Charlie just sat in silence, Gene's words ringing in her ears.
Gene only watched her for a moment, searching for a sign of acknowledgment. "Charlie. Did you hear what I said?"
Charlie only nodded, not looking up from the ground.
"Is - could- is there a way that the test result could be a mistake?" Charlie finally asked.
Gene shook his head. "Possible? Perhaps, but not probable...if anything, I have learned that these older methods are more effective than the old drug store pregnancy tests. I would say it is 99% accurate, Charlie."
Charlie closed her eyes, silently nodding to show her understanding.
Gene put a hand on her shoulder. "I am not going to ask about the Father since you clearly don't want to talk about it...but since he isn't in the picture, just know that you can still do this- you have support. Many women have given birth successfully since the Blackout...you can have this baby...you are not alone-"
Gene had only assumed that she had gotten pregnant during a random encounter while on the road. He had no clue that the man was still in her life, much less that he was Sebastian Monroe.
Charlie stood up suddenly. "Grandpa, you have to promise me something. For now, this has to stay between us."
Gene looked confused. "Charlie...why? You don't even want your mother to know?"
Charlie's eyes widened. "No! Especially not her- at least, not right now...I just need some time. So, please Grandpa, promise me. Until I am ready, we tell no one."
Gene was silent for a moment but finally consented. "Alright, if that is what you want...but you have to promise to let me do regular check-ups to make sure everything appears to be on track."
Charlie nodded in agreement and with that she opened the door, exited the room, and walked back down the hallway.
Bass and Miles were still standing in the living room. Both looked at her expectedly, something that threw Charlie off.
"What?" she asked, startled.
"Is everything ok?" Miles asked. "Gene came in here looking really spooked and apparently needed to talk to you about something important."
Charlie nodded, dismissively. "Oh, yeah- I'm fine. Grandpa was just being dramatic. My blood sugar was a little off on his test, but I think it was just something I ate...everything is fine."
Charlie looked over at Bass who only watched her, not appearing to be convinced by her statement.
"You sure? You're ok?" Bass asked, looking at Charlie. She found that she had a hard time looking him in the eyes as she replied that she was fine.
Charlie absolutely hated lying, especially to Bass...but for now, she needed some time to process everything that was happening and how their lives were all getting ready to drastically change.
"I don't buy it," Bass finally spoke up to Miles when they were alone, heading back to the campsite later that evening.
"-Don't buy what?" Miles asked.
"Charlie- blood sugar? Come on, that's BS," Bass replied. "Something else is going on..."
"Don't you think that she would tell us? I mean, at least me?" Miles smirked and Bass rolled his eyes in response.
"I don't know, man but Charlie tries to put on this act like she doesn't need anyone's help, maybe she is scared that whatever it is would make her look more vulnerable," Bass replied.
Miles shook his head. "I think you're just being dramatic- I think she's fine..."
Bass continued walking silently- he was not convinced.
The next week passed in a flurry of activity. Bass and Miles were leading the mercenaries and managed to eliminate several Patriot strongholds. They were quickly gaining ground. For the most part, Charlie had managed to keep herself busy and out of the line of fire. She had been opting to help her mom and work at the campsite over the past few days. These circumstances wouldn't have seemed out of place except for the fact that she seemed to be deliberately staying out of the battle zones now, something that was not lost on Bass or Miles. They had enough men out there that it wasn't an issue, but Charlie had never been one to shy away from the action, so what had changed?
Charlie had continued to keep her distance from Bass. While this bothered him, he had done his best to respect her feelings and he didn't argue, instead keeping himself busy with the mercenaries and their near daily run-ins with Patriots troops.
Charlie knew that she cared for Bass, but the discovery of him and her mother had sent her reeling. Pairing that with her own discovery that she was now carrying his child were proving to be mentally taxing on Charlie and she was just trying to take time to sort out her feelings.
"I'm telling you, Miles...I think she's sick- have you talked to her yet?" Bass asked in a grim tone. The two were down at the river, cleaning their swords after a particularly rough battle with one of the Patriot troops.
Miles only nodded- he couldn't dispute the change in Charlie's behavior. It had all started so abruptly with Gene's urgent meeting with Charlie and his initial look of deep concern.
"Not yet...I'm just trying to give her some space. Charlie and I - we don't really do the 'warm and fuzzy' thing... if she wants to talk to me about something, she will. I think if she was really sick, Gene would have told us...he apparently knows something," Miles replied.
One morning later that week, Charlie noticed that her jeans were getting tighter and the swell around her midsection was getting harder to hide. She had traded her 'belly shirts' for looser fitting shirts that she had found in a closet in Gene's house. She had only occasionally had bouts of nausea but was no longer getting physically ill.
Downstairs, she heard a door slam and Miles voice calling through the house.
"Gene! Gene!" Miles called.
Charlie heard Gene walk into the foyer from the kitchen.
"What's wrong, Miles?" Gene could hear the urgency in Miles' voice. Charlie could hear it as well and quickly walked down the stairs.
"Gene, I need you to come with me- I need your help," Miles said quickly, trying to avoid making eye contact with Charlie.
"Miles, what is it- what's wrong?" Charlie asked.
Miles sighed, only briefly looking over at Charlie.
"It's Monroe- the Patriots got him..."