Title: Top-earth, Bottom-earth, Middle-Earth
Author: FreakyHair
Summary: Arwen and Aragorn broke their troth before he left with the fellowship. Brokenheartedly Aragorn gives up the thought of finding love and focuses mainly on his mission to save Middle-Earth from destruction. But a certain blonde demon hunter might come to heal his wounds. Early season 5. Pre- Dracula.
Pairing: Aragorn/Buffy (duh!) and a tiny hint of Buffy/Legolas
Disclaimer: I do not own the rights to either Buffy the Vampire Slayer or Lord of the Rings. Don't sue me, since the only things I have in my wallet is spider web.

Chapter 4

Middle-Earth

"You'll find more cheer in a graveyard," Gimli commented as they walked through the small city.
Everyone was dressed in black and they all were staring at the newcomers in sombre silence.
Buffy nodded her head.
"True."

When they reached the Hall guards meet them.
"I cannot allow you before Théoden King so armed, Gandalf Greyhame. By order of Gríma Wormtongue," one of the guards told them.
Gandalf nodded and gestured to the others to surrender their weapons.

When the others had removed their weapons, the guard in question looked at Buffy.
That kinda surprised her. She was a girl and still he thought that she carried weapons. Sure, usually she did but not at that moment.
She only had to give him a look that asked 'Are you stupid?' to make him turn his eyes upon Gandalf instead.

"Your staff," he said.
"Hmm?" Gandalf glanced briefly at his staff. "Oh, you would not part an old man from his walking stick?" he asked, looking at Háma innocently.

Háma only hesitated for a second before gesturing for them to follow him.

As they walked after him, Buffy felt someone hooking her arm and glanced at her left side.
"What are you doing?" she asked.
"I'm trying to make this look normal," Aragorn answered her calmly.
"Well, you can knock it off. I'm pretty sure that it can't look normal with my outfit," she snapped and pulled her arm out of his grip.
Aragorn sighed as he looked over her clothes. She was right, he had never seen a woman in trousers, and he was sure that the people in Rohan never had either.

"The courtesy of your hall is somewhat lessened of late, Théoden King," Gandalf said to the old man on the throne.

He looked really sick. His eyes were all watery and his face was really pale. Buffy had to hide a shudder when she looked at the guy. He reeked of evil and dark magic.

She saw that the others pulled back as Gandalf approached the king and did the same. Gandalf could alone deal with the guy, it was the guards who they needed to watch out for.

"Why should I… welcome you, Gandalf… Stormcrow?" the king asked slowly, as if every word caused him pain.
"A just question, my liege," a short, pale guy with black, greasy hair said. "Late is the hour in which this conjurer chooses to appear. Lathspell I name him. Ill news is an ill guest."
"Be silent! Keep your forked tongue behind your teeth. I have not passed through fire and death to bandy crooked words with a witless worm!" Gandalf said menacingly at Wormtongue and raised his staff.
Wormtongue backed away while addressing the guards.
"His staff!" he shouted. "I told you to take the wizard's staff!"

The guards went to attack and Buffy, Aragorn, Gimli and Legolas immediately got a lot of work to do.

Gandalf didn't even seem to notice what was going on and just continued to approach the old man.
"Théoden, son of Thengel, too long have you sat in the shadows."

As Gríma tried to crawl away from the Hall he got pinned to the floor by Gimli.

"Hearken to me! I release you from the spell,"Gandalf said to the king and gestured with his hand.
But to everyone's surprise, the guy on the throne started to laugh.
"You have no power here, Gandalf the Grey."

Gandalf threw back his cloak, blinding light coming from him. Théoden got thrown back in his seat.
"I will draw you, Saruman, as poison is drawn from a wound," Gandalf said and pointed his staff at him.

A young woman rushed in and tried to go to Théoden but got held back by Aragorn, who asked her to wait.
"If I go, Théoden dies," the figure on the throne said.
Gandalf pointed his staff at him, throwing him back into his seat again.
"You did not kill me, you will not kill him!"
"Rohan is mine!"
"Be gone!"

Théoden slumped forwards in his chair and the woman ran to him. His face began to change and he suddenly looked a lot younger than before.
He looked closely at the young woman.
"I know your face…Eówyn? Eówyn."
Eówyn started to weep of joy at the King's recognition of her.

"It's rather touching, isn't it?" Legolas commented.
Buffy smiled as she looked at the scene before them.
"Yeah, I think I'm going to cry."
Aragorn patted her sympathetically on the back.

"They had no warning. They were unarmed. Now the Wildmen are moving through the Westfold, burning as they go. Rick, cot and tree," Eówyn said.

Buffy was sitting next to two kids at the table, talking to them as they ate.
When Théoden had been visiting the grave of his son Théodred, they came riding on a horse.
Apparently there had been an attack at their village and they had come here to warn the king.

"Where's mama?" the girl named Freda asked.
"Don't worry about that, we'll probably find out. Now, eat if you don't want to starve to death," Buffy admonished her.
The girl picked up her fork again, because dying was certainly not something she wanted to do.

"This is but a taste of the terror that Saruman will unleash. All the more potent for he is driven now by fear of Sauron. Ride out and meet him head on. Draw him away from your women and children. You must fight," Gandalf said to Théoden.
Aragorn wasn't slow to agree.
"You have 2000 good men riding north as we speak. Éomer is loyal to you. His men will return and fight for their king."
"They will be 300 leagues from here by now," Théoden said warily. "Éomer cannot help us. I know what it is you want of me. But I will not bring further death to my people. I will not risk open war."
Gimli took a bite of his bread while watching the exchange.
"Open war is upon you. Whether you would risk it or not."
"When I last looked, Théoden, not Aragorn, was king of Rohan," Théoden snapped.

Buffy sighed annoyed at the stubborn king. Geez, could he be more of an idiot? He was practically signing his people's doom here.
Gimli burped and she rolled her eyes. Guys. Not the smartest mammals on earth. ´

"Then what is the king's decision?" Gandalf asked.

Outside Meduseld the guard from earlier read the king's orders to the people.
"By order of the king, the city must empty. We make for the refuge of Helm's Deep. Do not burden yourselves with treasure. Take only what provisions you need."

Gandalf, Aragorn, Gimli and Legolas walked towards the stables as people started to collect their things.
"Helm's Deep! They flee to the mountains when they should stand and fight. Who will defend them if not their king," Gimli ranted furiously.
"He's only what he thinks is best for his people. Helm's Deep has saved them in the past," Aragorn said as they entered the stables.

"There is no way out of that ravine. Théoden is walking into a trap. He thinks he's leading them to safety. What they will get is a massacre. Théoden has a strong will but I fear for him. I fear for the survival of Rohan. He will need you before the end, Aragorn. The people of Rohan will need you. The defences HAVE to hold," Gandalf urged him.
"They will hold," Aragorn replied seriously although he seriously doubted his own words.

Gandalf turned to Shadowfax and gently stroked him.
"The Grey Pilgrim…that's what they used to call me. Three hundred lives of men I've walked this earth and now I have no time. With luck, my search will not be in vain. Look to my coming at first light on the fifth day. At dawn, look to the east."

Aragorn opened the stall gates.
"Go."

Gandalf mounted his horse and Legolas had to jump back in order to not get stamped down by Shadowfax when he rode out.
A moment later Buffy arrived.

"Where is he? I didn't miss him did I?" she asked, looking around wildly.
"I am sorry," Legolas said.
Buffy sighed.
"Darn. I really wanted to say goodbye and… What the hell are you smirking for?" she asked Aragorn, annoyed.
"Your change of attire. It really suits you well," he answered her gesturing at her large clothes.
"Haha. Mock poor little Buffy, 'cause Eówyn's dresses didn't fit her too well. For your information, buddy, even though I am in a dress, I can still kick your ass to Helm's Deep and back again."
"If you say so, Buffy."

They saw Eówyn practising with a sword on her own.
Her movements were fluid and smooth and Buffy could definitely see some potential there.
"She's pretty good," she said and turned her head slightly to her right. "Aragorn?"

She looked back to were Eówyn was practising and saw Aragorn walk up to her and blocking one of her parries.
"You have some skill with a blade," he said.
She stepped back and sheathed her sword.
"Women of this country learned long ago that those without swords may still die upon them. I fear neither death nor pain."

Oh, please, this girl would scream of agony if she just cut herself on a paper.´

"What do you fear, my lady?"
"A cage. To stay behind bars until use and old age accept them and all chance of valour has gone beyond recall or desire."

Buffy smirked at the girl. Pretty, poetic and skilful enough with a sword, but not quite Aragorn's type. Nope, she was way out of her league.

"You are a daughter of kings, a shieldmaiden of Rohan," he said to her and sheated his dagger. "I do not think that would be your fate."

Way out of her league, right?

He turned and walked away from her and Buffy followed him swiftly.
When they were out of hearing range Buffy nudged him in the shoulder.

"Okay, now what the hell was that about?" she asked him.
He only smiled in return and continued to walk.

They were travelling slowly towards Helm's Deep.
On the horse that Aragorn led sat Buffy, lost in her own thoughts
A bit in front of them walked Eówyn, who led another horse on which Gimli sat upon.

"It's true that you don't see many Dwarf women. And in fact, they are so alike in voice and appearance, haha, that they're often mistaken for Dwarf men," he told her.
Eówyn looked smiling back at Aragorn, who elaborated in a whisper.
"It's the beards."
"And this, in turn, has given rise to the belief that there are no Dwarf women. And the Dwarves just spring out of holes in the ground," Gimli continued, making Eówyn laugh.
"Which of course is ridiculous…"

Before he could say any more, the horse suddenly galloped away and Gimli fell off after a short distance.
Eówyn rushed to help him as he struggled to get up.
"It's alright, it's alright. Nobody panic. That was deliberate. It was deliberate."
Laughing, Eówyn brushed the dirt off of him and turned her face towards Aragorn.

And he could't stop staring until he heard a cough next to him and turned his gaze to the annoyed face of Buffy.
"Could you please drool a little more?" she asked sarcastically.
"Why, are you jealous, Lady Buffy?" he asked.
"It's just Buffy and besides; Me? Jealous? Why would I be jealous of a wannabe-slayer? Please, name something that she has and I don't."
"Well, a couple of inches more in length."
She glared at him.
"Very funny. Watch me roll on the ground with laughter."

Later they were still walking and this time Buffy also.

Buffy had this really annoying song by Goo Goo Dolls stuck in her head that didn't want to leave her alone.
Finally not being able to fight it, she started singing quietly, hoping to not catch anyone's attention.

"Broadway is dark tonight
A little bit weaker than you used to be
Broadway is dark tonight
See the young man sitting in the old man's bar
Waiting for his turn to die"

But unfortunately for her, Aragorn had excellent hearing.
"What are you singing?" he asked her.
"Nothing. Just… a song," she told him.
"What is it about?"
"Uhh…Broadway, I guess." She shrugged.
"What's Broadway?" The questions about something as pointless as a song never ended.
"Like a city or something, I think."

Before hewas ableask anything more a shout was heard.
"Wargs!"

What the hell is a warg? ´ Buffy wondered.

Aragorn ran to Théoden.
"Wargs! We are under attack!"

The villagers began to panic.

"Get them out of here!" Aragorn shouted.
"All riders to the head of the column!" Théoden commanded.

Aragorn ran to Hasufel and found that Buffy already had mounted him.
"Buffy, you have to get off the horse. We are under attack. "
"Well, duh, I knew that. And I'm coming with you," she said as if she were stating the obvious.
"Buffy, you can't fight against vile creatures, they will kill you before you even can blink," Aragorn said, irritated at the girl's naivety.
"Look, I'm coming with you whether you like it or not." Her gaze never wavered and he realized that he couldn't change her mind, so he just sighed and mounted the horse.

"Don't worry," she said tohim. "I've faced things worse than a couple of overgrown wolves before and survived."

They joined Théoden who gave Buffy a questioning glance, but chose to ignore her for the moment.
"CHARGE!" he shouted.

And so the battle began.