Word count; 2899

Notes at the bottom

WARNING! FLUFF!

CHAPTER 39 :

Rachel had been doing like she promised, she had been ignoring Bass ever since Charlie had had that conversation with her. Charlie was happy about that, on top of all that was happening she didn't want to worry about her mother going postal on her boyfriend.

Calling Bass that, even just in her mind, was weird. But he was... her boyfriend. There was no denying it now. They'd been together for a while now, said how they felt about each other and had even talked about the future once, even though it wasn't sure they'd even have one.

The large group arriving had changed that, though. Now they had a chance of a future because their numbers were still growing. There was actually a chance that they could defeat the patriots now.

With that came another question, though. The group meant that Bass had himself an actual army again and in the back of her mind she hadn't forgotten what he said about wanting to bring back the republic in some way.

That's why she was now looking all over for General Sebastian Monroe. Because ever since the group of leaders had gotten together he'd been acting a little more like the old general and it scared her.

She found him with Evan, Miles, Jack and Holden, one of the newly arrived clan-leaders. The four men were talking, drinking and laughing. She sat down next to him and he smiled at her before continuing his conversation. It was nice seeing him like this, like he wasn't planning a war with his fellow officers but like he was just shooting the shit with a couple of friends.

It looked to be just that, to her. That was until you focused on the words the men were saying. They were going to wait three more days for people to arrive and then they were going to move on the Patriots.

Spies had been sent into the city to find out what the best place and time would be for a coup and the spies had found out that upcoming Saturday was a big event. The President of the United States of America would be making a public appearance together with all his high ranked officers.

Almost like they wanted to be killed. The City would be open for everyone and the Patriots had sent out riders to all the large cities weeks ago so that people from all around could attend if they wanted to. This suited their army just fine because this mean that they could get in without being suspicious.

Over the past two days they'd been sending groups ahead to camp closer to the city and take up residence in the city under the lie that they were there for the President's speech Saturday. So far everything had been going as planned, groups of men and women with concealed weapons were flooding the city.

Charlie placed her hand on Bass' arm to get his attention. Those startlingly blue eyes turned towards her and he smiled "Hmmm?" He asked as he covered her hand with his own, lacing their fingers together.

"Can we talk?" She wanted to know. Charlie needed some alone time with him before everything went down and the closer they got to d-day the less time he seemed to have for her. She knew it was part of his job, he needed to train and instruct new people so she wasn't angry but she needed to talk to him.

Bass smiled and gut up "Sure." He replied and he allowed her to lead him off into the woods. She took him to a place she knew was a safe distance from both camps so they wouldn't be disturbed.

She wrung her hands nervously because she didn't know how to start. She didn't want him to think she didn't trust him or that she thought he was going back to his old ways, she just wanted answers. Answers about what they were going to do after Saturday, about what he had planned and was she still even in those plans?

It seemed Bass noticed her nervousness because he stepped closer to her and cupped her chin in his hand "Out with it, Charlotte. I can see that brain of yours working inside that gorgeous head of yours." It still made her weak in the knees when he gave her compliments like that but she wouldn't be distracted now.

"Are you going to restart the republic?" Shit, she hadn't want to burst that out like that. She had wanted to start off slow and ease him into the conversation like she had practiced. Yes! She had actually practiced this conversation with Bass because she wanted it to go the right way, not like this.

"What I mean is..." She paused and looked at him but he was just standing there with a neutral look on his face, waiting for her to continue. "What I mean is, You have an army now. You have an actual army that's four? Five? Hundred men and women strong and I just."

Charlie let out an exasperated sigh, she had no idea how to do this. She didn't want to lose him, she couldn't think of anyone in her life that she felt about like she did about him. She genuinely loved him and she knew he loved her but would that be enough for him.

After all, he'd been a President, a General of an entire republic. He'd enjoyed power and respect and wealth and what did she have to offer? "I don't... It's not like I fear that you're gonna go back to how you were a year ago but I just, I NEED to know where we stand, where I stand."

"Where do you think you stand?" His words startled her and she looked up into his face. There was no anger there, just a curious look in his eyes and a small smile on his face. "I don't really know." She replied. "I... I love you." Whatever they would say in the next few moment she just wanted, needed him to know that. She loved him, more than anything.

"That's good." He replied with a smile but he didn't say anything else, it was like he was still waiting for her to finish. It made her even more nervous than she already was.

"I know you and Connor planned to get the republic back when he first got here. I know that you also told Miles that and that you didn't want it to be like before." Charlie truly didn't know the right words to say to convey her feelings and fears the right way. "I didn't give it any mind before because it wasn't really an option, I mean, how would you restart anything with just you and Connor. But now there is an entire army at your disposal."

"Charlie?" His voice registered but she was on a roll now and she needed to get it off her chest now or she never would be able to say it. "I know you and Miles worked hard for the first republic and I know that you could do it right if you wanted to." She looked into his eyes "I know that for years you were a man that had more power than god and was wealthy, had a large house, servants, soldiers... Hell you were a General for crying out loud."

Bass was just looking at her now, allowing her to speak her mind "I'm afraid that..." For a second she choked up and then she felt hands on her face again. Bass lifted her head so her eyes connected with his, thumbs under her chin so she couldn't turn away "Afraid of what?" He wanted to know.

A moment she closed her eyes before opening them once more "I'm just a girl, Bass. I'm a simple life kinda girl. I'm not fancy, I'm not smart or sophisticated or anything like that. I'm afraid that I... what if it turns out that at one point I'm not enough. I mean..." She tried to swallow her tears away "I mean, what the hell do I have to offer?"

A soft chuckle came from above and for a moment he thought he was laughing at her. That was, until she saw the look on his face. "Charlotte Matheson," He started slowly "I never took you for a fool but this might just change my mind."

Charlie was about to pull out of his embrace but his fingers tightened and his blue eyes bore into hers. "Now, I'm gonna say this only once because it's sappy and stupid and will not be repeated to anyone not presently here, understood." She nodded faintly and waited for him to continue.

"I actually talked to Connor about this. Saturday, after we've won the fight," She loved how he wasn't even thinking that they would do anything besides win "If Connor wants to restart anything he's welcome to it, he can have this so-called army that showed up on our doorstep. I haven't been interested in re-starting the Republic for quite some time, Charlie."

He took a deep breath "When Saturday is over and we're walking away from this damn city... you and me are going to find that house we talked about. Miles can come, Aaron, Connor, Priscilla... fuck, even Rachel can come if she wants to... but we're getting out of here." Bass smiled "I am taking you out of this life of fighting and surviving and not knowing whether or not we're gonna make it through the day. You and me are going to find that house with the garden, we're gonna have cows, pigs, chickens... any-fucking-thing you want."

Bass chuckled "If you want to grow crops... point at the spot and I will dig you a place to put the seeds." He stepped impossibly closer, hard body pressed up against hers, breath fanning across her face "Now listen to me, because I need you to hear this."

Charlie nodded her head, still trying to blink the tears from her eyes but now for a different reason. "You will never not be enough, you hear me? I don't need power, I don't need an army or servants or soldiers. There is only one thing in this hell-hole we call earth that I need. You."

Now a tear slipped down her cheek and a calloused thumb caught it "I know I'm harsh and rude. I don't often say what I feel and I have a temper that rivals with the best of them but somehow I earned your love and I'm not wasting that. I spent years, Charlie, a lifetime, searching for a family after I lost mine. I had Emma and Shelly and everything slipped through my hands, time after time."

She took a shaky breath as he continued "I did have servants and I was more wealthy that anyone I've ever known and yet I've never been richer than I am now. You give me everything that's worth anything, your love, your time, your laugh. So don't you ever again think that you're not enough. You're so much that sometimes I know I don't deserve you but I'm selfish enough to not let you go."

He lowered his face so his lips were a hairs breadth away from hers "That enough of an explanation of what my plans for the future are?"

A smile graced her lips and she tilted her head up "Yeah." She breathed before she pressed her mouth to his. Unlike their normally passionate kisses, that were stolen in moments where they were in a rush, this one was the exact opposite. They kissed slow and languidly, lips, tongue and breath moving in a delicate dance.

Bass' hands were in the small of her back, his long fingers tracing soft patterns on her spine as he slowly kissed her within an inch of her life. He tasted amazing, he felt amazing, he even smelled amazing. She could never get enough of this man.

The time she had spend hating and fearing and wanting to kill the man she was currently kissing seemed like a lifetime away. Sometimes she thought back to it and it seemed like a dream, like it hadn't been her and it surely hadn't been him.

Sunlight filtered through the canopy of leaves above them, shadows playing on their skin while their tongues played with each other. Charlie buried her fingers in his hair and softly pulled his head even closer, she wanted to drown in him.

Nothing seemed more right than standing here with him in this place. She knew that in a few days they would be knee deep in blood and war but here, with him, it seemed like time stood still. Who would have ever thought that it turned out that the man she would love like nothing else was the man she first hated like nothing else.

Bass slipped his hands in her back pockets and drew her groin against his so she could feel his very obvious state of want. Charlie chuckled against his pliant lips and nipped the bottom one. He hissed into her mouth and turned the heat up a notch, their kiss becoming more fierce and less playful.

Their teeth clashed and Bass growled against her and he started pushing her back, only stopping when she hit a tree. The bark was rough against her back but she didn't care because the hard, warm man against her front drove away all rational thought. He knew just where to touch and where to kiss to drive her completely out of her mind crazy, it was like he had a blueprint for her body.

Luckily she also knew how to do the same with him so she lowered one of her hands and grabbed him by the nape of his neck, the soft hairs tickling her skin as she tugged lightly and moaned into his mouth. She knew that it was something that drove him wild, when she would make it clear that he was turning her on, it turned him on even more. It was an avalanche of lust and need that just kept building until neither of them could fight it anymore.

Charlie slipped her hand down to the hem of his shirt and tugged on it, letting out a frustrated groan when the garment wouldn't cooperate. Bass chuckled and leaned back, his own hands joining hers and aiding her in pulling of his shirt. As soon as his skin was revealed she ran her hands over his chest, fingers briefly teasing his nipples before the slid down his stomach.

He was built to perfection, his body hard and toned from fighting. There wasn't a soft inch to find, he was like steel covered in silk. A soft trail of hairs lead into his pants and her eager fingers followed it down.

Both his hands were placed against the tree on either side of her head as he watched her hands trail down his body. Charlie raked her nails over his abdomen and she reveled in the shiver he couldn't control, her head tilting up to catch his lips again.

"Hmmmhmmm." Somebody cleared their throat a couple of yards to the left of them. Charlie felt Bass tense but he didn't jump away from her, slowly he pulled his mouth off hers and turned his head to the offending sound, she followed his example only to find Gene standing there with an uncomfortable look on his face.

"Grandpa?" Oh, no, this wasn't uncomfortable at all. She only got caught sucking face with the man who called him names on several occasions and had tried to kill him at least once, nope... not uncomfortable at all.

"Your mother is looking for you." Gene said as he glared in Bass' direction. The former General was still standing there without his shirt and Bass wasn't making any movements to cover himself up. Charlie blushed but she didn't push Bass away, he was hers now and since her mom knew it she figured everyone should just deal with it.

Gene didn't seem all that surprised though and she remembered that her grandfather had a very keen sense of observation, maybe he'd known all along that she was with Bass. She nodded to her grandfather that she'd understood him and would be joining him shortly.

He left after another glance at the two of them but he didn't make any comment about the state or position he'd found them in.

Charlie turned back to Bass and sighed "Duty calls." The man before her groaned and stole another kiss "Your mom is lucky I made you a promise because right now I'm fit to murder anyone who dared interrupt us." He grabbed his shirt and pulled it back on "You go on ahead... I'm gonna hang here for a while and cool down." Glancing down and making her aware of his delicate state.

She chuckled and teasingly ran her fingers down the seam of his zipper making him growl "Woman... Don't start anything you can't finish right now." Charlie just laughed out loud and headed back to the camp, before she was out of earshot she looked over her shoulder and smiled "Don't worry... I plan on finishing what I started here."

There you go, my loyal readers!

The most recent chapter.

It's coming to an end, my friends. There are about 5/6 more chapters after this one and then we must say goodbye to this version of Charlie and Bass. I'm quite sad about it but I'm pretty happy with the ending I have in mind for you guys and I think it's a good time to stop when the story is still at a high. I hate series that just keep going and going and going... like CSI or NCIS, one should know when to quit.

So, stick with me for a couple more chappies and then you can sink your teeth into a whole NEW Charloe story :D

Let me know what you're thinking!

Love you,

Marisa