An- Sorry it took so long, we had exams! The next part will be out sooner (I hope)!

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Much luv, peace and Rainbows

Chapter 54

"How can I leave my friends?" Jane whispered to the baby she was holding in her arms. She had volunteered to baby-sit Elijah for Erin and Frodo, giving them what Erin liked to call "private time". Besides, Jane suspected they would be discussing what Gandalf had told them all earlier that day; the choice to leave Middle-Earth for good.

And that was what she had been doing while the baby slept. Staring into the fire, just thinking about what to do with her future.

"Oh, Elijah…what do I do?" she muttered, looking into his electric baby blue eyes (so much like his father's!). "I can't just leave my friends...because I know that they won't be coming with me…they all have someone here, and there's no way Erin is going to leave you behind." She stared down at him and realized that her talking had put the baby to sleep, so she laid him back in his bassinet.

She walked over to the window, lifted back the curtain and looked up at the night sky; an endless navy blue curtain dotted with tiny white stars. A chilly evening breeze blew through the room.

"And what about this fantastic, amazing, beautiful world! Is going back to a world, my world…where it feels like I actually belong…is it worth it?" Jane sighed, stepping away from the window. "

Plopping down into an armchair, Jane unwillingly realized her destiny. She was going to go home, alone, without her best friends. She was going to leave Aragorn, and everything, and everyone in Middle-Earth she had come to love and know. Yet, this whole situation didn't, and never actually did feel…right.

"Now, I have to break the news to them all," Jane spoke quietly as she fought back the hysterical flood of tears that threatened to overtake her.

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It was Niori who arrived in the great hall first. After making her decision (and crying about it for awhile), she had made her way here. Though the four hadn't spoken the words, the girls understood that they would all meet here once they were ready.

Almost twenty minutes after Niori came and sat down, Carla arrived. Niori glanced up and saw as her cousin quietly entered, Carla came in and sat down in the chair next to Niori. Neither girl spoke…knowing without saying any words that they had to wait for the others.

Next came Erin. For the first time in a long time, Elijah was not in Erin's arms. Erin stopped in the doorway and regarded the other two solemnly. With a sigh, she entered and sat down, glancing at Niori and Carla before focusing her gaze on a magnificent statue at the other end of the room.

Finally, Jane arrived. The girl opened the doors to the great hall and gave a small shake of her head as she saw the other three already sitting there silently.

' Oh look,' Jane thought to herself, unable to keep the bitterness from her mind 'I'm the last one…same as always'

The three girls looked up and watched as Jane made her way towards them. Like the three before her, Jane pulled out a seat and sat down at the table.

The four exchanged a glance amongst themselves, asking the others if they were really ready for this. Another moment went by before the silence was broken.

" Well, obviously we're not going to say no," Erin spoke with an air of absolute certainty causing all of the others to focus their gaze upon her.

" Of course not!" Carla replied adamantly, shaking her head furiously.

" I mean, our lives are here now…" Erin spoke again, " our friends are here…our, err…lovers are here," she glanced at Jane uncertainly at the last part, and guiltily saw the stab of pain in the girl's eyes as she was yet again reminded of the fact that she had no one to love her.

There was a long stretch of silence where Jane felt a little sorry for herself and Erin felt guilty about opening her mouth.

" I'm going home guys," Niori whispered quietly, breaking the silence and looking up at the other girls with solemn eyes.

The three girls all looked at Niori with wide and shocked eyes. Those were words they had never imagined Niori would say. They had thought Jane might leave…but never Niori!

" What!" Erin cried, looking at Niori like she had three heads.

" I'm going home," Niori repeated, looking up at them all, her blue eyes filled with pain.

" I guess this is as good a time as any to say that I am too…I'm going home too," Jane spoke up, a humorless smile on her lips.

" Why?" Erin asked, tears stinging her eyes. This wasn't supposed to be happening! The four of them weren't supposed to go home!

" Because," Niori replied, her voice near breaking, " it's the right thing to do. It's what my heart says I have to do,"

Without another word, Niori rose from her chair, turned and walked back out of the room. Moments later, Carla rose from her chair and stormed out of the room after her cousin.

When she reached her in the hall, Carla reached out, grabbed onto Niori's arm and pulled her violently around to face her.

" What the hell are you doing!" Carla cried, her voice a cross between anger and confusion.

Niori looked taken back at Carla's outburst of anger.

" I-" she started, but Carla cut her off.

" What are you thinking! Why are you throwing everything you ever wanted, away?"

" Because I have to!" Niori cried back desperately, her voice full of emotion.

" Why!" Carla cried angrily, " And don't you dare say it's because you miss home! Or that you miss your family! That's nothing but a lie and you know it! I hate to say it Niori, but they don't miss you…they'll put on a big show, but in the end they don't give a damn! You're my best friend Niori, and I've seen what they've done to you. I was the one who talked you out of taking a bottle of pills the night they told you they wished you weren't their daughter and wished you would just disappear. I've seen you go through guy after guy just to find someone who'd love you…give you the love your family never have. I've felt your heart break after everyone of those guys never loved you the way you needed them to. I know you Niori, and I know that all you really want is someone who'll just love you for you, no strings attached,"

Niori stared at her friend in wonder. She had never realized that Carla understood her so well…that she knew the things that lay hidden from everyone deep in her heart.

" And now you've found it Niori," Carla continued, her voice no longer angry but compassionate, " Legolas loves you…gives you all the love you've never had. The only time I've ever seen you in total bliss is when you're loaded or with him! You've finally gotten the one thing you've wanted, needed, and now you're throwing it away! Why?"

" Because," Niori replied softly, her voice barely above a whisper, " I just have to. I can't tell you a reason Carla, because there seems to be none to give. I can only go on what my heart tells me…and my heart tells me that going home is the right thing. Do you really think I want to go home and put up with my parents? Do you really think I want to leave Legolas? I don't…but I have to,"

Carla studied her cousin for a moment, feeling the other girl's pain…but also partway understanding her choice.

" What are you going to do now?" Carla asked quietly.

" I'm going to finish the hard part," Niori spoke, a humorless smile on her lips, " I'm going to tell Legolas,"

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Erin felt hot tears stinging her eyes and sobs threatening to break out from her lips…

Niori was going home…Jane was going home. Carla still wasn't sure, but God knew that she'd probably end up going home too…

Up until the four of them had met a half an hour ago, Erin had been a hundred percent sure that she was going to stay here. This was where her family was…

But the thing was, at that time, she had thought the others were to stay too. Now, she knew that Niori and Jane (and possibly Carla) were going to leave…

Now she wasn't a hundred percent certain she could stay…

It hurt her so much to think about a life without Frodo and Elijah…but it also hurt to imagine her life without Niori, Jane and Carla.

A small sob escaped from behind her lips and she leaned against the side of the courtyard wall for support.

" Erin," a small voice came from behind her, " are you alright?"

Erin turned to look behind her, and saw Sam, a look of worried pity on his face, standing there.

" I'm fin-" Erin started, but stopped herself. What was the point of lying? " No Sam…I'm not fine. I'm at the complete opposite of fine right now…"

Sam took a step forward, and placed a comforting hand on Erin. God he felt so bad for her…if only there was something he could do to heal it.

" Talk to me Erin," he whispered, looking up at her with kind eyes, " I'll understand. We've been through so much together…out of all people you can trust, it can be me,"

Erin felt a surge of love (not romantic) go out towards the small Hobbit. He was right…they had been through so much. He had been with her since the moment the three of them (Sam, she and Frodo) had left the rest of the fellowship. He had been the one to deliver her child…he had been the one who had stayed and protected when Frodo had left them.

" I don't know what to do Sam…" Erin cried, her voice cracking, " I don't know how I can choose…"

" You have to do what your heart tells you," Sam told her softly, looking at the tears in her eyes and feeling his heart wrench.

" But how can I do that?" Erin cried desperately, burying her face in her hands, " I can't choose between my old family and my new family! I can't decide if I can life without Elijah and Frodo or Niori and Jane!"

Sam looked surprised for a moment " Niori's leaving?" he asked, shock in his voice, " I mean, I would have understood why Jane would want to leave, but not Niori…I figured with Legolas…"

" She said it's what her heart told her she had to do," Erin told him, tears running down her cheeks, " she's leaving because it just wouldn't be right for her to stay here,"

" She's right Erin," Sam told her softly, " you have to do what your heart tells you to do,"

" But what if my heart tells me I can't stay?" Erin sobbed, burying her head into Sam's shoulders and continuing to cry.

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" There you are!" a voice broke Niori out of her thoughts, " I've been looking all over for you!"

Niori turned to find that Legolas had approached in the doorway leading into their room. Her eyes looked at him and it felt like her heart was going to explode.

It wasn't fair…Oh God it wasn't fair! She should never have been forced to choose between him and her other world…yet she had been and her mind was made up.

She was going home…she had to go home

" I've been here awhile," she replied, her voice cracking from emotion as she spoke. It was true, after she had left Carla, she had come back here to wait for Legolas.

" What's wrong?" Legolas asked, his face going concerned as he moved towards her.

Niori just looked at him, her heart aching and tears stinging her eyes. How could she ever tell him she was leaving…that she was choosing to leave.

As Legolas approached her, his face etched with concern, Niori had to turn her head away. She couldn't look at him…not without feeling like she was betraying him.

She felt as he sat down on the bed beside her and reached out and touched her arm out of concern. Her heart wrenched as she turned back and saw the pure love and concern shining in his beautiful blue eyes.

Oh God, she loved him so much.

" Legolas," she started, her voice cracking painfully and a tear falling down her pale cheek, " I…I'm…" she just couldn't say it…she couldn't even form the words.

Legolas just looked at her and let her words (or lack there of) wash over him. He took in all of her pain and a realization dawned in his clear eyes.

" You're going back," he whispered, his voice unbelieving.

Her face crumpled as she heard the words actually come out. She looked at him, her eyes pleading with him to understand…but he just stared at her blankly.

" Please Legolas…" she started, tears stinging her eyes and her voice begging.

Without a word, Legolas got up off the bed and walked to the other side of the room, his back to her.

Niori's heart wrenched and she just wanted to crawl into a dark hole and die. Why did it have to be so hard…why did she have to love him so much?

" Legolas please," she started, getting off the bed and moving towards him,

" Please understand…" she laid a hand on his arm.

He swung around violently, sending her touch flailing to the side. She took a step back out of alarm, a sick feeling settling in the pit of her stomach as she saw the look of anger embedded on Legolas's handsome face.

" Understand what!" he cried angrily, " Understand that you're leaving me! Understand that I'm not enough to make you stay?"

" NO!" Niori cried desperately, taking a step towards him, " Understand that I have to do this!"

" How can I understand?" Legolas cried, his eyes closing into angry slits, " Tell me Niori, have I treated you so bad that you're jumping at the first opportunity to leave?"

" How can you even say that?" Niori spoke in a painful whisper, " How can you even believe for one moment that you're the reason that I have to leave? My God Legolas, I love you. Before you were with me, I didn't even know what love was…I thought I did, but I wasn't even close. Before you, I was empty…and now I'm whole; for the first time in my life, I'm whole,"

Legolas just stared at her, and painfully, Niori realized that there were tears shining in his eyes.

" Besides," Niori spoke, her voice cracked and a humorless grin on her lips, " how long could we really last? You're never going to die Legolas, and I'm going to get old and then wither away…how could you still love me when I'm wrinkly and you're still perfect?"

Legolas looked at her, disbelief on his face and pure emotion shining in his tear clouded eyes.

" Don't you know Niori?" he asked, emotional disbelief in his voice, " Didn't you figure it out? I was going to give it all up for you Niori…everything. My Elven immortality, the grace of my people…they didn't matter to me as much as you do…as much as your love does,"

Niori stared at her lover and felt hot tears moving down her cheeks. Her heart seemed to be ripping in two…

She had never expected Legolas to give up his immortality for her…she had never really thought about it. She had tried to deny her feelings for him for so long, that when they finally came out, she had been oblivious to anything else. She had been too caught up in the love and passion she and Legolas shared to even think about the future they would share…

" But it doesn't change your mind, does it?" Legolas asked, looking at her like she had betrayed him.

" I can't let it change my mind Legolas," she whispered brokenly, " Don't you see, I don't belong here…Middle-Earth just isn't ready for a woman like me. I have to go home…I miss everyone that I left behind too much,"

Legolas just looked at her desperately, pleading with his eyes to make her stay.

" Think about what you were willing to give up for me," Niori continued, desperate that Legolas understand, " Think how painful it would have been to give up eternity. That's what you're asking me to do Legolas…you're not asking for my eternity, but myself. You're asking me to give up the person I've been for the past seventeen years…the person who is getting smothered a little more everyday she spends here. I love Middle-Earth, but here I can't be plain old fun-loving Niori. That's why I have to go home Legolas, to save the girl who I am,"

" Then good gods Niori," Legolas whispered, moving back towards her, " let me come with you!"

A small, humorless smile crossed Niori's tear stained lips, " Think about what you just said for a moment. You could barely survive two months in my world, so how could you manage an entire life time? In my world, you'd have to pretend to be someone who you're not. You'd have to suppress everything that you are…and everything we'd be would be a lie…it would never work if we lived like that. Besides, you'd probably have to cut your hair if you wanted to permanently live there, and we all remember how the last trip to the hair salon went,"

" So it's over," Legolas whispered softly, " we were just never meant to be together,"

" Legolas," Niori spoke, placing a hand on his arm and smiling up at him, " of course we were meant to be together! If I was ever sure about one thing in my life, it's us. I love you, and until the day I die and until the day I die and my body burns, my heart will always belong to you. No matter how much distance separates us, weather it be miles or entire worlds, I'll never stop loving you,"

Legolas reached up and stroked a tear off of her cheek. He looked down at her with all the love and turmoil that was stirring in his soul. Gods he loved Niori…and the moment she left him would be the moment when his heart went numb and his soul ripped in two.

" What are we going to do Niori?" he asked her gently, loving her more than he had ever loved anyone.

" We're going to spend our last night together," Niori spoke, a hint of a smile on her lips and she took his hand and led him towards the bed, " and pray to God that tomorrow never comes,"

Save tonight

Fight the break of dawn

Come tomorrow

Tomorrow I'll be gone

An- This chapter was inspired by the song " Fight the Break of Dawn" by Eagle eyes cherry...it's a great song and all that good stuff! Those are the lyrics at the end and us ladies take no credit for them whatsoever! There;s the little disclamer note and see y'all next chapter!