Stuck in the middle with you

Chapter 1:

Stuck in the middle with you

"Charlie, Bass, get in that cabin now!" Miles barked as Charlie slid off the horse and onto the snow packed ground. "Get a fire started." he instructed Bass, holding out his hands for the horses reins.

"I went through the same frostbite training as you did, remember?" Bass snapped back handing over the reins before bending down to scoop a frozen Charlie up off the ground, hauling her into the cabin they'd stumbled across.

On their way back to Willoughby they'd run smack into the middle of a snowstorm. In the near blinding sleet and snow, Charlie, nor her horse, had seen the embankment they had gone tumbling over. Battered and soaked to the bone, Charlie had fared better than the horse that had to be put down.

Reaching her first, Bass had pulled her up in front of him, tucking as much of his coat around her as he could, shoving her hands in his armpits as Miles put the horse down and took the lead. They needed shelter and they needed it now. She had bitched at first, but the further they went the less she talked, her teeth chattering next to his ear as she plastered herself against him, seeking his warmth. It was when the chattering had stopped that he became frightened.

Propping Charlie up next to the door, he did a quick sweep of the small, two-room cabin. Other than covered in dust it appeared to be untouched.

He was adding wood to the fledgling fire when Miles and Rachel came stomping through the door.

"Jesus, Miles, I think her lips are turning blue," Rachel said squatting down in front of Charlie where she had slid to the floor beside the fireplace.

"Is that couch a sleeper?" Bass asked his teeth chattering as he turned away from the fireplace.

"Bingo!" Miles called out as he tossed aside cushions.

Rachel disappeared, on the hunt for blankets, as Miles and Bass maneuvered the couch in front of the fireplace and worked on getting it opened.

Taking the blankets and quilts that Rachel returned with, Bass spread a blanket on the musty, thin, mattress while Rachel went to get more.

"Get the two of you undressed and in that bed, Bass." Miles said stripping out of his own shirt, before pulling off his boots and pushing his pants to the floor.

"Rachel, help him," Miles instructed when Rachel returned, her arms full of more blankets. She dropped them off at the end of the bed and hurried towards her daughter.

Miles continued feeding logs to the fire while piling more blankets onto bed and spreading their wet clothing out to dry.

Bass pulled Charlie to her feet and with Rachel's help began to peel her clothing off one garment at a time.

Bending down, he pulled her boots and socks off before reaching up to unfasten her jeans and tug them down her legs, the wet fabric making things difficult. He handed everything to Rachel, who after laying them out to dry, stripped down to her own undershirt and panties waiting on him to carry Charlie over.

Removing her last two items of clothing, Bass picked her up and carried her to the bed watching as Rachel crawled in beside her daughter pressing her front to Charlie's back.

Stripping, he spread his own clothing out before crawling in the bed as close to Charlie as he could get.

Tucking her hands against him and entwining their legs together, he pulled her head towards his chest as Rachel scooted closer as well, rubbing her hands up and down Charlie's arms as Miles spooned up behind Bass with a sigh.

"Not one word," Miles growled.

"I'm too damn cold to be worried about your junk shoved up my ass," Bass replied as Rachel lifted her head to look at the two.

"Worried I'm going to steal your boyfriend, Rachel?" Bass asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Hardly," Rachel snapped with a roll of her eyes, lying back down next to her daughter.

Miles scooted closer so that he could reach over to feel Charlie's skin. "What do you think, Bass?"

"I can feel her starting to shiver a bit so that's good. Means her temperature is going back up."

Miles let out a relieved sigh. "Everybody just try to get some sleep."

Waking to the familiar nasal symphony of her mother and Miles, Charlie shifted to get more comfortable. She knew that Rachel was behind her, but in front of her was something hard and male.

Opening her eyes, she let out a sigh of relief as she came face to face with Bass.

"Expecting someone else?" he whispered in her ear.

She grinned as her hand traveled from underneath his arm, down his flank to wrap around his impressive morning erection. "Just thankful this doesn't belong to Miles," she replied trading places with his lips as her hand stroked up only to be grabbed by his own with a hissed "Charlie," as she looked up at him innocently.

His eyes narrowed and she felt his growl against her breasts that brushed across his smooth skin, her nipples tightening at the vibration and her core flooding against his thigh tucked between her legs.

He smirked as she squirmed seeking friction, his lips findind her ear again causing her eyelids to flutter shut. "As much as I like being stuck in the middle with you," he murmured reaching around to grip her ass pushing her down harder against his thigh, "this is not your best idea."

Letting go of his cock, she tugged his hand up to her breast, wrapping her own hand around his neck, trading places with his mouth once again.

"I guess I'll just have to take a rain check then," she replied in a breathy whisper sucking his earlobe into her mouth.

He retaliated by tweaking her nipple, causing her to moan and Rachel to stir.

They both feigned sleep as she stirred and could feel the moment her eyes landed on their compromising position.

They felt the mattress dip and rise and adjusted their positions as if they were still asleep.

They listened as she woke Miles, so going on the defense Charlie rubbed an eye with her finger before opening them.

"Mom?"

"Charlie? How do you feel?" Rachel asked as she dressed.

"I think I'm fine," she answered looking down at Bass' head still propped on her shoulder.

"Bass," she said poking his exposed shoulder.

"Warm," he grumbled his voice still rough with sleep, burrowing into her shoulder with a wink.

Charlie snorted.

"Get up and quit fondling my niece, dickhead." Miles said with a kick to his leg.

"Aww, Miles," Charlie said as she reached out to brush Bass' curls, "he just wants to cuddle. If you weren't such a grouch in the morning's maybe he'd want to cuddle with you, too."

She watched as Miles turn an interesting shade of red, either from anger or embarrassment she wasn't sure, as Rachel looked up from her pack with a snort.

"I can hear you, you know," Bass said looking up at her with a frown.

"Just get dressed. And I can't believe I'm saying this, but Charlie, have Bass take a good look at your fingers and toes to make sure you don't have frostbite." Miles said pulling his clothes on.

Rachel handed Charlie her now dry clothes before following Miles outside to help with the horses.

Flopping back down, Charlie held out a hand.

Taking her hand in his, Bass ran his palm over it, kissing every single finger as he inspected it. Moving on to her toes, he made sure to tickle her feet in the process.

She was just pulling on her pants when Miles and Rachel returned.

"You're not dressed yet?" Miles asked looking between the two.

"Sorry, Miles," Charlie replied slipping her shirt over her head. "I saw a spot on my foot and freaked out."

"Couldn't see anything the way she was waving it around in my face," Bass chimed in with a pissy tone.

"Well?" Rachel asked stepping up to lay her hand on Charlie's arm. "Is she okay? Is there any permanent damage?"

"Doesn't appear to be, but it wouldn't hurt to have Gene take a look when we get back."

"Speaking of getting back, let's get moving. I don't want to spend another night on the road if we don't have too. You riding with me, Kid?" Miles asked gathering his things.

"I don't mind riding with Bass," Charlie answered slipping on her pack, missing the look between Rachel and Miles as Bass tightened a strap for her.

"What the hell is going on?" Miles asked as the two of them turned towards the door, Charlie reaching out to fix Bass' sleeve.

"Huh? What?" They both replied at the same time turning to look at him and Rachel.

"This," Miles says wagging a finger between them. "What is this?"

Charlie and Bass looked at each other, before turning back to Miles.

"Miles, Bass and I have traveled together just as much as you and I have. Is it so inconceivable that we work well together?" Charlie asked.

"Yeah, she thinks she's almost as good as you and me." Bass added earning an elbow to the ribs along with a muttered "asshole" and eye-roll from Charlie.

As Charlie held the horse she and Bass would be riding, Bass mounted and reached down, holding his hand out to Charlie. She grabbed on and using the empty stirrup, swung up on the horse behind him with a practiced ease.

"You leading or following?" Bass asked Miles with a blank face.

"I'll lead." Miles answered kicking his horse into a trot.

Rachel gave her daughter a weighty stare before following.

"What was that all about?" Charlie asked as she slid her hands under Bass' shirt, holding on to bare skin.

"He's worried that the Big Bad Wolf is going to ravage Little Miss Matheson on the way to Grandpa's house."

With a chuckle she asked, "Should I practice saying 'Oh my, what a big...'"

That was all she managed to get out before Bass squeezed her knee in a particularly sensitive spot he had found that morning causing her to squeal.

Miles and Rachel's heads swung around to look back at them.

"Sorry!" she called out, "I wasn't holding on tight enough."

Making a show of wrapping her arms around Bass' waist, Rachel's mouth flattened out into a sharp line and Miles frowned before turning his attention back to their path.

"You're the devil in disguise, is what you are." Bass said over his shoulder.

"Nah, more like a witch. Maybe if you're lucky I'll show you my broom-riding techniques," she replied with a smirk.

Looking over his shoulder at her with a raised eyebrow, he urged the horse to catch up with Miles and Rachel.