Disclaimer: I so wish I owned Legolas, but unfortunately... I don't! Or any of the other LOTR characters for that matter! I own all the others! And just a note to my bestest buddy Nikhila(the whole tequila with an 'n' thing again, for those of you who forgot.)-who Rina is based on-I hoped you liked your little moment of wisdom back there! All these characters are based on one friend or another, except Legolas, Galadriel, and Gandalf. I would like to give credit to all my friends(Nikhila, Ben, Jessica, Mandy, Megan((Layanna)), and another Ben) for being such great friends! You all inspire me! If it weren't for you, all my characters would be way stupid or too perfect to be human! Sorry, back to my normal, not sympathetic self. That was just spur of the moment. All of it was true, mind you. How would I ever live without my buddies? deep breath Ok, well, I hope you enjoy and please please please review!

Rusty

ps-Sorry, that was rather long...

Chapter Six: The Dream
All that night, the company laughed and told jokes. Aliana even joined in eventually by singing a Veggie Tales song that she and Mandy always used to sing. Rina held her hands over her head and Ben joined in on the chorus. Legolas and Ivellios watched them intently, wondering what in the world a 'cheeseburger' was.
"You are his cheeseburger! His yummy cheeseburger! He waits for y-o- u! Oh, he waits for y-o-u!" Aliana and Ben sang the song loud and clear so that all could hear it-not that anyone else really wanted to. "Yes, you are his cheeseburger! His scrumptious cheeseburger! He will wait for y-o-u! Oh, he will wait for you..."
When the song was finally over, Rina sighed with relief and the two elves not included in the singing looked at each other quizzically. Ben rolled on the ground laughing, but Aliana did not join in with her friend. This song reminded her of her friends' back home and she suddenly realized how homesick she was.
She stood up and walked outside the cave for some peace and quiet and some fresh air. It occurred to her that she really did want to go home. She missed her friends and the little family that actually cared for her- meaning besides her father, mostly. And she missed playing her clarinet and playing on the school volleyball team. She missed writing notes to her friends in class and laughing when they got caught. She missed listening to Good Charlotte and Avril Lavigne with Jessica and swapping stories with Mandy.
She also wondered, if she ever got home, would she still be crazy over Legolas. Or would meeting the real elf in person and traveling many miles with him effect this. And how could she watch the Lord of the Rings with such fascination anymore, knowing that she'd been there and seen the wonders of Tolkien's world. Would her lifelong obsessions ever be the same?
How would she explain all this to her father? Or anyone, for that matter. No one would believe her. They'd all say she was crazy. Even with Nikhila and Ben to back her up, would her father and her friends believe her? What if they asked how she'd gotten here? She wasn't even sure of that herself. She just remembered writing in her diary on Halloween night. But that all seemed so far away it was hard to remember.
I hand rested gently on her shoulder, releasing her from her thoughts and worries for the moment. She turned around to face Legolas. "Are you alright, me heri?"
Aliana's face streamed with tears, but for what reason they fell, she did not know, and neither did he. "What do you want from me?!" she yelled angrily, her voice emitting emotions of both anger and pain.
"I want to know if you're alright, me heri. Is that too much to ask?" His voice was almost angry at this last statement, but he took a deep breath and continued. "What is it that you are so afraid of?"
"Nothing!" came a choked yell from the girl. But even from her voice, though it was harder to tell in the gathering dark, Legolas knew that she was crying. He also knew that beautiful green and blue color could be seen in her eyes, reminding him of the sea on a stormy day.
She turned from him and looked out over the treetops. Legolas looked down at the ground, his face mixed with frustration, annoyance, and tiredness. But even though it was barely visible, an emotion of true love could be seen in his green eyes.
After a few moments of silence, Aliana wiped a hand across her face and began to walk back into the cave. Resting a hand on the large circular entry way, she stopped and spoke these words before continuing to put out her blankets and go to sleep, "I'm fine."
Legolas tried to say something, but she just kept walking and he thought better of it. She was probably very tired and in that case, very irritable. And he knew almost as well as her closest friends did that to talk to her, especially when she was in a bad mood, was a risk no one wanted to take. He smiled slightly and made his way back into the cave to follow Aliana's trend that now seemed to be gladly excepted among the group as they were pulling out their blankets and awaiting sleep as well.
Ivellios watched his Prince intently, much as he had watched his conversation with Aliana just moments before. At first he was happy to see them argue, but when he saw the way she looked when she came back inside, he immediately forgot this happy state and cursed the young girl under his breath. She almost looked as though she didn't hate him as much as she pretended to, which he thought was completely preposterous.
Laying on his blankets, a group of small pebbles sticking into his back, Ivellios asked himself a question. Do I really care about bringing Legolas back home safely anymore, or is it now just a battle of Aliana against me? He decided on the second option, knowing full well that he didn't care much at all about Legolas's safety anymore. He just wanted to get at Aliana anyway he could and if that meant he'd have to do it through Legolas, then so be it.
Now that he thought about it, this was the perfect plan! And he really didn't have to do anything. He'd just sit back and watch Aliana's torn feelings about Legolas rip her apart until there was nothing left but a small insecure elf too afraid of the world around her to even walk outside. Yes, all he had to do was fill her head with lies and convince her that Legolas really wasn't all she believed him to be.
A smile curled its way around his face as he closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep. Aliana lay facing the wall for almost an hour before she fell asleep. She knew Legolas was watching her. She could feel his penetrating, yet soothing gaze upon her. When he was finally convinced she rested peacefully, he pulled the blanket over his head and slept.

"Come on, Lex!" Mandy called. "We're gonna be late!"
Alexus ran down the street after Mandy, panting and breathing heavily. Jessica and Nikhila were right behind her, followed closely by Ben. She ran past her house and down the road towards Mandy's. When they reached the porch, all her friends stood behind her, beaming with joy, although she could not see this. "Go on! Go inside!"
Out of curiosity, Alexus opened the door. Inside, everything was dark. She wondered why her friends were so excited about going to Mandy's house. It's not like she'd never been there before. She lived just down the street...
The girl didn't have long to wonder because at that moment, Mandy slipped fast her and flipped the light-switch. "Surprise!" People jumped out from behind the couch, the TV, the Alianachen, and even the bathroom. People she knew, people she loved dearly. All her friends save the ones behind her.
Ben pushed her inside and past the enormous pile of presents and large white birthday cake and out to the backyard. Everyone grouped around her, giving her big hugs and wishing her happy birthday. There was Rachel and Amy, Aaron and Natalie, Cassie and Patrisha, Sheng and Justin, Kirsten and Allie, Sheyla and Paige, Jerrylinn-whom she hadn't seen for a few years- and Dominique, Maggie and Zoe, Abby and Kathy, and Gabby and Meredith. At least, that's everyone she saw.
Nikhila grinned as she approached her friend. "I assume you want to open all your presents, but first, we want you to see your biggest surprise!"
She walked back inside and was gone for a few minutes. Jessica and Ben stood beside her, smiling from ear to ear. When they saw Nikhila in the doorway, they both flung their hands across Alexus's eyes so she wouldn't see her big surprise. "Come on! I wanna see!" she wailed in protest.
"Not yet," Jessica said. "Two minutes."
Those two minutes seemed to past awfully slow to the birthday girl. But at last, Jessica turned her around and removed her hands. Alexus was amazed at what she saw. In the backyard of Mandy's house was the one boy she never thought she would see again. Adam Abeyta and his band were setting up their equipment, obviously to play at her birthday. "Happy birthday!"
Without further ado, the band began to play and Alexus just stood there with her mouth wide open. When Rachel walked by, she grabbed her by the arm and led her inside. "I thought you and Adam moved to Grants with the rest of your family?!"
"Duh, Lex! We did!" Rachel stated, not quite understanding what Alexus was talking about.
"Then how are you both here? At my birthday party? Why is Adam here? He doesn't even know me, least of all like me!"
Rachel laughed. "Being his stepsister, I know things that most people don't. So, when Mandy called and told me she was having a surprise party for you, I asked Adam if he'd play. He was totally up for it!"
Alexus looked stunned. "But why me? He doesn't even know who I am!"
"I think you're forgetting the fact that you were a little bit obsessed with him last year, Lex. It was kinda hard for him not to notice you!"
She couldn't believe what she was hearing. Was all this just a big joke, or was Rachel really serious? Did Adam really know who she was or was Rachel just really good at bribing people? Alexus was so amazed at all this, she failed to notice the door open and a figure staring directly at her.
Rachel turned to leave and Alexus was left alone in the house, under the watchful eye of her father. "What the hell do ya think you're doing, girl?!"
Alexus spun around. Seeing her father, her expression hardened. "Nothing that concerns you!"
He was furious at her statement. He lunged at her and pinned her to the wall. She knew he had been drinking for he smelled terrible and his eyes were glazed over slightly. His hand shook as he slapped her across the face. "Don't talk to me that way, bitch!"
Alexus merely stood there, not saying a word and waiting for her father to yell some more. Much to her liking, he passed out on the floor before he could say or do more. She couldn't say that she was surprised, though. That happened often, especially when he was drunk.
Jessica's hand rested on her shoulder. "You ok?"
"Uh huh." Alexus nodded, but her voice was slightly saddened and tears sparkled on her cheeks.
"Come on. Don't let him spoil your birthday! Adam's already started and everyone's waiting for you!"

Aliana awoke suddenly from her dream. Her ribs ached terribly and tears were fresh on her face. She pulled the blankets tightly about her and looked around the cave where her companions were still asleep. The fire had long since burned out and all that could be seen were the dying ashes, jumping from log to log. A faint light hovered just inside the cave, revealing the coolness of the dawn.
Her dream had not helped her decision in the least. She had remembered the good times she had had with her friends, but also the cruelty of her father. Although her father had showed up, that day had been the best time she'd ever had. After the band was done playing, they'd had cake and she'd opened her presents. The best part was, when everyone was leaving, Adam hugged her goodbye! And before he left, he gave her his e- mail address!
She smiled in remembrance of this. It meant so much to her what her friends had done and she knew, no matter how old she got, she would never forget it. Not ever. Oh, how she wanted to be home right now. To laugh with her friends as they sat down at lunch, to sit in the grass at the park and read a book, or to just lay on her bed when her father wasn't home and talk to Jess, Mandy, or Nikhila. She missed all that so much!
She glanced over to her right and saw Legolas fast asleep. Her gaze turned to Rina who now slept soundly, dreaming of kicking Levi's butt when she got home, then to Ben, curled up almost catlike by the fire. She avoided watching Ivellios, but knew he was awake and watching her. Seeing no need to get up, she rolled over and closed her eyes, eager to get some more sleep.