Title: Out of Space and Time ch11

Author: sheraiah

Rating: PG-13

ooo

Legolas sighed deeply as he lowered himself into the tub of hot water, allowing it to relax muscles made stiff by travel on horseback. He settled back, allowing his mind to drift where it would for a few minutes before resolutely picking up the cloth and the soap. Catching the scent, he smiled briefly. His preferred variety: sandalwood and cedar with a hint of clove. Gimli teased him for having a favorite, claiming that scent had nothing to do with cleanliness and everything to do with elven fussiness. Legolas in turn threatened to exchange all of Gimli's soap for a floral scented soap if it truly did not matter. How he had missed his dwarven friend!

Shaking himself, he returned to the task at hand. He did not have much time. Ducking under the water, he wetted his hair, soaping and scrubbing quickly before rinsing and grabbing a towel as he rose from the tub. Drying off, he dressed in breeches and a crisp, white shirt. Drying his hair as swiftly as he could, he braided it in a more formal manner than he usually wore to accommodate the circlet he would be wearing. He hung the towel neatly, placed his travel-stained clothing in a basket in the corner and walked to sit on the bed to pull his boots on before pulling on his surcoat.

That accomplished, he rose and stood in front of the tall mirror, smoothing an imaginary wrinkle in his best surcoat before setting his circlet in place. He sighed unhappily; he absolutely hated formal clothing but the circumstances called for it. Besides, it would mollify Arwen somewhat if he was dressed properly. And at least it was not robes. Deciding that he was presentable enough, he knocked on the door that connected his rooms with Gimli's. The dwarf bade him enter.

"Almost ready, Elvellon?"

"Aye, laddie. Just about." Gimli closed the final clasp on the braid he had just finished in his beard and turned around, nodding in approval at Legolas' appearance. "I know you hate getting dressed up, but you do a good job of it when you must."

"Thank you. You as well." Legolas sighed. "I am very anxious to see everyone, but I do not want to be fussed over."

"You don't have much hope of that, lad. Might as well get it over with."

ooo

Legolas and Gimli were the first arrivals to the reception room they had been instructed to wait in. They were not alone long. Steve and Tony arrived next, the billionaire fussing with the sleeves of the tunic he had been given. Steve just looked uncomfortable in what had likely been a very quick alteration job. His tunic and surcoat were snug, but not in danger of splitting. Bruce arrived next, looking around nervously and wringing his hands. Legolas made a point to stand next to him and was rewarded with a half smile and a slight relaxation of the scientist's shoulders. Thor was next, still in his own clothing, though it looked as if it had been cleaned within an inch of existence. Natasha and Clint brought up the rear, Natasha dressed in a tunic, surcoat and breeches as she had been when they left Rohan. Evidently, the staff of the citadel had elected to err on the side of caution. She was as cool and collected as always, and placed herself on Bruce's other side. Clint was grinning like a kid in a candy store, obviously thrilled with the clothing provided.

"Beautiful building," Tony commented, looking around with interest. "Architecture is practical and visually pleasing."

"Thank you," a voice replied from the doorway. "We are very proud of our city and the Citadel." Legolas moved swiftly to the doorway.

"Faramir!" He clasped forearms with the Man, who grinned widely at him.

"I am very glad to see you, my friend," the prince of Ithilien said, pulling the elf into a quick embrace. "Although, I don't give two coins for your chances once Eowyn gets a hold of you. That is, if Her Majesty leaves anything for her to scold."

"Do not remind me," Legolas laughed. "Let me introduce my companions..."

"As to that, best to wait until the king and queen get here. They are not far behind me."

"You are the advance scout, as usual," Legolas remarked. "Damn, here we go."

"Ah, buck up and take your medicine, elf," Gimli said, amused.

"You wait until it is your turn, Elvellon. Revenge will be very sweet." Legolas sighed. "I hear Aragorn's boot heels on the marble."

"My lady," Faramir turned and bowed as Arwen Undomiel, Queen of Gondor and Arnor swept in to the room. She stopped abruptly as she saw Legolas.

"Hello, cousin," he said softly. Her eyes tearing, she closed the distance between them and wrapped her arms around him.

"Never do that again!" she said, stepping away enough to cup his face with her hands. "We feared you dead, Legolas."

"Arwen, I am well. It is all right." Legolas drew her close again. "It is all right. Dry your eyes, cousin." He wiped away the tears that had spilled down her cheeks. She hugged him again and stepped back, composing herself as her husband stepped through the door, grinning from ear to ear.

"I knew you were too stubborn to die," he said as he placed one hand at the back of Legolas' neck and pulled his head forward until their foreheads touched. "Mellon nin." He stepped back and gave Legolas the once over. "You have put back on the weight you lost during the quest. Finally."

"Let me introduce my companions," Legolas said, his voice suspiciously thick. He made the round of the room, introducing first Aragorn, Arwen and Faramir to the Avengers and then the reverse. Gimli watched, amusement twinkling in his dark eyes. Suddenly, Legolas froze mid sentence and turned towards the door.

In the doorway stood a tall, regal elf, dressed in robes of pale green shot through with silver threads. His blond hair, a shade darker than Legolas' pale tresses, was worn loose save for the silver circlet on his brow. In his shadow, was a second elf, dark haired, and wearing plain, but richly made robes. Legolas drew a deep breath and stepped forward, beginning to go down onto one knee. The elf in the doorway shook his head slightly, stopping Legolas in his tracks. Thranduil, king of the Woodland Realm, simply opened his arms. Legolas fairly flew across the room into them.

Legolas buried his face in his father's shoulder, wrapping his arms around Thranduil's waist and holding on for all he was worth. Thranduil returned the embrace just as tightly, resting his cheek on Legolas' hair. Legolas spoke, his voice too muffled by Thranduil's shoulder to be heard by anyone but his father. The Elvenking gave a brief chuckle, one hand coming up to cup the back of Legolas' head. "Nin Legolas."

Legolas visibly gathered his composure and released his hold on his father's waist stepping back slightly. Thranduil placed one hand on each side of his son's face and locked eyes with him for a moment before pulling Legolas' head down enough to kiss his brow.

"Now, my son, introduce me to those that I need to thank for your safe return."

ooo

Thranduil sighed, turning the page of the book he held but was not truly reading. Legolas had begged off a formal feast, much to Arwen's pique, in favor of a small gathering of just the king and queen, Faramir and Eowyn, Thranduil, Gimli, the twins, and the Avengers. It had been a merry meal, with Tony, Gimli, and the twins vying to see who could make Legolas blush the hardest. The prize in that particular contest had gone to Gimli. Thranduil had spoken very little, preferring to watch Legolas interact with his new companions. It had been enlightening, to say the least. His son, despite his innate shyness, had always made friends easily and with a variety of individuals. This newest set was no exception.

With the apparent leader, the Man called Steve, the friendship as similar to the manner in which Legolas dealt with his fellow warriors. There was a camaraderie that only came from have done battle together. The was true with all of them to an extent, but it was apparent that Legolas deferred to the Man's leadership in battle. Interesting. With Bruce, there seemed to be something akin to his friendship with Faramir, borne of respect for the Man's intellect but also hinting towards Legolas' friendship with Gimli in that his son seemed to regard the Man as somewhat of an elder sibling. With the Men Tony and Clint, and with the lady Natasha, there seemed to be the playful, prank filled bond that was similar to the bond he shared with the twins. With the prince, Thor, it was a commiseration from another who understood all to well the burdens and trials of having been born into a position of royalty. Thranduil found the group as a whole, and as individuals, fascinating.

Later, after the gathering had begun to wind down, Thranduil and Legolas had adjourned to a sitting room in the wing of the Citadel that they were all occupying. They spoke for quite a while until Legolas' habit of not seeking true sleep while traveling began to catch up to him. Thranduil glanced down fondly at his son, who was stretched out on the long couch Thranduil was occupying one end of, with his head pillowed on his father's thigh. It had been decades since the last time Thranduil had had the luxury of watching his son sleep and he was relishing it. He should have sent Legolas off to bed, but neither of them wished to part company so soon. In truth, it was easy for him to indulge his son. Legolas, in spite of having been the darling of the entire realm his whole existence, was remarkably unspoiled and seldom asked for anything.

A slight sound drew Thranduil's attention to the doorway. "Come in, if you wish." The dark haired man, Tony, shuffled uneasily for a moment before stepping just inside the door.

"Sorry, didn't mean to intrude, I just..." he cleared his throat and looked away.

"Why do you not sleep as your friends do?"

"Can't. I tried to. I just...can't." He shifted uncomfortably.

"Nor can I. You are welcome to come in and sit, if you would like to." Thranduil gestured to a chair opposite the couch. "Do not worry, it is time Legolas sought his bed." He turned his attention to Legolas, shaking him gently. "My son, go to bed. I will see you in the morning." Legolas sat up, stretched and stood before turning to kiss his father's cheek. He yawned and waved at Tony, who just nodded and gave him a nervous smile.

"Father," Legolas said in the Silvan dialect, "Be gentle with him. I think he rather hero-worships you and he has difficulties rising from a contentious relationship with his own sire. He hides it well, but he is the most easily bruised of the group in many ways." Thranduil smiled serenely.

"I shall bear that in mind. Worry not for your friend." He then switched to Sindarin. "Please tell Luinloth to seek his rest. I can manage to care for myself for one night."

"You know he will insist on waiting for you. And will likely insist on fussing over me as well."

"Indulge him. He has worried for you too."

"I know. I will, just this once." Legolas shook his head, grinning.

"There is no 'just this once' with Luinloth. He is a force of nature and we would not wish him to be otherwise. Rest well, my son."

"You as well, Ada." Legolas switched to English. "Good night, Tony. Don't stay up too late. The folk in Minas Tirith are early risers."

"When in Rome and all that," Tony replied with a wave of his hand. Legolas laughed, correctly interpreting the reference. "Good night, Keebler." Legolas laughed again at the nickname and passed through the doorway heading for his rooms. Tony cleared his throat again, looking around the room before turning back to Thranduil. "What are you reading?"

"Hmm? Oh, it is a collection of historical events from the early founding of Gondor. Rather dry reading, in truth. Elessar has been searching for a new lore-master and archivist. The previous one unfortunately did not survive the siege. Perhaps the new one will recommend revisiting some of the collection." He laid the book aside. "Legolas tells me that there are stories of us in your homelands."

"Yes. They're considered fiction, but yes. That's how I learned enough Sindarin and Quenya to put together a translation program."

"He told me that as well. You have a remarkable intellect, to be able to envision such things and then to make them a reality."

"Oh, I was a kid when I did that. Never thought it would be useful. Good thing I never throw anything away." Tony shrugged. "Can I ask you something?"

"You may."

"Did you ever resent not having a ring of power?" Tony leaned forward slightly in his chair, clearly very interested in the answer, Thranduil's eyebrows rose.

"No. I never trusted those cursed things. I saw what bearing one did to Elrond, and yes, I knew from the beginning that he had it. Better that we held our home with our own strength and blood than to trust to something so tainted. Better even to have fallen in the fight than that," he replied vehemently. He noted with surprise the grin on the Man's face.

"The definition of bad-ass," Tony said, his grin widening. "Care to share some embarrassing stories about your son when he was a kid? I need ammunition. He still hasn't paid me back for an unfortunate t-shirt incident."

"While I normally do not involve myself in my son's high spirited antics, I am willing to negotiate a trade." It was Tony's turn to raise an eyebrow.

"Fair enough. What do you want?"

"I wish to know two things: one, how bad my son's injuries truly were. Legolas tends to edit for my consumption. And two, how you managed to get him to put back on the weight that he lost. I wish to make certain he maintains it. Left to his own devices, he will not."

"Yeah, about that: do you really want to know about his injuries? He's healed, he's in a good place mentally thanks largely to Bruce, and he's home. Ask me for something else, but not that."

"Tony." The Man looked at him and Thranduil made certain he held his gaze. "Legolas has been a warrior since he reached his majority. He has been injured many times. We have nearly lost him more than once. And do not think that I have not seen what orcs can do. I have seen it many times. You cannot give me more nightmares than I already have. It is far too late for that." Tony's jaw retained its stubborn set and Thranduil sighed, changing tactics. "At the least, tell me how close we came this time." Tony studied him for a moment before nodding.

"Close. Too close. He would have lasted another couple of days at most. For what it's worth, we turned those orcs into stains on the ground and the Haradrim got theirs with interest from the orcs."

"Thank you." The Elvenking sighed deeply, closing his eyes for a brief moment. "I have never tried to hold Legolas back from fighting. He's extraordinarily good at it, for one thing, but I have always carried in the back of my mind the fact that he could fall at any time. I have seen that happen too frequently, both in my own family and others. I thank you for returning him to me."

"Hey, not the way we planned to, but it's worked out fairly well thus far. Now if we can just find what's causing the anomalies, kick it's ass, and figure out how to get home." Tony sat back. "And as far as the weight thing? He's been hanging around with Capsicle, Hammertime, and Jolly Green. You saw how they eat at dinner. Seriously, though, Bruce suggested a diet regimen for him since it was pretty obvious that he was underweight. I'll ask him to give you the specifics on it."

"Again, thank you. So, to my end of the bargain, I shall tell you the tale of Legolas and the missing wine barrel..."

ooo

Legolas sat on the roof above his balcony contemplating a strategic retreat to Ithilien. He refused to call it running away. A sound to his left alerted him to Clint's arrival. The Avenger's archer picked his way carefully across the roof before dropping to sit net to the elf prince.

"You have heard, yes?"

"That your father stayed up all night trading embarrassing stories with Tony? Yeah, I heard. Tony hasn't spilled anything yet. I think he's holding it in reserve."

"He's holding it as blackmail," the elf growled. "I still owe him for the t-shirt." Clint snorted, earning a glare in return.

"Sorry. It was pretty funny, though. What ever happened to it? Did you burn it?"

"No. I gave it to Darcy. I believe she donated it to a children's home. Some young girl will appreciate wearing a Justin Bieber fan club shirt. I certainly did not."

ooo

"We have two puzzles before us," King Elessar intoned, pacing back and forth in front of the desk in his study. "The first is finding out what is causing the anomalies and eliminating it and the second is returning you to your home."

"In regards to the second puzzle, I believe the Allfather intends to aid us once we have solved the first puzzle," Thor stated from his seat by the window. "I know that your esteemed Valar have sent a representative to meet with him to discuss the matter. Perhaps they will also aid us in the first matter."

"Well, that's some good news," Tony remarked, not looking up from the carving he was turning over in his hands and examining minutely. "Any idea how to find out possibly what and how on that one?"

"I have found that it is better to make one's own way and count any aid as a bonus," Thranduil stated from where he sat on the window seat next to his son. "What do we know about these anomalies currently?"

"From our end of things, we were able to track them once they started," Bruce said, turning his glasses nervously in his hands. "We were trying to find a way to predict them but we never managed it."

"Would you be able to track them here?" Aragorn asked.

"Not with the range that we could back home," Tony replied, shaking his head. "We're limited here to what sensors I have in my suit and that's only a range of about 10 or 20 miles, give or take. I wish we had satellites, but there's no help for that. How about here? Have you had any intel on them here?"

"Some. We have had reports of orcs and trolls disappearing and reappearing, strange creatures that no one seems to recognize appearing out of thin air, and a few reports of people disappearing. Most of it has been concentrated near the border with Harad, but there hasn't been any indication that the Haradrim have anything to do with it. There have been incidents in Rohan as well, as you know. We have not heard from Arnor or the Shire yet. We expect that messenger to arrive any day now." Faramir rubbed the back of his neck.

"So, let's start going through the information we have and see what the big picture tells us," Tony said. "Cupid, we could use your eyes on this. You're good at seeing patterns. You, too, Steve."

"Agreed. There has to be something in this we haven't seen yet," the super soldier affirmed. "We're going to need maps so we can plot the locations and see if there's any kind of pattern. We couldn't find one back home, but that might be because whoever or whatever is doing this doesn't know the terrain."

"Good point." Tony nodded, setting the carving down. "I was getting to that, but hey, since you brought it up: that might be the key to figuring this out. We'll have a better picture once all the reports are in."

"Natasha, do you have anything to add?" Steve turned to the assassin, who sat on the arm of the chair Clint was occupying.

"Just that gossip can be a good source of information." She looked at Elessar. "I assume you have a network in place for that." He gave her a wicked grin.

"Meet my spymaster," he replied, gesturing to Faramir. Natasha nodded, apparently satisfied with the answer.

"I would,of course appreciate your aid, my lady," Faramir said, his shrewd gaze belying his mild tone. Natasha smirked in return, inclining her head.

"We will use the large sitting room at the north end of the wing that you are housed in as a workroom. The light will be most consistent there, and there is space enough to lay the maps out. I will have copies of all the information I currently have on this brought there. Faramir, I think the realm can spare you to assist with this. Arwen, Elladan, Elrohir and I will also work with you as much as we can. And anyone else you think might be of aid, Faramir. As soon as we have the last reports, we will meet again and see where we are." Elessar looked about the room. "Does anyone else have anything to add? Then let us make use of the time we have. I will see all of you at dinner."

ooo

"Legolas?" The elf turned to see Gimli striding as quickly as his legs would carry him in a dignified manner. "The messenger from the Arnor arrived a bit ago, and Aragorn's had word from Imrahil. There's been anomalies in Dol Amroth, too. He wants all of us to meet in his study in an hour."

"Well, let us go tell the others. More information is good, I suppose. I wonder if the messenger brought word from Sam, Merry, and Pippin?"

"Not that I was told but I wouldn't doubt that there were letters from them at least." The dwarf heaved a sigh. "Let's go see what's what, lad."

ooo

TBC