Chapter Twenty-Nine

Legolas visited Orlando that night while Teresa slept. "I wish she didn't have to go through that today," Orlando said quietly as he stroked Teresa's hair while she laid her head on his partially bare chest.

You were right though, Orlando,' Legolas said. 'She needed to do that. That is a bridge that needed to be burned.'

"So now what?" Orlando asked thoroughly getting irritated by no longer having any say in his life, and hating to see Teresa being hurt in the process of completing something neither of them had any control over, but were instead pawns in a bigger game.

'I'm not sure,' Legolas admitted. 'All I know is that we are closer to our goal.'

Orlando looked down at Teresa for a long moment while he continued to stroke her hair. "I don't like this, Legolas," he said finally. "I know you said I would be melded with you, the real you…"

'Yes,' Legolas said. 'That is correct. Our spirits will be joined.'

"I know it's something that I have to do to help him, with this woman and everything," Orlando said. "But I know if I want to do it… I won't be me. I mean it will be like two people in this body right? Who will be in control, me or Legolas?"

'I understand your concern, Orlando,' Legolas said with a heavy sigh. 'While you are in your world, your spirit will be the one most present. Then, when you decide to leave this world for Middle Earth Legolas' spirit will be the dominative one. Of course, since you will be melded with Legolas, you will have the option of leaving Middle Earth to sail with the Elves from the Grey Havens.'

"And what about Teresa?" Orlando asked. "Will she have that option as well?

Legolas was silent for a while and the air was permeated with the dread of uncertainty. 'I'm not sure, but I'll find out. I know where I would stay if she is not granted passage,' Legolas said finally.

"Middle Earth," Orlando and Legolas said together with a laugh. "Well," Orlando continued. "You better go find out and also see if you can figure out what needs to happen next."

'Alright,' Legolas said and he reached out with his thoughts and caressed Teresa's cheek before he left.

The next day was not much better for Teresa's emotions. Orlando noticed that she seemed to be dwelling on her brother-in-law's comments and the fight that had nearly broke out between him and Orlando. "Teresa," Orlando asked tentatively as he entered the room, but she didn't answer. He walked over to the bed where she lay with her back to him curled up in a ball. It was one o'clock, and he knew she was a wake. She had not eaten yet, and this worried him.

Teresa had been awake for five hours, but hadn't moved. Her mind continually replayed the meeting the day before with her family. Michael had yelled at her for leaving. He had never believed that the loss of his brother and nephew had caused her so much trauma that she had suffered amnesia. He thought she had used the opportunity to abandon the family in their time of grief. Orlando had nearly decked him when Teresa burst into tears. She had collapsed and he had carried her to the car with his back to Michael's taunts. Naomi had followed him and after he had Teresa in the passenger seat, he turned to her and asked her to send their apologies to the rest of the family.

Legolas went back to speak with Gandalf. 'My friend,' he said as they walked together. 'I need your council. Do you know any more regarding Orlando and Teresa? Orlando asks a question that has been haunting my mind. Will Teresa be allowed to sail from The Grey Havens?'

Gandalf contemplated Legolas' questions for a moment. 'Teresa needs to tell her family about her love for Orlando. As for your other question, I am confident that she will be allowed to live in Valinor if she so chooses since Ilúvatar intends for her and Legolas to be together,' he replied. Legolas thanked Gandalf and returned to Orlando and Teresa.

"Teresa?" Orlando asked as he lay on the bed. She didn't move or acknowledge him. He reached over and placed his hand on her back and she jumped. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to startle you," he said quietly. I thought you knew I was right here. Are you ok?" He knew that was a stupid question, but he needed to get her talking.

Teresa turned to him, shook her head and sobbed. "How could he be so cruel? Michael knows I loved Adrian and James with all my heart!" she cried. "I felt like I died with them when I heard about the accident. In a way I did."

Orlando took her in his arms, and she put her hand on his chest laying her head even with it. "I know, sweetheart," Orlando answered and laid a kiss on the top of her head. "I think that he is hurting too though, you know what I mean?" Teresa shook her head again and Orlando continued. "You said on the plane that when Michael got married he became more distant right?"

Teresa nodded but remained quiet. "Well," Orlando said. "What if he regrets being so detached and before he had a chance to rebuild his bridges, Adrian was stolen from him? Michael never got to know James either, did he?" Teresa shook her head. "I'm not meaning to take his side right now Teresa, I know you're hurting and upset with him, I'm just trying to get you to look at this in all possible ways. Think about it from his point of view before anything else happens. If you do that," he said quietly as he rubbed her shoulder. "Then you might just see that he felt abandon when Dr. Jackson sent you to London. I know that we have told them we are only friends, but maybe Michael is picking up on our body language, I think he knows that our feeling toward each other is stronger than mere friendship. Maybe he thinks you didn't truly love Adrian because like you said, it is too soon after his death."

Teresa sighed. She closed her eyes as tears streamed down her face. She had done nothing all day, and now it was nearly one-thirty. She was tired and hungry. "You're right," she whispered. "Yet, I do not know what to do. I don't want to feel like this anymore. I don't want to feel broken, nor do I wish to think about this anymore today. I have wasted enough of my time dwelling on these thoughts. I am hungry and exhausted."

Orlando smiled and kissed her. This news was music to his ears. He shifted so that she lay with her head on the pillow and kissed her forehead, and he got to his feet. She started to reach for him, but he batted hand away with a grin. He moved to the end of the bed and gently wrapped his hands around her ankles and pulled so that she now lay stretched out on the bed. "We don't have to go anywhere today, Love," he said quietly and went to the phone with the phone book, and ordered pizza.

After they ate, they crawled into bed and watched TV. Orlando propped himself up on a pillow with his back against the headboard while Teresa lay her head on his chest. He stroked her hair, and it wasn't long until she fell asleep once more. Orlando could not blame her, nor was he concerned at how much time she spent asleep since they had arrived. He too was feeling the effects of jetlag, and she had the added bonus of emotional strain.

'Hello, my friend,' Legolas greeted Orlando causing him to jump yet again. 'I have news from Gandalf. How is Teresa doing?'

"She's feeling better, though she is exhausted," Orlando answered quietly. "This trip has been extremely hard on her."

'Yes,' Legolas agreed sadly. 'And I have a feeling it will get worse before it gets better.'

"What do you mean?" Orlando asked. "What news from Gandalf?"

'She has to tell her family about her love for you,' Legolas said feeling the weight of his news.

Orlando groaned. "Well, that's just great," he said with a sigh. "It'll be hard enough getting them to let her return to London without another fight. Adrian's brother has already dug into her about me for replacing him in her life so soon. She was so upset she was abed all day in tears."

'I know, and it hurts me to see her so,' Legolas replied. 'But that is the next step in completing the merge. Gandalf did not say when this needed to be completed. However, I do have good news as well. Gandalf says that since Ilúvatar has deemed that Legolas and Teresa, or Haehithien as he himself has deemed her from a vision he has had, to be together, they can live in either Valinor or Middle Earth. It is their decision.'

That was good news. Orlando's thoughts had been dark that day as had Teresa's. Now he saw a silver lining and smiled happily. Maybe Teresa didn't have to tell her family of her love for him while they were there, but could wait a while and could call from London. With these bright thoughts, he too fell asleep.