"You don't know me, where I come from or what I've done. You don't know anything, so show some respect."
- Connor Bennett
Chapter 10
When President Connor Bennett wakes from his drug-induced coma, he is disoriented and confused. He sees the sun of midday shining through an unfamiliar window and he sits up slowly, trying to remember how he got here.
Wherever the hell 'here' is.
"Hey?" he calls out with the croak of an unused voice. He clears his throat, "Hey!" he says, louder. There is still no answer. Connor stands. He feels shaky and his head hurts, but his determination to figure out what is going on far outweighs any inconvenience he may be feeling.
Connor makes his way to the door of the room and turns the knob slowly, unsure of what he'll find on the other side. He takes a step into the hallway and feels relief as he recognizes the architecture of Bennett Headquarters. His relief is swiftly replaced by worry as he hears pounding footsteps coming his way. He tries to move, but is still groggy and he makes it only the few steps to the wall before collapsing against it, exhausted.
He is immediately surrounded by some of his own men. They are yelling out, "We found him! We found him!"
Connor feels the darkness of unconsciousness coming, but before it envelops him wholly, he asks, "Wait. Was I lost?"
XXXXXXXXXX
Aaron is sitting on a filthy stone floor in the corner of his jail cell. He has his head in his hands, and is on the verge of giving into his urge to cry like a little girl when he hears a rattle of keys. He looks up and is surprised to see Monroe himself flinging open the door.
"You." Aaron growls when he sees his visitor. "I saved your life and you throw me in Shawshank? What the hell?" He tries to sound menacing, but it doesn't work. Aaron isn't able to pull off 'menacing' very well – at least not when facing Monroe.
"Don't get your panties in a twist, Staypuft. I had no idea you'd been arrested." Bass looks shaken as he begins to pace.
"Hrmph." Aaron crosses his arms stubbornly.
"Seriously, I'm sorry, but we don't have time to get into that. Your magic pill…"
"Yeah? What about it?" Aaron's expression changes from angry to curious.
"Does it work on dead people?"
Aaron wilts and his anger disappears, "Who died?"
"Rachel. Can you help?" Monroe's eyes are cold and intense.
Aaron closes his own, overcome by a feeling of regret. "We didn't make it in time." He mutters.
"Well, maybe it will still work. You have to try."
"Okay, I'll try, but I need my things. The soldiers took all my things. And they have Priscilla and Grace around here somewhere too. You need to get them out too." Aaron says, already preoccupied with all he needs to do in order to proceed.
"Well, let's go. We'll get your things back and then we have to get moving. I'll send someone to free the women."
Aaron nods, "Okay, thank you. But hey Monroe? What's the rush? You said she's dead. I don't really understand why you're in such a hurry?"
"I'm not worried about Rachel. I'm worried about Charlie. She's not doing well." Bass is trying to keep his voice steady, but isn't able to stop the tremor. He clears his throat, hoping Pittman won't notice. "She needs her Mom, Staypuft."
Aaron watches Monroe's face and sees the fear there. "Well then, let's go."
XXXXXXXXXX
"Where did they find him?" Dr. Lewis asks Gene in a harsh whisper. They are talking quietly outside Connor's door.
"He was in Neville's room."
"Do you think we can sedate him again? Maybe go back to how things were?" Dr. Lewis is quite worried. Nobody knows what Connor will remember or what might happen next.
"I don't think so. He's aware, and word has spread. So far we've told him that Neville did all this on his own."
"Is he buying it?"
Gene shrugs, "I think so, but who knows?" The doctor thinks about Rachel and Charlie. He wishes he could have done something to save Rachel. He vows to himself that he'll do anything it takes to protect Charlie. "Thinking I should have killed that idiot when I had the chance."
Lewis nods, "You're not the only one who is thinking that."
XXXXXXXXXX
Rachel's body has been laid out on the bed in Charlie's old room. The bloodstained carpet had been removed along with Tom Neville's body. Someone has covered her with an afghan and if he didn't know better, Aaron would think she was just sleeping.
"I have no idea if this will work." Aaron says, his voice shaky as he looks down at the lifeless body of his friend.
"Well, you have to try. Charlie is in shock. Gene thinks she's in real danger….the baby too."
Aaron nods and prepares the capsule. Bass pulls back the afghan and uses his knife to slice a long opening in the denim over Rachel's right thigh. Aaron moves in as Monroe steps aside. Aaron has a sterilized knife in one hand and the capsule in the other.
"Here goes nothing." Aaron says with a squeamish frown. For the second time in one day, he's cutting into the flesh of someone he knows. He works quickly, pressing the capsule into the opening and sewing up the wound as efficiently as possible. He lets out a long breath, "There. Now we wait."
"How long?" Bass asks.
"Believe it or not, this is the first time I've ever tried resurrecting anyone." Aaron says with a nervous smile. "Your guess is as good as mine. I have no idea how long the second coming of Rachel Matheson will take."
XXXXXXXXXX
Miles tries not to kill people these days unless it's really necessary, but every time Connor's stooge Dennis looks his way, Miles begins to rethink that philosophy. If there was anybody in the history of ever who needed killing, it's him.
"How much longer?" Miles asks his captor. He's actually pretty sure they're less than a day away, but he's hoping Dennis will reveal some of his plan if he can keep him talking.
Dennis just shrugs. "A while."
"I need to piss." Miles tries again. He's trussed up like a pig in the back of this wagon, and he really does need to piss.
"Don't let me stop you." Dennis smirks.
Miles narrows his eyes. Yeah, that prick is going to pay.
XXXXXXXXXX
It takes a couple hours and three pots of strong coffee, but Connor is now fully awake and very angry. He's pacing back and forth in his room. Dr. Lewis and two Militia officers are standing along one wall.
"So, let me get this straight… Tom Neville, who has been loyal to me since well before the Republic was established, suddenly went crazy and decided to kidnap me and tried to kill Charlie?
"Yes, Sir." Dr. Lewis says with a frown. "You were missing when Rachel Matheson found Neville standing over her daughter's bed, threatening her life. Rachel killed him, dying herself only minutes later from her condition."
"So, if Neville was keeping me in his rooms, why the hell didn't anyone find me? Weren't people searching for me? Weren't they tearing this place apart? I'm the goddamned President!"
"Yes, of course we searched. Neville's room was part of the search. We don't know where he kept you at first, only that when we searched, you weren't there." Lewis shrugs, "I'm sorry, Sir. We don't know when he moved you to his quarters."
"This makes no sense!" Connor roars. What bothers him even more than the oddities surrounding Neville is the fact that he can't remember much from before waking in Tom's room. He recalls being drunk and going to see Charlie, and then…nothing. This infuriates Connor.
He stops pacing suddenly. "How long have I been out of it?"
Dr. Lewis looks nervous, "Two weeks, Sir."
"Two weeks?" He is stunned. "Who has been running things while I've been out of the picture?"
The soldiers and the doctor exchange a nervous glance. Finally one of the men in uniform speaks up, "That would be Charlotte Matheson, Sir. She's been acting in your place."
"What?" Connor's voice is like ice.
"Don't worry Sir." The soldier says, "She only enacted policies that you and she had talked about previously. She explained all of your conversations to the cabinet when she met with them daily."
"She met with my Cabinet? She made policy change?" His voice is growing louder with each word.
Dr. Lewis nods carefully, "The people seem to love the changes Sir. They are heralding your work with Ms. Matheson as visionary. Your popularity has sky-rocketed."
Connor sits down heavily, running a hand through his hair. He hates that Charlie was making any decisions, but he does like the sound of his people finally loving him. "I want a full report detailing every meeting, every policy she modified. If she changed the curtains in a god damned bedroom, I want to know about it."
"Yes Sir." The most senior of the officers leaves with the others following right behind.
Connor stares at his doctor coldly, "Now tell me Lewis – and I want the truth – how in the hell did Neville keep me asleep for two weeks?"
XXXXXXXXXX
Aaron's shoulders are slumped in defeat. Bass stares blankly out the window. They both ignore the elephant in the room – the elephant that looks a lot like a dead scientist who once turned out all the lights. By silent agreement, they refuse to say what they now both fear to be true.
Rachel is not coming back.
They've been here for an hour. Aaron had been sure that whatever might happen, it would happen quickly.
Nothing has happened.
Bass has left twice to check on Charlie. She's under the watchful care of her Grandfather and is asleep at the moment. Bass muses silently that just a month ago, he'd have been happy to see Rachel dead. Now though, after they've started to get along for a change… now, after he knows how much Rachel means to Charlie… now he wants her to come back. He turns and moves quickly to her side. Aaron looks up, watching with an expression that is equally distraught and curious.
He looks at her for a long time. He allows his fear and worry for Charlie and their baby to grow and surge within him. He feels the heat of his own fury bubbling to the surface as he begins to yell at the dead woman, "Wake up, bitch. Wake up! Get your sorry ass in gear and come back.." Monroe's voice cracks, but he squares his shoulders and forges on, "You can't leave her again, not like this. You can't leave her. You can't… She… Charlie needs you."
He stares at her still form for moments, before finally shaking his head and turning to leave. He's taken just a few steps when he hears her voice.
"Don't call me a bitch." It's just a whisper, but her visitors are immediately at her side. Rachel's eyes flutter open and the first thing she sees are Bass and Aaron both beaming down at her, tears in their eyes.
XXXXXXXXXX
Connor is at his desk, reviewing the requested list of changes enacted while he was being held captive by Neville. To say that he is angry about the vast majority of these changes would be a gross understatement. He seethes with every new item on the list.
Charlie had been clever in how she'd run things (this is not a huge surprise – she is the daughter of scientists after all) and had tied his 'approval' to all decisions. To read the documents, it was as if he'd been personally involved in each and every change. To make matters worse, her changes were both well received and – if he's honest – not all that bad.
Except for the firing squad being disbanded. That is something he'll fix shortly.
He's pondering how to do exactly that when the door opens. Dennis is standing in the open doorway. He is filthy and disheveled, but grinning from ear to ear.
"Good afternoon Mr. President." Dennis says.
"Dennis, I'm glad you're back. I heard that Iowa is ours. I'm pleased, but tell me what you felt was so important that you would visit me looking like this? Didn't you have time to go to your quarters and change upon your return?"
Dennis makes his way inside, and closes the door quietly, "I have Miles Matheson, Sir."
Connor stands, "What do you mean you 'have' him?"
"I pulled him away from the rest of the group as we began our return trip to Indianapolis. I'm not even sure if the others have noticed he's missing yet."
"So where is Miles right now?"
Dennis laughs, "I put him in the dungeon, Sir. He's yours to do with as you please."
Connor feels a smile tugging at his lips. Slowly it grows into a grin. "Now, that is the best news I've heard all day. You've done well, Dennis. Thank you. Now, go take a bath."
"Yes, Sir." Dennis beams at his President
XXXXXXXXXX
Rachel is sitting on the side of Charlie's bed, holding her daughter in her arms as the younger Matheson cries. "It's okay Charlie. I'm okay."
"I love you Mom." Charlie sniffs against her Mom's neck, soaking up the fact that she's back. "I can't believe you're back. I need you here."
"Then this is where I'll be." Rachel says softly, smoothing Charlie's hair.
Bass and Aaron are watching from nearby. Gene Porter is standing next to Rachel. Occasionally, he reaches out and touches her shoulder, as if reminding himself that she's really there.
Aaron is suddenly struck with a thought. "You don't look any different at all."
Everyone looks closer at Rachel. Sure enough, she looks exactly as she did before she died…before a jagged little pill was inserted in her leg.
Bass chuckles. "That's kind of funny."
Rachel glares at him. "Shut it, Monroe."
Bass nods, clamping his lips closed. He is happy. Charlie is better and the doctor says that the baby is going to be fine. Bass is feeling better physically than he has in years. The Iowa mess is behind him. Once Miles gets back, everything will be perfect. They can talk to Connor and get the hell out of here.
For now though, this is just about as good as it gets.
XXXXXXXXXX
Charlie wakes the next morning feeling warm and content. She's on her side, and Bass is just behind her. She snuggles deeper into his arms, loving the feel of his body spooning hers. Bass's hands protectively circle her belly. She can tell he's waking as well, his firm body (so familiar and yet altogether new) is responding to their closeness in a big way. He's nuzzling her neck, nipping lightly along the column of her throat.
"Mmmmm" Charlie sighs. "Feels so good."
"Yeah, it does." Bass's hand moves lower, finding her ready, he lifts her thigh back over his and slides into her heat from behind. His movements are languid and loving. They are making up for the time they've spent apart. It doesn't take long before they are both finding the release they crave.
They've fallen into a boneless state of relaxation when the door to the room opens and Rachel peeks in. "Sorry guys." She says as they scramble to cover themselves a bit. Rachel turns but doesn't leave. From the tense way that she holds her shoulders, Bass suspects she's bearing bad news.
"What's going on Rachel?"
"It's Miles. The rest of the Militia is back, but he isn't with them."
XXXXXXXXXX
Bass can't find Connor anywhere. Getting more frustrated by the minute, he calls a meeting of the commanding officers who have returned from Iowa. They meet him in Connor's office. Each one remembers that Miles was with them on the return trip to Indianapolis. They all remember that Miles was tired but definitely not injured. Nobody remembers seeing him for the final day of their journey.
Bass has a bad feeling about Miles. After carefully studying the map, he splits the city into sections, assigning an officer to lead a thorough search of each. He dismisses the men after giving the order to search until Miles is found.
Not once did one of the officers even ask about Connor. These men fought beside Miles and Bass in Iowa. Their loyalties have shifted. Bass wonders if Connor has discovered this new truth for himself. He fears that Connor will retaliate, and that Miles may be in grave danger.
"Damn it." Bass mutters, running a nervous hand through his hair.
XXXXXXXXXX
Rachel has been talking to Militia members all day in her search for Miles. She is exhausted, having asked the same questions at least a hundred times of any soldier willing to talk. She is becoming desperate. Where could he be?
She decides to take a quick break. Although Charlie is feeling better, Gene has put her on bed rest. Rachel wants to check on Charlie and maybe get something to eat. Rachel is headed toward Charlie's room when Connor appears.
"Rachel." He smiles slowly. She feels a chill as she remembers what he'd tried to do to Charlie.
"Connor." She says with a nod, hoping to move past without further interaction.
He steps close – too close in Rachel's opinion. "I heard you were…"
"Dead?" she offers, hoping to end this conversation quickly.
"Yeah, but you sure look good now." He's actually breathing heavily and his eyes roam up and down her form. Rachel fights the urge to vomit.
"Uh, thanks." She says, moving to pass him.
"Heard you killed Neville." His smile falters as he says this. Clearly Neville's death has not settled well with him.
"I didn't have a choice. He was going to hurt Charlie. He wanted to kill her."
Connor nods slowly, "I understand..." he pauses, tilting his head thoughtfully. "I also heard…" he says, "that Miles is missing. That's a shame. It really is..."
Rachel meets his gaze slowly, "What do you know about Miles?"
Connor is grinning now and his eyes sparkle happily. "Other than that he doesn't deserve a sweet piece of ass such as yours?" he shrugs, "Nothing. I know nothing at all."
He is lying. She is sure of it. Rachel concentrates hard. The ability is fading, but she hears a faint echo of thought from his brain. Connor does know something about Miles. He's the one holding him. It takes all she has to swallow her distaste for Connor, but she walks closer. As she does, his thoughts become clearer. "Who do YOU think deserves a sweet piece of ass such as mine?" She flashes a flirty smile, as she listens.
"Well, me obviously." He says with a laugh, reaching out to touch her hair. "Charlie was fine, but I bet you are even better."
When Rachel hears what exactly he's thinking about wanting to do with her, she wants to gut him like a pig, but instead she just smiles, "Well, maybe after I find Miles and know he's all right – maybe then we can…talk." At the mention of Miles, Connor's thoughts flit to his location. Rachel soaks up this new information without outwardly showing any emotion.
"I like the sound of that." Connor says.
Rachel nods with a little smile before turning to open Charlie's door. She closes it quietly behind her, waiting for the sound of his footsteps to fade as he leaves the area.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
In the lowest basement level of the old capitol building, a series of storage rooms have been converted into jail cells. Miles sits in one. It isn't pleasant, but he's seen worse. Hell, he used to throw his own prisoners into much worse places. Still, it sucks to be locked up. Miles thinks about his family and friends. He has a sneaking suspicion that he'll never see them again. He wishes he'd thought to tell them how much they mean to him. He's never been showy with his emotions, but wonders now if that was a mistake.
He's not a praying man either, but finds himself saying one for them: for Charlie and her baby, for Bass and that gunshot wound, for Gene too, but mostly for Rachel. He hopes that Aaron will get here in time and that he can help her. Rachel had looked so frail before he'd gone to Iowa.
Then his thoughts turn to Connor. Miles wonders what went wrong. The Connor he remembers taking to Mexico all those years ago had seemed pretty normal. He'd been quiet, and at first he'd cried a lot. That seemed understandable to Miles. The poor kid had been essentially kicked to the curb by his Mom. Miles shakes his head at the memory. Surely something was going on even then, and Miles just hadn't noticed.
He looks up as the door to his cell opens. Speak of the devil, Miles thinks when he sees Connor.
"What? You here to shoot me? Torture me? Give it your best shot, Junior."
"I told you not to call me that." Connor bites out.
Miles shrugs, "Pretty sure any peace treaty you and I had went out the window when your stooge kidnapped me… Junior."
Connor takes a deep breath and smiles tightly, "Actually, I'm just here to give you an update and then I'll be on my way."
"Well, update me then."
"Rachel died." Connor says this matter of factly, as if he is reporting the weather. Miles is on his feet and charging in a moment, stopping only when he reaches the bars. "Don't worry. She's alive now."
"What?" Miles's heart is racing.
"Your fat friend saved her. Saved my Dad too. He was close to dead when he got here. Full of infection."
"Aaron saved them both?" Miles feels relief.
"Yes. I haven't even talked to Dad yet, but I will be soon. We have a lot to catch up on."
Miles ignores this, "How is Charlie? Is Charlie okay?"
Connor wrinkles his nose in distaste, "Yes, I hear she's fine."
Miles walks to the wall of his cell and leans against it, slowly sliding down till he is sitting on the floor. "And what about me, Junior? Will I be fine?"
"Of course." Connor grins, "Until tomorrow morning at least. You'll meet the firing squad at dawn."
Miles closes his eyes, leaning his head against the wall. "You know Bass isn't going to be okay with that, right? Somewhere inside that crazy head of yours, you do remember that he and I are best friends?" He opens his eyes and looks at Connor. The younger man is frowning now.
Connor shakes his head, "No, you're wrong. He is coming around. He knows we can work together. You are his past. I am his future."
"God, you're a dick. Bass would be down here letting me out right now if he knew I was here."
"No, he wouldn't. He would understand that this is what's best for the Republic. Family is more important than anything else."
"You may be his blood, but you aren't his family. You never will be, no matter what you do to me."
"We'll see, won't we?" Connor sneers before turning to go. He stops suddenly and faces Miles again, "And as for escaping…if you even try, I will kill Charlie and Rachel." Then he's gone.
XXXXXXXXXXXX
Connor has no sooner left the hall in front of Miles's cell when Rachel appears. Miles is on his feet immediately. They hold each other as best they can through the bars. "You look better. Connor said you died?" His voice trembles.
"I'm okay now, but yeah it was rough for a while." She nods toward the direction where Connor had disappeared, "What did he say?"
"Nothing." Miles lies. "Just a bunch of bullshit about running the country with Bass." He rolls his eyes and Rachel laughs a little, though it sounds a touch hysterical – even to her own ears.
"Do you know where the keys are? I'll get you out of here." Rachel pulls away from him and begins to look around.
"No." Miles says, shaking his head. "Douchebag said that if I escape he'll hurt you or Charlie. This will all blow over. Don't worry about me. How is Charlie?"
"She's good. She fell down the stairs and we were worried, but she's better now."
"And Bass? Connor said something about Aaron helping him?"
"You'll have to see him to believe it, but yes – he's fine too."
"Good." Miles says, with a sad smile. "Everyone is fine."
Rachel frowns, "Are you okay?" She doesn't remember ever seeing Miles like this. He seems defeated.
"I'm fine Rach. Just tired." He holds her in one more awkward embrace before letting her go to sit on the cot that is bolted to one wall. He's clearly not going to say anything out loud, but Rachel hears his thoughts although she pretends not to.
"Okay. I'll be back tomorrow."
There is a great sadness in his eyes as he answers, "Yes tomorrow."
She starts to walk away, but he calls out. "Rachel?"
"Yeah Miles?"
"I love you."
"I know. Love you too."
XXXXXXXXXX
Bass is sitting on the edge of Charlie's bed, updating her on his – thus far - fruitless search for Miles when Rachel comes in. He can tell something is off with her, "What's going on?" he asks, standing. "Did you find Miles?"
Rachel nods, "Yeah, I did."
"Is he okay?" Charlie asks.
Rachel nods again, "For now."
"What do you mean 'for now'?" Bass asks, stepping closer. "Where is he?"
"Connor has him locked up in the basement. There are jail cells down there."
"Yeah, I know. That's where I found Staypuft earlier." Bass is already opening the door when Rachel stops him. "Bass, Connor is planning to execute Miles at dawn. He's told him that if he tries to escape, Charlie and I will die."
Bass closes his eyes. How had his kid gone so far off the deep end? He thinks back to his own darkest days. Had he ever gone this far? Maybe. He is consumed by guilt and regret. Bass hopes he can make his son understand that things have to change. "I'll talk to Connor and see if I can talk some sense into him."
"And if you can't?"
"I'll release him myself. And we'll all leave this stupid hell hole." He opens the door then and starts to walk through it. He glances back, "Don't worry. I'll never let him hurt you." He'd been speaking to Charlie directly, but now looks at her mother as well, "Either one of you."
XXXXXXXXXX
Bass finds Connor in his office. The younger man is studying a stack of papers, but looks up with a smile when his Dad enters. Then he does a double take. "Holy hell." Connor says, standing and walking to his Dad. "How did this happen?" He stares at Bass's face and then glances up at the old portrait and then back again to Bass.
"I know it's weird. You'll get used to it." Bass says with a shrug, not wanting to discuss his appearance.
"You look like my brother now, not my Dad." Connor says thoughtfully.
"It was Aaron's fault. He put something in my leg. It healed me and made me look younger. Don't know why really, but it doesn't matter. That's not why I'm here."
Connor nods, understanding that Monroe is all business at the moment, "What did you want to talk about?"
"Miles." Bass responds simply.
Connor feels a familiar flash of hatred at the mention of his Dad's best friend, "What about him?" he asks carefully.
"I know you have him locked up. I want you to set him free."
"No."
"Then I'll do it." Bass sounds tired. He'd hoped that Rachel was wrong about his son and his intentions, but clearly she wasn't.
"No, you can't." Connor looks very disturbed. "He's not a good man. He's not the friend you think he is."
"He's my best friend Connor. Even when things between us were rough, that never changed. I've known him for forty years. If you think for even a minute that I would work at your side after you killed him, you should think again. If anything happens to him, or to Charlie or Rachel or Aaron, or any of them…. Not only will I not work with you, but I'll make it my life's mission to end you."
Connor fights to control his expression. It fluctuates between devastated and irate. "But…but you are my DAD. That should count for something! So after all I did for you…" He shakes his head, "Are you saying that you still pick him over me? That you will pick all of them over me?"
Monroe sighs sadly, "I would prefer not to choose Connor. You are my son and I love you, but I love Charlie and I love Miles. They are very important to me. Don't make me choose."
"I think you already did." Connor turns to stare out the window of his office. "Get out."
XXXXXXXXXXXX
Bass goes in search of Miles, finding him easily.
"Get out of here." Miles says with a frown, not bothering to even look at his friend.
"That's a nice way to greet the guy who is here to save your sorry ass." Bass can't help but smile.
Miles just shakes his head, "Listen, you need to leave me here. Trust me, it's for the best."
"Why? Because Connor threatened Charlie and Rachel if you leave?"
"How do you know?" Miles looks up then and stares open mouthed, "What the hell? You look…"
"Yeah, yeah. I look younger. I'm still the same old Bass Monroe on the inside. Anyway, I know because Rachel told me. She also told me he wants you dead, so I went and talked to him."
"And?"
"And, I said that if anything happens to any of you, he'll never see me again."
"What did he say to that?"
"Not much, to be honest. He's pissed. He'll get over it, or maybe he won't" Bass shrugs. "In the meantime, I'm busting you out."
"Don't risk it. Let's wait to see what he says. Maybe he'll release me on his own…besides how exactly are you going to break me out?"
"Don't forget Brother, I'm co-president of this piece of shit Republic. Connor gave me some keys when I first got here." He holds a big ring of keys up, jangling them together before searching for the one he needs. He finds it and unlocks the door opening it with a flourish. "You're a free man once again."
Miles hesitantly walks out. "Well, allright then. Let's go check on the girls." He stares at Bass, "Jesus, this time warp shit is going to take some getting used to."
Bass puts his arm around his best friend's shoulder and laughs. "Yeah, let's go check on the girls."
They've walked down the long corridor and then turned down a second, when they hear a voice, "Miles, is that you?"
"Grace? What the hell?" Miles glances at one of the jail cells. Inside stands Grace Beaumont and Priscilla Pittman. "Why are you guys down here?"
Bass's face drains of color, "Shit. I was supposed to find you guys and let you out. I forgot." He runs a nervous hand through his hair as Miles takes the keys and looks for the one he needs.
Miles opens the doors and lets the women out, then he looks at Bass with a smirk, "So, you look younger, but your memory…that's still as shitty as ever."
"Shut up, dick." Bass says, but he's laughing too.
XXXXXXXXXX
Aaron, Priscilla and Grace have a happy reunion. Aaron fills them in on the success of the jagged little pill as he takes them to Charlie's room where everyone is congregating.
Grace smiles when she sees Rachel and the two old friends embrace,
"Grace, you look younger too. And Aaron and of course Bass." Rachel says. "I am exactly the same….well except that I was dead before, so I did change, just in a different way."
"It's different for everyone. Kind of like playing the lottery I guess."
"I didn't get younger either." Priscilla says with a grin. "I guess the Nano couldn't improve on perfection."
Rachel smiles, "Sure, let's go with that."
Everyone is catching up, and chatting. The mood in the room is light and hopeful. Aaron pulls Grace aside. "Do you think we're ready?"
Grace nods, "Yes. Let's pass out the rest of the capsules and then we can get the code changed. We have the laptops and all the rest in that backpack Priscilla brought in here."
"Let's get started. The sooner we get this done, the sooner those people in Idaho can get their lives back."
Aaron gets the attention of everyone in the room and explains the problem with the Nano. "So, long story short.."
"Oh, we're way past that." Miles says, rolling his eyes.
"Long story, not quite so long," Aaron corrects himself, "We are going to reprogram the Nano, but first we want to offer a jagged little pill to any of you who might have ever been infected by the Nano at some point – in case it's keeping you alive."
"What do you mean when you talk about being infected?" Dr. Porter asks.
Aaron nods, "Rachel had a capsule inserted when her leg was broken. Without it, she would have died. The Nano brought me back to life after I had my chest slashed open. Some people have been visited by the Nano taking the form of dead friends or family members. We're considering all of these as potential 'infections'. That last group (those who were only seeing dead people) we're less sure of, but to be safe we're giving them the capsule too. The capsule works in two ways. If the Nano was keeping you alive for any reason, the jagged little pill will take that job over when the primary Nano is reprogrammed to leave humans."
"And the other thing?"
"Well, it heals. Regardless of whatever Nano exposure you may have had, the capsule will fix ailments, mend broken bones, heal wounds, kill infections. We also think it will stop the super power stuff with people who had brain injuries prior to being infected.."
"Shit." Miles says, remembering the night his brother had visited him in the shed, "I don't think anything's wrong with my brain, but you better give me one."
Aaron nods, "Go over there. Grace will give you a shot of morphine first. Without it, this experience can be pretty painful."
"I'll vouch for that." Bass says with a frown, rubbing absently at his chest. Miles goes to Grace.
"Aaron?" Charlie asks, "What about those of us who have never been infected? What happens if we get the capsule."
"You will be healthier for sure. You may get an age reset. That happens randomly, it seems."
Aaron looks around, "Who else? Dr. Porter?"
"No, count me out. I don't think I'm at risk, and I don't want to be forty again – or whatever random age it reset me to. I'm good."
Aaron nods, "Okay, anyone else?"
Magda has been standing quietly in a corner, "I'm in." she says. "I'd love to go back to forty or wherever else it puts me."
Bass watches Magda walk toward Grace and then he looks back at Aaron, "What about Charlie?"
Aaron looks pained, "I don't think we can, not while she's pregnant. We just don't know what could happen. We can't put her or the baby in danger. We'll save one though. It will be ready if she has complications and needs it or for after the baby is born."
Bass still looks worried, but he nods, pulling Charlie close.
"It's okay Bass. We'll be fine." She says, with a smile.
While Grace is working with Miles and Magda (under the close supervision of Rachel and Dr. Lewis), Aaron and Priscilla begin to set up one of the laptops. When Priscilla pulls a pendent from the backpack, Bass shivers as he is assailed by memories of his long ago lust for power. "Hate those things." He mutters, pulling Charlie closer.
Aaron sits at a small desk in the corner and as soon as the computer lights up, he begins to type.
"Ah fuck!" Miles yells, "You said it wouldn't hurt. Shit. Fuck. Liars!" Miles is moaning and rolling around on the floor.
Rachel looks worried, but Grace is grinning. "Don't worry Rachel. This is how it goes sometimes." Miles has rolled onto his stomach, pulling his knees up under his chest and moaning.
Magda has started to writhe a little bit as well, but she has gritted her teeth tightly and is clearly handling the pain far better than Miles is. She is a tough old bird.
"Oh my God." Dr. Lewis says as he watches the elderly maid begin to change.
It takes five minutes, but when Magda finally opens her eyes, she is surrounded by curious faces. "So, what's the verdict? Did I win the lottery?"
Dr. Lewis is grinning, "Yes, I'd say you did." He's always liked Magda, but now…Now he's thinking he might just be in love with her.
Charlie arches a brow at Bass who is also staring open mouthed, "Guess I should be glad she didn't work for you when she looked like that."
Bass shrugs, but can't hide the blush crawling up his cheeks. He also can't stop staring. Magda is beautiful. Her hair is a brilliant auburn instead of grey. Her skin is smooth and her body is strong but curvy in all the right places. Even the now terribly loose uniform can't hide her appeal.
"Damn." Dr. Lewis says again, "I think we might be the same age now."
Priscilla hands Magda a mirror, and Magda grins, "Oh goodie. This is how I looked when I was a warden." She strokes an unlined cheek. "Those were good years."
"You looked like THAT when you ran a prison?" Bass asks, eyes wide.
"Oh God. I bet people were committing crime just to see you with cuffs." Dr. Lewis says with a nervous grin.
Magda smiles at the good doctor, shooting him a flirty smile.
The rest of the group changes their focus when Miles groans again. He stands slowly, turning to face them all. "Shit that hurt. I must have changed a lot. I'm probably Iike fifteen now." He looks around and notes the way everyone is trying hard not to laugh. "What?" he asks.
"You don't look all that different to me." Bass says with a smirk.
Rachel shakes her head, hiding a smile, "No change Miles. Sorry."
"Well, that's just bullshit." Miles growls.
Everyone laughs, but the levity fades when Aaron stands up to announce, "Okay guys, is everyone ready?"
"What is going to happen, exactly?" Gene asks.
"Well, if we did this right, the new code will cause the Nano to collectively leave all human bodies at once. Everyone will be back to normal…well, except for those of us with the capsules. The jagged little pills will keep us alive if the old Nano was doing that previously."
"Is it going to hurt?" Miles asks with a frown. He thinks he's had just as much Nano pain as he can take for one day.
"Don't be a baby." Bass laughs. "How bad could it be?"
"I think we're ready." Rachel adds, nodding curtly. "Go ahead."
"Here goes nothing." Aaron says before hitting the ENTER key on his laptop. Nothing happens at first and they all just look at each other for a moment. Then there is a jolt of energy that surges through each of them. It feels like a giant flash of static electricity and then…. nothing.
"Was that it?" Gene asks.
Aaron is looking at his hands, and feels his face as if checking to make sure everything is still where it's supposed to be. "I think so. I think we're all good."
"Whew!" Charlie says, holding her belly. "He felt that. The baby is kicking like crazy."
Bass kisses her, stroking her belly with his fingers, tangling them together with hers. They are both wildly relieved that the baby is strong and healthy.
"Looks like we're all still alive, so that's good." Miles says.
There is a lot of nervous laughter, but it is quickly cut short when the door slams open and Connor appears. "There you are!" he says, stalking toward Miles. "I told you not to try to escape."
"I didn't escape. Junior. Your Dad let me out – just like I told you he would."
Bass stands, moving toward Miles quickly. "Miles did nothing wrong. He will not be imprisoned and certainly not executed. If anything, he deserves a medal for his work in Iowa."
Connor fumes, "He deserves whatever I say he deserves." He is speaking to his father, but his eyes never leave Miles.
"Let's talk this through." Bass tries to reason with his son.
"No, I'm done." Connor growls, "Enough talking." He raises his arm and the gun he grips tightly glints in the sunlight that streams through the window. What happens next takes only seconds, but everything feels like it's in slow motion as the room explodes into action. Connor pulls the trigger and the boom of the shot echoes around them. Before Miles even crumples to the floor, Aaron has picked up his laptop and slammed it into the back of Connor's head. The President falls into a heap, just a few yards from Miles, who is now also lying on the floor.
Charlie, Rachel and Bass all rush to Miles's crumpled form, but are shocked when he starts pushing himself to a sitting position.
"Damn it Bass!" Miles roars, "Your ungrateful kid just shot me, and it stings like a bitch." He stands up slowly, pulling his shirt open to look at the wound. "Ow." He yells. Everyone stares in shock as the hole in Miles's chest (right where his heart is) quivers and undulates before the bullet pops back out of his chest with a squishy sound before falling to the floor with a thump. In its wake, the wound closes.
"Hell, so maybe it's a little more than a universal band-aid…." Aaron says as they all watch Miles's chest morph back into a smoothly muscled surface, leaving behind no trace of the bullet wound.
Miles looks around, grinning slowly. "I may not look younger, but evidently I'm immortal now. I can work with that shit."
"Can that even be possible?" Gene asks, his face white with shock.
"I don't even pretend to know anymore." Aaron says with a nervous smile, "but immortal does seem kind of cool."
XXXXXXXXXX
Connor wakes with a nasty headache. He looks around and groans, recognizing one of his own jail cells. Clearly, things didn't go exactly as planned. He rubs the bump on the back of his head, hoping the throbbing will stop soon. The only consolation in all of this is that he knows Miles is dead. That in and of itself is enough for Connor.
"Are you okay, Sir?" Dennis asks. This is the first time that Connor has even noticed he's not alone.
"I'm fine. What happened?"
"The Generals called soldiers to bring you down here. Matheson said they should grab me too, so they did."
"Wait," Connor says, his eyes cold, "Matheson? He should be dead."
"I'd love it if that was true, but he's very much alive. He pushed me in here himself. He's not a nice guy. They both watched us for a while through the bars, but when it was clear you weren't waking up soon – they left."
Connor is furious. He stands and turns to face the wall. Rage fills him and he punches a fist into the bricks. His blood pumps thickly in his ears, blocking out the sound of his own cracking bones.
XXXXXXXXXX
Miles and Bass are sitting in Connor's office discussing what to do over glasses of whiskey. "He's not going to change, Bass. Something in that kid has snapped."
Bass is truly conflicted. "I can't put my own kid in front of a firing squad. He's my SON."
"Well, he can't just wander free. He sure as hell can't be in a position of leadership." Miles says, "What about prison? Just leave him down there."
Bass sets down his glass and rests his head in his hands, "That's probably the only viable option we have." He says.
Aaron pokes his head in the office. Rachel is with him. "Maybe that's NOT the only option." Aaron says.
"What are you talking about, Staypuft?" Bass asks.
"Maybe there's another answer. I am not promising anything, but I have an idea."
Bass is hesitant to entertain the idea that a solution even exists, but he's willing to try anything. "What do you have in mind?"
Rachel starts, "Well Miles, you said yourself he wasn't always like this. You said it seems like something has gone wrong. I've heard several people say he's insane or crazy."
"Yeah, so?" Miles asks.
"So maybe – and admittedly it's a big maybe – MAYBE we can cure his mental illness with one of the Nano capsules?" Aaron looks nervous, but also strangely excited. "Maybe it will work on his craziness the same way it worked on your chest wound…well on both of your chest wounds." He points from one General to the other and then shrugs. "You get what I'm saying, right?"
"Yeah…. You're saying maybe we might cure him, OR we might just turn a super crazy guy into a super crazy guy we can't kill?" Miles says with a brow arched high.
"Yeah, but he wasn't reading minds or anything. Wasn't that how we knew people were nuts? If the Nano made them have extra powers? He must not be truly crazy." Bass wants to believe there is hope, but he is struggling.
"You're looking at it all wrong." Aaron says. "The mind reading stuff happened when the Nano was in a body that was suffering from some mental ailment or sickness. Connor is probably crazy. But I don't think he was ever taken over by the Nano at all. That's why he couldn't read minds. All he had was the crazy part – none of the rest."
Bass stands, looking hopeful for the first time, "You think you can heal him?"
"Oh I have no flippin clue, but we can try." Aaron smiles.
"Allright Pittman, let's do it." Bass says.
Aaron stares, "You called me Pittman."
"It's your name, isn't it?" Bass asks, but he's grinning.
Aaron smiles back. "Yes, yes it is."
Xxxxx
Bass, Miles, Aaron and Dr. Porter go to Connor's cell. They have brought three Militia soldiers along as well.
Miles glares at Dennis, who cowers in a corner.
Connor glances up. He's holding his right hand awkwardly. His face is dark with anger, "Go away."
"Nope. We're here to help you." Bass says. "I know you don't believe me, but I love you. I just wish things were different between us."
"You and me both." Connor won't meet his eyes, "but I still want you to go away."
Miles opens the cell door. He nods toward Dennis and two of the soldiers go to his corner. "Keep him over there." Miles orders. He faces Bass, "You stay here. This isn't going to be fun for him, and you might get all fatherly and shit when I have to be tough. Need you out of the way."
Bass nods curtly, understanding even if he isn't happy about it. He watches from the sidelines as Miles and one of the soldiers advance on Connor, who now stands, fear in his eyes, "What's going on?" he asks.
"We're here to save your life…not sure why." Miles mutters.
Connor is ready to put up a fight, but Miles sees how he's holding his hand. Miles remembers holding his own hand in the same manner after it had been shattered in Titus Andover's office. He smiles before clamping his fingers around Connor's hand. Connor buckles in pain. That is all the opening they need. In moments he is being held immobile.
"Morphine?" Dr. Porter asks.
"Nah, fresh out." Miles says, shushing Aaron with a look.
Gene shrugs before slicing into Connor's thigh. The President's shriek echoes through the space. Miles grins over at Dennis who is watching in horror as Aaron pushes the capsule inside the wound.
"I'm finally getting the hang of this." Aaron says with a little smile. Gene sews Connor up and then they all step away.
"Better put that douchebag Dennis in another cell. Who knows how this one is going to react when the pain hits?" Miles suggests.
Bass nods his agreement, and the guards remove Dennis. Bass looks at Connor now. His son is sitting on the cot, his face pale. "What have you done to me?" Connor asks through gritted teeth.
"Just wait. Hopefully we'll know if it worked pretty quickly." Bass says.
Connor is mad, but in a lot of pain from his broken hand and the brand new cut in his leg. He curls up on the cot and ignores them. As far as his visitors can tell, he doesn't suffer through any additional pain at all. Eventually he falls asleep. An hour passes. Everyone but Bass leaves.
He watches through the bars as his son begins to stir.
Connor sits up, looking groggy. "What's going on?" he asks his dad, frowning. Glancing around, he sees Bass through the bars, "Dad? Seriously, what is going on? Why am I in jail? And what happened to you? You look different…"
XXXXXXXXXX
As night falls, Bass and Miles are debriefing Aaron, Priscilla and the rest in Charlie's room.
"As far as we can tell, it worked." Bass says. He looks exhausted, but hopeful. He seems a lot more like the Connor we met in the beginning."
"The aw shucks I'm just a hick from Mexico Connor?"
"Yeah, that one…of course he might have been crazy too."
"Well, even if we don't know for sure if his brain is fixed, his body is. He had a broken hand, but now he doesn't." Miles says.
"Could it be an act? The mental recovery?" Charlie asks, "He told me once that he's good at acting the way people want him to act. He said it was a gift."
Bass nods, "Yeah, maybe. We don't know, but that is why we've left him down there for now."
"Does he remember the stuff that's happened?" Aaron asks.
Miles nods, "Yeah, it seems like it's coming back in spurts."
"The problem," Bass continues, "Is that if he is okay – mentally stable – and fully grasps all he's done; he might just go off the deep end again."
"But the capsule would keep saving him? Keep leveling him back out?" Charlie asks.
Aaron frowns, "We just don't know. Again, not a lot of Research and Development here."
Bass looks grim. "I'll be there for him every step of the way. I have a good idea of what it's like to realize how evil you've been and try to move past it."
xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Bass sits with Connor as he begins to remember through the lens of someone who is no longer crazy. As each memory surfaces, Connor becomes more and more devastated. He is torn with grief and guilt. He tells his Dad stories of the firing squads and torture chambers. There are a lot of tears. Bass never leaves his side until finally Connor drifts off to sleep.
He's still with him when Connor wakes up. His eyes are clear, though they are still puffy and red from the night before. "You're still here?" he asks his Dad.
"I'm not leaving you. This is going to all be okay."
"How?"
"Well, I know that you know what not to do. Now you can run this Republic the right way."
Connor glances over at his Dad, "Will you join me?"
"No." Bass shakes his head. "I went down that road before, Connor. I can't do it again. I'm going home as soon as you have things figured out here."
Connor shakes his head. "I don't want this anymore. Not if we can't rule together. I want to go home too."
"Where is home for you now?" Bass asks. "Mexico?"
"No. Not Mexico." Connor smiles shyly. "Wherever you and your family is. That's home to me now. I'm so sorry for all I've done. Will you give me a second chance?"
Bass fights tears, pulling Connor into an embrace. "As many second chances as you need."
XXXXXXXXXXXX
A month later, Bass, Connor and Miles meet General Frank Blanchard in Connor's old office. Blanchard has made the trip north with a small army. He'd come as soon as Miles had sent for him, promising to make the trip worth his while.
Bass is already wishing the old coot would leave. He keeps making remarks about Bass's appearance and Bass swears if Frank calls him "Baby Face" one more time, he'll kill the Texas President with his bare hands.
Bass hands a stack of paperwork to Blanchard. "It's all here Mr. President. All you have to do is sign on the final three pages and it's all yours." He shows Frank where to sign. Frank does so with a flourish.
Connor nods to the papers, "Now it's all yours. Texas now includes everything from the fall out zone to the Mississippi. And we're throwing in Iowa for free."
"What's the catch?" Frank asks, his eyes narrowed suspiciously.
Bass steps forward, "Here's the catch. You leave all of us, and all of our families alone. No more coming around for favors or needing us to help you fight new wars or whatever. The next time Texas needs its ass wiped, you go somewhere else. We're done."
Blanchard chuckles and shrugs.
"And taxes." Miles adds with a smirk, "We aren't paying taxes again, ever."
As it dawns on President Frank Blanchard that they are serious and this is all really happening, he grins. He knows that this expansion will earn him a special place in the Texas history books for sure. "Well, Generals, I think you have yourselves a deal."
"Nope we're not generals or presidents or anything else. Not anymore. Now I'm just Bass. This is just Miles and that's just Connor. Our days of running shit and being Generals are over. We're all going home."
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
The political transition is fairly smooth, and within a couple months the whole group is ready to head back to Texas.
They delay their journey when Charlie goes into labor three weeks early. Luckily for everyone, the birth is as smooth as the Texas takeover had been. Although her pregnancy had been haunted with one scare after another, her delivery is remarkably easy. A very healthy baby boy is born and his parents name him William Jeremy Monroe. "We're going to call him Willie." Bass says with a smile. "That's what everyone called my Dad."
Aaron insists on inserting Charlie's capsule before they leave Indianapolis. It is an uneventful procedure. Just like with Connor, Priscilla, Miles and Rachel – Charlie doesn't look any different when it's over. Other than the fast recovery from childbirth (the Nano heals her in moments instead of the usual weeks required for recovery), she feels no different than she had before.
Bass and Charlie decide to get married before they leave Indiana as well. Magda is Charlie's maid of honor and Miles stands up with Bass. The ceremony is short and sweet and completely perfect. Charlie holds Willie in her arms as she says her vows. There's not a dry eye in the house as Bass Monroe kisses his bride.
Riding to Texas in a fairly posh wagon (a gift from Blanchard), the newlyweds watch their tiny son as he sleeps in Charlie's arms. "He's perfect." she says, not for the first time.
"You both are." Bass says, pressing a kiss against her lips. She moans quietly as he slips her some tongue. They break apart when they hear the sound of a clearing throat.
Connor chuckles from across the wagon's passenger space, "Not in front of the children, please." He teases with a smile and an eye roll. They laugh with him. He has finally become the Connor they'd always hoped he'd be. He dotes on his little brother and is respectful of Charlie. He still steers clear of Rachel. "She scares me." He says with a shiver one morning, making Charlie laugh. He's even getting along with Miles now, which in and of itself is a miracle.
Dennis remains in jail when the group leaves Indianapolis. Miles wanted to execute him of course, but Connor had appealed on his behalf. "I got a second chance. He should get one too."
"As long as his second chance is behind bars, I'm fine with that." had been Miles's surly reply.
XXXXXXXXXX
When the download had changed the Nano, people all around the world felt the same little electric shock that Bass and Miles and the rest had experienced in Indianapolis. Otherwise, the event went largely unnoticed – except in Bradbury Idaho. There, thousands of people woke up suddenly. They were unsure where they were or how much time had passed since they'd left their homes. They were confused and disoriented, but harmless. Over the course of the following two weeks, they had simply wandered off. Most headed toward their homes. Others simply found a new path and were never seen again. The people who hadn't been so lucky (those who the Nano had been keeping alive in some way, but whom did not have one of Aaron's magic capsules) simply collapsed, dead, in the street.
The power is still out. The Nano is still out there sucking it up. Other than the fact that the Nano can no longer survive within a human host unless in capsule form; it remains unchanged.
XXXXXXXXXX
Texas is now making noises to take the rest of the Plains Nation. Many speculate that it's probably just a matter of time till everything is Texas.
In spite of Blanchard's agreement to leave them alone, he asks Miles to resume his job as the sheriff of Willoughby almost as soon as they settle in. Miles thinks about it for a minute before he agrees with a shrug, "Ah, why not?' He does demand that his area of responsibility be reduced so that he's now just over Willoughby which is much easier to handle. This adjustment gives Miles the best of both worlds. He has something to keep him busy, and it gives him the free time he wants to spend with his family and friends.
XXXXXXXXXX
Aaron and Priscilla have plans to produce diluted versions of the capsules to be used by medical professionals. They won't sell them to just anyone, but they are going to supply doctor's offices everywhere with a ready supply of a much weaker 'universal Band-Aid' than the one they all have. Gene is finally excited about medicine again. He keeps in touch with Dr. Lewis (and Dr. Lewis's new wife Magda) and plans to ship a crate of the capsules to his friend as soon as they are ready. Gene feels that the Nano capsules are finally giving the struggling medical community a chance to fight a lot of the post black out diseases and ailments that have beaten them for so long.
Although Aaron had tried to recreate the original jagged little pills – to keep around just in case, he's never been able to duplicate the attributes that made the first batch so unique. It's probably for the best. The world doesn't need a lot of immortals who don't ever age. Those who have the original, much stronger version keep that information (and what it means) to themselves.
Each of them who received one of the original magic capsules… President Kelly Foster, Aaron, Grace, Priscilla, Bass, Rachel, Miles, Magda, Connor and Charlie – they all understand the importance of secrecy. As Aaron had pointed out once, "If people knew they could just cut one of these things out of us and have perfect health, a younger body and maybe also eternal life…well, none of us would be safe."
None of the group had felt very chatty about the topic to begin with, but now they absolutely keep it quiet. Miles has had to be creative on two occasions when he was injured on the job only to heal in moments. Luckily his deputy Vincent had been around for the whole mess with Georgia's President Kelly Foster, and he knows to keep his mouth shut when weird stuff goes down.
They are slowly learning how to live a new and very different life. It is almost always very good.
XXXXXXXXXX
One night just a month after they've all settled back into their old home, Rachel and Miles lie in their bed, happy and breathless. Miles leans in close, kissing her temple softly, "I have something for you." He says. She can hear the smile in his voice.
"Oh? What's that?" she asks.
"This." He presses something into her hand. She looks down and tries to hide a smile. "A screwdriver?"
"Well, it does seem to be your favorite weapon of choice. I wanted you to have one handy for the nights where I'll be out working and can't be here to protect you myself."
"Um, thanks." She says with a giggle.
"One more thing." He says as he touches the end of the screwdriver with his hand. She hears a tinkling metallic sound and looks down again. Sitting around the base of the screwdriver is a simple gold ring with a small square diamond mounting. "That's for you too."
"Miles?" she asks uncertainly.
"I know it doesn't mean the same thing it used to, and we've never really talked about it before, but would you marry me?" he gives her a crooked smile and Rachel's heart melts.
"Yeah, I will." She says as she moves the ring from the screwdriver to her finger.
XXXXXXXXXX
Across town on that very same night, Bass and Charlie marvel at their beautiful little boy as he sleeps. "He's got my hair." Bass says, fingering a tiny golden curl.
"And my nose." Charlie says, touching a finger softly to his tiny upturned one.
"And my love for your boobs." He says with a wicked smile.
"Pretty sure his interest there is a lot different than yours." Charlie laughs at him.
"That's true. His blue eyes remind me of yours, though."
"And they remind ME of YOURS." She says in return.
Bass sighs happily, wrapping an arm around her shoulder, "You know, now that we're both close to the same age – sort of… if you want to have a bunch more; I'd be okay with that. A lot of the worries I had before….they don't really apply anymore."
"Yeah?" she asks with a smile.
"Yeah."
"Let's just see what happens. Aaron says he's not sure if I will even be able to get pregnant as long as I have the capsule in my body."
Bass shrugs, "That's fine too. I'm happy just as things are. One kid. Ten kids. Doesn't matter as long as I have you." Bass's eyes are full of love for his wife. He can't believe that everything has worked out the way it has. Life is so very good.
"Well then, you're in luck Bass. You have me forever." Charlie grins up at him, her expression mirroring his feelings for her.
"Forever does have a nice ring to it."
END
A/N: Thoughts? I'd love to hear them. Leave me a comment. The epilogue holds a surprise or two, so stay tuned. You should see that in a few days.
Thank you to dvpdvpdvp once again for being my muse with this fic. You rock, girl!