The next morning the sound of thunder rumbling and the sensation of a strong arm pulling against my waist woke me, a smile creeping across my lips when I realized that Bass had stayed the night.

My toes pointed down towards the foot of the bed as my legs stretched, easing away the aches from travelling, my back having enjoyed the long night of rest on a comfortable mattress. My smile grew as Bass's lips brushed across my bare back, his scruff scraping pleasantly across my skin.

"Mmm…good morning" Bass murmured, his voice so low and sleepy it reverberated against my chest, vibrating pleasantly through me.

"Good morning" I whispered back, rolling over gently to face him, smiling as he brushed back my wayward curls and wrapped an arm around my waist to draw me closer, sighing happily.

"I'm glad you're home" he admitted softly, his fingers stroking my hip gently as he spoke. "I missed you, even if you are a pain in the ass" he murmured, grinning when I slapped his chest gently, making a soft noise of protest that we both knew was half hearted at best.

I was a pain in the ass…but he loved it and we both knew it.

I grinned and leaned up on one arm, glaring down at him in mock anger, "Well I'll have you know this pain in the ass saved your Republic by leaving and being held political hostage—for her birthday no less!—and you haven't even apologized or given her a present!" I declared, smacking him in the shoulder again.

Bass sat up, the sheets pooling around his hips, grinning at me, "Funny you should mention that. Wait here." He commanded me before jumping out of bed and pulling on his pants and undershirt before barreling out the door barefoot.

I stared after him, dazed and confused, but interested to see what he would return with. After a few moments I realized I was sitting up in bed naked, with the door hanging open—a precarious situation at best.

Leaning down I swiped my negligee off the floor and pulled it on hastily before sliding out of bed to wipe off my face and rearrange my hair from the rat's nest it currently resembled. Footsteps outside the door alerted me to Bass's return, allowing me just enough time finish braiding my hair before the door closed and his low voice spoke from close behind me, "Turn around."

I smiled and turned, amused to see him holding both hands out, two packages wrapped in shiny paper and topped with bows held out before me. One was significantly smaller than the other, intriguing me. I reached for the smaller package and Bass looked nervous, "If you, uh don't like it, we'll talk," he murmured hesitantly.

I lifted a brow but nodded, taking it from his hand and eagerly shredded the paper off and lifted the lid from the simple white box. Inside laid a single brass key. I stared down at it, more confused than I wanted to reveal, but I glanced up at Bass and smiled softly, "Thank you?" I murmured hesitantly, not sure what to say.

Bass nodded, swallowing hard. "I-I had it before you left. It's the other key to my suite…or our suite, if you want. I know you don't want people to think you got your position by sleeping with me and I'll respect your decision if you want to stay here, but I want you to move in with me."

I stared wide eyed at Bass as he blurted out his speech, his words running together as he spoke in one long breath. I had never seen him nervous before….it was sort of unnerving. Glancing back down at the key I took a deep breath, the full implications of the gesture really hitting me.

Bass had been thinking about this step for awhile, and despite our fighting before I left, he wanted to move forward. "Why didn't you say something before I left?" I murmured, still staring at the key.

"Because I was mad at you for wanting to leave. I was worried it was too soon after your injury, that you would hurt yourself again, that something could happen to you in Georgia, that it would be my fault for not making you stay…" his voice trailed off and I glanced up to see him shaking his head and rubbing his neck, his eyes downcast.

Sighing, I lifted the key from the box and tossed the box aside; holding the key up between two fingers I showed it to him, "This? This wouldn't have made me stay. Everything you just said? That would have been a hell of a step towards getting me to think about your position."

Bass looked up at me in surprise and I smiled faintly, "I still would have gone. It was the right move and you know it. But I appreciate everything you just said, so much." I leaned into his chest, tilting my chin up to kiss him, smiling as his free hand wrapped around my waist to hold me tightly against him as he kissed me.

When he pulled away I grinned up at him, "So can I have my other present?" I teased. Bass grinned and lifted the box, dropping it into my eager hands. I quickly tore into the package, letting out a gleeful noise when I opened the box.

I looked up at Bass as I danced in place, "You got me a horse!" I crowed, holding up a bridle.

He grinned and nodded, "Would you like to meet her?" he asked, laughing softly when I threw myself into his arms, nodding fiercely.

"Yes! Oh my god Bass, I've always wanted a horse of my own!" I exclaimed as I pulled away to dress, eagerly pulling on my clothes. I ignored Bass's amused chuckle when I nearly fell over pulling my boots on, stumbling to the door and motioning at him to follow at the same time.

He smirked softly and shook his head, a charmed smile gracing his handsome mouth as he followed me quickly out of my bedroom, jogging to keep up as I ran through the halls, the bridle clinking softly in my hand as I made my way eagerly for the stables.

I turned down the street, straw and sawdust beneath my feet, the warm scent of horses flooding my nose and I slowed, not wanting to spook any of the beautiful creatures within the stalls. Bass pulled up beside me and smiled, motioning for me to follow, leading me to the end of the long building.

As we approached the end of the stables he let out a low two toned whistle and a moment later a mare stuck her head out the stall door, ears pricked forward in interest. I let out a soft gasp of pleasure, moving forward eagerly, my hand extending slowly for her to smell.

I leaned forward, inspecting her over the door, and fell in love. "Ooo you're a beautiful darlin aren't you?" I crooned, rubbing along her nose, laughing softly when she bumped her face into my chest, whuffling softly.

She was a gorgeous buckskin Quarter horse with a caramel colored coat and a main and tail that were as black as night. I turned to smile at Bass as I rubbed under her chin, "Does she have a name already?" I asked.

He shook his head, "If she does, there's no paperwork. She's yours to name," he said with a soft smile, leaning against the wall beside us.

I grinned and turned back to my horse, "You hear that darlin? You're all mine, what do you think of that?" I asked softly as I unlocked the stall door and walked inside, running my hands over her slowly, getting to know her and letting her get to know me.

Slowly I worked my way back to her head, rubbing her nose as I smiled at Bass, "Thank you," I murmured softly, feeling my cheeks flushing from the intensity of my feelings. He nodded and leaned on the stall door, winding his hand around my neck to pull me closer and kiss me softly, breaking away with a startled laugh when the horse huffed and tossed her head up between us.

I patted her neck gently and shook my head, "I think I have the perfect name for you," I said with a soft laugh. "Beda," I told Bass, "It's Russian for trouble," I explained at his confused look.

Laughing, he patted Beda on the neck and nodded, "Perfect for both of you," he teased, grinning at me.

"Ha ha ha, you're a riot," I mocked him gently, exiting the stall to push him gently against the wall, glancing around to make sure no one was around before I tugged his shirt out of his pants and ran my hands up underneath, a low noise of pleasure escaping me at the feel of his firm muscles beneath my hands.

His hands grasped onto my ass, pulling me tighter against him and I leaned up to press kisses against his jaw, "Thank you for my presents," I whispered as I kissed down his throat, my teeth running over his skin.

I could feel his pulse beating faster as my tongue ran over the hollow of his throat and I felt his throat work hard before he responded, "I'm glad you liked them…I was worried."

I nodded, "I loved them…but I have to leave again. The sooner the better; the North needs me." I whispered, pulling back to stare up at him seriously. We couldn't have another fight like last time, if he asked me not to go…I wouldn't be coming back.

Bass nodded and lifted a hand to stroke my cheek, his eyes sorrowful as his lips curved into a soft smile. "I know. I wish sometimes we had never asked you for advice, or that you weren't so brilliant, or better yet that the power had never gone out, but then I would never have met you."

He shook his head and ran his thumb over my bottom lip, sending shivers through me as his gaze grew intense, "There's so much I would never have done if the power had never gone out…Shelley might…" his voice broke and he inhaled sharply, looking away, his jaw tight with emotion.

I felt my eyes grow wide with shock, he still felt guilty and sorrow over Shelley after all this time? I sighed after a moment, realizing it hadn't been that long in the grand scheme of things, but with everything that had been happening it felt like decades had passed since her death.

Shaking my head I lifted a hand, gently taking his chin in my hand and forced his head to lift, turning his face to look at mine. "If the power had never gone out Shelley would have met someone else and gotten pregnant. She would have been stupidly happy. She probably still would have died because we had a shitty EMS response time or her husband would have gotten stuck in traffic, or you know what?" I demanded, "She might never have gotten pregnant, she might have been hit by a bus and killed before any of that happened. We can't know possible futures."

I shook my head, "You can drive yourself crazy thinking what if, or you can be grateful for right now, what you have, and fight like hell to keep it." I smiled at him, stroking his cheek gently, "I know that's what I'm going to do," I murmured.

Bass took a deep breath and smiled slowly, "I don't deserve you," he murmured, leaning down to kiss me, his hand at my waist tightening.

When he pulled away I grinned up at him, running my fingers through his hair, "I'm perfectly aware of that," I teased, laughing when he grabbed me by the waist and began tickling me, his other arm pinning me against him.

"Ahem, Madam Ambassador?"

The polite male voice broke through our laughter and I quickly stepped away from Bass as he released me, running a hand through his hair to straighten it. I nodded at the messenger and stepped forward, "Yes, what is it?" I demanded.

The young man looked nervous and handed over a thick tan envelope with my name written on it before stepping back and waiting for instruction. I nodded my thanks and made a mental note to take him with me to Maine—good messengers were hard to find.

Quickly ripping open the envelope I pulled out four sheets of paper covered in writing, some stained in blood. The curious frown on my face deepened with concern and I quickly began reading.

"What is it?" Bass asked, stepping forward.

I shook my head and stepped around him, pacing as I read, my stomach twisting.

When I had gotten to the last page I sighed and handed over the letters, shaking my head, "We have a big problem. Those rebels in Maine that wanted to surrender? They're being attacked by a larger force that doesn't want to surrender, and they're receiving reinforcements from Canada." I shook my head in incredulity, "Fucking Canada…really?" I snarked, throwing up my hands.

This was beyond bad. We didn't have the forces to fight this many people while we were holding down the front in Jersey and taking the Carolinas AND guarding the border with Georgia. I ran a hand across my face, rapidly trying to think of a solution.

My head snapped up as an idea popped into my head. Spinning on my heel I turned to Bass, "I have an idea," I declared.

He studied me for a moment, his eyes narrowing, "A good idea?" he demanded.

"Definitely not. But there's a better than average chance that it won't completely fail," I said, trying not to grimace at the look on his face.

Bass groaned and shook his head, "We aren't deciding anything until Miles and the others hear this," he declared, tucking the letters into his pocket and motioning me forward. I nodded and strode quickly back to Independence Hall, heading for Bass's office to pull out the map I had been thinking of.

As Bass gathered the others I began making notes and scribbling down figures until I was sure of my idea…or at least as sure as I could be. I barely heard the door opening or people entering until Bass laid a hand on my shoulder, startling me from my intense concentration.

I looked up and found Tom, Jeremy, Miles, and Bass standing in front of me, all impatient to hear whatever plan it was that I had come up with. I cleared my throat and nodded, "Well gentlemen, I'm going to the Plains to get us some mercs, and I'm sending two junior Ambassadors to the pirates in the Carolinas. We'll have them sail up the coast and bombard the Canadian stronghold just over the border that's supplying the rebels until they can't be of any help any longer. The Plains mercs and I will come and clean up and settle the dispute afterwards."

I looked around the room nervously, waiting to hear what the men had to say, my stomach in knots. After a moment Miles nodded, a wry smile on his face. "I like it. We could even use the pirates in Jersey afterwards," he suggested, earning him annoyed looks from the other men, especially Jeremy, who had been protecting the front for months.

Bass shook his head, "It's a dangerous plan with a very low likelihood of success. We need a different plan."

Tom smirked, "I like it. Ms. Flynn has proven her intelligence and cunning before; I say we trust her on this move, Mr. President."

I gritted my teeth at his cloying tone with Bass and his subtle undermining of my abilities. I wanted to punch the man in the throat and remind him that it had been me who had given he and his family the extra rations that had saved them, but I kept my mouth shut and waited to hear if my admittedly stupid plan would be approved.

Bass sighed and threw a hand up, "Fine, fine, go. But you need to be well armed with the Plains people, and send the right people to the pirates, or they'll be offended and kill them."

I nodded and bounced on my toes, "I'll take care of it now," I murmured before hurrying from the room and down the halls to my offices.

Sitting down at the large teak desk that had been reclaimed from local law offices, I wrote out messages to three of my junior Ambassadors, instructing them on their newest engagement for the Republic.

Sealing the letters with my insignia, I summoned and quickly dispatched messengers to find my Ambassadors in the surrounding towns; if these men and women were going to the Carolinas to negotiate with pirates, they would need to leave immediately.

Perhaps more importantly, if I was going to the Plains with my senior advisor and a contingent of militia, I would need to go pack and organize. I quickly wrote another note, this one to my senior advisor, informing her of the immediacy of the situation and dispatched it.

Leaning back in my chair I looked around the office, debating who else to take with me. The Plains people could be vicious and ruthless, but they weren't stupid, anyone I took had to be prepared for conflict.

All of my people were combat trained and had field experience—not just engaging in fighting to build the Republic, but they had also fought to survive when the power went out. Grabbing a pad of paper and a pen I quickly wrote up a list of advisors, messengers and spies I wanted by my side.

When I had finished the total number was 10 people, perhaps a smaller amount than Bass would prefer, but if I knew the situation that we were going to be walking into the way I thought I did, it was probably 5 too many.

Sighing, I stood and slid the paper into my pocket before walking down the hall and out of the building, heading through the streets, taking allies and switchbacks until I was sure there were no guards or militia following me.

At a small blue townhouse I scaled the fence into the backyard and knocked on the back door, keeping my head down as I waited, feeling like every eye in the city was on me. After what felt like an hour, but what was probably closer to ten seconds, the door cracked open and a tanned face peered at me through the cracks for a moment before a heavy sigh and an eye roll were issued in my direction.

The door swung open to reveal a tired, sour looking woman, her graying hair plaited into a braid that hung to the middle of her back. She waved an irritated hand at me, "Get the hell in here before someone sees you," she muttered, shaking her head in displeasure.

I nodded and slunk into the house, quickly moving away from the windows, giving her a hesitant smile, "Thank you for letting me in Maggie," I murmured, hope springing up within me that she had even opened the door.

Maggie eyed me like I was week old garbage that had been dropped into her pristine kitchen and had been told she had to clean up with her bare hands. "Mmhmm," she humphed, crossing her arms over her chest.

I swallowed hard, some of my hope fading. Maggie had been a CIA agent before the power had gone off, and for some reason, she had chosen to stay in Philly and help us rebuild the city. With the secrets she knew about the old government, she could have had not just my job, but Bass's.

Instead, she chose to live in anonymity, reaching out when I had first come to the city to let me know that she had worked with my father, and she hoped I was nothing like him. Our first meeting had been short—raising a toast to the memory of my long lost bastard of a father, "Fuck you," were the words I believe we used.

Since then she had occasional sent letters or notes with ideas or suggestions for the Republic, and I had received them all eagerly. She was my secret weapon, and I wanted something from her I wasn't sure she was willing to give.

"Maggie, I know you said you wouldn't ever leave the city again, but I need your help. I'm going to the Plains to get some mercs to take north to Maine, and I need spies." I shook my head, frowning, "I need you. I have spies, but they'll catch them. They won't ever see you coming. I need you to get to the Plains before us and get us information on their lifestyle, war methods, their needs, supplies, anything. We don't have nearly enough information."

I fell silent, praying she would say yes, my gut in a knot as I waited. Her steely blue-grey eyes narrowed as she stared at me, her jaw clenching. As the silence grew I fought the urge to fidget, staring back at her, waiting for her decision.

Finally she nodded stiffly, "Fine. When do you leave?" she murmured, tilting her head to stare down her nose at me.

"Two days from now. We would leave tomorrow, but I want to give you a head start."

She nodded, frowning, "I'll need a fast horse. Supplies I can take care of myself. I'll leave tonight."

I blinked in shock at her, too stunned to nod for a moment, but then bobbed my head, "Yea, okay." I stepped forward, extending my hand, "Thank you Maggie. I sincerely appreciate this," I declared, giving her a tentative smile.

To my complete surprise she took my hand, shaking it firmly, her mouth twisting into something that resembled a smile, "I wouldn't do it for anyone else. Especially not that fucker who called himself your dad," she replied with an angry twist to her mouth.

I nodded, trying to push away the old familiar anger at the thought of my father. "Let me know if you need money for the horse," I murmured, turning for the door.

Her wry laugh followed me out the door, "I got my own blood money kid, I don't need yours," she called before slamming the door shut, the sound making my shoulders flinch. I jogged through the streets until I was back at the Hall, my feet thoughtlessly carrying me back to my office as I contemplated her words.

Blood money…was that what it was to earn money in the Republic? I shifted my shoulders uncomfortably and made a mental note to review the tax system on my way to the Plains. What we were building needed to be just, equal and fair…otherwise it wasn't worth it.

Shutting the door behind me I quickly went to my desk and riffled through the books and papers, deciding what should be taken with me and what could be left behind. Shoving notebooks, papers, files and books into a leather satchel that I had found in the city I slung it over my shoulder and locked my office behind me, knowing that if Maggie needed to get word to me she could.

Kicking my boots off I slung the bag onto the bed and went to my closet, grabbing out my heavy duty travel bags with a sigh. It was going to be long weeks of travel to the Plains, and then even longer to Maine, so I was going to need nearly all my clothes, short of winter items.

Rolling each item and shoving it into the packs occupied my hands, leaving my mind free to plan for every problem that could arise from my plans…of which there were many.

When the power went off, the people living in the Plains were left with an abundance of guns, God, and ammo.

What they didn't have a lot of was…people.

I mean, come on, they're called the flyover states for a reason.

Eventually people began banding together into "Nations", largely by belief groups, until the Plains Nations began to evolve. They continue to nibble at our borders, causing problems occasionally, trading goods other times, at times seeking refuge when the weather is so inclement they can't survive, but always being pains in the ass.

Asking a favor of any of the Nations was a dicey decision at best, and the fact that Bass was going for it meant that he knew our situation within the growing Republic was precarious, and growing more so with each passing day.

One good drought, plague or famine and we were all toast.

God I love the fucking apocalypse.

AN: Well hello there my lovelies! I'm sorry this story hasn't been updated in a little while! Good news, I've got some chapters planned out and I'm on vacation at the beach so I'll be getting some writing done! Look forward to another chapter soon, and please let me know what you think of this one! Thank you for reading, reviewing, following and favoriting!