-Note- Erm...not much to say. School on Wednesday, next Saturday there's some sort of neighborhood potluck think going on, but it'll be pretty boring...so it looks like the next chapter will be up on Saturday. Mrs. Rosenthal will return after this (I want to give her more dialogue, I wasn't quite happy with what I gave her here) but not for a bit.

-Disclaimer- You recognize it, I don't own it.

A Neighbor

They took the elevator down one storey. Glorfindel led the way to Mrs. Rosenthal's door, knocked. The thunks stopped abruptly, and before them stood Mrs. Rosenthal.

Her face was lined and wrinkled, papery and colorless but for two bright spots of rouge on her cheeks. Think gray eyebrows, snowy white hair pulled tightly back in a bun. In one arm, a golden-eyed tabby, in the other, a cane.

"Hello Mrs. Rosenthal," said Glorfindel brightly, giving her a peck on the cheek.

"Hello, my Gordon! What brings you down here?" she asked, with a thick Eastern European accent. Elrohir grinned. Gordon?

"You were knocking, remember?" Glorfindel pointed toward the ceiling. She thought for a moment, glassy-eyed.

"Ah. Right," she said at last, examining her cane. Elrohir suspected it was responsible for the thunking. Her gaze fell on him, her eyes lit up.

"Who is this gentleman, Gordon? Where are your manners- you haven't introduced him to me! Is he your brother?" She shifted her cat, who mewled complacently, into the arm with the cane, put her free hand to Glorfindel's ear and whispered.

"Quite a handsome young fellow, this one. My dear, if I were younger..."

Elrohir pretended not to listen.

"He's a friend of mine," explained Glorfindel. "His name is..." a brief pause. "Elliot." Elrohir stifled a protest. "Elliot, this is my lovely neighbor, Mrs. Rosenthal. Mrs. Rosenthal, this is my friend, Elliot."

Mrs. Rosenthal held out a swollen, arthritic hand and Elrohir took it gently.

"A pleasure to meet you, Mrs. Rosenthal," he said, bowing slightly. She laughed.

"Where have my manners got off to? Do come in, Gordon and friend."

"Ah, Mrs. Rosenthal, I have some soup for you," said Glorfindel as she led them in.

The apartment was large, walls hung with quilts and photographs of family. Dirty, oatmeal colored rugs were spread about, covered in cat hair. The place smelled of kitty litter and baking.

"Do sit down, boys. I'll put on the kettle." Glorfindel handed her the cans of soup and cat food, which she took gratefully. She hobbled around a corner and disappeared. He gestured to an old, red couch- once overstuffed, now flat where people had sat.

"What of Elladan?" asked Elrohir, seating himself gingerly.

"The door is unlocked."

Elrohir looked dubious. "He won't be happy..."

Glorfindel shrugged. "That's what he deserves for insulting my food." Mrs. Rosenthal returned, sat across from them in a marmalade-colored easy chair, also very flat. In her arms was a different cat, gray. It regarded them coolly from underneath tufts of fur Elrohir assumed was equivalent to eyebrows.

"I don't recognize this cat," said Glorfindel, leaning toward her and examining it.

"I picked him up last week," Mrs. Rosenthal explained. "Found him on one of my little walks."

"What's his name, then? Have you thought of one yet?"

"No, I thought you might help me."

"Of course! Elliot and I can help. Have you any ideas?"

She nodded, turned the cat in her arms. "I've been calling the poor dear Katze, but I was hoping you could do better." She winked. "You're always so good at it."

Glorfindel laughed bashfully. "I couldn't do it without your marvelous cookies, Mrs. Rosenthal. How many cats do you have now? I've only seen two. Have you locked them all up, or something?"

"No! The radiator is on. They're all basking near it."

Elrohir was beginning to feel like an outsider. He coughed slightly.

"Elliot," said Glorfindel, taking the cat from Mrs. Rosenthal's arms and depositing it in Elrohir's lap, "what does this cat look like?"

"A...Martin?" he asked weakly.

Mrs. Rosenthal shook her head. "No...he will have a special name. I've never had a gray cat. Perhaps one of your northern names, Gordon?"

"Well..." Glorfindel trailed off thoughtfully. "What about...an Elrohir?"

"Elrohir?" said Elrohir and Mrs. Rosenthal together.

"It's a special name. You know, from where I come from. Scandinavia. Northern Scandinavia," he repeated quickly.

Elrohir raised an eyebrow. "Elrohir? It doesn't sound Germanic..."

Glorfindel shot him an exasperated look. "Those tribes...up north...you know."

"Ah."

The kettle began to whistle, saving Glorfindel from further interrogation. Mrs. Rosenthal made to stand, but Glorfindel stopped her. "I'll get it. I know my way to the kitchen."

He hurried out. Mrs. Rosenthal watched him go, then turned to Elrohir. "Odd young man," she said. "Not many friends, I think. How long have you known him?"

"Oh...a long time. A very long time. We go far back." He looked down to hide a grin, scratched the cat between the ears. It yawned, leaned against him, purring. "I think..." he began. "I think this cat would make a fine Elrohir."

Mrs. Rosenthal smiled, held out her hands. Elrohir gave the cat back, watched it curl up beside her.

"Here's the tea, and some cookies of yours, Mrs. Rosenthal. I hope you don't mind- I want Elliot to taste your wonderful cooking," said Glorfindel, returning, bearing a tray and setting it on a table across from the couch.

"Cookies? When did I...?" She frowned, then shrugged. "Not at all. If you don't have some, I might have to eat them on my own!"

"Any new names?"

"No," said Elrohir, taking a cookie from the tray Glorfindel. "I think we've decided on Elrohir. Right, Mrs. Rosenthal?"

She nodded, reached for a mug. Elrohir bit into his cookie- oatmeal, it seemed. Barring the stray cat hair, it was quite good. He thanked her for it.

They sat in silence, Mrs. Rosenthal stroking her cat happily. Elrohir knew Elladan had come back several minutes earlier. He nudged Glorfindel, who understood.

"Mrs. Rosenthal, we have to go," he said, rising. "I'll stop by next week. Come visit whenever you like. Alyaran loves having company."

"I will. I have an appointment I need to be at on Tuesday, four o-clock; would it be a bother to ask you for a ride?" she asked.

"Not at all. I'll be back on Tuesday, then." He opened the door, hugged her, mindful of the cat. Elrohir followed, but stopped when Mrs. Rosenthal took both his hands in hers.

"Take care of that boy, Elliot," she said. "Make sure he doesn't get himself into trouble."

"I will," he promised.

"Goodbye, Mrs. Rosenthal!" said Glorfindel. She was about to shut the door when a black cat streaked out, between his legs. "Erestor!" Glorfindel admonished. "I'm sorry, Mrs. Rosenthal." He gathered the ball of jet fur into his arms and handed it to her, laughing.

The door was shut. Elrohir regarded Glorfindel carefully. "Erestor?"

Glorfindel shrugged. "There are startling similarities."

"I can't believe you still associate with them."

"Who?"

"Men."

"Like I said: I have a life here. You haven't had any serious relationships with mortals for Ages, Elrohir, but I have. I don't want to leave them quite yet. I have employees, I have neighbors, I have a dog, even."

"Well, she's a nice lady."

"She is."

"Are you ready to face the wrath of my brother?"

"Yes," he said, putting an arm around Elrohir's shoulder. "I am."

Katze: Cat, German (or at least, that's what I've been told)

Thanks for reading!

Review Responses:

Neoinean: Thanks! What keeps them there? Valinor is not nearly as exciting, I think. :P Yeah, I don't know what to call Middle Earth either. I've tried to avoid naming it for that reason... /blushes/ hee hee...

Noldo: Happy (early) birthday! Here is my present! /hands you the chapter/ For you! :D I'm glad you like the interactions! I spend most of my time on them, so it's really nice to hear that they work! hasa? Yeah...I read a lot of their stories, but I'm not an author there. I don't know if they'd want a modern-day story, and I'm not sure mine would make the cut. I've seen your stuff up, though- congratulations! (I fixed the spelling error! Ah! I'm really embarrassed about that, thanks for pointing it out!)

Kazbels: Agreed! The answer he gives the twins is pretty weak. Don't worry, it's being built upon; I don't want him to explain it all in one go and end up sounding like an encyclopedia or something. Thanks for reviewing "Spring Shower"- I'm not elderly or Eowyn, so I was really hoping to get some feedback. :)

Erestor: All I fed my fish were those little pellets...of gosh-knows-what-but-it-sure-smells...but he's dead, too. So no more Mystery Pellets. :P The conversation worked out okay? Phew. I was worried Glorfindel sounded like he was reciting lines from a cue card or something...I thought of the cat food dilemma, but Glorfindel wouldn't ever let someone live on cat food (unless it was a cat. Right.). So she's just got a lot of cats, strays that she picks up. Only three are featured, though...but I changed the genre! How exciting! It's humor/angst, because I got sick of 'general'... :D

Aerlalaith: Yep. I try to think about that. 'See you soon? Read you soon? Huh?' And then my eyes glaze over and cross, so I stop...and then I need a nap. :P Yep, a mutt. I always thought "halfelven" was a little too boring. They're a bit of everything...which can also be really confusing. :D