Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Nikki: Thanks! I'm glad you have been enjoying the story thus far!

Animegirl123: Thanks!

LalaithoftheBruinen: Thank you for the ideas! They did help me push pass the writer block. As for Boromir's fate… you will find out in about three to four chapters for I already have that scene written.

NessaVan: I also hate it when authors abandon their stories. And as for this story… it too much my baby to give up on it.

ElfIcarii: Thanks again for the ideas you sent me! They really helped a lot.

Chapter 14: Pranks and decisions

The mid-morning light shimmered through the tree limbs as Legolas stepped out of the house of healing, wearing a serene smile. Briefly, the elf stopped a moment at the sound of approaching feet. Looking briefly to the side, his smile widened as his elven sight spotted his hobbit companions.

Relaxing against a tree trunk, Legolas watched as his friends came closer until he called out in greetings, "Good morning my friends." With a small gesture to the forest around them, he continued his welcome, "Beautiful day, isn't it?"

"Why are you not with Lady Lillian? You said you would stay until she woke up? She might…" Sam stopped in mid lecture as Legolas held up in hand.

"But I was, my friend." The prince's smile grew as he saw the looks of confusion begin to change as realization dawned on the four halflings. Legolas watched as their eyes lit up with hope, replacing the dull light that had settled in their eyes since Moria.

"Lillian…" Merry started before Pippin interrupted.

"You mean Lillian is awake?" A chuckle escaped the elf as he saw the hobbits' excitement. It was good to see them happy again. Gandalf's death had weighted them down heavily as did Lillian's injuries. But now things were beginning to return to normal.

"She woke late last night." Legolas paused for a moment before continuing. "She is currently awake and eating a light breakfast as we speak." Again he laughed, watching as the hobbits rushed into the house of healing in excitement. Shaking his head in amusement, Legolas headed towards the pavilion where he would find the other members of his company.

Several minutes later, he arrived at his destination and stopped briefly to study his fellows. The two humans were dueling a couple yards away, and from the sweat on their brows, the elf knew they had been working for a while. Practicing with one another had become a habit while they stayed here in Lothlorien, waiting for news of Lillian's condition. Each had also made sure that they took time to instruct the hobbits on how to wield their weapons better.

Scanning the area, Legolas spotted his dwarven friend sleeping. He raised an eyebrow in slight wonder, before shaking his head. Shifting his attention away from his companion, the elf opened his mouth to call out to the two human males and stopped as his eyes rested on a pitcher of water. Looking back at his sleeping friend and Legolas's lips twitched. He knew if he woke Gimli by water that there would be retaliation, though it would have been amusing.

Deciding against it, Legolas called out to his friends, "Aragorn! Boromir! I must speak with you!" As his human companions ended their session, the elf turned to his dwarven friend, saying, "Gimli, wake up!"

But the dwarf ignored the elf as he unto his side with a small mutter of, "annoying elf… I'm sleeping."

"What do you wish to speak to us about, Legolas?" Aragorn asked as he and Boromir stopped beside him.

"About Lillian, though the news will have to wait until our friend decides to grace us with his consciousness. He is refusing to wake up."

"I have never seen him that determined to sleep before during our journey," Boromir stated.

Aragorn nodded in agreement.  "Perhaps he dreams and does not wish to awaken just yet."

"His caves perhaps…" Legolas started to say before he pause as he recalled a memory, a soft smile gracing his lips as he continued, "Or perhaps the Lady." After a shared look, the trio nodded in agreement.

"During my younger years…" Boromir started to say as he reached for the water pitcher and nodded in satisfaction when he saw it full. "There were times when I didn't want to wake up. My brother discovered quickly that throwing water on me worked rather well." Looking at Legolas, Boromir asked, "Would you like to give him a last warning?"

In answer, the elven prince called out to his companion once more. "It is time to wake, my friend. The sun is shinning and the birds sing. A far too beautiful day to waste sleeping…"

Again the dwarf's only reply was a slight mutter.

With a shrug, Boromir tossed the water onto Gimli before throwing the pitcher at Legolas, who caught it easily, raising an eyebrow in question as he did.

With a sputtering roar, Gimli sat up. "Cursed ORCS!" Hearing chuckles from the side, the dwarf paused in his rant as he looked at the elf that held a pitcher lightly in his hand and glared.  "Blasted elf, I was getting some decent sleep without have to listen to your kin sing!"

"You sleep far too much, my friend. Not getting old, now are we?" Legolas asked, his eyes sparkling with amusement.

"Old," roared Gimli as he stood up. "I'll show-"

"Lillian is awake," Legolas interrupted Gimli as Aragorn leaned against a tree and smiled slightly at the dwarf's expression at the sudden change in the conversation.

"That is a relief to hear," Boromir commented and the others members nodded in agreement.

A comfortable silence passed between the group before Legolas spoke again.  "Our time is ending here. I can feel it. We need to decide what to do concerning Lillian and what path we will take to Mordor."

"The lass cannot continue the journey," Gimli stated in his plain manner. Nodding his head, Aragorn agreed.

"No, she cannot. Her wounds will not have recovered enough, nor could we protect her should we be attacked again as in Moria." Again silence passed over the group before Aragorn continued, "I will speak with Lady Galadriel and Lord Celeborn and see if they grant her to stay within the borders of Lothlorien when we leave."

Again the company nodded in agreement, though Boromir seemed reluctant. After a brief pause, the noble of Gondor looked at the ranger and asked, "And our path?"

"Lord Celeborn has granted us some boats; the river shall be our road for a while."

Before the other members could comment, Merry and Pippin walked up to them, each holding a tray with drinks on them in their hands.

Stopping in front of them, Pippin asked, "Would you like some wine? It's not ale, but it's not bad."

Raising an eyebrow in amusement, Legolas asked, "And why are you offering us wine?"

"To celebrate Lillian recovering, of course," replied Merry. Sharing a look with the other members of the Fellowship, the elf shrugged before staring at the wine goblets suspiciously. Slowly, the members each took a goblet, sipping the wine well aware of the growing grins on the hobbits' faces.

Again they shared a look before Legolas calmly asked his companions, "I do believe this is a prank," while watching the hobbits run away from the corner of his eye.

"Because it appears that it is." Was Aragorn answer, his lips twitching slightly.


Seeing Aragorn's green teeth, the elf ignored Gimli's muttering and chuckles. "Colored teethed."

After the ranger nodded in affirmation, Legolas questioned, "Time to return the favor?"

"Indeed." Replied Boromir.



*******************

In the soft light of the morning sun Lillian leaned against the truck of a tree in one of Lothlorien's many gardens. A week had passed since she had awoken to Legolas's singing and the healers had finally consented that she was well enough for small walks.

Despite the pain that ached in her side consistently, the human was grateful to be away from the confines of her bed. The long rest had unnerved her. Never before had she slept so long, for the nobles of her world would never have allowed it. They would work servants to their deaths, doing little more than binding a wound to keep bloodstains to a minimum.

Lillian wasn't as surprised by this new kingdom of elves' kind actions. Partially, this was because she was beginning to adapt to this strange world and its chivalry. Time and again the beings in this world had shown the meaning of true valor, and of honor. Her weariness of nobles had begun to fade and some managed to slip past her self-imposed barriers. But at the same time other emotions were rising. She could still remember the two times she had given into her anger…

Slowly, the human woman sat down on the grassy ground beneath her, closing her eyes as she did so. They had lost Gandalf in Moria and Lillian didn't know about it until Aragorn had informed her of the wizard's death. A death that occurred in his battle against a Balrog... she could barley remember red flames before her vision had begun to slip in and out of reality.

It hurt knowing that the old wizard was gone. He was grumpy and rough, but he was a wonderful grandfather figure… and she had spoken to him in anger before his death. When he had reminded her of Kalin and her anger had taken control…

Looking back, Lillian wished she could have one more conversation with him. But that wouldn't happen and there was no point in wishing for things that could never be… a lesson she learned long ago.

Shaking her head, her unbound hair sliding against her shoulder, the woman shifted her thoughts to more pleasant ones and a smile graced her lips as she reflected on one of the hobbit visits…


***************Flashback*****************



It was the third day after she awoke, as Sam and she were eating lunch during a calm afternoon. Throughout the meal they had talked about topics ranging from Sam's home in the Shire to events that had occurred during the time that she had been unconscious.

They were just finishing when the door burst open, revealing Pippin and Merry. Quickly, Merry shut the door before he looked at the other two occupants, whispering.  "Hide us!"

"What did you do now?" Sam questioned as Lillian looked at them in curiosity.

"Just colored some teeth… the faresh you told us about worked wonderfully, Sam." Merry replied as he walked towards them, ignoring the other hobbit grumble as he asked, "Hello, Lillian! Feeling better?"

Nodded her head in greeting, the human answered, "A little better. Who's teeth did you color?"

"Only four people… Boromir, Aragorn…" Merry started to answer when Pippin finished.

"Legolas and Gimli, too!"

"You two get yourselves into way to much trouble," Sam lectured the other two hobbits. "And one of these days it's going to come back to haunt you!"

"It was just a bit of fun…" Pippin commented.

"And that's why you need to be hidden?" Sam countered.

Climbing under the bed, Merry replied, "They are clearly over reacting."

Silence passed through the room for a moment before being broken only by Lillian's soft laughing and the following gasp of pain.

Peeking his head out from beneath the bed, Pippin asked, "Are you alright, Lillian?"

"Yes, Pippin, I am alright," She answered holding her side loosely. "It just hurts to laugh right now."

"You're sure," Pippin question once more and when Lillian answered 'yes' his head disappeared back underneath the bed.

 For a moment there was only silence before Sam spoke up. "What colors did you use?"

And from underneath the bed, Merry answered, "Red for Legolas, blue for Gimli, green for Aragorn and purple for Boromir." Before Sam could comment the door opened once more revealing their other human companions. Briefly they scanned the room before turning their attention towards the bed.

"You wouldn't happen to seen Merry and Pippin today," Aragorn questioned. Lillian and Sam's mouths twitched at the sight of the exile king's green teeth, each of them biting their lips to keep from laughing. Instead, of answering their question, the woman simply waved at them with one hand.

Glaring at the two, Boromir demanded, "Well, have you seen them?" And at the sight of the noble's purple teeth, the two broke and laughter began to fill the room before Lillian moaned in pained.

Still slightly annoyed, but concerned, Aragorn walked towards the human woman, asking, "Your ribs still bother you?" She nodded in replied as the ranger took the empty tray from her lap to the side table. And briefly, Aragorn paused as he spotted a cup of tea sitting innocently on the table. Raising an eyebrow at the woman, the ranger stated, "You were meant to drink that tea. It will help speed your healing as well as dim the pain."

Lillian pursed her lips together before she grumbled, "It would also put me to sleep."

"You need to rest." Boromir commented from the front of the room. And as Aragorn offered her the cup of tea, the woman glared at it before she slowly took it and began to drink, a grimace on her face.

The other occupants of the room chuckle at the expression, and a moment later, the ranger said, a slight teasing note in his voice, "Surely it is not that bad, Lillian."

Offering the cup to him, a pleading note colored her voice, "You're welcome to the rest of it, Lord Aragorn."

"No, thank you," the exiled king replied, waving his hand to ward the cup away.


With a slight grumble, Lillian continued to drink her tea as Boromir re-asked their question.  "Have you seen Merry or Pippin this afternoon?"

"I've seen them everyday; running this way or that, getting into more mischief then is good for them. They hardly stay still, so we would be no help." Sam answered.

The nobles nodded in reply to that answer and as Aragorn was about to say something in reply when a movement caught his attention. Carefully he studied the area were the bed met the floor and barely caught sight of a foot slipping back underneath.

Looking at Boromir, he nodded towards the bed and made a slight hand gesture, signaling what he found, before he held his hand up, telling the other noble without words to wait.

Through drooping eyes, Lillian watched them, noticing Aragorn nodding to something in the direction of the window. Slowly she turned her head to see Legolas sitting calmly in the window seat, a bucket in his hands. Slowly, the two nobles reached down, their hands reaching for the blankets, and paused when a quiet voice was heard.

"Merry?"

"Yes, Pip," Merry whispered.

"Are we in trouble?"

"I believe we are," Merry answered.

"Run?" Pippin questioned.

"Run." The other hobbit confirmed. And quickly the two hobbits scrambled their way out from underneath the bed, barely missing the reaching hands and ran towards the door, opening it, only to stop when they saw Gimli standing on the other side, holding a bucket.


********************

Shaking her head, Lillian pushed away the memory, but not before smiling at the after affects of the pranks. The healers had caught her companions wrestling on the floor wet, spotted with flour and made them clean everything up, all but two. Aragorn and Legolas somehow managed to escape the mess before the healers came. But the outcome of the two pranks had started a small war within the Fellowship that still continued.

"Good morning, Lillian." A voice called out in greeting, drawing her out of her thoughts.

"Greetings, Lord Aragorn," she returned as she watched the ranger sit across from her, a book in his hands. The exiled king had offered to continue Elrohir's lessons in the elvish language and with only slight hesitation she had agreed. And for a couple hours, the two worked away on Sindarin. However like his predecessor, he was becoming highly frustrated.

"No, no. Do not drag the words," he rubbed his forehead. "Put a little more lilt in your voice, and more air into your speech."

"Such may be easy for you, Lord Aragorn," she grated. "For you have lived among these beings many years. It is easy after listening to them for so long."

"You are giving yourself too little credit, Lady Lillian. You have come far in your pronunciation."

Lillian was about to reply when a sight behind Aragorn caused her to pause. Biting her lip the human woman giggled as she saw Merry walking towards them tugging at the red bow that refused to come out of his hair. She gestured for the ranger to look behind him while she clutched her side.

And as Aragorn spotted Merry he questioned, "Having trouble, Master Brandybuck?"

Tugging at his hair one more time, Merry replied, "This bow was in my hair when I woke up this morning and it won't come out. You wouldn't happen to know who did this, would you, Aragorn?"

The ranger barely failed to suppress a grin. Instead, he stood up, replying "Let me see if I can remove the bow," and slowly he walked behind the hobbit, aware of Merry's suspicious eyes. Swiftly, the ranger began to undid the knot and as he removed the bow stated, "It was an elven knot. Ones, I believe, that the wood elves are quite fund of."

Merry's eyes lit up. "Legolas." And then with a quick nod to Aragorn the hobbit started to hunt for their elven companion.

As Merry disappeared from sight, Lillian asked, "Was it?"

"Though it was an elvish knot, it was not Legolas who had put it in his hair, I did." The ranger replied calmly causing the woman's lips to twitch with slightly repressed laughter.

For a moment Lillian paused in thought as she wrestled her inner struggle once more before asking, "What about Lord Legolas? Should he not be warned of…" The human woman paused as she saw the exiled king shaking his head.

"Legolas is expecting them." Aragorn paused for a moment before he added, "Nor is he alone."

Lillian looked at the ranger curiously before asking, "Who is with him?"

The growing smile on the man's face was her only answer, though the smile dimmed a little. The Lady and Lord of Lothlorien had agreed that Lillian could remain in their kingdom when the Fellowship left.

But they had yet to inform her of that decision, and he wasn't sure how she would handle being left behind in an unknown city by those she was beginning to trust. Aragorn knew that it could hurt her and there was less than a week before they left.

________________________

Well, that was chapter 14. Hopefully, everyone enjoyed it. I'm sorry for the long wait.

 As for the next chapter… I'm not sure when it will be out.  I haven't started on it yet, though I do have some ideas for it. However, I won't start working on it until I get two things done.

One. Finish and send in my aptitude test for a writing coarse that I'm trying to get in.

Two. Get chapter three for my Lord of the Ring/Harry Potter crossover story, Crossroad to fate, done. The chapter is roughly half way done at the moment.

Well, till next time.

Like? Hate? Let me know please!