A/N: Hello! I'm back with another chapter and it hasn't been months! If you read the last chapter, you may have realised this is going to be a long one.

Anyway, without much further ado; enjoy!

Chapter Twenty-Six

Choices

Thranduil's POV.

Anxiety is a very human emotion.

The concept is of course known to the Eldar, but not one that we often experience ourselves. It isn't because we do not worry about things or lack empathy, as some humans believe. It's because of time.

Humans and elves view time very differently. We rarely have to worry about things that humans might be anxious about, because we do not age. It is a privilege that I now understand is why sometimes humans view us with resentment and think that we are cold. Elves do, in fact, have a great deal of empathy towards many things, but because we are immortal it is pointless to worry about things that do not matter.

I suppose anxiety is a very common human trait, because they have so little time to make the wrong choices or make up for their mistakes, no matter how small or insignificant they may seem to us.

I was anxious.

I had not yet seen Millicent since she had gone to see Gandalf. Maggie came back earlier and explained that the wizard wanted to speak with Millicent alone. That was over two hours ago and I was ashamed to admit that my own nerves defeated me.

"Will you stop pacing, please for the love of God?"

"I am not pacing, I am merely…."

"Pacing?"

I exhaled a defeated sigh and then leaned against one of the stone pillars. Maggie had decided to wait with me and even though she wasn't obligated to do so, I still welcomed her company. I also sensed that perhaps she was equally anxious and eager to find out what secrets Gandalf shared with Millicent. It was strange to think that a few years ago - even a few months ago - I would have laughed at the very idea of her being my friend, but now I found myself grateful for her friendship. To Maggie, staying in Middle-Earth seemed like an obvious choice, especially as her family came from this land and even though her brother was no longer with us, she still had her father, her family and friends. I wondered what Millicent would do, if given the choice.

Would she stay in Middle-Earth or would she choose to go back to her own world? The latter made sense, of course, because this was still a strange world to her. Rather selfishly, I liked to think that she felt at home here.

With me.

Our shared kiss surprised us both. I do not blame Millicent for running, although a small part of me is also a little hurt. I am not angry with her, I do not think I could ever be, but I just wished to understand her emotions. A part of her still undoubtedly has feelings for Charlie and that is something I understand all too well. Maybe she is struggling with allowing herself to let go and move on. Perhaps she felt guilty.

Guilt.

Now that was an emotion I could understand. While Legolas gave me his blessing to court Millicent, a part of me still felt as though I was betraying his mother. Logically, I know deep down that she would want me to find happiness in life, even if it was with somebody else. She would not want me to spend all the ages of this world dwelling in my own contempt and misery. That is no life to live. I have people who depend on my leadership and strength for survival and prosperity. I have a kingdom that I have shamefully let fall into despair and disrepute. The once great kingdom of the woodland elves was a dark ruin to which people dared not fare.

Father would be ashamed of me. Everything he built and created just slowly falling into shadows all because I was...moody, as Maggie called it.

No more.

Once I returned to Mirkwood, things would change. Staying in Erebor showed me that our relationships with dwarves could easily be strengthened. It needed more work and I needed Elrond's help as well as Fili and Maggie's, but it was possible.

Mirkwood would once more be the great woodland kingdom of the Sindar elves..

"Millie!" Maggie suddenly exclaimed, "Are you alright? How did it go?"

"It's a lot to take in," Millicent replied, "He wants to speak with you, though. When you're done, maybe we could just talk?"

"Yeah of course, I'll come find you."

Maggie gave Millicent a hug before she went to find the wizard. I had no idea what Gandalf and Millicent spoke about, but she was suddenly pale and seemed very distant. Even I, who had known Gandalf for many, many years, was sometimes overwhelmed by his presence and wisdom. If the Valar were indeed responsible for sending Millicent to this world, Gandalf would be the one to convey their message to her. Admittedly, sometimes the wizard also acted on his own impulses, such as when he so innocently took Bilbo Baggins out of Bag End. Although even perhaps then, he was acting on behalf of Erú. One can never be quite sure.

"Are you alright?" I asked, although the answer was obvious. Millicent's face was pale and her eyes seemed vacant.

"Yes, or at least I will be," she replied, "I have a lot to think about and not a lot of time to do so."

"What do you mean?"

"Gandalf gave me a choice. Actually, I suppose the Valar told him to convey the choice to me."

"And what choice is it?"

Truthfully, there was no need to ask. I knew deep down what the choice was and all of sudden, my anxiety transformed into fear.

"Gandalf said that if I want to, I can return home, back to my world." Millicent explained, "Or, I can stay here, in Middle-Earth. The caveat is that if I choose the former, I can never return to this world and it will all be as though it was all a fading dream when you eventually forget all the faces you saw."

"And if you stay?" I said in a whisper

"If I stay, I simply won't be able to return home. My world remains unchanged and still in the midst of a war."

Gandalf had bestowed a terrible choice upon Millicent. One that nobody should ever have to make and certainly not at such a young age. Obviously I wished for her to stay, there was no doubt in my mind that I wanted anything less, especially now that I finally admitted to myself that I harboured feelings for her and wished to act upon those feelings. However, it wasn't my choice to make and my intentions mattered little. I did not wish to manipulate her into staying for the sake of appeasing my own selfish desires. Perhaps in the past, that is exactly what I would have done, but I was a changed elf.

Millicent had changed me and much for the better.

Our shared kiss earlier meant something to both of us and while I do not blame Millicent for being frightened, we still needed to talk about it. One would think that in the thousands of years I have been alive, talking about your feelings would be an easy task, yet I found myself struggling for words as if I was some young elfling unable to contain himself.

"Millicent, I -"

"I think we -"

We both chuckled which seemed a bizarre emotional response given the circumstances. A sigh escaped my lips as I gathered my thoughts and hoped my words wouldn't offend her.

"I cannot claim to understand how difficult a decision this must be," I began, "But I want you to know that regardless of what you decide, you have my full support."

"That's just it, though." Millicent said, "It's not a difficult choice at all. In fact, it's surprisingly easy."

"Oh…"

My heart sank, fearing the worst. I had prepared myself for the potential that Millicent might one day choose to return to her world. After all, it made sense, but facing the reality of that choice was much more difficult than I ever anticipated.

"I'm staying." Millicent announced, "I've already told Gandalf."

"What...I don't...do you not wish to go home?" I said, barely able to form a complete sentence. I was glad Elrond wasn't here to see me make such a fool of myself.

Millicent was silent for a while before she continued.

"A few months ago, I probably would have jumped at the chance to go home, but things are different now. Back in London, my life is at the hospital and if I'm not there, I'm at home. I eat, sleep, go to work, come home and then it all starts over." She said, "I don't have any family left and if I'm honest, I barely have friends. After Charlie died, I made my job my sole reason for existing, because I thought that if I saved as many soldiers as possible, his death wouldn't be in vain and maybe I could move on. Then I found myself here, in your kingdom and everything changed. On Christmas Day, Maggie, Felix and Nat told me what happens back in my world and how the war ends. We win. The Germans do not take control of Europe and all the soldiers get to return home. Which means…:"

"Which means Charlie may find his peace and you are able to move on." I understood, "Millicent, are you sure this is what you want? Leaving your world and home behind is no small choice."

"Yes, because now that I can let go of him, it also means that I can make Middle-Earth my home. I have friends here now and those who consider me family, like Maggie and Fili. I can stay here with you, if that is what you want."

That last sentence caught me completely off guard and I must have looked like a fool, because Millicent laughed again.

"I'm sorry I ran away before," she apologised, "I didn't mean to, it was just an impulse reaction. The truth is, I've known for a long time that I want to stay and in that moment I realised how I actually felt and it frightened me, because….well, because I wasn't sure how you felt."

"I know things have not been easy between us, but if I may speak frankly, I would very much like you to stay." I confessed, "In fact, if you would allow me to, I wish to court you, Millicent Thomas."

"I would like that very much, Lord Thranduil."

My heart almost exploded with a childish joy that I had not experienced in a very long time. Millicent stepped closer to me and by now both of our hearts were beating faster and faster. Then, her lips brushed mine, softly and delicately, like butterfly wings. It was just long enough that I could inhale her breath and feel the warmth of her skin. I placed one hand on her waist and the other behind her neck as she wrapped her arms around my shoulder and I wanted nothing more than that moment to never end.

To be continued…..

They kissed! Again! Nobody ran away! What do you think will happen now? Millicent has a year until another war comes - what do you want to see in this fic?