The dawns first light started to shine through the window. Bass knew he should get up soon. He hadn't meant to doze as long as he had, but he couldn't make himself move. Charlie was sprawled out on top of him, sleeping peacefully. He wasn't quite sure if he was dreaming or if this was real. If he was dreaming he didn't want to wake up, if it was real he didn't want it to end. But he knew he needed to get up and out of her room before Miles or Rachel found them. He started to shift to the side. Charlie grunted and tightened her grip on him.

"Charlie, honey I have to go."

"Five more minutes," she mumbled into his chest.

Bass signed and kissed the top of her head. "If Miles catches us he will kill me, or at the very least cut off some very important parts of my anatomy."

Charlie giggled a little as she raised her head and rested her chin on his chest. "Well we wouldn't want that."

Bass touched her face, "No we don't." He stared at her big blue eyes for a few moments longer. He kept waiting for that awkward morning after feeling, but it didn't happen. He wondered if she had any regrets.

As if reading his thoughts she pushed herself up and kissed him. After she pulled away she whispered, "No regrets."

Bass smiled and kissed her again. After a few minutes he groaned and pulled away. "Now let's not start that, or we're sure to get caught."

"Fine," Charlie grumbled.

Bass quickly dressed and before he opened the door he turned to Charlie and said, "We aren't going to hide forever Charlotte. You're mine and soon the whole world is going to know it." And with that he walked out the door.

The next few days were relatively quiet. They kept an eye out for the patriots, hunted and scrounged for supplies. And every morning before dawn Bass would sneak out of Charlie's room.

This morning was no different. Bass settled in with Charlie in his arms, feeling more content and at peace than he had in years. Maybe more than he ever deserved, but in the pre-dawn hours he relished it, even though he knew it couldn't last.

Charlie was surrounded by the sounds of gunfire. She ran, looking for cover but she tripped over something. She looked down to see what it was and came face to face with the lifeless bodies of her mother and Miles. She reached a trembling hand out to touch their faces. With rage boiling up within her she raised up and fired at their attackers. She glanced to her right to see Bass fall to his knees, blood splattering from his chest. She rushed over to him and placed her hands over his wounds, blood pouring through her hands. He reached up to touch her face. "You're going to be okay." She screamed at him. But it was too late, he was gone. Despair washed over her. Two shadows emerged from the smoke. She raised her gun and screamed "No!" as she fired.

Charlie shot up in bed a scream lodged in her throat. It was a dream, she kept telling herself, it was only a dream.

"Charlie, it's okay, it was only a dream," Bass's calming voice washed over her as he rubbed her shoulders.

Bass was worried. This was the second night in a row she had a nightmare. "Do you want to talk about it?"

Charlie just shook her head no as she took a couple of deep breaths. Bass wrapped his arms around her and held her against his chest. The images of her dream burned in her mind. She knew what the dream was about. She was afraid she would lose everyone one she loved in this war. Her mother, her father and Bass. She couldn't deny it anymore. She was falling in love with him.

She rested her head on his shoulder. "I'm fine Sebastian, really. It was just a dream."

"Uh huh," he said obviously not believing her. But he didn't push the issue. He just held her and gave her the comfort she needed.

After a few minutes her breathing and heart rate returned to normal. She turned to look at him. "Thank you, for being here, for making me feel better."

Bass smiled slightly and kissed her forehead. "I need to go, it will be morning soon."

Charlie nodded, but before Bass could get up a knock sounded at her door. The both looked at each other and mouthed the word "shit". Bass sprung up and quickly put his pants on. The knock came again. "Just a minute." Charlie called out, scrambling to get dressed. She turned to Bass and hissed "hide!"

Bass growled in frustration, "where?" Bass frantically looked around and finally slid under the bed. Charlie went to the door and opened it. "What do you want Conner?"

"Miles is looking for you. He wants you, me and Jason to go hunting." Conner paused, looked into the room and smiled.

"Hey dad," he called out, "aren't you a little old to be hiding under the bed?"

Bass's hand came out from under the bed and flipped him off.

"Just be glad it's me coming up here and not Miles."

"You can leave now." Bass growled from under the bed.

Conner chuckled as he walked out of the room. Charlie covered her mouth to stifle her own giggle.

"You better not be laughing Charlotte." Bass said still under the bed.

"You can come out now Sebastian."

"Nope, I think I'll stay right here."

"Chicken."

Bass watched Charlie pack up her cross bow and walk toward the woods with Jason close to her heals. She turned to look over her shoulder and gave him a small smile. He grabbed Conner's arm as he walked by. "You watch her back." Bass said as he stared at Jason's back.

Conner followed his line of sight. "You don't trust him?"

"Not even a little."

"Don't worry dad, I got her back."

Charlie, Conner and Jason took a break in a clearing. Conner was grumbling as he tried to load the cross bow that Charlie had given him. He growled in frustration and threw it on the ground.

"I don't understand why I have to use that thing. You're the cross bow queen. Besides, it's much easier to shoot the game anyway."

Jason rolled his eyes. "Do you want the Patriots to know of our location? Then go ahead fire away."

"Well anything would be better than sitting around here, just waiting."

"Well we'll be sitting around starving if we don't get going." Charlie stated as she bent down to look at some tracks. "These are fresh deer tracks." She turned to Conner, "why don't you make yourself useful and go stomp around that way and maybe you'll scare them toward us."

"I don't stomp around." Conner grumbled. "Besides," he lowered his voice so Jason couldn't hear him. "I don't think I should leave you alone with him."

"Don't worry Conner, I can handle Jason. Now let's get some food."

Jason and Charlie walked along following some tracks. Charlie could hear Conner stomping around not far from them. But his stomping was as loud as Jason's silence or his glares.

"You got something you want to say to me Jason?"

Jason stopped and pinned her with his stare. "What the hell are you doing with Monroe?"

"What do you mean?"

"Oh don't act cute Charlie, you know exactly what I mean. I've seen him going in and coming out of your room."

"So you're spying on me now? Well what I do is none of your damn business."

"What the hell are you thinking? It's MONROE! A few months ago he was trying to kill you and you wanted nothing better than to return the favor, now you're sleeping with him?"

"Things change, people change."

"Yeah I've noticed. Who the hell are you Charlie? Have you forgotten everything he's done? Is he really that good in bed?"

Charlie's hand came flying across his face. "Go to hell!"

Jason's hand came up to rub his cheek. "He's using you Charlie, you have to know that. Once he gets what he wants he'll drop you."

"What's really bothering you Jason, the fact that I'm sleeping with Monroe or the fact that I'm not sleeping with you."

"Don't flatter yourself Charlie. I'm not interested in Monroe's sloppy seconds."

"Screw you." Charlie hissed as she shoved Jason to the ground and walked away.

Conner came up from behind Jason. "What the hell did you say to her?"

Jason didn't have time to answer before two men tackled him and Conner to the ground. Jason looked up to see that Charlie had been tackled as well, but she was giving him hell.

After she was tackled, Charlie's hand instinctively went for her knife, and stabbed her attacker in the side. As she rolled him off five more came out of the woods. Jason and Conner were fighting with two men. There were too many of them. One came at her with his gun raised, she knocked it away and decked him.

"Looks like we've got a fighter here." One of them sneered at her.

"Bring her with us. And collect the other two as well, they'll fetch a good price."

She yelled at them to run, as she went for the leader's gun. She was able to get it from him then turned and ran in the opposite direction. Maybe just maybe she could get some of them to follow her, giving Conner and Jason time to run. She heard more gun fire and saw Conner fall to the ground. She turned and fired, taking down two of them giving Jason time to pick up Conner and make their way out of the clearing. She ran but she didn't get far. The leader came from behind a tree, swinging a tree branch at her head. Before she lost consciousness the leader knelt over her and said "You've killed three of my men. You're going to pay for that."