He bought it on a whim. It was one of those rare occasions where they actually crossed through civilization and got to see and speak to people other than the six of them. Everyone had split into three groups on instinct, Miles and Rachel, Conner and Aaron, Bass and Charlie. It was just how they did thingsthe now.
The market was surprisingly busy. Probably just people getting some last minute shopping done while the sun was still out. Or at least that was what Bass had suggested when Charlie pointed out that the large number of people was unusual for the cold weather. The two soon learned differently as they stopped at a small stall so Charlie could look at some hand knitted sweaters. She dropped his hand and reached for a pale blue sweater.
"What do you think?"
But Bass barely glanced at it as he leaned in for a soft kiss. "I think it's perfect, just like you." And Charlie, the same woman that could kill six guys with nothing but a stick, actually blushed.
"Aww." The old woman at the stand put her hands over her heart as she watched them. "He's so sweet!" She gushed to Charlie, who was looking surprised that someone had seen them together and not started shouting immediately. But she got over it quickly and looked up at him, her eyes suddenly shining with happiness.
"Yeah, he is. He's the best."
Forgetting all about their audience, Bass leaned down for another kiss. "You're the best."
"Does that mean I can get the sweater?"
He barked out a laugh and pulled her close, wrapping an arm around her waist. "You can have whatever you want, Charlie."
The old lady broke up their moment again with a squeal. "You two are adorable. How about I give you the discount price, it is Christmas after all."
They both stared at her. "It is?"
She laughed at their surprise. "Of course it is! Why do you think all these people are out shopping in the cold?"
Neither of them had even thought about it. The weeks after Thanksgiving had passed so quickly that they hadn't even noticed. They thanked the woman and paid for Charlie's new sweater before turning back to the rest of the market. Each stall held something new to look at and for the first time ever, Bass thought Charlie was acting like a normal girl by insisting that they look at every little thing. He let her lead him around for over an hour, holding on to the increasing number of things she was buying from the stands. He couldn't complain. It was the first time he had ever seen Charlie looking so cheerful.
She got sidetracked with an old man that was selling pre-blackout books. The two of them chattered away about books and authors, most of which he had never heard of. Bass shook his head in amusement. Of course the daughter of Ben Matheson was a bookworm. It was probably coded in her DNA.
He left Charlie with her new friend and strolled through the stalls, stopping here and there when something caught his eye. Nothing seemed to keep his attention though until he came to another old lady who had boxes and containers full of odds and ends. Most of it was junk, but a small container full of old, plastic rings caught his eye. He picked up a green, plastic band with a purple gem on it and chuckled, imagining what the gaudy thing would look like on Charlie's finger.
"Not really meant for a woman, is it." The old woman said.
"No, not for mine anyway."
She nodded understandingly and then gave him an appraising look. "Hang on a second." She dug around in an old leather bag behind her for a moment before she pulled something out looking pretty proud of herself. "How about this?" And she handed him a battered, gold wedding band.
His heart suddenly stopped. It was old and chipped in some places. There was no diamond, not even and intricate design. It was plain and boring, but so perfectly Charlie.
"How much?" He asked.
The woman sighed, giving the ring a wistful glance. "I've had that ring for a long, long time. I wanna make sure it's going for a good cause."
Bass smiled. He understood this woman. Some things, even an old wedding ring, we're far more important than money. He turned and saw Charlie still talking to the man with the books, and pointed towards her.
"You see that girl, the one with the blonde hair, that's Charlie." He didn't even have to say anything else, the woman nodded, looking Charlie up and down as if measuring her worth.
"How about thirty diamonds?"
Pulling the pouch from his boot, Bass tipped every diamond he had into his palm. There couldn't have been more than twenty there. His hope dissipated. The woman looked at the money in his hand, then over at Charlie, then at the gold ring. She sighed and reached out, took half of the money from his hand and then pressed the ring into his palm.
"You make sure she takes good care of it."
Bass swallowed thickly, suddenly overwhelmed by what he had just done. "You have my word."
He left the woman with considerably less money in his pouch, but with a ring and the hope of a promise in his pocket.