[Her smile softens her face and her eyes are warm and open in a way that really only Jo has ever seen from her. She keeps the shields up, even with the boys, because she's seen too many come through the roadhouse, too many lost and broken souls that end up dying on a back dusty road without anyone to hold their hand and no one to know they're gone until much, much later.
She's lit too many candles, and said too many prayers in the dark of night for people that she barely knew the name of. And then there's the old friends, the ones that were just that step too slow, just that tiny bit off, who get lost in the fight that they'd always been on the front line. Old friends that just don't come back one time, and she never gets to say good bye to.
Getting up, Ellen doesn't reach for the alcohol, she doesn't fetch a glass, or play the good bartender. Instead, Ellen wraps warm, strong arms around Balthazar and drags him into a hug, resting her cheek against his head, and just holding him. She knows how hard it is just to ask for something so simple as a hug. Ellen will never deny anyone the peace of this tiny bit of physical comfort. No matter how mad she is at them.]
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She's lit too many candles, and said too many prayers in the dark of night for people that she barely knew the name of. And then there's the old friends, the ones that were just that step too slow, just that tiny bit off, who get lost in the fight that they'd always been on the front line. Old friends that just don't come back one time, and she never gets to say good bye to.
Getting up, Ellen doesn't reach for the alcohol, she doesn't fetch a glass, or play the good bartender. Instead, Ellen wraps warm, strong arms around Balthazar and drags him into a hug, resting her cheek against his head, and just holding him. She knows how hard it is just to ask for something so simple as a hug. Ellen will never deny anyone the peace of this tiny bit of physical comfort. No matter how mad she is at them.]