Disclaimer: I own none of Tolkien's creations and only lay claim to my own humble creatures.

Chapter Quote: "We have forever." He answered softly. "Our forever."

Chapter Sixty-Three

Epilogue

Talorta is an old man now. He has sired eight sons and daughters and, strangely, he is no longer a cripple. According to my parents he never was- even after my brother's accident. Maybe it isn't so strange... after all, Talorta was the only one from home who came with me to Middle-earth. We both changed.

I will be twenty-eight this year. Ten years have past since my accident. I have been out of my coma for almost two. I wrote a book about a girl who falls into a story book and chooses to give it up for the man she loves- to save his life. It became a bestseller.

I have my own house on my parent's farm- I paint for a living. I paint memories... memories of my past life in Middle-earth. My signature name is Saronedhel- in memory of Faerlain.

I have never dated anyone in the months following my return. I read the epilogue of Lord of the Rings every night and I imagine Legolas' kisses before I go to sleep. I still love him... I always will. But this past night, as I opened the book to read his page, it had been torn out. I searched and searched for it for hours but I never found it.

I can't imagine what that could mean.

I was grooming Talorta when my Dad appeared in the barn- a grin on his face. I gazed at him with my brows raised, suspicious of his cheerfulness. "Why the grin?" I asked him, leaning on Talorta to look at my father.

He will be fifty-eight this year- but he looks so much older then when he did before my accident. Most of his previously dark hair has been streaked generously with grey- he will never hate me as he once did. That is a part of a past that died within both of us long ago.

"There is a handsome, young man waiting at the house for you. He says he's an old friend of yours."

I frowned... I certainly couldn't remember having any handsome, young men for friends. I slipped Talorta into his stall and dusted off my hands on my jeans. "What do you think he wants?" I asked curiously, pacing my father as we headed back for the house.

"Probably to propose marriage... it has finally gotten around that I've been hiding a beautiful daughter here."

I smirked, stopped him and planted a kiss on his cheek as he draped a hand over my shoulder. "But I'm already spoken for."

"I'm know... I know. By that fool horse." He sighed. "Can you blame a father for trying?"

I laughed and stepped inside the house. "So where is my gentleman caller?"

My father was already heading back to the barn. "In the parlor... don't keep him waiting."

I shrugged and closed the door behind me, smiling as I heard the familiar clank of dishes as my mother washed up. I walked through the dining room and into the parlor. The stranger was standing by the fireplace, studying the pictures of me and Zach on the mantle. There was something about the way he stood that struck me as strangely familiar...

"I'm sorry... I'm not sure I remember you. My name is-" I began, and then he turned around.

My words and body froze in mid-air. No... it couldn't be. The stranger had dark, slightly curling hair that fell in waves over his ears. That was different then the person I knew I must be imagining. But his face... and those eyes... they blinked. "Victoria?" He asked hesitantly, his voice was strangely accented... with a hint of that musical elvish language to it.

My world spun as I stared at him. "Legolas?" My knees buckled as I felt suddenly light-headed. I waited for the collision with the floor... that never came. He was holding me... I could feel him breathing... Oh God... oh God... I was crying... he was crying as I embraced him tightly- afraid that he would disappear if I let him go.

We broke apart... I stared at him. My fingers lightly ran over the tips of his ears- they were rounded. "How...?"

"I remembered." He said, his eyes shining. "And I begged the Creator to let me come to you. And he did."

"But your ears... your hair...!" The thought of my Legolas with curly hair was enough to make me burst into giggles. I felt giddy.

He took my hand in his. "I am mortal now, Victoria. That was the price... that was what he wanted in return."

Mortal... he was mortal. Oh God... this can't be happening... "I was looking for you for so long..." He began. But I interrupted... too stunned to say anything else.

"You came back." I said, weeping with joy. "You waited for me."

"You saved me." He replied, caressing my face again- he gazed into my eyes.

I kissed him with a passion and a longing that I thought I had kept hidden for so long that I had nearly forgotten how much I loved him. Thank you... oh thank you. We broke apart, breathless as I gazed up at him in adoration. I smiled and curled a lock of his hair around my finger.

"Curls... they might take some getting used to."

He shrugged. "When you've been alive as long as I have... blond and straight gets sort of boring when, in your world, you can change so much about yourself."

"I like it... you look... boyish?"

He grinned. "I was aiming for mortal...but that works if you like it."

He was using modern lingo... and between the curls, those eyes (still grey), and the way he talked... he was just so... wonderful. That was all I could think of. Somehow calling Legolas 'sexy' sounded and felt wrong.

"It's Lawrence, by the way. Laurie if you like."

My Legolas as a Laurie? Fat chance. "You'll always be Legolas to me... curls and all."

He kissed me again... I could hear wedding bells in my mind as I dreamily returned his passion with my own.

"Victoria?" I heard my mother's voice from down the hall. We broke apart, rising to our feet... I hadn't even realized we had been on the floor... oh yeah- I had nearly fainted. "Are you all right?"

I looked at him... and we started to laugh. "Yes!" I called back to her between gasps. "I'm fine Mom. Where's Dad?" Probably to propose marriage... my father had no idea how close to the mark he was. I glanced shyly at Legolas. "There's someone I want you to meet." He made my heart race just by looking at me. He took my hand in his, pressed it to his chest where I could feel his heart beating... and then he kneeled.

"Victoria... will you marry me?"

Did he even seriously have to ask? I pulled him to his feet and kissed him in reply.

"Is that a yes?" He asked mischievously.

"Do I look like I'm saying no?" I quipped as I kissed him again. I ran my fingers through his hair... through his curls and I giggled. I closed my eyes as he held me close to him and I listened to his heart beat as he stroked my hair.

"Don't ever leave me." I whispered fiercely, clutching him to me as he folded his arms around me.

"We have forever." He answered softly. "Our forever."

I heard my parent's footsteps in the hall...but I didn't care. Yes... we had forever... our forever as Laurie called it. I felt myself giggle again. I wondered if my Laurie had ever read Little Women to come up with such a name- I would have to ask him sometime. But we did have forever- and I had so many questions... I felt my dreams resurface. Our wedding... I found myself imagining what our children would look like... what Legolas would say when he found out he was in a book...

But all that could wait. I would just relish in this moment and I breathed it in. I could go on like this forever- him just holding me. I had saved Legolas... and he had saved me.

And I was safe in his arms.

THE END