Script here! So, as an apology for the not-chapter, I give you this! But please give feedback. I really would love to hear from those reading this. Especially since I think it gets ridiculous in some parts- the book, not this chapter. I love this chapter. It is my favorite chapter. But, please keep in mind, I do need a response- preferably more than one- for the not-chapter. Please and thank you. Also, a warning, at the end of this chapter will be a little excerpt from my Aragorn Fanfiction. Enjoy! Feedback would be appreciated.
Thanks!
Script
She wasn't able to sleep in her apartment, not with the door ruined and her things trashed. That was the excuse they all used. Not that her space had been violated. Not that it was tainted by his intrusion. She slept in Conner's bed, fitfully at first, but he just wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close so she couldn't move and hit him in her sleep. Occasionally, he'd had to mutter to her, humming in her ears to let her know who he was.
When she woke up, it was because she just couldn't sleep anymore. Conner was a natural snuggler anyways, so he wasn't letting her go until he was good and ready. She heard a chuckle from her side to find Murphy watching her antics at trying to wriggle free. "Think it's funny do ya?" She glared warily.
"Yup." He sat up, lit a cigarette and winked at her. "Watch this." He took his pillow and beaned Conner right in the face.
"Ah! What?! What is it?!" He panicked, making Jenna roll into a ball to not only prevent being hit with the pillow, but to guard herself from his flailing. "Murph yeh dick!" He groaned. "Too early for this." He fell back to the bed.
"Well, excuse me. Next time I'll just let yeh suffocate her, won't I!"
She hopped up and went next door to relieve herself. Unlike her floor plan, theirs was entirely open. Entirely. They barely had a curtain for their shower. She thought her little bathroom was exposed.
She waited to go back until she was sure they weren't in the shower or on the toilet. She knocked first too. Conner opened the door and walked off. She followed him, her eyes down when she realized they were both shirtless still and she blushed when she realized she followed Conner's back. The man was... She ripped her eyes away and went to the window instead. "When... Um.. When do you go to work?"She stuttered, a heavy blush on her cheeks.
"I called out." Conner said, rubbing a hand across his face.
"No. You didn't need to do that."
"Hell I didn't!" He scoffed.
"You can't just call out every time I have a problem!" She nearly laughed at how ridiculous that sounded.
"Not every problem, no. But this a pretty fuckin' big one."
"If you call out too many times, you could get fired!" He rounded on her, eyes blazing.
"Are you saying this is gonna happen a lot? Are you expecting this kind of situation to come a lot in this relationship?"
"N-no. Don't put words in my mouth. Don't- don't confuse me like - what? What?! What?!" She was pressed against the window, feeling very confused. So many thoughts were going through her head at once.
"I think you broke her, Con."
"Stay out of it, Murph." Murphy raised his hands in surrender.
They kept their eyes on each other. It was just Jenna and Conner.
"Whatever, I gotta work anyways." He grabbed his prayer beads from the hook by the door before he left.
They stared each other down, one wide eyed and panicky, the other focused and waiting.
"Well?"
"Well what?" She crossed her arms over her chest to grip just below her shoulders, nails digging in slightly.
"You gonna answer the question?"
"You asked two."
"Answer 'em both then!" He flung his hands up, turning to give them both some space. He lit a cigarette once he was seated on his bed.
"That's not fair." She accused, watching him take a long drag. "I don't know what's gonna happen, especially until this Michael thing gets handled. And... And I wasn't... When did... What is this?" She finally spat out.
"What do yeh want this to be?" He gestured between the two of them. "You're leading this dance."
She nearly laughed, but the seriousness in his tone prevented her. His gaze boring into hers, waiting for an answer she wasn't sure she was ready for. "I... I really like you." She said weakly.
"And?" He fished.
"We barely know each other."
"Ask me shit! I'll tell yeah." He waved for to go on.
"You... don't... You don't know what you're asking."
"I ain't askin' shit. Yer too defensive." He smiled. "Sides, you'll tell me eventually anyways."
"It's nice to be asked!" She shouted. Jenna nearly stomped her foot like a child, hands fisted at her side, but for the fact that she wasn't a child and this was a serious situation. Every tendon was taunt, every muscle poised to run, to cower, to flee from him at the first sign of any movement that said he might stand.
And Conner was aware of all of this. So, he stayed on the bed. His bed. That they'd shared just last night.
"Are you gonna be like this all the time?"
"Kinda shit question is that?"
"See?!"
"Ooooh!" She nearly growled. "Are you always this frustrating?"
"Definitely."
"What do you want from me?"
"Whatever you'll give me. You wanna be friends? Fine." He said with the cigarette hanging from his mouth, only to take it out and spread his arms wide. "You wanna be more? Perfect."
She didn't know what to say. She'd never been in this situation before. She clutched at her arms. "Wait- that's not... This isn't the- Completely off track!" She put her fingers to her temples instead, warding off a headache. Table the conversation she really wasn't ready for just yet. "This isn't about how I feel about you. This about you taking off work for me."
"All right, ya got me. Why do you have such a problem with it? Would you rather be alone? Face him by yourself again, aye?" He rubbed at his face and took a long drag, waiting.
She looked away from him, thinking. He had her there. "He...No." she admitted, scuffing a shoe. If he hadn't been paying attention, he would have missed it. "I... wouldn't."
"What's the problem?" For a moment he didn't think she'd answer, but she did, still not looking at him straight on.
"I'm... I'm waiting."
"For?"
"You to change." She admitted.
"I'm not changing. This is me, Jen. I ain't pretending to be something I'm not." He stamped the cigarette out in an overfull ashtray. "Shit Jen, we ain't all like that asshole."
"I know that! I just... My heart says one thing and my head says another and I'm so confused!" She finally cried, putting her face in her hands. She mumbled something.
"What was that, Love?"
"Put on a shirt."
"Nah, I-" He stopped at her glaring over her fingers at him. "All right. Fine." He shoved a shirt over his head. "Better?"
"Incorrigible." She scoffed, but put her hands down to cross over her chest to finally look at him, still blushing madly.
"Now, out of pure curiosity and nothing else, what is the heart vs. Head conundrum rattling around that pretty head of yers?"
She blushed even more and shook her head. "It's stupid. You wouldn't understand."
"Not if you don't tell me. But I promise not to laugh." He rose his hand up, like he was swearing on a stack of bibles.
"..." She thought for a moment. "It's..." She sighed, sitting on Murphy's bed. The closest she'd been through the whole fight. "I really like you. In fact, I might even be falling for you. But... But I'm afraid. What if you wake up one day and... and feel like I'm not worth it? Or... Or we fight and... And I say something stupid or... Or what if someone better comes along and you decide... Or what if you turn out to-" She was silenced by the pressure of his lips on hers.
He seized her head in his hands and claimed her lips for himself. She froze for a second and he let her head go, giving her the option to pull away. His lips didn't force hers open or ask more than what she was willing to give. The pressure stayed the same, he wasn't forcing her back or forward. He wasn't pushing. He braced himself, putting a hand on either side of her, but nothing touched her besides his lips. She could push him away or pull away anytime she wanted.
He pulled away, resisting a smile when her head followed him, though other than that she hadn't moved during the entire encounter. He stopped moving and he felt her hesitantly begin to kiss him back. Shyly, timidly, like petals of a flower. He felt her hands snake up and rest on his shoulders. He kissed her back, letting her lead. She started shaking after a moment and he shifted so their lips didn't touch, but their foreheads did.
"If you keep trying to think of every what if situation, you'll never actually get to live." He said.
She opened her eyes, not really conscious of when she closed them. Her green to his brown. "Ok." She said. "But... But slow, ok?"
"I'll follow your lead, lass." He promised.
She smiled, her eyes sinking to his lips again. But she didn't allow herself the pleasure of another kiss. She pulled away and he let her.
"Ya hungry?" Her stomach growled in response.
~~~~~~ THIS IS THE ARAGORN EXCERPT~~~~~
Nessa looked up at him, though his smile withdrawn and his tone was polite, the gleam in his eye told her he was actually interested. "They were fraught with danger!" She grinned, hopping a bit energetically. He chuckled at her enthusiasm. "I was nearly seen numerous times, but man rarely looks up. Elrond, there were men with bows and swords! I saw two trolls! I steered well clear of them!" She assured, only to stop him in his tracks as she let him go to rise to his eye line, wings fluttering behind her. "But there were shadows in the dark that thought to give chase. I lost them over Forest Fangorn, but were I a less schooled individual..." She trailed off, looking as grave as he had ever seen her. Gone was the childish enthusiasm and the smiles. Gone were the bright eyes. In their stead was a seriousness, a maturity that did not befit his old friend. "What goes on in Middle Earth that gives concern for shadows and secret meetings and worrisome wizards and creased brows?" She pointed at his own furrowed forehead.
"Lady Nessa." He scolded, rising eyebrows at her boldness.
She merely lifted herself so her body floated horizontal to the ground, waiting for him to just tell her what she wished to know. Her wings thrumming above them.
"Lady Nessa, you are here for purpose. But if you wish to know the fullness of such purpose, you must be patient. Not even I know the full scope of the task before us. Gandalf is as secretive as ever."
"We both know that is not a virtue I possess." She scowled with a dismissive wave of her hand.
"But it is one you shall learn." He chuckled.
She let herself sink to the ground as her friend smirked. "You always do know how to speak sense." She admitted, crossing her arms. "I shall learn more than one thing during my stay."
"Of course, you remember where the library is, my friend?"
The woman grinned. "Two lefts and up some stairs?"
"To the right." He finished, pointing the way. "I shall have your rooms prepared in the mean time."
"Many thanks." She flitted off at his bow, never seeing the shake of his head or hearing his chuckle.
The woman had not changed in all the years he'd known her. Granted, in the grand scheme of things, it had not been very long. But he had thought that a few adventures with Gandalf might have prompted some maturity.
It seemed it had only made her more abrupt. And only a little wiser.
Nessa spent so much more time in the library than she thought she might. Whenever the council was, it was not in her immediate future, it seemed. Though, she didn't mind. There was a peacefulness that the Elves exuded, a timelessness that sat well with her. She never could seem to get the hang of humans. Though, they were interesting to observe. So many had different customs, different cultures. Though, that could be said of any species across the continent.
She often wondered if the same could be said of her own. They once spanned across the continent same as elves and humans and dwarves. Now though… Now, she was so alone.
"My Lady?"
Knocked from somber thoughts, she looked up from her borrowed books. "Yes?" She asked of the blonde elf in a light blue dress.
"Your rooms are available should you like to bathe before dinner." She offered. Though, it was more a polite request. Elves were cleaner than most other races.
"Oh, thank you." She grinned. Most other races.
Jen was quick to flit to her rooms- though the elves never told her which were hers. Not that they had to. They had a standing guest room with her name nearly etched on the door frame.
The steam was curling from the bath water in the corner, though she went to the balcony instead. The water from the river poured down the cliff face, sending a cool wind to blow though the room. With a dance, she quickly stripped her dirty travel clothes and slid into the tub.
Careful of the wings.
Her humming could be heard throughout the last homely house if one cared to listen. Unlike the mellow tones of elves or the dulcet rumblings of the dwarves, hers was one carried by the wind, sweet and subtle. Easily missed if one did not beware to listen. And beware one should.
Lesser beings could be affected so easily.
Jen's days grew with the elves; she could have spent a year or a month before more visitors showed. It didn't much matter to those of which time meant so little. But one day she was flying through the upper atmosphere to see a familiar horse flying though the plains.
"Arwen?" She mused, only for alarm to build at her long time friend's adversaries giving chase. "The shadows!" She hissed.
A warmth grew in her palm as she raced to Arwen's side. One such shade was reaching for the elf- only to be blown back with a blast of magic. Screeches echoed through the air as they regrouped. "Away with you!" Nessa roared, sending another flare of magic at the monsters. "Into the shadows from whence you came!" She dodged a sword, gaining their attention for Arwen to cross the stream that protected the Elven lands.
"Nessa!" Arwen gasped. Another blast had them scattering once more. She joined her friend across the river. "Alert my father! We need his help!"
Nessa nodded, flitting back to the village with a glance at her charge. A hobbit in dire straights. A darkness building within him. "Elrond! Lord Elrond!" She cried, landing before him- and Gandalf. "Arwen- at the river!-" She panted, pointing the way. "Wraiths!"