A/N Great Galomping apologies for this being so late. I didn't die I was just held hostage by work, moving 3 times in one year and writing my own novel. I'll let you know when it's out :-)

Legolas followed silently behind Keira as she cautiously made her way through the rubble that lay strewn on the ground. Several times she stopped and dropped behind an outcropping and he followed suit immediately. She did not speak unnecessarily and the elf had to admit to himself he was glad of it.

His brain struggled to make sense of the things his eyes saw. Everything around them was bleak and still save the occasional dust eddy stirred by a feeble waft of air. The light of the sun was obstructed by a dense gray cloud that seemed to cling to everything. No birds sang; his ears could not discern the sound of a single creature besides the two of them.

Keira scanned the horizon with watchful eyes. They were nearing the hideaway she had been abducted from all those months ago; she found herself less frightened that she thought she would be. In the weeks leading up to her intended escape from Clive she had spent sleepless nights worrying about her survival chances, about his anger; even about the wisdom of her decision. She doubted her own prowess and strength and as a result had eaten herself hollow from the inside with fears and doubts. So she was pleasantly surprised at her own aptitude and the ease with which she navigated the wasteland. She chalked it up to Legolas. There was no room for weakness and uncertainty when you were being relied upon. She glanced at him. He looked rather shell-shocked and she felt a pang of sympathy. She knew the feeling.

Keira realized belatedly she had not given him a single word of explanation for anything that surrounded them. Turning her head she spied a small clearing in the rubble and settled down into it. Legolas followed her closely and crouched next to her, looking the opposite direction. He turned to look at her immediately when her fingertips ghosted over the back of his hand, a questioning look in his eye.

"I'm sorry Legolas." She whispered.

"Why do you say this to me?" he replied quietly. She looked at him, taking in the rigidity of his muscles and the hardness in his eyes.

"I've not told you anything." She said, "I want to explain to you where we're headed and about the dangers we face here." He blinked; did she really believe this was something to be sorry for? Before he could protest she began again to speak.

"The reason we're walking so carefully is that there are small….bombs hidden in the debris, sound also carries a vast distance here and we do not want to alert others to our presence." His face was perplexed for a fleeting moment before his eyes widened. He remembered her story and glanced quickly around them.

"What do they look like?"

"They look like everything else." She sighed "dirty and worn, broken and rusted." She bit her lip. "We are making our way slowly to one of the places I hid with Clive, it's nearby and odds are it's also empty." She shifted uncomfortably at the thought of squatters but they would cross that bridge when they came to it.

"Why do we go there?" He asked her.

"It's better than being in the open, and it's close to where the portal was so we can easily check on it." She looked around them again, peeking over the broken stone and metal. They were hunkered down in what used to be a churchyard. Bricks and cobbles littered the area interspersed with support beams and charred remains of pews. They had been walking for less than an hour she guessed and it shouldn't be too much farther to the hole. She remembered using the church as a landmark before and was homing in on the location of the door. She saw Legolas looking at everything around him with suspicion and wariness and though it might leap out and bite him at any moment. Refreshingly there was no fear in his eyes, only alert determination.

Keira shifted her weight, looked about and then rose to continue. Legolas followed suit, mirroring her footsteps precisely. They walked on in silence for another few minutes before she paused and scanned the horizon one more time. He wondered what she was searching for in the waste. "The packs…" she murmured to him as though hearing his thoughts. For a short moment he didn't comprehend what she meant…"Packs?" he thought, "Packs of wh…Oh." He nodded to show he'd understood. She reached out and squeezed his hand lightly and then tugged. He followed her down into what seemed to be an underground tunnel.

Water dripped down filthy curved walls made of corrugated metal, small points of light filtered through minute holes in the walls illuminating dust motes as they floated through the stale air. Legolas watched the play of light over Keria's skin as she moved through the gloom, entranced by the stark contrast her living skin made with everything around them. They moved quietly and deliberately through the tunnel until she came to a stop in front of a debris littered part of the wall. Keira stared at the wall for a moment before reaching out and moving a particularly large piece of rusted metal aside to reveal a very solid looking door. She took a calming breath and considered their best course of action for a moment. She knew from experience that it was next to suicide to enter a hole alone but she wasn't sure if Legolas would be a help or hindrance in this alien place.

"Legolas, I need you to remain here while I go inside." He frowned at her.

"Why?"

"To alert me if anyone is coming from above, we can't both be trapped inside." His eyes met hers and held. He looked at the door and then down the tunnel the way they had come. Exhaling slowly he again met her verdant gaze.

"How long before I should follow you?" She looked up at him and smiled.

"Only a few minutes, I'm only checking to see that it's empty and if there are supplies there for us." He nodded to her, jaw clenched, obviously ill at ease with this arrangement but he trusted her judgment. She was startled by the strong wash of gratitude that flooded her, he didn't even know her yet he placed his trust in her. It was something that she hadn't experienced for a very long time and she was somewhat ashamed by the stinging of tears that followed.

Ducking her head to hide the sudden gleam in her eyes, Keira opened the door slowly, remembering to stop three quarters of the way to avoid the loud groaning of the hinges. Without further hesitation she slipped into the dark room and began to inch her way through the familiar corridors and chambers. She moved cautiously, stopping every few steps to listen for telltale sounds of inhabitants.

She knew squatters were ruthless and desperate people. They did not hesitate to kill anyone who encroached upon their hideaway. She gripped the cool smooth surface of the pipe she carried as if to reassure herself of its presence. Moving further into the underground complex she made do with what little light filtered into the silent gloom. Then she saw it.

Rows upon rows of cans and foodstuffs. She smiled in the dark and moved forward, she had no reason to remain quiet, this was the deepest room and while it was obvious that someone lived here, they were not in evidence. She lowered her makeshift weapon and cast about for a bag. Relief swept through her as she began selecting enough food for the two of them to last a few weeks at least. She didn't know how long it would take Gandalf to re-open the portal but she was certain he was working to get at least Legolas back.

Keira was unaware of eyes following her every move. Angry eyes. She continued on oblivious to her observer, while he crept up behind her. Her only warning was the feeling of her hair standing on end before she was shoved hard against the shelf in front of her. The half full bag slipped from her fingers and she was spun violently around to face her attacker. She was met with the sight of disturbingly familiar cold blue eyes, Keria felt her heart rate speed up and stout fingers wrap tightly around her neck.

"Clive!" she rasped. He responded with a feral showing of teeth, not something that could be called a smile, rather more like a grimace. Keira could feel something wet sliding down her face and the pounding of her head where it had hit the shelf almost drowned out everything else. She struggled for breath and kicked her legs feebly, stilling only after his low chuckle pierced her consciousness.

"Well look who decided to come back eh pretty?" He growled. "Thought you put one over on old Clive did ya?" Keira didn't have enough breath to reply and focused instead on breathing. "I have to tell ya lass, you tossed me off your trail cold you did. Forget to take sommat eh?" She pushed at him ineffectually with her fists, he leered down at her. "Took just about everything, who 'elped ya? No way you could carry all that yourself." He shook her. Hard. The edges of her vision were starting to gray out due to lack of air. "Looks like I'll just have to take what's due me yeah? Think all that training was free? Posh bitch!" Keira felt his meaty hand insinuate itself under her tunic and grasp painfully at her breast. Panic rose up within her and she began to fight him in earnest, Clive laughed darkly at her efforts and continued on.

Legolas froze in the stillness of the corridor. He had heard something and he wasn't sure if it was something to pay attention to or not, so many strange sights and smells lingered in this place he didn't trust his ears to alert him to danger. He judged it had been long enough for her to explore on her own and so followed her path into the dark doorway. He moved silently and efficiently, taking care not to bump into anything and alert anyone to his presence.

He moved further into the dark rooms listening intently. He heard a rasping voice full of fear that made his skin prickle. That strained voice was answered by a lower, darker sound. He did not need to understand the words to read the sadistic undertone from the one who spoke. The elf was instantly on guard and moved around the corner of one of the walls. He looked into the room where he could hear the hushed tones, the scene that met his ancient eyes stirred deep anger in him.

Keira was being held harshly against a shelf by a stocky ginger haired man, his left hand squeezed her throat whist his right explored her feminine charms. Legolas looked into her eyes and was enraged, her consciousness was fading fast and blood covered her lovely face from a gash on her brow.

He moved without thought.

One second Keira was suspended by her throat so close to being blissfully unaware of her surroundings, the next she was on the cold stone floor gasping for breath. Her own breathing was harsh in her ears and the room spun mercilessly. Slowly the gray on the edge of her awareness receded and she heard the sounds of a pitched struggle.

Clive stared into fierce eyes of a man trying to take his life. There was no doubt in his mind that if he slipped or gave an inch he would die here on the filthy concrete floor. He had been surprised to see Keira again, he figured her a goner. Either she was dead out in the wastes somewhere or she had found new partner. Apparently this was her partner. Clive sneered. Once he overcame the element of surprise he realized he outweighed his opponent by at least 50 kilos. The blond man drew a pair of wicked looking ornate knives and Clive was able to avoid the first few strikes before being caught on his forearm. He felt his skin part deeply and lunged at his attacker with a snarl.

Keira rounded the corner just in time to see Clive tackle Legolas and both of them go flying. She saw the elf's' head crack against the floor and his eyes lost their focus. Clive reached over and retrieved on of the beautiful elven long knives, "Well look here lad, these are pretty things and no mistake." He turned back to Legolas who lay reeling on the floor, "Let's see if they do the job eh?" Keira watched in horror as Clive pressed the point into the top of Legolas' chest and drew it down across his torso. She looked around frantically for a weapon, something, anything to get at Clive. There. She scrambled over to the doorway and retrieved her own makeshift weapon, trying to ignore the large amount of blood escaping the body of her savior she crept toward the two of them.

Leglolas had regained his head somewhat but was pinned beneath the bulk of this vile man. One meaty hand was wrapped around his throat while his arms were trapped by the brute's knees. He felt lines of fire as the sadistic man cut into his skin, he struggled without success to break the hold on his air supply. He began to see spots dance in his vision.

Then he saw her.

Keira loomed in the weak light just behind the man's head her face was a picture of bloodstained determination and fear. He saw her move forward with the fierceness of a tigress, murder shining in her eyes. She brought the heavy pipe down on his assailant's skull with a sickening crunch. Pressure released from the elf's throat sent a sudden rush of blood back into his foggy head sending him spiraling into blissful darkness.

Keira stood over Clive's still form breathing heavily. Her fingers gripped the pipe tightly and her eyes remained glued to him waiting for him to move. Adrenaline was coursing though her system, eyes dilated and every muscle screaming for release from her tense stance. Clive didn't move. She cautiously took a step forward and craned her neck to see the damage wrought by her hand. Once the top of Clive's head came into view she allowed the heavy pipe to slide from her fingers landing with an echoing clang on the concrete floor.

The top of his skull was bashed in so severely she could see bits of brain matter mixed in with the dark blood spreading over the floor. Her knees suddenly weak, Keira crouched down sitting on the back of her heels and hugging her knees and fighting the urge to vomit. 'He's dead.' She thought. 'I killed him.' In her time since the bombings she had killed her fair share of people. It had been easier than this. Most of them had been far away, brought close only by the sight on her rifle allowing her some illusion of isolation from the whole affair. She had knifed a few hunters and scavengers as well but this was only to protect herself from the same fate. This was different. Clive lay dead because of her. She had crushed his skull with her own brute strength. Her stomach roiled and she spat out a mouthful of sudden saliva. Legolas shifted then and groaned.

'Oh shit.' she thought eloquently. Her attention shifted immediately to her injured protector. He was absolutely covered in blood, his fine golden hair was now filthy and matted in piles beneath his body. His body which was still pinned beneath Clive's bulk. Keira's brow furrowed at this new dilemma. Clive easily tipped the scales at around 130 kilos and she stood there shaking, a mere slip of a girl still malnourished and wasted from her stay in Saruman's dungeons. Legolas moaned again but did not stir otherwise, she reached over and touched his face. His skin was clammy and chilled. She knew one thing for sure, with the amount of blood he was losing she had to get him off the cold floor and bandaged up or he would die.

Galvanized by this revelation, she rose from her crouch and took hold of Clive's now limp arm; his body lay across the elf's torso as well as his head and shoulders. Since he had been kneeling on Legolas' arms he had fallen forward heavily and Keira couldn't imagine how hard that was making it for Legolas to breathe. She knew she wouldn't be able to lift him so she settled on trying to roll him off. She pushed his arm back toward his spine and continued to push at his shoulder as it was lifted. She succeeded partially ending up with Clive twisted in two directions as though doing some morbid pirouette. His legs and hips still pinned Legolas but at least she could see his face now. His beautiful eyes remained closed and unresponsive. She moved with urgency now taking hold of Clive's leg she heaved with all her might and finally prevailed in freeing the elf.

Turning back toward him she let out a hiss. Clive's handiwork was displayed across his chest and stomach in gruesome relief. With shaking hands she lifted one of the graceful blades responsible and took great care cutting away his tunic. Once finished she moved off to find something she could use as bandages and perhaps some water if she was lucky. When she returned from her scavenging she lay her supplies next to Legolas who seemed not to have moved a muscle.

Much of the blood had begun to dry in the chill air; she had been fortunate enough to scrounge up a canteen of precious water. She worried for a moment about the purity of the water, it could make him terribly ill with irradiated water. She shook off her indecision. 'Won't do him any good if he bleeds to death while I'm making up my damn mind.' she thought wryly. Keira set to work cleaning the crusted blood from the edges of his wounds, the flow of blood had slowed considerably and only oozed out when she applied pressure. Once she was certain his wounds were as safe from infection as she could make them, she retrieved a crude sewing needle and some cord she had split three times to thin it out. A few times during her stitching he twitched and several muscle groups jumped involuntarily when she pierced his flesh.

Once finished, she set about covering her handiwork with bandages. It was backbreaking work, he remained limp and unresponsive as she struggled to prop him up against the wall without aggravating his injuries further. After much straining and tugging she had him positioned in such a way she was able to wrap the bindings around his torso, securing the bandages to his newly sewn wounds. Panting she took a moment to look him over, his color seemed a little better but she could see the sheen of sweat on his brow and chill bumps coursing over his skin.

She knew he had to be warm else all her struggle would have been for nothing. 'Piss poor gratitude that would be.' she thought. She again ventured into the dark rooms adjoining to find something, anything to keep the elf warm. Shaking off the increasing buzzing in her ears, Keira was able to find several blankets and a length of rip cord. She returned to Legolas' side and set about creating a cocoon for them. Stringing the line from a broken piece of concrete above them down to wrap around a large piece of rubble. Moving efficiently she lay one of the blankets on the concrete to insulate them and draped a second over the rip cord creating a makeshift tent.

Carefully she lifted Legolas' upper torso and dragged him over to the shelter. She lifted on side of the drape and sat on the floor before pulling his limp form back toward her, she did this twice, scooting back each time to keep the blanket in place. Once they were underneath the shelter, Keira carefully wrapped the remaining blanket around Legolas before collapsing in exhaustion. Her last thought before darkness claimed her was a fuzzy realization that Clive must have hit her harder than she thought.

Blue eyes opened slowly and took in their surroundings without comprehension. Light was dim and presented itself in odd shapes that did not make sense to the brain attached to those eyes. Lids slid shut one more. Synapses began to fire with increasing rapidity and his eyes opened. Legolas stared up at a surprisingly low and...fuzzy ceiling. His brain resisted but he flogged it into motion. Upon inhaling he was seized by a sharp pain in his chest that left him breathless. Memories flooded back, Keira's attacker slamming him into the ground, his consciousness beginning to fade as he was strangled. Her fierce and terrified face covered in blood beating the man off him.

It was this last image that brought him fully awake. Keira. He became more aware of himself with each passing moment and realized he was lying on something soft and warm. He twisted his neck as far as he was able and was reassured by the sight of her arm draped over his shoulder, small fingers curled around his collar in slumber. He considered her nut brown skin shining in the muted light. Slowly he sat up, testing each muscle group as he did so. The burly man with the rust colored hair had done considerable damage to his chest and judging from the large amount of dried blood in evidence he had been severely injured. Gingerly, he inspected the bandages that encased his torso, they were well administered and seemed to be helping his own natural healing abilities immensely.

Keira shifted her position and muttered something in her sleep. He looked over at her and then really took in the details. She was still covered in blood, it matted her hair to her brow and soaked through her shirt and trousers. She slept fitfully and was covered in a sheen of sweat. He watched as she shivered and mumbled again shifting uneasily. Legolas covered her with the blanket across his legs and exited the shelter to get his bearings. He was took in the impromptu shelter she had constructed for them and found himself surprised by her ingenuity.

He studied the room that housed them and almost immediately saw the body of their attacker. His corpse lay face down in a pool of presumably their mingled blood. Legolas felt his lip curl. Taking a step toward it, he leaned over to get a good look at the man's face. He was taken aback by the savagery of the blow that had killed him. A flash of memory brought Keira's face to mind, bloody and murderous. She had ensured that he would never trouble them again, most of the man's face was distorted beyond recognition thanks to the massive trauma he had suffered. The elf found lifted the impromptu weapon she had used and was somewhat surprised by its weight. The cylindrical item was surely metal but he could not imagine it's original use. Setting it down, he moved back into the room Keria had initially been searching for provisions.

There was a bag on the floor that was partially full of more cylindrical metal objects, a few had rolled out of the opening and Legolas puzzled over them. They were made of a different metal and had exquisitely detailed paintings wrapped around them depicting different types of foodstuffs. Cocking his head he frowned at the item wondering if this was another result of the bombs she had spoken of. Deciding to ask her for the answer once she awake and they were safe he replaced the cans in the rough woven sack and made his way back the his sleeping savior.

She had not stirred but her breathing seemed alright and beside the gash on her brow, she seemed otherwise uninjured. He reached out and shook her gently. She did not respond. He repeated the action with more vigor and when she failed again to respond a small stab of concern struck him. Head wounds could be deadly, she should not be sleeping. Lifting her torso up he tapped a hand against her face. "Keira." he said urgently. Her eyelids twitched feebly. "You must waken Keira." His voice was louder now and he shook her hard. She let out a small groan and cracked her eyes open before letting out a string of words in her native language none of which sounded particularly polite.

He helped her sit up and watched as her eyes slowly focused on his face. Blinking rapidly she seemed to get her bearings and then looked at him intensely. "Legolas." she said as though remembering who he was. Her hands came up and checked the bandages on his chest gently before her frame relaxed and she looked around. Keira saw the cans she had dropped in her tussle with Clive and her stomach had an immediate and loud reaction. Not bothering to be embarrassed, she wriggled out of his grasp and set about searching for a can opener.

Legolas watched her in confusion and after trying to put together all the pieces he decided to just wait and see what this puzzle became. Keira returned with an odd metal contraption in her hand and a triumphant expression on her face. "Can opener." she said by way of explanation and he watched as she selected one of the mystery pieces of metal and latched the thing onto the edge. She began to turn the crank and comprehension dawned on his face as he watched the metal part before the blade.

She removed the lid from the can of peaches and held it out to him with a small grin. He took it from her and hesitantly sniffed the contents surprised at the sweet smell that met his nose. She chuckled and began to open another can. Legolas watched her dip her fingers into the now open can and followed her example, he had never tasted anything quite like it. Fruit, surely but with a mildly unpleasant metallic aftertaste. They worked their way through two cans each before they felt like themselves again.

"Keira."Legolas began carefully. "I must ask you, what is your plan?" She looked at him for a moment before busying her hands with replacing the foodstuffs into the bag he had retrieved.

"We are not far from where the portal is." she said evenly. "This is the same place the Orc troop took me from in the first place. That," she jerked her head in the direction of the very dead man in the room. "was Clive." Legolas frowned at this but kept silent. "We will go every day to the place where the portal opens and wait." He nodded, knowing Gandalf was certainly going to re-open the portal. He couldn't imagine the political mess that would result from his disappearance not to mention Aragorn and Gimli were probably beside themselves with worry.

"We have enough food here to last us for a while." she said gesturing to the shelves. "We will return here in the night to keep hidden." He remembered the roving packs of men hunting men on his own this time. Keira stood and walked around a wall. He could hear her rummaging around in something out of sight. "Ah!"

He stood to see what she had found and was confused again. This was becoming a regular occurrence, one that he did not like. She was holding another weapon like the one in Saruman's tower, she had called it a rifle if he remembered correctly. Along with several other items he had never seen the like of before.

She grinned at him. "I knew that bastard would have something we could use." He watched as she opened and closed chambers on several of the weapons and did other mystifying things. She held out a very strange looking bow to him. Not as large as his own, this one had several pulleys on it and was made of some unknown material. He inspected it closely before drawing it back. He was astonished at how easy it was to draw. He looked up to see her watching him with a small smile on her face.

"Not quite the same but it should do for now." She tossed him a quiver made of what looked to be hardened black canvas. He caught it without difficulty and set it next to the bow. She held up an oval shaped metal item and lifted a small ring on the side. "Don't pull this out unless you're ready to throw this far from you." He looked at it skeptically. "It's a small bomb." He looked at it again in horror, moving back slightly. She smiled sadly and shook her head. "Not like the bombs I told you about. Much smaller." He relaxed slightly but decided to keep away from those just the same. It was his experience that trying to use a weapon you weren't familiar with was a good way to get yourself killed.

Legolas was out of his depth and he knew it. Looking at the dwelling they were in with the strange smells and sounds around him he had never felt more alien and out of place. Without the woman in front of him he would have been lost, most likely dead. He leaned forward and took her hands in his before bowing over them. His brow touched her knuckles briefly before he straightened and looked at her.

"Thank you." She stood dumbfounded just looking at him.

"For what?" she asked. She had dragged him here, endangered his life, taken him from his home and almost gotten him killed. What the hell was he thanking her for. He released her fingers and gestured at the bandages around his torso.

"For caring for me , I owe you my life." He looked pointedly at the dead man.

"Oh. Um...you're welcome but if you have not been here I would be dead as well so I suppose that makes us even?" She gave him a lopsided grin. "Let's get everything ready for tomorrow and try to get some sleep." He nodded and set about organizing the food back on the shelves and rearranging the bedding. He found a few more blankets and soft piles of fabric and added them to their makeshift tent.

He turned around to see her emerge from another room in different clothing, free of bloodstains and relatively clean. A dark ring of bruises stood out around the column of her throat. Behind her the door to their hiding place was shut again and she had strung a cord at ankle level in front of it covered in the cans they had eaten out of. Her ingenuity struck him yet again. She approached him with bandages and motioned for him to turn around. He complied and she began removing the wrap around his torso.

She cleaned and redressed the wounds on his chest efficiently and once she had finished, handed him a loose fitting shirt. He pulled it on and settled down inside the tent. She joined him and wordlessly lay down beside him. Laying on his back he slowly allowed his muscles to relax bit by bit. "Goodnight Legolas." she spoke softly and turned toward him. Her eyes dark in the shadows regarded him for a moment before placing her hand on his upper arm. "We will get you home." she murmured. He covered her hand with his own for a brief moment in wordless thanks before drifting off into a shallow slumber.

A/N Review! Will he get back? Of freakin' course. Will she? Stay tuned...