Disclaimer: I own nothing.
Summary: The thing is, people leave. Miles Matheson knows this all too well. He just never thought it would be Charlie doing the leaving.
AN: Second Revolution fic, just because you guys rock! Lemme know what you think! THANK YOU SO MUCH TO MY REVIEWERS! boasamisshipper, Searching for Serenity, FANtasizerr, readeroffic, animechickie, mae, Selivia, mac2, and mougann, Holy Moly, you guys are amazing. So much love. Hope you guys enjoy this one!
o brother, where are thou?
one-shot
To the outside world we all grow old. But not to brothers and sisters. We know each other as we always were. We know each other's hearts. We share private family jokes. We remember family feuds and secrets, family griefs and joys. We live outside the touch of time. – Clara Ortega
The thing is, people leave. Miles knows this better than anyone. He knows that sometimes, things happen and people leave. Miles knows this because he's usually the one doing the leaving.
So, it's a little bit heartbreaking, a little bit confusing and a little bit lonely when it's Charlie that leaves.
Charlie has always made it clear to him that her number one priority, the entire reason why she's trekked across the country, fought, killed and watched the people she loves die, is Danny. Danny. Her younger brother. The boy she grew up with. The boy she laughed, cried and mourned with. The boy who shares her blood. Her loyalty to her brother is astounding, though not surprising.
Miles remembers when he and Ben were younger, how they always looked out for each other, how much love they had for each other. Even after Bass wormed his way into their family, Miles' number one priority was Ben (time has not diluted the memories, instead, it has only made them so much more stronger, so much more prominent).
So, Miles understands loyalty, especially when it's towards a sibling…despite that, he should have seen it coming. Should have seen what she was, is and will do for her brother. And that includes leaving.
And okay, so the war, so-to-speak is over. Bass is dead (a bullet through the heart courtesy of Miles himself and he doesn't even feel as much remorse as he thought he would feel because all he can see is his nephew beaten black and blue and all he can see is Charlie, pressed against Bass, gun to her temple, eyes wide but never looking at him, always looking at Danny) and all that's left is a broken country (yet again) and Miles is stuck with trying to rebuild it (yet again), but he at least thought, this time around he'd have family to support him. Family to be at his side.
Rachel comes barreling into the large room, eyes wide and frantic. "Where are my kids? Miles? Miles, where are Charlie and Danny?"
"I don't know." Miles answers her. He turns around to look at her, glass of scotch in his hand, "I have no fucking idea. They left. Probably in the night if they were smart about it. So they could be an hour out or ten hours out. I. Don't. Know."
"Find out!" She shrieks. "I want my children!" She collapses on the chair, head in her hands, "after all this time, after everything we've been through, I just want to explain…I just…I need to see them, hold them."
So, Miles should have seen this coming, because he knows Charlie. Knows that she feels betrayed and when Charlie feels betrayed, she leaves.
Miles does the same thing.
On Miles' signal, the rebels attack. The camp is a bloodbath, everyone slaughtering those who threaten their chance of survival. Splitting up is dangerous, but it's tactical, so they each go one way, Miles from the front, Nora from the back, Aaron from the right and Charlie from the left.
He can hear the screams of the dying, the agonized groans of those close to death. The smell of gunpowder and blood assault his senses but all Miles can concentrate on is the fact that he has to get to that main room, kill Bass and free Danny. He thinks about Charlie the entire time he's fighting his way through the house, hoping and praying that she's okay. That she's safe.
He doesn't have to wait long; he barges into the main room, fireplace roaring. Rachel is sitting on the couch, she's pleading, tears streaming down her cheeks. Danny is being held by up by two guards and he's beaten badly. Bruises and cuts are littered on his body but despite that, he's still fighting, still trying to wrangle free, his voice hoarse and begging and then Miles turns around, arm outstretched, gun ready and he comes face-to-face with his ex-best friend, the man he once considered a surrogate brother, holding a gun to his niece's head.
Charlie has a split lip and a bruise on the left side of her face but aside from a few other scratches, she seems to be okay, even with a man holding her hostage.
"Let her go Bass." Miles says, his voice is surprisingly even, it doesn't show his panic, his fear.
Bass smirks, "No. She's quite the little fighter, killed six of my men before I finally snatched her. And that was just outside the door. Sweetheart, do I even want to know how many more of my men you killed?" She doesn't say anything, just twists and chokes when Bass chokes her even more. "Caught her by surprise when she came barging in, she apparently wasn't aware that her mother was still alive. Did you not tell her, Miles? Did you forget to tell her that her mother is safe and sound and has been with us, with you, for the past several years?"
Charlie stops fighting. She stops moving and Miles closes his eyes for one second, one split second. She looks at him, blue eyes wide with hurt and betrayal. Her eyes fly to her mother, who stops begging just enough to bow her head down. "What?" Charlie sputters.
"Go on." Bass urges, "tell her about how you convinced their mother to leave them. How you convinced her to stay. Tell them Miles. Tell them about how you tore apart their family. How you killed your brother."
"Don't." Danny wheezes, his breath becoming heavy, "talk about my father."
"Danny." Charlie gasps; she starts struggling as soon as her brother falls to his knees, struggling to take deep breaths, "Danny!"
"It's over Bass. Let her go." Miles glances at his nephew and then back at Bass.
"I'm taking her with me. She'll make such as nice prize. Like mother, like daughter." He looks at Miles, his eyes dark, "I guess you fail, huh? First their mother abandons them, then their stupid father is killed and now…their uncle isn't as strong as he appears to be."
It's one too many insults towards Ben, it's the blatant threat against Charlie's life, it's the fact that his nephew is dying on the floor that spurs Miles into action. He fires the gun and with deadly accuracy, it lands right in Bass' forehead. Rachel screams. Charlie flinches but as soon as the arms around her slacken, she's racing towards Danny. Miles shoots the two men holding Danny and Charlie slides in front of him, cradling his face, tears streaming down her cheeks. She's yelling, Miles doesn't know what for but he can hear her plead, "look at me! Danny! Danny, look at me! Please! Oh God. Oh God. Breathe. Danny, just breathe!"
"Charlie!" Aaron shouts as he comes barreling into the room. He drops to his knees next to Danny and Charlie.
"What's happening?" Nora breathes as she stumbles into the room, one glance at Bass, then Danny, then Miles.
"He's having some sort of attack. I don't…I don't know."
"What's happening to him?" Rachel asks worriedly as she walks over to touch his shoulder.
Charlie slaps her hand away, "don't touch him!" She snarls.
Aaron is digging through bags and searching Danny's pockets when he grabs something and places it in Danny's mouth, "breathe in." He orders Danny. "Danny, look at me. Breathe in. `Atta boy. You know, one of these days, you're going to have to tell me how the hell you got an inhaler."
"What is that?" Charlie asks, "what's it doing to him?"
"Helping him breathe." Aaron answers.
When Danny finally stops wheezing, Charlie pulls one of his arms over her shoulder and Aaron does the same on the other side, "we need to get him help. He needs to get checked out."
"I'll follow-" Rachel starts.
"No. You won't." Charlie snaps. "We've gotten along fine without you. We'll continue to get along fine."
"Charlie." Miles says quietly.
"Don't talk to me. Not right now."
Danny is sleeping on a cot in the infirmary, Charlie by his side, eyes watching his chest rise and fall, when Miles walks in. "We need to talk." He says quietly but firmly.
He sees her become rigid, tense and there is a pang in his gut, when he realizes that she's closing herself off from him. "You can say what you want, but I don't care."
"You need to understand why you're mom came."
"I don't care." She repeats. "And she's not my mother. Maggie was more of a mother than her."
"You're father-"
"Did he know?" Charlie demanded. "Did he know that she really wasn't going for supplies? Did he know that you betrayed him? Did he know that his own brother stabbed him in the back? Is that why you're so defensive of him? Because you feel guilty? Because you know that you fucked us over?"
"Stop being a petulant child and just listen to me!" Miles snaps and immediately regrets it when people wake up, their groans filling the air. His eyes snap to the cot in front of him when Danny groans and turns his head, "Charlie?"
"I'm right here." She says, her voice gentle and soothing, she pushes hair from his face. "I'm right here. I'm not going anywhere."
"I had a dream." Danny murmurs.
"What about?"
"Dad. You. Me. Maggie. Aaron. That day by the lake…remember?"
Miles can see her shoulders sag, sees her wipe the stray tears that stream down her cheeks. "Yeah, I remember. You pushed me in."
"Only because you said I wasn't clever."
She chuckles. "Right. Go back to sleep, Danny. I'm going to be right here."
"Like always."
"Like always." She repeats. She presses her lips to his forehead and turns her tired eyes to Miles. "You took care of me. You kept me safe. You saved me more times than I can remember. You helped me find Danny. I will always, always be thankful for that but you've lied to me since the moment I met you. You're not the uncle I thought I knew. To be honest, I don't think you're the brother my dad even knew. So, just…get out. Please."
He doesn't know what else to say, so he turns to leave, as he walks out of the infirmary, he takes one last glance at Charlie and sees her holding Danny's hand in her own. He walks out with a heavy heart and a feeling in the pit of his stomach that he doesn't know what to make of.
He goes to see Aaron, with Rachel trailing behind him. "Where are they?" He asks as soon as he sees the other man.
Aaron looks up at him and shrugs. "I don't know what you're talking about."
"You're lying, now where are my niece and nephew?" Miles demands, his voice hard as he slams his hand down on the table.
Aaron shakes his head and glances at Rachel. "You don't have the right to call them that. You lied to her. And you-" Aaron says pointing to Rachel, "do you have any idea what you've put them through? You don't. Neither of you realize the damage your choices have done, do you?"
"Where are my children?" Rachel asks, her voice breaking.
"I don't know." Aaron answers them, "and even if I did. I wouldn't tell you."
"Damn it Aaron, they're alone and it's still dangerous! They could get hurt or killed."
He shakes his head. "Here's what you two may not know about Danny and Charlie, it doesn't matter how hurt the other one is, it doesn't matter how mad they are or whether or not they're in a fight. It doesn't matter where they are or how old they are, they will always, always protect each other."
"I just want my kids. Please."
Aaron shrugs past her, "you should have thought about that before you left them." He turns to leave but then turns around, "you know, Miles, Charlie…she loved you. You were the father figure that was brutally taken away from her, you were her protector, her friend and you lied to her. The thing is, you always talked about loyalty…remember? So, why are you surprised when she chose the only person who has ever been loyal to her?"
He's not surprised. At least not really.
The thing about people, is that leave.
Miles Matheson knows this all too well.
Second Revolution fic done. So….what do you all think? Review are greatly appreciated! Also, once again, a huge huge huge thank you to every who reviewed my last story. You all made my week. I swear. I've wanted to write something like this for a while, you know where in the end, Charlie finds Danny and they leave and I like to think that her reaction to their mom and Miles' part in it is realistic because I know I would be PISSED. But, that's just me. So, hopefully, it's realistic and hopefully, I've kept true to to the show. I've left some things/people out, mainly because I'm tired and mainly because I've got another story swirling around about Neville and Charlie's persistence to save Danny. We'll see. Anyways, hope you all like!
Again, thank you so much!
Much love,
Bex
P.S. Sorry for any mistakes!