Ten years… Ten years is how long it had been since Thalia had last seen Middle Earth. She was twenty-three and that world was nothing but a fading memory to her. All of it was slipping. The dwarves, the hobbits, the orcs, Mirkwood… even Thranduil. For three years after her last time in Middle Earth, Thalia learned to adjust. She had asked to switch therapists and had stopped going to one all together when she turned eighteen. At that time she started her own life. She went to college for environmental studies and art and graduated four years later. She placed herself as far from any mountains as possible and found herself in Florida, right on the coast where there was nothing to remind her of the other world. She had gotten a job at a bar on the beach where she made enough money to rent out her apartment and pay off her student loans. She had no idea what she was going to do with her life but she tried not to think about it.

Even though she sent the majority of her time in the sun she was just as pale as she had always been. Her skin was just as flawless as the day she was born, not bearing a single freckle. She always styled her long, light golden hair to conceal her pointed ears to avoid questions. She had once thought about getting the points surgically removed but when she went in to have them looked at the doctor's touch alone sent an unbearable pain through her entire body. And her eyes… well it was a good thing she worked on a beach where she had the excuse to wear sunglasses. When she didn't people would ask questions and she would tell them they were contacts. In reality she was trying to make herself believe her own lies just so she would forget.

Thalia was reaching her last few minutes at work on a warm September night. She looked at the clock and smiled when it landed on 8:00pm. She was done for the day. She untied her small black apron and placed it in the storage room. "Done for the night, Thalia?" The older woman, Belle, asked.

"Yup, and I am off tomorrow." Thalia grinned while jotting down the amount she got from tips on the paper attached to a clipboard.

"You deserve it girl! You work harder than anyone at this old place." This made Thalia smile. "You have a good night, and a good day tomorrow too!" Belle called as Thalia started to leave.

"You too, Belle!" She called back then left the shack and began her short walk to her apartment. The sun was setting quickly on the water making it turn a fiery orange color. The colors reminded her of the sunsets she had seen in Middle Earth, bright and full of beauty. She let out a sigh and strolled down the sidewalk, quickly approaching her apartment complex. As she unlocked her door she began to sing a familiar tune.

"Home is behind the world ahead
And there are many paths to tread
Through shadow to the edge of night
Until the stars are all alight.

Mist and shadow
Cloud and shade
All shall fade
All shall fade"

She had sung the tune over and over until she had finally had a shower and was starting to comb through her wet hair. It was a rare occasion that she let herself think about the past and tonight was one of those rare moments. She pulled out one of her many sketch pads and started to draw. The more she drew the more she had to erase… She just couldn't get it right… she could not see his face anymore. "Thranduil." She let out a frustrated sigh and threw the sketchbook and pencils on her desk then stomped over to her bed. She nestled in her covered and closed her eyes, falling to sleep almost instantly.

She was dreaming… she knew that. She knew that it was an actual dream… the kind where nothing made sense and anything could happen. She was in a large bedroom that was finely decorated. Taking the time to look around, Thalia realized it was her quarters in Mirkwood only they had changed a little. The bed was a large, king-sized, four-poster decorated with Antlers. The covers were in between gold and silver, just like many of Thranduil's clothes. She walked over and lightly touched the soft fabric. "I must be dreaming." She said to herself, letting a single tear run down her face.

"Yes, you are, pen tithen." Thalia knew that voice. She whipped around to see Thranduil standing by the door. He was just as handsome ad ever. He wore no crown and his clothes were less extravagant than she had ever seen. She crumbled and closed the space between them only to be wrapped in a much-needed hug.

"I miss you Thranduil." She cried into his chest and felt his hands soothing her back and hair. "I never wanted to leave, mellon nîn ." She looked up at him only to see her looking back with sadness in his own eyes. "Goheno anim." She whispered but he shook his head.

"Do not be sorry, Thalia." She said to her just before placing a kiss on her forehead. This kind gesture made more tears fall. "Do not weep, meleth nin." She had no idea what those words meant and knew she wouldn't get to know. She looked into his eyes and suddenly felt her heart flutter… something it had never done when she gazed upon him. "It is time for you to go, Thalia. You have to wake up now."

"But Thranduil… I don't want to go." She cried but abruptly stopped when she felt his hands on the sides of her face. She right hand found the hand that was on the right side of her face and she pressed into it while closing her eyes.

"We will be together, meleth nin." He spoke to her softly just before placing a chaste kiss on her lips. She didn't have time to react, instead she was pulled out of the dream.

Thalia quickly sat up in her bed and pressed her fingers to her lips. Thranduil had kissed her. She looked into the mirror beside her bed and wiped away the tears that started to fall from her eyes. It was only a dream. Just then her phone rang making her jump. She looked at the caller ID and sighed, it was work. She picked it up. "Hello." Her voice cracked making her want to hit herself.

"Thalia I am afraid we're gonna have to let you go. Peak season just ended and we now have too many people working. And because you have been working there the shortest amount of time…" It was her boss' voice.

His words made her stiff. "What?! Are you kidding me? Jerry, you and I both know that I work harder than anyone in that damn place!"

"I know but I am sorry Thalia. I hope you do well." The line went dead and Thalia let out a frustrated scream. She was angry… no she was furious! How could her just drop her? She was the best working in the joint and he just let her go like she was chopped liver! How on earth was she supposed to get a job during the low season?

With her head in her hand she let out a deep sigh. "I can't live like this anymore. I don't want this life." She whispered between her muffled sobs. She looked up at the ceiling. "Please? I don't belong here… I never belonged here. I belong in Middle Earth, in Mirkwood." It was as if those were the magic words. Her room illuminated with the most powerful light she had even seen, making her have to squint. Her heart danced in panic as the light swallowed her whole.

Pen tithen – little one

Mellon nîn – my friend

Goheno anim - I'm sorry/ forgive me