A/N: Sorry, this is a short, kind of boring chapter. By the way, I don't
really know if it snows in Rivendell.I'm just kind of assuming it does!
Anyways, here it is!! And pleaaassee, plleasseee review! Thanks!!
***
After they were all tired of playing in the snow, they went to the kitchen for some hot tea. The Elvish tea was hot and sweet, and warmed the four humans from the inside out. As they walked back up to their rooms, they were in good spirits, joking and laughing. Then Jenny pulled Jackie aside.
"Can I talk to you when we get back?" she whispered.
"Yeah, sure," Jackie said. She had a feeling she knew what was going to be said. "But I'd like to take a bath first, I'm still cold."
"Okay," Jenny said.
***
About an hour later Jackie knocked hard on Jenny's door.
"Come in," came the reply from inside. She turned the handle and walked in.
She found Jenny lying on the bed, gazing up at the ceiling, but she sat up when she saw her.
"Oh, hi," she said in false casualness.
"Something you wanted to talk to me about?" Jackie asked.
"Oh um yeah," Jenny said. "There was a little.something."
"Yes..." Jackie prompted.
"Well, I saw you and Legolas together today. Are you two..aahh...uhhm." she struggled for the right words. "Together?"
Jackie smiled. "Yeah, you could say that."
"Oh, well I'm very happy for you," Jenny said. "I'm glad you've found someone in this.place."
Jackie sighed. Would she just get on with it?
Jenny took in a deep breath. "I've found someone, too. A while ago," she added.
"Really?" Jackie asked, trying to sound surprised. "Who?"
"Frodo. Frodo Baggins. The hobbit," she added, smiling sheepishly.
"How long? And how did it start?" asked Jackie, pumping her for answers.
"It's been going on for about a month now," said Jenny. "A few days after we got here. It was the day the elves brought him in to Imladris, after he had been stabbed with the Morgul Blade. I was wandering around the House later that day, when I passed a room and saw Elrond leaning over him, muttering things in Elvish. At first I thought it was some sort of magic and I wanted to see, so I crept in and watched. But Elrond saw me. Luckily he didn't make me go away, he just told me to bring him some water and a washcloth, which I did. I then started to come and help Elrond more often, because I was fascinated with Elvish medicine, it's so different from anything back home. Frodo and I became good friends, and we just kind of clicked. I guess it just went from there. And that's why I was kind of distant lately, I'd been helping him while he was sick, and now that he's recovered, we've.well." she gulped. "We haven't told anyone yet. But I just had to tell you, especially after I saw you and Legolas together. I figured you'd understand."
"Of course I understand!" Jackie said, breaking into a smile. "I'm happy for you!"
Jenny looked relieved. "It's just that I've never met anyone like him before at all!" she said. "I feel like he was the reason that I came through the tunnel, and that this was meant to happen."
"I feel the same way with Legolas," Jackie said. "Like it's meant to happen."
"But it is kind of weird," Jenny said doubtfully. "I mean, he's not exactly human, really. He's.a hobbit."
Jackie was sent into a fit of giggles as she remembered seeing them walk together last night.
"What, what???!!" Jenny asked wildly. "Why are you laughing?"
"He's-" giggle "a hobbit!" She snorted. "And half your height!"
Jenny looked indignant. "He's more than half my height! Well anyways, you're dating an ELF."
Jackie stopped. "What's the matter with an elf?"
Jenny rolled her eyes. "Oh please. They just have that.'Better than thou' air about them."
Now it was Jackie's turn to be defensive. "Legolas does not act snotty!"
Jenny laughed. "Oh yes he does."
"No he does not!" she threw a pillow at Jenny, who caught it and threw it back. They were both laughing now.
After a few minutes, Jenny stopped smiling abruptly. "Jackie, do you really want to go home?" she asked.
Jackie caught her breath. She hadn't really thought about going home, which would mean seeing her family and many of her friends again. But it would also mean leaving Rivendell, and leaving Legolas.
"I don't know," she responded doubtfully. "I don't know."
***
Jackie sat with Legolas later that evening after dinner, under the stars. The crescent moon hung white over the world, bathing the snow in silver blue. Jackie sighed. She would never get tired of the sight of Rivendell at night, with the beauty of the moon upon it. And she would never forget it when she left.
She sighed and looked up into his face. It was beautiful and perfect. It looked ahead strong and set, but it softened as he looked at her. She lightly kissed one of his pointed ears, then laid her head on his chest and began to play absentmindedly with one of his blond locks. She shivered from the cold. He pulled her closer, wrapping her more tightly in his arms. She felt safe and warm. She couldn't imagine a more perfect moment than this.
"I love you," he said softly.
"I love you, too," she murmured in reply. 'And,' she thought. 'I mean that with all my heart.'
Now she knew the answer to Jenny's question: No.
She watched as Elrond came out onto a balcony and gazed over the river. She was surprised. She didn't think anyone was up at this hour besides her and Legolas. The Lord of Imladris looked pensive and.sad? It occurred to her that she had never seen the Lady of Rivendell, but yet she knew Elrond had children.
"Where is the Lady of Imladris?" she asked Legolas. "Was Elrond ever married?"
Legolas got a faraway look in his eyes. "Yes," he said.
"What happened?"
Legolas sighed. "The story of Lord Elrond and Lady Celebrian is not a happy one," he said. "They were married long ago, and had three children. But one day she was captured and tortured by orcs-" he spat the last word "-on her way to Lothlorien. Elrond managed to heal most of her physical wounds, but he could not heal the emotional ones. She lost the will to live in Middle Earth, and sailed over to the Gray Havens. That was over 1,000 years ago."
"So she didn't die?"
"No," Legolas said. "But he cannot see her until he too departs Middle Earth for the Gray Havens."
"That must be terrible, being separated from the one you love, not being able to see them," Jackie mused sadly. 'And that is where my fate appears to be heading,' she thought glumly. 'Being separated from the one I love.'
She kissed Legolas defensively and hugged him, vowing to cherish the moments that they did have together.
***
***
After they were all tired of playing in the snow, they went to the kitchen for some hot tea. The Elvish tea was hot and sweet, and warmed the four humans from the inside out. As they walked back up to their rooms, they were in good spirits, joking and laughing. Then Jenny pulled Jackie aside.
"Can I talk to you when we get back?" she whispered.
"Yeah, sure," Jackie said. She had a feeling she knew what was going to be said. "But I'd like to take a bath first, I'm still cold."
"Okay," Jenny said.
***
About an hour later Jackie knocked hard on Jenny's door.
"Come in," came the reply from inside. She turned the handle and walked in.
She found Jenny lying on the bed, gazing up at the ceiling, but she sat up when she saw her.
"Oh, hi," she said in false casualness.
"Something you wanted to talk to me about?" Jackie asked.
"Oh um yeah," Jenny said. "There was a little.something."
"Yes..." Jackie prompted.
"Well, I saw you and Legolas together today. Are you two..aahh...uhhm." she struggled for the right words. "Together?"
Jackie smiled. "Yeah, you could say that."
"Oh, well I'm very happy for you," Jenny said. "I'm glad you've found someone in this.place."
Jackie sighed. Would she just get on with it?
Jenny took in a deep breath. "I've found someone, too. A while ago," she added.
"Really?" Jackie asked, trying to sound surprised. "Who?"
"Frodo. Frodo Baggins. The hobbit," she added, smiling sheepishly.
"How long? And how did it start?" asked Jackie, pumping her for answers.
"It's been going on for about a month now," said Jenny. "A few days after we got here. It was the day the elves brought him in to Imladris, after he had been stabbed with the Morgul Blade. I was wandering around the House later that day, when I passed a room and saw Elrond leaning over him, muttering things in Elvish. At first I thought it was some sort of magic and I wanted to see, so I crept in and watched. But Elrond saw me. Luckily he didn't make me go away, he just told me to bring him some water and a washcloth, which I did. I then started to come and help Elrond more often, because I was fascinated with Elvish medicine, it's so different from anything back home. Frodo and I became good friends, and we just kind of clicked. I guess it just went from there. And that's why I was kind of distant lately, I'd been helping him while he was sick, and now that he's recovered, we've.well." she gulped. "We haven't told anyone yet. But I just had to tell you, especially after I saw you and Legolas together. I figured you'd understand."
"Of course I understand!" Jackie said, breaking into a smile. "I'm happy for you!"
Jenny looked relieved. "It's just that I've never met anyone like him before at all!" she said. "I feel like he was the reason that I came through the tunnel, and that this was meant to happen."
"I feel the same way with Legolas," Jackie said. "Like it's meant to happen."
"But it is kind of weird," Jenny said doubtfully. "I mean, he's not exactly human, really. He's.a hobbit."
Jackie was sent into a fit of giggles as she remembered seeing them walk together last night.
"What, what???!!" Jenny asked wildly. "Why are you laughing?"
"He's-" giggle "a hobbit!" She snorted. "And half your height!"
Jenny looked indignant. "He's more than half my height! Well anyways, you're dating an ELF."
Jackie stopped. "What's the matter with an elf?"
Jenny rolled her eyes. "Oh please. They just have that.'Better than thou' air about them."
Now it was Jackie's turn to be defensive. "Legolas does not act snotty!"
Jenny laughed. "Oh yes he does."
"No he does not!" she threw a pillow at Jenny, who caught it and threw it back. They were both laughing now.
After a few minutes, Jenny stopped smiling abruptly. "Jackie, do you really want to go home?" she asked.
Jackie caught her breath. She hadn't really thought about going home, which would mean seeing her family and many of her friends again. But it would also mean leaving Rivendell, and leaving Legolas.
"I don't know," she responded doubtfully. "I don't know."
***
Jackie sat with Legolas later that evening after dinner, under the stars. The crescent moon hung white over the world, bathing the snow in silver blue. Jackie sighed. She would never get tired of the sight of Rivendell at night, with the beauty of the moon upon it. And she would never forget it when she left.
She sighed and looked up into his face. It was beautiful and perfect. It looked ahead strong and set, but it softened as he looked at her. She lightly kissed one of his pointed ears, then laid her head on his chest and began to play absentmindedly with one of his blond locks. She shivered from the cold. He pulled her closer, wrapping her more tightly in his arms. She felt safe and warm. She couldn't imagine a more perfect moment than this.
"I love you," he said softly.
"I love you, too," she murmured in reply. 'And,' she thought. 'I mean that with all my heart.'
Now she knew the answer to Jenny's question: No.
She watched as Elrond came out onto a balcony and gazed over the river. She was surprised. She didn't think anyone was up at this hour besides her and Legolas. The Lord of Imladris looked pensive and.sad? It occurred to her that she had never seen the Lady of Rivendell, but yet she knew Elrond had children.
"Where is the Lady of Imladris?" she asked Legolas. "Was Elrond ever married?"
Legolas got a faraway look in his eyes. "Yes," he said.
"What happened?"
Legolas sighed. "The story of Lord Elrond and Lady Celebrian is not a happy one," he said. "They were married long ago, and had three children. But one day she was captured and tortured by orcs-" he spat the last word "-on her way to Lothlorien. Elrond managed to heal most of her physical wounds, but he could not heal the emotional ones. She lost the will to live in Middle Earth, and sailed over to the Gray Havens. That was over 1,000 years ago."
"So she didn't die?"
"No," Legolas said. "But he cannot see her until he too departs Middle Earth for the Gray Havens."
"That must be terrible, being separated from the one you love, not being able to see them," Jackie mused sadly. 'And that is where my fate appears to be heading,' she thought glumly. 'Being separated from the one I love.'
She kissed Legolas defensively and hugged him, vowing to cherish the moments that they did have together.
***