Ellie looked around the room. It was so homey. The walls were round. The windows not broken. Birds chirped and twittered just outside the house. There were plants that were alive. She was no longer in a four-poster bed, but resting on a regular king-sized bed, complete with white sheets and a brown cover.

There was Frodo with clean hair. He grinned at her. She'd never seen him so happy. All was well. Why did She have this feeling they weren't out of this yet.

"You saved me." Frodo said, sounding more like himself. He was so kind.

She rested her hand on his cheek, feeling his arms still wrapped around her securely. "I love you. I always have. I always will."

"I know. I love you, too, Ellie." He kissed her again, soft and tender. She didn't want this to stop. If it was a dream, she'd wake up. It wasn't. She was alive and so was he. The kisses were real. Frodo was back. He was himself. No longer the Dark Lord of Mordor.

They must have been in Bag End. So why did she catch a glimpse of a mirror, standing against the wall. She breathed heavily as he kissed her neck. The kisses were so soft and comforting. She could almost sleep in his arms.

"Frodo," she managed to get out, "is that mirror supposed to be there?"

"Hmm?" He turned his gaze towards the mirror. "No. But…" his voice fell silent. "What's it doing? Excuse me." He gently moved his arms away from her, enough to keep her lying on the bed. He pressed his hands against the mirror's wooden frame, testing it. So far, nothing happened. He shook his head. "We're fine. Nothing better."

"Oh really?" said a sinister, dark voice from the other corner of the room. Frodo jumped, as did Ellie. No way. It was Frodo's Dark Lord self, dressed all in black and smiling.

Frodo shook his head. "I should have known you'd come back. You imprisoned me for all those years. Why did you do it?"

"Isn't it obvious? We're at Bag End. You're both still trapped in the mind prison." He chuckled. "There's no one to save you. Only your wits can set you free. You're not out of this yet. Did you really think it'd be over?"

"Frodo," Ellie turned to Frodo's lighter half. "Don't let him take over. Defeat him."

"I can't." Frodo answered. "Only you can. You say you love me."

"I do love you." Ellie admitted.

"Tell him that!" Frodo said, pointing to his darker half. "Only you can get us out, but you must set me free."

"Frodo, he poisoned me, took me against my will, captured me," Ellie spat, serious.

"Ellie, it's the only way to save us both. You have to free his heart." Frodo nodded. "You can do this. I have faith in you."

"What's it to be?" Frodo's dark lord self asked, testy. "Ellie, you know you cannot break my reign."

"Why did you poison me?" Ellie asked, concerned. Her breath felt heavy again.

"You see. The eternal sleep is taking over." Frodo's dark self declared. "There's nothing you can do."

"No. There is." Ellie stood up, approaching him. She couldn't believe it. This dark half was frightened. She wanted so badly to get her revenge. But she knew that she couldn't do it. She gazed into his eyes, seeing the blue returning. "I know you want to imprison me in an endless sleep, but I know your heart is there, present. I've felt it. I've seen it. Surely, you don't want to leave me here forever."

He gulped. Ellie looked around. The room returned to the mind prison. Frodo's lighter self was trapped in the cage. His darker self stared at her for another moment or two. He gulped again. "I can't. I can't let my lighter self go. It'd ruin me. It'd ruin everything."

"You do love me." She said, softly. "I knew you would."

"Oh, you are difficult to please." Frodo's dark self held out a grey key. He moved towards the cage, releasing his lighter self. He stared down at his lighter self. "You won't win! I own Middle-earth! Or rather Gandalf and Galadriel does."

"Wake up, Ellie." Frodo's lighter self said, kindly.

"No. I cannot do that." Frodo's darker self said, shaking his head.

"What are you afraid of?" Ellie asked him, concerned.

"Melt his heart." Frodo's lighter self whispered in her ear. "He has a light side. He just won't show it. You can do this. I have faith in you."

Ellie moved towards his darker self. "I know you're in there. You'll free me."

"Middle-earth's not the same." Frodo's darker self said, shaking his head. "If I free you, if I… love you, everything will vanish."

"What have you got to lose?" Ellie asked, murmuring and resting her head on his chest. "I love you, Frodo. I know you're in there. You'll come back to me."

.

Frodo pressed his hands against her back. She was so warm and his heart so still. He could feel the love returning there. He stared at Ellie's sleeping form, hearing his lighter side beckoning him to end his reign, so Middle-earth could be saved. One kiss was all he needed. One kiss that would be memorable.

His heart melted at her touch. He took a breath and gently kissed her lips. Forceful at first, but growing more affectionate by the minute. His heart warmed up, no longer feeling so cold. The power of the Ring was waning. The gold band breaking.

Memories poured through his mind. His vision broke, sending him images of everything he experienced. With one difference, the Ring itself was destroyed in Mount Doom. Ellie had vanished in his arms. He opened his eyes. Gold dust appeared from where Ellie had been. Gold dust took over across the room. He did it. He let her in. He became fond of her.

He moved through space and time, his spirit reaching his unconscious form in the Fields of Cormallen. He awoke, feeling the darkness still resisting to let go. The good news: there was light in his heart. The Ring was destroyed. Sauron was gone. And by the looks of his friends and family, everything was as it should be. He saved Middle-earth, and yet he didn't save it for himself. He saved it for everyone.

And Ellie. He didn't see her. She was gone, as if the dystopian world didn't exist. He sank in his bed, feeling pain in his heart. He'd never see her again.

*.*.*

Thanks for reading. :)