The morning rays of sun were peeking through the curtains of Fiona's studio-makeshift bedroom. For the young woman, this was an annoyance because she always forgot to move the bed over. The sun just knew when she was sleeping good!

Rolling over to avoid the bright light, Fiona read the time on her bedside table clock and stifled a groan. It was time to get up anyway. Slowly, she sat up and glanced behind her. The other side of the bed was empty, which meant that Tauriel was up.

Normally, Fiona wouldn't have been so willing to be roomies with a complete stranger, but because she was Legolas' big sister, she hadn't hesitated. She couldn't figure out why, either. Ithilwen had never met Legolas outside of her dreams until recently, so that wasn't it, and she had met them both before Ithilwen even got home. If anything, it should have made her more apprehensive - and this was something she brought up with the elleth.

"I do not understand why myself," the elleth had told her bluntly. It was the evening of their first night as roommates, and Fiona watched the redhead slowly walk about the studio. Tauriel moved with a grace that she hadn't noticed in her sister, though she wondered if this elleth would have acted similarly if she had grown up among humans. She was inherently curious about her surroundings, and Fiona could tell that she was holding back a lot of restraint as she gingerly reached out to touch an object. Whether this was because she was being polite or paranoid, Fiona wasn't sure, and she didn't get a chance to guess when Tauriel turned back to her. "My people have been wary of strangers for longer than I have lived; I was raised to suspect everything foreign to me. With you, I do not feel malevolence under the surface. This room, this home, everything it contains are things that I could never dream of! It should frighten me to be so far out of comforts, but..." Her brows furrowed, and she looked at Fiona strangely. "...I do not feel fear, either."

Fiona tried to play off Tauriel's words that night, saying that it was just "Southern hospitality" that put her at ease, but she really couldn't claim that. She had, after all, ordered delivery pizza for their first meal in the modern world. That was about as far from treating one's guests well than she would have done otherwise, but in her defense she was overwhelmed. Even in that moment she still felt overwhelmed, knowing that two dozen people were currently in her house. The sound of her bathroom door opening had her turning to see Tauriel emerge in a pair of dark brown gauchos and a loose-fitting yellow tank top.

Tauriel nodded to Fiona. "Did you sleep well?"

"Oh. Yeah, yeah... 'cept the sun woke me again. You?"

"I rested well." The elleth moved to deposit her pajamas into the laundry hamper. "Do you wish to move the bed? I will be happy to assist you."

Fiona stood up from the edge of the bed, stretching her back. "Maybe after breakfast if nothing major happens." At her curious look, she added, "You know, if our families decide to get into another shouting match?"

"We have not given you a good impression, I fear."

"It's okay. Mom told me that Grandpa and your dad don't see eye to eye on some things. It's no different than what I heard about from school friends. They dreaded holidays where all of the family came together because it usually ended with someone bleeding."

"That is unsettling." Tauriel's lips were pressed into a thin line as she thought. "Sometimes I get the feeling that Adar purposefully instigates Lord Celeborn to get a rise from him."

"Could go both ways," Fiona snickered. "I don't hold any innocent expectations about my family. My sister has a devilish streak that wouldn't surprise me if it was inherited."


Upstairs, Legolas shifted in the bed, quickly coming to the conclusion that he was close to the edge, but not remembering why. If his backside gracing the edge of the mattress was any indication, turning on his right side would put him in the floor. So he scooted forward, or at least tried to, when he felt his knee bump into something.

Then he noticed the large lump under the covers.

His brain scrambled to make the connections as he lifted back the blanket to reveal Ithilwen curled up against him. She was what he bumped into. She was why he wasn't sleeping in the center of the bed. But why was she in his bed again? 'The rain. That's right, there was a storm last night.' With that question answered, he settled back into the bed, watching her sleep. He carefully pushed strands of hair out of her face, thinking about what she had told him. He couldn't recall middle-earth having thunderstorms of last night's intensity, and it was something he hoped wouldn't occur. Just the sounds of tree limbs snapping from the gusts of wind had woken him, and his first instinct was to prepare for an ambush.

Movement came from the lump of elleth next to him, and Legolas had assumed she was shifting around until a gasp startled him. It appeared she was startled too, judging by the expression she wore. "Holy hell," she breathed, relaxing seconds later. "I forgot where I was."

"So did I," Legolas chuckled. "I'm not used to sharing the bed with anyone. Though I must say that it was nice to wake up next to an elleth."

Ithilwen's reply was mumbled, having been trying to bury her face in the pillow to hide her embarrassment. "Maybe we can do this again sometime, then."

"I would like that."

She froze, turning her head slightly to look at him. 'He's serious.' "Maybe...maybe next time it won't storm."

"Why did it bother you so badly?" he asked gently.

Ithilwen sighed, uncovering her face completely. "I never liked thunder, and summer storms around here have a nasty habit of being...well, nasty. When the weather was like it was last night, it's favorable for tornadoes- that's when the winds form funnel clouds. They're unpredictable and can easily wipe out a neighborhood. When Fiona and I were still little, one appeared nearby, and Nana didn't get much warning from the reports. I remember her getting us into the bathtub and covering us...the house stayed intact, but we took some damage from flying debris. That memory's stuck with me, and I get freaked out when there's a special weather alert on the news. Some elf, huh?"

"Most elves fear balrogs," Legolas told her. "Our fears are a product of what we have experienced. I may not understand what this funnel cloud can do, but I can tell it bothers you greatly. Just as you understood my unease when I spoke of what happened in Moria."

"So I'm not a big chickenshit then."

Legolas laughed at her phrasing. "No, you most certainly are not." Then, without warning, he tightened his grip about her waist as he rolled onto his back, pulling her on his chest. "You know, I could very easily get spoiled having you next to me."

She tried not to squeal at the sudden movement, but she was having a harder time getting her heartbeat to return to normal. 'Act normal,' she told herself, resting her chin on her hands on his chest. 'At least as normal as can be when you're laying on your friend. Oh god I bet I look like some deranged blond sloth.' "You must have seen some things in the war if my scariness is a pleasure to wake up to."

"You are delusional, Ithilwen."

"Delusional? Me? You did see me yesterday morning, right?!"

Ithilwen felt her world shift again when Legolas flipped them, holding himself up by his elbows so he wouldn't crush her. They were nose to nose now, and once again she felt her heartbeat rise. 'Get your shit together, heart. Damn.'

"I saw an elleth that had gotten a restful night's sleep," he said. She thought he was going to say something else, but she felt a light brush of his lips against hers instead. It was a brief kiss, but it had the effect of making her forget what they were talking about. "I could get used to that as well," he added as an afterthought.

"Oddly enough, I could too." Ithilwen wasn't sure why she said it, but it was out there. It was also what Legolas wanted to hear, because he was smiling now, and as much as she fought it, so was she. A gurgling from her stomach made that fade quickly, leaving in its place pink cheeks.

Legolas shifted into a sitting position, allowing her to sit up as well. "I think we should go downstairs for breakfast," he suggested lightly, as if they hadn't just kissed again. It wasn't that he was trying to play off what had happened, but he had acted on impulse. Neither one of them were certain of anything, and to keep pushing forward like he had could be disastrous. 'I will simply have to reign in any desires I have around Ithil- Sweet Elebreth!'

Ithilwen had gotten up from the bed, pulling the throw blanket she had brought over her arm. She was feet from the bed when she heard an intake of breath and a muttered "Sweet Elebreth", and figured Legolas had done something. Upon turning back, he sat where he was, but he was looking at her in shock, and she couldn't understand why. "What's wrong? Leg cramp?"

"Not...necessarily..." There was no way in hell he was going to explain himself in that moment. Instead, Legolas tried to play off what was happening, shifting to hide his "leg cramp". "Are those...are those your...your night clothes?" The small tank top kept her top half moderately covered, but the short trousers... 'Could they even be called that?' he wondered. They barely concealed the bottom curve of her rear, making her legs look longer. It had been a feat to look away when she had turned.

"Yes..." she said slowly. "Do you not like them?"

'That's a stupid question, but I can't say that!' "They look nice on you," was what he said instead.

"They don't match," she joked, walking back towards the bed. "The shorts I bought separate cause the bottoms that came with this tank were too small. By the way," Ithilwen leaned across the bed to kiss Legolas on the cheek, "Thanks for letting me spend the night with you last night."

As soon as she kissed his cheek, Ithilwen was gone, retreating out of the room and treating Legolas to another view of her backside. He sat there in bed, trying to calm himself. Focusing on the most repulsive things his mind could create wasn't doing anything; it all came back to his fascination with those shorts, or rather what he peeked from them.

Legolas sighed, looking down at his covered lap and cursing silently. "I am in big trouble. Big trouble."


"So what's the plan for today?" Morwen asked the occupants of the dining room. Breakfast was drawing to a close, and she knew she had a few obligations to take care of soon after. Her work allowed her to be at home most of the time, but there were times that she was required to attend meetings. Since she had just returned from a conference in Europe, she only had reports to complete for the Records department.

"The storms brought down some tree limbs last night," Elrond noted casually, sending his sons a knowing look. "I happened to glance the backyard before I came downstairs. They will need to be taken care of."

Fiona glanced up from her eggs to see Elrohir nodding to her uncle, since Elladan was currently trying to swallow something. "There's a wheelbarrow in the shed," she offered. "If it's real bad it'll save some running back and forth." She wasn't going to outright say that she intended to help, recalling how Haldir had chewed Ithilwen out for cutting the grass. That didn't mean she intended to let a bunch of men - or any male species - do all of the work that she was capable of assisting with.

"The weather was simply dreadful last night," Arwen said. "I felt as though each time I began to rest, the noise alone would wake me."

"Summer storms can be like that," Morwen lamented. As she got up from the table to refill her coffee she asked, "How'd you sleep, Ithilwen?"

With her back turned, she didn't notice that her oldest daughter was focused more on her food than the question, or she might have worded her answer differently, considering who all sat at the table. "Pretty rough at first, but then Legolas let me sleep with him and after that I was fine."

The noises that echoed from around the table immediately after were something to behold. Morwen spun on her heel, nearly sloshing hot coffee out of her mug in the process to witness the fallout. There were a few gasps, some snickering, exasperated prayers to the Valar, but the one that stood out was the sound of Haldir's fork clattering on the plate as he said, "You did what?"

"I stayed with Legolas?"

"And where did you sleep?"

"In his bed." Ithilwen's voice was growing quieter with each response, while Haldir's remained that same, tense tone.

"And where did he sleep?"

"In...his bed."

Haldir nodded, as if it were perfectly fine, then he rounded on Thranduil. "I do not know what leniency your people practice, and if it is their wish to share beds then that is their decision. Your son may be of that practice, but that is my daughter and I will be damned if I allow her innocence to be tossed aside!"

Thranduil, for once, kept his silence and let the marchwarden vent. He fully understood his point of view, and would have reacted the same way if Tauriel was in her place. "Both are of maturity," he said slowly. "It would do you well to remember that, and in the future, consult the ones that you speak of directly."

"On my life, I swear nothing happened," Legolas told his friend. He had to speak quickly, since Haldir was looking at him as if he were contemplating gelding him with the butter knife. "Ithilwen couldn't sleep, so I told her she could sleep next to me. Believe me, I have no intention of harming your daughter's honor in any way."

"Daughter is right here," Ithilwen mumbled behind her hidden face. When she had realized the muck-up she had made, hiding her face felt like the best option, because sliding under the table could have only made things worse.

"I do not understand why Lord Haldir is so angry." Eowyn understood to an extent. Her own brother didn't handle the news of her engagement to Faramir very well, considering she had nearly died not long before it. But for the marchwarden to sound so lethal to a friend he had fought alongside with... "Could this have something to do with the connection they share?" she whispered to Tauriel.

Tauriel snickered. "I think it is part of the reason," she said. "However I think some of the reason is a rumor about my brother sleeping naked that has Lord Haldir on edge."

"You had to remind him of that, Tauriel?!"

"Wait - you sleep naked?!"

Aragorn laughed at the pair of elves. It was hard to say who had the more horrified expression: Legolas for having a rumor spread around the dining table, or Ithilwen, who was likely disturbed that the previous night could have taken a drastic turn. Looking to his twin brothers, he sent them a look that told them not to add to this dogpile of embarrassment. Morwen was already having enough trouble calming Haldir down.

Though to be fair, the rumors were true. During one of his rare visits to Greenwood when it was still known as Mirkwood, he had opted to visit the elf in question's quarters instead of waiting for him to appear. He had been escorted back to the chambers by a servant, and upon letting himself in, he had found the elf sound asleep in his bed. As he came to visit Legolas specifically, that just wouldn't do. Balancing carefully on one foot, he had used the other to shove the elf by the rear end until he rolled off the opposite side of the bed. True to form, Legolas had come up from the blankets ready for a fight, naked as the day he was born.

That was a story he'd wait and share another day. Because surely...surely there would come a time when he could use it as a means of revenge.


Once the awkwardness at breakfast had settled into something that would be laughed about later, it was decided that Ithilwen should go dress shopping soon, else anything appropriate might be swiped up for summer weddings. She and Legolas took her small Jeep, since this excursion had only one goal in mind.

Haldir stood on the front porch, watching as it backed out of the driveway. Because she could see easily behind this one, there were no frightening turns; a good thing, as he half suspected the small vehicle would turn over if she tried. Breakfast had been an experience, which said something when one really thought about the company present. Morwen had mentioned in passing that Ithilwen didn't like bad weather, but he had written it off as something she'd grow out of. Then he had heard from his daughter that she had spent the night in the bed with an unbound ellon, and of all people it had been someone he depended on to watch his back in battle.

He didn't like the conversation from the other day, and he most certainly didn't like this one. 'Ellith do not do these things,' he thought. 'I fear my children have become too comfortable in this world. What will it do to them when we leave?'

The screen door banged suddenly, and the sound jerked Haldir from his thoughts. Thranduil stood next to it, studying - and possibly cursing - the door in silence. Then he straightened, as if he hadn't just done what so many kids have been fussed at for doing. "I was told that these screens were designed to keep the insects from the home," he stated. "I cannot see them being very useful when the spider is as big as the storage shed behind the home."

"King Thranduil, I need to apologize for earlier. I-"

"The only thing you have to apologize for is addressing me as king." Thranduil stepped away from the door and moved to sit in the chair next to Haldir's. "When we are here, as it stands, I do not see the need to use such formalities."

There was silence for a minute, then- "Your wife asked you to say that, did she not?"

"Indeed." More silence. "Your wife has become quite comfortable with Miraear. She told her that for all the chaos of this world, there are places that are very relaxed. She wishes for each of us to savor the time that Mithrandir has given us before we are whisked back to our daily routines."

Haldir sighed. "I worry that our mundane tasks will overwhelm my children. The culture shock alone will be a challenge for them."

"I do not doubt it. However, I believe they have the skills to adapt. Your oldest daughter saw no qualms from insulting me in another language. They should make it."

"In her defense, there was a lack of background information about you, or she might not have said those things. I do not condone the words she used either."

Thranduil waved a hand dismissively. "I mentioned something of the matter to her. She did offer to teach me the words that lay in the insult, with a proper translation."

This was not something Haldir wanted to hear. Anything Thranduil was taught could be used against Celeborn, and vice versa. If Celeborn was the butt of the joke, then he would have to hear about it, which usually meant running errands in his place to exact revenge. It was like being the middle man for two overgrown children. That was probably why Galadriel had given him the task months ago to be on call for her husband during the redrafting of Lorien and Greenwood. "If it were your daughter," he picked his words carefully now, "What would you have done if she were in Ithilwen's place?"

The elf king was silent, mulling over his response. Haldir waited patiently, hoping that another father somewhat closer to his own age would have some advice. It was in these moments that he was reminded - very harshly - that the children that were a part of his life weren't actually children anymore. He missed the growing up, and he was getting a crash course in everything from modern technology to slang to mannerisms. He had been about to mention that there likely wasn't a solution under the circumstances, when Thranduil spoke. "If it were Tauriel... I would have reacted in much the same way. Our first instinct is to protect our children, even if it means that we make rash judgments."

"I doubt that you would make the mistake of my actions."

"Do you? Were you aware that Elrohir has approached Miraear and myself with the intention to court Tauriel?" The blank stare he received told him no. "Had I found out otherwise, even if the situation were different, I still would have pursued Elrond. A foolish decision, obviously; one that Miraear believes is a trait I took from my own adar. It is a stubborn trait, and I fear Legolas may have the same tendencies if pressed enough." Thranduil stretched his legs out across the porch and crossed his ankles as he continued. "Both are respectable ellyn. You have nothing to fear from my son, just as I have nothing to fear from Elrond's."

As the pair sat in silence, Haldir still felt a reason to be concerned. He didn't think it had anything to do with Legolas specifically, but there was something there that lingered between the prince and his daughter that wouldn't leave him alone.


Elsewhere in a remote part of Alaska, Jack Frost was sulking. It was a habit he refused to admit to, but it was quickly becoming a habit.

Call it teenage angst of an immortal degree, if you will. Had he been female someone would have made a premenstrual joke. the point was, Jack was experiencing a number of emotions all at once, and the best way he could handle them was to mull over it alone.

He was an immortal teenager who heard something that didn't sit well with his personal views, so he was hiding and sulking. The thoughts that he had weren't much better than the sour look that crossed his impish features. Things such as 'How could she do this to me?' and 'I thought we were friends' warred with the feelings of being left in the dark by one of the few guardians he had been most comfortable being around.

Of all people to understand his personal story, Esther had empathized, even offering snippets of her own mortal past. She had assured him that he would find out his past when the time came, but she had been hiding the fact that she knew all along! How could she stand there and say those words when she kept this from him? She had grown up with him, but she couldn't bother herself to even mention it in a passing remark. All the times he had dropped into her office on a whim, any moment where they sat in silence would have been an opportune time to say "Hey Jack, no big deal or anything, but do you remember that we hung out as kids once upon a time?".

When he had confronted her that night, she had the gall to take the role of the offended damsel. Jack scoffed, materializing a snowball and chucking it at a block of ice. 'She has no right to be the one that's upset.' For that matter, he couldn't understand why she would be upset. 'Unless there's something else she's not telling me,' his thoughts continued. 'Maybe she didn't say anything because of something in our past? Was she as wretched as a child as she is now?'

Another snowball smashed against the ice block, but Jack didn't get any satisfaction from it. That last thought didn't sit well in his gut, and no matter how hard he tried to push the feeling down, it made him feel ill. The Esther he thought he knew was sweet, with a temper that could run you from the room. Somehow the idea of her being a wretched child, much less as an adult was wrong. Even after having this bombshell dropped on him, he couldn't speak ill of her overall character. She just happened to omit information concerning him for a long time; it was someone any of the guardians could have done.

Jack stood in the show, feeling the winds pick up around him, wondering what he should do now. He was still too pissed to consider apologizing, even though he felt it was she that needed to do the apologizing. For that matter, he was still too pissed to face her, and she had told him not to show his face around her again until he could act his age. This was uncharted territory for him, and he needed advice. But who could he go to that wouldn't give a biased opinion? The first people he would consider would side with Esther, most likely...except...

With a destination in mind, Jack left his self-imposed exile.


"The wheelbarrow's back here," Fiona told the group that had come outside to help with cleanup. She pushed back the latch on the shed and flung the doors open, forgetting that the inside top edge had a habit of catching water. Droplets fell on her head, and the coldness made her squeal. It wasn't enough to soak her, but it was enough to garner a laugh from Elladan. "Don't laugh at me!"

"Pardon me, then. Never have I heard such a noise before," he grinned.

"I remember being twelve and setting a bucket of water over your chamber room doors," Aragorn reminisced. "You had made a similar noise, if not higher. Is that not right, Elrohir?"

"Absolutely, Estel."

Elladan turned and frowned at Aragorn. "That was you?! How in Eru's name did you set that trap?"

"Who do you think held him up on their shoulders?" Elrohir winked to Fiona, who had perked up at the story. "Really brother, did you always believe we would be teaming up against Estel? He is our brother-in-arms, it is only fair for him to have gotten in on the fun!"

The laughter at Elladan's expense had died down as the group set to work cleaning the backyard. The winds from the previous night had done considerable damage to the trees, scattering broken limbs and twigs from one side of the yard to the other. A few pieces of lawn furniture that were left in the open had been tossed around and needed the mud on them hosed off.

Eomer had been the one to notice the most severe damage from the storm. "I suspected something had been hit last night," he had said, pointing out into the trees at the edge of the yard. It wasn't hard to miss the splintered tree that lay against another. As it wasn't in the yard or a concern for the safety of the house, it was left alone; attempting to cut it down the rest of the way would have been more trouble than its worth.

"I reckon lightning was what did it," Fiona started to say, when her name was being called caught her attention. Turning, she saw Morwen on the back porch, holding out her phone.

"You have a phone call," her mom said as she reached the steps. "I told them you were hard a work with a bunch of men in the backyard."

She didn't understand why her mom had snickered as she went back inside, but as soon as she put the phone to her ear it made perfect sense. The voice on the other end was far too happy-sounding. "So you finally broke your vow of celibacy!" it teased, "Although I must say, in the backyard with a group of men...that's a bit advanced for your skillset, don't you think?"

"Gene?"

"The one and only, darling."

As Fiona carried on her conversation with Gene, Elladan hung back with the others and observed the young woman. He had caught the person's name, recalling that this was the companion of their mortal friend William. Whatever he had said must have been flustering, because she had gone a light shade of red. Then she had calmed as their talk changed to something else. No matter how many times he traveled with mortal men, their animated nature didn't compare to this woman's. Fiona had this habit of fumbling with the edge of her shirt when she talked, usually if the conversation was somewhat bland. This, he suspected, must had been a tactic she used to focus on the person speaking. She didn't like to sit still without doing something, even just bobbing her knee when she sat and watched TV. When she began to talk about something that had sparked her interest, she moved more, waving her hands about to accompany the way her face lit up.

Elladan liked that side of her. It was nice to speak with someone of the opposite sex that wouldn't feign interest. If Fiona found the topic dull, she'd insert a comment to be funny. It wasn't always appropriate, but being proper all the time was dull in itself. So when she came running back to them with that expression of excitement, he knew it was genuine.

"You guys want to go ride horses?" She blurted out suddenly. If she had stopped to think about the question, she would have felt foolish. As excited as she had been when she approached, no one dared to burst her bubble.


Shopping at the mall had its advantages and disadvantages. On the upside, you could find just about whatever you needed in one large building. The downside was that you could find just about anything in one large building.

It wasn't hard to spend hours in the mall either, especially when there are specific stores that draw a person in. For Ithilwen, this was just about any store but a clothing store. She did search the bigger stores such as Belk and Penny's, but she came up empty-handed. Everything available wasn't fitting for a high school reunion, and most of the remains were pink, adding insult to injury. When the larger stores didn't provide hope, she began browsing the smaller ones geared more towards younger adults.

The most eventful thing to come from looking around American Eagle Outfitters was when she tried to explain to Legolas that the white lace 'dress' he had come across was a bathing suit coverup. It didn't get much better after that, either.

They had left that store and went next door to Pac Sun, finding only more of the same beach-casual dresses. That visit hadn't been very long, and soon after Ithilwen found herself standing outside the store, near tears. "This shouldn't be that difficult," she whispered, taking a deep breath. She would not cry over a dress. She just wouldn't. If it came to it, she'd bloody her fingers making something. "Leave it to our class president to wait until the last minute to send out the invitations."

"This was a habit?" Legolas didn't like to see her upset. He took her by the hand and pulled her along as he spoke, hoping that getting away from the store would help.

"Oh yeah. Top in the class, 4.0 grade point average, member of four or five clubs, did sports, worked after school, and even got accepted into his first-choice college. Really smart guy, but a horrible procrastinator at times. If he hasn't aged we'll know he's a robot- hey where are we going?"

She had been reminiscing about her old classmates and hadn't noticed that Legolas was leading her through the mall. The hand holding was something she had gotten used to quickly, but the sudden scents reaching her nose broke her train of thought. Ithilwen looked around, not seeing the last store they left anywhere nearby. Legolas had taken her further than she realized as her eyes settled on the brightly-lit Lush sign in front of them.

"You could use a distraction," he said. "There are many places we haven't looked at yet, and I don't want to see you discouraged so soon."

"But we came here for a dress-"

"And we will find one. What will it hurt to look for something else in the meantime?"

Legolas' innocent question was akin to asking what could possibly go wrong. He got his wish in that Ithilwen was distracted by the bath products in Lush, if the large bag she left with was anything to go by. She hadn't minded that he used some of her bath washes in the shower, and of the products in her bag were a few more bottles of the scent he used. A sale had been the excuse, but he had an inkling of a feeling that wasn't the only reason, and he wasn't sure how to handle those thoughts. Leaving Lush led them across the floor to the bookstore. It had been his intention to go back to dress shopping after visiting Lush, but her interest had been sparked. There was no way in hell he'd tell her no.

If she had perked up at seeing the outside of the bookstore, she was practically purring with excitement when they went inside. Ithilwen knew what she was looking for as well, mumbling something about a new book in a series she had been reading. Legolas wasn't sure what she was talking about, but seeing the way her face lit up when she reached the paranormal section said it all. She had reached out an plucked a book from the shelf, and as she turned it over to read the back cover, Legolas looked at the copies that remained to try and figure out what made her so happy. His ability to read the modern language mentioned something about a highlander, but he didn't know what that was. It must have had something to do with the long-haired man on the cover, bare chested with a large sword and oddly-printed skirt. The woman that was pulled against him with his free arm could have passed for a common elleth had her dress neckline been at a modest height.

"This is a book of romance?" he asked, brows furrowing. It seemed like the book was mis-shelved, just by looking at it.

For whatever reason, Legolas could see the telltale blush appearing on Ithilwen's cheeks. Was she embarrassed? He couldn't imagine why. She fiddled with the book in her hands as she looked anywhere but at him. "That's part of it," she started. "There's a lot more to this series than that. There's fantasy, historical fiction, ghosts, curses. And they're funny." Ithilwen had selected a few more books as she talked, before they went back to the front of the store. "I have a lot of books like this in my room. If you want to, you're welcome to read them."

"I may take you up on that offer," Legolas told her. If anything, he was curious as to why she'd blush over a book.


"Didn't I just see you two the other day?"

The abrupt question made Ithilwen and Legolas stop in their tracks. She had been talking about some of the books she had at home as they left the store, and neither had noticed that Amber was standing outside her place of work. Ithilwen had been about to ask if she was on break until she noticed that her fellow alumni was rearranging the mannequins on display. "Have you checked your mail lately?" she countered.

"Yeah, Nick's still Nick apparently." Amber adjusted the arm of the mannequin she was holding. "We got a shipment of dresses in yesterday that won't go on the floor until tomorrow," she said. "You want to come in and take a look?"

"Hell yes," Ithilwen answered quickly, making Legolas laugh. "We've been through almost every clothing store in this mall and I can't find anything."

Amber collected the discarded product and motioned for the elves to follow her. "Tell me about it. I haven't looked through all of what we got in, but there's a good pile that will work for something semi-formal. I looked through my closet and lucked out." She moved behind the counter and set the items in her hand into a small bin before leading them back to the dressing rooms. "So I bet you're to thank for Ithilwen even being here today at all, huh?" she asked Legolas. "She wouldn't go to this reunion without a good reason, and forgive me for being blunt, but you look as good a reason as any."

Ithilwen pressed her lips into a thin line. "You're more than blunt," she called after Amber, who ducked into the back room. "You're off your mark. We're just friends." 'Don't think about the kisses,' she mentally chanted. 'Don't think about the kisses.'

A high-pitched whine came from the backroom as Amber moved around. When she emerged, she held a pile of dresses in her arms. Thrusting them at Ithilwen, she put on her best pout. "You're no fun. You mean to tell me that a guy friend has willingly come dress-shopping with you, with no expectations at all?"

Legolas could see the elleth's face begin to turn red, and fearing she'd explode at the young woman, decided to intervene. "My only wish today is for Ithilwen to find a dress that she is happy with," he told her.

Amber looked between the two elves. Ithilwen may have nearly been hidden by the pile of dresses in her arms, but she cast a relieved look to her friend as he spoke. In truth, she felt a small part guilty; it was that look that told her everything. This wasn't a rare thing for them to be the subject of, and she had a feeling that no one would listen to them say otherwise. "Okay. Well, here's hoping that you find a dress out of these," she told Ithilwen. "You've got a good one here; you sure you want to take him to the reunion? Someone might try to take him from you."

As Ithilwen moved into the furthest dressing room, she whispered to Amber, "Over my dead body". She knew what the other woman was talking about, and she'd be damned if she'd let it happen. She had already warned off some lecherous women at a restaurant for making eyes at her friend; she'd do worse to a former classmate. Just because their high school "loves" left them disappointed didn't mean she'd stand by and let them take her friend from her.

'Because that's what friends do,' she told herself, yanking her t-shirt over her head. 'Friends. Just...friends. Friends that are really good kissers...dammit!'


Fiona knew that as soon as she asked a handful of people - who used horses as a primary means of transportation - if they wanted to go to a horse ranch, that it was a dumb question. She was extremely grateful that they had played along and refrain from pointing it out. Bless them. Truth of it was, she had forgotten that they came from another world. They had picked up how to work various things around the house quickly - the TV being one in particular - that she had begun to see them as family from out of town instead of being "from out of town".

Gene had called her originally because he wanted to see them. Since he had missed out on the opportunity that William had had on the fourth, he extended an invitation to come out to his uncle's ranch. In retrospect, he had spoken about it so casually that Fiona figured he had a better understanding of the situation without ever having met them yet. The ranch was set further out into the county to allow for more space for the animals, and with any luck, be a relief to her group. It had once been his family's legacy, back when his grandparents and great-grandparents thought that life would remain easygoing and the technology of the day being the tractor. Then the economy had sunk, and so had their ability to pay wages. When Gene's uncle inherited the land, it had been converted into a ranch by his grandparents in their declining years.

The two vehicles they had taken pulled into the dirt and gravel driveway, passing through an open wooden gate a short distance later. Ahead of them, a large old house sat in the middle of the open space. Fiona pulled the Cherokee up to park beside a shiny black pickup truck that she knew belonged to Gene's uncle. As she got out of the truck, Elladan had come around to her side. "You handled this metal beast very well," he commented. "Methinks you chose to annoy your sister the other day."

"Methinks you are right," she grinned. Which was true. Fiona could drive the larger truck, but she absolutely hated backing out behind someone.

"Where y'at?" A new voice yelled across the driveway.

Elladan turned to locate the sound- not believing that was a sentence that was shouted- when Fiona responded in kind. "Awrite, Gene!" That time he caught only the name, and from the befuddled expressions on his companion's faces, he wasn't alone.

A tall young man came jogging up to them, grinning like a fool. His brown hair fell to his shoulders, blue eyes twinkling as he swept Fiona up into a hug. "You ain't grown an inch, squirt!"

When Fiona was released, she mock-glared at the man. "You're just a long-legged goomer," she commented. "Guys, this is Gene Benoit. He's Will's boyfriend."

Gene gave a small nod and waved as Fiona continued with introductions. When she reached her mother, he cut in. "I know you need no introduction, Miss Morwen."

Morwen stepped forward to hug him like she would any of her own children. "It's good to see you. How's yamamma'n'em?"

"Good. Good. Mama and her sister's second husband got in another row while I was down there. Long story short our family shouldn't have holidays together. But lookit y'all! I been tellin' Will that all the fun stuff happens when I leave town!"

"It ain't been peaceful all the time," Morwen replied. She could almost feel the incredulous look that Haldir had at that statement. "We manage."

Gene looked around at the group, noticing that a couple of people appeared to be missing. "Where she at?" he asked. "I wanna meet this soldier-friend of hers."

"They went to the mall this morning to find a dress for her high school reunion," Fiona said.

"F'true? Well I'll be damned. He must be somethin' if she's going!" Gene turned and began to lead them into the house. "We'll call her in a bit. Gonna be real funny if'n she's got pash'n marks when they get here."

Haldir had finally hit his limit of the odd language the three were using. "What in Elebreth's name is a pash-in mark?"

His mate laughed and looped her fingers through his. "It means a love bite, melleth."

The fact that they had entered the house by this point didn't matter. The very thought of Legolas marking his daughter in such a way set him off. "I'll kill him, Thranduil!" he warned.

A new voice spoke then, laced with amusement at the declaration. "Dat dere's a father, I just know it!" They turned to see an older man standing in the far doorway to the kitchen. His skin was tanned from being outside so much, which set off his dark grey hair and mustache. In a way, he looked like an older version of Gene. "Jerry Moreau," he said. "I'm that lil' pissant's uncle. Honor to meet y'all."


"What do you think?"

"I think you look beautiful."

Ithilwen chewed her lip as she stared at Legolas as he sat on the bench. "The dress, Legolas. The dress."

"I think you look beautiful in that dress."

It was all she could do not to groan. "That's what you said about the last four!"

"What do you want me to say?"

She shrugged helplessly, staring at the floor. "In this instance, most guys would lie through their teeth to get out of this. I don't know, anything that could help me decide? I'm going to have to settle for something-"

Legolas stood up then, and in three strides had reached Ithilwen. Tilting her chin up to look at him, he said, "Do not worry about inconveniencing me or anyone else, Ithilwen. This is your dress, and I would sooner go across this world to find a dress that you are happy with than for you to pick one because you feel you have to. If none of these catch your eye, then we will keep looking."

There was a lump in her throat, and Ithilwen found it hard to say anything. All she could do was nod at Legolas as he stepped back. "You can be too nice for your own good," she finally mumbled. "That right there...you're making this fëa-mate theory too good to be true." She slipped back into her dressing room, latching the door as she heard him laugh. It was the truth. Slipping the straps of the dress from her shoulders, she couldn't help but think that any other girl in her position would commit murder if it would make it true.

'I'm not like that,' she thought, as she looked at the remaining two dresses. 'At least, I don't think I am. But maybe I'm just too stubborn to admit it.' Ithilwen found herself drawn to the dark green one over the lilac dress with the mandarin collar. She held it up by the hanger, brows raising when she realized there wasn't a back. It was determination that made her slip it on over her head, but it was getting the fastening caught in her hair that made her realize she needed help. Ithilwen managed to detangle her hair from the chain, but she knew she wouldn't be able to do this part on her own.

"Legolas?" She had been so distracted she almost ran into the door before unlatching it. "Could you help me?" She waited until he reached her stall door before she grinned sheepishly at him. "I need some help fixing the back of this dress..."

As he was let into the dressing room, Legolas quickly saw the evidence of Ithilwen's frustration. Each of the previous dresses were slung haphazardly across the small room, save for one that hung on the wall. 'That must be the last one,' he thought, turning back to Ithilwen. She was standing before him holding up the front panels of a dark green dress to her shoulders.

"There's a little o-ring that this chain clips to in the back, but I can't reach it and keep the front of the dress in place. ...And just ignore my bra," she added as an afterthought, turning. "I know it doesn't match."

He could see what she meant. The front panels ran around the back of her neck, where the small-linked chain began. Looking past the brightly colored undergarment straps, he could see the silver loop she mentioned rest at the small of her back, where the chain was meant to clip onto for a secure fit. Legolas took the chain and carefully pulled it down her back as she held the front, fumbling with the clasp the first few tries as he clipped it to the ring.

Ithilwen should have moved when she felt the click of the clasp, step away, something. There were two things that held her in place, however - the feel of Legolas' fingertips brushing her back and the way he was looking at her. 'He doesn't like it. It's too revealing. Of course it's too revealing. I never should have tried this one on- I should have-'

Legolas was absently tracing the chain that fell along her back, leaving the faintest touch of his fingers on her bare skin. He couldn't look away from the mirror she stood in front of. The dress was far too modern to be acceptable back home, but he was still fascinated with how it looked on Ithilwen. Even with the bright green and orange straps that stood out against the dress, he still thought she was breathtaking. Maybe it was the dress, or maybe it was the rare moment alone with her, but he elected to forget everything else right then. In one swift movement, he had turned her around, backed her against the wall, and kissed her.

'Not what I expected, but who's complaining?' She anticipated a negative remark, not the feel of Legolas' lips against hers. Certainly not the feeling of his tongue tracing her bottom lip. All thoughts were gone as she followed his lead, save for one. 'Don't let this end.' Ithilwen felt his hands slid down to her hips, letting out a small moan as they settled there.

He hadn't meant for it to happen. Not this, anyway. When the kiss became more than what they had shared, Ithilwen's arms had circled around his shoulders. Now they were sliding down his chest, moving past the button-down and up again, underneath his t-shirt. That time he made a noise, pulling her by the hips closer to him. Her fingertips tickled his stomach, and he knew if she kept it up much longer he'd have more to explain than just the kiss. He thought having her flush against him would stall her movements, but it just spurred her on. Did she even realize?

Ithilwen wasn't aware that her hands had roamed underneath his shirt until Legolas lightly nibbled on her bottom lip. It was just the wake-up call that she needed, and she pulled away, almost positive she looked as flushed as she felt.

They stood there, still holding onto the other, completely silent. Sounds began to drift back, echoes of customers and employees reminding the elves that they were in a public place. Slowly, they stepped back and looked around awkwardly. Legolas kept his gaze on anything he thought was "safe", while Ithilwen tried to smooth out the wrinkles the in the dress. When she turned back to the mirror, Legolas moved to unhook the dress before excusing himself. She assumed he had gone back to sitting on the bench while she dressed and collected the rejected options.

Neither one said anything to the other as she came out of the dressing room, hanging the dresses on the rack to be restocked. A shy smile was shared between them when she held up the dark green dress, and together they went to find Amber. The brunette had been looking bored at the counter, but perked considerably when she saw the pair. "So you found something you liked?"

"Yeah," Ithilwen told her, trying not to grin like an idiot. She knew if she looked at Legolas she'd succumb to nervous laughter, it was just a feeling. "You could say something like that."