A/N: Hi, everyone! I'm so, so, so, so sorry about the lateness of this chapter! My original intent was to have it ready before Christmas but so much kept happening, I just kept pushing it back and back. Anyway. Hopefully, this is worth the wait, even though the word count is a little bit lower than I would like.

Tell me what you think!

Anna eyed her axe, the one she had thought about slicing open her wrist with, like it was a snake about to bite. She hadn't touched it since that afternoon when Eowyn caught her.

She felt guilt run through her veins like poison. She knew that might be her only way home, but was it really so bad to stay and wait until old age came about? Had she really been so eager to return home that would chance her permanent death?

She thought about what she wanted to do, and with her new revelation, she was reconsidering her agreement to stay in Rohan. She loved the country and its people, but she wasn't sure if she could stay considering her feelings for their king. If they were even real…

Continuing to pace about her room, giving the axe she had thrown across it a wide berth. She wondered what to do with herself. Eomer made her promise to stay, but she felt the burning need to escape. Whether she was escaping from her feelings or her actions, she wasn't sure, but she knew that her mind was not at all at ease here like it should have been.

Anna continued in her old habit of tangling her fingers together in front of her and rubbing them on her clothes once they got too sweaty. She was twenty now she supposed, a year having passed by slowly and quickly at the same time, she almost forgot her birthday was last month. The winter air should have been her first clue, as that was her birth season, though she wondered if they kept their days and weeks measured as she was used to. Twenty years old and she hadn't a thought or clue what to do with herself. Was adulthood always like this? Always scrambling about, trying to figure everything out when the rest of the world seemed so put together?

A knock at the door was her relief from her own thoughts as she swung it open with a little more strength than she meant to.

A smaller girl, looking quite scared at her appearance before Anna realized she had been crazily running around her room. She glanced down and gave the girl a sheepish smile. "Sorry about this," she wiped her hands against her pants again, "I was just, uh, moving the room around. Anyway, what did you need?"

"The Master Wizard and the King summon you to the stables." She squeaked out, not looking at all reassured by Anna's words.

The redhead sighed. "Right, I almost forgot Gandalf was leaving today. Will you tell them I'll be down soon?" Anna made to close the door, but the girl spoke up again.

"The Wizard requested you have an escort!" She rushed out, causing Anna to swing the door back open, looking quite irritable.

"Of course he did." She growled before looking the girl up and down. "And are you to be that escort?"

The girl shook her head as another figure came in Anna's view. "No, that would be me."

Anna glanced up to see one of the Kingsguard waiting in full armor, looking stoic as always. She did not resist rolling her eyes. "Fine, just give me a moment and I'll be right out." Anna then looked to the girl and tried to smooth her features. "Thank you for telling me."

The girl nodded then looked to the guard who gestured for her to be off. Anna watched as she walked much too fast to be calm down the hallway and out of sight. She scoffed a bit before slamming the door shut, uncaring if she was being rude or not.

"When will that wizard learn I don't need a bloody escort?" She muttered as she threw her socks and boots on, strapping her belt around her tightly before flinging the door open and stalking down the hall. She heard the guard following her, his frustrated mutterings not quite escaping her notice, which did not help her mood any.

She approached the two men without bothering to hide her prickly mood. Crossing her arms across her chest, she leaned on one foot and had to hold back the contemptuous comments begging to escape her lips. Instead, she looked between the two of them, whose expressions displayed bafflement at her attitude she was throwing them. Honestly, she wasn't quite sure what she was so angry about to begin with. She was just pissed and was prepared to take it out whoever was available.

Thankfully, Gandalf broke the awkward silence before she exploded. "Eomer tells me that you have promised to stay behind in Edoras."

She clenched her jaw before replying with a clipped, "Yes."

"Good." He stated, taking his eyes off her and focusing on Rohan's new king. "I do not know how many men Aragorn can send, but he will give all the help he can, that I am sure of."

Eomer nodded. "I would not ask for anything more. We can hold our own until the reinforcements arrive."

Gandalf mounted Shadowfax with a fluid grace that Anna found herself envying. "Your men will need you to remain strong, Eomer. Do not lose hope." He then turned to Anna, who found herself struggling to maintain her sour feelings. "Remember what I have told you. You have people who care about you here, Anna." She fought against giving Eomer a side-glance and maintained focus on the wizard. "They will help you, should you ask them." She did not, however, hold back the massive eye roll before Shadowfax bolted out of the stables.

"What is wrong with you?" Eomer asked her, looking at her impatiently.

She gave him an equally impatient look before asked, "What?" in a calm tone, one that she knew he sensed an undertone of anger in.

"You have been like this for days. If there is something wrong, I would have you tell me."

She thought about telling him about her previous thoughts. About what she was doing when Eowyn found her, about what she found out about her brother… all of it. For some reason, the explanation she had been practically begging herself to give held itself in her throat. "There's nothing the matter with me." The blatant lie caused a flicker of irritation to cross Eomer's face. "You are a terrible liar, you know. Is it because I asked that you stay behind? Do you really miss the White City that much?"

His accusation, one that took her completely by surprise, seemed to be stemmed from something else. She could have sworn there was a building frustration in him, though it wasn't something she could understand. "I never said anything about Gondor."

"Then what is it?" He took another step forward, her instincts telling her to back away from him as he towered over her but she remained still. "Explain it to me. Help me understand."

"You can't understand it!" She yelled at him. Her eyes were bulged and her hands were thrown outward, as if she had an emotional explosion and she was only just now letting everything loose. "I just want this-this confusion to end." Her voice wavered with an everlasting exhaustion. Her shoulders felt heavy as they sagged forward, her energy seeming to seep out with every word. "Is this all life is? More and more questions until you're too tired to answer them?"

He gave her an empathetic look, and then he was embracing her in a tight hug, his warmth and smell enveloping her. She was too surprised and too tired to return the embrace, but she was thankful for it all the same. "Please do not despair." He whispered in her ear. "Gandalf was right, Anna, you have friends here in Edoras. People who care about you, and would help you if you let them." He pulled back slowly, though not fully separating. She could see his irises clearly, the hazel bright and warm as he looked upon her. He gave her a small, reassuring smile. One that, though she tried to resist, Anna found herself returning. "I know you have something weighing on you, Anna. I do not know what it is, but I cannot stand by and let yourself be swallowed whole by it."

"But you won't understand!" She repeated, her voice pleading. How was she supposed to convince him to just leave her alone? She couldn't lie her way out of it, but perhaps… she could trust him with the truth. Whether he believed her or not, she could tell him. She could put all his questions to rest.

Anna took one more look at the concern etched on his face, the way he was still holding her arms, almost as if he was going to envelop her again. She took a deep breath.

"I was not born in Middle-Earth."

He was suddenly still and silent. She didn't dare breathe too loudly in case she provoked some response from him without his initiating it. Anna could now hear the horses around them, scuffing their hooves against stone and wood. It was much too silent. It was deafening and she felt her throat tighten as he continued to gap at her.

"Eomer?" She asked hesitantly, grabbing his arms, noticing their slight shaking. His grip had increased on her and she wasn't entirely sure he was breathing.

"What?" He asked, though it was barely audible. His eyes were wide and he looked to be searching her face for something. Perhaps some evidence that she was lying, but Anna knew he would find none.

"I was not born in Middle-Earth." She repeated slowly, anxiety taking over as she observed him. Was it possible that his mind could not take the sudden breaking of his beliefs? Had she ruined their friendship by trusting him?

"I heard that." He replied.

"And?" She prompted, as she tried to stamp down the pessimism that threatened to engulf her.

He tore his gaze away from hers as her stomach fell. How could she have been so hasty? She should have known better than to just spring it on him like this.

"Explain." He said flatly.

Anna took a deep breath. She hadn't expected this, but she supposed she owed it to him. She told him everything. From the beginning, detailing how she arrived in Rivendell without even Gandalf or Elrond expecting it. She told him of her joining the Fellowship and how Aragorn had known a little about her circumstances, and when she told Boromir.

Eomer had stayed quiet through her retelling of their trip to Isengard, then her return to the tower to discover her brother's second life here. She explained about Brynwyn and how she supposed that was why they had connected so fast.

She left out her budding romance with Boromir, though she suspected he already knew about that. She left out her discovery that Kade's death was what brought him back home, and of his way of coping with the loss of his family.

She didn't say anything about her previous attempts to return home. She felt that he knew what he needed to know, and that there were some secrets that she needed kept to herself.

"If you need time," she cautioned after her long monologue to him, "to sort out whatever it is you're thinking-,"

"Yes," He nodded, cutting her off as her arms fell to her side limply, the warmth of his hands lingering. "I think that would be best."

Before she could say another word, that she understood, he took off out of the stables and toward Meduseld. She watched his retreating figure with a tugging sadness as her eyes began to burn. She bit her lip and found herself sliding down to the stable floor, what strength she had in her limbs had all but disappeared.

Anna didn't know what was worse.

The waiting for the rejection she knew would come, or the sliver of hope she still held close to her heart. Either way, she was sure if this were to last any longer than the ten days it already had, she would go mental.

She had only briefly thought of going back on her word to Eomer and just leaving for Gondor. But just as quickly as she thought of it, she tossed the idea away. She was no coward. As much as she would hate him rejecting her and possibly ending their friendship, she would stay to hear him out.

She had just torn his entire world apart. It was bound to leave its mark on both of them.

"Gondor's troops will be here in a week." Eomer said, as he, his guards, and Anna were surrounding the large table in the war room. "We are to make sure our lands are safe for their arrival."

A tall redheaded man with a bushy beard nodded, his fierce expression taking in the map laid out before them. "I have my men scouting the roads. I will add more parties and widen their routes as well." He offered, to which Eomer gave an approving nod.

"That's a start." The king said as he straightened and looked at those surrounding the table. Anna felt her heart pound as their eyes met, only briefly, but it was enough. "Keep me informed on any changes. Even the slightest shift can affect everything. If they lose one man to a fever, I want to hear about it. Understood?"

The men nodded and Eomer dismissed them, leaving he and Anna alone in the war room.

There was a brief awkward silence until Anna couldn't take it anymore.

"How are you?"

He gave her a look that told her that her question had multiple answers so she amended it. "I mean, how are you holding up?" Her hands were twisting around themselves again, the only visible evidence that she was choked up from nerves.

"With the war you mean?" He asked, carefully walking around the table, giving her a wide berth.

"That too."

He sighed. "As well as it can. Their men have yet to make a move, their attacks on the outside villages have all but halted, which makes me think they are biding their time for something."

"Do you have any idea what?" Anna was glad for the distracted conversation. It was almost as if the past couple of days of avoiding each other was just an odd dream.

"No. And even if I did, we wouldn't be able to stop them." He sat down heavily, head bowed, hands clasped in front of him as he glared daggers at the stone floor beneath them. He let out a growl of frustration. "We are helpless should they decide to send their entire party. I'm certain they know this! So why don't they do it? What are they waiting for? Do they have reinforcements on the way? I know it is impossible to know, but it is driving me mad not knowing!"

"Eomer," she was instantly at his side, lowering herself to his level, and looking at him in earnest. "You cannot let your fears and imagination run rampant. We are safe for now. Your country is not lost. You have friends on their way, willing to help you ensure that it stays that way. Just focus on what's happening right here, right now."

They fell silent as they settled into looking at one another. Anna wondered what he was thinking about. The inevitable battle in the days to come? Or had he taken her advice?

Thankfully, he didn't let her sit in silence for long. "You know I was hoping you would come back."

The abrupt change in subject startled her into standing upright. "What?"

He stood as well. "When you decided to stay in Gondor, I was hoping you would come back to visit Rohan. Then when you said you were traveling with Gandalf to Isengard… I thought I could change your mind and convince you to come back with me."

They were treading into territory that Anna knew nothing about. She didn't know where he was going with this, and she found herself anxious to hear what he had to say.

"Then.." His expression grew dark. "Your friend read that letter I gave her, almost ripped it out of my hands. After she had read it, she raved about how you were leaving for good, that you would never return to Gondor or Rohan or any land here. She tried to convince me to get men to follow you, and I almost did, but the wildmen attacked outer villages and I had no men to spare. I was about to go after you myself, but I was told by some that my duty as King overrode my duty to myself." He finished bitterly, glaring at the floor again.

"Days after that, after I had given up any thought of ever seeing you again, you rode into Meduseld with the wizard. You were… different. I could tell something had happened, but I was so angry that you had clearly told that woman something I had no knowledge of, that was the only thing I could express. I didn't know how to tell you that I wanted you to return to Rohan, not just for my people, or that we are friends. I wanted you to return to be with me."

Anna was in shock. She allowed herself the time to process what was happening. Eomer had not said it exactly, but he had wanted her to stay in Rohan. He was worried about her, cared about her well-being, and he was angry that she hadn't told him everything. Except now he knew. She opened her mouth to speak, terrified that her next words would prove everything he said had been for nothing, but she had to know.

"And what you know now….about me." She bit her lip. "Does that change anything?"

She watched as he thought about what she said, clearly trying to find the right words. The longer he took, the deeper she fell into despair.

"I was not sure at first." He replied, though as her face fell, he rushed on. "But I am now. Although, I still struggle with the idea that such a thing is possible, I trust you, entirely, explicitly." He gave a chuckle. "I fear that if you were to tell me the sky was indeed purple, I would feel the need to check."

Anna watched him closely, unable to believe what she was hearing. Had he really just admitted to all of that? How had she not seen it? You did see it, you were just too afraid to acknowledge it.

"I-" She stuttered, unsure how to continue. What was she supposed to say?

Eomer stayed quiet, patiently waiting for her to sort herself out. He seemed sure of himself, something Anna wished she was capable of being.

"I don't know what to say." She finally admitted, looking at him, pleading almost, to help her with whatever was happening.

He took a step closer. "Normally, you would either reject me," he raised a brow, as if he doubted that would happen, "Or you would accept me. It is your choice."

She focused on his eyes, wondering what she had done to warrant such advances from a man of his standing. Still… "If I were to say no?"

His expression darkened as he leaned away from her. "Then I would understand and would not voice them again."

She bit her lip. She didn't want that. She wanted to hear him say it again. "Could you-I mean, please, say exactly what you're asking of me?"

His hazel eyes brightened as his arms snaked their way around her waist. "I'm asking if you would allow me to prove to you that I can be the man you need. The man you can spend the rest of your life with and be proud of."

"I already know. I know what kind of man you are and I accept it. I-" her words caught in her throat. Should she say it? He hadn't. Not yet. Should she be the first? She had only ever spoken them to her family. Saying them to another person, one that could easily take the words and spit them back in her face was unnerving and terrifying.

"I think I love you." She confessed, aware of how foreign those words felt upon her lips, feeling awed at the sound of them. Though, as she studied him, she saw no indication of him disregarding what she had said. His face had split into such a wide grin she wasn't entirely sure it was normal.

"That's just as well." He replied. "I have felt the same for quite some time." His voice was low, husky. His face was inching down towards hers. Understanding what he was doing, she leaned in as well.

She wanted this. She was determined to have something good and sweet and nice. Something to help with the cold, harsh reality she now lived with.

Anna's thoughts flew as he walked her back to her rooms, kissing her hand, then her cheek, then another quick kiss on her lips. She didn't want their night to end. She wanted to stay in that room with him, just talking about their lives together. She wanted to explore what they were diving head first into.

When she voiced that opinion, as difficult as she found it to say, he gave a soft smile and shook his head. "As much as I would enjoy spending this entire night with you, there are duties we must address. I anticipate these next few days will be long." His expression grew troubled, her mirroring his once she remembered why they were in the war room to begin with. The shock and excitement of what had happened shoved aside any thoughts of the wildmen and Gondor's aid.

She nodded and slowly retreated back in her room, only glancing back once he said her name.

"We will have time to figure this out." He told her earnestly, taking her hand in his, softly running his thumb over her skin. "I will make sure of it."

"I know." She replied, flashing a smile at him which he returned.

Once the door had closed behind him, she turned and noticed her axe abandoned on the floor. She walked over and memories of Orthanc instantly flooded her mind. Perhaps she didn't have to return home.

She bit her lip as her stomach lurched thinking about her mother and brother. They wouldn't miss her, she surmised. Kade's absence wasn't noticed when he arrived to Middle-Earth. There would be no need to feel guilty for they would not know to miss her.

But she would miss them.

She sank to her knees, eyes still locked on the axe. She knew she couldn't go through with her earlier plans. Not now. Though she felt a lingering tug, a pull toward her homeland, would the pain of being ripped away so suddenly ever truly leave? Probably not.
Her hands strayed toward the pocket watch still tucked into her tunic. She thought about tossing it, but as she thought more and more of home, she decided she still needed it. Just for a little while longer, just until she no longer needed a link to home to combat her current depression.

Sighing to herself, she pulled herself off the ground, picking the axe up off the stone as well. Carefully, she leaned it against her nightstand, keeping it close to her bed, while putting the other axe on the other side. She would not feel the need to stay as far away from it as possible anymore. She wanted to be able to see it, see it and remember how far she had come and what she had fought against.

Anna laid down on the bed, her arm positioned toward the dwarven axe, waiting for sleep to take her.

That was all she needed, just a reminder of what had happened, and what she had lost.

Maybe Gandalf was right…