#aiteus

The ex-ranger knew she was lucky to be alive at all, and had Sharyssa and the healers at Hyjal, but not all damage could be repaired. She'd taken to wear a silver half-mask to cover the ruined right side of her face in public, but that wasn't all she'd lost.

Her cane clicked on the wooden floor as she limped out of the bathroom, and the blood elf felt the urge to just toss it away in a brief flash of anger. Luckily, she had more than enough time to control these rare outbursts, and she needed the cane. The full-leg brace encasing her right leg from thigh to the middle of her foot alone wasn't enough to let her walk unaided.

Her joints - especially her knee - were far too damaged. The healers did their best and saved the leg, but she'd always need aid to walk, and running was out of the question. The chronic pain was the worst. It was little more than a dull throb on most days, but sometimes - quite rarely, thank Belore - it was so bad she needed crutches to move around, her crippled leg kept off the ground by locking the brace in position at her knee. On such days she would rather spend the day on the couch and just exist. Luckily, today the pain was manageable, but it was just another permanent reminder of what she lost and how close-minded one's own parents could be.

"Minn'da? Are you okay? A bad day?" A pair of voices piped up in unison, pulling Serena back to the present and she couldn't help the smile as she turned towards her children.

"I'm fine, my Little Stars. I was just thinking, that's all." She couldn't help a chuckle at the unconvinced expressions sitting on Myleena's and Aiteus's faces. "Really. You know I'd tell you, right? We made a pinky promise, after all."

The twins shared a quick look before finally nodding and rushed forward to hug their mother tightly from both sides. Of course they felt her mood was off.

Serena leaned down to hug them back, tears in the corner of her eye. It were moments such as this that truly mattered, and she knew that despite all that happened, she wouldn't change a thing.

No matter how damaged she felt at times, she had her precious children, a loving husband and two great stepdaughters. This was her real family and they all loved her unconditionally.