( a/n ) HEY GUYS!! i'm back from my mini-break. i had to finish out my first marking period of junior year, which was extremely stressful, but worth it for good grades in the end. but now, i'm back and can hopefully be posting more now. i just wanted to say thank you for all the reads, votes and comments that you all give me. it makes me so happy to know people are reading and enjoying this story so much so, that i've had people say they've read it more than once and some don't even know how many times they've read it. i never thought this story would get big like it is now, but it means so much to me. AND 24.3k READS!! i seriously can't thank you all so much, i appreciate each and every one of you all, my readers, so much! thank you all!!
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" To come upon love without seeking it is the only way to find it."
- unknown
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VJ Day seemed to have an even bigger celebration than VE Day. The parties went late into the night, and some people got so drunk, Charlotte wasn't sure if they'd recover or not. She had decided to sit outside alone, in the cool evening air to catch her bearings for a few minutes. She thought about how different home life would now be. Leroy would never walk inside that house again, he would never smell the wonderful Christmas meals he wrote of. Louis would never feel the same walking inside again on his bad leg. He'd have trouble going upstairs for a while still, and the fear of falling would come back. Charlotte would never feel the same being home again with part of her family not there. MJ wouldn't be the same with her mother now gone as well. But Charlotte wouldn't let that bring her down. No. She'd be happy to be home, with Mickey, and her entire family, and grandparents and friends and all the lovely stores on the island and the ocean that spread for miles and miles. She'd be happy to sleep at night, in a place that she didn't hear gunshots or explosions or have to sleep in foxholes. But she'd miss the guys. She'd missed the men who'd become her brothers. And for all their own reasons. She'd miss the officers and the respect they'd shown someone like her. She knew she could write letters, but it would never be the same as she did so. She'd miss their hugs, smiles, laughter, their banter when together, but she knew she'd always hold that in her heart.
" Hey, you ok, Charlotte?" she heard a voice ask and turned from the step she sat on to look up and see it was Winters.
" I'm fine, sir. Thank you for asking." she said, " I just wanted to get some air." Winters took a few steps forward and took a seat down next to the girl, as they stared out at the darkness in front of them ahead. Charlotte looked over at Winters gently, looking at the man she'd follow anywhere into combat, the person she'd jumped after on D-Day, the man she'd probably go through hell with the rest of Easy Company for.
" How am I supposed to explain anything at all to everyone back home?" she asked him. Winters looked at the girl and then out at the darkness. He looked back over at the young woman next to him. She'd grown so much in her past 3 years with Easy as a person and member of the company.
" I don't know how we're supposed to rejoin the world, filled with memories of war, but we will. We'll be doing it together as a company." Winters said, smiling at the girl. " And you don't have to explain any of it to anyone. They are your family, they will understand what you can and can not explain." Charlotte smiled at the man.
" It's going to be real different." she said, " Especially with Leroy gone." It had been months since his death, and she had learned to accept it by this point in her life. Winters placed a hand on her knee.
" Leroy will always be here, in your heart Charlotte. No matter where you go. But I want you to know one thing." Winters said to her, looking at her big blue eyes. " Leroy will want you to rejoin this world happy. Happy for what you've done for the country he died for. Happy for how you served, and with distinction. Happy for the men you served with, and the officers you were under. Happy for the fact that you were a crucial part in this entire winning of the war." Charlotte looked at the man.
" I'm proud sir, I'm humbled greatly." she said.
" And we're all going to have our downfalls, when we return, but you think about what you've done through these past 3 years." Winters said, and she knew he meant it. And she did.
" I remember when Sobel made me double time Currahee." she said, then giggled at the memory lightly.
" You did it with a smile on your face." Winters commented.
" I remember the jump, during D-Day, and when you wanted me to help take out those guns with you. I woke up next thinking they definitely weren't 88s." she laughed. Winters smirked.
" And then you nearly gave me a heart attack when you showed up dressed in your ODs." he smiled.
" I remember coming back after Bull and I were cut from the group in Holland. I told the driver, with confidence, if I do say so myself, that I had a bullet graze my head and knock me unconscious, he seemed pretty terrified." she laughed.
" Or when you came into the meeting with Colonel Dobie and he couldn't even speak after the authority you took." Winters said fondly. Charlotte laughed.
" Or when you had Captain Speirs and I, for the attack of Foy, go running in near the end there, and then you heard well, the inappropriate screaming through Luz's radio." she said a little embarrassed. Winters smiled at the girl as she laughed lightly at the memory.
" You know, Charlotte, I actually put in for you, for an award." Winters said. Charlotte turned to him, brow raised, confused.
" I don't need an award, sir." she said, but Winters stopped her.
" There have been plenty of times, where you have stepped in and directly disobeyed orders, and have actually saved more lives that way. You risked your life to save others and I feel that's one of the highest acts of valor anyone can put themselves into." Winters said.
" Sir?" she asked softly.
" I put you in for a Medal of Honor, Charlotte." Winters said. Charlotte's eyes welled with tears of joy.
" Sir, really you didn't have to. I was just doing my job." she said, rambling at this point.
" A pretty darn good job at that, Charlotte." Winters said. Charlotte smiled wide letting out a laugh which kind of sounded like the mix between a sob and a laugh, but she didn't care.
" You're a great soldier, one of the best I've ever had." Winters said, slowly getting to his feet, as Charlotte stood to her own. " Don't forget that, Charlotte."
" I'd follow you through hell, sir." she said. Winters smiled and Charlotte went to salute him. Instead Winters walked forward and wrapped his arms around the girl in a hug. She was surprised, but wrapped her arms around the Major and hugged him back. He had great hugs, too. She smiled as he pulled back.
" Let's head inside, see what these crazy boys are up to." Winters said, wrapping an arm over the girl's shoulders, and leading her towards the door.
" Nothing good, I'm assuming." she said with a small laugh, making Winters smile. The two walked back inside and once they entered, Charlotte's eyes wandered over to Speirs' figured, leaned up against the bar, his jacket off from the heat that sweltered the big party room, his hair losing the touch the gel had done it on his head now fluffy, and a beautiful smile on his face, as he talked with Liebgott and a few other men from the company.
Charlotte was about to walk over, but stopped once she heard Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy come on. She immediately moved out to the dance floor, Luz noticing the sunshine soldier on the dance floor and joined her. The two began dancing along to the song, smiles wide on their faces, whoops and cheers coming from the company as they watched the two dance. Speirs noticed the young girl out on the dance floor with Luz and couldn't help as a wide smile graced his lips watching her twirl and laugh, and have her cheeks get rosy and pink from excitement. The song ended and Luz and Charlotte bowed before giving each other a joyous and exciting hug.
Her cheeks remained flushed before she turned and walked over to the bar to get a drink for her parched throat. Charlotte asked for a water, and then as she waited, turned, leaning up against the bar and looking out at the people dancing together happily with smiles on their face, happy that this horrid war was finally over. Charlotte still couldn't really believe it either. They'd been at war for so long, that a world without war seemed weird. But she seemed to accept it at the moment. She was content and happy and so were the rest of the boys and that was all she needed. She felt someone tap her shoulder and saw the bartender slip her the glass of cold water and she thanked the man in relief before drinking it.
" I haven't seen you dance like that since March." she heard a voice say next to her. She looked up at the person next to her and smiled when she saw it was Speirs.
" Well, I'm planning to continue dancing like that." Charlotte answered sipping her water. Speirs let out a tiny laugh before looking back at the girl.
" How're you doing?" he asked her, noticing how a small smile washed over her face.
" I'm happy." she said, brushing a stray lock of hair behind her ear. " I'm just I'm so happy." Speirs heart beat a few beats faster. He was happy seeing the girl he loved happy as well. It'd been a while since there wasn't a problem in the world and she remained here and happy.
" I like seeing you happy, Charlotte." Speirs said to her and she looked up at him, her cheeks flaming. A slow song came on, and Charlotte peeked out at the crowd of townspeople and soldiers alike that started slowly swaying together.
" Wanna head outside?" Speirs asked her.
" Yeah." Charlotte answered as her cheeks slowly flamed down.The two walked outside where the faint hum and lyrics of the song were heard outside in the fairly breezy night air, overlooking the lake, with candles surrounding the patio and porch area. Charlotte walked to the edge and looked down towards the lake, the light of tiny fires dancing on the surface of the lake where groups of Austrian teenagers celebrated together and played, enjoying the world without war.
" Charlotte, would you, uh, like to dance?" Speirs asked her. She looked up at him, and a smile grew on her face.
" Of course." she said, letting Speirs gently take her hand. Speirs led her to an open area of the patio where the tunes of the song floated to the outside world. She placed her hand gently on his shoulder as he wrapped an arm around her waist and brought her closer to him underneath the moonlight. Their hands remained clasped together as they looked deeply into each other's eyes. Charlotte couldn't look away from his soft gaze.
" What are you doing after the war?" Charlotte asked him.
" I'm going to stay with the company and stay in the Army." Speirs said.
" The company loves you." Charlotte said softly. Speirs smiled. Charlotte's smiled faltered as a few tears welled up in her eyes.
" I'm going to miss you a lot." Charlotte said, and sniffled, her eyes not leaving Speirs'.
" Don't think about that Charlotte. You'll always be my favorite medic." Speirs said. " I remember when I first met you, back at Toccoa. I thought you were pretty badass." Charlotte let out a tiny giggle, as a tear fell from her cheek.
" Charlotte, there's been something I've been meaning to tell you for a while." Speirs said and Charlotte looked up at Speirs.
" Ever since, that day back when you came up to me in the convent, while that song about love played, I remember you distinctly looking so beautiful, and I realized how much you remained you through this entire war. You never changed from who you were." Speirs said. " It made me realize how much I love you." Charlotte froze and looked up at Speirs.
" You love me?" Charlotte whispered as more tears filled her eyes. Speirs smiled, and gently cupped the side of her face in his hand, hazing at the girl's eyes, that held so much sunshine and love.
" I have for so long, Charlotte. So damn long." Speirs whispered. Charlotte felt his warm breath on her face, as her cheeks warmed under his intense gaze, and she watched as his eyes watched her lips. She noticed her own eyes traveling down to his lips multiple times, and she tried to stop herself. But as Speirs came closer, she didn't pull back as she felt his lips touch hers and suddenly it was just the two of them standing there, in the moonlight, the soft music coming from inside the bar slowly drifting farther away, as Charlotte could only focus on the man in front of her. His lips were soft and gentle, yet the kiss remained passionate and filled with so much love. Speirs hand around her waist tightened and pulled her closer, as her own hand found its way up into his fluffy hair. He deepened the kiss, but the two had to pull away to get air. Speirs slowly looked at the girl who had a few tears left in her eyes and he had to smile gently.
" I really love you." she whispered faintly so much so Speirs thought he didn't hear it. " I love you." Speirs watched as Charlotte's eye grew wide at her own realization.
" I love you, too." Speirs said, a smile on his lips a small laugh coming from his mouth. Charlotte then laughed, giddily in a way, and then boldly stood on her tiptoes and kissed Speirs firmly again on the lips. She pulled back, smiling.
" I'm so happy." she whispered, bringing her hands up to her deep red flustered cheeks.
" Me too, sunshine." Speirs whispered. " Me too." The rest of the night, Charlotte and Speirs stayed close together, out on the patio, talking and enjoying each other's company. But in the back of Charlotte's mind, she knew that by the time Easy would leave Europe, she'd be on a boat to America and Speirs would still be here.
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thanks for reading!
and omg i'm sorry i had to end this joyous occasion this way, i'm terrible i know.