Title: The Road is Destiny

Author: Firefly Lantern

Rating: PG-13 for language and violence

Author Note: Thanks to everyone who has reviewed and who is staying with the story! I'll try not to take too many liberties with the Tolkienverse.

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

Oh, and P.S. Yay, another chapter! 'Build Me Up, Buttercup" is a song by the Foundations. No copyright infringement.

WOW, over 100 reviews. I didn't think I'd make it to that number, but here I am! BIG thanks to anyone who wrote a review. You are much appreciated!

_The Road is Destiny_

Gaernod Wood was an ugly place. It was that simple.

The earth was dry and black; the bushes were thorned and brown. The trees were tall, but not proud. Their trunks twisted and curled like fingers of a hand straining painfully to touch something just out of reach. A stench of sickened decay clung to the stale air.

Yuck.

Julie coughed and held the back of her hand to her nose until the churning in her stomach settled. The forest was a foul place. Not to mention it gave her the heebie jeebies! The shivers climbing up her spine felt like the tickling, twitching legs of a spider crawling along her skin. Spider, she thought. Her mind dwelt on the hissing word. In the surreal space of her mind, Julie saw the venom-dripping fangs and orbed eyes of a giant spider. Fragments of images flashed in her own eyes until she saw an entire but small scene played out in her mind:

A twinkle of blue-white light winked like a beacon in the darkness. The timid twinkle waned as it moved closer to a hidden evil. Thick cobwebs draped on a rocky cliffside (they reminded Julie of the lacey doilies her grandmother put on the arms of her overstuffed reclining chair). A giant spider gurgled and hissed at the unfortunate souls wandering into its lair.

"Mr. Frodo, hide the light!" Sam Gamgee's voice was a frightened wail. It came a second too late to hide. The spider knew they were there.

"Run, Sam!" Frodo panted and fell in his haste to flee. His stubby fingers clawed into the sharp gravel of the earth as he scrambled to his feet.

"JULIE!" a shrill shriek brought her back with a start. Merry latched onto her arm and anchored her from moving further. She blinked in confusion. And came nose-to-thorn with one of the lovely daggerbushes thriving in the black forest. She squeaked like a little mouse and hopped backward. "You were about to walk into that! Did it get you?" Merry's eyes widened.

"No, thank goodness. I owe you one, Merry, my good fellow." Julie let out a thankful puff of air and rubbed her dry eyes. She affectionately patted his head and ruffed up his hair.

"One what?"

"If you ever need to be saved from nasty shrubbery, I'll make sure ~you~ are safe. Promise." She smiled to hide her embarrassment. Damn, the others must think she was a spaz. Or a crackhead, if they ever would learn what a crackhead was. Every time she tried to be independent and show she was a capable young woman, something happened to make her look stupid. Or utterly helpless. She frowned. The creepy spider daydream had her dazed. What the heck was it about, anyway? Before Julie fell into Middle Earth, she never had a dream where her friends were snack food for monsters. Before, all of her dreams happened when she was asleep versus being wide-awake and walking through the woods. The spider dream was more intense and richer than any other daydream she remembered having. Not only could she perfectly see what was going on, but she could also feel the coldness of the night and hear the quietest hush of Frodo's breath. It was too weird . And real.

Julie would add it to her journal when she got the chance. This story would make one hell of a book if she ever got home.

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As long as the sun shone, travel wasn't too scary. It was when the light began to fade that Julie and the others began to worry. The air became cooler, which made the Hobbits shiver like little lost children. Julie took Bill's reins to give Sam a break from leading the pony. Eris perched on the bedrolls strapped to the pony's back, so Julie had a free hand. A hand that really wasn't so free when Pippin held it tightly.

Julie was amazed at how the Hobbits turned to her for comfort and help. She hoped she wasn't babying them too much. Yet, she could see the fear and fatigue weighing down their chubby faces-the same faces that usually were wide with smiles but were now frowning. She squeezed Pippin's fingers and sang in a clear, strong voice the first happy song that came to mind:

"Why do you build me up Buttercup, baby? Just to let me down and mess me around? And then worst of all you never call, baby, when you say you will, but I love you still! I need you more than anyone, daaaarlin'. You know that I have from the start! So build me up, Buttercup, don't break my heart!"

She smiled at the surprised looks on their faces and kept singing.

"Hey, hey, hey! Baby, baby, I try to find. Hey, hey, hey! A little time and I'll make you mine.. Hey, hey, hey! I'll be home. I'll be beside the phone waiting for you! Ooo-oo-ooo, ooo-oo-ooo!"

Everyone in the group watched with either amused smirks or smiling eyes. Julie's hips swayed as she walked, and her shoulders rocked from side to side. She swung Pippin's arm along with the rhythm

"Why do you build me up Buttercup, baby? Just to let me down and mess me around? And then worst of all you never call, baby, when you say you will, but I love you still! I need you more than anyone, daaaarlin'. You know that I have from the start! So build me up, Buttercup, don't break my heaaart!"

She finished with a flourish.

"I need you more than anyone, darling! You know it from the start! Build me up, Buttercup, don't break my heart!" Pippin sung out and blushed bright red. Julie was pleasantly surprised at how quickly he caught on to the words; there was real, raw musical talent there. Who would have thought .?

"Good, Pippin!" Julie laughed and smiled at him. She noticed even Frodo's sullen face brightened slightly.

"Ooo-oo-ooo, ooo-oo-ooo." He sung quietly to himself. He lifted the ring he wore on a chain so the ring's weight stopped thumping against his chest when he walked. Julie watched as he fingered the piece of jewelry for a thoughtful moment before he tucked it beneath his shirt.

That ring. Julie blinked. What was so special about it? It was only a thick gold band. And gold really couldn't be so expensive in Middle Earth that anyone would be willing to kill to have a simple ring.

It was just a simple ring, right? She wondered. Unless it was cursed. Or belonged to some psychotic ogre. Did it belong to someone evil? Was the ring itself evil? Julie almost laughed. Oh yeah. Evil jewelry! Like it was going to try and kill her in her sleep. What could a little piece of metal do anyway, except turn her finger green?

"We must camp here for the night. I doubt we could find any better of a spot before we are at the mercy of the night." Aragorn stopped near a small clearing. The surrounding shrubbery was short enough to see over, but high enough to provide shelter from wandering eyes.

"A fine spot, Aragorn. My bones have long since grown heavy and appreciate a rest." Gandalf smiled and eased himself onto the blanket Merry rolled onto a flat patch of grass.

"We need firewood." Boromir suggested.

"I'll help look for some?" Julie volunteered.

"Not alone. Boromir, go with her." Aragorn ordered lightly. He knew he was meddling in affairs not concerning him. But he feared the fire of Legolas' gaze when he looked upon Julie. It was the same fire he had seen so long ago in the eyes of his own beloved. Burying the pain that stabbed his chest like a red dagger, Aragorn prayed no other human should suffer the same affliction of the heart. True love was not possible between mortals and Elves. Only pain came of it. He did not wish such sorrow upon Julie. One day, she would die and leave the sickened earth for the great bright hall of men, while Legolas would sail to the Undying Lands of the West. The confliction was all too familiar. The bitter taste of blood saturated his mouth as he bit the inside of his cheek. The physical pain distracted him from a heartache he felt he would never be rid of. "Gimli, they may be in need of your ax."

"Aye." The Dwarf nodded. He followed Boromir and Julie from the campsite.

"Why do you build me up, Buttercup baby, just to let me down?" Pippin sung softly as he unfolded a bedroll.

"And mess me around." Merry echoed, straightening the bedroll.

"I need you more than anyone, darlin'." Frodo added with an impish grin.

"You know I have from the start! So build me up Buttercup." Sam laughed as he tossed a bedroll at Frodo.

~Don't break my heart~ Legolas finished silently.