Disclaimer: I own nothing at all here.

"Are you sure you don't want to stay?" Mom aasked me as I prepared to ship out.

"No. Sorry." I replied apologetically.

"Maybe you can come stay another time." Cathy suggested.

"I'd like that. And you can always visit me up in Maine!"

"Are you sure that's a good idea?"

"Mom, eventually you are going to have to start being at least civil to Hawkeye. We're family now." She doesn't look convinced.

"Beck, Pierce and I will never be friends"

"I'm not saying you have to be. Just stop planning out murder schemes." As far as goodbyes go, that would have to do. I am my father's daughter. I waved and left them behind.

Not forever, though. I was going to come back. After all, I'd just got my sister back. I wasn't throwing that away. For the first time I could remember since the war, Mom was actually relaxed. I could actually tolerate being in a room with the two of them for once. And then there was Hazel. Part of me wanted to avoid her for the rest of my life, but then there was the part of me that wanted to give our friendship another shot. I didn't believe for one minute we could be friends again, of course, but we could at least be allies when I'm here. And, whilst I wasn't ever moving back here, I wasn't about to sever all my ties to Life Before.

"So how was your week?" I was asked later. I considered my reply carefully. OpIn seven days I'd made up with my Cathy, declared war on a complete stranger, destroyed another relationship, tried to fix it, and forced myself to talk to someone who stopped talking to me three years ago. How do you describe that?

"It was...eventful, I guess." I had no idea how this would play out. To be honest, I didn't really care.

Everything would be fine, whatever the outcome. Because I would make it be OK. That's just what I do.

On a side note,I found this quote the other day, and figured you might enjoy it.

'I have become my own version of an optimist. If I can't make it through one door, I'll go through another door - or I'll make a door. Something terrific will come no matter how dark the present.'

I don't know who said it, but it's how I imagine Back's thought processes (although when I began to write HEAIM I didn't know about this line).