Not mine, Buffy's is Whedon's and the rest is all Tolkien

Thanks, thanks, thanks for the reviews!!

I have decided to split the story into three parts so this will be the end of Book One. Hopefully I will be able to think of a clever title for the next installment but if not, look for it under It's Never Over pt.2.

Breaking the Fellowship

They traveled by night. Buffy's paddle cut smoothly into the softly flowing water of the Anduin while Pippin snored softly behind her. She sighed quietly, nearly seven days had passed since they had departed Lothlorien and she and Legolas had barely said five words to each other. Granted it was difficult to converse with someone in an entirely different boat but still even when they rested by day they behaved as if strangers. Everyone had noticed but they were too polite to say anything. Buffy just wished everything could go back to the way it had been before that stupid fight in the woods.

Just then a glint of white just ahead drew Buffy abruptly away from her thoughts. She heard Sam give an alarm and she squinted in the dark trying to see better. The water picked up speed and suddenly became much rougher. She heard Boromir curse behind her.

"What? What is going on?" she asked.

"Sarn Gebir." Boromir answered.

"And again I ask what?"

"Rapids. Of those who have attempted to cross in the past none have survived." Boromir began to paddle faster in order to catch up to Aragorn's boat.

"Hoy there, Aragorn!" shouted Boromir as their boat bumped into Aragorn's. "This is madness! We cannot dare the Rapids by night! But no boat can live in Sarn Gebir, be it night or day."

"Back, back!" Aragorn shouted. "Turn if you can!"

Buffy paddled until she thought her arms would fall off. They were fighting against the current and it was taking every ounce of her strength to force the boat in the opposite direction. Her muscles were burning and her breathing was ragged.

A twang sounded in the distance and several arrows fell upon the Fellowship. Buffy felt a thump against her back as one of the arrows found its mark and bounced off her coat of mail. The impact pushed her forward and she nearly dropped her paddle but Pippin grabbed the back of her cloak and steadied her.

"Yrch!" Legolas cried.

Arrows whined over head and any moment Buffy expected one of her companions to be hit. She fought even harder to steer the boat to safety but in the dark it was difficult to see what progress if any they were making. At last the water became calm again and they were able turn the boats and head for the western shore. Steering the boats into the cover a clump of over hanging bushes they hid from the sharp, black-feathered arrows of the orcs.

In the boat next to Buffy's Legolas stood with his Lorien bow raised and aimed in his hands. Suddenly he jumped ashore and climbed up the bank before turning and aiming again. Cries from across the river could be heard but nothing could be seen.

Buffy looked at Legolas standing tall and graceful in the night. She felt a great dread come over her at the thought that something might happen to them, leaving things unsettled between them.

"Elbereth Gilthoniel!" she heard Legolas sigh and she turned to look up into the sky. Buffy froze. A dark shape, like a great black cloud, was moving quickly towards the Fellowship. It blotted all light as it grew closer and larger in the Company's field of vision. It appeared to be some sort of winged creature and Buffy felt a wave of coldness sweep over her. She saw Frodo shiver and draw his cloak closer about him and she knew the hobbit felt it too.

Legolas's bow sang as he released his arrow. The creature swerved and let out a croaking sound as it tumbled from the sky. The shrieks from across the river grew louder in outrage. Then silence fell.

The Fellowship guided their boats a little further upstream before disembarking. As they drug the boats ashore Gimli thanked Legolas for saving their lives.

"Praised be the bow of Galadriel, and the hand and eye of Legolas."

"But who can say what I hit?" the Elf asked.

"It was something cold," Frodo said. "I think it was -" Then he paused and fell silent.

"What do you think?" Boromir asked eagerly, leaning forward towards the hobbit with a strange glint in his eye.

Buffy looked cautiously at her friend. He didn't look himself, it was almost as if he were possessed.

"I will not say," answered Frodo.

"This night we must all be sleepless." Aragorn said. "Keep you weapons close at hand."

There were only a few hours before dawn and to keep their spirits up the Fellowship reminisced about their time in Lothlorien. The night passed quietly with no other signs of trouble and as the day grew bright upon them it was decided that Aragorn and Legolas would go forward to scout out a path by which they could carry their boats past the rapids.

Buffy was upset. She wanted to go as well and she was not used to taking orders when she didn't agree with them. She tried to convince Aragorn to let her go but he wouldn't budge and as they prepared to leave Buffy found herself growing uneasy.

"Wait for us one day," Aragorn said to the remaining Company. "If we do not return in that time, you will know that evil has indeed befallen us. Then you must take a new leader and follow him as best you can."

Now Buffy was straight out panicking. She twisted her hands in worry and paced back and forth. If something happened and they didn't come back and Legolas died thinking that Buffy didn't care . . . She couldn't stand it. She just couldn't send him away with things so terrible between them. Making her decision she strode forward and grabbed Legolas's arm, pulling him around to face her.

Oh, so now what? Buffy thought. She had no idea what to say, her mind went completely blank.

"Uh - I just - um," Buffy cringed inwardly. She was so bad at apologizing. "I just - You know the other night when I said - um, what I said. I just wanted to - um - because you know we're friends and we're good friends and -" Buffy stopped, took a deep breath and looked Legolas directly in the eye. The rest of the Fellowship looked on in interest.

"I'm sorry."

Legolas placed a hand on Buffy's face and kissed her softly. It was over almost as soon as it had begun but Buffy felt as if her life had changed forever in those brief seconds.

Turning silently Legolas followed Aragorn into the trees leaving Buffy standing rooted to her spot. She stared blankly at the space where he'd been for a moment before blinking and turning to see the rest of the Fellowship looking at her with undisguised interest.

Pippin had a wicked glint in his eye and as he started to say something Merry clamped a hand over Pippin's mouth. Merry shook his head at his friend who shrugged and obligingly held his tongue.

* * *

They returned in three hours. All that drama and worry and they were only gone for three hours. Of course if Buffy were completely honest with herself she would admit that they were probably the worst three hours of her life. She had chewed her thumb nail down to a nub and she figured she should be relieved they had come back before she did any more damage to herself.

There wasn't time for Legolas and Buffy to talk. The Fellowship had to move and move quickly if they were going to make it to Amon Hen as Aragorn intended. They carried the boats and their baggage around the rapids and once they came to a spot where the river calmed again they launched the boats and headed down river. They passed the amazing Argonath and as they paddled through the statues of Aragorn's ancestors Buffy swore she could see a resemblance between the ancient Kings and the exiled one that led their Company. It wasn't so much a physical likeness, instead the statues had an air of authority and wisdom that Aragorn exhibited to the Fellowship every day.

They drew their boats to the western bank and gathered about for a council of sorts. Two paths lay before them. Mordor and Minas Tirith. Buffy started a little at the mention of the city that Gandalf said may hold the answer to her returning home.

"Well Frodo," Aragorn said. "I fear that the burden of decision is laid upon you. You are the Ring-Bearer. I cannot advise for I am not Gandalf and I do not know what his ultimate plan was."

Frodo was quiet before he stood and answered Aragorn. "I know that haste is needed, yet I cannot choose. The burden is heavy. Give me an hour and then I will decide."

Frodo rose slowly and walked off. Buffy watched Boromir watch the Ring-Bearer and again she wondered at the change in her friend. She was just about to go over and speak to him when a light hand on her arm drew her attention away.

"You worried for me?" Legolas asked holding up Buffy's chewed thumb for inspection.

"Of course I did," Buffy answered. Guys were so dense sometimes.

Before more could be said they were drawn into conversation with others as to what path would be the best. Most seemed to want to go to Minas Tirith but all agreed to follow Frodo wherever he went, even if he led them directly into Mordor. A couple of hours passed and suddenly Boromir stumbled from the woods looking dazed. Buffy started in surprise, she hadn't realized Boromir had left.

"Where's Frodo?" Sam asked.

"We argued and he walked off." Boromir answered.

"How long ago was this?" Aragorn asked warily.

"An hour."

"An hour!" Sam cried. "We must find Frodo! Anything could have happened."

Everyone was on their feet yelling for Frodo. Buffy studied Boromir. He wasn't telling everything about what had happened between him and Frodo but now wasn't the time to question him. They had to find Frodo.

Buffy followed Legolas and Gimli as the remaining hobbits ran off into the woods and Aragorn shouted at them to wait for him. Something wasn't right. Buffy scanned the trees looking for any sign of trouble. Her slayer sense was going of the charts.

The first arrow came from her left. Then all hell broke loose. There were Orcs everywhere and Buffy drew her set of daggers and set to work. These Orcs were different she quickly discovered. They were bigger and stronger as well as smarter and meaner. Buffy was tossed into Legolas and they both went tumbling to the ground.

"What are these things?" She asked as they regained their footing. "They look like Orcs on steroids."

There was no time for a response. Legolas let his bow sing and many an Orc fell from his arrows. Buffy's daggers were a blur as she dispensed of her fair share of the beasts. She fought and fought but they seemed to just keep coming. She felt an arrow bounce off her coat of mail and she gave a silent thank you to the Lady of Lothlorien before turning and pinning the offending archer to a tree with her dagger. The creatures were shrieking and yelling all around them but Buffy began to notice their numbers were fewer and she fought with renewed vigor.

A horn sounded in the distance.

"The horn Gondor!" She heard Legolas cry.

"Boromir!" Buffy gasped and finishing an Orc she turned and ran in the direction of the sound. She heard Legolas shout for her to wait but she paid him no heed.

Killing as many Orcs as possible on her way Buffy found herself in a clearing. Before her Aragorn was bending over something laying on the ground. As he pulled back Buffy saw Boromir lying immobile with multiple black-feathered arrows protruding from his chest.

"NOOOOOO!!!!!!!" She screamed and ran forward collapsing besides Aragorn and the body of Boromir. The body.

She was crying loudly with her hands covering her face. She was so tired of everyone dying. Why did they all have to leave her? Boromir had been her friend. He had understood what is was like to be so far from home and now he was dead. They had killed him. Orcs had killed him. Orcs from Mordor - from Sauron.

Someone was calling her name and trying to pull her away from Boromir. She pushed them away but they wouldn't leave her alone.

"Buffy! Buffy stop!" Legolas grabbed her hands and pinned them in his own.

"He's dead." Buffy said.

"Yes," Legolas answered. "He died protecting the hobbits. He died a hero."

"The hobbits," Buffy sniffed and looked around. "Where are they?"

"Aragorn says Pippin and Merry have been taken."

"Taken?" Buffy stiffened. "By the Orcs?"

Legolas nodded. "I do not know what has become of Sam and Frodo."

"We have to find them." Buffy stood abruptly pulling Legolas with her. "Maybe they went back to the boats. It's what I would've done."

Buffy ran back towards the river bank ignoring the calls for her to stop. As she burst from the trees she saw Sam and Frodo on the other side of the river, climbing swiftly up the eastern shore. Legolas caught up to her and on seeing the same thing as Buffy he grabbed the nearest boat and began pushing it into the water of the Anduin. Buffy stood watching the retreating forms of the hobbits.

"Stop," she told Legolas shaking her head.

"She's right," Aragorn said from behind her. "We cannot go after them."

"But why?" Legolas asked confused.

"He has to do this on his own." Buffy answered. "It is his destiny to fulfill and we can do nothing for him."

She felt so helpless and for the first time in her life she realized what it must have been like for Giles and her friends to watch her risk her life again and again.

"So the Fellowship has failed," she heard Gimli say.

"We are still left," answered Aragorn. "I would not leave Merry and Pippin at the mercy of those Orcs."

"Nor I," said Gimli.

"Nor I," said Legolas.

"Me either," said Buffy her eyes burning. "Those Orcs killed Boromir and I am going to make sure they're sorry for it."

"Then it's settled," Aragorn said. "Let's go hunt some Orc."