Lemon alert****

Straight ahead

EDIT: I've updated this chapter cuz there were parts that were cringey as far as grammar and wording.

Monroe pushed her up against the tree, hard. She winced in pain when her back scraped against the rough bark. "Let go of me."

"No. You need to learn some respect."

"From you? Hah!" she sneered.

"Charlie," he warned, pushing her harder against the tree. "Don't test me."

She was breathless, chest heaving. Her breasts flattened against his chest, and suddenly they were both very aware of the how close they were. Monroe's hands moved from her shoulders to her waist. Her heart pounded.

"What are you doing?" she asked hoarsely, suddenly unable to speak normally.

His thumb moved in slow circles on bare skin under her shirt. "What does it look like I'm doing?"

"I… well, stop."

Instead of going away, he moved closer, running his hands from her waist to her rear to lift her up against the tree. He wedged his body in between her legs and molded himself against her. Her senses were assaulted on all fronts. The feel of him against her, his smell-like the outside, the look in his eyes as if he would devour her.

Then his mouth was on hers and everything burst inside her. Every reservation, every voice telling her to stop, everything. She wanted only him in that moment. She hungrily opened her mouth to him and sought out his tongue with hers, kissing and stroking as if she couldn't get enough of him. He tasted so good. She moaned into his mouth, running her hands over his face and neck and chest.

The he gripped her hips and lifted her up and off the tree. She slid down him to stand. Her jacket came off as did her shirt and bra. Then his hands were on her breasts and she arched into him.

Monroe broke off the kiss. "Charlie … we can still stop this," he panted.

She doubted that. Her hands found his belt buckle and she tugged. He took that as her answer and drew her down to the ground with him. Clothes came off quickly after that, until the hard length of his body covered hers.

There was no time for foreplay. She spread her legs and put him inside her, crying out when he filled her completely. He drove into her, hard and fast, until she couldn't think, couldn't breathe, couldn't speak. His muscles contracted under her hands.

"I'm gonna come," he murmured, finding her mouth again and kissing her long and hard as he thrust into her.

Hearing those words and knowing it was Monroe who said them pushed Charlie over the edge. She arched, gripping him tight as waves of ecstasy washed over her from head to toe.

Charlie bolted upright in bed, hot and sticky between her legs, and totally mortified.

But not as much as she should be after having a sex dream about Monroe.

XXXXX

Bass sat quietly by himself, off to the side in the living room. Charlie hadn't come downstairs yet which left him time to think.

What in the holy hell had happened last night?

Things had spiraled so far, so fast, and now he didn't really know what to do about it. He should've went after Connor, that was the first thing he'd screwed up. Being alone with Charlie…

He should've walked away when she'd started goading him about turning Connor against him. He'd lost his temper. Second thing he screwed up.

But then for one brief moment, he'd sworn he'd seen … desire in her eyes. That was crazy, though.

Wasn't it?

Everything in the air around them had changed from him attempting to teach her a lesson to him noticing how close they were. How she felt under his hands. That look in her eye.

But it had disappeared so quickly he wasn't sure that he'd seen and felt what he'd actually seen and felt.

Before he'd pushed her into the tree, she'd asked him what his problem was with her and Connor being together. He'd told her the truth, for there were several reasons, but he'd held back answers, too.

Sick, dark, twisted answers that would make her look at him in horror.

Wanting to fuck your best friends niece, corrupt her, turn her against everything she believed in, including her family, was sick and twisted.

But he did. Ever since she'd had a gun to her head back in Philadelphia. She'd caught his attention with her willingness to die for her family, her bravery, her guts. It didn't hurt matters that she was beautiful. Prettier than Rachel ever had been, he snorted.

But he'd never acted on those desires, ever. He'd kept them mostly hidden away, locked up where no one would ever see. Until last night, when he'd come so close to letting his darkest secret spill out for her to see.

He shuddered at the thought of what would've happened to him had he lost control. He'd be dead right now, for sure. Miles would hack his head right off his shoulders.

But all that aside, he was mostly afraid of what Charlie would say, how she would look at him, if she really knew what he wanted from her.

His ears perked when he heard light footsteps coming down the stairs. Charlie.

She looked tired. He wondered if thinking about their encounter last night had kept her up like it had him.

Rachel and her dad made small talk, handed her a cup of coffee, but she took it outside instead of drinking it in the kitchen as she usually did. He watched her walk over to the shade tree and sit down at his base.

"Bass."

He snapped to look at Miles.

"Where's your kid?" Miles walked over and took a seat next to him.

"Outside. Why?"

"The guy I got in Willoughby said some new cadets are being taken to one those … I don't know, brainwashing centers in two days. We can intercept them before they get on the train."

Bass didn't really give a shit about those kids. In fact, he'd feel much better putting a bullet in every single last one of their heads, but that wasn't something he could let Miles know. Not if he wanted his friend to join him after the Patriots were gone. "If we can save those kids, let's do it. I'm in. What's your plan?"

"Teams of two. Ambush the security detail guarding the kids, capture for interrogation. If we can find the place they take them, we can blow it up so they can't use it again."

Bass rubbed his face at the stupidity of that plan. "Or, and just hear me out, we sneak onto the train and ride it out to the processing center where we then proceed to blow it up."

"Because that means putting those kids at risk. We have no idea what's waiting for us at that place, or how many guards."

"So we go there, scope it out, and come back." Monroe gave a disbelieving laugh. What the hell had Rachel done to him?

Miles was getting pissed off. "And leave the kids there in the meantime? No, Bass, I'm not doing it."

"It's smart."

And then, of course, Rachel decided to put her two cents in. "Bass, the objective is to save the kids from being tortured, not go in guns blazing and see how many people you can kill."

"My way is the best way to save them." Bass glared at her, the eternal Yoko. "We blow up a train and send the kids back home, then what? The Patriots grab them again and send them somewhere else. Only this time, they're ready for us and security is tightened. Or they ambush us somewhere and then it's over for everyone."

Everyone fell silent after that, knowing that what Bass said was true, but hating it.

"I still think we should find a way to keep the kids out of it," Rachel said.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Charlie making her way back to the house. Connor was following her. God, those two. "Let's ask Charlie. See what she thinks," he suggested. He was almost completely sure she'd side with him, as she had been doing lately.

That thought made him smile.

She came inside and shut the door, eyeing the three from the living room entryway. "What's going on?" she asked warily.

Bass watched her and noticed that though her eyes flickered to his, they shifted away immediately. Strange. "Tell her."

So Miles told her his plan, and then related what Bass wanted to do. Charlie's face sharpened in concentration she moved closer.

"So what do you think, kid?" Miles asked, throwing up a hand and looking tired, as usual.

"Do we know how long it takes for the Patriots to fully re-educate a cadet?" she asked, perching on the edge of the couch.

Rachel shook her head. "Not exactly, but I know it's more than just a few days. Maybe weeks or months? They probably gives these kids some very intense mind altering drugs-and back before the Blackout, they'd subject people to intense images and patterns of color, etc. I don't really know what they're doing now."

Miles spoke up. "I'm thinking they don't have time to wait months to brainwash someone. They must've found a way to accelerate the process. You're probably right about the drugs."

Charlie thought for a moment. "What if there was someone on the inside, in one of these centers, who could buy some time for the cadets while we form a plan?"

"Oh, well Charlie that'd be great," Miles said sarcastically, "but we don't have time to turn one those kids to our side."

Watching her carefully, Bass suddenly knew what she was proposing. And it was fucking brilliant. And dangerous. "She doesn't mean one of them … do you, Charlie?"

Charlie looked at him quickly, and then Miles and Rachel. "I've done it before."

Miles jumped to his feet. "What? No. Absolutely not."

"Why not? I look young enough. I can steal some clothes from town and blend in with the others. It worked before."

"The Militia was different," he snapped. "I knew the Militia, how they worked, and it was for only a few hours. This is something none of us can control. And have you forgotten what happened to you in there?" He gestured at her wrist and Bass saw her rub the inside, remembering the pain, most likely.

Most of him felt bad about the branding, even though he'd known nothing about it at the time, and couldn't have possibly stopped it from happening. But there was a tiny part of him that wanted to see what his mark looked like on her body. Sick, he knew.

"Look, while I'm getting on the train with the other cadets, the rest of you hide and follow it to the re-education center. Scope it out and then come back here. I'll do my best to keep the kids safe while we wait for you guys to come back and blow it all to hell."

"And how will you know to get out in time," Rachel asked, hands on hips. "At the first sign of trouble, the whole place will go on lockdown and you'll never get out."

"How about we set a date? One week from the time that train arrives at the location."

Miles sighed and rubbed his face tiredly. He was always tired it seemed. "Charlie, it's a good plan. It really is. If you weren't family, I'd say go for it, but you are family. And I'm not letting you do it. I'm not risking you getting turned into one of those … freaky killing machines."

"Risks are apart of life," she answered. "Having someone on the inside could be valuable. Maybe we could even figure out how to undo the damage to the ones who've already been brainwashed. We have to let those kids get onto that train, Miles. We have to know where it's going. This way, I can at least try and protect them from any lasting damage while you guys figure out a way to save us all." She flashed a brief, hopeful smile but Miles just glared at her.

"And what if we can't? Huh? What if they figure you out and kill you? What if they get to you before we can and twist your mind up? What then?"

Charlie looked at him very seriously and then stood up. "If that happens, make sure you blow that place sky high, Miles. I'm not going to end up like Jason, a ticking time bomb." Then she walked away, out of the house and toward the spot she loved so much.

Everyone was quiet for a moment. Then Rachel spoke, quiet and shaky. "You can't let her do this, Miles. I can't lose her too."

"Wasn't planning on it, Rachel. Don't worry. I'll keep her safe." He squeezed her hand before she too walked away.

Both men sat in silence.

"You know it's a good plan. The best we've got," Bass told him finally.

Miles rubbed his face tiredly. "Yeah, I know."

XXXXX

Charlie sat in her usual spot, thinking about what had just happened. She knew it was dangerous to infiltrate the Patriot's, but it was their best shot at figuring out exactly what they were doing to these kids. It was a good plan and Miles couldn't see it.

A stick snapped and she turned instinctively, hand going to the knife at her hip. It was just Monroe. She relaxed and turned away. "What do you want?"

"I think your idea was the best, that's all," he shrugged.

"I know it was," she said shortly.

"Can't blame them for wanting to protect you."

She rolled her eyes. "I've been in worse situations than the Patriots, Monroe."

"Oh, yeah? Like what?"

She watched him out of the corner of her eye come over and sit on the old log, right next to her. "You really want me to list all the times I helped Miles beat you?"

He shrugged. "Doesn't really matter now, does it?"

She fell quiet and shrugged a shoulder. "No, it doesn't. All that matters is stopping the Patriots."

"I agree."

Suddenly, snippets from her dream flashed back to her and she swallowed hard. She watched his hands interlock with each other and remembered how she'd felt with them on her body. Her face grew warm and she stood up abruptly.

"If you want to make yourself useful, you can teach me some more moves like yesterday. Miles will change his mind eventually."

Monroe went to his feet and held up his hands. "Sure, Charlie, whatever you want. Come here." He beckoned her with two fingers but she hesitated for a moment. She didn't really want to get that close to him again.

"I can't teach you anything that far away."

She approached him and shrugged off her jacket, tossing it onto the log.

"Turn around. I'm going to show you how to break free from someone who's got you in a chokehold from behind."

He was going to choke her? Inwardly, she groaned.

Outwardly, she obeyed, turning around and letting him come up behind her. Oh, this was a bad idea, she thought, as his chest pressed against her back. His right arm wrapped around her throat, just enough so that she couldn't escape.

"Now, people make the mistake of going straight for the arm, trying to pull it off. You won't be able to. Try."

Charlie frowned and tried everything to get his arm to budge even just a little. He was right.

"Alright, now stop. If this happens to you, don't waste your time trying to get loose that way. Instead go straight for the groin and then the eyes."

"How do I do that?"

He released her and she turned to face him. He demonstrated first in the air, acting as the defendant. He bent his knees and swung his arm back. "See? Get this part down and then I'll show you more."

She smirked and turned back around. "I get to punch you in the balls over and over? Great. Let's do this."

He shook his head at her willingness to hurt him, and then wrapped his arm back around her neck. "Put your hand on my wrist. Don't let me drag you backwards. You can't do anything if your back is arched. Now bend at the knees and strike backwards toward the groin."

It took awhile but finally she landed a blow that caused him to loosen his grip around her neck. He coughed and released her.

"Good. Now when you feel me start to let go, swing around and with your free hand hit me in the face. That'll further knock me off balance. Let's try it."

She went through the movements again and finally made it free. "Now what?" They were both breathing heavy.

"Now, do whatever you can to kill the other guy. Go for vulnerable points. Eyes, throat, groin, knees. If you can get their weapon, do it and kill them. These guys, the Patriots, aren't going to think very much of a cadet. They're not going to be on guard, so that'll be your advantage."

She nodded and went over to sit for a break. "Does Miles know all this stuff too?"

"Course."

She wondered why he never taught her anything before.

Monroe saw the frown on her face at that. "Miles trains for real. When you train for real, both people put their all into it. He probably just didn't want to hurt you."

She looked at him. "I want to train for real."

"We got two days. You really want to go on a mission all busted up?"

"No, but I want to train under realistic circumstances."

He eyed her critically for a moment. "Alright, but if you're going to pass out you tap out, got it?"

She nodded.

"I'm going to teach you something else now. Another move. Sit on the ground."

She did. He used his boot to position her legs in front of her and then sat down behind her so that she was in between his legs. Her breath hitched a bit. Monroe wrapped an arm around her throat again, but held her loosely.

"Alright, remember how I told you not to let them pull you backwards?"

She nodded.

"Well, this is what happens. Once your on the ground, it's very hard to get back up, but not impossible. What would you do in this situation?"

She thought. "Probably elbow you in the stomach or ribs."

"That will only work if your stronger than your opponent. If your not, don't waste your time because while you're doing that he's cutting off your airway. You only have a few seconds to get him to loosen his grip before you pass out."

She rolled her eyes. "So what would you do, Monroe?"

He then put his legs over hers and tightened down so that she couldn't move anything. "If his legs are like this, go for the knees. Like this."

He taught her a move that seemed so simple she wasn't sure it would work.

"Try it. I'll choke you for real and you use that move. It hurts like hell and if you can get me to let you go then you'll be fine against some Patriot puke."

She nodded. It was entirely too warm and comfortable sitting like this with his body surrounding her. She needed to remember he was just another enemy.

He counted. Then on three he wrapped his arm around her neck and pulled back with his other arm. It was no joke, she realized, resisting the impulse to grab his arm and free herself. Spots danced in front of her eyes. She saw his legs tighten around hers and remembered what he'd told her to do.

She grabbed a foot and pulled it up, quickly digging her elbow into the inside of his calf. She did it hard and he loosened his grip. Before he could regain momentum, she slid one arm in between his and her neck and pushed out, breaking his hold.

After that, she just rolled over and he put his hands up in surrender, breathing hard and chuckling. "That was good. Remember that. Don't let yourself be put in that position though. Watch your back."

They both laid on the ground, breathing hard and trying to recoup, when a dry voice spoke from off to the side.

"I never tire from seeing people kick your ass, Bass."

Charlie head shot up. Monroe raised his head and then dropped it back down. "I knew you were there the whole time."

Charlie hadn't though. "What are you doing?"

"Came to find you. Stumbled upon your little … whatever it was and decided to watch. You're not bad, kid." Miles ambled over and stuck out a hand to help her up. She took it, and dusted off her pants and shirt.

"Good enough to infiltrate the Patriots?" she asked.

Miles looked away, and suddenly she understood.

"You want me to go. You just don't want to piss off my mom."

"I don't want you to go, Charlie. I don't. I just don't know of better way. If you were any other kid I'd put you there-no problem. But your not any other kid."

"And my mom will never forgive you if anything happens to me," she finished.

"One day you'll understand, kid."

Her eyes widened. "You think I don't now? I understand plenty, Miles."

He rubbed his eyes with two fingers. "Oh yeah? And what do you understand, Charlie?"

"I understand that you're letting your personal feelings cloud your judgement. You said it yourself-if I was any other kid you'd put me there. No problem."

"What's the point of doing all this if you're not alive when it's over?"

Her face softened. "I know you love my mom. I know you love me. But if we're not all willing to give it everything then we might as well just pack up and run now. Because they'll win." She knew she'd hit a nerve when he looked away for a moment. "But I'm not going anywhere. Those pricks got Jason killed. I'm not letting them get away with that."

Miles stood still for a moment, looking so sad she almost wanted to reach out to him. "Don't let your mom know the real plan. She'll knock you out and tie you up before letting you on that train."

She smiled hopefully. "You'll help me get ready?"

He nodded. "I'll take care of Rachel. You … " He looked over at Bass, a hard look in his eyes. "Train her for real."

Monroe nodded, his surprise masked expertly.

"I'll find out from my source where it's all going down, and then we'll sneak Charlie into the group. The rest of us will follow the train to its destination." He turned away to leave, and then turned back again quickly. "One week, Charlie. No more. If I have to come in guns blazing and kill everyone in that place to get you out, I will. You understand?" He pointed a finger at her face.

Ridiculously, she smiled. Her heart soared at the affirmation that he did care about her. He turned again and started walking away.

"What about my mom?"

"I said I'll take care of her." He kept walking.

"No, I mean … afterwards." Rachel would never forgive Miles for putting her last living child in harms way on purpose. She'd never forgive him for lying to her either. His time with her would be over.

Miles paused. "Let me worry about that, kid. You worry about keeping yourself alive. And Bass? You worry about teaching her something useful. She'll need it." Then he was gone.

Monroe came to stand next to her. They both watched Miles walk away and disappear.

"Well, you were right. He did change his mind."

Okay, I don't know what made me decide to have Bass teach Charlie how to fight. I should've known it would take research and I HATE research. I tried to describe the fight scenes accurately but I also know I probably made mistakes. So the next chapter will pick up the night before the mission. Maybe a bit earlier so I can fit in some smut.