Lizzie POV

"Where's Heather off to in a hurry?" Legolas asked after Heather had finished her wonderful songs.

"I don't know. I hope that she is okay." I started to go after her but Rumil stopped me.

"Lady Lizzie, please, allow us. Lady Galadriel wishes for you to sing also." He smiled and left with Orophin.

"But-" I started to say but was cut off by Galadriel in my thoughts.

'Get over here and sing to us. You owe me big.' I smirked and turned around.

"Well, Galadriel. What would you like me to sing?"

"Anything, just don't make it morbid." I smiled and stood up in front of the crowd.

The sky above the roof is calm and sweet:

A tree above the roof Bends in the heat.

A bell from out the blue Drowsily rings:

A bird from out the blue Plaintively sings.

A God! A life is here, Simple and fair,

Murmurs of strife are here Lost in the air.

Why dost thou weep, O heart, poured out in tears?

What hast thou done, O heart, With thy spent years?

The audience applauded with Legolas leading them. I searched the crowd, looking for Heather. Legolas joined me on the platform.

"Heather's gone again. I wanted her to hear me." He held my waist.

"I'm sure that she's fine. Sing again, maybe she will hear." I sighed and started, savoring the feeling of Legolas hugging me from behind.

If I never knew you, if I never felt this love
I would have no inkling of how precious life can be
And if I never held you, I would never have a clue
How at last I find in you, the missing part of me.

In this world so full of fear, full of rage and lies
I can see the truth so clear, in your eyes, so dry your eyes
And I'm so grateful to you, I'd have lived my whole life through
Lost forever, if I never knew you.

If I never knew you, I'd be safe but half as real
Never knowing I could feel a love so strong and true
I'm so grateful to you, I'd have lived my whole life through
Lost forever, if I never knew you.

I thought our love would be so beautiful
Somehow we make the whole world bright
I never knew that fear and hate could be so strong
All they leave were these whispers in the night
But still my heart is saying we were right.

If I never knew you
If I never knew this love
I'd have no inkling of how precious life can be
I thought our love would be so beautiful
Somehow we make the world bright
I thought our love would be so beautiful
We'd turn the darkness into light
And still my heart is saying we were right.

We were right
And if I never knew you
I'd have lived my whole life through
Empty as the sky
Never knowing why
Lost forever
If I never knew you.

Heather POV

Once I had made it back to the party, I made off with two bottles of the Elvish wine and went to "our tree" and popped the cork on the first bottle. With the first swig, that's when I let those sobs come out.

An hour later…

"Go on now go walk out the door
Just turn around now
'cause you're not welcome anymore
Weren't you the one who tried to hurt me with goodbye
You think I'd crumble
You think I'd lay down and die
Oh no, not I
I will survive
As long as i know how to love
I know I will stay alive
I've got all my life to live
I've got all my love to give
And I'll survive
I will survive…"

I sang loudly and offkey, what did I care? Screw love. I polished off the last bottle and threw it aside.

"What is the most beautiful girl in Lorien doing out here, unattended?" came a male voice. It was Kurien.

"Hallo Kurien!" I yelled, smiling like an idiot.

"Heather, lirimaer, what are you doing out here?"

"Haldir (hiccup) and his brothers like totally dissed me, so I came out here!" I said ending with a squeak.

"Well let me escort you home?" he asked.

"M'kay," I replied joyously.

He tried to help me up, but I couldn't hold myself up. "Will you carry me, sweet Elf?" I asked giggling.

He smiled, "Of course melamin," he scooped me up gently in his arms.

"Melamin?" I asked.

He laughed, "A term of endearment."

He carried me for a while, "Kurien! Silly goose, you are going the wrong way! My talan is that way!" I drunkenly pointed in the other direction.

He said nothing, but he did set me down in the soft grass. "I love you, Heather." He said huskily.

I looked at him seriously, my eyes wide, "Really?" I almost burst out crying, "I just want someone to love me." I said.

"Well, I love you," he said, looking into my eyes.

And then it happened, we kissed. His kisses were full of passion and heat and I responded eagerly. We kissed and kissed and I felt his hands on me, but I didn't care. He loved me. It was going to be ok! I felt butterflies of anticipation in my stomach.

And then I felt his weight being shoved off of me, and I heard voices.

"Kurien! What are you doing? She's drunk!"

"He loves me you fool!" I cried out weakly.

"Surely he does not lirimaer," came a familiar voice.

"Haldir did not love me. Kurien loves me!" I cried.

"You heard her! Why don't you go back to the party and leave us?" I heard Kurien say.

Then I heard the sickening sound of fist on flesh, a fight. Then someone picked me up and started carrying me.

"Haldir doesn't love me, all I wanted was for Haldir to love me!" I babbled to the unknown arms that carried me, "Haldir is so wonderful, and Rumil says…" I broke into tears.

"Shhh, melamin. It's ok. Haldir does love you, very much."

"What about Lindy Poo?" I wailed.

"Shh, she's not important, nothing is important except that Haldir does love you and only you."

I felt myself being lowered onto a bed of grass, and my carrier next to me, wrapping a cloak around us. It smelled familiar. And just before I fell into slumber, a voice whispered, "I love you, Heather," and then he kissed me on my forehead and I fell into dreams.