Unexpected Vacation

Chapter 3

"Hello?" Legolas said quietly.

"Legolas?" a surprised voice on the other line said. Legolas nodded.

Trying hard not to laugh, I explained that Merry couldn't see him. Legolas looked embarrassed, though he tried hard not to show it. "Yes, I am Legolas. Are you as worried as I am, Merry?"

Legolas saying Merry sounded terribly strange. I realized that he had never even communicated with Merry in the movies—he referred to Merry and Pippin as 'the hobbits'.

"Yes, to tell you the truth. Do you happen to have any ideas?"

Legolas almost shook his head, but remembered my previous warning. "No idea. I'm not sure if there's anything we can do, but wait and see what happens. Does Pippin have any ideas?"

There was a short silence and then we heard Anna shout,

"Pippin? Pippin! WHAT ARE YOU DOING IT THERE?" There was some shuffling, and then I heard a rather freaked-out sounding Anna say,

"Pippin! What are you doing in my room?"

I froze, remembering all the different standees that Anna collected. Certain ones, I might add—with short men with hairy feet. "Merry? Are you still there?" Legolas asked.

'Obviously not' I thought to myself. Legolas looked at me.

"Why are you making that face?"

I didn't know what to say. What could I say? There was no way to explain to Legolas what a standee was. Obviously realizing that I wasn't going to answer, Legolas went back to calling Merry.

"I think he followed Anna." I said quietly. He looked at me for a minute.

"Can we go see them?"

I felt depressed all of a sudden, because I really didn't know what to do. Everything had hit me so fast, and the shock was just sinking in that the Legolas was actually standing in front of me. Everything would have been so much easier if he had come before the fellowship. I bet he wouldn't be so serious then.

"You should go lay down."

Legolas said to me. I looked at him.

"Why?"

"You look sick. You should go sleep for a while."

As much as I wanted to, I knew I couldn't. And leave Legolas alone? As absurd as it sounded, I felt like I had to stay and protect him somehow. But from what? I mean, what the hay does Legolas need protection from?

I smiled weakly at him but shook my head.

"I'm alright. Have they come back yet?" He concentrated on the phone again.

"Merry?" he asked once more.

"Yes, I'm here. Pippin had just found something...unusual in Miss Anna's bedroom, and we where...looking at them." Legolas looked thoroughly confused, but said nothing. I silently thanked god for that fact.

"Well, uh...I guess...I doubt there is much we can do, other than think about what has happened and try to fix it somehow."

Merry seemed to agree with Legolas, and I took the phone.

"Anna? You there?" I said meekly. After a minute I heard a noise that I assumed meant yes.

"Did they see them?" I asked her, trying hard to sound like nothing was wrong. I wasn't to good at it. Legolas looked at me like he just knew I was hiding something. What, could he read my mind?

"Yes...yes, they saw them."

I sighed.

"Well then...I guess you have a lot of explaining to do. I'm going to go make breakfast, ok? I guess you can explain to them if you think its necessary. Other wise, you could just not... well, you get the idea."

Anna mumbled an uh huh and we both hung up. Feeling thoroughly exhausted, I collapsed on the couch.

"Is everything all right...?" Legolas asked me, as if everything had been all right before we decided to call Anna's house. While I was thinking about an answer, Legolas continued.

"Did you say you where going to make breakfast...?"

In spite of everything, I burst out laughing. "Are you that hungry?"

He looked down and then mumbled,

"No, I just thought maybe you where." Just seconds after he said it, his stomach growled something terrible. I burst out laughing again and lead an embarrassed Legolas to the kitchen.

As if asking for food was a terrible thing to do, he looked at his feet the whole time.

"Hey, what's wrong? I can make us some breakfast, no prob. You are incredibly skinny anyway."

Legolas looked down at his waist. "No I'm not. I'm normal."

I smiled and shook my head while I headed for the kitchen. I almost said that I had always thought that elves hardly ate at all, but decided against it.

"What would you like?"

Right after saying it, I regretted even asking. "You know what? Let be adventurous. I'm going to make something out of what I have, and your going to eat it. Ok?"

He kind of nodded, like he was worried that I was going to feet him fish eggs or something. I looked in the refrigerator.

A jar of pickles. Nope, to different. Butter and toast? Better than the pickles anyway. I kept looking. Wasn't their anything relatively 'normal' to his tastes?

Diet Rite.

Maple syrup.

Old candy corn.

Bottled water.

Fit & Active light ranch... WHAT THE HAY WHERE MY PARENTS THINKING WHEN THEY LEFT ME ALONE??????

Trying desperately to stay calm, I breathed in and out four times.

"Is something the matter?" Legolas asked me for what seemed the hundredth time. Then I saw it. A box of Raisins. Perfect! He would like raisins, wouldn't he?

"Have you ever heard of raisins?" I asked him. After he shook his head, I decided to go for it anyway.

"Ok, well, here, try these."

He looked at the box for a minute and then slowly, (terribly slowly) he opened to box and lifted a raisin out. "Go ahead, it tastes good, really." After receiving my reassuring look, he slowly put it in his mouth (Delicately, I will add.) He chewed it slowly.

"Well?" I asked. He turned his head a minute while thinking about his answer.

'Man, if it takes this long to taste a raisin....'

"I like it!" Legolas proclaimed. I exhaled. "Ok, well then, you can eat those while I make something else too." He seemed happy with this answer and walked over to the table and chairs set up in the kitchen.

"You do live in a strange world..." he mumbled to himself, eyeing the microwave. Slightly nodding, I opened the freezer.

Ice cream.

Frozen Pot Pies.

Frozen peas.

I would have had no problem with eating ice cream, but I didn't want Legolas to think it was normal or anything. I mean, ice cream for breakfast?

I started rummaging through the cupboards. Pancakes? That might work. I pulled the instant mix out when suddenly the doorbell rang. Me and Legolas both jumped.

"What was that?" he asked me, sounding rather freaked.

"The door bell. Quick, we need to hide you!" I jumped up and suddenly the contents of the cupboard pilled out onto the floor.

"Darn it!" I yelled while pushing Legolas out of the kitchen. "Where do you want me to go? Why must you hide me?" He kept asking, but I ignored him. The doorbell rang twice.

"Sis? Are you there?" a muffled mans voice rang out from the other side of the door.

"Quick! In here!" I shoved Legolas in the bathroom and shut the door.

"Stay in there and don't touch anything!" I half whispered half screamed to him. He mumbled a yes and I ran to the door.

"HI!" I said incredibly cheerfully (and incredibly loudly) to nun other than Erik, my brother.

We where doomed.