Sorry for the delay. I was updating and finishing some of my fanfics. :)

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Chapter Eight:

A Curse Within a Curse

New Enchanted Forest, Years Ago

Mindy followed Lancelot further into the wood. All she could see were trees and bushes. She looked up at the sky. It was nearly dusk. She had to find something to eat and then sleep. But where could she go? Where would she stay at?

She just hoped Lancelot would understand.

"We need to make camp." Mindy faced the soldier, admitting freely. "Do you know any good places where we can set up a fire, cook rabbits. That sort of thing."

"I know just the place. Come with me." Lancelot said, leading her further down the road.

Something didn't feel right. All the animals became silent, leaving Mindy trembling. All sorts of thoughts clouded her head. Thoughts she expected to find out here, and yet weren't her own. Something was definitely wrong! She had to stop Lancelot. Had to convince him to turn around. She stopped, as Lancelot did, facing her in an instant.

"What's the matter, dear?" Lancelot's voice wasn't his own.

"Lancelot?" Mindy asked, stunned when the soldier transformed into a blonde-haired woman wearing a brown dress.

"Ah! That morphing spell works every time," the woman said, chuckling.

"Who are you?" Mindy said, pulling out her sword.

"Relax, dear." The woman smiled. "My name is Eilonwy. Welcome to the Enchanted Forest."

~o~

Hyperion Heights, Seattle, Present Day

"What are you doing here?" Frodo asked his wife, cautious. This was most unexpected. He had expected to see her, and now he did. He wanted to touch her, to let him know that she was real.

"Frodo," Mindy said, as Frodo placed a hand against her cheek.

The moment they touched hands, a white glow protruded from them. A bright light that caused a streetlight to flicker on and off. Frodo stood up, helping his wife do the same, while they still held hands.

"Frodo, what is this?" She asked, worried. "I don't have magic! You do!"

"You accusing me of not having magic?" Frodo asked, shocked.

"No," she said, concern written on her face. "I'm sorry."

"Let go!" He said, but he couldn't. In seconds, he and his wife disappeared, reappearing inside a snow globe, with a blonde-haired woman looking at them in keen interest.

-x-

The Snow Globe – Hyperion Heights, Seattle

Frodo and Mindy released, leaving them speechless. The glowing light vanished, but any possibility of getting out of the snow globe was futile. Frodo was impressed with how they teleported. What didn't make sense was why and how.

"This is the last spot I was in!" Mindy said, shakily. "I was here. Gothel's up there, holding the snow globe."

"Gothel?" Frodo asked as if he heard the name before.

"You remember her?" Mindy asked, curious.

Frodo nodded. "Look, I'm sorry I yelled at you. I was just scared. I haven't seen you in such a long time." He wanted to say something more but gave up on it. "Well, anyway, we're together now. Nothing's going to happen."

"That still doesn't explain what we did." Mindy announced, worried. She admitted, honestly, "I'm sorry I accused you, too. I'm sorry for everything." She wanted to touch his hand again but couldn't do it. Something stopped her. "No. We can't do this! We can't touch hands!

"What? Of course, we can," Frodo said, approaching her again.

"No. We can't! We'll just teleport somewhere else," Mindy said, shocked.

"Never fear, dear," Gothel announced. That got Frodo and his wife's attention. "It doesn't happen often, except when you lose control. You can try again. Teleport you and your husband out of the snow globe. Go on! Do it!"

"I need time," Mindy said, heading into the cabin, inside the snow globe. Frodo followed her, not wanting to lose her again.

~o~

New Enchanted Forest, Years Ago

"Now I don't want any trouble," Eilonwy said with a smirk. "You'll find I could be a powerful ally."

"I don't want anything to do with you!" Mindy warned her. "Leave me alone!"

"Oh," Eilonwy pretended to be sad. "Would you like to save your boyfriend? I hear Frodo Baggins' curse, the one the One Ring placed on him, could come in handy. Surely, you don't want that curse unleashed."

"Frodo's free of his wounds!" Mindy told her, sharply.

"But I can help you, if you want to," Eilonwy said, playfully. "Come on, Mindy. You and I both know that you're nothing without Frodo."

"I don't need your help!" Mindy squealed in pain.

"You love him, don't you?" Eilonwy said, tilting her head to the side. "But you see, I want to see Frodo suffer. That curse will only break if I die. You'll have to learn to cope with that. Now, how about we start that curse up, see what it does." She blasted a spell at Mindy, forcing her back against a tree. No! Her hands! They were glowing. "There. Now, you'll have the curse on you and your boyfriend. There's only one other way to break it. If your love is true, then it will break easily. If it doesn't, then you'll have to wait until I die. Have we got a deal? Shake now or risk your life."

Mindy was hesitant. She didn't want this curse placed on her! But if it saved Frodo, then what other choice did he have? It was all a trap anyway, one she shouldn't agree to, but impulsively did. She took Eilonwy's hand and shook it. Eilonwy smiled in wicked delight.

"That's what I thought," Eilonwy said, pleased. "You enjoy your time in the Enchanted Forest. You can never come home until Frodo appears. So, I'm afraid you're stuck here."

"What? That wasn't part of the deal!" Mindy said, shocked. "I need to go home. I want to go home. I made a mistake." She whimpered.

"Oh," Eilonwy said, pitying her for a second. "Such pity, and such a pathetic life you have. You shouldn't have left home in the first place." She cackled, vanishing in an instant and leaving the woman stranded. Mindy looked at her hands. What had she done?

~o~

Snow Globe – Hyperion Heights, Seattle, Present Day

Mindy opened the cabin door. There wasn't much in here, but neither was there a fire crackling in the fireplace. The walls were wooden and the furniture was strewn about the place as if someone had already lived there. But she had lived there, ever since the curse came to Hyperion Heights. There was no telling what would happen now.

She hoped that Frodo would understand what she went through, and the parts she failed to tell him.

"I don't understand," Frodo followed her in here. Rats! She should have known he would do that! "You were trapped in here, in this snow globe, this whole time?" He said, amazed, "I've been looking all over for you."

"Now, you've found me." Mindy shook her head. "Look at us. We're trapped again! It's all because of that One Ring's curse Eilonwy placed on me, on us!"

"I thought the curse was already there," Frodo said, confused. "Unless she started it."

Mindy nodded. The truth was coming out now! "Eilonwy was the one who cursed us. She said the One Ring's curse would break if she died or true love's kiss broke it." She sighed, "I'm sorry. But there must be a way to break it."

"Do you still love me?" Frodo asked her now, curious. "You said the only way to break it is if true love's kiss broke it or Eilonwy's death. I'd rather choose the former." He asked again, "Are you in love with me… still?"

Mindy sighed. Her heart beat inside her chest. She wanted Frodo, now more than ever. No curse could change that. She looked at Frodo now in intrigue, nodding to him in a silent manner.

"Say it, please," Frodo said, curtly.

"I love you!" Mindy said, her heart beating faster. "I always have loved you, even when I didn't show it. Even after all this time, my heart still jumps whenever I see you. I want to be with you."

Frodo advanced towards her, placing his hands on her arms. "I love you, too. Always." He leaned in and kissed her. Their breaths were heavy, their hearts beat in time with each other. There was a spark, one that grew strong. A glowing light surrounded them, even as they touched hands. By the time it stopped, they were out of the snow globe, releasing each other and holding each other tight. The glowing light had stopped and a rippling light jetted from them. Their curse was broken, but the other curse, the one on Hyperion Heights, remained. "We did it." He sighed, glad that was over.

~o~

New Enchanted Forest, Years Ago

Mindy wandered through the forest, wondering when she was getting the chance to eat some food. She checked her purse. It still had plenty of coins, the coins Frodo gave to her before all this happened. It would be enough to help her get started, at least for a while.

She checked her hands. They were still glowing on and off. She grimaced at the thought of living with this curse. She didn't want this on her shoulders. Would Frodo understand? Would he suspect her and why she couldn't go home right now? Hopefully, he would forgive her. Hopefully, they would be reunited again.

She looked up in angst, but also anger. "Someday Eilonwy, you're going to get what's coming to you. I promise you that."

~o~

The Warehouse – Hyperion Heights, Seattle, Present Day

"They got away?" Eilonwy said in vain. She hated that Gothel let them go. "The whole point of that curse was to separate them, not bring them together."

"Well, it seems they finally broke their curse. The curse on the town remains," Gothel said in triumph. "Careful dear. With Frodo and Mindy's first triumph, your powers are starting to weaken. And when that happens, you'll soon be mine."

"I can't lose. I've got their daughter!" Eilonwy told her, annoyed.

"Well then, you'd better hold onto her while you can," Gothel said, smiling at her. "Because if Frodo and Mindy are reunited with their daughter, you'll lose this fight. You'll lose everything."

Eilonwy took a deep breath. "Well then, I suppose I'll have to make an example of their daughter, won't I?"

-x-

Roni's – Hyperion Heights, Seattle

Frodo sat down at the bar table next to his wife. It was nice they were together again. Now, nothing could keep them apart. Nothing… except Bailey was gone. Frodo felt sure he would see their daughter here. She seemed to have a knack for getting into things.

"Here you are. And watch that drink! It's a little strong," Roni said, smiling at the couple.

"Thank you, Roni," Frodo said, sipping his ale.

"Don't mention it," Roni smiled widely, walking away.

"Where's Bailey?" Mindy asked, looking around.

"She'll be along, I hope. She's in town, too," Frodo said, sipping his drink.

"Mmm." Mindy tasted her wine. "This stuff is strong." She drank a glass of water to drown out the taste. "Wow."

Frodo looked at his wife, caringly. He wouldn't let her go now.

"What?" Mindy asked, confused.

"Nothing," Frodo said, grinning. "I'm not going to lose you again. We've lost each other too many times. No more."

"Then let's hope our family is reunited as well," Mindy said, tapping his glass and drinking more wine.

Frodo sighed, hoping for once she was right.