This chapter is named for a song. Again by Evanescence. My new favorite.

- - - Grace - - -

I was afraid.

What had Legolas brought me here for? My heart had been racing and I thought someone had died until he reached out to me and smiled. It was like a ray of hope through clouds for me. Maybe no one died after all. Maybe I was overreacting.

Legolas gently took one of my hands in his then. Stroking it lightly with his fingers, he started to speak.

"Tonight there will be a battle. A battle for life and death; for freedom or captivity. And there is a chance that we, all of us, will not come through the battle. But I will not die without telling you the truth."

I was utterly confused. The truth? What truth? Some of the confusion must have showed on my face because Legolas, once more gently, took my face in his hands and tilted it towards him. I could feel the shivers, not entirely unpleasant, running up and down my back again.

"I love you, Grace."

"What?!" I yelled, ripping out of his grasp. "There must be some mistake!"

He shook his head, almost sadly. As if it caused him pain to love me. This was horrible! This was unthinkable! This was totally wrong! This was… this was… bad. Really bad. He was an elf! I was… well, to put it bluntly, ME! How could anyone love me? My own parents never loved me!

I almost wished he had told me someone had died. It would have been preferable to this.

I let out some astounded sounding noises, turned on my heel and fled. I could hear his voice calling after me. I know! It was immature of me. Sorry, but I couldn't stay there for any longer! What happened to Legolas the Friendly Elf¹? Now he's Legolas the I-Love-You Elf¹!?

This could not be happening. This could not be happening. I repeated that to myself over and over as I ran unseeingly down the hall. In my haste, I ran right into Aragorn. I let out an enraged cry, picked myself off the ground and kept walking.

"Grace!"

"Go away," I snapped over my shoulder.

There was a hand on my shoulder. Without thinking I turned around stopping Aragorn right in his tracks. His face was mere centimetres from mine when he stopped. Taking a small step back, he studied my eyes which must have been looking pretty wild right then.

My breathing gradually slowed and I tried to get a grip on what I was feeling. Anger. But why? Because Legolas loved me? That was no reason to be angry. Maybe I was mad because I knew I couldn't and wouldn't return it. It would be my fault. Maybe I was angry because I felt he had ruined the friendship was had formed.

"What is wrong?" he asked my quietly.

Closing my eyes as if when I couldn't see him, he wouldn't be there, I pondered whether or not to answer him. I had trusted him with my secret for months before I had told anyone else (minus Boromir). He hadn't said anything. I could trust him, couldn't I?

Slowly he pulled me into a hug. It felt like something a brother would do. I could feel my resolve not to tell or cry breaking. Against my will, tears started streaming from my eyes. When he pulled back, hands on my shoulders, to look at my face, I could tell he was startled. Now he really knew something was wrong. I didn't just go around crying for no reason.

"Tell me. Please."

- - - Legolas - - -

After Grace had fled from the room, I didn't bother following her. She needed to time to adjust to this vast change. I hoped she didn't do anything in the spur of the moment. She had seemed so irate. I had seen people sad, ecstatic and many other things when they found out someone loved them. But mad? Never mad.

What if she did not return my love? It was known that elves can die from grief. I never thought that I would consider myself one of them. But I could feel the pang of loss already. If only she had not fled before telling me how she felt! I would find Aragorn. He would tell me what I must do.

- - - Éowyn - - -

Grace and Aragorn approached me. Aragorn's arm circled Grace's waist and her eyes looked red from tears. I wondered what was wrong. But before I could ask, Legolas and Gimli appeared. Was it just me or did Grace stiffen and look at the ground as soon as they came into view?

Aragorn leant over and whispered something to Grace. I writhed with jealousy even though I knew she did not think of Aragorn like that. And all you had to do was watch him to see that Aragorn thought of Grace as nothing more than a younger friend or sibling. I noticed Legolas was watching that also. His blue eyes were focussed on Aragorn's lips that were EXTREMELY close to Grace's ear. The elf's eyes were narrowed and his mouth was set in a line. Gimli looked back and forth between the four of us, seemingly confused.

"It is time for you to go to the caves," Aragorn said.

Grace's eyes got huge for a second then narrowed. She stepped away from Aragorn's embrace (something I would never do) and yelled, "What!?! You're not sending me to the caves! I know how to fight! I'm not being left there while you're all up here dying."

"Grace, you knew we would send you there, you're going." Aragorn's voice was firm. "Éowyn will be there as well. You won't be alone."

Letting out and enraged cry, Grace threw her hands into the air. "I can't believe you! I'm NOT going. I'm going to sit right here." She sat down on the ground.

Letting out a sigh, Aragorn bent down and grabbed her. She seemed to figure out what was happening at the last moment. But by then it was too late. Aragorn already had her thrown over his shoulder and was walking away. She kicked and screamed as I followed in silence. Gimli threw me an amused glance but Legolas was still watching Grace.

She caught his eye and for a second stopped struggling. Then, deliberately, she turned her face away from him.

"ARAGORN! Put me down right now!"

I heard him laugh. A beautiful laugh. One of the things I loved most about him. Not that I didn't love everything about him. Then Grace spoke in a language I could tell none of us recognized.

"Tu es trés bête!" ¹¹

Another quizzical glance passed from Gimli to me and this time Legolas joined in. No one knew what she said but I presumed it was some kind of insult. Grace finally stopped kicking and screaming. I could tell Aragorn was relieved because I heard him sigh. I guess Grace must have heard it too because she kicked him suddenly. There was a satisfied smirk on her face when she felt her foot connect with his stomach.

We had arrived at the caves. After walking inside, Aragorn set Grace down. She stood and tried to run but was grabbed around the waist by Legolas. She pushed herself away from him so quickly it looked like he had burned her. Aragorn looked at me.

"Don't let her run off Éowyn. Grace," he bent down to her level, "stay here. Please."

For once she didn't glare at him. Instead she threw her arms around his neck and buried her face in his shoulder. Stroking her hair lightly and kissing her forehead and cheeks, he stood up. Grace then wrapped Gimli in a hug. He let out a gruff cough but patted her back lightly. I was surprised that Grace ever permitted Legolas a small hug before they left. There was something odd going on between them.

I watched wives kiss their husbands and sons goodbye. This could be their last chance to see them. I prayed that everyone would come through unharmed but I knew it wouldn't be so.

As soon as the Legolas and Aragorn were gone Grace turned to me and hissed, "Éowyn, let's go! This is our one chance to get out!"

(A/N: Oh, she's a daring one, isn't she? Not really! LoL, what a baby, kicking Aragorn because he wouldn't put her down! I couldn't resisted putting the French in there, I just had my French final today and aced it so I wanted to show off! Anywho, I got like 16 Reviews or something like that since I put out the last chapter and I have to say… YOU GUYS KICK ASS!)

¹ ™

¹¹ I'm using my knowledge of French here. Translation: "You are so stupid!"