair. Even though Danny was too old and heavy for me to carry I still made my way through the village and to our home, never once letting him down.
Once we reached the house I put Danny down on the couch, he had fallen asleep while I carried him, I grabbed the blanket that was thrown over the couch and tucked him in, gently I pushed some stray strands of hair away from his face before leaning down and placing a kiss on his forehead. I checked on the fire burning in front of the couch and made my way into dad's office. I grabbed a piece of parchment and began my letter to uncle Miles. Dad had died with Miles name on his lip, I could only guess that he wanted his brother to know of his death. Once my letter was finished I put it inside an envelope and address it to Miles Matheson Philadelphia. I would sent it early tomorrow and hope that it reached him. With that done I went to the kitchen to see what food we had left in the pantry so that I could make Danny and I dinner.
Two Weeks Later
I had returned from my most recent hunting trip with some of the people from the village. Gunner, a pit bull and my hunting dog, trotted next to me as I hulled the deer that I had killed toward our home. Gunner had let us towards a pack of deer grassing a couple of miles away from the village. We had killed only the oldest and a couple of bucks, leaving behind enough so that they could repopulate and we would have a couple more next year.
After I left took the deer home and cleaned it, I gave a raw piece to Gunner, packing the rest away to dry and changed my clothes before making my way to Aaron's house where I had left Danny for the day. I walked right on in and followed the sound of voices into the dinning room where Danny and Aaron where having dinner. I just stood in the door way and watched them talk about whatever it was that Aaron had taught Danny today. With a gasp and his hand going to his chest Aaron finally saw me standing there, his gasp drew attention to me and Danny leaped out of his chair and ran straight towards me. I gave him a hug and ruffled his hair before sending him on his way back to the table, I followed and sat next to him where Aaron had already place a bowl of broth. As we ate in content I could tell that Aaron wanted to talk to me but didn't want Danny to hear, so the moment that we finished eating I told Danny to put our plates in the sink and to go pick out a book from Aaron's collection. " A letter arrived for you Charlie." I simply raised my eyebrow at Aaron, waiting him for him to continue so that I could see what had made him so nervous. "It's from General Monroe of the Monroe-Matheson Republic" Aaron's voice was shaky and I could understand. Why would General Monroe send me a letter? My confusion must have shown because Aaron quickly handed me the letter. I carefully looked it over before opening it and scanning it contents. "Miles left Philadelphia a year ago and Monroe has no idea where he could be, he sends his sincerest condolences for our loss and he hopes that we can remain in touch, that he remembers me from before the blackout." I whispered in half disbelief."So, I'm guessing Ben's brother was The General Miles Matheson, huh? Who would have guessed?" What Aaron said was true, I guess, an I did remember Uncle Miles showing up at the house a couple of times with someone named Sebastian. Still the information made Uncle Miles a bust. I guess it truly was just Danny and I now. With a sigh I slumped in my seat, I could feel the weight of the world settle on my shoulders and with it I let a tear slip down my cheek. I hadn't cried sense the day my mother left, not even when dad and Maggie died, but the uncertainty of everything felt too great. Aaron's warm hand on top of mine snapped me out of my little pity party, and with a soft squeeze back I pulled myself back together and wiped away the stray tear. I matched to pull myself back together right on time because Danny came running back with a book under his arm. I gave Aaron a smile and wished him goodnight.
I walked with my hand on Danny's shoulder all the way to our home and did our nightly routine of brushing teeth and changing in to pj's and snuggling on the couch as I read a chapter from the book Danny had picked out, but unlike every night where I would nudge Danny awake so that he would go to bed, tonight I picked him up and walked to my room where I curled around him and held him close. He was the only thing I had left in this world and I needed to keep him safe. Gunner lifted his head from where he had laid on the floor, he took one look at us and jumped on top of the bed, laying down by feet. With what was left of my family surrounding me, I fell asleep.
Six Month's Later
Bass and I had continued to sent letters to each other. Lately we had both become worried about the safety of Danny and I being alone out in our small village. The Monroe-Matheson Republic had gained power over the last year and enemies too and even though Miles had left the Republic the Matheson name still drew unwanted attention. It had all started three months ago with Georgia sending a spy to our small village. At first no one had paid the stranger passing through any mind until he had started to ask questions about me. I could never be more thankful to how protective and loving our small town was of Danny and I. The spy was quickly sent of, but that was only the beginning. Next they had sent someone to my home, Gunner earned his weight in gold that day.
Gunner had been restless all afternoon and dragged my bow all the way to my room as well as Danny by his pajama pants that night and had stood facing the door ready for an attack. My confusion about Gunner's behavior didn't stop me from doing what he no doubt wanted me to do so I stood next to him with my bow ready after I had hide Danny in the closet. A few hours later I heard a noise down stairs and the boots of a man that couldn't be Aaron, Aaron was an elephant and always yelled my name the moment he stepped through the door, as he made his way towards my door. I was ready for him the moment he walked through the door and shot him in the chest, however I wasn't ready for the man that came through the window and knocked the air out of me. As I lay on the floor I could see him making his way towards the closet when Gunner jumped towards him and knocked him to the floor. I jumped back up and knocked him out with a swing of my bow. Danny and I had stayed at Aaron's house for a few days while everything was cleaned up and the guy was detained for questioning and of course a letter was sent to Bass. Barely a week later Bass sent a couple of militia men to guard and protect our town as well as a later stating that Danny and I were to get our things ready because he was on his way to pick us up and drags us to Philadelphia if he had to.
That had been a eight days ago and I was sure Bass would arrive any day now. I had told Aaron and we had both agreed that Bass was right. Staying in our small town was no longer an option for Danny and I. I began the preparations of seeing what we needed, what could be left behind and made Danny swear that he wouldn't tell anyone until the day we left, just so that word wouldn't get around. I tried to make everyone think that everything was the same and went on with life like usual. I left Danny with Aaron as I went hunting, this time only Gunner came with me, I had told the other hunters that I needed to be alone and with the events a few days ago they understood my need even if they didn't like the idea of me being alone. As I move through the forest I let the quiet surround me and give me comfort. Memories of Dad and Maggie bringing me out here to look for plants filled my head and for a moment I let my self be that thirteen year old girl that was stepping into the forest for the first, staring at the beauty around me with wonder and curiosity. With a soft sigh I let the fresh air leave my lungs and let my hearing take over. Swiftly and quietly Gunner and I moved across the forest until I found the buck that I needed so that I could put food on the table for Danny, Aaron and I. I dragged the beast towards the village, Gunner in the lead.
I nodded to the militia guards posted at the entrance to town in a manner of hello, but as I entered the village I came upon more militia guards than the amount that were here when I left earlier today. As I moved forward I saw the back of a man, a head taller than me, curly hair that had been combed back until the wind blew some of them astray, his shoulders wider than the rest of him. His build was that of a runner's, no not a runner's, but a boxer's. This man is obviously the one in charged by the way he stood and dressed. He stood in the middle of our small town, Aaron across from him with Danny hidden behind him. " I'm looking for Charlotte Matheson" His voice was hoarse and slightly deep. The villagers looked ready to grab arms and come to my defense. This had to be Bass. I moved forward threw the crowd of soldiers some of them recognizing me from being in the village guards, those quickly let me threw. "That's me" I said from behind him, a good distance away. I was prepared to leave with Bass to Philadelphia but I wasn't ready to meet him, or have his piercing blue eyes focus on me. Bass was in his early thirties from what I remember and he looked just as hot as I when I met him thirteen years ago. As we both took each other in another presence made itself known in the form of Danny, who ran towards me at full speed, causing me to drop the buck and bend down to catch him in a hug. "And this is Danny" I said as I straighten up and turned Danny towards Bass, my arms wrapped around Danny from behind.