I suggest reading the previous chapter because they are connected.

Someone wanted me to write Carter meeting the family from Donovan's POV but I didn't want to so I wrote this instead, Enjoy!

***********************************

"James, if you eat another marshmallow you will have all the dishes," Donovan's mother said.

Donovan grinned, his back to the kitchen as he continued to peel potatoes. He won. The last count James had was 28 marshmallows while Donovan's count was 32.

"And Donovan," his mother said. "Don't for a second think I didn't notice you stealing marshmallows as well."

Donovan put on his best innocent face. "Mom, I wouldn't do that."

Carter snorted and his mother shook her head, leaning close to Carter. "He always thinks because he's the baby boy that I won't punish him."

Despite the embarrassing title, Donovan smiled, enjoying the sight of his mother and Carter connecting. Though he knew everyone in his family would like her, he'd been nervous. His family meant the world to him and now Carter did. He hadn't been sure what he would do if those two worlds clashed.

"She likes to think she's tough," Donovan said. "But my status has been a source of escape for a lot of troubles."

"Fine," his mother said. "Maybe I'll make up for my lack of punishment now, you can do the dishes all by yourself."

Brock, Clint, and James all burst out laughing. Donovan wrapped his arm around his mother's shoulders, always surprised to find he was taller than her.

"Mom," he said, gently. "You wouldn't want me to miss out on time with you and my girlfriend, would you? The two most important women in my life."

His mother rolled her eyes, though Donovan knew he'd won. Carter shook her head, a disbelieving smile in the corner of her mouth. When he locked eyes with her, she crossed her arms.

"Don't think for one second that those little teasing games are going to work on me. 'Cause I promise you, they won't."

Donovan grinned and kissed Carter on the cheek, eliciting an eye roll and a suppressed smile.

"Of course I would never dream they'd work on you," he said, even as he saw her soften.

"Can someone make him stop, I don't feel like throwing up my marshmallows all over these potatoes," James said.

Donovan smacked the back of James's head as he returned to his own pile of potatoes. In return, James kicked Donovan in the butt. Before they could break out into an all-out brawl in the kitchen, their mother cleared her throat. They both settled back into their tasks.

"Okay," Eleanor said. "Carter do you know how to handle a knife?"

"I can hit a target dead center at fifty yards with one," she said.

Donovan knew he was in love with this girl.

"And here I was completely baffled why my son was dating you," Eleanor teased. "How about cutting up vegetables?"

"Show me what to do and I can do it."

"I'll show her," Donovan volunteered.

His mother gave him a knowing smile but nodded acceptance anyway. Grabbing a load of peeled potatoes, Donovan carried them over to Carter.

"If you think that you can use this as a ploy to wrap your arms around me to show me how cutting is done, I will stab you," she said.

Donovan grinned and slipped a knife from the holder. "That only works with sports. Here this is how you hold the knife."

As Donovan instructed Carter what to do, he silently savored it all. Having her standing next to him in the house he grew up in. Hearing his brothers talk behind him and seeing Carter smile at their comments. Laughing when she threw a quip back at them.

She fit into his family like a missing puzzle piece.

When all the prep work for the Thanksgiving dinner was completed, Donovan looked to his brothers and they all grinned.

"Okay, what are you all thinking?" Carter said. "Because I know you're all sharing the same thought."

"How do you feel about football?" Brock asked.

Carter crossed her arms. "I've watched it with my dad but that's about it."

"You up for a game?" Clint asked.

She shrugged. "Tell me what to do and I'll do it."

With a cheer, James ran to grab the football, Clint called up a few cadets still on the base, and Donovan led Carter out of the house with Brock. Though November the sun still offered rays of warmth.

"You ready to lose," James asked as he came racing out of the house with Clint.

"Not likely," Donovan said shoving James, who hit the dirt.

As James moved to kick at Donovan, Donovan took off running, his brothers chasing after him. Before he could think of looking back for Carter, she sprinted past him.

"Come on soldier," she said. "Let's see what you got."

Laughing, Donovan picked up his pace and darted after her. The group arrived at the beach, sweating and laughing as they tried to outdistance each other. Donovan stopped at the water's edge, panting and hands on his knees.

"I declare myself the winner," he said.

For that statement, he got hit by Clint and Carter and staggered, falling into the sand.

"Fat chance," Carter said. "Brock beat you by a mile."

"No! I won," James said.

The argument felt like home to Donovan. All his life he'd grown up getting into fights over the smallest things. None of it ever mattered but to him, this was family, pointless debts, and conversations that ended with someone getting tackled. It felt good to be home.

Their argument eventually died as a group of Marines arrived and called out.

"Are we going to play?" Cadet Addison asked.

"Yeah, I'm team captain," Brock announced.

"I'm second," Gomez said.

"Who's this?" Williams asked, eying Carter.

Donovan stepped closer to her, smiling but wanting to make it clear that she was not to be harassed.

"This is Carter, my girlfriend," he said.

All the men nodded, still taking Carter in. For her part, she stared back, making it clear she didn't feel intimidated in the least.

"Are we going to play?" she asked. "Or are you going to continue to stare at me like you haven't seen a girl before?"

"It's not that," Gomez said. "It's that Donovan could get one that's so attractive."

As everyone laughed, Donovan grinned good-naturedly. All the taunts in the world couldn't dampen his mood that day.

"Let's play," Brock said.

At the end of the pick, Donovan ended up on a team opposite Carter. To his surprise, when they lined up for the first play, she took the spot before him.

"I see, my brothers are trying to put us against each other," he said.

"Naturally," she said. "They said all I had to do was smile at you and you'd forgot what you were supposed to be doing."

Donovan shook his head. "Not going to happen. My family runs on competition, I'm not giving up this game for anyone, not even you."

"We'll see about that," Carter said smirking.

And Donovan had to hand it to Brock and James, it was a good ploy, he did love her smile. When the ball was hiked, Carter raced past Donovan. As he caught up to her, she snatched the ball from the air and he grabbed her by the waist, lifting her off the ground.

"Does this count as a tackle for you or do you want me to drop you on the sand?" he asked.

"Carter!" James said. "What happened to smiling at Donovan!"

"Didn't work!" Donovan called back, letting go of Carter.

She scowled and headed back to her team, Donovan trailing behind.

With passing play, Donovan watched as Carter got more determined and more frustrated, her competitive side coming out in the face of him and his brothers. But despite her best efforts, he still always had the upper hand with his height and speed.

When they faced each other for the last play her team could make for the goal line, Carter narrowed her eyes at Donovan.

"You are going down," she said.

He couldn't help it, he grinned. "Is that what's been happening? And all this time I thought we were winning."

She glared which only managed to make him more amused.

"You're cute when you're determined."

"And you're unattractive when you're cocky."

Before Donovan could retort, Brock hiked the ball and Carter ran. Donovan sprinted after her, watching as she twisted and caught the ball. Donovan reached for her, snagging her waist. But inside of lifting her off the ground, he felt as she planted her feet, bent forward, and flipped him onto the sand. Shocked, he just laid there as she took off towards the end zone. None of his teammates even tried to follow her. They were all too busy laughing.

Carter returned to Donovan as he pushed himself.

"Told you I would take you down."

Brock and James circled Carter, draping their arms across her shoulders.

"MVP right here!" James shouted.

Donovan stood and brushed himself off as Clint called out that it was time to head back to the house. As they left, the cadets called out congrats to Carter for the well-executed maneuver and taunted Donovan for being taken down so easily. Donovan barely heard it, hurrying up to take the spot by Carter's side, slipping his hand into hers.

As they neared the house, Donovan looked to James and knew they were thinking the same thing. They both broke into a run, Brock, and Clint hot on their heels.

"I call dibs on the shower!" Donovan called.

James slammed Donovan into the doorway and Clint knock Brock to the side. All four of them crashed into the front hall, shoving each other out of the way.

"What are you doing?" their mother shouted.

All four brothers stilled and Carter sauntered into the house, wearing an amused expression.

"We have a guest," Eleanor said. "Carter, you can take the first shower."

Carter waved this away. "It's okay, I promised Ted I would help set the table. I'm fine waiting."

With that admission, the battle started up again. Clint made it into the bathroom first and shut the door in Donovan's face.

"Remember we're taking a photo," their mother called out to Clint. "Dress nice. Oh and Carter don't worry, whatever you have will be fine. But this is the one day my boys are required to look nice."

"Mom, I wear a suit to work every day," Brock said.

"Yes, but somehow when you're here, you dress like a surfer."

There was no arguing with that. As they all moved back into the kitchen to help with the last bit of the meal, Donovan kept an ear out for Carter. Occasionally, he'd peek through the archway into the dining room.

Each time, Carter circled the table behind his father, putting out place settings while listening to Ted. Donovan smiled, knowing his father to be the silent type and knowing that if he was talking this much, it meant he was making an effort to welcome Carter.

Eventually, Donovan's turn to take a shower came. When he opened the door to head back to his room, Carter was waiting outside with a towel. Donovan smiled, it seemed to be an instant reaction while at home. Or maybe it was simply because he loved seeing Carter inside his family's house.

"How are you doing?" he asked, running his towel over his hair.

"I really like your dad," she said.

"He was talking, that means he likes you too."

Carter smiled but there was something hidden in her eyes. Donovan cupped her face.

"Hey, what's going on in that mind of yours?"

She paused, peering down the hallway to where the chatter of Donovan's family could be heard.

"Is it my brothers? 'Cause I know they can be overwhelming and loud and obnoxious."

"It is your brothers-"

"I can tell them to take a step back."

"Donovan, it's a good thing. You all love and bug each other so much. It merely makes me wish that I'd had siblings."

Donovan nodded. Part of him wanted to tell her that this family would be hers when they got married.

But he didn't say it.

She was it for him, he didn't want anyone else. But he was also aware that they'd only been dating for a few months and didn't want to frighten her away.

At Prom, he'd made a comment about their daughter, but Carter hadn't replied and he'd worried he'd crossed a line. And so he'd kept his thoughts to himself, knowing that when the time was right he would ask and he prayed she'd say yes.

"I'm happy that I get to share them with you now," Donovan said. "Any longer than these couple of days though you would regret wanting siblings."

She laughed. "Maybe."

Slipping around him, she headed into the bathroom.

The aroma of Thanksgiving filled the house as Donovan and his brothers helped carry dishes out onto the table. With everything finished, they all stood around joking back and forth as they waited for Carter. They were all laughing when she entered the room. Instantly, the laughter died.

Carter stood just inside the doorway wearing a simple, short-sleeved dress. She'd let her hair fall loose over her shoulders. With all eyes on her, she fidgeted.

"Maggie thought you might dress up for Thanksgiving," she said. "She suggested I bring something just in case."

Donovan's mother crossed the room and wrapped her arm around Carter's shoulders.

"You look wonderful," she said.

And she did. All Donovan could do was stand there staring, struck by the lengths she'd gone to fit in with his family. This was Carter after all, she hated dresses. Yet for him, she'd done this. And he knew without a doubt he was going to marry her.

"Dude," James whispered to him. "What in the world did you do to deserve this girl?"

Donovan said the only thing that he could in that moment. "I have no idea."

**********************************************************************

*hands you a whole bag of marshmallows* Yeah! Try it eat all of that and not throw up! Boom!

Okay! What did you think, plink, mink and wink about the chapter? 🗯💭💬

It's weird but this chapter took me like 3 weeks to write. I don't do well with only cute chapters because when not a lot happens I get bored. But I was able to finish this one so I hope you're happy.

(I hope you're happy in the end
I hope you're happy my friend.)

Please tell me you theater nerds got that reference?

Any diddlily do! That's the chapter and I really don't got much else to say about it!

Vote, comment, follow!

Yup, that's Carter and Donny Bear!