"Do you think they're going to be okay?" asked Merry anxiously – and not for the first time – as he, Pippin, Legolas, and Gimli waited tensely outside a tent in the field of Cormallen. Aragorn and Mithrandir had been inside for hours performing the daunting task of healing Frodo and Sam.

Tears welled in Legolas' eyes as he remembered the moment that Gwaihir and two of his kindred bore the two little hobbits to the field and laid them almost reverently down on the ground before the feet of the remainder of the fellowship. Nothing could have prepared them for that first look. There had been so much dirt on their faces that it almost obscured their identities. Their lips were dry, cracked, and bleeding, as if they hadn't had anything to drink in days. Cuts and bruises covered their much-thinner bodies. Blood was caked all over Frodo's hand; blood from a hole where one of his fingers used to be. They had lain utterly still on the ground, not making a sound. Legolas had feared that they were already dead but then Mithrandir started shouting to Aragorn that they needed to be tended to immediately. Man and wizard each took a hobbit into the tent and there they remained several hours later.

"Here laddie," Gimli said to Legolas, noticing the tears. "You look tired. Rest your head on my shoulder."

Legolas did so, thankful for the discreet way to hide his tears from the already emotional and frightened hobbits. "I never thought I'd be comforted by a dwarf," he murmured to Gimli.

"You are being comforted by a friend," Gimli whispered back, unconsciously stroking the elf's hair.

The tent door pulled back and Aragorn emerged, looking absolutely exhausted. The four immediately jumped to their feet. "Well?" asked Pippin, sounding fearful of the answer. "Are they..."

"They will live," Aragorn whispered with choked emotion. "They will live," he repeated a little louder in a shaking voice. "They will live. All four of you will see the Shire again. They will live."

They stood in silence for a moment, giving their tired, emotionally overloaded minds time to absorb the news. Then Pippin started to laugh before breaking down in tears. Merry joined in soon after, and then they all followed suit, laughing and crying at the same time to release the months of fear, tension, and grief. Legolas leaped forward into Aragorn's arm. "You are without a doubt," he said, holding him as tightly as he could, "the most wonderful and brilliant healer this world has ever had."

"They're alive!" grinned Aragorn. He grabbed Legolas' cheeks and kissed him hard on the lips. "They're alive and we're alive. The free peoples of this world are still standing and Sauron is no more."

"Come, come, sit down lad," urged Gimli. Aragorn complied and the others sat around him. "Now tell us the whole story."

"Please?" chimed in Pippin. "Can you tell us anything about what they've been through?"

"Not anything definite," answered Aragorn soberly. "They haven't woken up yet. All I can say with some certainty is that they ran out of food and water about a day before they made it to the crack of Doom."

"What about poor Frodo's hand?" asked Merry anxiously.

Aragorn hesitated for a moment before responding. "He's missing one of his fingers," he finally said. "I think – I think it may be the one that he put the ring on at Weathertop. It looks like it was bitten off."

"Bitten off?" repeated Legolas in horror.

"Frodo's journey has been long and painful," nodded Aragorn. "There are wounds on his back that were clearly made with a whip and a large stab wound in his stomach. It might have been made with a large spear; the wound was too thick and rounded to have been made by a sword or knife."

"Can – can we see them?" asked Pippin tentatively, his voice and body still shaking with emotion at hearing the extent of Frodo's injuries.

"I think that's a splendid idea," said Aragorn warmly. "It will probably take them a few days to regain consciousness, but they need all the love and support that they can get. Mithrandir seems intent on staying with them until they wake; I'm sure he wouldn't mind the company."

"Come on, Pip!" Merry grabbed his cousin's hand and together they raced into the tent.

Gimli looked from Legolas to Aragorn and back again. "Well," he said gruffly. "I suppose you two want to be alone."

Legolas smiled. "If you don't mind."

"Hrrumph," grunted the dwarf. "I guess I can go see what the troops are cooking. All this waiting and worrying is hungry business." He started to walk away, but then paused. "Just remember," he added, "there are some things you shouldn't do outside of someone's sick-tent. Your wedding is a sure thing now; you can wait until then."

"Well," said Aragorn after Gimli left. "He's right, at least about one thing. All of our waiting and worrying is almost over. A messenger's been sent ahead to Minas Tirith to bring tidings of our victory – and that one who can claim the throne of Gondor is coming to do so."

"I can't believe that it's finally happening," breathed Legolas in excitement. "The darkness has passed and we're going to live together in peace in Gondor. Everything that my father challenged you to do is about to be done."

"Everything except for the renewal of Gondor and Arnor," murmured Aragorn, looking down.

"Don't start this now," said Legolas firmly, grabbing his chin and forcing the Man to look in his eye. "Against all odds the free peoples live and Sauron is destroyed. Against all odds Frodo and Sam, two little hobbits who had never left their homeland before, went into Mordor and came out alive. I don't doubt for a moment that the ancient kingdom will be restored.

Aragorn wrapped his arms around the elf, resting their foreheads together. "I love that you believe in me," he smiled, planting a gentle kiss on Legolas' jaw.

"I love that you're so easy to believe in," Legolas whispered in his ear.

wimtbwimtbwimtbwimtbwimtb

One morning about two weeks later the Host of the West – joined now by the ringbearer and his unwaveringly loyal Sam – had almost reached Minas Tirith when Mithrandir requested a halt. "There is one last thing that must be done before we return to the White City," he offered in explanation to the rest of the fellowship and Eomer. "It will not take long."

"I suppose a brief halt wouldn't hurt," said Eomer. "But it must be just that – brief. The men are weary and longing to see those they left behind. I myself am anxious to discover why my sister didn't come when I asked her to join us at Cormallen."

"We will arrive at Minas Tirith soon enough," promised Mithrandir. "But right now I need for Aragorn and Legolas to come with me."

"To where?" asked Aragorn curiously.

"To the slopes of Mount Mindolluin," answered the wizard, gesturing to the nearby mountain.

Leaving the others in charge. The couple followed Mithrandir to the mountain. "Why have you brought us here?" asked Aragorn as they stood on a great slope that overlooked the surrounding lands for miles.

"Do you see that land?" asked Mithrandir. They nodded wordlessly. "That will be yours; a part of the realm of Gondor once again." He sighed. "I brought you here to charge you with a great responsibility, but also to give you hope. The time of the elves is over; with the destruction of the one ring must also come the end of the power of the three elven rings. All that was made by them will now fade. While some elves won't leave these shores until the end of your lifetimes and beyond, it will be your responsibility as king and prince consort of Gondor to see to it that not all of what was good and beautiful about the age of the Elves is forgotten."

"You can depend on us to do at least that," promised Legolas. "The glory of the first three ages will not be forgotten in the realm of Gondor."

"Wonderful," said Mithrandir, suddenly cheerful. "Now we come to the hope. I have foreseen that the ancient realm of Gondor will be restored and all the lands will come together under the mantle of the king."

"It will," agreed Aragorn, stealing a glance at his lover. "I will no longer doubt that. I just wish that there was a sign of this, something that shows all of Middle Earth that the time has come for the return of the king."

Mithrandir's eyes glinted. "Turn around then, and look no further for a sign," he instructed.

They turned and saw that on the stony slopes of the mountain stood one lone sapling. "What is this?" wondered Legolas, going forward with Aragorn to get a better look. "How did this young tree come to be in such a place? It can't be more than seven years old." He examined it closer and gasped. "Ai, Elbereth! It's –"

"A White Tree," finished Aragorn in awe. "A symbol of the kings of Gondor and a descendent of Telperion, the eldest of trees from Valinor."

"In the hour that it's needed it's ready," Mithrandir said. "The order has been given for the dead White Tree in the courtyard to be uprooted and buried with reverence. Minas Tirith awaits the new Tree – and the new king."

With shaking hands, Aragorn and Legolas gently tugged on the trunk. The Tree was pulled easily from the ground, roots and all, as if it had been waiting for someone to come for it. Aragorn bore it as the three walked back to where the army had halted. "It's time," said Aragorn gravely to the others. "Let's order the host to move out at once."

The troops, eager to return to the city and wondering at the sapling and its affect on Aragorn and Legolas' moods, complied at once. The rest of the short march passed by in a blur until they reached the damaged gates of the city. "The Host of the West has returned!" announced Mithrandir. "Open the gates for them, and to receive Elessar, Isildur's heir, as your king!"

The gates opened slowly to reveal a massive crowd. Mithrandir entered first, followed closely by Aragorn. On either side of the Man rode Frodo and Legolas. "I am Elessar," announced Aragorn in a loud, clear voice. "I come to the city to claim the throne of Gondor. With me I bring to you the living White Tree of the kings. Will you have me?"

"Yea!" shouted the crowd in one voice.

With that answer, Aragorn – with the others following – rode slowly through the levels of the city. When he and the crowd reached the awaiting hole in the citadel courtyard, he dismounted. "With the planting of this tree," he called out, holding the sapling aloft before placing it in the ground and starting to cover the roots with dirt, "I vow to you all that the ancient realm of the kings will be restored and renewed."

The crowd cheered his words as he completed the planting of the tree. When the last bit of dirt was in place, Legolas dismounted Arod and walked to Aragorn's side. The crowd gasped in wonder; for many it was the first time they'd ever seen an elf, and they were amazed to see the Sun Star – who was accounted exceptionally beautiful even among the elves – join hands with their soon-to-be-crowned king.

Aragorn brought the back of Legolas' hand to his mouth and kissed it gently. "You said we'd be here, my love," he murmured, "and here we are. We stand together in before the living White Tree; now all we need is for it to blossom anew."

"I think I can take care of that," Legolas whispered back. Taking a deep breath, he stepped forward and stared singing a song he'd known since he was an elfling, a song that all wood elves knew and cherished. As the crowd stood marveling, the newly planted White Tree flowered and seemed to grow before their eyes under the nourishment of the elf's song.

To be continued...

A/N: I'm at least temporarily reprieved from my Spyware problem, with a permanent solution coming soon. Yay!

I received some questions that should have been answered in the last chapter, had I not been so distracted by my computer woes. As you can see, no elf except for Legolas showed up at the battle before the Black Gate or at any other one, with the excpetion of Helm's Deep. That's because their own settlements are being attacked and they really can't spare the forces. They're holding the line in the north so that the evil forces there can't join the battles that our heroes are fighting in. The elven force was sent to Helm's Deep because the situation there was especially desperate and (in my interpretation for this story) Elrond was still doing everything in his power to protect Aragorn at that point. Once Legolas became mortal and Aragorn got the sword, both Elrond and Thranduil came to realize that they had to let their sons become leaders and respected warriors to all that met them, and for that to happen they had to stand back and allow them to fight their own fights.