Title: The Road is Destiny
Author: Firefly Lantern
Rating: PG-13 for language and violence

Author Note: [kind of mean, but I'm making a point here] Okay, here it is. I openly admit I have written a Mary Sue type story ::gasp!::. And you know what? I don't care what any "Tolkien Purists" have to say about it. Whine all you would like, but please, if you are going to tell me this story isn't HARDCORE Tolkien or whatever belittling tidbits you'd like to throw my way, please email me instead of taking up space on the review board. Thankies. ^.^. This story is for FUN. I am not trying to create a masterpiece in the style of Tolkien, I prefer creativity and originality to redundancy. Okies? An open mind is a wonderful thing! Have fun on the journey.
Hang in with me here!

Disclaimer: JRR owns the LOTR characters. Any other modern things mentioned here belong to the makers, etc.

Oh, and P.S. Love is in the air! I really hope this isn't too corny. . . I wanted to add more romance to the story! It's about time, don't you think!? Please, tell me what you think of this chapter because I have ~very~ mixed emotions on it. Thanks!




_The Road is Destiny_



She handed Frodo his ring and in the next instant, her face was pressed comfortingly against the strong width of somebody's chest. One arm wrapped around her waist while the other went up from her back to place a steady hand in the middle of her shoulders. Soothing words were whispered but she had no clue what was being said. Heavens! That is what she needed now, to have a thread of security to hang on to. She needed to feel protected and loved because she was cared about, not because someone felt obligated to watch over her like a nanny does with small children.

It felt so good to be held. Julie didn't care if it wasn't meant in "That" way. Love was universal in that it did not always have to revolve around romance. Hey, she wanted romance, but she would gladly take love however she could get it.

Was it Aragorn? Boromir? No, it couldn't be Legolas. Gimli...? Gandalf wasn't close enough to hug her.

Let's be logical here.

Aragorn had a ladylove somewhere waiting for him, so holding Julie would be out of the question. Yeah, it was kind of weird, but she understood he had a girlfriend already and he wanted to keep his faithfulness to her, as well as keep up the appearance of being faithful.

Okay then. Gimli was out of the question since he wasn't taller than her, so he couldn't be the one hugging her.

That left only Boromir and Legolas. . .

Well, Boromir had been acting more interested in her lately, he was always a gentleman. Was he concerned with her welfare, or was he concerned with much more? How old was he? Early 30's perhaps? He was attractive, but Julie didn't feel a pull to him. He would protect her, though...

Oh Lord. It wasn't Legolas; Julie didn't try to fool herself. After the way she behaved, she was lucky he could even look at her let alone hold her! But how she wished it were him! Part of her wanted it to be him, yet she wouldn't know what to do if it was him. Everything would change! AGAIN! And Julie didn't know if she could keep up with everything that had happened to her already.

From the corner of her eye, she saw blurred figures of the Hobbits and Gandalf retreat into the tavern. Merry actually waved, but she couldn't seem to find her arm to wave back. Why were they leaving?! She pressed her fingers into one of the cloak-covered arms that held her. Okay, it was now or never.

Oh. My. Goodness.

There was a green tunic under a sepia brown cloak.
And a leather strap which held a quiver over his shoulder.
And my, what lovely blonde hair he had. . .


Julie's eyes were tear-sparkling orbs as she looked up into his face with surprised awe and faint confusion.

"Legolas... ...?" She managed to say in a quiet, questioning voice. This made no sense! Oh goodness, were Aragorn and Boromir watching? Wait, where the hell did Aragorn and Boromir go?! Even Gimli had left! What was going on here? "What...?"

"They thought it best for you to have time alone. I was chosen to watch over you, Julie." Legolas bowed his head in respect. He didn't mention receiving knowing glances from Aragorn as well as looks of disgust from Gimli. They figured Julie would be more comfortable with Legolas since he was really the first person she had seen in Middle-Earth, which gave them sort of a mother-child bond. But there was nothing motherly about Legolas' feelings... "Come, I have something to show you." A mischievous smile flashed across his lips and was gone as soon as Julie blinked.

"What?"

He did not reply. Instead, he offered his arm, which she took after a moment of hesitation. What was this crazy boy up to? Julie decided to ignore the fact he only hugged her earlier because he was chosen to be her babysitter. If she ignored it, she wouldn't be hurt so much. La la la. . . Where the heck was he taking her? They walked through the marketplace, past a row of thatched-roof houses, and past a small dairy farm. She was happy to see the cows were nice and fat. It meant a good year for the farmer.

"You wanted to show me cows? We have those back in Ohio. Sorry to disappoint you." Julie teased. Legolas' lips quirked into a slight grin; Julie felt her heart skip a beat. She felt proud to have made him smile. She nearly shook with nervous energy, Middle-Earth was going to drive her off the edge, she knew it! So much stuff had happened in the last few days; it was hard for her to believe reality was real anymore.

Julie tried her best not to lean against Legolas as they walked down the dirt and pebble road. He was a pillar of strength, but what right had she to burden him with her weepiness? Hell, why were they even walking down a road together? Did he ... like her? Ugh, it was all too confusing; Julie was done trying to make sense out of anything.

She let him lead her off the road and down a gently sloping hill where wildflowers grew in abundance. A faint melody carried through the treetops on the breeze as if the trees were singing. She wouldn't doubt trees could sing; it wouldn't surprise her in the least. Julie was so wrapped around her own thoughts that she didn't realize Legolas had stopped and was staring out across a flower-mottled meadow.

"Oh!" She laughed in embarrassment. "This is lovely! I'm in heaven now." Her eyes closed and she breathed in the sweet, pollution-free country air. She felt like she belonged in one of those fabric softener commercials where flowers and twinkles erupted when the actor opened the container and took a BIG sniff. Julie realized how commercial her life had been until this point; marketing sex and luring people into buying name brand items wasn't a priority here at all. They didn't have that luxury.

"Heaven?"

"A pretty place." She smiled, welcoming a happy moment in the midst of her personal gloom. Her heart told her to take off running through the meadow. She wanted to keep running and never stop; she wanted to move across the land with the spirit of a doe realizing the preciousness of freedom. It was a feeling that had a strong impact on her. "It's so... beautiful here." Julie whispered in a choked voice; she spoke in such a hushed voice, she didn't think Legolas heard.

He did.

"Do you wish to walk further?"

"Yes." Julie nodded, amazed she still held Legolas' arm.

"Do I disconcert you? We can return to the tavern." He said stoically. Emotions tore at him; he wanted Julie to like him as much as she liked the Hobbits.

"No no!" Julie coughed, blushing a little. "I feel comfortable with you. . . But I'm sorry about how I acted the other night. *I* should be the person asking if I disconcert *you*." She admitted. " Legolas, you're a wonderful guy. I'm really happy it was you who found me out in the woods. Otherwise, who knows what would have happened to me. I owe you a lot for your kindness." She smiled and patted his arm the way she had patted Sam's curly head so many times.

Yep, this was nice and friendly with no romantic undertones whatsoever. Julie nearly screamed in frustration. Legolas was just acting as her babysitter, and that was that. She was fine with the situation. Oh well. There was probably some lucky snaggle-toothed, cock-eyed goat farmer out there lookin' to fix himself up with a pretty missus. So there was still hope for her love life... She shivered at the thought. "Um... Do you mind if I sit down for a little bit?" Julie couldn't help but let out a little yawn. She needed to rest, but no way in hell was she going to fall asleep again...

Legolas moved to remove his cloak for her to sit on. Julie laughed and shook her head.

"I'm okay! Buttercups don't bite." She said quickly and plopped down onto the ground; her brown skirt poofed out at her sides like a toasted marshmallow. She bent her head and smoothed out the material the best she could. When she looked up, Legolas was seated right beside her. She didn't even hear him move! "How do you do that?" She noticed his bow resting in the grass at his side.

"What, Julie?"

"Move so... nimbly? You remind me of a cat."


"It is the way of the Elves." Legolas smiled at her. His legs were outstretched with one leg bent so he could rest his elbow on his knee. Was it possible to be the epitome of grace while sitting down? Julie hit at her skirt, trying to get it to unpoof. She was doomed to be ungraceful and silly-looking just like everyone else from North America! Hmph.

"Do you miss it, your home?" She occupied her attention with the dizzy twirling of a buttercup between her thumb and pointer finger.

"Mirkwood is where my thoughts stray. I have not seen the forest in 5 months."

"I'm sorry. I understand some of what you're going through." Julie said, tucking the buttercup behind her ear. "Mirkwood sounds like a beautiful place... I've never met a prince before. The United States is run by an elective democracy, not a hereditary monarchy like England and I bet Mirkwood, too. . .Ummmm. Never mind." She coughed, embarrassed to be babbling to a PRINCE about politics, of all things.

"Democracy?"

"It's the rule by the people, for the people. Justice for all and that kind of thing. Don't worry about it; forget I mentioned it. I'm not in Ohio anymore, so I shouldn't talk about it. Everything is so different here. When I talk about anything, all I do is confuse people." She let out a deep breath and collapsed backward onto the grass. The sky was an optimistic shade of light blue. Lazy swirls of white clouds slowly drifted by on a wind Julie didn't feel. Middle-Earth had a sun, too, so not everything was so different. Elves, Hobbits, and slobbering evil creatures were what made her head spin.

Julie squinted as the sun shone in her eyes. Her cheeks warmed and she took in a steady breath of oxygen. A small yawn escaped her lips and her nose tickled.

"Legolas...?"

"Yes?"

"Can I ask how old you are?"

"If you desire to do so..."

"All right. How old are you?"

"How old do you believe me to be?"

"Hmm, now that's a tough question. I have no clue how well elves age. You could be three hundred years old for all I know! But you look like you're ... 23? 24? Somewhere in that range. Am I right?"

"If you think you are right."

"Legolas!" Julie playfully swatted at him. He took her hand and brushed her palm with the pad of his thumb. She gave a haughty sniff as he turned her hand over and placed a lingering kiss in the cradle of her palm. Julie smiled sweetly and hit him upside his head with her other hand. She tossed him a smug glance. "You have to try a lot harder than ~that~, Mr. Smooth."

Legolas was flushed and his blue eyes held an attractive gleam.

"Julie...?" He asked in a polite yet timid voice.

"Yes?"

"Would it be proper to seek a kiss?"

"If you think you are right." She echoed his comment and laughed mischievously. Julie put her arms on his shoulders, gave him a brief peck on the lips, and then pushed him over on the way to her feet. He stared at her in open-mouthed shock until he realized it was a game. She giggled nervously as he got to his feet with a wide smile and a determined set of his brow. Julie hiked up her skirt and took off into a relaxed jog through the meadow. She looked back, knowing he probably ran as fast as a deer. He did, of course. She turned around and nearly fell backward as she found herself wrapped in his arms!

"May I?" Legolas stroked her hair as he smiled at her flushed cheeks.

"You may." Julie replied. He was a lot taller than her, but he moved without awkwardness. His long-fingered hands were gentle as they cupped the sides of her face. He smiled slightly as his fingertips brushed her upper lip. This was one of those things that felt real but happened in a heart-pounding haze. Julie was so excited and nervous that she couldn't remember if she was still breathing. She smiled at Legolas and tilted her head back, ready for anything. He smiled back and leaned forward and Julie stood on her tips toes as their lips met in a sincere, innocent kiss. It was nothing like the overly dramatized kisses in movies. It was an honest connection between two people who were still shy about their feelings.

And Legolas was a considerate gentleman, he didn't try to turn the kiss into some kind of dominating show of passion like so many guys from Ohio thought was cool to try. His lips were soft and enticing in their gentleness. Julie couldn't reach to touch his cheek without threat of falling over, so her hands rested on the firm breadth of his chest for support. Her lips tingled. Her entire body tingled. Her shoulders shivered at the sensation.

After a few seconds, Legolas pulled away and placed a kiss on her forehead. He held her to him, protectively, and stroked her hair. Oh damn, what had she gotten herself into...? She couldn't even bribe a half-decent guy in Ohio to be her boyfriend, and now she was sharing a hotel room with 9 other men! Not to mention having a lovey-dovey interlude in a meadow with an elf! She really, really liked Legolas and was attracted to him. . . But would it work out between them? He was an Elven Prince and she was a human from a low middle-class family. Not to forget the fact that she was from a completely different dimension of space and time... Little details in the biased eyes of love? Maybe. Legolas was everything she needed and wanted right now, at this very moment. It didn't matter that he was a prince. He was beautiful, noble, humble, mysterious, and virtuous. She never met anyone like him and there would never be anyone like him even if she could travel to all the existing dimensions in the mad mad universe.

"Legolas, are you okay with everything? I don't want to distract you from your quest-"

"It's all good ... and a bag of skittles." He used the term he overheard her calling to Pippin. He said it so perfectly serious and straight-faced that Julie couldn't contain her amusement. She groped at his tunic as she doubled over with laughter. A crestfallen frown weighted Legolas' face as he watched Julie's uproarious fit. "What..."

"Oh! No no no... I'm not making fun of you! I'm laughing because you are funny. You make me feel happy." She coughed, trying to stifle the last of her chuckles. Before she could catch her breath, Legolas swooped in for another kiss. This time it was brief, straightforward, and to the point. It took her breath away. WoW. Speechlessly Julie craned her neck to blink up at him.

"Pardon my brash behaviour... I should not have been so unmannered. You are a lady, Julie, and I pray I have not offended your honour." Legolas bowed. She could see he was stricken with guilt for wanting to kiss her. Did he want to write a letter to Julie's mother to ask for permission to woo her daughter? Shoot, the only wooing most guys nowadays did was saying some "Hey Baby" line and offering to share their half-slurped up cherry icee. It was flattering that he wanted to be proper and follow the protocol of Middle-Earth dating. Did that mean he wanted to marry her? Julie pushed the thought from her mind instantly; she didn't want to put herself in a mental meltdown.

"Legolas, it's okay. What I mean is... Your intentions are honourable. You have been nothing but respectful, protective, and kind to me since you found me. We've only known one another for a few days and things are emotional and intense now. There's a LOT of confusion everywhere, so don't feel bad for wanting to keep a level head. If you think romance is too much to handle now, I understand. So much has happened over the last few days..." Julie shook her head.

Legolas contemplated her words and nodded thoughtfully.

"My thoughts are scattered to the wind. I acted without truly thinking. I apologize."

"Don't! You're only confusing yourself more. What happened... happened. And that's that! If neither of us are ready, it's fine. We can slow it down and be... friends. We don't have to go any further than where we are already. We can always pick up where we left off later... After all this insanity is done and we aren't fearing for our lives or fighting for survival." Ouch. Did she just give him a modified "Let's be friends" speech? Sigh, this was so difficult to do.

"You are strong woman, Julie, and fiercely intelligent. If you can forgive me for my behaviour, I will gladly do as you wish. I will not have another moment of weakness. For you I will be strong." His head bowed once more. His voice set in firm determination. Julie took his hand and held it to her heart.

"Thank you. I don't want to make you feel awkward around the other guys or me. "

"You have my word, Julie." Legolas replied almost coldly. Julie could tell he was doing his best to keep his emotions in check. His stoicism made an unsettling feeling flutter in her stomach. Oh goodness, what had she gotten herself into?