A/N: As always, thanks for the reviews (chapter 7: Jessica, Casey Toh, Starbrat,
and Sick Little Fiend). There will be more information about Renée's
parents in later chapters. I've added an extra space between paragraphs
on a suggestion by Sick Little Fiend, and I hope it makes it more readable.
Enjoy!
Ch. 8: Reunion
The next morning, I actually managed to wake at a reasonable hour. I ordered Renée to get out and explore, and a servant helped me dress and eat breakfast. Renée came by to check on me after I'd finished. She was trying to learn Sindarin, and wanted my help. As we sat and chatted, there was a knock on the door.
"Come in!" Elrond came in the door, followed by Gandalf, then someone else. My heart stopped. "Glorfindel."
"Jenny?"
"Yeah, it's me." I dropped my head, not sure what to say. The awkwardness in the room was so thick you could have cut it with a knife. He walked over to me and knelt in front of me, then took my hands.
"I don't care about your injury. I'm just glad you're back. This last year has been torture, not knowing if you were alive or dead, not able to reach you." I tried to keep my eyes on our clasped hands, but they were drawn up to his eyes. "I love you, Jennifer." He moved to sit beside me on the bed, then took me in his arms and held me as we both cried. The others must have slipped off sometime, and I must have dozed off, because when I woke up, my head on his shoulder and the room was empty.
He smiled down at me. "It's almost time for dinner. Do you want to go and eat in the hall or have something brought here?"
"It's supper time already?" I had slept longer than I realized. "Glorfindel, I can't even feed myself. I can't lift my arms, and I don't have that much control in my hands. I'm lucky if I can stay in a chair."
"So, I should probably have something brought here, is that what you're saying?" He made so little of it that I started to relax myself.
"OK, but you'll have to help me eat…"
"Can do." He had picked that phrase up from me years ago, and it made me laugh just to hear it from him. "Do you want to stay on the bed, or would you rather move to a chair?"
"A chair might be nice." He moved a chair over to the open side of the room, overlooking the river valley. Someone had been thoughtful enough to provide a chair with arms. He picked me up easily and gently placed me in the chair. Even with the awkwardness of the injury, it was nice to be able to spend time with him again. I hadn't realized until then just how much I had really missed him.
He left, then came back with a tray of food: fruit, bread, and cheese. He helped me eat, and we shared the meal in companionable silence. Afterwards, he told me a little about the flight to the ford and the Nazgûl pursuit. Later, Glorfindel carried me into the Hall of Fire where we listened to the evening's poetry and song. Sitting there, I had such a sense of homecoming, I felt as if I could face anything. I really enjoyed the time there, for the first time since I'd come to Rivendell.
I was reluctant to leave, even when I got tired, and I must have dozed off, because I woke the next morning in my own bed, to a knock on the door.
"Come in!"
Glorfindel was standing there. "Good morning. I trust you slept well?"
"Like a baby. When did I drop off?"
"A little before midnight. You were sleeping so peacefully, I didn't want to wake you, so I just brought you in here." I was lying on top of the covers, still dressed from yesterday. "I was hoping you might go riding with me today."
Riding. That would be fun. It would give me a chance to get out and see the river valley again. One problem presented itself: riding is quite awkward without either pants or a split skirt. "I don't have any riding clothes…"
He walked over to the wardrobe and pulled out one of my old riding outfits. "We didn't throw out your things. I brought this in here, hoping you'd want to go." It was a cream-colored blouse and a dark green split skirt.
"The challenge will be getting it on. I can slip a one-piece dress over my head, but I'm not sure if I can get into that skirt…"
"If you don't mind my help, I think we could manage."
I nodded slowly. I think, more than anything, he was trying to be sensitive to not helping me too much, but the greater awkwardness for me was the somewhat ambiguous state of our marriage. I didn't want him to feel trapped in a marriage to an invalid. Helping me dress wasn't a big thing, but the concept was there.
I pushed the dark musings aside and concentrated on being as helpful as I could getting into the skirt. The blouse, fortunately, wasn't difficult, but there was a moment of awkwardness as he finished with the front buttons. He knew what I was thinking, and when he finished, he knelt in front of me. "I don't care about your injury. I will not leave you simply because you're hurt." He flashed the grin that had won my heart in the first place. "What was that phrase you used? 'I'm like a bad penny—I just keep coming back.' I'm afraid you're stuck with me!"
With that, he picked me up and carried me out to the stables. Aragorn was there, tending his horse.
"Estel!"
"Jennifer! It's good to see you again." He took my hand and kissed it. Glorfindel's horse was ready, and he lifted me up onto its back before climbing up behind me. Aragorn stood nearby to make sure I didn't lose my balance in the process.
"How are you doing, Aragorn? It has been a while."
"As well as can be expected. I assume you've heard about our adventures with the Nazgûl?"
"A little. I'm glad you both got here in one piece. Are you busy today, or could you join us?"
"I don't think I should be gone from the city all day, but perhaps I will join you for an hour or two." He saddled his horse quickly, and we spent the morning riding, chatting and catching up on news with Aragorn, then Aragorn left and Glorfindel and I ate a picnic lunch he'd brought. We didn't get back until dusk, and just snacked on some fruit and bread in my room. It had been a wonderful day, but now I was exhausted. He helped me undress and get into bed, then said goodnight.
Before he left, I spoke. "Glorfindel?"
"Yes?"
"Would you stay with me tonight?"
He smiled and said, "Of course." He removed his shirt and shoes and laid down beside me. I fell asleep within moments and slept better than I had in years.
Ch. 8: Reunion
The next morning, I actually managed to wake at a reasonable hour. I ordered Renée to get out and explore, and a servant helped me dress and eat breakfast. Renée came by to check on me after I'd finished. She was trying to learn Sindarin, and wanted my help. As we sat and chatted, there was a knock on the door.
"Come in!" Elrond came in the door, followed by Gandalf, then someone else. My heart stopped. "Glorfindel."
"Jenny?"
"Yeah, it's me." I dropped my head, not sure what to say. The awkwardness in the room was so thick you could have cut it with a knife. He walked over to me and knelt in front of me, then took my hands.
"I don't care about your injury. I'm just glad you're back. This last year has been torture, not knowing if you were alive or dead, not able to reach you." I tried to keep my eyes on our clasped hands, but they were drawn up to his eyes. "I love you, Jennifer." He moved to sit beside me on the bed, then took me in his arms and held me as we both cried. The others must have slipped off sometime, and I must have dozed off, because when I woke up, my head on his shoulder and the room was empty.
He smiled down at me. "It's almost time for dinner. Do you want to go and eat in the hall or have something brought here?"
"It's supper time already?" I had slept longer than I realized. "Glorfindel, I can't even feed myself. I can't lift my arms, and I don't have that much control in my hands. I'm lucky if I can stay in a chair."
"So, I should probably have something brought here, is that what you're saying?" He made so little of it that I started to relax myself.
"OK, but you'll have to help me eat…"
"Can do." He had picked that phrase up from me years ago, and it made me laugh just to hear it from him. "Do you want to stay on the bed, or would you rather move to a chair?"
"A chair might be nice." He moved a chair over to the open side of the room, overlooking the river valley. Someone had been thoughtful enough to provide a chair with arms. He picked me up easily and gently placed me in the chair. Even with the awkwardness of the injury, it was nice to be able to spend time with him again. I hadn't realized until then just how much I had really missed him.
He left, then came back with a tray of food: fruit, bread, and cheese. He helped me eat, and we shared the meal in companionable silence. Afterwards, he told me a little about the flight to the ford and the Nazgûl pursuit. Later, Glorfindel carried me into the Hall of Fire where we listened to the evening's poetry and song. Sitting there, I had such a sense of homecoming, I felt as if I could face anything. I really enjoyed the time there, for the first time since I'd come to Rivendell.
I was reluctant to leave, even when I got tired, and I must have dozed off, because I woke the next morning in my own bed, to a knock on the door.
"Come in!"
Glorfindel was standing there. "Good morning. I trust you slept well?"
"Like a baby. When did I drop off?"
"A little before midnight. You were sleeping so peacefully, I didn't want to wake you, so I just brought you in here." I was lying on top of the covers, still dressed from yesterday. "I was hoping you might go riding with me today."
Riding. That would be fun. It would give me a chance to get out and see the river valley again. One problem presented itself: riding is quite awkward without either pants or a split skirt. "I don't have any riding clothes…"
He walked over to the wardrobe and pulled out one of my old riding outfits. "We didn't throw out your things. I brought this in here, hoping you'd want to go." It was a cream-colored blouse and a dark green split skirt.
"The challenge will be getting it on. I can slip a one-piece dress over my head, but I'm not sure if I can get into that skirt…"
"If you don't mind my help, I think we could manage."
I nodded slowly. I think, more than anything, he was trying to be sensitive to not helping me too much, but the greater awkwardness for me was the somewhat ambiguous state of our marriage. I didn't want him to feel trapped in a marriage to an invalid. Helping me dress wasn't a big thing, but the concept was there.
I pushed the dark musings aside and concentrated on being as helpful as I could getting into the skirt. The blouse, fortunately, wasn't difficult, but there was a moment of awkwardness as he finished with the front buttons. He knew what I was thinking, and when he finished, he knelt in front of me. "I don't care about your injury. I will not leave you simply because you're hurt." He flashed the grin that had won my heart in the first place. "What was that phrase you used? 'I'm like a bad penny—I just keep coming back.' I'm afraid you're stuck with me!"
With that, he picked me up and carried me out to the stables. Aragorn was there, tending his horse.
"Estel!"
"Jennifer! It's good to see you again." He took my hand and kissed it. Glorfindel's horse was ready, and he lifted me up onto its back before climbing up behind me. Aragorn stood nearby to make sure I didn't lose my balance in the process.
"How are you doing, Aragorn? It has been a while."
"As well as can be expected. I assume you've heard about our adventures with the Nazgûl?"
"A little. I'm glad you both got here in one piece. Are you busy today, or could you join us?"
"I don't think I should be gone from the city all day, but perhaps I will join you for an hour or two." He saddled his horse quickly, and we spent the morning riding, chatting and catching up on news with Aragorn, then Aragorn left and Glorfindel and I ate a picnic lunch he'd brought. We didn't get back until dusk, and just snacked on some fruit and bread in my room. It had been a wonderful day, but now I was exhausted. He helped me undress and get into bed, then said goodnight.
Before he left, I spoke. "Glorfindel?"
"Yes?"
"Would you stay with me tonight?"
He smiled and said, "Of course." He removed his shirt and shoes and laid down beside me. I fell asleep within moments and slept better than I had in years.