This world is different from any where else I have visited in my visions for I know now that that is what they were before. Here everything was calm and peaceful and yet I felt wrong being here. I knew that this place was safe, happy even but I didn't want to be here.

"You are feeling that way because you are between life and death, it is your choice now Peyson my friend," the voice is so familiar and yet one I had thought I would never hear again and I am so shocked that my legs literally give way when I look up into the handsome face in front of me.

"Boromir?" I ask in a choked whisper and he nods his head opening his mouth to speak but I fling myself into his arms before he can say anything. "I am so sorry Boromir, I should have fought harder to protect you, I know I should have tried harder it is my fault and I'm so sorry," I sob and he soothes me gently.

"Calm yourself, you did all you could and I am glad that I was able to regain some of my honour before I fell," he says quietly as he leads me to a bench and pulls me to sit beside him.

"I don't understand," I say when I have managed to gain control over my breathing again, "you died, how are you here?" I pause and then turn to face him fully, "am I dead now too?" I ask feeling a sudden fear at being separated from Aragorn again.

"You are between life and death, your power of sight has allowed you to visit with me here despite the fact that you could still chose to live," he explains and I furrow my brow at him.

"Why would I chose to die?" I ask,

"It would depend on who is waiting for you I suppose," he says quietly turning to look behind us and as I follow his gaze I see images of my mum and dad and my friends from my village. My breath catches in my throat as I see them move around and laugh with one another before glancing up and smiling at me waving me towards them.

"My mum and dad," I breathe tears already rolling down my cheeks as I stand and take a step towards them, "it has been so long, it feels like a lifetime since I saw them,"

"Peyson, if you go to them you can never come back," Boromir says from beside me.

"But… Aragorn,"

"If you chose your parents you will die and he will be lost to you," he says and gasp a breath as my head spins.

"How am I supposed to chose?" I ask brokenly,

"Peyson you must follow your heart," he says as my feet automatically step towards my parents again I am only feet away from them now and I can see them so clearly. The pain in my heart that I felt when I lost them is back and it is so strong that I can feel my legs buckle again as I crash to my knees. Their faces are as smiley and happy as I can remember and I am close enough to see every line, every freckle on their faces and I stand up as if my body is moving without my permission stepping closer to them. I am inches from them when I stop.

"I can't," I whisper thickly,

"What do you mean?" Boromir asks,

"I cannot leave him. I love my family and I miss them so much but I would not survive any existence without Aragorn," I say more firmly turning towards him and he smiles.

"I had a feeling that you would say that,"

"Will I ever see them again? Will I ever see you again?" I ask and he smiles again and I am struck by how different he looks, how peaceful and happy he looks.

"We will all be here and when you are ready you will come back to us," he says and I breathe a sigh of relief,

"What do I do now then?" I ask and he laughs,

"Close your eyes and live Peyson,"

"Okay," I reply staring at him for a while before taking a deep breathe,

"Oh and Peyson,"

"Yes?"
"Tell Faramir… when you meet my brother… tell him I love him and I am at peace, tell them all that I am happy," he says and I smile taking him into my arms one last time.

"I'm sorry we never had the chance to become better friends," I whisper to him,

"One day we shall have eternity to become the greatest of friends," he smiles and I beam back at him.

"That is a nice thought indeed," I whisper as I close my eyes and breathe deeply, feeling my body become heavy, pain seeping slowly back into my bones and sound buzzing in my ears until my eyes fly open and I gasp for breath as if I had been under water for a long time, my lungs burning for oxygen.

"Peyson… oh Peyson, my little one, I had feared… I thought I had…" Aragorn's voice is more broken than I have ever heard it and I am desperate to let him know that I would never leave him I try to open my arms to hug him but cry out in pain at the tiniest motion and he stops his muttering immediately in favour of trying to still me. "Don't move my love, you are wounded, Haldir is on his way here with some elvish medicine," he rushes and I smile.

"I would never leave you you know," I whisper.

"I know," he replies and I furrow my brow slightly as I attempt to formulate my words to him, get my thoughts out in a coherent way.

"He gave me a choice you know, Boromir…" I start and he looks almost startled at the motion of our fallen comrade.

"What do you mean little one?"

"When I… I closed my eyes and I woke up in this place and Boromir was there and so were my parents and he said I had to chose between going with them or coming back to you, I chose you, I would always chose you," I finish and he looks down right terrified his hands shaking more than ever as they continue to stroke the hair from my face.

"You saw Boromir?" he asks at last as if he does not know what else to say,

"Yes," I smile, "he says that he is happy and well and at peace and he can see us all, he told me to tell you and his brother that," I say in a whisper my breath rattling in my lungs slightly as I finish as a fresh wave of pain and heat wash through me.

"The wound on your back…" he begins slowly,

"It is infected and reopened," I finish for him grimacing slightly at the expression on his face.

"You knew?" he asks something undetectable in his eyes.

"There was always the chance that it would become so," I say thinking carefully before I answer, I mean yes I know that technically I totally knew way before we got to this battle that my back was already becoming infected and that it would more than likely open the wound if I was to fight and yet I definitely don't want to tell him that as I get the feeling he may be a little angry.

"I have a feeling you are not telling me the whole truth Peyson," he says almost sternly.

"Fine, okay you know me too well and I'm sorry but I was not going to be left behind and there was only a chance I did not know for sure and I am very tired now so can we please argue about this when I am rested and feeling better?" I sigh and can feel myself very nearly pouting.

"We are back to that conversation we seem to always be having where one or other of us is behaving like a spoilt child," he laughs suddenly and I try to join in but just wheeze and wince in pain instead. "Be still love I do not want you dislodging to dressings we have on you," he whispers suddenly more serious.

"we're here, quick turn her onto her side," the voice breaks through my foggy mind and I open my eyes realising that I am in a tent like structure and I can hear the hustle and bustle of noise outside.

"What's happening, where are we?" I ask my voice groggy and heavy with sleep.

"It is okay little one, we have set up camp close to where we did last night so that we can treat the wounded," Aragorn says his voice close to my ear as his body suddenly appears in front of me again, "we are going to roll you onto your side Peyson so we can treat the wound on your back and your shoulder without jostling you too much, I am going to lay here beside you and hold you to me to keep you still okay?" he asks me as if I have a choice in any of this but his slight blush at laying so close to me despite the situation makes my love for him grow every stronger and I smile weakly at him.

"I love you," I say in reply and only grunt at the snort of laughter I hear from behind me which I can only assume is Haldir.

"I'm going to have to cut your tunic from you," Haldir says and I nod, not caring too much about modesty and more about ending the fiery that had begun to pulse through my veins since I had opened my eyes.

"Okay," I mumble and just focus on Aragorn until they pull the tunic from my back, still keeping it covering as much of my front as possible, and I hear the hiss of worry? Disgust? Sympathy? coming from behind me and see the look of anguish in Aragorn's eyes as they make that noise. I close my eyes then. I embrace the darkness that was once more creeping upon me and feel myself go limp in his arms even as pain begins to stab me like needles and Aragorn tries to speak to me.