Disclaimer: I only own Alice.

Alice sits, stiff and sore, by the warming blaze of the fire. Faramir sits on her left, quietly smoking a pipe. He's not the same man as his brother, but in some ways, he's a better man. Alice glances at him out of the corner of her eye. He could let go of the Ring when Boromir couldn't. Of course, Boromir spent a much greater time in the presence of the evil thing than Faramir. Her heart burns at the memory, and then yearns again for the comforting presence of Legolas.

She has changed. Changed in more ways than she even realizes. Gandalf noticed. She has not only become faster, stronger, and more agile, but she's also become wiser. In some ways, she's older now than she was back when she arrived that fateful night in Bree. She has seen, and learned battle. She has learned war. She has watched men die in front of her eyes, some of them she knew personally. When she goes to sleep at night, their screams echo in her dreams, dead, hollow screams that make her scratch and claw at the very fabric of her mind to escape. She has not known true peace for what feels like a lifetime. Fight and kill all day, suffer the consequences all night. It makes her want to gouge her own eyes out.

A shudder wracks her body as the dead screams sound, and Faramir, blessed Faramir, distracts her by handing her his cloak, thinking that she's cold. She notices, however, that he would be cold without it, so she scouts in so their hips and thighs are touching, and then wraps it around them both. He glances at her, and chuckles a bit. She surprises him by leaning her head on his shoulder.

"I miss Boromir." She says quietly, and he sighs.

"I do, too." There's a long, hanging pause. "I'm going to do some scouting." He looks down her with a small smile, "Be here when I get back?" She laughs a bit.

"Hun, where else do I have to go?" He laughs too, and shrugs in response. He tells her he'll be back, and stalks off quietly… or, at least, quietly for him. She hears him as he moves through the ruined buildings.

"It's been very quiet across the river." He comments, some distance away, to another soldier.

"The Orcs are lying low. The garrison may have moved out. We've sent scouts to Cair Andros. If the Orcs attack from the North, we'll have some warning." There's a long, tense moment, and Alice could almost swear she could hear the paddling of oars on the river… then again, maybe it's just Nahar – who's been brought inside the city to join them – breathing loudly. Then, a distinctive clatter of armor hitting the ground sounds out quietly, and Alice sits up straight, Ringil immediately drawn.

"They're not coming from the North!" Faramir cries, "To the river, quick, quick!"

Alice stands and races for the shore of the river, arriving at the same time as the other soldiers. Faramir grabs her by the cloak – his cloak, ironically enough – and pulls her behind a pillar with him. She gives him a curious gaze, but he shushes her softly. She immediately understands, and tries to hold as still as possible, and fight off all thoughts about how incredibly, awkwardly close her and Faramir are.

The Orcs disembark from their boats, and the Men of Osgiliath jump out from behind their pillars, Alice among them, swords high and swinging. It doesn't take a genius to realize how badly outnumbered they are, but they fight on, regardless. Alice catches herself wishing for Aragorn again, with his uncanny luck and brilliant mind, wishing that he could give them the guidance he gave at Helm's Deep. She shoves the thoughts aside as she strikes down an Orc, now is not the time for such wistful thinking.

Later…

Alice and Faramir run through an archway, her trying to save his hide as best as possible. Suddenly, someone from the side shouts his name, and they both duck out of the way. Archers fell the many Orcs are running after them.

"We cannot hold them. The city is lost." The soldier who called Faramir tells him, and Alice distantly recalls his name being Madril.

"Tell the men to break cover. We ride for Minas Tirith." The ranger orders, when a loud screech pierces the air.

"Nazgûl!" One of the men screams as the dreaded thing flies overhead.

"Take cover!" Faramir and Alice shout, "Nazgûl! Fall back, fall back to Minas Tirith!" They begin telling all the men, not noticing how Madril gets injured. "Fall back! Retreat! Retreat! Run for your lives!"

They escape Osgiliath. Alice whistles loudly, and Nahar whines somewhere within the city. He comes charging out a minute later, completely unscathed. As he rushes past her, she sticks out her hand, grabs his neck, and flips herself up onto his back in one smooth movement.

"Faramir!" She shouts up ahead, and the ranger turns to look at her. Seeing her upon the horse, he stops and holds up an arm. She reaches down, grabs his arm and helps fling him up onto the great beast's back. "Noro lim, Nahar, noro lim!" She tells the horse, encouraging him along as he charges past the men. Faramir clings to her middle, putting his head on her back and squeezing his eyes shut. "What's the matter, Faramir? Don't like horses?" She asks him, and feels him shake his head against her back. She laughs. "Wait, I see something!"

"What is it?" He asks without looking up. She gasps.

"GANDALF!" She screams, pointing ahead at her friend. Faramir sits straight up, and looks past her shoulder. "GANDALF!" She screams again, still pointing.

"What, where? I don't see him!" The future Steward says.

"He just left Minas Tirith. Give him a minute, you'll see him." She smirks at her friend, "There are advantages to being half-Elvish." A moment later, she hears his gasp, spotting the White Wizard. "Told you so." He rolls his eyes as the soldiers pick up the yelling and pointing. Alice pulls the hood on the cloak up.

"It's Mithrandir! The White Rider!"

Gandalf gallops towards the stricken men as the Nazgûl continue to harass and harry them. The wizard sends forth a bright light from his staff which drives off the Ringwraith. He joins the soldiers and they all gallop back to Minas Tirith together. The massive gates crank open, much to Alice's sensitive ears' displeasure.

"Mithrandir!" Faramir calls, and Gandalf turns to face him and Alice. "They broke through our defenses. They've taken the bridge and the West bank. Battalions of Orcs are crossing the river." A nearby soldier rants about how Lord Denethor predicted this, and Gandalf is quick to admonish him.

"Foreseen and done nothing!" Faramir sees Pippin sitting in front of Gandalf on Shadowfax's back quietly, and stares at him with curiosity. "Faramir?" The ranger looks up, "This is not the first Halfling to cross your path."

"No." He says, shaking his head.

"You've seen Frodo and Sam?" Pippin asks hopefully, and Faramir nods.

"Where? When?" Gandalf immediately questions.

"In Ithilien. Not two days ago. Gandalf, they're taking the road to Morgul vale." The wizard's expression immediately turns to one of horror, and Alice almost feels like throwing up just from that one face. She swallows back the bile. She doesn't have to know what it is in Morgul vale that makes Gandalf have that expression, it alone tells her that she did something incredibly foolish in letting Frodo and Sam go.

"And then the pass of Cirith Ungol." Faramir nods.

"What does that mean?" Pippin asks hurriedly, "What's wrong?" He looks up at Gandalf.

"Faramir tell me everything. Tell me all you know." He gets an uncertain look.

"Well, my companion, Alice Half-Elf of Rivendell, could probably tell you more." Alice pulls down her hood at that moment, and Pippin gasps.

"Alice!" He cries, a big grin across his face.

"Hullo, Pippin." She says after his manner, but the White Wizard has no time for such pleasantries.

"Alice? What happened?" She shakes her head.

"Gollum happened. He's acting as Frodo and Sam's guide. I fear for them, Gandalf, for even in my home have I never met a creature as strange and foul as that one." She rubs a hand over her face. "I could tell, Gandalf. Frodo pities him, just as Bilbo did, but for a different reason entirely. He fears he may, one day, become like him." Gandalf nods sadly, and Faramir quietly excuses himself, saying he must go see his father.

"Where did you get that big horse?" Pippin asks, staring at Nahar, and she laughs as Gandalf answers for her.

"He is a horse of old, belonging to one of the Valar. He is a great a mighty steed." Nahar tosses his head happily at the complement. "Belonging to Oromë, Lord of Forests." Alice rolls her eyes.

"Why a Lord of Forests needs the biggest horse ever born is beyond me." Nahar doesn't respond. "His name is Nahar, by the way. Nahar, meet Pippin."

"Hullo." The Hobbit says carefully, and Nahar tosses his head again.

"Oh, and the best part? He can understand what we're saying." She tells him, totally dead serious. Pippin's eyes widen considerably.

Later…

Alice leans against a tall, stone pillar silently. She's been there for the better part of twenty minutes, simply thinking. Pippin came in a moment ago, but didn't notice her presence. He, instead, sits on a bench, mumbling to himself. She noticed his new garb, and how his feet dangle over the edge of his seat.

"What were you thinking Peregrin Took? What service can a Hobbit offer such a great lord of men?" He says to himself as Faramir approaches through a nearby door.

"It was well done. A generous deed should not be checked with cold counsel." She grins as Pippin suddenly jumps up. The ranger approaches him. "You are to join the tower guard." He observes.

"I didn't think they would find any livery that would fit me." Pippin tells him.

"It once belonged to a young boy of the city. A very foolish one who wasted many hours slaying dragons instead of attending his studies." Alice grins, imagining Faramir as a young boy with a wooden sword, pretending to slay a dragon.

"This was yours?" The Halfling asks, obviously getting the same mental image.

"Yes, it was mine. My father had it made for me." Faramir tells him honestly, and he adjusts the shorter one's tunic.

"Well, I'm taller than you were then. Though, I'm not likely to grow anymore, except sideways." Both men laugh.

"It never fitted me either. Boromir was always the soldier." His smile drops off his face. "They were so alike he and my father. Proud, stubborn even, but strong."

"I think you have strength of a different kind. And one day your father will see it." Alice smiles with pride. Pippin of the Shire wouldn't have ever thought to say something quite as mature as that.

The next day…

Alice and Gandalf push their way through the mass of crowds, trying to reach the soldiers as they walk down the center path of Minas Tirith. Everyone knows they're going to retake the overrun city of Osgiliath on Lord Denethor's orders. Faramir leads them. The people are upset to see them go, and throw flowers beneath the hooves of the horses.

"Faramir! Faramir!" Alice and Gandalf shout, "Your father's will has turned to madness," The Wizard tells him, "Do not throw your life away so rashly!"

"Where does my allegiance lie if not here?" The ranger tells him. "This is the city of the men of Númenor. I will gladly give my life to defend her beauty, her memory, her wisdom." They stand, struck dumb by Faramir's words, and they watch him leave.

"Your father loves you, Faramir." Gandalf says to himself, "He will remember it before the end."

A little while later…

"Can you sing, Master Hobbit?" Denethor asks. Alice stands quietly near Pippin, who struggles to respond. She doesn't have to be there necessarily, but was asked to keep an eye on the Steward by Gandalf, seeing as the Hobbit has important duties to fulfill now.

"Well, yes. At least well enough for my own people. But we have no songs for great halls and evil times."

"And why should your songs be unfit for my halls?" The Steward asks dryly. There's an awkward pause. "Come, sing me a song." Pippin thinks for a moment, and when he sings, it's a familiar tune to Alice.

"Home is behind,

The world ahead,

And there are many paths to tread,

Through shadow,

To the edge of night.

Until the stars are alight.

Mist and shadow,

Cloud and shade,

All shall fade.

All shall… fade."

Pippins voice falters, and he breaks down into tears after casting a glance at the Steward who eats his tomatoes. Alice pats his shoulder. Denethor glances up at her.

"What about you, Lady of Rivendell? Sing me a song." He says in a half-demanding tone. She puts aside her trying to recall why Pippin's song was familiar to think of a song. Finally, one comes to mind.

"Playground school bell rings again,

Rain clouds come to play, again

Has no one told you she's not breathing?

Hello, I'm your mind giving you someone to talk to,

Hello...

If I smile and don't believe,

Soon I know I'll wake from this dream,

Don't try to fix me, I'm not broken,

Hello, I'm the lie, living for you so you can hide,

Don´t cry...

Suddenly I know I'm not sleeping,

Hello, I'm still here,

All that's left of yesterday…"

She blinks away the tears as Pippin sobs. Denethor doesn't seem to have noticed she's sang at all. She turns away, and lets the tears fall silently, mourning the loss of her new friend.

The beginning... of the end.

Song credits: "The Edge of Night" by Billy Boyd, "Hello" by Evanescence.

Next time, on Alice in Middle Earth: The Return of the King

And so begins the final adventure, the last chapter, the end of our journey. What will happen to Faramir? Where are Aragorn, Gimli and Legolas? Will Alice get a chance to fight in the Battle of Pelennor Fields, or will she be asked to stay behind? Stay tuned!