Bass just keeps on running. His breath coming in sharp gasps, air shredding at his lungs, and his knee - injured years ago in the deserts of Afghanistan - is protesting fiercely. When he figures he's run at least a mile he lets himself slow to a walk, stopping and listening every now and then to make sure he wasn't followed.

Stupid. Fucking. Moron. What ever happened to watch and wait? Now Charlie knew he was here and she probably already had Miles on the hunt. With that thought in mind, Bass continued on more cautiously, making sure not to leave a trail that his brother could follow.

He would go back in the morning to scope out the situation. In the mean time, he needed to sleep and his knee needed a break.

XxX

Charlie lay awake staring at the ceiling in her and Emily's bedroom. Hours had passed and she was certain that it must almost be dawn. But she couldn't shake the image in her mind of Monroe standing there, behind the shed, so late into the night. His initial appearance terrified her. Why was he here? Was he going to try to take Emily? That's the real reason she had been sitting up all night with a loaded gun in her hand. Every little noise the house made, every creak and groan, had her on her feet with the gun pointing at the door.

Sighing, Charlie rolled over onto her side in an attempt to get more comfortable. It didn't work. Every time she tried to close her eyes she could see his face in her mind. The worst part about it was that she expected him to be scary, lifeless and dead, like the last time she'd seen him. Only when he'd appeared by the water pump he'd looked... scared? Worried, maybe. She wasn't sure.

The only thing she knew for sure was that she hadn't been imagining things. Monroe was here, in Willoughby, she just didn't know why yet.

XxX

Early morning came and went, and Bass found that he couldn't stay away from the Matheson house for long. High up in his tree again, he was watching Rachel wash dishes through the kitchen window and the baby sitting in her highchair - he assumed it was a her due to the pink outfit - through the open back door. Charlie wasn't anywhere in sight, he hadn't seen her all morning. Though he had seen Miles and Gene leave early on, both with sack lunches in hand.

Technically, the plan is to watch the house and find the best way to approach Charlie, but he can't stop looking at the little girl. She's perfect. Giggling to herself while she plays with bits of fruit on her tray. It's taking all of his self control not to run right into the house, snatch her up, and run away so he won't have to deal with the Matheson complications.

That's the easy way, sure. But the child needs her mother, she needs Charlie, so he won't do that. No matter how much he wants to.

The day passes slowly, Rachel going out into the yard to hang laundry with the baby in tow and Charlie finally making an appearance sometime after lunch. She heads out into the yard and Bass knows that he spooked her the night before. Her head turns left and right, her eyes scanning the area before she steps fully onto the porch. Bass can't help but think that if nothing else, he's at least caused her to be more vigilant. The mother of his child has to be able to take care of her after all.

Miles comes back late in the day and Bass has to fight down the jealousy in his chest as he watches his brother playing with his daughter in the yard. She's still young, five or six months by his math, so she mostly just giggles and rolls around, but that's supposed to be him down there with her. Not Miles. It's irrational, he knows, but he'd always been jealous of Miles. The fact that he was now jealous of something that actually was his only made it worse.

As the sun begins to set, he watches Miles and Charlie sit down on the back porch again with glasses in their hands. A nightly ritual maybe? It could be his way in. The two chat for a while, Miles' laughter carrying farther and farther with each sip. When Miles finally gets up to go inside Bass watches Charlie carefully.

Her head turns left and right, scanning the yard carefully, her eyes settling on the shed and the water pump. She slowly descends the steps into the yard and her nerves are almost tangible even from this distance. Behind the shed, she's out of sight for a few moments but comes back into his view carrying a bucket most likely full of water. She stops in the doorway, her eyes scanning the backyard one more time before going into the house.

A nightly ritual? It would seem so. Now he just had to wait until tomorrow to try and talk to her.

XxX

After a crappy night's sleep Charlie wasn't in the mood to do much of anything. She'd spent most of the day lounging around the house letting her mother enjoy some Grandma-time.

But after Miles heads inside for the night she feels that burning and tingling in her spine again. Like she's being watched only there's no one in sight. She holds her head high, acting braver than she really feels, and goes to the water pump to fill the bucket with morning wash water. Her back stiffens as the back of the shed comes into view and she averts her gaze, pretending not to be looking for a man who may or may not be there. Who may not even be in the state. Who may not even be alive.

So what if he is here? She doesn't owe him anything. And there's no way he could know about Emily anyway, so there's no need to worry. She's still hoping it was just her imagination though.

XxX

The next day, just like clockwork, Charlie and Miles sit out on the porch to have a drink and Bass watches with amusement. His brother had never seemed the type to enjoy domestic life, but from what he'd seen Miles was doing great. Bass is happy for him, really, he just wishes he could have the same thing.

Miles is getting up from his seat and Bass knows this is his chance. He needs to move fast. Down the tree, across the yard, and behind the shed, he leans against the old building with his hands safely where Charlie will be able to see them and waits.

He knows the moment she see him. A barely audible intake of breath and she's frozen, staring at him like a deer caught in headlights. Gently easing away from the shed with his hands still well in her view, he gives her a tentative smile. "I'm not going to hurt you." Her eyes subtlety flick in the direction of the house, worry crossing her face. "I'm not here to hurt them either."

Eyes narrowed, she looks directly at him. "Why are you here then?" Though her tone seems more worried than angry.

Deciding to skip whatever bullshit story he could come up with, he goes straight for the truth. "Is she mine?" The slight widening of her big, blue eyes is enough of a conformation. Even though he knew all along, seeing the truth of it in her eyes makes his heart swell with happiness. "Can I see her?" And he hates how rough his voce sounds. Almost desperate.

Charlie still hasn't moved, her feet frozen in place but he can see the emotions as they play out over her face. Fear, guilt, more fear. Her head tilts in the direction of the house and something else crosses her face, something he can't quite identify. "Not now," she says quietly, "not here."

Those words are more than he could have ever hoped for, more than he could have ever dreamed. But the dream is shattered by Miles' voice calling from across the yard. "Charlie? What's taking so long?"

XxX

All of that work convincing herself that it wasn't real, that he wasn't real, thrown out the window. Monroe's in the yard and he knows about Emily. He wants to see her, the sincerity in his voice and face undeniable. Guilt pulls at her heart. If Miles finds out he'll be crushed, but if she keeps Emily from her father that could hurt her daughter even more. She's a mother now, and she will do what her own mother never could. Put her daughter first.

"Not here, not now." Miles is calling for her from the house and she looks away for just a moment, but when she looks back at the shed, Monroe is gone.

"Kid, you ok?" Miles calls.

"Yeah, I'm coming." Grabbing the bucket she heads back inside hoping that she hadn't just made a huge mistake.

XxX

Practically bouncing with giddy excitement, Bass takes a bath in the river in an attempt to calm himself down. She said yes. Well, more or less. 'Not here, not now.' So when? He should have asked, he wanted too, but Miles was there and he couldn't risk Charlie changing her mind.

No. He will wait until tomorrow and approach her again. At least that way she will have had some time to think about the when and where.

XxX

It's a bad idea. Terrible. So many things could go wrong. And yet here she is, gun in the waistband of her jeans, Emily craddled in a holder against her chest, and a diaper bag slung over her shoulder. Miles is at the sheriff's office and her mom and grandpa are both at the clinic. With the house to herself, Charlie just can't help it. The desperate look in Monroe's eyes had haunted her all night.

Finding his tracks behind the shed is simple. Large, booted footprints easy to follow. The trail leads pretty far, but Charlie's not afraid. Not really, curious would probably be a better explanation.

It's late in the morning, though not quite noon and Emily is starting to fuss. She's hungry, Charlie knows, but they're getting close to their destination. She can feel it.

XxX

Stomach growling, Bass plops down a hollow log to devour the fresh meat he'd managed to catch. Not being much of a hunter himself it's just squirrel, but it's better than nothing. Mouth hanging open with his hand halfway there, he stops and slowly turns toward the rustling in the trees.

His hand is on his weapon and pointing in the trees before he even blinks. "Come out of there with your hands where I can see them." To his complete and utter shock it's none other than Charlie, one hand raised and the other on the bundle against her chest.

Bass drops the gun. Literally.

"Hello." She looks nervous and awkward, and he can't stop himself from thinking that she's absolutely adorable.

"What are you doing here?" If he could slap himself he would, his mother had always told him not to question blessings.

"I thought you said that... I just... I don't know?" She seems confused and lost, but luckily he doesn't have to help her figure any of that out because the baby suddenly starts to cry. Bass is instantly on alert. "What, what's wrong?"

To his annoyance Charlie just laughs. "Nothing, she's hungry. It's lunchtime." She shrugs as if that was obvious and he can't help but feel stupid.

"Oh, right."

She looks around carefully before moving to sit on the same log he'd just abandoned. Situating the baby in her lap, he sees her eyes flick self consciously in his direction.

Oh. Right.

Bass averts his gaze, pretending to busy himself with the fire while she gets the baby settled.

"Why did you come to Willoughby?" She asks quietly.

Deciding it must be safe to turn around now, he looks at her, finding her chest covered by a thin blanket, the baby's little legs and chubby feet the only things visible. "I didn't... well, I did, but-" He stops so he can gather his thoughts. "I was just passing through for supplies. It was... luck that I saw you in the market."

"You're the one who was watching me." It's not a question, just a verification of what she already knows.

Bass nods, deciding again that the truth is probably his best bet. "At first I couldn't believe it and then I saw Miles holding... what's her name?"

A chuckle escapes her lips. "Emily. Emily Erin Matheson."

All he can manage is a nod. It beautiful and perfect, not overly flashy but enough that not every single person she meets will have the same name. "Erin, didn't you have a friend - you named her after the fat guy?"

Her eyes turn harsh and Bass instantly knows he's said something wrong. "His name is Aaron Pittman, and yes, I named her after him. He is her godfather after all."

"I didn't mean-"

"Yes, you did." She interrupts angrily, beginning to rise to her feet, trying to hold the baby in place with one arm.

Panic floods his whole body and he rushes forward, stopping short when she pulls a gun from her jeans. "Whoa, wait, please, I just want..."

"What?" She's sitting down again, but the anger hasn't faded and the gun hasn't wavered. "What do you want from me?"

He swallows, his eyes falling to the chubby feet sticking out from under the blanket. "I just want to know my daughter," he says softly.

Something akin to sympathy flashes across Charlie's face. She nods ever so slightly and sighs, setting the gun down on the log beside her. "I understand," she says gently as Emily starts the wiggle under the thin cover. Keeping herself covered, Charlie pulls Emily out from under it and hesitantly holds her out to him.

Bass' brain is shouting at him to take her, but the message takes it's time getting to the rest of his body. He gently takes a squirming Emily from her mother and looks down at her perfect, little face. Sky blue eyes stare up at him curiously and he can't help but smile, the movement causing Emily to squeal with delight, her tiny hands clapping together happily. Tears fall uninvited down his cheeks and he swipes them away, angry at them for obstructing his view his daughter.

Ignoring Charlie completely, he sits down with Emily in his lap and just stares. The drool falling from the corner of her mouth would be disgusting to anyone else, but to him it's the most perfect thing on the planet. If anyone, including himself, had thought he was incapable of loving anyone anymore, Emily proved them wrong.

"She's perfect," he whispers, voice loving with worship.

XxX

It's uncomfortable to watch a grown man cry, but Monroe's tears are drawing her in like a magnet and she can't help but smile at his reaction to Emily. It's almost the exact same one she'd had the day she was born. Something in her heart tells her that she made the right choice. Coming to see Monroe and bringing Emily was the right thing to do, his reaction merely solidifying that in her mind.

In the distance, the bell tower in Willoughby rings, signaling that it's now noon. Panic hits her quickly, making her jump to her feet and start to gather her things. Monroe looks up at her with sudden worry written all over his face. "I have to go," she tells him hurriedly, "Miles will be back soon and he doesn't know about... well, about you, so I have to get back."

He nods slowly, his eyes not leaving Emily's face as he drops a kiss on her forehead. Handing her over, he looks directly into Charlie's eyes. "Thank you." The emotion and seriousness behind it conveyed through his eyes.

"I'll come back on Thursday, is that ok?"

Surprise takes over his face and he stutters for a moment. "Yeah, yes, I-I'll be here."

A smile tugs at Charlie's lips. "Good, see you then."

She's already out of the clearing when she hears him call out softly, "see you."

A/N Wow, I'm glad that so many of you like this! Thanks for all the support you guys! :-)