Thank you for your review of the last chapter. I appreciate hearing your comments and suggestions: Faye50free, KrystylSky, world-classgeek, Sleepy Hollow5, Aureleis, Paperlanterns86, Fi, Manwathiel-Nanethiel, Glory Bee, Abbyforth, TheQueenofErynLagasryn, KurandRobgirl, Sarafinja and Peridot Eyez.

Morwen80: one of your guesses is right... You'll see which one in a few chapters...

KKK3: While Legolas had a subconscious desire to have the prophecy children with her while they were having sex, Valerie is not an elf – she only needed to be ovulating at that time to get pregnant... I hope this helps!

Chapter 7 ended with:

Legolas was speaking passionately, and unfortunately louder than before, and Liam was lapping up everything the elf was telling him, not noticing the soft footsteps approaching his room, until the door opened and Valerie entered the room.

Chapter 8 – The truth about elves

Valerie was extremely astonished to see Legolas in Liam's room as she was starting her tour of the bedrooms to wake her children. Her knees becoming weak, she grabbed the door frame to avoid falling to the floor.

"Legolas? What are you doing here?" she whispered at first, watching him intently. He looked sick, with dark circles under his eyes and an obvious loss of weight. But concern for his well-being was soon replaced by anger as she realized that Legolas had broken into her house and was standing in her son's bedroom. And Liam was speaking to him as if all was well, as if Legolas was still living with them! "I told you to stay away -" She turned green and put her hand on her mouth as nausea hit her with full force. Knowing her son was not truly in danger with the man that had been her lover for many weeks and that had cared for her children like a father, she ran back to the bathroom where she vomited in the toilet again.

This time around, Legolas followed her. Now that she knew he was in the house, why would he hide in Liam's room while she was sick? He knelt on the floor and put his arm around her waist, holding her hair out of the way and caressing the nape of her neck at the same time. Realizing her body temperature was too high, he asked Liam, who had followed them in the bathroom, to get a towel wet with cold water. He placed the towel on her neck and resisted when Valerie weakly tried to push him away from her.

"I am not leaving you, Vanima!" Legolas told her adamantly, using her pet name without thinking. What kind of ellon would leave his lover when she was unwell?

"Leave me alone," Valerie mumbled between two nausea. She flushed the toilet, and retched again soon after. "This is absolutely disgusting!"

Legolas was relieved that she was fighting him because she didn't want him to see her while she was sick, and not because she could not stand the sight of him anymore. He supported her until her stomach seemed to settle down. He then helped her to stand, and seeing that she was very weak, he easily lifted her and carried her to her bed. Once she was comfortable lying horizontally, he went back to the bathroom and brought back the wet towel to put it on her forehead.

"Liam, can you please bring some crackers for your mother?" he asked the boy who was following them everywhere. He immediately left the room, leaving Legolas and Valerie alone for the first time in a week.

"Are you sick like this frequently?"

"Why do you care?" she answered in her utmost obstinate tone. Her body may be weak, but her fiery spirit was all there, clearly appearing in her features and in her words.

"I care because I love you."

She snorted. "Listen, I don't know why you are here, or what you are as a matter of fact. But -"

"He is an elf, Mommy," Liam answered as he entered her bedroom with a box of crackers. He opened it and gave her one, which Valerie ate in silence while Liam sat beside her, holding one of her hands.

"Is that what he is, then?" she asked in a gentle tone that promised hell to pay when they would be alone.

Liam couldn't detect it yet, but Legolas knew her temper better. She took another cracker in the box and quietly asked her son to go wake his siblings so they could get ready for school. Liam hesitated between obeying her command or staying with her, curious to hear the conversation that would take place between his mother and Legolas. But when Valerie looked at him with insistence, he realized that staying was not an option after all. His mother's expression was the one she reserved for her worst days. The very bad ones, like when Uncle John Junior was coming over and they screamed at each other for hours. Liam left the room to wake up Sean and Phoebe, hoping to hear a few words while the conversation started. Unfortunately for him, whatever his mother and Legolas had to say to each other, they were whispering it, so the three children went downstairs without knowing if the breakup was being confirmed or if a reconciliation was taking place.

OoOoO

"Legolas, I thought I had been perfectly clear when I said that I wanted you to leave us alone."

"And I stayed away as you wished, Vanima, until Phoebe and Sean called me."

"Stop lying! They don't even know your phone number!"

"I think they used your cell phone. I assume I am still in your contacts?"

"What? They actually called you? You should have hung up! You had no right to speak to them when I told you to leave us alone!"

"Vanima, they -"

"Stop calling me Vanima, you no longer have the right to call me that! My name is Valerie!"

"Yes, Valerie, they called me yesterday and I did not hang up. And then I spoke to Liam. He convinced me to come meet him to discuss."

"Discuss what?"

"Me. What I am."

"Legolas!" Valerie started tiredly, "I have had some time to think about this whole thing. My sister is convinced that you are some strange being, and I panicked the other day when I saw you in the backyard. But I have realized since then that you must have been standing on a hard patch of snow. There are no such things as strange beings, and I certainly do not want you or Allison to put stupidities like these in Liam's head. He is too young to make the difference between facts and fantasy."

"Allison was right."

"Excuse me?"

"Allison was right. I have no doubt that my blood is different. Because I am different."

"In what sense?"

"I am not... exactly human." Having said that, Legolas grabbed a chair in a corner of the bedroom, the one he had always been using to put his clothing on before going to bed. They had started to jokingly call that chair Legolas' wardrobe, until Valerie had made some space for his clothes in her wardrobe and drawers. She watched him bring the chair closer to her bed, taking another cracker in her mouth.

"Alright, you can entertain me for a while," she said lightly, as if she was already dismissing the possibility that he might be telling the truth. In reality, Valerie was feeling weak in many ways. She still felt light-headed because of the morning sickness, but wouldn't show it to Legolas. She wasn't sure that he knew about her pregnancy yet. She also felt weak emotionally. She had missed Legolas dreadfully, barely sleeping because she spent her nightly hours analyzing her relationship with him and wondering if she should return his calls. His empty spot in the bed certainly didn't help when she tried not to think about him! At the office, everyone had noticed how distracted and tired she was, but no one had dared to make comments about it. If only they knew she was thinking of Legolas during their meetings instead of concentrating on the issues at hand! All these were sure signs that what she had suspected for a few weeks now was absolutely real: she was in love with the angel-looking man. Their breakup had been so sudden and unexpected that their separation had been extremely painful. She hadn't had time make the decision, to prepare herself for it. One minute he was there, the first man she had ever cared for, and the next he was gone, leaving her heart shattered into pieces. It had been her first heartbreak, from which she had not recovered yet. And she was nowhere near recovery, she realized, almost feeling giddy just because he was close to her now.

She watched him attentively while wearing a bored expression on her face and calmly eating her crackers. He talked for long minutes, and she heard about a prophecy, about a bunch of children, elves, a place called Middle Earth and a foe named Sauron, but she was not really listening, too enthralled by his sight. God, his hair looked so fine and silky, like baby's hair. How she had loved to brush it and make the braids he liked to wear on each side of his head. And his eyes! Such a light blue, like a cloudless sky in the summer... His face was so attractive when he smiled, although even when angry, his face was probably the most gorgeous she had ever seen. She paid attention to what he was saying once more, and heard him talk about a place called Greenwood, and the darkness growing in a forest, and him having to protect it with his warriors. That if she accepted to go there with her children, many people would find hope in their fight against that evil Sauron.

To hear his voice was so comforting after these days apart. And she had had such a hard time sleeping lately. She was so tired... She had been sick each morning, getting weaker with each passing day. And Legolas was there, and maybe, maybe she could rest a little while he was sitting near her, his familiar voice and presence lulling her into sleep...

Legolas knew she had stopped listening to him a while ago. But she seemed so exhausted, he didn't want to demand her complete attention. He had seen how her eyes had been trailing all over his face and his body with a dream-like expression. She missed him as much as he missed her. But would she believe his story now, after having taken a scientific approach to the facts she had witnessed? Did he have any chance of convincing her to follow him to Middle Earth?

An instant later, Valerie had completely closed her eyes and was snoring lightly, something she had never done in all those weeks of bed sharing. She must have been extremely exhausted, just like he was. He heard the front door open on the first floor as Paola entered in the house. She asked the children if their mother was feeling better, and Liam informed her that Valerie was unwell but that she didn't need help, since Legolas was there to take care of her. Paola made him repeat that sentence twice, and a moment later, Paola arrived in Valerie's bedroom, her eyes wide when she saw the man that had been suddenly banned from the house. She looked at the sleeping Valerie, saw the crackers on the bed and Legolas sitting close to Valerie, his expression clearly stating that he would not move from there anytime soon. Paola nodded to him and closed the door behind her, hoping Allison would not choose that day for a surprise visit. If these two had decided to make up, it was none of Allison's business.

Legolas heard the children get ready for school, the boys leaving first when their school bus arrived. Then Paola seemed to decide to borrow Valerie's SUV to drive Phoebe to school, since he heard Valerie's car leave the parking lot. Paola would probably not be back before at least an hour. What would he do in the meantime? He was pretty tired too, not having slept at all in the past few days. The bed was very tempting, especially with Valerie lying there, looking fragile in her sleep. He removed his shoes and carefully entered the bed, molding his body against Valerie's. How he had missed her! He put his nose against the nape of her neck, tacking a deep breath to smell the familiar scent of her skin and hair. He wondered if he would be able to feel the baby's fëa like his father had told him he had felt when his own mother had carried him. Carefully putting a hand on her stomach, he concentrated on making a connection with the child that was growing inside her body. It took him a while, but he started to faintly feel a little soul in there, trying to connect with his when it felt the probe of his mature fëa. Something was strange about that little fëa, it was very active, very eager to feel him. He kept the connection going, just appeased by the life he had created with the woman he loved. He fell asleep while his hand was still settled on her stomach.

Valerie was in a strange dream. It felt too realistic, with all her senses being active as if she was awake. She was sitting on a bench in a wild garden, with flowers growing without restraint all around her, roses, lilies, phlox, magnolia trees and even sunflowers, and many other flowers, trees and plants she had never seen before. There even was a water garden nearby. The smell of all these flowers was invading her nostrils, and she stood to walk closer to the lilies. She touched the delicate petals, and stained her fingers with the pollen. There were many butterflies in the garden, but strangely, no bees or wasps were in sight, which was strange in such a luxurious wild garden. As she walked in the small aisles, it became obvious that the garden had been well planned out when it had been created, but that its caretakers had abandoned it a long time before. There were weeds everywhere she looked, fighting for space and hiding the flowers.. It was both beautiful and horribly sad. Valerie came back to the bench, only to find it occupied by a sublime woman who was watching her with gentle eyes.

Valerie stopped walking, thinking she was trespassing in this woman's garden, although she didn't seem angered at all by Valerie's presence. And since Valerie had no idea how she had ended in that garden, she could hardly feel guilty about it!

"It is not my garden," the woman said with a musical voice. She held out her hand, inviting Valerie to sit beside her on the bench. The woman was radiant, her opalescent skin and golden hair shining under the sun light. There was something familiar about her, she radiated the same kind of aura that Legolas' had. Observing the woman more attentively, Valerie realized that she, like her former lover, had delicate pointy ears and eyes that seemed to contain all the knowledge of the world.

"Who are you?" she whispered, not getting closer before she knew what the woman wanted.

"I am Galadriel."

"Are you Legolas' mother?"

"No, I do not have this honor. My friend Derenil gave birth to the one you love. This was her garden," the woman added, looking around sadly.

"What happened to her?"

"She died. Like many pure people here, she was taken by cruelty and darkness."

"Why am I here?" Valerie asked. She specifically remembered falling asleep in her bed while Legolas was talking to her, and she had no idea how she had ended in this garden with this Galadriel. This couldn't be a dream, no, it was not a dream. She really was in this garden with the beautiful woman who was asking her again to sit beside her on the bench.

"I wanted to talk to you, my child." The words could have been condescending, but somehow Valerie knew that Galadriel was much much older than she was. Valerie cautiously sat beside the woman, arranging her night robe around her body, self conscious about being in sleepwear in public.

"This is where Legolas lives when he is home," Galadriel said, pointing a construction that seemed to be half-buried under a mountain. There were some warriors walking around, all extremely attractive and looking deadly with their weapons from another age. They all had long, blonde hair and pointy ears. That's when it struck her: all these people were like Legolas. This was his home, and here, everyone was like him. She was the one who was different.

"What are you?" she asked, bewildered. "You are not human, right?"

"We are elves, the Eldar, the first race created by the Valar. We are living in Middle Earth, another world, and our population is spread in many realms. We currently are in Greenwood, the realm ruled by Legolas' father, Thranduil."

"So it is true that he is not human... Why? Why did he come to my world?"

"He came just for you, my child. You were born to accomplish a great destiny!"

Valerie remembered the prophecy Legolas had been talking about, although she had not been listening carefully. She was displeased with herself now that Galadriel was talking about it.

"You are the woman who will be the mother of many reborn elves, the catalyst of many changes and the link between the different realms and races of Middle Earth."

"Why me?"

"Because our gods chose you, because you have what it takes to make it happen, which hardly no elven woman has. All your life has been leading you to this path, to this destiny. You are ready now."

Strangely Valerie, who had a suspicious nature, didn't doubt her words for a second. She knew that Galadriel was telling her the truth, and that she could choose to change her life completely and come to this world accomplish whatever deeds were expected of her. She suddenly thought of her children. "I am not leaving without my children!"

"You think Legolas would leave them behind?"

Valerie thought about how close Legolas was to her youngest children. He also seemed to be on the way of developing a relationship with Liam, her most difficult child. "No, I don't think he would."

"Than they can come."

"Do I have a choice? Can I change my mind later and come back to my world?"

"No. Once you make your choice, it is permanent. Either you stay in your world and never see Legolas or any elf ever again, or you come to Middle Earth and never see your world again. I know it is a most difficult choice, but you have a few months left to make it."

"And what if... it doesn't work with Legolas?"

"Do you love him?"

"It is a bit early in our relationship and -"

"Please, my child," Galadriel interrupted, "spare me your attempts at protecting your pride. Are you in love with him?"

"Yes.. I think?"

"You think?" Galadriel challenged, lifting an eyebrow.

"Yes. I love him. I really do. But please do not tell him that!"

"I understand you have guarded your heart all your life, and that opening up to him is difficult for you. But you were destined to fall in love with him, and he was destined to love you beyond reason. So you will work things out, like every elven couple through the ages. You will truly understand the meaning of forever."

"What do you mean?"

"Ask Legolas. He will explain the concept to you. Unfortunately, your body is about to wake up, and I have one last thing to teach you... Should you decide to come here, and we all hope you will, you will need this," Galadriel said, putting a necklace around Valerie's neck. She looked at the pendant and saw a big emerald on a golden chain.

"What is it?"

"The key to the portal. To use it, just repeat these words," and Galadriel pronounced words in an unknown language. She made Valerie repeat them until she was satisfied that the woman wouldn't forget them. "Make sure that you are the last one to enter the portal, you would not want to leave loved ones behind... You have to leave, my child. I sincerely hope to meet you in person in a few months."

"Wait! What if... What if I decide to stay in my world? How do I give you back the emerald?"

Galadriel smiled. "Your question honors you, Valerie Thompson. Should you decide to stay in your world, you can keep it. Consider it a gift... from the people who will miss your presence greatly..."

Valerie opened her eyes, amazed by how realistic the dream had been. The flowers, their aromas, the beautiful woman that had given her a pendant... She suddenly felt an unfamiliar weight on her chest, and touching the object, discovered that she was indeed wearing a pendant. Lifting it to observe it, she realized she was wearing the exact pendant the beautiful woman had given her in her dream.

In an instant, she was on her feet, stepping backwards until her back was leaning against the bay window. Legolas, who had been woken up by her sudden movement, was watching her with sleepy eyes.

"Vanima?" he asked, realizing she was watching him with both fascination and fright. "What is wrong?" He immediately saw the emerald pendant around her neck, a jewelry she had not been wearing when they had fallen asleep. The pendant had a rudimentary look, as jewelry in Middle Earth was not as refined as the jewelry Valerie owned. "Where did you get this emerald?"

"You tell me! I dreamed of some elf-woman giving it to me and I woke up with it around my neck!"

Her voice was just about to turn hysterical. Legolas could easily make a few guesses about who had visited Valerie in her sleep, thinking of the female Valar would have that power. But he doubted that would change a thing for the woman standing before him. He slowly sat on the bed, putting his feet on the cold floor. He was about to stand when she yelled at him to stay away from her. He sat more comfortably on her bed and she visibly relaxed.

"What is happening to me, Legolas? Why me?"

He understood that whoever had visited her in her sleep must have told her about the prophecy and about her necessary departure to Middle Earth.

"That is a question I asked myself many weeks ago," he admitted truthfully. "I wondered why I had to come here, to this unknown world to find a woman that had been chosen by our gods to change our world. I... hesitated greatly, to say the least. But when I saw you..."

"I know," was all she replied, watching him intently. They both knew it had been love at first sight. They were soul-mates, destined to be together and love each other until one of them died. His own admission that he had had doubts made her feel much better. He had been uncertain, destabilized, just like she was at the moment. "What are you, Legolas?"

"An elf."

She rolled her eyes. "No shit, Sherlock!" The tension dropped significantly in the room as she tried to suppress a smile. "Legolas, elves don't exist here. Only in books, in movies... The authors define them to make their fiction interesting, and the characteristics change between stories. What is an elf, in reality? Are they all warriors?"

"All warriors? Why would you ask such a question?"

"Excluding that elven woman, all the elves in my dream seemed to be warriors."

"Where were you?"

"In your mother's abandoned garden, with.. what was her name? Galariel?"

"Lady Galadriel? She brought you back home? Tell me what you have seen!"

Valerie's expression suddenly turned suspicious, and he knew he was about to be tested. She had had trust issues all her life, it was to be expected that she would try to see the truth in his words. "No, Legolas. You tell me what your home looks like."

Legolas started describing the fortress in the caves, the garden no one but his father and himself had permission to enter, full of memories of his poor mother. He described the yard behind the main gate, the area where the warriors were practicing, their weapons, their uniform... He even gave a very detailed description of Lady Galadriel, from her physical appearance to the reaction one was having when near such an extraordinary and superior being.

"That's a question of perspective," Valerie mumbled. To him, Lady Galadriel was an incredible being while for Valerie, any elf was extraordinary. And there had been so many of them! Sometime during his speech, she had turned around, putting her forehead on the cold window. It was real. It was all real!

"Why do you say that?"

She turned around to face him again. "I didn't really feel different with her than when I am with you. I always knew you were different... Exceptional... Everyone is different around you, as if we were all feeling of lesser importance around you..."

Legolas was immediately on his feet, slowly walking in her direction. "Vanima -"

"Stop calling me Vanima! If all the elven women look like your Lady Galadriel, I am far from being beautiful by your standards!"

"Vanima," he insisted, this time taking her face delicately in his hands. "You are the most beautiful person I have ever seen. You have erased the memories of all the ones before you. You are all that I want."

"All the ones before me? You make it seem crowded! How many women have you been with?" she asked, feeling guilty for her jealousy but wanting to know anyways even if she herself had never been an innocent angel in that department. Legolas immediately became uncomfortable and Valerie's suspicions immediately skyrocketed. "How many?" she insisted.

"We live a long time..."

"How long?"

"We live... that is, if we do not die from an injury... we live... well... we are... immortal?" he replied, ending his sentence like a question. He was in fact questioning how she would react to this new piece of information.

"Immortal? As in... you never die?"

"Unless we die from an injury."

"How old are you, Legolas?"

"I could give you a general idea -"

"I am sure you know your exact age, Legolas! Spit it out! Stop trying to spare me, I can stomach whatever you will tell me!"

"I am... 2,164 years old." She stared at him, her eyes widening. He could tell the figure was much higher than she had expected. But she had to understand that from his perspective, it was nothing. "I am not that old, Valerie! My father is 6,694 years old!"

She suddenly pushed him away and ran back to the bathroom, where the crackers she had eaten earlier made an unexpected appearance. Legolas decided to give her a few moments to compose herself. He soon heard the shower start and sat back on the bed, waiting to see how she would feel after that pause in their discussion. It was clear that she had needed time to regroup her thoughts.

In fact, Valerie was feeling filthy after having been sick so many times in the same morning. And she needed time to herself to think. It was clear to her that Legolas was not human, not after the blood test, not after the part where he had walked on snow. The fact was that he had physical and mental differences as compared to everyone she had ever met. The dream of Galadriel and his perfect description of what she had seen in her dream had only made things more real. Now, was she ready to live with these differences? Legolas was more than 2,000 years old! She started washing her hair, and suddenly realized that in his life time, he could potentially have been with thousands of female elves, if he had changed girlfriends every year! That certainly didn't make her feel better. And if they were anywhere close to being as stunning as Galadriel, how could she compete with that? She grabbed the first thing within her reach, in this case, the bottle of shampoo, and threw it with all her might on the mirror. The mirror didn't break, but the cap of the bottle had been ejected on impact, and the shampoo mess on the walls and floor tiles was a very satisfying sight for Valerie. She grabbed the conditioner bottle and it experienced the same fate.

She rinsed herself quickly, and grabbing a towel, dried herself in a hurry, a new thought forming in her mind. Legolas had told her weeks before that he was available for a relationship with her, but his hesitancy was now very telling. She put on a clean night robe that had been hanging behind the door and walked back to her bedroom.

Legolas turned to her when he heard her footsteps, but frowned when he saw her expression.

"Your last girlfriend... When did you break up with her?"

The subject he would have liked to avoid at all costs! Amareth! What could he tell Valerie about Amareth without ending up having a fight? Whatever way he could find, he needed to find it quickly, since every second passing was just making matters worse for Valerie.

"I broke up... before coming here."

"How delightful! And tell me, did you love her?"

"She was a good friend."

"I didn't ask you if you liked her as a friend, I asked you if you loved her!"

"Did you love the three fathers of your children?" he counter-attacked, insisting on the number.

"Three?" she laughed sarcastically. "Are you going to judge me for three men while you have been with thousands of women?"

"First, I have not been with thousands of ellith - female elves! And you know something else? I am sure you had a lot more lovers than just three in your life! I have seen the way all these men were touching you at the launch of the Christmas issue!"

"You have no right to inquire about something that happened before I met you!"

"Oh, is that how it is going to work? Double standards? You can question me, my past, be angry with me for things that are of no concern of yours, but I cannot do the same?"

"It is not the same!" she yelled back. "What is it that people have against the fact that my children have been fathered by three different men? How can it even compare to the humongous amount of lovers that you had! You won't even tell me how long you have been with your last girlfriend!"

"You didn't ask me!"

"Well then," she replied, sarcasm heavy in her voice, "why don't you tell me?"

"Amareth and I have been in a... relationship for more or less... five decades."

"More or less five decades?"

"Yes."

"More or less five decades?" she repeated again, her tone turning hysterical. She didn't know if it was good or bad news. The good news was that if Legolas was dating for 50 years at a time, maybe he only had had 40 lovers in his entire life. The bad news was... the lover he had just broken up with had been with him for much longer than Valerie had been alive. She turned her back on him and violently shut the door behind her. She sat on the cold tiles of the bathroom, fighting the tears that were threatening to fall. This couldn't work. There was no way that she could be with Legolas under those circumstances. This was absolutely crazy. Why did she always find herself in the worst possible messes?

Legolas slowly opened the door and saw her sitting on the floor, looking quite distraught. He sat down beside her, relieved when she didn't scream at him or ask him to leave her alone.

"Vanima, before I met you, I had never truly loved," he started to explain. "I had liked ellith, but never loved one, never loved one enough to want to spend the rest of my life with her. This is what I want with you. I do not care that you had three children with three different men, and that I am the father of your fourth one -"

"How do you know about that?"

"I heard you and Allison talk about it the night that... that we had our fight. And if I had not known then, I would have known today, because I can feel the fëa of our child in you."

"The fëa?"

"The baby's soul. I can feel it." He gently turned her around so that she would face him. "Valerie, Vanima nin, I love your children, and I want to be their father. And I do not care about the other fathers, because I know that from now on, I will be the father of all your other children. Let us forget my past and your past, and let us concentrate on our future. I want to bind with you, here, in your world. I want to bring you all back to Middle Earth, and together, we will accomplish that prophecy. I promise you that I will always be there for you, support you, love you... You will be a great princess of Greenwood-"

"Princess?"

"Yes. My father is the king of Greenwood. I am the prince, the only heir to the throne."

"Galadriel had mentioned your father rules Greenwood, but never said he was king! Is there something else you forgot to tell me?"

"My father... He is not an easy ellon to live with," Legolas replied. "The loss of my mother changed him greatly. Not in a positive way."

"Things just keep getting better," Valerie sighed, putting her head on his shoulder.

"Everything will go well," he reassured her. "As long as you keep that temper of yours in check," he said, eying the shampoo and conditioner all over the walls and tiles. She chuckled in the crook of his neck. "So what do you say?" he insisted.

"About what?"

"Valerie Thompson, will you bind with me?"

"Do you have a ring?" When he looked at her with a questioning look, she sighed with fake discouragement. "What did I do to the gods to deserve this? My first marriage proposal, and I don't even get an engagement ring?"

"I did not know that you had engagement traditions too. And quite frankly, I was not expecting to propose today. Originally, I was only here to speak to Liam. But... I will get you a ring, Valerie Thompson," Legolas chuckled, "only if you accept. Otherwise, I am not spending a dime on you!"

"Some prince you are!"

"So? Is that a yes?"

Valerie kept her face in the crook of his neck, her mind racing like a wild horse. Her magazine had been sold. Her parents and brother were a disgrace to the word family. Her children were young enough to adapt to any new place, even if it was a different world. And they were all being offered the chance to go in some strange world, participate in a great destiny, with an elf who loved her and that she loved in return, although she was not ready to verbally admit it now... It sounded like a fairy tale. A great opportunity. One that only a fool would decline.

"Yes, Legolas, I will marry you. I will follow you to your world and accomplish this prophecy you keep talking about, although I must admit that I paid little attention to the details. And when I die -"

"You will not die. Once you bind with me and cross the portal, you will become half-elven. We will be together forever, my love!"

"Are you sure about that?"

"This is what I was told by Lady Galadriel."

"And my children?"

"Our future children will be immortal also. As for Liam, Sean and Phoebe, it is my hope that the Valar, our gods, will make them half-elven like you. They are, after all, mentioned in the prophecy as the scholar, the minstrel and the warrior. But I cannot guarantee their immortality with certainty. I am sorry."

"I do not want to see them die, Legolas! It is not in the natural order of things!"

"Then if they do not become half-elven, we will have many years to beg the Valar to give them immortality. We will sail to Valinor and get on our knees in front of them, and insist until they finally give in. We will not take no for an answer!"

Downstairs, they heard the front door open. Paola was back from driving Phoebe to school. Valerie looked at the mess in the bathroom, feeling guilty.

"Maybe I should pick up this mess. Poor Paola shouldn't have to clean it..."

Someone entered the bathroom at that moment. Someone who was not Paola.

"What is he doing here?" Allison inquired angrily.

So? Did you like the chapter? Legolas hit the wall, but recovered quite nicely... Although Allison's arrival is definitively untimaly...

I am very excited about the chapters to come, they already are in a draft version and in there... Valerie is already in Middle Earth! (I am sure you never doubted that, right?) Please review and let me know your opinion!