She had been doing a lot of thinking the past days, more than usual.  She was getting out more too these days, striving to get back to her old self, even if it meant she was snappy at stupid people again.  Could she really just go out and be herself?  Certainly! 

The past months she had kept herself locked away at home, barely seeing anyone, let along meeting new people.  Even going back to the city had been more sporadic than usual, trying to distance herself from Trent and his advances, his attempts to capture her on the “rebound” as she’d heard he was telling some of his guy friends.  It was ridiculous really.  If she hadn’t liked him that way when she’d been living with him, why in hell would she like him now?  Guys were still a mystery, though seemed as stupid as ever. 

Tashi had been one of the few that she had allowed to come and go as he pleased at her place.  He was newly married though, so Laviera made sure to yell at him each time he was at her place on a weekend or other time when he should have been at home with the new wife. 

But past that, there had been only a few visits from Glacia and Kittie, otherwise she kept herself hidden away to consider what she really wanted in life.  It seemed like some fantasy she had been living, the contemplation of actually settling down and starting a family.  But was it all really worth it?  Maybe.  She was young, and she stayed young.  Her body so messed up by the mixing of bloods of her parents, knowing she carried the Elven blood in her veins from her Father, and no idea what else might be there from her Mother.     

She’d gone to see her Father only twice in the past year, still uneasy with bringing herself to the jail and that each time she wished to confront him again about who she was and the past, but that it wasn’t appropriate.  So they watched fireworks from out in the jail yard and spoke of other things. He seemed all to pleased to hear she was single again, only stating that if she did date again, he wanted to meet the person, man or woman.  She had laughed hard at that comment from him, wondering if she would ever let anyone get that close to here again in such a way. 

The morning after had been relatively easy actually.  Tashi was there when she woke up, actually, he had woken her up with the banging of some pots and pans as he was attempting to make breakfast - pancakes with fresh strawberries upon them, and of course a side of bacon to go with it.  They didn’t talk about it that morning, he just was there, and she took it that he already knew, he always did in those situations.  She was strong when he was by her side; it was only all the times he wasn’t that she slipped back into the slump of depression that was a constant reminder. 

But it was time for her to move on, time to move out of the sanctuary she had built around herself in her home.  Her daily runs took her back around to one of the pubs in the lands of GoD over the noon hour.  Usually a pretty slow place that time of day, so it was relaxing to ease back into the life that it was being a Guardian.  She was growing accustomed to the scents and layout of the taverns once again, feeling the need to come back to the family that had taken her in and cared for her so well. 

It was time to return.  Definitely time.

Now all she was missing was someone to beat the crap out of now and then.