Legolas didn't stay with me. He must have gone to sleep near Boromir, taking on my advice, and it was the right choice. The next day Boromir seemed able to let us both near him, as he prepared for this surgery, which was a massive deal. He wasn't allowed to eat and could only drink small amounts of clear fluids.

Clearly it was serious if the surgen had wanted it to be done so fast. Brian and I knew that, and maybe Legolas, but Boromir had his mind on something else. Me.

He barely looked at me that morning, as he readied himself, as Brian and Legolas tried to prepare him for what would happen. I was more of a fly on the wall, than actually taking part, and as much as it saddened me I knew it was what was needed right now.

He had to shower with some special soap. They'd do something about the hair in the way, apparently, but Boromir didn't seem to care much about that. Then he was gone, Brian and Legolas going with him, Legolas really taking on the 'take care of him' thing. Boromir had to be admitted at ten in the morning for his surgery at one.

So I sat at home. On the couch. And waited.

Legolas came home at twelve.

"Brian and Cele will remain close." He came into hug me, hard, as soon as he was within arms reach. "Cele will not let him come to harm."

"He better not or he's no son of mine." The joke fell flat. I smiled weakly. "Nice to have a grown up son handy."

Legolas just nodded, distracted, staring over my head. He held me against him, eyes distant, some unreadable expression across his face.

"Was he doing okay?"

"They admitted him and Brian, as his brother in the laws of the land, did the paperwork." Legolas said quietly. "Everything is going ahead on time. Brian and Cele will have to wait outside at twelve thirty, as he will enter pre-op, and then they wait."

And so did we. I sighed.

"You brought him here to your world. He would not have more than mere months without this. And we know he will live at least four years."

"More, hopefully, if he's a good boy."

Legolas's soft chuckle vibrated against my cheek, his hands stroking my back, leaning against me. "Yes, more if he's good. So we wait. Come- I have a present for you."

A present?

He had me sit down on the couch and slid a DVD into the player. I watched, unsure, as he flopped beside me.

"Not in the mood for movies..."

"This is special." Legolas responded. "It was done while you were in hospital." He lifted his hand and pressed play.

My baby. I reconized it straight away, this light grey against darker grey, a head, a heart, and we sat there for twenty minutes, as the DVD played. The nurse was pointing things out. Heart, legs, arms, hands, face, nose, brain, maybe checking for injuries, maybe not.

"He is perfect." Legolas said softly. He held something out, a little photo in a frame, adding, "And this is for you to take back. To show me."

"I did?"

"No, but I would like it if you did." He smiled and reached out to touch me, brushing hair out of my face, leaning down to kiss my lips gently. "Forgive me. Please. I know I was wrong. I know you are not the same but..."

"I do. I mean, you haven't done it to me, even if you tried to." I grumbled the last part. Couldn't resist. "But …"

"I will support him now as I should have then." Legolas read my mind. He always did. He gazed ahead to where our baby wriggled in my womb, a mixture of sadness and warmth, adding, "I wish I had. I always wished I had. I was afraid."

"You're never afraid in battle but you are with this?"

"You are more frightening to me than any battle, my love. Sometimes I falter. But I am learning, even now. I am training still. I am stiill unsure if you have chosen me."

"I have. Not that there was really a choice. I just … I guess. I wanted something." The whole 'father' idea didn't seem so obvious or likely now. I wanted Boromir because he was affectionate, and sweet, but also tough... and because some part of me had hoped that if I'd tried to care for him long enough I could love him like that. "I wish..."

"You care for him and it can be hard for a man and a woman to find a balance with such strong feelings."

"I should have done it after-"

"No, you have your own things to think of."

"No one gets it right the first time. I mean, look at my first boyfriend." I tried to joke, smiling weakly, and he laughed softly. I watched the video until it was over. This, I could cope with, this life. This iddy biddy wriggly thing. I changed the topic from Boromir, because I couldn't quite face what I'd done to him today, to someone slightly less stressful. "Cele is ...um."

"A shock even to you?" Legolas laughed suddenly, shaking his head. "He shocks all he first meets. I believed it was because they were Elf-kin, or dwarf, but no. His strength is something many admire. I would see you in him so many nights."

I nodded. Honestly, the whole 'been around for x amunt of years' thing still bothered me a little. It was too much to take in. Legolas went quiet and we sat there, sside by side, his hand still over mine.

We watched the clock.

Once again I felt anxious. Anxious that, by changing something again, this might not work. And, naturally, from chaotic 'Ahh, past, present, Legolas, Boromir, oranges, too hot!' … it became calm. Cool. The thunderstorm outside was pretty. The air conditioning inside was cooling us both down. I had bags upon bags of lollies, thanks to Brian's faithful following of my panicked instructions regarding what to buy.

And Legolas was keeping his distance. He was waiting for me to make the first move. Oh, he touched me, he brushed his hand across mine, but he didn't try and cuddle or kiss, and he was quick to help me up or down off the couch when I had to pee. Quick to get my crutches over.

I was glad he was doing that. Because as it turned into twelve thirty, then twelve forty six, and Brian called, I knew Boromir was now being taken in. Probably sedated or something. I shifted on the couch, restless, hands tightening and opening. What I'd give for a sword and a orc right now. That may have sounded sadistic but … I wanted to smash something over the head.

"What if he's too upset to-"

"He would not risk your anger any more."

The joke fell flat. I smiled weakly and stared ahead at the window, at the rain outside, breathing in and out in counted breathes. One, two, three, breathe. Breathe. Breathe. Okay.

In some ways it wasn't like before, when I kept second guessing myself, kept doubting my choices. I knew what I'd said last night had been the right thing. For once … I was fine with what I'd decided. That wasn't the problem. The problem was now I had to accept that, once again, I had no idea if I'd changed Boromir's future or not. Once again his future was wide open. Then again- so was mine. Legolas. No one here had a clear future, not like back then, when at least I knew Legolas had this and that to do.

And once again I'd changed it.

Five minutes to one.

I reached up to run my fingers through my scalp, frustrated, anxious, and a bit freaked out. Was that even okay for me to do? Well, tough. Boromir was … two minutes to one... getting one last shot at having a long life. Without me. Well. Okay. With me. But not as a lover or a girlfriend, and not as a wife.

"All right." I muttered. "I need icecream."

Slowly I hoisted myself up off the chair and hobbled into the kitchen, crutches under arms, making myself an icecream tower. One ten. It was one ten and … what would they be doing right now? Cutting into him? Would they do this while he was awake? I had this horrible memory of a documentry where they'd done that.

"Icecream, banana, cream, double dollop cream, hundreds and thousands..." I mumbled to myself, barely hearing myself, dumping icecream into a large noodle bowl. Cut up a banana into slices. Dropped cream, then thicker cream, then multicolour hundreds and thousands. Chocolate cookie.

Mix.

Legolas had followed but he wasn't trying to tell me everything was okay. I wished he would. I'd have loved to yell at someone right now. Or throw icecream. I grabbed a wooden spoon from the drawer, turned and... was just in time to see Legolas tip the masterpiece of icecream into the bin.

"Hey!"

"You are pregnant and it's not organic." He frowned as he picked up the box. To my horror he shoved it under the tap, hot water destroying my icecream, Legolas heading for the sweets. I darted around the table to snatch them up, gathering them, glaring at him.

"Don't you dare..."

"I will take you out for lunch."

"I don't want to go out for lunch." I snapped. My emotions were taking a swing the other way, I could feel it, and somehow I had no control over this. "I want to eat icecream and..."

Legolas moved forward to kiss me hard, hand grasping my face, pressing me against the bench. I groaned softly against his lips. Torn between wanting to knee him in the balls and ...and eat the Elf alive all afternoon. Apparently this sentiment was shared, his hands slid down my body to hoist me up, bum on the counter, Legolas pressing against me hard as he kissed me again, and again, and again, teeth gripping my lip and biting playfully.

"Cere is with him. Do not panic." Legolas murmered against my lips, stroking my legs, a finger brushing across the bare skin of my shoulder as he pushed back the hair there. He kissed the bare skin, again and again, his warm breath tickling my skin.

"I want to eat sweets." I muttered, inhaling sharply as I felt a hand slide down my back, such a simple gesture but … it sent a wave of need through me that shocked me. No. No. Boromir- in surgery. I couldn't get turned on right now.

"I fear for the baby. If you must... let it be one sweet thing a day."

"One packet."

"Yes." Legolas agreed, laughing softly, "If it must be. But no more."

He continued to run his fingers up and down my back, slowly, and as uncomfortable as it was us to be so close in the heat, I didn't mind. I had cravings for cold showers, or a bath, and Legolas. Ice cream covered Legoals. Legolas. In a pool. Oh god. The image of him and me... in a pool... in the sun...

Modern times with old Legolas never seemed so good suddenly. The second my knees tightened, his weight had pressed on me once more, kissing me hard sudenly with all the hundreds of years worth of ...everything. Loneliness, lust, every emotion and sense he'd had. Everything he had saved to share with me.

But I couldn't indulge. Not yet. The fear that I'd somehow destroyed his will to live or something sat on top of ...whatever part of the brain that was involved in giving in and having a good time. I felt his body slump against mine, some non-verbal cue giving him the hint that this wasn't going to happen, and his weight moved off me somewhat.

I sighed. Soon. "When we know..." I felt like a tease. But it wasn't going to work. I wanted to be fully there for Legolas, when we finally got to that part of our intimacy, I didn't want to lie there and be somewhere else mentally. My brain was in that room with Boromir. "When I can be … you know. With you."

"I know." Legolas smiled weakly. "I know. We are both waiting in our hearts for news. Cere will guard him now and after. He is within the room with Boromir ."

"How can Cere … get in there to help him? He hasn't also got a surgical degree, or a anaesthesiologist … certificate... or a magical Elven cloak of ...cloaking?" I was only half joking about all three. Seriously. My son was immortal, a fact I still hadn't been able to accept, and who the hell knew what he'd studied?

"No, but he may sleep and spend some time with Boromir in another place." Legolas laughed at my open jaw, pushing it shut, leaning forward to bite my shoulder. "He is only a lawyer in this era. It is a rule, amongst those Elves that come out, that they may only be one thing at a time."

"In two areas."

"Even some humans have that. We are careful to choose one profession per thirty years." Legolas reached out slowly, warily, to take bag after bag of candies from me. "Let us go to lunch. This food will only increase your stress."

"I don't really feel like it." I deflated. Okay. Stress eating- bad idea. But going out seemed useless too. "Not till I know he's out and safe."

"Then we can … call for food." He wanted to relax me, I realised, Legolas was trying to find a way to cheer me up. When I nodded, Legolas relaxed, and moved for the phone. "There is a place that creates organic pizza..."

I was kind of relieved when, even though he'd lived here, he clearly wasn't comfortable with phones. Was that crazy- to see that, however 'modern' his life was now, that he still couldn't quite merge with this world? He'd struggled enough in Middle Earth while amongst men. But at least Legolas knew how to mix phone with pizza. Once he'd ordered us several large ones I felt some grief for the icecream fade once more. Garlic bread somehow did that.

The afternoon dragged out slowly, far too slowly, minutes inching past. We ate when the pizza came, this fresh creation of organic delight … or this was what the box claimed, anyway... it tasted closer to flour to me. Weird flour. I supposed I could get used to it. I didn't care.

Two. How the hell could it only be two? What kind of pizza was delivered and eaten before an hour had passed? I scowled at the empty box as if this was the cause of all my problems.

Time continued to pass excruciatingly slow.

I started to dream of things I could do. Sign Boromir up for a dating service. Find a... an arranged marriage somewhere. Somehow. No, it wasn't my business, but I had this desperate urge to get him somehow happy. It surprised me how little it bothered me, right now, the idea of him with another.

I went searching for Boromir's room, hobbling along on my crutches, but wasn't hard to find. Brian's little house had two bedrooms, one which must have been used as a computer room, because there was a now empty desk sitting to one side with several stacks of games still in a plastic box at one end. There was also a small single bed, a bedside table, and Boromir's belongings sitting in a still half open drawer. Just his tunic, his leggings, still cut open by the doctors, but he clearly hadn't been able to throw them out. When I came closer I found that they'd been washed and cleaned.

The smell of something cooking from the kitchen caught my attention... or rather... the pregnany's attention... but I was too busy. Nope. Not yet. Curiosity about Legolas and his kitchen adventures could wait.

My hand grasped the leaf necklace around my neck, Legolas' leaf, as I gazed around. What I was doing here... I wasn't quite sure. But one look at the sheets and pillows gave me the mad urge to ...wash them. Change them. Give him clean linen. That was always soothing, wasn't it? It always had been to me. I stripped off the brown and white pillowcases, the sheets, the bedspread cover, all a crazy effort when trying to balance on one good leg and a pair of crutches, and dragged the lot of them into the laundry by hooking the sheet on the edge of the crutches.

Now. Washing machine. Washing powder. ...did I need softener with this stuff? Probably. I added what I assumed was right, according to the packets, and pressed the buttons.

"Wenduin, what are you doing?" Legolas called. He sounded amused. Bloody magic Elf ears probably told him exactly what I was doing.

"Washing."

"Boromir will not be home soon enough to enjoy your effort."

Damnit. I was right. His bloody magic elf ears. I scowled and pressed 'wash' anyway. "Then... then we can take him a pillow or something. I'm sure hospitals let people take in pillows and stuff."

The smell of food continued to play and tease my nostrils as I bent down to watch the water soak the sheets and swirl around.

"Does this mean you expect me to hang this in the sun?" Legolas leaned against the door, raising an eyebrow, and to my amusement he was actually wearing an apron. My Elf. An apron. He twisted his head suddenly before I could answer, as if he'd heard something, and he turned and hurried off.

I couldn't hear anything.

My mind, however, came up with every possible wonderful and terrible scenario that could ever happen. Death, life, braindamage, QUADLA..something. I hurried after him, hobbling on crutches, trying my best to not slip on the floor or on my ass.

It was just the stupid timer for the oven. Legolas was bent over, blonde hair slightly fuzzy, tugging something out from inside. He glanced at me over his shoulder and smile faintly, "Go rest. There is some time left before we know something.."

I nodded faintly and retreated. Why argue?

There was something strange about it. About all of it. As much as I liked … this flushing toilet, and that television, and all of it, Legolas was different. Not completely changed, nothing like that, but … was it the surroundings? The lack of Elves? The fact that he was right now in a modern kitchen, cooking, wearing an apron?

I felt selfish but suddenly, somehow, I wished for ...I wasn't sure. This place wasn't my home, no, but it was more than that. The world didn't feel quite so real or important any more. The television had no real interest for me, I was physically repelled by the advertisements that screamed 'BUY ME', and while I craved sweet things... I had to admit. The craving for icecream was long gone now and replaced by the urge for oranges. Not just any oranges. Organic. Trust Legolas to get THAT word stuck so hard in my head that it'd become a hormonal pregnancy craving.

I flopped onto the couch and stared at something half hidden under a newspaper. A dagger? Clearly Gondor made. Boromir must have had it on him. I hadn't even realised he'd had more than a tunic. Had Brian hidden it? I hoped so- Australia wasn't exactly forgiving when it came to weapons. They'd probably have reported him to cops if he'd had THAT on his belt in hospital. y

Above all else, I wished Boromir was here, not because I wished for ...romance. It wasn't that. It was that, between him and Legolas, I always had felt like he was closer to being 'middle ground' and I felt a little less homesick. He wasn't a fatherly replacement. A 'Brianly' replacement was probably closer to the truth. While I was in Middle Earth, he was the closest resemblance of someone I already knew, and while I was here? Closest thing to Middle Earth. Legolas took this world far too well. Boromir, at least, still was shocked and confused most of the time.

"Wendy..."

Legolas' hesitant voice came as I glanced up. He smiled faintly, apron gone now, and came to sit beside me. When I shut my eyes I could … smell him. He hadn't changed. No 'old Elf' musk here. I leaned against him, sliding my hand up his chest, and felt him shudder. Opening one eye I saw his face had gone slightly warmer, breathing a little faster, just from that simple touch. He reached out to stroke my leg, slowly, and ass if he couldn't resist, slowly tugged my legs over his lap, ever careful of the still healing wound.

"Sorry. I shouldn't ...touch you till we can actually touch, should I?"

"Elves are-" Legolas reached to grasp my hand, removing it, only to press his lips to my palm. "-controlled only for so long before our instinct returns..."

"Instinct?"

"To connect with the one we love. To be close to her. To feel her skin, her heart, and-" He murmured something, shutting his eyes, Elvish finishing whatever it was. I may not have yet understood it but … I got the idea. Flashes of my OWN 'ideas' came. Swimming. Hot sunshine. Cold water. Skin, kissing, and twisting in the water.

"Please tell me there's a river or something..." I muttered, my own face flustered, wondering if this was also the 'bond' thing. If we were sharing the same image.

"There is a river and a swimming area cut into the land beside it, which always renews and cleans the pool of water." Legolas smiled faintly, shutting his eyes, adding, "There is often one or more in it."

"One or more what?"

"Elves. We may exist in your world, hidden, but we often feel the need to live close. There is a small community that live within riding distance of our home."

Ah. Of course. Riding distance. I had to assume they meant regular plain old horse, or maybe bikes, because … I couldn't see the Elves somehow having brought unicorns or something.

"How many … Elves are around?"

"Around fifty on my land."

Fifty. Oh. Of course. Fifty. That was... "A lot of them! ...none I know, right?"

"Yes." Legolas smiled. The change of subject from barely hidden desire to Elves was clearly a welcome one. "For we cannot live alone for long. It was not long after I came to this country that others came to join me. Most you would not know, young Elves, still able to adapt to this world. All those you would remember or would remember you remain in the safety of our city and our heart."

"I... I can't believe anyone's alive." How long had it been? No one had given me exact specifics but it had to be a long time, at least as far as 'human years' went, given that they'd been around since … Atlantis. Pre-Atlantis! "But-"

"Most are. Not Frodo, nor Gimli, but most are alive." Legolas' good mood faded somewhat at Frodo and Gimli's names. "When they are ready, they may come to see you, but most of the ancient Elves have changed and retreated within now.

"Frodo..."

"Came with us."

"I know." I knew that. Of course I did. I just hadn't... thought about it. About him dying. Undying lands suggested he DIDN'T die. "Was he happy?"

"Frodo lived for far longer than any other hobbit, a time of great peace, of great comfort, a time when we knew only joy and warmth. As did Bilbo and Gimli. They no longer felt any pain, nor suffering, had many friendships new and old, and experianced only peace and contentment until it was time for them to move on. It was, as humans say now, paradice for them and us for a long time." Legolas may have said more other times but somehow, that short collection of sentances, it seemed to hold more weight for me than anything else he'd said so far.

I breathed out slowly and could almost see it. "I believe you. It's not now?"

"Deep within the Earth, protected from the world, the Undying land remains as it was. A haven of peace and love, untouched by the world, where Elves go to heal, to be born, to learn, or to die." Legolas responded, his hand brushing along my arm slowly, eyes slightly hazy and distant as he spoke of it. "I will take you there when it is close to your time of passing so that we may spend the last of our days together there. When you and I are ready to leave the world."

"I might shock them by being grey and wrinkly."

"No, you will not. For many an Elf, since the time of Middle Earth, have allowed their own bodies to age. We no longer expect to live as immortal creatures- some of us remain for many ages, ancient creatures removed from the world- but there are others who will remain for only a thousand years before they are reborn. Death is something my kin are slowly learning to forget their fear of."

Slowly was right, if it'd really been so long since Middle Earth, but I had to guess this was progress for them. I shut my eyes as his hand continued to massage my skin, the dry hand slightly scratching, my legs across his lap still. "Deal. We'll go when I'm old."

"You will see it before then, for there are some who would gladly see you again." Legolas slid down to lie down, drawing me down with him, his arms pulling me against his chest. I nuzzled into him willingly. Somehow my tension was fading and draining away. I felt only sleepy, sleepy in the warm afternoon, in his arms, and so comfortable. His breath tickled as he added, "But they can wait. I need you before they do."

"You got me." I murmered. Sleep came up slowly to sink around me. It was true and I knew it. The words filled me with a kind of contentment. Yeah. He had me. And I'd follow him to magical Elf land when it was time to die. This time... this time, I wasn't afraid of it. Of Legolas dying when I did.

I felt his lips curve up in a smile against my forehead. "I always knew that."

"Mmm?"

"Always. Even when you felt drawn to Boromir."

"Be funny if he's the future lover of our son." Funny, like Twilight was funny, and disturbing all at once.

Legolas laughed softly. "He's not. I asked our son. But they will be close friends. Boromir was like an uncle. No. Cele has not yet found her or him that he loves."

Somehow this was a relief. I lay there, nuzzled into his chest, wondering about my son's lovers... right into sleep.

The phone woke me up. It was dark.

Legolas jumped up, easily leaping over me on the couch, giving me a 'stay' look as he moved for the little cordless phone. I assumed this was what it meant... and naturally I disobeyed it, clumsily getting to my feet with the crutches, trying to blink away the disorientation that came with falling asleep in the light and waking in the dark. By the time I'd followed him into the kitchen he was already halfway into a conversation, nodding, murmering things in Elvish.

"Hey, English."

Legolas smiled faintly. "Yes, that. He's fine. It went as expected. Better."

"You're not just trying to make me feel better?"

"Well-"

He was. I hobbled closer as I heard a voice on the other side, a faint, "He is, Mum, but Boromir's out of it!" came from the earpiece. I leaned against Legolas.

"What happened?"

"Well... there was a few complications, not unexpected, and a bleed that caused some problems." Cele's voice was faint but audible, the earpiece between us, his voice surprisingly reassuring. How come my grown up son always sounded so CHEERFUL even when talking about 'complications' and 'minor bleeds!' "They handled it. He's fine. Cancer cut out and he's in post-op, still out of it, and will be for a few days. They'll keep him in a medical coma until they're certain his brain isn't trying to swell out of his ears. It's normal."

Seriously. This ki... man... was a half-Elf? I smiled faintly, half amused and half concerned, but his casual tone was putting me at ease. Legolas too- his shoulders slumped just a fraction, and he sighed softly.

"Relax, father, mum. Boromir's in good hands. There's a hotal nearby, just ten minutes, three if I run, so I'll stay there. Keep in contact with his conciousness. Father- take her home. He won't be awake for at least a week. Boromir's ordered you two to relax. He's fine. Refusing to die, he promises, at least until he's fathered a daughter to marry me."

Oh yeah, something about astral, and Legolas' smile grew a little more amused. I rolled my eyes. That was just as weird as if my son was with Boromir.

"That's weird. No."

"He's teasing." '

I knew. "So..."

"Go home, father, and take her. Wait till you see father trying to drive, mum, hope you're better at relaxing him than I am."

"In the morning. Early." Legolas responded. He was relaxing though. "We'll leave tomorrow."

"Thank you. For being there." When I couldn't do it, couldn't face it. I was selfish... yeah. But somehow facing another Helm's Deep was less scary than facing Boromir after what I'd said to him while he was in such a bad position. Helm's Deep, with Boromir at my side, only made me feel worse. Fuck. He was a great person. I just … couldn't do it. Even when I tried to let Legolas go and 'do the right thing' it hadn't been right.

"Stop it!" Cele's voice cut in. "Mum. If you're feeling bad. I've already signed him up for online dating. We'll find someone."

Oh good god.

"Goodnight." Legolas said, just as I opened my mouth to retort, reaching up to cup my face with his free hand. "My love to you."

"And to you, father, mum. Love you both. Try and sleep. You can play tomorrow. Father will need his energy to brave the dangerous modern streets and mechanical horse." And before we could answer, he'd hung up, a laugh in his voice as he teased us.

"I guess I'm here for another few weeks." I wasn't sure why I felt stressed by that. I missed Middle Earth. I wasn't going anywhere though till I knew he was awake and complaining once more.

Dinner turned out to be a vegetarian quiche Legolas had made earlier, which was more vegetable than anything else, and was now cool. We sat down to eat it. The mood had changed, lightened, and Legolas even found a candle to light, which made our 'sparkling water' and special simple meal even better. After, maybe we were exhausted, because we barely did more than snuggle before we'd fallen asleep in each other's arms in the camping bed out in the shed, Legolas' arms tight around me, the electronic fan blowing cool air across us in the warm night.

Legolas got up early, murmuring for me to sleep still, and I watched as I drifted in and out of sleep as he moved silently around to pack things into a bag, sweep the floor, the very early sunrise lighting the room a little and casting a soft warm glow across him. My chest felt as glowy as that sun and I lay there, half asleep, basking for the first time in days the sheer warmth and love I had for him.

It made me suddenly so happy that I wanted to roll around, squeal, and make happy squeaks, which kind of startled me by how cute and girlish that sounded given that we'd more or less fallen in love while I was smashing things with a sword or impaling them on arrows.

I was happy. Sad too, guilty, but … happy. Shesh. What had been WRONG with me? How could I confuse it?

"I can't sleep." I decided softly, more to myself than him, and carefully rose. Legolas didn't seem that surprised. He smiled warmly across to me. "Good, for I think we should farewell Brian and his Jess. I do not like driving... we should leave."

"Are they awake?"

"She has returned from her job. Brian was in the World of War Craft and is also awake, but I doubt for much longer."

At five in the morning? Poor girl. Brian... didn't shock me so much, honestly, I remembered he often got in the geek zone on the weekends.

"I should shower..."

"You do not need to." Legolas' smile faded as he glanced outside. "I wish to be gone before … before there are many cars."

Was he really that anxious about getting going? Maybe he was. Come to think of it... if Legolas hadn't changed much, handling a car might be worse for him than anyone else. I nodded.

"All right. When we get home." And when I healed I'd drive. An anxious driver wasn't safe.

The word home, from me, did something to him. More happiness, a kind of peace returning to his face, Legolas relaxed. "Yes, and you will love what I have built for you."

What he'd built for me? "What?"

"It is a surprise. Come."

"Okay." I followed him out.

We got about three steps to the door before I heard it. Something that'd once been so damn familiar when we'd been dating. Brian, tired and strung out on caffeine, loosing his temper.

Not at me, for once, though my body reacted instinctably and tried to back up into Legolas. It was at Jess. Even I could hear it, sudden accusations of cheating, her being called a whore, something about smoke, a full on fight suddenly EXPLODING out of no where. Or at least... that might have been how it seemed to others. We could even see it- they were in the bright kitchen, Jess' standing there numbly with a 'deer in headlights' expression as Brian ranted.

But I remembered. With Brian... it was never out of no where. He could stew on something for days, in his mind, before it'd explode when he was tired, or drunk, or in a caffeine lull, and right now he might have easily been in all three. And it was never towards friends. It had always been towards me. Now it was towards his new girlfriend.

I knew it was cowardly but … when I heard it, his words, it scared me like it used to. I felt weak and tiny suddenly, even though this time it was directed at Jess, and hurt. I wasn't sure why. Because he'd been such a good friend to me over the past few weeks? But …

But how was it that someone could be a great friend and a terrible boyfriend? How did that even work?When I was Brian's girlfriend he behaved the same way but … but now he behaved great with me. Like he used to before we'd really started dating. I stood, frozen outside in the tropical rain, as Brian ranted at Jess. I'd barely seen her, barely heard her, she tended to work crazy hours and seemed shy. At least I'd assumed it was 'shy'. Hearing this just confirmed it. I had to get out of Brian's house and the sooner the better.

A hand closed on my shoulder. Legolas stood behind me, finger to his lips, and reluctantly I turned and followed him back to the shed out the back.

"Shouldn't I … tell him off?"

"You cannot decide for them." Legolas responded, glancing past me to the house, a faint frown line between his eyes. "I think we will pack."

"Stay at your house?"

"Our house... and yes." Legolas stared at the house a moment longer before he met my eyes. Then he smiled, relaxing, reaching out with one hand to stroke the side of my face, fingers brushing across my hairline.

"Boromir's going to be in hospital a little longer. I guess we could relax before I return." I smiled weakly. He'd survived the operation. And … and that meant that I'd have to return to Middle Earth. It wasn't a law, or anything, but … but I wanted Legolas-in-ME to be there as I was pregnant. This Legolas had seen it already.

"You need not linger if you feel I would be ...lonely." Legolas drew me to him, wrapping his arms around me, and I felt this faint sense through our bond that he WOULD be lonely. But … not unhappy. Had I really dumped his ass in his 'timeline'? For so long? How could I do that? I leaned against him, shutting my eyes, the warmth and comfort of this contact drowning out the arguments inside.

I breathed out slowly and felt tension fade. Oh yeah. In here. Here was the … the calm zone.

"We will clean the shed and then go in. Give them half an hour." Legolas decided softly. "I do not think the roads will be too crowded still."

Agreeing quietly, I followed him back, and tried to help on crutches as we cleaned. But it didn't FEEL right. When we returned, Brian sat at the kitchen table, looking tired, the faint smell of beer on him, drinking another energy drink. Jess was at the stove and smiled faintly at us, a quick glance, her face quickly twisting back towards the stove.

Brian had a hand print on his face. She had a cloth against her nose.

It made me furious. I forgot Legolas and his wisdom, if it was that, because suddenly something reared up in me that had nothing to do with who I used to be. This was pure orc busting Wenduin.

"Did you HIT her?"

"Huh? No... no, I walked straight into a door. Good morning." Jess smiled faintly, eyes darting to Brian, and the nervousness more or less made it obvious it was a lie. Even Legolas stiffened. I met his eyes- his hearing would more or less tell me what'd happened- and when he sighed and shook his head faintly, I knew.

It was total bullshit. I turned onto Brian. "Liar. Tell the truth."

"She hit me first."

"Did she?" The woman deserved a medal. I wished I'd hit him. Angry, I stared at him, amazed by how I was starting to view him like an Orc. Soft spots. Squishy spots. Breakable bone spots. Where I could do most harm.

"I'm sorry. I lost my temper." Jess' voice was soft, quiet, and she focused on the scrambled eggs. I guessed they were for him.

Brian frowned at her back, half apologetic, but there was still something there, this mistrust. What had he been screeching about? Cheating? Hadn't he accused me of that?

Well, okay, I had been, but... but by that point, I'd more or less decided to dump his ass. Jess had been working. Paying for most of his things.

"You did hit her, didn't you?" I snapped. It pissed me off. It really pissed me off.

"Look... mind your business. What I do with her's not your business... and I apologised, it ain't gonna happen again."

Maybe not my business... but that wasn't the point. I remembered how I'd felt before, how I used to feel, and when I saw Jess slide the scrambled eggs... all of them... over to Brian my temper exploded. Not happen again? "It ALWAYS happened again with me, you douchebag, and now you're doing it to someone else?"

I grabbed the plate and slammed it over his head. Eggs, toast and broken plate flew everywhere, cutting him beautifully, which gave me GREAT satisfaction."Get some fucking professional help, you asshole, stop punching people!"

Brian stood up, suddenly, and there he was. The old Brian. The boyfriend who'd lost his temper with me. The one that could paralyse me with fear with that look he had now, like the rest of the world didn't matter, and he just ...was furious with me. I knew how this went. As he lifted his fist, as the rage exploded in his mind, I cringed, all too familiar with this...

The fist hit something all right. Not me. It hit the big Elf.

Legolas stood between us, very sudden, with the speed only an Elf could really manage, and once again he looked just as unearthly as he used to. Almost like some kind of big sexy blonde angel ...Elf... and the change in his attitude, in his energy, it was massive.

"I agree." He was so calm, more than usual, staring down at Brian, back to me. I couldn't see his face. I could see Brian's face though and he stared up at Legolas with that kind of expression I'd seen earlier on Jess' face. The 'oh fuck, deer in headlights' kind of fear. Legolas was so quiet, so cold, as he stood there, not a muscle moving. His voice was so damn intimidating and angry suddenly. "Get help."

Two words. Two words that made Brian fall down into his seat. I half wanted to see Legolas' face, guessing he was furious suddenly, but was half glad I couldn't.

"Fuck you." Brian spat.

Legolas twisted around, slowly, and I saw something in his hand. His knife? His ancient knife? When had that come out? He met my eyes, smiling a reassuring smile, reaching up to stroke my face. But there was still that darkness, that intimidating anger, as he said softly, "Touch another woman, human, and I will remember how you treated mine. I will tie you up and she will show you all that I taught her. Till you do, we are not friends."

His words made ME feel a little freaked out. I'd never heard Legolas sound so angry before.

I liked it.

Legolas met Jess' eyes, who had frozen, and his rare smile was extended to her. "You do not need us to tell you what to do." He moved to Brian again, who flinched, adding cooly, "Thankyou for your home. Until next time. Goodbye."

He moved away, I followed, without us staring back. Legolas moved his things to the car's back seat, helped me into the front, and we sat there a moment in the driveway.

"I see you feel less weak." Legolas said, softly, when we were some distance away. He glanced at me briefly, reaching across to squeeze my knee, adding, "I have missed seeing your temper. Is ethat strange? You look healthier."

"I've missed my temper." Funny. He looked healthier too. The flush of anger was still on his face, even though his expression had returned to neutral, Legolas' hands tense on the wheel. He glanced down at the car. Somehow... this didn't SEEM right. Legolas. Trying to drive a car. He tensed as a car drove past. Okay, he wasn't happy with this, and I offered, "Um. I could still try to drive..."

"No."

A knock on the window and we both jumped. Legolas twisted around as we saw Jess, bag in hand, standing there.

"Sorry... to bother you both. Can I get a lift?"

"Can you drive?" I asked quickly, before Legolas could, and when she nodded, I grinned. Okay. Problem solved. "Sure... drive to wherever you want to go and then we'll go from there. Right, Leggy?"

"I can do that." Jess agreed. She looked kind of surprised by this too. She glanced up at the house as something CRASHED. "We should go. He's tired and drunk..."

I couldn't tell if Legolas was relieved or annoyed with me for deciding this for both of us. He didn't argue, his barriers up, and moved into the back seat.

As she drove, I sat there, wondering whether I should or shouldn't ask her the obvious question. Had she broken up with Brian? I felt torn myself- Brian had been great these past few weeks as a friend. I still couldn't understand how someone could go from 'good friend' to 'ultimate douchebag of a boyfriend' like that. But I'd witnessed it happening... so clearly it COULD happen. I supposed there was a reason why domestic abuse wasn't obvious. Because not all 'husbands', or wives I supposed, behaved like a dickhead between their rages?

A hand closed on my shoulder beside the window, the fingers massaging it slowly, Legolas leaning forward just a fraction to reach. He didn't speak. I felt warmth and love seep into me though, knowing he was trying to comfort me, and reached up to clasp his hand.

We dropped Jess off somewhere out of the city, after stopping at a Maccas for a quick breakfast, which turned out to be ten hash browns for me. I couldn't explain it. I just wanted TEN hash browns. Nothing else. Had to be another pregnancy thing. Or was it an emotion thing? Nothing like deep fried potato and an Elf. Jess had parents twenty minutes further out of the surburbs, in an area that seemed to be equally fields as it was rows of houses, the rivers swollon with water and the entire area a bright vivid green from all the tropical rain that'd been pouring down.

"Hey." She said, as Legolas moved to the driver's seat, Jess hurrying around to my side. "You got facebook?"

"I used to, yeah..." And had forgotten about it. "You want to be friends?"

"I … sent you a request already. I don't know what … what to do about Brian. But if you like you can friend me." She glanced at Legolas. "If that's okay..."

If that was okay with him? What did Leggy have to do with that? What a weird thing to say. I doubted Legolas even cared about facebook, even if he KNEW about it, and I blinked. "Why wouldn't it? Okay. When I get to some internet I'll add you."

She nodded. Legolas smiled, though she'd probably not have realised it, his lips twitching and his mask cracking a moment. Jess stood up and waved as we pulled out.

The weirdness of Legolas driving became the new focus. I sat there, eating the last of my hashbrowns as I tried to not stare, because while he clearly knew HOW, he wasn't having much fun. Just as I was about to offer to drive again, a text message came in, and I got distracted. Cele.

'Morning, mum, father. Hope you're already on the road. Boromir status update: zzzzzzzzzz drool. Not exciting yet. Let you know.'

I read it out to Legolas, who grimiced slightly, and muttered something about having not told Cele my phone number. But he was distracted and tense driving.

At first he hid it well. But the further we drove out of the city the more we ran into big trucks and Legolas hated it. He'd flinch, the car slowing just a tiny bit, or would speed up almost as if he was hoping he could outrun the trucks. Once he even pulled over when three of the big suckers tried to overtake him.

Here he was, Elf who'd stared down a big elephant thing, hating it when trucks drove past him. I might have offered to hold his hand if both of his hands weren't locked in a white knuckle grip on the wheel.

"Put on the music, please..." He said, suddenly, after a good hour of this. "There is already a CD."

I nodded and slid it in. Music drifted past, Elvish music, familiar. Was this the... "This is the Lord of the Rings soundtrack?"

"No. This is a recording of our songs." Legolas' eyes darted to me, even in his stress managing to look amused, and he gazed straight ahead with a long exhale. Tiredness was starting to seep over his face. It worried me a little.

"Did you need to pull over to sleep?"

We could do it now. Nothing but fields all around us, green lush land, the city and suburbs far behind. I watched him carefully as he drove. He wasn't dropping his head or anything but he looked tired.

"No."

"How far?"

Legolas didn't answer for a while, eyes going to the sky, the land, and after a moment he said, "It is a little drive away. I do not need rest. When we are home, I will rest."

"Only a little...? Well. I guess okay."

A little drive away turned out to be much longer than what I'd pictured. And the further we went, I noticed, the more things got flatter, higher, as the sun slowly rose over us and started to light the world. We passed through a cloud at one point, a thick cloud that made Legolas slow down, but I didn't mind this one so much. It was beautiful. And as we slowly made our way through the land, through flat fields, along the road, even Legolas seemed to relax. These roads seemed less used, less popular, winding through agricultural lands and tiny country towns, where we were more likely to see a car than anything. At one point he'd had to overtake a tractor.

We stopped at a small town so I could pee, get some lunch, and wander around, while Legolas took a clearly much needed break in a small park across the road. I watched him as he knelt in the bush, hands touching the soil and the bushes beside him, his forehead almost in the dirt as he … bowed? Or kissed the ground?

The woman in the little grocery store noticed too, though she didn't seem all that surprised, which surprised me. She just smiled and dropped her magazine about a celebreties scandalous marriage. She slid something across for me with an all too obvious stare at Legolas, who was still kneeling there, a leaf sticking to his forehead, "Every time."

"Huh?"

"Every time he drives past. Same thing." She sighed, cheeks flustered as she caught me staring at Legolas, and reached for her magazine to open it up hurriedly. Had she been checking him out?

Jealousy didn't get a second to react. Legolas was back, suddenly, and we were on the road before I could say a word. I reached up to brush the leaf off his forehead, Legolas quick to kiss my wrist while he had a chance, and he glanced sideways at me. "I come this way when I am alone."

"Is it really so far?" I muttered.

"No. I am driving the long way." He explained, softly, as he caught me staring at my phone. "Cele would drive straight there. Highways are not something I can..."

"It's okay."

"If we had driven through Brisbane we would be there by now. It cuts two hours from the journey."

Two hours. Wow. We'd been on the road for almost four hours already. I had to admit sitting here, meeting the admirers of Legolas, it was loosing its fun. "So..."

"We circle this mountain-" Legolas nodded ahead of us. I didn't see an obvious mountain, only a sloping road and a lot of bush, but I trusted him as his hand briefly lifted from the wheel to gesture in a circular motion, "And then we are home."

"So close?"

Legolas nodded.

I settled against the seat, stomach full of food, relaxing as the Elven music started to ease my jealousy away. Of course she'd looked at Legolas. Who wouldn't? I had to relax. I didn't get to see the last stretch of road- I fell asleep, the air conditioning lulling me into a sleep, and only woke when I a shock of pain down my thigh let me know that I was being lifted.

Blinking, a little confused, I stared up at Legolas. He held me carefully against his chest, kicking the door shut, and nodded behind the car. "There."

I followed his gaze.

Up from the driveway, up a path that wound through gardens and semi-dried out grass, was the building. I'd seen it in photos but nothing could prepare me for the actual reality of it.

It was, like in the photo, a mixture of all kinds of styles. Modern, there was that of course, but more of other things. Gondor, Rohan, Elvish, even Dwarven, I could see these mixtures as plain as day, and it both worked and gave me this horrible pang of homesickness for Middle Earth. It wasn't much- there was a porch with a stone railing, which had carvings of horses and dwarven shapes, hidden slightly under the speckled shade a nearby tree cast on it. The pole that held the roof over the porch, which had carvings of twisting leaves and flowers, half concealed under a real creeper that climbed up eagerly.

I saw 'Gondor' in the upstairs balcony area, solid stone, and in the stone building itself. But … also Elvish somehow. Was that the way the bricks were set out, mixed with the wooden frames, the coloured and clear glass widows? Or was it colour of the bricks? They were a pale grey, almost white, like Minas Tirith. The wood was also very pale in shade and the amount of glass used reminded me so much of the half-outdoor Rivendel, which clearly couldn't happen in the Queensland climate. Queensland had too many storms, too much humidity and heat, and I was relieved to see a modern air conditioning unit poking out. An electricity line heading into one oart of the building. A satellite. Phew. He hadn't completely banished stuff.

"I … have missed everything." Legolas admitted as he gazed up, his own eyes going over each part, arms hoisting me against his chest as he readjusted his hold. "And as time passed here, slowly I allowed my memories to return, as I crafted the building. I was not sure if you would … want to know me. I thought that if not- you should have Boromir's home. That you deserved memories of him here. Memories of our journey."

"I want to know you."

He smiled and kissed me, sudden, hugging me hard, sending a shock of pain through my leg. "You can not say this enough to me. I will carry you in and we may rest now."

The door was unlocked, Legolas just giving it a gentle nudge with his foot, and we headed up a staircase that was straight ahead, down a little hallway, and into one of the front rooms. I barely got a chance to see it- Legolas lowered me down onto the bed, careful, and stretched out beside me with a low exhale of relief as he sank onto the sheets. Silken sheets. The bed was surrounded by soft white curtains, some kind of four poster bed, which only gave away hints of the room beyond. Wooden furniture, floor, maybe a rug of some kind.

"Home." Legolas smiled. I watched him as he leaned up to press something beside him, a remote of some kind, and to my amazement.. air conditioning started. I thought he hated technology. Maybe there were some kinds he'd learnt to like.

"Thought you hated the modern world." I teased. I lay back and shut my eyes, feeling his hand drop onto my stomach, the fingers stroking across it slowly. I reached up to touch his hand, feeling the bump under our fingers as they entwined, and breathed out with a low sigh of contentment. I could... be active later. Yes.

"There are many things I do not like. This-" Legolas shifted up, quickly, and I felt him slowly ease my feet out of the shoes I'd put on hours ago, "-is not one of them. Until summer is over it remains an important part of our life."

"No arguments there, Leggy." I agreed. I opened one eye as the bed tipped and danced, expecting to see him undressing or something, but all he was doing was tugging his own shoes off with his shirt, and dropping them some distance away. A quick check of the phone. No messages. I supposed that was good news. If something bad was happening then there'd be a missed call. Right?

Legolas crawled back onto the bed and lay down on his stomach beside me, shirtless, head resting on his arms. Exhaustion was all over his face like I'd never seen before. Was this because he was so much older now? Perhaps. I reached down to stroke the soft hair off his back, twisting carefully onto my side, and was amused when Legolas suddenly sat up and offered me a big pillow to put between my legs.

"I bought it so you may have it while you are pregnant but it may help." He offered, running one hand up my bare leg under the dress, over the bandage that kept my stitched wound safe. Legolas leaned down to kiss my hip slowly. Still no lust. Only tiredness.

"Thanks."

Legolas flopped back down beside me, breathing out, and murmured softly, "I must nap, even if you cannot, for I am very tired."

"Okay."

To my amazement... he was asleep within minutes. I watched him fall asleep, stroking his hair and back slowly, anxiety and stress falling away from his face. I hadn't realised how tense he'd been. Poor tired old Elf.

...but, now that I was here, and the air conditioning was sending delightful shivers of air across my bare legs, I had to admit. A nap was a wonderful idea.

I shut my eyes, snuggling into the light green sheets, and breathed out slowly. Home. As new as it was... yeah. It felt like home. I could deal with everything later. After a nice peaceful nap.

A/N Thanks for reading. Hope everyone's Christmas break was good!