Carrie and Aragorn sat at the table in the Great Hall. It was virtually empty except for the two of them, giving Carrie the perfect opportunity to ask Aragorn the millions of questions swimming through her head. The only problem was that now all she could think about was how absurdly difficult men were, even the elf kind – especially the elf kind. That, and what Aragorn probably thought went on earlier that morning. No matter what Legolas said, she felt compelled to tell this man what had, well, not happened.

"Aragorn," she began, "about this morning..."

"Carrie," he interrupted. "Do not feel obligated to tell me anything." He smiled warmly at her. "That is between the two of you."

Carrie felt her face get hot. "No, but what I'm trying to tell you is..."

Aragorn effectively silenced her by placing his hand on top of hers and shaking his head. "No, Carrie. I do not need to know."

Carrie sighed, accepting his refusal to know. "I wasn't very nice to him after lunch." Aragorn raised his eyebrows and shrugged, silently agreeing. "But, you know, I just don't understand how he has the ability to get under my skin like that all the time. I mean, when I'm around him, I'm a totally different person than I usually am." Carrie looked at Aragorn. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't be blathering on about this to you. You have much more important stuff to think about."

Aragorn smiled indulgently at her. "Yes I have important matters on my mind. But do not underestimate the importance of matters of the heart."

"Oh please." Carrie rolled her eyes. "There can't be any 'matters of the heart' for us. For the one thing, he is impossible and I don't understand him. For the other, he is an elf, and I am not." Carrie gasped and covered her mouth when she realized whom it was she was speaking to. 'Just for once,' she asked herself; 'can't my brain engage before I open my big mouth?'

Aragorn chuckled at her unease. "Don't worry about that." He smiled at her. "You're not the first one to have said something like that to me." His eyes got a far away look in them which made Carrie feel uncomfortable, like she was intruding on some private thought that he was having. She cleared her throat and his eyes refocused on her.

"Sorry." Carrie said. She cocked her head at him. "Do you miss Arwen?"

Aragorn smiled sadly. "Yes." And then he gave Carrie a scrutinizing look. "You know a lot about me for someone who doubted my identity when we met."

Carrie raised her eyebrows. 'More than you think,' she thought to herself. "Yes." She said aloud. "I am just a wealth of knowledge." She smiled at him to soften that remark, realizing that it sounded somewhat sarcastic. "And to add to what I already knew, Lord Elrond told me more about you when I was in Rivendell. Specifically about how we are, um, related."

"Ah, yes. You have accepted that you are my daughter rather quickly." Aragorn seemed proud.

"Oh." Carrie's voice fell. She had forgotten that that was what he believed. "Well, actually, I don't think I am." Aragorn looked at her skeptically. She continued quickly. "Elrond told me the story. I think your daughter was my grandmother. After all, I wasn't adopted, she was. And I look like my parents. And..." she looked at Aragorn to see his reaction. "her name was Melanna."

His eyes got wide and an undistinguishable look passed in his eyes. Carrie smiled timidly, apprehensive about having to tell him that his daughter was no longer alive, but when he asked her what her grandmother was like in life, she realized that he already knew. Carrie told him of her, stories from her childhood, and it was apparent how much she had meant to Carrie. Aragorn seemed grateful to be able to talk to someone who knew his daughter and thought so highly of her.

After Carrie had told him many stories, he looked at her and said, "Well, it should make more sense to you now why we came looking for you in the first place."

Carrie shrugged. "Sort of. But when you thought I was your daughter, how did you know I wouldn't be here somewhere?"

Aragorn smiled at her. "Elrond told you about the dream I had while at Rivendell." Carrie nodded. "Then, a little while ago, we were in Lothlorien." Carrie nodded again, but Aragorn broke off and shook his head.

"Go on," Carrie urged him.

"We saw, in the mirror of Lady Galadriel, the same vision I had in my dream. My mind is unclear after that."

Carrie frowned at him. "But it doesn't make sense. How did you get to my world? Because the answer to that question will also be the answer to my question, 'how do I get home?'"

"Alas, Carrie, I wish I had the answer. The Lady of the Golden Wood had something to do with our transport to your world, but that is all I can tell you, for I do not know any more. Nobody else, save for Gandalf, knew we had gone since we returned not a moment after we had left. The only reason Gandalf knew is that we spoke of it to him, once we heard that you were in Rivendell." Carrie heard the door open behind her but did not turn to look. Aragorn, however, stood. "He is here. He may be able to give you more answers than I."

Carrie stood up and turned around. She was awed and fearful at the same time. She saw a man there who appeared to be larger than life. She never expected him to look like this.

"Gandalf!" she breathed out. He approached her and Carrie did not know how to act towards this man. He was so much more than she had expected. She couldn't believe that she hadn't even thought of him since she arrived here. Now that he was standing before her, she was impacted by the strength of his presence. Because of her lack of some better idea of what to do, she bowed her head to him. She heard his chuckle.

"There is no need for you to bow to me, tinu en'aran." Carrie looked up at him when he said this. "I have waited many years to meet the daughter of kings." He raised his eyebrows at her. "I understand that you might be looking for a way home." Carrie smiled. He could help her. This was Gandalf! If he couldn't, she didn't know who could. "All in good time, my dear."

Carrie's heart sank at that. "But, please sir, I want to go home."

"Do you now?" he asked gently. Carrie regarded him. It was true that she felt a strange affinity towards Aragorn and Gimli and, she sighed, Legolas, but her life was not here. She did not belong here. She was afraid of the damage that she could do here. But Gandalf was right. She was strangely torn.

"I absolutely get how Dorothy felt now." The two men looked at her. "Nevermind."

Gandalf spoke. "I believe there was a meaning to what you just said." He looked at her expectantly.

Carrie sighed. "Yes, there was. Back home there was a story about a girl who ended up in another world. It was a beautiful world, but all she kept saying was that she wanted to go home. When she got a chance to go home, she realized how much she would miss the friends she made in this new world." Carrie looked at Aragorn. "Which I would," she added.

Gandalf smiled at her. "Ah, my dear Carrie, life is but a never ending string of meetings and partings. No more so here than in your world."

Carrie looked at him for a minute. He was right; and wise, she added; but that did not make her feel any better. "So what do I do?"

"Do?" Gandalf asked. "Why, you accompany us to Edoras, for there is sure to be much celebrating." His eyes twinkled. "After that, do not think that your road is the only one which is unclear, for the darkness that hinders our foresight is spreading throughout this world." His eyes briefly traveled to Aragorn. "We all must make our decisions as to where our paths lay."

'Well,' thought Carrie, 'if there isn't a double-edged meaning to that comment.' But she had to concede that Gandalf was right. And she would love to see Edoras. Come to think of it, she would love to see this entire world and all of its magic – before she went home, of course.

A previous worry crept back into Carrie's mind. "But Gandalf, won't my decisions effect what happens here?"

Gandalf regarded her and his gaze was quite penetrating. "All of our decisions effect what happens."

Carrie frowned at him. "But, I mean, won't I change stuff?" She glanced at Aragorn for encouragement. Not finding any, she turned back to Gandalf. "Since I'm not supposed to be here."

"My dear girl," Gandalf said comfortingly, "what makes you think you are not supposed to be here?"

Carrie shook her head. Gandalf did speak in riddles. "Well," she decided to be blunt with him. "I'm not in the books. And I'm certainly not in the movies." Her words might be foreign to Gandalf, but he was a wizard. He should be able to help her!

Gandalf came over and placed a reassuring hand on Carrie's shoulder. "Have you yet changed anything?"

"Well..." Carrie thought about Eomer, and how she was sure she saw him before the battle. Maybe that was how it was in the book. She couldn't remember. It had been such a long time since she had read them. And besides, there was no way her presence could have changed that. "...no." she finished hesitantly.

Gandalf threw up his hands in a jubilant gesture. "Then there is no need for concern!" he said enthusiastically. He put his hand back on her shoulder and his manner changed abruptly. He spoke to her, his voice both soft and intense. "You know much that could be a danger to us. But you have also displayed great restraint and good judgement. I fear not for your influence." He nodded. "Yes. Continue your current cautiousness, and all will be well."

"But wait..." Carrie backed away from him and then stopped and swallowed, realizing that she may have just interrupted a wizard, which was probably not a smart thing to do. She looked from Aragorn to Gandalf, who were both waiting for her to continue. "Whether I change things or mess things up or not, I still don't belong here, right?" Neither Gandalf nor Aragorn responded. She turned to Aragorn, "I mean, you came to find me, thinking I was your daughter. Fine, that makes sense. But you left. And then months later, here I am." She turned to Gandalf. "Why?"

Gandalf smiled at her. "My dear, did you just ask the question 'Why am I here?'" His eyes were twinkling, causing Carrie to realize she was probably in for more riddles. "Why are any of us here?"

Carrie folded her arms across her chest and pursed her lips at him. When you have serious concerns about being in a place you most definitely don't belong, philosophy is not what you want to be comforted with. She looked pointedly at Gandalf. "You belong here." She turned to Aragorn. "You belong here." She turned back to Gandalf. "I don't! Seriously! What is the point of me being here? I mean, other than having a really great story to tell my grandkids?"

Gandalf ignored her sarcastic remark and came back over to her speaking softly in her ear. "Perhaps the reason you are here is not immediately apparent." He raised his eyebrows at her. "Perhaps it is a matter of those who come after you."

He gave her a meaningful gaze, but before Carrie could ask what he meant, he took a step back and placed his hands on his hips, his manner changing yet again. "I'm afraid I must bid you farewell, for now, my dear." Gandalf gave her a small nod of the head and gave Aragorn a meaningful glance. "I must meet again with Theoden King." Gandalf made an almost imperceptible grimace and then turned and walked out of the hall.

At his departure, Carrie slowly sat back down at the table, confused by Gandalf's comment to her, and altogether shaken by the conversation. Aragorn saw her reaction and sat down next to her.

"Now," he smiled warmly at her and restarted their former conversation, obviously trying to ease her mood, "you were telling me how 'impossible' our friend is."

bant: Thank you for your review and for the promise of an elf for Christmas. I can hardly wait!

XxgemxX: Thank you for the review. Oh and --shrug-- Eomer's just a nice guy. Chivalry isn't dead yet in Middle Earth.

nap-003: Thanks for the review. Yes, yes, still some tension in the air. And of course Gimli wants to know what's going on with his good friend the Elf and this girl, if for no other reason than to have something to bust on Legolas about.

silkenroses15: Thank you for reviewing. I'm glad you're enjoying the story. I'm not sure what you found funny enough to laugh at, but I'm glad that you are getting pleasure from the story. Laughing is always good. I think Legolas could be considered OC for a bunch of the story, but then again, we haven't ever seen him with a girl in the "real" story, so who knows how he would act. I'm trying to keep him and everyone in character, but it's hard, going on only observation.

Thank you reviewers. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

Ok, I have to share this True Story with you, my lovely readers. My husband, one of the many out-of-work IT people in this country, is currently working in Customer Service at a local home store. You know the kind of store that sells sheets and towels, furniture and lighting fixtures, and, incidentally, doorknobs and doorknockers. So he was at work the other day and he overheard the following conversation between a fellow employee (FE) and an interesting customer (IC)

FE: Can I help you find something?
IC: Yes, I'm looking for doorknobs.
FE: What type of door, so I can help you find ones that would be fitting?
IC: I'm putting doors on trees for Hobbits.
FE: surprisingly not laughing Okay…well we have some nice wooden doorknobs over here…--shows wooden door knobs--
IC: Thanks. I'll take fifty. I'll also need some doorknockers. --picks up a rather large doorknocker-- What do you think of this one?
FE: sarcastically Looks a little orcish to me…
IC: --scrutinizes doorknocker-- Yeah, I think you're right. Ok, then it will just be the doorknobs.

I swear on everything holy in this world and the next, that this is a True Story. You can't make this stuff up. The man bought 50 doorknobs to put on trees for Hobbits. I told my husband that someone should have told the man that Hobbits don't live in trees, but I got one of those Looks. You know, the same Look I got when I told him I was writing fan fiction and it involved Legolas.