Hellllooooooooooo!
Here's the next chapter! Oh gosh, only a few more chapters to go! Including this chapter, only three to go! Awwww… I'm so sad! *wipes away tears*

Eeekkk! I got my first real flamer review the other day. For some unknown reason, I found it terribly funny… is that normal? Hahaha, it was a guest review, so I deleted it… but still…

Anyways…

Disclaimer: I don't own LOTR- but I do own a LOTR shirt, does that count? Hahaha lol jokes! I don't own LOTR- promise!

Silver :)

Chapter 36- Other Side of the Doorway

Hayley rolled her eyes as she stared at the ceiling. Her friends had left, and she had to stay in the Houses of Healing and rest in bed like a good little girl… if only she had been able to go with them… she'd go to any extent to protect Frodo…

Hayley clutched her side as she pushed herself off the bed, she didn't care if the healers… and Vanessa… and Legolas… and Merry… and Aragorn… had all recommended rest. She couldn't just sit around while everyone was doing something! She'd have to make herself useful!

Hayley limped past many patients when her eye caught on a tragically peculiar sight. A man was lying on the ground banging his head on the ground and gasping for air. It was painful, Hayley could feel it. Hayley gasped and quickly ran over to him.

"Are you alright?" Hayley asked.

The man turned his bloodshot eyes to meet hers.

"No."

Was this some sort of shell- shock or something? Hayley had read about this sort of stuff before… psychology interested her, was that so weird?

"Do you want to talk about… anything?" Hayley asked.

"No!" The man squealed and began to bang his head on the floor again. Hayley swallowed the lump in her throat.

"How… how about we just go over the… and sit on the chair?" She asked nervously.

The man looked up at her again, searching her eyes.

"Come on, we'll walk over together." Hayley held out her hand. "That way it won't be so hard."

Hayley felt strength surge within her after helping the man, she liked helping people.

Hayley cringed; she had never felt something like it before… She pulled her blankets tighter around herself in an attempt to ignore the feeling.

Her head began to thump and her breathing grew to a rapid pace. What was wrong? Anger began to wash over her… why was she mad again?

And then… her finger! Pain shot up her finger and she let out a scream. Her finger pained… was it gone? Hayley raised her hand to inspect it… her finger was still there…

Frodo! She gasped in realisation. The empathic link… everything! She could feel his pain. Hayley felt her heart beat heavily in her chest. What was wrong with Frodo? Hayley drew in a raspy breath as she cradled her excruciatingly painful finger. Strength and belief flowed through her.

"I believe in you too, Frodo." She whispered to herself.

And then she felt it… the ring had been destroyed.

Hayley felt nervous as she walked towards the door. Merry and Pippin had entered the room only seconds earlier, but Hayley had been scared. She gulped as she thought of the other person on the other side of the doorway… Frodo… an awake Frodo. She hadn't seen him in so long… and he'd saved everyone… was she even worthy of his presence?

Hayley closed her eyes in thought before bravely taking a step through the doors. She flicked her eyes open to gaze at him. He was laughing with Merry and Pippin. Hayley felt a smile twitch on her lips before she ran over and leaped onto the bed.

"Frodo Baggins!" She laughed. "You promised that you'd never scare me like that again!"

The four hobbits and Gandalf laughed harder. Hayley grinned and wrapped her arms around Frodo to embrace him in a tight hug.

"I missed you." She whispered softly before planting a quick kiss on his cheek.

"I missed you too." Frodo whispered back.

Hayley began to laugh again, pulling away from Frodo slightly just as Gimli strode through the door. Hayley was overjoyed; it was such a happy moment.

Legolas and Vanessa were next to come through the door. They stood beside Gimli at the foot of the bed. Legolas wrapped his arm around Vanessa. Hayley laughed harder… if that was even possible… She was glad to see that the two had finally gotten their act together.

Aragorn came through the door.

Hayley felt a warmth stretch up her Sam entered; he and Frodo shared a friendly smile.

They were together again... everything seemed so distant now. Was that a good thing? Hayley shrugged her shoulders and let joy overtake her.

Hayley smiled to herself as she lay in her bed. She and Vanessa were sharing a room. She could hear Vanessa's breathing on the other side of the room, Hayley imagined her to be just staring up at the ceiling in thought. Hayley stared into the blackness of the room, her eyes moving over the barely visible ceiling.

"Hay?" a voice croaked out of nowhere.

Hayley turned her head to look at the unmoving silhouette of her friend.

"Yeah?" Hayley whispered.

"Do you ever think about home?" Vanessa asked.

Hayley frowned, did she?

"Not as much as I used to." Hayley whispered.

Silence fell between them.

"Do you ever miss cameras and phones? … You know what I mean." Vanessa whispered.

Hayley frowned, what was with all of the questions?

"I guess." Hayley shrugged.

Hayley could see Vanessa's outline move into a nod.

"Hayley, where is home?" Vanessa asked.

Hayley's breath caught in the back of her throat. "umm… where do you think it is, Ness?"

"I asked you first." Vanessa whispered.

Images of the Shire flashed through Hayley's head. The houses, the grass…

"The Shire." Hayley breathed. "Now what do you think?"

Hayley heard Vanessa move under her blankets. "I don't know yet." She gulped, desperation lacing her tone.

Hayley had thought Vanessa would say Middle Earth… hoped she'd say Middle Earth.

"I mean…" Vanessa sighed. "I mean… I love it here, but I wanted to be a Doctor, you know…"

"You could still be one… like a healer or something." Hayley shrugged.

"How about you?" Vanessa asked.

"I'm not so sure. Not yet anyway." Hayley frowned.

Hayley could see Vanessa's tear-filled eyes glimmer in the darkness.

"Truth is, Hay, I'm frightened." Vanessa whispered. "Like… what happens next?"

"Everyone's frightened, Ness."

A deafening silence filled the bedroom. Hayley let her eyes wander around the walls.

"Why do you think we're here, Hayley?" Vanessa whispered.

Hayley pondered this question for some time. "Well, you know how in those movies, the heroine was always sent to save the world or something?"

"hmm…" Vanessa nodded.

"Well, I used to think that. I used to think we were sent to save Middle Earth, but, Ness, but now… I think that Middle Earth saved us."

Vanessa chuckled quietly. "When did you get so wise?"

Hayley smiled. "I think… I think… I don't think I was wise until quite recently, actually."

Vanessa began to chuckle.

"Don't laugh at me, Ness!" Hayley squealed in laughter. "I could make fun of you and elf-boy."

"ha-ha." Hayley could tell that Vanessa had rolled her eyes.

Both girls fell silent again.

"How are things with you and Legolas?" Hayley asked.

"I think I love him…" Vanessa said.

"Think?" Hayley teased.

"Okay, I definitely love him." Vanessa giggled.

"I'm just curious, how do things work out with Human- Elf relationships?" Hayley asked.

"I don't know exactly. But I imagine it would be like Arwen and Aragorn. Like when…if… we get married…" Vanessa gulped. "He'll have to give up his immortality."

A crease formed on Hayley' brow. "But isn't Legolas a full elf?"

"Yeah…"

"Doesn't that rule only apply to half-elves?"