The Spirit of the Corps » Band of Brothers

Bonus Chapter: Floyd Meets the Lancasters

A/N:

hi everyone! surprise! i hope you're all having a very lovely christmas eve if you celebrate or just a very lovely day if not. it has been so long since i updated this and i am so very sorry - i've always had the intention of completing charlie's designated 3 extra chapters but just haven't had the time (or the inspiration)! but i was determined to finish before the year is out, so you've got this one today and the third will go up sometime before new year's eve.

this chapter takes place after the events of the story but before the epilogue. charlie and floyd are back together but not yet married, and here he is meeting her parents for the first time. i had so much fun writing this so i really hope you enjoy reading it.

happy holidays! all the love <3

***

"I think I'm going to shit my pants."

"Floyd!"

"I don't think you understand how serious I'm being right now."

Charlie levelled him with a cool gaze. "If you use language like that when we get there you're going to have good reason to be frightened."

Floyd let his head fall back against the car seat's headrest with a groan. "Freckles," he complained quietly, "they're gonna hate me and you know it."

Against her will, and entirely inappropriately, Charlie let out a giggle. "No, they're not." She reached out to take his hand and gave it a squeeze. "They're going to love you because I love you. And because you're absurdly charming. You could probably convince a shark to fall in love with you."

Floyd grinned and rolled his head to look at her without lifting it off of the seat. "You only think that way because you're in love."

Charlie rolled her eyes and turned to face the window in a vain attempt to hide the flaming blush in her cheeks. She had no idea why she still blushed when he said things like that - she knew she was in love and he knew she was in love, too - but nevertheless any acknowledgement of the fact made her bashful. At heart she supposed she still was that timid nineteen year old girl who'd gone off to England to help win a war.

"Aw, Freckles, you're blushing!" Floyd crooned, because he knew how she got when he teased her and adored seeing her get all shy. "It's okay, baby, I'm in love with you, too."

Charlie scoffed and glanced back at him. "You are such a flirt."

"Only 'cause I'm crazy about you." He winked.

Charlie couldn't help her laugh. "No, you know what? This is good. Get all of your flirting out of the way now so my dad doesn't have to hear it. I'll never hear the end of it otherwise and neither will you."

"You act like you don't love my flirting," Floyd retorted, though he agreed to leave it in the car nonetheless.

When Charlie told Floyd that they were turning onto her street, his face went pale. She smiled fondly, because it was so terribly endearing how important this all was to him that she almost wanted to weep, and leaned in to kiss his cheek. Only then did he smile again.

"One last kiss," he mumbled as he turned his face to hers and caught her lips with his. "For the road," he muttered against her lips when they drew apart for air, then kissed her again. The car had stopped but neither of them noticed, tangled in each other and lost in their own little world.

When the driver opened Charlie's door for her they leaped apart.

"Thank you," Charlie told the driver sheepishly as she accepted his hand out of the car.

Floyd gave him a nod of acknowledgement as he scrambled out of the car behind Charlie, not yet accustomed to this whole chauffeur business.

The driver unloaded their suitcases for them and set them beside them on the driveway. Charlie thanked him and took Floyd's hand, and laughed when it didn't break his haze. His jaw was agape, his eyes wide as he gazed up at her ancestral home. She was sure he hadn't blinked or drawn a breath in at least a minute.