Disclaimer: As per usual, I own nothing but my own characters and the storyline.
A/N: I'm glad I still seem to have readers. I'm sorry the updates have been taking forever, real life have been getting in the way lately. Honestly, I've been struggling with depression as of late but I'm going to try and get back on track with life and with updating more or less regularly (assuming I don't have deadlines and whatnot). So yeah, don't think I've given up on this fic, in fact it's keeping me going. Anyway, thank you guys for the reviews! Not much to say, here's the next chapter and it's another REALLY long one. Enjoy it!

CHAPTER THREE

XXXXXXX

"Hold him still!"

They had acted quickly and moved Legolas into what acted as the healing room. It was often Aragorn or Arwen that normally stood for the healing. The mood had quickly changed from cheerful to worry and it was Faramir, Éomer and Felix holding down the elf-prince on the bed. He'd been shot by an orc arrow on the right side of his chest. Luckily not anywhere near the heart but the wound was beady and Legolas was screaming out in agony. It was a horrible sight, in all his year of knowing Legolas; Aragorn had never seen his friend in so much pain. They had fought many battles together and they all knew Legolas was an incredibly skilled warrior which made him think the must have got very unlucky with these orcs. Why would they be after them though? There had not been orc sightings for a very long time because the few that did survive the War of the Ring scattered like rats. Without a master for them to follow, they were not as brave and nowhere near as strong, they had no chance. It made Aragorn worry because it was clear that something had changed.

The arrow had pierced through the elven prince and neither Aragorn, Arwen nor Elrond had to guess to tell that its tip had been dipped in poison. It was an awful sight to watch and the thought of orcs still made Maggie quiver and sent a chill down to the very core of her spine. It didn't take long though before the healing room felt crowded and everyone who were not Elrond, Arwen and Aragorn were sent out. Gimli protested of course because he was concerned about his friend, they all were but they were all aware that for Elrond to be able to heal someone properly there needed to be some kind of space. After a while Legolas stopped screaming but he was still very much in pain. They were in that room for hours into the night and all the while they were healing Legolas; everyone else was sat in the great hall waiting for news. Gimli was the first one to rise to his feet when Elrond and Aragorn finally walked into the hall after what seemed like an age.

"Well, how is he? Aragorn – will he live?" asked the dwarf impatiently. His voice echoed loudly through the corridors and Gimli worried for his friend. The attack had come unexpectedly. They had been ambushed and outnumbered within a blink of an eye. Even with both of their fighting skills combined; it was only by luck that they had managed to escape in time. In fact, Gimli was certain that if the orcs would have wanted to kill them right then and there they could have done so easily. It made him wonder why they had not. Orcs were ruthless and did not know the concept of mercy.

Elrond let out a heavy sigh as though he was disappointed and then he shook his head. "We need someone with far greater healing powers than the ones I possess."

"What do you suggest Master Elf?"

"Aragorn," said Elrond as he turned around to his son-in-law. "We should send for Thranduil."

At the mention of Thranduil's name, Maggie groaned, perhaps a little louder than she'd intended to because all eyes were now on her. In Middle-Earth it had been nearly one hundred years since her first meeting with the king of Mirkwood but it was a meeting she would never forget. Thranduil was possibly one of her least favourite people and the feeling was definitely entirely mutual. Putting her personal issues aside though, Maggie knew her husband was right. If anything, every father would have the right to know if their child was injured.

"When you say Thranduil, you mean Legolas' father don't you? The king of Mirkwood?" asked Felix and when Elrond nodded Felix's eyes lit up. Maggie, Nat and Laura looked at each other and rolled their eyes.

"Five years later and I still can't believe you geek out over elves, Felix." said Laura.

"But he's not just any elf Laura. He's like the elf! No offence Elrond. He was given one of the rings of power and he's badass!"

"Don't hold your breath Felix." said Maggie. She remembered all too well what the king of Mirkwood was like. "Thranduil is a miserable, grumpy old git. Besides, you know what they say about meeting your heroes."

"Now there Melemin," Elrond put his arms around Maggie and pulled her closer to him. "It will be alright. Thranduil has his ways, but he really is not that bad."

"Oh please, who are you trying to convince – me or yourself?"

"Personal issues aside," Aragorn interrupted "Elrond is right. Thranduil will be sent for and –"

"There is no need. I am already here." The sound and sight of the lord of the woodland realms caught everyone by surprise. Thranduil walked into the hall with an authority about him and the same elegant posture as always. He wore a long gown that was silver, almost like starlight. Laura, Felix and Nat all looked at him awestruck because Thranduil was not like the other elves they had encountered, that much was blatantly clear. Maggie on the other hand, was much less than impressed but kept silent.

"Hir-Thranduil," Aragorn bowed but Thranduil didn't really pay any attention to it or anyone else in the room.

"I am not here for small talk, Aragorn. Where is my son?" Thranduil's tone of voice was far less than amused and everyone else remained silent. Aragorn said nothing, he simply gestured for the elf-lord to follow him down the hallway. Felix, Maggie, Laura and Natalie all exchanged glances. Despite having lived in Middle-Earth for six years, there were still some elements that still surprised them. They all remembered Gandalf's words all those years ago when they had first set out from Rivendell towards Mordor; that they would never be able to actually say how much they knew of the events and circumstances of the War of the Ring because there was no telling how much it would affect the history of Middle-Earth itself. However, their being there had already changed things. It was just that none of them knew exactly how much.

XXXXXXX

An hour or so later the chatter had eventually died out and everyone except Felix, Frodo and Éomer remained. They had relocated to the kitchen each with a mug of ale in their hands. Felix was far too wired to get any sort of sleep or relax at all, not to mention he was incredibly worried. Not only about Legolas but about the situation in general; he knew very well it wasn't his fault but part of him still felt responsible for Legolas being shot because it was he who had dismissed Éomer's suspicion about the orc pack following them. If he had only taken a few more moments to double check and make sure that things actually were alright, perhaps they could have prevented the ambush on Gimli and Legolas.

"You shouldn't feel bad Felix," said Frodo. He'd remained somewhat silent for most of the evening. For the hobbit, it was a slightly overwhelming sensation to be back in Minas Tirith because it was a place where so much of his life had change. He loved having the opportunity to see his friends again though. Life in the Shire kept him busy; in fact it kept them all busy and as much as peace and quiet was most enjoyable, he missed a sense of adventure. For the past six years, Frodo and Laura had been exchanging letters and it was fantastic to actually see how she had settled into to life in Minas Tirith. In many ways, Frodo thought, Laura must have had the most difficult transition out of all of them. Felix, Natalie, Maggie and Riley had all stayed together for most of the journey and got very close, whereas Laura had been forced to deal with the way the ring had taken hold of Frodo and everything that came with it. Not to mention she had been the very last one to find out about Riley's death which had been extremely hard on all of them as well as the rest of the Fellowship.

"Yeah," Felix sighed "Yeah, I know. I just wish there was something else we could do, you know." He didn't want to have to watch another friend die.

XXXXXXX

"Maggie." Maggie was back in the same dream as before and the same spot in a forest which felt both ancient and ageless at the same time. It seemed like there was no climate of any kind and sort of as if time itself was standing still. Then again, Maggie thought, it was a dream and generally they tended to not make much sense. Riley's voice was clear though. It wasn't a whisper anymore; it was very real.

"Riley, where are you? I can't see you!"

"You have to close to gate Mags! Before it's too late!"

"What gate? What'll happen if I don't?"

"Close it before he comes through!"

XXXXXXX

"You've been dreaming again." It was much more of a statement rather than a question. Elrond had that look on his face that he used whenever he was concerned. Maggie felt drained of energy, like she had been up all night running some kind of marathon and only just got back from it. The images from her dream still lingered within her and she was becoming more and more certain that they were in fact actually visions. For some reason, Riley had been sent down to pass on a message and his words still echoed; close the gates before he comes through. It was obviously warning but Maggie didn't understand it. What gate was he talking about and who would be coming through?

"You know Melemin, with Thranduil still here; there are possibilities to find out what the dreams are about."

"No offence, I love you deeply but over my dead body." Elrond groaned annoyed. As much as he loved Maggie with all his heart, he couldn't help but to sometimes think she was too stubborn for her own good. Thranduil was older and in some aspects wiser than even Elrond and incredibly skilled in the magic of healing. These dreams, although at this point the Lord of Rivendell doubted it was all they were, were clearly bothering Maggie and not just in terms of sleeping uneasily but generally as well. Maggie could see how annoyed her husband was even though he didn't say anything. She walked up behind to him and wrapped her arms around his waist.

"I'm sorry. I know you worry and I know you mean well but I just don't trust Thranduil." she leaned in to kiss her husband "I love you."

Elrond sighed and returned the kiss. In the years that they had been married, they had hardly ever argued. Even if they did grudges were never held for particularly long. More than anything at the moment, Maggie was just tired and didn't have the energy for arguing. At that particular point in time she wanted to find their son whom was probably already running about playing with Eldarion. Having to eventually say goodbye and go back to Rivendell was going to be a difficult one. After getting dressed Maggie went to find Caspian and Elrond went to find Arwen. Even though it was still rather early in the morning, Caspian was full of energy and it never ceased to amaze Maggie how children never seemed to tire. Eldarion was getting his daily lessons and so it gave Maggie an opportunity to spend some quality time with her son. This morning he was all set on exploring every single corner of Minas Tirith, and Maggie honestly could not blame him. In the midst of all excitement Caspian was running down the corridors and before he knew it he ran right into Thranduil.

Maggie hurried up to Caspian who wasn't so worried about having fallen over but he was more in awe of Thranduil and stared up at the elf-lord in front of him.

"Mummy," whispered the child as if it was all some great secret "Who is he?"

"This is King Thranduil of Mirkwood; he's a very old friend of your father. Come now, say hello." Whatever personal feelings Maggie had towards Thranduil, she wasn't going to let it rub off on her son. Caspian looked Thranduil up and down and tugged onto Maggie's dress.

"Mummy," he whispered "Don't want to. He looks mean and scary." I don't blame you; Maggie thought and tried to hold back a chuckle. Caspian climbed up onto her lap and reached for the necklace that Elrond had given her all those years ago.

"Caspian," it was Elrond who spoke with a stern voice "That is no way to speak to a guest. Apologise to Thranduil." Elrond stood with his arms crossed and Caspian climbed down from Maggie's lap and bowed his head.

"I'm sorry." the five-year-old apologised sincerely and for a moment Maggie swore she saw the hint of a smile on Thranduil's lips.

"That's quite alright little one." said Thranduil "I am certain you and I can become good friends if you wish it."

Now where have I heard that one before, Maggie thought to herself but decided to say nothing because she saw the look on her husband's face.

"Ada, mummy, I want to show you the ponies!" said Caspian excitedly as if he had just remembered it "Faramir says I can ride one of them if I want to. Eldarion even has his own pony too!"

Caspian had always loved horses. It had been a struggle to keep him away from the stables in Rivendell and the size of them had never seemed to scare the child which was something Maggie envied. "Run ahead with your father Caspian." she told her son "I'll be right behind you." Caspian dashed out the hall, eagerly pulling Elrond with him and leaving Maggie alone with the Lord of Mirkwood.

"I hope there are not any hard feelings?" said Thranduil. He looked at Maggie as if he was trying to read her like an open book and being an elf, the fact that he could probably do it flawlessly made her feel uncomfortable. She had never nor would she ever trust the elf that stood in front of her regardless of what relationship he had to her husband. It was a lot more than merely holding a grudge and Thranduil knew it as well.

"Oh don't worry about me." she said because quite frankly he didn't scare her. "However if you dare say a single bad word about my son, Lord Thranduil, I don't care if we're under Aragorn's roof or not. You'll have me to answer to."

At this the King of Mirkwood grinned smugly as if he was most amused. "My dear Lady Margaret, I can assure you that I can be perfectly civil in the presence of children. Besides, it is not your son I dislike. He is after all a prince of Rivendell and I would not dare insult a kin of Lord Elrond. Now if you'll excuse me, I am going to see my own son. I believe he has awoken." With those words, Thranduil walked off and Maggie watched him until he disappeared around a corner and was no longer within sight.

"Well, damn….that was harsh. Is he always this chivalrous?" Maggie turned around to Felix and Natalie. Eavesdropping was a trait that seemed to have never gone away. Having said that, eavesdropping had also managed to get them out of some very tricky spots over the years.

"You heard all of that?" It was much more of a statement than a question.

"It was kinda hard not to. This place echoes a bit." said Nat "You okay? You weren't kidding when you said you two don't get on."

"I'm alright. Anyway, I will have to catch up with you guys later. It seems like we might be going for a day trip with the horses assuming I can't convince my dear son otherwise."

XXXXXXX

"Hey, stranger."

Legolas felt as if he had awoken from some incredibly deep sleep. He recognised the voice that spoken to him and when he opened his eyes he was greeted by a familiar face: Laura's mahogany hair and warm smile that he could recognise even in the darkness. At once, Legolas assumed that he must be in Minas Tirith but his memory was a little bit of a blur after the ambush on himself and Gimli.

"Laura?" Legolas sat up but lay back down again. The wound from the arrow and its poison still stung. "Where is Gimli?"

"I'm right here old friend." Gimli was more than relieved that Legolas was finally awake. There was a moment when even he had doubted the healing powers of the elves. "Quite frankly, I'm surprised you couldn't tell I was here by the smell of tobacco."

Laura couldn't help but to chuckle and she was about to add something to it but she saw the look on Legolas face and knew Thranduil was in the room. There were no further words exchanged so Laura and Gimli left Legolas to have a moment with his father.

XXXXXXX

The news of Legolas recovery spread fast and it would not take long before the prince of Mirkwood was back up on his feet. Elves, luckily enough, healed quickly. Unfortunately and much to Maggie's dismay, until such was the case Thranduil would be staying in Minas Tirith. In retrospect however, having to put up with Thranduil was the least of their concerns at that particular point in time. There was still an orc-pack somewhere out there and very clearly targeting them. Maggie, Elrond and Caspian had spent most of the afternoon on a day out with the horses. They hadn't strayed too far from the City and Faramir had decided to come with them because he wanted to do some tracking himself and see if there was anything he could find. It was reaching supper-time and as though right on queue the rain started pouring; almost as if the skies had decided to open up just like that without hardly any indication of a storm earlier on.

Maggie wasn't sure when she'd noticed it but somewhere along the line, not far from the gates of Minas Tirith she'd lost her wedding ring. Made by an elven smith in white gold to fit her fingers only; she'd never dropped it before.

"Shit!" Maggie couldn't believe it and in an instant moment she started panicking. It was merely a ring one could say but it was meaningful and significant to her.

"What is it Melemin?" asked Elrond as he halted and turned to his wife.

"I've lost my wedding ring. I'm going to turn back and look for it. It can't be far off."

Caspian, whom was riding with Elrond and hiding from the rain under his father's cloak, looked at his mother almost as if he was worried "Mummy, don't go."

"It's okay Caspian, head back with your father. I'll be right behind you."

"I'll stay with her." said Faramir to Elrond. The weather was turning nastier and it wasn't anything to be left out alone in. Maggie kissed her son on the cheek and her husband before heading back from the direction they'd been. They had been all the way up to the woods but Maggie seriously doubted the ring could be there, she was sure she'd had it on the way back but she just didn't know. There was a strike of lightning followed by the sound of thunder. The storm was directly above them and Maggie hoped Elrond and Caspian were back in Minas Tirith. The horses were beginning to feel uneasy and the terrain was getting muddier and much more unwelcome than it had previously been.

"We need to take cover somewhere; this is doing us no good." Faramir suggested and Maggie knew he was right. Amongst the trees they didn't get quite as wet but the two of them both knew that they were going to have to stay put for at least a while. There was a second strike of lightning and what happened next happened so fast Maggie couldn't keep track. Both of the horses panicked and Faramir got thrown off and hit the ground. There was a third lightning strike; this one a blinding white flash of light and this time Maggie got thrown off her horse and hit something that felt like a rock. She must have been knocked out for a few moments because when she opened her eyes again the horses were gone and Faramir was lying on the ground.

"Faramir!" Maggie rushed over to her friend and helped him back up on his feet. "Oh god, are you okay?!"

Faramir groaned, he had somewhat of a headache and couldn't believe he'd been thrown off his own horse. "Slight loss of dignity, but I am fine. What in name of the Valar happened?"

"I don't know," said Maggie "But this all seems frighteningly familiar." In fact, the whole incident reminded Maggie all too well of how her and Riley had ended up in Middle-Earth the very first time; that ridiculous bet and hike in the rain. The more she looked around her and the further up the path they walked, the more she could swear she knew the area. For a moment Maggie closed her eyes and it was like a déjà vu playing over in her mind.

("I bloody hate hiking. It's wet, it's muddy and it's fucking freezing." Maggie cursed as she stepped into an inch deep puddle. She was quite sure that the whole point of wellington boots was for them to be waterproof.

"That's Wales for you Mags." Riley wasn't quite so bothered by it all as Maggie was but then again having spent years in the boys' scouts as a kid)

The words were as clear as if they had been spoken yesterday and Maggie couldn't help but to wonder if this was perhaps Riley's own doing? Although it didn't make sense; none of it did. They had been six years in Middle-Earth and as far as Gandalf had told them, no means of going back home but yet there they were back in their own world. In the same place where it had all once started. There had to be a reason, Maggie thought. Everything that had happened to them in the past couple of year had always been for a reason. They came to a clearing and in the distances Maggie was beginning to see some houses that definitely were not from Middle-Earth.

"Oh we are so screwed."

"Maggie," said Faramir. "Where are we?"

"Home."

XXXXXXX

To be continued….

Note: I am perfectly aware of the distance between Mirkwood and Minas Tirith but from the way I gather just like Galadriel and Elrond, Thranduil also has the gift of foresight and I think it would only be natural that he would see/feel/know that something was wrong with Legolas. Also like that scene in the hobbit in Rivendell, Galadriel also just sort of 'appeared' so I am going with it. Besides, it's Middle-Earth. Anything can happen. Anyway I hope you enjoyed it! Please leave a review!