Ad Astra Per Aspera [2] - Band of Brothers

65 | this is peace

" 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.