So, what business do I have writing another story?

Well, none. Absolutely none. *sigh* This is kind of a pointless little thing, but it was begging to be written. Ah well... Enjoy! :P

The last time he had set foot in Middle Earth, the entire world had vibrated with unshed tears and heavy hearts. He seemed to be the only one going about lighthearted with a smile (though, it hadn't lasted long with all the people glaring at him as if he were carrying some strange, incurable disease), but now…

He kept his hands in his pockets of the long coat, avoiding stepping on a couple of loose sticks on the ground. The air was alive and singing here. It was hard to believe, but curiosity drove him onward through the green sanctuary toward the structure spiraling toward the sky.

There were seldom few people in all the worlds he had seen who could sneak up on him, and there were even more who believed they could sneak up on him. But, she was one of those seldom few who could manage to surprise him, even if he was looking for her in the first place.

"It's been a long time since you've come, Timeless One." Her voice was a musical as the day he'd first met her, and she was just as lovely. He noticed a few more age lines around her eyes and mouth, but they only added to her splendor.

He bowed slightly, keeping his hands in his pockets. Straightening, they just stood there and stared at each other.

"Surely you didn't come here just to see the forest?" she asked, a smile pulling up the corners of her mouth in a teasing manner. She extended her hand toward him, and he slipped his hand in hers.

"Well, I suppose." He shrugged, caught the joy in her gaze, and offered a smile in return. "So, the Halfling did it?"

"I daresay he did." Her gaze turned toward the magnificent home her ancestors had built thousands of years before. "Sauron is no more, and the world can carry on in peace."

"But you aren't?"

She smiled at him sadly. "It grieves me to leave this world behind, but Valinor is calling and the time of the Elves is over."

He brought her hand to his mouth and kissed it. "I will miss you, my friend."

"And I you," she replied. "Did you not have a young companion with you during your last visit here? I thought…" She paused, realization dawning. "Oh, I see." Gently, she placed her hand on his cheek and turned his face toward her. "They are not like you and I, Timeless One. They all end in one way or another, and we will continue to live on."

"Yes, but it doesn't have to hurt so bloody hard," he muttered. "Even you're leaving now."

"As did you all those years ago. I wasn't certain of when you would return."

"Yeah, I know. I have a bad habit of leaving a trail of broken hearts through history." He pulled away, studying a young green sapling nearby.

"What was her name, Doctor?"

His shoulders tensed, and his hand froze on the small branch of the sapling.

"Rose," he said quietly. "Her name was Rose."