And memories weigh more than stone
A Revolution fic (Blackout AU): Sebastian (Bass) Monroe/Charlotte (Charlie) Matheson; Charloe. Mention of regulars incl. Miles and Rachael Matheson, Aaron Pittman, the Nano & the Patriots… Set after 'A holiday in New Xanadu'; Charlie discovers an envelope inside the package that Petra gave them and finds that some memories aren't so heavy…
Rating M…
Summary: It is almost a week after Bass and Charlie became lovers in a hidden place called New Xanadu. They are once again on the road to Willoughby, conscious of time and the constant dangers of the road. as well as the fact that they now know (from examining the map carried by two Patriot couriers) that the Patriots seem to have a special interest in Willoughby itself – as well as in Rachael.
In this chapter, both Bass and Charlie are a little more relaxed - the Nano assembly seem/s genuine and it/they have helped them out by acting as an extra sentry - but it is a very strange situation and the memory of the plants growing rampant in Xanadu encourages them to remain cautious. One evening, Charlie finds an envelope in the wagon marked 'Charlotte and James' next to the package given to them by Petra for Rachael as they were leaving Xanadu. In it she finds a memento of their time there…and the Nano are curious….
Authors note: Thanks so much for having a look at this…and to those who were kind enough to follow or favourite this story (or me as an author :D) I send my special thanks – your support is very much appreciated.
I don't own any part of Revolution unfortunately – I continue to love it though and I find these two characters especially fascinating… This chapter is meant as a bit of light relief after the soul searching of the first… and a big thank you goes to LoveForTheStory for the prompt – ie that Bass and Charlie find a photo or drawing from Xanadu in the packages given to them by Petra. Cheers, Magpie
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Chapter 2: And some memories are not so heavy….
As Charlie and Bass continued on their way towards Willoughby, the urgency of the first days of their journey settled a little. They still maintained a steady pace, the ominous red circle around the town on the Patriot map always on their minds but were also taking time to spend with each other too – and to rest... Along the way, the green firefly cloud of the Nano keeps pace with them - their growing trust in its/their ability to alert them of potential threats reinforced on three separate occasions following the encounter with the Patriot couriers by the cloud's vigilance - providing warning, first of a Patriot patrol, then a pair of bounty hunters - on horseback this time, and, most recently, a large War clan raiding party – heading in roughly the same direction as they were… On each occasion the Nano gave them enough time to get off the road and hide the wagon and themselves… The Nano has also proven to be an untiring lookout through the night as well as the day – although of course Bass and Charlie continued to maintain their own watch as well.
Although they had successfully interpreted the Nano's warnings, more complex communication with the cloud was difficult (in the absence of a handy Patriot courier) and neither Bass nor Charlie were willing to allow themselves to be controlled as the couriers had been. The Nano seemed to accept this – it did occasionally seem to anticipate their movements and needs but had so far made no overt attempts to control or manipulate their movements or thoughts…in fact it/they seemed very much to want to be accepted…
In an effort to improve the speed and accuracy of their communication with the Nano, Bass was adapting the signal codes he and Miles had developed over the years to use with the cloud – matching cloud movements and patterns to a system of hand signals and verbal cues… the cloud assembly appearing to enjoy the interaction as much as Bass – participating for as long as he wanted to continue. He was even willing to share the driving more frequently so that he could work on the code with his 'little green guys…' while they were travelling. Charlie found herself amazed at how fast he got the system going – appreciating even more his quick mind and ability to improvise and adapt… She was keeping up with what he was doing but Bass had developed real fluency and he and the Nano were starting to have quite complex conversations – he had found out for example that the Nano had not intended the vines in New Xanadu to grow as much as they did – that it/they had learned caution when experimenting from that experience. He also learned that there were sub-assemblies of the Nano that were following different humans – from what they termed the 'Creator (ie Aaron) Network' as well as other humans that they found interesting… although they were interested in pretty well everything generally…
The sub-assemblies also appeared to operate as semi-independent entities - separate from but allied with and sensitive to the vast and effectively limitless hordes of nanites permeating everything and everyone, eating electrical energy and replicating… gathering information from their subjects about the experience of being human with the aim of eventually re-combining… They seemed uncertain as to what would happen after that…
It/they were beginning to ask about emotions and why human beings generally found cooperation so difficult… Bass and Charlie were still considering how best to answer that one…
Bass had also been busy rigging up an improvised camouflage net using unravelled sacking from old supply bags tied and woven with twigs, vines and leaves to disguise the wagon – the lot fixed onto the roof for easy deployment. The process appeared to evoke much curiosity and interest from the Nano assembly; it/they darted around the net, examining it first from close up, then at a distance, patterns and new colours whirling through the cloud… then, somehow, it/they added another, insubstantial layer to the netting – composed of translucent particles which seemed to bend light and shadow around both the wagon and horses - picking up colours and shapes from the surroundings, making the net substantially more effective and somehow also dampening the sound of the horses movements… Bass expressed his admiration for the effect and a small portion of the cloud came dancing over to him, giving him the pattern sign for 'good [query?]' and when he said and signed back 'good [very], thank you'… it gave him back its 'pleased' pattern… He was becoming more and more impressed with its/their abilities – and curious about what else the Nano could do…
He had started making the net after the Nano alerted them to a Patriot patrol that it/they had sighted the day after the incident with the couriers and it had its first use when the Nano alerted them to the large War clan raiding party that marched and rode their way through the woods just after dawn this morning; some of the outriders eventually passing within a couple of hundred metres of the netting covered wagon. It was a tense moment, made worse when both of the horses took offence at the noise and smell of so many strange humans and unknown horses… and despite Bass and Charlie's attempts at calming them were about to panic when the Nano demonstrated yet another ability and a large swarm of angry wasps drove the war clan away from their location – the roughly dressed, clan-tattooed men and women running and riding away from the flying, stinging insects as fast as they could go…
They waited for some time, still hidden; then once the Nano informed them that the clan had moved on out of range, started off on the road for the days travel. The sun was shining, the air was fresh and the breeze from their passage wafted pleasantly through hair and ruffled clothing… The Nano danced above them in ever-changing patterns that sparkled in the morning light and Charlie glanced up to admire the now familiar display… She waved up at it/them, signing and singing out 'Hi, thank you', and smiling as they dipped towards her in response… then she grinned across the bench at Bass as he took first turn at driving and clicked the horses on… The lines of stress and tension had eased on his face over the last few days and he had a look of purpose and renewed energy about him… He grinned back, blue eyes sparkling and crinkling at the edges, gathered the reins up into one hand and reached the other hand out to her…she took it in hers and they drove along like that for a while, content just being together, enjoying the warmth and the breeze and the by now familiar rocking and bumping of the wagon…
He let go her hand to adjust the reins – attention focused on the horses for a moment and she decided to give him a little treat (he laughed a lot more easily now too and she loved hearing it – besides he'd missed at least one of the pot-holes and she had promised him a peek…) So, while he was looking away, she slipped the straps of her tank and bra down on the side closest to him, exposing one rosy, peaked nipple and rounded breast to the air…then yawned and stretched to get his attention… He did a double take 'Charlie… what the…' and his laugh rang out, his blue eyes fixed for a moment on the gently bouncing mound… then, as the horses - startled out of step by his outburst and inattention veered to the side of the road…he hurriedly turned back to them, gently correcting…eyes and hands again totally occupied… She pulled her straps back up…giving him her most triumphant smirk…' what's the problem Monroe...?' she reached across and ruffled his hair… 'Can't cope with surprises…?' He chuckled 'later, Charlotte…' he promised...
He rarely had nightmares now – and when he did Charlie was usually able to cut them short, simply by being with him, and although they both knew that he had a way to go in working through the issues that had pushed him into being the General Monroe of the last days of the Republic – as well as his feelings of guilt over the events at the tower… he did seem to be coming to terms with things… and to believe that Charlie really was sincere in her feelings for him… Charlie even found that she was understanding her own demons a little better and knew that what had happened to Bass was what might, sooner or later, have been in store for her if she hadn't found him – and a new purpose - in New Vegas… She simply hadn't realised how bad a place she had been in emotionally and mentally too – until the insights she had gained through being with Bass…
She was beginning to have a new understanding too of both her mother and Miles – as well as the other survivors of the early days of the blackout; Charlie had been so young when it happened, and she had been to some degree sheltered - by her Dad and after her Mom left, Maggie - from many of the first frightening and appalling results of their work being let loose on the world… and she knew that it was no wonder that so many people had compromised their ideals, beliefs and sometimes their sanity in the face of such overwhelming loss and confusion – and no wonder as well, that so many were vulnerable and desperate enough to be willing to follow the lead of anyone who seemed to offer a way forward (like the Patriots…) when law and order failed… At least Miles and Bass had started out trying to make things better, but with most people still in a state of trauma – or taking advantage of the loss of anything resembling law and order…and with the Patriots actively undermining any attempts at development (Petra had firmly believed that they had had active agents in the Monroe Republic as well as in other centres of returning civilisation long before their 'surprise' appearance after the bombs struck…) it had been an uphill battle all the way…
She sighed and shuffled closer to Bass, and with a practiced move, Bass transferred the reins to his right hand so that she could wriggle under his arm…then he wound his arm back around her, taking the reins up again, feeling her warm curves settle into his side…her blond curls spreading out against his shoulder and her hand resting on his thigh… He dropped a kiss on the top of her head and she nuzzled into his neck - the day was looking good…
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That afternoon, when they stopped to make camp in a wooded clearing close to the river, Charlie was in the back of the wagon, fetching some oats to soak for the morning and by accident moved the box containing Petra's samples and her letter for Rachael… Something about it caught her eye and she leaned over to have a closer look… There was a tattered cardboard document roll tied to the box with a length of twine; the roll had some writing on it that had become visible with the motion of the box… Charlie turned it over so she could see it clearly – and there in flowing handwriting was a message 'to Charlotte and James, a memory of your visit…' she untied it, picked it up and peeked in the end, there were some rolled up papers inside…
She took it outside with the oats, put those to soak and then looked around… 'Bass…?' she called out, and spotted him tending to the horses, which were tethered at the edge of the trees near a good patch of grass… He had set out some of their last stores of grain and was grooming the days sweat away from shoulders, backs and legs while they munched happily. She and Bass had fetched water from the river earlier and set some to boil for drinking over the fire, some out for washing up and a couple of buckets for the horses…an easy and familiar routine now, the jobs shared and comfortable… He had recently given the pair real names; historical of course - those of horses owned by Generals of the American Civil War, the gelding was Lookout (named after the battle of Lookout Mountain and owned by a Major-General Joseph Hooker) and the mare, Lucy Long (after a horse owned by Robert E Lee…). He had told her the stories of the names – and the Generals, as they rattled along in the wagon… She was finding out more and more about the various facets to Sebastian Monroe…
'Over here Charlotte…' came from the edge of the clearing… she went over to where he was, loving the easy way he had with the horses who were looking healthy and glossy despite the long journey – also loving the look of Bass… those amazingly blue eyes focused on what he was doing, his strong hands grooming Lookout, sending the brush in long strokes down a shiny brown side…the muscles of his forearms tensing and releasing, arms and back moving with an easy rhythm, his whole body radiating vitality – she loved the way he was so - alive… She walked up close and reached around him, cardboard roll clutched in one hand… holding him tight, feeling his body move as he worked, resting her cheek against his warm, hard muscled and slightly sweaty back… She took a deep breath in… he smelled so good – a mixture of horse and man and clean sweat and she sighed happily… 'Have you nearly finished?' she asked, he reached his free hand down and ran it along her arm to her hand, weaving his fingers into hers…'nearly Charlie… Lucy's done and I'm just finishing off old Lookout here…' he let go of Charlie's hand, patted the rounded brown rump he'd just finished brushing, re-checked the tether lines, dropped the brush and turned in Charlie's arms to face her…his arms draping around her shoulders… Then his mouth came down on hers and she lost herself for a timeless moment in a kiss that held the promise of much more to come…
She smiled against his lips and drew back a little 'I found something in the wagon Bass… I think Petra or Sam left us a present…' she held out the cardboard roll…showing him their names on the outside, he took it and had a look 'What is it Charlie?' she shrugged, 'haven't opened it yet – thought we could do it together…' she grinned 'I did peek though – looks like maybe the guys at the party came through with some photo's and a drawing or two…' Bass put his finger in the end and tightened the rolls of paper from the inside so he could slide them out…
There were two drawings, both portraits, one each of Bass and Charlie… Delicate, linear pieces in pen and ink that captured their likenesses without being overwhelming in detail… The artist had caught Bass smiling, eyes crinkled at the edges… the masculine beauty of his face gleaming with a sense of fun and enjoyment… The portrait of Charlie showed her tilting her head up to laugh at someone, strands of her hair caught in motion… Bass reached out for that one…'they're both really good Charlie, but I love this…' his fingers touched the edges possessively…
They moved to look at the photos, there were three, black and white prints beautifully hand coloured (a valuable gift as the required chemicals were very scarce…) each featuring Charlie and Bass at the party in New Xanadu. Charlie spread them out them out on their combined bedrolls – putting small stones at the corners to hold them flat… One of the photos showed the two of them, facing the camera, arms round each other and smiling… Bass looking tall, powerful and slightly dangerous in the black outfit he had worn (and completely gorgeous, Charlie thought with a satisfied smile…), Charlie exotic and beautiful in her black leather halter-top and blue skirt beside him… The second photo showed them dancing separately but facing each other – caught in the middle of doing some complicated version of the twist – both with deadpan faces but obviously trying not to laugh…). Bass chuckled… 'That was so much fun…' Charlie bent over for a closer look 'what movie was that again Bass… Pup something?' 'Pulp Fiction…'he answered, grinning, 'A great scene from a great movie…'
The third photo was one that they hadn't posed for…and they looked at it in silence for a moment …remembering… The photographer had caught them in each others arms, locked in a tight embrace… Charlie was on tiptoe to reach his lips, her arms around Bass' neck, pulling his head down to her, his arms were around her, one hand tangled in her hair, the other circled hard around her waist, the two of them as close as they could possibly get… There was a sense of desperation and intensity about the picture that was almost painful to see and Charlie realized that it had been taken just before Sam led them to the Chill-out room, somehow recognizing that Bass – and Charlie - needed somewhere quiet for a while… She reached blindly for his hand, knowing it would be there, and took it in hers…
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The Nano cloud, having been instructed several times by Bass regarding the human concept of privacy… had withdrawn out of visual range as it usually did in the evenings… maintaining its vigil over the surrounding countryside while giving the two humans as much of the desired privacy as was possible in the circumstances (given that the Nano were in fact technically everywhere…) But it/they were curious and intrigued by the various emotional responses that Charlotte and Bass were demonstrating in response to the images/memories/associations (query?) that they were currently examining… so it/they compiled a sub-assembly to maintain watch and coordinate inputs from other assemblies – the rest of the cloud came closer…
Bass became aware of the Nano cloud hovering over his shoulder… its/their patterns indicating curiosity and interest…hovering over the drawings…'How make (query?)', it/they asked… 'Like this...' Bass answered - miming an artist drawing Charlie's face with a finger as a pen… The Nano separated into two clouds – the smaller cloud sweeping down following the finger and creating a green copy of the image that floated in the air above the drawing… 'Wow…' Charlie said, amazed 'that's incredible…' the larger cloud floated over to the photo of the two of them dancing… 'Happy (query?)' it/they signed, Bass nodded…'Yes, happy…" Then it moved to the third photo…hesitating, patterns whirling and slightly agitated… 'Happy/kiss…Sad/kiss (query?)' Bass nodded again… 'I was remembering things – very sad things…' he lifted Charlie's hand to his lips and kissed her fingers…'Charlotte helped me feel better…happy again…' The cloud hovered, whirling and spinning in ever more complex patterns…
Suddenly the two clouds re-formed as one – both Charlie and Bass following it with their eyes - and swept over towards the edge of the clearing… There was a moment of stillness and then the cloud scattered into a green curtain that billowed out between the two humans and the trees, flowing over and under them like a giant green bubble… then the inside surface of the bubble shivered and began to change – colours and shapes emerging like fantasies – or holograms - until the part of the clearing around them had taken on the appearance of the space in Xanadu where the party had been held…there was even a faint sound of music playing… Charlie's jaw dropped… and she looked around in wonder 'Bass…' she whispered… 'How are they doing that?' He let out a disbelieving laugh 'I don't know Charlie, unless they're extrapolating from the photo – and their own memories – or ours…?' he turned to look at her face – glowing again with coloured lights 'And they were there remember?' he grinned ' you saw them… and they saw us…'
A small green cloud danced and whirled across to them… 'Sebastian and Charlotte happy/like (query?)' Bass glanced at Charlie – there was a huge grin on her face and she was shaking her head in amazement… He gave them the smile from the drawing – the one that lit up his face… 'Very happy…thank you…' He turned to Charlie and held out a hand 'Would you like to dance with me Charlotte…?' She laughed and took his hand… 'I'd love to Bass…' he turned back to the Nano 'Can you keep watch while you do all this…?' Green lights whirled…'Keep watch good, always good…' it/they signalled back…' Relieved, Bass gave his full attention to Charlie… she was looking around her with the joy and pleasure that he remembered seeing on her face in Xanadu…and he so loved seeing it there again…he squeezed her hand and they wandered into the illusion…
The Nano had recreated the pillars and arched doorways, the paintings and sculptures and the plants and flowers... Light from lamps and the sun going down reflected in mirrors and flickered over them and shadow people danced around them, half seen, appearing out of the corner of an eye then disappearing if looked at closely… Charlie poked her finger into one of the sculptures and the tip was suddenly surrounded by a green glow… Things were insubstantial but somehow believable…it was incredible… Bass took Charlie into his arms and they started to sway with the music… the lights and shadows around them surreal and mesmerising, exciting and energising… the heady scent of jasmine and night roses started to rise and waft around them... and the air became warm and moist….
The music gradually became slower, dreamy and sensual, a slow samba - with a beat that thudded in time with their hearts… The shadow figures around them moving more slowly, couples dancing close together… drums and guitars providing a driving rhythm… Charlie felt her heart beating faster… her body reacting to the music, the scents and to Bass… she could feel him, his body moving so close… his heart beating near hers… his long legs pressed against hers as they danced and his hard muscled chest rubbed against the softer mounds of her breasts…
She licked her lips, looking slowly up under her lashes to his face; he was already gazing steadily down at her and as his eyes locked onto hers… incredibly, intensely blue…she was suddenly so hot that she …'Bass…?' he moved his arms closer around her, hands roving over her back and down to her hips, playing with her hair…he kissed her temple, then bent to nibble at the point where her neck met her shoulder… 'Yes Charlotte…?' he breathed against her skin… 'Its getting really hot and I think we've got too many clothes on….' she whispered… The shadowy people around them were a little more shadowy, there were glimpses of bare legs and breasts, a man's muscled chest…the sounds and sighs of abandon and shared passion around them, the music rising and falling with the sounds… Strangely though, Charlie found that she felt safe and comfortable – she was with Bass after all…'This is a dream…Bass' she said…'the Nano aren't human, and this isn't real… we can do whatever we like…' Bass raised his head up and smiled… a slow, lazy but totally intent smile, his eyes burning blue into hers coming closer and closer…'what do you want to do Charlie…' he said softly against her cheek…
She took a deep breath and stroked her hands up his chest under his shirt, smoothing it back over his shoulders and down over his arms, flinging it away… then she reached down for the bottom of his t-shirt, pulling it up as far as she could reach – he laughed and wrenched it up and over his head – tossing it away… while her hands returned to wander over his wonderfully muscled chest and shoulders…Bass grasped them in his… 'My turn Charlie….' Then he let go, pulling her tank top up and over her head, returning to undo her bra, slipping it over her arms and off… and undoing the top button of her jeans on the way… Once free of the material, Charlie lifted her arms above her head and swayed to the music… her breasts moving with her breath and the motion of her body, her skin loving the feeling of being bare to the evening sun and the breeze and the illusions… She felt his hot gaze moving over her…heavy as a touch… and he came closer, tall and totally focused on her… he moved slowly and so smoothly and she couldn't look away…. He put his hands on her hips, his thumbs slipping under the waistband of her jeans, circling over the sensitive skin under her belly button…making her gasp, her belly clenching and insides melting and tingling… then he stroked his hands up her sides, his long fingers spreading out over her breasts, softly kneading them, pinching the nipples between his fingers… then he moved his hands up along and around her arms – stretching her up so she was standing on her toes, back arching and breasts thrust forwards… he licked his lips…and kissed each rosy nipple in turn… 'I like your dreams Charlotte…' he said softly, and he pulled her so she fell forwards against him and he was suddenly kissing her, his arms holding her up, the music and scents and sounds all around and it was like a dream only so much, much better…
Somehow Bass got them back to the bedrolls, she didn't know how… but he gently laid her down, moving the photo's and drawings carefully out of the way… Then he turned his attention to removing the rest of her clothes, first her boots, then her jeans and panties (the ones from Xanadu) as fast as he could… The Nano's illusion had moved them away from the party to the warm candlelight and enclosed safety of the chill-out room…but instead of stars above them through the skylight there was the shaded blue of a late evening sky, intense and beautiful… In that light, Bass gazed down at her from where he was kneeling at her feet, his hands grasping her ankles, sliding up her calves and spreading her knees wide… he moved closer and slid his hands down her thighs to her cheeks of her ass, then stroking one hand around, over her hip and down over the damp curls between her legs…a finger sliding in to check that she was ready for him…Charlie tilted her hips and tightened herself over the finger to show him just how ready she was… smiling, he sat back on his heels… 'Lovely Charlotte…' he breathed…reaching down to undo his belt and buttons, his cock springing free… He took a deep breath and slid towards her, his shoulders lifting her knees up and even wider, and then he was inside her…hard and full and so… so good…he lifted her hips to get more access and she gasped with pleasure as he plunged in again and again and filled her to overflowing…
…
As the Nano cloud withdrew to give Sebastian and Charlotte privacy it felt pleased (? affirmative) that it/they had facilitated a pleasurable experience for them. Memory associations (photos, drawings) were obviously highly effective triggers for emotional expression – and it/they were happy to have learned a new technique – the re-creation and projection of images from memory… It/they started to consider other possible uses for the technique…but were interrupted as a sub-assembly broadcast a general alert riders approaching the outer limits of the observation zone… The sub-assembly reported moments later that the riders had stopped to set up camp for the night – and with that information consensus was achieved and it was decided that Sebastian and Charlotte did not need to be disturbed at this time but would be informed after they returned to their usual routine - the time of the evening meal was deemed appropriate.
While it/they waited, it was decided to use the new technique to form part of the message – a part of the cloud broke away and started to form an image in the air of the riders as observed – the image resolving into a detailed, three dimensional and very realistic construct of Thea Anderson, swords at her side, on a black horse, with a dozen New Xanadu Scouts riding behind her…
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AN: Well, thank you so much for reading – this story seems to be growing like Topsy, I have a few more chapters to go I think – I really hope to get them to Willoughby and see what happens when Bass and Charlie meet up with Miles and Rachael (and I really want Bass and Aaron to compare notes too…) I also need to work out what news (and maybe help?) Thea and her Scouts are going to be – Anyway, I really hope you enjoyed this and I hope especially that LoveForTheStory likes the way the prompt worked out… please feel free to leave a comment or review if you have a moment…
Oh and if you haven't already (although you probably have…), check out the wonderful and stunningly decorated 'The Good Ship Charloe' website - there is a fantastic story gift exchange happening for the holiday season…