Thank you to my wonderful beta Anonymouseme2!

Chapter 21...FINALLY!

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"ARE YOU UP!"

Jessica rolled over and tightened the blankets around her shoulders.

"...yes..." Jessica mumbled. She tried to open her eyes but it felt like she hadn't slept in a year, her eye lids seemed glued shut. She didn't have the will power to open them and fell back to sleep.

"JESSICA! GET UP! I WOKE YOU UP FORTY-FIVE MINUTES AGO!" Jessica jumped out of her sleep and sat up as quickly as possible. She looked around expecting to see Legolas or Boromir looking at her with a stern look, but she didn't see them. In fact, she was looking into the face of someone she didn't expect to see for quite some time.

"Mom?" Her mom looked back at her with a stern expression on her face.

"How late did you stay up last night before you finally fell asleep? Took me three tries to finally get a little noise out of you. Now get dressed and eat some breakfast, we have to get you and your brother to school on time." Jessica watched as her mom left her room and walked into her brothers room.

"SCOTT GET UP!"

Jessica stared at her door, her eyes wide and her mouth open in disbelief.

"But...but...w-what...I think I'm going to faint." Jessica said.

"No, you're not. You're just tired, you're not going to faint. Now get out of that bed and get ready." Her mother said, walking back into Jessica's room, opening her blinds and window, letting the first day of autumn's air come in. She looked over at her daughter, who looked like a deer in the head lights with her mouth open.

"But...what...how did I get here? What happened to Aragorn and Legolas and everybody else?" Jessica looked up at her mom, her mother in return looked back confused and concerned.

"When we came home we found you fast asleep on the couch. It was around midnight I believe. That little marathon of yours only lasted until Helms Deep since it was paused right before Haldir arrived. I had your father carry you to your bed. You were out like a light. I'm pretty sure that everybody's alright since they all survived in the end...well...except for Boromir that is...and Haldir."
"You mean they ended up dying anyways? No that can't be! Boromir and I became friends! And he wasn't annoyed with me anymore. Well...at least to my knowledge he wasn't. And Haldir and I didn't really get to know each other that well. For crying out loud I thought he was hott!" Jessica said frantically. Her mom looked at her scratching her head. Her daughter had lost it...again.

"Maybe you should stay home for today. You do not look yourself, and you're not acting yourself either. It is Monday after all, you know how Mondays are. And that IS the first time you fell asleep to one of your marathons."

"No, I'm perfectly fine, I've just lost it again. No reason to worry, I suppose...it was a dream...I guess." Jessica said quietly to herself. Her mother bent down and kissed her head.

"Would you like me to call the doctor? This bad dream could mean something." Her mother asked.

"Bad dream? I wouldn't really call it a bad dream, though it really does suck that I had to wake up I guess. And besides, what can a doctor do for a bad dream?"

"I'll tell your brother that you're not coming to school today. I will see you at five thirty when I get home. Go back to sleep, it looks like you can use some." Jessica nodded. She watched as her mother closed the door, she waited a few minutes before she sat up in bed.

She looked around the room. It was her room, she was in her room. But how could have this have happened. The last thing she remembered was looking for Boromir, Gimli, Aragorn and Legolas after the warg attack. Did something happen? Was she killed and brought back here?

"It...it was just a dream. Only a dream, a bad dream." Jessica's mind was racing. She was so confused. What had happened to the others, was she even there in the first place? No, that couldn't be. After all, it was just a dream.

She felt weak as her feet touched the hardwood floor. It felt like her legs would give out right underneath her. She forced herself to stand, she walked over to her window and watched the sun rise. The sun always rose on this side of the house. She was glad she had this room.

Everything was running in her head all at once. Was she even sent to Middle Earth in the first place? Her dream seemed all to real. Yes...that's what it was, a dream. An all-too-realistic dream. She felt a lump in her throat, she didn't want it to be a dream. But it was and there was nothing she could do about it.

She heard her mother and brother walk out and shut the front door, she heard the lock, the car start, and heard it drive off over the gravel road that lead to the highway. She had never felt so alone before. She walked out of her room and into the empty house. She looked at her t.v. and saw the Lord of the Rings DVD left out. She turned away, and headed toward the front door. She walked outside knowing that her brother probably didn't feed the horses. She walked on the porch until she reached the steps that lead to the pasture.
She saw that all three of her horses were there. Hunny, George...and even Sonny. She walked up to the fence, and leaned up against it. Sonny walked up to her, and nudged her arm with is nose.

"Did you have this dream of mine too?" Jessica asked as she stroke his face. Sonny tilted his ears from side to side. Jessica left and walked over to the alfalfa she kept under an oak next to the pasture. Once she threw over their breakfast and checked their water, she walked slowly back to the house, still caught up in her emotions about her dream.

Her hand turned the door knob and pushed open the door. As she entered her house, her arms felt extremely tired and weak all of a sudden. It felt like she had been holding a piece of ply-wood and someone was hitting the other end of it. They shook slightly, but she didn't know why.

Then it clicked. In her dream, while she was fighting, after each contact of her sword with another, her arms shook from lack of experience. But why would a dream have caused this? She probably slept wrong, probably lay on her arms or something. She dismissed that thought and walked into the kitchen. She didn't know why, she wasn't hungry. She was too depressed to eat. She didn't feel like going on the computer, or watching T.V. She walked back to her bedroom, and sat on her bed. She looked around her, at all of the Lord of the Rings poster she had posted upon her walls. She sighed.

She laughed out loud, she could still hear Boromir and Legolas complaining about her sighing problem. Maybe this dream was a sign. Maybe her life was too depressing. But she wasn't depressed. She loved life, even if it has it's ups and downs. She loved to live and have fun. But when she woke up this morning, she wasn't her usual happy self. Maybe she did need more sleep. She closed her eyes and leaned up against her headboard. She opened them again when she felt something jump on her legs.

"Hey Brandy." She reached over and started to pet her cat. Her other cat Baby jumped on the bed as well and laid on her face.

"Oh, thanks a lot Baby." Jessica said sarcastically as she spat out cat hair. She lifted Baby off her face and lay the cat next to her. She laid back down on her bed, and closed her eyes. She was praying that she could at least have a glimpse of Middle Earth and of everybody there while she slept. Just a small glimpse would make her happy. She relaxed as sleep came over her body. Then she started to dream. But it wasn't the dream she wanted.

I am so sorry that this wasn't up sooner. For all of you who got a reply from me I and very very sorry. I've just had a terrible time last I updated this. 1) Sonny rammed me into panels and I had major rope burn on my fingers from the rope halter he was in, so I was in a lot of pain for about a week. 2) Went to Lake Tahoe and almost got killed from water rafting, was battered and bruised from hitting EVERY FRICKEN ROCK. 3) Chemistry homework is NOT fun. 4) My horse got colic and thus a major vet bill. 5) My grandma died Friday (9/15)

There IS more but I will not write it all out. So this few months hasn't all been to great. But I DO have the next chapter 3/4 done. I will TRY and get that up if I am not delayed. Once again I'm terribly sorry for the long wait. I STILL LOVE YOU ALL THAT HAVE STUCK WITH ME!...not like...love love...that never met before love...that friend...you know what never mind I'm confusing myself

Elvin BlueEyes