*I do not own any of the LOTR characters , just Leonie and my own character, Melanie. Enjoy and always review! *Please note that any upcoming updates to this story and the others that are on my site, will be coming in only as needed due to the upcoming spring college semester for me. ~Ladystarlet09

Chapter 10

Melanie lingered in the vast rose gardens for a good portion of the rest of the morning to avoid being seen by any of the elves of Rivendell. Sure, she was glad that their prank had been pulled off however she wasn't fully prepared for the look of hate and contempt she saw in Ro's eyes as he held her against the dining room wall, sword pointed directly at her throat. Shivering, she tried to get ride of them by furiously rubbing her upper arms with her good hand.

"What is wrong with that asshole anyway?" She told herself while trying to ignore the cold, morning crisp air around her. "It was his fault that he broke my arm, called me out in front of everyone and at the same time, raised his sword against me." The stinging in her eyes told her that hot tears were going to fall but she held herself back from crying.

"My lady?" A soft female voice spoke from somewhere nearby. "Are you ill?"

Glancing up, she found herself looking at the most beautiful elleth ever who was standing a few feet away from her with a book in hand. Dressed in a long purple sheer dress that wrapped around her elegant form, she appeared to had been sitting down on a nearby bench that Melanie hadn't seen. "Forgive me, but when I heard you cry, I thought perhaps you were in distress." The elleth bowed her raven dark head respectfully. "My name is Arwen Undomiel. I am the younger sisters of the twin brothers that you met and daughter of Lord Elrond."

Feeling very embarrassed to have been caught by someone so beautiful and fair as this elleth who indeed bore resemblance to Ro and Dan, Mel quickly wiped away her tears with the back of her dress sleeve. "My name is Melanie." She tried to say politely as possible as Arwen closed her book with one hand and stepped towards her.

Arwen smiled widely. "Then you have already met my older twin brothers, Dan and Ro!" Her dark eyes lite up with that same mischievous light that Mel had seen in the twins eyes. "I do hope that none of them had pulled their crazy pranks on you and your sister during your stay here."

Mel felt her cheeks warm. "Well...kinda a little late for that considering that they tried to dye my sister's hair a different color but I managed to catch them at their game and turn tables on them."

The elleth frowned. "Then that explain why father shaved Dan's head then." She let out a long sigh with a shake of her head. "It will take several moons before we start seeing his hair grow back. I already heard several of the other warrior captains make fun of him behind his back before he got upset this morning and sent them on a boarder mission within the hour." Glancing back at the mortal girl, she laughed. "Never mind my brothers. They might be pain the butts to everyone here as being the main terrors but when duty calls them, they are fine with sword and bow."

"So why are you out here and not partaking in breakfast in the hall?" Mel thought to ask out of politeness as Arwen mentioned for her to follow her down a stone path. "I don't recalling Lord Elrond mentioning that he had a daughter to me or Leo while we were introduced to everyone present during our first stay."

"Its because my father doesn't want many mortals from the outside to know of my presence. I am the walking likeness of Lúthien in this world and am the last of the fairest high elves to ever walk Middle Earth." She glanced up at the morning sun with a smile. "But such as fate might have it, I am still yet to find my own destiny amide my people."

"Arwen!" They heard Lord Elrond's voice boom across the courtyard. "Where are you?"

"Coming Ada!" Arwen replied. She beckoned for Mel to follow but the girl hung back, wringing her hands. "What's wrong? Ada doesn't bite." She asked Mel. The girl nervously glanced over to the sight of the lord of Rivendell coming down a nearby pathway with a deep frown. Arwen glanced back and forth between the two as he came to a stop a few feet near them.

"Mel, I would appreciate it if you didn't run off like that in front of our guests when something of such nature takes place." He said firmly, but in a kind voice. "I have already talked to my sons within my private chambers and given them a fair punishment. I do expect you and your twin sister to apologize to them as they will be sure to do, unless they wish to incur my full wrath later on further. Understand?"

"Yes, M'lord." Mel replied softly. Boy, if being scolded was bad from her parents whenever they got mad at her and Leo for something dead serious, this was honestly just the nice end without all of the yelling and shouting. Cheeks now beyond red, Mel excused herself to go back to her chambers, leaving Elrond and Arwen alone.

"I wondered when they were going to pull something on each other once the older twin was awake." Arwen smirked while they watched the girl hurry away. "Perhaps we should all just have a quite dinner together to help put the pairs at ease later." She suggested brightly. "That might help ease some tension now that I got to meet Mel first."

"I will think about it, daughter." Lord Elrond grimaced. "If Elros was alive to see all of this, I think he would just die from sheer laughter. But then again, thank the Valar that such is not the case for his own wrath would have been much worse then my own if your brothers were his sons." He sighed. "Come, I think perhaps the house needs your presence now." He motioned for her with a wave of his hand. "There are some Dundain that are coming to visit for a while tonight before making their way to the norther boarders in the morning. I think seeing you will help lift our kinsmens spirits with seeing someone who is other then another male in the house of Elrond."

"You are very funny, Ada." Arwen rolled her eyes. "What I would have given to have another sister in this lifetime if Nana was still upon these shores."

"Well given that you surprised my guards with your presence this morning by your unexpected arrival, I think its a fitting punishment from your old man."

Mel took her time going back to the shared chambers of her and Leo's. She didn't want to face her own twin knowing how angry she was for allowing Mel to goad her into pulling such an outlandish prank on Ro and Dan after all the help they had given since they fell into this no-longer fantasy world. The twin wondered what would have happened if perhaps they hadn't made that ill fated wish upon that shooting star nights ago before all of this happened. Mel wondered if perhaps their grandparents had yet discovered them missing. But its hard to tell since the time of this world was way different from the time flow of their own modern world. "At least my watch is still working here." Mel mused as she glanced down at her wristwatch. "Man, its already past one-thirty five and still no sign of us getting out of here." Once she was at their chambers, she threw open the doors. Leo was reading a book of some sort out by the balcony on a lounge chair. Neither twin glanced at each other or said a word.

The younger twin plopped herself down onto the bed. Staring up at the ceiling, she wondered how she was going to apologize without sounding careless about what happened. It was her fault for involving Leo and as long as that stood between them, there wasn't much to say.

"So have you desided to say something to either Dan or Ro later as far as an apology?" Leo spoke up without glancing up from her book. "I already did when Dan came by to say his. I think he was more amused then anything else after he told me that he and Ro got a good belt trashing from their father."

"Lovely, you are making him sound like a masochist." Mel snorted. "Whats next? A torture chamber?"

"Don't be smart with me, sis." Leo snapped suddenly in a hard voice that Mel rarely heard her use since dad and mom broke up. "I might be an emotional mess at times, sometimes I am not as fit as you are or even have the social skills that are needed to get by in life, but at least I have my own inner consciousness. God, Mel, ever since our parents split, it seems like you have adopted a one sided kind of outlook on things around you. I remember how head strong you used to be whenever dad would get mad at you for something that you didn't do or how at times when things didn't go your way, you would speak up. But now that the tables have turned on us both, given what we had done to those two who saved our hides back there, you just seem to want to goad things out. Why are you bitching at Ro anyway? Is there something that's going that I should be aware of, Melanie?"

"No, there isn't shit going on between us!" Melanie shot back angrily. She jumped to her feet while her sister got up from the lounge chair. Tossing her book onto it, Leo crossed her arms, glaring at Mel. "Oh really? Because from what I heard from passing servants that you and him are not getting along apparently since the time you two met."

The other twin refused to look up at her. "He's an asshole with a chip on his shoulder." She finally admitted. "I don't like how he treated me after he rescued us. Broke my arm, remember?"

"And you don't have one either?" Leo raised an eyebrow at her. "Come on! We are honored guests here until we find a way back home. The very last thing we should be doing it setting a bad example of how honored guests should be acting in front of our host and his kinsmen. Sure, Ro broke your arm but better that then you falling over a high cliff to your death. But whatever, you don't listen to me anyway."

"Your not our mother or dad, Leo."

"But I am your older twin sister and I deserve some better respect from you."

The twins scowled at each other darkly, not saying another word until someone knocked on the door.

"Girls?" A elleth called from the other side. "Lord Elrond is requesting your presence in his private chambers right now."

"Coming." Leo replied before giving Mel a warning glare. "Better watch your p's and q's from now on."

"Whatever." Mel grumbled as she followed her out of the room. The servant elleth bowed her head politely before leading them down several corridors and halls throughout the house. They came eventually to a double door upon which she knocked and waited for a second before someone from within hailed them to come inside. Opening one of the doors, she stepped aside to allow them in. "The master is waiting inside." She said as the girls hung back for a brief second. "Its only him if you are wondering who else is inside." She added with a chuckle. "I am afraid the boys are not going to be around for the rest of the day or evening due to being sent off for Orc scouting for a couple days."

"I don't know if I should be relived or worried about their safety now." Leo said as she stepped inside. Mel secretly wondered the same thing, but she kept her thoughts to herself as she found herself going into a large office that was littered with various books, parchment papers and small boxes here and there. There was a desk and behind it in a chair sat Lord Elrond. He was still dressed in his riding clothes for he had gone out to escort his sons personally to the boarder where they would be keeping vigil for the next couple of nights but not without proper padded saddles for their smarting bums. The fireplace was burning merrily and there were three cups sitting on the low table before the fireplace. He motioned for the servant to close the doors before nodding towards the couch before the fire.

"Come sit with me. There is much that I would like to speak privately with you two now that you have taken the time to get yourselves well acquainted with my household and servants." He said as they did as he asked. Both faces turned bright red upon the slight reminder of the morning's earlier events but wisely kept their mouths shut. He handed them two cups that were filled with raspberry cordial. "Some light afternoon wine that I often drink during these cold winter months. It will help keep your insides warm, but also relax you so that you are not so feeling ill at ease in my presence."

"What do you want to know about, M'lord?" Leo spoke up in a stronger voice once she took a couple of sips of the wine. Mel was nervously chewing her bottom lip while glancing around the room. Elrond took a mental note of her nervous state for a later review but he kept his soft smile in place. "I would like to know as much as a possible of where exactly it is you two come from since your original clothes and personal gear is something that I and my people have not seen before in these parts of the world." He replied between sipping his wine. "I have walked these shores and beyond for far longer then your own mortal minds can possible comprehend. I am sure I am entitled to some sort of valuable information that I can pass onto embassies whom are ready at my command to share with my other kinsmen in the other elven kingdoms so that we can find a way to help you girls get back to where it is you are from."

"He sure in hell isn't far off the mark, Leo." Mel whispered out the side of her mouth. "I'd be better at telling him but you told me to watch my p's and q's from now on."

"Why do you have to be a smart mouth about everything?" Leo shot back with a roll of her eyes. " I am fully aware of the situation. Perhaps if we do tell him everything, what then? Its not like we can teleport ourselves back home."

"True." Mel agreed, staring into her wine cup. "But he is the better choice the one other person I know who might be not so friendly with our presence."

"And who would that be, child?" Elrond smiled. Mel glanced over at him. "Do tell, for my curiosity is getting rather interested at this point."

Shrugging her good arm, the girl sat her wine cup down. "Galandriel." She replied without any hesitations. "I think if she was here, perhaps it would help shred better truth upon whatever it is we come from and you would believe me and Leo if we told you where it is we come from."

"Mel." Leo whispered as a keen sharp look came into Elrond's eyes. "Be careful."

He stared at them for a long time before nodding. "That might not be a bad idea given that she is supposed to be visiting in the early spring anyway. But that doesn't mean that you are going to not tell me where you two came from."

The twins glanced at each other. "Should we?" Leo was the first to speak. "I could go get our gear and show him some of our things to prove it."

"Yeah and what if he doesn't believe us then?"

"You still have your electronics right?"

"Whats not soaked or ruined. My cellphone is fried."

"What about your tablet?"

"Not working due to lack of juice. And besides, its not like they have plugs here anyway."

"I think mine is still working but I never bothered to check it out since we have been here." Leo sighed. "I will call for a servant to bring our stuff into here and we can show you, m'lord." She smiled at Elrond. "Meanwhile, I think Mel should be the one to explain things since she was awake when she found us here in the first place."

"Of course it would be me." Mel grumbled while Leo hurried out of the room to hail a passing servant. She couldn't bring herself to look up at his face as he continued to study her in silence.

"How's the arm?"

The girl flexed her fingers very slowly. "Still some minor pain, but nothing that I can't handle."

More silence.

"I see, then perhaps if you are feeling up to it once my sons are back, I can work on getting you and Leo to see more of the valley within the safety of my protected boarders." He offered with a kind smile. "It wouldn't hurt if they took you sightseeing to their childhood spots."

"As long as Ro doesn't plan on running me through with his sword, I think I and Leo would like that." Mel agreed with a half glance up at him. "I am sorry for this morning, I didn't think it would be that bad of a result. Most pranks we pull, not a lot of people get so upset about."

"My sons are a totally different matter when its someone other then themselves getting into such pranks. For as long as I can remember, Dan and Ro have always been the terrors of this valley and beyond. And when Arwen was board, that only grew worse and worse with each passing Age. But then things over time changed within their lives and my own where I saw that they rarely did their pranks. The darkening of the enemy, growing whispers of a nameless that is slowly gaining power as we speak, boarders being always keenly watched by our warriors and beyond. All of this slowly took its toll upon them until Estel came into our lives as a child."

Mel started to say something about Estel, but she wisely thought it would be better to not say a single world on how it is that she and Leo already have been aware of the history of Middle Earth and its key occupants least, it would destroy the frail timeline that was still flowing in this world. Anything could happen with a careless word from either her and Leo, which was perhaps the wiser decision of her twin sister to leave all the talking to her this time.

"So what do you want to know about me and Leo?" She spoke up. "I can tell you that we are not from here at all."

"That much I have deduced from my own personal observations." Elrond nodded. "But if such is the case, where do you hail from exactly?"

Mel lifted her cup to her mouth and drained it. "Earth. But its an earth that is very different from yours and we have no magic or other creatures save for the animals that live on the planet. There are only mortals and a lot of technology of which me and my sister will be soon showing you."

Elrond glanced over at the open windows. "I should close the windows more as a precaution least an evil winds is seeking whispers of your presence here." He said as he gracefully got to his feet. He went over to the two windows and closed them before securing them with a sealing spell that would keep all that was said within safe from prying ears and eyes of the enemy. Coming back, he sat down in his own chair. "So start wherever it is you feel comfortable, child. And have no fear, whatever you say to me is safe within my own chambers."

Leo came back in with their backpacks and hiking gear in hand, of which she tossed by the sofa before sitting back down. "I think we might have to unpack some of those and see what we can salvage once we are done here, sis." She said with a sigh. "Seems a lot heavier then I last remembered."

"Okay. Well I was just about to talk to Elrond about our world." Mel replied while holding out her wine up as he refilled it. "Do you want to say anything before we start?"

"No other then that I am getting hungry but it can wait until later."

"Well lets get something first to eat or I can have a servant bring some food in from the kitchens." Elrond reminded them before going to the office door where a servant was just about to knock about something. "What is it?"

"My lord, I received word that some wounded Dunadain are arriving for your aid and are seeking refuge for a few days until they are able to move on to their destination."

"Tell them that I will be there shortly to aid the wounded and send word to double the watch at all the boarders until my sons return home from their scouting mission. But before you do, send word down to the kitchens to have a servant bring some food for Mel and Leo. They are hungry and are in need of substance."

"Yes, M'lord." The servant bowed before carrying out his master's orders. Elrond smiled apologetically to the girls. "I am sorry but I must attend the wounded first before we continue this talk. Until then, feel free to go about the house and the other surrounding homes until evening. I will have spare time around then." He said before departing to change into his less finer clothes so he can treat the wounded in the house of healing. The twins sighed together while draining their drinks.

"I am in no mood of moving after downing all of that wine, Leo." Mel drawled while setting her cup on the table before them and settling back further into the sofa. "Wake me up when the food arrives."

"K. I am just going to go through our things and see what can be still used here."

"As long as we have some pads, toothpaste, toothbrushes and hair ties, I am happy." Yawned Mel as she settled down on the sofa. Leo smirked and thew a blanket she had spied from a nearby chair over her. "Sleep well and I will wake you up in time to eat our late lunch."

Only a loud snore was the only reply she got from her twin before Leo settled on going through their gear.