For the Whored

Zelinnia decided she hated the morning, as she stared at the gaining light through the window. Renwa... no, Johnathan's arms were wrapped around her, among other body parts. His arm tightened around her and he tugged her against his chest. He kissed behind her ear.

"You think entirely too loud."

She sighed. "Can we just stay here for the next week or so?"

He nibbled on her neck. "Unfortunately, my job is a little too important."

"Grogek can handle it." She shrugged.

"Hah. I doubt it. The man can handle a battalion, but you hand him paperwork, and he's going to use it to wipe his ass."

"Captain Jordan?"

"Will only be used in times of emergency, and after plenty of preparation."

"Damn it."

He kissed her neck. "I think I got time in for another before I have to start my day."

"Oh, it's not that. I just..." She turned over and stared into that lovely face of his. "It's stupid." She finally said.

"I think at this stage in the game, we can be honest with each other."

"It's just that..." She trailed off and looked away. He was already raring to go from her estimation and it was a tiny bit distracting. "You know, we could go again."

"Zelinnia..."

"Alright, alright. I just don't want to face everyone."

He raised an eyebrow. "Everyone?"

"Well, Elunara will just say "about damned time". In that way she does... but, you know... I'm a Blood Elf, you're a Human. People will stare."

He laughed. "You spend entirely too much time in your own head. Yes, people will stare, as they stared at Elunara, as they stared at Grogek and Tulani and their entire relationship, but people get over it."

"I don't want to damage your reputation, or put you in a bad position." She bit her lip.

"Beauty, we were in plenty of bad positions last night." He grinned. He was pleased to discover that blushing went straight down to her toes.

A knock on the door had him growling. He climbed out of bed and yanked on his pants.

He yanked open the door. "Jordan, this had better damned well be important."

"Sir! I..." He trailed off as he spotted the Blood Elf holding up a bed sheet. His brain flipped a switch and he just openly stared.

"Jordan." Renwa's voice brought Jordan back to present.

"Sir! I am sorry to have... disturbed you, but you didn't show up for the meeting and I-"

Renwa swore. "I forgot about that. Make my excuses; I'll be out in a minute." He slammed the door in Jordan's face. "Goddamned bullshit." He muttered as he went to the wardrobe and began to dress.

Zelinnia frowned. "I'm sorry."

"No, don't. I completely forgot about it. I'm sorry to have to push you out this way." He bent down and kissed her.

She sighed. "You in your uniform makes my brain melt."

He grinned. "I'll keep that in mind."

She pulled her dress over her head. "Elunara won't let me live this down, I just know it."

"You could always move in."

She froze; her arms in the air, the dress halfway on. "What?"

"You know... if you want." He helped her get the dress on and kissed her again. "Consider it, please?" He asked.

"It's a bit sudden." She blushed a lovely shade of scarlet, and he desperately wanted to find out if all the parts looked the same fabulous shade.

"Just consider it." He gently pressed his lips to hers before turning for the door. He looked back once more before closing the door and heading out.

Zelinnia just stood there in the center of the room looking around. It was a small space, but she knew General Renwa merely slept there. It wasn't like she had many possessions of her own... Staring at the messy bed sheets, she blushed. Something near her feet caught her eye and she picked up Renwa's shirt. Before thinking about what she was doing, she put it to her nose and breathed deeply. Her eyes flew open and she realized the predicament she was in.

Her feet were moving before her mind could complete the train of thought. She opened the door and stepped out. Not aware of anything else to do, she closed the door quietly.

"Why, Zelinnia," A voice had her jumping and looking around. "I didn't expect to see YOU here."

Zelinnia stared at the old lady whose name she kept forgetting. "Oh, um, hi." She blinked several times before blushing even deeper. "Bye!" She ran away.

Mrs. Finister frowned and furrowed her brow. What in the world could that Blood Elf have taken from Renwa's apartment? She would find out one way or another.

Zelinnia ran in the Barracks building and closed the door behind her. Elunara looked up from her sketch work.

"I take it things went well."

"Hush you." Zelinnia pointed.

"What do you have in your hand?"

Zelinnia looked down at her hand and her eyes went wide with horror. "Nothing!" She said quickly and stuffed it down her dress.

"Uh, ok..."

"I have to... do things. Yes, things." Zelinnia went back out the door and closed it behind her.

Elunara grinned. Someone kept a souvenir.

"What is wrong with me? What is wrong with me?" She was practically chanting to herself as she ran up the hill to Elunara' favorite art spot. She flopped down beside the tree and sighed. Tugging the shirt out of her dress she smelled it again. "What is wrong with me?" She muttered as she banged her head against her knees.

"Hey, Zelinnia."

She quickly stuffed the shirt back in her clothes. "Uh, hey... Jerry?"

"Yeah. Are you ok? You seem... off."

"Me?" She laughed nervously. "No, nothing. I'm fine." She smiled with her teeth.

"You sure?"

"Yeah... I think I'm gonna... go for a walk." She climbed up, hand protecting the bundle under her clothes.

For the rest of the day, it seemed to be one person after the other. She couldn't get to Renwa's room; it was in the middle of everything. She finally escaped to the far end of the north orchard. She was just on the outskirts of the area when someone grabbed her by the arm. Looking up, she faced Mark.

"Oh, hey."

"Listen, I like you, a lot..."

Zelinnia's eyes went wide. "But you have Jenny, and I... well I, uh..."

"No. not that. Look, I like you. You saved Tulani, but you can't steal things."

"Steal?" She shook her head in confusion.

"We know you took something. Since it came from Renwa's office, it must be information. Are you going back to Horde?"

Zelinnia stared at the hand on her arm. Her eyes flicked up to Mark. "What are you talking about?"

He yanked her up. "Don't play innocent. Mrs. Finister saw you with something in your hand as you left Renwa's office. A few other people said they saw you trying to hide something in your clothes." He frowned. "I don't want to have to search you, but I will."

"But I didn't..." Her face went red as she remembered. "Oh, it's so not like that. Please, I can't... I can't tell you."

Mark grabbed her other arm and began dragging her towards town. She started fighting against him.

"It's not like that." Tears streamed down her cheeks. "Please."

"We like you because you're Elunara's friend, and you saved Tulani, but you can't take things."

"Just give us back what you took." Jerry frowned at her, his arms crossed over his chest.

"Please," she cried. "I'll put it back, but I can't give it to you. I can't let you see."

There was a ring of them now.

"Zelinnia," Jerry sighed. "Please, you're making things harder. We were just going to ask you to give the item back and drop it, but if we have to get Renwa, this is just going to get messier for you. As Elunara's friend, you can't betray her trust."

"But, I'm not! It was a mistake!"

"Then give it back."

She wrenched an arm free and clung to the bulge in her dress. "I'll put it back, but I can't let anyone see..."

"See what?" Renwa's voice boomed over the crowd.

Zelinnia tried to turn and run but Mark had a death grip on her arm. She struggled and fought as he walked closer. If dying of embarrassment was physically possible, she was soon to achieve it.

"Sir." Jerry snapped to attention. "Zelinnia was seen leaving your office with a bundle of some sort. Many of us have seen her throughout the day trying to hide an object, but none of us have been able to ascertain what the object even is. She moved further and further out of town, so suspicions turned to important documents of some sort."

"And why was I not informed of this?"

Zelinnia refused to look at him.

Jerry shifted uncomfortably. "Sir, we had hoped that, as Elunara and Tulani's friend, we could convince her to return the missing object and redeem herself. However, she has refused to do so."

"And you're sure she came out of my OFFICE?"

Jerry paused and cleared his throat. "Mrs. Finister placed her there this morning."

"Zelinnia?" Renwa softened his voice. "What did you take?"

She shook her head and held her body turned away.

"Just please tell me."

"It was an accident." She hiccupped.

He walked over to her and held out his hand. With her free hand she dug in her dress and put the crumpled shirt in his out stretched palm. He stared at it.

"Mark, let her go." He said quietly.

"Sir?"

He set his teeth and glared at the man. "Let her go."

Mark released Zelinnia. "I... I'm sorry, Sir." He swallowed and held his hands up.

Zelinnia had no will left in her legs to run, so she merely sat where she was and tried to not cry.

"Sir, I don't understand." Jerry bit his lip.

"It's a shirt." Renwa held it up. "It wasn't my office she left this morning, it was my apartment, and it was a shirt. I will see the six of you in my office in two hours. I will deal with the nosy Mrs. Finister later. Now scatter, before I make your lives worse."

They ran without dignity.

Renwa knelt down in front of Zelinnia. "Sweetheart, are you ok?" He pulled off a glove and ran a hand on her cheek. He turned her face to his and discovered her eyes puffy and tears running down her face. "Oh, sweetheart, I'm so sorry." He pulled her into his lap. She wrapped her arms around him and began to weep.

"I didn't mean to. I just... I picked it up and I... well, then I panicked and I didn't even think about it by time it was too late and..." She managed between hiccupping breaths.

"Shh, it's ok."

"I didn't want... I didn't..." She choked. "This is so embarrassing." She wailed.

He kissed each cheek before kissing her mouth. "Zelinnia, I'm so sorry." He held up the shirt. "Here you can keep it."

She took it back from him. "I wasn't gonna, I just didn't know how to return it." She sniffled.

He used the edges of the shirt to dry her tears. "Come on, we'll just call it one of those funny stories we tell our kids."

She froze. "Kids?" She squeaked.

"You're ok with having a couple, right?"

She ran the shirt through her fingers. "Well, I've never given them much though."

He rubbed his nose on her neck. "We'll worry about that later."

"Yeah..." She bit her lip.

"Are you alright now?"

"I think so."

She wiped the heel of her hand on her cheek. "Yeah I guess. I guess we're telling people." She flushed.

"I want to tell the entire planet, but we'll start small."

She laughed. "You're funny."

"Oh man, he was supremely pissed." Louis chewed his thumbnail.

"Why would she take a shirt?" Mark frowned.

"Isn't that kind of a lover thing?" Jerry tapped his fingers on his leg.

"Well, he DID say she was in his apartment this morning." Mark narrowed his eyes. Everyone's eyes went wide at the same time. Looking at the hill, Zelinnia and General Renwa came down the hill, hand in hand.

"Oh, shit. Renwa's fucking the Blood Elf." Gerald stared.

Mark smacked his own face. "We just harassed his girlfriend to tears; he's going to KILL us."

"Worse," Jerry whimpered. "He's going to tell Elunara."

"I think I'd rather clean the latrines with my tongue." Muttered Andrew.

Zelinnia knocked on the door and then stepped in.

"Oh look, someone CAN be taught to knock on doors." Elunara winked. "Hey, Renwa."

"Lu." He grinned at her.

Zelinnia flushed. "I hate how you know everything." She muttered.

"Sweetie, you didn't come back last night."

Renwa lifted Zelinnia's hand and kissed it. "I will see you later."

She blushed and waved.

"I vote for a fall wedding, the colors will suit you nicely."

"Oh, stop." Zelinnia flopped down on her bed. "Gah, even Renwa is talking about kids and things. I mean it was just one night." She flipped her hair over her shoulder.

Elunara laughed. "First of all, you don't pull off blasé. Second of all, you don't steal a shirt over a passing fancy."

Zelinnia groaned. "Everyone tells you everything, don't they?"

Elunara blinked. "Tells me what?" Darguni started crying so Elunara went and put him down with his toys. "The only person that has come in today so far is you. Which reminds me, I have an appointment later, and you'll want to clear out."

"How did you know it was a shirt?"

"You're not a pants kind of chick."

"I don't know what that means."

"It means that you'd bury your face in his chest before you'd bury your face in his crotch."

Zelinnia blushed. "Oh."

He knocked on the door and then waited patiently for her to answer. When the old woman finally opened the door, he frowned at her.

"Mrs. Finister, I need to speak with you."

"Oh, come in, do you want some tea?"

"No, thank you." He shook his head. "This is about Zelinnia."

She raised her eyebrows. "Did you find out what she took?"

"Mrs. Finister, Zelinnia spent the night in my apartment, and she only had a shirt. She was caused quite a bit of discomfort today, at my own expense."

Her eyes grew wide. "You and Zelinnia?"

"Yes."

A smile crept across her face. "It's about time, boy."

He shook his head. "What?"

"A man like you needs a good woman beside him. First you were mooning over Elunara, then you weren't, then were, but in a different way. I hope this works out." She nodded.

"It took me long enough to convince her on a date. Now, I have to convince her that I'm in love with her."

"You'll do it boy, I have faith."