What's this? I'm alive? Yes, yes I am. Life has been crazy but I'm back, finally, with a one shot for The Ship Charloes Summer Lovin' Event. Just under the wire :)

This is not the original story that I had planned on writing, but that one didn't want to be written right now. So I'm putting that idea on hold and presenting you with this little diddy.

It's short and sweet (just like me) and I really hope you like it. Remember, this is the first thing I've written in about 4 months, so I might be a little rusty.

Without further ado...

Disclaimer: Don't own, don't sue please

Charlie dropped her pack on the ground and marched past him without a glance and Bass tried to suppress a sigh as he watched her go.

It was too hot for the nonsense that she wanted to put him through. For weeks now they had been traveling together, working with each other. Partners even in this fight against the patriots. But it seemed that the more they worked together, and the more they got to know each other, the more she pulled away and drew back into herself.

In the beginning he understood.

He didn't like it, but he understood.

They had come a long way but they still had a long way to go before they could ever be considered friends.

But after everything they had been through together, and then to become partners and traveling companions and spend almost every waking moment together, one would think they had gotten past some of the old hostilities.

But as Charlie headed off towards the stream they where stopped by, Bass guessed he was wrong.

Truth be told it shouldn't bother him as much as it did. But after spending so much time with her, Bass couldn't help but understand what the Neville kid and his own son had seen in her that drew them to her.

There was something about Charlie Matheson that called to him and all he really wanted, as much as he probably shouldn't, was to get as close to her as he could.

But the silent treatment she had been giving him over the last couple of weeks was making that more and more difficult.

…

Bass had brushed the horses down and made sure they had gotten plenty to drink before sitting down in the shade of a nearby tree and leaning his head back, enjoying a rare breeze before setting up camp. It's been a hot summer with no end in sight and he was sick and tired of the heat.

He had just closed his eyes when a drop of water hit his face as Charlie dropped a canteen into his lap.

Bass opened his eyes too see Charlie pushing her wet hair back from her face.

She had obviously used to the stream to wet down her face and hair and now had droplets of water clinging to her exposed throat. Bass swallowed and picked up the canteen as his eyes tracked a drop as it made it's way down her neck to disappear into the valley between her breasts.

"Thanks." he said as he lifted his eyes to hers.

Charlie shrugged. "Figured you could use it." she muttered before turning to walk away.

Bass sighed and stood up. Enough was enough, and he wanted answers. If he had done something to make her mad than he at least had the right to know what it was and try to make it right.

"Charlie." he said, stopping her before she took more than a couple of steps away from him.

She turned back to him and raised a brow. "What?" she asked briskly.

Bass shrugged slightly. "What's the deal?"

Charlie furrowed her brows. "What deal, what are you talking about?"

"This!" he said motioning between the two of them with a raised hand. "You don't say more than two words to me unless it's about a job and even then you act like it causes you physical pain." he shrugged again. "I thought we were getting past all that, maybe even on our way to being actual friends."

He took a step towards her. "If I did something to make you upset, just tell me. I can't even try to fix it if I don't know what it is."

Charlie looked at his earnest expression and knew that he was sincere about wanting to make things right even though he had no idea what was really wrong, and she let out an irritated groan and reached out a hand to push on his shoulder making him step back a pace.

"This, right here! This is what's wrong, this is what you did!" she said and brought her hands up into her hair.

Bass frowned in confusion and looked around him as if he would find the answers he was looking for.

"What the hell are you talking about?" he asked finally.

Charlie sighed and let her arms drop to her sides. "Everything was fine just tolerating you because we needed you to fight on our side." she said. "Or because no matter what he said Miles still considered you his brother. But then you had to go and sigh up as my partner and force me to spend time with you, one on one."

Bass ran a hand through his hair, making his messy curls even more wild looking. "If you don't want to work with me, you can request a partner change, I'm sure Frank would do whatever you asked if you just flashed a dimple at him."

Charlie shook her head. "No, you don't get it. I don't want a new partner, I just want you to go back to being that guy I tolerate instead of that guy that I like spending time with."

Bass' mouth opened in surprise as his mind went blank, unable to process what she had said. "What?" he asked dumbly.

Charlie looked away from him, looking out towards the water that was glistening in the light from the setting sun. "I'm not supposed to feel like this about you." she said. "But I look forward to my day knowing that I'm going to be riding next to you. And when we aren't on assignment I wonder if I'm going to get a chance to see you that day and feel disappointed if I don't."

She turned her eyes back to his. "We did become friends." she said "The problem is that I didn't stop there."

Bass raised his brows and took a breath. "So you mean...wait, what do you mean?" he asked, not wanting to misunderstand the situation and make a fool out of himself. Not with Charlie.

Charlie rolled her eyes. "I mean I like you, you moron!" she said in exasperation.

"That's what I thought." Bass said before he reached out and grabbed her, pulling her towards him.

Charlie let out a surprised gasp that was quickly silenced by Bass as he pulled her closer and covered her mouth with his own.

…

The next morning they are loaded up and ready to head for home. Charlie swung up into her saddle and turned to Bass as he mounted his own horse. "I was thinking." she said and Bass raised a brow. "When we're home, maybe we should keep this thing quiet, at least for a little while."

Bass smirked. "So you're saying you want me to be your dirty little secret?"

Charlie rolled her eyes. "I never said dirty."

Bass chuckled and reached over to grab a hold of her horse as he leaned closer to her. "What's the point if it's not dirty?" he asked.

Charlie leaned over, meeting him in the middle with a smirk of her own. "Maybe a little dirty." she said as her lips brushed against his.

Bass smiled against her lips. "That's my girl."

Thanks for reading

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