Author's Note: This is a quick little CHARLOE one-shot. Smutty. Hope you like it. Feel free to review.

Truth or Dare

One minute they are all fighting a band of angry Patriot soldiers. The next minute Charlie is chasing a runner into the sunset. Bass doesn't hesitate before following her into the woods where she has disappeared. When he finally catches up to her, she is pulling her knife from the Patriot soldier's chest.

"You don't always have to save me, you know." She says without looking up. "Sometimes I do okay on my own."

"Sorry. Habbit." He shrugs. "Was there only the one?"

"Yeah." She stands, wiping the blade clean on her jeans.

They begin walking back. It is dusk and neither are in much of a hurry. The worst of the fighting was over before that one guy had taken a run for it. As they walk, it starts to rain. The drops are light and strangely warm. "Wow" Charlie smiles, "That feels really good."

Bass returns her smile. He can't help it. She's been less serious these days – almost happy even; but a genuine Charlie smile is still fairly rare. "So you like the rain?"

"Oh yeah." Charlie reaches into her pack and pulls out a white package. It's the size of a deck of cards, and at first Bass doesn't understand. "Soap." She says, her smile turning into a grin. "I found a few of these at that last place we stayed. I've just been waiting for an opportunity to use them." She raises the bar to her nose and inhales. "Mmmm, real soap. I cannot wait." She almost squeals with joy.

He throws his head back and laughs at her excitement. It is moments like this when he is reminded of her youth. Moments ago she was stabbing a man to death. Now she is like a kid on Christmas morning – all over a bar of soap. "So, I take it you aren't a fan of that lye soap your Grandpa makes?'

She starts to answer, but the skies open and they are suddenly in a true downpour. Bass grabs her hand and pulls her further into the woods. He tells her that he had spotted a cabin when they were running this way earlier. When they find it they are both soaked. Bass tries the door and with some effort he gets it open. The place is just one big room. Long deserted, everything is covered in dust. There is a little wooden table next to a lumpy mattress. Along one wall is a cupboard, a dry sink and two mismatched straight back chairs.

"Go out and take your shower. I'll look around here and see if there's anything we can use."

"Okay." She's giggling with anticipation and almost out the door when she stops short. Turning, she throws something his way. He reaches out and catches the bar of soap before he fully knows what he's catching.

"You're gonna share?"

"Well, I don't want to come back here feeling all clean and be forced to smell your sorry ass all night." She's gone before he can respond. He chuckles to himself and begins to do inventory. After quickly opening every door and drawer, he surveys his findings: a dozen candles, some matches, three chipped plates, two plastic drinking glasses, a deck of cards and seven assorted bottles of liquor. "Damn, these guys had their priorities." He mutters after lining up the bottles on the table.

Then he grabs his bar of soap and heads outside. He's pretty sure Charlie had taken a left at the porch, so he turns to the right. He's already pulling his shirt over his head when he sees his mistake. Ducking back behind the corner of the cabin he knows he should go around to the other side. He promises himself that he will… but first he has to take one peek. He's human after all, he reasons to himself. Slowly he pokes his head back around the corner of the cabin. There she is in all her naked glory, and glory is exactly what Charlie is. "Damn," he mutters as his eyes scan her toned body. She's using that bar of soap to lather her hair. She's taking her time – both hands kneading her scalp. Streams of suds slide down her body. Her eyes are closed, her face turned up to the rain. Her breasts are perfect and he watches them move and shift as she raises her hands to her head. When she's satisfied with her hair, Charlie begins to soap up her body. Bass watches as she cleans her skin, one beautiful inch at a time.

He's hard. He has to stop watching. He can't stop watching. She's going to see him. He has to stop watching. Thoughts are pinging around in his head and he can't focus on anything but the way her skin glows in the new moonlight all wet and shadowy. "Damn" he mutters, tearing himself away. Bass retreats to the other side of the cabin and soaps and rinses quickly. Now clean, he takes a breath and lets his mind return to the vision he'd witnessed just minutes earlier. Charlie. Naked Charlie. Naked Wet Charlie. He groans and takes his still rigid cock in hand. He begins this old ritual slowly, moving his fist up and down the shaft.

Charlie enters the cabin feeling exhilarated and blessedly clean. Her makeshift towel (really just an old blanket) is wrapped around her nakedness. She sees that Bass isn't back yet and finds the empty cabin strangely unsettling. When did she start wanting him around? When did she start wanting him at all? She wants him. Charlie pushes the thought away, and not for the first time. It's been gnawing at her for weeks, and she can't even defend it. She just knows that something has changed in the way she feels about him. She's seeing him differently now. This thought is still fresh on her mind when she turns to light one of the candles and happens to glance out a window.

"Oh hell," she says quietly, reverently - her eyes wide. There he is, not twenty feet from where she's standing. He's buck naked, and the rain glistens on toned muscles in the moonlight. His eyes are closed, but his expression is intent. She knows she shouldn't watch, but she lets her eyes drop to where his hand is making fast work of a very impressive erection. "Oh hell" she says again, staring at it. She's not a virgin. She's seen her share of guys naked, but she's never seen anything like this. Bass Monroe is perfect. His body is chiseled and hard. She feels a wetness pool between her legs. She tries to look away. She has a difficult time doing it.

He keeps his eyes closed, imagining what it would be like to hold Charlie in his arms, to touch her soft skin, to caress her breasts. He thinks about kissing her and sucking on her lips. He feels the tension building and he moves faster as he thinks about thrusting into her tight heat. He comes forcefully, only realizing after he's done so, just how long it's been since he's had sex with anyone other than himself. That might be a problem, he muses as he gathers his things. Now he's primed, and tonight he'll be sharing a lonely cabin with the one woman he can't seem to stop thinking about. "Damn" he says before making his way back to the cabin's porch.

She hears a knock on the door. "Are you decent?" he asks, not pushing open the door until he hears her assurance that it's okay to enter.

Bass is still dripping wet. He's wrapped his old shirt around his waist. It does nothing to hide the amazing body underneath. He glances Charlie's way. He catches her staring at his chest. It's not the first time he's noticed her watching him lately. It is the first time she's looked at him like that – like she likes what she sees and she sees what she wants. She doesn't move. Just stares, her mind clearly somewhere else.

"Charlie?" he asks. His tone is both surprised and concerned. "You okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," she responds distractedly before moving to the table to light more candles. She glances at him once, but now her expression is closed off. If he hadn't caught her staring, he wouldn't know she'd just been fucking him with her eyes a minute ago.

"Jesus," he mutters under his breath. Turning to the bed where his pack lies. He quickly dries off with the old shirt before reaching in to get some clean clothes. Stealing a glance over his shoulder he sees that she's trying really hard not to look his way. She's mostly succeeding, but when he drops the shirt and reaches for his pants he hears a sharp intake of breath behind him.

He whirls, "Charlotte, what the hell?" She looks at him, stunned at his outburst.

"What?" she stammers. Her eyes are glued to his exposed skin. She unconsciously licks her lips.

"Damn Charlotte," he grabs the shirt again to cover himself, "Why are you looking at me like that?"

"Like what?"

"Like you're going to have your wicked way with me."

"You wish," she attempts sarcasm, but when he doesn't refute her, Charlie deflates. She shakes her head. "It's nothing. I just, well…"

"You just what?" Bass is starting to get impatient. What is going on?

"I saw you." At his blank stare she points to the window. "Out there. I didn't mean to, but I saw you out there, um, when you were, um, taking your shower." She's not meeting his eyes now. In fact Bass is sure that she's blushing, though it's hard to tell in this low light.

Monroe laughs. "Is that all? You saw me jacking off?" He shrugs as if to say this is not a big deal. He notices that she still looks uncomfortable. He prefers tough Charlie to shy Charlie, so he says the thing that he thinks will jar her out of this weird state she's in.

"I saw you first." He grins at her.

"You saw me?"

"Yeah, I went around the wrong side of the house by mistake, and I saw you."

"Well, I wasn't doing anything like THAT." She says.

"No, but what you WERE doing made me NEED to do that." He grins at her wickedly, trying to shake her out of this weird vibe that he feels might lead them places she's not yet ready to go.

It doesn't work. She's staring again – not focusing really. Lost in thought."

"Besides, you say that like it's a bad thing….like you don't do it yourself." The words are barely out of his mouth when he sees a look flash across her face. Oh hell. She HASN'T. He feels a shiver of anticipation shoot through his belly. She has so much to learn and part of him wants to teach her all of it.

Seeing the shocked look on his face, she squares her shoulders and turns to the table where the liquor bottles are sitting. She clearly doesn't want to talk about this anymore. "I need a drink," she mutters.

Bass runs a hand through damp curls. This is going to be one hell of a night. He can just feel it. "Pour one for me too." He yanks on some clean pants and walks over to the table. He sits in one of the wooden chairs. Charlie sits across from him on the edge of the old bed. The table separates them.

She pours whiskeys from one of the bottles. They both down their first glass quickly and she pours again. He feels the liquor warming him from the inside out. He can tell Charlie is more relaxed too. He also notices other things. He sees that her hair is drying in beautiful shiny waves. He sees that she isn't wearing a bra under her flimsy white tank top. He can tell that her nipples are hard, pushing against the fabric. And she's watching him again. His dick hardens in response.

Monroe racks his brain trying to think of a distraction. "Cards, lets play cards!" he says cheerfully. Maybe too cheerfully. He can tell she does not care for this idea.

Charlie shakes her head. "I hate cards."

"Okay, how about Truth or Dare?" as soon as he says it, he realizes that's a stupid choice. He quickly moves on, "We could play cups? Some kind of trivia?"

Charlie takes a sip from her glass and looks him in the eye, "Tell me more about Truth or Dare."

He gives her a quick rundown of the rules. It's a simple game and she is intrigued.

"Truth or Dare?" she asks him.

"Truth, I guess." He replies. He has a feeling that when the dares start flying, things are going to get crazy. He's willing to wait a while for that.

She nods thoughtfully, carefully framing her question, "Is Miles really my Dad?'

Fuck. This escalated quickly. "Dare. I want a dare." He says.

Charlie looks at him for a minute, deep in thought. "Yeah, I guess I knew the answer. Just wanted to see if you knew it too. Clearly you do."

Bass groans. This game already sucks. It's his turn to ask her, "Truth or Dare?"

"Truth." She doesn't hesitate. She's smiling a little.

Neither does he, "How did you get the brand?" he motions his head toward her wrist.

The smile fades from her face as she looks at the scarred skin. "I was trying to infiltrate one of the Monroe Militia compounds. I wasn't well received." She shrugs. She is trying for aloof, but he can tell the story bothers her. It bothers him too. Inwardly he is cursing himself for hurting her. His face goes dark.

"Truth or Dare?" she asks, changing the subject.

How bad can it be he wonders. "Truth again." He says quietly.

"Do you regret killing them?" her voice is quiet. She sees he isn't sure who she means at first. She doesn't say more, just waits.

"You mean Ben and Danny?" at her nod, he continues, "Of course I do. I never wanted your Dad to be harmed at all. I was so pissed when Neville told me what had happened." He looks down at the drink in his hands, and downs the rest. He pushes his empty glass her way and she pours again. "Danny was an accident. He was not a target at all. I didn't want to kill him. He was a casualty of war."

She doesn't say anything. She just stares at him.

"Yes, I regret it." He finishes quietly. They sit in silence for a while, each lost in their own thoughts.

"Truth or Dare?" he asks.

She almost says she's done with this stupid game, but instead she takes a deep drink and says, "Truth."

"Why did you fuck Connor?" He can't keep emotion from creeping into his voice, "Why my son?" He's feeling the effects of the whiskey. He knows she must be too.

She looks up from her own glass, and says, "You know why."

"No. I don't. I've tried to figure it out and I always come up empty." He shrugs, pretending it's no big deal, but in reality he really wants to hear her answer.

Looking down again, she says, "I was interested in a guy who didn't share that interest. He was inappropriate for me, didn't even like me. I knew that it couldn't ever happen between us but I had this…" she pauses searching for just the right word, "this itch that I couldn't scratch. I needed to get laid. I hoped that it would put, um, this other guy out of my head."

"Did it work?" Monroe's voice is a little raspy. He was after all, the only other "guy" around at the time.

"No." and her eyes are on his again. She doesn't elaborate, but then she doesn't have to.

He sees the need there. The hunger. He knows she must now see it in him as well. Bass wants her so badly it hurts. Clearly she shares that desire. Charlie is going to be the death of him. Or Miles. It will probably be Miles who kills him after tonight. Bass knows that whatever is coming won't be something his best bud will approve of. He mentally shakes off those thoughts, but know deep down that death will be worth it if only he can touch her.

"Truth or Dare?" she asks, effectively changing the subject.

He feels the need to shake things up. Also he doesn't want her to ask him any more probing questions. "Dare" he responds.

From the determined look on her face, he expects she is ready to get things started. Charlie is quick to speak, "I dare you to come over here and sit by me."

It's such an easy request. It means nothing. He's sat by her a hundred times. No big deal. These are the things he's telling himself as he moves from his chair to a perch on the edge of the old bed. But then he is aware of just how close they are. Just inches separate their bodies. He closes his eyes and he can smell her. She smells like soap and…" his eyes flash open. She smells wet. Wet for him. "Truth or dare?" he leans in close, whispering in her ear, inhaling that intoxicating scent that is Charlie.

He's watching her closely, and when he sees the smile – that clever challenging smile, he knows that trouble is no longer just something might happen. Trouble is here. "Dare." She says throatily.

She's not the only one who is having some ideas though. He says, "I dare you to touch yourself." He sees a flash of surprise, followed by determination.

Charlie maintains eye contact with Bass as she slowly moves her hand up to the waist of the soft pants she's wearing as pajamas. Her gaze drills into his as she gently dips her fingers below the fabric. She hesitates, not entirely sure how to get this started. He sees her unease and says, "Let me help you." He moves in behind her, so that his inner thighs are tightly pressed against her outer thighs - sitting flush against her back. She leans into his chest and he brings his hand down over hers. Gently he guides Charlie's trembling hand to her wet center. "Like this," he whispers into her ear. Gently he guides her so that she is softly stroking herself. It doesn't take long for Charlie to find a pace she likes. She arches back and feels his hard cock pressing into her spine. He hears her moan lightly and he begins to kiss her the flesh behind her ear.

There is no turning back now. Nothing on Earth will be able to stop this. Bass has never wanted anything or anyone as much as he wants Charlie right now. Still with one hand over hers – moving rhythmically; he takes his other hand and reaches to cup her breast and play with the firm nipple there. She begins to breathe heavily and he can tell she's losing control. Gently pushing aside her amateur attempts; he takes over. He slips his fingers as deeply into her folds as he can from this angle, working in and out. He sucks at a soft bit of flesh on her neck, not caring that he's leaving a mark. He can feel the tension building within her, and in moments he's finishing her with deep firm strokes.

Charlie can't think. His fingers are like magic and she feels something molten moving through her core. No experience has prepared her for this. No man has ever made her feel like this. She is on the verge of coming apart. "Bass," she cries out urgently, arching against his fingers.

He angles his face over her shoulder. She turns her head to meet his lips. The kiss is intense and hot. He bites lightly at her lip, and sucks at her tongue. She responds in earnest. They battle for dominance, but in the end Bass is in charge. His free hand is running up and down her body. With the other he continues to stroke her.

She moans into his kiss as her world shatters. "Oh God, Bass," she cries out. Every nerve ending sings with pleasure. She feels both fragile and invincible all at once. She sinks heavily against him, breathing roughly. Charlie's entire body is shaking and she looks at him with hooded eyes. "What the hell was that?" she asks between ragged breaths.

Bass laughs. "That my dear was your garden variety orgasm." Bass moves, laying her on her back; he lays next to her. He's up on one elbow watching her come down from her release. Something – some glimmer of something passes across her face. It takes him a minute to understand. "You've never had one before tonight?" he tries to keep the shock out of his voice, but he is not successful.

She is clearly embarrassed and starts to rise up. Fluidly, he rolls on top of her, pinning her to the lumpy mattress. "Tell me." He demands, his eyes boring into hers.

"Tell you what?" she looks away, but finds her eyes drawn back to his in a heartbeat. She feels like the biggest idiot. He's probably thinking that this was a huge mistake. He's probably wondering why he even bothered with a novice such as she.

"Was that your first orgasm? Charlie, I want to know." He is staring at her. She thinks maybe he can see into her soul.

She nods wordlessly.

He sighs and leans down kissing her cheek. She tenses and he raises his head to look at her. Hurt is written all over her expression. He doesn't understand. "What's wrong?"

"You don't have to pretend that you are still interested. I get that you think I'm a stupid kid with no experience." She tries to wriggle from beneath him, but freezes when he presses his erection into her hip.

Her eyes jump to his. What she sees there tells her maybe she was wrong.

"Does this," he pushes his hard cock more firmly against her, "feel like I'm not interested? Does it feel to you like I think you are too young for me? Too inexperienced?" He begins to nibble at her neck.

"No" she whispers, suddenly more aware of his closeness than ever before.

Bass pushes himself off her. Standing next the bed, he looks down at her with those eyes and she melts, "I want you to be naked Charlotte. I need you to be naked. Now." Carefully he pulls her up to stand before him. He puts fingertips under the hem of her tank top and pulls it up over her head. He worships her breasts with his eyes, and then with his fingers, and finally he leans down and takes one pebbled nipple into his mouth. He sucks at it, and when she puts her hands in his curls to pull him closer – he grins into her flesh. Reaching down, he pulls at her pants until they are kicked aside, nothing more than a memory. He bites lightly on her nipple, squeezing the other breast firmly in his hand. His clothes follow hers in short order. Now both blissfully bare, they tumble to the mattress.

They wrestle around a bit, kissing and stroking and moving – trying to get closer. In moments he is on top of her again. Flesh is pressed against flesh. His rigid cock is pulsing with need and she wants him now. "Please." She says urgently, spreading her legs for him. He positions himself, and uses one hand to rub his dick against her wet folds. She moans and he moves to enter her. She tries to push up against him, to hurry him. She opens her legs wider to accommodate his size.

He can't be hurried. He wants to go slow. He wants to make this last.

As he slowly sinks into her hot center; he feels the pressure of her tight grip. He can't imagine any place he'd rather be. Charlie feels like home to him.

Fully inside her now, he stills and leans close to her ear. "Charlotte, the next time you have an itch for Bass Monroe, I want you to know that nothing else is ever going to scratch it." He bites lightly at the lobe, before he begins to move. Although he wanted to go slow, he soon finds it impossible. They are one writhing heap of need and longing and pending release. Hands stroke flesh. Teeth bite lightly. Movements become more forceful. Tension builds. He feels close to release, and he slows. Watching her face he moves and thrusts and touches her until she's ready too. Her eyes are hot with it. Her pupils are dilated. Her breath is ragged. "Bass." She says as he pushes into her. "Bass." Her voice is louder with every thrust. "Bass" she cries it out finally, nails biting into the scarred flesh of his back as she comes. Feeling the clench of her walls around his cock, he can't hold back any longer. Shoving into her as deeply as he possibly can, he lets go. They are both trembling with their shared release. He moves from her and she whimpers at the feeling of loss. Momentarily he is back, snuggling next to her body, his arm and leg possessively wrapping around her, his face nuzzled into her neck.

"God Charlotte. That was…amazing."

"Yeah." She's smiling a little. "Bass?"

"Yeah." His voice sounds muffled because he's kissing her neck.

"How did you know you were the itch I was referring to?" her voice is playful.

"Mmmm," he sighs against her, "because I felt the same way. You've been my itch for a long time too." Serious now, he pulls back to look at her, "I hated that you were with Connor. I hated it with every fiber of my being. If he weren't my son…" Bass trails off for a moment, "Let's just say things would not have ended well for him at all."

Charlie snuggles closer to Bass, "Well, if it helps any – there is no comparison. None. I am sorry I ever wasted my time with him." She kisses his stubble, loving the way it tickles her lips. "I'm sorry I ever wasted my time with anyone else - ever."

"So you're saying I've ruined you for other men?"

"Oh yeah, that is exactly what I'm saying."

Their eyes lock and both are smiling dopey smiles. Neither have said it yet, but they both know that this is something bigger than they are. This is real. It might just be the night that they both fall in love with each other. It may well be the beginning of a very amazing life together.

Charlie leans in again, kissing his neck and trailing up to his ear. "I think it's your turn." She says quietly. He can hear the smile in her voice.

It takes him a moment, but when he realizes what she's hinting at, he laughs. "Alright Charlie, Truth or Dare?"