Our return to Undercity was a quiet one. Not many people had actually realized that I was gone, so they weren't surprised to see me, and Varimathras had kept my absence to himself this time around.

Faith was far too weak for my liking. She talked tough, but she couldn't walk very far without getting winded. Even walking from my throne room to our chambers tired her, so whatever ideas either of us had had to be deferred to another time. While I wasn't particularly happy about not being able to make love to her, she was more vocal about it.

"But we can, you know. It won't hurt me."

"Faith, honey, you can barely walk three meters without getting tired. I don't think that us spending a day in bed is going to be conducive to your recovery."

"Sure it will, all I'll do is lie there with you."

"We both know that nothing you're thinking about will lead to you just lying there. We'll have sex when you get better."

"Tomorrow?"

I looked at her, "You're incorrigible. I said when you get better."

"I could be better by tomorrow," she told me, pouting.

I hated when she started to pout. It usually made it impossible for me to think straight, "Stop it. I'll let you know when you're better, and you won't convince me otherwise."

Her eyes widened, hurt, and she turned from me, beginning to walk away. But a second later, she stopped, propping herself up on the wall to catch her breath.

"You see?" I said, scooping her up into my arms. "You're not well enough for any kind of physical activity." She tensed in my arms, wanting to struggle, but I held her tightly. "Enough." I brought her to our room and tucked her into bed, "We'll make love soon, okay?"

She just looked at me for a moment, before a tear slipped down her cheek, "Please don't leave. I don't want to be alone."

I didn't have time to stay with her right then, "I know. But I'll be back later, I promise."

"Sylvanas…"

"Get some sleep." I kissed her, unfastening my cloak and wrapping it around her.

She was still crying when I went back to the throne room. It broke me to leave her like that, but I wanted her to deal with this on her own, at least for now.

Varimathras was surprised when I walked in. Evidently, he hadn't expected me to return so quickly. "Is Faith all right?" he asked me."

"She will be, but we very nearly lost her this time. I feel like telling Thrall to stuff the war and to leave Faith here with me. I don't want her going out again."

"You keep saying that she's the best soldier you have against the Scourge. Then whenever she gets hurt, you back off, only to start the same argument again as soon as she gets better."

"I don't like her being away from me. Is that so wrong?"

"Of course not. But you need to know what role you want her to fill in your life. If you want her to rule Undercity with you, as your queen consort or something, then you'll need to make it official, because I think that's the only way she's going to stay in the city."

Queen consort? Faith as my queen? My mind spun. I would have to marry her for that to happen. For a moment, I couldn't feel anything. I couldn't think. A vision flashed before my eyes suddenly, of us getting married in Quel'Thalas under the trees at sunset. I wanted nothing more than to marry her.

Turning on my heel, I went back to my chamber and, without a word, crawled into bed with Faith, holding her tightly.

"Sylvanas… what… what's wrong?"

I didn't answer, merely placing my ear on the spot on her chest where I could hear her heartbeat. She kissed the tip of my ear gently, and pulled down my hood to run her fingers through my hair.

"You know we can't get married, right?" I asked her after a few minutes had passed.

Her hand briefly stilled on the back of my neck, "I know that you won't allow it because I'm alive and you're undead."

"You also know that if I had allowed you to die, the Scourge would have probably raised you."

I felt her nodding, "But who knows what they would have turned me into. I might have just been a skeleton, or a construct. Maybe something that nobody would have been able to pull out of the grips of the Scourge."

"Knowing Arthas, that's what he would have done. He would have made it impossible for me to bring you back if he had turned you. I would have never been able to marry you."

She ran her fingers over my ear, making me shiver unexpectedly, "Is that what you've been thinking about? That I was going to be turned and that you wouldn't be able to bring me back?"

"I don't ever want you to feel what it's like to be killed by the Scourge and to be raised again for their purposes," I whispered, moving my hands so that they rested on her skin, under her clothes.

"And you won't marry me while I'm alive."

Propping myself up, I looked at her, suddenly furious, "I know you're not saying what I think you're saying. How can you even suggest that I –."

"Come back here. I'm not suggesting that you do anything, Sylvanas." She tried to tug me back down to rest on her, but I wouldn't budge. "I was just stating a fact. You're dead, I'm alive, and you won't marry me because of it. If at some point in time, I were to be turned undead, and if you could pull me back to you… I don't know, I don't think you'd marry me then either, although that would depend what I came back as."

"I will not kill you just to –."

"I'm not telling you to!" she cried. She tried to sit up, but began to cough almost immediately. "You think… you think that I want to…" blood trickled down her lip.

"All right, all right, calm down," I fully sat up and gathered her to me. "Breathe, Faith, please. Please breathe. Look at me."

She did.

"Now focus on me, and breathe."

Little by little, her coughing fit passed and color began to creep back into her cheeks. I didn't let her go for a long time, wanting to be satisfied that she was going to be all right once I left.

Our argument had shaken me. Simply wanting her to be co-ruler of Undercity with me would mean needing to kill her, if only because most of the Forsaken would never take direct orders from her while she was alive. They respected her now, sure, but neither she nor I were under the illusion that it was because they genuinely liked her. The only reason they respected her was because of her relationship with me. Only a small minority of my people actually cared about her, and most of them were in the Magi Corps.

I couldn't kill her. I didn't even think that I would ever be able to raise her if it ever came down to that. I couldn't even think about doing anything like that without actually feeling sick.

"Don't think about stuff like that, okay?" I asked her.

She nodded, dropping her head onto my shoulder, "You're the one who mentioned it."

"I shouldn't have," I kissed her forehead. I wanted her alive. Warm and alive.

"So, what do you want me to do while I'm here? Besides rest, I mean."

"Nothing. The only order I'm giving you is to stay out of trouble. Follow me wherever I go so that I don't lose sight of you."

"Okay!" she said, her eyes sparkling for the first time in a while.

"What do you mean 'okay'?"

"If you want me to follow you around, I'll follow you around. When do I start?"

I couldn't help it. I burst into laughter at her enthusiasm. "How long have you been wanting to follow me around while I did the most mundane things in the world?"

"I used to have dreams about watching you washing socks."

"That's definitely mundane. Why in the world would you want to watch me doing something like that?"

"To get to know everything about you."

"You already know everything about me."

"I wanted to know your breathing patterns, how you breathed when you were deeply asleep and how you breathed when I brought you to climax."

"Brought me to… you never did that while I was alive."

"But I wanted to."

"Yes, I know you did. And I wanted you to. But still, breathing patterns? What's next?"

"I dunno. I wanted to know how you made your own arrows. I watched you polishing your bows a couple of times."

I remembered that, "Yes you did. I still don't know what was so fascinating about that."

"Do you still not get it?"

"What, that you loved me? No, I got it a long time ago." I kissed her cheek, "Can you walk?"

"Am I going somewhere?"

"To the throne room with me, since you don't want to stay alone." I got up and went to the wardrobe, pulling out some new robes I had bought Faith. They were made of thick black wool, and lined with black fur. "Here you go."

"Thank you," she whispered. "These are nice. When did you get them?"

"When I came back from Warsong Hold. I went to Silvermoon to discuss something with Lor'themar, and saw these in a display. The fur's real, so it should keep you warmer than the other stuff you have."

She smiled a little, "I love you."

Not the standard response I had expected, but it made me smile, "I love you too. Now, get dressed."

She did, although she was slow about it because she was still in some pain. I wanted to help her, but she needed to do it on her own. I couldn't stand to see how physically weak she was after her time in Naxxramas.

"You have that look on your face again," she commented.

"What look?"

"The one that says you're going to burn the world to the ground."

"Am I that obvious?" Kneeling down, I laced her boots for her, letting my fingers linger a little longer than was necessary.

She touched my cheek, "What's wrong?"

"Don't worry about it." I helped her to her feet, supporting her as we walked to the throne room. Once we were there, I settled her on my chair, wrapping a blanket around her, "Do not move from this spot."

"And where are you going to sit?"

"I'm dead, Faith. I don't get tired, so I don't really need to sit down."

She stayed with me for hours, watching my every move. She dozed for a while, only waking up when I stepped closer to her to pull the blanket tighter around her. I had to admit that I felt better with her there, even if she didn't look all that well. I felt more relaxed, better able to deal with whatever problems my people brought to me. I didn't know what I would have done if I had lost her to the Scourge.

"When will you want to go to Thunder Bluff?" I asked her while I took a break from my duties to watch her have lunch.

"If you come with me, anytime will be fine."

"I told you I'd only be able to come with you for a day or so."

She looked down into her soup, "I don't want to leave you."

"You're going to have to leave me eventually. Even if you don't go to Thunder Bluff, which I know you will, you're going to have to return to Northrend unless I declare you unfit for duty." I saw a look of fear cross her features, "Do you want me to do that? You don't have to return to war, Faith, there are enough people to cover for you."

"Maybe I don't have to return to war, Sylvanas, but it's the right thing to do, isn't it? You'll think me a coward if I don't go."

"I think that you're many things, Faith, but cowardly isn't one of them. You're the strongest person I know, and I'm telling you that you don't have to go back. It's okay."

Shaking her head, Faith put her spoon down and looked at me, "I do have to go back. If I don't, I'll never be able to face any kind of combat again."

"Of course you will. You've been through worse than this before."

"Like what?"

I just looked at her until her eyes filled with tears.

"Right… that."

"Yes, that. You went on fighting then, and you can go on fighting now, although I personally don't want you to."

"Why not?"

"You know why not."

Her wide eyes looked directly into mine. Neither of us looked away, and for a moment, we got lost in each other. Something stirred within me, but I couldn't give voice to it. It wasn't love. What I felt then felt more powerful, yet more primal than love. I kissed her. It was soft, gentle, good. Faith trembled, and I felt a tear slip from her eye and onto my face.

We pulled away. I could almost feel my heart fluttering in my chest. It wanted to beat, but even what I felt for Faith couldn't make it live again. Faith put a hand over her own heart, and I covered it with mine. We didn't say anything. There was no need for it.

I started to leave but she got to her feet, reminding me of a time when we had been at my house and I'd left the table abruptly because of an argument. Faith had been right there with me, with a similar look on her face.

"Finish your lunch. You can join me later."

"I'm done," she said immediately.

I turned to face her and looked at her bowl, which was still half-filled with hot soup. "Faith."

But she didn't listen to me. She wanted to be close to me, and there was nothing I would be able to do or say to dissuade her. I shook my head and took her hand, "I'll take you to Thunder Bluff tomorrow."

"Tomorrow? Don't you have things to do here?"

"I'll stay with you for a while, after which I'll come back here and – for goodness' sake, Faith, don't look at me like that."

"I'm sorry, Sylvanas, I just can't…" her voice trailed off.

"You're going to be just fine."

We went to Thunder Bluff the following day. I wasn't sure of what my reception would be, although I had sent word to Cairne Bloodhoof that I would be around. He wouldn't have a problem with me, but Faith's tauren family was bound to give me grief for allowing their adopted daughter to be kidnapped and sent to Naxxramas to be tortured.

I dropped Faith off at her parents' home on the Spirit Rise and was about to turn away when Faith squeezed my hand.

"You're not leaving?" she asked me.

"I need to talk to Cairne."

"Can't that wait?"

"Not really, no. I'll come back to see you later, before I go to Undercity."

The door to the house opened and Atalo came out. His fur had a little more grey in it than I remembered, but his eyes were still kind. He smiled when he saw Faith, "My daughter!" he cried, pulling her into a hug.

"Easy," I cautioned. "She's still recovering."

Taisha and Hamu came out of the house as well, having heard Atalo's cry. Hamu looked terrible, as though he hadn't eaten in days, since he had probably been worried about his sister. Then again, it was more likely that he'd been worried about my reaction, judging by the look of terror he gave me.

"I had promised that I would keep her safe, Lady Sylvanas," he said quietly, looking at me. "I failed. I should have protected my sister, even when she told me not to go with her and Cindera, I should have gone."

"I do not blame you for what happened," I told him, surprised when he took my hand.

Faith hugged him. "It wasn't your fault, Hamu, none of it."

"I should have followed you. You are my sister, and it was my job to protect you."

"No, that's my job," I said.

"Stop it," said Faith. "It's neither of your jobs. Besides, I'm fine."

I snorted, "Fine. Right. I believe that." I gently prodded an area I knew was painful on her side and she gave a strangled gasp of pain, "Does that seem all right to you?"

"You're still hurt!" said Taisha. "You shouldn't be on your feet. Come in, come in." She ushered Faith inside, and Atalo made sure I followed, despite my protests about my having to speak to Cairne.

There was food on the table, a simple loaf of bread, along with honey and cream.

"Would you like to eat something, Lady Sylvanas?"

I shook my head, "Thank you, but I don't eat. Since I'm not living, I don't digest anything."

"Is that why you don't eat?" wondered Faith, turning her head to look at me.

"That, and because I don't get hungry at all."

We sat down, and I found myself with Faith resting against me.

"Are you staying long?" asked Taisha.

"I need to get back to Undercity tonight," I answered. "But Faith is welcome to stay as long as she likes." I put a hand over her mouth so that she wouldn't protest, and found her licking me. "Faith!"

"What?" she asked, the picture of innocence. "You put your hand there. I just did what came naturally to me."

"Nobody's fooled by that look on your face, sweetheart," said Atalo, handing Faith a slice of bread spread with cream and honey.

Faith looked so comical then that I had to smile. I put a hand on her leg, stroking gently. A moment later, she covered my hand with hers, our fingers tangling.

"How are you, Faith?" asked Taisha after a while.

"I'm all right, really."

"Really?" asked Atalo. "Because from what we heard, they nearly turned you."

"Nearly being the operative word there, Father." Faith took a bite of bread, closing her eyes briefly while she chewed.

"I don't think they expected her to last as long as she did," I said quietly. "They wanted her to be in pain, or they would have killed her right away, but most living creatures would have succumbed to that kind of torture very quickly."

"How long did they torture you for?"

Faith's fingers seemed to convulse against mine, "I lost track of the days."

"The gnome Harlee said that it was around five whole days," I told them. "We got them out on the sixth day."

"Harlee, the gnome from Dalaran?" asked Hamu. "How did she get there?"

"She said that she'd been on her way to Wintergarde Keep when her convoy was attacked. She was the only one who survived, and was taken to the necropolis because the Scourge wanted her. They knew that she's an excellent healer."

"I always thought the Scourge as mindless undead…" said Taisha.

Faith shook her head, "They're not mindless. Oh, the ghouls and zombies might be, if their brains were damaged enough when they were killed in the first place. But most of them, especially the leadership, have thoughts and emotions, same as we all do. Their feelings just tend to run through the darker side of the spectrum."

"And Arthas is anything but mindless," I told her. "He knows exactly what he wants, and he will do anything he can in order to get it."

"What is it that he wants?"

"Domination. He wants to turn Azeroth into an undead wasteland."

"Many say that you want the same thing, Lady Sylvanas."

I looked at Atalo, "Right now, I want to eradicate the Scourge and keep Lordaeron for my Forsaken. I don't intend to dominate the world."

"Yet," whispered Faith. But she was smiling.

I rubbed her knee, "I really should go. I'll be back later on."

"No…"

"Faith, I'm not going to disappear off the face of the planet, all right? I have a meeting scheduled with the chieftain, after which I'll visit my people at the Pools of Vision before I go home. You will stay here with your family for a spell, and join me when you're better." I held up a hand, "Don't contradict me."

Faith's eyes were filled with tears, but she was wise enough not to say anything. She stood up when I did, throwing her arms around me and kissing me as though we were never going to see each other again.

I heard Hamu clearing his throat, and ask his mother to please pass him more bread. He sounded embarrassed.

"All right," I said gently, pulling my mouth away from hers. "I'll come and see you before I leave."

"You promise?"

"Of course I promise. Now, come on, I'm hardly leaving you with strangers. Come back to Undercity in a week. You'll be refreshed again."

"Okay," she whispered.

I poked her belly, the way I'd done when we'd been younger, and she giggled suddenly.

"Sylvanas!"

"What? You licked me."

"That doesn't mean you can tickle me!"

"Yes it does." Smiling, I kissed her quickly, "See you later."

A/N -

Hi everyone! Sorry this update took so long. I wasn't sure how to write this part, and I've been busy with other stuff. Anyways, I opened my document, read it over, started to write, and before I knew it, the rest of my chapter was right there. I hope you enjoy it. I don't know when my next update will be. I'm fairly busy at work right now, and I'm getting ready for a business trip, but I hope to continue writing over the next week. I'll also update Academy of Azeroth as soon as I can.

Thank you for reading!

Lunarelle