" There is nothing better than a friend, unless it is a friend with chocolate."

- Linda Grayson

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Within the next week, the Company had to follow through with an Army orientation program. Hazel, Catherine and Lizzie had been in England for 9 months, almost a year, and they had learned the way of the locals on many weekend passes to Swindon or London, understanding their culture and their mannerisms.

But the women, knowing that they needed to be integrated with the men quickly if they wanted to truly felt like they were a part of the company, sat in with each initial class that was given to the group, working with the men, talking and chatting, and laughing a lot, creating little jokes, getting to know them. It helped that being apart of Virago Company had given each woman a confidence boost, mainly from the many times Thermes would call a single woman out and they'd have to be confident enough to perform a task in front of the 250 women and Thermes. They were also easy going which helped get the men to understand the women and get a feel for what they were really receptive of, a sort of mutual respect.

The first week together had been long and slightly odd, with no amount of training included, just simply learning about England and its people. The men were always excited when they saw the women, just getting to talk with them and finally starting to get to know them.

Hazel always enjoyed their constant company and was growing use to their own mannerisms within a few days. Joe Liebgott teased her endlessly for the littlest things, like how she held her pencil, or how her helmet was lopsided, but in the end it was all fun and games with them.

Lizzie became close with Eugene Roe, her fellow medic, as they sat side by side through classes, talking quietly to each other, as they seemed to compliment each other's personalities pretty well.

Catherine got along with nearly everyone and was sitting beside a new person each day, laughing or talking.

Hazel found herself with Shifty most days, her fellow 'sniper' or sharpshooter. They had quickly connected over their similar backgrounds and likes of weaponry. Shifty had grown up hunting, just as Hazel had, so they always had something to talk about.

During the week, one of the guys would end up coming home with her, as they got distracted while talking and found themselves where she was staying, and they'd end up coming inside for dinner, which Hazel knew the Burnett's loved.

It was Shifty one night, then Floyd and then Bill and even Lizzie and Catherine together the next. The Burnett's loved having other people in their house, especially American soldiers who told funny stories.

By Saturday, when the last of their basic classes had finished, the company received weekend passes to Swindon, where a supposed Saturday night dance was to occur. Sobel had given quite the regulation to the group, they weren't allowed to take off their blouses, or their coats, while they were dancing, even if they were to get warm.

Catherine had complained alongside Bill, and the two were yelling about it as the group went back to their billeted homes.

So there Hazel stood, slowly tying her tie in front of the mirror in the room she were in. She was careful at looping the bottom of the tie through the hole and then giving it a gentle tug. Her skirt was still drying out the best it could, the tips were wet from when Grace had washed their uniforms for them, so Hazel was hoping if at the dance it got hot enough, it'd dry off. Hazel tugged her belt tight, and smoothed down her top in the mirror, before turning and reaching for her jacket. She carefully slipped on her Oxfords and then looked at the mirror once again, satisfied. Hazel carefully hurried down the stairs and into the kitchen where Grace and Harry were eating dinner together.

" My, my, you look stunning dear." Grace said as she came forward and grasped Hazel's hands.

" Thank you." Hazel said as her cheeks reddened a bit as Harry looked towards her.

" Follow me, I have something for you." Grace said taking Hazel's hand and leading her upstairs again. Grace lead Hazel into her and Harry's bedroom and then walked over to the jewelry box on her nightstand. Hazel watched from the doorway as Grace dug around in the jewelry box before pulling something out from it. Grace looked at it fondly before turning and coming back over to Hazel.

" I would've given it to my daughter if I had one." Grace said as she brought over the tiny piece of jewelry.

" Let me see your wrist." Grace said and Hazel held out her arm. Grace daintily wrapped a simple golden chain bracelet around Hazel's wrist, a simple heart connected on the chain.

" I always wanted a daughter, but I couldn't have children and you have been the closest thing to a child we've both had." Grace said, admiring the bracelet on Hazel's wrist. Hazel looked up at Grace who looked as if she was holding back tears.

" Thank you, Grace." Hazel whispered. Grace nodded and bit back her lip, before bringing Hazel into a warm hug. It felt like a motherly hug, like one Hazel's own mother would give where they hold you so close and so tightly you can't help but feel loved. When they both got downstairs again, standing in the kitchen was a man, dressed in his Class A uniform.

" Oh, Hazel, dear, this boy says he's a friend of yours." Harry said and Hazel smirked a bit when she saw who it was.

" Told ya I was stopping by." Joe Liebgott said smuggly.

" I figured it was you." Hazel said with an innocent smile.

" Get going, get going, you can't be late!" Grace said pushing them towards the door. They were already running late once they stepped outside and into the night, but neither seemed to care.

" How'd you know where I was billeted?" she asked him.

" Shifty's been here for dinner and he's gullible." Joe answered her as he stuck his hands in his pockets and looked to her. She smiled, she figured as much.

" So, are you gonna dance tonight?" Joe asked her. Hazel scrunched her face up.

" Dancing's not for me." Hazel said shrugging her shoulders.

" Really?" Joe asked her, genuinely surprised. She laughed.

" Yeah, I've just, I haven't danced in a while." she admitted with another shrug of her shoulders.

" It's called a dance, Tiny, pretty sure you're gonna have some lucky guy coming up to ya." Joe told her, " Begging you to not just sit there and drink your drink."

" I'll take my chances, Joe Liebgott." Hazel said with a small smile his way. Joe smirked. Tiny, the nickname George had used a week ago from today when they all had first met and now it had really just stuck.

" There they are!" Catherine called out as Hazel and Joe finally made it to the square where a mass of Class A uniformed men and 2 women stood, their chatter heard blocks away. Swindon was only about a 20 minutes drive by the trucks they were transported on and so when they finally made it to where the dance was, the room was already sweltering with heat.

Hazel stuck close to Catherine and Lizzie as they walked past the frothy bar and towards a few tables nearby. They were men and women everywhere, in US and British uniform as well as towns women from Swindon.

The place was loud and humid it seemed and the smells that wafted through were poignant. Hazel's eyes were darting pretty much everywhere, she didn't know where to look half the time. She'd never really been in many bars, even after all her time in the military. She watched a few of the Easy men get dragged to the dance floor by some Swindon ladies, moving to the grove and tempo of the music. Hazel found it somewhat hilarious, watching the ones who didn't at all look too interested in the dancing aspect. Joe had begged her dance, but the worry in her stomach plus the visions in her head prevented her as she watched him be lead away by a bubbly ginger haired woman from Swindon.

" I'm surprised you're not dancing," Joe Toye said as he sat down beside her and then looked her way, " it is a dance." Hazel offered a tiny smile.

" I don't dance much, I'm not too good at it." Hazel said shrugging her shoulders.

" Really?" Joe asked her and she nodded, " Oh come on, I bet you're great, kid."

" I just, don't think I'm that great." she told him honestly.

" Well, if you do ever decide to dance, I bet you'll do great." Joe told her as he sipped his beer and she looked over at him with a smile.

" Thank you." she said with a small smile, as the two then looked out towards the crowd of people dancing.

" I think George might trip over that poor girl's feet soon if he continues doing what he's doing." Joe said as Hazel found the man, indeed, trying not to trip over the woman's feet that he was dancing with. Hazel laughed lightly as Joe glanced at her.

" It looks like." she said. The two continued to watch people dance throughout the song and when it ended, the woman George danced with, up and left the scene, leaving a lonely George behind. Lizzie came over with Chuck behind her as the two collapsed in chairs exhausted.

" Remind me never to dance to that song again." Lizzie said as she high-fived Chuck who looked just as warn out.

" It wasn't just dancing though," Chuck said as Hazel and Joe both raised brows, " It was avoiding the people dancing around us that crashed into us the whole time." Hazel smiled a bit as Joe snickered beside her.

" He ok?" Lizzie asked pointing to George who walked over with slumped shoulders.

" The girl he was dancing with walked away." Joe said and Lizzie sighed.

" Aw." Lizzie said, " That's sad."

" Hey guys." George said as he sat down across the table from them.

" You ok, George?" Joe asked leaning forward.

" I guess, I'm not the best at dancing." George admitted. This was a first for Hazel, seeing George sad.

" Here, George, how about we dance to this song." Lizzie said standing and coming around the table to his side and putting a hand on his shoulder.

" Oh, Lizzie, I don't think I can do that to you. I'll trip you like I did to her." George said watching Lizzie.

" I promise you, I tripped Chuck plenty of times." Lizzie said, " C'mon."

" C'mon man," Chuck said, " go, she won't embarrass you. I mean I danced with her, she's good." Lizzie smirked at Chuck.

" C'mon." Lizzie said to George, holding her hand out for him.

" Lizzie, if you fall on your pretty little face, you were asking for it ok." George said as he stood and took her hand.

" Shut up, George, we're dancing." Lizzie said and lead him away to the dance floor. They left the trio laughing.

" That's the medic in her." Chuck commented as Lizzie nodded.

" Oh, most definitely. You don't follow her rules and regulations, she will not be the happy person she normally is." Hazel said softly and the two men laughed.

" Lizzie, are you sure?" George asked as Lizzie and him walked side by side.

" Of course," Lizzie said smiling at George, " c'mon, in the 1 week I've know you, you are a super confident guy, where'd that go?" George smirked.

" You sound like my mom." George said as Lizzie laughed.

" It'll be fun, I'm not too great either." Lizzie said. When they got out onto the dance floor, Lizzie turned to George and gently placed her hand on his shoulder and grabbed his other hand in hers. George looked at her and then placed his hand on her waist and she smiled.

" It'll be fine, I know you can dance, George." Lizzie said as they gently began to sway to the music. Lizzie watched his gentle brown eyes, they were like doe's. It reminded Lizzie of Brady's eyes. Him and George were similar in too many ways to count. Lizzie thought George was actually a really good dancer, as he didn't step on her feet, like half of the other guys, and they secured each other as they danced as well.

Catherine came over to the table where Chuck, Joe and Hazel were with a drink in hand, as she approached the group who was all taking with each other.

" Hey, how're you guys doing?" Catherine said as she approached them.

" Hey, Sarge." Chuck called and Catherine rolled her eyes.

" I told you that you didn't have to call me that." Catherine said as she leaned against the back of Joe's chair.

" You're a Sergeant, aren't you?" Joe asked turning around to look at her.

" Yeah." Catherine said, " See those stripes, Toye."

" Yes, ma'am." Joe answered, as Catherine shoved his shoulder with a smirk as Hazel smiled.

" Don't ever ask Skinny to dance, that boy tripped over my feet too many times to count." she said as she sat down next to Chuck.

" I heard that McCown." another voice said and the group burst into laughter as Skinny came over with his own drink and stared at her.

" It's true, Skinny." Catherine said to him as Skinny just sat down, shaking his head. Hazel tuned out their conversation and watched Lizzie and George dance together with a small smile on her face. You never went against an Elizabeth Elliot order, especially seeing as she were a medic and a good one at that.

" Tired, Bill?" Catherine called as the man ambled over with his drink and took a seat at the table.

" Tired? Clearly you haven't met me, McCown, I'm just getting started. I just needed a drink." Bill said, as Hazel snickered.

" Then I guess you're up for a dart game." Catherine offered leaning forward against the table.

" Oh, you're on." Bill said, as Catherine smirked.

" Any of you want to join, we could do teams?" Catherine offered.

" Why not." Chuck said as he stood. Bill looked at Joe Toye who sat, unfazed and not even interested in the conversation beside Hazel.

" Joe." Bill called. Joe looked towards him.

" What?" Joe asked annoyed.

" You're on my team." Bill said. Joe raised a brow.

" I just want to sit down and drink my beer, Bill." Joe argued back as Bill raised a brow staring at him.

" Scared to lose, Toye?" Catherine asked Joe with a smirk. Joe narrowed his eyes.

" Alright, alright, I'm coming." Joe said as he stood, adjusting his jacket as he mumbled curses to himself. Hazel laughed.

" This is what I get." Joe said as he then took his drink and sipped it again, " Fuck me." Hazel laughed as Joe left.

" How good are you really?" Joe asked Catherine as she walked beside him.

" Wouldn't you like to know, I do recall hearing you say you didn't even want to play." Catherine said.

" You annoy her even more Joe and you'll be on a team alone." Bill called as Joe rolled her eyes.

" I think that actually might be you Bill." Catherine called as Bill snickered shaking his head. Catherine had never been more excited to play a game of darts.

Hazel eventually left the table, her Coke bottle in her hands, as she slowly exited the dance club, sweating, but with orders from Sobel, she wasn't about to remove her blouse. So, she walked towards a bench that overlooked a tiny garden with a little stream of running water and decided to sit by it and gaze at the stars above. She could see the big dipper and the little dipper and the North Star as well as Leo the Lion.

" Hey," she heard a voice say and Hazel looked over to see Joe Liebgott coming towards her, smoking a cigarette and glancing up at the stars above them.

" Star-gazing?" he asked her. Hazel nodded softly at him, before looking back up at the stars. It was quiet outside, you could the gentle hum of music inside and the voices, but the building held in that volume and let the outside remain peaceful. She felt Joe slowly sit down beside her.

" Why're you out here?" Joe asked her. Hazel smiled.

" I like watching the stars, always have." she told him, her eyes shining as she looked up at them. Joe followed her gaze up.

" Why're you out here? Following me?" Hazel asked him with a smirk and Joe snickered.

" No," he said, " you're just an interesting person to talk to." Hazel smiled at him, she took it as a compliment.

" You ever just watch the stars, Joe?" Hazel asked him.

" No," Joe answered quickly, " life moved a little too fast back at San Francisco." Hazel glanced towards him.

" Is that where you're from?" she asked him, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. Joe looked at her and smiled.

" Yeah, born and raised." he said.

" I've always wanted to go to San Francisco." Hazel said, " I'm just not sure how many stars you see at night."

" Oh you can get some places where you see the stars." Joe said sitting up with a smile. Hazel glanced at him.

" I thought you said you never watch the stars, Joe." Hazel said softly, before leaning back with a smile and looking up towards the sky. She heard Joe chuckle beside her.

" Right," he answered. Hazel smiled. Hazel suddenly pointed up towards the sky.

" You see that?" she asked him. She was pointing towards a bluish tinted star.

" That's Sirius, the dog star." she said, " He's always out at night." Joe glanced at her.

" How'd you know that?" Joe asked her.

" I read." she said with a small smile.

" Is that what you're going to college for?" Joe asked her. Hazel bit her lip and looked at him and shook her head.

" No," she said, " I hope to go for mathematics, put that to use somehow, get closer to the stars." Joe smirked at her.

" Math?" he asked her. Hazel looked at him.

" What's wrong with math?"

" Math's so....boring, it's just numbers on a page." he said. Hazel laughed.

" Not if you think about it in that way." Hazel told him, " I find it a way to make sense of the world around me."

" I prefer the method where I actually go out and explore." Joe said.

" That's cool, too." Hazel said, before looking at the stars again.

" Could you see stars like this in Camp Toccoa?" she asked him, " We could see them in Camp Athene."

" Not sure, I don't stargaze remember?" Joe said as Hazel looked at him and laughed. She nodded. Joe slowly pulled out something from his pocket; a chocolate bar.

" Figured I'd stow this along, you want a piece?" Joe asked her. Hazel grinned. She loved chocolate. She nodded. So, Joe cracked the bar in 2 and handed her the other half.

The two sat under the stars that night, watching them, and nibbling on chocolate, as the world spun slowly, and a war raged behind them, yearning and coming closer with each and every day.

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hey! i hope you enjoyed these 3 chapters with the boys, i sure did! i can't thank you all for your love and support you've given this book, it has been such a huge motivator for me, personally, to know people enjoy it, but i, myself, have just enjoyed writing this book and writing my characters, and i feel that is the biggest motivator, to just truly love your story! :)

thank you all!