The Movie that Changed Our Lives (Elijah Wood/LOTR FanFic)

New Beginnings

I nervously bit my nails as I sat alone on my bed. It was almost two weeks since I received the news, and I didn't know what to do. Nobody besides me knew about my pregnancy. I wanted to wait and see if I had another miscarriage, but so far it seemed like the baby was staying. I threw up most mornings and would become dizzy, but I did not have any horrible pains to suggest a miscarriage. This baby was real, and was going to really stay in my stomach for another six or seven months.

I automatically knew when Elijah got me pregnant. I cursed myself for loving and missing him so much in that moment. We just did what we hadn't done in so long, and never thought of anything else. Just the thought of us finally being together was more than enough. Being away from him for more than year was definitely the worst mistake I ever made in my entire life.

I didn't know who to tell. Our moms would find out eventually, and Mom would definitely go bezerk if she knew I was pregnant for real this time. I thought of calling one of my friends, like Leo, Maryam, or Mandy, but refrained against it. They would immediately tell Elijah, and I did not want that to happen. One thing I was definitely sure about was that I wasn't going to tell Elijah yet. I had to really wait before I could trouble him with this. I had to tell him at the right time, and I had to be the one to tell him.

Casey wondered why I was so antsy and moody during the week, but she said nothing. Thankfully, she wasn't old enough to really understand or see the signs of my pregnancy. Mom gave me a suspicious, worried glance whenever I spent my mornings vomiting, so I always insisted that I was just having stomach aches. She confined me to bed for a few days, and I spent them alone, for Elijah was out doing some interviews for Eternal Sunshine. I had to reschedule a couple of mine, citing that I was sick. I just hoped Mom would let me out of bed for the interviews with the entire cast members, like those ones in Lord of the Rings where the same person interviewed us in groups and alone. Near one of my last days in bed, Elijah was able to come over, comforting me with no idea what made me so sick. My pregnancy hormones sprinting around like crazy, I cried into his chest, and he wrapped his arms around me.

"What's wrong, Kitty Kat?" he soothingly asked. I wanted to tell him the truth so badly, but I could not. It just wasn't the right moment yet. Elijah seemed to have an idea of what made me so upset. "Did you have that nightmare again?"

Oh god, that nightmare! I seriously forgot about that. I starting sobbing even more, in fear that the nightmare would come true. The only difference that brought me a tiny bit of peace was that we weren't married. Just knowing that subsided my cries just a little bit. Elijah stroked my hair, thinking that it would help relax me. It didn't at all. Shesh, I was a crazy, hormonal mess, and only a few months or so had gone by. I didn't even want to know what would happen when my stomach was bigger. Oh my god, I was going to be so fat! I could just imagine myself becoming just as big as Liliana was in Lord of the Rings, and that just made me even worse. This pregnancy was not starting off to a good start, that's for sure.

*****************************************************************

Unable to take it any longer, I called one person who I felt understood us the best: Dominic. He was back home in England, so it took a while for him to pick up the phone, with the time difference and distance and all. Dominic was fairly cheerful when he finally answered, chewing loudly on some gum with music playing in the background. "Hey, Love," he grinned. I could hear him going to turn down the music, and I wiped my nose with a tissue. I was curled up in my bed, holding my knees close to my face, shaken and a mess.

"H-Hey, Dom."

"You okay?" he immediately asked me, "you don't sound so good."

"I'm a mess, Dom," I admitted to him, "no joke."

"Well, it must be something bad, right?" Dominic chewed, "cause then you'd be talking to Elijah."

I nodded. Man, Dominic just knew me too well. "Y-Yeah...I don't know who else to talk to."

Dominic was surprised. "Really?! Then it must be really bad, if you're calling me out of all people."

"Well, you know me," I whispered to him. It was true; after Elijah, he was the one person who seemed to know me the most.

"I guess...so tell me what's bothering you. Elijah problems?"

I shakily laughed. "I wish. This is even worse."

"Well, what's up?"

"Umm...so you remember that conversation at the bar in New Zealand, after the premiere and all..."

He smacked on his gum. "Yeah, yeah. You were acting weird 'cause you didn't wanna drink."

"Yeah...and you were kinda right about what you said...ya know..."

Dominic stopped moving the gum around in his mouth. "So, you already knew about your pregnancy?" God, I had no idea how he could say that word so easily. It was so tough for me to allow those words to escape from my lips.

"No...I just found out last month...but I have been since November or something."

"Isn't that when you two got back together?" he chuckled.

"Y-Yeah..."

"Is that why you two are together again?"

"E-Elijah doesn't know yet...y-you're the only one," I stuttered.

"What?! You gotta tell him, Kat. Really soon. This is something he really needs to know."

"I-I know," I sighed, "I'm just so scared. Back from when we filmed my death scene, Elijah had a weird feeling about Liliana's death, l-like it was going to happen to me or something. A-And I had a miscarriage, remember? A-And I had a nightmare before we separated, w-where Elijah was dead on a hospital bed, a-and we both wore rings a-and I was pregnant." Tears flowed down my face and my voice chocked up as I recalled all those memories that made my pregnancy even worse.

"None of that's going to happen, Love," Dominic firmly assured me, "you two are going to be fine."

"I-Isn't Elijah gonna get mad?" I sniffled.

Dominic scoffed. "You know he's going to be the happiest man on the planet. And you and Elijah are going to be amazing parents."

"Y-You sure?"

"Trust me, Kat. Everything's going to be fine."

"O-Okay...just don't tell him yet. I wanna be the one to tell him."

"Don't worry, Kat." I could clearly hear the sincerity and mischief in his voice. Before I could say another word, a beeping sound burst my eardrum.

"Oh, hold on; there's another call coming."

"Sure, sure."

I switched over to the other line, slowly saying hello. "Kat!" Elijah panted. I froze, and waited for him to continue. "Can you meet me by the tree house in a couple hours?"

"W-Why?"

"Well, you've been feeling so down that I thought I'd cheer you up." My god, he was so sweet. My eyes watered just thinking about him. "And you better not say no, because I just got back from getting some groceries."

I cracked a tiny smile. "O-Okay, Elijah. I love you." And I really meant it. I meant it with all of my heart.

"Bye, Kitty Kat." He kissed the phone and hung up, and I switched it back to Dominic.

"Dom?"

"Who was it?"

"E-Elijah," I answered, "he wants us to have dinner in our old tree house, 'cause he sees that I've been depressed lately."

"Well that's lovely," Dominic encouraged me, "perfect time to tell him."

"I-I guess..."

"You'll be fine, Love. Just relax, and remember that he loves you."

"T-Thanks, Dom," I smiled.

"Anytime, Love," he laughed.

Those hours passed by quicker than I expected. I barely had time to clean myself up and look somewhat decent for Elijah. Even though my belly was still small, I wore a loose-fitting dress to hide it, just in case. I told Mom I was heading out to the tree house as I left, and she only nodded her head, busy at work in the kitchen. I nervously walked through the woods, carefully making sure I didn't lose my balance over the big tree branches. I hugged my sweater closer to me as dusk fell and it grew colder, trying to figure out what I would say to Elijah. There were so many ways I could go about telling him, and I didn't know which one to choose.

When I arrived, I could only see candle-light from the small tree house window. It was darker now, and I squinted to find the ladder. I wasn't even up there yet, and it smelled so good. I curiously wondered what Elijah made for us. Suddenly, his face popped out from the window, his face lighting up in joy when he saw my face look up at him. I was breathless as the candle-light added a soft glow to his face, shocked and thankful that Elijah was mine. He was just too perfect in every single way. I couldn't believe the both of us would actually have a child together, a child that was the combination of the both of us. He was seriously going to be the most caring parent I ever knew, and it warmed my heart just thinking about it. My constant struggles and worries about Elijah and the baby disappeared when I saw that spark appear in those beautiful eyes of his, my mind at temporary peace.

"Kat!" he exclaimed, coming down to help me up. I lovingly smiled at him and allowed him to help. Normally I would be able to do it myself, I had climbed up this ladder too much and recognized each step and pattern, but I wanted him to assist me, to feel his strong arms wrap around my waist and his hand guiding me. "I have a crazy surprise for you," he grinned.

"I have one for you too."

"Mine is better," he winked at me, melting my heart.

I giggled like a lovesick schoolgirl. "I rather doubt it."

"I dunno...mine is insane."

"We'll see about that," I mysteriously replied to him.

"Wow, someone's in a better mood," he noted and I giggled.

Once we both climbed in, I could see the tree house. I gasped at the little candles, and all the junk food spread out on the floor. There were a couple bowls of Kraft mac and cheese, and giant bags of Cheetos and chocolates. It was a hormonal girl's biggest dream. "Oh my god, Elijah!"

"I got all your favorite comfort foods!" he proudly grinned at me, "everything that makes you feel better." I really didn't deserve such a wonderful man like Elijah. He just knew me so well, and knew exactly what to do in every type of situation.

We ate until we were stuffed and everything disappeared. Content and full, I leaned back in Elijah's lap, feeling his fingers glide through my curls. Everything was so perfect, so serene. I didn't know if I should spoil the silence with my alarming news. Elijah kissed the top of my head and smiled. "I still have that surprise for you."

I felt his hands absentmindedly stroking my belly, pulling me closer to him. "Mine is still better," I teased, playing with his fingers.

"Close your eyes," he instructed, "and we'll see."

I squeezed my eyes shut, feeling Elijah moving around from under me. He gently tapped on my shoulder and whispered for me to open my eyes. When I opened them, I gasped in complete shock, trembling with wide eyes at the view in front of me. I-It was that ring from Rome, the one he hid from me. The one with little leaves.

"So, Kitty Kat," he began, "you know how much I love you..." His chin rested on my shoulder, and I craned my neck to face him, my eyes shinning in wonder. Was he doing what I think he was doing?! "I thought now would be the perfect time, since I've drugged you with comfort food, to tell you how much you mean to me. That you're the Liliana to my Frodo. That I'd sail from the Grey Havens to the Sea of Undying Lands if you were no longer with m-"

"You little nerd," I interrupted with mischief gleaming in my eyes.

"Hey, hey now. Katherine, you gotta let me finish." That was unusual on its own; he never called me Katherine. Ever.

"Go on," I muttered, "I'm sorry."

He kissed my cheek. "I know you love all these little reasons, Katherine." I nodded at the truth. My heart warmed up just by listening to him tell them to me. "S-So I wanted to know i-if you'd wanna be Katherine Eve O'Hara Wood..." He grew silent, blushing like crazy while he waited for my response. Oh my god! Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god! He just proposed to me! He wanted to marry me! My heart literally stopped as I processed everything that was going on. He wanted to spend the rest of his life with me, to conquer the world with me!

I snatched his face and passionately kissed him without saying a word. There was no way in hell I was going to say no to that proposal. Elijah broke it off, his nose rubbing against mine. Pine-wood overrode my senses, making me dizzy and in love even more. "S-So, i-is that a yes?"

I laughed and grabbed the ring from his hand, putting it on my finger. The metal felt cool and comforting against my skin, like it belonged there. "Hell yeah it is." I kissed him again, my waist colliding into his. This time I broke it apart, batting my eyelashes at him. "Wanna know my surprise?" I murmured, softly biting on his lower lip, "yours was so good, but mine is better."

"Oh really? Is that a challenge?"

I stared right at his bright blue eyes, filled with the most love I had ever seen. "W-We're going to hear the pitter-patter of tiny feet...a-and see tiny blue eyes like yours, a-and little curls bouncing around." I tapped in his nose with each description, lovingly smiling at the thought. It was quite magical to think about.

Elijah's eyes impossibly became bigger in shock. "Y-You're..."

I nodded. "That child we lost is coming back," I bit my lip as I whispered the words to him, waiting for his own response.

His hunger and fierceness increased with another kiss. Everything turned out so perfectly. I did not expect the proposal, but that sweetness added on with the relief and happiness I felt. He wasn't angry about my pregnancy. No; in fact, he was so elated that he couldn't contain his excitement any longer. Dominic was right, I had absolutely nothing to worry about. Everything was going to be just fine.

*******************************************************************************************************************

The next morning's sun shone into the tree house, causing me to stir in my sleep. I grumbled and opened my eyes, cuddling closer to the warmth. Elijah's head was dug deep in my neck, and his arms wrapped around my waist and cradled my belly. The belly that held our child. I smiled to myself as I stroked his hands, feeling my ringed finger against his skin. There was nothing else I wanted more than to stay there forever, in that pose with Elijah.

My eyes flashed back to the first time we were in this tree house together. It took us and both of our dads weeks to build this, and we were both relieved when it was safe to start coming up. We would eat sandwiches and lean our heads out one of the windows, throwing the crusts we never wanted to eat at the ground. We would intently wait and laugh when an animal approached it, curiosity driving us to shout and howl at the animals, which drove them away. From a window we would throw rocks at nearby trees, having frequent competitions on who hit more. This was the tree house where we would practice lines from his movies and my school productions, giggling and goofing around until the sun fell and covered the woods with darkness. We were here right after Elijah found out about his parents' divorce, me comforting him as he shakily sobbed in fright, unsure of what the future held for him and his family.

Man, this tree house contained so much history. Elijah thought of the perfect place to propose. Now, in the future, our own children would play in the same tree house their parents and granddads built with their own hands. It was that circle of life, revolving and coming back around. I couldn't have asked for anything better. Elijah and I were going to be so happy together, in so much bliss and beauty. I just knew it.

Elijah groaned as he woke, tightening his grip on my stomach. "I can't feel the baby," he sadly replied to me, "I just feel your skin."

I curled up closer to him. "We gotta wait for the baby to grow," I soothingly said to him, "for it to start kicking and moving around. Right now it's a small pea."

"But bigger than our other baby, our miscarried one, right?"

My heart sank in thought of that tiny little thing. "Y-Yeah."

"Oh, Kat," he mumbled, "you are going to be an amazing mom. The most beautiful and amazing mom in the world. Even better than our moms."

"I doubt that," I chuckled.

He kissed my ear, nibbling at it and making me moan.

"Are we gonna tell anyone?"

"Let's have them guess and be surprised. Imagine their faces."

"Mandy is gonna go insane," Elijah chuckled, and I laughed, "you know she loves us together."

"Should we go back? I don't think they expected us to spend the night here." I knew that they were running around without a head at the moment. They worried about us too much.

He sighed. "I don't want to. But I guess we have to."

Reluctantly, we cleaned up and began to make our way back. Elijah laced his fingers with mine as our homes could be seen in the distance. We could both see our moms sprint out my house with Hannah and Casey, looks of sheer terror and anger on their faces. "L-Let's not tell them about my pregnancy," I hurriedly whispered to him and he nodded in agreement. They looked so pissed.

"Elijah Jordan Wood!" Ms. Debra screamed at him, "where were you two?! We've both been worried sick!"

Elijah rubbed his eyes. "We fell asleep in the tree house after dinner."

"Do any of you know how dangerous it is in there?!" Mom screeched. God, they were both overreacting. It wasn't even a big deal.

"We're fine, Mom." I brushed the curls out of my face with my ringed hand, and Hannah noticed the its glint in the sun. Her eyes widened and she nudged Casey, who winced and looked over in interest. Our moms still didn't see the ring, instead lecturing us on the dangers from the woods.

"We're not going to let you guys date if you continue to run off and do wild things like this," Ms. Debra threatened the both of us.

I rolled my eyes and Hannah snorted. "Good luck with that, Mom."

"Shut up, Hannah. This isn't about you."

"Yeah, Ms. Debra, they're not gonna listen," Casey piped in.

"Casey!" Mom exclaimed, "stop being so rude!"

"It's true, Mom. When they get married and move away, they can do anything they want."

"That's not going to happen!" Ms. Debra and Mom turned to face the both of us, squinting in the sunlight. Elijah's hand tightened his grip on his waist, and I waved my ringed hand in the sunshine. They were speechless, unsure of what to say.

Hannah saved us by bombarding us with a huge hug. She giggled as she let go, happy for the both of us. "You're gonna actually be my sister, Kat! You finally did something good, Elijah!" I blushed as Casey also came to congratulate us. Mom and Ms. Debra still didn't say a word in reply to our announcement.

"Okay," Elijah coughed, directing to me, "I'm gonna grab my wallet and keys, and we'll go tell Mandy." He kissed my cheek and left me to face our moms. I gulped and waited for some sign of movement.

"D-Do you two know when you'll get married?" Ms. Debra finally wondered. Mom was still cold as stone, unresponsive.

I shrugged. "Probably soon, when the weather is better." I definitely wanted to get married before my belly was too big to fit into a wedding dress.

Thankfully, Elijah came back out wearing his sunglasses. I lovingly smiled at him, and he smiled back as he gave me a quick kiss. From the corner of my eye, I could see Mom's expression soften. "Sorry, Moms," he said, "I promise we won't be out for too long."

"Just don't do that again," Ms. Debra sternly ordered. He nodded and took my hand, leading me to his car. I gave a shy wave and left them alone, glad to be escaping that awkward moment with our moms.

Mandy took the news even better than they did. She basically shrieked and squished us until we couldn't breathe, jumping up and down and going insane. I told her I was pregnant too, and that sent her over the edge. I swear, if I didn't remove myself from her clutches, then she would have killed my baby.

"Tell me everything!" Mandy squealed in delight, setting the three, or four with the baby, of us on her couch. With Elijah's hand comfortingly rested on my thigh, I left out no details, even mentioning all of his geeky attributes to his proposal. Mandy laughed hysterically, calling Elijah the biggest geek in the entire world. I grinned in agreement, and Elijah's face reddened in embarrassment.

She gave a sigh and collapsed against her pillows. "You guys are so perfect. I seriously wish I was you, Kat. Elijah's the boyfriend I've always wanted."

Elijah chuckled. "Maybe I should ditch Kat and marry you, Mandy."

"Um, no you're not. You're mine," I mockingly poked him.

Mandy groaned. "See what I mean?! Perfection!"

Elijah and I laughed and she sulked in misery. She was right; Elijah was the perfect "one" for me. There was no doubt about it.