Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I do not own anything. Everything belongs to their rightful owners and I am not making any profit from this.

AN: Thanks to everyone who is reading this story. Please let me know what you think.


It is about four hours later when Rachel once more wakes and once more the first thing she does is gets started on breakfast and it becomes perfectly clear to her as soon as she attempts to stand up that today's journey is going to be the most difficult for her so far.

Rachel finishes making breakfast just as the sun starts to rise and without too much trouble she manages to wake Connor, Charlie, and Danny, and half an hour later they have eaten and packed up all of their campsite.

"About when should we make it to where Dad and Pop are?" Danny asks curious.

"Around nightfall." Rachel answers, "Maybe a bit before, maybe a bit after." She reveals, "Let's go." Rachel says and Connor grabs Danny's hand and starts walking a bit ahead of Rachel while Charlie hangs back with her mother.

"If you need to rest today please tell us." Charlie says to her mother, it being clear from the looks that they have been giving her all morning that Charlie and Connor are worried.

"Don't worry about me Charlie." Rachel tells her daughter but before she can say anymore Charlie interrupts.

"I can't not Mom." Charlie tells her mother, "I've seen you hurt a lot and every time you try and make it seem like it's not as bad as it is for Con, Danny and my sake but I'm asking you not to do that this time, please." Charlie says to her mother, an undertone of begging perfectly clear, "You said it yourself by nightfall we may just be with Dad and Pop again and you need to be with us when that happens, so please if you need to rest more to make sure of that then please tell us." Charlie tells her mother, sounding older than her age and showing that she clearly inherited her mother's stubbornness.

"You're pretty amazing, you know that Charlie." Rachel says to her daughter putting an arm around her, more proud than she can put into words at the compassion that her daughter is showing, compassion that even after everything she has been through she hasn't lost.

"I try." Charlie responds, "Does that mean you'll do it?" Charlie asks, "You'll tell us when you need a break." Charlie says, hoping the answer is yes.

"I will." Rachel responds.

"Good."


Over the next few hours two things become clear to Rachel the first is that Charlie and Connor have worked it out so that one of them is walking right next to her while the other is waking with Danny and the second is that with every hour that passes Rachel can feel her self getting weaker, struggling more.

It has been about an hour since they stopped for their lunch break and Connor is now walking with his mother while Charlie walks with Danny.

"Mom's not going to be okay, is she Charlie?" Danny asks his big sister in a quiet voice.

"I'm not going to lie to you Danny, Mom's pretty hurt and there is a chance that she isn't going to be okay, but that's why we need to get to where Dad and Pop should be as soon as possible." Charlie tells her little brother.

"Why?" Connor asks curious.

"Because as well as the fact that seeing Dad and Pop again will make Mom feel better there are doctors in the militia that can help her." Charlie explains to her brother.

"Oh, good." Danny responds and it becomes clear to Charlie that Danny doesn't understand that their mother might not make it to help, and not wanting to upset him further Charlie decides not to explain that to him.


A few hours after their lunch break Charlie and Connor have once more switched so that Connor is walking with Danny and Charlie is once more walking besides her mother.

"Connor, Danny, stop." Rachel says suddenly.

"Mom, what is it?" Charlie asks concerned.

"We're about a mile away from where the camp should be." Rachel informs her children, having to internally fight to stay standing, not that she will let that show, "Just through those trees is the main highway." She says pointing to the trees, "And there is something I need to do before we start walking along there." She says pulling the gun from out of her pants.

"What are you doing with that?" Connor asks confused.

"If we walk towards a militia campsite with a gun then it won't end well for any off us." Rachel reveals, "So I'm burying it." She tells them as she kneels down on the ground and starts digging with her hands. As she does she purposely lets the ring that Ben forced her to put on fall off, being glad to be rid of it as for a long time one of the things she wanted most is getting that thing of her finger.

"We'll help." Charlie says kneeling down next to her mother and once they see what their sister did Connor and Danny walked over and did the same and together the family of four dig a hole to bury the gun.


Working together it only takes them five minutes to bury the gun and once they are finished they once more stand up and when they do it is perfectly clear that Rachel struggled to get up.

"Are you okay?" Connor asks curious.

"No worse than I was before." Rachel tells her son though she has a feeling that that isn't strictly true but she didn't want to lie to him and say that she was okay when she isn't, "Let's go." She tells her children and they once more continue to walk, Connor and Charlie exchanging a worried look as they do.


Ten minutes later the family of four have walked about half a mile when for Rachel everything starts to go blurry, but knowing that there isn't far to go she forces herself to keep going, but that only last a few steps before light headedness is added to her blurred vision and she can feel herself getting weaker by the second,

"Kids." She manages to say before collapsing.

"MOM." Charlie, Connor and Danny says terrified racing to her side.

"What happened?" Danny asks his voice filled with both sadness and a fear.

"She collapsed." Connor answers as he and Charlie attempt to see if they can tell what is wrong with their mother.

"Why?" Danny asks.

"Because of what Ben did to her." Charlie informs her little brother, "Mom, wake up."

"Come on Mom, wake up." Connor says gently shaking his mother trying to get her to wake.

"She's not waking." Charlie says tears coming to her eyes.

"I know. She needs help." Connor tells his sister, fighting not to not let his own tears fall.

"Dad and Pop shouldn't be too far away, half a mile at the most. They can help, we need to get them." Charlie tells her brother.

"We can't leave Mom alone." Danny objects.

"I know, we won't Bud." Danny says reaching out and gabbing Danny's hand and pulling him closer to him, "One of us is going to have to wait with Mom while two of us go get help." Connor suggests.

"We can't split up." Charlie tells her brother, "We need to stick together." She says remember her mother's words from the night before and the promise they made.

"Then what's your great idea Char?" Connor asks his sister, "Mom need help and we're the only ones who can get it for her." He tells his sister.

"We carry her." Charlie suggests.

"We can't." Danny objects, "She's too big."

"No she's not." Connor says catching on to his sisters' line of thinking, "If we work together then we can divide the weight between the three of us, it still won't be easy but we might be able to do it." He says, "We'll divide her pack between the three of us then Charlie grab her legs, I'll lift her head." He says, "Danny once Charlie and I lift Mom I want you to put one hand here." He says putting a hand on Rachel's lower back, "And one hand here." He says putting on Rachel's thighs, "Can you do that for me Dan-Man?" Connor asks his brother who nods, "Good man." He says as Charlie starts to take everything out of Rachel's pack and starts to put some in her pack and then once Connor and Danny remove theirs she puts stuff in theirs as well.

"Done." Charlie says and she puts her pack on and hands Connor and Danny back there's.

"Is this a good idea?" Danny asks as Connor and Charlie get in position to pick up their mother.

"Maybe not, but it's the best one we've got." Connor informs his brother, "On the count of three, one, two, three." He says and as soon as he says three, with difficulty he and Charlie pick up Rachel and once she is lifted off the ground Danny puts his hands where Connor said to, "We break whenever we need to." He says and Connor and Charlie nod.


After almost an hour of walking small distances before taking a break Connor, Charlie and Danny carrying Rachel arrive at what looks like a city of tents, the place where they hope to find their Dad and Pop.

"Halt." The Guards say as soon as they see Charlie, Connor and Danny, each of them pointing a gun at them, "Put her down." One of the guards say when they realise that the kids are carrying a person.

"What is your business here." The guard on the left asks once Connor, Charlie and Danny have gently put Rachel down on the ground.

"We need to see General's Matheson and Monroe." Connor says, standing slightly in front of his brother and sister.

"No one sees the General's unless they request it, have the requested to see you?" The guards on the right say.

"No." Connor answers,

"But they will won't to see us." Charlie says walking over and standing next to her brother, holding up her hands as she does to make it clear that she doesn't have a weapon or mean harm.

"How can you be so sure?" The guards asks looking at Charlie and Connor suspiciously.

"Because they're our fathers." Charlie answers simply.

"I'm Connor and this is my sister Charlie, Brother Danny and Mother Rachel. Miles Matheson and Sebastian Monroe are our fathers." Connor informs the guards.

"You're lying." The guard on the left responds, though among the militia it isn't a secret that there is more than just friendship between Miles and Bass, so it wouldn't be that surprising.

"No we're not." Charlie answers, "And if you allow us to reach into our mothers pocket we can prove it." Charlie says to the guards.

"Which pocket?" The right guard asks.

"Right jacket." Charlie answers and the guard reaches into Rachel's right jacket and pulls out the picture that Charlie, Connor and Danny have seen a million times, a photo which Connor and Charlie can almost remember being taken.

"As you can clearly see the woman in that photo, with Generals Matheson and Monroe, is the same one laying before you and the kids in the picture are us, just eight years younger." Connor informs the guards.

"Get this to the General's, tell them everything." The right Guard says to the left, "That's an order Smith." The right Guard says when it looks like the left isn't going to do what he is told.

"Yes Sir." Smith says taking the photo from his superior before turning and running into the sea of tents.

"What happened to her?" The right Guard asks curious.

"That's a long story." Charlie says looking over at her little brother who is sitting right next to their mother, holding his hand.


Completely unaware of what has happened at the entrance to their camp Miles Matheson and Sebastian Monroe are in their tent standing over their table working on mission plans while drinking.

"So what do you think?" Miles asks Bass.

"I think it could work." Bass responds but before he can say anymore the flap of their tent flies open and the militia solder who was at the entrance, Smith, bursts in.

"Smith, what do you think you're doing?" Bass asks, "You do not enter this tent without permission." He informs the solider,

"Sorry Sirs, but there is something you need to know, it's important." Smith says, as while he doesn't believe that the children are telling the truth he knows that General's Matheson and Monroe will want to know that children are claiming that they are theirs.

"What is it Smith?" Miles asks.

"Three children have just shown up at the entrance carrying an unconscious woman. They said their names are Connor, Charlie and Danny and that the woman's name is Rachel. They claimed that they are your children and showed us this picture as apparent proof." Smith says putting the picture on the table on top of the mission plans.

As soon as they see the picture Miles and Bass exchange a look before sprinting out of their tent, Smith right behind them.


"Just hold on Mom, please hold on." Connor says to his mother.

"Con, look." Charlie says and Connor turns to see what Charlie is looking at. When he does he sees two men that he recognizes to be their Dad and Pop running towards them.

"Do you have the letter?" Connor ask.

"Of course." Charlie says standing up and walking so she is standing a couple of steps in front of Connor, Danny and Rachel.

"What letter?" Danny asks Connor confused.

"A letter Mom gave us." Connor answers.

"Hi." Charlie says to Miles and Bass, a slight nervousness to her voice, when they reach her.

"Charlotte." Bass says, fatherly affection and shock at seeing her again, clear in his voice, "You've grown a lot" he informs her.

"Yeah, I have." Charlie responds, "Last night Mom woke Con and I and she gave us this letter." Charlie says pulling the letter out from out of her pocket, "If something happened to her, if she couldn't tell you herself there are things she wanted you to know." Charlie informs her fathers, "She said that it would answer all your questions and she made Con and I promise to make sure that reading this letter is the first thing you do when we see you." Charlie explains as she hands the letter to Miles, "Please, read it." Charlie requests and Miles unfolds the letter and together he and Bass start to read it.

Dear Bass and Miles,

I'm sorry, I'm so so sorry, I owe you both so many things, one of which is an explanation but if you are reading this then I'm not able to give it to you in person, I just hope that the fact that you are reading this means that Connor, Charlie and Danny are with you, that they are safe.

There is so much that you both need to know and to explain I need to start at the beginning. When I was a bit over four months pregnant with Danny I started to have sharp pain in my stomach and I was rushed to hospital, the doctor did an ultrasound and he found that instead of having two blood vessels in his heart Danny had only one and because of that it wasn't likely that he was going to survive. Once I found out I turned on my computer to call you both a hundred times, but I didn't want to give you that news over Skype so instead I did everything I could to try and find a way to help him, to save him. The only option that had a chance at working was an experimental trial that was full.

About a week after I found out I was at the office late, Charlie and Connor were sleeping in the portable crib I had set up when Ben came in. He told me that he knew someone who could get me and Danny into that trial, but I had to do something for him, and I said anything before I realised what that meant. He said that I had to agree for the company to accept a contract from the DOD for technology we were working on, something which I had been using my majority vote to block, I agreed to that, but then he said that I had to marry him and lie to you both and say that we had been having an affair for years, that he was my children's father, that I didn't agree to. I tried to back out, I said that I would find another way to save my baby, that I love you both and felt nothing for him, but he said it was too late, that I already agreed, and he pulled out a gun and pointed it at Charlie and Connor. He told me if I didn't email you ending things he would shot them, then come after the two of you, and I couldn't let that happen. So I wrote the email and the second I did he changed the passwords of all of my online accounts, took my phone and keys, making sure that I had no way to contact anyone, which is why Ben always said that I didn't want to see or talk to either of you after you got back.

He stuck to his word and got Danny into the trial. About two months later Danny was born and his odds of survival were less than fifty, fifty and he was so small, but he's a fighter and I fought for him so hard and he survived and today he is healthy and strong. The only lasting effect of what happened to him are occasional attacks similar to Asthma, both Charlie and Connor know what to do when one happens so they'll be able to tell you. Before I was taken to have a C-section I told the nurse that no matter what, no matter what anyone else said my son's name was to be Daniel Sebastian Miles Matheson-Monroe because I remembered how much you both liked that name when we were picking names for Connor and Charlie. I almost told the nurse everything else but then I remembered that Ben had armed guards with Connor and Charlie, guards that wouldn't hesitate to hurt them if they were ordered to so I stayed quiet to protect them. You both need to know that you are Charlie, Connor and Danny's fathers and that I have never willingly had sex with Ben.

After Danny was born as soon as they legally could Ben and his bosses, that were now our bosses, at the DOD got me back to work, working on the technology that two years later caused the blackout. It happened because of me, I destroyed everything, that's what I was going to tell you when I managed to get Ben's phone away from him and called you the night it happened.

For the two years before the blackout and the six years that have followed I have been Ben's prisoner, he has physically, mentally and verbally abused me, and done so much worse and along with Charlie, Connor and Danny I have spent the last year locked in a basement, trying to find a way to escape. Almost four days ago a woman named Maggie, who found out about us only days earlier, drugged Ben and helped us to escape, and as soon as we were free I had one thing on my mind, getting Connor, Charlie and Danny to you.

As I write this letter I can feel myself getting weaker because of the injuries caused by a beating Ben gave me hours before we left, and I don't know if I'm going to see either of you again, though I hope I do. You need to know that I love you both with my whole heart that I always have. You and our children are everything to me. Please make sure that Connor, Charlie and Danny know that I love them, that I always have and always will, and that I am more proud than I can put into words. Charlie, Connor and Danny have been through a lot, but I have made sure that they have always known the truth about you both and now they need you to be the fathers that you always should have got to be. I love you both and I'm sorry for everything,

Yours Rachel.

As they read the letter both Miles and Bass can feel a lot of things, anger at Ben for what he did, sadness because of a lot of different reasons and shock, but as they look at each other and then Charlie, Connor and Danny, who are kneeling besides Rachel, they realise that they don't have the time to dwell on everything right now.

"Smith, Rodrigues get a stretcher and every medic in the camp." Miles orders as he and Bass walk the last few steps to Rachel and kneel down next to Charlie and Connor.

"Has your Mom told you anything about her injuries? Or do you know anything?" Bass asks looking at Charlie and Connor, thinking that as they are older than Danny then it is likely that they will know more.

"She has bruising all over her back." Connor says.

"And she was coughing up blood." Charlie adds.

"She said somewhere inside was bleeding." Danny adds and Miles and Bass exchange a worried look as post blackout internal bleeding is very difficult to treat.

"Can you help her?" Danny asks.

"We're going to try." Miles tells his son, attempting to give him a comforting look, and as he does Smith and Rodrigues arrive with the stretcher.

"We've got the stretcher Sirs, the medical personal will meet you at the medical tents." Rodrigues informs Miles and Bass.

"We're going to lift your Mom onto the stretcher now but to do that we need you guys to let go of her hands and take a step back, can you do that for me?" Bass asks Charlie, Connor and Danny.

"Yeah." Charlie says as she, Connor and Danny are standing, once they are Charlie and Connor each grab one of Danny's hand.

Together Miles and Bass lift Rachel and put her on the stretch.

"Charlie, Connor, Danny there are going to be a lot of people while we walk through camp so stay close to me and Dad." Miles says to his children, all of whom nod, Miles being surprised at how easy it is to refer to Bass as 'Dad' once again.

"Rodrigues, make sure they are never a foot away from us." Bass orders.

"Yes Sir." Rodrigues responds as Miles and Bass lift Rachel and as they start to walk it is clear that they are doing their best to watch Charlie, Connor and Danny, as they walk, neither of them wanting to lose their children again.

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