Hello! As always, a big thank you for all your reviews! I know I said I would try to update more frequently but life is seriously getting in the way, especially with my job starting up again this week. Where did the summer go? I'd much rather be writing Charloe smut.

Chapter 6: A New Day

Charlie fell asleep as soon as she closed her eyes but even in her unconscious state, she still couldn't rid herself of Sebastian Monroe. Except this time, he wasn't getting picture messages from slutty blondes or arguing with her about his past mistake with her mom. He was with her, transcending time and space to speak the words she wanted to hear, and making her feel safe again.

Charlie walked down the steep winding trail, the smell of rain still lingering in the air as she made her way through the marsh and arrived at a quaint cabin in the middle of the woods. She searched around, everything was quiet, no birds were singing and no animals scurried about like usual. The sky was overcast but rays of sunlight still made their way through the clouds and hit the trees at different angles, making the water droplets on the leaves sparkle. They looked like little diamonds stuck to the foliage.

She breathed in the country air, joy bursting from her at the idea of being back home. The door to the cabin was locked but she continued to jiggle the handle for a few seconds before giving up. She walked around it, searching for someone to help her. "Hello?" Nothing. Still no sound, just stillness. Her lips parted once again but the only thing that came out was a loud gasp as two warm hands came forth and covered her eyes from behind.

"Guess who?" He asked, his voice unmistakable.

Charlie's smile was as big as ever. "Bass." She hummed, touching his hands with hers.

His hands slid down, and he tilted her head to the side as his fingers continued trailing down her arms before wrapping them around her stomach. His lips touched her neck lightly, kissing her softly at first and then exuding more hunger and passion. "I missed you so much, Charlotte."

Her breathing was growing heavier, and she closed her eyes at the feel of his mouth nipping at her supple skin. She could smell his scent, the same scent she was already so familiar with.

Bass' hands slid under her shirt, coming in contact with bare skin and making her purr in his arms. He spun her around and it was until then that she finally saw his face. It was him, the Bass she'd always known. She touched his jaw with her fingers and his hands played with the strands of her hair. "I missed you too." Charlie came to her toes, her lips colliding with his as she breathed him in.

When her eyes opened again, he had somehow transformed into the Bass she had recently encountered. His features were much younger, his eyes still vibrant and his smile joyous. But she didn't feel the need to pull away, she kissed him once again. "It's me Charlotte. It's still me." He murmured into her mouth.

"I know." She replied, biting down on his lip before diving her tongue into his mouth. His hands were running out of places to explore and hers fumbled around with his belt buckle. Their breathing became more desperate and their hearts felt like they were beating in sync. Charlie kissed him with fervor—she missed him so much.

She tossed and turned in bed, unknowingly kicking the comforter to the floor. Quiet moans escaped her mouth and she muttered a few words before her eyes finally snapped open. The dim view of the room was a painful reminder it had all been a dream and that instead, she still rested on the same hotel bed she had fallen asleep in the night before. Charlie's breathing had quickened during her slumber and she found that her center was still aching with need. She lied still, staring into the dark abyss that was the ceiling. Her head turned to the side, tiny remnants of light peeked in from the edges of the curtains and she checked the clock, realizing it was only 5:30 am. It's still me. Those words were still fresh in her memory, along with everything he'd made her feel. She touched her chest, keeping a steady hand on it until her heartbeat began to stabilize.

Charlie wondered if she had somehow willed that dream to happen as a way of convincing herself that what she was feeling around this Bass wasn't at all insane. She rolled over on her side as her eyes adjusted to the darkness, his body taking form on the bed right next to her. He was sprawled out on his back atop the mattress, the sheets having slipped off to the ground in the middle of the night. His chest rose and fell at a steady pace and she could hear a tiny soft snore every time he inhaled. She caught herself smiling, actually enjoying the sight. And no quicker had she realized it than she began chastising herself for even being drawn to him in the first place. Her eyes closed once again as she told herself that her focus had to be on finding Aaron and getting back to present time.

Somewhere in between picturing Bass naked—more times than she'd liked to admit—and recounting the last minutes she had with him before being sent to 2012, Charlie lost grasp of her consciousness and drifted off to sleep. When her eyes once again opened, the room was vastly more lit, even though she could tell the curtains were blocking a massive amount of sunlight from outside. She wiped her eyes and pushed herself up on her elbows, looking around the room as she blinked rapidly and yawned. The bed next to her was empty, the sheets now plopped over on top. It was all too quiet and she figured Bass had probably left the room at some point during the early morning hours. Her eyes caught sight of her clothes, neatly folded at the foot of her bed.

Charlie wasted no time, she changed into them right away and used some of the toiletries in the bathroom to get ready. She stared at herself in the mirror. That was the real Charlie Matheson, ready for anything that came her way and eager to get things done. She slipped on her boots, adjusted her belt and then searched the room for the paper where Bass had written the address for the Google headquarters. She was done playing games and pretending like what was happening between her and Bass was actually real. There was no point in leading him on if things weren't going to go anywhere. Charlotte Porter had to disappear and it was better to leave now without wasting her breathe on an explanation. Besides, it's not like he would remember any of it when all of this was over.

She was about to leave the room when she remembered she'd need money for transportation. Charlie had been forced to steal before but somehow doing this to Bass felt wrong even if it was out of necessity. Again, she headed for the drawers, turning clothes and slipping her hand in every corner. Before finding any money, she pulled out a number of condoms, which made her groan under her breathe. She wasn't the least bit surprised by the assortment of rubbers. She finally came across a $10 bill, it was crinkled and one of the corners was ripped but she pocketed it right away, praying that it would be enough to get her to where she was headed.

This time the elevators weren't empty. By the time the doors opened for her, there was already a couple carrying their heap of luggage and a child playing with her phone. She stepped inside, the button to the lobby having already been pressed. As soon as they arrived at the bottom floor, she scurried out of the compartment, making her way to the exit as fast as she could. Charlie stopped dead on her tracks before reaching for the door. On the other side of the glass, Bass had a look of surprise as he held on to two cups of coffee.

"Damn it." Charlie muttered, rolling her eyes and opening the door to leave.

"What's going on?" He asked. People walked past them, annoyed that they were blocking the only entrance to the hotel.

"I have to go." She replied, eyeing the coffee and feeling a bit guilty. "Look, I'm very thankful for your help. And I know that I promised to go on a date with you if you helped me, but there really is no point."

Bass looked at her like a deer in headlights. "I don't understand–"

"The thing is, you never will. It's not something that can be easily explained. But trust me when I say that by tomorrow, you won't even remember who I am."

He was perplexed. "Charlotte, if this has anything to do with me leaving in a few days–"

She covered her face with both hands, visibly irritated. "No. It's just—I have to go. Sorry!" Her shoulder bumped into his arm as she swiftly moved past him.

Charlie stopped at the curb, no cabs were in sight and she was getting tired of waiting for one to drive by. She looked at the address on the paper, wondering how long it would take her to get there on foot. Her eyes searched the street for someone who could point her in the right direction. She began to walk slowly, looking at the numbers on the building and trying to figure out exactly where she was in relation to her destination.

She shook her head in annoyance and cursed out loud when she heard his voice. "You'll never find it!" Turning around, she saw Bass attempting to speak to her from the inside of his car. He was driving slowly along the sidewalk, keeping up with her pace.

"Are you serious?" She blurted out, laughing at the ridiculous situation. "What, are you following me now?" The question was silly, of course Bass 'tracker extraordinaire' would be following her. "You do realize stalking is a serious offense."

He laughed, not at all angry at her for having practically ran away from him just a few minutes earlier. "I'll take you to see your friend. Get in the car."

"No, thanks. I'll just wait for a cab." She replied.

Bass chuckled, "Do you have a credit card on you? Because otherwise, no cab's gonna pick you up." She looked at him, wondering if he was lying to her.

Charlie grumbled under her breath, throwing her hands up in frustration. Leave it up to him to always get his way. She walked over to the car and her fingers dithered on the handle for a bit before finally opening the door. He had a smirk on his face, obviously gloating about his accomplishment.

"Am I really that horrible that you just can't stand to be around me anymore?" He was clearly joking.

Charlie laughed. "You have no idea." She mumbled, and he took her response as a joke as well.

The car ride took about an hour, all the while Bass kept poking fun at the other drivers and pointing out important landmarks as they passed them. Charlie actually enjoyed his mini tour and found herself genuinely laughing at some of his anecdotes. The ones involving Miles were the most hilarious. It was obvious they were really close. But when he asked why she had left without him that morning, she refused to elaborate any further. All the mystery only kept Bass more hooked.

"We're here." He said, pulling into a large parking lot. Charlie got out of the car, followed by him closely.

The entrance to the building had a very intricate design, there were chrome bars attached to two arches which connected to the structure. The building itself was made almost entirely of glass. A slanted bar above the entrance had the words Google mounted on it in colorful letters and Charlie was positive they were at the right place.

Once inside, it wasn't hard to find someone who knew of Aaron Pittman. The receptionist was the first to greet them.

"What do you mean he's not in the city?" Charlie asked, her tone coming off a bit hostile. Bass placed a hand on her back, almost apologizing with his eyes to the middle-aged woman behind the counter.

"He's attending a developers meeting in Chicago but he's scheduled to return tomorrow morning." She smiled, trying to remain hospitable. "I can put you down for an appointment if you'd like. Otherwise, I'm afraid you won't be able to see him." Charlie looked at Bass, sighing as she gave the woman her name. When it came to giving a phone number, Bass had to step in and provide her with his.

It was difficult for her to keep a calm demeanor, knowing that the blackout was imminent and she'd be stuck there probably forever if she didn't return home. She wasn't even sure if it was possible for her to exist during the blackout with her younger self running around out there, or how that would affect everyone in present time. Would she eventually run into her adult self again? Would she age and be older when that happened? The possibilities made her head spin. They walked back to the car, Bass still quieter than normal as he opened the door for her.

"We'll come back early tomorrow. You'll get to talk to your friend." He assured her, trying hard to see the bright side of things. "In the meantime, I think I know of a place that will make you feel a lot better." He smiled.

The sun was already going down, hues of purple and blue lined the horizon, painted with feathery clouds. It provided the perfect background for the monstrous bridge that stood in the foreground. Its twinkling lights seemed to burn brighter with each passing second and the breeze was starting to pick up, the smell of the sea hitting Charlie's nose. She and Bass sat on the grassy strip in front of the bay waters, they were all alone, just them, the ocean, and the Golden Gate Bridge. She sighed without even realizing it, his eyes instantly drawn to her.

"It's beautiful." She said, still staring at the man-made structure. Bass wanted to agree, but he was too busy looking at her to care about anything else. "It's so tranquil, I can actually hear myself think again." A tiny laugh left her lips.

Charlie finally glanced at him, the way he was looking at her was starting to stir up something inside her again. A chill wind blew past them and her body shivered in response. His lips parted, suddenly feeling like a jerk for not having thought of offering his jacket sooner. He slipped out of it with ease, not even asking her if she wanted to borrow it. He placed it over her shoulders and wrapped Charlie in his lingering warmth. Her heart thumped harder, her stomach tightened, and a sudden urge to have him so much closer came over her.

She smiled, "Thank you. Chivalry's not dead after all." The jacket smelled like him, something that was acting like a trigger for her inopportune hormones. She shifted her position, watching as the last traces of sun left the horizon. The sky was partly cloudy, only the brightest of stars were visible. But whereas before Charlie hadn't seen the beauty of it, tonight, it was as if she were seeing everything with new eyes.

Bass licked his lips, wanting nothing more than to kiss her. There was something so innocent about her, he was convinced that at that moment she could literally make him do whatever she wanted. Charlie had him wrapped around her finger without even knowing it. How that had happened was nothing short of a mystery to him, just like her. It was more than just wanting to sleep with her—although he'd be lying if he said he didn't think about that often. His dick twitched in his pants as a reminder that yes, he wanted her more than anything.

Charlie's mind became inundated with memories every time they looked at each other. And no matter how many times she told herself that it was wrong to want to be with him, every cell in her body argued to the contrary.

"Charlotte." She looked up at him, their proximity only inches away as he spoke her name in a low voice. She didn't say anything, her eyes only pleading for him to come closer and obliterate the gap between them. "Damn it." He muttered under his breath, turning away as if feeling like he was violating some kind of unspoken rule between them.

It was clear that he wasn't going to make the first move. Her hand fell softly over his shoulder and then moved up to his cheek. Bass looked at her, unsure of what she was doing. But before he had a chance to ask his question, Charlie's mouth brushed against his. It was a sweet lingering taste that ignited all his senses and shook him to the core. He took a hold of her, pressing his lips firmly over her mouth and slowly parting her lips with his. Charlie knew then that she had taken a leap into the deep end and there was no going back after that.

They kissed without disruptions, and what had begun as a tender touch of the lips quickly turned into a battle for dominance. The moment she granted his tongue entrance was the moment she began losing all control and restraint. Her back hit the cold grass, his body hovering over hers and his lips continuing their hungry pursuit. Bass' cock stiffened underneath his jeans, his hand squeezing and massaging Charlie's breasts over her clothes as his lips carried on their attack. Her center was ablaze and she wrapped her legs around him, breathing heavily as they both shared the same air. The little grunts leaving Bass' mouth every time his cock rubbed against her center were the most pleasing sounds she'd ever heard.

After a few minutes, he slowed down and pulled away, leaving her breathless and her lips red and swollen. "You have no idea how much I want to do this." He nipped at her lips once again. "But no matter how much I want to take you right here, right now..."

"I know." She said, a tone of disenchantment to her voice.

Bass smiled at her, his hardness still very much pressing into her. "We got a little ahead of ourselves, at least let me buy you dinner first." He laughed, kissing her again.

Charlie giggled. If she ever got back to present time she would make sure to drill him about his insistence to go on dates. Who knew he was such a romantic? Charlie nodded, accepting the invitation. Her other type of hunger would have to wait to be satiated.

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