Hee hee :) Speedy update! I just love writing this story so much. I hope this chapter is everything everyone hoped it would be ;)

Tauriel walked into the clearing, not really sure why she was here. She had time off and she had decided to take a walk in the forest, and somehow her feet had taken her along the path she used to tread so often, along the path to the clearing. As she entered the clearing she sighed, maybe deep down she had always meant to come here this day. After all, today was their anniversary. Yesterday, was 50 years after the battle of the five armies, which meant today is the 50 year anniversary of the day he left. She allowed herself to walk to the tree, and climbed up the branches, reaching the top her fingers traced the small hole where the arrow had pinned his note to the tree. She pulled herself gracefully up to sit on their branch, in the same place she had always sat, and before the battle, when she was up here she felt calm, felt tranquil, felt secure. But today, she felt none of them, and she knew exactly why. He wasn't here with her. She looked out over the forest, and took in the sight of the trees, the forest was growing worse. It had been fine for a while after the battle, she had led the Mirkwood army against the spiders and had eradicated them, but then, numerous orc attacks had come, and the forest had returned to darkness. She was just grateful it hadn't overriden their clearing yet, even though she knew it was creeping up on it.


Legolas weaved slowly between the trees, taking in their poor condition. He sighed, he had hoped the darkness he had been fighting with Aragorn hadn't spread back to the Greenwood, but it appeared it had. He quickly changed directions, needing to check on something. He found the trail easily, he could never forget the way, and walked quickly towards the clearing. He was relieved to find it still pure, although the grass was a different, duller shade of green, and as he looked closely at the tree he could see brown tints on some of the leaves. As his eyes roamed over the tree another unusual colour caught his eye, a flash of auburn red, high up the top of the tree, he gasped slightly, realising what or rather who, it was.


Although she didn't feel much better, being in the forest comforted her a little, so she didn't move from the tree. She sat on their branch and it wasn't long until the memories came flooding back. And she welcomed them. For the last 50 years, she had put on a brave face, as she had promised herself, she had limited her emotions, not letting anyone see the pain she still felt. And she did still feel it. No matter how much she tried to forget, her heart still yearned for him, she yearned just to see him at this point. Although, as she considered it, she wouldn't know what to say to him if she did see him. She didn't know if she would be angry, or glad, or relieved? And then suddenly a scary thought hit her. Would he still love her? She hadn't doubted his letter until now, but what if he had moved on? Just when she was ready to admit her love, would he reject it? She knew she had broken his heart, she knew she had betrayed him, and just as she had no clue what she would say to him, she also had no clue about what he would say to her.

Tauriel sighed, none of that really mattered, she wasn't going to be seeing him any time soon, anyway. She turned and climbed down the tree, once her feet hit the ground and she turned she got the shock of her life to find the blonde haired elf prince who she had just been thinking about. Tauriel stared at him for a second, knowing she should say something but nothing came to her. All that she could get out was "My Prince," and she bowed her head in respect.

"Tauriel," Legolas replied, he too unsure of what to say. "It's been many years."

"50," she said quickly, and all of a sudden she felt angry with him, angry he left her and he had just walked into the clearing, that he just stood there in front of her. "It's been 50 years, Legolas. 50 years since you just left me here, with only a letter. You left, you said you couldn't go back but that's just what you left me to do." she took another step closer to him. "I had to go back, and I spent every day miserable, Legolas, and you weren't there when I needed you."

"What did you need me to do?" Legolas replied, not quite shouting but it was louder than usual, and she could hear the anger in his voice. "You wanted me to watch you mourn Kili every day? You wanted me to watch the one I love, love another? 50 years ago, I followed you across the land Tauriel declared my love on more than one occasion, and you brushed me aside, and now you say wanted me to stay?"

"Yes I wanted you to stay!" she shouted back, not even caring about his rank over her anymore.

"Why?" his voice was softer now, and for the first time she picked up on the concern in his voice. She looked up into his eyes and her anger vanished, she knew it wasn't fair to be mad at him.

She looked down, not wanting to meet his eyes now. "Because I love you." she whispered.

The clearing was silent. The two elves standing there, almost toe to toe, Legolas staring down at the she elf in front of him, not believing what she just said. Tauriel looked up at him, and continued on.

"Why do you think I was miserable everyday?" she asked, still whispering. "I wasn't mourning Kili, I was mourning the fact that I was stupid enough to drive you away. Kili was my friend, Legolas, but I never could love him as I did you."

"Then why...?" Legolas started and Tauriel knew what he was about to ask.

"Your father." she said and Legolas' eyes darkened slightly, maybe guessing what was to come. "On the day we captured the dwarves and I reported to him afterwards, he told me he would never allow you to marry a silvan elf and he warned me not to give you any hope." She took a deep breath and wrapped her arms around herself. "And so I didn't, I did nothing when you risked everything for me, and I know that it's too late Legolas, but"

Legolas couldn't stand it anymore. Tauriel stood there, she had wrapped her arms around herself, and he couldn't stand to see her like this, his love for her had never died, all that had stopped him was him believing she didn't return those feelings and now he knew that this wasn't true, he couldn't hold back.

He closed the distance between them quickly, stepping forward and bending down to press his lips to hers, cutting her off mid sentence. She almost took a step back in shock but she quickly changed her mind. His lips on hers felt amazing and in that moment her anger and her sadness both dissappeared. She unfurled her arms from her waist and flung them around his neck, pressing her body against his, wanting to feel him, needing to feel him. She kissed him passionatly, seeing as right now she wasn't capable of expressing it in words, she poured all her love in the kiss, letting him know what she felt for him. Legolas did the same, kissing her greedily, having waited too long for this. And it was better than he had ever imagined, and he couldn't help but find it perfect that it happened here, in the clearing that they shared so many moments in, it was fitting that this kiss was shared here too.

When the kiss ended and they broke away from each other, gasping slightly for air, Legolas looked her in the eye as he spoke, "Don't ever say that again, Tauriel. It is certainly not too late."

"You still love me?" she questioned.

Legolas laughed. "It was impossible for me to stop." he told her.

She smiled back, "Just as it was for me," she replied.


The two elves spent the rest of the afternoon in the clearing. Some of the time was spent talking about what had happened in the kingdom while Legolas was away, some of the time was spent telling stories of Legolas' travels with the ranger, some of the time was spent climbing up the tree and looking out at the view, and a lot of the time was spent in each other's arms, and a lot of the time was also spent kissing, either stealing light kisses from each other, or longer, more passionate kisses, and for the entire afternoon both elves were purely happy.

As they sat watching the sun set, Tauriel spoke up, remembering one fact she had been trying to forget this afternoon. "Legolas I'm not sure your father will accept this relationship. still. What do you suggest?" she asked, leaning her head on his chest.

"You affected him more than you realise 50 years ago Tauriel," Legolas told her. "Before I left when I spoke to him something had changed, he spoke of my mother to me for the first time in many centuries. Maybe you reminded him that nothing should stand in the way of love."

Tauriel tilted her head. "He has been gentler since the Battle," she said, "I'm flattered you think it has to do with my words. Also I may have shouted at him when he told me you had left."

Legolas smirked, "Of course you did," he simply said, and she tilted her head up, shooting him a friendly glare. "Anyway," Legolas continued, "It doesn't matter what he thinks, we are finally where we belong Tauriel," he said.

"Together," she finished. After watching the rest of the sunset, they left the clearing. Not for the first time they left the clearing hand in hand, but for the first time it was for a reason different to just friendship.

How was it? Comment/Review/Leave suggestions for later chapters although I will say I now have a rough kind of idea of where the story will go. But still - if I read an awesome idea I will definatly try to incorporate it in the story. But anyways I just love reading all of your comments - they make me happy :D