Author's Note: Thank you so much for all the reviews last time. Apparently, ending it with a cliffhanger generates a lot of them- people had a lot to say and I loved it so thank you. I hope you enjoy this next chapter.

Chapter 5

Charlie could hear his screams the second they started. In fact, she felt quite sure that anyone within a one mile radius would be able to hear them- he was screaming in agony, calling out her name. "Oh my God…Bass," she cried. She had to get to him.

She tore out of the front door like it was on fire and began looking all around. His screams sounded as if he was right next to her and yet she could not see him anywhere. Her eyes felt funny like there was something stuck inside them- she rubbed at them furiously, trying to see through the waves of darkness before her.

"Bass?! BASS!"

Still he screamed for her and still she could not see him- she began to cry, "Where are you, baby? Tell me where you are…"

He just screamed.

She felt around blindly unable to remove whatever was hindering her eyesight. She felt sheer panic begin to overtake her as she continued to hear his screams.

"Charlie! Please help me!" he cried. "It's almost too late, baby. Don't let it be too late…" His words trailed off.

"Bass, please tell me where you are…I can't see!" she screamed.

He moaned in desperation. She felt around in sheer panic for him but to no avail. He was nowhere to be found. She sank to the ground, crying in desperation, willing him to tell her where he was. Silence.

Then: "Charlie, I need you…I need you, baby. Come on, you have to…you have to," he kept trying to get the words out. "You have to…wake up, Charlie. Charlie, you have to wake up!"

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Charlie sat straight up in bed, sweat dripping off her like rain- her heart racing; she immediately knew something was wrong. She felt around for Bass but already knew he'd be gone. She got out of bed and it felt like it was 110 degrees inside her house; she ran across the hall, looking out the bathroom window and gasped at what she saw. The forest surrounding their house was on fire—it was getting dangerously close to overtaking them.

She ran downstairs and out onto the front porch. The fire was so intense she felt like it was searing her skin. She ran back inside and put on her shoes- she grabbed a blanket off the couch as well, sensing she'd be needing it. She ran back out onto the porch and looked around calling his name.

"Bass! Where are you? Bass!" she screamed.

She ran to the stable to get Flame and that is when she saw him. His still body lay prone on the ground and Flame was nowhere to be found.

She crouched down next to him, "Bass, you have to get up! Come on, baby, wake up!"

She heard a low moan and rolled him over to see his face. She could see from the light of the fire that he was covered in blood from a bad gash at the tip of his forehead. "Bass, can you hear me? Bass you need to wake up!"

He lightly moaned, "Charlotte…"

The flames had just reached the side of their house and there was no time to waste.

"Bass, we have to go! We have to go now! You have to help me, Bass. I can't do this on my own," she said working on pure adrenaline and determination. "We've come too damn far to lose everything now. We have a baby to protect- Bass, the baby!" She shook him, trying to get him to move.

"Baby…" he murmured.

"Yes, damn it, the baby! We have to save ourselves and the baby- but I need your help, Bass. You need to get up! You need to get up now!"

He began trying to pull himself up, gripping the stable gate with one hand and her arm with the other. He slipped and started to fall but she braced him with her shoulder and he heaved himself up. She grabbed his one arm and threw it over her shoulder while she wrapped her hand around his rib cage.

"We have to walk now, Bass…you have to walk! Don't go out on me again…stay awake now!" She was yelling at him seeing him fighting between going in and out of consciousness. "Stay awake, Bass- damn it, just stay awake!"

"Okay….Charlotte," he whispered. She picked up the blanket she'd brought out and wrapped it around both of them as they slowly began to walk along the other side of the house, towards the creek. Embers from the flames were flying everywhere, just like fireflies she used to chase when she was a child- only these were not the kind she wanted to catch.

The fire felt hotter than anything she'd ever experienced- she almost stopped, wishing she'd gotten Bass' shoes but then noticed he'd put on his slippers before he'd come outside. She almost smiled at this small victory.

"Come on, Bass, we're almost to the creek…we're almost there…stay awake," she urged.

They made it to the creek bed and she said, "Lean on me and stay awake!" He did and she bent down to soak the blanket in the semi-cool water. She glanced back in the direction of the fire- it was swallowing up their house quickly and was so intense that it had reached its arms across the creek bed and set fire to the trees on the other side. "Oh my God," she whispered. She wrapped the wet blanket around herself and Bass making sure to cover their heads and yelled, "We have to go! We have to go now!" He jerked his head up, hearing her voice and was using all his might to stay awake and keep moving with her.

It was hard going; not only were they moving painfully slow ahead of an ever increasing fire but there were plenty of logs and downed trees they had to work their way over which was no easy task. They walked alongside the creek bed, sometimes walking in it when it was easier than on land. But the creek had its own obstacles of boulders and downed tree limbs so they moved back and forth between land and sea depending on which one was the path of least resistance.

At first, she'd been planning on going to the Colson farm—but as time passed and they were moving ever more slowly she knew they would never make it. There was only one other place she could think of to go.

A little more than halfway to the Colson's place there was a place in the creek where the water was quite deep- their swimming hole. On particularly hot days they would all go there and have a picnic near the water, both families bringing plenty to eat and drink. Bass and Rob would become like silly little children, chasing Sam and Becca around and playing many games. There was an outcropping of rocks on the other side of the creek bed here, which they would jump off of and try to do cool tricks, showing off. She and Emma always joked that they didn't live with men but rather boys.

On many a moonlit night, Bass and Charlie had come here to go skinny dipping and had shared many intimate moments together- christening the water and the rocks. It was a very special place to both of them, especially now, since it was here that they had conceived their child.

She could see it now up ahead and breathed a huge sigh of relief. "We're almost there, baby, are you still with me? Bass?"

"Yes…still with you," he breathed, barely conscious but still moving.

They finally made it to the pool and she ditched the blanket and kicked off her shoes, Bass still holding onto her. With some effort she got him to step out of his shoes and they waded into the water. She helped him to sit down and gently washed the blood from his eyes.

"You did it, baby…you made it. But we've still got just a little farther to go, okay? I want you to lean your head back on my shoulder…the water's about to get very deep here," she warned. She got behind him and guided his head down onto her shoulder and started scooting backwards, waiting for the drop-off she knew was coming. When she got there she spread out her legs and began swimming, holding onto Bass with one hand while stroking the water with the other. It helped that Bass was also given a lift of buoyancy in the water.

They made it to where an outcropping of rock hung over the water like a shelter and swam under it. They backed up against another rock which was resting at a slant and partially in the water. She stopped there, catching her breath.

"Bass, I really need your help again…do you hear me? I can't do this on my own. You have to help me, Bass- do you understand?" He nodded that he did. "You have to climb up onto the rock…it's our special rock, remember? We're going to wait here for help but I need you to climb up…can you do that, Bass?" He began climbing upwards and she pushed him from behind. It took several tries but he finally made it. "Oh, thank God Bass, you did it. Now wait there and I'll be right back," she said.

She swam back to the shore and the fire was now only about thirty yards away from them. She wrapped their shoes up in the blanket and threw it over her shoulder as she swam back to their place in the rocks. She swam underneath the water to get thoroughly soaked and took a long drink there. She climbed up onto the rock to find that Bass was unconscious once again. Guessing he had a concussion she let him be but tore off a piece of the blanket to wrap around the cut on his head. As she did so she felt a huge knot on the side of his head that she hadn't noticed before… she realized he'd been hit with something…and by someone.

She cradled his head in her lap and sat there…watching and waiting.

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Rachel had ridden about five miles on Flame, guided by the half moon. The farther she got away from Willoughby the better she felt. She would have to stay away for a while and let the dust settle on tonight's events. She relaxed thinking of Charlie safely asleep in town unaware of what had happened; she would mourn for a while but she would get over Monroe. She had no doubt in her mind that he was dead- there was no way he had gotten away even if he had woken up in time, which she doubted; and even if someone had tried to get to him to help they would've never have been able to get close enough.

She smiled at the thought of this. At long last Sebastian Monroe was dead- her nemesis for so many years; the man responsible for Ben and Danny's deaths- and she had been the one to take him down. This was cause for celebration but that would have to wait. She was exhausted and wanted to kick this damn horse to hell and back. Twice it had tried to throw her from its back and had tried on several occasions to turn around and go back…back for him. Once it nearly succeeded and had taken off back into the woods where flames and embers fell down upon her, burning her clothes and hands; even some of her hair. She'd ended up having to whip the horse with her belt to finally keep her in line.

"You stupid bitch," she'd hissed.

She found a hiding place to set up camp for the night up in the hills near a rock outcropping. She tied Flame to a tree near a small pool of water; there was an apple tree nearby and she grabbed some, giving two to the horse and eating one herself.

She removed the horse's saddle and used the blanket that was underneath it for herself. She was too tired to start a fire and laid down to sleep.

A small smile formed on her lips—this would be the best night of sleep she'd had in a long while.

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Charlie watched in horror as the forest they'd come to know and love burned down right in front of her…the fire so intense it was ravaging every inch, leaving nothing behind but smoke and ashes. It grew very hot inside their little hideaway and she kept soaking the blanket and laying it down over both of them.

Bass was still unconscious but every once in a while he would let out a moan or say her name and she was quick to reassure him that she was there with him and they were okay. Fortunately for them, there was a small wind that was carrying the majority of smoke upwards above the rocks and into the sky. If that changed and it overtook them in their spot they would have to find another way out, probably by climbing to the top of the rocks which they used to jump off of- but she was afraid it may be worse up there. For now, this is where they had to be; the only place.

She hoped beyond hope that the Colson family had made it out in time- if they had slept through it they would've died of smoke inhalation long before the fire got to them. The townspeople had to know by now, had to be out there looking for them…trying to do something…anything. Although deep down she knew there was little they could do against a fire of this magnitude with only the creek as their water supply.

She didn't want to give way to her fears but she was beyond worried about Bass. He needed a doctor- he should be more awake by now, she thought. She thought about their home and how excited they were to be welcoming their first child there…now it was gone. But she realized those were only just things- they would build another house…she had told herself a long time ago that as long as she had Bass, it didn't matter where they were; with him she was always home.

She looked at him now.

"Bass," she called him giving his shoulder a little shake. "Bass?"

"Hmm," he murmured, "Charlie…"

"I love you, Bass. Please try to fight this and wake up," she pleaded.

"Charlie," he whispered, "I love you too."

She reached out and took his hand in hers and brought it to her lips. He gave it a squeeze.

"Oh, Bass," she started to cry. Until now she had been all grit and determination but just having him back with her, even if only for a little while, brought her heart to its knees. She lay down beside him and he slowly turned his head toward her.

"Please don't cry, baby," he said, sounding like he might start up himself. His eyes were half open and she could tell even that was a strain. She touched his cheek and leaned over, kissing him gently on the lips. He smiled slightly, "That's my girl."

"Do you remember what happened, Bass? Before the fire?" she asked.

"Rachel…" he murmured.

Charlie stifled a sob and Bass squeezed her hand even tighter. Deep down she had already known but hearing him say her mother's name still filled her with pain.

"I'm so sorry, baby," he said, "so, so sorry."

"It's not your fault, Bass…it never was; my mom is sick…very sick. I think I was just fooling myself into thinking she wouldn't be capable of something like this," she sighed. "But to threaten not only our lives, but the baby's? My God…"

"The baby…how is the baby…you," he asked, desperation clear in his voice.

"We're fine, honey. Fine, don't worry; but I think you need to rest again- I can hear the pain in your voice. Close your eyes, baby," she soothed.

He did so and then said, "Now I know how you felt after you fainted."

She stroked his cheek again and said, "I'm so sorry, Bass. Go to sleep now, okay? Try to rest."

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The townspeople watched in shock and horror as the entire forest was up in flames. Gene paced back and forth along the roadside they were standing on, angry and frustrated at not being able to do anything.

The sentry's on duty in Willoughby had seen the forest burning once a great deal of it was up in flames and had rung the town bell…the emergency signal to notify everyone that help was needed. The Colson's had made it to town shortly thereafter, citing that if little Sam hadn't woken up to go potty they might have slept right through it. They had woken up the family on the other side of them but told Gene they couldn't get anywhere close to Bass and Charlie's place.

It was already gone by the time they got there.

Gene was beside himself with worry and Marion tried to comfort him but to no avail. He notified the sheriff that his daughter, Rachel, was nowhere to be found and if anyone was responsible for setting the fire it was probably her. It pained him to say it but he knew it deep in his heart.

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The heat was becoming so intense in the little alcove that Charlie and Bass were in that she had scooted them both down on the rock so that their legs were underwater. She was debating on whether or not to wake him up again and get in the water when she heard it.

The big tree across the pool had just cracked, signaling that it was about to fall- it was the biggest tree in this area and they'd always talked about hanging a rope from it to swing across and into the pool but had never gotten around to it.

She watched now as the top of the huge tree began to topple over, watching in horror as it started to fall in their direction. She screamed as it landed partially on the rock above them, the other end falling into the pool. Now there was fire directly in front of them and the smoke it brought with it was quickly filling up their space.

Charlie slid off the rock and into the water, splashing the tree as much as she could to try and put it out. The only thing was, the little bits that she managed to put out only gave off more smoke and she began to cough.

Bass woke up gagging and she went to him quickly; she removed the bandanna from his arm, soaked it and covered his nose and mouth making sure he was leaning to the side so he wouldn't choke on it. She tore off another piece of the blanket and did the same thing for herself.

"Bass, wake up…wake up, Bass!" she cried. She grabbed him by the loop of his belt from her place in the water and watched in shock as flying embers landed on the soft bare skin of his chest and arms. She shook him and screamed, "Bass!"

He finally moved, coughing some more and she pulled him into the water making sure he got soaked.

"Oh God…" he breathed.

"Hold on to the side of the rock," she said as she began splashing the tree once more. It was smoky but as soon as the thing burned out and fell in the water the better off they'd be—right now they were trapped. She continued to splash water against the limbs of the tree, making some progress, when suddenly it started to splinter once again near the top. She swam back to Bass, "We have to go under. Can you hold your breath when I say go?" He nodded. As she watched the top of the tree start to separate from the bottom half that was in the water she shouted, "Go!" They both went under- she watched from below as both parts fell in and were instantly doused. They came back up, both inhaling deep breaths, as they listened to the branches sizzle as they hit the now warm water.

She took Bass in her arms and hugged him so tightly- he put his arms around her and lay his head upon her shoulder. He knew they wouldn't be alive right now if not for her…he didn't want to let go of her and they stayed like that for a long while. They had saved each other's lives so many times now, they were stronger together than they'd ever been apart.

The smoke, however, having found its way in to their little hiding place now refused to leave. There was just no breeze where they were.

"Bass, we have to get out of here…we have to climb to the top- where we usually jump off from," she said. "Are you okay to do that?"

"Yea," he breathed into her hair. "Let's go."

She couldn't help him up the way she had before; the path was too narrow to walk side-by-side. She went first and helped him along when he had trouble; they made it to the top and Bass was gasping for clean air and coughing while falling on all fours feeling like he might collapse. His head was spinning and suddenly, he vomited, although all that remained of the contents of his stomach was water. Charlie rubbed his back and had him lay down on his side once he was finished. She went back down to their alcove and grabbed the blanket and their shoes.

When she sat down next to him upon the large rock she gently picked up his head and rested it on her thigh as they waited some more. It was definitely easier to breathe up here, as there was a gentle breeze carrying the smoke and the fire away from them.

As Charlie looked out over the vast expanse of what used to be a huge forest- and her home- her throat hitched and she nearly let out a sob. It was nothing but a burning wasteland now. She could see for miles as there was no longer a forest to block her view. Most of it was destroyed now, the rest of it still on fire, burning down to nothing.

It was very hard to think about her mother in that moment…it was just too much to take to think that she was responsible for all of this. The pain of that thought pierced her so deeply that she choked back a sob and held onto Bass. She sat there silently, cradling the man she loved…the man her mother had just tried to kill…as tears slid down her cheeks in droves. She felt in that moment that nothing would ever be the same.

Over in the east the sun began to make its ascent, dawn on the horizon.

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The fire was starting to die down, the forest destroyed, and a search party was underway to search for Bass and Charlie, headed by Gene. He would not, could not believe they were dead and refused to give up hope. Rob Colson and the sheriff joined him along with Marion and some others from town. The only way to go was through the creek bed as the dying fire was still too hot to traipse across. The creek would have its own problems, though, as many downed trees now blocked the way. They decided it would be too arduous with horses and they would have to go on foot. They all dressed in long sleeves even though it was hot, thick boots, gloves covering their hands and bandanna's across their faces.

Just as they were about to head out they were momentarily distracted by the sound of galloping horses coming down the road. They all stopped to look at the approaching riders.

As they pulled up to the group and stopped one of the riders climbed off his horse and approached the group, stopping in front of Gene.

Gene exhaled deeply, "Miles."

Miles' face looked pained as he asked, "How bad is it, Gene?"

Gene sighed deeply, "We don't know where they are, Miles. But we've got a search party and we're about to head out, taking the creek."

Miles noted the shakiness of Gene's voice and put a hand on his shoulder. Trying to sound tough himself and more confident than he actually felt he said, "Come on, Gene, you know them….they're two of the toughest cats I know- Bass has nine lives and Charlie…"His voice cracked slightly saying her name, "Charlie is as tough as nails. They're out there somewhere and we'll find 'em."

Just then the second rider approached the group. "Oh, Gene, before we set off I want to introduce you to my new partner. Gene this is Nora. Nora, this is Gene."

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A/N: I hope you enjoyed this chapter. If you have a moment, leave a review- I'd love to know what you think.