" Happiness comes in waves. It'll find you again."

- Unknown

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As the weeks of May slowly flipped through their normal course of action, the weather turned warmer, the days remained getting longer and longer, and with each moment, more hope filled inside Easy Company.

Maybe this war would be over sooner than they thought.

They were beginning to fall into the routine of life in Austria and it was glorious. With nightly pillow fights in the platoons, swimming and splashing each other in the lake and finally having some fun for the first time in ages, was the relief Easy needed as an occupation force. What everyone needed, truly.

Lizzie felt Gene needed it the most.

The two usually ate breakfast together because they usually woke early to prepare the aid station and he smiled more than usual at breakfast and sometimes even cracked a few jokes or taught Lizzie a few words in French. He wasn't closed off, or giving a blank stare, such as his stare in Bastogne when Lizzie had been ill and spoon feeding his frozen body on Christmas Eve.

That was an experience she never wanted to experience again.

Neither of them.

But together they had talked about the experience for them in Bastogne and how draining it had truly been for the both of them and their emotions. They understood each other's emotions like an open book, simply because of the experience of Bastogne, especially when Lizzie physically had to coax Gene to eat a sliver of food even. It had been a vulnerable moment.

Truly.

And then at 0400 when they arrived back and he had so gently held her hands in his own grasp, like they were the most precious thing, was true vulnerability.

A medic's hands were the most important asset.

That entire night had been about the vulnerability of a medic.

Where they both understood one another.

It had been one of the worst nights of her life, but also the one she believed that they saved each other somehow. It was nice to see Gene genuinely happy again as May continued day by day through the weather as it grew warmer and warmer. Color returned fully to his face and his eyes brightened. Lizzie just wanted to see him happy. And seeing Gene happy was what she got to see.

" You look happy, Gene," Lizzie said softly, meeting his gaze. Gene's eyes were soft in the setting sun. He nodded.

" I feel happy," Gene said, " you know, for the first time in a while." Lizzie softly glanced towards him, smiling.

" I've been wanting to see you happy for a while, you know?" she said, " Seeing how you were in Bastogne, it hurt, a lot, because I could barely do anything myself." Gene gently placed his hand on her upbent knee to stop her. She met his gaze.

" I'm happy to see you happy too," Gene said, " even if healing takes a little while, for now you're happy, I'm happy, Easy's happy. I feel like we'll finally be okay." Lizzie smiled, gently looking towards the sun.

" I hope you stay happy, Gene," Lizzie whispered, nodding, " genuinely happy."

" Me too," Gene said and when Lizzie saw the smile on his face, her heart warmed. She never wanted him to stop being happy.

On the 1st of June, Hazel came skidding straight into the mess hall, her skirt dancing around her knees, muddied up, her combat boots and utter reck, her tie flying loosely around her neck, her dog tags jangling against the Star of David, her hair a wild untamed mess behind her.

She skidded right beside the table where Catherine and George ate side by side, George's hand not so discretely on Catherine's thigh, softly holding it there, as they talked in soft whispers and quiet looks.

" To what do I owe the pleasure?" Catherine asked looking up as Hazel let out a strained sigh.

" 75 points," Hazel said throwing the paper down in front of Catherine, cheeks slightly redden from the heat. Catherine froze and immediately brought the paper into her hands and stared at it.

" Sergeant, Hazel Parker, 75 points." Catherine read and her heart sunk.

" Aw Hazel," Catherine said looking back up at her and Hazel just sighed.

" The wound was only a purple heart, not much else." she said, with a shrug of her shoulders, " I figured I'd be sticking around for longer than I wanted." Catherine watched her and frowned sadly.

" Where'd the dirt come from?" George asked leaning forward. Hazel raised a brow and then both Catherine and George looked at her skirt. Hazel glanced down.

" Oh," Hazel said and pulled up the flap of the skirt, " I tripped." Catherine raised a brow.

" Over?"

" Catherine I'm clumsy and you know it." Hazel said and Catherine laughed.

" You two get your points?" Hazel asked as she slowly slid in across from them, wiping sweat from her sweaty brow.

" 80." Catherine said gently with a sad smile. Hazel sighed.

" You?" Hazel asked George.

" 82." George said.

" It seems no one has enough, I've been asking around." Hazel said sadly.

" If only the Pacific could just end this war, then we could go home," Catherine said softly with a small smile to Hazel who nodded.

" One cup of orange juice," a voice said and the group looked up to see Joe bringing over two cups of orange juice and sliding in beside Hazel, his own tie loose around his neck, face sweaty, dirt on his knees. Catherine raised a brow.

" I thought you said you tripped." Catherine said.

" Yeah," Hazel said nodding, " running from Joe."

" Ooohh." Catherine said nodding as George snickered.

" He's the one that chased after me with a bug in his hand," Hazel countered.

" Hey, you never said you didn't like beetles." Joe countered.

" I never said I wanted one of them perched on my shoulder." Hazel said back to him with a raised brow as Joe chuckled.

" Okay, okay, never again," Joe said as Catherine watched with a smirk. Then Joe poked her shoulder.

" Ow! Joe! Stop! It!" Hazel yelled slapping Joe's shoulder as he chuckled shifting away.

" Joe what are you doing?' Catherine asked through a laugh.

" I poked her shoulder." Joe said and Hazel grumbled.

" He thinks it's funny." Hazel said as Joe chuckled from her side. She shook her head with a laugh.

" I'll poor my orange juice on you," Hazel threatened holding up her cup to him.

" What? After I just took time out of my day to bring it to you? And all over this pretty face?" Joe questioned and Hazel narrowed her eyes, face growing angry.

" I am terrified." Joe said nonchalantly and Hazel kicked his boot under the table.

" Watch your back Joseph Liebgott," she said turning away and sipping her orange juice. Joe snorted.

" Watching dutifully." he said with a smirk and Hazel grumbled, but couldn't keep the smirk from her face. Joe lifted the orange juice in his hands and tempted himself with it near her head.

" Hey, Joe, buddy, hey, hey, no don't pour your orange juice on her," George said pulling the orange juice from Joe's hands.

" Huh?" Joe asked.

" How many points you got?" George asked. Joe rolled his eyes.

" 78, am I surprised though?" Joe said. George watched him.

" You fucking kidding me? You were hurt like 3 times, that had to be at least 85." George said. Joe watched him and shook his head.

" You would've thought right?" Joe said with a chuckle, " Guess I'm going to be hanging around a lot longer than you want." Joe nudged Hazel's shoulder and Hazel smirked.

" Lucky me." she said and Joe chuckled.

" At least you can make fun of it," Catherine said as both Hazel and Joe smiled wide smirks on their faces, mirroring one another.

" He'll ride this out as long as he wants to." Hazel said, " I'm still hearing about the time he made a fool of himself in front of Winters back in November of '43, and then blamed it on me and we both got in trouble. That was the time."

" Only because you were the first name in my head," Joe countered and Hazel scoffed.

" I was sat beside you, you twat." she said and shoved his shoulder. Joe smirked, and opened his mouth again.

" Children, please let me sip my coffee in a blissful peace, it'd be much appreciated." Catherine said sipping her coffee. No one came between her and her coffee.

" Wouldn't dream of it." Joe muttered as George kicked Joe's foot.

" Ow." grumbled Joe.

" You heard the woman, don't come between her and her coffee." George said and both Catherine and Hazel let out laughs of joy.

A little laughter never hurt anyone.

Many people received their long awaited papers with their number of points on it that day and many were left disgruntled or agitated at the number that sat on the page.

" 70?" Hazel whispered as she took Shifty's paper in her hands lightly and stared at it with sad eyes. Shifty glanced at her and sighed, shaking his head.

" Would've thought there would be more, never was injured though." Shifty said softly.

" Hey, at least you're not alone, a bunch of us are still stuck here," Hazel said softly. Shifty looked at her and smiled.

" Yeah, yeah, I'm still happy about that too," he said and wrapped an arm over her shoulder. Hazel smiled and wrapped her arm around his.

" I'm glad we made it Shifty, especially with Bastogne," she said and Shifty smiled sadly.

" Yeah me too," he said. Hazel was just really glad that the two snipers were still sat side by side.

" We need to talk," Hazel said as Speirs opened the door at 2200 that night, looking at him with narrowed eyes.

" And disrupt me from my evening cigarette, it'd be my pleasure." Speirs muttered sarcastically letting her in.

" You're getting smart with me, sir." she said with a laugh and Speirs chuckled.

" What's up?' he asked her.

" It's Shifty, Shifty Powers." Hazel said as she turned to him, " He has only 70 points and by this rate he'll never make it home, I think he deserves to win that lottery on the 6th." Speirs watched her.

" He's been through so much, sir, and he's never once been injured. And with only 70 points, I just, he deserves to be the one to go home, he deserves to see home again." Hazel said softly.

" I'll see what I can do, Hazel," Speirs said, as he shuffled a few papers that were on his desk. Hazel smiled softly and then looked around the office.

" What's with the dirt?" Speirs asked her and Hazel looked down at the skirt and sighed.

" Ask Joseph Liebgott," she grumbled crossing her arms and narrowing her soft eyes. Speirs chuckled.

" I'll be sure that the next time around, I'll be sure to ask Liebgott about it." Speirs said sending a smirk her way and Hazel rolled her eyes with a blush.

Forcing her feelings down her throat had been something hard to stomach. The war might be over in Europe, but the war in the Pacific raged like a wildfire - and they still were needing more men everyday to fight it, to put it out.

" I'll be heading out now, sir," she said as she gave him a tiny salute and he smirked with an equally tiny salute back before she fell out of his office practically.

Hazel continued through the darkening streets of Zell Am See towards where her stay would ultimately be. Taking the steps two at a time, a big mistake on her part, she made it to the top with shaky knees. Then she slowly headed down the hallway and grabbed the door handle, ready for a night of sleep, especially after Joe's oh-so-wonderful bug scare today which she was sure had scared a year off her life.

Hazel grabbed the handle and turned it open before stepping inside only to reveal a group sat in a circle, frozen, wide-eyed staring at her, money within each of their grasps and slowly reddening faces.

" Hazel!" Lizzie called, shoving her money into Chuck's wide eyed lap and shooting up like a bullet before ushering her out of the room. Lizzie slammed the door closed behind her and then turned to her.

" What's going on?" Hazel asked innocently worry across her entire face. Think, Lizzie, think.

" We've been talking...about what to get you for your birthday." Lizzie said, " We were just trying to figure out who to give the money too." Hazel watched her.

" But my birthday's over a month away!" Hazel said with a small smile.

" Honey, your 21st birthday!! You can drink now, your 21, you deserve to have something prepared for you for over a month at least." Lizzie said. Hazel watched her.

" Okay," Hazel said, " Then I'll just head over to mess and grab some coffee."

" Okay," Lizzie said, bringing Hazel into a hug and rubbing her back," you do that." Hazel smiled and then turned and trotted down the stairs and out the door. Lizzie let out a relieved breath.

Thank you Lena Parker for birthing Hazel in July.

Lizzie slowly stepped back and pushed off against the door before entering the room.

" You shit heads are too loud for your own good," she said as she resumed her spot between Tab and Chuck. The men glared at her as she groaned.

" Men, I'd take it as a compliment from her at least," Tab said rubbing the back of his neck and Lizzie elbowed him.

" Okay, where were we," Chuck said as he pushed Lizzie back her money.

" We were on $30 only $30," Babe groaned, " it's worth more than that. Did you SEE them? They're like an old married couple, he almost poured orange juice on her!"

" Well, then I'll raise it to $40," George said confidently, placing down a dollar as Lizzie watched Catherine smirk at George. Lizzie raised a curious brow.

" I can second that orange juice scenario." George explained as he then shuffled his money against him.

" Can someone explain the orange juice scenario already?" Tab complained.

" Joe brought her orange juice and the two were so obviously flirting with each other, the entire time, and they threatened to pour juice over one another. And the teasing. Oh my god, the teasing, it was laid on thick," Catherine said, " they're so oblivious it's adorable."

" Are we betting or playing matchmaker?" Chuck said, " Who's gonna raise it?"

" We're betting, Charles," Catherine called, " I see the look in both their eyes. $60."

" Oooohh, Lieutenant." George called, rallying a pumping fist beside her," Can we chose partners?"

" Bet your own money, George, not Catherine's." Johnny called, " I'll raise it $70." George sighed shaking his head as Catherine laughed.

" Okay, okay, what about that one time, they went to what? Paris together? Paris?" Bull recalled," I ain't never seen a look like that in that boy's eyes."

" You said it Bull," Frank said," Any time in the hospital I brought up, Joe, heart eyes."

" That's what that's called," Tab said, and Lizzie elbowed him as he smirked, " well he followed her out of that USO dance like a lost puppy, so $80."

" Whoa, whoa, whoa, WHAT!" Catherine said sitting up. Tab laughed.

" You were too drunk for your own good, playing darts with Johnny, she left and Joe followed, but are you even surprised?" Tab said.

" And they danced?!" Catherine said louder, eyes shining.

" Uh yeah that's what it's called when two people stand real close and try to make it not as awkward as possible." Tab said with a scoff.

" They danced!" squealed Catherine meeting Lizzie's own shining eyes, " They danced..."

Catherine felt her heart soften.

Hazel had said she was fearful to dance again, with all her memories and fears.

But she had danced with Joe.

Catherine's heart felt so warm.

" Alright, alright, where are we?" Chuck said calming them down.

" $80." called Babe," But I'll say $90."

Then all the sudden, the door opened and everyone turned to see Joe Liebgott, his hand limply on the door watching the group in front of him, eyes wide, brow raised.

" Someone want to tell me what the fuck you're doing?" he asked and George was the one who shoved him out of the room faster than slamming the door in one's face.

" Great, now the both of them are gonna be even more clueless than before and we'll be the brunt." Tab groaned, " Real brilliant idea, guys."

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so, thoughts??? happy lil gene and lizzie - F I N A L L Y! soft joe and hazel scenes AGAIN YES! and a betting scene on hazel and joe, you knew i had it planned from the start!!! i was so excited for this update truly!! thank you sm for reading and let me tell you the next update will just get better and better!! thank u!! <3