A/N: Whew... thank goodness I'm back. I can finally type everything up. I only managed to write three chapters over the summer (very VERY sorry), but I am going to try very VERY hard to have them all up by September seventh. Hey, you guys get a lucky treat this chapter! For the first time since... um... I think it was chapter two, I wrote it from somebody else's perspective, and not Nicole's. Exciting stuf... go read!

Oh yeah, almost forgot: just to warn ya'll, the chapters might be a little strange. But you'll figure it out soon. lol. I love being the author!

Disclaimer: LotR isn't mine. So, by connection, Pippin isn't mine either and I can't make him stop hitting on Nicole. Nicole tried to run away, but since I caught her, she's still mine. lol.

Home Sweet Home

Chapter Eleven - Enter the Mines

For a second, Nicole wondered if maybe she didn't belong in Middle-Earth after-all. She hadn't seen a single pillow since she came here and she wasn't sure if she could stand life without pillows. Nicole would have given almost anything for a pillow right now, so that as they waited for Gandalf, she could at least be comfortable. Sighing, she shifted her position on the hard rock and broke the silence.

"Well, friends, since we're gonna be here for a while, why not have a friendly conversation?" she asked, trying to hint at the answer to the riddle on the door of the Mines.

Merry looked at her curiously. "Why are you emphasizing the word 'friend'?"

"Big words, Meriadoc. My point exactly," she answered cryptically, instead turning her attention to Boromir since he was the closest. "So Boromir, what do you do for a living?"

Boromir's answer was far less simple than the question. "I am to be the next Steward of Gondor, the ruler of my country and I must protect my people and Middle-Earth from the Orc's and foul creatures of Mordor. It is a position of great power, but also --"

"Great responsibility?" Nicole interrupted him. "Yeah, I get it... where have I heard that before? So what do you get paid? Any good benefits? When do you get to retire?"

"When you die," Boromir replied flatly to the last question because it was the only one he understood. There was a slight pause and Nicole was pretty sure she had offended him somehow. "And what do you do Nicole?"

"Uh...well," Nicole searched her brain for an answer that wouldn't make her seem like the really lazy person she was. The truth was that Nicole hadn't ever seriously considered her future. But a person her age in Middle-Earth was probably already working. "I'm in between jobs... I guess. But I'm thinking of being a professor... maybe. Of course, learning to teach would take a long time and it'd be hard to pull off. Lawyer's are very popular though... and doctors... and stock brokers too. One of these days I'll decide on a career," she told him. It occurred to her suddenly that her plans for the future would have to be changed, since she was in a totally different world and society now. That's assuming that I survive the Mines and Lothlorien, and all the other lovely things that could happen to me. Like, perhaps, getting cut to pieces by an Orc... or attacked by crazed horses, or being forced to live in the wilderness, or dying... Wow, I'm just a happy little ray of sunshine, aren't I? she mused sarcastically.

Frodo interrupted her thoughts by exclaiming, "It's a riddle!" He jumped up and came to the doors. "Speak, friend, and enter! What's the Elvish word for friend?"

Gandalf looked up from his thoughts and automatically answered, "Mellon." Nicole hid a smile and mouthed the word at the same time from memory and habit. The huge doors finally creaked open and the Company passed through them into a carved cavern that was dark. Nicole hung to the back of the group, waiting for Gimli to finish gloating about the glory of Moria. At last, Gandalf lit his staff and they were able to see the space in front of them. Skeletons dressed in rusted armor, arrows, axes, and random bones littered the ground. Naturally, they didn't think it was the best idea to go through a mine which had become a graveyard. As they shuffled quickly back out through the doors, Nicole freed the dagger from its position at her side. She remembered what was in the lake, and wanted to be ready for it.

A second later, Frodo gave a shout and was lifted up by a tentacle into the air. The creature surfaced and flailed it's limbs wildly, no doubt causing Frodo more than a bit of dizziness. Nicole sprinted forward, beating the reactions of the two Men and the Elf by half a second. By the time she was up past her knees in cold, slimy water, Aragorn's first blow freed Frodo. The creature was not eager to let him go so easily and snatched him up again. Nicole's brain realized the freezing temperature of the water and the cold that seeped through her body and mind like poison. But she was in too deep already, and the battle wasn't going well, so she kicked off hard from the rocky bottom. Nicole forced her numb arms to churn through the water, with her dagger clenched in one hand. The water had a more serious effect on her than she had thought it would.

Suddenly, a tentacle came out of nowhere and swung around, obviously aiming for Nicole. She managed to duck it the first time at the cost of dunking her head back under the water. When it doubled-back, it ended up shoving her closer to the creature and she was spared some effort. The thing seemed to really be getting furious. Geez, I thought it was supposed to be going after Frodo, not me, Nicole thought as she dodged again. That's it, this isn't doing anything to help me. I'd better aim for the eyes, if it has them. That way it won't keep attacking us. With that, she tried to approach once more. Once she reached the creature's head, dodging tentacles and arrows on the way, she barely had the strength to pull her self on top of it. Her foot found a standing place and the muscles protested about being used and immersed in such cold temperatures. Nicole tried to figure out where an eye would be and decided that a shiny bump near the highest point of it's head seemed likely. She stabbed hard and winced, feeling, hearing, smelling, and seeing a yucky, black, slimy liquid squirt out of the eye.

Somebody shouted from the shore and Nicole heard a bowstring snapping. The arrow whistled by her head as she moved just in time, disturbing her balance. She lost her footing on the creature's slippery skin and fell backwards into the water. Her body was so strained by now that it didn't have strength to pull itself to shore. That was largely Nicole's fault, since she hardly ever exercised. Luckily for her, the creature wasn't quite finished it's flailing and whacked her across the side, sending her flying out of the water and smacking her back straight onto a boulder on the rocky shore.

She managed to groan and mumble something like, "Did we win?" before her brain started to shut down. Oops... I guess I shouldn't have fought if I wanted to survive.... kinda too late now... she thought, and then completely gave in to the night.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Gandalf shouted for someone to take the girl as he led the hobbits through the doors. He lit his staff as they began to climb the stairs, concerned only with the Ringbearer, who walked beside him, and was alert to any danger that may lurk in the shadows. They had been sealed into the Mines and it would be best not to wake anything that may still be alive in this seemingly deserted place.

The Company traveled silently, led by Gandalf and Gimli, with Frodo trailing just behind them. They walked for a long time without any rest, nourishment, or speech. Each person still remembered the terror at the gates and those that knew of it, didn't want to think of what was sleeping in Moria. Gandalf hoped that they would pass safely to the other side and pressed to Company to journey swiftly and silently.

So single-minded was his concern that he failed to notice that the Fellowship was wearying quickly from the day of walking through difficult terrain and the encounter with the beast. Though they recognized the need to hurry towards the other exit of Moria, they also recognized their body's need for rest. Gandalf was ignorant of their half-sleeping state, even when Pippin began to complain as quietly as he could. The other hobbits joined in, but Frodo, who felt the eminent danger and had a curious sense of being watched, was determined to continue. Still, he felt fatigued and when his tired feet stumbled, Gandalf finally paused for a moment to look back at the travelers.

Gimli and Frodo were still following close behind him, with the hobbits just behind them. Aragorn had one hand on Sam's shoulder to steady and encourage the hobbit, and his other arm was occupied carrying a large, sopping log. He shared this burden with Boromir while Legolas brought up the rear.

Gandalf's brow furrowed momentarily as he glanced at the log. It had a strange patch of seaweed-like material at the top end, that hung in limp tendrils. For a second he wondered why they had taken a log that clearly was too wet to be used as firewood. But as Boromir adjusted the weight slightly, Gandalf recognized the girl Nicole in the dim light. She seemed to be wounded and was obviously still unconscious. Gandalf sighed heavily. The Company was in no shape to continue any farther without getting some reprise.

"We have traveled as far as we can for now," he said reluctantly and noted the relieved expression that flickered across every face. "We will rest here for a few hours, taking two hour watches (A/N: I'm taking a shot in the dark here and using hours as a time measurement). And we will eat." At this final comment, Sam set down his pack and began preparations for cooking. They set up their camp in an alcove carved out of the rock a few yards from the path they were following.

As the food was made, Aragorn began to tend any wounds that were sustained earlier. Boromir took Nicole and laid her down on the cold, rocky ground near. She was still unconscious and had a bleeding cut on her forehead. Pippin glanced at her in worry.

"Can't you do something to wake her up?" he asked Gandalf. Despite the tiny movement caused by her silent breathing, Nicole looked nearly dead. Her skin was clammy and pale, her hair was limp and dark around her face, and her lips and eyelids had turned purple from exposure to the freezing lake water. Gandalf put his fingers on the girl's neck, feeling for a pulse. It took a few fearful moments before he could find it. Her heart beat slowly, but at least it worked.

"I am afraid that you will just have to wait," Gandalf replied. Seeing the disappointment and a tinge of fear in the young hobbit's eyes, Gandalf decided to try to help her anyways. As he cleaned the cut on her forehead, which was thankfully shallow and not serious enough to be a cause for worry, he felt that the girl was... different, and more unusual than she usually was. Gandalf was not a young man and his memory wasn't as strong as it used to be. He had never studied the girl's features in detail before, so he couldn't be sure, but it seemed that the girls face had changed. It was much thinner than at their first meeting, and seemed more distinguished than it really was. The cheekbones were cast into relief by the firelight, although in reality they were simply high, and not bony. Though her hair was limp, wet, and reminded Gandalf horribly of rats' tails, it was thick and straight, and had darkened to a deep, almost black, brown.

Suspicion grew in Gandalf's mind and a theory began to take shape. But before the theory could fully form, Boromir began to organize the watch as the others fell into sleep. Boromir took up a position at the front of the alcove, which would be occupied by Merry and later Legolas. Gandalf set himself down by the wall where he could easily access and see everyone. Before going to sleep, he glanced once more at the prone form of Nicole. It's almost as though... he stopped his thought. There are more important things than minor curiosities. He instead occupied his mind with plotting their journey through the mines and fell asleep with an image of a dash through Dwarrowdelf.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"Wake up, Nicole."

She groaned, willing her senses to shut down once more and let her sleep. The voice spoke again, becoming more clear.

"Wake up," it commanded firmly.

She groaned again and kept her eyes tightly shut. No doubt in a few moments her mom would force her out the front door half asleep and only half-ready for her day at school.

"No. Jus' tell'em I'm not goin' t'school t'day," she mumbled and her words slurred together. "By the way Mom, you should stop smokin', yer voice 'sgetting deep." Nicole couldn't manage any more words and her fuzzy brain wasn't going to try. She heard a pause and then a chuckle. Where's my pillow? She could use it to shut out the sound. She flung out her right hand to find her pillow and hit rock-hard rock. Memory came flooding back painfully and Nicole awoke fully, suddenly trying to get to her feet to see what had happened.

Nausea hit her instantly and hands pushed her back down. Black dots swam in front of her eyes and then her vision cleared. In the dim light she could see that Boromir was pushing her down and Aragorn was smiling slightly at being called her mother. Pippin was peering at her, looking very, very worried, and Gandalf stood further back, looking very wrapped in his thoughts as he looked at her. It was a bit disconcerting to Nicole for a moment but she figured he was just worried about the road ahead.

Beyond them, Merry was taking food from Sam, Frodo was already eating, Gimli was telling them about the splendor of the Dwarf halls and Legolas was keeping a watch. Nicole sagged with relief that everyone was alright and let her self by pushed back to the ground. Everyone was accounted for and safe. Well, not including herself, because she promptly turned on her side and heaved up the contents of her stomach for all to see. There wasn't much to see, actually, because she hadn't been eating much the past few days. She wiped her mouth on her sleeve and coughed. A few glistening specks of blood now decorated her sleeve and her skin.

"Oh swell," she commented dryly as Aragorn glanced at the blood and put one hand on her forehead. "I feel like I'm going to fall in a minute and Ewan McGregor will sing on a stage while I die. Great, I totally feel ready to cough up a lung." Well, at least the girl's personality hadn't been damaged by the beating.

Pippin pushed forward. "Who is this Ewmakrakcer? I will fight him and he won't bother you anymore!"

Nicole paused for a moment, at once shocked, amused, and kind of honored at his outburst. Before she could think of how to explain it to Pippin, Aragorn took over as doctor and dealt with his patient, keeping up a steady stream of conversation.

"You have a cut on your forehead, but it is shallow. Does your head hurt?" he asked as he checked the wound and then instructed her to open her mouth.

"Na, by oread osn urk," she said and was then allowed to shut her mouth so she repeated herself more clearly. "No, my forehead doesn't hurt," she said fingering the wound, slightly surprised that she had one. "But I've got a killer headache and I'm nauseous, obviously." Maybe I shouldn't have said killer, she mused as she saw Pippin's reaction. Carefully pushing herself into a sitting position, she twisted her torso from side to side. She winced as pain lanced through her muscles. "And apparently, my left ribs are bruised. Actually, my whole left side is in pain."

Aragorn nodded. "We wanted to wait for you to wake up and get your permission to check for other wounds." He paused and blushed a little. "Would it bother you if I checked for other injuries?"

"Not at all, doctor dude," Nicole replied, amusing herself with the ridiculous title she had just bestowed upon him. He seemed confused by it. Nicole obediently shed her cloak as she gently flexed other muscles to see just how badly she had gotten it. "Hey, guess what, guys? You get to keep on carrying me!" she announced gleefully. This was not good news for Aragorn, Boromir, and especially Legolas, because they had taken turns carrying her in pairs while they walked.

"Why?" asked Legolas, with a hint of annoyance in his voice that Nicole barely picked up on. The Elf crossed the alcove, tapping Gimli on the shoulder to take the watch over.

Nicole rolled up her right pant leg and proudly displayed the reason. "I twisted my ankle," she said. Her right ankle had swollen to nearly twice it's size and was decorated in flattering shades of purple and green. Aragorn immediately took some herbs out of a pocket and began to make a poultice for her. When he wrapped it around her ankle the pain slowly dulled. And doctor dude's first treatment is a success! said the patient, Nicole thought. Maybe I should be a reporter. This is Nicole Whats-my-name, reporting live-at-the-scene for Middle Earth Network six o-clock news. The thought of farmers, hobbits, or soldiers sitting down to watch TV made her laugh. Or snort, in her case, because she was such a lady. Her snort brought another coughing fit, more blood on her lips (I'm a vampire! she thought. Grr, fear me!) and turned everyone's attention back to her other injuries.

"I have to see it to treat it," Aragorn said unnecessarily.

Nicole obliged and continued to shed the layers of clothing. She took off her sweater, which was wet, dirty, and fraying, and threw it closer to the fire so that it could dry. It landed neatly a foot away from the flames. "Oh yeah! She shoots, she scores, one for Nicole!" she exclaimed proudly, and was greeted with the usual reaction: confused silence. "It's like a game... oh nevermind," she said in frustration. "You know, Aragorn," she continued as she painfully pulled her left arm out of her t-shirt. "There's a stone that's called Aragonite, kinda like your name."

Surprisingly, Legolas smirked and nudged Aragorn's shoulder. *Another name to add to the list, Estel,* he said in Elvish.

And surprisingly for Nicole, she actually smiled back at the levity that the Elf and Man shared. Or maybe she smiled at the revelation the the Elf had a sense of humor and maybe he wasn't an evil robot after all.

Her expression passed swiftly back into a grimace of pain as she attempted to pull the shirt off her neck. Her tank top was still in good condition, thankfully. Nicole heard a sharp in-drawn breath behind her. Boromir was the first to see the injury because he was standing directly behind her. Aragorn and Legolas moved to stand beside him. None seemed too happy with her injury but all remained silent.

Their patient growled in frustration from the floor. "What, tell me already?! It can't be that bad, I'm still breathing aren't I?" she demanded sharply. She heard the rustle of cloth and felt a fingertip rest at her neck. It traced a line: neck, sloping down on the right, continuing at her waist, moving left, and then tracing her left shoulder and resting again at her neck. Nicole swallowed hard. *Whatever that is, I doubt it's good,* she said quietly in Elvish addressing Aragorn, though it wasn't he who answered.

*No, it isn't good. Your back is very badly bruised,* Legolas told her. The skin had turned worse colors than her ankle, a mixed blotch of purples, greens, blues, and sickly yellow. It was hot to the touch and throbbed slightly from the pain. No doubt Legolas is celebrating, Nicole thought sourly. What else would he do?

She shut her eyes tightly, took a deep breath and steadied her nerves. Might as well get it over with. She steeled herself for the pain. "Here goes, Aragonite. I'm going to flex my back," she said, stretching her arms out in front of her, "to see if anything is--" she grunted and pulled her arms upwards and behind her head "--pulled, stretched or--" a sharp cracking noise filled the air as Nicole arched her back, "--oww... broken." She moved her neck in a circle, then bent forwards to touch her toes. "Actually, it's just achy," she commented with surprise. "No sharp pains, no dislocated bones, must be just skin-deep... but I feel like I've carried ten horses on my back and then had to sleep on rocks, which is true." Nicole suddenly grabbed at her stomach as it revolted again. "Oh, but I'm still nauseous."

Almost before she could finish her sentence, Aragorn was forced a liquid down her throat. "Swallow," he commanded and the patient felt relatively better.

Boromir placed a reassuring hand on her un-bruised right shoulder. Nicole gratefully closed her eyes and leaned back against him to rest for a moment. She felt a small hand timidly take hers and she opened one eye. It was Pippin. She squeezed his hand lightly and he looked surprised. She grinned. He's such a cute little hobbit! Of course, he's older than me, way shorter, and not my type, if I even have a type. But still, he's... she paused and thought of a fitting word. Admirable. He's admirable.

"Thanks Pippin. Your moral support is admirable," she said. Nicole knew he needed the compliment because he rarely was acknowledged. And he was going to cause a lot of mischief soon that was only going to bring annoyance.

After taking another moment to rest, Nicole sighed. "Alrighty," she said, letting go of Pippin's hand and reaching up to grasp Boromir's forearm. "Let's go." She managed to get to her feet and stood balanced on her left foot with his help.

"Go where?" voiced Merry.

"I think we have time enough to rest a little longer," said Gandalf a bit reluctantly.

"What? But I just got up!" Nicole protested. "We're going, guys. If that creature was any indication, Moria is a bad place to stay, no offense Gimli."

"None taken," he replied, and Nicole continued talking.

"I don't really love how this place feels, and I know I'm not the only one." She spared a momentary glance at Frodo. "C'mon, somebody give me a pack to carry! I'm damaged, that's true, but I'm not wasting away yet. Does anyone know where I can get a walking stick?" she asked as she wobbled on one leg. The drink that Aragorn had given her not only healed nausea and back pain, it seemed to inspire hyperness as well, because Nicole was talking pretty fast.

"Your clothes are still wet, you'll catch cold," Sam pointed out.

"Oh," she replied, defeated. "Right you are, Watson. Shove them closer to the fire and they'll dry faster." Sam obliged and moved the garments until they were a mere two inches from the flame. "Wait!" she said as Sam moved her t-shirt. "Toss me that one, it's pretty much dry."

That was a mistake. She should have asked Merry, he had slightly better aim. Sam's throw went wide and to her left.

"Yeeek!" she squeeked softly as she reached out her aching left arm. The movement was less than fluid and left Nicole in an awkward position. She had to lunge forward from the waist up, right arm flung out to land on in case she fell, and her right leg stretched out behind her to counter-balance her weight. Her fingertips snagged the material and paused her in her place.

"Whoa," she breathed. She looked somewhat like a ballerina, the awkward catch appearing to have some semblance of grace. Nicole tottered on her good leg and slowly brought all her limbs to a normal place.

"Sorry," said Sam humbly. At least he had a good reason for the bad throw: a flame had flickered dangerously close to his arm.

"Nice catch," remarked Boromir, offering no more aid to Nicole.

"Ow," was her response as she glared darkly at him and the amused smirk on his face. He chuckled and she stuck out her tongue at him then pulled the shirt on, trying not to wince.

"You should be nice to me if I am to help you walk," he said.

"Good point." Nicole stood in her place as the preparations to continue were made. She watched as everyone went about and when she saw that everything was almost ready, she moved. Hopping on one foot, she approached the fire where her sweater and cloak lay, now dry. As she bent to pick the clothes up, the wave of nausea hit her hard. Nicole fell to her knees and pressed her hands against the cool rock floor, trying to force the churning sensation to go away. A shiver ran across her scalp and raced down her spine and she grew lightheaded.

The companions closest to her where Gandalf and Legolas. They asked if she was alright but the voices seemed to echo horribly and amplify as the sound bounced in her eardrums. It made her head pound. Mumbling some sort of answer, she bundled the clothes under her arm and stood shakily to her feet. Gandalf helped her and held her steady as she pulled on the sweater and cloak.

"Nicole," he said. His voice sounded concerned and curious, and strangely grandfatherly. "You seem--" his words seemed to voice and incomplete thought, so he settled on a simple question which he infused with meaning. "Are you alright?"

Nicole met his gaze and held it. "I'm fine," she replied defiantly, but knew that Gandalf had heard, "I'm worried." It was the truth.

She sighed and let Boromir take her arm and support her weight. Gandalf moved to the front of the procession and the march began again.

A/N: Well, didn't that chapter end on a horribly unhumorous note? sorry, but that's just the way Moria is. Its not terribly amusing. Sorry for the really long wait, but to make up for it, you can leave as many reviews as you want! Here, let's make this fun: try to list as many of the different names for Aragorn as you can. I think I have about ten already. Click the button! ~MoI~