Hey readers! Another chapter for you all! Only one more chapter until we skip into the future for the events of the movie!

To islandgirl884: I wish I could have a Charlie too, he's a dreamboat, I must say! Keep reading!

To My name is Alice: Look, slim chance with Jeremy, although I'm sure they'll remain best friends! Well, maybe in the future, but you'll have to wait and see! Keep reading!

October 5th

Shellie, Millie and I have moved out of the dorms at Sarah Lawrence and into a shared compartment around the corner from Central Park. We expected the cost to be way more than we could afford, but by working shifts at a diner and a little help from Millie's rather expansive trust fund, we were living comfortably in our second year at college, despite the morning commute to school.

It was a cold night when I returned from a dinner with Charlie. He'd had me tucked under his arm in the warmth of his big trench coat as we shuffled into the building. All I wanted to do was go up to my home and jump into bed, saying a sweet farewell to my boyfriend of course. All he did was stop me from jumping into the elevator.

"I think you have mail," he said as he pointed to our little mail box on the side of the wall.

"I'll get it tomorrow," I told him shrugging.

"You always say that and I swear to you, every time I come to get you, this thing is full," he said laughing.

"Fine," I said slipping out of the warm embrace and into the way of cold air. I took out the key for the mailbox hurriedly and opened the door. Letters came tumbling out and I scurried to pick them up before they flew away.

"This is why you should always check your mail," Charlie said, holding up some letters he'd saved.

I took them from his hand and studied the writing on the front of the letters addressed to me.

"Looks like Abbie's been trying to reach me," I said as I led him away from the mailboxes and cool breeze coming in.

"I don't understand why you don't just reply back, she is your best friend," he pointed out.

"Yes, but she said some awful things after I left home last time," I reminded him.

"You didn't say goodbye either and it's not like you spent much time with her there," he reminded me a smirk on his face. I shook my head and entered the elevator. The attendant smiled at us both.

"How's ya night been ma'am?" Jackson, the young dark skinned boy asked.

"Very well Jackson, very cold outside. You'll need a scarf before you go out there," I smiled at him as he pushed the button and the elevator went up to my floor.

"I'll see to it ma'am," he smiled back. We thanked him and walked down the hall to my apartment.

"Look, just write back to her this time, even give her a call. I know what it's like to not talk to your best friend," he said sadly. Recently, with Germany declaring war on half of the world, Jeremy had gone back to England, rather fast and eagerly to sign up. Charlie and he had been very close and it was hard for Charlie to not get a reply to his numerous letters throughout Jeremy's training.

"It's a different situation Charlie," I told him.

"It doesn't matter, she's been your best friend for a very long time," he reminded me. I nodded my head in agreement when I noticed the sadness in his eyes. He couldn't help but blame himself for the way things had ended back home for me. He felt as if us being together was the reason for all the fighting.

"I'll call her tonight," I told him.

"Good. Now I'll see you tomorrow after school," he said kissing my face rapidly as he always did. I tried to swat him away but he only held on faster and placed more kisses, on my nose, my cheeks, my forehead. He was making me laugh and I's suddenly forgotten the conversation had beforehand.

"Just go won't you," I squealed. He stopped pecking me and kissed me softly.

"Bye Lottie," he said smiling. He walked off and I watched him get into the elevator and start a conversation with Jackson. The doors closed and mine opened as I went inside. I put down Shellie and Millie's letters on the kitchen bench and went into my room, ripping open Abbie's letters.

I was halfway through the first one when I noticed a letter from Abbie in a rather fancy looking envelope. As I opened it and skimmed through the words, I didn't know if I should've been happy or disappointed. I knew this was going to happen.

I ran over to the phone in my room and hurriedly dialled the number for the McCawley household.

"Hello?" a tired voice came.

"Aunt Ethel, I'm sorry to call so late-" but the old woman cut me off.

"Charlotte, don't worry. I was waiting for this call. You're going to give Abbie and boot up the bum aren't you?" she asked. I could sense the disappointment in her voice, but the smile coming through knowing I was about to give Abbie a talking too.

"I sense you aren't all to thrilled?" I asked.

"Look, your brother is a lovely boy and I wouldn't mind the engagement. Just the fact, they chose to get married so fast when Abbie is still as school, really grinds my gears after the amount of money her father and I have put towards and education that'll never be used."

"That's exactly my point," I said sighing.

"Well, here she comes know, waddling around like a penguin," Aunt Ethel said a tad harshly.

"A penguin? Why is she wad-"

"Hello?" came Abbie's voice from the other side.

"Hey, it's me," I said.

"Well, I never thought this day would come," Abbie replied sarcastically.

"Well, neither did I until I got the invite," I replied back, just as harshly.

"So, you're going to give me a talking to as well?" she asked.

"Well, I have to congratulate you as well. You are, after all, getting married to my brother," I said smiling at the thought, my best friend would be my new sister.

"Well, thank you."

"But I do have to ask, why so fast? You what, got engaged in August and the wedding is already planned for in November? I thought you were going to finish school first and work at the local paper and do all the things you'd planned as a girl," I said rather fast. I was disappointed she was going to turn out like every other girl we knew from high school. Educated and married at 20, with a baby in the future.

"Charlotte, it's different when you love someone you know. When you want to be with them in more ways than one. Sometimes things happen," she said slowly. I thought over her words. How could you be with someone in more ways then one? What would happen? And then it clicked.

"You're pregnant?" I asked gasping. My head had started to spin. We'd promised one another we'd never...I couldn't even finish that sentence.

"I am. We wanted to get married so our child wasn't a bastard," she said rather ashamed of herself. "Look, I don't need a talking to from you too okay. I got one from my mother, my father, your mother, Rafe and Ethan. I know I'm a disappointment."

"No, no you're not," I said as I heard her voice begin to wobble. "We just thought you'd have a different life."

"But I want this life too," she told me.

"And now you have it," I told her softly.

"I've made a mistake I know, but I'll love this baby and your brother forever. With my whole heart. And I'm going to finish school. And when I can I'll go work at the paper like I always said."

"Okay."

"Look Lottie, I know what your views are on this. I knew before I'd told anyone, what you'd think. But you have two choices as far as I'm concerned. One is to stand beside me as my best friend, maid of honour and god mother of my child. Or two, is to look down on me and live your life, accomplishing your dreams with no one to celebrate with."

"Abbie, you know I'd always be there for you."

"But-"

"No, no buts. I'll be there for you through everything, no matter how different I wanted things to be for you. It'll just take time I guess."

"I understand."

"Anyway, I'll be there two weeks before the wedding to get my dress fitted and help you out and I can probably stay for the birth of my little nephew."

"Nephew?" she asked.

"Look, it's got to be a boy, I can feel it," I told her laughing.

"Thank you Lottie," Abbie said after a few seconds of silence.

"You're my best friend Abs."

October 11th

"So Abbie is getting married to your brother?" Charlie as as we walked down the streets of Manhattan.

"It would seem so. She's having his baby too," I told him. I hadn't had the will power to tell him over dinner or at the club we'd left before. The gang was still there dancing away into the early hours of the morning but Charlie decided to go home early; he wasn't one for partying too hard.

"So, your thoughts are bad?" he asked as he took my hand in his.

"Not bad as such. I mean I'm happy for them and I'm excited that they're engaged. I'm just sad because Abbie will never get to fulfil her dream now. She's pregnant and nearly married. No wife has ever gone to work in the South Charlie," I told him.

"Right, well. This backfired," he started to chuckle. I looked at him confused.

"What backfired?" I asked him.

He rubbed his eyes and sighed. "I can't say."

"Tell me!" I said poking him. I didn't like not knowing things.

"No."

"Charlie!"

"It was meant to be a surprise," he stated.

"Too late now," I muttered.

"Well don't blame me if you're not happy with the way this turned out," he said smirking. I still had no idea what he was talking about. It was making me very, very frustrated.

"Just tell me," I sighed.

"Fine," he said stopping in the middle of Central Park. I turned to look at him. "I was going to ask you to marry me."

I gasped. He was going to propose and I ruined it by telling him my doubts about Abbie and Matty's marriage. But that was completely different. We were going to be together because we wanted to, not because we had to hide the secret of a coming child. However, they did love each other too, but that's beside the point.

"You were?"I asked him smiling.

"Yes, but after hearing about you disapproval of Abbie's marriage and never being able to fulfil your dreams, I think it's best we wait."

"No, no, no," I said walking up to him.

"Yes, your dreams are my dreams and if you don't fulfil them, I don't think I'd ever be able to forgive myself and neither would you," he said softly.

"But we can still be engaged Charlie, we just don't have to get married right away," I told him smiling.

"But, you just told me about how disappointing Abbie's marriage is."

"That's different. She's pregnant and is about to be a mother. We're waiting until we get married, don't you see?" I asked him. Abbie and I had two different circumstances and although I was saddened by the news of her hasty wedding, it would be different if she had just gotten engaged.

"So what are you saying?" Charlie asked, smiling.

"If you're willing to wait, I want you to marry me," I told him softly.

"Well, then," he sighed pulling out a ring box. "Charlotte Andrews, will you make me the happiest man alive and do me the honour of being my wife?"

He popped open the box, to reveal a daring round, emerald surrounded by a ring of silver, with diamonds pressed inside. My hands flew to my mouth as the beauty of it hit me.

"Yes, I will. Yes, yes, yes a thousand times over, yes," I told him. He smiled brightly, took the ring from it's box and placed it onto my finger. The moonlight caught it and it shimmered brightly.

"I love you so much," he said as he embraced me.

"Gosh, I love you too," I said as I leaned up to kiss him. He took my face in his hands and kissed me so hard, my lips went numb with joy.

He then pulled away and brushed my tangled hair of my face and smiled, sadly.

"What's wrong, we just got engaged, we should be smiling," I told him, lifting my fingers to the corners of his mouth and pushing them upwards to make a smile.

"I got my letter," he said.

"What letter?" I asked him, confused for the second time that night.

"The British army needs doctors for the war effort. As I'm nearly finished my degree, they've conscripted me."

"Wait, what?" I asked him.

"I'm joining the army. By force," he said.

"The army!? They can't make you do that!" I told him.

"They need doctors Lottie. And if I don't go a lot of good men will die," he said softly. I looked down at my feet. Now I was the one with the frown. If he knew this why did we get engaged knowing we'd hardly ever be together. Maybe it was because if he couldn't have me, no one else could.

"And this is why you asked me to marry you?" I asked. He nodded.

"Look, I love you, I do. And the thought of you and I being separated makes me feel sick. And I know we're not getting married anytime soon, but just the knowledge that you'll be waiting for me at home, makes me more determined to help others and come back to you, the way they will with their sweethearts."

"When do you leave?" I asked.

"A week or two. I just don't want you to be angry," he said, trying to get me to face him.

"I'm not," I sighed, "I just don't want you not to come back."

"I promise you, I will do everything I can to come back to you." I nodded and he pulled me into his chest. I loved him, more than I thought I'd ever love another after Danny. But even so, why was he still at the forefront of mind after I'd just accepted another mans proposal of marriage?

Don't forget to R&R! Much love! xx