salute [james conrad] 1

Chapter 16

Both Charlotte and James walk side by side, making eye contact and smiling to each other.

They reach a big opening in the room, which leads to outside, in which Mason is taking pictures.

They stand there, looking at their surroundings.l in peaceful silence.

"Isn't it odd the most dangerous places are always the most beautiful?" James questions, his hands crossed over his chest as he watches the land in front fo them.

Charlotte nods, leaning against the wall besides her, and looking at the Aurora Borealis in front of them.

"I'm trying to take a long-exposure photograph, but my flashlight broke" Mason pitches in besides them, looking at the camera and heaving out a desperate sigh.

Charlotte looks at her.

"Umm. I have this lighter... does it work?" Charlotte asks, pulling it out and offering it to her.

Mason takes a look at it, and grabs it.

"Thank you" She says sweetly, and putting the lighter to the camera and lighting it.

"Yeah. Um. It's nothing" she says, waving it off a she turns to look back at the open space.

Mason watches the lighter, looking at the sign engraved on the side of it.

"The navy?" She questions, looking at her.

"Oh. It's my brothers, a little memory, you know. He's living in the US. Probably won't see him in a while" Charlotte says shrugging.

James turns to look at her, surprised.

"You have a brother? What do you mean never see him in a while?" He questions.

It takes a few moments for her to respond, as she over thinks the questions he just asked.

"It's just. He has a wife and children, and he just kind of left the army life behind" then she motions towards herself "Doesn't really want any reminders and anything" She mutters.

Both Mason and James stare at her, and she feels James's hand brush against her, and she turns to look at him.

"Oh it's fine. I'm not going to break down. It's for the better anyways. That wound was stitched up a long time ago. He gave me that lighter because he didn't really want any reminders. And because he doesn't want me to forget him" She says, pointing to the lighter Mason had in hand.

"I guess when I get back I'll pay a short visit, catch up and then I don't know. See where it goes from there" She says, looking at her hands.

There are a few moments of silence, in which both of them stare at Charlotte,

"I guess when he was done with the war he had just had enough" She softly, pausing.

"But that's the thing. I don't think you ever come back from war" She says, staring into the colourful sky.

"Not really"

A/N: Sorry for the short chapter. I was originally going to do this chapter with the past one, but the other one just got too long, so I had to split it, but the thing is that I am sooo loving this story!!!!!