"You're not the least bit concerned?"
"I didn't say that. I just don't see the point in getting upset over something we aren't even sure about yet."
"It seems a little too coincidental for my taste. Why here? Why now?"
"Strategy."
"For Mayberry, USA? What advantages does this place have other than being low key and out of the way?"
"I don't know. You're in my way."
Nora sighed but leaned to her right, allowing Miles to get into the cabinet she was sitting in front of. She fiddled with the glass in her hands, took a small sip, and then set it onto the countertop.
"This isn't like you."
"I'm tired. I don't plan on having a stakeout tonight. Or did you not believe me when I told you I was through with being a general, no matter which side it was for?" he smirked slightly. She shrugged a little as her teeth sunk into her lower lip. He gave an exasperated sigh, tossed the bowl into the sink, and moved so he was standing in front of her. He planted a hand on either side of her, locking her between his arms, and leaned in close. "I think you're antsy and feeling the urge to blow something up."
"You really don't want to slice some throats open?"
"Some days but then I decide it's not even worth it. Why worry yourself over something you have no control over?"
"I think it's suspicious. I know you think it is too. We've both been at this long enough to know when something's not right."
"I'd rather have some evidence before I drag the big guns out."
"See. Right there, you said before. There's still a bit of the old you in there."
"Not the point."
"Are you pretending to be indifferent just to keep me calm?"
"I'm being indifferent because it's not our problem."
"So we settle into a town where nothing ever happens, then three months later, the Patriots roll in. If I was one of our new neighbors, I'd be suspicious. Are they looking for someone? How about that oddly perfect family who showed up one day?"
"That's you. I don't have much faith in them- or their level of intellect."
"Okay. Well, how about the fact they have a bounty out on Monroe?"
"Since when do you care about him?"
"I don't but they have one out on him. Who's to say there isn't one out on us?"
"Not going to happen."
"Why?"
"You're not important enough." He teased, causing her to pout in annoyance. He chuckled and leaned in closer to kiss her. "Seriously though, if the time comes to slay bounty hunters, I will not hesitate to pick up the sword and defend you."
"Modern day Prince Charming over here. So, you're not going to budge about this?"
"Nope because if we were in any serious danger or threat of being taken in, they would have brought their troops with them and not have left them hours away. Nothing bad is happening right now. Why get worked up about it? You've already got yourself stressed out enough as it is. Why make it worse?"
"And if bad things start happening?"
"It doesn't fall on us to fix it. Our time is done. The best thing we can do is act normal, stay quiet, and pretend we are just as blissfully unaware as the rest of the town. If we draw attention to ourselves, then the shit is going to hit the fan."
"This is going to blow up in our faces." She muttered. He groaned quietly and dropped his head so his forehead hit her shoulder, unable to debate the topic any longer.
"If I agree to give you bragging rights when it happens, can we end this conversation?"
"If we're going to get nowhere with this, might as well."
"I just want you to relax baby."
"I'm relaxed."
"Right."
"Don't give me that tone." She slugged him in the shoulder lightly but bit back a smile while he smirked at her. "I'm serious."
"Mhmm."
"Babe,"
"Yeah, I know."
"Yet, you still give me that tone."
"I guess I figure if I mock it enough, you'll realize there's no point to any of this conversation."
"And if I don't?"
"I have other ways to distract you." He murmured, nudging her legs apart.
"Not a good idea."
"Not doing anything." He hooked a hand under both her legs, lifting them to wrap her around his waist.
"Miles," she attempted to sound stern, eyes glancing at the open doorway. However, it was difficult to sound stern as his hands were wandering over her.
"Shh," he leaned in, brushed his lips along her jawline. She sighed softly into his ear as she threaded a hand through his hair. "How many chances do we have to do this?"
"That's exactly the point. We-" she cut off as he lifted his head and caught her in a slow, thorough kiss. They were quiet after that, both knowing there was nothing that needed to be said that couldn't be conveyed through their actions.
"Oh! Ugh, ah," Charlie stumbled over her words as she turned into the kitchen a few minutes later. She grabbed Alex by the shoulder and clapped a hand over his eyes. "Really? Don't you have a bedroom for that?"
"You guys weren't supposed to be here." Miles muttered as he slipped away from Nora, who hopped off the counter.
"I'm scared to think of what you do when we really aren't here."
"Not any of your business."
"Did you behave yourself at Jake's?" Nora asked Alex. He nodded in response, scowling as she handed him a stack of plates. "Set the table please."
"Why?" there was a whine in his voice that made her give him a look. Miles, for his part, whacked him gently on the back of the head.
"Don't give your mom problems. Do what you're told."
"Charlie,"
She glanced up from the book she was reading and found Miles standing in the doorway of her bedroom. She sat up and folded the page she was on, then closed the book.
"What's up?"
"Feel like taking a walk?" he asked. The question caught her off guard and she tilted her head slightly in bemusement. He sighed slightly, fidgeting at her scrutiny. "What? I can't ask you to come out?"
"Where are we going?"
"Just out. Take Stitch with us."
"Why?"
"It's been a while since we had some time together. Just-" he shrugged, glancing off to the side. He had been worried about his niece ever since Nora had told him about their conversation on the beach. "Never mind. We don't have to. I'm going out though."
"No, it's okay." She uncrossed her legs and climbed off her bed, then shoved her feet into her boots. "Some fresh air never hurt anyone."
She followed him down the stairs, noting his hand signal to be quiet as he crept past the living room. A glance into the room revealed her aunt and cousin and she frowned slightly, wondering what her uncle's deal was.
"What are you two doing?" Nora called without turning her head. Miles made a face and poked his head into the room.
"We're going to take the dog for a walk."
"Together."
"Last time I checked, it wasn't a crime."
"Should I be concerned?"
"Why would you be concerned about walking the dog?"
"Because the only times I've seen the two of you do something together, it's usually followed by problems."
"Babe, you're being paranoid."
"Can I come?" Alex asked. He lifted his head slightly to peer over the top of the couch. Miles made another face as he became the receiver of the dreaded puppy dog eyes. It didn't help that Nora was watching him carefully.
"Yeah. Why not. Go get your shoes."
"Don't be too long." His wife commented. She settled back into the couch and turned her attention to the television, apparently convinced he wasn't doing anything dangerous or stupid by the fact he would drag their son along.
"Yes Mom."
His sass was rewarded with a glare as she tipped her head back and caught his eye. He merely smiled and slung an arm over Alex to steer him towards the door, saying, "We'll be back in a few."
Once outside, Alex took control of Stitch's leash and walked slightly ahead of Miles and Charlie. For a moment, they were all silent but Charlie whispered,
"Why do I get the feeling this wasn't the original plan?"
"Because it wasn't." Miles muttered back. "But whatever. What's going on with you?"
She gave him a weird look, tensing up a little, "What do you mean?"
"I mean, you seem… troubled… recently."
"I'm fine."
"Nora does talk to me. Shocking, but it does happen." He inhaled a deep breath, then said quietly, "I'm here too. I know that's not very comforting but if you… anyway, just, don't… I worry about you, okay? I don't need any more stress so do me a favor and let me know so I can… help, I guess."
"I know." She giggled at his awkwardness but smiled at him. He attempted one back, then ruffled the back of her hair to break the moment. "What are we doing?"
He glanced at his son, then lowered his voice, "I'm curious as to what they're planning. Not going to get involved but I do want to know. I don't want Nora knowing."
"You know she's going to find out."
"Hopefully not. She's been… upset lately, and I get it, I do, but it's not her. I hate seeing her like this."
"So you're… what, going to try and fix things without her realizing?"
"I'm not doing anything. I just want to know for my own peace of mind and, in a roundabout way, I can reassure her." He ran a hand through his hair, sighing a little. "She's not wrong about any of this. I know how she feels. It used to be just us and it was easier but now we've got Alex to worry about and we worry about you too. I just want things to be back to normal. As weird as it sounds, our normal was Philly. We had a house, a life, friends. We were content and she didn't have to worry. I want that. I want her to have that. Hopefully without the militia aspect."
"Dad, he's not walking right." Alex complained, tugging a little on Stitch's leash as the dog strained to get a bird that was perched on the sidewalk.
"Because you're letting him lead. He's going to tug you down. Here, give me him."
"Where are we going?"
"I don't know. We'll walk by the stores, see what's going on."
It wasn't a far walk to the center of town- something Miles was grateful for- and none of them were surprised to see Main Street semi-busy for a Wednesday night. Without being told, Charlie knew her uncle was scoping the area for the man she had described earlier for him. They wandered down the street, stopping as Stitch needed to sniff and react to every little thing and Alex wanted to peer into each shop window.
"Can we go in here?" he pointed to the pawn shop and Miles responded with a quiet nod. He looped Stitch's leash around a lamppost, gave a stern 'stay', and followed his niece and son into the shop. The bell above the door tinkled, alerting the owner to their arrival and Miles nearly groaned as the old woman popped up from behind the counter. It wasn't that he didn't like Beth- he did but she was too friendly in his opinion and most days, he didn't have the patience.
"Good evening. This is a lovely surprise."
"Hi Mrs. Callahan." Alex smiled shyly as he approached the counter. "How are you?"
"I'm doing well. How are you?"
"Okay."
"Would you like a cookie?"
Alex twisted his head back for Miles's approval, which he gained in a shrug. He turned back to the older woman with a smile and nodded, "Yes please. Thank you."
"So polite and refreshing. Some of the children in this town could learn a few tips from your boy Rick."
"Don't let him fool you. He can be a terror when he wants to be."
"I find that doubtful. Where is your wife?"
"Home relaxing. I said I'd get everyone out of her hair for an hour or so. Hey," Alex's movement caught Miles's attention and he turned towards his son, "look with your eyes, not your hands."
"I wasn't doing anything."
"Not yet, you weren't." he retorted. Alex huffed and turned to examine a shelf of puzzles.
"Don't be too careful Alex. Nothing in here is priceless or irreparable." Beth smiled kindly. "Did you hear we have some important visitors in town?"
"Who would that be?" Miles leaned on the front of the counter. He couldn't deny that the woman had a knack for gossiping around town.
"Well, there hasn't been any official word yet but most people are saying it's the Patriots. Geri, you know Robert's assistant, came by with a message. There's a town meeting in the high school tomorrow afternoon to discuss important matters. I would guess they'll do some big unveiling at that point."
"These… Patriots. They're the supposed US Government."
"So they say. All I have to say is I'll be asking where they've been for the past fifteen years. Don't get me wrong, Affleck has done a fine job piecing the area back together. It's been better than what happened out east with the Monroe Republic. Where did our government go though? They just show up and… who knows. Do they expect us all to start singing the National Anthem again? It's been fifteen years. They weren't there when the country needed them the most. Why would anyone be willing to take up their flag again?"
Charlie raised her eyebrows in surprise as she listened to Beth speak. Perhaps it had been the area she had grown up in, but most people she had spoken to would have been thrilled to have the United States return. It was unusual to hear someone speaking with such reluctance in regards to the former government.
"Dad?"
"What?" Miles turned to face Alex, who was holding a baseball bat in his hands. "Where'd you find that?"
"In the corner. Can I get it?"
"You want a baseball bat?"
"Yeah. I want to learn how to play. I saw the other kids playing. Can you teach me?"
"Absolutely." He couldn't stop the grin from spreading across his face. Baseball had been a huge part of his childhood. To share that with his son would be a good bonding experience.
"There should be a box of balls on one of the shelves." Beth piped up.
"We'll get two just in case we lose one." Miles commented as he found the box. "Here, hang on to these."
He rounded the corner of the shelving and stopped dead in his tracks as his eyes landed on one object in particular.
"Holy shit." He murmured, reaching for the acoustic guitar.
"What did you find?" Alex popped up at his elbow and he turned a little to show him. "What is it?"
"It's a guitar. You play music on it. You've never seen a guitar before?" he frowned at his son's oblivious gaze but then again, wasn't all that surprised. Bass had never been musically inclined and Miles seriously doubted he would have let Alex wandered through Philly to see the street musicians.
"I think I did once. Do you know how to play it?"
"I hope I remember. I'll teach you how to do this too."
"Yeah?"
"Yeah. This… this is a good idea. Your mom is going to go crazy."
"Why she doesn't like it?"
"No. She loves it." His mouth quirked into a smirk at the memories that hit him. Alex simply shrugged, completely unaware of any of his father's insinuations. He walked back towards the counter and handed Beth the baseballs.
"Did you want anything?" Miles asked, seeing Charlie appear from behind a shelf.
"No, I'm good." She paused as she saw the guitar in his hands and smiled a little. "I remember that. You used to play for me when you would visit."
He was about to respond when he heard Stitch barking from outside, which made him groan. He nodded at the window, saying to Charlie, "Do you want to take Alex and go out there? I'll take care of this stuff."
"Yeah."
"Can I take one out with me?" Alex reached for a ball and took it after approval from both Miles and Beth. He followed Charlie out of the shop and began tossing the ball up into the air as Charlie untied Stitch from his spot. She kept an eye on her cousin as he dropped and ran after his new possession but also kept an eye on the window. Miles was leaning over the glass case next to the counter, pointing at something. She vaguely remembered there had been bracelets and rings in the case.
Alex tossed the baseball in a high arc, causing it to land several feet in front of him. He let out a quiet 'oh!' as the ball began to roll towards the opposite side of the street. He chased after it, careful to not get in anyone's way, and then skidded to a stop as he saw a black shoe come down on top of the ball. Slowly, his eyes looked up to see a man in pants and a collared shirt towering over him. Immediately, he became withdrawn and turned red. The man was older than his father but reminded him of the men he used to see coming in and out of Bass's office.
"I'm sorry."
"Not a problem." The man smiled kindly at him and knelt down to pick up the ball. "That's a fine baseball. Looks like it's one of the good ones made before the lights went out."
"My dad just got it for me."
"Are you a good baseball player?"
"Dunno. I never played before. He's going to teach me."
"That's nice. My daughters never wanted to play so I never had someone to coach. I think you'll be just fine. Do they have a team here in town?"
"Dunno. A lot of the kids at school play though."
"Practice real hard and you'll be like the pro players. I always liked the Houston Astros. Do you know the old teams?"
"No. I've seen baseball cards in Mrs. Callahan's shop though."
"See if you find any of the guys in the Astros uniform. They were the best." The man winked cheerfully as he ruffled Alex's hair and slapped the baseball into his hand.
"Alex!" Charlie's shout caught their attention from across the street. Even from a distance, she had a deep frown on her face as she started to walk towards them.
"That's a nice name. It was nice to meet you Alex. I'm Patrick. Maybe I'll see you at a baseball game soon." He turned after that and began walking back towards the corner of the street where the inn was.
"What were you doing?" Charlie grabbed Alex gently by the back of the shirt, causing him to look up.
"I lost the baseball. He picked it up."
"Don't talk to people."
Her cousin's eyes widened at her rare harshness. Immediately, she felt guilty and sighed. Her fingers uncurled from his shirt and she adjusted her arm so it was wrapped around his shoulders.
"Let's just go back. Miles is going to be coming out in a minute."
"Are you going to tell Dad?"
"What did he say to you?"
"Nothing. He talked about baseball."
Charlie looked back at the end of the street, trying to catch one more glimpse of the man but he had already disappeared from her view. She was skeptical, but he also hadn't been the man she had seen earlier.
"I'm sorry."
"It's okay. Just- don't run away from me or your parents. It's not- just, forget it." They were back on the sidewalk in front of the pawn shop before Miles exited. "If you don't know someone, you shouldn't interact with them, unless you're properly introduced first and one of us say it is okay."
"Because they can be bad."
"Maybe. I'm not saying he was but we don't know him and- never mind."
It meant nothing. The only way he could have been in some kind of danger was if the guy knew exactly who he was and for that to happen, I would recognize him or Alex would. He could have run into anyone. Unless he knows, was following you, and targeted Alex.
The thought left an uncomfortable sensation in her stomach but it was brushed aside as Miles walked towards them.
"You took longer than expected. What were you doing?"
"Negotiating. Notice anything?"
"I don't think so." Charlie responded slowly, glancing towards the inn again. She wasn't sure. There was no point in saying something if she wasn't definite. He could just be someone passing through to another town. There was nothing that screamed 'Patriot' about the man. Also, she wasn't exactly thrilled to admit she had let Alex wander off. It had been an accident but considering the state of their lives recently, she wouldn't be surprised if her aunt and uncle flipped out. She sighed inwardly. There was no point in beating herself up. It had been a one time thing and nothing had happened.
"Might as well just wait until tomorrow. Ready to go home?" Miles threw an arm around Alex as they started to walk.
"Can we play tonight?"
"It's too dark. You won't be able to see. When you get home from school tomorrow, we'll throw the ball around. Damn, we should have gotten some gloves."
"Gloves?"
"Yeah, baseball gloves. If someone hits a ball or throws one at you, you need to protect your hand when you're catching. I'll come back in the morning and see if I can find a couple."
"Okay. Thanks Dad."
"No problem buddy." He ruffled his hair gently. "No problem at all."