Lovlies! Here is chapter 21! I dedicate this whole chapter to LemonSupreme, without whom this chapter may never have gotten out! She wrote half of this lovely chapter so remember to go check her out and say your thanks for being so wonderful and amazing!

~Charlie/Bass~

"You know, your not as light on your feet as you think you are." Conner laughed as he twirled Charlie around.

"Shut it." She said laughing back.

Conner was teaching Charlie how to dance, it was something his adoptive father had insisted he learn, it helped with balance and agility, if one could dance then they can fight. It was something that he'd kept close, he knew it was true, he'd gotten himself out of a lot of scrapes by being light on his feet due to knowing how to dance.

He was quickly learning however that Charlotte Matheson was impossible to teach, her quips and refusal to listen to him was hindering the learning process quite a bit.

"I swear Charlie, if you learn how to do these simple dances you'll be faster on your feet." He slid his hand down to her hip and spun them both in a circle, he was trying to teach her a simple waltz, he was even teaching her away from the prying eyes of the rest of the group so she wouldn't be embarrassed.

"What you think I'm not fast enough?" Charlie challenged. "I've had Miles teaching me how to fight for the last year and a half, and Bass has been practising with me for months.

Conner shrugged and smiled. "Your good considering you haven't been training as long as us, but there are always more things to learn. I bet you anything Bass and Miles know how to dance." Conner spun her out of his arms and she tripped over her own feet, nearly face planting the ground. "We need a flatter surface, this gravel is going to kill you." He said laughing.

Charlie rolled over and sat on the dusty ground glaring back at Conner, he reached out a hand to offer help up and she took it and yanked, Conner stumbled and fell landing on top of her. Her plan was to push him into the dirt but it failed spectacularly.

Conner sat up pinning her to the ground, his arms crossed he smiled down at her. "Now, now play nice." He laughed as she glowered at him.

"Get off me you fat ass." Charlie said trying to sound menacing while cracking a smile.

Conner reached down and startled ticking her sides, which caused her to squeal and laugh while wiggling around trying to get out from under him.

This is how Bass found them.

Bass rounded the corner to find his son sitting on his girlfriend whom was laughing and bucking her hips at him. Somewhere in Bass' rational mind he knew this is probably not what it looked like, but his green jealous side flared up and smothered his rational brain with stupid.

"What is going on here?" He asked stopping a few feet from them.

Charlie looked up at Bass and grinned her heart stopping smile. "Hey." She said happily.

Conner smiled as well and stood up pulling Charlie with him. "What's up?" Conner asked brushing the dust off himself, then reaching over and brushing the dust off Charlie's shoulders and arms.

"I could ask you the same thing." He replied crossing his arms.

Charlie's smile faltered at Bass' weird tone, Conner was the one who replied though. "I was teaching her how to dance, apparently this girl has feet like an elephant though and keeps falling over." Conner laughed as Charlie punched him in the arm.

"Yah well, if my teacher wasn't so lousy I'd be able to learn this waltz thing you keep insisting I learn." Charlie said grumpily.

Bass just stood and frowned at them. Charlie rolled her eyes and sighed. "Honestly, he was just teaching me how to dance, watch."

Charlie reached out for Conner and placed her hand on his shoulder and the other in his hand, Conner's hand snaked around and rested on her lower back pulling her close. They demonstrated the few steps she'd managed to clumsily learn and Conner spun her out only to have her lose her footing and go spiralling out again. Bass caught her and pulled her into his arms.

"Good, but I can show you better." He said gruffly, trying to made small amends for his grumpiness.

Bass took up Conner's earlier position and lead Charlie through the movements with a grace Charlie didn't know he was capable of having. When he spun er out he held her hand tightly and spun her back flawlessly.

Charlie looked up at him breathless, she was going to have to kill Conner later, damn that kid for being right. "I didn't know you could dance." She said smiling up at him.

"There are a lot of things I can do Charlie, you just need to ask." Bass said smirking down at her.

"Nothing happened with Conner you know." She said remembering his face from earlier.

Bass frowned and stopped dancing. "That's why I found him sitting on you?" He asked glowering down at her.

Charlie gaped back at him. "Excuse me, but I think I have a little more integrity then to screw around with your son behind your back."

Bass stepped back and gave her a hard stare. "Charlotte, I'm sorry. I know you and Connor don't have anything going on. I know that up here. He pointed to his head. But in my heart I get a little unsure sometimes.

"About me and Conner?" Charlie looked at him incredulously. "You know better than that."

He cut her off, "No, it's not really about Conner at all. When I see you and how beautiful and young and amazing you are, I can t help but wonder what you see in me at all. I don't deserve you. I know it. You know it." Bass looked off into the distance then, as if weighing his next words carefully. "Conner is your age and when I see you with him, I wonder if someday you re going to regret choosing me."

Charlie's frown slowly turned into a smile. Bass couldn't help himself, touching a fingertip to the dimple in her cheek as she began to speak, "I have a lot in life that I regret Bass. Being with you Choosing you that's not on the list."

Bass felt his heart lift as he looked into her upturned face, "Yeah?"

"Yeah." She leaned up on her toes to press her lips against his in a soft kiss. Bass was responding when they both heard Conner clearing his throat.

"Hey guys, sorry to interrupt but I think Miles and Rachel are coming this way." Conner said bouncing on his heels uncomfortably.

Bass and Charlie separated, looking at each other with longing. They both hated keeping everything a secret. This was proving to be the most difficult thing either had ever done. All they wanted to do was tell everyone, but of course they knew the time wasn't right for telling Rachel. Not yet.

Miles rounded a corner just as Conner was once again spinning Charlie in circles. Bass leaned against the nearby building, using every bit of his self-control not to cut in again.

"What is going on back here?" Miles asked with a smirk. "You guys practising for prom?"

Conner laughed with relief when it was clear that Miles was alone. Rachel always made him nervous, No Miles. Trying to teach your niece some moves that might help her become a better fighter.

"What's prom?" Charlie asked with a curious look.

Miles grinned. "Back before the blackout, every high school would hold a big dance in the spring. Kids would get all dressed up, go dance, drink spiked punch, go off to hotel rooms and get lucky."

Charlie smiled, "It sounds fun."

"Oh really?" Bass asked with a tone he tried to keep light.

Charlie laughed, "I wasn't talking about the getting lucky part. I meant the getting dressed up and dancing part. That sounds fun."

"It was." Miles agreed with a wide smile, "Hey Bass do you remember Senior year? We took the twins."

Bass tried hard not to smirk, but couldn't help it, "Yeah, I remember." He said with a chuckle.

"Twins, huh?" Now it was Charlie s turn to feel some jealousy. It didn't matter that she wasn't even born yet when these two old friends had taken twins to the prom. Charlie still didn't like to think of her man with other women.

Connor smirked at this Dad, "Now THAT does sound fun!"

"What were their names? Damnit. I thought I d never forget. Something that rhymed..." Miles is lost in thought.

"Misti and Kristi." Bass said with a rueful glance in Charlie s direction. She is glowering in spite of her best intentions not to.

"Yes!" Miles smacked his thigh as the memory slid into place. "Those two were very uh... friendly."

Bass shot Miles a withering glance. "Shut up Miles."

"Thought you were dating my Mom then?" Conner asked, curiously.

Miles shook his head. "No. Emma and I started dating maybe a month later. We dated all that summer till she left town. I didn't know till way later that Bass had been messing around with her." He frowned at his friend then. "Prick." He said under his breath, but it was obvious that he wasn't actually still mad.

"So," Charlie said, hoping to change the subject. "You went to this prom thing, and danced with your date?"

Miles nodded, "Sure Kid. I used to love to dance."

Charlie beamed up at her uncle, "Show me." She said holding her arms out.

"Thought you'd never ask." Miles said with a wide grin. In moments it was clear that just like Bass, Miles was also a master on the dance floor. He started singing a song she'd never heard before as he spun Charlie around in intricate circles. Soon they were both laughing and grinning.

Conner clapped when the dance was over, "You are already doing so much better Charlie! I can't believe how much you learned in that one dance."

"Not to brag or anything, but all it takes is a good partner." Miles said as he ruffled Charlie s hair. "You did good Kid." He wandered off then, leaving Charlie with Conner.

She glanced around with a smile that soon faded. "Where's Bass?"

Conner shrugged, "No idea."

That night was quiet. Charlie hadn't seen Bass since the impromptu dance class earlier in the afternoon. She was starting to feel nervous and unsettled as she sat by the fire, poking at her plate of food. Where was he and why had he left earlier?

She felt someone approach and looked up with an expectant smile, hoping it was Bass. Her smile disappeared when she saw Conner at her side.

"Can I sit?" he asked.

She nodded wordlessly, taking a bite of food and chewing it absently while staring into the fire.

"I have a message for you."

She looked at him then. "What kind of message?"

Conner smirked a little, "You are supposed to go to that little waterfall we found when we were scouting with my Dad last week. You know the one?"

Charlie nodded, "Of course I know it. Why am I going there?"

Conner stood then, "No idea Charlie, but he seemed very adamant that you meet him."

Charlie felt a blush creep up her cheeks, "Oh? Who am I meeting exactly?"

Connor laughed as he walked away, saying over his shoulder, "Oh I think you know."

By the time she reached the clearing near the falls, the moonlight was casting a silvery glow on the trees and the water. It was a beautiful night. She stopped short when she saw him. Bass was waiting in the middle of the small clearing. He had one hand behind his back. With the other, he motioned her to come closer.

She smiled as she closed the space between them, stopping only when they were face to face.

"'I'm sorry I got jealous earlier when you were dancing with Conner. It was stupid."

"You got that right." She teased.

Bass shook his head, laughing. "Anyway, I wanted to make it up to you."

"How were you planning to do that, exactly?"

"Thought I d take you to prom." He said with a teasing smile.

Charlie s heart jumped at the way he looked at her. She could see in his eyes just how much he cared. "Prom, huh?"

"Yeah. This is for you." From behind his back, he brought a tiny cluster of flowers. "My choices were slim, but if this was the real deal, I d be giving you roses."

"Feels real to me," she said with a soft voice as she inhaled the fragrance of the few daisies and dandelions he'd picked for her. "I don t need roses. I only need you."

"Dance with me then?" He asked as he carefully put the flowers behind her ear.

"Of course."

"The sound of the waterfall will be our music." He said as he pulled her close. "It's not quite the same as a live band, but..."

"it's perfect Bass. It s perfect."

"No Charlie. That would be you."

So what did you think? Was is just not just beautiful :) LemonSupreme you are a dream and made this whole chapter so much better!

I will see you all soon with another update :) Lots of Love!