Chapter 25: No Amount of Therapy Will Ever Make This Right

Legolas sat sulking and feeling abandoned.

"Stop being mad that you didn't think of sneaking out the window before your dad did," Eowyn smirked as Elladan and Elrohir fixed bars to the window temporarily.

Aragorn looked thoughtful. "Well, technically Thranduil was finished with his reading. He made it to the end of the chapter before he hauled it out of here,"

"Pansy." Merry muttered. Pippin grinned.

"Well, we'll have to pick a new person to read now." Arwen started. "If we delay it, we will never be able to put this story behind us and move on with our lives,"

"Or therapy." Glorfindel sighed.

"Haha. You're lucky you already read," Legolas snapped.

"Yeah, but you didn't."

"I've been put through enough torture. Make me read, and I swear to all the Valar I WILL kill myself."

Faramir spoke up. "The thing to do is have one of the newer one of us read…"

Glorfindel raised his eyes to the ceiling as if thanking Eru he already got it over with. Eomer shot Faramir a glare as if to say, 'Don't even suggest it, or you shall regret it.'

"Sam it is then!" Faramir said, slightly nervously.

The poor hobbit turned white as a sheet. Merry and Pippin shot him sympathetic looks.

Elrohir looked put out. "I'm not sure I agree with the corruption of such an innocent hobbit."

"He went with Frodo all the way to Mordor. I think he can handle it." Elladan pointed out, not noticing Sam shaking his head furiously and mouthing the words 'I can't! I can't!' over and over.

Eowyn always the voice of reason, said, "Just one chapter. Then Merry, then Pippin, then Arwen (Elbereth preserve us), then Aragorn, and then Eomer (yeah, I said it, deal with it, brother), then Gimli."

"And then you…" Gimli said dryly.

"Okay, so we split the chapters up." Eowyn amended herself hurriedly.

Everyone agreed, secretly celebrating that their turns were put off for now.

Sam gulped and took his place in the Chair of Doom, picked up the Book of Doom, flipped one of many Pages of Doom, and began to read the word of The Spawn of Morgoth…and Doom.

Aragorn made his way into the empty hall. Before him he found a vision of loveliness.

"Well, this was when I had my dream, but there's no way in Arda she's talking about me." Eowyn half-smiled.

Celeste was stretched out on a couch-like bed. Her long blonde hair had gone wavy because she had just washed it. Gotta keep it looking fine, right? Anyway, her hair cascaded over her shoulders like a golden waterfall spilling onto the couch and her pillow, curling into light ringlets here and there. Her skin, tan from many hours in the sun at home, tanning on a beach chair by a crystal pool, seemed paled and almost milky white in the dim light, her dark eyelashes fluttering gracefully in her sleep. Her cheeks were rosy and almost feverish as she struggled with an unseen foe. She cried out softly and her hand curled into a fist.

It pained Aragorn more than he could comprehend to see her so prone and helpless, when the Celeste he knew in the day was strong as they came, ready to face anything. Perhaps the loss of her beautiful hair was still hurting her. He had hoped she would get some closure when they burned the saddle and gave her silky locks a burial in a velvet-lined casket under a flower-covered field.

It was a sadder day than Theodrem's funeral.

"Which she completely skipped over," Eomer said through clenched teeth. "Without a single mention."

Sam, not really knowing what to say to this, merely continued. He already could feel the idiocy permeating from the hateful pink eyesore he held precariously in his hands.

Aragorn made his way slowly to her still figure, curled up like a helpless child under the light covers. He stirred the fire, hoping to bring color back to her complexion by bringing back the warmth. He also fixed a blanket, not liking the paleness of her face. He placed a hand on her cheek and let out his breath slowly. She was burning up!

"Is she going to die?" Pippin asked, unintentionally quoting something he said much earlier before, only…he sounded excited, not worried…

She awoke with a start. "What time is it?" she whispered.

"Not yet dawn. Please rest, you are sick."

"I dreamed I saw a great wave, climbing over green lands and above the hills. I stood upon the brink. It was utterly dark in the abyss before my feet. A light shone behind me, but I could not turn. I could only stand there, waiting."

Eowyn didn't have to say it. Pippin didn't have to say it. No one had to say it, because everyone was thinking it.

DREAM STEALER!

"Aragorn…this may be the only time I ever say it…but I'm… afraid…I feel weak…I can barely move my arms and legs…I hurt everywhere…everything's going dark…" her breath caught in her throat and she shut her eyes to block the dizziness.

Without a word, Aragorn rushed out of the room, faster than lightning.

"Probably didn't want to catch it too…" Pippin grinned.

Theodem looked up as the door to his study banged open. "What is it?" he asked grouchily.

"Lady Celeste is dying! I need a healer!"

The castle was in an uproar for the next few hours. No matter what they did, no one could help her. Finally, Aragorn shooed everyone away so he could be with her till she passed on.

"I think it's typhoid fever…" Celeste whispered, tears glistening at her eyes. All the sparkle had left them, and Aragorn found he was no longer able to stare infinitely into their green depths. They were now clouded and unfocused. "I'm sorry…Aragorn…I should be preparing for…the next stage of the…battle…" she managed to gasp out, her breathing now laborious.

Aragorn ran a hand lightly over her cheek.

"And I'm seriously hoping he means the one on her face…" Faramir said with total seriousness.

"Do not trouble your weary mind with such information. Rest now and let us enjoy each other's company…one…last…time…" he ended in a whisper.

Celeste leaned gratefully into his hand, cool relief to her burning skin. "I love you…"

"I love you too, melamin."

"Aragorn…" her eyes widened as she felt her time drawing near. "Please…I don't want to go…where is the faerie, she can help me…"

"I do not know. But if she has abandoned us in this time of need, she will be hunted down and destroyed." Aragorn clenched his fists passionately.

"Please, talk to me…about anything…"

"Do you know, the day we met? I felt as if I had strayed into a dream."

"Wow, does she have ANY of her own material!" Arwen wondered aloud, more dumbfounded than angry.

Merry and Pippin were now realizing that while this chapter may be coming to an end and their turns were approaching quickly, they would now be free of one of the Sues.

Elrohir, as if reading their minds, shook his head at their naivety. "If you are getting your hopes up, I would like to point out that Starr died and SHE came back…"

Merry and Pippin looked crestfallen.

"You resembled a goddess, the fairest of the fair, with your hair the color of the morning sun and eyes like emeralds, twinkling as you partook in some unknown joke. Your lips, cherry red and utterly kissable, were a temptation I found it hard to resist." As if to emphasize it, he placed a soft kiss on her lips. "Your skin was that of one who had been in the sun and nature and enjoyed herself. Who really lived. You almost reminded me of a feminine, delicate, powerful, Elf-like Ranger,"

"That's just one contradiction after another," Elladan mused.

"I loved you from the moment I saw you. I cannot imagine what my life would be like without you. Had it not been for you, I may still have been wandering lost, instead of maturing and taking up my duties as king."

Celeste just smiled, crystal tears streaming out from under her closed eyelids.

Aragorn saw her skin pale and knew she was slipping away. He captured her lips in one last kiss, his own tears mingling with hers in a salty tango.

Sam broke off suddenly, in disbelief. "I-I can't believe what I'm reading!"

"You're not the only one," Aragorn sighed, shifting uncomfortably under the death glares currently being sent at him by Arwen. After all, SHE should be the only one his tears mingle with in a salty tango!

Celeste's hand reached up and touched his face for the final time.

Aragorn grasped her hand desperately, as if it was the one way to keep her with him.

She mouthed the phrase "Meet me in Gondor" and her eyes finally closed, never to open again.

Aragorn laid his head on the blanket next to her, tears wetting the sheets as he cried away the pain. Legolas entered much later to console his friend, but Aragorn was beyond grief.

All they could do know was to hope for a miracle to take away the ache.

"FINALLY!" was the chorus that rang out throughout the room as Sam slammed the book shut in relief that his duty was done.

"Break out the ale!" Gimli exclaimed.

"I'll alert the cook so we can get some food sent up here!" Pippin said in a true Hobbit fashion.

And the party continued on into the night, all the readers pushing the thought of the rest of the chapters from their mind.

TBC…

Dang, that was some sappy…stuff. Not as long as Starr's death, of course, because STARR MUST RULE ALL OF THE SUES IN THIS STORY!