" Words are not enough to express the unconditional love that exists between a mother and a daughter."

- Caitlin Houston

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Hazel and Joe came giggling from her bedroom, into the open back room which lead out towards the balcony that overlooked the mountains.

Hazel's smile slowly fell and Joe softly let his gaze rest on her as she took a few tentative steps forward.

Lena stood back at the kitchen counter, a few plates in her grasp as she watched Hazel slowly step out onto the balcony again fro the first time since 1942.

Hazel slowly stepped over the threshold and suddenly felt a warmth touch her soul. Her hands gently lent against the wooden railing and for a moment she looked up and towards the Appalachian mountains - they weren't the Alps - they weren't European.

They were American.

She was home.

She was here and she was home with Joe and her mother and Daisy.

She was home.

Hazel felt her hands tremble slightly as tears threatened to fill her vision as suddenly each and every memory of war rushed her system. Biting back her lip, Hazel stared forward, her eyes welling with tears.

How could one be so happy one second and then so ungodly emotional the next?

It was because the last she had looked upon these mountains, she had been a different person. She hadn't known what a war could hold, she hadn't known what a war could take and take and take. She hadn't known any of it. She had been simply a young girl, with the want to change the world. Now, she stood a completely new and changed human being in this dark and scary and cruel world. She had seen what humans can do to each other simply because of the thirst for power.

So brainwashed, so inhuman.

Lena softly let the plates down onto the table and hurried forward past Joe and Daisy towards her daughter. Lena could sense when her daughter was upset, even without seeing her face. Lena softly approached Hazel watching as Hazel stood, like a young girl again, staring out at the mountains which glowed with light. Lena softly let a gentle smile blossom over her lips and placed a gentle hand on Hazel's shoulder.

Hazel immediately softened at the touch of her mother.

Hazel always knew when it was her mother's touch. A touch she hadn't felt in so long. Hazel let a small sob past her lips, as she looked down, shaking her head.

And for Lena, her heart broke. She hadn't heard Hazel cry in 3 years - but she hadn't forgotten it, what her daughter had cried like before. And it didn't take long before Hazel had all but turned and let herself be curled up in her mother's arms. And Hazel broke, she shattered, she felt herself fall apart in a flood in her mother's arm - the touch which had been her only comfort for 13 years and had never stopped being her comfort in this horrid world.

Joe watched with tear-filled eyes as mother and daughter held one another in their arms tightly together, as the sun made them a silhouette to the beautiful background.

Hearing Hazel cry never failed to break his heart, but here now, in her home, watching her so open emotionally in front of Lena, her mother, after all this war, made him miss his own mother.

Hazel felt so broken suddenly in her mother's arm, like she were the small child again, who didn't know her way in the world yet, or didn't even know herself - who was too scared to even experience the world. And now she had seen it - and the world was a dark, big, scary place, but the world could also be so beautiful, so raw, so happy, so emotional.

And with that came war.

Each image, each memory, each vague image of war that flew through Hazel's mind made her heart ache. Because she remembered - that first day upon entry to Fort Bragg, where she didn't even know where life would soon lead. She remembered seeing the two most beautiful women sitting in their military uniforms, who would become her sisters.

It was Catherine and Lizzie. She remembered so vividly what it had been like seeing them there. And she remembered what it had been like to finally say good bye to them and the ache that was in her heart. They may be apart, but they were still sisters - nothing could possibly change that. They'd been through too much to even think of tethering the bond they held.

And that's what hurt the most out of anything - her wound, any of the boys' wounds, her first day in combat - any of it. It hurt that she had to say goodbye to the two women she had ever trusted the most, who knew each and every little detail about Hazel there could be, who had welcomed Hazel with open arms, like the sisters they were.

Who were now not by Hazel's side in this darkening world.

The mountains were quiet.

Hazel knew there were times where she needed to be sad, sadness was the only way to be happy again.

You couldn't have happiness without sadness and sometimes it took a whole war to figure it out. Hazel hated that it took a full war to accept it all, but sadness and happiness went hand in hand - you couldn't have one without the other.

But by the time her mother had prepared the Kopytka for lunch, Hazel felt better, she even had a smile on her face - sometimes you just needed to cry, especially when it was your mother's arms that held you there.

And after lunch, the trio was talking nonstop about virtually everything - and by the time 3:00 pm rolled around, Lena knew why Hazel loved Joe as much as she did, and why Joe loved Hazel. Maybe it was the eyes, or the smiles, or the gentle loving touches they gave one another, or even the way they made one another laugh but to see a relationship where the two loved each other with each undying breath of their hearts, it made Lena smile.

She had witnessed her own relationship fall because Hazel's father had not given his heart to anyone but himself - and it had broken them.

But Hazel and Joe gave their hearts to one another and trusted the other to keep it, to hold it, to let it rest there safely.

Lena watched Hazel tell a story from beside Joe, her eyes wide with wild fascination, an excited passion to her tone, her hands animatedly talking, a smile on her face, eyes aglow. And Lena saw the way Joe watched her as if she were the most precious work of art, his eyes never turning from her face, leaning closer and closer to her with a yearning passion.

Lena felt her heart swell. She always wanted her daughter to be loved by a good man. Despite whatever Joe thought of himself, Lena knew Joseph Liebgott was a good man. He was a good man. Lena knew that.

The sun was setting as Lena prepared dinner that night, the soft glow of the home reflecting out to where the sun slowly set right in front of the eyes of the cozy couple snuggled up in each other's arms.

Hazel rested in Joe's safe arms, listening like she always did to the gentle thrum of his heart as Daisy snoozed right at their feet. Almost half asleep, Hazel cuddled closer into his arms, inhaling the gentle pine and cologne scent of his collared shirt and the loosened tie, memorizing how soft his hand was wrapped around her body pulling her closer, wishing she could take snapshot after snapshot of this moment, so content and so happy curled into Joe's side. She wished she could stay like this forever simply just with Joe.

Joe sat with a small smile on his face, sitting with the love of his life as the sun slowly set on the evening, suddenly envisioning a future where one day maybe there would be a little boy or girl curled with them, and they would be seeing a sunset over the bay, and maybe even a ring on both their fingers. Joe grinned to himself - he couldn't believe how happy he was with Hazel, simply just here with her.

Lena softly stepped out onto the balcony and looked to her right briefly, a smile growing on her face as she saw Joe and Hazel there, Hazel nearly asleep on his chest, curled up like a child.

" She almost asleep?" Lena said with a gentle smile and Joe looked up with a smile at her, running his hand through her hair, soothing her wandering mind.

" Almost," he said, with a small smile, briefly looking down at Hazel again as she let out a tiny snore. He smiled. Lena gently took to sitting in the vacant chair beside where the two were and gazed forward, letting the gentle breeze softly race through her hair, a calm smile upon her lips.

" You know, when she was younger, she curled up like that as well," Lena said and Joe glanced towards her softly. Lena smiled.

" In a world not meant for the gentle." Lena said, shaking her head with what could only be thought of as a wise smile, " Whenever something bad happened, in school, in this world, she would cuddle into my side as we watched embers on the fire burn. But that...that was when she was a child." Joe watched her.

" Now...." Lena said looking at Joe," she has you, Joseph. And I've never been happier to know you love my daughter. That you're the one that has her heart so deeply connected to your own." Joe felt tears well in his eyes watching the mother of the women he loved, speak such pure, truthful words - a mother wouldn't say that unless she meant it. She sounded just as if it were Hazel herself speaking, it poked at his poor little heart. They were both wise beyond their years and it only made Joe smile more.

" A mother always dreams of her daughter loving a good man, one who loves their daughter for who they are," Lena said looking over at Joe," and you're a good man, please always know that. You love my daughter so much, I can see it in your eyes. Always know that you are such a good man. And I know you are a good man, especially to her - just the way she watches you." Joe watched Lena with tear filled eyes.

" She knows what a bad man is like," Lena said," she knew what her father was like. But with you, she knows what a good man is like, and I can't thank you enough for showing her there's still good in this dark world." Joe sniffled, as a tear crawled down his cheek, letting out a shaky sigh and nodding. Lena sniffled softly and gently leaned forward to brush hair over her daughter's ear. Lena let out a shaky laugh.

" She loves you so much, Joe." Lena said, watching as Hazel slowly let her head snuggle closer into Joe's side. Joe let his lip shake for a moment and then smiled, looking down at Hazel. Lena softly leaned back and looked at Joe.

" And, if you love her like you do and ever look at a wedding ring and want to marry her, you have my blessing. I know you two won't be staying around for long, but if it ever happens, I don't want you to have to bother - you already have it." Lena said softly and Joe watched her with shining eyes.

" Thank you, Lena." Joe said as suddenly his emotions clawed at his softly tightening throat. Lena smiled and then gently looked at Hazel, asleep against him before smiling.

" You were in all her letters," Lena said and Joe watched her. Lena nodded.

" Let me get them, I saved them all." Lena said standing to her feet to move into the home. She came back with a pile of letters, 2 piles, shoved into her arms, so many, each signed with Hazel's messy signature. Lena softly placed them down by her side as she slowly settled into the chair again.

" It's odd, Mom. To look at someone and just know they're your best friend. Who just really knows you and gets you? No one has ever understood me as Joe has. And his eyes are never judgmental, they don't try to look at me and see what they can break first. They're eyes that actually care about what's in front of them. I wish more eyes were like Joe's. That deep, dark, brown color - eyes that actually cared. I feel the world would be a nicer place." Lena read before glancing at Joe. Joe smiled softly, his gaze gently resting for a brief moment on Hazel before looking up again. Lena slowly picked up another letter.

" Joe tried convincing me again that milk chocolate was better than dark chocolate," Lena read and Joe gently chuckled as Lena smirked," I of course won, as usual, but Joe's just like that. I guess maybe seeing me happy these days is better than seeing me sad. Normandy really messed with my head, just everything that entailed it, I guess. Seeing people get evacuated, injured, wounded, seeing people die - it's just a lot. But Joe was there, and it's been comforting to have him there with me. Knowing I'm not as alone in this world as I thought I was." Lena glanced at Joe, who's eyes were at a soft gaze, watching letter after letter appear.

" You know he let's me talk about the stars?" Lena said and Lena glanced at Joe, a real genuine smile spreading across his face, " And he actually appreciates all those random facts I know! Can you believe it? I swear I could've talked about how fluffy marshmallows could get and he'd still listen. Dare I say, it's adorable, Mom?" Joe let out a tiny chuckle as Lena grinned.

" Joe brought me flowers again - the same ones. I just wasn't sick this time! But to even know he still brought me flowers, even if it were just for my birthday, it's just, Mom, I feel so loved and appreciated." Lena read and Joe couldn't help but let his gaze rest on Hazel again, as Lena continued reading," And they were YELLOW, mom! YELLOW! I didn't even think he knew I loved yellow, but they were YELLOW. Y-E-L-L-O-W." Lena and Joe chuckled meeting gazes.

" Oh my favorite," Lena said as she picked up another, " Pardon my french, mom, but goddamn who knew that a guy wearing your bracelet was one of the cutest things in this entire universe. And like, I know, it's my best friend. But my best friend happens to be THE Joe Liebgott, the person I'd least suspect to wear a fairly dainty bracelet on his wrist, but here we are. And the thing is, he wears it as if it were gold - which it is, if you think about it, but it's like a keepsake. It's been a month and he still wears it. Can you believe it? And he makes it look better than anything I could wear it with, you know, with dirt on his face, covering his dimples, or the sweat along his forehead - but that's besides the point." Joe chuckled.

" Still here." he said, holding up his wrist that wasn't occupied with holding Hazel close. Lena smiled like a proud mother and leaned forward.

" You know, I think by this point I realized my daughter was in love," Lena said and she pulled open another letter. Joe watched her curiously.

" She never lets anyone wear anything of hers," Lena said, " you'd be the first." Joe chuckled gently and didn't fail to rub Hazel's arm affectionately with a gentle sigh.

" Mother - how was I supposed to be the one to figure out guys like it when you hug them?! Was I supposed to just magically, unbeknownst to be, grasp this sort information?" Lena read and Joe couldn't help but break out into laughter, but hold himself as to not wake Hazel, " When I tell you that hugging gives me such a rush of serotonin like I'm not kidding. I knew I wasn't a huge fan of hugs as a kid, but like hugging Cath or Lizzie or JOE?! Especially Joe. It's just, well, I like hugging." Joe chuckled at her goofiness as Lena pulled up another letter.

" His hair is so ungodly soft, Mom, please, tell me how am I supposed to tell myself not to just run my fingers through my hair when I hug him?" Lena read and then burst out laughing as Joe couldn't help but let his cheeks heat up a bit, " Whatever. I mean, at some point I have to learn self-control right?" Joe chuckled, shaking his head.

" You're silly," he whispered softly to Hazel, a smirk dawning on his face. Lena gently smiled and then collected the letters together.

" I have to finish up dinner, but feel free to read them, you're nearly in all the ones from October 1943 and on." Lena said handing over the letters to Joe.

" Thank you," Joe said and Lena smiled watching her daughter cuddle closer. A soft sigh escaped her lips. her daughter was so happy. And Lena was too. Joe gently held a letter up in the soft light of the setting sun and found where Lena was talking about. Hazel really didn't fail to mention his name in every letter.

Joe took me to Paris, Mom. And maybe for the first time in this war, I thought that life wouldn't be so bad after it. After seeing all the hatred the world had to offer, i finally believed that maybe war could lead to better things on the other side. And in Paris, I told Joe about my past, about father, about what he'd done and what had happened. And Joe...he listened. To every word I said and then he called me strong. He told me I was one of the strongest women he knew. I never thought I'd hear the from anyone's mouth, ever. I mean you, Cath and Lizzie have told me before, but with Joe, it's different - not just that he's a man, or someone who is my best friend, but because it's just as genuine as your own. Joe's just....he makes me feel something again.

Joe softly let the paper drop from his gaze as he stared forward.

" He makes me feel something again." he whispered softly in the breeze. He remembered Paris with Hazel as if it were yesterday. Hazel made him feel something again too. Joe slowly pulled up another letter and began reading.

He has a nice singing voice you know. He came upon me singing that little song you always sing - Edelweiss and he then began singing as well - Amapola. He's got a really nice voice, soft, raspy. Soulful. I guess that's just another reason why I love him - he can be so goofy around me, yet so sweet and pure. Sometimes I feel like it's a dream that he possibly may love me back. Love is a nice feeling, a good feeling. I just hope this time it stays.

Joe softly lent back, looking up towards the sky which was slowly filling with stars, a stupid grin on his face. He shook his head and looked back at the letter in his grasp.

Damn, he loved her.

More than anything in this world.

She was his world.

Joe grinned.

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AHHHHHH!!! this was honestly such an emotional, yet adorable chapter - joe and lena bonding gives me life AH!! i love it truly and i hope you all do too!

once again i'm posting in two chapter increments simply because i don't want to rush my way through postwar :) thank you all again for reading, it means the world!