Author: Mirrordance

Title: For Every Evil

Summary: Legolas is a policeman in 2004. His colleagues start to wonder why the 10-yr veteran doesn't age & more trouble ahead after he runs across the Fellowship & some friends in modern incarnations, resurrected along with a new world-threatening peril.

8: About Time

Imladris, Mid-2004

Elladan ushered Ana to a chair in the living room, and grabbed his twin brother's arm in a vice-like grip, tugging him to the bar. The fiery Italian woman is going to want a whiskey, after this.

Legolas stood uncertainly, wondering if he was to see to Anatalia or follow the twin sons of Elrond. He decided to hold his ground and pretend interest in a painting he's seen millions of times before, millions of lives ago.

'You did not tell me Legolas was coming,' Elladan said.

'This is more his home than hers, brother,' Elrohir pointed out, 'You did not tell me she was coming.'

'I thought it was about time you were introduced,' Elladan said edgily, 'I was not prepared for any… any… explanations for all the other things yet.' The elf's deft hands prepared alcoholic drinks for four.

'You've not said 'hi' to Legolas,' Elrohir pointed out, 'Impolite.'

'He'd understand,' Elladan growled, but he abandoned the drinks to Elrohir and made a step toward Legolas.

At that instant, Halvor stepped from his quarters, undoubtedly because of the commotion. He almost ran into Legolas, and he immediately bowed low and murmured, 'My liege.'

Anatalia, who was seated nearby, watched the exchange with widened eyes.

Elladan sighed.

Well this was bound to happen…

Elladan walked to Legolas and smiled at him apologetically. "Welcome to Imladris, mellon-nin. I'm sorry. I was stunned, I suppose."
"I thought you knew I would be by," Legolas said, "I'm sorry for the intrusion—"

"It's my delinquent brother's fault, do not worry," Elladan sighed, and lowered his voice even as he fell into his native elvish, 'I suppose it's long been in the cards. I think she is the kind I could love. And if she is indeed that sort of woman, I should have nothing to fear.'

'I am sorry—'

'No, no,' Elladan cut him off, 'Come. We shall give you a proper introduction.'

And give me a proper introduction as well.

Ana… he thought fervently, I hope you take me for what I am.

" " "

Elrohir sat in front of Ana, putting the tray of drinks on the table that stood between them.

"So," Elrohir said gamely to his brother, eyes twinkling, "She's found us out. Do we toss her into the dungeons? Or do you prefer the tower?"

"You're not helping," Elladan growled at him.

Ana was nervous—understandably—and her eyes oft darted toward Legolas, who sat beside Elrohir. But she was spirited too, and gamely met Elrohir's eyes and pointed out that they had no tower to put her in. Elrohir simply grinned, thinking he could like her.

"Anatalia," Elladan said gently, "This is Elrohir, my twin brother. The fellow here is Legolas, who is an old friend, and a brother in spirit."

Legolas smiled at her uncertainly, and she returned the look with respect.

"You've a curious name," she said, remembering that name from a 1585 photograph!

You're a curious man, she meant, and they all knew it.

"Did… did Elladan…" she said haltingly, searching his face, "Did Elladan tell you about… I'm sorry," she smiled, "I am sounding terribly incoherent. I suppose I just think this is… extraordinary. Did Elladan tell you, that you share in the likeness of this curious line I am tracing?"

"Yes," Legolas replied, "He did."

"You did not tell me you knew him," Ana chided the other elf, "Is this a surprise for me? You asked him here for me to see?" she frowned in thought, "But you seemed just as surprised as I was… Why did you not tell me?"

Elrohir looked at his stumped brother expectantly. There was an almost appreciative look to his eye. It was a joy to see Elladan so… flustered and, and, well, in love. He'd have stayed except Legolas rose and tugged at him to follow.

"We're going to leave," Legolas said to Anatalia with a smile, "It was nice meeting you, Miss Craxi."

"It's Ana," she said, offering him her hand. He shook it firmly, just before dragging Elrohir away with him.

"We'll leave you the drinks," he winked at her, as he let himself be pulled away.

As the pair of elves walked off, they heard Elladan begin the conversation by saying, "Ana, I have something unbelievable to say…"
Elrohir grinned, looking sideways at a worried-looking Legolas. "Come on, my friend. It's just as well. She really ought to know."
"Is this my fault?" the Mirkwood prince asked.

Elrohir scoffed, "It's not your fault, mellon­-nin. It's my achievement. Not intentional, unfortunately, but this will all turn out for the best, you'll see. She'll like him." The elf laughed, "She is, after all, a big fan of antiques!"

" " "

She stared at him expectantly, and he avoided her gaze miserably. How in all of Arda was he supposed to begin this explanation.

"It can't be as bad as all that," she said soothingly, and he wondered if she was speaking thus as much for his sake as her own.

"If I told you I cannot die, would you believe me?" Elladan asked her with a nervous breath.

"No," she replied tentatively, wondering where he was going with this, "What does this all have to do with your ghost-friend?"
"We are of the same kin, him and me," said Elladan, "To tell you of him is to tell you of myself."

"All right," she said, wary, "What of the pair of you?"
"If I told you I do not age, would you believe me?" he asked.

Her lips curved. "You are bellisimo, Elladan. Yes, I would."
"Ana, I am being serious," Elladan told her. "You are to take the questions literally."

"I am serious too," she said tersely, "And how else could I take it other than figuratively, hm?"

"I suppose that is a no," Elladan said dryly, "Hm. If I told you I'm not human, would you believe me?"

"No," she answered, beginning to get irritated, "What sort of game are you playing?"

"No game," he chuckled nervously, wearily, "If you will not believe anything I say, then we might as well not bother with this conversation."
She frowned at him. "Elladan. Look at my face. I wish desperately to know you. But the things you are saying are off the X-files. This is fiction. This is fantasy. Estraordinario. Who are you? Please, I beg to know."
He looked at her dryly. "I'm an elf, I've been alive for ages and ages you cannot imagine. I do not age, I do not die. I am one of the last of my kin still here on Earth. I am like Legolas. We live amongst you edain in secret."

She stared at him. Her jaws were set, and she seemed vastly annoyed. Taking a deep breath, she took one of the glasses of whiskey and downed it in a gulp.

"I certainly believe you believe that," she said sternly, eyeing the other glasses, as if pondering having them as well. "I'm thinking I should be laughing, because this is ridiculous. But I find I am more… annoyed. For my time has been wasted playing your games, my… my… affections, wasted. My father, he will have a ball. For so smart a woman, to jump from one disastrous relationship into another. But this… this one is for the books. I've associated myself with a demented, clinically-insane person."

Elladan ran his hands over his face. How does one prove such a claim? Spend the rest of your life with me, watch me not-age, watch me not-die? The argument was preposterous, because in order to prove his claims, he'd have to have her trust and her heart, and in order to have that, he'd have to prove to her he was speaking the truth first… ridiculous, unsolvable circle.

"I only have my word," he told her gently, "This house, perhaps you'd want to have it carbon-dated or whatever it is you want to do. But it all calls for attention I cannot afford." He pushed his hair to the back of his ears, and plucked at the curved synthetic rubber that hid the pointed tips, "Would these suffice? And you've seen Legolas' photographs, all of those were him. I have some of my own. And the painting in your house, the man who looked like me? That was Elrohir. Ana… I want you in my life, and I know that in order to attain this you must know me. But I am what I am and I cannot prove it to you except by the passing of the ages, and I cannot change it."

She stared at him, and then chuckled at herself in embarrassment. "I cannot believe I am buying into this. Hm. Dios mio. What the hell. Would you agree to a DNA test?"

"I do not want the attention," Elladan replied, "How about if we just pretended I did not say any of these things and moved along?"
She shook her head. "No. We've gone this far. I do not do things halfway, signore. I want to give you my heart. But I want to know where it is going and how much it is going to cost. I have loved you, and I will love you for whatever you are—elf or demented human—but I have to know who you are."

She shifted in her seat, plans running across her sharp eyes. "The way I see it… you have a centuries-old house, with literature and symbology I've never seen in all my life despite my experience. You've pointed ears. You've got a ghost upstairs who has been roaming the world since 1585. All this deserves some thought. I think perhaps… perhaps I can find it in myself to try and believe you."

He watched her carefully. Anatalia on business-mode was a force to be reckoned with. And that was a hell of a curiosity to try and dampen. He will not be able to dissuade her. He could imagine her pulling at strands of his hair in his sleep and taking them to some hush-hush lab somewhere. She would keep his secret, he was sure of that much. But she would wrest the answers from him first.

Why do men have to like strong-willed, stubborn women, he wondered as he looked at her thoughtfully.

"Did you just say you love me?" he asked her impishly.

"You said it first, did you not?" she lied.

"No," he smiled a little, "I did not."

She frowned at him, and he knew she was embarrassed. "Well?"

"Well what?" he asked.

"Aren't you going to say it?"

"I think I'll keep you guessing," he said to her in mock seriousness, "You are finding out too many things at once."
She narrowed her eyes at him in irritation. "Fine."
He grinned. "So. DNA test, eh, brat? I think I know a doctor who will keep quiet."

TO BE CONTINUED…