Disclaimer: I don't any recognizable characters or settings they all belong to Tolkien. The song belongs to Garth Brooks. No harm is intended, this is just for the fun of it. I'm not making any money from this, or anything else for that matter. So if you have some spare change, can you send it my way?

A/N: Ok, this is the last part of the 'Final Farewells Trilogy' of songfics. The first one was I Would Have Loved You Anyway, the second was called 'Now and Forever'. If you would like to read them, they are posted on ff.net under my penname, Coreinha.

A special thanks goes out to good ol' Garth Brooks, for this beautiful song that touched my heart from the first moment I heard it. I've just been waiting for the right story to come along for it, and I think this is it.

This song is from the Frequency Movie Soundtrack, which is a wonderful movie, I strongly suggest you rent it if you haven't seen it already.

Reviews are humbly requested, and any constructive criticism you can offer me would be much appreciated. Any and all flames will be laughed at, by me and everyone I know, then they will be deleted, so don't bother.

Special thanks to Abby, who encourages me, and tells me repeatedly that I don't suck. Happy Birthday girl!

Special thanks, as usual, to Trin, who beta's my fics, and also tells me I don't suck. I LOVE people who tell me I don't suck!

song lyrics in italics

Summary: SONGFIC: Final Farewells trilogy, pt 3. Legolas and Gimli arrive in Valinor. Find out who's waiting for them when they arrive!

Spoilers: yes yes yes, for Return of the King, you knew it would happen, so don't come whining to me!

Archive: Sure, just ask!

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There’s a ship out, on the ocean

At the mercy of the sea

Gimli stood at the stern of the little ship, trying desperately to control the rudder as the storm tossed them about.

Legolas was climbing about on the mast, tying down the various sails, before the storm ripped them completely off.

Gimli marvelled, as always, at his companions grace, and strength. The wind that threatened the sails didn't faze him in the least.

These past few years had been hard on the elf, though, as he watched the remaining members of the fellowship, and many other mortal friends succumb to their final fate.

A fate Legolas could not share with them, no matter how he might wish it.

Gimli knew his time was growing short, as well. He had maybe twenty more years in him, but his beard was graying, and his joints now creaked when he walked.

The dwarf feared what would happen to his dearest friend when he returned to the earth for the last time.

It’s been tossed about, lost and broken

Wandering aimlessly

And God somehow you know that ship is me

Legolas looked down at Gimli, as he tied off the last sail. The wind whipped his golden hair about his face, despite the leather band he had tied around it to prevent this very occurance.

He brushed a strand back, and watched as the rudder nearly bowled the stout dwarf over. Fifty years ago, that would not have happened.

But lately, it seemed he'd be watching his friend slowly give in to the inevitable.

Time was slowly stealing away all that Legolas had come to love, and this journey to Valinor was only delaying the inevitable.

’cause there’s a lighthouse, in the harbor

Shining faithfully

Pouring it’s light out, across the water

For this sinking soul to see

That someone out there still believes in me

Just as this thought sank in, there was a light on the horizon.

Battling the raging wind around him, he stood up straight on the mast.

Bracing himself with one hand, he sheilded his eyes with the other and squinted.

There, on the horizon, he could just make out a land mass.

Valinor.

As they drew closer, caught in the tide now, Ulmo calmed the seas for them, easing their passage. The sun shone through the clouds, warming their skin, and shining off the water like a diamond, and dolphins capered about the ship, racing it, and leaping up out of the sparkling water, as though to catch a glimpse of the boats inhabitants.

Legolas remained perched on the mast, trying to label the many emotions whirling about in him, while Gimli stood at the bow, watching for his first sight of Valinor through failing eyes.

On a prayer, in a song

I hear your voice and it keeps me hanging on

Raining down, against the wind

I’m reaching out ’til we reach the circle’s end

When you come back to me again

The ship drew ever closer, and now Legolas' elven hearing could pick up the sound of music, more beautiful than the most haunting elfsong he'd ever heard.

The Valar were singing.

It seemed Gimli could hear it as well, for he raised his grizzled head into the wind, and closed his eyes blissfully.

They could make out figures on the shore now, waving madly, as though they had been waiting all morning for them to arrive.

Legolas squinted, and saw his father and mother, arms about each other, smiling joyfully as they had when he was small.

Beside them was Lord Elrond, and the Lady Celebrian, and the twins Elladan and Elrohir.

As the ship reached the harbor, Legolas could see that their faces were no longer careworn, but bright and youthful as they were meant to be.

He looked down at his reflection in the water, seeing that, while still youthful and beautiful as ever, his face had become careworn as well. It had happened even faster than it had happened to Elrond, Thranduil and the others, probably because things always happened faster among mortals.

A silver tear dripped from his cheek, and fell into the ocean, and he idly wondered how many tears it had taken to fill up the entire sea.

There’s a moment we all come to

In our own time and our own space

Where all that we’ve done, we can undo

If our heart’s in the right place

The ship finally reached the shore, and Legolas and Gimli tossed ropes out, so it could be pulled from the water, to keep it from floating away.

After it was safely ashore, there was much work to be done, the unloading of many packages, letters from Arwen and Aragorn to their family, portraits of Elrond and Celebrian's grandchildren, and great-grandchildren, a few last artifacts from Rivendell and Eryn Lasgallen that had been left behind, as well as Legolas and Gimli's personal possessions.

In the flurry of unloading, and making sure that Gimli didn't overdo it, Legolas didn't have a chance to greet his family, or even see who else might be awaiting them on shore.

But as he tossed packages one by one down to the twins, and other elves who offered to help unpack the last ship, he thought he caught a glimpse of a familiar face, one he thought he'd never see again.

'But no, that's impossible,' he thought. 'He can't possibly be here, you saw him laid to rest yourself!'

On a prayer, in a song

I hear your voice and it keeps me hanging on

Raining down, against the wind

I’m reaching out ’til we reach the circle’s end

When you come back to me again

Finally, the ship was emptied, and Legolas and Gimli descended down the gangplank.

Legolas flung himself into his parents' arms, burying his face in his mother's shoulder. It had been many long years since he last saw them, and though he had been content to remain on Arda with his mortal companions as long as they lived, he had missed her greatly.

Gimli hid a smile behind his bushy beard, seeing his friends joy at being reunited with his family warmed the elderly dwarf's heart.

"Hello, Gimli."

Gimli blinked, and looked up automatically, to see who had spoken to him.

Imagine his surprise when the voice actually came from below him, it had been a long time since he'd been around beings smaller than himself.

Since Sam died, actually.

He grinned from ear to ear when he realized that the speaker was a hobbit.

Dark curls shone in the sun, and blue eyes danced with laughter.

"Frodo!"

Frodo smiled warmly, and hugged his old comrade fiercely.

"Why Frodo, you haven't aged a day! And you look so much stronger than when last I saw you!"

Frodo grinned even wider, if it was possible, "You have not aged either, my friend."

"And you are a liar, my friend, but I thank you just the same." Just then, Gimli caught his reflection in a large mirror that had been stored on the ship as two elves carried it somewhere or another.

He blinked in shock, he really had not aged.

Or, rather, he had UN-aged!

Where there had been gray hair, was only the bright red it had been in his youth. His face was no longer lined with age, and he realized that moving was no longer painful for him.

Frodo merely smiled knowingly.

And again I see my yesterday’s in front of me

Unfolding like a mystery

You’re changing all that is and used to be

When Legolas heard Frodo's familiar voice, he looked up from his parents. As he searched the crowd for the Ringbearer, he got the shock of his immortal life when he realized that not only was Frodo talking to Gimli, but Gimli looked young again!

As he looked around further, he saw faces he had thought forever lost to him.

Arwen was standing with her mother, watching Aragorn with a small smile, while he rough-housed with Elladan and Elrohir.

Apparently thinking the odds unfair, Merry and Pippin had cheerfully pitched in to help the King. Merry had a hold of Elrohir's right leg, hindering the elf's movements, while Pippin lobbed small pebbles at Elladan's head.

Sam and Rosie were standing nearby, shaking their heads at their friends antics.

Boromir was having some kind of in depth discussion with Faramir and Eomer, while Eowyn sparred playfully with Glorfindel.

On a prayer, in a song

I hear your voice and it keeps me hanging on

Raining down, against the wind

I’m reaching out ’til we reach the circle’s end

When you come back to me again

As he took in the sight before him, tears ran unchecked down Legolas' cheeks.

No longer were their faces lined with time and worries, nor were they forced to move slowly, careful of aging bodies.

Eowyn performed a little dance as she disarmed Glorfindel with a charming smile, and a deft flick of her blade. Legolas had not seen her dance like that in more than a hundred years!

He fell to his knees, finally catching the attention of his long-lost comrades.

Aragorn closed the distance between them, grinning from ear to ear. "I thought you would never arrive, Legolas! We have been waiting here for you forever!"

He flung his arms around the elf affectionately.

Legolas hugged him back, cautiously at first, then, when he realized that Aragorn would not be disappearing like so much smoke and mist, fiercely.

"How is this possible?" Legolas asked, when he found he could at last release his dearest friend.

"We have been rewarded, for all that we did for Middle Earth. We get to be the only mortals allowed on Valinor, and you and Gandalf get to have us around forever!"

Legolas smiled, all the heartache of the past century lifting from him as he rose gracefully. "Well then, mellon nin, we have a lot of catching up to do."

Elrond watched the warm reunion from his Celebrian's side.

Being reunited with her was all he had ever wanted, but as he looked to his left, he caught Elros winking at him conspiratorily.

Shaking his head, he watched as his younger twin dumped a large bucket of ice cold water on Elladan and Elrohir's head.

"Oh dear, I think this prank war is going to go on for a long time, Celebrian my love."

She smiled, all the hurt and fear she had suffered had long been erased from her features, "I do believe we should start locking our door at night, meleth nin."

When you come back to me again

~*~