-- Elladan --

These...are strange contraptions. Kayli says they fly. I don't think this oversized winged egg will ever get off the ground, myself, but she knows best. This is much closer to her world than Middle-Earth. Of course, these days, Middle-Earth is her world.

Elrohir is sitting next to me, trying to figure out the harness. He's currently swearing at it. Hermione is working on buckling Ron into his. Harry is firmly seated and tied in, looking around with avid interest. Kayli is already firmly seated and tied down -- why must you be tied into your chair? I don't think I like this -- with her eyes squeezed shut and her face buried in Legolas shoulder. His arms are around her -- soothing her as best he can She is absolutely petrified of heights.

King Thranduil is relaxed, and has already bemusedly ordered a drink Gimli is in his seat, the belt knotted -- yes, knotted, he couldn't work the buckle -- around his middle, with his knuckles white on the arms of his seat, and his eyes squeezed firmly shut. He looks very strange in the garments Kayli selected for him. He's wearing the blue trousers Kayli calls 'jeans' and a black shirt. He looks wrong without his helmet. But at least he combed his hair and beard.

He's not the only one who looks ridiculous.'Ro just looks silly, and I can't imagine that I look any better. We're both wearing baggy pants, and loose shirts, and wearing our hair unbraided. To cover our ears, Kayli says, since our ears will attract the most attention -- like we hadn't noticed at Hogwarts. And, as Kayli keeps insisting, there's a difference between Hogwarts and this outside world. Hogwarts is used to magical things, and those things that are different are common at Hogwarts.

Well, except Elves. And Dwarves. And I doubt that even they had ever met anyone like Kayli. She is unique, even among her own kind.

They announce our departure over what Kayli calls an 'intercom', but what sounds more like humans masquerading as the Valar to me. Next to me, Elrohir jumps, and a little sign comes on at the front of the room. Elrohir finally swears and slams the buckle into place.

It's a good thing he didn't miss. He would've lost a finger.

We feel our transportation start to move under us, and all of the blood drains out of Elrohir's face. Kayli lets out a muffled sound and fists her hands in Legolas's shirt. And I can hear Gimli grinding his teeth. Alas, for the hearing of Elves. Ron says 'Whoa' very quietly, and Harry mutters something under his breath, which I am very sure is not a word he should know at his tender age. And it's not even his own language. 'Ro opens his eyes long enough to shoot me a nasty glare and shake his head.

He didn't pick that up from me. I certainly never use that kind of language.

'Ro rolls his eyes. And then this...thing starts to rise into the air, and my stomach drops to my feet. Oh, what a nauseating sensation.

Kayli lets out a quiet, pained noise, and buries her face further into Legolas's neck. And speaking of the Prince of Mirkwood, he's not looking well himself. Thranduil, however, appears to be taking it all in stride, if such a thing is even possible.

I really no longer feel well.

"This SUCKS," Ron mutters.

Kayli whimpers.

Finally, this thing levels out, and the 'intercom' says that our 'cruising height' is at 36,000 feet.

At this pronounciment, Elrohir looks deathly ill. I don't feel much better.

That's a long bloody way to fall.

The flight is thoroughly uneventful, thank the Valar. Gimli spends the whole trip tied into his chair, flatly refusing to even open his eyes. Kayli eventually opens her eyes and buries her face in the book Hermione gave her for Yule. Harry is staring intently out his window, an expression of wonder on his face. And Elrohir is drinking steadily. So is Thranduil. Hermione, however, also has her nose buried in a book, and is currently boring Ron to tears with facts about the magical culture of America.

Many, many hours later, after I've slipped into reverie for a while, the...driver of this giant winged carriage announces that we're now landing at 'Lindbergh Airport', whatever that is. This thing touches the ground once more, and Legolas sets about prying Kayli's fingers out of his clothes. Hermione jumps out of her seat and starts helping Ron unbuckle his, after she watches him struggle. Thranduil tries to help Gimli untie his.

We exit the 'airplane,' and stop to stare.

Kayli pokes me in the small of the back. "I know, I know. Not really a welcomng enviroment. You saw it all at Glasgow, bows. Keep moving. Get me OFF this thing."

Elrohir and I exchange panicked glances, and disembark.

Oh, this is not our world.

-- Kayli --

Customs in hell. Now I realize why my older brother hates traveling for his job. He's never had to leave the country.

I don't think so, at least. Remember, I haven't seen him in a while.

We present our fake ID's -- somehow they managed to get me a driver's license, Social Security card, and everything -- and I head over to the car rental counter.

Here's hoping I remember how to drive.

GOD! What is taking so long? I haven't had to wait in a line this long for...well, ever, basically. There ARE no lines for me in Gondor. Everyone just bows and gets the HELL out of my way. I miss Gondor. In Gondor, I'm not much, but at least I don't have to wait in line. It's a small improvement.

Welcome back the the land where just about everybody is a nobody, Kayli. Get used to it.

I start jingling change in my pockets, staring with great disinterest at the back of the guy in front of me's head. I hate America.

I get to the front of the line, and rent the biggest SVU you can legally drive without a bus license. I also get the full insurance package, 'cause hey, Dumbledore's paying the bill. Besides, with this bunch, I just might need it.

I smile politely, pocket my license, nod at the stoned clerk's vacant pleasantries, and bail.

"Kayli?"

I turn, automatically, just like anyone does whenever someone says their name.

There, standing not five feet in front of me, is someone very familiar. He has the same blue-green eyes I do, and brown hair that doesn't quite seem to ever do what he wants it to. His eyes are slightly magnified by the cute little glasses he wears, but it's him. Oh, God, it's my brother.

"Kayli?" he says again, sounding like he was just clipped with Sam's Frying Pan of DOOM, and I do the only thing I can think of.

I turn, walk away, and don't look back. I keep my head down until I'm with the others, clutching the keys to the rental car so hard in my hand I know there are going to imprints there when i manage to unclench my fist. I hear him call my name again, and I panic.

I grab Legolas's arm on my way past our merry crew, and start dragging them towards the big sign that says "HERTZ." A clue, Sherlock.

We standing right outside, next to the giant Ford Explorer I'm renting, before Legolas manages to get a firm enough grip to bring me to a screeching halt.

Without warning, I turn, and burrow into him.

Out of the corner of my eye, I see Harry and Ron exchange panicked glances. Hermione shoves her book and Ron, blindly --good way to tell she's worried, when she doesn't give a damn about what happens to a book -- and hurries over, stroking my hair worriedly.

"Love?" Legolas says softly. "Are you all right?"

I shake my head frantically. I'm not crying, dammit. I'm not. It's just...

God. I didn't know how much I'd missed the punk until I saw him, you know?

Thranduil steps forward, gently moves Hermione off to one side, and tugs me out of Legolas's arms. He puts one hand under my chin and tilts my face up so he can see me. "What's wrong?" he asks, very gently, wiping the tears off my face.

All right, so maybe I was crying. Just a little.

I sniffle and wipe my nose on my sleeve. "I saw my brother," I mutter. "Look, it's not a big deal. I just...I haven't seen him, and he must think I ran away and joined the circus, or something, I mean, LOOK at this crew..."

"HEY!" Harry and Ron say, at the same time.

Elladan laughs.

I bury my face in my hands and start to cry for real. "I just...I missed him, and I didn't even know it, and GOD, I just poofed one day, what must my MOM be thinking?"

Thranduil tugs me forward, and I bury my face in his chest and just let him hold me, like my Dad used to, and that thought brings on another spate of hysterics.

God, I hate being a weepy little woman.

He strokes my hair until I quiet down, and pull away, looking embarassed. I wipe my eyes and my nose on my sleeve, automatically reverting back to third grade. "Let's get the hell out of here, huh?"

Elrohir steps forward. "Kayli, are you certain --"

"'Ro," I say, trying to be firm, "not trying to be bitchy, I love you to death, but just butt the fuck out for right now, OK? I'm not stable, and if you're nice to me, I'm gonna cry again, and I HATE to cry. I hate to cry more than I hate Orcs. So please...just..." I sniffle, and hide my face behind my elbow. "Just let me calm down, all right?"

Elrohir sighs, and kisses my cheek. "Yes, mellon. But..." He sighs and shakes his head. "Reasoning with this woman is like trying to stop Anor from rising," he says, to no one in particular. "Forget I spoke, Kayli. I would not upset your for all the world."

I manage a slightly sniffly smile, and we all pile into the ... vehicle.

Driving it is going to be like driving the Titanic. Dude, when I was here last, I drove a fuckin' Escort, all right? They are NOT big cars.

Eeep.

Wish me luck. Please, Valar, don't let me crash.

-- Harry --

You know, sometimes it's really easy to forget that Kayli is as human and affectable and emotional as...well, most of the rest of us.

Although the human part does not apply to about half of our Merry Band.

The little breakdown at the airport...I don't suppose it was really all THAT weird, if you think about it. I mean, she must have missed her family like crazy. And she did just kind of disappear. So, naturally, she's going to panic, and think that her family must think that she just deserted them. Because, honestly, she's not being held prisoner. What IS her family supposed to think?

Although, looking at her, you wouldn't know she'd been having hysterics not twenty minutes ago. Not that she's calm. By no stretch of the imagination would I call this calm. She's road rage personified. She has -- so far, at least -- honked her horn, waved her middle finger at passing drivers, and called them all sorts of crude and anatomically insulting names.

Some of the things she's suggested are anatomically impossible. I think. Remember, I'm only fifteen.

Legolas is riding in the front with her. Behind them it's me, Ron, and Hermione, and King Thranduil is riding in the back with the twins. He's staring out the window, and about twenty minutes into the trip his eyes just sort of glaze over.

Holy hell, I think he's asleep.

Ron and I play tic tac toe for awhile, and then Hermione joins in and we end up playing about two and a half hours of hangman. Kayli is sitting up front, singing along with some of what's on the radio -- mostly country, with some oldies scattered in. I recognize the Beatles, and the Rolling Stones. We had a neighbor who was into the oldies. Uncle Vernon hated him. Apparently, rock and roll -- even the older stuff -- sucks all your morals out your ears, or something.

Behind us, Elladan and Elrohir are having a quiet conversation in Elvish.Eventually, they taper off into silence, and a few minutes later Elladan is watching our hangman games over our shoulders.

"All right, kids," Kayli says. "We've hit St. Cloud. What the hell now?"

Hermione whips out her map, nearly smacking Ron across the face. "We take Highway...10 to a place called Royalton...and turn off onto County Road 26."

She nods, changing lanes, seemingly without checking if anyones coming. Ron squeezes his eyes shut. Her driving kind of scares him.

I must have fallen asleep for a while, because the next thing I now, Ron is shaking my shoulder. "Wake up, mate.We're almost there."

I sit up, trying to rub the sleep out of my eyes. Hermione scoots forward, looking intently over Kayli's shoulder. "How will we know what it looks like?" she asks nervously.

"Perhaps the large castle?" Legolas suggests drily.

Well, if you're going to obvious about it. Kayli simply nods. "Hey, a parking lot. A teeny one, but still a parking lot. The wizards of the future." She rakes a hand through her hair and pulls into the lot. "You know, I lived not two miles from here for almost two years. And I don't remember there being a castle here."

"Well, it's a magical castle," Elladan says from behind us.

Kayli makes a face in the rearview. "Duh."

We all pile out of the car, and start stretching out the kinks from a three hour car drive and nine hour plane trip.

There's a girl hurrying across the school lawn towards us. She has long, sort of curly brown hair and a butterfly tattoo on her upper arm. She is dressed entirely in Muggle clothes.

What an odd place this is. I mean, a wizarding school with a parking lot? Dumbledore did say that American wizarding culture was a lot closer to the Muggle one, but I didn't know he meant THIS close. She steps forward and holds out a hand to Kayli. "Hi. I'm Melody Johnson. I'm a teacher. And you would be one of the teachers from Hogwarts."

Kayli blinks at her. "Uh. Yeah. Hi. Kayli."

Professor Johnson just kind of blinks at her. "Oh." She blinks. She turns, looks at Legolas, and turns the smile up to full force. "Hello."

Legolas puts an arm around Kayli's shoulders. "Hello."

Thranduil coughs lightly. He looks amused. Ron and Hermione look at each other, and laugh.

She blushes slightly, and laughs. "I'm sorry. I'm easily distracted."

"Uh-huh," Kayli says. "Don't worry. It happens all the time." She sends Legolas a look out of the corner of her eye. He laughs and kisses her quickly.

Melody grins at them, then turns to look at us. "Well, well." She stares at me for a long second, her eyes automatically going to my scar. I reach up and try to press my bangs down. But, as Kayli has told me, some things are just a lost cause from the beginning. She grins at me, and holds out a hand. "Sorry. Welcome to Ravenscar, Mr. Potter."

I shake her hand quickly and take a step back. "Uh, thanks." I turn quickly to Ron and Hermione. "These are my friends, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger."

She shakes there hands, then turns and beams at the rest of the group. I don't even think she's seen Gimli. She doesn't seem to be looking that low. "Well, then. Shall we?"

Oh, boy. Just what I always wanted. To be stared at by a bunch of Americans.

Some of this is gonna suck.

TBC...