Disclaimer: I don't own anything except my own characters.

Summary: (Sequel to 'A day in the life') Riley and Maggie suddenly find themselves back in Middle-Earth but this time they're not alone and things have changed since their departure. Estel is now Aragorn and a grown man and how has their presence affected the war of the ring?

A/N: For those of you who wanted it, here is a sequel! It is going to be quite the long one, I've got lots of things planned but hopefully you'll enjoy it as much as the first one. For those of you who are new to this story it can be read as a stand alone but I suggest reading my prequel 'A day in the life'. Anyway, don't let me keep you, here is the first chapter!

Also, there will be swearing in this chapter; just a heads up! J

One

Old Friends

"We're sad you know. Here it is; first Friday of term start, practically everyone on campus are out and here we all are in our house doing work and playing scrabble."

"Correction," said Felix "You're doing work, we're playing scrabble and Nat and Maggie are out getting the takeout."

"Mate, 'skedaddle' isn't a proper word. How are you in Uni?" Riley said. It had started out as a simple friendly game quickly turned competitive. It was indeed a Friday night and they were sat in the lounge of the small house shared by Nat, Maggie and Felix not too far from campus.

"It counts as a word if you use it as a word," Felix protested "Speaking of Maggie, is she alright? She's been a bit quiet lately. Any idea why?" Yeah, Riley did know why but it wasn't exactly something that could just be brought up for discussion. Four months it had been since they got back from Middle-Earth, four months after having been there for a year. Life wasn't quite what it used to be and if anything it had brought the two cousins closer together than ever before.

"Riley? Hello? Earth to Riley?" Laura said and Felix waved his hands in front of his friend who snapped back out of his thoughts.

"Sorry, yeah Mags is fine, she's just got things on her mind."

"And apparently so do you. You two lately; honestly." The door unlocked and Felix could smell hot chicken korma curry; staying in had definitely been a good idea. Maggie and Natalie came inside both soaked through from the rain. They had all drawn sticks to decide who would go and get the food and they had lost.

"When did England turn into Wales?" Maggie asked "It's practically a monsoon out there!"

The five of them; Maggie, Riley, Natalie, Felix and Laura had been friends for a long time; by chance really. Their families in one way or another knew each other and even though it was two or so years between them they had been quite pleased when they found out they were all at the same university. Suddenly, a loud thunder squall seemed to almost shake the house.

"Geesh; Loki must've escaped and pissed off Thor." Natalie joked but then there was a second squall, much louder and a hell of a lot closer than the previous. Laura counted the seconds and when the next one after that came it was right about them and it cut out all the power in the house. The girls weren't the only ones that screamed because it came so unexpectedly.

"Okay, this cannot be normal." Felix said and Riley had to agree. Then suddenly there it was, as if out of nowhere; a bright white flash of light; which at first he assumed was lightning. However, next thing Riley knew he was lying outside somewhere where it was damp and cold.

"Riley will you get your bloody foot out of my face!" (Natalie)

"Yeah I will once someone helps me get the hell off Felix." (Riley)

"Let me just get out of this." (Maggie)

"Dude, you're fucking heavy!" (Felix)

"I'm sorry but you guys aren't the ones with two football players lying all over you." (Laura) It took the five of them a good few minutes to get themselves sorted and up on their feet. Riley, Maggie, Felix, Natalie and Laura were all equally dirty and all equally confused as to what had just happened – and so were the four unfamiliar faces staring right back at them.

"I swear, this is a déjà vu all over again." Riley said, mostly to Maggie as he was referring to his arrival in Middle-Earth when he had first encountered Elladan and Elrohir. But then he looked up and when he managed to wrap his head around his surroundings it all seemed too familiar and as did the face of the man in front of them. It was unmistakable really, Riley thought, he knew Middle-Earth when he saw it and the three shorter ones were without a doubt hobbits.

Aragorn thought for a moment that surely his eyes must be deceiving him for the woman standing in front of him could not be the very same Maggie and Riley whom had lived with him in Imladris as a child. Was it really the very same whom had rescued him from orcs and watched over him when he was ill? The same Maggie who had fallen in love with his foster father, Lord Elrond.

"Estel?"

"By the Valar, tell me this isn't some foul trick played on my mind." How could they not have aged a single day while he had grown an old man, now 87 years old?

"Oh my god it is you!" Maggie threw her arms around him and Aragorn embraced her heartily. To him, Maggie was equally his sister as much as Elladan and Elrohir were his brothers. Aragorn then turned around to Riley whom in his usual manner stood with arms crossed, pretending to be unimpressed.

"What? I'm not getting a hug? Dude, I practically babysat you for the better part of a year."

Aragorn smiled and then greeted him with an equally warm hug. It was good, thought the ranger, to see his friends again. But then he became curious as to why they were there now.

"I can't believe it's really you and that we're really back?" Then Maggie took a closer look at their surroundings which essentially was in the middle of nowhere and then at four hobbits in their company. "And…what the hell are you doing out here?"

"I'm taking these hobbits to Rivendell. Middle-Earth has changed since last time you were here. Frodo, the fourth hobbit, has been given a dangerous task and was wounded on Weathertop. He has been taken to Rivendell for healing; I'm to see they get there safely." Whoa, reality check, thought Maggie, it must be the war of the ring. But then at the mention of Rivendell which was someplace she was glad to call her home, her face lit up and she turned to Riley.

"So, not to break up this whole reunion thing, but uhm, is anyone going to tell us exactly what the fuck is going on?" It was Laura who'd spoke up. For a moment, both Riley and Maggie had forgotten their three friends were with them.

"And who, prey tell, are your friends?"

"Yeah, that's kind of a long story."

"Okay, let me get this straight." Felix said. Aragorn had decided that they could all explain everything whilst walking. So Maggie and Riley had told them the story of how they had arrived in Rivendell the first time and of their adventures there and then how they had come to be there now. "A few months ago, you two went hiking in Wales and then somehow ended up in Middle-Earth where you lived in Rivendell for nearly a year with that one (he was pointing at Aragorn), when he was six years old?"

"Pretty much yeah." Maggie said

"Okay, I love you guys to bits but you're both clinically insane. There's no such thing as Middle-Earth."

"Of course Middle-Earth is real," said Sam, who wasn't sure he understood anything of what was happening at that moment. "We're all here aren't we? I know I'm real." he was worried about Frodo and wished they would hurry about and get to the elves already.

"Felix, calm down mate." Riley told his friend "I know this is a lot to wrap your head around, trust me first time around I didn't believe it either and I woke up to Elladan and Elrohir with a sword at my throat. This is just Estel…I mean Aragorn. That's gonna get confusing."

"Estel?" Merry said questioningly and looked at Aragorn

"It was my name in Rivendell as a child."

"Okay," Natalie said "So let's just say this is all real and not some extremely, very bizarre dream we're all having at the same time, how did we get here?"

"That is something I also wish to know. Last time you two were here, it was for a reason. I have no doubt in my mind that this time is no different but, you will find that things have not stayed the same. Nor people."

"How long has it been and you know, how old are you?" Maggie asked, almost fearing the answer.

"It has been 81 years since you; I turned 87 some weeks ago."

At this remark, Felix passed out.

"This is gonna be a long day." Laura said

To be continued….

There it, the first chapter! They're all back! Yay? Nay? Love it? Like it? Hate it? Let me know by leaving a lovely little review!