Warning: Contains a spoiler for the book/movie "The Return of the King", so beware
Feedback: Yes, please, to either Trianne or to Azrhiaz

AN: Loosely inspired by the Abba song, "The Day Before You Came", but really just a story about hurt and comfort and fresh starts. Certain lines are taken directly from J.R.R. Tolkien's "The Return of the King", as there is no movie script available at this time. Originally written in April 2003, obviously before ROTK was released in cinemas. Hopefully Merry's part will be greatly restored in the extended dvd :) Thanks to Kia for the great beta.

Elijah was minding his own business, chewing gum and listening to music and generally being Elijah. If there was a typical Elijah Day, this was it. Yet it would be the last such Elijah Day, and had he known it at the time, he might have savored it. Perhaps he would have played his music more loudly, blown bubbles with his gum instead of chewing it into submission. He may even have smoked a few more cloves and found even more ways to bring the word "cunt" into everyday conversation.

But he didn't know. How could he? It was his last typical Elijah Day.

Bernard was not minding his own business. He had made it his business to mind the business of another, and now her business was a closed book to him. It hurt. No, it scalded. Rejection in itself was not new, he had been on this earth a good many years and experienced rejection in all its guises, had even become somewhat inured to the humiliation. But rejection from that quarter was too much to bear. His all he had given, and his all had been found wanting. So pain was indeed the order of the day. The day before Elijah.

It was fitting, in a way; the cut of Olivia's words was twisting through Bernard's guts that morning. In short order the cameras would roll and they would begin filming Theoden's death scene. This wasn't how he would have chosen to get into character, granted, but he'd use it. Bernard lay down in the dirt and the sticky mess of fake blood and tried to remember the curve of her cheek when she smiled.

No, Nazgul blades had nothing on this.

It was a long morning, the sun beating down viscerally hot and miserable, washing the color out from behind Bernard's eyes. When he sat up, blinking, between takes, he saw the young actor playing Merry--Dom, that's right, his name is Dom-- casting curious glances his way. He'd only met him this morning, and yet it was obvious that the lad was perceptive, picking up cues easily, ready to make it believable that Merry would do anything for his lord. He'd thought it was an odd decision to start with this scene, but Peter no doubt had a method to his madness. Bernard shifted, uncomfortable for reasons that weren't limited to the trickling of sweat beneath the heavy armor. Dom held his gaze for another long moment, gray eyes impossible to read. He turned away at last, and Bernard breathed out, relieved.

The reprieve was temporary, and a seeming age of the world later, Bernard was only too glad to retreat to his trailer. To pour an Irish whisky, and hurt in private, away from too-sharp eyes.

Later that evening Dom chopped scallions in Elijah's kitchen, muttering unkind things in German about the quality of the knife. Elijah parked himself on a barstool and watched, fascinated, as Dom's hands flew.

"What are you making again?" Elijah asked, stealing a scallion ring and nibbling on it.

"Poached chicken with scallion-ginger sauce," Dom replied, swatting away Elijah's hand as he tried to snag another bit.

"Can I help?"

"Of course not. Well, you could open the wine. You're good at that." Dom finished the scallions and moved on to the ginger, grabbing a vegetable grater and deftly shredding it. Last time Elijah had tried the same with some carrots he'd added a good portion of Elijah-knuckle to the food.

"Oh, thanks so much," Elijah replied dryly. "'s why you love me, eh?" He hopped off the barstool and maneuvered around Dom to dig in the refrigerator for the wine.

"In your dreams, wanker," Dom said, but he smiled. He was glad he had the chance to cook tonight. Thursday nights at Elijah's had become a semi-regular thing, Dom usually providing the cooking and everyone else taking turns with the wine. Billy would be over in a bit, and maybe Viggo. Always hard to tell with Viggo--if the light changed or inspiration struck, he'd forget all about mundane things like eating. Dom found the repetitive motion of hands soothing, and the day had been very draining, to say the least. Although Dom suspected he hadn't had the worst of it. The memory of Bernard's face, so strained, popped back into his mind.

"You know, I got to work with Bernard today."

"Oh?" Dom heard Elijah behind him, struggling a bit with the cork before it came loose with a tiny sigh. "How was that?"

"Good. He's really a great actor, just awesome," Dom said. He checked the chicken quickly, made sure it was still simmering away. "But I think something was bothering him."

Elijah poured two glasses of Riesling, setting one down on the counter beside Dom. "Why do you say that?" He sipped from his glass and licked his lips. Dom had made a very good case for the virtues of German wine, and now Elijah was very fond of it.

Dom poured oil into a skillet and turned the gas on underneath it. "He just - between takes, you know? His face never changed." Dom frowned, thoughtful. Tossed the ginger and scallions in the skillet, releasing a cloud of fragrance that made his stomach growl. "Like he was really hurting. No fucking around, no joking. `Course, I could be wrong. I don't know the guy."

"Nah," Elijah said, "I doubt that. You're good at noticing stuff about people."

"I guess. You should come down tomorrow, watch for a bit. You're not scheduled with Sean `til one, right?"

"Yeah." Elijah took another swallow of wine, his eyes looking somewhere beyond Dom, lost in thought. "Yeah, I just might."

Bernard, as Theoden, received the small sword with a wistful look on his face. Even here, on the set, everyone had a sense of quiet dignity and true authority emanating from this man.

"As a father you shall be to me," said Dom, his eyes glistening with Merry's awe and reverence for the King of Rohan.

"For a little while," replied the other, quietly.

"Cut!" Peter seemed very pleased with the way things were going, and even spared Elijah a wink as he stood to the side out of the way, watching and inwardly digesting every facet of film making technique, good geek that he was. He called for a quick break while cameras were repositioned and Dom took the opportunity to steer Bernard over to Elijah.

Elijah had indeed been mesmerized, but less by Peter's expertise in the director's chair, impressive though that was, and more by Bernard and Dom. For the first time, he wished he had scenes with Bernard. But even Fran and Phillipa hadn't dared to subvert the text that much. Still, it would have been nice if Frodo had interacted with Theoden or Denethor. Elijah had made the startling discovery some months ago that he was drawn to the older cast members. Not that he didn't adore Billy and Dom and Sean and Orlando, that went without saying. But they didn't do it for him the way the two Ians did, or Viggo or Sean Bean. It was a preference he kept strictly to himself.

Dom was bouncing, on a high after the emotional scene, but Bernard was preoccupied and seemed content to merely stand and stare about him. Elijah wondered it was the same person.

"...so, Bernard is joining us for a drink tonight, Elijah. Okay?"

Elijah came to with a start and realized Dom had been talking enthusiastically, his eyes bright. So Bernard was coming to the pub with them for their Friday night wind-down. He nodded and smiled, turning to Bernard to include him in the patented Elijah Wood luminance. To his surprise, the eyes that met his were cold and indifferent. Elijah, wrong footed, found himself almost shrinking into Dom's embrace. But then Bernard seemed to remember his manners and cracked a faint smile.

"I think Peter wants us back on set, Dom," he said, quietly, and Dom practically ran to find his mark. Bernard nodded imperceptibly at Elijah and strode purposefully to join his co-actor.

Elijah didn't stay to watch any more. He managed to catch Dom's eye and made a gesture of leaving, cartoonishly stifling a yawn and waving brightly. As he left, he wondered just what had crawled up Bernard's ass and died there.

Maybe older men weren't worth the effort, after all.