Jordan was standing by the yard, decidedly grumpy. He eyed the soldiers with something like contempt. This stupid job kept him from following along with the dragon he'd managed to fall in love with. He was even pissed at Elunara, for she had returned to her normal schedules as if nothing had changed. He kicked a rock.
"I'm sorry your husband is gone." A soft voice broke him out of his thoughts.
He looked over. "Hi, mom."
Margaret approached Jordan, leaning against a soldier named Sally for stability. Robert had done his duty silently since his confession and never stayed longer than scheduled. Today was Sally's day to escort Margaret around, and Margaret had found herself wondering what was going on in Robert's head. She decided to put it out of her mind. "Sally, can you leave us for now?"
"Yes, ma'am." Sally shifted Margaret over so Jordan could help stabilize Margaret, and then she walked a far distance away. Out of earshot for the conversation, but in eyesight for when she was signaled back.
Margaret put her hand on Jordan's scarred cheek. "You're just so handsome. I'm eternally proud of what you've become in my absence."
"Mom..." A genuine smile crept across his face. "It does me good to hear that."
"I will repeat, I am sorry your husband is gone. I have been watching you from the moment he left. You grow more upset with each passing day. Has he not written as he said he would?"
Jordan shook his head. "It hasn't been a week. Wrathion said the boats may take up to a week to get there. It may take longer to establish a mail system. But still. I don't know if he even bothered to write the first letter."
"Oh, baby. I'm so sorry." She wrapped her arms around him. "I remember when my husband died. It... it was quite some time before I was allowed the space to grieve his loss. But to see him disappear in front of my face..."
Jordan frowned. "Wrathion didn't die, mom."
"No. And I'm glad of it. You are grieving. It's not the same but also is. He is gone for now, and you do not know what has happened. You know he is in danger, but you cannot save him from it. It was good of you to stay behind and continue your work, to continue to train men and women to send to him in his time of need. To take care of your wife in her time of need. I may not understand your wife, but even I see a sadness in her that wasn't there before. Why you distance yourself from her at the moment, I don't get."
"Because..." Jordan sighed. "Because she has so many of us, and I so few. Our family is strange, but sturdy. She can go to anyone else and be just fine. I've always felt kind of like an outsider."
"Why?"
Jordan whipped around and stared at Elunara. "I--"
"Jordan, it took a bit for you to integrate into us, but you've never been an outsider. You have your own bedroom for privacy. Tulani doesn't because she needed me for comfort. She literally can't be without me. Even now, after all these years, she won't sleep if I'm gone. She will pass out from exhaustion and then have terrible nightmares. It's why I cannot leave her. It took her forever to learn to sleep when I'm with Varian."
Jordan raked his fingers through his hair. "I know this. I understand this. It's just, some nights I wish it was just me and you."
"Jordan..." She sighed. "I guess that's the price I pay for being who I am." She looked across the way at Grogek instructing his crew of elites. "I always worry that I'm not giving enough time to each of you. Some days I wish there were more hours, but I literally can't change who I am."
"I'm not asking you to." Jordan sighed. "I don't know why I even feel this way right now. I haven't had these feelings since Draenor. It's just that... with Wrathion to keep me occupied some nights, it lessened those nights you spend with anyone else in the family. It made you disappearing for days less painful. Now that he's ripped himself away from us, me especially, it's opened an old wound."
"I see."
"You have any number of men and some women to turn to for physical comfort, and I do not."
She cocked her head. "Do I need to find you a girlfriend, or even a boyfriend in the meantime?"
"Gods no." He shuddered. "I just need to get over myself."
"Do I need to haul you home and show you just how integrated into the family you truly are?" She grinned with her teeth.
"Not today. I'm not entirely in the mood for it."
"Wow. That is bad." She sighed and put her hands on her hips. "Well, we'll figure it out."
"Why are you down here?"
"Was looking for Katie. I need to dose her."
Jordan looked around. "I don't see Stephen. She's probably with him."
Elunara shrugged. "I'll find her later then." She gestured to the twins. "Come on my babies, let's go see what Varian is up to."
"Well, I think I want to go eat lunch." Margaret took a shaky step away from Jordan and gestured to Sally. Sally was at her side in an instant. "Will you join me today?"
"Sure, mom." Jordan gestured to Bradley. Bradley nodded and went back to work. As they walked away from the yard, Jordan eyed his mother. "How are my guards?"
"Good. They do their boring job well."
"Hmm."
"Though Robert..." She hesitated.
"What's wrong with Robert?" Jordan's hackles raised. "He screw up? I'll have him straightened up."
Margaret shook her head. "Oh, nothing like that. He just seemed odd the other day. Something on his mind, perhaps? He hasn't said two words to me since. I hope he is ok."
"Oh. Maybe he's coming down with something. I'll talk to him, make sure he's okay with his placement."
"Well, you don't have to." Margaret shook her head again. "I just don't want anyone stuck with this weak old lady."
"Mom..." Jordan frowned. "Sometimes I want to ask what torture they inflicted on you in that damnable place. I don't remember my mother being a woman who was always so down on herself."
"I don't want to talk about it." She said quietly.
"I know." He wrapped an arm around her and hugged her. "I just want you to know that anyone who thinks you're a weak old lady is getting a fat lip."
----
A few days later, Jordan found Robert at the soldier's barracks. Robert was digging through his personal effects when Jordan approached him. "I want to speak with you about my mother."
Robert froze in place and his eyes went wide. He closed his eyes and let out the breath he was holding. He straightened up and turned to High General Jordan, his movements stiffer than he wanted them to be. "Sir? Is something wrong?"
"I spoke to my mother the other day and she said you seemed off. Said you hadn't said two words to her. Are you tired of your post?"
Robert relaxed marginally. "No sir. Quite the opposite, if I may be so bold."