Hello Again! A few questions to answer... Updates will be whenever I can. NOT every day. sorry- it's just too crazy to do it, but every few days, absolutely...

When does this take place? This is a WW2 era story- some of you got it right with the beginning suggestions.

Will there be EPOV? not as written...yet.. but maybe later...

HEA? YES. but THERE WILL be tissues needed in this one. THUS Hurt/Comfort is clearly implied. There will be tears... It's wartime... in the 40's...

So excited by all your excitement! I'm sorry if I don't get back to many of you in your reviews. You all are awesome and you make my day with your words. I'll try to answer as I can.

So here's some more to tide us over...

March 8th

I closed the door to the house, wanting to keep the noise of outside where it belonged. I checked my mailbox slot in the common room, sighing when I saw the familiar empty hull. Making my way upstairs, I could hear my roommates laughing behind our door.

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, not wanting to worry them with my failures. I would find a job. Somewhere, they must have need of someone who was introverted and cared more for literary figures than real life beings.

I forced a smile on my face, hoping it didn't look too forced and opened the door.

Alice turned to me as soon as she heard the handle, her eyes bright with excitement until she saw my face.

Nothing got past Alice.

"They closed the library, didn't they?" she asked and stood quickly to come over to me. She had changed out of her nurses uniform and was comfortably dressed in a sweater and charcoal skirt, her shoes only adding an inch or so to her short body as it rushed to me.

"It was bound to happen, I said dismissively. "I was the only one really taking advantage of the books."

"I'm so sorry, Bella," she said and reached out to take my hand, drawing me towards the small table they were sitting at in our makeshift sitting room.

The common rooms downstairs were always loud and the other girls who shared the house were not the kind of girls I circulated with, so Alice had fashioned a small corner in our room that we could use for our own. It meant less room for our beds and personal belongings, but it was home. At least until the war was over and we could find work back at home.

Work might be plentiful in some cities, but back in Washington, it was a little more difficult.

And now that I had met Rose and Alice, New York City had more claim to me than home.

I had to make the best of it.

Rose looked at me with her cool sympathy and poured me a glass of the iced tea they had made. I was always amazed at how proper she could look, even in her crisp nurse's uniform. Her hair was always done up just right, always in the latest fashion. Many people often remarked she was the spitting image of Veronica Lake. She was that beautiful. And that cool and unattainable to most men.

"It was a deplorable job, Bella," she said. "You are far better than that."

Leave it to Rose to tell me in her own way what a horrible job it had been.

"You should come work at the hospital with us!" Alice exclaimed, her eyes wide with excitement once more.

"Do I need to remind you of Bella's aversion to blood and injuries?" Rose retorted. "Even if you do spend more time in hospitals than most doctors I know, its probably not a good idea."

I scowled at her for a second and shook my head, my attention drawn back to Alice.

"She's right. I would never be able to be a nurse's assistant," I said, feeling a little more worthless than I had before I walked in.

"I'll talk to Esme in the morning," Alice said. "She will find you work. She always does. And then we can all work together!"

Alice was always the beacon of hope for people. Her smile and exuberant attitude was far bigger than her small stature. But today, she couldn't cheer me up. Every time I turned, it seemed I was failing.

I nodded and stood up, stretching my back.

"I think I'll just go to bed. I'm tired," I said and moved to head towards my bed in defeat.

"Oh!" Alice exclaimed, startling me to a halt. She giggled and reached for a stack of papers on the table, drawing out a tattered envelope from the middle of the pile.

"I forgot!" she continued. "You have a letter."

I looked down at her hand as she pushed the worn envelope my way, reaching for it carefully.

A letter?

"Who's it from?" I asked absently, looking at how it must have been rained on and beaten up in transit.

I never received mail. Pop was in the Pacific last I heard, and Renee was in the city. She'd never write.

"It's from a Corporal Masen," Rose said from the table, smirking.

I frowned at the name, not recognizing it.

And then my heart sped up when it clicked. I had forgotten about my New Year's letter.

And now I had received a letter from a soldier.

My pen pal had finally responded.

I smiled at the tattered brown envelope, emblazoned with numbers and letters and postage stamps.

Corporal E.A. Masen.

I had a purpose now.

~~oo~~

AN: letters coming up! (a lot of this story will be letter correspondence) I so wish FFn had different fonts.. sigh... you'll just have to pretend Edward's is beautifully written and Bella's is well.. chicken scratch.

More soon! Thanks so much for reading!

MWAH!

steph