Charlotte was lucky. By the time she came to, Caleb was already carrying her back to her tent, the pair being met halfway by a concerned and confused Anna. Charlotte's head felt heavy on her neck and she was grateful for both of them for she was sure she would have lost consciousness again if forced to make this journey alone.

"There ya are," Caleb gave as he gently helped Charlotte sit down atop her cot. He stepped back to admire his work as Anna took a seat next to the girl, her arm still wrapped around Charlotte to keep her from falling over.

"I imagined this same scene, Charlotte, but it involved heaps of madeira...an' Benny boy was 'ere, of course."

She forced a small smile. When Caleb realized his attempt at humor was not well received he stepped away, placing a hand to Anna's back as if to pass off his caretaker duties. In all honesty, he was relieved to have an exit; though he'd never admit it the events of the day had his bones weak and his heart somewhat heavy in regret.

Anna helped Charlotte lay down. Charlotte also remembered Anna assisting her in taking her boots off but as she blinked her eyes open long enough to thank her friend she found the moment gone. Many minutes, maybe even hours, had passed. Anna now lay asleep on the cot beside her own and all of the world outside their small tent seemed to be at peace as well.

The pain in Charlotte's head was gone but she sat up slowly nonetheless. She made quick work of putting her boots back on and with her thick cloak still in Ben's tent she instead grabbed the same wool blanket she'd slept beneath and wrapped it around her shoulders. It scratched at her exposed neckline but it provided the warmth she needed to walk from her tent back toward the medic's.

A guard, one of the same young men from before, stood on watch outside the doors. Charlotte couldn't muster the same charm she'd given him earlier but the melancholy smile she forced had him rolling his eyes all before stepping aside to let her in.

It was not as warm as it was before, nor as loud. Many of the men from earlier were gone and Charlotte wondered if they had recovered completely or not at all. It was this realization that had her breathing quickening and she placed a hand to her stomach in an attempt to calm herself down. Selfishly she thought only of the man she knew and how she hoped he had not met a similar fate. Then she reasoned with herself, assuming that couldn't be the case if Anna was sleeping and allowing her to do the very same.

Her rationale did nothing to calm her down, but it did keep her still. Charlotte's eyes scanned the room again, wondering if she knew any of these men but really distracting herself with the hope of delaying her meeting with the truth. Just as effortlessly as she had entered, Charlotte turned on her heel to leave, possibly not realizing she had done so. It seemed her body was not her own lately and she was once again grateful to find a friend catching her, ready to be strong for her when she clearly could not manage the same.

"Whoa! It's me. It's me, Charlotte…" he soothed.

With wide eyes she took him in. "Where is he?"

Caleb paused. "Stable."

Charlotte looked over Caleb's shoulder as if looking for Ben. "I want to…" She inhaled to regain what little composure remained inside her small frame. "I'd like to see him. To...to make sure he's okay," she explained. When her gaze met Caleb's he saw she was not asking for permission but instead dismissing him. Though she seemed unsteady just moments before the way she now clutched her blanket had her posture returning.

"Char, he—"

"I can take it," she said simply.

Caleb smirked. "Didn't look like you could take it before."

Again Caleb's attempt at making Charlotte laugh was lost on her determination to see Ben. "Is he going to make it?" she asked, looking to the back of the tent once more.

"Uh, yeah...seems that way."

"Then it's fine. I—" Her voice was halted as Caleb remained, blocking her path. "Please move, Caleb," she begged softly, not letting his eyes meet her own. "I'd like to see Ben." Then: "Alone."

He had no other choice; Caleb could only sigh before moving out of the girl's way. With her newly discovered resolve, she silently charted the same distance she'd walked only hours before and though Caleb and Anna were both accounted for elsewhere, Charlotte was somewhat surprised to find Ben's area empty. The soiled cloth from earlier were removed from the ground and his uniform had disappeared, leaving him in only his still-stained breeches and a large, thick bandage spanning the circumference of his waist.

She observed the way he looked far more peaceful than the last time she'd seen him, and the lack of a medical team told Charlotte that Ben must have been heading toward recovery. She prayed the blood he coughed up earlier was a rarity, hearing of similar fates claiming men before their initial injuries could.

Waiting, Charlotte bit at her fingernail, still taking him in. She wanted to go to him, to push back at his hairline and dab at the beads of sweat on his forehead. She knew this was a sign of a broken fever, clear indication that his body was already fighting infection. Ben was strong and Charlotte always knew this, but it was fascinating to see it displayed when he was without movement or voice.

Bravely Charlotte dropped her hand and stepped forward. Looking up, she saw Ben's eyes flutter open and after his confusion escaped him, he gave a small smile.

"Hi."

She let out a breathy laugh in dismissal of the relief she now felt at seeing him awake. She didn't know it but her eyes were glossed over again, ready to cry if the moment intensified. "Hi," she whispered.

"You shouldn't be in here," Ben finally managed weakly.

Charlotte took another step toward him. "I was in here before."

If he could have, Ben would have chuckled. "Caleb told me."

"Are you...are you alright then?"

"M'fine," Ben denied. "Just a bullet. I've had worse."

Charlotte raised her brows. "What's worse than a bullet?"

"Several bullets," Ben deadpanned.

"You've been...you've been shot before?"

Ben's face was quizzical but it was amusement, not judgement that dictated his features. "What do you think war is, Charlie?" He started to laugh but all too easily Charlotte could see the pain spread across Ben's face. Instantly she was going to him, keeping her blanket tight around her form as she sat down, occupying the small space beside him on the bed.

"What can I do?" she pleaded.

"You can leave so you don't have to see me like this."

"I want to help you."

"Not much to help with," he tried nonchalantly. "Bullets gone...I'm a little drunk," he admitted.

Charlotte sighed out. "You shouldn't be alone."

"I'm used to being alone—"

"I don't want to leave you," she countered just as quickly. The honesty in her words had her voice almost cracking.

Ben's eyes narrowed, taking her in and just for a moment forgetting how much pain he was in. "Are you okay?"

"I don't know," she whispered back.

"Well—"

"This isn't about me," Charlotte self-admonished. "I'll...you should rest. Please. I just want to...I really don't want you to be alone so if you'd let me, I'm going to go grab my book and when I get back I'm hoping you'll be asleep and I can just read while—"

"You're going to be exhausted, Charlie. I'm...I'm fine."

"But I'm not!" she gave, this time much more loudly. Soon though, as if embarrassed by all the emotions she could no longer keep hidden from Ben, Charlotte was calm again. "I just...please let me do this, alright?"

Ben slowly nodded. "Yeah...yeah, okay."

She did disappear but she returned just as quickly. It seemed she had gained some bravery on her jaunt back, a courage that allowed her to go to Ben, forfeiting the same book she promised to read to instead help him sit up. Even through his pain, Ben felt nervous with her so close and when she asked him one last time if he was comfortable, he could only nod, his eyes not moving from her lips. She left briefly to fetch him a glass of water and in her absence he thought only about their kiss. Ben did his best to focus on the precise moment their lips met and not the insensitive way he marched out afterward. It was true that Charlie terrified him, just as he was terrified now, wondering if she felt the same and thought about that same night. It was honestly one of the only things he gave thought to as he passed out on the battlefield.

Charlotte moved the chair in the corner of the space closer to Ben's bed. Though he did not indicate that he wished to rest, she picked up her book and opened the spine, at least intending to follow through on her promise to be silently present.

"I…" She sighed and closed her book. "They're keeping prisoners on the ships with the soldiers. They know we know or they're assuming," she explained. "They know we won't fire if there are prisoners aboard."

Ben quirked an eyebrow. "Are you sharing intelligence with me? I might not remember much of this in the morning."

Charlotte's gaze narrowed. "What did they give you?"

"The medic gave me a bit of morphine. Caleb gave me rum."

She pursed her lips in quiet merriment. "Didn't know you were a drinker."

"I'll take up any habit if it means making the pain go away."

Charlotte frowned. "That bad?"

"Could be worse. But I've been lucky. Fourth bullet this year."

"And hopefully the last."

Ben sighed. "Charlie, I need...I don't want you in here. You really shouldn't be worrying about me or—"

"I'm going to worry about you whether I'm here or not," she revealed, doing so with eyes so blue Ben had to swallow to rid himself of their intensity.

"You shouldn't do that."

"I've been doing a lot of things I shouldn't lately," she gave with a huff.

"Like?"

"Like kissing you."

Her admission came so willingly Ben had to grin. "Is that an apology?" He hoped that wasn't the case but even if it were, it was also acknowledgment to the fact that Charlotte had been thinking of their kiss just as much as he had.

"Why? Should it be? Are you sorry?"

"I'm hardly sorry," he chuckled.

"I don't know...you're infuriating. I needed to shut you up," Charlotte said flippantly, looking away.

"It was a successful attempt," Ben reasoned, as if asking her to look back.

Charlotte laughed, knowing Ben would have joined her had he not still been so uncomfortable. Both would have been more than content just existing in one another's presence but Anna soon entered, interrupting their wordless moment, robbing them both of any happiness they felt toward the other, not yet ready for the world to see what they themselves could not fully understand.

Anna pursed her lips in apology and simply stepped out once more to give the couple one last minute moment of privacy.

Finally, Charlotte looked to him again. "You say stupid things, Benjamin."

"You do stupid things," he tossed back.

"I know."

She was frighteningly self-aware, causing Ben to soften. "Kissing me wasn't stupid. Not if you meant it."

"Of course I meant it. And if you keep saying nonsensical things..."

Ben's eyes closed at the sound of all she didn't say. When they opened she was before him, clutching her book and her blanket but reaching out to let her knuckles tenderly touch his cheek.

"Goodnight, Benjamin."

"'Night, Charlie."

He watched her go, smiling as Anna shared a grin of her own with a disappearing Charlotte. He had never considered the fact that Anna wouldn't always be the only woman in his life. Someday, he imagined, he'd get married and in an ideal world his wife would get along with his mates just as much as he did. Perhaps that wasn't practical or proper but it — like many other things in his life — seemed possible with Charlotte.

"You've had that girl worried sick," Anna said as she took Charlotte's place towering over Ben's bed.

He stared blankly ahead. "I'm sorry my gunshot has inconvenienced everyone."

"She...she's genuinely worried about you, Ben," she reasoned.

"I know that."

"She cares about you."

"I know that too."

"So if you don't care for her…" Anna shut her eyes, wanting to backtrack but proceeding ever the same. "I guess what I was trying to say the other night is...I know what it's like to love someone who can't love you. I wouldn't wish that upon anyone. Not even one of my best friends who was a right prat last week."

Ben sighed. "Listen, Anna, about that...I'm sorry."

"You don't need to apologize, Ben. You're under a lot of pressure and I get that."

"Perhaps but that was extremely unkind and out of line and—"

"I'm not going to judge you, Ben," Anna gave strongly, as if asking that he let her finish. "I told you that. I just need you to understand what you're getting into if you...if you care about Charlotte. I mean, even if she's completely separated from her family, this world will still expect things from her."

"I do care about her. I care about her greatly. But I don't know if—"

Anna paused, challenging Ben to continue like she was inviting the lie. "She's been worried sick," she reminded plainly.

"Well, I'm sorry. Truly."

"All I'm saying is that if you're going to take this leap, please make sure this is what you want."

"Oh...okay?"

"You're asking her to give up a lot. More than we already have. And if...if anything happens it'll absolutely devastate her."

"Happens?"

"To you!" Anna gave in frustration.

"I don't want…" Ben closed his eyes. "I didn't have control over any of this," he finally reasoned.

"I know that," Anna returned softly, looking away. "I know those feelings all too well."

Allllright so I was hesitant to reveal this and I don't know why I even feel compelled to but I do, so here goes: I am an ardent AnnaxAbe shipper. Always have been. Always will be. So anyway, there might be a few nods toward that relationship here. I've always kind of thought that Ben was a supporter of it too, so maybe it's me letting that show. I also love Anna's relationship with Caleb and Ben...if that wasn't clear.

Basically I just have a lot of feelings and I appreciate everyone letting me write about them.

Thanks, as always, for the love!

x. Elle