" Sisterhood is many wonderful things. It's a warm smile on a cod and rainy day, a friendly hug, a cheerful hello. It's treasured. It's eternal. It's knowing that there will always be someone there for you. It's dreams shared, and goals achieved. It's counting on others and being counted on. It is real."

- Unknown

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The rest of the night, the women spent talking, nibbling on the treats that George had gratefully delivered, dancing around a bit to the music on the radio, which crackled through softly. They finished the night staring up and out at the stars from Catherine's balcony.

And Catherine of course had to bring up Joe Liebgott which sent Lizzie squealing over the balcony, which swung out into the down town street. They didn't know yet, but Hazel knew she wanted to. Hazel gently brought up her knees to her chest with a soft smile, staring 1,000 yards away.

" He kissed me," Hazel whispered and both women suddenly grew quiet, watching Hazel with wide eyes," and you know, when they hold you real close, and they don't let go?" Hazel watched the two women with shining eyes.

" He held me like I was his whole word." Hazel whispered, gently touching her soft lips, at the mere thought of Joe. Whenever she thought of him now, she felt so gentle, so calm, so at peace, just so knowing that she had someone like Joe in her life, a man like Joe.

" It's because you are his whole world," Catherine whispered leaning forward to place a gentle hand on her knee. Hazel met her eyes softly, with a tiny smile.

" You really think that?" Hazel whispered softly, smiling just at the thought of his dorky little smile.

" I know so!" Lizzie said jumping up from her bed in complete utter excitement," Don't make me give you a full analytical analysis of this boy and the love eyes I saw in him over a year ago to this day." Hazel and Catherine laughed lightly, suspecting it were a joke.

" I'm serious," Lizzie said," December 31st, 1942, Joe Liebgott walks in with a fresh boutique of yellow flowers for Hazel, when she's tragically ill-"

" Are you going to talk like Shakespeare the entire time?" Catherine said as Lizzie looked at her.

" No," Lizzie said, and then she squealed, " I'm just, I'm happy, you know, I know the way Joe's always looked at you Hazel, they didn't make me a medic for nothing." Hazel watched her with shining eyes.

" So! Tell us!" Catherine said placing a hand on Hazel's shoulder, " I know the feeling of just wanting to talk about him." Hazel blushed at the thought.

" He makes me happy," Hazel whispered as Lizzie held a hand to her heart," of course you two make me happy, but with him, he always found a way to make me feel better, feel loved, like I were the center of attention, just little things that showed me he cared." Hazel sighed softly, her eyes so lovesick, it was like she was on a high. She was so dreamy, her thoughts staying on him.

" And he'd always do that thing you know, where he'd glance at you with that dorky smirk and then he'd look back down before looking at you again with a smile," Hazel whispered and then she blushed further, " he laughed at my jokes too. I'm not super funny either." Catherine literally died right then and there at the complete utter adorableness in front of her of Hazel speaking about Joe.

" I don't know if I've ever been this happy," she whispered," because love was so hard. And Joe, he really makes me think that maybe love isn't as hard as I thought it was." Hazel looked up and met Catherine and Lizzie's shining eyes on the bed as a gentle Billie Holiday song played on the radio. The soft light in the room was infectious, and the open bay doors, that let in the warm breeze from the lake and the dark night with twinkling stars, was so gentle and so calming. Hazel felt clean, content, and most importantly happy.

" And when he told me he loved me? It felt like I was home." Hazel whispered, as Catherine and Lizzie audibly sighed, holding hands to their hearts.

" I can't even begin to describe how adorable you two are around each other, he turns into one of the sappiest people around you and I think it is the cutest thing," Catherine whispered, " you've always been his little soft spot." Hazel blushed, shaking her head.

" He makes me so happy, guys," Hazel whispered, " I didn't know you could feel this happy." Lizzie smiled like a giddy teenager.

" I never talked about Paris much did I?" she whispered softly looking up at the two on the soft comforter. Catherine smiled - she remembered Joe saying that seeing Hazel in Paris, he had seen her so genuinely happy. Lizzie felt her heart warm.

" You didn't," Lizzie whispered, " we figured it was yours and Joe's little thing together." Then Lizzie smiled as Catherine nodded. Hazel proceeded to blush.

" I told him about my past," she said softly with a smile to the two," and he listened to every word, so intently. Watching me with those soft brown eyes, that little dorky smile he does." Hazel giggled to herself at the memory.

" And he told me I was the strongest woman he ever knew - besides Mama of course." Hazel said with a grin," He loves his mom." Catherine and Lizzie watched Hazel talking about Joe, so ungodly in love. And love in times of war, it was scary, you could lose that person you love, and then regret your decisions, but now love seemed to be the only thing saving each of them whether it be sisterly love, brotherly love, or paternal love.

Love was essential for life, no matter what. And love was something that was okay to feel, love was something everyone deserved to feel and sometimes people found it even in the darkest times, their lowest moments, or their breaking facades, but love was powerful, love was always so prevalent and most importantly it was okay to love someone no matter what situation you were in. Love was love and you couldn't force someone not to love another. Humans love humans and a true and pure love was always valid.

Love.

" But, Joe isn't the only person I love," Hazel said and looked to the two women who smiled softly at her, " you two taught me a love that was like a sisterhood, an unbreakable bond, a love as if you were my sisters." Hazel watched them, playing with the ends of her uncut hair.

" I never knew what it was like to have sisters like you two," Hazel whispered," but you two taught me that, to love me, to love myself, who I am, my past, my present, everything, you taught me that. To be a strong woman, who's proud of herself, proud of who she has become, proud of being a woman. My mom was always who I looked up to, but that was it, and she'd been through so much that knowing I can look up to you too, was something even more beautiful and special than I'd ever thought, I can't thank you enough for showing me what love can be like." Hazel saw the tears in Catherine and Lizzie's eyes shining even in the slightly dim light. And Hazel felt her heart warm, as tears filled her own little eyes.

" It's okay to love someone, even in their darkest times, or the world's darkest time, and love seems to be the only thing that has managed to pull me through," Hazel whispered, " it's okay to love someone, especially for who they are. Most importantly." Catherine let her lip quiver.

" I love you Hazel," Catherine whispered scooting closer to hug Hazel close to her, biting back her lip as Hazel hugged back, shutting her own eyes, for a moment of peace.

" Aw c'mere," Lizzie whispered as a tear crawled down her cheek as Hazel pulled her into a warm hug, " I love you, Tiny, so much." Hazel felt a sniffle rising and shut her eyes.

" Damn it Hazel, always making me cry," Lizzie said with a slight laugh as she pulled back wiping her eyes as she did so and Catherine laughed.

" We are always crying together," Catherine said with a laugh as Hazel giggled.

" It's because half the time the guys don't know what to do when we cry," Lizzie said and the women laughed lightly. It was nice to have girl time, just together with each other, alive and breathing and truly just happy. It was something they needed after all the fear and trauma, they all needed this.

The following morning after the night spent in Catherine's room, Catherine got coffee brought in by one of the runner's of Winters own. The women eventually forced themselves to dress in their ODs again and Hazel had managed to braid her hair up with help from Lizzie who was slowly teaching her through out the days that were upon them. Hazel had never learned to braid, her mother was always working every hour she could to support the family, to support Hazel, her child.

But her mother had integrity.

A lot of it.

And she worked for so long to support the home and her family. Hazel admired her for it. Hazel finally laced up her shows and then took the little leap off the edge of the bed before her feet hit the ground.

" I swear, I had two replacements coming in complaining about headaches just before I came in here yesterday and I asked them what they did and they replied alcohol. I was like what else did you expect to happen? Sprout daisies and become a fairy?" Lizzie said as the two women chuckled towards her.

" Some never learn, Lizzie," Catherine said.

" Says the one with the iron stomach," Lizzie answered back as Catherine smiled proudly.

" Beat ole Bill Guarnere that one time in Aldbourne with this, I showed him up good." she said with a laugh.

" You still waiting for the 22nd to drink?" Lizzie asked Hazel who sat, neatly folding her pant legs.

" Yeah," she answered and sighed, " Tab promised me a drink anyway last year near Carentan, I figured I'd let him look forward to that." The two smiled.

" I swear he better buy you one of the gentler drinks and not start you out with something like Tequila and three shots of vodka." Catherine said, " I'll beat his ass."

" Boy would I pay to see that, if anything I think you'll like white wine best," Lizzie said and Hazel smiled gently.

" That's my mom's favorite you know," Hazel said as she stood adjusting her dog tags and Star of David, " she always got it from the local winery in town, and would have a glass usually on Friday's as she looked out at the sunset."

" Your mom sounds so lovely, I hope we get to meet her one day," Catherine said.

" You'll have to stop by, when this war is finally over and we can go back home, she knows so much about you two already." Hazel said and the two women smiled.

" We'll just have to wait and see how this is all goes down, Operation Virago spilling out to general population," Lizzie said, " I'll wear that medal on my damn forehead for all I care, I fought this war, I'll be proud about it too."

" You said it," Catherine said and Lizzie grinned proudly with a little bow.

" Thank you," she said, " I'm just gonna be pissed because who cares if we're women? We fought in the war, we're part of the reason half of the guys aren't as dead as they were or even better yet recused. We all got wounded for this country, mine as well be respected for it too."

" No stopping Lizzie when she's fired up," Catherine said and Lizzie smirked.

" Oh I could go on!" she said, " But for your sanity, I'll hold myself, we have to get some training in today anyway."

" Don't remind me," Catherine sighed, " I have to make sure Nixon's not drinking away on Vat 69, but I give him credit, he slipped me some the other day without batting an eye. The man is BRAVE." Hazel and Lizzie chuckled softly.

" Cath?" a voice called.

" Yes?" she called through the door.

" Okay, Jesus, Your Worship, just saying that the clocks ticking and those reports are not writing themselves," Nixon called back through the door as Catherine chuckled looking at them.

" Fitting nickname?" she asked.

" Oh very," Lizzie answered as Hazel giggled. Catherine went to her work on her reports as Lizzie was ushered away by Gene and Hazel had to move to the practice fields where they were back to the grind on PT training and all the crap associated with it. Speirs was real good at leading the group in PT, he was a lot like Thermes in a way and he always made sure if he did the exercise, he was doing it with Easy Company, with every member.

And boy did Hazel need a long shower afterwards, showering in 2nd Platoon's shower as she was listening to Babe and Chuck argue over cards outside as they took watch for her. It felt good after a long day of PT to clean herself up fully. When she stepped out, she dressed in her bottoms and then pulled her OD top on.

" What could you possibly be fighting about my entire shower?" Hazel asked as she brushed a hand through her wet hair standing above them.

" Well, Tiny, Babe here decided-"

" Oh c'mon Chuck you clearly cheated," Babe scoffed. Hazel slowly sat down beside Chuck and looked at the cards.

" Go fish?" she asked them with a slight smile.

" Yeah," Babe said," and he cheated." Hazel giggled.

" How do you even cheat at Go Fish?" she asked them and Chuck chuckled.

" I asked him for an 8, diamonds, and he gave me a look, but I knew he had one yet he told me Go Fish," Babe said.

" It's called strategy, Edward," Chuck said with a laugh as Babe grumbled.

" Cheater," Babe muttered as Hazel laughed.

" You two are too funny," she said with an innocent giggle.

" He still cheated," Babe said but Hazel giggled at the smirk upon his face.

" Right," Hazel whispered looking at the card game, " I'll see you two later, don't brawl for me at least."

" Wouldn't dream of it." Chuck called as she left chuckling. Hazel stepped out and towards where 2nd platoon was and slowly stepped inside a smile on her face.

When she did she found it was to be oddly quiet, with 2nd platoon all in it. Catherine stood, a paper shaking in her grasp, as Tab watched her with sad eyes.

Everyone looked sad.

What had she missed?

Hazel then met Joe's eyes and watched them fill with sadness seeing her enter.

No, no, no Joe's eyes and sadness were two things she never wanted to draw the lines with and connect ever again.

" Hey," she said softly, " what's going on?" Catherine noticed Hazel and suddenly let out a soft sigh, putting a hand to her face.

" Hazel..." Catherine whispered as Hazel stepped forward.

" What happened?" she said as noticed Joe coming forward.

" Hazel, please-"

" What is going on?" Hazel said firmly, watching their eyes with sadness, " Why are you all looking at me like this?" Hazel watched them.

" It's Shifty, Hazel," Catherine whispered, and Hazel felt an ungodly, resounding pit develop in her chest.

" Shifty?" she whispered suddenly, " What happened? He was going home, he's okay! Right?" Catherine slowly folded up the paper shaking in her grasp and let out a shaky sigh.

" On the way to the boat, Shifty was hit head on, his car was hit on his side," Catherine said watching Hazel's eyes well with tears, " broken pelvis, a concussion, and a broken arm, but he's stable. He'll be okay." Hazel bit back her trembling lip. She nodded. She had to keep nodding so that she wouldn't start crying.

But then she saw Joe in her vision, slowly wrapping his arms around her small frame and pulling her closer in his grasp, his warm arms which felt like it were home, as she grasped onto him, and finally let the cries that she had felt for too long finally explode into his chest, as he held her there.

2nd platoon was quiet, their own pain filtering through Hazel's cries. They'd never heard her cry before, they'd never seen her cry. They always thought she had been strong because of it, because of the fact she didn't cry, but maybe she just was good at hiding it as Joe held her softly in his grasp, pressing soft kisses to her temple where her head forced itself into his chest, as she sniffled and let out whimpering cries.

When would the constant heartbreak end?

When would someone finally make it home without complete and utter pain or wounds or scars?

When would someone finally go home safely, without harm?

But in war, no one would go home without a scar.

No one.

That's what hurt.

Knowing it was Shifty made it worse, but the fact that another person of Easy was going home, wounded, yet again was just too much.

And he had deserved it the most.

Joe had lead Hazel outside to the docks for air, as she was taking in pretty fast shuttering cries. Now, she sat beside him, feet hanging over the dock, body slumped. Joe was beside her, arm around her shoulder, holding her close to him. Hazel just wanted the sadness to end and for some happiness for a change. But instead, she was stuck staring at the ripples in the lake, thinking about the fact that Shifty had gotten hurt just trying to get home. But Joe was there for her, sitting beside her, simply there for her. Hazel always appreciated the fact he was there for her.

" Thanks, Joe," she whispered softly, sniffling slightly, " you always have to deal with me crying." Joe smiled softly and gently have her a little squeeze.

" I don't care about that, Hazel," Joe said, " I just wanted to make sure you were okay, you and Shifty were close." Hazel nodded against him and sniffled again. She stared at her hands and looked at her nails feebly, her hands looked so worn down. Hazel directed her focus up to the stars instead.

" The stars are bright tonight, Joe," she whispered, her eyes shining before she glanced towards Joe with a smile, a soft one, slightly weak even at that, but there at least. Joe knew she was feeling a little better if she were talking about the stars.

" I see Cassiopeia," she whispered, " she's just a little star." Joe smiled.

" Like you," he said, gently squeezing her shoulder and Hazel giggled softly, " with your little hands." Joe gently took her hands in his, brushing his fingers over the palms.

" I have quite tiny hands," she said with a giggle, as Joe nuzzled his face into her neck, before softly placing a kiss there and leaning back watching the blush grow across her features.

" I think they're adorable." he said as Hazel finally smiled softly looking up at him.

" What did I do to deserve you, Joe?" she whispered, watching him with gentle hands.

" Maybe I'm just a pretty cool guy," Joe said as he softly wrapped an arm around her shoulders and pulled her into his side, " who loves a beautiful woman." Hazel looked up at him, curled into his side.

" Is it okay sometimes, if I don't feel beautiful?" she whispered to him. Joe softly watched her and nodded.

" Of course," he said, " but just know, I'll be telling you everyday that you are." Hazel felt a smile move across her face as she snuggled into his side and Joe held her closer, with even more warmth encasing her.

" Remember back at Thalem?" she asked him," Where I sort of went off on my own?" Joe nodded - he remembered - she had still been very upset about everything and had gone off alone. Joe had let her, he knew she needed that alone time with herself. He nodded.

" A little birdie flew up to me," she said and glanced up towards him, with a gentle smile, " a little blue one, with the white underbelly, they're the cutest ones, and he looked at me." Joe watched Hazel bite back her lip, nodding.

" So, naturally, I started talking to it," she said and Joe smiled.

" Of course," he answered with a boyish grin.

" And it twittered back, ya know - tweet, tweet," she said and Joe laughed as she giggled to herself, " and it was like it understood me, and after some attempts, it eventually trusted me, hopping up onto my finger, and looking at me. You know what I thought?" Joe watched her, mesmerized.

" Maybe I'm not a hopeless little birdie after all," she whispered, wringing her hands together in front of her, " I felt like one, in the hospital, when I could barely walk, when I didn't feel myself, but the mental battle, it was tough, real tough, and the only way I got through it was to just push myself, ya know? And I finally didn't feel like that hopeless birdie, I felt like the free bird on my finger, with the little blue tuff on its head." Hazel smiled to herself with a small laugh, before shaking her head.

Could it be possible that Joe had just gotten even more attracted to Hazel than he already was, in love with her entire being? Joe just watched her speak under the stars as her eyes shined, and swore she had never been so beautiful like that. But he had listened to her words, each and every one.

" I would've never thought of you as a hopeless bird, Hazel," Joe said rubbing his hands together with a grin, " but your little description was pretty cute." Hazel was pretty sure that there were hearts in her eyes. She never realized how often he called her cute, it made her heart race.

" I hope he's doing okay," she said and glanced up at him, " he looked lonely."

" Maybe he just wanted to be alone," Joe suggested with a small smile and Hazel grinned.

" Maybe he did," she whispered softly and met his eyes. She grinned again.

" Do you have little birdies in San Fransisco Joe?" she asked him, her curious eyes watching him int he starlight. Joe smirked at her.

" You just want to hear about San Fransisco again don't you?" Joe said and Hazel grinned with a tiny laugh, nodding.

" Alright, well," Joe said as he pulled her closer like he was about to read her a bedtime story, just by a shimmering lake, " my mom has a garden at the back of her house, you know, tomatoes, vines, lettuce, bunch of shit like that.."

" Which is healthy for you," Hazel said softly and Joe smirked.

" What? No Hershey bars?"

" No," Hazel said with a laugh, " I don't believe Hershey bars grow on trees." Joe chuckled shaking his head.

" But what if they did?" he asked with a smirk, his face drawing closer to her own.

" Then I would've been growing trees with Hershey bars on them a long time ago," she said as the two chuckled quietly together, before sighing. Joe smiled at her and then gently booped her nose making her giggle.

" Can you tell me more about your mother's garden?" Hazel said softly, her eyes glowing with that innocent curiosity. Joe smiled, genuinely.

" When I was a kid, my sisters and I would play hide'n'seek throughout the garden, and let me tell you Hazel, we trampled so many plants, I'd never seen my mom so fucking mad," Joe said as Hazel giggled at his expression, " but then she always found ways to use them, she was really resourceful, still is." Hazel watched Joe talk about his mom with such love, he loved her so much.

" And she'd curse me out in German some times," Joe said and Hazel raised a brow, " okay, most of the time, it'd be German." Hazel laughed as Joe chuckled.

" But you couldn't understand it, okay? And boy, the first born boy? Typical from a Mama Liebgott," he said," all us Liebgotts have strong mamas, but Mary Liebgott, she's the strongest." Hazel smiled at him.

" She sounds lovely, Joe, really, especially with everything you've told me, she sounds like such a good mom," Hazel said and Joe smiled. He looked towards the lake and then looked at Hazel.

" Your mom doing okay?" he asked and Hazel smiled.

" She misses me, but she's one of the strongest people I know, Joe, I just want this war to end so that I can finally see her again." Hazel said with a sad sigh.

Hazel missed her mother more than anything. Her mother she thought, was always so strong, Hazel had only ever seen or her head cry a few times in her life, mostly after her father left. But it seemed her mother only grew stronger, and the crying did stop, until she took up the mother and father duties of the house, and became an even stronger person because of it.

That was strength.

Joe was still watching her, she could see it from the corner of her eye, that he was watching her. She gave a small smile his way and then had to look down, blushing again. Joe loved when Hazel talked about her mother, because he knew how much Hazel missed her and loved her.

The two sat quietly beside each other for a good portion of the night, simply enjoying being beside one another and hoping that maybe, this world full of sadness, would soon turn to one filled with light.

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hello! i am F I N A L L Y back with my 3 updates today and let me just say it's fluff and angst all curled into one at this point because points is just genuinely so bittersweet :,) but i personally have loved writing this story more than you can imagine because i've wanted to really just write good relationships, good friendships and relatable characters who discuss real things like, love, emotion and grief. i've always hoped to portray that, especially through an introverted character!! thank you <3