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" Any time women come together for the collective intention, a powerful thing. Whether it's sitting down making a quilt, in a kitchen preparing a meal, in a club reading the same book, or around the table playing cards, or planning a birthday party, when women come together with a collective intention - magic happens."

- Phylicia Rashad

~ a quote on the power of Operation Virago

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as the author i myself am not ready, so i kept saying 'it's ok we have postwar after this' so that i could still see through the tears ;)

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" EYYYY Tiny!" Johnny called, as Hazel let out an innocent little laugh as she came up towards the base, the bat in her grasp, a real smile, a one that had seen tears, grief, sadness, pain, on her face, as the warm sun bathed her entire being, in the late afternoon light.

Hazel finally felt the warmth on her skin that she had missed so much, a warmth that could've resembled so much more, but for that moment it was simply, so simply, the warmth of the sun.

" You took a perfect shot right before this, Tiny, you got this, alright?" she heard Buck say as she stood in front of him, bat lined up with a smirk on her face.

One or two practice shots had helped her get into the swing of things.

Quite literally.

People cheered and called out towards her and each other, pure joy across all of their faces, this truthful and real happiness, to simply just be here, in this beautiful world, to be here in a world where the war for a moment didn't overpower everything else, that just simply living their lives was what was most powerful of all.

Hazel smirked proudly at Johnny who grinned.

Then Johnny threw the ball, launching it forward and Hazel watched with growing anticipation as she swung the bat around, cracking the bat against the ball like a whip watching it sail out over Johnny, through the sky into the outfield.

An excited cheer left Hazel's throat as she threw the bat to the ground, cheers erupting from her team on the bench and even Buck as she raced towards first a grin lighting up her entire face.

Feet kicking up the dirt, panting the slightest bit, feeling a bit of sweat form on her forehead as her body pushed her forward as she giggled like a little girl again.

Zipping past first she gave a smirk to George who came launching the ball towards Skinny at second, where she just turned at the right amount to go streaking towards third. She let out a laugh as she crashed into Joe's side making it to third in the knick of time as he grasped onto her laughing as well, a joyful, so care free, so boyish laugh, one she hadn't heard in a while.

For a moment as Hazel gazed over and up towards him, she saw her entire future ahead of her, with him, once this war was over. His hair was that soft brown, and fluffy atop his head and his eyes were shining as if he were a boy again and the grin that adorned his face had to be one of the cutest Hazel herself had ever seen. And it made her smile as the two began shoving each other laughs escaping their lips, so joyful so free, like little birds on a branch.

Next up was Catherine, in her PT gear, a messy bun on her head and a smile on her glowing face.

" I can pull rank on you Johnny if you mess this up!" she called as Buck let out a chuckle and Johnny slapped his knee laughing.

" Right, right, Lieutenant." he said and Catherine lined up to swing her bat. And when Johnny launched it, Catherine, looking like she was a professional, hit the ball and took off laughing, clapping her hands, calling out to Johnny grinning.

" I had 2 brothers who begged me to play Johnny, you remember that!" she said as Hazel took off from third base heading for home.

Once her foot hit the plate, she let out a cheer and in all the excitement as her team cheered, as she saw Lizzie clapping so excitedly, Hazel couldn't help but pull Buck in for a tight little hug out of pure joy. She was so ungodly happy, and she hadn't be this happy for so long.

For once she didn't think about the war, nothing about the war. Just the fact she was with her family, this group of men and women whom she had fought a war with and would fight the war all over again with if it was with this glorious group of fighters.

" YAY!" Hazel called as Lizzie was the first to scoop her up in such a warm and loving hug, the two women giggling and laughing. As Hazel pulled back, Lizzie looked so happy, her cheeks a soft red, her blonde hair in her face, a smile like the sunshine glowing on her lips. She looked so happy.

" You hit a real zinger, Tiny!" Tab said as he came over and encased Hazel in a hug and Hazel laughed.

" Lucky shot," she said as Tab and Lizzie laughed.

" Now, all we gotta wait for is Lizard to take her shot." Tab said wrapping an arm over her shoulder and she rolled her eyes.

" Oh you just wait, Floyd." she said as Tab groaned.

" See, now we're going back to first names, I'm Tab, aren't I?" he said. Lizzie chuckled.

" I know, I know.... Floyd." she said and Tab just shook his head with a laugh as Hazel laughed lightly, noticing the chain on his wrist.

" Are these your wings?" she asked reaching forward to take his wrist in hers and look at the little chain with the Jump Wings attached to it. She smiled.

" Yeah," Tab said, as Hazel admired it, " you can thank Elizabeth for that." Lizzie shoved his shoulder as Tab and Hazel chuckled.

" I love it," Hazel said and the two smiled.

" Figured this time he wouldn't lose it," Lizzie said and Tab scoffed.

" You were the one that lost it," Tab said and Lizzie shoved his shoulder.

" Wrong, asshole, I put it by your nightstand, you forgot to put them on the next day," Lizzie said as Hazel just laughed shaking her head.

" You two are hilarious," Hazel said as they both smirked rather proudly.

" Something we take pride in," the two said before high-fiving together and Hazel grinned. The trio watched with glowing eyes as Gene stepped up to bat, a smirk on his face.

" Yeah Gene! That's my best friend!" Lizzie called out clapping excitedly and the group laughed. Lizzie had really brought Gene out of his shell more than anything, Hazel heard him crack a few jokes the other day that sent her laughing hysterically, he was actually really funny.

And by the time Gene swung the bat, the ball was soaring through the air as Gene took off around the bases, Catherine taking off as well, shoving George playfully before sliding into third and smacking Joe on the arm when he tripped over her to unsuccessfully tap her out. The two were in chuckles by the time he had helped her to her feet.

" Frank! Yo Perconte!" Buck called as Frank hurried forward.

" Yeah, yeah, I'm coming Lieutenant." Frank called as he picked up the bat, shooting a shot off towards where Joe was which sent Catherine streaking towards home plate, sliding straight home and making Buck cheer.

Buck didn't seem to care there was teams, he just was with his company again and Catherine shot up, immediately hugging Buck, as the two snickered together. And plus the smile on his was adorable to Hazel.

" 'Ey Lizzie!" Buck called as Lizzie uncurled her arm from Tab's and stepped forward.

" Hell yeah!" Lizzie called as she darted around the corner, clapping her hands, making herself one of the most hyped up people there as she bent down to grab the bat. Hazel let out a giggle, as Lizzie's wild hair encased her face and she proceeded to run up to Buck and slap him on the shoulder, gratefully bringing in for a hug, not only before cracking a joke or two which sent them chuckling.

Hazel looked up at Tab as he watched her, a soft expression upon his features, softer than before. Hazel softly smiled and nudged his arm and Tab seemed to shake out of it and glance down towards Hazel. He smiled before looking back up at Lizzie who took a pretty good swing, maybe a little shaky, forward before whipping down the bat and shooting towards first as Gene came streaking in from third - leave it to the medics to absolutely lose their shit over baseball. Hazel couldn't help but laugh.

The men were cheering, shouting, their voices as if they were just teenagers again calling out one another as Gene slid right into the base, but didn't make it in time as Buck caught the ball right into his glove. Hazel laughed again as Gene stood and Buck smacked his behind with the glove; they were all laughing, all cheering under the glorious blue sky and the soft sunlight.

" Go get 'em, Web." Catherine said shoving him forward and Webster laughed hurrying out to the base.

" All right, we got one down!" Buck called and Hazel grinned over at Catherine who let out a whoop clapping her hands together as Gene came over sitting by her side laughing, a wide smile on his face. Catherine wrapped an arm around his shoulder, and Hazel could see the laughs forming on both of their faces. Catherine loved her medics.

" Come on, Peewee. Let's get Webster." Buck called out to him as Web stood with a grin at the base. Johnny lined up the shot and under the wondrous sunlight, Webster hit the ball hard, watching as it sailed forward, flying through the air, and Hazel watched it gleefully, the shining sun dawning down upon them, so so bright, so beautiful.

Buck stood, looking up to the sky, a smile on his face, with his bright blue eyes practically glowing. He had come back to let the company know that he was alright. He became a prosecutor in Los Angeles. He convicted Sirhan Sirhan in the murder of Robert Kennedy and was later appointed to the California court of appeals.

Hazel watched Webster with glowing eyes as he let out a laugh, knowing he was out - he didn't seem to care, he was just happy he was with these men, with this company.

David Webster became a writer for The Saturday Evening Post and Wall Street Journal and later wrote a book about sharks. In 1961 he went out on the ocean alone and was never seen again.

Hazel giggled as Web looked back towards Hazel and Tab shaking his head. Tony moved up next and sent the ball flying forward and Hazel smiled watching it sail through the sky, as if it were a bird flying.

Hazel watched Johnny quickly grab the ball and launch it forward. He would return to his job at the railroad and then start his own construction company. He splits his time between Arizona and a place in Montana.

Hazel watched as George caught the ball, glancing over towards Catherine who watched him so softly as the men cheered, a little grin adoring her cheeks. George Luz became a handyman in Providence, Rhode Island. He and Catherine got married by the end of 1945, and had 3 kids together who would grow up in their little home by the bay. As a testament to his character, 1600 people attended his funeral in 1998.

Hazel softly smiled at their pure love, as Gene and her then told a joke sending them both laughing. Doc Roe died in Louisiana in 1998. He'd been a construction contractor.

Hazel watched as the game continued as Frank went sprinting between the bases towards third, his youthful smile spreading across his lips so joyously. He returned to Chicago and worked a postal route as a mailman. Hazel watched Skinny throw the ball he caught straight into Joe's grasp, who easily knocked Perconte out of the game with one swift movement, dust kicking up around them leaving them both chuckling, with wide smiles across their faces.

Joe Liebgott returned to San Francisco and drove his cab. And, of course, Hazel was there with him, by each other's sides, the entire time, marrying in early 1946, and having 4 beautiful children together in their happy life in the city by the bay under the stars.

Hazel watched Bull, a grin on her face as he slowly stepped up to plate, a snarky smirk across his features as he nodded with pride. Bull Randleman was one of the best soldiers of the company. He went into the Earth-moving business in Arkansas - he's still there.

Hazel watched him lift the bat up and take a swing.

Cheers erupted right afterwards as the shot flew through the air, gleeful smiles shining on everyone's faces. They were here, together, everyone, and in spirit, the men they had lost to death and injury, were there in ALL their hearts.

They watched as Alton got the ball, but he had more than that in his back pocket. He returned to Wyoming with a unique souvenir -- Hitler's personal photo albums. He was killed in a car accident in 1958.

" Alright Tabby!" Catherine yelled giving him a shove forward towards the base as he held up his hands in surrender chuckling the entire time, looking out towards where Lizzie hung on third, a competitive look in her eye.

Floyd Talbert went home to Kokomo, Indiana and attended college, but he couldn't keep the woman who understood him most from his mind, and never failed to visit her each and every weekend in Grand Rapids, Michigan with a bouquet of flowers, beautiful yellow flowers. He and Lizzie married in late 1946 and had 3 children together before settling down in in a sunny little town in California.

How they lived their lives after the war was as varied as each man and woman. Hazel couldn't forget Lip's cheering and clapping on the sidelines, the brightest smile she'd ever seen on his face as Harry laughed beside him, chuckling.

Carwood Lipton became a glass-making executive in charge of factories all over the world. He has a nice life in North Carolina.

Harry Welsh -- he married Kitty Grogan, whom Hazel had heard about all those months ago back in Normandy, and became an administrator for the Wilkes-Barre Pennsylvania, school system.

Hazel laughed joyously before her attention was caught upon two figures slowly making their way across the field, Ike jackets and uniforms in pristine condition, walking smoothly in sink with one another, looking out among the company, their company, Easy Company.

And she saw where they were walking - Ronald Speirs. Hazel couldn't help the smile that spread on her face. He stayed in the Army, served in Korea, and in 1958 returned to Germany as Governor of Spandau prison.

He retired a Lieutenant-Colonel.

He looked so proud watching his company, leaning against the jeep with a proud grin smile upon his face. It warmed Hazel's heart. He looked so proud - he loved this company more than anything, they all knew that.

And Hazel would never stop adoring him.

" Easy Company! School circle!" he suddenly called. Hazel glanced over at Tab and the two hurried around the corner, moving through the field to where the rest of the company slowly gathered in a circle under the blazing sun in the fields under the Alps of Austria with the fluffy white clouds, puffy and bright.

For Easy Company, they'd been fighting since D-Day, now it was D-Day plus 434.

D-Day felt so long ago, yet so close.

A year and 2 months practically, fighting for their lives, everyday in this horrid thing called war.

And now here they were, under the skies of the Austrian Alps, in a beautiful paradise. Hazel wished this moment where they were all so genuinely happy could last forever.

Hazel slowly came around the group and managed to squeeze in beside Joe, a grin on her face as he smirked at her.

For a moment, in his eyes, she knew he had read the letter, looking at her with the love he always held in his eyes for her. Hazel softly placed a hand on his up-bent knee and softly squeezed it with a loving smile.

Joe, managing the self control he could muster, attempted not to plant a soft kiss to her temple right then and there. With the golden sun, as if it were Paris in December 1944 all over again, reflecting off her gentle features - her blue eyes seemed brighter, cheeks rosier, dimples the most prominent he'd seen them, and that beautiful, tiny little smile on her lips, as her big eyes looked up into his own. So natural, so raw, so beautiful - Hazel had never looked happier, truly, in his eyes.

He could only fall harder.

" A fast man would've had it, Perco." Winters said as the group chuckled. Hazel giggled quietly to herself, before letting her eyes fall upon her ginger-haired former CO, standing tall, standing proud, with a softened aura, in front of the company he loved.

" Listen up," Winters said as everyone gathered around. Hazel looked up at him, with a soft smile, watching him look at the group of men and women in front of him.

" We've got some news." Winters said as the sun slowly appeared more, a bright light on the company under the blue sky, watching their former CO stand so proudly watching the group, so prideful, so humbly. Hazel cocked her head the slightest bit to the side, and bit back her lip.

" This morning President Truman received the unconditional surrender from the Japanese." Winters said and Hazel's heart felt like it stopped inside her chest, full on stopped. Her eyes couldn't move from Winters face as she watched him, her heart racing faster and faster.

Surrender, unconditional surrender.

From the Japanese.

The Pacific.

They were supposed to go the Pacific.

But...but...surrender.

A surrender meant no more war, no more fighting, no more sadness.

A surrender meant only one thing - this war, this horrid war, was over.

It had to be.

That's what Winters had to be saying.

Hazel's heart only pumped faster and faster as she looked up towards the golden Dick Winters.

" The war is over."

Hazel swore there were tears in her eyes, slight tears as she watched the Major stand in front of the group of his men and women, his company.

Hazel couldn't move her eyes from him, trying to tell herself it was true, all of it. That all of this was true. That the war was over, and there was no jump into Japan, there was no more training, it was only home, they could go home. They were going home. Because now, there were no points, medals of wounds, each man and woman in the 101st Airborne, in the 506th, in Easy Company, were going home. They all were going home.

But this connection, the connection each man and woman shared with the next, would forever hold them and bond them together by their shared experience, but they would all have to rejoin the world in the best possible ways they all could.

A world that hadn't stopped for war, had continued evolving a changing, now allowing war-torn soldiers, with the scars to prove it - finally returning home.

How long had it been since Hazel had even seen home?

Too long.

It made her heart ache, because all she thought about was her mother in that moment, the woman who was stronger than anyone else on this planet. Hazel could only envision her mother.

Then someone yelled "Play ball!" and that got men moving, jumping up to their feet, cheering, a new found excitement hyping up each and every member now, because the war, the war of the entire world, was officially over and they could finally be at home, be with their loved ones, they could finally be going home and be away from the war, even if it still raged in their minds. That didn't matter now. They were going home.

The minute Hazel stood, she was pulled into a hug from Joe and she almost broke in his arms, but she held herself. Musing her hands right up into his hair and yearning to pull him as close as she could, she bit back the cry that danced on her lip. She had dreamed of a peaceful life after the horrors of war for so long that now she was beginning to believe it were actually a reality that she could touch, she could feel, that she could sense.

A reality where Germans weren't bombing you day in and day out.

A life with Joe.

As the two pulled back, Hazel looked up at him and he didn't need to say a word.

The letter, it had nestled right into Joe's heart, just by that beautiful look in his eye, she knew, they both did. The letter had made this moment worth it, the war, all of it, had made this all worth it.

Hazel softly glanced over towards George and Catherine who were chasing each other in the field their laughs echoing in the hill tops until George caught her in his arms and swung her around as she joyously let out a laugh, ringing out loud and clear. Hazel grinned. She caught many of the others hugging and cheering and letting out whoops, just celebrating this, the fact this war was over, all of it.

Her thoughts traveled back to D-Day - she had been all alone for those first few hours and had felt so hopeless. But now, with the war over, she was with her company, her family, and she knew she didn't have to feel hopeless anymore. Hazel looked up at Joe, tears welling in her eyes.

" I can't believe it's over." she whispered. Joe watched her with a gentle grin.

" Believe it." Joe whispered softly and Hazel grinned up at him.

Hazel softly looked over towards Major Winters and Captain Nixon who sat watching their mind, finally enjoying a bit of the world without war for a moment.

It made Hazel smile.

Lewis Nixon had some tough times after the war. He was divorced a couple of times. Then in 1956 he married a woman named Grace and everything came together for him. He spent the rest of his life with her, traveling the world. Winters' friend Lew died in 1995.

Winters took up his job offer and was a personnel manager at the Nixon Nitration Works until he was called back into service in 1950 to train officers and rangers. He chose not to go to Korea. He'd had enough of war. He stayed around Hershey, Pennsylvania, finally finding a little farm, a little peaceful corner of the world, where he still lives today.

There is not a day that goes by that he does not think of the men and woman he served with who never got to enjoy the world without war.

Winters would receive a letter from Mike Ranney, with a simple ending that spoke volumes. ' I cherish the memories of a question my grandson asked me the other day.

When he said ' Grandpa, were you a hero in the war? Grandpa said, no.....

But I served in a company of heros. '

" C'mon, let's go see what the others are up to." Joe said gently wrapping an arm over her shoulder and Hazel smiled up at him.

" Yeah," she said and then looked up at him, " you know, now San Francisco sounds like reality now, you know?" Joe grinned, a wide little cheesy grin under the sunlight and nodded.

" It's always been," he said and Hazel let out a giggle, as the two followed after the rest of their friends, a night of celebrating, partying, and maybe even some tears for a war that managed to bring one special group together, even in the darkest hours of the world, and finally become one.

Elizabeth Elliot went back to Grand Rapids, Michigan, and decidedly began working through her schooling again, only to find Floyd Talbert wandering around nearly every week to her home, with a bouquet of flowers in his grasp. Lizzie couldn't resist that and the two ended up marrying in late 1946, having 3 beautiful children, Mallory, Everett and Annie, who Lizzie and Floyd always hoped would grow up in a world without war, but sometimes that was never the case.

Lizzie ended up becoming an advocate for mental health, and began working on medication for people who have mental health issues and other sorts of therapy because she knew what is was like to not have anything but a raging war is the therapy. Her leaps in the medical field sent waves throughout the world.

Catherine McCown went to Providence, Rhode Island with George Luz, getting a little home by the bay with her yellow kitchen and their Jump Wings in the bedroom, ended up having 3 children together George Jr, Lana and Ricky, as well as deciding to transfer to a local college - college would not be for the rest of her life, George would be.

Becoming a women's' rights activist, Catherine advocated for women's' rights whenever she had the time, as well as also becoming a environmental scientist. She worked hard in her field and became one of the top leading scientists are different projects from her ability to lead, using her intelligence and strategy, and get people to actively work together in ways no one could even describe. She never failed to stop advocating for a better world.

Hazel Parker went back home to Pigeon Forge, Tennessee with Joe Liebgott to visit her mother - the woman she had missed more than anything in this world. But after much deliberation, her mother wanted nothing more than for her daughter to be happy, with the man she loved. Hazel and Joe set out for San Fransisco and upon arrival met his family and began attending college there, studying astrology - she always promised herself that she'd never stop reaching for the stars. She and Joe lived a happy life together, having 4 children - Joe Jr, Juliette, Aster and Mara - and Hazel eventually worked her way up to doing research for NASA that helped launched the first space shuttle to the moon. It had never been a prouder moment in her life.

They were all just little stars, all of them, with their own lights inside of them willing to glow brighter and brighter, even as they were smaller and smaller. Hazel had always been just one little star, burning for no one but herself, doing what she could, being her own little star.

Hazel never stopped reaching for the stars, and she told herself she never would stop - the stars were always there, through darkness, through light. The stars never shied away.

They simply just glowed.

Hazel and Joe walked arm in arm under the sun but suddenly her gaze caught on Catherine and Lizzie who stood hugging one another out in the field, smiles on their faces, giggles on their lips, arms holding each other like the sisters they were. Hazel looked up at Joe.

" You go ahead," she said glancing back at the two women, " I'll be there in a second." Joe softly glanced to where her gaze had been and felt a warmth in his heart at the love in Hazel's eyes.

" I'll see you soon," he whispered, not hesitating to press a soft kiss to her temple which sent her blushing. Hazel giggled as Joe hurried away, not failing to also send her a suggestive wink after. She shook her head with a giggle before turning and racing over to the two women.

" Hey!" Hazel called as she raced over. Both Catherine and Lizzie, pulling back from their hug, looked over and saw the bright young woman racing towards them, a smile on her lips, her eyes so bright, so open, so intriguing, so ready for what was next.

3 years ago - Hazel would've been so terrified, so alone, scared and helpless. Now, she was ready for what life had to bring her, for what God had to offer.

Hazel let out a giggle.

" Hazel!" both Catherine and Lizzie squealed and Hazel couldn't help but launch herself straight into the arms of both Catherine and Lizzie, wrapping them in a hug that meant so much more than love.

The 3 women stood under the sun, just holding each other in that hug, simply just being there with one another, relishing that moment, trying to write down in their minds ever possible emotion and feeling that could accompany it.

It was their sisterhood, through sacrifice, through war, fear, sadness, grief, pain, joy, happiness, excitement, anger, rage - their sisterhood, of Viragos, of the 3 of them, of simply these three women holding one another as if they had known each other all their lives.

God had made the decision to put them together - that's what Hazel had always thought, that God wanted them to know, that these women will always be your sisters, through any point in your life, and they will teach you things, so many wonderful things, and they will hold you when you can't hold yourself, they'll laugh with you, cry with you, die for you - they'd simply be there for you - always.

God always has a reason, giving his toughest battles to his toughest soldiers.

These 3 women were all soldiers, pioneers that wanted to continue to lead forth into a greater world, a better future for everyone - for mankind and for women and their place in the work force.

They saved each other, because they knew you may feel alone, but you were never really alone in this big, blue world.

With these 3, you knew you could just look to your left and say I may not be there all the time, but in your heart I always will be.

Hold a hand to your heart and I'm there.

Always.

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god i'm so emotional, but i'm holding myself from a thank you and complete author's note until the end of the story because YEP WE STILL HAVE POSTWAR! ie, the next few chapters are moodboards, which i made :))

if i could only describe right now what the impact of this story has been on me as a writer, to see my grow as one and develop new skills and abilities, i just - i promised myself i'd wait until the end of this entire book after postwar so that's what i'm going to do. but this book has seriously changed my life. <3

thank you to each and every one of you who has followed hazel, catherine and lizzie's story and will hopefully follow them into their postwar life, i can't thank you all enough for the love this story over 2 full books, has gotten!!! thank you to each and every one of you i appreciate you! and now to postwar! :)