Sorry, this was supposed to be up last night, but ff.net was down. We fixed the song a bit, so that it wasn't so freaking long. Not that it matters, 'cause nobody reads them anyway. Next update on Sunday, and it will be on time. Cheers
The Nightrunners
And Reality Sets in With a Sickening Thud...
Soundtrack: It's All Coming Back To Me Now (Celine Dion)
There were nights when the wind was so cold
That my body froze in bed
If I just listened to it
Right outside the window
There were days when the sun was so cruel
That all the tears turned to dust
And I just knew my eyes were
Drying up forever
But when you touch me like this
And you hold me like that
I just have to admit
That it's all coming back to me
When I touch you like this
And I hold you like that
It's so hard to believe but
It's all coming back to me
It's all coming back, it's all coming back to me now
There were moments of gold
And there were flashes of light
There were things I'd never do again
But then they'd always seemed right
There were nights of endless pleasure
It was more than any laws allow
Baby Baby
If I kiss you like this
And if you whisper like that
It was lost long ago
But it's all coming back to me
If you want me like this
And if you need me like that
It was dead long ago
But it's all coming back to me
It's so hard to resist And it's all coming back to me
I can barely recall
But it's all coming back to me now
But it's all coming back
There were those empty threats and hollow lies
And whenever you tried to hurt me
I just hurt you even worse
And so much deeper
There were hours that just went on for days
When alone at last we'd count up all the chances
That were lost to us forever
But you were history with the slamming of the door
And I made myself so strong again somehow
And I never wasted any of my time on you since then
But if I touch you like this
And if you kiss me like that
It was so long ago
But it's all coming back to me
If you touch me like this
And if I kiss you like that
It was gone with the wind
But it's all coming back to me
It's all coming back, (it's all coming back to me now)
If you forgive me all this
If I forgive you all that
We forgive and forget
And it's all coming back to me
When you see me like this
And when I see you like that
We see just what we want to see
All coming back to me
The flesh and the fantasies
All coming back to me
I can barely recall but it's all coming back to me now
"Alice?" she whispered. She was still quiet, but there was suddenly an undercurrent of danger in her voice.
I stopped dead.
Adam stroked her hair, and smiled tenderly. He kissed her gently on the forehead. "I thought you were dead."
"Dead?" she asked softly. "You thought *I* was dead?"
Crap. The dangerous tone of voice was more noticeable than ever. Suddenly I remembered, with painful clarity, exactly *how* Aragorn and Arwen had come
to be separated.
I opened my mouth to speak, even as a little voice in my mind spoke the fatal words: "Too late..."
Adam stiffened suddenly. He might not understand what was going on, but he had to know he'd said *something* wrong.
"YOU THOUGHT I WAS DEAD????" her voice rose to a scream, and she leapt from the couch, power crackling around her.
Damn. The athelas had worked a bit too well. I slapped my hand to my forehead. "By the Valar, you only used to use two or three of those leaves in the old days, didn't you?" I asked him, rather rhetorically, since he clearly didn't understand me.
"Arwen," I said, trying to keep my voice level. "Calm down. What do you remember?"
"You" she turned to me, her eyes a solid blue. "I remember everything, you bastard I was happier not knowing, dammit"
I backed away from her rage, holding my hands in from of me defensively. "Please, Arwen. This isn't helping anything."
"Alice?" Adam approached her cautiously, and I winced, knowing, too late, what was to come.
"But who is Alice?" she asked him, her tone almost sad. "Just Arwen." Her voice began to rise. "Just Arwen, cursed to walk once more without her love.
You don't remember me, do you, Estel?" A magical wind swept about her. "A name cannot change who I am, my love. Nor should it change you. Why am I
shouldered with such knowledge while you remain in blissful ignorance? Why do I remember the pain, when you will not speak my name?"
The wind rose to a piercing wail and smashed him into the wall, making the entire apartment shake. "Why, son of Arathorn? What have I done to deserve to be
cursed; to never have you by my side?"
I fought against the wind, trying to avoid the objects flying around the room, vainly reaching for the crazed witch.
"You always have to face the consequences of your actions," she called above the howling din. "Mortal or immortal, mistakes will always catch up to you."
"Arwen Undómiel" I shouted. "Stop this madness. This is not the way! I know you're frightened, I know you're angry, but you must stop NOW"
She whipped around to face me, power visibly crackling around here. "What would you know, Son of Thranduil?" she screamed.
I held my hands open before me in a gesture of peace, still struggling to stand upright. "I've lost friends too, Arwen, over the long years. I understand better
than you'd think. Please, won't you listen to me?"
For a moment, I was certain that she would pick *me* up and slam me off the wall. Fortunately, Arwen's reasonable side prevailed. The winds gusted for a few
moments longer, then died down. Her eyes returned to normal as Adam slowly slid, unconscious, to the floor.
"I lost more than just a friend, Prince," she said then, her tone having cooled only slightly. "What would you have me do?"
I had to think quickly: "You rage against him for an ancient wrong," I replied, gesturing to Adam. "That is not the man you remember. He has the...potential.
But I need your help, Arwen. I need you to find within him the man you once loved, for his help is sorely needed."
She looked at the crumpled figure forlornly. "Once loved? Oh no, my friend. I love him still, more the fool am I." She walked over to the window, past the
broken pots and their mangled plants. She sighed bitterly. "I will help you, but give me time."
"Stay and talk with me for a while?" I asked. "I can tell you what is happening. I can tell you why you're here."
"Thank you," she said. "I'll stay." Glancing at Adam, she asked. "What about him?"
I blinked, momentarily baffled. What *were* we going to do with Adam?
At that moment, a figure emerged from the kitchen, carrying a sandwich. Surveying the carnage around him, he spoke: "I love what you've done with the place,
my lady. It was far too neat before."
She blushed slightly, and I answered for her. "Thanks Mark. Arwen, this is Meriadoc. You remember him, right?"
She stared at him for a moment. "But he's tall" she said finally.
"Gee, thanks," he grumbled. "Nobody says: 'Omigod, look at the gorgeous rocker.' Nooooo, they all say 'but he's tall' like I'm some sort of genetic freak."
"Well, I'm very sorry you feel that way." I said dryly. "Will you take Adam home? He had a rather nasty battle with the wall."
"Really? Who won?"
"The wall."
"Oh."
I reached into Adam's pocket and took out his car keys. I tossed them to Mark. "You can drive, right?"
"Nope. But I'm a fast learner."
"Want some help carrying him down?"
He glanced at us, grinning. "Nah, I think I can handle it." Reaching over, he heaved Adam over his broad shoulder and headed for the door, whistling.
I shook my head in disbelief as they left.
"How times change," Arwen commented wryly.