WARNING FOR CHARACTER DEATH

Telling Charlie was one of the hardest things Sonny ever had to do. The second hardest was attending his best friend's funeral. Standing guard at the head of Clay's flag draped casket was a level of hell no one should ever have to visit. While the other members of Bravo and Alpha rotated standing guard, Sonny never moved. Neither did Charlie. Stella tried to get her to sit down, but she refused, choosing instead to stand next to Sonny the whole time. The sight of her in her black dress, doing her best to stand at attention and holding Clay's hat was a heartbreaking sight. She clutched the camo cap in her small hands like it was a lifeline. Sonny immediately recognized the hat when he saw it in her hands. It was Clay's first Bravo hat, the one they had affectionately embroidered "The Kid". The sight feels like a dagger to Sonny's chest.

He'd fully expected Stella to pull away from all of them after the funeral, but she surprised them all by sticking around. On Charlie's first day back to school, a week after the funeral, Sonny had text her and asked if he could take Charlie out for ice cream. It became their regular date. Every Wednesday, unless he was deployed or spun up, Sonny would pick Charlie up from school and take her wherever she wanted to go, whether it was for tacos or to buy a new toy.

He could never make up for the loss of her father, would never ever dream of trying to fill those shoes, but Sonny did everything he could to make sure Charlie knew she was loved. Sonny took her to Texas for a few days over the summer and taught her how to ride a horse and how to rope bales of hay and taught her every constellation he knew in the wide Texas sky. He took her fishing like he and Clay were supposed to and taught her how to tie knots and bait a hook, even though he wasn't very good at it. Mostly though, he told her highly-sanitized tales about her father, about the missions they would run or the crazy exploits they would get themselves into in and out of the country. As long as he was alive and had breath in his lungs, he would keep Clay's memory alive for her. They both deserved it.

Now though, it's getting harder to breathe. When Sonny blinks his eyes, the world shifts around him, memories of Charlie's smiling face giving way to the sunlight dappled forest canopy he's laying under. She deserved much better than this, Sonny thinks, eyes burning with tears. She already lost her father, she shouldn't have to lose him too. Who is going to look out for her now?

"Stay with me, Sonny. They're almost here," Trent's voice draws him back. The medic looks wrecked, lines of stress etched into his face, a smear of blood streaked across his forehead, eyes glimmering with tears. "Come on, fight."

Sonny doesn't have the energy to answer him, just focuses on pulling in one breath after another. He thinks of the letter he wrote to Charlie all those years ago, on his first spin up after Clay died. She'd cried, terrified blue eyes begging him not to go. It was in that moment he'd almost given in, had truly considered giving up the teams. In the end, though, he'd stayed because Stella of all people made him see reason. Clay loved the teams and he died doing what he loved, protecting his brothers. If Sonny was going to go out, he wouldn't be satisfied with anything less. That plane ride was the longest of his life, it seemed, feeling torn between duty to his country and duty to his goddaughter. While everyone else had been asleep, he'd written her a letter that he promised himself he would fight like hell to make sure never got to her hands. And for four years he kept his promise.

Deep down he knows though, that he's about to break it and it breaks his heart. Looking up at Trent, he knows Bravo Three is the best choice. Trent loves Charlie as much as Sonny does, has been involved in many of their hi-jinx since Clay's death. Trent is also the only one who can give Charlie his final words.

Drawing in a deep breath, Sonny focuses on Trent's face and gives his wrist a squeeze. "Tell Charlie," he breathes out. Two words seem to sap all his energy, but he refuses to give in just yet. "You tell her. I love her ... so much."

Trent's mask cracks, the grief showing through as he comes to the same conclusion Sonny has. These are his last lucid moments. Trent nods, eyes locked on to Sonny's face. "I will. I'll tell her, but she already knows buddy. You're the best uncle she could ever have. You have the mug to prove it."

Sonny manages to crack a small smile. He struggles to draw in another breath, suddenly restless. He tries to move his head to look around, needs to make sure the other guys are safe. His head barely makes it up a few inches before he's collapsing back. Trent settles a bloody hand on his chest, leaning closer. "Easy buddy, take it easy. You're good. Just keep breathing for me, Son."

"Boys?" Sonny slurs out. His mouth may be struggling to work, but his mind is sharp as ever and he knows the rest of his guys aren't here. He needs to see them, needs to make sure they're all okay.

"They're on their way," Trent reassures him quietly.

"Okay?"

Trent nods his head. "Yeah, everyone is good, Sonny. Just hang in there another minute and you'll see."

Sonny wishes it were that easy. He can feel the fight leaving his body, leaving a heavy exhaustion behind. There is darkness slowly creeping into the edges of his vision and no amount of blinking will push it away. Each breath is just a little harder to pull in. He wants to hold on, wants to see his guys, wants to see Charlie one more time, but he's not sure how much fight he has left in him. God, he just wants to see her one more time. A tear slips out of the corner of his eye as he looks up at Trent.

"See Ch'lie," he mumbles through numb lips, not sure if it makes any sense at all to the other man.

Trent frowns at him for a moment before he nods. He takes his hand off Sonny's chest and slips it inside Sonny's vest. When it reappears, he's clutching a picture between his shaking fingers. Removing the pressure from Sonny's side, Trent places the picture it Sonny's hand and settles it on his chest so he can see it easily. He keeps one hand on Sonny's wrist, holding the picture steady within his sights, and the other returns to holding pressure on his side. It's ineffectual now, but Sonny knows that Trent refuses to give in, needs to be able to tell Charlie he did absolutely everything to save Sonny and if that means holding saturated gauze against a profusely bleeding wound with no hopes of stemming it, he'll do it.

Sonny's eyes drift from Trent's face to the picture in his hand and feels a sense of peace wash over him. Ever since Clay died, Sonny's kept a picture of Charlie in his vest, close to his heart, as a reminder of what he was fighting for, who he needed to come back to. The picture changed frequently as Charlie discovered selfies and many of them lined the walls of his cage, but there's one that he keeps going back to, his absolute favorite. It's just him holding Charlie, when she was all lanky limbs at seven years old, both of them laughing at the camera. She's got a Bravo team hat on her head, dropping low over her eyes as it's too big for her small head. Sonny got it for her and had it embroidered with "The Kiddo", in a nod to Clay's hat she was always carrying around. He'd been worried she'd be upset by it, but she'd thrown herself at him so fiercely that he'd stumbled back a step, her arms wrapped tight around him in a hug. Clay's hat still traveled with her everywhere, but now she had her own to wear. And wear it she did. There was not a day that went by that Sonny saw her that she didn't have that hat on her head. It made his heart swell with pride and love every time he saw it.

If his fingers start to shake or more tears slip free, Trent never says a word. He just gives Sonny's wrist a gentle squeeze and keeps the picture within Sonny's sight line. His world focuses on that picture, mind burning every detail of Charlie's face in his memory. Around him he can hear movement and voices, but he's lost the ability to focus on anything else but that picture. A hand settles on his shoulder, his knee, his head, his ankle, but he can't look passed the darkness bleeding faster and faster into his vision to see who they belong to.

"We've got ya, brother."

"You're good, Sonny. Rest now."

His brothers are here, he realizes belatedly. They're okay, they made it. Knowing they are safe, knowing that they will take care of Charlie now gives him the peace he needs to finally let go. The last thing he sees before the darkness consumes him is Charlie's laughing face.

Trent is painfully aware of just how similar this situation is to four years ago. Back then it had been Sonny sitting, completely devastated, in front of a flag draped box in the back of the C-17, no one able to pull him from his misery of witnessing his best friend's life slipping away right in front of him. Now it's Trent doing the exact same thing, Sonny's body resting beneath that flag. He's trying to process his own grief and trying to figure out how to face the enormous responsibility Sonny left him with. He gets it now, why Sonny had sat here stone cold sober, unable to move or sleep or eat for those 17 hours back to Virginia. Facing Charlie, having to deliver this news, is eating him alive.

The remaining members of Bravo pass by, holding their own silent memorial near the casket. After a while, Brock settles in next to Trent, not saying a word. A few minutes later, Ray joins them in solemn silence.

"How can I do this?" Trent whispers quietly, more to himself than the others. It gets their attention though and they both turn away from Sonny's resting place to look at him. Trent takes a shuttering breath, mask cracking as the magnitude of it all hits him. "How can I tear apart her world again? After Clay ..." Trent pinches the bridge of his nose, squeezing his eyes closed against the tears threatening. "Sonny was her everything."

Ray squeezes his shoulder. "She can get through this, we'll be there for her like always," he reassures.

"That's why Sonny wrote her a letter," Brock tells them quietly. "I asked him once why he did it and he said that it's what got him through Clay's death, what he wrote to her helped him and he hoped, that if anything ever happened to him, it would help her too."

Figures Sonny would surprise them all in the end. He never openly spoke to them about Clay's death, ignored their questions and concern, just threw himself into being the best uncle and godfather he could be for Charlie. She was a big reason he was able to move on and now Trent was going to be the same thing for Charlie. He was going to be there for her, just like Sonny was.

He's walking through the parking lot with Sonny's letter clutched in his hand, mission focused. Get to his truck. Drive to Charlie's house. Deliver letter. That's what he has to do.

Trent's pulling his keys out of his pocket when movement catches his eye. He looks up to see two feet sticking out of the back of Sonny's old pick-up. The sight of Sonny's truck makes his heart flutter for a moment before he realizes who those feet belong to. Shit. He was supposed to have a few more minutes to compose himself before facing her. In his surprise, his keys slip from his fingers and clatter to the ground. The feet move and a moment later, a blonde head pops up over the side of the bed wearing a camo hat .

"Hey Uncle Trent!" Charlie chirps, pushing the too big cap back on her head. She vaults out of the truck and lands with a soft thump on her feet, grinning from ear to ear.

"What are you doing here Charlie?" Trent manages to stutter out as Charlie wraps him up in a hug.

"Someone called mom into base for something," Charlie shrugs like it's no big deal. "When we heard you guys were landing, I decided to come surprise Uncle Sonny." As an after thought, Charlie glances around the parking lot. No other members of Bravo team are visible. A frown wrinkles her forehead. "Where is everyone? Where's Uncle Sonny?"

Trent takes an unsteady breath, hand clenching tighter around the letter in his grip. He looks into her bright blues eyes, full of innocence and excitement, and almost chickens out. Almost. If it weren't for Sonny's plea still ringing in his ears, he would make a hasty exit. He owes this to Sonny, to Clay, to Charlie.

"Was a long one," he states carefully, fighting to keep his voice even. "Everyone's still getting sorted."

"Okay," she chirps happily. "I'll wait for Uncle Sonny here." She reaches for the handle on the tailgate and pulls it down. With a smirk, she climbs up, settling in for a surprise that will never come.

Trent hesitates for a moment before he settles down next to her. She grins, but when he doesn't return it, her face starts to fall.

"Everything okay, Uncle Trent?" Charlie asks quietly.

He blows out a breath and shakes his head. Without a word, he hands her the envelope. Her frown deepens as she looks at the slightly crumpled letter in her hands, her named scrawled across the front in Sonny's unmistakable handwriting. Charlie's eyes snap up to Trent, wide with worry. Trent knows he needs to say the words, to confirm her worst fears. It's not right to leave her hanging on the edge, afraid of what it all means, but still desperately clinging to the hope she's got it all wrong.

"Charlie, Sonny didn't make it," he forces out. "He was injured and despite doing everything I could to save him," Trent's voice chokes off for a moment. He swallows roughly, eyes burning with unshed tears. "I tried everything Charlie, but he died. I'm so sorry, sweetie."

She stares at him for a moment, disbelief on her face, before the first tear falls. Charlie all but collapses against his side as she starts to sob. He feels helpless, unable to figure out how to make this any better. The truth is though, nothing can make it better. Sonny was her go to person, her connection to her father, and losing him was like losing Clay all over again. Trent pulls her close, wrapping his arm around her shoulders.

"I'm so sorry, Charlie," he murmurs quietly. He drags a hand roughly across his face to erase the tears that have started to slip free. "He wanted you to know that he loved you so much, kiddo. He fought really hard to try and make it back to you. You need to know that."

Charlie nods against his shoulder, breath stuttering in and out as she tries to calm down. She shifts in his embrace and he pulls back enough to let her do what she needs to do. A moment later he hears paper ripping and looks down to see her tearing open the envelope. Her hands shake as she carefully unfolds the paper within.

Charlie my girl, I'm so sorry you have to read this. I know that however it ended, I fought hard to make it back to you. I'd never leave you alone. I've been watching over you since the day you were born, kiddo, and that will never change. My grand ninny used to tell me that your heart is like a village. Everyone you have ever loved has helped build it. And that no matter what, we'll never be alone because they are always with us. You will never be alone, kiddo. You will always have your Bravo family watching over you. Your dad and I will be watching over you too.

I know everything feels different now, like your world is falling apart. Trust me, I felt the same when your dad died. You will get through this Charlie. Be sad, be angry, feel whatever you have to feel, just don't be it forever. You are your father's daughter. You are made of strength and iron will and a big heart. You bring warmth and sunshine wherever you go, don't ever lose that. You have a beautiful life ahead of you kiddo, you are going to do amazing things. Your dad knew it from the moment he laid eyes on you. I know it too. You'll be okay, Charlie. You are loved more than you'll ever know and you will always have us watching over you.

Being your Uncle has been the highlight of my life.

I love you, kiddo.

Love, Uncle Sonny

Trent's eyes skim over the words as Charlie reads. It feels a bit intrusive, reading over the words Sonny intended only for Charlie, but once his eyes catch on a few words, he can't pull his gaze away. His heart clenches in his chest as Sonny's words sink in and he realizes that while the words might be for Charlie, the message hits home for him too. He blows out a slow breath and quickly swipes away a tear from his eyes as Sonny's loss barrels into him like a freight train.

Charlie hiccups another sob, unconsciously pressing closer to Trent's side. She carefully folds the letter up and slides it back in the envelope, holding it to her chest. She sniffles and scrubs stubbornly at her face, trying to wipe away the tears that just keep coming. When she turns those big blue eyes to him looking for guidance, Trent makes his decision. He slips his hand in his pocket and pulls out two small items. He had debated on whether to give them to her or not, but looking at her now, knows she needs them.

He holds them out to her, watching as she takes them reverently. A patch of the Texas flag, worn, battered, dirty, and straight off Sonny's kit, and the faded, creased picture of Charlie and Sonny that the man always kept stowed in his vest for safe keeping. Charlie stares at them, fingers running over the stitching of the flag.

"He kept that picture with him all the time," Trent tells her quietly. "Never went anywhere without it. I know he'd want you to have it."

Charlie nods silently, gazing at the items in awe. Slowly, she drags her gaze back to Trent. "Thanks," she murmurs, fresh tears welling in her eyes.

Trent pulls her close, her head tucking under his chin as her tears start anew. Across the parking lot, he can see the rest of Bravo team making their way towards them, the team flanking a shell-shocked Stella. At the sight of them, Trent wipes a hand across his face again and works on shoving his feelings into a box for now. There's a lot to process, but right now he needs to focus on the two girls that have had their lives torn apart once again.

A week after Sonny's funeral, a truck pulls up to the front of the Spenser house. Trent climbs out and makes his way up the sidewalk, hands tucked into his pockets, shoulders hunched. He's unsure about this, feels like once again he's intruding on something that was just for Sonny and Charlie. It was the only way he knew how to show his support though, to let her know she was not alone. Taking a deep breath, he knocks on the door and waits anxiously for it to be answered.

Charlie opens the door, surprise on her face as she sees Trent standing there. It quickly turns into a smile, not the mega-watt one he's used to seeing on her face, but a genuine smile nonetheless. She throws the door open wider and throws her arms around his waist. It takes him a second, but he relaxes, hugging her back.

"Hi Charlie," Trent tries to infuse as much cheer into his voice as possible as she pulls back.

"Hi Uncle Trent," she shifts awkwardly for a moment, tucking her hair behind her ear. "What are you doing here?"

Trent takes a steadying breath. Here it is. The moment of truth. This will either help or it will push her further away. No turning back now. "This is the day Sonny always picks you up from school," he tells her. "We thought we'd see if you wanted to go out and get some ice cream."

Charlie's brow furrows as she looks at him and, for a moment, Trent isn't sure if she's angry or confused or upset. Finally she speaks. "We?"

That's not the part he was expecting her to get caught up on, but he recovers quickly enough. "Yeah, we," he states, turning enough so she can see the truck parked on the road.

The smile slowly returns to her face. "Yeah, okay," she states. "Let me just tell mom."

"Okay kiddo. I'll be at the truck."

As Charlie disappears back into the house, Trent makes his way back to the truck, leaning against the side as he waits. A moment later, she reappears, her Bravo hat on her head and a backpack on her shoulder. Trent can't help but notice the Texas flag patch sewn to the front of the bag and feels his heart stutters in his chest. By the time she reaches his side, he's recovered enough to keep up the cheer in his voice as he asks "Ready to go?"

"Yep," she chirps, almost sounding like the old Charlie again.

Trent opens the back door for her, grinning when she lets out a small gasp of surprise at seeing Brock in the backseat. She climbs in next to him, seated in the middle seat as Trent climbs in behind her. In the front, Ray and Jason sit, smiles on their faces. Charlie lets outs a laugh as she settles in. It might be something small, but it's enough for her to know that, even though Sonny is gone, Bravo Team will always have her back.

Inspired by the song "Village" by Cam.

Thank you to sailormade for getting me excited about writing (and editing) again. Without you and our conversations, this one probably wouldn't have made it to the light of day. Thank you!