With a sigh, Elunara slipped down into Tulani's bed and wrapped her arms around the crying woman. "Come on, my Sweetness, wake up. It's just a terrible dream."
Tulani shifted and buried her face in Elunara's chest. "They... they had you and I couldn't get to you. I could see you, but it was like you were behind glass, and I had to watch." She began to weep.
"I could kill, Jine... just for that." Elunara sighed.
Elunara walked, baby in the sling, Tulani on her arm. "You know, Sweetness, you can't change your whole life over this."
"I... I know. I just want to be with you."
"That's fine." She twined her fingers with Tulani's. "Just, don't change, please?"
"I know that to you, practically nothing has changed... but to me..."
"Something did change." Elunara sighed. "I learned that, a woman I thought was my friend... was only my friend out of guilt." She reached up and twirled a lock of Tulani's hair. "And that's what hurts."
She blinked at Varian standing on the platform. Sensing her presence, he turned. To anyone else, he was his usual grim self. To her, she saw the deep sadness in his eyes. "What brings you down?"
"Mathias told me what happened." His voice was quiet. "All of it."
"I kind of figured."
"Due to the nature of her crimes, Jine is charged with treason. A charge, you well know, comes with the death penalty."
"I am aware."
"I am giving you the option of choosing between a public execution, and a private one."
"I choose public."
"Are you certain?" He searched her face.
"I need it." She said quietly.
"The choice is made, and so decided." He nodded. With a sigh, he brushed his thumb across her cheek. "I so hate that this happened to you."
She shook her head. "It was forever ago, don't worry about it." She sighed. "We all knew I'd have to face the past, being back here."
He cupped her chin and pulled her to him, pressing his lips against hers. She blinked at him in surprise, before closing her eyes and putting her hands on his breastplate. Around the training yard, eyebrows shot up. Grogek and Jordan just grinned at each other.
Varian ran his fingers through her hair. "If you need me..."
"I know where to find you." She grinned.
He nodded, before turning and leaving.
Tulani giggled. "Judging by everyone else's reactions... he's never done that before."
"No. No, he has not."
Jine stood on the platform in the center. Guards stood on either side of the platform. The magistrate stepped forward, but Varian took the paper from his hand.
"Uh, sir?"
"I'll do it." He stepped forward. "Jine, former SI:7 agent, codename "The Cat". You have been charged with freeing a known felon, and passing said felon information that led to the capture and subsequent torture of the former SI:7 agent, Elunara, codename "The Whore"." The crowd's attitude changed in a heartbeat. Varian raised a hand for silence. "Both acts are considered treason. How do you plead?"
She shied back under the hateful gaze of the crowd. "Guilty."
Varian raised his hands. "SILENCE!" Inwardly, he was proud of his citizen's anger. To the world, he maintained his dignity. "Do you have any last requests before we execute you?"
"Please, bury me quietly by my husband and son, so that the shame of our family can die with us." A single tear escaped down her cheek.
"Then I find it fitting, that your executioner be the same as your son's." Varian held his hand out towards Grogek.
"I find this acceptable." Jine sighed. "As you said... fitting."
Varian blinked at Elunara as she stepped forward. "I want it known that, while I do not forgive Jine for heinous crimes... I also do not hate her." Elunara shook her head and sighed. "Let's just do this clean."
Jine shook. "That's... all I would have asked."
Elunara nodded, before turning and walking away. Taking Lulu from Tulani, she sighed. "I can't watch."
"Whatever you need."
The next day, she sat on the platform, sighing.
"I never knew."
Elunara blinked down at Gerald. "What?"
"About you being... captured and tortured... then."
"It was before you were assigned as my spotter." She shrugged. "It's no big deal."
"I don't know... it sure seemed like it."
She sighed. "Gerald... you and I have been through a lot together, and you know some of my stranger secrets. But this... I'd rather you never ask me about again."
He stared at her as if slapped. "I..." He ran his hand over his mouth. "It must be really bad." He whispered.
"As bad as it gets. I don't really appreciate having to tell my family about it." She tapped her pencil on her board. "Tulani started having nightmares again." Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath. Shaking her head, she spoke softly. "I just want it to die again."
He raked a hand through his hair. "Well, at this point, I don't think I want to know."
Elunara tucked the sleeping Lulu into her sling before heading out. Standing in the graveyard, she stared down at the three graves. One was freshly covered, but they had delivered the tombstone that morning. Stooping down, she wiped the dirt off of the precisely placed marble.
"I'd rather remember you as the friend I knew... than the villain who almost ruined me." Elunara put the flowers on the base of the tombstone. She sat and just cuddled the baby for the longest time.
"Momma? What are you doing out here?"
"Oh, hey Bradly." She wiped her cheek. "Where's Darguni?"
"Oh... somewhere?" Bradly shrugged and stuffed his hands in his pockets. "Is this the lady they executed a couple of weeks ago?"
"Yeah..." She frowned. "Why are you out here?"
Bradly sat down next to her and sighed. "Sometimes... I wish my dad had been buried here... instead of Draenor. So, sometimes, when I miss him, I come and..." He blushed.
"And?" Lulu began to fuss, so Elunara started the nursing process.
"Pay my respects to a random soldier instead." He shrugged. "I like to pretend that maybe they're my dad." He scratched the back of his head. "It's embarrassing."
"I think it's beautiful." She tugged him over and hugged him. "You're growing up right."
His blush deepened. "Darguni figured it out some time ago, so when I come out here, he goes and does something else."
"That's just sweet of the both of you."
"Momma, if she hurt you so badly... or caused you to be hurt... why do you bring her flowers?"
"Because she used to be my friend." She sighed and adjusted her shirt, putting the baby over her shoulder. "Just because something awful happens to you, doesn't mean you should let it rule your life. You know that." She scrubbed her hand on Bradly's hair.
"One of your many rules in life." He grinned.
"Yeah."
"Can I hold Lulu?"