"Marcy...I don't want to go. I have a really bad feeling," Madison whined softly holding back the tears that threatened to flow.

"Come on, Maddy. Everything will be fine. It'll be like an adventure you read in a novel, and think about the scenery will see. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity," Marcy persuaded. Wait a minute, Marcy thought as a little light dinged in her mind "You believe in fate right?"

"Yeah, but what does fate have to do with this?" Madison asked in frustration at her friend's unending persistence.

"Just hear me out," Marcy began holding her hands up, as if to force her thought on Madison. "Why would fate send us here, and give us this chance if we could not handle it? Huh?" Marcy smiled pleasingly at her crafty question. Answer me that, she thought smartly.

As if reading her mind, Madison pouted softly, "Your question wasn't that crafty, and it still doesn't convince me."

"Maddy!" Marcy whined throwing her hands down by her side. They made a loud slapping noise, as they connected with her thighs.

"Umm, ladies," Boromir started as him, Aragorn, Gandalf, and Elrond approached the girls.

"Yes," Marcy exclaimed tartly at him. This made Boromir shift uncomfortably, and forget his purpose of catching their attention.

Stepping bravely into Marcy's line of heated vision Gandalf decided to begin. "After much discussion, we feel that in order to keep you safe," his gaze fell woefully on Madison, "you should travel with us."

"But...," Madison began, but she was cut off by Marcy's victory whoop. Looking frantically around she searched for support from Boromir and Aragorn. Boromir shifted his gaze, and Aragorn held his head down.

Gandalf walked slowly to Madison, as her tears began to now flow freely. Laying a gentle hand on her shoulder, he made a her promise, "We will protect you, he will never harm you. I promise."

Madison moved his hand from her shoulder and walked slowly away.

Aragorn felt a painful sorrow deep within him when he looked up to see her crying. He felt moved to follow her, but Gandalf held up his hand for him to stay.

In the garden...

Madison fell to her knees. It seemed the more she tried to stop herself from crying, the more upset she became. She did not really understand the source of her fear, but somehow she knew if she went with them on this journey something beyond horrible was going to happen. Something she knew she could not stop once it was set into motion. Feeling this fear, she pulled her knees tightly to her chest, and sobbed uncontrollably.

"Madison?" a tiny voice broke through her distraught thoughts.

Looking up, she noticed it was one of the hobbit's.

"Frodo?" she sniffled rubbing her swollen eyes.

"Yes," he smiled nodding his head. "I'm sorry to intrude, but I was passing by and I heard you crying. It...umm...well it...worried me," he replied bowing his head in embarrassment at his concern. There was a long awkward silence between them. Shifting around nervously he spotted a white rose that had fallen of its bush. Picking it up, he looked at it with a curious gaze.

Seeing the white rose made her even more upset.

"I'm sorry did I?" Frodo began to ask as he noticed her bury her face in her hands.

After a few moments, she looked up and cried softly, "Have you ever seen a white rose bleed?..." She paused without breathe. Staring into a void, her eyes became glassy.

Finally catching her breathe, she reached for the rose. She held it close so she could inhale the sweet intoxicating aroma it flaunted. Looking around at Frodo she parted her lips in a painful explanation, "My mom and dad died when I was young."

Frodo bowed his head. "I'm so sorry," he whispered. He knew what it was like to loose one's parents.

"I wanted to decorate their coffins with every beautiful flower I could find," her voice quivered and her body shook in remembrance. "When I went to the flower shop...I spotted this beautiful bouquet of white roses in a clear crystal vase. They were so pure, but when I reached out to touch them...something happened. As I extended my hand, they fell from my reach. It seem to happen in slow motion. The crystal vase shattered as they hit the ground. The roses scattered across the stone floor." Madison now stood. She peered around the garden as if she was in a trance. Looking over her shoulder she began to talk, "I looked over my shoulder to see if anyone had heard the commotion. Satisfied no one heard me, I knelt down...," Madison knelt back down on one knee, "and I picked up one single white rose," reaching down she picked up the rose and ran her fingers across the petals. Her eyes filled with tears and confusion as the memory came flooding back to her. Taking a deep breath she parted her lips once more to explain, "when I touched the petals, they turned from a pure white to a crimson red. I don't know exactly what it means, but...I don't...maybe...just maybe..." She looked up at Frodo and for the longest she just stared at him with a woeful look.

"Madison?" Frodo questioned worriedly.

Bowing her head at the sound of his voice, she let the rose fall to the ground. The rose fell from her hand as if in slow motion. Not missing an inch of her hand it rolled slowly from her palm, down her fingers, and around her fingertips before it departed from her fragile hand. She watched the rose fall to the ground, landing with a soft bounce.

"Nothing," she replied wiping her eyes. Rising to her feet, she gave Frodo a smile that could fool no one and excused herself.

Frodo slumped to the ground.

"Frodo?" a male voice beckoned him.

Looking up Frodo smiled a weak smile. "Strider," he spoke pleasingly.

Aragorn nodded with smile, but his smile vanished quickly.

Frodo noticed that Aragorn seem to want to ask him something. He watched the ranger's body shift uncomfortably from one position to another. Frodo couldn't help but laugh a small hobbit laugh as the ranger would go to speak with no sound leaving his lips.

The moment Frodo's laughter broke the silence, Aragorn threw his hands up in defeat with a chuckle of his own.

"Well, I was never good at beating around the bush," he stated placing his hands on his hips and bowing his head. After a few moments, he raised his head and spoke almost in a whisper as if he was afraid the sound of his words would betray where his thoughts dwelled. "Have you seen Madison?"

"She just left," Frodo replied pointing in the direction she had left.

"Thank you," Aragorn replied guiltily as retreated in the same direction.

Frodo bowed his head and shook it with only these words leaving his lips, "Oh, Strider."

Aragorn looked everywhere he could think of, but he could not find her. It was like she had disappeared. Probably for the best, he thought disappointedly as he looked around once more hoping to see her. Looking up he spotted Arwen approaching him with a smile that once melted his heart. Now her smile no longer melted him but caged him. Bowing his head in guilt, he pushed these thoughts from his mind and spoke softly to convince himself, "Yeah...for the best."