I am back.. Sorry for such a delay, but internet and computer issues. ARGHH! Well least I remember how to right on paper ;)

I had lost this chapter but remembered some of it. Think has came out better for re-writing by hand I may add.

Hopefully next chapter will not take too long (Touch wood any way - Don't trust computer at moment)

Hope everyone is still enjoying

Chapter 35

Nora and William's returned back to camp. Nora scanned the camp "Where's Charlie?"

"She went that way" Aaron pointed in the direction Charlie had headed. He continued to cook the rabbit.

"She went by herself?" Aaron just nodded at her question.

"No" Both looked at William's quizzically.

"One of my men followed her. My men are under instructions to keep an eye on her." he smiled "At a distance"

"I should go check on her" Nora goes to head in the direction that Charlie took.

"No" William's stops her "I will." He picks up his pack and heads after Charlie.

"Will she be ok?" Danny asks Nora from his roll.

"I hope so Danny."

William's caught up with his guy. Jenkins sensing William's whispered "She has been sitting staring into the stream for 1/2 an hour or so."

"Ok head back to camp I will keep an eye on her" Jenkins nodded at William's command and left them alone.

William's stood watching Charlie. He had always had a soft spot for the girl; she had been through so much. He noticed a change in her posture; he watched for a few minutes, he walked towards her.

"Everything Connor said he said to keep me safe. Away from Monroe and his men!" Charlie felt tears rolling down her face, she knew that everyone had spoken the truth, and she hated herself for being so stupid at believing what she had heard Connor say. Then like a bolt she remembered their last conversation.

'I just want to apologies now for anything you may hear from Miles or from me. I do care for you, but I don't want you to be used against me ok" She smiled and nodded.'

God what had she done!

William's wasn't sure she was addressing him or just talking to herself.

"You realise it now don't you?" Charlie looked up and noticed that William's had walked over to her and was standing infront of her.

Charlie nodded and whispered "Yes" she looked at him, hurt, confusion showing in her eyes. "How could hurting me keep me safe?"

"Charlie, he hurt himself more than he hurt you"

"How would you know?"

William's sat down beside Charlie and never looked at her, just looked into the hypnotizing water. he sighed "I have watched him for the past few years fall for you." He heard her gasp, he chuckled "He never told you how long we have been watching you did he. Yes long before your father was killed by Neville and Danny was taken, and you went to find Miles."

"Why?"

William's shrugged "After Miles left, Connor thought he would seek out his brother and family." he saw Charlie go to speak. "Oh Connor has known for a long time that he is only blood related to Bass and Miles nothing more. He wont admit this; but he has never really given up hope that Miles would believe him and not always follow Bass. He had hoped that at least Miles would seek him out once he left Bass. But he never did which really hurt Connor. I think that was one of the moments I noticed he was starting to give up. He changed, darkened. Don't get me wrong all the stories, most are untrue. But the way he changed you would not of been hard pushed to believe it." He chuckled " probably a reason we get left alone."

"But he is not like that now" Charlie commented.

William's just smiled "then he saw you"

Charlie looked at him confused. "I was really worried about him. He didn't care anymore. He still saved the people, towns little settlements that Bass attacked. But he took a lot of risks. He didn't care if he survived. Part of me thought he wanted to die. He had given up." He took a drink.

"We saved a village not far from you on our way to see if Miles had seen your father. He went in guns, swords blazing. No thought about us; his men. We took down all the soldiers, but without a few casualties of our own. I went ballistic at him tried to give him a reality check. His good for nothing brothers didn't want him. That he had me and all the men that followed him diligently, until that day I had trusted him with my life."

"What happened? "

"Well I think some of it sunk in. But what I think pulled him out the darkness was seeing you for the first time. You were playing with some village kids; but you kept close to Danny. Never letting him far out your sight. While you helped a girl up who fell over; a boy about your age started pushing Danny around, he punched him and Danny went down. Connor wanted to go in. I held him back. You had turned and saw the boy punch Danny. You were like a lioness protecting her cub. The boy never stood a chance." He chuckled.

"Karl" William's looked confusingly at her.

"He was the boy. Pain in my ass for years. He knew Danny was asthmatic. He was a bully. So I hit him like he did Danny." Charlie laughed as she remembered, William's noticed her eyes glaze over with the memory. "His dad went mental at my dad for me hitting his son. It was the one time I think my dad would of hit somebody. He just said well at least she picked someone her size. His nose was crooked afterwards, sort of broke it" she said with a glint in her eye.

William's could do nothing but laugh. They both did.

"That made Connor realise that people did still care for each other. He was jealous of how you cared for your brother and how he wished his brother's should him, but it was then he realised the me and the men were his unofficial brother's. We would always help and protect him. So thank you Charlie for bringing Connor back to his family"

"I am glad he has had you"

"Yes, he has been there for me so many times. Helped me through some tough times, and I him. He knows I will do anything for him, even watch a spoiled brat he cares deeply for" he gives her a nudge, Charlie went to argue, and noticed that he was only teasing, and winked at her.

"As I was saying, he hoped that Miles would return to Ben, but he never did. He would send me or come with me sometimes, to see if he had been in touch. We kept an eye on you and your family, making sure nothing happened." William's stopped and took a bottle out of his pack, he offered her some, she refused, he took a long hard swig.

"We both feel so guilty at what happened to Ben, your father and Danny getting taken, If we had known" Charlie could hear the anger in his voice.

"You could not of known what would happen"

Willliam's scoffed at this "Yes we did. If we had not of got held up, we would of been there and stopped it. Connor and I know how unhinged Bass is and Neville is just as bad, but more dangerous. I am sorry Charlie, by the time we got there it was over, you were a few days ahead of us to get Miles. So we done what we could, I sent a few of our men after Danny to keep an eye on Neville and make sure Danny got to Philly as safely as he could. Connor and I tried to catch up with you, but we didn't know where you had went and no one would talk to us. So we returned to his house and planned different routes you could of taken. We spent weeks, months, trying to find you." he took a swig and laughed. "That is when I knew"

Charlie looked at him puzzled "Knew what?"

He looked at her and smiled "That Connor was in love with you, before he even admitted it to himself. He was like a man possessed. Then we found you. It killed him to watch you with Miles but he was just glad you were safe." he picked up her hand and turned it over to show the burn, "The day that happened, he nearly killed me, he accused me of not doing my job at keeping you safe."

"But you couldn't of stopped me, you didn't know what was going to happen on that boat"

"I know Charlie, plus I knew much as Miles is an arse, he cares for you so I knew he would keep you safe. If I knew what would happen. I would of done something, but it was too late and I could not risk coming across water. You all would of seen us and that would of been the end." he smiled "At least I got to finally feel like was helping at the bridge."

"You can not blame yourself, and Connor had no right to blame you" William's laughed "Yes he did, but then he realised that you will do what is right, no matter what. Anyway doesn't matter all water under the bridge. Now we need to get you and everyone else to his house."

he saw Charlie thinking "Don't even think about it Charlie. You are not going anywhere near that place again. We have men on the inside he will get out himself." He took her hand and looked into her eyes "his love for you will keep him alive, the thought of seeing you again will help him escape. He can look after himself, you will see him in again."

William's could see that she was still thinking of going back. "Your safety is more important to him than his own life. Look once we get everyone to his house, I will return and get him out."

He stood and helped her up "You know I would never leave my brother behind."

They headed back to camp. William's stopped Charlie a few metre's from the camp.

"Promise me Charlie you will not do anything to make me break my first ever promise to Connor?"

Charlie looked at him and realised how much it meant to him to keep his promise to Connor, plus she knew about the men on the inside, she also knew that William's would go back for him no matter what.

"Ok, on this occasion, I will go and wait, but once you leave you are not back within a week, I will be coming to Philly to get you both" William's nodded and followed Charlie into the camp. She stopped suddenly "Then I will kill you both for having me wait" William's caught the glint in her eye. He could not do anything but laugh, which caused everyone sitting around the fire to turn and look at them puzzled, which made Charlie laugh as well, as she went to sit down at the fire beside Danny.