Hey everyone, I wrote this story for the Good Ship Charloe Christmas gift exchange, and this is my Christmas present for a dear friend, Threemagpies! Wishing you all a wonderful time! Love from Love

When she was almost home she recognised the contours of her uncle, Aaron, Connor and yes, there he was in all his glory, Monroe, in the front garden of the big house she was currently calling her home as well. She was living with Miles and her mother, and it had been not exactly ideal, but for now it would have to do.

It was only hours before Christmas Eve when Charlie was on her way home. The war against the Patriots was over. The battle had been long and hard before there had been victory. They had all returned to Willoughby again after summer. Texas, the land but most of all the people, was recovering from deep wounds.

Charlie had fought together with her Uncle and Monroe. When they all got on the road to go home, Monroe had joined them. A very moody Monroe had joined him, but he was there. But what surprised her the most was how much she not hated and actually liked seeing him again. Of course, there was no way she would ever let him know that.

After what he had done for them with President Davis that one day, and all the things he had done for her, there was no more denying the good he had done. There was no more denying that Sebastian Monroe, was not the man she thought he would be. It had been her conclusion after a long hard road through it all.

And when the town tried to restart after the war, Charlie tried to rebuild her life. For now, they had just settled down.

Summer had moved into a cool autumn. The leaves had turned into gold and orange and somehow time flew by. And now, Christmas was almost here. The main street was decorated with modest decorations. Christmas. It had been a long time ago since Christmas had meant something good. And now, it was only hours away.

She could not help but frown as she started to walk a little bit faster towards them. The fact that Aaron was there with team Monroe and Miles made her curious and determined to find out what was going on.

Both Miles and Aaron were arguing with Monroe, when they stood in front of a large pile of logs of unorganized wood.

Charlie crossed her arms in front of her chest while she raised an eyebrow at the men. They had not even heard her walk up.

'You guys need some help?' A mocking tone in her voice finally got their attention as four sets of eyes turned her way, when one set of deep blue's were particularly intense.

'We are fine kid, just deciding how to build this fire without burning the whole town down to the ground.' Miles said drily.

'Fire?' Charlie sounded confused. She watched the men in front of her.

Connor was doing a terrible job at hiding his amusement. 'Your uncle and my dad are having some kind of difficulties on agreeing how to do this,' he said, smirking at her.

Charlie moved her eyes from Connor to the other Monroe. She watched Monroe for a moment and she smiled at herself. He could be such a seven year old, pouting and growling at how much he hated it here, but yet somehow, he was always around.

He almost had her believe the whole I fucking hate being here in this town. She knew the truth. He didn't. Not as much as he all wanted to make them believe that. She was sure he did not have to be here at this moment, but still he was.

'Stay Puft over here had the great idea to have a bonfire tonight,' it was Monroe's low voice, while he gestured towards Aaron, his eyes on her a little bit longer than they had to be.

'Really, you dick? After all this time it is still Stay puft?' Aaron sounded pissed.

'Ignore him Aaron, he is just that pretty mean kid on the school yard, you know the one who thinks he has all the cool toys.' Charlie said, her eyes turning to Monroe with a grin.

Bass let out a smirk and a huff of air when he looked at her, amusement in his eyes.

'You think I am pretty, Charlotte?' His voice smug, adding some extra smugness to the word Charlotte. Hell, he did not think it was possible to get tired off messing with her. Ever. Charlie walking over and interrupting them was the best damn thing that happened to him this morning.

'Very pretty, Monroe,' she snapped back, trying to hide her irritation. God, she still hated it when he called her that. Asshole. She shot him her best deadly grin.

'All right, all right, now we have agreed on Bass his prettiness, ' Miles said with his usual sarcasm, 'let's focus on this thing, shall we?' He looked at the pile of wood again and let out a sigh, 'Hell, I need a drink.'

'Good idea, brother.' Bass added.

'Shut up you moron.' Miles shot back at him.

When Charlie walked towards the porch, she tried to ignore Monroe's gaze.

Aaron walked over to Charlie who looked unsure, as he tried to convince here to stop by. 'Come on Charlie, it is Christmas eve. 'Bonfire, 8 o clock tonight. You are coming right, kiddo.?'

'Oh yes she is,' Miles barked behind her, 'if I have to build this stupid thing, SHE is coming.'

Charlie had to admit that the guys had built a pretty good bonfire, and both Miles and Bass were looking very pleased at the end result, a bottle in their hands when Charlie finally walked outside to join them.

'Hey kid,' Miles greeted her, 'like this bonfire thing?'

'I am in complete awe of your skills,' she said, mocking them both.

'Hell yeah, we did a good job, brother,' Monroe slammed Miles on his shoulder.

Charlie shook her head and laughed at the childish pride in both the Generals eyes.

Before she moved on to greet the others, Bass raised his bottle towards her in a kind of mock toast, but with an disturbing almost real smile around his eyes that confused her. She hated to sound like Miles, but she needed a drink.

There was a large table set up close to the porch of the house and it was quickly being filled with all kinds of amazingly good food. Priscilla had actually made a turkey big enough to feed the whole town. There was cake, cookies in the form of little stars and trees that reminded Charlie of home and Christmas from a long time ago. More and more food was added when more of their friends and family gathered around the fire.

Her grandfather joined them, just as Connor with his new date or girlfriend or whatever she was. Since the two generals around her had the social skills of the turkey laying on the table before her, Charlie walked over to introduce herself. Connor had eventually made his way back, realising that building a Republic with Neville was not the best of his ideas. It had been hard, but he was working on something new with his father. Charlie had misjudged the girl dangling at his arm. She was not too bad when she started talking to them for a while.

She felt a hand on her shoulder and turned around. 'Hey kiddo, Merry Christmas,' Aaron said while he handed her a plate full of food.

'You think I can eat all that, Aaron?'

'Oh please, who are you kidding? You eat just as much as Miles.' Charlie smiled at him, when she took a first bite. It was actually pretty good. And Aaron was not lying. She liked her food.

'Maybe this was kind of a great idea, Aaron.' She had to admit. Aaron smiled back at her. 'Finally, somebody acknowledging my great idea.'

Before the blackout, Aaron had been known for his great Christmas parties. He had loved giving them and this was his idea of bringing back that tradition. After all the impossible mess of last year, they all could use something good. Something fun.

'Merry Christmas, Aaron and thank you,' Charlie said, light in her blue eyes.

'For the food? You really don't...'

'Not for the food Aaron, for everything.' Charlie said, in a softer tone, her words meant for only the two of them.

Of course, Aaron tried to make a joke out it, but before he could Charlie hugged him quickly.

'Apparently we are doing the hug thing now,' Aaron said, but with warmth in his voice, when he held on to that one stubborn but oh so strong girl. He had basically watched her grow up and he knew exactly hat she had gone through. To see her smile and open up like she was doing know, it meant everything to him.

The fire was burning with warm flames, and it was a clear night. The air around them was filled by the scent of winter air, the fire and food. The porch of the house had been decorated with little lanterns and candles, and there were lights everywhere. The food had been gone within hours, and Charlie felt more stuffed than she had felt in a very long time.

She was sitting on a tree trunk close to the fire, the cold and brisk night air around them when a large group had gathered around the fire. She was sitting close to Miles and Bass was sitting not too far away from her on her left. His face was different, the harsh lines more relaxed.

She did not know who started this new story, but she was quickly wishing she could disappear for a moment. Aaron and her grandfather had been arguing on the lines of some almost forgotten Christmas song and when they had mentioned the reindeer from a song, Miles was just not able to keep his mouth shut anymore.

'You know, kid,' he paused to take a drink from the bottle in his hands, 'I believe you asked Santa for a reindeer once?' Miles teased her, in between two gulps from his whiskey.

Rachel's eyes lit up as she smiled at Charlie. 'Yes she did, you wanted a reindeer for Christmas. You asked for your very own reindeer, honey.'

'Oh Jesus...' Charlie mumbled. She remembered now. When other girls had wanted a doll or something with sparkles and glitters, she had wanted just one thing. She had heard the stories and after seeing a movie she had known for sure what her Christmas wish would be. A reindeer. A flying real reindeer.

She asked herself if things could get any worse.

When Bass was smiling at her, his stupid grin plastered all over his stupid face, she knew they could. And would.

She felt how her cheeks got warmer, and was even more grateful now for the fire that already warmed her face.

'I finally took you to see some reindeer close to the park one afternoon,' Miles continued, 'of course we hardly got you home after seeing them.'

Charlie frowned. She started to remember. Deep green Christmas Trees around her with lights and ornaments, trees that seemed so big they could touch the sky, a square, large never-ending buildings around her, the cold air on her skin, and there they were...the reindeer.

'We?' she asked, not being able to remember who was with her that afternoon.

'Yeah, we. Me,' Miles paused for a moment before he pointed to his left, 'Me and that moron.'

Charlie's mouth fell open when she followed Miles' hand. She looked straight in the face of Monroe. Only this time he was not grinning, he was actually smiling that stupid really good smile, that smile she just saw now for the very first time.

Bass looked at Charlie, realising already where Miles would take this story. When Charlie finally realised he had been there she first opened her mouth in absolute surprise. He could not help but smile at her.

He remembered a five year old Charlie who had been talking nonstop about the reindeer since she had seen him and Miles one cold afternoon at the front door of the Matheson home in Chicago, a Charlie who had dragged him with her and Miles all the way to the small park, when Miles had told her there had been reindeer over there.

Real reindeer.

She had loved every damn minute of it, her big blue eyes filled with delight. He knew his brother, if those damn animals had been for sale, Miles would have bought her one.

But most of all, he remembered her trusting eyes and a small hand that had grabbed his when she had started to name all the reindeer on the square.

'Bass look...' while she had pointed her little finger at the small reindeer in front of her, 'that's Prancer, Thunder, Blixer, Vixen and...' She almost got them right, all of them.

He had kneeled down beside her, while she had watched the reindeer and then him, with a glint of bright light in her blue eyes. Of course when she had seen Santa, some almost drunk fat guy in a bad suit, she had moved closer to him and he had lifted her in his arm, earning him bright giggles from her.

Charlie was not sure if she was about to fall of the tree trunk she was sitting on, when she remembered a guy that had to be Santa, and the shyness she had felt when that guy had walked over. Sebastian Monroe had been there, with her, looking at reindeer. Oh jezus. Again.

It was also that same Sebastian Monroe who quickly started another story.

Bass saw the realisation hit Charlie, but he also felt Miles had messed with her enough.

'Hey Miles, remember that Christmas when we were so drunk and we picked up those chicks in those tiny red dresses?'

After a couple of minutes Charlie had the courage to look at Monroe again. Their eyes met in a natural flow that belonged to them. So he had been there. She was not sure if she had remembered him before. But Bass, no wait, Monroe, had been there before, before everything changed for good. The lightness of her memory of him threw her off balance.

After a while, Bass got up to help Miles carry more booze out of the house to the bonfire. When he came back he stood very close behind her all of sudden, so close her shoulder made contact with his leg. He was dangling a plate with a piece of pie on it before her.

'Last piece, saved it for you back there in the kitchen.' His tone low, his words resonating in her chest.

She reached for the piece of pie. He was already on his way when she stopped him.

'Hey, thanks.'

He turned around, a hint of amused surprise in his eyes. 'Anytime Charlie.'

He knew he was taking a hell of a risk, grabbing that piece of pie for her. When he had grabbed that piece for her, Miles had told him he was a greedy asshole for taking that last piece for himself. He had just grinned at his brother and when Miles went to the right when they had walked off the porch steps, he had taken a left for Charlie.

Charlie had not looked at him with her best go to hell look and she had thanked him. Holy hell. Then he moved on, as he walked over to Connor, patting his kid on the shoulder as Bass started to to him with a grin.

People were laughing, sharing food, memories and bottles. Charlie started to love every minute of it.

Somehow, without even noticing it, it had been just him and her and the now smaller bonfire at the end of the night. It was late, although Charlie did not know how late. She had said goodbye to her family and friends, and now it was a Christmas night with quiet and stars above her head. The table had been cleared and Miles and her mother had disappeared inside a while ago.

The last candles were burning in the lantern on the porch beside her. The air and the town around them was quiet, even more than normal, and although she had not looked forward to this Christmas Eve, it had been and still was a good night. The silence in the air was a different one than normal, and she loved the energy.

This bonfire, now it was smaller, reminded her of another one, many months ago. Instead of Christmas Eve and her mind filled with warmth and a night of good company, her stomach filled with dinner and that one piece of pie he had brought her, her body had been filled with drugs.

Monroe, because that was what he had been to her, Monroe, and only Monroe, had been sitting across from her when she had slowly woken up somewhere outside Potssboro.

His words that he had spoken to her then, were lingering around the dancing flames in front of her. At least for now, we all are on the same side. They had been so close, their bodies touching, his hands around her upper arms. Monroe had given her no other choice than to return with him.

The patriot threat had been still building, and she had no idea then, in how many ways everything ahead would change her complete life, her complete outlook on things. How this past year would change the way she would look at him.

Bass held a bottle in his hand, one of his boots rested on the step under her, while he stood before her.

'Remember,' she hesitated, tilting her head backwards so she could find his eyes, Bass was looking at her with a frown on his face, 'remember when you told me that for the time being we were all on the same side?'

He nodded. Hell, of course he remembered. He had sat next to her for a full day, and when Charlie had finally woken up, her thank you for saving her life had been another attempt on his. Stubborn as hell this infuriating woman.

She had been his little Vixen right then and there.

His exploring and intense eyes were fully fixed on her. Charlie felt the intensity running through her. This was hard, showing him a piece of herself, revealing something of what she was hoping for.

'I was hoping, now the war is over, that we still could be on that same side.' Her voice was soft, and her eyes were serious.

Bass felt how his throat closed up, while he fidgeted with the bottle in his hands.

There was silence, and Charlie started to feel her heartbeat in her chest.

Finally, he started to move and sat down next to her, his boots firmly planted a couple of steps under hers. There was a small movement of his lips, almost a grin.

'I think we could do that, Charlie.' He never ever fucking told her, but looking back, he had always been on her side. He had never left hers, even when she did not wanted him there.

'Good.' Charlie said, answering his grin with a small smile.

A small but true honest smile, the light of the fire dancing in her eyes. Fuck, she was beautiful.

'Good.' His tone so low, she barely heard him.

That was not the only reason Charlie almost did not catch what he said. His eyes, his look. She had not seen that look since that high school when she had locked eyes with him in a way that broke something lose with her. An then there had been the moment at the train, when they, for the first time in months, had locked eyes again in the way that belonged to them.

The intensity of their eyes locked together matched the heat of the fire.

'It was you, right?' Bass asked her, when Charlie already knew somehow what was coming next, 'You asked your mom to save my ass from that execution.'

Charlie nodded. They had never talked about it, and Bass finally found some courage to ask her.

'Why Charlie, after everything I did, I...' He was at a loss for words for a moment, something that did not the fuck happen. But with her, with Charlie, there always seemed to be a set of rules on their own.

Charlie had thought about that one question a lot. She told her mother it was because she needed him in their fight. He had saved her life. But there was more.

'You saved my life that night in that bar, ' she started, her eyes on him, her voice slow and serious, 'and on the road back here, I started to realise that maybe you were right. That I did not know you.'

Bass felt a lump the size of Texas forming in his throat, while her words reached him, almost fucking killing him slowly on that porch. And then, he saw her face again, Charlie standing there in front of those two wooden doors, where death would be waiting for him. He had never expected her there. And the look on her face, there had been so much in her deep eyes.

'So, you were not there in front of that court house to make sure I would really go to hell that night?'

This time, Charlie felt emotions she had pushed away, deep in some corner of her mind and heart, swirling through her chest.

'No, no I wasn't.'

They both wanted to ask more, to say more, but they both were not sure what to say next.

Bass reached out his hand, holding the bottle right in front of her. Charlie took it, and took another swig. He looked at her, while she put the bottle to her lips. He rarely saw her drink, but apparently tonight, she allowed herself to have some fun. He liked this part of her.

'You do like your whiskey, don't you.'

Charlie raised an eyebrow at him. 'Mini Miles, right?'

He looked straight forward, nodding his head, grinning at her smartass remark.

' Connor told you about that huh?'

'Yes he did,' she grinned at him, taking on more drink from the bottle before she gave it back to him, 'And since Miles is freaking awesome, I think it is the nicest thing you have ever said to me, Monroe.'

This time, Bass did not just grin, but actually laughed at her. His face turning into a real bright smile, while he almost choked on his whiskey.

It was far past midnight, when Charlie yawned behind her hand. She had gotten Monroe to a place where he was the kind of drunk where he would willingly share some stories oaboutMiles. The good embarrassing ones where she could mess around with as sweet revenge for Miles his reindeer story. It was always good to have a couple of those stories as a back up when needed, she figured.

There had been silence too, when pale stars above them had kept them company, but it was a comfortable one.

Somehow things came to a full circle tonight. She had come back with Monroe, long weeks on the road with him between Vegas and Willoughby behind them and they had fought the Patriots. Together.

And somehow, here they were again on a Christmas Eve, around another fire. They were both not the same anymore, each in their own ways, and although he could still be a smug asshole, he had become so much more. For her. And on this silent night, Christmas morning on its way, she was finally able to admit that to herself.

This year had cost herso, so much. She had not been sure if she would ever feel like this again. Because she felt warm, and not just from the fire. She felt warm in every possible meaning of that world.

'You okay?' Bass pulled her out of her thoughts, seeing how she went to another place for a moment.

'Yeah, I think I actually am. I had a good night.'

He bumped into her shoulder with his own in a playful way.

'I'm glad, Charlie.' He really fucking was. This girl had been through hell and back, she deserved this.

She slowly got up from the steps she was sitting on.

'Taking first watch?' Charlie asked. Being within town walls meant no more first watches, but she could not resist. It had been their ritual for so long ago, and the both of them alone reminded her of that.

'Guess I am,' Bass answered her, not taking his eyes away from her as she did not miss the gentle tone in his words. The open look on his face.

He had gotten up from the porch steps as well, and was leaning into the banister of the wooden porch.

Charlie knew him well enough by now, that he would sit and stare in the fire when she would walk away. She had seen him do it so many times before now. It was kind of his thing.

Charlie already had her hand on the doorknob. It was not logical. But she did it anyway. She turned around and walked over to him. Standing so close to him all of a sudden that she could take him in. Whiskey, the fire, his leather jacket, him. She could read the confusion in his eyes.

She reached out and placed her fingers softly on the scruff of his beard. And then she leaned in and kissed him softly on his cheek, almost touching his upper lip.

'Merry Christmas, Bass.'

Bass let out a sharp breath, frozen in its place. Bass. He finally heard his own name coming from her lips while his mind was yelling at him that Charlie Matheson had just touched him, kissed him.

Charlie could feel him freeze, and just stood there for a moment, the night air around them on that silent porch.

When he finally spoke again, his voice was hoarse.

'Merry Christmas, Charlie.' He slowly put his hand over her shoulder, his fingers touching the base of her neck and Charlie let out a small sigh when she felt the strength and warmth of his hand on her.

Slowly Charlie let go of him. She felt Bass fingers one more time gliding over her upper arm before he let go. And when she was close the door again, she looked back, and met his eyes , a soft warmth in her eyes when she met his one more time before walking inside.

Bass watched her walk into the house. And he was not sure if she really understood what she had just given him. He felt like a human being again. But for one damn moment, he felt human again.