Wow, what an amazing reviews you send me for last chapter! I am so glad you liked that one :) I am so happy you all like this story, and that you are still following and reading it. So, a very big thank you with a very big smile for all of you. You are amazing! And now...we are headed to Vegas.

I do not own Revolution. This is just a daydream about what could have happened too...

A fire and a warlord

They had covered a lot of ground today. Right before sunset Charlie had set out to go hunting, her crossbow close to her back, while Connor's eyes followed her into the line of trees.

Bass let out a sigh of frustration through his teeth at the sight of his kid's eyes wandering off, again. He lead the horses away from the wagon so they could rest for the night.

With the exception of Connor ideas about Charlie, ideas he wanted to smack right out of his kids head, although he realised that would be one hell of a case of bad parenting, this trip turned out to be a breather he needed from Rachel and her entourage. From their constant nagging, from her condescending remarks about Connor.

The three of them had found a rhythm on the road.

When Charlie had thrown her stuff in the back of the wagon behind him, right before he had wanted to put the wagon in motion, there was a part of him that couldn't believe Miles had sent her as a god damn babysitter. He had some serious thinking and strategizing to do with his kid. And he had planned to do that without any Matheson around.

Who says it is up to you? Her words an echo in his mind.

The complete fearless right in his face without any reservations attitude from her, when she had thrown another question back in his face as an answer to his own, made his body react in a very physical way.

When they were on the road he realised two things. One. Charlie wanted to go with them, with him. For the simple reason that her stubbornness prevented this woman from doing anything she did not wanted to do . And second, Miles trusted him enough to let Charlie come on their road trip.

Somehow his brother had figured out his niece was safe with him. Because damn it, she was.

They had made camp at a small clearing, away from the road. The sun had set hours ago, and the pink and orange sky had transferred into a dark sky filled with stars.

Charlie was sitting not far away from him, her arms resting on her knees, the glow of the fire golden on her skin. Although he was on first watch, Charlie had not gone to sleep. Connor however was asleep at the other side of the fire.

He watched his kid for a moment. Dark curls, strong jaw line.

Bass still had to get used to the fact that when he looked at Connor, it was like looking in a god damn mirror. But it was also Emma who haunted him in the features of his kid. The truth about her death was still hiding in the dark between Connor and him and he damn well knew that it would not hide there forever. The memories of that one bullet crashing into her. The deafening sound. The body of a woman he once loved collapsing into his arms, for the last moments of her life, in the middle a town that was once his home, seemed to work their way towards him whenever he managed to get some sleep these days. Since Connor was a daily part of his life, the nightmares had come back at full force. He could still her face when he felt the shock of her telling him that somewhere out there, he had a son. His family.

'What do you miss the most, you know, from back then?'

Bass had been lost in his own dark thoughts, lost in the dance of the flames of the fire, when her voice broke the silence.

Every now and then, she looked at him with an openness that he remembered from a much younger Charlie, from many years ago. From before the whole world went to hell. She had changed so fucking much, she seemed to change every damn time he met her again. But that clear look, those eyes that did not seem to miss a thing, had managed to stay the same, to survive.

After a couple of weeks on the road together, weeks still to go before they would reach Willoughby, these nightly moments had been there.

Somehow the night could change everything, and in the dark silence he had seen more than loathing and disgust in her eyes when she sat in front of him at the fire.

They had talked about Miles, about their memories from a time and world lifetimes away. It usually started with a fire, a bottle of booze and some mocking insults, but somehow that had turned into something else. They never seemed to last long, before he could see how she pulled her wall back around her, and shut him out again. But man, he enjoyed those talks with her. He had no idea if she actually remembered him. She must have been what, five, six years old when he saw her for the last time? He had to admit, he was curious if she did remember him, but he also knew it was like entering a field of landmines, if he would go there. So he kept his mouth shut and let her come to him.

He looked up at her.

'Music and a cold beer on a Saturday night.'

He was not sure from this angle, but he saw the faintest of smiles appearing around her mouth.

'How about you, Charlotte?'

Charlie looked at him, and her eyes found his. The lines in his face were not as harsh as they could be. And although his voice was low, there was something about him this night that made her withhold any kind of mockery towards him.

'I miss falling asleep, knowing you can actually sleep. I know it was there, before. I know there was a world when I could actually fall asleep feeling...'

Charlie paused for a moment when she tried to find the right word, remembering something that she thought must have been her old room back at a home she barely remembered.

'...feeling sheltered. I miss falling asleep without being on edge. Knowing that at any given time all things can spin out of control again.'

Bass wondered how the hell this girl could put a knife in his gut with her words. She had talked with such a calmness about this, the way only Charlie could. It was like she was observing herself and the world around her, instead of actually being a part of it.

Charlie jerked her head back to the fire and cursed herself in silence. How the hell did this man do this? How did she unveil something that belonged to her, that was hidden somewhere in her for nobody to see? How on earth did Sebastian Monroe, off all men, made her feel that there was room for her to be?

Why on earth did she feel he understood her better than anyone at times and why did she get the feeling all of a sudden he had been there too, just like Miles had been, all those years ago in a completely different world?

She expected him to laugh at her, to make some kind of remark of this vulnerability she had shown. To mock here and treat her like a damn child.

He didn't.

Bass acted on an impulse. Hell, controlling his impulses was never his thing. But he moved forward and crouched down behind her. Charlie's slender body fitted too damn good between his knees. He reached out his hand and put a lock of hair behind her ear.

'Get some sleep Charlotte. No one is going to touch you, tonight. No one.'

He felt how Charlie tensed up before him, and for one moment he wondered what the hell he had been thinking. He had just crossed some kind of line with her. They both knew it. But the words were out in the open.

Bass expected to find a coldness in her eyes when she would pin her eyes at him, he expected her to push him away with biting words. But instead he felt how she relaxed and her body moved closer to his. He saw how she tilted her head back. He moved his hand from her hair to her jaw and gently moved his fingers along her skin until he held her chin in his hand.

Neither of them moved. His touch had been a different one than the other night, it was light, it was not the first move to something heated. It felt different and the tingle on her skin from his rough skin was something she revelled in.

For one moment Charlie thought he would close the distance between them even more, but with one gentle movement he let go of her chin and sat back down behind her.

So she let herself glide into her sleeping bag. The warmth of the fire before her reached her body, touched her face. She felt Bass close behind her without him actually touching her. Her eyes felt heavy, and her last thought before falling into a deep sleep was the realisation that she actually felt safe enough to sleep close to him. Somehow, on this cold and clear night, somewhere between Willoughby and Vegas, Sebastian Monroe had made her feel the closest to safe she had felt in a long time. Secure. Shielded.

Vegas

Bass snapped his fingers at Gould. If he would look at Charlie one more second the way Gould did, the greasy son of a bitch, he would snap his god damn neck. He used to rule a damn Republic, now he was busy talking to this weasel.

The past few days had been uneventful. The days had filled themselves with long hours on dusty roads. He enjoyed having Connor around. The kid seemed to open up a little bit more. It also meant there was less time for him and Charlie. Fuck, he wanted her. She was so damn close but there just did not seem any time or place for them to be together. And by some of the looks she threw him, he just knew it was on her mind too.

He knew that in Vegas, there would be no time and no place to focus on anything else than what they came here for. Vegas was an unforgiving place, and he knew he could not afford any mistake.

When they had walked into Vegas, Charlie walked close to his side. The girl who had made it her goal in life to put as much distance between them from the start, had actually walked beside him, close enough for the leather of both their jackets to touch. They had walked through the small main street, that was meandering its way through the camps.

And now, Bass pinned Gould down with his eyes, he was losing his patience fast. Rage started to build up from his core.

He quickly glanced back at Charlie and noticed how Charlie was given Gould an impressive are you serious Matheson stare. Hell, she reminded him so much of Miles. And hell, it made him want to drag her outside and let his hands glide under her tank. For starters.

He had felt Connor's eyes on him when Gould had welcomed him back to his crap hole casino with a loud 'Jimmy King.'

Jimmy King.

It had been the man he had become after the Tower. The man who had dragged himself through the days and nights, feeling half dead, ripped apart with guilt, hoping that every fight would be the one that would kick him into complete darkness. Days of booze, another woman, another whore wanting to work her way into his bed every night, another fight, his body numb, his mind blank. He had tried to disappear into a whole lot of nothing, but his shadows were always there. That was until she had showed up.

He had turned into Gould's best fighter, and the asshole was far from happy he had left that life behind. Bass knew Gould had missed out on some steady income when he could not use him in the ring anymore.

Charlie had not even moved a muscle, when Gould approached them. This girl knew about who he used to be here, although neither of them had ever talked about it.

'Have you seen Duncan?' Bass was pretty much done spending one more second with Gould.

'Forget Duncan, 'You and I have unfinished business, Jimmy ' Gould said to Monroe.

He got cut off when one his men approached him and said something in a soft and low tone that Charlie could not understand.

'We got to make things right,'Bass expected Gould to pat him on the shoulder like they were some old friends, and he was fucking grateful he didn't because it might have been the one thing to set him off and rip his throat out.And with those words he turned around and walked away from them.

'Feel free to bring your lady friend.' Gould shot Charlie one more greasy disgustingly hungry look.

'Dick,' Bass grunted under his breath. 'Come on,' he nodded at Connor and Charlie.

The only thing he wanted to do now was find Duncan. Find Duncan. Get those man they needed. Get the hell out. And maybe rip Gould's throat out before they left, if there was any time.

That was the plan.

Charlie was scanning the warm and crowded tent for any signs of possible trouble, she knew the look on Bass' face meant business. When Connor was his charming and cocky self, right before they had entered this tent, he had told Bass he knew what he was doing after Bass told him to pay attention. Not here you don't had been Bass simple and very clear reply. It had made her smile to find herself literally in the middle of their father son banter.

Gould was the first person that night who made a remark of the possibility of Bass and her being something, anything.

Duncan Paige would be the second.

They walked into a more private area at the back of the crowded tent. Charlie immediately felt the energy change. Bass stood between her and Connor, while they watched a group playing cards.

'Hello Duncan.' His tone was firm, but with a kind of charm in it that already rubbed Charlie to wrong way.

Charlie waited for any of the men to turn around. None of them turned toward Bass.

She watched how a slender brunette placed her cards on the table in front her and turned her way towards them. Dark eyes, her chin tilted a little bit back, her eyes taking in Bass.

'Hello Sebastian.' Her tone was filled with warning.

Seriously, she thought. Bass' Vegas Warlord was a woman? Of course she was. She forced herself to not roll her eyes at him.

'That's Duncan?' Connor asked him, a hint of pleasant surprise in his tone, when his kid had turned his head towards him.

'And she knows who you are?' Charlotte on his other side.

It made him swallow with difficulty. Man, this was getting uncomfortable fast.

'There is not a lot I don't know kid.' Charlie narrowed her eyes a bit at Duncan's words. She picked up on Duncan's suggestive undertone.

Duncan brought her attention back to Bass.

'You are plucking them awfully young these day, aren't you?'

Bass ignored her.

'We need to talk. 5 minutes. For old times' sake.' There it was again, Charlie noticed. His low and charm my way through anything because I am Sebastian Monroe and I get what I want voice.

'Turn around and walk away while you still can,' Her tone meant business.

Charlie watched Bass take one slow but determined step forward.

'I am afraid I can't do that.' His spoke those words in a dead calm way, but Charlie knew him well enough by now that this calm was a possible deadly warning. He was not kidding. He was not going to walk out.

When Charlie saw the first of Duncan's man going for his gun, she had grabbed hers from the waistband at her jeans. She pointed her gun directly at Duncan without flinching. Her man had their guns on them.

'All right, guys, let's all relax,' Bass voice coming from her right.

'Charlie put the gun down.' His tone was low but she could hear the edge in his words.

Charlie was pissed. This woman had been threatening the hell out of them, when Bass had stepped forward, and now the Warlords bitch eye's were looking at her with amusement, when Bass told her to back the hell down.

'Charlie, put the gun down. Now.' This time it was almost a growl.

She did not let go of Duncan with her eyes, but she did lower her gun.

'Okay, now just hear me out.' Bass eyes were fixed at Duncan. His eyes wide, inviting blues towards her.

Charlie saw the charming grin plastered on Bass his face, while he spoke those words. Seriously? This woman had just threatened them, she had his damn back and now he was turning on the charm for this woman as a thank you?

Duncan gave her a belittling smile, before she flashed her eyes back at Bass. Or Sebastian as she called him, in a way that made Charlie want to reach for her gun again and shove it back in the bitch her face.

Things moved fast after that. Duncan got up from her chair and walked towards them in a slow movement that made Charlie think about the movements of a cat. She nodded at her and Connor before she put her eyes back on Bass.

If Charlie had not been sure before, she was sure now. She did not know what was going on, but there was definitely history between Duncan and Bass. If Bass had told her who he really was, that said it all. Never mind the looks Duncan gave him, and the way Bass was looking at her.

'Only you, Sebastian. My tent. You have 5 minutes.'

She started walking towards the exit of the tent. Her men followed her.

'For old times' sake.' This time Duncan looked at Charlie, when her words were directed at Bass, Charlie knew these words were meant for her.

Bass turned around to meet her and Connor.

'Wait outside, meet you back at the meeting point.' His tone was distant and business like.

Charlie was ready to punch him in the face. Was he serious right now? So, it was back to the children's table for her with Connor now? She raised an eyebrow at him and stared him directly in the eyes.

'Charlie,' Bass looked directly back at her for a second. ' Go.'

And with those words he turned his back to her. Charlie stormed out of the casino tent with large strides, ignoring Gould's stare from the other side of his casino.

Bass and Duncan turned left, she and Connor turned right when they walked outside the tent.

When Charlie turned around once more, she saw how Bass had turned on the charm just a little bit more. His eyes bright, the grin still plastered on his face, his body turned towards Duncan.

Duncan's promising and edgy smile aimed at Bass when her hand reached for his arm for one second, was the last things Charlie saw before the both of them disappeared into Duncan's tent.

She felt stunned. She felt nauseous. Then she felt anger. Anger directed at him. Arrogant son of a bitch. And then she felt anger, anger at herself. How the hell did she ever let this man close? They had been in Vegas for what, a couple of hours, and here she was. Standing outside, locked out of whatever negotiations they would go into, together. Standing outside, when Bass had not even looked back at her anymore.

No. Just no.

She would not allow him to dismiss her like she was what? She turned around, ignoring Connor's question where she was going. She marched towards Duncan's tent. A large man, armed to the teeth, moved in front of her.

'I don't know who you think you are, or what you want, but the answer is no.' His voice was raspy, and his tone left no room for discussion. But hell, she was a Matheson, and she would not take no for an answer, not without a fight.

'I need to see Duncan. I need to see Jimmy. I am with him.' She gave him her best stare when she nodded to the tent behind the giant in front of her.

Turn around you moron. It was Miles voice that echoed through her mind.

'The answer is still no, Duncan won't see anyone right now. She is kind of in the middle of something. So if I were you, I would turn around.'

Giant moved his arm away from his side enough for her to see a very impressive knife dangling at his side. She knew enough. She had enough self preservation inside of her to walk away.

Connor had watched Charlie. This girl was nothing like the girls back home. She had been able to surprise the hell out of him. Every single day. This girl was something else and he was not able to figure her out.

He watched her face when she walked beside him, both of them making their way back to their wagon to kill the hours before his dad would come back. As much as this girl tried to hide it, as much as she tried to make everybody believe there was nothing more than hate for this man, the look on her face when she had watched how his old man walked inside the tent with that war lord, a very appetising war Lord he had to admit, told him a different story.

When Bass had left Duncan's tent, he let his mind wander back to Charlie.

God damn it.

This fury of a woman had managed to turn half a war clan against them within seconds, when she had aimed her gun at Duncan Paige. Bass was not sure she even realised she did that at the moment Duncan's men decided to go for it, to go for him. more precisely. She had been fucking stunning when she had shoved her gun in Duncan's face, he had to give her that.

It was the first time he had seen her have his back in this kind of fierce way. He was starting to respect this girl more and more every day.

He had negotiated his way towards much needed help, but with one hell of a prize tag.

One look at Duncan had told him that they were very much in trouble back in the casino. Fuck. Duncan had already figured out that there was something going on between him and Charlie. After leaving things the way he did with Duncan, he knew he had to deal with one pissed of Duncan. And that put a target on Charlie's head.

So, although it cost him everything he had, there was no way he could show Duncan she was right. He kept his distance from Charlie, hoping this way Duncan and her men would keep theirs.

There was no way he would drag Charlie further into this. The situation was on the verge of going down the drain, and fast, already.

He knew he had hurt her. He had seen it on her face, he had felt her eyes like daggers in his back when he walked away from her, with Duncan. But he also knew there was no going back. There was no room for errors in this town. They needed those men. And if that meant he had to turn on the charm in front of a woman he was not interested in anymore in, to hell with that.

But now, he wanted, he needed, to find Charlie as fast as he could.

He let one hand going through his messy hair and planted his boots firmly in the dust.

So, Vegas everyone! I am leaving you with a little cliff hanger here, I know! But the chapter was getting too long, very fast ( like they always seem to do), so more in next chapter! Until the next chapter, Love from Love