An- Hey guys! Here it is…the second to last chapter! Can't believe that there's just one chapter after this…it seems so amazing….
But anyway, for all of you who thought that the last chapter was sad, be warned…I was just getting warmed up! MOHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!
BTW, clickhere if you wanna see the pics Jane drew from Lord of the Rings 2003 (sequel too)
Chapter 55
Carla sat pondering some of the last words that Niori had said to her before she had left. Beside her, Eomer lay sleeping soundly. She glanced down at her sleeping lover and felt her heart ache even more than it already did.
After Niori had left, Carla had returned to her and Eomer's room, her mind whirling. Niori was giving up everything that she ever wanted…and now Carla was questioning her own decision to stay. Eomer had been in their room, and without a second thought, she had practically jumped him. It had been the only thing she could do to stop her mind from thinking about what Niori had said…and to stop her own heart from questioning weather or not she should stay.
Here she sat a few hours later, unable to stop the questions from running through her mind. Jane was going home, which was no big surprise and so was Niori…Niori, Carla's best friend…her best friend since they were in diapers…
' Christ…how am I supposed to think!'
She looked down beside her and smiled a bit at Eomer's sleeping form. She loved him and wanted to be with him, but could she really stay in Middle-Earth without her friends?
Sure, Erin was going to stay, but honestly it wouldn't matter. Eventually, she'd head to the Shire with Frodo, the rest of the Hobbits and Elijah. Then Carla would be alone…the only one of the four girls left…
She loved Middle-Earth, but she knew she'd go crazy without the other girls…
And she, like the other girls, did miss home. She missed the stupidest things about her world too; like the way clothes felt right out of the dryer, the taste of chocolate ice cream, or the way your pulse quickens when watching a horror movie and the it feels to sleep in your own bed.
They were stupid things, but her heart ached when she thought about never experiencing them again.
Of course she missed her family (well, except the part of her family that was Niori's parents and sister…if she never saw them again, it would be too soon) and everyone else she knew. She'd been away from them for over a year…
Eomer stirred beside her, breaking Carla out of her thoughts. She looked down at him again, and saw that he had awoken and was looking up at her. He smiled a bit and Carla smiled back, but even she knew that her smile was completely forced.
" What's wrong?" Eomer asked, sitting up and touching her arm.
" Is it that obvious that something's wrong?" Carla asked, a bit of a scowl settling on her lips…she hated it when people could read her like Eomer could.
" Yes it is," Eomer replied and waited for Carla to reply.
Carla looked at him and sighed. God, with every passing minute she got closer and closer to deciding to leave. But Christ, she didn't want to choose that! She wanted to spend forever with this man…
" Niori and Jane decided that they're going home," Carla told him softly, her heart feeling pain as she thought about the prospect of never seeing those two again.
Eomer studied Carla's face silently. He knew her well enough to know that she was hurting from their decision…and that she was trying to make it seem like she wasn't. Carla, he knew, built up walls so that no one, not even her best friends nor her lover, could tell that she was hurting inside.
" What of Erin?" he asked, looking into her chocolate colored eyes.
A crocked smile, the smile that Eomer had first fallen in love with, spread over Carla's lips.
" It doesn't really matter. Even if Erin stays, she'd be going to the Shire, and I'd…well, I don't know where I'd be, but it sure as hell wouldn't be the Shire,"
Eomer just shook his head. Out of all the places in Middle-Earth, the Shire would be the place most un-suited for Carla…the girl'd bored herself to death within the first day.
" So what is it that you want to do?" Eomer asked seriously.
Carla looked at him, her face resembling that of a deer caught in headlights. Her breath caught in her throat and she found herself unable to answer him…because she didn't even know the answer herself.
" You realize that if you tell me you wish to go home with your friends," Eomer told her softly, " I'll do everything in my power to try and make you stay, I'll beg and plead. I'll promise you anything that you want to hear, and if it comes to it, I'll throw you down on this bed and give you so much pleasure that you won't be able to say no to me. I'll do all that, but at the same time I'll understand why you'd want to leave. The four of you, Erin, Jane, Niori and yourself, you're as close as sisters. You care about and love each other…I can see those things in the time that I've known the four of you. I understand why you cannot live without even one of them…you all mean too much to each other. But tell me Carla, before they revealed they were going home, did you have any doubts about staying?"
" Hell no!" Carla told him with a you're-so-stupid-sometimes look, " Up until Niori opened her huge trap, leaving didn't even cross my mind,"
Eomer was silent a moment before speaking again.
" You still have to decide Carla,"
" Now?" Carla asked, grimacing at the prospect.
" When you're ready," Eomer told her softly, and then a smirk traveled across his lips as he pulled her down towards the bed, " But for now, I distinctly remember myself saying something about throwing you down on a bed…"
l.l.l.l.l.l.l.
" Is it really what you want?" Frodo asked finally, his voice broken and tears running down his cheeks.
After Sam had left her, Erin had come back to talk to Frodo. Her mind hadn't been made up, but after talking to Sam, she knew she was leaning towards going home. When she had found Frodo in the room they shared, she had burst out, telling Frodo that she was leaving and going home with her friends without even realizing what she was telling him.
Before she had finished, she had started to cry…and not long after Erin had started, Frodo had started to let tears fall from his eyes too.
Now here they sat; Erin had told Frodo that she was leaving before she had even realized she was doing it and Frodo sat across from her on the bed, looking at her with broken eyes.
" Yes…no!" Erin cried, placing her face in her hands, " Oh, I don't know! I want to be here with you but I can't stay here! I can't stay in a place, a world that isn't my home forever! No matter how much I love you! How much I love Elijah!"
Frodo was silent, the brokenness in his eyes turning into that of being betrayed.
" And you'll take Elijah with you!" he asked finally, his voice taking on a hardness that she had only heard him use once…when he had told her and Sam to go home on the stairs of Cirith Ungol.
Erin didn't answer him. This was what had been plaguing her heart and mind for the past two hours. If she left, who would get Elijah…and who would have to loose him forever?
At first, she would have killed anyone who even suggested that Elijah stay in Middle-Earth, but now she wasn't sure. To lose Elijah, that would be a fate worse than death…but it would be just as bad for Frodo…
Besides, she would still have her friends…and Frodo (not counting all the Middle-Earth people), would have nobody.
So, no matter how much it would kill her, Elijah would have to stay here with Frodo…not go home with her. It was really better for him…Frodo could give him a better life than she could. In her world she'd be the struggling single mother…but here, Frodo could take care of him and they're be no struggle…it was what was best for Elijah…
" No," Erin told him, her voice cracking as she even thought about it, " He isn't. It's only right that Elijah stay here with you. Besides, if I just show up with a two month old baby in my world, there'd be too many questions asked…"
Frodo looked at her, the hardness that had been in his eyes only a moment ago gone, slowly being replaced by one of hurt; and one of pity.
He stared at her, not even understanding what his heart felt. He hated her for leaving but he loved her more now than he ever had before. He thanked the gods that she wasn't taking Elijah, but at the same time his heart ached imagining the pain that she had to be going through because of her decision.
Gods, he just couldn't think…he had to get away from here so he could think!
Abruptly, Frodo got up off the bed and moved quickly towards the door.
" Frodo!" Erin cried desperately, her voice shriller than she had intended.
" I just need time Erin," he told her softly, stopping but not turning back around to face her, " I just need time to think…I'm going to lose you tomorrow Erin, and I'm going to become a single father. I just need time…not a lot because I know that we don't have much time left, but just a little time," he started to move towards the door again and as he was walking out, he paused, " I won't keep you waiting long,"
He walked out the door and then closed it behind him.
Erin sat there for a moment, looking at the closed door, before she burst into bitter tears and horse sobs.
l.l.l.l.l.l.l.l.l.l.l.ll.l.l.l
Frodo returned nearly an hour later. When he re-opened the door, he found Erin sitting on the exact same spot on the bed, but now Elijah was laying on the bed too, looking up at his mother and giggling wildly.
This was what Erin had done after Frodo had left. She had calmly walked over to her son's crib, lifted him up and brought him back to the bed.
She had just held and played with him for the following hour. She was trying so hard to make up for all the time she was going to miss…
She was never going to see Elijah's first step, never going to hear his first word. She was never going to be there to heal his cuts and bruises…never going to be there to tell him how to act when he had his first crush.
Most of all, she was never going to be there to be his mother.
She sat there, holding her son, and cried; cried for all the things she was going to miss…all the moments in Elijah's life she would never be there to see.
That's how Frodo found her when he came back. His wrenched as he saw her playing with their son, a smile on her lips but her eyes puffy and red from crying and her cheeks soaked from tears.
He quietly walked towards the bed, causing Erin to look up at him with her bloodshot eyes. There was a withdrawn look in those lovely teal eyes of her's, fearing that Frodo would be angry at her.
When he reached her, Frodo reached up and stroked a tear off of her cheek. Then, he leaned forward and brought his lips to her's.
After they broke apart, Erin looked like she was going to cry again…this time from knowing Frodo wasn't mad at her but she was still leaving come morning.
" I love you Erin," Frodo told her softly, wiping the new tears that fell from her eyes, " I love you more than I've ever loved anyone before…and when I lose you tomorrow I honestly don't know how I'll survive. I remember what it is to think that I'm going to lose you. I remember what it felt like when I thought I was going to lose you on the slopes of Mount Doom…but I'm going to have to do this. I understand that you have to follow your heart…and I understand that your destiny just doesn't rest here. I know how hard it is to lose you…and I can only imagine how hard it'll be for you to lose both me and Elijah,"
" I love you Frodo," she whispered quietly, a small, painful smile spreading across her lips.
With that, Frodo put an arm around her and just held her as they both cried. Erin took Elijah into her arms and the three of them just sat there, spending their last few hours as a family together.
Later, after Elijah was asleep and Erin lay nearing sleep in Frodo's arms, she was still mourning the fact she was never going to be there to be Elijah's mother.
' Please God,' She prayed, ' Let Elijah grow up to be a good man. Let Frodo tell him all about me and not let him hate me for leaving…let him have love for me anyway. God, I wish I could be here to see him when he's grown up…to see what kind of man he grows up to be…'
Then, Erin closed her eyes…she was on the verge of sleep. Just as she was about to fall asleep, a picture came into her mind.
The image was that of a guy who looked to be about twenty years old. He was short, only about 5 feet tall or a little under. His hair was a curly mop of light brown and his eyes were the same amazing blue color as Frodo's and he was quite handsome. This man was standing somewhere beautiful, full of green grass and blue sky…and he looked happy. Then, the man smiled…and Erin realized that this man had her smile.
" Elijah…" Erin whispered softly, the vision fading from her now peaceful mind and then finally, sleep took her.
l.l.l.l.l.l.l.
Sunlight streamed in through the small window, flooding the room with the pale light of dawn.
As Niori awoke, she blinked back the sunlight and nestled deep under the covers. She slowly became aware of her surroundings. She was in bed, her head resting on Legolas's chest and his arms tightly around her. Just like every other morning of the past two weeks (ish)…
It hit her like a brick wall while she was in the middle of a yawn.
She was leaving today.
Niori bit down on her lower lip to stop herself from making a sound. She felt tears sting her eyes as she thought about what she was going to go through with today.
' I can still change my mind,' Niori told herself desperately, ' I can say to hell with it and stay here,'
Yet even as these thoughts raced through her mind, Niori knew that she couldn't give into them. She had to go home with Jane today (she still didn't know that the other two were also leaving).
She felt hot tears slip out from her eyes, down her cheeks and onto Legolas's bare chest. God it hurt so much.
She felt Legolas's arms tighten around her and she lifted her head to look at him. He was awake now too, and although there was a small smile on his lips as he looked at her, Niori could see the sadness in his eyes.
She tried to force herself to smile back at him, but found herself unable. Niori's heart ached too much…
Legolas reached out and wiped a tear off her cheek.
" Don't cry Niori," he whispered quietly, " I hate it when you cry,"
Niori moved up until she was laying beside him. Legolas rolled on to his side and looked at her silently, tears shining in his own eyes.
Laying there, she thought of all the moments in the past year and a half she and Legolas had shared. Niori remembered the moment the whole fellowship had fallen out of Carla's closet and the very first time she had met Legolas. She remembered almost dying for him…remembered that it had been his name that had been running through her mind as she lay dying in the caves underneath Helm's Deep. Their first kiss in the armories of Minis Tirith, the first time they had made love in this very bed, and how it had been better with him than it had with any other guy she'd ever been with.
" Can I change your mind Niori?" Legolas asked her, drawing her closer, " Is it possible?"
When she didn't answer, Legolas sighed and held her tighter. They lay there for a long time, neither speaking and both remembering all the times they had shared.
" Do you remember that time in Isenguard when I went skinny-dipping and you ended up going me?" Niori asked finally, the memory settling in her mind with a bit of humor, " Why did you let me go? I wondered that for a long time…why did you let me swim away when I know you wanted me?"
" I was scared Niori," Legolas told her simply, " I was scared of the fact that I wanted you, a human woman. I saw what Aragorn and Arwen were going through, and it scared me that I was getting myself into the same position. That's why I let you go that night, because I realized what I was getting myself into and it scared me. Besides, you really weren't the kind woman that I had ever imagined presenting to my family,"
At the last part, Niori couldn't help but laugh, and Legolas ended up laughing with her.
" You should probably go pack up your things," Legolas told her softly, brushing a lock of hair out of her face.
" Probably…" Niori replied, sitting up, the light mood disappearing being replaced by the painful sense of loss.
" But come back as soon as you can," Legolas told her, wrapping his arms around her from behind, " because I have to be with you every moment I can before I lose you forever,"
" I won't keep you waiting," Niori replied, turning her head and kissing him.
l.l.l.l.l.l.l.l.l
Sighing heavily, Jane threw the last of her stuff into her tattered travel bag.
It was sometime after sunrise and she sat in her room, packing up the few possessions she was taking back with her.
Her Elven clothes were packed, as was her beautiful white dress she had received in Rohan. Also in her bag were small trinkets she had gotten from across Middle-Earth. An Elven leaf broach from Lothlorien, a piece of stone from the broken wall of Helm's Deep (which had almost crushed her as it blew up), a tree branch from Fangorn forest and a small dagger from the armories of Minas Tirith were all stored in her bag (Jane had always been one to collect souvenirs).
The only thing Jane had left to pack was her sword.
As she held the sword in one hand, she reached up to run the other hand through her short hair. To think that she had almost killed herself with this very sword…and that she had ruined her long golden locks with it instead. Now her hair was hacked nearly to her ears…that was going to be fun to explain to her parents when she got home….
Jane gave her head a shake and then strapped the sword to her bag. She glanced around the room and saw the huge pile of Niori and Carla's stuff that surrounded their old beds (though they no longer used this room, their stuff was still stored here).
" It's so funny how they all spent the night with someone they love, and I spent it here…all alone," Jane whispered to herself.
Even though she tried, Jane could no longer feel bitterness towards her three friends for having someone…not after last night. Not after seeing the pain in Niori's eyes as she said she was leaving. It had been at that moment she realized that just because you have someone to love, it doesn't mean that you can't feel pain.
Jane just shook her head with a humorless smile. Back before all this, back in their world, Jane had always considered herself the most mature of the four of them. Niori was the big, almost out-of-control party girl, Erin was totally boy crazy and Carla the one with the furious temper. Jane was the one everyone trusted, the one everyone depended on….
Then she came here, and BAM, everything changed. She had watched as her three friends had grown up right before her eyes…and how she had seemed to stay the same. In the past few weeks she had done things that she had thought were beneath her (getting drunk, throwing herself at a guy, locking herself in her room, considering suicide and running a wedding on purpose to name a few).
She had found out that she wasn't the most mature at all.
' Enough dwelling on things that really don't matter anymore' Jane though to herself, getting up off her knees and onto her feet, her bag held loosely in her hand.
" Well, time to go," Jane whispered to herself, looking around her room with tears starting to form in her eyes, " to go and wait…wait to leave,"
She left her room without letting herself look back. She couldn't stay…she had to return to her world, where she could start over. She'd already taken a hard look at who she was in the past few weeks, and she had decided that she didn't really care for what she saw. It wasn't even the fact that she didn't have a boyfriend here, that didn't seem so important anymore. It was the fact that she had held herself above her friends…and in the end she had turned out to be worse then they ever could be. She needed to go home to begin working on herself again (and hey, if she happened to find a hot guy who fell for her back in her world, that would be okay too!).
Jane was walking through the corridors, thinking about these things, as she rounded a corner and almost ran smack dab into Aragorn (like so many other times in the course of her time here).
Aragorn smiled and opened his mouth to greet her, when his eyes fell onto the packed bag Jane held. His mouth closed abruptly and his eyes widened in surprise.
" You're actually leaving?" he asked her finally, looking at her in disbelief.
" Yeah, I am," She told him, a faint smile on her lips.
" It's not…" Aragorn asked after a moment's hesitation, his voice almost sounding guilty, " It's not because of me is it? You're not leaving because of what happened are you?"
Jane looked up at Aragorn in surprise, shocked at how guilty his voice sounded. She looked at him for a moment, trying to figure out if he was serious or not. When she realized he wasn't, she spoke.
" No you're not," Jane spoke, finally feeling the least bit mature again for what seemed like in forever, " at least, you're not anymore. I'm leaving for myself…to be able to start over on myself. I' not leaving because of us, or because of the lack there of an 'us'."
Aragorn looked at her, no longer looking guilty, but still a little skeptical.
" I love you Aragorn," Jane continued, realizing that these words no longer brought her hurt, " I truly do, but as of last night, I realized that my love for you is totally selfish as hell. It doesn't hurt anymore to think that all we'll ever be to each other is friends. I understand this now because I realize that love isn't about getting what you want, but sacrificing for those you love. Everyone around me sacrificed things for the people they loved; Erin and Frodo, Niori and Legolas…even Carla. And all that Arwen has sacrificed for you has made me realize something. All I did was cause you pain, so obviously I can't love you as much as I think you do,"
Aragorn's face softened and he reached out an stroked a tear off Jane's face. She hadn't even realized that she had been crying until that moment.
" You'll find someone Jane," Aragorn told her softly, " you're to beautiful (inside and out) to stay alone. I do love you Jane, but not in the way you need me to. For that I am sorry, but it's not something I can change. But somebody out there will love you in all the ways you deserve Jane, and I pray to the Valar you find him soon,"
" Thank you Aragorn," Jane told him softly, hugging him tightly from both gratitude and love, " you'll never understand how important you telling me that really is,"
l.l.l.l.l.l.l.l.l
Carla had woken just before dawn from a nightmare. She had sat bolt upright in bed, hurling herself out of Eomer's arms, a scream breaking from her parted lips. She hadn't remembered what exactly she had dreamed about, only that it had terrified her.
Eomer had awoken with a start by Carla's scream and had promptly started to comfort the shaking girl. It had taken awhile, but finally she had calmed down.
This was how her day had started. Awful…and she knew how the day was going to end too…with her leaving the man she loved.
Here she sat a few hours later, sitting here in her old room, throwing her stuff into her tattered old book bag.
She had left Eomer about twenty minutes ago, coming to pack up her things. She had told him she'd be back as soon as she was done.
' God we've had some awesome times,' Carla thought as she took her tattered and torn Elven clothes into her bag, ' so many amazing and great times,'
Just as the thought passed through her mind, Niori walked into the room. Carla looked up as her cousin entered, and smirked a little when she saw that all Niori was wearing was one of Legolas's long silver shirts that only went down to her mid-thighs.
" I was too damn lazy to get completely dressed," Niori spoke, a smirk settling on her own lips, and then she realized what Carla was doing, " You're coming too…"
" Yeah," Carla spoke, a few tears stinging her eyes, " you opened your big trap and convinced me to come too. Get that damn guilty look off your face…you're not the reason I'm leaving, don't flatter yourself! Now, get your ass down here and help me pack.
Niori bent down, knelt beside Carla and picked up a random article of clothing. It turned out to be the tunic of her Elf clothes.
She held it up in the morning light that was streaming in from a window, and ran a finger over the torn fabric across the middle. She took her fingers down and rubbed them across her stomach (on top of her shirt) and felt the scar that ran across her stomach…the scar that would never leave her skin.
" It's going to be hard to leave this all behind," Carla told her softly, putting a hand on Niori's shoulder.
" I know," Niori replied, putting the tunic into her pack. Silently, she reached over and picked up another article of clothing and threw it into her bag.
" Are we doing the right thing Niori?" Carla asked, her voice sounding a lot more painful than she had intended, " I mean, we've finally found guys that we love, and we're throwing it away. You've always needed love and I've always had too much trouble trusting people to love…so are we doing the right thing,"
" I don't know Carla," Niori replied, feeling her heart seem to break, " I don't know if we're doing the right thing, but I guess it's just the thing we have to do,"
The two girls hugged then, both having tears running down their cheeks. They stayed like this until there was a knock on the door.
Niori and Carla broke apart and looked towards the door. There was Erin standing in the doorway, looking down at her two friends with a sad smile.
" Hey," Carla spoke, using the back of her hand to wipe the tears from her eyes,
" We're just packing,"
" I kinda figured that," Erin replied, coming into the room and sitting down on the side of one of the three beds, " and I came to tell you all that I'm already…already packed that is,"
Niori and Carla looked at Erin in surprise and the in a guilty look of horror.
" Oh God, don't this Erin! Not because of us!" Niori cried, bounding to her feet.
" You guys are only partway the reason I'm leaving," Erin told them softly, looking out the window, trying to hide her tears, " the other reason is that you were right Niori…it just doesn't feel right to stay in Middle-Earth,"
" But you have so much more to lose…" Carla whispered, getting up and sitting beside Erin on the bed.
" I guess I do," Erin replied, a humorless smile on her lips, " but I still need to do this. It's pretty ironic though, how when I first found out I was pregnant, I would have given anything not to be…but now, I would give everything to be a mother; to be here to be a mother,"
" Then stay," Niori replied, feeling tears come to her eyes just seeing her friend's pain.
" I can't," Erin told her softly, " no more than either of you can stay,"
There was silence then, none of the three knowing what to say. A few minutes later, it was Erin who spoke first.
" You gonna pack that thing to?" Erin asked amusedly, pointing to something across the room.
Both the girls followed Erin's finger and found their gaze resting on Carla's CD player. All three girls gave small laughs as they looked at it.
" Man that thing has caused so much trouble!" Niori spoke, a laugh in her voice, " Remember back in Lothlorien when we played it and Aragorn got so mad that it looked like his head was going to explode?"
" Or your and Jane's lovely dance," Carla spoke, a smirk on her lips, " I swear to God, every man in Rohan probably has wet dreams about you two every night because of that dance!"
Erin just shook her head. Though she hadn't seen that particular dance, she'd seen Niori dance before and knew that the way Carla described one of Niori's dances to a ti.
" If I remember correctly," Niori spoke, smirking at Carla, " your boyfriend Eomer was in the room too. So tell me Carla, he have any dreams about me?"
Carla glared at her cousin, but knew it was a joke so burst out laughing anyway. She threw a pillow at Niori, who dodged it with a laugh.
" I say we give the CD player to Aragorn as a late wedding present," Erin smirked, " considering he just loved it so much!"
The three girls looked at each other with evil smirks, and then they all looked at the room. It was all clear now…everything was packed (Jane's stuff was already gone so they figured she had packed it up earlier).
This was it…they were really going to leave.
" Well," Niori spoke, her smirk and laughter forgotten, " no offence guys, but I gotta go. I have the rest of my life to spend with you guys and only a few hours to spend with Legolas,"
" Go ahead," Erin replied, " we have people we have to see too,"
With that, the three girls grabbed their bags and left their old room in Minis Tirith for the last time.
l.l.l.l.l.l.ll.
It was time to say goodbye.
Gandalf was waiting for them just outside the gates of Minis Tirith. He was waiting to perform the spell that would send the four girls back to their world. The wizard had told them to say their goodbyes.
Erin was taking it the hardest of them all. She was being forced to leave her child and the man she loved.
" Oh God," she whispered painfully, holding her baby for what would be the last time, " I'm going to miss you! I love you so much!"
Tears fell from her eyes and she held back sobs that threatened to escape from her lips. Her sorrow and tears made everyone around her want to cry too.
" You'll take care of him right? And tell him all about me? And make sure that he doesn't hate me for leaving?" she asked Frodo desperately, squeezing Elijah tightly and giving him one last kiss on the forehead and handing him to Frodo.
" Of course," Frodo replied, taking his son into his arms, " I'll miss you Erin. I love you so much and I don't know how I'll live without you,"
New tears welled up in Erin's eyes and she struggled deeply now to keep down sobs.
" I love you Frodo Baggins and I'll miss you and Elijah so much!"
Erin and Frodo had one last, lingering kiss that neither of them wanted to end. Both their faces were tear streaked and sorrowful, and when Erin pulled away from him, a sob escaped from behind her lips. She ran away from them all in tears. It hurt her to leave more than anything.
Driving back her own tears, Jane put on a smile had started to say farewell to all her friends. After she finished hugging the Hobbits, Gimli, Legolas, Eowyn and Faramir, she calmly walked up to Aragorn, who greeted her with a smile.
Aragorn, who had Arwen on his right side, bent down and hugged Jane, who returned it gratefully while glaring daggers at Arwen over his shoulder (some habits die hard).
When they broke apart, Aragorn smiled kindly at her and quickly kissed Jane on the cheek, causing her to go a deep crimson color.
" Farewell Jane," he smiled again, straightening up beside Arwen.
" Bye," was all she could manage to say.
Then, Jane turned on her heal, waved bye to them all, and went to comfort Erin.
Carla, who was standing with Eomer, turned and looked up at him.
" Guess this is my cue," she smiled a little.
Eomer leaned down and kissed her softly. When he pulled away " If you stay, I'll ask you to become my queen,"
" Don't tempt me," Carla replied, feeling tears starting to form in her eyes, " I'm already in love with you, and tempting me with power will only make leaving harder,"
Eomer nodded, but when Carla tried to pull away, he wouldn't let her go. He kissed her again.
" Damnit!" Carla whispered, pulling away after the kiss, " This sucks!"
After a few seconds, she went and quickly hugged the Hobbits, Gimli and Aragorn. With a smirk, she called Legolas a few carefully thought out names, and at the same time, Legolas and Carla pulled an arrow and drew their bows.
Despite the groans and protests around them, Carla and Legolas stayed this way for nearly five minutes, until finally, Carla burst out laughing and replaced her bow. Legolas did the same.
" I could still beat you Elf-Boy!" she laughed, giving him a quick hug.
" Only in your dreams!" Legolas replied with a smirk.
" Whatever,"
Then Carla came to Eoywn, who had become one of her best friends since coming to Middle-Earth.
" Take care of him for me," Carla told her quietly, cocking her head at Eomer.
" I will," Eoywn replied, hugging Carla tightly, " Goodbye Carla…may you live happily…and remember all the time you spent here with us fondly…"
Carla nodded and then started to leave, but turned back around, blew a kiss at Eomer, and with a big breath, walked down the path.
Niori had been waiting for her friends to say goodbye, and now she finally had her chance.
She hugged the Hobbits tightly (Even Pippin!), moved on to Aragorn, Eowyn and Gimli, kindly shook hands with Arwen and Eomer and Faramir Then, she found herself standing in front of Legolas again.
She looked up at him, her eyes already gathering with tears. Without even giving it a second thought she put her arms around his neck and brought her lips to his.
Legolas wrapped his arms around Niori's small waist, pulled her in tighter into him and intensified the kiss. They kissed for what seemed like forever, and to them, time stopped.
Finally, when they broke apart, Niori brought her hands to her sides and leaned her body into Legolas's chest.
" God I love you," she whispered, pulling away and looking up into his eyes.
" I love you too," Legolas smiled, leaning down to whisper it in her ear.
" That's the first time you've ever really told me that," Niori whispered softly, looking up at him.
" I wish I had told you that everyday since I've met you," Legolas told her, a sigh of pain coming from his lips, " but better late then never…"
"It's never too late Legolas…Please don't forget me…" she said, her voice pleading, praying.
" I never will," he replied softly, smiling, " And I don't know how I'll do it Niori, but somehow I'll find you again…"
" I'll wait forever," Niori replied, breaking away from his grasp.
With one last warm smile from Legolas, Niori turned and started to run off to rejoin her friends, her heart mixed with joy and sorrow, a tear of happiness and pain running down her face.
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Niori finally arrived from the gates of the city and found the other three girls and Gandalf waiting for her.
Erin was still sobbing, Jane was trying to comfort her and now even Carla was starting to cry, silently of course. Gandalf was looking at the three of them with a gaze filled with love, pity and sadness.
As she came closer, Gandalf looked up at her. Niori took a deep breath and stood beside her friends, her heart breaking.
" My dear friends," Gandalf told them all softly, " It is time,"
The four girls all stood beside each other, their hearts racing and aching. They grasped each other's hands and waited…waited for the inevitable.
" Goodbye my dear friends," Gandalf told them with a sad smile, and then he started to say words in a language none of them understood.
Niori turned her head back towards the city, and saw as everyone else watched from the layers above. She saw Frodo holding Elijah, Eomer being somewhat comforted by Eowyn, Aragorn with his arm around Arwen…and then she saw Legolas. Their eyes met and Niori mouthed something to him:
Goodbye
Just as her lips stopped moving, a bright flash of white light engulfed them.
l.l.l.l.l.l
An- There it is...the girls have gone home...only one more to go after this guys...