It felt as though all the air had been knocked from her lungs, only to be replaced with ice seeping into her veins. Charlotte hadn't known what news Carl was going to give her when she answered the phone, but she most certainly hadn't expected this. This was not good. Not good at all.

Even though Lucy, whom she had once considered a trusted friend, had betrayed her in the worst possible way, Charlotte would never had wished this fate upon her. And the baby...the baby was innocent in all of this. Regardless of the actions of his mother and father, the baby definitely did not deserve this.

Charlotte recalled the guttural pain that had lanced through her when she had heard via the grapevine that Lucy and Eric were expecting a baby boy. In the blink of an eye, Lucy had stolen the life Charlotte had always envisioned for herself. The feeling of anguish and betrayal stayed with her for a very long time, but now...now she would give anything to know that Lucy and the baby were safe and well. There was no satisfaction in knowing that two lives were hanging on by a fragile thread.

Charlotte walked towards the living room in a daze, absently noting that Thranduil was following behind her like a silent shadow. She placed the phone on the coffee table and pressed the speaker button before settling heavily into the sofa, suddenly sapped of all energy.

"You there, Charlotte?" Carl's gruff voice sounded from the speaker.

"Yeah...yeah. I'm here," Charlotte replied, leaning forward and grasping her head in her hands, her elbows resting on her knees. "I have you on speaker. You want to repeat that last bit for Thranduil?"

"Hey Thrandy boy! How goes it in your neck of the woods?" Carl boomed cheerily.

Thranduil, who stood off to the side with such eerie stillness that he could be mistaken for a statue with his rigid posture and expressionless face, frowned at Carl's oddly phrased greeting.

"If you are enquiring about my wellbeing, then I am quite well, Carl," he replied is his rich, melodious voice before striding towards the window, his hands clasped behind his back and his long platinum hair stirring ever so slightly at the sudden movement. Stillness settled over him once more, with only his keen eyes flickering to and fro as he scanned the scenery outside.

"So pish-posh. Pity you didn't have a British accent to go with the whole package. You might have won Charlotte over sooner."

Charlotte inwardly groaned, though part of her had to agree with Carl. If Thranduil had possessed a British accent...the thought was almost too much.

"I'll bear that in mind, Carl," Thranduil replied, a shadow of a smile gracing his lips as he glanced over his shoulder. "Now what was it that you wanted to discuss?"

Carl repeated his earlier statement and Thranduil's porcelain features became as hard as alabaster as he listened; his demeanor composed, though there was no denying the undercurrent of tension thrumming through his lithe body.

"Do you think Eric is responsible?" Thranduil enquired.

"That's the thing. Thomas told me that he saw Lucy run out the house and hightail it out of there. Eric tried to stop her from leaving and looked visibly upset when she drove off."

Charlotte glanced up, her brows furrowing. "It must have been something pretty bad for Lucy to risk driving out in the storm."

"My money's on Eric scaring the bejeezus out of her," Carl supplied.

Charlotte shook her head, her waves bouncing around her face with the movement. "No, I don't think so."

Thranduil pivoted his body so that his attention was now solely on Charlotte, who was deep in contemplative thought, her hands clasped in front of her as she jiggled a foot. He studied her with shrewdness, his frown deepening. He wouldn't put anything past Eric, but Charlotte seemed to be holding on to her conviction that this time, he was innocent.

"Care to share with the class?" Carl asked, his sceptical tone mirroring Thranduil's thoughts.

Charlotte rubbed at her face tiredly. "I know Eric, Carl, and I know that he wanted a child more than anything else in the world." Charlotte paused and glanced at Thranduil with what could only be described as guilt before she continued. "He and I tried for a child for a while, but without success. When Lucy became pregnant...well, I could understand why he jumped at the opportunity to start a life with her. She could give him what I couldn't."

Thranduil blinked in stunned surprise at this revelation. He had almost forgotten that Charlotte had previously built a life with this other man, and children would have been something they would have planned. He remined expressionless, keeping the neutral mask in place, though he could not deny the pang of jealousy that coursed through his veins.

Charlotte glanced away from his penetrating gaze; pain written all over her features. "Eric, regardless of what he is, loved children and he wanted this child. He would not risk the safety of Lucy and his son. Something else must have happened to set Lucy off."

Silence settled thick and heavy like a stagnant pool of water. Charlotte was studiously avoiding Thranduil's intent look, fidgeting nervously as the weight of the hush became unbearably oppressive.

Finally, Carl's voice cut through the silence, like an axe being swung down with force. "Well, it certainly explained why Eric agreed to lay off when I threatened to tell Lucy about what he's been doing to you. The bugger did seem nervous." Carl paused. "If what you are saying is true, then I would have to wager a guess that Lucy somehow found out about Eric's obsession with you."

"You didn't..."

"No. For once I am innocent," Carl huffed, cutting Charlotte off. After a brief interlude, he continued. "I think we have already established that our boy is a bit unhinged, but if the worst should happen to Lucy and the baby..."

"He'll lose it completely," Charlotte finished.

"Indeed," Carl said dryly. "Maybe you should consider leaving, Charlotte. Go to the safe house I've set up for you."

Thranduil abandoned his sentinel by the window and came to sit in the armchair, settling into the soft cushioning with all the liquid grace his kind possessed. He crossed his long legs at the knee and grasped the armrests as he sat upright with poise. At this moment, he was completely emulating the haughty King of the Woodland Realm; his demeanor radiating the composed and calculating elf who did not allow emotions to hinder his judgement.

"Carl is correct. It would be foolish to wait for Eric to strike first."

Charlotte chewed her bottom lip, indecisiveness showing plainly on her pale features. "But there's still a chance that Lucy and the baby will pull through..."

"And what then? You continue to remain there like a sitting duck and wait for his obsession with you to build up again until he finally decides to do something about it?" Carl snapped.

Charlotte sighed. "Maybe this will be a wake-up call for him. Maybe Eric will now realise that he stands to lose his child and girlfriend, and maybe he'll...stop." Her argument sounded weak even to her ears.

"That's a lot of maybe's, Charlotte dear."

"I know," she muttered. "But I want to wait and see what happens. Hopefully Lucy and the baby will pull through and Eric will change."

Carl tsked loudly, clearly growing impatient with Charlotte. "Charlotte, you know I love you, right?"

"Yeah."

"And it's because I love you that I'm going to tell you straight up: you're being an idiot!"

Thranduil, although he agreed with Carl, decided diplomacy was in order before any more harsh words could be exchanged. Charlotte was being unreasonable, this much was true, but it was going to take some gentle prodding to find out the true reasoning behind her stubbornness.

"Did you manage to find out whether Eric is responsible for the death of Charlotte's parents?" Thranduil asked Carl.

"No. Nothing. Nada. Either Eric did a good job of covering his tracks, or he had nothing to do with it."

"But why send me those pictures then?" Charlotte asked.

Thranduil turned his sharp gaze towards her, stating his thoughts before Carl could offer a reply. "It was meant as a warning Charlotte. Something to induce fear into you so that you would comply to his demands."

"Eric's a sick puppy, that's for sure," Carl grumbled and then let out a heavy sigh. "I'll continue to monitor the situation with Lucy and the baby, and I'll let you know if there's any change. In the meantime, I want you to be on your guard, Charlotte. And if I call and tell you to run, you run. Understood?"

"Yes, Captain."

"Been a while since I was called that," he chuckled. "It's a good thing I didn't earn the rank of Colonel. Colonel Sanders is not a title I would have been able to live down. Though, talking about KFC has made me hungry. I think I might order a bucket..."

Thranduil's brows knitted together in confusion. The way this human man could swing from annoyed to hungry in such a short span of time was beyond his comprehension. There was still so much he did not understand about this world and trying to grasp what Carl was rambling on about was certainly testing his patience.

"Carl, if you are quite finished reminiscing about food, there is something else that is concerning me."

"Hmm? Oh, yeah. Sorry about that. Carry on."

"If you did not provide Lucy with information regarding Eric's activities, then who did?"

Carl's mutterings stopped dead as he mulled over the question. "Eric may have gotten careless. He might have had some photos lying around or accidently left his email open."

Thranduil raised a brow, clearly showing that he thought this scenario was highly unlikely, but he remained silent.

Carl sighed heavily, knowing this theory was not very plausible. "I'll get Thomas to do some snooping. Now I need to go. Be careful Charlotte, and you look after her, Thranduil."

The fact that Carl had not called him by one of his nicknames spoke volumes about how serious Carl was at this very moment.

Before Thranduil had a chance to reply, Carl had already hung up.

Thranduil turned his attention to Charlotte, who was now biting her thumb nail as she stared off into space.

"Carl's manners leave much to be desired," he stated dryly.

Charlotte gave a half-hearted smile, but it was clear her mind was elsewhere. Thranduil rose to his feet in a fluid motion and strode over to the window. There were a few things he needed to discuss with Charlotte, but he knew he was going to have to broach the subject with tact.

The silence stretched out between them like a vast ocean.

Thranduil finally spoke from his spot, his arms folded in front of him as he stared straight ahead. "May I enquire as to why you are hesitant to leave, when not too long ago you readily agreed to come back with me to Middle Earth?"

"Because this time it's different."

Thranduil turned his head slowly to stare at her. "How so?"

Charlotte sighed and leaned back into the sofa; her eyes closed as she rested her head against the headrest. "When I agreed to go with you to Middle Earth, it was because I wanted to. I still do. But now...now I am being forced to leave, and I resent it."

Thranduil nodded. It was a plausible enough explanation, but there was more to it than she was willing to admit to and he was determined to get to the bottom of it. He stared at her, waiting for her to be forthcoming with her reasonings.

Charlotte opened her eyes, and Thranduil was perplexed to find tears shimmering against her lashes. "And I also feel guilty."

"Whatever for?"

"The baby," she said, her voice cracking. "If it weren't for me, the baby wouldn't be fighting for his life right now."

"The action of his mother and father have absolutely no bearing on you, Charlotte. You cannot blame yourself for something you had no control over." Thranduil stopped as a thought became crystal clear to him. "You want to stay and find out if he survives or not."

Charlotte gave a small nod. Thranduil continued to stare at her, unnervingly quiet in his censure. Elves were compassionate and were not without empathy, and he loved that Charlotte possessed similar traits, but her soft heart was going to get her killed.

Thranduil turned away from her. It had been so long since he had been able to be freely compassionate, given his position as ruler of his kingdom. There was also the fact that his long life and numerous encounters with evil had jaded his mindset. Maybe there was much he could learn from Charlotte when it came to being emphatic.

"Very well," he said after a few moments. "I can understand your reluctance and we will wait, if that is what you so wish."

"Thank you," she whispered.

Thranduil remained silent and once again a hush descended the room.

"I'm sorry that you had to hear that bit about Eric and me," Charlotte said softly, interrupting his thoughts and completely catching him off guard.

Thranduil's attention was once more drawn to her, noting that it was a different kind of guilt that now overshadowed her.

"It is understandable that you planned a future with Eric, Charlotte, and at some point, children would have been discussed. I do not hold your past against you, little one, and I never shall. The past, regardless of all the lessons it has taught us, is exactly that: the past."

Charlotte studied her hands and finally glanced up at him, uncertainty shimmering in her eyes.

"But our future might not have children in it, Thranduil."

Thranduil blinked in surprise. True, he had not yet entertained the idea of having children with Charlotte, given the fact that they had just recently entered into a relationship together. But now she was strongly hinting at the fact that she might not be able to bear children, and Thranduil found that he didn't quite know what to make of this news.

He had made peace a long time ago with the fact that Legolas would be his only child, and as such he tended to be a bit overprotective over him. But if he had the opportunity to have children with Charlotte, would he take it? Thranduil didn't have an answer to that question.

Charlotte sighed and glanced away. "Eric and I tried for two years, Thranduil, with no success. Not even a few months of being with Lucy and he knocked her up. It's safe to assume that I am the one with fertility issues."

She sounded so broken at this admittance, that Thranduil found he could not bear to witness such heartbreaking pain coming from her. He walked with swift strides and sat down next to her, taking her hand in his own. Their fingers entwined with familiarity in what had now become second nature, and he marvelled at how perfectly her hand fitted in his.

"I take it that you wanted children?"

"Yes," she whispered, unable to meet his penetrating gaze. "But I've come to accept that I'll probably never have children of my own." Charlotte finally met his gaze. "This is not a discussion I thought I would be having with you any time soon, Thranduil. But now that we're having it, it's only fair that you know that if you're with me, there's a strong possibility that I might not be able to give you a child."

Thranduil raised her hand to his lips and placed a tender kiss on the back of her hand. "I'm with you because I love you, Charlotte. Not for your ability to give me children. My love for you will not diminish, regardless of whether we have children or not."

"You say that now, but you'll change your mind. Eric said that it did not matter, but in the end it did. It really did."

Thranduil shifted closer and cupped her face between his palms. "I am not Eric, Charlotte. My love is true and will not waver. By your side is where I'll stand. Always."

The tears glistened in those hazel depths. "How do you always know the right thing to say?"

"I merely speak the truth, little one."

Thranduil brushed his lips against hers, his eyes fluttering closed as the kiss deepened and sealed his promise.

The kiss tapered off and Charlotte curled against his side, resting her head against his chest as she listened to the strong and sure beat of his heart. His strong arms wrapped around her gave her a sense of security and she couldn't help but feel contented that he truly accepted her, flaws and all. It didn't matter whether they had children or not. They had each other, and that was all that mattered.

Suddenly she tensed and Thranduil glanced down at her in concern.

"What's wrong, Charlotte?"

Charlotte pushed away from him, her face looking very pale. "I...I just realised..." Charlotte swallowed hard and finally met his gaze. "If we get married..."

"When we get married," Thranduil corrected firmly.

Charlotte continued as though she hadn't heard him. "I'm going to be..." She looked up at him with wide, horror-stricken eyes. "Legolas' stepmom!"

Thranduil blinked once as her words sunk in, and then he burst into unrestrained laughter. Of all the things to plague her mind, this was the singular thought that troubled her the most!

"It's not funny, Thranduil!"

Thranduil suppressed his laughter, though his eyes twinkled with his mirth.

Charlotte stood and made her way to the kitchen, her gait stiff.

"Where are you going, little one?" he asked with a wide grin.

"I think I need a stiff drink," she muttered. "I wonder if Carl left any of his moonshine stashed away somewhere."

"Alas, I have already searched and none was to be found. But we still have a few bottles of wine left," Thranduil said as he followed her into the kitchen. A bottle of wine (or three) sounded like a splendid idea, especially after all the revelations today had yielded.