She sat cross legged on her bed wearing a tank and cotton shorts, as if it were summer outside. Truth was she was burning up after that energy backlash; her hands were settled in her lap, neatly wrapped in gauze thanks to Hanzo.

Alex listened to her patiently as she talked, he'd get his chance to respond but she was on a roll from the moment she started.

"Brian was being so unfair today, Lexy. Tera and I walked into the alley where he and Miles- Malign- were watching some fight with these guys I didn't recognize and a big wolf. And the wolf spit fire or something, and you know how much that hurts me. One spout and I was already feeling heated and light-headed in that small alley.

"Of course it got worse, that demon that bothered the Pix and has put two people under his control-though I don't know if they worked very hard to avoid that-showed up. Now, it has been made very clear that if one hurts the demon one is also hurting Moon and Icer, that he has controlled. Now- they aren't my good friends by any means but I will not be responsible for hurting an innocent person. Besides, Tara is getting some sword made to destroy the demon- soul and all. Why intervene until then- he wasn't causing any damage except to stink up the alley.

"But Brian was practically cursing at me to get involved in one fight or the other. But why fight some big wolf- I don't know what he did wrong, maybe he didn't do anything wrong! I mentioned that I had seven kids and didn't feel the desire to put myself needlessly into danger and he called it an excuse, an excuse!" She took the littlest pause to catch her breath, "Which is ridicules because I dinstinctly remember a time- after I had Amanda, perhaps- when he told me I needed to be more responsible and not jump into danger because I was a mother now. What happened to that?

"He hasn't been carried home by Hanzo in the last two months, dripping with blood to be greeted at the front door by a ten-year-old girl. Fortunatley, she expects that but the fear in Amanda's eyes, how am I supposed to deal with that?"

She didn't wait for an answer, "But of course..against my better judgement I got involved. This, after talking with Grem and telling him how much I hate killing anything- how I don't feel I have the right to be determining who should live or die. Fighting Goroth with Keaton and Hanzo was one thing, he was a threat to all my friends, but a giant wolf? I put the alley on ice which did little.

"Then, I did the stupidest thing. I realized this trick I can do...this manipulation of my element. But I'm young, Faeries twice my age probably wouldn't try for such precise control because hundreds of things could go wrong. I reached out and seized all the water in the wolf's body and called for it to just..come out. It probably would have worked- though there was the chance that he might have exploded instead of just...leaking. Unfortunately, he just up and disappeared!

"All that energy I was channeling and had under my control needed to go somewhere. Wizards call such accidents spell backlash, but this was more energy backlash. It's like...it whipped right back at me. I put as much of it as I could into an improtu snow shower, but it was still strong enough to send me back against the wall and burn my hands up.

"Fortunately, Tera was still around to help me inside. Brian hiked it out of there before it happened. I just don't understand what he wants from me, Lex." She let herself tip over on her side so she was laying down, looking at him, "I still love the fight. I always will. But there's conditions now, things change. And I just don't know."

She smiled, smooches taken and returned with ardour. She was really loved him so very much. But passionate feelings were tampered down for the sake of conversation; it was so rare for them to enjoy quiet moments of conversation together.

"Vicious little fighter, eh? Doesn't sound so bad," how easily he calmed her mood and restored her into better spirits. "I've always called on you to help me in every jam, even when we just met," even in the first months of association with each other when he had killed for her, "and you have almost always been quick to my side." She gave him a reassuring smile, reaching up to push his hair back for him this time.

"You can't always be there for me Lex, and I shouldn't let you. I do have to rely on my own judgement. But that's hard, yanno? I've always had someone to tell me what to do in some form or other. First, my station in life dictating my doings and my brother and other men," a sour little frown. "And Brian, not so dictatorial but still in that position for me to look up to and see what I should do. But now the kids rely and look up to me to see what they should do so I have to start relying on myself. Fortunately, my head isn't completely filled with nonsense of clothing and vanity...just partly."

"At least, if I can't please everyone all the time I can still please you- no?" She gave him a teasing smile and tilted her head up for another quick lock-of-lips.

"You better always love me or," she wrinkled her nose trying to think of something good, "I don't know what I'll do but it will be very threatening!" Vague ideas of castration and some of what Tara promised to do if any guy hurt her came to mind. She giggled.

All semblance of serious conversation was not wiped away with that single expression of glee, "And what is it that you want to say, love-of-mine? We have solved all my problems and now I can live forever, unburdened of dark thoughts. Care to do the same?" That was a bit of an exaggeration, for many things still weighed on her mind. Another night, for now she was happy with what had been immediately bothering her.