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| Details |
| Author: | Alli |
| Summary: | After receiving the post-Cataclysm newsletter, Lena goes to Stormwind to see how Mayellen is doing. |
| Rating: | T for Teen |
It's been a week since the tidal wave and the earthquake, which isn't enough time for Stormwind to recover. The western half of the city is still partially ruined, though many are assisting in the cleanup. Lena Coit isn't headed towards the park or harbor, however. She's on her way to a small place in Oldtown. She arrives at the door and knocks, biting the inside of her lip nervously as she waits to see her best friend.
The new Hazan place has suffered almost no damage from Deathwing's attacks, though some nearby buildings have great streaks of sooty scorching along their facades. When May answers the door she looks tired, leaning on her walking staff, but her eyes
brighten at the sight of her friend. "Lena!" she cries, and goes awkwardly in for a one-armed hug, her other hand occupied with her staff.
Lena goes in for the hug, but is gentle. Who knows what injuries in May she might not see. "Thank the Light. You're well? And Jonas?"
"Everyone's fine here. He's out right now helping his mom do some grocery shopping but otherwise he'd say hello I'm sure. I have noticed that for some reason I really don't like going to stores these days." She smiles wryly and then steps aside to let
Lena enter the small two-story dwelling.
Lena steps inside, her whole frame sagging a little with relief. "I thought about summoning you, right after it happened, but then I thought… what if I distracted you at a critcal moment?"
"If nothing else it really would have freaked out Jonas and his mom. We were all kind of panicking together." She smiles wryly. "I'm so glad you're okay. But… I knew you would be. Can I get you some tea or anything?"
"Tea… would be nice," Lena smiles. "I'm glad I did the right thing. It's hard to know, sometimes. I was out at the Fallons place, and a wave hit there, too. We were… lucky, in the end, I think. The wave collapsed before the house."
"Thank the Light," says Mayellen earnestly as she heads toward the "kitchen," which is really just a small corner of the main downstairs room. She fills the kettle, starts it heating and then rummages through a cabinet. "All the Cobalt Eye made it too."
Lena lets out a sigh of relief. "Once I realized it was all over… I was really worried. And I hadn't even gotten a chance to see you since Icecrown, either. How are things going with the Eye?"
"We're between assignments right now, but not for long I'm sure." She finds the tea leaves she was looking for and sets them on the counter, then heads to a nearby chair, settling into it. "How's work been for you?"
"It's…" Lena heads to a chair nearby, and takes a seat. "It's been fine, really. I knew Icecrown was going to be difficult. But we did kill him in the end, the Lich King." Lena pauses, and adds in a carefully casual tone, "So you finished your last assignment? "
Mayellen nods. "It was a murder case. We found the culprit and turned it over to the proper authorities."
"A murder… wait," Lena frowns. "Have I really been away that long? I was thinking, you know, if you ever found him. My brother. Maybe my brother."
Mayellen's eyes widen. "Oh Light… I… I'm so sorry, Lena. It's been so long since I've seen you, and… my mind was so taken up with the case right after that… Well, that and the way my mind sometimes lets things slip ever since… Well, anyway. I'm so sorry I didn't write to you sooner about it. To think, you've been wondering all this time… I'm so sorry!"
Lena shakes her head. "I could've written, too. It's just… sometimes I try to avoid things that might be… unpleasant."
"I understand. And that was probably why I delayed, too, at first. Not wanting to force it on you. But then I genuinely forgot, and that's on me." Mayellen rises from her chair and immediately goes to another corner of the little room, where she keeps some papers. She starts rifling through them.
Lena looks a little lost. "There's documentation about it? Or what happened?"
Mayellen finds what she's looking for, and carefully pulls out the paper. It is torn on one edge, as though from a book. Solemnly she moves back to Lena and hands it to her. It's a sketch of a fair-haired Forsaken man. "That's the Forsaken we were after," she says gently. "Collin."
Lena looks at it in puzzlement for a moment, then she freezes. "Oh," she says, and starts to try to say something else. But instead her eyes just fill with tears.
Mayellen slides an arm around Lena, waiting to see if she needs the comfort or if she should pull back and give her some space.
The tears slip down her face, and Lena takes a shuddering breath, raising one hand to brush them away. But she doesn't pull away from May. "How is it I can still recognize him? Like that?"
"I wasn't sure if you would be able to. But… I thought it was worth a try. The artist really captured his… intelligence. You can tell it's not just some mindless thing. But he… whatever he was, he didn't make it, Lena. He's gone. I'm sorry."
Lena makes a sound somewhere between a laugh and a sob. "So all this worry about what I would do, if I should even see him… and he's already gone. Do you know what happened?"
"I do." May's voice is calm, but compassionate. "The Syndicate had him. He warned them about the Forsaken attack that was coming, and then they killed him. He was trying so hard to save us, Lena. To save you."
"And the Syndicate… didn't tell anyone?" Lena's voice goes a little shrill on the last words, and she takes a breath, reining it in. More calmly, she says, "I read about that in the newsletter. That attack is on their hands, then, too."
"It is. And… I'm frustrated because we did find records, and we turned over everything we found to SI:7, but… still." She spreads her hands. "Maybe Master Shaw couldn't make anything of it in time, or maybe he realized it was a lost cause. But we worked so hard to figure out what they were plotting and it was all for nothing." She sighs heavily, but then waves it away. "Still, the important thing here is that you should know your brother still cared about you, still tried to do the right thing."
"Even being… what he was," Lena says, staring at the drawing. "I've avenged him now. Not just him, all of them. Prince Arthas Menethil is finally dead."
May looks at Lena, her blue-gray eyes soft. "I'm so proud of you," she says quietly. "I'm amazed by you, really. You're - you're what I want to be."
That stops the tears, and Lena turns to her in surprise. "I am, really? If anything, I've been borrowing your dream. To use this power we have to help the Alliance. Not everyone appreciates it, but I've done my best."
"For me it was just a dream. That's all I do is dream about the future and who I'm going to be. If you borrow something from me and actually use it, make something of it, then honestly it's more yours than mine."
Lena focuses on May more carefully. "You do work, though, with the Eye. And even if you couldn't stop an invasion, you… solved a murder, right?"
"One racecar driver. You helped kill The Lich King." She laughs dryly. "I appreciate your kindness, but it just really doesn't compare."
Lena falls silent for a moment. Then she says, "You and I learned together. Sure, I was a year or so in advance, but… I don't see why you couldn't advance, as I have."
The teakettle whistles. May checks Lena's expression carefully before taking her arm from around her and rising from the chair. She prepares tea as she replies. "It's all I think about, honestly. After the whole Wishock thing, I was so sure I'd caught the tail of a rising star, that I was on my way to Big Things. And then… it all just sort of fizzled. I wanted so badly to believe that everything I suffered at Natasya's hands… still suffer, if I'm bieng honest… was going to be what led me to greatness. And yet here I still am, doing the little jobs. And I know they're important. I know that, logically. But I can't shake this feeling that I
was meant for more, that everything I've lost is leading to something amazing."
Lena watches May get the tea, nodding. "I'd hoped that you'd heal. But then, you can still handle the fel as well as ever. And the work you do is important. But… it can be difficult to advance in Cobalt, for people like us." Lena clasps her hands in her lap, and continues, "Even for me. Yes, I've been in the forward squad several times now. And every time, people are concerned. I'm watched more carefully. People look at me sometimes like I'm the enemy, even my allies."
"I'd give anything to be getting side-eye from people on a forward squad," Mayellen says wryly. "But I can't - I haven't really talked to Jonas about how I feel. He wouldn't understand, I don't think. He doesn't like attention, or fuss. If he knew I wasn't satisfied with the work we do, I feel like he'd be confused, even hurt. And I love him so much, Lena. I had no idea I could love a person this way. Just the thought of him looking at me like I'm some power-crazed monster - it kills me."
Lena smiles wistfully. "You're not a power-crazed monster, May. If you were, this would be a very different conversation. And I'm glad the two of you love each other. I… oh, Light, I haven't even told you I dumped my girlfriend." Lena shakes her head. "But that's not the point." Lena takes a breath. "But that's really not the point. You know I've been helping with the fleet, right?"
"I do. Um but before you move on to that subject Lena, I should probably mention… I sort of know about Roz." She winces a little as she brings them their tea. "I miiiight have run into her at a tavern while she was talking to some friends about the breakup. And I might have stuck my nose in."
Lena blinks in surprise. "You met with Roz? Is she doing alright? I would've checked up on her, after the tidal waves, only I thought it wouldn't be… is she okay?"
"I think she's going to be. She's reconnecting with her family, which is awesome. But I do think the two of you were right to split up. You're at such different stages of your lives. She's still got a lot of growing up and finding herself to do."
Lena lets out a breath, reaching out for a teacup. "That's good to hear. She had so much all tangled up, and I know what that's like. I think maybe we were right for each other, but only for a time. Sometimes relationships are like that."
"I wouldn't really know. I've only had the one. But yeah, it seems to me that she was in pain, and you were sort of a medication for that for a bit, but… that's not what a long term relationship needs to be. She needs to sort herself out and then find a partner. And you need someone who can excel right alongside you, I think. I've always imagined you marrying some nobleman or great hero or something."
Lena laughs. "I don't think any nobleman would look twice at me. Or well, they would, but not for marrying. But I do see what you mean. And she was good for me, there was a time I didn't feel safe without her at my side. But… we're headed different ways, I think. Or at least, I feel like I'm headed in a certain way, and she's still at something of a crossroads."
"I'm glad you two got to enjoy each other for at least a little while," May says wistfully. "But I do believe there's a great love waiting for you. Someone who's as extraordinary as you are - as wise and steady and who is making as big a place for themself in the world. And I think like me, you'll know it when you see it. You're smart, and you've certainly seen enough of the wrong thing to know the right one when it comes along."
"I have worked out a lot of the mistakes," Lena says ruefully. "And I hope you're right. But even if you're not, I'll be fine. I do know how to take care of myself alone, like you did, too. I'm not looking for another half of me, I'm a whole person."
"And that is exactly the best time to find love," Mayellen says, beaming with the confidence of a happy newlywed. She sips some tea, smiling. "Oh. You were going to say something about the fleet?"
"Oh, yes," Lena brightens. "I think I was something of an experiment, and Fallon is… well, really complimentary about how things have turned out. The fleet seems to really appreciate having warlocks around. If you're interested, I'd expect they're looking for more qualified people. Only, it is sailing for a while at a time."
"Oh, I'd be useless on a ship," Mayellen says with a dismissive wave. "I can barely keep my feet even on land. And forget about climbing up into the rigging or whatever."
Lena laughs. "I'm not a sailor. Could you imagine me climbing rigging? I'm there for my warlock talents. Summoning, most of the time. Sometimes combat, or assistance with soulstones and healthstones and the like. It's been… nice, working somewhere that everyone seems to appreciate what I have to offer. And they've been surprisingly respectful, the sailors."
Mayellen smiles a little wistfully, as though imagining it, but then just shakes her head again. "I really can't picture me on a ship. I've rarely ever even been a passenger. I can't imagine spending a lot of time with a sailing crew."
Lena shrugs. "If you ever change your mind, I can put in a word. And in the meantime…" she pauses. "What would you think, if I were considering doing it fulltime?"
"Leaving Cobalt Company?" Mayellen frowns thoughtfully. "Well, I think it would be Cobalt Company's loss. And I don't know the Vice Admiral very well, but if you're happy there, then that's where you should be. You'll be serving the Alliance, and you'll be appreciated."
Lena nods. "He's a good man. I'm sort of… living at his house right now." Lena winces. "It's not anything scandalous, it's a really big house. He offered, because I was relocating and I hadn't a place in Stormwind yet, and… well… there's not all that many places here to rent, now, with everything. And all the people coming back. But my point is, he's really kind. And I would be serving the Alliance. And I wouldn't want to leave Cobalt on bad terms, either. Working with Cobalt has meant a lot to me."
Mayellen frowns sharply at the mention of the living situation. "Uhhh… maybe I should help you look for a place. Or you could stay with me for a bit? I really don't think you ought to be letting your rich married handsome employer put you up in his mansion. It sounds really bad, Lena."
This opinion is unsurprising from the girl who moved out of her not-actually-cousin's townhouse the minute she found out they weren't related.
"I do know that, and I only meant it for a short time. But at this point it's practically a very fancy boarding house in any case. Priscilla Moore and her fiance are there, and Ralaea and her brother… and I've my own space. It's not like we're sharing rooms.”
"I'm just telling you how it sounds. I don't know any of those other people, but if they're unmarried women I don't think they ought to be staying with some rich man either. It's appalling, frankly. You're the one I care about, though. Ultimately though, it's your reputation. I'm just saying, if that's something you care about, you might want to prioritize finding another living situation."
Lena ducks her head, blushing. "He's not done anything untoward, May. But maybe if you could help me find a place? It's rough, because I've also got to find a stable for Penny. Or sell her. I've not decided yet."
"I'll do everything I can to help, I promise. I trust you, I just don't trust men, and I certainly don't trust the way people talk about women and men. You've worked so hard to seem beyond reproach." May suddenly gets a strange look on her face. "Oh gosh. There's um… I mean… my parents have a spare room… above the shop?"
"May, I do not think your parents would take kindly to a warlock boarder," Lena says apologetically. "But also, you know I'm not above reproach. That bridge is already well and burned. I'm making a good start of it, but I'm not going to present myself falsely to anyone. Least of all any nobleman or great hero I might fall in love with one day."
"I don't mean present yourself falsely, I mean, it's true that these days you're above reproach. I'm not saying lie about your past, I'm saying make it clear you're a proper lady these days, you know? But you're right about my parents, even if they did let you stay they'd probably make you feel awful every minute, so no. But I can look and see if some of the smaller places Jonas and I decided against are still available. One of them in particular was overcharging so much that I'm sure no one decided to rent. But money isn't much of a problem for you, right? Or maybe some nice old lady needs a roommate… I'll look into it." She seems determined.
Lena nods. "I'd appreciate that. And no, money's not so much the issue. More just… all the soldiers coming back it seems like anywhere I'd want to live is full up. And… you could come to visit, if you like. Just to see it's not as seedy as you might imagine, there at the estate."
"It doesn't matter what it's really like, Lena. My point is, how it sounds. Not everyone is going to take a tour every time they hear with whom you're living. And honestly nothing but your word says that he's not slipping into your room every night. And I take your word, but most people won't."
Lena sighs. "Right, appearances. Maybe I can just not mention my living arrangements, in the meantime. Or only to people I trust, like you."
"Definitely not. But you know, it's not like you can hide where you're going every night. Please, let me help you."
"No one's following me home at night, or at least I hope they aren't. But yes, you can help me."
"You never know, about followers. I'm not even as pretty as you and I've had men follow me in the streets before. Uh, don't tell Jonas that." She laughs. "But yes, I'll write to you with any promising leads on places to rent. And don't you be a stranger either. You can write letters even if you're with the fleet, right? Or can you?"
"Oh, does he get jealous?" Lena grins. "But yes, they've got a magical system set up. So we can keep in touch wherever I am."
"Not so much jealous as I worry he'd rip someone to shreds if he thought they were stalking me." For a moment she looks like she wants to take that back, but then she smooths her expression over.
Lena's smile drops. "May. Is he violent?"
"Oh gosh," she laughs nervously. "No more than any of us. And only to bad guys. Honestly he's got more self-control and inner centeredness than any man I've ever met. But if anyone were ever to hurt me… I really don't think it would be pretty."
Lena does not look terribly reassured. "Anyone who's violent towards folk they don't like can be violent to others. Trust me on this one. If he ever… if you ever get a sign that might be the case, you tell me. Okay?"
May's mouth sets into a firm line. "I would never let anyone hurt me. Ever. I promise you. I didn't even let my parents hurt me emotionally. No way would I let someone lay a hand on me."
"It's not always… obvious," Lena struggles to articulate. "It can be easy to make excuses, when its someone you love. Or to think you're to blame."
Mayellen studies her for a moment, her eyes solemn. "I promise you I will never make excuses for him. I haven't had to so far. The only thing he's ever done to upset me is just… not volunteer to tell me things. He's a bit guarded, self contained. But I promise you that in all this time I have never once been afraid of him. That's why the nightmare I had during that whole thing upset me so much. I dreamed he hurt me and it was just… it put my whole world on its ear. Because he's always so careful with me, so protective. He's my safe harbor. He's calm, he's reliable."
Lena nods slowly, the worry fading. "I'll trust your judgment. I just… you know how much I care about you, right? And I do not want to see anybody get stuck in that kind of a trap. I've not seen anything from Jonas myself that makes me worried, but then I don't really know him all that well myself, yet. I am happy you found each other. Just, maybe don't let him tear anyone to shreds?"
That nervous laugh again. "Sorry for the phrasing. I guess it was kind of graphic. I wasn't thinking. Maybe it was subconsciously left over from that nightmare I had. But yes. I understand why you're worried, and I know how much you care. And that is part of the reason I would never let myself get lured into some quicksand of a toxic relationship. Not only would it hurt me, but it would cause so much pain to you and others who care about me. Jonas has always been the person I feel safest and most comfortable and most myself with, and if that ever were to change, I would reevaluate the relationship, marriage or no marriage."
Lena relaxes again, and takes a sip of the tea. She makes an appreciative sound at the flavor. "I don't intend to, either. No matter what appearances are, I do know the signs. And I promise you I won't stay with anybody who ever shows them. And if I ever get the slightest hint of anything salacious in the Fallons, regarding their employees, I will walk away immediately."
May smiles and nods, and has another sip of tea. "And this is why I can stand to have my best friend so far away from me so much of the time. Because I know deep in my heart that you've got this. That you're not going to let anyone hurt you or take advantage of you, and I don't have to worry. I love having that confidence in you." She beams at her.
Lena smiles back. "And I know you're capable, and you can handle whatever the world throws at you. They might be able to hurt you, even permanently, but you are strong, May. I believe you'll reach those dreams someday."
May sets down her cup and scoots her chair over so that she can give Lena a good, long, two-armed hug.