E/N: Raziel the she-elf!
Chapter 21
*~ 8 years later ~*
Michele lay on the couch with her head on Legolas' lap. Her mind was in turmoil. She had a difficult decision to make. Robyn was currently on her way to Rivendell with Ash and the children to visit Tafi, so she couldn't confide in her as she usually would. Mary-Jo and Tracey weren't able to make a sensible decision and Legolas would be reluctant to make the right one. She was on her own. Legolas could sense her unease and his brow creased.
"Are you all right?" he asked after a while. She looked up at him and smiled.
"Yes, I suppose," she replied. "I'm just thinking."
"What about?"
"Just things." She broke eye contact and turned her head away. Legolas frowned again. What was troubling her so much that she wouldn't talk to him? The shared everything, never kept anything from one another. This was very uncharacteristic of her.
"You know you can tell me anything, Hyalma*," he said. She smiled again and took his hand.
"I know," she said. "And it's nothing against you, it's just..." she trailed off.
"What?" He was intrigued to know.
"It doesn't matter," she said.
"Please tell me. It worries me that you are so distressed and I can do nothing."
"I think I'm ready to leave," she said quietly.
"Leave?" he echoed. "What do you...? Oh."
"Yes, oh. I think we should go to the Undying Lands." Legolas had to let it sink in before he said anything in response.
"But what about Robyn and Ash and the twins?" he queried
"Rob is 25 now and Ash is 27," she said. "They can look after themselves."
"But Ceridwen and Dalua are only 8, they'll have to grow up without grandparents."
"They've got Dad and Éowyn. You know Dad dotes on them."
"It's not quite the same, is it?"
"And anyway, people are starting to talk."
"What do you mean? About what?"
"About us. You look like my toy boy."
"Since when have you cared what people think?"
"You want to be a trophy husband?"
"Hyalma, you have to think about this properly."
"I have. Legolas, if I stay here, I'm going to die."
"I know." He sighed. "But I guess I just don't want to leave. Robyn isn't my real daughter, and Ceri and Dalua aren't my real grandchildren, but you know I've never really taken any note of that." Her eyes welled up as she heard the affection in his voice. It reminded her of how much she loved her family and how much she would them all.
"I'm 41 and not getting any younger. And you promised me. You said when I was ready..."
"I know I did, and I would never break my word to you, but I didn't expect it so soon."
"Well, if I leave it any longer I'm going to be old and decrepit." Legolas rolled his eyes. "And how can you love an old, decrepit thing?"
"I will always love you, Hyalma, whatever you look like."
"Yes, but still. It's what we've got to do. We have to leave."
"Very well. When do you wish to go?"
"Well, do we not have to pass Rivendell on the way to the Grey Havens anyway?" Legolas stared at her for moment.
"You mean leave without letting them know?"
"That was the general idea, yes. We pack now and go to Rivendell to say bye to everyone." She said that last sentence very cheerfully. It was a very big contrast to the former sorrow. A though popped into Legolas' mind.
"Hyalma, you know that unusually quick change of emotion then?"
"Yes."
"You're not pregnant, are you?"
"Well, there was something... nah, I'm just kidding." He sighed again. "Are you trying to unsuccessfully change the subject, Mr. Greenleaf? Because it won't work."
"I know not to bother anymore." He grinned at her. "I will leave when you want us to. I just think that we should wait for them to return before we go."
"They won't be back for months. It'll be a waste of time. Why not kill two birds with one stone and go? We'll stay with Tafi for a while and then carry on. It'll be easier n Rob that way too."
"What's Robyn got to do with it?"
"You seriously think she won't insist on going with us? Well, she'll actually want to go all the to the Undying Lands with us, but I'm not going to allow that. She'll go with us to the Grey Havens to see us off though."
"Ok." He was reluctant to leave his family and friends behind, but he understood Michelle's need. And he'd lived 15 years without her, 15 torturous years. If he lost her for good, as was inevitable in staying in Middle Earth, he would be heartbroken, stricken with the only disease that could kill an Elf. Grief. He just wished there was another way around it.
"That's what you get for loving a mortal," his father would say. 'But she's worth it,' he thought. He smiled inwardly. 'Of course she's worth it.'
They decided to leave most of their belongings to Ash and Robyn. All they were taking with them was provisions to last them until Rivendell, a couple of changes of clothes and some blankets. They wouldn't need anything else. They didn't tell anyone of their plans until the day of their departure, it was a sad day indeed. Tracey and Mary-Jo were furious that Michelle hadn't told them sooner, but they let it pass and concentrated on crying. Aragorn and Arwen were very sad also, though Aragorn swore to Michelle that he would look after Robyn and the children if and when they need it and would always keep an eye on them. Little Eldarion, who was now merely 3 years old, was upset to know Uncie Wegowas and Auntie Chewwe were leaving, but he soon started giggling again when Michelle gave him a small teddy bear with a sea shell on it to remember her by.
"We will certainly miss you, Michelle," said Aragorn as he hugged her. "You provide us with much entertainment, along with stress." Michelle laughed.
"We've certainly ha our fair share of problems over the past 25 years," she said. "But we've overcome them. Yes, some took their time, 15 years to be precise, but they're sorted. I shall not remember the bad things but the good."
"Oh, but you can't forget about Paul," sniffled Tracey. "All the times me and Tafi have beaten him up, and when Legolas tied him to the fountain-"
"You're never going to forget that, are you?" he said.
"Nope! And when you one custody of Robyn," she continued. "He's a bad memory, but he creates very, very good and funny memories."
"Good point," said Michelle.
"So, what are you going to do with all this time on your hands, Chelle?" asked Mary-Jo.
"I have no idea, but I'm sure I'll find something," she answered.
"Well, we should get going," said Legolas. "The sooner we leave, the sooner we get to Rivendell."
"This coming from the man who didn't want to leave 5 days ago." Michelle raised an eyebrow.
"I can never do anything right," sighed the Elf.
"I suppose we should leave though," said Michelle. The couple went round the group of friends one last time before mounting their horse and leaving for Rivendell.
"Take one last look at your old life," said Legolas as they passed through the gates.
*****
*Hyalma - Shell.
E/N: But it's not finished yet! There is more. We have yet to see Robyn's reaction. And I know that them leaving now doesn't tie in with what really happened after LOTR, but hey, this is fiction and I'm unleashing my imagination! Probably not very well, but oh well!
All that remains to be said is:
Babies are screaming blobs!
Chapter 21
*~ 8 years later ~*
Michele lay on the couch with her head on Legolas' lap. Her mind was in turmoil. She had a difficult decision to make. Robyn was currently on her way to Rivendell with Ash and the children to visit Tafi, so she couldn't confide in her as she usually would. Mary-Jo and Tracey weren't able to make a sensible decision and Legolas would be reluctant to make the right one. She was on her own. Legolas could sense her unease and his brow creased.
"Are you all right?" he asked after a while. She looked up at him and smiled.
"Yes, I suppose," she replied. "I'm just thinking."
"What about?"
"Just things." She broke eye contact and turned her head away. Legolas frowned again. What was troubling her so much that she wouldn't talk to him? The shared everything, never kept anything from one another. This was very uncharacteristic of her.
"You know you can tell me anything, Hyalma*," he said. She smiled again and took his hand.
"I know," she said. "And it's nothing against you, it's just..." she trailed off.
"What?" He was intrigued to know.
"It doesn't matter," she said.
"Please tell me. It worries me that you are so distressed and I can do nothing."
"I think I'm ready to leave," she said quietly.
"Leave?" he echoed. "What do you...? Oh."
"Yes, oh. I think we should go to the Undying Lands." Legolas had to let it sink in before he said anything in response.
"But what about Robyn and Ash and the twins?" he queried
"Rob is 25 now and Ash is 27," she said. "They can look after themselves."
"But Ceridwen and Dalua are only 8, they'll have to grow up without grandparents."
"They've got Dad and Éowyn. You know Dad dotes on them."
"It's not quite the same, is it?"
"And anyway, people are starting to talk."
"What do you mean? About what?"
"About us. You look like my toy boy."
"Since when have you cared what people think?"
"You want to be a trophy husband?"
"Hyalma, you have to think about this properly."
"I have. Legolas, if I stay here, I'm going to die."
"I know." He sighed. "But I guess I just don't want to leave. Robyn isn't my real daughter, and Ceri and Dalua aren't my real grandchildren, but you know I've never really taken any note of that." Her eyes welled up as she heard the affection in his voice. It reminded her of how much she loved her family and how much she would them all.
"I'm 41 and not getting any younger. And you promised me. You said when I was ready..."
"I know I did, and I would never break my word to you, but I didn't expect it so soon."
"Well, if I leave it any longer I'm going to be old and decrepit." Legolas rolled his eyes. "And how can you love an old, decrepit thing?"
"I will always love you, Hyalma, whatever you look like."
"Yes, but still. It's what we've got to do. We have to leave."
"Very well. When do you wish to go?"
"Well, do we not have to pass Rivendell on the way to the Grey Havens anyway?" Legolas stared at her for moment.
"You mean leave without letting them know?"
"That was the general idea, yes. We pack now and go to Rivendell to say bye to everyone." She said that last sentence very cheerfully. It was a very big contrast to the former sorrow. A though popped into Legolas' mind.
"Hyalma, you know that unusually quick change of emotion then?"
"Yes."
"You're not pregnant, are you?"
"Well, there was something... nah, I'm just kidding." He sighed again. "Are you trying to unsuccessfully change the subject, Mr. Greenleaf? Because it won't work."
"I know not to bother anymore." He grinned at her. "I will leave when you want us to. I just think that we should wait for them to return before we go."
"They won't be back for months. It'll be a waste of time. Why not kill two birds with one stone and go? We'll stay with Tafi for a while and then carry on. It'll be easier n Rob that way too."
"What's Robyn got to do with it?"
"You seriously think she won't insist on going with us? Well, she'll actually want to go all the to the Undying Lands with us, but I'm not going to allow that. She'll go with us to the Grey Havens to see us off though."
"Ok." He was reluctant to leave his family and friends behind, but he understood Michelle's need. And he'd lived 15 years without her, 15 torturous years. If he lost her for good, as was inevitable in staying in Middle Earth, he would be heartbroken, stricken with the only disease that could kill an Elf. Grief. He just wished there was another way around it.
"That's what you get for loving a mortal," his father would say. 'But she's worth it,' he thought. He smiled inwardly. 'Of course she's worth it.'
They decided to leave most of their belongings to Ash and Robyn. All they were taking with them was provisions to last them until Rivendell, a couple of changes of clothes and some blankets. They wouldn't need anything else. They didn't tell anyone of their plans until the day of their departure, it was a sad day indeed. Tracey and Mary-Jo were furious that Michelle hadn't told them sooner, but they let it pass and concentrated on crying. Aragorn and Arwen were very sad also, though Aragorn swore to Michelle that he would look after Robyn and the children if and when they need it and would always keep an eye on them. Little Eldarion, who was now merely 3 years old, was upset to know Uncie Wegowas and Auntie Chewwe were leaving, but he soon started giggling again when Michelle gave him a small teddy bear with a sea shell on it to remember her by.
"We will certainly miss you, Michelle," said Aragorn as he hugged her. "You provide us with much entertainment, along with stress." Michelle laughed.
"We've certainly ha our fair share of problems over the past 25 years," she said. "But we've overcome them. Yes, some took their time, 15 years to be precise, but they're sorted. I shall not remember the bad things but the good."
"Oh, but you can't forget about Paul," sniffled Tracey. "All the times me and Tafi have beaten him up, and when Legolas tied him to the fountain-"
"You're never going to forget that, are you?" he said.
"Nope! And when you one custody of Robyn," she continued. "He's a bad memory, but he creates very, very good and funny memories."
"Good point," said Michelle.
"So, what are you going to do with all this time on your hands, Chelle?" asked Mary-Jo.
"I have no idea, but I'm sure I'll find something," she answered.
"Well, we should get going," said Legolas. "The sooner we leave, the sooner we get to Rivendell."
"This coming from the man who didn't want to leave 5 days ago." Michelle raised an eyebrow.
"I can never do anything right," sighed the Elf.
"I suppose we should leave though," said Michelle. The couple went round the group of friends one last time before mounting their horse and leaving for Rivendell.
"Take one last look at your old life," said Legolas as they passed through the gates.
*****
*Hyalma - Shell.
E/N: But it's not finished yet! There is more. We have yet to see Robyn's reaction. And I know that them leaving now doesn't tie in with what really happened after LOTR, but hey, this is fiction and I'm unleashing my imagination! Probably not very well, but oh well!
All that remains to be said is:
Babies are screaming blobs!
