For the Whored: Stormwind Ch. 03

Elunara tapped on the door.

Renwa cracked it open. "They're all asleep." He whispered.

"That's fine. I love those kinds of portraits."

He nodded and backed up. "Even Tulani has passed out."

"It's the time portals; she'll be back on track eventually."

"I always forget that Tulani isn't one of our Draenei."

"Grogek is handling the time port better, but he's made of stronger stuff."

Tulani and Zelinnia were cuddled up on the couch, both babies on their chests. Elunara grinned and got comfortable and started drawing.

"Your work is beautiful, Lu."

"I'm planning on a wall portrait. You'll love it."

He put a hand on her shoulder. "I already do." He sighed. "You'll be annoyed with me."

"Why?"

"I still can't get over what you said... about me being yours, and your family. We've been through a lot together... haven't we?"

"It's true." Elunara sighed. "I never saw it before; we're not only friends, but closer than that. We'll never be lovers again, but we have a connection; deeper than the usual fluff." She gave a shaky shrug. "I love you, but not in the way that Zelinnia does. It is what it is."

"Thank you."

"Eh. If you cry on me, I will not hesitate to punch you."

He laughed. "That's the Elunara we all know and love." He carelessly tugged on her ear.

"Hey, no getting me horny if you don't intend to do anything about it."

"Sorry." He chuckled. "It's a strange habit I've developed with Zelinnia." He sighed. "Sometimes I wonder if she loves you and Tulani more than me."

"Not possible. I fully believe that we just activate something in her brain sexually that she doesn't understand. She's connected to me, because of what all I have done for her. She's connected to Tulani in a way that none of us fully appreciate. Everyone wants to protect Tulani. Zelinnia is no different." Elunara shrugged. "It's harmless. Well, so long as you believe it is. I know that... given the drop dead choice, she would choose you over both of us. I just hope you never make her do that."

"No. I never would." He shook his head. "It would crush me if she went for another man, but knowing you, and knowing Tulani... no. There's no jealousy there."

Elunara took his hand and squeezed. "Good."

Zelinnia groaned, and Renwa was at her side in an instant. "Hafta pee." She mumbled.

He scooped the baby off of her chest and helped her to stand. She wandered into the back room, and Renwa stood there, holding the baby. Elunara switched to a clean sheet and began to work.

Tulani woke up and yawned, instinctively wrapping her arms around Abigail. "Oh, you're here."

"Yeah." Elunara smiled. "I've been drawing you both asleep; it's just too damned adorable."

"Did you work off your overload?" Tulani stretched.

"Only partly, Moira won't leave me alone." She sighed. "Not that I can argue with why."

Renwa shrugged. "We're both well aware that you'll face your past over and over, so long as you stay in the main cities."

"Truer words were never spoken." Elunara murmured.

Zelinnia stepped out of the bathroom and blinked at Elunara. "Oh, hey. I didn't think you'd be here yet."

"Eh, Varian keeps interrupting. Enjoying double duty yet?"

"Ugh, a few hours and it's already a headache."

"Why don't you ask Jenny for some help?"

"Wouldn't that be cruel?" Zelinnia took Nara from Renwa.

Elunara shook her head and continued to sketch. "I think it would help her heal." She closed her board. "I'll ask her myself. I want to stop by Linda's. I told her I'd see if I could help Lydia."

"You're always so damned nice." Zelinnia sighed.

Elunara ran her hand on Nara's back. "Enjoy your new baby." She kissed Zelinnia on the cheek and headed out.

Took her a couple of tries, but she managed to get to Linda's. She knocked on the door and waited. A couple of people gave her weird looks.

Linda opened the door and blinked. "Oh, I didn't know you were serious."

Elunara shrugged. "I said I would."

"Come in. The healers said it's just not really treatable."

"Yeah, but my body fights off things, maybe a little boost to her system is just the thing."

"Well, you're welcome to try."

Elunara followed the coughing. "Hello, Kiddo."

"Hello, Miss Elunara." Lydia's voice was weak.

"I wanted to see how you were doing." Elunara stooped down and put her hands on Lydia's arm. "Wow, you're burning up. Let's see if I can help." She closed her eyes and concentrated her energy. "Linda... go get Ina."

"What? Why?"

"This isn't a regular flu..."

Linda turned and fled.

"You've been feeling like right shit, haven't you kid?"

"Yeah." She croaked. "That feels good, don't stop."

"I don't intend to. I don't understand what I'm seeing. I need Ina to help me."

"Hurts to breathe."

"Then stop talking. Let me work."

"Missed Bradly." She murmured. "And Darguni. Was going to make the other girls jealous." She closed her eyes.

"No you don't." Elunara increased the charge. "I'm not going to lose you." She whispered.

Ina jogged in. "What's going on?"

"I was trying to ease her flu, when I found something I don't recognize. I can't make headway and now I think I'm losing her." Elunara heard Linda gasp, but ignored it.

Ina laid her hands on the girl. "Ack, you're right. This isn't a simple flu. She's got spores."

"Damn that worthless planet." Elunara hissed.

"We never figured out how to deal with spores."

"Is my baby going to die?" Linda whimpered.

"Not if I can help it. Ina, what theories would we have to get rid of them?"

"You'd have to kill the spores, every last one of them, and then re-grow the damaged and eaten tissue." Ina sighed. "That's why they're so nasty, you can't heal with them in the way, and no healer could successfully cleanse all of the spores."

"Elune help me, I'm going to try. Ina keep her stable, I'm going to go for the spores."

"You're crazy."

"If I don't try, she's dead. I've got to try."

Linda slid to the floor.

Elunara closed her eyes and followed the energy channels to the halted sites. It was as if she was seeing a million points of light reflected back into her mind. She turned her energy into aggression at those blocked points. Endlessly, she pumped out a stream of searing energy. Unsure of how long it took to find all of the reflected light, she then turned her attention to the rest of the child's body, giving her a steady stream of her own healing energy. She awoke to Jordan's hand on her shoulder, with Bradly and Darguni wrapped around her waist.

"What?"

"You were using so much energy, that I had Linda get what of your family she could." Ina nodded.

"Will she be ok?" Linda asked in a hoarse voice.

"I've healed what I could, but since I've never been sure how my abilities work, I can't tell you."

Ina laid her hands on the girl. "She seems to be in working order. It just depends on her will to live."

"Poor Lydia." Bradly laid a hand on the girl's hair.

"Can we give her energy too, Momma?" Darguni laid his hands on Lydia's arm.

Elunara stroked a hand down Darguni's back. "I'm sorry, baby, she's not like me."

Jordan sighed. "Everything seems to happen to that poor girl."

"Forgive me, but I'm going to sit right here until she wakes up." Elunara sat against the wall.

Jordan sat down beside her and wrapped an arm around her back. "Darguni, go update your dad outside. I'm going to sit here. You can come back after."

Darguni nodded and ran off.

"Can't let you sit here and not eat." Jordan grinned.

"Thank you, sugar." She patted his leg.

Linda threw herself into Elunara's lap and started crying.

"Hey, hey. Stop that. Save your tears for when we know the outcome."

"No one even knew." She wailed.

"Stop." Elunara commanded. "Lydia needs her sleep and you'll just wake her."

Ina shook her head. "Any healer that did not go to Draenor would not have recognized this. In fact, I wonder how she even got them."

Elunara wrapped her arms around Linda. "With any luck, she'll be up and running again in no time."

"She only runs because of you." Linda whimpered.

"Hush. I'm very tired. I'm going to take a nap now, wake me when she wakes." Elunara closed her eyes.

Thomas walked in and frowned. "Linda?" He searched the house, but when he pushed open Lydia's door... what he found, stunned him. Bradly and Darguni were curled up on either side of Lydia, and in the floor, his wife was lying in Elunara's lap, with General Jordan sitting beside Elunara. "Linda?"

Jordan opened his eyes and yawned. "What a sight we must make."

"What's going on?"

Jordan stood up and walked to the door. "Lydia had spores in her lungs. Elunara used her energy to try and save her. We came to give our energy to help, but I guess we're all still portal lagged." He looked back. "Linda cried herself out with worry."

"Is Lydia going to be OK?"

"Knowing how hard Elunara worked? Yeah, she'll be fine."

"I'm thirsty." Lydia moaned.

Thomas was at her side in an instant. Jordan tucked out and went looking for the kitchen.

"Daddy?" Lydia blinked up. She frowned down at the arm around her chest and the arm around her waist. Looking over, she realized it was Bradly's arm around her chest and Darguni's around her waist. She froze in place and blushed furiously. "What's going on?"

"You were sick." Bradly groaned.

"Momma saved you." Darguni yawned.

"Why are you in my bed?" She struggled to sit up.

Jordan returned with a pitcher of water and a cup. He handed the cup to Lydia. "We all came to lend energy to Elunara so she could heal you. The boys were worried, and decided to see if they could lend you energy like they do their mom."

Bradly turned a couple of shades of red. "Daaad." He complained.

Jordan froze and stared, the hairs on the back of his neck stood up.

Darguni cocked his head to the side. "You've never called him that before."

Bradly turned scarlet, climbed over Lydia, and took off running out of the door.

"What?" Elunara groaned. "What's going on?" She put her hand to her head.

"Bradly called papa Jordan "dad" then got embarrassed and ran away." Darguni sighed. "I don't know why."

Elunara stared at Jordan, who was still standing there, completely stunned. "Hey, you need to snap out of it, and go find him." Elunara clapped her hands. "This is yours to deal with."

Jordan jolted. "You're right." He passed the pitcher of water to Thomas, and took off out of the door.

Linda groaned and sat up.

"Momma?" Lydia croaked.

"My baby's alright!" Linda wrapped her arms around Lydia.

Jordan jogged through Stormwind, trying to remember where he liked to hide as a kid. He spotted Grogek. "Hey! Have you seen Bradly?"

Grogek shook his head. "I thought I saw him headed that way, but I didn't see Darguni with him, so I figured I had it wrong."

"Thanks."

"What's the matter?"

"I'll explain later." He finally found Bradly in the cemetery. "Hey, kiddo."

Bradly jolted and started to stand.

"You're going to have to face this eventually."

Bradly flopped back down. "Momma says that a lot."

"Your momma's an incredibly smart person." Jordan sat down next to Bradly.

"I didn't mean to say it."

"I think you did." Jordan sighed. "Do you know why your momma calls me husband?"

"Cause you got married?"

"No. Because one day, she said it by accident, and liked the sound of it."

"Oh." Bradly wiggled his feet. "But, I betrayed my real dad."

Jordan shook his head. "Family is what you make of it. I've learned that one over and over from your Momma. I mean, look at the fact that you call her Momma, or Darguni your brother." He wrapped an arm around Bradly. "Your dad will always be your dad. Look at Elunara, she has two husbands, and we both will always be her husband. It doesn't take away from either one of us, just because she has two. Elunara once told me that, your mind is where all of the deepest secrets lie. When your mind pops up with a desire, sometimes you have to go with it." He shrugged and put his arms back on his legs.

Bradly stared over the graves. "I miss my dad." He whispered. "He wasn't always there, but at least he was nice to me when he was."

"That's just how it works sometimes. Your dad didn't want to leave you, but he didn't stand idly by and watch someone else die. He was like your momma in a way. He acted without thinking, and it cost him his life. He was a good man, and he wanted you to be happy. You know your momma's stance... always follow your heart."

They both sat in silence, as Bradly worked through the words he knew so well. Tears streamed down his face, no matter how hard he fought them.

"It's ok to cry, Bradly." Jordan tugged him closer.

"I want my dad back." Bradly sniffled. "But, I can't have my dad back." He wiped his face on his sleeve. "But, in my heart..." He sighed. "In my heart, I want to call you my dad." He whispered.

"I'm ok with that." Jordan scrubbed his hand on Bradly's hair. Bradly wrapped his arms around Jordan. "Come on, son. Let's go see how Lydia is doing."

Bradly giggled. "Ok, dad."

"Kid, you exhaust me. Stop getting into trouble." Elunara sighed.

"Sorry, Miss Elunara." Lydia picked at her blanket.

"I hear you've been keeping up my training. Good job at that."

Lydia grinned. "Thank you."

"Except now that your lungs are damaged, I want you to wait a few days. I'll come by and help with the healing. I can't have you hurting yourself just to keep it up. A few days won't hurt."

Lydia sighed. "But, can I still go see my friends?"

"That's fine, but no over working those lungs. You start to get short of breath and you sit the hell down. Do you understand me? I don't care where you are, you SIT."

"Yes, Miss Elunara."

"Don't worry." Darguni patted Lydia's arm. "It'll be just like before. We'll help you."

"Yeah, we'll help you."

Elunara glanced back, and saw the hand holding, a split second before Bradly let go and ran over to Lydia's side.

Lydia crossed her arms. "And where did YOU go?"

"I had to work some things out." Bradly frowned. "You wouldn't understand."

"Try me." She snorted.

Elunara stepped forward. "Alright, no fighting. If you two are going to grump at each other, we'll just leave."

"No!" Lydia held up her hands and blushed. "No, please stay."

Jordan wrapped his arms around Elunara's waist. "Apparently, I have a son." He whispered.

"Imagine that." She whispered back.

Linda had her hands to her mouth. "I don't know what I would do without you."

Elunara shrugged. "Well, I need to go find Jenny." She turned and walked out.

"How can I ever repay that woman?" Linda whispered.

"Knowing Lu? Send people to her practice, and get them to like her kids. It's all she really wants in life." He turned away and followed after.

Jordan caught up with her and took her hand. "Are you alright?"

"I had to get away before that woman singlehandedly overloaded me."

"Well, it's not like you just saved the life of her child... again."

Elunara snorted. "Work things out with Bradly?"

"I think he's still stuck on the idea that you can only have one of a good thing. He wants to call me dad, but feels like he's hurting Harvard."

"Yeah, our family is a mess. He grew up one way, and we are another." She shrugged. "He'll figure it out eventually."