Author's Note: Set after Shit Happens. AU from there: What if Charlie finds out her Mom and Bass had slept together long ago? How does she handle this news, especially when she's been harboring a crush on him for some time herself? Charloe all the way. M for the usual language/naughty bit reasons.

Charlie is still reeling. She's still reeling from being forced to kill Jason days ago. She's still reeling from worry that Miles was gone forever (thank God that was a false alarm and he is okay). She's still reeling from Tom Neville's gun against her head. She's still reeling from the near death experience that managed to completely change her will to survive. She's still reeling from this new found lease on life that she has found.

This desire to live is new. It still feels precious somehow. It is like a present that she doesn't want to take out of the box just yet. She thinks about it and marvels at it and wonders if it will last. She's been sitting quietly, her back against the safe house for some time. The dusk had turned into full out blackness of night. Nobody has come looking for her. She sometimes wonders if they'd notice if she left and never came back. She frowns at the thought but shrugs it away.

Voices approach and she is ready to announce herself when she hears something that shuts her mouth like little else could. It is Miles voice that says, "So you slept with Bass when exactly?" He sounds tired. Charlie's head is spinning. Who is Miles talking to?

"It was just the one time when I was in Philly. It was when I was his prisoner." Rachel's voice is clear and unmistakable even in the deep shadows of night.

"Why are you telling me this now, Rachel?" Miles doesn't sound angry. He doesn't really sound anything.

"Because, I…" Rachel falters. "I was afraid he would say something and I wanted you to hear it from me."

"So at least two years have passed, right? Maybe more? Why now?" Miles' sigh is heavy.

Clearly this is not the response that Rachel had expected, "Yeah it was a long time ago… damn it Miles, you don't even care, do you?" she sounds hurt.

Miles laughs, but there is no humor in it. "Rachel, it's not that I don't care. No that's not true. I really don't care. At all." Charlie can hear the shrug in her uncle's voice.

"You don't care?" Rachel is starting to get pissed.

"Listen Rachel, this is Bass' thing. For whatever reason he has always wanted to bang my girlfriends. It started when we were Freshman in high school with Becca Walters. She was my first. Then she was his first too. After her there was Kelly and of course Emma. There was Natasha and Lizzie. Nora of course. The list goes on and on. I never knew for sure that you'd went there, but I always just assumed you had. Seems that no woman I've been with can say no to Bass if he asks. I used to call him my second string. I'd bet you the bank he knows that I know… and he knows I don't care. Never really have."

Rachel sputters for a bit. "So you are so used to passing your women to him, you just don't care?"

Miles chuckles, "Basically yeah. You don't love him do you?"

"God no. I hate him."

"Good. That's good." He pauses, "Do you love me?"

"You know I do."

"Then I do not give a shit that you slept with Bass years ago. Just, ya know – don't do it again."

It's Rachel's turn to laugh. "I guarantee that will never happen again."

"Then we're good. Okay?"

"Okay." Charlie can hear them kissing then, and she leans back against the safe house, contemplating the conversation she's just overheard. She mulls the news, and slowly a smile crosses her face. She's going to have some fun with this. Once the lovebirds have moved on, Charlie leaves her spot in the shadows and heads to bed. She's tired, and still has a lot to think about but she's going to talk to Monroe tomorrow.

There are things that need to be said.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Bass is by a stream, sitting on a big rock sharpening his favorite knife. Connor and Gene went to the nearby town for supplies. StayPuft and his crazy ass girlfriend went for a walk in the other direction and with any luck Bass won't have to see either of them for a while. That Priscilla creeps him the hell out. He has no idea where Miles and Rachel are. They've been inseparable since Miles had been found the day before. He should be in bed recovering, but Miles is as stubborn as they come and hasn't rested much at all. Bass doesn't know where they are, but he knows they'll continue to give him a wide berth. Bass is okay with that. He's had it with Rachel's holier than thou bullshit. And Miles isn't much better lately. His sharpening motions pick up intensity as he thinks about them.

He doesn't hear anything, but he knows when she approaches. Even though they haven't spent a lot of time together lately, he always feels her presence like a shiver down his spine. "What do you want Charlotte?" he asks impatiently without turning around. His eyes stay focused on the task at hand.

"I just wanted to chat." She says quietly, moving to sit next to him on the long flat rock.

He gives Charlie a sidelong glance and notes her amused expression. Clearly she's up to something. He wonders what it could be. He looks at her again, his hands going still. She's not looking at him, but slowly she grins and just like that; he's hard. Damn it. This is getting old. He is not supposed to have these kinds of feelings for Charlie. Lately he's had to distance himself from her. Being in close proximity to Charlie has become a real problem because when they are together all he can think about is getting her naked. So for the last few weeks, he's either steered clear or he's tried to antagonize her. Sometimes he does both. His plan has worked moderately well, but sometimes she sneaks up on him like this and he's stuck.

"What do you want?" he asks again, annunciating every word to show his annoyance.

She doesn't even blink, "I wanted to talk. That's all." Still with the smile. Damn, that smile drives him crazy. He moves a little in an effort to relieve some of the pressure but this erection isn't going anywhere. Damn it. What the hell does she want?

"What could we possibly need to talk about?" he asks much more gruffly than is needed.

She chuckles and leans close, "Blackout with your cackout? Isn't that what you said?"

"Huh?" He stares at her, wondering what she's getting at. Shit. Surely she can't tell he's hard from where she's sitting. He doesn't know how he would explain that to her.

"I was just thinking today about that conversation we had where you asked me how I was able to sneak off with Connor? You remember the one? You said something about Blackout with your cackout…"

Bass returns his attention to his knife, "Yeah, I remember."

"What did you mean by that exactly?"

"Why do you want to talk about this?" There is an edge to Bass' voice.

"Oh, I just think I finally get what you were talking about, that's all."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah."

"What do you think I was talking about? Please enlighten me." Bass sheathes his knife in a boot and then turns to look at her full on, his expression challenging.

"I think you were speaking from experience. Maybe even experience with my Mom." She smirks at his shocked expression. "I hear you two had your own little blackout/cackout go at each other back in the day."

Bass is stunned. How the hell does she know about that? The good news is, just the thought of Rachel has killed the hard-on. Still he is beyond uncomfortable. This is like the dreams you have where you're naked in a public place. Shit.

"So, am I right?" she teases him.

"I don't know what you think you know, but…"

She interrupts him, "Nope I don't THINK anything. I know. I heard her telling Miles about it myself. He said he used to call you his second string. He didn't seem even slightly upset or jealous or anything."

Bass has to chuckle at that. The second string nickname is one he hasn't heard in a long time. "Listen Charlie, what did or did not happen between your Mom and me is none of your damn business."

"Kind of like what did or did not happen between your Son and me is none of YOUR business?"

His head snaps up and he meets her gaze. The smirk is still there. She doesn't seem the slightest bit uncomfortable about this conversation which he thinks is weird. He is uncomfortable as fuck. "It's not the same at all." He says, and even as the words come out of his mouth, he knows how childish he sounds. Clearly it is pretty much the same.

"And what about that other thing you said? It was something like, 'Of all the guys you choose to screw, you choose a Monroe?'" She continues to look at him and he can't hold her gaze. She stares at him like she can see into his soul. "Were you saying that I should have screwed you instead? Just working your way through the women in Miles life, eh Second String?" his jaw tightens at her use of Miles' nickname for him, and he glowers at her.

"Obviously, that's not…"

She interrupts him again, "I agree. Obviously it's not exactly the same since I have never slept with my uncle. That would be disgusting, but you are always saying how I'm like him. Connor told me you called me Mini Miles when you guys were locked up in New Vegas. So I haven't slept with Miles of course, but maybe I'm as close as you can get right now without fucking my Mom again, and we both know that probably wouldn't end as well for you this time around."

She's screwing with his head, and on some level Bass knows this but on another primal level – he is livid. He moves quickly, walking to her, pushing a finger into her sternum. "Don't talk to me like that Kid."

"Don't call me Kid." She glowers, taking a step closer, moving into his personal space. The smirk is now gone. "I am not a kid, and I will talk to you anyway that I damn well want to."

"You know I didn't mean anything by that Monroe comment. I was just yanking your chain." He growls.

"Well, you succeeded Bass." He feels his dick getting hard again. She never calls him Bass. "You succeeded because my chain was effectively yanked." She moves closer still and his breath catches. Is she trying to kill him? What the hell is happening here?

Charlie is enjoying this immensely. Monroe has had the upper hand for as long as she can remember. It feels good to have put him in his place. This news about him and her Mom has helped even things out. It's disgusting, and she doesn't want to dwell on it, but she's glad she knows. Charlie is tired of feeling off balance when she's near Monroe. She's tired of regretting sleeping with Connor. She's tired of wishing she'd slept with Bass instead. She's tired of the dreams where she's under him and he's pushing into her over and over and…

Bass watches her eyes lose focus and then dilate. He sees her nostrils flare and he can feel her intake of breath. It is in this moment that he knows once and for all he is not the only one who's been fighting this attraction between them. He knows it, and the knowledge tastes sweet.

"Charlie?" Monroe breaks through her thoughts and the look on his face is one of surprise and also heat… "What were you thinking about just now?" his voice has shifted. It is lower, sexier (how is that even possible? but it is) and he's now the one moving closer to her. She licks her lips, unsure of exactly who has the upper hand now. She does not back away.

"What are you talking about?" she asks, but the breathlessness in her voice gives away her lack of control.

"You spaced off there for a second." He lifts his hand to her cheek and strokes it with a calloused thumb. She doesn't move away. "And I'd swear you were thinking some very dirty thoughts just then… about me."

"You're insane." She whispers as his face nears hers. She is looking into those icy blue eyes and her gut turns to jelly, and she feels desire pooling in her core.

"Yes, I'm pretty sure my insanity has been established." He says, his lips brushing against hers as he speaks, his voice so soft she barely hears him. "I think what you're not saying is that you like me. You want me."

"No." she says, but its obvious that her heart isn't in it.

"Yeah, you do. And it's okay."

"Why is it okay?" she's out of breath and her thoughts are scattered.

"Because I want you too, damn it. Just never realized that you…" His lips touch hers again. This isn't a kiss its less than that, but it promises so much more.

She doesn't mean to do it. She had planned to be strong, to lead this thing herself, to make him beg for her. Her plan had been to have the upper hand, but her plan is done. She has no upper hand. Bass is in charge. As soon as he realized what she was thinking – as soon as he figured out that she wants him, the tables had definitely turned. Charlie doesn't mean to do it, but feeling the ghostly touch of his lips blanks all rational thought from her head.

She doesn't mean to do it, but she does. She can't help herself. She moans against his lips.

That is all the invitation Bass needs. He takes her mouth in the way he took Scranton when he was General Sebastian Monroe. It is fire and passion and need and just a little bit of crazy. It is the hottest thing Charlie has ever experienced and without even thinking about it, she molds her body to his. Muscular arms wrap around her, pulling her closer. His lips angle over hers and his tongue presses for entrance. Another moan and he's tasting her, plunging between her parted lips. Hungrily he explores her, all the while rubbing his hands up and down her back and occasionally stroking her ass, pulling her closer still.

He's kissing her like it's his job and she can't think. All thought has rushed from her head. All thought but one. She wants Bass like she's never wanted anything or anyone in her life.

"Seriously?" Aaron's voice breaks through their moment like a sledgehammer and Bass and Charlie fall away from each other, breath ragged, bodies on high alert for each other, eyes locked in a gaze that promises this will continue later.

"I knew this was coming." Priscilla says with a weird grin. "They will find in each other what they've both been looking for. Love. Family. Companionship."

"StayPuft, your girlfriend is really fucking creepy." Bass says grouchily.

"You have no idea." Aaron responds tiredly, "Do Miles and Rachel know about…" he waves his hand between Bass and Charlie, "This?"

Charlie shakes her head no. "Don't tell them Aaron. They probably won't…" she pauses searching for the right word, "Take it well."

"Ya think?" Aaron asks with mock incredulity.

"It won't be as bad as you think," Priscilla says, still with the weird smile, "But by then you'll be pregnant. That helps them adjust a little. It's not easy but…"

"Pregnant?" Bass explodes at Priscilla, completely frazzled by her bizarre behavior. "What is your deal? Are you nuts? All I did was kiss her."

She just smiles, "So far" she says to Bass. Then turning to Aaron. "It is time for us to go. They need to talk."

Aaron follows her without a word, and Charlie and Bass are alone again. The air now charged with something other than raw desire, though that is still there lurking under the surface for both of them.

"Something is wrong with Priscilla." Charlie says, watching them walk away.

"Yeah, I think so too." He shakes his head. "Sometimes she does know stuff though. It's disturbing."

"You mean she might be right about us, about someday?" Charlie hadn't even realized she was moving but she's in his space again. Pressing her hands against his chest; she splays her fingers and feels the ripple of tensing muscles under his hot skin. "I can think of worse things."

His breath hitches, "Worse than being tied to me with a kid?"

"I already feel tied to you. You're in my head. You have been for a long time…" her voice is soft and it has a strange effect on him. He wants her. He wants her badly, but he also wants to protect her and comfort her and make her feel safe. He wants all of her.

"I have to ask something before we can go any farther." His voice is tense.

"You want to know why I slept with Connor?" she looks into his eyes and can see the pain there. The hurt is so clear in the way he looks at her that her chest tightens with guilt. "You know it was just that one time."

He lets out a breath. Evidently this is good news to him. He presses his forehead against hers, taking her hands in his own; he rubs small circles on her palms with his thumbs. "Good." He sighs.

"And I was only even tempted because I thought you were screwing Duncan and I was so jealous. I wanted to hurt you the same way I thought you were hurting me." She's whispering now.

"I didn't touch her that night. She and I… we had a thing a long time ago. Nothing there for a long time though."

"I know that now. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."

"I wish I would have known you were even thinking of me like that. I would have done so many things differently."

She smiles, "We wasted a lot of time didn't we? Being stubborn, not saying what we were thinking?"

"Yeah. We did."

"Let's not waste any more time." She leans up and kisses him and he melts against her. This kiss is so different from the last one. The first had been hard and needful, gritty and desperate. This kiss is none of those things. It is sweet and soft. It is emotional and tender. It is the kind of kiss that people remember.

"Is there somewhere we can go?" She asks, breaking only far enough from his lips to speak.

He feels her breath against the hair of his beard and he smiles. "Yeah, I've been staying in a little old farmhouse on the other side of these woods ever since we found Miles. They made it clear they didn't want me around, but I didn't want to go far."

"So let's go there." Charlie responds urgently.

"You sure you want to do more of this? Gonna be hard to take that back. Once we cross that bridge…"

"I don't want to take anything back except for all the time we've wasted." Her gaze doesn't waver.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

They make their way to Bass' little house, holding hands and exchanging the occasional shy smile, they move through the woods. They don't speak. There isn't much either needs to say. Without knowing it, they've been sharing the same need for so long. Now that they both know, they can think of nothing other than taking this thing to the next level.

He'd called it a farm house, and maybe it is, but Charlie thinks it looks like a little cottage from a fairy tale. The paint has peeled, leaving behind grey weathered boards. There are white aluminum shutters and a red door. Charlie laughs. "It's adorable."

He shrugs, but is glad she likes it. He leads her through the red door and she looks around while he closes it behind them. The small rooms are sparse. The furniture is old. Everything is fairly tidy. Charlie hears Bass lock the door and she smiles. No more interruptions.

She feels him move close behind her. Slowly he wraps his arms around her waist and nuzzles his face into her throat, kissing the flesh where it peeks between the long curls. "God you are so beautiful Charlotte. I've wanted you since the swimming pool."

She shudders at this touch, and smiles at his words. "For me it started beside the fire, when I was coming off those drugs and I knew you had saved me. I know I was being a bitch, but part of that was me trying to deal with feelings I didn't want to have."

Bass chuckles, taking her shoulders and turning her so that she's facing him. "When we were in that school, and I left… I was barely down the steps before I knew I had to go back and help you. I couldn't leave you."

"I was so happy when you came back, when you saved me again." Slowly, he begins to pull her tank top over her head. She lets him.

"When I was walking toward my execution, the thing I dreaded most was not ever getting to know you better or telling you how I felt."

"So why didn't you tell me later?" She moves her fingertips under the hem of his tee shirt and slowly she pulls it up and off. Her hands glide over firm muscle and she shivers at how good his skin feels under her touch.

"I don't know." He's kissing her neck again, and she feels heat course through her body, pooling in the core of her sex.

"I really kicked myself for a lot of things after I found you and Connor. I kept wondering if things might have been different if I'd ever said anything, but in the end I kind of gave up. I thought you guys really had something."

"Well we didn't. And I hated when you became distant. I had already regretted doing anything with him, but when you went cold on me; I couldn't breathe." She shudders as he removes her bra and cups her breasts. He leans down and takes one nipple between his teeth, sucking on it gently. She arches into him and he sucks harder, pinching lightly at the other hardened pebble.

He pulls away and kisses her lips lightly, "When you released us from that damn cage and you were wearing that sexy lingerie thing I wanted to rip it off of you, but I still thought you were with Connor so I tried not to think about it much."

"Connor said you told him to find a girl that wasn't me." She seeks out his gaze and he nods.

"Yeah, I said that." Bass runs his fingertips slowly up her ribs. "I admit it was pretty selfish. I thought I was going to die. I just couldn't handle the thought of you two together even if I wasn't going to be around to see it. I guess that shows you how awful I am." His hands drop to his sides and he just looks at her, as if expecting Charlie to turn and leave him.

She marvels at how bruised he is, how hurt he's been, how much he's come to expect rejection and her heart aches. Carefully she reaches for Bass' hands and places them back on her ribs. "You are not awful." Leaning close, she presses her body against him. Heated flesh against heated flesh. She can feel Bass shudder lightly and when she looks up, she sees tears shimmering in his eyes.

"I don't deserve you." He says, choking back the emotion that threatens to overtake him. "I don't deserve anything good."

"Maybe you don't deserve me." She chuckles, attempting to lighten the mood. He smiles a little. "but now that I know I'm not the only one feeling something here… well I think you're stuck with me." She says, reaching for the buckle on his belt.

Gently Bass strokes her shoulders as she unfastens his pants. He inhales sharply when Charlie's fingers stroke his hard cock for the first time. She opens his fly wide and slowly works the fabric down his hips. She's careful of his erection. Bass sighs as it is released. He watches through hooded eyes as she wraps her fist around him and begins to pull gently.

"Damn it Charlie. You have to stop that." Panting, he pulls her hand away, steps out of his boots and pants and reaches for her waistband. Soon they are both naked. She looks up at him with wide eyes and he can see she wants to say something.

"What are you thinking?" he asks her, his voice is hesitant.

"I'm thinking," she replies stepping against him, putting her arms around his neck and playing with the soft curls at his nape. "I'm thinking that this is perfect."

"So you're sure? About all of this?"

"I've never been more sure of anything, ever."

Hearing these words, Bass grins down at her. His eyes sparkle and his crows feet crinkle. "Me too." He says softly before leaning in to kiss her. Their mouths move as one. The kiss is consuming and heated, but also slow and sweet. Bass feels this kiss begin to heal him. Charlie is healing him. All he's wanted for so long was to be loved, to be needed, to be wanted and appreciated. For so long he's offered his heart only to have it ripped apart. They haven't said the word love, but he feels it in her tentative caresses. She touches him like he's fragile. Like she knows he can break.

Bass squats just a bit and unceremoniously picks her up, throwing her over his shoulder.

"What are you doing?" Charlie squeals with a giggle.

"Taking my woman to bed." He growls with a chuckle, smacking her ass lightly as he walks down the hall.

Carefully he lies her on his bed, crawling in to hover over her. He's still smiling, just soaking up these moments, cherishing this time with Charlie.

"Your woman, huh?" she asks with a cocked eyebrow.

"Well, yeah." He grins at her. "There's something you should know about the whole second string thing."

"Right now? You need to tell it to me right now?" She's laughing.

"Yeah." He nods, "Yeah I do. That whole second string business? Miles was right. I did go after his ex girlfriends a lot. It was a way I could connect without committing. No girl in that scenario actually wanted to date me. They were a way I could get off without getting my heart broken. Miles knows that. It's one reason he doesn't get worked up about it. When Miles and I were running the Republic and even before that when we were in the Marines – it was just my way of coping." Bass shrugs. "I dated some girls that Miles hadn't of course. I'm not a total ass-face. None of them mattered either. Except for Shelly. She was mine. Just mine and I loved her so much that when she died a big part of me died with her. My compassion, my empathy, a big chunk of my sanity…" Bass voice breaks a little, but Charlie leans close, laying her head on his chest, just waiting. He composes himself and continues, "That was almost fifteen years ago Charlie. I haven't given my heart to a woman since then. I followed Miles around like a puppy dog because he was my brother and even though we were messed up, and our friendship was unusual, and sometimes unhealthy – he was the only person I could let myself connect to."

"What are you saying?" Charlie's voice is shaky. Hearing Bass talk like this really shakes her up. She wants to hold him and keep him safe and guard his heart from ever breaking again.

"You are a little like Miles, and that is one reason you are special to me. He's my closest friend. Even when we fight. Even when we disagree. Hell, even when he tries to kill me; he's still the one I want by my side in a fight. Well, one of the ones." He looks down at her, meeting her eyes. "You are the other."

"I am?"

"Yeah, but its not just that. The reason I'm telling you all this is that what I feel for you isn't something casual or random. When we do this…" he trails off before going on "If you still want to do this, it's for the long haul with me. Okay? I can't get into something with you if you aren't ready for that. I don't think I can survive losing someone else I love."

"Love?" Charlie's voice is scratchy with tears.

He nods. "Yeah Kid. Pretty sure I've loved you since that damn swimming pool, or maybe it was on the ride to Willoughby… I'm not sure. But I want you to know what you might be getting into."

She doesn't answer right away and he feels the ache start in his chest. She pulls away and he pinches his eyes shut. He's such an idiot. Maybe she is just like Miles. Why does he let this shit happen? Why doesn't he learn? When will he stop opening himself up to… His eyes pop wide in surprise when Charlie moves to straddle him. She is naked and beautiful and she is smiling down at him in a way that makes his chest ache even more – but this is the good kind of ache. He smiles tentatively, questioningly.

"I know what I'm getting into." She finally says with a grin.

"You sure?"

"You keep asking me if I'm sure and I keep telling you I am." She frowns. "Maybe if I show you?" He gulps air as she moves down his body, taking his now soft dick in her hand – stroking him slowly until he's big and hard in her tight fist. He moans as she works his shaft with her fingers. He can't take much more, and pulls her up his body so that he can kiss her. Flipping her on her back, Bass begins to stroke her shoulders and breasts. He works his fingers down over her belly and seeks out her sweet spot without pulling his mouth from hers. She arches against his touch, moaning against his lips. He gets her close to the edge before pulling his fingers away.

"I promise next time we'll go slower." He says roughly. "Right now I need to be inside you."

She nods against his neck and he moves her ever so slightly, pushing her thighs apart and readying himself at her entrance. She is so wet, and he rubs his cock slowly through her juices, confirming she's ready.

"Please" she cries out hoarsely.

He moves closer, and then enters slickly into her tight center. She cries out and he buries his face in her neck, moving slowly, rocking in and out. He's getting deeper with each thrust until he's buried. His tempo escalates and she bites down on his neck – harder than she should. Bass cries out and then he's almost erratic in his movements. Charlie feels her own orgasm building and then she is done, arching against him, she's blowing apart from the inside. Bass follows only moments later, emptying himself in her depths before collapsing half on top of her, but still managing to support the bulk of his weight on shaky elbows. Their eyes meet. They are both out of breath and sated.

"Um," Charlie doesn't have words.

"Yeah?" Bass asks with a lazy smile.

"Dear lord that was amazing." He pulls out slowly, placing a kiss lightly on her lips before rolling onto his back, lying next to her. Bass reaches for her hand and squeezes it softly with his own.

"Amazing." He repeats.

"We'll be doing that again right?"

"Oh yeah."

"Soon?" she looks over at him with a goofy, hopeful smile.

"Give me a little bit, but definitely." He returns her smile.

They lay there with hands clasped and listen to the silence.

After a while, Charlie lets go of his hand and rolls to her side, facing him. "Bass?"

"Mmm." His eyes are closed. He's not asleep but he doesn't remember ever feeling this content.

"I don't know for sure."

He opens his eyes and looks at her. "Know what?" he asks, curiously.

"If I love you."

"Ouch," he says frowning, but then laughs. "It's okay if you don't know. We'll figure it out."

"Here's what I do know… I know that when I'm with you I feel safe. I know that when you touch me, my stomach gets all twisty and my heart beats faster. I know that seeing you and knowing you're okay – even if its across camp or across a battlefield or whatever – I am relieved. I know that the thought of losing you makes my heart ache."

His gaze is intent on her. She feels like he's looking into her soul. "And?" he asks.

"And I've never been in love. Nobody ever really told me what to expect. I'm asking you… is this love?"

"What do you think in your heart?" his smile is sincere and promising and hopeful and in it she sees her future.

"I think maybe it is." Charlie sighs against Bass who holds her close.

"I think so too." He whispers softly into her ear.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Back at camp, Priscilla is sitting quietly in a straight back chair. She has that creepy smile and her eyes are a little glazed as if she's deep in thought. Aaron is so sick of the Nano and the way it controls her; he's afraid that he'll never fully trust the real Priscilla when she is released just because he'll never know for sure if it's truly her. He groans a little at the thought.

"They are so happy." She suddenly says.

"Who?" Aaron asks absently. Priscilla is always spouting off random stuff. He typically ignores most of it.

"Your friend Charlotte and the one you don't like so much – Sebastian."

"Charlie and Bass are happy?" he stares at her, "Are you watching them right now?" he asks disgustedly. "That is not polite. Bad Nano."

"It's okay. They don't know. They are so happy. So full of joy. It's… nice." She looks at Aaron. "You know, we'd almost given up on people. So much darkness, but seeing what love can do for someone like Sebastian – it gives me hope that you can all be redeemed."

"So because Charlie and Monroe are happy right now, you have new faith in humanity?"

"Yes, maybe. If his path can be corrected, anyone's can be. This is reason to rejoice Aaron. Instead of changing your thoughts and dreams as we'd planned, we just need to find love for all of you."

Aaron scoffs, "I think it would be easier if you just put us all on auto-pilot."

"Maybe. Maybe not. Let's just see how this works out."

He shakes his head at her. "How long till you've seen enough?"

"I'd say just about nine months."

"Nine months?" he looks at her blankly for a minute, "Oh crap. You weren't kidding earlier when you said she'd be pregnant?"

"We don't kid, Aaron. You know that." She scolds him, "We want to see how they handle parenthood. If that goes well, our work with you may be done. If Sebastian can be not only a doting partner, but also a good father; we will have learned that love is the answer. I don't actually see the future, I just see hints and probabilities from which I can make fairly accurate calculations. It is hard for us to fully grasp this concept of love, but we can't deny it exists for some. My analysis says that Sebastian and Charlotte both lack in the same things: love, family and companionship. They will certainly find those things in each other. "

"So you're saying that they're gonna be happy and they're gonna have a baby?"

"Yes." She's grinning that weird not-Priscilla grin.

"Well this is going to be all sorts of fun." Aaron snarks. "Especially when Miles and Rachel find out."

Sarcasm isn't something the Nano fully appreciates just yet, so it is with all sincerity that the Nano via Priscilla says, "Oh yes. It will be fun indeed!"

Author's Note: Hope you liked this. I had fun with Nano Priscilla (what a creepy lady haha). When I started writing this it was going to be way more about anger sex than anything… but then I watched Tomorrowland and Miles was such a bastard to Bass, and I (and probably you too) kept thinking, CUT THIS POOR GUY SOME SLACK. Geesh Miles. Bass needs love, so that's what I gave him. Give me your input.