Quit scorning me!

"Mommy!" Stacy exclaimed with joy, running to her mother with open arms as she came down the stairs of the cellar. Rebecca greeted her warmly in return, kneeling down to hold her tight in a loving embrace. "Stacy, were you okay down here?" She asked her daughter, looking to her with great concern, brushing some of the girl's hair out of her face before gently using her hand to cup it. Smiling at her nod, she sighed with relief and hugged her child tightly again.

"Is everything okay down he-Whoa!" Guy yelped as he tripped the rest of his way down the stairs, landing on the two female blondes. With a groan, he lifted his upper half and hovered over them, simply staring at the back of Rebecca's head and the little girl hiding her face in her mother's shoulder. "Um… Again; I usually don't do this on a first date…" He teased, chuckling at her irritation.

"Stacy…say hi to Guy…"

"Hi."

"Hiya!"

"Okay, now say goodbye because Mommy is about to give him directions to heaven…"

"Bye bye."

"Wait, what?" Guy questioned with horrified wide eyes as Rebecca shoved him off and had her daughter go back to her hiding spot. "Mommy…" He squeaked.

'Xanna? Xanna, are you there? Answer me!' Ixxy yelled out into the darkness she and her twin shared, only hearing the sounds of her voice echo. 'Dammit, where the hell did she go? ! When did she disappear? !' She growled irritably, searching once more for Xanna's unconscious body in the black void. 'Xanna!' She called out again.

"Ixxy…"

'Xanna?'

"Ixxy!" Akazil repeated to get the girl's attention. "WHAT? !" She snarled in return, turning around to glare at him. The orc narrowed his eyes a bit in return, his disliking for the girl becoming palpable. "Just came to tell you that we're just about ready to look for Xanna."

"Fan-freakin'-tastic! Any-" The girl yelled at him some more for no reason. Seeing the irritation on his face and thinking of stupid things Xanna would say to calm her down made her shut her mouth, taking a moment to breath in and exhale her anger out slowly. "I'm sorry…" She muttered. "I'm…frustrated…"

"We all are, but that's no reason to take it out on each other." The orc replied a tad bitterly. Ixxy sighed again, rubbing a hand up her face and through her bangs. She then said something inaudible to the orc as she pulled harshly at her hair. "What?" He asked.

"I said-"

"She said go double check on everyone." Azlirac intervened, walking up next to Ixxy, taking his usual stance with his hands behind his back. 'I think this guy should be a rogue, not a priest…' The orc thought, nodding to the night elf man respectfully before running off to check on everyone once more.

Once the orc boy had left, Azlirac turned his attention to his niece, patting her gently as she pulled at her hair. "What do you mean?" He asked calmly.

"I can't find her!" Ixxy repeated, trying not to let her emotions shake her. "I just… I can't…" She exhaled, fighting back all her emotions making her feel breathless. She then removed her face from her hand, slowly looking over the area before her, taking it all in, thinking it would calm her down somehow. "I've searched for her in my mind…and I can't find her…" She blinked with worry, looking up the elder night elf. "She's…gone."

"What do you mean "she's gone"? !" Louis yelled to the young girl. "Geez, ya deaf too, old man! I said what I meant! She-is-gone! I've searched my mind for her and she isn't there!" Ixxy snapped right back to the elder rogue. "And after you just said that you could see her there! That literally couldn't have been even ten minutes ago!"

"Listen here, you old coot! I may not be able to find her in my mind anymore, but I will still find her! With or without your useless help!"

"I think it's about time somebody taught you some manners!"

"Wish I could return the favor, but you can't teach and old dog new tricks!"

"Watch your mouth and show your elders some respect, young lady!"

"I will when you've earned it!"

"Why you little-!"

"Calm down, you two!" Seda yelled, pulling her husband away from Ixxy as Feladora did the same with the girl. "Yes, your ridiculous arguing must wait for another time." Azlirac said, giving them both stern looks. "Right now, our concern is to find that girl anyway we can. Hopefully alive."

"Not hopefully alive. Alive!" Cosmo had to get his word in. "She can't… No, she can't be! We have to find her alive!"

"Alive." Azlirac corrected himself for the sake of the young blood elf hunter.

"But how are we gonna find her now if Ixxy can't see her in her mind anymore?" Makaza piped up. "We're still going with my plan." She; sternly; reassured. "Me not being able to see her in my mind is just a setback. Terokkar is the last place I saw her before she came here, so it'll be the first place we check no matter what." She went on, looking to everyone. "Elros has to be. He's either packing his shit and moving on, or he's…waiting for us."

"So we'll need to be ready for a fight." Louis chipped in. "Yes, Captain Obvious." Ixxy responded with an eye roll. "Where would we be without you?"

"That's it! I'm teaching you some manners!"

"Bring it, ya old fart!"

Louis grunted and growled, trying to squirm free as Seda held him back. "Let me go, Seda!"

"No matter how she acts, she is still your daughter, Louis!"

"She's a daughter alright! But she's no daughter of mine!"

"Good! I'm glad!" Ixxy snapped to the elder elf again, more affected by the words than she led on. "If I were you daughter, I'd probably be just as screwed up as Xanna!" She practically screamed in his ear. "If it weren't for you, she probably wouldn't even be in this mess! Why didn't you just take her with you! !"

"Take her with us? Are you MAD? ! She would have had a terrible life! She would have grown up HATING me!"

"SHE ALREADY DOES!"

Louis gasped at the words, tears immediately forming in his eyes as a terrible sharp pain pierced his heart. "Take it back…" He growled lowly, not being able to help himself from gripping his wife's arms tightly.

"No."

"Take it back!"

"Make me!"

Then suddenly in one quick motion, Ixxy was yanked back by her ponytail as Louis reached out as far as he could to slap her hard across the face. There was an awkward moment of silence after that.

"Take it back…" Azlirac whispered to the girl, having the courage to break the pause. Things only became more awkward as everyone stared at the purple halfling, her looking right back with her light green eyes. She scowled a bit to all of them, then closed her eyes tightly to fight back all the pained tears she kept bottled away for so long that were dying to be let out. She then huffed, pulled out her dagger and cut off her pony then put away again in one swift motion. "Disapprove me all you want…" She said silently, making her way for the giant spider and core hound. "I'm going to go save my sister."

Everyone simply watched in more horrible awkward silence as Ixxy walked away; Makaza eventually being the first to run after her.

When the orc warlock left, Azlirac walked over to his brother; whom was now being held lovingly by his wife; and placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. "She's angry." He told him. "It'll pass."

"No it won't…" Came the almost inaudible reply from the younger sibling. "She hates me… They both do…" He added as a tear fell to his feet.

"Ixxy, what the hell was that about! You shouldn't talk to your dad like that!" Makaza yelled to the elf girl, practically making a hole in the back of her head with the glare he was giving her. "I know he hasn't been there for you… Hell, I know that you haven't even been a part of the real world that long! But he's still your dad and you're still his daughter! You should tell him you're sorry! You NEED to tell him you're sorry!"

"I'm not sorry!" The purple teen yelled back to the orc. "And you heard him! I'm not his daughter, so he's not my father! So I will treat him just like I treat everyone else! And that is how I very damn well please!"

"You didn't even give him a chance!"

Ixxy was taken aback at the response, letting out a small growl as she came back with the harshest one she could think of. "Neither did Xanna."

"True enough… But you know her better than anyone. And the Xanna I know can get upset, but she is quick to forgive and forget." The orc replied with yet another witty response. "Yeah, she got mad at them… But do you think she actually hates them?"

The halfling girl was silent again, tugging harshly on the fur of the spider in front of her as she leaned her forehead on it to soften her sighs of anguish.

"That was a question and I expect an answer." The orc said sternly to the elf. "No." She replied softly. "No you won't answer or no is the answer?"

"No is the answer. She doesn't hate them. I know she doesn't… She's so… She's so nice, it's stupid. She was always so quick to forgive, never learning that some people will just never change! And that's why she got hurt over and over and over again and again and again in that stupid orphanage and anywhere else she went!" Ixxy exclaimed in grief, tugging at the fur of Terokkarantuala some more. "Now that I'm free of her mind, I'll do whatever it takes to keep that from happening to her again… And I for damn sure will NOT let it happen to me! !"

Makaza hadn't known the girl long, but when he first laid eyes on her he knew that she was a strong girl, and now he could see why; she was scared of caring. "Ixxy…" He said calmly to her. "Don't be scared. Stop building up a wall to keep people out and start letting them in. At least the ones that obviously care about you."

"What makes you so sure he cares about me?"

"He's spent your whole life looking for you."

"He's spent my whole life looking for Xanna."

"Granted, he didn't know you existed, but you know very well that he would have been doing the same if he did." He wittingly replied yet again, taking a step forward. "Just give him a chance to show he cares. Don't be afraid to get hurt."

And for the first time in her life, a tear slipped out from Ixxy's eye and slid down her face. "I wanted to be the strong one…" She muttered, falling to her knees and hiding her face in the spider's leg as she began to sob uncontrollably, feeling so relieved as she did so.

After taking a moment to finally express herself and let out the pain she'd held in for so long, Ixxy; along with Makaza and even his damned imp, of course; hopped onto Terry and the Beast, rounded up some spiders, then made their way back for the others. They all appeared to have been chatting, trying to comfort and calm each other down. As they made their unavoidable appearance, the chatting stopped, the awkward silence immediately taking its place in the spotlight.

Ixxy looked out over everyone, closing her eyes and letting out a sigh. When she reopened her eyes and was just about to open her mouth to apologize, Seda squeaked and fainted.

"…So that's where Xan Xan gets it from!" Cosmo exclaimed with a smile, staring at the unconscious elf woman on the ground. Louis looked at her for a moment as well, sighed, then looked back to the girl on the spider, waiting for whatever it was that she had to say; hurtful or not.

"Well…" Ixxy started, seeing his attention on her. "I, uh…" She began to choke on her words as her mouth went dry and her heart sank into her stomach. With a frustrated sigh, she stared irritably at whatever was to her right. "Let's save all this touchy feely shit for after we save Xanna…"

Louis pursed his lips and raised a questioning eyebrow to the girl. "It's an apology, brother." Azlirac said, placing a hand on his shoulder again. "Smile, nod, and accept it."

Just like when they were younger, Louis did as his brother told him. He rather missed that his brother always knew what to do in situations he was clueless in.

"So, old man…" The young rogue said, reaching out a hand. "You gonna help me rescue your daughter or not?"

The elder rogue smiled up at her. "I would prefer the term "Dad"." He said, picking up Seda's unconscious body and lifting it up to the girl. "We'll get there…eventually. For now, you're "Old Man"."

"Oh yeah? What about her?" He asked, lightly tilting his head at his wife as he climbed onto the spider's thorax. "I was gonna call her Seda, but, hell, I don't want you thinking I play favorites…yet, anyway. So, just to make you feel like you're not alone, she can be "Old Hag"."

"Ha! I'm gonna love seein' how long she lets you get away with that."

"Bet ya it's for how long I want."

"I bet it won't last a week."

"You're on." Ixxy said, displaying ten gold to the elf. 'I didn't mean it literally…' He thought, staring at the shiny money in her hand. 'The hell did she get that anyway?' He added as he watched her put it back somewhere on her person.

"Anyone else gonna join us?" The purple girl asked, looking back down to the group of people. Within the blink of an eye, Cosmo had made a spot with his two pets behind Makaza on the core hound. "Yeah, there was no doubt you were comin'…" Ixxy muttered, looking back down again, her attention falling on Akazil. "What about you? She's your girlfriend, ain't she?"

For the first time, Akazil didn't blush at the accusation. Instead, he smiled and nodded. "Yeah. Yeah, she is." He said, walking over to ride with his brother on the core hound. "Wait, what now?" Louis said aloud as he watched orc. "My baby's with a…?"

"And you." Ixxy ignored Louis and directed her attention to the tauren. "Don't you wanna save Gizzy too?"

"Without a doubt. Plus, an epic battle with a major bad guy psychopathic rapist dude sounds fun and there ain't no way I'm missin' out on that action. Could get me chicks!" He laughed, now making his way for the core hound. Ixxy just rolled her eyes at him, then took hold of Terry's fur. "Alright, let's go."

"Don't forget me now." Azlirac announced that he was still there, making his way for the spider. "Be sure to take care of things here and watch over the children." He said to his wife.

"No." Ixxy told him. "You stay here. This place needs all the healers in can get. Besides…" She looked off in another direction, watching as a couple of his younger children helped out a couple of their elder ones. "Your kids need you. Don't let this be the last time they see you."

For the first time in a long while, Azlirac was taken aback. "But-!" He replied childishly.

"This won't be the last time you see these two." Ixxy said, looking back down to the man and his wife. "I'll be sure of it."

Azlirac only stared up at the girl for a moment, eventually growing a small smile across his face and some tears in his eyes as he looked to his brother. "Please…take care of him."

"Yeah!" Feladora chipped in, walking next to her husband, wrapping her arms around him. "We just got you guys back in the family! Don't make us lose you so quickly!"

"She just might beat you to a pulp if you do." The priest chuckled as his wife's cheeks turned a light shade of red. "Take care."

"You too." Ixxy and Louis said simultaneously, making Feladora burst out into tears. "Don't worry!" The elder rogue said as they began to ride off. "We'll see ya later!"

"I hope so…" Azlirac muttered as he watched his brother leave again. It filled him with so much pain like it had done all those years ago, and yet, also with joy.

"Wait, aren't we forgetting something?" Mokoki queried, unable to help the feeling of something poking at the back of his head.

"What the hell is that thing? !" Louis exclaimed at the undead hand poking at the back of the tauren's head.

"Shit, we forgot Deth…" Ixxy muttered. "Mokoki, go fetch her!"

"Why me?"

"Because I said so! And it looks like she'll strangle you if ya don't…"

"Fair enough…"

"Are they on their way?" He asked, staring at the portal he had made to go to Orgrimmar. "Yes, Master." The knelt down troll replied, keeping his head down out of respect; and fear. "Good." Elros nodded, finally turning away from the portal. "Fetch the minions." He ordered of his slave. Gishezpak nodded and headed for the door.

"Oh, Gizzy!" Came a voice of to the side, getting lost in some of the books on the shelves. "If it's not too much trouble…" She said, looking up to him slow, her eyes no longer filled with dewy life, but now dull and distasteful hate. "Have Lance bring Thrall's head back in a nicely wrapped package for me."

"Y-… Yes…Miss, Xanna." Gishezpak nodded with respect again, holding back a shudder as Xanna began to laugh manically just like Elros as he left the room. 'She's really…gone.' He thought sadly, a tear sliding down his face.

I'm reeeally hoping I add a few more pages to this chapter...