Title: Another Path

Summary: "Death is just another path, one that we all must take." Aragorn is passing from this life, and the words of Mithrandir, spoken so long ago, give Arwen a new determination to find her way home to Estel's arms.

Rating: PG (may change later on)

Disclaimer: Tolkien owns it all. I own nothing. Gandalf's words belong to Fran Walsh/ Philippa Boyens/ Peter Jackson, as they did such a brilliant job on the rotk script.

Dedication: This one's for Sunshine, because she's such a great friend, and the idea behind this story proves conclusively that we are on the same wavelength (not even mentionning the totally sexy one!) big hugs to you LaLa :)

Author's note: I came up with this idea a few weeks ago and have written the first and second chapters. It's basically about when Aragorn dies, and how they are reunited in the next life. I have not seen this done before on fanfic (please tell me if you have as I would love to read someone else's take on what might happen) and I have no idea what their heaven will be like, but that's not until the later chapters so it's ok for now, I have time to think it through! I estimate this will be about 5/6 chapters in length, depending on how easy it is to write. Time-wise, I am putting chapter 2 up tomorrow, then going away for 13 days. Sitting in my caravan in a field in Cornwall will give me ample time to write the next few chapters of all of my fics, so when I come back I can update!

Sorry to bore you, on with the story!!

btw this one's sad, you might need tissues!

Chapter One

"You can't leave me," Arwen wept, salty tears staining her cheeks. "Not yet. You can't go."

Aragorn managed a smile. With a huge effort he lifted his right arm and wiped away her tears. "I'm not going anywhere. You know I'll never leave you."

Arwen kissed him with all the strength she possessed, harbouring the impossible notion that her life could somehow pass onto him, that they could be given just one more day together. One more hour. Just time enough for her to tell him how much she loved him, just to be with him.

But their time was almost gone, and no matter how much Arwen tried to fight the inevitable, she knew deep down that it was coming, and no amount of denial could make it go away.

Aragorn was dying, his time almost spent. He had sensed it for the past few months, but he had woken that morning and known he would not do so again in this life.

"What will I do without you?" Arwen asked, running a hand through his grey hair, smoothing it down for what she feared would be the last ever time. "You are half of my heart, my soul. Without you, I shall not survive."

"We will be together again," he whispered, his breath shaky and weak. "I swear I will never leave your side. When you sleep I will watch over you. When you laugh I will laugh with you, and when you cry I will dry your eyes. And some day we will meet again, whether in one day or one year, and I will hold you and kiss you like I once did. And together we will watch our children grow, helping them through the tough times, and always, always loving them. Tell Eldarion - tell him I could never be prouder of him. He will make a better king than any Gondor has ever known."

Arwen shook her head as a fresh wave of tears began their journey across her pale cheeks, but Aragorn quietened her with a touch of his fingers on her lips. "But he will never find a better queen than you. Never." She kissed his fingertips and took his hand, lacing her fingers through his.

He continued, his voice growing thinner with every word. "Tell the girls they must never give up. To have their dreams they can never lose hope. Tell them I love them all, and to take care of you. That especially."

Arwen nodded and he smiled. "Now it is time."

"No..."

"Mela, we have lived full and happy lives. I could never have had such a life if it weren't for you. You know how much I regret leaving you, but it is not a choice for me to make. What I can decide is that I will die content, with the one I love by my side."

"Estel, you will never know how much I love you." She kissed his brow, her tears dampening his tanned skin. She met his eyes and they spoke to each other in those last moments in ways that needed no words.

"Remember my promise," Aragorn breathed. "We will be together soon. Sometime, somewhere. I will see your beautiful face again and look into your eyes and kiss your smiling lips. Sometime, soon..." He took his final breath and was transported to a place where there was no more pain.

And all Arwen was left with was the body of a man, all but an empty shell. His eyes were still wise and his face remained as handsome as ever, but it wasn't her husband that lay on the tablet - it was a man unknown to her. He was a beautiful man yes, his grey hair and creased skin false symbols of age he had never felt, but he wasn't the man she loved. That man was gone, and she was alone.

Through her tears she closed hie eyelids over empty eyes, her fingers shaking. With one final kiss on his still-warm lips, she stood and fled the room, her grief now able to fully penetrate the outer calm she had tried to keep whilst he was alive.

Whilst he was alive... just thinking those words froze her heart and stopped the breath in her lungs. She had never felt pain like she felt now. Her soul had been ripped in half, her heart ground into little pieces. So long ago now, she had given her life to him, and in return he had given her his. But now he was gone, what use was either of those exchanges? What use was living when the one you lived for was dead?

Fumbling her way to her room, she collapsed onto the bed they once shared, holding the sheets to her like they were him. And she cried until her body ached and her mind was blinded by fatigue, and then she cried some more. It was hours before she drifted off into sleep, dreaming that Estel was alive and with her, his arms tightly around her, never wanting to let her go.

But when she woke, there was no one there. She called out his name over and over until she realised, and that was when the real grief hit her.

He was gone, and she was alone.

..............................

Sorry it was so sad, but I had to start with his death otherwise the story wouldn't make much sense..... Next chapter up tomorrow, and it's a long one!

Oh, and if anyone has any ideas about what their heaven should be like, I'd love to hear them! I already know a lot of what's going to happen, but not exact details. Thank you all!