A/N: I have an apology to make; the last interval from Anna was WAY out of chronological order. As soon as I get my Internet back and don't have to sneak on I'll fix it (I get my internet back on the first of January, right now I'm sneaking on). And this chapter is going to be extra, extra long! So rejoice my readers! Take it as an early Christmas present.

××Legolas' POV××

I stood, completely stunned at Nicolette's outburst.

She stood before me, her person somewhat changed. She seemed stronger, taller and somewhat frightening.

When I finally regained my voice I murmered, "Nicolette, I hadn't thought about that, but you are human; you will not fade if I am killed," I tried to wrap my arms around her but she pushed them away. I drew in a sharp intake of breath, it felt like a knife was being driven into me, "Melleth nîn, I would," I said softly.

Nicolette looked up at me, her eyes filled with some emotion I did not understand, "Legolas, please, stop." With that she put her fingers in her mouth and whistled.

Jade flew down low enough that Nicolette leapt onto her side and scrambled on top of her. They both rose into the air.

××Nicolette's POV××

Why are you treating him so badly? He means well, Jade asked me for the umpteenth time.

I don't want to talk about it! I snapped, attempting to block her. At the moment I felt a mixture of guilt and anger. One of the few times I wished I was back home, in the yard; no one who loved me this much to worry and wonder about. No friend who throw themselves off of cliffs…

Quit wallowing in pity, hatchling! Jade said sternly, blowing a small stream of fire into the air to emphasize her point.

I jumped, "Jesus! You didn't have to do that!"

It was the only way to get your attention, you stubborn mule! She said angrily. Now will you listen or will I have to start flying upside down, side ways, loop to loops, corkscrews…

Okay, okay! I'll listen!

Legolas loves you very much; he knows you are not very experienced in battle. The thousands of Uruk-Hai that are marching here have been bred for one sole purpose: to kill, to plunder and to destroy! Legolas has had many of years of training in battle, and so has most of the men-

HAH! Most of the men that will be fighting tonight will barely know how to hold a sword! I come from a tough life- I began but she cut me off.

Hush! Whatever you have been through before will be nothing compared to this. You say you come from a tough life? Child, you know nothing of what is hard and what is not! You would not last but a few minutes out on that battlefield! And if you even THINK about pulling a Mary-Sue/Mulan and try and sneak out of that cavern you will be stuck in between my claws throughout all of the battle! Jade growled.

I huffed but said nothing for the rest of the ride to Helm's Deep. Could this day get any worse?

Yes.

GAH!

××Anna's POV××

Merry, Pippin and I sat on the edge of the clearing where the Ents were having their meeting. At first I was really, really scared of them; but they ignored me and I gradually got comfortable.

Pippin and I played Rock, Scissors, Paper. But after playing it for an hour we got bored.

Merry told me stories from the Shire. They were funny and I laughed so hard that a Weeping Willow tree gave me such a nasty look I had to smother my laughter in Merry's shoulder.

I yawned, "When do you think they'll be over?"

Pippin shrugged, and stretched out in the tall grass; eyes closed.

I sighed and curled up beside him; wishing I was with my sissy. The forest still scared me.

After awhile Merry shook us, "Wake up! I think they're done!"

Pippin and I grumbled and got up.

The Ents were leaving the clearing in various directions and Treebeard was walking towards us.

"Well?" Merry asked.

Treebeard leaned over and picked us up, "Hoom! We have been talking and we have decided that you three…are not Orcs."

Merry let out an exasperated sigh.

Pippin tried cheering him up, "Well, that's good news."

Merry shook his head, "What about the War? And Mordor?"

Now it was Treebeard's turn to sigh, "The Ents have not troubled with the affairs of Men and Elves…for a very long time. Nor do we intend to now," He said slowly.

Pippin and Merry's faces fell, I didn't really understand it.

"I will leave you three at the North edge of the forest," Treebeard said, not noticing the Hobbit's gloom.

Pippin and Merry sat next to each other on Treebeard's shoulder; I sat on one of the branches growing out of his head. I liked it up there, I could see above the other trees.

After a long silence, Pippin put a hand on Merry's shoulder, "Maybe this is a good thing; we don't belong here. It's too vast, and little Anna certainly doesn't. We can go back to the Shire and forget about this whole thing."

I kind of liked that thought; perhaps I could live with Merry and Pippin in Brandybuck Hall. At least until Nikki came to get me; then we could go back home to Mama.

Merry turned to Pippin, his face grave, "Don't you see? If we don't do something, there won't be a Shire!"

Pippin's face paled, as if something had dawned on him, he sat in silence for a moment before shouting to Treebeard, "WAIT! Could you please go to the South edge of the forest?" He asked.

Merry looked at him as if he had lost his mind, "What?" He hissed, "That will lead us past Isengard!"

Pippin smiled, "Exactly."

Treebeard stopped and looked up at them, "Why would you want to do that? I thought your home was in the Northeast…"

I scrambled down onto Treebeard's shoulder, so that way he could see me. I put on a very cute face and used the tone I used whenever I wanted Nikki to read me a bedtime story, "Please, Mr. Treebeard. We need to go south, we have friends there."

Treebeard seemed reluctant to turn around after traveling so far, "Well…" He said slowly.

I gave him a wide-eyed look, "Please?" I asked, sweetly and kissed his big, branchy cheek.

Treebeard smiled a little, "Well, I always liked going south; for some reason I feel like I'm going downhill…"

××Nicolette's POV××

As we passed through the large, wooden gates of Helm's Deep, I felt as if I was at a prison, instead of a fortress.

Perhaps it will be both… Jade remarked; she flew above us.

At least for the women, I replied bitterly. And with that thought a deep melancholy settled over me.

Oh come off it! Jade snapped and turned back towards the direction from whence we came. Tell the leader I am going to see if I can find the Uruk-Hai.

I relayed the message to Théoden and went off in search of Èowyn.

She wasn't hard to find, I found her carrying provisions into the caves, looking like she was fighting back tears.

"Hey Èowyn!" I called to her.

She looked up and quickly wiped away her eyes, "Hello," She said shakily.

I picked up a bag of flour she had dropped and followed her into the caverns that would soon become our cage. "I see you found out about Aragorn," I said quietly.

She sniffled a little bit and sat down a chest she was carrying with a vindictive "Thump!" She nodded, "I have."

I put a hand on her shoulder, "Hold up."

Èowyn turned around, her eyes puffy. She covered her nose, trying to hide her tears, she smiled weakly; "I'm fine, truly."

I looked her up and down, "Bull. It's better to cry, trust me. I know. If you keeping on bottling up your feelings you're going to be miserable," Like me.

Èowyn laughed hollowly, "I am a royal woman, that means to never show my feelings. No one cares about how I feel; just as long as I do my job."

Poor girl. I led her into a small alcove, "That is not true, your brother cares for you, so does your uncle. And so do I. Trust me, I understand how you feel. I came from a family where no one cared what I did just as long as I didn't draw attention to myself."

Èowyn shook her head, "No, you don't know how I feel, you have someone who loves and cherishes you (I assumed she meant Legolas). You had a little sister who was always there for you, for a long time I had no one. I sincerely hope you will never have to go through what I have been through these past few months."

At a loss for words of comfort I merely hugged her, once I found my voice, I said quietly, "I am unlovable; even if the one I loved truly did love me, nothing could come of it but disaster."

Èowyn pulled apart, "What do you mean?"

I smiled softly, "I am not married to Legolas; that was a hoax. And even if he did love me and we married, what would his parents and the rest of Mirkwood say about him marrying a mortal, common woman? We might have wonderful (if not difficult) times for a few years, then I would begin to age and he would still stay young and handsome. Soon I would be a white-haired old woman. And I would die, he would fade and Mirkwood would be without an heir or a half-mortal heir. And the line of Mirkwood would be tainted."

Èowyn hugged me again, "I suppose we should get back to work…"

I nodded and quietly followed her out of the alcove.

××Legolas' POV××

I had passed a dark alcove carrying various packages and parcels when I had heard Èowyn and Nicolette's voice coming from it. Curious, I listened further,

"I am unlovable; even if the one I loved truly did love me, nothing would come of it but disaster," I heard Nicolette say.

"What do you mean?" Èowyn asked curiously.

I heard the pain in Nicolette's voice, "I am not married to Legolas; that was a hoax. And even if he did love me and we married, what would his parents and the rest of Mirkwood say about him marrying a mortal, common woman? We might have wonderful (if not difficult) times for a few years, then I would begin to age and he would still stay young and handsome. Soon I would be a white-haired old woman. And I would die, he would fade and Mirkwood would be without an heir or a half-mortal heir. And the line of Mirkwood would be tainted."

Surprised and slightly shaken, I picked up the packages and darted ahead.

Was this why Nicolette had been so unwilling to listen to reason earlier today? Because this is what she thought would happen?

Just when I had decided to go and talk to her, I felt someone tap me on the shoulder, I turned around and saw no one else but Aragorn!

I laughed and embraced him, "What took you so long?" I asked him.

Aragorn gave me an annoyed look and clapped me on the back, "I must speak with the King, where is he?"

I smiled and directed him to the King's Hall.

Hearing footsteps behind us, I turned and saw Èowyn, with a look of sheer joy on her face.

"Where is Nicolette?" I asked her.

Èowyn looked up, looking like she had come out of a trance, "Pardon?"

I repeated my question.

"I think she is in the caverns…I'm not sure," Èowyn said, slightly embarrassed.

I rushed off into the direction of the caves.

××Nicolette's POV××

Èowyn had asked me to continue taking care of the children, I gladly accepted the task and went around gathering up children of various ages.

"Will you tell us another story?" Freya asked me.

I kissed her atop the head and grabbed into the emergency bag that I had retrieved from that tree outside of Lothlorien. That seemed so long ago. But anyway, I pulled out a little orange book with a picture of a running river and "Yes, today I'm going to tell you the story of The Hobbit, although the writer calls it There and Back Again: A Hobbit's Tale," I said, plopping down on a fuzzy blanket I had laid down on the hard floor. I opened the book and began to read, "In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit-"

"Nicolette!" A voice called, interrupting me.

I looked up at the person, somewhat irritated; it was Legolas. Oh great.

"Yeah?" I asked.

"I need to talk to you, in private," He said.

I probably would've refused, but his big blue eyes were deadly whenever he knew how to use 'em.

"Hàma, you look after the children while I'm gone, I'll be back in a few minutes," I said, raising off of the floor and dusting myself off.

Legolas led me into a little corner, "I overheard you and Èowyn talking earlier, in the alcove."

I crossed my arms, "What and how much did you hear?" I asked, feeling a bit ill.

"Exactly what you're hoping I didn't hear," He said softly.

I blinked, "Well it's true," I said hoarsely.

Legolas took me into his arms and kissed me, I did not fight him. When we pulled apart he cupped my chin in his hand, forcing me to look up, "Perhaps it will be true, should we decide to marry. And it might not come to pass, but if we did marry, I would not care what anyone said about us. Sure, the odds will be against us; but if you love something (or someone) you have to fight for it; am I right?" He asked me.

I might have been able to handle this if he had not been so gentle and concerned. Like I had said before, he was to damn caring.

I buried my face in his tunic, "I don't know. Everything looks so bleak from here; I just wish I were immortal, things would be so much easier. I suppose that's childish of me to wish that, but then we could be together without all these complications."

Legolas laughed quietly, "Trust me, being immortal is not as lovely and carefree as it seems. But let us not speak of such things, I would rather speak of happier things."

I grimaced, "Eat, drink and be merry for tomorrow we die…"

A/N: Okay, next up his Helm's Deep. I know all of you were hoping the battle for Helm's Deep was going to be in this chapter but I couldn't fit it in. I promise it will be in the next chapter! Besides you got ANNA!