As morning crept its way into her bedroom, Willow's eyes fluttered open. Standing at the window across her bed stood Legolas, fully suited with weapons strapped to his back, just as she had left him the night before. 

He stood with his shoulders squared facing the window. Willow let her eyes wander unhampered up and down his form unaware that he already noted that she was awake.

She threw back her floral quilt as she watched him. He was certainly virile and enticing with broad shoulders and a muscular body straining against the thick material of his clothing. 

He was dangerous and she knew it. She was perhaps imprudently certain that he would always protect her. He was every bit the valiant warrior he portrayed. A mantel which he proudly carried.

She sat up on the bed lazily rubbing her eyes. "What's going on Legs." She mumbled groggily.

"You were babbling incoherently in your sleep. I came to make sure you are safe. It proved a difficult task from another room." 

He turned to look at her. He was just as vibrant and beautiful as the day before. For someone with little to no sleep, he was holding up well.

"Did you get any rest?" She said stepping out of bed wearing her Victoria's Secret pink polka dot tank-top and matching boy shorts. 

A tiny gasp escaped his lips and his perfectly erect form faltered. Willow smirked at his reaction. He seemed far too antediluvian. 'He's probably seeing more than his tender sensibilities can handle', she thought.

She looked down to observe the shorts had worked their way up her ass and her tank top was askew nearly revealing her breasts. She hurriedly righted her appearance. She took solace in the thought that she wasn't the only one affected by their proximity.

"I need none. I can go on for days." He said as he awkwardly stared at her feet. 

"I bet you can," Willow said as she sauntered towards him, slowly snaking her arms around his neck. 

Her solicitous gaze forced him to maintain eye contact. He watched her lips part and she breathed a soft sigh as she pressed closer to him. Her chest was flush against his. 

It took every ounce of his considerable concentration to keep from pressing her to the bed and sheathing his full length inside her. He felt his weapons slide off his back and to the floor. The skillful vixen had distracted him long enough to disarm him. A first in his long life.

"You should freshen up. I'll make you some breakfast." She walked to the closet door, adding a pronounced sway to her hips, making sure his eyes were focused on her plump backside. The audible swallow she heard coming from him was acknowledgment enough that it was effective.

Smiling brightly as she returned to him, she placed the towel in Legolas' hands as he stood dumbstruck and trotted off to the kitchen. 

'I still got it' she thought as she laughed to herself. Teasing Mr. Up-tight would be oodles of fun.

Legolas turned off the faucet as he stepped out of the shower. The mechanics of her bathing room were not much different from what he'd grown accustomed to in the Woodland Realm.

 Though he spent a lot of time outdoors he still enjoyed being clean. His home in the palace may have been a bit more lavish but her small residence provided every comfort. 

As he dressed he picked up the scent of her cooking. She was apparently talented with a skillet as well as seduction. He grudgingly admitted that he enjoyed learning more about her.

He arrived in the kitchen to find her fully clothed, thankfully. She wore a large formless white tunic with a script written in the front he could not make out, leggings underneath, and bare feet. '

At least she's not in her undergarments' He thought as he strode down the short path to meet her.

She prepared eggs, sausage, and toast. She placed the plate with a mug of coffee on the table and invited him to sit. Knowing he would not sit until she did, she took her place next to him at the table.

"We have a lot to talk about, Legs. Let's start with why I was almost a special guest on Las Vegas CSI and what this Light thing really is." She said expectantly.

Legolas began to consume his meal. He placed his fork down and swallowed. He looked into her brown eyes and realized he had no desire to frighten or burden her with the truth. Still, she deserved to know.

"Long ago when my world was new, Fëanor, an Elf, one of my kin, created something called the Silmarilli. Three jewels that contained the light of Valinor. Many wars were fought to possess these jewels for they were not simply beautiful objects. They were said to contain great power."

"A great evil attempted once to possess these jewels and with them, supreme power. It was a demon known as Melkor or in the common tongue Morgoth."

"The Jewels were believed to have been lost over time. One to the sea, one to the earth, and one to the sky above. And so we, the people of Middle Earth, believed they would always be lost. But when the servants of Morgoth began hunting for the jewels. It was then, we knew we had to take action."

"It has been said that he could not return since he was cast into the void but through some devilry, he has made his way back. He is not yet whole but with the jewels, he can take form and once again claim dominion over all the creatures of the world. His servant Thuringwethil leads this mission. I have been charged with finding one of the jewels which have been traced to this world. This is when I happened upon you. The persistence of the orcs in coming after you tells me you are somehow related to all of this. Tell me about your lineage? From whence do you hail?" He inquired thoughtfully.

"This is a lot to take in, Legs. I don't know if half of what you're telling me is real." She fiddled with fingers on the dining table. She appeared uneasy as she thought through everything he'd said.

When their eyes locked again, Willow yielded "Fine, I'll bite. Only because I nearly lost my life over it last night. To be honest I don't know my lineage. I'm an orphan. I was found in an alley. I don't know anything about my parents except for the color they gave me." 

There was a sadness in her eyes with the statement. He could tell it caused her pain not knowing who she was and from whom she came.

"Who the hell is Thur-Thur-whatever! Who is this person heading up this mission for Morgoth?

"Thuringwethil is not a creature you'd like to meet, I daresay. She is singularly vicious and deadly. She takes joy in drinking the lifeblood of other beings. She has the ability to take on various forms. She is oft described as having fingered wings with iron claws." 

Watching Willows's face go from intrigued to abject horror was in itself fascinating to behold.

"Beware the Jabberwock, my son! The jaws that bite, the claws that catch! Beware the Jubjub bird, and shun. The furious Bandersnatch!" Willow gestured theatrically. 
"Is that what the fuck we're talking about here? She's a Goddamn vampire? And what are you? What do you change into?" As the blood drained from Willow's face, her normal golden glow dulled and rays of sunshine that flickered behind her dulled to a dark grey.

"I do not change into anything but clothing and armor. I am an elf. Prince of Mirkwood, the Woodland Realm and only son to King Thranduil." Willow silently picked up his plate and placed it in the sink. Her look said she was in shock.

"How is a prince supposed to protect me from a vampire? Or a demon? What the hell do I have to do with this anyway!" She shrieked, "I'm just a normal person going through the monotony of everyday life. Nothing miraculous has ever happened to me. I just don't understand why this is happening to me." Tears rolled down her cheeks and Legolas detected the gentle tapping of rain on the windows outside.

"It is because of that" he pointed outside to the falling rain. He came to stand in front of her.

"So what, it's raining. Lots of people get sad when it rains." She said as she folded her arms across her chest defensively.

He took her hand in his, "No, Lady Dubois, it is raining because you are sad."

The thumb of his right hand dried the tears spilling from her left eye. She tilted her face into his palm and sighed. 

"What do I do? I'm scared." He pulled her into his arms and secured her in an embrace. Her body shook as she sobbed.

"I must take you back to my world." He said as his palm smoothed her hair with her cheek pressed against his chest. "I can protect you better there and the wizard can figure out what you have to do with the light." 

He pulled away to stare into her eyes as he hunched forward. "We cannot stay here any longer. A fear and a threat has been growing in my mind. Our location will not be secure for much longer. Have you another safe place to which we can escape until I have established contact with Gandalf?"

She sniffed and wiped at her wet eyes, "There's a cabin in the mountains we can go to. It's outside town, isolated. I don't think they'll easily find us there."

"I will give my life to protect you, do you believe that?"

She nodded. "Then let's leave immediately for this cabin, it may be our only chance to outrun Thuringwethil and her hoard."