Needless to say, Vista wasn't happy about the dress thing.  She'd successfully avoided having to wear one for several years prior and was not the least bit pleased about breaking her streak.

"I still don't see why I have to wear one!  They're not here to see me!  And even if they were, I still wouldn't wear one!" she grumbled.

"It's just for a night, Vista.  I doubt it will kill you." Haldir calmly replied.  "For the sake of diplomacy."

Vista rolled her eyes, "I never had much in the way of diplomatic skills."

Haldir's reply, "I believe that." earned him a punch in the arm.

Well, he thought as he gave her a light shove into a bush, at least things are back to...somewhat normal.

            Not that he had long to think about it at that particular moment.  Vista, laughing, bounced back out of the bush and slammed into him with her shoulder, knocking him slightly sideways.  She kept her sideways motion, pushing him nearly into a tree on his side of the path.  He leaned into her shoulder and pushed her the other way.  They kept this up for quite a while, managing to walk somewhat of a straight line, trying to push each other off the path.

            After a while, they were both rather weak from laughter and not able to really push with any significant force.  As they began walking more...normal-like, Haldir casually (riiiiight) draped his arm over Vista's shoulder, praying she wouldn't push it off or step ahead of him.  She didn't.  They walked for a bit in silence.

"What colors?"

Vista blinked and looked up at him, "Huh?  Colors for what?"

"Your dress.  What colors will your dress be?"

Vista laughed, "I don't know!  What a question!  I wonder if I even have any of the dresses from when I first got here..."

Haldir chuckled, "No, I what I meant to ask was are you going to make a dress."

Vista gave him an amused look, "What makes you think I can?"

Haldir assumed a mock-surprised look, "I thought you could do everything!  It appears I was mistaken."

Vista rolled her eyes, "I can make a dress, I'm just used to doing so with certain...tools available to me in the past."

"Well," said Haldir thoughtfully, "I think you will be able to find help for your project...that is, if you wish to pursue it."

Vista glared at him, "Now I have to make it!  Grrrr...damn you."

            Haldir just laughed and voices started floating up the path toward them.  Vista glanced up at Haldir and held a finger to her lips.  They continued on silently, eavesdropping.

"I wonder when we will meet this woman we've heard so much about." came a male voice.

"I don't know, my Prince." came another male voice, obviously a servant.

"It has been said that she has beauty to compare to the Elves and wit sharp enough to cut a warrior's head off."

"I've heard that as well, my Lord.  We shall surely be introduced to her eventually."

            By now, Vista had her burning face buried in her hands.  It was one thing to be complimented thus, but something completely different to be complimented thus...inside one's range of hearing. 

"Why do you hide your face so?" Haldir inquired in a whisper, "All he says is the truth."

Vista merely shook her head, "Shut up, you're just making it worse."

"Did you hear voices?" the Prince said.

            Vista clapped her hand over her mouth and looked up at Haldir.  Then she straightened up slightly and, with a meaningful look, started walking.  Haldir took the hint and started walking like, no, we haven't been eavesdropping.  They rounded the slight bend in the path that brought them face-to-face with the party they'd overheard.  It was two Elves; one, the stereotypical blonde and the other a kind of chestnut/burned gold color.  The blonde was dressed so that Vista knew he was the Prince of the conversation. 

            They both turned when they heard Haldir and Vista approach.  And Vista just had to grin at the slow dawning of realization on the faces of the two Mirkwood Elves. 

The Prince-guy bowed, "I am Legolas, Prince of Mirkwood.  Would you be Lady Vista?"

Vista laughed, "You would be right.  Nice to meet you."

She made to extend a hand to him, but remembered what happened last time she did that.  So she just grinned widely at him, "How long does it take to get from Mirkwood to here?"

Legolas thought for a moment, "It took us around a week.  Riding slow, that is."

Vista laughed again, "Either way, it was probably really cool.  Maybe I'll come see you sometime."

Legolas grinned, "You would be most welcome."

            While this conversation was going on, Haldir felt frozen to the spot.  Vista warmed to everybody, but it annoyed him that she was being so...friendly with this Elf.  It occurred to him that he might be feeling jealous.   He felt that he was finally getting somewhere with Vista; that maybe she was responding to his feelings for her.

 Now, there was competition.

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

            The next two weeks were, to put it bluntly, hell.  For Haldir, at least.  He tried to be...'normal' and go about his duties.  But he felt a burning jolt of anger whenever he saw her with the woodland Prince.  She seemed more at ease with the other Elf then she did with him.  And he wanted to accompany her to the Solstice celebratory feast and ball(A/N:  I hate that freaking word, but dance didn't seem to fit), so it annoyed him doubly so.

            It all came to a head when he found out that the Prince was teaching her how to dance, in preparation for the celebration.  The jealousy and rage that shot through him obviously startled Rumil, who'd just told him.

"Calm down, brother." Rumil cautioned, "You'll get nowhere acting on that temper."

Haldir glared at him, "I have the right to know." 

Rumil raised an eyebrow, "You should ask Vista about that first."

Haldir shook his head, "Where are they?"

Rumil sighed.  There was no deterring Haldir.  "Last I knew, they were down by the river."

Orophin and Fedoli joined their brother as they all watched Haldir speed down the trail leading to the river.

"Where is he off to in such a hurry?" Orophin asked.

Fedoli and Rumil looked at each other and laughed.

"Maybe something will actually happen, eh?  They've been circling each other for months!" Fedoli snorted.

"Yes, it is about time." Rumil agreed.  "I just hope we will not have to piece our dear brother's body back together if he riles Vista as much as he himself is angered."

The brothers laughed and went their separate ways.

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

"You are very graceful, Lady Vista."

Vista grinned, "Thanks, Legolas.  Dance classes and Tae Kwon Do tend to help with rhythm and balance."

Legolas looked at her curiously, "What is Tae Kwon Do?"

"It's a method of self-defense."

"Ah.  May I see?"

Vista laughed, "Sure, why not.  I promise I won't hurt you."

Before Legolas react, he was laying on the ground, looking up at Vista.  Extremely surprised.

"How'd you do that?" he asked as he stood.

"It's relatively simple.  What you do is..."

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

            Haldir came upon them as Vista was teaching the Prince one of her fighting moves.  This only served to further anger him, for she hadn't taught him how to fight like that.

##Maybe because you never asked?##

Drat.  That treacherous voice was back.  (Oh, the pain of an argumentative conscience.)

I don't care what you say, I just don't like her spending all this time with...him.

##Oh, jealous, are we?  You do know Vista won't be very welcoming to such constriction.##

            Haldir didn't slow his pace as he entered the clearing.  Throwing a barely discernable nod at Legolas, he grabbed Vista by the arm, pulling her along.

"Excuse us a moment, your Highness.  I need a word with Vista."

            Neither of the clueless parties had time to utter any contradiction before Haldir had pulled Vista down a trail and out of sight.

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

            Then the shock wore off. 

Vista dug in her heels, trying to pull out of Haldir's grip, "LET ME GO!!"

            Haldir said nothing, instead hauling them further into the forest.  Vista, never one to beg for anything, figured that she would have to stop things the hard way and risk a fight.  But, hey, fighting is a choice; whereas there's no choice in being dragged somewhere.  So Vista reached out with her other hand and grabbed the wrist of the hand pulling her.  She then dug a stubby fingernail into the pressure point just below the vitals. 

            A hiss of pain and her arm released.  Vista sprang away and assumed a defensive posture, not sure what else to expect.  Haldir looked his wrist over.  After determining that there was nothing seriously wrong with it (besides the fact that it hurt like hell), he looked over at Vista.

"That wasn't nice."

WHAT?? 

"WASN'T NICE??  WHERE DO YOU GET OFF JUDGING NICE??  I SHOULD KICK YOUR ASS FOR WHAT YOU JUST PULLED!!"

Vista was incensed.  Well, Haldir was angry also.  Two can play that.

"WHY DO YOU SPEND SO MUCH TIME WITH HIM?" he yelled back.

Vista blinked, "Huh?  What, with Legolas?"

Then it clicked.  And Vista cracked up.

"What do you find so amusing." Haldir asked sourly.

Vista managed to regain some composure, "You're jealous."

Haldir glowered at her, "And you find this amusing?"

Vista nodded, "Yeah, 'cuz I don't see why."

Haldir paused, "I just don't like it."

Vista eyed him warily, "Well, it's not something you have the right to worry about.  Jeez, you act like you have some...claim on me or something." 

Now the familiar 'I feel stupid' vibe was settling over Haldir.  "I'm sorry Vista.  I don't know what I was thinking."

Vista raised an eyebrow, "I think you do, but just don't wanna tell me."

Haldir looked away for a brief moment, then back at her, "Perhaps.  It was...childish and hasty."

Vista leaned against a nearby tree, "Try me."

Haldir sighed, Might as well.  "Do you like Prince Legolas more then me?"

To his surprise, Vista smiled at him and laughed, "No.  No, I don't.  Jeez, what gave you that impression?"

"You...warmed up to him quicker.  And you are spending a great amount of time with him."

Vista snorted, "I've been hanging out with you for, like, 8 months.  I don't think that argument is quite valid."

Haldir noted, however, that she avoided the first part of his question.

"And..?"

Vista bit her lip and avoided his eyes, taking her time in answering.

"It's not that I like him more.  It's just...it's just different.  Legolas is like, I dunno, a brother or a best friend."

Haldir raised an eyebrow, "And I am not a friend to you?"

Vista stomped her foot in annoyance, "That's not what I mean!  Things are...different with you."

"Different how?"

Vista glared at him, "I can't explain it, okay?"

"Why don't you try."

Vista sighed and thought for a moment.  "Closer then a friend, but not a brother.  There.  Happy?"

Haldir shrugged, "I don't know, are you?"

Vista snorted, "What kind of answer is that?"

"A question, actually.  What I want to ask now, however, is for your forgiveness.  I should never have interrupted you so."

Vista eyed him, "You were extremely rude, dragging me off into the forest like that.  And, might I add, you are being rediculous by assuming that I care for a virtural stranger more then I care about you."

Haldir smirked, "So you do care about me."

Vista smirked back, "I never said I didn't."

Haldir took a step toward her, "You keep avoiding my questions."

Vista also took a step forward, "Maybe if you asked a direct one, I'd answer it."

Haldir took another step, "All my questions are straight forward."

Vista again matched him, "With a pound of insinuation each."

            By this time, they were nose-to-nose.  Each were annoyed, but likewise amused.  They enjoyed their half-serious altercations, as long as nothing seriously damaging was said.  They eyed each other, each trying desperately not to smile. 

She is so beautiful when she argues. 

This was the last conscious thought to enter his head for the next few minutes.

He leaned down and kissed her firmly, letting his eyes drift closed. 

            And since his mind didn't seem to be correctly processing the danger of what he was doing, his body kicked in.  He slipped an arm around her waist, pulling her body against his.  His other hand found its way to her face, gently gripping her jaw, drawing her deeper into the kiss.

            Vista was completely stunned.  First, that he actually kissed her.  Second, that she realized she didn't mind.  By the time she wrapped her mind around that, she found that she'd responded.  Her left hand gripped the upper-arm of the limb 'round her waist and her right hand rested on the back of his neck, pulling him closer.

            For no real reason, the kiss ended.  They stood there, just breathing, eyes closed, foreheads pressed together.  Rational thought returned (somewhat) to Haldir.  He wrapped his arms around her, pulling her securely against him.  That way, at least, it would be harder for her to hit him.  But Vista merely rested her head against his chest and sighed deeply. 

Silence seems to be an ongoing theme with these two, eh?

"May I accompany you to the celebration?" Haldir whispered.

Vista giggled quietly, "Naturally."

Now it was Haldir's turn to chuckle, "Why naturally?"

"Who else would I go with?"

"Well, the Prince, for instance."

"No.  Not the Prince.  Never the Prince.  Might dance with him, sure.  But no."

"You might go with any of my brothers."

"No.  They're really cool and everything, but no."

"You might-"

"No."

"There is-"

"No."

"Or-"

"No."

"Must you always have the last word?"

Pause.

"Yes."