Raw chapter three


Bringing it together


A couple of weeks later

Ranger camp, Austin

Charlie was recovering. Too slowly for her own taste, as she was getting tired fast of all the people constantly helping her, cheering her up and moving her along with the bed side manners suitable for a three year old. She is fine. The wound has healed, she was getting her strength back as she slowly moved out of the tent, a concerned grandfather helping her with her steps.

'Jesus, you guys too?' She said, her voice strong and her eyes pissed off, as she looks at Monroe and uncle standing a little further ahead, with worry in her eyes that could easily go within her mother's concerned behaviour. 'I expected a little bit more from you.' She fires, at Miles and then again at Monroe.

Both men had been standing not far from her, leaning lazily against a low wall as Miles had his hands on the hilt of his sword and Bass mimicked his position, but with his wrapped in front of his chest. Both pretending they were just hanging for a while, both there for her.

'Aaand she will be fine,' Miles shook his head, the relieved smile not far ahead, as he stood next to Bass. 'Already bossing her around.'

'You heard what the lady said.' Bass slapped Miles on his shoulder as both men were ready to go back to their days for now, 'better give her some space.' He smirked at Charlie who gave him her best stare back, that might be a little too amused.

Charlie moved on, step by step, the fresh air hitting her face. He was there when she woke up. He was the first one she saw, and her world was just them. He was there when she blacked out, he was there when she opened her eyes. It had been that way on another day too, when they first began their journey.

Bass watched her, the determined look in her eyes, one boot in front of the other. He was there when she opened her eyes. She was the first person she looked at, as he had her for herself for a couple of seconds. She was slowly taking him in, before she had moved out her hand towards him. That was until Miles had been there, and Rachel and doc, and the moment had moved on as he had walked out of the room not moments later to give them all some time. Locking eyes with her one more time, standing in the doorway, he had walked out, a raw pulse of relieve as he stood there. His hand leaned against a wall as he needed a fucking moment.

And then, she looked at him, looking up from the concentrated steps she was taking. Her hair blew around her face, blowing one lock in front of her cheek in the sun. She looked at him

Charlie saw the intensity in her eyes, a smile cornered by his beard, as she felt the smile on her own face.


'Dammit,' Charlie cursed.

Bass was not sure if he heard her right, the last part of her curse turned into something quieter. Charlie rarely cursed and when she did, well, then things are not all right. Weapon already in hands, he moved on into her tent. It was turning dark, the sky changing, the birds singing high in the treas. Night fell over their camp. He just wanted to check on her one more time, before he would grab a bottle, a fire, and hopefully his brother.

Charlie was stuck somewhere in her tank, as Bass had to bite back a laugh. He put the gun back where it belonged and stood before her.

'You know, I could help you with that.'

She would let out an automatich grumble, but she was just too tired. The scar bitching when she moved around too much.

He knew she would never ask for his help, just as stubborn as his long life friend, just as stubborn as her uncle. So he moved towards her, slowly untangling her from her current tank situation.

'I am so tired of not doing my share. I just wanted to take a stupid bath.'

He followed her eyes to the tub in the far left corner.

'Hey,' there it was again, that low smothering tone in his voice, that resonated through her belly, ' he tilted his head to get her to look at him, 'I could help, Charlie.'

He expected her to huff at the fucking stupid idea but she didn't.. She just nodded.

'Let me help you with that,' A low colour to his words.

Charlie bit her bottom lip, giving something away that she did not want to. Bass was crouched before her, as his hand slowly moved to her bare upper arm as he helped her untangle her arms from the tank, gliding it over her arms, freeing her of it. He moved on to her pants. Her boots.

Her heart is wildly sounding in her chest, as Bass looked at her, without making her feel self conscious of herself. Bass slowly helped her up from her cot. He felt how Charlie stumbled for a second from exhaustion.

'Take your time,' he said gently, 'I know you won't listen to a fucking word I say, but take it easy Charlie.' He ignored the frustrated sigh.

Charlie sat down on the rim of the bathtub. Her fingers moved behind her back, but they, or she, too tired to open the clasps.

Bass moved in, his fingers slowly on the skin above the line of her bra, as he helped her open it. It should offend her. It was kind of hot. Somehow their road brought them here, in this place of easy trust and the fact that she would let him in, and he would take care of her. Her straps flowed over her shoulders, as he stood behind her, tall, her back resting against his stomach. His fingers slowly moved over her shoulders. Tips exploring her skin.

Charlie closed her eyes, leaned into the touch that was slow, gentle, not a threat. Easy. Bass.

A slow kiss was placed on her shoulder. a token of their trust right now. She tilted her head his way, but does not look at him.

As she moved into the warm water, she knew he was there, in the tent with her. Giving her space, but there, so she could give in to warm water to ooze her muscles and body as he took watch, made sure the tent, and she, was secure.

It is not longe before she felt him. She felt the tension, in the way he can only look at the ground, with that tension in his jaws. Bass kneeled down next to her, right behind her.

'Charlie,' his nose and cheek, stubbly beard, were close to hers, 'I need to know.' His voice was soothing, soft. But she could also hear the apprehension in it.

'What happened in Vegas?'

Charlie looked at the water not far in front of her, as Bass did not dare to move. It was fucking tearing at him, what she had told him on that fucked up hell on that bridge. It took long agonizing breaths until she spoke.

'Gould, he put me on some box after he paraded me on that wagon through town, son of a bitch.' She stared in front of her.

He bowed his head in front of her, telling himself he does need to hear this.

'He...he pulled his tongue all over my cheek, his hand on my breast.'

He felt his body bubble with anger, hot cold anger, for not being there.

'When I was on display like some cheap whore.' She heard the bitterness in her own tone.

Bass closed his eyes. Oh dear fucking god. And he had talked about her in a way she really did not deserve, or needed after that, you want to bang that, I don't care. It filled him with shame. That. He had called her that.

'Did he?'

'No, I killed the guy that Gould promised me to before he could do anything...' although his arms, his hands, it was still a haunting disgusting memory.

'I am so sorry Charlie. So sorry.' He swallowed something away, Charlie heard it next to her.

It was just the tiniest movement, but there was a small nod from her, as an acceptence.

He pressed an intense gentle kiss on her temple, as she could feel the heated rage.

'Bass, you and my mom. Is that?'

'Over. It is over Charlie. One fucking stupid night, and we both would never do it the hell again if we could do things over.'

Bass still had not moved away from her, as she was still, his hand now going through her hair. close enough to him to feel him breath. She would not make him ask about what would be next.

'Me and Connor, if I could do things over, if would not happen again.'

She felt how he looked at the ground next to her, as she felt the hurt for the hurt she caused him by acting on some stupid meaningless impulse of jealousy and needing him at the other side of the wall. Because the alternative, was too big, too overwhelming. She felt him tense up, and it hurt her, she already knew she hurt him, looking at him afterwards, as his deep eyes had tried to reach her in the bar. But she could not take into account what that had meant, and why taking something that was there, made such an impact on so much.

'Do you think we could me move on?' Charlie asked, her voice slowly choosing her words. The moment she had to swallow she knew what answer she hoped he would give her.

'Yeah,' Bass grinded his teeth together with emotion. 'Yes, sweetheart, I think we could.'

The water made a sound, the water dripping from her arms as she moved back, one hand around his neck.

Bass still felt a sting, but she was honest. Honest. It broke through, making the rest unimportant. The past.

When she slowly moved herself out of the water again, he was there in a heartbeat. Wrapping a towel around her. Slowly, almost in slow motion, she looked up at him as he admired her curls, her wet curls, that give her hair more flow around her face.

And then, he kissed her. Putting everything in that kiss he needed to.

Charlie felts how his shoulders move on to forever right above her. It is a short kiss, as the hair of his moustache wrap themselves around her lips.

Somehow she ended up scooped up in his arms, safe, warm. Not exhausted but on her way to deep sleep.

She moved her head against him as he put her into her cot. Wishing the fuck he could stay, but Miles, or somebody else, will here shortly.

'I am around, you get some sleep now.'

He looked at her. He turned.

'Bass?'

He stopped.

'Thank you.'

He knew she is not just thanking him for the bath. And he knew, like he had for a long time now, he would go to the end of hell and back for this girl.

'Anything for you, babe.' He whispered there in the nightfall.

She just smiled, as she was already asleep, but that smile, he knows, she knows, the words have reached her.


Present day,

55 miles outside Austin

There are the sounds of guns, orders being barked as he and Miles are in the field once more. They have been separated by time and fucked up decisions and hurt and darkness that changed them and almost broke their friendship. Almost. Another battle, another silent agreement to not leave the field without the other. Always come back, always fight. Or end it, together.

Now they are on the field, another fight ahead, a war to be won, a war they know will fight in together. What had started in Jasper, moved to Philly. Until she had showed up.

Charlie.

Charlie Matheson.

He would not be anywhere else, than beside him, and her.

Last night, in between long meetings with Blanchard they had moved over that line. Together. And it had been raw and fast and intimate and slow.

Bass realises he is not going into another fucking fight without knowing what she is like. All of her. WIthout claiming her. He knew she is there, with him for that. The images of her, smooth and soft in that bathtub in that late moonshine light, when words were finally said and questions were finally asked, are still with him. Fill him with desire, but with something else too. It is deep. And it can't wait.

He finds her soon enough. He grabs her by the elbow, his fingers gentle, not aimed at hurting her, but the urge to feel her close. He wants to give her this.

She looks at him, as he looks at her.

'Yes,' she whispers hoarsely. She knows why he is here.

He crashed the door shut behind them. The room is theirs.

He walks to her with an intensity that would scare anybody else, but Charlie sees a piece of him, he won't show anyone else. It has been like that, maybe from the start. She can read Monroe,she can see Bass.

In one movement he has her against the wall, brushing one cheek with his hand. One knee, his, strong, wide, between her legs and crurshing in between her legs holds her up, as Bass keeps on moving deeper into her mouth and into her.

It is all speeding up in a passionate tugging of clothing.

Bass still kisses her, but at the same time he moves his hand.

One hand opens his belt in fast urgent movements, his jeans, freeing his desire for her. The sound of low groans, soft moans and his belt fill the space. Charlie feels the moving of his under arms, so erotic, as she knows what is freeing. She is wet wanting him, wanting to touch him. Charlie hangs on to his shoulders, as Bass presses her against his chest, the corner between them warm and filled with intense breathing.

'Bass,' it is a slow whisper, 'I am glad you are here.'

'Charlie,' he licks the rim of her ear, 'I am so fucking glad you are here baby in all this bullshit with me,' he sucks on her neck, as he kisses her there again.

His hands join her as they get her out of her pants. His large hands cover her breasts, making them completely dissapear, as she is still against the wall, being hold against him by him, and his large knee is close to her entrance.

'Let me show you how much I am here,' he places another kiss on sweet skin, another moan from Charlie, 'for you. And there is no other fucking place I will be.'

Charlie kisses him, lazily moving her legs against the wet tip of his cock.

'I am here for you, Bass.'

She felt how much this, this moment means. To him. She wrapped her arms around her neck and shoulders, as she grabbed her own wrists to give herself some balance.

Right before she has to ask him, has to ask him to fill her, he demands her eyes with his, and demands her body with his cock. She feels how he tilts his hips, moving with one deep slow thrust inside of her.

After that first thrust, his body is comanding her.

Charlie feels stupid for the tears that are about to escape as she comes with such force, she can only feel Bass, his shoulders and the fact that he keeps on talking to her.

'You are all right baby,' he mutters into her ear as a Charlie is coming undone.

This is not just a fuck, she surrenders, and is not afraid to give him that part of her, that he will treasure and keep shielded from all the fucked up world outside.

He moves over to her wrists, kissing his mark gently. And when she lets him, he lets a sharp breath break free. It is the expression that changes on his face at that moment that let's her scream with need.

It is after she comes that he can't hold back. Her fingers move over his burned mark as it is that touch and what it means that turned into an almost sad deep groan.

But it is the fact that he is wanted, so fucking wanted by her, it is what almost drives him apart.

Making her drive deeper into her, almost roughly, keeping her in one place, with him, against that wall.

Wanting her never not with him.

He already gave in to her, now he knows he will make her his. He comes, deep inside of her, shooting to the stars, like he will do many more times in the future, and then he will not only shoot to the stars, filling, her, but he will aslo make new life and a fammily with her. But that will be after the war, after they win one hand is shoved under her ass, and the other is around her shoulders, his hand cupping the back of her head, curls under his hand as he wants to hold on to as much Charlie as he can.

Maybe it is the force of her orgasm, or the force of this man.

'I love you.' Charlie says without hesitation as this time, she holds Bass close to her chest.

He freezes under her touch. A sharp breath escapes in the dark room, in the safe hollow of her neck.

She is afraid she made a mistake.

Bass can't believe she is saying that. Some part of him can.

Because he already read it in her eyes.

'I love you babe.' His voice croaked close to her ear.

They were close when they were fucking,, but their eyes who found ach other at sunrise early morning, right before battle when he finished putting his weapon back together and she was free, ready, told anybody with a brain who saw that exchange, that their bound was unbreakable. A pull.

Both Bass and Charlie know it is even more.

And as they ran into the battle later that day, she was right there with him.

When she looked up at Bass, his strong shoulders moving with the rest of his body, as she knows Miles is not far ahead, she realises two things.

She will follow him, just like she will follow Miles, into hell and back.

And she loves him. She has known it for a very long time.

And she is glad, she told him.

She is filled by strength he told her he did too.

They swirl in one movement together, in this fight they will win, back to back, as his leather jacket is close to hers, back to back, turning, fighting. Together.

With a loud scream she fires her first shot, as Bass has his gun in his hands. Finish these assholes, his eyes on her the whole time through this fucking battle. They will not leave the other alone to fight it alone.

They never did.

The end


Thanks for reading anyone, I thank you for all sweet notes and follow's. They gave me feedback and even more joy to write! I will start another story called Poppies and guilt, inspired by a rewatch from season 1. I hope to see you there. Love from Love