Success is Counted Sweetest

Chapter Four - The Return

Disclaimer: You know the routine, I don't own LOTR, etc…but it would've been so darn awesome to meet J.R.R. Tolkien! (Christopher Lee did!) Argh! Why isn't Tolkien in my computer's dictionary? Damn computer! Ah, see that could be the reason I rated this fic PG rather than G...not for the actual content of the story, but for my personal comments...like that one. Oh also, I've noticed I've only gotten like...2 reviews. Probably because most people reading my fic don't like it. Well, if you don't like it, please review anyway and tell me why! I can't improve if I don't know what I'm doing wrong. Ooh and Christopher Lee is also in Sleepy Hollow, which I just watched last night (Johnny Depp! Woo7!)

Ten years later...

Sam laid down his shears and shielded his eyes from the sun as he looked toward the pond, hearing something land on the bank. It appeared to be a traveler's pack, one that a hobbit might use if going on a long journey. A split second later a strange shadow passed overhead, and Sam shifted his gaze just in time to see someone fall directly into the center of the pond, as if he or she had fallen from the sky. Startled, he began to shout for help.

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Pippin had just barely escaped Farmer Maggot's cornfield for the third time that week when he heard a large splash.

"What was that?" he asked Merry, who shrugged

"Help! Somebody help!" came a shout from the same direction.

"The pond!" Merry exclaimed.

"Someone's fallen in!" Pippin agreed. Without a backward glance they both began to run at top speed to the pond, luckily only one field over from Farmer Maggot's.

Pippin leapt over a hedge and found Sam kneeling at the pond's edge. Without a word of explanation, Pippin and Merry glanced at each other before simultaneously pulling off their jackets at diving into the pond.

Pippin pushed the murky water away as he dove deeper, straining to see so he could find whoever it was that had fallen in. It grew darker and he could just barely make out Merry's figure beside him. Pippin wondered nervously how deep the pond could be, and if they'd be able to save whoever had fallen in. He began to think that maybe his efforts had been in vain when his hand struck the muddy bottom. He could barely see, but he could just identify what looked like a young hobbit-lass. After glancing around to make sure Merry had made it, Pippin grabbed one of the girl's arms as Merry grabbed the other. Pushing hard off the bottom, Pippin began to swim slowly toward the surface, finding that it was much harder now that he only had one arm and the other was occupied pulling dead weight. He kicked harder as his legs began to ache and his lungs started to feel as though they would give out soon. He could see the light. He fought his way through the water, which began to feel warmer, hoping he would make it before he passed out. Pippin tried to swim harder, but his lungs were on fire. He was almost there! Just when Pippin was sure he couldn't make it and was about to give up, his head broke through the surface and he gasped for breath.

Merry and Pippin pulled the girl up so that her head was at least above water as they swam toward shore. Pippin had a sudden fear that the girl might not be only unconscious, as he had previously thought. He pushed that thought to the back of his mind and concentrated on getting her onto dry land as fast as he could. Merry and Pippin clung to the grass to catch their breath as Sam pulled the girl up onto the bank. After a moment, they had all crowded around her to inspect the girl whose life they had hopefully just saved.

Pippin leaned over the unconscious girl and noticed that she was wearing the sort of clothing that humans from "modern Earth" wore, according to the photographs Alaina had given him. With this thought another entered his mind, a nagging one that Pippin just couldn't put his finger on. There was something familiar about this girl...

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Sam pushed the girl's wet hair out of her face. She definitely looked familiar. A thought occurred to him, but he pushed it away, not daring to hope. But he was sure that he knew this girl from somewhere even though he couldn't imagine why she would be dressed so strangely. Sam studied her. She had somewhat tangled brown hair that hung about a foot below her shoulders. He was sure that, had she been awake, she would have had green eyes and a mischievous grin that meant she was up to no good even if it was all in good fun. It was at this point that Sam noticed something around her neck, something that confirmed his suspicions. It was a circular piece of metal, silver in color, with the elvish rune for self-defense engraved upon it, hanging on a piece of black cord.

"Merry, Pippin...do you know why this girl looks so familiar?" They both shrugged. "It's because...it's Alaina."

A/N: Woo7! Be proud of me! That's like...two chapters in two days! Well, it's a weekend. Ok, I was going to say something but I don't remember what it was...well, here's something else to entertain you: if you see random asterisks, it means either there is a cut to another scene (so to speak), or there is a change in point of view. I always use third person objective POV (well, usually…I'll try to be consistent but it might sometimes become omniscient), but when I change it just means that you can see the thoughts and feelings of another character. It'll usually be Alaina...but sometimes she's unconscious so it doesn't work out so well. Please review! Also review or email if you have any questions, comments, or suggestions. Now, I must go play Kingdom Hearts...I'm so addicted to that game! Thanks for reading!