Hey all! Fifty reviews! I cannot describe how fantastic I feel! It's wonderful! Thank you all! I cannot express how thankful I am for your words of kindness. I don't deserve it, yet you all openly give it to me.

I have recently been accused of complaining about a certain author's tendency to be harsh to her characters. And I'm guilty too! Guilty! To get to the point, I, myself, have been definitely hard on my characters all throughout this story! I truly never realized how much of a hypocrite I am!

Disclaimer: I do not own Lord of the Rings.

Rating: PG-13

Calin cracked her eye open slowly as the sun shone down on her face from the open window. She looked to her side and smiled softly, looking out the window. Calin sighed and turned her head to the other side. Her eyes' fell upon the resting form of Legolas. He was sitting upon a chair next to the bed, with his arms folded on the side of the bed, and his head resting on his arms. She examined his soft, blonde locks, framing his face as he stirred and opened his eyes' slowly. A small smile played across Calins face as their eyes' met. "Hello," she said quietly, as a large smile found it's way onto Legolas' face. He sighed and blinked, never taking his gaze off of Calin.

"Good morning," he replied, his voice soft and sweet. "Are you feeling better?" he asked, praying that she would respond positively. Calin shrugged and lay her head back.

"Well, I have a slight headache," she started, casing Legolas to frown. "But other than that......I feel fine," Calin finished. Legolas then sighed softly and smiled, happy that she was free of her dreadful fever. The fever......what did she mean when she said she thought she were sick? Legolas played this question across his mind many times before he gathered the courage to ask her. Calin was resting, eyes' closed, humming a quiet tune as she dreamed she were anywhere, but in a healer's house.

"Calin?" Legolas asked, breaking from his silence. Calin opened one eye slightly and moved her eye to look at him, opening both then. Legolas gulped as he began to fumble with the corner of the bed sheet. "Calin......what did you mean......yesterday, when you said you were sick?" Calin blinked and moved her head to face a window on the west side of the room as she thought. After breathing deep, Calin gathered her thoughts and began.

"Legolas......It's all so hard to explain. Ever since I was a little girl, I have found myself with these sudden fevers," she started.

"Yes, you told me that yesterday. What I meant to ask was......is it serious? Life-threatening?" Calin blinked, startled by the sudden question she had never even thought of. She opened her mouth to speak, but found no voice as she tried to speak. Calin cleared her throat hastily and avoided Legolas' gaze.

"I do not know......I never really thought of that......" she muttered in a whisper. Legolas grasped her hands and held them between his own. He did not speak, but only held her hands in his, looking in her eyes,' with a look that was a mixture of sadness and fright. Calin was speechless as his warm fingers enclosed her own and sent a pulse of happiness throughout her entire body. Legolas broke out into a small smile and squeezed her hands softly.

"It's better not knowing, anyway," he whispered. Calin smiled lightly at his words and sighed.

"We are entirely off schedule, aren't we? If only I had not gotten sick," she said playfully, a smirk growing upon her face. Legolas huffed in mock annoyance and looked away.

"Yes, indeed. We are most behind schedule." Calin chuckled and smiled, causing Legolas to laugh lightly. "But we shall take as much time as you need, m-" he said, cutting himself off before he said the words he surly would of regretted. Calin looked to him with expectant eyes' as she waited for Legolas to finish his sentence. And after waiting for a few moments, Legolas not saying anything, but looking out the window, Calin spoke up.

"Yes, Legolas?" she asked, waiting for him to continue. Legolas jumped softly and looked to her and then away quickly.

"It is nothing," he answered in haste. Calin narrowed her eyes' and huffed, trying to look as annoyed as possible. The wind blew softly as she sat there, not knowing what on earth to say, but nonetheless, sat there. Legolas was wrapped up in his own little world as he watched a bird outside build a nest upon a tree branch. He smiled and sighed, loving every bit of being with Calin and watching nature in play. Calin tapped on the blanket with her finger and suddenly spoke up.

"I am hungry. I will go-" she started, but before she could even lift herself from the bed, she was pushed back. Legolas put his each of his hands upon her shoulders and pushed her back lightly, her back hitting the pillows. Calin smiled nervously as Legolas only looked back smugly.

"Allow me," he said politely as he sat there, still holding her back. When Calin nodded slowly, he smiled sweetly and removed his hands from her shoulders, backing away. Legolas jumped up and briskly walked to the door of the room. And at the same second that he went to open the door, he found the door already opening. He backed off quickly as the door flung open. Legolas smiled curtly when Seon, who was not holding any specific expression, walked through the opening.

Once Legolas was out of the room, Seon closed the door behind him and looked to Calin, who smiled nicely. Seon smiled as well and looked to the ground as he walked closer to the bed and sat upon the chair that Legolas had once sat in. After sighing heavily, Seon grasped Calin's hand and looked up to her eyes.' Calin looked to him, wondering what he was doing. "Calin......I came to tell you something," he stated. Calin nodded, telling him to go on and breathed deep.

"Yes?" Seon gulped and looked down, blinking and then moving his gaze back to Calin's.

"Calin......I do not want you to go," he said hastily.

"What?" she asked. "Why?!" Calin added, her tone rising and her eyes' widened. Seon grasped her hand tighter and looked away.

"Because......I care for you......" Seon added, feeling oddly nervous.

"Seon," she groaned. "I told you yesterday. I will be fine. Legolas would not do any harm to me," she finished, chuckling slightly at Seon's conditions.

"No......I know......I mean.......I care for you, Calin." Calin's body froze as she began to comprehend what Seon was saying. She gulped loudly and threw her gaze out the window as she prayed that Legolas would come back at this moment. "Please, Calin......I think......I love you," he said, clearly caught up in his emotions. That was it. How could he of hidden this from her?! Calin's expression turned to blankness and when she spoke, her voice was thick and cold.

"So you hid this from me?" Seon nodded painfully. Calin huffed. "How could you hide this when it has probably been biting you up inside?! How could you of even left me if you 'love' me?! I do not understand!" she said harshly as her gaze began to tear his own apart.

"Calin......I-"

"No, I do not want to hear it. Seon......if you really loved me, then you never would of left me alone in Minas Tirith!" she added, her voice bitter and cold.

"I thought you were happy for me!" he yelped, not knowing what else to say. Calin sighed in annoyance.

"Seon! What was I supposed to do? Chain your arm to mine and make you stay?!" Seon's head fell as he listened to what Calin was telling him. He slowly loosened his grip on her hand as he began to form his next question.

"T-tell me......do, or have you ever, felt the same way?" he asked, his voice filled with hope. Calin shook her head slowly, feeling a tinge of worry for him.

"I'm so sorry, Seon. You have been a wonderful friend. I wished for no more." Seon then felt his hand pull away from hers as he stood up slowly. Calin felt like bursting out in tears. His face seemed as if it was blank as he stood there staring at her, trying to figure out anything he could. "Seon, please......do not take this the wrong way," she started. Seon then huffed quietly and his face hardened.

"How could you be so cruel?" he asked, his tone icy and dark. Calin gasped as she looked to him in surprise. Calin jumped out of the bed – still wearing the clothes she had on the day before – and looked him in the eye.

"I cannot help my feelings. If I loved you, it would be the love of a sister. If you cannot handle that, then – I do not know – just handle it," she whispered bitterly and her tone extremely edgy. Seon only looked back with a blank stare, causing Calin to loose her patience. Calin huffed angrily and stepped back. With one last look of anger, she walked around him and flung the door open. Walking into the main room, Calin stopped and held her hands on her hips. Legolas turned from the kitchen opening and looked at her, surly puzzled.

"Calin!" Legolas said. "What is the matter?" Calin sighed and put her hand to her forehead.

"Legolas, please, can I just get something to cure this damned headache, and get out of this place?" she uttered, throwing her hands up and looking around for the exit. Legolas ran to Calin at once, eyes' wide and his mind boiling with worry.

"Calin," he started sternly. "Has Seon hurt you?" he asked, his voice flowing with fury. Calin jumped.

"No! No......he was just being......thick-minded," she said briskly, not wanting him to hurt her friend. Yes, Calin was, no doubt, frustrated with Seon. But she didn't want Legolas to do anything harmful to him. Legolas sighed with relief and hugged Calin.

"I am very sorry......I was just worried," Legolas said quietly, rubbing her back soothingly. Calin smiled and pulled back and looked into the deep blue eyes' before her.

"It is all right, Legolas. Now......can I have something to help my head so we can be on our way?"

"Of course," Legolas answered, a smug smile playing across his lips.

Once Calin had downed the medication for her pounding headache, her and Legolas went on their way. Calin did not even wait to have something to eat, for she just wanted to be out in the open again – breathing the fresh air. Legolas was worried that she would get sick again, but decided to let Calin make her own choices about what she was to do and what she wasn't – though this took him much time to admit.

The sun was coming to a slow set on the second day after they left Edoras as Calin and Legolas began to slow down – once again - in a thick forest. Legolas had seen a stream back a ways and was following it through the forest. He was hoping to find a safe place to stay for the night along it, so they could be enclosed in the trees around them and not out in the open for any possible enemies to see. The forest was quiet and smelt of fresh water. It was a bit creepy, but was oddly refreshing from the wide-open fields they had been riding through the past days.

Calin pulled back the reigns, stopping the horse from going any further after seeing Legolas do so. One after another, they both dismounted from their horses and stood upon the soft grass and dirt covering the forest floor. "Is this spot all right?" Legolas asked, hoping that it would suit her.

"Legolas, it's fine. I am no picky person," she said, followed with a chuckle. Legolas smiled and unpacked his things from the horse and set his sleeping cushion upon the ground – Calin doing the same. "I assume we shall be building a fire again tonight?"

"Of course. It is the safest thing to do," Legolas stated. Before each could even hand out jobs to each other, both scurried off together and gathered an armful of logs each. They laughed along the way, joking and teasing one another about anything they could come up with. And before it got dark as black night, they had returned to their camp spot and were setting up a pile of logs. Legolas then started a small fire with a piece of flint – that he had brought along with him - and sent more sparks at it until it was a well enough size.

The night started to cool off as the time went by. Calin cuddled up by the fire upon her sleeping cushion and watched it intently. Her gaze penetrated the flames, while her thoughts were upon other things. She thought about what she had gone through the past couple weeks. It had all happened so quickly! She really hadn't known Legolas for more than two weeks! Then at the same time, she felt as if she had always known him – that they had met at birth. Calin thought about what was ahead of her too. She wondered what the great palace of Mirkwood would be like. After hearing that it was quite a creepy and dark place, she found herself worried that she would not be comfortable. But then her mind would just tell her, 'as long as Legolas is there.'

Legolas sat in his spot, still as the summer air on a humid day. His eyes' found themselves resting upon Calin and when the air had gotten considerably cooler, he saw that she had began to shiver. He was surly not going to let her freeze to death! "Calin," he whispered over the crackling of the fiery embers. Calin lifted her face up, and she looked at him, waiting for him to continue. "You must be freezing," he stated. Calin nodded softly but waved it off.

"No, Legolas. I will be fine." Legolas shook his head and stood up. He grabbed hold of the end of his cushion and dragged it over next to Calin's. Calin remained frozen, looking into the fire – feeling extremely nervous. True they had been much closer to one another before, but this seemed totally different. Calin's feelings for Legolas had become even deeper than before. And truthfully......they frightened her. Legolas sat down next to Calin and rubbed her back, trying to warm her up. He had almost chuckled at her state when he took hold of her waist and pulled her towards him – having her lean up against his body. Calin had to admit it though, she was feeling better. "Thank you," she said softly, almost in a whisper. Legolas looked down to meet her gaze and smiled sweetly.

"Your welcome," he replied, rubbing her back once again. Calin then – out of the blue and to her own surprise – leaned her head down on Legolas shoulder, causing Legolas to smile in happiness. And when he noticed her eyelids beginning to fall to a close, he smiled and moved his mouth towards her ear. "Calin......I think you better lay down and sleep," he whispered. Calin nodded sleepily and Legolas slowly lay her down. Once she was on her back, Legolas slid over to his cushion – which was right next to hers – and lay on his side watching her with the fire dancing in the background.

Before long, the fire had gotten dim and the air had cooled to it's lowest it would reach that night. After thinking before he did anything, he moved himself over and lay on his side – this time so his shoulder was touching her own. Calin stirred onto her side, facing Legolas now – the edge of her face glowing in the firelight. Not being able to hold himself back, Legolas brought up his arm and cuddled up to Calin, slipping his arm over her waist. And after breathing in her crisp scent, he closed his eyes' and sighed deeply in content.

The morning had come too quickly to Legolas, for he was enjoying just being with Calin so close to him. Legolas swiped the loose strands of hair from her face as she stirred and began to awake. Shutting his eyes' quickly, he pretended to be asleep. Just after Legolas had shut his own, Calin had opened her eyes.' She almost gasped when she saw how close Legolas was (for their noses were but inches apart) and noticed that his arm was around the side of her waist. Freezing in her spot she watched Legolas face as a subtle smirk began to crawl upon Legolas features. He slowly cracked his eye open and shut it back tight quickly when he saw her staring at him with confusion. Calin – not knowing that Legolas was awake – slowly brought her hand up and tried to remove Legolas' arm so she could get up, but failed. Legolas held his arm there, causing Calin to moan with annoyance. He shifted closer and held her tighter, not letting her go. "Legolas!" she whispered, slapping his chest softly. Legolas chuckled, his eyes' flying open.

"Yes?" he asked.

"Can I get up?" Calin asked in return. Legolas shook his head from side to side and his smirk widened. "Legolas!"

"Must you?" he said, putting on the best pleading face he could muster. Calin groaned and laughed lightly.

"Yes, I must." Legolas sighed and lifted his arm from her side, letting her slip out from his grasp – his chest feeling a cold pang of loss.

I hope you all liked the chapter! I am so happy that it's abnormally longer! I know that I updated quite quickly compared to how long it took me last time. But this doesn't mean that I will be updating this quick again. I actually did it because this weekend (of October 3rd) I will be going up to my grandma's. She and my grandpa live way – I mean WAY – up Maine. About six hours farther up Maine than where I live. That is also why this is a longer chapter. Because I knew I wouldn't be able to write this weekend. Review please!

.:kris:.