A little note before we start: I do not own Revolution and this is just a daydream about what could have happened too...This is the first time I found inspiration in a prompt. I saw it on the Good Ship Charloe website and I really wanted to write this one. I love winter, I love snow and I love Charlie and Bass. This is my first AU story, and I really loved the idea of this prompt because I think this could be a mix of the story we know from Revolution with AU Bass and Charlie. Surviving, facing a challenge but then with a Bass and Charlie who find themselves in a different life, although their chemistry, well, it stays the same! Let's go to the story...

Charlie is attending college in the Northeast. Bass lives in the same city. He gives her a lift home for Christmas vacation, but then the main highway sends them off onto a detour down some back roads. But when the car swerves off the road and they get stuck in the middle of nowhere, with a blizzard blowing all around...what will they have to do to keep warm?

Bass remembered her. Charlie Matheson. Miles' little niece. It had been many years since he had seen her. When Miles had called him to ask him if he could give his niece a lift home , and nothing more you moron, he was more than happy to say yes and help Miles.

He was on his way there anyway, finally seeing his brother again. He would spend the holiday's at Miles' place and with the rest of his family. There was a good bottle of whiskey in the car, waiting to be opened and emptied in good company.

He remembered her, but when he was leaning against his car and he saw a slender but still curved young woman walk towards him, he had to look again. Holy hell. Oh, it was definitely her. A pair of well fitted pants, winter leather boots that did some damn good things for her long legs, a deep blue winter coat that just showed the curves of her breasts. Her eyes had an intense kind of blue that stood out this winter day as her long blonde locks were falling over her shoulder. With every step she took through the snow she managed to do some pretty fucking good things with her hips. She was struggling with two huge bags, while a lock of hair fell over her face.

Damn it Miles. He cursed at his brother silently. He told himself to get a grip.

That worked until she turned her head and found him with her eyes from across the small square where he had parked his car. Her eyes found his and for a moment he did not care how many college girls there were here on campus. Right now it was only her.

He felt how their eyes locked for a moment before he could see the recognition in her eyes, followed by a warm smile. When she had closed the distance between them she let her bags drop into the snow with a casual movement.

'Hey Charlie, it's nice to finally meet you again.' He reached out a hand for her to shake. She met his hand with hers, and let slender but cold fingers slide into his hand when she gave him a firm hand shake.

You idiot, stop looking at her lips, he told himself. Miles' niece. MILES' NIECE.

'Good to see you too, Bass.' Charlie said in a firm tone, a smile in her words, sensing how warm his hand was.

Charlie remembered him. Miles' best friend, and a part of her family as long as she could remember, the guy Miles and her father drank his whiskey with when they would visit. She always liked him. He was there in many memories, memories that always were light and full of laughter and good moments.

When she had mentioned to Miles that she had wanted to visit home this Christmas break but that a College girl simply never seemed to have enough money, her uncle had come to the rescue. When he had called her back the next day he had the solution. When she thought about Miles, a smile was never far away. He had visited her a couple of weeks ago and had taken her out to dinner, although she was not sure he had been here because of her, or because of all the giggling college girls.

The weeks before this much needed Christmas break had been long ones. Summer had been far away when first classes started. Summer had turned into fall and storms, rain and a chill in the air had turned into winter. Papers had to be written, exams had to be made. It meant a lot of coffee and a lot of time in the library and behind her desk. Not that she complained, she loved being in College, it meant freedom, living a life that was just hers.

But that was yesterday. Although she loved this old historic place, she was ready for some much deserved time off. She was actually looking forward going home this year. She missed Danny, and it would be good to walk into her parent's home again. That Miles and Bass would join them this year, had added only more to her looking forward to the holidays.

She had stuffed the things she needed for the next couple of weeks in her bag and had quickly realised she would need another bag for all the Christmas gifts she had bought for her parents, little brother, Miles and Bass. She had walked down the stairs of her building with both of the pretty heavy bags in her hands. The University she attended had a rich history, it was old, with deep brown bricks forming the walls of her campus and elegant staircases around. She had felt immediately at home when she had first seen it.

Charlie had pushed open heavy doors to walk to the main square where she would meet Bass. She had greeted some friends along the way. The atmosphere on campus was light, everybody was looking forward to this vacation and some boys, because that was how Charlie saw them, boys, were throwing snowballs at each other. The last time she had seen Bass was around her sixteenth birthday, although she was not really sure. He had always been nice to her, joking around with Miles and her dad. Gave good presents too. She vaguely remembered blonde curls and blue eyes.

When her winter boots had hit the ground beneath her, she could hear that great sound that snow made, right under your feet. There was snow everywhere, and it was so intensely white, that it hurt her eyes. There had been snow before this season, but the last couple of days the snow had fallen down nonstop. It gave the world around her a soft white blanket. She took a deep breath, taking in the scent of the snow. Small snowflakes fell from the sky and reached her face.

She had been searching for him. She had been pretty sure she would recognise him when her eyes had tried to find a man that was about Miles' age. She had been diggingploughing through the snow, trying to balance her bags, her cheeks had already on fire from the low temperatures outside in comparison to the warmth inside and the effort of dragging two heavy bags along, when she had first seen him.

To be honest she had excepted to see just Miles' best friend, his age, a dear family friend she had great memories of. But when she had taken him in for the first time, she had felt this little surge of electricity in her stomach. She remembered him, but it was like that memory was not completely right.

He was leaning against his car, in such a relaxed way that she felt he just stood there on a daily basis. He wore leather boots, simple but good cut jeans and a black winter jacket that really did very good things to a broad chest. His dark blonde curls were messy, and he had a strong jaw line. And amongst all that white around her, his deep blue eyes had found hers. They had pierced through the winter world around her in a way that almost made her forget to hold on to her bags.

After they had met, the hug she used to give him when she had met at the front door when she was little felt out of place, so after the handshake Charlie turned her attention back to her bags.

He reached out a hand to help her with her bags, when she beat him to it.

'You are quite the gentleman, aren't you Bass?' she said to him in a light mocking tone. It was the first time he got to meet her bright grin, one eyebrow raised, the sharp light of the snow reflecting in her blue eyes., while she, herself, put her bags in the trunk of his car.

Bass grinned at her directness. When she leaned into the trunk of his car, readjusting one of her bags, he got a nice view of her very good ass. Holy hell again.

Before she opened the door on her side to get in, she shot him a look over the car. Bass was leaning with his hands against the ridge of the roof.

'So, you want to take shifts?'

'We'll see about that,' he said to her with a grin. He was trying to be nice, because if this was the same Charlie he had met before, her stubbornness probably was still there and the word no would not be a good idea now.

'You are just like Miles, treating your car like it is your baby.' Charlie rolled her eyes at him, before she got in.

He could not deny that. But he was also Sebastian Monroe, and Sebastian Monroe never lets a lady drive.

They had covered a lot of distance, and left a lot of miles behind them on the road. Charlie was immediately at ease with Bass. The more time they shared in the car, the more familiar she felt sitting next to him. They talked about his work. He advised local authorities about their security policy and they talked about memories from long ago.

Things felt like they used to be. Well, almost. Her eyes had wandered of on more than once occasion to his strong hands wrapped around the steering wheel. Wandered off to his neck. When he had suggested a stop for coffee and food, she had quickly agreed. A little bit more room would be perfect.

The warmth of the homey feel diner hit them when they walked inside. They had chosen a booth in front of the window, Bass was sitting across from her. He had taken off his jacket and beneath it he wore a v neck sweater, also black, just like his jacket. Before Charlie turned her eyes to the menu in front of her, she had already noticed how well his chest looked in that sweater. And when he had pulled up his sleeves, she could not help but notice the strong lines of muscles in his lower arms. The Monroe shaped M tattoo only bringing more attention to his well formed arm.

When they had ordered lunch their conversation had been light and easy.

'So, which courses do you take, Charlie?' Bass tried to focus on his food, not on the soft purple shirt she was wearing under her vest and the way the fabric touched the lines of her breasts, the upper buttons of the vest left open, way to fucking inviting.

Charlie liked how her name rolled of his lips.

'Art, literature...' Charlie said when she took another bite from the fries on her plate, before she named her other classes she took this year.

Bass fought back a smile. He had dated his fair share of woman, but Charlie? She could eat just like Miles. No hesitations and diving all in. He immediately liked that about her.

'And what do you want to be when you grow up?' She did not miss the teasing tone in his voice. She hated it when Miles, and now Bass too, teased her about her age. She was twenty three and Miles still called her kid.

'Not sure yet.' Charlie took another bite. 'You?' she shot back at him, determined not to let him get under her skin.

Bass laughed out loud at her fast comeback. When the waitress came to their table, Charlie just took her last bite of the delicious warm apple pie.

'He is paying.' She said with a grin, while she looked at the waitress and nodded her head at Bass.

They both slipped out of the booth, and when Charlie slipped into her jacket Bass was very close all of a sudden. His chest was not far away from her, when they almost bumped into each other. She told herself it was nothing. That second electric shot through her stomach she got today, it meant nothing. He was Miles'best friend. Friend of the family. Nothing more.

'I assume you still won't let me drive?' she tilted her head back a little, meeting his eyes. God, he smelled good. It was leather with something else, something spicy and earth like. Stop starring at his lips she told herself. Just stop.

Bass met her gaze head on, standing so close she could feel his breath on her face.

Before he was able to answer her he saw Charlie's eyes flicker to his lips before they returned to his eyes. It woke something up inside of him that really should not be happening right now.

'Nope,' he answered her in a low almost raspy voice, while something fired up in his eyes.

When they walked outside Bass was fucking thankful for the coldness that hit them both. That was until he looked around and noticed the snow had intensified. There was only two or three more hours to go, and he did not wanted to stay on the road longer then they had too.

Through the snow Charlie could see the red lights of the cars around them on the highway. Bass had already slowed down while he gave the heating in the car and extra boost.

'Damn it,' Bass said out loud, while he nodded before him. Charlie followed his movement with her eyes. There was a roadblock before them. They were guided away from the highway. The sign next to the road on their left told them that the highway ahead was under construction.

Bass moved the car away from the highway while he slowed down. At the end of the exit was a small sign that told them to go left. The road before them was darker, and lead them into a more rough terrain. The road lead into a forest. Neither Bass or she talked while he drove the car through the forest . When Charlie looked outside she could see the heavy weight of the snow on the branches.

Many years of training at the marines had told Bass trouble was ahead. He could feel it coming, like an invisible storm just ahead.

The conditions got worse. Snow kept on falling and the condition of the road was deteriorating by the minute. There were black spots on the road, shiny and glistering, icy spots.

When it happened it happened in only seconds. The car on the other side of the road was slightly on their side, forcing Bass to make room for it. If there had not been snow, things would have been all right. There would have been enough room. But there was snow, and no more room for them to go. The right front tire hit one of those black icy spots, causing Bass to lose control over the car under them.

Charlie had seen the car on the other side approaching. Things turned into slow motion, while she felt how her head got heavier. She felt how the car slowed down and she felt the force of the change of pace crashing down on her body. She saw the red light of the other car getting closer before it moved past them, while their car swerved of the road. She tried to brace herself while the car made its final spin.

She was dizzy when the car came to a stop. She had closed her eyes and forced herself to breath. Long seconds she heard only silence around her. The silence was broken by Bass his voice.

'Charlie, are you.. are you okay?' There was a deep worry in his voice while he was breathing harshly, trying to keep his breathing under control.

Before she looked up at him, she scanned her body with her eyes. She seemed to be okay, her heartbeat racing in her ears. She was okay. Charlie felt Bass hand on her upper leg. She looked up to meet his worried eyes.

'I'm fine Bass.' Her voice was still a little bit unsteady. 'You?'

Bass nodded yes to her. The car was quickly cooling down while Bass tried to restart the car. It did not work. They both looked at each other before they looked outside. They saw a white forest, silent and still under the cover of winter. They did not hear any more cars. Snowflakes were falling on the windshield of the car while a pale winter sun reached through the flakes and was slowly setting down for the day.