Note: Valkyria Chronicles is owned by Sega so they are the owners of the series. Any characters used belong to their creators and a special shout out to Heinkelboy05 for helping me with a part of this chapter.

Chapter 23: Forgiveness and Relief

April 23, 1935 1700 hours

"Oh c'mon, Anya. It's going to be fine," Charlotte said as she dragged the girl with her to Mara's office.

"Charlotte, I don't know. I mean, they could get mad at us," Anya fretted nervously.

"Cmon, you get yelled at by the both of them all the time. Besides, I know you don't want to see them like this either. It's affecting unit morale," Charlotte replied. Ever since the argument in the hangar, their attitude towards each other has affected morale amongst the pilots. Also with Charlotte finally finding out about Mara and Jake's little situation, she wanted to get them together. Of course Luca didn't want to get involved and Pedro agreed to help with a fee, it was now Charlotte and Anya to carry out Charlotte's plan.

"Ok, so you already told Jake right?" Charlotte asked Anya as they approached Mara's office.

"Yeah, he will be there," Anya replied.

"Ok, well here goes nothing then." Charlotte said, taking a deep breath, and knocked on the door to Mara's office twice. After a few seconds, Mara responded.

"Come in," Charlotte opened the door and was a bit awed by the office. This was the first time that she has ever entered Mara's office and what she saw amazed her. On each side of the office was a bookshelf filled with books. There was a window in the back of the office with the Gallian flag on the left side of the window. Mara's desk was in the middle with a tray on one side of the desk, most likely for paperwork and the other side had a model of a P-40 on a stand. Mara was reading a piece of paper, most likely a report and she looked up to see Charlotte and Anya walk up to her desk.

"Can I help you two?" Mara asked.

"Well, ma'am," Anya gulped then continued, "We would like to treat you out to dinner tonight ma'am." This caught Mara off guard as she was surprised to hear this from Anya, of all people.

"Anya, did you lose a bet? Not to be rude, but this is not like you," Mara responded.

"Well, that is why I am here," Charlotte chimed in, "Because she was really nervous to ask you so I came along."

Mara raised an eyebrow, "Ok, well I am flattered. What time will the dinner be and where?"

"Around 1800 hours ma'am and well we wanted to have this dinner in the hangar," Charlotte responded.

"Very well. I will be there. Is there anything else you both would like to tell me?" Mara asked.

"No ma'am," Both of them answered.

"Very well, then you both are dismissed. I still have some work to do," Mara stated. Both of them saluted, turned around and walked out of her office. Once they walked a distance away from Mara's office, Charlotte broke into a smile.

"Ok, now we need to get everything in place for these two," Charlotte said.

"I still don't like this," Anya said, worried.

"Relax, this is going to work. Now c'mon, we need to get this dinner ready."

Mara walked towards the hanagar as 1800 struck on her watch. Mara stretched a bit to loosen up some muscles that have been bothering her since this afternoon. Ever since she became the squadron commander, she noticed that she has been doing more paperwork than flying lately with her squadron being sidelined and instead inexperienced squadrons were pushed for the attack.

Mara of course scoffed. The reason they are being sidelined is because High Command doesn't want a Darcsen squadron to make the headlines.

"Glory hound bastards," Mara muttered as she entered the hangar. Once she was inside, her eyes focused on the table in the middle of the hangar, which had a couple of plates with spaghetti on them and glasses with a bottle of wine in a bucket. It looked like a romantic dinner which confused Mara until she saw who was sitting at the table. At the table was Jake, who was surprised to see Mara here.

"What are you doing here?" Mara asked, anger laced in her voice.

"I was invited here by Anya and Charlotte. They wanted to treat me to dinner. What are you doing here?" Jake asked.

"I was invited by them too…" Mara then stopped, realizing what those two did. She turned to the door just to hear it being locked and Charlotte calling out to them.

'Until you two can kiss and makeup, you are going to be locked in there. And don't think about the hangar doors, we locked them as well." Mara sighed and massaged her forehead.

"That woman…" Mara muttered.

"Well, since we are here, might as well enjoy the food they set up for us," Jake said, emphasizing the table. Mara bit her lip, and hesitated.

Jake sighed, "Look Mara, I'm sorry about what I said before. It wasn't right to compare you to him." Mara looked at him in surprise but then begins to giggle which turns into laughter.

"W-What are you laughing about?! This is serious," Jake said, surprised that Mara was laughing.

"I'm sorry. It's just that you were always the one to apologize when I usually am the one that starts the arguments," Mara replied. Jake shook his head and then chuckled.

"Yeah, maybe because I hate it when we fight," Jake replied. Mara took a seat in front of him and poured herself a glass of wine and took a sip.

"Yeah same here," Mara replied. Both of them looked each other in the eye and then looked away blushing.

"W-Well, um… let's eat. Don't want to let this food go to waste," Jake suggested.

"Yeah, I agree," Mara replied. The two began to eat and for the first few minutes, they ate in silence, having no clue what to say. As they were finishing up, Jack remembered something.

"Hey, you know this reminds me of that day back in 1914," Jake said.

"What are you talking about?" Mara asked as she finished up her spaghetti.

"The day you made ace in a day back then," Jake replied. When a pilot shoots down five planes, they become an ace. However, there are those who will shoot five planes in one day, earning the title of "Ace in a day".

"How does us having dinner together remind you of that day?" Mara asked.

"Well, we had spaghetti back then and instead of wine, we had whiskey," Jake replied.

"Well….. You do have a point there," Mara replied.

"Yeah. You do remember that day right? I mean, it was pretty big when it happened," Jake said.

"Yeah, I remember it like it was yesterday."

Autumn 1914

As the conflict known as the Great War reaches a stalemate, both sides dig into their trench systems and prepare for a long war of attrition. High above the skies of Gallia, four Gallian Bristol F.2's flew across the clouds, looking for any sign of any German movement. The pilots included veteran pilots Sasha and Baker, along with Jake and the first Darcsen pilot of the GRAC, Mara Sov.

"Anyone see any Germans?" asked Sasha.

"Nope. All I see are clouds and blue sky," replied Baker in the radio.

"I guess they heard us and decided not to fly today," Jake joked on the radio.

"Keep your eyes peeled. The German army ain't moving anytime soon, but their Air Force is still able to pound our towns to dust," said Baker.

Mara looked around until she noticed some specks in the distance.

"Hey, I think I see something to the east. Looks like its coming from the German line," Mara reported.

"Let's get a closer look. Everyone, form up behind me and stick to the clouds. Let's not give ourselves away," said Baker.

The fours planes turned one after the other and headed towards the speck in the horizon. Using the clouds for cover, they soon found themselves behind a trio of Gotha bombers, escorted by half a dozen Fokker fighters. And given the course they were on, they were heading towards the city of Mellvere.

"Those bombers can do a lot of damage if we let them get away. We should attack them," Jake suggested.

"Agreed. We'll go after the fighters. Darkie, you're taking out the bombers," said Baker.

"Got it," Mara replied.

"Alright kid, here's a tip on how to take down bombers. You're faster than they are, and more maneuverable too, so use that to your advantage. But don't stay in one place for too long, or their gunners will tear you apart. Always keep moving," explained Baker.

"Yes sir," Mara replied, absorbing the information.

"Alright, let's split up. Sasha, Jake, you're with me. We'll draw away the fighters. Once they're clear, Darkie here will strike the bombers. Let's move," ordered Baker and he and the others moved into position.

"I wished they would use a different nickname for me sometimes," Mara muttered as she maneuvered her fighter in position.

As the German fighters and bombers continued moving towards their destination, Baker, Sasha, and Jake flew at them, firing burst from their gun, purposely missing in order to break up the squadron. After diving and then breaking off, the German bombers and fighters separated, with the fighters soon flying away from the bombers to chase the Gallian pilots, leaving the bombers undefended.

Mara guided her plane behind one of the bombers and not giving the gunner a chance, fired a burst into the bomber, hitting the tail and parts of the wing and engine, causing the engine to burst into flames and the bomber began to tilt to the left and tumble to the ground.

But now alerted to her presence, the gunners of the other two planes, opened fore on her with their mounted machine guns, causing Mara to begin maneuvering in order to avoid their fire.

She maneuvered her plane onto another bomber and fired a quick burst. It hit the wing but it wasn't enough to shoot it down. The gunner fired another burst at Mara, almost hitting her head. Mara realigned her plane and then fired another burst, this time killing the gunner and hitting one of the engines, causing it to smoke. Firing another burst, hitting the same engine, it caused it to explode, destroying the wing and causing the plane to spiral as it plummeted to the ground.

She then focused on the last bomber, who was pushing its engine to the max to try and get away from the threat. While it's gunners were firing away with everything they had in order to take her out.

Mara dodged the fire and looked down the gun sights. "C'mon, c'mon," Mara muttered as she aligned her gun sight onto the bomber. Once she got a good shot, she fired. The spray went and hit the pilot of the bomber, causing the plane to take a dive towards the ground.

With the bombers done with, Mara prepared to turn back and head on home, but suddenly, tracers flew by her head, coming from the rear, with a few hitting her wood and canvas fuselage. Looking behind her, she sees two German Fokker fighters behind her, firing away with their machine guns. These two must have slipped away from the others to try and return and protect the bombers.

"This is Red Four, I have two one me. Could really use some help," Mara said over the radio as she made a hard right to get away from the incoming fire. She got no response over the radio as the Germans closed in on her. Either her comrades were still busy trying to take out the other German fighters of they had been killed. Either way, she was on her on her own here.

Mara made a left while lowering her speed to let the German fighters to overshoot her. She soon decided to try a trick she had been working on, to see if it would work on the German's. Pulling the stick back hard, she did a loop, flying back over the German's heads before leveling out behind them, where she fired a series of bursts, taking out both fighters as they fell down to the ground in flames.

"Well, that worked a lot better than I thought it would," Mara said to herself.

It was then that the other three fighters in her flight appeared.

"Well Darkie, you just became the first Darcsen to shoot down German planes," said Baker over the radio.

"Not only that, Mara you just became the first Darcsen Ace in a day!" Jake chimed in, excited.

"Keep this up kid, and you'll go far. For now, let's head home everyone. I think Command is gonna want to hear about how our Darcsen here took out five German planes," said Baker, leading the planes back to base.

As the flight headed home, Mara continued to remember what happened today.

"I made Ace in one day. Huh, well at least those racist idiots in high command can't doubt me now," Mara said to herself.

"I still can't believe that I was able to make Ace in a Day that day," Mara said.

"Yeah, and after the cook on base cooked that delicious spaghetti for us to celebrate," Jake said, remembering the meal they had after the flight.

"Yeah, and I recall Sasha getting really close to you," Mara stated, giving Jake a glare.

"C'mon, she was drunk. Besides, I was starting to fall for you that day," Jake replied, catching Mara a bit off guard.

"Really?" Mara asked.

"Yeah, and I have not stopped since," Jake replied. The two of them looked at each other lovingly and then Jake leans towards Mara. She does the same but just as their lips were about touch, Mara hears some movement near the door. She lifts a finger up to Jake's mouth to stop him.

"Shhh," Mara whispered and winked at him. She then went over to the door, and forced it open. Out spilled Charlotte and Anya, who were leaning on the door to listen.

"Well, hello ladies," Mara said to the pair as they got up.

"Ma'am….. I see that you both are on good terms again," Charlotte replied nervoulsy.

"Yes, we have. I guess we just needed some time to work things out. Thanks for this Charlotte," Mara said with a smile.

"So, does that mean we don't get punished for locking you two in here," Charlotte asked.

"Oh, don't get ahead of yourself. I just haven't figured out the punishment for you both yet," Mara replied with a smile while Charlotte and Anya looked at her in horror.

"Why am I being punished?" Anya asked.

"Because you were also involved in this little scheme Anya," Mara replied, prompting Anya to glare at Charlotte.

"Anya, you get punished by Ben for coming back with your plan looking like swiss cheese. You are use to this," Charlotte pointed out.

"That's different," Anya replied. Mara chuckled as she observed the two bickering. She felt someone come up behind her and turned to see Jake walk up to her.

"I have to say, when Charlotte first came to the unit, I was a bit worried that she would not be liked since she is an American. But now, she is friends with Anya and Ben and with the others in the squadron," Jake noted.

"She has an aura around her that can make anyone be friendly around her. Well, with the exception of Lucas," Mara noted.

"He will come around eventually. He just needs to learn to let go of his past," Jake replied. They heard someone clearing their throat and the group turned to see Pedro waiting by the door.

"Um, is Charlotte here?" Pedro asked.

"I'm here Pedro. What do you need?" Charlotte asked.

"There is someone here to see you. An American," Pedro responded. Charlotte raised an eyebrow.

"Who?" Charlotte asked.

"He didn't say. He said he will only speak with you," Pedro said.

"Um, ok. Well, where is he?" Charlotte asked. Pedro leaned out the door and motioned the person to come forward. The person walked through the door and Charlotte recognized him immediately.

"Kurasame!" Charlotte cried as she ran and hugged the man.

"Good to see you too ma'am," Kurasame replied, returning the hug.

"What are you doing here?" Charlotte asked.

"Well, my team are here with the Devil's Brigade in the south, helping the Gallians out but I have something for you," Kurasame stated.

"For me?" Charlotte asked.

"Yes, its….. Its from your husband," Kurasame said, taking the letter out and offering it to Charlotte. Charlotte froze at that and looked at the letter in his hand. With shaking hands, she began to open the letter and she began to read it.

Charlotte,

I hope this reaches you. Sorry for not sending any letters home, I was….kind of swept up in something but I am fine. Right now, I am with a Gallian unit and fighting against these krauts but I can't tell you which unit I am due to certain reasons. I know you are going to get upset by this but I am going to promise you something. Think of it as our little secret between us: I am going to come home to you. And once I do, we are going to have a house near my family's place in California and live our lives in peace. Remember that ok? God, I wish I was with you right now. I will send another letter soon with an update. I love you Charlotte, now and forever.

Love,

Andrew Walker Vandegrift

There was a silence as Charlotte finished reading the letter. To the point where Kurasame was a bit worried.

"Um, Charlotte are you-" He stopped as he saw Charlotte begin to shake and cry. Se then began to mutter something that Kurasame couldn't hear. He stepped forward to hear what she was saying.

"He's alive…. My idiot husband is alive…. That idiot," Charlotte muttered as she continued to cry. Kurasame then stepped forward and hugged Charlotte as she continued to cry. Pedro motioned Anya to leave with him, which she did so. Mara and Jake just stood there and looked on. Mara then felt something on her hand and looked down to see Jake's hand gripping her hand. Mara returned the grip as the continued to look on as Charlotte cried on Kurasame shoulder, each of them vowing to never let that happen with them.

Sorry I haven't been updating this story, everyone. Been busy with life and I hit a sort of writer's block but don't worry I willhopefully be updating this story more often now since playing Valkyria Chronicles 4 has given me the extra boast I need. If you all have any questions or even suggestions, feel free to PM me. See you all later.