Again! Sorry for the lack of updates, lately. I'm super, super busy. No worries, it should never take me this long to update again.

If it makes you feel better, I've got the ending to this story written out! It's a long ways off, but still... Hurray?

I don't own Lord of the Rings.

(Sophie)

"Woah..." Collin sat haunched over on the steps of Meduseld, his eyes focused on the camera screen. "Great shot, m'girl!"

At the moment, he was watching all of the random moments that I had filmed while he was gone. Various interviews, landscape shots, views of Helms Deep, the approaching Uruk-hai army... I sat proudly at his side, but my focus was on the beautiful night sky. On my other side sat Boromir, who was widdling away at a small chunk of wood with his dagger. Legolas stood nearby, staring out into the distance, Kristy practically attatched to his hip. Most everyone had already fallen asleep, but you know us! Aragorn was here, but he was kind enough to drag an unconcious James to bed.

"It's kind of beautiful, you know..." Collin sighed as he watched the orcs approach Helms Deep. "It just sucks to know that so many people died... Guess it's a good thing, in a way. At least they don't have to deal with this war, anymore. No ring, no Sauron, no mad wizards gone bad... And I bet there are no orcs in heaven. At least, I hope not..." He let out another sigh. "D'you ever think about what it's like to be an orc? Who knows? Maybe they have feelings... I wonder if there's ever been a nice orc?"

A nice orc? Doubt it.

"I have never been given the chance, unfortunately." Boromir laughed. "They've always been trying to rip my heart out. The thought that an orc could be civil has never occured to me."

"Nor I." Legolas nodded. "Some things just cannot be."

Collin frowned. "I suppose you're right."

"Dear Collin." Kristy laughed. "After all that has happened, you still can't think badly of anyone."

"Well, someone has to be positive around here!" Argued Collin.

"And I cannot think of a better person to keep our spirits up." Said Aragorn, who had only just returned from seeing James to bed. "'Tis a beautiful night for such a celebration. If only such moments did not have to end."

You can say that again. I could live in this night for the rest of eternity.

Legolas, though, had another view on it all. "Something does not feel right..." The elf sighed. "There is something stirring in the air..."

"That was me..." Collin admitted with a blush. "Sorry..."

I snickered. "'Atta boy!"

Even after that stinky ice-breaker, Legolas still didn't back down. The elf's eyes widened as he looked to Aragorn in horror. "He is here!"

"Who?" Kristy raised an eyebrow as Legolas and Aragorn bolted indoors. Those of us remaining exchanged confused looks before chasing after our evidently drunk friends.

"Can we not have one moment of peace? Like, ever?" I complained, not overly excited about whatever drama was about to unfold. You would think that I'd be used to this nonsense by now... Get in a car crash, fall into Middle-earth. Meet some old wizard with a blue hat. Discover elves, hobbits, and dwarves. Get caught up in this nasty evil ring business. Discover that my dead best friend is not, in fact, dead. Meet some crazy talking tree things! Nothing makes sense. Ever. It gives me the unhappy urge to punch things.

As we got closer to the room where all of the men were bunking tonight, we began to hear an odd ruckus. Shouting, rolling about, panicked screams. The usual Friday night slumber parties. Upon entering the room we were nearly knocked over by a stumbling Aragorn, who seemed to be fighting with this big glowing ball. It looked like the ultimate game of hot potato, only the environment was not even slightly giddy. In fact, I felt the sudden urge to run and hide. Then again, that feeling always overcomes me when I'm around our friends. Haha... Jokes.

James, in a drunken haze, ran forward and karate-chopped that ball right out of Aragorn's hands. It worked, and the ball went rolling across the floor, along with James.

"Fool of a Took!" Gandalf grabbed the big ball and wrapped it in a cloth before hurrying towards a stuttering Pippin. "What happened?"

By that point, half of Meduseld seemed to be awake, having been awoken by all of the noise. Kristy, not too fond of confrontations, slowly began to back away from the room, only to run into the chest of a groggy-looking Eomer.

"What is going on here?" He asked, eyebrows furrowed at the sight of Pippin.

"I-I saw him!" Pippin cried out to Gandalf, and it didn't take too much thinking to realize who 'he' was. Just think of the worst possible situation and accept it as the truth.

"What did you tell him?" Gandalf gently shook the hobbit, trying to get him back into the right state of mind.

Kristy's loving instinct towards the hobbits took over her fear of uncomfortable situations as she knelt next to her incoherent friend. "Hey, Pip." She whispered, taking a friendlier approach than Gandalf. "It's alright, just tell us what happened."

Merry crawled up next to Kristy, his crush having survived through the entire fellowship era. Fortunately, he hadn't found out about Legolas just yet, but in any case, that was irrelevant. Everyone was far more concerned about Pippin and the glowing ball of fire, rather than Kristy's love life.

Eowyn, who had also been awoken by all of the commotion, let out a sigh. "I'll go put on some water for tea... After all, there is hardly any time left in the night. I do not think that any of us shall get any sleep after this..."

Says the woman who's been asleep for several hours... My eyes are dropping, my limbs feel like limp noodles... Unless someone wants to construct a teleportation device so I can go get myself some caffeine, I don't think I'm going to make it more than twenty minutes. Fortunately, I'm a woman. Women aren't expected to take part in official business conversations, so I don't have to feel bad for missing out on this one.

The only thing that worries me is Pippin's well-being. Other than that, I have no idea what's going on. Of course, with the reactions that have come out of Gandalf and the others, this situation can't be good. In fact, it's probably just another contribution to the end of the world as we know it. In that case, it can hold off until the sun is up. I could use a good night's sleep. One without nightmares of being tortured and killed by orcs...

.

"Sophie, wake up..."

I slapped at the offending person who was shaking me out of a lovely dream, but they were persistent.

"Sophie, this is important!"

I recognized the voice as Kristy, which only made me want to punch her more.

"You know better than to wake me up, Kris!" I mumbled, rolling over and pulling the covers over my head angrily.

My friend sighed, and I felt her weight lift from the bed. "Sophie, Boromir has to talk to you."

Ughh... "Then why isn't Boromir here?" If he needs to talk to me, he can come find me. Not to sound heartless, or anything. I love the man, but still.

"He was worried that you would be indecent..."

Ahh yes. Even after years in this world, I still seem to forget the fact that a long-sleeved floor-length night dress is considered indecent... Back in America, I slept in underwear, which is why Collin often entered my room with a blindfold.

"Oh, pardon me!" I mumbled, rolling out of bed. "I perish the thought of my fiance seeing my ankles..."

Kristy laughed as she helped me into a more 'suitable' dress. "We don't want him having dirty thoughts, now do we?"

"Oh, yes! Because ankles are just so sexy!" I rolled my eyes and slipped on my shoes. "What time is it?"

"The sun hasn't even risen." Kristy frowned. "I would have let you sleep longer, but a lot has happened since you went to bed, and Boromir couldn't wait to talk to you any longer."

Boromir... Of all the people in the world... He should know better. "I suppose we're not going to be talking about flowers and rainbows, are we?"

Kristy gave me a sad smile. "Afraid not."

Ugh. "One moment's peace... That's all I want. Kristy, I propose we go to the undying-doo-hickey."

"The Undying Lands?" Kristy raised an eyebrow at me. "Tempting. Too bad we're not elves."

"Nonsense!" Collin's voice rang in from the hallway as he passed by. "We'll form a union, Kristy!"

I laughed as our friend continued down the hallway, out of sight. What a funny thought. The three of us sitting on the docks, picket signs in hand, fighting for our rights to enter the Undying Lands... Good old Collin.

Well, funny Collin quotes aside, it's still early in the morning, and I'm still awake. Evidently, a certain hubby couldn't wait... Meduseld was relatively quiet, this morning. The only sounds came from guards as the night patrol switched with some fresh morning soldiers. I stumbled out of my room tiredly and slowly made my way down the hallway. I had to fight the urge to yawn as I tried to put on a happy face. No one likes a debbie-downer.

"Ah, there you are!" Boromir's voice knocked me out of a sleepy daydream, and I realized that I had no idea where I was going in the first place.

"Ah, no." I stuck my arm out as he approached. "You stay away from me, sir. You woke me up!"

Boromir sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Yes, but I am afraid that this couldn't wait. I must speak to you, for I do not have much time, and a rather troublesome event has just occured..."

Sigh... "Okay." I let my arm fall and did my best to focus my mind. "Let's hear it."

"I must ride for Minas Tirith at once."

Well, that's one way to wake me up. "Say what? Why you? No we?"

"No we."

"Why? What's happened?" Did his father die? This might sound cruel, but... I kind of hope that he did. It'll save me the heart attack of meeting him...

Boromir sighed, looking more tired than I was. "Sauron plans to move against Minas Tirith. I must be there to see that it is defended."

Poop. "Is it going to be bad?"

The look on his face didn't give me much hope. He never did have a good poker face... "It is war, Sophie. War is always bad, but war with Sauron will be much worse. I need to be there for my men. For my brother and father."

"Understood..." Not taken well, but understood. "Can I go with you? I mean, I know that I won't be of any use, but still... I'd rather be with you, for this." I know he can handle himself, and he's more than capable of taking care of his city. Still, we're engaged, aren't we? Doesn't that bind us to doing everything together? Well... Everything of importance? For instance, going to defend your city against an evil dark lord? Heck, I don't want to fight! I can just be verbal support, or something. A Middle-earth cheerleader!

Boromir frowned. "Your presence would be more than welcome, but I am afraid that I would not have much time to spend with you. Even if I did, I am not sure how appropriate it would be for the two of us to arrive together, alone."

"You mean you're going completely alone? No Aragorn?" Isn't he supposed to be king, one day?

"Gandalf and Pippin are going, but there is no way for me to keep up with Gandalf's horse. I must travel light, if I hope to make it in time. In fact, I intend to leave before them, if possible. Which is why I wished to speak with you now..."

That's incredibly odd... "Isn't Merry going, too?" I can't imagine one hobbit without the other. Merry is Pippin's rock, and I don't think that it's possible for one to survive without the other.

Boromir shook his head. "No, he is not. Merry is not the one in danger. All of that commotion this past night involved a palanitr, that glowing orb that you saw. It is rather hard to explain what happened, but Sauron saw through the palantir. That is how we know that Minas Tirith is in danger. To make matters worse, he also believes that Pippin carries the ring..."

"Wouldn't that be a good thing? Now we don't have to worry so much about Frodo and Sam. And why would you want to take Pippin to Gondor, if we want to protect it? Wouldn't Sauron be more apt to attack if he thinks the ring is there?" I mean, those are just my thoughts... I don't pretend to be a dark lord expert. I just don't think that they'd be very wise.

"Unfortunately, I do not think that it matters much where the ring is." Boromir sighed. "It was only a matter of time before the orcs invaded. They've been attacking Osgiliath for years. I only assumed that, with the fall of Saruman, such an event would be postponed. It was a foolish thought... Sauron has other allies. The Haradrim from the east, and an abundance of orcs right at our doorstep. Our only hope now is to outsmart him. Outlast him. I will need to be there for my people, when the time comes."

Hmph... This displeases me. I understand completely, but that doesn't get rid of the icky feeling in my heart.

Boromir could sense my stress, so he gave me a smile and took my hand in his own. "I would gladly take you with me, if I could. But, for the sake of your reputation, I believe that you would be better off remaining in Edoras."

Psh! Reputation... "If traveling alone with your fiance is such a crime to you people, you would die to see some of the stuff that goes on back in my old home." Heck, if ankles are appealing to these guys, imagine what a bikini could do? Heck... They'd faint if they saw a high school dance.

My chivalrous man shuddered. "Yes, yes. Perhaps it'd be better if we didn't mention such things to father..."

Oh, I didn't plan on it.

"I really wish that I could go with you..." I sighed.

"I can help."

Boromir and I turned to see Collin leaning in the doorway. He gave us a small smile. "Couldn't help but overhear your predicament. If it's your reputation you're worried about, I'll volunteer to be the chaparone. I like to think of myself as the cool babysitter who lets you do fun stuff, like eat cake and ice cream until you throw up... But for the sake of my future babysitting career, let's keep that on the D-L..."

My eyes shot open in excitement. "That's perfect!"

Boromir laughed. "It does solve the reputation issue..." I could just feel a 'but' coming in. "But we must travel light. Sophie would have to share a horse with one of us, and we must take into consideration the supplies..."

"Oh, I know how to ride a horse!" Sort of... "And I don't need to eat that much, really! I don't even need a pillow!" That last part might be a lie, but hey... One must be convincing in moments like this.

Collin shot the Gondorian a funny look. "This woman is willing to give up her pillow for you. If that doesn't convince you to let her go, I don't know what will..." He then sent me a not-so-subtle wink.

Boromir raised an eyebrow, but knew better than to argue. "The moment Collin comes into an argument, I've lost. You may come with us, Sophie." I almost cheered, but he held a finger up to stop me. "But be prepared, Sophie. I only intend to stop when the horses need rest. You may not have need for a pillow."

"Ouch..." Collin winced. "We're gonna need lots of coffee if we want to... Oh my gosh! Sophie!" My friend turned to me, looking like he'd just witnessed a murder. "They don't have coffee, here!"

"... We've been here for how many years, and you're just now realizing this?" It's not like it's much to miss, anyways. The only good coffee involved 10% coffee, 10% cream, and 80% sugar. "Come on, Collin. No time for crying over coffee, now. We've got to go pack!"

.

"Are you sure that you want to do this?" Kristy asked as she watched Eomer saddle up my horse.

"Of course I'm sure!" I replied quickly, more focused on making sure that I didn't forget anything.

Kristy sighed, eyebrows knitted together in worry. "I'm just not quite sure that it's the best idea... What if Minas Tirith falls?"

Goodness, Kris. "I was trying to avoid thinking about it, actually. Besides, Minas Tirith is huge. I'm hoping that it will be safe."

Eomer couldn't help but put his two cents in. "While it is good to have confidence in the city walls, do not forget Helms Deep. Sauron has many tricks up his sleeve, as well as a horde of orcs. It will take all that Gondor has and more to keep the enemy at bay. If the White City falls, Edoras will be left defenseless Sauron's forces. We are having enough trouble, as it is. If Sauron breaks through our eastern boundaries, many of our people will flee to the north, and those who don't will be left to die at the enemy's hand..."

Kristy and I stared wide-eyed at Eomer for a moment, a little more than creeped out by his sudden negativity. He hadn't spoken a word all morning, and this is what he comes up with? Nobody asked you, Eomer! Still... I adore the man.

"Boromir won't let that happen..." That was all I could think to say. I'm not too fond of the whole dooms-day approach.

"I hope you are right..." My friend sighed. "Not only for the safety of my country, but for your sake. I do not claim to know much about Minas Tirith, but there may not be a way to escape, should the city be overrun."

"You really don't have any hope for this, do you?" Kristy asked, a heavy sadness in her voice.

Eomer shrugged as he stroked my horse's mane. "I do, but one must prepare for the worst." He sighed and turned to face us. "I will do my best to convince the king to send troops. Let us hope they go unused."

Sigh... "Eomer, I'm gonna miss you when I move to Gondor." Even if he's being a negative Nancy now, he's still like a brother to me. All this talk of death and doom makes me sentimental.

He smiled at me before giving me a big hug. "And I will miss you, Sophie. Be careful out there."

Don't cry, don't cry. I wasn't sad ten minutes ago, dang it. Stop it, tears. You're not welcome in my eyes.

Collin knocked on the stall door, a sympathetic smile on his face. "Time to go, Soph."

I let out a sigh, relieved that Boromir didn't catch me on the verge of tears. He'd never let me go, then.

"I'm ready."

We walked our horses out of the stables and down to the gates, where our friends were waiting. It felt like vacation, almost. It didn't really feel like I was leaving. I was just hopping on a horse and taking off for a ride. There driver of my emotion car is an old woman, so she takes forever to get from my brain to my heart. I hadn't completely grasped the fact that I was about to ride off to a war zone. Of course, it's not like I'm complaining. It's just a strange feeling. I've been surrounded by friends nonstop for as long as I can remember. The fellowship has always been there to protect me. Now, we're splitting up...

"We must make haste." Boromir sighed, far beyond stressed. "Gandalf left with Pippin nearly half an hour ago. We won't catch up to him, but it might help if we make it to Minas Tirith before the fighting begins..."

I let out a frown and stared at the horse. It's been a while since I've had to ride alone... This should be interesting.

Aragorn, having noticed my confused look, took my hand and gave me a boost.

"Thanks..." I whispered, and he gave me a wink.

"You will be alright." Aragorn whispered back. "Just don't fall off."

Crap. I didn't even think about that possibility. Poker face, Sophie. Poker face.

I wrapped my cloak tightly around myself, a little shakey thanks to a mix of nerves and the cold morning air.

"Well, what are we waiting for?" Collin chuckled, far more relaxed than I was. "Let's get this show on the road!

Not the best chapter... Sorry it took so long. :( This was always meant to be a bit of a filler chapter. It just wasn't supposed to take a month to write...