~*~*~* A/N: Listening to Jewel.. writing.. good. *~*~*~
~ 2 months, 1 week, and 3 days later ~
Nicole closed her eyes, swallowing thickly as Luinëlotwen placed a hand on her stomache, gently pressing against her. Luinëlotwen glanced up, nodding slightly.
"Ai, Nicole," she said softly, taking her hand from the girl's stomache. "You are with child."
"No!" shouted Nicole, standing up quickly. Luinëlotwen watched her, brow furrowed in confusion. "It cannot be!"
"I am sorry," said Luinëlotwen slowly. "But it is true."
Without a word, Nicole turned and ran, departing from the House of Healing, down the stairs, and running toward Galadriel's garden.
Galadriel turned her gaze to the garden door, anticipating the arrival of Nicole. For she knew what had come.
Nicole threw the door open, running in. Her expression was one of shock and disdain.
"You did not listen to me," said Galadriel, her voice low and accusing, as she looked upon Nicole. Under her gaze, Nicole felt as though she had shrunk to a miniscule size. "You did not heed my words, and now you carry your lovers destruction."
Nicole bit her lip, glancing away. Galadriel was right.
"You must leave this place," said Galadriel, her voice hard and uncaring. "I will send a small band to lead you."
"Where am I to go?" Nicole asked, her eyes widening. In all her time in this world, the only place she had ever been was Lothlorien.
"You will go to Rivendell, and remain there. Your child can never meet his father."
Nicole nodded, glancing away. "When am I to leave?"
"This instant," replied Galadriel, and Nicole glanced up. "You cannot linger here, for the longer you stay, the harder it will be for you to leave."
"Can I say goodbye to Haldir?"
"He cannot know you are leaving until you are long from sight," Galadriel replied. "If he knows you are leaving, he will be sure to follow."
Nicole nodded, gulping a bit.
"I have readied them," said Celeborn from above them, high up on a set of stairs.
"You will leave now," said Galadriel, turning back to Nicole. Nicole looked down, bowing a bit.
"Thank you for your hospitality," she said softly, and Galadriel almost smiled, placing her hand upon Nicole's head.
"I only wish that your fate could be a different one," she responded in a whisper, and Nicole nodded, her eyes welling up a bit.
"So do I."
~~~~~~ ****** ~~~~~~
Nicole was given a horse, and she rode behind two elves. As she left the borders of Lothlorien, she turned, glancing back upon the wood that had come to be her home. With a sigh, she turned, and did not look back again.
Night fell, and they stopped to camp for the night. Nicole settled onto the ground, resting her head upon a folded blanket. She looked up at the stars, not tired, thinking of her beloved.
"Oh Haldir," she said outloud, shaking her head. "I guess we were just not meant to be."
~~~~~~ ****** ~~~~~~
Haldir opened the door to the House of Healing, blinking as he saw Nicole's bed empty.
He turned to Himlómion, his brows raised.
"Where is Nicole?"
~~~~~~ ****** ~~~~~~
Nicole fluttered her eyes open, as she heard a struggle several feet away. With a groan, she turned over, thinking it no more than a squirrel or fox in the bush.
The two elves who accompanied her did not even get the chance to call out before they were slain by orcs.
~~~~~~ ******* ~~~~~~
Haldir approaced Celeborn, his eyes ablaze with anger.
"You sent her away," Haldir accused, and Celeborn turned, glaring back at Haldir.
"We had no choice."
"What do you speak of?" Haldir demanded, glaring up at his lord.
"You know not of your fate, and that of your son."
Haldir opened his mouth to respond, but realized the words Celeborn spoke.
"My.. my son?" he asked, jaw dropping.
"Ai, Haldir," continued Celeborn, placing his hand upon Haldir's back. "Nicole is carrying your son, but you must never meet him - if you do, it will go badly for all. Trust me, Haldir, and heed my words. Seek Nicole not, and do not find your son."
~~~~~~ ****** ~~~~~~
Four orcs surrounded Nicole, and, taking a breath of their stench, Nicole opened her eyes. Letting out a shriek, Nicole bolted up. She jumped to her feet, as the orcs stayed their ground, glaring at her. Throwing herself into one, she knocked it aside, and continued to run.
They gave her chase, and Nicole ran until she could run no more, finally backing up against a tree.
The orcs surrounded her, and Nicole glanced around quickly. There seemed to be no help for her.
She placed a hand over her chest, sure that she was taking in one of her last breaths.
~*~*~* A/N: Sorry about the cliff hanger, it had to be done! *~*~*~*
~ 2 months, 1 week, and 3 days later ~
Nicole closed her eyes, swallowing thickly as Luinëlotwen placed a hand on her stomache, gently pressing against her. Luinëlotwen glanced up, nodding slightly.
"Ai, Nicole," she said softly, taking her hand from the girl's stomache. "You are with child."
"No!" shouted Nicole, standing up quickly. Luinëlotwen watched her, brow furrowed in confusion. "It cannot be!"
"I am sorry," said Luinëlotwen slowly. "But it is true."
Without a word, Nicole turned and ran, departing from the House of Healing, down the stairs, and running toward Galadriel's garden.
Galadriel turned her gaze to the garden door, anticipating the arrival of Nicole. For she knew what had come.
Nicole threw the door open, running in. Her expression was one of shock and disdain.
"You did not listen to me," said Galadriel, her voice low and accusing, as she looked upon Nicole. Under her gaze, Nicole felt as though she had shrunk to a miniscule size. "You did not heed my words, and now you carry your lovers destruction."
Nicole bit her lip, glancing away. Galadriel was right.
"You must leave this place," said Galadriel, her voice hard and uncaring. "I will send a small band to lead you."
"Where am I to go?" Nicole asked, her eyes widening. In all her time in this world, the only place she had ever been was Lothlorien.
"You will go to Rivendell, and remain there. Your child can never meet his father."
Nicole nodded, glancing away. "When am I to leave?"
"This instant," replied Galadriel, and Nicole glanced up. "You cannot linger here, for the longer you stay, the harder it will be for you to leave."
"Can I say goodbye to Haldir?"
"He cannot know you are leaving until you are long from sight," Galadriel replied. "If he knows you are leaving, he will be sure to follow."
Nicole nodded, gulping a bit.
"I have readied them," said Celeborn from above them, high up on a set of stairs.
"You will leave now," said Galadriel, turning back to Nicole. Nicole looked down, bowing a bit.
"Thank you for your hospitality," she said softly, and Galadriel almost smiled, placing her hand upon Nicole's head.
"I only wish that your fate could be a different one," she responded in a whisper, and Nicole nodded, her eyes welling up a bit.
"So do I."
~~~~~~ ****** ~~~~~~
Nicole was given a horse, and she rode behind two elves. As she left the borders of Lothlorien, she turned, glancing back upon the wood that had come to be her home. With a sigh, she turned, and did not look back again.
Night fell, and they stopped to camp for the night. Nicole settled onto the ground, resting her head upon a folded blanket. She looked up at the stars, not tired, thinking of her beloved.
"Oh Haldir," she said outloud, shaking her head. "I guess we were just not meant to be."
~~~~~~ ****** ~~~~~~
Haldir opened the door to the House of Healing, blinking as he saw Nicole's bed empty.
He turned to Himlómion, his brows raised.
"Where is Nicole?"
~~~~~~ ****** ~~~~~~
Nicole fluttered her eyes open, as she heard a struggle several feet away. With a groan, she turned over, thinking it no more than a squirrel or fox in the bush.
The two elves who accompanied her did not even get the chance to call out before they were slain by orcs.
~~~~~~ ******* ~~~~~~
Haldir approaced Celeborn, his eyes ablaze with anger.
"You sent her away," Haldir accused, and Celeborn turned, glaring back at Haldir.
"We had no choice."
"What do you speak of?" Haldir demanded, glaring up at his lord.
"You know not of your fate, and that of your son."
Haldir opened his mouth to respond, but realized the words Celeborn spoke.
"My.. my son?" he asked, jaw dropping.
"Ai, Haldir," continued Celeborn, placing his hand upon Haldir's back. "Nicole is carrying your son, but you must never meet him - if you do, it will go badly for all. Trust me, Haldir, and heed my words. Seek Nicole not, and do not find your son."
~~~~~~ ****** ~~~~~~
Four orcs surrounded Nicole, and, taking a breath of their stench, Nicole opened her eyes. Letting out a shriek, Nicole bolted up. She jumped to her feet, as the orcs stayed their ground, glaring at her. Throwing herself into one, she knocked it aside, and continued to run.
They gave her chase, and Nicole ran until she could run no more, finally backing up against a tree.
The orcs surrounded her, and Nicole glanced around quickly. There seemed to be no help for her.
She placed a hand over her chest, sure that she was taking in one of her last breaths.
~*~*~* A/N: Sorry about the cliff hanger, it had to be done! *~*~*~*