Hey you, welcome to chapter 10! Thank you for your kind and warm reviews, they mean so much to me. Love to read about you loving Miles his sarcasm. I love Charloe, but I have a soft spot for Miles. At the end of the day, I write for you guys, and your appreciation makes me smile! :) So, without delay, it is back to Bass and Charlie!
Disclaimer: I do not own Revolution, just a daydream about what could have happened too.
Charlie did not know how long she had been starring into the dark, starring at the point where Bass and Connor just had disappeared into the line of trees. Part of her wasn't surprised he left, after the treatment he just received. The other part felt a weird sense of hollowness.
Miles and her mother were still standing close. It was her mother's voice that finally pulled her out of her state of stare.
'You never told me, you never told me about that night, Charlie.' Rachel tried to make contact with Charlie.
Charlie let out a sigh before she turned around, her head spinning with so many thoughts and emotions, that it was hard to figure out which one to address first.
'No mom, I did tell you about that night, I told you he saved my life. I told you the moment we came back to Willoughby.'
She crossed her arms before her chest , fighting the memories.
'It was just too hard to talk about the rest,' she added, her voice fading away while the images from those disgusting bastards who had tried to rape her took over. She had to close her eyes.
Rachel wasn't sure what to do, she saw her daughter in pain, but she wasn't sure if she wanted her close.
Charlie felt a hand on her shoulder, strong and warm, grounding her back in the here and now. When she opened her eyes again, Miles was looking at her. She knew what he tried to say, and she nodded in his direction with gratitude.
'Miles, I know so much crap has happened, I know. It's literally decades of past between the two of you. The only thing I wanted to say that I have seen a different part of him, he got me out of a lot of trouble. And if it wasn't for him, I wouldn't be standing here.'
There was still anger in her words, but most of all, she wanted Miles to understand where she came from.
'Charlie, I've known that moron for a long time, and apparently he came through for you. But what he wanted to do tonight...'
'I know and I understand why you wanted to stop him. But was this really the way?' There was a sharpness in her voice.
Miles let his hands go through his scruff, his other hand resting on his sword. His eyes went from his niece to the ground before his feet. Charlie took one step towards her uncle, her hand on his left forearm. Choosing her next words very carefully.
'I gave you a chance Miles, it feels like such a long time ago already, but if you think about it, it's not. Do you think it was easy for me to find out I was standing next to the Butcher of Baltimore, standing next to General Matheson? I know what you did. But I also know who you are now. You are my family, and I would fight to hell and back with you. And that's because I gave you a chance. You are my family, but a long time ago, Monroe was part of our family too.'
Her voice had gotten softer, not losing any of her determination.
'And he is still your family, you can give me all the crap you want, but I know, I know he is.'
Finally she saw something in her uncle's eyes that told her he was understanding her. She could see her words made an impact.
'Miles, you did the right thing, he had to be stopped. He's gone now. You are not him, you are not Monroe. He is poison, he is not your family anymore.'
Charlie felt nothing but loathing for the tone her mother just used when she had talked to Miles. You screwed him, but here you are, talking about him like he is monster and you are some angel. Like it's all so black and white. Talking about the right thing, when you shared a bed with him. The same man you accuse of so very much. That is how much of a monster you thought he really was.. Charlie almost said those words out loud. She had to dig her fingernails into the palm of her hands to stop herself. She couldn't. This would tear Miles apart, this would tear their group apart. And if her mother went for the Monroe forced me angle, she was absolutely sure Miles would believe her.
So she did the only thing she could think off for the moment. She grabbed her bag and crossbow and walked back towards Miles and her mother.
'Kid, are you sure..' She didn't let him finish.
'Believe me Miles, it's better for anyone if I go hunting right now,' shouting over her shoulder when she put the much needed distance between her and them. She didn't wait for his answer.
Bass stared into the flames of the fire before him, his elbows resting on his knees. He watched his kid being fast asleep. Scanlon was sitting in front of him, taking sips from the small amount whiskey they had left.
Silent rage still keeping him company. Miles had conned him, like he was what? Like all the years behind them didn't matter. Like everything he did for him, didn't mean one fucking thing. He had walked down half the map not too long ago, to help him, to help them. Listening to all the endless bitching and moaning.
He had to watch their pathetic little act, going for the whole break up bullshit. The bitch never leaving his side like she was mother Theresa, nagging on and on about doing the right thing. Talking about what a monster he was, basically blaming him for forcing her that night in Philly, when she damn well knew, they both needed it that night, it happened for all the wrong reasons at that time, but it happened, and not because he had forced her.
And using that little Truman bitch for what? An underground? They were losing and they had to make a stand, now. He was not going to sit around on his ass, doing nothing, when everything around them went to hell. He had no fucking idea anymore who the hell Miles was and why he wasn't ready to fight, like they always did. All of a sudden it was all kittens and puppies with his brother.
And then his mind went back to Charlotte, of all the Matheson's, it was her who had stood up for him, again. What the hell was going on with her? He honestly was not able to read her anymore. After she saved his life from the lethal injection things reached some point where they could actually fight together, be around each other. That was, until she had slept with his son. Things went downhill from there, creating a new kind of distance between them. He had never thought she would go near a Monroe, and when she had, she chose his kid. It had stung more than he ever expected, hell, he was surprised it stung at all. He never thought of her the same after finding her, half naked, in that field with Connor He of course noticed her before, hell he was a man, not a saint, but after that day she wasn't just Miles niece anymore. All of a sudden he thought about her in ways he shouldn't. Lingered a little bit to long around her lips, the lines of her body, the skin right above her jeans when it was exposed. And because of those tanktops, that happened a lot. Hell, what was going on in that head of hers? Pulling him close untill she decided he had to be kicked out again in some way. And more importantly, why the hell did he give a fuck?
He could still hear her words, words about respect and gratitude, he could still see her face when she had talked about Vegas. He knew Charlie had to twist Duncan's arm to help her, but he never quite realised what kind of impact that day had on her.
He had watched her, standing in front of Miles and Rachel, full of fire, so determined. Her eyes filled with something he had never seen before when her eyes had found his for just a moment. It was like the first moment in Philly he met her all over again, he just couldn't take her eyes of her.
When the fire left her eyes and made way for something else when she had started to talk about that night Portsboro, it was like taking a punch in his stomach. The memory of those bastards who were about to put their filthy hands on her, on Charlotte, clearly filling his mind.
Bass had never seen her like this, never seen her vulnerable side like this. Charlie was always a mix of stubbornness, fierceness and challenge. When he saw her brake, it was almost too much to take. It was almost unbearable to listen to her, standing up for him. He couldn't remember when somebody did this for him, with such intensity. It was too fucking much.
He stood there, frozen to the ground. That was, until Rachel opened her mouth, and utter rage and the impulse pushed him to get the hell away from them. If he had to listen to her one more time, calling him a monster, he would kill her. He felt Charlie's eyes following him, but there was no more room for her in that moment of rage.
The smallest of sounds tore him out his thought, his weapon ready to go in his hand within a second. He looked at Scanlon and nodded at him, telling him to stay put, he would handle this.
He started to move between the trees, his mind ready for action. It was dark, but he recognised the outlines of her body immediately.
'Damn it, Charlie, what the hell are you doing here,' he growled.
Charlie heard his growl but knew him well enough by now to know that there was no true threat in his voice. She held her hands out in surrender. He tucked the gun in his waistband.
When she had walked away from her mother and Miles, she hadn't planned on tracking him down. But there was something that pulled her in his direction, something that made her start looking and following his tracks until she had seen a small fire ahead. She could see Scanlon's back, Connor asleep. And she could see him. Bass. She stepped on a brench on purpose, knowing the sound of the wood under her feet would catch his attention.
And now he was standing in front of her, looking impossibly tall, the blue of his eyes piercing into hers. God, this was hard. Stubbornness and doubt fighting the words she truly wanted to say to him. For a moment she cursed at herself for the impulse that brought her here.
'You are here to say goodbye to my son or thank me for willing to give up my life in Vegas so you didn't have to lose your fuck buddy?'
Bass regretted the words the moment they came out of his mouth.
Fuck.
He did not know exactly why he chose those words, but the completely ridiculous idea that she had come for him, made him want to push her away.
He could see the look of being absolutely stunned in her eyes, right before coldness started seeping through the normally so clear blue of her eyes.
'You son of a bitch,' Charlie felt how her throat was closing up with anger. 'You don't get to talk to me like that, not after you screwed my mom.'
She wanted to walk away, turn around and forget that he existed as soon as possible. But she didn't. Instead she took one step closer, and then another one. She didn't stop until she was just as close to him like she had been the moment they had met again in Vegas, and she basically told him to go to hell for suggesting going back with her to Willoughby to help her family.
He could be an asshole all he wanted, but she was a Matheson and she was not going down without a fight.
'I didn't do that for Connor you stupid son of a bitch, I did it for you,' She was shouting at him now, her body shaking when she was finally able to honest with herself and with him. 'And it is none of your damn business, but it happened once, one time,'
She had not wanted to share this with him, she didn't even understood why it was so important for her that he knew this. She turned his face away from him.
'I came here for you, you arrogant bastard. I came to thank you.' Charlie was still firing the words at him, her face close to his.
'I came to thank you for getting me out of that bar.' Her tone lost it's anger punch quickly, like all energy was draining from her system.
It was like somebody put a heavy stone on her chest all of a sudden.
With every beat of her heart, another piece of memory from that night flashed through her mind.
Those men around her, circling her like vultures.
Another beat.
The lock on the door, no way out. The panic that followed deep within.
Another beat.
The dizziness that flooded her body, raw disgusting hands on her skin.
Another beat.
The darkness that was creeping over her, the feeling of complete and utter abandonment and loneliness. Knowing she would never see her family again. Knowing it would end here, this filthy bar the last thing she would ever see.
Another beat.
Doors flying open, his sword working its way through all of them, saving her. The intense look on his face, right before she had to give in to the darkness.
Tears were filling her eyes, blurring her vision. She closed her eyes, tried to breathe.
'If you wouldn't have been there, they...' She could not say the words out loud.
She felt strong and warm hands cupping her face. She froze. Bass.
Bass had watched her face when it had started to fill with pain, her mind in a place far away. He knew where she was at that moment, because he was back there too. And when she closed her eyes, after tears were clouding the deep blue of her eyes, he closed the last remaining distance between them with his hands. Her warm tears flowing over his hands. Charlotte.
Hey everyone, thank you for reading. Reviews and your thoughts are always welcome! I will work on 'Things Change' and 'It takes two' this week too, so you can expect new updates there as well. Until the next chapter...Ciao!