Chapter 2

Danielle opened her eyes slowly, hoping that the night before was just some wild dream. Maybe she had fallen asleep at her desk again and had accidentally forgotten to get Rhiannan. That seemed more plausible. Slowly she looked around and jumped at the figure just walking into her room, "Aragorn," she gasped, "your clean…"

"Sam was kind enough to show me how to use your waterfall system," Aragorn explained. "Lady Rhiannan asked I come wake you."

Danielle glanced at the mess of covers on the side of the bed she didn't sleep on. Yep, last night was real. "I'm guessing she ran out of food to feed your hobbit friends?"

Aragorn smirked, "Yes," he eyes trailed the room for a moment and paused just next to the girl, "Where…?"

The young woman looked to where he was looking and her eyes widened. Her ring was sitting there for all eyes to see, "It's nothing," she insisted while quickly grabbing the ring and putting it in the side-table drawer. "Just one of my trinkets."

The ranger watched her carefully and nodded, "of course…"

Danielle quickly slid out of her bed. Aragorn's eyes widened and he quickly turned his back to her. The girl frowned then looked down at what she was wearing, "Right… I forgot… Had Rhiannan tried to explain the whole different world's thing to you?"

"A little," Aragorn nodded while taking a step closer to the door. "I came to understand we were no longer in Middle-earth when I looked out the window this morning. Giant beats going up and down the road roaring like dragons would. I don't understand it but I hope the two of you will be able to explain at some point. Is this the way women commonly dress here?"

"It is a common nightwear," Danielle explained. "I'll get dressed in a moment. I need to do my morning routine. You can return to the living room and let my friend know I'll be out soon and to please put the coffee on."

Aragorn nodded his head once and quickly left her to her own doing. Danielle looked back where she had hidden the ring and gave a sigh. In the world she knew she was Aragorn's sister, but he had no memory of her. Perhaps he was from a plain where Rhiannan and she never existed in the first place. Danielle quickly made her way to the bathroom and opened the door without thinking. The shower was running and armor sat neatly on the toilet, "Oh god, I'm so sorry!" Danielle spoke instantly.

"Lady Danielle?" it was Boromir, of course.

Danielle bit her bottom lip, "I'm sorry, I should have knocked. I just needed to brush my teeth…um…. I'll just come back later," then she quickly shot out of the room closing the door behind her. Key note to self, she thought, explain how to lock doors next time fictional characters land in my home.

Rhiannan looked up when Danielle came walking in through the living room to the kitchen. Aragorn kept his eyes away from the young lady, "Good morning star shine," Rhiannan sang as she set a mug of coffee in front of her on the counter.

"Oh thank you," Danielle sighed as she sipped at the hot mug grateful for the bitter taste to wake her up.

"Lady Danielle?" Sam spoke up. "Rhiannan has exhausted your food supply. Is there a near by market or a garden we could get more from?"

Danielle closed her eyes; suddenly happy of the holiday bonus she would be receiving in her bank account today, "Yeah… Um I'll go shopping…" she looked back over at them. "I just… I'll take one of them with us, I think my dad might have left a pair of clothing here somewhere and you can stay here with them Rhiannan, sound okay?"

Rhiannan nodded, "Do you think they'll be able to handle a car ride?"

"They should, if I get the chance to explain it," Danielle rolled her eyes. "I'll go get dressed and see if I can find those clothes."

The young woman turned and headed back to her bedroom. She let out a scream when she collided into Boromir who had just stepped out of the bathroom. The Gondorian fell backwards and Danielle landed right on top of him. For a moment she just stared at him before attempting to scramble back onto her feet, "I'm so sorry!" she squeaked finding her feet and standing on them.

Boromir chuckled and slowly stood himself, "It's perfectly fine Lady Danielle," his eyes glanced at her for a moment; his cheeks seemed to flush at the sight of her in her shorts and tank top.

"Please, just call me Danielle. I'm not a lady," she insisted as she stepped around to go to her own room. Danielle paused at her door and glanced at him, her own cheeks flushing when she realized he was still watching her. "Um… I have to go get some more groceries…food for the house and I would like some help. Would you care to accompany me?"

Boromir smiled slightly, "Of course, I would be honored to."

"I'll need to find some more…suitable clothes for you. It isn't common for a person to go running amuck in…armor…" Danielle smiled once before quickly going into her room and closing the door behind her. Quickly she dressed herself in a pair of jeans and a long-sleeve shirt before searching through a box that her father had left his clothes in. Originally she had planned on mailing it back to him but right now it didn't seem needed. Finally she pulled out a pair of pants and a button up shirt before dashing out of the room. Boromir was still waiting patiently outside of her room; "Ok let me show you something really quick," Danielle lifted the pants. "This is a zipper, once you get it on just pull it up to the top," she showed him, "and button the top button," then she handed him the outfit, "if its too big I think I can find a belt for you."

Boromir nodded and went into the room he was using to change. Danielle wandered back into the living room to find Rhiannan showing the Hobbits the T.V. Gimli was out back puffing on a pipe, and Aragorn and Legolas were sitting in the dining room in a deep conversation. Concern was written clearly across both faces. It almost seemed like a normal picture of a family spending Christmas together. Danielle frowned and stood waiting for Boromir. Rhiannan had stopped at an older black and white movie called It Happened One Night. The Hobbits were thoroughly enthralled by the movie, which left Rhiannan to attempt to clean up the kitchen.

Danielle went to help her friend, "So…what are we going to do?" she asked her quietly.

Rhiannan glanced to where Aragorn and Legolas were sitting, "I really don't know. I've been racking my brain for ideas, but what else is there? Maybe there is a reason they're here."

Danielle began to scrub a stainless steel pot, "No, these aren't the men we knew, Rhiannan. It's just messed up and un-necessary for them to be here. I would have been content to live out the rest of my days without laying eyes on them."

Rhiannan frowned, "Wake up Danielle. They're here now. We have to figure this out. If we don't… What will you do when your roommates get back?"

"Take them camping?" she winced at the thought. It was much too cold for that.

Then, unexpectedly, Rhiannan started laughing. It was a full-blown laugh which made Danielle freeze and stare at her friend, "I have to write a paper on how my Christmas was for one of my classes next semester," she wheezed and clutched her side. "They'll think I've gone mad! This Christmas I was unexpectedly visited by the Fellowship, sans Gandalf, and they couldn't remember me from when I helped them five years ago? Oh that would just send me straight off to the loony bin then! Hoo! Hoo! Oh that would be a hoot."

"You've lost it," Danielle grinned and giggled a little at the thought as well. "Or if my parents decided to make a surprise call instead of visiting their oldest?" Danielle frowned. She had stopped calling Kyle, her adoptive brother, her brother when she was told she was actually adopted. "Oh that would be fun to explain. Hey mom…dad… These are some very close friends who just enjoy dressing up as the fellowship. Those four? Oh they're just very mature for they're age, they are all actually eight years old. Can you imagine?"

"You might want to give them a call later and make sure they aren't doing that, just in case," Rhiannan's face became very serious for a moment.

"Danielle?" the two looked up to find Boromir standing in the kitchen. The first was buttoned up and somehow the pants managed to fit. Danielle felt very lucky by this fact. He wore his boots but under the pant legs they were barely noticeable.

"Well I guess that means we're off. Um… On the way back I'll try and see if I can find some cheap clothes for them," Danielle told her friend before leading Boromir into the garage.

Boromir had, with a lot of persuasion, gotten into her car and put the seatbelt on after Danielle explained what it was meant for. He had gripped the seat with all his might when Danielle started the engine, "Relax," she laughed, "it's not going to bite you. Trust me."

Then they were on their way to the grocery story. Every other vehicle they past Boromir would nearly jump out of his seat and go to hide. Danielle had to suppress herself from laughing at his ridiculousness.

They arrived and Boromir nearly fell out of the car he was trying to get out so quickly. Danielle had run over to the other side to help him untangle himself from the seatbelt, "I do not like this contraption!" he declared as soon as he was up right again.

Danielle giggled, "It does take some getting used to if you've never seen one before."

They walked into the store…sort of. Boromir had become utterly fascinated with the automatic glass doors. For a whole five minutes he took a step to watch it open and stepped back with wide eyes. Danielle had to grab him by the hand and pull him into the store, "How does it work?" he asked her with great wonder.

"I don't know the actual technology of how it works, but there is a sensor that opens when there is movement with its seeing range," Danielle attempted, though Boromir looked horrified.

"Like the Great Eye of Sauron?"

"No!" she quickly shook her head. "Nothing like that, no. It has no mind of its own… It's…well I'm no good at explaining this…"

They got a basket and as the two of them went around grabbing different needed food items Danielle attempted to explain every little question Boromir had. He didn't understand how they were lighting the place, how did the vegetables stay cold, what was a cookie? Even when they passed the magazines he had a question about those as well. It was starting wear Danielle's mind out at trying to explain everything to him. He even started asking the cashier while they were checking out what made the beep sound. Danielle had to ask Boromir to not speak to him, and insisted that Boromir was joking.

The two returned to Danielle's car and began to put things into her trunk. Boromir watched her carefully, "Forgive me Danielle, but I must ask. You said last night I reminded you of someone, who?"

Danielle froze, wishing she hadn't said anything, so she tried to tell him everything without letting on it was in fact Boromir she was talking about, "I was married once," she explained ever so softly. "It feels like a different life the more I think about it, but it happened apparently. He had the same manner as you do. I lost him a while back. It just… I can't get over how much you are like him is all. Forgive me for acting the way I do. It isn't like me. I'm usually a giddy girl who enjoys annoying the crap out of people. I guess my age has just gotten to me or something."

Boromir nodded, "Now that I have seen the outside world I understand that this quest has taken a strange turn. I thank you for taking us in like you have. We will be eternally in your debt." Danielle smiled and the two climbed into the car to drive back to her home, "Can I ask you something else?"

"If you wish."

"Tell me about your life here. I have never seen a woman as beautiful as you live on her own without her parents or a companion. Rhiannan explained to us she was merely visiting," Boromir insisted.

Danielle gnawed on the inside of her mouth for a moment before answering, "In our world women are not required to stay at home. We go to school, college, and then find a career like any man would. Well perhaps not quite in your world huh? There are no colleges that I remember."

"What do you mean remember?" Boromir chuckled.

Her eyes widened and suddenly slammed on the breaks. Boromir put his hand on the dashboard and the car skidded to a stop. Danielle quickly got out of the car, her eyes wide at the man crossing the street, "Gandalf?!" she cried at the man in the white robe and long white hair. "Gandalf!" Danielle felt hope rise at the sight of the old coot.

He turned his eyes on her and for a moment Danielle felt the same fear rise up, he wouldn't know her. The others didn't know her, why would he? But Gandalf smiled, "Ah…so the valor was right to show me that odd alternate reality," he walked to me. "Danielle, so much time has past," his eyes glanced to Boromir who was frozen pale in his seat. "Hmmm… I was not expecting to see him again…"

"Yeah… Let's just get you in the car, shall we?" Danielle guided the man into the back seat and put his seatbelt on him before continuing to drive home. Boromir the entire way stared at Gandalf and asked him constant questions. Danielle felt glad of the distraction. Then they continued on back to her house.


Rhiannan watched the hobbits in silence as she sipped on her coffee. They were staring at the T.V. with, what it seemed, no way to sway them from looking elsewhere. She tilted her head slightly when Aragorn came to sit next to her, "Your friend, Danielle, she is very odd."

The girl covered her mouth and tried to keep from suddenly bursting out with laughter. Aragorn frowned at her and made a slight move away from her. Rhiannan quickly recomposed herself, "Sorry, weird moment. Why do you say she is odd?"

"She seems to just…be hiding things is all."

Her head tilted more at him, "Danielle is an odd one. When we were younger she used to be a lot more…jubilant. She could always make you smile, and make you a different color."

"Huh?"

Rhiannan smirked at the memory, "Oh she is a dangerous one when she is bored. This one time she managed to stick an old man to the veiling and cover an elf in flour and feathers," Aragorn smiled slightly. "Remember that one time when she glued your pants to a chair."

His smile instantly faded, "What?"

"Blew some birds in the air," she repeated as if it was exactly what she said. In her mind, Rhiannan was chastising herself for what she said.

"Rhiannan, I need to be able to trust you…all of you," Aragorn spoke gently. "We are on a mission that if we fail, it is the end of Middle-earth. IF there is anything you are hiding it makes me weary of trusting you."

"You don't change do you," Rhiannan sighed and slowly stood. "You need to come with me, and what I'm about to tell you…you're going to think I'm completely mad."

They walked into Danielle's room and Rhiannan paused when she didn't see the ring where she had seen it the night before, "It was right there," and began to search along the ground.

"What are you looking for?"

Rhiannan glanced back at the ranger then down at the floor around the side table, "It's a ring, a silver ring. I doubt Danielle put it on today, not with what…well what we are not telling you. You would know it in a second."

"Its in the drawer," Aragorn's voice was very soft when he spoke.

She stood and looked at him, "How do you…?"

"I saw it this morning," he told her, "when I came in to wake her. I spotted it, began to ask about it, and she instantly hid it."

Rhiannan reached into the drawer and pulled out the ring slowly. The blue jewel twinkled gently in the room light and handed it to Aragorn, "Recognize it?"

He raised the ring slowly and compared the ring he wore upon his own finger. With the exception of the color of the stones and the ring size they were exact replicas, "I don't understand…"

Rhiannan sighed and sat down on the bed. In a moment she was up on her feet again, "You might want to sit down," she offered for him to sit on the bed. Slowly Aragorn did sit, glancing at Rhiannan then back at the ring in his hands. "It's the reason why I asked if we were familiar to you, if Danielle especially was. Five years ago we fell into Middle-earth, almost like you fell into Earth now. We met you, the rest of the fellowship and we were actually part of the Fellowship, Danielle and I were. I won't go into too much detail. Danielle is your sister. Your little sister. She was sent away from Middle-earth you were only six at the time. The version I knew of you…well your mother kept Danielle a big secret from you and almost everyone else. I don't know how Elrond knew she was your sister but then again he's just weird like that," Rhiannan was pacing now, her brows furrowed. Aragorn's eyes were glued to her form. "It's almost like we fell into an alternate reality then what you came from. You gave that ring to Danielle for her eighteenth birthday."

Aragorn slow placed the ring back into the drawer, "I don't see how it's possible is all."

"From what I've collected, you came from the story we knew, or the alternate world, real world…whatever. Danielle and I were in Middle-earth for twenty some years I think, then we woke up right where we left off…as if nothing had happened. I learned just last night that Danielle had known all along it was real," Rhiannan grumbled and sat next to him. "I know it sounds crazy and unbelievable but the ring she has is my only proof."

"I will believe that…something is true in your story. I do not know which. I have no memories to recollect these things, but you seem to. If I only had Elrond to ask, or even Gandalf," a sad light cross his eyes. "I believe we should join the others. Should not Danielle and Boromir be back soon?"

"Yeah," Rhiannan nodded her head and the two quickly returned to the living room. Legolas was staring out the back window now with barely a single movement from him. The two that had just returned took their seats on the couch, "What is he doing?" Rhiannan as Aragorn quietly.

"I am contemplating," Legolas answered from where he stood. Stupid super-sonic elf hearing, she thought to herself, "where are next move should be. You explained to us early that we are not on Middle-earth. I'm trying to figure out if one of us did something to make us end up here. I am not coming up with anything."

"You are so much different then I remember you," Rhiannan sighed. Legolas did not respond to this. Would surprise me if he heard my conversation with Aragorn. Then she paused. What if he does remember? No…that would be silly. Rhiannan shot the elf an odd look before looking over where Merry and Pippin were rolling around the floor arguing who got to change the channel now.

She perked up when she heard the garage door open and quickly got up to go help the other two carry the groceries in, "You guys stay here. I'll be back."

Rhiannan walked into the garage and frowned when one of the back doors opened along with the front doors, "Danielle?" she called.

Danielle looked around her door, "I found someone," she told her simply before helping whoever was in the back. Rhiannan suddenly let out a shout of glee at the sight of the old wizard.

"GANDALF!" She suddenly screamed running to the old man. "I never thought I would be SO happy to see you!"

The wizard sighed and looked at the young woman, "You haven't changed one bit, have you?"

Rhiannan's eyes widened, "You remember?" she whispered.

"Unlike the others," he glanced over where Boromir was helping Danielle unload the groceries. It was very obvious to them that he was having trouble keeping his eyes off of Danielle. Rhiannan sighed and looked back at the wizard, "I am not altered by the change of universes at times. I do not age, I was not born, my world is constant. I cannot describe how many different Middle-earth alternate realities I've been through. Some are too disturbing to describe."

"I knew it!" Rhiannan jumped up and down happily. "I knew one of you had to remember when so many different stories written about you! Why is Legolas acting in character?"

"Is he now? That is a nice change, I must say," Gandalf smiled and followed Rhiannan into the house. Instantly he was met with cheerful surprise. Even Frodo started crying. Rhiannan had to focus on putting groceries away to keep from falling into giggle fits.

Danielle walked back in with Boromir, the last set of bags in hands and hit the button to close the garage. Boromir stood to the side and watched as the two girls set to work to put things away. His eyes followed Danielle carefully, curiosity in his eyes as he did so. This did not go amiss by Aragorn who, though excited to see Gandalf, had turned his attention to Danielle as well.

Rhiannan looked around them then looked at her friend, "Do you think by some miracle Haldir might show up?"

Danielle's head snapped to her friend. The tone of sincere hope was there, something Rhiannan never had. Danielle bit her bottom lip, "What about your boyfriend? Would you give him up to spend a few days with Haldir? Hoping by some magical means he'll remember?"

The girl muttered under her breath something Danielle couldn't hear then turned to her, "Haldir doesn't have to go back. He can stay with me, forever. Galadriel parted with him anyway. I thought I was mad, feeling such sadness of something you convinced me was a dream. You have no idea how happy I am that it was real, in some reality. That all those emotions I went through were real."

Danielle smiled and nodded. Her head jerked in the direction of the hobbits when Frodo suddenly started screaming. In a moment Aragorn was next to him. Rhiannan looked to Legolas who was instantly next to a window. A loud screech sounded outside and everyone with in the house froze, "You've got to be freaking kidding me," Danielle moaned as the shadow of Fell-beast hovered over the back yard. In a moment the girls each grabbed a kitchen knife as the rest of the fellowship pulled out their weapons.

Note: Chapter 2! Awe the angst! It makes me go…something. Not sure. But anyway thank you so much to whysosiriusblack45who left me a lovely review. I am so happy you are enjoying it! EEE!

Anywho, once again. Review, tell me what you think, what you like, what could be changed, what could happen in the next chapter and so on. I might surprise you!