Yeah did you really think I was going to leave it alone? Hell no. I'm going down with this ship!

Sorry all ya horndogs, there will be no smut in this installment. Enjoy a healthy dose of stupid fluff instead.


She should have been in bed. She should've been resting after the tumultuous events of the day before. Her healers would've insisted she be in bed if they could see her now.

Instead, Jaina Proudmoore was up, staring at her reflection in the mirror, her mind utterly consumed with an unexpected and terrifying revelation. She'd could neither eat nor sleep, making the dark circles under her eyes stand out starkly against her pale skin. A dull but persistent headache throbbed steadily in time with her pounding heart. Clenching her teeth, Jaina pressed her forehead to the cool reflective surface, groaning as her stomach gave a dangerous lurch.

Five weeks ago, Jaina attended a Winter Veil ball in Stormwind, her first public appearance since the loss of Theramore. She had been utterly miserable for much of it, but found surprising comfort and peace with her friend, Varian Wrynn. The quiet companionship had turned into a spontaneous act of passion and intimacy. With it came a stunning revelation that she was still loved, cherished, and had greatly deepened her friendship with Varian.

Nothing else was supposed to have come of it.

But something had, something terrifying and life altering. Something that was the capable of taking away one of the last bastions of love and safety she had after losing her island home.

She promised Varian she had access to contraceptives to take care of whatever side effects threatened from their night together. And she had! Once a healer explained why her contraceptives had failed, it'd become clear for her, but comprehension didn't make reality any less terrifying.

Jaina was with child.

"I don't want to do this again," she told her reflection. "I can't…."

Over a decade ago, Arthas had ended their relationship with only a casual mention of children. Part of her knew Varian wasn't Arthas, but the experience had left a scar on her psyche, creating the foundation of what she thought would happen if something like it ever happened again. The fear of losing what little she had left was making her mind fabricate absurd and outlandish consequences over the sudden development.

Would Varian hate her? Would he send her away? Banish her from Stormwind for the rest of her life?

Would he make her get rid of it?

Jaina's hands clenched into weak fists. She wanted to run, to hide this secret from the world and protect it.

No, she couldn't hide it. She couldn't keep something as incredibly important as this from her closest friend. Her gaze hardened at her reflection in the mirror.

"The sooner you get it over with, the better," Jaina murmured to herself as she straightened, swaying precariously as her world gave a tiny lurch. Swallowing hard, she pressed the palm of her hand to her throbbing head and groaned, considering her options

She could teleport to Stormwind and send a note to Varian. Jaina hoped he'd be available to talk at some point during the day. She could recover from whatever state her spell left her in while waiting for him.

A somewhat sound plan in hand, Jaina steeled herself and cast a quick teleportation spell.

She reappeared in one of the private parlors in Stormwind Keep on the notion it would be empty. Her assumption was correct, but her relief was short lived as her world spun and her vision darkened at the edges. Clutching the back of the sofa she'd appeared behind was the only thing that kept her from falling as her stomach made good on its earlier promised and heaved.

Jokes on you stomach, there's nothing in there, Jaina thought to herself, then winced. Teleporting on an empty stomach, on top of what occurred the previous day, may not have been the wisest choice.

She held onto the back of the sofa for several seconds, waiting for the dizziness to pass. To her dismay, her symptoms worsened, the ringing buzz in her ears slowly building to a roar as the strength in her legs faded.

I'm going to pass out, Jaina realized as she gritted her teeth. In one last ditch effort not to land on the floor, she began to shuffle around the sofa, one hand or the other clutching the cushioned back in a death-grip as she moved. Each step sent her world spinning harder. Spots began dotting her vision as the darkened edges began to close in on her.

Fortunately, Jaina made it around to the front of the sofa before blacking out. Dropping down, she dug her fingers into the plush upholstery so her body didn't trick her into rolling off during a lapse in equilibrium. Being horizontal helped ease some of her churning stomach. Shifting slightly, afraid she'd fall off if she did much more, Jaina buried her face in one of the throw pillows and closed her eyes. She could still feel the world spinning around her. Removing the sight of it made it more bearable. Breathing heavily, she lay there quietly for several minutes, waiting for the uneasy sensation to pass.

She made a pathetic little whining noise when the whirling stubbornly decided to stay.

Clenching her teeth, Jaina cast another spell, sending her awareness throughout the Keep, invisible and imperceptible by anyone, in search of her quarry. The first two places she checked yielded nothing, but her third try found Varian in one of his council chambers in the middle of a meeting with someone she didn't have the patience to identify.

Jaina was quite proud of herself when she gently brushed her consciousness over his, alerting him to her presence without allowing any of the turmoil she was experiencing to bleed through. Surprise immediately shifted to delight once Varian recognized her. Jaina was about to ask if she could speak him when his meeting was over, but her stomach tried to heave instead. She was able to hold down the dry heave, but in doing so, the fragile barrier keeping her distress at bay broke. It flooded the king so quickly she felt his mind reel and their connection flared.

"Where are you? What's wrong? What's happened?" Varian asked, his deep baritone vibrating through her body. The intensity of his response shattered the last of her focus. Their telepathic link dissolved as her world lurched in a new round of dizziness and nausea. She was left trembling and cold on the sofa, drifting in and out of consciousness, unaware of the passage of time until two warm hands found hers.

"Jaina?" Varian's worried voice cut through the fog. With what felt like a monumental amount of effort, she managed to open her eyes to find his blurry visage kneeling next to the sofa in front of her. "What's happened? Do you need me to send for a healer?"

"No, Varian, I'm all right," she tried to assure him, the whirling sensation slowly starting to fade as his face came back into focus.

"'All right' isn't the term I'd use for what I'm seeing," he growled back, concern clear on his face.

Jaina struggled to sit up, distantly appalled at how much her limbs shook. Varian helped her until she was sitting vertically, then he sat next to her. She tried looking up at him, but her head continued to pound. She found herself instinctively ducking her head down to lean it against his left shoulder, a moan escaping of its own accord.

"You're sure you don't want me to send for a healer?" Varian asked with surprising patience.

"No, I just need a minute," Jaina insisted, trying to breathe evenly. All she succeeded with was holding down another dry heave.

"Perhaps I should get the waste basket instead?" Humor lacing the concern in his voice.

"No," she hissed. Jaina would've smacked him with a throw pillow, but she found her hands already occupied. Her right one clutched the left sleeve of his long tunic. The other had already steepled its fingers with Varian's.

When did that happened? Jaina found herself momentarily distracted by the view of their interlaced fingers, then cleared her throat, forcing herself back on topic. "Something important has come up… something that's going to affect the both of us."

"What could be so important that you would come all the way here when you're clearly unwell?" Varian asked.

Jaina opened her mouth to answer, but her throat closed as dread filled her stomach, sending it churning once more. Biting the inside of her cheek, Jaina tried to find some kind of anchor in the storm of turmoil within her. Tears began to fall as she stared at her lap, "I...I'm…" the final word came out in a mangled sob, completely unintelligible.

Varian leaned down until his forehead nearly touched her, "I didn't catch that last part," he said gently. "One more time. please?"

Fear filled her eyes ducked her head down against his shoulder again "I don't want to lose you."

"Why would you lose me?" His deep voice asked, one of his arms wrapping comfortingly around her.

Jaina swallowed hard, mouth dry as her heart hammered so loudly in her chest she was certain Varian could hear it. Trembling, she finally met his gaze, "Because I'm pregnant."

At first there was no reaction at all. Nothing more than a few eye blinks as the gravity of her words penetrated his consciousness. Then the gentle expression evaporated from his face as he blanched. "You're what?" Varian's voice was quiet and calm even as the hands holding hers suddenly let go.

"I'm pregnant," she whispered, her gaze dropping to her lap. "I found out yesterday." There was a moment of deafening silence as Jaina waited for him to pull away completely and leave.

She was surprised when he remained where he was. When he spoke again, his voice was alarmingly calm, "Jaina, you assured me you had proper contraceptives."

"I did and I used them immediately when I got home!" she insisted as she looked up at him. Her throat clenched at the sharp gaze staring back at her.

"Was it a dud?" He asked.

"No," she whispered.

"If it worked then we wouldn't be having this conversation," Varian pointed out.

Pausing for a moment, Jaina considered how to begin her explanation. Finally she asked, "Do you know what an ectopic pregnancy is?" Varian shook his head, and she followed up with a second question, "How versed are you in women's reproductive anatomy?"

"About sixteen years out of date," he answered flatly.

Jaina cleared her throat and tried to sit up straighter. She only succeeded in getting light headed and flopping back down against the man who seemed very upset with her. "Sorry," she whispered. Varian gave a noncommittal grunt, which Jaina took as an urge to continue.

Swallowing, she raised her hand and waved it in the air before them. A multi sectioned image appeared in arcane lights depicting simplified shapes of a woman's reproductive system. "Uterus," the spoken image lit up a bit brighter, "fallopian tubes, and ovaries." The other two shapes did a brief highlight to assert themselves. "That's all we'll need for this." She waved her hand again and a little white dot appeared at the end of the right fallopian tube near the ovary, "The contraceptive I took is supposed prevents a fertilized egg from embedding in the uterus." As she explained, the glowing white dot got brighter as it traveled down the tube and into the uterus. It floated there for a minute, then dropped out of sight and disappeared. "Had my… uh… pregnancy progressed normally, this would've happened and we wouldn't be having this problem."

"What happened?" Varian asked.

"It got stuck, about there," Jaina explained as the white dot reappeared a little over halfway through the right fallopian tube.

"Why?"

"Scar tissue," Jaina said quietly, "Leftover from the burns I received from… from Theramore."

"Oh," Varian said softly. For the first time in several minutes, sympathy laced his voice.

"The healer who took care of me said scar tissue in the fallopian tubes makes it difficult for an egg to pass through easily," Jaina explained. "When it got caught, it embedded there instead." With a motion of her hand, the image changed to a close up view of the fallopian tube and a slightly larger glowing dot embedded at the bottom. "The problem is, unlike the uterus, fallopian tubes aren't designed to stretch." As she spoke, the dot began to grow until it filled out the height of the tube. "When it runs out of room, a few different things can happen. The egg can either be damaged to the point where it becomes unviable, or…" the image of the tube in front of them broke. It wasn't anything spectacular or jaw dropping, just a tiny, noticeable tear at the top of the two dimensional image. "It ruptures. This is usually a slow process and can present like… uh… menstrual cramping, but it'll continue if the egg stays viable.

"You were starting to miscarry," Varian realized.

"Yes, and it was making me sick," Jaina admitted. "I didn't think I was in such a bad state, but it was noticeable enough for Ansirem to halt the council meeting we were in yesterday, and he told me to go home. At the time, I was relieved with the idea of going back to sleep." She grimaced, "But when I stood, there was a sharp pain and I felt faint. I must've blacked out. I woke up in the hospital sometime later. They hadn't left anything to chance and taken me straight there." Jaina bit her lip, "The healer explained the rupture, and how I'd made it worse on standing. She said I'd been bleeding for several days by then."

"Days?!" Emotion finally returned as shock and concern filled the king's voice.

"Mhmm, she said the complication I was experiencing presents itself much like… early menstruation. It's what I mistook it for, and why I bled for so long." She turned and buried her face in his shoulder again, her hand coming up to clutch his tunic, "Then they asked me what I wanted to do."

"Do?" Varian asked in confusion.

"Whether to save it or…" Jaina swallowed hard again, "… let it die."

Varian inhaled sharply and tensed, sitting completely motionless for a moment as he processed what she said. Finally, he relaxed, "You said you're pregnant, so you saved it."

Nodding against his shoulder Jaina said, "I did," she clenched her eyes shut as she asked in a timid voice, "Should I not have?"

"What? No!" Varian halted with a petrified start, "I mean yes!" He froze at the fear and confusion on her face. His came up and held her tightly, pressing his cheek down on the top of her head, "You were right to have saved it."

Jaina hadn't realize she'd been holding her breath until it rushed out harshly, "You're sure?" Varian grunted in response. She wriggled free and glared at him, "Varian, I mean it! Personal ethics aside, I don't want you to look at this child with resentment just because it was made by accident!"

"Resentment? Why in the name of the Light would I look at it with resentment?" He glared back at her, but it lacked any of the viciousness that usually accompanied the king's signature glower. "I spent a spectacular night with my best friend." His countenance softened, "It's something I'll look back on fondly for the rest of my life. How could I possibly reject or resent a child that came from a moment like that?"

Jaina looked away, clenching her eyes shut as hot tears streamed down her cheeks, "Arthas did, and I was only speaking hypothetically then."

"Arthas? What does he have to...?" Varian started to ask, utterly confused. His eyes suddenly widened as he remembered the short conversation they'd had during Winter Veil. His entire demeanor changed from one breath to another as he recalled that Arthas had not only rejected the idea of children, but he'd also rejected her.

"Oh, Jaina," he murmured, his voice soft and gentle. He reached out and gathered her up in his arms, pulling her into an embrace that shielded her from the world. "I could never do that to you. Not ever."

Jaina threw her arms around him and broke into sobs of relief. She hadn't been pushed away. She wasn't going to be abandoned by one of the few people she had left in the world she cared for. Varian's held her tightly as she cried out her fear and dismay into his shoulder.

Under normal circumstances, Jaina knew Varian despised tears. They drew out his anger and impatience, often making the situation worse instead of better. But to her surprise, Varian remained completely calm, even going as far as reclining on the sofa with her on top of him. His fingers gently combed through her hair while quietly murmuring soothing words and sounds that countered her repeated fearful sobs of losing him.

She was exhausted by the time her tears finally ended.

"You all right?" He asked.

"Mhmm," she murmured sluggishly, "I think fear and adrenaline have been the only thing keeping me going. Must've all worn off. I haven't really recovered from what happened yesterday, and I was so worried about telling you I didn't sleep last night." A short, breathy giggle escaped right after, "Sounds silly when I say it like that."

Varian's deep chuckle vibrated through her, "Maybe a little, but considering my behavior when you first said something, and the history you have with this subject, your distress had merit." He rubbed her back with one of his large hands. The warmth and motion was soothing, and Jaina felt her eyelids begin to droop.

His said something else, but her fatigued mind didn't quite hear it, "M'sorry, say again?"

"Are you okay with this?" Varian asked. "Carrying a child, I mean. This is going to put far more strain on you than me."

Jaina snuggled against him, a small grin tugging at the corners of her mouth, "Yes. I've always wanted children, but time and circumstance made me come to an understanding long ago that I'd probably never have any. I'd made my peace with it. Finding out I'm suddenly having one has been both terrifying and exciting." Her grin evolved into a full fledged smile, "I've made a child with my best friend. I can think of far worse fates than that."

Varian made a pleased rumbling noise and hugged her tightly once more. The embrace was stiff, and it took Jaina a moment to realize it wasn't because of apprehension. She could almost feel the energy buzzing through his muscle as he held her.

He was happy and excited, but taking great care not hurt her.

"You're not angry," she marveled.

"No," Varian assured her, "I'm sorry if I appeared so earlier. I was taken aback, but most certainly not angry." He pressed a kiss to the top of her head before asking, "What do you need right now?"

"Sleep," the answer came automatically.

"I think I have just enough time to get you taken care of before I have to get back to my meeting," Varian said as he carefully sat up, making sure his arms were securely around her as they both got vertical.

"You don't need to trouble yourself, I can nap here on the sofa," Jaina insisted.

Varian gave an indignant snort, "I'm not letting the mother of one of my children sleep on a couch when there are plenty of good beds." Jaina felt her cheeks flush as she averted her gaze to her lap. A strange, giddy smile fought its way onto her face and Varian chuckled, "Get used to hearing that. It's true, I'm not afraid to admit it." Placing another kiss on her forehead, Varian hugged her once more before scooting her off his lap so he could stand. He held out his hand to her, "Come on, let's get you to bed."

She gave his hand a dubious look, "Uh..." the thought of standing gave her vertigo, "Varian I don't think I can walk… I'm honestly surprised I'm sitting upright at this point." He frowned at her for a few seconds, then he grunted and reached down to pick her up. One powerful arm went under her knees while the other went around her shoulders. Jaina gave a short squeak of surprise as he effortlessly lifted her from the sofa, "Varian! Put me down!"

"Why? You just told me you can't walk," he pointed out as he headed for the door, pausing long enough to toe it open before he stepped out into the hallway.

"But," she shrank a little bit in his grasp as two of his ever present guards fell in behind them, "people are going to see us."

Varian stopped and made a ponderous face, "Oh yeah… " it immediately shifted to indifference as he continued forward with a snort, "I don't care."

She giggled, her exhaustion leaving her with the sensation of being intoxicated. Leaning her head against his shoulder, Jaina drifted in and out of sleep during the short walk down to the private wing of the Keep where the living quarters and high status guest rooms were. She woke as she was set down on something soft. Looking around sleepily, Jaina found herself not in a guest room, but in Varian's own bed. She raised a brow at him questioningly.

"What? It's safe here, and I know no one will bother you," Varian explain. "Do you need anything else?"

"Just some water please," she answered.

Varian's eyes widened a bit, "The fact that you aren't just conjuring it yourself concerns me."

Jaina looked away sheepishly, "I might not have had anything to drink… or eat… since," she paused, realizing she really had to think about it. "Uh, yesterday morning."

"What!?" Varian blanched, gaping at her in horror.

"I wasn't able to keep anything down before I went to the hospital," she admitted with a tiny voice. "Afterwards I was too preoccupied to notice."

Varian sputtered out a sound that didn't quite translate as a word, then pinched the bridge of his nose as he sighed, "I'll have a maid bring you anything you need. I'd rather you ate right now, but I think all you want to do is sleep." Jaina nodded and Varian inhaled a calming breath before he met her gaze again, "I have a break between meetings in a few hours for lunch. Think you might be up to joining me by then?"

"I'd like that," Jaina smiled.

"Good," Varian smiled a little in return, then glowered at the half open bedroom door. With a grunt, he marched over to it, slammed it closed, then whirled around and hurried back over to the bed. He immediately scooped her up in a celebratory hug and spun them both around with an elated chuckle that she couldn't help but share. Varian peppered her cheek with kisses before whispering excitedly, "We're having a baby!"

Any lingering worries vanished, replaced with tears of relief as Jaina buried her face in the crook of his neck, "I thought you were going to hate me for this."

"I could never hate you, Jaina," Varian assured her. He set her on her feet and stepped back to cup her face in one of his large hands. He frowned at the tears he found.

"Sorry," Jaina whispered meekly.

"Don't be," he insisted as he kissed a few of them away, "You'll be quick to cry for a while, or at least Tiffin was. I can't get angry at something so beyond your control." He helped her back into bed before saying, "Rest. I already have one child to worry about running all over Pandaria. Please don't make me stress about this new one on top of it." His plea was paired with a handsome smile.

"I promise I'll stay right here," Jaina chuckled as she snuggled under the blankets.

"Good," he leaned down and captured her chin in his fingers and lifted it so she looked at him. He kissed her lips softly, then growled lowly when her hand came up to brush over his cheek. Varian pressed in harder for an instant, then pulled away and cleared his throat. Jaina chuckled through half-lidded eyes as she watched him walk away.

She was asleep before the door closed.