The Soldier's Christmas Romance.

Chapter Two.

Chapter Two.

Lieutenant Colonel Leon Carpenter let out a long sigh as he climbed into his vehicle, which was packed with gifts for his family. Christmas, he had always loved this time of year, and today was no exception. It had been two years since he had been able to celebrate the season with his close-knit family made up of his parents, younger brother Matt, along with his aunts and uncles, who were not by blood, but by the bond special forces soldiers shared. The best friends of his parents’ kids had all joined the military. The two girls whom he loved as sisters, along with the twins. Each of them served in a different regiment, or so the world thought. What the public at large did not know was that Leon, Matt, Mia, Grant, and Grace, along with Elizabeth, had completed their own Special Forces training; however, they did not serve in those known regiments. No, they were part of a task force, a top-secret unit under the leadership of a man whose code name was ‘The Umpire’. Leon, however, also knew him as Uncle Stan, when not on a mission. They worked outside the government, with their operations completely deniable, as they investigated those in power and helped bring about the end of corruption at the heart of government. The twins, Grant and Grace, were part of the Royal household, undercover, protecting the family from the world at large, and sometimes from those within it. Because of their busy lives, it was rare they could all spend time together. However, this year was different. All of them had leave over the Christmas holidays, and Leon could hardly wait to be reunited with his family once more.

The miles of tarmac disappeared as Leon drove west towards Somerset. This Christmas would be held at his Uncle Kermit, and Aunt Kyla’s home. The thatched cottage was idyllic during every season, but never more so when lit up with Christmas lights, and with a small splattering of snow on the thick straw that was its roof.

Leon rolled his shoulders, cricking his neck from side to side, before turning on the radio. The dulcet tones of Chris Rea filled the air as he sung about Driving Home for Christmas. Never had the song held so much meaning for the special forces soldier. Soon he began to sing along, his own flat voice drowning out Chris Rear’s, a small smile adorning his handsome face. Leon ran a hand through his short black hair, feeling the length of his buzz cut, noting that it would need to be trimmed by the end of the ten day’s holiday, before he returned to duty. He glanced in his rear-view mirror, the bright blue eyes he shared with his mother looked happy, rather than unreadable, like they usually were.

As he sung, he thought of Christmas’s past, when he was a kid. Waking up on Christmas morning, to his mother wearing a Santa Hat, her apron depicting two Christmas puddings over her ample bosom. His dad sitting on the couch with his uncles, drinking beer, laughing at times gone buy, when they were the instructors of the reality TV program, Special Forces, have you got what it takes? The image of his father, in nothing but and a pair of giant sparkly Christmas baubles, covering his junk, a picture which was taken long ago for a charity calendar to raise funds for the cancer ward who looked after his aunt Izzy decorating the table. His dad forever lamented that calendar, as his mother refused to allow the poor man to forget, when she unearthed the makeshift place settings each and every year. Leon chuckled at the memories, as he continued to sing his heart out counting down the miles until he arrived home.

The song, however, was rudely interrupted by his phone connecting with his black SUV, the image of his father filling the screen.

“Leo, where the f**k are you?” Leon smiled, it was just one letter difference in his name, yet his family all shorten it to Leo. They only time they didn’t, was when he was in the s**t. The man the world knew as Tank, but he had the privilege of calling his father, loud voice boomed into the cab of his car.

“On the A303, just passed Mam’s wee stop,” Leon chuckled.

“Ah, so about thirty minutes out?” Tank asked.

“Maybe forty-five, as there is traffic up ahead. Not sure if it is Christmas traffic, or a tractor slowing up the road,” Leon said, slowing his SUV down to a crawl behind the long line of cars.

“Oh, that isn’t a tractor, it is Kermit, his Alfa Romeo, it has a check engine light. He was cursing like hell, when he called. Apparently, he and Kyla went to London for some Christmas shopping, why the f**k he insists on buying Alfa’s is beyond me, they always break down on him, and he is too old now to look ‘cool as f**k’ by the side of the road,” Tank chuckled, as Leon laughed.

“I will give him a ring, see if he wants to dump it in a layby, and grab a lift,” Leon laughed again, telling the car to hang up the call, then to call ‘Kermit’.

“Leo, how the f**k are you?” Kermit’s voice boomed.

“Stuck behind some old fucker in a broken Alfa. Sucks to be me,” Leon chuckled.

“Bastard. I will pull in at the next layby, and call the AA, if you can take your aunty Kyla home for me, and the presents,” Kermit sighed.

“Okay, see you in a bit,” Leon laughed before hanging up the call, noticing that the traffic started to move a lot quicker, so he knew his uncle had pulled over already, then kept his eyes peeled for which layby he was in.

A few more miles passed when he saw the silver Alfa sitting in the layby, his Uncle Kermit leaning against the car, his arms crossed over his chest. His once brown hair greying at the temples and the lines of age crinkling as he smiled when he caught sight of Leon’s car. Kermit still had the body of a man half his age, and the once world famous eight pack of abs, had gone down to a six pack, but he knew guys he served with would still kill for them.

“Rocking out the cool as f**k look again,” Leon chuckled as he pulled in behind Kermit, and his Aunt Kyla got out of the broken-down car, her arms laden with boxes. Leon would have gotten out of his car to help her, but the women of his family were independent, and he knew if he offered, she would kindly but firmly tell him she could manage. He popped open the already full boot, wondering if he was going to need to lower the back seats to fit the extra gifts in. After playing a game of present Tetris, and putting the rear seats flat, Leon and Kyla finally set off once again, making their way to his aunt and uncles’ home, knowing that his parents would be there, because when it came to the houses of his family, each was the other’s home.

“When are Mia and Elizabeth arriving?” Leon asked, eager to see the girls who were akin to his sisters.

“Mia the day after tomorrow, and Elizabeth on Christmas Eve,” Kyla smiled, her unique violet eyes shining with joy.

“I cannot wait to have everyone together,” she commented, her heart full of love for her friends, who were her chosen family.

“Yeah, it has been too long. I have until New Year off, although Matt has a mission on the 29th so needs to return to base by 28th It sucks to be him,” Leon chuckled, more than pleased that he had a full ten days, from the 20th till the 30th of December with his family. The thatched cottage appeared down the narrow country lane, and he indicated to pull into the long-gravelled driveway, parking behind his brother’s car. The soldier sighed, knowing that he was in for a piss take from his elder brother who had arrived before him, and had travelled twice the distance. Leon got out the car, handing Kyla the huge Anne Summer’s pink box, trying hard not to think about what was contained inside the s*x shop’s package.

“For your Aunt Jessica, and Uncle Woof,” Kyla giggled, as Leon rolled his eyes, he could have guessed that. Those two were not backwards in coming forwards about their sexapades. Hell, they had even done it in the heart of Westminster, back in the day, so he had been told. His uncle Woof did not have the words ‘too much information’ in his vocabulary.

“When are they arriving?” Leon asked, he had always loved Woof, he was by far his favourite uncle, always getting him and his brother into trouble, when they were kids, but in the best of ways, plus dealing with punishments from offended teachers, built character.

“22nd, but not till late,” Kyla smiled, as they took out the rest of the gifts.

“What about Haley and Stan?” Leon asked, but he already could guess the answer. It was rare the pair would attend meet ups down south. They were always working.

“Nope, you know why,” Kyla sighed, missing the big oaf who was akin to another brother. Even if he was responsible for the disruption of her family gatherings half the time.

Leon walked inside the house, his mother was baking something in the kitchen as she turned and beamed at him, holding her floured hands up, to indicate why she had not hugged him yet. Matt grinned at Leon.

“Slow fucker,” Leon’s younger brother teased. Immediately Leon grinned.

“Mam…” his voice going up an octave, mimicking himself as a child,

“Matt said fucker. Fucker is a rude word, you are not allowed to say fucker,” the soldier chuckled, as his brother rolled his eyes, but smirked all the same.

Vicky, laughed, shaking her head as she kneaded the bread which would make the buns for the first family breakfast with her boys in years.

“I don’t care if you are 28, or a big bad soldier, and well respected officer, you are still not too old, or important enough in this house, for me not to wash your mouth out with soap and water,” she grinned, as Leon laughed, then hugged his brother, before the pair of them walked into the lounge, to see their father, and laugh at the fact Kermit was stuck in a layby waiting to be rescued once more.