Chapter Twenty-Three

Teresa fell asleep once more in the back of the limo, her head on Orlando's shoulder as Randolph drove them to Orlando's house. Orlando smiled, and put his arm around the sleeping woman. 'I know nothing about her…' he thought to himself.

'I didn't either,' Legolas said quietly, and Orlando jumped in surprise.

"What do you mean?" Orlando asked in confusion.

'I mean, I fell in love with her when I knew nothing about her. I knew nothing, and she couldn't tell me because she had no memory of what happened before I met her. She knows her name now, but she still knows nothing about her life,' Legolas answered. 'Since she awoke in her own world, I have learned about her through her healer.'

"Healer?" Orlando asked puzzled. "You mean a doctor?"

'If that is your word for healer,' Legolas replied. 'Then yes.'

"Why did she need a doctor?" Orlando asked. "Is she that ill?"

'It is not that she was ill of body,' Legolas said. 'But in heart and mind.'

"I don't understand," Orlando said. "What do you mean by that? And why am I even talking to you? I must be going crazy."

Legolas laughed. 'No, you aren't going crazy,' he said. 'You're starting to realize that I am real…well, in a sense. As for your question, she was in a place of healing for her mind because it was shattered by pain when she lost two people dear to her.'

Orlando paused, and grief hit him hard. "Oh," he said quietly as he looked down at the sleeping woman. "So, can you tell me about her?" he asked curiously.

'Of course,' Legolas said. 'Mind you, I still don't know a lot.' Orlando nodded. 'She is linked to me through her pure love for me. When she was in the place of healing, she had a dream… A dream in which she called out to the soul of the real Legolas, the one you know as Legolas.'

"Legolas?" Orlando asked in puzzlement. "What do you mean 'real Legolas'? If I know him as Legolas, that means he's a fictional character. He isn't real."

'You are wrong, Orlando Bloom,' Legolas said quietly. 'He is as real as you are. It is a long story, are you sure you wish to hear?' Orlando nodded. 'Very well, what I am going to tell you is strange indeed, I did not believe it myself when Gandalf told me.'

Orlando was astonished. "Gandalf?" he asked in surprise. Then realization hit him of who he might be referring to. "You mean Gandalf right?"

'Yes,' Legolas said. 'All the 'characters' from Tolkien's novel are real. They live in a world far from here. The real Middle Earth, though it is called Middle Earth. You yourself are also linked to the real Legolas because you were there, Gandalf sent for you.'

"During the movie production…" Orlando said quietly, his voice trailing off into silence a moment. "I thought it was a dream… or a joke. I was working on set and I thought everyone was playing a joke on me. I walked for miles and there was no one. No cameras or anything…" he said and trailed off. "Eventually, I found someone. I found Elrond. I thought it was Hugo at first. Other things happened there as well but just as quickly as it happened, I was back on the set and the camera crews were there along with the trailers and the other cast members. I just took it as though I had dreamed everything…the other option was that I was…"

'Loosing your mind,' Legolas said and Orlando nodded. 'I can tell you that it was not a dream. Everything in Tolkien's book is real. Though I am not sure how he accomplished it, he came to Middle Earth. You were there, you met him…' Orlando was looked up as the realization dawned on him. 'Gandalf summoned you to Middle Earth through time and space with the aid of Ilúvatar. You were summonsed because the real Legolas could not meet with Tolkien to share the story of the ring that Ilúvatar wished so much to share with his world. So, when Gandalf summoned you, you were made to look like Legolas and given all the knowledge of the event and spoke to Tolkien yourself, and that was not Elrond you met, but Lord Elrond of Rivendell.'

Orlando sat in shocked silence for a moment than shook his head wildly. "But how can this be true, if I were on the set to film the movie after the man's death?" Orlando asked in bewilderment.

'I asked Gandalf that question myself,' Legolas said. 'He said that Ilúvatar was great and had many powers, the least of which was the ability to alter and re-alter time. My point is; I am here to help the real Legolas. I am but a figment of her imagination,' Legolas said. 'Yet I am more than that. I am a conscious tool of Ilúvatar himself to save the real Legolas from a fate that he is not intended to have. That is where you come in.' Orlando looked utterly bewildered at this but did not respond. 'Something has happened however that I do not understand. We were to meld with the real Legolas when you and Teresa met. A portion of the meld has happened yes. But not entirely as it should have,' Legolas said.

"Meld?" Orlando asked. "What do you mean 'meld'?"

'Well,' Legolas answered. 'When this occurs, you will be given all Legolas' Elven abilities as well as his memories. You will still look as you do now of course, while you reside in this world. Yet because of the meld, you will be allowed to leave this world when you wish for the eternal lands of the Valar. I can only hope that she will be granted the same ability. I do not understand why the meld was not completed though. I do not mean to pry but Gandalf said it might happen if there is another in your life, do you have another Lady?'

Orlando blushed. "Well," he said. "Yeah I do but I don't know for how long. Her name is Kate Smith and she has been bothering me lately. She is very controlling and extremely demanding. She has even tried to control my career as an actor. It's starting to really annoy me. I do not think she will be with me long."

'Well, I suppose your ties to her prevented the meld from completing,' Legolas said thoughtfully. 'It's a shame that you must break her heart to help fulfill Legolas' destiny, but it has to be that way. I hate to rush you with it but his betrothed is on her way to Middle Earth to make sure he fulfills the promise to wed her that was put forth by his father before leaving Valinor. It must be done soon.'

Orlando looked down at the sleeping woman again and chuckled. "You won't rush me," he said with a smile. "It will happen soon on its own. After all, Teresa will be living with me for a while at least. Kate won't approve."

'Most ladies don't,' Legolas said solemnly. 'When they find another has stolen the heart of the man they love.'

The car phone rang then and Orlando answered it. "Sorry for the delay sir," Randolph said. "We will arrive in five minutes."

"Thank you Randolph," Orlando said then hung up. "So, what can you tell me about her?" he asked Legolas.

'Well,' Legolas said. 'I know her name in this world is Teresa Thompson though even she didn't know that when I found her.'

"Wait, wait, wait," Orlando said. "When you found her?" he asked in confusion and he arched a curious brow.

'Well,' Legolas explained. 'I didn't find her, as you found her. Remember that I'm a part of her dream. She was dreaming of me when I was on my way to Rivendell when Elrond called the council. I found her when I was crossing The Gladden Fields. She was unconscious and awoke only once before we reached Rivendell and then was unconscious for a week after we arrived.'

"Unconscious," Orlando asked in confusion. "How could the dreamer be unconscious and unaware of their own dream?"

'The only way I can explain it,' Legolas said. 'Is that when she was unconscious in the dream, she was awake here and when she was awake there, she was unconscious or asleep here.' Orlando nodded though he was still somewhat confused. 'I also know that you are the reason she is here…aside from your link to all of this situation, she was going to try and come here to find you even if the situation wasn't what it is.'

"Find me?" he asked. "Why? Is it because I'm famous? Does she want a piece of me?" he asked again getting angry.

'Calm down!' Legolas said. 'She is not trying to do that at all. That isn't why she came to find you. Nothing could be further from the truth…honestly.'

Now Orlando was confused. "Well," he said as his anger dissipated. "Why did she come to find me then?"

'She came to find you because she doesn't remember anything in her life except you. She remembers you being an inspiration to her…. She remembers nothing about her life…except you,' Legolas explained. 'She doesn't even remember her family. The doctor as you call him, talked to Mr. Andrews about her and tried to reach you…'

"Yeah," Orlando said. "He called me but I was out. I didn't get the message until the next day. I assume he was flipped out by the call and returned it later himself saying I was busy?"

'Yeah,' Legolas said quietly. 'He did.' Orlando just smiled and shook his head.

Orlando didn't wake Teresa up when they got to his house but carefully pulled her into his lap and handed her up to Randolph when he opened the door then he climbed out. He took her back in his arms and followed Randolph up the steps and waited as he opened the door. Orlando then took her in and laid her gently on the bed in his room. Then saw Randolph out.