Chapter Nine

"Silmeamin." Rhiannon rolled over slowly, and groaned. Legolas touched her face, and whispered again. "Silmeamin, wake up. Wake up!" She slowly opened her eyes, and was met with blue eyes less than a foot away from her, face shadowed by a light blue, almost gray background. The sun wasn't up yet. She jumped, and blinked a few times. Legolas smiled at her and said,

"I have run you a bath. I thought that you might want to-"

"Ahh!" She was painfully reminded of her actions a few hours ago. She was sore, and the events of last night - Adam included - flashed through her mind.

"-soak for a time, and clear your mind."

Rhiannon had sat up, and he was interrupted with a loud groan. In her opinion, she'd had plently of mind-clearing experiences last night, but she nodded, covered herself in the sheets, noticing his lack of clothing immediately, and took his outstretched hand, lightly hissing in pain again. Legolas scooped her up and carried her into the bathroom, knowing she was blushing at her condition when she thought he couldn't see. When her feet landed on the tile, she opened her wincing eyes and gasped. There were candles lit all around the bathroom - about thirty of them- and rose petals floated gently along in the water, completely covering the view of the bottom. The air was lightly perfumed with the heady scent of roses. Legolas smiled.

"I think I got a little… carried away, Silmeamin. But it is truly interesting, the way the lotsë react to the hot water…" Rhiannon giggled, and then stopped suddenly.

"Did you say hot water? Excuse me, please." She gave Legolas a kiss on the cheek and dropped the sheet, stepping into the tub and sending swirling rose petals to attach themselves to the sides, settling back when she had gotten settled on her back in the steamy water. She sighed.

"Elves do everything better," Legolas laughed, and she blushed profusely. "Oh. I didn't mean THAT. I meant, I can never get the water this hot…. Maybe it's this house... Oh God." She went silent and sunk lower into the rose scented water. Legolas picked up the sheet, folded it and placed it on the toilet seat, and sat down.

"Are human women always so embarrassed all the time?"

"No. Not all the time."

Legolas laughed, and bent down to kiss her forehead.

"Thank you, Legolas. This is amazing." He placed a kiss on her lips and left.

She watched him, and closed her eyes, realizing what a fixture he had become in her life. She couldn't imagine being without him, something that genuinely scared her.

Rhiannon stepped quietly down the carpeted stairs in her pink, fluffy robe and slippers, careful not to wake Melissa and Matt. When she got to the kitchen however, she discovered them about to engage in an activity that most certainly was not cooking.

"Oh, for fuck's sake!" She said exasperatedly, "Don't you two have a room for that type of thing?"

Melissa quickly hopped off of the counter and pulled down her nightgown, facing Rhiannon, who stood in a military like pose with her arms crossed.

"Actually, Rhiannon," Melissa started, "we have a HOUSE for it!" Rhiannon cringed.

"Ew. Melissa, that's gross. One thing's for damn sure, I'm not eating off that table." She eyed the kitchen table warily, backing back upstairs through the kitchen staircase. "Legolas and I are going out for breakfast, so you can get kinky in the kitchen in peace now, I guess." She made to start up the stairs, and stopped and turned around. "Oh, but before I go, do you by chance have any acid for me to burn my eyes out with?"

"You'd rather eat fast food? And don't pretend as though I won't have to change the sheets, Miss Thing." Melissa asked, completely ignoring the tease.

"Whatever," Rhiannon replied with a blush. "Anyway, pure fat and salt is much better than the dried-out remnants of your mixed bodily fluids, Melissa." She shuddered, made a face, and started back upstairs to get dressed.

Rhiannon pulled through the drive through at McDonalds, only to find that they were still on the breakfast menu, and would be until 11:30.

"Alright, never mind." She pulled through, Legolas looking at her in confusion.

"What was that, Silmeamin?"

"Hmm? What was what?" She looked at him through sunglass-covered eyes.

"The metal box you were speaking into."

"Metal box… Oh! That was the drive through speaker. You talk into it, and tell the person what you want, and then they make it, and you pull up and get your food and go on your merry way to crash your car while trying to stuff your face with lard, and drive at the same time, and I get a new case."

"I see."

"Anyway, we're not going to do that just yet. I refuse to subject you to the horror that is the McDonald's breakfast menu. You will eat the french-fries, however. This is my decree." Legolas nodded.

"And now, Prince Legolas of Mirkwood, we have an hour to kill. What shall we do?"

"I could teach you some Elvish words." Rhiannon gasped in delight at the idea of messing with Melissa's mind by speaking Elvish with Legolas in front of her. After all, she was scarred from the scene she had witnessed earlier that morning.

"I'd like a number three, a number six, supersize the fries on both," she turned to Legolas. "You do eat meat, right?"

"Yes, at times."

"Perfect." She turned back to the speaker, and continued. "Two Diet Cokes, and one of those little soft-serve ice cream cones. A vanilla one." The speaker on the other side mumbled something inaudible, and Rhiannon pulled up. She gave a twenty to the teenaged cashier, wondered how much of the grease on the bag was from his hair and face, got her change back, and drove off, eating her ice-cream cone.

"Alright. This is a hamburger," Rhiannon began, taking out a wrapped burger and pointing to it. She and Legolas were sitting in the parking lot of a park, music on, and Rhiannon sitting cross-legged in her seat, with the seat slid all the way back and slightly reclined. "It's like a sandwich, but better." Legolas looked at her, confused. "Oh, never mind. Look, here's how you eat it." She took a bite. "Okay, taste it." She handed it to him, and he took a bite, chewed slowly, and swallowed. She looked at him expectantly. He nodded his approval, and she smiled. "Okay, now this is a McNuggget. It's chicken, sort of…. Okay, we won't go into that. Just dip it, and eat it." She demonstrated, and he followed her example. He chewed, and looked at her as if she were crazy.

"This is not chicken, Silmeamin. It does not taste bad, that is true, but the taste is more that of a-"

"Oh please Legolas, don't. I don't want to know. Don't ruin McNuggets for me, please Legolas, I'm begging you."

"Alright. I shall say nothing."

"Thank you. I love introducing the lost to the wonders of fat. Okay, now here's the crème de la crème. French fries." She took one out, marveled at its beauty, and quickly put it in her mouth. Her head dropped back and she let out her breath deeply, and recovered, to see Legolas looking at her very strangely.

"Okay, now you try." He looked at her suspiciously.

"I do not think I shall, Silmeamin."

"Why not?" She was disappointed, everyone was supposed to love McDonald's fries.

"That thing has bewitched you." He was met with the ringing laughter of his female companion.

"The french-fry has not bewitched me!" She pushed one at his lips, and then got an idea. "Come on! Here comes the airplane, ready to make a landing…" His curiosity came over him.

"What is an airplane?" The instant he opened his mouth, she stuffed the fry inside.

"Chew!" Legolas glared at her, and ate the fry. "Well?"

"They are suitable." He reached into the bag for more. She smiled triumphantly.

"Legolas, remind me to introduce you to the wonders of pizza…"

He looked over at her with a mouthful of fries.

She sighed. "I'm gonna get you all chubby, I can tell already."