A/N: Thank you guys so much for all of the positive reviews! You really made my day! Okay, originally I was going to wait to have this chapter edited before I posted it, but I decided to go ahead and put up the raw version as a Valentine's Day present for all of you. I hope you can still enjoy it!

I'm going to be on vacation for around a week, so I might not get another chapter up for awhile. But there is good news! I'm planning to write a sequel for this story. It won't come out immediately after this is done (I want to concentrate on other projects), but in the future there will be a sequel. Keep your eyes open!

Dedication: My thanks go out to Katie (Aniriel), who was kind enough to offer to be my beta after my other one deserted me. Although I posted this here without any beta-ing services, you can read the edited version at Parma-Eruseen once I've corrected it. But anyways, thanks to Katie for being so awesome about this!

The Houses of Healing

Chapter 12

Legolas waited anxiously outside of the room that his beloved Éowyn lay in. Her body had been broken and beaten in many ways, and the healers had not been very optimistic when they first saw her. But Legolas convinced them to try their hardest, for hers was a life that was very worth saving.

He had been waiting for several hours, watching various men come and go. Ithilien was raging with joy after the definitive victory, yet Legolas had not gone to join in the festivities. He would wait until his beloved was well again before daring to celebrate.

The Elven warrior sank to the ground with fatigue. He had not had any rest for many days, for Legolas was constantly keeping watching on the others of his party, though they did not know. Also, his aching heart had prevented him from getting any rest, even when the opportunity had presented itself to him.

Though he fought hard to stay awake, Legolas found himself drifting off. He hadn't been asleep for long however, before the door to the Healing Room opened and Aragorn walked out. He had been overseeing the healing of Éowyn, for Legolas' mind was too muddled to be of any real help.

Immediately wide-awake, Legolas leapt to his feet. The man was gazing at him levelly, his expression not letting anything be known. "Is she living?" Legolas asked, his voice barely above a whisper.

It seemed like an eternity before Aragorn answered. "Yes, she will be fine. With proper rest and care, the Lady Éowyn shall return to her full strength and health."

Legolas sagged with relief. Aragorn smiled passively at him, and Legolas felt a surge of joy, as though he now knew in his heart that he would be with his beloved again. "May I see her?" Legolas asked hopefully.

He frowned. "You may go in quietly, if you choose to. But there are other patients in her room, and she is sleeping at the moment."

"It does not matter," Legolas said quickly, making his way to the door and opening it, "I shall just stay with her for a while. She does not have to be awake."

"Be careful not to bother the other patients," Aragorn called out, but he was too late. The Elf had already passed through the doors to see Éowyn with his own two eyes.

--

Legolas stepped through the doorway and into the Healing room. There were many bodies lying there, occupying the cots and floors. A nauseating scent of waste and blood met his nose, and Legolas felt his insides begin to writhe with discomfort.

Steeling himself against the foreign and unwelcome scents, Legolas commenced to keep walking through the room. He would not let a small thing such as smell separate him from Éowyn, not after all they had been through.

He walked slowly and deliberately, checking every medical site, making sure that the person crying out in pain was not his beloved. Love, apparently, was as selfish as it was selfless.

Finally, Legolas reached a cot at the very end of the row. Éowyn lay on it, sleeping peacefully. The grime had been cleaned from her body, and she sparkled with the fresh beauty of one recently washed. Her blonde hair had been washed and combed as well, and lay fanned out behind her head, encircling Éowyn and giving her an angelic like appearance.

The Elf dropped to his knees beside her. His soul cried out in relief at the sight of his beloved, safe and resting. Legolas took one of her pale, soft hands into his own, and gently caressed the hand. A feeling of peace and contentment washed over Legolas, and he lay his head down next to her body on the cot. Still clutching her hand in his own, the Elf finally succumbed to a much-needed and appreciated rest.

--

Éowyn awoke many hours later, groggy and disoriented. She tried to raise her head and arms, but found that her neck and limbs would not cooperate with her requests. She felt horrible, worse than she had out on the battlefield. What was worse, Éowyn had no memory of where she was, and whom she was with.

"Ah, Lady Éowyn, I see that you have finally awoken." A soothing and heavily accented voice broke her thoughts. Éowyn looked up to see a dark-haired woman approaching, holding a tray with a pitcher and a few cups.

Éowyn concentrated hard, and lifted one hand in the air, stopping the woman from coming any closer. "Who are you?" she rasped, her throat burning with every word.

"I am a no one, milady, merely a Healer's girl who was assigned to bring you sustenance. I'm sure the Elf who was here would have brought it to you himself, but he was called into a meeting by Lord Aragorn and others."

Éowyn instantly became more aware, as the memories of the past few days came swirling back at her. "Legolas was here?" she asked breathlessly.

The woman looked at her curiously. "Yes, he was here since the Healer allowed him to be. It's said that he waited outside before being allowed in."

A feeling of happiness and love washed over Éowyn and she smiled, despite the soreness in her cheeks. "What have you brought me?" she asked, gesturing to the tray.

The woman snapped to attention, and placed the tray on a table near Éowyn's bedside. "I have here, milady, some fine red wine for you to drink. It was made from the best vineyards in Gondor, and is said to have magical healing powers."

Éowyn laughed, and took a cup from the woman's hands. She raised it up in a toast. "I hope this works, for my body is aching quite terribly now."

"Oh, you will hurt for a while, I imagine," the Healer's girl said to Éowyn, "You had quite a few injuries. In fact, milady, you are quite fortunate to still be alive." With that, she picked up the empty tray and cups, and headed back in the direction from which she had come.

Éowyn sat alone for many moments, sipping the red liquid. It was quite warm, and felt comforting as it traveled down her throat. Almost instantly, Éowyn felt some of the pain begin to leave her, and she relaxed back into the comforts of her cot.

While she lay in bed, the memories of the previous day came flooding back to her. She saw her Uncle, lying dead on the battlefield, and she saw herself fighting the Witch King of Angmar. Briefly, Éowyn wondered what had happened to her little Merry, who had fought so valiantly by her side.

Although the urge to sleep was strong, Éowyn stayed awake. She was sure that Legolas would come to visit her as soon as he got the chance, and she did not want to miss him this time. Éowyn stayed awake for many hours while her beloved was in constant meetings. She amused herself by thinking of what she would say, and what she would do, once she saw Legolas again.

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity of waiting, Éowyn saw the blonde elf enter the Healing Room she lay in. Her heart leapt into her throat at the sight of him. He was so handsome, so unearthly beautiful. Éowyn sighed outwardly, thinking of how fortunate she was.

Legolas, seeing that she was awake, rushed to her side. He dropped unceremoniously to his knees beside her cot, and took her pale hand into his. "You look well, meleth nín."

Éowyn smiled and blushed, bringing his hand up to her lips to kiss. "As do you, my valiant elf."

"How are you feeling?" Legolas asked anxiously.

She shrugged and leaned back into the downy comfort of the bed. "I have felt better before, that is for sure. But I do not despair, now that you are back with me."

Legolas smiled at her, admiring her quiet and determined mindset. She would be willing to do anything to stay with him. That made him both extremely joyous and sad at the same time. For if she would want to stay with him, then telling her he must leave would only be doubly hard.

Éowyn seemed to sense that something was wrong, so she changed the subject quickly. "I am assuming that we were victorious in our efforts." Legolas visibly brightened.

"Yes, our attacks were most successful. There is damage in Ithilien, but it shall be repaired quickly. Already there are men outside, working to rebuild their beloved city."

"And what of Lord Aragorn? Has he stepped up to reclaim his throne?"

Legolas' brows furrowed. "Estel has not made any decisions as of yet. But all acknowledge him as the potential ruler, though he has not claimed the throne for his own."

"What was that you called him? Estel?"

The Elven warrior smiled, and clutched her hand tighter. "It means 'hope.' Aragorn is the beacon of hope for many. Some of us who know him well, such as Arwen, and myself have taken to calling him that. In fact, it might have been Arwen who started the name."

"It is beautiful," Éowyn said firmly, and with that the matter closed. The two sat in companionable silence for many moments, radiating in the company of the other.

Éowyn sat in silence, her fears for the future masked by the delight of having Legolas at her side once again. She could sense his unease, and wanted to question him, but feared that she already knew what the answer would be.

Looking up, Éowyn saw that his level blue gaze was resting on her, as if he was memorizing every contour of her face. "Why do you look at me so, my lord?"

"You enchant me."

Éowyn blushed at his simple comment. "I am no fool, Legolas. Though I have not been on this earth for as long as you, I have common sense. I can see that something ails you. Please, tell what troubles you."

His eyes left her face and glanced around the room several times, before turning their gaze back on her. "Surely you know that the war is not over yet…"

A sinking feeling formed in the pit of her stomach. Éowyn swallowed uncomfortably. "Yes, Legolas, I am aware of this."

"Estel has decided that we are to march to the very gates of Mordor." Again, he avoided looking directly at her.

"Really?" Éowyn asked, feigning excitement, "When do we leave?"

Legolas looked defeated, and clutched her hand still closer to him. "Éowyn, if you are no fool than surely you know that I cannot allow to you come with me to Mordor. The Black Breath still has its hold over you. You must stay here, and rest."

He expected her to fly into a rage, but instead she slumped backwards in the bed, suddenly looking very weary. "I would go with you to the end, Legolas, if you gave me the chance."

Legolas leaned over and kissed her softly on the lips. "I will stay with you tonight. I would have no other warrior by my side than you, for you are a breed apart." He stopped here, unsure of how to go on. "Éowyn, there is a chance that I will leave tomorrow and never return to your side. If this is the case, then I do not want you to despair."

She cried out in disgust. "You shall come back to me, Legolas, for I cannot go on with life if you are not by my side. I will never love again if you do not come back!"

Legolas grabbed both of her hands and clutched them in his own. He rose up onto his knees so that he was looking down on her. "Do not vow that, maeluiel. You deserve happiness, and I would never stop you from that."

"If I you do not want to stop me from happiness, then let me come with you to Mordor! I am a good warrior, better than many who you fight alongside with! I have destroyed the Witch King of Angmar, I have proven myself!" Éowyn slumped, tears streaming down her face. "Won't you let me come with you?"

"My love, I know that you are the greatest warrior among these men! I have learned to never doubt your skills, and if you were well, then I would have none other by my side! But you are still under the influence of the Black Breath, and I cannot endanger your life."

"So you would endanger your own survival, even though you are not fully healthy yourself?"

Legolas looked down at her sternly. "Listen to me, Éowyn. You are intelligent, beautiful, brave, and a great warrior. I would take you to be mine, if the opportunity presented itself. But since I cannot join you now, I will fight to protect the future for us. It is killing me to leave you, but I must. Don't you see? I must go fight to protect you."

Éowyn broke down then. Giant sobs racked her body and tears flowed freely down her face. "I am so embarrassed," she murmured between sobs, "For I have always prided myself on being able to control my thoughts and emotions."

Legolas stood up and daringly sat on the edge of her bed. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close to him. "Love will make even bravest break down."

Éowyn stopped crying and looked up into his eyes. "Stay with me tonight, Legolas."

"Oh Éowyn, I would not dream of being anywhere else."

She clung to him, and pointed with a free hand out the window, at the setting sun. "When the sun rises tomorrow you shall be gone. With the break of dawn my love will have walked out of my life. Stay with me tonight, Legolas, and pray that the sun never rises, and this night will go on for all eternity."

Legolas did not answer with words. Instead, he tilted her chin up and kissed her full mouth. All around them, the various Healers snorted with disapproval and amusement, but the two lovers did not care. For that night at least, they would be together.

Fight the break of dawn,
Come tomorrow, tomorrow you'll be gone…