Word count; 2581 (ex notes)

Notes at the bottom

CHAPTER 11:

She was absolutely furious. Charlie had picked up most, or so she thought, of what Bass and Miles had been talking about and she was fuming. What the hell was he thinking wanting to put the Monroe Republic back together!

When Connor had found them in the woods naked and with the sweat of their previous exercise still cooling on their skin she had felt completely embarrassed. The fact that it was Connor who found them, Connor who she had fucked not too long ago, made it even more awful. She didn't know how to respond, she hadn't been given time to think everything through.

She'd had sex with Sebastian Monroe, America's Most Wanted, the man who most of the people in America hated and feared and she had dragged him to the woods and torn his clothes off. And it had been amazing but she suspected that there weren't a lot of things that Sebastian Monroe was bad at. He excelled at sex, though. The way her skin had burned for his touch, the way she hadn't been able to keep cries and moans spilling from her lips was unnerving. Even after, when she'd said that stupid line and he started laughing like it was the funniest thing he'd ever heard, she just wanted to pull him back on top of her and repeat what they'd been doing moments before.

But then Connor had spoken up and it was as if someone dropped a bathtub filled with ice water on her skin. She'd been jarred from the after-glow and thrown back into the harsh reality that was her life. Charlie hadn't really paid attention to what Bass and Connor were saying, she just felt the blush creep up her body and she was on fire again, this time with shame instead of lust. When Connor left she scrambled to get up and into her clothes, her eyes cast down and trying to ignore the sound and smell from the man to her right. Bass was talking to her and somewhere his words registered but she chose not to answer. She didn't want to talk to him right now and she was glad when he got the hint and suggested that they'd better go see what Jason was up to.

She followed him back to camp, the set of his shoulders tight and she could see by the movements of his body that he was angry. Charlie wondered if he was angry at her or at Connor but she didn't dare ask. Jason had indeed disappeared and Bass asked her if she would be angry if he would hunt him down and kill him. She tried to smile at him but her mind was so jumbled it didn't feel right. In the back of her mind she noticed his eyes grow cold and mention he was going to go to the other camp.

Charlie had gotten up, intending to go with him but he'd stopped her. Some lame excuse about her safety, like she couldn't take care of herself. She scoffed but pretended to listen to him only to head out after him the moment he was out of sight. The good thing about knowing where someone was headed was that she didn't have to follow him too close so there was no risk of him discovering her. She watched from the tree line as he moved down into the cellar.

Just as she was about to head down there as well Bass and Miles came barreling out of the barn, her uncles hand tight around Bass' bicep as he dragged the former General to the other side of the building. Silently Charlie followed them so she could both see and hear them without them seeing or hearing her. They were arguing about why Bass was still with them. Charlie had often wondered why he was as well, he had Connor now and yet he was still around. She refused to admit to herself that she felt safer, better with him around and really, she didn't want him to leave because that would mean she had feelings for him, for the only person in the world she shouldn't have those kind of feelings for.

"You want the republic back." Her uncles words made her head snap up and the feeling coursing through her veins when Bass answered affirmatively was something she'd never felt before. A mixture of anger, disgust, fear, disappointment and sadness ran through her and she turned away. She couldn't stand listening to the two men for one more second. How could he even think about bringing back the republic after all that had happened.

Quickly she slipped back into the woods and ran. She ran from the war, her family, from Bass but mostly from the feelings she was starting to develop for the former General. She sank down against a tree and buried her head in her arms, her mind was racing with a million things. She scoffed, tears in her eyes. It wasn't like the fact she'd had sex with Bass wasn't confusing enough, no now the man intended to bring back the thing she'd been fighting against for a year. The Republic, and what for.

Slowly her breath became more even and the tears dried up, She was going to kill him. At least that way there would be no chance for the Monroe Republic to come back and a happy side effect was that it would stop these idiotic feelings she had for the man. Charlie got to her feet and started to make her way back to the camp where her men were, stopping dead in her tracks when she heard the rustling of leaves to her side. Sneaking up on whoever or whatever was there she was surprised to see the figure of Sebastian Monroe through the branches and leaves.

Without thinking twice she pulled her knife and lunged at him. Like she half expected, he heard her and turned to block her attack before she could hurt him, a look of confusion and surprise in his eyes when he saw it was her. "Charlie?" But she didn't give him any time and attacked again, trying to land blows on his head, stomach, torso anywhere she could reach. Some connected with him and some he deflected without trouble but Charlie had the feeling he wasn't really trying. "You son of a bitch!" And she landed a hard kick to his chest.

Bass staggered back and help out his hands "Charlie... Charlotte, calm down!" She wasn't listening though and pushed his hands away to knee him in the stomach. Charlie could feel he was starting to tire of her assault because his blocks were better and none of the punches and kicks she threw at him landed on his body "Charlotte, knock it off!" His voice demanding now and when she threw another punch he grabbed her arm and turned her around.

His arms were wrapped around her holding hers so she couldn't move them, his body tight and hard against her back, his muscles straining to keep her under control. "What the hell are you doing, Charlie?" Bass voice was right by her ear, not much more than a growl and she felt his hot breath ghost across her skin. Her treacherous body responded to his involuntarily and she cursed silently. "let me go, you lying, despicable son of a bitch!" She squirmed in his grasp, trying her hardest to break free from his tight grip.

"Not until you explain to me why the hell you all of a sudden found the need to try and kill me. Especially since not a few hours ago you dragged me into the woods and kissed me!" The mention of their earlier tryst set her off again and she began to struggle with new enthusiasm. "Trust me, I already regret doing that. Let's call it a moment of insanity, huh." Her head snapped back to catch him off guard but he was too quick and it didn't have any effect. "You really think you'll get out of this hold if I don't want you too, Charlotte?" He sneered. "I have about sixty pounds, seven inches and numerous years of experience on you."

Charlie realized the futility of her struggling and she calmed down. "Now, why the hell are you railing on me, all of a sudden." The second he let go of her she stepped away from him, needing the space to pull herself together. The memory of their bout of sex in the woods still too fresh and she couldn't concentrate when he was so close. "You want the republic back!" She accused "After everything that happened the first time, after everything that happened since and you still want it back."

"Charlie.." But she cut him off "No, don't even try and lie to me, I heard your conversation with Miles, I hear you confirm that you want it back. After everything.. Damn it, Bass!" She pushed against his chest with everything she had and he staggered back against a tree. "What the hell did you figure? That you'd defeat the competition? Huh? That after the Patriots were gone there was nothing stopping you from once again being the big bad. Haven't you killed enough people, haven't you destroyed enough!?" She pushed again and he grunted when his back connected with the tree once more.

"Stop it, Charlie!" But again she pushed against his chest, she was so angry with him for wanting to get back to that horrible time and angry with herself for thinking he could be better, for feeling anything besides disgust and hate for him. And even now, when he'd openly admit to Miles he wanted the Republic back she didn't feel that raging hate in her blood, she just felt disappointed that he apparently hadn't changed.

Bass hands came forward and grabbed her shoulders, keeping her at a distance and he gazed into her eyes, his gaze hard and determined. "What else did you hear?" She snorted "That was all I could stomach, really. I didn't feel like listening in to the rest of your twisted little fight with Miles." His grip tightened and he shook her slightly "Little Charlotte Matheson, drawing conclusions without listening to the entire story, why doesn't that surprise me. Just like your mother you only hear what you want to hear and that's that. I guess the apple doesn't fall far from the tree after all."

"How dare you judge me!" She fumed. "Oh, I dare. If you'd taken the time to listen to the entire conversation you'd have heard that I don't want it to be like before, Charlotte. I don't want THAT back. But there needs to be some kind of chain of command. Laws." She snorted "People need to be free, not controlled by the likes of you." Blue eyes narrowed "Didn't hear you complaining earlier when you were being 'controlled' by the likes of me." She hated the blush that crept up. "People need a leader, Charlie. Maybe you were too young to remember but right after the black out, when there wasn't any form of law, of government, the world went to shit. People fought, starved, plundered and killed. Murderers went free because there was no law system to punish them. People were murdered, raped, robbed and beat up because there was no order whatsoever, because there were no repercussions for their actions. Do you want to go back to THAT?!"

"People got murdered, raped, beat up and robbed BY the Militia! You're blind and stupid if you think the Republic made anything better!"

"Not in the beginning." His voice was calm now "In the beginning, right after we established the republic everything was starting to look up. People were safe again, people could go out on the street and not worry about being raped and robbed. Yes, I went a little... crazy after a while, but you have to believe me Charlie, that's not what I want this time around." She snorted "A little... understatement." She was still angry but she was starting to calm down a bit. Charlie didn't know if she should believe him, his eyes looked sincere but then again, he was Sebastian Monroe and lying was his forte.

"Ok, I went completely bat-shit insane but like I said, that's not what I want this time. Hell, I don't even need to be at the helm, I told your uncle that much. But we can't let people fend for themselves because it doesn't work. They need a leader Charlie, and whether that's me, Connor, Miles, you or a combination of the above... I don't know. But they need something."

To Charlie's horror she found herself actually agreeing with him. "People don't need you, we don't need you. I don't need you!" And there it was, the underlying matter rearing it's ugly little head. No matter how much she protested, how much she told her self she didn't, the trust was that she did need him."

"You don't, huh?" Figured he'd focus on that little sentence after the whole Niagara falls worth of discussion just now. Bass slowly pulled her in closer, his face mere inches from hers "Then tell me to leave." He challenged full well knowing that she wouldn't. "You're a monster." But he just smirked at her "So is Miles. He killed just as much, probably even more, people as me Charlotte. I don't see you having any trouble with him. So what's your deal? hmmm. Are you angry because I want to get some form of the republic back or are you angry because even that fact can't make you hate me anymore?"

There was a loaded silence between them, Charlie not knowing how to react to his comment, too scared of what her answer would be. He was too close to think straight, his hard body pressed up against her's, his strong fingers still griping her shoulders, demanding her attention. "Both." It seemed that answer satisfied Bass because he swooped down and claimed her lips in a hard kiss. Not waiting for permission he shoved his tongue into her mouth and demanded she'd participate in the kiss. Charlie gasped and surged up at the now familiar feel on his lips on her mouth, his hands on her body. For a moment she forgot that she was angry with him, forgot everything they'd just talked about and kissed him back with a passion that would have scared her if she'd stop and think about it.

His fingers were digging into her hips now, his mouth so forceful and demanding she hardly had time to take in gulping breaths as he kissed her within an inch of her life. Then without warning he shoved her off and stepped away. "You can think whatever you want about me, Charlotte, good or bad but I am telling you the truth. I don't ever want to go back to the man I was before the Tower." Then his serious gaze lightened and he smirked "The way I see it, if you want to be sure I keep behaving like a good little General... you're just gonna have to keep a real close eye on me." With that he turned and started back to the camp, leaving he confused, angry and aroused at the same time. This man was insane! Completely infuriating. And she was completely addicted to him.

Authors Notes:

Wanted to do another update today because this is normally the day I watch Revolution since I'm not a US resident and have to wait for it to come on line.

I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter, Like I said, trying to make Charlie a little less meek and have them a little less lovey dovey - though that is still in the works, peeps! Not super loveydovey though, Think Damon and Elena, not Eward and Bella!

Thank you to the people who wrote me some awesome reviews! Nice and lengthy, loved them! I loved reading that my little Miles/Bass fight was something you guys could relate to :D

Like I said, it's gonna be a long fic! So stay tuned. Next update most likely saturday :D

Love, Marisa