A/N: Hello! I'm back! I'm so sorry about the irregular updates. Life is hectic as always and I've recently started a new job, which is taking up a lot of time. That said, I plan to finish this fic even if it takes a while. Thank you so much to those of you who have reviewed and commented in the past couple of months, I read all of your comments and it warms my heart that you all like this fic so much.

Without further ado, please enjoy this next chapter.

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Butterflies

Millie's POV

Gandalf stayed in Rivendell for a while after our conversation. From what I'd heard about him, I expected him to leave as soon as he revealed his secrets to me, but apparently even wizards needed a break.

On this particular summer morning, I had woken up early and decided to go for a stroll in the gardens. There were so many herbs and plants used for medicinal purposes that I wanted to learn more about. Lord Elrond had kindly taught me about them and lent me one of his personal notebooks where he kept detailed information and drawings of them, which I used for my studies. His kindness was one I knew that I would never be able to pay, but something that I had come to understand during my time in Middle-Earth, was that friendship had no currency.

Amongst other things, it made me realise how few people in my old life were actually people I'd consider true friends. There was always a catch to our friendship and if someone did me a favor, they always expected a favor in return. Nothing was ever genuine and it had made me a very cautious person.

Perhaps that was the reason why I was so careful in my approach to Thranduil. Not to mention our relationship was never an easy one to begin with, but I can only assume that he sensed me reservation which in turn made him more….well….himself.

Truthfully, I couldn't really pin-point exactly when things began to change and when I realised that my feelings for him were more than just that of friendship. Since that first day I found myself on his doorstep in Mirkwood, my only intentions were to find a way home to my world again. However, slowly but surely those intentions waned and I knew - no - I felt that I had to stay here, in this world. Gandalf's revelation only solidified those feelings and when Thranduil shared his intentions, it was a done deal.

For a long time after Charlie's passing, a part of me felt like I had to stay in that small flat as a way to preserve his memory. As though somehow, by keeping to my old routines and my old life as much as I could, he would never truly leave and would always be a part of my life. Letting go of him is still a painful process, but the friends I have here have taught me that it's okay to allow it to take time.

"Seems I'm not the only one enjoying the early hours of morning."

"Maggie, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to intrude."

"Nonsense, come join me if you'd like?"

Maggie leaned against the railings of the bridge while a gust of wind brushed past her long, dark hair. Even though she was only a few years older than me, I always got the feeling that she was older. Then again, after everything she and her family had been through, it wasn't so strange. Beneath us, the waters of a stream whirled towards the large river. It was still early, but I had a feeling his was going to be a good day.

"I didn't think you were a morning person?" I said as I sat down on the bridge and stretched my legs.

"I'm not," Maggie admitted, "But it is the only time of the day where I can get some peace and quiet. Luckily, my daughter inherited her father's sleeping habits. Pro-tip: if you ever want a dwarf to agree to something without having a chance to think about it, ask them when they've just woken up."

"I feel like I wouldn't want to get on a dwarf's bad side before coffee?"

"No, that is indeed very true."

We chuckled and we stood there in silence for a moment. I used to find silences uncomfortable because it made it far too easy for me to think and once I got in my own head, it was even easier to spiral downwards. With Maggie however, silences were never uncomfortable.

"Maggie, can I ask you a question?" I mumbled

"Of course," Maggie replied, "Does it happen to have anything to do with our favorite grumpy woodland king? Although mind you, he's not as grumpy these days and I heard it might be because of a kiss?"

Almost immediately, I felt a heat rise in my cheek and a butterfly sensation in my stomach that I hadn't in a very long time.

"OH MY GOD!" Maggie exclaimed excitedly, "You DID kiss?! Tell me EVERYTHING and don't leave out any details. I mean….if you want to of course."

"We did, yes." I confessed, "Or, I kissed him. It was a sort of….heat of the moment thing. I had spoken with Gandalf and wanted to talk to Thranduil and it sort of just happened…"

"What was it like? I mean, I know elves obviously have emotions, but Thranduil is….well….Thranduil."

I couldn't help but chuckle again. Maggie was right to be curious, especially as for so long, Thranduil had presented himself as somebody whose heart had turned into stone and now, there was suddenly a changed elf.

"It was good," I said, "Gentle, which surprised me because he's well...Thranduil."

"How do you feel about it all?" Maggie asked, "Not to mention meeting Gandalf sometimes has a way of making one feel quite discombobulated."

Discombobulated was a good way to describe what I'd been feeling. It was one thing to come to terms with a world where elves and dwarves were real, but then add the fact there was also magic and wizards who had lived for eons and somehow also had the ability to travel between worlds was a lot to handle.

"I am okay, it's just still a lot to come to terms with." I replied, "I thought I wanted to go back home and pick up where I left off, but somehow I just knew that I had to stay here. That I have a part to play in whatever this is. At first, I thought that this whole prophecy with Thranduil was ridiculous, but hearing it from Gandalf suddenly made it all more real."

"He told you something's coming, didn't he?" Maggie guessed, "I've had a hunch for a while that something is going on. There's an air of anticipation, I guess. That and I know Gandalf's on edge."

"What do you think it is?"

Maggie shrugged and exhaled a sigh. Something changed in her glance and I could tell she was more worried and perhaps even more scared than she was letting on.

"I don't know." she said, "Whatever it is, if there's one thing I've learnt from living here is that everything will be revealed when the time is right and until then, there's no point going around trying to figure it out."

"I suppose you're right." I agreed, "How did you feel, by the way, when you decided to stay here? How did you know it was the right thing to do? I know your father and friends are here, but you still have family in your world? Do you miss them and your mother?"

Another moment of silence passed between and Maggie's brown eyes stared out into the morning as the early rays of sunshine made the whirling stream seem as though it was glimmering.

"I miss mum every day," Maggie told me, "I often wish there was a way for her to see all of this and to know that everything is okay. As for how I knew that my place was here, I knew it before I became pregnant with Theo. During the quest to reclaim Erebor, I felt like I belonged here in a way that I'd never belonged at home. I just knew that home was so much more than a physical place, but more the people who become your family. It sounds cliché as hell, but it was as if I'd found something deeper in myself. I don't know if that makes sense."

"It does," I said, "I used to think I had to stay in London because it meant I would alway have the memory of Charlie around me. Now, I feel like my home is here."

"With Thranduil?"

The cheeky and mischievous tone in Maggie's voice was back, but she was right. My place with Thranduil.

"By the way," I asked, "I don't suppose you know anything about elven courting?"

"See now we're talking," Maggie said, "Let's talk about it over a nice and quiet breakfast before my whirlwind of a daughter wakes up."

"That sounds perfect."

Maggie hooked my arm and we walked together across the bridge and back towards Elrond's house and I couldn't help but to feel more at ease about my choices.

If only I'd known then what was to come.

To be continued….

OMG I FINISHED A CHAPTER! Once again I'm SO SORRY it took ages. Life has been very busy, but I'm back.

Let me know what you thought about it. What do you think is coming? Also if you know anything about elven courting, do let me know.