Disclaimer: I do not own Lord of the Rings. Do we really need to keep doing this over and over?

Summary: See previous chapters.

Chapter Ten

The dagger that Laer had intercepted had instead found it's mark in her side, and she lay still and pale on the floor.

Natasha let out a loud and extremely vulgar curse as she ran to Laer's side. She ignored the shocked looks from the rest of the room's occupants and started ordering people around with curt commands.

"Boromir, go find a healer. Eomer, go find Arwen and the other children. Everyone else, either help get rid of the bodies, or find somewhere else to be. Somewhere out of the way."

Everyone obeyed. Eomer may have been King of the Riddermark, but in the Hall, Natasha was ruler. Mary-Sues were cleared away as the healer arrived at a run, dodging around the remaining bodies to examine the renegade.

Natasha quickly explained what had happened, with others interjecting at various points. "Obviously, we were attacked by Mary-Sues. Somewhere along the line, I'm not sure when, Laer was hit. I'm afraid that's all I can tell you."

The healer nodded and set to work as Boromir drew his sister away. To the surprise of many, Boromir actually looked concerned as he questioned Natasha. "Do you think Laer will survive? Will there be any lasting damage?"

Natasha gave him a strange look. "How in the Void should I know? Ask the healer, not me. Besides, since when did you care about what happened to her?" she paused a moment. "Along with which, when did you two start addressing each other on a first name basis? Or any name basis, for that matter?"

Boromir looked slightly uncomfortable. "Certain recent events have prompted me to revise some of my opinions. Laer is obviously not like her fellows and it seems like she is a decent person."

Natasha gave a slightly inelegant 'humph'. "Once she decides that someone is worth being nice to, that is. And it's about time. I was starting to consider just whacking you both over the head with a club. Now go ask the healer about Laer's condition."

Boromir started to head over when his sister called him back. Her eyes were like the storm-tossed sea as she gave him a serious look. "Remember that Laer is under my protection. Hurt her in any way and I will beat you to death with a shovel."

Boromir inclined his head, and left to find the healer.

She was in a state of peaceful oblivion, just floating in nothingness.

She would not mind staying here for a good while longer, were it not for those pesky voices that had slowly started to get louder. Hmm. Some of them seemed familiar, but they were not clear enough to make out or identify.

Curse the siren call of curiosity. She rose up through the darkness, swimming toward the sound of people talking.

Laer woke in the Healers Ward, and immediately wished that she had stayed unconscious.

Love of Eru, she had the ultimate ancestor of all headaches, a throbbing pain in her side, and Boromir was sitting next to her.

Not that she was not perfectly happy to stare at him while he thought she was still out, but after the most recent fiasco with the Mary-Sues Laer was probably the last person Boromir would wish to talk to, except for a yelling match.

Why did she have to be a Mary-Sue? Maybe if she wasn't, she might have stood a chance with the oldest child of Lord Denethor. As it was, she knew it would never work, even if he didn't hate her.

After all, she was half-elven, and he was mortal. He was a captain of Gondor, Laer was a nobody, with no family or connections to speak on her behalf.

With these thoughts, Laer let out a barely audible sigh. However, it was enough to draw Boromir's attention to the now awake Mary-Sue. Laer was surprised when he broke into a full fledged smile as he called for a healer, who checked her over then left them alone. Laer was also surprised that Boromir was still in the room now that she had awoken. She had expected that someone had ordered Boromir to stand watch and inform them when she woke up, not that he would stay by her side.

Then again, 'surprise' did not come close to expressing Laer's shock when Boromir suddenly threw his arms around her and pulled her into an embrace. She stiffened for a moment, then returned his hold, savoring what would probably be a once-only thing.

Of course, the perfect moment just had to be interrupted by someone clearing their throat.

Laer and Boromir both turned to glare at the doorway, and those occupying it.

Natasha stood with an arm around her husband's waist, both looking very amused. Denethor looked faintly surprised, while Faramir's expression was one of wicked glee. Eowyn looked smug as Arwen tossed her a coin, obviously someone had been taking bets on them.

This made Laer suddenly feel very self-conscious, and all to aware of what her current position with Boromir would look like. The look on Boromir's face seemed to mirror her own thoughts.

The uncomfortable silence was finally broken by Natasha. "Alright, brother-mine, out. Go get some rest; you haven't left the room for almost two days, and I don't want you collapsing on us. Faramir, go with him and make sure he doesn't double back and climb in through a window. I'll stay with Laer for a bit, I want to talk to her anyway."

Boromir's protests were ignored as his brother dragged him out of the room and the others went their various ways. Natasha sat down in the recently vacated chair, her amused smile growing. "So, you and Boromir seem to be on better terms. Nothing inappropriate, I hope."

Laer's eyes still held a far away glint. "I think so. That we are on better terms, I mean. Problem is, I don't know the exact meaning of what is happening between us now." Laer seemed very young as she looked at the queen. "How do you know if you are in love?"

Natasha blinked, but gave no other sign of surprise. "Could you clarify that just a bit? In love how, exactly? The love of a parent for their child? The love between siblings or family? The love between friends? Or romantic love, between two people who wish to spend their lives together?"

Laer kept her gaze focused on her hands as she replied. "I mean, how do you know if you actually love someone? How do you separate the feeling from lust or just a passing fantasy? What do you feel to tell you if it is really love?"

Natasha's eyes took on a rarely-seen softness. "It depends on the individual. I've heard people say that love makes your heart race and your head spin. I've heard others say that you just cannot get the person out of your head. Perhaps it is a combanation. Personally, I don't know exactly when my feelings for Eomer evolved from friendship into love.
At the start, All I knew of him was that he was Eowyn's older brother and a marshal of the Riddermark and that my heart sped up when he was near. All Eomer knew of me was that I was his little sister's friend and that I came from far away. Later, he told me that the first thing that had intrigued him was that after the Battle of Helm's Deep, I was more interested in organizing things and keeping children from underfoot than I was of swarming around the riders who showed up with Gandalf.
I don't know what attracted me first, after Eowyn introduced us. From our first meeting I always felt safe and protected around him, even more so than with Boromir's 'protective big brother' attitude. It is hard to describe, but for the first time since I came to Middle-Earth, I felt like I truly belonged. Sort of a 'Home is where the heart is' feeling.
When I first felt attracted to him, I was not sure of my feelings, and I was afraid to try and sort them out, for fear that I would be drawn back to the world of my birth, so I tried not to form any attachments. Didn't work, obviously. We kept seeking out each other's company, even without consciously realizing it. After the Battle of Minas Tirith, it became obvious that I was not going back any time in the near future. There isn't a whole lot to do in the houses of Healing, so I had time to try and look at what I really felt.
Of course, even if I knew how I felt, I didn't know Eomer's opinion on the matter, and I valued his friendship too much to just blurt it out.

The way I found out Eomer's thoughts was actually quite amusing. A rohirrim child had made a chance remark that sent rumors flying through Middle-Earth faster than you could blink. I was in Gondor at the time and had no idea about it, until Eomer sent a message explaining. I was touched that he worried so much about my reputation when he was probably going through hell, and that he also valued whatever our relationship was enough to write in the hopes that I didn't get the wrong impression."

Natasha trailed off momentarily, prompting Laer, who was listening like a child with a favorite story, to ask, "What was the right impression? What happened from there?"

The Lady of the Riddermark laughed. "One question at a time! It turned out that Eomer felt much the same as I did: Strong emotions, but unsure of where we stood.
"There are some things that you just know, instinctively, without being told or having a rational explanation. Sometimes you look at a person, and you know. I know that I love my husband because I cannot imagine being without him, or even looking at someone else in that way. Because I feel that wherever we are, as long as we are together, that is home. So many other things, little things, differences and similarities that keep you reaching out for each other."

Laer did not raise her eyes. "But that's just the problem! Boromir and I are nothing alike, and there is such a great age difference between us! It's nothing like what anyone else seems to have!"

Natasha held up a hand, stalling her mid-tirrade. "I never said that your relationship with my brother had to be the same as mine with Eomer. Given the choice, Faramir is more of a scholar than a fighter, yet Eowyn, who wanted nothing more than to win renown in battle and whose greatest fear was to settle down as a wife, loves him for it.
There is almost nine years between Eomer and I, but I have no regrets. Besides, that's the good thing about being a Mary-Sue; you get to choose and change your age and appearance.
You and Boromir are both very proud people, but don't let that stop you."

They were interrupted by a knock at the door and Boromir's voice. Natasha stood up. "I need to go now, but Boromir will be here if you need anything. Try to get along, because if there is any blood spilled, you will be the ones trying to get it out of the floor."

With that final threat, she left, leaving Boromir and Laer alone.

Boromir sat down next to Laer's bed. Neither of them said anything, but the silence was a comfortable one, as they both pondered these new developments.

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A/N - Chapter Ten is finally up! Sorry it took so long, but my old computer crashed and I am still trying to figure out how to work my new one. I know it's short, but that seemed like a good place to stop.

By The Way, is anyone interested in a second alternate ending? I have one that is dying to be written, but I don't know if I should put it up in case it wrecks the first one.

Tell me what you think in a review.

Thanks, Nathalia.