Author's Note: Well, it's taken a little more time than I anticipated, but we now have the next story in the Champions series. For those just joining us, Champions follows Boromir after a mysterious demi-goddess named 'Pelagia' reunites body and spirit and transports him into the modern age. He has recovered from his injures and has begun reclaiming parts of his memory. This is something of an interlude, giving us a glimpse into what's going on with characters in Campbell, Valinor and elsewhere. I'm not even gonna try to guess when the next story will be started, much less posted. . .I've been struggling with writer's block, and the next story will be seriously 'game on' for the reincarnations and Boromir. However, that's in the future. . .as ever, the cast and reincarnation lists will appear at the end of this story, along with the footnotes. I hope everyone enjoys this one-shot!
Disclaimer: Boromir, Legolas, Haldir, Galadriel and Celebrian do not belong to me. . .they are the property of the estate of JRR Tolkien (and Peter Jackson, in some ways). All other characters belong to me, as does the town of Campbell, which is a character in and of itself. You may borrow my characters, but please ask first and return them to me intact.
Champions
Glimpses Through The Mirror
It was just after nine thirty am, and already the temperature was approaching eighty degrees. It was still nice. . .the humidity would come later in the day, and it was anyone's guess if they would have a breeze to cool them. Welcome to North Carolina in the middle of July, she thought a bit ruefully, checking herself in the mirror one last time. It was worth it, though. . .the generally temperate weather of the winter made up for the extreme heat of the summer. The young woman had been up for about an hour and a half, waking her roommate after she finished in the shower. He did love his showers, and she couldn't blame him there.
She was distracted from her musings when her roommate called from the living room, "Meg? Why are they playing What Child is This in July?" Huh. . .oh. Right. She left on the classical music station for Michael. Interesting. He fell asleep listening to Loreena McKennitt (Enya, too, for that matter), but loved classical music. Very interesting. Megan Rafferty smiled at the question, and at the plaintive note in Michael's voice. She would wait until she joined him to answer his question. . .the bathroom tended to distort sound. Sometimes, it was a bad thing. . .other times, not so bad. At least Michael was spared her attempts at singing in the shower. He told her on more than one occasion that he liked her singing, but he was the only one.
Megan answered as she left the bathroom, "That's not What Child is This, Michael, although it does have the same melody. It's actually called Greensleeves, and has lyrics of its own." Privately, she wondered how he even knew about What Child is This, given he was barely speaking English at Christmas. . .unless, of course, it was Gavin and that mysterious language they spoke. It didn't really matter. Michael straightened up as she approached, and nodded his appreciation of her explanation. Well, that was good. She chose not to further her explanation, because she could never remember if Henry VIII actually wrote Greensleeves for Anne Boleyn or if that was just a romantic rumor floating about. . . besides, she didn't want to confuse him further. They were still dealing with North Carolina history at the moment, and that was enough.
"Ahhh, I see. Gavin has mentioned that in the past. . .another example is the Irish song Shule Aroon and the American song, Johnny Has Gone for a Soldier, correct?" Michael asked. All right, so it seemed that Gavin was throwing some Irish history in there. Better him than her. . .he had actually been to Ireland, after all. And while his statement wasn't quite correct, it was close.¹ When Megan nodded, Michael went on, "Very well. Will I be acceptable for today's festivities?" Ah, yes. She knew she was forgetting something. The detective took a step back, motioning him to turn around, and when he faced her once more, Megan gave him an appreciative nod.
Yes, he would be fine. . .a repeat of the incident at the Memorial Day service was unlikely. That was partly her fault-mostly her fault-she should have taught him about layering his clothing. He knew about it now, and was dressed for the day. Besides, they weren't starting out chilly. He was wearing his favorite shirt, an old football jersey which Gavin had given him, and the cargo shorts which her mother had bought him a few months earlier during a sale. Nice. . . very nice.
"You'll do quite nicely. Our experiment during the Fourth of July worked out just as I hoped it would. All right, the next question is. . .are you wearing sandals or sneakers?" Megan asked and Michael made a face. Megan sympathized. . .it was likely to be bloody hot, but he didn't like sandals particularly well. They weren't very comfortable, especially not the ones with the thongs between toes. He had to decide this himself, so she said, "Okay, I need to go put my jewelry on and find my sneakers, then check my email. Let me know whenever you're ready."
"Don't I always?" Michael asked innocently, and Megan grinned as she headed into her bedroom. Her roommate called, "Might I check my email first?" She gave him a thumb's up behind her back, grinning all the while. Megan had set up an email account for him once Gavin returned to his own home. That software which her mother had gotten her for Christmas did wonders to teach him English, and his nightly email and IM conversations with Gavin served to hone his spelling and grammar. It often seemed to her that Gavin was providing all of his education, but she knew that wasn't the case. The truth was, there were a number of forms which education took. And regardless of who taught him what, he came a long way since he was found in the alley in Raleigh.
It was hard to believe that the stubborn, determined man in the other room was once that frail, exhausted, wounded individual whom she brought home from the hospital all those months ago. He was painfully attractive then, wounded and vulnerable as he was. . .but the truth was, he was devastating now that he was at full strength, and his green eyes sparkled with mischief. He was happier now. . .he still couldn't remember a lot of his past (though he told her rather definitively that he had never been married), but he was able to move without pain and he enjoyed his weekly self-defense lessons with the Grayson children, as well as the horse-back riding he did at their farm.
Kristin was home now, and during the summer, in addition to working at the clinic, she also helped to teach a first aid class at the community center. Michael was among her first students, and under the name 'Michael Rafferty,' was now certified in first aid and CPR. Kristin later told Megan that she was fairly certain Michael already knew some of what was taught, even if he didn't know how he knew. Megan observed softly, 'business as usual, then.' Her baby sister agreed, and then filled Megan in on the rest of the class. Lately, though, that was the case, because she absolutely refused to talk about Logan Garvey or his wife, much less her feelings for him. And she didn't really want to talk about Carey, because Kristin was still struggling with the knowledge that Megan wasn't her oldest sister and that they had a young niece.
Megan kept her own counsel, rather than trying to talk Kristin into her own point of view. Kristin had to come to terms with this in her own way, on her own time. That was what Carey told her when Megan admitted that Kristin was acting strangely whenever the newest members of the family were mentioned. While Megan had no issues with the concept that there were other women for her father before he met her mother, Kristin was having issues. And this was a relatively new development, as she didn't seem to have those issues back in April. . .so maybe something happened while she was at college?
When Kristin was ready, she would tell her about it. Until then, she had work to do. For once, she and Elena weren't working together on Founders Day. . . instead, Elena was helping to run the department booth, while Megan was patrolling the crowd, and Michael was keeping her company. It was his first Founders Day, and he had a number of questions, including the difference between Founders Day and Independence Day. She had given him the simple answer. . .that Founders Day was on a much smaller basis, the founding (or rather, incorporation) of a town, rather than the inception of a country. However, there was more to it than that. There was always more to it than that.
"Meg? I'm ready whenever you are!" Michael called from the other room. Megan smiled and slung her purse over her shoulder. There were two waist packs in her purse, one for her and one for Michael. She joined Michael and smiled. . .he had chosen sneakers without socks, and was now putting on his Hurricanes baseball cap. He smiled back and said with a shrug, "Comfortable means different things." It was something Gavin said to him on more than one occasion and Megan nodded her agreement. She picked up her own baseball cap, fitted on her head, and nodded to the door. They had a festival, a founding to celebrate.
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"Have you ever thought of how much time, money, and energy we waste in preparation? I mean, look at my mom. She gets her hair cut, buys a new outfit and new shoes for a twenty minute appointment. . .excuse me, job interview. . .and she doesn't even get the job! Doesn't that seem like a waste of time, energy and money to you?" the eighteen year old groused. Legolas Thranduilion, Prince of Mirkwood, wearily looked at the girl. In all of the years he lived, he had many tests of his patience. This, however, was one of the worst. In the last fifteen minutes, she hadn't stopped talking. Actually, she wasn't talking. . . she was nattering, and that was infinitely more irritating. And he couldn't even blame it on her age, as individuals far older than she had the exact same tendency. Nor could he blame it on her gender, as there were men who nattered just as much. He didn't really want to blame her, either. He just wanted her to be silent, but. . .
"That will do, Mina," Haldir stated from the doorway. The prince mouthed 'thank you' to his friend, who smiled faintly, and then Legolas returned his attention to the most recent email from Ronan Daly. . .from Gimli. At least, that was the intention, but Mina was sulking out loud over Haldir's dismissal. She was the daughter of their current landlord, and like so many teenagers before, took an unexpected liking to Legolas. Haldir teased him on more than one occasion that females, old and young, found him pretty. Legolas had simply thrown a crumpled-up piece of paper at him.
"Mina, if you wish to be treated like an adult, then you should behave like one. Now, Mr. Tate has received a very important email from a client, so please allow him to work," Haldir warned. The girl huffed and sulked, but headed into another room, brushing past Haldir. The Elves exchanged a glance, and then indulged themselves in a somewhat uncharacteristic eye-roll. Even after Mina was out of earshot, Haldir remained. He leaned against the door, arms folded over his chest. Legolas thought briefly about teasing his friend about what Galadriel would say if she could see him, but chose not to do. Haldir was just as creative about his revenge as Legolas himself.
"My thanks, Haldir. . .I have never lost my temper with a child, and I had no wish to do now. Much less with the child of two people who have been so kind to us," Legolas sighed. Haldir inclined his head in acknowledgment. The pair arrived in Illinois two months earlier, slowly making their way across the US and Canada, and made contact with Mina's parents after Gabriel Wainwright called his younger sister, Mina's mother. As Mina so rudely observed, her mother Cinda was trying to find a job now that Mina was almost finished with high school, and finding it difficult. The money provided to the couple while Legolas and Haldir stayed in their boarding house was gratefully accepted.
"Indeed. I must say, there are times when I find the Conovers were almost prescient in naming their only child²," Haldir said dryly as he sat down beside Legolas. The prince bit back his smile, and Haldir continued, "Now, do we have news of Boromir in the latest missive from Dr. Daly, or has he included more information about the lovely Dr. Trask and Boromir's guardians, as he is wont to do?" This time, Legolas rolled his eyes at Haldir, even though it was a fair question. . .more than fair, really. He looked over the email again, thinking about the resumption of his friendship with Gimli, son of Gloin, now known as Dr. Ronan Daly.
They began emailing each other shortly after Ronan retired and moved to Campbell. Most of their emails dealt with Boromir's recovery. . .and, according to Gim. . .to Ronan, he recovered very nicely indeed. As Pelagia told him, the former Captain-General was amnesiac, but was starting to get his memories back. However, before Legolas got it into his Elven mind (drawing an eye-roll from Legolas) that Boromir was ready to see his old friends, he should think twice. Boromir wasn't ready for it, and his guardians weren't ready for the fall-out either, and that included G. . .Ronan himself. At least, that was his story. Legolas half-suspected that he was still trying to figure out how to explain the appearance of the two Elves.
And that was more than fine, as Legolas had some things to figure out himself. . .such as, how to react to a Boromir who was Boromir, but remembered nothing of his life during the Third Age. Haldir observed that it was no different from finding one of the reincarnation of one of their friends. . .and yet, it would be. And thus, the reason for the prince's unease. Ronan had told him about his meeting with Gavin Rafferty, Aragorn's reincarnation, and the retired Marine's assertion that he was Aragorn's reincarnation, not the king himself. Legolas understood and even agreed with Gavin. He had his own life experiences that separated him from Aragorn. The same wasn't true of Boromir. He was Boromir, and yet, he was also the blank slate found in the alley.
Legolas knew Boromir. . .not as well as Faramir or the young Hobbits. . .but he didn't know Michael, the man he had become. He was unaware that he spoke aloud, until Haldir observed quietly, "No, indeed. . .however, you can come to know that man Michael through Dr. Daly's email missives. I think you will find, my friend, that Boromir and Michael are not so very different. Michael is more innocent, being spared the forces that shaped Lord Boromir. We come now to the reason why Lady Pelagia erased his memory. Not just to assist in his physical recovery, but to give him a second chance in every sense of the word."
Legolas sat back in his chair, staring at the other Elf in utter shock. But when he thought about it, wasn't Haldir correct? The prince murmured, "Free to be Michael, rather than Boromir, son of the Steward and Captain-General of Gondor." Haldir nodded, his eyes never leaving Legolas. And this was why Ronan wanted them to wait before coming to Campbell. . .Boromir was not yet ready to remember. In many ways, he was still as a child. . .still learning about this new time in which he found himself. If Legolas were to force a confrontation, before Boromir was ready. . . Legolas whispered, "It isn't time, not yet. He isn't ready to remember, must be allowed to remember on his own."
"Indeed. You know that our old friends often remember their past lives in the Third and Fourth Ages when they encounter you. Boromir has only been awake in this time for nine months. He has learned a great deal, as Dr. Daly says. But he is still learning. It would be a cruel thing, to force him to remember before he is ready. And it would be cruel for you, too. . .seeing its effect on him would break your heart," Haldir said quietly and Legolas inclined his head. Yes. Yes, it would. They waited nine months, he could wait a little longer. Elves could live forever, but Men could not.
He knew from his emails from Cameron Gillespie that the concert his pipe and drum band were supposed to perform in Fayetteville, North Carolina was being rescheduled, due to an issue with the venue. He also knew that Cam was determined to find Boromir again. Once Pippin Took's reincarnation learned where the new concert would take place, and when, he would ask Cameron to notify him. There was a strong possibility that even seeing Pippin again would knock something loose in Boromir's memory. If that happened, someone in addition to Gavin and Ronan should be nearby.
It was Legolas' dearest wish that the other someone would be Merry's reincarnation, in the event he remembered those last moments of his life in Middle-earth. But if not, then Legolas himself would be there. Perhaps not where Boromir could see him, but he would be there, watching over him, supporting him. Until that time, when Legolas could reveal his presence, his existence, to the Gondorian, he would trust Boromir's current guardians. But one thing he did swear. . .the Nine Walkers would once more unite!
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In some ways, it was a good thing Kristin wasn't in a mood to talk this morning. The others in the First Aid trailer were all talking about the upcoming season of House, MD, a show Kristin saw once and couldn't bring herself to watch ever again. It wasn't because House was what he was, or because of the plots, or even because the show quickly fell into a formula. No, it was because House's best friend Dr. Wilson reminded her of a slightly older version of Logan Garvey.³ And that was something she just didn't need. She was trying to forget him, and didn't need reminders. . .of any kind.
Of course, the world didn't work that way. She saw him regularly when she returned to Campbell. But she wasn't about to seek out reminders. Of course, that meant that she didn't take part in conversation when the show came up, but that was okay. At this point, they really didn't expect her to do so. Instead, when conversation drifted to the catfish supper fundraiser from a few nights earlier, she relayed what she knew. Her mother was involved in that, which by extension, meant that she and Megan were involved, if only by putting up posters for the fundraiser.
Based on what she heard, most of the dinners (catfish, cole slaw, a roll and sweet tea) had sold, so the fundraiser was being counted as a success. Kristin couldn't remember off-hand what this particular fundraiser was for. . .it could be for someone who was experiencing financial trouble or it could just be for her organization's emergency fund. It was hard to tell. Even so, she answered what questions she could. . .and fortunately, during this particular conversation, that was all of them. And, she prompted the others to visit the thrift shop on the second floor of the community center. . .a place people often forgot. Kristin didn't, because she and Dad always decorated the room prior to a fundraiser and because it was her turn to man the thrift shop during the fundraiser.
But that was all right, because Megan brought her dinner and the sisters had a chance to talk without interruption. And if Megan thought Kristin didn't know she was avoiding the subject of their older sister, she was fooling herself. However, that was irrelevant. Kristin was grateful to her sister for the effort, and for her willingness to trust in the baby of the family. . .especially since Kristin had no idea why she felt this way. She got along fine with Carey while she was in North Carolina during Spring Break, and she really didn't have a problem with the idea of her father. . .being with someone before Mom.
"Hey Kris, you got any ideas for Halloween this year?" Damaris asked, drawing Kristin's attention away from her thoughts. Her sister's friend sat in the chair opposite her own, Lacey nestled in her lap. Halloween? That was. . .what, three months away? Kristin's thoughts must have been clearly telegraphed, for Maris snickered and added, "It's Lacey's first real Halloween, and I want to make it special for her." Uhm. . .right. Lacey was still a very, very little girl. Maris just laughed and said, "All right, so this is more for me than it is for her. That doesn't mean she won't have fun, too."
"All riiiiiiiiiiiiiight," Kristin drawled, "I supposed that makes sense." Then again, Kristin wasn't a mother, and everyone told her that the prism through which she saw the world would change completely when she had children. Or something along those lines. Considering it was unlikely at this point that she would ever have children, Kristin was willing to take their word for it. And so far as Halloween was concerned. . .well, she would have to think about that. She would probably help to decorate the building and maybe go through the haunted house in one of the dorms, but as far as dressing up. . . She finally said, "Not sure if I'll dress up or not." That was something Megan enjoyed doing, a complete role reversal for the two sisters, and she added, "Not sure what Megan plans to dress up. . .she usually does that."
"I asked her. . .she hadn't made up her mind yet, though she was leaning toward dressing up as Annie Oakley, or maybe Calamity Jane," Damaris observed. Kristin almost smiled at that. It would be totally like her sister to dress up as either of those. . .or say she would dress up as one thing, then dress as something totally else. She was contrary that way. Kristin remembered one year, just after she returned home from college the first time, when Megan had told people she was dressing up as Alice in Wonderland, and dressed up as the Red Queen instead. Yeah, her big sister took great pleasure in being contrary sometimes. Damaris noted this a moment later, adding, "So, knowing her, she'll show up as Belle Starr or John Dillinger's moll."
Kristin laughed outright at that, giggling, "Yeah, that's my sister all right. Or maybe as a dancehall girl." No, not a dancehall girl. . .Megan wasn't comfortable with people seeing her legs. There was nothing wrong with her legs, as legs went, but Elena had awesome legs (or so Kristin was told). On the other hand, Kristin had no problem with people seeing her legs (she had nice legs, and more than one person had told her so), so maybe she would go as a dancehall girl, in. . . Kristin's eyes narrowed and she glared at Damaris, who had just neatly. . .ooh!
However, her sister's friend merely took a sip of her sweet tea and smiled, saying, "Hey, you made the dancehall girl suggestion for Meg, don't go blamin' me if you realized it was better for you than for her. She's more comfortable with medieval gowns and such. Maybe a Snow Queen this year, she's been talking about that for the last few years. That, or a Tavern Wench. What about Michael? Has she mentioned anything about Halloween to him?" Now Kristin rolled her eyes. Halloween was, as she already mentioned, three months away. . .she would imagine Megan was just working on getting them through the festival without any incidents like the one at the Memorial Day event.
It was odd, really. . .the things you did without even thinking about it, like layering your clothing in the transition months. It was something you did all the time, so it wouldn't occur to most people to even mention it. She hadn't thought to tell Michael to layer his clothing, and neither had Gavin. . .because they were all used to the North Carolina springtime. Michael, once he recovered sufficiently, told Megan rather firmly that it wasn't her fault, she was to stop blaming herself, and that he had spent enough time in different climes to know he should layer himself. Megan might not have caught the implication, as upset as she was, but Kristin had.
Annnndd…she still hadn't answered the other woman's question. Kristin admitted, "Really, I don't know what Michael might dress up as. We're teaching him a little at a time, and we haven't reached Halloween yet. Whenever we reach something new, it takes longer than we anticipated to move on, because he has so many questions. Not that this is a bad thing, but he forces us to find out why things are a certain way, and doesn't just accept things at face value. If we taught him about Halloween now, before we're even into August, he would want to know not just the source of the holiday, but why people dress up for Halloween and how that particular tradition got started. It's not a bad thing, but we need to research these questions before Michael brings them up, 'cause that's just the way things are for us. . .with Michael, we have to dig a little deeper."
Damaris was silent for several moments, before saying softly, "I never thought about that, really, but it makes sense. We take it for granted, assume people know these things, but Michael is not most people." Kristin nodded, and it was then that Damaris threw her curveball, asking, "So, what does Michael think about your newly-discovered older sister?" Huh. . .what? Kristin stared at Megan's friend in shock, and Maris smirked a little, bouncing Lacey on her lap, before saying, "This is me, Kristy. . .your sister's nosy, busybody friend, not Megan herself. She won't ask, but I will."
"Busybody, yes. . .nosy, absolutely," Kristin retorted. Maris just grinned and Kristin sighed, "You're not letting go of this, are you? For some reason, you're not giving up on getting this out of me." Maris made a show of thinking over Kristin's question, and then shook her head with a bright smile. Kristin sighed, "Okay. The best I can do is say, it completely freaks me out that I have a twelve year old niece, who was born when I was eight years old and when Meg was twenty. Okay. That's not quite as freaky. But I now have a thirty-seven year old sister, about whom I didn't know until the beginning of March, and a twelve-year-old niece, ditto. For some reason, Meg seems perfectly k-o with all of this, about it, and I don't know why I'm not."
"Here's a possibility for you. . .you're not the baby any more. Well, you are, but there's someone younger than you in the family. Reese doesn't count because you didn't watch him grow up, the way you will likely watch Gemma grow up. And going along with that, Megan is no longer the oldest. . .she's now the middle child. Even something that subtle has an effect. The dynamics of your family has changed, Kristy," Maris said softly. Yeah. Maybe that was it. But for now, they had a surge of heat stroke and minor injuries. . .and Kristin welcomed the work.
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Galadriel stared into her Mirror with a bemused smile. During the last several mortal months, she looked into her Mirror to track the progress of the two young Elves now out in the world of Men. . .sometimes at the request of Thranduil, sometimes at the request of her husband, who wanted to know about Haldir. And sometimes, she looked into it to see Boromir. She had seen him progress in his recovery, learn to speak English, learn about his new home, and become Michael. And, she realized, she liked Michael quite a lot. He was gentle, funny, protective, and insatiably curious. And it took only a few of his self-defense lessons for her to see the mischievous, patient young Captain-General whom Pippin Took and Merry Brandybuck so loved. This was the man who taught two young hobbits to fight in the shadow of Caradhras.
On the other hand, she wasn't quite sure what to make of his three main guardians. . . Elena Gutierrez and the Rafferty sisters, Megan and Kristin. A conversation with Legolas before his and Haldir's departure taught her a little about the modern societies of mortals, including the occupations of the protectors. She had learned while watching those in the mortal world that there were at least two levels of protectors. . .the military, who protected the country as a whole, and the 'police force,' who protected the individual villages and cities. Boromir's guardians fell into the latter category, although Kristin Rafferty was a healer, rather than a protector.
They looked after Boromir, their village, and each other. While all three had old souls, none of them lived during the Third and Fourth Ages. . .they had old souls, indeed, but not that old. While Elves lived far longer than Men, even an Elf recognized that thirty thousand years was a long time for a mortal. And each of them possessed a personality aspect confounding to Galadriel. Megan Rafferty was a police detective, with ten years of service given to her village. She was called to serve and protect the village and the people within it. She protected others, she took care of others, but her greatest desire was to simply be left alone. Why had she chosen such a profession if she shunned attention, particularly in such a small village?
Kristin was a little easier to understand than her older sister. . .she was still growing up, still maturing. In some ways, she was already the woman she was meant to be. . .but in other ways, she was still very much a child. Galadriel could see, even if Kristin could not, just why she was so discomfited by the revelation of her oldest sister. She was, like Megan, beginning to suspect that Gavin Rafferty was their older brother, rather than their cousin. More than that, her view of her parents was knocked askew. That was even more jarring than coming to terms with the change in her family dynamics, Galadriel suspected.
And then there was Elena Gutierrez. It was often remarked that Elena enjoyed playing the role of the fiery Latina detective, but since Galadriel had no idea what that meant, she could only make assumptions. And, as Legolas was so fond of telling both Mithrandir and Galadriel's own son-in-law, making assumptions was an excellent way to advance a misunderstanding. She wanted to see Elena Gutierrez as she truly was, not as she portrayed herself to be. Galadriel understood why someone would choose to portray themselves in a particular manner (she had only to look at her granddaughter's husband for that), but what she found so irksome about Elena was how the truth and untruth seemed to blend together.
"She is honest, Mother, but chooses not to correct the misconceptions of others. That is dishonest, and yet, in the past, when she has attempted to correct those misconceptions, those attempts have been disregarded. And so, instead, she chooses to use the stupidity of others to assist her in her job. . .just as Megan Rafferty uses the assumptions of others that quiet also means deaf. They use the gift of underestimation in their own ways. If he did not fear this elleth so much, I believe Mithrandir would be pleased with the use of their gifts," Celebrian said softly. Galadriel turned to face her daughter, smiling faintly at the observations. She spoke truly. Celebrian smiled back as she approached, adding, "Has the Mirror told you more, Mother?"
"No more about the mysterious elleth who approached us before Haldir and Legolas' departure from Valinor, daughter. She is blocked from my Sight, except in quick glimpses. It is as if she senses I am watching her, for she smiles and vanishes. I have seen her before, Celebrian," Galadriel admitted. Celebrian took her hand, seeking to reassure her mother. . .and she did so. Galadriel shook off her fears, touched her daughter's face, and said softly, "However, I have learned more about the Women who care for Boromir, including the fact that the older brother of two of them is the reincarnation of your son-in-law."
Celebrian's eyes brightened at that. While she was thrilled to have the twins in Valinor, she never stopped missing her daughter. She never met her son-in-law, but he had loved her Arwen, and she would accept the connection, tenuous as it may be. Galadriel continued, hoping that she was doing the right thing, "And Arwen's reincarnation lives in the same town. Her name is Bronwyn Harris. . .she is thirty-seven years old, and she speaks on behalf of children." At least, that was Galadriel's understanding of what a child's advocate lawyer did. Celebrian's eyes brightened, with both joy and tears, and Galadriel lovingly wiped away one of those tears with the pad of her thumb.
"She speaks on behalf of children. Does she have any children herself, has she found Aragorn again. . .is she happy?" Celebrian asked hoarsely. How very typical of Celebrian, leave her most important question for the last. As she talked, she kept looking around Galadriel's shoulder, as if trying to see her lost child for herself. Galadriel waited until her daughter's entire attention was on her, knowing that Celebrian had to look for herself. She was always a curious child. Once Celebrian's eyes were meeting her own, Galadriel began to try to answer her daughter's questions.
"She has no children, aside from the children she helps. Yes, she has found the reincarnation of Aragorn. . .he is now called 'Gavin Rafferty,' and he was a soldier," Galadriel answered. He was actually called something else, but since he wasn't on a ship, he was a soldier. Celebrian nodded, her eyes very wide, as Galadriel continued, "Gavin and Bronwyn both know about their past, but neither have done anything about it. Neither wish to open old wounds. But for all that. . .yes. Yes, Bronwyn is happy." However, Galadriel was also quite certain that her granddaughter reborn would be happier once she stopped fighting herself.
"Sometimes, one must go down to go up," Celebrian murmured distractedly. Galadriel merely raised her eyebrows, and Celebrian explained, "Something Legolas said to me once. Perhaps that is the improper use of the phrase, but I believe it to be somewhat accurate. Neither are willing to acknowledge their past, so neither of them can move forward." Galadriel's brows arched further. . .and just how did her daughter know that? The former Lady of Rivendell merely smiled serenely, saying, "Neither of them wish to do something about their past. . .but the past is there, whether they like it or not. They are not ready to deal with that past, and when they do. . .it must be from the beginning, if there is to be a future."
Galadriel thought of her own long life, and could only agree. Celebrian said softly, "We cannot intervene, we cannot interfere, but we can watch over them. My daughter has been lost to me for thirty thousand years, Mother. I may never be able to touch Bronwyn, but it is my greatest desire now to watch over her. Can you do this for me?" Galadriel said nothing at first, thinking of what she had told Frodo Baggins so many eons earlier when he asked her what he would see. The Mirror was her responsibility. . .and she learned the hard way what occurred when such power was abused. But that was in a different time, in a different world, and what her daughter was asking of her now was not at all different from Galadriel had been doing since Haldir and Legolas departed.
Further, Celebrian was no Elfling who had no understanding of the gifts they were given, or the responsibility inherent in those gifts. She was asking for a window to see the reincarnation of her daughter. In addition, this was the first time Celebrian ever made this request. But before she gave her daughter the final answer to her question, Galadriel observed quietly, "There may come a time, daughter, when it will be necessary to intervene." Celebrian stared at her in astonishment, and Galadriel explained, "A shadow is growing. The Nine have been permitted to walk the Earth together once more for a reason. Something that was lost even to us is returning. If that happens, when it happens, the twins will wish to join Legolas and Haldir."
"If my sons wish to join their friends in the world of Men, I will not stop them, nor will I permit Elrond to stop them. . .although, seeing the disintegration of Greenleaf's bond with Mithrandir may make my intervention unnecessary. I've learned recently that my love fears losing our sons as we lost our daughter. But that is not what you are asking me, Mother," Celebrian stated. Galadriel shook her head slowly and Celebrian inhaled slowly, observing, "Ah. I think I see. You think even you, Father, Elrond, and I will be needed. That is what you mean about something lost even to us. . .Men would stand no chance against such a threat. Mother, even if we are needed in that town, I will not approach Arwen's reincarnation. If she remembers me, I will not lie to her. . .but I will not approach her. Is that what you were asking?"
"Yes. Come forth, daughter, and focus on Arwen as you remember her. . .and the Mirror will show you Arwen as she is now," Galadriel replied. Her daughter took a step forward, squared her shoulders, and took a deep breath. Galadriel watched as Celebrian closed and breathed her daughter's name. An image of Arwen shimmered in the Mirror, as they had both seen her so long ago. . .smiling, happy, teasing her two brothers. . .and then the image changed to the auburn-haired Bronwyn, currently wandering about a festival of some kind. She was smiling and talking to one of the merchants. She was happy. And for now, that was enough, and more than enough.
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Meg told him that he would be 'walking the beat' with her, something that she and Elena did when they were brand new police officers. Michael enjoyed seeing this part of Meg's life. . .and even more, he enjoyed watching her with the other residents of the town. This was her town, she told him proudly, and these were her people. Some of them were wonderful, some were good, some were not so good, and some might eventually end up on the nightly news, but these were her people, and this was her town, and she had no qualms whatsoever about giving up her life for them and for it.
Something in those words stirred him, even as he and Meg took up position alongside the bleachers in the baseball field. Slowly, over the last several hours, they made their way here, making stops at each merchant's table. . .checking in with them and catching up with any interesting information they might have for Meg. Sometimes they bought things, sometimes not, but they spoke to each merchant at least once, and sometimes two or three times. Meg was almost methodical in the way she made her rounds. Michael began to realize that her rounds served more than one purpose. First, and obviously, it allowed her to see what was going on. Secondly, almost as obvious, the less honest people of Campbell were less likely to do something. . .dishonest. . .with a police officer patrolling the perimeter (and he was quite proud of himself for remembering that phrase).
And finally, perhaps the most important fact, the merchants and others in Campbell saw their police officers out among them. . .it kept the bonds connected, so to speak. They could see that she was there for them, if they needed help. More than one child ran up to both Meg and Michael today, arms outstretched to hug them about their waists or their legs. . .especially the smaller children, who weren't quite tall enough to reach their waists. Those particular hugs always made Meg smile. If he was honest, they made him smile as well. And when it came to such things, there was no point in lying.
They stopped at the various booths for Meg's brother and sister police officers, especially when Elena was manning the booth. Michael enjoyed those visits most of all, especially hearing the banter between the two friends. By now, he knew they had been friends for nearly twenty years. . .a very long time. He knew that Meg had held Elena's hand when Elena's grandfather was buried, and that Elena had picked up the pieces of Meg's heart after yet another stupid boy decided she wasn't pretty enough for him. They had carried each other countless times through the years. Elena had used those words, precisely, and Michael understood she hadn't meant literally.
They also passed tables for the 'American Legion' (and Meg promised she would explain that later), as well as the fire department (both stations), and something called 'the chamber of commerce.' Yet another thing that Meg promised to explain later, most likely once she had the opportunity to think about how she wanted to explain it. They encountered both the Grande Dames and the MBB, exchanging polite nods and smiles with the latter, and warm hugs and air kisses with the former. They visited the trailer where Kristin and others were administering first aid. . .Kristin, Lacey's mother Damaris, Dr. Trask, and Ronan, among others.
During their walk, he told her about the dream he had the night before. . .the dream in which he thought he heard his real name. He wasn't ready to share just yet, but Meg only smiled and told him that she would be there when he was ready. And he wasn't sure if it mattered, what his real name was. His family, whatever family he had in his past. . .they were gone, and he had the Rafferty and Gutierrez families. Even so. There were times when he saw flashes of a beautiful young woman with long, pale blonde hair and shining green eyes. . . and he knew she had been his mother. In some ways, Meg and Elena's commanding officer Lydia Anders reminded him of his mother. They did, after all, have much the same coloring.
As ever, they saw Mrs. Watkins and Nico (who, evidently, missed them. . .even though it had only been a few days since Michael last took the hound out for his exercise). Mrs. Watkins exclaimed over him, saying how wonderful it was to see him out of the wheelchair, and he looked so healthy, obviously Meg, Kristin, and Gavin were taking such good care of him. This all said to the accompaniment of Meg blushing (although, maybe that was due to the heat). They had another one of their lessons after he innocently asked why Mrs. Watkins spoke in a different manner than the other residents. He did, but he wasn't from North Carolina or the United States. Nor was she, he learned.
The lessons of history, geography and customs he learned from Meg, Elena, Kristin and Gavin never actually started as lessons. . .the same was true this time. This time, it started with his question about her accent, which snowballed into a lesson about Germany and the war brides who came home with American service members after the two World Wars. . .not that the lesson was simply about the two wars. He also learned that Mrs. Farrell's mother was a French war bride, who accompanied her husband Richard Dennison back to the United States after the First World War (which was also called the Great War, Gavin informed him, with a strange expression).
Michael was drawn from his private thoughts when the arm not pressed to the bleachers was jostled, and he looked up to see Gavin's son Reese join them. This was only the third or fourth time he had encountered the boy and if he was to be truly honest, he didn't like him. He was rude, self-centered, and talked to Meg as if she was stupid. On the other hand, he also was the first to defend her when others did the same. . .or worse. Right now, though, he wore an apologetic smile, saying, "Dad wanted me to check with you and Meg, make sure it was still okay for us to come over for pizza."
"Of course," Meg replied immediately, "Pizza with breadsticks. And don't worry, Michael. . .they're already in the oven, I just need to turn it on when we get back to the apartment." Well, that was good to know. The last time they made breadsticks, the phone distracted Meg and following her equally distracted instructions he put the cookie sheet in the microwave. Fortunately, Meg was off the phone as soon as she heard the hum of the microwave, and squeaking when she removed the metallic cookie sheet from the microwave oven before it damaged the appliance. Gavin still hadn't stopped teasing her about it.
"Awesome. Hey, is the MBB still being a problem? Dad says they've left you alone since the Christmas festival, but I thought I heard the head bitch being. . . well, a bitch," Reese observed. Meg made a face, and Michael cringed. . .more at the boy's bluntness than anything else. The woman in question was undeniably. . .difficult, and not even the loss of most of her supporters changed anything. If anything, she had gotten worse ever since the Christmas confrontation. However, the main change was, most people no longer took her seriously. Especially after the Graysons got involved. . .and from what Captain Anders told him, it seemed Leah especially played up the 'helpless' angle. He was far from helpless, but if it protected Meg, he would not argue with that label.
"She's keeping a low profile," Meg said softly, "at least for now." It was Michael's turn to grimace, because that was the problem. She was keeping a low profile, but that meant she was liable to be creating even more mischief. One thing he learned from spending so much time with the Grayson family. . .he should worry about children more when they were being quiet. There were some 'adults' for which that was true as well. Meg smiled at him, adding, "But that isn't something you need to worry about. I can handle Dorcas Merriweather and the remainder of her supporters. And when I falter, I have Elena, Damaris, Kristy and Elly to step in. Or had you forgotten how Elly tore a strip out of her in Lady J's the other afternoon?" Michael shook his head, his grimace turning to a cringe. No. . .and he wouldn't soon forget, either.
"Well, whatever. . .but I told her that if she didn't leave you alone, she'd regret it," Reese answered. . .or rather, sneered. Michael rolled his eyes at the boy's attitude, but couldn't argue with the sentiments expressed. When he expressed his frustration with the woman's ongoing one-sided feud with his friend, Ronan gently teased him, saying that he couldn't hurt a lady. Michael surprised him with the response that since Mrs. Merriweather refused to behave like a lady, it wouldn't be a problem. Honestly, he surprised himself, but Mrs. Merriweather was starting to take her place with the blonde detective he vaguely remembered from his initial stay in Raleigh. Of course, he wouldn't do anything to the woman. . .it would hurt Meg, and that was the last thing he wanted.
Besides, Meg largely ignored her, and that was her response now. She said softly, "I appreciate your desire to protect me, Reese, but she's not worth it. I just ignore her, because I can, but she can make your life far more difficult than she can mine." Michael wasn't so sure of that, not when he had seen what the woman could do. There was also the matter of confronting evil when one encountered it, even if it was a mundane evil like a petty old woman. And then there was yet another issue, something which Reese pointed out with all the bluntness of a very young person.
He observed, "But you're willing to die for her, and for other people like her. People who enjoy cutting you down, just because you're Sayre's granddaughter, or Ailsa's daughter, or my father's cousin. That doesn't make any sense, Meg. You're a hundred times better than she is, and no one in town would blame you, if you put her in her place." Meg would, though, as Michael well knew. There was something else he knew that Reese didn't (although truthfully, that covered a lot of ground). Something that Meg knew as well, something she pointed out to him.
"There's a difference, Reese. I'm a cop. It's my job to protect other people, even if it means sacrificing my life for someone I don't like or who doesn't like me. Do I enjoy having her trash talk to me? Of course not. But she's not breaking any laws. . .when they start making laws about being a stupid, selfish bitch with too much time on your hands, then come back and talk to me. At that point, I'll arrest her, along with a lot of other people. Until then, worrying about what she's saying about me now is a waste of my time, time I could be using to help other people. And most of the people in this town, Reese, are worth saving," Meg replied, her voice soft but implacable. This was what she believed. . .what she knew. . .to be true. And Michael? What did he believe?
Michael looked around the bleachers, seeing most of the town there. He didn't listen to whatever Reese had to say to that, if anything. Instead, he looked at the citizens of Campbell, noticed the two flags flying over the field. He saw young parents and very young children, senior citizens who sacrificed their blood and innocence to make the world a better place, Meg's brothers and sisters on the force. He saw Lydia Anders sitting beside her daughter, home from college, and Rafe Santucci holding one of his children on his shoulders. The new lawyer, Bronwyn Harris, sat with Ronan and with Elly Trask, listening intently to whatever Elly was explaining.
On the other side of that small group were Dorcas Merriweather and her remaining supporters. He observed her looking away when she noticed Michael's gaze. Interesting. But irrelevant. Michael continued to look around, and when his curiosity was satisfied, he looked back at Reese and said softly, "Your cousin is right. There will always be people under your protection whom you won't like. . .but this town, these people in this town, they're worth fighting for, and they're worth dying for." He was blessed with one of the warmest smiles he had ever seen from Meg, and in that moment, he knew he was ready. As Reese wandered off, looking disgruntled, Michael said softly, "I told you that I thought I remembered my true name. . .the name I was giving at birth."
Meg nodded, her gaze sharpening with curiosity, and Michael continued, "I can't be certain, but I believe it was 'Boromir.' I. . .I see myself on top of a great mountain, and a dark-haired man is facing me and saying, 'Boromir,' as if that is my name. He wants me to get someone up." He hadn't actually meant to tell her that last bit, but now that he verbalized it, he discovered that he wasn't sorry. He wanted to tell her more. . .wanted to tell the fear in his dreams, his fear that something terrible was about to happen to those whom he loved most in the world. But he couldn't. Not yet.
Meg said softly, wonderingly, "Boromir." Yes. Yes, that sounded right coming from her. She smiled and asked, "Is that what you want to be called now?" Was it? Did he? Was he ready to be Boromir once more? Michael hesitated before answering. What, exactly, did being Boromir entail? He was distracted from his thoughts by a small hand settling on his wrist, and Meg added, "Or is 'Boromir' just a name for you right now, without any real meaning?" He exhaled slowly, nodding. Yes. And he should have realized she would understand that. There were times when he thought she understood him better than he did.
"Yes. I am Boromir, but I'm also Michael. I can tell you very little about Boromir, save his name. But I can tell you where Michael lives, those he calls 'friend' and who matters to him. And right now, I feel. . .I don't remember enough about being Boromir to reclaim that name. I have a feeling that even after I remember more, I will always be Michael as well as Boromir. But. . .might you call me that once in a while, so I can become used to it once more?" he asked. Meg smiled at him again, and this time, he understood what people meant when they said their heart skipped a beat. He knew from many conversations with Elena that Meg wasn't considered by many people to be as comely as Elena herself or Kristin. He thought they were fools. He thought Meg was one of the most beautiful women he had ever seen.
"I can do that. And I'll talk to Gavin, see if he knows what language set 'Boromir' comes from. I'm tempted to say Slavic, because 'mir' means 'peace.' And yet…" Meg said, shaking her head. Michael was almost positive that he wasn't Slavic, but he would let Gavin and Meg find that out for him. She smiled up at him, hugging his arm, and once more, Michael was sure that this town (and nearly everyone in it) was worth fighting for, worth dying for. But this small, dark-haired woman smiling up at him with such pride. . .for her, he was growing to understand, there was very little he wouldn't do.
With the timing only ever seen in movies, the first of the fireworks went off over their heads. Instead of kissing, as he saw in movies and tv-shows, Michael instead put his arm around Meg's shoulders, resting his cheek against her dark hair and turned his attention to the fireworks now lighting up the night sky. Her arms stole around his waist and Michael smiled to himself as the rest of his new family joined them. Yes. This town, and these people, was worth dying for. But the one most worth fighting for, dying for, and living for, was the young woman he now held. For her, he would move heaven, hell, and earth.
And it was on that truth that everything which came after would turn.
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Footnotes:
¹Johnny Has Gone for a Soldier, a Revolutionary War era ballad has the same melody, and many of the same lyrics, as Shule Aroon, an Irish folk tune. I have both songs on my CD's. . .one on Michael Flatley's Lord of the Dance and the other on the soundtrack to Liberty! The American Revolution.
²Mina Harker of Dracula. Haldir is being a little nasty here, but Mina has been driving them crazy. If she can try the patience of two beings who have lived thousands upon thousands of years, that tells you something.
³Does Matthew Goode actually look like Robert Sean Leonard? For my money, not really, though they do share similar coloring. On the other hand, my twenty-six year old nephew doesn't actually look like Matthew Gray Gubler, but the latter sure does remind me of the former. However, Kristin is in love with Logan (or has very strong feelings for him), so just about any guy with fair skin, dark hair and dark eyes is gonna remind her of him. And yes, I do watch House sometimes, but mainly for the interaction between House and Wilson. Their exchanges often have me cracking up-at least, when they're getting along.
Updated Reincarnation and Cast list (because I left a few people off the last time)
Boromir/Michael: Sean Bean
Detective Megan Rafferty: Dana Barron
Detective Elena Gutierrez: Patricia Velazquez
Kristin Rafferty: Grace Park (now seen on Hawaii 5-0)
Detective Christine Madsen: Katee Sackhoff (Raleigh PD)
Detective Charles Aubrey: Morgan Freeman (Raleigh PD)
Dalton Robeson: Eric Close
Francis Rafferty (reincarnation of Denethor): Daniel Pilon
Ailsa Rafferty: Louise Sorel
Captain Lydia Anders: Gwynyth Walsh
Mayor Thomas Farrell/Sergeant Richard Dennison: Tim Dunigan
Brendan Farrell (reincarnation of Frodo Baggins): Elijah Wood
Dr. Arabella 'Elly' Trask: Robbi Chong
Pelagia: Monika Schnarre
Elrohir/Elladan: Angel Ortiz
Elrond: Hugo Weaving
Celeborn: Marton Csokas
Gavin Rafferty (USMC retired/reincarnation of Aragorn): Ted King
Legolas Thranduilion: Orlando Bloom
Dr. Ronan Daly (reincarnation of Gimli): John Rhys-Davies
Haldir: Craig Parker
Galadriel: Cate Blanchett
Celebrian: Kristin Lehman
Finduilas (flashbacks): Laurie Holden
Gandalf: Ian McKellen
Regine Dennison Farrell: Constance Towers
Bronwyn Harris (reincarnation of Arwen): Robin Christopher
Boadicca (Pelagia's sister): Helen Shaver
Valkyrie (Pelagia's sister): Emilie de Ravin
James Norrington/Jamie Norris: Jack Davenport
Gabriel Wainwright (reincarnation of Grima Wormtongue): Brad Dourif
Damaris: Holly Marie Coombs
Callum Watkins: Josh Holloway
David Watkins: Michael Emerson (Raleigh extended-stay owner)
Officer Logan Garvey: Matthew Goode
Madelyn Garvey: Beth Riesgraf
Lucius Wellington (reincarnation of Saruman): Christopher Lee
Jason Wellington: Richard Armitage
Natalie Wellington: Kali Rodriguez
Charlotte Amalie 'Carey' Rafferty: Michelle Forbes
Genevieve Monica 'Gemma' Rafferty: Rachel Covey
Cameron Gillespie (reincarnation of Pippin Took): Billy Boyd
Toby Grayson: Dale Midkiff
Leah Grayson: Teryl Rothery
Detective Rafael Santucci: Jeremy Ratchford
Reese Rafferty: Logan Lerman