A/N – This is a sequel to The Road to Middle-earth. If you haven't read that first, I would highly suggest checking it out! For those who have already read it, this is a warning that this story is considerably darker than RTME, and I imagine there will be people who will hate what I do to it. But this focuses on the problem of evil and the consequences for those who choose to follow that path. But it does contain the other side to that, which is hope. :) So if you're up for a bold and angsty road, then please do read on, and don't forget to R&R!

A/N – ::takes deep breath:: Okay, and now onto the bad news: I should probably clarify why Sauron is in the list of characters mentioned for this story. While you shouldn't expect to see his physical character in this, his spirit will be very much active. That said, he's most likely the only LOTR character that will make an appearance in this story, other than the occasional flashbacks (hang on, don't hit the back button yet!). However, I think I neglected to mention that this story is only the second installment of a planned trilogy. Anyway, this is just what I have planned as of right now, and my reasons for doing this will be apparent later on. Things may and probably will change.

A/N – Like RTME, there are some scenes that I find to be more attractive with certain selections of music. They will be provided in the footnotes if you feel so inclined to listen to them.

Whew! Okay, I think that's enough Author's Notes. In Bilbo's words, I think we're quite ready for another adventure... ;)

The Return to Innocence

A fanfiction by MushrooomsPTook

Disclaimer: I own nothing. You might as well say it owns me!

A Family Affair

"A happy family is but an earlier heaven." -Bowring

She was supposed to be asleep. In fact, she told her mother that she would go to bed right after she finished her homework, and she did for a time. But she was also a teenager, and while high school demanded an early start each day, sleep just wasn't welcome at this hour. It wasn't the fact that her Algebra test was tomorrow, nor that she was supposed to have read the first chapter of Wuthering Heights. If she was honest with herself, she would realize that the insomnia had nothing to do with school at all. But she had managed to convince herself that it was quite possible she had eaten too much pizza for dinner and she would feel the effects tomorrow in gym.

The teenager sighed in bed while gazing up at the ceiling. She could feel a bubble rising within her, and her cheeks had become fiery hot. She felt her forehead with the back of her hand. Normally, she would have sworn that she had a fever, but this was not the case. She reached behind her, tucking a hand beneath her pillow. Her fingers played with the pages of the book in a loving manner, and the bubble burst out of her with a squeal. She squeezed her eyes shut and allowed a shiver of excitement to run down the spine of her back.

The girl suddenly rolled onto her stomach and reached for her lamp, and with one swift move, pulled the book out and stared at it longingly. To think, she thought, they are making it into a movie! Her eyes lingered a second longer at the cover before planting a fierce kiss on the lettering. She laid her head against it and sighed adoringly like a little girl with a big crush.

"I wonder who will play Frodo," she whispered. Her eyes widened. "And Gollum! Oh my gosh!" With a muffled scream, the girl plunged her face into the plushy pillow and giggled excitedly.

She gasped when she heard footsteps approaching and quickly turned out the light before plummeting into the bed, back faced to the door.

"Alayna?" came her mother's voice. "Alayna, are you awake?"

The girl's lips were sealed tightly, as her eyes flickered from side to side, nervously waiting for the chance when she could breathe again. But it was luck that saved her, for she suddenly heard the familiar sound of her dad's car pulling up in the driveway. Her joy increased as she heard the car door open and close. Unlike her mother, her dad understood. He had practically raised her in Middle-earth, and was the person who told her the news about the movies. "And if you like," he had told her, "I'll buy us a couple of tickets for Christmas!" How that delighted her and she promised she would make him proud during her first year of high school.

The front door opened, and she heard her father's footsteps enter the home. Her mother made an impatient sigh upon his entry. "Jack, where have you been? Do you realize it's nearly one in the morning?"

"I'm sorry, hun," he replied. "I guess I just lost track of the time. You know how the guys are."

"Don't lie to me. I already know you never went with them to that movie—"

"What are you talking about?" he said defensively. "I told you I'd probably be back late."

Another sigh came as both pairs of footsteps went into the kitchen, where the refrigerator door was opened. A couple of clinks, and it closed again. The pop of a can and the sound of fizz followed. "Jack, drinking won't solve anything. You're running out of excuses and I'm running out of patience."

"What does that mean?"

"It means you need to get your act together and start thinking of your family!"

"I do! But that doesn't mean I can't go out every now and then."

"I was talking about your only daughter, Jack." There was a moment of silence. "And no, I don't expect you to be around here all the time, but I do expect you to be a father."

"Excuse me?! Well, perhaps maybe you should take a look at yourself since we're on the subject. When was the last time you did anything with her? Took her shopping? Buy her new clothes!"

"I can't buy her anything at the time being, Jack! You've wasted all our money!"

"I have NOT!"

The loud noise of paper being waved into the air made Alayna cringe. "I have statements here that tell me you've spent over $3,000 of our savings at the casino within the last month! How do you explain that?"

The can slammed against the counter. "So you're spying on me now? Is that it?"

"WAKE UP, JACK, OR YOU'RE GOING TO LOSE YOUR FAMILY!"

The sound of something banged against Alayna's door, prompting her to sit up suddenly and eyes water. Although the fighting wasn't particular new to her, the intensity had risen to the point where she was now beginning to understand why her mom was always upset with her dad. But Alayna thought he was a good father to her. Sure, he had his faults. But he did love her... Didn't he?

"I'll be back..." he grumbled, stomping off towards the direction of the door.

"So that's it then? You're just going to walk away like a coward?"

The front door slammed and something fell from the wall, crashing as it hit the floor. Alayna slowly laid back down on the bed, gazing up again at the ceiling. She pulled her covers up around her as she listened as her father squealed away in his car. Next came the tears as she clutched the only comforting thing closest to her, a book by J.R.R. Tolkien.

16 years later...

I tapped my knees impatiently, and watched the clock tick the seconds away in silence. It was only a minute after three, but still, I couldn't shake off the thought that she was late. I pulled out my phone and tried to distract myself by playing Candy Crush, but the limited amount of moves only increased my anxiety, so I ended up stuffing my phone back in my purse.

I sighed and sank into my chair, biting my lip, and doing my best to ignore the clock. But thirty seconds later, my eyes slowly lifted to see the second hand gazing back at me, taunting me as it ticked by steadily. I pulled out my phone again and thought I'd find comfort in checking the time on the screen. But it was two minutes faster and I lifted my right hand, biting my fingernails as I leaned over to peer down the hallway.

A door opened and I sat up to the edge of my chair, dropping my hand in preparation to gather my book and purse. But the appearance of a man carrying an empty coffee mug sent me slumping in my chair again in disappointment. "It's okay," I told myself. "My flight's at eight. I've got time." But time for what? Give my neighbor my keys to my mailbox? Water my plant? Gather all my medications? I hadn't even packed yet! And of course, I'd want to leave early. Every hour was rush hour traffic in Chicago, so I'd have to leave earlier than early.

I glanced up at the clock again. Another minute had passed and there was no sign of Dr. Cogsberry. I got up from my chair and approached the front window, clearing my throat. "Excuse me?"

A big African-American woman lifted her eyes, and when she saw it was me, I caught a hint of an irritated glare behind her glasses. "What now?"

"Um, I noticed that it's four minutes after three."

The lady turned in her chair to look up at the clock behind her. "What you talking—It's only two minutes after three."

"Yeah, well... My phone shows four minutes after three and—" I cringed when she lowered her head slightly, peering at me through eyes that could throw daggers. "I was just wondering if you could see if Dr. Cogsberry is ready to see me now."

"Again ? Girl, you got some issues if you can't sit still for five minutes. I got better things to do than mess around with this." With a heavy sigh, she picked up the phone and dialed a number. "Yeah, Doctor, this is Shanice...again. Look, when you g'na come get this girl off my hands, huh? Yeah, but you said that last time, girl, and she up here again. So give me a answer that keep her from comin' up here, 'cos I ain't doin' this no more!" I began to say something but she put her finger in her free ear while pressing the other against the phone in earnest. "Uh-huh... uh-huh... Fine. I'll tell her." She hung up the phone and looked crossly at me. "Give her two more minutes and she'll be right out." I stared at her for a moment too long and she said, "Anything else?"

I said nothing in response but went back to my seat. Already another minute had passed, so would that make it 3:05, or according to my phone, 3:07 when she came for me? Technically, it shouldn't matter either way; I didn't really belong here. A normal person didn't need counseling, but because the school I worked for ordered it, I had to comply.

I had been a full-time tutor for Collins High School for the last four years, but because, according to them, my mental health was unstable, I had been put on a sort of "psychiatric leave", and had to meet certain conditions before returning. But they were wrong, so wrong I laughed in their faces when they gave me the news. Sure, I'd had a few severe headaches here and there, and some nausea—and I did black out a couple of times (I would give them that)—but this "delirious mentality" the Principal had confronted me about, come on now, really? I had no idea where he got that, except out of his back pocket just as an excuse to get me out of there. I knew he never liked me, but I was okay with that. I was used to it now. Of course, I'm sure more sleep would have helped the situation, but as it was, I was lucky to get four hours a night.

I held my breath when I looked up at the clock again: She had one more minute, or I would have to go up to the window again, whether Shan...Shantel? Well, whether she liked it or not. I sighed and clutched the ring around my neck, a nervous habit I had developed when I got the news of my father's illness. I had put it back in my Lord of the Rings Monopoly set soon after Alice and I returned from our adventures to Middle-earth five years ago. But after waiting by the tunnel for two years with no promise of returning to the magical land, I dusted the game off, and put the ring on a chain, at least to carry a part of the adventures with me, even if it wasn't the real thing.

It had been one of the closest things to me these last three years, since Alice had moved with her parents. James was given another opportunity that would better suit their needs, and although I was very sad to see my cousins go, there was nothing I could do to prevent it. Alice was nine years old when she left and I hadn't seen her since.

Then there was my mom. I sighed inwardly at the thought of flying to Colorado. But it wasn't really the flight as much as it was the arrival. She had remarried two years ago, and the guy was a complete jerk, at least to me. I only met him last year when I finally opened up to my mom about the wonderful adventures I'd had with Alice. He overheard and told me it was inappropriate for a twenty-nine-year old to play make-believe. What made it worse is that his fifteen-year old son was standing right next to him and he laughed in my face, and said he couldn't wait to tell all his friends that he had a freak for a step-sister. My mom condoned this, thankfully, but said nothing else other than that she supported the school's decision that I should receive counseling.

So really, the only person I had to confide in now was my father, who I had miraculously been reunited with after ten long years. It was difficult at first; there were so many things we had to catch up on and our first parting ended with a wave. The second meeting ended with an awkward hug, and the third ended with many tears, apologies, and a good dosage of forgiveness that prompted us to make an impulsive decision to go to a movie together. Afterward, we had a cup of coffee, ate dinner, and then shared some of the deeper, emotional issues we had both endured. I learned he had remarried, but it only lasted for two years when his ex-wife had moved out unexpectedly during the night. He had also stopped gambling and had cleaned up his life, getting a very well-paying job that was coincidentally also located in Colorado. Although, he never spoke to my mom, he said a day hadn't gone by when he didn't think of me.

This brought about a new question I'd been meaning to ask him, and while my eyes fixed on the slice of banana bread that I pieced apart in my hands, my voiced dropped into a tone of sadness. "Why didn't you ever call or write?"

I stopped picking at the bread when his hand came to rest on mine. I looked up and was surprised to see tears in his eyes. "That's a topic for another day, Precious."

Yes, I had my dad now, and had spent four glorious years with him. We would call each other every Sunday evening, write letters, and then we would make special visits to see one another, which numbered around three to four times a year. My dad even sat with me when I told him about my adventures to Middle-earth. He listened and leaned in eagerly, nodding at the high points, frowning at the low ones, at one point cupping a hand to my cheek when I mentioned that I'd almost lost Alice.

But when I mentioned Aslan, he gave me a curious look, and nodded knowingly. I in turn became curious at his reaction, but before I could ask about it, he prompted me to continue with my story. He was very pleased indeed and suggested that I write a book about it.

Alice was gone, but the empty void had been filled and these were bittersweet years for me, for even my dad, too, would leave me, and I would be alone once again. One Sunday, I received no call, and when I dialed his number, only the voice message greeted me by telling me the mailbox was full. No letter came that week, nor the week after, and though I knew my dad wasn't thrilled about email, I checked mine anyway. The only two messages I had were a facebook request, and a message about how to increase my stamina.

Then a week later, I got a phone call from my mother of all people. That's how I found out. And that's how I got this phone now, after dropping my old one out of shock from the news I'd received. I didn't even hear her voice calling my name on the other end. I left my apartment and found myself sitting by the tunnel that stood along the ditch in the park.

I shook the fogginess off as I realized I had been daydreaming. I immediately sat up and glimpsed at the clock. It had been way more than one minute, and one minute too far. Just as I stood up, a door opened. I peeked around the corner, trying not to be too nosy, and saw Maleficent Eahart sobbing into a tissue while being gently but quickly led down the hallway by Dr. Cogsberry.

"I know, I know it's hard," said the doctor.

"But it's Fluffy," she crooned. "I don't know what I'm going to do without him! He's m-my only child."

"But he'll only be at the vet for two days, right? Just think of how much cleaning you can do while he's gone."

This caused the woman to weep even louder and she only stopped for a moment to sneer in my direction. "You!" she hissed. "When will you ever stop being so selfish! Other people have problems, you know." Then she sniffed, wiped her eyes, and stuffed the tissue in my hand before walking to the window to schedule her next appointment. I quickly tossed the soiled tissue in the wastebasket next to the coffee table before wiping my hand profusely on my jeans.

"Alayna," sighed Dr. Cogsberry. "I'm sorry I'm late. I hear you have some sort of emergency? Why don't we go talk about it?"

"I didn't schedule a session; I only wanted to meet you to let you know I'm leaving and I don't know how long I'll be gone."

Dr. Cogsberry smiled and tipped her head down the hallway. "Come on, dear. I just want to talk for a few minutes. I won't even charge you this time."

I sighed reluctantly. "Okay, but I can't stay long."

As I followed the counselor, I overheard Maleficent muttering, "Impetuous child! Shanice, you've got to stop her from interrupting my sessions!"

"Girl, I wichyou! Trust me, she been drivin' me up the wall."

I opened my mouth to say something, but thought better of it and quickly caught up with the doctor, keeping my head low. Once inside, she closed the door and gestured to the sofa that I normally took. "Sit."

"I'd rather stand, thanks." I looked around briefly; she had done some redecorating, and from the looks of it, by Maleficent. She had a whole list of problems, numbering from Paranoia to Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder. She was the one who needed to be here, not me. But I was ordered by the school to show up for my sessions, and if I left without first talking to the therapist, then people would start asking questions.

"Coffee?" she offered, as she sat down and lifted a mug to her lips. I shook my head. The truth is, Dr. Cogsberry was all right for a doctor, but I never enjoyed our sessions. They were hollow. When I wanted to talk about things related to my family, we would for a time, but they would normally circle around into a discussion about my mental health. "So what's going on?"

"My father," I said briefly.

"Is he still sick?"

I nodded. "They don't expect him to..." I bit my lip. The worse place to cry was in a session with your counselor, and since my first session, I learned never to make that mistake again. "They suspect this is his last week."

"Oh." She set her mug down. "Alayna, I'm so sorry. Really, I am." Yeah, I'm sure you say that to all your patients, I thought. "I know how close you and your father have become." No, you don't. You don't know me.

"Yeah." I cuffed a palm up to my eye, catching a tear before it could take on its full form.

"And they never found out what it was?"

I shook my head. "They thought it might have something to do with Alzheimer's, but I just talked to him last week and..." I cut myself off, blinking rapidly, and breathed in deeply. "Anyway, all I came by is to say I'm not sure how long I'll be."

She nodded. "Understandable. So you're going to Colorado?"

"Yeah. I'll be staying with my mom."

"And step-dad?"

"No, my mom. That man has no part in my life."

She nodded again, this time taking her eyes off mine and tapping her mug thoughtfully. She opened her mouth to say something, but nothing came out. She took another sip of her coffee and then set it down. My brows furrowed together when I felt a light pulsing on the front part of my head. I rubbed it quickly, but Dr. Cogsberry's eyes lingered on me for a moment before she scratched her chin. "Are you still getting your headaches?" I nodded. "You're taking your medication?"

I sighed. "It's not working, I—" I looked away. I didn't want to talk about this now. I knew what was coming, but somehow, the words came naturally. "It makes them worse."

"Well, how much sleep have you been getting?"

I chuckled. "Same, of course."

She watched me for a moment. "Are you still sleeping in trees?" I rolled my eyes. "Alayna, we've talked about this. You've got to try at least one night's sleep in your own bed. I know..." She took a deep breath. "I know you say it brings you closer to..." Say it, I thought. Say it! You know you hate it, but say it anyway. Show me how much you hate it. "...Middle-earth, but really, Alayna. It's been, what, five years? Sooner or later, you have to wake up and realize it was all a dream."

"But to wake up, that would mean I'd have to have been asleep, right?" I smirked when I saw her flinch. "So really, it wasn't a dream, and you just contradicted yourself. Besides, I can't sleep in my own bed now, even if I wanted to."

"And why's that?"

I shrugged. "I sold it."

"You sold—what! Why?"

"It was in the way, I needed the space...and...well, I hadn't slept in it in so long, I figured someone else might as well take it."

"Alayna," said Dr. Cogsberry firmly. "This isn't a joke. You're not getting any healthier without any sleep. I imagine you'll realize what a foolish mistake you made once you return from Colorado, but what's done for now is done. But, please listen. This trip is a good chance for you to start fresh. You'll be with family, you'll be away from here. You'll have a chance to get some well-deserved rest, and even...I don't know...bond with your step-dad."

I glared. "It will be a very cold day in hell when that happens."

She shook her head. "Alayna, what has calloused your heart so much that you hold so much anger?" To my own surprise, I stood there like a fool, lips parted, as I tried to come up with an answer. And suddenly, against my will, I wanted to answer her. But I couldn't. I wasn't ready, for first I needed to desire the answer for myself.

I shrugged and shook my head. "I've got to go."

"Alayna, please, let's talk—"

I opened her door and took out my keys before looking back at her. "I'll set up an appointment when I get back."

A/N – Well...what do you think? Is it what you expected, or less? I had this chapter pretty much written the day after putting up the last chapter of RTME. Trust me, it was so hard not to post it right away, but I wanted to put some space in between the two stories, mainly to wet your appetites (did it work?), but also so that it felt like some time had passed. So, let me know your thoughts!

P.S. I am not a shrink. If you suffer from the same problems as Alayna, do not by any means refer to this chapter for advice, but seek a real and better doctor, therapist, NP, etc. Thank you. :)

Next chapter: Alayna's flight and arrival to CO.