They spent all of spring and summer helping people all across Pennsylvania. Everywhere they go, people are happy to see them because when Matheson and Monroe come to town, it means that the suffering is nearly over.

All major roads are patrolled regularly by squads of men trained by Miles and Bass. Most cities are still abandoned, but a few people have started the process of moving back into them. Since winter will be coming soon, the boys have decided to settle down for the coming months and they've chosen on Philadelphia as their destination.

Well, Bass decided and Miles just didn't have the heart to tell him no.

The city is abandoned, but there is plenty of work to be done for restoration. The cars littering the streets need to be cleared away to make them usable again and the whole town could really use a good cleaning, but they all agree that it's nice to be in a place with actual houses again. Bass can't wait to explore the city, he's never been to Philly before, but Charlie is just excited that she'll get to have her own room in whatever house they decide to settle in.

"Ooh, how about that one Uncle Miles!" Charlie can't wait for the boys to pick a house so she can see this new room of hers.

"No, Charlie." Bass tells her as he looks up at the simple townhouse she'd pointed out. "We need something bigger, more..."

"More, what?" Miles asks with a laugh. "It's just the four of us, how big of a house do we need?"

"No, no, no. It's not about how big the house is," Bass tells them with a grin. "It needs to be... cool."

Jeremy and Miles share a look. "It's a house, Bass. You know, a place to sleep, roof over our heads. I don't think that 'cool' is really necessary," Jeremy says.

"But this is Philadelphia," he replies excitedly. "This is where it all started. This town is so full of history. We can't just stay in any old townhouse, we need something-"

"Cool," Miles finishes for him. "Only you would think that an old ass town is cool."

"I think it's cool, Bass." Charlie tells him sweetly.

He grins over at Miles. "See, Charlie thinks it's cool."

She tugs on his jacket sleeve and leans in close. "But I still get my own room, right?"

Bass sighs and nods, ignoring Miles and Jeremy smirking at him.

XxX

It's starting to get late, but Bass still hasn't made a decision on where he wants to stay.

"I'm tired," Charlie whines. "Will you carry me Uncle Miles?"

"Aren't you getting a little big for that?" But she merely smiles up at him. "Alright, fine. Hop on."

She launches herself up onto his back and wraps her arms around his neck. Jeremy catches Miles' bag and throws it over his shoulder with a grin.

"Push over."

"What was that, Baker?" Miles calls out.

"Nothing. I didn't say anything," he says innocently.

Miles grumbles something that Charlie probably shouldn't hear, making her giggle, and bumps purposefully into Bass. "Hey, Earth to Captain Dork, we need to find a place to stay for the night. Like, twenty minutes ago."

But Bass forgives his attitude in favor of the building standing beautiful and inviting in front of him.

"Here we are," he says with a grin.

Jeremy gives the old building an unimpressed look. "How is this one any different than all the other old ass houses we passed."

Charlie reaches out from her perch on her uncle's back and slaps the back of his head. "Watch your mouth."

"How come Miles got to say a bad word?" Jeremy asks her indignantly.

"Because he's my uncle. Duh."

Ignroing the argument that's about to go down behind him, Bass approaches a door on the side of the building. "Come on you guys, you can fight later. Let's get inside."

Miles comes up beside him and, instead of letting Bass try to pick the lock, kicks the door in. "Miles what the fuck are you doing? You can't just kick the door in!"

"Why not?"

Behind them, he hears Jeremy say, "Bass just said a bad word."

Charlie sighs. "Yeah, but he's Bass."

"Oh, so he gets a free pass too?"

"Yup."

Miles brings his attention back by stomping into the old building. "Hey, hey, hey. Dude, show some respect," Bass pleads with him.

"What the hell are you talking about?"

"This is Independence Hall. You can't just go around breaking things."

Miles looks on the verge of laughter, but luckily Charlie saves them all the trouble of listening to the boys fight.

"What's Independence Hall?" She asks interestedly. And everyone else is glad that she did because it saves them from the hour long tour - plus the lecture - about America's founding fathers.

XxX

When Bass is done giving Charlie her history lesson, the two of them find Miles, Jeremy, Tom, and Julia lounging in one of the smaller upstairs rooms. They each have a glass of scotch in their hands.

Bass eyes Miles' glass with envy. "Where-"

But Julia cuts him off with a laugh and slides him a glass across the dusty coffee table. Jeremy leans forward in his seat and fills it.

"Can I have some?" Charlie asks as she plops down next to Miles. He looks down at her thoughtfully, and instead of saying no like they expected, nods.

"OK, but just a sip, though. And I don't think you'll like it anyway."

She furrows her eyebrows at his strange conditions but shrugs and nods in agreement. He lets her guide the glass to her lips but doesn't let go. Good thing too, because the moment the liquid touches her tongue she nearly drops the glass in shock.

"Ew, what is that?"

Everyone around the room laughs and Miles pats her on the head. "It's a grown up drink, Bug. You'll like it when you're older."

"Grown ups are weird," she mumbles, making them all laugh again.

Jeremy gets up to wander the room, finding himself behind an antique desk. He sits down behind it with a grin. "Check it out guys," he says with a chuckle. He takes an elaborate sip from his drink and kicks his feet up on the desk. "I could get used to this."

Julia scoffs. "You aren't really the office type, Jer."

"Oh, come on. I could pull it off. I'll just sit up here behind my desk all day while everyone else does all the work around here." He sighs and leans back with his arms behind his head. "I can be like, the king, while everybody else is working."

"Ooh, ooh. Can I be the princess?" Charlie asks excitedly.

Miles laughs while Bass shakes his head, catching Charlie before she runs off to sit with 'the king'. "Hate to break it to you, Princess Charlotte, but this isn't a monarchy."

"Besides, kings don't sit behind desks anyway. They have thrones to sit on," Tom says.

Charlie wiggles into the spot between Bass and Miles with a pouty expression. "So I don't get to be a Princess?"

Julia gives her a long look, one much to thoughtful for someone who's been drinking. "Well since we're not running a monarchy, our democracy will need a president."

Miles snorts. "We aren't running anything. We're barely controlling the guys downstairs."

"But you are controlling them," Tom says suddenly serious. "Those people need something stable to rely on. Maybe a democracy is exactly what they need."

"Yeah, but then we would have to run an election and-"

"No we wouldn't," Julia interrupts him. "They love you guys. All we'd have to do is name you president and they'd listen."

Miles looks around the room incredulously. "Me? President? No way. No fucking way."

Tom looks over at Bass. "OK, so we've got President Monroe and..."

"General Matheson!" Jeremy finishes for him with a flourish.

Bass shakes his head. "No way. You guys are nuts."

"Come on, Bass." Julia says soothingly. "You guys have already been leading them for months now, some of us for years, it's about time we make it official."

"Offical?" Miles says weakly. "You're talking about starting our own government."

Julia, Tom, and Jeremy all share a look that says this isn't even the first time that they've had this conversation.

"You guys are serious," Bass says slowly.

Jeremy gets up from his desk and sits back down across from he and Miles. "Look, the American government is gone, but we're still here. We all need some kind of stability, and so far, you two are the only ones that have been able to give us that."

Miles and Bass look at each other over Charlie's head, their eyes meeting in mutual fear and disbelief. Charlie tilts her head up to look at them.

"If Bass gets to be president, what can I be?"

Miles chuckles and kisses her nose. "You can be the General's assistant."

She makes a face. "That's no fun."

Jeremy leans forward in his seat with a smile and pats Charlie on the leg. "Don't worry, Charlie, you've already claimed the title of The First Lady."

She perks up excitedly as Miles and Bass stare at him in confusion. "What does that mean? What do I get to do?"

Jeremy grins. "You get to keep doing exactly what you have been since the day we met."

"What?"

"Well everyone knows that the First Lady is really the one in charge, so all you have to do is keep bossing Bass and Miles around."

Charlie grins up at the boys, the little dimple in her cheek showing. "I can do that."

A/N And the Republic is born! This should catch us up to where the first chapter started. (I say that lightly, seeing as how I've skipped over and left out a ton of stuff. Not to mention my severe case of everything being out of order.) So now I think I'm going to do a few that will take place after the end of the first chapter. :-)