" Being a family means you are a part of something very wonderful. It means you will love and be loved for the rest of your life. No matter what."

- Unknown

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June 6th, 1966 - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

20th Annual 101st 506th 'Screaming Eagles' Easy Company Reunion

Juliette Liebgott's POV

Juliette remembered the look upon her parents' faces when Joe Jr. had first said he was joining the Marines with George Jr.

Their faces turned ashen, she swore her mother's face had turned somewhat green and the grip on her father's arm was firm in its hold. It had scared Juliette.

Mara had been sitting quietly at the table, yes, Juliette remembered that much and Aster had been typing away at his stupid typewriter in the corner, not so discretely sneaking quiet glances towards the kitchen to where Joe and their parents were.

Juliette remembered her mother's cries in their bedroom that night after dinner, after Aster and Mara had offered to clean up and Joe went to call George on the phone who was in Rhode Island.

Juliette had been going to grab some more paint, but had stopped at the door when she heard one of her mother's innocent cries, muffled quite possibly by one of father's loving hugs. He gave good hugs. It was probably what her mother needed more than anything.

And she remembered the tremor in her mother's voice, the complete, utter fear that had laced it, the horror that struck in her tone. Juliette had never quite heard her mother's voice like that before, only when they had learned that Grandmom had gotten quite sick.

Juliette tried to not let it get to her but more than once she found herself looking out her window, up towards the stars, praying to God or whoever there was above to keep Joe and George safe, each and every one of the soldiers who fought over there that they would be safe.

After Joe had left, it was quieter at dinner.

Of course, Mom did most of the talking - she wasn't much of a talker in her youth, all her children knew that - but the night after he had left, she had barely touched her food and had looked half a minute away from tears every single minute.

And she saw her father's white knuckles, and the pained looks towards her mother, even across the dinner table, the complete utter ache of seeing his wife, her mother in so much pain and desperation over this war. Another war for her parents, one of many for their children.

Back home, on the little lighthouse calendar her Dad always got her Mom every year for Christmas, there would be a little number on the corner of each and every day. Juliette knew Mom was counting down the days until her son's return.

Mara tried to stay positive mostly, reading books with Mom at night or going on walks with Dad in his free time. Aster didn't look at calendars, he kept it in his mind. Dad preferred not to try and track when his son would return home, it kept him off edge and helped calm Mom down.

Now, so far from home, it seemed to keep everyone's mind off the fact they Joe and George Jr were fighting in a war that had been spanning for far too long already and completely different from the war their parents had fought in.

Juliette sat with her head on the table over her crossed arms, lazily looking out towards the dance floor where she saw Dad twirling Mara, a smile on his face as Mara let out a little laugh as she did so. Mom was over with Aunt Cath and Aunt Liz, the 3 of them, thick as thieves, all talking, as they sipped white wine together at their own little table. They always wrote letters to each other, Juliette saw them in the mail almost daily, and half the time, Mom was curled on a chair in the living room, laughing through the phone to one of them about something.

Juliette sighed to herself - another year with Joe and George Jr. They'd shipped out just last year before last year's reunion. It'd been odd, not having either of them here - it seemed the majority of people who knew both of them were used to it or merely numb.

" Jules! Hey...hey Jules!" a voice called and Juliette turned her tired head over her shoulder to see non other than Everett Talbert racing towards her, grin on his face, and a fair attempt at gelled-hair flying up from his head. Juliette smirked at him and pushed her head up from the table.

Everett had to be her favorite cousin - sure she had quite a lot. There was the Luz's - George Jr, Lana and Ricky and then there were the Talbert's - Mallory, Everett and Annie. She loved all her cousins, but Everett had to be the one she had fun around, but he was almost her same age and they got along well.

" What?" she asked him and Everett smiled.

" Speirs is here."

" Ron?" she said, her face lighting up like a light bulb.

Ronald Speirs had been the one to walk Mom down the isle, and he never failed to send the kids presents on birthdays and Christmas and sometimes even on random days of the year - and he visited when he could, dropping by in the summer usually to take all the kids out to ice cream and to go see the Golden Gate Bridge. She hadn't seen him since last summer though, before school had started.

" C'mon." Everett said as Juliette jumped up from her chair and started racing after Everett through the crowd, nearly knocking Mr. Nixon over where he stood with Mr. Winters as they talked.

" Ron!" Juliette called as the man turned his head towards the sound - he wore his uniform again - Everett loved his uniform, he thought it was the coolest thing. And a smile grew on his face at the sight of the duo.

" Hey there Jules." he said and immediately wrapped her in a warm hug, as she smiled wide. Pulling back she smiled up at him as he looked to Everett. Ron knew practically all the children here and so Everett standing there with a toothy grin wasn't a surprise.

" Hi Ron!" he called excitedly and Ron chuckled.

" Hey there, buddy." he said pulling him in for a hug as Everett laughed lightly. Everett though Ron was one of the coolest people ever, he always did.

" How was your trip to England?" Juliette asked him as the trio began walking back towards the main group.

" Well, ran into a few old friends there and we went out to the pub to catch up, before I went to London mostly, hung around there, went to some exhibitions, all that fun stuff." Ron said and Juliette smiled.

" Like plane exhibitions?" Everett asked and Ron chuckled with a nod.

" Yeah bunch of stuff from the war was there, everywhere. Maybe I'll try and convince your parents to let me take you too sometime." Everett looked to Juliette and Juliette's eyes widened with excitement.

" Oh Ron, pretty please!" she said jumping up and down as Ron chuckled to her.

" I'll see what I can do about next summer then." he told the two as Juliette and Everett squealed in excitement," Where's your Mom? I heard she just got promoted." Juliette's eyes grew two sizes and she grinned.

" She's with Aunt Cath and Aunt Liz, over there." Juliette said pointing to the group.

Mom had just gotten a promotion for what she had done for the space shuttle launch that they're preparing at NASA. Her Mom couldn't stop talking about it at dinner most nights and Juliette always liked to see her mother so enthused and excited - and then Dad would get excited and you would hear them go outside with tea at night and look at the starts and just nearly talk all night.

" Well, I'll see you two around, alright - save me one of those little pecan pies alright." Ron said and the two laughed.

" Always." Juliette said as Ron moved away towards the table where her mother sat. Juliette turned to Everett.

" What are you two giggling about?" a voice asked and they turned to see Mallory Talbert standing there with a smirk on her face.

" Oh god not again - you always ask the stupidest questions." Everett complained as Mallory rolled her eyes. Juliette laughed lightly.

" Ron might take us to see the exhibitions in England one day." Mallory grinned.

" Don't go telling Eugene Guarnere that now alright? The boy will be up both your asses to join you." she said - she wasn't wrong.

A college boy, Eugene Guarnere strutted a cocky smirk and had a loud mouth like his father - he was hilarious if Juliette said so herself, but he would join and proceed to want to make a presentation on everything and annoy Ron to hell.

" Where's Dad?" Everett asked Mallory as she raised a brow.

" Probably off with Uncle Chuck again." she said," They got a dart board set up anyway, so I wouldn't be surprised."

" I'll see you later Jules!" Everett called immediately, blasting off towards the dart room - and probably to convince his father to let Ron take him to the exhibitions. Mallory and Juliette chuckled.

" You doing okay Jules? How's Aunt El?"

When Mallory had been a baby, she couldn't say much besides things like Dada and Momma and when she tried saying her Mom's name - El was the only thing that had followed. So Aunt El sorta stuck for Mallory.

" She's okay, but she worries you know for Joe." Juliette said quietly glancing up at Mallory who wrapped an arm over her shoulder.

" He'll be okay, both of 'em," she said, rubbing her shoulder," as kids we used to wrestle each other in the yards and near the Christmas tree on Christmas - tough as balls he is, I know he'll be okay. Don't tell your Mom I said that word though, she thought it was Milo that had scratched him." Juliette laughed, whipping her head back as she chuckled.

Milo was their fat, orange cat that Lizzie had opted to get as a companion to the German Shepherd they also had, Buddy.

As Mallory and Juliette walked, arm in arm, Juliette briefly glanced towards where she saw George holding little Ricky who was fast asleep in his arms, as he quietly talked to Joe Toye who was sipping on a beer. It was getting quite later, but it seemed Easy never cared - they'd celebrate until the next day even. They made it back to the Liebgotts' table and Juliette gently sat down again as Mallory smiled at her.

" I'll see ya around, I have to hunt down Don, he's got a new book for me." she said and Juliette grinned as Mallory teetered away looking for him.

Softly she let her eyes rest on little Ricky snuggled into his father's arms, softly sleeping, with his eyes closed and glasses for his big brown orbs, nearly falling off, as Uncle George's hand gently rubbed his back to sleep.

Juliette let her gaze carry towards where her Dad was, helping pour Mara now some ice cream into her bowl by the ice cream stand that Bill Guarnere was especially adamant about every year. Mara turned and briefly saw Juliette and watched as her Dad grabbed a bowl and filled it with chocolate ice cream.

Juliette smiled as the two came over, smiles on their faces. Mara looked a lot like Dad and so did Aster, while Juliette and Joe Jr, looked more like their Mom - but Joe Jr still had Dad's height. Juliette had gotten Mom's.

" Jules, we got your favorite." Mara said as her Dad placed down her bowl to help Mara into the seat beside Juliette," Chocolate with all the fixings." Her favorite phrase as her Dad laughed.

" Yeah, Mara wanted to get you this, it was her idea." Dad said as he placed the bowl in front of her and then took a seat beside Juliette with a grin.

" Thanks guys." Juliette said as she softly hugged little Mara who giggled in her arms. Juliette then softly hugged her Dad as her squeezed her tight.

" Guess what Dad?" Juliette said as she pulled back and got ready to scoop ice cream into her mouth.

" You found another underrated artist?" her Dad guessed and Juliette laughed as Mara giggled.

" No, I wish, but even better." she said," Ron said he'd take Everett and I to the exhibitions in England." Her Dad automatically smiled.

" You should go," he said," but like always, best behavior, you do what Ron tells you alright? Listen to him, don't stray from him. Alright?" Juliette couldn't help but wrap her Dad in a tight hug again.

" Thanks Dad," she said softly and her Dad chuckled.

" You're welcome, kiddo," he said as she pulled back," now you gonna eat this before it all melts or do I have to eat it?" Juliette and Mara giggled as Juliette scooped the ice cream up as quick as she could.

" Not on my watch!" she called.

" What are you 3 up to?" Juliette heard her Mom's voice say and Juliette turned with a smile to see her Mom there, eyes wide with excitement, a smile on her face.

" Daddy got us ice cream!" Mara squealed as Mom laughed lightly looking to Dad with a small smirk. He winked at her and she laughed.

" Is it good?" Mom asked Mara as Juliette grinned.

" So good, Mommy, you HAVE to try it - it is ESSENTIAL to your life."

" Where'd you learn such a big word like that?" Juliette said with a laugh.

" Aster, where ever he is." Mara said with a little giggle.

" Probably with Lana playing darts with Uncle Tab."

" Ooooh right." Mara said and Mom laughed before looking at Juliette.

" I heard Ron offered to take you and Everett to the exhibitions in England," she said. Juliette's eyes widened.

" Mom please, Dad said I could go and I promise I'll listen to Ron-" Mom stopped her with a gentle hand on the shoulder almost immediately, a soft smile drawn up on her lips as Juliette watched her softly.

" I already told him that once we get home your packing your bags for the one at the end of June." Mom told her. Juliette's eyes widened.

" Really?"

" Yes, of course! Any chance a child of mine gets the chance to travel the world I invite it." she said, but there was a hint of sadness in her words - instead of traveling the world Joe Jr, seemed to be fighting the world. But tonight was about happiness, they couldn't dwell. Juliette shot up into her mother's arms hugging her close as Mom laughed lightly.

" I have to go tell Everett." she said, " I'm sure Aunt Liz will let him go." Mom smirked at her."

I have no doubts." Juliette jumped up, ice cream in hand and took off, Mara watching her with bright eyes as she did so. Mara turned back to her Mom and Dad as Mom took over Juliette's seat.

" Mommy? Daddy?" she asked as she licked her spoon, her parents watching expectantly.

" What is it, honey?" Mom asked, reaching up to brush a caramel lock of hair from her eyes.

" If Jules gets to go to England, Joey gets to go to Asia and Aster gets to go to Canada, can I go somewhere?" she asked. Mom glanced at Dad with a raised brow as Dad leaned forward.

" Where you wanna go, kiddo?"

" To the stars." Mara said with a smile. Hazel slowly looked towards Joe as he watched her softly. Gently grabbing her hand, Joe pressed a kiss to it and looked at Mara who watched expectantly.

" To the stars we go!" Joe called, shooting up from his chair and taking Mara by the waist as she giggled, her squeals of excitement flying through the room as Joe played airplane with her through the dance floor, her laughs and his mixing like a little symphony.

Hazel softly sat back in her chair watching them, a small smile on her face.

21 years since the war had come and gone and hopefully in 21 years this war would be over.

But all Hazel could do for now was sit back and enjoy the joy of Easy Company together again. Because in the future, they may never get this again - so she took these moments and stored them in her heart just like every other moment she had grown to instill deep within her.

This was one of the many. She smiled.

" To the stars." she whispered.

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I AM ACTUALLY CRYING RIGHT NOW - i have adored writing this book more than anything and including Juliette in this final chapter with her POV and ending with Hazel with the stars was how I always wanted it :,) Please read the thank yous on the next page - thank you all! <3