Time Transcended
Home Soon!
Disclaimer: I do not own LotR. Somebody, somewhere, is very happy that we all have to sit around and write this on the top of every blessed story and chapter.
Authors note: Warning! Written under the influence of awesome music!
Elladan and Liz were sitting in a restaurant, waiting for their food to come, when they started talking about their families.
"Since both of my parents were elves, I didn't worry much about them dying. Death was never even an issue to my brother nor myself. Can you then imagine our shock when one day our mother comes home with wounds so terrible that she must sail? It was as if she was dying. Elro and I took it very hard. She was not home a week before she went to the Grey Havens. Father went with her, and we had to stay behind. We watched her leave and… it was one of the hardest things I ever did. I think it was probably like losing a parent to death, but not old age," Elladan said.
"It sounds like it is like losing them to death. I know exactly how you felt. It was how I felt when my dad died," Liz said.
"But I thought…"
"That Richard was my father. So do most people. He is my step-dad. Dad died when I was ten, and Mom married Richard when I was fifteen. Richard is a great guy, and a great step-dad. He didn't try to replace my father, and he didn't try to be my friend either. He was more like… an uncle. It's his personality that made me like him so much and accept him so well. Anyway, when my dad died, I thought the world would end. I loved Dad so much," she said. A tear welled up in her eye, but she blinked it back. "He had cancer, and I watched him deteriorate before my eyes. With in three months of his diagnosis he died. Even to the end though, he would smile, crack jokes, and just be himself. The day he died, he was feeling terrible, I could see it in his eyes, but he insisted on making me laugh. He said that watching me cry hurt him more than any sickness ever could. The second to last thing he ever told me was a joke. The last thing he told me was that he loved me and that I had to marry someone very special or he'd return from the dead to haunt the guy."
Elladan smiled. "The last thing my mother said to me was, 'Live honorably and be fearless that I may be proud of you. I love you. Farewell.'"
Liz smiled. "That's another thing we share in common I guess – the loss of a parent."
Elladan gave a faint smile and nodded a little. "How did you deal with the grief?"
"For a while I didn't. I just gave into it and got into this really deep funk where I didn't do anything, talk to anyone, or leave my room. I just sat in the dark and cried. My mom started to get really worried, but I didn't realize it for months. One day I opened my curtains, for the first time since Dad died, and looked outside and saw my mom outside with my friend's mom, and they were laughing. That's when I saw life had to move on, so I changed into something more suitable for outdoor playing, and played for the first time in I don't know how many months. Then my friend came over to me, told me a joke, and I laughed like I never laughed before. It was just a weird time for me," she ended.
"Elro and I went into mourning for six weeks. After that we vowed to avenge her death and spent a majority of the rest of our time in Middle-earth doing so. We were both deeply angered by what was done to her, and we channeled our anger into something constructive, orc hunting. Dangerous, but highly effective in keeping travelers through the Misty Mountains safe."
"You know, if those weren't orcs you were hunting, I would say that you and Elro needed major counseling," Liz commented with a grin.
Elladan laughed. "Yes, to this modern world, that is a most heinous, blood thirsty, vicious, wicked act. In the Third Age, that was considered honorable, common in many places, and worthy of renown."
"Yeah… that's kind of strange," Liz mused. "If orcs still were, there would probably be activist groups petitioning for orcs' rights."
Elladan laughed. "No doubt! Gladly, I think all the orcs are vanquished from the earth. There is still a chance some survived, I suppose, but I highly doubt it."
"Do you think there are still hobbits? In the beginning of The Hobbit Tolkien made it sound like there could be."
"I don't know. If they are still around, they are in deep hiding, or surely Glorfindel, Elrohir, or myself would have seen one. I haven't seen one, but at times I would think I would hear one."
"What about dragons?"
"I slew one, 1112."
"How cruel!" she teased.
"It was burning the village to the ground. I had to do something, and dragons are not creatures that can be persuaded to do anything they do not want to," he defended.
Liz laughed, she loved watching him defend himself. He would get the cutest looks on his face.
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"It's our last night here Mirë, what do you want to do?" Elrohir asked, as if he didn't know.
"Hmm… let me think," Rebecca said, stalling. "Go upstairs… take off our clothes… put on pajama's… pull down the covers… and go to sleep!"
He grinned at her suggestion, but knew that wasn't her real answer.
"Need you really ask?" she asked.
"No, but I like to," he answered as he led her up the stair case.
Once in the room he turned on a CD and they did a little slow dancing, but that ended when they began standing still and kissing. A song began to play and Rebecca decided to serenade her dear elf.
"Hold me, touch me
Let the love come rushing through me
I'm yours with every breath I take
Forever and ever!
Hold on to love
'Cause deep down that's what we're made of
Never let go for my heart's sake
'Cause my heart belongs to you!"
"I don't have to be asked twice," he grinned as her singing ended. He picked her up, twirled her around, and then laid her on the bed.
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A fire burned in the hearth, repelling the unseasonably bitter cold of the day. In the background mellower music played. On the mantle were rose petals strewn, scenting the room deliciously.
"Reb and Elro are coming back tomorrow," Liz stated as she sat on Elladan's couch.
"I know. That's why we're having our date here again tonight. Once the love birds get back they won't want to share the house," Elladan said, sitting next to her.
"What should we do as our last hoorah in the house then?" Liz asked.
"That's up to you, Liz," Elladan offered.
"Well," she said at length with a mischievous grin, "I am feeling quite relaxed and comfortable."
He put his arm around her and kissed her cheek then pulled away from her face and hesitated a moment, then kissed her firmly on the lips. The length of the kiss astounded Liz because prior to that evening all of his kisses had been rather quick but loving. This was long and loving. He felt the surprise in her and wondered at it, so when he broke off the kiss he said, "You seemed surprised I kissed you."
"It's not that you kissed me, it's how long you kissed me," replied she. "How did you know I was surprised? I didn't jump or something did I?"
"No, you didn't. I just felt your surprise. That's all."
"What else did you feel?"
"I felt your heart beat, your love, the fact that I was cutting off circulation to your right hand… sorry about that, by the way."
"No worries. You felt all that? Remarkable," she quietly said as she drew closer to kiss him.
No, he was not as much of a romantic as Elrohir, but he could kiss just as well as his twin, though no one actually knew it.
She was now lying on the couch with his lap as a pillow. Her hair was splayed out and he was playing with it, combing his fingers through it. As he did so, he told her his feelings towards her, with an elven grace she was unaccustomed to, for every so often she would giggle then blush. He searched for English words to say, but found not what he wanted, so slipped into his native tongue.
"I'm sorry, I forgot you do not speak elvish," he apologized.
"I know a few words, and it doesn't matter, I love the sound of it."
He took this as a hint to continue on, and so he did. Minutes later he fell into elvish song, of his own composition, that he had written a day or two before. In both languages it was utterly beautiful and heartfelt.
"You do have a poetic side," Liz said when he stopped. "It just takes a little coaxing to get it to show, that's all." He smiled as she then asked, "What was that you kept calling me?"
"Do you mean 'mel nin'?" he inquired.
"Yes! That's it! Is it a nickname for me?"
"Well, a rather generic one. It just means 'my love'."
"I like it," she dreamily spoke.
Suddenly he lifted her shoulders up and gently but swiftly pulled her closer, then kissed her long. She was supported by his arms alone and was totally resting in them.
"We're back!" Rebecca and Elrohir cried as they burst in the door. Glorfindel, Elladan, and Liz immediately jumped up and ran to them. After being showered in hugs and kisses they were helped to haul luggage into the house and into their room. Once that was all taken care of, Elrohir came down the stairs holding the box with the knife.
"Glorfindel, come look at what I got in Switzerland," Elrohir called.
"Not another cuckoo clock," Glorfindel sarcastically whined.
Elrohir handed it to him and instantly Glorfindel's face lit up. "Gil-galad's knife box. I wonder where this had gone too!" He set it on the kitchen table, opened it up and took out the knife, and said, "It has been many long years since I saw this."
Elladan sat next to his friend and studied the knife in turn. Oh the memories that came back to the three elves! Stories began to be told and soon enough Liz and Rebecca were seated and enjoying the tales.
After a time they all splintered off, the elves were speaking about Elladan and Liz and when they might sail, and Liz and Rebecca were upstairs in Rebecca's old room discussing her just passed honeymoon.
"Reb, you are different from when you left," Liz said.
"Well, there is a strange tale why," Rebecca replied.
"Okay Reb, I need details on the strange tale! I'm not asking for any private details, should that be a part of it or something, but you know what I mean."
Rebecca then began explaining how she had been changed and conveyed the experience as best as she could to her friend. Liz sat fascinated, wondering if this is what would happen if she decided to marry Elladan.
"Do you figure I would undergo the same sort of thing?" Liz asked.
"Most likely. Why do you ask? Are you two that serious?"
"How did you know were dating?"
"Elrohir knew. And Elladan didn't tell him. I think it is some sort of strange psychic elvish twin connection."
"Weird… anyway, yeah, we are dating, and we are pretty serious. I mean, he wrote a song for me, and then he kissed me. I mean, really kissed me. I'm not sure as yet whether I would marry him or not, but… I can't say I haven't thought about it."
"Elladan wrote you a song? Was it any good?" Rebecca asked. Liz nodded and grinned broadly. "Do you think you might marry him? I mean, if he asked, would you say yes?"
"If he asked me right now, I'd say I'd have to think about it, but then I am almost certain I'd say yes," Liz answered. "But Reb, is this out of ignorance do you think? I mean, do I really get where he's coming from do you figure?"
Rebecca looked at her a minute in thought. "Well, I think you superficially understand where he is coming from, but not really. I think you should get to know him better though before you go off and agree to marry him though. You don't really know what you are getting into marrying an elf. I kind of did, but then I got married, and it was so different, better, but different, and then I was changed and now I understand him even better. But, I spent a few months just living with elves in Rivendell. You don't have that chance."
"So, are you saying I should perhaps re-evaluate my thoughts about all this?"
"I am saying you need to know that you don't know all you think you know. And study won't do you any good. Just spend as much time with him as you can, then you'll know better. That's one thing I learned, elves are always honest about feelings and they cause you to be brutally honest about it yourself."
Liz nodded thoughtfully. "That's kinda hard though. I mean, we only get to see each other three times a week, on a very good week, and for three or four hours at a shot and that's it."
Rebecca thought a moment. "I'm sure I could, if you want, get Elro to let you live in my old room. It's that much farther to school, but it's not all that bad. And it won't be like you're living with him. Elro and I will be just down the hall, and Glorfindel across the hall. And someone is almost always home."
"That's part of the problem, I've seen him with people, with you all, but I rarely get to see him alone."
"No worries. I have a feeling Elro and I, even if we are home, won't be seen much."
Liz laughed. "True! Thanks Reb."
"You're welcome Liz."
There was a full two seconds of silence then Liz burst out, "Rebecca, if I don't tell you how I feel for Elladan I'm going to explode. I have to tell someone, and I can't tell him!"
Rebecca laughed and told her proceed.
"Reb, you know that Richard isn't my dad and all that, but what you don't know is… well…" Liz laid down and said, "Take notes Dr. Reb. This is confession and therapy hour."
"Do you want my bill sent to you, or do you want to pay at the front desk?" Rebecca asked sarcastically.
"This'll be blackmail material, now be quiet and listen," Liz said. She took a deep breath, and continued, "After my father died, I lost a sense of security. Not just that sense that anyone could die at any moment, but more like I felt exposed. Like I didn't have anything to hide behind. That's why I am the way I am you know; it's out of instinct. Otherwise, I wouldn't be so sarcastic so much of the time. Dad was my shield, he was what I could hide behind when the world got too scary, then he was gone. Ever since I started dating, I started looking for guys that made me feel how Dad did – safe. For a while I thought that Daryl guy, remember, I told you about him, was that way, but then he dumped me for a blonde. Then, I met Elladan, and at first he was just an elven guy, which was awesome, and he was really, really nice to me, but nothing more. Then, as I got to know him, I started to see how strong he was as a person, and how strong he was physically, so I started flirting with him when you and Elrohir weren't looking… which was pretty easy considering you never saw anyone but the other. As time went along we started dating, and now – I'm in love.
"But I feel like I'm just sponging off of him. I take his love, his gifts, his kisses, and what do I give him in return? Well, love on my own part, but I mean, he's given me a new sense of security, and the feeling that I don't have to be alone anymore. Surely you understand how nice that is! I just wish I could do more, but what do you give, emotionally, to an elf?"
Rebecca was silent for a second then said, "Liz, whether you know it or not, you have given him back something he thought was lost forever."
"What?"
"His passion. When I saw him in Middle-earth, he was full of life, passion, love, jus as other elves, then when I saw him again here, he seemed… dull, like he had grown tired of it all. But when I saw him this afternoon, he was alive, like he was in Rivendell. I think he had lost hope of finding his true love, then he found you."
Liz just stared at her stupidly. "I did that for him?"
Rebecca nodded. "You two need each other. He's your security, you're his passion for life. And an elf with out that isn't much of anything at all."
Liz flopped back on the couch and stared at the ceiling and declared love was amazing.
Authors note: Well then! Rolling right along… next chapter shall be more interesting. Review please!
From the song "My Heart Belongs to You" as heard on the Hayley Westerna "Odyssey" CD.
