A/N: I decided to continue this after all. Mostly, this is just backstory pushing the story past New Vegas. There are so many different fics about getting the boys out, I didn't want to go into too much detail to risk inadvertent plagiarism there. That, and since I don't know if I'll get this story finished before the show comes back on, I didn't want to come up with something elaborate and iffy when the show probably has something more simple in mind that will make more sense in the end. (Plus, I admit it – I suck at fight scenes…) So here you go! (This replaces an almost identical chapter two that I posted an hour ago, fyi. I hadn't realized some of my formatting had been undone by Word.) Thank you to anyone that likes/comments, offers ideas, thoughts, criticism, etc.

Charlie sat sullenly in the back of the wagon. Bass sat across from her, facing her but refusing to look at her. Occasionally he winced when the wagon hit a rough patch of road. He was still sporting a broken rib from his time in captivity in New Vegas. He hadn't spoken a word to Charlie or Connor since their escape. Charlie turned her head to look up at Connor and Duncan on the bench at the front of the wagon. Connor held the reigns loosely in his hands as he chatted about anything and everything to Duncan. She could tell from Duncan's posture that the warlord (warlady?) wasn't really listening to a word he was saying. Doesn't he ever shut up? Charlie thought to herself. At first she thought he just talked a lot around her because he was nervous and trying to impress her. Now she realized he just talked a lot in general.

She looked back over at Bass. He was leaning up against the side of the wagon, doing his best to look asleep. She damn well knew he was still awake. She'd slept near him on the road enough times to be able to tell when he was sleeping, - not that she'd ever seen him sleep for very long or very deeply. He was making sure to avoid any attempt she might make at conversation. This is going to be a very long trip.

She mimicked his position, knowing he'd take it as her calling him out on pretending to sleep. She watched him under her lashes, to see him frown slightly. Yep, he'd noticed. Good. As she watched him, she reflected back on their escape from New Vegas.

Five days prior:

Charlie waits at the rendezvous point for several hours before she realizes that Bass and Connor are not coming. She doubles back, carefully making her way back to town. She keeps her head down and keeps to the shadows, knowing that if she runs into any of Gould's men, she will be recognized on the spot. She knows that Bass will be pissed if he finds out she didn't follow the contingency plan and escape back to Willoughby. But, she needs to find out for herself what has happened to them.

She hears a gun cock behind her. "Turn around slowly, girl," the voice behind her says. She puts her hands up, and turns to face the owner of the voice. She is expecting to see one of Gould's men. Instead, she sees one of the guards that was with Duncan Page earlier. "Duncan has been expecting you to show up in town. She wants to see you."

"Well, I've got places to be. I don't want to see her." Charlie just wants to find out what's going on and get back. The last thing she wants to do is see Duncan. First of all, if she hadn't set such a high price for her men, Charlie wouldn't be in this mess now. Second of all, she knows that there is some type of romantic history between Duncan and Bass. With everything so broken between herself and Bass, she doesn't want to talk to his former lover.

"Well, if you're trying to find out what happened to Monroe and the kid, you might want to hear her out." The guard lowers his gun and gestures for her to follow him. He leads her to an old shack on the outskirts of town. She enters to find Duncan Page lounging on and old couch, a drink in her hand.

"Well if it isn't Sebastian's little plaything. Took you long enough to figure out something went wrong." Duncan looks her up and down as she speaks, sizing her up. Her perusal makes Charlie uncomfortable, like Duncan is trying to decide if she's useful or just competition.

Charlie takes no time getting right to the chase, "Where's Monroe and Connor?" She doesn't want to spend any more time with this woman than she needs to. Charlie just wants to find out what happened and get out. If they're in trouble she needs to either hurry up and get Miles or find a way to rescue their sorry asses – if they are even still alive.

"Word is, Gould caught the boxer formerly known as Jimmy King and his little helper trying to make off with his diamonds," Duncan began.

"By formerly, do you mean -?" Charlie can't finish the sentence. The thought of him being dead makes her taste bile.

"Dead? No, not yet anyways. But his identity is now common knowledge." Duncan notices the relief wash over Charlie's features. Sebastian had told her that he meant nothing to the girl, but she couldn't help but notice that she'd seemed more concerned about Sebastian than the young man she now knew was his son.

"Really? And how did Gould find that out?" Charlie was suspicious. As far as she knows, the only person in town outside of herself and Connor that knew Bass' real identity was Duncan herself.

"It wasn't me, if that's what you're implying. And I'd watch it if I were you, especially if you want my help in getting them out. Word is a little red, white and blue birdie let Gould in on his secret. Word also is that Gould has made a few deals with these patriot assholes." Duncan almost spits out Gould's name. Otherwise, Duncan is all cool, collected. It seems that she is not very happy with this Gould guy.

"He's in league with the patriots? Well that complicates things, doesn't it?" Charlie is starting to have her doubts about leaving the area alive. "So where is he keeping them?"

Duncan rises to pour herself another drink. Turning her back to Charlie now, she indicates she does not consider Charlie a threat. "There's a warehouse on the other side of town. He uses it as a venue for what you might call special events. The patriots want Sebastian dead, again from what I hear. Gould is going to put them in a cage match." Duncan turns back around now, two drinks in hand. Handing one to Charlie, she leans back to read how she is handling that bit of information.

Charlie is confused. She is still new to the world of New Vegas. "What is a cage match?" She takes a drink absently, waiting for Duncan to explain.

"Two men enter, one leaves alive. I'm not sure how Gould figured out that Connor Bennett was Sebastian's son. I didn't even know he had one until now. But, he knows all the same. I wanted to ask you about the Andover clan. Seems you've all been hiding out in Texas these last weeks. Titus was a rival, but from what I hear, the clans may need to start sticking together. What happened?"

Charlie takes another drink. This is her chance. If she can get Duncan to take arms against the patriots, she knows that their cause will have a new edge. "The patriots paid Titus to come down to Willoughby and terrorize the town. They needed to create a problem that they could solve. They used it them to get an in on the town. Afterwards, they slaughtered them all."

Duncan's eyes narrowed as she took in what Charlie said. Shaking her head, she questions this new tale. "How do you know that's what happened?"

Charlie smiles. "Because my uncle watched them die."

"And why do I care what your uncle says he saw?" Duncan can't make a decision based off hearsay. She wanted more proof before she involved her clan.

Charlie had been trying to keep her own identity a secret while she was here. But she knew that it would be safe with this woman. "Because my uncle is Miles Matheson."

"You're Miles Matheson's niece?" She watched as Charlie nodded slightly in the affirmative. "Oh Sebastian has really got himself into a mess this time, hasn't he?" She laughed at that.

"So, will you help me? I need to get them out of there." Charlie has to fight herself to keep from begging. She knows that when it comes down to a death match, Bass will let Connor kill him. She downs her drink, trying to block those thoughts out. The last thing she needs to do now is lose it.

"I'll do you one better kid. You'd better get ready. It looks like your family has a warclan coming for dinner." Duncan tells her to wait there. She goes to the door and opens it a crack. She whispers instructions to the guards waiting there.

"So what are we going to do?" Charlie starts to cross the room, but she notices that her feet don't quite want to work. She blinks her eyes a few times. She's felt like this before. Her mind flashes back to a bar, hundreds of miles away, many weeks ago. "You – you drugged me?"

"Sorry kid." Duncan really does feel sorry for the girl. Charlie looks up as the door opens again. She flinches, fearing men like the ones back in that bar. Instead walks three women. One is dressed like Duncan. Charlie assumes she must be a member of Duncan's clan. The other two are obviously whores. "We got in to see Sebastian earlier. Warlord's privilege. He doesn't know we're coming to get him. His last request was that I make sure you get back to your family unharmed. He wasn't specific as to how. I can't have you running in there gung-ho trying to help. Melanie and her friends will keep you safe in the mean time."

Charlie's eyes close against her will. The next time she opens her eyes, she can hear Bass shouting. "Jesus, Duncan! What the hell did you do to her?"

Charlie is disoriented. Her dreams have been filled with drunken barflies cornering her, pulling at her, waiting for her to fall. She sits up suddenly, eyes trying to focus. He kneels down before her. She is panting, panicked. He puts a hand on her shoulder. She scrambles into the corner of the couch, eyes not yet seeing him. "Charlie, take it easy. It's just me. You're okay, it's just a flashback, from the drugs."

Charlie takes a couple deep breaths. Her mind clears a little. She realizes who is before her now. He's alive, safe. "Bass?" She clings to him for a few minutes. For now, she isn't thinking about everything that has happened. She is just glad he is alive.

Having calmed her down from her initial drug-induced panic, Bass clears his throat and slowly unwraps her arms from around him before standing up. "Drug her? Really? Why, Duncan?"

Duncan crosses her arms as she leans up against the doorframe. "You asked me to keep her safe. I could tell just by looking at her she would get herself into trouble. I couldn't babysit her and raid New Vegas at the same time. Mission accomplished. She's safe, you're out and Gould is dead. But we can argue about this later. Let's get you patched up and hit the road. I've got thirty men ready to move out now. The rest will follow in a few days. Since we're picking up stakes completely, they've got to pack up our camp."

Bass and Charlie both turn to stare at Duncan. "What do you mean?" Bass asks her, raising an eyebrow at her.

"Oh, didn't I tell you? We're coming with you. Your girlfriend here told me what happened to The Andover clan. Gould was giving the patriots around her info about the tribes. My clan is not going to sit here like sitting ducks. We'll come to Texas and help you get rid of them there. If we can get them out of Texas, we can rally the clans down south and then work our way north."

One of her clansmen walked in with a small bag. Charlie watched as Bass removed his shirt. A deep purple bruise was forming on his ribcage. The clansman poked around at the bruising. Bass gasped sharply when he applied pressure to the middle of the bruise. "Looks like a broken rib. Not much to do for it." He applies what looks like a salve of some sort over the bruising, and wraps a cloth tightly over Bass' ribcage.

Bass looks over at Charlie. "Let's get you home, Charlotte." He then walks outside as he pulls his shirt back on. It is not lost on Charlie that he's reverted back to calling her Charlotte. This is as clear an indication as anything that he's taking a step back from her. It is the last time he talks to her.