March 26th, 2016

Rain pounded down on the small windows of the cabin, creating a soothing rhythm that eased my road weary mind. Since we had left from the Jersey front it had rained non-stop, chilling both Bass and I to the bone.

Fingers trailed up my back and I smiled faintly into the musty pillow on the dusty bed…speaking of Bass…I turned my head and smirked at him, "Are you trying to start something here?" I murmured.

Bass smirked back, turned on his side and nuzzled up against me, his fingers still trailing over my back. "Mmm, maybe" he whispered. He leaned in and pressed a kiss to my shoulder, "I can't help but notice you look cold" he murmured.

I rolled over, leaning into his chest, running a hand up under his shirt with a grin, "Hmm, you feel a bit chilly too, maybe I should warm you up" I suggested with a lift of my brow. Bass chuckled softly and I could feel it in my skin, sending a soft thrum of delight through me.

A sudden large and powerful yawn forced me to cover my mouth, my jaw cracking with the force of the yawn. Bass chuckled softly and pressed a kiss to my jaw, "Get some sleep" he murmured, pulling me into his arms, rolling us back against the flat pillows.

I want to say I objected, but good lord I was tired. I nodded and snuggled into him, my eyes drifting shut, my fingers creeping into the V of his shirt to rest against his warm skin. I sighed contentedly and smiled when Bass's hand tightened on my hip.

I felt it when his breathing began to slow and his grip on me loosened, his body slipping into sleep. I looked up at him through half shut eyes and smiled, he looked at peace. It was so different from how he looked during the day; reserved, authoritative, even angry.

As I fell asleep I wondered if it could always be like this.

The sudden crashing of the cabin door against the wall roused me from my sleep, sending me sprawling to my feet, disoriented but ready. Bass was awake behind me, mumbling something I couldn't understand, and in the main room of the cabin I could hear people moving around.

I grabbed my gun and looked over my shoulder to see Bass arming himself similarly. I could hear the people in the other room rummaging through the cabinets and discussing something…I crept closer to the door and strained to hear.

"I'm telling you, they came this way. It was the President of the Republic and a woman."

"It's the Ambassador for the Republic, from what I've heard."

"What do I care who she is? Damn. It only matters that we kill them and stop them from taking over."

I glanced over at Bass, raising a brow, wondering if he could hear this. He glanced up at me as he loaded his gun, giving me a questioning look. Huh, apparently he hadn't heard.

Bass inched up beside me and listened as the men continued to discuss killing us as they ransacked the outer area of the cabin. I turned towards him and barely whispered into his ear, "It sounds like two."

He nodded and I continued, "If we're quick we can take them out." We would need to blow through the door and kill them quickly if we wanted to be rid of them. Bass nodded and we both readied ourselves, taking a quick breath before I threw open the door and we charged forward.

The men in the room looked up in shock at our entrance and a moment later were dead, bullets entering their heads and hearts. I lowered my gun and glanced around, checking for other people inside and then stepping outside to ensure there weren't more would be assassins waiting for us to leave.

A bullet slammed into the wood of the cabin beside my head and I dropped, flinching as splinters bit into my skin. I could hear Bass screaming my name behind me as more bullets whistled past me and slammed into the wood.

Out of the corner of my eye I saw Bass lift his gun and return fire, the sound of the muzzle blast deafening. I scrambled around the corner of the cabin and lifted my own gun, firing in the direction of the muzzle flares.

I heard someone scream and a moment later the gunfire ceased. I lowered my gun slowly and took a shaky breath, adrenaline screaming through my veins. Bass moved swiftly past me, running to the heavy brush to check on our shooter.

He came back a few minutes later, holstering his gun. He gave me a nod, "He's dead." I gave him a ghost of a smile and stood, swaying as my head pounded and my leg throbbed. I glanced down and let out a cry of surprise, I had been shot.

I hadn't even felt it in the heat and adrenaline of the firefight, but I certainly felt it now.

Bass turned towards me at my cry and was at my side in an instant at the sight of the bullet hole in my leg. He quickly wrapped an arm around my waist and helped me inside, lowering me into a rickety wooden chair.

"Let's get your pants off so I can dress this" he murmured, reaching for my belt buckle.

I grinned at him through gritted teeth, "You know…you don't have to wait for me to get shot to take my pants off" I joked weakly.

Bass gave me a quelling look, but there was a hint of a smile on his lips. He gently tugged my pants off, trying to be gentle with my wound, but I hissed as it throbbed nonetheless. He gently lifted my left leg onto his knee, inspecting the wound.

After a moment he nodded, "It looks like it's close to the bone, it's going to hurt coming out. I'll get you something to bite on." He set my leg down gently and went to our bags, digging through until he found our standard field kit.

A moment later he came back, kneeling in front of me, opening the kit and handing me a belt in the same motion. I grimaced and took it, gripping it tightly. Bass nodded up at me, "Get ready, I'm going to start."

I groaned softly and slid the belt strap between my teeth as he lifted my leg onto his knee, breathing heavily out of my nose. When he poured the antiseptic over the wound I gasped and groaned, shuddering under his firm grip.

Bass poured more over the tweezers and glanced up at me for a moment before slipping them into my wound. I could feel hot blood rush down my leg and the pain….god the pain. It felt like a taser had been shoved into my leg and turned up full blast.

I cried and gripped the body of the chair, trying not to writhe against Bass's movements. A moment later Bass let out a cry of triumph and held up the bullet before tossing it aside and pouring more antiseptic over the wound.

I whimpered and felt the world swirl around me, black spots appearing in my eyes. I felt Bass wrapping my leg and moments later his arms wrapped around me, lifting me from the chair and carrying me back to the bed we had been laying in just a short time before.

I groaned as my leg bumped against the bed and Bass whispered a soft apology. He brushed my hair back and laid a hand on my brow, his face lined with worry. I tried to arrange my face into a smile, but must have failed because he still looked worried.

"I-I'm okay Bass…p-promise" I whispered.

He shook his head and frowned at me, "Just rest. I'm going to secure this place."

I nodded and closed my eyes, feeling like the whole world was spinning and my body was pounding. I could hear his footsteps retreating as my stomach cramped and roiled, my whole body trembling with pain.

I took deep even breaths, trying to keep from passing out or vomiting from the pain. I could hear Bass swearing in the distance and loud thudding noises as he dragged the men's bodies from the house.

I tried to concentrate on the sound of the rain, letting its white noise soothe me; reminding me of the app I had on my long dead phone that I had used to fall asleep during college. Eventually it worked and I began to doze, albeit fitfully.

I stirred when the mattress shifted, feeling a body next to mine. I could smell sweat on Bass's skin as he rolled towards me, his hand snaking across my stomach as he leaned over me. I cracked my eyes open and tried to smile at him, but the faint light in the room made my head pound in an ugly way, so I quickly slammed them shut again.

"How are you feeling?" Bass whispered, his fingers trailing across the skin of my stomach.

"Like shit" I whispered back. Bass made a soft noise and leaned in, brushing a kiss across my forehead.

"Open your mouth" he murmured softly. I cracked an eye, giving him a suspicious, skeptical look. Bass smirked at me and held up a bottle of painkillers, shaking it to rattle the pills inside. "Open up and the pain goes away" he ordered softly.

My eyes slid closed again and I opened my mouth gratefully, feeling the pills slip onto my tongue, followed by the cool rush of water. I swallowed and sighed tiredly, eager for the painkillers to kick in.

Bass gently began to trace his fingers over my face, his body barely touching mine, and I could feel the lines of tension in his body where our limbs did meet. He was worried about me, and it would have made me smile if I wasn't in so much pain and so exhausted.

Eventually the gentle strokes of his fingers lulled me to sleep, the pain fading to a dull roar.

The next time I awoke there was no light outside the windows in the cabin and the rain had slowed to a steady drizzle. My head still felt stuffed with cotton and my leg throbbed with fiery pain when I moved to sit up, making me grit my teeth, but I fought through the sensation and swung my legs over the side of the bed, wondering where Bass was.

Noises from the main area of the cabin answered my silent question, and the faint scent of food cooking teased my dull appetite into a roar. My pants were hanging off the back of a nearby chair, just out of reach.

Bracing myself, I leaned forward and balanced on one leg, my wounded left leg screaming in protest, despite my lack of pressure on it, and snatched my pants off the chair. Collapsing back against the mattress, I exhaled sharply and closed my eyes, waiting for the room to stop spinning.

When the world had righted itself I carefully began pulling the jeans on, biting my tongue as they dragged over my bandaged wound. Screaming would not be the best way to alert Bass that I was awake.

In fact, if he saw me right now, I was 100 percent sure he would be pissed to see me up and attempting to be about. By the time I had the jeans up to my hips, zipped, and buttoned, a cold sweat had broken out on my face and chest, and I felt like throwing up once again.

There was almost no way I could make it to the other room. Except for the fact that I had to. We had to get back to Philadelphia, and we couldn't afford to stay here with me injured and Bass at risk of being attacked.

With this in mind, I stood up from the bed, my stomach flopping, my head swimming, and began hobbling towards the door. It felt like an eternity before I made it and twisted the handle, yanking it open and leaned against the frame, watching as Bass's head twisted around, his eyes wide with surprise, then narrowing in anger.

"What the hell do you think you're doing Becca?" he demanded, crossing the room in three long strides. I'd always envied his ability to do that, his six foot frame meant he was able to eat up the ground much faster than I was, and he tended to make a much more imposing figure.

I gave him a weak smile, "Just getting up and about. I was getting tired of lying around." That was a blatant lie. I felt like I could sleep for another week.

Bass glared at me and grabbed my arm, spinning me around towards the bedroom, "Bullshit. You're going back to bed. You need to rest until you're strong enough to ride."

I tugged my arm out of his grasp and gave him a dirty look, "And what about the not so friendly gentlemen we disposed of Bass? Donuts to dollars they had friends waiting on them, and when they don't come back with our bodies the friends are going to come looking for them."

The look on Bass's face meant he had already realized what I was telling him, what I didn't understand was why he continued to try to shove me towards the bed. He shook his head, "You need rest Becca, the rest can wait."

I stumbled back and caught myself on the wrought iron footer of the bed, resting there for a moment, giving him an exasperated look. "Like hell we can just rest here. Bass, we need to leave, now. Those men almost killed us, and if they have reinforcements, they'll succeed next time. We need to make it back to Philly alive which means we need to go."

I laid a gentle hand on his arm and gave him a pleading look, "Bass, if you want this Republic to succeed, it needs both of us alive. We need to go, and we need to be smart. Bandage my leg tightly and we'll cauterize it if we have to, but we're going."

Bass's face was stricken as he stared down at me, his emotions clearly warring within him. After a long silent moment he nodded, "Okay" his voice barely a whisper. He cleared his throat and nodded again, stronger this time.

"We'll cauterize it and bandage it tightly. But you need to eat something before we leave." He gave me a no nonsense look that dared me to argue and I lifted my hands in surrender, nodding my agreement.

"That's fine, as long as it can be after we take care of the wound. I'd prefer not to throw up everything." Bass nodded a touch of humor in his eyes as he took my hand and gently led me into the outer area of the cabin.

He already had a fire going for making dinner, so heating a knife in the coals wasn't hard. Feeling my skin searing and smelling my flesh burning? I nearly passed out, and definitely threw up.

Bass gave me a moment before handing me a bottle of water, brushing my hair back from my face gently as he murmured, "The worst is over now." I nodded and sipped the water, grateful for its cool blessing on my raw throat.

After a few moments Bass cleaned the wound (another excruciating experience) and wrapped it tightly before helping me shimmy back into my pants. It was another hour before I felt secure enough in the stability of my stomach to eat something and soon after Bass packed our bags and loaded them onto the horses.

Bass boosted me into the saddle, watching as I settled, and I tried to give him a reassuring smile, but my leg was throbbing like my heart was in the wound and not in my chest. He frowned deeply and shook his head, "You're paler than a sheet" he muttered.

I sighed and closed my eyes for a moment, "Well, I feel like a hundred miles of bad road so…" I trailed off and opened my eyes, giving him a skeptical look before making a soft noise to my horse and pointing it towards Philly.

There was nothing I could do about how I looked. I felt worse. The only thing I could worry about now was getting us home safe.

We thundered down the road, mud flying up around us and bullets whizzing past us. The men who had tried to kill us had definitely had friends, and they had found us.

We were an hour from Philly and the men had been pursuing us for hours over the road, through the forest, and across the fields. Our horses were failing and I was scared we were going to have to abandon them and face them in hand to hand combat.

If that happened, Bass and I might not survive. I glanced back and saw that the men were gaining. "Fuck!" I swore, ducking as another bullet whizzed by.

I needed to come up with a plan, and fast.

I glanced ahead of me to where Bass was and further ahead to where the bridge was that would get us safely to the city. We had considered blowing the bridge up when we had taken the city to ensure it was safe, but it was one of the few egress and ingress points left that was held securely by the Republic, so we had refrained from destroying it.

I urged my horse faster and passed ahead of Bass, heading for the bridge. When I crossed over I pulled on the reins, dragging the horse to a halt and scrambled off, ignoring the screaming pain in my leg.

Yanking my pack off I pulled out bundles of TNT that we had carried with us from Jersey (just in case—you never know when you'll need explosives on the front) and began wiring them to the bridge.

I heard incoming hoof beats and lit the fuses, running to my horse as Bass crossed the bridge. I got one foot in the stirrups, laying half across the saddle, urging her forward as the fuses burnt.

A moment later I heard the hoof beats of our pursuers, and then the explosions happened, sending concussive blasts through the air that were hot enough to dry the rain from my skin. I heard the screams of both men and horses and chanced a glance over my shoulder, immediately wishing I hadn't.

Shuddering, I twisted into the saddle, groaning as my leg throbbed. As we rounded the curve in the road I glanced back again and sighed softly; there was no one pursuing us. I slowed my horse and shouted for Bass, pointing over my shoulder to indicate our lack of pursuers.

He nodded and slowed his horse as well, patting its neck for a moment before giving me a broad grin. "Quick thinking" he complimented me.

I nodded and swallowed hard, trying to summon up a smile. I loved horses. The scent of burning flesh and hair was going to haunt me for a very long time….

We rode in silence for a long time, each of us lost to our own thoughts as the rain continued to fall. When the city came into view I urged my horse a little faster and moved past Bass, making my way to the stables.

As I slid off and my feet touched the ground, my knees buckled, the pain in my leg nearly blinding. Bass was at my side in an instant, his arm winding around my waist to pull me back up, his body solidly against my back.

"Hey, woah. I got you" he murmured.

Every inch of my body hurt in a million different ways, and I could barely keep my eyes open. Bass shifted and kept his arm around my waist as stable hands led our horses away and began leading me towards Independence Hall—our home.

When I stumbled on the stairs Bass didn't hesitate, he just swept his arms around me and lifted me, carrying me up the stairs. My head lolled onto his shoulder and my eyes drifted shut as my hand rested on his chest.

A moment later I heard a commotion and the sounds resolved into Miles's voice.

"What the hell happened Bass?!"

"She got shot. We were attacked by rebels on our way back and she blew the bridge, saved our ass. She needs a doctor, now."

"Goddamn it Bass, you were supposed to protect her!"

I made a noise of protest and opened my eyes faintly, "I…don't…need…protection" I protested softly.

Miles turned towards my voice and glared down at me, but the look held no heat, only concern. "Like hell. There's no way you're going out to the front again."

I narrowed my eyes at him and lifted a hand to flip him off. His lips curved into a weak smile and he shook his head as he followed Bass down the halls to my rooms. Miles hovered as Bass set me down carefully on the bed, sitting beside me.

He gently began removing my boots and pants, ignoring Miles's protests. I gave Miles a weak smile before my eyes drifted shut, "Nothing he hasn't seen before" I murmured.

The soft choking noise Miles made was enough to make my smile grow, tired as I was. I could hear Bass laugh softly and his hands on my skin were gentle as he tugged my jeans off. I heard him swear and I already knew what he was seeing—my wound had reopened.

I could feel it bleeding, and I shivered, feeling cold.

Bass laid a hand on my forehead, "You're burning up" he murmured. A moment later a blanket rested over me and I smiled faintly.

"Where's the doc?" Bass demanded.

"He's on his way."

"Get him here faster, she's got an infection."

Miles stomped from the room and I felt Bass take my hand as the lights behind my eyelids spun. My breathing slowed and the blanket on top of me grew heavier, more comforting. I sighed and snuggled into it, "G'night Bass" I whispered.

His hand squeezing mine was the last thing I felt.

April 15th, 2016

I sank down gratefully into the large tub of hot water, moaning softly as it enveloped my sore body. It had been three weeks since my death defying escape from the Jersey front with Bass, and the infection that I had gotten from being shot had been awful.

The doctor had thought the infection was in the bone and had wanted to take my leg off below the knee, but Bass had fought him, demanding he try harder to fight the infection. Luckily for me, Bass had been right.

I had a small limp, but with therapy each day, it was getting better. What wasn't getting better was Bass and I. After getting shot and our return to Philly, he hadn't touched me in any significant way.

Any time I tried to start something he backed away, a polite smile on his face, and murmured something about "meetings". It was utter horseshit.

Frowning, I scrubbed my skin absently as I pondered the situation and wondered if he would even notice that my birthday was in three days. Miles knew, he had asked if I wanted anything special, and I had told him that a bottle of whiskey was fine—if he could find it.

Miles knew that things were different between Bass and me, mostly because I had confessed it to him. He had looked wide eyed and supremely uncomfortable, but had after a moment sighed and shook his head, giving me a tired look.

"Listen kid, Bass…he doesn't do well with connecting. His family…they all died."

I had nodded, remembering what Miles had told me about his family. With Shelley and the baby on top of that…it made a twisted kind of sense that he was pulling away. He was scared. I just needed to figure out a way to get rid of that fear.

A knock at my bedroom door startled me out of my reverie. "Who is it?" I called, briefly hoping it was Bass.

"Jeremy, ma'am."

I sighed, of course it wasn't Bass. I sank lower in the water until it was up to my chin and called out for him to enter. A moment later the door swung inward and Jeremy strode in, coming to an awkward halt when he saw me in the tub.

He flushed and turned away, stammering. "I-I'm sorry Becca, I didn't realize."

I laughed softly, "It's cool Jer, nothing you haven't seen before. What's up?"

He hesitated a moment before turning around, keeping his gaze trained on the window across the room. "The President and General would like to see you, immediately."

I lifted a brow, "Did they say what this was regarding?" I asked curiously.

Jeremy gave me a quick smirk before glancing away again, "You really have to ask?" he quipped.

I laughed softly and shook my head, "True." Sighing, I ducked my head under the water and scrubbed at my hair, rinsing the soap out before surfacing and wiping my face off. When I stood I saw Jeremy flinch back and laughed at his reaction.

I leaned over and grabbed my towel off the chair, wrapping it around me. "Let them know I'm on my way, will you Jer?" I asked politely, smiling when he nodded and darted from the room. Shaking my head, I quickly toweled off and dressed, running a brush through my hair before braiding it.

I walked quickly to Bass's office, my limp more pronounced after my therapy session. In an hour or two it would ease and in a few more hours my gait would be nearly even. The doctor was confident that within a few more weeks it would be back to normal, which was exactly what I wanted to hear.

I pushed the doors to Bass's office open, knocking once, and shut them behind me. Miles and Bass glanced up before turning their attention back to the papers in Miles's hands. I frowned and strode over, reaching out to snatch them away.

Both men made noises of protest but quelled at the look on my face. Whatever the reason for them summoning me, I needed to be kept abreast of all important documents, and these clearly were.

As I read my brows rose until they hurt. When I looked up I could tell my expression matched what theirs probably had been upon receipt of these documents because both men just nodded. Giving them incredulous looks I shook the papers, "Is she serious?" I demanded.

"Total surrender? We haven't even encroached into Georgia, and the woman wants us to surrender not just that territory, but North and South Carolina? She's mad!" my voice had risen to a near shout by the end and both Miles and Bass were grimacing, nodding.

I tossed the papers aside and took a deep steadying breath, running a hand over my face before shaking my head. "Goddamn. Okay, well, we obviously can't send one of the other minor Ambassadors. I need to go and talk to her."

"No!"

"Absolutely not."

I lifted my chin, tightening my jaw, narrowing my eyes slightly at both men and cleared my throat, "Mmm, excuse me? I'm pretty sure I heard both of you just try to stop me from doing my job. If either of you tries to reason with her, we're going to war. I'm the only person in this room that has been even remotely successful at negotiating with the rebels, which means you need me to go talk to this woman."

Miles opened his mouth and I shook my head, "Uh-huh, I'm not done. Jersey needs to remain secure, and for that, you need to take a trip to the front. Then you send Jeremy there to make sure it continues to remain secure."

I rounded on Bass, "You, stay here. I'm acting under your authority while I'm in Georgia. Give me a guard of ten men, plus a group of messengers. Three should do it."

Bass narrowed his eyes at me and I could read the frustration there, plain as day. Frankly, I didn't give a damn. He had pushed me away for weeks and now I needed to do my job, not worry about his feelings.

After a moment he tilted his chin down and shook his head, "I don't like it. Too much could go wrong. I should go with you."

I laughed dryly, "Too much already has gone wrong. I got shot, rebels attack our fronts every day, our militia men are dying, our crops are barely surviving…Bass, we can't take another front opening up."

I softened my tone at the look on his face, "I have to do this. Trust me to do what needs to be done."

After a moment Miles stepped forward and laid a hand on Bass's shoulder, "It'll be okay Bass" he murmured. I nodded, giving both of them a reassuring smile. A long minute passed before Bass nodded and I felt my shoulders drop in relief.

"Good. I'm going to go pack. I'm taking these with me to study. I need to try and get in her head on the road. If you need anything, you know where to find me." I nodded at both men before snatching the papers off the desk and striding out of the room.

Despite the inherent danger of the situation, my pulse thrummed with excitement. It had been weeks since I had been outside of the city, and since I had been injured I hadn't been allowed out of Independence Hall.

I had grown bored very quickly, even with all the books available and with Miles attempting to keep me busy with "work". I packed practically, road travel between here and Georgia was rough and wild which meant I would need my clothing to stand up to such conditions.

As I was choosing my outfits I heard the door creak open behind me, heavy boot steps crossing the bare wood a moment later. I could a presence behind me, and felt breath across my neck. I lifted a tank top out of my dresser and folded it, setting it aside before reaching for another shirt.

"Don't go" Bass murmured, his words floating across my skin.

My fingers knotted in the shirt I had grabbed, frustration rushing through me. Don't go? I struggled, reminding myself of what Miles had said, trying not to get angry with Bass.

"Becca…just don't do anything stupid."

The emotions I had been trying to hold back snapped and I tossed aside the shirt whirling around to glare at him. "Don't do anything stupid?"I hissed. To his credit, Bass looked scared at my tone as he backed away.

I lifted a finger, jabbing it in his chest, "The only stupid thing I've done is think that you were worth my time. Goddamn it Bass, I told you not to fuck around on me."

Bass's brow furrowed; confusion plain on his face. "I never!" he exclaimed. He shook his head vehemently, "I never cheated on you" he denied.

I sighed, exasperated. "That's not what I meant! I got shot and I got really sick and instead of sticking by me you pulled away! I would never do that to you Bass." I threw my hands up in frustration, "I get that you lost your family, Shelley and the baby, and that makes it hard for you to expect that I'll stick around, but Bass, I'm not planning on going anywhere."

He stared at me for a long time, saying nothing. His eyes burned with some unspoken emotion and his hands clenched at his sides, his mouth pinched shut.

Shaking my head in disgust, I turned away to resume packing.

A hand wound around my wrist and whirled me around, slamming me into his chest as his other hand snaked around my waist, his lips capturing mine in a bruising kiss that stole my breath in an instant and set my skin on fire.

My fingers found their way into his hair, drawing him somehow closer, a soft moan coming from my throat as his lips moved against mine, slipping away to let us gasp for air for a breath and then coming back to steal it all away again.

After what seemed like eternity Bass broke away and stared at me, his gaze heavier than before. I gave him a shaky smile and it seemed to do something because he shook his head softly before he half turned, whispering, "You are going somewhere, you're leaving right now."

His hand broke from mine and I watched him walk from the room, feeling like something had broken between us. I stood staring at the door for a long time until the numbness settled into my chest like a shot of Novocain.

Turning back to my packing I moved like an automaton until my bag was stuffed and I slung it over my shoulder, striding from the room and through the halls until I was at Miles's office. Less grand than Bass's, it suited him.

Knocking sharply, I shoved the door open and nodded at Miles, not bothering to smile. I don't think I knew how anymore. Miles stared at me, frowning.

"What happened?" he asked, sounding concerned.

I shrugged and tossed my bag into a chair by the door, "What needed to I guess." Miles's brows lifted and he stood, crossing the room to stare down at me. His gaze was for once warm as he slung an arm around my shoulders.

"I doubt that kid. I'll talk to him."

I shook my head, "Don't. He…." I trailed off and lifted my shoulders, "He's made a choice."

Miles sighed and shook his head, "An idiotic one. Now listen, your guard is downstairs along with your messengers. I want you to be as careful as possible, you understand me?" he demanded.

I nodded and gave him what I hoped passed for a reassuring look. It must have worked because he nodded, squeezing my shoulder, before grabbing my bag and leading me out of the room. We walked quietly down to meet my guard and after my bag had been secured to my horse and I had mounted I managed to work up a small smile for Miles.

"Be safe Miles, if I find out you got hurt or died, I'm going to kill you."

Miles smirked softly and slapped the flank of my horse, sending it lurching forward. "Same to you kid. Same to you."

The faint smile on my lips faded when I glanced up at the building and saw Bass staring down from the window. Our eyes met for a long moment before he turned away, letting the drapes fall.

Same to you.

AN: Hey guys! Sorry it's been a minute since I updated! I thought I knew where this chapter was going and then it took an abrupt turn at then end and I really ended up liking it better! So I hope you do too! Please review, I would LOVE to hear what you think! Thank you for following/favoriting/reading!