Hope everyone's had a happy holiday and what not. For those of you who are waiting for the next installment to my other story 'From My World to Yours' I've run into a crisis and hope to get the next chapter up ASAP. My apologies for the delay as usual, life's been hectic and not so hectic at the same time. I know confusing. I also apologize if this is laced with mistakes. I didn't get much time to check it over and I know I've been keeping you guys waiting long enough. Also, I wanted to address the fact that in previous chapters I had put the little bar thinger ma bob up to show transitions and some kind of way it was deleted.

If it was hard to read let me know and I will fix them right away. I apologize for that What else can I say but on with the story!


Revenge and A Conversation

"Wisdom is the reward you get for a lifetime of listening when you preferred to talk."

-Doug Larson

Apples were great. They came in all different varieties and the tastes of them all varied. Lizzy liked apples, particularly nice shiny red ones, but as of now she was tired of them. She was exhausted of their roundness and seeing so much red. So she abandoned her basket filled with the red round objects and opted for lying on the grass.

The chatter Ellesa initiated kept up though while she continued on with picking the apples. Lizzy put her hands behind her head and took pleasure in the feeling of the sun's rays hitting her face. It was something she couldn't get back home. Winter had started to set in pretty quickly washing over the autumn atmosphere that everyone was enjoying. Instead of building up piles upon piles of leaves children would be making snowmen.

Lizzy never liked the winter. The house always seemed colder and her mood would turn from bad to worse. There had never been anything comforting about the winter for her. Uncle Ed never stocked hot chocolate, Christmas was never really celebrated and she had no relatives to look forward to coming over for the holidays. More than anything she was left to fend for her self more often as Ed like to disappear to either his friend's places of residence or the local bar quite frequently during holidays.

This time around things would be different. It'd be her first winter that could possibly be pleasant despite how cold winters could get where she lived. Ellesa looked at Lizzy with a bemused smirk on her face. The elf finally felt that things would be on their way too normal soon.

"So….we never really got to talk about what happened after I left the ball," Lizzy said lazily only half interested.

Ellesa smirked, "You mean after you left the ball with Legolas."

Mentally Lizzy rolled her eyes. She wondered when the idea of Legolas and her would drop from Ellesa's head. That was one thing that would not happen her and Legolas.

"The ball…," Lizzy drawled out hoping to nudge Ellesa in the right direction.

Ellesa stifling giggles cleared her throat. "Right. Well nothing really happened after you departed except for the icy stares Isris kept shooting me. I ignored his immature behavior. I wonder if he knows it is most unbecoming?"

Lizzy laughed lightly. "Everything about Isris is unbecoming."

Lizzy's comment made Ellesa join in with her own laughter. Finally filling her basket to its breaking point with apples, Ellesa sat her basket down and sat beside Lizzy in the grass. It seemed that the girl's lazy nature was contagious. Ellesa though decided on sitting rather than lying in the grass as Lizzy had done.

"But as I have said the rest of the night was uneventful. Elrendor and I danced for an hour or so and then I spoke with a few people."

A sinister smirk came across Lizzy's face. It was time for a quick payback.

"You danced with Elrendor you say?"

"Yes," Ellesa responded completely missing the tone in the young woman's voice.

"I think there is something going on between the two of you," Lizzy said flat out. She ignored the shocked gasp that came from the elf.

It felt good to switch the tables around even if she didn't know whether or not Ellesa had a thing for Elrendor. As far as she knew they were close knit friends. It still didn't stop her from having a good time with it. Mean while Ellesa was lost for words. Where this accusation came from she did not know.

"I can assure you that there is nothing present between Elrendor and I," said Ellesa.

Lizzy turned her head in the direction of her elven friend and witnessed Ellesa with her head down. She could have sworn that Ellesa was trying to do her best to not look at her. All the signs of a guilty person were there.

"I dunno," Lizzy said sounding completely unconvinced. "You two practically never separated when I saw you and I could have sworn Elrendor was giving you these looks-"

"Alright! Alright! Enough! I will stop speaking of you and Legolas and you will stop speaking of Elrendor and I. A armistice yes?"

Obviously Ellesa had had enough of the soft teasing and insisting that Lizzy was throwing at her.

"Yeah, sure," Lizzy agreed smiling. She turned her face towards the sky once more and continued to enjoy the feeling of the sun blaring down on her.

"Did you wish to do anything else today Lizzy," Ellesa asked Lizzy all too glad that their brief conversation was now over with.

Lizzy barely heard the question. Her mind was off in 'lala' land, a place where she didn't usually visit. The sight of Lizzy relaxing without seemingly a care was a sight to welcome and Ellesa thought just that. So without getting a response from the young woman Ellesa looked to the sky. She would let Lizzy lie in the grass for as long as she wanted.

Despite everything that had happened to her in the past week, Lizzy thought nothing about it. The idea of drawing something danced around in her head. What color she was going to paint her room and what sort of posters would she put up was what was on her mind. Lizzy thought that these pleasant thoughts would continue on for at least a few more minutes before she would have to inevitably get up from her comfortable spot on the ground but they stopped the second she felt the shadow being cast over her. Frowning Lizzy hesitantly opened her eyes.

In an instant at seeing who loomed before her blocking out precious sun she closed them again.

"I was on my way to my patrolling duties and I thought I would just come by and say hello."

Ellesa looked up from where she sat at Isris, her features slightly hardening at the sight of him. She didn't wish for such a comforting and good day to be ruined by the presence of someone so arrogant as he. He would certainly rile Lizzy up to the point where she would no longer be relaxed or could calm down after he left. That was something Ellesa wished not to happen. Lizzy needed as much calmness as everyone else around the palace after such devastating events had happened.

Isris would be the salt rubbed into a wound.

Lizzy snorted. "Yeah you came over here to say hello and pigs can fly."

Isris narrowed his eyes at her. Every piece of him loathed the girl that had showed no respect for anyone at her very arrival in Mirkwood. Why she even had been befriended by anyone had puzzled him to no end. She was rude, had no manners what so ever and carried no integrity within herself whatsoever. Her presence provoked more aggravation to him than any other ever had.

Isris turned his attention Ellesa ignoring Lizzy. "I came here to tell you hello and here the words I have been waiting for you to speak for weeks now."

Ellesa furrowed her brow. "What do you mean?"

Isris looked at her as if she had all of a sudden lost the brain in her head. "The bet we had placed upon whether or not Elizabeth here would conduct herself in a ladylike fashion. I believe I won and now I am here to hear you admit that you were wrong."

Ellesa quickly stood absentmindedly brushing blades of grass from her bottom.

"No, I believe you were the one who was wrong. You were in fact anything but a gentlemen at the ball."

Isris's eyes went wide at the accusation. Lizzy felt the start of what could only be anger creep into her like shadows emerging from their hiding places. She wasn't going to let Isris stand there and start talking trash about her while she soaked up some sun. She had been through way too much to simply just lay down and take anything. If Isris wanted to talk about her here and now then he would have her full undivided attention.

Lizzy stood up and scrutinized Isris with folded arms.

"I was nothing but a gentlemen at the ball," Isris said.

"How do you explain the completely inappropriate conversations you were trying to carry on with Lizzy, leaving her in the middle of the dance floor or," Ellesa said beginning to become heated with the conversation. She raised a finger, "or even better spilling your drink down the front of her dress purposely."

"As I've said, I was and am always the perfect gentlemen. In those instances I was only testing young Lizzy to see how she would react in such cases."

"Pshh." The nose came loudly from Lizzy's mouth as she rolled her eyes. "Like hell! You did all that stupid shit to make me angry. You wanted me to beat your ass right in the middle of that ball."

Isris whirled around towards Lizzy fed up with her. Ellesa on the other hand only flinched at Lizzy's harsh choice of words. Things were turning quicker than normal and it somewhat scared Ellesa. If a fight ensued she wasn't sure if she would be capable enough of breaking up said fight.

"I highly doubt that anything of that nature would have occurred. I would not engage in anything that was at such an immature nature at the ball King Thranduil goes to great lengths to throw every year."

Neither Lizzy nor Ellesa could believe the words that had just come from Isris' mouth. If anyone was acting immature that night it was Isris. Every act he had committed that night had been the very definition of immature. His actions couldn't be justified as anything else but immature. In all his attempts to foil Lizzy's night she had acted much better than anyone could have imagined she would have.

"You are nothing but a great ass," Lizzy muttered under her breath now officially royally pissed.

"Excuse me," Isris all but yelled as he caught what she said.

"I said you're a great ass. How in the hell do you not think you acted in an inappropriate manner? You spilled your drink on my dress on purpose!"

Lizzy dropped her arms to her side and refrained from balling her hands into heated fists.

At this point Lizzy looked like at any minute steam would have come pouring from her ears.

"I had to give you challenges did I not?" Isris smirked.

It was Ellesa's voice that stopped her from lunging at Isris.

"This should end right now before something happens that both of you will regret," Ellesa seethed. She could already see the two neck to neck with each other.

Isris turned from Lizzy and faced Ellesa and in doing so his whole demeanor seemed to relax. Lizzy didn't take her glaring eyes from Isris. She was thinking about every foul thing should would like to do to Isris. The words Ellesa had spoken fell on deaf ears to Lizzy after what Isris had just said. As if her life weren't difficult enough without him trying to add fuel to her fire.

"You are right Ellesa," Isris said in a sickening manner. "Though back to my original point."

Ellesa crossed her arms an angry spark already beginning to build up inside oh her. "And would that happen to be you being correct in your assumptions about Lizzy?"

"Assumptions?" Isris shook his head. "I think after what Elizabeth here exhibited at the ball assumptions are no longer assumptions anymore. They are indeed fact."

And that set it off for Lizzy. She had done nothing that would have proved to be rude. She had held back every nasty word or what would have been considered childish actions that she could've done to him for his discourteous behavior. Now he had the audacity to stand here and spout out crap about how she wasn't acting like a lady. Well if to him she had not been acting like the properly lady should at the ball she was not about to start.

Lizzy marched between him and Ellesa sick of having him talk about her like she was not even there and nothing but a test subject. She had half a mind to slap him right where he stood but then she quickly remembered that would have been the old way and that would stand only to prove Isris more right in his insane thoughts about her. No, words would have to suffice, granted they might be foul words but they would have to do for her. She had to take it one step at a time.

"You say one more god damn thing about me and I swear…" she trailed off.

"What? You swear what?"

Ellesa was nervous as the two stared daggers at each other. It appeared to be a stand off and if there was a physical fight Ellesa was more than sure that Isris would have the advantage. This had to stop and Ellesa felt that nothing she could say or do would put an end to their madness. Lizzy took another step forward almost eliminating the space that had been between herself and Isris.

"I swear I'll rip that tongue right outta your mouth so you regret saying anything about me."

Isris smirked and that only served to make Lizzy see more red than she had for quite some time. Ellesa anticipated Lizzy's next move and as she started her heated steps towards him Ellesa caught her around the middle.

"Lizzy! Elizabeth! You must stop this," Ellesa stressed.

For a few seconds Lizzy struggled against Ellesa's strong hold on her. The smirk on Isris' face irked her strongly.

"He is not worth it Lizzy and you and I both know it."

Ellesa was right Isris wasn't worth it. He wasn't worth getting blood across her knuckles or being bruised in places. He could think whatever the hell he wanted to and it wouldn't change a thing. He would still be a complete jerk through and through.

As Ellesa felt the tenseness ease away from her friend she released her and sent a glare Isris' way. Quiet rang through the air between them and only the soothing sounds that nature provided could be heard. Despite the sudden quiet no one heard the approach of two others being that they were so occupied with the tension and situation at hand.

"Is everything alright?"

Ellesa looked away from Isris. To say that she was relieved to see Legolas and Renomere was an understatement. They were carrying bows and the quivers of arrows were strapped to their backs told Ellesa that they had come from patrolling the borders. Even though it was daytime that had not always stopped orcs from attacking and with everything that had happened each and every patrol counted. A comforted smile came to Ellesa's face. The first one to speak was not her much to her disgust.

"Everything is fine," Isris was quick to say. "I was only just stopping by for a friendly hello."

With that and one more evil smile Isris turned and went on his way. Lizzy watched his retreating form with narrowed eyes.

"Friendly hello my ass," she muttered under her breath. All too tired of the way Isris had made her feel, Lizzy slumped back to what was her cozy place on the ground trying to recapture some of the peace she had experienced.

Legolas observed the tenseness that seemed to radiate from Lizzy and knew that when this happened it was never a good thing. He held onto his bow tightly before jumping to any conclusions about Isris and turned to Ellesa for answers. He knew that between Lizzy and Ellesa, Ellesa was the one who was going to provide him with answers seeing as she probably been the one with a cool head.

"What happened," he asked with a sigh, not sure if he really wanted to know the answer to his question.

Ellesa told Renomere and Legolas all that had transpired between Isris and Lizzy. Legolas did not seem too happy about what had happened but Renomere reflected no emotion whatsoever. It unnerved Ellesa. That man always had some trick up his sleeve that always put everyone in an uproar. Throughout her whole story being retold Lizzy said nothing and didn't' even react to the parts where she had really been mad.

This was of course uncomforting to all of them seeing Lizzy so quiet. It wasn't like her. For the moment everyone chose to ignore whatever state Lizzy was in. Looking over at her she seemed to be getting over having been beleaguered by Isris.

"My father is well aware of Isris' behavior towards Lizzy. To say that he does not like it would be an understatement," Legolas said to Ellesa. "He has not had the opportunity to speak to him because of the chaos that the attack has caused."

Legolas bringing up the attack sobered everyone even Lizzy. It was still a tender subject to be broached. Many had been hurt and even a few had been killed. The attack had been a complete surprise. The silence was comforting though. It served to erase the anxiety that everyone had experienced. It reminded them that soon things would return to normal.

Silence meant that all was right for the time being. Silence meant peace and hopefully their comforting silence would not be destroyed.

Renomere growing quite agitated looked up at the sky. "Beautiful day is it not?"

Legolas gave Renomere an odd look. Renomere was not the type to notice what sort of day was above them. He was either running around trying to woo young maidens or creating hefty amounts of mischief. Renomere saw the look that Legolas was giving him and ignored the prince. He had his own agenda to take care of.

"A day such as this should not be wasted."

"I agree with you whole heartedly," Ellesa said bring a smile to her face. "Did you have something in mind?"

Renomere smiled widely and handed his bow over to Ellesa. He then took his quiver from his back and shoved it into Legolas' hands. He strolled over to Lizzy and took her by the hand. Lizzy who had only just achieved a sense of peace had been ignoring them and was quite surprised when Renomere dragged her to her feet interrupting her comfort time. If she weren't so surprised she would have been angry at the elf that had dragged her to her now upright position.

"This weather is perfect. Lizzy we must do something."

Lizzy took her hands from Renomere and looked at him as if he was on something.

"Have you had one too many…" Lizzy trailed off and made a drinking motion with her hand.

Renomere ignored her comment and said more about the weather being absolutely perfect. Everyone was now staring strangely at Renomere. His behavior being close to that of insane person.

"Lizzy is the weather not to your liking," asked Renomere.

Lizzy understood Renomere to be the more laid back so to speak than her other elven companions had been but his behavior now took the cake, even for him. As she eyed him carefully she tried to figure out the logic behind his strange behavior. Renomere couldn't be acting loopy for nothing. Renomere eyed her carefully as if trying to relay a secret message that only Lizzy could understand.

"Is there not something you would like to do on such a lovely day," Renomere asked raising his eyebrows.

Legolas and Ellesa continued to look between the two wondering just what sort of exchange was taking place between them. It was sort of amusing to watch the two of them staring at each other, Lizzy looked excruciatingly confused and Renomere almost to the verge of being desperate for her to figure him out.

"Is there not something you wish to do with me?"

Lizzy studied him more closely than she had ever studied a person or anything in general. She looked into the elf's eyes and something familiar hit her just that quick. The ball. When

Renomere and her had shared a dance. A smile crept its way onto her face ever so slowly as the memory hit her. The memory had been one of the only good ones she had about the ball. Slowly she nodded her head so that she wouldn't seem too eager to trot off with Renomere. She had a reputation to maintain about herself and she did not want to give away anything.

"Yes, I think I there is something I'd like to do with you," she said.

Ellesa was going to ask what they had in mind. Perhaps she would want to come along but before she could even form her sentence the two were waving there good byes and all but sprinting back towards the palace. She turned her attention to Legolas and found him frowning at the two's retreating forms. Ellesa thought she sensed a hint of jealousy radiating from Legolas, but that could not be right. It was a rare occurrence for an elf to become jealous having overcome such trivial emotions.

Ellesa brushed the feeling aside saying in her mind that she must be mistaken. Though at the thought of the prince becoming jealous that Renomere had dragged Lizzy off to do Valar knows what made her smile and almost laugh, she held that at bay.

"Those two," Legolas said. "Are up to something and it cannot be good."

He watched them disappear into the palace with almost a glare before shaking his head and looking at Ellesa. The feeling that the day was going to be long and tedious came to his mind.


"She looks to be fine and in the capable hands of Nancy Hartley whom was Ed's girlfriend," a small man spoke as he sat down in a chair in front of an expensive looking mahogany desk.

The room he had entered appeared to be an office it being a host to a few bookcases, plush leather furniture and other components that made up an office. There were a few choice things that stood out in the office. On a far wall was a mounted plasma screen television that was currently tuned into a child's cartoon. On taupe carpeted floor were stuffed animals and other toys. Children's laughter could be heard as background noise though none were present at the time. Out of the window by the desk you could see whom the laughter belonged to.

"I ran a background check on her," the man Tom said as he settled in his chair. "Her record's squeaky clean save for the time she was arrested for protesting outside a department store. Seems she's against wearing fur. "

"Well then her background isn't exactly squeaky clean is it," said the man sitting behind the desk.

The man picked up the remote laying on the desk and switched off the cartoons that had been playing on the television. He couldn't stand the things but his children seemed to love them and so he tolerated them as long as they were around. Since they currently were not around and were playing well within his sight in the back yard off the cartoons went, he had business to attend to anyway.

"No, I-I guess it isn't," Tom stuttered.

"Is where she's staying safe," the man behind the desk asked cutting to the chase. He didn't much feel like being in the company of Tom any longer than he had to.

"Yes it's safe for her there. Have the police contacted you yet," Tom asked reaching for a handkerchief in his pocket.

"No not as of yet," the man replied darkly. Changing the subject he said, "Have you caught word of what she wants to do with the money?"

Tom shook his head and wiped a bit of sweat from his forehead. "No I haven't. The police questioned her on the subject of her inheritance but she said little to the effect of what she wanted to do with it."

This seemed to make the man quiet for a minute. He was obviously thinking about one thing or another.

"And you are positive this Nancy Hartley is one hundred percent. After all she was dating Edward Montgomery."

Tom had seen the man's point there but he knew that Nancy was a good person. He had met her briefly once before and from what he could tell there was nothing but good about her.

"I'm positive Mr.-"

A squeal of delight interrupted Tom from speaking and his head quickly shot to the window where he saw two children playing happily.

"They're adorable," Tom said looking at them run around.

"Tom," the man behind the desk said sharply to bring him back to the conversation at hand.

"Yes sorry. As far as I can tell Nancy Hartley is a genuinely good person. She has a fair amount of money, so she should have no interest in Elizabeth's inheritance. She has a good stable job and she and Elizabeth seem to get along."

"Do another background check on her but this time more extensive. I want everything you have on that woman since childhood." The man did not sound too impressed with what Tom had come up with.

"I don't want any….accidents happening there."

Tom nodded. "With all due respect sir what-"

The man cut him off with a wave of his hand already knowing what was going to asked.

"What do I care now when I let it go on for years with Ed?"

Tom nodded.

The man leaned back in his chair with a grimace. "Think of it as conditioning. Now, I think this talk is over. Do not let Elizabeth out of your sight."

Tom nodded and stood leaving the man to his own thoughts. The man behind the desk stood once Tom had left him. He looked out of the window and watched his children play taking a small delight in their antics.


"Are you sure this'll work," Lizzy's uncertain voice whispered.

"Never doubt me when it comes to pranks and paybacks young Elizabeth now help me replace these soaps."

Renomere completely missed the slight glare Lizzy sent his way as he called her Elizabeth. The two were currently standing in the bathroom of Isris' private quarters. Renomere had what Lizzy was calling his trusty bag of tricks with him. Lizzy could not stay mad at Renomere for his little slip of her name because he was helping her seek the revenge she so craved against Isris.

That elf was getting exactly what he deserved.

They made quick work of depositing all of Isris' lavish soaps into Renomere's bag. Every now and then Renomere would make snide remarks about how overly feminine Isris was when it came to his bathing habits. Lizzy would laugh quietly not her usual loud laughter as she did not want to sound off any alarms to their presence. Renomere handed her bars of soap that appeared to look harmless and matched Isris' own down to the tee.

"What's this going to do," she asked eyeing the bar suspiciously.

"Why it is trick soap," Renomere said as he placed his bar by the sink as if it was the simplest thing in the world.

Lizzy rolled her eyes. "I gathered as much but what does it do?"

"You'll just have to find out," Renomere grinned.

Lizzy replaced the bars of soap with Renomere. Renomere pulled a small vile from his bag of tricks and picked up what looked like Isris' shampoo. Opening it,, he tipped some of the liquid from the vial into the soap and his smile widened. This was proving to be more fun than he thought. Never mind whatever consequences they would have to face after everything was over and done.

"I believe the bathroom has been taken care of. Shall we move onto the bedroom?"

Lizzy looked up from replacing her last bar and nodded mischievously. Moving strands of hair from her face she followed Renomere into the bedroom which was immaculate. Renomere rummaged through his bag and pulled out a pair of large shears. He smiled at them longingly before handing them to Lizzy.

Accepting them Lizzy looked from the shears to Renomere, "What am I-"

Renomere answered her question by opening up Isris' closet. The grin never left his face. It didn't even take seconds for Lizzy to catch on. She strolled passed Renomere and picked out a tunic, any tunic, and preceded to cut holes in them. She didn't cut just any random holes. No, the holes she cut were strategically placed. Seeing that Lizzy was well interested in her task Renomere set about on one of his own.

Renomere reached a hand into his bag and pulled out what appeared to be a lizard type creature. Its scales were a mixture of blue and red. Its eyes were beady and black in color and the tail it possessed was long and thick. The claws it had were enough to make anyone frightened. It was just what Renomere wanted. Quite gently he set the lizard creature on Isris' bed and rounded on Lizzy.

"Have you finished yet?"

"Hold on a sec," Lizzy said cutting more of a different tunic. She hadn't done much cutting to the six or seven tunics only a couple of well placed holes here and there.

Placing the last one back into the closet, she shut the door and handed the shears back to Renomere.

"That was fun," the teenager said. She displayed a grin that had not been seen in the longest of whiles.

What was over by the bed caught her eye and only made her more happy.

"Is that what I think it is," she asked pointing to the creature and looking at Renomere.

"Hopefully that is the creature that will serve its purpose in scaring our dear Isris into an early grave."

Lizzy shook her head and laughed.

"Come," Renomere said putting his arm around her shoulders and leading her from the room. "Let us leave before anyone notices our presence."

Lizzy smiled. "Yeah our work here is done."


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