Hey guys, I am glad you all liked last chapter, thank you! :) Let's go back to the story...Bass, Charlie, Connor and Charlie's men, go Charlie!, are almost back at Willoughby, after a very intimate moment between Charlie & Bass.

Near the river

After waking up and a small rushed breakfast, their small group found themselves on yet another dusty road again. Connor was up front, earth wind and fire, she had no idea what Bass had meant with that, were walking behind her, and Bass was on her left.

Charlie was dragging her feet over the sandy road, and she was covered in sweat, dirt and sand. Hitting a cold stream was on her mind. It would certainly help to cool off her body, in more ways than one. Neither of them had spoken about their little encounter. But Bass ' intense gaze earlier this day when she walked down the steps of the porch of their safe house, just before they had moved out, morning sun just rising above the tree tops, had almost made her tremble. Her body seemed to remember his every touch in the dark, and it betrayed her in the way it seemed to want to do a whole lot other things to his body.

The border line arrogant smug smirk on his face when her eyes had found his, had made her want to do other, more violent things to him.

When Bass had watched Charlie coming out of the house, he immediately remembered her wet soft skin against his fingers. Well, who was he kidding, it never left his damn mind causing him having to sit his ass down through first watch with the aching sensation of his hardness against the inside of his pants. Hell, this was going to be another long day on the road, with a lot of Charlie. Swinging gorgeous hips and sweaty Charlie.

The smallest of sounds set the whole group on edge. Charlie reached for her gun, Bass moving behind her, doing the same, in what had become a natural reaction for the both of them.

Instead of the expected trouble, Charlie looked directly in the face of her uncle, appearing from behind a tree, who pulled it off to look almost amused.

'Take it easy,' Miles held his hands up in an almost too casual mocking way.

'Hold your fire!' Her voice was sharp while Charlie turned around to the men behind her. Both Bass and Connor put their guns away.

Rachel followed Miles out of their hiding place, her eyes, filled with relieve and curiosity, aimed at Charlie.

'You look terrible.' She told her daughter, with a kind smile.

'So do you,' Charlie answered, with a small smile on her own. She had worst greeting moment with her mom.

Or maybe not. Because Charlie watched her mother's gaze go over her shoulder and to the men who had travelled with her back to Willoughby. She saw her mother's face change, tension forming in her face and around her lips. Charlie knew her mother well enough to know that there was something smouldering in her mind.

'So much for coming in stealth? I could hear you coming from a mile away.' Miles had walked to Bass.

'Yeah, well, we are not exactly travelling light,' His words sounded tired.

'You know, we could use at least twice as many guys' Miles looked at the guys behind him.

'Yeah, well, we were lucky to get them.' Bass mind was drawn back to Vegas. They were all very lucky to get out of there fucking alive.

'All right, I was sure you were going to screw us over, but I will give you this one, you did all right.'

Bass had to fight the urge to punch Miles straight in the face. Dick.

'First of all, suck it.' He paused for a second, watching Charlie who was walking in their direction. Fuck, she looked hot. Tanned golden skin, a hint of challenge in her eyes aimed at him, messy blonde locks falling around her face and lips he wished he could devour right on the spot. 'Second of all, it wasn't me. It was your niece.'

Charlie walked towards her uncle and Bass when she heard his words. Miles had turned his head towards her. Bass was not sure if he was surprised at her actions or the fact that Bass gave her credit for it. To be honest, even with wounded pride, she deserved it. He wanted Miles to know.

She walked over to her men and told them to follow, shooting Bass one more look when she gave her orders to her man.

One hour later they had settled down at their new safe house. It was an abandoned run down building near a broad and fast streaming river. The rugged landscape and trees in it hid them from unwanted eyes.

Charlie had just gotten some buckets of fresh water with Connor. Finally she was able to sit down with a plate of semi hot food. Connor passed her, firewood in his hands. She had to admit, he was finally starting to do some less attitude and some more work. Her eyes went from him to her mother, who was watching her again, standing not far away from her.

'What?' She shot her mother a look, trying to figure out what was going on. Rachel said nothing, and walked away. Charlie let out a small sigh of frustration before she turned her attention back on the food.

Her muscles ached after days and days of walking and it was nice to feel something inside of her stomach again. It was not long before Miles joined her.

'Hey kid, I heard,' he nodded at Bass who was sitting close to the water, not far away from them, 'you did good in Vegas.'

Charlie looked at Bass for a moment and then back at her uncle with a grin on her face. It was the first time Bass had given her credit for anything. She was surprised and amused at the same time. Within minutes she was catching up with Miles, while she filled him in on the events of Vegas. Well, not on all of the events, some things she just did not wanted to talk about. When she reached the part where she talked about the dogfight and what Bass had been willing to do for Connor, she watched how Miles face changed, and he narrowed his eyes a little bit.

'What the hell, so maybe he IS getting a nice father of the year coffee mug for his birthday this year.' He said with his usual sarcasm, still facing Bass.

After they talked some more, her uncle actually laughing at the part where Charlie told him about what Duncan did and Bass face right after that, Miles got up, he placed his hand on the hilt of his sword while he stood before her.

'Well kid, this might be a first in a very long time. But I have to agree with that moron. You did good.' He gave her a fast wink which Charlie returned with a small on her own.

Miles was not surprised to hear Charlie stayed to get the idiot out of the situation he got himself into.

He did not know how, but something unspoken happened between Bass and his niece. Charlie never told him what happened, but she had told him Bass did save her life on their way back to Willoughby. And when he had found out it was Charlie that asked Rachel to spare Bass his life when Texas wanted to execute the hell out of him, he knew his niece well enough to know she had her reasons. Good reasons. Bass seemed to really have Charlie's back and that realisation was what caused him to let Charlie join Bass and his kid, well, that was still all kinds of weird to think about, to Vegas.

He knew Bass would watch out for her.

He knew Charlie might not understand, how could she, she did not spent years and years with Bass, how much Bass seemed to respect her. Miles knew Bass literally shot people for the way Charlie was talking to him, never stopping being in his face with truths and smart words. And yet, no matter what his very stubborn niece seemed to throw in his face, the moron never ever hurt her. Miles doubted he ever would.

When Miles walked away, Charlie noticed he was lost in his own thoughts. She turned her attention back to the bowl of food, the bottom of the bowl, to her regret, already in sight. Then something else caught her attention. Her mother. Her mother a little bit uphill, walking away from her.

He could not believe what the fuck was happening right in front of him. Back in the building Rachel and the old man were questioning his prisoners. He was standing in front of Miles, the man he had been through hell and back with, having to listen to all kinds of bullshit.

It had been an already long day. First he had to listen to Miles bringing him up to speed about the fact that Neville, the son of a bitch again, was after his ass. The Patriots had his wife, he met her once and instantly did not like her, and Neville was willing to trade his dead body for her. To hell with that. Like that was going to happen.

Second, Miles had dragged him away ,apparently there were more important things today than preventing that Neville asshole to kill him, but hey, that was only his opinion. Miles dragged him on his feet only minutes after he had sat down on his ass to get some food, showing him a kid recruit patriot boot camp. A kid patriot recruit boot camp with some hell of a ammunition supply closet. Well, at least that was good news, they really could use that. While he was laying next to his brother, rocks in not so comfortable places, scouting the camp and keeping a low profile, it almost felt like old times.

Many decades ago he had been with his brother, hiding in tall grass like they were doing now, pretending they were up against some kind of pretend enemy with pretend weapons on summer days that never seemed to end. Man, did that feel like a joke now. The lightness of that sharp memory was something he pushed away immediately, burying it deep under the weight of the years that had passed since then.

On their way back to the safe house, while he could not hide his pride of Connor's fighting skills in Vegas, they had found two patriot recruits, who were following them. Following them and doing a very lousy job. They had brought them back and now he was standing here in front of Miles, instead of getting some good old information from those kids.

'Now what, now I can't even interrogate my own prisoners?' Irritation was written all over his face, while he was trying to talk some reason into his brothers head.

'Gene and Rachel can handle this.' Miles answered.

Bass almost snorted at Miles words. Sure Miles , hypocritical bitch and her traitor let's be best buddies with the patriots dad could handle this.

'That should be me in there,' Bass pointed to the building behind them. 'Getting information we need to beat those assholes. If we want to win this, it has got to be me and you.' He was not able to hide his irritation anymore. He was done with this bullshit conversation.

'We are here to win this, right?' Bass narrowed his eyes at his brother.

Before Miles was ready or able to answer that question there was movement behind him back in the building, he could see it through the shattered windows. He saw Connor getting up from a flight of stairs, followed by Charlie. They were already walking towards the old man and Rachel, who were moving the recruits.

Within seconds they all stood together. He was facing the old men, Rachel not far behind them. Those patriot recruits behind her. Charlie was standing on his right.

'Gene, what are you doing?' Miles wanted to know, his tone indicating that he clearly was not amused.

'They are children, they don't know anything. We are bringing them home.' He answered in a firm tone.

Charlie could see the hint of doubt on Miles' face. She herself was not so sure that they were just children, something warned her deep in her gut.

'The hell you are,' Bass voice was a low rumble, frustration rushing through his face and body. 'They will give away our position.'

Did he have to spell out fucking everything? He was trying so god damn hard to stay calm, trying to convince everybody what the hell would happen if they would continue this tea party.

'Then we will get another position. We are not leaving them here with YOU.' Rachel's icy ices met him. Okay, maybe he was fucking done with the staying calm approach.

That's right you dumb bitch, Bass thought, let's just leave Miles out of this, because as always, I'm the bad guy here, let's just forget what the fuck Miles used to do. It made his blood boil already.

Charlie had crossed her arms before her chest, she saw her mother's deathly stare, she could feel Bass silent rage building up, her grandfather's determination, she could feel the tension radiating from Bass' body, she saw Connor's dark eyes aimed at her mother, she felt Miles his inner conflict. She knew things were getting out of hand. It was not a question if things were getting out of hand. They just would. And fast. She was still standing close to felt the shift within him.

'I am not letting you leave,' Bass voice was filled with deep warning. Sharp aggressive lines in his face.

'Then why don't you shoot us?' It was Gene. And it was the last push Bass needed.

Bass almost launched himself at Gene, grabbing him at his jacket, while the old man was very lucky he did not go directly for his throat.

Charlie had closed the distance between her and Bass in an instant, just like Miles. She did not even think about it. One hand found its place on his arm, the other hand found its way on his back. The leather of his jacket was cool under her fingers. She could feel his hard muscles under the fabric. She was not sure if she was making sure he would not rip her grandfather apart or whether she tried to calm Bass down. It was probably both.

'You really think I won't old man huh?' His blue eyes wide and shooting fire, absolute rage raging through his body. He had fucking enough of this.

'Hey,' Miles shouted, 'everybody put your junk away.' He grabbed Bass and pushed him away from Gene. Charlie let go of Bass jacket.

'Mom,' she could still see the aggression all over Bass his face, his stare still fixed on Gene, 'we need this information. I don't like this either, but we need to know what we are up against, or else we will never beat them.'

Bass still felt enraged, but for the second time within five minutes he could not believe what the fuck what was happening right in front of him. Charlie Matheson was agreeing with him and not keeping her mouth shut about it . He knew she had agreed with him and Miles the moment she and Connor had followed Miles order to tie down those recruits. But seeing her facing Rachel like this. Holy hell.

'Will you listen to yourself Charlie?' Rachel replied. 'Are you agreeing with him?' Rachel pointed her cold eyes to Bass.

For the first time Charlie felt stuck somewhere between Bass and Miles. She hated to make this kids prisoners, but she also was practical enough, she had learned enough, saw too much to know they needed information, something that would tip the scale in their favour. She knew Miles felt the same, but she also felt how much he was stuck between her mother and Bass. Anyway, she was done keeping quiet.

'I think we really need more information.' She raised an eyebrow at her mother and put her hands before her chest.

'Charlie, sweetheart,' Gene interfered, 'this is not you, I know it isn't.'

She still felt Bass standing behind her, she had not looked at him but she felt he was there.

'First you save him in Vegas,' so her mother had been listening in on her previous conversation with Miles, ' and now you are defending him?' What is happening to you Charlie? I don't recognise you, this is not you.' Her mother's tone was soft, but also on edge, the way only her mother could.

'Are you freaking serious right now mom?' She had almost screamed those words at her mother. It was like she was pushed back in time, standing in front of her mother again, trying to make her understand what was going on in her life. And of course again, it was about him. It was about Monroe. Old hurt and frustration reached the surface.

This time she was losing her temper, and fast. She stepped closer to her mother, placing herself in right before Bass and next to Miles, her grandfather at her other side.

'What is happening to me? That's what you are asking me? Seriously?' This time her words were filled with anger while she did not look away from her mother. ' What is happening here is that I am fighting, fighting through yet another day.'

She felt everybody's eyes on her. She couldn't care less.

'And that is because you, dad, the both of you left me no choice.' Her words were harsh. She heard her mother gasp for air. She felt the shift in Miles. She felt Connor's eyes on her.

'You know where I should be? In college. You know where I should be? Somewhere far away from here. Europe, Africa, I don't' care. Anywhere. Figuring out what I want out of this life. Building a life for myself.'

She cursed at herself for the way her voice was breaking. She forced herself to gain control.

'Did you ever think about that? You, dad, you were part in throwing this world back in time. It was my family that had a part in that. I see the fall out of your decisions every day, all around me. So yes, I fight, because I feel I don't get to stop fighting. And yes, I am not that girl anymore you left at the side of the road. But don't you attack me for adapting to this world and wanting to fight.'

' I told you before, you think you are always right, but don't you attack me for having an opinion myself.'

'Charlie, I just don't understand. You are sounding more and more like him, and you put your own life on the line for him.' The way her mother pronounced the word him was adding more to her anger.

Charlie could not bear to listen to any of her words. 'What I did in Vegas was my decision, MY decision and mine alone. You were not there. Yes, I decided to get him out and you know why? Because I told you before, he saved my life. He is fighting with us now. That's why.'

She stared her mother in the eyes.

'You always, always make it about him. I understand there is history there and that what happens here is always in that context. But this is not about him, this is about me. About me and you and the fact that you are never willing to listen to me. And I had enough.'

Charlie felt how the energy left her body, how her muscles felt heavy. She started to move away from her mother.

'Charlie, don't you...' Rachel began, taking a step towards her daughter.

'Rachel, let her go,' Charlie heard Miles strong voice filled with warning aimed at her mother behind her, while she walked towards the water, putting as much distance between her mother and herself as she could right now. Leaving the rest of the group behind. When she was close to the river she leaned into a wall, her head resting against the bricks. She stubbornly fought back tears.

She had enough. She had enough of her mother, her grandfather for that matter too, attacking her, for trying to survive yet another day. She had enough of them not understanding why she was fighting. She knew she was not the same anymore, she felt she was changing, that she was thinking more the way Miles and even Bass did.

And here they were again, her mother attacking her because she had made a decision to get Bass out of Vegas instead of walking away.

This man had her head spinning on a daily basis, he could be arrogant, smug, crude and yes, the General she met once in Philadelphia was still there. The past was still there.

But here was what she did know for sure when it came to Sebastian Monroe. She remembered him, just like she remembered Miles. He once was her family too. He had saved her life. And see was starting to see more and more truth in his words, words he had spoken to her in that abandoned swimming pool. You don't know me Charlotte. She owed him for her life and although she was not sure where the road would take them, he was still unpredictable, there was something in him that spoke to her. Somewhere along the road she had decided to give him a chance, just like she had given Miles.

She felt the coolness of the river not far away from her radiating towards her face, and she took a deep breath while she was standing still against the brick wall behind her.

At the other side of the building Bass had another one of his really want to kill the bitch moments, there seemed to be a lot of them today, when he looked into Rachel's challenging and cold eyes, full of blame when they found his.

He had seen it from the first day Charlie had brought him back at the old mill. If Rachel wanted to be a bitch to him, by all means, but they way she was lashing out to Charlie. Fuck. Did she really did not see her own kid struggle?

When Charlie had disappeared from sight Bass had to fight a strong urge to follow her.

Her words, her vulnerability he never saw before like this, did more to him then he wanted to admit, and to hell if he was going to show that right now. He put his hands in his pockets, and fixed his eyes on the building before him.

He remembered a small blonde girl, full of energy, laughter and stubbornness, that would meet him at the front door, a small warm hand in his. She was ready to take this world by storm with her intelligence and brightness. Instead, she was here, forced to fight this fight, that brightness from years long ago slowly fading. Stuck here with all of them in a world her family singlehandedly had broken down to the hell and where he took so much from her, from the little that was still left, while she should be anywhere but here, in every meaning of that word. And yet, she was still fighting.

He remembered her trusting eyes. He remembered the way she had sat down next to him, lost in a book, that was almost too big for her to carry . He remembered how she had fallen asleep against his arm, a blush on her cheeks after a good day, her face relaxed, her tiny hand grabbing his arm in her sleep. Miles had watched him with amusement while he came back from the kitchen, two cold beers in his hand, while he handed him one.

He wondered if she remembered him, he wondered if she realised he had been there before. That once, he was a different man. They were different, in a world that seemed worlds away today near this river.

From a distance he heard the first shot. The shot went straight through his thoughts. And then there was another one. Miles was yelling to find cover. His mind went into battle mode, hands on his weapons, finding his son with his eyes, scanning their surroundings, deciding their strategy with one look at Miles. And then, there was the sound and blast of an explosion in the building right in front of him. The building Charlie just disappeared behind. He followed Miles shocked gaze towards the sound of the explosion and both men thought the same. Within seconds bullets were flying through the air and both him and Miles were shouting orders.

So everyone, in this chapter we are back at a point you recognise from an episode ( of course, you might recognise some interaction Charlie had with Connor, but in my story, the both of them together never happened, so I used those moments for something else). I wanted to mix it up a little and explore two things. A theme within this story is Charlie's struggle with what her family caused: they had a part in destroying the world she once knew. They destroyed any chance with that of a 'normal' life for her. I already touched that in the house, where she spend the night with Bass, with the travelling book and her conversation with Bass. The second thing is giving Charlie more input. I really missed her opinion in this episode. She followed Miles his order to tie the patriot recruits down, together with Connor. That told me see agrees with what has to be done. She could have said no. So, as always, thanks for reading, until the next chapter...Love from Love