Disclaimer: I do not own Lord of the Rings or any of the languages spoken in the books or movie. I do own Nicole, Susan, Jake, their parents (Howard and Lara Lawson, Tom and Elizabeth Daniels, Fred and Angelina Nox), Matt Thompson, and Bill. I do not own the song "Broken" in The Punisher soundtrack, performed by Seether and Amy Lee, but you should listen to it while reading this chapter.

You should all listen to "Broken" while reading this.

Chapter 8

Nicole sat in her chair, looking at the setting sun. Wrapped in a shawl, she breathed in the spicy air. It was cinnamon and clover; like she was in a bakery. The reds and oranges of the sky blended, providing enough light as if it were noon still. The golden tree trunks shone in the dusk light, and the leaves swayed with the wind. This truly was a magical place.

A tear slid down her pale cheek. It wasn't fair. Why, when she finally felt at home, did she have to go? She clutched Arwen's sword to her chest. Elrond was like her father, and he considered her one of his own. She didn't want to leave that comfort.

"Nicole?"

Nicole turned to face the owner of the soft voice. It was Arwen, and she had a bright smile on her face, but sadness in her eyes.

"Arwen! ... I'm sorry, did you need me for something?" she asked, wiping her tears.

"Susan is coming and I thought the three of us could pack for your journey," she spoke, barely above a whisper.

"Yes, of course."

Arwen smiled again and took Nicole's hand, leading her to the wardrobe.

"Arwen, I want to thank you."

Arwen turned to face Nicole with another one of her shining smiles.

"You and your father have been just so sweet and kind, and I don't know how I… we… can ever repay you."

Arwen stepped forward and hugged Nicole. As she stepped back, she took Nicole's hands in her own. "I've never had a sister before. I had to live with two brothers." The both shared a laugh. "I felt like I've connected to you and Susan, as if you were my sisters."

Nicole nodded her head, and released Arwen's hands. Arwen's hands felt cold, but the bit of warmth that they had, Nicole would miss.

Susan then came in and stood beside Nicole as Arwen rummaged through the gowns, dresses, and riding outfits. She smiled at Nicole and squeezed her hand in comfort, as if to say they were doing the right thing.

'We are,' she thought to herself, 'We're doing the right thing.'

"Now," said Arwen, laying out some clothes on Nicole's bed. "You'll need clothes that you can wear for days on end, so they'll need to be comfortable and durable." She laid out two gowns, one a dark green, the other a light brown with silver trimming.

"You'll look wonderful in these." Nicole and Susan exchanged glances and then turned back to Arwen.

"Do you have anything in black?" they asked in unison.

Later that evening, Lord Elrond led them to the Hall of Fire. He told them he had a surprise for them, and they should dress well. Susan wore a dark green gown trimmed in gold. The neck came low and it had bell sleeves. She had twisted strands of her short, blonde hair into dread locks, and she covered her eyes in green eye shadow she found in Arwen's room. Nicole wore a similar dress, except it was white, had silver thread stitched on the cloth to portray leaves and flowers, and it had no back. She put all her curls, braids, and waves of hair into a messy bun, and wore no makeup. Jake was also dressed up, wearing a midnight blue tunic to match his eyes, and black leggings.

As they entered the hall, the trio found that everyone was sitting on cushions or in chairs, facing the front. Glorfindel, Erestor, Galdor, Legolas, and all the elves were there. Strider, or rather Aragorn, was sitting next to Arwen, who was wearing a lovely dress made of layers of sheer, lavender cloth. Boromir and the dwarves were there as well as the hobbits. Nicole noticed that Boromir smiled at Susan, who was trying desperately to avoid him. But the big shocker was that their guitars and Jake's trap set were set up out in front.

"How… what… why?" stuttered Susan.

"It took ten of our strongest elves to break into that 'car,'" explained Elrond. Susan look horrified.

"What?"

"And it made a frightfully annoying sound."

"WHAT!" Nicole grabbed Susan before she launched herself at Elrond. Elrond just laughed and motioned to the instruments that Jake was already setting up.

"Will you play for us?" he asked. Susan snorted, walked over to her bass and Nicole's guitar, and began to tune them. However, Nicole shifted from side to side.

"I don't really feel like singing…" she whispered. Elrond frowned and was about to say something until Jake approached. Elrond stepped aside as Jake took Nicole's hand.

"What's wrong?" he whispered, caressing her hand.

"I just don't feel like singing in front of these people," she whispered back.

"You've sang in front of larger crowds before."

"They were drunk and high. These people are actually judging me." Jake let out a sigh and kissed her forehead fondly. He turned and walked away, leaving Nicole standing alone.

Legolas felt a swell of jealousy in his heart. He wished he could be as close to Nicole as Jake was. She looked so ethereal that night. Her beautiful, black hair showed off her elegant neck and smooth back. Her pale, porcelain skin shimmered in the light of the fire. She looked so tiny and frail, like an ice crystal in dawn's light.

As Jake walked away, an idea formed in his head. He turned to face her, and held out a hand to her sorrowed, dark eyes.

"I wanted you to know… I love the way you laugh," he sang, emitting a smile from Nicole's lips. Susan smiled and began to play a slow melody that haunted everyone's mind. Everyone became silent and sat up to listen to the song that enchanted them.

"I wanna hold you high and steal your pain away," he continued, taking her hand, and caressing it. "I keep your photograph; I know it serves me well. I wanna hold you high and steal your pain." At this point, Nicole touched his hand, and began to sing with him.

"'Cause I'm broken when I'm lonesome. And I don't feel right when you're gone away." Their voices filled the hearts of their listeners like they filled the air. A calming, eerie present settled on them. Jake released Nicole's hands as he saw her be swept away by the song they had written so long ago. He took his seat by the trap set as they both of them continued to sing.

"You've gone away, you don't feel me anymore." Nicole kept her eyes closed as she swayed back and forth; dancing in her bare feet to the music of Susan's bass and Jake's drums.

"The worst is over now," she sang sweetly, opening her eyes, but seeing nobody.

"…and we can breathe again.

I wanna hold you high, you steal my pain away.

There's so much left to learn, and no one left to fight.

I wanna hold you high and steal your pain."

Legolas felt his heart shatter. All he knew and loved was broken by her song, and rebuilt by it. There she was, singing divinely, the Valar must be jealous. He felt calm and excited at the same time. He wanted to run up to her and hold her, and yet, he wanted to sit and treasure the sight he was seeing now. Her voice would haunt him for the rest of his immortal life.

"'Cause I'm broken when I'm open,

And I don't feel like I am strong enough.

'Cause I'm broken when I'm lonesome,

And I don't feel right when you're gone away."

Nicole glided over to her guitar, and played along with her friends. She played her solo as the elves in the room joined in with their voices of heavenly bodies. As the music played, she felt it flow through her in ecstasy.

"'Cause I'm broken when I'm open,

And I don't feel like I am strong enough.

'Cause I'm broken when I'm lonesome,

And I don't feel right when you're gone away."

Nicole opened her eyes to find Legolas looking at her. She couldn't see his eyes, for he sat in the shadows. But she was too high on her own music to care. She let her head roll back, and parted her lips as if she was standing under a waterfall. Then she dove into her music.

Legolas couldn't take the torture she was putting him through. Her lips made him want to let go of his self control like a struggling dove. He wanted her. He needed her.

"Cause I'm broken when I'm lonesome,

And I don't feel right when you're gone."

As the band stopped playing, Nicole opened her eyes and looked directly at Legolas.

"You've gone away, you don't feel me anymore," she sang in a haunted whisper.

Later that night, Nicole slept in her bed, but not peacefully. Bathed in moonlight, she tossed and turned. Her hair was sprawled over her pillows, and her eyes were tightly shut.

She was in her old room again, sitting at the end of her bed. A tiny child in a large world she could not escape. The door flew open, and a dark shadow in the shape of her father came forth, holding her riding crop. Nicole screamed and tried to run, but invisible bonds pulled her down to the bed.

The dark shadow came forth, and was about to attack her. However, a bright light came to view, and chased the shadow away. Nicole was released, and she began to rub her wrists from where the bonds had been. She then realized that her hands were larger. She was her present day self.

She rose to meet the light that hovered in front of her. As she reached out for it, it spoke.

"Lady Nicole?" Nicole opened her eyes and found Legolas's face near hers. Her right hand was held in his, and his body was leaning over hers.

"Are you all right?" he asked, his eyes the dull blue she had grown accustomed to.

"What?"

"I heard you screaming, are you all right?" She felt his thumb begin to caress her hand. She snatched it away quickly, and sat up.

"I'm fine!" she snapped. "Are you going to make it a habit of sneaking into my room?" Nicole swung her legs over on the opposite side, and reached for her robe. But not before Legolas saw her lean body in her nightgown. He exhaled deeply, looking down at her silk sheets.

As Nicole stood to walk over to the balcony, Legolas turned to sit on her bed. He placed his forearms on his knees and looked up. There she was; his goddess, his own. NO! He shook his head of his lustful thoughts. It could not happen; it would not happen.

He stood and walked slowly over. She was watching the water flow over the rocks and the valley. Barely a foot away, he took in her smell. Her smell was of fresh snow and lilies. Nicole's back was straight and her gaze set, hiding all emotion.

"What are you hiding?" he asked in a hush whisper. Nicole turned around and looked him in the eye. For a brief second, she saw a type of innocence in his eye, the kind she once held.

"That's none of your business," she spoke in a slow, stern tone. "Leave."

Legolas took one more step toward her, and looked down into her eyes. They were black and hard, unmoving, like her. He let out a sigh that chilled her blood.

"As you wish." He turned and walked over to the ivy covered wall, but stopped short of it.

"You have a beautiful voice… I… I love… I love hearing you sing, Nicole." Legolas didn't dare to turn to see her hateful reaction, so he climbed the wall and entered his room's balcony.

Little did he know, her reaction was not of hate, but of sorrow. Tears flowed down her face as she gripped the railing.

"Nicole, will you sing 'The Itsy Bitsy Spider' for me please?" asked Lara. She was currently holding Susan against her hip, and pushing Jake in his swing. They were out in the local park, having a grand time.

Lara's hair was becoming thinner, but her smiled never waned. She was as beautiful as ever, and even more so. Nicole smiled and began to sing.

"The itsy, bitsy spider,

Ran up the water spout.

Down came the rain,

And washed the spider out.

Out came the sun,

And dried up all the rain.

And the itsy, bitsy spider,

Ran up the spout again."

Lara smiled and Susan clapped.

"Oh! I love hearing you sing!" Lara cried, and kissed Nicole on the cheek. "You have a beautiful voice, Nicole." Nicole just beamed up at her as Lara began to push her on the swing.

Nicole curled up in a ball, and wept silently by herself on the bed.