A/N: Hi y'all lovely fellas. Again, thanks so much to BobtheFrog, AllieRoexxx, and ee for the nice words. Also, thank you for all who have read, followed, or fav'd this story, thanks a lot! Also, just a bit spoiler, there's not much Lieb in this one since this chapter will focus mainly on Judy's past.

I hope you still enjoy it!

It had been a week since that evening they'd spent in the meadow. Not only Judy grew closer to Joe Liebgott, she'd become friends with Joe (and Skinny)'s other fiends. At the end of the second week, the men were allowed to go to Swindon for a dance night. Just like their other fellows, Joe and Sisk were more than psyched at the possibility for having fun ever for only one night.

It was 5 pm in a breezy Saturday in the Blakes' house. Judy was helping Lisa in the kitchen when the door opened and bursts of laughter suddenly filled the room; it was Joe and Skinny, getting back from their HQ.

"Boys," Lisa had that frown on her forehead. "You alright?" she had that pure worry laced on her voice, as if she was asking her own children. Well, maybe not children, more like little brothers.

Sisk was the one to answer. "Oh, Mrs Blake, I'm sorry," he noticed that the two women inside were looking at them curiously as to why they were laughing. "We're okay. It's just—Joe here apparently has some trouble with his tummy," he said it grinning. Joe too was grinning, but his face turned red.

"He what?" Judy asked, clearly didn't understand what these guys before her were talking about.

"No, no, no, never mind," Joe chimed in before Skinny could embarrass him more. "Skinny has a tendency to babble, that's what," he nodded reassuringly.

Lisa Blake raised her brows then let out a chuckle. "Alright then, now that you're here," Lisa straightened the apron she was wearing. "What you folks want for dinner?"

Joe and Skinny looked at each other. "Umm… Mrs Blake," Joe stepped forward. "Actually, uh, we'll go to Swindon tonight, so thanks very much, but we'll be having dinner outside," he smiled apologetically.

"Swindon?" her face beamed. "Good for you, boys," Lisa smiled happily.

"Yeah, thanks Ma'am," Skinny smiled. "We sure could use some dance."

They all laughed. Judy, too, was happy that these men would have some much needed entertainment.

"And Ma'am, just another thing," Joe sounded unsure to continue. "Can I take Judy with me to Swindon tonight?" he rubbed the back of his neck involuntarily.

Judy, who was busy peeling some potatoes, turned her head immediately and mouthed a "what" to Joe which he returned with a smirk.

Lisa looked a little bit surprised Joe's question, but then a smile appeared on her face. "Well, I would say yes, but," she gestured to Judy. "You gotta ask her yourself," she winked.

Joe nodded and walked over to Judy. "Hey, Jude," he shyly said as if they've just met each other. "Would you go to Swindon with me tonight?"

Skinny let out a mocking snort which made Joe turned his head quickly and gave him a glare.

Judy tried her best to hold back laughter. "Are you asking me out for a date?" she smiled playfully at Joe.

Joe rolled his eyes but forced a smile. "Yes, I am."

She shrugged and pursed her lips. "I don't see why not."

Joe raised his brows. "I take it as a yes?"

"Uh-uh," she grinned.

"Lovely," he smiled and rubbed the top of her head.

Then they heard someone clapping excitedly. They turned their heads to see that it was Lisa. "Mind my excitement," she giggled. "Now, you people have fun," she waved her hands to the three others. "And Judy, you'll need to change," she pointed at her dress.

Judy shook her head and rolled her eyes, "Sure, Mum."

While the boys were getting ready, Judy found Lisa even busier than herself in preparing her for the "date". Lisa chose the dress that Judy would use, applied some sheer makeup on her face, and tight now, was doing her hair.

Judy sat nicely in front of a mirror while Lisa turned her hair into some big, loose braids. It'd been 15 minutes already and Judy couldn't help fidgeting.

"Sit still, love," Lisa said without taking her eyes and hands off of Judy's hair.

"How many braids to go?"

"This is the last one, princess. And it's only two of it, so stop asking."

Judy sighed heavily.

"I want you to be perfect tonight," Lisa whispered after a while.

"Hmm… what?"

"This going out thing is important for you. You need this,"

"Oh come on, Lis," she sighed again. "It's just another dance night in town."

"And when was the last time you went to this 'another dance night in town'?" Lisa looked at her through the mirror.

Judy avoided Lisa's stare by playing with the hem of her red satin dress.

Lisa stopped what she'd been doing with Judy's hair and knelt beside her. "Judith, look at me," she said softly. "I just want you to know that… no, I need you to know I'm happy about this. I'm happy that you… that you're willing to try things out."

"Lis," she cut her off before she could say anything else. "I'm glad that you're happy. But you're aware that there's nothing between me and him, aren't you?" she frowned, stressing on the word "him".

"It's not about that, babe; it's not about something between you and him. Even though I'll be more than excited if there's something going on between you two," she smiled which Judy returned with a glare. "But, let's be honest, you've been living under shell."

Both of them knew what Lisa was talking about. One life-changing experience had happened to Judy's life a few months before that American paratroopers came.

"You refused to see people, remember?" Lisa continued. "But look at you now: being the most beautiful girl you are, about to have some time of your life," Lisa smiled, but there was sadness in her voice.

"Yeah," she looked down. "I was a zombie, wasn't I?"

"Exactly you were," Lisa chuckled.

She looked back up at Lisa. "Thank you, Lis. What would I do without you?" she smiled genuinely. "I'm just trying to live my life," she fiddled again with her dress. "That's what he'd want for me, don't you think?" a tear threatened to fall from her eye, but she was more than the best at holding back tears. That's what she'd been doing all these times.

Lisa smiled and stroked Judy's arms affectionately. "He'd love to see you being your old self again, the one he'd known and loved."

Judy couldn't contain herself anymore and let out those tears. Lisa frowned and mumbled "oh dear" before hugging her tightly. She rubbed her back, trying to calm her down.

"Jude, babe, hey it's okay now," Lisa pulled herself. "You're ruining that makeup," she wiped the tears away from Lisa's cheeks with her thumbs.

Judy chuckled and took a deep breath. "Alright, I'm okay," she said, more to herself. "Do I look okay?"

"You're flawlessly fine," Lisa nodded. "But first thing, let me finish your hair."

His name was Rupert Allen. He lived in Aldbourne for practically most of his live. It was spring 1934 when young Judy Blake visited her newlywed brother, James, in Aldbourne and met Rupert. They both were 13 years old at that time. They bumped into each other when both visited one same chapel in the village. She was sitting on one bench when young Rupert sat beside her.

"Correct me if I'm wrong, but you don't live around here, do you?"

Judy turned her head to see him not even looking at her. Where's his manner? She thought.

"I'm Rupert," he said and smiled when Judy didn't say anything.

"I'm Judy," she answered, looking straightly to the front, trying to ignore him.

"Nice meeting you, Judy," he said again politely.

"You too, Rupert."

Judy stayed there for the next thirty minutes. She expected him to go away and leave her alone, but he stayed too. Judy grabbed her purse and walked outside the chapel, didn't even bother to say anything to him. It was only a few yards from the chapel when she noticed that someone was walking beside her, Rupert.

"Where do you live, Judy?"

That was practically how they became friends. His persistency in attempts to know Judy better was what made her finally "gave up". She later found out that he wasn't a young man without manner, it was just the way he was. He considered all people to be his friends. She found it strange, but that was also the part of him that she liked the most.

Since that spring, she always visited Aldbourne every time she got the chance. She could always use the reason to visit his brother, couldn't she? And that was exactly what she did. James, too, was aware of the closeness she built with Rupert, but he didn't mind at all. He knew Rupert's family, and his parents were ones of the best people in Aldbourne. Rupert grew an interest in the Army, and knowing that James had joined them, Rupert often visited him even when Judy wasn't in Aldbourne.

Growing up best friend, three years later they admitted that they had fallen for each other. Nothing special about it as it felt just natural for them. One fine day in summer 1939, Rupert told Judy that he had applied for the Army. She knew that this day will come, but she knew she would never be ready. To make it worse, just a week before, her brother James had informed his family that he would be deployed to Africa, leaving behind Lisa, two little sons, and an infant daughter Lucy.

Judy refused to meet both James and Rupert. Hell, she even refused to visit Aldbourne. It was her mother who assured her that both men indeed needed her presence as support. So, putting up brave and strong face, she went to Aldbourne to kiss his brother a proper goodbye and wish him the best of luck. She also met Rupert for the last time before he went joining the Army. England was already in a war at that time, so the training would be intense, and Rupert's possibility of going home regularly was thin.

Both Judy and Rupert couldn't say much at that day as they were overwhelmed by sadness. Judy made amend to stay faithful while he's away.

"I'll keep my eyes closed," she said jokingly.

"You'd better be, because I'll be home in no time," he replied, whispering in into her lips.

"I love you,"

"I love you. With my life."

And off he went.

She went to college afterwards. As they had predicated, Ru couldn't get back home regularly, but every time he was in Aldbourne, Judy would leave whatever it was she was doing and headed immediately to see him. She also kept in touch with her brother via letters. There was nothing she couldn't handle.

Three years later, 1942. James got back home from Africa, and Judy and their parents went to Aldbourne. That day when they finally got to see James again was full of tears, especially from Lisa. That day passed so fast. At dinner, however, James told his family one shocking news: he would be redeployed to the Pacific in September. Everyone fell silent, but they tried not to show it for James' sake. Before going off to bed, James came over to Judy and hugged her. He also whispered something she didn't understand at that time, "I need you to be strong."

A week later, when she was still in Aldbourne, Rupert got a chance to get home for a few days. They went to that meadow uphill the day after.

"I've got something to tell you," Rupert said as they intertwined their fingers.

"Hmm?"

"I'll go to war," he said quietly.

She felt numbness shot through her body. "Where?"

"Pacific,"

The sound of James saying "I need you to be strong" was playing all over again in her head. He must have known about this, she thought.

She tried to compose herself and collected all the strengths left in her. She waved two of her loved ones on their departure day. She didn't even cry—again, she felt numb.

Though it wasn't easy, but she kept writing to both Rupert and James. She tried her best to get to hear from them as often as possible. She was living with Lisa since then, so her mind got a bit distracted with the kids around her. The kids were also such a good distraction for Lisa.

Then one cold day in January 1943, a letter from her brother found her. She was reading it in such good mood when she read that line.

Two days ago, Rupert's company in the front line received a massive resistance from the Japs. It was intense and out of control. I didn't know about how many casualties from our side, until later the next morning I got the information that Rupert got shot. Judy, my darling, I regret to tell you that Rupert was killed in that attack.

That numbness came again. It took her some minutes to absorb the words and realized that her Rupert was dead. She cried hysterically until Lisa came downstairs and asked her about what happened. Judy could barely breathe, so she just shoved the letter to Lisa's hand. After finding it out, Lisa pulled Judy into a hug and let her cried on her chest.

It took only one event for Judy to hate this war and all people involved in it.