Chapter Text
Miles wasn't particularly pleased about taking Monroe back to his room but there was really nowhere else to put him and Charlie could tell her Uncle was pretty much out of ideas. Monroe had whined about Miles wasting an opportunity to start a war between Texas and the Patriots but Miles had snapped that there wasn't much he could have done since Fry had left town immediately after their meeting and he would be lucky if the Secretary of the Interior of Texas didn't come back to execute him on the spot.
The two men had spent the day filling each other in on what had happened since they'd last parted outside the Tower. Charlie hadn't realized Monroe had been captured by the Militia and that Miles had let him go -- which had explained why Tom Neville had been more pissed that usual when he'd found them in the Tower. She also got to hear Miles' summary of Titus Andover and the war clan that had been preying on Willoughy to soften them up for the Patriot's arrival. It was smaller scale than what they'd done bombing Philadelphia and Atlanta but the same concept of create a problem, clean it up was clearly evident in their strategy.
Both men had tensed when they'd heard footsteps in the hall and Rachel walked in without even knocking. Her face was already hard as she grabbed Miles' sword from the table. Monroe backed hastily away and Miles jumped between them.
"Get out of my way, Miles." Her mother didn't seem to have even noticed her standing in the corner. Charlie caught sight of Aaron in the doorway but he seemed to be as frozen as she was.
"Rachel, stop it. Okay, stop it." Miles snapped.
"What's he doing here?" Rachel snarled and Charlie forced herself to step forward.
"Because he's here to help us. And because I brought him here."
"Now why would you do that?" Rachel said, her voice filled with the angry condescension that drove Charlie crazy because it hurt so bad that her own mother considered her pointless. "Are you stupid?"
"For coming back here, yeah, I think I am," Charlie shot back and was at least rewarded by Rachel flinching.
Miles reached out and pulled the sword out of Rachel's hand. "You two can kill each other later. Right now we have more important things to worry about."
Rachel's look said she clearly didn't believe him but Charlie heard Aaron step forward, shutting the door behind him. His smile at least was genuine and Charlie turned to hug him. She didn't miss the look Rachel shot her but she ignored it as Aaron squeezed her tight. "It is so good to see you. In person at least." She didn't understand what he meant but that wasn't uncommon so she just wrapped her arms around him and hugged him back. Often he made as little sense to her as Rachel did but he also didn't make her feel like she was a child who'd just broken something important.
She stepped out of his embrace and turned to Rachel. "How have you been?"
"I've been better, Charlie."
She heard the anger in her mother's voice and both Miles and Aaron said, "Rachel!" but her mother didn't even look at them.
"Why would you bring him here?"
"When I first saw him again, I wanted to kill him too."
"But you didn't."
Charlie felt a flash of anger. She'd tried. If Adam hadn't hit Monroe over the head, he'd have been dead from her arrow. She'd tried everything she could think of to convince the bounty hunter to shoot him when she'd first come-to, tied up in the pool. Then, armed only with a pipe, she'd tried to smash Monroe's skull, clear up to the time he'd knocked the wind out of her. The only reason she'd not tried again when he'd found her walking was he had warned her the Patriots wanted her mother and she figured she'd owed him for that; even before she realized she'd owed him her life for that night in the bar.
"He saved my life."
Rachel looked unconvinced. "So he's changed? He's a saint?"
"Rachel, leave her alone." This time it was Monroe; the first time he'd spoken since Rachel had walked in the door. Her mother whirled back to him, murder in her face but no weapon in her hand.
"You don't get to tell me what to do. You've poisoned my own daughter with your lies and --"
"What. Because she's willing to let me try to help save you?" Monroe's tone was mocking. "Don't be a hypocrite, Rachel."
"Bass," Miles snapped but Monroe grinned; an angry, mocking expression.
"It's true. Who do you think gave me a weapon in the Tower? I certainly didn't find it on my own. She did it to save Charlie's life. And now Charlie's doing it to save Rachel."
Charlie took a deep breath, remembering her blazing rage when Rachel had yelled "what are you doing here?" and she had screamed back "what am I doing here? What are you doing with him?" A sudden flash of sympathy towards Rachel's reaction made her look at her mother and by the expression on Rachel's face, Monroe's words might just have gotten through to her as well.
"He really did save my life." They probably would have killed her for resisting, after they'd gang-raped her, but that was more detail, Charlie realized, than she wanted to supply right now. She'd risked death plenty of time. That was familiar. But it was usually something quick. Like an explosion, gunshot or flashing blade. She'd never felt drugs stealing her ability to move and react; like she was bleeding to death but without the promise of actual death to spare her whatever plans her captors had for her. "And he was willing to help me save yours. Because we didn't know they'd already found you."
Rachel looked puzzled and Miles pulled out the bounty Charlie had given him earlier. "What is this? Why?" Rachel asked, her tone puzzled. "This makes no sense."
"No, it doesn't," Miles agreed. "Which is exactly why, when Charlie showed me who she'd brought back with her, I realized he was right. I need his help. We all need his help."
The look on Rachel's face said she was exactly convinced but Aaron shrugged. "Monroe, huh. That's quite a twist."
Miles glare said he didn't quite appreciate Aaron's attempt at humor. But the stiffness in Rachel's face and shoulders was softening and she shook her head, looking at Monroe. "You promised me once you wouldn't let anything happen to her. So, knowing about this, why would you let her come back?"
"Because trying to stop her would be a little bit like trying to stop you." Monroe's words were humorous but his voice wasn't and Charlie heard Miles sigh.
"Remember how I said every good occupation deserves a resistance? Well. I think this might just be it."
"So," Aaron asked, glancing around at the one room studio Charlie guessed Miles had moved into some time after she'd left Willoughby, "Cozy little place for two. I assume Monroe will be staying here with you."
"He's sure as hell not coming to live at my house," Rachel snapped.
Monroe looked around. "Not too bad. Get a cot in here. Um, is there indoor plumbing?" It had taken a few years after the blackout but some of the older plumbing had been able to be re-adapted to gravity and -- while flush toilets weren't common -- some places had them.
"Nope. Outhouse is downstairs, out the back door."
"Well, it's a step up from living outside," he glanced at Aaron. "Like you said. Cozy."
"Won't people notice?" Aaron asked. "Stu is such a private person. Won't they start asking questions when he all the sudden takes a room-mate?"
"It may ruin my reputation," Miles commented. "But people have assumed Bass and I have been a couple before."
"Which wouldn't be a bad thing," Aaron said. "Stu Redman on his own would probably be able to pull it off with no problem. But Stu Redman just happens to live in the same town with Rachel Matheson. And most people around here know that her brother-in-law is Miles Matheson. And while no one is asking questions, do you really think you've fooled anyone?"
"What aren't you telling me?" Rachel asked.
"I hear things. Speculation. After what happened with the Andovers, most people have guessed who you are. Most of them seem to think the same thing -- that you're trying to escape your past. But if he shows up and starts living with you."
"No sweat," Monroe commented. "I've been calling myself Jimmy King."
Charlie snorted. "Yeah, so Adam the Bounty Hunter, who'd probably still looking for you because of that six ounces of diamonds, can hear about Jimmy King living in the same town as Rachel Matheson -- another six ounces of diamonds."
Monroe nodded. "Okay, good point. Maybe time to change alias'."
"And probably best not live in the same room as Miles Matheson." Aaron held his hands out in placation at Rachel's glare. "Look, I don't really like it either. But people will put it together."
"I don't see how," Monroe said. "Its not like there are many people who know what I look like. I always avoided photographs, even after people got old cameras working again."
"Your tattoo?" Miles asked and Monroe held up his arm to flash a ruin of burn scar in an rough circle on his upper left forearm. Even Rachel winced. "What the hell," Miles exclaimed.
"After I found out about Philadelphia. About how everyone there burned to death, their flesh melting off them. Because of me. Someone killing them to try to get me."
Rachel looked annoyed. "If you really cared, you should have thought of that before."
"Enough," Miles snapped. "But Aaron's right. We have to have a good reason for him being here that doesn't tie back to me."
Charlie cleared her throat. "It makes me a little sick to say it. But he and I arrived here at the same thing. The logical explanation is that he came with me."
All four of them turned to Charlie, frowning.
"Look, I don't like it either. But people are a lot less likely to associate me with Monroe."
"Which puts us," Rachel said slowly, "back at the same predicament of where he stays."
Monroe sighed. "Face it, Rachel, as much as you'll hate having me in your attic, you'll be more comfortable keeping an eye on me."
Aaron shrugged, clearly missing the jest. "Nah, there are plenty of rooms on the second floor. They'll probably put you in the same room I stayed in, back when I lived there. Or Miles' old room."
Rachel sighed. "If he's staying, then Miles comes back too."
"Great," Miles sighed. "Gene is pissed enough at having me hanging around. He's not going to like having Sebastian Monroe staying there too."
"Yeah, I think a good alias is in order," Monroe muttered. "James Kingston?"
"What," Charlie asked "is it with you and that name?"
"If you don't want to stand there when someone's calling your name," Miles sighed, "best make it one you remember. Jimmy King was always the name Bass used when we were making up some game as a kid. Give me some time to pack my clothes. What explanation can we have for me moving back?"
Charlie shrugged. "Mom's not comfortable with me bringing home a guy she doesn't know and you've missed me and want to spend time with me."
They let Rachel go in first and Charlie heard Gene yell, "Rachel, where the hell have you been? I've been worried sick. . . ." He trailed off as Charlie followed her mother inside.
"Hi, Grandpa."
"Charlie." There was no mistaking the relief in Gene's voice and he folder her into a tight hug. "When did you get back?"
"Today. I hope you don't mind I brought a friend with me. And Miles is going to stay with us for a bit too."
Gene shrugged, not looking very pleased but he nodded at Miles as he walked in behind Charlie, Monroe trailing behind him.
"Grandpa, this is my friend, James. He saved my life and. . . ." She trailed off as Gene turned white, backing up.
"What the hell is this?"
"Oh shit," Miles muttered and Gene turned to face him.
"How dare you bring him here? After what he did to my grandson." Gene turned to Rachel. "And you let him?"
Charlie looked between her relatives. "Wait a minute. Grandpa knows him?"
Monroe shrugged. "So much for a good alias. I was at Rachel and Ben's wedding. Miles dragged me along so he'd have someone to get drunk with. I didn't think he'd remember me."
"I want him out. Now."
It would be the simple thing, Charlie realized. Monroe would walk away to try to protect them and though he wouldn't go far, she'd be free of him. He and Miles could plot together and she could go back to trying to forget he even existed. But she looked at Rachel and wondered how long the Patriots would leave them alone. Monroe hadn't been lying when he said he was Miles' best hope of defeating the Patriots.
"Then I go too."
Gene jerked like he'd been shot. "Charlie?"
"I meant it when I said he saved my life. Miles, show him the poster."
Miles fumbled in his pocket, pulling out the piece of thick parchment, folded and re-folded until it had permanent creases in it. He handed it over and Gene's furious glare slumped into confusion and shock. "What is this? Why do they want Rachel?" He tensed, turning to his daughter. "But they know you're here. They. . . ." He rubbed his face. "I don't understand."
"None of us do, Grandpa. That's why he's here." She gestured at Monroe and Gene blinked, face lined and pale.
"I. . ." Gene took a deep breath, waving his hand. "If you hurt either of them." His voice trembled.
Monroe nodded, tone gentle. "I won't. I promise I won't. I have a lot I need to make up for. That's why I'm here."
Something Charlie didn't recognize seemed to flash across Gene's face but it was gone a moment later. It was almost like Gene understood but Charlie couldn't think of anything her grandfather had ever done that he would need to atone to anyone. "Fine." Gene waved his hand at the stairs. "Put him in Aaron's old room."
"Come on," Miles said to Monroe. "Lets go get us settled." They headed upstairs and Gene's eyes followed them.
He turned back to Rachel. "I hope you're right about this."
Rachel looked at Charlie, her face unreadable. "I hope so too."