On This Lonely Road

Long Hard Times

Liz and Raylan sat across across from each other at a table in the bar Raylan frequented often. It had been a good year since he ad seen her, maybe even longer. Not much had changed about her physically. But Raylan could tell her personality had been switched around. The madness she much have encountered why in Baghdad was something he could only imagine. He had been in some pretty hairy situations, but nothing that he couldn't shrug off. He could see the mental baggage she was carrying but didn't want to bother her to much with it.

"How have you been?" Liz broke his train of thought.

"Pretty good," Raylan spun his glass of whiskey, "just had to deal with a hit by the Dixie Mafia, Art thinks I'm sleeping with now your witness but otherwise not much else."

"Are you?" She asked taking a sip of her drink.

"No," Raylan was immediately on the offensive then he gritted his teeth, "at least not yet."

"So you're involved with her?"

"Something like that." Raylan looked at his whiskey pondering if he wanted another one.

"You are or you arent Raylan," she shrugged her shoulders.

"All we've done is kiss," Raylan sat back," and she lives with me on a kind of witness protection plan."

"She sleeping in your bed?" Liz asked.

"Ya," Raylan acted like there was nothing wrong with that.

"You're an interesting one Raylan Givens," Liz just took another swallow of her drink.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Raven!" Raylan called as he entered the hotel room.

"Ya?" She answered from the bathroom.

"Got someone here to see ya!" He informed her.

"Be out on a minute!"

"Make yourself at home," Raylan gestured to Liz to walk by.

She slowly stepped into the room obviously canvassing the place. Her eyes scanned every part out of an old undying habit. The bathroom door opened and she snapped to attention to face it. Raven walked out with her hair hanging over her shoulders obviously wet from just getting out of the shower walked into the main room. Her eyes landed on Liz and she stiffened.

"Raven this is Deputy Marshal Elizabeth Hardstead," Raylan gestured to the blonde, "Liz this is Raven Pierce. Your witness."

Raven's eyes bounded between the two Marshals unsure what to think. She bit her lip then sat down on the edge on the bed. The idea of this person she didnt know getting involved didnt suit her fancy at all.

"So I taken you're hunting my brother now?" Raven said.

"Yes," Liz's voice e was quiet but professional.

Just the actions Raven had watched, she pinpointed that this woman had demons.

"I guess I need to excuse myself," Raylan stepped back from the two, "I'll just be outside."

As soon as he closed the door behind himself, Raven crossed her legs and rested her chin on her fist.

"You've seen a lot in a short amount of time," she said which caught Liz off guard.

"What do you mean?" She said on the defensive.

"For one you watch everyhting as if you're waiting for something or someone to attack you," Raven pointed out, "you're voice has professionalism but very little confidence. You've learned to mask the hurt and pain but not subdue it. I taken there are episodes of PTSD caused by an event where I think that scar under your glasses came from."