Catch a Falling Star (NC-17), violence/angst/passion

This story is my first posted on this forum, so please be gentle! It is rated NC-17 for some sexual content, but overall it should stay right about PG--13 or R. Will contain some violence and language, some adult situations... overall, though, I think it is something most everyone can enjoy.

Disclaimer: I do not own Elijah Wood, Orlando Bloom, or anyone else in this fic that you have already heard of. I did not receive any monetary compesation for this; it is merely something I enjoy doing for my entertainment and the entertainment of my readers.

Now that that's out of the way, I hope you enjoy...

Catch a Falling Star

Chapter One

Late. Raven set her duffel bag down with a sigh. Since she had gotten up that morning, nothing had gone right. The coffee maker was acting up again, one of her fish was found floating belly-up in the tank, traffic had been a nightmare, and now she had just missed her flight. Frustrated, she stomped her foot and punched the cement column next to her. She had to be in Boston by six, and there wasn’t another flight leaving until three. So here she was, stuck in the Los Angeles Airport with no way to get where she needed to be. She sat down on her duffel bag and buried her face in her hands, trying not to cry.

“Having a bad day?” She looked up to see a young man standing a few feet away. He had dark hair and was wearing sunglasses. She nodded miserably.

“I need to get to Boston by six o’clock tonight, and I just missed my flight,” she told him. He frowned sympathetically, then his face brightened.

“Well, I have a charter flight leaving for Boston in twenty minutes. You could come with me.”

“Really?” Raven stood up. “You’d do that…. for me?” He nodded, then shrugged sheepishly.

“It’s not like it’s out of my way or anything. We have an empty seat anyway.”

“Oh, thank you!” she exclaimed. “I can pay you…” He waved a hand dismissively.

“Don’t worry about it,” he told her. “Just follow me.” She followed him through a small passage off to the side that said “Authorized Personnel Only.” After going through a long tunnel, they came to a security checkpoint and were searched quickly. Then he led her out into a large hangar. A small plane was sitting patiently on the runway, and crew people were running around getting things ready for takeoff. A burly man was standing by the stairs leading to the entrance. The young man she was with greeted him.

“He’s my bodyguard,” he explained to her. “I only have to take him with me when I’m flying. My mom insisted.” He rolled his eyes at overprotective parents. Raven only stared at him, wide-eyed. Who was this person who needed a bodyguard and chartered his own private flights? He saw the question in her eyes and smiled. “I’m sorry. How rude of me. I’m Elijah Wood.” He held his hand out towards her.

“Raven…. Raven Koenig,” she murmured. “Pleased to meet you.” She followed him up into the plane. There were seven seats on board, including the pilot and co-pilot seat. She went to the very back and took a single seat by the window. There was enough room in the overhead compartment for her duffel bag – she hadn’t packed a whole lot, since it was only supposed to be a weekend trip. She felt unusually shy. Maybe it was the fact that she was suddenly someplace she had never been before with people she had never seen – at least one of whom was a movie star! To try and calm her nerves, she got out a notebook and a pen and started doodling.

“Hey, mind if I sit here?” Elijah asked from the seat in front of her. There was no seat next to her. She stared at him, her eyes big again.

“It’s your plane,” she reminded him. He laughed.

“You’re cute when you do that, you know?” She looked at him blankly.
“Do what?”

“That!” He laughed again. “You look like a deer in headlights.” Only most deer didn’t have dazzling green eyes and shiny dark hair like hers, he thought to himself. Now she was blushing. He sat back down in his seat and settled in for the ride.

Raven doodled all through takeoff. When the plane had gained a little altitude, she put her pen down and stared out the window at the landscape below. She always liked to watch the houses and roads get sooooo tiny…

Almost without warning, fog moved in. She couldn’t see anything out of her window. She could hear snatches of conversation from the cockpit that told her that the pilot and copilot were having the same problems. They flew for about an hour in the fog, not really able to see much of anything. Then, suddenly, she heard a great groaning sound, and the shrieking of metal. There was an explosion on the other side of the plane, and people started screaming. The plane tilted crazily to the side, and luggage came flying out of the overhead compartments. Raven closed her eyes and began to pray. Then there was a horrible jolt, and then there was only darkness…

Chapter Two

Raven woke slowly. It was quiet all around her. Her head was throbbing. She opened her eyes. The plane was tilted at such a crazy angle that straight ahead was down. Raven was at the highest point of the cabin. She found herself hanging, held in by her seat belt. Bodies littered the plane. No one was moving.

Slowly, she checked to make sure everything was intact. She wiggled her fingers, ran her hands over her ribs, and tried to move her legs. Her right foot was wedged under the seat in front of her. She tried to pull it out, but it wouldn't budge.

Sighing, she leaned over and grabbed her foot with both hands. Bracing herself against the pain, she wiggled it around and finally got it pulled out. She slowly moved the foot. It hurt, but it wasn't broken, at least.

Bracing her good foot on the seat below her, she undid her seatbelt. Easing her way down to the lowest point of the plane, she began to check the bodies scattered around to see if any of them were still alive. She couldn't find a pulse on any of them.

A soft moan over her head made her look up. Apparently Elijah was the only other person who had been wearing a seatbelt. He was hanging out of his seat just as she had been. As she watched, his hands twitched. Encouraged by even this small sign of life, Raven scrambled up the seats to him. His eyes were still closed. Gingerly, she touched his shoulder. He didn't respond.

"Elijah," she called softly. No response again. She didn't want to shake him or anything before she knew if he was hurt or not. "Elijah," she called louder. Still nothing. Desperate, she cupped his face in her hands and pressed her mouth to his unmoving lips. At first, there was again no response, but then she felt his mouth respond, and he kissed her back. After several seconds, she broke off the kiss and pulled back to see him open his eyes and stare at her in fascination.

"Oh, thank god," Raven breathed. "At least you're still alive." Alarmed by her words, Elijah looked around to see the disaster they had landed in. He paled. "Are you okay?" Raven asked anxiously.

"I think so," he said, bringing his hands up toward his head. He winced. "Or maybe not.

"What hurts?" she asked.

"Head and shoulder," he told her. "More my shoulder though."

"It's probably dislocated." She looked around the cabin. "Let's figure out how to get out of here." She looked back up at him. "You ready?"

"I guess." He was still hanging from his seatbelt. She reached up and unhooked it, and all of a sudden his full weight was on her. Her sore ankle twisted under her, and she fell backwards. She landed hard on her back with Elijah still on top of her.

"Oof!" she grunted. "Okay, maybe you weren't ready." He didn't answer. Eyes wide, he was looking around at the bodies scattered around them.

"Are they all...-?" His voice trailed off as Raven nodded. He looked like he was going to cry. She stood up and limped over to a section of wall that had been crumpled by the impact. There was a gap in the metal side, and the sun was shining through. Raven grasped it with both hands and pulled with all her might. The weakened metal groaned, then bent. She soon had created a hole big enough to crawl through. She glanced back at Elijah, who was watching her.

"Well, don't just sit there. Come on." He got up and walked towards her. She squirmed through, then turned and helped him out behind her. She looked around.
They had crashed in the middle of a cluster of trees on a mountainside. The plane was sticking up at an odd angle, with one wing pointing up like the fin of a metal shark. The propeller was still turning slowly, and the smell of fuel hung in the air.
Without warning, she turned and crawled back into the plane.

"Where are you going?" Elijah called after her, alarmed. She poked her head out and looked down at him.

"I'm going to try to find some survival gear," she informed him. "You look around out there." He nodded in agreement, and she disappeared again.

First, she grabbed her duffel bag out of the overhead compartment. She opened it up and took out all the nonessentials. Dress clothes, makeup, even her discman, she discarded. She kept a few things, like a hairbrush, her Leatherman and a small flashlight. There were also a few snacks that she had packed for the trip. Then, with a sigh, she turned her attention to the luggage scattered about the plane. She found a few more useful items. Elijah's bodyguard had been toting a gun. She took it, along with a single box of ammunition. There was still a semi-intact first-aid kit stashed under a seat. She took that too. When she was satisfied that she had found all that would be useful, she pushed the duffel bag out of her homemade door and climbed out after it.

It seemed Elijah had had similar luck. On the ground a short distance from the plane there was a sleeping bag and some fishing gear. He took a smaller blanket from the compartment he had discovered in the belly of the plane and brought it over with the rest of what he had found. Raven walked over to the pile of gear and put the duffel bag down. Elijah was standing still, staring at the plane, a mournful look on his face. He had a black eye, too, which added to the moment.

"Lets have a look at that shoulder." He looked at her and nodded. He eased out of his shirt while she rummaged through her duffel bag. She stood again and probed the joint with gentle fingers. "Yep, it's definitely dislocated. You're just lucky I'm a nurse." She handed him a sock. "Bite on this." He gave her a strange look. "It's clean," she assured him. "This is going to hurt. Having something to bite on might help." Still looking at her strangely, Elijah put the sock in his mouth. "Ready?" she asked. He nodded. She braced one hand by his neck, then yanked on his arm. Searing pain jolted through him. He staggered, and his scream was mercifully muffled by the sock. Then there was a click, and the pain suddenly subsided. He spat the sock out and rubbed his shoulder.

"That feels much better," he commented, surprised. She pulled a large t-shirt out of her duffel bag and, to his astonishment, began to tear it in half. She took the lower half and tied it around his neck, creating a sling.

"It's going to be sore for awhile, and you should probably take it easy with that arm for awhile," she advised him. He nodded. She helped him get his shirt back on, then began to gather as much as she could into the duffel bag.

A pop pulled her attention upwards. The still-barely-functioning engine over their heads sparked again. She hastily zipped the bag up and put the shoulder strap over her head.

"We had better get out of here," she said nervously. She turned and began walking away from the wreck as fast as she could hobble on her bad ankle. Elijah picked up the fishing pole and followed. They had not gone more than a hundred meters when there was a loud pop, and the wreck exploded. The force of the explosion knocked them both over.

I am at loss of words, you don't know how much this honours me and fills me with joy!
Welcome and thanks for posting this gem here, girl! I was feeling really touched while reading the first moments of this fiction, so many things to think of...

But, I won't say anything more.

I'll just sit here and follow this wonderful rollercoaster ride that this fiction will surely be.

And lord! The way you described the disaster! It made me shiver, they seem to be in a big big trouble... wonder what you have in store!



Welcome girl!

OMG I'm loven this right now, so please post more!

-Raine

Wow! This is really good!
When I read the part about the crash...
Thank goodness Raven and Elijah have each other on the mountain.
I'll be looking back here to read more!


~Stacy~

WHOA! I have to admit this is the only thing I've really read of yours Charl, but I insantly fell in love with your writing skills. My gosh hun, you can write! The descriptions and everything are so vivid...I was glued from the beginning of chapter one to the end of chapter two! Amazing hun, I can't wait to see where you go with this.

Chapter Three

Elijah helped Raven to her feet and dusted her off.

"Good thing that didn't happen ten minutes ago, huh?" he pulled a pinecone out of her hair. She nodded, wide eyed.

"Lucky us," she commented, her voice husky. Now that the danger was over, the reaction was beginning to set in. Legs shaking, she sat back down on the ground. "Oh my God. I could have died!"

"We almost did." Suddenly, the tears came. Elijah sat down on the ground next to Raven as she buried her face in her hands and wept. He was still too numb. He lifted his good arm and rested it on her shoulders, trying to be comforting. They sat there for several minutes, but then Elijah noticed that the fire that ringed the twisted wreck was spreading through the trees - spreading towards them.

"Ah, Raven?" She looked up. "We had better get the hell out of here." She sniffled, nodded. They got up and started walking. Neither one knew where they were going. They only knew they had to get away.

The mountainside was steep, and loose gravel skittered under their feet, threatening to send them flying down the slope. The fire crackled behind them, gaining speed as it found more fuel. Soon they were running to keep ahead of the smoke and flames.

Raven's ankle sent jolts of pain shooting up through her side with every step, but she could not lessen her frantic pace. She was already furious with herself for crying - especially in front of someone. She wasn't about to let herself appear even weaker. Suddenly the ground underfoot gave way. She yelped as her feet flew out from under her. Landing hard on her rump, she skidded down the mountainside. The strap of her duffle bag snapped, leaving a red burn on her neck. The bag bounced a few more meters before becoming lodged in a bush.
Raven continued her feet-first slide. She was too scared to scream. Trees and bushes flew by her. She tried to grab at low-hanging branches, but she couldn't get a good grip. Then she slid feet first into a bramble patch. Her momentum was so great that, rather than stopping her, the brambles merely slowed her down. She reached out and managed to grab the branches of the bush with both hands just as she shot out over the edge of a cliff.

She glanced down. Two hundred feet below her, a river snaked its way through a narrow valley. She gulped and looked back up to see Elijah looking worriedly at her over the top of the brambles.

"Are you okay?" he asked, eyes wide.

"Ask me again when I've got my feet on solid ground," she suggested. He grinned and reached down for her. She grabbed his extended hands, and he started to pull her up, gritting his teeth against the pain in his injured shoulder. The brambles had cut into her hands, and they were bleeding from several deep scratches. The blood made her hands slick, and she gasped as she slipped a couple inches.
"Don't let me go," she pleaded. Elijah tried to get a firmer grip on her hands, but her couldn't hang on. With a shriek, she plunged into the water below.

Ahhh no lmao. I was on the edge of my seat reading that. And you meanie, left us with a cliff hanger That was amazingly written, you really know how to keep your readers on their toes

Can't wait for more, this is awesome

And she was literally hanging from a cliff too!



Okay I'm done with the stupid jokes. I just read this, and it's already amazing! I can't wait to read more of this!

*~Steph~*

And she was literally hanging from a cliff too!



Okay I'm done with the stupid jokes. I just read this, and it's already amazing! I can't wait to read more of this!

*~Steph~*

Oh Steph! Thar was a joke!



Char: amazing, as usual, and yes! Mean...from your part not to post more! I confide in the fact that today is another day and probably will bring more...

Great chappie Char. Poor Raven and elijah to be thrown into that situation shudders. But yeah great story please post more soon.

Haha I didn't even realize I had used that pun. Ah well hehe. Can't wait for more *hint hint subtle nudge*

And she was literally hanging from a cliff too!



Okay I'm done with the stupid jokes. I just read this, and it's already amazing! I can't wait to read more of this!

*~Steph~*

OMG!
I was just thinking the same thing!!

That's great.

Anyway, nice chapter. You had me on the edge of my seat with this one.

~Stacy~

Chapter Four

Elijah's heart sank as he watched her fall. Things had been going too fast for him to sort out exactly what he felt for her, but he knew he didn't want to lose her. His eyes searched the water below for any sign that she was somehow still alive. When he saw her surface, he let out a breath he hadn't even realized he'd been hiding. She looked up at him and waved, then swam to the bank on the other side of the river. She yelled something indistinct.

"What?" he yelled back.

"Come down here!" She gestured madly with her arms, then pointed a little farther downstream. "Less steep there!" She pointed up at him. "Hurry!" In the new excitement, he had forgotten about the forest fire. Now he noticed the air around him was getting smoky, and the crackling flames were not far behind him.
"Oh, shit!" he cursed, then sprinted in the direction Raven had pointed. He had paused to retrieve the duffel bag after Raven had lost it, and now he was trying to run while carrying both it and the fishing pole.

A little farther downstream, the cliff had all but disappeared. There were even convenient piles of rocks scattered in the river, each within jumping distance of another. The fire had consumed the forest behind him, and he coughed as the smoke and ash threatened to smother him.

"Throw me the bag!" Raven was standing on the opposite shore. He heaved the bag with all his might. She had to back up a bit, but she caught it. Then he tossed the fishing pole across, throwing it like a javelin. It got caught in the breeze and fell short of the opposite bank. Raven put the pack down and waded back into the river to retrieve it.

Elijah jumped across the rocks, watching Raven to make sure she wasn't swept away. By the time she had fetched the fishing pole and returned shore, he was there waiting for her. She was shivering, her wet hair sticking to her face and neck in strands. Her shirt was in tatters from her slide down the mountain.

"You look like a cat that's been thrown in a lake," he observed.

"Really? Damn. I was trying to go for drowned rat," she shot back, turning to rummage through the duffel bag.

"Not with those eyes," Elijah muttered under his breath. Raven straightened up holding a sweater.

"Would you mind turning around, please?" she asked. He shrugged and turned around. He surveyed the small clearing they now found themselves in. It was ringed by trees, most of them with leaves in a riot of reds and yellows. There was a chill in the air, not unusual for late October. The grass was long, with wildflowers scattered here and there. In the background, mountains stretched as far as the eye could see, fading into purple shadows in the distance. He reached into his pocket and withdrew a lighter and a pack of his clove cigarettes.

"You just ran to escape all that smoke over there, and now you are going to voluntarily inhale more smoke?" Elijah turned with a lopsided grin to see Raven standing with her hands on her hips. She had traded the wet, shredded shirt for a dry sweater.

"Ironic, isn't it?" he gestured to the pack. "Do you mind if I-?" Raven shook her head.

"No, go right ahead. Just make sure you stay downwind of me." She tied the shoulder strap back together and donned the duffel bag once again. "We should probably follow the river as much as possible. More likely to lead to a town..." She started off, walking along the bank. He noticed that she was still shivering, and her limp had become more pronounced.

"Why don't we just stay here tonight?" he suggested. "The river's wide enough to keep the fire from spreading to this side, and we could both use a rest." Raven stopped and sighed.

"I suppose you're right." She came back and set the bag down. She sat on a boulder a few meters away from him. He took a long pull on his cigarette, held it for a moment, then exhaled. He was going to have to conserve them, now. He only had...he looked into the pack to count...ten left. If they were out here for very long, he would eventually have to do without.



Raven took stock of her injuries. Her hands had ceased their bleeding and were scabbing over, but were still tender. Her back hurt, but as long as she didn't touch it or move too quickly, that was bearable. What really concerned her was her ankle. With stiff fingers she untied her tennis shoe and tried to pull it off her foot, but it was stuck. She pulled harder, but the pain made her light-headed. Gasping for breath, she leaned back. She closed her eyes, furious at herself for her own weakness. She was going to have to ask for help.

"Elijah?" she called softly. "Do you think you could help me get my shoe off?"
"Sure." He hook one last draw on the cigarette, then dropped it and ground it out with his heel before walking over to her. She had loosened the laces as much as she could. He grabbed the shoe and tugged on it, expecting it to slide off fairly easily. The shoe wouldn't budge, and he could tell from Raven's quickly indrawn breath that it had hurt her. "Are you sure..."

"Just pull it off," she cut him off. "I don't want to have to cut the shoe." Biting his lip, he nodded and pulled as hard as he could. The shoe was wet and the foot was swollen. At first, it did not budge. Then, suddenly, it slid off her foot with a sucking sound. He glanced up at Raven and noticed that she had gone white as a sheet.
"Thanks," she gasped, and smiled at him faintly. Reaching into her pocket, she pulled out her Leatherman and chose the main blade. Leaning forward, she slit the wet sock and peeled it off her foot. Her ankle was swollen to nearly twice its usual size, and warm to the touch when she ran her fingers over the reddened flesh.
"That doesn't look good." Elijah knit his eyebrows in concern.

"It's either sprained or broken, I'm not sure which," Raven said grimly. She held an arm out. "Help me up?" Elijah supported he as she slid off the rock and hobbled over to the river. She sighed as she slipped the aching foot into the cold water. Coiling the other foot underneath her, she sat down on the bank. She was going to be there for a while.



Elijah began collecting fist-sized rocks to build a fire ring. Raven grabbed a long branch about as thick as her arm as it floated by her. Calculating what would be a comfortable length, she took out her Leatherman and began whittling.

By the time Elijah had a ring of stones assembled and a fire blazing, the sun was staining the sky red, and Raven was finished. She had fashioned a crutch from the branch, taking a smaller portion of it and fixing that to the top of the longer one, making a T. She had padded the top with her shredded shirt. Fitting it under her arm, she swung herself over to her pack and sorted through its contents. She pulled out an Ace bandage, a bottle of Tylenol and a handful of granola bars. She popped a couple Tylenol, swallowing them dry, then wrapped her ankle with the Ace bandage and went over to where Elijah was sitting by the fire. She handed him a couple granola bars.

"Here. Supper." She went over and sat down across from him, eyes fixed on the dancing flames. She put her hands out towards the welcome heat. She had not yet stopped shivering, and her muscles ached from it.

"How's your ankle?" Elijah asked.

"I can't feel it anymore, so...better." She finally looked up from the fire. "How about your shoulder?"

"Sore." He was going to say more, but her attention was already back on the fire, staring as if she could find some hidden meaning in the glowing embers. Elijah sat back and just looked at her. There was a wall there, and he wondered idly what had happened to her that she put up such a barrier? She was a beautiful woman, with dark brown - almost black - hair curling around her heart-shaped face and a startlingly pale complexion. Her green eyes were captivating when she looked directly at him, almost seeming to look right through him into his soul. Her lips were a perfect cupid's bow, lush and kissable. What glimpses of her personality he had seen thus far intrigued him, but he wasn't sure what it would take to get her to open up to him.



Raven fixed her gaze on the fire before her, trying to ignore his presence so near her. She didn't have to look up to recall his piercing blue eyes, or the smile that set her stomach fluttering and her heart pounding. She could remember his smell, and the way her skin tingled when he touched her. He seemed to be genuine, seemed to be nice, but she was sure he wasn't. They never were. As soon as she let them get close, she got hurt.

This one was going to be especially hard to keep out, she could tell already. When she looked into his big blue eyes, she felt the absurd compulsion to bare her soul and tell him whatever he asked. Her heart told her he was trustworthy, but experience had taught her otherwise. Elijah Wood wasn't going to get into her heart, not if she could help it. She felt his gaze on her. She had let that go on for far too long.

"So, what's on your mind?" she asked, looking up. He looked startled.

"I was just thinking that I'm sorry for getting you into this," he confessed. She raised one eyebrow.

"Did you know ahead of time that the plane was going to crash?" she asked.

"No, of course not."

"Then don't worry about it. You were only trying to do me a favor."

"I suppose your family is missing you," he said casually. She snorted.

"Not bloody likely." She thought about her family, the father she hadn't seen since she was ten, the manipulative mother, the egocentric brother. She shook her head. She didn't miss them, either. But she couldn't let him probe too much deeper. Best to find out about him instead. "What about you, though? Your family and friends and fans are all going to miss you." Elijah's expression became troubled.

"I know." He sighed. "I wish there was some way I could let them know I'm okay."

"You'll just have to surprise them when you get home alive."

"I guess so. But I don't like making them worry."

"Your family, your friends or your fans?"

"All of the above." It was his turn to stare into the flames. "I suppose they'll find the wreck and assume I died. It'll be all over the news."

"No one even knows I was on the plane,” Raven murmured to herself. "I just disappeared."

Elijah stared at the fire, pondering the reactions of his friends and family. He hated to think of all the grief this was going to cause them. He sighed. There was nothing he could do about it now. He could only try to get home as fast as he could so they wouldn't mourn too long. This was another downside to fame. News traveled far too quickly.

Raven threw more wood on the fire. It was starting to get cold now. Outside the circle of the heat created by the fire, she could see her breath. She was glad Elijah had found the sleeping bag and the blanket, but...she paused. How were both of them going to keep warm enough with only one blanket and one sleeping bag? She could think of one way, but that would require her to get closer to him than she was comfortable with. Or maybe they could...it was worth a try.

"Do you want the blanket or the sleeping bag tonight?" she asked, trying not to sound nervous. Elijah looked up.

"Actually, I thought we would both use both. We could spread the blanket on the ground and put the sleeping bag on top of us."

"I don't need that much," Raven protested. "I'll just take the blanket and you can have the sleeping bag." She tried to ignore the fact that she was shivering again. Elijah looked her in the eye and saw fear - no, terror - reflected there.

"I think we should share," he said again, simply. "The extra body heat will keep us warm."

"I don't think..."

"I promise I won't touch you." Raven stared up at him, shocked that he had guessed the reason behind her hesitation. She could see in his eyes that he meant it. Slowly she nodded.

"Okay..."

Man that must suck! The whole crash and how they're stranded in the woods. But at the same Raven and Elijah seem to be getting along. **hehe**

I hope their able to get out. -Raine

Poor raven. Has some underlying troubles but she should tell elijah. And elijah is so sweet caring about his friends and family like that. great chappie

Oh man, I hope they'll be okay. And Elijah totally just read her mind. Which is good......I guess.....?

More soon please!

*~Steph~*

Aww wow, beautiful chapter hun! I can't wait to see where it is going. and Raven seems to have a few skeletons ocked up in her closet that I'm itching to find out about!

Post more when you can, darl'!

Chapter Five

Elijah soon regretted his promise. He was aware of her, lying less than a foot away from him. He wanted to put an arm over her, put a hand on her hip, snuggle close, just do something. But he was a man of his word, so he rolled over and ignored the temptation.

It was even harder for Raven. She was torn between relief that he was staying away and a strange ache for him to touch her. She couldn't deny that she was drawn to him, but... She sighed and willed herself to go to sleep.

Sleep did not come immediately, and when it did it was fitful and populated with nightmares. When she woke yet again, she noticed that the sun was rising. Abandoning the idea of trying to sleep anymore, she wriggled out of the bed they had made and stretched. A light frost covered the ground. She added a little more wood to their fire and watched Elijah for a while. When she was satisfied that he was still asleep and probably would be for at least a little longer, she hobbled down to the river to wash up.

Putting a few trees between her and the campsite, she took off her shirt and used the other half of the t-shirt she had turned into a sling for Elijah as a washcloth. The morning was chilly, and the water cold. By the time she was done, she was shivering, but refreshed. Out of the corner of her eye, she caught a flash of movement and froze. Patiently she waited, and the rabbit hopped within a meter of her. Quick as a flash, she reached out and grabbed it by the ears. Grinning, she held it up in triumph. She hadn't lost her touch.


The smell of food cooking roused Elijah. He opened his eyes and looked around to see Raven crouching on the other side of the fire. She had set up a makeshift rotisserie, and was cooking a small animal over the fire. The smell of cooking meat made his mouth water.

"Good morning," she said, noticing that he was awake. "Did you sleep well?"

"Like a rock." He crawled out and stood up. "How long have you been up?" Raven glanced at the sun.

"Couple hours." She turned the animal on its spit. "Rabbit is usually better in stew, but we're not really in a position to be choosy." Elijah's mouth dropped open.

"Rabbit? Where did you get rabbit?"

"I have fast hands." He laughed.

"You're joking."

"I never joke about food when I'm hungry," she informed him, deadpan.

"Where did you learn to do.... all this?" he asked, impressed.

My grandmother taught me. I lived with her on the farm for a few years. We went hunting a lot. I learned a few tricks."

"She must be quite a woman." This was the most she'd opened up to him yet. He wasn't going to miss the opportunity.

"Yeah, she was. The only one in my family that didn't take advantage of me."

"You said 'was.'" Raven sighed and bit her lower lip, then nodded. She wouldn't look him in the eye, but he had a feeling if she did, he would see tears.

"Aye. She passed on a couple years ago. That's when I moved to LA." He thought he detected a hint of an accent, but he wasn't sure.

"I'm sorry," he said sincerely. She made a dismissive gesture. They sat in silence for a few moments. Suddenly, Raven chuckled.

"You know how she died? She was thrown from a horse. She was breaking a stud colt to be ridden, and he threw her. She was eighty-six. Not exactly the way you'd expect, but that was the kind of woman she was."

He had to admit, it most definitely was not the way you would expect most eighty-six year old women to go. He half-smiled in spite of himself. Raven was staring off in the distance, her hand pressed over her chest.

"So, where are you from, originally?" He changed the subject. She didn't seem like a California girl, and now that he had seen her in an outdoor environment, he couldn't imagine her living in a city, or wanting to.

"Minnesota, originally." She looked back down and turned the rabbit again. "I moved to LA after I got my degree 'cause the pay was better." And because I wanted to get as far away from my family as possible, she added to herself. Why she was telling him all of this, she had no idea. The fact that he had kept his promise and not touched her all night gave her some small hope that she had finally found a decent man. Time would tell, and it looked like they were going to have plenty of that. She took out her Leatherman and cut a strip of meat off the rabbit. She tasted it and nodded.

"Breakfast is ready." She took the spit off and leaned it against some rocks while she carved the meat off. She laid it on a flat rock that she had washed off in the river. Carrying it over near the fire, she laid the serving stone in the grass next to Elijah, then sat down on the other side of it. "Bon Appetit." He picked up a strip of meat and eyed it dubiously. "Haven't you ever had rabbit before?"

"Not that I know of..."

"Well, relax. If it bothers you, pretend it's chicken. They taste similar." She picked up a leg and took an enthusiastic bite out of it. Elijah watched her as she closed her eyes, savoring it. Shrugging, he popped the strip of meat into his mouth and was surprised to find that it did taste rather like chicken, and that he liked it besides.

"Not bad," he commented. Raven tried to smile with a mouthful of food, but only managed a smirk. He laughed at her expression.


With stomachs full of warm food, it was easier to get going. They packed up their meager supplies and put out the campfire before setting off down the river. The sun had taken the bite out of the cold, and they were both in a good mood as they walked along the riverbank, despite the events of the day before. Elijah had insisted on carrying the duffel bag, since Raven still had her injured ankle and homemade crutch to deal with. He also walked between her and the river, just in case.

"So what about you?" she asked. She had gotten fairly quick with her crutch, and was having no problem keeping up with him. "Where are you from originally?"

"I was born in Iowa, but we moved to California when I was little so I could pursue acting."

"How many people in your family?"

"Me and my mom, one brother, one sister. I don't really see my dad much anymore." He glanced sideways at her. "How about you?"

"Mom and older brother. I haven't seen my dad since I was ten. Why acting?" He shrugged.

"When I was younger, it was something fun to do. Then I just grew up with it. I guess I didn't really choose acting. It was more like acting chose me."

"Pushy mom?"

"No, just really supportive. Why did you decide to become a nurse?"

"Practical reasons, mostly." She squinted into the sun. "It pays the bills. And I love working with kids."

"So you're a pediatric nurse?" She nodded. Truthfully, she didn't feel comfortable working with adults. Kids were, as a rule, more straightforward and honest. She was drawn to their innocence.

"And I like to feel like I'm making a difference," she added as an afterthought.
"Well, you certainly made a difference to me." He looked down at his feet. "You saved my life, you know. I'm still not sure how to thank you."

"Why don't you just say thank you, and I'll say you're welcome, and then we pretend it never happened. I wouldn't want a burden of gratitude getting in the way of our...friendship." She glanced up at him as she said 'friendship,' trying to gauge his reaction to her presumption. He looked back at her, considered for a moment, then nodded.

"I guess you have a good point," he admitted, "although I've never thought of gratitude as a burden before."

"Really the problem becomes figuring out when you've paid off your debt of gratitude. I know a lot of people will hold it over your head for the rest of your life. I just want you to know that, as far as I'm concerned, you don't owe me anything."

"No, nothing, just my life," he laughed.

"I'm sure you would have done the same were our positions reversed." Elijah put a hand on her shoulder. She stopped and turned to look at him.

"Regardless," he said, looking intently into her eyes, "I am still alive because of what you did, and I thank you." Wide-eyed, she nodded.

"You're welcome." Smiling, he drew her in for a hug, but then he felt her wince.

"What's wrong?" he asked, concerned. She shook her head and looked away.

"My back's still sore, that's all." He took a step back.

"May I see?" Still not looking at him, she shrugged.

"If you want to, I guess..." He grabbed the hem of her sweater and tugged it up several inches. His eyes widened. Her back was a mass of purply-blue splotches laced with angry red scratches. It looked very painful.

"How bad does that hurt?" he asked sympathetically.

"It'll heal." She tugged her sweater back down, feeling suddenly shy. She started limping along again, wanting to run but not knowing exactly why. Of course, it wasn't hard for Elijah to keep up with her, lame as she was. He wasn't sure how to react to her erratic behavior, so they walked in silence for a few minutes.

"So, do you have a boyfriend?" he asked suddenly, hoping to get a rise out of her. It worked. Her head snapped around, green eyes flashing.

"What kind of question is that?" she asked, shocked. No one had ever asked her that before.

"It's a fairly straightforward one. Do you have a boyfriend or not?"

"Not. And I'm not really looking for one, either, to be perfectly honest."

"Oh." Elijah glanced at his feet, disheartened. "You prefer women?"

"No, I prefer solitude. Why do you ask so many questions?"

"Because I want to know about you. Why do you hate answering them?" He countered. She fell silent, refusing to look at him. But he wasn't going to let her off that easy. He turned backwards and stepped in front of her, forcing her to stop. She tried to go around him, but he stepped in front of her again.

"Please move," she said evenly.

"What are you hiding from?" he challenged her.

"I'm not hiding from anything." Her eyes flashed defiantly.

"Then what are you afraid of?" He was right, he could see in her eyes the spark of fear behind the anger. She stared at him, and he met her gaze, challenging her to tell him the truth. Finally, she looked away.

"What business is it of yours anyway?" she asked softly. He heard the surrender in her voice.

"Well," he said, softening his tone, "We're probably going to be here awhile. For now, like it or not, I'm all you've got. And you're all I've got. So we might as well trust each other. Deal?" He extended his hand. She eyed it suspiciously. He had a point. For now, she had no choice but to trust him. She sighed.

"All right. Deal."

"So from now on, we'll be honest with each other, right?"

"I....um, I guess so...." It was easy for him to promise. He had grown up in the spotlight where she had grown up in shadows. She was certain whatever childhood antics he had gotten into between films were nothing compared to the skeletons in her closet. If he wanted to get to know her, fine. She just hoped he knew what he was getting himself into.



The phone rang. Sean Astin rolled over and glared at the alarm clock. 8:30, it said. He grumbled and checked the caller ID before answering the phone.

"Dammit, Dom, you know I've been doing night shoots this week. I just got home an hour ago, and..."

"Turn on the telly." Dom's voice on the end of the line was terse and tight, as if he were holding something in. Sean could tell he would brook no argument. Getting out of bed, he padded out to the living room and switched the big screen TV on.
"...plane crash yesterday morning. All aboard the small plane are presumed dead. This is a tragic end for actor Elijah Wood, whose career seemed to just be taking off. He played the starring character, Frodo, in the box office record breaking trilogy Lord of the Rings. The third movie in the trilogy, Return of the King, premieres in two months. Wood was twenty-two years old."

"Jesus." Sean sank down on the couch. He heard a gasp behind him and glanced back to see his wife standing in the doorway with her hand over her mouth and tears shining in her eyes. On the TV the news story continued. The camera panned over the smoking, crumpled wreck on the mountain-side. The telephone lay on the couch, forgotten.



Billy was still in Scotland, but Sean, Dom and Orlando were all staying within 50 miles of each other. The three friends met at a bar and grill in downtown LA. They had managed to secure a private room, and they sat around their table in silence, staring at their respective beverages.

"I just can't believe..." Orlando began, but he couldn't finish.

"He was supposed to outlive us," Sean whispered into his beer. The other two nodded in agreement. Sniffing and blinking away tears, Dom stood suddenly and raised his glass.

"To Elijah," he proclaimed in a wavering voice, "the brightest star among us, snuffed out far too soon." They clinked their glasses together and drank deeply, trying to drown their sorrow and finding comfort in their shared grief.

The end of that chapter was so sad! *sniff*

I wonder what happened to her to make her so tense and scared?????

Great job!

*~Steph~*

The end of that chappie was soooo sad. But he's alive, alive. Le sigh im glad raven has kinda decided to open up a bit sure it will be better for her.

Hi *waves*
I thought I would drop in and look a this story of yours.
This one I have never read.
Is it one of your earlier stories?

I must say that I like the idea of two people stranded after a planecrash.
I always wanted to do something like that myself.
*grins*
But that was a long time ago.

I think it is pretty good but to be honest...I think your other stories are better written. Hope you don't mind me saying that. Cause it is meant as a compliment; your writing has just improved a lot.

Anyways I will be back to read more

@ninque elen ~ yes, this is one of the very first fics I wrote and posted on EWFN. Actually, it is the second one; Sea of Dreams was the first and I am not sure if you read that one, either. I know that my writing has improved since then; I hope you still enjoy reading this one.


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Chapter Six

"Okay," Elijah began, satisfied with her promise. "So you're going to answer whatever I ask."

"Within reason," she agreed. "I will answer honestly. I won't guarantee that you will like the answers."

"That's all I ask." They started walking again. Elijah bit his lip and gazed out over the horizon, trying to think of a good question. Raven set her jaw and stared at the ground, dreading whatever it was he was going to ask her..

"You mentioned that you hadn't seen your father since you were ten. Did your parents get divorced, or..." his voice trailed off as she shook her head.

"My parents were never married."

"But you have a brother."

"Yes, they were together for like fourteen years before my father, ah...left."

"Oh." Suddenly he realized one reason she might not have wanted to tell him about herself. Well, he was interested, so he would find out about her no matter what he uncovered. "Okay. What did your parents do for a living?"

"Legally or illegally?"

"Uhhhh - " He hadn't expected that.

"Look, Lij, I imagine your childhood was filled with all kinds of happy memories. I wish that were the case for me too. But truthfully, the first fifteen years of my life are years better left forgotten. I will still answer your questions, but don't hold any illusions that you will uncover some sort of warm fuzzy memory of my distant past. There aren't any." Elijah looked like she had slapped him, and she felt a twinge of guilt. "I'm sorry, but that's the truth."

They walked in silence for several minutes. The mountains rose majestically around them, the river flowed musically by them, and the red and yellow leaves rustled on the trees.

"So how about after that?" Elijah asked suddenly. Raven, who had allowed her thoughts to wander, was thrown off a bit.

"Huh?" she asked blankly.

"After the first fifteen years. The years worth remembering."

"That was when I went to live with Nana." Her expression softened.

"What is your favorite memory from those years?"

"That's not fair. There are so many." She stared off into space. She had learned so much those last years. "Probably learning to play the violin."

"You play the violin? I'm impressed."

"How can you be impressed? You haven't even heard me yet," she teased.

"Do you play any other instruments?"

"A little guitar. And I sing." Elijah grinned.

"You sing? Let's hear a little." He glanced down and was surprised to see color rise in her cheeks.

"I...I don't really..." she stammered.

"Oh, come on," he urged her. "I promise I won't laugh." She sighed and closed her eyes, recalling a song she and Nana used to sing together. It seemed especially appropriate considering their circumstances. She took a couple of deep breaths, cleared her throat, and sang.

There's a blue sky way up yonder
There's a blue sky over my head
There's a blue sky way up yonder
That's a cover for my bed
And wherever I wander
And wherever I roam
There's a blue sky way up yonder
That's a-calling me home

Her voice was a clear, beautiful soprano, and the song was a haunting, melancholy melody. Suddenly, Elijah almost felt homesick.

"Wow." His voice was hushed. "Have you ever considered a career in music?" Raven shook her head.

"I'm not lucky enough for that. I'll stick with nursing. It's no music career, but it's dependable."

"Yeah, but what are you passionate about?"

"Both, really. I love my job, and I love the children. It gives me a reason to get out of bed every morning. But I love my music, too. I don't know what I'd do without it. It's my drug, I guess. My one addiction. Even now my fingers are itching to play." She moved her fingers reflexively, as if she were playing an instrument, then stopped, sniffing the air. "Do you smell that?" she asked.

"Smell what?" he responded, confused. The air was filled with smells. A smoky tang still lingered in the air after the fire the day before, and mingled with the smell of evergreens and the river. Raven turned and headed straight into the forest. Not sure where she was going but intrigued nonetheless, Elijah followed. About fifty meters away from the path they had been following alongside the river, on top of a small bluff, he saw a riot of bushes with small green leaves and specks of red and black on them. As he got closer, he saw that the specks were actually...

"Wild raspberries!" Raven breathed, then dropped to her knees in front of the nearest bush. Hungrily, she plucked the berries from their stems. After sampling a few, she held a handful out towards Elijah. He took a few and tasted them. They were smaller than berries bought in the supermarket, and sweeter. The two of them lost no time picking the ripe berries from their branches. They were delicious, and compared to the scant rations they had had, they were a feast.
Elijah was bending over to pluck a particularly ripe berry when something fell on the back of his neck. He clapped his hand to the spot and straightened up, looking around to see what had hit him. He saw nothing, but another something hit his shoulder. He glanced over to see Raven peeking over the top of a bush at him with an innocent expression. The ends of his mouth tugged upwards in a smile, and he threw a raspberry back at her. She ducked, and it missed. A smile spread over her lips, and mischief sparkled in her eyes. He paused for a moment, amazed at how her smile transformed her face. He had heard of women who could light a room up with a smile, but had never met one - until now.

His distraction cost him. Raven launched another raspberry that hit him square on the nose. She laughed at the expression on his face, then ducked again as he launched an attack in return.

Soon it had escalated into an all-out war, with the two jumping over and around and crawling under the berry bushes. It finally ended when Elijah sneaked behind her and tackled her. She shrieked as they rolled down the bluff and came to rest at the bottom with Elijah on top. They were both laughing. Elijah raised himself up slightly and looked deep into her eyes. The laughter trailed off. Suddenly, more than anything else in the world, he wanted to kiss those smiling lips. Time seemed to slow down, seconds stretching into minutes. He could feel her heartbeat against his chest, pounding just as his was. The smile faded from her lips, and she stared up at him. He though he saw his own desire mirrored in her eyes. He lowered his face to hers and kissed her.

Inexplicably, she stiffened, and in the next moment he found himself being pushed away. Raven scrambled away from him, crablike, then struggled to her feet. He could see that she was shaking.

"I - I'm sorry," she stammered, then turned and hobbled away as Elijah stared after her, confounded.


Raven collected her crutch, then squeezed her eyes shut and covered her face with one hand. She had wanted him to kiss her so badly, had been swept away in the moment as much as he had been. But once his mouth had pressed into hers, with his body pinning hers to the earth, she had felt the all-too-familiar panic rising in her. She hated the reaction, but was powerless to do anything about it.
"Are you okay?" She looked up to see Elijah standing before her, eyes full of concern. She nodded, smiling wanly. "Did I do something wrong?" he asked anxiously. She shook her head.

"No, you did nothing wrong. It's...an old demon of mine." She glanced up to see that the sun had crept further towards the horizon than she had expected. "We should get going if we want to find someplace to set up camp before dark."


They found a small clearing a couple hours walk downriver from there. Elijah caught a couple fish while Raven set up camp, and they cooked them over the fire for supper. Afterwards, they set up their makeshift bed again and crawled in. They lay there, side-by-side, fully clothed, gazing up at the stars. There were a lot more visible out here, with no light from nearby cities to dim them.

"There's the Big Dipper," Raven said in a hushed voice. "And there's Orion." She pointed. The night was filled with sounds. There were crickets and cicadas chirping, and the occasional owl hooting deep in the forest. "You know, when I was little," she said softly, "I used to look up at the stars and pretend they were angels, watching me. I even gave some of them names. I would talk to them, tell them when things were going wrong. It made me feel better, no matter what was going on. The illusion that someone out there cared about me. I think that's what I missed most when I moved to the city. You can hardly see any stars." She smiled self-consciously. "I probably sound like a weirdo to you."

"Not at all," Elijah whispered. She looked over at him to see him watching her with heavy-lidded eyes. Her head was pillowed on his arm, and his hand crept into hers. Raven suddenly felt the crazy urge to cry, so she looked back up at the sky before any tears could leak out. A streak of light caught her attention.
"A shooting star," she whispered. "Make a wish," she told him. And in the privacy of her heart, she made a wish of her own. When she looked over at Elijah again, he was asleep. Soon, she was too.

Great chappie, the rasberry fight was really sweet. Shame about the kiss. Raven should really tell Elijah whats wrong but I guess she's only known him a few days so? I've said this before, but i'll say it again, great chappie, please post more soon.

Yeah I have read sea of dreams on the writersblock I think, not sure about it though.
And yes I still enjoy reading this....believe me I don't bother with stories I don't find interesting or good.

The raspberry fight was great...it gave some relieve of the tension that seems to be brewing.
The hints about what happened to this girl you're putting in the chappies are very intriging...I like it if there is a bit of a mystery, if people have a past. Tends to make them more interesting!