A/N: Okay so I lied, I am updating early, but that's just because all your reviews got me so excited! I honestly am so overwhelmed by all the support this story has received since I started writing it. In only 9 chapters I've gotten 85 reviews, that's pretty amazing for me. So thank you so much to everyone who has reviewed, favourited and followed, it keeps me writing and gets me excited to update for you guys!

Special thanks to: Brigid the Fae, sarathestarkidranger, Guest, Amber1986, Raider-K, annafan, vanialex, kenjisakura, allonsylotr, Poison1234, KDSkywalker, Sandy-wmd, anna1991, Rowan Ramirez and Guest. Couldn't do this without you!

And now onto the chapter!

Worlds Apart: Chapter 10

Legolas lay down next to Maya and watched the slow rise and fall of her chest as she slept. There, bathing in the early morning light, she looked so peaceful. After the return of his memory, Legolas had been unable to sleep, unable to keep the racing thoughts from his mind and all he wanted to do was be near Maya so he had snuck into her bedroom.

The elf was completely torn. There she lay; the woman that he loved. The woman that he'd built a life with in this strange world. The woman that he would do anything for. But now he had the chance to go home and return to everything he'd ever known. What would Maya say when she found out his memories had come back? What would she say when she found out he was betrothed to another woman?

Legolas gently brushed a lock of hair from her face and his heart sank as his eyes met with the tiny smile on her lips. She was happy and he was about to break her heart with what he had to reveal. The elf swallowed the lump in his throat as he continued to watch Maya sleep. He just couldn't bring himself to look away, as though she would disappear forever if he did. Part of him wished that his memory had never come back, that he and Maya could go on living blissfully together in this world; that they could get married and have children. But Legolas had known this day would eventually come and now for the first time in a long time, he felt completely hopeless.

He was torn from his thoughts as Maya lightly stirred. Her eyes fluttered open and within moments her lips turned up in a smile as she caught sight of a golden head of hair.

"Hey," she said happily as she rubbed the sleep from her eyes.

"I love you," he said before kissing her deeply.

She needed to know just how much he loved her, regardless of the obstacles. With his kiss, Legolas hoped that she could feel the emotion radiating through him. He hoped that she could feel how his heart beat only for her.

He pulled away slightly and Maya looked into his piercing blue eyes as his golden hair cascaded around her, curtaining them off from the world.

"That was one hell of a 'good morning'," she said tracing his face, "I thought you said it wasn't a good idea for you to be in here..."

Legolas moved his thumb over her cheek and gently kissed her, "You are so beautiful."

Maya furrowed her eyebrows. Not that she was complaining about the early morning make out session, but this wasn't like Legolas. Where he would have normally grinned at least once by now or tried to tickle her, he was unusually serious.

"Is everything okay?" she asked concernedly. Had the memories returned? Her heart seized at the thought.

The words struggled on the tip of Legolas' tongue, but he found he just couldn't bring himself to utter them. He couldn't watch the smile fade from Maya's lips as he revealed that her worst fears had come to pass and he couldn't tell her he had agreed to a betrothal to secure an alliance for his people, it would break her.

Legolas nodded, "I am well, meleth nîn."

"Alright...you would tell me, wouldn't you?" asked Maya, searching his eyes. But the elf expertly concealed his emotions and any doubts she had were erased with the smile that appeared across his face.

"I would, Maya," he said reassuringly, "There is nothing to fear."

Maya pulled him down for a kiss, "Well in that case, thank you for being so sweet this morning. I love waking up to you, not that you let me do it often."

Legolas grinned, "After yesterday, that is probably wise." The elf kissed her nose and she giggled.

Maya snuggled into him and sighed contentedly. "Wanna walk me to work?"

"I would love to," said the elf softly.

Excitedly she left the room, humming along her way to the bathroom. When he heard the shower come on, Legolas buried his face in his hands. In nearly three thousand years, he'd never felt so lost.

...

For the first time in his life, Legolas became acquainted with guilt. Maya believed him when he told her everything was alright and never second-guessed him. Yet, here he was lying to her, abusing her trust. Was elven-kind not supposed to be above such conduct? He'd always been taught so, but now Legolas was thoroughly ashamed of his behaviour. How could he do this to someone he loved?

And yet it was also because he loved her that he was lying.

After several kisses goodbye, Legolas left Maya at National Geographic and walked the familiar route towards the cafe. Hopefully work would give him some form of distraction from the guilt he felt.

He told himself that he simply needed a few more days to figure out how he would tell her, but deep down in the recesses of his heart, Legolas knew that he was stalling because it was easier to do so than to tell the truth. He couldn't bear to see her upset.

There was also the matter of his impending marriage to Princess Alassiel of the Dorwinion elves. His father would be furious if he broke off the betrothal and it could very well result in severely strained diplomatic relations between the two Kingdoms. But Legolas didn't love Alassiel, he was in love with Maya and he couldn't imagine his life without her.

By the time he arrived at the cafe, the elf was engaged in a full-on debate with himself. He was so preoccupied with his thoughts that he barely acknowledged Erica on the way in.

Wordlessly, he began his morning routine and filled the coffee machines. Once he had made a fresh pot of coffee and taken care of the morning rush, the elf decided to clean the counters. He needed something to do. Anything to take his mind off the situation with Maya and his returning memories.

"Hey there," said Erica, coming up beside him. "How are you doing today?"

"I've been better," admitted Legolas, absorbed in his task.

Erica arched her eyebrow as he stubbornly continued to pass the cloth over the same area on the counter; he just couldn't get it clean enough.

"I can see that," she said. "Maybe you should tell me what's wrong instead of taking it out on the counter?"

"Forgive me," said the elf as he put the cloth away, "It seems I've much on my mind today."

"Did you and Maya fight?" pried Erica. Something was clearly off, because Lance always showed up to work in a good mood. Now he looked as though the world had come crashing down around him.

Legolas smiled sadly, "No, but I find myself in a very difficult situation and no matter my course of action, I fear I will hurt her."

Erica pulled two cups down from the shelf and filled them up with hot water before adding two bags of Legolas' favourite mint tea.

"Here," she said handing him a cup, "It should be quiet for a while. Tell me what's wrong, maybe I can help."

The elf nodded gratefully and for once today, a genuine smile appeared on his face.

...

Erica took a sip of her tea and shook her head, "Lance you're smarter than this. You should know that hiding things from her will only make the situation worse."

Legolas sighed. Deep down he knew she was right but he couldn't bear to see Maya heartbroken when he told her that he would eventually have to go back to Middle Earth and that he had agreed to a betrothal with a woman he did not love.

Of course he hadn't told Erica any of this. He had simply informed her that he'd been waiting on a job opening back in London before ever meeting Maya and they fell in love despite the possibility that he could be called home. Yesterday, after five months of waiting, he'd received a call that a job had indeed opened up for him. A job that was very important to him. He just could not bring himself to tell Maya because it would break her heart to find out he would soon have to leave.

"I feel so lost," Legolas said sadly, "and I feel ashamed for lying to her. I just cannot bear to tell her that the life that we've built together is under threat."

"Look, if she loves you, she'll understand how hard this is on you," said Erica, "telling the truth can be scary and sometimes you risk hurting people you love, but lying about it is worse. Maya's gonna feel betrayed if you keep this from her. That's my two cents, you can take it or leave it, I guess."

"Thank you, Erica," said Legolas, taking her empty cup from the counter and placing it in the dishwasher with his own, "for everything."

Erica smiled, "Yea well, I needed to get you to stop abusing my countertops somehow right? I'm glad you didn't wait to tell me about your new job in London. I'm gonna miss having you around here and I'll be sad to see you go, but I'm really happy for you. I'm sure Maya will be happy for you too."

The elf nodded to humour his boss. He knew she could not possibly understand how grave the situation was; he and Maya would face obstacles that Erica could never fathom. He was being given the chance to go home to another world, but in doing so he would be leaving behind the woman he loved. If she came with him, she would be leaving her own life behind and he could not ask her to make such a sacrifice. There was also the matter of a betrothal that awaited him once he got back to Middle Earth. How would he call off the wedding without causing a rift between Dorwinion and Eryn Lasgalen? His father would have his head.

Suddenly, Legolas began to feel lightheaded. As he ran his hand over his forehead, his skin felt hot to the touch. This was odd seeing as elves were not susceptible to fluctuations in temperature or illness.

Erica watched with concern as he became unsteady on his feet, "Lance are you okay? You should sit down for a few moments."

Before he could respond, Legolas' vision went blurry. He managed to grab onto the counter for support and squeezed his eyes shut to counteract the dizziness. He faintly heard Erica panicking and asking him to answer her, but soon the elf heard nothing at all...

Legolas walked into the great hall where Gandalf was sitting at the large oak table, examining something in a piece of cloth.

"Ah, Legolas," said the wizard, "it is good to see you, dear friend."

The elf smiled, "It is good to see you as well, Gandalf."

The wizard motioned for him to sit down and Legolas complied, intrigued by the small trinket on the table.

"There is much on your mind, Legolas. I can sense your unrest."

Legolas looked up from the trinket and smiled sadly, "Aragorn has told you of the betrothal."

Gandalf nodded, "He has. Are you certain that you wish to do this?"

"There is no other way. It is for the good of my people," replied the elf.

"Your father," began the wizard, "though one of the most stubborn beings I have ever met, is not heartless. You are his son, if this match will not bring you happiness then you must speak with him. He would see you happy, Legolas."

The elf prince shook his head. His father's mind was made up and the betrothal had been negotiated behind his back. Legolas had only received a letter once the discussions had been finalized and he knew that to refuse was not an option. Not when the very relationship between Eryn Lasgalen and Dorwinion hung in the balance.

"What are you examining?" asked Legolas in an effort to change the subject.

Gandalf turned to look at him and smiled, "This is an object of great power," he said, holding up what appeared to be a small black rock, carefully wrapped in white cloth.

The elf furrowed his eyebrows, "A stone?"

"Not just any stone," said the wizard gravely, "I retrieved this from Orthanc after Saruman's death. Though I can sense that the stone has great magical properties, I've not been able to discover what they are used for, and that is why I dare not handle it without the cloth."

"What is that?" came an excited voice.

Gandalf sighed in exasperation and Legolas turned to see Merry and Pippin approaching them.

"Nothing you need to be concerned with, Peregrin Took," scolded the wizard.

Pippin's eyes drifted to the stone and Legolas could see the glint of mischief in his eyes. The hobbits were always up to no good.

"Do not even think of touching this stone, either of you," warned Gandalf as he eyed the hobbits, "Or I will turn you both into toadstools."

Despite his low spirits since his father's letter, Legolas chuckled at the exchange. Somehow, he did not believe that Gandalf's words would be enough to deter the hobbits.

When Legolas came to himself, he was still clutching the counter as his breathing came in ragged gasps. As he opened his eyes, the elf could see Erica and several of the customers were gathered around him with looks of concern.

"Oh thank God, are you okay?" cried Erica.

It took Legolas a moment to respond as he processed what had just been revealed to him.

He nodded and managed a small smile, "Yes I am fine. I do not know what's come over me, but I feel recovered now."

Erica thanked her customers for their concern and told them that it was alright for them to sit down again and enjoy their coffee.

Turning to Legolas, she put her hand on his forehead. He was slightly warm. "Are you sure you're okay?" she asked unconvinced, "You should go home and get some rest or see a doctor."

The elf shook his head, "I feel fine. I must simply be overwhelmed with everything that has happened," he insisted, "I will stay and finish my shift."

"Alright..." said Erica, still not convinced that he was fine, "but sit down once in a while and tell me if you feel sick again. You really scared me back there."

Legolas nodded and resumed his work, reaching for a bag of coffee beans in the cupboard. As he filled up the machine, his heart pounded incessantly. The stone that Gandalf had shown him that day in Minas Tirith must be the key that Professor Bernstein had spoken of. If so, it had remained in Maya's apartment, under their very noses, for five months. Finding the stone meant going home, it also meant destroying everything he and Maya had built together. It meant possibly having to say goodbye to the woman he loved and eventually fading from his grief.

He thought of her smile and her laugh. He thought of how natural it felt to hold Maya in his arms and to kiss her just because he could. Because he could never get enough. Legolas felt a tear slide down his cheek as he thought of the children they may never have now; a boy and girl with her beautiful eyes.

The elf wiped the evidence of his tears and sighed sadly. Here in this vastly different world, he felt more at home with Maya than in Middle Earth, where he'd resigned himself to a loveless marriage just to please his father.

"Hello?" came a small voice.

Legolas searched for the source of the voice, his eyes scanning the cafe, but all he could see were customers engaged in conversation at the tables.

He furrowed his eyebrows, perhaps he had imagined the voice.

"I'm down here," said the voice again and this time as Legolas bent over the counter, he saw a little girl with two braids in her hair and a pink box in her hands.

"Hello," said the elf sounding unsure of himself, and the little girl smiled.

"Why are you sad?" she asked.

Legolas simply gazed at her, unsure how to respond.

"I am not sad, little one," he said, hoping she would accept his answer and order something.

The little girl was unconvinced. "Yes you are," she countered, "I saw you crying."

"I was not," defended the elf, feeling slightly foolish that he was debating with a child.

The little girl took out her box and put it on the counter. Legolas watched with a mixture of curiosity and dubiousness as she lifted the lid and took out several small sheets of paper.

"Pick one," she said. The elf arched an eyebrow and examined the sheets of paper in front of him. They seemed to be made of some type of wax and they had little drawings on one side.

"What are they?" he asked, unsure what she wanted him to do.

The little girl rolled her eyes, "They're stickers, silly."

"What is a sticker?" asked the elf. This had to be one of the strangest encounters he'd ever had since arriving on earth. He watched as she unstuck a 'sticker' and held it out to him.

"Can I have your hand please?" she asked nonchalantly.

Legolas eyed her quizzically but held it out to her all the same. Within moments he found himself with a blue star on his hand.

"What is this for?" he asked, examining it.

"You were sad, so I came to give you a sticker. They're really special and they make me feel happy," said the little girl with a smile.

Despite himself, the corners of Legolas' lips turned up. He was touched that she'd cared enough to give him something that she obviously held dear.

"You have my gratitude," he said, leaning over the counter, "What is your name, little one?"

"Katie," said the little girl, staring at him with wide blue eyes, "What's yours?"

"Lance," said the elf holding out his hand, "I am pleased to make your acquaintance, Katie."

Katie shook his hand, "By the way, I'm not a 'little one'."

Legolas chuckled, "May I ask how old you are?"

"I'm six," said Katie defensively, "How old are you?"

He decided to go with the age Maya had given him, "I am 28 years old."

The elf was amused to see Katie scrunch up her nose in disgust, "You're old."

Katie was certainly a character. By elven standards, 28 years was not even mature. He thought he might like to see the look on her face if she ever found out how old he truly was.

"You have pretty hair," said Katie, having seemingly gotten over how 'old' she thought he was, "but why is it long? Only girls have long hair."

By this point, Legolas was unsure whether to be slightly offended or to laugh. He chose the latter of course after realizing how silly it all was. Children in Middle Earth were certainly not this obstinate.

"If only girls have long hair, then why is mine long?" he asked with a smirk, curious about what she would say.

Katie pretended to think, placing her hand under her chin. "Hmmm. I don't know... Can I have a hot chocolate?"

The elf shook his head and fought to contain his laughter. Her attention span was worse than Pippin's.

"Yes you may," he said with a grin. He found she was quite adorable and her constant questioning was endearing.

Katie waited patiently at the counter as Legolas prepared her hot chocolate and soon a woman got up from one of the tables to join her.

"Are you bothering the nice man, sweetheart?" she asked.

"No mommy, Lance and I are friends," insisted Katie.

Katie's mom gave Legolas an apologetic look as he brought over the hot chocolate. "I'm sorry," she said, "Thank you for being so patient."

The elf shook his head and smiled. "Please, do not apologize. It seems I've made a new friend," he said giving Katie a wink.

After Katie's mom paid for the hot chocolate, they spoke for a few moments before Legolas noticed Katie running towards a man at the door.

"Daddy!", she cried, jumping into his arms, "You need to come meet Lance."

"Have you made a new friend, honey?" asked her father, holding Katie close. Legolas could not help but envy this man as he walked hand in hand with his daughter and kissed his wife lovingly. There in front of him was everything the elf had ever wanted; a family with the woman he loved.

After the introductions were made and Katie's father expressed his gratitude to Legolas for being so good with his daughter, the family of three decided it was time to go home. As her parents walked to the door, Katie lingered by the counter.

"Lance...do you like flowers?" the little girl asked hurriedly.

Legolas raised an eyebrow, "I suppose, though I prefer trees."

"Trees?" asked Katie, looking slightly disappointed, "Okay, then. Well bye!" With that she skipped off to meet her parents at the door, looking back for a moment to smile at Legolas.

The elf waived goodbye as they left the cafe, feeling slightly more cheerful than he had all day. Though his newest memories continued to unsettle him and he still hadn't the faintest idea what to tell Maya.

...

As Legolas walked up to Maya's apartment building, he thought of Katie. In fact, he'd spent most of the day thinking about her and it made him long for children of his own. After observing Katie and her parents, he imagined the family he and Maya could have and the happiness it would bring them.

He wanted to spend as long as he could with Maya and the thought of submitting to a loveless marriage for the sake of an alliance was not something Legolas was prepared to do. After experiencing love so completely and so unconditionally, he was not prepared to sacrifice it. He'd promised Maya that he would fight for them all those months ago, and the elf was not about to forsake that promise.

When he walked into the apartment, Maya was setting their plates for diner. The smile that lit up her face as she caught sight of him was enough to undo Legolas then and there. Without a wasted moment, he set the keys down on the counter and pulled Maya into a passionate kiss.

Maya was so absorbed in the feel of the elf's lips on hers that her grip on the utensils loosened, sending them crashing to the ground. She wound her arms around his neck and Legolas slid his hand to Maya's lower back, pulling her closer to him. For a while, diner was all but forgotten as they kissed, tasted and explored. After a few moments, Legolas pulled away leaving a frustrated Maya in his wake.

"Well that wasn't very nice," she said playfully with her hands on her hips, "How do you expect me to concentrate on diner now?"

The elf said nothing and reached down to the ground to pick up the fallen utensils. As he placed them on the counter, his blue gaze met Maya's with a raging intensity and suddenly she found she couldn't breathe.

"Why are you so quiet?" she asked, making no effort to conceal her worry.

Legolas swallowed the lump in his throat and reached for her hand, gently caressing it with his thumb.

"I must tell you something," he said softly.

Maya's voice began to shake. "Legolas, what's going on? You're scaring me."

"Perhaps you should sit down, meleth," said the elf, his grip on her hand tightening ever so slightly, as if he were afraid to let her go.

"No, I'm not sitting down until you tell me what's going on," cried Maya, as unshed tears stung her eyes.

Legolas' heart seized as he watched her nearly come apart before him. He wished with all his heart that there was an easier way, that he didn't have to cause her pain.

"Last night..." he began, taking a deep breath, "My memories came back."

As he said the words she'd been dreading for months, Maya could no longer hold back the tears as they burst through like the breaking of a dam. She wrenched her hand away from his and slowly backed away.

"You lied to me," she sobbed, "This morning when I asked you if something was wrong, you lied right to my face. How could you?"

"I was trying to protect you from this," said the elf pleadingly as he attempted to approach her, but Maya stepped back. All he wanted to do was hold her and kiss her pain away.

Maya buried her face in her hands as her body trembled, "You said we would figure this out together. You said you wouldn't let anything happen to us, Legolas."

Legolas had never felt so small and every one of her words cut into him like a knife. Had he failed her?

"I fell in love with you, knowing we were taking a risk. I knew there was a chance that one day you would remember but I expected you to be honest with me," she said, "What have you remembered?"

As Maya wiped her tears, Legolas felt numb.

"I was speaking with Aragorn and Gimli in Minas Tirith," he began, his voice quivering slightly, "I'd received a letter from my father asking me to help him forge an alliance with the Dorwinion elves, an alliance to help strengthen our Kingdom."

"What kind of alliance?" asked Maya, dreading the answer. Deep down, she already knew.

Legolas could see her tears spilling anew. "I agreed to a betrothal with the Dorwinion Princess at the request of my father," he said.

"Did you love her?" she asked weakly.

"No," cried Legolas. He was desperate now, desperate for her to see how much he needed her, "I never loved her. I have never loved anyone but you."

Maya just wanted to run and cry until she couldn't cry anymore. She'd known that loving Legolas would come with its fair share of hardships, but the pain she felt now was unbearable.

"Is there more?"

Legolas gave her a crestfallen look. "Yes," he said taking a few steps forward.

"I remembered something else today while I was working at the cafe. Gandalf seized a small black stone from Orthanc after Saruman's demise. He said this stone had magical properties, though he did not know what its purpose was. I believe this is the key to the portal."

"Does this mean you have to go when you find it?" asked Maya, her heart breaking a little more.

In two strides, Legolas closed the distance between them and pulled a weeping Maya into his arms. She buried her face into his neck and the elf held her as if his very life depended on it.

"Does it?" she asked once more, her body still shaking.

The elf looked into her eyes, red from crying, and he gently caressed her tear stained cheeks, "Please don't cry, Maya," he said softly.

"I don't want to say goodbye."

Legolas cupped her face and gently kissed her lips. In that single kiss he laid bare his whole heart and exposed how fearful he was of losing her and everything they'd built together. When he pulled away from the kiss, Maya had stopped crying but the tear stains on her cheeks remained as evidence of her pain.

The elf swallowed hard, his nerves threatening to overtake him.

"We do not have to say goodbye," he breathed, taking her hand in his, "I love you, Maya. These past five months have been the best of my life and I would want nothing more than to spend a lifetime in your arms, to wake up every morning beside you, to have beautiful children and to raise a family together..."

Legolas' eyes met hers and with every word, Maya's heart pounded faster and faster.

"I realize I am ill prepared," said the elf, "and I do not have a ring to give you but what I wish to ask is...will you come to Middle Earth with me, as my wife?"

...

A/N: Okay so you probably all want to kill me right now, but I promise that the next chapter is coming very very very soon! (like a day from now) In the meantime, I would love to hear your feedback, so please review (and keep the death threats to a minimum lol)!