Remember

The Loudest Words Are Spoken Softly

Disclaimer: "Maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow, but soon and for the rest of our lives" we shall realize that I do not own Lord of the Rings. Or Casablanca.

Authors note: Ignore the tacky disclaimer. It was a feeble attempt by me to be clever. Okay, now we shall continue with the story.

Three days went by after the party, and Rebecca did not see Elrohir except as he walked passed her in the halls. She wondered if he had perhaps become suddenly busy, or if he was purposefully ignoring her. But why would he ignore her? Maybe he had decided that he didn't really love, or want to love her. Maybe he couldn't love, in that way, someone he had fought next two, even though it was only four wargs. The possibilities were many and Rebecca preferred not to think about them. She decided to try convincing herself he was busy. She kept herself preoccupied with Arwen. She sat around talking to her as Arwen finished up her embroidery on Aragorn's flag.

"May I try doing a little bit of it?" Rebecca asked.

"Certainly," Arwen said, handing her the flag, needle, and thread. "Have you ever done this before?"

"No," Rebecca admitted.

Arwen had her finish up a star and showed her just how to do it. Rebecca was slow, but in the end she did it and rather well.

Arwen took it back, finished it up and then got some black thread and embroidered her name in elvish just above the seam where the staff would go, and then handed it back to Rebecca to put her name in it.

With step by step instructions, Rebecca embroidered "Rebecca Parsons" next to "Arwen Undomiel and" Rebecca's was not as flowing or beautiful as Arwen's, but it looked rather nice anyway.

"I shall make certain to show where you helped to Aragorn, if I see him again," Arwen said, a little sadly.

"Do not worry, I am sure you shall," Rebecca replied. Arwen smiled at the words of hope.

By the third day however, her morbid curiosity got the better of her, so she hunted down the elven lord's son after supper. She went to his room, prepared to knock on the door, then second guessed herself and wondered if she shouldn't just give up. She stood frozen for a moment, then almost against her will, her shaky hand knocked on the door softly.

"Enter," came the voice.

"Oh great! He probably thinks I'm a servant or something. Well, nothing for it, I must go in now," she said to herself. Her thoughts took only a split second. She opened the door and went in. "Elrohir. How are you?" she said, her voice shaking as much as her hands were.

Elrohir looked surprised, almost like a ghost was standing there. Obviously she was the last person he thought would come that night. "Suilaid Mirë. I was not expecting you," he said. "What brings you here this night?"

"I am just wondering how you are, I have not seen you much in three days. I was beginning to worr..wonder if something was the matter," Rebecca said, trying desperately to calm her quavering voice at least, if she could not stop her rapid heart.

Elrohir turned his back to her and put his hand to his head. He was debating something in his mind, she could tell that. Suddenly, one side won, for he turned around and said, "Something is the matter Mirë. I shall lie to you no longer about it. All I ask is that you hear me out and give me straight answers when I ask for them. Would you please do at least that much for me?" he asked. His eyes begging with her.

"Yes," she simply answered.

He stepped up to her, til they were only a foot apart, and took her hands.

"Mirë, I love you. Not as I have loved others, but with the true love I spoke of weeks ago. I know it came upon me rather fast, and so I did not trust my feelings at first, but at last I do, and my heart knows that I love you, beyond all doubt. I know that you probably do not love me, and that our love is thrice forbidden and impossible, even if you do, but I love you. Not even the Valar could change that. All I want to know is if you do, or ever have loved me back. I almost do not ask, for I know both answers must end the same, but I must know anyway. My heart has been longing to know. Please tell me Mirë nin."

Rebecca stood looking at his pleading face the entire time. His fair features were a confusing blend of relief, anxiety, love, and hopelessness. His last words rung in her ears and for a few seconds she could not think. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

"I do love you back. I always have," she said softly. She at least was glad to get that off of her chest.

He looked at her with the expression of the happiest elf alive, and the most depressed one at the same time. He was overwhelmingly joyous that she loved him, and yet the very same thing caused him the deepest pain. He turned from her and said, "It does not matter, it can never be."

"Why not?" Rebecca asked. She was so confused and half heartbroken. Her emotions were moving so fast she couldn't tell how she felt.

"Do you not see? Do you not understand? I am an elf, you are a mortal girl. I belong in Middle-earth, you belong in some other world. You cannot stay here just because you love me. Your family and friends will miss you too much. It would be unfair to them to mysteriously vanish without reason or explanation. I cannot go with you, for that is not my world. And you shall die, and I shall live on forever. I cannot grant immortality on a whim. Such a thing is not given out in my family, only taken away. Your departure from Middle-earth shall be your death to Middle-earth. Never to return to it again. I do not think you could stay here even if we both wished it. I love you Mirë nin, with all of my heart, but our love is impossible and forbidden."

Rebecca almost began crying. "Am I never to get what I want? Am I always to be deprived of what my heart desires most! Why on earth was I brought to Middle-earth if I was to only have my heart ripped out and buried here and then the rest of me hauled away! Elrohir, please, even if we can never be married, I beg you not to deprive me of at least some of what my heart desires while I am yet here!"

Elrohir gazed at her longingly. "If we both give in, even if partially to what we both want, it shall only make the parting harder. If we stop now, if we ignore our feelings now, it may be easier."

"Are you insane? That shall only make it worse! Then we shall both spend the rest of our days wishing we had at least kissed, wondering what could have been if we had tried, begging and pleading to Elbereth to let us relive the moments that are happening and shall follow. Please Elrohir, at least one kiss."

Elrohir beheld her standing in front of him, arguing her case, begging and pleading with him. He slowly took two steps forward, making them mere inches from the other. Slowly, but resolutely, as if he was afraid she, or he, might have a change of mind, he put a hand on each arm that slowly slid til he was holding her. She returned the embrace, and slowly at first, but then quickly their faces drew closer and their lips met. He kissed her and she unskillfully kissed him back. If she had known kisses were so sweet, she would have kissed him the day they met! They finally pulled apart a little and she gazed at his face, now she saw no debate, no regret, nothing but the sheer joy of the moment. She smiled, and he smiled, and then he kissed her again three or four times. She cherished each kiss more than the one before.

Five minutes, five hours, who cared? It was sometime later when Rebecca found herself lying on a couch, leaning against Elrohir and finally feeling at rest. At long last she felt at peace, complete, at home. She forgot the fact she was a mortal girl, and he an elf, she forgot that she had been born in a small town in Minnesota and he had been born in Rivendell... She forgot it all. She didn't care, and as a result, she was happy. He ignored the voice at the back his mind telling him, "and now your heart shall shatter when you must let her go." He commanded it to silence, and dwelt on it no more for several weeks.

Rebecca gave a happy and contented sigh as she rested on the elf she loved. He loosely wrapped his arms about her and smiled. No words were spoken, and none needed to be. Her head rested between his collar bone and shoulder, and she laid over his heart.

Without warning she turned her face and gazed up at him, "I can hear your heart beating."

His gaze fell down on her and he laughed softly as a large smile crossed his face. Her face turned back and he shook his head. Of all the human women that had taken refuge in Imladris, and all the elven women that lived there and visited there, he had to pick the one human that was going to leave with no hope of returning. It didn't matter, against his better judgement and all he had learned at his father's arm, he was living for the moment with no regard for the long term consequences. He admitted the foolishness of it, and he didn't care.

She stirred again, she was a restless one, and rolled over so she could face him. She would have supported herself as best as she could, but she didn't have the chance. He took her and pressed her to himself and covered her lips in kisses. He had kissed his fair share of elven maids, but it was usually in jest or play, but her kisses were the sweetest by far. She, having never kissed before, thought the whole thing simply grand. Though, she was certain his kisses were better than any others. As he kissed her he stroked her hair and let his other hand caress her back, so softly that she thought she had never known what a gentle touch was until then. She rested herself wholly on him, and she gave her heart wholly to him.

Eventually she laid atop him with her cheek resting on his shoulder. Yes, all of her moving and making and breaking of friends was worth it, if that is what caused this moment to happen. All of the pain and sorrow that may follow would be worth it for that time she had, was having, and would have with him. The price for his kisses was great, but she thought it worth the pain. At once she began to realize the meaning of true love.

They were in peace and happiness, enjoying the moment when suddenly they heard a knock at the door. Rebecca nearly jumped out of her skin. She flew off of Elrohir and smoothed down her hair as Elrohir went to answer the door. By the time he got to it and answered it, in the next room, she was sitting down with a book, paper, and pen translating, or at least pretending too. She hastily scribbled down a few words and listened as Elrohir greeted the person.

"Oh, hello father," Elrohir said smoothly.

"Hello son. Have you seen Rebecca? I cannot find her and I have a message for her."

"Yes father, she is here, translating," Elrohir said. He let his father in the room and led him into the sitting room, where Rebecca, thank Elbereth, was translating.

She stood and bowed. "Greetings Lord Elrond."

"Greetings Rebecca. I have been sent a message from the Valar, and they have told me to tell you that you shall see Valinor before you return to your world."

Rebecca's eyes grew wide. Valinor? What on earth was the cause for her to go to Valinor? "Thank you for the message Lord Elrond," she said. "Do you know why I must go there?"

"No. I know only that you must go."

"Thank you Lord Elrond for the message," she said.

Elrond bowed his head to her and left the room. Once gone, with the door closed behind him, Rebecca sat down on the couch and stared into space.

"What thing have I done that I should be taken to Valinor?" she asked the wind.

Elrohir sat down next to her and put his arm around her. "I do not know. Maybe it is not for what you have done, but what you will do. Or, perhaps it is a thing that you have done and not realized its significance. In any event, I am sure the honor is bestowed worthily."

Rebecca smiled and blushed ever so slightly, but perceptibly to the elf. "Perhaps they are doing this to take me off guard before reprimanding me for some evil I have done."

Elrohir heard the smile in her voice and saw the light in her eyes. "I do not think so. That is now how the Valar work. If you had done evil and they were summoning you for reprimanding, you would know it."

"Your words bring some comfort, but I fear they fail to solve the riddle. Bah, I don't want to think on riddles and mysteries any more than I must at the moment."

"And what would you like to think about?" Elrohir asked.

Rebecca didn't say, she was wondering how forward she should be and decided probably not too much.

"Well, if you do not know, I do," Elrohir said with a grin before he kissed her. He looked at her, and wove his fingers in her loose hair. His fingers then slid from her temple, down her neck, and then rested on her shoulder for a moment before slipping onto her back.

An hour later the wintery full moon shone in through a high window.

"It grows late Mirë nin. You should go to bed," Elrohir whispered to the girl resting on him.

She sighed. "Oh alright. Good night Elrohir," she replied. She gave him another kiss.

"Good night Mirë nin," he whispered in her ear.

She left the room and crept off to bed, hoping to draw no attention to herself, and went to sleep, the memory of the soft kisses sending her off to sleep.

Authors note: Eeew! The fluff! I can't believe I wrote that! Well, I hope I didn't make any of you all ill! LOL! Review! Runs off feeling ill from too much fluffiness Thank you btw, for all of the WONDERFUL reviews! Please continue with them!