Chapter 9
~Two souls are sometimes created together and in love before they are born~
~F. Scott Fitzgerald~
They arrive at the gates of Philly in the middle of the night, dirty and unkempt, black circles ringing their eyes. They've made what would typically be an eight-day trip in five and a half days. Charlie listens to Jeremy yelling orders at the unfortunate Privates on gate duty tonight as she forces herself to stay upright in her saddle. She tied herself to it hours ago to avoid falling off. Her mare is docile enough that if Charlie's hands go limp on the reins, she'll happily follow the geldings the men are riding.
Bass falls back next to her, giving her hand a squeeze as they wait for the gates to open. She can hear a horse galloping away in the distance and assumes that their arrival in the city is about to be announced at Independence hall. They don't even know if Miles, Nora and Duncan have made it back from Georgia yet.
The Hall is like a shining beacon in the night as they turn on Chestnut Street. Jeremy and Bass pick up their pace and her little mare happily jostles her along with them. It isn't clear who's in residence as they approach the front gates and the men dismount.
Charlie looks at the rope tied around her waist and feet and it's just suddenly too much; so she simply sits there not attempting to move. She feels hands steadying her as her feet slip out of the stir-ups and the rope is unbound from around her waist. As she begins to tilt sideways, the large, strong hands of her father are there to catch her. She whimpers a bit as his comforting scent engulfs her, before calling out for Bass.
"I'm right here, Charlotte," Bass says tiredly, taking her hand to place on his cheek as she immediately moves her thumb to stroke his mark. "Miles is going to take you to your room. I'll be there in a few minutes." She nods listlessly against Miles shoulder before he whisks her up the stairs.
Miles stays silent as he carries his daughter up the stairs. Nora and Duncan are already in her room, running around in their robes as they get her bath ready, four privates carrying up two copper tubs placing them near the fire.
"What the hell?" Miles asks causing the Privates to flinch.
Charlie shushes him. "It's because of me." she tells him tiredly from her perch on a nearby stool as she's too dirty to sit anywhere else. "Think of it as the strangest family meeting ever," she tells him as he gives her the patented Matheson "I'm calling bullshit look." Her bottom lip begins to tremble. "I'm scared, Daddy."
This time it's Miles turn to shush her as he kneels down in front of her, engulfing her hands in his. "What happened, baby?"
"There's a man. Randall Flynn. He wants to kill us."
Miles watches as tears roll down his daughter's tired face and drop on their combined hands, bringing his attention to the ring on her finger. "Kill you and Bass?" he asks confused as people start piling in the room along with extra troops called in to help the staff with the late arrivals.
Charlie feels a hand on her shoulder and knows it's Bass and that she needs to stop talking now. She brings her left hand up to connect with his as it rests on her shoulder and the three of them remain in that position until Jeremy and Maggie make their way upstairs and the baths are full.
Getting Charlie to her feet, Bass places a hand on her cheek. "I'm so proud of you, Charlotte," he says pressing a soft kiss to her lips, before handing her over to Maggie.
"Bout time," Duncan mumbles as eyebrows are lifted.
Jeremy moves to intercept Charlie even as he's stripping out of his clothes. He tugs her into his arms and whispers something into her ear that has her nodding. Moving out of her way he continues to strip, hopping towards the tubs on one foot as he attempts to pull a boot off. "Sit down before you fall down, Moron," Duncan tells him easily getting the boot off when he does.
Jeremy and Bass quickly bathe. As much as they'd like to linger, there are things that need to be set into motion tonight. They've dried off and dressed by the time Maggie emerges grim-faced from the bathroom, Charlie nowhere in sight.
She gives Bass the side eye and he knows there are probably marks on Charlotte's body that haven't faded yet, but he doesn't so much as blink. "Gentlemen, someone had better start talking," she says making herself comfortable next to Nora. Bass and Miles stand next to the fireplace, Jeremy propped against the chair Duncan is sitting in.
Finished with her bath, Charlie slides down the door and listens to the conversation going on out in the other room and the arrangements that are being made to house everyone here for the foreseeable future. Maggie, Rachel and Danny will be put under guard until they can be moved in later this morning, it being made clear that Rachel no longer has a say in anything until they get some answers out of her.
One by one the voices fade away until there's nothing left but the sound of crackling logs in the fireplace. She leaves the bathroom, shuffling across the room to the fireplace where she drops to her knees in front of it. She holds out her hand to feel the heat and can't seem to stop herself from inching closer, only stopping when a hand wraps around her wrist, pulling her back from the brink. She falls back against her father's chest with a sob as he holds her up against him, rocking her back and forth.
When she's calmed, he leaves her long enough to grab a tray and sets it in front of them. "Eat." He orders her in the voice that he knows, she knows, will accept no pushback.
They're silent until she finishes and he pushes everything aside. He takes her hand in his as he admires the ring on her finger with a soft smile. "He's had this picked out since you were like, thirteen. Do you have any idea how creepy that was?"
Charlie can't help the huff that escapes her. "Yes, thanks to Rachel I'm very aware."
"I'm not going to lie, Charlie. It's been hard over the years knowing that this day was coming. It was easy to use the excuse that it's our way. To believe that you never had a choice in the matter." He looks at her thoughtfully, tucking a bit of hair behind her ear, "But I don't think that was ever the case with you. There's just always been this easiness between you and Bass." He struggles for a moment trying to find the right word, "This connection. Ever since you were little bitty, you were content just to be in the same room. It was the damnedest thing, but watching the two of you over the years made me believe again."
He suddenly stands pulling her to her feet, guiding her to her bed.
"Daddy, don't leave, please," Charlie asks holding on to his hand.
"Get in and scoot over," he says climbing up on the bed, sitting back against the headboard.
As she lays her head in his lap, Miles begins to stroke her hair. "If there's one thing that Bass and I have always agreed on, it's that your safety and well-being are paramount, regardless of anyone else's opinion." she hears him say as her world fades to black.
She's in and out of consciousness over the next forty-eight hours. Every time she wakes someone is setting by her bed, plying her with toast and tea or soup. Bass is beside himself with worry even as Maggie assures him that she's just dehydrated, running on a sleep deficit combined with stress.
She's woken on the third morning to a dull roar coming from outside. She's alone for once and after a quick trip to the bathroom moves to the windows. The street is packed with wall to wall bodies, everyone in a seemingly jovial mood as casks of Philly's best home-brew flows through the crowd.
She's distracted by Miles in his full uniform coming in the door followed by Nora, Duncan and Maggie with her wedding dress, her mother hesitantly bringing up the rear with a headpiece and matching bouquet of flowers.
"Daddy?" Charlie questions watching as the items are laid on the bed. The women fussing over the little details.
"Here." Miles says shoving a piece of paper in her hands. "It's about time you woke up."
"I was tired."
Miles snorts. "Understatement of the year."
Charlie waves around the paper in her hand. "What is this?"
"Why don't you open it and see?" Rachel answers joining him.
Unfolding the longer than usual paper, Charlie brings a hand to her mouth as she begins to read the certificate signed by both of her parents giving the church special dispensation for her to marry before the age of eighteen.
She looks at them in shock and confusion. "Right now?"
"You're Dad, Bass and I, have spent a lot of time talking since you've been asleep, and I think everyone here agrees that under the circumstances this is for the best."
"Even you?" Charlie asks her Mother.
"Even me, Charlie," Rachel replies with a tenuous smile.
Charlie spontaneously grabs her mother for a hug. "Thank you."
Rachel pulls away so she can look at her daughter. "You're welcome, sweetheart. I was hoping you wouldn't mind if I helped you get ready?"
"That would be nice, thank you." Charlie responds with a sincere smile.
"Good girl," Miles says softly with a wink, just like he has after every interaction with her mother over the years.
"But what's going on outside?" she asks.
"The entire Republic knows that you were the target of the sniper that killed Ben and in the interest of your safety, the public wedding's been canceled. You and Bass will be getting married downstairs in the presidential office and will make an appearance on the third floor balcony immediately after."
Charlie grins as she turns to the bed Maggie, Duncan and Nora patiently waiting for her. "I'm getting married today!" she says excitedly as they take turns embracing her.
Miles watches for moment before exiting quietly, a smile on his face.
Even though her dress is for a summer wedding in the park, Charlie isn't nearly as concerned as the women helping her to get ready, finally shooing them off downstairs to send Miles back up.
She turns at the sound of her father's laughter, which carries all the way downstairs.
Charlie shrugs. "It was perfect for an outdoor wedding." A wreath of flowers around her head, her white, three-quarter sleeve dress with lace overlay and square neckline swing loosely about the top of her knees, showing off her shapely calves and bare-feet.
He can't even remember how many times she and Nora would go to the park only to return with a frustrated adult and barefoot child whose shoes and socks had mysteriously disappeared. "It's perfect, Charlie." Miles says with a hitch in his voice, "Come on, let's go get you married."
When they reach the bottom of the stairs, Miles wraps his arms around her. "Say the word and we're out the front door."
Charlie smiles at her father. "It's Bass, Daddy. 'They will remain always together in the progression of time.'" She reminds him, quoting from their pre-blackout collection of works concerning Soul-mates. He grasps her shoulders and kisses her forehead.
It takes a few moments for anyone other than Bass to notice them standing at the door. He knows he's grinning stupidly but the sight of her in her wedding dress, barefoot, makes his heart flip-flop in his chest. It is just so, very, Charlie.
They're beaming at each other across the room, Miles grumbling about fools in love as everyone's attention finally focuses on them. Charlie can't help but tear up as she sees her family gathered all together in this room. Miles pulls a handkerchief out of his pocket and hands it to her as he wipes at his own eyes. He moves them forward to where the priest stands in front of his desk and hands her over to Bass.
Charlie smiles brightly at Bass reaching up to rub his mark. Taking the flowers out of her hand, Bass shoves them at Jeremy who fumbles to keep from dropping them. Charlie laughs through her tears as the priest begins the short ceremony. Before she knows it, she's saying "I do" and her engagement ring that had gone missing while she slept reappears on her finger surrounded by two diamond encrusted bands and then Bass is pulling her into his arms, kissing her like he never wants to stop and doesn't until Miles utters a "For fucks sake, Bass," which leaves Jeremy snorting.
They accept congratulations from their family and the priest urges them and their witnesses to sign the marriage certificate and then they're being ushered up the stairs to the third floor where the balcony doors are open.
Holding Charlie's hand, which he has yet to let go of, Bass leads them out to the cheers of the crowd, as Miles and Rachel join them, the rest moving into Bass private dining room.
The conversation during lunch is light; there will be plenty of time to fill Charlie in on all the changes going on around them later. She's watching the crowd out the window drinking what passes for wine in their little corner of the world as their family starts wandering away, no one really wanting to disturb the happily content smile she wears on her face. Once everyone is gone and nothing but cake and wine are left, Bass joins her, nuzzling the spot behind her ear.
"Happy?" he asks.
She closes her eyes as she leans back against him, "I never knew I could be this happy."
He takes her glass and sets it aside as he dips down, sliding a hand under her knees as he scoops her up. "It gets even better," he whispers in her ear as he carries her to their bedroom, kicking the door shut behind him.
