THE FORGOTTEN

A Day Observed

Disclaimer: I do not own anything.

Author's note: The chapter in which – Legolas gets asked if he's a fairy prince and tries pizza. …So, I'm going to attempt this entire chapter from Legolas' point of view. It's almost more of a writing exercise for me to see if I can view the modern world through Elven eyes. What do you think? Should I do a couple more from his POV?

Sunday was a long day and a weird one. Legolas couldn't sort out for the life of him why everyone seemed to think they had to go to church twice in the same day. It seemed absurdly redundant and he certainly didn't recall seeing such a thing required in their sacred book, just the day of worship being the first day of the week and not to forsake assembling. He was also terribly confused about why Wednesday night services existed and when he asked, the answer was a vague reference to some verse that seemed to casually mention they met mid-week. When he had read it, he just assumed it was some sort of informal gathering verses a holy mandate, but what did he know? Elves have no formal religion.

Under advisement of Lothril he wore khaki pants and a polo shirt to church and he decided independently he would leave his hair neatly brushed but down. At first he had attempted a suit and button up but Lothril took one look at him and said, "Good mercy if you wear that I shall never make it through today!" He couldn't help but grin before he asked what he could wear that would help her survive the day undistracted. Her answer was nothing would help because he was distracting just in general, but the suit was just too much.

Contrarily, Legolas really hated her in most of her school and church clothes. He thought them ill-fitting and dull, the asymmetrical black skirt was… well it was… at least the cap sleeved peach shirt she wore, though plain, was fitted properly. He began to see she had not been exaggerating when she said her clothing choices had gotten more interesting since she went to Middle-earth. He couldn't wait until they could wear elvish made clothes again. Interesting weaves and patterns, clothes that are tailored to her, clothes that drape well and move gracefully, clothes that compliment her lovely figure and make her shine with all the fair beauty afforded to the Eldar… But that must wait. Today it is plain black and plain peach for her and khaki and a darker blue for him. He briefly imagined his father's reaction if he were to see them both now… The words 'take that off immediately and burn it' came to mind… In any event, his father wasn't here and he was very curious to see this particular piece of his beloved's old life.

Both of them were dressed and downstairs and eating a breakfast of strawberries and fresh bread with water for tea being heated when Mr. Erickson came into the kitchen in sweat pants and an old t-shirt and said, "Good morning you two."

"Good morning," they both replied.

"Whatcha got there?"

"Bread and strawberries," Lothril replied.

"I think we've got some more bacon if you guys wanted to fry that up with some eggs," he said as he went around the kitchen island to the counter where the coffee pot was and began grinding some coffee.

"We're pretty happy with this, but if you want some, I'm sure we can make some for you," Lothril said.

"Naaah, I'll just have some toast and lingonberry jam I think," her dad replied.

"What is that you are making?" Legolas asked. He had smelled and heard it brewing a couple times but hadn't had a chance to ask.

"This? It's coffee. I take it you don't have coffee in Middle-earth?" Mr. Erickson replied.

"If we do, it grows in the east and I have not ever had it," Legolas replied.

"Aaah," Mr. Erickson said. "Want me to make you some?"

"I would, thank you," Legolas replied.

Ed put on an extra cup or two of coffee then disappeared again to finish getting ready.

"What is proper conduct for a betrothed couple when they are at church?" Legolas asked.

Lothril frowned, "I really couldn't say. However, we're still supposed to be a couple of teenagers so I think our safest bet would be no more than hand holding."

"Not even walking arm in arm?" he asked.

"We don't really do that very much at all, really," she answered then added, "And more's the pity."

"Humans here are strange," Legolas said before eating another strawberry.

Lothril didn't say anything but the look on her face seemed to agree with him. "I think the coffee is done," she said. "Want me to get you a mug?"

"Yes, please," he said, feeling low key excited. She got up and picked for him a pretty mug with a sailboat painted on it and poured him some coffee with room for cream in case he decided he wanted it. This world was strange, and he was increasingly feeling much pity for her elven and ainur forebears who had to live here, but the amount of new and interesting foods, music, and drink he got to explore was well making up for the dull architecture, strange clothing, and plethora of strange devices and machines.

She had no sooner set the mug down in front of him when her dad came back into the kitchen, this time wearing a pair of khaki colored jeans and a bright blue button up shirt that had some sort of vague pattern on it. Regardless, the color was phenomenal on him and really made his red hair and blue eyes pop.

Ed noticed Legolas with the coffee cup in hand and asked, "What do you think?"

"Your daughter only just handed it to me when you came in and I have not tried it yet," Legolas answered.

"Just so you know," Lothril said, "Some people drink it black, like that, and some add cream and/or sugar. So it is a bit like tea in that regard, but otherwise it tastes very different."

"It smells very different," Legolas said before raising the mug to his lips and taking a careful sip. He made a slight scrunched face as it was hot and a little bitter but then it smoothed out into a pleasantly surprised one. "Oh, that is rather nice," he said.

"Want to try it with cream or sugar?" Lothril asked.

He shook his head. "I see little need."

Ed smiled and looked almost proud. Aaah! Another coffee convert created!

They chit-chatted a bit and then Legolas said, "Lothril, could we walk to church?"

She glanced at her dad who shrugged and said, "I don't see why not, but you'd need to get going."

"Then let us go now," Legolas said.

"Sounds good to me," Lothril replied. "Let me go upstairs and get my shoes and my Bible."

As she went up the stairs, Legolas stayed in the kitchen and worked on the coffee. The more he had, the more he enjoyed it and now that the war was over and Sauron defeated, he decided if Gondor managed a peace treaty with the Easterlings, he was going to see if they had coffee and establish a coffee trade. Legolas finished his mug and was standing and awaiting her near the door when she returned.

"Shall we go?" he asked.

"Yes, let's," she answered. They went out the door and cut across the yard and towards the street.

"I notice you have changed," Legolas said.

"These sandals are more comfortable for walking than any of my other church shoes and they didn't really match the skirt because they're rather casual, so I put on a jean skirt," she replied.

"I shall take your word for it," he replied as he took her arm.

Formal religion was strange to his mind. That everything seemed to be timed and done to more or less fill or stay within certain time constraints seemed very peculiar to him. They had walked briskly and arrived early enough that not many were there yet and Lothril sneaked into the church office to grab a copy of the order of service to show Legolas so he could get an idea of what was going to happen. He could not fathom elves going for the idea of a highly structured celebration with a time table. There were things they did for certain events and even a certain order of events for certain celebrations and festivities, but none of them were timed like this and sometimes they went shorter or longer and nobody cared, and he was fairly certain if he suggested they create such a strict time table, his father would laugh and send him into his room to sleep it off.

He was willing to respect the better part of their traditions and customs while he was there, but he was adamant about sitting as close beside her as he wished and holding her hand whenever he wished. Her parents knew they were betrothed now and after Wednesday rumor had circulated through the school and church sufficiently that they were "dating" to make it somewhat general knowledge, at least amongst the youth and related staff, that he was insistent on showing it. He loved her, he was proud of her, he was betrothed to her, and he would show it. How shameful would it be of him to pretend otherwise after the fact was made known? He was hers, she was his, the end.

Despite her insistence that walking arm in arm simply wasn't done much in this world, Lothril was the one who slid her arm into his out of habit. This drew looks from several congregants teen through adult as they walked between the Sunday School class and the auditorium for the morning service. The elderly members seemed to think it was sweet they were walking so, and one or two of them even said as much (which caused Lothril to blush slightly, and he loved to see it!), though one or two of them made comments about him needing a haircut. The way they said it however, it sounded more like friendly teasing and he guessed that they must know and be on familiar terms with Avery or his family, so he took it as good natured joking.

He did overhear one or two decidedly disapproving comments about his long hair made behind his back, and he wondered if they were generally that rude or perhaps it was simply that shocking. All the men did seem to sport very, very short hair here… he almost asked Lothril and then he decided he didn't care enough. Why should he care what a bunch of mortals in a world he didn't belong to thought about him, his hair, or basically anything else? He also noted a few disappointed looks from several of the teenaged boys as they realized all their hopes and dreams of perhaps courting Jennifer were now thoroughly gone and she was now quite off limits. He would have felt sorrier for them, except that according to Lothril and seconded by her mother, nobody had shown any great or particular interest in her prior to last Tuesday, which meant their attraction to her was basically physical and superficial. He did not like that one little bit. However the boys that she introduced as her friends all seemed genuinely happy for her and rather hopeful at the prospect of adding another friend to their group. They only vaguely negative comment from her friends was a joke from one of them about them not making "cow eyes" at each other. He had never heard the term before, but he had seen more than a few cows and more than a few young lovers and somehow… seemed an apt description…

Overall though, the better part of everyone seemed approving, if surprised, to see Jennifer with someone on her arm, and Lothril almost seemed to relax a little until a dark haired middle-aged woman with a few hints of grey in her hair stopped them in the main hall near the entrance and said acerbically, "Would your parents approve of you two hanging on each other like that?" She did her best to stare down her nose at two people who were a solid six inches or more taller than her.

Legolas immediately assumed every inch of his princely bearing and angled himself slightly between Lothril and that woman and said in a very authoritative voice, "That is none of your concern."

"Excuse me, b-" she began to protest but he cut her off.

"You are excused. In the future you would do well to tend to your own affairs and keep out of the affairs of others," Legolas said and immediately brought his other hand on top of Lothril's hand on his arm and began walking away.

"Well I never!" she huffed indignantly.

"Then you ought to start now," Legolas replied without even deigning to look at her. His voice wafted back to her ears and all she could do was stare at them gaping like a cod fish and turning red. And just to rub it in, Legolas quickly leaned in and kissed Lothril's cheek without breaking stride which resulted in a choked sounding gasp from the offended busybody. "What is the name of that odious woman?" he asked using ósanwe.

"Debbie Snelling. She is a busybody and a gossip and seems to delight in nothing more than bossing people around. She is also the sort that thinks one ought not to kiss or touch before they are wed," Lothril replied.

"That is the singularly most absurd thing I have ever heard. How is one supposed to go from a first kiss and holding hands to love making in a single day? I would be horrified to even try it," he said, trying to wrap his mind around the very concept. He shuddered slightly; he would feel violated and violating to even try. Otherwise, they would have to spend weeks between the ceremony and actually consummating the marriage, or in their case actually getting married. Not that he didn't have plans to spend weeks consummating their marriage before they resumed their social lives, but he was planning on weeks of consummation not weeks until consummation. "That is a horrible idea and I hope that is one neither you nor anyone in your family espouses."

"I cannot say I have ever heard such an idea come from my parents' lips nor my grandparents," she answered as they went into the slowly filling sanctuary. "We generally sit in the back here because mom is in choir and frequently does special music or piano, so she can slip in and out better without distracting people if we sit in the back," she said aloud.

"That makes sense," Legolas said as they assumed the Erickson's usual spot in one of the back pews. "Is there any particular reason this room is so dark colored and depressing?" he asked mentally.

Lothril covered a snorting laugh by pretending to cough and replied in kind, "This is the result of a series of unfortunate happenings." She briefly relayed the story that could be summed up as, 'Oops! Oh well. We'll make this work, but let's not involve the women or anyone with actual taste.'

"If I gave them money enough to fix it, would they?" Legolas replied, only half joking.

Lothril very nearly burst into laughter but managed to keep herself in check, but only barely.

True to the schedule of events Lothril had taken, everything happened in order and when prescribed, except dismissal which was ten minutes late, and to Legolas' private opinion, about twenty minutes after the point had been made, and fifteen minutes after most of the congregants stopped listening and started trying to distract themselves. They sang a final verse and chorus of a hymn that nobody bothered to look up in the hymnal, and everyone sang distractedly as they zipped up their bible cases and assembled their stuff. The moment the song ended, the man leading the singing said they were dismissed, but the pronouncement was hardly needed as everyone had already immediately began chatting and heading out into the foyer.

"Should we go back with your father and mother or walk back?" Legolas asked.

Lothril saw her parents were talking to a couple of their friends and Julie and Eddie looked like they were asking permission to go to friends' houses between services. "I suspect they will be a while. Let us walk back. I will tell them our plan."

She went over to her parents and let them know she and Legolas were walking back and then warned them that Mrs. Snelling was likely to cause a scene because Legolas told her to mind her own business. Her mom rolled her eyes and told her not to worry about it.

They had only just stepped outside and saw a number of children were playing on the lawn between the two wings of the building; running and yelling and having a time and being watched by a few of the teens, some of which looked like older siblings to the little ones. Legolas paused for a minute to watch and Lothril joined him.

"I have a lot of memories of playing games right there," she said quietly.

"We played a few similar games like that too on a fair day like today," Legolas replied with a smile. They really looked like they were having the time of their lives with nothing but themselves and an open stretch of grassy lawn.

A little four year old blonde haired girl noticed them and came running up and then stopped a little shy of them and looked up and asked, "Escuuze me, Miss Jenny! Escuuze me!"

"Yes, Emily?" Lothril replied.

The little girl took a big breath and blurted out, "Are you a fairy princess? Cuz you look like a fairy princess."

As Lothril was wide eyed and trying to figure out why Emily thought this and how to answer, Legolas knelt down and said conspiratorially, "She is not a princess yet, but she will be when she marries me."

The little girl looked at him wide eyed and asked, "Are you a fairy prince? Like a real prince in a story?"

"I am a real prince just like in a story. I come from a land far, far away, but I am not a fairy prince," he answered seriously, but with a smile teasing his mouth.

"You have pointy ears like a fairy," she countered.

He liked this precocious little girl. "It is true, I do have pointed ears, but that is because I am Elf. I am an elven prince."

"Ooooh," she said and gave a knowing nod. "But if you're a prince, where's your horsie?"

"I left him with my father," Legolas replied.

"Is your father a elf king?" she asked, wide eyed.

"He is."

"Does he wear a crown and ever'thing?" she asked.

"Most of the time, yes," he answered.

"D'you wear a crown too?" she asked, clearly eyeing the top of his bare head.

"I do," he answered.

Her little fine brows knit together and she said, "Why aren't you wearing one?"

"Because," he said then leaned in a little and said quietly, "I am here in secret."

She looked at him wide eyed. "In seeecret?"

He nodded very solemnly. "I am here in secret to hunt goblins."

"Goblins!" she cried in surprise, then she paused and looked at him suspiciously. "Are you teasin' me?"

Legolas put on his most solemn face and said, "Elven princes never tease little girls about goblins."

She was quiet a moment and he could see the little thoughts turning in her head. "Should I be scared?" she asked, sounding almost more like a skeptical adult than a scared little girl.

Legolas smiled and shook his head. "Never fear for goblins when there is an elven prince about."

"Wuddabout when you go home?" she asked.

"I shall not go home until they are all gone," he answered.

He could see the little thoughts turning in her head again then she asked, "Are you really gonna marry Miss Jenny?"

"I am."

"And you're gonna take her back to your castle?"

"I shall take her back to live with me and my father the king, yes."

"How you gonna do that if your father has your horsie at home?" she asked, clearly suspicious of his claims.

"We shall walk," he answered.

"You can't do that," she said.

"Why not? We like to walk," he asked.

She gave a huff and rolled her eyes as if this was the most obvious thing in the world. "'Cuz the prince always has to ride off with the princess on a white horsie!"

Legolas frowned. "Oh, then I am in great trouble, for I have several horses and none of them are white. I do have a handsome dappled grey. Shall that do?"

She thought about it and said, "Well, I guess so, but it's s'pose to be white."

Legolas looked up at Lothril and asked, "Do you mind that none of my horses are white?"

"Not at all," she answered then added mentally, "I certainly did not mind the first time."

Legolas smiled then said to little Emily, "There you are – the soon-to-be princess does not mind, so all is well."

Just then her mother came up and said, "I hope she hasn't been talking your ears off."

"Not at all," Legolas said as he stood up. "She and I have been discussing the finer points of being a prince and a princess."

Her mother smiled and gave the signature knowing nod that doubles as a 'thank you for playing along with my child'. "Ah, I see."

Emily tugged gently on Legolas' hand and he looked down at her as she asked, "Can I be an elf princess when I grow up?"

"I'm afraid not honey," her mom said. "Come on, Emily; it's time to go home."

"Okay, Mommy! By Prince! By Miss Jenny!" Emily said with a wave as she walked off holding her mother's hand.

"That was bold of you to tell her the truth like that," Lothril said, sounding half warning and half amused.

Legolas took Lothril's hand and gave it a squeeze and said, "Men are Men. You saw how little heed her mother paid to her question – she did not raise so much as a brow at her daughter asking if she can be an elf princess. I cannot tell you how many dozens of times I have gone into Laketown or Dale and been asked by a child if I was the elven prince. I always tell them that I am and then they all go to their parents and tell them they have met the elven prince and without fail their father or mother tells them they must have been mistaken or else I was teasing them. If I do not go into a human town with pomp and fanfare, no grown adult will believe a child when they tell them they have met the elven prince. They think they are simply mistaken."

"Are you serious?" she asked, looking very surprised.

"Quite. Shall we begin heading back now in earnest?" he asked.

"Yeah, we probably should. The van's still here, but it's still only a five minute drive," she answered. They were about halfway across the parking lot and heading towards the soccer field when Lothril said, "It is strange though that she could see we are elves when no one else can."

"I thought it strange also, but she thought we were another creature. Perhaps the spell being used causes people to see what they expect to see and blinds them from seeing the truth," he replied.

"That may be," she said thoughtfully. They fell silent until they passed by the near soccer goal then she asked, "So, what does the elf make of organized religion?"

"Far too structured. It seemed to me that everyone would have preferred to sing more, and the preacher? Pastor?"

"Either one."

"The preacher ought to have ended much sooner than he did and simply dismissed everyone, but he did not and everyone grew dull and bored and I think his message was lost, or at least diminished," Legolas said. "I know you have not had a chance to observe hardly any of our festivals or high days and none of our ceremonies, but you will see that we much prefer to allow things to flow naturally and let things take as long or as short as needed. You said before there is a second service tonight?"

"Yes, there is," Lothril replied.

"Is it much like this morning's service?" he asked.

"No, it is shorter with less music and we are going through a series on theology in the hymnal," she replied, sounding mildly unimpressed with the topic.

"Ah, well then I think I shall not go this evening," Legolas said. "Shall he continue talking about marriage on Sunday mornings?" Legolas asked.

"Given how slowly he moves, yes, for at least another week. We're technically going through Ephesians, but he's been going very slowly, so I expect we'll stay on that passage we read this morning for at least another week," she answered. "I really don't think he got much past the first two verses."

"Then I may go again next week. I find his interpretation of that text interesting. Did you agree with what he said this morning?" Legolas asked.

"Well, I suppose. It is what I've always heard about it anyway, but I haven't really thought it through for myself," she admitted.

They paused near the end of the soccer field and he said, "Think it through then tell me your thoughts, for I have some also, but I would rather hear yours first. In fact, I have a notion – you stay home with me this evening and we may spend our time more profitably by discussing our thoughts on what he said."

"Are you serious?" she asked, looking a bit surprised.

"Of course. I am very curious to know your mind on every matter, but particularly ones that concern us both," he replied.

She smiled, "I suppose that makes sense, but I'll have to see if mom and dad will let me skip church."

"I do not see why they should not permit it," he replied.

She paused a moment before saying, "Well, we shall see. In the meantime though, if Julie and Eddie did wind up going to their friends' houses, I'll probably be able to lay claim to the television and introduce you to a couple things."

"Oh? And what would those be?" he asked.

"Movies and Jane Austen."

"Jane Austen sounds like a name, so are movies what your family tends to watch in the evenings when they are home?" he asked.

"Well, that would generally be television shows. They're shorter stories that are told in half an hour or an hour," she explained. "Movies are longer. The movie I want to show you is a very, very close adaptation of a book called "Pride and Prejudice" written by a lady named Jane Austen."

"I see, but why should you want to watch a movie if you could read the book?" he asked.

"In this particular case, it's because I read the book two weeks ago for a report for school, but as two weeks ago was a year ago and the movie is very accurate and it takes less time for me to watch it than it does for me to read it – I'm going to watch it and finish up the rough draft on the report I have to write about it and introduce you to the Regency Era, Jane Austen, and a movies all at once!" she replied.

"How very efficient of you," he teased.

They chatted casually the rest of the way back and managed to walk in the kitchen door right about the time Sunday lunch was being pulled out of the oven.

"Do you need any help, Mrs. Erickson?" Legolas asked.

"If you and Jen want to set the table, I'd appreciate it," she answered.

"Are Julie and Eddie here?" Legolas asked.

"No, they're at their friends' houses," Mrs. Erickson answered.

He nodded and he and Lothril began pulling out plates, cups, and silverware and setting the table. A few minutes later they were all sitting at the table eating with some casual conversation about the church service which Legolas listened to with a fair amount of interest because both of her parents had been busy during the service; her mother as a choir member and her father in a booth apparently controlling the sound that came through the large boxes Lothril had told him were called speakers that were hung from the ceiling that he had noticed. No one spoke though of the sermon, which in Legolas' mind just confirmed the preacher had gone too long and ought to have ended sooner.

"What did you think of your first church service?" Mr. Erickson asked.

"It was interesting enough and I wish to hear the remainder of his thoughts on that piece he read today, but otherwise I have little interest in going again. A bit too structured and stiff for my liking," he answered. "So I shall go next Sunday morning, but I shall forgo the rest of it I think, and I would be appreciative if you would permit Lothril to stay back as well, at least this evening," he said.

"And why is that?" her dad asked.

"I wish to speak with her privately," he answered simply. By now Lothril looked nearly as rigid as she did during that tea party in her room with Elrond as she stared down at her plate as she ate.

Mr. and Mrs. Erickson glanced at each other and Mrs. Erickson said, "She can if she wants. It's up to her."

Lothril's eyes grew wide as she stared down at her plate. She clearly hadn't been expecting that answer and she looked shocked. "I think I'll stay home," she said quietly. "I have a rough draft for lit class I want to work on today anyway, so that said, what are your guys' plans for the afternoon?"

"I'm gonna take a nap," her mom said.

"A nap sounds nice, or I might go putter around in the garage," her dad said.

"Good because I want to watch "Pride and Prejudice" and make sure I didn't miss anything with my rough draft," she answered.

"Knock yourself out," her mom said casually. "Oh, while I'm thinking of it – as you're leaving at the end of the month, do you want to keep going with choir and nursery until you go or should I tell everyone you're dropping out?"

"Tell them I'm dropping out," she answered, sounding a bit more comfortable. "I was planning on dropping out until after finals anyway, and I really don't like doing nursery that much."

"You do not like caring for young children?" Legolas asked, half teasing.

"Two and three year olds should never come in quantities greater than two," she replied.

Legolas chuckled a little then said, "Truly, I am impressed to learn you ever volunteered to care for the young, given your opinions on having children."

"I never had an opinion in the first place, but working infants through twos and threes hardened my ambivalence."

Legolas laughed and said, "Hardened your ambivalence! Oh melelthril nin! The way you put things at times amuses me to no end!"

"Do you suppose they have Elvish-English dictionaries?"Mr. Erickson asked Mrs. Erickson.

"I think Jenny has one," Mrs. Erickson said.

"I do," Lothril chimed in, "but it is sorely lacking for vocabulary and doesn't have any conjugation charts or anything like that."

"My apologies for slipping back into my native tongue," Legolas said, "I forget myself at times." He opened his mind to Lothril and added, "And I will forget myself every time for your sake."

"You have my deepest thanks. That is a not a conversation I am looking to have with my mother and father," she replied.

"What sort of religions are in Middle-earth?" Mrs. Erickson asked.

Legolas paused a moment before answering then said, "Elves have no formal religions like you do. We have certain feasts and high days where we celebrate certain things we hold dear or remember certain events or mark certain occasions, but that is as close as we come. Otherwise, our singing of the Valar are not restricted to a given day nor required on a certain day but rather any time we feel so moved, and particularly on certain feast days, remembrance days, or celebrations. We also do not name the One that created us except on very special occasions like weddings. Men hold no religion either save what they learned from us and so we share many high days and certain elements of their customs and ours bear a resemblance. I do not know about Hobbits, save that if they do, none of them made mention of any save such celebrations which are common to Elves and Men. The only ones I know of that seem to have anything close is the Dwarves, but they are very secretive so I can say no more."

"Really? No religion at all?" she asked, sounding a bit stunned.

Legolas shook his head, "None at all. There is ancient lore from the very beginning and there is lore about the end of days, but that is as close as we come to having anything like your sacred book, and our high days and celebrations as close as we come to your religious services."

"It actually reminds me a bit of Hebrews where he said something about writing the laws upon their hearts and minds. Obviously it's not exactly that in context of Hebrews, but I think it's a bit of the same idea," Lothril said, sounding almost more like she was musing aloud than actually talking to anyone.

"Jenny, what are you talking about?" her dad asked.

"Never mind, just thinking out loud," she said dismissively and returned her attention to her plate. Being the informal family they were, she finished her plate and left the table with a half muttered, "I'm gonna go change out of these clothes."

He watched her put her dishes in the kitchen sink then head upstairs to her room. Yesterday had been… unexpected… and he was hoping now that everything was out in the open that she would relax and resume being herself, but instead she seemed almost more out of sorts and guarded than before and that incident with that Snelling woman at church certainly aided nothing. He hadn't been here long enough to get used to anything but where his bedroom was, but he was sure it must be very strange to suddenly return home, have home be different than remembered, you be different than remembered, and then try to suddenly live as an elf with her human family in a human world.

He had half a mind to excuse himself and follow after her right away, but he didn't have a chance because her parents began asking him about their music and if he would maybe sing something sometime and teach his would be mother-by-marriage a song or two. He quite readily agreed and was very happy her parents were both showing an interest in him and his culture and life and he wished very much that Lothril was there to see and hear this.

The three of them sat and talked for at least half an hour longer until Mrs. Erickson looked at a strange gold bracelet that had an odd rectangular-ish shaped thing in the band with a white surface. There were tiny numbers painted around it and thin little gold arrows that seemed to be pinned in the middle of the white surface and moved of their own accord. It reminded him some of the round thing on the wall at the school that Lothril seemed to be using to tell time. In any event, she looked at it and said, "Only four hours till choir practice," with a sigh and then said, "If you're done, I'll take your plates."

"Thank you," Legolas said and handed his things to her. "Would you like help washing up?"

"That's okay, I'll just put this stuff in the dishwasher," she replied.

He nodded then quickly asked as she grabbed her husband's things, "By the way, what is that bracelet you wear on your left wrist?"

"Huh? Oh! My wrist watch. I use it to tell time. It's like a tiny clock," she answered.

"Ah! So clocks tell time and small ones you wear are wrist watches and large ones are simply clocks?" he replied.

"More or less," Mrs. Erickson replied.

"But there are also pocket watches men sometimes wear that are on a chain and attached to a vest and kept in the pocket," Mr. Erickson added. "I have one if you want to see it."

"I would, thank you," Legolas said.

Mr. Erickson got up from the table and returned a minute later with a gold pocket watch and handed it to Legolas who had helped Mrs. Erickson carry the cups and things into the kitchen and was now sitting in the spot usually occupied by Eddie.

Legolas turned it over in his hand. He could easily hear the gentle tick-tick-tick of the tiny gears inside. It was all gold and had an embossed scene which prominently featured a buck in a forest on one side and had just a flat etched pattern on the other.

"Press the little button on the top," Mr. Erickson said.

Legolas did and the front popped open to reveal an elegant face with slender but clear black numbers. "This is a very handsome piece," he said.

"Well thanks. My grandpa, my mom's dad, gave it to me," he answered. "And if you press that button again, the back will open up and you'll be able to see all the gears."

"Gears?" Legolas repeated as he did so and felt the back release against his hand. He turned it over and saw a marvel of tiny springs and thin gears all moving steadily and rhythmically, causing the gentle tick-tick-tick sound. He could see there were layers of these tiny little notched wheels and watched it all work for half a minute before saying, "There are so many little wonders in this world that allow you all to live as kings and perform deeds like wizards and yet you must do everything for yourselves and keep no servants. I have servants and soldiers by the score at my beck and call and yet for convenience and comfort, I am little better off than you for day to day living, and to tell the hour I must trust to the sun and moon and stars in the sky."

"Hey Honey, can you come here a minute?" Mrs. Erickson called from the kitchen.

Legolas handed Mr. Erickson his watch as he stood and slid the watch into his pocket and said, "Better go see what the wifey wants."

As soon as he was gone, Legolas went upstairs to change out of the clothes he wore to church and, since the younger siblings were gone, into his own plain tunic and leggings. Once changed, he we to Lothril's bedroom door and knocked.

"Enter Legolas," she said.

He came in and found her sitting on her bed with one of her thick notebooks open and a pencil in hand and a pen clipped into the spiral binding.

"I'm just reading through my rough draft before I put the movie on. I should be done in a minute," she said. "It's been a while since I wrote it. You can join me up here if you want."

"Thank you, I shall," he answered with a grin as he sat down beside her. Sitting on her bed with her was one of many unorthodox habits they had cultivated between themselves. He briefly counted them off in his head as she kept reading through her report. Sharing the cottage in Caras Galadhon, sharing a tent, sleeping beside each other in said tent, changing with only their backs turned to each other as they traveled, the whole 'bending tradition' thing, sneaking off at every chance, their sneaking off in the middle of night in Rohan… Maybe they should revisit the middle of the night sneaking around thing here…

"Alright, I think I have this thing fairly well set to be perfectly honest, but I want to watch the movie again anyway just to be sure," she said. "And I really like the story and want to watch it with you."

"Then I want to watch it with you also," he said as he took her hand and kissed it. "Truly Lothril, I want you to show me all the things you like and love here. We still have the better part of the month left here before we leave to hunt the orcs. Relax and let us enjoy ourselves this afternoon, especially as your sister and brother are gone."

"Well, now that everything is out, at least with my parents anyway, I will try to show you more of what I like and love here," she said. She looked over at him and looked thoughtful for a minute then added, "I don't remember that tunic."

Legolas laughed, "I would be surprised if you did. This is the one I wore under the outfit I wore for our betrothal."

She raised a brow, "My but you are getting casual."

He kissed her cheek and said, "Oh, you shall figure it all out later. Let us go downstairs now and you introduce me to Jane Austen and movies."

"Alright, let's go," she said as she grabbed her notebook and scooted off the bed. They went downstairs and her parents were nowhere to be seen, so she figured they were already in their room. She tossed her notebook on the couch and dug through the movies in the TV cabinet until she found what she wanted.

"Shall this movie take a while?" Legolas asked.

"Yeah, it is pretty long. It was originally a mini-series, which means it was originally shown in several large pieces," Lothril answered.

"Then I shall make some tea," Legolas said and made his way into the kitchen.

"Wait until I have to switch disks, unless you just really want some tea right now," Lothril replied.

"I want a glass of wine, but I shall content myself with tea," Legolas replied from the kitchen as he filled the kettle. He set the kettle on the stove and Lothril appeared in the doorway between the kitchen and living room.

"A gas stove is convenient, isn't it," she said.

He nodded, "There is much here that is convenient, but I have lived comfortably without them for the last five thousand four hundred and twenty years. The question is how shall you fare without them?" He studied her face carefully as he asked.

"I dare say I did fairly well without them while I was there," she replied casually. "I well imagine I'll survive. And now that you've brought your age up again – when is your begetting day?"

"It has already passed," he answered with a smile. "In fact, it was the thirty-first of Ethuil."

"When is mine again?" she asked.

He smiled, "The twenty-third. So mine is eight days later."

"And how did you manage to avoid a party like mine?" she asked, looking adorably annoyed.

"I simply did not mention it. I do not think the twins even know when it is," Legolas replied, half musing.

"When is theirs?"

"I am sure I do not know. You shall have to ask them," he replied.

Just then the kettle began to whistle and he took it off and made them both a cup of peppermint tea and then they returned to the living room and settled in on the couch and Lothril hit the play button. He hadn't really paid any attention to the television hitherto, so Lothril had to explain things like opening credits and that they simply told you who was playing what characters and things like that, but then the movie started. Outside of needing a few sparse explanations about things like that tall stone building with the bell was a church, and an explanation that 'pounds' was what they called their money, he found he could actually follow along with this far easier than he could modern life. Even when those customs differed substantially from Elvish ones, he was at least familiar with the concepts and could well follow the plot. There were several instances where he was laughing rather hard at some of the witty comments. Shortly after Darcy's first proposal and she had to switch discs, Lothril's parents woke up and she paused the movie.

"Probably best we pause it while they're running around and getting ready for church," she said.

"Yes, probably best," he agreed. "Besides, I have a few questions."

"Such as?"

"Are human women really as fragile as everyone seems to think in this story?" Legolas asked.

"Well, medicine back then was just as likely to kill you as heal you, so a thing like a cold, which we can easily treat now, could easily kill you back then. They also did not have the same understanding on how diseases spread and how to prevent them, so there are basic things we have and can do now that keep us from getting as sick and if we do, we can treat it more effectively," she replied.

"You said this is not a true story, but it took place in a real era of your history, correct?" he asked.

She nodded. "Yes, it's a fictitious story set in what was the modern time for the author."

"How long ago was it?"

"Oooh… two hundred years ago, give or take," she replied.

"Much has changed in that short amount of time," Legolas said, looking around the house. He was very certain if Mr. Darcy were to walk into their house, he would be at as much of a loss at what things were as he was. "Before you came to Middle-earth, did that seem like a long time to you?"

"Yes and no. Long enough ago that it seems far away, but not nearly so far back when compared to other historical eras like ancient Egypt," she answered.

"How long ago was ancient Egypt?" he asked.

"Four or five thousand years," she answered.

"Oh Men! Two hundred years ago seems to me like your life two years ago probably feels. Four or five thousand years ago though does seem like a while ago though, but I do remember it clearly. We were living near the mountains in Greenwood at the time. That is where Ada-ada had the cherry orchard," he replied.

"I must be a spring leaf to you," she replied with a frown.

"No, you are my lothil – late to bloom, but all the more beautiful for its lateness. The leaf and stem are green from first thaw, but the blossom does not come forth until later. So it is with you," he replied.

For a moment her clear, topaz brown eyes seemed to shine openly with love and gratitude at his words, but then her parents came around the corner and immediately walls went up and her eyes were guarded again as she replied, "You are kind to say so."

"Are you staying behind tonight?" her dad asked as he sauntered through the living room.

"Yeah," she replied simply.

"Order a pizza from Mario's at seven and we'll pick it up on the way home. Get two, no three and some breadsticks," her mom said as she gathered up her music folder and Bible from the side table where she had set them down after church. "Alright, ready to go?" she asked, tossing the question to Mr. Erickson.

"Yup! Just waiting on you," he teased.

Mrs. Erickson gave her husband a look, "Oh don't even."

"What?" he replied, grinning and half laughing.

Legolas watched with some amusement as they headed out to the mudroom where their shoes were and then out the door. "Are they always like that?" he asked.

"More often than not," Lothril answered. "Shall we continue the movie?"

"Yes, let's! I think Mr. Darcy shall not give up so easily as all that, and now that Elizabeth knows about the plot against her sister and Mr. Bingley, I wonder if she shall not try to do something to bring them back together," he answered.

Lothril smiled. It was fun watching this with someone who had no idea what was going to happen. "So I take it you are enjoying it so far?"

"Very much so. I am finding this far more relatable than what I have seen of modern life so far," he answered.

"What about all the strict rules and manners?" she asked, looking just a trifle nervous.

"We are not so different in the Woodland Realm than they are in Rivendell. Truly Lothril, do not fret – you are already well acclimated to our way of things. The only thing you need worry about mastering is court manners and you shall master that in no time, I have no doubt, and they are not so harsh nor so many that you need worry much about them," he said reassuringly as he took her hand.

"What do you think about the clothes?" she asked, sounding a bit more playful.

"Decidedly closer to what I am accustomed to. However, I have the same complaint against most of those dresses on most of those women as I do your clothes for school and church," he answered.

"And that would be?"

"I found most of the dresses unflattering on most of those ladies. On some of them they look quite well, but others would have done better with something different," he replied.

"So I take it you find most of my wardrobe unflattering?" Lothril asked, raising a brow.

"Mostly what you wear to school. What you are wearing now I am enjoying quite well," he said, looking at her outfit again.

She looked down at herself. She was wearing a favorite grey t-shirt that she had always found comfy and always thought fit her nicely enough and a pair of burgundy lounge pants that were the perfect balance in her mind of not too loose and not too tight and perfectly comfortable. "Oh? And what do you enjoy about it?" she asked with a raised brow.

He leaned in and kissed below her ear and whispered, "It shows off your fair form quite nicely."

She shuddered then gathered herself and asked, "Should we keep watching?"

"Yes, and then I wish to talk with you after about what the pastor spoke on today," Legolas said.

"Hmm, then perhaps we should watch and talk. We are only halfway through the movie," she said.

"Have you thought things over?" he asked.

"A little here and there," she answered.

"Then think of it a little more and we shall speak of it tonight after everyone goes to bed," he said.

They finished the movie, which he found very entertaining, and it ended just in time for Lothril to order the pizzas. "Well, the pizza guy said twenty minutes, and it's about five minutes from there to here, so we have at least twenty four minutes until they get home."

"And how should you like to spend it?" Legolas asked.

"Wanna talk about the sermon?" she asked.

"We could," he answered. He had been hoping for a rather different answer… "But I was hoping for a slightly longer conversation about it."

"We could always start it now and finish it later," she said. "What about it exactly do you want to talk about anyway?"

"How do you think our marriage should look?" he asked.

"Well, I always supposed it should look like a captain and first-mate. At least, that's how Mom and Dad seem to be," she answered. "I've never really understood that umbrella analogy at all."

"That made no sense to me either," Legolas said, "and that is what I was curious about."

"So then we are agreed?" she asked.

She was not in the mood for philosophy today. That was clear. Some days she simply wasn't and that was fine. "It certainly seems so," he replied. "How does your report look?"

"I think I covered everything," she replied, looking down at it again. "I'll write out the final draft later."

"How then would you like to spend the next twenty minutes?" Legolas asked.

"I have no idea," she said and slumped a little as she said it. Legolas was certain she meant to lean over and put her head on his shoulder, but she missed and with a small surprised cry wound up with her head on his lap. "I'm sorry! I didn't mean-"

"Lothril, relax," he said as he gently drew her back down as she tried to scramble upright. "Only make yourself comfortable and let us enjoy a few minutes of peace." As he talked he began gently combing his fingers through her hair. She had such lovely hair; so silken and dark! He combed it straight back so it trailed over his thigh and the seat beside him like a dark river. He began to sing quietly a peaceful little song and after a few minutes he felt the tension begin to leave her and she relaxed a little. His poor melethril… even without using ósanwe, it was obvious her mind was in tumult. He wanted to say something, but supposed at the moment as she was relaxed, silence was better. He hoped in any event that she would come to him and confide in him when she was ready. He knew she trusted him, but she always seemed so reticent to say anything. "How are you feeling now, melethril?"

"Much better, thank you," she smiled up at him.

"Good, I am glad. I know the last few days have been strange and tumultuous, but I am still here for you, melethel. Nothing shall change that," he said reassuringly as he continued combing his fingers through her hair.

"Ever sure and steady," she said with her eyes closed and her smile turning small and content.

"Sure and steady and yet I must go and change out of my elvish things, meleth nin," he said with a little teasing smile.

She looked up at him and replied, "That is a change I do not mind too very much, even though I do enjoy you in this tunic."

"Do you?" he asked, sounding amused.

"To be perfectly honest, I think you're the sort that can wear anything and make it look good," she replied, letting her eyes drift shut again.

He smiled and said, "Then you must find me uncommonly handsome, for some of the things here are horribly dull."

"I do find you uncommonly handsome," she said sneaking a peak at him through her lashes. "And I'll let you up now," she added as she sat up.

He went upstairs to change and came back down in a t-shirt and sweatpants with only a few minutes to spare. Her family returned to find them sitting at the kitchen island with a cup of tea each. Lothril had told him about pizza when they were back in Rivendell and he had been curious to try it ever since. As was the general pattern when they were coming or going, the dog barked and there was an air of chaos as everyone crowded in through the door and burst into the kitchen all on top of each other until they finally all dispersed off to their various bedrooms. True to form, that is exactly what happened, but with the addendum of four flat boxes, three square and one rectangle, being set on the counter. The smell was certainly spicy and herbal, and Lothril immediately set out all the boxes down the length of the island.

"You can try any or all of them," Lothril said.

"No silverware?" he asked.

"Nope. Not usually," she replied.

One of them had numerous toppings that were a mix of meat and vegetables, one of them had some thin sliced meat and mushrooms – pass!- and another had different kinds of meat. Then of course, there was the breadsticks. He had never thought to do bread that way, but he liked the idea and tucked that one away as something he would he would play with after he got home. He took one slice of each of the two pizzas that didn't have mushrooms and a breadstick.

"Should I go sit in the dining room?" he asked.

"Nope! It's Sunday night. We eat in the living room and watch Columbo. Columbo being a television mystery show about a detective named Columbo," she explained.

"What is a detective?" he asked.

"Someone who solves crimes for a living. In this case, murder," she answered.

"Murder?! And you watch this for fun?" he asked, borderline shocked and appalled.

"Well generally they don't show the person being murdered or even the body, at least not on Columbo," she replied as she grabbed her pizza.

"I will watch it once, but somehow I do not envision myself enjoying watching a show about people getting murdered," Legolas said with a frown and a raised brow. Really! Humans could be so strange and morbid sometimes!

"You don't have to," she said with a grin and went into the living room. He followed and she settled in the corner of the L shaped couch. "Oh no, I get the corner and then you can sit close beside me more easily. If you sit in the corner we will be further apart for I am too broad and shall not be able to get as close to you."

"You've given this a bit of thought haven't you?" she teased as she scooted over.

He said nothing but sat down and watched again with a small amount of amazement at how a small little rectangular box with numbers and symbols on strange raised buttons could control the television from the couch. For the life of him he couldn't reckon it. She had explained something about beams of light, but that made no sense to him. Then again, the explanation of how sound and pictures could travel through the air was even more baffling to him, and he was thoroughly convinced it was some sort of strange magic. He watched as she turned the television back on and watched as some numbers appeared in the corner and the picture instantly changed to something else.

"What just happened?" he asked.

"I changed channels by putting in the number of the channel I wanted," she explained then paused, looked at him and said, "That didn't make any sense to you, did it?"

"Not one word. Though I take it you are now watching what you desire to be watching?" he replied.

"Actually, no. Columbo is on after this," she answered.

"Ah. And what is this then?" he asked.

"This is the end of an episode of the Andy Griffith Show," she answered. "It's a comedy show about a sheriff in a small rural town where silly things tend to happen. Little more slice of life but exaggerated a little to be silly."

"I see. Do you suppose I would get the humor?" he asked.

"Some of it, I think," she replied.

He nodded and paid some attention as he took a bite of the pizza. What on earth did he think about this? It certainly wasn't lacking for flavor, texture was certainly varied, though nothing crunchy. He thought he might like it if the crust was thinner and a little crunchier.

"What do you think?" she asked.

"I can see the appeal," he said between bites. "I would like the crust thinner and crunchier, I think, and I might pick different things to put on it, but I can certainly see the appeal."

Her family members came filtering back through the living room, getting pizza, and then returning to the couch, all of them making it back for the last few minutes of the show and the beginning of Columbo. Legolas thought it was silly that the audience was told who the murder was right away, but he did find it fascinating watching the titular character poke around until something seemed amiss and then chip away at his suspect until he proved it. He reckoned this show had very little bearing on reality, but it was entertaining. And he had to admit – it wasn't nearly as gruesome as he thought it might be. It wasn't even particularly dark, given the subject matter. Afterwards the younger siblings had to go to bed, and Lothril and Legolas stayed downstairs a while longer to chat with her parents. They renewed their request for him to sing for them, so he went upstairs and grabbed the guitar and then headed back down.

He was very glad Lothril was seeing her parents show interest in their elven lives and customs, she seemed… well, happy mostly, but a little awkward like she wasn't sure how she was supposed to act. He played an instrumental song then he played and sang a song he knew she did not know as it was one they usually sang in Mirkwood to celebrate the end of spring and the beginning of summer. Then he asked Lothril sing with him, which she did but a bit nervously like she was scared of getting the words wrong. He might have understood, but this was a song he taught her back when they were traveling from Mirkwood to Rivendell and they had sung it more than a few times since. It was one of those songs most elves knew and would sing to themselves absentmindedly while they were doing things because the rhythm was nice and even.

Then again… she had been so tense all day…

After a few songs, they all headed to bed and Legolas gave her a hug and a kiss that was barely returned by a distracted looking Lothril. He asked her twice if she was well and she insisted she was… he didn't believe her, but she was insistent so he let it go. For now.