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.
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EPILOGUE
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Los Angeles,
Mid-2004
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Elvish healing was remarkably fast, but then the long arm of the law, or particularly, the strong arm of his boss, was much faster.
The bruises on his face were fading but still unmistakeably there when he found himself at last standing in the Captain's office, trying to outlast the relentless stare, trying to survive one more judgment day.
"Greene," his Captain said in a low, dark tone, like the quiet rumble of a volcano before the big explosion, "I need you, to take me through this blasted story, step by step."
"Yes sir," Legolas replied, sighing. He's been back in the U.S. barely forty minutes, and this was his warm welcome (perhaps he should say, 'heated' instead). No surprise, really. He was considering basking out in the Sinop sun a bit longer with his friends, loose the bruises, let the wounds heal. But then the call came through for his quick return, and well, he figured he's postponed this encounter long enough.
"I want you to tell me exactly what kind of shit you got yourself into," the Captain grated, and Legolas noted with some misery that atop his boss' desk was quite a sheaf of tabloids and newspapers that had his face all over them.
The ever-clever, ever-resourceful media went and discovered that it was he who was being tortured by Grissom Warrington in Rome, the so-called Union Leader —but he wasn't one at all, so why would Warrington do that, as was earlier believed? And then, after the incident in Rome, it's been reported that Leland Greene, a detective from Los Angeles, was also instrumental in the fugitive's capture, as well as in the diffusing of a terrorist attempt upon the barge Amazona. He was being hailed an international hero, a human interest piece, for the deeds were large and great, and he had admittedly marketable looks that helped sell the magazines and papers.
"You've managed to put yourself in such a great pile of trouble," the Captain added, "that I'm tempted to ask you to tell me this story from the very moment you walked out of my office after you asked for that blasted leave, and tell me about every cup of coffee and every bite of bread since."
"I'm afraid," Legolas said tentatively, restraining a smile, "I'm afraid I might not remember all of that, sir."
The Captain glared at him, and then his face softened as he sighed heavily and said, "What the hell happened to you, Greene?"
"I was contacted by family I did not know I still had," replied the elf, "They live in Austria and invited me to go visit. And so I took a leave, decided I wanted to get to know them. You know I have no one else, sir."
Ah yes, that bit of melodrama he employed for sympathy, and was a piece of advice that came from Pergrin Took. Lad got into trouble a lot, but always seemed to smartly wriggle his way out of punishment. That sort of advice could not have come from a better source.
"Hm," the Captain grunted, shifting in his seat. "So you went. What I don't understand, is what Adrian Aarons and his pair of colleagues were doing traveling along with you, after their lab was destroyed."
"We've repeatedly ran across each other after he treated Montes," replied Legolas, "and then met again after he reported the blow up at his lab when he saw me dining across from the station with my relatives. He was down from the event sir, understandably so. Anxious also. We got along, so I invited them since they did not have a workplace at the time anyway. He hesitated, but when there was another attack in his house, he took up our offer. My long-lost… cousins," he said of Elladan and Elrohir, "Own a sizeable estate in Vienna that could have easily accommodated for even more guests."
"I know," the Captain said coolly, apparently having looked it up, "What did they want with you?"
"Nothing," replied Legolas, "Just to see how I was doing. There's very few of us left in the family, sir."
"What was the Wal-mart hobo doing with you?" the Captain asked, adding dryly, "Was he 'down' as well, such that you invitred him also?"
That's a bit harder to explain…
"There was a woman with us, sir," said Legolas, "Anatalia Craxi, my cousin's companion. She recognized him as an auctioneer whose career plummeted last year. They knew each other, she took pity on him and invited him along as well."
"Your cousins and their associates are in the habit of taking in strays, are they?" the Captain asked, knowing his leg was being pulled although he was unsure precisely how.
"I suppose so, sir," Legolas replied quietly, with a bit of a sheepish smile, "And so we were off to Vienna."
"You did not stay very long there," the Captain said, "Next I saw you were in…" he looked at the files, "Messina. In Sicily."
"I was on a vacation, sir," said Legolas, "It made sense to see one of Europe's finest ports. There we met more of Ms. Craxi's associates, the Rigares. I suppose you can say this is when trouble started."
"It started when you asked for a leave, Greene," the Captain growled, "Continue."
"As you know," said Legolas, "The Rigares own the Fortress Defense company, which was having internal problems. It was my association with the Rigares, amplified by the European tabloids, that resulted in the danger to my life."
"Someone tore your apartment apart and beat up your doorman," the Captain added, "And Adrian Aaron's home was not spared either."
"Yes, sir," said Legolas, "And then, my cousins' home in Vienna was attacked, and I was abducted. All because it was believed we were closely tied to the Rigares. You know Grissom warrington had his eye toward acquiring their company, eventually."
"We all saw your handy little video," the Captain affirmed, "What is this about you being a Union leader?"
"A case of mistaken identities," Legolas replied, "I was just in the wrong place at the wrong time—in Rigare's company."
"You got out of there alive it seems," the Captain said dryly, "Occasionally to my regret."
"Interpol intervened," said Legolas, "They've been watching Fortress Defense for some time. Because we were with the Rigares, and at a unique position to aid the Interpol representative, we cooperated with their investigation."
"What brought you to Sinop, Turkey?" the Captain asked.
"After our ordeal," replied the elf, "We sought solace from the bigger cities. We were intrigued by the Baggins expedition, and then by the lure of the beaches as well. We didn't know the fugitive Grissom Warrington was so relentless as to try and follow us there. There was a storm, and we were sailing, so we asked for aid and were received in the Amazona. He then attacked the barge. The rest of the story, sir, I'm sure you know. Our group managed to detain Warrington, Interpol came in and diffused the bombs. It was all just… chance."
The captain watched his earnest face for a long while. The story was chock-full of coincidences, that was sure enough. He remembered when Rafael Montes barged into his office showing him the first tabloid featuring Leland Greene with his wealthy friends, he didn't know what to think, dismissed it as personal business. And then that infamous torture video came out, he started thinking perhaps Greene somehow got in way over his head—organized crime and lethal, quiet politics underlined the world's largest businesses, and Fortress Defense was definitely one of the world's most successful and dangerous firms. And then the next thing he knew, his subordinate was all over the news and hailed a hero. Leland Greene's answers were surely answers enough, and the case in any investigation was always that if the circumstances can both be caused by innocent and guilty factors, the law thought the best possible case of the individual and accepted the innocent scenario. Besides, Greene was never on his shit-list— the man was a good, honest worker. Always has been. Intelligent, polite, skilled… no record was cleaner, until the latest escapades of his leave, that is.
"You've had quite the time of this goddamn leave," the captain said coolly, "Now I know why you take so few of them."
"Yes sir," Legolas said with a helpless smile.
"Get the hell away from me, Greene," the Captain sighed, gathering all the tabloids and newspapers all around him. "The way I see it, I can give you a few more days. Let my head cool. Rest, get well for god's sake, you look like the dead. They're going to think I run my people to the ground. It being that you're a big media darling now and all."
Legolas winced. That did not sound quite as masculine as he desired. He felt a slight flush come to his cheeks, and this little low-blow teasing was probably just going to be the first of what great ribbing he'd encounter at the station.
The Captain handed him the periodicals, saying he had no use for the blasted things. Legolas stepped out of that office bearing the sheets of paper with some bewilderment, thinking that legend and reknown in this day and age was really much stranger than in the third age.
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Rafe Montes was waiting for him outside the Captain's door. The burly man was completely on his own two feet by now, and though Legolas smiled at him openly, he stared back at his partner with profound displeasure.
"One vacation," Rafe growled, "One, frigging vacation I let you out of my sight, and you get into all this crap."
"I'm sorry," Legolas replied with a bit of a chuckle, "But I tried my damndest not to disappoint you, mom."
"Yes, well, shut up," retorted Rafe, "That was supposed to be my line." He paused, and his eyes softened as he searched his partner's injured face. "You all right?"
"Yes," Legolas answered, "Never better actually."
"You have that sickening good-to-be-alive look all over your face," Rafe observed, "What the hell happened to you out there?"
Legolas looked at him sidelong, just smiled as he pondered the barest impossibility of giving an answer to that question. The lies he's served the Captain were a stretch already, for the man was intuitive and perceptive. But Rafe knew him well, or at least, knew Leland Greene well enough to know when Legolas was lying. He'd see through the lies, and the gruff man won't appreciate the insult to his perception and their friendship at all.
"I've reclaimed old friends," Legolas answered tentatively, "And we incidentally got into a mess. But all is well now."
"More secrets, hm?" Montes asked, "You know I'm gonna find you out one day, don't you, Greene?"
"I know," Legolas replied, not bothering to deny he was indeed not being fully open or truthful. But then that was how he always was and Montes knew it well enough.
"Until then," said Rafe, "I think I can live with this mystery crap. But I'm a detective, eh? I'd eventually want to know."
"Before anything else," said Legolas gravely, "Yes, of course."
"Answer me this one though," said Rafe, "You some kind of a crooked cop?"
"No," Legolas answered.
"Fugitive from the law?" asked Rafe, "Like, from England or wherever?"
"No," Legolas replied.
"Spawn of the devil?"
"No," Legolas chuckled, saying, "That would be your son, Montes."
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Horace Harding sat on a booth in the diner across from the police station, and waitress Jackie was making him into her new target. She served him his black coffee and then stepped back and asked, really rather sultrily, if there was anything else he wanted.
"Nothing, thanks," Haldir answered.
She was unused to the lack of attention. She walked away to prepare the rest of his breakfast, and intentionally undid the top two buttons of her uniform.
"Bagels," she said to him with a smile, as she laid down his food and then rose up. "Oh!" she exclaimed, catching his eye at last, as her hands slowly went up the open buttons, "It seems I've come undone!"
I think you're more unhinged, Haldir thought, but he just looked at her sternly and said, "You'd best button up back, then."
She left him in a huff, but she was helplessly entranced and intrigued by the handsome, cold fellow. When the bell sounded that a new customer just arrived, she looked up from her distractions to find her most favorite handsome, evasive fellow: Leland Greene.
"Leland!" she exclaimed, "I've read about you in the papers."
"Jackie, hello," he replied with an open smile.
"Well all the booths are filled," she said, "But want to sit at the counter? Near me?"
"No, I," Legolas scanned the room and found Haldir, "I have a table."
Jackie followed his gaze, and her eyes widened slightly to see that he was referring to the quiet man on the corner. "Leland, is everyone you know good-looking?" she asked, remembering the twins from before, the brothers, the doctor… even Leland's married partner was a bit of a looker.
He just chuckled at her. "I'll have the usual, please."
Legolas left her gawking where she stood, and walked over to his friend. Haldir was staring out the glass that looked across the street at the police station.
"I suppose that must be Rafael Montes," the Interpol Agent murmured, and Legolas looked up to find his partner looking back at him at a stare from a glass window across the street.
Legolas gave Montes a wave, and the man hesitated before waving back and looking away. The Mirkwood elf sighed.
'He'll be watching me very closely now,' he said in his native Elvish.
'He cares greatly about you,' Haldir murmured, 'He'd want to know precisely what happened, I presume. Precisely who you are…'
'One more pair of eyes to evade,' Legolas sighed, 'Is just another in a growing list. Thank you, by the way, for supporting my cover story.'
'Your lie is mine as well, you recall,' said Haldir, 'We protect the same secret, the same legacy.'
'Indeed,' agreed Legolas, 'But I know you are dedicated to your job, and the same secret does not hold as much sway over you anymore, this life of mine, being an elf.'
'I know this only all too clearly,' Haldir replied, meeting Legolas' thoughtful stare.
"So," breathed Haldir, shifting tongues, "Here we all are. What have you found?"
"What do you mean?" Legolas inquired.
"You came back looking for something," Haldir pointed out, "You came back from a haven, mellon-nin, as if it was lacking. And here you are, you stayed, it must be for something."
"I'm uncertain," Legolad admitted thoughtfully.
"Well," said Haldir, wryly, "You do have the extent of forever to mull it over, I suppose."
"And you ask this why?" Legolas inquired.
"I'm not sure," Haldir confessed, adding with a bit of a smirk to lighten the truth, "And I've been mulling it over because I don't have an eternity, do I?"
"No," Legolas said quietly, all-too-familiar grief dashing across his eyes, quickly masked, quickly disguised with just as much flippancy, "You don't have to plague me quite as long."
"So," breathed Haldir, still feeling that serious shift in the air, "If… I mean when. When we," curious, he reflected, that he now counted himself one amongst the mortal category, "When we all die, you'll leave again, I suppose."
"Perhaps sooner," Legolas replied, startling his friend almost as much as the reply surprised himself.
"And why is that?" Haldir asked.
"I have a feeling…" the Mirkwood Prince hesitated, "I have a feeling I have to learn this… this crazy release business. A more definitive goodbye, of sorts. One I've never made, before." The more he spoke of it the more it was beginning to make sense, "I have to leave while there are things that still bind me, Haldir. I have to cease this madness, of departing only when there is nothing left, as if I was fleeing, as if my hand was forced. Because I will always be left behind, I know that too well, and for so long I've seen myself as a mere pawn of the fates, as if this life was an injustice, and it lends no sense or credence to my freedom, my choices. I have to learn to make my own goodbyes. I have to know that I can depart. Because I ultimately must."
"Sooner, eh?" said Haldir, rubbing his chin in thought, "How long, you think?"
Legolas gave him a bit of a grin, "No worries. I have no intention of letting myself out of your hair in the near future."
"How unfortunate," Haldir said wryly.
"So, ah…" said Legolas, deciding it was his turn to ask the questions, "Does it not puzzle you? How it was that you came to be here, in this… form?"
"What form?" Haldir asked, wanting the elf to say it.
"Mortal," replied Legolas, "Human."
"I wonder, yes," replied the ex-elf, "But I find I cannot question. Or at least, I cannot question in anger, or as if I knew a better way. I dare not, for I can only question living once again as a human if I can question why I once was an elf. There is no questioning to be made, because there are no answers to be had. We appear in whatever way the gods make us, and the gods make us how the world needs us. Or how we need to be. This is as true for myself, as surely as it is for you and all whom we know."
"Well," Legolas hesitated, "Does it not make you feel any… any…"
"Less?" Haldir finished for him with a laugh, "You bigot."
"I was seeking another word," Legolas retorted primly.
"I bet," said Haldir, indulging him, "Mellon-nin, truly, how much does it matter where we are, what we are, who we are with, as long as we are happy? I have a feeling I found something here."
"Well," sighed Legolas melodramatically, looking out at the window, although Haldir knew him well enough to see the spark of humor in his eyes, "I find there is one thing I can question."
"What's that?" Haldir asked.
"Why in the world would they make him taller than me?" complained the elf, and Haldir followed his line of sight down to Gimli the not-so-short dwarf, who was crossing the street toward them.
Gimli entered the diner, tall and burly, walking like a king as if he owned the place. He grinned at the elf and the ex-elf and towered over them.
"Stop gloating," Legolas warned him, "You carry that chin so high as if this height business was your own personal doing."
"No need to be bitter," Gimli grinned at him, "Ho-hum. Shall we go? We have to catch Aragorn for lunch."
Legolas rose to his feet, and looked at Gimli pointedly, for the dwarf, as he's been doing these past few days, was waiting for him to stand up straight and see that little bit of height difference between the two of them.
"Mellon-nin," grated Legolas, "you're making me want to pound you until you get back to normal size."
"I'd love to see you try."
Haldir watched the banter, amused. Oh, he'd love to see them both try too.
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The World Wide Web
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From: TheTook hotmail. com
To: LelandGreene aol. com
Subject: Re: Hobbits
Date: Thurs 11-Sept-04 00:10:48 EDT
Leggy!
We are all doing very well. Gandalf says hi. He says he can live with all the amenities of this age but he finds e-mailing alienating. So in case you should one of these days receive a letter strapped to an eagle's heel, you'd know at once it's from him. We're all still here in Vienna, but we leave for England and school in about two hours.
Dr. Baggins doesn't quite know what to do about the Malcolm doctors. He's been closeted with Gandalf these past few days, as if he seeked counsel that I have a feeling is already in his heart. He won't understand why, perhaps not until he remembers who they all are, but there is mercy to be had there. He is not pressing charges, that is for sure. Besides, how can he tell the police that ultimately, it was his nephew who tossed the stolen ankh away?
Frodo is… Frodo, I suppose. Still standing, still smiling that lonely smile of his as if he aged… well, as if he aged ages. But he's lightening up, methinks. I think that bit of ankh-tossing did him some good. I'm sure he's smart enough to know that that Mt. Doom incident eons ago was a near-failure through no real fault of his. The Ring is… what it is, and though the heart is strong, it flounders too. He knows he cannot regret, but I suppose it isn't so strange, that he should wonder too what it would have been like, if he had the strength to do what it was he set out to. He's lightening up at last, I can see it. A bit more time with me and Merry, and we'd have such mischief!
Thing is, Merry still lies sleeping within Mark Brandy, like Samwise in Sam Granger. It's not so bad, I suppose. There is nothing truly different about them anyways. What worries me is, because all this business is coming out with only me the wiser, only me the truly changed, I'm afraid I'm quickly turning out to be the sensible one. I need to get me into some form of trouble right quick.
Pip
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From: LelandGreene aol. com
To: TheTook hotmail. com
Subject: Re: Re: Hobbits
Date: Sat 13-Sept-04 00:10:48 EDT
Pippin,
I have some work to do, and I do not have very much time at the moment. But I must get one thing across right away. Please, no trouble until we are at least in the same continent and I can pull you out.
Legolas
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From: ElrohirSeriouslyRocks
To: LelandGreene aol. com, TheTook hotmail. com, AdrianAarons yahoo. com, JimmyGoran yahoo. com…
Subject: (None)
Date: Mon 20-Sept-04 00:12:32 EDT
Hello my friends!
How is school/work coming along? It's been awhile since we all broke off to go back to our remotely-normal lives. I was a bit relieved by my return to the hum-drum, and then here comes my delinquent brother, asking me if it was okay that he should get married.
I lost my head. What in the world did it mean that he should ask if I think its okay? Am I his mother? Am I his keeper? Does he think I have no other life but looking after him and all his messes?
But of course you're smiling because I am quickly finding out that apart from running the house and spending our money (which I was completely content with until you fellows came along and brought trouble and mischief back in my life), he is in a sense right. I do need a bit of a life, don't I? Legolas, is waitress Jackie still single?
If you fellows should become bored yourselves, come by and visit. I'd do it soon if I were you. It's a lot of fun watching 'Dan pace around the house, up, down, east wing to west, night and day. Anatalia's been busy, and he wants to pop the question when their concerns are only each other. It's better than television, I tell you. Somebody amuse me! I can't wait for my newphew. We'd get into such straits together.
Elrohir
P.S.
I'm making is a blasted e-group, this is getting tedious.
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From: MarkBrandy yahoo. com
To: Fellowship yahoogroups. com
Subject: On Elves
Date: Mon 27-Sept-04 00:09:54 EDT
Hey guys,
The lads and I are looking for a bit of a tide-over job for the fun of it. They're recruiting Santa's elves for the pre-Christmas gig. Who in the world ever said they're supposed to be small?
" " "
From: LelandGreene aol. com
To Fellowship yahoogroups . com
Subject: Re: On Elves
Date: Mon 27-Sept-04 00:10:30 EDT
Merry,
Do not believe it. I think a dwarf spread the rumor.
" " "
From: JimmyGoran yahoo. com
To: Fellowshipyahoogroups . com
Subject: Re: Re: On Elves
Date: Tues 28-Sept-04 00:12:25 EDT
I think a dwarf spread it because he found the need to put particularly pompous blond princes in their proper place.
P.S.
And it is also probably why the gods made him taller the second time around.
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From: Emmett Rigare hotmail. com
To: Fellowship yahoogroups . com
Subject: Wedding, Not Mine
Date: Mon 4-Oct-04 00:09:24 EDT
Fellows,
This is just to remind you to check your mailboxes for wedding invitations. Eunice and Fred are too busy to email you, and I'm the donkey errand boy tasked with it. She decided on a Fall wedding. She wants it as soon as possible, and he likes the trees when they look as red as her hair. Make the time to come, please. Until then, stay out of trouble. It's in two weeks, in our estate in the Italian countryside.
" " "
From: Elladan hotmail . com
To: Fellowship yahoogroups . com
Subject: Pray she'd say yes
Date: Mon 15-Oct-04 00:09:24 EDT
Fellows,
I'm sure you've been kept abreast by Elrohir, but I'm making the formal announcement that at the very last, I get to have the fearful honor of asking Anatalia Craxi to marry me. Tomorrow. I'm in knots, and though there are doubts in my heart about our ultimate fate, I know I cannot not have her exclusively mine for the rest of her life. Pray she'd say yes.
" " "
Antiques II
Europe, Late 2004
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He remembered thinking that he was not quite sure of who she was, what she did for a living, why she had this nobility that seemed unparalleled even by anyone from the elven society he's known. The mystery was dangerously intoxicating, and has been ever since that first time he set her eyes on her.
He had these things in mind, how it was that it's been all at once so long and so short since that day they met in the little Antique store just outside of Rome. How the world has changed and yet here they were once again. He found he's looked at her, all along the course of knowing her, with the new eyes of a fascinated stranger, the old eyes of an ancient, wizened soul, and then the right eyes, when he knew at last what place he wanted for her in his life.
Mortal and immortal unions were always complicated. He loved her, but also knew he cannot die for her. It's been all these ages of wisdom, he supposed, resignation in their divisible fates. He cannot wholeheartedly choose a mortal life, leave his brother, leave who he was. He can live without her, he knew that full-well, just as he knew she'd want him to. It will hurt to face the ages without her, yes, but if there was one thing that made him treasure his immortality even now, it was that it allowed him to give her everyday and every night of his company, and his love, until the day she died. He was comforted that through time and age, never would she have to wake to a day that he was not with her.
Besides, he figured, he'd have to leave these shores one day. It might as well be that day when she closes her eyes in the death of sleep. As much a bittersweet parting, for the day she leaves in death will be like the day the world ended, and he really might as well just leave the world himself, albeit in a different way, toward the West. But she'd give him children, great-looking, intelligent, charming ones. And then Imladris… beautiful Imladris can have a mortal heir at last. He can leave with a stout heart. The world will get by without him, and he without it. All because of her love and her shining eyes.
Today, on their way to what the media's dubbed as the wedding of the century, that of Eunice and Fred's, they stopped by the antique shop where they met.
Today, he'd tell her.
The shop was one of those old rundown ones that he loved because of their quaint charm, and was heady with age and history. He remembered that he instantly liked the look of her; aristocratic, ageless. She was just so beautiful.
He was pretending to admire a carved antique book cover. It was beautiful, yes, but she was far more distracting. It was how they met. She recognized the art and admired his taste. He saw her eyes light up in approval, and then cloud as if she was contemplating making the first move.
"Fifth century," she had blurted out from beside him, and then they talked, and then he was in love.
And now here they both were.
Pray she'd say yes.
THE END
November 11, 2004
" " "
As always, I'm giving you guys a tour into my demented mind, if you are interested in the evolution of the story and the characters, why I made them out the way they were, some points of interest, recurring themes, etc. It's going to be long, so here's a preview via an outline, and proceed if you want to see it:
SOME IMPORTANT NOTES
OUTLINE OF NOTES SECTION
I. The World Threatening Peril of the Ankh
- what it was
- why it never truly existed
II. The Recurring Themes of LOTR and as followed by FEE
- Reincarnation
- Letting Go
- Self Discovery
III. The Plot of FEE
-Parallelisms of FEE with LOTR
-Twists on the LOTR story in FEE
IV. Middle Earth Geography and the Geography of FEE
V. The Scale of FEE
VI. On the Persistent Use of High Technology in FEE
VII. On Some of the Characters
1. On Anatalia Craxi and Gambling with OFC's
2. On Legolas and the Loneliness of Immortality
3. On Aragorn and the Death of Adrian Aarons
4. On Emmett Rigare, the Evolution of Eomer, and Why Some Characters Remained 'Asleep'
5. On the Irrepressible Haldir.
6. On the Much Beloved Gimli.
7-8. On the Twin Sons of Elrond.
9. On Grima Wormtongue and Philosophy.
10. On the Characters You Might Have Been Looking For.
VIII. On FEE as a Trilogy – the Plots
IX. Massive Thanks and Replies