" I told the stars about you."

- d.j.

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That night Hazel had dinner with Speirs in his office - supposedly there was a new variation of her weapon coming out for the Pacific theater and the variation sat right in his office, like it were the most prized thing. Speirs was very much in-tune with the method of snipers, he was basically Hazel's number one fan and literally made it like it was his birth right for her to have representation everywhere. The field, PT, maneuvers, everywhere.

Bill Guarnere would've been proud.

" It's beautiful," Hazel said as she lifted the weapon out of the encasing, holding it up within her grasp.

" And..." Speirs said leaning across his desk to grab something from an open drawer. It was a new version of the Redfield Scope.

" Whoa," Hazel said taking it and admiring it with wide eyes.

" This..." Hazel said," this is fantastic." Speirs smirked, crossing his arms and smiling at her.

" Friggin miracle, it was almost on backlog." Speirs said eyes wandering over the weapon. Hazel smirked. Speirs watched as Hazel held the weapon up as if she were taking aim, with perfect, precise, expert level form.

" It's so much lighter as well," she said weighing it out.

" Of course, at the end of the war as well, but you know." Speirs said and Hazel laughed.

" Where'd you learn to shoot?" he asked her, " I know you just didn't walk into the military, pick up a weapon and become a sniper." Hazel quirked out a small smile.

" My dad." she answered, her grip growing firm against the weapon.

" He must be proud." Speirs said and Hazel shrugged.

" He left 13 years ago, I wouldn't say that." she said, but her tone wasn't angry or snappy. It was calm, a scary calm.

" Sorry," Speirs said quietly but Hazel met his gaze.

" His fault." she said as Speirs met her gaze. Hazel had come to terms with her father in November 1944 when she had written that letter to him. It was his fault, not Hazel or her mother's his own. And Hazel never had to see him again if she didn't want to. And sometimes families didn't work out the way they were planned. Hazel had let him torture her mind for too long, and she had been sick and tired of the thoughts that had consumed her brain. She wouldn't allow it to continue.

" It doesn't bother me like it used to," Hazel said, looking down the barrel of the weapon, down towards the scope, " used to eat me alive, if you call it. But he doesn't control me. I learned that after a full war, but no one controls me except myself. It was a hard lesson to learn, but worth it." Speirs watched the woman stand with the weapon, so firm, so confident, so proud, so expert like.

" Well, I'm proud of you," Speirs said and Hazel glanced at him with a smile. He'd been more of a brother or father like figure than her dad she felt had been in those few years where he struggled.

" Thank you, sir." she said with a soft smile. Speirs smiled and then crossed his arms.

" Dad wasn't around too much, but he worked a lot, still works a lot, never had much time with him," Speirs said and Hazel smiled softly at him.

" But it made me strong, strong by myself and I see myself in you, Hazel, you're strong just by yourself." Speirs said and Hazel felt her grin spread.

" I try, sir, and I don't want it to sound the way it does, but I could see the growth in myself, getting stronger with who I was, with myself, all of it," Hazel said.

" Hey, you're more humble than I am about it," Speirs said, " because I've seen it too." Hazel laughed lightly.

" I think you're still pretty humble, sir," she said, " shall I bring up Foy?" Speirs smirked.

" How'd you know about that?"

" I know a rather gullible radioman, who tells rather good stories." she said and Speirs smirked proudly.

" Yeah, just another day on the job." Speirs said with a laugh and Hazel laughed lightly, shaking her head.

" Humble," Hazel said and the two were left snickering that night, dinner cold on the plates by the door.

The fact that Hazel thought PT training with Speirs was enough to scare any natural passer-bye. But in actuality, it was fun and with Hazel feeling more confident in who she was, stronger mentally and physically, she felt capable of doing more and more, and Hazel could see Catherine and Lizzie in the same light.

They were insanely strong - she was sure George had heart eyes watching Catherine flip the tire through the mud, smirking almost maliciously the entire time.

But Catherine knew she was strong, and that's what made her beautiful.

Hazel even had fun on the runs through the town, the 6 mile ones. Maybe it were the fact Zell Am See was absolutely breathtaking in every inch and form. The snowcapped peaks, the rolling mountains spread out the lake, dipping into the valley of the little town, the bright sunlight, the crickets chirping in the soft, golden sunlight, each and every bit, even the birds fluttering overhead and dipping into trees.

Yeah, that definitely made the run more enjoyable than the cold mountains of North Carolina.

But Hazel managed at night to find time to spend alone with Joe, and she felt that's what made the news of jumping into the Pacific more palpable.

Sometimes it was in the late afternoon before mess on the docks, sitting side by side, talking, getting the time to just talk to each other, or sometimes it was at the mess hall and they'd be like children kicking each other's feet back and forth, or even sometimes it'd be a little jump scare as Joe would jump onto her bed and they'd read together until one grew sleepy and had to make it not super obvious that Joe was drooling half asleep on her shoulder, cuddled like a little boy.

They were some of the moments Hazel wished they had together after this war as well, away from this all, just the two of them.

But now it was just the two of them in the barracks, where 2nd platoon stayed, Joe's head in her lap as he was nearly fast asleep, her fingers running through his soft, chocolate locks, massaging against his little head, making him turn into that innocent boy again curled up, in exhaustion. He always grew like that around her, because he could let his guard that he kept up so high finally fall down again.

Hazel liked soft Joe.

Even though when he was angry, she wasn't denying that it was rather hot, dare she say.

Hazel glanced down towards him, watching the gentle rise and fall of his chest, his eyelids gently closed over his brown eyes, his face so relaxed and so gentle.

How could one person be so adorable simply just asleep in her lap?

Hazel couldn't keep the smile that twitched on her lips from her face as she continued softly brushing her fingers through his hair, something recently he loved more often. So usually when Hazel hugged him, she would run her hands through his hair a bit - he loved it the most out of anything. But Hazel felt personally, it was so calming, just to have someone do that.

Joe did it the best though she felt, he was so gentle with her, it made her heart warm. A bunch of the guys were out to the local bars in the town and wouldn't be back until late, but Hazel and Joe took as time to be together instead, just some quiet time alone.

The door slowly opened and Hazel's heart jumped at the sound but it was just Catherine, poking her head in.

" Hey," Catherine said quietly, noticing Joe asleep in her lap, " oh, sorry, I didn't realize he was asleep."

" It's fine," Hazel said softly with a glowing smile as her fingers softly continued to brush through his hair. Catherine gently shut the door and then approached the two, sitting on the bed next to them and then smiling.

" You guys are adorable, seriously," Catherine said as Hazel blushed a bit and giggled glancing down towards Joe as he continued sleeping soundly.

" He deserves a bit of rest every once in a while, just alone, without stress," Hazel said, continuing to run her fingers through his locks. Catherine smiled at the pure love on Hazel's face.

" What's up?" Hazel asked her, looking over towards Catherine.

" Dick and Nix are thinking about heading out to war early, in the Pacific." Catherine said, " I was thinking about it too." Hazel's eyes widened.

" Catherine..." Hazel whispered and Catherine sighed shaking her head.

" They want me to stay here with the Company and with Ron, they think the company needs me more." Catherine admitted. Hazel softly let her shoulders ease from the tension and nodded.

" I think the company needs you as well," Hazel said, " you're one of the best Lieutenants we've had and you've fought this entire war, you've just always been there for this company." Catherine smiled.

" And G-" Catherine put a finger to her lips and pointed to Joe.

" George." mouthed Hazel and Catherine nodded.

" I couldn't leave that dork alone now could I?" Catherine said and Hazel giggled, shaking her head.

" Probably not." she said and Catherine grinned.

" Catherine?" Hazel asked her. Catherine looked up and met her gaze.

" Does, um, does..." Hazel mouthed the word George," does he feel like home?" Catherine smiled softly, and then looked at her hands, like a giddy teenager.

" Every time I see him," Catherine whispered and Hazel smiled wide.

" Joe feels like home," Hazel whispered, as her gentle fingers continued through his hair, and then she giggled a bit, " I never knew home could also be a person." Catherine and her met eyes and then smiled.

" I'll let you two be, alright? I have to find Lizzie anyway, they just keep sending more supplies in." Catherine said and Hazel giggled.

" Have fun with that, Mack." she said and Catherine chuckled.

" We'll see what happens, hopefully those supply officers don't take out an eye." Catherine said and Hazel softly giggled at her comment. Catherine left the two with a smile.

Zell Am See that night was bathed in the sunset, oranges and goldens reflecting everywhere across the town, on windows, store fronts, it was beautiful. And she knew it meant everyone was in a good mood, when she heard the tiny radio that Gene had set up in the aid station on. Lizzie always knew every song on the radio and she usually hummed joyfully to them or even sung a few tunes like her good friend Joe Toye. They had sung together a few times so now with him gone, she took up both parts and managed.

So, when Catherine entered the aid station, she noticed the warm breeze drifting throughout, some of the windows open letting in light and air, the music playing throughout the hall where the aid station was, and a few medics working about the place, while one whistled.

Lizzie.

Lizzie came around the corner with a box whistling her own little tune to herself and then she saw Catherine.

" Mack!" she called excitedly and Catherine grinned.

" There's my favorite medic." Catherine said and Lizzie chuckled.

" Be careful, don't let Gene hear that, he did drag you across Normandy," Lizzie said and Catherine chuckled.

" I heard that," Gene's voice said as he appeared around the corner with a smirk on his face the boxes in his hands waiting to be put down. The two women laughed.

" What's up?" Lizzie asked.

" Supply officer just brought in a crap load of supplies, it's all laid out, but I can get some guys working on bringing it in." Catherine said and Lizzie glanced past her out of the door.

" Yeah, that sounds good, and OH! Gene! Gene! You have to tell her your story, I swear I could've kissed him." Lizzie said yanking Gene's arm over towards her. Catherine raised a brow at Lizzie as Lizzie hauled Gene towards the two.

" About Jenkins," Lizzie said and a smirk spread on Catherine's face.

" Please tell me it's Gene beating the shit out of him or something," Catherine said crossing her arms excitedly.

" Even better," Gene said, with a smirk of his own on his face, and Catherine grinned, " I took the night shift at the aid station, figured Lizzie could use some sleep. And I'm working around here, trying to stay quiet, doing my thing and this guy comes walking in, with this body on his back and it's Jenkins." Catherine watched him.

" Drunk as a skunk let me tell ya, I could smell the alcohol on him just 10 feet away, it was horrible. So the guy that brought him in tells me that he got in a fight with one of the other Dog members who was dancing with the girl he wanted to dance with."

" Typical."

" And so I clean him up, best I can, sure the urge to just throw him to the street again was enough to make me go insane, but you know self-control." Gene said and the two women laughed.

" And I was up with this shithead all night," muttered Gene and Catherine snorted. She could only imagine Gene having to care for this man baby.

" So, he wakes up in the morning, like 6 am, and he starts thinking I'm Lizzie." Gene said and Catherine watched him.

" You can't be-"

" Serious?" Gene said, a humorous tone in his words, " Oh, I'm very serious."

" I mean, there's clearly a difference, with blonde and dark brown but ya know people driving cars can't understand the difference between red and green so." Catherine snorted.

" And so what happened?" Catherine asked.

" He tried to get up and start dancing with me," Gene said and Catherine smirked.

" How many drinks did he have?"

" Way too many drinks for my personal sanity." Gene said, " So, naturally I have to restrain him back down and then he starts calling me his mom, whatever was going on it was the weirdest experience I had in my entire life."

" And when he left, tell her what you said when he left," Lizzie said to Gene with glowing eyes. And Gene smirked, a real, genuine smirk.

" He was convinced I was Lizzie still and kept asking to dance, and so as I shoved him out of the door, I simply just said ' I'd rather remove my gallbladder with an oyster fork'." The two women burst out laughing and Gene snickered to himself.

" And he got the strangest look out of him, man I wish I was there." Lizzie said and Catherine snorted.

" Probably doesn't even know what an oyster fork is," Catherine said as the group chuckled together, " well, I better get going, before Speirs takes my head."

" You have fun with that, Mack," Lizzie called as Catherine threw up a waving hand and moved out of the light-hearted aid station, a gentle Billie Holiday song following her - those were Lizzie's favorites.

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AH! just the pure softness of this chapter is what i need after all the angst of this book and the soldier of stars. i just needed some good vibes finally :) even though some upcoming chapters are not exactly that, i'm hoping these make up for it. BUT YALL WE ARE NEARING THE END OF THE WAR AND IM EMOTIONAL. i know we still have postwar, but i've truly seen my viragos change in ways i could've never imagined when i first stared writing them, it truly does get me emotional thinking back to when i first wrote them back in camp athene!!! but don't worry, postwar will be a ride to remember - look out for the next update :)