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Gohen: Redemption

Beta: Ilye, Fimbrethiel

chapter nineteen

Prague, 2011

David sat in the plush armchair, flipping through the pages of a very thick scrapbook. It had been six years since he had left the United Sates. Seven years since meeting the vampires.

The pictures in the scrapbook showed various travels the threesome had taken. Erestor wanted to show David the world, so long as they always moved east. So, they had traveled to China, Russia, and Japan; David had seen great monuments, stood on holy ground, and walk paths he had never dreamed he would walk.

And at every turn, Maglor and Erestor had been with him. They had delighted in his youthful exuberance. The vampires loved to spoil him, to show him off wherever they went. David had never felt as happy and content as he did with them, and he hope that an end never came to that bliss.

Six month ago, Erestor had asked to go to Prague. After sharing that moment with David in the quiet of Erestor and Maglor's apartment where David had tasted Erestor's blood, Erestor had told David the story of Glorfindel. David had known some of it from that merging of their beings, but the whole story had torn at David's heart. To see Erestor's tears, to feel such loss and yearning was more than David could handle. He had been ill for days with depression, and when Erestor had asked to return to the last city he and Glorfindel had been happy in, neither David nor Maglor could refuse him.

A knocking sound shook David from his memories. He stood up, puzzled, and walked to the door. They weren't expecting anyone, and people rarely dropped by this far off the main road. He opened the door, and his mouth fell open. Even if the man were not wearing a pure white riding cloak and carrying a tall white staff, David would have recognized him. "Hey, guys," he called back over his shoulder, "there's a wizard here to see you."

"Greetings," said Gandalf the White.

David opened his mouth to respond, but the only thing that came out was "Guh--" before he passed out.

Gandalf looked down at the prone form. "Hmm. What a curious custom. A pleasure to meet you, too, young sir," he called down to David, and then let his eyes roll back in his head and his legs wobble out from under him in a perfect imitation of David's faint.

Maglor and Erestor ran into the room and found the two figures lying on the ground. Erestor ran quickly to David, patting his face and trying to coax him awake. Maglor, meanwhile, walked over to Gandalf and looked down at him with a heavy sigh.

"Get up, old man," the elder Noldo teased, nudging Gandalf's foot with his toe.

"I was merely trying to be polite," Gandalf huffed up at him from the floor.

Erestor scoffed as he picked David up from the floor. "Next time, try flowers."

Erestor closed the door to their room, leaving David in the peaceful gloom of the bedroom. This seemed to be a terrible habit of David's; the mortal had not fainted in many years, but the sight of Gandalf seemed enough to reawake those habits of his. He joined Maglor on the sofa, staring at Gandalf from across the room.

"You have a human lover?" Gandalf asked Erestor.

"No," Erestor said. "We have a human lover. And his name is David."

Gandalf sipped the tea Maglor had made him. "What do you plan on doing with him? He will age, you will not."

Maglor seemed to bristle at Gandalf's tone. "Do with him? He is our partner, our lover, and whatever we do, we do together."

"Be that as it may, he will still grow old and die." Gandalf put his tea aside.

Erestor chose to ignore Gandalf's comments about David. "What I want to know, Wizard, is what you are doing here?"

"I come on behalf of the Valar," Gandalf said, meeting Erestor's steady gaze. "They have decreed you may come home."

The room was silent except for the occasional crackle or pop in the hearth. It was Maglor who found his voice first.

"Home... to what?" he asked hesitantly.

"Home. Aman. Valinor," Gandalf said slowly, as if speaking to idiots.

Erestor glared at Gandalf. "Not where, you senile old fool, but to what?"

The Maia's gaze was cold, but before he could say anything, Maglor tried to diffuse the situation.

"Home to eternal bodiless torment in the Halls of Mandos? Home to an even worse sentence than this bloody half-life? Have the Valar decided we're enjoying ourselves too much, that we have found some measure of happiness that they wish to snatch from us?" he asked, his voice quickly gaining an edge with each word. "Tell us, Gandalf, what fate are we to now endure?"

"You do not have to return with me. But, heed me, this will be your only chance of returning to the Blessed Realm. The opportunity will never again arise for you to leave this time, this world. I cannot tell you what awaits you in Aman for you. I do not know. I have been told to come to you, offer you this chance, but I cannot force you to join me." Gandalf smiled sadly. "But, I do know there are many who were most pleased to hear that the Valar would extend this invitation to you both."

Erestor paled. "Glorfindel," he whispered.

"Your love still waits for you, yes," Gandalf confided. "He bears your ring, does he not?" the wizard asked, smiling wistfully.

Both Erestor and Maglor's gazes went to the golden ring Erestor wore on his left ring finger. It was the only piece of jewelry he wore, and it had not been removed from his hand in almost eight years. While Glorfindel wore Erestor's mark, Erestor wore Glorfindel's.

"Has he taken a lover?" Erestor did not want to know if any other had touched his beloved, but there was a sick curiosity he had to satisfy.

Gandalf shook his head. "Golden Glorfindel is chaste."

Guilt shot through Erestor. While Glorfindel had waited for him, Erestor had partaken of hundreds of lovers. Had even dared to love one of them. During the years he had lived with Glorfindel, he had not shared his body with anyone but the golden Elf. As soon as Glorfindel sailed, though, he had returned to the warmth of Maglor's bed and a never-ending stream of willing bodies.

He was ashamed.

"I cannot return," he choked out, shaking his head. He stood up and fled the room, closing the door behind him as he entered the gloom of their bedroom. David lay sleeping quietly, the gentle breathing soothing Erestor's troubled soul.

Soul. Ha. Did he even have one of those? With his back braced against the door, he slid to the floor, burying his face in his hands. Oh, to go back, to know Glorfindel's love and touch once more. But, to do so would mean admitting his sins... as well as leaving his dear David behind.

Could he truly do that?

His eyes were dry. They itched. But still he stared at the horizon. The sun was rising over the city, and Erestor had spent the night on the balcony outside their bedroom. David had not stirred, and Maglor had not come to him. Alone with his guilt, Erestor had retreated to the balcony to sob freely.

"Erestor?"

Erestor looked up at Maglor's tall form towering over him. "Yes?"

Maglor sat down beside him, the first rays of light kissing their faces. "Gandalf is not leaving yet. We have time to decide," he said quietly.

"There is nothing to decide," Erestor replied tiredly.

"Erestor, for a moment, pretend there is no David. Ah, just pretend," he said when Erestor tried to protest. "Would you still refuse to return with Gandalf?"

The younger vampire thought until the sun was bright in the morning sky. "No, I would return. I want to see Glorfindel again."

"And I would give my life to just glimpse Maedhros once more. I will go with Gandalf. Please, come with us. I love you, Erestor. I have for so long, and it would break my heart to gain Aman only to lose you in the process." Maglor held Erestor's hand in his, kissing each fingertip.

Erestor's filled with tears once more. "But I cannot forget him, Maglor. I love him, just as I love you."

"You would sacrifice Aman for him? You would sacrifice me, Glorfindel, for him?" Maglor asked.

"Do you not care, Maglor? Are you still just as cold and jealous of him as you were when I brought him home?" Erestor gripped Maglor's hand tightly.

Maglor lifted his head, and Erestor saw the shimmer of tears. "I love him, Erestor. But, he is human. He will die. And we will be left alone again."

"Do not stay because of me," David said from behind them, his voice trembling as he spoke.

Both vampires turned to the Man, their eyes wide and full of shame at being caught speaking about him.

"David," Maglor tried, but David shook his head.

"No, do not try and justify your reasons," he said as tears traced salty tracks down his cheeks. "You should go home."

Maglor stood, taking David into his arms. "We could ease your heartbreak," he whispered. "I could take the memories from you."

David pulled away at the same time Erestor cried out. "No!" David yelled angrily. "They are my memories, and they are all that will ease my heartbreak!"

The three lovers wept openly, embracing each other tightly.

"We would never take your memories," Erestor said, kissing David's lips. "Never. They are yours."

David clung to them, some part of him dying in the wake of this news. He would lose them. Forever. It would not be him leaving them behind; they were leaving him. Oh, how his chest hurt! The words his lovers whispered to him did nothing to soothe his pain, and he soon sobbed himself into a restless slumber in Maglor's arms.

The Elves tucked him into bed, each wiping at their tears.

"We cannot leave him," Maglor said, his voice full of determination.

Erestor nodded. "No, we can't."

"There is only one choice," Maglor sighed.

Again, Erestor nodded. "He will simply have to come with us."


	Navigation multi-story arcs previous next		Gohen: Redemption Beta: Ilye, Fimbrethiel chapter nineteen Prague, 2011 David sat in the plush armchair, flipping through the pages of a very thick scrapbook. It had been six years since he had left the United Sates. Seven years since meeting the vampires. The pictures in the scrapbook showed various travels the threesome had taken. Erestor wanted to show David the world, so long as they always moved east. So, they had traveled to China, Russia, and Japan; David had seen great monuments, stood on holy ground, and walk paths he had never dreamed he would walk. And at every turn, Maglor and Erestor had been with him. They had delighted in his youthful exuberance. The vampires loved to spoil him, to show him off wherever they went. David had never felt as happy and content as he did with them, and he hope that an end never came to that bliss. Six month ago, Erestor had asked to go to Prague. After sharing that moment with David in the quiet of Erestor and Maglor's apartment where David had tasted Erestor's blood, Erestor had told David the story of Glorfindel. David had known some of it from that merging of their beings, but the whole story had torn at David's heart. To see Erestor's tears, to feel such loss and yearning was more than David could handle. He had been ill for days with depression, and when Erestor had asked to return to the last city he and Glorfindel had been happy in, neither David nor Maglor could refuse him. A knocking sound shook David from his memories. He stood up, puzzled, and walked to the door. They weren't expecting anyone, and people rarely dropped by this far off the main road. He opened the door, and his mouth fell open. Even if the man were not wearing a pure white riding cloak and carrying a tall white staff, David would have recognized him. "Hey, guys," he called back over his shoulder, "there's a wizard here to see you." "Greetings," said Gandalf the White. David opened his mouth to respond, but the only thing that came out was "Guh--" before he passed out. Gandalf looked down at the prone form. "Hmm. What a curious custom. A pleasure to meet you, too, young sir," he called down to David, and then let his eyes roll back in his head and his legs wobble out from under him in a perfect imitation of David's faint. Maglor and Erestor ran into the room and found the two figures lying on the ground. Erestor ran quickly to David, patting his face and trying to coax him awake. Maglor, meanwhile, walked over to Gandalf and looked down at him with a heavy sigh. "Get up, old man," the elder Noldo teased, nudging Gandalf's foot with his toe. "I was merely trying to be polite," Gandalf huffed up at him from the floor. Erestor scoffed as he picked David up from the floor. "Next time, try flowers." Erestor closed the door to their room, leaving David in the peaceful gloom of the bedroom. This seemed to be a terrible habit of David's; the mortal had not fainted in many years, but the sight of Gandalf seemed enough to reawake those habits of his. He joined Maglor on the sofa, staring at Gandalf from across the room. "You have a human lover?" Gandalf asked Erestor. "No," Erestor said. "We have a human lover. And his name is David." Gandalf sipped the tea Maglor had made him. "What do you plan on doing with him? He will age, you will not." Maglor seemed to bristle at Gandalf's tone. "Do with him? He is our partner, our lover, and whatever we do, we do together." "Be that as it may, he will still grow old and die." Gandalf put his tea aside. Erestor chose to ignore Gandalf's comments about David. "What I want to know, Wizard, is what you are doing here?" "I come on behalf of the Valar," Gandalf said, meeting Erestor's steady gaze. "They have decreed you may come home." The room was silent except for the occasional crackle or pop in the hearth. It was Maglor who found his voice first. "Home... to what?" he asked hesitantly. "Home. Aman. Valinor," Gandalf said slowly, as if speaking to idiots. Erestor glared at Gandalf. "Not where, you senile old fool, but to what?" The Maia's gaze was cold, but before he could say anything, Maglor tried to diffuse the situation. "Home to eternal bodiless torment in the Halls of Mandos? Home to an even worse sentence than this bloody half-life? Have the Valar decided we're enjoying ourselves too much, that we have found some measure of happiness that they wish to snatch from us?" he asked, his voice quickly gaining an edge with each word. "Tell us, Gandalf, what fate are we to now endure?" "You do not have to return with me. But, heed me, this will be your only chance of returning to the Blessed Realm. The opportunity will never again arise for you to leave this time, this world. I cannot tell you what awaits you in Aman for you. I do not know. I have been told to come to you, offer you this chance, but I cannot force you to join me." Gandalf smiled sadly. "But, I do know there are many who were most pleased to hear that the Valar would extend this invitation to you both." Erestor paled. "Glorfindel," he whispered. "Your love still waits for you, yes," Gandalf confided. "He bears your ring, does he not?" the wizard asked, smiling wistfully. Both Erestor and Maglor's gazes went to the golden ring Erestor wore on his left ring finger. It was the only piece of jewelry he wore, and it had not been removed from his hand in almost eight years. While Glorfindel wore Erestor's mark, Erestor wore Glorfindel's. "Has he taken a lover?" Erestor did not want to know if any other had touched his beloved, but there was a sick curiosity he had to satisfy. Gandalf shook his head. "Golden Glorfindel is chaste." Guilt shot through Erestor. While Glorfindel had waited for him, Erestor had partaken of hundreds of lovers. Had even dared to love one of them. During the years he had lived with Glorfindel, he had not shared his body with anyone but the golden Elf. As soon as Glorfindel sailed, though, he had returned to the warmth of Maglor's bed and a never-ending stream of willing bodies. He was ashamed. "I cannot return," he choked out, shaking his head. He stood up and fled the room, closing the door behind him as he entered the gloom of their bedroom. David lay sleeping quietly, the gentle breathing soothing Erestor's troubled soul. Soul. Ha. Did he even have one of those? With his back braced against the door, he slid to the floor, burying his face in his hands. Oh, to go back, to know Glorfindel's love and touch once more. But, to do so would mean admitting his sins... as well as leaving his dear David behind. Could he truly do that? His eyes were dry. They itched. But still he stared at the horizon. The sun was rising over the city, and Erestor had spent the night on the balcony outside their bedroom. David had not stirred, and Maglor had not come to him. Alone with his guilt, Erestor had retreated to the balcony to sob freely. "Erestor?" Erestor looked up at Maglor's tall form towering over him. "Yes?" Maglor sat down beside him, the first rays of light kissing their faces. "Gandalf is not leaving yet. We have time to decide," he said quietly. "There is nothing to decide," Erestor replied tiredly. "Erestor, for a moment, pretend there is no David. Ah, just pretend," he said when Erestor tried to protest. "Would you still refuse to return with Gandalf?" The younger vampire thought until the sun was bright in the morning sky. "No, I would return. I want to see Glorfindel again." "And I would give my life to just glimpse Maedhros once more. I will go with Gandalf. Please, come with us. I love you, Erestor. I have for so long, and it would break my heart to gain Aman only to lose you in the process." Maglor held Erestor's hand in his, kissing each fingertip. Erestor's filled with tears once more. "But I cannot forget him, Maglor. I love him, just as I love you." "You would sacrifice Aman for him? You would sacrifice me, Glorfindel, for him?" Maglor asked. "Do you not care, Maglor? Are you still just as cold and jealous of him as you were when I brought him home?" Erestor gripped Maglor's hand tightly. Maglor lifted his head, and Erestor saw the shimmer of tears. "I love him, Erestor. But, he is human. He will die. And we will be left alone again." "Do not stay because of me," David said from behind them, his voice trembling as he spoke. Both vampires turned to the Man, their eyes wide and full of shame at being caught speaking about him. "David," Maglor tried, but David shook his head. "No, do not try and justify your reasons," he said as tears traced salty tracks down his cheeks. "You should go home." Maglor stood, taking David into his arms. "We could ease your heartbreak," he whispered. "I could take the memories from you." David pulled away at the same time Erestor cried out. "No!" David yelled angrily. "They are my memories, and they are all that will ease my heartbreak!" The three lovers wept openly, embracing each other tightly. "We would never take your memories," Erestor said, kissing David's lips. "Never. They are yours." David clung to them, some part of him dying in the wake of this news. He would lose them. Forever. It would not be him leaving them behind; they were leaving him. Oh, how his chest hurt! The words his lovers whispered to him did nothing to soothe his pain, and he soon sobbed himself into a restless slumber in Maglor's arms. The Elves tucked him into bed, each wiping at their tears. "We cannot leave him," Maglor said, his voice full of determination. Erestor nodded. "No, we can't." "There is only one choice," Maglor sighed. Again, Erestor nodded. "He will simply have to come with us."