The temperature had dropped overnight and the air in the mine is cold and damp. Bass and Charlie snuggle on the old bed under the blanket Teddy had brought them. They make up for the hole in the blanket by sharing their body heat.

Bass lies awake, watching Charlie sleep. She is beautiful. Her skin is flushed and her lips are slightly parted. She frowns and whimpers and he pulls her closer into his embrace. "Shhhh," he whispers, hoping to calm her before the dream escalates into a full-fledged nightmare.

She arches her back and moans, her eyes still tightly shut. Too late.

"It's okay, Baby. It's okay." He strokes Charlie's brow which is now beaded with sweat. He kisses her temple and feels her heart pound against his own. "Shhh," he says again, clutching her tightly to him.

Charlie wakes with a cry; her eyes search frantically until they settle on his concerned face. She looks away, trying to hold back the tears that threaten.

"I'm here. You're okay. Everything is going to be okay."

She loses it then, curling into him, burying her face in his throat as the sobs shake her body. She clings to Bass and cries until her body is spent and there are no more tears left to shed. "They were with me. We were sitting around a fire and we were happy." Her voice is scratchy and barely more than a whisper.

"Who?" But he has a feeling he knows.

"Everyone. My Dad and Danny. Maggie. Nora. Jason. Mom and Grandpa. They were all there and they were happy and alive." She sniffs and then lets out a shaky sigh. "I asked where Miles was, and Connor."

"And?"

"They said they didn't know. Then they were laughing again about something that Teddy said."

Bass smiles slightly. "Teddy was there?"

"Yeah. He was telling them jokes. It was weird but also funny. He's a good kid, you know?"

"Yeah. He is a good kid." He waits for her to finish telling him about her dream.

She absently strokes his collarbone as she continues. "My Dad disappeared first. He faded away right in front of my eyes. Then Danny. They left me in the order they died. By the time Jason faded away, I was crying and begging for them to stay or come back. In the end it was just me and Teddy."

"And?"

"He said he thought Miles and Connor are okay. Then he faded away too and I was left all alone."

"Where was I?"

She shrugs. "Not there." She tries to sound flippant, but he can hear the pain in her voice. "I was alone."

"I'm sorry I wasn't there, but I am here now. I'm here for you. Okay? I'm not leaving you."

She nods slowly before leaning up to kiss the corner of his mouth. "Bass?"

"Yeah?"

Charlie presses her body against his, arching into him. "Show me."

"Show you what?" He asks with a whisper.

"Show me that I'm not alone. Show me you won't leave me." She pushes him flat on his back and straddles his waist before scooting lower. Her wet center cradles his hardening cock as she slowly rocks against him. "Make me forget that terrible dream."

He considers saying no. He considers telling Charlie that they should talk more. He considers these things, but when she leans forward to kiss him and her perfect breasts brush across his chest, he can't focus on anything but helping Charlie forget her pain.

In no mood for lengthy foreplay this time, Charlie reaches down and strokes his cock as she kisses him. He is soon more than ready and she lines him up. Slowly she lowers herself, taking him in with a relieved sigh.

Bass groans at the feel of her body and at the sounds she's making. He grasps her hips as she slides up and down his cock, taking in more of his length with each downward stroke. The tempo builds along with the tension that crackles between them. They are moving as one, panting and groaning as she begins to bounce faster.

Their eyes lock as she rides and he slides his hands up to capture her breasts. He pinches her nipples and kneads the firm mounds. She fucks him harder and faster, loving the feel of the tension that coils deep within her belly.

Bas is feeling it too. He thrusts up harshly, slamming his cock into her cervix as she meets his upward thrusts with downward moves of her own. Her pussy begins to clench and spasm around him and she moves faster still. Long curls sway around her shoulders.

"Get off, Charlie," Bass orders her gruffly, feeling that he can't possibly hold out much longer.

"Not yet. Need you." Her eyes burn into his.

"Charlie." His voice is low and full of warning.

She slows, but shows no intention of dismounting. She continues to glide along his shaft, bending down to kiss his lips as she moves, languidly now. "You said you wouldn't leave me, Bass."

"But I meant…" His balls are tightening. He clamps his eyes shut. "Get off."

"No." She sinks down, sheathing him completely. She moans as her vaginal muscles are grasping his cock like a vice. Slowly she begins to swivel her hips in a circular motion. "Don't leave me, Bass. Don't ever leave me."

Charlie reaches down behind, stroking his tender balls and this is when all coherent thought flees his mind. Bass yanks her closer still, his fingers digging into her as he finds his own release inside her heat.

She falls on him, gasping for air. He strokes her back gently, running his fingers through her hair as he slowly returns to his senses. "At some point, we'll need to talk about that."

"We probably need to talk about a lot."

"Well, we'll have plenty of time. Like I said, I'm not going anywhere."

They are dressed in their normal clothes which had mostly dried overnight. Bass is eating pickles out of one of the dusty jars, pulling them out one at a time with his finger. Charlie is sitting on his lap. Now and then, he feeds her a pickle. They aren't speaking except with their eyes.

A lot is being said with their eyes.

Teddy clears his throat when he enters from the inner cavern of the mine. "Uh, am I interrupting something?" He may be only thirteen, but his smirk says he knows exactly what's going on here.

"Nope," Bass says with a grin. When Charlie starts to stand, he pulls her back down. Leaning close enough that his lips brush her ear, he says, "You're not going anywhere, Charlotte. Stay."

Teddy rolls his eyes and holds up the canvas bag. "Brought you some stuff."

"Please say you brought food," Charlie begs. "Food that isn't pickles?"

The boy nods. "Got you some more jerky and two loaves of brown bread. Also there are some pears."

He dumps the food out on the table. Bass grabs a piece of jerky. Charlie takes a pear. They both begin to eat. "What else?" Bass asks.

"A big bottle that you can use to collect water, although you can probably just go out and get it whenever you need it now."

Charlie and Bass exchange a glance. "What are you talking about? We can't just waltz out there."

Teddy shrugs. "Clan has been moving out all day. Might be gone by now."

"Really?" Bass asks.

"Yeah. Kind of surprised you didn't notice."

Charlie stands and this time Bass doesn't stop her. Instead he walks with her to the door and they peer out through the vines. Sure enough the campsite has mostly cleared away. "Well, shit," Bass says. "Guess we weren't paying attention."

Teddy shakes his head. "Clearly."

"What else is in your bag?" Charlie nods toward the sack which clearly is still filled with something.

"A shovel."

"What for?"

"You said that you were going to bury the guy – the bones?" He looks uncertain, and a little sad.

Bass feels a tug at his heart. This kid had really grown attached to that skeleton. "Yeah. We thought we'd bury him out under the trees. That sound okay to you?"

Teddy considers and then nods. "Yeah, I think he'd like that."

Bass walks to the corner where the bones sit in the old wooden box. He pulls it closer to the door. "As soon as the last of the clan is gone, we'll take care of that. You can help."

"Yeah, okay."

Charlie senses that he wants to change the subject. "So what else? Anything?"

He pulls one more item from the bag. It's a wrinkled envelope.

"What's that?"

"A letter for you." He holds it out to Bass. "One of the guys in town got back from Austin this morning. He brought a bunch of letters with him from the people who are from Willoughby but are in the hospital right now. He also brought a list of the names of the dead. He hung the list and all the letters up on a bulletin board."

Bass's voice is hollow. "And?"

"There was nobody on the list named Miles or Connor, so then I looked through the letters and saw one for you." Teddy shrugs. "Unless there is anybody else named Bass?"

"Nah. Just me." Bass takes the letter, his hands suddenly shaky.

Charlie sits back down and puts her head in her hands, waiting.

Bass opens the envelope and pulls out a sheet of paper. He sighs, relieved. "It's from Connor." He scans the first few lines and his face breaks out into a slow grin. He begins to read:

Dad,

We're in Austin. Miles is going to be here for a while yet and I'm going to stay in case he needs anything. We wanted to wait around for you guys but the storm was bad. There was this wall that had fallen on Miles's leg. It probably would have been fine, but the wall started to shift and he was worried he was going to get crushed. We knew by then that Rachel and Gene didn't make it. Miles didn't want to die. He tried to cut his leg off, but just couldn't do it. Asked me to. It was fucking awful, but I did it. Put a tourniquet on first just like you told me they used to do in the Civil War before a field amputation. Anyway, got him out just in time. The wall fell and he would have been dead for sure.

I carried him to Main street. He's a heavy bastard and he was bitching and moaning the whole way. We found a wagon full of some other injured people and we got a ride here. Miles lost a lot of blood and it was touch and go for a while. He's doing better.

You know, Miles and I never got along real good, but we're doing okay now. I guess if you cut off someone's foot, you start to see them differently. We're not friends really, but he needs me so I'm gonna stay here till he's ready to be released. You can send him a letter. He'd like that. Would give him something to do other than bitch.

Hope you guys are okay. Tell Charlie hi. Also, tell her we're both sorry about her Mom and Granddad. Miles was pretty upset about Rachel that first day. Now, he's doing better, but he's still worried about Charlie. Take good care of her, Dad. The doctor here said it will probably be at least a couple months before Miles is ready to travel. We'll keep you updated.

Connor

"They're both okay," he breathes out in relief.

"I can't believe it." Charlie stands. Tears are streaming down her cheeks. "Miles is alive? Connor is okay?" After that awful dream, she'd been sure that any news would be bad news.

He wipes at his eyes, nodding. Then he drops the papers to the ground and presses his lips to hers. The kiss deepens and Charlie grasps his ass, pulling him closer.

They break apart when they hear Teddy laughing. "So I guess I was right? Looks like you two do like each other? I'm guessing you liked each other all night long?"

He ducks when Bass throws one of the pears at his head. "Shut up, half pint."

Teddy just smirks and shakes his head. He walks over to the door and peeks out. "They're gone."

When the time comes to bury the bones, Teddy changes his mind and says he's going home instead. He disappears into the mine, his shoulders slumped.

Charlie and Bass bury the skeleton together. Bass makes a small wooden cross out of some broken tree branches and they pack up their stuff, leaving the old Otis silver mine behind.

As they follow the creek back to town, Bass and Charlie walk hand in hand. The sun is bright and the birds are singing. Hope surges up from their bellies and the future looks better than it has in days.

With the clan gone, Willoughby begins to recover and rebuild. The process is slow going, but Bass and Charlie dig in and help wherever they can.

Their first order of business is to find a place to live that isn't the old Otis. It actually doesn't take long. The house they find is small and less than a half mile from the old Porter homestead. The former owner had been an elderly woman who had died from injuries she had sustained when Bloody Mary had ripped through town. She had left behind no family, so Charlie and Bass had staked their claim. The house had needed some repair, but was worth the work required.

They don't really discuss their relationship. It is what it is. They spend as much time together as they can. He works to help folks rebuilding their homes. She helps in what passes for a doctor's office now that her Grandpa is gone. It has been strange really, just how easily Bass and Charlie have slipped into domestic bliss.

Instead of the two months that Miles's doctor had predicted, almost six pass before he and Connor return to Willoughby. The official story is that Miles needed more time to recover, but if Connor is telling the story, the real reason was a friendly candy striper named Evelyn.

They had received letters from Miles every month or so. Bass usually wrote back. He hinted at the fact that he and Charlie spent a lot of time together but never came right out and said they were a couple.

As the months pass, both Bass and Charlie have asked around to see if anyone knows where Teddy is. Nobody seems to know him at all. They are curious, but busy and figure they'll just ask Joe when he gets back to town. He and Heather have been staying in Austin with a sick grandmother, so Bass and Charlie haven't had a chance to talk to Teddy's uncle since the storm.

On the day Miles and Connor return, Bass and Charlie are at their new place. Bass is chopping wood behind the house. Charlie is sitting on a tree stump in the side yard, cleaning some fish for their dinner. They both hear the wagon approaching. Bass drops his axe and jogs over to Charlie. He puts his arms around her shoulders, and together they make their way to welcome their visitors.

Joe Mathews is driving the wagon and he gives them a friendly wave as they pull up. "Hey Strangers! I brought you something," he yells as they approach.

Before the wagon has even come to a full stop, Connor Bennett stands up in the back of the wagon. He grins happily at the sight of his Dad and Charlie. He vaults over the side of the wagon bed and runs over, embracing his father in a fierce hug. They pull apart. Bass is wiping his eyes. Connor does the same.

"Glad you're okay, Kid." Bass nods to the wagon. "He's in there?"

"Yeah. He's been bitching non-stop since we left Austin, but don't let him fool you. He's glad to be home."

Charlie tilts her head. "No hug for me?"

Connor laughs and hugs her too, pulling back in surprise. He points at her belly, which is swollen with pregnancy. "Uh, what's going on?"

"Oh, you know." Charlie says with a wink.

Connor looks from his Dad to Charlie and back again. Bass shrugs. "You guys were gone for a long time."

"Shit. Miles is gonna be pissed."

"He'll get over it." Charlie leaves them and walks briskly over to the back of the wagon. Miles is awkwardly making his way to the open gate of the wagon and he grins when he sees Charlie. "Good to see you, Kid."

She fights back tears. "You too. Connor said you are all grouchy."

"He hovers like a fucking mother hen. I need a break from that kid." Miles shoots her a dirty look when she holds out a hand to help him out of the wagon. "Don't you start. I lost a foot. Still got the other one. I can get around fine." He uses his one good leg and a wooden cane to work his way to the tailgate.

Charlie takes a step back to give him room. He notices her belly and screws his eyes shut tight. "Don't tell me. You met a nice guy your own age while I was away?"

She laughs at his obvious discomfort. "Not exactly?"

"Well, shit. You should remind that bastard that I lost a foot, not a hand. I can still shoot him."

Charlie can't help herself. She pulls him into a hug. "Shut up. You'll get used to it in time. And no shooting. Okay?"

"I'm not promising anything."

Bass and Charlie invite Joe to stay for dinner. It's the least they can do. He had let Connor and Miles tag along when he'd driven back home from Austin after all. Joe agrees with a smile and they all make their way into the little house.

Later, they sit around the old kitchen table, feasting on a dinner of fried fish, fresh bread, corn on the cob and apple sauce. Miles has his stump propped up on a chair. He's looking back and forth between Charlie and Bass. He hasn't said much since he figured out that Bass and Charlie are together. To say it wasn't the best surprise he's ever had, would be an understatement. Slowly though, as he's watched them together, he has started to loosen up some.

With his stomach full and a glass of whiskey in his hand, Miles leans back. "So, you guys are what?"

"What do you mean?" Bass asks, reaching for Charlie's hand across the table.

"You're having a baby. So what are you? Getting married? Shacking up? What are you?"

Charlie smiles slowly, squeezing Bass's fingers in hers. "We're happy, Miles. That's what we are."

Miles rolls his eyes, but he's laughing. "Fine. Just don't come to me if this all blows up in your face."

Bass shakes his head. "Sorry, Miles. No deal. After all, who do you think will babysit while we have hot make-up sex?"

"Oh, for fuck's sake." Miles downs the rest of his whiskey. He holds the empty glass out to Connor, who fills it without being asked.

Charlie glances over at Joe. "Hey, where's Teddy? We haven't seen him around lately."

Joe slowly sets down his glass and looks at Charlie. He has an odd expression on his face. "Teddy?"

"Yeah. Your nephew, Teddy Mathews."

Joe's face pales. "That's not funny."

Bass and Charlie exchange a look. "We're not trying to be funny. He helped us out after the storm when we were stranded in the mine. Brought us food and told us how to get around in there."

Joe stands, leaning forward and pressing his fists into the table top. "I don't know who you saw in the damn mine, but it wasn't Teddy."

Bass feels uncertain. "Something wrong, Joe?"

Joe stands up and runs a hand through his hair. "Teddy died ten years ago in that damned mine."

Charlie feels gooseflesh pebble on her skin. "That's not possible."

"Yeah, it is." Joe sits back down, settling tiredly into the chair. "My brother Mike was a nice guy. His wife had died and he and Teddy were inseparable. Then Mike met this girl. She was bad news but he thought he was in love. Eventually, she left him. Mike was all broken up about it. Teddy tried to get him to forget her. He talked his Dad into hike up in the hills to explore. Their favorite pastime had always been playing catch. They took their gloves with them and they were tossing the ball back and forth when it happened."

"Where was this?" Charlie asks.

"Up on top of Otis Hill, above the mine. Nobody knew about that open ventilation shaft until Teddy stumbled and fell into it."

"Oh shit." Bass mumbles. He's not sure that he believes this or not, but it's a good story.

"Well, he fell in. Mike ran to the opening immediately. He could see Teddy, but couldn't reach him. Tried to talk him into crawling back up the shaft. Teddy could have done it, but he was scared."

"The kid we met wasn't scared of anything."

Joe shrugs. "Some rocks fell when Teddy did, and he was sure there was going to be a cave in."

"And?"

"And he was right. The shaft collapsed and Teddy died, buried under the falling rock. Never found him either. That mine has so many caverns and passageways and nobody wanted to risk another cave in. It was really sad." Joe stares off into space, his expression haunted.

They sit in silence for a while. Finally Bass shrugs. "Yeah. You're right Joe. Must have been some kid playing a prank."

Joe nods before standing. He looks sad and tired. "Yeah. Had to be. Anyway, I'm going home. Thanks for dinner."

Charlie walks him to the door. She puts a hand on his arm. "Whatever happened to your brother?"

Joe smiles sadly. "He never gave up the search. Even lived in that damn mine for a while. I figure he died in there, but I never had the heart to look. Anyway, they're both gone. I hope that they're together somewhere now. They were always so close." He sighs heavily. "If you don't mind, I'm going home. Need to see if Heather got settled. I dropped her off on my way here. Thanks again for dinner."

"Of course. We'll see you later. Charlie leans against the door after it closes. She is deep in thought.

After a little while she returns to the kitchen and perches on Bass's lap. "Truth? Do you think that was Teddy or not?"

Bass ponders her question for a moment and shrugs. "Didn't your Grandpa always say the place was haunted?"

Charlie goes a little pale. "Yeah, he did."

"And now that I think about it, there were a lot of little things that don't add up about that kid."

"Like what?"

"The way he would just appear out of nowhere….the way he was so attached to that skeleton…"

Charlie covers her mouth with her hand. "Oh God. That might have been his Dad."

"Maybe, yeah."

Miles is watching them. "You guys aren't serious? Who do you think you are? The Ghost Whisperers?"

Charlie looks at him blankly. "Huh?"

"Never mind. Just listen to yourselves. You sound like idiots."

Connor shrugs. "I don't know, Miles. After all that weird ass Nano bullshit, it seems like a little old ghost story isn't any big deal."

Bass turns to Connor. "Want to go on a little field trip with us tomorrow? I have an idea and I'm gonna need some help. Charlie will have to sit on the sidelines for this one" He rubs her belly protectively. "And stumpy over there, will be no help at all."

"Dick." Miles mutters into his glass.

Charlie frowns, ready to argue that she is pregnant, not helpless. She changes her mind when she sees the set of Bass's jaw. Clearly her involvement is not up for discussion. She nods in agreement and feels his body relax.

"What kind of field trip?" Connor asks with an arched brow.

Miles shakes his head in disgust, but sings softly under his breath, "If there's something strange in your neighborhood, who you gonna call?"

Connor watches Miles with an odd look on his face. "Maybe you should stop drinking?" He picks up the bottle and starts to walk toward the counter with it.

Miles scowls. "Bring that back or I'll shove my stump up your ass, Dr. Venkman."

Bright and early the next morning, Bass and Charlie lead Connor to the old Otis. The men both carry shovels. Bass also has a pick axe. Miles had stayed behind. While in the hospital, he'd taken up reading and had buried his nose in a book as soon as the door had closed behind the others.

Unlike the first time they'd come to the mine together, this time Charlie and Bass know exactly where to go. They push aside the vines that hang over the entrance and walk inside.

"So you guys stayed here? Did you bring all this furniture?"

"We stayed here, but I think it was Joe's brother Mike who brought in the furniture. Probably got tired of walking back and forth to town." Bass looks around. The room looks unchanged since they had left it behind months ago.

"So where is this ghost of yours?" Connor asks.

Charlie shrugs. "He would just show up sometimes. Through there." She points to the framed doorway that leads into the mine beyond.

Bass lights two torches. He hands one to Charlie and beckons for them to follow. They wander down the primary shaft, taking a left when they come to the big cavern with the pool. They make their way across that space, and into another narrow corridor. Connor is soon lost as they make their way deeper into the cave, turning here and there. Bass finally slows. "We're almost there."

He comes to a stop and Connor and Charlie stop behind them. Charlie points to the far wall. A large pile of rocks is evidence of a cave-in from long ago. "See up there? Above that pile of rocks?" she asks Connor. "That narrow opening is the ventilation shaft. It's how Teddy got in and out."

Bass takes several steps closer, holding his torch high. "And according to Joe, it's in that shaft where Teddy died."

"So, what are we doing here, exactly?" Connor asks.

Bass kicks at one of the rocks. "We're going to dig through this pile of rocks."

"And what are we looking for?"

"Well, if Teddy died here and nobody ever found him, I guess we're looking for his bones."

"Why not just leave them here?" Connor wrinkles his nose in distaste. "Joe said he's been dead for ten years, right? Why move him now?"

"We buried his Dad out by the creek under some trees. I think Teddy would want to be buried with him."

Charlie agrees but can see Connor is still squeamish. "Oh come on. You sawed off Miles's foot, but you're getting grossed out by some bones? Don't be a pussy."

"Fine. I'll help. So is there a game plan here?"

"Yeah." Bass smirks. "Move the rocks. That's the plan."

They do exactly that for two hours, finding nothing. The original pile is now barely knee high and Bass is starting to wonder if he'd been completely wrong. Other than the sound of the rocks being moved, the space is silent. Charlie has wedged both torches in a crevice of the wall so that the light shines over their work space.

Connor stops, "Hey Dad?"

"Yeah?"

"I think I found something."

Charlie walks up then. She'd been resting against a far wall, watching them and wishing Teddy was here to tell them they had it all wrong. She wishes he'd say he isn't dead and that it was all a big joke. Her heart clenches when she sees what Connor has found.

Bass walks to her and pulls her close. "We'll take care of him, Charlie. It's gonna be okay."

Charlie nods, swiping angrily at tears that fall, unbidden. "Yeah, all right." She hands over the canvas bag she'd brought along and Connor starts to carefully place the bones inside it.

Connor pauses again. "Hey, look." He holds up a youth sized baseball glove. "Just like Joe said. They'd been playing catch."

Charlie can't take anymore of this. "Need some air," she says before grabbing one of the torches and heading back out of the mine. In the room where they'd stayed, she stops in front of the baker's rack. There on the top shelf is the baseball glove they'd discovered on their first day here. Teddy's Dad hadn't brought any personal items except for this one. Clearly it was very important to Mike Matthews. She grabs it and walks out into the fresh air.

Taking a deep gulping breath, she feels calmer.

"You okay?" Teddy is sitting on the outside of the mine, leaning against the rock wall. He smiles sadly.

Charlie feels the tears coming again, but fights them off. She walks toward him, and sits at his side. "You lied to me. I asked if you were a ghost." Her tone is accusatory.

Teddy chuckles. "Didn't know you yet. Wasn't sure you could take the truth."

She thinks about this for a while and then nods. "Yeah, I guess that makes sense." She looks at him thoughtfully. "We found you, well your…"

"Yeah. I know. I think it's almost over."

"What?" But she thinks she knows.

"All the wandering. I think I can go now."

Charlie fights back a sob. She is suddenly overcome by loss - not just Teddy, but also all the ones who she's lost before. "Don't leave," she pleads.

He places his hand over hers. "You aren't alone, Charlie. You know that. You've got Bass and your uncle."

"I know, but I'm so sick of people I care about dying."

Teddy shakes his head. "To be fair, I was dead way before you started caring about me. You'll be okay. I think you are a lot stronger than you think you are."

"I'm going to miss you."

He nods. "I'll miss you too, but I'm tired, Charlie." He sighs heavily. "Tired of nobody seeing me. Tired of missing my Dad. Tired of being stuck in this damned mine."

"What do you mean, nobody sees you? We saw you a bunch of times. I see you now."

"Yeah, but you guys were the first. I've tried so many times. Nobody sees me. Nobody talks to me. Ten years was a long time to have nobody talk to me."

"So, why us?" Charlie's tears have stopped falling. She squeezes his fingers between hers.

"I don't know. Maybe you guys needed something from me just as much as I needed something from you?"

"What did you need from us, Teddy?"

He nods toward the door of the mine. "I think I was stuck here till someone could find me and put me to rest." He shrugs. "Just a guess, but it feels right."

"And we needed?"

"A little push toward each other." He grins. "I like you guys together. Glad I helped make that happen."

Charlie smiles back. "Yeah, me too."

Just then, Bass and Connor emerge from the mine with the canvas bag. When she looks to her side, Teddy is gone. Bass holds out a hand to pull her up. "Ready?"

"Yeah. I'm ready."

They walk hand in hand to the place where they had buried the bones belonging to Teddy's Dad. Connor and Bass dig a hole next to it, and carefully lay the bag inside. On top of the bag, Connor puts Teddy's glove. Charlie tosses in the larger one that had been Mike's. Her eyes are dry as they fill in the hole with loose dirt.

Bass makes a rough cross out of branches. It is similar to the first one he'd made, but this one is smaller. Connor says he wants to go check on Miles. Bass and Charlie stand over the graves, holding hands. "I really liked him. You know?"

Bass nods. "Me too. He was a mouthy little shit, but he had a good heart."

Charlie leans in close to Bass and he curls his arm around her shoulders. "Do you think we ever would have gotten together without his meddling?" She smiles sadly.

"I would like to think so, but I'm glad things happened the way that they did."

"Me too." She takes a deep breath. "Let's go. I'm tired and I want to check on Miles too."

They've only taken a few steps when they hear laughter. Bass and Charlie both look toward the mine. Two figures are emerging. One is Teddy. He's grinning happily up at a man who looks a lot like a younger version of Joe Matthews. They each hold a baseball glove. The man wraps his arms around his son and hugs him fiercely. They are both still smiling when they see Bass and Charlie. Teddy says something to his father and points in their direction.

Even from a distance, they can see the man's face clearly. His eyes are wet with tears but his grin is wide and genuine. "Thank you." He yells across the space between them. "Thank you for finding my boy."

Bass opens his mouth to answer, but in that instant the figures, still laughing and smiling at one another, are simply gone. It is as if they'd never been there at all.

"You saw that, right?" Bass asks, his voice cracking.

Charlie nods. Once again, tears are streaming down her cheeks. She sucks in a harsh breath and lets it out slowly. "Yeah. I did." She leans up and kisses him softly. "Let's go home now, Bass. I just want to go home."

"Yeah. Let's go home."

Bass picks up the shovel and starts to walk toward town. Charlie follows, but stops and turns to face the mine one last time. In a whisper that floats away on the gentle breeze, she gives her final message to Teddy, wherever he may be. "Thank you."

**END**

A/N: A special thank you to Ryansdreammaker for plot hole filling and Romeokijai for doing a final read through and beta. You guys are awesome.

Leave a comment if you have a moment. Thanks all.