Well, here we are. I'm sorry again for the wait but various things were getting in the way. Namely, my stepfather who insisted on being in the office whenever I wanted to use the internet. Bummer. But never mind. Chapter thirteen is up and running. I hope you like it cos I'm not all that sure about it. Give me any tips if you feel I need them, but be nice. I'm trying my best : ) Lol

Thanks for all the reviews and emails etc. I've been getting. They're my inspiration. I neeeeeed them! So if you're reading amd haven't reviewed yet, please let me know you're there. Boost my ego and feed my muse. You know you want to!Lol.

Anyway, I'm gona shut up now and let you get on with the next chapter. To be honest, even as I sit here writting this I can't remember what I actually put in this one!hahaha! But I'm sure you'll let me know if it's absolute crap, won't you. Of course you will!

Ok, I really am shutting up now.

Chapter 13

For what felt like far too many moments Issie just stood there and stared, wondering what the hell to do or say to make Legolas stop looking at her like she betrayed him. Irrational thoughts and fears started running through her mind and for a minute she thought she was going to cry.

'What if he won't forgive me? What if he wants to leave? What if he tries to take Katelin?' That last one was enough to snap her out of her frozen state and without even realising she had moved she wanted over to Legolas and gently took Katelin's sleeping form out of her father's arms and placed her gently in the cot. Thankfully he released the baby without a thought; apparently he was only concentrating on Isabella.

As soon as she approached Legolas had been aware of her scent. It washed over him in a soothing wave of comfort and warmth. He knew it so well but he couldn't remember her face going with it. She was so familiar but that only made it all the more frustrating. It was right there, he could feel it but he couldn't reach it.

She should have told him! He had the right to know and it could help so much to know that he should be struggling to remember instead of brushing it off as hopeful optimism and an overactive imagination. And he was angry at her for holding that back from him. Was she ever going to tell him? He didn't know how there relationship had been before the memory loss. Maybe this was a convenient way to get rid of him without trouble. Just feed him a pack of lies until he's able to cope then send him off on his own.

But even through the anger he could feel something inside him telling him it was never like that between them. It was only a small voice speaking from the back of his mind but now he was going to make himself listen to it. At least for now. At least until he had heard what she had to say to him. Then he would decide which voice to believe.

Issie was very aware of Peter's tense presence behind her and in a way it was making her more anxious. Turning her head she looked at him with wide eyes but forced her voice to sound confident when she said, "It's okay, Peter. You can go to bed now. I'll deal with this."

He hesitated, torn between knowing she was capable and wanting to protect her from any potential harm. The fact that she was a Slayer didn't mean she would fight anything. If he had learnt anything about these two and their past relationship, he had learnt that Legolas could beat her black and blue but she wouldn't lay a hand on him in her defence. In a year she had only hit him once. And he knew it would take more than this to make her do it again.

"Peter, go. I want some privacy, okay?" She saw him nod reluctantly then he was gone and she was alone with Legolas. At her sides her hands were shaking so she stuffed them in her pockets. She knew she had to talk to him but she had no idea what to say, where to start. How do you begin telling someone about their entire life? To be honest she wasn't entirely sure about most of it. She only really knew about the quest and their relationship together. But they were so personal and so precious to her she didn't want to have to dissect them to try and get him to understand. Their time together had been more than she could ever have hoped for. To explain it and to try and define it was to take away the magic that helped to make it what it was.

But maybe she wouldn't have to. They had known each other better than they knew themselves so maybe he would see and leave her be, let her keep this one. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry for not telling you from the start but I didn't know what else to do." He just stood there watching her with a look on his face that said, 'What kind of a dumb-ass excuse is that?' "Well, how would it have sounded, do you think? You wake up having no idea who or where you are and you have a complete stranger in your face telling you you're married with a baby girl? I didn't want any pressure on you. And I… I don't think I could have coped with you saying you didn't believe me, with you… denying what we had." The last part faded into a whisper and a sigh. Her shoulders sagged, her eyes dropping to the carpet and she waited for a response from him, any response to let her know he had taken in what she had said.

Legolas stood there numb for a second, only one piece of information really sticking in his mind. "We are married?" he asked quietly, his eyes softening and losing their harsh stare. After seeing the pain in her eyes it was clear she was telling the truth. At his question she raised her eyes again to look up at him. They were round and dark and so very sad. As he looked at her face and she looked back at his he felt the weight of her emotions pressing down on him. And, after what appeared to be a moment of indecision, she allowed him to see everything she had been keeping hidden.

Deep inside he felt his heart break for them both. There was so much love and longing. And pain. Even as he stood there looking into her eyes he could see her soul bleed for missing him. As this hit him he felt a wave of frustration and anger that totally overtook every other before it. Why couldn't he remember?! Issie stood not three feet in front of him almost in tears and he so much wanted to make it better but… he didn't know what to do or say. The sensible part of his mind was telling him that nothing was going to help her. But the more dominant part was ruled by his heart and his heart was telling him to hold her.

So he did. He hesitantly approached, aware of her questioning gaze, then slowly wrapped his arms around her. His movements were so careful it was like he was asking permission with his body. And he felt her acceptance when she gave a shudder and let herself melt into him.

When he came toward her Issie had tensed. She didn't know what to expect but something in his eyes made her breath catch in her throat. She hadn't seen that look since Helm's Deep. She knew it wasn't the same but for a moment she saw her husband staring back at her. The next thing she knew she was enveloped in a blissfully familiar embrace that threw her back in time to when life was very nearly perfect. His scent invaded her senses and the strong, steady pound of his heart drummed comfortingly against her chest. The gentle brush of his hair across her cheek and the soft skin of his neck and shoulder cushioning her face was so well remembered she felt her heart start to break all over again. She squeezed her eyes closed and struggled to control her runaway emotions. He had no idea what he was doing to her.

Without even realising it her eyes began to sting behind their lids and before she knew what was going on she was crying, quiet sobs and whimpers making her whole body tremble. Her arms came round his shoulders and her fingers touched his hair and stoked down over his back before coming back up and gripping hard like she never wanted to let go. He was holding her so tenderly, just like he used to, whether he realised it or not. She felt a stab of hope when he lowered his head and buried his face in her wavy hair. One hand came up and cupped the back of her head and his other fisted in her shirt at the small of her back. He gently rocked her as she cried but the annoying, insistent voice in her mind kept reminding her that this didn't mean he knew her. If anything he was just doing this because he thought it was what she wanted.

But she was wrong. For the last part anyway. He didn't remember but… something in him was responding to her touch, her nearness. When he nuzzled into her hair and inhaled her scent he felt his eyes try to roll back at the ecstasy of it. He pulled her closer and knew now without reservation just how close they had been. He could feel it in the way she clung to him, in the way her soft curves arched into him and seemed to fit so perfectly, the way his entire body tingled at the soft caresses of her fingertips and the way he recognised the warm stirring inside him. It felt so right to want her this much, to need her so desperately. He didn't want to let her go; not ever.

But he knew he had to when the hand behind her head started to wander, to trail its fingers down her spine, past his other fisted hand and over the soft curve of her backside. It seemed to know its way round her body even if his brain didn't. Thoughts began to hit him. Not memories but… knowledge. He knew the skin beneath her clothes was smooth as silk and her hands touching him would feel so blissful she could make him forget to breathe. In fact, with the way his body responded to this thought, he knew she had done this many times. And he wanted her to do it again. He barely knew anything about her but something was telling him she could make him feel like no other could.

Issie's cries slowed as she felt a change in him, his right hand exploring while his left held her firmly in place. Then she sucked in a breath as she felt his body start to arch and almost grind against her; just enough movement to spark her awareness. No. No, this couldn't be happening. He couldn't be offering her this. It had been so long and if he pushed her just a little she wouldn't be able to hold back. Then Peter's words came back to her. 'He may use it to take advantage of you.' Although she wouldn't allow herself to believe that this was the case she couldn't let anything happen here. Peter had been right. This wasn't the Legolas she knew. As much as it broke her heart to admit it, she wasn't holding her husband. She couldn't betray him like that.

So, with a dull ache throbbing in her chest, Issie lifted her head and made to step away from him. For a moment she felt resistance as he pulled her closer and a stab of alarm startled her. She stared into his eyes and saw a decidedly predatory gleam in their sapphire depths. The hand was back behind her neck and his gaze swept over her face before settling on her slightly parted lips. Just as he started to move in Issie tore her eyes away and turned her face to the side. "I can't," she whispered, the words causing her almostphysical pain as they were wrenched from her throat by strength of will alone. Legolas sighed and allowed her to move away from him. She still stood close, her body still brushed his, and she tried to give a watery smile. Seeing her struggle Legolas wiped the teardrops from her cheeks and smiled back at her.

"I'm sorry," she whispered not trusting her voice enough to use it fully. Looking into his face when she pulled back had been like a punch in the gut. There was nothing of her husband looking back at her now. Of course there was his desire gleaming in his too-blue eyes, she had been on the receiving end of that gaze too often to not recognise it as him, but there was none of the love they had shared. With supreme effort she swallowed the desire to go back to her room and wallow in self pity and said in as steady a voice as she could manage, "I suppose you have some questions you want answering."

Legolas was still reeling from how close they had been and how close he had felt to knowing her but he still managed to hear her words and nod. She took his hand and he allowed her to lead him out of Katelin's room and down the stairs. They went into the kitchen in silence and he watched her walk round the room as she made them both coffee then led him through to the front room.

As Issie settled down on the couch she was struck with a thought. This was going to be the second sleepless night in a row. No wonder she gave into the subconscious need for caffeine.

Well? What do you think? I'm sorry not much happened in this chapter but it was the right place to break between chapters, I felt. But do not despair!Lol. The next one is in the pipeline so I should have it up soon.

Give me any suggestions you may have and I'll be grateful. I know roughly where I'm heading with this but I'm not sure how much I should put between this chapter and the last few chapters I have (kind of) planned. If you have any ideas of what could happen to them before he gets his memory back I'd love to hear them! So drop us a line and make my day... my year, even. : )