So don't go away, say what you say

Say that you'll stay, Forever and a day ...

In the time of my life 'cause I need more time,

Yes I need more time just to make things right

Don't Go Away

By: Oasis

Erin looked up as they reached what could only be dubbed "the Elven palace". The guards in front of the gate opened it as Esgalan motioned to them. She held Shinta to her more tightly, nervous about what would happen to her.

They stopped inside the gates and Esgalan dismounted, helping Erin down as she held onto Shinta. Erin looked up as a tall, important looking Elf approached her. He stopped in front of Esgalan and looked at him in question.

"You brang an outsider here?" he asked Esgalan.

"This is not an outsider, my lord."

Erin felt her brain stop for a moment and backtrack. My lord? Who was this guy.

"Well then, who is she?"

"This is Erin, King Thranduil."

Erin choked on air, coughing loudly. King Thranduil? But what Legolas, the person she was supposed to save, a prince? Then this would be his father....... oh my........

"She cannot remember anything. She does not remember who she is, who Legolas is, how she got here, anything."

Erin's mind returned to the world when she felt Thranduil's piercing gaze upon her. He stared at her with a look of disbelief and hatred on his face. Erin felt the urge to shrink away from him, but fought it. Why exactly did he hate her anyway?

"You," he began, his voice obviously being carefully controlled. "You are the one who has done this to my son?"

"Done this to him?" she asked blankly.

"Yes!" Thranduil's voice was most definitely raising angrily. "You first appear as Ladhwen when you journey here with your friend. You make him fall in love with you, thus betraying your friend. I should have guessed your character right then. You then die, leaving my son with no will to live, but miraculously he lives. You appear again, in the middle of the forest, supposedly unable to talk, but I see that you can talk quite well now. So you lie." Esgalan interrupted him before he could continue.

"My lord, she was unable to speak before, it was true, but by some miracle she regained it." Thranduil's eyes darted to the Elf angrily. Ignoring his comment, he turned back to Erin.

"You follow him in his journey and make him fall in love with you again. Then he finds out that you are in fact the reincarnation of Ladhwen, which breaks him all over again. He is able to get past that and loves you unconditionally, then, once again, you die. But, this time, unlike the last, he is unable to recover. Now he is forced to go through Morn Methed. It is the most terrible thing that could happen to an Elf."

When Thranduil said "Morn Methed" chills went down Erin's spine. It seemed familiar, and very bad.

"He now dies slowly, lost within his own mind, unable to realize what is happening to him, and not caring for anything. The worst moments in his life replay in his head over and over again. Ladhwen's death, yours, every terrible thing that has happened to him." Thranduil's voice could have killed her with the venom that dripped from it. "Now you return once again. And now you do not remember anything. Tell me, Erin, will you make him fall in love with you again, only to leave him? Will you continue to do this until the end of time, forcing him to be put through unspeakable pain for all of eternity?"

Erin could almost see the flames in his eyes. She lowered her own from his. What could she do? She knew he had every right to be angry with her, but was it her fault that she seemed to die and come back so much? Like SHE wanted to die....... But still, he didn't have to be this horrible to her, even if he WAS sad that his son was dying. Anger started to boil up inside her. She put it in check and began to speak.

"King Thranduil. I can understand why you would be angry with me." She returned her gaze to his, her own eyes beginning to burn with the beginnings of fury. "But that is no reason to treat me such as this. Can I help that I have died? Do you think that I really want to die?!" she asked incredulously.

"I am sorry that all of this has happened to your son, and I am sorry that it has happened to you. I know that I must seem like a horrible person. Who knows, perhaps I am. I really don't know what I'm like, but I don't think that I'm as horrible as you think I am. Also, since I AM the only one who can save your son, I suggest that you stop now."

Erin turned and walked briskly away, leaving a few gaping Elves behind. She had just threatened the king....... She stopped when she heard footsteps behind her, realizing that it was Esgalan. She was still incredibly angry for what the king had accused her of, but that was no reason to take it out on him, so she waited patiently for him to catch up.

Erin calmed down a bit when Esgalan put a hand on her shoulder in an attempt to soothe her. She looked down at Shinta when he shifted uncomfortably.

The boy looked up at her in question, not quite understanding what had gone on. Erin smiled down at him and turned to Esgalan, piercing him with her gaze. He nodded and began to lead her down a hallway to the room that Shinta would be staying in. The boy had not been able to sleep for some time now, so his eyes were beginning to droop with the sleep that he desperately needed. By the time they had reached it he had already fallen asleep in her arms.

Esgalan opened the door for her and waited for her to tuck Shinta into bed. He had an expectant look on his face when she turned around. "What?" she asked curiously. "Come, you must change and then we will go see Prince Legolas."

Esgalan looked at Erin hesitantly as they stood outside the door, wondering exactly what would happen when they entered the room. He looked down at Erin and held his arms out to take Shinta. Hesitantly, she handed the small child to Esgalan, who, in turn handed to boy to one of the guards at the door.

"Take Shinta to Erin's room and let him have a bath, will you?" he asked the Elf, smiling at Shinta. The Elf nodded and walked away with the boy in his arms. Erin turned to Esgalan after the boy was out of earshot.

She looked at him, her eyes piercing, and Esgalan knew at once that she was ready to go in. He gave a curt nod and began to open the door, watching Erin closely. Her eyes widened. There were no windows in the room. All there was for a bed was a large mattress like thing on the floor. He had a bathtub and a basin of water.

Finally, her eyes fell upon the form of a man, curled up into a fetal position on his side on the floor, facing a corner, his back to them. She was frozen. Carefully, Esgalan pushed her inside the door and closed it behind himself. Esgalan spoke, his voice quiet and soothing.

"Legolas?" The figure didn't move. "Legolas," he continued. "You have a visitor." Legolas rolled over, his eyes searching the faces of those present in the room. He seemed to recognize none of them.

"Who are you?" he asked Esgalan. Erin looked up at Esgalan and noticed the slight hurt in his eyes.

"You know me, it is Esgalan. I have brought Erin," he said tentatively. Legolas was on his feet in an instant, standing before Esgalan.

"She is alive? Where is she?" he asked, looking as though he were about to cry. Esgalan looked at him for a moment, wondering why he had not recognized her in an instant.

"Here she is," he said, motioning towards Erin. Erin froze as his gaze fell upon her. She had noticed, once she saw his face, that this Elf was positively gorgeous. Legolas walked up to her, his face a mere inch away from hers, his eyes searching her own. She waited for his reaction.

Legolas turned to Esgalan. "Get her out of here!" he yelled at Esgalan.

"What? Why-" Esgalan began, his eyes worried.

"Just get her out!" Legolas yelled, tears forming in his eyes. "You said that you were my friend, Esgalan. But now you try to trick me?! Why would you do this to me?! You make me believe that she is alive when she is not! That is not Erin!" He screamed, pointing accusingly at the girl, his eyes narrowed in anger.

Erin felt her heart freeze. 'What is going on?' she thought. Esgalan's eyes widened.

"It is her!" he cried, but it was too late. Legolas had retreated into a corner far away from them, his body curled in on itself. Sobs and muttering could be heard from his now seemingly small form. Erin's eyes flew to Esgalan. He turned to her and urged her towards Legolas.

"He does not recognize you," he whispered in her ear. "You must convince him that it really is you, Erin, otherwise he will die." Erin's eyes were large.

"But how am I supposed to do that when I don't even remember him?!" she whispered shrilly.

"I do not know. But please, for your sake, and for his, please get him back." With that Esgalan left Erin in the room with Legolas. She walked up to his crying form hesitantly. A weird feeling seemed to be growing stronger in her. She felt something for this man, this man that she couldn't remember. Something flashed in her head.

They were kissing, her and the man. It was dark and smelled stale where they were. A word entered her mind. Moria. Erin grabbed her head as she felt it throb. She was getting some of her memory back.

She walked up to Legolas carefully, as though approaching a wild animal, and did what her instincts told her to do with the man. She began to rub his back in a soothing manner. His head snapped around and he stared at her. Erin ignored his gaze and sat down beside him.

"Legolas?" she asked carefully. No response. "It's me, it's Erin. Please remember me," she said, wondering where exactly the words and the knowledge of what she should do were coming from. She noticed, for the first time, that he looked like a small child, curled up and crying. Erin reached out and grabbed his shoulders, pulling his back against her front. Legolas didn't resist, but still looked at her with suspicious wonder out of the corner of his eye.

Erin wrapped her arms around his shoulders, her thumb rubbing his collar bone. She moved so that her back was against one of the walls, tugging Legolas to her and letting him lay against her form. Her legs were on either side of him, stretched out. They ran along his, which were now stretched out in front of him. She almost laughed at how weird this must look, a man, crying, being nearly spooned by a woman.

"Who are you?" he asked in a small voice.

Thinking better of saying that it was Erin, due to his previous reaction, she decided that she would try another path.

"I'm a friend. I'm here to make you feel better." Legolas seemed to accept this answer and rested his head back against her shoulder.

"Is it okay if I sleep?" he asked tentatively. "I feel like I can sleep around you. I haven't been able to sleep in days, so is it okay?"

Erin smiled down at him. "Of course it's okay. I promise that I'll still be here when you wake up, if you want me to."

She felt him nod against her. In about fifteen minutes, she noticed that he had relaxed against her and, moving on an impulse, reached her hand up to stroke his head. He had beautiful hair, she noticed. Careful no to wake him, she began to run her fingers through it. It seemed that he hadn't brushed it in quite a while as there were tangles that her fingers kept catching on. Erin noticed a brush on the bed and strained to reach it.

Her fingers brushed the handle and she flicked them, sending the brush an inch closer to her. She picked it up and began to carefully brush through his silky locks, not wanting to wake him.

Erin felt like screaming. Who was this man? Why was all of this happening to her? Would she ever remember what everyone was talking about. Esgalan had said that she and Legolas loved each other very much. If that was true then why didn't she remember him? A frustrated tear slowly slid down her cheek. She didn't realize that it fell from her face and landed on Legolas's cheek.

He stirred. Erin watched as he looked up at her and raised a hand to her face. She froze. What was he doing? His hand touched her cheek, wiping the wetness from it. Erin shuddered. The headache, it was becoming stronger. Images. Images flashed through her mind. Them kissing. Them holding each other. Riding together. Sleeping together.

She clutched her head and dropped to her side on the floor. Legolas stared at her in question, slowly moving away. Her head felt like it was ripping in two. There was a searing pain tearing through it. Her fingers dug into her scalp as she squeezed it with pain. She screamed in anguish.

The doors burst open at the sound and Esgalan ran in, dropping to his knees next to her. He looked up at Legolas in question, but the Elf was curled up again. He had retreated into himself at the shock of this.

"Erin? Erin, what's wrong?" Esgalan asked in a soothing manner. She continued to writhe around on the ground, screaming out in anguish. Esgalan was beginning to panic. He lifted her head into his lap and tried to pry her hands from her head. She was going to end up hurting herself. Esgalan stared at her screaming form. Although he was a healer, he had no idea what to do in this situation.

The need had never arisen to know about anything like this. Tears were threatening to come to his eyes now. Watching her like this was too much. All the stress of Erin dying, Legolas losing it, everything threatened to come crashing down upon him now.

It seemed that everything around them was silent as Erin screamed. She took a breath, then something weird began to happen. The very walls seemed to shake as an ear piercing cry erupted from her lips. It sounded almost like there were two different voices, two different pitches crying out in anguish. He looked at her leg. The scar was normal, he saw no glow from it, so what was going on? He was forced to slap his hands over his ears as the scream grew louder. Just as he thought that his own head was going to explode the cry stopped.

Erin fell limp in his arms as the scream died in her throat. He released his ears and immediately picked her up in his arms, rushing her out of the room. He called to an Elf as he passed to follow him. They ran into a room and laid her down on the bed. Esgalan checked her pulse. Her heart was still beating. He looked at her face which seemed peaceful now. It appeared that she was sleeping.

"Go and bring me some water for her," he said, and the Elf ran off to get what had been requested. He would get her to drink some water and then let her rest. He hoped that she would be okay after this. Slowly, he closed his eyes as he tried to calm his own panic stricken heart. Would she awaken from this? What had caused it? Would this kind of thing happen again? He sat down and let his head rest against the bed as the questions ran through his mind. They would be answered later by Erin, he hoped.