" Peace begins when expectation ends."

- Sri Chinmoy

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San Francisco was absolutely beautiful - Lizzie had remembered a few of Hazel's letters describing the beautiful city, her words laced with such knowledge and wisdom like she'd lived there all her life - it seems Joe was quite the influence in knowing San Francisco. She'd started college right after they moved into the new home - and the pictures Hazel had managed to send to her were beautiful. They were all meeting at the home, and to say Lizzie felt a bout of excitement was an understatement - supposedly everyone was showing up.

Everyone that could possibly be there, would be there - officers were invited, Private, through Lieutenant, anyone who could make it would be there.

Celebrating Hazel and Joe was exactly what Lizzie needed, a distraction from what the war had done and from the home life and to be with the men who had been her family and will always be her family.

The cab driver drove Lizzie and Floyd right up to the front of the home, in a small residential neighborhood that sat near the Bay with a view of the Golden Gate Bridge as the sun was near setting at the current moment. The road was lined with cars, and the clamor of voices from the backyard echoed over the freshly painted beige fence.

Floyd softly wrapped his arm around Lizzie's shoulders and pressed a gentle kiss to her temple as the two looked up at the home. Lizzie's face warmed for a moment as she looked up at Floyd with a gentle smile.

" What're you thinking?" Floyd asked her," You and me? Little Talberts running all around-" Lizzie slapped his shoulder as he chuckled with a smirk.

" Floyd Talbert." she said her cheeks bright red as she looked up at him in the cool breeze.

" What?" he said with a growing smirk," They'd be pretty cute." Lizzie snickered and shook her head lightly.

" You flatter me." Floyd chuckled, as they started towards the home, where a little welcome mat, most likely of Hazel's own doing lay right below the door, and a tiny sign saying 'Welcome' sat on the deep maroon colored door.

" Do I? For once in my life I flatter Elizabeth Elliot?"

" Don't you dare start on the Elizabeth bullshit, Floyd." she said, and Floyd chuckled.

" Oh I love when I piss you off." he said confidently and Lizzie couldn't help but giggle.

Taking the two tiny steps up, Lizzie looked at Floyd with a soft smile before ringing the doorbell. They heard the tiny buzz on the opposite side and immediately Lizzie heard footsteps approaching within seconds.

The door unlocked and within seconds a smirking Joe Liebgott appeared on the other side, his hair a bit gelled up, his collared shirt a bit loosened around his neck, belt and beige pants fit and a gold engagement band on his ring finger that didn't occupy the beer in his grasp.

" Lizzie! Tab! Was wondering when you two would arrive!" Joe said, almost immediately stepping forward to hug Lizzie.

" Yeah well, Floyd told the taxi driver the wrong directions a few too many times." she said with a laugh as she hugged him, as he gave her a tight squeeze. She heard him laugh as he pulled back and looked at her.

" Should've just called me on up, then you wouldn't have had to hear his mouth run." Joe said as Floyd scoffed with a laugh, smirking as Joe brought him into a hug.

" Shut up, Lieb." he said as the two held each other in a warm hug for a moment before pulling back. Pulling back Floyd smirked.

" Look at you, already getting married, got a house."

" Surprised?"

" Well-" Lizzie giggled stopping Floyd.

" Happy." Lizzie said and Joe genuinely smiled down at her.

" Lizzie! Floyd!!" a familiar voice squealed and Lizzie barely had time to turn and look to see the blur of caramel hair and a yellow dress launching into her arms.

Within seconds, Lizzie had wrapped her arms as tight as she could around her.

Hazel.

Hazel Parker was in her arms.

Well...soon to be Hazel Liebgott.

Lizzie couldn't help but shove her face into Hazel's neck as tears welled in her eyes. To be held by a woman who embodied so much warmth and love made Lizzie smile so happily in her arms.

Pulling back, Lizzie finally met Hazel's shining eyes, filled with love and joy and Lizzie couldn't help but grin wide, a few tears showing in her vision, shining like embers. Hazel softly smiled, that tiny grin on her face as she looked at Lizzie - a silent conversation no one else would understand.

It was a moment only the three Viragos would understand when looking upon one another.

" You look beautiful, Hazel." Lizzie whispered," So beautiful." Hazel let a smile spread on her face, as she tucked a strand of hair behind her ears.

" I missed you so much you know that." Hazel said as Lizzie smiled softly at her," I missed my big sis." Lizzie grinned and then caught the ring upon Hazel's finger.

" Holy shit, Hazel this is beautiful." Lizzie said, holding Hazel's hand in her own as she admired the ring with wide eyes, looking at the little diamond in the center.

" You can thank Joe for that." Hazel said quietly, glancing over her shoulder at Joe who watched her with soft eyes, the corners of his lips lightly turned up as he was already watching her. Lizzie could practically sense the love between the two. It was adorable.

" Tab!" Hazel called, and within seconds pulled him into a hug as he laughed lightly in her ear.

" Hey there, Tiny," Floyd said as Hazel hugged him," I missed you." Hazel laughed, pulling back to look up at him with a smile.

" Aw you missed me, Tab?" she said and Floyd snickered as Lizzie chuckled. Lizzie watched as Hazel slowly returned to Joe's side, as his arm softly wrapped around her shoulders, as she softly snuggled against him a bit.

" You two have to head inside, everyone's here already - Bill's already started drinking." Hazel said with a giggle as Joe smirked.

" Already?" Lizzie asked with a laugh as Hazel nodded, giggling," Well count me in." Floyd snickered as the two looked to each other with smirks.

" C'mon." Hazel said excitedly," Cath's in there as well!!"

" Cath?!" Lizzie said and almost in an instance the two girls were racing inside. The moved down the hall towards the kitchen which lead to an open back room and the kitchen with food filled to the edges and people everywhere.

" That Doc?"

" 'Eh, Lizzie!"

" Doc Elliot!" The second Hazel lead Lizzie towards where Catherine was, she saw Catherine immediately, her face glowing as she sat snuggled beside George on one of the couches, laughing at a comment non-other being made by Lewis Nixon.

" Cath!" Lizzie squealed and almost instantly, heads popped up and eyes turned and Catherine's grin only widened, the protruding baby bump starting to show as Catherine didn't let it even stop her, racing straight into Lizzie's arms as Hazel watched the two with tear filled eyes.

" Oh gosh, look at you!" Catherine squealed pulling back and holding her at arm's length," You look beautiful, Lizzie, oh how I missed you."

" Me?" Lizzie said," Look at you, Cath! You're glowing!" Lizzie said as Catherine smiled softly, watching as Catherine's one hand went to rest on her stomach.

" Oh Cath..." she whispered, eyes shining," you're going to be a wonderful mother." Catherine couldn't help but smile.

" I missed my girl." Catherine said and Lizzie laughed.

" Lizzie!" a voice called and Lizzie glanced over to see George coming towards her a smile on his face.

" George!" she called, and the man came over and wrapped her in a warm hug," I missed ya, buddy."

" Aw, Liz, I missed you too." he said and hugged her close. Pulling back, she watched George wrap his arm over Catherine's shoulder and smile at her softly before glancing back at Lizzie.

" You bring that other guy here?" George said with a smirk as Catherine laughed - news was getting around it seemed, about Lizzie and Floyd - not that it wasn't suspected - but that they had come together.

" You talking about me, Luz?" a voice called and chuckles rose up through the room as George clapped his hands together and wrapped Floyd in a hug.

" I knew it was you, asshole!" George said as Floyd chuckled. The two started chattering about as Joe entered the conversation, the trio joking about as Lizzie chuckled.

" You want a drink?" Hazel asked her, gently putting a hand on Lizzie's shoulder with a smile," I got white wine. Just for you."

" Just for me?" Lizzie said as Hazel giggled with a nod," Aw Hazel you treat me too well." Hazel giggled again. Lizzie had missed that familiar ring of the giggle.

" C'mon, a few of the guys were there the last I checked." Hazel said, as Hazel took her hand," You wanna come, Cath?" Catherine put a hand on her back and shook her head.

" I need the bathroom, I swear I could hold my bladder out there, first sign of pregnancy and I go every 15 minutes." she said as the two women giggled," You two head over, I'm about to beat Nix in a theory war we've been having since 1943."

" What about?" Lizzie asked with a laugh as Catherine smirked.

" The politics of college, some bullshit like that. It's quite humorous." Catherine said as the two women snickered," I'll be back."

" C'mon," Hazel said, pulling Lizzie's hand through the home towards where the drinks were. Lizzie watched Hazel peak her head around a corner and her face start to glow.

" Hey, guys! You'll never guess who's here!" Hazel called. The second Lizzie stepped around the corner, a smile lit up her face like a Christmas tree when she saw a mass of Easy men - Bill Guarnere was there with Joe Toye beside him, she saw even Captain Speirs standing there laughing at a joke that Welsh was telling.

" Doc!" Bill called and Lizzie didn't hesitate to run right into his arms into a hug. It's not like she saw them 4 months ago at the wedding, but well....4 months was a long, long time. Pulling back, Lizzie looked at him with shining eyes as Bill chuckled.

" Was wondering when you and pretty boy would finally arrive." Bill said as Lizzie let out a chuckle, throwing her head back in a laugh.

" Yeah, can you believe it? The guy gave wrong directions the entire ride over." Lizzie said as Bill chuckled as Lizzie turned to Joe Toye who she pulled quickly into a hug, his warm embrace bringing a comfort she had missed.

" It is Tab we're talking about." Joe said as Lizzie pulled back laughing. Lizzie wasn't sure how many people she'd hugged by the time she had a nice white wine in her grasp - she'd hugged Welsh so closely as he hopped around a bit, already a tad drunk from the likes of it, and even Captain Speirs had given her a hug, a warm one too.

For such a tough guy, he seemed quite the softie with this company.

Next was Lip who came around the corner and gave her a warm hug already holding her at arm's length like a proud father.

Gene was there, showing up from the basement where he had been playing darts with a group, including Johnny, Bull, Babe and Skinny. Lizzie had nearly attacked him in a hug as he laughed in her ear. Malarkey had come after that group, with Chuck and Shifty following - she did get a bit emotional, she wouldn't lie about that.

And even Captain Nixon gave her a hug, though once released Catherine started jabbing at him again from George's side on politics of colleges.

Nerds.

Lizzie had laughed to herself.

Webster had made it, bringing some of his own beer with a bow on it as the guys all seemed to cheer it on.

And finally Lizzie hugged Major Winters, and quite possibly held onto his hug a bit longer than she previously had the others. Everything though was absolutely wonderful, everything about it.

Dinner was filled with stories and laughter and familial love. Supposedly Hazel's mother had made it out the previous week and was staying at the Liebgotts, helping Joe's mother prepare for the wedding.

And Hazel couldn't stop herself from gushing to the Lizzie and Catherine about the dress - Lizzie had never seen Hazel glow like she had.

As the night grew on, Lizzie remembered being curled into Floyd's side as he chatted with Chuck, listening to the soft whispers of people in the back room talking, and catching up. Lizzie softly let her gaze carry around the room and she looked towards Hazel.

Little Hazel. She'd always be Little Hazel in her mind, no matter how old she grew.

Hazel was currently cuddled into Joe's side, playing with his hand, lacing and unlacing their fingers as Joe talked to George - quietly though. It seemed the last thing they wanted to do was scare the sleepy Hazel.

Lizzie felt a smile crawl on her lips at the sight of Hazel and Joe. She couldn't help but get emotional thinking of the first day she had seen Hazel walk in through that door, such a youthful smile upon her lips as she stepped in with her WAC uniform, eyes glowing like sunshine. And to see her through a war and still manage to retain her innocence, her playful smile and her wisdom, made Lizzie's eyes well with tears.

Seeing her curled up beside someone like Joe now - Hazel deserved that love.

" Hey," a voice whispered and Lizzie looked up to see Floyd watching her. A smile spread across her face, her eyes shining with tears.

" You okay?" Floyd asked her softly, gently brushing the soft skin upon her cheek as she melted into its warmth.

" Easy Company...we're together again." she whispered," And even if we're all not here. We hold all those stories..." Her voice cracked as Floyd smiled at her, his thumb warm as it brushed her pink lips.

" We are, aren't we?" he said with a tiny grin. Lizzie giggled softly, sniffling a bit as she did so. It was peaceful in Hazel and Joe's back room, in their cozy little home by the bay, where the warmth of a group who had fought in a war who would stay with them the rest of their lives sat in the pits of their hearts, but connected each man and woman to one another like lace.

" I love you." Lizzie whispered, watching Floyd in the soft light," I was so scared of love, and it took me a war to show me love, not just with Easy, but with you." She softly cupped his cheek, watching as Floyd gently watched her eyes, their gentle blue sending waves of calmness through his body as he watched her.

It was so relaxing just staring at her eyes, feeling the gentle touch of a medic's touch on his cheek.

He felt so at peace with this woman.

" I love you too, Elizabeth." he said softly and Lizzie quirked out a smile at the name. She sniffled softly and looked into his eye.

Softly, she pressed her forehead against his own, and let out a quiet breath, softly relishing the gentle rumbles of the voices in the background.

This is what peace was, this intimate and gentle nature that war had deprived them of.

This was peace.

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BRB CRYING!!! I swear each chapter I update just makes me even more emotional, I swear I'm fine LOL. But truly, this made me more emotional than I would've wished - just seeing everyone together again, seeing their joy and happiness that they all deserved - UGH MY HEART!! Good news - this is a DOUBLE UPDATE - which means THERES ANOTHER CHAPTER AHHHH!! But it means that after this double update, there's two chapters and an epilogue and WOW i am just not ready for that, but this is all nearly written at the current moment and will all be written by tonight. All good things must come to an end, no matter how enjoyable. :) thank you all <3 I hope you enjoy the next chapter!