Bass stood watching Charlie sleeping in his tent, her hair spread out over his pillow, and her hand lying where his body had been. Scenes from their time together played in his mind. Scenes that made him want remove his clothes again, and slip back in next to her, and pretend nothing else existed outside the tent.

But there was still a small war to win.

Across the camp he came upon a sight that made him stop in his tracks; There sitting at a makeshift table of barrels and a couple sun-bleached wagon boards, was Rachel and Connor. Bass felt his heart hitch with relief. Connor. His son was back. His son, who was last with Neville, he suddenly realized.

He looked around quickly for Tom among the people coming and going around the camp. No one here would know him. He could easily find Charlie. Shit. Bass was just turning to go back to the tent, when Connor raised his eyes from Rachel and saw him. Bass couldn't walk away now… Ok. Talk to him. Find out where that dick is. Maybe the kid came to his senses and killed him.

"Connor…" Bass said, surprised to find his voice almost crack. He cleared his throat. "It's good to see you." He nodded at his handsome son, hoping his eyes could speak for him.

"Dad." Connor just looked at him, and Bass couldn't tell what the kid was thinking at all. Rachel kept her gaze on the table in front of her, that strange and creepy smile of hers on her lips. Bass could guess what she was thinking, but he didn't care. He assumed by now Miles had told her about him and Charlie.

"Rachel." He acknowledged her without moving his eyes from Connor's face.

"Bass." She said in her soft voice that said nothing and everything.

"Rachel was just filling me in." Connor finally said.

"Filling you in? Yeah. You missed a lot when you were off on your little walk-about with a psychopath." Bass said. He looked around casually, as if he didn't care, but asked anyway, "Where is he? Tom? Dead, I hope."

Connor smiled a smile that didn't touch his eyes. "He could be, but I doubt it. He seems to have a talent for living… I don't know where he is. He took off not long after we broke ourselves out of the prison you left us to die in. Gone in the night, actually. Not a word."

"Left you to die in, huh? After you tried to kill me, you mean?" Bass spoke softly, but could feel himself heating up.

"I didn't actually shoot at you. If that means anything." Connor said as if he could give a shit if it meant anything, or not. He turned his attention back to the table, and the cup he held. Rachel, Bass noted, had her brow lifted to high heaven at their exchange.

"It doesn't." Bass said.

"I'm sure Charlie licked your wounds." Connor said, his voice tighter than his tone struggled to be. At his words Rachel cut a face.

"Please. She's my daughter. She might have lost her mind, but she's still my daughter." Connor only smirked. Bass was not amused, and losing patience with his son's act.

"So now it's all out on the table. Good." Bass placed his hands down on the table, and leaned closer to them looking from one to the other. "I suggest you both get over it. We've still got some work to do."

"And here I didn't even think you'd make it outta your tent today." Connor said into his cup, before looking up at Bass. "I wouldn't."

Bass grabbed Connors jacket and lifted him up off the bench, shaking him hard. All his patience had run out. He pulled Connor up close to his face, and spoke low and measured, "You won't say that kinda shit again. You pissed at me, kid? Fine. But guess what? I'm pissed at you, too. That's what setting me up to be killed dose to me. We'll work it out. But you will not say shit like that again. Charlie is off limits. Do you understand? Son?"

Again he found Connors dark eyes unreadable. Connor didn't try and fight his hold, he just raised his hands and his brows in mock surrender. Bass could feel Rachel's eyes on them, and heard her stand up from the table.

"Sure. I understand. Dad."

Bass let him go, and they stepped away from one another. After a minute, Rachel cleared her throat and said, "Are you staying to fight with Texas? Connor?"

Suddenly Connor's face dropped the quiet hostility, and almost lit up when he flashed a charming smile. "I wouldn't miss it."

Bass felt himself relax a little. He tried to soften his tone when he spoke again. He tried to convey what he knew in his heart to be true, that he could still give Connor everything he said he would.

"I told you it wasn't over. Do you see? It's not over, Connor. We are closer to what we want. Do you see?"

"Sure. I see." Connor nodded agreeably. "I see it all. That's why I'm back."

Bass nodded back. He reached out and gripped his son's shoulder, so glad he understood now. He felt emotion rising inside him; good emotion. Excitement and love.

"Good. Good. We're together again, and we will make it all happen now, Connor. Just like I promised you."

Connor nodded again. Rachel just watched them quietly, her arms folded in front of her. She watched as Connor walked away to find out about sleeping arrangements, and she watched Bass look after him. Finally, Bass turned back to her and the happy look on his face faded in the face of her…weirdness.

"Oh, Christ, what? What Rachel? Just get it over with."

He expected her to bitch about Charlie, make some threats, call him some names, but instead she said, "I don't know. Something isn't right with him."

Bass huffed out a bitter laugh. "Let me help you out with that—could it be that he's my kid? That he came back, and we're going to get the Republic back, and I'm sure that really chaps your ass?" Rachel didn't bite. She shook her head and looked thoughtful. Worried, even.

"No, Bass. That's not it."

Bass stepped closer to her now, and shook his head, so tired of fighting with this woman. So fucking tired of her.

"Whatever, Rachel. Go find Miles. Tell him all about it." She flinched when he raised his hand and knocked lightly on her head. "He's the only one who cares about what goes on up here."

Rachel watched her enemy walk back in the direction of his tent, where she knew now her only living child was probably waiting for him. Where her child would probably greet him with a smile Rachel rarely saw… But that didn't bother her like it should have. It didn't bother her like it did only hours ago…

Because Rachel was thinking about Connor, and how she had just noticed how easily he fooled Bass. And for some reason, that bothered her a lot.

…

Charlie was still naked in the tent, when the doors flapped back, and a smiling Bass came back in. She smirked at him, and raised herself up on her elbows, letting the blanket fall not quite low enough. She liked how he stopped and took her in, shaking his head in appreciation before he stepped out of his boots.

"I was just getting up."

"Oh no, you weren't." He told her, lifting his shirt over his head, still smiling. She laughed when he crawled up on the bunk over her, and used his teeth to pull the blanket down.

"But I'm starting to get hungry."

"Mmm", he mumbled against her skin, nipping her lightly. "Me too."

"Aren't you afraid people will come in, anymore?" she wiggled underneath him, making him growl a little and felt him ground himself down on her in a way that made her buzzed with lust.

"Nope. They know now whose tent it is." He lifted his face, and she saw how happy he looked. Almost glowing. "Charlie, Connor is back. Without Tom, " he was quick to add.

"Really? You talked to him?"

"Yes. It was a little… rough. The kid can be a real dick."

Charlie made a doubtful face. "That's crazy. Wonder where he gets that?"

Bass dug his whiskered face down into her neck, making her squirm and laugh. "It doesn't matter. What matters is he's back. I have another chance."

He looked at her, and she put her hand on his face, her fingertips touching the lines around his eyes that came out when he smiled. She decided they were very sexy… Clearly, she could see how much it meant to him. She couldn't see even a trace of the sadness that had lived in his eye for so long. In fact, she could hardly see anything but relief and happiness. It was a rare sight.

"I'm glad." She told him, and he kissed her.

"I think you are my charm, Charlotte," he said between deep kisses. She slid her hands under the waste of the loosed pants he still wore, and over his hard naked ass, and tipped her head back for his kissed on her neck. The ones that made her feel like she was falling back into warm water.

Connor was back… Tom was gone… Everyone knew they were together… She was alone with him, his hands and mouth making her body hum… She didn't know if she was a charm, but she did feel lucky.

For once in her life, she was getting very lucky.

…