OK, second and final chapter for the day. Hope this makes up for missing a day in there.

I own nothing of Revolution.

"I'm not going anywhere, Charlie! Not until you talk to me!" Bass pounded on Charlie's door again, the banging echoing through the otherwise quiet afternoon. "I mean it!"

He heard movement on the other side of the door, followed by an angry voice. "What the hell is wrong with you! Go away, Bass, or I'm calling the police."

"Go ahead...call the cops. I'll call them for you if you want." He slammed a palm against the door. "But damn it, Charlie, I am not leaving until I make sure that you're alright!"

There was nothing but silence from the other side of the door. Finally, he heard her throw the lock and the door cracked open. "You are insane. We have neighbors."

"Most of them are at work." He breathed a sigh of relief seeing her. He'd tried calling, even though he knew she wouldn't answer. And for the last ten minutes, he'd been pounding on her door like an idiot. "I just-I wanted to see you. I have to talk to you."

"I think we said everything that needed to be said back in that garage, don't you?"

"No, I don't." He shook his head. "You spoke, Charlie. You didn't let me. And I think I deserve at least a chance to plead my side."

He could see her mentally deciding what to do. Finally, she relented and stepped aside to let him in. Shutting the door, she led him into the living room. When she looked at him, her face was a mask with no emotion. "So?"

"I know you don't want anything to do with me. You didn't mince words there. But I didn't plan any of this. I didn't expect it. And I certainly did not do it to try to beat you. It wasn't a scheme, Charlie. It just happened."

He thought he saw a bit of happiness in her eyes at that. But she remained untouchable. "Thank you. Thank you for explaining that."

"I needed you to know that."

She shrugged. But he noticed she couldn't seem to meet his eye. "It doesn't change anything. We're rivals. We'll always be competing. Whatever friendship we had is long gone. And this past week should be put behind us too."

"Charlie-"

"Now I need you to go. I have a lot of work to do. I have to meet with my boss in the morning and tell him what went wrong. And I do have other clients that I have to attend to." She turned to show him back to the door, but he didn't move. "Bass, I need you to leave."

Staring at her, he remained silent, until he could tell he'd unnerved her a bit. "I've done a lot of...not good things in my life, Charlie. I've certainly done things I'm not proud of. But if I had a hand in turning you into this...there's nothing I regret more."

Gaping at him, her eyes widened. "What?"

"You were a vibrant, beautiful girl. So full of life. So happy. And you made everyone around you happy." His voice broke, his eyes filling with unshed tears. "And I...I ruined it all, didn't I? This is all on me. I'm so sorry."

One single tear streaked down her cheek, but she caught it and wiped it away. "I like who I am."

Catching the doubt in her voice, he shook his head. "No, you don't. You are so much more than your job. But if you need to believe that to get you through the night."

They stared at each other. "I don't want to talk about this. You should go."

"Yeah, I know." He glanced away, struggling to hold back the emotions running through him. "But I have a proposal I need you to hear."

"What could you possibly need from me?"

"Maggie's Cookies had a hard time deciding." He figured it was best to just lay out his whole crazy plan at once. "They liked your 30 second spots better than ours."

"They did?"

"Yeah," he said, nodding. "They liked our minute spot better. And our print. Though Maggie really liked a few of your ads."

He could see curiosity getting the better of her before she covered it up. "If you think this doesn't constitute rubbing it in-"

"It would...if I didn't have other intentions. I want you to take the 30 second spots."

She raised an eyebrow, shooting him a disbelieving look. "Are you...are you giving me the account?"

Chuckling, he smirked at her. "No. But I like your confidence. I'm sorry, Charlie, but I'm not willing to give you the whole account."

Scoffing, she started to turn away.

"But I am willing to share it with you."

Head popping up, she looked at him, studying him for any sign of deception. "What?"

"I saw Maggie Foster, right after you left. I suggested both firms work on the ad campaign."

"I don't need your charity-"

He cut her off. "Maggie was thrilled. She didn't know that would ever be an option, considering our rivalry."

Charlie was shocked. "Maggie Foster wants us both?"

"She does. So on a completely professional level, what do you say, Charlie?"

She couldn't seem to find her voice. "I...I, uh...I'd have to run it past Aaron. I'm not sure what he'd say...you didn't go see him, did you?"

The suspicion in her eyes cut at him. "Charlie, you're a grown woman. I didn't go see your boss. It's up to you to convince him it's a good idea. Tell him the owner of the Monroe Republic is on board."

"Is it a good idea?" She shot him a look. "Us working together."

"Charlie, we were good friends. And we were fantastic lovers. I think time has proven we work well together. So what do you say? Can we put the rivalry aside for this one?"

Slowly, she nodded. "OK."

"OK." He smiled at her, crossing the room towards the door. "Now you just have to convince your boss. Though I've heard he's a really good guy."

Before he could leave, she called out to him. "Why are doing this?"

"Because I think we both earned this account." He paused, wondering how much to say. But she deserved the truth. "And I love you, Charlie. I don't like seeing you hurt."

Her mouth opened and closed a few times. "H-how did this all start?"

"It started one night...at your parents house."

Shaking her head, she struggled to hold back her tears. "No, you didn't want me. You told me you didn't."

"And I told you in your office that I did. Charlie, you were 18. You were just barely 18." He needed to explain everything so she could understand why he'd done it. "We were friends. When you were a little girl, you were my shadow. I'd-I'd lost my sisters. I needed you and the happiness you brought back to my life."

She pressed her fingers to her eyes, holding back tears. "I loved being around you."

"And I loved you being there. And I never thought anything inappropriate about you then."

"Bass, I know that. Of course I know that. I was always comfortable around you."

He wiped a tear away from his eye. "But then you grew up, Charlie. And I saw how beautiful you were. And I forced myself to remember you were the little girl...you were Miles's niece. A part of my family. And then you kissed me...and I couldn't even think. I've only lied to you once, Charlie, and it was that night I told you I didn't want you."

"But you did? You wanted me?"

Her voice was so full of hope it tore at him. "Charlie, Jesus, you were...do you know what a pervert I felt like? God, yes, I wanted you, but it made me feel like a dirty old man."

"Bass, you were 38. You were not old."

"I was too old for you!" he shouted. Breathing out, he calmed down. "I was too old for you. And you had your whole life ahead of you. And I...wanted you. But I couldn't, Charlie. I didn't mean to handle it that badly or hurt you, I just didn't know what to do."

She was full on crying now, not even trying to hide behind the Dragon. And he saw the young woman he'd adored for the first time in seven years. "Bass, I-I didn't know. If you'd just told me..."

"I didn't know how to." He swallowed thickly. "Charlie, you...dug into my heart when you were three. And it never went away. And then you were this beautiful, young girl, looking at me like I was the most important thing in the world, kissing me like your life depended on it. And I wanted you. I wanted all of it. But I was the adult. I...I didn't know what else to do."

"I'm sorry," she whispered, reaching for his hand. "I never meant to make things hard on you."

"I know." He relished the feel of her hand in his. "I made a stupid move, Charlie. I did it to protect..."

"To protect me?"

"Yeah, you...Miles, my family. Charlie, if I'd made a move, if I'd followed through on I wanted, I would have lost..." He trailed off.

Oh my God," she gasped. "You did it so you wouldn't lose your family...all of us. But you did. You lost us anyway."

He shrugged, defeat coursing through his veins. She might as well know the whole truth now. "There was no way to win in that situation. Miles sided with you, and he should have. It was right."

"You didn't tell him what happened? You should have told him I started it all."

"Not sure what he would have believed in that case, Charlie."

"Then you should have made me tell him. You should have explained all this to me..." She stopped, shaking her head. "No, none of this is your fault. It's mine. It's all my fault that you lost everything, that you've been alone for so long. Oh, Bass...I'm so sorry."

"Charlie..." He pulled her in close, holding her tightly, and kissed the top of her head. "Don't cry, baby. It's OK."

"It's not. It's not OK." She pulled back and pressed her hand to his cheek. "All I thought about was how I felt. I never thought about what you might be going through. I never thought how complicated I made things for you. I was so mad."

"You were hurting. Because of me. I gave you every reason to hate me."

She shook her head. "I never hated you. I think that was the biggest problem."

"I missed you, Charlie." Fresh tears filled her eyes. "I missed you for years. And I missed you again the last few days."

"I missed you too. Always, Bass." Before she could cry again, he kissed her. "Stay with me."

"Well, that depends."

Confused, she stared up at him. "On what?"

"On if you mean for now or forever." Pressing a kiss to her forehead, he gazed at her. "I've waited a long time for you, Charlie. You're it for me."

"Bass, you've always been it for me." Kissing him, she pushed him back towards the stairs. "Stay...for good."

He studied her for a moment before sweeping her up into his arms. "OK."

"That's it...OK?" She giggled as he carried her up to her bedroom.

Kicking the door to her room shut with his foot, he set her on the bed. "Didn't you hear? No one ever argues with the Dragon."

There's a teeny bit more still forthcoming in another day or so.