AN: Thanks to Bloomisakura, redruby8, Erwynia, Lavynya, kittykawaii4, diridiri, MissKitty, hanami, Wane, AlexisSkyMalfoy for your amazing reviews. You rock! This is the last chapter of this story. I know it's short and not much but hey it's only the beginning of another ride.

I would like to thank each and everyone who liked this story and supported it. I didn't think I would get any readers for this story but I got more than I thought and I am really really happy for that. I have already started working on the sequel so it should be out soon. Please read and let me know how the story was overall.

*And most importantly let me know what you wish to read in the sequel. It would really help me write.

Thank you once again. Love you all very much. Lots of kisses and hugs.

Chapter 40: The Story Isn't Over Yet

Frodo woke up in a soft bed. He didn't think he would ever wake up. Escaping from Mount Doom and it's hot lava seemed impossible. But miracles happen all the time. Therefore Frodo found himself not only not dead but lying in a comfortable bed in a calm and peaceful room. The little hobbit wasn't alone in the room. Gandalf the white was standing at the end of the bed.

"Gandalf!" Frodo's voice came out a soft whisper.

"Welcome back Frodo" said Gandalf with a warm smile. He didn't burst out laughing. Yes they defeated the evil but the loss the fellowship suffered was too much and there was too much pain in their hearts. It was astonishing really what the loss of only one person could do. Frodo smiled back for a moment before he got worried.

"Sam? Where's he? Is he alright?" Frodo inquired anxiously.

"See for yourself" said Gandalf mirthfully and he moved aside a little so that Frodo could see the doorway clearly. Slowly a very familiar hobbit entered the room. Sam looked well. But Frodo could tell he was worried about him.

"Sam!" A smile graced Frodo's lips seeing his best friend alright. Followed by Sam were Merry and Pippin. They didn't waste any time to jump onto Frodo and hug him. They thought Frodo was lost to them after destroying the ring. Soon Gimli entered the room along with Aragorn. Everyone was smiling at Frodo. Everyone was happy. A great evil has been destroyed after all.

"Thank you Frodo. Thank you very much" said Aragorn showing his gratitude towards the little hobbit for destroying the one ring. But Frodo's face suddenly fell.

"I do not think I am the one who deserves your gratitude Aragorn. It's Katherine. She was the one who really beat the evil." The uttering of the name did something to the very air that filled inside the room. Everyone became sad immediately. The smiles dropped from the faces. Since the ring was destroyed the members of the fellowship couldn't really celebrate the victory. Even Boromir and Faramir who weren't present in the room. There was a hollowness inside them. And each and everyone dreaded that feeling. Katherine died but she left huge holes in their hearts. Even the joy of the victory against Sauron couldn't fill up those holes. Gandalf sighed out heavily.

"Yes she beat the evil indeed. And no amount of gratitude would be enough for what she did" said Gandalf with sad tone of voice. Only if there was a way to spare her life.

"We couldn't even find her body. She deserved a proper burial" said Gimli more to himself than to others. Tears threatened to escape from his eyes but he held them back.

"Is there any chance she might have gone back to her own world?" asked Merry hopefully to Gandalf since he's the only one who could possibly answer the question. Both Merry and Pippin hoped that Katherine is back home. Safe and sound. Enjoying her world of technology again. And hopefully missing them all. But most importantly she's alive and well. But both hobbits knew that there was a possibility that Katherine is just no more.

"I don't know Merry but I sure hope that is the truth because the alternative is heartbreaking" confessed Gandalf truthfully.

"Katherine died for us." Finally Aragorn spoke up. His voice was soft yet enraged. "And the last time she looked at us we showed her disappointment and anger, hatred. I can never forgive myself for that."

"Don't be a fool Aragorn" chided Gandalf. "Whatever happened was not your fault."

"I should have seen through her pretense and know that she was trying to help us instead of thinking she has joined the dark lord. I should have stopped her from sacrificing herself like that." Aragorn had sworn to protect the girl and he failed terribly. It would haunt him forever. Gandalf sighed out heavily. There was nothing he could say to Aragorn that is going to ease his pain. Neither he could help Frodo who looked so miserable, it was heartbreaking. That moment Gandalf cursed Katherine for making everyone fall in love with her. For making everyone care about her so much. Gandalf cursed her for becoming such a huge part in their lives. Nothing felt the same anymore without her. Katherine should have been with them. Alive and celebrating.

"Yeah we should have stopped her" agreed Gimli. He breathed out a heavy sigh. "At least we are all grieving for Katherine. The elf is completely broken." Gimli shook his head to himself thinking about Legolas. He was greatly worried about him. No one knew what Legolas was going through and honestly no one wanted to know. Who would wish to suffer from such pain? Katherine was dead but Legolas wasn't much alive either. His friends were suspecting that he may sail for the undying land to escape the unbearable pain.

"Legolas was in love with Katherine. Elves cannot handle the death of their true love. It's too painful for them" said Aragorn sighing out heavily. He was really very worried about his dear friend. And worst was that he didn't know what to do to help Legolas? Aragorn feared there wasn't really anything that he or anyone else could do for him. To ease his pain. That moment Sam snorted and gained everyone's attention.

"What is it Sam?" Gandalf asked scowling at the hobbit with confusion.

"How ironic is this Gandalf! Here we are all, grieving for Katherine. Expressing our love for her. Telling each other how much we care about her. But SHE died thinking that no one cared about her. She believed that it was only the ring's influence that made us love her and- and be concerned for her" said Sam shaking his head to himself, looking utterly sad.

"I haven't said this to anyone yet but Katherine had asked me to apologize to Legolas on behalf of her. She believed it was her fault that the ring made Legolas fall in love with her since she wished for it but completely unaware of the ring's doing. Still she felt guilty about it. Because she thought she has wronged Legolas. She thought as soon as the ring is destroyed Legolas is gonna start hating her for what happened between them. For entangling him in a fake love. Even though it was not her intent. Only if Katherine knew Legolas really loved her. Only if she knew."

Sam sighed out heavily. He didn't need to say it out loud but everyone understood that if Katherine knew Legolas' love for her was real then she would have tried harder to find a way to live. "I am suppose to let Legolas know that Katherine was sorry for everything. It was her last wish. But how can I-? How can I possibly tell him that the girl he was in love with died thinking their love wasn't even real? How am I suppose to do that without killing him more?"

Suddenly Aragorn and Gandalf heard a sharp intake of breath and realized that someone was standing at the door. They turned around to see and found Legolas standing there. He was looking awfully shocked. Without uttering a sound, Legolas took off running. Aragorn and Gimli called after him but Legolas didn't stop. Aragorn understood that Legolas has heard everything Sam just said and it hurt him beyond imagination. Legolas had come to see Frodo. The hobbit loved Katherine very much. Legolas knew if there is anyone who could remotely understand what he is feeling and going through at the time, its Frodo. Besides, Katherine cared about the hobbit very much therefore Legolas felt responsible for him and wished to see him fairing well. Even though Legolas very much wanted to detach himself from the world and reality, he couldn't ignore visiting Frodo.

Legolas ran for a long time. A long long time. The elf tried to stay normal as much as possible since that fateful day. Not wanting to worry his friends about him more than they already were. Still it was visible to everyone that he was completely broken from inside. His heart was shattered. Legolas didn't talk much to anyone since he witnessed Katherine falling into her firey grave. And he could do nothing about it. Nothing at all. Legolas was slowly fading away. Heartbreak is quite fetal for an elf. Especially an elf like Legolas. The prince knew that he was slowly dying from inside. But after what he just heard from Sam, Legolas wished for nothing else but to just die already.

"She thought I didn't love her" whispered Legolas to himself. A drop of tear escaped his eye and rolled down his face. The teardrop landed on the ground and the world seemed to become a little more sorrowful.

"She didn't even know our love was real."

Legolas stayed dead quiet for a while. Then the tears of sadness in his eyes turned into tears of anger. Legolas suddenly felt enraged. "No, this can't be our ending. This can't be the ending of our love story."

Legolas closed his eyes and prayed to the Valar and every other creator and powerful being out there- "Lav iest nin Eru Illuvatar (Grant me a wish Eru Illuvatar). Give us another chance. Give our love another chance."

Little did Legolas know that his wish is already granted?

THE END