" True love is staying strong the good, the ugly and the bad."

- Unknown

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Hazel was loving falling asleep next to Joe more and more - she had already loved it, but now each night she could cuddle comfortably into his side and fall asleep to the gentle beats of his heart or the rising and falling of his chest.

Just the two of them in this quiet little room.

Hazel let her eyes travel around Joe's childhood room in the darkness - she could imagine a teenage version of Joe, sitting in the corner reading his comic books, sitting at his desk, most definitely not going homework, or standing in his mirror before his 9th grade dance as he tied up his tie. She could see every inch of who Joe was in this room and it made her heart happy, like her heart were actually smiling.

Hazel softly let out a sigh, cuddling Joe's shirt closer around her body before snuggling her head right into his warm side and letting herself fall asleep to the gentle thrum of his heart.

" Hazel!"

" Hazel!"

" Hazel!" She couldn't breathe, she couldn't. Her heart rate was abnormal too - each thump was louder than the last. And she couldn't feel anything. All she could see was a bright light above her, glowing down on top of her, getting brighter and brighter with each beat of her racing heart. The only thing she could feel was the stinging in her side, like she were being stabbed over and over, and the complete utter anguish and pain that accompanied it.

Cries escaped her mouth as shells rained down above her, falling faster and harder with each pump of her heart until her screams had been swallowed up whole. And all she heard were those shells, falling around her as if it were casually just raining outside and she was in the middle unable to escape with the bleeding wound that felt like stabbing in her side.

Blood rushed through her ears, spilling down to her arms, covering her fingertips in crimson blood, making them sweaty and sticky and frozen. She couldn't protect her wound anymore. With each agonizing step forward, her heart rate grew louder, just like before.

And then she was screaming through the flying shells, begging for some sort of safety, an asylum, a home, full of hope, someone to take her from this nightmare of too many vulnerable memories that she never wished to touch again. But now they were spread like that blood all over her fingertips and it scared her. With each memory, her heart raced faster - and she couldn't control it, she couldn't stop it, nothing could. And finally she screamed.

MAKE IT STOP!

Hazel shot up in bed, cold sweat trailing down her face, the back of her neck covered in a thin layer of sweat and her entire body shaking. She was shaking everywhere, the tips of her fingers white. Red splotches in her palms. She had squeezed her hands too tight - blood.

The crimson blood had been a reality.

And she felt she couldn't breath again and suddenly she was grasping for something, for a safety net, something to steady her and hold her.

That's when she felt vibration in her ear and someone wrapping her up in their arms.

Her rock.

Joe.

Immediately Hazel latched onto him, ragged breaths escaping her lips, as she clung onto him, her sweaty form an absolute mess, her hair sticking straight down on her head, her palms sweaty, slightly bloody from their white-knuckle clench, and tears collecting in her eyes.

She was shaking.

She was shaking.

She was shaking.

All over.

Everywhere.

Twitches and flicks in her body making her twitch, as memories swirled like lava in her brain. Squeezing her eyes shut, she willed it to go away but jumping again against Joe, caused him to hold her tighter.

" Hazel, hey, it's okay, I'm right here." he whispered and Hazel let out a shaky breath, gripping onto him as tears filled her eyes.

" It's not real," she whispered, " right?" She couldn't swallow, her throat feeling clogged. She felt like she couldn't escape. She saw the time on the clock on the wall.

2:30 in the morning. She let out another shaky breath and shoved her head into his warm neck, softly taking in his calming, home-like scent to calm her racing mind and heart. He always made her calmer and just sitting right in his arms in his lap, was what she needed.

" Hazel?" Joe whispered and she shuttered against him.

" I thought it was real." she whispered pulling back, to press her hand to where the wound had previously been. She grimaced and immediately Joe looked down in the darkness to where Hazel placed her hand curled against his shoulder.

There was no wound there, but the dull ache was a stark reminder of the fear the had encased her less than a year ago.

Hazel let out a shaky breath.

" Hey," Joe whispered softly against her hair, pressing a kiss to her forehead softly, " how about I run you a bath okay? Help you calm down, I'll sit with you." Hazel softly looked up at him.

" Really? For me?" she whispered looking up at him with tear filled eyes.

" Of course," Joe whispered, taking her hand in his and softly pressing a kiss to the top of her hand, " I know how scary those can be, and plus I know it's not comfortable trying to sleep again all sweaty. Alright?" Hazel nodded against him.

" Here," Joe said and carefully slid off the bed, before helping Hazel to her shaky legs.

In the darkness, Hazel forced herself to steady her jello-like knees as Joe gently led her by the hand towards his bathroom connected to his bedroom.

Flipping on the light, the warm glow slowly filled the bathroom and the warm shampoo scent hit her - from her shower that night. It brought a comfort to her entire system. Joe gently sat her down on the top of the toilet, on the lid, before crouching in front of her and looking up at her. She was still shaking a bit, and a few beads of sweat slowly made their way from the brow of her forehead towards her cheek.

" Let me start it for you, sit tight." he said, before turning and carefully pulling on the water to let it run.

" Are you sure it won't wake anyone up?' Hazel whispered softly as Joe glanced her way.

" My dad used to work night shifts and would come home and shower at 3 am, we're used to it, so don't worry. They'll sleep." Joe said, patting her bare knee and she nodded with an innocent smile upon her lips. Hazel watched Joe with sad eyes as he gently put a hand in the water as it warmed up.

Even though he looked so ungodly tired at this time of night, he managed to keep doing anything possible for it and it quite possibly made her heart mend a bit.

The bathroom grew warm and Hazel finally felt the shakes stop in her system. Joe softly turned off the bath and slowly looked up at her Hazel and her sweat sodden hair and sad eyes.

" You ready? I'll help you in." he whispered, brushing a sweaty strand from her cheek. She nodded.

" Here." Joe said and softly lifted her to her feet by her armpits and helped her to her feet as she looked up at him sadly. Joe softly watched her, his heart breaking for her as he gave her a gentle, slightly sad smile.

" Can you help me?" she whispered, her voice breaking at the end and Joe nodded.

With Joe's help, she managed to undress and then he helped her settle down into the bathtub, into the warm water, which finally made her feel things again. Feel just the slightest bit of warmth inside her body. She curled into a ball, bringing her knees up against her chest, letting the water pool around her as she laid her heavy head against her knees, tears settling in her eyes. Old ones of course, but still they were tears filled with evident pain and anguish and memories of a life that had destroyed Hazel.

Joe sat right beside her outside of the tub, watching her with worried eyes, as Hazel looked frozen in her entire trance.

" Did you want to talk about it?" Joe whispered softly, leaning forward to put his arm atop the tub, as he met her eyes, watching her with such a pure love which made her heart ache. Hazel nodded softly.

Joe wouldn't judge her. He wouldn't care that she was crying over even the simplest of dreams. He would stay - he always did.

Letting Joe see her this vulnerable, this open, this broken and shattered was something she had done quite a few times before, but now, this was the lowest of the low.

" I don't really remember it," she whispered, her voice trembling, " but it was like when I got wounded, in Bastogne."

Joe felt himself grimace on the inside, a moment of where he had to control himself, watching Hazel break into shambles in front of him over something the Nazis had long ago inflicted upon her.

Something he wished never had happened to an innocent flower like Hazel Parker.

Joe softly reached forward to brush hair from her eyes, which remained bloodshot, blue and tear-filled, with trail marks on her cheeks to signify the tears that had dripped from them.

" It felt real." she whispered, " Like it were happening in that very moment, like I was there again, in Bastogne, feeling like I was about to die." Her voice wavered in and out of her voice and the sliver of a whisper.

" I just wanted it to stop, Joe," she whispered, reaching up her hand absentmindedly to wipe at her cheek, as she forced herself to bite back the cry on her lips, " maybe it won't ever. I was so scared."

" Hey, it's okay," Joe whispered sitting forward, wanting to pull her right into his arms and make the world okay again and tell her everything would be okay.

Even if right now it seemed like nothing was ever okay.

They were both struggling - they both knew it too.

Hazel's mental battle she knew would never fail to disappear, it would always be there, there would always be a constant mental battle that she would face with every oncoming decision in her life. And it sucked. And Joe was struggling with the fact he couldn't do anything but watch the woman he loved, struggle so much to even be herself, to let the war finally be the war and nothing more.

" I always thought I wouldn't have any permeant scar, but I was wrong. No one leaves war without a scar." she whispered her voice shaking, " I'm sorry."

" Hazel, no, don't say that, hey," Joe whispered softly, cupping her tear stained cheek and brushing his thumb across it gently, " this war took so much, I don't think they expected anyone to just go back to normal. I mean we fought in a war, I'm not in anyway the person I was before this."

" It's okay to feel everything then? All these emotions and memories and fears?" Hazel whispered, " Because it sucks."

" Of course," Joe whispered, " and it sucks, more than anything. But hey, I get to sit here with the most beautiful woman in the world." Hazel let out a little, tiny giggle, squeezing her eyes shut as a tear trailed down her cheek and Joe softly brushed it away with a smile.

" You always call me beautiful." Hazel said with a soft smile.

" Because you are and you deserve to be called beautiful everyday." Joe said and Hazel quirked out a small smile watching him in the soft light at nearly 3am.

So raw, so just Joe.

" Even sitting here like this?" she said as she sniffled and Joe wiped at the tear on her cheek.

" Yes," Joe whispered, " you look beautiful." Hazel softly smiled at him, sitting in the warm bath water, arms pulling her legs flush to her chest.

" Thank you," Hazel whispered softly, " I hope you know I'm thankful you're in my life, Joe." Joe softly smiled, leaning up against the edge of the bathtub, looking up at her as if she were the most beautiful piece of art.

To him, she was.

" Thank you for being in mine," Joe said and Hazel softly smiled, wiping at the tear on her cheek softly.

" I adore you," Joe said gently and Hazel met his gentle gaze. She sniffled softly and then smiled at her water covered knee caps. Hazel could sit by Joe's eyes for hours, she wished she could.

" You feeling better?" Joe asked her softly, his voice a low rumble in his throat, a soft thrum of guitar strings, quiet in the night. Hazel nodded.

" Sorry that it's 3am." she mumbled and Joe smirked in the warm glow.

" We've had our far share of 3am talks haven't we?" Joe said and Hazel giggled softly, before stifling a yawn to follow.

" Getting tired? Bath water always made me tired as a kid." Joe said and Hazel smiled softly, reaching up to wipe the remnant of tears from her cheeks.

" Yeah." she said.

" Well," Joe said, pulling over a fluffy light blue towel, " let's get you set."

Joe helped her stand up from the warm water and then gently bundled her in the warm and fluffy and slightly big towel. Hazel stood cuddled into the towel as Joe briefly left to get clothes that weren't drenched in cold sweat before coming back in with her shorts, undergarments and one of his older shirts that had been in the dresser. Joe slowly walked back into the warm bathroom and saw Hazel staring at her prune-like hand outstretched from the towel. She smiled sadly at it before noticing Joe coming back. A soft smile grew on her features as Joe approached her.

Hazel could see his tired eyes underneath that deep, dark, brown and she could sense that he was growing tired.

But Joe's main priority was Hazel, even if it meant staying by her side all night, staying awake into the early hours of dawn.

He'd do that for her, over and over again.

" Thanks, Joe." she whispered softly, " For everything." Joe softly cupped her cheek, the wet hair entangled in his fingers, a smile gently warped onto his cheeks. He could see the sleepy look in her eyes. He nodded softly to her.

" Let's get you settled." Joe said softly and Hazel nodded.

Hazel trusted Joe more than anything, especially with her body. He knew about the boundaries she held up and only slowly let down every so often, and he didn't care if he had to help her into the bathtub, shaking and covered in sweat. He loved her. Any person that loved another would do the same, clothed or not.

And Hazel knew Joe wouldn't judge, or make her feel uncomfortable especially when her emotions were unstable.

Love was more than that.

Joe helped her get dressed and even gently brushed her wet hair through in front of the mirror as Hazel watched herself. Softly biting back her lip, Hazel was gently soothed each time Joe gently brushed through her wet hair and it was so calming, calming each and every bit of her anxious being. Joe softly placed the brush on the sink and then placed his hands on her shoulders. Hazel watched his eyes through the mirror.

" You'll be there right? For the nightmares?" she whispered softly. And Joe softly grinned at her, wrapping his arms loosely around her neck, nuzzling his nose into her sweet-smelling neck, inhaling the gentle scent of the 3am bath.

" Always," he whispered, his lips brushing the soft spot on her neck, which made her warm into his embrace even more. Hazel smiled softly.

" I can't say enough thank you's," she whispered and Joe softly sighed.

" C'mon," Joe said," let's get some rest." Flipping off the light, the two moved towards his bed. Hazel softly crawled in and waited for Joe to settle down beside her.

Pulling the blanket up over her legs, allowed her to softly cuddle back into Joe's side and let him just hold her there. And without having to say a word, she let herself fall gently asleep beside him.

The nightmare didn't come back.

The following morning, Hazel had sat herself down at the Liebgott's kitchen table, reading the newspaper with wide, curious eyes and sipping the coffee Joe's father had made her - it was just right. His mother was working on making breakfast, humming to herself as she went about her business, casting loving glances over her shoulder every so often towards Hazel, who sat sort of like an innocent baby bird it seemed.

What made Mary smile even more, was the fact that no matter how tiny Hazel was, Joe's shirt was still big on her body.

Hazel had been up before Joe and she had decided to leave him in bed, snuggling up the comforters around his body for him, before slipping downstairs where Mary and Joe were the only ones awake. But Hazel didn't mind, it such a peaceful and gentle conversation and they made Hazel laugh as she sat down.

Footsteps echoed upstairs and the trio turned their head to see coming around the corner of where the stares were was Joe Liebgott, all dressed for the day, hair with its usual fluff and a bit of gel, a smirk on his face, eyes radiating like the sun.

" First time you've been up before 11 c'clock." his mother called to him as Joe chuckled, meeting Hazel's soft eyes which watched him in a quiet fascination.

" That's the Army talking, Ma." he said as he lent down to wrap his arms around Hazel's neck loosely behind and softly kissed her temple. Hazel smiled towards him.

" Sleep well?" she asked him. Joe grinned.

" Knowing you were beside me?" Joe whispered in her ear, " Hell yeah." Hazel giggled as he softly pulled back and then went to greet his mother and father with tight hugs.

" Why are you....dressed so early?" his father asked Joe and Joe smirked as he went to grab a mug.

" Because, I'm taking Hazel out on the town today," Joe said as he poured himself a cup and Hazel's eyes grew wide.

" Really?" she asked sitting up with wide eyes, a smile on her dimpled cheeks.

" Oh yeah!" Joe said coming and taking a seat beside her, " Golden Gate Bridge, lunch and dinner, the piers, the parks, some of the best shops, a chocolate shop, all of it. Just you and me." Joe said and Hazel couldn't stop grinning.

" You want to borrow the car? Stephen washed it last week." Joe's dad asked him.

" What do you say, Hazel?" Joe asked turning towards her as she sipped her coffee. She smiled and then nodded shyly.

" Alright," Joe said sipping his coffee with a smirk.

" I'm assuming we won't be expecting you two for dinner." his mother said and Joe nodded.

" You wanna get dressed Hazel, we'll head out early?" Joe asked her and Hazel nodded. Hopping up from her chair, Hazel retreated upstairs towards Joe's room, a tiny smile on her lips at the thought of the dress she was going to wear.

October brought along a chilly gust of wind outside, similar to that of what she could only reminisce as the ones like at the Island. It made her shiver a bit at the thought of that time in her life. Hazel looked through the clothing she had, and eventually found the dress, one she had for quite some time.

It was a beautiful deep burgundy red, falling to her knees, a slight collar around her neck as it dipped into a V-shape, cuffed sleeves at the shoulders, slightly big - curse her tiny frame - and her black Mary-Janes that her mother always had kept around for her and had packed away in her bag.

After changing into the dress, she carefully pulled on little laced socks, before pulling on the Mary-Janes a soft smile on her face. She had never gotten her ears pierced, she felt she would fuss too much with something like that hanging from her ear, but she pulled on her dziadek's Star of David, softly tucking it around her neck, a soft smile on her lips. Hazel was clueless with makeup, nearly, she had a general skill set, but constantly working on the house, sweating, wiping her brow with the back of her arm, makeup was never on the top of her mind.

And with the war, it most definitely was not.

But she applied a light shade of blush and eyeshadow, before a light lip color, but nothing much, just to show the slightest bit. Hazel softly put her hair up in loose curls, some pinned up and away from her cheeks, the rest let down, loose down her back.

Hazel slowly stepped up in front of the mirror and curiously watched herself in it, hands rested behind her back, an innocent expression upon her face as she watched herself.

She looked beautiful.

Hazel smiled.

She felt beautiful.

Hazel softly twirled a bit and watched the dress sweep about around her knees - she felt as if last night wasn't filled with the horrid nightmare.

Hazel grabbed the purse, softly placing it on her shoulder as she did so with a grin upon her face and then headed straight out of the door.

Gently moving down the stairs, Hazel stepped down into the hallway before moving down into the living area and the kitchen.

" Hey," Hazel said the minute she stepped inside the kitchen, noticing it was just Joe and his mother now.

The two turned and almost immediately Joe's eyes lit up, a small smile flowed onto his lips, his mother watching immediate adoration fill her son's body for Hazel. Hazel felt a blush creep up on her cheeks in almost an instant as Joe took her in, standing so innocently, in a beautiful dress, a small smile on her rosy cheeks, her dress hugging the curves of her upper body. Joe's cheeks swarmed with heat.

" Hey," Joe said as he stepped forward, stopping briefly in front of her, to look down towards her as she smiled up at him.

His eyes said it all.

He'd never seen her in a dress before - a dress like this.

" You look beautiful." he whispered softly and her blush deepened.

" Thank you, Joe." she said, " You look quite handsome yourself." Joe smirked at her and then gently kissed her forehead before leaning back to admire her again.

Joe wore deep brown slacks, almost black, with black, shined-up dress shoes, a dark brown jacket with a collar and deep pockets, as well as a beige, button up collared shirt underneath, and the evident chain of his dog tags underneath.

And his hair was it's usual fluffiness - it looked adorable.

Joe couldn't help but let his eyes travel the length of her furthering her blush.

Joe was intoxicated by her.

" Alright, here you are." his mother said, coming up to him with the keys in hand, " Now remember be safe, be careful, no talking to strangers."

" Mom..." muttered Joe.

" You have a beautiful young lady with you, especially no random strangers." Mary said and then smiled, plopping the keys in his hand. Joe smirked.

" Thanks, Mom." Joe said as Mary smiled.

" You two have fun alright," Mary said to them as she moved back over towards where a book lay on the table - the bible - and slowly picked it up, " not too much though." And both Hazel and Joe blushed, turning redder by the second.

" Right, Mom, we'll see you tonight." Joe said, shoving Hazel out of the kitchen, his mother's laugh following them down the hall as Hazel giggled.

The second they were outside, the two burst into chuckles, watching each other with shy glances.

" Is she always like that?" Hazel managed out through a laugh.

" With people she likes? Yes." Joe said and Hazel giggled again.

" C'mon, we got a city to see." Joe said, taking her tiny hand in his own and smiling down at her. Hazel grinned softly up at him. She nodded. Joe lead her around to the side where the car was parked, a Dodge Custom from 1942, a shiny off white color.

" It's beautiful, Joe." she said as they came around the corner, stopping briefly in front of it.

" Yeah, pretty nice isn't it?" Joe said and Hazel grinned with a nod.

" Here," Joe said and lead her over to the passengers side, opening up the car door for her, sending her a real cheesy looking smile as she slid in.

" I love you, dork." she said to him as he leaned over the window.

" Ditto." Joe said back and she chuckled softly watching him laugh to himself as he came around and opened the drivers side and slid right in next to her.

" But I'm your dork." Joe said and Hazel giggled, watching him from next to her.

" Obviously." she said and Joe couldn't help but softly bring her in for a kiss, placing his hands on either side of her soft-skinned face, surprising her, making her giggle against his lips.

Pulling back, he gently dragged his thumb across her lips with a smirk, as she blushed further.

" What do you say I take you to the coast for lunch. Looking over the Gulf of the Farallones?" Joe said watching her eyes light up," Where you can see the waves crashing below at the corner seat?"

" It sounds lovely, Joe, really, it's all I want. Just you and me." she said softly him watching his eyes glow like they usually always did.

" Then I can promise you, just you and me." he said and then softly pecked her lips again, making her smile.

As he turned on the car, he adjusted the mirrors and then settled into the vehicle. Then he rolled forward onto the street and turned out of the home.

" And then after, we're heading to the Piers, and I can show you Alcatraz and the seals, loads of them. Then we'll have dinner on the pier, I know of a few places, then we can drive to the Golden Gate, settle in the park, watch the stars, just how you'd like." Joe said to her.

" Aw, Joe." she said, blushing even more.

Joe made her feel loved, even if it was just to look at the stars.

She felt loved with him.

Joe smirked at her.

" I love you," she whispered softly, her eyes watching his with such adoration and puppy love.

" I've always loved you, Hazel Parker."

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MY HEART AHHHHHHH this was purely just a chapter to show the dynamic of these two from sad to happy and how much they just purely love each other, ugh my heart - it makes me so soft!!! :) i will always adore this couple more than anything!! and sorry it's only one chapter tonight, school starts tomorrow and so does double the stress LOL, but the next chapter i promise will be ADORABLE!!!

ANNOUNCEMENT!!!

Landslide, my third Band of Brothers fanfic, is now up! It holds previews, characters, and its prologue which I have been more excited than ever to share! Please, if you wish, check it out and I hope you enjoy - it's based upon Natia Filipska, a Polish Resistance Fighter in the Second World War! Her story is FASCINATING to write!! I hope that if you do check it out, you enjoy the prologue!! <3 thanks!!