Author's Note: Final chapter here folks (smut warning). Hope you enjoy. I'll have the epilogue posted within the week. Thanks to everyone who hung around for this one to be finished. It's been fun to write. Working on some more Charloe one-shots and probably another chap fic sometime down the road. Hope you'll join me for those too.

Old Lovers, New Lovers (Miles & Rachel)

"So Bass told Aaron he's going to propose to Charlie." Miles has waited to tell Rachel this chunk of news until she's calm and satisfied. They are lying in a sweaty heap on an old blanket. The blanket is lying on top of a bed of straw in the same garage-turned barn that Bass and Charlie sometimes frequent. When you want privacy around here, this is sometimes the best place to get it.

Rachel picks her head up from his chest, and frowns. "I guess we knew something like that was coming."

"The whole idea of marriage is silly these days though. Not sure why he's set on it. Hasn't meant anything legally since the blackout. Not like there are federal benefits or any tax breaks to take." He laughs sarcastically.

"People were getting married long before they could claim it on their tax returns," she frowns at him.

Miles shrugs, "The good news is that he'll always protect her. She'll be safer with him than anybody."

Rachel raises an eyebrow, "Safer, huh?"

"You know Bass has really changed. It started happening when Philly got hit. That messed with him Rachel. This thing that's happened with Charlie has been really good for him. He's in a good place. He's not crazy ass Bass anymore."

She sighs, "Yeah. And Charlie is happy. Not much to argue with." They don't say anything more, but lay there enjoying these moments. It won't be long till they have to go do other things. For now they are relishing this quality time together.

With no warning, the barn door slams open and they hear giggling. "Charlie?" Rachel whispers, frantically reaching for her clothes.

Miles reaches a hand out to stop her. He shakes his head. That's when she senses what Miles had already noticed. Charlie isn't alone, and she's not here to feed the horses.

The door slams shut again, and Miles and Rachel sit, frozen in place listening to the activity on the other side of the stall.

"Oh my God Bass," Charlie's voice is a moan. There are more kissing sounds and then some shuffling.

"Take those off." Bass demands hungrily.

The sounds of kissing and moaning resume. A shirt flies over their heads, as Rachel looks at Miles with a pained expression. This is so awkward. What can they do? They can now hear the slapping of skin as Bass and Charlie are clearly in the throes of passion. Clearly these two didn't have any time to waste today. Rachel sees Miles' face change as he clearly has an idea. He puts two fingers between his lips and makes a strange noise that sounds a lot like the way a cricket sounds. Rachel is surprised. She's never heard him do that before, and doesn't understand why he chose now to start.

But seemingly in response, they hear Monroe say, "Ah fuck!" There is a pause in the skin slapping sounds for a moment, and then they begin again in earnest. Rachel also detects the cricket sound again, but in two quick successions. She glances at Miles. This time the sound didn't come from him. She realizes that somehow Miles and Bass are communicating. These guys are so bizarre. She just shakes her head, before dropping it into her hands helplessly. When will this be over?

Miles is starting to fume. Clearly Bass knows he's here, but he isn't stopping. What a cocky bastard! Who fucks a girl when her DAD is within hearing distance? Based on the sounds they are both making, it's almost over. Good. Miles is tense. He's sure Rachel is too. They can't handle much more of this. If only they'd left five minutes earlier, instead of lying around talking. Oh well. There's nothing they can do about it now.

Miles hears Charlie's moan of release followed by a satisfied grunt from Bass. There is a lot of heavy breathing as the two come down from their release. Then Charlie speaks, "Do you want to have more kids?"

Rachel and Miles sit at attention and stare at each other, eyes wide. Hell, is she pregnant?

As if echoing their unspoken question, Bass asks, "Charlotte, are you pregnant?" his voice is soft, loving and very gentle. He hasn't answered her question with words, but his tone is answer in itself. He is clearly not opposed to the idea of more kids.

"No," she says, "not yet; but if we keep doing this, there's a decent chance I will be."

"Yeah, I know."

"And you don't mind?" her voice sounds hesitant and a little shy.

"I love you so much, and I want to be with you for the rest of our lives. If we have kids, that's great. If we don't - that's great too. I just want to be with you. Everything else we'll take one day at a time."

"I love you too Bass." She sounds so happy, so content. It's hard for her parents to be anything but happy for her. They share a silent look. Miles shrugs. Then they are hearing more kissing.

Bass breaks up the kiss, and says, "Hey there's actually something I've been meaning to ask you."

"What?" she asks.

There is a rustling sound and then they can hear an intake of breath. "Charlotte Matheson, will you marry me?"

Her voice is only a whisper, but Miles and Rachel can clearly here her say, "Yes Bass. Yes."

After some celebratory kissing (do these two ever stop kissing each other? Damn) they hear Bass tell Charlie that she should head inside he'll be following right behind her.

Old Lovers, New Lovers (Bass & Charlie)

They'd been sparring. Charlie is learning so much from these sessions. Sometimes she's training with Miles. He shows her sword play and dodging tactics. Sometimes she's training with Bass. He shows her how to anticipate and outthink her opponent. Her lessons with Bass are often hand to hand, no weapons. That's what they'd done today. By the time the session was over, they were both red faced and breathing heavily; tired, but exhilarated. Charlie feels tingly all over. Training with Bass is amazing. Its torture and foreplay all wrapped up in one beautiful man package. She's looking him up and down, watching his chest heave a little. Her eyes go to his and she sees her own desire mirrored there.

"You know," she says in a low voice, "Since we're already a mess, what say we check on the horses?"

He grins at her reference to check the horses, and nods. Taking her hand they start walking toward the garage/barn. Every few steps they stop to kiss or grope a little. Soon they aren't walking. Running, they slam into the barn door. In a heartbeat, Bass has her pinned against the interior wall. Her legs are soon wrapped around his waist. Their mouths are hungrily moving together at a frenzied pace. Hands are reaching, pulling at articles of clothing.

"Oh my God Bass," Charlie moans. He pulls her back from the wall just enough so that she can drop her legs from around him. As soon as her feet are on the floor, he's frantically grabbing at her clothing, baring her skin for his exploring mouth and fingers.

"Take those off." He motions his head to her pants as he's pulling his shirt off over his head. Carelessly he tosses it away to concentrate on her naked form. He is wearing only his pants, but they are now dropped to mid thigh. He picks her up as if she weighs nothing and pushes her into the wall again. Her legs encircle his waste and in one fluid motion he's inside her, supporting her with his hands and the wall. He's moving inside her, hard and fast. Their bodies are sweaty and they are breathing raggedly. Her feet cross at the small of his back. She can feel the rough wall digging into her back but she doesn't care.

Monroe is pounding into her core with every thrust. Charlie knows she'll be reminded of this epic fucking with every step she takes tomorrow. Damn he is so good, and his cock is so hard and this angle is perfect. She moans into his throat, as she feels him pushing against her cervix every time he slams into her. She is surprised when he pauses abruptly and growls out, "Oh fuck!" He then makes a weird sound in his throat before continuing, even more urgently than before. Strangeness quickly forgotten, she feels her composure fading as the pressure builds. Soon she shatters, erupting into a million tiny pieces of contentment. He follows soon behind, buried to the hilt, she feels his seed spilling into her deepest self. There are a few moments where they stay motionless, panting.

Charlie kisses Bass gently, before quietly asking, "Do you want to have more kids?"

He pulls his face from hers just enough to quietly ask, "Charlotte, are you pregnant?" his expression is so tender, it makes her heart ache. His mouth curves in the tiniest hint of a smile.

"No," she says, "not yet; but if we keep doing this," she motions toward the fact that they are still joined. He looks down at where his now softening dick is still buried in her folds. He loves doing this, staying inside her until he absolutely has to pull out. He can't help it. "If we keep doing this, there's a decent chance I will be."

"Yeah, I know." He sighs, pressing his forehead against hers. He's still smiling. It's a smile that makes her heart sing. It's a smile that tells her just how much she means to him. It's a smile that hints at a future.

"And you wouldn't mind?" she asks shyly. They've been intimate for months now, but they've never really talked about anything this… optimistic, before.

Bass sighs happily, "I love you so much, and I want to be with you for the rest of our lives. If we have kids, that's great. If we don't - that's great too." He wraps his arms around her and holds her tight, like he never ever wants to let go. "I just want to be with you. Everything else we'll take one day at a time."

"I love you too Bass." Charlie is happy – happy in a way she never thought she'd know. She feels like she might just burst from it. She takes a deep breath, trying to compose herself a little. He sees the emotion in her eyes, and leans in for a sweet and loving kiss. For someone who just moments before was so rough, he can also be so very gentle. Sighing into his mouth, Charlie feels a little sad as he pushes away from her, his dick sliding from her body slickly. Carefully he helps settle her back on flat feet.

"Hey there's actually something I've been meaning to ask you."

"What?" she asks.

Still naked as the day he was born, the great Sebastian Monroe (former dictator of the Monroe Republic & famous Scourge of Scranton) kneels before her on one knee in the straw. She sucks in a breath, anticipation stirring butterflies in her stomach. "Charlotte Matheson, will you marry me?"

Her grin is immediate, and the moment he sees it he knows that everything is going to be okay. She whispers softly, "Yes Bass. Yes."

She grabs his outstretched hand and pulls him back up to stand before her. Charlie stands on tip toes and kisses him hard on the mouth. "Yes," she says again, almost too low for him to hear. He tears himself away, grinning down at his new fiancé.

"Here," he says collecting her things and handing them to her. "Get dressed and head to the house. I'll be along in just a few minutes."

Well, This is Awkward

They wait for him to get decent before coming out of the stall they've been captive in since this whole thing started. Rachel tosses Bass his shirt. Miles is staring daggers into his oldest friend, but quickly his expression softens as he sees the look on Monroe's face. This is one happy man. His grin alone is priceless. Usually you only see smiles like that on little kids at Christmas.

"Hey, I am so sorry that you had to hear that." He doesn't actually look like he cares at all, but they wait for him to continue, "I didn't hear your signal at first, and by the time I registered what I had heard… well, I just wasn't at a, um, good stopping point." He runs a nervous hand through his curls. Rachel notes that his hand is shaking, but she can tell it's not from anxiety or nerves. He's shaking from his own emotions. He's shaking with joy. With hope.

"Yeah, well it was awkward. That's for sure." Miles frowns, but then smiles too. Bass' mood is downright contagious. "So I guess congratulations are in order."

"Thanks," Bass is beaming. The three old friends (and Bass feels that he is getting them both back slowly) exit the building. They've walked only a few steps when Monroe starts laughing.

"What?" Miles asks.

"Is it too soon to start calling you Dad?"

Miles punches Bass in the shoulder hard. "Don't be a dick Bass."

"Hey guys," Rachel says, her expression curious (she's choosing to ignore the Dad comment for the moment). "What was the thing you guys did? That noise you made?"

"That's how we used to let each other know we were nearby." Miles says. "Started in a game of hide and seek. We were maybe twelve."

"Used it a lot in Iraq too. Just sort of became our thing." Bass continues.

"Clearly we haven't been using it enough. You didn't even notice at first."

"In my defense," Bass replies with a smirk, "I was really, really busy."

"Stop talking, or I will have to kill you." Miles is frowning again, but his eyes are smiling.

"Come on you guys," Rachel says, putting her arms around both of them as they walk toward the house together. "Let's go get Charlie and we can all go out for a celebratory whiskey."

"Or many whiskeys." Miles corrects her. "I think I have a lot of emotional scarring after that…" he motions his head back toward the barn, "experience. Hell, I might just need therapy."

"I hear therapy is hard to come by these days, DAD." Bass laughs, "But damn, I'll buy you a whole bottle of whiskey to get you started. I bet it will be better than anything Dr. Phil could do for you anyway."

Epic

They get married at sunset in a quiet field outside of Willoughby on a cool spring evening, before a group of family, friends and fellow soldiers.

Bass is wearing black pants and a white shirt. He has attempted to calm down the curls, but they are sticking out a bit. He has trimmed his beard. Monroe had offered to shave for the big day, but Charlie loved his scruff and would hear nothing of it. He looks nervous as hell, but oh so happy.

Miles and Rachel jointly walk Charlie down the aisle. From the expressions on their faces, it is clear that they have come to terms with any misgivings they might have had. They approve.

This is Charlie's big day, and she is lovely. She's wearing a simple cream colored knee length dress, which a local lady had sewn from old curtains ala Scarlett O'Hara. Her hair is down and a few small white flowers have been pinned in the long curls. In her hands she holds a small bouquet of daisies. She is radiant.

Bass watches from his post near Aaron. His breath catches when he sees her heading his way. Their eyes lock and the rest of the world falls away. When she reaches him, she gives both Rachel and Miles a quick hug before they go stand with the others. Connor and Duncan are standing in the front row right next to Aaron and Priscilla. Gene proudly rounds out the odd little family. In spite of all they'd been through, this was a momentous occasion – a day of joyful celebration for all.

Charlie looks at her groom and they are so lost in each other's gaze that they miss the first bit of Aaron's speech. When they begin to pay attention again he's saying, "the bride and groom have written their own vows. Charlie?"

She nods at Aaron and then beams up at Bass. "I had given up hope, you know? My life was consumed with the thought of revenge. I was empty and felt all alone. At first, it was my desire to kill you that consumed me." She pauses, looking deep into his eyes, "but then my desire to kill you became a different kind of desire. My hate faded and evolved into something else. I started to feel alive again. You brought me back from the brink." Clasping his hands tightly in her own, she leans closer. "You are my whole world Bass Monroe. I will do everything in my power to show you how much I love you every day for the rest of our lives."

Bass takes a deep breath, "Charlotte. From the first moment I saw you, being all brave and invincible; I was intrigued. You were a big pain in my ass for a while, but you started to wear on me with your fierce loyalty to your family… with the way you threw yourself into every task… with the way you shined your light on a dark and awful world. I loved you long before I admitted it to myself. It scared the hell out of me." He frowns for just a second, "It still does, but I am not going to lose this because I'm afraid of losing you. This love is worth whatever may happen. I love you with every fiber of my being Charlie Matheson. There is nothing I want more than to be your husband."

Aaron speaks, "Their love story is epic, you know. Bass & Charlie, spanning years and continents. Lives ruined and blood shed. Epic."

Miles had just taken a little drink from the flask in his shirt pocket when he hears these words, and chokes a little in surprise. Leaning close to Rachel he asks, "Is Aaron actually quoting Logan Echolls at our daughter's wedding?"

Rachel is laughing too, "Yes, he is."

"Now, that's pretty funny." Miles is grinning as Bass & Charlie say their "I do"s.

"I'm not surprised that Aaron would do that. After all, he does love his pop culture references; but I think it's funny YOU still remember who Logan Echolls even is." She chuckles.

"I bet Bass remembers too. Come on Rachel, who could forget LoVe – one of the best 'ships' ever? Bass and I watched that whole damn series on Netflix back in the day. Can't remember for sure, but we might have even read some naughty fan fiction about those two." Miles and Rachel clasp hands and smile into each other's eyes. Miles hasn't asked yet, but he's been thinking about making an honest woman of Rachel. This wedding pretty much seals the deal. Life is too short for waiting. Sometimes you have to take the bull by the horns. He tears his eyes away from his beautiful Rachel when he hears Aaron say, "By no power invested in me whatsoever, I now pronounce you husband and wife." His words are met with chuckles from the group. "You may now kiss the bride."

"Come here Charlotte," Bass says to her softly, looking deeply into her eyes; his own full of promise.

"Bass," she responds quietly leaning into the kiss. Everything is perfect. The kiss is their first as husband and wife. It is sweet and gentle and promises to be much more later when they are alone. Breathless they part.

"And here they are folks, Mr. and Mrs. Sebastian Monroe." Aaron announces as they turn toward their guests.

Cheers and applause rise from those gathered to celebrate with the happy couple. The newlyweds are grinning and holding hands. They are both imagining their future together, and all the joy it may hold; each basking in the knowledge that neither is empty anymore. This is the real deal, and they consider themselves very lucky to have found it with each other.

Aaron looks on, smiling. Carefully he closes his eyes and thinks about fireworks. Suddenly the night sky responds, filling with shining fireflies. Hundreds, maybe thousands swoop and swirl above the people gathered. All are looking up at the amazing spectacle, soaking up the beauty of the Nano light show. Aaron nods his approval in the direction of the fireflies. Then he looks at Monroe to see if this is what he'd had in mind when he'd asked for a Nano favor not so long ago. Bass smiles at Aaron and mouths silently, "Thank you."

Clasping hands they greet their guests and when the people start to disperse, Bass turns to his wife and says, "Alright Mrs. Monroe, now that you have me – whatever are you going to do with me?"

"Oh I'll think of something." She says with a wink, and with that the lovers embark on their very own happily ever after with a magical light show to lead the way.

End.

Author's Note: Epilogue still coming. Also, if you didn't already know… Logan Echolls was the romantic hero in the short lived tv cult hit Veronica Mars. Aaron loosely quotes a famous little speech Logan made to Veronica. The real thing went like this, "I thought our story was epic, you know. You and me. Spanning years and continents. Lives ruined and bloodshed. Epic." I'm a huge fan of V Mars and I thought this little quote fit for Bass and Charlie too.

Please leave some comments. Would love to know what you think.