" You gain strength, courage, and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face. Do the thing you think you cannot do."

- Eleanor Roosevelt

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The sun was gentle on her face that morning, streaming in through the open window, as a few birds twittered outside the glass.

Catherine's eyes felt heavy as she slowly let them open and found herself cuddled right into her pillow, with an even warmer body cuddled against her, breathing softly against her skin and smelling like the gentle bout of cologne.

George. His arm held her protectively close to him, under the covers, but against his warm body. And Catherine softly grinned to herself, feeling her cheeks warm just the slightest bit it seemed. Her eyes carried her towards her hand again as memories of late last night overwhelmed her system.

As everything suddenly came flooding back.

The ring on her finger glistened in the soft sunlight, making a lazy grin appear on her cheeks as she stared at it.

Mrs. Catherine Luz. She never thought in all her years she would earn someone like George Luz, but lying here, looking at the ring, she did. She truly got someone she wanted to grow old with and have children with and sit and watch the sunrise with.

George started shifting against her a bit, stretching the tiniest bit it seemed before nuzzling back against her like a child.

" George." she whispered softly, turning her head the slightest bit to find his head of hair shoved into her neck. She smirked the tiniest bit.

" George Luz." she called lightly again and she felt a tiny chuckle against her, and a tiny laughing noise escape his lips.

" I can hear you, mister." she said and George let out a chuckle against her before pulling back and lazily opening his eyes to meet hers, filled with sleep and love. A lazy smirk appeared on his face as he looked at his fiancée in the fresh morning light, glowing like the sun herself.

Catherine finally turned herself to lay on her side and look towards him and softly grinned up at him, watching his face so relaxed and gentle in the late hours of the morning. His eyes she felt she could stare at all day, just watching them and how truly beautiful they were. She could lay here forever and simply watch his eyes.

" What?" George asked her as Catherine snapped out of it and finally met his gaze.

" Nothing....just..." Catherine blushed a bit as she averted her gaze elsewhere. George scooted closer and watched her with a grin.

" What is it?" he asked, " You look like you want to say something." Catherine let her eyes drift back to his and then smiled.

" You just look so happy." Catherine said, " Like....genuinely happy. And it looks good on you." George watched Catherine and swore he just fell even more in love with her.

" Cath..." George whispered, but Catherine softly scooted even closer to him and watched his eyes up close, their beautiful deep brown watching her own.

" I mean it, George. I like seeing you happy." she whispered, " The war took so much from us that seeing you truly happy, it makes me happy. You deserve it."

No one had ever told that to George, that he too deserved happiness. He had been so focused on making sure others were happy that sometimes all alone it was hard to find bouts of happiness in a war like this. Catherine watched a bit of tears well in George's eyes - she'd never seen him cry, only in Bastogne after Bill, Joe and Buck were taken off the line, but never again.

" Hey... George," she whispered, softly cupping his cheek and watching his brown eyes swirl with emotion, " you're going to make me cry." George let out an almost choked chuckle as Catherine sniffled a bit.

" We don't want that to happen." George said as Catherine giggled a bit. George couldn't help but then pull her straight into his arms and just hold her there in a hug, cuddled in a warm bed, far, far away from war and the memories that surrounded it.

For a moment it was just the two of them, finally feeling what they deserved to feel for so long - happiness.

Moving down the stairs that morning, George decided to instigate a game of poking Catherine's side and then racing forward, snickering the entire time, as Catherine giggled watching him like he were a child. The two came racing into the kitchen, laughing with bright red cheeks, to find her mother and the triplets there, smiles on their faces.

" Cath, George, didn't think you two would be up this early." her mother said, a jolly laugh leaving her lips as George let out a laugh, wrapping his arm around Catherine's shoulders gently as he did so.

" Yeah well, McGiggles here just couldn't stop giggling." George said as Catherine laughed, making the triplets all start laugh, through the maple syrup and the waffles on their plates.

" Georgie you're so funny!!" Peggy squealed as Molly giggle. Eleanor watched with soft eyes, giggling softly.

" Am I now?" George said unlooping his arm from Catherine's shoulders to greet the girls, as he crouched near their chairs, a grin on his lips, " You wanna hear a knock-knock joke?" The girls squealed in excitement as Catherine's heart warmed.

" Not the knock-knock jokes." Catherine said, feigning pain as George chuckled, his twinkling eyes watching her own.

" Knock-knock." George said.

" Who's there!!" cried Molly excitedly as Catherine chuckled, before moving over to her mother who watched with soft eyes as George made the girls laugh.

Catherine slowly leaned up against the counter beside her mother, the sun streaming in through the nearby window, late autumn air brushing the chilled window panes, sprinkling a soft light on the group of 4. Catherine felt her eyes soften. Marley watched her daughter, looking at George with such love in her eyes, a love that she deserved.

" He's going to make a great dad someday, you know." Marley said, gently placing a hand on Catherine's shoulder.

Catherine glanced over at her mother and felt tears well her eyes a bit, watching her mother stand there watching her daughter finally happy. Catherine softly glanced towards her hand and slowly raised her hand up.

" Maybe that someday can be soon." Catherine whispered. Marley's eyes caught upon the glitter on her daughter's ring finger and her heart raced a she softly reached forward, grasping her daughter's hand in her own.

" Cath....?" Marley whispered as tears pooled further in Catherine's eyes.

" George asked me to marry him." Catherine whispered back, " And I said yes, Mom." Marley clasped a hand over her trembling lips as she looked up at her daughter, happy-tears welling her vision, joy exploding through the mother and daughter's eyes.

" Oh Cath!" cried Marley, immediately clasping her arm around her daughter, bringing into her warm embrace an holding her child, holding her so close, holding her with such love and care. Catherine squeezed her eyes shut, letting the glassy tears roll down her cheeks, as a small cry escaped her mother's lips for too many different reasons, and for joy.

Marley pulled back, and softly cupped Catherine's cheeks, watching her daughter, and watching her glow.

Softly glancing towards where George was, the two women watched as he sat, with Eleanor on his knee, telling a story which left the girls' eyes wide with fascination and adoration. George softly looked away from the trio of girls and lightly laughed before meeting the two other McCown's eyes, gleaming and glowing.

Marley couldn't help but let a happy laugh past her lips as George grinned.

It would be alright, it would all be alight.

Catherine and George packed up their belongings, with help from the girls and Marley. Without so much as a good bye, Matilda had left last night, to head back to her local home down near the river.

But her father had been there, watching Catherine ad George come down with the last of their bags and Catherine's belongings ready to head out for the Luz family home in Rhode Island, watching George look at his daughter so, completely, in love.

" Cath?" her father said, stepping forward a bit, as Catherine turned from George to look at him. Her smile fell. That hurt, to see a smile like her own so excited, then fall at the sound of her father's voice. She looked like a robot suddenly, shutting down to her usual facade in front of him.

" Can we talk?" her father asked and Catherine slowly nodded, giving an almost wary glance to George before moving forward.

Catherine, dressed in her casual dress of skirt and collared shirt, walked forward, down the brightly lit hall towards her father. Catherine could barely make eye contact. Moving towards the office, the two pairs of footsteps slowly traveled down the hall, moving further and further away fro the door. Catherine moved inside the door first, hearing her father gently shut the door behind her as she stood off to the side, towards the window, refusing to even glance in her father's direction. Her father cleared his throat a bit.

" Congratulations," her father said and Catherine felt her shoulders sag the slightest bit as she watched the outside world, the bright sunshine, the crispness of the air brushing the windows, " on the engagement."

" Thank you." Catherine said, " We have to leave soon." Her voice was so distant fro what it normally was - Catherine didn't even feel like Catherine.

Maybe the guilt and realization of what her father had done was finally making way to his mind. He had tried so hard to craft another version of himself, so ruthlessly, so angrily, that he didn't realize that complete amount of utter pain that had become of her. He hadn't been a father, he had been making her a pawn. The war had moved her from his grasp, where she had been free.

Freedom in war?

There was none, but it was more freedom from such a structured life, more freedom than what she had ever felt.

" The war..." her father started and Catherine shut her eyes.

" It-"

" It changed me. And it made me realize that you can no longer control me to be your perfect little daughter, father. I know what potential I hold. You saw it too, even as I was a child. And you tried to harness it for yourself." Catherine said, her jaw clenched, eyes narrowed, " You were wrong to do that to me, father."

" Catherine-" Catherine turned on her father, eyes narrowed at him.

" Don't you dare blame this-" Catherine pointed between the two of them, " on me. You were the one so caught up in me, and my capabilities, that you didn't realize that your upbringing put onto me did more damage than good. How can a father of a child he loves not realize that? How?" Her father stared at her, watching her - she was not the little girl who had left for SPARs all those years ago.

" I had more freedom in a war which preserved no freedom for anyone." Catherine snapped, " And it made me realize, that every time you manipulated me, you belittled me, you made me feel small, was all part of a goal you knew you could never accomplish. We're all humans, and no one is alike to another. And I can never apologize to you for not being like you. I would never raise my child to be like who I am. So broken and battered, trying to be this perfect mock-up image for you to pride yourself over. This place is not my home - and you made it that way." Catherine watched him, as he stood scornfully still, unmoving, immobile.

" Say something, father." Catherine said, " For years all you do is say something and now you're silent?" Her words were getting to him, like the echo of is words finally reverberated off the wall after years of wishing they would bounce, finally going back towards him and silencing him.

" Say. Something!" she snapped.

" I'm sorry." her father said, his eyes watching hers with such guilt and pain.

" Sorry won't cut it this time, father. You hurt me, a lot. And you took away my childhood, just so you could have this little perfect princess prancing around to follow in your steps. Well, I've been to war - war didn't make me that way." Catherine said, " If anything I found freedom in war. And someday soon, I hope you do too." The two McCown's watched one another, eyes burning into each other as they stood there staring.

" I wish you well in your future, Catherine," her father said, " I know you'll do well, truly. I've always seen it in you." Catherine felt herself explode on the inside.

" Then why did you treat me like I was trash! Garbage! Making me do everything so perfectly and precisely! What was the point?!" her voice was raising and her blood was boiling and rising, anger in her eyes, " Did you ever think about anyone other than yourself in that point in time?" She was nearing her tip-over, she could feel the tears coming, all the anger and frustration after years and years of endless perfectionism, was finally simmering in her bones.

" WHY?" Her voice broke, it shattered like glass, and her heartstrings yearned in pain.

" I did it to protect you!" her father suddenly snapped, as Catherine's eyes caught him, " I did all of this to protect you! Have you see this world? Have you seen what it can turn someone into? It turned me, it changed me! All because of what the world had to offer! And I knew....I knew! That if I was able to make you near-unbreakable, that when someday, I die on this Earth, you can take care of yourself! And you don't have to worry about anything. I did this for you!" Catherine stepped back, a trembling footstep arching backwards as her father stood there.

" What was I supposed to do the second you came home and told me that kid was bullying you? Stand around and watch it happen, listen to your stories every night of a kid making fun of my daughter? No..." Her father said shaking his head, " Too many times has that bullshit happened to me, Catherine! Too many, and I wasn't able to see you go the same way. And I tried and I'm sorry if I hurt you. Hurting you is the last thing I would ever wish to do to someone like my own daughter. I just wanted to help. That's it, that's all I ever wanted and wished to do for you."

" Then why didn't you treat Matilda and the others the same?" Catherine asked, as a tear streaked down her face. Her father watched her and she watched him back.

" It was wrong of me but I didn't know what else to do, look, the other 6 were not bullied like you were Catherine, and I was not going to stand around and watch." her father said, " You were the only one that took my help. And even if the help was me, yelling like a drill sergeant, then I'm sorry, I should've tried better, harder, I wasn't a proper father to someone like you. And I'm sorry, to have hurt you." Catherine watched him, as tears streamed down her cheeks.

Catherine remembered the little girl who bullied her in grade school on the playground. And her oblivion as a child, never noticed her father on the park bench, watching his daughter take it all, come under fire, like she would soon on D-Day, with no escape. It's why he had done what he'd done. And he'd done t for her - not himself, like she had thought. But for her. But he'd done it so wrongly, so angrily, so consistently, that she couldn't help but look back and see the good. But he'd done it for her.

And somehow, it made her stronger.

Catherine watched her father, eyes really watching him.

" Is that true?" she whispered, as tears fell past her cheeks to her lips.

" Every word, Cath." her father said and Catherine's eyes welled further. But the truth was hard to take, hard to stomach.

" I'm going to be going now." Catherine said, as she put her hands to her eyes and wiped at the, noticing the slight puffiness around the lids that would remain for a bit. Her father watched her, knowing he had said all he could - but the truth was out there now. And it was out for them both. Catherine slowly approached her father and looked at him.

" One day, hopefully, when the war is long gone, I can feel like your daughter again and I can look back and be thankful for what you taught me. But for now, I can't be, because of how wrongly you treated me. One day." her words were firm and it settled into her father's own being. With a simple dip of his head, it was enough to leave Catherine with her chin held high, turning away from the man, pridefully.

Shutting the oak door behind her, Catherine pushed that part of her life, back in that office, in that space, where she hoped those words would never leave that room. And she hoped her father, for whatever he lived by, lived with those words.

Because one day Catherine McCown hoped to make amends, before her time on this Earth was up. But for the moment, she was about to start a new life, with someone she loved, with someone she cared for, with the love of her life.

And that made her smile, approaching the door, where George stood, tightly hugging Marley, in a warm hug, filled with such a strong motherly love, that made Catherine grin. When the two pulled back, they turned towards Catherine, who slowly approached with a smile.

" Where's your father?" Marley asked, with gentle eyes. Catherine smiled softly.

" The office - he'll be okay. Just like I was." Catherine said as Marley smiled a bit. Catherine then softly met George's eyes who twinkled as he watched her.

" You ready to go, Cath?" George asked her and Catherine nodded. The twins were adamant on helping George put the luggage in Catherine's parents old '38 Nissan, before racing around, giggling.

And by the time the final hug had been delivered, Catherine was in the car, rolling back and away from her childhood home, for good, leaving the memories, the good and the bad, where they were.

There was no use forgetting, simply just living was far greater.

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AH YES! so....we have finally learned more upon catherine + her father's relationship together. definitely one that is odd, but possibly quite common amongst many households. definitely a relationship where her father wished only the best for her, and tried his best to help her but in the end, it had a negative effect upon catherine and the war helped her realize that in many senses! so i hoped this answered all your questions!! :) thank you for reading as always!! a few more chapters with this adorable duo and then it's lizzie's turn - and let me just say, it is not the happiest of times :(

+ and i felt this was an appropriate quote because, in a way, catherine finally builds up the courage to face her father, after so many years of letting it get to her :)