A/N: I blame it on Quinn. Actually, it was a technical fail. There still is a section of this that will not format. I reserve the right to perhaps update it at a later time. Clifffhanger: resolved.

CHAPTER 14:

DAY SIX:

Charlie stepped out just as the medium-sized black bear ambled past the tent. The bear whuffed and raised up on its hind legs. That's when Charlie let fly with the first blast of gunfire. She put it right to the left of the bear since they wanted to keep it moving out and off to the right. Just about that time, Rachel stepped clear of the tent and she fired Charlie's Magnum.

The bear grunted and whirled. Unfortunately, it went left instead of right. Now Charlie was faced with a bear that was, more or less, trapped. She put a slug into the tree beside it, again trying to wheel it back the other direction. It frantically scrabbled at the base of a tree, shredding bark in all directions before abandoning that idea.

Charlie was about to let fly with another blast of buckshot when the bear finally got its wits and found sense enough to bolt for open territory. Charlie didn't know that a bear could look so terrified. She imagined that it might have said the same about her. It all but flew across the open meadow and disappeared.

Shakily, she lowered the shotgun and pulled a shuddering breath.

Rachel?

Fuck. She turned around and immediately started looking for Rachel. She saw her on the ground just about two feet where she'd last seen her.

Now it was Charlie's turn to fly. Her eyes were open but she wasn't moving

"Hey," Charlie said gently.

To her massive relief, Rachel took a deep breath and then looked at her.

"Are you hurt?" Charlie asked, her eyes frantic.

Rachel shook her head.

"Are you scared?"

Again, Rachel shook her head.

"What are you doing then?" Charlie asked, laughing nervously because it was either that or cry which wasn't much of an option for Charlie.

Rachel turned her head and pointed at Charlie's Magnum which was nosed into the dirt about three feet away.

Charlie put her hand over her mouth and turned away so Rachel wouldn't see her laughing. She was still smiling when she turned back around.

"Recoil knocked you on your ass, didn't it?"

Rachel nodded.

"Winded?"

Again, she nodded.

"I'm sorry." Charlie said, biting her lip. "Really, I'm sorry. Come on, let's get you up." Charlie helped Rachel sit up and when she swatted her hands away, Charlie let her scramble to her feet on her own. Charlie brushed the dirt and dust off of her and then retrieved her gun. Aside from dirt in the barrel, it didn't seem worse for the wear.

"Where is it?" Rachel asked, peering anxiously over Charlie's shoulder.

"Gone," Charlie said. "It didn't know what hit it."

"You didn't shoot it?" Rachel asked.

"No," Charlie said shaking her head.

The vile odor of bear was everywhere, musk, scat and who knows what else.

"Eww." Rachel. said, wrinkling her nose in disgust.

"Well I guess that answers that whole question about whether a bear goes in the woods, doesn't it?" Charlie said with a nervous laugh. Her knees were still weak and wanted more than anything to sit down.

Rachel was much better. Her nerves had leveled out and she was standing with one hand on her hip, surveying the damage. It was mostly just things scattered out and torn open. All things considered, it was negligible.

Charlie started to giggle and couldn't stop. It wasn't that it was all that funny either. It wasn't until Rachel wrapped her arms around her that she could finally stop.

They spent their last little bit of time until dawn sitting in front of the fire. Charlie cleaned her Magnum while Rachel slept with her head in her lap. The loaded shotgun was never beyond her easy reach.

XXXXXXX

Charlie stood with her arms folded across her chest watching Rachel pick through a mountain of just stuff.

"I don't know," Rachel fretted, wringing her hands.

"Just take what you have to have and what you can't bear to part with and leave the rest. I'll come back for it. We just can't take it all right now."

"I don't know what I can bear – ha ha – to part with. What are you taking?" she asked.

Charlie looked up like she was deep in thought, ticking off items on her fingers. After a few minutes she looked back at Rachel.

"You," she said.

Rachel stared at her wide eyed, then clutched her heart and fell over in the floor. Charlie buffed her nails on her t-shirt and then rolled her eyes.

"When you've finished swooning, let me know. I'll be outside doing something useful,"

Rachel waited until Charlie walked away before she pulled her quilt over herself.

"Rachel, get up!" Charlie yelled from outside. Rachel groaned underneath the blanket.

xxxxxxxx

Riding tandem on a horse might have been fine for short distances, but beyond that, it was nowhere near as romantic as it was cracked up to be.

Rachel was hot, uncomfortable and bordering on cranky. She sighed and leaned back into Charlie. Charlie kissed her head.

"I know. This isn't very comfortable." Charlie commiserated.

"It's fine," Rachel lied with a soft smile.

"Well, listen to you Miss Team Player. I think it sucks. It's too hot. My butt hurts and you..." Charlie said with a laugh, nuzzling Rachel's neck.. "...are the only comfortable thing about it."

Rachel giggled and brought her hand back to touch Charlie's cheek.

"I can't believe this is almost over," Rachel said.

Charlie pursed her lips, wondering where this was going.

"How do we do this?" Rachel asked quietly.

"What do you mean?" Charlie asked, puzzled.

"I mean, when we get back. I mean, obviously we would be closer now having spent so much time together but well, we're... much closer." Rachel said, pointedly.

"Are you asking if it's okay that we act like we're... I don't know, together?" Charlie said, still not sure where Rachel was going with all this .

"I mean, I don't want to make things difficult for you. You do work here, after all." Rachel explained.

"Oh, I think I see." Charlie said, nodding. "Yes, I do meet clients at the Lodge and they do know me, professionally, but I don't work for them. Anything that may be between us is not going to be a problem for me, professionally."

At least she didn't think it would.

"Hmm" Rachel answered.

"Is that what you were asking?" Charlie implored.

"Somewhat," Rachel said.

"Once we get back, my business obligations to your people have been fulfilled. You have your little report card and beyond that, any relationship we may have is nobody's business but our own."

"So I can still be affectionate with you?" she said finally getting to the heart of her concerns.

"You better be," Charlie said right up against her ear. Rachel beamed.