Chapter 4 – Dreams

Charlie was sitting by a small stream, shoes off, toes dangling in the water. The sun was shining and the birds were singing. She turned her face up to the sun, enjoying the peace and quiet, yet she couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong. At the sound of a twig snapping behind her she reached for her cross bow but it wasn't there.

"Just relax pumpkin."

"Dad?"

"Hey there."

Charlie was instantly confused. "What are you doing here?" Remembering the last time she saw her dad she came to a realization. "Wait, am I dreaming?"

"Yes you are. Don't freak out." Ben pointed to the spot beside Charlie, "Mind if I sit down and keep you company?"

"What am I doing here? What's happening dad? What's wrong?" Charlie was instantly on alert.

"Calm down Charlie. You're sick, really sick. You've been infected with some sort of poison."

"Well that can't be good. Of all the things that could have killed me to this point, it's poison. I honestly thought it would have been on the wrong end of a sword or a bullet." Charlie joked.

"It's not funny Charlie," Ben looked sternly at her.

"Dad" Charlie sighed. "You have to admit with everything I've been through I figured my death would be a little bit more dramatic."

"You're not dead Charlie, not yet. Its close, but you're fighting. You are amazingly stubborn and a pain in the ass."

"So I've been told."

Charlie looked over at her dad. She missed him so much. There was so much she wanted to say to him, and some things she wasn't sure if she should. Should she tell him about her mom and Danny? Hell this was only a fever induced dream, maybe she should just enjoy it and cherish the time she did have with him, imaginary or not.

"Dad, I need to tell you" she whispered.

"I know Charlie." Ben interrupted. "I know about Danny and your mom."

"How?"

"Does it matter?"

"Guess not." Tears formed in Charlie's eyes. "I am so sorry dad. I failed. I tried; I tried so hard, we all did. I couldn't protect him."

"Oh sweetie," Ben brought Charlie into a fierce hug. "It's not your fault. You did everything you could." He held her face in his hands and stared into her eyes. "Charlie, I am so proud of you. No matter what happens I need you to know how much I love you and that I will always be proud of you."

Charlie held on to her dad and cried, cried the tears she had been fighting and holding back for so long. She didn't know how long she cried, but finally the tears dried up and she looked up at her dad. She had so many questions and now might be only the she'd get.

"Dad, why did you send me to Miles? I mean you had to have known who he was and what he did. Yet you trusted him to help me."

Ben was silent for a long time, then sighed.

"Charlie I know how you can be. You were going to go after Danny no matter what. Yes I knew about Miles' past, who he was. He was your only chance to get through this alive. I knew he could protect you and teach you the things that I couldn't. Plus he's my brother and I had a feeling."

"A feeling about what?"

"That even though you needed him to get Danny, that he needed you even more."

"Dad, Miles doesn't need me. He was perfectly happy hiding away in his bar. If it wasn't for me he would still be there, safe and sound, instead of fighting against the very republic he helped build. Dad this is so hard on him."

"You're wrong Charlie. Miles needs you more than you know. You're changing him. You've awakened a part of him that has been sleeping for far too long. You've saving him. You've given him something he hasn't had for a very long time. Something, someone else to fight for, but most importantly to LIVE for."

Charlie fell silent, thinking about her dad's words. Miles had changed. Oh he was still the grumpy and ruthless man she met back in Chicago, but he was also different. She couldn't explain it. He could have left her on so many occasions, but he never did.

"We're family," she simply stated.

Ben nodded, "You taught him that. He forgot for a little while. He just needed you to remind him. He loves you so much, and I think that scares him a little bit."

"Well I can be a little scary dad."

"There is so much of Miles in you. Even, when you were little you would remind me of him. God I can only imagine how you two butt heads."

She had lost so much, but the thought of giving Miles back his sense of family made her smile. They were family. She knew deep down that she would do anything for Miles, even killing Monroe so he wouldn't have to.

There was something else she needed to tell Ben, but she didn't know how to begin or how he would react. Ben could sense her unease. "Spit it out Charlie."

Charlie turned her face away; she couldn't stand to see the disapproval she knew she would see. "Dad I've done things, things I'm sure you wouldn't approve of. I've killed people and if I live through this I will probably kill more."

"Charlie look at me." Charlie turned to see her father's eyes well up with tears. "I love you. You are at war. Did I want this for you? No, but you do what you have to do."

Ben looked off into the distance and sighed deeply. "Charlie, it's almost time to go. I want you to listen to me. It's okay for you to lean on Miles. It's okay to need him. I wish I could be there for you but I couldn't have picked a better man to look after you."

"I miss you" Charlie whispered as she hugged him.

"I miss you too," Ben whispered into her hair. "It's time to go."

"I love you dad."

"I love you too, and give Miles a message for me." Ben leaned over and whispered his message into her ear. Charlie smiled and nodded, "I promise to tell him dad."

In the early dawn Charlie's fever finally broke and she slowly opened her eyes to see Miles staring down at her. His relieve apparent on his face.

"Welcome back kid, you had me worried."

"Miles," she whispered, her throat dry and voice horse. "Dad says to keep up the good work and to welcome to the club."

Miles was confused, "What club kid?"

"The dads of pain in the ass daughters club."