A/N:  Sorry, sorry, and sorry again.  This chapter's not the best I've written, and there's no excuse because I've had it for such a long time.  Anyway, it's been what eight months or so since the last update?  The chapters should start coming out a lot faster than that now, and I mean a lot faster.  This is also going to be the last chapter with a Katie/Ara and Legolas focused romance.  I'm going to try and start heading back towards a group centered comedy.  Anyway, if I don't get the next update soon after this, feel free to bug me.  (Thanks for being so sweet and patient everyone!)

Chapter 14

            "Ah good morning.  How did I know that you two were going to be here alone?"  Galadriel asked as the couple pulled apart quickly.

            Legolas bowed, "Good morning, Lady Galadriel."

            "I see that your desperate plea did not work, Legolas," Celeborn commented, glancing pointedly at the bags lying near a couple of canoes.  Legolas shook his head ruefully.

            "I told you it would not work.  I looked into the mirror last night and saw Katie fighting off orcs," Galadriel pointed out.

            "She won't be fighting if I have anything to say about it," Legolas mumbled under his breath.

            "Legolas, you may have nothing to say in the matter," Chelli retorted.

            "Chelli!  Uh….when did you?....uh," Legolas began.  Aragorn, who stood behind her, began to laugh.

            "We've been here since Galadriel said your desperate plea would not work," Esther told him.  Jared glared.

            "Let's get going!  I want a present," Jennifer yelled from the back of the group.  "I know they (pointing to the guys) get one so I'm assuming that we're getting one too!"

            Galadriel laughed, "Then pack your canoes.  There are six boats there.  Everyone will have to squeeze in."

            Chelli smiled and yelled, "Girls and Jared in the same boats and Guys in the last three!"  Everyone glared but began to move nevertheless.

            Michelle, Paige, and Esther threw their stuff into one boat.  Chelli forced Jenny into her boat and Jared followed.  Ashley and Jennifer went towards another, and Katie began to follow.  Chelli marched over to her, grabbed her stuff, and threw it into the boat that Legolas had just put his stuff into.

            "Chelli, what are you going?"  Katie asked in confusion.  "You just said…"

            "Elves are exempt from my out loud orders sometimes.  Besides elves should stick together," Chelli responded.  She grabbed Gimli's stuff and threw it at Ashley.  "Put that stuff in you boat.  Dwarves should stick together too."

            Legolas came over to Katie as Chelli walked off to supervise the loading of the guys' boats.

            "What was that all about?" he asked, placing a hand on Katie's shoulder.

            "I don't know, but at least she's letting us travel together," Katie responded, staring as her friend ordered Frodo into Aragorn's boat.

            "Hmm…something to ponder on the trip down.  Anyway, Galadriel says she is ready to give gifts now, at least to you girls and Jared.  She said she'll give us ours afterwards," Legolas said.  "You'd better hurry or the others will become impatient."

            Katie smiled up at Legolas before joining her friends.  Galadriel smiled and motioned for her to stand at the end of the line.

            "Ashley Marie Bus, I give to you the staff of justice.  If you fight is right, the staff will work as a weapon and shield," Galadriel spoke, handing Ashley a staff made of gold with an eagle atop it.

            "Chelli Renee Lowe, I give to you this glaive.  It has no special powers yet, but I believe it would be good practice for Katie to spell it for you."  Chelli nodded happily and accepted her jeweled glaive.

            "Jared Trent Anderson, I give you this book and this sword.  I pray that you learn from it.  Don't worry; the book is not in Elvish."  Jared accepted the book and sword wearily, but he thanked Galadriel nevertheless.

            "Jenny Ann Jordan, to you I give the gift of a book.  It is very special.  Should you need help studying, place it under your pillow at night, and in the morning, you will comprehend what it is you want to learn.  However, you have to have tried to learn it in the first place.  I hope this helps you in your endeavors."  Jenny smiled and gratefully accepted the book.

            She opened it to find a story.  "There are several books in this.  Excellent!  Douglas Adams.  Does it change stories?" she asked.

            Galadriel nodded and moved on to Paige.  "Brandon Paige Gabriel, I'd like you to take the emerald of tranquility.  May it give you peace to sort out how you feel."  Paige smiled and held out her stone for Jenny to look at.

            "For you Ashley Michelle Morrell, Frodo's companion, I'd like you to have this.  It's a ring that will turn you invisible."  Michelle giggled and slipped it on.  When she appeared again, she smiled and slipped it onto the bracelet she was wearing.

            "Jennifer Marie Harrison, take this sketchbook and these paints.  The book never runs out of fresh paper and the paint will never fade or be used up.  May it help you be sane on the long road ahead."  Jennifer smiled happily.

            "Like she's ever sane," Jenny retorted.  Jennifer glared.  Galadriel shook her head and handed Esther a scabbard.  "I'm giving this to you, Esther Marie Sooter.  Use it well."  Esther smiled and drew the sparkling blade.

            Galadriel moved on to Katie.  "What gift can I give to you alone that will save you fear and heartache?" she asked of the young elf before her.

            Katie looked up and tears sparkled in her eyes.  "Galadriel, you've already given me more than be ever be expected.  The question is what do I have in my power that I may give back to you?"  Katie questioned solemnly.  All sound stopped.  Galadriel thought for a moment.

            "I fear that what I would ask of you is more than in acceptable to ask," Galadriel spoke hesitantly, "but, would you…  You see, I have lost my daughter to orcs and I am loosing my granddaughter to her love.  What I want more than anything is another child that I can watch progress through her life, knowing that one day she will join me in the west.  So…"

            "Yes, Galadriel.  I'll become you daughter and join you in the west when my time comes, but I'll be old and not as you see me now," Katie responded, with a sparkle of regret in her eyes.

            "Katie, permanently make yourself an elf and use glamour if…when you go to your true home," Galadriel plead, "and join me when you're ready."

            A smile flitted across Galadriel's lips as Katie answered, "Of course, Lady Galadriel…"

            "Mother," Galadriel corrected.

            "Mother," Katie amended.  "As long as I can open a portal between our worlds, when my time comes, I'll join you in the west."

            "And now that you're my daughter, I'm passing this book on to you.  This book is full of the memoirs from our line.  Please add your name to the tress and add all the information from your life to it.  Add it to mine and give it to your children to cherish as a family heirloom."  Galadriel placed the volume into Katie's hands.

            Katie hugged her new mother.  She noticed her friends starting to creep back towards the boats and asked quickly, "Is there some kind of ceremony I must go through?"  Katie asked.

            "It's in the book.  You will need something to bond us together.  Just use a bit of the lock from my hair that is already in the book.  You can go work on that while I give those boys their gifts.  And remember, do not despair, even when life is messed up, there is hope," Galadriel responded.  She nodded and let her new daughter follow her friends back towards the docks.

            As the male group, except for Jared, left, Esther handed Katie her spell book.  "We want to help," she stated, glaring a say-no-at-your-own-peril glare.

            "Yeah, and while you're at it can you fix this for me," Chelli asked handing Katie her glaive.

            Katie smiled, "Of course, just let me do this spell first."

            The group gathered around in a circle.  Katie took Galadriel's hair and began to mumble the words from her spell book.  A golden mist surrounded them.

            "Katie, you had better make this go away now," Jennifer screamed.

            "Who's touching me?"  Jared bellowed.

            Suddenly the mist was gone and everyone was safe.  Everyone looked in amazement at their friend who now was completely elf.

            "My glaive next!"  Chelli yelled and presented it to her friend.

            "Okay, just stop everyone from annoying me," Katie responded and sat down, preparing to put as many protection spells on it as she could find.

            "Ara!  What in the world did you just do?"  Legolas asked worriedly.

            "Don't interrupt her!"  Chelli growled.

            "Its okay, Chelli.  We must leave now," Katie soothed her friend.  "I'll take your glaive onto the boat, but you'll have to keep my books with you so I have room to work."  Katie handed her books to her friend and was escorted to the boat by a very worried Legolas.

            Chelli looked at the two books and sighed.  Suddenly she though of something.  "Merry, would you be a doll and keep these books with you?"

            Merry nodded happily and took the books from Chelli.

******

            That night the group stopped in a sheltered place for rest.

            "Chelli," Legolas whispered as the group settled around the fire, "Ara needs her books for the final spells on your glaive."

            "Okay, where is she and I'll take them to her," Chelli responded.

            Legolas pointed up into one of the trees above them.  "I had to help her up because of her dress," he smirked.

            Chelli raised her eyebrows at him, "I thought elves were serious."

            "Only in times of peril, normally, we can be quite the life of parties at other times."

            Chelli nodded and walked over to Merry.  "Merry, I need those books back now," Chelli, told him.

            "Umm….can't it wait until morning?" he asked with his face turned up in hope.

            "No, I need them now!"

            "Tomorrow, please!"  Merry begged.

            "Merry, what have you done?"  Chelli asked slowly.

            Merry began to shake.  His eyes darted to his packs lying beside the fire.

            "Merry…"  Chelli growled.

            "I didn't mean to.  They just…well…I made Ashley mad and she…well…knocked our boat…and I tried to save them, but I…I accidentally dropped them instead while I was trying to help steady the boat!"  Merry sobbed.  He picked up his bags and pulled the books out and handed them to Chelli.

            Chelli gulped and opened the books as she noticed the ink on the family tree running.

            "Merry!  I am dead.  You've killed me!"  Chelli cried.

            "No, Katie wouldn't harm a fly.  She'll just be a little disappointed and sad, but she's not going to kill or harm you," Merry pointed out with a tiny sob at the end.

            "It's not Katie I'm worried about.  What if Katie's ancestor elves come to get me!  Elves are wicked with those bows," Chelli whined.

            "If I were you I wouldn't worry about ancestor elves, I'd worry about me," a voice said from behind them.

            Chelli turned around and squealed.  "Legolas!"

            "An elf's heritage is the most important thing to him or her.  You've just destroyed the family tree of the most powerful elf family in Middle Earth!"  Legolas explained, eyes blazing.

            Chelli stared at him for a moment before throwing herself on the ground, sobbing and begging for mercy.  Merry looked at Chelli and joined her on the ground, sobbing about how sorry he was for killing Chelli.  Legolas looked at them both in as much shock as an elf could.

            "Legolas, what have you done" Katie called faintly from a tree.

            "I was joking with your friend.  She allowed the books to get wet," Legolas responded.

            "Melamin, I can fix that with magic.  You didn't need to make them both cry."

            "I was trying to joke with her.  No one else was alarmed in the least."

            "Just bring the books up, please.  Chelli's going to be angry as soon as she figures out what was going on."

            Legolas nodded, took the books, and went into the tree to assist Katie with the final spells.

            Chelli and Merry stopped suddenly.

            "Legolas?..."  Chelli whispered in question to the sudden silence.  She looked around and noticed he was not there.  The rest of the fellowship began to laugh at the look on Chelli's face as she realized Legolas had left already without retaliation.  Merry continued to cry until Chelli hit him over the head.

            "I'm safe!"  Chelli yelled in joy.  Her joy didn't last long as a large nut hit her squarely in the head.  Her eyes focused on Gimli and Ashley arguing.  Chelli through the nut back and hit Aragorn in the hand.  The entire fellowship spent the next hours nursing bruises the size of a large walnut.