salute [james conrad] 1

Chapter 15

Dedicated to: @maykuspd11 . I think you have been with me since the start? I don't really know. All I know is that I am so thankful that you decided to vote on this story, because you gave it a chance, so this chapter is dedicated to you! 💗

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For the first time, in what seems like what have been a hectic few hours, Charlotte feels like she can rest. 

She hears the soft music coming from the other side of the door, as the team tries to distract themselves from what might be their last few days. 

She let's out a shaky breath, and sits down on the edge of the bed, over thinking every step she has been making until now, trying to find out a way to think that they could have done it better. 

She doesn't even notice when the door opens. 

"Charlotte" James says softly, making Charlotte look up from the floor. 

She clears her throat, and looks at him. 

"Yeah?" She asks, avoiding eye contact. 

James motions for the door, waiting for a signal for him to come in, and Charlotte nods, making him step inside, and shut the door behind him. 

There are a few tense seconds before James moves up to the bed, and then sits down besides her. 

"Charlotte" he hesitates, not sure if bringing the subject up is the greatest of ideas. 

"Yes?" She questions, turning to look at him. 

"I don't know how to say this, but the thought has been consuming me all day, and I can't really go on anymore, so I'm just going to say it" he takes in a breath, making Charlotte nervous. 

"Why don't you want to be called Charlie?" He questions. 

Charlotte's eyes widen in surprise, not expecting that kind of question. 

Then she turns to look forward. 

"Umm..." She trails off. 

James opens his mouth, starting to form the words, when a hand interrupts him. 

"No. James. You asked me, so now I am going to talk" She says in a serious tone, watching as James nods, surprised about the whole thing. 

"Okay" She says, letting her hand down and breathing out. 

"So... where do I start" She tells herself, as James watches with attention. 

"So. I- I had this friend. His name was Tyler, and well, he was my best friend" She begins, looking at him for a moment, watching as he nods. 

"And well, I decided to get into the army, and I know it isn't the easiest of things, because, you know. I'm a girl" She says, motioning to herself, making James nod. 

"And... He decided that I was going to enroll, that he should too" She says, laughing to herself, shaking her head. 

"Point is, we both got in, and I got my team, and I was trained, and I went on missions" She pauses "And then there was one mission, where we were sent out to rescue hostages" She hesitates, her eyes looking into the void as she tells the story. 

"And um, he complains a lot, and after a few hours of scouting the area, he started complaining. Typical him" 

"And he always starts out by saying my name, that's how I know the complaining is about to start. And he never fails, to start with my name. Charlie" She says quietly. 

Jame's face starts transforming into one of sadness, and he makes a move to speak, but Charlotte stops him, once again. 

"I'm not finished. I started telling, and now I need to get it all out because then it is going to nag me, like it has been nagging at me all this time" She pleads, watching James. 

James nods, slowly closing his mouth. 

"Okay. So, he started out complaining, and I just. I wasn't in the best of moods. I was tired, I had skipped dinner the day before and breakfast that morning in order to plan the mission. So, I wasn't the best" 

She stops talking for a second, looking at her hands. 

"And i've just had enough. You know? I've had it. So I started yelling at him, and he isn't one to take the yelling, so he yelled back, and I guess. I guess I missed the warning, because one second we were arguing, and the next we were on the ground" Her voice cracks at the thought. 

"Charlotte..." James says softly, enveloping her hands into his.

"And the missile struck his side, and then we were on the floor. And he kept calling me Charlie, just like he always had." She hesitates, her eyes shining in the warm yellow light of the room. 

She takes in a shaky breath. 

"And he just. He just lied there" Her voice cracks, and a tear threatens to fall down her cheek. "And he just lied there, dying, Right in front of me and there wasn't anything I could do" At her words, a silent tear treks down her cheek. 

James inches closer to her, and looks deep into her eyes, not uttering a word. 

Then he does the unexpected. He wipes her tear off her cheek, the contact warming up both of their skins, and sending electricity coursing through their bodies. 

Charlotte takes in a sharp breath, turning to look at him with vulnerable eyes. 

And then they both find each other doing things that neither of them expected to do. 

They kiss. 

At first it is just a simple kiss, and then it goes into something deeper, both of them not wanting to break the kiss. 

It is James who breaks the kiss, panting for breath as he leans his forehead against hers. 

"What was that for?" She asks airiliy, panting for breath, 

"I don't. I don't know" James says nervously, chuckling.

"You have no idea how long I've been waiting to do that" She says softly, laughing as James chuckles. She pecks him softly, a smile on her lips before pulling back. 

"But we can't do this now. we have a mission to plan, and if we want to make it out alive, we can't have any distractions. When we get off this. When we get off this island." She says, seriously, putting her hand on his cheek softly and nodding at him. 

James nods in return, staring deep into her eyes. 

"Alright" James says as he stands up, walks towards the door, holding the knob in his hand. 

Then he stops and turns around, pulling out a lighter from his pocket. 

"This was my fathers. He threw it to me when he was leaving to fight the Nazis" He says, offering the lighter to Charlotte. 

She takes it, looking at it and the signal engraved on it's side.

"He was like John Wayne to me" He says softly, making Charlotte look up with sympathetic eyes. 

"Some kind of, mythic hero" He finishes, looking at the lighter. 

"And did he make it?" She asks, wary. 

James looks at the floor, before turning to look at Charlotte 

"Went down near Hamburg" He says softly. 

Charlotte stands up from her bed, and walks towards him, wrapping her arms around his chest. 

"I know what it's like" She says, muffled by his shirt. 

They stay there for a second, and then Charlotte pulls away, closing her eyes as they lean into each other and kiss for a mere second. 

Then they pull back, and she drops her arms, watching as he opens the door to the room, and offering her a smile to her  before exiting.

Charlotte waits a moment, smiling to herself and biting her lip before opening the door once more and trailing after him.