Chapter One – To Chapter's End and New One's Opening

'see the open sun go past:

the setting sun, the rising sun,

the day's end, or the day begun.'

~ J.R.R Tolkien, The Fellowship of the Ring- Chapter 6, The Old Forest ~

Aurora Sullivan looked on in half amusement, half concern at the sight of her parents, who were sitting opposite her at the small kitchen table, shuffling uneasily in their chairs as if they were a pair of guilt riddled children. Having just arrived home for her Christmas break from University earlier that afternoon, a break which she thought was well deserved after the semester she had just about managed live through, by the skin of her teeth it felt like at times. Whomever had said that university was just about getting drunk, and partying for days were so seriously wrong in that judgement, either that or she was just going about it the wrong way. A social life seemed to be something very hard to come by between essays and lecture readings, but she had been determined for as long as the holidays lasted, to ignore the pile of work waiting to do done before she was due back in lectures.

So when her parents had asked her to sit for a moment after they had finished their dinner, because they had something important to talk to her about, she didn't question it, instead just slumped back down into her chair again trying her best to ignore the smirk her older brother had sent her as he sauntered from the room to gain control of the television once again. Yet, something at the back of her mind niggled at her, something telling her that she already knew what was coming, but in more than one way she hoped it wasn't what she was expecting it to be about, wanting to hold onto that small piece of childish hope on that particular matter for a little while longer. Yet that same niggling had always became more apparent when her parents ever had anything important to say. But hearing it would make it real, well more real, as the evidence could not be denied any longer. " 'Rora, love. You know both your dad, and I love you, so very much".

"Mum" worry had some how found itself laced in her voice no matter how hard she tried to keep it hidden for her parents sakes, even as something heavy seemed to settle in her stomach which at the same time seemed to be twisting into knots of anxiety. She leant as far across the small space between them at the kitchen table as it allowed, taking her mum's shaking hand into her own steady one which bellied the rolls of fear which shook her from the inside. Though her touch seemed to only make matters worse as tears began to fall steadily and relentlessly down her mums cheeks, and yet she seem to not notice them or if she did then she made no attempt to wipe them away, as her watery green gaze seemed to bore solely into Aurora's worried grey ones. Her dad had wrapped a protective arm around her mum, trying to give her as much comfort as he was able, but in all honestly he looked to be coping almost as well as his wife, it was truly the first time Aurora had ever seen her dad anything but laughing or mocking someone – normally Aurora and that scared her more than even her mum tears.

Hope, however tried a few times to clear her throat to speak, before finally looking over to Jacob as if pleading for him to speak instead, and when Aurora saw tears fill her dad's eyes chocking him, something seemed to break in her at the sight. She only remembered one time when she saw her father cry, and that was during her grandmother's funeral. So suddenly to see this proud, strong man who had scared the monsters from under her bed when she was little. To the big bear of a man who had frightened away more than one boy his daughter had brought home, had held her when they broke her heart, in her mind to see him cry was just too much for her to take and so she opened her own mouth, to speak the words themselves didn't want to say. "I know - I've known for ages now to be honest. I know I'm not biologically yours. Its alright Mum, really" she reassured as she saw her mother open her mouth in slight protest. Squeezing her mother's hand which still had clasped in her own. That was what the woman across from her was, she was the only mum Aurora knew, the one who kissed scraped knees. Who held her hair back as she threw up after an epic night-out as she spouted the biggest pile of drunken crap from her mouth, and retell the stories to anyone who would listen, much to Aurora's embarrassment. Hope Sullivan who never missed a play, or sports day even though Aurora never won anything, she was still there to cheer her on and praise her for doing her best. It was Hope who told her constantly how proud she was of her achievements and how much she believed in her when she failed, pushing her to stand up and try again. And the same went for Jacob, both stood beside her through her biggest mile stones and her worst moments. And both who were staring at her in open-mouthed shock as if they were seeing someone else across from them and not the same child they had raised for the past 18 years. It seemed to hurt her as much as it amused her at putting that particular expression on their faces, an expression they swore they were long past with her.

"How- How- you- What?" Jacob finally managed to get out, gaining a small smile and an even smaller laugh from Aurora, though there wasn't any real humour behind it.

"It wasn't that hard really. Coming from a family, having nothing but generations of red heads and blonds, all having green or brown eyes, this coming from both sides og the family mind you. Physically I look like none of our family, even in the pictures we have of great-great-great something or other. None had my nose, or my chin. None had my hair, and not one of them had my eyes" Aurora shook her head in amusement, and she honestly didn't feel any of it. Hope was tall, not petite as Aurora was, her hair was a rich auburn, which fell straight down her back, falling constantly into her warm chocolate brown eyes, but she was so willowy, with little to no curves. And Jacob was tall and broad, with bright jade eyes, and this mop of pale gold hair which had his wife bemoaning to its untidiness. Aiden was a perfect mixture of the pair with Hope's auburn hair, and her slender build and had Jacob's jade eyes, and height. But Aurora always grew up feeling different than her family, and what was worse was being constantly having people pointing those differences out to her, by both friends and acquaintances, it had turning almost like a long running family joke throughout the years. As her own hair fell in loose natural inky black curls, with equally dark lashes, which framed a set of startling silvery grey eyes, not those dull slate grey which seemed so common amongst people, but striking deep silvery grey, which seemed to shine with a light of their own. Her own petite body was much fuller than than her mothers, what she could call fat, and her mum would more politely call 'hour glass'. But what people pointed out to her the most was her aristocratic bone structure, and the way she held herself, unlike her family, who seemed so laid back they should be laying down, attitude. She was told she held a more demanding presence than her family, who took the world as it came at them. Yet, Aurora's attitude tended to do well when trying to win an argument in class debates or just within her family, they would give way sooner than her own stubborn attitude would. She had the presence of a leader, or so one of her teacher had told her parents.

"That and there was never any baby pictures of me in hospital, showing off an hour old me like Aiden's ones or a birth certificate, and you always sent in my I.D in the post when they needed it, so I never actually seen any certificate. Until I needed to find some paperwork when you weren't here, I forgotten to ask, and it needed to be in that morning, and I found the adoption certificate in your paper file. I must have been 13 or 14 at the time" feeling her mother hand squeeze her own, had Aurora tightening her own grip in return, and reaching across to hold her dad's hand as well, not sure whether it was anchoring herself or them in.

"I accepted it a long time ago. But you both are still my parents, blood or not. You raised me, cared and loved me like I was yours biologically, no differently than you treated Aiden" tears were running down all three of their faces by this stage. But Aurora meant every word she spoke. Granted she felt so angry when she first found the papers, like anyone who had just had their entire world come crashing down around their ears, especially when they were already an antsy teenager with a seemily endless list of bigger problems to solves. She did throw a massive strop for a good long while, and took everything out on the entire family, who hadn't understood her sudden change in mood but who dealt with the mood swings and anger even though she knew she tried their patience of number of times. But like everything, time calmed her, and age helped her understand why they maybe wouldn't have told her of where she came from when she was still young."Oh 'Rora, you shouldn't have found out like that. Without us" her mum finally spoke her voice thick with tears, but shaking her head, Aurora spoke gently.

"No, it was the best way. If you had told me, you would have expected to hear my views on it then and now, and I don't think I could have given them to you, or at least in a non-hurtful way mum and we'd all regret that in the end, especially as a teenager. I needed to work that bit out on my own, in my own time, in my own way" she soothed her mum gently, not wanting to hurt the already hurting woman more. But she just gave Aurora a watery smile and gave her hand a quick squeeze, it was something Aurora loved most about her mum, always quick to believe in her children and understand when to back off when they needed her too "You're so brave 'Rora always have been. Nothing ever seems to faze you, even when you were little" this made Aurora laugh slightly as her own tears began to dry."Not as brave as you might think" she admitted, before frowning as her mother pulled from her grasp. And watched in curiosity as she lent to retrieve something from the counter behind her.

"When we found you, in Hillsbrook park, the one we took you and Aiden to every Sunday when you were both small. This was what had been with you" passing the items over to Aurora's own waiting hands, she looked down at the only earthly possessions which her biological parents had left her with. There was a knitted woolen blankets, and Aurora ran her fingers of the name stitched on the soft blanket, a frown tugging on her lips "Calien Elennúmien? What does that mean?" she asked, raising her gaze questionably to her parents, both of which shook their heads.

"We honestly don't know love. No-one actually did. And we went to a fair few linguistics, in hopes of finding out" her dad admitted, running a frustrated hand through his hair "We didn't know if that was your name or just some foreign saying and in the end we never found out. Bloody well still annoys the life out of me not knowing" he grumbled more to himself that towards the two smiling females in the room. Accepting the answer given Aurora next picked up a small dress, it was made of the softest material and was she guessed a shade off a clean white, maybe it had been white at some point though. It seemed like something out of the Medieval Period that she studied in university, but it was beautiful all the same and the design work was stunning, leaves and vines twisted around each other in the same coloured tread as the dress, whomever made it had placed a vast deal of time and effort on the small dress. Time had not damaged it or stained its colour as badly, like other clothing seemed to get. And beside it, just as untouched by time, was a small, dark green, cloak. An actual cloak, this made Aurora mouth twitch in amusement, it was held together with star shaped silver brooch, it was just as pretty and as delicate as the dress. But the last thing on the small pile, was the most stunning necklace Aurora had ever seen. It was a white stone, with a bright silver metal wrapped around it like vines, and coming together in the picture of two trees either side, one in silver and the other fading into gold, it hung on a long silver chain. It really was stunning in its simplicity.

"We understand if you want to find your real parents love, and I wish we could help you. But there was nothing, we've checked for years, there is no record of your birth, here or in the South Ireland, nothing in England or Scotland. No notices, nothing. Just the place where we found you, and even then it was no different from anywhere else." Jacob told her softly, but Aurora looked up at this information, curiosity beginning to burn and with it a need to understand, finally begun to awakening in her, as if now that they had told her, that it was now alright for her to look, to wonder who brought her into this world, only to abandon her. "I think I'd like to see where you found me".

The forest seemed a lot smaller than it was when she was little. Tugging her jacket tighter around herself in hopes of keeping out the winter chill, which had hung in the air for weeks now. Not for the first time Aurora wished that spring would come already, she was sick of falling on patches of ice, it wasn't elegant or flattering at all, especially when done in a pair of heels and a dress, people tended to believe you were drunk for some reason.

Making her way down the well worn dirt path, greeting the odd person here and there as they crossed paths, Aurora finally came to the part of the path her dad had told her was near to where Aiden had found her all those years ago. Like both her parents had said, there was nothing remarkable about the area at all, the lake lay to her left, and a little rickety bridge was on her left, leading into the small clump of withered shrubbery, where she needed to go. With a shaky breath, Aurora pushed on, not sure why she was so nervous about this. Her hand going almost automatically to the gold and silver necklace which she had worn around her neck, since it was given back to her back in December. Now in early February she felt lost without the small piece of jewellery, Aiden had been making fun of her every-time she sub-consciously reached her hand up to play with the pendant, yet in a strange sense, it gave her a warm comfort. Like as long as she wore the necklace, she felt protected, that someone, somewhere was watching over her. Even thinking that particular thought made her stop and laugh at the absurdity of the thought.

Gingerly picking her way through the bushes and under growth, tripping and stumbling her way through the nonexistent path, grumbling and cursing under her breath all the while, Aurora finally reached a bare, piece of earth, about a foot, or what she guessed was a foot from a large oak tree. And she just stared. It was just a patch of soil, soggy from the ice and snow, there was nothing remarkable about it, there was no large neon sign saying 'call this number to meet your real parents! And win a prize!' along with a hallelujah chorus. It was just a piece of normal wet ground. But it was the ground she was left on, where she was abandoned. Aurora didn't honestly know what she believed she was going to find, or understand by coming here. There was no epiphany, or sudden flash back to a baby's last few heart felt moments with her sobbing mother, and father attempting to be strong but blubbering all the same at the pain of having to leave their baby in the cold forest. No memories of a promise to come and find her when they were able. Not even a memory of a woman looking both ways before setting the baby down and running back off into the night with glee, finally being rid of the burden the child had been to her life. It was just a piece of wet ground with no answers. She had no more idea into why she was left here all those years ago, than she had half an hour ago when she was still nice and warm in her car driving back to Uni.

Sinking down onto the balls of her feet, mindful at keeping her jean clad knees off the wet ground, Aurora reached tentative fingers out to touch the earth, and let out a heavy sigh. What hair that wasn't caught under her hat, framed her face to either side, protecting her somewhat from the biting winds which threatened to tip her over – Who where you? Why did you leave me here? - Aurora honestly had to many questions, her curiosity had always gotten the better of her and this puzzle just had to many dead-ends with more questions than answers, frustrating her to no end. The feeling of a vibration on her hip, had her start, and fall onto her arse, with a yelp of shock as the damp earth began to soak far too quickly into her jeans. With a flurry of curses which would have her Grandmother Rose threatening to wash her mouth out with soap, Aurora pull her vibrating phone from her pocket, and she pushed herself onto a near by rock "Hello" she grumbled, attempting to brush the soil off her clothing.

' 'Rora! Why haven't you been answering your phone? I've tried you at least 8 times' the familiar voice of her mother came from the small device, and the frown, which had marred, Aurora's face moments before melded into a half hearted smile of exasperation " Mum" she spoke as if trying to explain an extremely easy answer to someone who wasn't just grasping the straightforward concept. "I only left the house an hour and a half ago. Was there really anything that urgent?" the huff on the other side of the phone of a clear sign of her mother rolling her eyes at her daughter's tone. 'Who raised you with that attitude? Must have been your father' this made a laugh bubble from the young woman's throat, Hope Sullivan had a legendary wit, which rivalled her daughter own. One of the main reasons the two women were forever butting heads or so her father believed.

"I learnt from the best as you well know" she teased the huffing woman on the other end of the phone. As her hand began to play absentmindedly with her necklace once again, a small smile playing on her face "You called a million times because I came to the park didn't you?" the silence on the phone was enough to give her mother away even before she spoke again 'No! I just wanted to make sure you go back to halls, safely. Is Rachel and Danni back down there now or are they coming later?'Raising her eyes to the heavens Aurora smiled, her mother, always the over protective worrier, she was kind of glad she never changed, though it could get trying at times. "As you well know, they're already down there, and I am still here at the park" her gaze drifted back down to the piece of empty earth. "There was nothing like you told me. I- I honestly don't know what I was expecting to find" she told her mother, biting her lip in an attempt to stop the sudden burn of tears in her eyes, she went on knowing her mother was still listening "I just felt like, if I came here I'd be closer to understanding it all, understanding me. I feel as if I'm only-".

'Half there, you've been saying that your whole life love' Hope interrupted softly 'I know love and I wish there was more I could do'. "I just what to know what happened, what they were like and then I can let it lie. I want to know where I come from, and I'd give anything to understand. I just wish – I wish there could be some way that I would finally know where I belonged, and feel whole. I wish for that more than anything".

The mother and daughter sat in silence for a long while, one wishing for her answers and the other wishing to be of some use to her child during all of this. Then Aurora felt a sudden firm tug on her chest, and she let out a small gasp' Rora? Rora love what's wrong?'the concern was easily heard in Hope voice, as Aurora began to gasp her air, her free hand grasping uselessly over her heart.

"I- I- I can't breathe" she chocked out between gasps, trying desperately to fill her lungs with needed air, yet nothing seemed to be going in. Her mum's voice was nothing more than a buzzing when the phone fell to the ground while her hand rose to clutch her head, which suddenly felt as if it were being ripped open. Unable to hold it back any longer as the pain steadily got worse, Aurora let out a blood-curdling scream. Losing her balance from her precarious perch on the rock, her body flopped uselessly onto the ground losing all control, twitching every now and again, moans and pleas for it to stop spilling from her blue tinted lips, as the world wildly spun around her.

It was painful. Her lungs burnt so badly in need for the oxygen to get past her closed throat, the world slowly began to dim becoming as grey as her own piercing gaze. Only a muted gurgle was coming from her throat now, and in some point of her mind, 'Rora found it strange that there was no flashes of her life, because she knew in a distant part of her mind that she was dying. The screams of her mother didn't even register as finally with a last sighing breath, Aurora finally gave in and allowed her gaze to flutter shut. A warm light seemed to enveloped her entirely, soothing the pain and fear, as quickly as it had come and death came to her like falling asleep at the end of a very long day. And in a blinding flash of white, both spiritually and literally Aurora Rose Sullivan left the world.

The only thing which her family found not even an hour later, was her parked car with all her belongings in it, and in the small clearing lay her small purse and her bleeping mobile phone. Aurora Sullivan's body was never found.

(AN- Rewrite 19/07/2011. I'm loving Tolkien Ensemble and Intermediate Music and Two Steps from Hell for inspiration at the minute. Christopher Lee's voice! Its hard to find one to beat it, could give Liam Neeson or Sean Connery a run for their money!)