" Goodbye is not forever. Goodbye is not the end. It simply means, I'll miss you until we meet again."

- Sanjeev Kumar

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So with their final 2 days in the hospital, the trio ate what they could, and did what they could to figure out where Easy and the 82nd would be. Hazel had been on duty for that, as Frank and Jem were to find the transports. Hazel had headed towards the main office of the hospital and stepped inside with a smile on her youthful face.

" Hi," Hazel said brightly, putting on her best act for the secretary, " I'm from the 101st and was wondering where the transports are." The secretary slowly glanced her way and stood like one of those creepy old teachers from grade school.

" Transports leave every morning at 0800, have you not known this dear?" she asked, slowly seating herself down in the chair.

" No, actually, I've been up in Intensive Care and then I was moved to Recovery for a few weeks, I haven't been able to leave really with them monitoring my wound." she stated gently, giving a kind smile, a bit forced and Hazel bit back her tongue.

" Right, well, I'll write you a note so that pretty little head of yours remembers, alright?" the secretary said and Hazel nodded. Perfect.

" Thank you," Hazel said and the secretary gave her a pity smile. Hazel bit back her lip and held her tongue.

" 0800, you will be able to report on any day of your choice at the main entrance. Let them known your division, the drivers have been keeping intel of where the companies are, they should be able to drive you out to your company and you should arrive within the next day at least." she explained handing Hazel a blue, tattered sticky note. Hazel took it and stared at it. This was their ticket out of here, tomorrow they'd be leaving.

" I just have a quick question, I'm a paratrooper-"

" One of those Viragos, yes." the woman said nodding to her, interrupting her. Hazel stopped and stared at her wide eyed.

" Um, yes ma'am, I uh, I just want to know where the 101st and 82nd are." she said.

" Well, dear," she said leaning back to pull out a folder, " I'm surprised your nurse hasn't told you yet about it all. They usually have the information."

' I was eager," Hazel said quickly with a nod, " real eager." The secretary gave her a bored stare and then shrugged pulling out the file.

" Most recently, the 101s has been on its way to Alsace, France, Haguenau most likely it says here. And the 82nd has been on the road to Schmithof, Germany." the secretary said to her and Hazel quickly plucked a pen from her cup filled with them and quickly wrote down her best interpretation of the names she could. Sure, it looked like a 5 year old wrote it with a shaky hand, but she needed to know.

" You alright there, dear?" she asked Hazel. Hazel looked up with wide eyes.

" Perfectly fine, um, excited." Hazel said slightly out of breath looking at the paper with all the information. Tomorrow, the 8th, they'd be out of here. With this.

" What did you say your name was again, dear?" the secretary asked leaning forward and Hazel's breath caught.

" Oh I'm sorry I have to go," Hazel said, slowly stepping backwards, " food, yeah." The secretary watched Hazel stumble out of the office and move as fast as her wound could bear her to down the hallway.

The secretary shrugged to herself and sat back, moving back to working on her documents, as if the small woman who were perhaps a child, had just walked in.

Hazel hurried down the hall with the information. Alsace - Easy would be there, they'd be there!

Easy Company.

Her heart ached at the thought of just getting back there to see them again.

" I got it." Hazel said as she slid into where Frank and Jem sat around a tiny wooden table with a map spread in front of it. Jem waved her over and she squeezed in between the two and collapsed by their sides, placing the little blue paper in front of her. Frank and Jem looked at it but Frank glanced at her.

" Who even wrote this out?" Frank asked and Hazel narrowed her eyes.

" Ooooh." Frank said looking away as Hazel shoved his shoulder.

" Watch the ass, Hazel!" Frank called.

" I shoved your shoulder," she said with a giggle.

" Hey, children, focus!" Jem called and the two turned to Jem who stood like a father trying to get his children to focus. Hands on his hip, looking at the two, with those sunken in eyes.

" Waiting on you, Rossi." Frank said, waving a hand in front of him.

" Alright, tomorrow, we move out at 0730. If what it says is right, leaving at 0800, we'll miss the transports. We move out, we get down to the entrance and blend, we get on our transports and go our merry ways. Of course, I have to head to Germany, so sock me over the head." Jem grumbled as Hazel laughed lightly.

" We've waited a while for this, we'll be fine." she said.

" I know we will," Jem said with a smile. The trio looked at the map the rest of the night before mess was on the clock and the group ate what they could. They wouldn't have time for a fulfilling breakfast. Maybe a coffee on an empty stomach, but then they'd be off.

That night, Amelia made a quick visit to them, she was getting busier, the wounded were flowing in like a waterfall. It'd be the last time they'd see her.

" Can we write each other?" Hazel asked through the comforting hug.

" Of course," Amelia said, " always. You can always write me." Hazel smiled softly to herself as Amelia pulled back.

" Thank you, for being here and just being such a positive light, without you the last month would've been rough." Amelia said, " Not that I'm thanking you for getting wounded, god no, I couldn't wish that on anyone, I'm just thankful you came into my life." Hazel smiled softly.

" Thank you for coming into mine, Amelia." Hazel said and Amelia smiled hugging the girl again. In a matter of a month, she had felt like a sister. And a sisterhood never broke.

" Take this, it's my address and my parents phone number," Amelia said, " write anytime, they'll get the letter, and I'll see it once this whole thing ends." Hazel let out a laugh.

" It will, it all will." Hazel said.

" Plus I wanna know more about this Joe Liebgott and what happens between-" " Best friends." Hazel said quickly and Amelia smirked.

" Best friends don't talk about each other like that, Hazel Parker." Amelia said with a wise glint in her eyes. Hazel's cheeks heated. Amelia smiled at her.

" Good luck, Hazel," Amelia said and Hazel smiled.

" Thank you, Amelia." she said softly, " For everything." Amelia smiled. That night, Hazel didn't get a single nightmare like when she had in the past, her mind was clear of them. The trip to Alsace was the only thing that overflowed her entire brain. They'd be seeing Easy again in a matter of 48 hours. She had never been more excited, with butterflies flapping wildly in her stomach.

By 0700, the trio was up and moving about, taking what belongings they had, which wasn't much and heading down to the dimly lit dining hall where coffee was available 24/7.

As Hazel had left the cot which housed so many nightmares, so many struggles, she felt good to see it finally get left behind. It was moment of her life she'd never forget, but she was happy to finally leave it behind now and move on.

Those memories, those nightmares bounded her for that month, but not anymore. The three sat quietly, going over getting to the transports and moving off.

And that's when Hazel realized she wouldn't see Jem again. So as the three were moving down the back staircases Hazel gently placed a hand on Jem' shoulder.

" Thank you for everything, Jem, you've been a great friend to have, especially out here." Hazel said softly. Jem gently glanced at her.

" I think I should be the one saying that," he said to her and Hazel smiled.

" You've been my guardian angel since the beginning. You got me standing, eating, drinking, moving around, laughing again. I thought I was almost dead on that cot and then you spoke to me, Hazel. That was all it took to motivate me at my lowest. I can't thank you enough." Jem said. Hazel smiled softly, her heart warm.

" She is some guardian angel isn't she." Frank called from in front of them and the trio laughed. Hazel looked back up at him.

" I hope you get back to Phoebe and Emmy," Hazel said, " you'll have a beautiful family."

" I hope you get back to your mom, and that you can see those Tennessee stars again." Jem said and Hazel's heart ached for that.

To lie on a mountain in Tennessee with no war torn world around her, watching the stars glide over her head like the lightning bugs she always thought they were, watching down on the world, watching the world evolve and change everyday. She wanted that again.

Hazel then stopped and gently hugged him. The hug meant 1000 words that neither could say from their lips.

Since the beginning of the hospital journey, they'd helped each other heal together.

And together they were getting out of here, okay and alive and breathing.

Hazel pulled back and smiled at Jem.

" Go get your stars, Hazel." Jem told her and Hazel smiled.

" I will." she said. And with that, they were moving down the stairs again and busting out the side door into the cold. Hazel hadn't been in the cold in so long, she had forgotten the feeling of that absolute bitterness that overwhelmed her body when she felt it on her skin.

" There, c'mon!" Frank called pointing to the trucks. The group moved as fast as they could stopping in front of the MP who stood with papers.

" Division?" he asked.

" 101st." Hazel said. The MP pointed to a truck to his right. The truck which would take them to Easy.

" 82nd." Jem said. The MP pointed to his far left.

" Well, this is it you two." Jem said and the two 101st members looked at Jem. Jem slowly saluted the two as Frank and Hazel saluted back with smiles on their faces.

" Good luck," Jem said and the two smiled, " and get those stars Hazel, grab a fistful of them, you deserve them." Hazel felt a smile on her cheeks.

Then Jem was off, a tiny mock salute like Lizzie rolling off his fingers as he stumbled back towards his transport truck. Jem slowly jumped up onto the back of the truck with a wave and hung off the back as it slowly drove away.

" I don't wanna set the world on fire.." he said a gleeful smile on his face as he removed his helmet, hanging out the back as if he were some sort of actor in a movie. Hazel laughed as his singing slowly disappeared down the road and Frank chuckled.

Jem was gone, off to the 82nd.

Hazel hoped he'd be okay.

Hazel let out a shaky breath as she followed Frank to their transport and the two got in the back of the truck. The two squeezed in side by side and then looked at each other.

" To Easy," Hazel said holding out her hand to him. Frank smiled and grasped her hand.

" To Easy." he said and then he grinned.

The two soldiers stayed, side by side as the truck pulled away, rumbling down the cobblestone road towards Alsace, towards the French Border, the Rhine, towards Easy. Easy Company moved through the small part of Belgium they were in, back into France.

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AH HI! i loved this chapters sm, i'm going to miss jem, but his little story line in the beginning was so pivotal and honestly he was such a gem, i'll miss him :) and AMELIA! a queen, i'll miss her everpresent and kind personality - she was a lot like renee to me, which i liked to write. thank you so much for reading - we're heading back to easy!!