Many many thanks to Angel, KurandRobgirl, Aureleis, Krystylsky, Paperlanterns86, KKK3, Emma, ShueYun, faye50free, blackunicorne, Fi, world-classgeek, Sarafinja and Ninu for their wonderful reviews. I like hearing from you!
SleepyHollow 5: Do you think Legolas will have a hard time going from friends with benefits to a real relationship? You will have your answer in this chapter...
Dorothea Blackmoor: I am glad that you start liking this version. Although it will have similarities with the Haldir version (some things just can't change!), I want to have a different story that will keep the readers interested in Valerie's second path...
Morwen 80: No, Elrond won't try to abduct his brother – I just can't picture that happening! He's such a nice ellon in my mind!
Peridot Eyez: enjoy the next chapter – that's the scene you've been waiting for!
Manwathiel Nanethiel: yes, Valerie will learn to trust him and depend on him – with time!
Estel Undomiel: don't worry about your English – it's very good. I speak French too, by the way!
Ilooveinuyasha1: Yes, her family is pretty pathetic. But it plays in Legolas' favor, otherwise, she could have hesitated to follow him to Middle Earth...
Many of you mentioned having enjoyed the description of Legolas running in the park. Don't you agree it would turn you into a marathon runner if you could run beside him? :-)
Chapter 5 ended with:
He definitely looked relaxed, in a posture that told her he expected her to make the first move, as if he was letting her make the decision for the both of them. She took a deep breath, and before she lost her courage, moved closer to him, her heart beating wildly in her chest. They looked at each other, their faces just a few inches away, before Valerie slowly put her lips on his.
Chapter 6 - Family Life
Valerie kissed Legolas slowly, closed mouth kisses first, until he opened his lips and their tongues started caressing each other. He tasted like their drinks, but there was also a sweet taste in his mouth, that somehow reminded her of his scent. As far as she could tell, he was never wearing any perfume or after-shave, but always carried that intoxicating smell that made her want to put her nose against the skin of his neck and take a deep, appreciative breath. So far, she had managed to resist that impulse, but not that night. Valerie left his lips and gave him little kisses on his jaw while putting her hands in his silky hair. Legolas smelled and tasted wonderful! She pulled away and looked at him, reading desire as strong as hers in his eyes. They both wanted it, she realized, and although it was a bit early in their relationship, he was not a complete stranger either. They were both consenting, young and healthy adults. She moved from the sofa to straddle his legs and took his lips again, kissing him more passionately than before. Legolas responded by putting his hands on her waist and strongly pulling her closer to his chest.
When she started removing his jacket, Legolas suddenly realized that she wanted to make love. He had known she had the desire to do so, it had been crystal clear in her eyes and in the way she was kissing him. But he had never imagined that she would want to proceed so early in their acquaintance. He didn't hesitate for a second. This was the woman he thought was the most fascinating he had ever met, and he wanted her, both physically and romantically. And although he hoped she didn't make love with strangers on a regular basis, he was fairly certain that she would be monogamous once they made love the first time. From now on, in fact. He started removing his bow-tie while she was unbuttoning his shirt. She moved the fabric from his shoulders and started caressing his toned chest, touching his smooth, hairless skin while he was unzipping the back of her dress. Zippers were a wonderful invention, so much easier than untying the laces of an elven dress!
"You have many tattoos," she said, completely removing his shirt to look at them all. "I have never seen such tattoos," she continued. His upper arms were marked with strange symbols, like some unknown calligraphy with long, stylish characters. Then she bent over him to look at his back, and saw some more symbols on his shoulder blades.
"What do they mean? I have never seen such characters."
He pointed to his left arm. "This one says that I am a master bowman and a specialist of the blades."
"And this one?" she asked, pointing his right arm.
"This one says I am the captain of our army," he replied, pointing the first tattoo on his arm.
"And the one under?"
That was the one that counted how many foes he had killed. Each decade, a line was added to show how many more enemies he had eliminated. He decided not to tell her. After all, a thousand years old warrior living in Greenwood had, on average, killed a few thousand orcs, goblins, Easterlings and spiders. And Legolas was more than 2,000 years old and much more skilled than the average warrior. He doubted Valerie was ready to hear the number of his kills.
"I will tell you... when I know you better," he whispered, pulling her face towards his to kiss her again.
"And the ones on your back, are they a secret too?" she asked when he finally released her.
"They say that I am a son of Greenwood, a son of the Woodland Realm," he replied. He did not mention that they also said that he was the son of the king, the rightful heir to the Greenwood throne. She would probably not react well to that either.
"I don't have tattoos to show you," she replied lightly.
"But you have many other things that I would like to see," he said, pulling her gown down, revealing a strapless piece of grey lace covering her breasts. He had never seen such a thing and thought it was extremely erotic. He started to lightly touch the lace, and through it, her erected nipple. Her breathing slightly accelerated, and her eyelids seemed heavier as she looked at him through half-closed, hungry eyes.
"Are there any chances that the children will see or hear us?" he asked before it was too late. One of his worst childhood memories consisted of catching his parents in the act, and that memory was imprinted in his brain forever. It was not something he wanted for any other child.
"They are asleep. If anything, they could hear us more if we went in my bedroom."
"Good." He grabbed the back of her neck and pulled her in for a long, passionate kiss while he was still trying to figure out how to remove the lace covering her breasts.
"Wait!" she suddenly said through their kiss. "I have to get something in my bedroom." She put back on the top of her dress and ran to the stairs on her naked feet, making very little noise to ensure she would not wake her children. He watched her progress on the second floor until she disappeared from his view. He heard her open a drawer and wondered what was so important for her to interrupt their activities. She came back soon enough, holding something blue in her hand.
She settled back on his lap, showing him triumphantly a little blue envelope. It seemed to be containing something small that had a circle shape, but he had no idea what it was. As she looked at him expectantly and with growing worry as the seconds passed, he nodded, and he could see her immediate relief. Whatever that little thing was, it seemed important to her. She put the blue envelope beside them on the couch, and turned to him again. She slowly removed the top of her dress, keeping his gaze on her while she watched his reactions attentively. Her hands went to her back, her breasts getting closer to his face in the movement, and he barely resisted the temptation of kissing her throat when suddenly, the grey lace fell off her breasts. Valerie threw it on the floor while Legolas stared at her. He had already seen the shape of her breasts once while she was in her bathing suit, but to see her half-naked was a revelation.
She would soon be his. He would never get tired of her body like he had for other ellith in the past centuries. She was the one, and this would be the last time he made love to an elleth for the first time. Better get started then! He caressed her upper body, from her shoulders to her breasts in slow, light movements that made her shiver while she was tracing his tattoos with her fingers.
"You are beautiful," he whispered before kissing her throat.
"Look who's talking," she mumbled back. "I have never seen a body like yours," she whispered in his ear, her breath making him shiver. She couldn't know that elven ears were hypersensitive to touch, could she? What was he thinking? She didn't even know he was an elf – his thoughts were abruptly interrupted when she licked the tip of his ear. It sent a lightening of pure lust straight to his groin, and he groaned loudly.
Sensing his reaction, Valerie smiled and started to thoroughly suck and lick his ear while he was moaning, an expression of pure delight on his face while his lower body was moving to create friction between them. She let her hand wander near his groin and started rubbing his erection with her fingers. His breathing sped up significantly, and after a few seconds, he opened his eyes and begged her to stop.
"Why?" she asked, unaware that his orgasm was so very close.
"My ears... are very sensitive."
"So I saw!" she replied, pleased of the effect she had on him.
She tried to move to take care of his other ear when he kept her at arms-length. "Let me touch you," he asked. She acquiesced, and let him take one of her nipples in his mouth. It was her turn to moan helplessly as her desire grew with every passing second. She kissed his forehead, and then started rubbing the tip of both his ears.
"Valerie, by the Valar, if you do not leave my ears alone," he groaned against her chest, "I will throw you on the couch and make love to you right now, and worry about the preliminaries later!"
He smiled wickedly when he clearly felt her fingers rub his ears again. She would not tease him like this without facing the consequences! In a swift movement, she was lying on the couch and he was on top of her, lying between her legs.
"Gods, I want you!" he murmured between ragged breaths, studying her beautiful face as it became rosier with arousal.
"What are you waiting for, then? I was promised rapid satisfaction of my desires if I rubbed your ears, but it seems it was only words!" She was smiling but he could read the raw need in her eyes.
He sat on his feet and started pulling down her nylons and panties, which were in the same lace material that what she had been wearing on her breasts. "I want to see this again!" he said, showing her the panties. They were rushing tonight, but the next time around, he would take his time to savor the moment.
"I have some more in my bedroom," she informed him.
"I want to see them all... at a later time. Now, I need you naked, as the gods made you!"
Her dress was next to go, and he admired the rest of her body while she removed his belt and unbuttoned his pants. He quickly stood and removed the rest of his clothing, leaving it all over the floor, a brief flash of Amareth complaining about his untidiness coming to mind. He decided it was the last time he thought of the elleth while he was with Valerie. He came back to the couch, and placed himself above Valerie, who started to stroke his penis in long, sure movements.
"It's been so long since the last time," she whispered dreamily.
"I am sure you will remember the basics," he whispered back, caressing her face. "If not, I am sure we can find a book about the subject in Liam's bedroom -"
"Shut it! He is too young for this!" she giggled. "And kiss me instead of talking nonsense!"
He took her lips again, thoroughly exploring her mouth while he felt her grab the little blue envelope and tear it open. He didn't worry about it too much until he started feeling something cold and sticky on the head of his penis. In a swift movement, she had his entire member covered in some sort of tight wrapping. What in the name of Elbereth was this?
Keeping his face impassive despite his worry, he looked at her and she smiled to him. "Ready?" she asked, impatient. Was she really expecting him to make love to her with this thing on his penis? What was it for anyway? It must be some strange thing that mortals did here. It really seemed normal to her. Deciding that Valerie would not do anything to hurt him, he started to align himself at her entrance.
"I will remember this forever," he whispered seriously, and she frowned. The uneasiness that had quickly appeared on her face at his words disappeared as quickly when he entered her in one sure thrust. Despite the wrapping, he could feel how tight and warm she was around him. He could only imagine how it would feel if she allowed him to make love to her without this protection!
He pulled out almost completely and she grabbed his backside to pull him back in again, having misinterpreted his movement as if he wanted to stop. "Legolas, please!" she begged. "Do not stop!"
Putting her left leg around his waist, he started a rhythm that had them both moaning in delight for long moments before he felt that Valerie was close to her release. Her back was arched and her breathing shallow and rapid.
"I am... so close...please..." she murmured incoherently.
He increased his pace and was able to put his hand on her bud, caressing it briefly before she grabbed his shoulders, digging her nails in his skin and screaming his name in his ear. He watched her orgasm eagerly, registering her movements, her noises and how she was slowly resurfacing to reality. Satisfied that she had felt her pleasure, he finally allowed himself the release that had been impending for long moments. He started his movements again, and he was soon reaching his own peak while it was Valerie's turn to watch him with interest. Valerie pulled him against her chest, and they tenderly kissed while their heartbeats were slowly returning to normal.
OoOoO
He woke up, feeling observed but not threatened. It was the middle of the night. Keeping his eyes closed, he listened to the breathing beside the bed, and from the height and shallowness of the breathing, knew that it was Phoebe who was standing near him. He opened his eyes, wondering if she would be scared or affronted. It was neither. Her eyes only expressed curiosity.
"Legolas? What are you doing in Mommy's bed?" she whispered.
How could he explain to the child that he had gone from running in the park with her mother to being naked in her bed? "I slept here, and there was no other bed," he lamely explained, making sure the bedsheets were covering his lower body. He was completely naked underneath.
"There is a guest room next door," she informed him, still whispering. She just stood there, waiting for something.
"You want me to go now?" he whispered back. "I am still tired, and I started the night here..."
"You are sleeping in my space. This is where I sleep when I have nightmares."
"You had a nightmare?"
"Yes."
"You want to talk about it?" he continued whispering. Valerie must have been a deep sleeper if this conversation had not woken her yet.
"No. I just want to sleep with my mother," Phoebe insisted, her voice slightly louder as she was getting annoyed.
Valerie was naked too. He could not offer Phoebe to join them in the bed, and he could not leave to go in the guest room either. Fortunately, Valerie chose that moment to wake up.
"Phoebe? You had a nightmare again?"
"Yes. What is Legolas doing in your bed?"
If Valerie had not been completely awake by then, that question certainly did the trick. "Go back to bed, and I will join you and answer all your questions," Valerie decided.
Phoebe stomped her foot, but left the bedroom nevertheless, obeying her mother for once.
"I am sorry. She has nightmares frequently," Valerie said, coming out the bed and walking to her wardrobe to get a robe.
"Do you want me to leave?"
"Do you want to leave?" Valerie asked, turning back to face him, her hand on the door handle. Her gaze was piercing, analyzing.
Legolas knew it was a test. Although she didn't want a serious relationship, she would probably never see him again if he showed that he was not ready to deal with young children. Her children were the most important thing to her. On the other hand, if he decided to stay, they would see each other again and he could start building his relationship with both Valerie and her children.
"No, I do not want to leave. I should probably just... put something on."
"Yes, that would be best." She came back to the bed and gave him a kiss before leaving to go speak with Phoebe. Legolas put on his underwear and went back to bed while he listened to the conversation between mother and daughter. Phoebe had dreamed that a snake had been in her bed, and Valerie had to look all over the room with her to prove that there were no snakes in the bedroom. Valerie tucked her up in bed after the intensive searches were over, and Legolas smiled to see how Valerie was devoted to her children. Another mother would have simply told Phoebe that it was only a dream and closed the light and door behind her.
"Mommy, why is Legolas in your bed?"
Valerie whispered her reply, never realizing that he could hear them perfectly from her bedroom. "Legolas is my friend. He can sleep in my bed if we both want it."
"You have many friends. None of them has slept in your bed before."
"Good point. Then I would say that he is more than a regular friend."
"Is he my father?"
Valerie remained silent for a few seconds. "No, he is not. Why do you ask?"
"The other day, Liam said we don't have the same father. So I am looking for mine."
"Why are you looking for your father?"
"Because it would be nice to have a father. All my friends have one. They pick them up at school, they bring them to the restaurant, or to their classes..."
"I do all of this with you!"
"It is not the same. I want a father!" Phoebe said loudly, in a stubborn tone that could only be an imitation of Valerie in her worse days.
"I am sorry, Phoebe, I cannot give you a father just like this. It's not like I can buy you one at the department store!"
"But I want one! Liam and Sean say they want someone to talk to about things they don't want to talk about with you. And I want someone to play sports with."
"Maybe Uncle John could play with you?" Valerie could barely hide the distaste in her voice.
"No, we don't like Uncle John. He never wants to be around us. We want someone else. Legolas bought us gifts, you know?"
"Yes, I know."
"Does that mean he likes us?"
"I have no idea."
"Maybe it means he likes you, then?"
"I have no idea either. We barely know each other." Valerie bit her lower lip, realizing she had just told her daughter that she barely knew the man who was in her bed. Which was true. But they were both adults who could look after themselves. And Phoebe wasn't old enough to judge them. Liam would be another story in the morning!
Phoebe was silent for a while. Legolas was surprised with this conversation. It seemed that the kids were missing a man in their lives, and that Valerie was only realizing it now. He was confident that he could become close to them. Sean and Phoebe would be easy to get along with. Liam was a bit suspicious about him. He would not open up easily.
"We'll talk about it tomorrow, baby. You need to sleep," Valerie eventually said.
Legolas closed his eyes and faked sleep as Valerie was coming back in her bedroom. She stood by the bed, watching him intensely, and eventually put her robe on a chair and came back in the bed, looking for his warmth. The nights were getting cold.
"Everything okay?" Legolas asked, in a sleepy voice as if her entering the bed had woken him up.
"Yes. Go back to sleep," she replied, kissing his arm lightly before closing her eyes.
He stayed awake, his fingers tracing patterns on her arms and back. Her skin was so soft and warm. Her body temperature was much higher than his. She had not fallen back asleep, he could tell by the fluttering of her lashes in the crook of his neck. His hand became more adventurous, caressing her waist and slowly going to her hip. He felt her subtle movement to move on her side, giving him better access to the apex of her thighs if he wished to move his hand to this area. Legolas was not the kind of ellon who would refuse such an invitation from the one he wanted to mate with. That decision had been made the moment they had joined their bodies earlier in the evening. He had known she would be his forever. It had been a moment of all-consuming passion, but too quick, in his humble opinion. He was still hungry for her. He delicately pushed her on her back on the mattress and completely removed the sheet that was covering them. It was time for them to discover each other's most sensitive spots, and the discovery would take the rest of the night.
Tomorrow he would think about his next move. Leaving her behind while he went back to Middle Earth was no longer a possibility.
OoOoO
"I can stay with Phoebe today if you want," Legolas offered. Two weeks had passed since the party, two weeks in which Valerie and him had started what could only be called a casual relationship. He had been sleeping over every night in the past week, sharing her bed and having breakfast with the family every morning. Kate had been worried about him going too fast in his relationship with his so-called childhood sweetheart, but since he was still paying his rent, she didn't voice her opinion too harshly. She would have been even more worried had she known how Valerie was keeping Legolas on the thin line between boyfriend and simple friend with benefits. Sometimes, Legolas felt that Valerie was starting to have feelings for him, only to be disabused a moment later. It was not a pleasant situation, but he had known in advance that Valerie falling in love with him would not happen overnight, and that her admission of theses feelings would be even more challenging.
"You would?" Valerie asked, stopping to dial the phone number of whoever she was going to call for help. Phoebe had a day off at her school, and Paola, the maid and babysitter of the children, had called to ask for a few hours off for a last minute doctor's appointment in the morning. Valerie was trying to find someone who could take care of Phoebe, and out of desperation, had been about to call her mother.
"Yes! It's just for the morning, right? Paola will be here before lunch time?" he asked, trying not to show that the prospect of four hours alone with a five year-old girl was scary. He liked Phoebe very much, but so far, he never had been alone with her and been responsible for her. That couldn't be more complicated than being responsible for warriors in battle, he thought warily while watching Valerie's daughter beam at him.
Liam snorted. "You never refuse her anything. You'll be her slave for four long hours!" he predicted.
"You will miss the bus," Valerie cried, looking at the clock. Sure enough, Legolas started hearing the sound of the big yellow bus that was picking up the boys every morning.
"I didn't brush my teeth!" Sean shrieked.
"Too late!" Valerie decided. She picked up their schoolbags in the hallway and helped them to put their coats and bags on while the bus stopped in front of the house. She went outside without a coat to thank the driver, who had realized the Thompson boys were missing at the usual stop and had come to pick them up directly in front of their house.
Legolas remained alone with Phoebe who was eating a bowl of cereals. "What do you want to do today?"
"I don't know. Don't you go to the archery range every morning, after we leave?"
"Yes?"
"Well then, that's what we should do! I want to go to the archery range!" Phoebe cried. "Please! Please! Pretty please!"
Valerie came back in. "I really suck at morning routines when Paola isn't here. I have to leave, I am really late! Are you sure you are okay to take care of Phoebe?"
"Yes! What could go wrong, really?"
"A lot, actually," Valerie sighed. "Phoebe, I want you to listen to Legolas, alright? I better not hear that you misbehaved, young lady!"
"Phoebe always does as I say," Legolas mentioned, knowing Phoebe was only challenging her mother. She was always respectful and obedient with Paola and himself.
"I know. Call me if you need me. I will come right back here."
"We won't call you," Legolas replied, displaying a confidence he didn't really feel.
"What do you really want to do?" he asked the smaller version of Valerie once her mother had left after giving them both a tender kiss.
"Archery range!"
"I have never seen a child there, I am not sure if elflings are allowed."
"Elflings?"
"I meant children," Legolas corrected.
"Children are allowed, my mother told me once."
"Your mother still practices?"
"Rarely. She sometimes goes at lunchtime. She keeps a bow locked in her office at work. She keeps one here too. Locked in her bedroom."
"I have never seen it."
"She hides it. She doesn't want us to get hurt. These are true arrows. You might not believe me," the girl insisted seriously, "but people can get killed with arrows. And when you die, you don't come back. It's not like sleeping."
Legolas recognized the warning words of a mother trying to make her child understand the dangers of a weapon. "I know people can get killed with arrows," he replied as seriously, trying to temporarily forget how many of his warriors had lost their lives because of orcish arrows. "I would prefer if we stayed here, Phoebe. Your mother didn't give me permission to leave the house with you."
"But... you are her boyfriend?"
Legolas wasn't sure Valerie would call him that, but Phoebe wouldn't understand if he denied. "Yes, I am. But I am not your father. So I cannot make that kind of decision about you."
"Do you know who my father is?"
"No. I do not."
"Jody's mother remarried, and her new husband is now Jody's new father."
"Who is Jody?"
"A girl at school. Do you think... that you will marry my mom and that you will become my father?"
Legolas almost told her he was planning to, but thought it wouldn't be such a great idea to tell the child of his plan. "It is too early to tell, Phoebe. Your mother and I have only been together for two weeks..."
Phoebe didn't hide her disappointment but eventually stopped gazing at him, looking around to find something to do.
"You want to watch a movie?" Legolas offered.
"All my movies are boring," Phoebe pouted.
"What do you want to do then?"
"Archery!" she requested stubbornly. "We can do it in the backyard. Mother has a target in the garage."
"You don't have a bow," he reminded her.
"I can use yours. I know you lock it in the garage as soon as you arrive."
"Fine, but my bow is too big for you. I might have to help you," he warned.
"Thanks!" Phoebe cried, jumping up and down.
When Paola arrived four hours later, she saw Legolas and Phoebe in the backyard. Legolas was kneeling behind Phoebe who was standing. He was holding a wooden bow and had an arrow nocked, but Phoebe was the one who seemed to be aiming at Valerie's target, at the far end of the yard, just before the forest line. Paola knew that Legolas was an archer since he had mentioned going to the archery range a few times. But she had never seen him in action, and found strange that he was using a huge wooden bow instead of a smaller metal one like Valerie. She in fact had never seen anyone use a wooden bow while Valerie was competing when she was a teenager.
"Ready," the little girl said, and after counting to three, Legolas released the arrow. It went right in the centre of the target, and Phoebe screamed in delight while Legolas congratulated her.
Paola had flashbacks of Valerie as a young girl, learning archery despite her mother's disapproval. She wondered if Valerie had ever told Legolas about her successes as an archer when she was younger. She started to prepare lunch for Legolas and Phoebe, and while the food was cooking, she went in Valerie's office, took an old photo album and brought it back in the kitchen. When Phoebe and Legolas entered the house half an hour later, Paola had lunch ready for them. She sat with them and listened to Phoebe's babbling about archery while Legolas was eyeing Paola's big book.
"What is it?" he asked, curious. He could tell this wasn't a normal book. The housekeeper gave him an enigmatic smile, and pushed the book towards him.
"Mommy's pictures!" Phoebe cried.
Legolas opened the book and saw a page with many pictures of a younger version of Valerie. She was with her family but was most of the times holding Allison's hand, who was hovering protectively above her younger sister. Legolas had officially met Valerie's sister a few days before when Allison had invited herself for dinner. Valerie's sister had been suspicious about him, and when she had thought Legolas was out of earshot, she had warned Valerie not to get attached to a man she barely knew. She had asked Legolas many questions, many of which he had avoided to answer clearly.
He turned the page, and discovered a picture of Valerie with her bow on her back, and another one where she was aiming at a target. On a third one, a man was putting a ribbon with a golden circle around her neck while she was holding a bunch of flowers.
"She won many medals," Phoebe mentioned proudly.
"What is a medal?" he asked.
Paola thought he didn't know the word in English. "It is when you win a contest. A medal is the prize that you get when you win."
"Or a trophy!" Phoebe added. "All of Mom's trophies and medals are at my grandparents'."
"She won the state's archery challenge many years in a row," Paola added. "She also was the country's junior champion. John Junior also tried but he never won. He was always jealous of her talent."
"Is this when their animosity started?"
"You are aware of that?" the housekeeper sighed.
"Yes. Valerie told me about her difficult relationship with her brother. And with her parents, as a matter of fact."
"Valerie is so different than her parents and brother. I would have thought she had been adopted if she didn't have her father's hair color! She didn't have an easy childhood. Allison is closer in character to the rest of the family, but when she realized that Valerie was being treated differently, she started protecting her and hasn't stopped since then. Like I did. I was the family's nanny for many years, and they kept me after the children were grown up. I became the nanny of Valerie's children when she gave birth to Liam."
"Why is Valerie different?"
"She is independent, free-spirited. She started challenging her father at an early age, and Mr. Thompson doesn't like being defied. She misbehaved, ran away for a few hours at a times... I was so scared for her! Each time, her father was becoming more rigid and strict with her. Their relationship quickly deteriorated, Ms. Thompson took her husband's side, and Valerie was sent to a boarding school when she was thirteen. She rebelled and was expelled within two weeks. She went from boarding school to boarding school until she went to a school where girls were introduced to different sports. More violent sports, in my book. She learned archery, horseback riding, tennis, kungfu... It was a discovery. She had too much energy, and needed this physical exhaustion to keep herself in line. She went to university at the other end of the country and came back to live with the family. Her father offered her a position in his company. She has been a dutiful employee since then."
"But their relationship did not improve?"
"No. Mr. And Ms. Thompson hate the fact that she got children outside of marriage. She was under a lot of pressure when she got pregnant. That is when she moved out of the family manor and moved here. I followed her. I couldn't let my Valerie raise a child alone."
"Valerie told me you are like a mother to her."
"Yes. And she is the daughter I never had. I had two boys. My husband would like me to retire. But I can't... Not until I know that she no longer needs me. And she still does. You still want to look at these pictures?" Paola asked, picking up the plates on the table.
"I would like to look at them with Valerie, when she comes back tonight. Phoebe tells me that Valerie's bow is here?"
"She has one here, yes," Paola replied while rinsing the dishes. "But if you would like to try it, I would have to refuse. Valerie doesn't lend it to anyone."
"I would never use someone else's bow and would never let anyone use mine! It is such a personal item! Each archer has its own, with just the right tension of the tread. I was merely wondering if she trains here or only at the office."
Paola looked at Phoebe, knowing the girl had told Legolas information Valerie might have wanted to keep for herself.
"She rarely trains here. But I saw you help Phoebe. I hope you start training her, I am sure she will be just as good as her mother."
"I would need a child bow for Phoebe."
"I can get Valerie's first bow if you want," she proposed. "It is collecting dust at her parents' manor."
"If she started at thirteen, it will probably be too big for Phoebe. Maybe I should buy her one next time I go to the archery range."
OoOoO
Valerie was in fact delighted with the idea of Phoebe starting archery training. The three of them went to the archery range the following weekend, and Phoebe received her first bow. Legolas was fascinated with the mechanism of these metal bows. They seemed cold and impersonal as opposed to his smooth bow made of the finest wood with his name carved on the handle. But the modern ones seemed to be working well, as he could tell by watching Valerie's performance at the archery range.
She was very talented for a mortal. Would she have elven eyesight, she would be a great archer, who would deserve a place in his army. It was strange in itself for Legolas, since no elleth in Greenwood had ever shown any desire to use a weapon, bow, blades or sword. He wondered how his father would react to that side of Valerie. Surely Thranduil would not be too pleased with the idea. It would even be worse for Phoebe. Because after having taught the girl a few times, it was clear that the child was even more talented than her mother. He had quickly come to the conclusion that she was indeed the warrior of the prophecy.
If and when Valerie got pregnant, she would be carrying an elven king. Not a scholar like everyone expected back in Middle Earth. And Phoebe, the female warrior, would have to be protected from the scornful gaze of the elven population until she was old enough to protect herself.
OoOoO
Legolas slowly lied on his back on Valerie's bed, pulling her with him, her head firmly pressed against his neck. They both struggled to catch their breaths, until Valerie suddenly fought to be released from his embrace.
"What...?" she mumbled, surprised. She put her hand between her legs and brought it back full of white, creamy liquid.
"Shit!" she screamed, jumping out of the bed and running to the bathroom.
"What's wrong?" Legolas called, until he realized he still had to remove the condom he had used. That is when he realized that the condom must have tore open, because he didn't have the usual amount of sperm in it.
"Shit! Shit Shit! Fucking shit!" Valerie yelled in the bathroom.
Valerie would without a doubt be worried about the risk of getting pregnant. He certainly could not explain that as an elf, his sperm was only potent when he actually wished to be a father. This is how the elves were having a relatively small amount of children for beings that lived eternally. In order to get pregnant, a bonded couple needed to wish to have an elfling during intercourse, and this decision would trigger the sperm of the male to be issued from another canal, while the wish triggered fertility for an elleth. As far as he could tell, he had not wished to get Valerie pregnant, and the chance that she was in a fertile cycle that exact day were low. Legolas was certain that she was uselessly worrying. But he could not explain it to her, since he still had not introduced the subject of his race, Middle Earth or the prophecy that concerned her, for that matter. And he had a little more than three months left before he had to go back to Middle Earth.
He cleaned himself with a tissue, put on his boxers and walked slowly to the bathroom, wondering how he would find Valerie. She was sitting on the floor, her face hidden behind her hands. He knelt in front of her and removed her hands from her face.
"Valerie, I am sorry," he said, not knowing what else he could say to make her feel better without sounding suspicious.
"It is not your fault," she sighed. "Shit like that happens. Let's just cross our fingers that nothing will happen. That we are both healthy and that I will not get pregnant."
"I know I am healthy, Valerie. I have none of these diseases that are sexually transmitted."
"Did you do a test?"
"A test?"
"Did a doctor make tests to ensure you have no diseases since you made love with your last partner?"
"No."
"Then you don't know. But it's okay. We can ask Allison to make the tests for us, just to make sure that we will not have any health issues in the future."
"Fine. Now will you come back to bed, Vanima?"
"Vanima?"
"It means beautiful in my language. Come back to bed," he insisted.
"Fine," she sighed again. There was no point in staying on the cold bathroom tiles for hours for the pure pleasure of worrying about a pregnancy or diseases. He pulled her to her feet, and led her back to bed where they resumed their quiet rest.
"I love you," he whispered, thinking it would help her think of something else. It was the first time he was voicing his feelings, although he had shown her his deepening love with many gestures, looks and by making love to her many times a day.
Valerie stayed silent, her heart beating suddenly faster. She had not expected him to make that confession. Hell, she didn't even think that he already had such strong feelings for her! After all, they had been together just a few weeks. That meant he was feeling the same way than she was: there had been an immediate connection between them, a strong physical need to spend all your time with the other, the desire to know every thought and feeling that the other felt... She could admit this, despite all her efforts to remain cold and level-headed. Legolas loved her... Did she love him? Was she even capable of loving a man? So far, only her children, her sister and Paola had found a place in her heart. Did she have room for him too?
Was she falling in love with him? It was still time to break up and never see him again. But at the sudden pain in her chest when she thought about this radical option, she understood that it was probably too late. She was attached to him. He had, within a month, been able to become a dear friend, an attentive, skilled and passionate lover, an ear who could listen to her professional and family frustrations and a male mentor for her children. Her first relationship experience was conclusive, despite her original reluctance. Legolas made her happy.
She didn't reply, but she snaked her arm around his neck, holding him closer than before. He read it for what it was meant to mean: she had feelings for him, but was not ready to verbalize them. He didn't mind. He knew that she had lacked affection in her childhood. But he was on his way to gaining her heart. He would need to move fast and start talking about his true nature and the reason for his presence in her world, now that they loved each other.
In the next chapter - Legolas hits the metaphoric wall at 200 miles per hour. Stay tuned! (wicked laughter)