A/N So I was going to take a little break tonight, play some Stardew Valley and chill even though I'm still full of the inspo. And then I realized when you bookmark stuff on archive you can make notes and tag it and shit and the author can see it. Which means I went through all the ones for this story and the first one and legit cried happy tears cause you guys are precious cinnamon rolls and are so wonderful...

SO YOU FABULOUS BIATCHES ARE GETTING ANOTHER CHAPTER TONIGHT BECAUSE YOU MADE ME FEEL FEELINGS.

BOOM BABY!

An elf led their horse away, and Josephine beat Bard to Thranduil's tent. He was definitely not expecting her but he wasn't about to show his surprise.

"I see your allegiance to the dwarves is serving you well."

"I only got this shiner because I was trying to get the jewels of Lasgalen for you so you're welcome." She grumbled, still tasting copper on her tongue and feeling the stickiness of it on her fingers.

Thranduil gave a flick of his hand and one of the elves poured a goblet of water and handed it to her.

"Pity you did not succeed, it might have staved off their destruction." His gaze shifted to Bard who hovered by the doorway. "I take it no agreement was met?"

"He would give no ground." Bard answered.

Josephine took a drink, washing some of the bad taste out of her mouth, and seated herself in the nearest chair without asking. "He's sick. Dragon sickness. It's driven him mad."

"Then all the more reason to put an end to this. I will attack at dawn."

"You do that and it won't matter that we ever escaped your halls." She warned were way too far out from the battle, he had to wait.

He stared at her for a moment as he thought. 'Is that so? Or are you simply buying time for those that would send you fleeing to me for safety?"

There were so many things she wanted to say, but he was baiting her and too much was at stake to rise to it. "Thorin is essentially possessed right now, but he's not beyond saving."

Bard bristled. "Seeing you coming from the mountain gives me cause to disagree."

"Normally, I'd agree." Josephine interrupted. "Trust me, I have very little patience when it comes to people like that. But I'm not going to sign his death warrant for succumbing to a madness he can come back from."

"Are you so certain?" Thranduil asked. "It appears your faith in them has already been misplaced."

Sticking her index finger down on the arm of the chair she leaned forward. "You cannot attack the mountain until the twenty-third. And on that day your troops absolutely have to be in place to do so."

Thranduil glided across the tent, cloak trailing, and stood over her. "I thought we had made it quite clear, Lady Josephine. You will tell me what is to come, or else I will do as I please."

Bard looked between them in confusion. "What do you mean?"

"Only if you are equally clear, that once I tell you, you will not use that information to interfere." She stood, closing some of the space between them. "You are far less intimidating than a dragon, Lord Thranduil, and I don't have the time or patience to play games with you."

Out of the corner of her eye she saw Legolas enter from the other side of the tent. He wasn't exactly an ally, but he was a damn sight closer to one than Thranduil was so she'd take what she could get. "I see you stayed."

"It seemed prudent to listen to a Seer's counsel." He said, unknowingly backing her up against his father.

"He would've ridden to Gundabad only to find an army marching from its gates." Josephine explained to the king. "And Gandalf will be here soon to report that an army has been dispatched from Dol Goldur as well. If you want a chance in hell of surviving the coming darkness, then you'll need to stand between those forces and the lives of the men and dwarves that are here."

"To sacrifice my men for a mad king and a rabble of survivors?"

"For a strong force in Erebor and Dale before the end of the third age. Between your soldiers, the men of Laketown, and the reinforcements from the Iron Hills that Thorin just sent for, we've got a solid chance of destroying both armies and killing Azog the Defiler at the same time."

That was enough to get Bard to interject again. "We are not soldiers. Whatever this is, leave us out of it. We have enough troubles."

"Orcs will be on your doorstep whether you're involved or not. You may as well be prepared." She warned him.

Thranduil was still pondering, but she was getting impatient.

"You didn't protect your realm for thousands of years by not thinking in longer terms than this."

Thranduil watched her, contemplating and holding them all on a breath while he did. Finally, Josephine swore she could almost see, at the very least, an amused glint in his eyes.

"I will give you until that day. Bowman, ready your people for battle. In seven days, we may be at war."

Gondor

His spirits were brighter and his nerves were frazzled. In one week's time the battle would take place, a clash of armies and death he'd once sworn she'd never see the likes of again. But even with all the power he now held, his promises were still at the mercy of the lords above him. They had called her to fight again, and he knew she had done just that. So yes, if she were to return, it would come soon, but she would pay for it with the strength of her arm and the swiftness of her feet.

But with her return so near, there were preparations to be made, and that was why he'd called a council in his study of those closest to them both.

"Gandalf said she was never found after the battle, so there is no reason to believe she was not brought back to our time. What concerns me is where she will appear."

Boromir brushed his hand over his beard as he sank deeply into his chair. "Dunland, then the outskirts of Hobbiton, according to Gandalf. Not exactly on target if you're making someone appear somewhere for a reason."

"That is my worry. When I began to understand the meaning of her arrival, I often wondered why it was she did not appear nearer to me in Dunland, but had to travel for many days. And why not place her closer to Bilbo's home? But I cannot presume to understand how this travel occurs, perhaps they are unable to be so precise. But this is why I worry for where she may appear." He looked between them all, Halbarad, Legolas, Gimli, and Boromir. "If she appears in the wilds, she will likely do so without supplies, perhaps wounded. "

Gimli puffed on his pipe and nodded with a crease in his brow. "She could still appear in the city."

"But we really have no way of knowing." Halbarad countered, turning his eyes to Aragorn. "Which is why you should not do the thing you are considering."

Aragorn attempted to look innocent. "And what is that?"

"My lady will not appear in the city to find her husband wandering the wilds on the chance she's out there. I will speak to Faramir and we will send out scouting parties. I'll be out there myself."

Boromir sat up in his chair. "As will I. I will not leave her to find her way alone."

"The elf and I will go too." Gimli grunted.

Aragorn's heart warmed as they one by one promised to take on the journey. He did have to agree with Halbarad, he needed to stay in the city, no matter how his feet ached for the chance to finally do something to find her.

Boromir smirked. "Perhaps the more of us that go out to find her, the more likely the Valar will wish to prove us wrong and drop her right on your doorstep, Aragorn."

"Perhaps." He smiled back softly. "But whatever manner of her return, I will be thankful."

Dale

One of the good things about old ruined cities was the multitude of empty buildings and tiny holes to crawl into. Places to go where you wouldn't be found even in broad daylight. Josephine needed a place just like that as she left Thranduil's tent. She'd managed it, she'd dealt with the armies and the arguing but she hadn't so much as banished the repercussions of what had happened earlier, as she had held them back with one hand while she did what she had to with the other.

She sat on the floor of an old shed, so small it was only just big enough to fit her. Once the tears started she couldn't stop them. They came in a torrent as she replayed the events of that morning over and over to process, trying to explain, trying to decide which of the infinite ways she could have played it differently might've worked.

The sun cast slivers of light through gaps in the rotting wooden shed door that moved and shifted until they started to fade. Only then was the door yanked open by a very frazzled looking Gandalf.

"There you are! Come now, there are things to do and you've got a great deal to tell me of what has transpired."

"How was Dol Goldur?" She asked sarcastically and rubbed her palms over her face to try and collect herself.

Gandalf didn't rise to the bait, either uninterested or too busy to notice her tone. "As bad as we feared, though I presume you know that well enough already."

Standing up she brushed herself off. "You have no idea."

He leaned on his staff and peered closely at her face. "Hmph. Hold this, please."

Frowning, she took his staff, unaware of where any of their conversation was going. That was until he took a firm grasp of her chin with one hand and gave her nose a sharp tug with the other.

She bent over, leaning heavily on his staff. "Mother fuck-"

"You will thank me later." He took his staff back.