A/N - This fic is an idea that had been running around my mind for ages, so I finally gave in to the muse and made a start. Charlie and Monroe might be a little OOC because this one is totally A/U - literally lol.

The war had ended within six weeks. With the might of two territories behind them, their little band of rebels had destroyed the patriots with very little trouble. But the price had been high. No amount of patriot deaths could give Jason back his life. And the sudden savior status that had been bestowed upon Miles and in particular, Monroe, couldn't return a son to his father.

Charlie sat alone on the steps outside outside the massive house they'd been staying in. awaiting the sunrise. Despite all the celebrating she couldn't bring herself to join in with the happy mood that had descended on everyone around her. She knew the others felt the same. Ever since Priscilla had shared the nano's new destination and plan they had been waiting for the new war to start. It was exhausting and Charlie was seriously considering early retirement and taking off for the nearest cave to ride out the storm she just knew was rapidly approaching.

She looked up at the sound of approaching footsteps, hand automatically reaching for the gun at her side.

"Relax. Charlotte. Didn't anyone tell you the war is over?" He was drunk, unsurprisingly. Monroe was rarely anything else these days. Not that she blamed him. She still couldn't quite believe that Connor had actually stood aside and allowed Neville to try to kill his own father. She'd been pissed at Monroe often enough herself so that she could understand, but to stand aside and let someone kill him... Next time she saw Connor she might just have to shoot him herself.

Monroe had settled himself on the opposite side of her step before she replied. "According to my mom the war is just beginning."

He snorted, "Let me tell you a little secret, Charlotte..." He leaned over to her, "Your mom just likes being dramatic. It's a crazy-people thing."

She couldn't bring herself to get angry, he sorta had a point anyway. "Well... you would know." She told him. His smirk dropped for a split second before he burst out laughing.

"Yeah I guess I would."

The grin on his face pulled her in, she reluctantly smiled back at him and saw his own widen in response. For some reason he had begun to get a real kick out of making her smile. If he could manage to make her laugh he walked around for hours afterwards looking pleased with himself. But she'd only let him get away with that twice so far. Once, when he'd done such an impressive impersonation of Miles during a story that involved her uncle accidentally setting himself on fire while trying to seduce a girl that she hadn't even realized she'd been giggling like crazy until he'd stopped to stare at her, and again when he'd convinced an incredibly camp Texan soldier that Miles was secretly into men but enjoyed being submissive and needed the guy to come at him. She had almost howled with laughter at the look on Miles' face as a grown man in full uniform and a pair of scary looking heels had pushed him into a seat and begun gyrating in his lap. The whole thing had only gotten funnier when Rachel showed up and yanked the soldier off Miles with a glower on her face that Charlie had never seen before.

The rest of the time, Monroe walked around looking like a kicked puppy, so she couldn't bring herself to put a stop to the weird connection that had sprung up between them. They'd always had it, just not in the comfortable, easy way that seemed to come naturally to them now. Maybe it was the fact that Connor wasn't around anymore. Or maybe it was because somewhere along the way Charlie had realized that he had changed. She trusted him completely now, no doubts or questions. And she had actively chosen to fight side by side with him instead of Miles during the final battles with the patriots. They watched each others backs, had even saved each other a few times as well. She supposed that was just their thing. And now, sitting in the quiet with him felt natural in a way it never had with anyone else.

For a while they just relaxed, enjoying the peace.

When she finally spoke, it was only because she thought he'd drifted into a drunken sleep. "Sometimes I think about what it would be like to just take off. Run away to some place quiet and forget all of this."

Monroe shifted, drawing her attention. "Can I come?"

She gave a small chuckle, "Yeah why not, I need someone to carry my crap for me."

"Please, you'd miss me if you went off without me." He teased.

"Probably." Charlie grinned at him, "I'd have to carry my own crap and I wouldn't have anyone to use as target practice."

"You could use it."

"Hey!" As she leaned over and smacked his arm he started laughing again. Grabbing her arm to stop her, he'd inadvertently pulled her against him and the laughter stopped as their eyes met. Suddenly the world seemed to have shrank. His fingers tightened their grip on her arm as they looked at each other. She watched him sober up right in front of her. Charlie could feel her heart speed up. This wasn't a good idea and she really needed to move. But she didn't. As he unconsciously licked his bottom lip all thoughts disappeared from her mind. Monroe pulled her close and dipped his head down, just as their lips began to press together they heard a shout from inside the house and sprang apart.

"Will you two keep the damn giggling to a minimum?! Some of us are trying to sleep, you know like normal people do!" Miles' voice was the equivalent of a bucket of ice water.

"Then go to damn sleep and quit bitchin' at us old man!" Monroe yelled back like nothing had happened. Charlie was grateful, it gave her a second to get her breath back.

When he finally turned back to her he looked calm, but his eyes were hungry and she knew hers were too. They'd become quite popular ever since it had become public knowledge that they were responsible for the patriots being stopped, which meant they had endured weeks of watching each other with flirtatious hangers-on drooling all over them. It was torture. For her anyway. But she suspected it was the same for him. More than once some guy had gone from hanging all over her to pretending she didn't exist and flashing scared looks in Monroe's direction every time they saw him. She'd be mad about it if the idea of him being jealous hadn't thrilled her so much.

She wondered if he'd make a move towards her but he didn't. Instead he let out a sigh and leaned back against the step. "So where will we go?" He asked her. The tone of his voice had gone from joking to serious.

"Somewhere quiet, where no one knows us. By the sea."

"You like the sea?"

"I've never seen it." She told him. "Until all of this started I hadn't ever left the Monroe Republic." She winced inwardly at mentioning it, but he didn't react. Instead he shot her a small smile.

"Then we'll go to the sea." He said it like that was the matter settled and she may as well go start packing. Charlie smiled at him.

"Really? Will you teach me how to surf?" Monroe chuckled, shaking his head at her.

"I'll teach you how to surf when you teach me how to use that crossbow of yours." Her answering pout made him laugh again. He had been asking her for weeks to show him how to use the damn thing and she had refused point blank every time. Not that she would ever admit it to anyone, but hunting was the one thing she could do better than him and she wasn't about to give him a chance to beat her at the only thing she thought she was good at.

The sun was coming up properly now and they turned to watch as the sky filled with light. They spread themselves out, leaning on their hands, fingers almost touching.

When finally it was light, Charlie turned to look at him. "Promise we will? One day I mean. Promise we'll live somewhere quiet, by the sea with no more fighting and no more losing." His expression became soft as he looked at her.

"I promise." Her smile was more blinding than the sunlight. Monroe could feel parts of his body warming up that had nothing to do with the weather, or how sexy the woman beside him was. Leaning up, he pressed a kiss to her forehead and relaxed as her head came to rest on his shoulder. Both of them were aware that things between them had shifted again. Neither spoke again, they just rested in the sun with visions of the future playing in their minds.

Hidden in the bushes across from them, Connor sat furious. He didn't need to hear what his dad and the woman he had been sleeping with were saying, their body language was doing all the talking. Not only had his dad abandoned him, but he'd taken up with the girl he had already claimed as his own. For the hundredth time since being locked in a shed with that weirdo Neville, he wished he had shot his father himself that day. The nano had taken over Tom, told Connor that all the power he required would be his if he brought them the Matheson girl. He hadn't actually been sure he could do it until he witnessed the little display in front of him. Charlie was as bad as his dad, she didn't deserve any loyalty.

He watched as Monroe got up and pulled Charlie to her feet. 'I should shoot him now and grab her.' he thought. But he knew Charlie would have shot him before he got near her if he tried that.

To his astonishment, she didn't go inside with his dad. They said a few words he couldn't hear and then with a smile, she turned back towards Connor and his dad headed indoors. Now was his chance. Hiding his gun in his jacket, he wriggled out. As he walked over he saw the moment she heard him. Her eyes shot up and her hand went for her gun. When she saw it was Connor her hand twitched. It didn't take a genius to figure out that she was considering drawing on him anyway. Eventually her hand dropped and she glared at him.

"What the hell are you doing here? Did Neville dump you?" Connor smirked, he couldn't help himself, the girl was downright adorable sometimes. Pity he'd have to end her. There had been a time when he'd imagined running the new Republic with Charlie, despite what his father had said to him. He would need a strong woman to bear his children and keep him company, and when he needed a woman to live on her knees for him - well that's what whores were for.

"I just wanna talk Charlie, please."

She glared at him, obviously torn. After a long pause, she nodded, "Okay, talk." The moment she turned to walk towards the house, no doubt thinking he wanted to talk to everyone, he moved. Whipping out his gun, he quickly bashed her round the head and caught her in his arms as she fell.

'The nano had better make this shit worth it.'