War Crimes

Chapter Four: Undercity, Royal Quarter and Dalaran

Summary: Just another horrible Sylvanas/Jaina fic. Sequel to Atrocities.

Disclaimer: Characters, settings, etc. are the property of Blizzard Entertainment.

Pairings: Sylvanas/Jaina, some Vereesa/Jaina

Author's Notes: AU, assuming the Theramore scenario had affected Jaina differently. I don't know either.

It took two days for Songweaver to get back to Sylvanas with information about the mana bomb. Jaina spent much of that time in the Undercity Library, but when Sylvanas was available, she sight-read from the book of folk songs Jaina had borrowed from the library at Jaina's behest. She also shared with Jaina several ways she had developed to cope with talah'tur'nei. She and Jaina talked through the worst of the memories that kept invading Jaina's mind when she was reminded of them, which usually left Jaina crying in Sylvanas' arms but feeling relieved afterward.

When the reply from Songweaver came, its contents were frustrating enough that Sylvanas let out a wordless shriek and tore up the paper his response was written on. "Nothing! Nothing useful! What kind of witless cretin doesn't know what their weapon bloody does?"

Sylvanas' mood wasn't helped by the fact that Jaina was getting worse. She was beginning to lose hearing in her left ear. She could still hear, but not quite as acutely as she could in her right ear. Apothecary Zinge examined her again and could not tell for sure that there was arcane damage to Jaina's brain affecting her hearing, but she was positive it was the most likely possibility.

Jaina could have returned to Dalaran just after hearing that there was no new information about her condition, but she stayed another night. "I need to be with you for one more night, in case…in case I can't see you again," she said to Sylvanas.

"Be with me how?" asked Sylvanas with a small smile.

"I need you there when I fall asleep. You don't have to make love to me, but…that would be nice."

That night, Sylvanas made sure to whisper only into Jaina's good ear. One of the things she whispered was, "Is there anything in particular you want from me tonight?"

Jaina wrapped her legs around Sylvanas' waist. "I want you on top of me. Do you think you have to sit upright, or can you lean over and kiss me?"

"I can certainly try." She kissed Jaina behind her ear. "You're not ready for that already, I assume?"

"Almost."

Sylvanas cradled Jaina's breasts in her hands and massaged gently. Jaina sighed happily. "I love your hands."

"I love your body." Sylvanas teased her lover's nipples with her cold, calloused fingertips and Jaina whimpered.

"I want your mouth. Please."

Sylvanas dragged her sharp teeth over the sensitive skin of her lover's right breast, then closed her lips over the nipple. Jaina cried out and wrapped her hands around handfuls of Sylvanas' straw-colored hair. "Ohh, Sylvanas!"

Sylvanas didn't bother to stop to reply, choosing instead to reach up and stroke her lover's face. She moved her mouth to the other breast, using her free hand to brush over the bite marks she had left on Jaina's neck and shoulder.

"Sylvanas?" Jaina managed.

Sylvanas sat up and kissed Jaina's forehead. "Are you ready?"

"I want you on top of me."

"So demanding." Sylvanas dropped a small kiss on her lover's mouth. "But if you insist."

Sylvanas took hold of Jaina's legs and arranged them to make room for herself. She carefully lowered her weight onto Jaina, who rocked her hips upward hungrily. "More," Jaina begged.

"Sorry, my dear. I don't want to hurt you. It's been a while." Sylvanas let her hips rest on Jaina's, watching the other woman's face closely for any sign of pain. Jaina moaned and laid her head back. Sylvanas leaned over and kissed her lover at the base of her neck, beginning to rock slowly. "Like this? Is this what you want?"

"Yes," Jaina panted. "Faster."

"Since when is my dear Neph'a so demanding?" Sylvanas teased.

"Since you started being too gentle with me," Jaina sighed. "Not something I thought you would do."

Sylvanas leaned over to murmur into her lover's fully working ear. "I hurt you once. I don't want to do it again, even by accident."

Jaina wrapped her arms around Sylvanas. "Sweet of you." Complete sentences weren't coming to her anymore. "Please kiss me."

Sylvanas covered Jaina's mouth with hard, sweet kisses. It wasn't long before Jaina dug her hands into Sylvanas' shoulders hard enough to leave bruises on living flesh and cried out as her climax overtook her. She lay still and limp as Sylvanas straddled her thigh and continued the increasingly desperate motion of her hips. Jaina turned onto her side. "Could you use my hipbone?" she asked.

Sylvanas immediately took the suggestion. "Mmm…good idea." She leaned over, resting her forehead against Jaina's shoulder. Jaina reached over and stroked Sylvanas' face and hair. Eventually Sylvanas pressed her face into Jaina's shoulder and gave a cry that almost sounded pained. She rolled onto her back beside Jaina, completely still.

Jaina leaned over and kissed Sylvanas' face. "Does sensual climax hurt you?"

"Just a little. My body is unused to muscle contractions of such intensity, and necromantic magic can only imitate the actions of a living body so well."

"Is it pleasurable?"

"Yes." Sylvanas nestled close to Jaina, who wrapped her arms around Sylvanas. Sylvanas laid her head against Jaina's chest. "Mmm. I suppose the leader of the undead shouldn't find the sound of a heartbeat so soothing, but I do."

Jaina stroked Sylvanas' ears, which flicked like a cat's ear in response to the stimulation.

"They still do that automatically," said Sylvanas.

Jaina chuckled softly. "I like your ears."

"Thank you. That's quite a compliment to an elf."

"Sylvanas, do you have quite a lot to do tonight?"

"I'm afraid so, my dear. Are you asking me to sleep beside you?"

"Yes."

"I wish I could say yes." Sylvanas kissed Jaina between her collarbones. "I can stay until you fall asleep."

Jaina slid her hands up and down the curves of Sylvanas' back. "Thank you."

Jaina knew Sylvanas didn't want to say an emotional goodbye in front of her people, so she kissed her goodbye (multiple times) in Sylvanas' bedchamber.

"I love you," Jaina murmured in between kisses.

Sylvanas rested her forehead against Jaina's. "I can't say that back to you, Neph'a."

"If you did, would it be true?" Jaina hedged.

Sylvanas hesitated a moment and then nodded.

"That's good enough for me." Jaina hugged Sylvanas tightly, not caring about the armor digging into her skin through her dress. Sylvanas hugged her back as much as she could with her heavy armored gloves.

"I have something for you," said Sylvanas, producing a necklace from a pocket somewhere. It was a glistening cabochon amethyst on a gold chain. There was a tiny arrowhead made of gold inside, suspended in what looked like quicksilver. "It's enchanted. I have a matching stone that I will be keeping with me at all times. If you need anything from me, if your affliction worse and change your mind about joining my people, anything…squeeze it twice, hard. I will bring you here."

"What if it is at risk to you?" Jaina took the necklace from Sylvanas and clasped it around her neck.

"If you need me, I will take that risk. Or if you would prefer, I will send a few of my people who are skilled at stealth."

"I think I would prefer that." Jaina examined the pendant. "It's quite lovely. And interesting. Does the arrow have something to do with tracking?"

"Of course someone clever like you would realize that. Yes. When the pendant is activated, the arrow will point toward the matching pendant. Mine will do the same. You will also be able to tell when the holder of the matching pendant is getting closer because yours will grow warmer."

Jaina threw her arms around Sylvanas again. "Thank you."

"You're welcome, dear Neph'a."

Jaina kissed Sylvanas again, and again, over and over until finally Sylvanas said gently, "You will have to stop kissing me and leave at some point. Unless your intention is to take me to bed one more time before you go."

Jaina shook her head. "I'll miss you. I want to remember what kissing you feels like."

"I understand." Sylvanas removed one of her gloves and caressed Jaina's cheek. "I have also tried to memorize the experience of being physically intimate with you."

"Is that your roundabout way of telling me you are going to miss me?"

Sylvanas kissed Jaina's forehead. "I suppose so."

Jaina took a deep breath. "I'm ready."

They walked together to Michael Garrett, where Sylvanas had commissioned Deathguard Darnell and Jaina's temporary library colleague Ziadosia to escort her to a sanctuary. Jaina was grateful for the familiar company.

Jaina drifted through the journey back to Durotar in a haze, toying with her necklace from Sylvanas through most of it. Idly she wondered if Vereesa (Kalec wasn't the type to notice such things) would notice it. The tiny golden arrow glowed brightly in order to be visible through the cabochon amethyst; to Jaina, it seemed obvious that the necklace was part of a tracking device. It would be easier not to wear it, but she already knew she was never going to take it off. She also debated whether or not to continue her relationship with Kalec. He was such a far cry from Sylvanas, but then again, she might miss Sylvanas so much she would end up preferring to be with anyone rather than be alone.

Jaina did not emerge from her haze even as she told Vereesa of her strange new affliction and Vereesa cursed bitterly and did everything short of vowing revenge. Vereesa brought her to several different reputed healers, including a paladin, but even the types of magic Sylvanas had not had access to did nothing for Jaina's damaged brain. Jaina put up with it quietly, having accepted that there was no hope of her being healed but also knowing Vereesa would continue to try to find a cure.

When no expert healer in Dalaran proved helpful, Vereesa suggested that Jaina set up permanent residence in Dalaran and delegate her responsibilities as leader of the Kirin Tor until such time as she had recovered.

"I won't recover," said Jaina, suddenly exhausted. "I may not worsen, but I am quite sure I will never recover."

"You mustn't say that," Vereesa insisted.

Jaina closed her eyes. Certain things seemed less important in light of her having a serious, incurable disease. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you earlier."

"Tell me what?"

"That when I disappeared for a few days and insisted that it didn't matter where I had been…Hellscream falsely said he wanted to begin peace talks. I let my guard down. He wanted to display his control over…over your sister Sylvanas."

Vereesa's eyes widened. "Sylvanas? And what was Hellscream trying to do?"

Jaina took a deep breath. "Tempt her into…well…" Jaina decided that not every detail was necessary. "Essentially torturing me, as I had been Arthas Menethil's lover. However, she was unwilling, and she…she helped me to escape. She offered to provide me with safe transportation home, but I…I stayed with her."

It took a long moment for Vereesa to find words. "You stayed in the Undercity? Why?"

"Sylvanas and I began a relationship that day. It has continued on and off since. We have exchanged correspondence, and she once visited me in Theramore before…well, I just spent several days in the Undercity with her."

"You and my sister," Vereesa repeated, comprehension beginning to dawn on her. "You…you aren't…she wouldn't…she has no interest in bedding down with anyone."

"She told me that," Jaina hazarded, "but I suppose she made an exception for me."

"You and Sylvanas…" Vereesa's eyes went blank. Jaina's only warning was Vereesa's head tilting back slightly before she toppled to the ground, unconscious.

Jaina caught her, but only just. Cursing her lack of upper body strength, she called for help, and a few citizens helped her carry Vereesa to the inn. Jaina made sure that Vereesa had food and water when she came to.

"Why didn't you tell me earlier!?" was the first thing Vereesa demanded as she placed her now-empty water glass on the bedside table.

Jaina used a quick spell to re-fill the glass. "I thought it would be safer if fewer people knew. I'm sorry."

Vereesa drained half the glass. "Sylvanas is a Horde leader! I understand why she would draw the line at harming someone who had done nothing to her, but a relationship…"

"I have had time to think about it, and I believe she was tempted by the idea of having control over me because of my relationship with Arthas. But she didn't want Hellscream involved."

"Did she hurt you?"

Jaina's scarred ear twinged. "She grew angry at me when I…I said something foolish. She apologized. She has been kind to me ever since. I don't believe she expected to, but she does care about me." Jaina's hand inadvertently went to the necklace Sylvanas had given her.

Vereesa shook her head. "I can't believe this. It's been such a long time, too…"

"I stopped contacting her after my home was destroyed. And mostly, we have written letters. I only went to see her because I knew what she had suffered when the Scourge destroyed the Sunwell, and…afterward. I thought she might be able to help me, and I missed her."

Vereesa lay back down. "What about Kalec?"

Jaina's throat went dry. "Sylvanas and I were somewhat estranged when that started. I don't know if it will continue, not when I have Sylvanas for comparison."

"I'm surprised my sister has enough sanity left to be halfway decent partner to you," Vereesa sighed.

"Perhaps she saved it for me," said Jaina dryly. "She refused to believe the most likely truth about my condition at first because it was upsetting to her. She stood by me and let me hold her arm while her apothecaries examined me. They concluded that the most likely problem was permanent arcane damage to my brain from the mana bomb."

"What!? No!" Vereesa cried.

"After no healers were able to help me, Sylvanas contacted the mana bomb's manufacturer. She thought he might have some information on side effects of surviving the bombing, but he had nothing, and she was furious."

"So am I." Vereesa shook her head. "Did the apothecaries say that it was definitely degenerative?"

"No, but…they deduced that it was likely. Especially after I started losing my hearing."

Vereesa rubbed her hands over her face. "What did my sister try?"

"Healers; a druid and a priest. And also healing potion. I believe the apothecaries are right about the arcane damage."

Vereesa reached for Jaina's hand and squeezed it. "I will do everything in my power to help you."

Jaina managed a smile. "I know."

Kalecgos took it well when Jaina said she didn't want to continue the relationship, but he also joined Vereesa's quest to find a cure for Jaina's condition. Jaina had little hope that she would be cured, but she saw the experts that Vereesa and Kalec found, put up with their spells, drank their concoctions.

Nothing helped.

Her condition worsened. Soon after she lost her hearing in her left ear, she went completely blind. There existed a system of raised simplified letters on paper that had been developed for blind people to use to read common; Vereesa was glad to bring Jaina instructional materials on the system, which was called Braithwaite after its developer. At least I'm getting to study, she thought grimly one day as she ran her fingertips over a complex word.

Vereesa was sharing her bed now. Jaina was surprised to find out that Vereesa found her attractive and had for a time. Now that Vereesa's husband was dead, she was painfully lonely, and Jaina missed Sylvanas, so it seemed only logical. Jaina was relieved that while Vereesa often treated her like an invalid because of her illness, that attitude did not extend to the times when they were in bed together. Vereesa often scratched where Sylvanas would have bitten, but other than that, Jaina definitely noticed a family resemblance. She still missed Sylvanas, but having Vereesa sleep next to her was soothing, and she soon adjusted to the body lying next to hers being warm.

That went on for a long time, at least until Jaina's entire left side became paralyzed. It was too frustrating for Jaina to sleep with Vereesa when so much of her body wouldn't cooperate. Vereesa still slept beside her, and when Jaina's right arm became weak, Vereesa helped Jaina eat and held Jaina's hand to run her fingers over Braithwaite letters so she could still read.

Jaina went from slightly resenting Vereesa's doting affection to being grateful for it. She needed a wheelchair to get around, and while she did figure out how to power it magically, it was easier to have Vereesa push her; magically sensing impediments to her wheelchair's movements and moving it was difficult. Besides, she couldn't sense anything farther than a few yards around her, and maintaining the spell was difficult with only one arm to make the necessary gestures for casting.

Jaina found her good hand wandering more and more often to the necklace that Sylvanas had given her. In Dalaran, people who cared for her surrounded her; in Undercity, she would have Sylvanas and her new library friends, but she wasn't yet ready to join the Forsaken. Sylvanas had often spoken about how being undead was torment or a curse, and as much as she missed Sylvanas and as how rapidly her condition was debilitating her, she wasn't yet prepared to become undead. She did want to see Sylvanas again before she died, but didn't want to take the risk of inviting Sylvanas to see her in an Alliance-controlled area of Dalaran. If she was capable of getting to a more neutral area of Daralan, she would summon Sylvanas to say goodbye to her one more time, but her movement was too limited.

Eventually, she asked Vereesa to bring her to a neutral area of Dalaran so she could see Sylvanas again. Vereesa was upset by the request and didn't go into why she refused, but she did refuse. Jaina couldn't help but wonder if the awkwardness involved in the sisters seeing each other had something to do with it, but she discarded that thought; Vereesa would never allow something so petty to get in the way of something Jaina clearly wanted badly.

It was only after it was too late that Jaina changed her mind about joining the Forsaken.

She had told Vereesa that if she were to be completely paralyzed, blind, and deaf, but still alive, she would want her suffering to be ended rather than wait until her lungs stopped working and she died of suffocation—a horrible death. But after several months of consistent degeneration, Jaina was in a condition that was very close to what she had spelled out for Vereesa. She had gone entirely blind long ago and she had only minimal hearing in one ear. She could only move her hips and shoulders, and she was entirely bedridden unless Vereesa took her out in her wheelchair. Even in her wheelchair, she could not sit up on her own. Worst of all, she had lost fine motor control over her mouth and could speak only in vowels.

The flow of "experts" that Kalec and Vereesa continued finding to try to reverse Jaina's condition had never stopped, and they kept coming in and trying to cure Jaina. Eventually, Jaina began refusing, having become convinced that her condition was incurable. The only way she had to protest was to whine and turn her head away when the "experts" tried to pour potions down her throat. A tearful Vereesa chided her for this, and Jaina could only turn on her side, away from Vereesa's voice, in order to express her displeasure. When Vereesa finally brought her the Braithwaite panel—their only method of communication—she requested poison.

"Please don't give up," Vereesa pleaded. "You can still hear, can't you? And you can move. You aren't ready for what…what you asked for yet. You said to wait until you were deaf and paralyzed."

Jaina tried and failed to move her arm; Vereesa guided her hand to the panel, where Jaina spelled "please".

Vereesa squeezed her hand. "Please hold on a little longer. Until you're at the place we discussed earlier, if you get there. We still might find something that could help you!"

Jaina turned onto her side and cried. Crying was miserable for her, as she couldn't wipe her eyes or nose, but Vereesa took care of that, even if she wouldn't respect Jaina's revised wishes.

Jaina waited until she was alone that night to try to summon Sylvanas. It took her a lot of squirming to maneuver the necklace into position. But eventually, she got the pendant into her mouth, and she bit it twice. The pendant vibrated slightly, indicating that it had been activated. She drifted off to sleep and was woken when the pendant grew warm against her skin. Sylvanas wasn't there yet, but she was on her way, and the knowledge soothed Jaina back to sleep.

She was woken again a bit later by a familiar voice. "My Neph'a?"

Jaina knew she couldn't speak, but she tried to say Sylvanas' name anyway. Sylvanas must have understood, because she said, "It's me, my dear." She took one of Jaina's limp hands in her cold one. "My poor Neph'a. You've gotten so thin, and I can tell you've lost speech. Did you summon me to see me one last time? Can you shake your head or nod?"

Jaina couldn't shake her head, so she rocked her shoulders side to side, shaking "no" with her whole upper body instead of just her head. She also managed an "uh-uh", one of the few sounds she could still make and have it definitely be understood.

Sylvanas paused for a moment. "Have you decided to join my people?"

Jaina rocked herself up in the best imitation of a nod she could manage while trying to say "mm-hmm".

"Do you want me to bring you back to the Undercity?"

Jaina performed her facsimile of nodding again. "Mm-hmm."

"Very well." Sylvanas gave rapid orders in Gutterspeak, and Jaina felt herself be loaded onto a stretcher, covered with a blanket, and—with Sylvanas' warning—strapped down loosely so she wouldn't fall off. "Are you all right, my darling?" Sylvanas murmured near Jaina's good ear.

"Mm-hmm."

Jaina heard Sylvanas give more orders in Gutterspeak, and she felt her stretcher be jostled as its bearers walked with her down the hall. Briefly, Jaina wondered what had happened to the people guarding her, and decided it was best not to think about it.

About thirty seconds later, Jaina heard a clamor and a shout of "Who goes there!?" Her heart leapt into her throat; there was no way for her to communicate that she wasn't being kidnapped, that she wanted to go with Sylvanas.

After that, things happened quickly. Jaina heard sounds of weapons clashing and spells being summoned and fired. Jaina felt the world tilt suddenly as one end of her stretcher was dropped. The end of the stretcher supporting her feet crashed to the floor, followed by the other end. She was helpless to stop herself from falling. She heard Sylvanas shout something but couldn't tell what it was or in what language. Her head throbbed and spun horribly, and she cried out for Sylvanas, but she felt her remaining senses fade as she blacked out.

As she swam up from unconsciousness, she cried out for Sylvanas and heard a familiar voice, but it belonged to the wrong Windrunner sister. "Jaina? Oh, thank the gods, you're all right! I'm so sorry. It appears my sister took your past relationship with her far too seriously and she took it upon herself to kidnap you."

Jaina made her "no" gesture; Vereesa misunderstood. "I know you don't want to believe it. But my sister attempted to kidnap you."

Jaina made her "no" gesture again and protested with as many noises indicating the negative as she could manage. There were several in her repertoire. Vereesa still thought Jaina was trying to express disbelief and stroked her hair, trying to calm her. "You get some rest. You hit your head on the floor quite hard; I'm so glad you're all right."

They had never established a way for Jaina to ask Vereesa to bring her the Braithwaite panel. Jaina cursed that fact now as she turned on her side and began to cry.

By the time Vereesa finally brought Jaina the poison she had requested, she spent most of her time daydreaming about what it would be like to be one of Sylvanas' Forsaken. As far as she could figure out, she would probably spend most of her time in the library working alongside the Splinterwells. As much as she loved libraries, she hadn't spent much time in the administrative or development side of a library, so she would likely be working under Ziadosia. She had actually found successfully organizing of the nonfiction section quite satisfying, so that would likely become her permanent job. Hopefully she would get to learn Gutterspeak. Sylvanas could help her with Thalassian. It broke up the crushing monotony of life without any of her five senses except for a tiny bit of residual hearing in her right ear, only otherwise interrupted by someone (usually Vereesa, but she couldn't always tell) spoon-feeding her soup or placing ice on her chapped lips.

When, at long last, Vereesa brought her the poison, she was crying. She told Jaina in a trembling voice what she was about to do, and asked Jaina for permission to administer it. She gave it, using what passed as her "yes" gesture, and Vereesa's shaking hands poured the deadly liquid between her lips.

It took effect quickly. What little hearing she had dwindled and vanished, and Jaina felt the surrounding darkness cover her like a heavy blanket.

If this is dying, Jaina thought, it isn't so bad.

There was a curious rushing sensation at the back of Jaina's head. Her senses came back at the same time, but slowly, voices going from an indecipherable murmur to familiar words. Blackness yielded to light. Shapes leaning over her sharpened until they became two faces she didn't know and one face she had been terrified of never seeing again.

"Neph'a, can you hear me?" Sylvanas was saying. "My darling, I'm sorry. It was not my intention to wait until your death for—" and then Sylvanas was cut off, because it is rather difficult to speak while being passionately kissed.

A/N: Yep, Jaina is a member of the Forsaken now! I can't wait to write about Forsaken!Jaina.