Chapter 8:
Corellon finishes healing Tim and turns to Gibbs who is looking down at Tandel with concern in his blue eyes. Yes, he's done the right thing in bringing Tandel to this man. Gibbs might not think so, but his soul is lonely and Corellon could hear it calling from his own realm of Arvandor. He'd come here once, years before, over ten years before and had almost brought Tandel at that time, but she'd been grieving too much, haunted too much by the losses of not just her familiar but one of her dearest friends. No, the last ten years have given Tandel a chance to heal and Gibbs a chance to heal as well.
Lolth was not the reason he'd brought Tandel here, but she could have been. The Demon Queen has been a thorn in his side for years; and yes, Tandel has been one of his champions for most of that time. He just hadn't expected Lolth to follow him to this realm, or for the God who guards this realm to allow her admittance.
"Tannie?"
"I told you…don't call me Tannie." She moans as she puts a hand to the bump on her head.
"Why not?"
"Urgh. Do you really want me to start calling you Leroy?" her faint mutter brings a frown to his face as he hasn't told her his full name yet.
"How did you know that?" he turns and glares at the faintly shimmering form of Corellon Larethian. The deity is slowly coalescing into a tall golden blonde elf male, clad in the softest leather and armed with a deadly looking long-sword. A blue cloak is slung over his shoulders and as he kneels beside Tandel, Gibbs can see only concern in his eyes.
"Why did you bring her here; the truth this time if you please." Gibbs watches almost jealously as Corellon picks Tandel up and lays her on the couch. The deity then goes over and picks Tim up, placing him in one of the recliners.
"I did so, Leroy Jethro Gibbs because the time is right and the fact is, you need her. Deny it all you want, she's already starting to feel at home in your heart and in your soul."
"She should have gone to Tim; he's the Elflord." Gibbs mutter is met with a frown from Corellon. Tandel's eyes might be closed but she clearly heard what Gibbs said. Only a firm resolve is keeping the tears from falling. Corellon knows that she's thinking the same thing. Why put her with someone who so obviously doesn't want her in his life?
"Only in his games; his heart has been captured by another for several years now."
"But still…" Gibbs protest is met with a small knowing smile. Corellon knows the man better than Gibbs thinks. Tandel is now and later will continue to be safe with this man. He runs a hand over Tandel's face, memorizing her features. Her lavender eyes blink open and she looks up at him,
"You won't leave me with nothing this time?"
"No. I leave you with your pack, your books and your spells." A wave of his hand has her once again clothed in the familiar soft leathers and azure blue robe that she's worn for so long. A silver circlet embossed with a sapphire crescent moon in the center is now holding her hair back from her face. She sighs when she feels the familiar weight of the diadem. Clearly, it's an item she's treasured and has been missing.
"What about Gibbs?"
"He's meant to be in your life, little one. Give yourself that chance to discover what life is like with this human."
"Do not force me on him like this. He doesn't want me in his life. It's not fair to leave me with him; not if I am an unwanted presence."
Gibbs listens as Tandel pleads with Corellon. Suddenly he feels tension in the room and he blinks as Tandel sits up; her face is clouding with yet another emotion and has him wondering just what is unsaid between the two. He doesn't have long to wait as Tandel pushes away from Corellon in fury. She stands up and starts pacing as anger and fury and maybe even a little fear rise to the surface and she spats out,
"Ten years I waited for you! Ten years you kept your silence. Now you intend to leave me here and then what? I never hear from you again is that it? It is isn't it? You're going to leave me here! With a man who wants nothing to do with me! Why? What did I do wrong?"
"He's your destined one Tandel." Gibbs surprise at being called someone's destiny does nothing to alleviate the anger in Tandel's voice.
"My destined one, my soulmate Died almost eleven years ago, my Lord. In my arms, and you did nothing to save him! I prayed to you, cried for you to help me, pleaded with you help me to save him and you did nothing!" her lavender eyes are flashing with indignation, at the injustice she still so clearly feels and remembers. Gibbs watches in fascination as she glares at the deity that she loves and is furious with. He has no doubt that if she had a weapon in hand, she'd be brandishing it with little regard to what might occur if it actually landed on the god.
"Tandel…I could not. He was already on his deathbed. He was waiting for you…so he could say goodbye."
