Note from Nikki

Yay! School is out for me, FINALLY. leaps around merrily I am officially free for the summer takes a big sigh of relief Well, this story has one more chapter before it comes to an end sniffles sadly I hope you enjoy this chapter, thanks everyone!

Oy, no reviewer notes this time because I decided to just do them next time since it's the last chapter and all. wipes a tear I love you all so much!

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Aurora gazed at her reflection in the shattered remains of a mirror. Her features were blurred but she could clearly see the scratches on her face, the bruises covering her arms, and the tightly wrapped cloth that tied around her neck. Her eye was black and blue and her hair was a tangle of knots.

She sighed. What a way to look on her wedding day. She sat down on the edge of a bed and combed through her hair, flinching when the knots tugged against her bruised scalp. She thought about the things that she had dreamed of as a child.

A beautiful wedding with lots of brightly colored flowers, a long, flowing white wedding gown, her hair elegantly done, everyone admiring her beauty. This vision slowly slipped away and Aurora was left with the dreary room she sat in, devoid of bright flowers but thankfully filled with sunlight.

Aurora found herself smiling as she combed through her tangled mess. She would not change her position for even that perfect wedding she had envisioned. She was with the man that she loved with all of her heart and in a country that she also loved and had been willing to die for. True, wreckage littered the very floor that she stood on but that didn't matter. It wasn't how she had dreamed but in its own peculiar way, it was even better.

Aurora finally managed to de-tangle her hair and she carefully pulled it into a loose bun. It would have to work she thought gravely. Next she pulled over a basin filled with warm water and she carefully, and rather painfully, cleaned out her wounds. Without looking to see how that went, she slipped on her dress of blue and left the room, leaving her weapons behind for the first time in her life.

"You look beautiful," Scott said sincerely as he appeared from behind a boulder.

Aurora grinned. "Right."

Scott smiled and kissed her lightly. "Really, you do."

Aurora didn't let him know it, but inside she was glowing from his compliment, even though she knew it wasn't true.

"You ready to do this?" Aurora asked, slipping her hand into Scott's warm one.

Scott grinned and shrugged. "Well, I dunno. I really don't want to be tied down. . ."

Aurora smacked him on the back of the head and Scott pulled away laughing. "Do you think I would have proposed if I wasn't ready?"

Aurora shrugged. "I don't know. Maybe you were delirious and under the influence of alcohol. I was passed out for an unknown amount of time you know."

Scott laughed and tugged her hair playfully. "Please Aurora."

Aurora smiled and shrugged and together the couple began making their way to the town. They really didn't know anyone who could marry them but they were sure they could find someone along the way. The couple had chosen to keep their wedding a secret, not wanting to bother anyone.

"Where are you two going?" a voice suddenly called out to them. Aurora and Scott froze and turned around to see Gimli leaning on his axe and Legolas, somehow looking cleaner than ever, smiling at them with his arms folded.

"We're just going for a walk," Aurora said nervously.

Legolas raised his eyebrows and shook his head. "When have you ever worn a dress?"

Aurora blushed but managed to shoot a very menacing glare in the Elf's direction. "I happen to be a Lady!" she sputtered.

Scott snorted but nodded furtively when Aurora stamped on his foot. "Yup, she is. Er. . .aside from the whole monster killing, dirty looking, staying with men for a few months, and fighting in a war part."

"Well," Gimli said, his beard twitching. "We have something to show you."

"Can't it wait until later?" Scott asked, frowning.

"No," Legolas said seriously. "It's very important that you come with us now."

Aurora sighed. "This better be important. I was really looking forward to this. . .walk."

The couple then reluctantly followed the two back into the Castle and through busy hallways and up winding staircases.

"Where," Aurora gasped. "Exactly, are you, leading, us?"

"We're almost there," Legolas called. He was running gracefully up the steps without so much as a single hair blowing loose.

Aurora groaned and pushed herself harder, urging her body to continue up the stairs and ignoring the ache in her side.

Scott and Aurora rounded a corner and found that Legolas and Gimli had both disappeared from sight.

"Legolas?" Scott called. "Gimli?"

"In here!" their voices said in unison.

Aurora and Scott frowned and turned to their right where a door was slightly ajar. They pushed it open and froze when they saw the occupants in the room.

Legolas and Gimli stood side by side, looking rather proud of themselves. Dan leaned against the wall, an enormous grin lining his features. In the center of the room stood a thin man with dirty black robes on, holding a book firmly in his hands. Merry, Pippin, Sam, and Frodo also were grinning up at them, their eyes twinkling mysteriously. And perhaps the biggest shock of all was Aragorn, King of Gondor, and his beautiful fiancée, Arwen.

"What are you all doing here?" Scott asked, flabbergasted.

"It seems," Aragorn said calmly, "that you two were planning to run off and get married without informing any of us."

"I-" Aurora froze and turned to look at a sheepish Dan who shifted uncomfortably. "Did you tell?"

"Well," Dan offered, shrugging. "It's not every day your sister marries your best friend. Do ya think I was just going to ignore it and let you run off?"

"We didn't want to bother anyone. . ." Scott said, his voice trailing off.

"Don't be ridiculous!" Sam said firmly. "Hobbits love weddings."

The other three nodded their head and beamed up at them, their curly hair bobbing and their bright eyes filled with amusement.

"We dwarves don't believe in running from anything," Gimli said gruffly, "even weddings with our friends."

"Elves are always loyal and we believe weddings are an honor," Legolas added. Arwen smiled and nodded her head politely at the stunned couple.

"And I," Aragorn finished, "am not about to let two of the best people I know run off to be married by a drunken soldier."

"This man is qualified in marriages," Aragorn said, indicating to the nervous looking man who bowed quickly. "And he has kindly agreed to perform the one here."

Aurora's eyes were filled with tears. She couldn't ask for more. She was with her friends on her wedding day and she stood next to the man of her dreams. Her life, which had been an utter mess before this adventure, slowly fell into place.

"Thank you," she whispered.

Arwen's eyes were bright and she urged Aurora forward. "It is never good to wait," she said encouragingly.

Aurora smiled and she and Scott took their places before the man.

"Your brother," he said, pointing to Dan, "has given me a small idea of what the customs of your land are. I will try to go according to them so that this marriage will not only be accepted in Middle-earth but in your home land as well."

Scott grinned at Dan who shrugged and mouthed, I've never been to a wedding before!

Scott's grin faltered and he turned back to the man who told them to take one another's hand.

"Do you take this man to be your husband for all of eternity and into the life afterwards?" the man said importantly.

Aurora raised her eyebrows and Dan shrugged and muttered, "Well, it was something like that."

"Um. . .yes, I do!" Aurora said, not caring if her brother had no idea how proper wedding ceremonies went.

"And do you take this woman to be your wife for all of eternity and into the life afterwards?"

Scott smiled and kissed Aurora's hand lightly. "I do."

"You may now kiss the bride," the man said.

Aurora shot another look at her brother but leaned forward and kissed Scott deeply on the lips. The others clapped and the man came forward. He said several words over their heads in another language and then pronounced their marriage true.

Aurora laughed and hugged everyone in the room.

"You must have fast weddings," Frodo said, hugging Aurora tightly.

Aurora shook her head, still giddy. "No, my brother is just a git. He forgot about half of the things but I don't care. As long as I am officially Scott's."

The thought sent butterflies through her stomach. She was no longer alone and independent. She shared a bond with Scott now that would last the ages of the world and of the world that followed. She was his and he was hers and no one could ever change that.

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Aurora lay in Scott's warm embrace later that night. Their bodies were full of heat from their lovemaking and the clung to each other, not wanting to let go. Scott had already drifted off into sleep and was snoring softly. Aurora smiled into his bare chest and found that she had succeeded at last. She felt protected and for the first time in her life, she was happy.

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A/n: Alas! One more chapter to wrap things up. walks off sadly