"Charlie?" Danny voice quietly called out from the door.
The trance broken Charlie looked down the hall towards the front door.
"Yeah, Danny, we're here."
Jason's insides were fuming because of the moment he had lost with her, he thought to himself angrily, "I should've just grabbed her and kissed her." His mind briefly wonders what her reaction would've been if he had done that, would she have slapped him? Punched him? He settles his thoughts on thinking about how her lips would taste and how soft they would be.
Charlie is gathering up a pile of old towels that may have (at one time) been pink, when Danny walks in.
"There's an old garden out back. Looks like some rhubarb is growing and maybe some onions also," he says and helps his sister with the towels and blanket.
Jason can't help but glower at Danny, if he hadn't come in he would have still been alone with Charlie… maybe his arms would be wrapped around her…
"Good, I'm starving," Charlie said. Hearing her express her hunger snapped Jason out of his thoughts.
"I can shoot some game, I saw some rabbits running around… There's a skillet I found in the kitchen we can use to cook with… We need to get the fire going."
"I found some more dried wood," Danny says, then spies the fireplace in the living room, "Couldn't we just stay here, it'd be drier."
"But not safer. This house stands out more than the shed does," Jason tells him. One more once over on the house, Jason found some plates that had been smashed on the floor, but was able to find three that weren't completely broken. And found some silverware also that was covered in cobwebs and dust.
They bring their haul out to the shed. Together they look over the garden that had turned over grown and wild over the years. Charlie and Danny had grown up tending to their own gardens, so they were able to easily locate and dig up the onions and started chopping off some rhubarb.
"I'll be right back, if you get back to the shed before me, start digging a hole near the middle for the fire," Jason ordered before heading out to hunt down some meat.
"Kind of bossy, isn't he?" Charlie jokes.
"He seems to know what he's doing."
"Who better to hide from the Militia than the Captain's own son," Charlie said, almost bitterly, she was still miffed that Jason was related to the man that was responsible for killing her Father.
"He won't be able to ever go back to his family… What's he going to do?"
Charlie had been breaking up the dirt around the onions with an old butter knife from the house, but stopped for a moment to look at her brother, "I don't know…"
"He seems to think a lot about you."
Charlie went back to shoving the butter knife in the ground again.
They work in silence again. After they had dug up a few onions, Charlie pressed the earth they had disturbed flat again. She looked up at Danny, who was watching her.
"Don't want anyone to be able to tell someone was digging here."
They gathered up the rhubarb and onions and carried them back to the shed.
Danny used the rusted shovel to dig a hole in the middle of the shed, the metal blade was dull but still capable of digging the dirt that covered the shed floor.
Charlie found a flat rock that she rubbed clean as best she could before peeling and chopping the onions into large pieces.
Jason came back and was holding three rabbits by their ears.
"Found a large log back there," He motioned with his head, "Can you help me carry it?" The question was directed at Danny, who quickly said he could.
Jason looked at Charlie, "You can get the rabbits ready."
"Just because I'm a girl, doesn't mean I'm going to be in charge of cooking," Charlie said looking at Jason with her eyes narrowed.
Jason held her gaze, "You're the one who said you were hungry. How else do you expect to eat?"
They stare at one another for a second longer before Jason determines the conversation over and turns to walk out, Danny follows behind.
With more force than necessary, Charlie chops the heads off and slices them open. Moving more carefully she removes the brown furry skin from the rabbit, then starts to take out the inedible bits. As she is finishing up with the last rabbit, Jason and Danny return carrying a large decaying tree trunk. The center had been hollowed out by termites and it was easy to break it apart.
Jason got to work building the fire just as rain started hitting the tin roof.
"Wood is good and dry, shouldn't be much smoke. Rain will cover what smoke there is… Wood will burn out fast though."
The onions and rabbits are soon in the skillet sizzling, Danny stirred it every now and then, while Charlie washed the rhubarb off in the rain and chopped it up and added it to the skillet. The sweetness of the rhubarb cooking filled the shed. Jason was busy hanging the string from wall to wall, when it was done he draped his shirt over it and took Charlie's jacket that she had flung over the mower and draped that next to his. Danny added his shirt to the "clothes line". It was close enough to the fire to have the warmth speed up the drying.
Charlie felt slightly resentful of the fact that she was a girl and couldn't just take her shirt off to dry like the guys, she was going to be stuck in her wet clothes all night. Hopefully they'd be a bit dryer by morning.
"Looks done," Danny said and used a towel to lift the skillet away from the flame.
The rain on the tin roof sounded like a drum and they sat silently eating their meal, being careful of the sharp edges of the plates.
Three "beds" were creating by laying out the towels on the ground, Charlie didn't say anything as Jason tossed the blanket towards what would be her bed though she wasn't fond of the special treatment just because she was a girl.
They added a bit more of dry wood to the flames but decided not to add any more after that, there was a slight chill in the air from the rain, but if it stopped raining the light from the fire would attract attention and the small amount of smoke that the fire gave off might get noticed.
"I'll take first watch," Danny said.
Charlie was about to protest, thinking that he needed to rest, but Jason was quick to say, "Alright, Charlie you can take the next watch and I'll take the last."
Jason took his shirt off the string and handed it to Charlie who slowly took it with a questioning look in her eyes.
"You can wear this, and let your clothes dry," He explained.
"You expect me to wear nothing but your shirt?" She asked with a raise of her eyebrow.
"Or sleep in wet clothes," He said with a shrug, "Up to you."
Finally, silently admitting defeat she slipped his shirt over her tank top then she slipped herself out of the tank top and hung it on the clothes line. His shirt hung down to almost mid-thigh and she unbuckled her pants and modestly shed them and secured them on the string.
Jason tried to keep his eyes on anything except Charlie but couldn't help but sneak a peek as she walked back to her spot, the light from the dying fire flickered on her bare legs, the sight of her wearing only his shirt stirred something deep inside him.
Danny was sitting with his back up against the wall, watching Jason, watching as Jason's eyes went to his sister as she hung her clothes. He narrowed his eyes, he didn't know how close his sister and Captain Neville's son were, he could sometimes not even tell if his sister liked him. He decided that he would ask her straight out, what her real thoughts of this Jason Neville guy.
Jason's eyes moved away from Charlie as he felt a strong wave of desire, a desire for her to be his. He looked over at Danny and saw that he had seen him watching Charlie, and he quickly looked away and then laid down and closed his eyes.
Charlie moved around a bit after laying down and covering up. The towels had a dry grainy texture that was almost worse than the dirt, she kept pulling the shirt down as far as it would go, feeling so exposed even under the blanket. She eventually forced herself to stop fidgeting and starting using rhythmic breathing to lull herself to sleep.
Danny woke Charlie up with a small nudge a few hours later. Danny took his shirt off the line and pulled it on then settled on down on his make-shift bed.
Getting herself repositioned to take watch, she laid the blanket over her bare legs as she sat cross legged. She heard Danny's breathing regulate, inhale and exhale. It seems like such a small thing to hear someone inhale and exhale, but for her, Danny's breathing was of such importance, listening to it was comforting, letting her know that he was alright.
About an hour into her watch, the fire had long since gone out, she noticed Danny shivering as he kept trying to adjust the towels that were serving as his blanket.
Charlie quietly got up and covered Danny with the blanket and carefully slipped the towels off of him and carried them back to her spot.
Jason woke as Charlie was carefully walking past, carrying towels to her spot. A slight glance over at Danny told him that she had switched covers with her brother, giving him the warmer. The siblings were so close in age, but Charlie was so gentle with him. A gentleness Jason had only seen from his Mother, before the blackout. After the blackout his Father got very strict and cold and refused to let his Mother "baby him" as his Father put it.
As if Charlie could feel his eyes on her she looked to him, they held each other's gaze for a while, then Jason got up and moved closer to Charlie.
Neither say anything as they sit next to one another, he looks over at her again. Slowly he brings up arm up and around her shoulders. Charlie sits still for a moment, there's an unfamiliarity to the feeling of his arm around her. Despite the many times he had lied to her, he had still saved her life multiple times, and it's because of she allows herself to feel safe in his arms.
Jason could feel Charlie's body relax next to his and he tightened his grasp around her shoulders, pulling them closer together. Eventually she relaxed completely and laid her head on his shoulder. He closed his eyes and soaked in every second of her in his arms.
"Why do you keep saving me?" Charlie asked quietly.
Jason couldn't help but smirk, "Because you keep needing to be saved."
Charlie lifted her head from his shoulder and looked at him, "I'm serious."
"I couldn't let you die, Charlie," He practically whispered.
"But you could lied to me."
She could see her comment had hurt him and she is quick to feel guilty and says, "Sorry."
"I had my orders to bring your Uncle to the Militia," He looked deep into her eyes, "Please understand." He was pleading, she had to understand. Her silence ate away at him, she must hate him… but why is staying next to him then?
"Don't lie to me again," She said holding his gaze steady.
His fear of rejection was quickly dissipating, and he promised her, "I won't." Then he raised an eye brow, "Don't ever chain or cuff me to a pole again."
"I won't," Charlie said, a small smile played on her lips.
He brought his hand up and slowly ran his fingers through her soft hair, then brought his hand to her cheek. Her eyes fluttered close as she leaned into his touch. Jason looked at her long eye lashes lay fanned out across the tops of her cheeks, he sat still admiring them, she opened her eyes and they looked at one another. He sighed and brushed his thumb lightly over her cheek bone, she blushed under his touch and steady gaze.
Charlie turned her gaze forward, "What's the next plan, Jason?" She needed him to tell her that he wasn't going to leave.
He's expression turns serious and thoughtful, "We should head west a bit farther, then we can start heading north to loop around towards Noblesville and see if we can find the others."
"About how many days?"
"Probably three days, depending on the weather."
Charlie was silent for a moment, "Then what are you going to do?"
Jason looked at Charlie, "What do you mean?"
Charlie rolled her eyes, "I mean, what are you going to do after we meet up with Miles, Aaron and Nora?"
Jason looked forward, "I don't know… What are you going to do? Follow Miles and Nora to lead the resistance and kill Monroe?" He said in a near mocking tone.
Charlie gave a defeated sigh, "I just want to go home again."
"That'd be a good way to get caught by the Militia."
"I know… You know this whole time that I've been searching for Danny I always thought that once I found him we'd go home and everything would be as it was before. But, we don't have a home… Miles and Nora will probably head to Philadelphia. Aaron? Well, I guess Aaron could go back home."
"There's time to think about that. Right now let's just focus on the next few days," Jason said, wanting to ease the look of concern on her face. But his comment made her furrow her brow.
"Are you going to leave?"
He closed his eyes as he realized that her true concern had been losing him, a warmth spread through him and he answered, "No. I'll go where you go… you'll need saving at one time or another."
Charlie scoffed indignantly, but smiled at the thought of him always being near.
"You should get some sleep, I'll take over watch."
She silently moved over to her bed, bringing the towels that would serve as her covers.
Jason watched as she fidgeted with the towels, it was a chilly night and she was probably cold. Jason felt the cold as he sat there with his bare chest with nothing but a few grimy towels, but it didn't really bother him, he had endured much colder nights during his training.
Watching Charlie steady her breathing and finding a slow and deep rhythm was enough to put him in a trance, watching her torso raise and fall under the towel. She wasn't asleep long before he noticed her shivering. He immediately grabbed his towels and moved over to her. He carefully laid down next to her on his side and moved to meld there bodies together. Jason closed his eyes as he marveled at the feeling of her body pressed to his, her body was so soft and he felt it molding it his, and a sense of completeness filled him. He could tell by the way her breathing changed that she was awake. Awake and not moving, Jason silently prayed that she would let him hold her like this, in this intimate position.
Charlie woke as she felt Jason lay his body behind hers. She kept very still, unsure of what to do. As he brought his arm around her waist and brought his body closer to hers, she felt her heart pounding in her chest. Warmth was radiating off of him and she felt the chill slowly leave her body. Jason's heart beat was steady on her back and she found herself relaxing at the feeling of it.
Jason felt her body release its tension, he brought his lips to her ear and whispered, "Go to sleep."
The minutes slipped by and her heard her breathing regulate and felt her body relax completely as she found sleep. He stayed awake, keeping his ears alert for any sounds in the night. The rain had let up and a heavy fog had taken its place. He formed a plan for the next day, they could gather what food they could from the garden, then start walking west. If the fog didn't lift it would make it hard for them to travel, but it would also slow the Militia down, some. The rain that had plagued the night will have washed away any tracks they left, but it would also make the ground soft making it near impossible not to leave new tracks. If only he could convince Charlie not to go back to Noblesville, even if the train and his Father did continue on to Philadelphia, there would still be a crowd of Militia near. His ideal plan would be to head south and start over, his heart softened as he thought of a life with Charlie. A life where he got to sleep next to her every night, a life away from the Militia. He forced his mind away from those thoughts and tried to concentrate on the present, Charlie would refuse to leave without finding the others, so that was what they had to do. He vaguely wondered what they were thinking, did Miles think that Charlie had been captured or killed? Jason's arm tightened slightly around Charlie's waist at the thought of how that had almost happened. Would Miles, Nora and Aaron still even been in Noblesville, or would they have moved on after Charlie didn't return. What if they were already moving towards Philadelphia? Thinking that they needed to rescue Charlie and Danny. Silently cursing at the complicatedness of their situation he started to form a new plan.
A/N: Oh when, oh when will they have their kiss... sigh. I guess they have had quite a bit else going on.
