The Forsaken

Disclaimer: (In the spirit of Crimson Starlight)

Shana: This chapter picks up not too long after the last chap. Shar is dreaming/remembering. If you want to know in detail what about read the vignette The Ties That Bind Us b/c I am not going into detail in here, as I already did there.

Erestor: Who are you talking to?

Shana: Uhhhh….

Erestor: *hands on hips* Well?

Shana: *smiles weakly* Me, myself and I?

Erestor: *taps foot*

Shana: Heh. *runs*

Erestor: Now what was that about?

Haldir: Shanastay owns nothing and no one. *to E* See any snakes in here?

Erestor: You mean Peaches and Boomer?

Haldir: *wide-eyed*

Erestor: They're somewhere loose in the house.

Haldir: *shrieks*

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Chapter 5: The Shirt

Haldir had talked to every person he could think of. He left the international contacts to Shar as she could easily reach them over the computer without it costing them a small fortune in long distance bills. Glorfindel had heard nothing and Tia was too new to the "inner circle" to have developed the contacts necessary to be truly useful.

The one exception had been Legolas. For the most part the former woodland prince and Janessa lived off "the grid." Janessa was deathly afraid of disturbing the timeline by inadvertently interacting with her "other self." The woman knew when she would be sent to Middle Earth and was taking no chances in causing a time paradox.

Haldir had to smile at Legolas' mate's reasoning. Shar had explained to the Marchwarden that Jan's very presence in the same timeline as her "other" self created a disturbance of its own. But no matter, he shrugged to himself, that is one problem that is not a concern of ours. Finding out where Erestor has been for the past decade is the priority.

He had been on the phone for at least three hours when the knock on the door came. Rubbing his hands across his face he went to the door, not bothering to look through the peephole as he was sure he already knew who would be standing there.

"Hello Elena," he greeted the tall woman, leaving the door open as he returned to the kitchen table.

The woman raised one eyebrow in a very close approximation of Haldir's signature expression, turning to close and lock the door behind her before following him into the dining room. She watched him as he sank into a chair, his hands coming up to cover his face, a sigh escaping past them. A look of concern settled on her face as she perceived the tense set of the Marchwarden's shoulders. Placing a hand on his arm she asked quietly, "What's wrong?"

Haldir let his hands drop to the table, looking up into the stormy hazel eyes of Shar's neighbor and friend. Elena lived in the flat on the lower left corner of the condominium complex. He had known it was her at the door as there had been no call to the house to get buzzed in through the security gate.

He considered the woman for a moment, taking in her 5'8" hourglass figure, sandy-brown hair that fell halfway down her back and the open face that smiled so easily. Elena and her boyfriend Daniel were part of the group of people who knew about Haldir and the other elves. They were not part of Shar's world-wide network, but they accepted the elves, helping whenever and wherever they could.

Elena was the one who had helped Shar set up the computer alert system that automatically scanned and flagged news and internet posts that might be related to the elves. The computer programmer had proven herself invaluable on more than one occasion.

Haldir sighed, closing his eyes for a moment as Elena seated herself opposite him. He settled his eyes on the woman, relating to her the events of the previous evening and that morning. Her brows furrowed as he described the state that Erestor had arrived it, but allowed him to continue, keeping her questions for when he was done. She rolled her eyes at Jan's typical reaction to a phone call from Hal. There was still some tension between the two even after all these millennia, though his friendship with Legolas was still strong. Haldir finished by explaining that Shar was still asleep with Erestor, ensuring the battered elf's healing sleep was uninterrupted.

"Ok, now that's all just majorly screwed up. So we have no idea whatsoever where Erestor has been for an entire decade? That's a long time for anyone to be missing, but I guess with you immortals a decade is a drop in the bucket. Did anyone look for him before now?" Elena questioned.

Haldir shook his head in the negative. "Everyone thought he had pulled another disappear into a monastery or university, immersing himself in books and knowledge. He is obsessive about knowledge." The Marchwarden smiled. "I don't think he is truly happy unless he has books and papers surrounding him."

Haldir's face again became serious as he stood from the table. "Wherever he has been it was not a pleasant place." The Marchwarden suddenly gripped the sides of the table, his face and skin draining of color. He gasped as he fell to his knees, feeling his strength suddenly draining away.

Elena was at his side in seconds, fear shining visibly in her eyes. Before she could ask, Haldir whispered, "Shar… Wake her up… NOW!" Eyes widening, Elena was suddenly hit by exactly how strong her friend's bond with the elf before her was, and from Hal's appearance she knew exactly what Shar was reliving in her dreams. As she turned to go, Haldir caught her arm, "Smelling salts… bathroom cabinet… try not to wake Erestor."

Elena nodded, moving fast, noticing as Haldir fell to his hands and knees, gasping for breath. She stopped at the bathroom, retrieved the smelling salts and entered Shar's bedroom. She halted at the sight before her.

Erestor was exactly where Hal had described leaving him, the faint pink lines covering his pale skin clearly visible. That was not what gave her pause. Shar was even paler than Haldir, her normally tanned skin visibly translucent. Elena could see the veins running under the skin clearly from the doorway.

Not wasting another moment Elena carefully climbed up the bed to her friend's side. She brought the packet of smelling salts up under Shar's nose, breaking it and waving it under the red-head's nose. She placed one hand on Shar's shoulder to keep her from jerking to a sitting position when the salts took effect.

Elena frowned as she kept waving the packet under Shar's nose and nothing seemed to be happening. Suddenly Shar's eyes flew open and Elena had to put both hands on the woman's shoulders, dropping her weight to keep the pale woman from flying up out of the bed.

Shar gasped for breath as color quickly returned to her cheeks. She blinked several times, finally registering who was at her side. "When did you get here?" she asked matter-of-factly, oblivious to the scare she had just given her lover and her friend.

Elena smiled down at Shar noticing that Hal was now framed in the doorway. "You were having a flashback to that time when you and Hal almost lost each other." Shar's eyes widened. "No worries. We caught it in time. So, how are things?" Elena nodded to Hal in response to the silent look of thanks he was giving her.

Shar laughed lightly at the way her friend could so totally change the subject. She looked down at the thankfully, still sleeping elf in her arms. "Elena, meet Erestor," she whispered, "though he can't answer you at the moment."

Elena laughed lightly with her friend. "You can officially introduce me later. Right now, I think you need to get up. We don't need you having another flashback like that. You're lucky I came over when I didn't see you online. His eyes are shut and there's no REM so I think you'll be ok, leaving him alone for a bit. We'll leave the door open, ok?"

Haldir watched the two women thankful Shar had such good friends. His strength returned, Haldir moved forward, helping Elena extract Shar from Erestor's embrace. Shar grabbed one of the long body pillows from the end of the bed, putting it in her place. The two women climbed off the bed and followed Haldir out of the room, leaving the door slightly ajar.

Once out of the room Haldir caught Shar up in his arms, bestowing a searing kiss on her, his frame trembling slightly at their close call. Elena snorted and left them, going back to the kitchen table. When he released her Shar asked breathlessly, "What was that for?"

The Marchwarden smiled down at her, his hands framing her face. "You had 'the dream' again. I just needed to show you how much I love you." He dropped his lips to hers again, this time kissing her slowly and thoroughly. His brows furrowed as he perceived the distressed look on Shar's face. He leaned his forehead against hers, breathing deeply of her calming scent. "There is nothing to worry about. All is well. Our concern now is to help Erestor."

Shar nodded her features relaxing as she gazed into her lover's eyes. "You're right. Any news on that front?"

Haldir smiled at her choice of words. Her military background influenced a great of her speech. Some of it he easily understood from his days as the Marchwarden of Lothlorien, but much, like her slang, he had learned to interpret or blatantly ask for an explanation. She would occasionally laugh at him when he would use what she called "popculturese," a good deal of which he had picked up from her DVDs, particularly Buffy the Vampire Slayer. She almost peed herself laughing the first time he'd said, "Bloody hell!"

Haldir filled her in on the complete lack of information he'd been able to gather while she'd been sleeping as they made their way to the kitchen table. Shar went to sit next to Elena but Hal pulled his mate into his lap, still needing her close after the recent scare.

Elena simply smirked at the display of affection. She knew they were only comfortable demonstrating such feelings before her because she was such a close friend. Being such a close neighbor as well she'd unwittingly walked in on more than one make-out session. Shar had the same happen to her as well, especially when Daniel was in one of his more amorous moods.

In public both couples kept it to a minimum, interestingly enough the males being the ones to initiate most of the public displays when they felt threatened. Elena shrugged it off. They were all as close to family as you could get without being blood. She also knew elves did not have the same taboos against nudity and such that humans did. She focused back on Shar as she realized the red-head was speaking to her. "Huh? Sorry, got lost there for a sec."

It was Shar's turn to smirk as she was sure Elena was thinking about Daniel. They're near as bad as we are. But they are lucky they found each other. As much as Elena smacks him around on occasion she knows she can't be without him. Heh. All together now… Awwwwwww.

"What I was saying is we need to get on the computer and get ahold of people outside the States, see if they know anything. I was wondering if you and I could get on your computer since mine is in the same room as Erestor and I do NOT want to wake him up if at all possible."

At the word computer Elena perked up. If it was computer related it was almost a given that she was in. Sporting that facial quirk everyone blamed on Hal she answered, "Not a problem. I only have what? four of them? Though you might want to change out of your pajamas first." She looked pointedly at Shar's somewhat skimpy attire.

The tank and shorts were fine for sleeping, but going out? It was the middle of winter. Shar got up to return to the bedroom, but Haldir caught her arm, standing quickly. "I'll get you something. I'm quieter." Shar shrugged and sat back down with Elena, outlining what they would do once they accessed the computers. Shar wanted Elena to run the master search program she'd written while Shar IMed the overseas members of their circle.

Shar took the jeans, t-shirt and underwear that Hal had returned with and slipped into the bathroom to change, leaving the boots behind. She reemerged moments later, a scowl marring her face. It was all Elena could do not to burst out laughing at the shirt Haldir had chosen. As it was several unbecoming snorts and choked laughter made it past her lips.

Elena couldn't hold back any longer and broke into peals of laughter as she caught sight of the back of the shirt when Shar walked past her. Shar simply threw an annoyed glare in the other woman's direction before stalking up to her elven lover, her hands set on her hips. To his credit Haldir managed to keep a straight face, appearing every bit the innocent party.

"Paranoid much?" Shar accused. "You just HAD to pick this shirt along with," she made quote motions with her fingers as she continued, "a 'boobie bra.'" She reached forward and smacked the back of Haldir's head as he started snickering. "But I LIKE that shirt," he protested, adding, "and that's one of the 'no headlights' bras you prefer with white t-shirts." Shar rolled her eyes, putting on her boots as Elena burst into laughter anew.

Shar threw Elena a nasty look as the woman gasped, "Haldir… *snicker* lives… *gasp* I don't care… *giggle* what Peter Jackson says… *choke* You breathe so loud… *snort* I could have shot you… *chuckle* in the dark!" Elena proceeded to fall out of her chair at that point, she was laughing so hard.

***Translation: Front of shirt = Haldir LIVES! (I don't care what Peter Jackson says!)
Back of shirt = You breathe so loud I could have shot you in the dark!***

"Alright! Enough from the peanut gallery!" Shar admonished. Elena only laughed harder. I completely forgot Hal had gotten me this shirt. Bloody hell! Shar turned back to Haldir.

"Did you get ahold of Lego?"

The look on his face pretty much answered the question.

"So 'The Bitch' answered eh?"

Haldir rolled his eyes.

"What the fuck is her problem? She's been with Legolas HOW many centuries and she still insists on treating you like you did something wrong? It's not enough we've been bonded for almost a decade? OY! I AM gonna have it out with that woman! It's bad enough SHE played with YOUR heart a LONG time ago, but she can't at least be civil?"

Shar threw up her hands, now thoroughly annoyed. She sat back down in Haldir's lap, tucking an errant lock behind a pointed ear. "I know, I'm taking her attitude harder than you are. She's your best friend's wife and I'm just tired of her. I can't believe she's still uncomfortable around you after all these millennia. It's her problem, yes but I'm still gonna beat the shit outta her the next time I get close enough, Lego or no Lego."

Haldir had to smile at Shar's tirade. She was fiercely protective of his heart, knowing the trials he had been through, Janessa being the biggest one. He had closed his heart off after that red-head had broken it. No matter that it was not intentional. He had taken a chance and lost to one of his dearest friends. There was no bad blood between the two elves, but for whatever reason Janessa always behaved oddly around him after that. They had only recently been back in contact thanks to Shar's network.

Shar took Haldir's face in her hands, kissing him sweetly as Elena finally calmed down. "I love you. Now and always. No one else holds my heart as you do." Haldir smiled back, kissing her again. He murmured softly against her lips. "I love you, my heart. You are the air I breathe."

Shar stood up, motioning for Elena to follow. As she headed out the door followed by her friend she threw a parting shot over her shoulder, "I'm still annoyed about the shirt. Keep an eye on Erestor. Call us if ANYTHING happens."

Haldir rolled his eyes, his face taking on his trademark smirk. Uh huh. You'll get over it. Now, what to do? Haldir rose from the table and went to check on Elrond's former councilor. He breathed a sigh of relief that Erestor had slept through their antics.

Haldir made his way over to the pappa san chair in front of the computer. He turned it around and sat, reaching over to the bookcase to retrieve the paperback he was currently working on. He quickly found his place in Stephen King's Hearts In Atlantis and lost himself once more in the stories, ears tuned to any change in Erestor's soft breathing.

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Wooo!!! No sex but this story isn't just about that anyway. Hmmm… Janessa is "The Bitch," now that's an interesting turn… Just remember that Twisted and Crux will not have the same endings. Not telling which will be which!

I want REVIEWS!!!!! No reviews, no updates. It's that simple.