The boat ride was only a few hours. Eleanor remained topside, feeling the ocean breeze on her skin. She prayed silently for the people they lost. She prayed for Florence Kowalski. But mostly, she prayed for Violet.

Eleanor watched as Guadalcanal disappeared completely and finally Australia came into view. Her friends returned to the deck after getting a cup of coffee. The concept of coffee sounded great, but the thought of going to a claustrophobic mess hall was not her idea of a good time.

Upon docking in Australia, the first thing Eleanor heard were drums. There was a marching band playing. Hundreds of civilians were lined up at the docks cheering them on. Eleanor heard choruses of 'Heroes' and 'Well done Yanks'.

"What the Hell…?" Chuckler questioned.

Normally, Eleanor would relish in the attention from an appreciative crowd, but now she was too damn tired.

They unloaded from the troop ship into trucks. Children chased after them with bikes. People cheered in the streets. Eleanor sat close to the back of the truck. It was a shock seeing cars and well dressed people. Her hair was filthy and matted. She felt like a wild animal next to them. A filthy and mange animal. Australia looked like it was untouched by war.

They pulled up to a large stadium and unloaded the trucks. This is where they'd been billeted. Hundreds of cots lined the bleachers of the stadium. She was stopped from going to find a bunk with the other officers.

"Lieutenant Thompson, you have a separate area," the MP told her.

She figured she would. In the jungle, it didn't matter where she slept. In civilization, it does.

"I'll catch up with you soon," she told her friends.

"Sure thing, Tommy," Runner said.

Eleanor followed the MP away from the incoming men. They walked up a flight of stairs to the scorekeeper's booth. Inside, there was a cot and a foot locker. The space itself was tiny. There was no room besides the bed. The large window facing the field at least gave her the appearance of a wide space.

"Thank you," she told the MP. He left and she was left alone. She shut the door behind her.

Eleanor put her pack on the cot. There was a clang and she remembered the bottle in her bag. She pulled it out, her eyes resting on the label for Johnny Walker. She looked out the window briefly to see marines heading for the exit. The MPs sat and did nothing.

There was a knock at the door.

"Tommy!" It was Lucky's voice.

She opened the door to see Runner, Lucky, Chuckler, and Sid all standing there. She noticed a lack of Hoosier.

"The MPs are letting us walk. C'mon Tommy, let's go out on the town," Lucky urged.

Eleanor thought about her messy hair and her tattered dungarees.

"Nuh-uh, not until I look presentable," she told them.

"Ah, c'mon Tommy," Runner egged on. "You know you wanna."

She did want to go out but not while she looked like a wilderbeast. She gave them a smile.

"You boys have fun. Don't do anything stupid," she told them.

"Ah c'mon," Chuckler stated.

"See you tomorrow, fellas. Best hurry before the MPs change their minds," she told them.

Then she shut the door. Once upon a time, she'd been fun.

Eleanor did not want to be around her friends. She did not want to go out in public today. Instead, she sat on her cot and felt her heart beating heavily. A weight settled itself on her chest. She looked out her window to see mostly empty cots, save a few sleeping marines. There were a few laughing and playing cards. She couldn't help but look at the empty beds and think of all the ones they lost. She couldn't help but think of the incomplete families back home.

She was alone, she didn't have to hide her tears here. She remembered Lewis, his bright smile and eyes. Then she remembered is eyes going vacant as the life left his body. She remembered every single face of every marine that died under her hands. No amount of training could prepare someone for that.

She hadn't realized the tears started dripping from her eyes until one splashed on her hand. All those people died for one spec of dirt that doesn't even show up on a map. The brutality she witnessed in that jungle, Eleanor didn't understand how mankind could do such things. The cruelty of man knows no bounds.

At some point, Eleanor fell asleep. The loud blare of a trumpet caused her to jump right out of her cot. For a moment, she thought she was back on Guadalcanal. Then she looked around and remembered she was in the score keeper's booth. She groaned and flopped back in bed. Every single muscle in her body ached.

She finally crawled out of bed and walked down to the field where the rest of her company had gathered. All of them looked worst for wear. She guessed most of them were nursing hangovers after sneaking out last night. Corrigan looked as exhausted as he stood shaggily in front of them. She stood at the front near Runner when she heard a flop as one marine fell asleep standing and collapsed to the ground.

"Company dismissed," was all Corrigan said as he shambled off.

Eleanor looked over at her hungover friends.

"I take it you had fun?" She asked.

Chuckler burped while Lucky groaned. She laughed and shook her head.

She was very glad she didn't go last night.

About half an hour after wake up, they were told there were showers. An honest to goodness shower. And better yet, because she was the only woman around, she got first crack.

And they say chivalry is dead.

The shower was the most glorious thing she'd ever felt in the entire world. She shed a layer of skin as she began to scrub all the dirt from the last six months. She even sang in the shower too as her fingers ran through her hair to spread around the shampoo.

"I've been a sinner. I've been a scamp.

So now I'm beginning to trim my lamp.

So blow, Gabriel, blow."

That song was always one of her go to happy tunes. Anything Goes was one of the musicals she'd been lucky to watch on stage. And of course, she'd seen the film a half dozen times at the cinema. This particular song always had the crowd of dancers hoping to the tune.

She could see the dirt mixing in the water. It was like she'd lost ten pounds on dirt and grime alone. Eleanor exited the shower and put on her new uniform. Finally, she was given a proper marine Grade A uniform. She slipped on her pair of stockings, miraculous really that they made it all the way here through Guadalcanal, and her skirt overtop. She noticed how thin she'd gotten. She was given back her pumps, which had been left behind in her footlocker at the last base they stayed at in Hawaii. Her wet hair was wrapped in a towel as she put on her new button up shirt. Her tie was tied perfectly and finally her green jacket lay overtop. She didn't have a blow dryer here, of course. She took out her hair from the towel and left it down temporarily until she could use her mirror to style it. There was also a line of restless marines waiting for their turn.

She went back to her room, tossed the towel on her bed and retrieved the mirror from the bottom of her bag. It was a shaving mirror she nicked away from the army. She managed to roll her hair into a Gibson roll. She didn't have much left of her tube of lipstick. She did have enough to put a coat of red on her lips. There was a small mirror in her bag, she glimpsed at herself and saw an actual woman looking back at her.

"Eleanor Thompson, you are one good looking gal," she complimented herself.

"Do you always talk to yourself like that?"

In the corner of the mirror she saw Hoosier standing there.

Though she mentally was freaking out, this woman in the mirror was confident.

"Someone has to," she replied. She turned around and locked eyes with him.

She noticed how he was all nice and clean now as well.

"I forgot what you looked like clean," she told him.

He was handsome. She'd thought that back when she first met him, but now it was like getting reintroduced to him. She thought he looked different somehow, his dark rugged brown eyes looked older. Back in New River, Hoosier had been nothing but an immature boy. He'd been nothing but a thorn in her side. He was still a thorn in her side but at least he was fun to be around. Guadalcanal changed a lot. Eleanor couldn't help but wonder if she looked any different.

"Yeah, you don't look so bad either after a little soap," he replied.

"What are you doing up here?"

"Guys told me to…"

Runner came up behind him. He cleared his throat.

"Jesus, Hoosier, I told you to get Tommy, not flirt." He looked passed Hoosier and looked at Eleanor. Hoosier looked like he was visibly annoyed. "The MPs are pretty much letting us walk again. I think, that's what Lucky said but he might still be a bit drunk… I don't know, but let's go. Chuckler, Lucky, and Sid are waiting down the hall. Tommy, first round is on me," Runner rambled excitedly.

Today she looked like a human being again.

"Well, if that's the case," she stated, "we ought to get going."

Runner clapped once victoriously.

"That's my girl."

They didn't go to a bar right away. They walked around the streets of Melbourne since Hoosier and Eleanor didn't leave the previous night. Melbourne was a beautiful city. She'd almost forgotten what pavement felt like under shoes and the gentle click's that came with walking on cement with heels.

"So, what to do? What to do?" Lucky questioned.

Eleanor rolled her eyes.

"Gwen mentioned a place last night," Sid spoke up.

"Gwen?" Eleanor asked curiously.

She could've sworn she saw Sid blush.

"Uh… she said there's a place down the street lot of the girls like to go."

"And you're just mentioning this now?" Chuckler joked. "Lead the way, Johnny Red."

They followed Sidney, passing a number of marines happily singing a bench with a bottle of liquor being shared among them. She couldn't quite hear what they were singing, but she thought it might be an off pitch rendition of De-Lovely.

The bar was rather full. She spotted the Americans spread across the bar. Most had an Aussie girl attached to their hips. There was a band playing in the back but there wasn't a soul on the dance floor. They all sat at tables, drinking and talking merrily. No one seemed to care that it was early in the afternoon.

"Runner, if I remember, you told me that drinks were on you?" Eleanor stated.

Runner seemed to remember what he told Eleanor to 'coax' her out.

"What a gentleman," Hoosier said as he clapped his friend on the shoulder.

"Yeah, I'm going," he replied almost reluctantly.

"We'll find a table… or…" Eleanor stretched to see what alternatives there were. Runner and Lucky walked over to the bar leaving Eleanor, Chuckler, Hoosier, and Sid.

Sidney moved forward, his eyes going towards a pretty brunette who was sitting at a table. She looked to be waiting for something, or rather someone.

"I'll see you guys later," Sidney said as he pushed passed them towards the girl.

Then Chuckler's eyes wandered through the crowd until they landed on a girl across the joint by the band.

"See ya," he said before also taking off.

And then there were two.

"Well, I suppose in the meantime we should find a place to sit."

"What about you?" He asked. Me? She wondered. "See anything you like?"

She shook her head.

"No, and I am definitely not looking," she replied.

Eleanor hadn't been on a date in seven years. After her last blunder, she certainly did not want to repeat it. Most men did not like finding out she had another man's child.

"I think I found a table," Eleanor stated as she pushed her way through the crowd.

It was a tiny round table in the middle of the place, but it was better than nothing. Eleanor and Hoosier sat down. She waved over Lucky and Runner, who were each carrying three beers.

"Guess we got two extra," she said as they sat down.

"Johnny Red and Chuckler found some dates," Hoosier explained. Eleanor took one of the pint glasses of beer and brought it to her lips. She was not a beer drinker usually.

"Speaking of… There was a broad by the bar who looked like she could use a drink," Runner stated as he picked up one of the extra beers and then went over to a pretty redhead standing by the bar.

Eleanor laughed lightly as she leaned back in her chair and took a sip of her beer. She noticed Hoosier eyeing someone across the way. She was a pretty blonde with blue eyes.

"Go for it," she encouraged.

Hoosier hesitated for one moment before drinking half his beer and then going up.

She hadn't even noticed Lucky had moved over another table and was chatting up a brunette. Eleanor rolled her eyes. Men, she thought to herself.

She looked around the bar, suddenly very aware that she was alone. It was a strange and unwanted feeling after spending the last six months constantly surrounded by people. She looked around and saw all the marines laughing, smiling, living their lives.

Out of the corner of her eye she spotted Sid talking to the girl. They were huddled closely together. She briefly thought about what Sister Agnes would have said: 'If there isn't space for the Lord to sit, then you are much too close.' Sometimes she wondered if maybe she should've listened to Sister Agnes more.

She saw how Sidney's girl laughed.

1935

Eleanor laughed as Wesley recounted a story from when he was young. They sat in the back of a restaurant. It had been two weeks since they first met. Every other night after her set, she'd sit at the bar and Wesley would bring her a drink. Two nights ago, she finally agreed to go on a date with him.

She'd gotten all dressed up in a dark blue dress that really made her eyes pop. Her hair was styled in faux-bob. She had her lips painted red. He did most of the talking, not that she cared much since she simply liked to to look deep into his soulful brown eyes.

"…That's when I decided I wanted to come here, open my own place one day. A place for lost souls to find their way."

"Lost souls?" Eleanor questioned.

"Artists. Drifters. People who don't have a home but want a place where they can gather."

Eleanor had a smile on her face as he spoke so eloquently. She could believe in his vision.

"But for now, I'll settle with the Ladybird. After all, they have a pretty great house band," he told her.

"It's a wonderful dream," she told him.

"With the world being as it is, dreams are all we have," he stated.

She was in awe. She'd never once met anybody who understood life as she did.

"Well…"

Eleanor looked up to see the sergeant from the Seventh Marines. She'd helped and spoken to probably two dozen marines on that day but that sergeant stuck out to her.

"If it isn't my favorite Lieutenant," he greeted with a beer in hand.

"Sergeant, I take it you're having a good time," she stated.

"Indeed, Lieutenant," he replied. "Mind if I sit?"

"Not at all."

She drank her beer as the sergeant sat down.

"I'm John Basilone," he introduced himself. "Never got your name last time. All the guys've just been calling you the 'Angel of Guadalcanal'."

"Eleanor Thompson," she replied. "They've really been calling me that? Good grief. They make it sound like I'm some great mythical being. It's a little too sanctimonious for my taste."

She made a note never to tell her friends about that. They would never stop calling her that and she'd just begun to accept Tommy.

"It's nice to finally put a name to the face."

He was charming, she'd give him that.

She remembered that scared man from the aid station. His arms burnt, looking for his friend. She wanted to ask if he ever found him, but the grief etched in the corners of his eyes gave her plenty of answers.

"Are you here alone?" She asked him. She supposed that was close enough to asking him.

John Basilone shrugged.

"My buddy JP is somewhere around here, sulking because he misses his wife," he explained. She recalled him mentioning the friend he was looking for wasn't named JP.

"I can imagine how hard it must be to leave the love of your life behind," she replied.

But really, she didn't have to imagine it at all. The guilt swelled in her chest once more.

"You here alone?" He asked.

Her eyes darted around the bar, she found a few of her friends scattered amongst the crowd.

"Like your friend, I came here with people but they all got… distracted."

"Let me buy you a drink as a thank you for keeping my arm from getting infected," he offered.

Eleanor knew there were always ulterior motives when a man buys a woman drink.

The song changed to an up-tempo crowd favorite of Chattanooga Choo-Choo. A few were going to the dance floor. She had to get her mind off of things.

"Let's dance," she suggested to John Basilone.

"I'm not much of a dancer."

"One dance as a thank you," she replied.

"I might step on your feet a few times."

"I did fix your arm."

He huffed in resignation. "Alright."

She led him to the dance floor. How long had it been since she'd been on an actual dance floor? She'd gone maybe twice after Violet was born. But between nursing school and a baby, she didn't have the time for fun.

It probably wasn't appropriate to be dancing with an enlisted man, but it wasn't as if she was going to do anything except dance. She wanted to stop thinking and feeling guilty for a moment. She knew dancing did just that. Not that Sergeant Basilone was much of a dancer. For most of the song, she had to avoid his clumsy feet. His hand rested on her lower back but not any lower.

Respectful.

She flinched as he stepped on her foot again.

Clumsy.

"I did warn you," he reminded.

Eleanor still kept her smile on her lips. This was the most fun she'd had in ages. Even if her feet were being stomped on.

"Why don't you follow my lead?" She suggested.

She widened the gap between them. She began to sway to the music, her feet going side to side. John looked down at his feet and began to follow along.

"One, two, one, two," she instructed. "And look up. Girls like it when you look in their eyes."

"You sound like my ma," he said fondly. "She tried to teach me when I was a kid. 'Every good man should know to dance.'"

"Smart woman," she said with a smile.

"I, of course, ignored everything and ran outside to play with my friends," he added.

He followed the movements.

"Now you're getting it. Let's add in a box," she said. "Follow my footing. One, two, three, four."

He stepped on her feet a few times but as Chattanooga Choo-Choo finished, he was starting to lead. A few swing moves were even thrown in there. She was caught off guard as he dipped her. The dancers started clapping and the band began to play another tune.

If Eleanor had been younger and a bit more naïve, she may have just fallen in love with Sergeant John Basilone on that dance floor. But she was not naïve or young. She did not fall for whimsical charm. Not anymore.

"Mind if I cut in?" A sweet sounding Aussie voice asked. Eleanor looked behind her to see a pretty redhead girl.

"Uh…" Sergeant Basilone hesitated.

"Sure," Eleanor agreed happily. She looked at Sergeant Basilone and said in a lower voice, "remember, lead with the left."

She then gave him a wink before walking off the dance floor. She needed to give her feet a break. She forgot how much fun it was to be completely carefree and dance. She forgot what it was like not to feel burdened.

Then the guilt settled its way back in and suddenly it felt like she couldn't breathe anymore in the crowded bar.

She saw Runner was now kissing the girl he'd been talking to. Chuckler and Sid along with their dates were on the crowded dance floor. Lucky was nowhere to be seen. Hoosier was still talking to the blonde girl at the bar.

Eleanor pushed her way back to the front door. She stepped out of the building, taking in the somewhat fresh air. She flinched at the bright sun. She moved over to the side. Cars and people strode passed her. It was foreign to her… civilization after months of the jungle.

She could feel her hands beginning to shake. She took in a deep breath to remind herself that she wasn't back on that island.

Eleanor ended up walking all the way back to the cricket field alone. She snuck back in the way they went earlier and made it back to her room. It did her good to walk.

Along the way, she found herself humming the tune of Salvation Lassie of Mine. She knew the song from a long time ago. It was a faded vague memory but one that filled her with sense of comfort. For the life of her, she couldn't remember any details of the memory, only the feeling and the music. She hadn't heard it years. The thought of it had disappeared long ago. Strange how the mind works.

They say it's in Heaven that all angels dwell. But I've come to learn they're on earth as well.

Eleanor opened the door to her room. She fell onto her cot and stared up at the ceiling.

Mama loves you, to the moon and back.

She pulled herself up off her cot and grabbed the letter paper from her bag and her book to write on.

'Dear Anna,

A lot has changed since my last letter. Finally, we left that horrid island behind. Now, we're stationed in Australia for a rest. I had a real proper shower today. It felt as thought I were a snake shedding a layer of skin. No longer do I resemble a wild animal. I am myself again.

I went out to a bar today with Hoosier, Lucky, Sid, Chuckler, and Runner. From the moment we walked in, they were already off flirting with the local women. I remember the days when I could keep a man's attention for longer than two minutes.

After six months of constantly not knowing whether or not you will see another sunrise, I can't blame them for it. I too am happy to simply be alive…'

She stopped writing for a moment. She knew she needed to tell Anna about Florence. Anna would know what to say, she always did. Her hesitation came with how to phrase it.

'… Do you remember how you told me about Claire Rousseau? At first we thought she was the only one like me, but we were wrong. I met another woman on Guadalcanal. Her name is Florence Kowalski and she is in the army. But it was not like writing to Claire. Florence Kowalski wanted nothing to do with me. The way she spoke, it was as if she had already given up on life. What a terrible way to live. Is it wrong of me to want to write her? She must be terribly lonely. One has to be lonely to be so bitter.

I think about our friend and I think of who she might be in this world. I cannot let her become like Florence Kowalski.

How can I teach her about joy and love when the world keeps trying to tear itself apart? How can I teach her from all the way over here? I knew it would be difficult to leave, but most days it feels like my heart is being ripped in two.

Annie, I miss you more than words can express.

Please, stay safe.

Love always,

Ellie.'

As she finished the letter, a few tears stained the page. On Guadalcanal at least there was distraction. In Melbourne, there was nothing. Everything that had been bouncing in her mind came rushing out. Anna would understand. She always did.

I am so sorry for not updating for over a month. It's been a mix of blocked and exhaustion from work. Now I've started school again and it's already getting crazy. I'm currently in the process of writing a short film that I hope will be filmed next semester and I'll be working on a documentary this semester. On top of that, I also work about four shifts a week at my job. I've been prioritizing writing my own original content over Eleanor but I have not nor will I abandon her. However, I can't guarantee that my updates will be consistent. I'm going to do my best to update at least once a month. I'm sorry about the delay and inconsistency.

Please let me know what you thought of the chapter. I do love hearing from you.