A/N Thank you to all those who have read and reviewed my story, and thank you for your support, and compliments in your reviews! I hope you will continue to cheer me on, it really keeps me goin'!

Oh! And sorry it has taken me so long to update! I am just freaking out about college and what not… but I think that the story will be finished by the time that I go… but if not bear with me…

Disclaimer: I do not own anything that anyone else owns.

A Late Conversation

Beth was sleeping soundly, dreaming of her mother. Her mother was singing her favorite song, the same Irish love song that Beth had always sung. Beth was only a little girl of eight in this dream, and she was sitting on her bed, her mother in back of her playing with her hair.

"I love you, Mum," said Beth.

"I love you like a seed…" like she would always say. "You may count the seeds that may come from an apple, but not how many apples will come from those seeds." She said smiling. Then they would get into one of their usual "I love you more" fights, and then give each other a huge hug. But then after Beth had given her mother a hug her mother looked as though she were in pain…

"Mum, are you alright?" Beth said very worried.

"Yes, I think so," she said knowing she was in fact dying of a disease (cancer of the breast), only now Beth was beginning to notice. "I just need to lie down for a few moments," she said.

"Alright, mother," she said wanting to stay by her. "May I lay by you?"

"Yes, of course sweet heart," her mother said with a smile and her arms outstretched. Beth went over and snuggled up to her mother. Beth lay there being extra quite as to not wake her mother. Just then her mother woke abruptly gasping for air. Beth stood and looked at her mother with fear in her eyes.

"Mum?" Beth said. Her mother looked over to her and sat up breathing heavily, then she began to calm a little but not much.

"Beth, come closer," her mother said slowing her breathing a little. Beth did as she was asked and went to her. "Beth, I love you. Never forget that. Mummy is going to go and fly with the angels," she said knowing that death was near.

"Mummy," Beth said crying, "do not leave me," she said.

"I would never leave you sweetie, I shall forever be here," her mother said pointing to Beth's heart. Beth grabbed her hand and squeezed it tight crying still. "Look to the skies when you ever long for me, look to them knowing I will forever be looking out for you from the heavens." her mother assured her.

Beth said, "I love you like a seed mummy," still holing her had crying. Her mother gave her one last squeeze and then Beth realized she was holding the lifeless hand of her mother. She wailed with a cry laying her head down on her mother's chest.

Just then her father came in, "Beth! What have you done!" he screamed. Then the abuse began. Her father came at her with his fists clenched. "She had a weak heart! You killed her!" he said swinging his fists at Beth's body.

"I'm sorry papa!" she yelled crying. "I don't know what I did!" she said.

"You killed her!" he repeated over and over, and then he stopped and left the room, leaving the house in the direction of the pub leaving Beth alone, broken, forced to deal with her own mother's remains.

While Beth was dreaming this Legolas was restless, pacing in his room, and decided to take a walk in the halls, he got dressed and left his room, it was late and everyone was asleep. The moon's face was glowing high in the sky. When he was walking down the hall he passed Beth's room hearing a disturbance. Beth had been tossing and turning because of the memories she had faced in her dream. Legolas thought Beth was in danger, that somehow Beth was being attacked, so making his decision quickly he bust in her room and ran to her bed. He saw that she was dreaming some sort of horrible dream and began to shake her to awake her.

"Beth!" Legolas exclaimed, "Beth! Wake up!" Beth opened her eyes and sat up.

"I killed her, it was my fault." She said crying. Legolas stood and went over to the door and shut it so that their conversation would not wake any of the other sleeping elves, and guests. "I killed her…" she repeated.

Legolas walked over to her and said, "You killed who?" looking into her green eyes.

"It was my fault," she repeated, "I killed my mother." She said.

"How did you kill her?" he asked still not sure of what was going on.

"I don't know, she had a weak heart," she said crying.

Legolas sat down beside her and said benevolently, "I am sure it was not your fault." Beth was still crying non-stop so Legolas went in to give her a hug to calm her down. He wrapped his arms around her and rocked her until she began to stop crying. Beth gave a squeeze back holding to him to make some of the pain go away. He was gently rubbing her back to comfort her when all of the sudden she hissed with pain.

Legolas hurried and stopped and said, "What is it?"

"N-Nothing," she replied quickly. She sat up nervously and did not realize how much of her bruised skin showed.

Legolas looked down suspiciously and saw so many bruises and welts. "Where did you get all of these injuries?" he demanded. Beth got out of her covers and stood showing more of her bruised skin, Legolas looked even more concerned. She hurried and ran to the bathroom and shut the door behind her. Legolas stood and ran to the door but was not quick enough to open it before he heard a click of a lock.

"Beth! Who did this to you?" he raised his voice. Legolas stood by the door and heard her crying.

"I was not going to trouble you with this," she said sobbing on the floor sitting on the other side of the door.

"Beth," Legolas lowered his voice. "Please trust me; I only want to be here for you." Beth waited for a moment; Legolas went over to a chair and sat. As Beth pulled herself together she stood and turned to the door, she put her hand on the door knob and unlocked the door. When Legolas heard this he stood anticipating her reentrance to the room. The door opened a crack, then wider and Beth came out, she took her bruised body closer to Legolas where there was a chair, she sat down and covered her face in her hands. Legolas pulled the chair he was sitting in closer to her and sat beside her.

"Beth, please confide in me, I only wish to help you." He said and gave her a moment. Beth nodded her head welcoming him into her heart. "Will you tell me what you saw in your dream?" he asked. Legolas had to wait for a little while but in time she began to speak.

"I dreamt of my mother, I was only a little child, eight years old." She began. She told him of how much she loved her mother, that she died in front of her eyes. Then she paused. Legolas went for her hand and held it tight.

"Go on," Legolas said warmly. Then she told him of how her father hit her, over and over. He gave her hand a squeeze.

"He never stopped beating me, 'Your worthless,' he used to say to me," she said, looking off to the distance.

"Your mother's death was not your fault, and you are certainly not worthless," he said, then he connected their first greeting, "Is your father who you were running from in the forest?" he asked. She nodded and then a burst of emotion came across her. Legolas hurried and gave her a hug, being careful now, knowing she was bruised.

She hugged him back and said, "I miss my mother." Sobbing uncontrollably she held to Legolas tightly.

"I am sorry for your loss," he said kindly and squeezed her even tighter for her to know that he was showing support. She began to calm down; Legolas began to let go. He held her arms and looked her straight in the eyes, "I will never hurt you," he said.

She gave a small smile, "Please don't tell anyone, I do not want anyone to think ill of my father."

"I promise," Legolas said, "But please know that you can talk to me." He said.

She nodded and said, "Thank you Legolas, it feels good to let it out."

He held her hand and kissed it, "You are most welcome." Then Beth began to talk of her mother to him, she told him that the song she sang him was what her mother used to sing to her, and many more things. "She seems to have been a delightful woman." He smiled.

She smiled back and gave Legolas a hug. "Thank you for listening," she said.

"Of course, any time." He said, "You should get back to bed," Legolas said realizing how long they talked for.

"Oh, no. I am far too awake to sleep," she said standing up walking over to the window, "Look, even now the moon is beginning to hide behind the mountains."

"Just as well," Legolas said, "it will be morning soon," the sky is lighter now.

"Come! We will watch the sun rise!" Beth said enthusiastically. She grabbed a light jacket from the wardrobe and took Legolas' hand and went out of the door. Legolas followed.

"I know the perfect place to watch the sun rise," Legolas led her to a place where they could see it in solitude. It was outside on a small hill close to some of the many trees that protected the house of Thranduil. They sat looking to the east; Legolas was holding her close while they saw the glorious sun arise. Beth looked to the skies knowing that her mother was there and smiled.

A/N Please review!