Title: Lights Out 8/?
Author: Sairalinde
Type: RPS/FPS
Pairing: Viggo/Sean B. and Aragorn/Sean B.
Rating: Explicit Sex (eventually knowing me)
Beta: Glorfindel
Disclaimer: This never happened...this is total fiction spurred on by a chain-smoking chocolate eating bunny that lives in my purse. Viggo, and Sean are real people but I make no claims on them. Tolkien’s characters belong to his estate. This was written in fun that's all.
Feedback: Yes please send to sairalinde @ hornofgondor.com
Archiving: OEAM, Rugbytackling, LOM, GO-others ask.
Summary: Sean has an accident filming and awakes to find himself in Middle Earth; everyone there is confused because he looks like Boromir. Everyone in the “real world” is worried about their friend. Especially Viggo.

[Chapter 1] [Chapter 2] [Chapter 3] [Chapter 4] [Chapter 5] [Chapter 6] [Chapter 7] [Chapter 8] [Chapter 9] [Chapter 10] [Chapter 11] [Epilogue]

Chapter 8

Well after dark Sean settled back on his blanket near the two hobbits that were sleeping soundly and listened to Gandalf explaining to Boromir the events of the past year.

Sean felt as if a knife was twisting in his gut when he heard Boromir ask, “And my father? How did he handle Aragorn, I can’t imagine he was pleased?”

Gandalf answered as carefully and as tactfully as possible about Denethor’s demise, but he heard the warrior break down. He’d feel the same. Denethor was a hard man for anyone to love, but he was after all the man’s father. He could tell the man was thinking if he’d only been there things would not have turned out that way.

Later he heard Boromir ask softly, “Aragorn married Arwen then?”

“Yes, he did,” the wizard answered patting the man’s shoulder.

“I see.”

Sean closed his eyes and wished he would just wake up back home. He could hear the sadness in those two words, and felt horribly guilty for sleeping with Aragorn. He’d done it because he was lonely, he saw Viggo in the other man, and Aragorn saw him as Boromir. That was fine when he thought Boromir were dead, but now…how is he going to face Aragorn and Boromir upon their return to Minas Tirith?

Sean didn’t want to hurt anyone; he just wanted to go home to Viggo and his friends and his daughters. He wondered if maybe he weren’t already dead and this place was some sort of hell. No. He was certain it wasn’t hell, his ex-wives complete with their divorce lawyers would be here if it were that, no maybe a strange limbo then?

The days of walking though caught up with him and he began to drift off to sleep finally.

The next morning Sean awoke to hear the sisters bickering around the fire. He rolled over and leaned on his elbow watching to two women.

“Not like that, silly,” Clara said staring at her sister holding a teapot awkwardly.

“Well that can’t be right either, Clara!” Cora defended her hands on her hips.

“Ladies please,” Boromir said softly settling on his haunches between them. “What’s the problem?”

“Tea,” Clara said softly and Boromir smiled.

“Well it will never get warm that way,” Boromir answered taking the teapot from Clara.

Sean noticed the others watching Boromir with the sisters. He helped them settle the metal teapot over the fire and Sean noticed the women look at each other and smile at each other behind the warrior’s back. Wicked little women! Sean thought nearly laughing. They did that on purpose to get the man’s attention!

After the party had their breakfast they began walking back toward the Entwash, but still Sean wasn’t sure they’d done all they were supposed to at Amon Hen. Boromir slowed his pace and joined Sean.

“You feel it too don’t you? Something still unfinished here.”

Sean nodded. “But I haven’t a clue what.”

“Me either. Perhaps Gandalf knows, he’s leading us somewhere, this isn’t the way back to the Entwash, it’s going the opposite direction,” Boromir stated casually.

Sean turned and looked at him and then realized in fact he didn’t recognize any of this part of the forest and then as they came over a small rise he started to feel the hair on the back of his neck stand up. He was starting to recognize this place, as was Boromir beside him.

After a few more yards Gandalf stopped. They were at the exact place where they thought Boromir had died a year ago.

“Gandalf, why are we here?” Legolas asked feeling uncomfortable. Part of him expected to see dead Uruk Hai everywhere and Boromir with arrows in his chest.

“Answers,” the wizard whispered.

The sisters wobbled to a stop beneath the tree where Boromir had proclaimed his allegiance to his king and they both tilted their heads looking at something.

“What is it?” Boromir asked moving toward them recognizing that look on the little women’s faces.

“A shadow,” Clara stated in unison with Cora.

Boromir and Sean both stepped to the area and saw what looked to be a shimmering dark shadow on the ground. Sean sucked in a breath and stepped back and Boromir fell to his knees.

“I don’t understand,” he murmured looking up at the two sisters.

Gandalf’s eyes met Sean’s then traveled to Boromir’s. “It is done. Whatever evil happened here that day is gone, destroyed with the ring, but guilt is a powerful thing. Boromir I suspect that until you fully forgive yourself, Sean here will not be able to return to his world. This shadow is a marker, a reminder of what was, what could have been had it not been for the sisters here. If not for them you would have died and I feel sure that Sean would never wake from this world to rejoin his own. When this shadow finally fades forever, only then will you be whole again, and Sean will return where he belongs.”

It seemed the whole of Middle Earth rest on Boromir’s shoulders. Guilt, for betraying the Fellowship, guilt for luring Aragorn into a relationship when he knew he was promised to another, guilt for leaving Aragorn before he promised, guilt for attacking Frodo, guilt for letting his father down, and now the added guilt of knowing he was preventing this other man from being able to return home. He’d rather he’d not remembered any of it. He had been happy staying with the sisters, doing things around the cottage for them. It had been a peaceful existence until his memory had returned.

Cora and Clara looked at each other sadly and then to the man on his knees. They both cared for the young lord they had taken in. They looked around at the others who were his friends. Then they looked at the wizard.

“Time is a measure of seasons, and a healer of wounds,” Clara stated softly and Cora continued, “Guilt will pass, with time, and love, just as a wound heals with time and love.”

Gandalf smiled at the two sisters. Silly they may seem at times, but they were wise as any he could recall.

Boromir stood up and looked around for a moment. Then looked at Sean. “I’m sorry,” he whispered as he turned to walk away.

So am I, Sean thought sadly, so am I.

------------------------------------

Viggo was startled awake, but by what he wasn’t sure. He looked around the hospital room. No one had come in, so that wasn’t what had brought him out of his slumber. Sean had not moved today and that had him more worried. He’d had so much hope the day before but now he wasn’t sure. Sean seemed even further away from them than ever.

He found himself leaning over the bed and whispering the first thing that came to mind, a poem he didn’t even remember he knew:

And an astronomer said, Master, what of Time?

And he answered:

You would measure time the measureless and the immeasurable.
You would adjust your conduct and even direct the
course of your spirit according to hours and seasons.

Of time you would make a stream upon whose bank
you would sit and watch its flowing.

Yet the timeless in you is aware of life's timelessness,

And knows that yesterday is but today's memory
and tomorrow is today's dream.

And that which sings and contemplates in you
is still dwelling within the bounds of that first
moment which scattered the stars into space.

Who among you does not feel that his power to love is boundless?

And yet who does not feel that very love, though
boundless, encompassed within the centre of his
being, and moving not from love thought to love
thought, nor from love deeds to other love deeds?

And is not time even as love is, undivided and paceless?

But if in your thought you must measure time into seasons,
let each season encircle all the other seasons,

And let today embrace the past with remembrance
and the future with longing.*

(*The Prophet: Time by Khalil Gibran )

Please Sean wake up soon, he thought as he kissed his friend’s forehead.
---------------------------------------------
Pippin walked beside Sean while Merry walked with Boromir. The two hobbits seemed to be switching off throughout their trek toward the sisters cottage.

“You want to go back don’t you?” Pippin asked looking up at Sean.

“I do, as much as I like it here, I have a life to return to,” Sean explained.

Pippin nodded in understanding. “It will turn out all right in the end, you’ll see.”

Sean smiled down at the cheerful little man. He wished that he could be that optimistic.

Over the course of the next few days the party traveled slowly but steadily toward the sister’s home in the woods.

By the third day he noticed a change in Boromir. Then again he was going to say goodbye to the two people who had taken care of him all this time. They had saved his life, that couldn’t be easy to do. Sean didn’t envy the man in the least. He had begun to notice that he felt a connection with Boromir, knew exactly how he felt. Then again they looked like identical twins just one with shorter darker hair, and he had played him. He knew Boromir almost as well as he knew himself.

When they finally arrived at a tiny cottage in the woods surrounded by flowers and herb gardens Sean couldn’t help but smile. This was a very good place to recuperate for anyone he thought.

The group said their farewells to the sisters, thanking them for what they had done for their friend and then moved away to the edge of the clearing to allow Boromir to say goodbye to his rescuers in privacy.

The two little women hugged him, and then handed him a package. When he turned back to the others his eyes were glittering with unshed tears and the sisters watched the party as they slipped away back toward Minas Tirith.

--------------------------------

When they arrived at the gates of the White City people audibly gasped when they passed, seeing both Sean and Boromir striding alongside one another. They had no idea what to think, first Boromir returned but it was not Boromir and now this?

When they finally arrived at the Great Hall Faramir practically ran toward them and stopped short when he saw Boromir.

He looked at Gandalf for a moment who smiled and nodded and then Faramir’s entire face lit up with a smile as he launched himself into his brother’s arms.

The two brothers laughed and cried and held onto one another tightly until a woman cleared their throat. Turning Boromir paled and even swayed on his feet, but Arwen just smiled serenely at him.

“It is good to see you alive and well, my lord,” she said tipping her head to him slightly.

“It is good to see you as well, my lady.”

“Come, my husband is not here right now. He will be returning soon. I am sure you are weary from your travels and would like the opportunity to bathe.”

Arwen turned and led Boromir to Faramir’s old chambers. “Sean had been placed in your chambers in your stead and since your brother has married he no longer uses his old quarters. Is this all right?” Arwen asked.

“Yes, my lady,” Boromir answered softly still feeling uncomfortable around this woman. He had led Aragorn to betray her. He did not deserve her kindness.

Sean walked to his chamber to bathe, Boromir’s chamber he thought bleakly as he stepped inside.

Later a servant arrived laying out fresh clothing for Sean. He dressed quickly and opened the door to go downstairs but was startled by Arwen.

“Give a man heart failure!” Sean screeched and Arwen laughed.

“Startled me as well, I was wondering if you and I could talk, about Aragorn?”

Sean swallowed hard and nodded not trusting his voice.

“I am worried about what his reaction to Boromir will be. He has been very upset since you and the others left, and I have had to talk him out of going after all of you several times. I fear that this may drive him over the edge; he so loved or loves Boromir, as you know. I cannot stand to see him hurt again, Sean. I will not.” Arwen explained.

Sean cleared his throat before speaking. “I don’t think Boromir will hurt him.”

“Oh, I know he won’t but this is going to be such a shock. When you first arrived here I thought Aragorn might go mad for the first few days. Now finding out that the man wasn’t dead, Aragorn is a healer, he will blame himself!”

“A healer he may be but he isn’t magical, just a man. The sisters who saved Boromir are not mortal and I doubt they are even of this place if you get my meaning.”

Arwen nodded, she had suspected as much. “Nevertheless Aragorn will blame himself.”

Sean sighed, “This is turning into the biggest pity party in history. Boromir is so full of guilt that I can’t go home because of it. Aragorn will feel guilty for sending a man who wasn’t dead off to what would have been certain death had the sisters not found him, and here I am guilty of…of…”

“Of needing comfort?” Arwen asked running her delicate fingers down the side of a tapestry that hung on the wall.

Sean’s mouth snapped shut. Did the woman read minds or did she just know, or had Aragorn told her?

“You wonder how I know?” Arwen asked smiling at him.

“Well…um,” Sean sputtered unable to voice anything more.

“I have known Aragorn for over thirty years, there are certain things you learn about someone after that much time. I simply asked him, and he told me. There are no secrets between us, and that is why our love has endured. We do not hide from one another nor do we judge,” Arwen explained in her soft lyrical voice.

Go to Chapter 9